Chapter 15 Section Three

Pang Juan hurried towards the palace. At this moment, he was both happy and annoyed. He was happy that Uncle Cuo died at the right time, which vacated a huge position of power for him.In the Warring States period, although the general was also a high-ranking and powerful man who independently founded the government, he could not take charge of the state affairs after all, so that he could not show his outstanding talent as a political country, and he could not make Wei Guo complete his great cause under his overall control.If one can become the prime minister of the Wei state, not only will he be an extremely personable official and reach the peak of power where celebrities are in charge of politics, but he will also be a general and a prime minister, reaching the pinnacle of achievements in both literature, governance and martial arts.

However, just when he was ambitiously refusing to participate in the commemoration of Gong Shucuo to show that he was not in the same class as the old man, his military commander brought back a rumor from Dong Xiangchun: The king of Wei had not yet decided on the prime minister, and he would Decide between him and Young Master Ang!This surprised him greatly, and he became inexplicably uneasy.On weekdays, he didn't think much of Dong Xiangchun, thinking that it was a place for shallow scholars to be arty, so he repeatedly rejected Dong Xiangchun's advice to discuss the general situation of the world and the way of using troops.But he never dared to underestimate Dong Xiangchun's mysterious rumors. There was never a groundless rumor in that ghostly place, and many crucial turning points turned Dong Xiangchun's rumors into facts.Pang Juan once spoke uprightly to King Wei, asking for the banning of this troubled wine shop, thinking that it was the source of corruption in Wei State and the best channel for secret envoys from various countries to spy on Wei State's secrets.But King Wei Hui laughed loudly, "General, Dong Xiangchun has a great foundation and is famous all over the world. Both Wenhou and Wuhou regard it as the pearl of Anyi Wenhua. How can I get it?" Obviously he was surprised by his idea. , and even some displeasure.Now that this annoying place has spread such news, at least it proves that King Wei has revealed this idea to a certain confidant, and someone in the court already knows about it.For a moment, he felt a little sad and angry.Who is the young master?A flashy and playful son of the royal family, except for being good at sensuality, he has no serious skills.Such a person is also among the candidates for the prime minister, which is simply a ridiculous joke in the world!But what can be done?He Pang Juan didn't have any foundation in Wei State, and he didn't bother to associate with those royal figures who were sitting on a vegetarian diet. The only foundation was his own strength and achievements.But if you think about it carefully, ability is more than enough to make a living with it, and it may be possible to make a career with it, but it is the most unreliable thing if you want to deal with the officialdom.Since ancient times, talented people have been buried and sunk, who will argue?Especially for a country like Wei that has begun to infiltrate corruption, it depends on its ability to gain more power, and it seems that it may fall into the abyss at any time.For a while, Pang Juan lost confidence in Wei Guo, and was frustrated for a long time that King Wei seemed to have touched something that he didn't usually notice.

But can you retreat?Obviously not, to make contributions is to persevere, not to mention that the last hope has not been lost.After a few days of tossing and turning, Pang Juan thought clearly about two points: First, he must change his indifference to officialdom in the future and end his isolation as if he stood out from the crowd.The second is to take the initiative to meet the king of Wei, and to find out what the king of Wei really thinks before making countermeasures.He finished his military affairs early this morning, and came to the palace at noon.He knew it was useless to go early, King Wei was famous for going to bed late and getting up late, and no minister went to the palace early in the morning to meet him.Originally, this was also one of the major events that Pang Juan planned to persuade King Wei to correct.After a few days of thinking, Pang Juan not only decided to give up speaking on this kind of matter, but also decided to learn to accommodate certain unwritten aristocratic norms of the court.

The Wei Palace is very large, accounting for almost a quarter of Anyi City, and it is two or three times larger than the palaces of the Zhao Kingdom and South Korea that were separated from the Jin Kingdom at the same time.The reason for this is that the palace of Wei State was expanded three times by three generations of monarchs.After Wei Wenhou divided Jin and established the country and became a prince, he greatly expanded the original simple palace of his father Wei Huanzi.Wei Wuhou's accession to the throne increased his national power, and greatly expanded the palace of Wei Wenhou.King Wei Hui ascended the throne and became king. He felt that the original palace was not worthy of the title, so in the second year of his accession to the throne, a large amount of resplendent and resplendent palace was rebuilt outside the original palace.The three generations of palaces are connected to each other, and they are stacked on top of each other.

