Chapter 49: The Emperor and His Ministers Talk about Dragons
Snowflakes are falling from the sky.
When it first snowed, the snowflakes were not big, as light as catkins floating in the wind. But after a while, the snow fell denser and denser, and the snowflakes became larger and larger, and their shapes could no longer be seen dozens of meters away.
In a house on a slightly higher hill (only about thirty meters high), charcoal has been burned, making the house as warm as spring.
A clear sound of piano came from the house, the tune was graceful, plain, and joyful. There were no brocade stools in the room, only some animal fur cushions scattered around randomly. One of the servants and the young man sat on the cushions, listening with their noses and eyes.
At this time, the sound of the piano is even more ethereal, almost blending with the snowflakes, and in the fusion, there is an irrepressible joy.
It wasn't long before the song ended, but the lingering sound was still lingering. After waiting for a while, the young man stood up and greeted him, saying, "Father, are you in a good mood? I rarely see you so happy."
Li Bo nodded and recited a poem:
When the six-petal flying petals enter the house, I sit and watch the green bamboo turn into jade branches.
Now when I go up the hill and look into the wild, I see all the bad roads and forks in the world.
The young man was moved by what he heard and asked, "Father, is this your poem?"
"No, it was done by this adult. Let's not talk about it for now. Just listen." Li Bo said slowly, his eyes fell to the bottom of the hill. Although there was heavy snow, a vague sound could still be heard.
"People are born good, and their natures are close, but habits make them different. If you don't teach them, their natures will change. The way of teaching is to be focused. In the past, Meng's mother chose a neighbor and broke the loom when her son refused to learn. Dou Yanshan taught his five sons with righteousness, and their names became famous!"
It was the Three Character Classic, but the one reciting it was not a child but a rough man. The young man frowned slightly when he heard it.
"My son seems to be thinking about something. You can tell me."
The young man said, "Although I have only been here for one day and don't know the details, I think you must be studying in the military camp. This is truly a rare event. Can learning literature in the army help you?"
Soldiers should have no thoughts. Although the ancients would not say this, their meaning is very clear.
"If he had taught me the Four Books, not only my son, but I would have looked down on him. However, he only taught me the Three Character Classic, which actually shows his great ambition." Li Bo asked the young man with a smile: "My son, do you understand my intention?"
"Oh, is it this sir who is aiming at an army of 100,000?" The young man thought about it and understood.
"That's right. This gentleman told me a few days ago that bravery is the foundation of the army, but it's a good thing for the soldiers to be illiterate. It's fine for a fire captain, but how can a captain or a brigade commander not even know official documents? That's why they recite the Three Character Classic to learn some writing."
"It doesn't seem to be the case in other armies?"
"In other armies, there are families of veteran generals who have joined the army, and their sons serve as brigade commanders. However, this lord does not have many families of veteran generals who have joined the army, and he wants to accomplish things within a few years, so naturally he can only teach in this way."
The young man was silent for a while, and then he said, "Father, do you think highly of this gentleman? You know, the world is so big, and there are countless people with tens of thousands of soldiers. Why do you look at this man differently?"
"My son Chunfeng, let's go down and take a look at this person."
This young man was Li Bo's son, Li Chunfeng, who was already fifteen years old this year. He had no objection and stood tall, then entered the hill and went straight into the military camp. When he arrived at the gate of the military camp, the guards came forward and shouted, "Who are you? Show your badge."
Li Bo took out a silver plate, and the guard stepped forward, checked it, and then saluted with a smile: "Mr. Li, please go in. This is the rule. Please forgive me."
As he spoke, he recorded the number of people and wrote down the time they entered the camp.
"It's okay. That's how it should be." Li Bo waved his hand and said, although he came here often, he had to follow this procedure.
At this time, thousands of people were still training in the snow. At the command of the team leader, each of them marched in step, practiced formations, and held swords, training with great enthusiasm.
The camp of 2,000 men was completely silent except for the orders given. Sometimes there was a military song, which was extremely loud:
Who says I have no clothes? I share my robe with you. When the king raises his army, I will sharpen my spear. I share the same hatred with you!
