The officials walked past Fan Xian with a slightly strange look and withdrew from the Tai Chi Hall. Fan Xian was also a little uneasy at this time. He knew what the pattern of the dialogue would be later. Even if he was the Tisi of the Supervision Institute, he would look very strange in the middle. His seniority was too young after all - but now that it has come to this, he had to respond calmly, He followed several old ministers with a slight interest and followed the eunuch to the back of the hall.
After three turns and two turns, it didn't go very far, so it came to a side hall, which was separated from the top, so the space was not very large. On the left side, there was a large row of people high partial grain wooden shelves, which were full of books. Fan Xian secretly looked around the cloth and knew that this was probably the legendary imperial study. The smile on the corners of his lips disappeared, probably because he thought of the braid play he used to see in previous lives.
At this time, the emperor had already taken off his dragon robe under the service of eunuchs, and changed into a blue casual shirt with a jade belt around his waist, which seemed to be casual. The emperor leaned on the couch, put his tea bowl on the table, and waved casually. The eunuchs hurried into the room with seven round tapestry stools. The seven old ministers leaned down to thank them and naturally took their seats.
The prince and the eldest prince stood beside the couch where the emperor was. Although they didn't have a seat, their faces showed that this was the usual rule.
Only seven stools have been reserved here, but today there are more young officials. The eunuch in the imperial study may not have seen Fan Xian, so he is also a bit embarrassed. I don't know whether he is just a junior bureaucrat who comes in to ask questions, or a distinguished figure nearby.
When everyone sat down, Fan Xian was independent, and suddenly showed him. His father, Fan Shangshu, looked at his nose and his heart without looking at him at all. Fan Xian couldn't help laughing at himself, and moved back his inconspicuous position.
His little act fell into the eyes of the prince. The prince smiled at him. Fan Xian dared only look back, but he inadvertently saw the eldest prince yawn behind his majesty. It is estimated that the prince just returned to Beijing yesterday. I don't know how much wine he had drunk. Today, he is afraid he is exhausted.
In addition to the first day of the Liujing River tea house, today is the closest time Fan Xian has been to the emperor. It seems that he can't help but look up slightly and scan at each other with great speed, but he dare not stare at each other. After all, the other party is the emperor Laozi. Although there was an official named Mu Tianyan in the Qing Dynasty, he really looked at Tianyan. No one dared to admire her as much as a beauty.
But it was this quick glance that made Fan Xian see the other person's face clearly, but he was almost shocked by the look back!
The emperor looked at him and didn't care about his direct gaze. Fan Xian looked lucky, but he was not afraid at all. After a while, the second prince, who was reading with the little prince in Xingqing Palace, was also invited by the eunuch. When he entered the imperial study, he still held the little prince's hand. Looking at the scene of the brother's harmony, the emperor nodded slightly and seemed satisfied. The prince smiled, but did not know how many bad words he swore in his heart.
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"Bring Fan Xian a seat." After the four prince Qi Qi stood beside the couch, the emperor seemed to find Fan Xian standing, and gave a random command.
Fan Xian answered with a slight surprise: "I dare not." With his rank, it is an exception to enter the imperial study. How dare he sit when these four princes are still standing? The six old ministers listened to his majesty give the young guy a seat, and they also felt a little itchy under the buttocks. They moved, twisted, and coughed, obviously dissatisfied. They thought that they had endured at least 20 years in the imperial court before they had a seat in front of the emperor. You, a Fan boy, could have a seat when you first entered the imperial study!
The prince looked at the ministers and said respectfully to the emperor, "Father, Fan Xian is young, and his body and bones are no better than those of several old ministers. He looks frightened, so he should stand still."
The words were extremely peaceful. No matter several old ministers or Fan Xian, they were grateful.
At this time, the eldest prince said, "I remember when the father asked our brothers to listen to your discussion, they had to stand because they would assist the prince in governing the country and pacifying the world in the future. Since they listened to the class, the students would have to look like students..." He didn't finish his words, but his meaning was clear. You Fan Xian was young and had just started to enter official circles, What are your achievements? How can He De let us princes treat you as a teacher.
