Chapter 39 Dongfang Shuo

Fujian Palace.

King Zou Ying of Minyue sat opposite his younger brother Yu Shan, with a sad look on his face and a little more angry.

"King, are you still angry about Zhou Yafu's affairs?" Yu Shan asked.

"Hmph!" Zou Ying said angrily: "Zhou Lie is too bullying and leads an army of 100,000. If I hadn't abandoned Liu Ju, I wouldn't have caused the disaster of destroying the country!"

Last year, when the war in the north was in great war, Emperor Jing was determined to attack Baiyue. Nanyue was obedient and had no excuses. King Zou Ying of Minyue had to kill Liu Ju and offer his head when Zhou Yafu's army was approaching. He also sent Yu Shan to Zhou Yafu's army to apologize, and said all the good things, which made Zhou Yafu retreat.

Zou Ying was very ambitious and had a very high opinion of himself. When did he get so angry? When did he think about it afterwards, he couldn't help but get angry.

"Don't calm down. Although this matter is hateful, it's useless to hate alone. You have to find a way." Yu Shan smiled and flattered.

"Find a solution?" Zou Ying became even more angry: "Can you come up with a solution? In the past, Liu Ju gave me the advice of this king. Now he is dead. Who can give advice? Who knows the Han Dynasty?"

"King, I have a plan to offer it to the King." Yu Shan said with a smile: "We have the will but the strength to deal with the Han people, and we have to rely on the hands of the Han people."

"How to borrow?" Zou Ying was a little interested.

"The Emperor of Han is a wise ruler. He governed the Han Dynasty well, so it can be said that the country is prosperous and the people are safe." Yu Shan first praised it, and then changed the subject: "However, the Han Dynasty had been ineffective and ruled for decades, and the powerful had been rampant. The princes and kings from all over the country became popular, colluded with the powerful and used each other, and the government did not dare to ask. If we want to do big things, we must make the Han Dynasty civil unrest, and this matter must be done by the Han people."

"Yeah, it's reasonable!" Zou Ying nodded slightly: "What do you think you're going to do?"

"King, I want to use the power of the Han people to achieve my goals." Yu Shan said excitedly: "There are many powerful men in the Han people, the most famous one is Guo Jie, who kills people, robs people of land, seizes wives and daughters, and is in power in counties. The government dare not ask. I heard that the princes and kings compete to accept him, and even the Han emperor's younger brother, King Liang, was trying to win him over. This man is arrogant and does not take the world seriously. In addition, his martial arts skills are so strong that he has many disciples."

"I have heard of Guo Jie." Zou Ying was very interested: "I heard that he is extremely powerful. If he wants to kill people, he doesn't need to take action at all. He only needs an instructor. Someone will take action immediately. Even officials of the Han Dynasty will fall to the ground. But, he is a Han Chinese, can he use it for us?"

"The king is unknown." Yu Shan was very happy: "Guo Jie was determined to imitate Jing Ke. Jing Ke knew that he had no hope of success in Qin, but he resolutely entered Qin and assassinated the First Emperor. After all, he wanted to become famous. Guo Jie was the same as him. As long as he gave him a chance and gave him a generous amount of money, he would definitely agree. King, a few days ago, I sent someone to send a generous gift, and he accepted it."

"That's good, that's good!" Zou Ying was very happy: "Although Guo Jie is arrogant, he has a promise. He will definitely do what he promised."

"King, there are many generals who can fight in the Han Dynasty. Although Li Guang and Cheng Bushi are famous generals on the border, they do not pose a great threat to us. Zhou Yafu is the most hateful. He was in a big army last year, but it poses the greatest threat to us." Yu Shan began to analyze.

"What you mean is that Zhou Yang is the most threatening to our Great Yue Kingdom." Zou Ying nodded constantly: "When it comes to war, if you are not under Zhou Yafu, you may be better than Zhou Yafu. He has vision and is more accurate and difficult to deal with. You have a reasonable analysis. If you get rid of Zhou Yang, then Zhou Yafu..."

