Wine is a poison that pierces the intestines
during the festive season
Wang Chong, Ban Chao, and the others were also well-read scholars, but looking at the food in front of them, they were not much better than refugees who had not eaten for a long time. Liu Qingping's cooking was too delicious. The few of them had similar interests. In a short while, the Sunset Smoke Hall had become a gluttonous field. Whatever happened in life or having a home was long relaxed with alcohol. There was no pressure. Strangely enough, Mu Weizhou was in a particularly good state today. Although he drank faster than usual, he did not feel tipsy at all. That class of super-drinkers was even more shocking. They always drank first as a form of respect. He drank half a jar of wine, but it was as if nothing had happened.
Liu Qingping didn't drink. She just accompanied him after eating. In her opinion, when a person drank to this state, they began to show their true self. In her opinion, Wang Chong was the most knowledgeable of the three, but he was too straightforward and liked to argue. On the one hand, he despised authority, but on the other hand, he hoped to gain favor. She could not help but worry that he would not be able to integrate into the imperial court maintained by authority. Even if the opportunity presented itself, she was afraid that he would screw it up. Ban Gu's knowledge was on par with Wang Chong's, but his talent was above Wang Chong's. The education he received was also orthodox. If she was the emperor's uncle, she would definitely use it, but she did not dare to entrust it with an important task. This was because this person was clever by nature and superstitious about authority. When things happened, he was weak and afraid that he would not be able to defend himself. Ban Chao, on the other hand, looked carefree, but he was actually calculative. He was also righteous and dared to make choices. If there was a chance, he might really achieve something unexpected. As for Mu Weizhou, she did not know how to describe him. He always felt that he didn't care much about fame and fortune that ordinary people were passionate about. Sometimes he was talented, sometimes he had strange ideas. Although he wasn't stupid, sometimes he was very simple. In short, it was difficult to describe this person in simple words. Liu Qingping didn't think too much about the others when she thought about how they hit it off.
Seeing that everyone was happy, Liu Qingping asked Xiao Tong to open another jar of wine. After she personally filled everyone's cup, she also poured a cup for herself and said respectfully,"It's rare for everyone to be so happy, so this little sister would like to toast to all of you big brothers. At the same time, I also want to ask you a question, what do you think?”
At this moment, everyone was already in high spirits, their eyes were dazzled and their ears were burning. Ban Chao laughed loudly,"When the host toasts, how can I not eat? If little sister has any questions, we will definitely tell you everything we know.”
After Liu Qingping finished drinking, she thanked everyone and said,""Big brothers, you have learned from the past and the present, and you have a broad mind for the world. In your opinion, what is the most important thing for our Great Han Dynasty to do now?”
Liu Qingping asked a simple question, but it was not easy to answer. If you ask us this question, as we usually do after drinking and drinking, we will naturally immediately assume the identity of the leader, the president, and the Secretary General of the United Nations. We will talk about it enthusiastically, righteously, and ambiguously. Then we will turn around and forget that we have just been the most powerful people in the world. However, the people in front of him were completely different. When they heard Liu Qingping's question, they put down their cups and chopsticks and began to consider. Because this question was too big, in order to answer it accurately, one first had to have a deep understanding of the current situation in the country. They had to be able to judge the truth and falsehood of these situations, sort out the priorities, and determine the answer to the question. Then, the answer would be how to realize the answer, which was what to do. Fortunately, the few people in front of him were always prepared for such things, just like ordinary people who were always ready to satisfy their desires. After some serious consideration, they quickly came up with an answer.
Liu Qingping saw that everyone, including Mu Weizhou, had bright eyes and was confident. She couldn't help but smile and say,""It seems that all of you have your answers. I think in order to avoid affecting each other, why don't you each write the answer on the table in two words and then explain it separately?”
Everyone felt that it was good. Therefore, they dipped their fingers into the wine and wrote the answers on the table in front of them.
After everyone finished writing, Liu Qingping read it out in order from Mu Weizhou, Ban Gu, Wang Chong to Ban Chao. The four words were "people's livelihood,""Xiongnu,""Siyi," and "Western Region."
