the enlightener says

Sun Zhong shook his head and coughed slightly: "Can you tell me what you think?"

Sun Ji'an saluted respectfully, and said: "The son dare not disobey the father's orders. The son just sees that his father is not in good health these days, and he is afraid that his father will be exhausted and delay his recuperation, so he hides it."

Hearing this, Sun Zhong had a smile in his eyes. He has always been satisfied with this son. He has always been the most sensible one since he was a child. Sometimes, he would even ask himself whether he is right. Son is too strict?

Therefore, for Sun Qing, he indulged a lot. Of course, there are also factors of his preference.

"You are a filial child. I know. When you just became crowned, you were able to take care of the family, clan, and court affairs in an orderly manner. In this regard, no one in the Sun family can compare to you. Said Wake up, I have been too harsh on you, I have been suppressing you for so many years and never let you stand out."

"The father is strict with his son for his own good. If it weren't for the father's strictness over the years, the son might have become like the second and third householders now. people."

Seeing that Sun Zhong was a bit tired, Sun Ji'an squatted down and leaned against Sun Zhong's side. This way, Sun Zhong could speak softly and save some effort.

Sun Zhong looked relieved, stretched out a hand, and gently held Sun Ji'an's hand. His hand was cold, but Sun Ji'an's hand was warm. A warmth flowed through his blood to the tip of his heart, even It made his sick body a lot more comfortable: "No, you won't become that kind of person. Because you knew from a young age what kind of person you want to be. It's just that I have ignored it these years."

"Tell me." Sun Zhong coughed again, and Sun Ji'an hurriedly stroked his chest, "I want to know what's on your mind. It can be regarded as...a rare heart-to-heart exchange between our father and son."

Sun Ji'an had gentle eyes, felt his father's rough palm, and said in his ear: "The son is not afraid that the prime minister will guess his plan, because the son and the prime minister are very clear. The reason why Jing Wu is Jing Wu is not only It's just one or two people. It's the gathering of many people's minds that makes today's Jing Wu Tianxia possible."

"It has been several generations since the fall of the Ji Dynasty, and the orthodoxy of the Wu Kingdom has long since been cut off. The people are suffering from wars every day, so they yearn for unification. This is one of them. The gentry have been in chaos for many years. You come and I fight endlessly. How many generations of aristocratic families have been annihilated, so the gentry have long been tired of fighting, and hope to have a court to serve together, this is the second."

"The establishment of Jingwu is not a coincidence, but the trend of the times. Otherwise, even if the prime minister has the wisdom of equal to heaven, it is impossible to reintegrate the fragmented Wu Kingdom into today's Jingwu."

Sun Zhong nodded, and said softly: "You are right. If it weren't for that, how could the nobles be willing to gather under the banner of my Sun family? After all, they don't have the courage to take up this responsibility, and my Sun family is retreating There is no going back."

Sun Ji'an agreed: "Father is right. It is because of your great wisdom and courage, father, that you have the courage to take on this important responsibility, and finally you can achieve Jingwu's current foundation."

"Stop flattering." Sun Zhong laughed.

Sun Ji'an smiled slightly: "The prime minister is also very clear that although the nobles of Jingwu are not friends, they are not enemies either. The nobles of Jingwu are a pillar supporting Jingwu. If this pillar collapses, the court will be No matter how popular the people are, governing the world cannot be achieved by people who don't even know the words. The prime minister suppressed the gentry because the gentry stretched their hands too far, or even crossed the limit. Using such a heavy method to suppress. But the result of this suppression is also obvious: the gentry originally harbored hostility towards the prime minister. To communicate with the Tang Dynasty, in exchange for benefits."

Speaking of this, Sun Ji'an sneered and said: "They are just a group of short-sighted mayflies, smaller than ants, they live and die at night, and they don't know that tomorrow will rise as usual. At that time, they can only grin their teeth in the sun , to die in pain."

Usually, Sun Ji'an is gentle and refined, and he wouldn't even say a sarcasm on the surface, but this time, he used such an description, which surprised Sun Zhong, but he suddenly laughed.

This is good.

If Sun Ji'an really made up his mind to take that path of resoluteness, kindness alone is not enough, it must be ruthless enough, more ruthless than everyone else, otherwise, the ghosts and monsters on this road will dig out his flesh and blood. And eat it, leaving a sad skeleton.

