I am a living immortal.

Let's not talk about one person being above ten thousand people. Just take Wei Zhao's entry into the court as an official. Wei Ge Lao has also supported a large number of people in recent years. They naturally followed Wei Ming. This is the court. Even if Wei Ming doesn't want a party, as long as he is there, a party will naturally form.

The major factions in the imperial court are now at odds with each other, and the division of interests is inevitable in every court. Even if you don't fight, others will force you to. True integrity is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Fortunately, Wei Ming is no saint. Whether for self-preservation or for his future, he won't give up his own interests, so why not fight for them?

Compared to other factions, however, Wei Ge Lao's faction adhered to a moderate approach. Furthermore, those who caught Wei Ming's eye were not bad, mostly coming from humble backgrounds and understanding the stakes. They served as a glue, acting as a barrier between the Chu and Han factions, preventing a single faction from dominating and controlling the government. While they kept a low profile, they were not to be underestimated. Even if they disagreed, their presence was necessary.

Wei Ming never lost sight of his ambition. He never took sides; he was a team. Or rather, he always stood with the people. As long as the interests of the world were at stake, he would fight, he would seize, no matter the cost. Those who stood by him also shared these aspirations. With Wei Ming at the center, they continuously spread outward, jointly upholding this ideology, and they did so well. They were the most important pioneers of this prosperous era.

The intrigues of the court didn't dampen Wei Ming's good mood. He was delighted when he received the news that Su Mu had returned. It had been over a decade since they last met. Wei Ming pondered what reason to celebrate, but after much thought, he decided to celebrate his sixtieth birthday early.

When Wei Zhao found out, he was completely bewildered. What was his father up to? When he learned that his father's friend, whom he had only heard of but never seen, had returned, Wei Zhao didn't know what to say. He had some memories of Su Mu, but that was after all, more than ten or twenty years ago. Seeing his father's seriousness, he didn't say anything more, but simply asked, "Do you want to have a big celebration?"

My father just shook his head and said, "No need to go to such trouble. Just have a simple gathering and find a good excuse."

Wei Zhao nodded and walked out. He ran into his younger brother in the courtyard. Wei Ming had three children: Wei Zhao, Wei Qian, and Wei Qi. The family was quite harmonious, and the brothers had a good relationship. The eldest had entered officialdom, the second was preparing for the imperial examination, and the third and youngest, Wei Qi, had reached an age where even dogs and cats disliked him. He was naturally lively, and being pampered by his family made him even more playful, jumping up and down as if he had endless energy.

At the moment, they were playing wildly in the courtyard, followed by a group of servants. Then they bumped into the eldest brother. Ever since Wei Zhao entered the officialdom, his temperament has become more serious. After being bumped into, the servants knelt on the ground, and Wei Qi lowered his head again and again.

"Look at you, what a joke! You hit me, but if you hit Mom or Dad, you'll be in trouble." Wei Zhao subconsciously lectured him. Wei Qi, who was usually most afraid of his elder brother, didn't even dare to breathe.

"Raise your head." Seeing that the other party was staring at his toes, Wei Zhao said helplessly again.

Wei Qi was a little bully in this area. He relied on his youth to do whatever he wanted, but he was not far off. If this continued, the Wei family would have to have a playboy.

"You...save your worry." Looking at the other person's frightened eyes, Wei Zhao couldn't say anything harsh. He patted the other person's head and left.

Seeing his elder brother leave, Wei Qi breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't play around like he did at the beginning. "Everyone, get up! My elder brother is leaving." A group of servants hurriedly stood up. Wei Qi came to look for his father. Strangely enough, Wei Qi was not afraid of his father but of his elder brother.

"Father!!!" he shouted loudly and ran into the study.

"Don't shout so loudly. I'm not deaf yet. You're just like a dog." Wei Ming knew that the boy had just been scolded, so he came to complain to him.

Listening to his youngest son's constant complaints, Wei Ming just said a few perfunctory words, letting the brat digest it himself. Then he reflected on himself, wondering if he had spoiled him too much. Judging from his restless look, yes. He had to find a way to temper his temper. It's okay now that he's still young, but who knows what kind of trouble he might cause if he grows up. He knew that his youngest son was not a bad person by nature, but he was also very active and naughty. Although he liked this liveliness - his eldest son was a little naughty when he was young, but he became serious when he was a little older; his second son was quiet since he was a child - his youngest son had a good character, but he couldn't let him grow up wildly.

Seeing his father was unmoved, Wei Qi sulked alone and prepared to ignore his father in the future. But after a while, he forgot what he had thought before and came up to him like a pug: "Father, what are you doing?"

"I'm writing a letter. An old friend has returned and I'm inviting him to my house for a get-together."

"Old friend?" Wei Qi had no idea. What kind of people did his father usually hang out with? An old man with a gray beard, a middle-aged man even more serious than his eldest brother, and an old man who would start an argument with just a few words. They would argue all day and all night, then go home for dinner and continue the argument tomorrow.

"Yeah, you haven't seen him for more than ten years."

"Ah? We're still friends after not seeing each other for over ten years?"

"Yes, isn't it strange? We can still be friends after not seeing each other for ten years? But you are still young now, you will know when you are a little older. There is a kind of friend, you don't need to meet, the feelings between you will not change. This is true for ten, twenty or even thirty years. Although I haven't seen this old friend, we have never stopped writing letters." Wei Ming said with a smile.

However, Wei Qi didn't understand and blinked at his father. Wei Ming seemed to realize what he was saying to a four or five-year-old child. He rubbed the child's head and said, "Go play, don't get into trouble, or your big brother will scold you again. If you act naughty again, your big brother will really send you out to temper your temper."

"I won't go." Wei Qi said and ran away angrily. As he ran out, he saw Wei Zhao standing at the door. He was so angry that he completely forgot his fear and glared at his elder brother fiercely.

Wei Zhao walked in with a helpless look on his face. His father was really something. It was clearly him who wanted to do this, but he had to put the blame on him.

"Father."

"What's the matter?" Wei Ming looked up. He remembered that Wei Zhao had come here just now. Was there anything wrong this time?