Pang Juan's car rumbled into the broad Baiyu Square, did not stop in front of the majestic and splendid main hall, and went straight to the east side and stopped in front of Huode Gate.He jumped out of the cart, smiled and bowed to the leader of the guard for the first time, and the leader hurriedly bowed to report, "The general enters the palace—!" Pang Juan smiled and strode into Huodemen. Bypassing the huge screen wall, the first entrance is twenty-three government offices arranged in a circle, each with six bays.The second entrance is two small halls where King Wei specially convened important ministers to discuss matters, one in the east and one in the east.The third entrance is the study room, the command hall, and the book hall where the king of Wei handles daily state affairs.This entrance cannot pass through the middle, but must enter through the arches on the east and west sides and then go back.The fourth entrance is an exquisite courtyard garden with pavilions, quiet green shade and sparkling pool water.Passing through the garden, the last thing you enter is the Queen's Palace of Wei, which covers an area of ​​more than 300 mu.In the past, Pang Juan never went to the harem to meet the king of Wei. The reason was so simple that any small official in Anyi's officialdom would laugh, that is, he was very uncomfortable with these winding corridors and halls.Therefore, he is the only one among the important ministers of Wei who has never been to the harem.Even so, he understood the path structure at a glance with the intuition of a first-class general in the art of war, and he went straight into the harem as if he was familiar with the road.

Most of the harem is a lake, and the palace of King Wei is in the woods on the peninsula in the middle of the lake.In the early summer, the sun is bright, the green trees and clear water set off the golden roof, and the tranquility is like a dream.When Pang Juan walked into the path in the forest, a maid came up and bowed respectfully: "General, the king is in the bedroom." Pang Juan nodded slightly, and came straight to the bedroom.King Hui Hui of Wei was quite open-minded in his behavior and daily life. The harem never had guards but only maidservants, and there was no pedantic rule that ministers were not allowed to enter the harem.He often summoned the ministers to the harem to discuss matters, and ordered the maids not to stop or report to the ministers who came to see them.In the Warring States Period, King Wei Hui was famous for his lenient treatment of his subjects.

Although Pang Juan had expected King Wei's extravagance, he was still deeply shocked when he entered the palace. The spacious and luxurious bedroom has a unique style, luxurious and extravagant, and has a mysterious allure.The most conspicuous thing is a huge bronze mirror standing opposite the couch, and all the activities in the couch area are presented in the mirror.On the left side of the couch is a tall, straight and shiny copper pillar that resembles a penis, prominent and isolated, and on the right side is a tall copper flower plate with several types of vulvas, which makes people think that something is wrong at a glance.The gauze tents of various colors hang down to the ground, and the wind blows the gauze, which is confusing and intoxicating.Through the hazy veil, Pang Juan saw the half-naked fox girl cuddling on King Wei's thigh...Suddenly, Pang Juan's blood was rushing, and he could only move with difficulty.

Hu Ji is the most beloved concubine of King Wei Hui, and she is also a romantic woman who is famous in the court and the public of Wei State for her various anecdotes.She was originally a descendant of Hu Yan, a famous official in the Jin Wengong era.When the three families of Han, Zhao and Wei were divided into Jin Dynasty, the Fox family had already declined.Wei Wenhou's vision was extraordinary, and he won the descendants of most of the famous officials of the old Jin State to Wei State.Fifty years later, a girl named Hu Ji came out of the Fox clan, who became famous all over the world.At that time, King Wei Hui, who was still a noble son, planned for a long time with his cronies. He camped and hunted for a month in Zigu River, Baima Mountain, east of Jiangcheng, where the Fox clan was located.One day, the beautiful prey finally appeared among the green trees and wild flowers beside the Zigu River!At this time, a wild boar suddenly pounced on the beautiful prey from behind the jagged rock.Suddenly again, Wei Yu rushed forward with a horse and a long sword, killed the wild boar with all her strength, and hugged the unconscious beautiful woman with her bloody arms.On the banks of the Zigu River where the mountains and the moon shine brightly, the beautiful prey gratefully throws itself into the arms of the son Wei Ying.At dawn, the tents in the valley disappeared mysteriously together with the beautiful prey.Three years later, Wei Ying proclaimed the title of king, and people knew that the beautiful fox girl had become a princess!Since then, she has become the talk of Anyi people after tea and wine, colorful and suitable for meat and vegetables.There are rumors that she is as soft as water, as charming as a wild fox, as charming as a baby, as seductive as a ghost, and King Wei cannot leave her for a day.

