Chapter 598: Receive gifts

Your resignation is actually a form. The local officials who were released from the country bid farewell to the emperor, listen to the emperor's instructions, and do things well in the local area, which is also called the court resignation.

During the Song Dynasty, the rulers of the Song Dynasty were most concerned about this form, believing that this was an important means to strengthen local control. The main reason was that the rulers of the Song Dynasty were frightened by the situation in which local officials in the late Tang Dynasty were not subject to the central government's control. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, local officials were released, and in order to show their favor, the emperor often had to invite local officials to have a meal, eat, drink and say goodbye, which was also the helplessness of the monarchs in the last days.

However, Wang Ping'an lived in the early Tang Dynasty, and the emperor was Li Shimin. If Li Shimin wanted to invite Wang Ping'an to have a meal in order to show his favor, he would be very encouraged, and that was the same as dreaming during the day.

Wang Ping'an took Di Renjie and Qiu Tingxuan to Ganlu Palace. Li Shimin was scolded and made the three of them sweat coldly. Just waiting for Li Shimin to let them leave, the three of them escaped from Ganlu Palace almost like they were running for their lives.

Wang Ping'an took them to the East Palace again and wanted to say goodbye to Li Zhi.

On the way, Qiu Tingxuan wiped the sweat beads on his forehead and said, "When I was at home, I often heard from my father that officials’ resignation is actually the most important part of being an official. If I deal with it, if there is any inappropriateness, the emperor will often take back the appointment, and officials will never have any future in this life. When I heard from my father, I still couldn't feel anything, but today I really gave my resignation and felt that it was dangerous!"

Di Renjie also said, "Yes, I was scared and sweated a little while just now. I thought the emperor was not going to send us three to be officials, but to send us out!"

Wang Ping'an smiled and said, "You two, this is the first time you talk to the emperor face to face, so you don't know the emperor's habit of speaking. The emperor scolds us so hard that we sweat. This shows that we are not wrong. If he doesn't scold us and just says a few words lightly, then when we go to bed at night, we have to think more about which place is not doing well?"

Qiu Tingxuan shook his head and sighed: "Doesn't this mean you deserve to be scolded? Could it be that being scolded by the emperor is a good thing?"

Wang Ping'an patted his shoulder and said, "Brother Qiu, his mentor must have taught you how to figure out the best intentions. I don't need to say more about the method of thinking, but you can't forget it after learning it. Just like reading, neither studying nor studying hard can be done. You have to learn and use it. If the emperor doesn't scold us, it will be someone else's scolding. When we go to see the prince, he will certainly not scold us, but we will also meet Lord Ma and Lord Changsun in a while. If they are trained, our future... will be no bright!"

Qiu Tingxuan nodded, not understanding it, but Di Renjie said, "It seems that the way of being an official must be learned more. What are the superiors thinking? We must understand in advance!"

The three of them talked about it and came to Li Zhi's East Palace and went straight to Chongxian Hall.

Li Zhi knew that Wang Ping'an was leaving today, so he had been waiting here early, waiting for Wang Ping'an to say goodbye to him. When he saw Wang Ping'an coming with two new Jinshi, he would not say anything, but just encouraged him according to the usual practice.

After encouraging, Li Zhi asked Di Renjie and Qiu Tingxuan to go out and wait. He left Wang Ping'an behind and said, "Why is it going on with Mei Niang? Are there any arrangements?"

Wang Ping'an was silent for a moment. He was about to leave Beijing. If he didn't say something at this time, it would be inconvenient to say it again in the future. He said, "Mei Niang is a little uncomfortable. I have prescribed her medicine and sent her to the road in advance. Your Highness doesn't have to worry about this. However, it seems that the King of Wu was aware of Wu Meiniang's affairs. During the polo meeting yesterday, he actually sent someone to follow him..." He told Li Zhi what happened yesterday.

After hearing this, Li Zhi's face changed drastically, and he stuttered, "If this is the case, will Li Ke send someone to follow you to Qingzhou? He must figure out this matter clearly. If he doesn't kill Gu, he won't wait to calm down!"

Wang Ping'an said: "Don't worry, this highness. A spy from the King of Wu is named Gao Wanquan. He is still with me now. I am going to take him to Qingzhou with me this time and take strict supervision. I will relax my vigilance occasionally."

Li Zhi said in confusion: "Since you know that Li Ke sent a spy to your house, why did you still let the spy stay by your side? You should relax your vigilance?"

Wang Ping'an said, "Of course, you have to relax your vigilance occasionally, so that he can give the news to the King of Wu. Your Highness, don't worry, as long as we control the person who is in the contact, we will be foolproof. The King of Wu can only get fake news, and because of the fake news, make wrong judgments. As long as you catch his mistake and give him a blow, you can calm him down!"

"How can I give him a blow?" Li Zhi felt a headache. He was really talented when it comes to intrigue.

