Chapter 0926 Sir, it's time for you to be the Pingzhang of Tongzhong Shumen!
"The only one I can use now is Fan Zhongyan..."
Zhao Zhen let out a long sigh.
Kou Ji smiled and said: "If the officials want to use Zhang Fangping, no one will stop them."
After the reform of the government system in the Song Dynasty, the chief officials at the Song government level were almost equivalent to the frontier officials at the previous road level.
The appointment of this type of officials is no longer decided by the Ministry of Personnel.
Whether this type of officials is promoted or demoted, it is discussed by the political hall and decided by Zhao Zhen.
In other words, Zhao Zhen has the final say in the appointment and dismissal of this type of officials.
The Zhengshitang and the Ministry of Civil Affairs can at most provide a reference.
If Zhao Zhen insists on promoting Zhang Fangping to Beijing, no one can stop him.
Zhao Zhen glanced at Kou Ji, shook his head and said with a smile: "Zhang Fangping's qualifications are still a little behind, and his age is also a little behind. The head of the Taxation Department is an important job and requires a mature and steady person to take charge.
Just let Fan Zhongyan do it."
Kou Ji nodded and asked: "Where do the officials plan to place Fan Zhongyan after he is transferred back to Beijing? The Taxation Department cannot expose it openly yet, so everything must be done secretly.
But officials like Fan Zhongyan should always be assigned an important position after returning to Beijing, otherwise they will easily attract the attention of others."
Zhao Zhen thought about it and said: "Put it in Yizijiaozipu for the time being. After Cao Yi left Beijing, the general manager of Yizijiaozipu has been vacant. Although I have identified a candidate, his qualifications are too young and he cannot be hired.
Live people.
Let Fan Zhongyan serve as the general manager of Yizijiaozi Shop, which can just suppress people and provide him with convenience.
In this way, it will be very convenient for Fan Zhongyan to do things by himself."
Kou Ji nodded with a smile and asked, "Have the officials considered a candidate to succeed Fan Zhongyan?"
Zhao Zhen was stunned, stared at Kou Ji and asked: "Fourth brother, is there any recommendation?"
Kou Ji smiled and shook his head.
Zhao Zhen sighed: "I thought there was still someone to recommend for Fourth Brother."
Kou Ji smiled and said: "I just think that the political achievements Fan Zhongyan has made in Shaanxi Mansion are not easy. Therefore, when choosing a successor, it is best to choose a more moderate one. In this way, Fan Zhongyan's achievements in Shaanxi Mansion will not be greatly changed."
The Shaanxi government can also continue to develop in accordance with the current government orders.
If the selected candidate is too outstanding and has many own ideas, after arriving in Shaanxi Prefecture, it is inevitable that he will have to modify the government decrees implemented by Shaanxi Prefecture according to his own ideas.
The development time of Shaanxi Government is still very short. If we rashly modify the decrees implemented by Shaanxi Government without making any attempts, it is likely to destroy the current development trend of Shaanxi Government."
Zhao Zhen nodded and said: "When I select someone, I will consider this matter carefully. I will also summon the person I selected and give him some instructions."
Kou Ji nodded and said nothing more.
Zhao Zhen chatted with Kou Ji some interesting things in the palace, then stood up and left.
Kou Ji sent Zhao Zhen to the gate of Zhuyuan and returned to the mansion.
The next few days.
Everything is calm in Bianjing City.
The recruitment of soldiers in Jiangnan and Hexi is in full swing.
With Lu Gongzhu taking the lead to open up the situation, and others following the prescription, recruiting troops became much easier.
Although some people used Lu Gong's method, they did not recruit soldiers and horses.
But most people still followed the plan and completed the tasks assigned to them by Lu Yijian.
After a completed memorial for recruiting soldiers was delivered to Bianjing City.
Lu Yijian smiled very happily.
Inside the political hall.
Lu Yijian laughed loudly and handed a letter of completed recruitment to Wang Zeng. He said with a smile: "This is the thirteenth letter... The number of soldiers recruited has exceeded one million, including those previously recruited by the officials.
, a total of 1.6 million.
It is still 400,000 short of the two million allocated by the government.
