On the quiet and winding forest path, Liang Xiao and Mei Gao walked slowly. In the dense canopy of trees overhead, there are small birds singing, and the crisp calls are heard in the silent mountain forest, making it more and more deep and quiet. Occasionally, when I look up, the beautiful mountain peaks in the distance come into view, slim and elegant, and suddenly give birth to the heart of dust.

"That's good." Mei Gao praised it heartily, and a pleasant smile appeared on his slightly darkened face.

"Don't rush to do it, you haven't seen the best yet." Liang Xiao smiled, pulled Mei Gao, and walked onto a fork in the road.

In front of is a narrow valley, on both sides of the mountains and rocks towering, a peach tree scattered on the ridge, the flowers are blooming, with a faint sweet aroma mixed in the moist moisture, a light breath, it will make people feel like they have fallen into the gentle country. Several mountains are continuous, undulating, like a palm, surrounded by five fingers.

Parting from the colorful peach blossoms, the two walked towards the depths of the valley. Gradually, the sound of water came, and it became louder and louder, until it became a thunderous roar. The air became more and more humid, and the steaming mist came to my face, not only my face was cold, but even my clothes became a little wet.

"What is this?" Mei Gao asked curiously, "Spring water?" ”

Liang Xiao didn't answer, stretched out his hand to pull away a peach blossom, and said with a smile: "Please!" ”

Mei Gao was tickled by his mystery, and he was not polite, lifted the hem of his clothes, and stepped forward.

Suddenly, a jaw-dropping beauty appeared in front of me. On the pale green rocks, a silver-like waterfall cascades down into the deep pool below the rock, stirring up a tumbling splash. The water vapor rises, and a rainbow spans the mountains.

Mei Gao was surprised and looked up. But I found that the waterfall was not one. It's three. Falling step by step from the top of the high mountain, the water rushes on the mountain rocks, stirring up the pearl flowers in the sky, and making a loud sound like a yellow bell and a big Lu, which seems to be one, but in fact it is three into one, which is breathtaking.

Mei Gao's eyes widened, and he watched all this greedily. Speechless for a long time.

Liang Xiao stood behind him, quietly looking at the beautiful scenery in front of him, with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

After a long time, Mei Gao took a deep breath and slowly spit it out. "It's so beautiful that I don't even want to go back."

"Then don't go back, I'm very spacious here, and there's no shortage of places for you to live. Although the women in the mountains are not educated, they are better than nature. You can marry a wife or buy a maidservant. You can find the right one. ”

"Don't talk about it. I'll tell you the truth, I'm really impressed. Mei Gao walked to the edge of the pool. He took off his shoes, undressed his feet, and plunged his feet into the cool spring water. The clear spring water swirled and flowed away from his feet, and he said seemingly casually: "Now that Chang'an is arguing so much, I'm really tired of it." ”

Liang Xiao didn't speak, walked to the edge of the pool, followed the same example, and immersed his feet in the water. He had already heard Mei Gao talk about the dispute between Dou Ying and Tian Weiting, and he always had an ominous feeling. Historically, Dou Ying was killed because of a feud with Tian Wei, and now it seems to be back on track.

Will Dou Ying die? Liang Xiao stared at the swirling flowing water, and was distracted for a moment.

After careful analysis, there is really no one else in the middle of the court who can compete with Tian Wei at the moment, except for Dou Ying. He was born a relative, but he was a marquis by virtue of his military exploits. He is in and out of the phase, both civil and military. What's more, in order to support today's son, he did not hesitate to turn against the Queen Mother.

However, none of this is enough for Dou Ying to win. Historically, he also had these advantages, but in the end he died.

Mei Gao waited for a long time and didn't hear Liang Xiao speak, turned his head, and saw Liang Xiao looking at the waterfall in a trance, and couldn't help asking, "What are you thinking?" ”

"I'm wondering who Wei Qihou's opponent is." Liang Xiao slowly turned his head and looked at Mei Gao. "Is it really Tian Wei?"

Mei Gao opened his mouth, brought the words to his lips, and swallowed them back. He rolled his eyes. Liang Xiao smiled. "Don't look at it, within a radius of 100 steps, there are only you and me. If you really want to talk to me about it, now is your only chance. If you don't want to say it, I won't force it. Leave here and never talk about it again. ”

Mei Gao smiled embarrassedly. "Bo Ming, you, you're just too direct. This is ...... When it comes to the imperial court, you can't be cautious. ”

"Prudence, I can understand, but cowardice is boring. Your father was the one who admonished King Wu back then, and in your generation, he won't even have this bit of courage, right? If you really break your career, you can leave a manor here. Don't dare to say anything else, worry-free food and clothing can be guaranteed. ”

Mei Gao turned around and glanced at Liang Xiao, his mouth crooked, his eyes weird. "If you really want to be upset, do you think you can really stay in Lushan? If you really want to listen to my opinion, you have to show some sincerity. ”

Liang Xiao was stunned for a moment and smiled dumbly. "What kind of sincerity do you want?"

