Playing intrigue is worse than engaging in infrastructure

Just when Song Qingyuan was obsessed with teasing that tiger-headed lion cub, some new news came from the capital.

By a stream outside the camp, two people were discussing the matter while walking.

The person walking near the river was over half a century old, with gray temples and a scarlet official robe, but his demeanor was elegant and gentle, which made people feel close to him.

It turned out to be Zhou Wendao who was shot by the current Shangshu Youpu.

"Yanqiu, have you heard the news about Dahuguo Temple recently?"

The young man next to Zhou Wendao replied respectfully: "The teacher said, but the Master Nianci of the Huguo Temple recently announced that students from poor families can get paper for free after verifying their identity?"

"You kid is very well informed. That's right. That's exactly what I said for the teacher." Zhou Wendao stroked his beard and joked with the students with a smile.

Du Jia Dalang, whose name is "Yanqiu", humbled himself a few words, and then said seriously: "Teacher, what do you think of Master Nianci's move?"

Hearing this, Zhou Wendao thought for a while, and then slowly said: "If this matter lasts for a long time, it will be a good thing for the country and the people. Since the founding of the Southern Zhou Dynasty, the opportunities to study have been concentrated among those aristocratic families. If there are more low-born officials in the court, it will be a good thing for the people and me in Nan Zhou. However, "

He sighed, and continued: "It is rumored that this paper was donated by an unknown wealthy businessman surnamed Zheng, but no matter how wealthy the merchant is, they can't afford such a large expenditure."

Du Yanqiu beside him also sighed, "The price of paper is too expensive. Teacher, as a great Confucian of my generation in the Southern Zhou Dynasty, you use paper to practice calligraphy on weekdays, and you don't just search for it."

"You are used to teasing the teacher." Zhou Wendao stopped, "As a teacher, you can write a letter to the emperor and donate to those students in the name of the emperor."

"I hope the teacher thinks twice!"

Du Yanqiu looked worried, and hurried two steps to Zhou Wendao, "Teacher, have you forgotten Liang Gong? The year before last, Liang Gong wrote to the emperor, begging the emperor to build an academy for those students from poor families. The emperor agreed, but was hated by many aristocratic families, and was finally demoted to Lingnan..."

Zhou Wendao shook his head, "How can it be as serious as you said? Besides, is that what the teacher taught you? As a minister, you should forget your own body, your country's family, and your public's self. How can you not do it because you are afraid of being hated?" ①

"The students know." Du Yanqiu responded in a low voice with a shame on his face.

Du Yanqiu's guess was indeed correct. Zhou Wendao met the emperor in the afternoon, and just as he proposed to subsidize poor students, he was interrupted by Emperor Hongde frowning, "I know that the prime minister cares about the people, but the treasury has not been rich in recent years. Let's discuss it again."

Emperor Hongde, like many nobles in the Southern Zhou Dynasty, did not take these scholars from poor backgrounds seriously.They claim to be of noble birth, but they think that those people are just low-status and inferior people, how can they be qualified to serve as officials in the court.

Times have changed a long time ago, but they still don't want to change at all.

Emperor Hongde was mediocre, but Lian Ti was not stupid. He frowned and stared at the distance, and said in a deep voice: "If this move can last long, it will surely cultivate a large number of talents for Southern Zhou."

However, why did such an unknown person appear out of nowhere and spend a lot of money to subsidize paper for those scholars from poor families?

Daxiangguo Temple, Master Nianci, a pilgrim who did not want to be named...an incredible thought flashed in Lianti's mind.

"What's the matter, Your Majesty? What did you think of?" Wu Qina couldn't help asking when he saw Lian Ti's toothache.

Lian Ti slowly talked about his trip to Xiangshan Mountain that day, and deliberately blurred his repeated acknowledgment.

After hearing this, Wu Zena also showed surprise: "Shouldn't it be possible? The whole Southern Zhou Dynasty will soon know about the discord between His Royal Highness the Third Prince of Yanyun and Emperor Hongde. How could he do such a thing to benefit Nanzhou?" What about Zhou?"

wrong.Lian Ti still shook his head, "He has a quarrel with Emperor Hongde, not with the people of Southern Zhou."

Wu Qina still didn't want to believe that if he hated a person, he would even feel disgusted when he saw the wall of the place where he lived.How could the third prince of Yanyun do such a thing. ②

"Just ask him and you'll know." Lian Ti showed the stereotype of Mobei people as "one muscle" to the extreme.After finishing speaking, he walked out of the tent, and before leaving, he did not forget to take a can of goat milk from Wu Qi's tent.

Even Song Qingyuan, who was as knowledgeable as he was, was shocked by Lian's straightforwardness. The little lion in his arms was accidentally thrown onto the couch, and let out a dissatisfied moan.

Song Qingyuan hurriedly touched the hair twice, but he didn't intend to hide it and even mentioned it. With a mentality of "he's already suspicious anyway, it's better to admit it directly", he said: "I have already said that I have no intention of the throne. Those papers can help many people, so if you donate it, you will donate it."

Lian Ti poked the head of the lion cub who had finally climbed up the low table with his fingers, saw how it bared its teeth at him, and continued to ask: "So that's why Your Highness gave grain to Mobei merchants on credit that winter? "

Song Qingyuan nodded in affirmation with some surprise, he was surprised, he didn't expect Lianti to even know about it.

