"The domestic waste is wasted, the household registration is halved, and the important things of the current affairs are only understood, and the corvee is light and the people are resting." [Han Shu·Zhao Di Ji]
Weiyang Palace, Yutang Palace.
In the early years, the location of the Secretariat Prison was Shiqu Pavilion in the north of Weiyang Palace. Later, it was moved to Yutang Hall by the emperor. This place is on the west side of the front hall. Near it is the Golden Horse Gate. Both places were where scribes of the Han Dynasty awaited edicts.
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The move from Shiqu Pavilion to Yutang Hall, in addition to being closer to the emperor, also symbolizes the gradual transformation of the Secretariat from a simple accompanying institution to a 'secretary' institution in another sense with consultation and praise.
Originally, the emperor had arrived outside the Yutang Hall early, but the emperor's conversation had not subsided and he had not finished speaking. He and Xun You did not know what they said in the car. When they came out, they urged Zhongtai to draft an edict to encourage farmers. It is now the end of autumn.
The significance of issuing an edict to encourage farmers at this time was not just a routine admonishment to farmers like in the early spring, but rather a statement of attitude, which meant that the court's future focus would shift from raising troops and preparing for war to working on farming and mulberry fields.
Everyone who heard this at the palace gate was more or less aware of the changes in the government. Xun Yue, Hu Mao, Wang Can, and Wei Kang were no longer ignorant children.
After the Xing Dynasty, they became Wen Zhi, and they had more or less strong expectations for the future.
When the emperor went on an expedition, he brought them with him to see and experience them. Now he saw that the youngest among them, Lu Yu, was fifteen, and the oldest Wang Can was twenty-one. He thought to himself, these people have been with them since childhood.
It’s time for the confidants who have cultivated relationships together to start showing off their talents.
The emperor led everyone into the Yutang Hall. He was in the main seat, followed by uncles and nephews Xun You and Xun Yue, followed by secretary Cheng Hu Mao, secretary Lang Wang Fu, Wang Can, scholar Sun Meng, Pei Qian, Huan Fan, and Wei Kang
, Wei Dan, Wen Hui, Lu Yu, Zhuge Liang.
Looking at the talented people in his eyes, and the talents he had cultivated with great care and subtle influence during the long-term relationship, the emperor was full of ambition: "The Secretary's Office is a place for literature, and you are all young talents. After studying with me for so many years, regardless of your character,
I see all your talent and knowledge. Now you have gradually grown up. For example, Fa Xiaozhi, Yang Dezu and others have been appointed to official positions and entered the court. I can't keep you in the secretary's office to write literature and wait for the imperial edict.
, it is inevitable that you will sacrifice your talents, and serving the country and the people is the way out for you in the future."
The eldest person at the table was undoubtedly Wang Can. He raised his hands and replied: "I am fortunate to be born in the era of Mingjun. I can see the Han Dynasty rise again. I have the talents of servants and horses. I am willing to serve your majesty in a small way."
"Well said." The emperor praised with his hands, followed by Shi Sunmeng, Huan Fan and others, he waved his hand gently, and then said: "I have deliberately paid attention to your whereabouts, but before that
, I still have to take the final exam and so on."
Hearing that the emperor was going to conduct a test for everyone, Wang Fu and others immediately became nervous. It was said that the emperor had set a new system for imperial studies in the past years. After all students had completed their studies, they had to pass the test and select the best to be appointed. Now because of the emperor's Eastern Expedition
Because of this, Taixue did not have established rules and did not dare to act rashly. As a result, two batches of students failed to pass the policy examination. Even though they had finished studying, they still had to practice and practice in various departments.
When the emperor returns to the court in triumph this autumn, the first thing he will deal with is the imperial examination. However, the emperor has not revealed the news yet. Instead, in order to show that he treats everyone equally, he first asks his secretary to supervise the examination.
Everyone listened attentively, and the emperor said leisurely: "In the past, the champion prince was granted the title of Langjuxuxu, and Dou Xianle Shi Yanran, all of them commemorated the Han Dynasty's merits and strengthened their power and virtue. Now Yongliang is slightly peaceful, and the Qiang disaster in our Han Dynasty will never be eliminated for two hundred years.
Countless heroes and martyrs have come and gone, and the common people of Guizhou have fought for the peace of the Qiang, and have died and died... The people of the past are their own, and it is right for the people of today to engrave them on stones, so that future generations will know that it is difficult to defend the imperial court, and it is not easy for heroes to fight."
The content of the test is very simple, that is, to write an article that recalls the past, describes the present, and praises the virtues of the Han-Qiang War that just ended. Once this article is selected, it will be engraved on a stone tablet or a cliff. It can be used as a memorial.
Heroes and heroes can promote martial arts and deter the remaining Qiang and Di people.
Everyone thought it would be a policy review, but they didn't expect that it was just an article. People like Wang Can and Shi Sunmeng, who are talented in literature and are good at literature, were naturally delighted when they heard it. If it was written well, then their article would be
Inscribed on a stone tablet, it is widely circulated and can be passed down to future generations for thousands of years, just like Ban Gu's inscription on Yanran Mountain.
