Liu Chang's method of motivating generals is still not outdated, and his words inspired the scholars to cheer up.
They are even a little worried that they will fail the exam. If they fail the exam, will others think that they are unwilling to go to Hexi and therefore answer the question incorrectly on purpose?
Seeing these students hurried back to continue studying, Zhao Ping couldn't help but laugh.
"Your Majesty is really becoming more and more proficient in this technique of provoking generals. You can do whatever you want."
"That's natural. I have already said it. When it comes to inspiring generals, I am the ancestor!"
Liu Chang grinned, and then said seriously: "You have to tell these people that the group of people going to Hexi now will definitely be the pillars of the local area in the future. During the assessment, you should also pay more attention to their daily moral conduct.
..If you only care about their talents and select a few people like Chen Ping to go to places and prey on the people, it will be a disaster."
"Your Majesty really never misses any opportunity to slander Chen Hou."
Zhao Ping stroked his beard and said with a smile.
"I'm just making a metaphor!"
Liu Chang waved his hand nonchalantly, "Don't let anyone interfere with this matter... Just handle it by yourself. If you feel you don't have enough manpower, you can tell me."
Zhao Ping hesitated for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, I need to stay here. I really need a few people. If you can send me a few people from the Shaofu..."
"Okay, no problem... I will send you a few people from the Young Mansion to help, but this matter must be done well."
Liu Chang agreed to Zhao Ping simply.
At present, the Shaofu is Liu Chang's talent reserve. People can be used at any time when needed. However, they just cannot take too many people at once. If they take too many people, Chen Ping will be dissatisfied.
It is still beneficial to let these young people work with Chen Hou.
At least, Chen Hou could make them truly feel the danger of this temple and be able to cure them.
On the way back, Zhao Shi looked at the surroundings and sighed: "There are so many talented people in the Han Dynasty!"
"Oh? You finally feel it?"
"Yes, the Han Dynasty is developing so fast... Chang'an is just changing every day... Under the governance of a king like you, the Han Dynasty can still develop so fast, which shows how powerful the capable ministers of the Han Dynasty are.
..."
"The development of the Han Dynasty is all the result of a few people!"
"Since the oligarchs came to power, the administration has been clear and clear, and various regions have developed rapidly. The cultivated land has increased tenfold, the iron tools are rampant among the people, the people have full stomachs, and their families have surplus food. Officials dare not act recklessly, and powerful families dare not oppress the people. The Xiongnu
Throwing off his armor and risking his death, he became the territory of the fifteen counties of the Han Dynasty. When my father was still alive, the population of the world could not be counted in the tens of millions. After the widow came to power, the population of the world was 21 million, with households
Count 4.23 million!"
Liu Chang said proudly.
Zhao Mei was stunned for a moment and asked: "You will only be in power for three or four years, right?"
"yes!"
"Then how did you double your household registration in three or four years?"
"Well, that's not important. What's important is that my merits have already surpassed those of my father. I am truly the emperor of the ages!"
What the king said was not all lies. What he said was correct... The increase in cultivated land was due to the reclamation policy implemented by Xiao Xiang at the beginning, the iron tools were due to Wang Ling's many iron mines in the Tang Dynasty, and the officials were afraid because
The embroidered clothes and wealthy families are due to Liu Jing, Han Xin defeated the Huns, Mao Dun also died of illness, over in Liaodong it was the King of Yan who expanded the territory, and in the south it was the King of Wu... As for the population, it was because of Liu Ying's policy of encouraging fertility.
policy...
Speaking of which, it seems that lowering taxes and keeping the people fed was something the king himself did.
However, other things cannot be divorced from Liu Chang. After all, because of Liu Chang's presence, Yan and Wu dared to fight, Han Xin was able to fight the Huns, Liu Jing's mausoleum was able to implement his own strategies, and Xiu Yi was so powerful.
of high.
When Liu Chang talked about his achievements, he spoke eloquently and was extremely excited.
After Liu Chang returned to the palace and waited for a long time, Liu Zhang finally came back.
According to Liu Chang's order, Liu Zhang took young Zhang Shizhi to the palace to pay homage to the king.
The two entered the palace, and Liu Zhang hurriedly began to give instructions.
"When facing the king, you must be respectful...and never contradict him."
