Knife splashing

Chapter 153: Battle of Positions
The person who came was none other than the Prince of Chang'an, Xiao Hongqi.

He was tall and dressed in a scarlet dragon robe. He looked young, but he had a high forehead, a broad face, loose shoulders, and a protruding belly. Inexplicably, he had a hint of greasiness of an adult.

Especially his thick lips and not very good-looking appearance.

Some officials once discussed in private that Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi, not to mention his outstanding appearance, was only of average talent compared with the children of ordinary aristocratic families.

The decline of the Chang'an King's lineage is only a matter of time.

Li Kongqing was a little nervous. The prince had hardly been studying recently and seldom came to Renxiao Building, so why did he suddenly come again?

Could something have happened?

Seeing his reserved look, the Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi smiled dumbly and waved his hand, "Why, are you unhappy to see me?"

According to the Daxuan ritual system, if the crown prince wants to inherit the throne of prince, he can call himself "Gu", and if the prince cannot inherit the throne of prince, he will call himself Xiaowang.

"You are joking, my prince."

Cold sweat broke out on Li Kongqing's forehead.

As they were talking, a clerk brought tea.

The Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi waved his hand, asked the clerk to go out, and closed the door. Then he stroked his chin and looked at Li Kongqing, "Do you know what I am doing here today?"

Li Kongqing shook his head, "This... I don't know."

Xiao Hongqi smiled and said meaningfully, "I heard that you learned how to get benefits, and someone even informed me privately, so I came to see how this blockhead of yours got his way."

"what?!"

Li Kongqing stood there in a daze.

Didn’t he get along better with his colleagues?

How come someone reported him in such a short time?

This is life...

"Hahaha!"

Seeing his expression, the Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi was amused. He took out a letter from his bosom, cleared his throat, and read:
"Today, there is a tutor in the palace, Li Kongqing, who has secretly made friends with sorcerers and seized the private property of the palace. He has been in office but has not fulfilled his duties. He has been taking cakes, wine and food from the palace for his own use, and has forgotten the greater good for the sake of small profits..."

As he said this, he laughed and scolded, "This is just bullshit. He can't even write a letter of denunciation, and you still want to use this to get promoted. Why does the palace keep so many people like him?"

"How do you think we should deal with this?"

Li Kongqing's head was numb. He sighed, bowed and said, "Every word in the letter is true. I am willing to take the blame."

"Accept guilt?"

Xiao Hongqi smiled and said, "What crime have you committed?"

"There are many people who have taken advantage of this in the palace. If we really investigate, those who will be punished will have to line up."

"I am also confused. Since you have decided to go along with the evil, why don't you make some money, find someone to look after the house to save the rent, take some wine and food home, and don't feel ashamed..."

"But compared to these, I am more curious about how you figured it out."

Li Kongqing hesitated for a moment, "I met someone who said that the prince is really smart, and I shouldn't say anything..."

"You are honest."

Xiao Hongqi nodded slightly, the teasing on his face gradually disappeared, and he said in a deep voice: "What's the matter with that Jianghu magician?"

"He is not a quack, but a disciple of my humble mother."

Li Kongqing was afraid of implicating Li Yan, so he quickly told him everything that had happened, and emphasized that it was his own initiative.

"Ah."

Xiao Hongqi's expression eased a little. "If that's the case, it's not a big deal, but remember, if it's just to help ordinary relatives gain a small profit, it's fine, but if it involves the Jianghu and Xuanmen people, you can't make the decision privately."

Li Kongqing finally figured it out, and felt a chill on his back. Then a sense of dejection surged in his heart. He bowed and clasped his fists and said, "Sir, I beg to resign from the position of tutor."

"Oh?"

Xiao Hongqi raised his eyebrows, "Why?"

Li Kongqing smiled bitterly and said, "I am too stupid."

"I am neither good at dealing with people nor calculating. If I stay with the prince, I will be like a waste. Sooner or later, I will be harmed by others. It is better for me to go back and be a teacher."

"Well, you are quite self-aware." Xiao Hongqi took a sip from the teacup and said calmly, "According to the custom of the royal palaces in various places, the job of tutor is mostly performed by children from aristocratic families."

"Do you know why this happened to you?"

Li Kongqing was stunned, "I don't know."

Xiao Hongqi said calmly: "Because you know your duty!"

"When the world is in turmoil, the restless often stand out. If you have a little cleverness and a bit of luck, you can ride on the wind and rise."

"But now that I am at the peak of my career, it is more important to understand my duty."

"Before you, there were several other students who were studying with you. They were all children of aristocratic families, but they were either foxes or dogs, and liked to bully others by taking advantage of their power.

"Either they were ambitious and instigated me to fight for it, but in fact they were only seeking personal gain. I cleared them all out."

"On that day of the selection, everyone else was busy making friends, but you ran to the bookshelf to look at those lost and rare books, so the position of companion reader fell on your head."

I see…

Li Kongqing suddenly realized.

Xiao Hongqi said calmly: "In the Great Xuan Dynasty, duty is the most important thing. All troubles are caused by people not doing their duty."

