Under the view of the immortals, the Son of Heaven stood with his hands in his hands, looking up at the tall bronze statue of the immortals, his eyes were a little confused.

Cao Shi hurried over, and when he saw that the Son of Heaven was distracted, he hurriedly lightened his pace. Chang Rong, the little eunuch standing on the side, saw it and hurriedly reminded him.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Pingyang is here."

The Son of Heaven withdrew his gaze, coughed, regained some dignity, and smiled a little more. He beckoned to Cao Shi and motioned for Cao Shi to come closer. Cao Shi didn't dare to slack off, walked quickly to the Son of Heaven, and bowed to the end, respectful and abnormal.

The Son of Heaven is very satisfied. As a representative of the meritorious group and the husband of Princess Yang Nobunaga, Pingyang Hou Caoshi's performance can be regarded as a minister. It can be seen that after decades of fighting, the group of heroes has disappeared and can no longer pose a threat to the imperial court.

The strong suppress it, and the weak support it. This is the only way to do politics.

The smile on the face of the Son of Heaven was even stronger. He stepped forward and lightly supported Cao's arm. "Brother-in-law, why be so restrained. I chose to meet you here just to relax. You see, the immortals are on the side, and we have temporarily put aside the difference between kings and ministers and gossip. ”

Cao Shi was flattered, but his heart was even more uneasy. He knew the temper of the Son of Heaven too well, and the sudden courtesy made him feel at a loss, and he couldn't help but reflect on his words and deeds during this period of time, and see if there were any taboos.

The Son of Heaven saw Cao Shi's expression in his eyes, raised his eyebrows slightly, turned around and walked forward. Cao Shi followed closely and walked away. The Son of Heaven said a few common words, and slowly led the topic to the war in Minyue. Cao Shi led the sailors to go on an expedition, conquered Dongye, pacified Minyue, and made meritorious contributions. However, the food of the Marquis of Pingyang did not increase, but only rewarded a thousand gold.

This reward is unusual. According to the convention, he is one of the main generals. With such a feat, Cao Shi should increase his eup, especially when Liang Xiao, the envoy, increased his escalation by 1,200 households. It is unreasonable for Cao Shi to have merit and not increase his value, but Cao Shi didn't say a word about it and accepted it calmly.

"You have made a meritorious contribution on this expedition. I am very happy that there is a successor to the Marquis of Pingyang. My sister is fortunate to have a husband like you. ”

Cao Shi's forehead was dripping with sweat. He said cautiously: "Your Majesty is falsely praised, and the ministers dare not be ashamed." This expedition, entrusted to His Majesty wisely, relied on the soldiers to use their lives, and the ministers were the chief generals of the water division, although they had small merits, they were not commendable. ”

"You're too modest." The Son of Heaven narrowed his eyes. Smiling. "Yihou (Cao Shen) was the first in military merit that year, and he made great contributions to the Han Dynasty, and he was a veritable pillar of the country. You are his heir, and you must serve the country more. ”

"The minister dares not to obey his orders." Cao Shi was even more nervous, and even his voice trembled a little.

It is true that Cao Shen is the first to make meritorious achievements, but later the first meritorious hero is Xiao He, and the evaluation of Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, is specifically aimed at Cao Shen. Cao Shen was a strong person, and later succeeded Xiao He as the prime minister. Strongly prevented Emperor Hui of Han's attempt to interfere in political affairs. The two hundred whips drawn on Cao Kuo's body have always been remembered in the hearts of the sons of heaven in the past dynasties, after Cao Shen. No one in the Cao family has ever served as a high-ranking official such as the Three Princes and Nine Secretaries, and they have done nothing politically.

What happened to the Cao family is the epitome of the hero group. It's just that the Cao family has always had very strict family rules, and there are no children who do evil, so they have always maintained their titles. By the time of Emperor Xiaojing, he also married Princess Pingyang because of his meekness and respectfulness, which became a symbol of the imperial court's pacification of the meritorious group.

This expedition. He was deliberately clumsy, and most of the time he hid behind, and Wei Qing charged into battle, and Wu was commanded by the battle. At this moment, when the Son of Heaven said such a thing, he didn't know that he didn't do his best. Or something else.

"Fellow generals, you're familiar with them, right?"

"Hmm...... Some contact, no deep friendship. ”

"It's okay, it's just small talk, let's hear it." The Son of Heaven put on a nonchalant look, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Hexi is not very peaceful, the imperial court may have to use troops in Hexi, I want to hear your advice." ”

Cao Shi was stunned, and his heart tightened. He knew that the Son of Heaven would not really be idle, and if he came to him, there must be something. Hexi with troops? The most suitable two people are naturally Liang Xiao and Wei Qing. In terms of ability and understanding of Hexi, it is naturally the most suitable for Liang. But after this reward, Wei Qing's food has surpassed Liang Xiao, and the Son of Heaven seems to be interested in replacing Liang Xiao with Wei Qing, so it is better to recommend Wei Qing.