Pang Juan also met Fox Girl in Fengze Hunting Ground.But he has always been insensitive to women, so he couldn't see what was so special about this woman, and he couldn't even remember her appearance clearly.It's noon, the scorching day, how could he encounter such embarrassment? Fox Ji was crouching in front of King Wei Hui, pinching the feet of King Wei tenderly, and occasionally sticking out her slender and wet tongue to lick his toes. Ah." King Wei Hui couldn't help himself, he pulled Hu Ji into his arms and stroked Hu Ji's cheeks, then took out a night pearl from his waist and rolled it on Hu Ji's snow-white bare chest.Fox Fairy whispered sweetly, screamed and slid into King Wei Hui's arms.King Wei Hui couldn't help but be very happy.

Pang Juan finally couldn't help coughing, and regretted it just after coughing. Doesn't this mean that he saw it badly?However, there was no way to delay it any longer, so he cupped his hands and said loudly: "General Pang Juan came to see my king—!" King Hui Hui of Wei seemed to be unaware of it, he laughed and said, "General, come in." Pang Juan strode in, without looking sideways, and bowed deeply, "I have something important to report to my king." King Wei Hui put his arms around Lady Fox without moving, and asked with a smile, "Pang Qing, what's the big deal?"

Pang Juan was silent.Wei Huiwang suddenly realized, smiled and patted Fox Ji's buttocks, "Lie down obediently, and shoot arrows later, huh." Fox Ji snorted and crawled behind the tall jade screen like a dog. Pang Juan felt tired for a while, and he forgot the preparations when he came, and couldn't help frowning deeply. King Wei Hui laughed loudly, "General, I am very pleased that you came to my harem today. I also know that the general is a master of Guiguzi and doesn't like luxury. However, simplicity is fine, and luxury is also good. Well, the time and the times should determine the status. If the state of Wei is as poor and weak as the state of Qin, this king will work hard. However, if the state of Wei is rich and powerful, if we stick to the way of asceticism, won’t it be looked down upon by other countries? General, this life, You have to make contributions, but you can’t stick to one principle. Wei Guo is strong, and we, the rulers and ministers, have to do great things. Wei Guo is rich, and we, the rulers and ministers, have to enjoy the wealth to the fullest. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be wasteful? Such as hunting and banquets , Playing with jewelry, tall chariots and horses, fine clothes and fine food, lakes and mountains, palaces and mansions, which one is not the joy of life? What's more, this woman is a beauty bestowed by God on men. If you don't play with it, you will waste your life. The general saw me This fox girl is right, Rouni is as docile as a bitch, being with her is really wonderful, it relieves your worries and fatigue. Pang Qing, if you come back in the future, you don’t have to cough and get nervous, just walk in See how despicable she is, isn't it a good thing? In my harem, only you and Young Master Ang are allowed to come and go as you please, but unfortunately you don't know and have never been here. If Young Master Ang comes, you have to hide behind and watch enough , and then I have to comment with this king, ah ha ha ha ha ha." Wei Hui Wang talked about it, laughing, thinking that this is an excellent opportunity to change Pang Juan. Hearing this, Pang Juan's scalp was numb, his throat was dry, and his body was covered with goosebumps.King Wei Hui's eloquence really made him unbelievable.He also knew that if he wanted to get along with King Wei, now was the best opportunity, not to mention that he thought about it for a few days, in order to achieve this goal.He should laugh, pander to him, express his enlightenment, and even invite Hu Ji to come out to comment, and he will become the playmate and humerus minister of King Wei who will not avoid any suspicion.Adding in his own talent and strength, it would be easy to defeat Young Master Ang... But he couldn't, Pang Juan couldn't smile, let alone say a word, but his face was livid and the corners of his mouth twitched, as if he was about to vomit out of embarrassment and embarrassment.In an instant, he was covered in cold sweat, regretting that he had come to the harem!However, Pang Juan had strong endurance after all. He gritted his teeth