Xu Jie's sentence has rarely been said in history, but it has actually happened countless times.

One of the two crimes that are most likely to die in history is called "raising self-respect".

It doesn't matter who it is, no matter how much merit it it has, no matter how high the status, as long as this crime appears on the holy decree, there will be death.

But there is another crime, and the people who die because of this crime are no less than "raising self-respect", but this crime has never appeared in the holy decree.

Because this crime cannot be spoken, and it is impossible to write it on the holy decree. This crime is: no reward for meritorious service.

There are no ministers and generals, meritorious service must be leisurely, there must be a degree, everything that exceeds the limit, it is the opposite of the extreme.

Merit is like money, if you make a small contribution, it is equivalent to you making a small fortune, and you must be very happy.

If you make a great contribution, it is equivalent to that you have made a fortune, and you must be extremely happy.

But if you continue to make great achievements, it is equivalent to you continue to make a lot of money, and then your happiness is almost over.

If you make a great contribution, the emperor will be rewarded, and if the emperor does not reward you, others will say that there is something wrong with the emperor. But in fact, there is a limit to what can be appreciated in the hands of the emperor.

Gold and silver, official positions, titles, round after round of rewards, in the end, you are still making meritorious contributions, constantly making great contributions, what do you let the emperor do?

How embarrassing can it be that the courtiers have made meritorious contributions, but the emperor can't get anything to appreciate? Those who have never been emperors may not be able to imagine it.

It's like your wife takes a shower, puts on the sexiest underwear, strikes the most seductive pose on the bed, and looks at you with affection, but you can only silently walk to the sofa with the quilt in her hands......

It's just embarrassing, as you continue to make great achievements and your status gets higher and higher, in the end, the line between you and the emperor will slowly become blurred.

Gradually, an idea will arise between the government and the opposition. This person is too good, and he has great power, it is better to slap the emperor than to slap him, he is not much different from the emperor.

Wait, in that case, it doesn't seem absolutely inconceivable that this person will be the emperor. If he wants to be emperor one day, do I still strongly oppose it......

This is the reason why the credit is too great, and it is necessary to retreat bravely. Zhang Liang understands, Fan Li understands, and his grandson also understands; Han Xin doesn't understand, he doesn't understand the language, and Nian Qianyao doesn't understand either.

There are many people who understand this kind of thing, but there are very few who dare to say it. Because this is tantamount to slapping the emperor in the face, predicting that the emperor will be an ungrateful bastard.

So Jiajing was taken aback and looked at Xu Jie in a daze, as if he didn't know this person, Huang Jin and Lu Bing also looked at Xu Jie in surprise.

"Xu Aiqing, what do you mean by this? Am I the kind of faint king who is jealous of the virtuous? ”

Xu Jieshen bowed: "Long live, the minister will never dare to think like this." However, Banzai doesn't want to, it doesn't mean that the ministers don't want to.

Even for Xiao Feng's sake, he shouldn't be roasted on the fire. So this time, I thought that no matter whether it was true or not, it would be better to let him come back first. ”

Jiajing looked at Xu Jie, and only spoke for a long time: "You and Xiao Feng have always had political disagreements, why did you take the risk of saying such things for him today?" ”

Xu Jiezheng said: "Long live, political disagreement is a common thing, Xiao Feng is the heart of the country and the people, and the minister is convinced."

It's just that Xiao Feng is a young man with ambition and a high position. Young people's hearts are not solid, and it is inevitable that they will be angry. is unintentional, and he is afraid that others will have intentions.

The minister thought that there were many misunderstandings in this matter, and it was not appropriate to delay it for too long; Xiao Feng's credit is too high, and it really makes it difficult for the imperial court.

Banzai has not publicly recalled Xiao Feng's reasons, nor has he let the Sixth Ministry and the Cabinet inquire about this matter, because he doesn't want this matter to become a public matter, and hopes to solve the matter privately with Xiao Feng.

Long live the ministers to the Xiyuan Elite House, not the court, is to let the ministers and others privately share their worries for Long Life.

Such a minister should serve the king with sincerity, how can he not dare to speak out for fear of blaming Banzai, and betray Banzai's trust? ”

These words are heartfelt, and they do take a big risk, which is definitely not Xu Jie's usual style, but it really can't find fault with it.

Jiajing nodded slightly, knowing that Xu Jie's eighty percent was to repay Xiao Feng's affection for letting him go in the land surrender case before.

"What Aiqing said is true. Huang Ban, issue another holy decree, let Xiao Feng return to Beijing immediately, and if there is any delay, he will be guilty of resisting the decree!