"Now, please explain the answer to each of the four big brothers.”Liu Qingping said with a smile after reading it.
As soon as the keywords of the four people came out, Mu Weizhou thought that he might have gotten the wrong direction. However, he only knew so much about that time. Moreover, along the way from Qiantang, he realized that although the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, their quality of life was indeed not high. Most people only had millet rice and salted vegetables for two or three meals a day. It was only the right of a few people to have a table full of wine and meat like the one in Xiyan Hall. Therefore, he believed from the bottom of his heart that improving the people's livelihood was definitely the most important thing. Another reason was that Mu Weizhou came from China in the 21st century. After he had grown up and started the reform and opening up, he had been influenced by the economy and the people's livelihood. Therefore, it was normal for him to emphasize the people's livelihood. However, his view that transcended history was very different from the actual understanding of the people at that time. However, the country was based on the people. Mu Weizhou's suggestion to develop the people's livelihood was indeed an important issue that always lingered in the ruling class of any country. If anyone ignored this issue, their status would most likely be lost.
Mu Weizhou told everyone about what he had seen and heard recently. He compared the country to a tree. The people's livelihood was the foundation of the tree, and the rest were more like the trunk and leaves. He explained the principle of deep roots and luxuriant leaves. It also made a few of them nod. When Mu Weizhou finished speaking, he realized that although the others agreed with his explanation, they knew that it did not come from their hearts. Wang Chong immediately pointed out that Mu Weizhou was right, but he was a little off topic. Liu Qingping had asked about the " most important thing for the Great Han Dynasty to do now ", which was to say, what was the urgent problem to be solved.
If someone else had heard Wang Chong's words, they might have immediately defended their point of view. Some might not say it, but in their hearts, they felt that Wang Chong was exaggerating and emphasizing the details. Some might even have an opinion of Wang Chong. However, after interacting with Wang Chong for the past few days, Mu Weizhou realized that this person did not live for the sake of right and wrong, but for the sake of truth. He looked at problems very purely, and when he spoke, he was even more clear-cut. Thus, Mu Weizhou did not take it seriously. Instead, he felt that it was a great honor to win Wang Chong's attention.
After Mu Weizhou finished speaking, it was Ban Gu's turn. One of the important reasons why Ban Gu wrote "Xiongnu" was that he was in Lantai. It was said that the current emperor was preparing to crusade against Xiongnu during this period of time. Therefore, in accordance with the principle of "political accuracy", he directly used the Xiongnu as the keyword. As Ban Gu drank, he talked about the Xiongnu, the relationship between the Xiongnu and Han over the past hundreds of years, and the current situation of the Xiongnu.
Mu Weizhou was born and raised in a peaceful environment. He had never experienced war, nor did he have the experience that his country could be invaded at any time. Therefore, he would not be like the others who saw the Xiongnu problem clearly. In addition, the Han people of that time were very different from the Han people of today. At that time, the Han people were more open and aggressive. They would not find it unacceptable to conquer through violence or other means. From this point of view, the Han people today might have progressed, or they might have degenerated. In short, when Ban Gu expressed his opinion, Mu Weizhou finally realized what kind of problem the Xiongnu had for the Han people at that time.
To the Han people, the Xiongnu were like tigers sleeping next to their beds. If they were fast asleep or full, they would feel more at ease. Once he felt hungry or his bestial nature flared up, the first to be hurt would be the Han. Moreover, the consequences were not the worst, only worse. During the reign of Emperor Wu, in order to eliminate the threat of the Xiongnu, the Great Han Dynasty almost collapsed. After Guangwu restored the Han Dynasty, he was more focused on pacifying the civil strife and had no time for the Xiongnu. Therefore, the large areas of land ruled by the Han people during the Western Han Dynasty were under the control and influence of the Xiongnu. It was as if the ruling class and all the Han people had a huge stone made of shame pressed down on their hearts. Therefore, fighting against the Xiongnu was related to the survival of the Han people and their honor. After more than ten years of hard work by Emperor Guangwu and the current emperor, the Han finally had the power to remove the threat of the Xiongnu. Mu Weizhou nodded repeatedly as he listened. However, to his surprise, when Ban Gu spoke, Mu Weizhou unintentionally recalled the words of an American military minister." Now that we have money and guns, we can do whatever we want.”
