Chapter five hundred and ninth the heights are too cold
A few days later, Commissioner Fang Qin and his two long followers traveled incognito. They wandered to Wangjiang Tower, went directly to the window on the third floor, ordered wine and food, and ate slowly.
These days, Envoy Fang comes to Wangjiang Tower from time to time. This is not because the food and wine here are delicious, as other parties do not pay much attention to this aspect;
It’s not because this place is related to the famous historical figure Tang Bohu. Fang Yingwu is already a famous person himself, so why should he care about whether others are celebrities?
It's not because the scenery here is so good, no matter how good the scenery is, it can't withstand visiting it every three days; it's not because the host Tang Guangde is hospitable, and other places are not short of money.
The biggest reason is that this place is located in a prosperous intersection, and Tang Guangde likes to attract scholars in an arty manner, so there are many scholars in Wangjiang Tower and the atmosphere is lively.
When the scholars in Suzhou Prefecture gathered together, they loved to talk loudly, criticize Fang Qiu, and dare not say anything. Fang Yingwu sat next to him and could hear a lot of discussions, which was very helpful for grasping the dynamics of public opinion. After thinking about it, there is nothing more important than this.
Simple method.
Tang Guangde, the owner of Wangjiang Tower, had always had a warm attitude towards Fang Yingwu. Although Fang Qin had a tendency to become a public enemy of Suzhou scholars, it stands to reason that Tang Guangde should draw a clear line between him and Fang Yingwu;
But he also heard that Fang Yingwu had a close relationship with the great master Shang Liangchen. It happened that his son Tang Yin was going to take the scholar examination this year... So human nature prevailed over conscience, and Tang Guangde actively cooperated with Fang Yingwu's requests.
.
Every time Fang Yingwu comes to Wangjiang Tower, there must be a screen around him and a dedicated person to wait on him. This blocks Fang Yingwu from other people's sight, but other people's comments can be transmitted to Fang Yingwu's ears verbatim.
inside.
Even if Fang Yingwu was not around, if Tang Guangde heard something outside, he would definitely let Fang Yingwu know about it.
Today, Fang Yingwu was still listening to the sounds outside through the screen. After excluding the noise of people having a drink and singing songs, he did hear a few comments——
"Did you hear about it? The day before yesterday, Governor Li of Futai petitioned for the people and went to the Imperial Envoy's residence to meet with Imperial Envoy Fang. He asked the imperial court to understand the people's suffering and to reduce or reduce the taxes of the prefecture, but the imperial envoy did not allow it."
"Li Futai is really a kind-hearted official who benefits the people and his parents. It's a shame that the villains in the court are in charge. Li Futai can only be relegated to the local area. But this is also the blessing of my Suzhou government!"
"I also heard that Taishou Li was reprimanded twice by the imperial envoys for this matter. The grievances felt are beyond words, and I feel deeply grievances for Taishou Li."
Wang Ying and Fang Yingshi were with Fang Yingwu, one on the left and the other on the right. After hearing the discussion, they both looked indignant and said bitterly: "Prefect Li is obviously a man who wants to gain fame and reputation, but in this world, he only rarely succeeds!"
Can the two of them not be angry? My Brother Qiu has always used others to gain his reputation. How has he ever had his reputation gained by others? It's like after a person is used to taking advantage, it's hard to bear being taken advantage of by others again!
Fang Yingwu, the person involved, remained calm and sighed: "This is expected. Without such benefits, how could Magistrate Li refuse to cooperate with me?
Besides, it’s always cold at high places, and the higher you go, the more things like this will happen to you. If you don’t have status, who would be interested in using you to gain reputation?”
After finishing his meal at noon, Fang Yingwu wiped his mouth and left Wangjiang Tower. When he returned to the mansion and was about to take a nap, he saw four high-ranking attendants gathered in the lobby, as if waiting for him.
Envoy Fang had no choice but to go to the hall. After everyone had bowed, he asked everyone: "Do you have anything to say to me?"
Then an attaché named Zhang spoke up and said: "Suzhou is a little different from other places, but it is similar to the capital. The people here are "kouhuo" and the scholars are densely packed. There are frequent rumors and fierce public opinions.
For example, when I was not getting married today, there were rumors in Suzhou Prefecture that there was going to be a talent show in the palace. The whole city was in an uproar, and people were marrying off their daughters one after another, which led to countless tragedies.
Today's rumors about adults robbing the rich to help the public are also a storm in the city. It is said that the intensity is no less intense than when the rumors spread about the draft. The wealthy families are all frightened, fearing that their families will be ruined overnight.
