No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 775 The art of slaying dragons
After Ouyang Rong finished speaking briefly, Xie Lingjiang, Li Xian and his family actually waited for a while.

He didn't continue speaking.

That's all I have to say.

Present the Ding Sword.

This best strategy, just three words, made everyone silent.

Sometimes the simplest things are the most powerful.

So it is with words, and so it is with schemes.

This best strategy perfectly illustrates this point and is in line with the principle of simplicity.

As for the "Offering the Tripod Sword", some people on the scene had thought about it.

But no one ever mentioned it, and no one even showed the slightest intention.

In the past, Xie Lingjiang and his daughter Xie Xun helped Ouyang Rong keep the mythical Ding sword strictly confidential. The Li Xian family also kept it a secret for him tacitly.

Although the Lixian family members all have their own personalities and small flaws, they are very clear-headed and have one thing in mind:

This [craftsmanship] does not belong to the Xunyang Palace. It belongs entirely to Ouyang Rong. He risked his life for it in Longcheng.

Ouyang Rong even saved their family in Daogu Mountain, not to mention that later Ouyang Rong became their advisor and helped them to offer auspicious signs, which enabled the "Su Mansion" to be reborn and obtain the noble status of Xunyang Palace today.

Not only is there nothing to lose or owe, but there is also great kindness.

Therefore, even though Ouyang Rong entered the palace and became the military advisor "Tan Lang", even though everyone had lived and died together since they came out of Longcheng and had a very good relationship, even though Li Dalang and Ouyang Rong had a close personal relationship... the whole family, from Li Xian to Li Guoer, had never considered [Craftsmanship] as anything that belonged to the palace.

It belongs to Tan Lang. They don't interfere with how Tan Lang uses it and keep it strictly confidential.

Of course, this may also be related to the family style of the Li royal family.

The mythical Ding Sword is not a rare object of worship for the Li royal family.

It is a heavy weapon, yes, but it is also “light as a feather”.

When mentioning this, we have to talk about the "laws of ancestors" of the Li family, which were established by Emperor Taizong.

The descendants of the Li family in later generations were not allowed to forge the Ding sword.

This is one.

Although there is no strict rule that Li clan men cannot use the mythical Ding Sword, there is a hidden consensus in this ancestral law:

The tripod is light, and the people are precious.

In the past, this was the foundation of the country.

The basis for its conclusion is stronger than rock and cannot be shaken:
Taizong conquered the empire on horseback, risking his life, fighting wars in the south and the north, without relying on any mythical sword.

[Emperor Wen] were captured later and sealed in the secret vault of Tiance Mansion. They were not used until the founding of Daqian.

Even in Taizong's later years, there were prime ministers who praised him, saying that "Emperor Wen" had not lost his true name, but was still a household name, but had been obscured.

It is indeed ironic that the Dasui royal family frantically forged the Ding sword, but the Daqian Li clan sneered at it.

Even though the former had several mythical tripod swords, he still couldn't keep his country. However, the Li family of Daqian, without a single tripod sword, took over the world.

From this perspective, if we count the past 500 years and see how the country is governed, there is no one who can match Daqian. If we count back further, there are probably fewer who can match him.

Daqian is not inferior to the Han Dynasty even five hundred years ago.

After all, when the Red Emperor killed the White Emperor and started an uprising, and the common people won the world, didn't they continue the path of the First Emperor and continue to forge the Ding Sword to show the will of heaven? It is indeed in line with the statement in the history books that "he can replace him", which is difficult to distinguish true from false.

The Li clan of Daqian valued the people more than the tripod, which was a profound lesson learned from the three hundred years of the tripod struggle during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Throughout the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the mythical tripod and sword were games for a small group of people such as aristocratic families, kings, princes, generals, etc., not for poor scholars and common people.

Even though the Liu Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties cast a sword called "Hanshi", it is still very ironic now.

