I'm really not King Jing of Zhongshan

Chapter 106 When you see me in the future, don't hide away
Sitting in the carriage back to Chang'an, looking at the wilderness outside the window, Liu Sheng already had a helpless wry smile on his face.

— as expected;
Liu Sheng was swayed by the emperor again.

Only this time, Liu Sheng was not too depressed.

After all, compared to before, Liu Sheng worshiped Shen Tujia as his teacher, and pushed Liu Sheng to the cusp of "seizing the throne", which caused Li Ji, Liu Rong's mother and son to doubt that matter. At least it is unlikely to bring trouble to Liu Sheng.

——The left and right are just chatting and talking with the Queen Mother Dou, and finally adding the sentence "Father is waiting for the emperor's grandmother in Shanglin Garden";

This matter can be done not only by Liu Sheng, but also by the King of Liang Liu Wu, the owner of Tao Tao, and the owner Gillian of Tangyi Hou's Mansion, who are also deeply loved by Queen Mother Dou.

It's just that the current situation makes Liu Sheng the only choice for Tian Ziqi.

And today, the other side shown by Tian Ziqi, although still not able to fully win Liu Sheng's trust, still moved Liu Sheng a little bit.

Of course;
Because of today's incident, it is absolutely impossible to confide in this emperor who is deeply in the city, sell his blood and kidneys.

It's just that after today's encounter, Liu Sheng vaguely felt that his understanding of Tianzi Qi seemed to be a little deeper.

After having such a cognition, Liu Sheng's stereotyped impression of Tian Ziqi has gradually shifted a little...

"When it comes to being a father, I'm afraid there is no worse father than Father Huang in this world;"

"But if it is about being an emperor, a person who can reach the level of father emperor..."

"—can't say no;"

"It can only be said that if there are more emperors like the father in the history, then there should be no dark period that made the Chinese people feel humiliated and sad..."

In my heart, I let out such an exclamation, and then raised my head, looking at the burly man who was driving the car for me, on Liu Sheng's face, but a burst of helplessness could not help but emerge again.

——Liu Sheng feels that Tianzi Qi seems to be playing tricks on himself and becoming addicted;
Because at this moment, the person who is sitting in front of the carriage and driving the carriage back to Chang'an for Liu Sheng is Liu Sheng's 'old acquaintance': Zhonglang Jiang Zhidu...

"You're so old, you're still so playful..."

Shaking his head with a wry smile, and struggling in secret for a long time, Liu Sheng finally moved his body and came to the front of the carriage.

Through the small window between the carriage and the front room, watching Zhidu driving the car by himself, Liu Sheng cleared his throat, and tentatively called out: "Zhi Zhonglang?"

Unexpectedly, there was a soft cry, but Zhidu hurriedly sat up straight, pulled the reins very carefully, and brought the carriage to a gentle stop;

After the carriage came to a complete stop, he waved to the guard next to the carriage, motioning the guard to grab the reins at the corner of the horse's mouth. Then Zhi Du turned around and looked at Liu Sheng in the carriage through the small window expressionlessly.

"What are your orders, son?"

He asked in a deep voice, but Liu Sheng was stunned on the spot;
Looking outside the carriage, at the carriages parked on the side of the straight road, and the doubtful eyes cast on him, Liu Sheng's face suddenly showed a look of embarrassment...

After forcing himself to calm down for a long time, Liu Sheng finally squeezed out such a sentence.

"In the carriage, it's a bit stuffy;"

"It's a rare trip to Chang'an. I want to sit in the front room to get some fresh air, and then have a look at the scenery along the way."

The words were full of guilty conscience, but they did not arouse Zhidu's suspicion. He only lowered his head for a moment of thought, and then shook his head firmly.

"My son;"

"This is outside Chang'an City."

"Although it is unlikely to be in danger, it cannot be said that it is completely impossible."

"To be on the safe side, it's better for you to stay in the car as much as possible."

"Otherwise, if something goes wrong with the young master, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the minister to explain in front of His Majesty..."

The calm tone of voice, but even more set off the firmness of Zhidu's face, which made Liu Sheng in the carriage feel speechless for a while;
Xu Shi was infected by Tianzi Qi's "frank and honest" attitude today, so Liu Sheng simply stopped playing around, and just stuck his head out of the small window with a chuckle.

