After sending Xing Shu away, Zhao Xu sat on the mattress and rubbed his hands.

"The punishment is not bad." He said softly.

"Has the potential to become the future Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Song Dynasty."

He knows very well about punishment and forgiveness.

A typical political strategist's style can be seen by his ability to move between the new party and the old party with ease.

As for the strategists, it was Sansu who started the trend.

Follow Zhang Yi and Su Qin as examples, and use political strategists' methods to change the world situation.

However, Sansu forgot that the strategists of the Warring States Period had room to develop.

That's because Zhang Yi, the country behind Su Qin, has the ability and strength to ensure that the interests negotiated on the negotiation table are implemented, and at the same time, it can also ensure that what is lost on the negotiation table can be regained with a knife.

The Song Dynasty obviously did not have such power.

This makes Sansu's idea directly become the moon hanging in the sky.

Because, in the past Song Dynasty, there was no room for political advisors to come into play.

Fortunately, Zhao Xu is back.

"General Manager..." Zhao Xu sat on the mattress, thinking about the stories of Zhang Yi, Su Qin and others in the history books.

I also thought about the stories of those Han Dynasty envoys who were tyrannical in various countries in the Western Regions.

I am reminded even more of the stories of Ban Chao and Wang Xuance.

He licked his tongue.

In fact, China also has rich experience when it comes to playing with imperialism.

…

Xing Shu walked out of the inner east gate and raised his head. His whole body seemed to be more than ten years younger, and his eyes were full of light.

At this moment, he felt that he was truly 'alive'.

He recalled what he saw and heard in Funing Hall.

The whole body is full of strength.

Facts have proven that everyone has needs.

Especially when material supplies are no longer lacking, spiritual needs become more prominent.

Scholars in the Wei and Jin Dynasties ate Wu Shi Powder every day. Why?

Because the reality is too hopeless!

Why did the scholar-bureaucrats of the Song Dynasty choose to meditate and practice Taoism in their later years?

The answer is the same.

The cruel reality forces them to find ways to escape.

Similarly, the nobles in Bianjing City are intoxicated every day because their spirits are too empty.

They must find something to stimulate their souls.

And Xingshu has now found the goal of his life.

Is there anything more exciting than overthrowing a big country like Beilu?

there is none left!

So, Xing Shu strode out. When he walked out of Zuo Zhaoqing Gate and arrived in front of the capital hall.

Xing Shu saw a thin old man walking slowly in front of the capital hall.

It's Sima Guang!

When Xing Shu saw Sima Guang's figure, he lowered his head subconsciously.

But Sima Guang had already walked towards him with a smile: "Uncle He, why haven't you come to my house recently?"

Seeing that he could not escape, Xing Shu had no choice but to step forward and bow his hands as a disciple: "Tell Mr. Sima that I have recently been ordered to serve as an envoy to the embassy. I often stay in the capital post and associate with the northern captives. Therefore, I am afraid of the smell of fish in my body.

It has defiled Duke Ming's mansion, so I dare not come to the door."

Sima Guang and Xing Shu have a very close relationship.

Back then, when Xing Shu was young, he studied with Er Cheng and was one of Er Cheng's proud disciples. Cheng Hao especially liked him very much and often took him to various banquets in Luoyang and introduced him to the senior ministers in Luoyang.

Naturally, Sima Guang is also one of them.

At that time, Xing Shu even lived and ate at Sima Guang's house for a period of time, and formed a deep friendship with Sima Guang's son Sima Kang.

Therefore, in front of Sima Guang, Xing Shu must perform the disciple ceremony.

Sima Guang looked at this young man who was very optimistic about him when he was studying at his home, with some regret in his eyes.

Xing Shu back then was recognized by all the sages in Luoyang as the seed for future study and the person who hoped to inherit Cheng Hao's mantle.

Even Shao Kangjie (Shao Yong) publicly praised this son's article.

Unfortunately, since Xing Shu became an official, he seemed to have given up on the path of literature.

I haven’t seen an article written by Xing Shu for many years.

Suppressing the regret in his eyes, Sima Guang asked: "Uncle He, did you just come out from the meeting?"

Xingshu nodded and said, "That's true."

"Your Majesty, are you free today?"

Xing Shu replied: "When the official was performing business in front of the emperor, there was no one else around His Majesty."

This made Sima Guang's eyes light up: "So good! So good!"

This time he was seriously ill and was bedridden at home, which made Sima Guang feel scared.

He knew that he might not be able to afford another serious illness.

His body has also reached the point where it has run out of fuel.

For Sima Guang, death is not terrible.

The terrible thing is that there is no one to inherit his career.

The heir, Sima Kang, was simple, upright, and lacked flexibility.

It's quite suitable to do academic work, but it's not suitable to become an official.

He was originally very optimistic about Fan Yaofu (Fan Chunren) and Lu Weizhong (Lu Dafang).

But these two people are now slowly changing into Han Jiang's shape.

Every word we speak is about reconciliation and tolerance for the country.

He even went so far as to advise him, "Ming Gong should act as a plan for the world and take the overall situation into consideration" and so on.

Especially Fan Yaofu - he even publicly praised the Qingmiao Law, which has been renamed "Convenient Low-interest Loan", and he was full of praise for the reform of the Labor Law presided over by Han Jiang.

If Fan Yaofu and he were not already in-laws (Sima Kang married Fan Chunren's daughter), Sima Guang would have publicly criticized him for his betrayal.

What makes Sima Guang even more sad is that one by one his old friends have deviated from the path they originally adhered to.

Let’s not talk about Wen Kuanfu, an old man.

Uncle Lu Hui, it seems, now wants to wait for Han Jiang to step down, and then he will successfully take over Han Jiang's banner and continue to adjust the new law.

What is the new law?

He doesn't admit it now.

Not to mention the duplicitous villain Zhang Andao (Zhang Fangping).

Just like he betrayed the gentlemen of Qingli, he betrayed the gentlemen of the old party again.

He was satisfied with the assignment of editor of "Yuanyou Dictionary" and the title of Jiedushi.

Han Chiguo and Feng Dangshi were living in Luoyang and the other in Daming Mansion.

Sima Guang tried to write to them, but the content of their replies was only romantic.

The court did not mention a word.

Now there is only Sun Yunzhong (Sun Gu). Occasionally, he can sit at his house and talk to him about state affairs.

But Sun Yunzhong's health was worse than him.

All of this left Sima Guang at a loss after recovering from his illness, and made him even more uneasy.

Despair spread in his heart.

Fortunately, he still has the last hope - the emperor!

The emperor will grow up.

The treacherous ministers who now control the government cannot hide this from the emperor for long.
To be continued...