Han Shizu

Chapter 2030 The Last Journey 2
Ezhou has been an important military town guarding the middle reaches of the Yangtze River since ancient times. After 30 years of development, its economic level has also improved rapidly, and it is gradually catching up with the Daoist Jiangling Prefecture.

Otherwise, in general, Ezhou's geographical location is more advantageous, extending in all directions, closer to the core governing areas such as Gyeonggi and the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. Convenient water and land transportation makes business travel convenient and the population moves frequently. , the unprecedentedly good business atmosphere has also led to the prosperity of Ezhou.

Regardless of the situation in other places, here in Ezhou, at least the development of Jiangxia under state governance has been upward, and it has not yet reached its limit. Although the growth of finance and taxation has slowed down, it is always improving every year.As for the population, Jiangxia City has already exceeded 20 people. In the past [-] years, large cities with a population of [-] people have continued to appear, but the development of Jiangxia City is still unexpected by many people.

The increase in population, economy, finance and taxation will naturally lead to the improvement of politics. The upgrade of Jiangxia County was determined as early as seven years ago. Jiangxia County Magistrate will be lowered from the fifth grade.

Due to the development of "urbanization", some county officials in Han Dynasty are now low-ranking and high-ranking, just like Jiangxia.Similarly, the magistrate of Ezhou was also promoted to the third rank.

The magistrate of Ezhou, named Sun Yue, was forty and three years old, during the golden political period of the bureaucracy.This person has an extraordinary origin. He is the grandson of Sun Guangxian, the former chief envoy of Jinghu North Road.

This Sun Guangxian is even more special. He was once the head of the civil servants of the Jingnan separatist regime, assisting three generations of the Nanping Wang family. Of course, these are not the things that Sun Guangxian is most proud of.For the Han Dynasty, what was more important was that when the king's army went south to Pingchu, Sun Guangxian advocated submission to the Han Dynasty and successfully promoted the Nanping King Gaobao to accept the land offering.

The imperial court was able to recruit hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians from the three states of Nanping without losing any blood. Their money, food, troops, horses, chariots and ships were all used by the Han army, which was of great benefit to both the Ping Chu at that time and the subsequent expedition to Shu.

Sun Guangxian also won the eyes of the old emperor with his outstanding performance. The imperial court was in need of such talents who knew current affairs. Moreover, few people criticized Sun Guangxian for seeking glory and offering land for officialdom. This was called obeying the destiny.

As for Sun Guangxian himself, he was also proud of this move. He once told a guest that he traveled to many places when he was young. Although he was briefly promoted to the Gao family, he had done nothing for the country and was of no use to the people. He had been inactive for decades and could not survive when he was about to die. , if you do such a feat, you will have no regrets in this life.

Of course, these remarks are suspected of putting money on his face. If he surrenders, he will surrender, and he also has to say some truth. Generally speaking, Sun Guangxian's face is somewhat thick-skinned, and he can even think that his personal ethics are deficient.

However, the subsequent development of Sun Guangxian and even the Sun family also proved the correctness of that choice with the most practical results.Sun Guangxian was first appointed as the prefect of Jiangling, responsible for the pacification and aftermath work of the three states of Nanping. Later, as one of the "Nanchen leaders", he was promoted to Gyeonggi and served as the minister of the Ministry of Rites. At the age of 66, he was also sent to be the governor of Jinghu North Road. The political envoy, at the age of 70, served gloriously and enjoyed his old age in peace.

It has been 23 years since Sun Guangxian passed away, but his legacy to Sun's descendants and people is still playing an important role. His two sons were both Jinshi in high school and served as high-ranking officials in Daozhou.By the third generation, Sun Yue was in his early forties and became the magistrate of Ezhou, the second most important Shangzhou in Jinghu North Road. Family background still plays a special role in this.
The emperor's fortune is naturally a big deal for Ezhou.Regarding the old emperor's southern tour, some people felt pressured or even afraid, but some people were happy and felt that it was a rare opportunity.Over in Shenzhou, Wang Qinruo was like this, Liu Jiqian was like this, and over in Ezhou, Sun Yue was like this.

With Sun Yue's current age and current job level, it is inevitable if he wants to make progress.He has been in Ezhou for more than four years and has performed well. Although he has no outstanding achievements, he can ensure the stable development of Ezhou, especially Jiangxia. His skills and ability to maintain stability are bureaucratic qualities that the court values ​​​​very much and are also important assessment items. According to the court, It's time for the promotion system to move.

