Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

"Since you don't want to get involved, Yanliang, that's fine!" Huliang nodded: "You can't stay out of Jumong's affairs this time!"

"Okay!" Yan Liang nodded: "But since you want me to speak, then I have to say one thing first! Between us brothers, as long as there is no rebellion or fratricide, no territory can be deprived, no one can be removed from the family tree, not to mention harming their lives! Even if the territory is deprived for a crime, it must be left to their descendants, and cannot be given to others!"

"Okay, I understand!" Huliang nodded. Yanliang's meaning was very clear. That was to ensure the various privileges of Wang Wenzuo's descendants through legal means, reduce the intensity of their internal conflicts, and prevent things like Jumong from becoming a tool for internal strife.

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Bedroom.

Wang Wenzuo was lying on the bed, in a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness. He was in this state for a long time every day, and could only stay fully awake for four or five hours. Death was like a quagmire, which flooded from the feet little by little, first the feet, then the calves, knees, thighs, and lower abdomen. When it flooded to the top of the head, it was all over. He could feel someone waiting for him beside the bed. They held their breath, as if waiting for something. Wang Wenzuo wanted to raise his head and say something, but a wave of fatigue overwhelmed him and pulled him into another round of sleep.

In his dream, Wang Wenzuo suddenly found himself young again, his body full of the vitality of young people, he looked around in a trance, trying to determine where he was. At this time, a burst of music came, mixed with people's laughter, he instinctively walked towards the sound, in the dim light, he saw a happy team, many people riding horses, some playing instruments, some chatting and laughing with their companions, everyone walked over happily.

The leader was a young man in a purple robe and a golden crown, riding a red horse, talking to the old man beside him. Behind the two of them followed a burly officer wearing a gauze hat, a tight-sleeved black military uniform, a cowhide belt decorated with silver nails, and a long sword hanging from his waist. Behind them followed a half-bald strong man, who was drunk and silent, with the feather arrows on his waist swaying and looking like they were about to fall off. There were many people following behind, but Wang Wenzuo didn't remember them very well.

As people walked past Wang Wenzuo, the young man in the lead suddenly glanced at him, smiled but said nothing. He winked at Wang Wenzuo, waved his hand, and motioned for Wang Wenzuo to follow. Unable to help himself, Wang Wenzuo slowly followed, but people were walking too fast, so Wang Wenzuo changed from small steps to big steps, from big steps to fast steps, and then started to run, but he still couldn't catch up, and his breathing began to become rapid.

Wang Wenzuo on the couch began to cough, and the people around the couch became excited. Everyone tried to squeeze forward, so the crowd around the couch became tighter.

Wang Wenzuo ran a long way, but he could not catch up with the group of people who were getting farther and farther away. The purple-robed young man in the lead said something when he could not catch up, and several horsemen in the team turned around and seemed to be coming to pick him up. Wang Wenzuo vaguely recognized that they were Liu An, Heba Yong, and Yuan Aolie! They ran over while shouting Zhou Ping's name and stretched out their hands to him.

"Sanlang, Sanlang!"

A rapid cry pulled Wang Wenzuo back from his dream. He opened his eyes, dazed, and it took him a while to recognize his wife's face. He whispered, "It turned out to be a dream. I thought, I thought--"

"Sanlang! What happened to you?" Cui Yunying looked at her husband sobbingly: "You scared me just now."

"Nothing!" Wang Wenzuo sighed, "I just had a dream. In the dream, I met a group of horsemen passing by me. They were talking and laughing together, as if they were going out hunting. I saw that the leader looked familiar, so I couldn't help but follow them. However, they ran faster and faster. It seemed that I could not catch up with them. The purple-robed young man in the lead sent a few riders back to pick me up. They were Liu An, Heba Yong, and Yuan Aolie. Then I woke up! Yes, the leader of the group looked like the late emperor, and the one next to him was Liu Gong!"

The room was filled with an ominous atmosphere, and people looked at each other in bewilderment. After a while, Cui Yunying whispered, "What you think about during the day, you will dream about at night. Sanlang, you are old now, so it's not strange that you miss your old friends more. Don't think too much!"

“Haha!” Wang Wenzuo laughed twice: “I know what you are all worried about. It’s nothing. I really hope that they came to pick me up just now. At least I will have friends to accompany me after death, and I won’t be lonely!”

