"My dear friends, please step down." Yunxi praised Su Xiang again and asked them to step down.
Huang Huai, Zhou Yuan, and Su Xiang bowed and were about to leave. But Yunxi suddenly said, "Jiangning County Magistrate Zhou Yuan is staying."
Huang Huai paused for a moment, but still agreed and left with Su Xiang. Chen Ji also bowed and left the room.
"Zhou Qing." Yunxi said with a smile.
Zhou Yuan felt relieved when he heard Yun Xi's name. Everyone has figured out Yun Xi's habit of addressing people. The title of "surname + Qing" is relatively close, which at least shows that leaving him behind is not a bad thing.
"Aiqing handled the case well." Yunxi continued: "Aiqing was able to appease people's hearts after learning about the incident, so that although the police officers in the Xicheng Police Station were filled with indignation, they still performed their duties and did not neglect their duties. It is good.
."
In this case, it was normal that Zhou Yuan did not lead anyone to forcefully break into Fan Guan. After all, Fan Guan is one of the official offices of the Ministry of Rites. It would be a serious crime to rush into an official office rashly. It was normal for him to report the matter to Huang Huai, after all, he had already dealt with it.
If it doesn't work, it's reasonable to tell the superior government office.
But being able to deal with it very calmly after learning about the case without delaying other matters is a good performance. For grassroots yamen at the county level, a case in which a police officer was injured and a foreign envoy was involved is already a major event.
Yes, it is not something that everyone can do to properly appease people's hearts and allow everyone to perform their duties.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty is so complimentary. This is just my duty, and I don't deserve your Majesty's praise." Zhou Yuan bowed and said.
"You did a good job this time, I will definitely reward you." Yunxi ignored his words and continued.
Zhou Yuan was about to say a few more humble words, but Yunxi suddenly said something else: "Qing Zhou, I remember that you were a Jinshi in the second year of Jianye. At the end of that year, you were dismissed from office because you were involved in sheltering local bullies as the Prime Minister of Jiangning County.
When I was an official, I selected you as Jiangning County Magistrate. A year later, Jiangning County Magistrate Yue Zhongmian was promoted to Military Yuanwailang, and you were promoted to county magistrate. From the end of the third year of Jianye to the present, you have been serving as magistrate for three years.
Jiangning County Magistrate should be re-elected early next year."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhou Yuan was a little surprised that Yunxi remembered so clearly the resume of such a small sixth-rank Jing county magistrate.
"I have read all your evaluations for the past three years, and they were all above average. Huang Huai even praised you to me."
"This is a reward from Master Fu Yin." Zhou Yuan said again.
"Zhou Qing, do you know that I was a little surprised when I found out that your evaluation was so high? After all, my impression of you was not very good when I first met you." Yun He remembered the first time he met you.
The situation in Zhou Yuan Dynasty was said.
"Your Majesty, my family is in a poor financial situation, but my parents insisted on letting me study. After three or four years of studying for me, my family's financial resources were exhausted. I had no choice but to ask my uncle to let me study. My uncle
My family is relatively well-off, and I seemed smarter at the time, so I thought it would be good for my family if I could provide him with a job as a Juren or even a Jinshi, so I agreed."
"Then I passed the scholar examination, but I failed to pass the provincial examination four times in a row. After all, my uncle and my mother were biological siblings, and they still loved me. My aunt no longer wanted to support me in studying.
My uncle is sending me back."
"I have no choice but to look for ways to make money in order to continue my studies. I have been proficient in poetry since I was a child. Although I am not as good as your Majesty, I have finally gained some fame, and the literary society in the capital is willing to let me
join."
"I was very embarrassed at that time. In order to make money, I could only say some things that were against my will..., I ask your Majesty to punish me." Zhou Yuan finally knelt down and said.
When Yunxi met Zhou Yuan for the first time, Zhou Yuan did something disgraceful. It was still the first year of Jianye. One day Yunxi went out of the palace to inspect the Imperial Academy. On the way back, he heard that a literary gathering was held by the Mochou Lake to meet friends with poems. At that time,
Yunxi, who was very interested in pretending to be a famous poet, went there, chartered a boat on the lake, and after hearing the title, he 'composed' a poem and sent it to the host of the literary meeting, thinking in his mind
"The emperor anonymously participated in literary competitions and came first" became a good story after it came out.