He waved his right hand and made a neck wiping action, a trace of fierceness flashed in his eyes. He raised his eyebrows and said worriedly: "Zhou Yang is famous all over the world. Even if Guo Jie is determined to do big things, he may not succeed."

"King, it's not easy to succeed by relying on Guo Jie alone." Yu Shan smiled very treacherously: "The king knows that Zhou Yang has become the emperor's son-in-law. According to the news from Chang'an, King Liang intended to call him as his son-in-law, but rejected Empress Dowager Dou. Zhou Yafu will help anyone Zhou Yang will help. King Liang is a wonderful move, and King Liang is just annoyed by this matter. If the king is a strong match for King Liang and King Liang finds an opportunity, the king will make a tough move, and the matter will definitely be accomplished."

"If King Liang wins over Zhou Yang, he can only get rid of it. Otherwise, with the grudge between him and the Zhou father and son, his major affairs will definitely not be accomplished. A good way!" Zou Ying stood up suddenly and said, "Prepare a generous gift to King Liang! The heavier the better, don't be stingy!"

In Chang'an, there is a stall at a corner that is not noticeable. The so-called stall is a flag with the word "天" written on it. An old man with a thin body has white hair and a bit obscene, leaning against the wall and napping.

"Hululu!" The snoring sounded, and saliva flowed down the corners of his mouth, wetting his worn-out clothes.

This old man was no other person, but a fortune teller who gave money to Wei Qing and also told Zhou Yang.

At this time, he was the only one in front of the stall, and his Xiao Shuozi's disciple was unknown.

The old man slept very sweetly, with a smile on his face, as if something big of a happy event had happened.

"Master, Master!" A burst of rapid screams disturbed the old man's good dream. The old man opened his eyes and looked at his little apprentice lazily: "Xiao Shuozi, disturbing the elder's sleep will make his life short, do you know?"

"Master, I understand!" Xiao Shuozi smiled and took out a packet of food and placed it in front of the old man.

The old man sucked his nose and praised, "It smells so good! It smells so good!" He grabbed it in his hand and opened it. It turned out to be a pack of venison. Without saying a word, the old man reached out and grabbed a piece, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it in big mouths, and ate it very sweetly.

Xiao Shuozi sat next to the old man, looking at the old man quietly, without any intention of eating meat.

The old man was very surprised and asked, "Xiao Shuozi, why don't you eat it?"

"Master, I respect you this flesh." Xiao Shuozi raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, if you have filial piety, the master will not love you in vain." The old man was very happy.

"Master, my disciple is leaving you now. If you invite you to have a meal of meat, our master-disciple relationship will come to an end." Xiao Shuozi said sadly: "In the future, Master, you are alone in your family and you must take good care of yourself."

"Fart!" The old man almost spit out the venison in his mouth: "You want to leave me?"

"Master, I don't want to leave you, but I can't leave." Xiao Shuozi couldn't understand: "Following Master, I didn't learn anything, but I just had a meal of hunger and no day can I have enough food. Master, look, when I followed you, I was chubby, but now I'm as thin as dry firewood. Well, I'm the same as the chariot slave that day."

After so many days, he has not forgotten Wei Qing.

"Xiao Shuozi, God will give you a great task, so you..." The old man began to drop his schoolbag.

As soon as he started his words, he interrupted Xiao Shuozi: "I know, I know, you can gain what you can't do. You can say, you can't do it. You don't place photos in places with many people, and you just look for places where there are no one. You can't even see a few people all day long, let alone cover your belly."

"What do you know?" The old man was a little angry: "We are not giving people a fate..."

"It depends on the fate of heaven! My ears are calloused!" Xiao Shuozi was very angry: "After saying that, it's just a few words, it's either fate of heaven, it's just promotion or wealth. To a car slave, what do you say to be a marquis, isn't that avenge you for the sin?"

After complaining, he continued, "The emperor recruits talents, I will take the exam now, and maybe I will be able to win the title of marquis and ministers."