I predict that in less than a month, all the two million soldiers and horses required by the government will be recruited.
At that time I will be able to report to the officials."
Wang Zeng took the recruitment document from Lu Yijian's hand. While looking at it, he sighed: "In order to help the officials raise two million soldiers, you have offended a lot of people, right?"
The smile on Lu Yijian's face suddenly became a little stiff, and he said in a somewhat stiff tone: "I am the same as Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhang, the Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty, are you afraid of offending others?"
Wang Zeng put down the recruitment documents in his hand, pointed to a pile of memorials not far away from him, and said: "These are the memorials written by officials from Jiangnan and Hedong to impeach you.
In a few days, when the wealthy families in Jiangnan and Hedong are connected with some of the in-laws behind them, there will probably be more.
There are many important people among them.
There is absolutely nothing we can do to stop the memorial.
After the officials read their memorials, they will inevitably reprimand you."
Lu Yijian said disdainfully: "If you reprimand me, reprimand me. If I am afraid of being reprimanded by the officials, I will not be an official. Everything I do is ordered by the officials. It is of no use for them to impeach me in front of the officials."
"
Wang Zeng smiled bitterly and said: "Having said that, your Lu family has been seriously injured in this turmoil. It is said that large merchants in Jiangnan, Hedong and other places have secretly joined forces to refuse to cooperate with your Lu family.
caravan doing business.
Your Lu family's current business income has dropped by a full 40%.
I'm afraid there will be more in the future.
Didn’t the people in your clan complain?"
Lu Yijian snorted coldly and said: "To do big things, you always have to make ends meet. To recruit 1.4 million soldiers for the official family, my Lu family only lost 40% of the annual income, which is nothing at all.
The official family will remember my contribution, and they will also see the loss of my Lu family."
Wang Zeng saw that Lu Yijian had said this, so he did not continue to discuss the issue. He warned: "As soon as possible, ask the people below to recruit the remaining troops, hand over the errands to the officials as soon as possible, and wait until the storm is over.
, your Lu family’s business may pick up."
Lu Yijian hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, and wrote to several people who had not yet completed the task of recruiting soldiers.
After finishing the letter, Lu Yijian sent someone to send it out of Bianjing quickly.
Just when the servants of Lu Mansion were riding out of Beijing to deliver the message.
A man in his forties, dressed in green clothes, and two followers quietly entered Bianjing City.
After arriving in Bianjing City, he was not in a hurry to go to the Ministry of Personnel to submit the registration. Instead, he made some inquiries and went straight to the Zhuyuan where Kou Ji lived.
When he arrived at the entrance of the bamboo courtyard, he let the door in and called the door.
Kou Ji appeared at the entrance of Zhuyuan.
When people in their forties saw Kou Ji, they quickly bowed and saluted.
"Student Fan Zhongyan, I met Mr...."
Kou Ji stood at the door of the Zhuyuan, looking at Fan Zhongyan in front of him, and said in disbelief: "How did you get yourself to look like this?"
Fan Zhongyan looked much older. There were many silver threads in his hair and beard. There were two blushes on his face caused by the northwest wind. There were many wrinkles in the corners of his eyes and other places.
The most eye-catching thing is the hands, which have a lot of calluses and cracks.
When Fan Zhongyan heard Kou Ji's words, he cupped his hands and smiled and said: "The students have followed Mr.'s teachings and led the people of Shaanxi Prefecture to make a fortune. They have been running around among the fields. They are exposed to the wind and sun every day, so they have naturally aged a lot."
Kou Ji stared at Fan Zhongyan and sighed: "I'm afraid you are not just running around between the fields?"
Fan Zhongyan said with a smile: "In my spare time, I also go to the fields of Lonely Garden to help with farming. There is a lot of loneliness in Lonely Garden, and many people don't have the energy to plow the fields.
When students are busy in farming, they will ask officials from the Shaanxi government to help work in the fields of Lonely Garden.
One is to reduce the burden on the court.
The second is to let officials in Shaanxi government know the suffering of the people.
Students feel that only if they feel the suffering of the common people will they restrain themselves when reaching out to the common people."