"When he sees us, he will definitely ask a lot of things. You should answer truthfully and try to say something nice."
"If he asks about the situation in the place, don't lie. But when you say that the place is prosperous, you must say it is the king's credit."
"If the king asks you about your merits, you must say that you were the king of Yao and Shun."
"If the king invites you to eat meat and drink wine, go and eat in large quantities, otherwise the king will despise you..."
Liu Zhang gave his instructions seriously, but Zhang Shizhi just nodded, "I understand."
Liu Zhang likes this Zhang Shizhi very much. He thinks this man is very talented, but he also knows his character. This man's character is too bad, and he is afraid of angering the king, so he also has the idea of protecting Zhang Shizhi.
Only then did he specifically explain these things. When he reached the door of Houde Hall, Liu Zhang stopped and said, "I value you very much. Whether you can take on a big responsibility in the future depends on this time."
Zhang Shizhi nodded, and then the two of them informed the attendants.
When Zhang Shizhi followed Liu Zhang in to meet the king, he saw the rumored tyrant for the first time.
The king is tall and has broad shoulders, which makes him look very strong. When he sits in the upper position, he is almost as tall as an ordinary person, and he is full of oppression.
"Meet Father Zhong!"
Liu Zhang hurriedly paid his respects and pulled Zhang Shizhi aside.
Zhang Shiyi, who was sizing up the tyrant, was stunned and quickly bowed to him, "Greetings to Father Zhong!"
"Um???"
"Meet the king!"
The young Zhang Shizhi is not yet a seasoned and capable minister in history, and he still looks a bit immature. Zhang Shizhi has had great ambitions since he was a child. When he grew up, he wanted to realize his ambitions. At first he was
He wanted to go to war, but... when he persuaded his family to join the army in the Tang Dynasty, a certain king had already killed all Tao Gu.
Zhang Shizhi was helpless. Fortunately, the king's behavior of selling his knighthood brought him new hope. After he obtained the knighthood, he relied on the "priority admission principle" to enter an embroidery institution that others were not willing to go to.
.
Zhang Shizhi in history was so sophisticated because he had been tempered in obscurity for ten years. Now, although his ability has not reached its peak, his character has already revealed the "bad" part.
Liu Chang looked at the young man in front of him and couldn't help but laugh, "I heard your name several times, but I never thought that you are about the same age as me."
"Let me ask you, how is the situation in the place?"
"Officials are ruthless, wealthy families are arrogant, and ordinary people are miserable."
Liu Zhang immediately closed his eyes.
"Oh? Why is this different from what I heard?"
"In the past Qin State, the King of Qin liked officials who worked quickly, so the officials all rushed to supervise and punish them harshly. In the end, these officials lost the essence of compassion and sympathy. Because of this, the King of Qin could not hear his own words. If you make mistakes, the country will weaken, and by the time of Qin II, Qin will also be destroyed."
"Now the king likes to hear other people flatter him very much. All the ministers imitate this behavior and compete to use their words and flattery. They only talk about peace and do not seek reality."
"The inferior ones are influenced by the superior ones as quickly as the shadow follows the body and responds to the sound. The king should take this into consideration in everything he does!"
"The King of Zhao is fond of wealth, and many officials in the country are rich and stinky; the King of Wu is diligent and frugal, and there are few rich people in Wu; the King of Chu is good at Confucianism; there are scriptures along the way; the King of Yan is good at martial arts, and there are many knights in the country."
"Now that the king likes to hear others flatter him, won't all the officials in the world become traitors who flatter their superiors and enjoy the flattery of their subordinates?"
Just when Liu Zhang thought that Father Zhong would be furious, Liu Chang suddenly burst into laughter.
He pointed at Zhang Shizhi in front of him and said with a smile:
"You're not a bad person!"
Then, the conversation changed and he shook his head and said:
"It's a pity that you only talk empty words and have no real ability!"
Zhang Shizhi suddenly raised his head, knowing that his chance had finally come.
"Your Majesty, I have summarized the reasons for the fall of Qin and the rise of the Han Dynasty in private. I have made a summary and would like to hand it over to your Majesty for your viewing!"
.........
Liu Chang felt that he had been tricked. This guy was obviously well prepared.
Those words just now were probably just waiting for him to ask.
