Chapter 13: The Lonely Minister

"But ordinary monarchs ......" When studying history in his previous life, Yan Rin's Taifu commented on Yanguo, the emperor who passed away in the prime of life, and now that he thinks about it, although he doesn't know if it's that person's comment, let alone if so, he thinks about whether he is the monarch of the old man after all, whether he has any feelings, just looking at this comment, it is still very appropriate. As the king of a country, Emperor Yan's governance is still clear, with the intention of protecting the country, and the heart of protecting the people, but his temperament is too indecisive, his ears are soft and he is very happy, and he has no strength in his own cultural and martial arts, and he can't be suppressed in the court, seeing that the courtiers are fighting more and more, he only retreats in exchange for stability...... Yan Rin's temperament is extremely strong, and he can't look down on such a weak and inactive emperor, and he even thinks that the story of the talented emperor's dying wisdom and talent, and the selection of virtuous ministers to support the young master, is really the cause of the effect - it is just that he has suffered from the party disasters of the courtiers for many years, and finally found a courtier who does not belong to the parties in the court and the central government after these years, and he eagerly grabbed it when he was dying. In the early years, he could still know how to temper and be cautious, but now he only wants to grasp a life-saving straw to use, and he no longer wants to think that this person is young and senior, and he is not from the family of the clan lords, he has no foundation of his own, and he has no relatives and friends to help him, even if he is very loyal and talented, it is difficult to do anything in such an environment. As for the possibility of such a chaotic commission of heavy responsibilities that would make it difficult for the ministers to obey, I probably didn't think about it.

is so irresponsible and easy to support the orphan, if you are a little unlucky, I am afraid that if you are only angry, the country will be in chaos. At least he gave his son his life, and at worst, I am afraid that even the national honor of more than 100 years will be gone.

"He's lucky......" Thinking in his heart, Yan Rin shook his head, and suddenly couldn't help but smile bitterly, from a general point of view, the person who was accidentally selected to become an auxiliary minister at a young age is more like the lucky party. However, those who say this don't know that whether it is a teenager becoming famous or having ambitions, everything that is eagerly pursued by people in this world is meaningless to the people in the small building. But, fortunately, they don't know—

The feeling that I have had, which is absolutely not pleasant, is like a huge signboard, clearly standing in the field of thinking, even now that I am a person in the world of a small building, this kind of feeling that is actually only in the life of the previous life, which is extremely important, or should be said to have to be valued, and what is indispensable if you want to survive, still makes Yan Rin unhappy, not to mention the feeling when she thinks that she is just treated as an experiment, and all your sincere efforts are only regarded as a piece of data......

If he hadn't finally figured it out, everything that person had done for himself was a testament to his intentions, and his current self would probably have become a terrible existence...... Recalling that he was obviously a human being in two lives, and he had no responsibility to oppress and have to question, but he would misunderstand that person again, Yan Rin's heart was full of bitterness, but more pain immediately burst out, and his chest hurt - in Yan Rin's life, the misunderstanding deliberately created by that person attracted the most fierce and cruel treatment, if it weren't for that accident, there would not even be a little room for maneuver, and he would fall directly to the most tragic and irretrievable end...... And Rong Shen's life......

The painful feeling ran down the nerves, stretching around Yan Rin's body.

If you use a popular word to describe the tolerance and prudence in officialdom, the four words "unpopular" are very appropriate. Unlike Yan Rin's memories in his previous life, the Da Yan Quan who was actually so loved by his subordinates that he had to deliberately defile himself or even deliberately fake himself in order for him to attract talents, Rong Shen in this life seems to have made up his mind from the first day he entered the officialdom to make any bosses, colleagues and subordinates have no good impression of him.

There is no stubbornness, no arrogance, and no unreasonableness, speaking from the heart, Rong Shen has not done anything that will be annoying to people for granted. On the contrary, he is a decent person, well-behaved, talented and responsible, and he is quite considerate of the difficulties of others when working, and he really should be classified as a good person. It's just that although he treats people with gentleness, he always shows a faint appearance of detachment - he doesn't want to be superior, but every time people inadvertently, they realize that this person actually has no intention of having any deep friendship with him...... If this kind of behavior is only a person who is not good at socializing with others, but he can be cautious and famous, and he is also a young man, he will inevitably be regarded as a dustless stream under his high self-promise, and his gentleness and indifference will become a lazy and mortal general knowledge. Originally, several factions in the DPRK and China were fighting for power, and it was the time to compete for manpower, such a person who was powerful and capable in the heart of the emperor, even if he was higher, in order to pull him into his camp, everyone was willing to tolerate one or two, but he was cautious and ignored any faction, and he always put on a single appearance of being willing to do business on weekdays, and never had anything to do with any party, and as a result, he was even more pretentious and famous.

Such a person, although he will not curse him to die early, but if he sees him suffer a little loss, everyone is happy, therefore, when the news of Emperor Cai's illness spread, while worrying about the emperor, the country and himself, thinking of this kid who is talented but has no foundation, but can only be on the throne by relying on the emperor's favor, is about to lose his reliance, and can no longer be so beautiful, the courtiers of the country are not unhappy in their hearts.

However, contrary to the original, in the last month of his life, Emperor Cai first promoted Rong Shen to the phase, and then crowned him as the crown prince, and on his deathbed, he simply issued an edict and entrusted the young emperor of Caiguo directly to him......

Such an edict naturally made a group of ministers very dissatisfied, but although the political competition in the country was fierce, after all, the emperor's authority was still there, and since the edict of which courtier was selected to assist the government, since it was so clearly issued, the rest of the people had to obey it. Having said that, how can the important ministers and generals who can't even be suppressed when the emperor is there, be willing to accept a hairy boy to take care of it? Everyone has already made up their minds that if Rong Shen is a little reckless, they will take the opportunity to cut his face and give him a disadvantage.

This kind of planning and calculation is not inappropriate, but I don't want to calculate it again - to everyone's surprise, although Rong Shen has the reputation of being a minister of Tuogu, he doesn't seem to plan to clean up the court, and he just looks for famous Confucian Susu all day long, and wants to find a few good teachers to educate the little emperor, and he doesn't pay much attention to the affairs of the court.

