The devil is coming

Chapter 609
carriage,
shake;
Ji Chengjue, dressed in silver mink, was sitting in the carriage, holding a small heater in his hand.
Opposite him, Fan Shaoliang was sitting in a long gown;
Fan Zhengwen's son, he and his mother were sent out of Chu State by Fan Zhengwen early and came to Yanjing City.
After arriving in Yanjing,
Live next door to the palace.
Ji Chengjue looked at the young man in front of him who was wearing a sword and wearing thin clothes.
shake your head,
Road:
"When you are young, you don't know how to be angry. When you are old, you shed tears on the kang."
Fan Shaoliang was instinctively a little restrained in front of his cousin, although his cousin had always been very approachable and liked to joke, especially when getting along with his family, he was gentle and had no airs;
But Fan Shaoliang was still afraid of the current sixth prince.
"I really don't feel cold."
"The man named Zheng said in the letter that it is very cold in Jindong and asked me to send him more cotton furs to keep him warm in the winter."
Fan Shaoliang said: "The land in eastern Jin Dynasty should be colder in winter than my home."
"Oh, but the problem is that Xueyuan is right across from his surname Zheng. He has already kneaded the wild people in Xueyuan into round shapes and squares. He actually had the nerve to ask me for it. fur?"
"This………"
Fan Shaoliang had met Lord Zheng, and at the same time, his father also told him some things about Lord Zheng.
So, at this moment, he didn't know how to interrupt.
Although they are relatives, Fan Shaoliang does not feel that he is qualified to evaluate the newly promoted military lord of Dayan.
Ji Chengjue sighed angrily,
Road:
"However, that guy is indeed afraid of the cold. He wears a lot of clothes in winter. Unlike you, you are so angry."
"Cousin, I'm not practicing well enough and can't control the circulation of Qi and blood. I think Lord Zheng must be..."
"He is also a dabbler in cultivation, but he is just better than me."
"Master Zheng..."
The example of King Jingnan is before,
Defeat the Sword Master, lead the army into battle, and be victorious;
Naturally, Lord Zheng, who was vaguely regarded as Dayan's next generation military god, was also given the title of a third-level master.
The common people may think that such a powerful Ping Xihou, how could his personal cultivation not be high?
some of,
Also includes Fan Shaoliang.
Because he had seen the scene where Lord Zheng entered Chu to snatch the princess. If he didn't rely on his own strength, how could he have such courage?
can only say,
When your status reaches a certain level,
When people below look at you, they will be enveloped by the sun's rays and naturally haloed.
"Did you read your father's letter?"
"Look, dad means to let me study in Yanjing City."
paused,
Fan Shaoliang said again;
"Let me work beside you, cousin."
Ji Chengjue nodded and said:
"It's all due to emotion and reason. In the battle against Chu, your Fan family contributed a lot. The subsequent rewards will not come out until a few years ago. By then, your Fan family will have to have a hereditary prefect."
The hereditary prefect is actually equivalent to a small-scale "earth-splitting feudal prince".
This was done by the Gan people first. When Mr. Xiangmian was still there, in order to better manage and quell the rebellion among the natives in the southwest, the title of chieftain was set up for the native leaders who were willing to surrender to the court, which was equivalent to hereditary titles. The county magistrate and the prefect.
Externally, he is a minister of the imperial court; internally, he is still the "king" of a place.
"My father actually doesn't want these rewards." Fan Shaoliang pursed his lips. "I understand my father. What he wants is for the Fan family to reproduce and live like a normal family and no longer be slaves."
Ji Chengjue automatically ignored Fan Shaoliang's words.
When communicating at different levels, it is easy to say innocent things.
Fan Zhengwen didn't want the Fan family to be slaves. Ji Chengjue believed this, but just for this reason, Ji Chengjue didn't believe it.
The slave turned over, not to break away from his status as a slave, nor to break the rules, but to see the benefits of being a master when he was a slave;
He wants to be the master.
But there is no need to explain these words to the young man in front of me.
This was still a piece of rough jade in front of him. Ji Chengjue admired it very much. It was impossible to predict that the Fan family would be able to move out from the Mengshan area ten years later. The premise was that Fan Shaoliang could establish a firm foothold in Yanjing.
