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Chapter 265: Wen He also joins your team!

Wen He looked at the young man in front of him with a gentle smile, and felt that the force of this guy's grip on his arm was getting stronger and stronger. After thinking about the young general's own martial arts value, legend, and unparalleled bravery.

Can't beat it, can't beat it at all.

The scholar made the judgment only because his internal strength and physique were only equivalent to that of a martial artist of the second level.

Wen He raised the corners of his mouth a little bit, and he took advantage of the situation to support Li Guanyi with his arm, smiling gently:

"We are coming out to greet our lord!"

"The wine is warm, please."

Li Guanyi: “…………”

???

Li Guanyi twitched his lips and said, "Sir, you're welcome." He was alert in his heart and went into the yard. He naturally got some snacks and wine. Ling Pingyang stood guard outside and blocked the back door. Wen He pretended not to know and poured the wine, saying:

"Wen He has already heard about the Lord's affairs. I wonder if the strategy he gave to Xu Tiange is still of some use?"

Li Guanyi moved his wrist, smeared a layer of Ma Fei San on it, and flicked his finger to release the Ma Fei San into Wen He's wine. Although his martial arts were from the military perspective, he had been living with Murong Longtu day and night for the past year.

Under the personal instruction of the martial arts legend, both the basics of martial arts and the techniques and methods have become extremely proficient with almost no shortcomings. Wen He did not notice it. They both raised their glasses and clinked them with smiles.

Then drink.

Li Guanyi felt a little numb when his lips touched the wine glass.

He was able to make his physique nearly invincible within the fifth heaven, and he could feel the reaction just by touching it. Li Guanyi, who had a very good relationship with the seven old ghosts under the Lin clan and had also read Hou Zhongyu's pill recipe, grinned.

"Poisonous and numbing powder?"

Wen He smelled the wine, and the scholar who was proficient in Yin-Yang, medicine, and alchemy raised his eyes slightly:
"Compound Ma Fei San?"

The atmosphere between the two people, who were just in harmony and having a great time, suddenly froze. Li Guanyi's internal energy directly wrapped around the thing and he drank it all in one gulp. It seemed that he was drinking, but in fact he was passing it to the Dharmakāya.

The image of the black tortoise appeared, grabbed the thing and strolled away.

The Black Turtle Dharma Image carried this object directly into the pond.

All the koi fish in the pond were asleep.

Just stop in the water.

In the summer, the mosquitoes by the water fainted all over the pond.

Wen He tilted his head back to drink, which was the standard drinking posture for scholars. He held the wine cup in one hand and held the other hand in front of him. His sleeves hung down to cover his face. When he tilted his head back, the wine slid down.

It flew into a hidden pocket inside the sleeve, which contained a highly absorbent material.

Not a drop of this wine was touched.

After finishing the wine, both of them pointed their wine cups towards each other, indicating that the wine in the cups had been finished. Wen He smiled gently, and Li Guanyi looked casual. After a pause, he saw that the other person was extremely sober and calm.

One breath, two breaths.

Three breaths...

fall!
Nothing happened as expected.

silence.

Wen He smiled gently and said, "Good wine."

Qin Wuhou laughed heartily: "Good wine!"

A thought flashed through the minds of both the counselor and the hero.

This guy is hard to deal with...

Wen He smiled and took the food. He ate two bites first to show that it was harmless. Then he said, "Please, come to the point, why did the lord come here? Qing Yu probably knows."

Wen He's courtesy name is Qingyu.

Qu He's charm was there. He called himself that, as if he was quite familiar with Li Guanyi. He smiled and said, "It's for the family."

Li Guanyi: "What do you think, sir?"

He also took a bite of the food and felt a tingling sensation, then his blood and qi surged, and the poison dissipated. The young man smiled and said, "I am immune to all poisons."

Wen He: “…………”

The counselor smiled brightly: "What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with the aristocratic family." The medicines in different dishes can make people faint. Only by eating them in order can you ensure safety and not be paralyzed.

It turns out that he is immune to all poisons.

How despicable, Qin Wuhou.

Inside, when Wen He realized that Qin Wuhou had come with everything prepared, he felt a little headache. Outside, a little book boy of about twelve or thirteen years old sat there, supporting his chin with one hand, looking outside and sighing worriedly.

"Can you come out, sir?"

