I'm really not King Jing of Zhongshan

Chapter 123 The last move of "Strategy to Cut Fans"
After the dynasty was over, Chao Cuo, who was in a state of despair, returned to his home alone.

But not long after Chao Cuo returned home, the figure of Zhonglang Jiang Zhidu also appeared outside Chao's mansion.

Guided by the concierge, he walked into Chao Cuo's mansion, saw Chao Cuo kneeling in the living room blankly, Zhi Du only walked forward with a sullen face, bowed his hands to Chao Cuo, and then sat down on his own.

After waiting for a long time, before Chao Cuo could say "Zhonglang will come to the door, but what's the matter", Zhidu had no choice but to speak up and get straight to the point.

"In the past few years, Mr. Chao has advised His Majesty, for the world, for the ancestral temple, and for the community;"

"Even though Duke Chao has been envied both inside and outside the government and the public because of these things, in my heart, I always have great admiration for Duke Chao."

"But recently..."

"——What's wrong with Mr. Chao?"

"Mr. Chao recently, why did he become like this?"

"If I hadn't been able to see Chao Gong's face with my own eyes, I would almost have thought that the inner history Chao was wrong, and someone had replaced him..."

Hearing Zhidu's question full of confusion, Chao Cuo's face remained blank;
It was as if Chao Cuo had been sucked out of his soul in recent days, even those bright eyes that were always shining with light, at this moment, were full of darkness.

I don't know how long it took, Zhidu softly let out a few more "Chao Gong? ', Chao Cuo's slack eyes finally converged slowly.

Then he saw Chao Cuo slowly turning his head with a dull expression, staring directly at Zhidu's face;
Watching, watching, two lines of hot tears rolled down Chao Cuo's face...

"Mr. Chao??"

He asked another question full of concern, but Chao Cuo, whose face was full of tears, smiled sadly, and started to 'undress' in front of Zhidu.

A moment later, when Chao Cuo's imperial uniform fell to the ground, revealing the thick layer of filial piety inside, the doubtful look on Zhidu's face was finally replaced by a touch of surprise visible to the naked eye...
"my father;"

"Dead..."

"—Because someone said beside his father: Your son Chao Cuo has offended the whole world;"

"Soon, it will bring disaster to Chao's family..."

Low, mournful, and sometimes choked with sobs, Zhidu couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.

Then I saw Chao Cuo shaking his head and sighing bitterly, pointing in the direction of the backyard.

"Father advised me: Don't cut down the feudal clan anymore, resign from your majesty immediately, go back to your hometown, and never come to Chang'an again."

"I didn't agree;"

"I told my father, if you don't cut down the vassal, the emperor will not respect you, and the ancestral temple will be uneasy..."

"Afterwards, in front of me, my father pulled out the imperial sword that His Majesty gave me, and wiped my neck..."

"——I spent my whole life working hard and risked my life and money to come up with the "Strategy for Cutting Fans". The first person I forced to death was my own biological father..."

"I made a mistake with a paper "Strategy for Cutting Fans", and the first thing that was stained on my hands was the blood of my own biological father..."

Low, mournful, and from time to time with a bit of natural wry laughter, the entire living room was filled with an inexplicably sad and strange atmosphere.

Even Zhidu lost the half-doubtful and half-dissatisfied aura when he came here;

Looking at Chao Cuo's gaze, it suddenly became a little complicated...
"Since Master Chao has passed away..."

"Duke Chao, why didn't you hold a funeral?"

"Is it because you are worried that others will accuse Mr. Chao of not being filial to your father, so you didn't hold the funeral?"

Asking a little tentatively, Zhidu's face could not help showing some doubts quietly.

——The words of Chao Cuo can really explain why Chao Cuo has always been in a strange state of being confused and intermittently "speaking surprisingly" during this period of time;

The death of my father, especially the "father committed suicide because he couldn't persuade himself", I am afraid that no matter who it is placed on, it will be a huge blow.

After learning about this incident, Zhi could already understand Chao Cuo's anomalies during this time.

