Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 659: Yi Ya Kills His Son to Advance
It hurts so much! The big swelling on my head seems to be pulsating, beating back and forth, and it hurts every time it beats.

Yuan Zai leaned against the head of the bed, feeling dizzy, his ears were buzzing, and he felt like vomiting but couldn't.

I feel so miserable that I want to die.

If he could do it again, if time could go back, Yuan Zai was not sure if he would still have the courage to hit the pillar.

The price was indeed a bit high, but it was all worth it. Since he had already sent Xue Yaoying away, he didn't care about playing a trick.

Yuan Zai sighed, closed his eyes and rested, thinking about the gains and losses of this time. As a "latecomer", there is no chance to enter Fang Qing's core circle if you follow the routine.

You can only give it a try and fight for a future.

At night, cold wind blew in through the crack in the door and even into his quilt, forcing him to wrap himself tightly.

But his fiery heart diluted the coldness of his body. He wanted to stand out from the crowd, he wanted to be the most powerful official!

He wants to realize his ambitions!
Just as Yuan Zai was daydreaming and planning for a better future, the door opened. Fang Zhongyong led Yan Zhuang to visit him.

"The doctor said that you are fine now. You will be back to normal in a few days. Don't worry too much. Just rest and recuperate."

Fang Chongyong had just finished saying this when he saw Yuan Zai struggling to get up, so he quickly supported him.

"It is my duty to work for the Marshal, and I dare not ask for any reward."

Yuan Zai opened his eyes and said softly, he still had a headache.

"Rest well for now. After you recover, I will arrange a formal position for you."

Fang Zhongyong encouraged Yuan Zai and then left the courtyard with Yan Zhuang. The two returned to Kaifeng government office, and in the study, he wanted to discuss important matters with Yan Zhuang.

"Marshal, Yuan Zai directly wrote a letter to ask the emperor to abdicate. This is unprecedented... Although it seems perfect now, it may not be a good thing for you in the future."

After the two of them sat down, Yan Zhuang said with a worried look on his face.

Yan Zhuang had a thorough understanding of this series of bizarre events.

That’s right, Yuan Zai and others are indeed dismantling Li Lin’s platform, and pulling down the flag of Li Tang.

Li Lin was just a puppet. His political life depended on how long Fang Qing wanted him to stay on the throne. If he was no longer needed, he could be removed at any time without any trouble.

However, Yuan Zai's action seemed to be superfluous and added unnecessary complications.

Because Fang Qing is going to be the emperor in the future!

What Li Lin is experiencing now may also happen to Fang Qing in the future. In this way, isn't this just asking for trouble? Why bother inducing those Jinshi to connect with each other and write a petition together to "remove" the emperor?

Yan Zhuang couldn't understand that in the long run, this matter would definitely affect Fang Qing's power and would also break the rules of officialdom.

"You're right, but... it's still a little scary that one person can decide the lives of millions of people. What's more, such power must be passed down from father to son.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to put a rope around it."

Fang Chongyong said some inexplicable words, and Yan Zhuang felt that he was saying "I understand, but I just won't change."

"General, in fact, to depose Li Lin, you can just use the prophecy. If you don't want to depose the emperor, then there are only more methods you can use."

Yan Zhuang complained.

"Zuo Zhuan, in the seventh year of Duke Zhao, said: There are ten suns in the sky, and there are ten ranks of people. The lower serves the upper, and the upper serves the gods. Therefore, the king serves the duke, the duke serves the minister, the minister serves the scholar, the scholar serves the noble, the noble serves the carriage, the carriage serves the slave, the slave serves the official, the official serves the servant, and the servant serves the official."

Fang Zhongyong sighed and said, he seemed to be in a bad mood, without any joy from having just finished a "crushing game".

Yan Zhuang asked curiously, "What the commander-in-chief said is very true. The so-called order of seniority, distinction between superiors and subordinates, and everyone's duties, the emperor shepherds the country on behalf of the emperor, and the people live in peace. Now that the Tang Dynasty has lost its power, the whole world is chasing it. The commander-in-chief has taken the lead, recovered Huainan, and plundered Jiangdong. Although the world is big, no one can compete with us now. Why are you sighing?"

"Everyone has a minister, but who is the minister on the throne?"

Fang Zhongyong asked, as if he was asking Yan Zhuang for advice, but also as if he was asking himself.

In ancient times, "common people" were divided into six levels, among which "Tai" refers to Tai Li, which means the lowest-ranking slave. Of course, this is a saying that existed during the Spring and Autumn Period. There were no "Tai Li" in name in the Tang Dynasty, but there were countless Tai Li in reality.

"Taiwan also has wives, subjects are their wives, subjects are their sons, fathers are fathers, sons are sons, rulers are rulers, and subjects are subjects."

Yan Zhuang said seriously.

