Fei Zhong hurriedly said: "Your Majesty has learned from this! I have always been loyal to Your Majesty..."
"Huh! You did a good job! Do you really think you can hide it from others?" Zhang Zixing interrupted Fei Zhong coldly, "If you don't want others to know, you have to do nothing yourself!"
Fei Zhong had something in his mind and was still waiting for a strong argument. Zhang Zixing defeated his psychological defense with one sentence: "Are you so impatient that you want to sit on the position of prime minister?"
Fei Zhong only felt a "bang" in his head, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground. It took him a while to react, and he quickly begged for mercy. Zhang Zixing said angrily: "I have been kind to you since I was King of Shou.
You were originally just a low-ranking official with no real power and who was discriminated against by others. It was I who recommended you to my father and gave you an important position. After I ascended the throne, I immediately promoted you to a senior official and entrusted you with important tasks, despite everyone's opinions.
, Now when any of the princes see you, they call you 'Doctor Fei' disrespectfully? Tell me, can you stand up to me?"
Fei Zhong was speechless, lying on the ground and crying: "The guilty minister has failed the emperor's kindness, and he really deserves death!"
Next, Zhang Zixing took out a volume of booklet, picked out a few passages and read them out, which shocked Fei Zhong out of his mind. It recorded in detail Fei Zhong's specific words and deeds on weekdays, including when and which concubine he slept with.
It was clear, let alone those acts of accepting bribes. Fei Zhong broke out in cold sweat. It turned out that he had always been firmly under the emperor's control. It was ridiculous that he usually thought he was unaware of anything.
"I have great trust in you. I know that you have always been corrupt, perverted the law, and bullied men and women, but I can't bear to investigate. You secretly solicited bribes from the princes, and I turned a blind eye and pretended not to see you. You and Fei Lian
, Wei Fan and others are colluding, secretly plotting to eradicate dissidents, fighting for power and profit, and I don’t blame them..." When Zhang Zixing said these words, he was also secretly asking himself, although this fat man will still be of great use in the future, is he too harsh on him?
Pampered? So bold that he dared to reach out to his master? It seemed necessary to give him a good wake-up call.
Thinking of this, Zhang Zixing's tone became even colder: "You should never, absolutely should not, in order to covet the position and squeeze out Shang Rong, plot against my woman. This is my biggest taboo! Now you are just trying to take advantage of me.
The incident of Concubine Rui eliminated Shang Rong, so when you become more courageous and powerful, won't you plan to usurp the throne?"
Fei Zhong's fat body was trembling, and he was filled with regrets. What he regretted was not corruption or seeking power, but regret that he should not have touched his master's bottom line. You must know that since ancient times, what kings fear most is that their subordinates are rebellious.
Some heroes will also be jealous of the monarch because of their superior achievements. He is just a jester. Although he relies on the favor of the emperor to get everything in the court, he has also offended many people. If he loses power, even if the emperor spares his life, he will
Death is not far away. From the beginning to the end, he was a speculator who wanted to rest against a big tree to enjoy the shade. To say that he was plotting to usurp the throne was really an injustice to him.
When Fei Zhong thought about this, he didn't dare to quibble. He just kowtowed and said: "I don't dare! Everything I have is given by Your Majesty, how dare I have such thoughts? I am like a loyal dog beside Your Majesty. On weekdays, I
But the master's power makes him grin. Once he loses his favor, he will starve to death on the streets and be slaughtered by others. Even if the criminal has great plans for others, he does not dare to have the slightest intention of his master. This time too
The guilty minister was temporarily lost in his mind and came up with such an idea. Your Majesty, please see that the guilty minister has always been loyal to you and has received a small amount of merit. Please spare the guilty minister's life! The guilty minister is willing to make meritorious service for his crime.
To repay your kindness!"
Zhang Zixing somewhat appreciated the fat man's quick wit. Fei Zhong knew that the emperor had already understood the conspiracy, so he did not deny his crime, but used the relationship between the emperor and his subjects to make a fuss, especially the metaphor of "master and dog".
vivid.
"It's good that you understand. Since I can give you wealth and power, I can also take back all of it... You have committed such a crime, even if the clan is exterminated, it is not an exaggeration. How can I be so lenient!" Zhang Zixing looked frightened.
Fei Zhong, who was out of his mind, suddenly changed his tone: "It's not difficult for you to survive, unless you complete a few things I asked you to do."
When Fei Zhong heard that there was still a chance of survival, he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, just give me your orders. Even if the guilty minister is utterly devastated, he will not hesitate to do so!"
