At the end of the twelfth year of Yanxing, it was the time when Jiashen's restructuring was in full swing. Every day, hundreds of new officials were familiar with the laws in Sili Mansion, and piles of documents were delivered to Xiaozhu, with carriages and horses
The flow of traffic is like running water, and people gather and disperse, rubbing shoulders, which is a scene that has not been seen before in the first year of the administration.
Therefore, some people in Xijing commented: "In the past, Li Yuanli's family was said to be a dragon's house, but now it seems that it is far inferior to the Longmen of Sili Mansion!" This quite implies that Chen Chong is arrogant in power, but in fact it is still tolerated by ordinary people.
However, there are still some people who say: "Chen Tingjian is at odds with the emperor, and he also changes the state system and appoints himself to official positions. Isn't this Wang Mang's old behavior?" These words are too heartbreaking, but they are quite influential in the government and the public.
.
Change source app】
In the past two months, some officials have met with Chen Chong and expressed their desire to serve. Their official reason was that they were old and frail, but secretly they had a different tone. For example, Wen, who is currently serving as the Maoling Order
Rui, when he asked Chen Chong to become an official, he used the excuse of contracting a wind disease. But later, when he got drunk at the banquet, he told the guests something else.
It turned out that in the fourth year of Zhongping, Liu Bei went to Taiyuan. Chen Chong, because his treasury was empty, looked for support from the wealthy families in Bingzhou. Wen Rui, because of the reputation of Liang people, provided 30 million yuan to his family, which solved Liu Bei's urgent need for money.
I thought that the two of them would give him important responsibilities in return. Unexpectedly, in the next ten years, they spent several months in vain, wasting their time as county magistrate. This was due to both his mediocrity and the complexity of the government.
Therefore, Wen Rui was extremely dissatisfied. Unexpectedly, after the restructuring this year, the meritorious officials actually regarded him as the middle and lower level in politics, and even his name was not clear!
Wen Rui was so angry that he finally said to people: "My family has been an important minister of the country for generations and is a minister of the late emperor, but we can't protect your majesty's safety. Now that the country is upside down, how can we feel at ease? Never mind! Never mind! Liu Bei wants to rebel against the sect.
, I will just do it as Xu You! It is worthy of the kindness of the late emperor and His Majesty."
Xu You was a sage in ancient times. It was rumored that he was hiding in Peize. When Emperor Yao heard about his reputation, he wanted to give Xu You the throne as king. Unexpectedly, Xu You refused again and again and went to the Yingshui River to wash his ears: "I am determined to do so."
How can you be an ordinary person who is above the blue clouds?" After that, he lived in seclusion in the mountains, never seeking fame or fortune for the rest of his life, and was buried on the top of Jishan Mountain after his death. Wen Rui compared himself to this, and he was obviously as self-confident as a party member back then.
It is a clear stream, but it is a turbid stream in both mansions.
This conversation was originally a private conversation, but somehow it spread later and won the approval of some people. Tingwei Wang Xiang also heard about it. After experiencing Hu Zhengu, he felt quite embarrassed about the matter and thought about it for a while.
Not sure whether to arrest or release, he went to ask several classmates for their opinions privately. After hearing this, Yu Fan smiled at Wang Xiang and said: "These few county magistrates are just like insects to the teacher.
He doesn't know how to bite, he just says a few grumbling words. If he wants to arrest someone, can you catch him?" He also said: "Now that the situation is uncertain, we can still calm down. You just need to act strictly according to the law.
This is the greatest help to the teacher." Wang Xiang thought it was reasonable.
But in the following year, in February of the 13th year of Yanxing, a major event occurred in the court: Taiwei Shen Tupan petitioned Chen Chong to be appointed official.
Shen Tupan has successively served as Taichang, Guanglu doctor, and minister. Now he is honored as Taiwei, ranking first among the three princes. He is also an old man of the three dynasties who has been famous since the time of Emperor Huan. Although he does not have much power in the court, his reputation is
Unparalleled. During the fifty years of Huan Ling, the political situation changed several times. Shentu Pan studied Taoism at home. Those who knew him thought he was a talented person in governing the world. However, he had no intention of fame and fortune. Even when He Jin and Dong Zhuo opened the government and recruited him,
He also refused to respond and remained noble. Until Chen Chong came to power and invited him to come out, Shen Tupan only held a false position. All his salary and salary were donated to the people, and he was self-sufficient in farming and raising poultry in the garden. Even though
When big things happen, he just asks for mercy and does nothing else. People say that he hides in the capital, and he is a true hermit. He has high ambitions, and I am afraid that even Chen Chong is not as good as him.
Therefore, Shen Tupan has gone through the Bingzi Rebellion, Lu Bu's Rebellion, and Chen Chong's return to power. No matter how the court changed, he still sat peacefully, and his official position became higher and higher. But now that he is resigning at such a sensitive period, I am afraid that it will bring trouble to the court.
It brought unnecessary turmoil to the palace. Therefore, Chen Chong made time to ask Shen Tupan to come to his residence to see if he could stay in the capital.
Shen Tupan is now more than seventy years old, but his spirit is still very strong. When he came to Chen Chong's house, he was only wearing a coarse linen robe, with bare feet and a long hakama. He visited the house like an ordinary farmer.
The officials saw him walking like the wind and moving like a rabbit, and they all envied him and said, "Shentu Gong is old, but he is not inferior to the young people. It can be said that he is enlightened!
Since Shen Tu Pan did not vote for assassination, when Chen Chong learned the news, he had already reached the gate of the inner courtyard. Chen Chong hurriedly came out to greet him. However, Shen Tu Pan waved his hand and said with a smile: "I am not a child, so why should Ting Jian be so polite?
