Is there anything that can make a country prosperous with a word? Can a word destroy a country? The Analects of Confucius
Climbing the dragon's scale, attaching to the phoenix's wings, and waving it, it is so vigorous that it is impossible to catch up. -- Yang Xiong's Fa Yan
Mu Weizhou slept soundly. When he woke up again, it was already noon the next day. Mu Weizhou saw that Liu Qingping had already woken up and was in a daze in the evening hall. He looked around but didn't see Liu Meng. He asked and found out that Liu Meng was afraid of being scolded by his family, so he went home immediately after waking up in the morning. When Mu Weizhou was about to ask who Liu He's parents were, he saw Xiao Tong running in in a panic. He said that someone from the palace had come and that the Emperor and Empress wanted to summon Liu Qingping and Mu Weizhou.
Liu Qingping didn't think much of it, but Mu Weizhou felt nervous, or rather, a sense of holiness. Although Mu Weizhou had already met the current Emperor before, and Liu Qingping had already told him that the Emperor would meet him after the Dragon Boat Festival, Mu Weizhou was still a little nervous. It was the same feeling as when he was about to enter the college entrance examination.
Mu Weizhou hurriedly followed Liu Qingping's request and tidied up. After thinking about it, he put Ban Gu's Ode to the Two Cities into his pocket and followed the messenger to the Imperial Palace. On the way, Liu Qingping also whispered some reminders to Mu Weizhou, telling him that the Empress 'surname was Ma and that she was Ma Yuan's youngest daughter. She was a good person and very talented. She had grown up under her care. Mu Weizhou kept nodding, but he did not remember most of it. He remembered that Emperor Ming liked people who had their own ideas and ambitions.
Mu Weizhou and Liu Qingping followed the messenger into the Northern Palace from the Divine Tiger Sect. In the beginning, Mu Weizhou could still remember the way, but the messenger soon lost his sense of direction. He only felt that the palaces were next to each other, and in his eyes, there was not much difference between these palaces. He couldn't figure out why emperors liked to build so many rooms. Wasn't it tiring to walk around like this every day? Liu Qingping was very familiar with the Imperial Palace. However, she didn't say much when she entered the Imperial Palace until she arrived in front of Zhangde Hall.
When the messenger entered the hall to report, Liu Qingping smiled at Mu Weizhou and said,""Big Brother Mu, you're about to meet Uncle Emperor. How do you feel now?”
Even though Mu Weizhou had received more than ten years of anti-imperialist and anti-feudal education, he could not help but feel a trace of reverence in his heart in these layers of palaces. He stuck out his tongue and said,"I'm fine. I'm a little nervous."
Liu Qingping whispered," Hehe, you're good. I've seen many white-bearded old men sweating at this time." The first time Uncle Emperor summoned you, you were with the Empress. Do you know why?”
Mu Weizhou looked at Liu Qingping's cute appearance and thought for a moment.""I think it's probably because of you?”
What Mu Weizhou meant was that Liu Qingping had grown up in front of the Emperor and Empress, and she had saved the Emperor with him in Daliang. The Empress must have wanted to see her, so she had arranged the two things together. However, it sounded different to Liu Qingping. She blushed and said,"Tsk, nonsense. Let me tell you, Uncle Emperor was able to summon you together with the Empress, which proves that he is very happy today. You have to be smart later. Maybe you will be rewarded with an official position!”
Mu Weizhou didn't really care about being an official. He felt that he would be leaving in a year or so. He might as well take advantage of this time to travel around and understand more about this era. If he really became an official and "worked" every day like his parents, it would not be meaningful. Moreover, he felt that if he really became an official, he would have to take responsibility. That would definitely be the most tiring thing in the world. Moreover, it might be laborious and unrewarding. It was better not to do it.
As Mu Weizheng thought about it, a young eunuch came out and called the two of them in. He couldn't think about it anymore and followed Liu Qingping into Zhang De Hall.
