The fields outside the city of Luoyang are full of farms that have been rebuilt recently and the county seat that is being renovated.

Some of the people who come and go plough the fields and work diligently in farming, and some carry building timber and stones to the county seat to participate in the large-scale construction.

Guo Peng got off the horse and walked on this field with Guo Jin, who also got off the horse.

The father and son walked in front, and Xu Chu and Dian Wei followed far behind with the Tiger Guard's personal soldiers.

"Do you know why Father brought you here?"

"Please ask my father for advice."

After negotiating Cai Wan's marriage, Guo Jin, who is about to marry her sweetheart, is full of spring breeze and is very happy.

Guo Peng smiled slightly.

"For the Father to show you the foundation."

"Foundation?"

Guo Jin frowned: "Please also ask my father to solve his doubts, what is the foundation?" ”

"Everything you see is our foundation."

Guo Peng stretched out his hand and pointed to the busy scene of people coming and going in the field: "Farmers, laborers, these Li Shu who work hard and pay taxes are the foundation of you and my father and son. ”

"Father, my son is a little confused."

Guo Jin looked at Guo Peng suspiciously: "Didn't my father say before that those talents prepared for his son are the foundation of his son?" ”

"It is now."

Guo Peng nodded: "But when you sit in the position of your father, they will no longer be your foundation, but your potential threat." ”

Guo Jin was stunned.

"Why would a father attack those who have made meritorious deeds, do you really want to pass? There must still be doubts in your heart, and the Father has not told you all the purposes. ”

Guo Peng looked at Guo Jin and reached out to hold Guo Jin's hand: "Attack on them, part of the reason is for you, and the other part is not, Ah Jin, they used to be the unshakable foundation of the father, but now and in the future, they will no longer be the foundation of the father, they are a potential threat to the father." ”

Guo Jin seemed to be a little puzzled by what Guo Peng meant.

"Father, son don't understand, do they really want to rebel?"

Guo Peng shook his head.

"Ah Jin, do you know why the emperor calls himself a loner?"

"I don't know ......"

"Because the emperor is really a loner."

Guo Peng took a deep breath: "The irrefutable, unquestionable, pathetic lonely man will always have only himself, not a lonely emperor, definitely not a competent emperor." ”

"Father, the emperor or something, let's ......"

"Leave this alone, you listen to the Father."

Guo Peng interrupted Guo Jin's words: "The emperor is alone, because the emperor holds the power of life and death, the power of life and death of anyone, this power is too great, so big that anyone will be afraid of it, once there is a person who holds this power, he will definitely become a public enemy!" ”

Guo Peng squeezed Guo Jin's hand, stared at Guo Jin tightly, gritted his teeth, and finished his words word by word-

"Because everyone around him will be afraid that he will go on a killing spree! Including parents and children! No exceptions! All will be afraid! ”

Guo Jin's eyes widened suddenly.

Then immediately get down on your knees.

"Father! Son no! Son absolutely not! ”

"What are you kneeling on if you don't?"

Guo Peng looked at Guo Jin, who suddenly knelt down.

Guo Jin's pupils shrank, and his breathing stagnated.

"Get up!"

Guo Jin's body trembled and slowly stood up.

"Do you understand what fear is?"

Guo Jin suddenly raised his head and looked at Guo Peng in surprise.

"This is fear, the fear of absolute power, which will not change because of anything, even if you and I are father and son."

Guo Peng held Guo Jin's hand again: "The Fusu Huhai brothers killed each other, the Martial Emperor Liu killed each other, and in the face of absolute power, blood relatives, what is it?" ”

"Father's ......"

Guo Jin's voice was trembling.

"Do you understand what fear is?"

Guo Peng asked again.

"Yes......"

Guo Jin's lips trembled.

"Do you understand how the ministers and generals around me view the current father?"

"Yes......"

Guo Peng nodded.

"So being a father is already a lonely man."