After a few months of this, the hearts of the people were also relieved. After all, he was young and did not dare to offend the Manchu Dynasty civil and military forces easily, but he was unwilling to get involved with his friends before, and he did not deliberately go against everyone, but just wanted to protect himself. In the following year, the political controversy became more intense, but in order not to annoy Rong Shen and make enemies with Bai, whenever he had occasional opinions, as long as they did not greatly harm the interests of any party, he easily refused to refute them, but several policies that Rong Shen implemented were carried out extremely smoothly.

Seeing such a chaotic situation in the Caiguo court, Yan Rin's mood was extremely complicated. He looked down on the courtiers of the talented country who were greedy for profit and short-sighted, and regardless of whether they did not abide by the way of the ministers and did not care about the people's livelihood and oppressed the monarch, just seeing them so cautious, he couldn't help but sneer in his heart - that person, is that easy to bully?

Thinking back then, that person had been in charge of the affairs of Dayan for more than ten years, and in such a troublesome situation, Xiao Wall was in chaos, and even his own life in the palace could not be saved...... The result? After a few years of hard work, which of the powerful ministers of the imperial family was not suppressed in his calm wind and clouds, and he did not dare to act rashly? A thunderous blow, that is the last resort to use, how much secret design, how much to draw from the bottom of the kettle, how much imperceptible is the key. At the moment, when the decrees were issued, they waved them off without care, and if there was a big court, no one could see those policies that seemed to have little connection with each other, but in fact they were weaving a big net, ready to wipe them all out......

Of course, Yan Rin didn't care about the fate of those important ministers of the Cai Country, but he couldn't help but sigh for that person - although the opponent was so incompetent, it would be easier to deal with it, but such an ordinary person could dominate the court for so long, and the political situation of the Cai Country was ruined and the lack of talents was really conceivable. It is not difficult to clean up these city fox society rats, but what is really difficult is how to rectify the endgame after this and make the country prosperous again.

That man succeeded. More than ten years later, when the young emperor was in power, the country was governed and the government was clear, and the national strength was growing day by day - the records in the history books, Yan Rin still remembers it to this day. However, behind such remarkable results, how much effort did that person put in? And the young monarch who was cared for so wholeheartedly by him, he had never worked hard and endured hardships, and easily took over the results, but he didn't have the slightest gratitude, the intention of defending, and his own incompetence, such a good situation could not be deterred, but he only pushed that person out to please the ministers......

sighed, and the bitter meaning surged again, but the contempt and hatred in it gradually turned into helplessness, and the wisps were entangled in the heart, stirring people upset. After many years of imperial career, Yan Rin has long learned how to control his emotions in judgment, even if the object is that person, he can't make too biased judgments - although reluctant, he has to not admit it, to act cautiously, the emperor killed him after taking power, it is really the best thing to do, and the mistake of the emperor is not too ruthless, but from beginning to end, he failed to grasp the initiative.

Rong Shen didn't have to die, he was actually very likely to be the monarch's strongest help—if it was a strong monarch in the prime of life...... The strong and wise king, and the lonely and capable minister, may leave a good story of the monarch and the minister working together to create a peaceful world. However, Rong Shen is Tuogu's courtier, and he is facing a young emperor who has just taken power, has an unstable foundation, and urgently needs the support of his ministers. For Emperor Cai, it was necessary to curry favor with a group of courtiers, it was reasonable to sacrifice one person to win support for himself, and to kill Rong Shen in exchange for benefits...... It is also the most efficient. He was only wrong because as an emperor, he should not be forced by the coercion of his courtiers and submit to their will, so that in the days to come, he would have no prestige and be regarded as a weak and deceitful king. What he should do is to preemptively attack, collect evidence of Rong Shen's crimes, and depending on the attitude of everyone, win over and buy some of the courtiers, and then attack and contain another part of the people, and use the opportunity brought by Rong Shen's death to rebalance the court situation, and finally take control of it......

A self-deprecating smile gradually appeared at the corners of her mouth, and Yan Rin sighed deeply in her heart—how familiar does this technique sound? It seems that just a long time ago, the self who was Emperor Yan in his previous life did exactly that...... And the patience of patience, the method of gathering evidence, the means of winning hearts and minds, the timing of attacks, and the practice of using a person's death in exchange for the most profit...... It seems that it is that person, openly and secretly, teaching by word and deed, and guiding himself little by little.

Why? Looking at the person who sat in front of the bookcase, waving his pen all night to correct the folds, Yan Rin's question was held back in the depths of his throat and could not be sounded. Why...... Seeing that person standing on top of the court, smiling indifferently and pushing the executive order, Yan Rin suddenly felt that he didn't have to ask such a question at all.

Why?

Because that person will examine his actions in the previous life, he will be dissatisfied with the later outcome of Emperor Cai, and he will regret that he did not teach him how to sell himself for a good price when he betrays himself. Because that person has been a human being for many years, he has long been exhausted, and when he reaches his own life, he no longer wants to do any entanglement, so he simply cut it off with a knife......

Seem...... Yan Rin in the previous life was the result of that person's catharsis...... Sudden thoughts appeared in his mind, but Yan Rin was no longer able to complain about this level of emotion, and strong self-criticism was occupying all his nerves at this time—that person's pain, that person's pain, that person's unspoken feelings...... In the end, what did Yan Rin in the previous life understand?

Does the child, who resents the abandonment, understand the meaning of that person's indifferent teaching? The young emperor, who thought he had known the truth, thought about the pain that would inevitably arise behind that person's tolerance? Even if Yan Rin, who has gone through the years of his later life, is satisfied with the fact that he can already walk side by side with that person, in the end, he doesn't understand that person's long-term indifference and exhaustion?

That kind of ignorance and negligence can't be prevaricated by a sentence that doesn't know about Xiaolou - even if he can't see the waves of feeling that are rolled up by the river of time from an accidental trance and a sigh, if he has the heart, at least, he should be able to feel the fluctuating mood of that person at that time.