Faced with this situation, why is your Excellency still as stable as Mount Tai? My subordinates think that I would like to ask Your Excellency to issue an announcement to the people as soon as possible to express your true intentions, so as to set people's minds straight and stabilize people's hearts."
Fang Yingwu said calmly: "Rumors stop only the wise. Duke Zhou is still afraid of rumors. I am upright and not afraid of shadows. Those who are pure will be pure themselves. I don't bother to explain anything!"
All the attendants looked at each other, and it was the attendant surnamed Zhang who said sincerely: "Your Majesty's words are well-intentioned, but there are many foolish men and women in the world, and there is not even one wise man!
The sage said that the people can follow it but not understand it. Even though you are an imperial envoy, it would be better to come forward and explain a few things, and you will definitely be able to turn the clouds around and see the sun."
Fang Yingwu slowly took a sip of tea and sighed leisurely: "The poem goes, those who know me say that I am worried, but those who don't know me say that I am asking for nothing. You don't need to say more, I have my own concerns."
All the subordinates looked at each other and resigned helplessly. They had fulfilled their duties as subordinates. It was the boss's business whether they listened or not.
But Kong Mu and Cai Fu deliberately took a step too slow and did not leave the room. Fang Yingwu frowned and asked, "Do you have something to say?"
Cai Kongmu hesitated and said: "My subordinates always feel that you are deliberately pushing the government to the opposite side, sir?"
Fang Yingwu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "I am not incompetent, please continue."
Some of his words were like gambling. Cai Kong took the gamble and gritted his teeth: "My subordinates have always felt that your Excellency does not look down on these bureaucrats in the prefecture and county. They are worried that they will fail more than they succeed, so they dislike them from the bottom of their hearts?"
Now, my lord, are you waiting for the opportunity to turn things upside down and crush them into powder in one fell swoop? Only then can you achieve great things by issuing orders and prohibitions and giving orders like an arm?"
Fang Yingwu was surprised. Cai Kongmu's words were vague in details, but the general idea was indeed correct.
He really thought so, pig teammates were more terrifying than divine opponents, and good scriptures would also be misinterpreted by monks, especially when it came to money and food.
As human beings in two generations, there are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom, and good governance at the top and things that go out of style at the bottom, how often do you see that?
Even if the prefecture and county yamen showed a proactive and cooperative attitude at this time, Commissioner Fang would not be at ease with these unfamiliar bureaucrats and politicians, and would rather adopt a repulsive attitude first!
Not to mention that Fang Yingwu knew very well what kind of reputation he had in Suzhou Prefecture, and he didn't believe that as long as he let go of his domineering spirit, everyone would unconditionally worship him. Unless an opportunity arises for him to make others truly believe in him.
What surprised Imperial Envoy Fang Da was that he originally thought that Cai Kongmu had a thorough understanding of things, which was different from other subordinates, but he did not expect that Cai Kongmu could see things so clearly that he could figure out such secret thoughts.
In this way, Fang Yingwu let go of his own problem and asked directly: "I usually see that you are a good talker, and you must be good at reading. How can such a talent be such a small ninth-grade person?"
Cai Kongmu's old face turned red, "I was also a scholar back then, but I was punished as an official. Nine years later, I got the highest ranking in the inspection, and I was promoted to the ninth grade miscellaneous class."
According to the dynasty system, there are three types of official backgrounds, namely, Zaliu, school, and imperial examination, which are called three paths. The so-called Zaliu refers to the official background, the school refers to the supervisor's background, the imperial examination refers to the Jinshi, and the imperial examination.
In the early years of the dynasty, there was a shortage of talents, and the status of the three paths was not much different. But now, family background has become a very important matter. Among the three paths, only the imperial examination is the most respected and is regarded as the right path.
However, in the imperial examination, only the Jinshi were the most prestigious, and the candidates were second-rate, let alone the supervisors. As for the background of the officials, it was simply not on the table.
Officials who are transferred from civil service positions are generally ninth-rank miscellaneous officials for life. If they are lucky enough, they can be promoted to eighth-rank officials, but they are still miscellaneous officials. In the eyes of officials like Fang Yingwu who came from a decent background, such miscellaneous officials and minor officials
Not much difference.
Fang Yingwu asked rather playfully: "What mistakes did you make back then that led to you being punished as an official?"
Cai Kongmu's face turned even redder, "At that time, I had some dealings with my husband's concubine..."
What is communication? If it is so unclear, then the matter must be unclear. If you are not clear with someone else's concubine, what kind of plot can there be?
Fang Yingwu's face suddenly showed a sinister smile, "Mr. Cai, how are you doing?"
Cai Kongmu suddenly trembled. Thinking of some bad trends, he couldn't help but shrink back: "Why do you ask Master Fang like this? What are your orders?"