At that time, the emperor ordered people to put out pens and ink for Wang Can and others to write hard. Even people like Pei Qian and Wei Kang began to think hard. Although writing was not their specialty and they could not write something worthy of being engraved on a stone tablet,
It is not difficult to write a decent article.
Seeing his colleagues around him starting to write one after another, especially Wang Can, who seemed to be full of literary thoughts and kept moving his hands, Wang Fu couldn't help but feel anxious. When he heard that the emperor was going to conduct an examination, he secretly thought something was wrong.
, I don’t know how to write an article, and I don’t have any preparation in advance. How can I write it if I ask him to write it?
Feeling helpless at the moment, Wang Fu looked at the white paper on the table in front of him, and then looked up at the emperor with difficulty.
The emperor also turned his attention to him. He knew Wang Fu's tightness, but after dragging his father Wang Bin to participate in government affairs, the emperor was actually willing to take care of his second cousin.
He slowly stood up from the couch, quietly waved to Wang Fu, and motioned for him to move to the back hall with him, leaving Xun Yue, Xun You, and Hu Mao to invigilate the exam.
Wang Fu stood up generously, looked at everyone with a proud look, and followed happily.
In fact, there is nothing to invigilate. Writing articles is no better than dictation. You have to rely on yourself. Whoever can get into the secretarial supervisor is arrogant. Even if there is no one watching, he will not disturb the order at this time.
This is a time to show everyone's moral consciousness. Xun Yue and Xun You will not actually invigilate the exam. After the emperor left with Wang Fu, Xun Yue and Xun You both left the table, leaving the place to Hu Mao.
They didn't go far when they arrived, but walked forward to the palace gate, stood on the high palace platform, looked up at the faint eaves of the Golden Horse Gate in the distance, and relaxed softly under the blue sky and white clouds.
One breath.
"I bury my head here every day, and my uncle still has some leisure time." Xun You looked at the environment near Yutang Hall and seemed a little envious.
"I am not as talented as you in managing the world, so I can only study more knowledge. I will finish writing "Shenjian" within this year, as well as "Chongde" and "Zhenglun"..." Xun Yue said while stroking his beard.
, turned slightly and glanced at Xun You.
"I once read part of my uncle's "Shenjian" in the army. I was deeply impressed by its political commentary that pointed out the current ills and ridiculed the taboos." Xun You bowed slightly, raised his hands towards Xun Yue and said, "Such a big comment
, how can it be kept and read by only one family, but not presented to the country? The country loves the article, and such a big statement should be made in vain."
Xun Yue narrowed his eyes, obviously thinking about whether there was any other intention behind the other party's sudden flattery. Although Xun Yue is not as talented as Xun Yu and Xun You, he is also a smart person. He is not as good at writing books as he is. The emperor appreciated it. He was also aware of the talk about recuperation and recuperation in the government and the public. Just now the emperor confirmed in public the new direction of the imperial court's administration in the future, which was probably due to a long conversation with Xun You in the car.
If others thought that this matter was over, but what kind of person was Xun Yue? He was surrounded by Shangshu servants Xun Yu and Shizhong Xun You, two ministers in the central government. They quickly understood that after recuperation was determined, the next step was how to recuperate. discussion. Whether to reduce taxes on a large scale, abolish redundant military brigades, reduce expenditures, or relax penalties.
The implementation scale and scale involved the interests of countless people, not to mention that the emperor was such an independent person, so the debate among the ministers on this matter became more intense.
Xun Yue understood Xun You's thoughts in his heart. He raised his face slightly, put his hands behind his back, and said softly: "The emperor lives deep in the palace and cares about the people. I, Cai Gong and others serve the emperor and often hold talks according to imperial edicts." The imperial court and folk tales describe the essentials of mastery and governance. Unfortunately, His Majesty's military and state affairs are complicated and the time for his lectures is short. I often have unfinished words, so I retreated to write this treatise because I am determined to govern the world... Since it is called "Shenjian", after the work is completed, it will naturally be submitted to the emperor for review."
"My uncle's book can benefit all people, which is unparalleled." Xun You's face was calm, as if this was just a normal thing.
"You have read all the manuscripts I wrote." Xun Yue glanced at the other party in surprise. He let go of his hand stroking his beard and said: "Promote agriculture and mulberry trees, establish military equipment, clarify rewards and punishments, and suppress annexation. It's hard to If it’s not you…”
"Of course I have read these discussions before." Xun You said firmly, even reciting a certain paragraph and explaining it to prove that he was not lying.
The confusion in Xun Yue's eyes deepened. His own discussion, whether it was about military preparation or annexation, was in line with the emperor's expectations. Unexpectedly, the other party did not seem to notice the key point in it. He raised his hand and pointed at the other party: "Then you …”
"After my uncle came to Chang'an, he should have read it, right? Did he say anything?" Xun You suddenly asked.