The room was in complete silence, and no one dared to answer the question. Wang Wenzuo coughed and said, "Do you have any tea? I'm a little thirsty!"

After drinking two sips of tea, Wang Wenzuo felt much better. He leaned back on the cushion and found that there were people kneeling on the ground beside the couch. In addition to several older sons such as Yanliang, Huliang, and Xutuo, there were also old friends who had followed him for many years, such as Sangqiu, Cui Hongdu, Shen Faseng, Zhang Junyan, Cao Wenzong, Wang Pu, Akundun, and Di Renjie. He realized that something important had happened.

"What happened? Why are all of you here?" Wang Wenzuo put down his teacup and asked in a deep voice, "Huliang, tell me what's going on?"

"Reporting to father!" Hu Liang raised his head: "Regarding the matter of Jumong, we plan to report to you after discussing it!"

"Is it about Jumong not coming back?" Wang Wenzuo frowned. "Is it necessary to make such a big fuss? Forget it, let's all get up. Ah Sheng, call the cushions outside so that everyone can sit down and talk. We are all old, how can our bodies bear to kneel on the ground!"

"Yes, Father!" Wang Qisheng responded and went out to call the maid to bring a cushion. Everyone stood up and thanked him. Wang Wenzuo waved his hand and said, "Huliang, tell me! How should we deal with Jumong?"

"After discussion, we decided that Jumong should be fined 70,000 silver coins for his fault! The same applies to the other brothers who didn't come back!" Hu Liang said, "When he went to Jiaozhou, you rewarded each of them with 100,000 silver coins and a ship, and we will punish them half of that! In addition, each of them will be whipped 20 times, and Yuan Bao will supervise the punishment!"

"Oh!" Wang Wenzuo frowned. "You all came up with this after discussing it?"

"Father, this is what happened!" Hu Liang said, "Because of Jumong's incident, I think we must establish a rule. Otherwise, if any of our brothers commit a crime in the future, we will have no idea how to deal with them. It was fine when you were here—"

"Okay, I understand what you mean!" Wang Wenzuo interrupted Huliang's answer. He was silent for a moment: "Have you drawn up the rules? Show them to me!" "Yes! Mr. Di!" Huliang waved to Di Renjie. Di Renjie pulled out a piece of mulberry paper from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. Wang Wenzuo reached out to take it. He saw that the rules were written in very beautiful cursive script. There were twelve rules in total:

1. All the descendants of Wang family are dedicated to practicing the arts of civil arts, military arts, archery and horsemanship. Civil arts are on the left and military arts are on the right. This is the ancient method and they must be combined.

2. Do not gather for drinking, leisure and extravagance.

3. Each family must not conceal a criminal who violates the law, as those who violate the law will be punished together.

4. If the servants and soldiers of each household discover treason or murder, they should be quickly pursued and brought to justice.

5. Families must be friendly and not attack or harm each other.

6. Each family must promote academic studies and devote their attention to agriculture, sericulture, industry and commerce.

7. If any neighbor is causing trouble or forming a gang, you should report it immediately, and if there is danger, you must get rescue.

8. Do not enter into marriage without permission.

9. Descendants in later generations should regularly go to Chang'an and Fanyang to pay homage.

10. The grades of clothing should not be mixed; the emperor, his subjects, and the upper and lower classes should each have their own grades.

11. Unless you are ill and unable to walk, you should not ride in a sedan chair.

12. Wang's descendants shall not be punished unless they have committed serious crimes such as treason and murder. Even if they have committed serious crimes, their property and official titles shall be passed on to their descendants. If there are no descendants, their descendants shall be adopted as successors. Wang Wenzuo finished reading and let out a long sigh: "Mr. Di, this is what you wrote, right?"

"This is the result of everyone's discussion! I just wrote it by hand!" Di Renjie said.

"Oh!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "Now that the law has been formulated, who will enforce it?"

"I plan to use the system of joint discussion!" Hu Liang said: "Select a few loyal and reliable people from among us, and discuss and deal with them together!"

"Collaborative discussion?" Wang Wenzuo looked at the people beside the couch and couldn't help but sigh. If they came up with this peace discussion system as Huliang said, it would probably become the actual authority soon after his death. "What if there are different opinions and the dispute cannot be resolved? Who will make the decision?"

