Between the vast sea of ​​clouds

She came out from Wen Tianfu and went to visit Chen Kaiyi again. She said that she was delayed on the way and apologized first. Chen Kaiyi said softly: "Master Li, you don't need to be so polite. You and I are both officials of the Ministry of Rites, and we need to communicate with each other." Compassion is."

Qing Ping said: "Master Chen said yes, then I will not be polite to you."

Chen Kai smiled and said: "That's the case, Mr. Li, if you don't think our company is simple, then please come in." After saying that, he bowed.

Qing Ping turned sideways to avoid it, and said: "Master Chen has broken me."

The office of the Ministry of Rites is very large, and Chen Kaiyi’s Office of Cleaning Up Officials is responsible for processing various documents. Officials come and go frequently. Qingping glanced around and said: "Guan your company is orderly, and it can still be so busy with business. It must be Chen Your lord is well-ruled."

Chen Kai said: "Master Li Liao praised, the matter is complicated and chaotic, and in the future, I will need a lot of help from Mr. Li."

The two complimented each other here and there, and Chen Kaiyi seemed to have no intention of saying: "Master Li is from Hexi County? When I was studying in my early years, I was fortunate enough to enjoy the scenery of Hexi. This place is separated by mountains and rivers, and the ancient charm still exists. The sages set up schools and opened houses, benefiting one side; Yan Zhaolie’s legacy, heroic temples and models, handsome stars and stars, it is really a good place for outstanding people.”

When Qingping used to work under Sun Congshan, he often had to go to the two counties of Fengfeng and Fucheng to argue with the local county government, and it often took a long time to finish one thing.Sun Congshan once criticized the government for procrastinating, but said that compared with the capital, it is much better.Every year, she goes to Beijing with the state shepherd to discuss matters. The most annoying thing is to argue with the six departments of the capital. At that time, all the colleagues didn't understand. Wouldn't it be good to speak kindly?They all disliked the county chief's vulgarity in their hearts, and yearned for Chang'an officialdom a little more.

Only Qingping deeply agrees, the people in the six parts are best at complicating simple things, and they especially like to draw some poems in a polite way, and they can taste seven or eight meanings in one sentence.Both Wen Tianfu and Chen Kaiyi wanted to inquire about her position, and they were only making insinuations for this, so she smiled slightly and said: "Although there are many ancient villages in Hexi County, they are only rural villages after all, and they must not be compared with Hengzhou. Master Chen Born in a rich family with extensive knowledge; the Chen family is a century-old family, with hairpin tassels from generation to generation, Jin Wen Zuoli, Jingfeng Songjie, it is naturally extraordinary."

Qing Ping said neither humble nor overbearing: "Thanks to His Majesty's promotion, I am honored to be appointed as a servant, but in the official business, I still need a lot of advice from Lord Shang Shu and Director Chen."

Chen Kai paused with his hand, his smile remained unchanged, and said: "Don't dare, Mr. Li is young and promising, which is really enviable."

Suddenly a person came in to salute and said: "Your subordinate would take the liberty to disturb the conversation between the two adults. Mr. Chen, the servant of the Ministry of Industry is here to visit with official documents, saying that he has something important to ask for advice."

Others knew that Director Chen was going to entertain the newly-appointed servant today, so they wisely did not come to disturb him. When Chen Kai heard the words, he said: "Just invite her to come here." Then he apologized to Qingping: "Today Huan is here too , It seems that there is indeed something important, I am busy with business here, so I won't keep you here, and when I have free time in the future, let's go to see Lord Shangshu together."

Qing Ping breathed a sigh of relief, he agreed and said goodbye.

As soon as she left the door, a tall and slender woman walked towards her, followed by several clerks, she was a little surprised when she saw them coming out, and said, "This is it?"

The official who led the way saluted first: "This servant, this is Mr. Li, the servant of our Ministry of Rites."

Jin Huan let out a sigh, cupped her hands and said, "Hello, Mr. Li, I have official business, so I can't talk more."

Qing Ping lowered his eyes and said: "Your Excellency is being polite now."

Jin Huan obviously had something on her mind, and her complexion was not very good, so she led a group of people to kill Chen Kaiyi's office.