Of course,
Just after establishing a vassal, thinking about cutting it down is like taking off your pants and farting.
At this time,
The front of the carriage was stopped by a group of soldiers.
Eunuch Zhang, who was driving the carriage, showed his palace token.
All the tomb guards saluted the carriage in unison:
"See Your Highness Sixth Highness, Your Highness Fukang."
Ji Chengjue did not show up.
for a while,
The carriage continued to move forward and entered the imperial mausoleum.
From the day each generation of emperors ascends the throne, whether he is an old prince or a child, from that day on, the mausoleum will be put on the agenda and construction will begin.
This is a huge project, and it is also the practice of kings since ancient times.
Emperor,
The glory of his lifetime could no longer satisfy him,
Even after death, he still wants to retain his dignity.
When the national power is strong, the mausoleum should be built more grandly. When the national power is weak...it should be built more grandly. You may say it is to make yourself fatter, or you may say it is to improve your own feng shui.
Anyway, this is a top priority.
The previous kings of the Yan Kingdom were no exception.
until,
His father ascended the throne.
First of all, his father restricted the layout of his mausoleum to a very small size, probably only one-tenth of the size of the previous emperor.
It's really too small to look at.
At that time, the government and the public may have thought that Emperor Yan did it deliberately to clear away the atmosphere of extravagance and extravagance that prevailed during the reign of the previous emperor.
But only the princes who are qualified to succeed him know clearly.
No matter which of the brothers takes that position in the future, when it comes to building the mausoleum, the specifications will definitely not exceed that of my father, and in order to show respect, it will have to continue to be smaller.
Unless you are talented and have achieved greater achievements than me, you simply don't have the nerve to change this rule.
In the same way, the living nobles, after the size of the emperor's mausoleum has been reduced, how can they dare to violate the taboo and surpass the emperor?
Naturally, it will also shrink accordingly.
Ji Chengjue feels that this is the way to establish a "foundation" and establish "rules."
At this point, my father had done a lot without revealing anything a long time ago;
There was no big fanfare to erect a large monument beside the imperial road outside Yanjing City, with the new law engraved on it one by one;
that,
Useless.
What is really useful is to turn yourself into a monument. When future generations encounter the same thing, they will naturally take you as an example and use you as a standard.
The Xia people have a tradition. They don’t respect rules very much, but they do respect their ancestors.
Ancestors are also divided into three, six or nine levels. From the perspective of future generations, it is actually clear which ancestor is wise and powerful, and which ancestor is ignorant.
Ji Chengjue slowly closed his eyes,
in childhood,
Many people have said it, including my own father,
I look a lot like him.
After so many years of sinking,
After he took charge of the household department and held a wedding, this statement was mentioned again.
People with intentions, people without intentions, and people with ulterior motives, all with different purposes, are building momentum for themselves.
In a restaurant in Beijing,
Ji Chengjue took the Tu family daughter home.
He once said enthusiastically,
Today, Ji Chengjue entered the plate again.
Why did he get to play with Zheng Fan? In the beginning, there was really no interest at all;
After all, he was pretending to be a pig at that time and had not yet seen the steamed tiger. The surname was Zheng, and he was still a grassroots, miscellaneous school captain;
So, it’s really like-minded;
That kind of narcissistic pretentiousness,
The surname is Zheng,
Ji Chengjue also has it.
He once felt that if it weren't for his father's deliberate suppression,
Never mind whether a concubine or a legitimate child is born.
He Ji Laoliu,
He can definitely do better than Situ Lei did back then, and he can do it even more brilliantly.
but,
Suddenly,
You look up,
Just discovered,
That old lion, who was in his final years due to illness,
What he showed,
It's something completely different from myself.
conspiracy,
trick,
Calculate,
layout,
No matter how many people you have, how powerful you are, how densely packed the chess pieces are,
in the end,
They are all so vulnerable in front of Dangtang.
Myself,
I used to be obsessed with it, but instead I fell into a dead end.
And the one named Zheng,
He once said a sentence. That sentence sounded like nothing at the time, but now in a different state of mind, when you taste it again, it has a kind of transparency that can see through the chaos and get to the essence:
Political power comes from the handle of the knife.
"He has already seen it clearly."
"Ah?" Fan Shaoliang was a little confused.