?" Shen Tupan and Cai Yong were good friends and were regarded as Chen Chong's elders, so they called Chen Chong affectionately, while Chen Chong respectfully called him "Zilong Gong".
At first, Chen Chong wanted to invite Shen Tupan to meet him in his study, but Shen Tupan refused and said, "The spring is beautiful today, and your house is a famous flower garden in Beijing. Wouldn't it be a waste to sit in front of the eucalyptus?"
The implication is that he and Chen Chong want to wander around the courtyard and talk while walking, and Chen Chong agrees with a smile.
The two of them walked around the small lake in the mansion. It was the spring flower season, and the clusters of apricot blossoms in the courtyard were like fire, exuding a smoky fragrance in the air. The sound of running water around them also made the two of them feel calm. They didn't.
I was in a hurry to speak, but walked silently. Suddenly I heard some birdsong from high up, so I stopped for a moment and saw three orioles jumping on the willow branches, tilting their heads to look at the two of them.
Chen Chong looked at the oriole, and for some reason, a poem blurted out: "After being in a cage for a long time, you can return to nature."
Shen Tupan clapped his hands and responded harmoniously: "Panlong Zhugongque, a smile is worthless."
After saying that, the two looked at each other and laughed, and then sighed for a long time. Shen Tupan asked Chen Chong, "It seems that Ting Jian knows my heart quite well, but he doesn't know if I can make it this time."
Chen Chong did not answer, but asked: "Why is Mr. Zilong so anxious? At present, the government needs old ministers to appease everyone. If Mr. Zilong goes away, I'm afraid something will happen."
Shen Tupan smiled and patted the tree trunk, and then said: "Ting Jian takes me too seriously. Last time Lu Bu made trouble, what use was I? If the trouble was not caused by my presence, it was just a small mess.
.If it’s a mess that I can’t appease, it will still be a mess.”
Chen Chong was unable to refute, and was silent for a moment, then asked: "How much of Duke Zilong's appointment to office was due to the restructuring?"
Shen Tupan asked back: "How much of the rising and setting of the sun is due to clouds?"
Chen Chong felt relieved and said with a smile: "But not everyone is like Mr. Zilong. Most of them are covered by floating clouds!"
Shen Tupan knew that Chen Chong had agreed to become an official, and he couldn't help but feel happy. However, when he saw Chen Chong staring at Lan Yu with a sad expression on his face, he couldn't help but think: After listening to Ting Jian's poem just now, he is clearly a gentry! It's a pity that he is burdened by worldly affairs. p>
So he wanted to forgive and said to Chen Chong: "It is rare for everyone in the world to feel at ease, but I feel very at ease. Does Ting Jian know the reason?"
Chen Chong couldn't help but be curious after hearing this. He saluted and said, "Please give me some advice, Duke Zilong."
Shen Tupan did not answer directly, but took a cup of wine, filled it with water, handed it to Chen Chong and said, "Ting Jian can walk a hundred steps without leaking?"
The glass of water was filled to the brim. Although Chen Chong didn't understand Shen Tupan's intention, he still raised the glass carefully and walked slowly. He walked a hundred steps without spilling even a drop of water. At this time, Shen Tupan asked Chen Chong, "Can Ting Jian see it?"
What's the scenery like around you?" Chen Chong shook his head and said, "If you see a glass of water, others won't dare to smell it."
"That's it." Shen Tupan took the glass of water and drank it in one gulp. Then he patted Chen Chong on the shoulder and said with a smile: "The freedom of the world lies in this. It neither loses the water in the cup nor the left and right."
Scenery, don’t pay attention to one thing and miss the other, otherwise your life will be in vain.”
Only then did Chen Chong understand that Shen Tupan was trying to persuade him to be at ease and not to force anything. Speaking of which, the remaining marquis Zhang Liang lost his ambition to restore Korea and risked his own life to assassinate the First Emperor in Bolangsha.
To become an emperor, to leave tens of thousands of households to his descendants, and to live in seclusion in yellow robes is also due to fate. Compared with this, I am always angry and resentful, so I probably can't just accept the situation as it comes.
But Chen Chong thought firmly: This is definitely not a wrong thing.
But Shen Tupan's words did make Chen Chong deeply moved, and he felt that he had little relationship with his family. After the old man left, Chen Chong went to the side yard of the mansion and wanted to talk to his only son Chen Zhang for a while.
Chen Zhang is now ten years old. Although he has an out-of-touch personality, he is extremely intelligent and can always remember history books and scriptures with a photographic memory. Chen Chong is very happy about this and often secretly thinks that maybe decades later, this child can also inherit
Take your own mantle and become the pillar of the country.
It was only after Chen Chong entered the room that he found that Chen Zhang was not in the courtyard. He asked the maid and found out that he had gone to the princess courtyard.
This is normal. Since Cai Yan's death, Chen Zhang has been raised by the princess. The princess has no children yet, so she regards Chen Zhang as her own. Therefore, although the relationship between the princess and Chen Chong is still rough, her relationship with Chen Zhang is not
It has always been excellent. When Chen Chong arrived at the princess's house, he saw the two sitting opposite each other. The princess was silently embroidering a silk scarf, while Chen Zhang fell asleep on the table with a book of Songs on his pillow. p>
After Chen Chong opened the door and entered the house, the princess's eyes lit up and she was about to get up, but was quickly held down by Chen Chong. Chen Chong slowly sat down and looked at the mandarin ducks on the princess's silk scarf. He suddenly remembered that she had given him a gift in the palace.
The old incident of scarf calling the police touched him, and he whispered to his wife: "I'm sorry for you."
A few years have already transformed the princess from a susceptible woman to a restrained young woman, but she still almost shed tears when she heard these words.
This can be regarded as one of the few harmonious scenes that the couple has experienced together for more than ten years.