Song Yuan knew that his son couldn't bear it, but it was also because he was too young and had too little experience. There is no way to do this, only to wait for time to slowly accumulate and shape him into the appearance he is today. It's just that he is worried that in this process, the young head of the Song family should not go astray.

"Don't be sad, don't feel guilty. You have been merciful in this matter. Looking at our ancestors, no ancestor can do your job, and you have really done your best to him. ”

Zhong Hao nodded slightly, raised his head and smiled at Song Yuan. Song Yuan was relieved to see that his son's face did not have an overly sad look, and although his smile was dry, he was very relieved.

Song Yuan let out a long sigh, and then said calmly: "You transferred the right to sell salt to your fifth uncle, this move is excellent." The prince of the court is an adult, but the eldest princess holds great power, don't look at them now, there must be a vicious fight between the two factions, although His Majesty is silent now, but it is inconvenient to see that the power in the hands of the eldest princess is greater, and it is inconvenient to attack it now. ”

Song Yuan has been seriously ill for a long time, but he still has a clear view of the situation between the DPRK and China, and his vision is old and hot.

"Wan Tonghou is a close confidant of His Majesty, and he will inevitably fall to the crown prince in the future. Although our involvement with the eldest princess is helpful now, it may not be in the future. Since your fifth uncle wants to go through the door of the eldest princess, he will naturally follow him. ”

"Yes, that's exactly what my father said." Zhong Hao saw that Song Yuan coughed faintly again, then turned around and made a cup of tea on the small table, and said: "This is exactly what my son has planned, anyway, now the court is very dissatisfied with the matter of salt, so why don't you give it to the fifth uncle and let him please the eldest princess." ”

"That's it?" Song Yuan took a sip of tea, his throat was much smoother, and his dry and peely lips were also a little moisturized.

"Naturally not." Zhong Hao replied.

Song Yuan looked a little happy, stretched out his hand to help his son, and motioned for him to get up and reply. Zhong Hao sat back on the pestle, took the tea bowl from his father's hand, and put it away respectfully.

"The matter of illegal salt is now a lot of money, and it is extremely risky in the DPRK and China, and there must be people who will make a fuss about it. I want to be soft and small when this house is in chaos, and throw this hot potato to the fifth uncle, and he will ask the eldest princess for credit, so that if there is another attack in the future, it will not implicate us again. ”

Zhong Hao met his father's heavy gaze and continued: "Besides, even if no one has a seizure, I have already made arrangements. The salt transport envoy Si Yun and the ten thousand adults are our people. Sima Hao's elder brother is now in the cabinet and is very useful in the eyes of His Majesty, but the current envoy of the salt transfer has a bad relationship with him, and has an in-law relationship with the eldest princess. Lord Sima has long wanted to get rid of this person, but he has never had a chance, and I have asked Sima Hao to repair the book and his brother to complete this deal. This matter was brought forward by Lord Wan, Lord Sima was the central axis, and the heavens listened to it, how could the fifth uncle escape. Since the fifth uncle can't escape, and the eldest princess can't be good, the prince has a chance. ”

Song Yuan nodded, but suddenly asked, "How can you ensure that someone will come back to stir up trouble in this matter?" ”

Zhong Hao's face turned pale, and he sighed softly helplessly, "Father also said just now, if you can't cover your heart, you can't cover my life." What's more, I'm still alive, and the Song family is unscathed, how can he be willing. ”

"So, you figured it out." Song Yuan closed his eyes, stretched out his hand and patted his son's hand. "Just do it."

Zhong Hao lowered his head and saw that the meridians on the back of his father's hand were distinct, and he was very emaciated. He doesn't remember how he stayed with his father when he was a child, he only remembered that Song Yuan was still very young at that time, just like him now, with a strong and chic look.

It's a pity that the years are in a hurry, and the father who is at the helm of the big ship of the Song family is already old. I don't know what kind of wind and rain have made a handsome young man slowly become deep in mind and scheming in the decades he has experienced.

Maybe in a few decades, when I also took a young man's hand and admonished him so clearly, I would know the answer.

However, these simple words are revealed in every word between the lips and teeth, and how much ups and downs of the world and human feelings need to be filled?

When that happens, what will he really think in his mind?

Zhong Hao was stunned in his heart, he didn't know all of this for the time being, but the only thing he knew was that by that time, Xu Qingxia would be gone.

Because of such unbearable days, the Song Gate finally ran out of strength, and even Guan Zhang pawned a lot of shop business, pawned an extremely considerable field manor, the scale is very large, the streets know the alleys, the city is full of wind and rain, everyone looks sideways. Soon after, news came out that the Song family pleaded with the imperial court for the crime of not investigating, and took the initiative to hand over the shipping documents and the salt making official.

The prince of Song knelt in front of the inspectors in plain clothes and hair to listen to the holy teachings, and pious prostrate on the ground, his words were sincere and emotional, and the words were painful and heart-wrenching, and even the officials of the government were faintly tearful when he said it. The once-prosperous Song Gate officially slid into decline.

Sima Hao stood quietly on the steps of the mansion, looking through the crowd and looking at Song Zhonghao kneeling at the bottom of the steps.

This is a play, a scene in which the protagonist is calm, but the supporting characters and the spectators are unaware.