"What a mess? If you can't do this, I will let you experience it." After Zhang Zixing gave Fei Zhong a big stick, he threw out a tempting sweet date: "These few things
Things cannot be done overnight, and may even take several years. But if you finally accomplish it, I will not only forgive you for all your crimes, but also reward you generously. Don’t you want to be a great minister? In my opinion, with this
Your talent is beyond comparison with that of a prime minister; even if you are a prince, you can still do the job!"
When Fei Zhong heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up. What are princes? In layman's terms, they are earth emperors. They can do whatever they want in their territory. However, most of the princes' positions are hereditary. Unless they have made outstanding contributions, they can only be granted.
Now that the emperor has made such a promise, how can Fei Zhong not be moved?
And Zhang Zixing's next sentence made him even more excited: "The 'lords of one side' I am referring to are not just ordinary princes, but the four princes of the southeast, northwest and northwest are top-notch! You also know that I am the supreme emperor. The so-called emperor has no joke, as long as you can achieve it."
With a few things, I can not only absolve you of your guilt, but also grant your wish."
Fei Zhong was extremely shocked. He never dreamed that he would have the opportunity to become a powerful leader like the four princes. Although he knew that what the emperor asked him to do was not that simple, in order to survive and have a better future, he had no choice.
.
Fei Zhong didn't know that from the moment he agreed, he, an insignificant little chess piece in the romance of the gods, had already taken a key step that affected the overall situation under Zhang Zixing's careful planning.
After You Hun returned to the Recruitment Hall, before his buttocks was still hot, suddenly an eunuch sent him a message asking him to enter the palace again. You Hun was overjoyed and quickly followed the eunuch into the palace. He was able to receive two summonses from the emperor on the same day in his own body.
What an honor!
Full of longing for the future, You Hun paid homage to the Emperor. In front of this emperor who had the highest absolute power and ruled the world, You Hun felt a sense of awe and surrender from the heart. Of course, what he surrendered to was only the control of this power.
The status he represented would still be the same if he were replaced by another person as the emperor. However, the emperor's first words made him half-cocked.
"You Hun, you have a sister who is newly married to Fei Zhong as his concubine in the 37th house. Is this possible?"
You Hun was shocked. He came from a declining noble family and his family was in decline. It was because of his sister's favored relationship with Fei Zhong and the heavy bribes that he received that he was personally recommended by him. However, he did not want to be known by the emperor so quickly. He looked at Zhang Zixing.
With a sharp gaze, You Hun, who had experienced the power of the king for the first time, not only shuddered, but also didn't know where the tricks from the past had gone. He stammered and replied: "Reporting to your majesty, it is indeed...this is indeed the case."
"Fei Zhong has made a big mistake, and I have demoted him from his post and will not reuse him." Zhang Zixing's second sentence completely shattered You Hun's hope. He ignored his mother's objections and married his young and beautiful sister to a lustful and greedy man.
Fei Zhong took Fei Zhong as his concubine, and he made a desperate move, selling off his property and paying a large sum of money for bribes, and finally managed to hug Fei Zhong tightly, but unexpectedly it ended like this.
Zhang Zixing looked at You Hun's ashen face and changed his tone: "Don't be nervous, I have always been talented. If you are not talented, even Fei Zhong's recommendation will be in vain; if you are really talented, even if you were born as a slave,
Even a few people must be valued. Fei Zhong said that you are good at maneuvering and proficient in arithmetic, but are you just lying?"
"Your Majesty appoints people on merit, setting a precedent for the ages. You are really lucky for the talented people in the world!" Hearing this, You Hun felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. He calmed down and said respectfully: "Since your Majesty's book "Tian Suan", the world's magic has been greatly improved."
Counters, you must take your Majesty as your teacher. I only know a little bit about one or two, how dare you say the word 'proficient' in front of your majesty?"
You Hun's words not only complimented the emperor, but also quietly pointed out the fact that he was proficient in arithmetic. His sentence "Everyone should take your majesty as his teacher" was particularly clever. Zhang Zixing nodded. It seemed that this guy was worthy of it.
The word "machine change".
Zhang Zixing did a little test and found that You Hun was really talented in mathematics, and his words often revealed agility. From the perspective of an applicant, he had indeed done a pretty good job. In fact, loyalty and betrayal are not absolute, the key is
If there is no means for the control of the superior, loyal ministers will also become bad. There are countless such examples in history.
Zhang Zixing showed a satisfied look and said: "You Qing is indeed very intelligent. Although Fei Zhong made a big mistake, he finally made a contribution to the promotion of talents."
"Your Majesty has given you the kindness of knowing me, and I will definitely repay you with a pink body!" You Hun understood that the emperor had affirmed his talent, and immediately knelt down on the ground and kowtowed several times. Although his forehead hurt, he was very excited inside.