The official who led the way for Qingping said with relief: "Your Excellency is like this today... Don't be offended, Lord Li, please follow me as an official."

After visiting the two adults in the Ministry of Rites, Qingping returned to his office and summoned his subordinates to talk.It stands to reason that as a servant of the Ministry of Rites, she should be in charge of more matters than the director, but seeing how few officials are under her, she probably knows what's going on.Before the servants of the Ministry of Rites were not in place, this Director Chen probably had taken over a lot of the power of the servants, no wonder her department was busy with people coming and going, even the Shangshu's place was not as lively as it was.Wen Tianfu beat her a lot earlier because she was afraid that she would stand by Chen Kaiyi's side. If so, the dignified Minister of Rites might be turned into an empty shell.

The secretary said cautiously: "My lord servant, due to lack of manpower in preparation for the enthronement ceremony, Director Chen took over some tasks. Now that my lord is here, some trivial matters are left to the official secretary to do, so..."

So after taking over, I don't plan to return it.

Qing Ping took a sip of tea silently, raised his eyes, and said calmly: "Is that so, has Master Shang Shu reported it?"

Si Wu was in a cold sweat and hurriedly said, "I must have reported it."

The procedures are complete, it seems that it is a bit difficult to get back the authority of his department.

Qing Ping put the teacup back on the table and said: "Since that's the case, it's hard work for Director Chen. It was also thanks to her when the headquarters was not in office." Now it seems that it is not good for her to take advantage of others just after taking office.

The secretary should be possessed, Qingping said with a half-smile: "There is nothing particular about this department, there is only one word for you: rules."

She got up, walked around the hall with her hands behind her back, looked at the people below and said: "Everything must be done according to the rules, no matter who it is, you have to follow the rules."

"As for the rules, they are naturally the rules of the imperial court and the rules of the Ministry of Rites." She glanced at the people present as if she were real, and paused after touching a slightly familiar figure. rule."

"Did she really say that?"

"Returning to the words of the adults, it is exactly so."

Wen Tianfu leaned on the carved sandalwood chair, held a volume of books in his hand, and said slowly: "He is really a smart man, so I don't need to waste my words."

The man said: "Your Excellency, if you just mention a few words, the stubborn stone can turn into a human being, so why not listen to it?"

Wen Tianfu laughed and scolded: "Just to put it bluntly, this is a dignified servant of the Ministry of Rituals. If you can achieve this position, think about it, you are not an idle person. If you can't even understand this, ha ha."

The man said: "It's just why my lord mentioned her, she doesn't seem to be going against that Chen Kai."

Wen Tianfu thought for a while, and said: "She is a latecomer. In terms of seniority, although she participated in the implementation of the new law in Yunzhou and presided over the opening of the market, she is still a little weak. Earlier, the Secretary of the Ministry of Households asked His Majesty to surpass this person. I don't know why His Majesty sent her to the Ministry of Rites. I figured out the Holy Will, and it seems that His Majesty intends to let her take over the position of Minister of Rites, but I still have to think about this matter. How do I know that this is not His Majesty's temptation? Just look at Chen Kaiyi's appearance. It's ugly, it seems that the Ministry of Rites is already in her pocket, and when the time comes to slap her face, it will look good."

"...If that's the case, Li Shizhong still needs a lot of training," the man hesitated, "but my lord will be retiring next year at the latest, so what should I do? By then, the Ministry of Rites will fall on her, Chen Kai. One's hand?"

Wen Tianfu's old face stretched out, and he said: "I govern the officials strictly, but it's not like I've been promoted out of the box." As she said that, her brows were gloomy. Although she was friendly with others, she was not completely temperless. "I'm already old, and I don't want to compete with young people. It's just that Chen Kai is too deceitful. What does he think of me as the Minister of Rites? Does she really think that the next position of Minister will fall on her head?"

"Which one in the imperial court is not human, and there are some who think they are smart, but look at their fate..." Wen Tianfu sighed deeply, put down the scroll in his hand, looked at the bright lamps and candles in the hall, and felt tired. In the middle of eyebrows, people grow old with the rivers and rivers, and the world changes a lot. No matter how many rhetoric, how impassioned and passionate worship, all along with the mottled memories, become a casually flipped page of old chatter.