But Zhidu really couldn't figure it out: Since Chao Cuo's father was dead, why didn't Chao Cuo, his son, take care of the funeral?
That layer of fatherly filial piety, why did Chao Cuo wear it in his court clothes, and not let outsiders know that his father had died in Chang'an...

"Ah······"

"Ha ha·······"

Zhi Du was thinking about it, when Chao Cuo's two weird smiles of unknown meaning came to his ears;

Waiting for Zhi to turn his head quietly, only to find that Chao Cuo's face was full of self-mockery...
"Father said earlier that I was an official in Chang'an, and I didn't make friends with any family who could watch over and help each other for my Chao family;"

"At the time, I just didn't care."

"It wasn't until after my father died that I finally understood: How many people have I offended by what I have done in Chang'an these years..."

Said with sarcasm, Chao Cuo couldn't help but raise his head with a strange smile;
Even though tears were running down his face, he didn't care about it at all, he just looked forward and looked at his capital.

"After his father passed away, Zhi Zhonglang was the first person to visit."

"It was also the first person who discovered my anomaly and took the initiative to ask."

"Except for Zhi Zhonglang, there is no other person in the entire city of Chang'an who cares about me, Chao Cuo, and what kind of predicament I have encountered..."

"On the contrary, there are many people who secretly feel happy because of the suffering I have suffered;"

"Even if my father died, I'm afraid I would be the laughing stock and laughing stock of those people who accused me of 'offending the heavens'."

"I don't want my dead father to become the laughing stock of these people because of me..."

"So, after my father passed away, I didn't hold a funeral. Even if I was in filial piety, I always wore filial piety clothes in the court clothes."

"—Because I know that I, Chao Cuo, am the only one in the entire city of Chang'an who will feel sad because of my father's death..."

As Chao Cuo's mournful and desperate words came to an end, Zhi Du's usually unsmiling face was now a little moved.

Before coming here, Zhi had guessed many possibilities;
Including Chao Cuo's ignorance and big mistakes;
Or Tianzi Qi no longer trusts Chao Cuo, causing Chao Cuo to be confused.

Even the possibility of 'Chao Cuo was drugged secretly, that's why he lost his mind' once flashed in Zhidu's mind!
But Zhidu never expected that Chao Cuo would undergo such a drastic change, and even disregarded the emperor Liu Qi's warning several times, and "speak surprisingly" in the process of the court meeting, it would be such a heart-wrenching and bitter incident. thing······
May I ask what kind of person can feel nothing about his father's death?
And has there ever been someone who witnessed his father's death because of himself, but did not feel the slightest ripple in his heart?

Especially this time, Chao Cuo watched his father with his own eyes. After persuading him to no avail, he pulled out the imperial sword from his waist, which symbolized the king's trust, and killed himself on the spot, blood spattering five steps;
Such a blow, for any man who still has morals to speak of, will probably be a unique trauma to the spirit...
"I didn't expect such a thing to happen in Chang'an City during this time..."

While thinking about it, Zhidu couldn't help turning his head quietly, looking at Chao Cuo's weeping face, but with a strange smile on his face, his mood also quietly turned.

This incident made Zhidu, an old scout who was born in the army and had been an elite scout, vaguely feel a hint of "conspiracy".

The logic couldn't be simpler;
——Today's Chao Cuo, although the official ranks first among the nine ministers of the Han Dynasty, Chao Cuo's dignitary status is only a matter of recent years.

Zhi knew very well that before Chao Cuo was a dignitary, the Chao clan in Yingchuan had never produced any "big shots".

In other words, before Chao Cuo became famous, the Chao family in Yingchuan was just a small nobleman and a small rich family who had a little family background and could support their outstanding nephews to study out of production, but did not go anywhere.

To put it more bluntly, Chao Cuo's dead father was actually a local rich man from Kanto;
Even in the past few years, Chao Cuo has become more and more prominent in the court of Chang'an, but it still can't change the way of thinking, vision, and insight that such a rich man has fixed in his decades of life experience.

