Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 943: Trees Are Still Like This
"Stop, right here!" Wang Wenzuo said in a deep voice. He pointed to a stone bench in front of him and said, "Help me sit on it!"

"Yes!" Hu Liang responded. He first stepped forward to brush off the dust on the stone bench, then took the fur coat from the servant behind him and spread it on the stone bench. Then he helped Wang Wenzuo sit down on the stone bench.

"Since Suta is back, why didn't he tell me about Jumong himself?" Wang Wenzuo asked.

"Suda said that it was his fault as an elder brother that Jumong did not come back, so he stayed outside the city of Fanyang, waiting for his father's punishment!" Huliang whispered.

"Jumong is Jumong, he is who he is, what is his guilt or innocence!" Wang Wenzuo sighed, "Send a message and ask him to come into the city to see me! And the others who have returned, come together, it's a hard journey of tens of thousands of miles from Jiaozhou to here!"

"Yes, my son!" Hu Liang responded. He called a servant not far away and whispered a few words to him. The servant then left quickly.

"Father, everything has been arranged!"

"Yeah!" Wang Wenzuo nodded, reached out to touch the orange tree next to him, and suddenly sighed: "Huliang, do you know? This mansion was built by your Uncle Cui. When he was on a diplomatic mission to Japan, he lived in a palace of the King of Tsukushi in Japan. The Japanese called that palace the Tachibana Hirotei Palace, and there was a large area of ​​orange trees in the courtyard. Your Uncle Cui thought it was very good, so he planted a lot of them in my mansion. When I first moved in, these orange trees were not big, the thickest was only as thick as my thumb, and the height was no higher than my chest. But now, these orange trees have grown tall, and I have--" At this point, Wang Wenzuo's voice was a little choked, and his eyes were filled with crystal tears.

Seeing this, Huliang was so upset that he knelt down and held Wang Wenzuo's hand: "Father, what Jumong did was really too much. I will go to Jiaozhou tomorrow and bring him back to apologize to you!"

“No need!” Wang Wenzuo waved his hand. “I am not sad for him. After all, I have so many sons. Most of them came to Fanyang, and only a few did not come. Besides, when I divided you into four fiefdoms, you were all so far away. I was already prepared to never see you again!”

"Father, how you arrange things is one thing, but how your sons act is another!" Huliang said angrily, "Jumong's actions are, at best, ignorant of the seriousness of the situation, and at best, against the laws of nature. How can a son not come back to serve his father when he is seriously ill?"

“That’s all!” Wang Wenzuo smiled and said, “This is all my own fault!”

"Why did father say that?" Hu Liangqi asked.

"Huliang, you have been training in Chang'an for these years and married the daughter of the Li family. You should know some principles now, right?" Wang Wenzuo asked.

Hu Liang didn't know why his father suddenly asked these questions, but he nodded habitually: "I did learn a little, but I don't know if it is what father said!"

"Okay, let me ask you, why do the sons of the royal family have to be divided into legitimate and illegitimate children?"

Huliang replied: "If there is no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, then the throne will be without a master, and brothers will kill each other for this, and the country will be in great disaster!"

"That's right. Then why don't I establish a legitimate or illegitimate son even though I have more than fifty sons?" Wang Wenzuo asked.

"This..." Huliang was stunned when he heard this. He had thought about this question for a long time and had discussed it with his wife in private, but he still couldn't figure it out. His wife thought that Wang Wenzuo loved his son so much that he was reluctant to separate the legitimate and illegitimate sons, but Huliang thought otherwise. He thought his father must have other intentions, but he just hadn't thought of it yet.

"Actually, you are right. If a person with a country or a family does not distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate sons, after a long time, the sons will inevitably fight for the throne, which will inevitably lead to disaster. But if they are divided into legitimate and illegitimate sons, then the arrangement of the illegitimate sons will be a big problem. If they are mediocre in talent, it is fine. But if they are capable, if they are placed in the capital, there may be changes in the palace, and if they are placed in the prefectures, there will be worries for the seven countries. After thinking about it, the only way is to clip their wings, pull out their claws and teeth, and confuse their minds. Treat them like prisoners and enemies, and then the world will be at peace!"

