Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 169 Feast

Right Prime Minister's Mansion.

Li Linfu arranged for several staff to discuss Wang Zhongsi with Wang Zhi and An Lushan.

"Don't worry, Prime Minister. If you don't mention Wang Zhongsi's self-destruction, it would be rude and rude; if you mention it, it would be very scheming."

"Such trivial tricks are really useless. Even if the saint changes his mind, it will only be a little bit different. However, he will definitely give up his post as the Jiedu Envoy of the Four Towns."

"The villain's only comment on this move is 'childish'. What kind of good ideas can Xue Bai, a child with a yellow mouth, come up with?"

"Compared to the yellow-mouthed child, Wang Zhongsi is worse. He is a stinking stone."

"Hahaha……"

Everyone laughed. These words of the staff were all used to increase the confidence of Wang Zhong and An Lushan, so that they could bite Wang Zhongsi severely.

Not long after, the saint summoned Li Linfu to the palace instead of summoning Wang Zhi and An Lushan.

"Why is this so? Although the case is small, whether it is to reward Wang Zhongsi, Minister of War, or to accuse him and dismiss the military envoys of the four towns, the merits should always be discussed."

"The Holy Order only calls the Right Prime Minister into the palace."

"There must be a result. We need to discuss with the right minister the candidates for the Jiedushi of the four towns."

When An Lushan heard this, he wanted to rush forward immediately and try to please the right prime minister again, but Li Linfu raised his hand to stop him.

"It's time to leave now and wait for the news."

"Here."

An Lushan bowed respectfully and exaggeratedly, thinking that even if he could not get the post of Hedong Jiedushi, he would first get rid of Wang Zhongsi before he could intervene.

~~

Outside Xingqing Palace, Wang Zhun actually beat Wei Hui.

"Who said I'm in the same boat with you, an idiot? I sued Wang Zhongsi, and you sued him too, so you think you're my friend? Who do you think you are?!"

Wang Zhun really didn't think Wei Hui was a big deal. The saint had so many nephews that he couldn't even remember them. How could he compare to his grandpa who could do things for the saint and accompany him in cockfights.

He beat Wei Hui, spat in front of the eunuch who came over, and cursed: "I went to the Jiaofang to listen to music, why the hell do I have to go to whoring to cause such a big trouble?"

……

Du Wulang picked up Xue Bai outside the palace, and when he saw this scene, he sighed: "Wang Zhun is so crazy."

Yan Jiming replied: "Just clear up the relationship."

"Then he's pretty smart."

"This is just cleverness."

"What about us?" Du Wulang said, "I have inquired, I am afraid that this case will have to be tried in Dali Temple..."

Before he could finish his words, Wang Zhongsi had already driven away on horseback. Not only were the soldiers behind him moving swiftly, but Wei Erniang was also able to ride a horse and drove Zhang Siniang to follow them and fly away in a cloud of dust. He was stunned to see this.

"This, the case is closed?"

Yan Jiming is now more patient with Du Wulang than Xue Bai, and responded: "Think about how many people died in Shibao City, and what kind of case this is."

Xue Bai said: "It doesn't matter. I'll play with General Wang next time."

This was one of his jokes, but unfortunately neither the Yan brothers nor Du Wulang found it funny.

Before leaving the palace gate, Xue Bai happened to see Li Linfu coming. Unfortunately, Li Linfu was in a hurry to enter the palace to seek the post of Jiedu Envoy of the Four Towns and did not see him.

~~

Li Linfu went all the way to Nanxun Hall, but did not see Wang Zhongsi, Xue Bai and others. He only saw Li Longji sitting on the imperial couch with a gloomy face, neither singing or dancing, nor accompanying any beauty.

It had been many years since he had seen a saint so serious, and he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart, wondering if he wanted to kill Wang Zhongsi?

"Old minister, I would like to pay my respects to the saint..."

"Juro, do you know who my teaching envoy is?"

Li Linfu was slightly surprised and replied: "Tang Wei is also an old internal official who has served the saint for many years."

"He has been silent all day long. I always thought he was good at music. But today I found out that he made a joke among the public. He pointed at the flute and asked the performers, 'Who is the cage of "Huanxi Sha"?' It was extremely ridiculous."

"Replying to the words of the sage, it is inevitable that there will be oversights from time to time. I have also lost my sight and missed reading words."

"If the evangelist in the teaching does not understand the music, he will lose the face of the saint!"