Ling Pingyang noticed the little book boy and asked, "Do you want your teacher to come out of seclusion?"

The book boy replied:
"Sir, you are a very good man, but it is not safe here."

nice guy?

Ling Pingyang was a little bit unable to imagine that Yuan Zhi, Xiao Zhi, Po Jun, Wen Lingjun, the most outstanding young strategists of this generation, all mentioned a guy who they wanted to bring back even if they had to tie him up.

Will be a good person.

In Ling Pingyang's eyes, these Qilin Army strategists have already touched the passing line of first-class strategists in this chaotic world. Although they are not the opponents of the older generation like Zu Wenyuan and Tan Tai Xianming in some aspects, they have time.

They are all growing at an astonishing speed.

People with such different personalities and characters all wanted him to tie up this guy.

How can such a person be a good person?
The little book boy muttered a few words, kicked a stone, and said unconvincedly: "You were deceived by the master."

Ling Pingyang said gently: "Then where is he, the good guy?"

The boy replied, "The teacher saved my life. When he was studying abroad, he once protected two towns from a rebellious army and cleverly brought down a corrupt official in another city."

"The governor of that city liked to beat people. One day, he saw a thorn bush on the side of the road and thought that it would be good to use salt water to beat people with it, so he caught a passerby to test his idea."

"That man said he was not guilty."

"In the end, the governor said, 'Next time you commit a crime, I will spare you. I will beat you first and then I will punish you.' He beat the man half to death. Later, the man actually committed a crime and was arrested again."

"He said he was pardoned before. The governor said, 'I beat you even before you committed no crime. Now that you are guilty, I will beat you even more arbitrarily. Promise? Hahaha, who heard that?"

"He was beaten half to death again."

This was just an ordinary cruel official's thing. Ling Pingyang said, "It is hateful, but what happened next?" The little book boy kicked the pebble and said, "At that time, a scholar was sent there to be a chief official, but he refused to go because he was afraid of being humiliated."

"It seems that the Emperor said that if the chief clerk was whipped more than ten times, he had to report to the court for a decision. The governor was very unhappy and said that this boy was playing tricks on him."

"They would make trouble for him whenever they had nothing to do. Each time they would not whip him more than ten times, but they would whip him once every day after meals. At that time, my teacher and I went there for study. The chief official was imprisoned and was not given food or water."

"Mr. Changshi survived by swallowing cotton wool from his clothes and dirty water."

"It has the spirit of a scholar."

"The common people also had a hard life. Everyone was guilty and was whipped. Sometimes they were whipped thousands of times to death. Sir, you used a very clever strategy to solve the problem. In the end, the governor was taken back and executed, and the previous chief secretary took over his position."

This is a very good story about chivalry and the elimination of corrupt officials.

Ling Pingyang praised: "Under such circumstances, the Chief Secretary was trapped and the forces were intertwined. It was incredible that he, a mere scholar, could overthrow the governor. He is indeed a great talent."

Got to tie it back!

Ling Pingyang, the dragon of Yue Army and now the leader of the Qilin Army's cavalry, grabbed the rope.

The book boy replied: "But the story is not over yet."

"The chief historian is in charge of the government."

"Cool and awesome."

These eight words made Ling Pingyang's expression slightly stiff.

The background of this chaotic world suddenly tore apart the gentle arc of the story of "talented scholars traveling and doing justice" and returned to the present world, making the summer cicadas chirp with a sense of withering and coldness of the coming autumn. The little book boy sighed and said:

"The gentleman sat there for a long time, and then suddenly laughed."

"Some people also sent him things like brocade and plaques."

"The gentleman said that he saved them, but these people wanted him dead."

"Tear up the brocade, chop up the plaque and make porridge out of it."

"But you saved them, but they scolded you for many things. You once said that in this chaotic world, from the common people to the officials and the princes, there are no absolutely good people. They are very mixed."

"And then he did."

Ling Pingyang Road:

"To keep one's brilliance within oneself and one's divine being hidden is the way to protect oneself."

Sir, it turns out that you have your own reasons.

Got to tie it back!

The book boy sighed.

I thought to myself that I had finally completed my master's task.

The gentleman told himself quietly before.

If someone came to see him and he didn't avoid them, he would definitely tell this story.

What's the point of telling it out?