Hearing this, Huliang's forehead was already covered with sweat. Wang Wenzuo's words were heartbreaking. Under the system of legitimate and illegitimate sons, it is indeed possible to ensure that the legitimate son's inheritance rights are not threatened by illegitimate sons, so that the country will not be turbulent due to civil wars in the royal family. But this is not without cost. Illegitimate sons and non-eldest sons with outstanding talents will still be suspected by their brothers on the throne. In many cases, they will be constantly tortured and suppressed, and live a very miserable life. If Wang Wenzuo adopted the system of legitimate and illegitimate sons, Huliang would never be able to live his current life.

"In fact, it's not just the bastard. If I only want to pass the throne to my son, then the important ministers and generals who have followed me all these years will also be in trouble!" Wang Wenzuo smiled bitterly: "No matter which one of you I choose, you will definitely not be able to control the generals as I do. What should I do? The only way is to kill those generals and ministers who are too capable and too prestigious before I die, so that they will not become a worry for my children and grandchildren. Don't you think it's right? Protect the good!"

"My son is stupid!" Hu Liang kowtowed twice: "I still don't understand my father's painstaking efforts in all these years."

“No, you still don’t understand!” Wang Wenzuo sighed, “Being a legitimate son or a illegitimate son has a thousand faults, but it can indeed bring peace to the world. My son and important ministers and generals have suffered misfortune, but the people of the Tang Dynasty have benefited. I still understand the principle of crying at home and crying all the way. But the problem is that if I clip my wings like this, I will have to abandon the territory that I have worked hard for half my life. Even if I can defend it while I am alive, the next generation will inevitably abandon it after I die. The reason is very simple. Places that are too far away from Chang'an cannot be defended! The only way to defend those places is to prevent them from being under the jurisdiction of Chang'an!”

"So, father, you didn't establish a legitimate son, is it because of this?"

"That's right!" Wang Wenzuo nodded. "Your generation is fine, but the next generation, and the next generation, those remote places will definitely become independent and will no longer be willing to bow to Chang'an. But it doesn't matter. No matter what, you are all my descendants, Wang Wenzuo. Thousands of years later, the descendants of Yanhuang will still live on that land. That's enough! As for the rest, it's not something a dying man like me can consider!"

"So father, do you mean not to punish Jumong?" Huliang asked cautiously.

"Yeah!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "But I don't want others to know my thoughts! It's enough for you to understand!"

"I understand!" Huliang sighed, "I will definitely follow your wishes! What about Suta and the others?"

"Suda?" Wang Wenzuo thought for a moment, "He will go to a farther place in the future, it doesn't matter if you tell him! It's a bit windy outside, take me in!"

Huliang responded, carefully helped Wang Wenzuo back into the wheelchair, and sent him back to the house. Wang Wenzuo lay back on the couch and fell asleep.

Hu Liang waited until Wang Wenzuo fell asleep before he carefully left the yard. A housekeeper came up to him and whispered, "General, Master Xu Tuo is asking to see you outside!"

"What a coincidence! Father has already gone to bed!" Hu Liang sighed, "Well, please invite him to the flower hall! It just so happens that I haven't seen him for a long time!"

Huliang had just sat down in the hall when Suta came in from outside, bowed to Huliang and asked, "Brother, how is father?"

"I just fell asleep! Come, let's sit down and talk!"

"Thank you, brother!" Suta sat down and said, "Father's health..." "He is getting worse day by day. He is just trying to hold on. I guess he wants to see you!" Huliang sighed, "He has worked very hard in his life, and in the end he still worries about us, the younger generations!"

"It's all my fault!" Suta said with a guilty look on his face: "When I was in Jiaozhou, I should have brought Jumong on board anyway!"

"Forget it, it's not your fault! And father was actually prepared for Jumong's matter!" Huliang repeated what Wang Wenzuo had just said: "Father understands some things too well. He suffers all the hardships himself and only makes things convenient for others!"

"Yes!" Suda sighed, "What are you going to do about Jumong?"

"We must punish them, otherwise people outside will laugh at us for having no rules. We have to save face!" Hu Liang sighed, "But this matter has nothing to do with you. After all, according to father's arrangement, your foundation is not in Jiaozhou at all!"

"Brothers don't have to be so clear-cut!" Sutuo sighed, "Now that father is gone, I don't know when I will return to Fanyang next time! Just treat it as the last thing I can do! By the way, where is Brother Yanliang? Why didn't he see it?"