"Then why does His Highness want some low-quality iron ore?"

Lian Ti's tone was gentle, but his eyes were sharp, as if he could see through everything.

Song Qingyuan's face remained unchanged, "The merchants in Mobei at that time didn't have anything more valuable. I wanted to try to see if I could smelt some iron." He appropriately expressed a little disappointment, and shook his head slightly, "No Thinking that it can only be refined to produce some waste residue."

"The King of Yan seems not to allow the princes to cast iron privately." Lian Ti raised his eyebrows.

"It's just some private attempts, King Yan will not find out." Song Qingyuan looked indifferent.

He nodded, as if to show understanding.

What Song Qingyuan said just now is watertight, half true, half false, no one can find out the problem.Even if King Yan was told about the "private casting of iron", since it was only the result of refining some waste, King Yan would not pursue it too much.There was no other way to mention it except nodding.

"Since His Highness is also a person who cares about the people, how can he be willing to waste time in this square city of Huijing, no matter what he does, he must be afraid of his hands and feet?"

Song Qingyuan's heart tightened, knowing that he still wanted to invite himself to Mobei, but this sentence just hit the heart of himself and many subordinates who came to Southern Zhou with him.

He bowed his head and remained silent for a long time before he smiled, "In this world, how many people are there who can really do whatever they want?"

Lian Ti frowned, seeing his neither happy nor sad, indifferent, stood up a little angrily.

In the next moment, he sat down again under Song Qingyuan's surprised gaze.

"Your Highness knows that there are as many as [-] tribes in Mobei, and the territory is vast. However, the endless wars between each other for women, land, food, cattle and sheep have caused the lives of Mobei to suffer, and the people are in dire straits." Lian mentioned Open your mouth slowly.

"Since my grandfather unified Mobei, every king of Mobei has to go through a struggle to secure the throne. The leaders of each tribe have different ideas. Although they seem to submit to the royal court, in reality..." He looked at Song Qingyuan, The tone is mocking.

Song Qingyuan probably understood what Lian Ti meant.

The current Mobei is composed of two forces.One is made up of many tribal chiefs.These people do not really obey King Mobei, they are all eyeing the throne, and they are not necessarily in harmony with each other.But once King Mobei intends to strengthen the royal power and control over various tribes, they will unite to resist Liandi.At that time, even if the king of Mobei can merge his tribe into the territory, Mobei's vitality will inevitably be seriously injured.

The other side is naturally headed by King Mobei.Among them are the civil and military ministers under his command and the surrendered tribes.

If Mobei cannot be completely unified under the rule of King Mobei, Mobei will inevitably return to the original state of separatism and division of the three thousand tribes.

But what does this have to do with him, Song Qingyuan?Didn't Lian mention want him to change this situation by himself?

"So..." Song Qingyuan opened his mouth tentatively.

"This king needs a person, a brand new force, who can suppress the old tribes in China and break the current confrontation between the two parties."

It's really what he thought... Song Qingyuan didn't feel too surprised.

He sighed, King Mobei really dared to think and speak as always.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint King Mobei. I don't have the talent to take on such a difficult task."

"Although I don't know how many things His Highness has done in places unknown to the world, I believe that I will not be wrong." Lian said in a faint tone, "This King also believes that His Highness has such abilities."

It's not that Song Qingyuan is conceited, but if he asks himself, he does have the ability to change the current situation in Mobei.It's just that for him, Mobei is a completely unfamiliar place that he has never been involved in.It would be too reckless to step in hastily.

"In the current six states, Mobei is considered the best place for His Royal Highness. I also hope that His Highness can seriously consider this King's opinion." I didn't say much until I mentioned it.

When he got up to leave, he suddenly turned his head, "I don't know if Your Highness still remembers the steward of the group of merchants who did business with His Highness last winter. He had a teenage son who had just joined the army and died in the rebellion of the Hunke tribe." bingo."

After finishing speaking, he said goodbye and left.

Jiang Duo came in with minced meat mixed with goat's milk. He just heard Lian Ti's last sentence, and put down the plate with his head down in frustration, "I still remember the steward. At the beginning of the next spring, he will return it to His Highness. He sent a lot of cheese made by himself..."

Song Qingyuan glanced at the direction Lian Ti left, and said in a subtle tone: "When he started spring, he told me that he just married a Yanyun woman as his wife, and he has a teenage son."

Jiang Duo couldn't help being stunned for a moment, and asked in disbelief: "So King Mobei is lying to His Highness?"

Song Qingyuan sighed, "Although he doesn't have a teenage son, among the tens of thousands of families in Mobei, there is no shortage of parents with a child who joined the army in his teens and died in the war."

The author says:

① "As a minister, one should forget about one's body, one's family, one's family, and one's selfishness by one's government, and one should be meticulous in gaining benefits and in avoiding harm." From "Han Shu Jia Yi Biography" by Ban Gu

②"If you hate a person, you will feel disgusted even when you see the walls of the place where he lives." Actually, it means "hate Yuxu", but Wu Qi's Chinese is not very good, please understand.