And yet he didn't know, he never knew! He had never thought about those things, but he was so at ease and accepting everything......

That's the end of it, though.

What Yan Rin didn't understand in the previous life, in this life, Shang Zi can understand; The feelings that Yan Rin couldn't understand in his previous life, in this life, Shang Zi will definitely understand - he will see with his eyes, think with his heart, and engrave all the bits and pieces in his heart.

In that distant and ancient time and space, the loneliness of separation, the detonation of one's nature into the darkest environment in the world, the fatigue of deliberate fighting, and the pain of being repeatedly betrayed and betrayed by a child who was pampered and pampered by one hand...... Everything, he has to read it, he will understand, this time Shang Zi, this time Yan Rin, will no longer allow himself, continue to be ignorant - looking at the screen, the person who respectfully bowed his head in front of the little emperor, Yan Rin silently swore in his heart.

Coming out of the imperial study, Rong Shen looked satisfied, just after reading the young emperor's homework, he felt that several emperors were indeed worthy of the name of Confucianism. The little emperor's knowledge foundation is very good, although the progress is not very fast, but the victory is that the foundation is solid, the recitation is familiar, the understanding is thorough, although the calligraphy and painting are still significantly childish, but at this age is not bad...... Smiling slightly, Rong Shen felt that it was really cost-effective for him to go to various places to visit and invite these people to be the teachers of the young emperor.

Rong Shen had no intention of educating the emperor on his own. Not to mention that the affairs of Emperor Yan are still vivid, he never wants to repeat the mistakes of his previous life, so he made a decision long before he entered the WTO, and he will never spoil the young emperor so unprincipled in this life, so that he will develop a temperament that only knows himself and does not know others, and in the end he will harm others and harm himself and the country and the people.

The situation in Caiguo is now turbulent. In the past, when the first emperor was still alive, although there were many concessions, after all, he had reigned for nearly 20 years, and although the officials of various factions had little respect for him, there were still some of them. Now that a little doll sits on this throne, the designated minister is such a rootless hairy boy, where are these people still afraid? Every day, he just wants to defeat all the other forces, so that he can be dominant. Today, Xu Shangshu and his faction of the Marquis of Zhang bullied the people, and tomorrow Wang Ge Lao's subordinates accused General Lantai of misleading the country and harming the people...... The entire Caiguo court was in a mess, and almost nothing could be done. Fortunately, several factions wrestled with each other, but formed a delicate balance, although it is difficult to eradicate for a while, it is much easier to restrain and utilize, and some people who want to get rid of them do not even have to do anything, as long as they secretly instigate it, someone from another faction will deal with it on their behalf. Although this continues, these people hate each other even more, and one day they will make a fuss and will not leave half a way back for each other, but by that time, the previous decrees have already shown their effectiveness, and if they can still make them fall out of the world, Rong Shen, a small building person who has knowledge beyond the times and has two generations of auxiliary political experience, will no longer need to mix.

In the years that followed, events developed as Rong Shen had hoped.

In the fierce fighting, Zhang, Wang, Xu and the four factions of the Taitai faction all suffered a lot of losses, especially the faction representing the military forces, in the third year of the new emperor's succession, the head was suddenly besieged by the rest of the factions, and under the successive difficulties, the force shrank to only 30% for a while, and then although it tried its best to remedy, it has not been able to recover to half of the original, although it is still a force that cannot be ignored, but it is basically withdrawn from the main stage. The space he had left was also divided among several factions...... It's just that what these civil servants and ministers didn't expect was that their so-called success was actually just a marriage for people - taking advantage of this exchange of blood, they saw the weakness of the new military clerical officers who were not equipped with weapons and were difficult to convince the public, and Rong Shen secretly held eighty or ninety percent of the "territory" they thought they had in hand, and a year later, they took advantage of the situation to win over the general Taiqing, who was unable to resist and was dissatisfied with these three families, so as to completely control the army of Caiguo, especially the defense of the capital, in his own hands......

With the military power in hand, Rong Shen can be regarded as having the most powerful support. In the next two years, he even eliminated both soft and hard, dismissed Xu Shangshu's position, cut the title of Marquis Zhang, and sent Wang Ge Lao to return to his hometown.

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Chapter 14: Retreat

The white horse has passed, and ten years have been put on a country, but in fact, it is only a flick of a finger. However, in this short period of time, there are many things that can be changed.

After defeating several factions that dominated the court one by one, Rong Shen was not in a hurry to make any big moves, except for the usual emphasis on Sannong, the construction of water conservancy and the opening of a three-year scientific expedition, in the past two years, he did not come forward to preside over any government affairs, but let the entire country run naturally only by the ministries. Such a faint and almost nonexistent sense makes people who don't know look at it, and they almost think that this talented head of the country may suddenly believe what Huang Laozhi said, and begin to inherit the four words of inaction.

Of course, it is impossible for Rong Shen to suddenly not act - it is not necessarily bad to be cured by hanging the arch, but it is definitely not suitable for the current situation of the country that is full of ills and must be sorted out. It's just that the situation has changed, people's hearts are unstable, and although the top banes have been suppressed, there are still many fragments of their long-term development of the subordinate veins that have not been fully subdued, not to mention the integration of these forces with mutual grudges and let them play their due role. These officials, who are only in the middle and lower ranks, may not be the main force in the competition between the DPRK and the government, but if they focus on the stability of a country's development, they are a link that must not be neglected. Therefore, for more than a year, Rong Shen seems to ignore everything, but secretly he has never relaxed. or to appease, or to retract, or to dismiss, or to rise and fall, or to transfer to another side so that their power can be broken from it, and then replaced by reliable people to take over the side...... He used all means to comb this group of people into the state system in the shortest possible time, and then carefully tempered them to make them stable and flexible, and gradually able to play their due role.