"What are your plans to leave Chang'an so happily? Is it going to the Western Regions, or is it going to Yizhou? Mei Gao chuckled: "I have heard about the application of the king of Huainan to migrate to the domain. If it succeeds, can the Huainan Mansion after the migration have my place? ”

Liang Xiao was surprised and stared at Mei Gao for a long time. He didn't expect Mei Gao to say such a thing. From this point of view, he came to Lushan to announce the edict, I am afraid that it was not only arranged by the Son of Heaven, but also more likely to be requested by him on his own initiative. He thought about it for a while, stood up, dripping with water, walked to the depths of the pool, and hooked his finger at Mei Gao. "Want to know? Come down. ”

"What do you mean?" Mei Gao said as he tentatively entered the water. "I've only heard of people who are in the same boat, but I haven't heard of people who have been launched together."

"Because this matter is too dangerous, the ship will sink when it says it will sink, and it is not as direct as going into the water."

Mei Gao was stunned for a moment, raised his head, and stared at Liang Xiao. "Won't it?"

"Really." Liang Xiao said seriously: "This time it is really a place to die. If you regret it, it's too late to leave. ”

Mei Gao hesitated for a moment, then furious. "My feet are wet, is it too late?" As he spoke, he jumped into the water, slipped on his feet, and almost fell. Liang Xiao reached out to support him in time and couldn't help laughing. "It's worthy of Uncle Mei's son, and it's a little bloody."

"Don't talk nonsense, I'll just ask you, if you really want to lose, will Yizhou go?"

Liang Xiao patted Mei Gao's shoulder vigorously and laughed loudly. "Don't worry, it's not just Yizhou. The whole world is gone. ”

——

Except for the most core idea. Liang Xiao told Mei Gao most of his plans. Mei Gao listened. Not to feel like Atlas any longer. "So, what you said to the king of Huainan about the large piece of land is not a lie?"

"Of course not." Liang Xiao nodded. "Young children, reading thousands of books, it is better to travel thousands of miles. You're someone who's been to the Western Regions. In your opinion, which is bigger, the Western Regions or the Central Plains? ”

"The Western Regions are big, but the Western Regions are all deserts, no matter how big they are, what use can they be?"

"That's right, the Western Regions are all deserts. Can't afford to feed too many people. But this can at least show one problem: the Han Dynasty is not the whole world. The world outside the Han Dynasty is very vast, and you and I have a great place to play. There is no one here, and there is no place for others. Floating on the sea is not self-exile, but more likely to open up a broader new world. ”

Mei Gao nodded repeatedly. He had been to the Western Regions, and his eyes were wide open, knowing that what Liang Xiao said was not groundless. The world in his mind has far exceeded the territory of the Han Dynasty. Don't be nervous if you offend the Son of Heaven, it's a big deal to leave the Central Plains and find another place to live.

Something like that. There have been before, but the former Central Plains people had limited vision. The only places that can be imagined are the Yue Kingdom in the south and the Xiongnu in the north. The Yue country is a barbarian, and the Xiongnu are Hulu, both of which are inferior to the Central Plains, which is just a forced choice. Now the situation is different, at least there are Yizhou and the Western Regions to choose from, outside Yizhou and the Western Regions, there is also the land where the descendants of merchants thrive as Liang Xiao said.

Scholars say that it is not a good thing to be able to live with the legendary merchant for three generations.

"You gave Maoling's property to Wang Bin, that's your intention?"

"And it's not just that." Liang Xiao shook his head and laughed self-deprecatingly. "Your Majesty dotes on Wang Meiren, and I will give the property to Wang Meiren's brother, naturally hoping that Wang Meiren can say a few good words for me. Otherwise, as you said, it would be impossible for me to live in Lushan. ”

Mei Gao let out a sullen breath. "I have not seen a virtuous person as a womanizer."

"That's right, even Confucius can't help but want to meet Nanzi, I am an ordinary man, let alone expect to be born virtuous."

Mei Gao was stunned for a moment, and then burst out laughing. He pointed at Liang Xiao. "You, you, are blaspheming the saints again."

"I'm not blaspheming saints, I'm just seeking truth from facts. Far away, let's not talk about it, since the founding of our dynasty, among the previous emperors, which one meets the standards of the inner saint and the outer king? ”

Mei Gao raised an eyebrow. "You're getting bolder and bigger, even the first emperor dares to criticize it?"

Liang Xiao smiled disapprenously. "If you're afraid, it's too late to leave now."

Mei Gao pointed to waist-deep water. "I'm mostly wet, can I still walk?"

