It was the first time that Tang Ning heard people mention places outside of the Great Wei. Although the affairs of Beiling were far away from her, she enjoyed listening to the power game.
Fu Laiqing knew about Beiling's imperial master and couldn't help but ask, "How could your uncle let a man who has been defeated in many battles and has a broken arm be the headmaster of the county lady?"
"What do you know!" Cao Dejiang frowned and scolded: "Who said he is unworthy because he lost?"
After he finished speaking, he looked at Song Tangning and said in a deep voice : "County Lady, do you know why I asked you to invite him?"
Tang Ning lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking hesitantly, "It's because Shi Chang'an didn't lose because of his ability, but because of the situation. Although he couldn't do anything to Xiahou Ling, as the imperial teacher of the Beiling Dynasty, Xiahou Ling was able to suppress him with the help of the entire Beiling Dynasty."
"Shi Chang'an was able to go in and out of the Beiling Imperial Capital repeatedly, attack a country's imperial master, and yet still escape unscathed. Even though he lost an arm in the end, he is definitely a very capable person."
For example, in the capital of the Wei Dynasty, if a person wants to deal with the powerful Xiao Yan, and can go in and out several times and still survive, how can he not be capable?
Cao Dejiang's eyes showed appreciation. "What the county lady said is right. When Shi Chang'an was in the northern border army, he once plotted to kill 20,000 vanguards of Beiling. Later, he entered Beiling territory several times, and he always caused chaos in the imperial capital of Beiling. Two years ago, he borrowed the help of the Beiling Wanhu clan and was only a hair's breadth away from deposing the Khan of Beiling. Although he was defeated in the end, the old Khan died, and several princes fought fiercely for power."
"Mr. Cao is saying that the sudden civil unrest in Beiling two years ago was caused by him?" Xiao Yan spoke up.
Cao Dejiang nodded: "That's right."
There was some regret on his face. Beiling was a serious threat to the Wei Dynasty. If Shi Changan had succeeded, Beiling would have been in chaos long ago, and the Wei Dynasty might have been able to take advantage of it.
It's a pity that Shi Changan is alone.
Cao Dejiang sighed, "He is a very independent person and doesn't want to rely on external forces, but human power is limited. When Shi Changan came back that time, his arm was broken and his hair turned white overnight. Since then, he has never been to Beiling again and only stayed in Puyao to be a teacher. When I heard that the county master's academy was vacant for a principal, I thought of him first."
"He wrote to me a few days ago saying that he would come to the capital. If you are interested, I can arrange for you to meet him. However, he has a strange temper and it is difficult to persuade him with benefits. Whether you can invite him or not depends entirely on you."
Tang Ning did not back down because of Cao Dejiang's words. She had great ambitions for the academy, which were by no means limited to the capital of Wei. However, she was young and immature, and it was difficult for her to convince others with her experience and knowledge.
Before she grows up, the college needs someone who is capable and decisive enough to help her "steer the ship".
Xiao Yan's identity prevents him from interfering too much in the academy, otherwise Emperor An and those upright officials who originally helped him would feel uneasy. And Shi Chang'an, as mentioned by Cao Dejiang, is the most suitable person at the moment, both in terms of ability and means.
Naturally, she wanted to go and see him in person.
Tang Ning said quickly, "Mr. Cao can help me meet Mr. Shi. I am very grateful. As for other matters, I will go and talk to Mr. Shi in person and will do my best to keep him in the academy."
Cao Dejiang smiled and said, "Well, I'll send someone to inform you when he arrives in Beijing."
"Thank you, Lord Cao."
"How is the construction of the academy going?"
"The construction of the monastery has already begun..."
Tang Ning whispered to Cao Dejiang about the progress at the academy, and when he asked about some things, he answered them seriously.
Cao Dejiang was just chatting with her at first, but seeing that the little girl was very measured and sensible, he asked her about things to do after the academy was built, with the intention of deliberately testing her and making things difficult for her.
But Tang Ning did not avoid the question. Instead, he answered generously. When he encountered something he had never thought of before, he would tell Cao Dejiang his thoughts after careful consideration, and then respectfully ask Cao Dejiang for his opinion.