In this way, Chao Cuo's father came all the way to Chang'an to persuade Chao Cuo to resign at the time when the "Policy for Cutting Fans" was about to be implemented, which obviously seemed strange.

——Chao Cuo's father was just a rich man from the Kanto region!

Where did such an accurate political vision come to the conclusion that 'Chao Cuo is about to bring disaster to the family'?

Take a step back and say: Even if Chao Cuo's father is as "innately gifted" as Chao Cuo, he can see through the future direction of "The Strategy of Cutting Fans" at a glance. There is still a problem. It is impossible to explain why Chao Cuo's father Come to Chang'an.

——Although "Strategy to Cut Fans" has been around for a long time, it was officially brought to court within three to five months!

Chao's father was in Yingchuan, separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, how did he know that this was happening in Chang'an court, and it hadn't even officially happened in Chang'an court?

Is it true that Father Chao has the political vision of "seeing the world's affairs at a glance" and the ability of "knowing the world's affairs without leaving home"?
Compared with this tiny possibility, Zhi Du is obviously more willing to believe that there is something else hidden in this matter.

There must be someone who went to Yingchuan to find Chao's father in person, and told Chao's father about the "Policy for Cutting Fans" with embellishments.

In particular, the matter of the Kanto princes' per capita wishing to eat Chao Cuo' must have been emphasized by this person.

After such an encounter, Chao's father came to Chang'an in a hurry with anxiety, and persuaded Chao Cuo to stop as soon as possible and not to get involved with "The Policy of Cutting Fans".

But how can an old rich man like Father Chao understand that Chao Cuo is already standing on the edge of a cliff?
How can we understand that today's Chao Cuo has not been assassinated by those enemies, especially those princes of the Guandong clan, thanks to the protection of the emperor Liu Qi and his status as the "internal historian of the current dynasty"?
Thinking of this, a hint of clarity quietly appeared on Zhidu's face;
Wait Zhi raised his head again and looked at Chao Cuo, with a hint of solemnity in his eyes.

"Mr. Chao."

"I think that Mr. Chao was probably bewitched by 'some people' before he came to Chang'an;"

"Because of the bewitching of these people..."

"——It's Liu Wu!!!"

Unexpectedly, before Zhidu finished his sentence, Chao Cuo's shrill roar suddenly sounded, causing Zhidu to be shocked!
Seeing at this moment, Chao Cuo's face was still covered with snot and tears, but his eyes suddenly showed a frightening anger!
"I've found out!"

"It was a lobbyist sent by King Liu Wu of Chu. He went to Yingchuan in person and told my father: Once the "Family Cutting Policy" is implemented, there will be no more Chaos left in the world!!"

"It was because of Liu Wu's lobbyists that my father came to Chang'an and persuaded me to resign!!!"

"——Liu Wu and I are revenge for killing our father!"

"—If you don't kill this thief, I, Chao Cuo, will not be a human being!!!"

The mournful roar, like the neighing of a war horse, nearly shocked the entire living room!
Seeing Chao Cuo's teeth clenched tightly, his face flushed, veins all over his forehead, and the man's snotty lips were trembling violently at this moment.

But after the conjecture in his heart was verified by Chao Cuo's words, Zhi Du looked at Chao Cuo with more serious eyes.

"Mr. Chao."

"The matter of Mr. Chao is indeed extremely sad and regrettable;"

"But the pros and cons of this matter, Mr. Chao, should be clear."

"—Chu King Liu Wu is an ignorant scum; sending someone to persuade Mr. Chao is probably just trying to prevent Mr. Chao from promoting the "Strategy for Cutting Fans" through such a ridiculous way."

"But Wu Wang Liu Bi is not such an idiot as Chu Wang Liu Wu..."

"At this moment, Liu Bi is probably worrying about what to do so that Duke Chao can throw away all his rationality and wantonly cut down the feudal clan, so that Liu Bi can get an excuse to start a war."

"If Chao Gong really fell into Liu Bi's trap, it would be an unimaginably huge hidden danger for the entire Han family..."

