When Wang Fijiao uttered the word "become an official", the hall fell into silence.
Xue Mai shook his head and sighed, while Xue Shou held the tea cup, stunned and at a loss...
Since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Hedong family has never really entered the center of power. The so-called family members only rely on their control of the Hedong Salt Pond and their long-standing inheritance. They are more praised than practical, so they are far from the real top families.
Like the Guanlong Clan, which emerged from the Northern Wei Dynasty and then single-handedly created the empires of the Sui and Tang dynasties, that is the real Clan.
But the world has changed. Since Emperor Taizong established the national policy of "suppressing the clans", no clans are allowed to steal the power of the court and control the government. The grand situation of the Guanlong clan that dominated the world will almost never be repeated.
So what is the ultimate goal that gate valves will pursue in the future?
It is nothing more than becoming a general or a prime minister. With their profound knowledge, the disciples enter the court, serve the country, and are loyal to the king. Step by step, they rise to the top of the prime minister and ministers, gain more benefits for the family, and guide more disciples to become officials.
Expand the influence of Gate Valve.
They are still competing for the highest power, but the path has changed. This is already known to the most top families today.
But I never thought that someone had already walked ahead.
What is the most suitable way? Naturally, it is the imperial examination.
The imperial court established the imperial examination in the name of supporting students from poor families. In fact, students from poor families were far from being able to compare with the children of aristocratic families with good family backgrounds. This has been regarded by the clan as the best way to become an official.
However, each of the powerful families has a long history, and it is difficult to distinguish them in terms of knowledge reserves. No one is truly superior to others. This leads to the fact that even though there is clearly a way to become an official through the imperial examination, powerful families have to compete fiercely on this road.
, whoever advances and who retreats, whoever ascends and who descends, there will inevitably be a fierce fight.
But at this time, if any family members are anxious about the king's needs, think about what the empire wants, and are willing to give up their interests in exchange for promotion qualifications in the imperial examination... all the family members will be surpassed!
And if his disciples join the officialdom early and reach the top one day early, it means decades of lead.
After all, if you wait until the rules are fixed and try to exceed them, the effort and price required will increase exponentially...
Although Xue Mai was old and decrepit, he was decisive in killing. After thinking for a moment, he said decisively: "Just follow this idea and talk to Fang Jun. First, test whether the Pei and Liu families are eyeing this road."
, and secondly, we must strive for a more advantageous position for everyone.”
"Here."
Wang Fukiao suppressed the excitement in his heart and nodded respectfully.
If we really take this path, small family members like the Wang family of Longmen will not only be able to take turns holding the highly influential official position of "Gayyanshi", but the children in the family will also have the opportunity to enter the imperial examination and become officials.
Entering an official position is a threshold, limited by the status of one's family.
But once this threshold is exceeded, the background of the family is no longer the only determining factor. As long as the disciple is good enough, it will be a smooth road for him to become a prime minister.
Even a small family can reach the top.
*****
"Hedong Pei clan" is a clan clan with Hedong County as its county head, but in fact it is the surname of Guanzhong County.
The surname Pei dates back thousands of years, and is actually a descendant of Qin Ying. The youngest son "Zhen" of Duke Huan of Qin was granted the title of Zhu Township, so he took the fiefdom as his surname and was called the Zhu family. According to the custom of the time, the sixth generation Sun Ling of "Zhen" was mostly called "Zhen".
Therefore, he should be called Zhu Ling instead of Ying Ling, and he was granted the title of Jieyi. So he simply removed the word Zhu from the city and made it Pei from Yi, and took it as his own surname.
After the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, the surnames were unified, and the Pei family name became Pei. The Pei family name in Hedong was just a customary name for a prominent family in the world. The family name was Pei, and it was no longer the surname of the ancestor: Ying.
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Pei family in Hedong was already a famous family comparable to the Langya Wang family in the Southern Dynasty, who was known as "the king and the horse, sharing the world". People at that time were praised as "the eight Pei's and the eight kings".
The Pei family in Hedong has been producing talents in large numbers since the Han Dynasty. By the Northern Wei Dynasty, it had become a famous and famous family in the world. After the Heyin Revolution, the Northern Wei Dynasty was divided into the Eastern and Western Wei Dynasties. The three tribes in Hedong headed by the Pei family returned to the Guanlong Group of the Western Wei Dynasty.
The subsequent Sui and Tang dynasties were both founded by the Guanlong Group. The Pei family was regarded as a close comrade-in-arms in the same county. The "Clan Chronicle" included them as the surname of Guanzhong County. This was a recognition of the status of the Pei family in Hedong.
…
…
In the official residence, Fang Jun hosted a banquet in honor of Pei Zaixi, the Minister of Finance from afar.
After the banquet, the two of them went to the study to sit for a while and talk about the products.
Although Pei Xizai was nearly sixty years old, his official position, Zuo Cheng, was Fang Jun's real subordinate, so he did not dare to entrust him to him. He held the pot and poured tea with his own hands, and said with a smile: "I have the temerity to come to the door today. It is really rude. I also hope that the country of Yue will be restored."
Don’t blame the public.”
The children of the aristocratic family are gentle in life. They are not young but have a delicate appearance, gentle manners and excellent temperament.