Guo Peng let go of Guo Jin's hand: "And you are the next lonely person, and you must be the next lonely person." ”

Guo Jin trembled, and the expression on his face was quite complicated.

"The best friends you think you are, the confidants you think you are, the arms and minions you think you are, in fact, they are all potential threats to you, especially for you and my father and son, this threat is even greater."

Guo Peng looked around and said: "The world has been in turmoil for nearly 20 years, the Han family has collapsed, and the minds of the people in the world have changed.

However, the rebellions that have come and gone are not long before, the heart of rebellion has not been extinguished, and if the local area is not suppressed with absolute power and supreme prestige, the rebellion will inevitably arise again. ”

Guo Jin felt that his mouth was very dry, his throat was also very dry, and his heart was beating fast.

"You may wonder, do you have to fight against all the civil and military generals with your own strength?"

Guo Peng shook his head: "No, you also have allies, you also have helpers, do you know where they are?" ”

Guo Jin raised his head and looked at Guo Peng with some longing.

"Right here."

Guo Peng stretched out his hands: "Li Shu on this land is your ally and your helper." ”

"Li Shu?"

Guo Jin was suddenly full of doubts: "Father is saying, Li Shu?" ”

"Yes, it's these Li Shu who face the land with their backs to the sky, and are diligent just to eat a full meal."

Guo Peng nodded: "They are your allies, and your only allies, they are your foundation, every piece of land recorded by the government, and every recorded Tuntian people, is the real foundation left to you by your father." ”

Guo Peng took Guo Jin's hand and continued to walk forward.

"You have many doubts in your heart, and the Father knows them, but if you want to clear them, you must first answer one question of the Father."

"Father, excuse me."

Guo Jin nodded.

"Is Li Shu a citizen?"

“……”

Guo Jin frowned: "Naturally, didn't my father say it?" ”

"Yes in the sight of the Father and in you."

Guo Peng smiled: "But in the eyes of scholars, Li Shu is not a people, they are the people, Li Shu, just ants, not worthy of being called a people at all, because my father doesn't know what Mencius said about the people, the people are gentle, what kind of people are referred to, but my father knows that to this day, the so-called people refer to scholars who can read and write." ”

Guo Peng stopped and let go of his hand, looking back at Guo Jin: "Only they are the people, and these hard-working Li Shu are not people, just ants, they have never regarded Li Shu as the same people as themselves, in their hearts, they and Li Shu are two completely different existences."

They think that they are born to rule Li Shu's existence, they are born to be supported by Li Shu, all the dirty work is done by Li Shu, and all the good things belong to them, only they can study, only they can understand the reason, and Li Shu is not worthy. ”

Guo Jin's eyes were full of doubts and shock.

"Got it? The people, and Li Shu, is not the same reason, the people are not Li Shu, Li Shu, is not worthy of being a people. ”

Guo Peng stared at Guo Jin and said in a low voice: "Yingchuan Xun Clan, Yingchuan Chen Clan, Yingchuan Zhong Clan, Hongnong Yang Clan, Runan Yuan Clan, including you and my father and son Yingchuan Guo Clan, as well as those who are literate and have a wide range of family property, are the people, and those who are becoming officials or will be officials or will eventually become officials are the people!"

They, we, are the people! Because it is the people, we can get to this day, and because it is the people, we can read and read and understand the truth! Because it is the people, they can raise their arms and pull up a group of people to set off a rebellion, just because they are the people, and Li Shu can't! ”

"People's ......"

Guo Jin spoke: "Father, we are...... People? ”

"Ah Jin, in the eyes of my father, there are only three kinds of people in the world, Jun, Min, and Lishu."

Guo Peng took a deep breath and said extremely seriously: "Why did the four-hundred-year-old Han family come to this point? In the past, his father was just the son of a county order, why can he come to this day in only 16 years? Why? The reason is that the people are too expensive, the king is too light, and Li Shu is too desolate! ”