Zhang Zixing's ears had become calluses after hearing such old-fashioned words of loyalty, but he still kept smiling and said: "You Qing has real talent and knowledge, so I won't miss it. I just don't know if You Qing wants to be a diligent minister? Or is it?
Do you want to be a speculator?"
You Hun was confused and hurriedly asked, and Zhang Zixing replied: "A diligent minister should be diligent and steady. Although he has no major faults, his achievements are limited. He needs to follow the steps and be promoted slowly; an opportunistic minister can be promoted step by step.
What is impossible for others, if you achieve special merits, you will be able to rise to the top and become a great minister."
You Hun is a smart man. When he heard about the "speculation minister", he was moved in his heart. He knew that the emperor would not give these two choices without reason, so he hesitated and asked: "You dare, your majesty, if the speculation fails, what will happen?"
What will happen?"
Zhang Zixing knew he would ask this question, and calmly uttered six words: "Death without a burial place!"
You Hun felt his heart beating so hard that it almost burst out of his chest. The emperor's meaning was very simple: this is like a gamble, where opportunities and risks coexist. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. After hesitating for a moment, You Hun
Finally he gritted his teeth and made a decision: "Report to Your Majesty that I am a villain and have no talent, so I am willing to be a speculative minister to share your Majesty's worries!"
If You Hun chose a diligent minister, Zhang Zixing would really have to re-examine him. As expected, You Hun was still the same "You Hun" and finally chose the latter.
"In that case, tomorrow you will follow my orders and go to the Department of Commerce to study for half a month." Upon hearing this, You Hun showed unconcealable ecstasy on his face.
Because Emperor Zhou attached great importance to commerce, the booming commerce also brought huge returns to the merchants. The Commerce Department was no longer the deserted one it was before, but became a hot department. The reason is very simple. Yabiqian was appointed by the emperor that year
He was "demoted" to the Department of Commerce, but now he has been promoted, restored to his original position, and holds real power, becoming one of the three most important ministers below the emperor. In the eyes of many people in the court, the Department of Commerce has become a "gold-plated" excellent person
The place where they go is just like some cadres in later generations who went to the countryside for "training" for two years and then were promoted and reused after they came back.
Unfortunately, Zhang Zixing immediately poured cold water on You Hun and sent him to the Commerce Department just to learn some necessary knowledge. The real purpose was to make this guy who chose to speculate become an outstanding businessman and be responsible for Zhang Zixing
The "Fugui" company was secretly established not long ago.
You Hun's mood seemed to have hit rock bottom, and he thought he had heard it wrong. Although the business of the big merchants was developing rapidly at that time, the social status of the merchants was still very low. At best, they were only slightly above the common people. Any official could come here.
, you can boss them around, even the richest businessmen. Now the "important task" the emperor has given you is to be a "lowly" businessman? But since the emperor has made his request, he will not allow himself to go back on it.
Otherwise, there is only a dead end.
"Don't worry. Since I let you do business, I will definitely give you the greatest support. From now on, you will be the host of the 'Fugui' company." Zhang Zixing gave him a shot in the arm in time: "As long as you achieve my goals by then,
With just one wish, you can be granted the title of feudal lord, and your ancestors can be honored!"
Fengjiang lords! Guangzong Yaozu! The depressed Youhun was almost stunned by these eight words, and his eyes suddenly became fanatical. These eight words represent - by then, an unknown person like him can also become a prince, a heroic figure.
Build the world!
Even though You Hun is usually calm and alert, his mood will inevitably fluctuate under Zhang Zixing's methods. Looking at You Hun who is almost unable to control himself, Zhang Zixing secretly sneered: What is control? This is control! To control characters like You Hun and Fei Zhong, besides
In addition to beating hard, you also need to show kindness and grace. A two-pronged approach is the best way to control it.
You Hun was finally able to maintain a trace of consciousness and knelt on the ground towards Zhang Zixing: "May I ask what your Majesty's wish is? Even if I risk my life, I will fulfill it for your Majesty."
Just fight for your own dream of princes... Zhang Zixing put away the sarcasm in his eyes and said seriously: "My wish is to cover eight hundred princes in my Great Shang territory. Wherever the sun can shine,
You can see the stores of the 'Fugui' brand everywhere!"
You Hun did not disappoint Zhang Zixing. He made a bold statement, "I will never return until I fulfill my mission."
He left with the same ambition now, but they all got the same promise: "Princes"!
Zhang Zixing watched "yet" another future prince leave with a confident smile on his lips: "War does not necessarily involve fighting with real swords and guns..."