I opened the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 221 Neither Father nor Son

Emperor Zhenwu frowned and said in a rough voice, "My dear daughter, look at Yang Shiqi, he is an old minister who has served three dynasties! He is highly respected and has a great reputation. In the ever-changing court, he is like a hard anvil under the butcher's knife, steady and unshakable. No matter how big the storm is, he is not in a hurry. His spirit and posture are like the old locust tree beside the pigpen, steady and unshakable, which makes people have to admire him. He has walked more roads than you have killed pigs, and has seen countless scenes. With such a person by your side, your future life will not be smooth, just like sitting on a big truck carrying pigs, driving steadily to a happy slaughterhouse. Maybe he can even take you through time and space to see how dinosaurs are slaughtered! Hey, it's exciting to think about it!"

The more the Emperor Zhenwu spoke, the more excited he became. He continued, "Yang Shiqi's position in the court is very important. A word from him may change the fate of many pigs. He is like the boss of a slaughterhouse, in control of the overall situation. Moreover, he is very upright and loyal to the country, just like a butcher cuts a pig decisively. Where can you find such a person? He is well-known, and everyone will look up to him. If you follow him, you will definitely be proud, just like wearing a glittering butcher's hat. You will definitely have meat to eat and wine to drink in the future, and you will be worry-free. Maybe he can even use magic to conjure up a pile of pig offal for you! Wow, that would be incredible."

Shuiying pouted and said coquettishly, "Father, don't just see his good side. Yang Shiqi has worked hard for the court all his life. He is like a pig heap that he can't get out of. Think about it, he is so busy all day long that he doesn't have time to take care of the family. It's like I bought a beautiful pig trough, but I can only look at it but can't use it. I don't want to stay with a husband who is nowhere to be seen all day. People say that if you marry a man, you will have clothes to wear and food to eat. If I marry a man who is not at home, I will have to starve to death. What my daughter wants is someone who can accompany me more, just like the piglets around the sow, always by my side. Maybe he can turn into a piglet and follow me all day! Humph, that would be fun."

Mizukage frowned and continued, "Life is not just about fame and fortune. There are many fun things waiting for us. I want someone who can watch the sunrise and sunset with me, stroll along the country roads with me, and share every bit of life with me. Not the kind of person who is busy with work all day and leaves me alone at home. It's like I want to go to the amusement park, but he takes me to the slaughterhouse. How can that be a bummer. I don't want to live such a boring life. As the saying goes, companionship is the most lasting confession of love. He's been missing all day, so how can there be any confession? Maybe he'll even mistake me for a pig's tail and lose me! Oh, that won't do."

The Mizukage paused, then continued, "Besides, he is so busy at the court, he must have a lot of pressure and worries. When the time comes, he will bring these emotions home, and I will have to worry about them with him. Isn't this asking for trouble? I want someone who can bring me joy and happiness, not someone who makes me worry too."

Mizukage still argued, "Look at those couples, they treat each other with respect all day long, do housework together, clean the yard together, and talk about the past and the present together. How harmonious. However, if I follow Yang Shiqi, I am afraid I can only bear these alone." This is not the life I want. What I hope for is someone who can share housework and life with me. He is busy with court affairs all day long, which is really hard to meet my needs. It's like I want a piece of sugar, but he gives me a bag of salt. Although both can be used for seasoning, it is not the taste I want. I still have to find someone who is more suitable for me, who can create beautiful memories with me in this small home. Or he will turn into an alien and take me to outer space! Oh, how crazy. "

Emperor Zhenwu frowned, took a sip of wine, and said, "My dear daughter, look at Li Dongyang. He is a literary giant and the chief minister of the cabinet. He is amazing! His articles are so wonderful, just like old wine, the more you taste it, the better it tastes. His achievements in literature are visible to everyone, just like the things on the wine table, shining. With such a talented person as your husband, your future life will definitely be full of cultural atmosphere, just like being in a wine cellar, full of charm. Just wait to be influenced by his talent, maybe you can become a talented woman, just like the wine fairy descended to the earth. Maybe he can even turn words into elves, flying around you, just like the elves transformed by the wine, hey, how magical it is."

Emperor Zhenwu took another sip of wine and continued, "Li Dongyang's position in the court is very important, just like Maotai among liquors, his status is very important. His words may decide national affairs, just like a sip of strong liquor, full of power. He is like the man who controls the wheel of fate, majestic and awe-inspiring, just like a drunken hero, domineering. Moreover, he is smart and decisive, and can handle the complex officialdom with ease, just like an old hand who can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. With such a capable person by your side, what are you afraid of? He can protect you from wind and rain and give you a stable future, just like good wine can bring warmth and comfort to people. Maybe he can even summon a dragon and take you on an adventure, just like going on an adventure when drunk, very exciting. Wow, that's great."

Shuiying frowned her willow-like eyebrows tightly, and muttered softly: "Father, do you know? This Lord Li Dongyang is in a high position and has great power! The responsibilities he shoulders are much heavier than Mount Tai. He is entangled in the busy and endless government affairs every day, and has no time to take care of other things. Alas, for me, it feels like I finally bought a bottle of peerless wine, but I can only look at it and can't taste the wonderful taste!" She shook her head gently while speaking, with a trace of helplessness and loss in her eyes. It was as if the bottle of precious wine was right in front of her, but out of reach, which made people feel regretful.

Mizukage curled his lips and continued, "Besides, he is so busy in the court, he must have a lot of pressure and worries. When the time comes, he will bring these emotions home, and I will have to worry about them with him. Isn't this asking for trouble? I want someone who can bring me joy and happiness, not someone who makes me worry. It's like I wanted a sweet apple, but he gave me a bitter lemon. Although it is nutritious, it is not what I want. I'd better find someone who can put family first, so that I can feel real happiness. Maybe he will turn into a big monster and eat me! Haha, that's too scary."

