Chapter 204: All Under Heaven Belongs to the King
In early winter, the sky in the capital seemed to be covered with a layer of gauze, making it look a little gray.
A bird stood on the eaves of the palace, with its head tilted, as if it was frozen in time.
The same is true for Emperor Jiajing, who remains in a sideways posture.
Everything in the study seemed to be frozen.
Zhou Xia opened his mouth, but his stunned expression remained unchanged.
Only Prince Yu was breathing slightly.
It was as if the words just now had drained all of his energy.
He had never felt so refreshed.
It was as if something was bursting out of my chest.
Then something came into my mind.
He thought about it.
That's light!
My biological mother was not favored and was only a concubine before her death. She died quietly and no one paid attention to her.
And no one cared about his son either.
He was like a little bug, living a hard life in the palace.
I learned from childhood to endure, hold it in, and not stand out.
Because he is just one person.
In this palace full of flowers and trees, he was like a weed, struggling to survive in the dark crevices.
But today.
He threw away all those scruples.
With an unstoppable momentum, Zhou Xia was left with no power to fight back.
Mom, did you see it?
The reader of the Hanlin Academy was speechless!
"you……"
Zhou Xia was shocked.
Outside the study, Emperor Jiajing's eyebrows twitched.
Turn around and go back.
A faint voice came...
"Huang Jin."
"The servant is here."
"Next time the third brother comes to my place, he can read my books as he pleases."
"Yes."
"Also, Qingzhi...you should go and ask him what he thinks about the defense of China against foreign invaders."
"Yes."
Huang Jin looked back at the study.
When the eunuchs saw that Emperor Jiajing had left, they began to behave themselves again and laughed and joked around.
This Prince Yu seems to have something extra!
Huang Jin then left the palace.
"Eunuch Huang left the palace?"
"Ok!"
As a favorite of the emperor, Huang Jin seldom left the palace, so curious eyes followed him as he walked out of the West Garden.
In the early winter in the capital, there was a constant stream of traffic and pedestrians in the cold wind.
Countless people make a living here, and countless people look for opportunities here.
All the way to the alley where Jiang Qingzhi lived.
There were a few idle men at the entrance of the alley. Huang Jin asked the eunuch accompanying him, "Who are these people?"
The eunuch who accompanied them was a gossip-monger. "It's funny to talk about this. The Jinyiwei is responsible for monitoring all officials, but the spies they planted here kept disappearing. Later, they had no choice but to turn the secret agents into open agents, squatting at the entrance of the alley in broad daylight."
"Oh!" Huang Jin saw those people staring at him, so he asked, "Who told you this news?"
"Someone from the East Factory." said the eunuch.
The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are sworn enemies, so this statement should be true.
Entering the alley, the horse's hooves hit the stone road, making a crisp sound.
A few beggars were huddled at the corner, and when they heard the sound they slowly looked over.
That look was actually scrutiny.
Not like fear.
eccentric!
Huang Jin felt that there was a strange atmosphere everywhere here.
When they arrived outside the Bo's house, the eunuch went forward and knocked on the door.
"My uncle hasn't come back yet."
Menzi invited Fucheng.
"It's Eunuch Huang, a rare guest." Fu Cheng was shocked at first, thinking that Huang Jin would not leave the palace easily, so what happened?
He asked someone to look for Jiang Qingzhi and also asked someone to get some tea.
"Not urgent."
Huang Jin stood with his hands behind his back looking at the calligraphy and paintings hanging in the hall.
The eunuch came over and whispered, "Eunuch Huang, those flowers and trees in Chang Wei's house look familiar."
"Ok?"
"It seems to be from our Xiyuan."
Huang Jin thought of the pits he saw last time.
Jiang Qingzhi is back.
"Old Huang, what a rare guest!"
Although Huang Jin is a powerful person, he is low-key and steady, which is in sharp contrast to the so-called Eight Tigers around the late emperor.
Moreover, this person has similarities with Lu Bing and occasionally speaks up for his subjects.
History Shanghai Ruipi dragon scales, what Jiajing Jiajing, every family is rich and has no money to use.
The Taoist priest got angry and wanted to severely punish Hai Rui.
In the end, it was Huang Jin's persuasion that saved Hai Rui from disaster.
Jiang Qingzhi remembered that in his previous life, when he went to Luoyang for tourism, he heard that Huang Jin had presided over the reconstruction of the White Horse Temple.
"Chang Wei Bo." Huang Jin bowed.
"please."
Jiang Qingzhi asked him to sit down and asked casually, "Is Lao Huang from Luoyang?"