"It's rare to have such an opportunity to turn our hostility into friendship and resolve the past enmity;"

"Zhi Zhonglang, don't you want to take this opportunity to talk to me?"

The tentative words were whispered softly, but still failed to shake Zhidu's dead face at that moment;

On the contrary, it was the firm look in that gaze, which became deeper after Liu Sheng's question.

"Here, there are dozens of miles away from Chang'an City;"

"The minister shoulders the safety of the young master, and really dare not take risks."

"If you want to talk to me, you can ask questions in the carriage, and I will answer in the front room..."

·
After rejecting Liu Sheng's proposal of "chatting in the front room", Zhi Du also subconsciously slowed down the speed of the car and diverted part of his attention to the compartment behind him.

While driving the carriage to Chang'an at the speed of an old man walking, Zhidu did not forget to say something;
"The matter of the last time, I thought about it for a long time afterwards;"

"But I still don't think that there will be any enmity between the minister and the young master because of that incident."

Said in a deep voice, Zhi couldn't help but slow down the speed of the car, took a deep breath, and narrated the thoughts in his heart.

"The reflection of the past period of time has made me understand: I did something wrong in that matter."

"But what I did wrong was not to prevent His Majesty from going to rescue Mrs. Jia;"

"——but as the commander of the forbidden army to protect His Majesty's safety, I shouldn't allow that wild pig to appear so close to His Majesty."

"After I made such a mistake, Your Majesty still didn't blame me, which made me feel even more guilty."

"But what I want to tell you is: I prevent His Majesty from saving Mrs. Jia, not because I have any hostility towards Mrs. Jia or you."

Speaking of this, a look of embarrassment quietly appeared on Zhidu's face;
Saying the last sentence 'I'm not hostile to the young master', Zhi Du was afraid that Liu Sheng might misunderstand, and hurriedly explained: "Young master, please don't misunderstand."

"As a subject of His Majesty, I have absolutely no intention of getting close to you."

"To be precise, the only thing that matters to me is His Majesty's safety..."

Listening to Zhidu's awkward questioning and answering, Liu Sheng couldn't help but smile;
With a slight 'hmm', he signaled Zhidu to continue talking.

Hearing Liu Sheng's soft "hmm" from inside the carriage, Zhidu also calmed down again, and his tone of voice gradually took on the firmness and determination that belonged to this goshawk.

"The occurrence of that incident is the fault of the minister;"

"It's the minister who didn't discover the wild pig in advance that put His Majesty in such a dangerous situation."

"But the minister's subsequent remedy is not for himself."

"—Because the moment that wild boar appeared in His Majesty's sight, I knew that my life was not long..."

Said in a deep voice, Zhidu couldn't help but take a deep breath, and there was an inexplicable exclamation on his face from an angle that Liu Sheng couldn't see.

"After the wild pig appeared, the first sentence that came to my mind was: I am dead;"

"The second sentence that followed was: Protect Your Majesty..."

"So, when preventing His Majesty from coming forward to save Mrs. Jia, I was determined to die, wanting to protect His Majesty for the last time."

"If it wasn't for the fact that His Majesty didn't blame the minister, the minister might have died at home long ago..."

Hearing Zhidu's words, Liu Sheng thought for a moment, then nodded slowly.

In today's Han Dynasty, there is a strange phenomenon that is outrageous in the eyes of later generations, but it has repeatedly appeared in this era, and is readily accepted by people of this era, even dreaming of it.

——Whether it is the common people, local officials, or court officials, royal family members;
Anyone who feels that what they have done may bring shame to their ancestors will definitely commit suicide without hesitation!

For example, among the folks, a certain farmer was obsessed with ghosts for a while, and stole things from his neighbor's house, which caused public opinion in the whole village;

For example, in a local county, an official made a mistake, which caused dissatisfaction among the local people;

Or, the ministers of the court, as well as the royal family, thought that a certain sentence or a certain action of the emperor had caused him to suffer great humiliation.

In the above situations, more than [-]% of the parties will choose to 'keep their dignity'.

This is because in the eyes of people in this era, death is not the most terrible thing;
——What is more terrifying than death is that after death, you have no face to face your ancestors, and you can only cover your face with your hair, that is, 'cover your face with hair'.