This process is cumbersome and detailed, and it cannot attract attention and disturb the hearts of the people who are not very stable in the first place, even with the ability to be tolerant and cautious, it took a full two years to complete. It was only at this time that he freed his hands and really began to govern the country.

said that it was the beginning of governance, but Rong Shen was not a drastic and radical style, although he also issued some new measures, showing that he was still a Confucian after all, and did not intend to carry out inaction to the end, but seriously, there was really nothing eye-catching coming out of his hands. Even those so-called new decrees, in the eyes of everyone, are only the time and place, and no one else thinks of using them, and the instructions themselves alone do not have any brilliant ideas that no one has ever thought of.

Rong Shen's political achievements are rarely criticized, saying that although he is talented, he can only govern one thing at a time and one place, and if it comes to commanding the overall situation, it can only be regarded as the ability to keep the success, and he cannot open up a new situation. Fortunately, he is indeed loyal and meticulous in supporting the young master, and he has the authority to rectify the powerful ministers before, but no one is too aggressive.

But that changed a few years later.

With the passage of time, people gradually realized that the originally chaotic court has become orderly and efficient, and the new scholars have begun to enrich all corners of the officialdom. In the account books of the household department, the amount of money and grain is increasing day by day, and even the population of the whole country has increased considerably in the past few years...... At this time, the courtiers and ordinary people of the talented country suddenly realized that those policies that did not seem to be great at the beginning actually had their own profound meanings.

For such achievements, the government and the opposition have all praised. It's just that the praise from the people, because the policy has been effective for too long, often does not have enough knowledge, can not see the subtle knowledge, but more than half of it is sent to the heads of the specific executors, and among Shilinhuai City, the highest merit and the most praise are given to the little emperor who has not yet been in power.

It was a common thing in this day and age for the merit of a courtier to be attributed to the king, and even if the emperor had no role to play in it, no minister could be allowed to take all the credit and overshadow him. However, what is hidden in the evaluation of the high-ranking officials of the talented country, who seem to be loyal to the monarch and is very in line with the etiquette norms of the world, is deep malice and hatred.

There is no benefit in the world that is born out of thin air, and even if it is a new benefit, it is necessary to prune and weed before harvesting, which will damage the existing profiteers. Not to mention that Rong Shen's actions over the years can be regarded as some innovations, but the main thing is to return to the roots and eliminate the original drawbacks one by one, so that the country can get on the right path, which will cause more damage to those with vested interests.

The increase in the peasants' land production was a hindrance to the acquisition of land by the wealthy; The soldiers' adequate food and wages were obtained by drinking the blood of the generals; The increasing abundance of the treasury was obtained by robbing Ruth of the illicit wealth of the corrupt officials; Those who were newly transferred to the most suitable positions in the DPRK and China had their official positions snatched from the hands of the original high-ranking officials and dignitaries...... While slowly moving towards the world of peace with the talented country, Rong Shen also offended almost the entire officialdom. Compared with ordinary people, these people have knowledge, talent, and more right to speak, although because of the strength of Rong Shen's one-handed covering, no one is willing to face the enemy, but when they will not hurt their own body, they will definitely do it if they detract from the glory of this person.

The courtiers' slander, Rong Shen didn't take it too seriously, he had to offend people when he came to do things, and he always knew what kind of comments he would have for what he did. Although those people lost what was outside the scope of the law, but the interests are always interests, and if they lose so much, they will not even let them scold twice, but it will be too harsh. After all, Rong Shen came from an era when he was not punished for his words, and since the officials did not disagree with him, he did not intend to blame anyone. Besides, the young emperor will be in charge of the government in the future, although there is no need to hold a formal ceremony, and there is no talk of any government handover, but he has always been cautious, and he has already made up his mind that the emperor will resign and retire after the emperor's pro-government, so he feels that there are many trivial matters, and half of his thoughts are put on this, and naturally he has no energy to entangle these complaints.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites thought about his meaning, and raised the banner of the new emperor not thinking about luxury and loving the people, and it was very simple to do. A very small ceremony, like going through the motions, was quickly over, if it weren't for the next emperor to sit down after the imperial case, and start to manage the government himself, it would almost make people feel that this day was actually no different from the past.

However, this day is destined to leave a word in the annals of history, and the first piece of music received by the young emperor of the Cai Kingdom will also be mentioned in the years to come-Rong Shen, the important minister of the two dynasties, the prime minister of the auxiliary government, knelt down in front of the young emperor who was pro-government, handed over the recital, and begged to resign and retire......

Although he had long known that that person would resign at the court meeting on this day, when he saw the figure kneeling down in front of the imperial steps, Yan Rin still felt as if he had been struck by lightning in an instant. His whole body was numb, and he only felt a throbbing pain in his heart. There was a faint bitterness spreading in his mouth, but it gradually became dry and astringent, sticking there, slowly sinking, sealing his throat, and making people almost suffocated......

What kind of thoughts does the kneeling person have in his heart at this moment? Yan Rin almost didn't dare to think about it—in fact, he didn't have to think about it. is familiar with the history of the future, and knows better the choice of that person in the next life, and what kind of hope is hidden behind that person's resignation, he can easily guess.

It's all over the place, that's what that person thinks. He thought that at present, the court situation is peaceful and the world is healthy, although Emperor Nacai has little experience, he can also sit firmly in the court and guide the mountains and rivers from now on; He thought that he resigned from his official position, handed over his authority, and no longer stood on top of the court, no longer blocked the emperor's way, no longer hindered the emperor's eyes, and no longer caused the emperor to be unable to let go of his hands and feet smoothly, so he could return calmly; He thought that he had no roots and no foundation, and there was no more family as large and powerful as in his previous life, and he used his identity to oppress and coerce the emperor, so he had nothing to worry about...... He thought ...... Over the years, he has worked hard for the emperor to govern the government, thought about everything for him, arranged everything for him, and always got an ending for Lin Quan's old age.

However...... And yet – no. In the not-too-distant future, just over a year later......

The corners of his mouth seemed to be falling by something heavy, sinking vigorously, and he could even feel the extreme sourness in that area, sending out a signal that he was about to be paralyzed, but Yan Rin didn't have time to reach out and rub it to relieve the tension in his muscles—perhaps, this was not a physical reason at all—and he was trying to widen his eyes so that the soreness under his eyes did not spread.

