There is a simple house in Zhongzhou City amid heavy rain.
In a hall in the house, an old man and a young man were sitting.
The old man had a blanket covering his knees, his eyes were dim, and his face was covered with black age spots. When he coughed from time to time, the sound coming from his chest and lungs was like a blower in a blacksmith's workshop, but even so, there was still a feeling on his face.
Upright.
This old man with simple clothes and a very poor family is none other than Jiang Rui, a famous minister of Yunqin and the official of the Department of Justice.
The young man sitting opposite him was Wang Buping, the umbrella maker who followed him out of Donggang Town.
"A few years ago, the Lisi Star Observatory discovered a bright red demon star flashing across the sky. Soon after, there was a strange movement in the back cave of the Dragon Snake Mountain Range. The sages said that if something was too weird, there must be a demon, and they called it the cave beast in the Great Wilderness.
There is a demon leader." After Jiang Rui drank a bowl of medicinal soup, he looked at Wang Buping with some sadness and said: "Since then, I, Yunqin, have never had peace. I heard people rebelled, the prince died, the emperor went to the south, and Zhou Shoufu retired.
, Hu Piyi was defeated, and hundreds of thousands of Yun and Qin soldiers died on the battlefield."
Wang Buping didn't know what was urgent about Jiang Ruizhao's meeting. Listening to Jiang Rui's words, he was just worried about Jiang Rui's health.
From the mouths of some officials in the court and several old servants of Jiang Rui's house before coming, he knew that Jiang Rui's health was getting worse and worse, and that there was no improvement in the medicine and stone treatment.
After coughing several times, Jiang Rui, who had a heavy look on his face, gasped, looked at Wang Buping with a sullen face, and said: "There has been a big movement in the court recently. In a few days, an imperial department will be set up, and another one will be set up."
It is established outside the Eighth Division and specializes in dealing with corruption matters among the Eighth Division officials."
Wang Buping was no longer an umbrella maker in the small town at this moment. With just these words, his face suddenly changed. "It is not under the jurisdiction of any one department to control corruption in various departments, so isn't the real power of the Imperial City Branch?"
great."
Jiang Rui did not answer Wang Buping's question. In his opinion, such a question was not a problem at all and did not need to be answered. He just said slowly: "Severe cases require strong medicine. Yun Qin's official treatment has indeed reached an extremely serious level.
Your Majesty has established a new department to treat serious illnesses, so you cannot use the old team that has many problems. Therefore, when you set up a new department, Liu Xueqing, Lord Liu, will first take charge of the Imperial City Department. I have recommended you to the Holy Emperor and Liu Xueqing, and you will be transferred to the Imperial Capital Department in the future.
Branch, assume important positions."
Wang Buping was immediately shocked and said in a voiceless voice: "How can a student with little talent and limited knowledge be able to take on a big responsibility?"
Jiang Rui coughed heavily and said in a deep voice: "Don't belittle yourself. It is precisely because you are worried that you will be rotten as soon as you are established, so the emperor always appoints new ministers.
Powerful young man, it is simple to control corruption. You only need to be honest and not afraid of death, and you will be more than enough!"
"The country wants you to take on a big responsibility, so you have to take it. I brought you out from Donggang Town, not to let you shirk your duties at this time." Before Wang Buping could say anything, Jiang Rui said something coldly.
Wang Buping's palms were covered with sweat. Finally he just gritted his teeth and said, "Student, try your best."
Jiang Rui's face became calmer, he was silent for a moment, and said: "I will not die soon."
Wang Buping took another breath and turned pale.
"I don't like to say pretentious words. On the day when the court was discussing the Southern Expedition, I just happened to be working in another province and was not in the palace. Otherwise, I would have been dead by then and wouldn't be alive now." Jiang Rui's face became extremely expressionless.
He became serious and looked at Wang Buping, "I came to you just to warn you about something."
Wang Buping took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said, "Teacher, please speak."
Jiang Rui narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice: "I know that you have great respect for Lin Xi. I just want to ask you one thing. If Lin Xi and the Holy One have a conflict in the future, will you favor Lin Xi?"
Sweat rolled down Wang Buping's forehead. He looked at Jiang Rui and said in a trembling voice, "Teacher, why do you ask such a question?"
"Because I have always had a bad impression of Lin Xi. He doesn't seem to have much respect for the Holy One. Such a person is likely to be a great disaster, and a heroic figure like Wenren Cangyue." Jiang Ruileng
He said coldly: "Before, apart from his status as a student of Qingluan College, he was nothing, but now his prestige among the people is getting higher and higher, and he can even guide some situations, which will naturally be more dangerous in the future."
Wang Buping opened his mouth, but no sound came out for a moment, and his clothes were wet with sweat.
Jiang Rui's eyes flashed with a look of disappointment, and he said sadly: "You have to understand that no matter what mistakes the Holy One makes, he will always be the Holy One. If our ministers are not loyal and patriotic, they are not upright, no matter what wonderful things they do.