Unexpectedly, the purpose of holding this literary conference was to promote a person named Hu. This person also paid for the literary conference. Although Yunxi's poems were better than the poems that the man asked someone to write.
However, it was still ranked second by the host Zhou Yuan and Hanlin who were invited to evaluate the poems.
Yunxi was not in a good mood at that time. Anyone who wrote a first-class poem would not be happy if it was judged second in the end. But he was the emperor after all, and would not say it on the spot. It would not be good for his reputation.
, but his impression of Zhou Yuan and the Hanlin was naturally not good, and he thought their character was not good. At that time, Zhou Yuan was just a scholar, and he did not have the same experience as Zhou Yuan, but after he returned, he raped the Hanlin.
Although no one knew that Yunxi had also participated in the cultural gathering at the time, word spread gradually and became widely known in the capital. It also became one of the must-tell stories for locals when they lead outsiders to visit Mochou Lake.
But that incident has passed. Yunxi also learned that Zhou Yuan had sent Jin Yiwei to investigate during his official evaluation. He learned that Zhou Yuan's life was very difficult at that time, and he only said a few insincere words during a literary meeting.
He is a very nice person on weekdays, and the bad impression gradually disappeared.
"You don't have to be like this, Zhou Qing. I also heard about the embarrassment of your life at that time and can understand what you did." Yunxi said with a smile.
"Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Majesty." Zhou Yuan said again.
"Then there is no sin, and there is no sin that I need to forgive. And I am still a little curious, what happened to the person you wanted to praise at that time?" Yunxi asked with some interest.
"Hu Jie was naturally very unhappy at the time, but later he was very frightened when he learned that the poem was written by His Majesty. It took a long time for him to feel relieved after not seeing His Majesty pursue him. However, his reputation was not good after that.
No one dared to praise him anymore. He also failed to win the imperial examination and is still studying at home."
"Compared with him, Chen's luck was very good. Although Chen was the host at the time, people's attention was focused on brothers Mei Hanlin and Hu Yu who evaluated the poems, and Chen was not well-known." Zhou Yuan added.
Said somewhat happily.
Yunxi asked a few more questions, and Zhou Yuan answered them one by one.
After saying these words, the separation between Yunxi and Zhou Yuan seemed not that big. Yunxi asked him to sit next to him and asked: "I remember that you are from Liyang County, Yingtian Prefecture. Although you have been here for a long time since then,
I live in Beijing, but I also return to my hometown for a few months every year."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Your family also comes from a farmer's background, and you have also farmed."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"That's good." Yunxi said with a smile: "I said just now that I would reward you. It just so happens that you have been the magistrate of Jiangning County for three years and it's time for your transfer. After the New Year, I will appoint you to an official position, which is just right.
you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhou Yuan said immediately.
"Sit down. I haven't issued an order yet, and I don't need you to salute as if I were receiving an order." Yunxi added, "Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and it's almost noon. I won't delay you and your family having dinner."
, you can go back now."
When Zhou Yuan was about to salute, Yunxi remembered something again and said: "I changed you to another official because your evaluation in the previous three years was above average, and your past resume is very suitable for the official position I want to appoint you.
I will reward you for this case."
"Zhou Yuan listened to my instructions and gave you a piece of silk and satin for your wedding, and a set of pen, ink, paper and inkstone for your wedding."
"I thank your Majesty for your grace." Zhou Yuan knelt down and said.
Yunxi nodded, said a few more words to him, and asked him to retreat.
But as soon as he retreated, Yunxi immediately said to the eunuch Lu Yi beside him: "Go back and tell Qin Song, the commander of the Jinyiwei, in detail about the conversation I just had with Zhou Yuan. There can be no mistakes, especially between me and him.
The part about what happened five or six years ago must not be missing a single word. As for the reason, Qin Song knows what I want him to do."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Lu Yi bowed and then withdrew.
The reason why Yunxi stayed with Zhou Yuan today and had such a long conversation with him was of course for a purpose. First of all, Zhou Yuan was indeed capable and worthy of being reused, so he kept him in the palace to talk to him personally, so that
He has the idea that he is valued, which can encourage him to work harder on errands in the future. The tasks that Yunxi wants to entrust to him are very important, and they must be done by careful officials. Secondly, it is also to send a signal again.
Yunxi has always believed that officials who are poor in character but have great political ability are much more useful to the country than officials who are noble but have no political ability at all. It is good for the latter to be used to decorate the appearance, but it must be used as a practical official.