Mu Weizhou had heard from Liu Qingping that his uncle, the Emperor, was a particularly particular person. He was definitely the representative of " never tired of eating fine food, never tired of cutting fine meat." In the third year after he ascended the throne, he was going to build the North Palace. Later, although a minister named Zhong Liyi stopped him on the grounds of delaying the farming season, in the next few years, he took advantage of the slack time to recruit commoners to build the North Palace. He even transferred Zhong Liyi to the State of Lu to be the prime minister of the King of Lu. After Emperor Ming built the North Palace, he decided to renovate the residences of the Grand Commanders, Situ, and Sikong. Grand Commandant Zhao Xi listened to his subordinate, Zheng Jun. He thought that the construction of the North Palace had already caused the people of the world to suffer. If he continued to build the Grand Commandant's Mansion, it would undoubtedly increase the burden on the people. Moreover, the Grand Commandant's Mansion had few people and did not need to be rebuilt at all. Emperor Ming also accepted Zhao Xi's suggestion. In the winter of that year, Emperor Ming ascended the throne and saw that Luoyang was magnificent. The residences of Situ and Sikong were even more luxurious than the Imperial Palace. Only the residence of the Grand Commandant was old and simple. He sighed in front of Zhao Xi's son." Beat the ox and drink, don't let the child beggar be the butcher." The general idea was that since they had already decided to hold a feast where they would kill cattle and drink crazily, why did they listen to the arrangements of a beggar?
Mu Weizhou knew that Zhangde Hall was where the Empress lived and that Emperor Ming was very particular about it. Thus, he mentally prepared himself and told himself not to be too surprised no matter how luxurious it was in case Emperor Ming saw him as a beggar. When he entered Zhang De Hall and saw the situation inside, he was still shocked.
The situation in Zhang De Hall surprised him too much, because the furnishings in Zhang De Hall were no different from that of Sunset Smoke Hall. The only exception was a large bookshelf against the wall. There were many bamboo and silk books inside. It was not as luxurious as he had expected. In Mu Weizhou's eyes, this Zhang De Hall was more like a large study.
Emperor Ming, who was dressed luxuriously, was lying on the table as if he was looking at a map. He was mumbling places like " Juyan " and " Zhangye ". Beside him stood a woman holding a book. When Emperor Ming mentioned a place name, she would read out the number of local households and population from the book in her hand.
Mu Weizhou had seen Emperor Ming before. He didn't seem to have changed much, but this woman made Mu Weizhou feel strange. Judging from her clothes, she didn't look like an empress at all. In Mu Weizhou's impression, the Empress should be dressed as luxuriously and elegantly as Emperor Ming. The woman in front of him was dressed in plain clothes, and there were no patterns on her clothes. She was dressed like an ordinary woman in Luoyang. She was not as good as Liu Qingping, but she was quite decent. She was in her thirties and was over seven feet two inches tall. Her long black hair was tied up on top of her head. She was beautiful, her face was fair, and her physique was slightly weak. Her body emitted a clear understanding and warm peace. Mu Weizhou knew that she was a good person at first glance. She was the kind of person who would never hurt others for any reason, just like his aunt.
The young eunuch led the two of them into the hall and retreated to the door. As soon as Liu Qingping entered the hall, she took two steps forward and knelt in front of the two of them. She said happily,"Qingping pays her respects to Uncle Emperor and Aunt Empress!”
Before Mu Weizhou entered the palace, he had already decided not to kneel down. However, since he felt that the Empress resembled his aunt, he felt that kneeling down to him was not a bad thing. He imitated Liu Qingping and said," Mu Weizhou pays his respects to the Emperor and Empress " before kneeling down as well.
When Emperor Ming heard their conversation, he stood up and laughed.""You little brat, you're finally willing to come see us? Get up quickly. You've been thinking too much about your auntie.”
Liu Qingping giggled and stood up. She walked to the Empress and held her arm, saying,""Actually, I wanted to come a long time ago, but I was afraid that you guys would have too many things to do. If I came, I wouldn't be able to say a few words. Since you have time today, I came here.”
"Hmm, you're getting better at talking. I haven't seen you for a month. When you return to Luoyang, you'll stay with me in the palace for two days. You're a big girl after all.”Empress Ma was rebuking, but there was a loving smile on her face.