The monstrous wealth in his hands can be thrown away, and he can bend and stretch according to the situation, no matter what kind of predicament, he can make others believe in his sincerity without changing his face. Sima Hao panicked for a while, when did the unruly and even somewhat ridiculous Mr. Dacheng Library's most troublesome student start to become such a person who is full of city government and decisive and resolute?

Perhaps, he has always been such a person. From the fact that he chose to help his family, from the fact that he fancied Yanyun to make Si Yun and Wanhe Mountain his own people, these seemingly small and ordinary friendships in the past, he was already making his own layout.

Sima Hao smiled silently, Song Dagongzi was really shrewd.

When everyone dispersed, the former courtyard was prominent, and the front gate of the busy Song family was bleak, and the snow had accumulated, and no one had cleaned it.

"The adults will leave for Beijing tomorrow to resume their lives." Sima Hao and Zhong Hao walked side by side under the winding and silent corridor in the garden, and there were not a few people in sight in the huge courtyard, and there was thick snow everywhere.

Sima Hao continued: "Both Master Cui and Lord Qiu have entrusted me to thank you for your gift. ”

Zhong Hao laughed and patted Sima Hao's shoulder, "They are grateful to my Song family for being so knowledgeable, and they happily confessed their guilt, so that they wouldn't be able to go back even during the New Year's Festival." ”

Sima Hao's solemn face finally showed a faint smile, but he heard Zhong Hao continue: "But these people are probably happy too early, and it is estimated that in a few days there will be a new will in the capital." ”

"So, Childe is the time when he needs my eldest brother?" Sima Hao knew it in his heart.

Zhong Hao nodded, took the hand stove from Xiao Tang's hand, and the two turned around along the corridor and continued to walk forward.

"Lord Sima is in the cabinet, and with you, I don't need to detour around the bush." Zhong Hao lowered his voice and spoke solemnly.

"Now the court looks peaceful, but in fact, the crisis has risen, and the prince and the eldest princess will have a fight. Lord Sima is the prince's waiter......" Speaking of this, he turned his face to look at Sima Hao, his eyes were dark, and Yingying was turbulent with a chill as biting as this winter wind.

Sima Hao experienced hardships in his childhood, and he personally experienced the disaster of this partisan dispute, and he hated and was cautious in this matter. "Childe's words are very clear."

Zhong Hao nodded and continued: "And our Song family is also willing to support the prince's faction, after all, the prince is the rightful future king. In this way, you Sima clan and we all have the same goal. There is still a Zhuo Jun at the moment, and someone wants to use him to strangle me, and the source is still in the case of private salt. Therefore, I want to ask your eldest brother to take action, together with Wanhe Mountain, to deflect this sword edge, and ask them to reap the consequences. ”

"Childe means ......"

"Zhuo Jun will definitely bite the private salt to death, it is the mastermind of the Song family, killing the prince of Molan, and the Yao family is just a scapegoat. Now I'm low and small, and the power in my hands has been ceded to the fifth master of the clan, my fifth uncle and the current salt envoy are the upstarts of the eldest princess, I said this, do you understand? ”

While talking, the two of them were entering a warm pavilion, and Zhong Hao took off his outer coat from the small hall and sat on the floor. Sima Hao also went to the cloak and sat opposite him.

"I understand." Sima Hao slightly turned the jasper wrench in his hand, "Some time ago, I submitted a document to the Ministry of Officials, and I will leave for Beijing tomorrow, and I will definitely finish this matter with my brother for my son." ”

Zhong Hao smiled slightly, and poured a glass of warm wine for Sima Hao with his own hands.

Sima Hao leaned his tall body in respect.

"I remember that you liked to herd horses, and I left you two Zhuangzi on the grassland to the north. When you are successful in the future, I will go and gallop with you. The sky is high and the clouds are wide, isn't it pleasant. ”

Perhaps thinking of the free and refreshing life in his childhood, the corners of Sima Hao's mouth raised slightly, and his depressed and tense expression suddenly changed a lot, and he nodded lightly at Zhong Hao. The person in front of him is both a partner and a master.

Although Sima Hao looks cold, his heart is open. Although Song Zhonghao is a man of great profit and arrogance, he has clear rewards and punishments, and will never treat loyal people badly, let alone cross the river and tear down bridges, and cook rabbits and dead dogs.

Looking at his tolerance of Xu Qingxia for many years, he knows that he is not a really ruthless person. It is rare to have such a main family. It's a pity that there are always people who are overly greedy.

Therefore, Sima Hao looked down on Xu Qingxia from the bottom of his heart, but would always feel worried and helpless for Zhong Hao. This also strengthened his determination to devote himself and cooperate with him.

Zhong Hao turned the wine glass in his hand and looked at Sima Hao and smiled. "You've been in this small city for so long, and you've been wronged. Now that your brother is in his prime, and you are so strategic, maybe the next time we see you, I will call you a general. ”

Although the Sima family is a criminal minister, they are all smart and talented descendants. Now that there is a cabinet in hand, it is time to rise. If you can have one more credit for King Qin, you should not be afraid of any future and past. Therefore, Zhong Hao chose them, knowing that this deal would be profitable and not lose money.

So what about Mo Lan's side, Zhong Hao has been thinking carefully in his heart for a few days, and finally he is still unwilling to let go of his years of planning.