"Officials have their duties as officials, the people have their duties as the people, and people in the underworld have their duties as people in the underworld."

"I am the same. I can't be too dissolute and lose face for the royal family, nor can I be too dazzling and do things I shouldn't do. Do you understand?"

Li Kongqing smiled bitterly, "I know I was wrong."

"I see you still don't understand."

Xiao Hongqi shook his head and said, "You are a companion. The duty of a companion is to convince others with your knowledge and win over others with your character. You should persuade me to study and cultivate my virtues. You don't need to be a follower of the crowd."

"What I do is my business."

"But if you fail to fulfill your duty, it is your fault."

Li Kongqing's mind suddenly became clear, and he quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. I will do my duty well."

"Hahaha!"

Xiao Hongqi smiled playfully again, "You're not that stupid. Remember, there are many people around me who flatter and try to be clever. That's not what you want to do."

"Otherwise, if I encounter something I don't want to do and can't even find a way out, wouldn't that be pitiful?"

"I understand."

Li Kongqing finally understood his responsibilities.

"That's good."

Xiao Hongqi nodded, then his face became serious and he said calmly: "There is now a group of people around my father, who are urging the palace to invest, organize a fleet to go out to sea for trade, and even set up the Shanzhou Chamber of Commerce."

"In the past two years, some royal palaces have been sailing secretly and have made a lot of money. They have even colluded with local tyrants and trained sailors for escort. Father has already made some moves. What do you think?"

Li Kongqing immediately straightened his neck, "I don't know, I only know that merchants are lowly professions, and it is even more wrong for the royal palace to compete with the people for profits, not to mention forming a private army, which is against the laws of Daxuan!"

"Ah."

Xiao Hongqi smiled with satisfaction, then stood up and shook his head slightly, "Some things are meaningless if you explain them clearly, but you are so stupid that you will really go astray if you don't explain them clearly."

"Remember your duty, and I will ensure your well-being for the rest of your life."

After saying that, he stood up and strode away.

Li Kongqing was behind, and he felt that he was soaked...

…………

Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi left Renxiao Tower and turned to look at another palace, thinking, "Those people are here again?"

A guard stepped forward and whispered, "Yes, Prince, the prince is holding a banquet to reward treasures, and several chambers of commerce have sent people to participate, offering rare items from overseas."

"Is anyone coming from the Li Family Chamber of Commerce?"

"I just sent you a rare treasure, but I didn't send anyone."

"Who took the lead?" "Mr. Yue."

"Humph!"

The Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi's face immediately turned gloomy, but soon returned to normal, and he said calmly: "Let's go, follow me to take a look."

Xiao Hongqi and his guards walked quickly and soon arrived at a small building overlooking the lake.

Hearing the laughter inside, a smile appeared on his face and he quickly walked into the building.

"The Crown Prince has arrived!"

As the guard nodded, many eyes in the building immediately focused on him.

This Snow Viewing Tower is where the prince's palace holds private banquets for guests. It is not very large and is not as solemn as the main hall of the palace.

At this moment, there was a row of wooden shelves in the hall, on which were displayed a dazzling array of various objects. Many people had left their seats to accompany a fat middle-aged man in a dragon robe to appreciate the objects.

The man was none other than Xiao Qingyuan, the Prince of Chang'an. Although he was fat, he had a long, delicate beard, regular facial features, and a dignified demeanor.

"Meet the father."

Xiao Hongqi smiled and bowed.

"The prince is here." Seeing his eldest son coming, Prince Chang'an was in a very good mood. He pointed at the table and said, "Come, accompany me to look at this. Do you recognize this thing?"

Xiao Hongqi hurried forward and saw a piece of black rotten wood covered with holes, and there were densely packed golden worms wriggling inside.

Xiao Hongqi felt sick at the sight, but he suppressed his discomfort and shook his head, saying, "I don't know what this bug is, but it doesn't look like a treasure."

"Hahaha, I was wrong."

Prince Chang'an looked to the side and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhou, since you have presented this treasure, tell the prince about it."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

An old man in elegant clothes bowed and smiled, "My Lord, this thing is called shipworm, it can corrode wood, stone, docks and ships at sea. This thing is the most feared. Every year, a large number of ships are scrapped because of it."

Xiao Hongqi raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "That's strange. If it's obviously harmful, why would you offer it as a treasure?"

"Your Highness doesn't know."

The old man bowed respectfully and said, "Although shipworms are harmful, they can feed on wood and stone. This wood is a sunken tree in the sea, which was eaten by shipworms and happened to be hidden in the spiritual hole in the sea."

"We went to the Kingdom of Sulu in Southeast Asia and exchanged silk and porcelain for this item. These special shipworms have become a treasure from heaven and earth, and are regarded as a treasure given by God by local witch doctors."

"After being tested by famous doctors, it is good at clearing the meridians and removing dampness. After being dried and ground into powder, it has a miraculous effect on rheumatism and can be called a precious medicine."

"Oh?"

Xiao Hongqi's expression eased a little, "If you put it that way, it can be called a treasure."