Ji Chengjue didn't explain, but stood up, and the carriage stopped at this time.
Now the mausoleum of Emperor Yan has arrived,
but,
His father, the emperor, is still in the back garden.
Coming here at this time, it is naturally impossible to express condolences to his father who is still alive.
But after his third brother left, his father decreed that the third brother be buried in his mausoleum, and the father and son were buried together.
Many ministers wrote letters praising this as the highest courtesy for a son of man and a minister, accompanying the imperial mausoleum!
But in Ji Laoliu’s view,
It was just that his father wanted to save some money.
got out of the carriage,
The desolation in winter is particularly clear in the mausoleum.
Even though his father's mausoleum has shrunk a lot according to the old system, it is still very big here.
Fan Shaoliang couldn't help but said from behind:
"Cousin, is it not appropriate to come here at this time?"
It was not his turn to ask these questions, but he thought that since they were relatives, he should say them.
Even though, my cousin probably won’t answer.
In fact, Ji Chengjue did not answer.
because,
Ji Chengjue himself didn't know why he wanted to come here to see his third brother on a whim yesterday.
He also understood that today's visit to the imperial mausoleum could not be hidden, and he did not want to hide it.
My father is seriously ill.
But he came to see the imperial mausoleum,
Even if you explain to the outside world that you express condolences to your third brother, who will believe it?
This move,
It's like going to a longevity shop to buy paper money when your loved one is seriously ill.
However, for Ji Laoliu, this is a sensitive period, and he is not afraid of being bitten by lice anyway;
For some real ministers, they may be surprised and puzzled as to why the sixth prince, who is so skillful in political skills, would make such a low-level mistake at this time.
"I have seen His Highness Six."
An old eunuch came over with a broom.
The old eunuch's surname was Qin. He was once ranked before Wei Zhonghe, but because of his crimes, he was demoted by his father to guard the mausoleum in advance.
Ji Chengjue nodded to him,
road;
"It's getting colder, so put on more clothes."
said,
Ji Chengjue covered his nose,
Road:
"And drink less."
"Haha." Old Eunuch Qin smiled and pointed behind him, "Your Highness is here to see His Highness, right?"
Ji Chengjue nodded.
"It's a coincidence."
Old eunuch Qin quietly retreated, making a "two" sign in his hand.
Prince,
Are you there too?
Ji Chengjue continued walking inside,
really,
Front,
I saw the prince in a white brocade robe.
When Li Yinglian saw Ji Chengjue coming, she was startled at first, and then silently retreated, guarding both sides with Eunuch Zhang from the south to the north.
Both of them have some martial arts skills. They may not be able to compete with real masters in a fight, but there are some ways to prevent eavesdropping.
In this situation,
No matter what you say next,
Unless the dead third brother climbed out of the coffin to inform his father, it would be basically impossible for him to leak out.
They are all princes,
One is the prince, and the other is the prestigious God of Wealth in the Household Department of Yan State.
If you can't guarantee your loyalty even as a personal companion, then you can really go find a piece of tofu and kill him.
"Second brother, I've lost weight."
Ji Chengjue said.
The prince smiled and said,
Road:
"Every time we meet, you say that I have lost weight. You have said this several times. Am I now skin and bones? Or maybe the third brother buried underneath has more flesh on his body than me? "
The dead are gone,
Making fun of the dead,
inappropriate;
But to put it bluntly, the ones buried underground are his own brothers, so it doesn't matter.
Ordinary people are very afraid of ghosts and ghosts, and they also instinctively reject the dead and the mourning hall, but that is because the dead are not close to you.
If it was a real kiss, you would really like him to sit up suddenly and have a few more drinks with you.
"Why do you think of coming here if you are not young and unruly?" the prince asked.
"Coming here during the holidays seems like a formality."
The prince nodded and said, "Yes."
immediately,
The prince sat down on the steps next to him.
road;
"It was a coincidence."
Ji Chengjue bowed to the monument, then turned around, walked to the prince's side, and sat down.
Road:
"It's really a coincidence. Second brother doesn't have to find out who leaked the secret when he gets back. It saves a lot of effort."
"I don't have that interest in the first place." The prince shook his head, "You think I don't know that your people have already turned me into a sieve."