to force himself to calm down, cupped his hands and said slowly: "Wei Wang Mingjian, I have lived in the mountains for a long time, and I am as ignorant as a villager. My king's high opinion, Rong Chen, in time, Slowly savor and comprehend." King Wei Hui laughed happily, "General, it's hard for you today, ah. Tell me, what's the matter?" Pang Juan clasped his hands and said, "King Wei, I visited my uncle and wife yesterday, one to comfort the old lady, and the other to hear if the old prime minister had any instructions on the military affairs. I don't want the old prime minister to say nothing to me. " King Wei Hui sighed, "The old prime minister has been ill for a long time, so it's good to go. When he was dying, he had already lost his heart, and he won't have anything to say." "Could it be that he didn't mention the state affairs of the next prime minister?" King Wei Hui suddenly remembered, "Pang Qing, do you know the name of the concubine in the prime minister's mansion? Oh, yes, it seems to be Wei Yang." "A bastard? How can I know a small official? I don't know what my king is asking?" King Wei Hui laughed loudly, "General, tell me, did the old prime minister lose his mind? He sent a special envoy to ask the king to hurry back to Anyi from Fengze, and it turned out that it was because of this bastard. People who are about to die, other people Words are also faint." Pang Juan was stunned, "I speculate that the old prime minister wants my king to use this bastard again." King Wei Hui nodded, "You are really right. The old prime minister persuaded the king to reuse this little official, saying that he should be the prime minister of Wei, and that he would kill him if he was not used. You say, the king of the great Wei Prime Minister, wouldn't it be ridiculous to torment a little bastard?" Pang Juan: "Talents are rare, my king should think twice about the old prime minister's words before acting." King Wei Hui smiled openly and confidently: "Without talents, can the Great Wei State be where it is today? But talents, especially the talents of Zaifu, are they so easy to get? They are hard to come by." "King Wei, please check this bastard in the prime minister's residence." Pang Juan looked solemn. "Forget it, forget it, a middle-class bastard still uses you as a general to come forward? The Great Wei Kingdom must have a little tolerance for the world, and leave as soon as you want. If you want to keep him, it will make Zhu Zi famous instead." "Your Majesty, please don't forget the old story of Sun Bin's escape from Qi, and don't let a man of extraordinary wisdom flee to another country, but make enemies for Wei." Pang Juan was a little stubborn. "Ahahaha," King Wei Hui burst out laughing, "Okay, okay, then please ask the general to check." "I would like to obey the king's order." Pang Juan bowed deeply, turned around and strode away.He felt that it would be nondescript to talk about state affairs in such a harem, and even he thought it was funny. After thinking about it carefully, Pang Juan always felt that it was impossible for King Wei to appoint Gongzi Ang as prime minister, but he didn't have any hints about him.Who is the candidate for the prime minister?I can't figure it out all of a sudden.Pang Juan is extremely confident about the military affairs, but he always feels a little bit at a loss when it comes to the machinations of the palace and officialdom.For example, right now it is difficult for him to decide how to take the initiative, and he doesn't even have a way to detect the king of Wei's will.But he has always been very keen on the movements of common people and scholars in Wei State.The concubine that King Wei Hui mentioned inadvertently made him suddenly alert.Uncle Gong's insight into people is famous all over the world. Only his teacher Gui Guzi laughed at him as "knowing people with eyes, but employing them without courage".The King of Wei didn't reveal any clues about the candidate for the prime minister today, so Anzhi wasn't influenced by the old uncle?An Zhi doesn't need this middle-class son to be the king of Wei's sincerity?Pang Juan despises the aristocratic class, and feels that he has a position and talent that they can never replace in the temple of the aristocrats. Even if he can't take charge of the state affairs, the aristocrats will never be able to overwhelm him.Because this is the Warring States