Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 520: Rough on the outside, delicate on the inside
Cui Zhao returned to the Duke of Jiang's mansion in a daze, and turned a blind eye to the mocking and contemptuous looks from the servants in the house.

Even when facing her own female demon, she didn't give a good face, which made Jing Shi anxious and angry. She pointed at Cui Zhe and cursed: "You eat and live in my house. Even your skin was protected by me at a high price. You are ungrateful and you are still giving a cold face here. Who are you showing it to?"

Cui Zhu's blood boiled, and he cursed: "Evil woman, if you hadn't forced me, I, Cui Zhu, would not have ended up like this..."

He pushed Jing away and stormed out.

Jing was used to her husband's cowardice, and when he suddenly resisted her, she was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to respond. She could only watch her husband leave.

Cui Zhe walked on the street with a bit of numbness, with only the eunuch's words in his mind, "The prince thought it was not easy for you to be an official, so he asked me not to make things difficult for you."

Every word struck deep in Cui Zhao's heart.

As a member of the Cui family, Cui Zhao has always been proud of his identity. As an object of admiration and yearning by scholars all over the world, they have learned virtues and manners since childhood and have certain moral values.

But Cui Zhu's family suddenly fell into decline, and Cui Zhu married into the mansion of Duke Jiang and became a son-in-law, which led to humiliation. In order to prove that he was worthy of the Cui family name in front of his wife, children and servants, and in order not to be looked down upon, he was bewitched and did some extremely stupid things.

A simple sentence, "The prince knows that it is not easy for you to be an official, so he specifically asked me not to make things difficult for you," made Cui Zhao break down.

Didn't Cui Zhao want to be a prime minister and achieve success and fame?
Otherwise, I wouldn't do such a thing against my will because of the irritation of being looked down upon.

In fact, Li Hong was the most perfect candidate for emperor in the minds of scholars. He was humble and benevolent, and he would listen to advice and criticism. Compared with his father, who was lenient on the outside but cautious on the inside, gentle on the outside but tough on the inside, and who liked to hold grudges, the difference was incomparable.

It was just that with the help of Zhangsun Wuji, the Guandong gentry chose the former crown prince at the beginning. Because they had conflicts with Empress Wu, they missed out on Li Hong.

But in fact, the Kanto samurai were still privately looking forward to Li Hong's succession to the throne.

Li Hong's kindness contrasts with Cui Zhao's shamelessness and meanness.

Cui Zhao couldn't accept himself like this at all...

Before he knew it, Cui Zhe had arrived at Qingyun Temple in Yongningfang.

Looking at the prosperous Taoist temple, Cui Zhe thought of his best friend, Taoist Jingxia. They had only known each other for two years, but they often got together to drink tea and chat. Taoist Jingxia practiced Taoism, Confucianism and medicine, and was very knowledgeable, which surprised Cui Zhe.

Cui Zhe felt bullied at home, so he came to Qingyun Temple to chat with Taoist Jingxia, and he didn't even feel tired even if he stayed up all night.

This time his defenses were broken and he urgently needed to find someone to talk to, so without thinking, he rushed into the Taoist temple.

Taoist Jingxia does not have the immortal demeanor of a true Taoist monk, but he has a worldly air that is easy-going and approachable, which is very impressive.

Taoist Jingxia made the tea, lit the incense, and the two of them sat opposite each other at the table.

Taoist Jingxia was not a talkative person. Most of the time it was Cui Zhe who was talking while Taoist Jingxia was listening. However, every time he spoke, his words were just right, which made people feel at ease.

"Layman, I did something that will make me regret for the rest of my life..."

Cui Zhe did not dare to say it, this matter was too big.

If Jing and he have no children, it would be fine. It would be a good choice to bury the Duke of Jiang together with him.

But he already has children, and he cannot let his children be killed because of the relationship between husband and wife.

"I thought it was just a small matter. How could there be such a cruel mother in the world? Who would have thought that she could really do such a thing..."

Under Wan Guojun's half-persuasion and half-threat, Cui Zhao reluctantly joined Empress Wu's camp.

Li Zhi and Li Hong were often ill, and Empress Wu was a rare queen who shared power with an emperor who held real power. There was still hope for her future.

Cui Zhe was at the lowest point in his life. As a son-in-law, his wife and children looked down on him, and even the servants in his family could give him a cold shoulder and make sarcastic remarks. He needed to take a different approach and take some risks to gain power and wealth.

Until half a year ago, Wan Guojun asked someone to send him a small porcelain bottle filled with tiny insects, and asked him to mix them in a basin of water with the live fish sent to the Eastern Palace.

The food in the palace was carefully selected. Every fish and every vegetable had to go through multiple procedures before it was delivered to the palace. But just as the darkest place is the darkest, the food was not so strict when it entered the palace.

Cui Zhao was unwilling at first. If this matter were to be discovered by others, his family would be ruined and he would die.