Ban Gu's opinion made everyone nod repeatedly. Ban Gu himself was also very proud. Everyone downed their cups and turned to Wang Chong to see what he had to say. In Mu Weizhou's opinion, Wang Chong's " Four Barbarians " should be more comprehensive than Ban Gu's " Xiongnu ". When Wang Chong brought it up, he felt that it was all-encompassing. What Qiang Man Xiongyue, Fuyu Xianbei; The north and south of Kunlun, the shores of the Bohai Sea…Although Mu Weizhou knew that North Korea was once called Goguryeo, he did not know that the north and south of the Korean Peninsula had never been one country. Moreover, the modern Han Country was actually three countries that did not belong to each other at that time.
Perhaps it was because of Ban Gu's influence or because they had the same thoughts, Wang Chong admitted that the Xiongnu were also a top priority when the Han Dynasty had the ability to expand outward. However, he also emphasized that other relatively weaker forces could not be ignored.
After experiencing Wang Chong's baptism, Mu Weizhou was rather dazzled. He really didn't expect that the burly man who was originally as stable as a mountain in his heart would actually be surrounded by strong enemies and be in danger. In fact, he did not know that as long as a country existed, it would naturally be in a dynamic and relatively stable state, in a state of crisis. Half of the reason he had such thoughts was due to Wang Chong's eloquence. Wang Chong's eloquence had unknowingly impressed Mu Weizhou.
Ban Chao waited for Wang Chong to finish speaking, then humbled himself that what he wanted to say had already been said by a few people, so he didn't want to say it. But Wang Chong did not agree, saying that Ban Chao often had amazing knowledge, and that he must have meant something when he said "Western Regions". Liu Qingping and Mu Weizhou had long been convinced by Ban Gu and Wang Chong's views. At this moment, they were no longer concerned about the answers to the questions. They were more interested in hearing the unique views of these extraordinary people, so they followed and waited beside them. Ban Chao saw that he couldn't accept it and naturally had something to say in his heart, so he started to talk slowly.
Ever since Hu Zhen gave Ban Chao the divination of the title of Marquis ten thousand miles ago, Ban Chao had paid special attention to the Western Region and had done in-depth and systematic research. Some people might think that Ban Chao was stupid. He did not do anything because of the simple words of a fortune teller. In fact, for Ban Chao, he had his own ambition first, and then he had his own plans. Ban Chao felt from the bottom of his heart that if he could be like Zhang Qian and Fu Jiesi, his life would be more meaningful. Otherwise, life would inevitably have regrets. It was just like how some people would think that it was a pity for a good person to become a monk, or that it was a pity for someone to go bankrupt in order to collect stones for their entire life. For the person involved, they only felt that their life would be complete if they did that. Be it a monk or a collector, its nature was no different from working or doing business. Ban Chao didn't have a choice, which meant that his thoughts were different from everyone else. There was no right or wrong. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, people were still ignorant. There was some superstition, but it was definitely not the essence.
Ban Chao had been obsessed with his own ideas for more than ten years, and his focus was on the Western Regions, so he naturally spoke with great clarity. In Mu Weizhou's eyes, it was a feasible report. Ban Chao's idea about the Western Regions was to eliminate the threat of the Xiongnu to the Han Dynasty. The Xiongnu ruled the north. The geographical location of the Western Regions was unique. There were many small countries in the region. Most of them were enslaved by the Xiongnu and provided the Xiongnu with wealth and soldiers. In Ban Chao's opinion, if he could pacify the Western Regions, not only would he cut off the Xiongnu's left and right arms, but he could also obtain strategic resources such as good horses and sharp soldiers. The Han Dynasty would benefit while the Xiongnu would suffer. In this short period of time, the Han people would definitely gain an even greater advantage. At that time, the scale of trade between the Great Han and the West was not small. If the Great Han's control over the Western Regions could be guaranteed, not only could the trade be reduced and profits be increased, but the scale of trade could also be expanded, which would help the Great Han accumulate wealth. Moreover, there were now more than fifty countries in the Western Region. If the Western Region was left out of control and one of them unified the Western Region, it would be another Xiongnu to the Great Han Dynasty. Therefore, under the circumstances where the country had the strength to spare, it was the best choice to take the lead in pacifying the Western Regions.