Although Xingqing Palace is nice, water sometimes accumulates there in the summer, making the palace dark and damp. After living there for a long time, some people may suffer from rheumatism.

His mother suffered from rheumatism, and whenever it rained, she would feel unbearable pain all over her body. If the medicine really had miraculous effects, he would buy it no matter what.

Just this said, he became interested.

"What is this thing?"

Xiao Hongqi pointed to a strange golden mask.

Another tall, black-skinned, and somewhat chivalrous old man stepped forward and saluted, saying, "My Lord, this is something I found after I captured a Barbarian Pirate. According to them, it was obtained from a continent deep in the polar sea, from the Kingdom of Gold."

"what about this?"

Xiao Hongqi pointed to a box made of pure gold.

"Please look, my lord."

A fat middle-aged man hurried forward and opened the box. He saw a dancing little man standing on it. He turned the knob next to it, and immediately a clear melody sounded, and the little man slowly rotated...

The middle-aged man looked very proud, "This thing comes from a country called Farangte. I only exchanged it for 100 kilograms of broken tea."

Xiao Hongqi nodded slightly, "It's quite exquisite. What about Farante's national strength?"

"The country is still strong, but now it is constantly at war. I heard that the red-robed national teacher Li is the prime minister, assisting the king to fight against the vassal kings in various places..."

"hehe."

Xiao Hongqi smiled jokingly, "National Master, you sound like someone from the Xuanmen Sect, but I didn't expect you to be able to serve as the prime minister. Mr. Yue, you still need to work hard."

Upon hearing this, Prince Chang'an frowned, "You are speaking in a sarcastic tone. Are you really trying to irritate me?"

Although the words were harsh, his eyes were full of doting.

He knew what kind of person the prince was better than anyone else. If he left, only the prince could protect his lineage.

I am extremely opposed to organizing a caravan to go out to sea.

"I don't dare."

Xiao Hongqi lowered his head quickly, but his eyes were unusually firm.

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall fell silent.

At this moment, a middle-aged Taoist priest walked out from the crowd. He was wearing a white Taoist robe, had handsome features, a long black beard that reached down to his chest, and he looked extraordinary.

He sighed, flicked his whisk, bowed respectfully and said, "My Lord, please don't be angry. I only mean well. If there is anything wrong, please forgive me."

The speaker was Yue Fachong, the palace's priest.

"Alright, alright."

Prince Chang'an shook his head slightly, "It's all for the sake of the palace. Don't argue, it will ruin my mood. Everyone, please take your seats."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Everyone took their seats and soon the maids began singing and dancing to entertain them. As they drank and chatted, no one mentioned the matter of forming a caravan anymore.

After the banquet, everyone dispersed.

Looking at the Prince of Chang'an and the Crown Prince going away, Yue Fachong stood by the lake with an expressionless face, silent for a while, then turned around and returned to his own courtyard.

"I've met senior brother."

Luo Faqing was waiting in the yard, and when he saw him, he immediately bowed.

"Ah."

Yue Fachong nodded slightly, his expression easing a little.

Luo Faqing saw that his expression was not right, and asked hurriedly: "Brother, I heard that the prince got angry at the treasure appreciation meeting?"

"Ah~"

Yue Fa Chong sighed, shook his head and said, "The prince is very wary of me. If he insists on opposing it, I'm afraid this matter will come to nothing."

"The prince is in poor health. When the prince takes the throne in the future, it will be difficult for me to stay in the palace. However, the prince treats you differently, so don't make enemies with him."

Luo Faqing hesitated for a moment, "Brother, forgive me for being blunt, the Crown Prince is worried about the suspicion of the court, and this kind of thing is really not suitable for us to participate in."

"Of course I know."

Yue Fa Chong said calmly: "Each sect in the world has its own mountain. Although my Shangshan sect is becoming more and more prosperous in Shanzhou, it is only below the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. But outside of Shanzhou, it is nothing."

"Many disciples have been sent out, but they are excluded and suppressed, and it is difficult for them to make a name for themselves. If they want to join the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect one day, it is impossible with the current strength. Only with the promotion of all parties, there will be a chance."

"Going out to sea may be a way to break the impasse."

"What a pity~"

Luo Faqing hesitated for a moment, "Brother, I also think that going out to sea is not a good choice. Perhaps, we should spend some energy and hold more ceremonies to ward off disasters and pray for blessings, just like those Xuanmen and orthodox religions."

Yue Fa Chong's eyes turned cold when he heard this. "You suddenly said this. Did you hear someone's gossip?"

"Have you forgotten...how the master died?"

"Some things you have done with great effort, those fools will appreciate your kindness at first, and then they will take it for granted."

"In the end, if you don't sacrifice your life to save them, you will be cursed by everyone. Even if they are wrong, they won't say anything good about you. At most, they will build a temple to worship you out of hypocrisy."

"I will never follow the path that my master has taken again."

"It's not your turn to make the decision here!"

　Take a break today, only two chapters
　　
　
(End of this chapter)