[This is the second chapter]

After the banquet, Han Gang took the wine jug and poured wine for Wang Anshi and others to persuade him to drink, and the posture of the standard juniors. Wang Anshi regarded it as normal, Lu Gongzhu and Sima Guang also sat firmly, Han Wei frowned slightly when Han Gang poured himself wine, but in the end he didn't say anything, and after pouring the wine, he naturally raised his glass and drank with Wang Anshi.

But Wang Bian and Sima Kang, who were accompanying them, were very uncomfortable, and Han Gang did not forget to take care of them after pouring wine for Wang Anshi and them, but Wang Bian and Sima Kang couldn't sit still, they had to stand up. Fortunately, the robe on Han Gang's body had borrowed the old clothes of Wang Anshi, who was similar in stature, but it didn't look so eye-catching.

Just when Sima Guang met with a group of old friends and juniors to 'drink and talk', Chengnanyi had already arranged a place for him to live. Several of Sima Guang's entourage took their luggage and settled down.

Under the thoughtful arrangement of Chengnan Yiyi, the courtyards where Sima Guang and Wang Anshi stayed were still as far away as possible, but almost all the upper courtyards for important ministers were in one place, and they were only separated by three courtyards.

After a very simple banquet, there will be no leisure to talk at night, Sima Guang, Wang Anshi, and Han Gang Weng's son-in-law sent Lu Gongzhu and Han Wei away, and then parted in the back garden and went back to their respective residences.

When he arrived in the small courtyard where he was staying, the exhausted Sima Guang went to the room to rest. Sima Kang first went to instruct his subordinates to leave the people on duty at night and then go to rest. When he came back, he personally brought a cup of hot tea to the main house.

Sima Guang sat under the lamp, silent, his eyes aimlessly falling on a cheesy and rich peony on the wall. took the tea brought by his son, and after not knowing how long, he suddenly sighed: "Wang Jiefu is old." ”

"Well, it's old." Sima Kang accompanied the words and echoed.

More than ten years ago, when Wang Anshi first arrived in Beijing, he still came and went with Sima's family, and Sima Kang saw him many times, but after a few months, the two families turned faces. Compared with that day, today's Wang Anshi is of course old.

However, Sima Kangzhi said that his father was not talking about Wang Anshi's appearance, but that Wang Anshi's mentality was old. There is no longer the sharpness of fighting 300 rounds with many old friends for the new law, and only talking about old interactions. Today's Wang Anshi only wears a soft-footed hood, wears a scholar's shirt, and is a washed blue cloth robe, which at first glance looks like a common old Confucian in the township. I don't see the sharpness, I am a little more amiable, only a black face is the same.

"I heard that it was the official family who personally appointed Wang Jiefu as the important military affairs of Pingzhang on the sickbed, not the prime minister." Sima Kang said: "I can probably see that he has no intention of the court. ”

In fact, Sima Kang's meaning should be the opposite, Wang Anshi was disheartened because he did important things about the Pingzhang military state, but he couldn't criticize the Son of Heaven, and he believed that his father should be able to understand.

However, Sima Guang didn't have an interface, and after a while, he spoke again: "Uncle Lu Han is not convinced of the old." ”

Sima Kang nodded, "Lu Sanzhang guards the right path, and his heart is still there." ”

He also saw today that the current privy envoy, the crown prince Taibao Lu Gong, who was the third division of the East Palace with his father and Wang Anshi, was still fighting and still had plans to turn the world upside down. Otherwise, as soon as he heard the news, he hurriedly visited with Han Wei, of course, in order to join forces with his father and gain momentum.

According to the normal situation, officials will usually send their cronies to inform them one step in advance when they return to Beijing, so that relatives and friends can prepare and even go out of the city to greet them. In order to avoid trouble, his father not only traveled part-time, but also did not notify anyone at all, and went directly into the city, until he went to Xuande Gate The news did not spread - it was just an accident to bump into Wang Anshi - this practice has actually shown his intention obviously, but Lu Gongzhu still can't wait to come. To say that he has no other intentions, how many people would believe it?

As for Han Wei, Sima Kang's eyes were not blind, and he was obviously pulled over by Lu Gongzhu. Of the several, today his words are the least one. Even Han Gang, who held the pot and served the banquet and tried not to interfere, said two more words than him.

Han Wei was in Xuzhou [now Xuchang], and was notoriously leisurely. Sima Kang heard about it in Luoyang, and he was even more comfortable than when Fu Bi was sentenced to the Daimyo's mansion.

On the days of spring flowers, as long as the weather is good, he will go out of Xuzhou City and sail on the West Lake. Or in the Zhanjiang Pavilion by the lake, invite one or two officials to pass by, more or more scholars, regardless of whether they know each other or not, as long as they look pleasing to the eye, nine people will open the banquet. Sing poems and watch singing and dancing until the sun sets. Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi in Luoyang were invited to Xuzhou two years ago.

As for the official affairs of the Yazhong, it is naturally entrusted to the subordinate officials, and no one dares to let the judgment of Xu Zhou, who is a senior minister, tired to the bone.

And now it is the queen who hangs the curtain, not the Empress Dowager Gao, who has a deep prejudice against the New Party, obviously now Han Wei and Lu Gongshu are two ideas, and they are not fellow travelers with their own father.