Kou Ji sincerely praised: "You are really a rare parent-official. If all the parents-officials in our Song Dynasty are like you, then our Song Dynasty will reach an unprecedented heyday."
Fan Zhongyan shook his head and said with a smile: "Students are just herdsmen, but sir, you are seeking the country. Compared with you, sir, students are more than a little behind."
Kou Ji looked at Fan Zhongyan again and said, "Looking at the way you are dressed, I am afraid that the salary given to you by the court has also been used by you to help the people?
I'm not as good as you at this point."
Fan Zhongyan could give up all his wealth for the people, but Kou Ji couldn't.
Fan Zhongyan said with a smile: "The students did not help the people. The students just took advantage of their background and invited a few gentlemen from Yingtian Academy to open Shaanxi Academy in Shaanxi Prefecture.
The students' stipends were used to build college buildings and provide aid to poor students.
There are now 132 students in Shaanxi Academy, 41 of whom are funded by students."
Fan Zhongyan studied at Yingtian Academy.
The predecessor of Yingtian Academy was Suiyang Academy.
Suiyang Academy used to be the first academy founded by private people.
Its founder, Yang Tie, was a well-known Confucian scholar and a very well-known gentleman. Among the disciples and grandsons he educated, there were fifty or sixty Jinshi scholars.
Since the Song Dynasty established Shangqiu, where Suiyang Academy was located, as Yingtian Mansion, Suiyang Academy was renamed Yingtian Academy.
When Zhao Heng was in power, he promoted Yingtian Academy to a government school and personally wrote the five characters "Yingtian Academy".
Yingtian Academy became the third official academy in the Song Dynasty after Taixue and Imperial College.
As an academy officially recognized by the Song Dynasty, it was also an academy that often produced high-level talents, and the teachers there were not ordinary people.
If Fan Zhongyan can invite teachers from inside and go to Shaanxi Prefecture to establish Shaanxi Academy, I'm afraid it's not enough to just show off his face, and he has to pay a huge price.
You must know that when Kou Zhun established Wenchang Academy, in addition to attracting great scholars through his own reputation, he also gave him extremely high treatment.
In this way, many great Confucians came to teach in Wenchang Academy.
Fan Zhongyan did not have as much dignity as Kou Zhun. He probably spent a lot of money by inviting the gentleman from Yingtian Academy to Shaanxi Mansion.
"It is better to teach a man how to fish than to teach him how to fish. You can be regarded as working hard for the people of Shaanxi Prefecture."
Kou Ji sighed with emotion.
Fan Zhongyan said with a smile: "The student just did something trivial, not worth mentioning."
Kou Ji stared at Fan Zhongyan and said: "You should understand that when people are limited, you cannot always donate to Shaanxi Academy."
Fan Zhongyan smiled and said: "As long as the students can be officials, we will support them for a few years. When students can no longer be officials, they will no longer be able to support them.
At that time, students from Shaanxi Academy will be needed to give back to Shaanxi Academy."
Kou Ji said in a deep voice: "You should be able to see what happened to Mr. Zhang. After helping a student for a long time, few people know how to be grateful.
If you stop receiving financial aid then, I'm afraid many people will scold you.
The most important thing is that students from Shaanxi Academy may not give feedback to Shaanxi Academy after they leave Shaanxi Academy and become successful.
Over the years, Duke Zhang has supported thousands of students.
However, there were less than a hundred people who helped Duke Zhang to support other students.
I have passed Zhang Gong and seen the future of Shaanxi Academy."
Fan Zhongyan straightened his face, stared at Kou Ji, and said very frankly: "Students are not afraid of being scolded. Students only need to have a clear conscience."
"Hahaha... What a clear conscience."
Kou Ji suddenly laughed loudly and said, "You, Fan Zhongyan, dare to bear infamy for the sake of the imperial court. How could the imperial court fail you? From now on, you no longer need to support Shaanxi Academy."
I will report this matter to the officials and ask them to establish Shaanxi Academy as a government school.
The expenses should be paid from the local tax revenue of Shaanxi Prefecture.
If the Shaanxi Prefecture magistrate's office feels that it is too much of a loss to provide this money, then let them take the students in the academy to work when they are on leave to help them make money.