Don't you dislike this past event, sir?
Inside the courtyard, Wen He smiled and said, "When the lord first occupied Jiangnan, although he had great momentum and status, there has been a saying since ancient times that the imperial power does not extend to the countryside. Moreover, although there are aristocratic families in all countries in the world, Jiangnan is particularly special."

"This place is a hub for water transportation, with many powerful forces entrenched there. There have been more than ten years of turmoil. Senior Jian Kuang has extraordinary martial arts skills, but he is not good at dealing with the desires of the aristocratic families to suppress these people in the martial arts world. Another reason is that there are few Murong family members."

"With a small population, it is difficult to occupy an area as large as the Eighteen Prefectures of Jiangnan."

"In the next ten years or so, the cities, big and small, will slowly become governed by aristocratic families. The aristocratic families will sometimes intermarry with each other, and sometimes fight with each other. In the end, the entanglements of love and hate will be entangled together, forming an extremely complicated situation."

"Under such circumstances, although the noble families are fighting each other, they are also extremely xenophobic. It is natural that they are extremely hostile to the mighty Qilin Army."

Wen He said:
"Because they know that they have had an easy life over the past decade because they have held power. Now the Qilin Army has a large army and great cause. If you take back the power, it will be impossible for you to make peace with the noble families. This is essentially a life-and-death conflict."

"Besides, the lord is a man of great talent and vision, and he must want to do a lot of practical things. There are many things to be rebuilt, and he needs gold and silver. He also needs to prevent the aristocratic families from plotting and causing chaos. Under the internal and external troubles, the aristocratic families are the first to be dealt with."

Li Guanyi said: "Sir, do you have any good ideas?"

Wen He thought for a moment and said, "I wonder what the lord thinks?"

Li Guanyi told Wen He about the directional matters such as popularizing knowledge and selecting talented officials through assessment. When Wen He heard this, the corners of his mouth smiled.

"Now that such a core internal matter has been revealed, I'm afraid it will be difficult to escape today."

Wen He had no choice but to think about it and replied, "We select people based on their talents, not by recommendation. We also have the preparation to popularize knowledge. The lord has already understood the problem of the aristocratic families, but this cannot change the specific situation."

The counselor with a plain face said:
"My lord, your understanding of the contemporary noble families is still not deep enough."

"In fact, the aristocratic families were not so powerful at the beginning. In the beginning, the people cultivated the fields. At that time, the Mohist School and the Agricultural School had not yet developed to the present. If they worked alone, they would be scattered and miss farming. Therefore, there were respected people in the village and town to command the people."

"Over time, these people will gradually gain some rights, own more land, and be respected by others. Of course, their personalities will not change, but their descendants will grow up in an environment where everyone compliments them."

"Over time, this lineage will expand in the local area." "It will have land, popularity, fame and status."

"The official system is a recommendation system. Under such a system, naturally, families with influence in various places can recommend people to the top. After the recommendation, they will have officials in their families, and they will develop better in the local area."

"Then comes the third step. The court officials recommend new officials. One is an ordinary person, and the other is their own children. Which one will they choose? It will undoubtedly be their own family's children."

"Successive kings have tried to curb this, but it has only made the situation worse."

"One is a stranger, and the other is from another family."

"Who would an official recommend?"

“At this time, something new will appear—[human feelings].”

Wen He pushed the wine glass in his hand forward and said softly, "Family A uses human relationships to ask Family B to recommend their children, and then they will also receive rewards. Isn't the relationship between them closer?"

"This kind of thing has been happening over the past eight hundred years."

"Finally, it is the children of the noble families at this moment."

"It is impossible for ordinary people to become a high-ranking official. When a child of a noble family becomes an official, before entering the court, he must first greet his uncle, great-uncle, and uncle one by one. It takes half an hour to greet them one by one."

"This is how the aristocratic families of today were formed."

"The real support of the noble families should be the imperial court, and the place where the family is is just a retreat. When the people are struggling to survive, the noble families can become officials, or they can occupy thousands of acres of fertile land and enjoy themselves as they please without suffering any loss."

"If you ask me."

"Your Jiangnan family is complicated at the moment, but if you think about it carefully, because of the past ten years, it is not that complicated. In fact, it is not difficult to deal with. That piece of family is actually separated from the family system that has accumulated for 800 years in this era."