According to the usual practice, Sun Yue's next step is either to be transferred to another major state, which is basically where Taoism is located, or to be appointed as a political participant in Taoism or as an officer of various Cao Cao, or simply to be promoted to Gyeonggi and go to the central government for a baptism.In short, no matter where you go, if nothing unexpected happens, it will be a great progress in your career and you will step onto a new level in life.

In fact, with Ezhou's current status in Jinghu North Road, as the chief official, Sun Yue has already reached the achievements of his father and uncle, and what he wants is obviously more, and he wants to stand at a higher point and enjoy the scenery.

The Sun family, except for their grandfather Sun Guangxian, who barely squeezed into the central elite circle, has actually been circulating in Jinghu North Road. In the past 20 years, they have basically not made a debut, and are even shrinking.

Even Sun Guangxian, when he served in the Ministry of Rites, only touched the periphery of the Han Dynasty's powerful circles, and it was difficult to penetrate deeply.No matter how high his local reputation is and how powerful his influence is, he still has to keep his tail between his legs in front of the real dignitaries. This is the most realistic portrayal of the strict hierarchy from top to bottom of the big man.

This is what Sun Yue is determined to break. With his current situation, there is still some chance.But if you really want to make a breakthrough quickly, you will need those rare opportunities in ten years, such as the emperor's visit.

Many times, people's thoughts are really similar. In essence, there is not much difference between Sun Yue, Wang Qinruo and Liu Jiqian.Of course, people think and worry, and their ideas change, especially due to the current situation.

What the old emperor did in Shenzhou and the bureaucrats he dealt with are still quite scary, and the effect of killing chickens to scare monkeys is still very obvious.At least, Sun Yue had doubts.

Fortunately, he didn't need to worry about this matter alone. After Jiangling received the news of Luan Jia's inspection, Fan Zhigu, then the chief envoy of Jinghu North Road, quickly took several assistant officers and ran away for 300 days. Duoli, specially came to Ezhou to greet him.

According to Sun Yue's original plan, he was to take Hezhou officials to the state border and even to Anzhou further north to welcome him. Jiangxia City must also be fully prepared for food, clothing, housing, transportation, welcome performances, and even auspiciousness. consider.

When Fan Zhigu came, he rejected all his ideas and asked Ezhou to follow the imperial edict to keep everything simple and not to be extravagant. He also made demands. What was Jiangxia like? When Luan Jia arrived, Jiangxia was still there. What to do.

Sometimes, even if you care and care, the emperor will explain the answer clearly, and some people will not be able to copy it.Of course, it is impossible to be unprepared, at least in terms of maintaining public security and stability, no matter how strict the restrictions are, no matter how strict they are.

As for Sun Yue's worries, he was afraid of neglecting the Holy Master and was afraid of being rectified by the emperor later. In Fan Zhigu's view, they were really unfounded worries.There is no training palace in Ezhou, and there is no abuse of the people. Even in the entire Jinghu North Road, all major projects in recent years have been carried out in accordance with the regulations. Even if there are problems, it only needs to be found out and dealt with.

When the holy driver goes on a tour, can he still return without success and just walk away laughing?No matter what, the old emperor must be asked to deal with some corrupt officials and solve some people's livelihood problems to reflect the positive significance of the inspection.

If Sun Yue, who knows Ezhou well, still needs to be uneasy and fearful, it can only mean that there is something wrong with him.Under normal circumstances, the third-grade Shangzhou magistrate has separated from the ordinary bureaucratic class. Generally speaking, even if he wants to kill a chicken, at this level, the court will carefully consider it, unless it causes anger and resentment.

Of course, the old emperor is the one who can ignore all conventions. Not to mention the one who goes to the state to know the state, he is the chief envoy, the commander, the minister of the cabinet and the minister of the political affairs hall. With his current mental state, he still It's not just a matter of taking advantage of it.

However, Fan Zhigu is much more confident and confident than Sun Yue.After all, he can be regarded as the old emperor's simple minister. He has visited Taikang Palace before and has a basic judgment on the old emperor's condition. For him personally, it is not a big problem.

Fan Zhigu, whose real name was Ruoshui, was originally from Chang'an and grew up in Chizhou. He belonged to a large political faction and belonged to Nanchen. Of course, he belonged to the "new faction" in Nanchen.

