At night, Guo Song was sitting in his study reading, and his wife Xue Tao brought over a cup of ginseng tea. It was late autumn and she needed to replenish her husband's energy.
"How about Wei'er learning to paint?" Guo Song put down the book and asked with a smile.
It is better to know your husband than your wife. If it were someone else, he might be asking about Liu Caichun's situation in a roundabout way, but Xue Tao knew that her husband really only cared about his daughter.
"She studied very seriously. It felt like she was starting over again and laying the foundation again. Caichun taught her calligraphy and brushstrokes. This is very important. The artistic conception of ink lies in the shade of ink, and brushstrokes are the foundation. Coupled with her own talent, Wei'er
There will be success."
"It seems she has met a good mentor."
"That's true. Husband, please drink it while it's hot!" Xue Tao put the ginseng tea on the table.
Xue Tao doesn't want to mention Liu Caichun's matter to her husband yet. The time is not yet ripe, and raising it too early will only be counterproductive.
Guo Song drank the ginseng tea in one gulp, put it on the table and said with a smile: "Yes, the stew was done well today, the heat was very high."
"Then I won't disturb my husband."
"No hurry! Let's talk."
Xue Tao sat down, pursed his lips and said with a smile: "Husband, you want to ask me about my father?"
Guo Song was startled, "How do you know?"
"I can guess that your husband should be paying attention to this matter now."
Guo Songlue pondered and understood, "Has your father been looking for you?"
Xue Tao sneered: "He wrote to me and asked me to intercede for the Wang family, but I wrote back and scolded him."
"What did you say?" Guo Song asked with interest.
"I wrote to tell him that if you choose a good prime minister, the country will prosper, but if you choose a traitor, the country will perish. It affects the well-being of the people in the world. How can you ask me for your own selfish interests?"
"well said!"
Guo Song clapped his hands and laughed and said, "I will definitely follow this principle in the future."
Xue Tao was startled, "Isn't it now?"
Guo Song smiled slightly and said: "If the world is unified and the people are stable, it is indeed necessary to put the interests of the people first, choose the virtuous and stay away from the treacherous, but that time has not yet come."
Seeing that his wife's eyes were even more confused, Guo Song smiled and continued to explain: "It's not that you can choose a traitor now, that's not what I mean. It's just that the virtuous are not the first place now. Now we need to stabilize Hedong, so this time we must choose Hedong."
It is a kind of balance and very important for aristocratic families to select counselors so that they can represent their interests in the court, so we should try our best to choose someone acceptable to everyone in the Hedong aristocratic family."
Xue Tao nodded, "According to this standard, my father is a little behind. His connections in Hedong are not good."
Guo Song smiled and said: "Actually, my father-in-law's connections and prestige are enough, but his health is not good and he cannot be tired. I think the counselor is more suitable for him."
Xue Tao was moved, and she nodded gently, "My husband is right, dad can't be tired anymore, his body is more important than anything else."
...........
Early the next morning, Pan Liao was invited to the official room by Guo Song. He bowed and said: "Is it your humble duty to see your highness?"
Guo Song waved his hand, "I have something to discuss with you, please sit down!"
Pan Liao sat down, and Guo Song also sat opposite him and said to Pan Liao: "Let's digress first. The autumn harvest will be in a few days. According to custom, all officials and students have to go to harvest wheat. You can go back to the Department of Agriculture.
Tell them, let them prepare a plan like last year, and issue it as soon as possible after the Council of Ministers discusses and approves it."
"Remember your humble position!"
Guo Song then put the three resumes on the table and said slowly: "It has been almost ten days since Xue Changshou resigned. The successor must be decided as soon as possible. I have considered three candidates and I want to hear your opinion. "
Pan Liao took three resumes and looked at them carefully. One was from Wang Hong, one was from Pei Chen, and one was from Wen Ji. He was slightly startled, but he didn't expect that Wen Ji was also on the candidate list.