"Aunty, didn't Uncle Emperor want to build an unprecedentedly strong man? I think I've grown up, so I have to do something for this goal. That's why I've been sneaking around Luoyang for a month to visit some talents for Uncle Emperor.”Liu Qingping said coquettishly.
Emperor Ming looked at Empress Ma and said,"It seems that this child has really grown up and knows how to share the burden of others."”He turned around and saw that Mu Weizhou was still kneeling there. He quickly called him up and then said to Liu Qingping with a hidden meaning,"Then you didn't find me a Mu Weizhou after visiting for a month, did you?”
Mu Weizhou listened to the three of them. There was no emperor or empress. It was clearly his parents and his daughter, whom he had not seen for many days, chatting. Hearing Emperor Ming mention him, he didn't know what to do. He just stood there with a silly smile.
Empress Ma looked at Mu Weizhou and Emperor Ming, then said to Mu Weizhou,""Mu Weizhou, I've long heard the Emperor and Qing Ping mention you, saying that you're a talented person. Are your injuries alright?"
Mu Weizhou was a little embarrassed by Empress Ma's praise of her " talent ". When he heard that she was first concerned about whether his injuries had recovered, he felt that his previous judgment of her was correct. He smiled and said,"Thank you for your concern, Empress. This was all thanks to the care of the Emperor's Imperial Physician and Qingping.”
"Mm, it's good that you're fine. If something really happened, we would feel uneasy.”Empress Ma nodded." I heard from Qingping that you're from the north. Where's your home?"”
Ever since Mu Weizhou came to the Han Dynasty, no one had asked him so directly. Even if someone asked him, he would usually answer that he was from the north. When people saw that he was unwilling to say it, they would usually not continue to ask. As for people like Liu Qingping's third brother who were trying to find out about his background, Mu Weizhou simply gave him a non-answer. However, the current situation did not allow him to be vague or not answer. However, if he answered Chi Feng truthfully, not only would it implicate too many people, but he was also afraid that these two people would treat him as a madman. He looked at Empress Ma and whispered,""I no longer have a home in this world. I only know that I was born in the north, but I don't know where exactly.”Suddenly, he thought of the enthusiasm of Liu Qingping and the others, and then he thought of how he really didn't have any family in this world. He thought of how long it would take for him to return to his own world. He couldn't help but feel sad.
Empress Ma saw Mu Weizhou's sad expression and thought that he was an orphan because of his sad birth, and couldn't help but show a loving expression. Empress Ma's father, Ma Yuan, had passed away when she was in her teens. This made her feel that Mu Weizhou was in the same boat as her.
Emperor Ming saw the change in Empress Ma's expression and knew that she was thinking about something. He said loudly,""Weizhou, don't be sad. How could one be perfect in life? Since you are a citizen of the Great Han Dynasty, you are my child. In the future, I will make decisions for you.”
When Liu Qingping heard these words, she was overjoyed. She immediately winked at Mu Weizhou and pouted her lips. She wanted Mu Weizhou to kowtow and thank her immediately. This way, Mu Weizhou would have the most powerful person in the Great Han Dynasty as his backer.
Mu Weizhou saw Liu Qingping's expression and knew that she was hinting at him. He thought for a moment and said,""Wei Zhou thanks the emperor. It's just that the emperor is busy every day, and the world is his responsibility. Weizhou would never dare to add to your troubles with his private matters. Besides, Wei Zhou was already an adult, and Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty had already made great contributions at this age. Although I didn't dare to compare to Huo Qubing, I still had the idea of not causing trouble for others.”Mu Weizhou said this because he remembered Liu Qingping telling him that Emperor Ming liked people with ideas and ambition. Liu Qingping pouted, and he immediately remembered and blurted it out. In addition, he also felt that Emperor Han Ming was too smart. His eyes seemed to be able to see through people's heads. His background was unknown. If he communicated with him often, he might have harmed him that day. This was what he thought. In fact, the reason why he said this was because Mu Weizhou had always received an education that did not rely on anything. He couldn't imagine what would happen if the emperor was his backer. Perhaps he didn't care about the results of relying on others, or perhaps he didn't know how to rely on others.