Looking at the essay in his hand, he glanced at Zhang Shizhi from time to time. Liu Zhang had already understood Zhang Shizhi's thoughts, and kept a straight face without saying a word.
This theory is well written. He interpreted the demise of Qin and the rise of Han from eight aspects, and put forward many reform suggestions. He believed that Han inherited the system of Qin, so it also had the same existence as Qin. It is a disaster, so it must be corrected. The writing is good, the views are unique, and many of the decrees proposed also have merit.
At this age, it would be extraordinary to be able to produce something like this, if it was really written by him.
Liu Chang squinted his eyes and asked: "You spent a lot of money to buy a knight, and you couldn't wait to get into embroidering clothes. Now you are so eager in front of me? Aren't you afraid that I will punish you?"
Zhang Shizhi said confidently: "Although your Majesty has a small fault, he has the wisdom to recognize people and value talents. Because of this, your Majesty will not punish me."
"Hahaha, you are right... If you had not written this essay well, I would have made you a court captain long ago. Seeing that you still have some ability, I will keep you. "
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Go and wait outside the palace!"
"only!"
Zhang Shizhi bowed and left. After he went out, Liu Zhang said: "Father Zhong, this person is so eager to express himself, I'm afraid he has different intentions."
"That's not necessarily true... A person with truly different intentions will not be so eager. He is just a young man who wants to make a contribution as soon as possible."
Hearing Liu Chang's words, Liu Zhang just breathed a sigh of relief. He recommended this guy. If something happened to him, it would be very unlucky. The Han Dynasty inherited the laws of the Qin State, "the recommender is guilty", If there is a problem with the person recommended by a certain minister, the recommender will be guilty of the same crime. If the recommended person commits rebellion, the recommender will also be punished. For example, the famous Qin Prime Minister Fan Ju, two people recommended in succession were guilty. For a serious crime, if the King of Qin had not saved him by death, he would have been killed by the Yi clan on the spot.
Therefore, the recommendation of a big man cannot be made casually. He must have enough interests or know the person well. To recommend him rashly is to seek death.
"Oh... I originally wanted you to rest for a while."
Liu Chang sighed and said, "I don't even have time to worship my elder brother."
Liu Zhang said seriously: "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, my father will understand."
"I will go and pay homage to my eldest brother... Where are your brothers? How are they?"
"My eldest brother was very angry and very harsh on us. He thought we had robbed him of his city. He never even saw me."
"The rest of the brothers are very happy. After the mourning period is over, they will come to pay their respects to Father Zhong in person."
"What about you? King Chengyang? What do you think?"
Liu Zhang lowered his head and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I don't have much talent. It's really scary to have the title I have now."
"I'm not asking you to thank me... I'm asking you, what do you think of this policy? Tell the truth!"
Liu Zhang hesitated for a moment, and then said: "I thought it was good... At the beginning, the Zhou Dynasty divided the princes, but in the end, the princes destroyed the Zhou Dynasty. This policy will make the princely countries smaller and smaller, and the strength of the princes and kings will also be reduced.
If the guild is weakened from generation to generation, it will no longer be able to threaten the temple in the future, and the Han Dynasty will be able to live forever without the worries of the Zhou Dynasty."
"In the local area, only the legitimate son thinks it is inappropriate. The other princes are very happy and grateful to the king. They are united together. Even the legitimate son can't change anything. I heard that several of the sons of King Chu,
After hearing this
After the incident, they all informed their mothers and came to persuade the King of Chu. The King of Chu loved his young sons and was always worried that they would be bullied after his death. Therefore, he also planned to follow the example of Qi State. After his death, he went to the temple to petition.
Make all the disciples kings."
Liu Zhang did not hide his true thoughts and told Liu Chang truthfully.
"Well, okay."
"Zhang... The Han Dynasty has no precedent of using princes and kings to hold official positions."
"You are now the King of Chengyang. All the officials have persuaded me to remove you from your post and let you go back and be the king of the princes... However, the more they say this, the more I don't want you to go back...
The ministers are so persistent, not because they value the rules, but because they are afraid of you... Their fear proves that you have done well during this period!"
"Father Zhong...what about Chengyang Kingdom?"
“Just leave it to the Prime Minister!”
"only!"
