Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

Among the hundreds of bureaus in the dynasty, the Taishi Bureau was not a very important place. Its main responsibilities were to observe astronomy and calculate almanacs. The tasks were both important and leisurely.

One of the two Taishi orders in the Taishi Bureau was Wei Ding, and the other was Zhang Zixin from Qinghe. Nowadays, the main task of the Taishi Bureau is to determine the calendar and promulgate the new dynasty to support the farmers. This matter is mainly led by Zhang Zixin.

As for Wei Ding, who was previously ordered to go to Luoyang to repair the stone scriptures transported back from Yecheng, he has been in a state of leisure after this work was completed. Every day, he worked in the office to assist in the calculation of calendar matters, or to sort out some astronomical books. Archive. If you want to do something, there will naturally be endless things to do. If you don’t want to do it, you can just fish.

Because there was no need to attend the court meeting, and because Wei Ding's family was still outside the city, he had to wait for the city gate to open before entering the city to go to work. He would not come to the imperial government office until three o'clock in the morning to sit down.

Because he is the chief of the department and he is a kind person, even though he is late every day, no one says anything. After all, the Taishi Bureau is originally an idle department. As long as it is not particularly unlucky and there are no big mistakes, life can be like this. Just mess around day by day.

But when he came to the official office today, Wei Ding found that the eyes of everyone looking at him were obviously different. He couldn't tell what kind of emotion it was, but for him who really enjoyed the current life and official status. , I’m afraid it’s not a good thing.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the official office, his subordinate Taishi Cheng Liu Zhuo came up to him and said, "Wei Ling, a subordinate official came into the office early in the morning and sent a notice asking Wei Ling to go to the province and wait for orders."

"Do you know what's going on?"

When Wei Ding heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little thump in his heart. As one of the three provinces of the imperial city, Menxia Province is responsible for the duties of cashier, chief clerk, and officials, as well as punishments and rewards. Everyone who is called upon is either happy or sad.

And Wei Ding thought about it seriously. He really didn't have any political achievements during this period. If he could get his subordinates to praise him and reward him, the rest might be punishment. Could it be that my bad habit of arriving late and leaving early was finally impeached by the imperial censor and questioned by my subordinates?

The subordinate officer was arrogant and unhappy when he didn't see me. Naturally, he would not tell others the content of the order casually. He just left a message asking Wei Ding to go to the door after he returned to his post, and then left. .

Wei Ding couldn't get any useful information in the office, so he hurriedly went to his room in the office to change into a new official robe and meet with the superior. After changing his clothes, he took out the divination tool to make a divination, but he didn't I didn't get any clear instructions, so I could only go out and quickly go to the door.

Compared with the deserted Taishi Bureau, Zhongshu and Menxia Province, as the two most important places in the imperial city, were much more lively. People from the two provinces came and went frequently, and the officials waiting in line to come in even lined up from inside the office to the long street of the imperial city outside the province.

Wei Ding didn't even know why he was here, so he could only go to the door to register his name, and then obediently returned to the end of the line to queue up. When he saw that there were at least a hundred people in front of him, he looked up again Looking at the sky, I thought I might be late for lunch.

But when he thought about whether the fate of his trip was uncertain and he still worried about whether he would be able to catch lunch, he couldn't help but laugh to himself. But having said that, the tastes and dishes of the working meals in the Imperial City are relatively rich, even better than the food standards at Wei Ding's home. This is one of the motivations for him to work in the office every day.

His thoughts were wandering here, and he suddenly saw the Yao Cha brothers coming towards Menxia Province from the other direction, so he raised his hand to say hello, and at the same time, he thought in his heart, whether he would be summoned by Menxia Province this time, would he meet with Menxia Province? Is it related to what he said to Yao Cha before?