If the students can put down their dignity, the Shaanxi government can bear all the expenses.
If students can’t let go, then let them bear all the expenses during their studies.”
When Fan Zhongyan heard this, he was overjoyed at first.
But the happy look on his face didn't last long before it turned into sadness.
He stared at Kou Ji and said, "Sir, if this happens, those poor students may be teased by other students and find it difficult to hold their heads high."
Kou Ji stared at Fan Zhongyan and said, "You are also from a poor background. You should understand that poverty in yourself is not scary, but poverty in your heart is scary.
The imperial court covered all the expenses for their studies, but they couldn't even let go of their bodies. What could they do to strive for a bright future?
What is the value of the imperial court cultivating them?
We can save those who are poor.
But those who are poor at heart can only help themselves.
If they are not even willing to save themselves.
No matter how hard the court tries, it will be useless."
After listening to Kou Ji's words, Fan Zhongyan murmured: "The most valuable thing for a person is self-knowledge...not vanity..."
Kou Ji nodded solemnly, "Vanity is also a kind of desire that is never satisfied. So we need to let them know themselves and strengthen themselves instead of giving them short-term vanity.
If we give them vanity, they won't have much while they are in the academy.
But once you leave the academy, you are likely to harm others and yourself.
Fu Xue is a place where Jinshi and great talents are cultivated.
Almost all those who can enter a government school are over fifteen.
We cannot treat them as ignorant children."
Fan Zhongyan gave a solemn salute to Kou Ji and said: "The students have been taught... After the Shaanxi Academy, I will hand it over to the teacher."
Kou Ji laughed and said, "Leave it to me, I'm afraid it will be neglected. Apart from making Shaanxi Academy a national university, I can't take care of anything else.
If you still want to do something for Shaanxi Academy, work hard to build a career, work hard for the court, and work hard to be promoted to the position of Minister of Rites.
After the Song Dynasty, many schools were affiliated to the Ministry of Rites.
If you serve as the Minister of Rites, you can also radiate a lot of influence in Shaanxi Academy."
Hearing this, Fan Zhongyan said with a mixture of laughter and tears: "When the time comes, students will have to control the universities all over the world, and there is no way for them to be partial."
"Hahaha……"
Kou Ji laughed heartily again.
This is what he likes about Fan Zhongyan.
No matter where he is, Fan Zhongyan does his best and is impartial.
"The officials have called you back to Beijing this time, but there is an important task entrusted to you. Whether you can serve as the Ministry of Rites depends on whether you can complete the important tasks entrusted to you by the officials.
Let’s go and talk about it in detail.”
Kou Ji invited with a smile.
Fan Zhongyan looked at the Bamboo Courtyard and couldn't help but sigh: "Such a mansion is not worthy of your status and achievements."
Kou Ji was stunned, then laughed and scolded: "You, Fan Zhongyan, have not yet made great contributions to the imperial court, but you are thinking about the treatment given to high-ranking officials by the imperial court.
Are you pretending to be noble?"
Fan Zhongyan smiled dryly and said: "Students just feel that it is a bit aggrieved that those who are incompetent in culture and martial arts live in big houses, but you, sir, have to live in such a small courtyard."
"A house that can accommodate more than a hundred people is already quite large."
"The original Kou Mansion could accommodate nearly a thousand people."
"I don't have that many people to house them, so it's useless to have a big house."
"A big house is an identity!"
When Fan Zhongyan said this, Kou Ji looked at Fan Zhongyan in astonishment.
He finally understood what Fan Zhongyan meant when he said his house was too small.
Fan Zhongyan was talking about his small house.
It is clearly saying that his current status is small and he has little power.
He was crazily hinting to Kou Ji that only those with high status and great power were worthy of Kou Ji.
After Kou Ji heard the profound meaning of Fan Zhongyan's words, he ignored Fan Zhongyan. He put his hands behind his back, left Fan Zhongyan alone, and walked into the bamboo courtyard.
Fan Zhongyan chased after him without saying a word.
All the way to the corridor of the bamboo courtyard, they were alone.