How should you describe such a person?

Naive...... Is it?

The sourness in his eyes was even stronger, but the corners of his mouth began to gradually curl, and he closed his eyes slightly, and Yan Rin's face was filled with a bitter smile.

yes, naïve! That's all I can say, right?

I thought that this would be good, and I thought that if I achieved this level, I could win the grace of the monarch and the ministers, and I thought that in this way I could retire from the ...... Thought so...... Thought so......

Is...... It's hard to imagine. That person also had such naïve years.

That one...... took him to read history, calmly pointed out the successes and failures of countless characters in the annals of Qingshu, and pointed out all kinds of the most tortuous and obscure things for him one by one.

That, taught him strategy, although he repeatedly warned that the monarch should not rely on power and scheming, but also directly and indirectly taught him how to see through, how to prevent it, and even how to use the darkest and most glamorous people in human beings.

The one who designed for him, planned for him, laid out such a big game for him, secretly dispatched and recruited manpower for him, and sacrificed himself, concealed from him, concealed almost everyone, and paved a future for him......

Unexpectedly...... There have been ...... There have been times when I was so naïve, almost like a dream, and I was blinded by hope and couldn't see such obvious facts.

Not used to it! Really unaccustomed.

Obviously he is still that person, obviously he is still so leisurely, so calm and smiling, but suddenly he is unfamiliar, so that people can't adapt to it.

But...... Strange, yet so familiar.

Different body shapes, different eyebrows and eyes, and even the thoughts in his head are naïve, not like that, talking and laughing, blocking countless conspiracies and tricks of the Great Yan Quan Xiang - but, but...... But the action, the demeanor, the grandeur of the body, the look in the eyes, all the same, just like the memory......

So, it's still that person, right? It's just that I haven't met myself yet, or even, I haven't ...... yet Grow to ...... When you can protect yourself.

Growth, this is a word that Yan Rin has never thought of in the long years of the past, in two lives, that can be put on that person.

In my impression, that person is almost a fixed existence.

He had been there for as long as he could remember, strong enough, firm enough, so steady that he never seemed to waver.

Although he had seen the man's crippled and frail appearance with his own eyes later, the undiminished demeanor made people always feel that the lack of some external objects was of course a great regret, but it could not lose the inner brilliance of that person at all.

Although, later, when I came to this world, looking for an unexpected opportunity, I saw that person enter this red dust field, browsed carefully, and saw him in the baby's body, so soft and fragile that it seemed to be broken at the touch of a touch, and he was also relieved that he would also be broken, and the pain was so painful that he wanted to escape healing...... However, in such a weak body, after all, there is a familiar soul that has never changed, and after such pain, it is always human nature to retreat.

I wanted to know that person, I wanted to be considerate of that person, I thought not only to walk side by side with that person, but also to be his dependence and the source of his warmth in the moment of vulnerability that he would inevitably have—just as he had done for himself back then.

However, there has never been a moment when I have ever thought about that person, who will also be naïve, will also be immature, and will not be able to think of what to think, and will only follow the hope and let go of the reality in front of me - there has never been a moment when I realized that after hundreds of years and three lives, that person is just a student of Xiaolou, but a young man who has not yet been able to act freely and has not yet been fully recognized as a social qualification in this long world.

Suddenly, something suddenly dawned on me.

In the first life, that person was dedicated to governing the country, but he didn't expect that in the word auxiliary government, there was also the responsibility of raising the young emperor, is this exactly what the inexperienced people have guessed out of thin air? In the second life, that person used a completely different approach from the previous time, and favored the emperor very much, but this is the result of overcorrection by a student who is bent on improving, wanting to make up for his mistakes? In the third life, he had such an attitude of not being far away from the emperor, although he had concerns about protecting himself, but he was so lonely that he deliberately avoided the wealthy family even from his family background.

I see, so......

That person, always that person, has never changed. His expression, his bearing, even if he changed his skin, he could recognize it at a glance; His thoughts, his thoughts, can be speculated and inferred today when he knows the past. However, that person is not all "that person", not all of them are the left minister of Yan Guo in his memory - even though his soul is always the same, but Rong Qian is the appearance of his accumulation in three lives and four lifetimes, step by step.

The person in my memory, who had no father, no mother, no relatives, no unusually familiar friends, no extraordinarily close subordinates, in the end, drove away all the servants he had to use, and even refused to leave the only maid who did not want to leave, and wanted to hurt her cruelly and cut off her ability to move...... Is it because you don't want to bother others anymore? no more, as in the first life, causing the servants of the house to follow him in fear; It is no longer like in the second life, which caused all the three tribes to be slaughtered; No longer like in this world, relatives and friends will be implicated.

I still remember that he chose courtiers for himself, and he was careful to care, except for the people he had long taken a fancy to the judges, all the young talents he selected were secretly examined and carefully examined. On weekdays, in the court, it is even more extremely domineering, although it is not straightforward, but like a huge wave of sand, the loyal and usable people are clearly separated from the people who tend to be inflammatory, so that they can know at a glance, and then they can grasp it all in a light and easy way, and they don't have to be like the emperors who have been assisted by him for several generations, and suddenly lose the pressure to suppress the descendants to go to politics, and once the achievements of many years are destroyed, the prestige and reputation of the king will also be affected.

This kind of caution, all kinds of precautions, back then, only the person was thoughtful, the layout and action were impeccable, now turn back and think again, but people have mixed feelings, I dare not think about how he counted the wounds in his heart, and then compared to dig them one by one, just to plant a fence for himself to prevent, one by one, all possible dangers, out of sight......

"That being the case, it will be played by the Emperor." Suddenly, the slightly unfamiliar young man's decisive voice suddenly brought Yan Rin out of his thoughts. Looking at Rong Shen, who had already stood up on the screen, he smiled self-deprecatingly, knowing that he was distracted again, and missed the scene of the man's resignation just now, he hurriedly reached out to manipulate it on the control wheel, and reversed the picture again.