"Yes, father is father and son is son, ruler is ruler and subject is subject."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand in a disinterested manner and continued, "Just follow the plan. Li Lin may launch a coup in the near future. The day he invites me to the palace will be the day of his coup. By then, we must make sure everything goes well."

"Please rest assured, Marshal. I will do my best. With the trap set up everywhere and ambushes everywhere, there is absolutely no reason to give Li Lin a chance."

Although Yan Zhuang knew that Fang Zhongyong was worried, he didn't understand why he felt this way, so he had to show his loyalty.

You know, now is a good opportunity to eliminate those who are loyal to the Li family, and it will be easy to rally people's hearts to your side.

While taking over Huainan and western Zhejiang, let the "people at the table" from all over the place see who is the real boss and who has been ruined to the point of being nothing but a shell.

This will help to smoothly change the dynasty and eliminate the royalist forces in the near future.

Yan Zhuang bowed and left cautiously. He felt that Fang Zhongyong's mind was unpredictable. People who are cautious when they should be cheering have a good chance of achieving great things. All they need is often just luck.

After Yan Zhuang left, Fang Zhongyong closed the study door, sat down at the desk, spread out a large piece of paper, and wrote on it:

"But we have already arranged ourselves, with high and low, big and small, up and down. We can be bullied by others, but we can also bully others; we can be eaten by others, but we can also eat others. We are controlled level by level, unable to move, and we don't want to move. Because if we move, although there may be advantages, there will also be disadvantages."

At this moment, Fang Zhongyong seemed to have someone saying in his mind: "Noisy people may not like others to be noisy, but people who suffer want others to suffer. I'm used to seeing those Liu Longji, Li Longji, Zhao Longji, and now there's another Fang Longji. It's just a change of soup but the medicine remains the same. What's the point?"

If you don't feel the stones, you won't know how deep the water is, so how can you cross the river?

But people who touch the stones often forget to cross the river and become obsessed with touching the colorful stones in the river.

Father is father, son is son, monarch is monarch, subject is subject. Even Yan Zhuang is stuck in this box and has never jumped out.

Fang Chongyong knew that everyone around him had never seen what the world would be like after the "Great Tang Dynasty". Most of them just wanted to return to the Great Tang Dynasty.

As for what will happen after it is realized, I can only say that one day, I will dream again. I will sink into the dream, enjoy the beautiful dream, and die in the dream.

Everyone is trapped in the "Confucian dilemma" and deliberately pretends not to see it. On the one hand, they deceive themselves that they are still "tall and upright", but on the other hand, they do "uneasy" things.

A real mental breakdown.

Confucianism emphasizes "ritual", which is what Yan Zhuang said, "father is father, son is son, ruler is ruler, minister is minister", so the ministers should serve the emperor.

But now "someone" is planning to "rebel", which is "unpropitious" and should be abandoned by those who believe in Confucianism.

However, the reality is ironic: no matter whether everyone is educated or not, they can see the pros and cons.

Fang Chongyong has gathered a lot of talented people around him. Many of these people not only believe in Confucianism, but also know what Fang Chongyong ultimately wants to do.

Some embarrassing things are too embarrassing to mention, so just don't mention them. Going with the "general trend" is also a way of being flexible.

However, in the future, when Fang Zhongyong conquers the world, these people can openly say "father is father, son is son, monarch is monarch, subject is subject".

Occupying an advantageous position, one can eat others without being eaten by others. No matter what happens, survival and living comfortably are the first priority. After occupying a high position, one can loudly call on everyone to abide by the order and stop "messing around". Even the ugliest things can be justified.

And it must be self-consistent.

Everyone fights hard to conquer the world, of course, just for enjoyment, for the sake of being "superior" rather than "equality for all".

Fang Chongyong knew very well that as the person standing at the "highest point", his identity and thoughts must be separated.

It is good for the ruler to be the ruler and the subject to be the subject, but at what cost? Zhu Wen, Li Cunxu and others played several simulation games.

The people's answer was: "It doesn't matter. If they don't have a sense of propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame, then neither should we."

In order to solve this "Confucian dilemma", a man named Cheng and another named Zhu later joined forces to release a "ferocious beast". The beast's ferocity and rapid growth may have far exceeded the two men's initial expectations.

Although the king may be unkind, the minister must not be unfaithful.

Even if the father is not kind, the son cannot be unfilial.

For the sake of loyalty and filial piety, one is willing to sacrifice one's life for one's chastity. Losing one's life is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter!

This is the prescription prescribed by later generations.

The emperor must be very happy, but "beautiful" vows and ideals may not necessarily bring a happy ending.

Standing at the crossroads of a thousand years, Fang Chongyong felt that every step he took was cautious.

Right and wrong, it's just a matter of one thought. He has the opportunity to change the future course of history. If he doesn't play, then the future generations will not be able to play.

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Of course, if you treat everyone in this world as an NPC, then you can kill people, play with people, and have fun.

In fact, after I die, it doesn’t matter if there is a flood.

"When did you come in?"