The Yao Cha brothers came home very late after their meeting last night, and went to the imperial city early in the morning to deal with matters such as name registration, selection of ministers, candidates for prosecution, etc. Wei Ding lived outside the city and had no time to see each other, and it was forbidden to talk to them. I don’t dare to leak it privately. Seeing Wei Ding here at this time, they couldn't say anything more. They just nodded to Wei Ding, indicating that they would talk later, and then went to the door to register their names.

Because the two brothers received special care from the Supreme Being, they did not need to wait in line in front of the door. They were ushered in directly at the door. After some time, Yao Cha walked out with a suitcase in hand and a happy face. Seeing that Wei Ding was still in the queue, he strode forward.

"Yao Lang looked happy, as if his wish came true?"

Wei Ding saw his appearance and asked with a smile.

After hearing the words, Yao Cha nodded, and immediately approached Wei Ding and whispered: "I have been newly appointed as the Grand Administrator of Wuxing. I will set off within the month. Thank you Marquis Wei for your guidance!"

After hearing this, Wei Ding couldn't help but feel secretly envious, sighing that there were people in the court who were easy to be officials. At the same time, he felt a little relieved in his heart. If he was summoned because of this incident and just saw that Yao Cha got what he wanted, it shows that the Supreme also approved of this approach, then he probably wouldn't be bored with him, but he didn't know that he would What are the arrangements?

The two talked for a while, and not long after, Yao Zui also left the province. The two agreed with Wei Ding to hold a banquet at the Japanese residence, and then they said goodbye and left.

Wei Ding, who was not qualified to handle special matters, continued to line up in front of the provincial gate. At noon, a batch of urgent matters suddenly entered the province, and all other matters had to be postponed unless they were serious. So let alone lunch, Wei Ding might not be able to make it for dinner.

It was not until late in the evening that Wei Ding was finally summoned. The person who met him was Liu Guangde, the minister of Huangmen.

Liu Guangde is from Jiangling, and he can be regarded as coming from Jingxiang together with Wei Ding. As early as the Hou Jing Rebellion, he went north to join the current supreme leader who was still in Jingzhou, Mianbei. He can be said to be the first group of southerners to follow and serve. Now he has become the second-largest adjutant in the province, second only to the minister in charge, and is expected to rise to the rank of prime minister in the future.

Comparing the two, Wei Ding was much worse. Although they were both officials in the court, Wei Ding had to queue for a long time to see Liu Guangde. This is the truest reflection of the disparity in their fortunes today.

Liu Guangde was not too arrogant. When he saw Wei Ding entering, he motioned for him to take a seat first, and then said: "The affairs in the office are busy, and Marquis Lao Wei has been waiting for a long time. I invite Marquis Wei to enter the office today because I have something to tell you. Ming In the morning and after the court, please ask Marquis Wei to listen to the instructions at the office, and then he will give them to you. "

As he spoke, he asked his staff to hand over a note with his latest appointment written on it. The appointments of officials below the sixth rank are all handled by the Menxia Province. Because there are too many related personnel changes, they are accumulated until the day of the Wangshuo Dynasty and the appointment is centralized.

Wei Ding originally lived in Taishi Ling, and was also the chief officer of a division under the fifth rank. Although he was not important, he had a leisurely life. Now he was directly demoted to a seventh-rank official. This naturally made him a little unhappy, and even a little bit... Uneasy, could it be that the Supreme Being was tired of him talking too much about issues that he shouldn't talk about, so he demoted him like this?

He was still worried here, but he heard Liu Guangde say: "In addition to this order, there is another book sent to Zhongshu, which also needs Wei Hou to listen to. However, looking at the weather today, I am afraid that I will not be able to catch up, so I'd better go in tomorrow morning Just wait and listen.”

It took Wei Ding most of the day just to queue up in Menxia Province, and Zhongshu Province was a busier place than Menxia Province. Even now in the evening, the flow of people gathered in front of the door did not decrease at all. Although Wei Ding was full of doubts and uneasiness, he could only say goodbye and leave.

This time he did not leave early again. Even if he left the imperial city at this time, he would not be able to return home before the curfew. In addition, he would have to attend lectures in two provinces tomorrow morning. He could not be as late as he was today, so he first Stay overnight in the office.