Sun Ji'an said: "Jing Wu is now strong and well-fed, with a general outside and a prime minister inside, these two are rare capable men in the world, and they have the same heart, even if the Tang army suppresses the territory, they can only return in defeat. That being the case, what is the point of what those people did in private with the enemy country? Instead, they are seeking their own death."

Sun Zhong said softly: "How do you know that Jing Wu won't collapse from within?"

A smile appeared on the corner of Sun Ji'an's mouth: "Because I know very well that my father will not be willing."

Sun Zhong looked relieved and said, "Go ahead."

"Father is the leader of the Jingwu gentry. Although he has no official position now, the weight of every word is heavier than that of me, one of the three lords. If my father is unwilling to serve this Jing Wu, if you want to go to Tang or Canghai instead, you only need to climb up and shout, and the gentry will gather around your father. At that time, even if Jing Wu is not destroyed, it will be impossible."

Sun Zhong held Sun Ji'an's hand even tighter, and said with a smile: "But I know in my heart, if that's the case, would the Sun family still be the Sun family of today? Tang, why do we need officials? If there were no officials, wouldn’t we gentry who have studied sage books hard, be able to work in the fields?”

Sun Ji'an nodded and said, "And what I want to do is follow the path my father walked... and take a step forward."

3 Thirty Chapters Homecoming

"One more step?" Sun Zhong's eyes lit up.

"One more step." Sun Ji'an said affirmatively: "Since my father has led the gentry to unite with the prime minister to form the present Jingwu, why can't he take another step forward and become the real courtier of Jingwu? Those gentry children hate the prime minister , but because the prime minister has been suppressing the gentry over the years, he also established the Imperial Academy, which opened up a new way for the court to select talents. But I still haven't let go of my original airs, and I haven't really regarded myself as a member of Jingwu."

"The gentry has established a country, but they don't regard themselves as members of the country, so why should the country obey the gentry?" Sun Ji'an's eyes lit up, "In my opinion, the methods of the gentry in the past are just like children's actions. When encountering difficult and difficult things, they will leave angrily and ignore them. But things will always be there waiting for people to change. Since they are not willing to change, why not stand on a high ground by themselves and use their own Mind to turn around?"

Only then did Sun Ji'an go back to the beginning: "My son did intend for Sun Qing to make meritorious service, and he did not intend to hide it. Sun Qing is the Sun Qing of Jingwu. If he made meritorious service, it was also Jingwu's meritorious deed. Even if the prime minister knows, then So what? Could it be that he still doesn't let his subjects contribute to the country?"

If Sun Qing is capable, he should serve the country.And if he has meritorious service, the prime minister should naturally reward him with official titles and titles.If everyone in the gentry can let go of their grievances and devote themselves to making contributions to Jing and Wu, is it possible that the prime minister can stop it?

As for the Taixuetang... Even if there are some outstanding students from those poor families, how many official positions can they fill in Jingwu?After all, it is just a drop in the bucket.

What's more, who knows that these poor children will not stand on the side of the nobles in the future?You know, people's hearts are like water, and they are fickle.The court in the future is not just a game between a few people, but a game between one faction and another. If the gentry can occupy the court of Jingwu, no one can really overwhelm him even if the prime minister is there. The one who died, with his body, didn't even know if he could survive a six-year-old.

At that time, then this Jingwu...wouldn't it still be the world of the gentry?

When it came to the end, Sun Jian'an was already resounding.

However, when he looked at Sun Zhong, he found that Sun Zhong's eyes had been closed. His heart skipped a beat, his hand tightened, and he held his father's hand, shaking it constantly: "Father, father?"

Sun Zhong opened his eyes, looked at Sun Ji'an, and heaved a long sigh, seemingly reluctant and satisfied.

Then he propped himself up and stood up slowly, and suddenly burst out laughing, his eyes filled with tears, while laughing, he shouted loudly: "Old Zhong! Lao Zhong!"

Sun Ji'an supported Sun Zhong, for a moment he didn't understand what was wrong with him, why he was crying and laughing, and shouting the name of the old servant at home.

He asked in a low voice timidly, "Father... what's wrong with you?"

Soon, the old servant who had been with Sun Zhong for many years came in. The gray-haired man seemed to be walking steadily, and he greeted Sun Zhong as soon as he entered the door and quickly supported Sun Zhong.