But I couldn't resist the temptation of following the dragon's merit...

Wan Guojun's persuasion was very tempting. Empress Wu, as a mother, could still harm her own son. She just made the prince's body abnormal, giving people the impression that the prince was sick and unable to inherit the throne. Now the Prince of Pei is smart and deeply loved by the emperor. If he is the prince, you and I will have the merit of following the dragon.

Cui Zha was blinded by the "merit of following the dragon" and did as he was told.

At first, there was nothing unusual, and Cui Zhu was relieved. But after a while, the prince fainted due to shortness of breath, and Cui Zhu was so scared that he hurried to find Wan Guojun to ask for an explanation. But at this point, he was already on the pirate ship and couldn't get off.

A few days ago, Wan Guojun had someone deliver a porcelain bottle and increased the dosage. He didn't want Li Hong to notice anything strange when eating it, and he didn't want the tolerant man to not care and instead conceal the food for him. Knowing that the taste was not right, he still forced himself to eat it in order to avoid being punished.

Taoist Jingxia didn't know the whole story and was confused.

However, Taoist Jingxia did have a purpose in dating Cui Zhu, and she had a strong desire to please him. But after two years of getting along, they also accumulated a lot of feelings.

The human heart is the most unpredictable.

Just like Cui Zhu's remorse today, and like Taoist Jingxia who didn't care about the purpose, he said: "I don't know what Brother Cui has been through, but from Brother Cui's expression, I can see that this matter is not just about the life and death of one person. As an outsider, I can't say much. But the road is in front of us, right or wrong, we have to go. Instead of regretting the past, it is better to think about how to go on the road ahead."

Cui Zha let out a long sigh and said, "What you said makes sense. It has come to this point, and there is no point in saying more. However, if one day I unfortunately die, please send a letter to Di Renjie of the Imperial Censorate..."
-
Plateau, Pibo City.

Wang Xiaojie is learning how to be a good Mangsong Mangzan...

Wang Xiaojie looks 90% similar to Mangsong Mangzan, but there are still big differences in the way he speaks, his tone and his demeanor.

Ordinary people cannot see it, but those who have had in-depth contact with Mangsong Mangzan can still discover problems from the details.

Wang Xiaojie still has a lot to learn.

"No, your attitude is too rude. Our Zanpu is a very elegant and easy-going person. He is very knowledgeable. Although he has lost power, he knows everything about state affairs. He has to meet outsiders and talk to them about state affairs. You don't know anything about this question, which is not acceptable..."

Wang Xiaojie complained loudly, "I can't learn it, I can't understand it. I'm a rough man. You asked me to memorize this mess of things, but you didn't give me the whole thing. There are some parts missing. I can't learn it. I can't learn it at all."

He angrily threw the book in his hand away, lay down on the bed angrily, covered his head with the quilt, and ignored everything.

Under the quilt, Wang Xiaojie's eyes rolled around, thinking, "I won't fall for this crude trick if you try to fool me."

Wang Xiaojie was a very intelligent person. He had been in Tibet for many years and knew everything about Tibet. After returning to the Tang Dynasty, he could only defeat Lun Qinling and no one else could be his opponent. Wang Xiaojie's military strategy was ordinary, but he was very good at fighting Tibet, relying on his knowledge of Tibet accumulated during his career as the emperor.

This cannot be achieved without a determined heart.

Wang Xiaojie is now very confused and doesn't know how to get out of this situation, but it is always a good idea to know more about the situation in Tubo.

But the people of the Chen family did not trust him, and the things they asked him to learn were inconsistent. Most of them were about how to play the role of Mangsong Mangzan, and the situation of Tubo was kept secret.

Wang Xiaojie knew that he was a treasure now, and if he lost his temper from time to time, he would be treated much better, and they would not dare to fool him.

Just as Wang Xiaojie thought, Wang Xiaojie is now a living treasure, a living treasure who needs to be pampered and coaxed.

Seeing Wang Xiaojie lose his temper, Chen Zuoqiu also felt a headache.

The strength of the Chen family is not as good as that of the Nan family. Now they rely on this fake Zamp, use the Zamp to control the disobedience, win over the middle and lower-level nobles to fight against the Nan family, and have to accommodate him.

Chen Zuoqiu, an old man in his seventies, coaxed Wang Xiaojie like he was coaxing his ancestors, and only after he made him laugh did he say, "This afternoon, a highly respected master came to see the Zamp. He is the most famous great master in Tubo. If you get his approval, your position as Zamp will be halfway secured, and we will also have the strength to deal with the Nan family."

Wang Xiaojie agreed reluctantly.

The person Wang Xiaojie wanted to meet was Master Marba Wangren mentioned by Chimalo, the most famous master of Bon religion and the descendant of the former national master of Zhangzhung Kingdom.