Regardless of whether this happens to be in line with the general trend that Ouyang Rong once whispered to Xie Lingjiang: "The swallows that used to fly in front of the Wang and Xie mansions now fly into the homes of ordinary people."

This is what the Li clan of Daqian did.

I don’t know whether Emperor Taizong had an expert in dragon-slaying techniques by his side at that time.

Anyway, from Ouyang Rong's perspective, looking back, the so-called myth is actually gradually fading away.

The ancient mythological era in which there were legendary immortals has become vague and long gone.

The rising sun of the pre-Qin period when Qigong practitioners and various schools of thought emerged can now only be glimpsed through the withered yellow bamboo tubes on the bookshelf in the small building.

The myth is dead.

The Ding Sword, which symbolizes the continuation of the Nine Dings, is one of the few and rare "mythical objects" in the world.

The nine mythical Taoist paths also began to sink and simplify, blending into the secular world at the foot of the mountain, turning into a world where good and bad people mixed together, and were exposed to the general public, gradually losing their once mysterious aura.

The legendary top three grades have been lost, and the celestial beings from Shenzhou have not appeared for a long time.

All the top Qi-refining masters who had already achieved enlightenment went to the mountain.

The most obvious example of this is actually the "Hidden Sect".

The top sects that regarded themselves as the orthodox of various mythological Taoist lineages, such as Yunmeng Jianze, who were aloof and arrogant, had long since disappeared into the seclusion.

The three most prominent schools of thought that remained were Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, as well as Mohism, the School of Military Science, and the School of Yin and Yang... They took opposite paths, actively embracing the underworld and intervening in worldly affairs, but were also assimilated by the secular masses.

Myths are disappearing, and Dingjian is no exception. The general trend is that, like a pearl in a dark room, it will be covered with dust and disappear in obscurity one by one.

Perhaps Ouyang Rong was not the only one who understood this trend. Emperor Taizong of Daqian and the experts around him also saw it clearly and calmly, so they left behind the ancestral precept of "not forging swords".

This not only made Daqian's rule extremely legitimate, but also conformed to the general trend.

No wonder, when Yunmeng Yuanjun entered the palace at night, Dazong was able to have a calm conversation with her by candlelight and make a new covenant.

The myths belong to the myths, the Yuanjun belongs to Yuanjun, and the Daqian belongs to Daqian.

It is no wonder that in the Wei Zhou Dynasty, there are still so many scholars who secretly miss Daqian, and old ministers throughout the court and the country sympathize with the Li clan.

The tripod is light and the people are heavy, and the country is second.

The heroes of the world and the common people are all within my reach.

This legacy was left by Emperor Taizong to the descendants of the Li family.

This is the art of slaying dragons.

Therefore, the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed, at least not at the moment.

This was true for Emperor Gaozong of Qianlong, and also for other Li clan men such as Li Xian and Li Dalang.

However, it is obvious that not everyone has a good ancestor. The ancestral teachings of Emperor Taizong have no binding force on the current Wei family of the Great Zhou.

In order to avoid public criticism, the Wei Palace and the Liang Palace secretly supported the Longcheng Liu Family in forging a new Ding Sword without the knowledge of all the civil and military officials in the court.

This led to the emergence of [Jiangzuo].

But what is worth pondering is whether the sage of the time was fully aware of the situation and whether he knew that the two kings of the Wei family had secretly forged the Ding Sword?
Daqian changed its name to Dazhou, but did not completely change the dynasty. It was still the same team, which could not be considered a change of the foundation. Therefore, "the tripod is light and the people are precious" is still a kind of recognized foundation of the country.

It was continued by default.

Although the sage of the time never reiterated the ancestral precept of Emperor Taizong of "not forging swords" in any public occasion.

But she was Taizong's daughter-in-law after all.

Legally speaking, it means “leaving family.”

Although she occupied the house of her "husband" Emperor Gaozong, it can still be explained as temporarily guarding the family business for several "prodigal sons".

