Chapter 4 third quarter

Liu Kai reviewed his shameful life experience: He was transferred to Tokyo from the Northwest Frontier Army three years ago as an errand.Just like these royal horses who came to the court from the side court to pay tribute, in the minds of ordinary people, this transfer is regarded as a ladder for leaping.He himself came to the capital with the blazing ambition and strong sense of professionalism of young people.The so-called career is to realize one's ideals and aspirations.He is a soldier, and he wants to start to rectify the imperial army in the capital. Over the years, especially after Gao Qiu became the palace commander, that army has indeed become extremely corrupt.In addition, he also hopes to have the opportunity to serve on the front line, gallop the battlefield, and be worthy of his duty as a son of a general.However, no matter what kind of cause is to be realized, a certain official position and status must first be obtained. He knew that without an official position, there would be no meritorious deeds.He really wanted to be an official, but subjectively, it was not so much to gain wealth, but rather to realize his own ideals and aspirations.

On the road to fame, he is indeed smooth sailing. The Song Dynasty was a dynasty that emphasized civility over military affairs. The upper class in Tokyo generally discriminated against and rejected the gray soldiers from the northwest, but they made an exception for Liu Kai.They opened the doors of officialdom and entertainment to him, allowing him to roam freely here.The reason why Liu Qi received this special treatment was that he possessed advantages that other soldiers rarely possessed: First, he has a prominent family background. His father, Liu Zhongwu, is a well-known contemporary general.

Second, he himself has extraordinary civil and military talents. He has long-term military experience and practical experience in combat.Known for his courage, when he was serving in the army, he took the initiative to go deep into the tiger's den and be the hostage of brother Zang Zhengpu, the leader of the powerful enemy Qingtang and Qiang, which led to a peace negotiation.This heroic act was passed on as a good story by people in the military circles, and it also became an excellent stepping stone for him to come to Tokyo.In addition, he possesses the qualities of a literati, and his poems and books are comparable to court scholars.At that time, many people already commented on him as "both civil and military weapons, and extraordinary skill".

Third, officials in Tokyo particularly appreciated his ability to adapt to the environment.He is handsome and elegant in conversation.He is capable and flexible, not humble to his superiors, not overbearing to his subordinates, and able to play tricks in dealing with others.These are indispensable conditions for serving in the upper officialdom, especially in the court, but it is difficult for ordinary military officers to do so. With these superior conditions, Liu Qi was quickly promoted. In just three years, he was promoted from an ordinary environmental sanitation officer to a guard like Ma Jun Si Long Shen Wei Si, who was rarely seen in his age. The commander of Xiangdu has such a high official rank.He was appreciated by the officials, became a trusted attendant, and actually took control of the power of the department.Other officials with higher positions than him, such as Dianshuai and Mashuai Gao Qiu, the deputy commander-in-law of the department, the son-in-law and the commander-in-law Cao Sheng, etc., are just names in the department.Although this Yamen, which is called in charge of the world's cavalry, has long existed in name, its actual position is only to manage a huge guard of honor for the officials and an incomplete cavalry unit left in the capital.

The royal relatives and dignitaries in Tokyo followed the trend of the official family and also had a good impression of Liu Kai, and some even reversed it to curry favor with him.In the general officialdom, he is regarded as a promising young general.Zhang Di once made a bet with someone in a public occasion: If someone Liu does not become a privy envoy within five years, his eyes will be plucked out. The brothers of the official family, the king of Yan, Zhao Si, who is worshiped by the official family, is indispensable to invite their virtuous couple every time they hold a family banquet, and even the princess and Zongji can meet and chat with him casually degree.Dazai Wang Fu, who holds the power of the government and has a great reputation, Cai You, the governor of Xuanhedian University, and Gao Qiu, the commander of the palace, all deliberately befriended him. The rectification and reform of the guards and other military plans are very necessary and feasible, and they are supported by them, but for some technical reasons, they have not been implemented for a while.If he took the opportunity to remind them of a promise they had occasionally forgotten, they would say in amazement: He has already taken care of this, and has he not carried it out?It must have been delayed by some level of bastard staff. When "Minger" goes back, he must investigate and find out the truth, and he will never stop until these bastards are eliminated one by one. "Today" is created exclusively for feasting and pleasure, and all serious things should be arranged for "tomorrow".This is a sacred principle studied by senior officials in the Zheng and Xuan periods based on their official philosophy, and no one is allowed to offend it.Sometimes Liu Kai violated this principle and even dared to ask them to advance their work schedule by one day, and they would quickly raise their wine glasses to prevent any problems from developing into unpleasant emotions and dissolve them in the fine liquid , Dissipated in the singing clouds and dancing fog.