period, without a famous general like him, the nobles may become bereaved dogs themselves.But he can never despise those progressive scholars who are as enterprising as he is.These people traveled around the world, seeking officials with real talents and learning, and they often rose rapidly once they took power.Pang Juan instinctively felt that only this kind of person was his real competitor, an enemy that should not be underestimated.It is precisely because of this kind of self-consciousness that Pang Juan tried his best to trick Sun Bin, his fellow apprentice who came to Wei with him, and forced Sun Bin to go to Qi.Of course, Pang Juan never believed that this middle-class son would have the extraordinary talent of Sun Bin, but since this middle-class son could be recommended by his uncle Zuo as the prime minister, he must be an extraordinary person, and he must be aware of such a person. Pang Juan decided to weigh the weight of this bastard himself. In the early morning of the next day, a middle-aged man in his thirties who looked like an ordinary official rode a black horse to the Gongshu Cuo Cemetery on the outskirts of Anyi.Just after entering the stone archway, there was a row of stone houses in which twenty infantry guarding the cemetery lived. They were wrestling and having fun in front of the house at this time. Seeing the black horse officials coming, the little boss rubbed his eyes in surprise.No matter how he looked at it, he felt that this person looked like the general Pang Juan, but he was not sure, and he didn't dare to ask, so he asked Ai Qiqi: "My lord, what's your business?" Bastard Wei Yang." The little boss hurriedly said: "It's in the stone house in front of the mausoleum, and the villain leads the way." The visitor waved his hand and said, "No, I'll go on my own." He actually walked away on horseback. The mausoleum of Gong Shucuo was built according to the theory of Yin and Yang schools at that time that "the mountain is the mausoleum".A verdant Wuzhen Peak made a natural mausoleum.After Wuzhen Peak, there are nine rolling hills, which are the ten peaks of Lingshan Mountain and Ten Witches - Wuxian, Wuji, Wuxun, Wupeng, Wugu, Wuzhen, Wuli, Wudi, Wuxie and Wuluo. .Looking at Yanchi in the south and Shiwu in the north, the cemetery is just in a quiet valley.The stone house guarding the mausoleum is three zhang away from the front of the mausoleum, and in front of the house are scattered tall stone figurines and a pine and cypress forest.The concubine Wei Yang brought a whole load of useful books from the prime minister's mansion, and he spent the whole day pondering over them here.Today he was re-reading Li Kui's "Fa Jing", and when he got to the point where he read it, he couldn't help reciting: "Those who are good for the country will keep the people safe and the farmers will benefit. If you are hungry, you will gather what you have in the mid-ripe, and if you are hungry, you will gather what is ripe and sell it. Even if you are hungry, you will be afraid of floods and droughts, and the purchases will not be expensive, but the people will not disperse, and the surplus will be taken to make up for the deficiency. Those who are good will make the country prosperous and strong!" Amidst the generosity, he patted the table and thought about it, but he was deeply moved—Li Kui claimed to "teach the law", but he was so proficient in governing the country even though he didn't want to do business. Isn't Wei Guoan rich?Is An De not strong?If the Japanese were in charge of a country, Li Kui's "Fa Jing" would be an immortal teacher... Just as he was thinking deeply, he suddenly heard the sound of horseshoes outside the door, so he vigilantly rolled up the "Fa Jing" and inserted it into a wooden box. Put a volume of "Yin Yang Family" bamboo slips engraved, before sitting down, I heard the sound of knocking on the door. "A guest? Please come in." Wei Yang replied lightly. With a sound of "squeak", the thick wooden door was pushed open, and a man in red with a long beard clasped his fists and arched his fists, "Dare to ask your step, but you are the bastard Wei Yang?" As soon as Wei Yang's eyes lit up, he immediately saw that the person who came was General Pang Juan!During the five years in the prime minister's mansion, he rarely showed up.However, Pang Juan always had to go to the prime minister's mansion to allocate military rations