Although the imperial city is large, news spreads quickly. When Wei Ding returned to the official office, many of his subordinates already knew that he had gone to the province to accept a new appointment and no longer served as the Taishi Ling.

However, his subordinates did not immediately look down upon him because of his resignation. Some of his subordinates even left food for him. Although the food was cold, Wei Ding still felt warm in his heart when he ate it. Just thinking about how things will change tomorrow morning, the food in my mouth suddenly tastes the same.

Just like this, we spent the night tossing and turning. The next day was the dynasty, so the imperial city had already become lively before it got dark.

In view of the experience of queuing in the imperial city yesterday, and the fact that he was no longer the chief of the Taishi Bureau, Wei Ding got up early today, washed up briefly, and hurried to the gate of Zhongshu Province to wait. Since the appointment of officials by the Menxia Provincial Department was in the afternoon, he went to the Zhongshu Provincial Department first to try to get his turn in line in the morning.

Although it was not yet bright at this time, many officials from the two provinces had already gathered outside the gate. The people outside the gate naturally came to wait for summons, while the officials from the two provinces inside were preparing under the leadership of their respective officers. Attend the court meeting.

Not long after, police drums sounded in the province, and after hearing the drums, all the officials outside the door showed envy on their faces. Whenever the prime minister comes or goes, there will be police and drums to clear the streets and keep people away. This is a courtesy that belongs to the prime minister only, and naturally makes all the officials envious.

Wei Ding outside the door is no exception. Although he understands some principles of seeking good luck and avoiding disaster, and the principles of yin and yang, he does not have a strategy to rise to the top and become a high-ranking official. At the moment, he is just arranging in front of the door, looking like a minion, in the police department. Amid the sound of drums, he hurriedly hid on the left side of the road and watched Zhongshu Ling in purple robe leading a group of Zhongshu Provincial officials to leave the official office and go straight to the Qianyuan Hall of Taiji Palace in the north to attend today's dynasty.

The Imperial City is such a hierarchical place. Different government offices have different scenes, and different levels have different treatments. Even a person who is indifferent to fame and fortune will not be able to bear it if he is in such a clearly differentiated environment. I want to strive for the top and be prominent among others.

The Great Chao Chao meeting usually does not discuss any specific matters, so it proceeds relatively quickly. Today's court meeting mainly announced three things. The first was that the envoys led by Liang Guogong and his servant Xiao Qin went to Qinjun in Huainan to attract Chen Lord Chen Chang to come to the court. The second was that the Jiangdong expedition was returning home one after another and ending. The war in Jiangdong, and the third is the date of the selection test and the Quan election this autumn, as well as the personnel who will preside over it, etc.

Naturally, this series of major events had nothing to do with those subordinate officials. After leaving the court, the provincial officials returned to their respective offices one after another to start handling official business. Wei Ding and other minions who had been queuing in front of the door for a long time started to move again and started queuing up. Enter.

This time Wei Ding did not wait too long. His turn came after the three or five people in front of him, and the person who received him was actually Zhongshu Ling Lu Rou, one of the chief officials of Zhongshu Province.

When she saw Wei Ding coming in to greet him, Lu Rou stood up from the banquet, looked him up and down, and then smiled again and said: "We have heard of Mr. Wei's talents and reputations, and it turned out to be quite impressive when we saw him today. No wonder he was awarded the special rank by the Supreme Being." I invite you to see me now, so that I can explain this matter face to face. The Supreme Lord has ordered Wei Ding to be appointed as Prince Zhongsheren!"

"I, I respectfully accept your order..."

Wei Ding was shocked when he heard this. He had been thinking about it all night last night and never thought that this would happen today. It was not until Lu Rou finished speaking and the official of the Secretariat began to read the imperial edict that he hurriedly bowed down to thank him, but he was still confused.

