Placid Chang'an

"A lotus opens a monk's house, one flower one world, one leaf one bodhi."

The table was silent for a moment.

It was silent for a while before I heard a little movement.

Li released his chopsticks and said, "That's right."

Others see the small from the big, but his "one flower, one world, one leaf, one bodhi" sees the big from the small, and sees the true meaning in the subtleties, with a leisurely Zen, extraordinary and refined.

Zheng Yang came back to his senses and applauded congratulatoryly: "Brother Su, the number one scholar is genuine!"

Su Cen nodded and smiled.

"I also like Su Caizi, right." The little emperor in the court said.

"Oh?" Li Shi smiled, "Why?"

The little emperor scratched his head, "Only Su Caizi is right, I can understand."

Li Shi smiled and remained silent.

When Chaotianzi was only nine years old, it was really not easy for him to understand the three teachings, nine streams and ninety-nines, but what Su Cen was right seemed simple, and the little emperor probably only understood the superficial meaning and did not understand the deeper meaning.

"Since the emperor likes Su Cen, why don't you entitle Su Cen to study as an imperial attendant?" Liu Zhen proposed while giving Su Cen a meaningful look, and then said emphatically, "The Queen Mother also means the same."

Today, it is inconvenient to invite the ministers to attend the banquet, so Liu Yu became the eyes and ears and spokesperson of the Queen Mother.

Anyone who understands these words will know that they are wooing, Su Cen can feel Cui Hao's poisoned gaze across the huge atrium.The Son of Heaven attends the reading, and it is said that there is no rank, but it is the supreme honor.The little emperor is now in the period of enlightenment, stay by the emperor's side to preach and teach, and wait for the emperor to take charge in the future, then he will be the emperor's teacher, and his official career is limitless.

But Su Cen didn't think so, the emperor's attendant reading, at best, he was lecturing for the emperor, at worst, he was just a babysitter.The little emperor is only nine years old now, and Prince Ning, who has such power to invade the government and the opposition, is watching over him. I don't know how long this government will have to kiss.Su Cen has just entered the official career, and he doesn't want to use his ambition to flatter and flatter a child, saying that whether he is young or ignorant of flattery, he doesn't want to do this job anyway.

I haven't thought of how to say it yet, I just heard the voice of the person beside me say: "Sun Hanlin's teaching is very good, there is no need to change it."

It was a hammer blow.

Su Cen couldn't help but follow the voice. He met three times, the first time he was caught off guard, and the second time he was in a panic. Only this time he saw the person seriously and clearly.

He doesn't know whether Prince Ning kills people without blinking his eyes, cannibalizes people, or spits out bones, but this good-looking skin is really pleasing to the eye. His brows are straight, his eyes are bottomless, and he has a suffocating and powerful aura. .He lowered his head and held on to a green jade cup. His five fingers were slender and knuckles well defined. On his thumb was a black jade wrench, which was made of unknown material, pure black.

Su Cen assured that he was definitely looking at Li Shi for the purpose of admiration at this time, but it was not the same thing in the eyes of outsiders.

During the court examination, the champion of the new department angrily reprimanded the powerful officials in court, but was deliberately suppressed afterwards because of public favoritism, and the crowd suddenly sparked two clusters of anger in Su Cen's eyes for no reason.

Liu Yu's goal had already been achieved, so he naturally didn't really want Su Cen to be some kind of emperor's attendant. It was enough to have one Liu Xiang in the court, and there was no need to have another one to compete with him.He smiled imperceptibly, and continued: "Let's do this, Fu Xiang has just been promoted to be a servant, and there is still a vacant spot for Zhongshusheren, so Su Cen will come and fill it."

Zhongshu Sheren is on the top of the fifth rank, and he is in charge of the performances. He can not only discuss the charts, but also manage the drafting of imperial edicts.The so-called "extreme appointment of literati, grand election of the imperial court", at the beginning Liu Jue started as a member of Zhongshu Sheren, and has been promoted all the way, so that he is now worshiping officials and becoming a prime minister, and he is in the limelight.

