At dawn the next day, Zhao Hao was awakened by a sharp whistle.

After a while, Shao Daxia called him outside to hurry up and do the exercises, because if he was late he would have to do extra exercises.

Zhao Hao got up in great pain and let Qiaoqiao comb his hair before leaving without even washing up.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and said to Shao Da Xia: "Hey, brother, what are we doing?"

"Brother, please be patient. How can I harm you?" Shao Fang laughed a little guilty and lowered his voice:

"Mr. Gao is more than ten years younger than his eldest brother. The eldest brother is like a father, and he respects and loves his eldest brother the most."

Having said that, he kept silent.

Zhao Hao was stunned when he heard this. Why did this sound like it was directed towards him?

He didn't think that he was more attractive than the Lord Gao who was about to be reinstated.

"I'm the middleman in this matter." Shao Fang knew his doubts and said with a smile, "I can't cheat either of you, otherwise I'll betray your trust in me."

"Ah, Brother Chu Xiu is so responsible!" Zhao Hao couldn't help but stand in awe, and felt that people in the underworld were much cuter than politicians. Even as a broker, he was so responsible!

"Hahaha, life is all about living it up!" Shao Fang laughed heartily, "Also, I've been doing military training with Gao Zhongcheng for a while, and I feel much better now."

“……” Zhao Hao was speechless.

~~

When he finished his morning exercises, came back to take a shower, and dragged his tired body out to eat breakfast, Zhao Liben had just gotten up to eat.

Breakfast is also carefully prepared by the chef. If Lao Xier eats all kinds of noodles, Henan people love all kinds of soups. There are spicy soup, mutton soup, donkey soup, tofu soup, mixed liver soup, no-turn soup, and go-away soup...

Paired with egg-filled pancakes, drink two bowls of it, it will satisfy your hunger and be very enjoyable!

Zhao Hao ate two egg-filled pancakes and drank three bowls of soup before he felt alive again. He burped and asked the old man who was drinking tea beside him, "I was too tired yesterday to ask, how was the conversation between Grandpa and Mr. Gao?"

"Want to hear the truth?" Zhao Liben took a sip of Xinyang Maojian.

"Is there any need to ask?" Zhao Hao nodded.

"I didn't say a word." Zhao Liben said lightly.

"Ah, just fishing?" Zhao Hao couldn't believe it.

"I didn't catch a single fish. There was no bait on the hook." said Zhao Liben.

"Ah?" Zhao Hao held his chin and asked, "What are you two singing about? Are you doing performance art?"

"I don't know what performance art is?" Zhao Liben snorted, "But knowing this is enough."

"Is that enough?" Zhao Hao's brain was trained by Gao Jie to be difficult to use.

"That's right." Zhao Liben said calmly, "We can sit together and fish for an afternoon without quarreling or hitting each other with stones. If this isn't reconciliation, what is it? Isn't this what the emperor wants? Why would he care what we say?"

"That's true." Zhao Hao nodded, thinking that this was enough to send a clear signal of reconciliation to the emperor and all parties.

"The reason why we didn't speak is because we all know that if we talk more than three sentences, we will definitely quarrel and then fight." Zhao Liben put down the teacup and said quietly: "Did I come all the way here just to fight with him? Hasn't he caught enough fish in this country for two years? We are just taking what we need."

"Is that so?" Zhao Hao understood, and said with some regret: "It turns out that I was just acting for everyone to see, and I didn't really resolve my knot."

"Is it a knot that can be untied?" Zhao Liben said as if it was a matter of course: "Your enemy wants to deal with you, not because he has a knot with you, but because you are too weak. As long as you are strong enough, he can convince himself, and you don't have to worry anymore."

"Well, okay..." Zhao Hao stopped talking helplessly and said, "But it's a pleasant surprise that the problem can be solved so easily."

"Easy?" It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it. Zhao Liben suddenly raised his voice, put his face in front of him, pointed at his swollen cheeks and neck and said: "He deliberately wanted to kill me with the sun. Do you understand? I was sunburned!"

"Grandpa works so hard. It's not easy." Zhao Hao quickly put his hands together and smiled apologetically, "My grandson is so lucky to have such a good grandfather who is willing to sacrifice for his family!"

"Don't try that, kid!" Zhao Liben didn't buy it and snorted, "Grandpa has done what he promised you, but you can't break your promise to me!"

"How could that be? Don't worry, Grandpa. We'll do it as soon as you reach the age. We won't delay it for a single day..." Zhao Hao had no choice but to pat his chest loudly to comfort the old man.

In the end, he still didn't know what the grudge between his grandfather and Gao Gong was...

Don't ask, if you ask, it's a deep hatred...

~~

After breakfast, Gao Fu came over and invited Zhao Hao to have tea.

Since the risk of quarreling was too high if they met Zhao Liben, Gao Gong did not invite Zhao Liben.

"I don't want to see him yet." Feeling a little hurt, Zhao Liben put his hands behind his back and went back to apply a facial mask in his slippers.

Zhao Hao followed Gao Fu to the courtyard where Gao Gong lived.

I saw a tall awning in front of the main room, covered with thick leaves of grape vines, which completely blocked the scorching sun and created a cool shade for the main room and under the awning.

Under the grape trellis, there was a small square table with a few wooden stools. Gao Gong was wearing a linen jacket, no hat, his trouser legs were rolled up high, and his feet were wearing cloth shoes. He was fanning himself with a cattail leaf fan while making tea with a large teapot.