However, this record is really not unusual.

Since ancient times, resignation has been like a formula. First of all, the courtiers are looking for love and reasoning and are bent on retreating, and then the monarch either really or falsely expresses obstruction, and sometimes there are ministers caught in the middle, or help the emperor to keep people, or help the ministers return to their hometowns, always adding fuel to the fire, and finally, depending on the true or false depth of the courtiers' intentions to resign, the result of leaving or staying is shaken out, which is considered to be the end of this passing scene.

Rong Shen's resignation is not a matter of other intentions, and the intention of going is also extremely resolute, and the emperor is young, although it is a pity that such a capable minister can no longer be used for himself, but thinking of this important minister of the two dynasties and the auxiliary political elder, it seems that there is no Bodhisattva on his head, and when he acts, he can also let go of his hands and feet, and he has some willing leaping heart. Moreover, in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, there is really no one who likes Rong Shen who is a high-ranking and delicate person, and he is a Shangguan who does not eat soft and hard, and only adds blockage to people, so naturally no one is willing to help the emperor keep him. The meaning of several parties is faintly unified, and in a few words, but the monarchs and ministers follow the routine to keep a few words, and if they insist on it carefully, they will be able to take advantage of the situation.

Rong Shen is a lonely minister, he wants to go to work and return to his hometown, the emperor needs to express his heart, the current treasury is quite abundant, the reward of the silver silk silk will not be short, the emperor even picked out a few treasures from the palace, and gave them together. Rong Shen has always been cautious, and at the moment the royal things are not all the words of the ministers, but the new emperor is the new ruler of the government, and he is bent on fighting for a good reputation for treating the heroes, and he insists on refusing to take back his life, fighting to the end, and even "putting me in injustice" The words were said, Rong Shen had no choice but to thank the emperor again and again for his reward, and when the palace returned home, he cherished it in his bag.

A few days later, Rong Shen set off to return to his hometown, but Emperor Cai did not come to see him off, but he also sent someone to see him off, and comforted him in the holy decree, and his affection could almost overflow the paper. Rong Shen smiled faintly, accepted the order, knelt down to thank Jun En, and then took his family and servants and went back to his hometown east.

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Chapter 15: Capital Punishment

More than half a month after leaving the capital, Rong Shen returned to his hometown of Mizhen.

Rong Shen is Tuogu's courtier, although he has resigned now, and he is very willing to be a cloth commoner, but in the eyes of others, his identity is always different. In the more than a month since he came back, this not very big town has been very lively because of it - officials who know each other big and small, people who have made a name for themselves here, and even those who are talented in the early years, all those who have some connections or some identities have come to visit. Rong Shen does not prevaricate, and all those who come to the door do not care about the high and low, and all of them are invited in as guests. It's just that although he is sincere, he will never respond to any requests from these people, and in his words, it is faintly obvious that he is completely committed to Nanshan, so it will not be long before he is a foreigner.

It's not like the first intimate frequent contact, and slowly fewer people come to the door, and there are cautious relatives.

The Rong family is a scholarly family, and it has been passed down to Rong Shen's generation for more than ten generations, and Jianmi Town is not a big place, here, the Rong family can be regarded as a famous family.

Rong Shen is the only son in the family, but his family is not a long house, if you talk about it with the current head of the family, Master Rong, it is really three generations away. Now that his parents are gone, he is nothing in the clan. It's just that Rong Shen has been the most readable child in the clan since he was a child, and he became an official at a young age, and later became an important minister of the Tuogu auxiliary government, and for many years, the clan has been proud of it. In addition, if you calculate it carefully, although you haven't received any special care benefits from him over the years, after all, you are in the Rong family's lineage, and if something happens on weekdays, others will look at him differently, which is really a lot of light for him.

At this time, Rong Shen resigned and returned to his hometown, and the people in the clan were reasonable and did not snub him. So in the first few months, they also visited the door one by one, but after all, everyone has their own things, and Rong Shen is not a branch in the clan, and his temperament is not very warm.

Although the court is cold, the days of tolerance and prudence cannot be said to be unpleasant. He has been an official for more than ten years, lived a simple life, and was rewarded by the emperor when he returned to his hometown, and his family was quite wealthy. There are also two friends who have daily contacts - these two people were originally staff members in the Prime Minister's Mansion, after Rong Shen resigned, the other gentlemen all dispersed, but these two were no one else in the clan, and they had a close relationship with Rong Shen, so they simply followed him back to Mizhen and bought a house to live next to his house. Because they are all acquaintances, now they are considered to be a good family, not only do the two of them come to have a drink with Rong Shen on weekdays, but even several ladies are also familiar with each other.

The three families now live in a leisurely manner without worrying about food and clothing, and every seven or eight days, they have to get together once a day, and for more than a year, almost uninterrupted. Everyone also thinks that these days, although there is no big excitement and wealth, they are living a very comfortable life.

However, on the morning of this day, a will from the capital cut off this leisurely and abruptly.

Yan Rin still remembers that person can live the hardest days happily and peacefully. In his memories of his previous life, he had indeed heard and seen how that person lived his own happy life when it seemed to others to be the most difficult. Therefore, he is not completely sure whether the days of more than a year are really the life he wants for that person. But in any case, it may indeed be a happy one—if compared to the fate that will befall that person in the future.

What happened to that person next made Yan Rin angry and sad, heartache and helpless - more than a year after resigning and retiring, Rong Shen, this important minister who entrusted the orphan, was locked up and sent back to Beijing for more than a dozen felonies such as bullying the king, gaining power, and greedy for ink, and waited for the trial and conviction of Dali Temple.

The charge of Rong Shen is actually extremely ridiculous. During the more than ten years he was in power, he was honest and respectful, governed fairly, and was honest and simple as an official. It's just that the monarchs and ministers of the Cai Kingdom are now incompatible, so they forcibly punish him - such an obvious thing, don't say that Yan Rin was the first emperor, he is a clear-eyed person in this world, and who can't see it?

