Chapter 987: Entering Beijing (two updates combined into one)
Chapter 990 Entering Beijing (two updates combined into one)
This is how it feels to have someone poach a talent you have cultivated for many years.
Of course, this cannot be blamed on Xu Xi. Officials generally would not refuse to recruit people. For example, Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang also came out of Zeng Guofan's court. Their achievements in the future can be compared with Zeng Guofan's.
This was different from Wang Shao. Zhang Yue and Wang Anshi had political disagreements at the time, and Wang Shao's defection to Wang Anshi was a betrayal.
The official family is Zhang Yue's boss. Since you are eating from others, you can't talk too much.
Talents flow, and Zhang Yue's shogunate comes and goes freely.
Besides, Zhang Kai also left his own shogunate. Compared with another time and space in history, he was only discovered by the government and the public after the Battle of Hongde City, and now he was appreciated by the emperor in advance. What kind of life is this?
One is Zhang Kai and the other is Xu Xi. Unknowingly, he has provided two generals for the official family.
After that, Xu Xi thanked Zhang Yue again and again for his recommendation, and Zhang Yue smiled.
After Xu Xi came Cai Bian. Cai Bian came to Zhang Yue's tent. Needless to say, he was talented. The most important thing was that he was Wang Anshi's son-in-law. Without him under the tent, Wang Anshi would not be at ease with himself.
Now that Cai Bian has returned, the two of them belong to different camps, and it will be difficult to predict whether they will be friends or foes in the future.
Zhang Yue said to Cai Bian: "I will faithfully perform Yuan Du's achievements this time. In fact, in my opinion, Yuan Du's ability will definitely have a bright future in the future."
Cai Bian said with emotion: "Cai will never forget the kindness of Xianggong's cultivation twice. Cai learned a lot from Xianggong and benefited a lot. Although he did not dare to consider himself a student, he will treat Xianggong as a teacher in the future.
"
Zhang Yue laughed when he heard this.
Cai Bian said: "Mr. Cai, I have an unkind invitation."
Zhang Yue said: "But it doesn't matter."
Cai Bian said: "Cai wants to go abroad and doesn't want to return to Beijing."
Zhang Yue asked in surprise: "Why? I heard that Yuan Ze is not in good health, and the Prime Minister needs your help."
Cai Bian was silent.
Zhang Yue looked at Cai Bian's expression and realized that he was a person who did not reveal his true feelings easily. Zhang Yue thought to himself that since Wang Bian was in poor health and could not hold anything, only Yuan Du could succeed Wang Anshi in power in the future.
Of course, this road is not easy to take... Could it be that Cai Bian has other ideas.
Zhang Yue said: "Yuan Du has some deviations from the new law?"
Cai Bian immediately said: "Ms. sir, I am the first person in my family for three generations, but... I am not knowledgeable enough. I want to go somewhere to practice more..."
Zhang Yue saw that Cai Bian's expression did not mean that he was unwilling to return to Beijing. He had a little thought and realized Cai Bian's subtle thoughts.
I want to go but it’s not easy to go.
Wang Yu is not in good health, and you, Cai Bian, are rushing back to Beijing, so you have to avoid suspicion. This guy is very thoughtful.
Zhang Yue said thoughtfully: "Yes, the capital is now a place of right and wrong. I can ask the Prime Minister for you."
Cai Bian said happily: "Thank you very much, Mr. Sir."
Zhang Yue watched Cai Bian leave.
"Chen Mu has met my husband!"
Zhang Yue changed his mood and took Chen Mu's hand to sit down and chat.
Chen Mu was different from Xu Xi and Cai Bian. Although he came from an official background, he was similar to a Fujian official and had no real foundation.
Chen Mu's grandfather, Chen Jiang, and Xia Song took the same imperial examination, but their relationship was not good. Chen Jiang's two sons Chen said that Chen Dong's ranking in the imperial examination was hindered by Xia Song.
Originally, Chen Shuozhi could win the top prize.