Zhangzhung is the oldest country on the plateau. The culture of the people on the plateau also originated from Zhangzhung. Bon religion is the birthplace of Zhangzhung...

The culture of Tubo originated from the Zhangzhung Kingdom. The Merlu clan was the largest powerful family in the Zhangzhung Kingdom. When Songtsen Gampo was able to overthrow the Zhangzhung Kingdom with his superiors, he also received support from the Merlu clan, which also made the Merlu clan the most powerful family in Tubo.

Meilu had a very deep connection with Master Mapa Wangren, and that was why Trimalo was able to invite him.

This also confirmed Chen Qingsi's guess. Although the Lu family has declined, his network of contacts will not disappear in a short time.

Wang Xiaojie was a little nervous. He had met many Tibetan nobles before, but most of them were met while he was injured and sick in bed. He didn't say much, just to prove to the other party that he was the real Zamp.

Master Mapa Wangren was an important figure whom he formally received as the king. Although Chen Zuoqiu said that this master did not get along well with Mangsong Mangtsen and it was not easy for him to be exposed, he still could not help but feel panicked.

It was not until he sat down and talked in detail with Master Mapa Wangren that Wang Xiaojie felt relieved. It turned out that this old man was really not familiar with Mangsong Mangtsen.

Wang Xiaojie said ashamedly: "I, Tubo, encountered this hardship because I was not sincere. I was bewitched and yearned for evil dharma. Now I have gained enlightenment and hope to listen to Master Marpa Wangren's teachings on the Bon doctrine."

These words were naturally told to him by Chen Zuoqiu...

Mangsong Mangtsen himself has always advocated Buddhism to break the deadlock.

Now, in order to gain the support of Mapa Wangchen, one naturally has to convert to the state religion.

Marpa Wangchen looked pleased and said, "This is how I can pass on Tsongkhapa's great thoughts to the king."

He immediately ignored Chen Zuoqiu who was standing beside him and started talking about the Bon religion scriptures to Wang Xiaojie.

Wang Xiaojie was confused by what he heard.

Chen Zuoqiu understood the Bon religion, but he was still confused and didn't understand what was being said.

He was old, and listening to such profound things made him feel dizzy and he gritted his teeth and tried to persevere.

Ma Ba Wangren talked for two hours. Chen Zuoqiu couldn't bear it any longer and retreated temporarily to drink water to replenish his strength, but his eyes were always fixed on the two of them.

Ma Ba Wangren placed his hand on Wang Xiaojie's shoulder and said carefully: "Tsinrab Miwo will protect his believers."

Wang Xiaojie sensed something and felt confused, but he remained calm.

When seeing off Marpa Wangchen, Wang Xiaojie cheered up and said, "Listening to the Master's teachings today was like an epiphany. I hope I can listen to the Master's teachings every day."

Marpa Wangren smiled and said, "The Zamp has this intention. I will come to preach to him every afternoon."

When Ma Ba Wangren disappeared from sight, Wang Xiaojie immediately lost his temper: "I was just being polite, how could he take it seriously? Whoever wants to listen to this law can listen, but I won't listen. If my life wasn't in your hands, I would have chopped this old bastard to death with a knife."

Chen Zuoqiu was a little skeptical at first, but seeing Wang Xiaojie like this, his doubts were greatly reduced. He secretly laughed at himself for being too suspicious, and tried to persuade him with a smile, but he had made up his mind in his heart that he would not suffer this tomorrow.

Wang Xiaojie went back to his room angrily to sleep. He took out the small note from his chest and read the contents on it. Tears gushed out of this grown man. He sat on the ground and cried silently.

Finally I have a home.

Voivodeship.

After contacting Wang Xiaojie, Chen Qingsi felt relieved.

"In this case, the great war in Tibet should have begun! If everything you said is true..."

Chen Qingsi looked at Chimalo.

Chima Luo said angrily: "It's already now, why don't you believe me? What else do you want me to do before you can believe me?"

She felt a little aggrieved and acted like a little girl.

Chen Qingsi slightly turned his eyes away. Recently, this lady Zhuo has become much more feminine than before. He said seriously, "I don't want to be like my good friend and be played around by you."

Chima Luo said: "You mean Pei Yan? That's because he is stupid..." She paused and said: "You regard him as a friend, but he may not be."

Chen Qingsi said helplessly: "It doesn't matter. If he hadn't recommended me back then, I wouldn't be where I am today. As long as he doesn't commit a serious offense, I can tolerate him a little bit..."

Chima Luo said: "Are you sure that there will be a fight?"

Chen Qingsi said: "Wait for the news!"

Only three days later, news came from the plateau that the Nan clan had sent troops.

He gathered a large army and marched to Pibo City on the pretext of suppressing rebellion.

Chimalu looked at the message in his hand, and his eyes became more moist as he looked at Chen Qingsi.

(End of this chapter)