It's almost June in the blink of an eye, and the continuous rain has been intermittent for three days, and the streets washed by the rain look exceptionally clean, and the white-walled and gray-tiled houses have a unique charm in the hazy smoke.

The oil-paper umbrellas of various colors form the most beautiful poetic scenery on the streets of Lin'an, the small bridges and flowing water under the Jiangnan style, the beautiful women smiling under the oil-paper umbrellas, the handsome sons in the restaurant and tea shop, or the royal street where cars still come and go, all of which are extraordinarily quiet and peaceful in the mist and rain.

The whole Lin'an is like a poetic picture, even the big tile area where even the peddlers' pawns and the casino green buildings are the most gathered, at this moment it gives people a quiet poetic feeling.

The pedestrians under the robes looked hurried, and the splashing rain under their feet made a crisp sound, and the Lan'er Tea Shop didn't know how many shopkeepers had changed, but now the business is still quite prosperous.

The guests who came in and out hurriedly passed by the pedestrians who had unloaded their robes, but in a matter of moments, the tea shop suddenly closed without warning.

A few days of continuous drizzle, obviously can not stop the undercurrent in Lin'an City, on the surface of a quiet and poetic scene, but in the eyes of the heart, at this time Lin'an under the smoke and rain is a little more solemn.

The majestic gate of Dali Temple, the soldiers shuttle back and forth, the forbidden army in the city between the squares, as if also with a strange atmosphere, from time to time to turn heads, and someone suddenly and quickly leave the scene, so that in the calm of the mist and rain, it seems to contain infinite killing opportunities.

The envoys of the Jin State did not leave for the Jin Kingdom until three days after the Mongolian envoys left, and Ye Qing, Lin Ming, and Li Xiang also met again, and even when the envoys of the Jin State left, Ye Qing personally sent them to the Genshan Gate.

"King Yan, the envoys of Dali ask to see." The rain outside the window seemed to have a tendency to get bigger, and Ye Qing, who was sitting by the window with Zhu Xi enjoying the rain and drinking tea, looked up at Zhong Silkworm holding an umbrella.

"Nope." Ye Qing smiled and said easily.

Zhong Silkworm shrugged his shoulders helplessly, and then turned to leave.

Zhu Xi looked at Ye Qing thoughtfully, and after thinking for a while, he asked, "Why didn't King Yan see the envoys of Dali?" ”

"The major affairs of the state should be judged by the Holy Lord. How dare Ye overstep? Ye Qing said with some duplicity.

Zhu Xi looked at Ye Qing in a slight daze, since Ye Qing returned to Lin'an, although he didn't see him much, it was precisely because of Ye Qing's return to Lin'an that Zhu Xi's life in Lin'an and even all aspects of it had undergone earth-shaking changes.

Today's Zhu Xi naturally does not have to live in the small thatched courtyard at the beginning, but has a decent house in Lin'an, and even his students and others have changed their quality of life in Lin'an.

And all this, from Zhu Xi's slightly red look now, it can be seen that with the changes in all aspects, Zhu Xi's whole person's spirit is like two people compared to the beginning.

"Is King Yan unwilling to follow in the footsteps of Han Yanxuan back then, and doesn't plan to get involved in Ziqi and Luodian, or does he actually have other plans?" Zhu Xi has been drinking tea with Ye Qing almost every day in the past few days, and then discussing some things about Confucian classics and so on, so in the past few days, he has more or less known about the affairs between Ye Qing and Dali.

"This matter is not as simple as Mr. Zhu thinks, which of the court is not like this? Mr. Zhu should be aware of the ...... in the court. Ye Qing picked up the teacup and said.

"So...... Does King Yan think that the envoys of Dali are not simple? Is there a secret behind it? Zhu Xi also picked up the teacup and stopped at his mouth and asked.