"Master, what's the matter with you?"

Sun Zhong laughed and said, "A few days ago, did you persuade me to put aside the matter of Jianye City and go back to my hometown to recuperate?"

The old servant nodded, recalling the conversation that day, showing embarrassment, and said: "Yes. The grandfather scolded me that day, saying that I didn't understand anything."

"You don't understand what it is, it's not wrong to scold you." Sun Zhong was still laughing, but coughed suddenly, and immediately made the two people who were supporting him panic, one patted his back and the other stroked his chest. It took him a while to let him The breath is smooth.

"Old Zhong." He called the old servant again, "But you are right, I am old, and I will not recover from this illness for so many days. It seems that I should go back to my hometown and take good care of me."

The old servant's eyes lit up, and he said, "Master, are you serious?"

"Seriously, seriously." Sun Zhong gave him a white look, "Can I still lie to you?"

"But the grandfather also said the day before yesterday that there are many affairs and no one is handling them. If you leave Jianye City, in case something happens..."

Sun Zhong smiled and said, "It's okay!" He looked at Sun Ji'an, and said with relief, "Now that I have it, and my son is doing things for me, why should I continue to suffer from headaches? Quit doing it, I'll be busy for the rest of my life, I really have to escape now. You go and get your things ready today, and we will start tomorrow... By the way, don’t forget to bring my favorite inkstones. If there is even one missing, I will let you personally Drive the car back and get it."

The old servant nodded vigorously, and said with a smile: "Of course, don't worry, I remember everything, even if I close my eyes, I will know which items you like!"

The old servant nodded happily, walking briskly as if rejuvenated.

"Father." Sun Ji'an looked at Sun Zhong, and felt a little empty in his heart for a moment. He never thought that Sun Zhong would suddenly decide to go back to his hometown to recuperate from his illness. In this way, the Sun family's master of Jianye City would naturally become him. From then on, the Sun family, and even the gentry group, were bound to follow his example.

Originally, he just wanted to persuade Sun Zhong to give him some chances to stand out and agree with his statement a little bit, but now Sun Zhong obviously planned to quit, which caught him off guard.

But Sun Zhong patted him on the back and said: "There is no need to act like a little girl, since you have already made up your mind, then go ahead and do it. I am old, and these years, I always feel that I have no time to rest. Now that I think about it, I It’s been a long time since I fished in the fishpond of my hometown, right? I fished by myself and cooked a pot of fish soup…” Sun Zhong recalled with a smile on his face, “I miss the taste very much.”

Sun Jian'an couldn't help laughing out loud, and said, "Father, don't forget, you always made me drink that fish soup when I was young, but I never dared to say that your fish soup is very salty, and the wine is mixed with alcohol. There is too much, and there is a strange smell... Many times, it was the mother who secretly poured out the fish soup, and then put back the pot she cooked."

Sun Zhong was surprised: "Is that so? Your mother really did this?"

Sun Ji'an smiled and said, "Mom won't let me tell you."

Sun Zhong said with a smile: "But if you dare to tell me now, it's okay, just go back to your hometown to recuperate, and do some research, maybe the fish soup I make in the future will be as delicious as your mother's. Tell you to go back, you have to drink it all for me, not a drop left!"

Sun Ji'an supported Sun Zhong and lay down back on the chair, bowed respectfully and said with a smile: "Father has orders, son dare not disobey."

Sun Zhong closed his eyes in satisfaction, and said softly: "You have to go to court tomorrow, so go and rest first. I'm a little sleepy, so take a nap for a while."

"Why doesn't father go to bed to rest?" Sun Jianan gently pulled the blanket for him, a little puzzled.

"No need." Sun Zhong said: "I'll go by myself in a while, but now my body is limp and I don't want to move..."

Sun Ji'an felt a little weird, but he couldn't tell what was wrong, so he just nodded, turned and went out the door.

The next day, when the sun was still dark, there was a sudden knock on the door of the Sun family mansion.

"Master! Master! Come and see!"

"It's so early in the morning, what's the fuss about?" On the bed, Sun Ji'an's wife opened her sleepy eyes, looked out the window, and complained, "It's not yet the time for the rooster to crow. Come back an hour later? Why is Lao Zhong so unruly..."