Yu Dayou, Qi Jiguang, Chen Tianyu, Tang Shunzhi, Wang Zhi, and Xu Hai made meritorious contributions to the fight against the Japanese invaders, and their respective officials were promoted to two levels.

Hu Zongxian had another knighthood, and asked him to lead these people to continue to prepare for the conquest of Japan, and wait for the imperial court to order him to send troops! ”

Xiao Feng, who was waiting for the holy decree in the barracks, finally waited for Gu Tianen, who was holding the secret decree. Because the regular decree is too heavy for the dove to carry.

So Jiajing, who was anxious, directly asked Huang Jin to write a small note and cover the jade seal. This is probably the most shabby decree of all time.

After Xiao Feng read the secret decree, he didn't say anything for a long time, and Gu Tianen didn't urge, he stood aside with his hands down, and his attitude was always respectful.

"Master Gu, in addition to the secret decree, there must be a communication within the Jinyi Guard, did Lu Bing ask you to tell me something else?"

Gu Tianen slowly raised his head and looked into Xiao Feng's eyes with sincere admiration.

"Lord Lu said that if Lord Xiao doesn't ask, the lower officials don't have to take the initiative to say it, and if Lord Xiao asks, the lower officials don't have to hide it.

Zhang Wuxin has been arrested and imprisoned because he is suspected of killing Yan Xiaozhong. An Qingyue was placed under house arrest at home because she had just given birth.

Zhan Feiyun was also arrested and is currently in prison. Zhang Juzheng once asked Banzai for his life, wanting to lock Zhan Feiyun in the Criminal Department, but was rejected by Banzai.

Xiao Dong and Lao Dao have both fled, and they haven't been caught yet. But according to the information on the road, some people have seen Xiaodong's traces, but they have not gone all the way with the old road.

No one has been arrested in the Lord's Mansion for the time being, but since yesterday, Lord Liu Tong has been asked by the household department to stay at home.

The commander said that he also asked Lord Xiao to return to Beijing immediately, no matter how long it takes, I am afraid that Banzai will order people to be arrested again.

Moreover, the commander has been delaying the time for the execution, although Zhang Wuxin and Zhan Feiyun have received a few whips, it is nothing to them.

Lao Chang was transferred to the field by the commander to do an errand, but this is only a temporary solution, and as soon as Lao Chang comes back, I am afraid that everyone will be offended......"

Xiao Feng's hand shook slightly, and then he took control. He took out a silver ticket from his body and stuffed it to Gu Tianen.

"Master Gu, thank you. There is another thing, which is inconvenient to reveal. Brothers who went to Jiangxi to visit, can you get something? ”

Gu Tianen looked at the silver ticket, hesitated for a moment, reached out and took it into his arms, and smiled.

"I'm sorry, my lord, but it's inconvenient to disclose this news. Adults and auspicious people have their own natural appearance, so why worry about these things? ”

Xiao Feng smiled and stopped talking. Gu Tianen asked Xiao Feng to prepare to leave as soon as possible, turned around and went out.

Xiao Feng returned to the back hall and told Hu Zongxian about what happened just now, and Hu Zongxian frowned.

He took the silver ticket, but said this strangely. If it's inconvenient to say, he shouldn't take the money.

Although it is also common for Jin Yiwei to take money and not do things, but who is the score, with you, he will never dare to do such a thing. ”

Xiao Feng nodded: "He told me not to worry, in fact, he just told me that the Jinyiwei who went to Jiangxi didn't ask anything."

He's a brocade guard, and you can't expect him to really betray Banzai. It's not easy to say this. ”

Hu Zongxian's eye sockets are deep-set, his beard is unkempt, he has aged a lot in the past two days, and he looks even more haggard than Xiao Feng. It's as if he's making a life-or-death decision.

People who don't know, when they see these two people, they will definitely think that it is not Xiao Feng who is guilty of bullying the king, but Hu Zongxian!

"Since Jin Yiwei can't betray Long live, why did Lu Bing still let Gu Tianen tell you those words? Is it ......?"

Xiao Feng nodded: "Those words must have been said by Long Live acquiescing to Lu Bing, and may even imply that Lu Bing wants to say it."

Because each of these words is telling me that if I don't go back, my relatives and friends may have an accident. ”

Hu Zongxian gritted his teeth, took a look outside, confirmed that there was no Jinyi guard at the door, and then pulled Xiao Feng into another room, and closed two doors in a row.