Sima Kang thought, he looked at Sima Guang, and he didn't know what his father said about the last of these old friends.

But Sima Guang skipped Han Wei directly, "No wonder Uncle Cheng Zheng likes Han Gang so much." ”

Sima Kang blinked, stunned.

Sima Guang said it bluntly, and he could understand it, but he couldn't figure it out.

Cheng Hao is okay, he has a generous personality and doesn't say anything about the characters. Cheng Yi, on the other hand, treats people much stricter, never smiles, and rarely has a reputation for people. But for Han Gang, Cheng Yi's evaluation is extremely high. Han Gang set up the Xue Cheng Gate, Cheng Yi has always said that he has done the best in honorific characters, the respect of the Master Dao. Even if there are obvious differences due to the dispute over Taoism, they are only on the facts, and they have never heard of criticism of Han Gang's conduct. Moreover, he and Cheng Hao's appreciation of Han Gang also affected the disciples of the sect, and Sima Kang also heard that Lu Dalin, who was already the same disciple, was not as important as Han Gang's disciples of Chengmen.

But Sima Kang knew that among the elders in Xijing City, Fu Bi had the highest evaluation of Han Gang, and 'this son of prime minister' was said by Fu Bi himself to his children and grandchildren; And Wen Yanbo suffered the most from Han Gang - not to mention the things in the court in the past, a few years ago, Han Gang served in Jingxi, Sima Kang saw with his own eyes how Wen Yanbo was embarrassed by Han Gang, who was only one-third of his age, and his face was lost, and Han Gang at that time also retired humbly as he is today - let alone underestimate him. But when his father talked about other people's evaluation of Han Gang, he mentioned Cheng Yi, who was only a cloth cloth.

However, knowing the son is better than the father, and knowing the father is not like the son, Sima Kang thought for a while, and the shadow also touched his father's thoughts. Although Wang Jiefu and Han Yukun are Weng's sons-in-law, they are-for-tat in Confucianism and Taoism. When Zhang Zai was alive, there was already a dispute, and it has intensified in the past two years, and even the Son of Heaven has been involved. The pharmacopoeia and Yinxu are Han Gang's attack on Xinxue, and the ban on clairvoyance is a clear proof that the Son of Heaven favored Xinxue and suppressed Qixue. ”

Sima Guang didn't react to his son's words, and he didn't know if he heard them. took a sip of the tea that had become warm, and said, "Without Han Gang, it should be the Queen Mother who hangs the curtain." ”

Hearing this, Sima Kang immediately became nervous, carefully observing the expression on his father's face.

Is this a pity, or is it simply a statement?

Sima Guang was sorry in his heart, after roughly understanding everything that happened on the night of the winter solstice, he realized that he was only one step away from the realization of his life's wish.

Just because of one person, in a word!

It's just that the wood is already in the boat, Sima Guang has no intention of sighing, but regret is inevitable.

With the situation in the capital today. The more Wang Anshi puts on a posture of nostalgia for the old friendship, the more inconvenient it is to turn his face. And Han Gang, who is almost an important minister of the same level, has been a junior for half a day in front of the three of them, and he cooperates seamlessly. It seems to be humble, but in fact, it is to retreat.

Four old friends meet, and the younger generations serve by the side, and it has nothing to do with official disputes. Even if you want to turn your face, you have to take into account your identity and image. If it is said that good and evil are not mutually exclusive, they can directly cut off relations without false words. But Wang Anshi and Han Gang's private morality and reputation make it inconvenient for people to use this excuse. gave Wang Anshi and Han Gang, the two sons-in-law, a pair of hands, and was completely suppressed on the table today. It was just chatting and eating, and it seemed to be calm and unwavering, but it was obvious that Wang and Han took the initiative.

Fortunately, the key to the current situation is still on Queen Xiang.

The Xiang family is a relative, and Empress Xiang herself often comes into contact with most of the family members of the clan, and her perception of the new law is not too good - just like Empress Cao and Empress Dowager Gao, the reason why they are disgusted with the new law is because their ears are full of voices criticizing the new law and disturbing the people, how can they still have a good impression of the new law? But if he calls friends as soon as he arrives in the capital, and makes it clear that he wants to shake the court, then he must add a sense of disgust to the queen. Comparing hearts to hearts, in the minds of Queen Xiang and the Son of Heaven who was still lying on the sickbed behind her, stability should be overwhelming.

Fortunately, there is still a Wang Anshi in the south of the city, otherwise as soon as he arrived in Beijing, the news of his meeting with Uncle Lu Han and Han Bingguo would be spread, and then he would immediately leave an impression in the queen's heart that he was looking for trouble.

Lu Gong's author is old and refined, he will not fail to see this, his plan is very complicated, Sima Guang understands that Lu Yijian's third son is by no means the so-called pure minister, and protecting the family is the first goal of Lu Gong's book.

Lu Gong had other calculations, Han Wei ignored everything, and Sima Guang wanted to overturn the evil law of competing with the people for profit, but he couldn't see hope from them.

However, there is still a benefit to drinking with Wang Anshi and Han Gang today, Sima Guang said softly: "Tomorrow I should be able to go to the palace again." ”