"Let Asheng make the decision!" Cui Yunying said.

"Asheng?" Wang Wenzuo looked at Wang Qisheng in surprise and immediately realized that this must be some kind of compromise reached between his wife and Huliang.

"Just based on Ah Sheng's order, can others obey?" Wang Wenzuo asked.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty!" Di Renjie said, "The three princes, Huliang, Yanliang, and Xutuo, have already agreed to support Prince Sheng, so we, as your subjects, will naturally serve you!"

"We will certainly obey your orders!" Everyone beside the couch responded in unison. The uniform voice was like a heavy punch coming towards him, which made Wang Wenzuo stagger and almost fall off the bed.

"Forget it! I'm a little tired!" Wang Wenzuo threw the mulberry paper in his hand aside: "Let's discuss this matter later!"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Di Renjie coughed and said, "If that's the case, I'll take my leave now!"

Everyone filed out of the house. Cui Yunying was sitting beside the couch, hesitating whether to get up and leave, but she heard Wang Wenzuo's low voice: "Yunying, Ah Sheng, you two stay! I have something to say!"

Cui Yunying and Wang Qisheng stood beside the couch, their eyes flickering. Wang Wenzuo was silent for a long time, and suddenly sighed: "Tell me! What are your plans?"

"What plan?" Cui Yunying forced a smile and said, "Huliang came to me and wanted to deal with the matter of Jumong by establishing a collegial system. I thought it sounded good, so I agreed. I didn't have any plan at all."

"You don't want to say it, right? Then don't say it!" Wang Wenzuo's voice turned cold: "A Sheng, please tell me!"

"Me?" Wang Qisheng glanced at his mother carefully. He hesitated for a moment. Before he could speak, he heard Wang Wenzuo say, "Ah Sheng, if you have to look at your mother's eyes for such a matter, then I advise you not to be the decision-maker after the joint discussion. It's simple, you can't handle it!"

"Sanlang, what do you mean?" Cui Yunying asked anxiously.

"It's nothing, I just don't want you to harm Ah Sheng!" Wang Wenzuo said coldly: "Don't forget, I have many sons, but you only have one!"

Cui Yunying was speechless. Wang Wenzuo turned his gaze to Wang Qisheng and softened his voice: "Tell me what you think!"

"Father!" Wang Qisheng took a deep breath. "Just now, Brother Huliang brought a lot of people to our house to discuss with my mother and me how to deal with Jumong. He said that it was fine when my father was alive, but if my father was gone, there would definitely be many people who would not accept the situation and cause trouble. If we want to preserve my father's legacy, we must use laws to punish the evildoers. Laws alone are not enough, and someone must enforce them, so he proposed a collegial system and asked me to be the final decision maker!"

"Then you agreed?" Wang Wenzuo asked.

Wang Qisheng hummed almost silently and nodded.

"Have you ever thought about why Huliang doesn't make the final decision himself?"

“Others won’t agree!”

"That's right!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "Why?"

"Because he is too strong, others don't dare!"

Wang Wenzuo looked at Wang Qisheng in surprise. His son had grown a lot without him noticing! He nodded: "Since you know, why did you agree? You should know that some things are harmful if you are not strong enough!"

"I understand, but if I don't do it, I'm afraid the discussion will not continue!" Wang Qisheng said, "If we don't get things done when father is alive, some things will never be done after you are gone!"

"Even so, you shouldn't--" Wang Wenzuo sighed. He realized that if he were to change places, there would be no better solution. As a pioneer, the space he occupied was too large. Once he left, the power vacuum he left behind would set off a huge storm, and many people would be involved. This was inevitable.

"Forget it!" Wang Wenzuo turned his gaze to his wife: "Yunying, besides Hongdu, who among the old officials supports Ah Sheng?"

"Faseng and Cihang are also on our side, and—"

"Forget it, don't say anything!" Wang Wenzuo shook his head: "Now that things have come to this, you have to remember that Ah Sheng should try not to express his opinion, understand?"

"Don't express your opinion? Why?"

"It's simple. Expressing your opinion means making enemies and letting those who are deliberating offend others. Ah Sheng, don't do anything. This is the way to survive! Do you understand?"

"Then, then doesn't that mean we have no power at all?" Cui Yunying asked anxiously. (End of this chapter)