Xun Yue thought for a while and realized that the 'uncle' the other party mentioned simply meant that the servant of the minister shot Xun Yu, so he withdrew his hand and said: "Of course Wen Ruo has seen it, but he didn't say anything more. On the contrary, he said I made a lot of suggestions."
"I understand." Xun You nodded.
"I don't understand." Xun Yue said in confusion. He frowned and looked around. Seeing that Xun You had no intention of explaining, he finally changed the topic: "I didn't understand just now either. When it comes to policy tests, it has always been They all ask questions about political affairs, classics, etc., and ask the candidates to answer them. But His Majesty said that he wanted to test the secretaries, but he only wrote an article. What is the reason?"
"This article is easy to write, but difficult to write." Xun You smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and said: "'Countless heroes and martyrs have come and gone, and the common people of Guizhou have fought for the peace and Qiang, and they have died.' This kind of words, there are How many people can understand it? So what if Wang Can is the best at writing articles? Can he understand the emperor's mind?"
"You mean..." Xun Yue rolled his eyes, as if he understood something, and lowered his voice: "The literary talent of this test is fake, and the inspection articles are also fake. This way we can learn who can guess the holy meaning. is true?"
"It's not about guessing the holy will, but it's about seeing whose heart is closest to Your Majesty's." Xun You turned slightly and glanced back at the quiet palace, then turned around and said: "The secretary supervisor has many talents, but from what I can see, there are many
He is a talented person in the state and county, but only two or three people can be prime ministers. Sima Yi was deposed, Fa Zheng was in mourning, and Yang Xiu was appointed..."
As he spoke, he glanced sideways and back, as if to see someone: "The Lu Zi family is still young. At the moment, only Zhuge Kongming can still touch it."
"Zhuge Liang?" Xun Yue's mind first thought of a handsome gentleman with a gentle and kind-hearted appearance, and nodded: "This man is indeed extraordinary, but..." He paused: "His literary talent is not as good as Wang Can, but this article is better.
Cut the stone."
The emperor does not care about the quality of the article, only the meaning expressed by the article. If neither of the two meets the requirements, there will naturally be other solutions.
Relying on his familiarity with the emperor, Xun You said without hesitation: "If there is no article with good writing and meaning, your majesty can ask literati from all over the world to submit a letter to inform you. In this way, you can not only promote the imperial court's achievements in pacifying the Qiang, but also contribute to the public good.
Your Majesty seeks talents."
"I'm afraid there is no one in the world who knows the Emperor better than you." After thinking for a long time, Xun Yue sighed with emotion.
"It's just that we get along longer." Xun You's tone was calm. He raised his head to look at the white clouds floating slowly under the blue sky. It was as if he couldn't hear his sigh: "There are always so many people in the world."
At the back of the Yutang Hall, the emperor and Wang Fu found a verandah to sit down. Mu Shun was interested in setting up two banquet mats, but the emperor scolded him with a cold face: "What other mats are there? Did you let him sit on them?"
Mu Shun did not dare to raise his head and hurriedly took back the banquet prepared for Wang Fu.
"You make your own decision." The emperor pointed at Mu Shun and said angrily: "Back off!"
Mu Shun had a vague idea of why the emperor was angry, so he said "bad luck", bowed his head, and quickly led a group of people to retreat far away.
"You stand down below." The emperor changed his relaxed smile just now and pointed coldly to the open space in the courtyard outside the verandah: "Have a good time in the sun, and the mold will be washed away from your body."
"Is there any bad luck in my body?" Wang Fu wanted to pretend to be stupid, but he was frightened by the emperor's serious expression, and he stood obediently in the courtyard.
"The Wang family has been implicated by you, and you still say there is no bad luck?" The emperor raised his head slightly, remembering that he met Wang Bin when he entered the city. Wang Bin was already skinny and weak, but he still carefully apologized to the emperor in the car. He
He sighed angrily: "I'm sorry for you, Aweng. You are almost fifty years old, and you are so worried about your affairs."
"Your Majesty!" Wang Fu immediately knelt down, prostrated on the ground, and begged: "I just want the court to tide over the difficulties. Your Majesty should know the situation at that time. If I don't ask Aweng to take charge of the court temporarily,
Zhao Gong, Dong Gong and others are quarreling and dissatisfied with each other. How can the imperial court be at peace? Guanzhong is uneasy. By then, your Majesty will lead the three armies far away in Hebei. How can you attack with peace of mind? "
The emperor had heard this excuse countless times, and he was indifferent: "How dare you do this without any selfish motives?"
Wang Fu knelt on the hard floor tiles of the courtyard, holding the last remaining power of the autumn tiger on his head, sweat sliding down his forehead. He did not dare to wipe the sweat, hesitated for a while, and then said: "I... don't dare to hide it, I do have it."
Selfishness."
"You are quite honest." The emperor sneered, not letting the other person off easily: "Then tell me, what are your selfish motives?"