That little fly

The bustle of the Heavenly Man's Xu Mansion has been discussed for a while when the spring is warm and the flowers are blooming. However, as the Xu clan from each family's ancestral branch and ancestral branch descended from the concubines rushed to the ancestral house, ancestral tomb and ancestral temple, the discussion in the imperial capital became more and more heated. It went down slowly.For most people in the upper class, the current new hotspot that is undercurrent in the imperial court center is the key to their wealth and life in the next few decades.

The various consequences caused by the unexpected death of His Royal Highness the eldest son were slowly corrected under the normal operation of all aspects of the empire. With such corrections, the problem of reserve position gradually became prominent.His Royal Highness is gone, but His Royal Highness still has the power that he has managed for many years. There is a widow who is in his prime and an orthodox son.His Majesty the Emperor is still sitting still and in good health, so it won't be a problem to delay it for another ten or eight years.At that time, this grandson will grow up, it might be a possibility.But the emperor still has several princes.When the prince's elder brother was there, no one had any objections, but when the elder brother went, how many pairs of younger brothers' eyes were staring at the radish pit left by the prince. How could it be possible to give it up to a young nephew?Even if no one directly raises the issue of the crown prince right now, it does not prevent the princes, dragons and grandsons and their supporters from working hard to show their presence.

"Zi Lv, I have half a day free today, let's go fishing with me." After the pilgrimage was over, Emperor Jiayou called his Chief Law Officer to stop.

Shi Ke sighed inwardly.Originally, today he promised Zhong Jun to go to Laiyi Academy to give a lecture on law and politics to the students (the real purpose was to see his grandson), but now it was an accident, not really an accident, and he received an invitation from the sage.

"If the official invites you, the minister can't ask for it."

For people at the level of emperors and generals, fishing is a good activity. It is relaxed, leisurely, and quiet. Sitting by the open water, throwing away the fishing rod, and talking while waiting for the fish to take the bait, it can be irrelevant. You can also discuss some secrets without worrying about someone eavesdropping.

The emperor is in a bad mood.

The empire lost its crown prince, his son died, and then a winter passed, and the new year came. No one missed the honest and kind Prince His Royal Highness, but the radish pit he left behind became a hot focus.Probably the only one who still misses that person is His Majesty the Emperor who lost his son in old age.

The two sat by the water and remained silent for a while, Emperor Jiayou said, "Zilu, why don't you speak?"

Shi Ke wanted to smile wryly, what do you want him to say. "The officials are in a bad mood, and I know it. I can probably guess why they are in a bad mood."

Because there are several vacancies in the northwest, some officials from the Ministry of Officials recommended several former princes Zhan Shi and Shi, the head of the prince's mansion, to take up the post.Originally, the transfer of the fifth-rank officials should not be discussed by the court, but after all, it involves the former prince's people, so His Majesty should be informed about the transfer.Then Zhong Juan passed away. He was originally a prince and grand tutor, and he also served as the head of both the imperial school and the government school. He has high moral character and a good reputation.After the death of the crown prince, Master Zhong also suffered from a serious illness, and now he is not in good spirits, saying that he is going to retire.I don't know if it's really that serious, but Shi Ke knows that these days may be uncomfortable in the position of Mr. Zhong.Either he was being courted in private, or someone secretly wanted him to make room for him.A scholar who devotes himself to teaching and educating people can't be pure. No wonder Mr. Zhong will ask for old books.If it was Shi Ke, he would have turned his back on him long ago.

In short, today's Xiaochao meeting is a realistic portrayal of a person going out to drink tea, which probably poked the hearts of the officials.But then again, it's all for your own benefit, and you can't laugh at people who are all white-eyed wolves and black-eyed chickens, with such a big cake hanging in front of them, if Shi Ke is in the game, he will be unavoidable.

"Officials, don't blame the officials for speaking too straightforwardly. Only you and the two princesses, Yongkang and Yongping, have the pain. Your highness and the prince grew up under the queen's knees. You are the biological father. The rest, no matter how great the affection You can't help but have a greater good in front of you."

This interest refers to the position of crown prince.

Emperor Jiayou was heartbroken, but this is the truth.All over the world, almost no one would be as straightforward as Shi Ke said, without covering up or showing mercy.Listen, he didn't even list the crown princess as one of the sad candidates. Yes, the crown princess has a son, and the son is another hope.

"Dan'er is such a good boy, he has always been kind, to me, to my courtiers... But you also saw it today, they, all of them... oh," Emperor Jiayou said sadly, "That's it!" In a few months, there are not many people who think of him well behind him..."

Shi Ke sighed, His Royal Highness is a kind person, it's up to his father.Emperor Jiayou is also good.Everyone thinks it's bad for the emperor to be cold-blooded, but sometimes, the official family's feelings are too rich, and it's terrible.It has been several months since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince passed away. There must be an end to this sorrow, right?You can be sad, but as an emperor, you can't be sad all the time, not doing business.There are so many things waiting in this world, you have to look ahead!