"I think there is a mastermind behind the scenes, and the reason why the envoys of the Dali Kingdom bypassed the imperial court to contact me again after the wedding of the saint is nothing more than to provoke the relationship between me and the saint who is not very trusting in the first place. Therefore, if the black hand behind the scenes of the envoys of Dali State is allowed to succeed, it ....... Ye Qing said with some emotion.

"But even without the participation of the envoys of the Dali Kingdom, the Holy Lord's opinion of you will be changed...... I'm afraid there won't be any progress, right? On the day of the saint's wedding, according to what you said, there was a possibility of improvement, but now that more than half a month has passed, the saint seems to have forgotten you, the king of Yan in Lin'an, don't you think there is something strange in this, or the saint does not plan to completely change his scruples about your king of Yan? Zhu Xi asked with a smile.

"It seems that Lin'an is incompatible with me, and I am born to restrain each other, every time I return to Lin'an, I have to face a dilemma like a net." Ye Qing stroked his chin, looked at Zhu Xi with a smile and said, "But Mr. and Lin'an seem to be born with each other, so you and I in Lin'an can be regarded as people with the same fate." ”

Zhu Xi shook his head at Ye Qing's joke and smiled bitterly, but he also had to admit that what Ye Qing said was not far-fetched.

"If King Yan still cares about reputation, if King Yan agrees to this matter, he might as well hand it over to the old man, just like when you were on the Northern Expedition, you must be in Lin'an to rebuild King Yan

It's not difficult to be famous, although Shi Xiang's side is also a large number of people and capable ....... Zhu Xi said with a deep groan.

"The matter of fame has been forgotten since the day of Ye Qing's Northern Expedition. The reason for the hesitation now ....... Ye Qing looked out the window at the rain line like a bead curtain.

"But in the latest Northern Expedition, King Yan didn't do this, otherwise, how could he have a tacit understanding with the old man?" Zhu Xi frowned, now that he can become a guest in the Yan Palace, except for Ye Qing's sudden change in attitude towards him, he thinks that all that is left is to be able to rely on the mouths of literati to help Ye Qing establish a good reputation.

Ye Qing calmly looked at Zhu Xi, who didn't quite believe in him, took a deep breath and said: "The reason why I tacitly agreed with my husband at the beginning was not for Ye's posthumous name, but for the success of the Northern Expedition, and to be able to capture Yanjing in one fell swoop." War is by no means a simple battle of leading troops, and the complete supply of food and grass can lead to victory. Throughout the years of my Great Song Dynasty, although it is not a strong army, it is by no means a rabble, and the reason why it has always won fewer and lost more against the Jin people is obviously the court. Therefore, no matter which station it is, Ye needs to make sure that he has a stable rear, so that he will not be stabbed in the back at a critical moment. ”

Zhu Xi looked at the calm Ye Qing seriously, and only sighed after a long time: "So this is also the reason why King Yan doesn't plan to meet the envoys of Dali?" ”

"Now it seems that Shi Miyuan will not be removed for a day, and I will not be at ease in Lin'an for a day. Following in the footsteps of Han Yanxuan, it is not as simple as my Northern Expedition in the Northland to suppress Ziqi and Luodian again, and help the Great Liberty to relieve the siege. In any case, during the Northern Expedition, Ye still had various roads north of the Yangtze River as the rear, so that he could also use this to offset those who were dissatisfied with me Ye Qing in the court. And if it is to suppress Ziqi and Luodian, Ye Mou is directly facing away from the Lin'an Imperial Court, so he has to be careful. Worry grew between Ye Qing's brows.

"The old man still remembers that in the early years, King Yan once said: There are no unscrupulous generals in the north, which makes my Great Song Dynasty forced to be in a safe corner, and there is no unscrupulous appearance in the south, so that my Great Song Dynasty bows down to Jin. Since there are still hidden dangers above the court, with the momentum of you, King Yan, can't you solve the stubborn disease of my Great Song Dynasty? Or is it that because Shi Miyuan is powerful above the court, you have to avoid the edge of King Yan? Zhu Xi asked thoughtfully.

