Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 331

Chapter 331 One Force Suppresses a Hundred Coincidences
There are no businessmen who do not speculate. Big government officials and businessmen like the Zheng family were actually more concerned about politics than politicians. The direction of the imperial court’s winds was not only related to their profits and wealth, but also related to their life and death. Although they were wealthy, they were on the wrong side of the Imperial Court, and the outcome was likely to be completely shattered without any suspense.

Politicians may be able to retreat or stay neutral, but the Zheng family is dependent on the court to eat, which is a bit like a farmer eagerly looking forward to the weather. A strong wind or rain might blow down a few tiles on a house for others, but at most it was a flood and the house collapsed, which could be rebuilt without it; For farmers, it could mean starving to death without a year’s income.

Zheng Anshun was a very smart and cautious person, but no matter how he tried to conceal it, Qin Mubai could clearly feel his urgent mood-the clouds in the Imperial Court were unpredictable, and his Zheng Clan was at a loss as to how to stand in line. This feeling of burning their buttocks was something no one else could feel.

That’s why he hastily stayed in Xiangyang and waited to meet Qin Mubai. He even invited his entire family to the villa without avoiding suspicion. He couldn’t avoid Wu Meiniang anymore.

A person of Zheng Anshun’s level would definitely not do something meaningless. To put it bluntly, he wanted to get some “internal ginseng” from Qin Mubai, or ask some questions. After all, Qin Mubai was now a celebrity in front of the Emperor and a member of the royal family.

At the same time, Qin Mubai thought deeper than Zheng Anshun. To be honest, the survival of a Zheng family was something that Qin Mubai really didn’t care about compared to the great feats in the court. Without the richest man in the Zheng Clan, there would still be a second richest man.

From another standpoint, the Zheng Clan had a deep relationship with him. Wasn’t the wealth in their hands something they could use for themselves?

Today, at this seemingly calm banquet, there was a surge of undercurrents between the two men who were the protagonists, each with his own thoughts.

Qin Mubai did not discuss much about politics with Zheng Anshun in public. In front of these women, they acted more relaxed and indifferent. Silk and bamboo music, wine and fruit plate, enjoy without hatred.

However, the meticulous Wu Meiniang had already noticed a slight change in the feelings of the two men. At first, she thought that the two of them were secretly competing because they were jealous of each other. After distinguishing clearly, she was secretly shocked. She thought that today’s meal was extraordinary, and it was related to the rise and fall of several great clans.

After dinner, Qin Mubai asked Pang Fei to bring Baiji and accompany Princess Gaoyang and Shuang’er to hunt birds in the bamboo forest in the back mountain. His mother was tired after climbing all the way and rested under the service of a few maids. Qin Mubai was invited by Zheng Anshun to his private little bamboo pavilion to admire an ancient chessboard, saying that it was Zheng Anshun’s only precious artifact to play with.

Qin Mubai didn’t have the slightest interest in appreciating antiques. After the two sat down, they cut to the chase in less than a minute.

Zheng Anshun stopped pretending and said, “Brother Qin, don’t lie in front of Daoist Master. Now that you and I have spoken, it doesn’t matter if we go up or down. I admit that we have a life-and-death relationship. I hope Brother Qin will believe me.”

“I believe you.” Qin Mubai smiled and nodded, “Thank you, Brother Zheng. It’s fine to say what you want to say.”

“Actually, Brother Qin must know what I want to say.” Zheng Anshun’s expression was unusually grim and solemn as he said, “I just want to know who will inherit the Great Tang Empire in the future.”

After Qin Mubai heard this, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips curved up into a strange arc. She maintained this expression for more than a minute. She shook her head helplessly and said, “To tell the truth, I’m not too sure.”

Zheng Anshun didn’t seem to be surprised by this answer. Nowadays, I’m afraid no one in the world can give an accurate answer. Even the emperor might not be able to.

“If I had narrowed it down a bit, I would have thought there were only four people. The Crown Prince, Cheng Qian, Wei Wangtai, Jin Wangzhi, and Wu Wangke,” he asked.

“Yes.” Qin Mubai gently nodded. Zheng Anshun’s words were pure nonsense, but they were indispensable in the current language environment.

“Then Brother Qin, who do you think is more likely?”

“What do you think?” Qin Mubai asked. It wasn’t to unload his baggage and push his hand. He really wanted to hear the opinions of Zheng Anshun, a bystander.

Zheng Anshun smiled. He seemed to have expected Qin Mubai to ask this question. He said, “If I were to narrow it down a bit, I think Crown Prince Chengqian and Wei Wangtai can rule it out.”

“Oh?” Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh in surprise, “This is strange. Right now, King Wei is the one who has the highest voice, yet you said that King Wei can rule it out with your own eyes. Tell me your reason?”

“Very simple.” Zheng Anshun said, “The bright are easy to dirty, Yao Yao is easy to break. King Wei is too eager to get close, too eager to get, too much to correct, and instead backfired. This is the same as doing business. The more you want the goods, the more you have to pretend not to be interested. Otherwise, the seller will think that the goods can be sold for a price.”