After Mu Weizhou said this, the three of them had different thoughts.
Liu Qingping almost vomited blood. In his heart, there was nothing but a fool. She even believed that there was a reason why Mu Weizhou was able to become sworn brothers with Liu Meng. Because Liu He was Ma Xiaosha, and Mu Weizhou was definitely the idiot. What she did not know was that if she did not give Mu Weizhou a hint, with Mu Weizhou's personality, he might have thanked Emperor Ming. However, when she hinted, Mu Weizhou thought of her previous advice and thought too much. This could also be considered as 'success and defeat.'
Empress Ma had another thought. She felt that Mu Weizhou was quite honest and righteous. Although his actions were a little immature, his foundation was not bad. Moreover, the fact that he dared to compare himself to Huo Qubing proved that he had some confidence and true ability.
Emperor Ming was a little confused after hearing Mu Weizhou's words. He was rarely confused. Emperor Ming felt that Mu Weizhou was either too smart or stupid. Although he had said it in a hurry and could cover for Mu Weizhou, to someone like him, who was "the only person in the world", such words were definitely not for nothing. On the one hand, Mu Weizhou had saved his life. On the other hand, Liu Qingping had told him about this when he first arrived in Luoyang. He thought that Mu Weizhou was young and had some ability. He had many people under his protection, so it was not a big deal. She did not expect that when she heard Mu Weizhou's intention to reject her, his words of " being busy every day and being in charge of the world " made her feel very comfortable. For a moment, Emperor Ming was more curious about Mu Weizhou and less expectant. He was confused.
Seeing that no one spoke, Mu Weizhou thought that he had said something wrong and hurriedly said,"Emperor, Mu Weizhou is a humble man from the mountains and doesn't understand etiquette. If he said something wrong, please forgive him.”
Emperor Ming laughed when he heard that. He pointed at Mu Weizhou and said to Empress Ma,""Empress, do you think this child looks like Jia Kui?”
Mu Weizhou had heard Wang Chong and Ban Gu mention Jia Kui. It was said that this person had grown up in the Imperial College and had never come into contact with the outside world. He did not know much about the ways of the world, but he was very knowledgeable. If others did not understand something, he would usually be able to solve it. At this moment, Emperor Ming had mentioned Jia Kui because he had just finished reading a memorial to the throne that Jia Kui had submitted in the morning. Thinking of Mu Weizhou's performance just now, he naturally thought of him.
When Empress Ma heard this, she nodded slightly and smiled without saying anything. Although Liu Qingping did not know Jia Kui, she knew that Emperor Ming would not make a good comparison. She said angrily,""Uncle Emperor, I think it's probably 'his stupidity can be matched, but his wisdom can't be matched!”
Mu Weizhou couldn't help but feel puzzled. He remembered Confucius saying," His wisdom is attainable, but his stupidity is beyond reach." It seemed to be a good thing. Why did Liu Qingping say it the other way around? Thinking that she was scolding him, he rolled his eyes at her.
Emperor Ming and Empress Ma saw everything. They looked at each other and smiled.
Mu Weizhou did not know what was going on. He stood there grinning, but he was a little nervous.
Emperor Ming wiped his smile and said to Mu Weizhou,""You just said that Huo Qubing was already at Mobei at your age. What do you think of the Xiongnu?”
Mu Weizhou heard Emperor Ming ask him about the Xiongnu and knew that he was testing him. He told Emperor Ming everything he had learned and discussed from Wang Chong, Ban Gu, and Ban Chao, as well as everything he had learned from the history books and the relevant information two thousand years later. Emperor Ming did not expect Mu Weizhou to say such a long speech. At first, he only wanted to test Mu Weizhou's knowledge, but later he realized that he could not limit Mu Weizhou's thoughts and conclusions to the scope of knowledge, because after listening to the whole article, it was definitely a very insightful political theory. Sometimes, he would even stroke his beard and think seriously.