But the premise of all this is still that she has to "leave her family".

According to ancestral rules, a wife takes her husband's surname. This saint's actual surname was Li, not Wei.

Since you are a member of the Li family, should you abide by the ancestral precept of Li Taizong that “do not forge swords”?

Therefore, the secret casting of the Ding Sword by the Palace of the Prince of Wei and the Palace of the Prince of Liang was a big taboo. It would be fine if they had an excuse, saying that it would not weigh much if it was not weighed. But once it was exposed and weighed in front of the whole world, it would weigh even ten thousand pounds.

The dispute between the government and the people in Shendu over Li Qian will surely intensify.

Li Xian and others have always been aware of this.

The origin of this newly-cast [craftsmanship] is sensitive and involves huge implications.

However, no one had ever mentioned before that they wanted to use its origin to attack the Wei family.

Because it belongs to Ouyang Rong.

Everyone just kept it a secret and tried to cover it up.

In fact, a certain attitude is already very clear.

But today, Ouyang Rong took the initiative to propose "offering the Ding Sword" and even listed it as the best strategy.

Xie Lingjiang held the sword case tightly in his arms, glanced at it, and frowned deeply.

The Lixian family was silent for a long time.

Li Guoer asked first, her tone was unusually gentle:

"Ouyang Lianghan, are you afraid that Rong Zhen, Wei Wu and the others already know that you are the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower and that you have the Ding Sword? Are you afraid that they will accuse you first and twist the truth in front of the Saint, thus implicating us?

"So I thought, let's offer it first, expose the Wei family, and gain credit."

Ouyang Rong glanced at Li Guoer.

The stunning young lady wrapped in a black blanket continued to analyze for him:

"In fact, there is no need for such sacrifice. I think the middle strategy is good enough. This Ding sword is yours, and you cannot sacrifice it for us.

"As for the exposure of the Ding Sword, there is no need to worry too much. On the contrary, I think that the Wei family may not do such a stupid thing. Even if they know that the Ding Sword is with us, they will probably not dare to make it public, and they will not even dare to reveal your identity as the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower. Of course, the premise is that we successfully implement your strategy and let my father enter the palace.

“As long as you stay in front of the emperor and in the capital, it will be difficult for them to kill first and report later and throw dirty water on you. Once your identity as the sword bearer and the work of the craftsman are exposed, we will take it out and let the saint investigate in front of all the civil and military officials in the court to see who is damaging the foundation of the country and stealing the Ding Sword.

"In this matter, the Wei family must be more guilty than us."

Li Dalang immediately nodded in agreement:
"That's right, Tan Lang, you are the sword bearer, how can you do without the Ding Sword? This great opportunity is hard to come by, we can't give it away for nothing. Even if we can get the credit, it will be a shame for father to take it."

Li Xian reached out and patted Ouyang Rong's sleeve:

"That's right, Tan Lang is righteous, and I appreciate your kindness, but this is absolutely unacceptable."

Wei Mei took her husband's arm and said to Ouyang Rong gently:

"Yes, although we treat Tan Lang as our own family, there are some things that must be clearly distinguished, and public and private matters cannot be mixed up. The Ding Sword is yours, Tan Lang, and cannot be taken lightly. Although it sounds tempting, to be honest, this great favor is too difficult to exchange. Tan Lang, just think of it as doing it for Qi Lang's sake, and don't put too much pressure on him."

The woman said this half jokingly.

Xie Lingjiang even grabbed Ouyang Rong's sleeve and said elegantly:
"Big Brother, there is one more thing you must not forget. The sisters of the embroiderer have not made a move yet. The eldest lady has a hot temper. She must have endured until now for some unknown reason. Their move this time may be unfathomable. Now the Xunyang Grottoes are closed, and those who know your identity as the sword bearer cannot come out. What if the big Buddha is destroyed later, they will not be able to come out alive?
"By then, there will be no evidence. So, let's not rush to think too far ahead. It's best to implement the middle strategy. In my opinion, this middle strategy is the best strategy. This is a very good strategy, Senior Brother."

