The Great Wei Music Bureau

Chapter 122 Heart to Heart

Last time we talked about Tuoba Jun pulling Li Yi to sit on the steps of the imperial study and chat. So what did the two talk about? Let’s take a look together.

Tuoba Jun pulled Li Yi to sit on the steps. Li Yi deliberately moved down one step. Tuoba Jun stretched out his hand to pull him back and said, "The teacher told me that if we can get your wholehearted support, our Wei Dynasty will be able to unify the nine provinces and compete for the world. To be honest, I didn't believe what the teacher said at the time.

But later, after you handed over your "Strategy for Governing Monks", "Strategy for Subduing the Hu" and the imperial examination system, I believed it a little. But just based on these, I still can't tell how capable you are. The teacher has such a high evaluation of you. If you don't let me broaden your horizons today, you will definitely not be able to leave!"

Li Yi looked puzzled and asked, "What's going on?"

Tuoba Jun took off his dragon robe and threw it on the dragon throne, saying with a smile: "Today I am neither the emperor nor Xiao Yao. I intend to get to know you, Li Yi, again as Tuoba Jun to see what real talents you, the most talented scholar in Wei, have besides poetry and songs!"

Li Yi quickly begged for mercy: "You are not playing by the rules. This is cheating. You have the final say on everything. How can we understand each other like this?"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "Well, then tell me what it takes for you to show off your skills."

Li Yi thought: I can't avoid it today. If I don't say something useful, this little emperor will force me to live here. He's playing a disgusting routine of eating at the same table and sleeping on the same bed! If I were to ask me, this is the only way the ancients treated the wise and humble with respect. It's really not good enough! It's as if no one wants to sleep with you. The emperor's dragon bed is not as comfortable as the big round bed in the previous life! Oh, the big round bed, I miss it so much. I'll ask someone to make a big one for me later, hehehe.

Thinking of this, Li Yi sighed and said, "Actually, many things are written in the book. You will know after reading it."

Tuoba Jun saw that Li Yi was worried, so he asked, "Xiuyuan, what's wrong with you?"

Li Yi looked at Tuoba Jun and waved his hands, saying, "Nothing, I just remembered some past events and felt a little sad."

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "It seems like it's because of a woman, right? In this world, the only thing that can make you, Li the great talent, sad is a woman. Come on, since we are brothers, you might as well speak directly about anything that's on your mind."

Li Yi looked at Tuoba Jun with a sincere face and thought: This guy doesn't really want to be my brother, right? I'm not a fool. You are the boss, and how can a boss have a conscience? It's just a trick to trick me into working for you.

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "Since you don't want to say it, let me guess." He paused for a moment and then continued, "The theme of your wedding is spring, summer, and autumn. The only thing missing from the four seasons is winter. Xiuyuan, if I'm not mistaken, you like Xuemei very much, right? Do you want to marry her home?"

When Li Yi heard this, he felt a chill in his heart: Damn, what’s going on? Is it so direct?

Seeing that Li Yi was silent, Tuoba Jun smiled and continued, "Teacher once taught me that if you want someone to listen to you willingly, there is only one way, and that is to give him what he wants. And you, Li Yi Li Xiuyuan, the teacher thinks very highly of you. When he advised me to conquer you, he made a suggestion, which is to use Xuemei."

Li Yi cursed directly: "This old silver coin is really worthless. How can you use it to trade emotional matters!"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "Xiuyuan, don't be anxious. To be honest, you can definitely understand this kind of thing. As the ruler of a country, there are too many things to consider. There are also many things I want to do, but once I really start to do it, I will be hindered by the clans everywhere. If I don't make a deal with them, I can't do anything."

Li Yi said: "Of course I understand, but there has to be a limit. If it were me, I would never trade my beloved one!"

Tuoba Jun looked at Li Yi and smiled, "Really? You forgot about Zhai Baishan so quickly? Didn't you bet all three of your beloved women on it?"