Li Longji was furious. He swept away the cups and plates in front of the royal cabinet and yelled: "Do you know what has become of the church?! There are five thousand people, but only twenty or thirty people fool me every year. The rest are just making up for it." , or act as a prostitute, what do you think of me?!"

"Your Majesty, calm down." Li Linfu realized the seriousness of the matter and prostrated in panic, "I will investigate this matter thoroughly..."

"What do you think I am?!"

Li Longji was still asking, seemingly insisting on an answer.

He stood up, walked to Li Linfu, and asked again: "Shiro told me, thousands of years from now, how will the world view Liyuan, Jiaofang, and Yichunyuan when they are mentioned?"

"I think that music and elegant things..."

"I love music, but am I collecting prostitutes and maidservants for these people?!"

"I will investigate thoroughly!" Li Linfu shouted angrily, "I will rectify the church and give an explanation to Your Majesty!"

Even he rarely saw Li Longji angry, and he didn't dare to raise his head at this time.

Especially during the banquets in the past, the more elegant and generous the saint was, the more tragic the filth in this monastery was. He finally understood how angry the saint was.

"Tang Wei is an internal official, and no veteran dares to offend him."

After waiting for a while, Li Linfu spoke cautiously, and then added: "The veteran is old and can't take care of his family. He rarely interacts with the Jiaofang. I only know that many nobles come to the Jiaofang to hire musicians. Tang Wei has a wide circle of friends... In addition, Even Li Guinian often performed in private. I thought the saint knew about it, so..."

His voice trailed off until he stopped.

Li Longji took a few steps and said, "Get up, Juro is taking care of state affairs for me, and this matter has nothing to do with you."

"I am willing to reorganize the church for Your Majesty."

"Take care of it, I'll keep an eye on it."

"The minister obeys the order."

Li Linfu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he stood in the hall and waited for the saint to explain why he suddenly decided to inspect the temple.

"Go back."

Li Longji waved his hand, and after Li Linfu exited Nanxun Hall, he said, "General Gao, guess what he was waiting for just now?"

"Presumably the right minister wants to talk about the Jiedushi envoys of the four towns?" Gao Lishi said: "Wang Zhongsi has disobeyed the saint after all about the Shibao City matter."

"Isn't this the only thing he has disobeyed me for?"

Mentioning Wang Zhongsi, Li Longji frowned at first, and then muttered to himself: "That bad temper is natural, it's not just once or twice."

Gao Lishi said: "I think Wang Zhongsi probably asked Xue Bai to lead him to deliberately cause some trouble, right?"

"There is no need to beat around the bush to comfort me." Li Longji said: "This matter is very simple. I want to reduce the military power of this princeling, and at the same time I want to cause some trouble... It just happened to uncover the rot in the church. It is not anyone's conspiracy. , but the Jiaofang is too bad, but it is Wang Zhongsi’s temperament that insists on exposing it.”

He was still not happy and felt that Wang Zhongsi had annoyed him.

However, this was not what bothered Wang Zhongsi the most. On the contrary, it showed Wang Zhongsi's integrity and loyalty.

"The saint said this, but it shows that Wang Zhongsi is not a princeling. He is the adopted son of the saint. He can't see others deceiving the saint, right?"

Gao Lishi always made trivial matters so trivial, but when Li Longji imprisoned the prince, he didn't talk much. This was good, and it showed that he sincerely hoped that the saint would live forever.

"What does General Gao think of Xue Bai?"

"This boy... is still young. What kind of minister he will be in the future depends on the saint's training."

"how do I say this?"

"Xue Bai went to the Jiaofang yesterday and knew that the Jiaofang was corrupt, but the saint discussed opera with him for a long time, and he didn't say a word. How is he different from the courtiers who pretended to be confused? But when Wei Erniang opened her mouth, he didn't hide it. Tuck it in and say whatever you see, not as impulsive as Wang Zhongsi, nor as slippery as Wang Zhun."

This sentence seems to be talking about Xue Bai, but there is a hint of admonishment in it.

It was not just the Jiaofang that was corrupted in the Tang Dynasty? How the courtiers behave depends on how the saints train them. If the saint did not like the upright ministers, he would even kill Wang Zhongsi, his adopted son, and the court would be filled with obedient ministers from now on.

Especially the words "all the ministers pretending to be confused" have already touched the dragon's back scale. Now only Gao Lishi dares to persuade him so carefully and tactfully.

"Humph."

Li Longji was extremely smart, but he pretended to be confused at this time to avoid being unhappy with Gao Lishi and making himself feel bad. "Xue Bai just has nothing to do with him. Usually when Ge Nu bites him, he jumps faster than anyone else."