Cao Shi thought about it, and then began to evaluate the generals. Han Anguo is old and thoughtful. Wu was resourceful and aware of the situation. Wei Qing is loyal and upright, brave and good at fighting. Han said that the young man was high-spirited and dared to fight. Cao Shi intentionally or unintentionally ranked Liang Xiao last, saying that he was as bold as a fighter and made good use of strange soldiers, but sometimes he was too reckless.

When the Son of Heaven heard this, he laughed dumbly. "Do you know what Liang Xiao says about you?"

Cao Shi shook his head blankly. "Liang Xiao has commented on the ministers?"

"The reason why I chose you to go on the expedition is because you are my sister-in-law, but Liang Xiao's evaluation of you is also one of the reasons." The Son of Heaven recounted the news reported by Lang Guan, and said: "Compared with his praise for you, your evaluation of him is not high. ”

Cao Shi was stunned for a long time. And such a thing? He didn't hear the wind at all. He came back from Minyue with Liang Xiao, and he didn't see anything special about Liang Xiao for him. He thought about it, and suddenly a flash of inspiration flashed and said with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that it may be a misunderstanding." ”

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yes, the Marquis of Pingyang he said may not be a minister, but someone else."

The Son of Heaven couldn't help but laugh. "Apart from you, is there another Pingyang Hou?"

Cao Shi raised his head and looked at the Son of Heaven quietly. The Son of Heaven was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized. "You mean...... I? ”

"Exactly." The more Cao Shi thought about it, the more he felt reasonable, and then said: "That's right, Chen and Liang Xiao have walked all the way, and they have no deep friendship. Before that, except for the previous dynasty, he had never had a private relationship with him. The minister has no precedent for commanding the army, and he doesn't even have the opportunity to serve in the army, how can he know whether the minister will use the army? ”

After listening to Cao Shi's explanation, the Son of Heaven also felt reasonable. He had many contacts with Liang Xiao and could feel Liang Xiao's appreciation for him. For a long time, he met Liang Xiao as Pingyang Hou, and it is entirely possible that Liang Xiao misses that time and still calls him Pingyang Hou.

Considering that Liang Xiao's evaluation of a person is never based on rumors, he basically meets often. People who are more familiar, such as Wei Qing and Huo Quzhi, the possibility that the "Pingyang Hou" he said refers to himself is indeed greater than that of Cao Shi.

The Son of Heaven suddenly laughed, unable to suppress the pride in his heart. Liang Xiao has always been proud, he never looks at people by identity. Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were both born as slaves, but he didn't despise them at all. Facts have proved that Wei Qing is indeed capable, and although Huo Quzhi is young, his talent is really different from ordinary people. In this way, Liang Xiao's admiration for him will not be polite words, but his real opinion.

Those who know me, Liang Xiao also! In an instant, the Son of Heaven had a great sense of spirit. He sighed for a moment. Then he asked: "Then in your opinion, who can shoulder the heavy responsibility of going to Hexi?" ”

Cao Shi blurted out without thinking. "Wei Qing."

The Son of Heaven smiled and shook his head. "I think there's another better fit than him?"

Cao Shi was stunned for a moment, and said uncertainly: "Liang Xiao? ”

"Nope." The Son of Heaven pointed to Cao Shi's chest. "You."

——

The Son of Heaven issued an edict, worshipping Pingyang Hou Cao Shi as the general of the expedition to the west, Changping Hou Weiqing as the deputy, and the case Daohou Han said that the new generals were recruited. As soon as the news came out. Li Guang was disappointed, and Dou Ying was also very surprised. Such a big deal. The Son of Heaven didn't discuss it with him in advance, which was far from what he expected.

He originally thought that the Son of Heaven would keep him, an "old minister", by his side, and even if he didn't immediately entrust him with important tasks, he would consult on everything and check for omissions. Now it seems that this is not the case at all.

Dou Ying was very lost. When he first heard the news, he could barely control his emotions, and he had an urge to go back to Chang'an to live in seclusion.

is also depressed Dong Zhongshu, or in other words, Dong Zhongshu is even more depressed than Dou Ying. He did not hesitate to offend Tianyan. explained the reason for the great water in Shandong as repeated wars and too frequent use of troops, but before the words fell, the Son of Heaven decided to go west again. It was worse than a slap in the face. All his hard work came to naught, the Son of Heaven took what he wanted to take, and the theories he valued the most were thrown away by the Son of Heaven like broken shoes.

The two lost people came together naturally. Taking the opportunity to discuss knowledge, the friendship between Dou Ying and Dong Zhongshu quickly warmed up.

——

Mei Gao stayed in Lushan for a few days, accompanied by Liang Xiao, enjoyed the scenery of Lushan, tasted Peng Li's whitebait, and prepared to leave.

Liang Xiao prepared some gifts for him, which were nothing more than some native products of Yuzhang, which were rare in Chang'an, but they were not rare. Mei Gao didn't take it too seriously, with his friendship with Liang Xiao, there was no need to be too polite for these regular gifts.

