novelAbuy Chapter 107 Father and Son's Night Talk
Chapter 107 Father and Son's Night Talk
The dim candlelight illuminated the expressions of the father and son, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.
Ma Kuo's lips were pursed, his expression one of deep sorrow, while Ma Zheng frowned and remained silent.
After a long pause, Ma Zheng sighed softly and looked at his son: "I knew it. My son, Ma Zhongfu's son, even if he doesn't study for the imperial examinations, is not like an ordinary playboy."
Ma Kuo was taken aback by what he heard and looked at his father in surprise. This seemed to be the first time his usually serious father had expressed his approval.
A smile appeared on Ma Zheng's face at some point, and he said slowly to his son, "It is truly rare for you to have such insight. However, such words are best left unsaid between you and me in private; you must not speak of them to outsiders."
"My son understands." Ma Kuo nodded quickly.
Ma Zheng nodded slightly, his voice gradually becoming longer: "What you're saying, how could I not know? As for those chancellors in the court, Grand Tutor Cai has held power for many years, so he must be aware of it as well. But the rest of the opportunists are another matter; they're just trying to curry favor with the emperor."
"But our Emperor has been on the throne for eighteen years, and in terms of political maneuvering, he is quite remarkable. Even someone like Grand Tutor Cai has risen and fallen several times, easily manipulated, but when it comes to governing the country..."
"It's just the two of us in the house, father and son. I won't hide it from you," Ma Zheng lowered his voice and leaned close to his son, saying, "When it comes to governing the country, Your Majesty can only be described as ambitious but incompetent."
"Zhang Zihou, the prime minister during the reign of Emperor Zhezong, once said that 'Prince Duan is frivolous and cannot rule the world.' Now, it is clear that his words were true."
Ma Kuo was stunned: "Father, you..."
Although it was just a casual conversation between father and son, Ma Zheng's bold remarks still shocked Ma Kuo.
He never expected that his usually serious father would speak ill of the emperor behind his back; it was truly beyond his expectations.
Ma Zheng wasn't surprised at all by his son's shock: "What? You think your father can't understand something that even a kid like you can see?"
"No, no." Ma Kuo quickly shook his head. "I just... I just don't understand. Since Father sees things clearly, why take this risk? Those Jurchens are all primitive people. If something happens to them, wouldn't it be like a lamb entering a tiger's den?"
Ma Zheng smiled faintly and leaned back in his chair: "I know this trip is dangerous, but things can be accomplished by human effort, and some things have to be done. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and it has been nearly a hundred years since Shi Jingtang handed over the Youyan region to the Khitan."
"Our Great Song Dynasty has lost the natural defenses of its mountains and rivers, which is why we are now forced to pay tribute in exchange for peace. If we can unite with the Jin Dynasty and reclaim Youyan, our Great Song Dynasty can usher in a new era! The achievement of that can hardly be compared to the life of my father alone!"
At this point, Ma Zheng's voice lowered slightly.
"However, I never expected that the Emperor would actually appoint you to accompany me on this mission."
After all, they were father and son, and Ma Zheng was still worried about his son's safety.
After hearing his father's words, Ma Kuo became much more excited and immediately patted his chest, saying, "Father, rest assured, with my abilities, even if the alliance fails, I can still ensure your safe return to the Song Dynasty."
Ma Zheng patted his son's shoulder with satisfaction: "My son is all grown up now, and I am very pleased with him. I will not hold you accountable for coming home late tonight."
Upon hearing this, Ma Kuo's face immediately fell, and he gave a forced laugh.
"You still remember this?"
"Hmph." Ma Zheng glanced at him. "Were you trying to fool your father into not punishing you with what you just said?"
"How could that be?"
Ma Kuo smiled ingratiatingly.
Ma Zheng shook his head: "Now that you've entered officialdom, you should rein in your纨绔 (playboy/spoiled brat) behavior and not give anyone a handle to use against you."
"Yes, Father, I will follow your teachings!" Ma Kuo stood up solemnly, clasped his hands in response.
The father and son then spoke for a while longer. Ma Zheng instructed his son not to tell anyone about their private conversation that day, and then sent him away.
As he watched his son leave, Ma Zheng's eyes became much more profound.
What he told Ma Kuo was not all that he had in mind.
"Although Your Majesty is incapable of governing the country, fortunately the Crown Prince is wise. Given Your Majesty's age, by the time the Song and Jin armies are united, the Crown Prince should be able to ascend the throne, and these evil laws should be eradicated."
Like many others in the Northern Song Dynasty, Ma Zheng also placed his hopes on Zhao Huan, the son of Emperor Huizong of Song.
Because of his precarious position and the fact that he was not favored by his father, Emperor Huizong of Tang, Zhao Huan lived a life of constant anxiety and trepidation as the crown prince.
Therefore, Zhao Huan, who had always pretended to be benevolent and righteous, became the hope of many people at that time.
Although no one dared to openly contact Zhao Huan without going through Zhao Ji, the fact that Zhao Huan, despite not being favored by Zhao Ji, had been able to remain the crown prince for so many years showed that he was still very popular as crown prince.
But how could the scholar-officials of the Northern Song Dynasty have imagined that Zhao Huan would be a true ruler who would bring about the downfall of his country, just like his father Zhao Ji?
As for why Ma Zheng didn't tell his son these things, it was naturally because Ma Kuo was still young, and he was worried that his son would take the initiative to align himself with the Crown Prince, which would not be a good thing for Zhao Huan and his father and son.
While the literati of the Northern Song Dynasty were not without their pedantry, they were also upright individuals, and even more so, those who dared to dedicate themselves to their ideals.
Although, more often than not, they took the wrong path.
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After the heart-to-heart talk between Ma Zheng and his father, Ma Kuo was indeed much more relaxed. Now that he understood his father's thoughts, Ma Kuo no longer felt so burdened.
In the following days, Li Chong cooperated with them to spread many rumors, which diluted the discussions about the angel in Yanggu County.
Finally, after the situation had completely calmed down, the mission was about to set off again.
This time, there weren't as many people seeing him off as there had been the day he was welcomed; it wasn't a big fuss anymore.
Li Chong went to see him off alone. As for Yang Chengde, he had made a fool of himself last time, so how could he possibly embarrass himself again this time?
Ma Kuo and Li Chong rode side by side on their horses, all the way out of the city gate.
Glancing at the convoy ahead, Ma Kuo reined in his horse and bowed, saying, "Even a thousand-mile journey must come to an end. Brother Hefu, please stay. The yamen cannot be without the person in charge for even a moment, so there's no need to see me off any further."
"Hmm." Li Chong returned the salute from his horse. "I only wish Zichong a smooth journey. When we meet again in Bianliang, we will drink and chat happily."
"Then I'll take Brother Hefu's auspicious words as my guide."
Ma Kuo smiled slightly, then shook the reins, preparing to catch up with the caravan.
Watching his retreating figure, Li Chong couldn't help but call out, "Zichong! The road ahead is uncertain. Remember, you must know when to bow your head. Only by being flexible and adaptable can you be a true man!"
Although they hadn't known each other for long, Ma Kuo was someone Li Chong liked, and Li Chong didn't want to see him die so mysteriously in a foreign land.
In his previous life, Li Chong only knew about the maritime alliance between the Song and Jin dynasties, but he was unaware of how many people died during the formation of this alliance, so he couldn't help but worry about the safety of this new friend.