"That's why Your Majesty has to cheer up. You have to set up the backbone so that they can perform their duties. After killing some of the plants that shouldn't grow, after that, you will still be brothers and friends."

If Shi Ke's words spread out, I don't know how many people will hate him. Maybe another emperor would attract suspicion, but Emperor Jiayou wouldn't. He knew that Shi Ke was confiding in him.However, it was too difficult for Emperor Jiayou to choose another heir.

Emperor Jiayou just has no idea right now.

Emperor Jiayou's Yuan empress died early, leaving behind two princesses who were born in the first line. Although the eldest son of the emperor was not born to the empress, he was brought up by the empress alone. No one talked about the succession status, and Emperor Jiayou didn't have to worry about it.The only thing that can be nitpicking is that the First Prince's talent and learning may be a little mediocre.However, Emperor Jiayou himself was not a domineering king. He was lucky to get the throne, and to some extent it could be attributed to his mediocre intelligence.So you see nothing wrong with mediocrity and kindness.It must be said that Emperor Jiayou had not been blown by the pillow wind.But because of his persistence, Jiayou Dynasty's front hall and backyard have maintained stability for decades.

But who would have thought that a minor illness would send a white-haired person to a black-haired person.The second son is now the eldest son, but his mother's status is too low. She is a slave maid, and her status is not granted. The second son's inheritance status is easy to be criticized. The seven foreign families are in charge of the literature, Xiao Jiu's foreign family is in charge of the army... no matter which one of them is, each has its own power in the court.Now that the eldest son left, the weather vane was gone, and the emperor himself panicked.He couldn't make up his mind who to make the reserve.Shi Ke is one of the rare bachelor ministers who has no contact with anyone.At this point in the conversation, Emperor Jiayou directly asked his opinion.

But Shi Ke declined, "The government shouldn't ask the opinions of the ministers. This matter must be decided by you." Those princes are evenly matched, and it is impossible to adopt opinions and play democracy. "For example, in an ordinary family, the choice of a son to inherit the family business is entirely up to the head of the family, and there is no need to ask outsiders."

"How can this be the same?"

Shi Ke smiled, "It's the officials who haven't made up their minds yet, but how can they ask the ministers to say something?" One sentence revealed Emperor Jiayou's thoughts, and the sage was speechless for a long time.

After a while, Emperor Jiayou suddenly sighed, with nostalgia and sadness in his tone, "My brothers...too miserable..."

Emperor Jiayou was able to sit in this position in the end, with a lot of chance, the other brothers were all desperate, and finally let him pick one for nothing.As a survivor of the last bloody storm, Emperor Jiayou believed afterwards that the tragedy was caused by the former emperor who was conclusively judged as Yingming I.As a lesson from the past, he did not want his children to experience a tragedy. To some extent, Emperor Jiayou was also a good father.

Shi Ke knew what Emperor Jiayou was worried about, but the road to reserve the throne was always dangerous, and its danger was not dependent on the emperor's will.At that time, the first emperor might not have wanted to see his sons fighting to the death, but the situation got out of control in the end.But now, after the eldest prince passed away, the situation seemed to be back to the old way.The only difference from the previous dynasty is that Emperor Jiayou's imperial power was relatively 'soft', and the cabinet held a lot of power. If the cabinet could stand on the sidelines and not stir up chaos, the situation would not easily get out of control.The good news is that the seven cabinet ministers, including Shi Ke, have nothing to do with the prince's relatives, and even some cabinet ministers from poor families have a bad relationship with those generations of dignitaries, such as Shi Ke.

As a cabinet minister, the advice that Shi Ke can offer is: "Officials, this step cannot be avoided no matter what."

Emperor Jiayou chose to ignore this unnutritious suggestion, "Be more specific."

"What kind of heir does the official family want?"

Emperor Jiayou felt that all his sons were good, but the reserve positions could not be shared equally.Emperor Jiayou was afraid that if he erected one, the others would attack him together, and if he killed one today and another tomorrow, they would all be his sons!The first emperor was like this back then, and then his group of brothers died and died in the end.To be honest, Emperor Jiayou didn't think it was so comfortable to be an emperor when he was kicked out of the market.In the DPRK, there are the old school who stick to the rules, and there are also the radicals clamoring for change everywhere. A whole group of old and new forces are fighting each other, the new radicals, and the old stubborn.As the emperor caught in the middle, if it is done well, it will be lubricating oil, if it is not done well, it will be a side trap.Lonely family, if you want to cultivate a few people who can speak for yourself in the court, half of them will die halfway, and most of the rest will be recruited by aristocratic families to marry and instigate rebellion... In short, it is extremely difficult for the emperor to find an independent and reliable confidant .Shi Ke can be regarded as a rare caring person for Emperor Jiayou.

The saint's thoughts drifted farther and farther.