Su Cen is so unreliable, but instead has a support, and the two sides draw him together.People like Cui Hao and Zheng Yang who have already stood in line, naturally can't get rid of these turmoil.

Liu Yu's abacus is also shrewd. He is the order of Zhongshuling. If Su Cen worships under his sect, he can take people for his own use, and he will be on top of him. As long as he doesn't fail for a day, Su Cen will There is no possibility of overreach.

"He's not going."

The voice is deep and deep, with an undeniable meaning.

But then he changed from kind to gentle and looked at Su Cen: "You are not suitable."

Su Cen frowned: "How does your lord know that I'm not suitable?"

Li Shi twirled the Moyu finger on his thumb and said, "I'll give you a better choice."

"Oh?"

"Dali Temple." Li Shi smiled, "You choose yourself."

Su Cen froze for a moment, then frowned.

To be honest, he was moved.

Dali Temple is in charge of the world's punishments and judges the world's punishments and prisons. Although it is not as high and powerful as Zhongshu Sheren, it only needs to deal with laws and criminal laws, and there is no need to pretend to be a snake in front of others.Although he can't get used to the trend of party rivalry between the DPRK and China, he also understands that this cannot be reversed by himself. Entering Dali Temple can at least make it possible for both parties to be independent.It's just that he didn't expect that Li Shi would be able to see through him so far in just three sides. His eyes were full of success, and he knew his choice already.

He would have felt better if he had been rejected directly like the emperor's attendant, but Li Shi asked him to choose by himself, and it happened that he couldn't refuse this proposal.

Su Cen picked up the wine cup on his table, quickly filled Li Shi's cup, and filled it up for himself, gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you, my lord, for your kindness."

Do it first.

After drinking the wine in the glass, Su Cen looked up at Li Shi, was taken aback for a moment, then circled the glass wall twice with his right middle finger, looked at him with interest for a while, and finally picked it up.

"Master..." Qi Lin who had been standing behind him took a step forward.

Li Shi waved his hand to signal people to step back, picked up the wine bottle and drank it down.

The eunuch said that Prince Ning didn't drink cold wine, it must be because of a bad stomach, in early spring and March, Su Cen still felt that his stomach was burning after drinking a glass of cold wine, so he wanted to see what Prince Ning did.

After being slapped twice a day, Liu Zhen's face was already as cold as ice, and after asking the little emperor to resign due to illness, he walked away in a huff.

After watching Liu Zhen leave, everyone turned their attention to Su Cen. He was able to make Liu Xiangqi, who was an extremely respected minister, leave the table angrily. This new top scholar is really extraordinary.

Su Cen sighed silently, now he has offended both sides thoroughly.

Venting all his displeasure on the culprit, Su Cen toasted Li Shi several more glasses of wine, Li Shi responded with a smile, and in the end he was a little drunk, but nothing happened.

It's just that the eyes behind him are getting colder and colder. Every time Su Cen toasts, he is worried that Qi Lin's sword will come up and splash his blood on the spot.

A Qionglin banquet turned into a Hongmen banquet, but luckily there was no danger in the end.

The court banquet just broke up when the moon was already in the sky, Su Cen was led out of the palace by a little eunuch carrying a lamp, before leaving, he glanced at the court again, everyone dispersed, only Prince Ning was still sitting alone on the table, seeing him turn around He raised his glass and smiled at him, and drank the wine in the glass again.

Fuck no cold drinks.

Su Cen followed the little eunuch leading the way and plunged into the night.

The Taiye Pool at night has a different charm compared to the daytime. Eight-treasure glazed palace lanterns are lit at the pavilions and pavilions, reflecting indistinctly on the lake, and the candle shadows are red, accompanied by the unknown fragrance of flowers. The artistic conception of floating moon dusk.

No matter how magnificent and magnificent it is during the day, it seems to change its appearance at night, becoming gentle and affectionate.Maybe it was because of drinking, the person raised his eyebrows and smiled at him before parting, regardless of the hidden meaning, he still thought that smile was pretty, with his eyebrows stretched out, like a cup of sake in a cup, intoxicating.