"Haha!" The old man chewed the venison hard, smiled happily, and curled his lips: "Xiao Shuozi, the emperor wants to recruit talents, either a scholar or a skilled person. What are your strengths? The emperor has no knowledge of the eyes."

"Hmph, you have the nerve to say that you are practicing Guigu Physician every day, but you treat the car slave as a noble person, what are your eyes!" Xiao Shuozi was very dissatisfied.

"Xiao Shuozi, do you know who is coming to the emperor's edict this time?" The old man pointed his finger and said, "Dong Zhongshu, Gongsun Hong of Zibo, Zhu Maichen of Kuaiji, Yan Zhu of Wu County, and even the old man Shen Gong brought his disciples Wang Zang and Zhao Wan to take the exam. Which one do you compare to?"

Xiao Shuozi was a little dazed when he heard this: "Mr. Shen is here too? Aren't he not going out of the mountain?"

"It's not that he doesn't go out of the mountain, but that his fortune has not come. Now, his fortune has come, can he still sit still?" The old man smiled and continued: "Dong Zhongshu is known as the Confucian scholar and wrote "Spring and Autumn Festival"; Gongsun Hong was poor when he was young and could only live by raising pigs, but he became a famous scholar, quite talented and had his own strengths in his heart; Zhu Maichen, a woodcutter in the mountain, had a firm will and knew the things of Yue. Among these people, he was the most interesting."

Xiao Shuozi's interest was raised: "Have he had anecdote?"

"He loves to read, but his family is poor and can only make a living by selling wood. He carries firewood and walks while reading, and the sound of reading aloud is endless." The old man seemed to know very well about scholars all over the world: "But his wife said he did not do serious things, and it is of use to read these useless books. Zhu Maichen said that his fortune was not just right, and when his fortune came, he would be successful. His wife was first, second, third, and waited for decades. Not only did Zhu Maichen not make it prosperous, but his family was getting worse and worse. His wife couldn't stand it, so she left him and married someone else as a wife."

"This woman!" Xiao Shuozi kept shaking his head, feeling quite dissatisfied.

"That's not all, there are more interesting things." The old man continued to say an anecdote: "Since his wife left, Zhu Maichen's life has gotten worse and worse, and he has no food to eat. One day, he fell hungry on the grave. This grave was the ancestral grave of the man his wife married, and when the couple came to visit the grave. His wife felt sorry for him, so she gave him the meat to worship the ancestors, which saved his life."

"Interesting things! Interesting things!" Xiao Shuozi couldn't help but smile.

"Zhu Maichen's fortune has arrived, and he will surely soar into the sky!" The old man rolled his eyes, looked at the white clouds in the sky, and asked leisurely: "Xiao Shuozi, do you really want to leave me and be a person like Zhu Maichen's wife?"

"I..." Xiao Shuozi was stunned for a moment and thought for a while: "Master, I have made up my mind, please forgive me."

"How do you deal with the emperor's test?" the old man asked.

"This..." Xiao Shuozi thought for a while and said, "I read books at the age of thirteen, and I have learned all the tricks at the age of three; I have learned the swords at the age of fifteen, and learned the key to swordsmanship at the age of sixteen; I have read the poems and books at the age of sixteen, and learned the meaning of a saint; I have learned the military strategy at the age of nineteen, and arranged troops and formations were not under Sun Wu."

"Haha!" The old man held his stomach and almost laughed on the ground, asking, "Xiao Shuozi, are you still human? You are a demon!"

"That's not a monster, it's me, it's me Dongfang Shuo!" Dongfang Shuo thrust his chest and raised his head, and was full of energy: "I'm nine feet and three inches long, with bright eyes and white teeth. He is as brave as Meng Ben, quick as Qingji, Lian as Bao Shu, and Xinsheng as a tail..."

Meng Ben and Qing Ji are all famous warriors. Bao Shu and Wei Sheng are all famous figures. He ignored them all. Finally, he patted his chest and said, "Who told me to be Dongfang Shuo!"

The old man pointed at Dongfang Shuo, laughing so hard that he couldn't even speak.