When it came to Chen Mu, he was the son of Chen Dongzhi. His father died young. Although he had contacts with Ouyang Xiu and Wang Anshi, he had no real connections left for him. To put it bluntly, there was no strong person who could really speak to him. relation.
Now Chen Mu naturally knew where his way out was, and he quickly adapted to his status as a subordinate from the same age as Zhang Yue.
As the number one scholar in Jiayou's sixth year, and second in the list, one is from a poor family, and the other is a son of an official, and they are from the same hometown, so they naturally want to join hands.
In the same year, Zhang Yue made friends with Huang Lu and Han Zhongyan. Apart from Liu Fengshi, Wang Juan, Zeng Zhao, Wang Anli, etc., he had few other contacts.
One is that he is the number one scholar and is inherently high-minded and reclusive.
The other later became a high-ranking official, and his social circle consisted of big bosses like Wang Anshi and Wu Chong. In the same year, he had fewer contacts.
But a circle is a circle, and Zhang Yue and Chen Mu have a lot of topics to talk about, such as the imperial examination, period gatherings, and the Qionglin Banquet, which are their highlight moments, as well as their friends who were in the same year.
In the sixth year of Jiayou's reign, the most popular person in the same year was Huang Lu. Huang Lu was loyal and valued people. If you asked him for anything in the same year, he would do it. If he couldn't, he would ask Zhang Yue. The same goes for Zhang Yue in general. I'll help you if I can, and I'll help you out if you encounter trouble. But when you ask for a promotion or force someone into a difficult situation, sometimes you pretend not to know.
Next is Han Zhongyan. Han Zhongyan is much more sophisticated than Zhang Yue and Huang Lu. But if you ask Han Zhongyan for help, even if you owe the favor, you will still be charged interest. At the same time, Han Zhongyan also has a domineering temperament. I like him. There are many people who hate him, and there are even more people who hate him.
Apart from Zhang Yue and the others, Chen Mu is quite popular.
He was also the highest-ranking foreign official in the same year, except for Zhang Yue. Six years after Jiayou, no one had a higher official position than him except Xu Jiang, Zhang Zhi, and Peng Ruli.
Zhang Yue said: "Now that I am here to participate in politics, how should I recruit talents?"
What Zhang Yue asked Chen Mu was how to seek talents? Ordinary officials have their own teams, let alone Xian Gong.
Chen Mu thought for a while and said: "If the world is a cage, the birds will have no escape. Just like when Tang used a chef to win over Yi Yin, Duke Mu of Qin used five sheep skins to win over Baili Xi. As long as you can suit him, you will be able to win over him. It can be won over."
Zhang Yue heard what Chen Mu meant. Talents should not be caged. They should be allowed to feel that they can come and go freely. In fact, the world is a cage, and as long as he has a preference, he cannot escape.
This is not the case in my own scene.
Think about Xu Xi and Cai Bian who left. Only when someone comes out, someone comes in.
Zhang Yue nodded, and then saw Cai Jing's shadow behind the screen.
"I've met my husband!"
"Yuan Chang, come and sit down!" Zhang Yue gestured to Cai Jing to sit next to him.
Although he expressed his closeness, Cai Jing sat aside with a low eyebrow.
Zhang Yue smiled and then said: "I heard that Yuan Chang served as an official in Jinling last time. Did he meet Prime Minister Wang?"
Cai Jingdao: "My brother was the prime minister's son-in-law at that time, so we met him once."
Zhang Yue nodded and said, "See you? How was it then?"
Cai Jing considered the words and said: "The rotten wood in Beijing cannot enter the eyes of Prime Minister Wang."
Zhang Yue laughed when he heard this, but Cai Jing was honest and told the truth about how he wanted to seek refuge with Wang Anshi but was rejected by him.
Zhang Yue comforted Cai Jing and said: "It doesn't matter, I was the same way back then."
After a pause, Zhang Yue said: "So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. You have been under my command for so many years, and your writing and management are excellent!"
"Now whether you plan to go abroad or go to Beijing, you can just say it and don't have any worries."
