For Li Mi, Ye Chang's Taoism was like pushing open a window, and a whole new world appeared in front of him. He was one of the smartest people of his time, and he naturally knew how much impact it would have on the old cognitive system if it really became popular.

It will even fundamentally impact the ideology and orthodoxy of Confucianism, and bring China back to the era of a hundred schools of thought.

However, Li Mi is a half-Taoist and half-Confucian, although he uses Taoism to cover his form and Confucianism as his bones, he is not very open-minded, so he does not have much disgust with Ye Chang's approach. After asking Ye Chang some questions about Taoism, he finally turned to the topic: "According to Ye Gong's view, there is Taoism, so I don't know if the country has Taoism?" ”

"Yes" Ye Chang did not hesitate, almost categorically.

"There is orthodoxy in that Taoism, and there are also fallacies and misinterpretations, is there also orthodoxy in the Taoism of the country?"

Li Mi's words made Ye Chang finally pause slightly, looked at Li Mi, and then laughed: "It turns out that Li Gong is waiting for me here." ”

"Ye Gong's wisdom is far-reaching, unparalleled in the world, and the mountain people naturally can't hide it from Ye Gong." Li Mi didn't deny it, but insisted on asking: "Ye Gong, please also solve the doubts of the mountain people." ”

"As I said before, the so-called Taoism is just two words, benefiting the people. If it is beneficial to the people, it is right, and if it is not good for the people, it is wrong, from the whole world to the country, and it is the political strategy. ”

Hearing Ye Chang's answer, Li Mi was happy in his heart: "Ye Gong is really close to the saint, even so, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the hope of all the people, if he can successfully ascend the throne, the world will be naturally peaceful, which is exactly what Ye Gong said about the people." Ye Gong, the mountain people do not hide it, the prince thinks that Ye Gong has the ability to be a prime minister, and is willing to entrust Ye Gong with the appointment of Kong Ming and An Shi."

He said it unabashedly, also because he knew that Ye Chang would never leak these words in front of Li Longji. Ye Chang laughed twice after listening to it, this voice made Li Mi feel extremely strange, he looked at each other in surprise, but found that the expression on Ye Chang's face had been retracted.

"Since His Royal Highness is willing to abandon his previous suspicions, how can Ye be ineffective?" Ye Chang said with a sincere face: "What Gong Li means, Ye completely understands, please rest assured that Gong Li is loyal to the Taoist system of Huaxia and has no second intentions."

Li Mi is definitely not stupid, he is one of the smartest people in this era, hearing that Ye Chang's words faintly contain other meanings, his heart moved slightly: what Ye Chang thinks in his heart may not be the same thing as what he says!

However, he didn't expect to be able to convince Ye Chang at one time, in his opinion, now that Ye Chang is in a difficult situation, he showed his intention to recruit the prince, just laying a good foundation, and if he really wants to subdue Ye Chang, he must wait for the prince to ascend the throne. Judging by Li Mi's lifespan of Li Longji, there should be three or five years left, and during this time, the prince can deepen his relationship with Ye Chang.

The two agreed, and Li Mi rushed back to Chang'an overnight. Hearing the news that he left Luoyang, Ye Chang sneered: "I don't know if he really doesn't know, or if he doesn't know." ”

"Whether he really doesn't know or not, Lang Jun can't be moved by his words, the prince is mean, unkind, for his power, and he has no regrets about abandoning his wife and children. Lang Jun and his grudge ended early, if it can be resolved, it should have been resolved a few years ago, why do you need to do it now? Moreover, in the eleventh year of Tianbao, Li Mi participated in the West Racecourse, and he did not explain it today, so he must have a ghost in his heart."

Although Li Yuan has not been by Ye Chang's side for a long time, he has participated in a lot of confidential things, so he knows a lot of things. Hearing him say this, Ye Chang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Are you worried? ”

"With the responsibility of a villain, he shouldn't have talked nonsense, but this matter is very important, and the villain has to speak

Ye Chang glanced at Li Yuan again, and when he saw Li Yuan's serious expression, he nodded slightly: "I know, you can rest assured." ”

Ye Chang understands very well why Li Yuan will speak, now, an interest group with him as the core has stabilized, like Li Yuan, if Ye Chang can be in a high position, then he will naturally be able to rise in the future, whether it is personal power or family wealth. On the contrary, if Ye Chang has any accidents, or Ye Chang's career suffers a serious setback, as talents cultivated by Ye Chang, even if they are used by others, they will not be fully trusted.

Therefore, even for his personal selfish interests, Li Yuan and others have to work hard to promote Ye Chang's career forward, and sometimes Ye Chang even thinks that if he himself becomes an obstacle to his career, these interest groups with him as the core will also think of influencing and even controlling him, so that he will not be hindered.