"Has His Highness decided to join the Hedong Family?"
Guo Song nodded, "It must be them. There is Du You in Guanzhong, but there is no candidate in Hedong. It is a kind of contempt for them. This will cause alienation. We have to consider the feelings of the Hedong family."
Pan Liao sighed secretly, Wei Huan was still trying to find a way to enter the counselor's hall, but there was no chance for him at all, and there was no chance for Ling Qiu alone, only the Hedong family.
He thought for a while and said: "From the perspective of qualifications and prestige, the Wang family and the Pei family are equally divided. You can choose either one of them. The Wen family is a little weaker than the two of them."
"That's the problem. If you choose the Wang family, the Pei family will be dissatisfied. If you choose the Pei family, the Wang family will be dissatisfied. You also know that these two families have always been on the wrong path. It is difficult to choose one from the two families."
Only then did Pan Liao understand what His Highness the King of Jin was thinking. It turned out that His Highness the King of Jin chose Wen Ji, which was really unexpected!
Guo Song walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and said: "Actually, I have another consideration. Both the Pei and Wang families are famous families in the world. They are too familial. They will first consider the interests of their own family first, and then the public interest. This point I can't accept it. On the contrary, the Wen family is relatively weak, and they will consider the overall situation or the interests of Hedong. I think this is the key!"
Pan Liao knew that he had to express his position. He pondered for a while and said: "The Wen family is actually a good balance. As far as I know, the Wen family has a very good relationship with the Wang family, the Pei family and the Xue family. His Highness chose Wen Ji. Maybe both the Wang family and the Pei family will be dissatisfied, but I believe they will both accept it in the end."
Guo Song nodded, "You are right, everything must be considered from the word 'balance'. I thought about it for nearly ten days, and finally felt that Wen Ji is the most suitable."
"Why didn't Your Highness consider Xue Zizheng? His prestige is higher than Wen Ji's and he is more suitable."
Guo Song shook his head, "He is not in good health, so being a counselor is the most suitable thing for him."
"If you decide to choose Wen Ji, Your Highness should make your decision as soon as possible!"
Guo Song smiled and said: "I came to you for discussion because I want to hear different opinions. You can't just go along with what I say."
Pan Liao also smiled slightly and said: "Actually, I have already said that if Wen Ji is used, both King and Pei will definitely be dissatisfied, and Wei Huan will also be dissatisfied, so he will not mention it, but in the long run, the two families of Pei and King need to express Only when their own interests are concerned will they realize that Wen Ji is actually the most suitable candidate."
.........
Guo Song immediately ordered people to invite Wen Ji. During the meeting two days ago, Wen Ji had readily agreed to join the Jin Palace and become Guo Song's minister, but his specific position had not yet been determined.
"Your Highness is looking for me?" Wen Ji walked to the door and asked.
"Come quickly!"
Guo Song smiled and invited Wen Ji to come into the room and sit down, and then ordered the tea boy to serve tea.
"I'm afraid Wen Shijun won't be able to return to Taiyuan for the time being."
Wen Ji immediately understood, "His Highness has already arranged for a humble position?"
Guo Song nodded, "I plan to take out from the Department of Household Affairs those related to agriculture and animal husbandry, including the Agriculture Department, the Animal Husbandry Department, the Cotton and Hemp Fruit Oil Department, the Agricultural Technology Institute and related rough processing of agricultural products, such as milling, Brewing, oil pressing, wool, leather, agricultural tool manufacturing, etc., dig out this large area to establish a Department of Agriculture, and you will be responsible for it."
"Understood, I understand. Your Highness, would you like me to serve as a doctor in the Department of Agriculture?"
"Not only is he a doctor in the Ministry of Agriculture, but he is also informed of political affairs, serves as a counselor, and is responsible for agriculture and animal husbandry in the counselor's hall."
Wen Ji was stunned for a moment. He actually gave the phase to himself. Wasn't this putting himself on the fire? What should the Pei family do? What should the Wang family do?