Mu Weizhou's words lasted for about ten minutes. Although his words were not flowery, he had explained the matter clearly. Emperor Ming could also tell from his words that Mu Weizhou had some skill. In particular, Mu Weizhou even gave a brief explanation of why he had such understandings and which opinions came from Wang Chong, Ban Gu, and Ban Chao. This action made Emperor Ming and Empress Ma feel that Mu Weizhou was open and aboveboard and would not bully others for credit. Actually, Mu Weizhou was the same.
By the time Mu Weizhou finished speaking, Liu Qingping was already smiling like a flower. Emperor Ming seemed very happy and said,""This child is indeed Jia Kui. You're smart, but you're stupid." Hearing this, Mu Weizhou felt relieved. Emperor Ming's praise was secondary. The most important thing was that he had finally recommended Wang Chong and the others to the Emperor. He felt that his mission was basically completed.
Emperor Ming pondered for a while and said to Liu Qingping,""Little girl, you said that you've been paying attention to some talents in Luoyang for the past month. Are they the ones Wei Zhou mentioned? Is there anyone else?"
Liu Qingping thought for a moment and said,"Uncle Emperor, there should be more. It's just that I'm thinking of these people." I'll tell you when I remember.”
Emperor Ming nodded and turned to Mu Weizhou.""Weizhou, what do you think?"
Mu Weizhou thought for a moment and said,"There's another person called Jia Di. He's a shopkeeper of the Money Gang." This person's martial arts were impressive, but his moral conduct was average.”Then, he briefly explained the dispute between him and the Money Gang.
"Oh? " There's such a thing." Emperor Ming frowned and pondered." After so long, the Dou Family and the Han Family are still so hostile? Mu Weizhou, let me ask you again, what is Jia Di's role in the Money Gang?”
Liu Qingping saw Emperor Ming's solemn expression and knew that Mu Weizhou's words had touched Emperor Ming's mind. She quickly said,""Uncle Emperor, that Jia Di is the manager of the Money Gang. There seems to be no one above him except the Gang Leader.”
Emperor Ming nodded slightly and smiled.""I really didn't expect you to have such a dangerous experience at such a young age.”
When Mu Weizhou heard him say "young", he suddenly thought of someone and hurriedly said,"Emperor, I also thought of someone.”
At this moment, the young eunuch at the door walked in and reported that the crown prince had arrived. He asked Emperor Ming if he had been summoned in.
After Emperor Ming indicated that he could, he said to Mu Weizhou,"Who else? Continue."
"Speaking of which, this person has some history with me," Mu Weizhou said with a smile. There is a saying that the selection of wise men does not avoid relatives. Although he was young, he was very knowledgeable and had a good character. His name is…"
When Liu Qingping heard that Mu Weizhou was a friend of Jin Lan, she knew that the person he wanted to recommend was Liu Meng. She quickly cleared her throat and gave him a look. At the same time, footsteps could be heard. A youth also entered the hall from outside the door. As he walked, he said,"Your son Liu Xi pays his respects to Imperial Father and Imperial Mother.”
Emperor Ming waved his hand and said," Stand up." The youth stood up and stood at the side.
Mu Weizhou was speechless. He glanced at the young man next to him. Who else could it be but Liu Meng, the one who had been drinking and chatting with him last night? However, at this moment, Liu Meng pretended not to know him and stood quietly at the side.
Liu Qingping took two steps to Mu Weizhou's side and pulled the stunned Mu Weizhou. She took the lead to bow to Liu Meng and said,""Liu Qingping pays her respects to the Crown Prince.”Mu Weizhou also reacted immediately. He imitated Liu Qingping and bowed to Liu Meng.
The two of them saluted and covered Mu Weizhou's dazed state. Emperor Ming and Empress Ma were also stunned when they saw Mu Weizhou, but they thought that Mu Weizhou did not know what to do after seeing the Crown Prince. After Liu Wei returned the greeting, Emperor Ming said to Mu Weizhou,""Weizhou, what's the name of the person you mentioned?”