In fact, in Yan Rin's view, it is not impossible to find a reason to cure the crime of tolerance and prudence. For example, he resigned immediately after the new emperor ascended the throne, although he was not greedy for power, but if he was condemned to the crime of underestimating the new emperor, thinking that he did not know the way of reward and punishment and must treat the meritorious heroes wrongly, it is not unreasonable, and this crime of vainly speculating on the monarch's heart and despising the monarch is also very great. What's more, in the more than ten years since Rong Shen was in power, although the officialdom has been stable and orderly, the atmosphere in the court is finally too rigid and serious and a little less harmonious, which is not in line with the way of reconciling yin and yang. If you want to use this as a reason, it is not impossible to count him as a lack of governance.

It's just that these two crimes, one is the way to punish the heart, as long as Rong Shen must not admit it, it will be difficult to clearly show the world, and the other is too light to take the life of such a heavy minister, and other similar crimes are not easy to collect evidence for a while, and it will drag on for a long time. There are only a few of the previous ones, because after all, when Rong Shen went through the turmoil of the court, he had some subordinate actions, and when he searched carefully, there were also some traces to be found. Although it is far-fetched, because of the word of the people, there is absolutely no hindrance. Moreover, such a crime has another advantage, that is, it is very in line with the "needs" of the monarchs and ministers of the talented country.

Yan Rin saw it very clearly-those ministers of the Cai Kingdom really hated Rong Shen. It's just that he was in the position of prime minister before, and he was even more of an assistant minister, and he was shrewd and meticulous, which was extremely difficult to provoke, even if he hated and resented him, he couldn't help it. But now it's different. One is that Rong Shen is already a grass citizen after he leaves the throne, and the other is that the new emperor is weak and can't control the situation, and the authority in the court and the central government is in the hands of the ministers, and everyone is united in this matter, how can they still not govern him under the joint force? It's just that everything is long at night, and there will be many dreams, and the ability to be cautious is well known, if he is really charged with a crime that is not light or serious, so that he can delay the time, and ensure that nothing will happen, it is better to re-convict the crime as it is now, so that he will definitely die, and it will never be a trouble. Besides, everyone has been pressed hard by him over the years, I don't know how much suffering and how much benefit is missing, if he can really be punished with capital punishment, it is also quite relievable - such a good thing that kills two birds with one stone, how can the ministers be unwilling, in comparison, what is it to be mabbled by a few small people or nerds who read dead books?

As for the emperor of Caiguo...... Squinting in disgust, Yan Rin had almost no way of determining whether she despised or hated this person more.

He is a wise and fierce monarch, who looks down on such an emperor who is completely manipulated and controlled by his courtiers, who has no decision at all, who only wants to calm the complaints of his ministers, and who refuses to do his duty; He was a heartbroken and helpless child, and he really couldn't forgive the person he cared about the most, who would be betrayed and sacrificed so mercilessly by an emperor like him who had to protect the world and protect him, and he still had to be treated so cruelly.

However, whether it is contempt or hatred, no matter how fierce Yan Rin's feelings are, they are meaningless to the history that has happened - ten days later, Rong Shen was pressed back to the capital, and only three days later, Dali Temple used such ridiculous reasons to convict this former minister of Tuo Gu and determine the punishment.

On this day, there was a heavy snowfall in the imperial capital of Caiguo, and goose feather-sized snow flakes fell from the sky one after another, wrapping the dark brown city in the cold winter with plain silver decorations, adding a bit of vitality to it. From the palace to the eaves of the houses, a new white is stuffed in the tile cracks, and the oblique tiles are lined with it, which shows the liveliness of the atmosphere. The roads in the city were also white, because the snow had been falling intermittently, and the snowflakes were pressed down layer by layer, and there was no mud that had been trodden on, and when you looked at it, the whole street was full of white, and it looked very clean and bright.

In such weather, the business of the big tea parties and restaurants in the city will be somewhat affected because the customers are all at home, on the contrary, the business of the small tea houses and taverns is better than on weekdays. Those who want to go out in this kind of weather, as long as the conditions permit, when the wind and snow are tight, are always willing to hide in these places, drink some hot tea or old wine, warm their bodies, and then chat with people they don't know about a few new things in Beijing, and go home as a talking point, talk to their wives and children to relieve boredom.

And on this day, the most important news is the one that will be cut in half tomorrow.

For people in this era, torture, as long as it is not aimed at oneself, not one's relatives and friends, is a kind of entertainment, and it is to laugh and watch the fun. What's more, this time, Rong Shen, who was beheaded, was a former minister who entrusted Gu and was a courtier, so he was naturally even more different. In the winter when there is boredom, there is this execution, which is like a small festival. People who knew each other laughed and exclaimed, and made an appointment to watch the show together tomorrow.

The winter snow fell suddenly, and the night passed quickly in the emperor's sleep, the expectations of the officials, and the hopes of the residents.

Because it was the waist of the imperial order, and the officials paid attention to it, on this day, the execution platform was very neatly maintained, but the snow did not stop, and the ground could not be swept clean, which was inevitably a fly in the ointment.

The executioner wore a thick cotton coat and stood by the guillotine, idly looking around, and in front of the temporary beheading platform not far away, several officials chatted happily, and from time to time someone ran over to bring them steaming fragrant tea. After another half an hour, many people surrounded one after another, chatting and talking about the coming halving.

As soon as noon arrived, the torture vehicle carried Rong Shen to the execution ground. He was wearing thin clothes, and he didn't even show that he was afraid of the cold, and his expression was very peaceful, but he vaguely revealed worry and uneasiness.

Seeing Rong Shen like this, the crowd became more lively, pointing to his slightly anxious expression, and a few people made a prophetic appearance, saying that this thief was also afraid of death in the end, but he was a disaster to the country and bullied the king, but the national law allowed him, which led to a voice of approval from the people around him.