, they all have evil intentions and are just grandstanding. It is the Holy One who gave us the power to advise and benefit the people. Naturally, our power should be used to protect the Holy One. I know you can’t answer me right now, yes
Because you think it is impossible for Lin Xi to do what I said, but what if he really does it! You don’t need to defend him, you just have to promise me to punish the rebellious ministers, regardless of whether they are close or distant!"
Wang Buping still couldn't make a sound, he just nodded with a pale face.
Jiang Rui was furious, "Are you still hesitating about being a minister?"
Wang Buping trembled all over, but Jiang Rui coughed heavily and spat out a mouthful of blood with a pop. His chest and clothes were dripping with blood.
"Teacher, calm down! Disciples must remember the teacher's teachings! Even if they die, they will not give up!" Wang Buping was suddenly horrified and anxious. With a pop, he knelt down in front of Jiang Rui.
"Okay, this is my student." Jiang Rui showed a smile, swayed, and stretched out his hand to touch the top of Wang Buping's head, but found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift his hand.
It was just a few feet away, and he couldn't reach it. "The time has come." This upright old minister, who had cared about the country and the people all his life, sighed with nostalgia in the heavy rain in Zhongzhou City, and glanced at the vast landscape outside the window.
Heavy Rain, the body suddenly relaxed, exhaled his last breath, and said the last words, "Don't forget to promise me."
"teacher!"
"grown ups!"
In the sound of heavy rain, a generation of upright and famous officials passed away, and the small courtyard was filled with mournful sounds.
…
"These short-sighted civil servants, the so-called direct ministers, have a straight head, what do they know!"
Amid the sound of heavy rain, in a turret in Zhongzhou City, a Zhongzhou Guard general in civilian clothes sneered and cursed: "If you fail to succeed, you will fail more than you can!"
"Lord Lu, don't you think it's a good idea to set up an imperial capital?"
Another general in silver armor looked at his angry superior in confusion and asked in confusion.
"Yu Du Ke is good, but it depends on when!" The Zhongzhou Guard general in civilian clothes said coldly and solemnly: "Severe diseases require strong medicine, and we should take advantage of the time when the patient's body is better. Now the two countries are at war.
At that time, they carried out drastic measures to purge corrupt officials. The worse the official governance in Yunqin became, the more everyone was in danger, and the more corrupt officials could not be killed at once! How much chaos is going to happen here? Don't cause chaos on the front lines before there is chaos on the inside!
"
"The property of corrupt officials can indeed help fund the military, but now we in Yunqin have not reached the point where the shortage of money and food is at its limit. What our military needs is smooth support! Some of these corrupt officials are able to do things at least, and they want to kill important people.
We have to wait until the war is settled, but now we are killing and arresting fiercely, which will please people's hearts. Those civil servants and officials will feel comfortable, but many more people on our front line may die!"
"Wen Xuanshu, the chief minister, only knew how to obey the Holy Spirit, so he won the support of many officials, and the vast majority of officials agreed to this matter. Even if the elders wanted to object, under the pedantic support of the direct ministers, they could no longer
The more you oppose, the more you will be considered unfair! A good literary assistant can do a beautiful job, but if he does it too beautifully, it will make people think there is something wrong. He is just a flatterer, how can he compare with Zhou Shoufu!"
After shouting several times in anger, the civilian general still seemed to be upset, and then said in a cold voice: "And this kind of newly established department is all about special promotions, who knows if there is anything dirty in it!"
The general in silver armor also seemed to have a fiery temper. After hearing these few words, he suddenly became angry and said in a cold voice: "Master Lu, since you feel this way and you have been displeased with Wen Shoufu before,
Why don't we just ask for a transfer and follow General Gu Yunjing?"
"How is this possible?"
The general in civilian clothes sneered, "The more this happens, the more we must bow to Wen and Chen, listen to his orders, and serve him well."
The silver-armored general frowned, "Master Lu, I don't understand."
"If anyone who has an opinion against him will leave, and those who were pushed out of office by him will be kicked off, then who is watching him in Zhongzhou City?" The commoner general's face calmed down slightly, he looked at the silver-armored general, and sneered slightly:
"So the more this is the case, the more we must show respect for him, as if we want to use him to climb up, and be loyal to him. Usually in front of outsiders, we should not even mention his uncomfortable look. Who should let him
They all feel that we are loyal to him."
The silver-armored general was stunned, understood, and smiled, but then he felt a little angry and sad, "It seems too difficult for me to do this."
"You have to do it even if it's difficult. Even if someone pokes your nose and scolds you."
The general in civilian clothes said coldly: "But one day, others will know who is really for Yun Qin."
After a slight pause, the city defense general narrowed his eyes and said firmly: "Dean Zhang said that time will eventually prove everything."
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