It's just that when the wife turned her head, she was surprised to find that Sun Ji'an had sat up, hurriedly put on her coat, ran to the door without even putting on her shoes, and opened the door.

"Master, Grandpa, he..."

Sun Ji'an's face darkened, and he hurriedly ran towards Sun Zhong's bedroom. After running a few steps, he heard Lao Zhong's anxious voice: "Not in the bedroom, but in the study."

It seemed that he had never been so panicked in his life.

But when he got to the study, his heart suddenly calmed down. Hearing the low cries of the servants in the room, his footsteps also slowed down a bit. It was as if there was a well in his heart. Just a little splash, just sank.

Sun Zhong was still leaning on the recliner, still the same as last night, with his eyes closed, a smile on his lips, his gray hair trembling slightly in the breeze, like swaying weeds.

Lao Zhong stood behind Sun Ji'an, trembling with tears, "Last night... Grandpa said he didn't want to go back to his room, so I stayed with him in the study, and then I was sleepy too...but when I woke up,...but... Discover……"

Sun Ji'an suddenly knelt down, looked at the old man on the couch, opened and closed his lips, "Father..."

"I really didn't expect it to be like this." Gao Changgong looked at the funeral procession, shook his head and sighed.

The one who walked first was Sun Zhong's most beloved grandson, Sun Qing, with a slack expression on his face and heavy eyes, as if the whole world had collapsed.

Sun Jian was beside him, with a numb expression, he lifted his hand vigorously, and dropped a lot of paper money.

The sound of the gong was loud, melodious with a bit of sadness, rippling far away.

The long line passed through the street and gradually disappeared in the direction of the city gate amidst the voices of countless people talking.

Zhuge Wanling was dressed in coarse cloth, with a dignified expression, without saying a word.

Gao Changgong looked into his eyes, and said: "Oh, since then, there has been an extra Sun Ji'an in the hall, I guess...sometimes you will have a headache. You should pay more attention to your body, don't force yourself, you are a loner , if you lie in the coffin like Sun Zhong in the future, can you hire me to give you a piece of paper money?"

These words are obviously a bit poisonous, but they also express Gao Changgong's worry about Zhuge Wanling. He knows that with Zhuge Wanling's current body, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is riddled with holes. If possible, he really does not want to Zhuge Wanling continued to preside over the government.

But he also understands very well that there are some things that only this person can do well. With Zhuge Wanling's temperament, he is absolutely unwilling to become an idle and useless person.

Zhuge Wanling smiled slightly, his eyes became gentle, and said: "Don't worry, I know my own body. Before the matter is completed, I will definitely not die easily."

Gao Changgong knew that he couldn't persuade him, so he had no choice but to say: "Yes, I thought you couldn't make it through several times back then, but you still made it through. The heart in your chest is like a stone in a latrine. It is smelly and hard, even the underworld is unwilling to accept you."

Zhuge Wanling shook his head, and said firmly, "There is no underworld in this world."

"Probably." Gao Changgong didn't intend to delve into the world after death with him, so he pointed in a direction and said, "Go to my gathering? Coincidentally, Gongjin has researched a new dish, let's try it together."

Zhuge Wanling didn't object either, and turned to follow him towards the general's mansion against the crowd. Along the way, a woman recognized Gao Changgong's handsome face, her eyes widened in shock, but she seemed to have quickly realized that her expression Very rude, and quickly lowered his head shyly.

Zhuge Wanling showed a sneer, while Gao Changgong gave him a hard look.

But that girl, after raising her head again, found that the "Beautiful God of War" in front of her had disappeared, felt a sense of loss in her heart, and secretly scolded herself for why she lowered her head shyly just now, instead of taking a second look...

Chapter 331 A Visit from the Mountain

In the early morning, in a small inn at the foot of the mountain, some guests were already drinking hot porridge at the table.

This inn is located on the border of the Tang Dynasty, and it only needs to travel a hundred miles to enter the territory of the Mohist family. Naturally, there will often be merchants staying here.

Otherwise, opening such a lonely inn in this sparsely populated place, I am afraid that the owner and his family will starve to death in the wasteland sooner or later.

After going back and forth on this road, many merchants also know the lady proprietress of this inn, and know that she has a hot temper, and it is nothing new to scold her little guy, and now they don't intend to touch her bad luck, but bow their heads and drink porridge , listening with great interest.