Several old ministers also stroked their beards and shook their heads - this seat seems ordinary, but its hidden meaning is extraordinary. They can guarantee that if Fan Xian really had a seat in the imperial library this time, the news would spread all over Kyoto within three minutes.
Fan Xian was about to push the boat along the river and say goodbye to his majesty, but when he looked at the indifferent look of the emperor, he was very cold and swallowed the words again.
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The emperor looked at his officials and his eldest son, who was straightforward but impatient, and said, "Fan Xian, of course, can't afford this seat... But today he has to sit, not to reward him, but only to reward him."
The people did not understand what they meant, but since the Holy Master spoke, the imperial study was naturally quiet. The emperor looked at his sons and said softly, "If you can also bring back a cart of books from Zhuang Mohan's family, I will let you sit!"
The people were silent and knew what the chariot and horse represented. Although they still felt that the emperor was a bit paranoid about the false reputation of literature and Taoism, it was hard to refute it.
The emperor knew what people were thinking and said coldly, "Don't think this is just a matter of scholars. What are scholars? You officials are all scholars. The rule of literature and martial arts, the way of martial arts, is not lacking. What is lacking is the rule of literature... It is easy to govern the territory of the world, but it is difficult to govern the people of the world. If you don't work hard on it, you can't rely on sharp sword and quick horse. "
The eldest prince's face obviously showed disapproval, but his father didn't finish speaking, so he naturally didn't dare to say much.
Listen to the emperor continue to say leisurely: "You can seize the world at once, but you can't rule the world at once. The way of literature seems to be illusory, but it involves the hearts of all the scholars in the world. I fought the Wei family into a mess three times during the Northern Expedition. Who would have thought that the warring family could rise from the chaos. But after several years of effort, a large number of talents have gathered, which is why today's Northern Qi court has prevented us from going north... What do they rely on? It depends on their orthodox position in the minds of scholars all over the world! Is the world in the new moon? This is not what the scholars did... Shuwu, Yan Xingshu! You are the minister of Qingguo, but you took part in the imperial examination in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Why? "
Master Shu and Yan Shangshu quickly stood up, panicking.
The emperor shook his hand and said, "All the scholars in the world are like this. Now there is such a bad wind. I don't blame you, and you should not doubt it. I just want to tell you that the world is just new, and the scholars will return to their hearts, which will bring many benefits. There are many good people and officials in every county, and they will also take advantage of their words." He looked at his eldest son and said coldly, "I know what you are thinking, but if you can resist less when you send troops, you can reduce the number of deaths under your command. Don't you want to?"
The eldest prince was silent.
The emperor said coldly, "The old book of a carriage can attract more scholars to travel around the world and save countless lives for me. Why not reward Fan Xian?"
People always feel strange. It seems that His Majesty is deliberately showing favor to the world, and why hasn't Shang Shu Fan stepped down to take his place? However, the whole country of Qingguo was born in the flames of war, and the people have an overwhelming enthusiasm and sense of mission for unifying the whole country. Since your majesty has linked the book Fan Xian brought back from this mission with the overall trend of unifying the whole country, who dares to say more and get up one after another to connect with the sage Yingming.
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What is the direct relationship between carriage and the world? Fan Xian thanked His Majesty for giving him a seat. His face was calm, and he was not arrogant or impatient. But he was smiling bitterly in his heart. He didn't understand why the emperor had to put himself on the fire to steam.
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The red flannelette was pulled open, revealing the huge map inside. The map had been restructured, and the yellow territory of Qingguo was constantly extending towards the northeast, while behind her, except for the wasteland and beard land, she had already belonged to herself. The territory of Qingguo extends rapidly. Although North Qi in the northeast still looks like a giant, it looks a little bloated in front of the beast Qingguo. Although the Northern Qi Dynasty was also an emerging country, it not only inherited the vast territory of the Great Wei Dynasty, but also inherited the corrupt bureaucracy and customs of the Great Wei Dynasty.
Fan Xian looked at the map, listened to the voices of discussion that kept coming to his ears, and was in the power center of Qingguo. He felt Qingguo's tough style and wild ambition for the first time. He could not help sighing in his heart. After all, the northern court still had strength. Looking at the idea of Haitang and the emperor, people in the world would inevitably suffer from war and chaos, But I don't know when to recover.