He unleashed a strange creature, which was still very weak, but one day, it would be so big that he himself would have to adapt to it. However, Ye Chang didn't have much resistance to this, maybe he didn't have to wait for that day, he would have already retired.

"Things always have to think about the worst, Li Mi came this time, the worst thing is to appease me for Li Heng. Li Heng was anxious to appease me, it must be because he had to do something, otherwise, what he should do was not to appease me, but to push me to fight with Yang Guozhong...... What can he do? ”

Ye Chang retracted his mind and focused his energy on the actual plans of the crown prince Li Heng and the others. He has a lot of eyeliner in Chang'an City, and he can also get a lot of important information, and from this information, he can analyze many things. However, no matter how powerful his intelligence network is, it can't be pervasive, so there are some problems, and he can only find out what is going on, but it is still far from the truth.

After Ye Chang's condition was confirmed, the government and the opposition seemed to be relieved, on December 1, the fourteenth year of Tianbao, seeing that the end of the year was approaching, the imperial envoy came to Luoyang again.

"The sage wants to enter Ye Gong as the king of the county and the secretary of the military department, and edict Ye Gong to return to Beijing?"

With the arrival of the envoy, this news quickly spread all over the world, and no one felt that there was anything wrong with Ye Chang, who was only thirty years old, to this step, on the contrary, everyone was still a little regretful: the court is stingy after all, with Ye Gong's merits and talents, he should be admitted to the prime minister, although the secretary of the military department is often the prime minister, but after all, in this edict, it is not said that let him enter the court as the prime minister.

Yan Zhenqing happened to be in Luoyang at this time, and after hearing the news, he immediately came to ask to see Ye Chang.

"Is this true or false?" He was upright, and he was an old friend with Ye Chang, so he didn't hide it when he spoke, and asked Ye Chang directly.

Ye Chang smiled and nodded: "It's true, but I'm not interested in the position of secretary of the Ministry of War, I would rather be the secretary of the Ministry of Work and continue to cultivate the track." ”

Yan Zhenqing was silent for a while, then raised his head and said: "Ye Gong, you and I have been friends for many years, and I know that you are only knowledgeable, so there are some academic things that I want to ask Ye Gong for advice." ”

"Oh?" Ye Chang smiled, there was Li Mi in the past, and Yan Zhenqing now, they all came to ask for teaching, this is really a coincidence.

"In the past, the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty, Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and Han Xin, why did Han Xin die when he was crowned King of Qi, and Zhang Liang died a good death for staying in the marquis?"

Ye Chang was originally sitting on his side, and when he heard Yan Zhenqing's words, he immediately sat upright, his eyes were blazing, and he glared at Yan Zhenqing: "What news did Yan Gong hear?" ”

"It's just a matter of taking it for granted." Yan Zhenqing lowered his eyes: "The rabbit is dead, and the bird is gone." ”

Ye Chang gently tapped the desk with his fingers, and did not speak for a long time.

The meaning of the imperial court, in fact, smart people can guess, rabbits and dead dogs cook birds and hide all the bows, which is the tradition of being an emperor. It's just that cooking is hidden, but it depends on whether the courtiers are smart or not.

Yan Zhenqing naturally hoped that Ye Chang would be smarter.

"In Brother Yan's opinion, what should I do?"

"When you enter Chang'an, you can't say you're sick." Yan Zhenqing looked directly at Ye Chang: "Hand over the military power and wait for him." ”

When he said this, he stared at Ye Chang tightly, as if he wanted to see his true thoughts from Ye Chang's expression. But Ye Chang's expression was not unusual, and after a while, Ye Chang said slowly: "Yang Guozhong wants to kill me, what can I do?" ”

"What?" Yan Zhenqing was taken aback.

"Summoning me into Beijing this time is because Yang Guozhong wants to kill me." Ye Chang's expression finally showed a hint of desolation: "He knows that he can't compete with me, even if I take a step back, he doesn't want to let me go." ”

"How can the Son of Heaven allow him to be like this" Yan Zhenqing was furious: "The Son of Heaven Shengming, how, how to ......"

"The Son of Heaven is suspicious of me, some time ago, the twenty-ninth noble lord also sent someone to tell me to go back to Liaodong to avoid trouble." Ye Chang said slowly: "You said that I was sick and returned to Liaodong, is this okay?" ”

Yan Zhenqing's mouth moved slightly, and he said softly: "This is also the next step." ”

This is indeed the next policy, if it is placed before the pacification of the Central Plains Rebellion, Ye Chang can still hide in Liaodong, hide for a decade or two, and then come back after the people of the Central Plains gradually forget about him. But now, he has made great achievements, and his achievements are difficult to appreciate, and he retreated back to Liaodong, almost slapping Li Longji in the face, so that everyone in the world knows that Li Longji can't tolerate heroes.

For the Li Tang royal family, his best ending was to return to Chang'an, and then be raised in captivity, or die violently after drinking a glass of wine one day

Yang Guozhong saw this point, so he was a little unscrupulous.