"Okay, you go back and rest. By the way, Zhang Shizhi, I plan to stay with you and be a visitor. You go and take him to handle the matter of leaving his job. Rest for a few days, and then come see me again and take him with you."
I want you to go and have a meal with my second brother."
"good."
After Liu Zhang walked out of Houde Hall, his face was not as good-looking as before, and he became a little indifferent to Zhang Shizhi.
He didn't like people who were eager for quick success and instant benefits. Zhang Shizhi clearly felt Liu Zhang's dissatisfaction.
The two of them were silent all the way, and when they walked outside the palace, Liu Zhang said: "Zhang Jun is about to be promoted. You can come to me tomorrow to exchange embroidered clothes and festival battles."
"I...."
Zhang Shizhi wanted to say something more, but Liu Zhang had already turned around and left.
Zhang Shizhi turned around helplessly and walked towards his home on foot. Along the way, Zhang Shizhi was looking around at the situation. People along the way were frightened when they met him, and they all gave way.
Even the patrolling soldiers would turn around and leave in a hurry after seeing his attire.
Zhang Shizhi walked for a long time and finally came to a place. Those familiar faces, when they occasionally met him, just smiled awkwardly and hurried away, unwilling to talk to him more.
He knocked on the door, and soon a retainer came out. When he saw Zhang Shizhi, the man was very surprised and shouted loudly.
A fat man who looked exactly like Zhang Shizhi but had a chubby figure walked out of the inner room with a smile. Every step he took made his whole body tremble.
"Hahaha, you are finally back!"
Zhang Zhong hugged Zhang Shizhi so hard that Zhang Shizhi was almost out of breath.
"Brother, you are going to strangle me!"
Zhang Zhong pulled his brother into the house with a smile. Zhang Shizhi paid homage to his sister-in-law and looked at Youzi, and then he and his brother sat down to eat together.
"How's it going? How long will you stay here this time?"
"Brother...the king wants to reuse me, so I can stay in Chang'an."
"Okay! Great!"
"Brother... I have spent too much of your money over the years..."
"In other words, you and I, brothers, do you still care about this?"
"You can go ahead and realize your ambitions, I will be there for everything at home!"
Zhang Shizhi's face became serious, "There are too many injustices in this world. Only by ascending to a high position can we punish evil and promote good, and bring justice to the world! No one will ever experience what my father and mother have experienced."
Well...Brother, I will definitely be a good official and serve the world!"
"I know... you will definitely be a good official."
"But... I want you to live a stable life... Your personality is too tough, so I'm afraid you..."
"Brother, if everyone just wants to save their lives and live in peace, then who will govern the world?"
"One day, I will become the Third Duke...to punish all evil..."
Zhang Zhong looked at his younger brother in front of him who was talking endlessly about his great ambitions. He didn't say anything, he just listened quietly and occasionally picked up pieces of meat and handed them to his bowl.
........
"Your name is Chao Cuo?"
King Wu looked at the young man in front of him curiously, looking him up and down.
Chao Cuo was still a little hesitant. He raised his head and said, "That's right! I was ordered to assist you in governing the Kingdom of Wu!"
Seeing him like this, Fu Kuan was furious and was about to speak, but Liu Heng shook his head at him.
Liu Heng looked at the guy in front of him with interest and asked with a smile: "It seems that you think the current state of Wu is not governed well?"
"The State of Wu has great potential, and there is still room for improvement in terms of policies."
Chao Cuo immediately began to talk about his ideas, and he was eloquent. He had carefully prepared this rhetoric for half a year, just to surprise King Wu and let him know his talents.
When Chao Cuo finished speaking, he looked at Liu Heng proudly, waiting for his evaluation.
Liu Heng frowned and thought seriously for a long time.
"My eloquence is pretty good... I can go to the southern countries to be a lobbyist."
"Say...lobbyist??"
"What I'm talking about are grand strategies for governing the world! How can you be a lobbyist?"
Liu Heng nodded.
"If you don't want to, then go and raise horses with the servant."
He waved his hand, and a soldier dragged the shouting Chao Cuo away. Fu Kuan couldn't help but laugh, "Your Majesty, this person was sent by the King of Tang. Is it okay to treat him like this?"
"My eldest brother asked me to discipline this person well... He has a high vision but a low hand. He relies on his talent and is arrogant. If he is not cured, it will be difficult for him to achieve great results."