Although he lived during the reign of the Southern Tang Dynasty, he did not officially serve the Southern Tang Dynasty, and his path to becoming an official was through the imperial examination.Fan Zhigu had caught up with a good time. Writing articles and doing knowledge were his shortcomings, but his strengths were in studying things to gain knowledge and managing the world for practical applications.

In the seventh year of Kaibao's reign, Fan Zhigu went to Beijing to take the exam and successfully passed the Jinshi. He scored particularly high in policy theory. It is said that if his "basic knowledge" was not slightly "weak", he would probably be in the top grade of high school.

Later, after three years of observing politics, he was transferred to the Ministry of Industry and served as the director of the Ministry of Water because he was good at river hydrology.Later, he performed meritorious service in supervising the construction of Hongze Reservoir and was transferred to Yanshan South Road to serve as the magistrate of Fanyang County.

In the next ten years or so, he rose through the ranks, successively serving as the judge of Youzhou, the magistrate of Xuanzhou, and the magistrate of Ezhou. In the 25th year of Kaibao, he was promoted to the Jianghuai transportation envoy. His transfer to Jinghu North Road was only two years ago.

As a southern scholar with a mediocre background, Fan Zhigu was able to rise to prominence all the way. In just 22 years, he successfully became a chief official. Personal ability is very important, but it is not the decisive factor.

This requires a certain amount of luck, and in today's world, the greatest luck for bureaucrats in the world is that Jane is in the emperor's heart. Fan Zhigu is such a lucky person.There are not many high-ranking officials in the border areas who are less than 50 years old among the current generation. The only one with similar background who can surpass Fan Zhigu is Zhang Qixian.
With Fan Zhigu calling the shots, when Luan Jia was respectfully welcomed into Jiangxia City by the officials of Jinghu North Road, the old emperor felt very comfortable overall.The current old emperor really doesn't need the local bureaucrats to do anything more, and he hates those secretive things even more.

The situation when entering Anyang was naturally compared with Jiangxia. There was a huge difference between the two.

The government could organize the people and soldiers to line up to welcome them, arrange their positions, and control order, but it could not control their expressions. There were still tens of thousands of people.

I still remember that when the soldiers and people in Anyang were greeted, they were sad and depressed. Some even looked disheveled and looked malnourished.

On Jiangxia's side, the cheers were loud and deafening, and the crowds of spectators were full of vitality and vitality. Most people's faces were filled with enthusiasm and joy, or curiosity and awe for the emperor.It can be seen that the scholars and people of Ezhou, at least a large part of the people, are still satisfied with their current life.

Emotions are contagious. In such an atmosphere, even if he is treated as a "treasure animal", the old emperor is always happy.Therefore, when the state government had a conversation, the old emperor's attitude became much kinder, and he even praised the Ezhou officials headed by Sun Yue.

At the same time, they paid more attention to Sun Yue, the magistrate of Ezhou. When he inquired about the governance situation in Ezhou, Sun Yue, who had been well prepared, responded in an orderly manner. Even for some tricky questions, he took his time and did not take credit or cover up his shortcomings. , try to show a "truth" and not deceive you.
Of course, the old emperor didn't have much intention of causing trouble. Otherwise, not to mention Sun Yue, even Fan Zhigu would not be able to cope with it.

The old emperor became even more interested when he learned that Sun Yue was Sun Guangxian's grandson. He still had some memories of the old man.This incident naturally triggered some memories and emotions of the old emperor: "I still remember the surrender of Nanping, which happened nearly 40 years ago. It is really a long time ago! Looking back suddenly, Sun Gong has passed away, and even his grandson My son has become a pillar of the great man!"

The old emperor's comments were good news to Sun Yue, and he was almost drunk after hearing them.With the emperor's words here, his next step is inevitable. What the old emperor said is true to so many people. He, Sun Yue, is the pillar of the great man!

Feeling ecstatic in his heart, but still trying to restrain himself on his face, Sun Yue bowed to the old emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I am really ashamed of your compliments. I should only do my best and be loyal to the country." The old emperor smiled lightly and saw his respectful look. , rolled his eyes, flashed a little doubt, and asked: "Speaking of which, your family has been officials for three generations. What is your father's situation now?"

Some couldn't grasp the old emperor's thinking. According to Sun Yue's understanding, his father, Sun Wei, had nothing to do with the emperor. It seemed that he only had three opportunities to meet the emperor in his life. The first two were during the imperial examination and the Qionglin Banquet, and the third The second time was when he was promoted to the magistrate of Yuezhou.