Liu Kai is not only the darling of the officialdom, but also the most popular romantic figure in the Goulan of Tokyo's music halls. Although the status of the two - the officialdom and the singing arena are very different, their natures are very similar. Officials must sell their own Only the soul can win the head-wrapping to buy the inner bodies of the singing girls.In fact, they all sell themselves in different ways, but the courtesans openly admit this business relationship, while the officials try to cover it up in every possible way.The difference between the two is nothing more than that.Official circles and courtesies are the two pillars of Tokyo's social life, without one of them, it would not be Tokyo.

Liu Kai is favored in Fengyuechang not only because of his status, appearance, and family background, but also because of his high musical attainments.One day, at a banquet hosted by famous singing girl Cui Nianyue, he casually picked up a hole flute and played it for a while, which won the heart of the musician Yuan Xuan present.Although Yuan Yu was doing the lowly job of "Jiaofangshi", he was recognized as the "Flute King" and a famous singer in the world. I refuse to comment. If there is any criticism, it must be very pertinent. If it is good, it is good, and if it is not good, it is not good.This prudent attitude makes his speeches have the authority of "one word and one word" in their industry, far exceeding that of Wang Fu, Gao Qiu and others in their respective industries.

In the past three years, Liu Kai has achieved various achievements, received attention and welcome from all quarters, and his reputation is growing day by day.Become a figure admired by everyone in Tokyo.There is only one exception, and that is himself.He was often painfully aware that he was becoming, day by day, involuntarily, the very Tokyoite whom he despised so deeply in his heart.He clearly felt that the greater his achievements in fame and fame, the more distant and unattainable his ideals and aspirations became.The road to prosperity in Tokyo did not provide favorable conditions for his career, but instead pushed himself into the abyss of degeneration.There is an inner voice warning him: it is impossible to live like this, he must get rid of it immediately and change it, otherwise it means his own destruction.

He took decisive measures and expressed to his immediate superior, Gao Qiu, that he hoped that the officials would allow him to resign from the Guards Department and return to the more difficult Northwest Army to participate in the army reorganization work that Zhong Shidao was doing there.Otherwise, let him go to the front line of Hebei to rectify another frontier army—the northern frontier army, which is a nominal frontier army with only the name of the organization, officers with ranks and no soldiers. Gao Lian praised his ambition, saying: "One step has the heart to serve the country, and the whole army has been trained in martial arts, which is beyond the reach of ordinary generations!" Then he turned around pretending to be surprised, "It's just that the officials rely so much on your step, it can be said that the holy family is solemn, how can I, Gao Can you speak to the officials and let your feet go?"

Liu Kai made the same application to Wang Fu who was in power.The reply he received was the same praise, the same feigned surprise, and the same rejection.So he understood that three years ago, because the imperial court was worried about his father holding a large army in the Northwest, he was transferred to Tokyo. On the surface, he was promoted, but in fact he was kept as a "hostage" instead of his elder brother.Although my father has resigned from the military and returned to his hometown, he still has to stay in Tokyo as a hostage within a certain insurance period.This system is so strict, and the government's personal favor to him cannot change his status.Regardless of their superficial attitude towards him, the ministers in power are actually suspicious and disgusted with him.It is impossible for him to achieve any ideals unless he can achieve true complicity and integration with the powerful.And this, regardless of him, regardless of them, knows that it is impossible.

Because of the unsatisfied and increasingly attractive professionalism and the growing sense of depravity, Liu Qi's heart has always been restless.Today, after spending a long time with Zhang Di, who he hates very much, he caught a clear concept by chance, and suddenly, like a bronze mirror, his "ambiguous life" for the past three years was revealed in detail.In vain did he aspire to soar, a soft rope of riches and splendor bound his hero's hands and feet.He can only remain in the court as an official ornament, and he has to slide down the road that has pitted countless handsome men until his sharpness and sharpness are worn away, and his ambition is completely shattered. Erosion, and finally make himself a complete, complete rich and vulgar, just like those old bureaucrats and old bastards he sees every day in the officialdom. This is what Liu Kai was thinking about repeatedly while riding on the jade dragon on the way home. But at the same time, a new kind of waking consciousness, which he had never had before, suddenly came over him. He suddenly thought of the task he had unexpectedly accepted today, and the last promise the official had made to him.As if waking from a great dream, he understood its full significance.He began to evaluate this new military operation with completely different eyes. He was surprised to find so many novel and stimulating positive elements in this new military operation.It seems that a typhoon suddenly blows in the dull and hot summer, and it will inevitably destroy many decayed things with thunderous force, and it will surely make many people (including myself) lose their lives. How welcome it is for the fact that life has been washed clean! What's more, once the war starts, his situation can be changed, and his ideals and ambitions can be stretched.What the officials say always counts. Of course, some of the above thoughts only concern him personally, and this war itself has great national defense and national significance, and it is the most important war since the founding of the dynasty.He wondered why he had not valued its significance in these positive aspects long ago, but had long and mistakenly held an indifferent view of it. But it's still too late.Since he accepted this task today, he can be regarded as one of the confidential members who participated in Secret.It was foreseeable that he must play a major role in this war, and he felt a strong sense of pride.

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