"Brother Xiao, the old Tao told you that Long Live suspected you of rebellion, so let you rebel quickly. No matter what he knows, it must be a trap to force you to go back!

The matter has come to this, if you go back, you will definitely die, it is better not to do nothing. I promised to follow you to the death, and I will not break my word.

Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang, although I am not very sure, but there are seven or eight points. If Chen Tianyu is obedient, he will use it, and if he is disobedient, he will be killed!

Although there are still more soldiers and horses in the north than in the south, we can attack and retreat. It is also possible to row the river and rule, and if you lose again, you can also retreat to the boat.

Although Tang Shunzhi will never rebel, at least one of Wang Zhi and Xu Hai can say and move. With Xu Wei on board, it's easy for us to go to any federal vassal or even an island. ”

After Hu Zongxian finished speaking in one breath, his whole body trembled nervously, staring at Xiao Feng tightly.

He made a bet too big, and he bet all the nine clans. And he only had three hole cards to bet on.

One is the mutual trust between him and Xiao Feng, the other is the reverence of the generals in the army for Xiao Feng, and the last one is Xiao Feng's unpredictable scheming and Taoism.

Xiao Feng was silent for a long time, and Hu Zongxian felt that his blood was frozen, like a gambler who had bet all his net worth waiting for the dealer to open the dice cup.

After a long time, Xiao Feng patted Hu Zongxian's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Lao Hu, with your words, I am content. I'm not a fool, and if the situation had gotten worse and the situation had run out, I wouldn't have stood idly by.

But I always felt that there was something strange in this matter. If I resist the decree again and do not return, it will really be the opposite.

It's easy to say the opposite, but what are the consequences? The Ming Dynasty is now strong, the people are happy and prosperous, and the people's hearts will not rebel.

Rebellion, one will succeed and ten thousand bones will wither, and in the end, no matter who wins or loses, the Ming Dynasty is a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. If you don't do it, you will be taken advantage of.

What's more, even if I won in the end, my relatives and friends would have been killed long ago, and I would really be alone in this world.

I've thought about it several times in the past two days, I have to go back and reason with my brother, and I will definitely be able to convince him. ”

Hu Zongxian lowered his head and muttered, Xiao Feng heard it, and couldn't help but be angry and funny.

"No wonder Xiao Qin said that your woman's kindness is difficult to achieve great things, alas, ......"

Xiao Feng lightly punched Hu Zongxian: "Old Hu, if you believe me, it will be fine."

But I also promise you that if something really happens to me, I will not object to what you want to do. ”

Hu Zongxian smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Without you, what else can I do?" Do you think I'm confident enough?

I just want to follow you to make a career, and I am not willing to die without a problem. If you don't, I'll be my governor honestly.

Didn't you hear that the imperial court still wanted to knight me? The court is so kind to me, what more delusion can I have? Hahaha. ”

Although Hu Zongxian was laughing, he had no intention of being happy. Xiao Feng smiled bitterly and patted him on the shoulder, turned around and walked out of the back hall, striding towards the Jinyi Guard who was waiting in the distance.

A not-so-blunt transition point......

Jin Yiwei still couldn't find Lao Dao, but if they couldn't find it, it didn't mean that everyone couldn't find it.

In the dead of night, a figure appeared in a private house on the outskirts. This unremarkable house is located close to the abandoned Zentang.

So this figure came out of the house, only walked a few steps, and then flashed into the good hall, and then stood still in the dark good hall and spoke softly in a flat tone.

"Thousand hands are coming, come out, I'm not here to arrest you, I'm here to help Xiao Feng."

There is no movement, and the hall is like an empty mountain, so quiet that it makes people's hearts palpitate.

The man snorted, his gaze looking in one direction in the darkness.

"Don't worry, Jin Yiwei is not that smart, they can't imagine that you would dare to hide here after you deliberately came back first.

They heard that there was a trace of Xiaodong in Jiangnan, and their attention was on that side, but they didn't know that you were hiding in this place where they had already looked for it once.

But it's no wonder that with your light skills, whether you want to run or hide, it's not easy to find you.

Didn't you stay near the capital and not leave, just to wait for Xiao Feng to come back and help him clear his name?

I'm telling you, I can help him. If you believe me, let's talk, but if you don't, I'll go.

But I'm telling you, by all the means you can think of, you're all dead. ”

After the man finished speaking, he waited for a while, and when he saw that there was no movement, he turned and left.

Suddenly a very low voice came from the darkness: "Who are you?" What can you do? ”

The man smiled slightly and pointed to the house next to him: "I bought the house on the left, and it's not appropriate to stay here for a long time."