Cai Jing said: "Jing's knowledge is shallow and he wants to stay with Mr. Xiangong to learn more."
Zhang Yue looked at Cai Jing and remembered what Huang Lu had said to him. As the so-called successor, Cai Jing was now his best choice.
But Cai Jing is outstanding in all aspects, but his greatest advantage and also his greatest disadvantage is... he is too good at catering.
I felt that his daily food and clothing were too luxurious, so when he heard this, he immediately changed it to simplicity to suit his own preferences. In another history of time and space, after Yuanyou, Sima Guang did not flatter him, and Zhang Dun returned to the court.
It was all kinds of attentiveness, and when Huizong of the Song Dynasty came to power, he also catered to the emperor's character of being very happy with achievements and liking luxury, and began the glorious days of Yutang's fifth Xuanzangma.
Even his brother Cai Bian couldn't stand Cai Jing's move.
Cai Jing is good at speculation, which is not as good as Cai Bian who adheres to Wang Anshi's reform spirit from beginning to end and never changes.
However, Zhang Yue decided to include Cai Jing in his inspection list.
He uses people to race horses more than horses. Being able to achieve success is a good character.
As for Song Huizong... as long as he is around, this person will not be able to ascend to the throne.
The next day Zhang Yue said goodbye to Lu Gongru and others, and set off to return to Beijing with Huang Lu.
After walking non-stop for more than ten or twenty days, Zhang Yue was sitting under the Qingluo umbrella representing the prime minister and important ministers, drinking hot tea.
This place is close to the Yellow River and has just passed through the flood. There is no human habitation for hundreds of miles, but local officials have arranged for people to make tea and heat soup on the road early.
Huang Lu, Cai Jing and others who followed Zhang Yue to Beijing all wiped them with hot soup to remove the dust collected along the way.
"My husband, someone sent me a message."
We were halfway through the journey, and along the way there were messages sent by people asking to see me.
Zhang Yue is now the husband-in-law, so it is normal for others to send messages asking for an audience. But it is strange for someone to send messages in this wilderness. Zhang Yue sees that the background of this message is quite good. This person's surname is Xiang Mingjing, and she is actually the current Empress Xiang.
My father, he is now the magistrate of Qingzhou, and it is his son Xiang Zonghui who comes to see him.
"Let's meet!"
Zhang Yue glanced at the sun. It was not high enough in autumn to miss the journey.
Xiang Zong replied to Zhang Yue with a long bow, and Zhang Yue said: "He is the queen's brother, I'm disrespectful."
He said it was disrespectful, but Zhang Yue only spoke politely and didn't even move his buttocks. In the Tang Dynasty, Xiang Zonghui was Yang Guozhong. What official could not be respectful and polite?
But in the Song Dynasty, the emperor and the scholar-bureaucrats ruled the world.
Relatives? Even if you are the uncle of the state, you are not included in this list.
But what did Uncle Guo do to find me in this wilderness?
Xiang Zong replied: "My father is now an official in Qingzhou. He was very happy when he heard that Mr. Zhang paid homage to join the government. However, he should not leave his place of duty lightly, so he asked me to come to congratulate Mr. Zhang!"
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "I see, your father is really thoughtful."
Xiang Zong replied: "My father has great respect for Mr. Zhang. He often says that Mr. Zhang will have a very good career as a prime minister in the future."
Zhang Yue said: "I don't dare to take it seriously. Back then, Duke Xiang Wen Jian was the Prime Minister of Hai Qinghe Yan. Is it beyond Zhang's reach?"
After saying a few words to Xiang Zong, he left. He just said a simple congratulation and did not bring any souvenirs. It was also obvious that the Xiang family's family tradition was really pure and honest.
But this makes Zhang Yue, who has been saying "I can refuse to accept, but you can't refuse to send" these days, really not used to it.
Xiang Zong returned to visit and said nothing, but Zhang Yue thought of a lot.
The emperor had just given birth to the prince, who was just one year old and seemed to be in good health...
Empress Dowager Gao's preference for Chang Wang Zhao Hao is known to everyone.