Ye Qing shook his head and smiled bitterly, then looked at Zhu Xi and said, "Having said that, how easy is it for Ye to find a place above the court now?" Shi Miyuan is always wary of me, and he is deeply afraid that I will get involved in the court. And now that the saint has become an adult, the court has a lot of arbitrary political affairs, Ye wants to seek a place in the court in a short time, the attitude of the saint is very important, and now the trust between Ye and the saint is difficult to understand, and the envoys of Dali outside are making pitiful step by step, can't Mr. still see that this is Xiang Zhuang's sword dance intended for Pei Gong? ”

Zhu Xi's expression slowly became solemn, what Ye Qing said did have his truth, and these were obviously not taken into account by him.

In the final analysis, the reason why it is difficult for Ye Qing to occupy a place in the court is not because of Ye Qing's qualifications and merits now, but because Shi Miyuan is a hindrance from it, dividing the relationship between Ye Qing and the current saint and the minister, and on the bottom, he uses the envoys of Dali to force Ye Qing, so as to confirm that Ye Qing has two hearts for the court.

Naturally, in the current situation, Ye Qing obviously can't rush forward, the mutual suspicion between the monarchs and ministers, and even the unilateral dissatisfaction of the current saint Zhao Kuo with Ye Qing, coupled with Shi Miyuan's obstruction, makes Ye Qing dare not cross without permission now, and dare not meet with the envoys of Dali, not to mention his unknown ambition to annex Ziqi, Luodian and even Dali.

"In such a situation, with the wisdom of King Yan, he can't think of a way to solve it?" Zhu Xi was silent, and asked helplessly in his heart.

"Watching what happens is the best way to crack it, or ...... Enter the tiger's den to take the tiger's son, but this is ....... Ye Qing was a little hesitant in his heart, he was really afraid that if this happened, there would really be no turning back for everything.

"The old man hereby assures King Yan that even if something happens that the old man doesn't want to see, the old man will always be on King Yan's side this time, how about it?" Zhu Xi said with a rare expression of extreme seriousness.

"Don't worry, the situation in Lin'an needs to be looked at again. After all, since I returned to Lin'an, no matter whether I move or not, it will be Shi Miyuan who is in a hurry, not me Ye Qing. So I believe that sooner or later, Shi Miyuan will show his flaws, and at that time...... It's time for me Ye Qing to eradicate the traitor for the imperial court. The corners of Ye Qing's mouth flashed with a sneer.

Zhu Xi nodded silently, since Shi Miyuan became an official, although there was no big mistake in the court, of course, even if there was a big mistake, but because the northern land was successfully recovered by Ye Qing, and the capture of the sixteen states of Yanyun, the matter of Jin Guo bowing to Song was completely covered.

But even so, Shi Miyuan's greed for money is still as obvious as the lice on a bald head.

Moreover, in the past two years, there have been rumors in Lin'an, and there may be more gold and silver in Shi Miyuan's mansion than in the imperial court.

The officials from all walks of life in Jiangnan who want to be promoted, as well as the officials who want to enter Lin'an, which one doesn't need Shi Miyuan's nod to be able to get his wish?

But if you want Shi Miyuan to nod and agree, how can it be so easy? Naturally, it is indispensable to give all the silver he has accumulated to Shi Miyuan, so that he can achieve the goal of his promotion, and finally after taking office, he will get back the silver of filial piety to Shi Miyuan from the people.

After all, all this will fall on the exploitation of the people in the end, the increase of taxes in the south of the Yangtze River, although it has not yet shaken the imperial court, but the suffering of the common people and the severe taxation are about to break through the illusion of Lin'an's prosperity and prosperity, and completely expose the world.

Zhu Xi looked at Ye Qing with some concern, but he also had to admire Ye Qing's forbearance for the situation in Lin'an, which almost completely exceeded his Zhu Xi's expectations.