After a while, he smiled bitterly and said: "Your Highness's appointment makes me humble enough to go see Pei Chen and Wang Hong."
Guo Song said solemnly: "This is an important national position and has nothing to do with personal friendship!"
Wen Ji's face was full of shame, and he immediately stood up and saluted: "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. I will dedicate myself to my humble position until I die!"
Guo Song nodded, "You will take office tomorrow morning. The Ministry of Agriculture's Office has been prepared. Du Sima will accompany you to take office tomorrow. He is also the doctor of the Ministry of Personnel. Officials from the relevant departments will meet together."
"I understand."
Guo Song smiled again and said: "You can only go back in the New Year, so go back and write a letter to your family! Ask your son carefully when you go back for the specific time of going to court, precautions, etc."
Wen Ji nodded, "I'm sorry to say goodbye!"
Guo Song walked to the door and said to Wen Miao: "Send your father out!"
The father and son walked outside the official office together and reached the gate of the Jin Palace. Wen Ji stared into his son's eyes and asked, "Did you already know this?"
Wen Miao scratched his head and said, "His Highness asked me two days ago."
Wen Ji was annoyed and glared fiercely, "Good boy, you actually hid such an important thing from me?"
Wen Miao looked embarrassed, "Dad, I have to keep it a secret, you know..."
Wen Ji also knew that he could not blame his son. His expression softened a lot and he said: "Of course I know, and I don't really blame you, but I don't understand why His Highness the King of Jin established a separate Department of Agriculture? Is it a special department of agriculture?" Tailor-made for me?”
"That's not true. The decision to establish the Department of Agriculture was discussed by everyone in Taiyuan. His Royal Highness the King of Jin made it very clear at that time that all the departments in the past few years must serve the world.
He said that war is nothing more than money and food, so agriculture and animal husbandry are extremely important and should be taken out separately. The reason for the delay is that wine is an important source of military salary, and grape planting and war horse breeding have always been directly managed by the military.
His Royal Highness the King of Jin wanted to take the grape cultivation back from the military, but the military has always opposed it. Now that the salt tax accounts for a large part of the military salary, there is no objection to taking the grape cultivation back. My father happened to be in office at this time, so It is natural for my father to take over the new Ministry of Agriculture."
Wen Ji pondered for a moment and said: "From your tone, it seems that the military has the power to prevent the King of Jin from handing over grape planting?"
"Dad, I don't know. Grape cultivation has been under the control of the military since the beginning. The growers are also soldiers, including winemaking. The military's opposition is not against His Highness the Prince of Jin, but against the Counselor Hall. Of course His Highness the Prince of Jin can decide with just one sentence. , but he has to consider the feelings and interests of the military, and needs to make overall arrangements. In fact, the military was convinced last year. If Tibet had not invaded the salt fields, the Department of Agriculture would have been established long ago, and it would not have been delayed until now. "
"I understand. If anything happens, I'll ask you again tonight!"
Wen Ji patted his son on the shoulder and turned to get into the carriage.
Wen Miao suddenly called his father, "Dad, what should we do with the Pei family and the Wang family?"
Wen Ji had a headache when he thought about this. He really didn't know what to do.
"What do you think?"
Wen Ji asked his son, "What do you think we should do?"
Wen Miao thought for a while and said, "Father, why don't you go back and write two letters immediately? Before the King of Jin's order is officially issued, explain it to them both. Then they will be mentally prepared and won't be so disappointed."
This was a good idea. Wen Ji quickly asked: "When will the order from King Jin come down?"
"If there is no military order involved, then according to the usual practice, the order of the King of Jin will usually be issued at Shen Shizheng in the afternoon!"
It was exactly four o'clock in the afternoon, and there was still time. Wen Ji nodded, got on the carriage and left.
Wen Miao was actually a little worried. His father had never been exposed to agriculture, so could he be qualified for the position of a doctor in the Department of Agriculture?