"The east palace is in the Ming Dynasty, so it is naturally easier to attract moths."
"This is indeed true."
"So, the second brother really doesn't care anymore."
"It's useless to care. I'm not as good as you in terms of winning people's hearts, deploying people, planning, and political battles. Since I can't compare, I might as well not compare;
Comparing back and forth,
damaged,
It’s still my own vitality, Dayan. "
"Co-authored, I've always been the one-man show?"
"Sixth brother."
"Ok?"
"You are very powerful, more powerful than me. I will not deliberately pretend to be generous and say that I am doing nothing. In fact, I am still a little frustrated."
Ji Chengjue nodded.
The prince sighed,
Road:
"Zheng Fan has been granted the title of Marquis."
"His wings are hard." Ji Chengjue took out his snuff bottle, took a breath, then stretched out his hand to pinch his nose, "Second brother doesn't think I can still control him now, does he?"
This is not self-effacement, nor is it cover-up.
fact,
indeed so,
Ji Laoliu had already clearly felt the rhythm of the man surnamed Zheng who started to visit the brothel and then pulled out the work to persuade the girl to be good.
The prince suddenly stretched out his hand,
hesitated,
He hugged Ji Chengjue.
Ji Chengjue's body trembled.
He turned to look at the hand on his other shoulder.
wind,
blowing,
Roll up some fallen leaves;
The prince smiled,
Pointing to the front,
Road:
"Remember, before."
before,
The prince also hugged Ji Chengjue's shoulders like this,
The third prince stood not far away, reciting poetry emotionally.
The prince frowned, thinking that this was an insult to the character of the Yan people. He had learned to be as literate as those Gan people, and he really couldn't afford to use the knife at that time.
At that time, Ji Chengjue was young and smart, and was favored by Emperor Yan. He curled his lips disdainfully, feeling that his third brother was so out of his mind that he even thought about reciting poems with emotion so that he could show off in front of his father. .
"I didn't come that night. Brothers, it's all my fault."
"Whether you come or not, it doesn't matter, but you should come."
"Yes, I should come. If I come, it will prove that I still have some humanity. Boss, fourth, fifth, and even Xiaoqi can still have an explanation."
"It's something that costs nothing."
"Correct."
A smile appeared on the corner of the prince's mouth,
road;
"Actually, I really feel that there is no need to come. The third child is just taking a step ahead. It won't be long before we can see you down there again.
then,
He would show off the poem he had just composed and recite it to me over and over again. "
Ji Chengjue was noncommittal.
At this level,
It is too difficult to impress him with true feelings;
Sad at most,
Not moved.
"You feel uncomfortable. You have done so much and arranged so many things. If my father had not stepped aside a few times, I would have gotten out of the East Palace a long time ago."
Ji Chengjue shook his head,
road;
"Second brother is holding on from the front, so I can take it easy. Our dad is not an easy person to serve."
"I can tell that this is true." The prince paused and continued, "But, you could have had many ways to get that position.
right now,
The wind direction has changed,
Father means,
Let the two kings of the north and the south come to Beijing,
The situation in Dayan started with them, and naturally they have to close the coffin. "
The two kings of the north and the south came to Beijing,
This is an overwhelming force.
Whether it is politically, militarily or in the hearts of the people,
It is enough to make any ambitious person despair and have no choice but to kneel down and obey.
"Father, I didn't give you a chance to make your own decision," the prince said.
"Yeah." Ji Chengjue nodded.
"Tell me who you will choose."
"You are the prince, asking me this?"
"I think Xiao Qi is the most suitable choice."
"The master is suspicious of the country."
"But for any party, it can be an explanation. It seems that I, Dayan, really need a young master, Guoyu, for more than ten years." The prince said.
"Second brother, what do you mean?"
"Tell me, if I resign from the East Palace position and then build momentum for Xiao Qi, will you hate me to death?"
"It's up to you. Anyway, we can't decide anything ourselves." Ji Chengjue stretched out his hand, picked up a dead leaf, held it in his palm, and crushed it gently.
The prince nodded,
Road:
"You have to have a prerequisite for what you say."
Ji Chengjue looked at the prince and said, "What's the premise?"
There was a hint of coldness in the prince's eyes,
road;
"Before the old thing dies."
(End of this chapter)