It was under such a social atmosphere that the first emperor Liu Heng promulgated such an unwritten rule: high-ranking officials of two thousand shi and above, and nobles of Guanneihou and above, no matter what crimes they committed, they cannot be released by the local county. trial;
After being tried and convicted by the Ting Wei himself, this "must die" high-ranking official must be sent away from the world in a decent way, in order to preserve the government and the face of the aristocrats to the maximum extent.

The "as decent as possible" here refers to: if you are willing to commit suicide, you will never execute the death penalty;
If you are willing to drink poisonous wine, you will never behead;
If you are willing to swallow a gold nugget, you will never cut it in half.

The most important thing is: as long as the situation permits, the whole body must be kept, and the blood must not be seen if it can be seen, and the body should be returned to the family to handle the funeral.

Such 'hidden rules' naturally overjoyed the aristocratic class and readily accepted it.

——After all, compared to being punished by the Ming Dynasty, suicide is obviously more decent, and it is easier to avoid the situation of not being ashamed to face the ancestors after death.

Moreover, in most cases, for those who are willing to commit suicide, the court can always adopt an attitude similar to "the debt of death is eliminated", and no longer pursue their family members.

In later generations, people often ask questions: Why do historical figures commit suicide at every turn?

Why did the emperor say something cryptic, saying that he was going to hang himself when he got home?

Can't you just wait until you die?
And the answer to this question can be explained clearly by using the unspoken rule formulated by the late emperor Liu Heng in the Han Dynasty that "the general will not be humiliated, and Xu Gongqing will keep his dignity with two thousand stones".

——'Xu' Gongqing's two thousand stones to keep his dignity, is allowed, allowed, not required!

If you want to be respectable, keep it for yourself;
If you don't want to be decent, there are some people who help you to be "decent".

Anyway, it's a death anyway, if you do it yourself, you can keep the last dignity, not to mention the family;

Why not?
Specifically, before Zhidu escorted the emperor Liu Qi and Mrs. Jia to Shanglinyuan for fun, but encountered a wild boar, the reason is actually the same.

——After confirming that his crime will undoubtedly lead to death, Zhidu's most sensible choice is to commit suicide to preserve his reputation!
It's just that, corresponding to the emperor's "abandon it like a shoe", there is almost unlimited "use it like a baht".

For useless people, Tianzi Qi can always give up resolutely;
But for useful people, Tianzi Qi, can always be "tolerant" unexpectedly.

Obviously, Zhonglang Jiang Zhidu is someone who is 'useful' in the eyes of Emperor Qi.

And being able to be so ruthless and ruthless by the emperor, so infinitely tolerant, Zhidu, has its own value...
"When I dissuaded His Majesty, the words I said were not intended to humiliate the son's mother, but the fact;"

"I never thought that one day, I would turn the fight with the young master into a jade silk."

"I only know: that day, I made a mistake;"

"Later, if I stopped His Majesty, I avoided the mistakes I made and caused serious consequences of turmoil in the world."

While thinking about it, Zhi Du's deep voice sounded again, which also made Liu Sheng recover quietly;
However, he only sighed a little, his eyes were still fixed on the horse in front of him, and there was a trace of distress between his brows.

"As for the son blaming me for humiliating Mrs. Jia, I don't want to refute it, and I don't want to refute it."

"But I, Zhidu, was also born after my mother was nine months pregnant and struggled through the gates of hell."

"The minister understands and understands the son's filial piety."

"—even with great admiration!"

"For that matter, I don't care if the young master hates me;"

"I just want you to know that I, Zhidu, is definitely not someone who humiliates other people's mothers for the sake of my own wealth and life."

With a firm tone of voice, Zhidu's slightly distressed face immediately returned to the usual indifference that seemed to be paralyzed;

In the end, Zhidu didn't forget to add a sentence: "In the future, I don't want to have too much contact with the young master."

"Because the minister is not so much a minister of the Han family, but a minister of His Majesty."

"I just hope that I can fulfill my duties, protect your majesty's safety, and do everything that your majesty asked me to do."

"As for the son, to the minister, it's just a 'certain son'..."

Hearing that Zhidu's remarks seemed to be justifications, but not like justifications, Liu Sheng's face also had a playful look;
After staring at Zhidu's cold back for a while, Liu Sheng pretended to be puzzled and lightly said 'Eh? ' with a sound.

"According to what Zhi Zhonglang said, Zhi Zhonglang is the lonely minister of the father?"

