Chen Chong pushed the door and entered the hall. He first smelled the fragrance of oil, and then saw a bronze eagle-fish lamp standing in front of the door, and a lamp holding a cup for a palace lady in the hall. The lights of the two lamps were intertwined, and he saw a solitary person sitting by the desk on the left.
silhouette.
The change of light and darkness made Chen Chong feel a little dazed.
The man next to the case realized what he was doing. He looked at Chen Chong under the candlelight. He quickly stood up and walked towards the eagle fish lamp, revealing his thin appearance. It was Dong Zhao. Dong Zhao slowly saluted Chen Chong and said
: "I met Mr. Ming."
Chen Chong naturally knew Dong Zhao. Early in the month,
Yao Gong has already told him about arranging Dong Zhao's entry into the government.
Chen Chong also met Dong Zhao. At that time, Chen Chong didn't have much interference with Dong Zhao.
One is to trust Yao Gong, and the other is that he is busy with everything and has no energy to dwell on this.
There was no one around at this time, so Chen Chong had time to take a good look at this new assistant: Dong Zhao was wearing a military robe, a silk scarf on his head, and only cloth socks on his feet. This was not an ordinary official dress. In addition, Dong Zhao had a thin face.
He is tall and broad, originally quite solemn, but his eyes are unprecedentedly childish, giving him a Taoist look.
After Chen Chong helped him up, he slowly asked him: "It's not yet Mao hour, why did Gongren come so early? Or did you stay in the house last night? Do you have many official duties?"
Dong Zhao looked directly at Chen Chong and responded with a smile: "How can Zhaoxin be so busy when he comes to the mansion? He just teaches himself some things." He did stay in Sili's mansion all night, but this was because he was new here, so Yao Gong asked him to help with the calculations.
Spring plowing costs money, and the rest of the time is spent in the government office reading old documents.
I am familiar with government affairs,
Unexpectedly, I stayed all night last night.
Chen Chong followed him into the hall and saw that his desk was piled with documents. He randomly picked out a few volumes and flipped through them. There were actually account books for currency exchange and grain adjustment last year. Chen Chong asked Dong Zhao what he could get from them. Dong Zhao pondered.
A few of them talked about the use of Chen Chong's New Deal, the income and material use before and after the New Deal, and discussed the changes in the national finance over the past few years and future plans. Most of them were in line with Chen Chong's wishes.
But what impressed Chen Chong the most was not Dong Zhao's extraordinary conversation and careful thinking, but that when he talked about the account books and records, he didn't even look at them. It showed that he was familiar with the number of account books, which showed that he had made a lot of money.
After a lot of effort, Yang Xiu is probably the only one with such wisdom in the Sili Mansion today.
But after all, I am young and immature,
He is far inferior to Dong Zhao in dealing with people.
Chen Chong admired Dong Zhao from the bottom of his heart.
He couldn't help but consider whether to transfer him out of Zhizhong as his deputy. But considering that Dong Zhao was not qualified enough to convince the public, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. But when he changed his mind, he suddenly thought that Dong Zhao was born in the capital of Jizhou.
Then he asked Dong Zhaodao: "What does Gongren think of the Wuhuan incident?"
Dong Zhao asked: "Please discuss it in detail, Ming Gong."
Chen Chong summed up the recent changes in the situation in Youzhou and the countermeasures he was considering, and asked Dong Zhao for his opinion. Dong Zhao lowered his head to consider, then slowly shook his head and said, "Ming Gong sent someone to appease him, but that may not be of much use.
."
"How to say?"
Dong Zhao replied: "The gap has become established, and it can no longer be solved by appeasement."
He went on to explain in detail to Chen Chong: Tadun was erratic. He first followed the imperial court to resist Xianbei, but the king's army was defeated. Then he supported the traitor Zhang Chun and fought with Gongsun Zan for several years. When the people's livelihood declined and the country's strength failed, he again ignored his old feelings.