Who says I have no clothes? I will share the same clothes with you. When the king raises his army, I will sharpen my spears and halberds. I will work with you!
Who says I have no clothes? I will share my clothes with you. When the king raises his army, I will prepare my armor and weapons. I will go with you!
The more Li Chunfeng looked, the more surprised he was. In the army, apart from orders and military songs, there were rules and regulations, and no other sounds. The soldiers only knew how to train, eat, be on duty, and sleep.
"Since September 28, this man has not taken care of foreign affairs. He has handed over the recruitment, government affairs, food, weapons, and ships to us. He has lived in the camp day and night, strictly following military laws, training with the soldiers, eating and sleeping with the soldiers, and ordering Gao Zhandao and others to focus on vegetables and fish, regardless of the price. It is now January 15th. You can see that the soldiers eat a lot of fish and meat, and after training, they are all very strong. They also practice martial arts, and the military orders are extremely strict. This man has established prestige by deciding life and death, promoting and demoting, and has the final say."
"In the army now, Zhang Yi, Zhang Yi and others are the generals of the personal guards, each leading a team of fifty cavalrymen, and the other six regiments are led by Luo Jin, Ren Jie and Zhou Feng as brigade commanders. Among these three, only Zhou Feng is brave and has potential. The other two must be transitional. However, in the past four months, the two brothers Feng Yuanding and Feng Shengji, as well as Ding Xingbang, have been promoted."
"Feng Yuanding and Ding Xingbang are both brave men in the village. They are the commanders of their respective regiments. Feng Shengji is well-versed in Confucian classics and is Feng Yuanding's younger brother. He is the military counselor. They should not be underestimated. These people will be promoted in mid-April based on their close confidants. The rest will be executed."
"What about the other one?"
"There is another regiment that does not have a brigade commander, but a team commander, divided into four teams, and recruited from veteran soldiers. According to this person, when new recruits are recruited, they will be trained by the four teams, and the best will be selected and then sent to the army."
"In this army, unless there is a war, we must conduct drills three times a day in the morning, afternoon and evening. The military law is extremely harsh," Li Bo explained.
"In this case, won't the soldiers resent him?" Li Chunfeng said in surprise.
"Of course, the four teams will train for a month. Although they have the best food, there are hundreds of soldiers who are tired and sick. Of course, they will complain. Therefore, those who complain, those who are not used to military rules, and those who are not strong enough to fight should be withdrawn, and the elite ones, no more than four or five out of ten, should be taken. If they escape in time, they will be beheaded and hung on the camp."
"How can the soldiers survive such harsh conditions?"
"The soldiers have enough food every day, for one thing. They also receive a monthly salary of 1 tael and 5 qian of silver. If they have made contributions, they will be rewarded. If they have completed three years, they will be rewarded with 30 mu of land in the army. Therefore, more than a thousand soldiers are eliminated every month, and more than a thousand are added. At this point, an army has been formed. You see, although this army has a small number of people, only more than 1,500, it is already a very strong force."
Li Chunfeng watched silently and was indeed shocked.
The orders are strict and enforced, military discipline is strict and the army has the power of life and death. This is indeed a strong army.
Zhang Xuanning was also training personally. He was originally a very elegant man, but he had been in the army for more than a year, and had the power of life and death at will. Although his skin was still fair due to his training, his every move showed a solemn demeanor and a natural majesty.
"You look at this person's fate." Li Bo said with a profound look in his eyes.
Li Chunfeng stared at him for a long time before he stopped and said, "This person is indeed extraordinary, but he is still in the form of a white snake, not a dragon. Just looking at this image, it is a great blessing for him to be a duke or king in this life. Why does father value him so much?"
"When a person is born, he has a destiny. The direction of this life is mostly determined. The acquired method is like that of an ordinary person. Although there are gains and losses, most of them do not damage the basics. Just like what we saw last time, in terms of dragon shape, the Taiyuan Li family is the best at this time, and Li Mi is also OK. But this boy, like the two I saw before, is also an anomaly in the sky. Did you know that when I saw him two years ago, he didn't even have the image of a white snake? He has grown so much in two years, and it's hard to say what will happen in the future!"