Fang Zhongyong looked up and suddenly found that Da Zhenhui, um, that is, Rosa, had sat opposite him like a ghost. As a result, he was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice someone coming in!

"I just came in for a while."

Rosa said in a low voice, shrinking her neck, worried that Fang Zhongyong would scold her.

"Do you know about the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period?"

Fang Chongyong asked casually. He was just feeling very upset and wanted to find someone to chat with.

Rosa nodded and said, "I know something."

The Bohai Kingdom attached great importance to the Central Plains culture, so it is not surprising that its royal family had read "The Spring and Autumn Annals" and naturally they would not be unaware of who the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period were.

Duke Huan of Qi, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, was idle one day, so he said to Yi Ya, the cook who served him: I have tasted all the delicacies in the world, but I have never eaten human flesh, which is a pity.

However, Yi Ya kept these words in mind, and was determined to show off his cooking skills in order to win the favor of Duke Huan.

The king is so noble that he certainly cannot eat the flesh of death row prisoners or civilians. Only a person of noble status can eat it.

Later, Yi Ya gritted his teeth and killed his 4-year-old son and made a pot of broth with his meat.

During one lunch, Duke Huan drank the delicious broth from the cauldron that he had never tasted before, so he asked Yi Ya: What kind of meat is this?

Yi Ya cried and said that it was his own son's flesh, and he killed his son to offer to the lord just to pray for the king's health. When Duke Huan learned that it was Yi Ya's son's flesh, he felt very uncomfortable.

But he was moved by Yi Ya's act of killing his son, and thought that Yi Ya loved him more than his own flesh and blood, so he began to favor Yi Ya from then on.

Fang Zhongyong finished telling the story slowly, shocking Rosa so much that she was speechless!

There are actually people in the world like Yi Ya who kills his own son to feed the king!

But she changed her mind and felt relieved. In order to express their loyalty, the subjects must give the people they are loyal to something they cherish as proof.

It can be the flesh of an heir, or of course a beautiful concubine, or a daughter that is cherished as a treasure. It can also be used to charge into battle, expand territory, and be fearless of weapons and death.

And such a thing is actually a "good story" recognized by the world.

"There is no one around Alang who kills his own children for their flesh, but there are countless people like Yi Ya."

Rosa couldn't help but sigh. She finally understood why Fang Zhongyong had been in deep thought for a long time but remained silent.

This world of cannibalism is terrifying. Humans and beasts cannot reach a consensus, nor can they share the same sorrows and joys, let alone understand each other.

Humans cannot get satisfaction from eating humans, but animals can. Humans feel guilty when they eat humans, but animals do not.

"When everyone feels that eating people is justified, in this world, who can guarantee that they will not be the next one to be eaten?"

Fang Zhongyong said quietly.

"Alang is in a high position, but he is not happy."

Hearing Rosa say this, Fang Zhongyong nodded and said:

"Yes, today when I saw Yuan Zai enumerating the emperor's twenty-seven crimes, I knew that everyone in the world felt that the world could not do without an emperor.

It just depends on who takes charge.

Once there was no emperor, they felt uncomfortable. Unless they found someone to ride on their heads, or didn't ride on the heads of others, they always felt that something was wrong.

As long as one can become the emperor or a loyal minister, other things will no longer be important to everyone.

Fathers and sons, kings and subjects, everyone must find their own position. They will fight for the position, but they will never allow it without a clear winner.

Just like when Wang Mang liberated the serfs, these serfs lost their landlords and didn’t know what to do.

Hearing these words, Rosa felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife. She came over and hugged Fang Zhongyong tightly, crying loudly: "Alang has suffered too much. Don't think about it. Don't think about it."

People who are awake are in pain, and those who are awake but cannot change anything are twice as painful.

"This world is so boring!"

Fang Zhongyong let out a long sigh and fell on the wooden floor, not wanting to move anymore.

When he knew that many things were bound to happen, those bubbles like illusions and fairy tales had already begun to disillusion and turned into dreams woven of lies and interests.

What is fake is fake after all. As long as it is a dream, there will be a time to wake up. Perhaps that will be the day when he unifies the world and ascends the throne to become emperor.

……

In the emperor's bedroom behind the Purple Palace in the Bianzhou Imperial Palace, Li Lin was looking at Gao Shang with a serious face, and neither of them spoke.

"I've thought about it. Killing Fang Qing here is as difficult as ascending to heaven. It's better to run away."

After a long silence, Li Lin said with a guilty conscience.

"Your Majesty, are you going to run away?"

Gao Shang was horrified.

This incompetent emperor, why doesn't he play by the rules? Fang Qing has already played the card of deposing the emperor. Today's court coup was just a rehearsal, and the next one will be the real coup.

Where else do you want to run to?
"Your Majesty, this world is so big, where else can we go?"

Gao Shang sighed helplessly.

"Go to Guangzhou!"

Li Lin uttered three words.

(End of this chapter)