There are also a few people who cited all kinds of things about Guotai and Min'an when Rong Shen was in power, and wanted to explain them to him, but everyone laughed back unaniously - everyone refuted that Guotai Min'an was blessed by God during the reign of the Holy Son of Heaven, and this time Rong Shen's crime was also condemned by the emperor, so naturally he couldn't be wrong. Even if you take 10,000 steps back and say, the emperor is young and careless for a while, but all the officials say so, will there be any more fakes? So these people also admitted defeat, and closed their mouths in disagreement amid the laughter of everyone.

Rong Shen's internal strength is profound, his ears and eyes are clear, and he can naturally hear these conversations around him that are no longer whispering, but he is not a person who cares about people's words in the first place, and at this time, he is in the way, and he can't care about these anymore, just close his eyes and say nothing, waiting for the punishment that is coming. As for Yan Rin, who was far away on the other side of time and space, although he was slightly annoyed when he heard these words, what was even more heartbreaking was the reason for the expression on Rong Shen's face at this time. Such a small depression can't be taken care of for a while. And the next execution took away all his attention.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, it was the hour when the execution began, but a quarter of an hour ago, the preparations were made in advance - Rong Shen was stripped of his shirt, dragged to the side of the guillotine, put his waist on it, and tied his hands upside down with a bull basket behind his back in advance to prevent him from resisting with martial arts.

The man was pressed hard to the top of the knife holder, and the snowflakes fell on his bare back, melting into snow and dripping down. Not far above his body was a sharp blade, which should have been bright, but because both sides were clinging to the snow blown by the wind, it looked thicker, and without the metallic light that stinged the human eye, it seemed to be much milder. It's just that Yan Rin didn't feel that such gentleness would help to calm his excessive heartbeat in the slightest.

Yan Rin's eyes were wide open at this time. He stared at the screen, unwilling to blink, for fear of missing a moment—it wasn't a pleasing sight, but one he had to face. He could no longer allow himself to run away weakly, as he had done last time.

He can't share that man's pain; The man's anxiety, he could not comfort; That person's fate, he can't change it - the history of thousands of years ago is played on the screen, and it has long been destined to be unchangeable, but at least, he can still go and remember. He can look at every injury that person has suffered, remember every bit of pain that person has felt, and put these in his heart as the clearest reference to witness his own growth - he can't change the past, but he can never let go of the future! Therefore, he must watch, even if the eye socket has been torn and painful, even if the eye has become sour, he must look at it, a good look......

And then, the knife, just like that, fell.

Fast and steady.

Blood splattered. For a moment, bright red became the only color in the eye.

Hurt!

In the body, what is it that is cut off? The muscles instantly tightened and compressed to the extreme, but there was no longer normal sensation. Hurt...... Whose blood gushed out? Like a sharp blade cutting through the fracture, it burns like a fire, burning the blood in the cavity, so that the heart is empty, and the pain is suffocating......

It doesn't hurt!

Gritting his teeth, Yan Rin shouted fiercely to himself in his heart.

It doesn't hurt!

What is this pain? Compared to that person, compared to that person......

Rong Shen's body was broken in two, and the lower half was on his knees on the ground, forming a wonderful balance with the knife edge, as if he was clinging to the blood-stained crimson blade, motionless. The top half had already rolled down under the force of gravity and fell to the ground with a dull bang.

He just lay there, motionless.

There was no struggle, no drastic movements, although only half of Rong Shen's body was left, but so far, this half, under his strong spiritual power, was as stable as a mountain, as usual.

But the blood has spread.

This bodily fluid, which was not under his control, flowed out of his body violently, staining the entire section of the knife, staining the spine that had been cut in two and slightly peeking out of the truncated body, and staining the thin white snow under him...... Yan Rin's entire field of vision......

However, even in this red, everything remains clear.

Then he saw that the sweat on the man's forehead had gone from a thin layer to a gathering and then dripping onto the snow, making a shallow pit. He saw the man's mouth open and gasping for breath, but blood poured up from his body, and with each breath, a crimson drip dripped and stained the snow beside his head.

But the man's body was still still. Except for the ups and downs caused by the heavy breathing, the naked, snowflaked, blood-stained body was still as calm as ever.

That man...... It always seems to be like this......

In a trance, Yan Rin suddenly had such a thought.

Then...... And so is he......

Serene, calm, as if the knife did not pass through his body, as if the knife that fell with the knife was not his flesh and blood. The onlookers couldn't stand it anymore, but there was still an indifferent smile on his face.

Because...... Do you feel relieved? Looking at the sad and worried expression on the person's face on the screen, Yan Rin only felt a sour feeling at the wing of his nose - it was recognized, right? Do your own thing...... Unlike now, when Emperor Cai can't control the situation at all, he feels that there is no need to worry about it......

His approval...... That's what my young self in my previous life wanted. But no, in such a cruel form......

Yan Rin didn't think about it anymore, he still had time to think about it, and even, in the near future, he would see with his own eyes what he had done - an irreparable mistake. But that's not now, not the moment where you should be engrossed and watching.

In sight, the red color gradually decreased.

In the cold wind, as if it was condensed, the warm blood gushing out had slowed down. The bright red, blood-soaked ground was also covered by the falling snowflakes, and it was white again, lined with bright red ice crystals that had just flowed out and had not had time to seep into the snow, as gorgeous as a snow plum painting scroll.

However, the man who painted it had closed his eyes......

He's not dead yet!

Yan Rin was well aware of this - it was just hypothermic shock caused by the cold.

However, seeing that person, lying in a blood-red snow-white like this, motionless, Yan Rin only felt that her heart seemed to be invaded by extreme cold, and she was unconscious......

Suddenly, the man moved, however, Yan Rin preferred to hope that the silence that had almost frozen to death just now could continue - Rong Shen's body twitched, shaking the snowflakes on his head and back to the ground. His hands spasmed, and a few fingers scratched at the ground uncontrollably. Red blood and white snow are interspersed with deep and shallow traces into small, messy abstract figures. His head swayed at a strange angle, and the bright red gushing from the corners of his mouth was scattered......

Then, suddenly, everything came to an abrupt halt. Red and white, in an instant, all turned into darkness.