, kill Zhang Chun anyway. So far, he has raised the flag of rebellion again and surrendered as many as three times. The prestige of the court has been lost. Moreover, Gongsun Zan was at fault for this rebellion. If the court sends someone to appease him, Tadun will definitely propose to resign Gongsun Zan. If
If he resigns, who can be appointed to control Youzhou? If he cannot resign, even if he is temporarily appeased, it will only be a truce for a few months and then fighting again in autumn and winter.
This analysis hit the nail on the head and was exactly what Chen Chong was worried about. Chen Chong immediately asked: "In the interest of justice, is there any other strategy?"
Dong Zhao leaned his body back slightly, twirled his beard a little, and said: "Tsk, since comfort cannot be achieved, it is better for Ming Gong to make a decisive decision at the moment and resort to thunderbolt means to restore the power of heaven!"
"Reestablishing Tianwei?"
"The barbarians have been fearful of power and unethical since ancient times. The Duke of Ming Dynasty can still send people to appease Tadun publicly, but privately select a few brave and righteous men and hide them among the envoys. When they arrive at the royal court of Tadun, they can let these few
The righteous men chose the right moment, rose up and launched an attack, beheading Tadun in the Khan's tent. Once Tadun was dead, the envoys could take advantage of the situation, reduce Wuhuan to a small one, support one group, and destroy their stubbornness. The rebellion would be over.
It’s over soon.”
Chen Chong closed his eyes for a moment and commented: "It's too dangerous."
Dong Zhao had a look of surprise in his eyes. He obviously didn't expect Chen Chong to comment like this, so he couldn't help but explain: "This plan may seem dangerous, but Ming Gong has a good reputation abroad and sent people to assassinate him. Tadun will not doubt that it is actually a dangerous plan."
The best strategy!"
Chen Chong did not answer. Now he is in the court. He has no decree to assist the government, but he is actually the prime minister. He has also implemented reforms and has not caused great chaos so far. This is because of his own integrity. Although others will criticize him for cherishing feathers, he will also
Because he has a reputation as a virtuous and upright person, he is unwilling to cause trouble on his own. Although Dong Zhao's plan can quell chaos, it can easily arouse suspicion among all parties in the court. The benefits are temporary, but the disadvantages are long-term. But this is not what Chen Chong can do to Dong Zhao.
Clearly stated.
However, Dong Zhao proposed this plan, which reminded Chen Chong of the rumors about him in Wei County. Three years ago, Gongsun Zan supported Han Fu's son Han Chun to go south, and many people in Wei County tried to respond. It is said that Dong Gongren wrote a letter by himself, pretending to have received a secret report
, he rounded up the county on charges of treason, killed without trial, and massacred sixteen tribes one after another, making the whole county panic. Then he claimed that he would only arrest the culprits and leave the rest alone, so as to appease them one by one, and finally conquer Wei.
The county was pacified. The strategies used were the same as today's strategies. Words and deeds are expressions of the heart, and it can be seen that his character is not pure.
Thinking of this, Chen Chong asked Dong Zhao about the current situation of his family and whether he had any close friends in Hebei. Dong Zhao replied that his family had been arranged in Yanzhou and was taken care of by his younger brother Dong Fang. Although he had lived in Hebei for many years, he did not have many close friends.
.
These words made Chen Chong feel disgusted. Dong Zhao was born in a wealthy family in Jiyin, so there was no problem in arranging his family here. However, since he promoted Xiaolian, he has been in Hebei for several years. There are countless celebrities and heroes around him, but he has no friends and always behaves
Just have a few friends.
Now that Dong Zhao said nothing, there are only two possibilities. One is that he is in the state capital and really never makes friends. The other is that he is worried about his future and is afraid that the old affairs in Hebei will become a burden, so he dare not be honest. No matter what the intention is,
This is enough to show his coolness. At this point in the conversation, Chen Chong has given up the idea of promoting Dong Zhao.