No matter how puzzled he was, Sun Yue did not dare to neglect the old emperor's inquiry and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, my father has been living in his hometown in Jiangling for retirement since he became an official!"

"Your uncle is still working, right?"

"Your Majesty, Sun Yue's uncle Sun Chen was also a Jinshi. At that time, he was involved in politics in Jinghu North Road. He was quite capable and was my right-hand man." Seeing that the old emperor had a good attitude towards the Sun family, Fan Zhigu also spoke at this time, lightly Smiling and selling well to the Sun family.

Hearing this, the old emperor's eyes fell on Sun Yue, who was brow-beating with joy, and he said leisurely: "The Sun family is worthy of being a famous family in Jiangling! A family with three generations and three Jinshi, they have been in Jinghu North Road for decades, and they have all done It is not easy to be a high official in Daozhou."

The old emperor's words were somewhat meaningful. While praising the Sun family's influence on the reputation of Jinghu North Road, there was also a hint of suspicion.

Sun Yue frowned slightly when he heard something strange, while Fan Zhigu's heart skipped a beat. His Majesty was suspicious!Damn it, why have you forgotten the basic principle of "being an official in a different place"!

When it comes to the appointment of senior officials above the state and county level, the imperial court has been emphasizing the appointment of officials in different places. However, in fact, the only ones who can really do this are those at the level of Daosi. Below the level of Daosi, it is a bit reluctant. It seems that Sun Yue, who is from the same school and is an official in a different state. , not uncommon.However, if we really investigate this matter in accordance with the imperial system, then everyone from the Ministry of Officials to Jinghu North Road will have to bear the responsibility.

At this moment, Fan Zhigu had secretly decided that Sun Yue could never be promoted to the Daosi Yamen. In fact, Sun Chen had to be transferred as soon as possible and let the old man find another place to serve.
Fan Zhigu's reaction was a bit big in general, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was always cold at high places. When it came to people like the emperor who could decide his own destiny, he had to be cautious. He would rather think more than be careless and neglectful. And unlucky.

Fortunately, the old emperor did not delve into the matter. After mentioning it, he looked tired and said to the submissive Hubei bureaucrats: "That's it for today. I'm tired. You can leave!" "

After hearing this order, Fan Zhigu showed hesitation. Seeing this, the old emperor frowned slightly and said, "Why, is there anything else?"

Upon hearing the question, Fan Zhigu hurriedly responded: "Your Majesty, I have a banquet in the Yellow Crane Tower. I boldly invite you to come and have a look."

Upon hearing this invitation, the old emperor's first reaction was to refuse, and he was even a little angry. He had already given repeated orders that the local government was not allowed to engage in wasteful arrangements during this inspection, and he dared to violate his order at the first stop in Ezhou.

However, when he heard that it was the Yellow Crane Tower, the old emperor still became interested and said: "When you arrive in Jiangxia City, how can you not go to the Yellow Crane Tower to take a look!"

I don’t know whether it was to convince himself or others, but the old emperor thought for a while and then ordered: "There are kings and ministers, which is a little lacking. There should also be scholars, farmers, industry and merchants. During my southern tour, in addition to inspecting the politics of the southern country, I also want to Look at the various conditions in the world and listen to the ups and downs of the people.

Select some representatives from the taxis, farmers, businessmen, and good people of Jiangxia and let them attend the Yellow Crane Tower night banquet. I want to meet them personally! "

"Yes!"

It goes without saying how famous the Yellow Crane Tower is. Since Cui Hao ascended the tower and wrote the poem "Yellow Crane Tower", it has become a famous building in the world, attracting countless literati and poets to admire it.

The former glory of the Yellow Crane Tower belonged to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and also witnessed the prosperity and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty during the founding period. At that time, people climbed up the tower to see not only the prosperity of the Yellow Crane Tower, but also the brilliance and magnificence of the Empire of the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, the Yellow Crane Tower that now stands on the top of Snake Mountain was rebuilt and belongs to the Han Dynasty.It was rebuilt in the 15th year of Emperor Qianyou's reign. The Ezhou government at that time took the lead in allocating funds, and then the sages and wealthy households in California City donated money. The government and the people worked together to rebuild the Yellow Crane Tower as a gift project for the old emperor to unify the world.

The old emperor had some memories of this matter, and beside the archway under the Yellow Crane Tower, there was an inscription. In addition to an inscription recording the reconstruction of the Yellow Crane Tower, the names of all the donors at that time were also engraved.