I once paraded through the streets on horseback and saw all the flowers in Chang'an in one day.Now I'm used to hearing the wind and rain, and I don't know where the flowers will fall.After several ups and downs, where is the old friend?

Wen Tianfu half-closed his eyes, and said solemnly: "Bring a pen and ink."

Because the emperor ascended the throne, he was sympathetic to his ministers and workers, so he went to court for a day.When the country was established on behalf of the country, the Taizu was conscientious and conscientious, knowing that it is easy to conquer the world and difficult to defend the world. He grasped the courtiers to go to court every day, except for the five days of rest every month, and to go to court at other times.By the time of Emperor Zhaocheng, the world was peaceful and there was no war, so the morning court was changed to once every three days.The emperors of all dynasties were very tolerant to their courtiers. When the first emperor came to this dynasty, he even hid in the Yuxiao Palace for more than ten years to practice Taoism and alchemy, and the government affairs were all handled by the cabinet. , but the new emperor is obviously a hardworking person, and when the three days are up, all the ministers will go to the palace to go to the morning court with lanterns and listen to the emperor's instructions.

Because Yunzhou was resting after the war, the destroyed villages and counties had to be rebuilt. The governor of Yunzhou had already submitted a memorial, and the things discussed in the early court were nothing more than linked to this.In the past, these things were read by the cabinet first, and then handed over to the emperor for approval.After the emperor came to the throne, he was very diligent in government affairs, and these papers were no longer in the hands of the cabinet, but were directly presented to the imperial court.

In this way, the position of the cabinet is a bit embarrassing.The first emperor gave the cabinet a lot of power in order to avoid government affairs, but now the emperor is obviously unwilling to delegate power.However, it has become a custom for the six ministries to report matters to the cabinet, and it will not be changed for a while. The emperor's patience is obviously very good, and he can always call people into the palace to talk again and again, slowly grinding the ministers to collapse.

No one thought that the emperor's methods were so endless. The cabinet was the first to be "taken care of", followed by the six departments. Yushitai and the six departments did not lose any benefits in the matter. Since the new chief minister, Xu Haicheng, came up, The censors were all forced to change their past and muddy state, opened their eyes, and stared at every move of the courtiers.

After one month, the six volumes are from Shangshu to the next, and they are almost unavoidable. Even Qingping bought some dried fruits on the way back from the government office, and someone took a copy, saying that as a servant of the Ministry of Rites, she was originally the face of the court, but unexpectedly It is really unseemly to buy and sell in the street.

When Li Yan sent this booklet, Qingping was reviewing official documents, and his hands were not free, so he asked her to read it.This is the most interesting excerpt Qingping has ever heard. It is especially fresh and refined among a group of crimes such as "slave slavery and murder", "land embezzlement", "luxury and arrogance", "lack of family management", etc. Anyway, it is ginseng It is necessary to write a letter to defend yourself, from the first assistant to the hundred officials, this is the process.Qingping took some time to write the paper, and planned to hand it in when he went to court.

The Ministry of Rituals usually doesn't have many things to do, only when there are happy events in the palace, or during the New Year's holidays, it will be relatively busy.The late emperor had a great funeral, the whole country mourned, and the people did not rejoice for a year, and the Lantern Festival in recent months has also been hastily passed.Words spread in the palace that the emperor is benevolent and filial, misses the late emperor, and dare not play recklessly.If these words are released, which ministers dare to indulge, let alone the censors, if they are labeled as disloyal and unfilial, they may be exiled to a small island in Minzhou to chop coconuts.

"Is everything done?" Qing Ping took the hot pa facial cleanser and wiped his hands, wiping off the traces of the ink brush on his fingers.

Li Yan leaned over and said, "Yes, the official documents have already been sent."

After getting along for a month, Qingping found that Li Yan is indeed a very capable subordinate, who can do what she ordered. She brought Li Yan to her side as a book order, which made it easier to handle things. Li Yan is smart, studious, and understands human relationships. Qingping didn't feel tired after teaching her, so he said after hearing the words: "It's hard work, take a rest tomorrow, go back and have a good rest."