“It’s sort of fun.” Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh, “King Wei is indeed very hard-working and diligent. He can even be described as someone who is full of ideas.” After the founding of the country, His Majesty listened to the opinions of Wei Zheng and the others. So the king of Wei worked hard to cultivate, gathered scholars to compile a collection of essays, the disciples like crucian carp, I am also unparalleled talent; His Majesty missed the late Empress Chang Sun, and King Wei urged the construction of the Great Compassion Temple to pay tribute to her. His Majesty loved calligraphy, and King Wei practiced it day and night. His Majesty advocated thrift, so King Wei put on his old clothes and went to the Martial Palace. He is very diligent in his business, all for the Emperor’s good. ”

Zheng Anshun smiled and said, “But His Majesty the Emperor is not the unconscious ruler who only relies on his own likes and dislikes to deal with the world.” Even though he liked King Wei very much, he would not make him his reserve because of King Wei’s favor. As the saying goes, if something abnormal happens, there must be a demon. King Wei will carry the Emperor’s set on his back in front of the Emperor, and one day something will happen. Sooner or later, his speculative management and hypocrisy would fall into the Emperor’s eyes. At that time, he will even be inferior to the Crown Prince. ”

“Exquisite and secluded.” Qin Mubai nodded in approval and said, “So, I don’t think highly of King Wei either. If the Crown Prince is a true villain, then he is a hypocrite. Sometimes, I would rather work with a true villain than get too close to a hypocrite. A true villain is hateful but pitiful; a hypocrite is hateful but terrible.”

“Brother Qin really hit the nail on the head.” Zheng Anshun took a long breath and slowly exhaled. He nodded and smiled sincerely, “It’s rare for Brother Qin to say such sincere words to me. I’m truly grateful!”

“It’s nothing.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Actually, everyone knows what we said just now, but few people are willing to say it.” Perhaps the Emperor has his own thoughts, but he thinks more and is more comprehensive than us. If the emperor didn’t want Li Tai to be his storage, it was definitely a lie. Even though Li Tai’s personality was flawed, from a comprehensive perspective, he was indeed more in line with the standards of a Conservative Monarch. Jin Wu was barefoot and no one was perfect. The Emperor definitely had a plan for this. But what he thinks more about is probably another matter. ”

“What is it?” Zheng Anshun asked softly, but his mind tightened.

The next words were probably the golden rules that he, Zheng Anshun, was willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to redeem!

Qin Mubai smiled, picked up a cup of tea and drank it slowly. “Brother Zheng, you should go downstairs first!” He said.

Zheng Anshun obediently stood up and ran to the stairs like a servant. He was immediately stunned, “Mother Mei …”

Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Forget it, let her come up.”

Wu Meiniang went upstairs. Her face was a little red, but she didn’t feel ashamed. Instead, she smiled calmly and said, “I knew you were talking about national affairs. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped. But …”

“There’s no need to explain. Explanation is just a cover-up.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “You should be concerned about this kind of thing. Come sit down.”

Zheng Anshun shook his head and smiled. He simply went downstairs and sent out all the people in the building. Then, he sealed the stairs with bamboo before sitting down peacefully.

“This time, the walls won’t have ears.”

Wu Meiniang smiled embarrassedly and said, “You should have known I was down there, right? You deliberately told me.”

“I really don’t know.” Zheng Anshun smiled and said, “I am weak. Of course, I am not as keen-sighted as Brother Qin’s martial arts practitioners.”

Qin Mubai smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter. Even if Mother Mei doesn’t ask, I will tell her these things. After all, you are a family. You are also my mentor and mentor. If I don’t tell you, who should I tell?”

“Hehe” Wu Meiniang smiled with a little pride. She inadvertently glanced at Zheng Anshun and saw his calm expression. She gradually felt at ease. She placed her hand on Qin Mubai’s lap and caressed him gently.

“Actually, the Emperor wants to set up a reserve,” Qin Mubai said casually, as if he had nothing else to do. “The Emperor is only thinking about these levels. The first was the ability of a Savage Lord. On the surface, this seemed to be the most important thing, but in reality, it was not. The emperor had taken down Jiang Shan, cured Jiang Shan, and perfected the military, government, and civil affairs classes of the Zhenguan Dynasty. There was also a large number of loyal and pure officials who were determined to serve. There wouldn’t be any major problems with such a team and family background. Even if he was a mediocre person, as long as he didn’t mess around randomly, the rivers and mountains of the Great Tang wouldn’t be ruined for a while. “In other words, the Emperor’s expectations of his successor are not high, as long as he can be a Guardian Monarch.”

“A single word really awakens the dreamer. Let’s see if you have any real knowledge!” Zheng Anshun exclaimed, “This is the first time I’ve heard of such an opinion!”

“But I’m not the only one who knows. However, no emperor or court official would say such words to Brother Zheng.” Qin Mubai smiled indifferently.

Zheng Anshun’s expression changed. He immediately bowed solemnly and said, “Brother Qin valued him. I feel his heart!”