If he were not from Luoyang, he would not have been able to preside over the reconstruction of the White Horse Temple.
Has this person checked us?
Huang Jin raised his eyebrows, "Yes." As expected.
Jiang Qingzhi smiled and said, "I am somewhat interested in the White Horse Temple, so I asked about it. They say Luoyang is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. Old Huang, you are also from there."
"Chang Wei Bo is interested in the White Horse Temple?" Huang Jin was immediately tickled.
"The tea there is good, but it's a little run-down."
Jiang Qingzhi thought of the teahouse. After going there once, he was so anxious that he couldn't forget it. As for the taste of the tea, he had long forgotten it.
"Have you seen the grottoes?" Huang Jin was aroused by his words and felt homesick. Thinking of the White Horse Temple, he had the idea of going there to see it. This led to the reconstruction of the White Horse Temple. I don't know if it was the inertia of history itself or Jiang Qingzhi's interference.
"After seeing those stone sculptures, I felt as if I had returned to the prosperous Tang Dynasty in my dreams."
The prelude of the rock song suddenly echoed in Jiang Qingzhi's mind.
"Yes! It's like returning to the heyday of the Tang Dynasty." Huang Jin said leisurely. He looked at Jiang Qingzhi pretending to be casual. "What does Lord Chang Wei think of Fangwai?"
As a popular figure around Emperor Jiajing, Huang Jin was quite cautious. He had always wanted to learn more about Chang Wei Bo, the popular minister. But he never had the chance.
Taking the opportunity to come to Jiang's house today, he thought it would be a polite situation. But he didn't expect Jiang Qingzhi to be so easygoing, almost like dealing with an old friend.
Is he pretending?
Huang Jin observed carefully and found that Jiang Qingzhi's words, actions and even expression were calm and natural.
"Fangwai?" Jiang Qingzhi took a sip of tea, took out the medicinal cigarette, lit it himself, took a puff, and exhaled the smoke. He looked at Huang Jin through the smoke and said:
"Why go to the outside world?" Jiang Qingzhi pointed to his chest. "Life is full of suffering, and the suffering is in the heart. The worldly world refines the heart, but most people can't make it through this test. They are anxious and worried about fame and wealth, and suffer from all kinds of pain. So they want to find a solution in the outside world."
Jiang Qingzhi shook off the cigarette ash and said, "But the outside world is not a quiet place. There are also struggles, greed and anger. The so-called escape into the outside world is just wishful thinking. There is also a world of martial arts there."
Huang Jin sighed: "The outside world is a place where the soul can rest."
Jiang Qingzhi smiled, "If the mind is calm, one can ignore the hustle and bustle of the city and turn a deaf ear to it. If the mind is not calm, even if one hides away from the world, one will still have distracting thoughts. Cultivation lies in the person, not in the place or the Dharma."
Huang Jin disagreed with Jiang Qingzhi's view. Jiang Qingzhi said: "The Buddha said that the Dharma is like a raft, which must be abandoned after crossing the river. Clinging to the Dharma or to the outside world is all self-attachment."
What the Buddha meant was: Dharma is only a tool to carry you across the sea of suffering. Once you have crossed the sea of suffering, what is the point of Dharma? Crossing is the goal, Dharma is only a technique. Once the goal is achieved, the tool can naturally be thrown away.
Huang Jin was shocked and nodded in silence.
The room was quiet. Although there was no incense popular among the rich and powerful, the smell coming from the solid wood furniture was quite refreshing.
"Your Majesty heard some arguments from Prince Yu earlier, and asked us to ask Lord Changwei about the defense against the barbarians."
The previous sentence was Huang Jin's response to Jiang Qingzhi's attitude today... Your Majesty went to Prince Yu and heard the argument between Prince Yu and Zhou Xia, which led to our trip to ask questions.
In this way, Jiang Qingzhi could connect the purpose of these questions together and avoid thinking in the wrong direction and making wrong responses.
Jiang Qingzhi looked at him and said with a smile: "Old Huang is a particular person."
Yes, those who can follow the Taoist priest must be particular.
"Chang Wei Bo is also quite good. His words today have given me some clarity of mind." Huang Jin said with a smile.
It's inevitable that the two of them have some feelings of mutual admiration.
Jiang Qingzhi thought about it and realized that the reason why the Taoist asked about the defense against foreigners must be about the Altan tribe.
And the remarks he taught Prince Yu yesterday were a targeted explanation of the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.
But those words did not provide a thorough enough analysis of the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.
This is also an opportunity.
Jiang Qingzhi pondered for a while, and Huang Jin did not urge him, but sipped his tea leisurely.