Soon, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the backyard door, and a short young man hurried in from outside, holding a teapot in one hand, scratching his head helplessly with the other, and said, "I said the proprietress, howling early in the morning What, am I burning water?"

The proprietress got angry when she saw him, and slapped the table, which made the porridge guests tremble: "Are you still quibbling? I saw it clearly upstairs, and then sneaked to the stable Did you touch the guest's horse? What's the matter? The knight-errant didn't teach you enough? When he beats you to the bum, why don't I have to apologize to you! Feed his horse and brush it well That's enough, if you touch it, it's your daughter-in-law? Wake up, you haven't married a wife this year!"

The young man blushed from being scolded by the proprietress, and replied unconvinced: "I just pet the horse, and I won't lose a piece of meat? The hero last time had a small stomach, what can I blame? In the end, he was angry not because I touched his horse, but because he said that he wanted me to feed the horse fine fodder. Madam, you heard me wrong and asked me to give coarse fodder, so he beat me. I'm the most innocent one!"

The proprietress stood up abruptly, and said with a sneer, "Are you innocent? You have fed so many horses with rough feed, but you can't see it yourself? The fatness of that horse can be grown by feeding rough feed?"

"Then who knows..." The boy also stared, not giving an inch, "What is impossible in this world?"

This is sophistry, but the proprietress is obviously not a fuel-efficient lamp, and she slapped the table again: "It's against you? I don't know who taught you this back-talking problem. I really should teach you today. What are the rules? I’m doing it for your own good. Don’t think I don’t know. You’re a dead waiter. You’ve got a lot of stories told to you. General, am I not going to be a queen?"

"Who said I can't be a general anymore?" The young man who was exposed in his heart was flushed, and he didn't dare to look at the smiling merchants around him, but he was still unconvinced, "We, Liu of the Southern Army of the Tang Dynasty Wasn’t the general just a plain-headed commoner earlier? I heard that the Tang Dynasty will send troops again this time, if I can join the army now, maybe I can become a small leader, and when I go back to the inn to drink, I will definitely order the most expensive beef!”

He thought for a while, and then emphasized with his small eyes: "Two sets!"

"Come on. You're still going to join the army. With your guts, you can go to the battlefield? Don't pee your pants in fright when you see the enemy!" Is it? Pig and dog..."

"It's Chugou!" The boy shouted vigorously.

"I don't care if you are a pig dog or a Chu Gou. Your poor teacher father is leaving you to my mother, so you have to listen to me! Do you know..."

At this time, there was a roar of complaint from upstairs: "What's the noise? It's early in the morning. Can you let people sleep?"

So everyone was surprised to find that the proprietress, who was aggressive just now, seemed to have changed from an eye-catching white-fronted tiger into a soft and pleasant house cat in an instant, and apologized to the closed door upstairs: "Guest officer... oh no... Hero, I'm sorry, I forgot that you were still sleeping, it's all my fault, why don't you go back to sleep again? We will send a plate of peanuts to drink with you in a while ..."

The proprietress put on a fierce face and kept waving her hands, signaling the boy to go on with his own business, but the boy said with a bit of disdain in his voice, "I'm going to boil the water..."

Then, he turned and walked towards the backyard.

A guest laughed, and then a middle-aged man walked out of the backyard, holding a spatula, looking at the proprietress helplessly.

"Boss, you are so lucky to have married such a gentle and pleasant mother-in-law." The guest teased, of course, this gentle and lovely woman is specially for those who are powerful, like the knight upstairs, who treats this one It was obviously impossible for the honest and honest boss to show that side.

But looking at the boss's appearance, he is simple and honest. When he heard the teasing from the guests, he was not angry, and even laughed happily, saying: "If you want to fry peanuts, then I will fry two more dishes. It doesn't cost money, everyone has it." share."

The merchants were of course happy to respond, the proprietress rolled her eyes at this moment, looked at her husband, and thought to herself, what kind of stimulation did you receive, and you are so happy because of such a seemingly boastful but actually teasing statement?

It's just that these few plates of peanuts are an apology to her, and naturally they also contain affection for her. No matter how aggressive she is, she has to give her husband enough face at this moment, and a few touches of simplicity appear on her slightly fat face smile.