Chapter 222 The sycophant and the selfish minister
The green trees border the village, and the green mountains and hills slope outside.
A concrete road that stretched to the end of the sky was like a white mark on the ground, causing the geese returning from the north to scream in surprise.
Zhang Cong was riding a carriage on the concrete road leading from Datong to the capital.
This road has not yet been completed, but the line from Zijingguan to Beijing is already open to traffic.
After several years outside the customs, it was the first time for Zhang Cong to ride on a four-wheel-drive carriage and drive on this cement road back to the Central Plains.
He has resigned from the post of governor of the Hetao. As the first governor of the Hetao, he felt more or less regretful, but when he thought that he was going to Beijing to see His Majesty the Emperor again after an absence of several years, he was a little excited. He knew that he was facing Everything changed because of the appearance of His Majesty the Emperor.
Smooth, spacious and comfortable carriages, flat concrete roads that will not become muddy due to rain or snow, and barbed wire fences that separate pastures from fields. You can see merchants traveling from north to south everywhere, as well as brightly dressed and chanting poems. The children after school with "four or five houses in Yancun and six or seven pavilions", as well as the people going north with dreams of prosperity, all made him feel fresh and happy.
In the prosperous age, there was no hunger and discouragement, and reading was everywhere. This was Zhang Cong's feeling on the way back to Beijing. He had to say to his staff: "Since I came to the throne, I have been strict in governing all industries, relieving people's poverty, opening commercial banks, and establishing schools. Such a scene can only be achieved if the people are prosperous and the country is prosperous!”
"What your Excellency said is absolutely true, but when you go to the capital, you should be careful as an official. The capital is a mixed bag of fish and dragons, not as good as the border towns, but you can concentrate on doing things. Your Majesty intends to establish a national administrative academy this time, so that all officials can learn from it, and your Majesty will Teach me, this is equivalent to In the eyes of many officials, your Majesty is nothing more than a miscellaneous student with a tertiary background. If you had not been valued by His Majesty, you would not be where you are today. Now that Your Majesty allows you to be their teacher, how can they bear it? ! ”
Zhang Cong's confidants expressed their concerns without hesitation.
"What you said is absolutely true. In the eyes of all the officials in the Manchu Dynasty, I can only be regarded as a sycophant. But I, Zhang Cong, am loyal to the emperor and father, and am a commoner below. How can I compare with these people who only know the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period? !
This time, your majesty asked me to come to the capital. I must follow your majesty's wishes and be a good teacher to the officials. The officials must listen whether they listen or not, unless they can be killed by your majesty. My officer! ”
Zhang Cong waved his long sleeves as he spoke. After living in the border town for many years, he already had a hint of fortitude in his awe-inspiring manner.
……
In the capital, the discussion about the National Academy of Administration is indeed very lively.
First of all, what the civil servants cannot accept is that the purpose of His Majesty’s establishment of the National School of Administration is to educate them, and it is to educate them, middle- and high-level civil servants!
It is understandable for these civil servants to cultivate scholars who have just passed the Jinshi. For example, the Hanlin Academy even regards Hanlin officials as the prime minister. After all, Hanlin officials teach low-level officials in the empire. And now His Majesty the Emperor wants to set up the National School of Administration to educate them, middle- and high-level civil servants, which means that it is not enough to give them a cabinet minister in politics, but also to arrange a teacher for them.
Civil servants are very proud, and they really don’t want to study and improve themselves after becoming an official. People are lazy. In their view, they have been in poverty for ten years, have learned a lot, and are already the pillars of the country. They should be When it is time to be re-employed by the imperial court and make great achievements, it should be the emperor and the prince who educate themselves. It should be the emperor and the prince who let others educate them.
However, the civil servants could not put forward the reason why the National Administration Academy could not be established. Due to his face and modest character, he could not directly tell His Majesty the Emperor that we civil servants were all Zhuge Kongming and did not need to learn after his reincarnation. Therefore, they could only accept it. .
However, what the civil servants really cannot accept is that the person in charge of the daily teaching affairs of the National Academy of Administration is Zhang Cong, who was born in the top three, a non-Hanlin man, who only served in local positions and was associated with the military!
"The right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs is such an important position. How can the chief minister recommend Zhang Cong to take the position? Why is it that no one in the cabinet or the nine ministers in the court opposes it!"
"He Zhang Cong is just a sycophant! How different from the eunuchs in the inner court. He only knows how to please His Majesty and has no knowledge or skills. How can he teach hundreds of officials!"
Huang Fang, editor of the Hanlin Academy, and Shen Tao, a member of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs, were discussing Zhang Cong's appointment as the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs to take charge of the National Academy of Administration. Li Shizi, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, was defeated by Gui E in the competition for the governorship of Hetao. Shi couldn't help but sigh: "Zhang Congnai The emperor's favored minister, the first assistant recommended Zhang Cong, naturally came from the holy will. How could the holy will be violated? How could the cabinet ministers and nine ministers dare to refute it? It is obvious that it is impossible to prevent this matter. There is no conclusive evidence to prove Zhang Cong's traitor. Your Majesty cannot abandon him!”
Li Shi sighed as he spoke. He didn't mind letting Zhang Cong be in charge of the training of the National Academy of Administration. In his heart, he also wanted to know how Zhang Cong got the holy favor.
But what really bothers him is that with the rise of border trade and the expansion of border towns, coupled with the immigration of the imperial court, a large number of southern tenant farmers have moved northward, and there is no one for the gentry like him to use. Because a large number of tenant farmers have fled, he has Such gentry landowners suffered heavy losses and could not guarantee sufficient rental income.
But Li Shi didn't know how to prevent this from happening. He knew that the most effective way was to ask His Majesty to abandon the Hetao and seclusion. In this way, there was no need to immigrate to Shibian, and the interests of the gentry himself would not be harmed. But he knew that he was What can't be stopped is that His Majesty will die in a hundred years and then find another way to make the new emperor give up the Loop, give up his ambition of external expansion, and protect himself within peace.
What Li Zhen cannot accept now is that some civil servants also follow His Majesty in advocating the benefits of opening up new territories. The most typical one among them is Zhang Cong!
"It was Zhang Cong who established the first county in the Hetao. He was also the one who attracted people to move north with the benefits of land, commerce and industry. He Zhang Cong caused the weakness of the people in our Central Plains, so that the fields were barren. Scholars have no intention of pursuing a career. If this continues, the country will be poor and the people will be exhausted! But Li Xueshi is right, Zhang Cong is deeply trusted by the emperor, if not! Conclusive evidence proves Zhang Cong's traitor, and His Majesty cannot abandon him. However, Xue happened to obtain a "Picture of Refugees". This picture was painted by Cui Zhe, the censor of Jigong. It depicts his people who were forcibly immigrated by Zhang Cong. The tragic situation of leaving home! Xue believes that this is a tribute to His Majesty, and it is impossible for His Majesty not to take action.”
At this time, Yushi Xue Fengming stood up and said something, and then unfolded the scroll for other officials to take a look.
"If this picture can really make His Majesty feel compassionate, it can be regarded as an opportunity to bring down Zhang Cong. After all, Your Majesty has always loved the people and will never ignore the people's complaints just because of his appearance!"
Li Shi, a Hanlin scholar, said something, and other civil servants nodded.
(End of chapter)