Li Yi waved his hand and said, "That's different. That's a bait, not a deal. And I'm sure I'll win, otherwise I would never do that!"

Tuoba Jun asked: "What if you lose?"

Li Yi said sternly: "I am gambling with my life! If I fail, I will die!"

Tuoba Jun directly retorted: "Li Yi, you are not telling the truth! You are not gambling with your life at all! You are gambling with the reputation of Wei, you are fearless!

First, you have confidence in yourself, and second, you have confidence in me. You know I won't let you lose, and I won't let Wei lose face! Li Yi, you are a coward, and you won't gamble without absolute certainty! "

Li Yi stared at Tuoba Jun blankly. At this time, Tong Qing said outside the door: "Your Majesty, the food is here. Can we bring it in directly?"

Tuoba Jun said: "Bring it in."

Tongqing opened the door with a food box, put a small table on the ground, and laid out the food and wine. Just as he was about to pour the wine, Tuoba Jun said, "Just put it here, you go wait at the door."

Tong Qing bowed and left. Tuoba Jun picked up the wine glass and poured himself a glass of wine, then poured Li Yi a glass of wine and said, "Come, have a drink!" Li Yi picked up the wine glass, clinked glasses with Tuoba Jun, and drank it all in one gulp.

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "What's wrong? Am I wrong?"

Li Yi nodded and said, "You are right. I am indeed a coward. I was indeed fearless in that duel, but this does not affect what we said before. Some people and some things cannot be traded!"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "As an emperor, what could be more important than the country? You, Li Yi, may love the country more than the beauty, but I can't. Compared with the country of Wei, I am willing to trade anything."

Li Yi's eyes turned and he asked, "What do you mean by that? It sounds like you agree to trade Nangong Xue?"

Tuoba Jun rolled his eyes at Li Yi and said, "Sister Xue, of course not."

Li Yi said: "That's it, isn't it like I said, some people and some things can't be traded!"

Tuoba Jun shook his head and said, "No! It's not that Sister Xue can't be used for a deal, but she or the Nangong family behind her are more important than conquering you, Li Yi. Sister Xue's entry into the palace is a grand chess game planned by Nangong Ting for ten years, involving many things, such as whether the Nangong family can produce a transcendent, the military power in the hands of the Nangong family, and Sister Xue herself."

Li Yi sighed: "It's still a transaction after all!"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "It's good for both the public and private, so why not? Li Yi, I advise you to give up this idea. Although the Queen Mother postponed the time for Xuemei to enter the palace, it was only to let Nangong Ting teach her the rules. It is definitely not okay to be so casual after entering the palace."

Li Yi thought: Look, isn't this an internationally famous double standard? When Empress Xiao was young, she could do whatever she wanted, but now she has to behave properly when it comes to her daughter-in-law? What kind of person is this! If this is the case, then this old woman must be difficult to get along with, so someone like me who has a car and a house and whose parents are both dead is more suitable!

Tuoba Jun saw the dissatisfaction in Li Yi's heart and said with a smile: "Li Yi, it seems that you are still not giving up?"

Li Yi said: "How dare I not give up? I am a cowardly person, how can I have the courage to compete with Your Majesty for a woman."

But what Li Yi was thinking was: If you were not the emperor, we would have a one-on-one duel. What else do you have besides being more handsome than me? How can you compare with me?

Tuoba Jun seemed to have seen through Li Yi's thoughts. He said while eating, "Do you want to compete with me?"

Li Yi was stunned. Tuoba Jun poured him a glass of wine and said, "Drink and eat. Now we are brothers, not king and subject. There is nothing that cannot be discussed between brothers!" Li Yi raised the glass and toasted Tuoba Jun. The latter clinked the glass with a smile and then raised his head to drink the wine.

Tuoba Jun said: "Xiuyuan, if you want to fight for it, it's fine, but we brothers must make a gentleman's agreement."