Before leaving Beijing, it happened that another husband also invited Zhao Hao to have tea.

But Zhang Juzheng was under the wisteria trellis, dressed elegantly and with a long black and smooth beard. Everything from the tea table, tea sets to tea leaves and water for making tea was extremely particular.

The Tianshou Mountain spring water that filtered out the heat was boiled by a beautiful girl on a small red clay charcoal stove, and then brewed by the university scholar in a gold and iron wire cup. The cup of Jianning tribute tea is still fresh in the memory of Mr. Zhao, who has seen the world.

Look at the big leaf tea brewed by the old man with the big white porcelain teapot under the grape trellis. Mr. Zhao, holding the cheap coarse porcelain bowl, couldn't help but fall into deep thought. How did these two very different scholars end up peeing in the same pot?

"Why, you're not used to it?" Gao Gong drank from a large bowl of tea and said in a rough voice, "The purpose of drinking tea is to quench thirst, so of course you have to drink it in large bowls."

"That makes sense." Zhao Hao couldn't help but laugh. He was indeed a little out of touch with the crowd. He also gulped down a bowl of tea, wiped his mouth and said, "It's really enjoyable. That small teacup can only be used to taste tea, but it can't quench thirst."

"Hahaha, sure. If you can think that way, you're still a human being." Gao Gong's compliments were too harsh. He grabbed a handful of pumpkin seeds, cracked them and asked casually, "I heard you didn't take the canal?"

"Yes." Zhao Hao said shamelessly: "I have never walked on a dry road before, so this is a good opportunity to broaden my horizons."

"It's exciting, right?" Gao Gong glanced at him and said.

"Indeed." Zhao Hao sighed and said, "Seeing the suffering of many people and the extravagance of the princes, I was deeply moved."

"Hahaha, great." Gao Gong threw the melon seed shells on the ground and said with a smile: "You Jiangnan water crabs should be shown what kind of life we ​​Henan people live. This will save you from always complaining without reason."

As he spoke, he could not help but criticize the people in the south of the Yangtze River for being selfish, calculating, ignorant of the overall situation, and forming cliques.

Zhao Hao knew that Gao Gong was very resentful of the officials from Jiangnan, led by Xu Ge Lao. He did not bother to argue with the old man, and also picked up a hemp leaf from the snack tray and took a bite.

Hmm, it's very crispy and the saltiness is just right. I can add it to my daily snack list.

"Why, do you feel uncomfortable listening to this?" With Gao Gong's bad temper, it was normal for him to be bullied.

"No, I think what Elder Gao said is right." Zhao Hao patted the crumbs on his hands and smiled gently: "But that's the style of Elder Xu and his gang. The new generation of Jiangnan people will definitely be aware of the overall situation."

"Haha..." Seeing Zhao Hao's unshakable attitude, Gao Gong couldn't help but think: "It's true that a great reputation is a real talent. This kid really can't be underestimated."

Zhao Hao's age and appearance were a great disadvantage. Although the emperor, Zhang Juzheng, and even Yang Bo wrote letters to Gao Gong, and Shao Fang praised Zhao Hao in person for his natural talent and maturity, people like Gao Gong were always more willing to believe their own eyes.

So it was not until this moment that he was sure that those people were not exaggerating. This was a goblin whose age could not be measured.

Having come to this point, Gao Gong stopped talking nonsense and went straight to the point: "Then do you think the Ming Dynasty can still be saved?"

Zhao Hao looked at Gao Gong with an idiotic look and said, "If you think the Ming Dynasty is hopeless, then why am I struggling? Why does Mr. Xuan need to struggle?"

"Tossing and turning..." Gao Gong smiled and said, "That's a good word. To others, we are just tossing and turning."

He glanced at Zhao Hao and said, "Why don't you just join the Nine Families in smuggling? Why do you have to wade into the muddy waters of shipping grain?"

"Smuggling is against the law of the country and harmful to the Ming Dynasty." Zhao Hao said with a straightforward smile, "If I join the Nine Great Families, will Mr. Gao treat me as a distinguished guest and discuss philosophy with me?"

"Hahaha!" This was a clever way of flattering someone. It was not something that could be done by a martial artist like Shao. Gao Gong just felt relaxed and laughed out loud, "Mr. Zhao has given birth to a good grandson! Well, just for what you said, let's cooperate!"

"That's what I want, but I don't dare to ask for it." Zhao Hao said seriously.

"I am not the kind of person who wants to be a virtuous woman after being a whore. I just want to make a comeback and become the Prime Minister!" Gao Gong said frankly, "But I can guarantee that I have no selfish motives. I don't even have a son. What's the point of having wealth and glory? Who will I give the money to?"

Zhao Hao thought that the Sea Warrior also had no son, so does that mean the son is the source of all evil?

"I want to do something. The Ming Dynasty is on the verge of collapse, so I want to try and see if it can be saved." Gao Gong said in a deep voice, "At the very least, we must extend the life of the Ming Dynasty for another hundred or eighty years. We cannot let the current emperor and his descendants become the rulers of a fallen country. Otherwise, I will be ashamed of your majesty's kindness."

Zhao Hao thought, then you can rest assured, the Ming Dynasty fell to the great-grandchildren of Emperor Longqing...

But that was without my involvement. With me, maybe his son would be able to unlock this achievement.

ps. Third update, please give me your monthly vote!