Mu Weizhou had already been convinced by Ban Gu and Wang Chong, but when he heard Ban Chao's thoughts, he felt that he had been convinced by Ban Chao again. He didn't know what to do. It was no wonder. Not to mention that he was still young, he had basically never been trained to deal with such a major matter of the country and the world. The words that he had just said might have been thought over for many years. Just this point alone made his role destined to be a learner. If it wasn't for the fact that he had transcended history, it would be suspicious if he could understand what he was saying.
After Ban Chao finished speaking, everyone fell into a moment of silence. Even Wang Chong and Ban Gu nodded at Ban Chao's idea. After a while, he heard Wang Chong say,"Brother Zhong Sheng's views are indeed unique." However, the Western Regions were vast, and the journey to Luoyang was more than ten thousand miles. If they really used troops, would the losses outweigh the gains? The Xiongnu were close at hand, and the Western Regions were thousands of miles away. With the strength of the Han Dynasty, if they started a war at the same time, there might be a situation of insufficient troops. How should they solve this?”
Wang Chong's question was partly because he had thought of the difficulties in the middle, and partly because he liked to argue with others. However, the question was indeed very important. Ban Gu thought for a moment and looked at Ban Chao.
Ban Chao had considered this before. In his opinion, there was no good solution. The only feasible way was to send a small number of troops to the Western Regions and use the conflicts between different countries to assist diplomatic means to achieve checks and balance.
Wang Chong and Ban Gu were both scholars. When they heard this, they didn't think much of it, thinking that they were being surrounded by powerful enemies. That was no different from throwing meat to a hungry wolf. Mu Weizhou had just thought that Ban Chao's idea was feasible, but now he had the same idea as Wang Chong and Ban Gu. Liu Qingping, on the other hand, cheered up and nodded.""Brother Ban's idea is indeed amazing! According to Second Brother Ban's plan, if it was executed well, the Great Han would receive strong reinforcements from the Western Regions. If it was not executed well, they could also cut off an arm of the Xiongnu. Brilliant plan!"
Ban Chaowan didn't expect that the person who could understand his thoughts was a girl. He couldn't help but be amazed.
The few of them continued to discuss for a while and continued to drink enthusiastically. After another three rounds of drinking, Ban Gu asked Liu Qingping, seemingly unintentionally, why she had asked the question just now. Liu Qingping looked at the few people in front of her who were already quite drunk and said mysteriously,"If I tell you big brothers, you must not leak it.”Seeing this, the few of them guessed that there must be a reason behind it and promised not to reveal it. Liu Qingping had heard recently that the current emperor had decided to send troops to attack the Xiongnu, and had chosen Dou Gu and Geng Bing as generals. The time was also set for this winter.
Mu Weizhou didn't think much of it, but the other three were already half sober. If Liu Qingping had only told them about the crusade against the Xiongnu, it would have been fine. Because of such a big matter, with the wisdom of the three, they could more or less see some clues. This was not a secret. However, Liu Qingping suddenly said that she wanted to send Dou Gu and Geng Bing as generals, so it was very difficult for them to know. It could be said that Liu Qingping had revealed important national secrets to them.
In a moment, Ban Chao raised his wine cup and said to Mu Weizhou,""Brother Weizhou, I drank quite a bit today and I'm a bit drunk. Not only are my eyes blurry, but my ears aren't working well either. It was truly a blessing to be able to drink with his brothers in this life. Let's not talk about anything else. Elder brother suggests that we drink this cup together. How about we invite the two elder brothers to accompany us?”
Wang Chong and Ban Gu naturally knew what he meant when they heard him say that. They also raised their glasses and toasted Mu Weizhou with the words " drank too much " and " drank so much that my ears can't work properly ".