"In that case, then listen to me in peace." Liang Xiao laughed and stepped forward to hug Mei Gao's shoulder. The two walked to the shore and sat down on a large rock. "As I said earlier, Wei Qihou's opponent is not Tian Wei, but the Son of Heaven, or more precisely, the imperial power that has gradually lost its checks and balances. To put it in detail, Tian Wei is actually a failure. Look at what he has done, tsk, he is still the uncle of the Son of Heaven, in my opinion, similar to his grandson. ”

Mei Gao narrowed his eyes and listened intently.

"You just said that Tian Wei suggested that the heroes of the world should go to Maoling, which was intended to attack the rangers, implying that the Marquis of Wei Qi was coercing the will of the people to respect himself. I think this is not Tian Wei's suggestion, but the idea of the Son of Heaven. Of course, it is not ruled out that Tian Wei borrowed a knife to kill people. However, when the meritorious group and the princes and kings lose the strength to balance the imperial court, the rangers will sooner or later become the target of the Son of Heaven's killing. ”

Mei Gao sighed lightly and nodded. "That's right, among these forces, the rangers are actually the weakest. After Wu Chu, the strength of the princes and kings was greatly reduced, and the situation of the rangers was already much worse than before. Our fathers can still eat the princes, stay if they are together, and go if they don't, but now we only have one place to go in Chang'an. If you don't serve the Son of Heaven, you can only die in the countryside. ”

Liang Xiao smiled. Mei Gao finally said what was in his heart. People are selfish, and Mei Gao is no exception. If it doesn't involve his own interests, he doesn't care about who dies or who lives Dou Ying and Tian Wei, at least he won't care so much. Rangers and rangers are sometimes hard to tell. Mei Gao's father, Mei Cheng, and Sima Xiangru, who is still in the court, are both rangers, and it is impossible for them not to be nervous when Tian Wei proposes to deal with the rangers.

Before Wu Chu, the princely kingdoms were juxtaposed with the imperial court, and rangers and travelers had many choices. Whichever prince Wang Lixian corporal, they will go. Once the etiquette is not good, they leave calmly, and there is no need to worry about not being able to find the lord. But now that the princely kingdoms are gradually weakening, the imperial court has become the only option, and they no longer have the same scenery as before. To say that there is no sense of loss in my heart is certainly unrealistic.

If you are uneven, you will scream, and if you are poor, you will think about change.

The reason why he dared to reveal the idea of going to sea with Mei Gao was because he guessed Mei Gao's thoughts from Mei Gao's words. Mei Gao's father, Mei Cheng, is a typical traveler, and Mei Gao himself is not a real Confucian child, and he does not have such a heavy loyalty and belief, he has been to the Western Regions, to South Vietnam, has seen the world, and knows the greatness of the world. To resonate with him, Mei Gao is undoubtedly the most qualified.

Of course, the most important thing is that the Confucian idea of loyalty to the monarch in this era has not yet been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and scholars like Mei Gao, who uphold the legacy of the Warring States Period, are the mainstream of intellectuals, and their servility is not born, and their blood is still there. Wait another 100 years, when Confucianism has taken over the mainstream, and then it will not be so easy to do so.

"So, this conflict is inevitable, and there is nothing surprising in itself."

Mei Gao's brows tightened, and he fell into deep thought. He was only worried about his future before, but after getting Liang Xiao's promise, he had already relieved his worries. Hearing Liang Xiao say this, he realized that this matter was by no means as simple as his personal future and wealth. According to Liang Xiao, Dou Ying's opponent is actually the Son of Heaven, no matter how hard he tries, the defeat has already been decided.

The rabbit died and the fox was sad. Mei Gao is supportive of Dou Ying, and when he heard this result, it was naturally impossible to be indifferent.

"Is that all there is to it?"

"Not really, there are still opportunities." Liang Xiao held his head in his hands and leaned back. "Wei Qihou is not fighting alone, behind him stands the world's soldiers. If this power can be put to good use, there may be a chance to turn defeat into victory. ”

Liang Xiao said as he looked at Mei Gao from the corner of his eye. This is the real key, whether Mei Gao can take on this heavy responsibility depends on his performance at the moment.

Contrary to Liang Xiao's expectations, Mei Gao almost didn't hesitate, and immediately asked, "How can I use this power?" ”

"Have you thought it through?" Liang Xiao reminded: "I used to talk about it, but then it's real, and if you step out, you really can't get it back." ”

"Why are you afraid of wolves and tigers?" Mei Gao disagreed. "What's there to be afraid of, like you said, it's a big deal to go to sea."

Liang Xiao smiled. "Actually, it's simple, the Son of Heaven is ambitious to open up the Quartet. Only we can help him with such a thing, and Tian Wei and his ilk can't help him. After you return to Chang'an, you must do two things, one is to facilitate the migration of Huainan to the domain as soon as possible, and the other is to tell Wei Qihou to take every step of the way, and you must not be in a hurry. ”——

(To be continued.) )

PS: Xie Shuyou's Saharan fisherman rewarded 20,000 points (5.17).