I'll go back first, and then you can go back to my house after you make sure it's safe, there is a secret room there, you and I can talk about it in detail.

Don't worry, if I'm here to get you, I won't be alone. If hundreds of brocade guards surround here, no matter how good your skills are, you will not be able to escape! ”

The man finished speaking and left, and after a long time, like a bird flying up from the beam, fell lightly to the ground, and then quickly disappeared into the darkness.

There are no lights in the houses, and the lights are blind. But Lao Dao, as the king of Jiangnan Thief, easily found the location where the secret room should be in this housing pattern.

Then he tapped his finger on the wall of the chamber a few times, and a secret door that looked like a wall opened, and a man sat upright at the table, and under the candlelight, roast chicken, steamed buns, and wine.

Lao Dao flashed in, and the moment the door of the secret room closed, he also saw the man's face clearly. His pupils contracted suddenly, and his gaze was incredulous.

"Is that you?"

The man nodded, "It's me." Sit down, you won't be able to eat anything these days.

I didn't dare to prepare too many dishes, the people in this house are not rich, and buying too many vegetables makes people suspicious, so you can make do with eating and drinking. ”

Lao Dao sat cross-legged, looked at the person opposite in a daze, reached out and slowly picked up a roast chicken, put it in his mouth and tore off a large piece of meat.

"All this, what the hell are you doing? You wrote that poem? How did you know that I was from the Xia family? ”

The man smiled: "It doesn't matter if I did it or not, you just need to know that I'm here to help Xiao Feng, that's enough." ”

Lao Dao chewed the roast chicken in a big gulp, but his eyes never left the other party's face for a moment.

"You help Xiao Feng? I think you're trying to kill Xiao Feng.

If this is the way you help people, then you still directly harm others, and you may die more slowly than being helped by you! ”

The man sighed: "You are also a smart person, let me ask you, if there was no such thing, would Xiao Feng go to fight Japan now?" ”

Lao Dao picked up a glass of wine and drank it all, snorting: "Nonsense, maybe it's already on the way!" ”

The man asked, "After arriving in Japan, what do you think will happen to Xiao Feng next, will he still live?" ”

Lao Dao snorted and gnawed on the chicken butt: "You don't have to be alarmist, Japan has been crippled, Xiao Feng led the army to kill it, and he will be able to plow the court and sweep the holes, and return with a big victory!" ”

The man said lightly: "Xiao Qin's kung fu is unfathomable, even if Xiao Feng can occupy Japan, it is not impossible for Xiao Qin's dog to jump under the wall and die with Xiao Feng." ”

Lao Dao thought for a while: "This possibility is there. However, no matter how high Xiao Qin's kung fu is, she is a person after all.

Xiao Feng has so many people and guns around him, and his own kung fu is extremely high, this possibility is too small to worry about. ”

The man said indifferently: "Even if Xiao Qin can't kill Xiao Feng." But Xiao Feng destroyed Japan, will he be allowed to live?

Xuan Da Victory, Xiao Feng should be crowned Duke for his credit; Jiangnan is a great victory, Xiao Feng's credit should be crowned king. The establishment of the Ming Federation, Xiao Feng's credit should be torn and sealed.

If Japan is destroyed again, you say, what should he reward him for? Long live the reward, can Xiao Feng still live? ”

Lao Dao had already gnawed a roast chicken into a chicken skeleton, and he picked up another roast chicken and unscrewed off a leg.

"You're smart! Is Xiao Feng a fool? Will he not understand this? Will he rush up without a solution? ”

There was a hint of bitterness in the man's voice: "Of course Xiao Feng is smart, he is smarter than everyone else, but he has a weakness.

Until now, no one understands his obsession. Who understands why he had to completely destroy Japan?

Although they are hateful, they have nothing to do with the overall situation. He first let Xiao Qin go to Japan, and then deliberately divided his troops in all directions to protect the Ming Federation.

He took such a risk to lure the enemy deeper, if any of these steps went wrong, it would be a capital crime to raise his own respect!

When it comes to the mortal enemies of the Ming Dynasty, no matter what aspect it is, the Mongols are more qualified than the Japanese Kou, right?

He can even forgive the Mongols, he can accommodate! But he was willing to take a risk, and he had to destroy Japan!

This obsession is his weakness, which makes him take risks again and again, and forget the consequences again and again!

Believe it or not, if I didn't find a way to stop him this time, he would still go even if he knew that he would face the end of the rabbit dead and the dog cooking when he returned from victory! ”

"I want a ticket, I want to urge, I can't stop!"