Gao Lishi smiled apologetically and said, "It's true that the saint said this."

Li Longji finally felt better and cursed: "A bunch of dogs who can't control their belts, 尻..."

After all, the Jiaofang was different from other yamen in that beautiful women gathered there. The fault was that the princes and nobles couldn't keep their belts in check.

~~

When Wang Fei returned home, it happened that Wang Zhun came back to talk about the affairs in the palace. After thinking about it, he completely understood.

"Wang Zhongsi, a barbarian, actually did something bad this time with one punch. Does this prove his honesty?"

"Is he honest?" Wang Zhun cursed loudly: "How can a person who engages in underhanded warfare be honest? I'm afraid it's not intentional. He is the one guilty of deceiving the emperor!"

"Wang Zhongsi really didn't deceive the emperor this time, but it seems that others did."

Wang Zhun said: "This table in the Jiaofang is beautiful and delicious. Everyone is eating well. He came and kicked him over. The saint is not happy. The saint is the most annoying and troublesome. Is he still alive?"

"fool!"

Wang Fei seemed to want to slap his son, but when his hand came to his face, he slapped him lightly and shouted: "That's Wang Zhongsi!"

"The kid doesn't understand." Wang Zhun was rampant in Chang'an and knew the ways of power, so he felt that he was right.

"That's the border general who conquered the north and west, defeated the people three times, got rid of the Turkic Khan, and shocked Tubo. He is not a waste who fought with you in Chang'an City. Your cockfighting rules can't be applied to him. .”

"Then the punch I received was in vain?"

"It's not our turn to be anxious." Wang Zhi pondered and said slowly: "I'm afraid Zahu will return in vain..."

~~

The next day, Li Linfu was checking the Jiaofang envoy, and Xue Bai went to the Jiaofang to cast roles.

The two sides seem to not disturb each other, but it is impossible not to disturb each other.

In the hall, Li Linfu put down the book in his hand, called an official, and asked: "Is Xue Bai arriving outside?"

"Back to Prime Minister, it's him."

"Call here and talk to him about the truth."

"I'll go and invite you now, sir."

After a while, Xue Bai really came.

Li Linfu actually had a slight smile on his face and said, "You said you wouldn't meddle in other people's business."

Xue Bai did say, "What is my identity? How can I meddle in other people's business?" But obviously, the two people have different understandings of this identity, and he is not meddling in other people's business.

"Forgive me, Prime Minister. I also said that my uncle wants to win over Wang Zhongsi and let him draw a clear line with the East Palace."

"You think you're smart? But really smart people never let themselves become a target."

Now that the prince is imprisoned in the name of "repentance", Li Longji can rest easy, and the intrigues in the court will obviously decrease, creating a situation where Li Linfu has full power to handle the government affairs.

Wang Zhongsi can be said to be the last big threat to Li Longji's enjoyment, but in fact he just held military power and persisted.

This is what Li Linfu calls the "target", which also means that Xue Bai is too active.

But what Xue Bai tried hard to do was actually to make Wang Zhongsi a "target".

"Yes, the clouds are in the blue sky and the water is in the bottle. The saint delegates power to the right prime minister. If I know what is right, I should not oppose the right prime minister anymore." Xue Bai said: "I am not stupid. I just want to put on a show to make the saint happy and lead him Wang Zhongsi will commit suicide and save his life."

"is it?"

If Wang Zhongsi was willing to give up the entire four towns in order to save his life, Li Linfu would still be able to accept it, but Xue Bai obviously did more than that.

Xue Bai continued: "After arriving at the Jiaofang, meeting Wang Zhun and triggering many subsequent events were not my plans. Maybe it was a coincidence?"

He knew that this was not a coincidence, but that the teaching was too corrupt.

But Li Linfu's eyes flashed, and he understood another meaning, and said: "Speak directly if you have something to say."

Xue Bai made it clear that he was trying to sow discord, but he was telling the truth, saying: "I was busy with my affairs, so I asked Wang Zhongsi to beat someone. Who knows what Wang Zhongsi was thinking when things turned out like this? I think, compared to Wang Zhongsi, Zhongsi, he wants to be prime minister even more."

Li Linfu's eyes immediately became fierce, almost like a cockfight.

……

Xue Bai was really learning from Gao Lishi's power-driven tactics. He did very little in the whole thing, only pushing lightly in key places without leaving any trace.