After persuading him earnestly, seeing that Chao Cuo was still furious, Zhi didn't hesitate, he just got up from his seat and bowed deeply to Chao Cuo.

"Like Duke Chao, I am a Legalist scholar who studied the theories of Lord Shang and Shen Buhai, and is determined to help His Majesty strengthen the Han Dynasty."

"In terms of seniority, even if Chao Gong and I are not the same teacher, we can still call Chao Gong: Senior Brother."

"—Right now, senior brother is suffering from the pain of losing his father. No matter what choice senior brother makes, no one can blame senior brother."

"It's just that right now, this country, the country, needs the brother to endure the grief in his heart, and take the last move of the "Strategy to Cut Fans";"

"Brother needs to keep calm at all times, keep His Majesty, and complete the lofty ambition of reducing the feudal clan..."

After saying that, Zhi Du bowed down without hesitation, and bowed deeply to Chao Cuo.

"Senior Brother Wanwang, in consideration of the face of our ancestors Shang Jun and Shen Buhai, and the consideration of thousands of people in the world, we are temporarily enduring the pain of losing our father!"

"Put the matter of revenge and revenge after the rebellion is put down, and it will not be too late!"

With the last words of persuasion out of his mouth, Zhi Du finally bowed deeply, and bowed deeply to Chao Cuo with the etiquette of a junior.

But Zhi Du's persuasion did not shake Chao Cuo's heart even in the slightest.

Hearing the words, Chao Cuo sat at the head in a daze for a long time;

After a full [-] breaths like this, it seemed that Chao Cuo finally realized what Zhidu said, so he shook his head and stood up with a wry smile, walking in front of Zhidu.

It was also until this moment that Chao Cuo's eyes, which had been dim for many days, lit up with a clear light again.

"Zhi Zhonglang, there is no need to persuade..."

"From the time I picked up the pen and wrote the first word of "The Policy of Cutting Fans" on the bamboo slips, I had already expected that if I want to complete this task, I may need to pay the price of my life."

"Although in the past, I didn't fully embrace the will to die, but I have already expected my own ending."

"And now, my father has died because of me;"

"As a son, I forced my own father to death for the ambition in my heart."

"—For an unfilial person like me, there is really no need to continue living in this world..."

The leisurely words only made Zhidu look anxious, but was interrupted by Chao Cuo's gently stretched out hand.

Then, I saw that Chao Cuo's face, which had always been dull and dull in the recent period, finally showed some old charm.

"After my father died, I thought about it for a long time;"

"As for Liu Bi and Liu Wu's banner of rebellion, the only thing I can think of is: punish Chao Cuo and stop cutting down the feudal clan."

"If this is the case, then Your Majesty may be in a dilemma."

"—Because killing me, His Majesty will be stained with 'killing a teacher';"

"But if you don't kill me, His Majesty will not be able to tear the fig leaf of the rebels."

"So, what I'm doing is just doing one last useful thing for His Majesty..."

When it came to the end, Chao Cuo finally smiled miserably, and his brows were filled with the calmness of seeing death as home.

"As for Liu Wu, and the revenge of killing my father, His Majesty will avenge me."

"As for me, only by making His Majesty hate me even more with my current posture, can His Majesty not feel guilty for killing me after the rebellion broke out."

"This is the last thing I will do for Your Majesty..."

"——It can be regarded as preserving the friendship between me and His Majesty, the teacher-student friendship for many years;"

"It is also to complete the mission that I, a legalist scholar, should complete."

"Just like what Zhi Zhonglang said, the last move in "The Strategy of Cutting Fans"..."

After saying that, Chao Cuo shook his head and sat back in his seat with a wry smile, looking at Zhidu frankly.

"My life is the last move of "Strategy to Cut Fans"..."

"And Zhi Zhonglang is the future hope of my legal family..."

"In the future, Zhi Zhonglang must keep in mind: Even if it is because of something that he has to die to fulfill His Majesty's mission, he must not forget it;"

"—on the court, for my Legalists, at least leave a spark..."

(End of this chapter)