When he came back to his senses, Su Cen realized that these pavilions and buildings did not change their appearance under the night, but that he had never been here at all.

"Eunuch?" Su Cen walked quickly, "Is this the way out of the palace?"

This person is obviously not the talkative person in the daytime, he didn't even say a word to prevaricate him, he said concisely: "Just follow along."

The backyard of the imperial palace was heavily guarded, and without eunuchs to guide the way, he was afraid that he would be directly captured by the forbidden army for the crime of trespassing on the palace.

After thinking about it, Su Cen could only follow along.

After several turns and turns, the little eunuch finally stopped. Su Cen raised his head and glanced at the plaque in front of the palace - Qingning Palace, and immediately understood.

This is another big man in the palace who wants to see him.

The Son of Heaven was young, and he had not yet married and accepted his concubine. Perhaps to commemorate his love with the late Emperor, the Empress Dowager Chu still lived in the Qingning Palace when she was a queen.

The little eunuch ordered: "After entering, bow your head and kowtow, and don't look directly at the Empress Dowager's face."

Su Cen nodded, and the palace door opened a little. Su Cen went in and knelt down as ordered, staring at a floor tile with five bats holding a birthday for a quarter of an hour, before listening to someone behind the curtain asking: "Are you Su Cen?" Cen?"

The voice sounds lingling and pleasant, but there is no trace of old age at all.The Empress Dowager Chu was crowned Princess Chu at the age of 16, and entered the central palace with the late emperor at the age of 24. Now the late emperor has resigned. She is only in her 30s, but she holds half of the country in Dazhou with her delicate hands.

Su Cen kowtowed: "The grassroots Su Cen pays his respects to the Empress Dowager."

"Liu Xiang told Ai's family what happened at the banquet just now."

Su Cen was startled, he had offended Liu Xiang very badly at the table, and he dared to ask the Empress Dowager Chu for this.

Only the person continued: "I heard that you want to enter Dali Temple?"

Su Cen hesitated for a moment, then replied truthfully: "Yes."

"Do you know that the Dali Temple of the Ministry of Punishment is all from King Ning's people?"

Su Cen fell on the ground, but his words were sharp and straight: "I entered Dali Temple only to punish the villains and to avenge the people. I have no intention of getting involved with factions, let alone anyone."

"When the Japanese court tried to treat the country as a doctor, you bitterly stated the harm of party disputes and pointed out the current disadvantages, so I remember you." The Queen Mother Chu paused, and then said: "In your opinion, which party is so-called righteous and which party is right?" Is the Party so-called evil?"

"Partisanship will only increase internal friction, and there is no such thing as good or evil."

"You are wrong," the Empress Dowager Chu said sternly, "I am sorry for the heavenly principles and morals won by my family, and the orthodox imperial power. As a subject, you should treat your majesty as your lord, and devote yourself to your majesty until you die..."

"I will die for the sake of the world," Su Cen was stunned after saying a word, as expected, he got drunk and made a mistake, at a time like this, saving his life is the most important thing, what kind of righteous man should he be?So he softened his tone again: "If His Majesty is on the side of common people, I will naturally serve His Majesty."

The Empress Dowager Chu was probably very angry, but she was powerless to refute, and finally said: "Your Majesty is naturally on the side of the common people."

"Your Majesty Shengming."

Speaking of this, there is nothing to say. In the eyes of people, he is a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved, stubborn.However, the Empress Dowager Chu still likes to be tough, and continued to persevere: "Do you know why you are the champion of the new department?"

Su Cen was taken aback.

"You offended King Ning during the court examination. It was Aijia who tried to protect you. If it wasn't for Aijia, don't mention the name of the number one scholar, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep your head."

Before he could react, the Empress Dowager Chu continued, "It's fine if you are in Dali Temple, but you owe Ai's family a favor, and Ai's family will let you pay it back when needed."