It will go astray and have a negative impact on the country.
Especially since he has been carrying out reforms over the years, officials without political management skills do not know what to do when faced with many government affairs that do not even have precedents to follow. They either mess up or delay the matter, causing many problems. Only
Only very talented officials can get things done. Yunxi also wanted to promote such people.
But the problem is that Confucianism believes that virtue is more important than talent. They believe that talented people without virtue can cause more harm than people without virtue and talent, and they are opposed to people without virtue being officials.
Yunxi had previously promulgated the "Order for Promoting Talents", which allowed officials in various places to recommend talented people as officials. The local governments also recommended some talented people. But there were not many such people. Most of the people recommended by the local governments were
A person who is virtuous but not necessarily talented.
Yunxi knew that issuing the "Evangelical Order" again would not solve the problem, so he could only use other methods. Ordinary people did not know or understand the things Zhou Yuan did against his will at the cultural conference in order to make money, but the officials
Everyone knows that because of those things, he has always been considered a person with bad personal ethics and is despised by many civil servants.
Yunxi talked to him in person and mentioned what happened back then and said he didn't mind, which was enough to let the officials understand his attitude: he was willing to reuse people who were talented but not moral, thus causing more officials in the court to recommend talented but unscrupulous people.
According to the concepts of this era, a person whose moral character is lacking.
After Yunxi finished thinking about the matter, he glanced sideways at Kelu and saw that it was already past noon. He stood up and asked Wang Xi to straighten his clothes and told him: "I am going to Kunning Palace for dinner. Although the Queen
You should also know that I will definitely go to her place for lunch at noon, but I also want to say yes."
After saying this, he said as if joking to himself: "Fortunately, I have already received the rest of the envoys from the foreign countries while waiting to investigate the police assault case and arrest Lu Mingbo and Li Guan, otherwise
But you’ll have to delay lunch.”
Wang Xi agreed, and when Yunxi walked out of the palace, he whispered a few instructions to the two young eunuchs, and then hurriedly followed.
Of course, Xiyao was not surprised that Yunxi would come to her place for lunch today. After hearing what the young eunuch said, she was not in a hurry. She finished all the things at hand, guessing that Yunxi would arrive soon and went to the palace gate to greet him.
When she walked to the palace gate, Yunxi arrived. Xiyao hurriedly saluted and said, "I have seen the official family."
"Just call me husband, there are no outsiders here." Yunxi smiled and helped her up.
Xiyao also stood up with a smile and said to him: "Husband, what do you plan to eat for lunch today?"
"My husband remembered that there were some dried corn kernels and peanuts left yesterday, and asked the imperial kitchen to fry the rest. The rest of the dishes will be made into Sichuan cuisine, but instead of using Sichuan pepper or pepper, use chili peppers instead."
"Chili? I remember I tasted chili yesterday, but it was too spicy. I'm afraid Min'er and the others won't be used to it when used in cooking, and it will also affect the taste of the original dishes."
"You don't know this. Sichuan cuisine is best made with chili peppers, not Sichuan peppercorns or pepper. But that's right, Xiyi and Min'er may not be used to it. Then half and half, and half of the dishes are added.
Sichuan cuisine with chili peppers, and the other half are ordinary dishes." Yunxi said.
The young eunuch hurriedly went to deliver the order, and Yunxi and Xiyao walked into the palace hand in hand.
It hasn't snowed these days, and it's cold outside. Naturally, Min'er won't play outside. But when she heard that Yunxi was coming, she trotted over immediately: "Daddy!"
"Hey!" Yunxi picked her up and said with a smile, "Have you been naughty this morning? You know how to be naughty."
"No." Min'er said with a smile: "In the morning, my grandma and my aunt and uncle came to the palace to see my mother and second aunt. Min'er and three younger brothers also accompanied their mother and second aunt to talk to grandma."
"And Min'er is not only naughty!" Min'er retorted: "Grandma and aunt and uncle have always praised Min'er as a quiet and good child."
"That's because they are embarrassed to talk about you." Yunxi said with a smile: "Dad never calls other people's children naughty when talking to others, even if that child is naughtier than you."
Min'er said something dissatisfied again, Yunxi smiled and comforted her a few words, and put her down.
Afterwards, Yunxi saw that no one else could hear him, and said to Xiyao: "My mother-in-law came this morning? What did she say?"