The conversation came to an end. Just when Chen Chong was about to end his words and leave, Dong Zhao suddenly said: "I have had a question in my mind for a long time. I have to meet Duke Ming today. I am not happy to express it. Can you please help me clarify my doubts?"<
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Chen Chong was a little surprised when he saw his sudden question. After all, he didn't look like someone who would disturb his lord. However, no one was listening at this time. He was also curious about what questions Dong Zhao would ask, so he ended the incident that was supposed to be
The conversation continued for a while, and he replied: "What questions does Gongren have?"
Dong Zhao couldn't help but feel a little nervous when talking about the important things in his heart. He took a few breaths softly and asked slowly: "Ming Gong assists the emperor. When you know the affairs of the court, the most difficult thing is to give rewards. If you don't do it well, you will lose it."
If people's hearts are indiscriminate, chaos will easily arise. Now the general has made several eastward expeditions, recaptured several states, and has killed more than 100,000 people. No rewards have been awarded yet. However, once he has made meritorious service, he must not refuse to reward it, otherwise he will inevitably be criticized by future generations.
, Presumably Ming Gong would not act like this, but I don’t know, the general is already a very popular minister, how can Ming Gong reward him so that he can be convinced?"
After the words fell, the two of them looked at each other speechlessly, and there was only the crackling sound of the candle burning quietly in the room. Chen Chong didn't need to look at Dong Zhao's reaction to know that he looked extremely ugly now. He had never thought about such a sensitive issue.
The first person to be mentioned was actually an Easterner who had just entered Sili Mansion.
After all, this matter not only involves myself, but also involves the emperor, Xuande, Jinyang Bafu, and even the political direction of the government and the public in the next ten or even twenty years. Therefore, both the government and the public avoided talking about this matter and planned to wait until
After the world is restored to peace, we will make long-term plans.
Chen Chong himself had the same attitude, so he remained silent for a moment, looked at Dong Zhao, slowly calmed down his mind, and then asked calmly: "Why would Gongren think so? Granting rewards is a matter for the emperor, and this is not the case.
The ministers should have asked."
His attitude had been made clear. Unexpectedly, Dong Zhao did not give up. He still stepped forward and whispered: "But Ming Gong is not an ordinary minister, and the general is a member of the imperial family. It affects the country for hundreds of years. It is definitely not something that can be done without asking.
Solved."
Dong Zhao paused for a moment and then continued: "If you say that you can't interfere, the emperor has already surrendered. Why does Ming Gong still hold the three posts alone and not return the government to the emperor?"
Ignoring Chen Chong's cold look, he made a sincere statement and said: "I have observed that Duke Ming's troops are as powerful as lightning strikes and as powerful as fire. It can be seen that Duke Ming has long understood that the first thing to do is to do things quickly, not to mention that this matter is still the key point.
, if the reward is not determined early, the status cannot be determined, and people in the world will look at it with suspicion, and chaos will naturally follow!"
There is nothing wrong with this statement, and it is exactly what most people think, but it is not Chen Chong's idea. He re-examined Dong Zhao and formally responded to his question for the first time: "Gongren's idea is not unreasonable.
But now that the country is seriously ill, selfishness in everything will lead to serious illness. The most urgent task is to stabilize the situation of the court so that the emperor and I, as well as the general, know each other and work together, so that there will be no chaos. Therefore, awarding rewards is just a small matter." Dong Zhao shook his head and said: "This is not common sense."
Chen Chong smiled slightly, stood up and said: "Governing a country is an extraordinary matter. Planning a country requires an extraordinary person and follows extraordinary principles. When Shang Yang raised a tree, the people of Qin were also suspicious, but as long as they keep their word,
Then we can change the law and system, and make the weak easy to become strong, which is no different from what I am doing today."
After that, he pushed open the door and went out, leaving Dong Zhao alone in the house.
It was already daybreak, and the lights in the room seemed a bit redundant. Dong Zhao stood up and blew out the two lights, then sat back on his seat and looked into the morning light. After a moment of contemplation, Dong Zhao looked at the account books on the table and shook his head helplessly.
He smiled to himself and said to himself: "Chen Tingjian is talented, but if he doesn't understand people's hearts, I'm afraid he won't be able to achieve anything."
"If this method fails, then we can only test the attitudes of those two people."