Emperor Zhenwu said solemnly, "My dear daughter, look at Yang Tinghe. Hey, that guy is like the captain of a dung team in the court. He is so cool. In the noisy court, just like next to a stinking dung pit, he can still control the situation steadily, just like directing the dung truck to work calmly. His spirit is like the big shovel of the dung truck, majestic. His wisdom is like the precious fertilizer in the dung truck, although it doesn't taste good, it is also very useful. He is as steady as a jar full of dung. No matter how others toss him, he is as steady as Mount Tai. With him by your side, your future life may be like following the dung truck to find fertile farmland, smooth and smooth. He can give you a stable future just like the dung truck fertilizes the farmland. Maybe he can also conjure up magic fertilizer like the dung truck to help you solve various problems!"

The more Emperor Zhenwu spoke, the more excited he became. "Yang Tinghe's position in the court is quite important. With just one word from him, he might decide which manure pit to clean first. It was as if he was the supreme commander of the manure-digging team, and he exuded an awe-inspiring aura of majesty. His every move revealed an unparalleled confidence and courage, as majestic and magnificent as a general commanding thousands of troops on the battlefield. And every word he said was like a heavy and powerful manure-digging shovel hitting the extremely hard manure bucket, making bursts of crisp, loud and deafening sounds, and the lingering sound was endless! This sound not only resounded through the sky, but was also deeply imprinted in people's hearts, making people unforgettable. With such a person by your side, you are like sitting on a cart full of fertilizer, galloping towards a happy and prosperous road. His wisdom can solve all kinds of troubles like a manure digger finding the right pipe."

Shuiying shook his head and frowned, saying, "Father, don't just think of him as useful as a dung truck. Yang Tinghe is too serious. He has a stern face all day long, just like a dung truck that broke down and no one repaired it. He looks gloomy as if everyone owes him dung. It's so depressing to be with such a serious person. It's like I fell into a dung pit, cold and smelly. I hope my husband can be like a dung truck worker telling jokes, with a little gentleness and humor, to bring some fun to life. Otherwise, life is like being by a dung pit with no wind, stuffy and boring."

The water shadow paused, then continued, "Life is already like suffering by the side of a cesspool. I don't want to find someone who is as serious as an explosion in a cesspool all day long. What I want is someone who can make me happy, who can laugh and joke with me, not someone who has a stern face all day long, like a cesspool blocked and no one cares. I'd better find someone who is gentle and humorous, so that my life can be as sunny as a garden away from a cesspool."

Mizukage continued to refute: "Look at those little couples, they are so happy climbing mountains and shooting water in the garden all day long. But if I follow Yang Tinghe, I will probably have to speak carefully as if I am afraid of falling into a cesspool, for fear of making him unhappy. What I want is someone who can get along with me freely like running on the grassland. He is so serious and is not suitable for me at all. I'd better find someone who is more suitable for me, who can create beautiful memories with me in this little home, instead of suffering by the cesspool."

Mizukage said in a series of parallel sentences: "His seriousness is like a mountain of manure, which makes me breathless; his seriousness is like the dark clouds over the manure pit, blocking my sunshine; his seriousness is like the wall of the manure pit, separating the warmth between us. I don't want to be surrounded by his seriousness. I want a relaxed and happy life, like a butterfly flying among the flowers away from the manure pit; I want days full of laughter, like a stream flowing happily around the manure pit; I want a warm and harmonious atmosphere, like sunshine shining on the land without manure pits."

Emperor Zhenwu frowned slightly and said, "My daughter, look at Xu Wei, he is multi-talented and good at both calligraphy and painting. His skills are like a dung collector with 72 tools. His paintings are like pictures of dung collecting scenes, which make people feel magical; his calligraphy is like the dung collector's call, with rhythm. His talent gives him a layer of dazzling light, just like a dung collector wearing a green hat. With such a tasteful person as your husband, your future life will definitely be full of artistic atmosphere, just like flowers blooming beside a dung pit. You just wait to be influenced by his talent, maybe you can also become a talented woman."

The more the Emperor Zhenwu spoke, the more excited he became: "Xu Wei is very famous in the art world. His works are like gems picked up from a cesspool, smelly and hard, emitting a unique brilliance. He is like a dung-shoveling elf in the art world, soaring freely in the world of creation. With such a person by your side, it's like having a private dung-shoveling art exhibition hall, where you can appreciate wonderful works at any time. Think about it, those untalented people who only know about firewood, rice, oil and salt all day long, how can they have the interest in dung-shoveling like Xu Wei?"

Shuiying snorted and pouted, "Father, Xu Wei is talented, but he has a weird personality. He's fickle, just like a manure truck that works and breaks down. It's so tiring to be with a man with a weird personality. It's like I'm riding a roller coaster that's been modified from a manure truck. I never know what's going to happen next. I don't dare to find such a man as my husband. That would be asking for trouble. As the saying goes, it's hard to change a person's nature. I don't want to be with a man with a weird temper all day long. How can I live like that? It's like guarding a manure pit that could explode at any time."

Mizukage frowned and continued, "Besides, he has a weird personality and might get into trouble at any time, just like a manure truck breaking down on the road. I don't want to be unlucky with him. I want someone who is stable and reliable, someone who can give me a sense of security, not someone who makes me nervous all day long, like I'm afraid of being blown up by a manure pit. It's like I'm walking in a minefield and could be blown to pieces at any time. I'd better find someone who is more down-to-earth, who can live an ordinary and happy life with me, away from these troubles like manure pits."