Li Yan cleaned up the things on the table and said, "Yes, my lord."

Qingping left her alone, packed up the things on her desk, and prepared to let her go home. She planned to pay a visit to Yuan Sui's mansion while resting for a few days, and all the invitations she sent earlier have received responses. , if it is to accept the invitation, and give a gift of the same value by the way, it is about 'knowing that there is a person like you, let's maintain the current relationship, and we don't want to have a close relationship'; There is no gift rebate for a greeting card, which roughly means 'you can communicate, welcome to visit'.

But Yuan Sui had already said to invite her to the mansion as a guest, not to mention that the two people's houses are close to each other, and they often meet on the way to court, so there is nothing wrong with going to see her while Xiu Mu is there.

Qing Ping had ordered the steward to prepare presents and waited for Xiu Mu.Seeing that the world was approaching, and there was nothing wrong with the Ministry of Rites anyway, she watched the sky under the eaves gradually getting darker, as if it was going to snow again.

She was just about to tell Li Yan to be more careful on the way back, when there was the sound of chaotic footsteps, a woman in blue robe saluted her from afar, Qing Ping recognized that it was Hu Xun, the direct secretary of the cabinet, and returned the salute: "Lord Hu."

Hu Xun walked over quickly, took out a document from his sleeve, and said: "Li Shizhong, this is a document from the cabinet, and it needs your signature to be sealed."

Qingping took it over. It was originally the cabinet that was discussing the posthumous title of the fallen soldiers. She went back to the table to touch up her pen, felt a searching gaze, and asked calmly, "Master Hu?"

Hu Xun let out an ah, forced a smile and said, "It's the lower official who was rude, please forgive me, my lord."

Just as Qingping's pen tip was about to fall, he suddenly frowned, put away the pen and said: "This booklet cannot be signed."

Hu Xun was surprised and said, "Why can't you sign?"

Qing Ping said calmly: "Because such matters are now under the control of Director Chen, not here in the headquarters. If Mr. Hu wants to sign, you need to go to her."

Hu Xun looked at her calmly, while recalling the intricate contradictions in the Ministry of Rites, he thought for a while and said: "If so, the next official will go to find Mr. Chen."

It seems that the newly appointed servant of the Ministry of Rites is not having a good time. Director Chen of the Ministry of Rites dominates, and Shang Shu will abdicate after a few years. It must be very aggrieved to think about it.

Qing Ping nodded, Hu Xun occasionally saw an open document on her desk, probably because of heavy ink stains, and it was drying at the moment, at a glance, she felt a little familiar, after thinking about it, she almost staggered and sprained her foot.

Qing Ping reached out to help her in time, and Hu Xuan stared at the handwriting on it, swallowed his saliva, and said dryly: "Thank you Li Shizhong."

Like, it's too similar... Hu Xuan's heart was full of turmoil, and the hands in his sleeves kept shaking. This Li Shizhong's handwriting was actually very similar to that of the emperor.In his early years, Hu Xun spent his free time at home, and painstakingly studied the famous calligraphy posters of the former dynasty, and gained a lot of money. He often helped relatives and friends to identify the calligraphy.Everyone has their own habit of writing. When the emperor was a concubine, she served for a period of time and was responsible for transcribing instructions. How could she not be familiar with her brushwork?This Li Shizhong's handwriting is almost the same as the emperor's, but slightly rounded, not as rigid as the emperor's. Either this is from the same teacher, or...

She recalled all the things before, and finally felt a sense of enlightenment, it turned out to be like this!

When she walked out of the door and was led to the Cleaning Department, she was still thinking about it. She resisted the desire to turn her head back, and almost wanted to ask a question. With a teacher like the emperor as a backer, how could he still Are you afraid of the little director?

Hu Xun shook her head, feeling very confused, and at the same time felt that she really had a good eye for ink and ink, she didn't expect that what was reprimanded by her mother every day would actually do a big thing today, she couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion in her heart, it really is everywhere. Learning, I am only afraid of not learning well, not afraid of learning deeply.