Chapter 81 Guigu Yin and Yang, the Longest Longing Xie Chunan stated calmly: "Two groups of people came from Beifeng. One group was regular messengers, which was fine. However, the other group quietly went to the Cining Palace this morning." "According to the spies' report, they saw Tuoba Shuyi's son, Tuoba Hongyan, in the Cining Palace." "It is worth mentioning that Tuoba Hongyan was also present at Mount Zhongnan." Zhou Zhen nodded slightly, as if thinking about something. The Cining Palace was the residence of the Empress Dowager. Even when he went to pay a visit to her over the years, he had to follow etiquette and wait. now! It was unbelievable to him that the messenger of the North Wind could easily enter the Cining Palace. The big joke of slipping the world!
Zhou Zhen stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the portraits of emperors in Daqing history hanging in the hall and said: "Does she think this is Qian Yuan, and there is a saying that a woman can be crowned emperor?" There has never been a woman who has become emperor in the thousand years since Qianyuan, but now one has appeared. The whole world was shocked and everyone was talking about it. How ridiculous it is for a woman to claim to be an emperor in troubled times! Xie Chunan's expression remained unchanged. "The Empress Dowager actually has no interest in the country. She just doesn't want to see the world fall apart after the death of the late emperor." "The Empress Dowager was worried that she would not be able to see the late Emperor after her death." After the death of the previous emperor. Zhou Zhen ascended the throne in Kyoto, while the eighth prince established his own dynasty in Prince Jing's Mansion in Jiangbei and did not receive orders from the emperor. The sixth prince Zhou Jin proclaimed himself the King of Heaven, forming a three-way balance of power. Zhou Zhen said calmly: "In fact, no matter what the Empress Dowager does, I will not intervene. After all, I can sit on the throne without her support." He paused for a moment and continued: "However, the current situation is not that I cannot tolerate her, but that she wants to kill me." Zhou Zhen gazed deeply at the portraits of his ancestors on the wall, especially the first three. His voice was solemn and firm: "At the beginning of his career, Taizu experienced seven ups and downs, and finally established his rule in the Central Plains, relying on the unity of the brothers in the same county." "During the reign of Emperor Jing, Master Zhu assisted him in governing the country and implementing benevolent policies. In less than twenty years, he made the Jiangnan region prosperous." "Emperor Wu has five famous generals who followed him on his expeditions to the east and west to expand his territory." Zhou Zhen turned around and said seriously, "Now, I have Mr. Xie to assist me, and Master Zhu is no better." Upon hearing this, Xie Chunan immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I am overly flattered. I do not deserve it." Zhou Zhen looked serious and said:
"Why not? When the late emperor was alive, he once said that with your talent and knowledge, Daqing is too small." I don’t know when it started. Zhou Zhen's way of addressing Xie Chunan has quietly changed. From "Mr. Xie" to "Sir". From "I" to "I". Looking back on the past, they, the princes, had all benefited greatly from Xie Chunan's teachings. They are all called Mr.! At that time, Xie Chunan was just a commoner from the north. When he first arrived in Kyoto, he was just an inconspicuous clerk in the government office. however! In just five or six years, Xie Chun'an jumped from a minor official in the government office to become one of the most powerful officials in the court. After the change of dynasties, his prestige did not diminish at all, but became more stable. Today, Xie Chunan is one of the few people who truly holds power in the court. He acted cautiously and carefully, and seemed to be at ease whether dealing with important state affairs or resolving complex interpersonal relationships. He never reveals his intentions easily, and is always able to accurately grasp the timing and make the most beneficial decisions for himself. That’s right! Xie Chunan chose the second prince Zhou Zhen, and most people in the court followed suit. The reason was that Minister Xie had never made a wrong move over the years. Zhou Zhen felt a little curious and puzzled, so he asked sincerely: "Sir, I have always had a question. Why did you turn your attention to me and decide to assist me after the death of the late emperor?" Before this, Xie Chunan never got involved in party disputes and was not involved in the vortex of imperial power. Always stayed out of it. The Minister of Rites said calmly: "My wife, children and elders are all in Kyoto. For their sake, I can only follow the trend and be loyal to Your Majesty." Zhou Zhen did not show any displeasure on his face when he heard this. Instead, he smiled knowingly. If the ministers have no other support, it would be dangerous. Zhou Zhen suddenly remembered something and said: "I remember, sir, what you learned in the north was neither Confucianism, nor Taoism, nor Legalism." "Instead, he devoted himself to the Guigu School, studied the art of vertical and horizontal tactics, and learned the teachings of the Yin-Yang School." During the Warring States Period 2,000 years ago, there were hundreds of schools of thought, each expressing their own opinions. There were also many different ways of governing a country and seeking the truth. Taoists who pursue the unity of man and nature try to transcend the world with their own great power. The evil path wants to take over the world and take it upon oneself. The Legalists advocated governing the country with laws, viewing the world as a plow and the people as a chariot. The Mohist school advocated the idea of universal love, non-aggression, and self-expression. There are also seventy-two heterodox sects, each with its own strengths. At that time!
The wars among nations and between nations were even more of a contest between doctrines and orthodoxies. Zhou Zhen showed a smile: "In the early years, the master also opened a fortune-telling stall in Kyoto. It is said that there were countless people seeking marriage and wealth, which was also a great spectacle." Xie Chunan responded candidly: "It's really not easy to live in Kyoto, especially when you have several children and the expenses are quite high." "The salary from the court was meager and it was difficult to make ends meet, so I had to make a living by fortune-telling to supplement my family income." Zhou Zhen smiled and didn't care. Back to the topic, he asked respectfully: "This time, Master, I was asked to bring Shao Bao to the capital. Do you think that Shao Bao Lu is so promising that he will definitely be able to defeat the Empress Dowager?" It is both a question and answer session between the monarch and his subjects, and between a teacher and his students. After hearing this, Xie Chunan pondered for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, if you only want to control Daqing, maintain peace in the south of the Yangtze River, be a king who maintains the status quo, and establish a foundation like Emperor Jing, then having me, Xie Chun'an, to assist you is enough." He paused, his eyes becoming deep: "But if your majesty has great ambitions and wants to sweep across the world and achieve achievements far beyond Emperor Wu, then Lu Shenzhou is the only one who can do it." "This is a peerless sword, but it cannot be used without a true master. If used well, it can bring eternal peace, but if used poorly..." "It is up to Your Majesty to decide." Xie Chunan did not continue speaking. After hearing this, Zhou Zhen was silent for a moment. Back then, the Emperor only appointed Lu Chen as a Grand Tutor and gave him the power of three ministries. He suddenly laughed: "Sir, you are underestimating my tolerance. Daqing has had so many monarchs come and go. There is Beifeng in the north, and there are Dachu, Han, and Qianyuan on all sides." "How many emperors have there been throughout history!" Zhou Zhen looked at the portraits of his ancestors again and said solemnly: "I, Zhou Zhen, am I unwilling to give him a king of the opposite sex to sit on." "Zhou Zhen wants the descendants of Daqing to stop the longest and admire the most under my portrait when they worship their ancestors!" After hearing this, Xie Chunan bowed respectfully and said: "Then I, Xie, am willing to display all my life's learning to help Your Majesty achieve this eternal cause!" PS: I would like to borrow a sentence from Fenghuo. (End of this chapter)