Unconsciously, 30 years have passed since the Yellow Crane Tower was rebuilt. It has also been repaired several times. In consideration of the old emperor's southern tour, the state government not long ago allocated emergency funds and recruited craftsmen to carry out a large-scale renovation of the building.

The building is a new building, but with the vicissitudes of the past 30 years, the Huanghe New Building also witnesses the arrival of another prosperous era of prosperity.

History is a cycle. The scenes that appeared in the prosperous Tang Dynasty also appeared in the Yellow Crane Tower during the prosperous period of the Han Dynasty.

At night, the stars are dim, but the lights up and down the Yellow Crane Tower are brightly lit and the atmosphere is high.Both sides of the river are even more lively, and the whole scene is brightly lit. There are cruise ships on the river, lantern markets on the shore, and fireworks blooming in the night sky overhead from time to time.

Standing on the third floor and leaning on the railing, you can not only feel the pleasant river view, but also see the splendor of Jiangxia City.With signs of prosperity everywhere and noisy sounds filling his ears, the old emperor was really intoxicated for a moment.

This is the scene that should be seen in the prosperous age of Kaibao. There is no era without contradictions, no society without gloom, and no country without ugliness. What he has seen before can only be a microcosm of a certain aspect of the Han Empire, and can never represent the entire Han Dynasty.

This huge empire that he single-handedly built and developed to this day also has its brilliant side and many merits.Emperor Liu, no matter what personal criticism he may have, his achievements are always real.

Dynasty cycle theory!Even if his Han Empire will eventually fall, his achievements in ending a hundred years of chaos, unifying the world, and returning stability and peace to all living beings for decades cannot be denied!

The historical picture of the past forty years was always drawn by his own hands; it was under his leadership that hundreds of millions of people created this era.He, Emperor Liu, has fulfilled his responsibilities towards history.
Thinking of this, the old emperor's eyes, which had been cloudy for a long time, became brighter, reflecting the gorgeous river scenery outside the Yellow Crane Tower, sparkling with a long-suppressed excitement.

At this time, only one foreign minister, Fan Zhigu, was accompanying the old emperor. He was also carefully paying attention to the old emperor's performance, and his mood almost fluctuated with the changes in his expression.

Suddenly, the old emperor pointed to Jiangxia City in the distance by the river and said: "Fan Qing, this Jiangxia New City was built under your auspices!"

After the Kaibao Year, Jiangxia experienced rapid development for more than 20 years. Although it had made considerable progress in urban construction, minor repairs and small buildings were still unable to truly meet the needs of the people.It was not until Fan Zhigu became the magistrate of Ezhou that he made a decisive decision, mobilized the entire state, raised funds, unified planning, and carried out major reconstruction and expansion on the basis of the old city.

Fan Zhigu's most important achievement during his tenure in Ezhou was the construction of Jiangxia New City. It was precisely because of his decisive decision that the new city became what it is today and truly made Ezhou's status as a big state worthy of its name.

At this time, Fan Zhigu was filled with emotion when he heard the old emperor mention it. He stroked his beard and said: "I'd like to say it bluntly, it was not easy when we built the new city. We encountered many difficulties. The success is inseparable from everyone. Support enthusiastically! In the three years since I have been in Ezhou, I have done nothing but carry out large-scale construction projects. To this day, some people still accuse me of wasting people and wasting money."

"This is a waste of people and money. What does the construction of the two capitals mean?" Hearing what he said, the old emperor immediately said: "Don't pay attention to mediocre talk. It takes three years to build a city. It will be painful for a while, but it will be profitable for a long time." But it’s the people of Jiangxia! Look at the fireworks in this world, it’s really intoxicating!”

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Fan Zhigu said with cupped hands.

The old emperor turned his head and looked at him with admiration in his eyes: "Xuanzhou promotes the development of rice paper, and Ezhou builds a new city. You know why I keep trying to catch you, because I have spotted your ability to get things done!"

"Your Majesty's kindness will be remembered for the rest of my life and I will never repay you!" Fan Zhigu immediately expressed his loyalty.

"liquor!"

The old emperor shouted to the back, and soon Hood served the wine.After raising a toast to invite each other, the old emperor said to Fan Zhigu with great enthusiasm: "Drink with me, respect the Yellow Crane Tower, respect Jiangxia City, and also respect this Kangping world."

(End of this chapter)