Gao Zunyu, a relative of the state, controlled a large number of troops in the northwest. This time Zhang Kai's Taoshui victory was great. Gao Zunyu, who was "recuperating" in Qinzhou, was actually ranked first among the generals by Li Xian for his strategizing.
There is nothing to despise Li Xian, because Zhang Yue did the same thing when he led the northwest.
Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Dowager Gao both married into the royal family as the daughters of military ministers, and naturally brought their own resources.
But the current Empress Xiang is the great-granddaughter of the former Prime Minister Xiang Minzhong. As the daughter of a civil servant, she has no foundation. He, Zhang Yue, is the only one among the current prime ministers who has ever been in charge of the army.
Under the Qingluo umbrella, Zhang Yue thought carefully about whether the official family had summoned him back to Beijing at this time. Could there be any other deeper meaning?
At this time, Huang Lu came over and said, "How about it? I want to ask my family for help?"
"We can't talk about it. It's probably a sign of goodwill."
Huang Ludao: "You are now considered a civil servant leader, and the Xiang family is also a civil servant, so it is reasonable for me to show my favor to you."
Zhang Yue said: "I'm afraid I have other intentions."
The people watched the battle for the throne with great interest, but an important official like Zhang Yue really wanted to hide as far away as possible because the risks and benefits were not equal.
Huang Lu said: "Nowadays, there are many things in your position that you can't hide from even if you want to."
Zhang Yue joked: "I really want to have a big dream. When I wake up, I find that you and I are still in the Imperial College, and have not been admitted to the Jinshi or become an official."
Huang Lu couldn't help but sneer at Zhang Yue's words, and said: "I know from reading history books that emperors and generals are not happy, and their troubles always arise from this wealth. But they can't let go of this wealth.
To say they are pretentious is not true."
Zhang Yue said: "What you said is not true. One day when I step down from the position, I will be clean and tidy, and I will not be sloppy. By then, you and I, as well as Senior Brother Guo, will go boating in the rivers and lakes, become neighbors, and become our sons and daughters.
It was a good day, too.”
Huang Lu smiled and said, "Yes, your elder man is quite to my liking."
Zhang Yue smiled.
He liked the days before entering Beijing very much. The only people who could really get close to his heart were Cai Que, Huang Lu, Guo Lin and so on.
He likes Wang Anshi's "Reading the Biography of Mengchangjun" very much for this reason. You must be strict in making friends, and you don't want to bring everyone into the circle. As the saying goes, one base person can destroy nine noble people. If you make a friend with bad conduct, you will lose money.
He has attracted many noble people. When the roosters, dogs, and thieves come in, the gentlemen leave one after another. This is the lesson of Lord Mengchang.
Therefore, it is very important to select and employ people. He cannot repeat the mistakes of Wang Anshi, who stabbed everyone in the back after taking over, or whose character is recognized as bad.
The biggest failure of the New Party lies in its employment of personnel.
…
In the Kunning Hall of the Bianjing Palace, the official and Empress Xiang were chatting. In front of them was the official and the queen's legitimate daughter, the eldest princess, Princess Yanxi, who was practicing calligraphy under the guidance of the chamberlain.
The eldest princess is ten years old.
The chamberlain on the side entered the palace and reported to the emperor: "I would like to inform the official family that Zhang Yue has arrived in Heyang."
The official nodded and signaled the other party to step back and lowered the curtain.
The curtains could not block out the sound, but the servants around them all retreated. They knew that the officials had something to say to the Queen.
The official said to the Queen: "How did you feel about the last time I asked you to chat with Zhang Yue's wife?"
He said to the Queen: "The Marquis of Hejian County is well-educated and a very sensible and transparent woman."
The official said: "Okay, if this is the case, our prince will not be wronged."
Queen Xiang didn't say a word when she heard this. She was a woman who was very virtuous. Even though such a major matter related to her own daughter, she did not influence the official's judgment.
The official thought of this and said to the queen: "After Zhang Yue arrives in Beijing, I will mention this matter to him!"