This is also enough to show that over the years, Ye Qing has been able to gain a foothold in the north, in addition to the extremely deep city, it is this forbearance that makes Ye Qing able to get out of danger again and again in the face of the suppression of the imperial court and even the emperor.

Thinking about it, Zhu Xi didn't think that when he was in a situation like Ye Qing, he could still maintain such forbearance like Ye Qing, and he wouldn't even wait for the situation to develop to such a grim situation, and he would have been suppressed out of the court by his own enemies.

When he was an official in the local government, or later an official in the palace, Zhu Xi never figured out what power conspiracy was.

The character and integrity of literati and scholars are of course important in the court, but the excessively rigid and fragile character and the pedantic atmosphere make a great Confucian like Zhu Xi not suitable for deceit above the court at all.

"After getting along with King Yan in the past few days, I finally let the old man completely understand why the old man's career is so unsmooth." Zhu Xi's expression did not seem to be lonely at this time, but seemed extremely honest, watching Ye Qing slowly move his gaze from the window to him, paused and continued: "If King Yan doesn't dislike it, the old man really wants to live a few days, and when Lin'an is calm, go to Yanjing to have a look, I don't know if King Yan welcomes it?" ”

Ye Qing's expression looked a little surprised, since he returned to Lin'an to visit Zhu Xi and said his request until today, Zhu Xi has not given himself a clear answer, but today...... Zhu Xi unexpectedly took the initiative to agree.

"Is what you said true?" Ye Qing asked anxiously with a happy expression.

Seeing that Ye Qing's joyful expression didn't look like it was deliberately pretentious at all, Zhu Xi smiled and nodded, "Really! Absolutely serious! ”

Seeing that Ye Qing was still a little incredulous, Zhu Xi no longer concealed his thoughts, and calmly explained to Ye Qing: "The old man has either put his mind on science in this life, or he hopes to make a difference in his career, but no matter what, the old man's ambition has always been ...... He has to leave something to this world for the rest of his life. Scholars study poetry and books for ten years, not only to be able to get ahead, but also to do something for the world and the people by relying on their own learning. For so many years, the old man has been haunted by the unsmooth career of his career, complaining about the heavens and people, and also lamenting the bad luck, but today's words of King Yan made the old man have an epiphany...... The court is not the ideal of the old man. ”

Ye Qing thought about it in his mind for a long time, and he didn't know what wise words he said today, which actually made the stubborn Zhu Xi enlighten and have an epiphany.

But no matter what, since Zhu Xi has promised to go to Yanjing, then there is no need for him to dwell on the reason, right?

"But I said it in advance, the old man is old, and I'm afraid that even after arriving in Yanjing, many things will no longer be able to be ......done by himself." Since Zhu Xi's heart knot has been completely untied, he seems to be much more honest when he speaks at this time.

"Sir, don't worry, there is no problem with anything here. I don't plan to let Mr. do something by himself, as long as Mr. is willing to go, Ye is already satisfied and grateful. Ye Qing picked up the teacup and saluted Zhu Xi.

"So King Yan doesn't know how many scholars ...... can be accommodated in Yanjing." Zhu Xi asked with a smile.

"Yanjing Academy, Mr. has the final say, Ye will never ask at will, and in the entire Yanjing Road or even the entire Northland, Mr. can set up branches at will, and all affairs are designated by Mr., Ye is willing to just contribute money and efforts." Ye Qing put down the teacup and said.

"King Yan deserves to be King Yan, if he is really a happy person, then ......."

"It's a deal!" The two said in unison, then laughed and raised their teacups again.

At this time, in the rainy Lin'an City, Rongguo Gong Zhao Shikui had just gotten into the carriage from the Hening Gate, and without waiting for the entourage to speak, Zhao Shikui hurriedly said: "Hurry to the Zuo Prime Minister's Mansion immediately, be quick." ”