Li Guanyi said: "Sir, do you have any advice for this family?"

He really didn't understand the complicated families of this era.

Wen He said: "It depends on how far you want to resolve it."

"Do you want to make the noble families feel afraid and live in peace with you, or do you want to..."

Li Guanyi replied: "All of them."

Wen He was surprised, thought for a moment, and said, "I said before that your pace was too hasty. In fact, there is another reason. Your imperial examination system selects people based on their talents, which is very good, but..."

The plain-looking young man picked up the wine and said calmly:
"Why do you think that the children of aristocratic families who have experienced such an eight hundred year inheritance and enjoyed the best resources would lose to the common people at this moment? Believe me, my lord, starting the imperial examination without a foundation will only allow the children of aristocratic families to enter the court more quickly."

"It's a recommendation system, and there are quotas. It's impossible for all the members of one family to be included."

"But you open up the quota for the imperial examination."

"Then, the children of this aristocratic family who have been educated are most likely to be better than those of ordinary people. With an aristocratic family of eight hundred years, almost a thousand years, they will adapt to the new rules faster than you expect."

"If we say that this is already a prosperous era of great unification, the introduction of the imperial examination system is a kind of compromise - it allows the noble families to gain some benefits, but it also opens up a channel for the common people to enter the upper class. However, you don't need to worry about your current situation."

"You could have been more thorough."

Li Guanyi grabbed Wen He's arm, thinking that this guy must be the most suitable talent for himself and the Qilin Army at the moment. His eyes were shining, and he said, "Sir, please speak!"

Wen He said: "Why not practice with the Jiangnan family first."

"Do you know? There is a clear hierarchy between aristocratic families. The upper class looks down on the lower class, and the lower class is even regarded as a poor family. There are thresholds, steps, and a series of rules to distinguish them."

"The different heights of the steps represent different levels, just like class."

"You don't need to deal with all the noble families."

Wen He smiled warmly: "Win over one group, divide another group, suppress another group, give them some benefits, let them fight among themselves and make gold outside, and they have to say good things about you, my lord."

Li Guanyi nodded vigorously.

Wen He said: "This is just a bad idea. The people in the aristocratic families will react to this strategy and quickly unite together. This is why it has been difficult to deal with aristocratic families throughout the ages. They are all related by marriage."

“The interests are the same, and it’s hard to resolve.”

“You don’t know the family.”

"Inside the aristocratic families is actually more cruel than outside. The legitimate son, the illegitimate son, and the illegitimate son's second son, even if they are of the same bloodline, are treated differently. The family business will only be passed on to the legitimate son, while the illegitimate son will be treated the same as a farmhand."

"As long as the head of the family says one word, he will let you die. Even if you are full of talent and knowledge, you will have to be used as a stepping stone for the direct disciples. Don't you think that those illegitimate children who are used as farmhands and stepping stones will be happy?"

“Everyone is unwilling to give in.”

"If they say they are not unwilling to accept the current situation, it just means they have never seen a better one."

Wen He smiled and leaned over. His eyes were warm and calm, yet cold. He spoke in a gentle voice, "Win them over. The struggles within the aristocratic families are cruel. Give them a chance, help their parents, and bless their wives and children."

"Let them leave the family and come to you in order to leave the family. If this happens, there will be problems within the family."

"More and more children from noble families will think that even illegitimate children can receive such treatment, so why can't they? This idea will become a tiny spark that will be easily suppressed by the glory of the noble family."

"But they will always encounter setbacks. Once they compare the treatment of their bastard son, who is not as good as themselves, with the treatment he has received in the family, the flames will continue to grow."

"Then at some point, it devours their sanity."

"And those illegitimate children from lower-class families, if they leave because of their emotions, will become traitors to the aristocratic class. They can't go back; and they can't integrate into the common people. The only one they can rely on is you."

"How wonderful!"

"The perfect lone minister."

"They will work hard to prove their talents in order to create their own family, which can be used to fill the talent gap in Jiangnan. Don't worry, they will be extremely loyal due to their desire and fear of revenge from their family."

"They can be in charge of various government affairs before your efforts to popularize literacy education bear fruit. After a few years, when the popularization has taken effect, you can start the imperial examination system to select scholars based on their talents. The advantages of the aristocratic families will be completely weakened."

Wen He suggested, "You don't need to face the [Aristocratic Family]."

