He rode horseback to the vicinity of the Libu Yamen and waited for a while before Bai Chongyan and Min Zishun finally came out.
The two of them looked downcast, seeing that nothing good could happen.
Seeing Zhu Ming approaching with his horse, Bai Chongyan said with a dry mouth: "We have failed the test, so we have to slowly apply for candidates."
"You haven't passed the exam?" Zhu Ming looked at Min Zishun.
Min Zishun nodded, looking depressed and not wanting to speak.
Ju Ming didn't know what to say. With Min Zishun's ability, he would definitely be able to pass the test. This was because he was not just cramming into something temporary, but had learned a lot of laws, official documents, and judicial knowledge several years ago.
The official department is really shady, and they are clearly trying to suppress Ju Ming's two friends.
"Come on, let's go drink." Zhu Ming said.
Min Zi turned his grief and anger into food, and gritted his teeth and said: "Go to Fanlou, I'm going to treat you! Come to Tokyo and haven't had a drink at Fanlou, isn't it all in vain?"
Fan Tower is only one street away from the Imperial City. It is three stories high. Standing on the top floor, you can see the inside of the palace.
After Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty ordered the expansion, Fan Tower now has five buildings. Each building is connected by a flying bridge, allowing high-altitude travel between the second and third floors.
Why did the emperor request expansion?
Because Fan Building is a state-owned asset.
Initially, it was a guild hall for merchants in the alum industry, called Bailan Building.
In the Song Dynasty, alum merchants were as wealthy as salt merchants and needed a franchise license. A large number of alum merchants held banquets and parties here, so they simply changed it into a restaurant. The alum tower became a fan building.
I don’t know whether it was some alum dealer who committed a crime or some other reason. Anyway, the Fan Building became a state-owned asset and was auctioned and contracted to private businessmen for operation.
Entering one of the lobbies, Min Zishun shouted: "Bartender, bring some good wine!"
While the three of them were ordering, a eunuch came from the streets in the south on horseback.
Shi Biao followed the horse and galloped to the outside of the official office.
The eunuch asked: "Where are the people?"
Shi Biao scratched his head and said, "I don't know."
The eunuch then rode his horse and rushed some distance away, and asked the clerk of the shop on the street: "Can you see the imperial scholar Zhu Ming?"
The store clerk shook his head and said, "I don't recognize him."
The eunuch reminded: "He is Xinke Tanhualang."
The waiter suddenly realized: "Tanhualang is riding north."
Shi Biao ran all the way and followed the eunuch to the north. The eunuch rode on horseback and shouted along the street: "The imperial scholar is Zhu Ming, the courtier Zhu Ming is summoned by the officials..."
Before the food was even served on the table, Ju Ming heard a voice: "Who is calling my name?"
Bai Chongyan shook his head: "I didn't hear it."
On the street, Shi Biao shouted: "That's my husband's horse!"
There is a "parking lot" in front of and behind the house in Fan Tower, which is surrounded by vermilion wooden strips interspersed with each other. This is the standard for the residences of officials of the third rank and above.
The cornucopia was tied to a carriage.
As soon as the eunuch dismounted, a "parking boy" came to wait on him. The eunuch warned: "Don't tie the horse, we will leave as soon as we see someone."
"Young nobles, please come in. I'm holding the royal horse." The parking boy bowed and said.
The eunuch stepped into the hall of Fanlou and shouted at the top of his voice: "The Imperial Academy is studying Zhu Ming. The officials have summoned him and he must enter the palace immediately!"
Ju Ming put down his chopsticks and whispered: "I'll try to see if I can help you two with something."
Min Zishun immediately became energetic: "If I need to be sent...forget it, I won't say thank you for your kindness. This drink is a success!"
Bai Chongyan said: "Don't force it, don't tarnish the reputation of success."
"How can I have a good reputation as a small-school righteous person?" Zhu Ming stood up with a smile.
The eunuch finally saw him, stepped forward and pulled him away, anxiously saying: "Zhu Xuezheng, you can make it easy for me to find you. We first went to the Imperial College, but the Imperial College student said that you were not here. I asked all the way to your home to ask your relatives.
Follow the directions and it will take more than half an hour. Quickly follow me into the palace to meet the saint, the officials are holding a banquet waiting for you!"
Ju Ming quickly came to the parking lot and stepped on the accelerator of his BMW.
Because the eunuch rode too fast, he couldn't keep up if he ran too slow.