and coordinate military affairs several times a year.Although he only glanced at Pang Juan once from a distance, Wei Yang has excellent eyesight and an unforgettable memory. How could he ignore such characters?In an instant, he decided to stop with stillness, change at will, and then replied with a smile: "This is Wei Yang." Pang Juan smiled and said, "I'm in charge of the general's office. I've heard that the concubine is famous. I passed by today and came to pay a visit." "My lord, please take your seat and teach me." Wei Yang was very humble. Pang Juan laughed loudly, "Great talents and famous scholars are not formal, how can a bastard be so vulgar?" Wei Yang had a frightened smile on his face, "Little official Wei Yang, how dare you be a talented and famous scholar? Please, my lord." Pang Juan sat calmly in front of the rough book case, glanced at the unfolded bamboo slips, "Does Zhongshu have a special liking for the Yinyang family?" "My lord, I'm studying the geomantic omen of the prime minister's mausoleum." Wei Yang said respectfully. "Wei Yang, what country are you from? What is your ancestor's official position?" "My lord, Wei Yang is from the mountains outside Puyang City of Wei State. His ancestors were in business and never served as an official." "Where to study? Who is the mentor?" "My lord, I am studying in Lower Puyang, and my teacher is Zisi's senior student." Wei Yang showed a satisfied smile. Pang Juan couldn't help laughing heartily, "Zisi is a descendant of Confucius. You are Zisi's disciple, and you seem to belong to the Confucian school. Confucianism is known as erudition. What books have you read?" Wei Yang snapped his fingers and said earnestly: ", "University", "Zhou Li", "Shang Shu", "Nong Jing", "Yue Jing", and the six arts - poetry, book, ritual, music, shooting, Yu. My lord, Wei Yang is quite proficient in Confucianism." Pang Juan couldn't help laughing and said: "Wei Yang, you are very knowledgeable. Let me ask you, have you read the books of Legalism, Military, Mohism, and Taoism? And Guiguzi, have you heard of it?" Wei Yang shook his head dumbly, and bowed deeply again, "I'm a petty official with little talent and learning, so I'd like to be cultivated by adults." Pang Juan: "Wei Yang, you have read so many books, but have you planned any major events for the old prime minister?" "Returning to your lord, Wei Yang wrote many letters to the uncle and the prime minister, all of which mentioned the fundamentals of the state of Wei." "Oh?" Pang Juan's eyes sparkled, "What is it?" "My lord, it's all related to the great plan of Wei's civilization and prosperity. I think that Wei's state will run a large school, recruit wise men from all over the world, and promote private schools, just like my Confucian ancestor in Lu. Wei Yang asked himself to lead a school. Uncle Gong The prime minister's literary and martial arts are all the first, but there is no great achievement in promoting the style of writing. For this reason, the uncle and the prime minister praised the plan of the subordinate, and mentioned it to the king of Wei many times, but it is a pity that the king of Wei has not yet adopted it." Wei Yang sighed with regret. Pang Juan laughed for a while, "Maybe King Wei will accept it, don't worry." Wei Yang sighed and said, "Wei Guo doesn't need my plan, I have to leave." Pang Juan felt very happy. It was ridiculous that a Confucian scholar with only a few shrewd and dead studies was so respected by the old man.It seems that the old uncle is indeed old and dim-sighted, and has passed away.After thinking about it, he turned into a sincere smile, "Wei Yang, I think you are aspiring to study, humble and cautious. When I go back to Anyi, how about recommending you to the general to be a study copy? The old prime minister has passed away, you must have a way out The state of Wei is so rich, why does it need to go abroad?" Wei Yang bowed deeply again: "Thank you, sir, for your support and cultivation." Pang Juan got up and left his seat, looked at Wei Yang, and couldn't help laughing again. Wei Yang panicked: "Where did your lord laugh? Is there something wrong with this little official?" "I laugh at the world's blind eyes, and the temple's calculations are crooked!" Laughing, he went out, got on his horse and rode away. Wei Yang looked at Pang Juan's back in the pine forest, thoughtful, and suddenly burst out laughing.