Fang Jun took the tea cup and took a sip, and said calmly: "You are here today as a descendant of the Pei family in Hedong, so there is no need to pay any courtesy. You can talk freely if you have anything to say."
Pei Xizai did not beat around the bush and expressed his intention directly: "The Pei family of Hedong is loyal to the Tang Dynasty and to His Majesty, so he is willing to cede the ownership of the Hedong Salt Fields to the central government and transfer the interests of his family and surname to the treasury of the empire. I only hope that the Tang Dynasty will prosper and the country will be prosperous."
Zuo Long."
Straight to the point, Pei's position in Hedong was determined.
Let me tell you, such a position can only be achieved under the right conditions...
Fang Jun smiled, shook his head and said: "There is no doubt about the ownership of the Hedong Salt Farm. This does not require the approval of you, the Pei family of Hedong. Whether you approve it or not, it cannot be changed."
Negotiation is okay, but you can't raise the bottom line too high.
Pei Xizai sat upright, his back straight, his expression was very respectful, but he did not give in to his words. He said in a deep voice: "The Duke of Yue is a model for the world because of his brilliant strategy and his ability to recognize people. However, the current situation is full of ups and downs. He can easily destroy the entire Hedong."
As well as Henan, Guanzhong and other places are being swept away, which will not only harm your reputation, Duke of Yue, but will also cause countless people to fall into dire straits. I imagine that Duke of Yue, who has always loved the people, would not want such a predicament to come."
Fang Jun took a sip of tea and said: "Everything in this world has gains and losses. How can we only get benefits without paying for it? The ownership of the salt pond in Hedong is an unprecedented reform, and every reform in the past has required great efforts.
Your Majesty and I are ready to bear any price."
The posture is a bit tough.
Pei Xizai smiled and poured tea for Fang Jun: "But if you can avoid paying a heavy price, why not do it?"
Fang Jun finally took a step back and raised his eyebrows: "I would like to hear the details."
Pei Xizai secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said bluntly: "The Hedong Pei family is willing to persuade the Fenyin Xue family, Xie County Liu family and even the other Hedong aristocratic families to give up the ownership rights of the salt farm, and organize manpower to return to the salt pond to resume work and production as soon as possible to eliminate all disadvantages.
Its influence will completely put an end to the current chaotic situation."
Fang Jun drank tea and was a little dissatisfied: "Don't say half of it, otherwise if I seriously ask you to do it right away, how will you respond?"
Pei Xizai: "..."
It's a little embarrassing. Mr. Pei from Hedong is not a fool. Since there are conditions for doing this, shouldn't people at our level be more reserved in their conversations? It's good that we both know what we are saying, so why do we have to say it out loud?
Although he was slandering in his heart, he did not dare to hesitate at all, and said quickly: "What the Duke of Yue taught you is that the subordinates were rude... The reason why Hedong Pei is willing to pay such a high price is that he naturally expects all the rewards. Hedong Pei
The clan has been prominent since the Han Dynasty. There are countless outstanding descendants in the clan. They have also served as generals and prime ministers, assisting the king in governing the country. Although it has been a little dull since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, most of them were not willing to fight with each other due to the influence of the turbulent current situation.
They kill each other. However, the children of the clan keep on studying and studying hard, hoping that one day the world will be peaceful and they can apply what they have learned to benefit the country and the people."
We are willing to surrender, but we must receive preferential treatment.
Fang Jun nodded and said, "Tell me more about it."
Pei Xizai said: "The children of the Pei family in Hedong are willing to take the imperial examination, pass the court's strict selection system and become officials, and fill the yamen at all levels of the court, doing their best for the prosperity and growth of the empire."
The imperial examination is the fairest way to select scholars at present. If Pei from Hedong wanted to compete fairly, he would not have said it. Since he said it, he did not intend to compete fairly.
What I want is a preferential treatment that can prevent unfair competition...
Fang Jun was noncommittal and drank tea slowly.
It is indeed difficult to call the imperial examination "fair" at the current stage. There are still many areas that need to be improved. Even if we can achieve the almost perfect system of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and strictly eliminate cheating and other means, it still cannot be called it.
fair.
Because the current educational resources are completely monopolized in the hands of aristocratic families, the educational resources that a child of an aristocratic family can obtain are far beyond the reach of children from poor families. This leads to the fact that the more fair the system is, the more unfair it will be to children from poor families.
The imperial court needs to persistently provide educational resources and policies in order to slowly bridge the gap. This is definitely not something that can be accomplished by one person with an idea. It requires persistent efforts.
So at this stage, can "unfairness" be used as a means to seek greater benefits?
Fang Jun thinks it’s okay.
"The Pei family in Hedong has luxuriant branches and a prosperous population. Pei Zuocheng cannot represent the entire Pei family."
The Hedong Pei family flourished in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but in the ensuing political divisions and social turmoil, the Hedong Pei family was divided into five branches, commonly known as the "Five Households": Xiliang West House Pei, and Hedong Xima Pei.
Wu Pei came from the south of Xiangyang, Pei from the middle of Heluo, and Pei from the northeast of Hebei.
Pei Xizai was born in Dongjuan Pei.
The "Five Families" originate from one branch, but they have been scattered all over the world for so many years. No matter how connected they are with each other, they cannot truly advance and retreat together.
Fang Jun needs the commitment of the entire Hedong Pei family.