Without waiting for Ouyang Rong to speak, everyone nodded and quickly reached a consensus:
"That's right, don't worry! Let's see the situation first."

Ouyang Rong looked at everyone who spoke sincerely.

In fact, he really wanted to say that offering the Ding Sword might not be the one they wanted.

But seeing the attitude of Li Xian's family, I felt a little warm in my heart.

Without saying anything immediately, Ouyang Rong suddenly reached out and pulled out the moonlight sword from Xie Lingjiang's waist. After pulling it out, he lowered his eyes and looked at him.

When everyone saw him observing the sword, they whispered:

"Although the middle strategy is feasible, it is ultimately a waste of time. It is a tricky way to return to the capital. We have no merit. Without the expected merit of the Buddha, the saint may have a subtle attitude towards us. I am afraid that when the news of the destruction of the Donglin Buddha comes, it will drag us down and affect the saint's perception of us.

"Offering the Ding Sword is different. It is a great contribution and can make the final decision. The most important thing is to let this Ding Sword be bound to our people, so that the saint must use us to prove our value, just like the two kings of the Wei family."

Li Guoer didn't know what she was thinking of and looked at Ouyang Rong.

"Does presenting the Ding Sword really count as a merit? What if the Imperial Grandmother no longer cares about the Ding Sword because of her ancestral teachings?"

Ouyang Rong said with certainty:
"Don't care about the Ding Sword? Then why did the Wei family build the Four-sided Buddha Statue and the Great Zhou Songde Tianshu this time? They are a large formation surrounding the 'Emperor Wen'. If you understand this, you will understand the status of the Ding Sword in the heart of the saint. The saint covets the power of the Ding Sword, so the Wei family tried every means to use it to please the saint and win the throne, just like when the Wei family instigated the change of Qian to Zhou. On the surface, the Wei family is harming the country, but in fact, they are doing what the saint wants... Regardless of these, if we also offer a Ding Sword and present it as a good omen, we will be able to win."

Li Guoer shook her head: "But there is a question, how to explain this Ding sword? Can you take the initiative to say that it is newly cast?"

Ouyang Rong looked at the Moonlight Sword and said softly:
"Da Sui's sword."

Everyone thought he was talking about [craftsmanship]. Li Guoer continued with a frown:

"It's feasible, but the ancestral precepts are there after all. There are many obstacles in the court. Even the Wei family used the four-sided Buddha statues and Songde Tianshu to secretly employ Emperor Wen. It may be difficult for the Royal Grandmother to show her love for the Ding Sword. If we directly offer the Ding Sword, wouldn't it be inappropriate? It may be a thankless task and give my father a reason to criticize..."

Ouyang Rong suddenly asked, "I have a question. Who stipulated that the Li family's ancestral precepts must be able to govern even the present saint?"

Li Dalang was solemn: "What does this mean? Tanlang means... doesn't the Empress Dowager count as a member of the Li family? This..."

"of course not."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand, looked around, and asked in a strange tone:

"If I remember correctly, what Taizong said was... that descendants of the Li family in the future cannot forge the Ding sword. But the current saint is a woman. Even if she is a member of the Li family, she is not a descendant of the Li family. Descendants have always referred to men. Who said that they can restrict a girl from the Li family?"

Everyone was stunned, and Li Guoer was also stunned.

Wow, this is even possible?

Li Xian and others, who were originally serious, looked at each other in surprise.

Wait, don't say that, don't say that...

Some people began to realize that this sophistry seemed to help the saint circumvent the legal principle of the Li family's prohibition of using the Ding sword.

Ouyang Rong kept smiling, while Xie Lingjiang, Li Xian and others gradually looked strange.

A certain little princess with plum blossom makeup looked twice more at the smiling young man in scholar's robe, and she said nothing.

(End of this chapter)