After entering the palace, the horses will be taken care of by the palace staff, and they can also refuel for free. Bean cakes and fodder are prepared here daily.
Ju Ming followed the eunuch and walked quickly, and couldn't help but ask: "What is the name of this noble man?"
The eunuch replied: "Enter Zou Yu, the yellow gate."
The Huangmen Gate, the full name of which is "Huangmen Gate for Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs", is responsible for serving the daily life of the emperor and queen, and also serves as a messenger when leaving the palace to announce imperial decrees, or is sent to supervise foreign affairs.
A ninth-grade eunuch is in charge of a group of junior eunuchs.
Zhu Ming couldn't figure out which faction this eunuch belonged to. Anyway, he must be someone close to the emperor. He pretended to be clumsy and made friends with him: "It's a hard work for a middle-class nobleman. I have a low position, a low salary, and not much money. I will meet you next time."
, I will give the noble man a piece of calligraphy."
Zou Yu couldn't laugh or cry after hearing this, and thought to himself: You are not a famous artist, how much is a calligraphy worth?
But Zhu Ming thought he was poor, so what else could Zou Yu say?
Is it possible to ask Ju Ming to grab a few quickly and make up for the errand fees next time we meet?
This has become a custom. Eunuchs help deliver orders to the emperor, and they will give some more or less.
What's even more ridiculous is that for civil servants, once they are promoted or transferred to a better department, as long as the position is above the fifth rank, the person who gets the official position must give the writing fee to the official who wrote the appointment and dismissal edict.
It's just polishing the pen, not bribery, and it can easily cost dozens or hundreds of bribes.
Ju Ming also wanted to help his two friends seek official positions, and he couldn't offend all the eunuchs around the emperor.
The emperor's banquet was held quite far away this time, in the garden of the expanded Yanfu Palace.
In addition to Song Huizong and Xue Daoguang, there was also a Songshan Taoist named Wang Zaixi.
Wang Zaixi put down his wine glass: "In an official's house, the Nine Cauldron is a sacred weapon. How can it be shown to others? It must not be hidden in the outer court. It should be placed in a building in the forbidden area."
Song Huizong thought it was reasonable: "I will build a Yuan Xiang Hui Diao Pavilion specifically to store the Jiuding artifact."
Xue Daoguang drank and said nothing. He and Wang Zai were not the same people.
Wang Zai used to practice the Shangqing Talisman, and he was particularly good at breaking up the seven-element Taoist magic, and could predict the good and bad future. This guy only met Song Huizong a few times, and he became a popular person around the emperor. He was already completely floating, and the eunuch was
Call here and there and drink like a slave.
Wang Tsai said in the past: "When the Round Elephant Emblem Tuning Pavilion is built, I will definitely use my lifelong magic power to draw the Seven-Yuan Talisman to suppress evil spirits and prevent those evil spirits from coveting the Nine Cauldrons for luck."
"This matter is due to Master Lao." Huizong of the Song Dynasty was very happy. He liked the talisman Wang Zai had painted in the past. It had a rhythmic beauty and contained supreme magic power at a glance.
Xue Daoguang continued to drink and eat meat, as if he didn't know that Wang Zaixi was competing for favor.
"Guan family, Imperial Master Zhu Ming has arrived."
"Let him come over."
Zhu Ming came to the front and bowed: "I pay homage to your Majesty."
Song Huizong said: "Sit down."
Ju Ming sat down with his golden sword, and the eunuch immediately added a pair of bowls and chopsticks.
Song Huizong found it very interesting: "When I usually summon foreign ministers, they are all restless. Why are you so fearless?"
Ju Ming replied: "If I behave upright, I will sit upright."
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty deliberately tried to trick him and asked: "You mean, all the other ministers behave badly?"
Ju Ming said: "I really don't know other people's affairs. I just hope that I don't feel guilty."
Song Huizong also said: "For matters related to the Carboniferous Department, you, a small-time official, wrote two memorials in a row, just to keep your conscience in check. If you exceed your duties, you will be punished with eighty sticks according to the law."
Ju Ming said: "I have not exceeded my duties."
Song Huizong asked: "Xue Zheng impeached the Carboniferous Division. Is this your authority?"
Ju Ming said: "I came from a humble background, and now I am still sharing a house with my friends. The price of charcoal is too high, and I really can't afford it. It is a matter of life and death due to hunger. Can't we report it? If I starve to death, won't it bring shame to the official family?"
"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty laughed and said, "You are so pitiful, so I won't punish you any more."