"—If that's the case, then why did Zhi Zhonglang hang out with Chao Cuo, that bastard again?"

Hearing the teasing meaning in Liu Sheng's tone, Zhi Du leisurely turned his head and looked at Liu Sheng very seriously, with a slightly playful look in his eyes.

"First of all, Chao Cuo is not a dog thief;"

"It's the internal history, the head of the Nine Ministers of the dynasty."

"It was the teacher when His Majesty went to the mansion."

"—and next;"

"It's His Majesty's intention to get close to Dr. Chao."

"In order to help Chao Neishi promote the "Strategy to Cut Fans", Your Majesty needs someone above the court to help Chao Neishi."

"That's why I obeyed His Majesty's orders to help Chao Neishi promote the "Policy to Cut Fans"..."

When he said the words calmly, Zhi Du's face became more calm, and he didn't realize that his words actually revealed some unknown secrets to Liu Sheng.

Hearing this, Liu Sheng's face became even more playful, and his head stuck out from the small window even further forward.

"But how did I hear that Zhi Zhonglang also likes Legalism?"

"At present, apart from Zhi Zhonglang, there is only Chao Cuo, a dog thief in the court, who is a student of Legalism;"

"Isn't Zhi Zhonglang close to the dog thief Chao Cuo because of some 'other reason'?"

But seeing Zhidu heard the words, his brows were slightly furrowed like never before, and there was a trace of impatience in his eyes looking at Liu Sheng;
"I'll say it again: Nei Shi Chao Cuo is not a dog thief;"

"It's the Jiuqing of the court, and the emperor's teacher."

Like a patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder, he corrected Liu Sheng's "speech problem" again, and then turned around indifferently, no longer looking at the head sticking out of the carriage behind him.

"I, a legalist scholar, have the self-requirement of not forming a party and pursuing personal interests;"

"As the young master said: I know the capital, and I like the legalist theory very much."

"But it is precisely for this reason that I will not get close to Chao Neishi or any of the courtiers in private."

"Because neither my position as 'Zhong Lang Jiang' nor my status as a Legalist scholar, I am not allowed to get too close to the courtiers."

"Of course, I'm not allowed to get too close to the young master."

As the last words came out of Zhidu's mouth, he saw the front room of the carriage, and Zhidu finally got up and pulled the reins again, lightly patted the horse's buttocks, and increased the speed of the carriage.

Seeing Zhidu's attitude of 'I'm done talking, let's stop talking', Liu Sheng looked at Zhidu with a touch of nostalgia.

"Zhidu..."

"Hey······"

"There are quite a few interesting people around the old guy..."

Saying something secretly, Liu Sheng simply stopped asking for boredom;

Withdrawing into the carriage, he asked another question out of the blue.

"That day, Zhi Zhonglang stopped his father from coming forward, I can barely understand;"

"But after Zhi Zhonglang stopped his father, why didn't he go forward in person, or send a soldier to save people?"

"—The duty of the minister is to protect His Majesty's safety, not Madam Jia's."

"Then if the emperor is not here, will Zhi Zhonglang come forward to save my mother?"

"--meeting."

"—but not for the son;"

"——but because Mrs. Jia is His Majesty's concubine..."

After a brief conversation, Liu Sheng finally bowed his head contentedly, closed his eyes and looked at the edge of the carriage, and stopped talking.

After today's conversation, Liu Sheng's grudge against Zhong Lang's general Zhidu has quietly dissipated.

But one thing, Zhidu is right;

——Liu Sheng and Zhidu should not get too close.

Not only because of their identities;

It was also because of that incident that even though Liu Sheng could understand Zhidu, he still couldn't forgive him.

From a certain point of view, Zhidu and Liu Sheng are actually very similar: Zhidu only cares about Tian Ziqi, and Liu Sheng almost only cares about Mrs. Jia.

Just like Zhidu, after that incident, could never forgive himself and put Tianzi Qi in danger;
Liu Sheng will never forgive Zhidu, who sat back and watched his mother fall into danger at that time...

"From now on, when Zhi Zhonglang sees me in the palace, he doesn't have to make a detour;"

"I promise I won't do it again, just hit Qingzhi Zhonglang in the eye socket."

"—I did it, not Zhi Zhonglang;"

"It's because Zhi Zhonglang is the face of my father..."

　two more completed

　　
　
(End of this chapter)