"The old man's words will make the students suddenly enlightened!"
Yan Zhenzhi spoke slowly, "I never expected that there is such a far-reaching purpose behind the emperor's reward!"
"This is just one of them!" Ling Han continued, "Since the emperor came to the throne, he has still followed the policies of the Supreme Emperor and has not implemented the new emperor's policies in a drastic way. Outsiders think that the emperor is concerned about the Supreme Emperor's face and is waiting..."
"But on the other hand, the emperor doesn't have many suitable people in his hands!" Ling Han looked around and whispered, "Over the past year or so, the emperor has slowly taken back power, consolidated his authority, and looked for talented people. Military and political reform is only the first step.
One step, the next step is..."
Speaking of this, Ling Han gave everyone a warning look.
Suddenly, several people were shocked.
"Old bachelor, what do you mean?" Yang Jing, the censor of Zuodu, asked.
"The emperor is a man with great ambitions. It is not for us to guess." Ling Han smiled, "You are all familiar with history books. You know better than me what Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han did after they came to power!"
Everyone was stunned and a little confused.
But the next second, Ling Han's words made them feel like they were struck by lightning.
Ling Han ate the taro slowly and said in a low voice, "After the New Year, I will submit a letter asking to resign and return to my old age without asking anything about government affairs!"
"Old mentor!" Yan Zhen said anxiously, "How can this happen? If you resign, will the DPRK...?"
"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Ling Han squinted and said, "The first step is military affairs, what about the second step?" He said, looking at Hou Yong, "You, the minister, know that in the past half month,
Didn’t the emperor replace almost half of the chief secretaries of various provinces in the Ming Dynasty?"
Hou Yong sat still and said, "Huguang, Fujian, Shanxi, Jiangxi, Henan..."
"In addition, the iron tripod stone of Zhejiang City has always been stable." Ling Han added for him, "These are the essence of my Ming Dynasty!"
Yes, these places were all provinces with abundant finances and large populations in the Ming Dynasty.
"Why didn't I listen?" Yang Jing wondered.
"It's just a draft." Ling Han took the last bite of taro and wiped his hands with a handkerchief, "It will be announced after the new year."
As he spoke, he sighed, "If I hadn't thought of resigning, I wouldn't have said this to you!"
"Old mentor, you are an old minister, and I cannot do without you!" Yan Zhenzhi said again, "You suddenly resigned..."
"I have been an official for decades, and I have seen with my own eyes how Liu Bowen fell, how Li Shanchang was defeated, and why Hu Weiyong died!" Ling Han squinted his eyes, and the wrinkles on his face trembled, "The lessons from the past are not far away.
!”
These words made everyone even more confused.
"Form a faction." Ling Han opened his eyes and looked at the people around him, "A faction!"
As he spoke, he smiled bitterly and said, "Take what I just said, these people are trying to persuade me to go against the emperor. Is this a clique?"
"How can this be a clique?" Yan Zhen said bluntly, "They came here on their own, you can't shirk it!"
"Then why don't they see others?" Ling Han asked back, sneering, "I have lived too long and my position is too high, so some people just follow me. At first, I was known as Ling Tietou and walked alone in the court, but now
Over the past few years, haven’t a group of people gathered around me without realizing it?”
"Sometimes forming a party is not necessarily a matter of hard work, but sometimes it is a last resort. Those party members who are affiliated with Afu may not all have good intentions."
At this point, several people understood it.
"Besides, the emperor is about to appoint a new person. As an old man, I occupy the seat and block the advancement of future generations. Even if the emperor doesn't say anything, others will twist their mouths. By then, everyone will look ugly. I know how to advance and retreat.
, it is also the emperor’s face that is preserved!”
Everyone was convinced that if Ling Han did not retreat, the new people appointed by the emperor would inevitably conflict with the old people in the court. At that time, Ling Han would be caught in the middle and be praised as the leader by the old people in the court. He would definitely not be able to please both, and
As time goes by, the emperor will inevitably have some opinions about Ling Han.
Ling Han smiled, then picked up the strong tea and took a sip, "That's it for now, I have a word of caution for you!"
Hou Yong, Yan Zhenzhi and others immediately stood up and bowed to listen.
"You are all talented people of the country. Your moral character can be trusted by the Emperor. I have watched you step by step until today, and I can't bear to see you make mistakes in the future." Ling Han said sincerely, "Remember, after leaving my house today,
, don’t get too close to each other in private!”
"Don't share your needs with each other. While doing your best in government affairs, you must be on your own. It is a taboo to be harmonious among you. If you are harmonious, the people below you will also be harmonious. When the time comes, a group of officials will make one voice, and you will let it go.
What does the Emperor think?"
"As long as you guys don't make mistakes, your status in the future will be higher than mine. It's not easy for me to sit here, and many people with ulterior motives will come to you. Compliment you, use you, and no party will form a party. You have to wipe it out
Be bright and don't be too arrogant, otherwise your reputation will be ruined!"
Several people were very moved, with gratitude in their eyes.
These few sentences can be said to be a summary of Ling Han's life experience, and they are also the best advice for being a man and an official.
"The ancients said that if a gentleman is not party-minded, he will not be able to save himself from trouble; if a villain makes friends with others, he will help others. The ancients said that serving as an official should be viewed dialectically. But in the final analysis, it still depends on the individual's character and the people he associates with.
If a gentleman party with a gentleman, there will be no harm. If a gentleman does not know how to party with a villain, the disaster is not far away, and the villain will not help him, and may even add insult to injury."
"If you want to do something for the country, you must first make sure that you are upright. If you are not upright, you can't do good things, so you don't need to be a good person!" Ling Han said, sighed and waved his hands, "Let's all go, and don't come to my family again in the future! During the New Year!
, let alone bring gifts."
"Old mentor!" Yan Zhen's eyes turned red.
"If you have me in your heart, you should serve as an official well and work for the welfare of the country and the country!" Ling Han closed his eyes and said, "When you encounter talents that can be made in the future, tell them what I told you today."
"Yes!" Several people bowed and saluted.
~~
Ling Han's home is not big or luxurious.
A few people walked silently and arrived at the gate after a while.
The door is closed and only the side door is open.
Several people looked back again and shook their heads at the same time.
Although they were surprised by Ling Han's sudden resignation, they also understood Ling Han's difficulties and appreciated his painstaking efforts. They admired Ling Han's words of wisdom and even regarded them as their motto.
"Let me pay my respects to Teacher again!" Yan Zhen said straight away, bowing towards the backyard.
At this moment, an old servant of the Ling family chased after him carrying a bunch of books tied with rope.
"My lords, stay here!" said the old servant.
Hou Yong asked, "What's the matter?"
"My master said that these books were ones he often read in the past. Teachers and students don't have anything to give to you adults. I'm just giving these books to a few of you. I hope you can take a look at them in your spare time!"
With that said, the old servant handed the book into the hands of several people, walked to the door with a smile, "Please, go slowly!"
Those books have been read over many years, and the pages are all tattered, and they are full of notes and reading experiences in small regular script.
"Tao Te Ching", "Guan Zi", "Warring States Policy", "Zhenguan Zheng Yao"...
Immediately realizing Ling Han's good intentions, several people's eyes turned red.