"My child, you must remember that the world is not settled, and the true dragon will not appear. Even if the Taiyuan Li family is the most victorious, their father Li Yuan and his three sons all have the aura of a dragon, but they are only in the form of a dragon. They only have the form and can only be considered a dragon, not a true dragon emperor. That's why everyone chooses their own master and competes for the world. If it's just about talent, then why should we fight?"
"The Divine Land is without a master, and the dragons and pythons are competing for their talents. As the saying goes, dragons and snakes rise from the land, the world is in turmoil, and a bloody battle is fought in the wild. Whoever can win in the end and rule the Divine Land will be able to control its energy and destiny, and obtain the three talents of heaven, earth, and man, and become the true dragon emperor, and complete the outcome for a hundred years."
"Even if a small snake in the field or a carp in the pond can take advantage of the situation, it may not be impossible to kill all the other dragons. However, it is relatively difficult to transform into a real dragon. The way of Feng Shui is actually nothing more than adding a little more foundation. To fight for the world, you need talent, strategy, timing and connections."
Li Chunfeng nodded to accept the instruction, but then he pondered and said, "Father is right. Although it is said that dragons and snakes rise from the land, and the heaven and earth change, each has its own chance, but in fact, if one is born as a dragon, he is better than a small snake or carp. Whether it is destiny, power, or foundation, it is the same. Why did father choose this person?"
Although he is a father, he still has his own opinions.
Li Bo laughed dumbly and said, "My son, what you said is true. It's just that the Li family is full of talents. They don't need us. They are already like dragons. If my family goes, it will only be icing on the cake, or even just a vassal. We will never use them. My son, are you willing to do so? If we can help this person, he will surely be granted the title of Duke and Marquis, and his name will be recorded in history. Besides, the Li family is originally of the Hu race, but colluding with the Hu religion is a big disaster. The Hu religion came from the end of the Han Dynasty, relying on the power of the Hu race and spreading through the chaos of the two Jin dynasties. However, if it wants to take root in China, it will take hundreds of years to be established. If it does not rely on the king, it will not be a law. I am annotating Laozi, how can I let it be like this? As for the origin of the family, it is also one of the reasons, but it is only the third one."
He sneered again, "The spread of Hujiao must rely on the power of the Hu people. Daoan once said that without relying on the leader, it would be difficult to establish the law. Maybe it will be deeply rooted in the future and take root in Shenzhou. Maybe there will be no distinction between Hu and Yi. But at this time, the Hujiao thieves will definitely support their Hu people and seize our Chinese artifacts. You see, it has been like this since the Five Barbarians. Today, Cihang Jingzhai is nothing but a knife for Hujiao. Although it is said that a wise leader will be selected, it must be a Hu people. It has already been decided."
Buddhism was spread in the inner world during the Five Barbarians period, relying on the Hu regime. At that time, the Sixteen Kingdoms, the northern Hu regime, and the Hu monarchs such as Fu Jian and Yao Xing promoted Buddhism. Therefore, the Sixteen Kingdoms period became the key to the development of Buddhism in northern China. Two of the four major caves in China, Mogao Grottoes and Maijishan Grottoes, were built during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. The other two were built during the subsequent Northern Wei Dynasty.
All these major events were supported, established and accomplished by the Hu people.
Later, it directly supported the Hu clan and the Li clan. Looking at the history of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it can be seen that when Buddhism was rising and falling in the world, it often supported the Hu clan to disrupt the world. Therefore, Buddhism actually rose to prominence by seizing the destiny of the Chinese nation.
There is no two masters in the world, and too many masters will lead to chaos. Originally, China had its own heaven and earth, which were passed down from the ancient gods above and the emperor's divine artifacts below. Therefore, the Emperor of Heaven and the Son of Heaven were actually father and son, united as one. Although there were rise and fall, they were and established a glorious civilization. Even during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was difficult for the Hu people to accomplish anything. Since the time of the Five Barbarians, the Hu people invaded, and once they had control of the destiny, they naturally cultivated their own monarch and emperor. Emperors came from many families and attacked each other, so China had many troubles. Any decline would lead to chaos. The reason why the Hu and Yi people ruled the world for a hundred or three hundred years in the future was mostly due to this.