Although he is not a compassionate pacifist, he is really lack of interest in war.
At this time, the emperor was discussing important matters of state affairs with several ministers. Occasionally, he heard a few words about the great river levees, and also about the annual tribute of those small vassals. Fan Xian did not know anything about these matters, and naturally would not interrupt. Even if he had an idea in his mind, he would not say a word when sitting on the "tiger stool".
The people forgot him in the corner of the imperial study intentionally or unintentionally, so he had the leisure to look at the obviously improved map, and kept staring at it, sighing for his disciples.
Suddenly, a word jumped into his ear - Neiku! He frowned slightly and became more alert. The emperor kept himself. It was really not as simple as giving a stool and a face.
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"As you all know, the internal treasury, although named as the internal treasury, has many implications." The emperor said angrily, "What an embarrassment the internal treasury has been doing these years. In the third year of the New Year, when dredging the river in the south, it encountered cold weather in the north. I ordered the internal treasury to transfer silver to the national treasury. How could I know that the Guanghui treasury could not even get the silver!"
Guanghui Warehouse is a special department for banknotes among the ten internal warehouses, but gold and silver should be put in the carrier warehouse. The anger of the emperor seems to be the wrong object. In any case, the carrier warehouse and Guanghui warehouse were both co managed by the princess and the Hubu. Although the Hubu did not dare to say anything in the past ten years, Fan Jian, the minister of the Hubu, stood up quickly to plead guilty.
The emperor waved his hand, didn't look him in the eye, and continued: "The new policy ended without a hitch, but I decided to make a contribution to the internal treasury, not to return to the grand occasion of more than ten years ago, but at least to earn some silver for the imperial court every year."
His voice was not high and his tone was not very intense, but the power contained in it made people dare not say: "When the imperial sister returns to Xinyang, she will always ask a minister to do this. If you have any good candidates, please report to me."
These ministers and the prince in the imperial study all know that this is just a passing scene. Kyoto has long known that the person whom your majesty desires is Fan Xian, who is sitting quietly in the rear at this time. His majesty used to "borrow a car to play" and vigorously help Fan Xian to rise to the top, which is nothing more than to show his attitude to the officials first, and not to disagree with the person who will be the head of the internal treasury later.
But people also know that the situation of the internal treasury is far from as bad as what the emperor said. Every year, the goods transported to the north by the workshops in the south of the Yangtze River will earn at least several million taels of silver for the imperial court. If the internal treasury is not supported by those very secretive businesses, Qingguo does not have enough financial resources to expand around, and for a while, he became secretly jealous of the Fan family.
However, since your majesty seems so dissatisfied, I'm afraid that whoever takes over the internal treasury in the future will have a headache about the amount of money handed in every year.
Thinking of this festival, all the officials were a little less jealous, but even so, no one was willing to propose Fan Xian at this time - it was a matter of face, but also an economic problem. No matter how difficult it was to manage the internal treasury, the people in charge would not get less money every year. These ministers also need to get a very generous reward from Xinyang every year. There is no reason not to know.
The officials did not say that Fan Jian, because of his status, naturally could not nominate his son, and for a moment there was an awkward silence in the imperial study. The emperor didn't say anything, just picked up the tea cup and took a sip. His face was normal, but no one noticed the chill in his eyes.
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"Recommended by my son..."
"Recommended by my son..."
Everyone in the imperial study was surprised. The silence was broken by two people at the same time, and the two people who spoke at the same time, one was the prince and the other was the second prince. This situation is wonderful.
The emperor nodded and said, "Go ahead."
The second prince looked at the prince, smiled apologetically and said, "Since the prince has a good candidate, I'm all ears."
The emperor looked at him and said nothing.
Seeing that the second prince was modest, the prince, as the leader of the Eastern Palace, would surely be the emperor of Qingguo in the future. He saluted his father and said, "My father, my son and minister recommend Fan Xian."
The people in the imperial study knew that Fan Xian, who was pulled by the Eastern Palace, spared no effort, not to mention that this kind of folkway was naturally done. Unexpectedly, his majesty did not immediately make a statement, but asked the second prince: "Who are you going to recommend?"
The second prince smiled shyly and said, "My son is also ready to recommend... Fan Xian, Lord Fan."