Xiao Yan sat aside and listened quietly to the two people talking back and forth. He saw that the little girl was confident and had a calm conversation with Cao Dejiang. Her eyes were no longer timid as before, but instead seemed to be sprinkled with a layer of light, shining brightly. Cao Dejiang could not hide his admiration.
He felt a secret sense of pride in his heart. When he lowered his head to withdraw his hands from the water, a handkerchief was handed to him .
Xiao Yan raised his eyes and saw the little girl grinning at him, then turned her head and continued talking to Cao Dejiang.
His heart sank even more as he held the handkerchief . He chuckled softly in his throat, put the handkerchief over his hand and wiped it gently, then folded it slowly and stuffed it back into his sleeve. When he raised his eyes to the Fu family's puppy who was looking at his little Haitang with admiration not far away, he suddenly calmed down.
This bastard is so stupid that his little Haitang looks down on him.
Fu Laiqing suddenly felt the chill on his body disappear. He turned around subconsciously and met Xiao Yan's rather kind eyes.
"…"
Fu Laiqing: Brother-in-law likes him again?
…
Cao Dejiang and his friends stayed in Tang Mansion for about half an hour. When they were leaving, Fu Laiqing finally found an opportunity to talk to Song Tangning alone.
He told Song Tangning about what happened in the palace before, and then said with regret: "I'm sorry, Miss Song, I wanted to teach Song Jinxiu a lesson, but I didn't expect him to use me to set a stage for him."
Tang Ning didn't expect Song Jinxiu to become like this: "Don't blame you. It's not that he doesn't know how to be a good person. He just used to be disdainful. Now that he is in a bad situation, he can take advantage of anything. Mr. Fu doesn't need to go out of his way to cause trouble for him in the future, so as to avoid being schemed against by him again."
Fu Laiqing quickly said, "I know, my uncle has already taught me a lesson."
Tang Ning glanced at Cao Dejiang who was talking to Xiao Yan in front of him and said, "Lord Cao treats you very well."
Fu Laiqing blurted out: " Uncle likes you very much, too."
Tang Ning: "…"
Seeing the girl in front of him looking up at him, Fu Laiqing's face turned red, and he quickly explained with a stutter: "No, that's not what I meant."
""It's my uncle who always praises you for your intelligence and says that you are different from other girls in Beijing . He says that if you knew that I was taking advantage of Song Jinxiu, you would definitely not like it..."
The more he described, the darker the situation became. His words became more and more stuttering, and his face turned red, even his neck below the collar was red.
Tang Ning had never seen a person's face turn so red. She laughed a little, but still whispered: "It's not that I don't like him, but I think there's no need to waste energy on an irrelevant person, and it's not good for me to get entangled with him. Mr. Fu has a bright future, unlike him who is full of bad reputation. Why bother to touch rotten stone with gold and jade."
Fu Laiqing's face flushed: "Do you think I am Jin Yu?"
Tang Ning nodded: "You, Madam Fu, and Lord Cao are all precious in my eyes. It is not worth it to be damaged by someone like Song Jinxiu. I heard that Madam Fu intends to arrange a marriage for Mr. Fu. When you marry a beautiful wife and give birth to a child , you will know that Lord Cao's teaching you today was not for me."
When she smiles, her eyes are gentle , like a crabapple blossom in spring, making people unable to look away.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Fu has saved me and A'ru, and Old Madam Fu has also helped me many times. When you get married in the future, you must remember to send an invitation to the Tang Mansion. A'ru and I will definitely prepare a generous gift for you and your future wife."
The color on Fu Laiqing's flushed face instantly faded.
"Miss Song, I..."
He opened his mouth to speak, and Song Tangning smiled and said:
"Mr. Fu, my last name is no longer Song."
She was gentle but firm, and did not give Fu Laiqing the opportunity to reveal his feelings.
"Mr. Cao is calling you. You should go now."
Fu Laiqing looked at the little girl who was so close to him but pushed him away without hesitation. She didn't even want him to express his feelings. His hands and feet felt cold. The joy he had when he came here was gone, and the young man's heart was shattered.