“There’s no need for that.” Qin Mubai still smiled calmly and continued, “Considering the second level of the Savage Monarch, it’s morality.” As the saying goes, the founding of a state, all skilled people, can be used; To be a successful entrepreneur, one must have both ability and moral integrity. Therefore, it was harder to defend than to establish a country. No one understood this more than the emperor. Choosing a Savage Monarch would probably be based on this consideration. Therefore, the days of the crown prince who had lost his moral integrity would not last long. As for who would ascend to the throne in the end, it was still uncertain. But I think the emperor’s moral requirements for the new monarch, of the four respects of courtesy, benevolence and filial piety, he values filial piety the most! ”

Zheng Anshun’s eyes widened in shock, his heart filled with astonishment. Qin Mubai didn’t say this clearly, and it was impossible for her to say it clearly. Could it be that he was forced to say that the Emperor was afraid that the Black Warrior Sect would repeat itself in the past? Especially after Li You’s rebellion in Dengzhou, the Emperor’s performance was even more obvious! He hated that father and son were at odds with each other. He was worried that if one of his sons and nephews did not stay after a hundred years, it would be the biggest calamity of the Li Clan and the biggest failure of his Li Shimin’s life!

After all, Li Shimin was also a human, not a god or a saint. If his own son killed each other and blood splattered the palace, how could he bear it? In this way, the blemish on his original chanter would be infinitely enlarged, and his life pursuit of becoming a prince would become a laughingstock. Moreover … in this world, who would want their children to die? Tiger poison is not eating children, Kuang Ren? It was Li Shimin’s most urgent and intuitive wish to avoid this miserable situation while he was still alive and on the throne!

With Qin Mubai’s advice, Zheng Anshun woke up from his dreams. He was suddenly enlightened-based on this analysis, the harder Li Tai worked, the farther away from the dragon chair he dreamed of. What the emperor wanted was not a multi-skilled, multi-loyal, and how much he cared for his father’s son as the Savage Monarch, but a truly filial and filial guardian!

Thinking of this, Zheng Anshun couldn’t help but be stunned. He thought of Li Ke inexplicably! For so many years, Li Ke, assisted by Qin Mubai, always paid attention to filial piety. For example, in Jiangzhou, would rather be punished, but also to conceal the Crown Prince and Shengnan Marquis of the matter; At that time, the emperor was openly disparaging him and secretly praising him. After handling the Jiangzhou case, he didn’t give him a reward and scolded him in public, but later, he generously rewarded him with a fat position as the governor of the Xiang Province. In the following events in Xiangzhou, Li Ke rushed back thousands of miles to send the princess to her death, personally returning the jade seal to her father, but his father had long-cherished wish. After that, he warmly treated the unworthy Crown Prince for more than a month. Although he was extremely impatient, he still treated him leniently and did not report anything to the Imperial Court. These were considered shelters in terms of law, but they were secretly praised by the emperor for their filial piety. Finally, there was Li You’s rebellion. This was a heinous crime. In the face of such a great event, Li Ke still took the word’love ‘first and spared no effort to persuade Li You to return to the capital to apologize to his father instead of escorting him happily to ask for a reward from his father.

All of this could not be enumerated.

Without a doubt, in terms of filial piety and fraternity, Li Ke’s impression in Li Shimin’s heart was definitely thousands of times better than Li Chengqian’s immoral impression and Li Tai’s unceasing assassination of his brothers.

Moreover, Li Ke has the ability, the qualifications, the ambition, and the breadth of mind …

Zheng Anshun couldn’t help but shiver. When he looked at Qin Mubai again, a look of shock and respect appeared in his eyes. Could it be that he, Qin Mubai, had been helping Li Ke manage and seize the first wife from the very beginning? !

Qin Mubai was still calm as he drank some tea slowly and courteously.

Smart as Wu Meiniang, she didn’t know what the two men were playing, so she couldn’t help but suspect them and couldn’t ask them openly. In the face of such a great event, she knew how to keep a low profile and be silent at the right time. This was also why Qin Mubai liked her the most.

“There is another most important reason. About half of the chips are raised to decide who will be able to take the top spot in the end.” Qin Mubai smiled and said lightly, “Brother Zheng, as smart as you are, you must understand something strange. For example, what do you value the most when doing business with a wealthy family?”

“Strength.” Zheng Anshun replied succinctly.

“Yes. 10,000 Dao is actually a supplement. The core and most important thing is strength.” Qin Mubai smiled faintly. A fierce glint in his eyes was like the stars of a cold night, burning brightly.

Wu Meiniang knitted her eyebrows gently. She spoke as calmly as Qin Mubai, but she threw out what Qin Mubai was thinking in her heart but did not say. Every word was like thunder exploding in the sky–

“What bloodline, descendant, are all deceptive tricks and deceptive clothes. Whoever supports the powerful forces behind them, whoever wins the battle on behalf of that faction, will be able to ascend to the throne in the end. Even if he is only a collateral royal family of the Li Clan!”

Qin Mubai looked sideways and lightly flicked his eyebrows to give Wu Meiniang a look of approval. He took a sip of tea and said, “Suppress Baiqiao with one blow. That’s it.”