Wang Ping'an actually has no talent, but he has read too many novels and movies and TV series in later generations. Even if he has never eaten pork, hasn't he seen pigs walking yet?

He said: "How to give him a blow depends on the specific situation in the future, but there is one thing that Your Highness must pay attention to. No matter how Lord Changsun wants to punish him after the King of Wu is attacked, you must stop him and cry to the emperor, saying that you should think of your brotherhood, and you don't want to hurt your brotherhood."

Li Zhi frowned and said, "Why is this? He always thinks about plotting against the will. If he can hit him and send him out, wouldn't it be great? He will save trouble in the future!"

Wang Ping'an shook his head and said, "Even if he doesn't get exiled, he has lost his power and shook his edge. He will not be able to turn over again in the future. But if you show kindness, your Highness, then the position of the prince will be more stable!"

Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "You mean to let the orphan be a bad person like you?"

Wang Ping'an's good person card was used to being issued. Unexpectedly, Li Zhi also thought so, thinking that he was a bad person. He did not defend himself, but said, "Your Highness's position as the prince will become more and more stable. Think about it, the more merciful you are, the more the emperor cannot destroy you, and he will never let the King of Wu advance to the throne."

"I really don't understand this Gu anymore. My father will not tell Gu this. But every time my uncle talks to Gu, he always tells Gu that he should hit a snake seven inches and never be ruthless to avoid being bitten by a snake. Why do you want to persuade Gu to be a good person instead?" Li Zhi said.

What Changsun Wuji taught Li Zhi was exactly the opposite of what Wang Ping'an said now, and they were two attitudes towards political enemies. Changsun Wuji was indeed cruel enough, and Li Ke died at his hands in the end, but it was precisely because of Li Ke's death that Changsun Wuji lost the support of the ministers in the court, so that as soon as Wu Meiniang took office, she won over a group of ministers who supported her in the future.

Wang Ping'an said: "Your Highness, the King of Wu is the emperor's son no matter what. No father is willing to punish another son for one son. Even if you change your noble, you will not want to do this. If you want to give the emperor this idea, that is, if you become the emperor in the future, your brothers will not suffer, and if your brothers become the emperor, you may have a traitor. Not to mention that for the Tang Dynasty, just to avoid traitors and traitors, the emperor will not destroy you. And even if you make some mistakes, the emperor will turn a blind eye, close one, and pretend not to know. I said this, Your Highness, do you understand?"

He said it quite clearly, and was telling Li Zhi that for an old man like the emperor, his son is the most precious. For the sake of his son, the emperor can give up or even take certain things seriously. For example, for the emperor, she is just a palace servant, and she is also a woman who may not remember who it is. Even if the incident happened in the future and was exposed, the emperor would not pursue it, and would not even be allowed to mention it.

If the emperor chooses between his son and woman, he will definitely choose his son. No matter how others choose, it is not certain, but the current emperor will definitely choose this way.

Li Zhi suddenly realized and said, "It turns out that this is leaving a backup plan for Mei Niang's affairs. Wuya, if you don't tell Gu this, Gu really wouldn't have thought of it!" He could not tell Changsun Wuji about this, so Wang Ping'an could only give him advice.

Wang Ping'an thought for a while and said, "Be kind to others! Whether a person is good or not can't be seen in a short time, just like a woman is pregnant. After a long time, it will naturally be revealed. So Your Highness should not do anything about being small. As long as you accumulate a lot, your status will not be shaken. Like the King of Wu... He will be a prince at most in his life!"

He said something loudly again, and Li Zhi nodded constantly and wrote down all his words. The two were about to part, and they would not meet for at least a year or two, and the scene was a little sad.

After finishing all that he should say, Li Zhi asked Shi Aiguo to take out a big box of things, all of which were valuable things, as gifts for Wang Ping'an. He was moved to the palace gate by the little eunuch, so he could take them away when Wang Ping'an left.

Farewell to Li Zhi, Wang Ping'an went out of the hall to take Qiu Tingxuan and Di Renjie, and went to Xitai to meet Ma Zhou. Ma Zhou didn't say much, but wrote a fan for Wang Ping'an as a souvenir. After that, the three of them left the palace again, went to the Secretariat to bid farewell to Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji also gave some instructions, and he also brought out a lot of gifts, including those given by Mrs. Changsun and those given by Li Yiren. During the polo meeting yesterday, he specially asked his wife to talk to Li Yiren, and waited for the little princess to be more intimate, and said that he would give Wang Ping'an some gifts in the name of Li Yiren. Doesn't the little princess' gift come from him prove that his uncle is very dedicated?

Chu Suiliang, Fang Xuanling and others also came to see him off, and everyone had gifts. Wang Ping'an received a circle of gifts and had to hire a carriage to pull these gifts.

I thought it would be fine, but the three of them left the city and planned to find Wang and his wife. But I didn't expect that there were countless people waiting three miles away from the city, all of whom had gifts, all of whom were seeing off for Wang Ping'an!
Chapter completed!