The imperial study was still quiet, but the emperor gave Fan Xian a meaningful glance. Fan Xian's face did not change, and he was ready to get up to deal with it, but the emperor did not give him this opportunity. He said quietly: "Since you two brothers think Fan Xian can do it, it's him. After autumn, we will draw up a decree without telling all counties and states."
At this point, the topic has become a foregone conclusion. Although it was agreed in the palace when Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er got married years ago, today, they put forward the proposal for approval in the imperial study, which is recorded in the book, and naturally cannot be changed. At the thought that the father of the Fan Family was in charge of the treasury and the son of the Fan Family was in charge of the internal treasury, there was always a strange feeling in the hearts of people. Such a noble family, such an honor, could not find a second family in Beijing. After seeing that the crown prince and the second prince were competing to pay Fan Xian, we knew that the position of the Fan Family in the years to come would only be upward, not downward, but like this!
Fan Jian and Fan Xian and their son quickly got up to thank them and said they were scared.
The emperor didn't care much about them. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Now that it's settled, I've come to ask your brothers why they both want Fan Xian at the same time?"
The prince thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "My son just has a rough idea. Mr. Fan Shangshu is very effective in managing money for the country. Since Fan Xian is the son of his family, I think he should have some talent in this field."
The second prince smiled and said: "The son minister also thinks like this. Besides, there are many gold, silver, yellow and white things in the internal treasury, and it always needs a minister director who is clean and clean. The son minister made a false remark. Nowadays, in the officialdom, there are corrupt practices. Although there are also famous honest officials in all counties, they are mostly in local places, and the little Fan is talented. The world knows that he is a noble man in literature. He manages the internal treasury and thinks it is appropriate."
"Oh?" the emperor asked, without changing his face, "the reason is barely passable, but there are other reasons?"
When the prince and the second prince looked at each other, they both felt a little confused. Maybe his majesty took the opportunity to compare them. The crown prince had to bite the bullet and said: "What the second brother said is absolutely true. In addition, the internal treasury supervision has always been the responsibility of the supervision institute. Since Lord Fan is the head of the supervision institute, it would be much easier for him to come to the two departments to cooperate."
The little prince who came in with the second prince has been standing for a long time, and his feet are a little sore. In addition, he may not understand what these white bearded ministers are saying to his father. His spirit is somewhat depressed. In a trance, he is a little strange. He giggles and says in a childish voice, "Brother Prince, according to you, isn't Fan Xian monitoring himself?"
He is a child, so he can speak freely. Others will only think it is childlike language, but it seems to be unintentional language, pointing directly to the mistakes of the prince's previous words. Although the ministers dared not speak, the prince was slightly sulky.
Fortunately, the second prince was also distressed and said, "Father, I really can't figure it out."
The emperor didn't scold the prince, but said quietly, "I can't think of it. Then why did you recommend him earlier?"
The people in the imperial study saw that the saint was going from side to side, but they clearly wanted to find trouble with their two sons. They really felt that the holy heart was unpredictable, so they had to shut their mouths tightly for fear of causing some trouble.
As a client, Fan Xian felt that the "tiger stool" under his buttocks not only pricked people, but also burned his buttocks. At this moment, the second prince said with a slight uneasiness: "In fact, there is another reason... because my son and minister... have a good personal relationship with Lord Fan."
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His Majesty looked at his second son quietly. After a moment, he suddenly laughed, and the laughter seemed very comfortable. He said: "There are thousands of pieces, and only one piece is enough... What is this internal treasury? It is the royal treasury. Since Fan Xian is required to take care of the internal treasury, he must be close to the royal family. Since Fan Xian has done this in Taichang Temple, this one piece of intimacy is enough."
Of course, it's enough. Fan Xian pretends to be a princess's son-in-law. However, the prince and the second prince often call him his brother-in-law. The prince listened and sighed in his heart. He thought that the second son was really powerful and had guessed the answer his father wanted. Why did he slow down?
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As the army has just returned and the border has been determined, today's discussion seems to be longer than usual. It's after lunch. When the emperor looked at the sky, he ordered the eunuchs to prepare meals and left the ministers and princes to eat together. Fan Xian'er didn't think anything strange when he ate something from the imperial dining room for the first time today. It was just vegetables, fish and chicken. What made him more comfortable was that eating with the Holy Master was not as uncomfortable as he thought, and he didn't need to kowtow again before eating.