There were two guards standing outside the door, but no maid.
The hall is where guests are received, and the decoration of the hall is related to the appearance of a family. Huang Jin has been to the homes of the rich and powerful, and the halls are decorated in almost the same way: they must be both elegant and luxurious.
But the hall of Jiang Qingzhi's house was quite simple, just a combination of chairs and desks, no incense burners, no antique shelves. Even the calligraphy and paintings on the wall were not the works of famous artists.
It's incredibly simple.
Jiang Qingzhi spoke slowly, "At the beginning, our ancestors started from a small piece of land in the Central Plains, and they overcame many difficulties and set off a long journey. They also encountered countless enemies along the way. Those enemies were called the Four Barbarians."
Huang Jin nodded.
He was not one of those illiterate eunuchs; he was extremely well-educated.
"During the Warring States Period, many heroes divided the Central Plains, but even so, the foreign races were still suppressed to death."
"During the pre-Han Dynasty, even if the world was shaken at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Gongsun clan or Cao Wei alone were able to suppress the surrounding ethnic groups."
"When it comes to the Former Tang Dynasty, it seems glorious, but the foreign races at this time are gradually growing stronger. Therefore, the entire history of the Former Tang Dynasty is full of grievances and hatreds between the foreign races and the Former Tang Dynasty. Tian Khan... In the end, those respectful foreigners still became the enemies of the Central Plains."
Jiang Qingzhi smiled, took a puff of medicinal smoke, and slowly exhaled, "During the Pre-Song Dynasty, foreign races became the biggest enemy of the Central Plains. The entire history of the Pre-Song Dynasty is the history of the Central Plains being beaten. Although the Pre-Song Dynasty was very resilient, it was eventually destroyed by foreign races."
Jiang Qingzhi's voice gradually rose. "In the Jin Dynasty, the Sima family was incompetent, so they fled south. We Han people became the military rations of the foreigners. People called us two-legged sheep."
"The Mongols attacked the former Song Dynasty, killing people along the way..."
Huang Jin said: "What Long Wei Bo meant..."
"The so-called four barbarians, the so-called barbarians, during the Warring States Period, the Chu State was called barbarians, but later, as the Chu State's civilization improved, it was accepted by other countries as Chinese..."
Jiang Qingzhi's point of view suddenly popped out, and Huang Jin took a breath.
"Discussing Chinese and barbarians in terms of civilization?"
"No!"
Jiang Qingzhi shook his head, "Civilization is just the foundation. What I mean is, integration and submission!"
"Integrate into submission?"
"Yes, it means integration and submission! It's not some kind of bondage." Jiang Qing said word by word: "The so-called distinction between Chinese and barbarians, the defense between Chinese and barbarians, I think that those who identify with the Central Plains, identify with China, and are willing to integrate into China are Chinese."
"If you agree with the Central Plains civilization but are unwilling to integrate..."
"They are also barbarians, barbarians!" Jiang Qingzhi said firmly.
"This is too sharp." Huang Jin heard the murderous intent.
"Giao Chi, Korea, which one is not deeply influenced by the Central Plains civilization? Korea is even called the Little Ming Dynasty. If you go to Japan, you will see the shadow of the former Tang Dynasty everywhere."
"But it's true!"
"But I bet that when the Central Plains declines, this so-called Little Ming, that so-called successor to the former Tang, will either surrender to the new master, or turn against them and invade the Central Plains."
Jiang Qingzhi thought of the word "Bangzi" and those wronged souls.
"So what does Chang Wei Bo think about the defense against Chinese barbarians?" Huang Jin asked.
"Those who are willing to integrate into the Central Plains are Chinese. Those who are unwilling are barbarians!" Jiang Qingzhi looked at Huang Jin with a sharp gaze, "Those who are not of our race must have different hearts!"
"Then let me ask one more question. How should the Ming Dynasty treat those barbarians who refuse to submit to the king?" Huang Jin stared at Jiang Qingzhi. He knew what this man thought of the world from these words.
Jiang Qingzhi sat upright and closed his eyes.
Countless history flashed before my eyes...
Massacre, massacre, massacre...
When the Central Plains declined, those former students, the foreign races nurtured and strengthened by the Chinese civilization, rushed into the Central Plains.
Civilization has become a joke at this moment.
And massacre became the theme.
Benefits!
He is the master of the long river of history.
Whether it is students or teachers, or a once close relationship, it will eventually change for the sake of interests.
Only benefits are eternal.
So, how to deal with this law of the jungle?
He opened his eyes and said, "This land belongs to the king. Those who do not obey the king's rule will be killed!"
(End of this chapter)