The official position of the Eastern Palace should have been granted by the Prince's Office, but there is no prince now, so the Prince's Office certainly does not exist. In addition to the Minister of the Secretariat, Lu Rou also held the empty title of the Prince's Guardian, so Wei Ding's appointment came to him.

Seeing Wei Ding's surprised expression, Lu Rou couldn't help but laugh and said, "I've heard that Wei Jun is quite good at fortune-telling. Could it be that you didn't foresee what happened today?"

After hearing this, Wei Ding felt a little embarrassed, and then recalled his mood changes from yesterday to now, and couldn't help but sighed: "God's will is high and mysterious, and it's hard to predict the truth. Mu En lost his temper, and made Lu Xianggong laugh."

When he left the Secretariat, Wei Ding's heart was completely cleared, and the mood of yesterday was certainly gone. Although he, the Prince's Secretary, has not yet organized a place to settle down, it is just a nominal position, but this appointment is undoubtedly also a hint that the Supreme is very approved of his views after knowing his views, so he gave him the position of the East Palace, and he has already been nurtured as the future team of the Prince.

But he was still a little puzzled. Since the Supreme appreciated and valued him, why didn't he put him in a clean position like the Imperial College to help the Crown Prince? Why did he grant him the position of the Eastern Palace and let him actually be responsible for the management of the palace gardens?

With this doubt in mind, he transferred to the Sinong Temple after listening to the instructions of the Ministry of Personnel. Pei Kuan, the Minister of Sinong, treated him quite kindly and arranged for his subordinates to assist him in handling the entry matters.

However, when he reported to the Jingyuan Supervisor's office, his experience was not so good. The Jingyuan Supervisor was named Wu Jingyi. After seeing Wei Ding's official report, he frowned and said, "Another southerner, with the Jingzhao Wei family's rank, he can't hide the smell of raccoon!"

The North and the South have been divided for many years, and they have despised each other for many years. Although they are now integrated, some cracks are difficult to repair, especially many middle and lower-level people in Guanzhong have some resistance and contempt for the Southern Dynasty people who poured into Guanzhong. Obviously, Wu Jingyi belongs to this stream.

After hearing this, Wei Ding said seriously: "Wu Jingyi, please be careful with your words! I have a clear lineage. I fled to Xiangyang during the Hu Wang Di Rebellion. Now I am returning to my country. I am not pretending to be someone else! Besides, the Holy Lord has unified the world. No matter whether you are from the north or the south, as long as you are loyal to him, who dares to criticize you?"

"Whether you are loyal or not, I have my own measure in my heart! I followed the Lord to build things and start businesses, and you don't know where to fish and catch crabs! Since you have entered this, you should obey my orders. If you are negligent, no matter what family you are from, you will be punished!"

Wu Jingyi snorted again, and then he searched on the desk, and then threw a file to Wei Ding and said: "You don't need to care about the things in the prison. It is urgent to supervise the construction of Nanyuan, and you have full authority to deal with it!"

Although he was a little unhappy with the chief officer, it did not affect Wei Ding's mood. He took the file and left, and went back to his own hall to understand the affairs. When he opened the file about the site selection and framework drawings of Nanyuan, he finally understood why the Supreme asked him to serve as the so-called Nanyuan Envoy.

Seeing the clear markings on the drawings of the gardens and villas around Qujiang that needed to be requisitioned and recovered, including Wei Ding's own home, he couldn't help but look embarrassed. Although the requisition order of the court stated that reasonable compensation would be given at the discretion of the court during the requisition process, no matter how reasonable it was, there must be a scale, and now this scale was handed over to Wei Ding.

Wei Ding sat at the table, his expression changing and hesitant to make up his mind. Suddenly, he heard the alarm drum of the prime minister's departure, and he immediately made up his mind and said fiercely: "Tear down, tear down everything! The Supreme asked me to build this garden, thinking that it was for the future prince to gather talents and build a garden, it must be grand, not shabby! With such a generous use, how can I be stingy with a villa and treat me as the crown prince!"