Fan Zhongyan shouted unceremoniously: "Sir, it's time for you to take up the post of Tong Zhongshu's subordinate! All of us know that you want to do something big, and we all look forward to following you in a big fight.
All of us want to follow you and go down in history and be famous throughout the ages!"
Kou Ji paused, turned around, and said with a dark face: "Do you really believe me that much?"
Fan Zhongyan hurriedly trotted up to Kou Ji and said with a serious face: "All of us know that only by following you can we do such great things that shock everyone.
Only by following you can we be looked up to by everyone throughout the ages.
This is why I came to Beijing this time.
If I hadn't seen that you, sir, were expected to serve as Tong Zhongshu's subordinate, I wouldn't have come to Beijing on the orders, and I would definitely try my best to stay in Shaanxi Prefecture and make the people of Shaanxi Prefecture completely prosperous."
Kou Ji also had a serious look on his face, and he said in a deep voice: "To do big things, you need to put in a lot of effort. What can you, or rather you, put in?"
Fan Zhongyan said solemnly: "Bao Zheng said he could sacrifice his life, Su Xun said he could sacrifice his family, Ouyang Xiu said he would give him whatever he wanted, Han Qi wanted fame, Wen Yanbo wanted to enter the political hall, Fu Bi asked you to leave him half of the family wealth.
If Zhang Fangping wants to take power, the students and Liu Yong can give up everything, including their lives."
Kou Ji stood there blankly, and after digesting Fan Zhongyan's words carefully, he said in a dumbfounded voice: "So, Zhang Fangping is the least promising among you?
He is not my student, so why is he hanging out with you?"
The reason why Kou Ji said this was because Bao Zheng and others did not mention Quan, and only Zhang Fangping mentioned Quan.
This shows that Zhang Fangping is not very confident.
Unlike Bao Zheng and others, they are confident that they can hold power, so they don't mention power at all.
He also didn't think about it, how could he lose power if he became one of the strongest core members of the bandits in the court?
Fan Zhongyan heard Kou Ji's question and laughed in a low voice: "That guy came here shamelessly. When he went to Langxie Mansion, he saw Wen Yanbo and Su Xun, so he took the initiative to make friends with them.
After learning what we were thinking, he took the initiative to join in."
Kou Ji asked in astonishment: "You can all blatantly say this kind of thing?"
Fan Zhongyan hurriedly said: "The main reason is that Su Xun. He felt that Zhang Fangping, who came from a special subject, was able to sneak into the position of the prefect at this age. He was a capable person, so he revealed some things to him to attract him."
Take the bait."
Hearing this, Kou Ji was silent for a long time, then suddenly looked at Fan Zhongyan and said, "I praised you just now for being a virtuous man, but how come you suddenly turned into a sycophant who forms a clique for personal gain?"
Fan Zhongyan said sternly: "Sir, what you said is serious. We only form parties, not selfish interests. Besides, we form parties because the people in power above are too pedantic and cannot manage the great situation of the Song Dynasty.
If they can't do it, then we should do it.
We can't just watch them turn the Song Dynasty into something different."
"neither fish nor fowl?"
Kou Ji questions.
Fan Zhongyan nodded and said: "It's not like that. After we changed the government system in Song Dynasty, there have been huge changes in the local area. Half of the previous decrees are no longer applicable to the local area.
But those in the court still used the old methods to govern the place.
Every time Han Qi saw the unreasonable government orders issued by those in the government, he would stand in the government office and scold his mother.
Wen Yanbo felt that his father was better than those others.
Bao Zheng felt that they were causing harm to the country and the people.
Su Xun never read their decree from beginning to end.
Liu Yong wrote a mocking poem on the official document issued by the imperial court to the localities, and sent someone to quickly send it back to the imperial court.
If the officials hadn't issued an edict to reprimand Liu Yong after learning about it, Liu Yong would have been relegated to a corner somewhere by now."
After listening to Fan Zhongyan's story, Kou Ji couldn't help but sigh: "You are really bold and reckless."
Fan Zhongyan smiled bitterly and said: "It is true that some of the decrees issued by the imperial court are so childish that it makes people laugh. If a few people from the imperial court had walked around the place and got to know the place well, they would not have issued such childish decrees."