"Thank you for your consideration." Zhu Ming picked up the chopsticks and ate the meat.
Song Huizong liked this style of conduct and did not think Ju Ming was rude. Cai You and Wang Fu were all so private that they made the emperor feel that he was one of his own.
Song Huizong asked: "Since you have gone to the hospital twice, you must be familiar with the matter of charcoal. How should we deal with it?"
Zhu Ming didn't even bother to pretend, and said directly: "The Carboniferous Department is currently under the Cangchang Case of the Ministry of Revenue and the Cangbu Division. Since the Household Department is not managed well, why not change it to the Material Case of the Ministry of Works. Then use Jinke as a candidate to be a Jinshi and head the Carboniferous Department.
Matters: Allocate 60% of the government-run charcoal farms, such as Fanlou, to private businessmen to operate, so that officials cannot continue to control charcoal prices."
This suggestion greatly exceeded Song Huizong's expectations.
But if you think about it carefully, it is the best solution.
Although Yao You, Minister of Industry and Industry, also relied on catering to the emperor to rise to power, he was not in the same faction as Cai Jing.
This man was originally promoted to a transit judge. Before he could leave the capital, he heard that the emperor was holding an archery party. So he inquired about the specific situation and wrote an article called "Shengwu Lin's Archery Ode", which boasted that the emperor's archery skills were as good as gods.
.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty was delighted and immediately promoted Yao You.
Immediately afterwards, he suggested that all the states near Kaifeng Prefecture be upgraded to prefectures, which kicked off the Huizong Dynasty's crazy prefecture-to-prefecture promotion.
Now, as the Minister of Industry, Yao You is responsible for helping the emperor with the demolition and construction of buildings. With rich wealth and power at its peak, Yao You has formed his own party, and there is no need to look at Cai Jing's face.
By transferring the Carboniferous Department to the Ministry of Industry and sending new academicians to manage it, we can completely break away from the original environment. Then allocate 60% of the government-run factories and contract them to private operators, which can solve the problem of soaring carbon prices.
Moreover, it can also weaken Cai Jing's power and enhance Yao You's power.
It is comprehensive and completely in line with Song Huizong's wishes!
At this moment, Song Huizong couldn't help but have a love for talents, and felt that this young man was so interesting. Not only did he write good poems, but he also acted very appropriately, and he could be entrusted with important responsibilities in the future.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty asked: "Is there any worthy person to recommend?"
Zhu Ming took the opportunity to say: "I have two fellow countrymen, both of whom are Jinshi. For some reason, they failed the examination and are still candidates."
Song Huizong understood clearly that Cai Dang was retaliating against Ju Ming's friends from the same hometown.
Since it was the target of the Cai Party's attack, it could definitely be used. They immediately expressed their stance: "Let one of these two people go to the Ministry of Works to manage the Carboniferous Division, and the other to work on the case at the Ministry of Works."
The Carboniferous Department is not a department-level unit, but a subordinate agency at the department-level. It should arrange for candidate junior officials to do their jobs.
After Zhu Ming's recommendation, Bai Chongyan and Min Zishun were still classified as junior officials of the ninth rank. However, the starting point of their official career was almost as high as the third or fourth grade Jinshi.
In the middle of the afternoon, Ju Ming left a friend's message to the emperor and left the palace with the two Taoist priests.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty invited the eunuchs of the Royal Medicine Academy to write the edict: "In the drafting of the decree, Liu Huan, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel (a party member of Cai Jing), is transferred to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Zhang Kegong, Zhongcheng of the Yushi (a party member of Zheng Juzhong), is promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
Wang Fu went home for the funeral, and Cai Jing finally got back the financial rights of the Ministry of Household Affairs, but lost the personnel rights of the Ministry of Personnel.
Song Huizong was playing the art of balance. Unfortunately, this balance would cause serious internal strife in the country and even have a negative impact on the campaign to conquer Xixia.
After thinking about it, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty added: "Mr. Wen Lin, the Imperial Academy's Zheng Zhu Ming, has made meritorious contributions. If he is promoted to Chengwulang, he will still be the Imperial Academy's Zheng."
The rank of Ju Ming's salary official remains unchanged, still from the eighth rank.
However, he went from selecting someone from the eighth level to becoming an eighth-level imperial official, completing an elegant triple jump in an instant.
Well, Ju Ming's salary has also increased.
The monthly salary increased by 1 guan, the lumi increased by 5 dan, and the attendant allowance increased by 200 dan.