At this moment, Mu Weizhou's mind was like a train running through his head. Now that he thought about Liu Meng's well-educated and ignorant appearance, as well as Liu Qingping's intimate state with him, he should have already guessed it. In his impression, the crown prince was not allowed to leave the palace casually in ancient times. If he had directly mentioned Liu Meng, who knew what would have happened? If the Eastern Han Dynasty allowed him to be too selfish and leave the palace, it would have been fine. Even if there was an accident, he would have caused a lot of trouble. Suddenly, he thought of directly talking about Ma Xiaoda, but he immediately rejected it. Not to mention that one day, the Emperor would ask him to bring Ma Xiaoda over to see if he could explain himself. Even now, with his judgment of Emperor Ming and Empress Ma's shrewdness, perhaps Ma Xiaoda would say something, and Liu He, who had just become sworn brothers, would be taught a lesson…Besides, he had never heard of any Crown Prince being sworn brothers with ordinary people.
"Oh? Weizhou, is there anything else you don't want to say?”Emperor Ming saw Mu Weizhou's hesitation and asked.
Liu Qingping, who was beside him, also broke out in cold sweat. She knew that Liu He had sneaked out yesterday. The Emperor and Empress in front of her had no idea at all. Moreover, these two people were strict with their children. If Mu Weizhou exposed Liu He, the political risk might not be certain. Liu He might have to suffer a good lesson.
Hearing Emperor Ming's question, Mu Weizhou quickly bowed and said,""Emperor, this, this is really a little hard to say, because, because…she's a woman.”
"A woman?" Emperor Ming looked at Empress Ma and said," I heard that most people who become sworn brothers are of the same sex. You're quite curious." But thinking about it, it wasn't a problem. Although there were differences between men and women, they couldn't become sworn brothers. However, if it is a woman, and if she really has the ability, I won't use her.”
When Liu Qingping heard this, she remembered that she had made an appointment with Mu Weizhou to be best friends in front of Saint Lady Dujiang of Guangling. She thought that he wanted to make up for her, so she continued,"Yeah, this Mu Weizhou actually loves to fool around and his actions are absurd. To think that he dares to compare himself to Huo Qubing!”
Empress Ma heard Liu Qingping's words and smiled.""An extraordinary person, an extraordinary plan. Mu Weizhou, tell me, who is this good friend of yours, Jin Lan?”
Mu Weizhou lowered his head slightly to Empress Ma and said,""This person is the one Wei Zhou mentioned to you just now, the eldest daughter of the Dou family, Dou Tao!”
"Dou Tao?" Empress Ma and Emperor Ming repeated the same sentence.
When Liu Qingping heard Mu Weizhou mention Dou Tao instead of her, she was not happy at first. She thought that although Sister Dou was a good person, she should not be so obsessed with her. After Mu Weizhou finished speaking, Liu Qingping thought about it and couldn't help but be very happy. It turned out that she was thinking that although Mu Weizhou had said such nonsense to protect Liu He, the Emperor would know that he and Dou Tao were good friends of Jin Lan, and this matter would never change. How could she not be happy when she thought of this!
Mu Weizhou did not think too much about it. He only felt that although Dou Tao was a young lady, she was indeed very insightful and had a heart for the country and the world. It would be a pity if the emperor didn't know about such a person. If he had recommended Liu Qingping to the Emperor as Liu Qingping had thought, the Emperor would probably know Liu Qingping better than he did. If he recommended someone he was familiar with to the Emperor on their first meeting, the Emperor would not think that he was bold enough to joke with the Emperor. On the other hand, in his opinion, there were very few people who could compare to his brother Qingping in terms of knowledge and wisdom. However, when it came to the righteousness of the world, he could not do it. In short, he felt that he was far inferior to Dou Tao in this aspect.
Hearing Emperor Ming and Empress Ma's questions, Mu Weizhou repeated what Dou Tao had said last night. When Emperor Ming and Emperor Wu heard this, they nodded. Emperor Ming said,""Wei Zhou, according to what you said, this Dou Tao is more capable than this little girl?”。
Mu Weizhou wanted to answer, but Liu Qingping immediately walked to Empress Ma's side and said with an innocent expression,""Of course. I've met his good friend Jin Lan before. Not only was he good-looking, but he was also very knowledgeable. If there was a chance, Uncle Emperor and Aunt Empress must take a look.”
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