"You are facing people, and people have many weaknesses. If they fight among themselves, the so-called noble family will collapse in an instant, just like a tower made of sand."

"Using powerful force to fight against the aristocratic family will only hurt yourself."

"We should let them fight among themselves. We just need to drink tea beside them and watch them fight fiercely, then become weak and fall down covered in blood, holding gold and silver to give to us."

Li Guanyi: “…………”

Suddenly I felt like the Qilin Army was the world’s biggest villain.

"Besides, I don't actually understand Jiangnan's financial problems."

Wen He asked in confusion: "Why do you want to talk about rules with the noble family?"

Li Guanyi: "Hmm??? Ah???"

Wen He frowned and said, "You can just accept their kindness. Any gold or silver will do. They are used to giving gifts. Just accept the gifts and don't do anything. Besides, you should treat the noble families the same way they treat the common people."

"The noble families devour the common people to strengthen themselves; you devour the noble families to enrich yourself."

"The noble families did this themselves. If we treat them the same way the noble families treat the common people, I don't think they will have any complaints, right?"

“Isn’t this simple…”

Wen He paused when he saw the dazed expression on the young man's face.

Then he smiled slightly, his expression warm and harmless:

"I was just joking with you."

"It was just a joke."

"He is a lord with very high moral standards. I like him very much."

Wen He smiled warmly, grabbed Li Guanyi's arm and shook it hard:
"Because I am also like this, a person with very high moral standards!"

Li Guanyi sighed: "People like you are exactly what we need."

Wen He deliberately displayed his tactics in order to make Li Guanyi retreat, but Li Guanyi's reaction surprised him a little.

Li Guan placed the Ma Fei Powder and the rope on the table, stood up, and said with a folded hand: "I will not use other means. I am afraid that you already know it. Please enter Jiangnan."

"If you feel this place is dangerous someday, you can leave."

Wen He was surprised and silent for a moment. He sighed and smiled, "My lord is so sincere that I can't hide it any longer." He stretched out his hand and pulled on the table, and bottles and jars, three times more than what Li Guanyi had prepared, fell to the ground with a clang.

The veins on Li Guanyi's forehead twitched.

Wen He bowed and said, "I would like to follow Qin Wuhou into the south of the Yangtze River."

He smiled sincerely.

But I was thinking in my heart, stay calm now, and escape later.

Going to Jiangnan?
What a joke, how is that possible!

Li Guanyi was overjoyed and turned to call Ling Pingyang.

Wen He also smiled and said, "I'm happy today, but unfortunately my wine was drugged. Let's have a drink together today, my lord." He saw a bottle of wine on the table that had come in at some point, so he poured a glass and bowed.

Li Guanyi was about to turn around to call Ling Pingyang, but when he turned around, he saw that the wine cup was full.

Drinking with Wenhe.

The moment it entered my throat, I realized something was wrong.

This is--!!!
boom! ! !
The young strategist had already fallen down, looking drunk, lying on the table, as if he was surprised, as if he was shocked, and then he looked at his hands: "What is this..."

Li Guanyi said: "A thousand days of drunkenness."

Wen He widened his eyes and asked, "A thousand days of drunkenness?"

"Drinking from a jar of wine can make you drunk for a thousand days?!"

Li Guanyi helped him up.

The scholar suddenly burst into laughter, patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder, and said drunkenly: "Hahahaha, despicable and shameless, full of conspiracy, hahahaha, on this road, this is the first time I lose."

"I admit it. Interesting, interesting."

"Li Guanyi, I will go to Jiangnan with you!"

He stretched out his hand and pointed at Li Guanyi shakily:

"Despicable, shameless!"

"I—convinced!"

Wen He closed his eyes and fell forward drunkenly.

Li Guanyi was supported, and suddenly there came a burst of applause and praise from behind. Li Guanyi was stunned, and looked back, and saw that several people including Master Wang Tong's eldest disciple Fang Zi Qiao were looking at Li Guanyi with admiration on their faces.

Li Guanyi: “………………”

He took a step forward.

Everyone in the academy stepped back half a step in unison.

Li Guanyi's mouth twitched.

He felt that his reputation had been damaged.

At this time, a deep voice came:
"I heard that Li Guanyi is here?"

"Huh, where is that little Qilin?!"

(End of this chapter)