Li Yi asked: "What is this gentleman's agreement?"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "I don't need to use the imperial power to pressure you, and you don't use poetry to deceive me. How about we each use other means to see who can win Sister Xue's heart?"

Li Yi asked: "What if Nangong Ting adds fuel to the fire or tries to obstruct me in every way?"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "I can't control this. After all, Xuemei is his daughter, and as a father, he naturally has his own plans."

Li Yi cursed in his heart when he heard this: This is called a gentleman's agreement? This is clearly an unequal treaty! It sounds like each of them is giving up their own special skills, but you still have foreign aid!

So Li Yi said unhappily: "How can we play this? We can't play this. This is too unfair!"

Tuoba Jun spread his hands and said, "Then I can't do anything about it. If you don't want to, you can only watch Sister Xue marry into the palace according to an imperial decree."

Li Yi looked at Tuoba Jun and saluted, "Brother Tuoba is so calculating!"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "Of course, I am a student of Old Silver Coin, so I can't be uncalculating! By the way, Xiuyuan, what does Old Silver Coin mean? It doesn't sound like a good word, but I can't figure out what it means."

Li Yi picked up the wine pot and poured himself a glass of wine and said, "It's my hometown dialect. It's a nickname for people who are shrewd and calculating. It's discriminatory."

Tuoba Jun pointed at his own cup and motioned Li Yi to fill his as well, then said, "I see, that's how it is. I was wondering why I couldn't understand it, it turns out it's the local dialect."

Li Yi was eating and drinking while thinking in his heart: What does this guy mean? He wants me to work hard for him. If he wants me to work hard, he must give me some benefits. Is this not just a pie in the sky? Is he giving me a chance to compete with him for a woman? Is he doing me a favor? I won't fall for this! No, there must be something fishy here. I have to ask clearly!

Li Yi poured another glass of wine for Tuoba Jun and asked, "Brother Tuoba, is there nothing else to the gentleman's agreement you mentioned before? It means that if you don't use the imperial power, I can't sing?"

Tuoba Jun glanced at Li Yi and said with a smile: "That's right, I don't use the imperial power, and you don't write poems or sing songs. Let's compete to see who can win the beauty, but no matter who wins or loses, you are not allowed to bear grudges. Brothers are still brothers, and monarchs and subjects are still monarchs and subjects. How about that?"

Li Yi thought: This is the only chance. If I don't seize it, I can only watch my winter beauty being taken away by this shameless man. How can I do this? But...

Suddenly, Li Yi's mind was filled with the image of a rich and handsome man snatching the girlfriend of a poor loser. The man just waved his hand, opened the door of his luxury car, and his girlfriend got in happily. The man even gave him a look that said "you useless piece of trash". With the roar of the engine and the pungent smell of cigarettes, he turned into a dishevelled beggar singing on the street!

Li Yi punched to break the picture in his mind, then he looked at Tuoba Jun and said, "Okay, I agree to Brother Tuoba's gentleman's agreement, but I want to ask what will happen if she shows up at my concert?"

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "As long as you don't sing or compose poetry for her alone, it won't be considered a breach of contract."

Li Yi nodded and stretched out his right hand to make a handshake gesture. Tuoba Jun looked at him strangely and asked, "What does this mean?" Li Yi reacted and changed to a high-five gesture, and then with a crisp high-five sound, the two reached a gentleman's agreement.

Tuoba Jun smiled and said, "Xiuyuan, since the gentleman's agreement has been reached, shouldn't we talk about business?"

Li Yi took a sip of wine and said, "Just ask whatever you want to hear."

Tuoba Jun said: "Tell me about the national policy. I want to hear the difference between your national policy and the one set by the teacher."

Li Yi nodded and said, "Okay, this is simple, eight words are enough."

Tuoba Jun asked curiously: "Oh? Eight words, tell me quickly!"

Li Yi said solemnly: "The first is to enrich the people, the second is to strengthen industry, the third is to build elite troops, and the fourth is to strengthen the country."