Mu Weizhou didn't think too much about it. He just thought that Ban Chao was like him and felt that they hit it off, so he happily finished the wine. Liu Qingping, who was beside him, saw the three old men talking about it and immediately understood what Ban Chao meant. She had only told them the news intentionally or unintentionally. Speaking of intentions, she wanted to tell the few old men in front of her that the next major event of the imperial court was to crusade against the Xiongnu. She hoped that they would make some preparations in advance after knowing the news. Perhaps they would have a chance to change the situation. Speaking of unintentional, she really didn't notice that her words just now had already revealed military secrets. That was a crime that could be beheaded. She wasn't afraid of being beheaded because she knew that the people in front of her wouldn't spread this matter. Ban Chao's reaction just now proved this point. But thinking about how ignorant and rash he was just now, he couldn't help but blame himself. Seeing that everyone had toasted, he personally filled everyone's glasses again, as if nothing had happened just now.
The banquet at the Sunset Smoke Hall lasted until evening. Mu Weizhou felt that it was a great pleasure to be able to drink with these people. The others seemed to have the same thoughts, but they all ended up getting drunk. In the end, Liu Qingping could only send Xiao Tong to send them home.
In the next few days, Wang Chong and Ban Chao seemed to have grown up in the Sunset Smoke Hall. Because Wang Chong had lost the bet, he was naturally punished by Liu Qingping to write an article. Most of the topics were focused on some things that the current emperor was concerned about. Liu Qingping was originally worried that Mu Weizhou would not be able to deal with the Emperor easily, but now, she was not worried at all. With Wang Chong and Ban Chao around, what was there to worry about? Soon, Wang Chong and Ban Chao understood what Liu Qingping meant. At the same time, they felt that this young man and woman had an extraordinary background, so they naturally did their best. Moreover, both of them hit it off with Mu Weizhou, especially Ban Chao. He felt that it would be a good thing to have a little brother like Mu Weizhou. Thus, after a few days, Mu Weizhou's understanding of the incident had improved by leaps and bounds. If someone were to mention the big man's current priority, Mu Weizhou would never answer the question.
Wang Chong and Ban Chao also had their own gains. In addition to being able to eat the delicacies he wanted every day, Wang Chong was also influenced by Mu Weizhou's decades of materialistic education. Although Mu Weizhou didn't dare to say that he was materialistic, he naturally used a materialistic approach to answer many of Wang Chong's questions, and many times, Wang Chong was enlightened. As for Ban Chao, apart from being able to drink fine wine every day, he felt that he hit it off with Mu Weizhou and even learned the Tao Le Sword Style from him. However, Ban Chao's talent in martial arts was too poor. After a few days, he still could not understand the move of Pangu Splitting Heaven, which really surprised Mu Weizhou.
On the night of the fourth day of the fifth month, Liu Qingping told Mu Wei that the Zhou Wei family had returned to Luoyang. They would perform in the most prosperous city in Luoyang tomorrow and invited them over. At that time, Wang Chong, Ban Gu, and Ban Chao were all there. Mu Weizhou invited them to watch it without thinking, trying his best to advertise the performance of the Wei Family's class. Unfortunately, Wang Chong and Ban Gu had already made an appointment with Fu Yi, Yang Zhong, and the others from the Imperial College to go on Mount Song. Ban Gu had come to invite Zhou and Liu to go with him. Mu Weizhou thought that the people who could go with Wang Chong and Ban Gu must be celebrities. He really wanted to go with them, but he remembered that he hadn't seen Wei Feng and Wei Luan for a long time. He also remembered that Wang Chong and Ban Gu's friends were in Luoyang and he would find a chance to get to know them in the future. The Wei family was forced to make a living and didn't know where to go next, so he declined Wang Chong and Ban Gu's kindness. Fortunately, Ban Chao was fine. After hearing Mu Weizhou talk about the Wei family's class's skills, he agreed with Mu Weizhou to watch the Wei family's class 'performance tomorrow.
After discussing it, everyone went home after dinner.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。