Dongfang Shuo was full of confidence: "After hearing what I said, the emperor must let me be the prime minister."

"Xiao Shuozi, how old are you this year? You are only sixteen years old. If you want to learn military tactics, you have to wait another three years!" The old man ridiculed him with Dongfang Shuo's words.

Dongfang Shuo was stunned and was defeated, but he was still bragging: "If you have ambitions, you will live a hundred years old without ambitions. If you think of Ganluo, you will be sent as an envoy to the First Emperor at the age of twelve years; if you are in the age of twelve years, you will be able to defeat the Huns. If you think of me, Dongfang Shuo, who is the one who is?"

He clasped his fists: "Master, take care of yourself, your disciple has said goodbye."

"Xiao Shuozi, slow down!" The old man took out something from his arms and threw it to Dongfang Shuo.

Dongfang Shuo held it in his hand and it turned out to be a bunch of silk. Look at the color, it was a bit peeling. It should be a while ago. When he opened it, his mouth was wide open and he couldn't close for a long time.

"Master, have you really learned the Guigu Physician Art?" Dongfang Shuowu was a little disbelief.

"Didn't you hold it in your hand?" The old man's turbid eyes flashed, as bright as the sun. His originally despicable image swept away, and he stood up, like an immortal who was independent in the world, with a fairy spirit.

"Master, you, you..." Dongfang Shuo had been with the old man for many years, but he had never seen him with such temperament. He couldn't help but be surprised.

"Xiao Shuozi, your luck has not come. If you enter the world now, it will be just a matter of being better and tell the emperor that you are so good at it. You will be useless until you are old." The old man's voice was very clear: "If you follow me to learn physiognomy, there will be noble people to help you, and it is unspeakable!"

"Master, you didn't lie to me?" Dongfang Shuo was a little unbelievable.

"When you learn all your studies, you will understand." The old man did not answer clearly, but asked, "Are you going to the government or traveling around the world with me?"

"Disciple is willing to follow Master." Dongfang Shuo thought for a moment and immediately made a decision: "Master, this physiognomy is so difficult. I am like reading a heavenly book. Can you tell me?"

The old man stretched out his right foot and smashed his ragged boots two meters away: "Go and pick them up for me!"

"Master, isn't this difficult for you?" Dongfang Shuo was a little reluctant, so he ran over and picked it up.

"Put it!" The old man stretched his right foot in front of Dongfang Shuo's nose.

"It's so stinking! Master, how long has it been since you washed your feet? Take it away!" Dongfang Shuo complained while putting it on the old man.

"You can teach me!" The old man nodded slightly: "Let's go!"

The ragged sleeves whirled, and the wind blew away, and Dongfang Shuo followed him with a drift of wind. The master and apprentice disappeared soon.

Weiyang Palace, the Palace of Heart-Surviving.

Emperor Jing knelt on the short table, and the three of them knelt on the opposite Emperor Jing.

"How is the matter of recruiting talents going?" Emperor Jing slowed down.

"Report to the emperor, I have an imperial edict, and scholars from all over the country have arrived. Now the museums are full." Dou Ying was very excited: "If you want to practice martial arts, you must first get generals; if you want to govern the country, you must first get talent. The emperor's wise edict, and the wise edict is gathered. The Han Dynasty has not had such a grand occasion in decades, and the Han Dynasty will surely have a bright future!"

"Congratulations to the Emperor, congratulations to Emperor!" The master father Yan and Feng Jing congratulated Emperor Jing together.

"Dou Ying said it well!" Emperor Jing expressed his deep agreement: "How can we cultivate martial arts without generals? How can we govern the country without talented people? The reason why Emperor Gaozu won the world was to use the three heroes. I must let talented people be in power. You all tell me, what talents are there?"

"Your Majesty, there are many talents here this time, and there are countless other talents." The master Yan was very excited: "Guangchuan Dong Zhongshu, Zichuan Gongsun Hong, Kuaiji Zhu Maichen, and Wuxian Yan Zhu."

"Tell me about their talents and abilities." Emperor Jing was very interested.
To be continued...