To Li Bo, people like Ning Daoqi were nothing but Taoist thieves. Instead of strengthening their own strength, they assisted the tyrant in committing atrocities. If it weren't for the fact that he was a very skilled martial artist and difficult to kill, he would have been killed long ago.
However, killing a Taoist thief like Ning Daoqi is actually useless. If the Chinese divine system can establish its own kingdom, it will be a great Dharma event, a great national event, and a great victory.
Li Chunfeng thought about it silently, then smiled and bowed, saying: " Father is right!"
"In that case, come with me to meet this person."
Zhang Xuanning learned that Li Chunfeng was coming after he had finished his training. Although he controlled his emotions and did not show it, the fact that he summoned him immediately proved his enthusiasm.
Fortunately, it was not too excessive, which aroused the suspicion of Li Bo and Li Chunfeng. They just thought that he was eager to recruit talents, or that it showed the support of Li Chunfeng's family and made them a little excited.
However, Zhang Xuanning knew very well that anyone who wanted to be the emperor must be no one but him. Even if Li Chunfeng really was half human and half god in the future, he could only be respected but not feared. So he received him with a smile.
As soon as the door opened, a handsome young man appeared. He was tall and slender, wearing a green robe and had a calm expression. Although he was young, he was already very romantic. When he saw Zhang Xuanning, he immediately stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Brother Shi."
Zhang Xuanning hurried forward, helped him up, and then laughed, "My dear brother, you are such a talented person, I really envy you. Please come in quickly, please come in quickly."
As the host said this, the atmosphere suddenly became harmonious.
Next, the guests were seated and they started chatting. Li Bo was a learned man, so there was no need to say much. Li Chunfeng also specialized in literary classics and family secrets. Although he had not yet mastered the art, he was still a talented person. Zhang Xuanning had been ill in bed before his death and had read a lot. Although he was far inferior to them in terms of scholarship, later generations' research on him had all brought together their achievements. In addition, he did have some talent, so every word he said was full of essence.
This time, even Li Bo had never had such a long talk before. It was only because of his status that he was not able to talk wholeheartedly. At this moment, he felt that it was very refreshing and in line with his heart. He had a new assessment of Zhang Xuanning's talent.
At noon, Zhang Xuanning ordered a banquet to entertain the two men. However, in the army, although it was a banquet, it was actually just a few ordinary dishes. Li Chunfeng remained calm, seeing that his father was used to it and was obviously not being deliberately pretentious or neglectful, but he already had an estimate in his mind.
Zhang Xuanning talked about the strategy for the world again, repeating what he had said to Li Bo that day, and sighed, "Although I have trained soldiers now, there are only a few thousand of them. With such a large world, I still cannot do anything."
"Brother, why should you be so humble? Your rise is in line with the three words "Heaven, Earth and Man". Now in Kuaiji, there are no more foreign enemies. You have trained strong soldiers. As long as time passes, you can take advantage of the opportunity to rise up and seize a county or several counties as if it were a piece of cake. Then you can improve internal politics to win the hearts of the people, promote agriculture and sericulture, repair weapons, watch the heroes in the Central Plains compete, and take nearby counties. Once the world changes drastically, you can take the south with a thunderous force and advance into the Central Plains. What is there to sigh about?" Li Chunfeng said.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuanning was overjoyed and stepped forward to bow deeply, saying, "My dear brother, you are truly a great man. I beg you to help me. If you don't, it must be that the heavens do not support me, and I will have no interest in living."
As he said this, tears began to flow just like Liu Bei.
Li Chunfeng saw this attitude, although it was hypocritical, it was also extremely sincere. This was the power of politics, and he realized that this person was indeed quite impressive, so he bowed down calmly: "Brother, please do not look down on my youth and meanness. With such sincerity, how dare I delay any longer? From now on, I am willing to be your henchman."
As he said this, he shouted "My lord" and kowtowed to the emperor as a subject.
Li Bo also smiled to himself: "My nephew and I have an agreement that if we take Kuaiji, we must pay homage to the Lord together. But today we won't do that!"
Zhang Xuanning was suddenly overjoyed. He looked around at the father and son. He felt his heart pounding and almost dizzy. He didn't know what to say.