The previous words of the prince and the second prince all fell into his ears, and he knew that he could not hide. When he looked at the middle-aged man on the dragon couch, he could not help but feel a little more alert and cold. The emperor's favor was based on some absurd fact, but he did not think that an emperor would have many relatives, such a rare thing.
Fan Xian is not a person who is easy to control. He can kneel, endure, and listen. But when something threatens his bottom line, he will touch his left calf with a smile. He can't kneel, endure, and listen, and will only go to your mother.
The prince and his sons honestly waited on his majesty for dinner, and then went to the side hall for dinner. At this time, the Holy Master was chatting with several old ministers. Naturally, there was no talk about state affairs over the dinner table, so the discussion was all about who had the best water to make tea. The watermelon in a certain state was as big as a rock. How about it? Occasionally, he would mention the news of the world. Naturally, Zhuang Mohan's death was mentioned. Everyone's voice seemed to be darkened. I think that except for the great scholar Shu and Yan Xingshu, These high-ranking officials, even your majesty, who celebrated the country, once recited the wisdom of Zhuang people when they were enlightened.
In short, the meal was much easier than the family dinner in Fan's residence. Fan Xian was hungry and didn't raise his ears to listen to the conversation over there. He was carrying a long soup bean sprout to his mouth. Suddenly, he heard His Majesty pointed at him and said, "Fan Xian, come here."
Fan Xian put down his chopsticks in a daze, glanced reluctantly at the delicious soup bean sprouts, and a bright smile appeared on his face. He quickly walked to the couch of the Holy Master. Looking at the thin but heroic face, his eyes were just playing a bit excited and sad, and bowed with his hands.
The old ministers did not know what His Majesty asked him to do, and listened curiously. His Majesty smiled at him and said, "Do you remember what I promised you in the teahouse by the Liujing River that day?"
Fan Xian did not expect that His Majesty would tell the story of the encounter in front of these senior officials. He replied with a smile, "I didn't know it was His Majesty that day, but I also slapped the palace commander, offended the emperor, and deserved to die."
The minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, taking advantage of his face as an elder of three dynasties, stroked his beard and asked with self-respect, "It turns out that God and Lord Xiaofan have seen each other outside the palace."
His Majesty, the Emperor of Qingguo, seemed not angry but powerful when discussing the state affairs, but at this time, he seemed very easy-going. He laughed and told his officials about the day's events. Fan Jian secretly said that it was absurd, so he had to ask the Holy Master again to forgive the dog's offense. The other elders in the court were whispering. No wonder Fan Xian was so favored by the Holy Master. It turned out that there was such an adventure. The boy was lucky, and he was curious about what His Majesty had promised Fan Shizi.
"I once said that I would promise your sister a good marriage." The emperor looked at Fan Xian very softly, with a hint of arrogance that the Son of Heaven should never have. "Now Miss Fan has promised the Prince Jing's son, what do you think of this marriage?"
Fan Xian felt more bitter than having eaten coptis, but his face was full of emotion, and he followed his father to thank him again and again. After being slightly stunned, several old ministers beside him began to flatter, saying that his majesty had met his courtiers by the river, and they had made a marriage.
The voice was a little loud, and it reached the ears of several princes who were eating in the next room. The eldest prince frowned, but the prince smiled slightly, and felt wiser for his decision to attract the Fan family. When I looked at the face of the second brother subconsciously, I found that his face was still the same, and he was still as methodical as he had been for years - even a little strange, slowly and continuously chewing food, I can't help but scold the hypocrisy in my heart.
Inside and outside the palace where the imperial study was located, there was a sound of singing and praising the saints. Who knew Fan Xian's troubles and sufferings.
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When Fan Xian stepped out of the palace in the afterglow and looked at the son of the world riding on a horse at the corner of Xinjiekou, he was more worried. Li Hongcheng, the prince of King Jing, welcomed him with a happy face, and his face also showed the joy of reunion after a long separation, completely missing the true feelings in his heart.
At that time, the sun was setting and night was coming.