"Oh! Many people have been looking for him these days. I guess he was delayed somewhere again!" Hu Liang said with a smile.

"Looking for him?" Suta frowned. "At this time, isn't it the most important to serve my father? Forget it, where is Ah Sheng? He should be here, right?"

"Ah Sheng?" Hu Liang said with a smile, "He and I take turns. He will take my place after dinner!"

"That's more like it!" Suta nodded: "Then add me!"

"Okay, although father hasn't said it these days, he is thinking about you in his heart. He must be very happy to see you!" Hu Liang said with a smile.

"That's right!" After Suta pondered for a moment, he whispered, "Brother, do you think that after our father is gone, will we brothers fight each other?"

"Don't let your imagination run wild!" Hu Liang laughed, "We are all so far apart from each other. Even if we want to fight each other, there is nothing we can do! Don't worry about it!"

"Yes, you are right!" Suta also laughed: "That's the best. I don't worry about anything else but this. Father has worked hard for half his life to build this foundation. If he dies, we brothers will kill each other. How can we be worthy of him? I can't control the affairs of future generations. We must love each other in this generation!"

Before Huliang could answer, he saw his attendant rushing in quickly. When he was seven or eight steps away, he knelt down and said, "General, this is bad!"

"What's the matter? Stand up and talk!" Hu Liang's face looked a little ugly: "You are yelling and making a fuss, you don't even have any manners!"

"Yes!" the attendant responded and stood up: "In Ping'anfang, there is only one street across from the palace, and two groups of people are fighting!"

"You come to me for such a trivial matter?" Hu Liang said angrily, "The city guards should send soldiers to arrest him and deal with him according to the law. Why are you talking so much nonsense?"

"General, those who are fighting are not ordinary people. There are young masters on both sides!" the attendant answered cautiously.

"What?" Huliang's face changed drastically, and he jumped up: "Damn it, what a bunch of useless people. They made such a fuss while our father is still alive. If he is gone, they will make a big fuss. Xu Tuo, wait here, I will deal with them!"

"Let's go together!" Suta also stood up: "Let's fight quickly and make a quick decision, so that the matter won't get out of hand and become a laughing stock to outsiders!"

The two brothers went to the front yard to select more than a hundred people, and rode all the way to Ping'anfang. When they were still more than a hundred steps away, they heard shouting and yelling in front of them. Huliang was so angry that his face turned black, and he shouted to the captain: "You take these people and block the roads in front and behind. Don't let anyone get close to watch. Save some face for the king!"

"Then General, don't you have anyone protecting you?" the captain asked carefully.

"Do I need someone to protect me in Fanyang City?" Huliang said coldly. He pointed at Xutuo and said, "The two of us are enough! Go now, don't delay!"

The captain had no choice but to lead his men to block the road separately. Suta knew that Huliang didn't want too many outsiders to see the ugly things between brothers, so he whispered: "Don't worry, brother, from what I heard, it's just talking, there shouldn't be any swords or guns!"

"Isn't talking enough?" Hu Liang sighed, "Forget it, go over there quickly and get it over with!"

The two brothers rode their horses and rushed past the street corner in front. Suda rushed ahead and shouted loudly: "Stop, move aside, General Huliang is here!"

Two groups of people were shouting and cursing at each other on the street. Many of them had rolled up their sleeves and were pushing each other. Some were brandishing whips, and some were holding sticks, but fortunately no one drew their swords. When they heard Suta's shouting, they all turned around.

"Brother Suta, why are you here!" asked a strong young man. It was Sengnian, one of the few people who went to Jiaozhou with Jumong. His face was full of astonishment, and it was obvious that he did not expect to see Suta here.

"Didn't I ask you to clean up your place? Why are you arguing with others here?" Suta asked.

"I was going to deal with it as you said, but I didn't expect to meet these bastards on the way. They started scolding me as soon as they saw me and even hit me with bullets. Is it possible to bully people like this?" Seng Nian's face was full of grievance.

Xu Tuo looked back and saw two young men on the opposite side, also Wang Wenzuo's sons, looking at him viciously. He was about to say something when Hu Liang's horse came over and shouted with his sword drawn: "Stop arguing, get off your horses, you have brought shame to your father!"

When the two men saw Huliang, they were so frightened that they quickly dismounted from their horses and stood with their hands hanging down.