Shi Ke cleared his throat and pulled him back, "Does the official still remember the original purpose of Lusong Academy?"

"Great talent. As a generation of virtuous officials with a long history, Fei Tian'er really deserves his reputation." Speaking of this, Emperor Jiayou looked at Shi Ke with a strange look. He still doubts Shi Ke's origin. There is no evidence, oh yes!Remember to explain the incident a year ago and continue to investigate.

The entrance examination began with the advice and persistence of the first two generations of Feitian children who entered the imperial court. From then on, children from poor families also have a way to advance, which is the first leap in the selection of talents.But the examination also has limitations. Can you be a good official if you read the classics and history well?Being an official is not a test of learning. If you can memorize poems, books and history books, you will be able to settle accounts, the law, flood control, and farming?

Emperor Jiayou explained that the Prime Minister was a great talent, because the Lusong Academy was initiated by the Prime Minister, and it was used to "literate illiteracy" for officials.

One year, Mingxiang followed Dezong on a tour of the suburbs of Beijing. Inspection of agriculture was a key project, so Emperor Dezong was dragged to the fields by Mingxiang.The officials who followed at the side seized the opportunity to show their faces in front of the emperor, and still didn't try their best?The so-called Eight Immortals crossed the sea and each showed their magical powers. One of the deputy directors who advised farming and mulberry pointed to the nearby fruit forest and commented: From watering to fertilizing, from seedling raising to pruning, there are problems everywhere, and everything needs to be corrected. ——This is the art of being an official. If you don't give some suggestions and find out some mistakes, how can you show your skills?This public quotes classics, "Nong Shuo", "Sang Jie", "Materia Medica" at his fingertips, and the suggestions are really comprehensive, which greatly impressed Dezong.This long speech is over, and the final conclusion is: it must be rectified immediately according to the plan I said.Otherwise, your thirty-acre cherry grove will not produce good cherries!

Ming Xiang accompanied Dezong to watch the whole process, looking at the quite satisfied saint and the shy fruit grower, he couldn't help laughing at last.

Emperor Dezong held Mingxiang's hand, "Gongming is so happy, it makes me happy to say it."

Ming Xiang smiled and said, "Officials, what Master Yang said is indeed true, this orchard is destined not to bear cherries..." After saying that, Ming Xiang's face suddenly darkened, "These are obviously pear trees!"

The officials in the farming and mulberry department don’t understand farming, the officials in flood control don’t understand industry, and the officials in the household department don’t understand accounts. If they encounter such people who don’t know how to pretend to understand, the whole empire will be ruined.The magistrate of the county hall doesn't know the law, does the gourd monk judge the gourd case?Therefore, the Royal Lupine Academy of the Empire came into existence later, with 36 subjects divided into three levels in six divisions, for the surprise training for new officials. Later, this step gradually evolved into today's compulsory course. One step, you want to go to the Ministry of Punishment if you don’t pass the law and politics, and you want to go to the Foreign Affairs Department of the Ministry of Rites if you don’t study foreign culture?dream.

This is the norm for officials, but what about the emperor?

"The emperor must be able to employ people, be broad-minded, have foresight, be capable of writing and martial arts, and be able to introspect... There are many, many, all of which are nonsense." Lengtouqing hurriedly got to work, and fought head-on with a group of old foxes who had been in the officialdom for more than ten years.What happened to the emperor?A nest of old foxes will kill you with their little wrists.As a fresh and tender new emperor, if he can hold on and make continuous moves without getting confused, Shi Ke sincerely kneels down to him.People, one has to suffer a loss and learn a lesson. The most important thing is that one has to have the luck of overlord to turn over a salty fish, in order to be able to suppress the aura and become a real emperor, such as the first emperor.As for Emperor Jiayou, he probably belonged to another type: being confessed by his subjects.What the cabinet needs is his image and seal, and the people need him to live in peace.

"I started as a lowly official. I only understand one truth. You always have to do it, try it, make mistakes, and then learn from your mistakes...but, tsk tsk...officials, before becoming emperors, There is no chance to make mistakes, so how can you constantly bow yourself in the midst of mistakes?"

Emperor Jiayou felt that he had been shot again by an arrow in his knee, thinking of his youthful experience, those stupid things he did...it was really unbearable to look back on.It's just that Emperor Jiayou still didn't quite understand Shi Ke's meaning, "You mean, give the princes some opportunities to practice before they are selected? Like selecting officials? No, no, absolutely not." Emperor Jiayou quickly "People without officials and power are already ready to move. If you are giving them power, are you sure you are not cultivating their partisan ambitions?"

"You can start slowly from the basics." Shi Ke bit the word 'basic' seriously.

"what do you mean……?"

Shi Ke, "It's like hanging a carrot in front of a donkey's eyes."

Emperor Jiayou: At any rate, you have also passed the Jinshi examination. Do you dare to be more vulgar?