"I stayed in Luoyang and said that I was sick and didn't pay back, how about it?"

"It's also a good idea."

Staying in Luoyang and saying that he was sick and didn't go to Chang'an, it meant that he did not hide his suspicion of the royal family, and Yang Guozhong had an excuse, why An Lushan is still in Chang'an, isn't it just to deter him?

"So I still have to go to Chang'an." Ye Chang said slowly.

On December 2, the fourteenth year of Tianbao, Ye Chang set off from Luoyang and began to set off for Chang'an. Yan Zhenqing saw him off at Luoyang Station to board the rutted train, watching the car go away and gradually disappear behind the trees, he looked panicked, not only for Ye Chang's fate, but also for his future.

Maybe there is also the future of Datang.

On December 5, Ye Chang arrived at Lishan, where he also received Li Longji's will: to accompany his attendants and go to Lishan Palace.

Lishan Hot Spring Palace is famous all over the world, although Ye Chang is not the first time to come, but when he sees it here, he still feels that it is majestic and majestic. Moreover, in the past few years, relying on the flattery of Ye Chang and Yang Guozhong, Li Longji has used a lot of financial resources to renovate the Lishan Palace, and the magnates in Beijing have built gardens and houses here.

"Ye Gong, please come with me......"

The one who led the way for Ye Chang was a little eunuch, and after Ye Chang got off his shoulder, he had always been his guide. However, he didn't go far, and he saw a shoulder stop when he met him, and then Ye Chang heard it and shouted: "Ye Shiyi."

The voice was as crisp as a bell, and then, Shou An, who looked puffed up, showed his face from behind a tree.

"It turned out to be the twenty-ninth noble lord, who scared me a lot, and I thought that a female insect came out of the mountain." Ye Chang smiled and groaned.

Shou An was even angrier when he heard this, and said sharply: "Come here"

"No, look at His Highness's appearance, even if you don't eat people, you have to beat people"

In Ye Chang's eyes, Shou'an seems to be still a little when he was twelve or thirteen years old, cautious in front of people, but fierce in front of him, but sensitive and delicate in his heart. However, he couldn't help but tease the other party a little, maybe it was only the other party that made him still have a good impression of the Li Tang clan.

"If you don't come, I'll go over" Shou An was so angry that he snatched the dust from a eunuch, and ran towards Ye Chang with the corner of his clothes, Ye Chang turned around and fled, but he didn't escape too fast. The little eunuch behind him was about to catch up, but was stopped by Shou'an's companion.

"The saint wants to see Ye Gong...... How can this be delayed? The little eunuch stomped his feet.

"Alas, since you are by the saint's side, don't you know about Ye Gong and His Highness? Ye Gong is for His Royal Highness, but he dares to shake his fist at the saint......" Shou'an's companion said with a smile: "They haven't seen each other for a long time, it's common to make trouble, what do you go to make a fuss about, watch your head"

The little eunuch was a little anxious, but he didn't dare to chase it, so he could only watch from afar, and saw Shou An catching up with Ye Chang, and the dust was stretched out and pumped on Ye Chang's back, Ye Chang laughed while hiding, and seemed to be saying something in his mouth

He didn't know that this pair of people who seemed to be flirting were talking about serious things.

"What else did you come from, didn't I ask Niu Tianqi to tell you to return to Liaodong quickly? Could it be that Niu Tianqi didn't bring my message? If that's the case, I have to take the lives of his whole family," Shou An whipped the dust over and said in his mouth.

"He brought a message, but I think I should still come to Chang'an." Ye Chang said: "What news did you get?" ”

"What more news? An Lushan's army was stationed in the north and south of Chang'an, Yang Guozhong feasted him for three days, and the Yang sisters entered the palace every day to say bad things about you in front of their father, you said, what news do you want to get? Shou An said: "You go down the mountain immediately, let the monk protect you, even if it is killed, you must kill back to Liaodong, only by returning to Liaodong, your life can be worry-free"

"If I go back to Liaodong, I'm afraid I won't see you again in this life." Ye Changdao.

As soon as these words were said, the dust in Shou'an's hand stopped, and she stared at Ye Chang, as if she wanted to know that there was some sincerity in Ye Chang's words.

"At the beginning, I had an appointment with Li Tengkong, but she just borrowed you for a few years to protect the family, and when my father no longer cared about her family, she would leave with you." After a while, Shou An said, "Do you know about this?" ”

Ye Chang suddenly remembered that when he and Li Tengkong got married, the convoy that picked up the bride passed by Yuzhenguan, and Shou An had stopped the marriage and got into the car to say something to Li Tengkong. It turned out that at that time, Li Tengkong had such an agreement with her

"You two girls are messing around" Ye Chang snorted: "No wonder the empty lady is so dignified that she wants to make trouble"