However, when Liang Xiao ordered someone to carry out a black lacquer box, Mei Gao was a little surprised. This box is beautiful, and the contents are naturally precious.

"What is this?"

"Paper."

"Paper?" Mei Gao was puzzled. Paper is a very cheap thing, is it necessary to use such a delicate box to pack it?

Liang Xiao didn't explain, and ordered someone to open the box, revealing a stack of white and flat papers, and the faint aroma spread, giving Mei Gao a sense of comfort in returning to the bamboo forest in Lushan. Liang Xiao picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Mei Gao. Mei Gao took it in his hand, turned it over and over, looked at it and looked at it, and the more he looked at it, the more happy he became. The paper was completely different from the thick and hard hemp paper he had in his impression, and the appearance alone was pleasing to the eye.

"Try it." Liang Xiao took a pen dipped in ink and handed it to Mei Gao with a smile. "After eating so many delicacies and seeing so many beautiful scenery, you want to leave without leaving two fu, which is inevitably too cheap for you."

Mei Gao laughed, picked up the pen and was about to write. Liang Xiao hurriedly stopped. "This paper is different from bamboo and wood tablets, you have to master the amount of ink, otherwise it will be a lump when you write it."

According to Liang Xiao's instructions, Mei Gao scraped off the floating ink on the inkstone, and then put down the pen. At first, he was a little uncomfortable with the words, and he became ink spots, but he quickly mastered the trick, and his writing became more and more beautiful. He was known for his quick thinking, and at the moment he got a good paper, he was in a happy mood, and he was thinking like a spring, writing like the wind, and he didn't work hard, and a "Lushan Fu" came out.

Liang Xiao picked up the fu and chanted it slowly, full of praise. "This is a well-written article, but I have a reluctant request." Liang Xiao squeezed his eyes. "These papers are hush money, in exchange for you to keep your mouth shut and not declare the beauty of Lushan."

Mei Gao was puzzled. He just wrote a proud gift, and he was thinking about spreading it all over the world, but Liang Xiao wanted to seal his mouth, what did this mean?

"I don't want too many people to know about Lushan and disturb my tranquility."

Mei Gao suddenly realized, couldn't help laughing, pointed at Liang Xiao and said, "You are so greedy, you actually want to monopolize Lushan." ”

"Don't dare, if you come, you will be happy to entertain you." Liang Xiao said with a smile: "I didn't ask you to never mention it for the rest of your life, just give me a few years to finish what I want to do quietly." In order to compensate for your loss, I will help you print a collection of essays and issue it to the world, so that all literate people in the world will know your name. ”

"What did you say?" Mei Gao was confused for a moment.

"You don't care so much, write a few good articles with your heart in the past few years, and then pick up the previous articles, and when the time comes, I will use this kind of paper to help you print thousands of copies, and each state and county will send a few copies, are you still worried that the world doesn't know you?"

Mei Gao laughed, only thinking that Liang Xiao was joking. In those years, all the articles were copied by hand, and even the most important classics did not have the luxury of copying thousands of copies. No matter how good his article is, can it still be compared with the classics of the saints?

"Thank you." Mei Gao arched his hand with a big grin.

Seeing that Mei Gao didn't believe it, Liang Xiao didn't explain much. When King Huainan got the printing technique out, Mei Gao would naturally believe it. These pieces of paper are just the first shots of a revolution.

"Young man, after you arrive in Chang'an, send some of these papers to Master Dong and let him make some preparations. It won't be long before someone challenges him. He'll just wait for the battle. ”

Mei Gao comprehended. In order to prevent the Son of Heaven from touching the survival foundation of rangers and rangers, Dong Zhongshu's "Three Strategies for Heaven and Man" and his "Legend of the Spring and Autumn Period of the Ram" must be knocked to the ground. Mei Gao has read more books than Liang Xiao, and he knows very well that compared with the theory of the Yin and Yang family inducted by heaven and man, the unification of "The Legend of the Spring and Autumn Period of the Ram" is the theoretical foundation for the Son of Heaven to act.

Mei Gao jokingly pointed to the paper in the box, and shook the pen in his hand. "So, this is the battlefield, this is the spear?"

"That's right, and you are a warrior who charges into battle, and what you write is not Fu, but a battle script." Liang Xiao was overjoyed. "I wish you success and victory."

Mei Gao also smiled from ear to ear. He shook his head repeatedly. "In terms of scriptures, I am not an opponent of Master Dong, but I can take the lead first. Bo Ming, you can send me a few more boxes of such paper as soon as possible. For my generation, who make a living from literature and ink, this is the best stepping stone, and it is invincible. ”

"I don't dare to say more, I can provide you with 500 coins a month, and I don't want a single penny."

"A thousand." Mei Gao patted Liang Xiao's shoulder hard. "Five hundred for your own use, five hundred for others."

"It's a deal." ——

(To be continued.) )