Anyone who checks will find that he did nothing. However, he subtly changed Li Longji and Li Linfu's views on Wang Zhongsi.

Of course, it is difficult to remove Li Linfu from the list of political opponents. What can be done is to change the position, reduce the threat, and let the more threatening people move to the front.

~~

Huang Hui watched Xue Bai come out gracefully and quickly bowed to greet him.

"Xue Lang, will I take you to the casting?"

"The right minister hasn't found you yet, has he?"

Huang Hui wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of bitterness, and bowed: "Xue Lang, please come this way."

He was actually respectful last time, but this time he was even more respectful, and made people feel his sincerity and anxiety. After leading Xue Bai through the path, he suddenly knelt down.

"I beg Xue Lang to help me! I am willing to offer you three thousand strings as a filial piety."

Xue Bai was a little wary at first, but when he heard the amount of money, he felt relieved. It seemed that the judge of the Jiaofang was just ill and sought medical treatment.

He waved his hand and said: "I dare not accept the money. Wei Hui insists on bringing this matter to the imperial court. How can people like General Wang be afraid? He stabbed the sky directly. The saint was furious and asked me, I also I only dare to say that the Jiaofang is corrupt, who dares to save the Jiaofang?"

"I beg Xue Lang to make a request for me. I can offer you a beauty for Xue Lang."

"Then I'll teach you a trick, and you won't blame everyone."

"This……"

Xue Bai waved his hand, turned around and left.

In fact, even if he didn't say anything, Huang Hui would bite everywhere. In this way, Wang Zhongsi could quickly offend many powerful people. Of course, this was not a mortal enemy. The powerful people could quickly find new pastimes. When everyone was speaking ill of Wang Zhongsi, the saint's impression of this adopted son would actually improve.

Over there, Huang Hui thought about it and understood what to do. If he was going to drown, it would be better to sink the boat with him.

The eunuch kept his promise and immediately caught up with Xue Bai and said with a smile: "I have been thinking recently that Nian Nu really has to sing Xue Lang's play!"

……

The pretty girl in red is exquisite and beautiful from head to toe. She stands there like a delicate porcelain, making people afraid of breaking her.

Xue Bai felt the expectation in her eyes and asked: "I heard that you are rehearsing the repertoire of Shang Yuan Yan, why do you want to sing my play?"

"Go back to Xue Lang, I can't wait for the Lantern Festival." Niannu's voice was like an oriole's cry, and he said a blessing anxiously, "My mother-in-law is sick, and I have to sing famous songs to treat her, but I only have one month. If I can see her once, Xue Lang lets me sing, I can sing very well!"

Huang Hui leaned down and whispered in a vague and obscene tone: "After she became an official slave, there was only one seriously ill old woman left in the family. The deed is in the old slave's hand and will be given to Xue Lang in a moment. .”

Taking advantage of the weaknesses of these female actors to make them obedient is a common practice in the academy, which shows that this eunuch knows everything.

On this day, Xue Bai took away Nian Nu. Not long after, Li Linfu also had Huang Hui taken away.

The warm winter sun shone on the willow trees beside the streets of Chang'an. Xue Bai promised Nian Nu to treat her mother and reunite them as mother and daughter. She was so grateful that she could not stay with him to show her loyalty.

"Xue Lang is so kind, Nian Nu will repay you with a grass ring..."

"No, as long as you sing well, it's fine. If you don't sing well, you may not be selected. Just get in the car."

Xue Bai glanced over that charming face, knowing that Nian Nu wanted to please him with such a bright smile, this was power.

The powerful people in Chang'an like to come to Jiaofang and enjoy this kind of feast of power. Now this feast has been overturned... He hopes to make changes, but in the eyes of others, they probably only see his power.

Wei Hui rushed to the Jiaofang and saw Xue Bai riding a famous horse and taking Mei Ji swaggering past. He looked up and was stunned.

He did not dare to go to the royal residence to snatch Zhang Siniang back. He originally wanted to find another beautiful concubine in the palace, but when he saw this scene, he was so jealous that he could not be satisfied no matter who he found.

"Why? You have made friends with Wang Zhongsi. You have obviously made a big mistake. Why doesn't the saint blame you? You are so favored by the saint and so famous. Why should everything belong to you?"

Wei Hui murmured unwillingly and roared in his heart: "It is clear that I am the nephew of the saint!"

"it's him!"

Suddenly someone shouted. It was Huang Hui who was being escorted out of the workshop. He was pointing at Wei Hui and shouted: "He forced the old slave to do this..."

(End of this chapter)