Reborn in the late Northern Wei Dynasty

Chapter 421 Zu Ting (3000)

Gao Cheng issued an edict to designate the four princes as princes, and granted him the right to open the mansion and build the government office. For talented people who were depressed and frustrated, it undoubtedly ushered in a turning point in fate.

With the right person, the former ministers of the Qiandi in the future, such as Yang Min, Cui Jishu, Cui Xian, etc., can be reaped and reused in Gao Cheng's dynasty. He was just reprimanded and fined, but it was not because of his background as a staff member of the Governor's Mansion in Gyeonggi.

Now that the battle for the reserve position has not been settled, it seems risky, but it also gives everyone a chance to bet.

From the perspective of future generations, it is the difference between the buyer's market and the seller's market. If you learn martial arts, goods and the emperor's family, and the princes win the heir, that is the seller's market. I will not sell you Gao Xiaozhang. , Gao Xiaoguan peddling.

If, like Gao Cheng, the status of the eldest son of Bohai was established early, and because of the existence of the Luoyang-Jinyang dual military and political system, the power is so powerful that it can almost stand against his father, and the position of the heir is unshakable, then it is the buyer. market.

Either go to Jinyang to join Gao Huan, or come to Luoyang to serve Gao Cheng. With these two choices, you can't attach yourself to Gao Yang who has not yet obtained the right to open the mansion.

Of course, if you are willing to be a hermit and have no intention of official career, then that is another matter.

As for Gao Huan, Gao Cheng and his son, it was their turn to hold their feet and elbows, each carrot and each pit, and there were already people squatting around them.

Only in such a situation where the princes are competing is the master chooses the ministers, and the ministers also choose the master. There is room for choice and the possibility of placing bets.

Otherwise, when Gao Cheng is the heir, you don't need to judge who will be the final winner of the reserve position, but if you can't squeeze in among Yang Min, Cui Jishu, Chen Yuankang and others, you have no chance to bet at all.

Nowadays, the Northern Qi Dynasty seems to be setting up a gambling game. The winners are just around the corner, and those who miss the mark are doomed to be knocked out of the mud. A lifetime of sitting on the bench is considered a good ending. Zu Ting is trying to participate in this gambling game with chips in his arms. people.

After all, Zu Ting's resume is peculiar. He used to be Gao Huan's staff, and he was appreciated for his extensive knowledge.

He also has an irreversible relationship with Chen Yuankang. He is a friend in Chen Yuankang's eyes who can entrust his future affairs. Even if he has no merit or demerit and mixed qualifications, he can be reaped and reused in the Gaocheng dynasty. Look at it by your own people.

It's just that Zu Ting was caught on the spot for stealing wine vessels at a banquet, and Gao Huan hated him, so he was expelled.

It is true that Zu Teng has the habit of petty theft, but it is also true that he is full of talent. He is talented in both civil and military affairs. After fighting for more than ten days, Xuzhou was still able to be preserved even though the imperial court deliberately refused to rescue them.

Not reconciled, he asked his friend Chen Yuankang for a letter of recommendation, and went south to join Gao Cheng.

But it was a buyer's market in those days, Xiao Gaowang didn't like him as a person, even if Chen Yuankang recommended him, he never used him as an aide.

If in previous years, Zu Tie was hated by Gao's father and son, he would basically be out of luck for an official position. Fortunately, there is no such thing as a path, just when the imperial court opened the imperial examination, Zu Tie took the classics test, even if he hated him, for the sake of fairness, Gao Cheng also only rowed Zu Ting, who was originally third in the classic Kejing test, to tenth.

Since the top ten in each subject can be appointed as Beijing officials, Zu Ting was able to practice in the Six Departments as an alternate official in 539 AD, and formally served in the Ministry of Rites the following year.

Over the years, Zu Ting has worked diligently and conscientiously. It is not known whether the habit of stealing has been changed, at least he has not been caught again.

Gao Cheng has let go of his feelings towards Zu Ting in recent years. Thinking about it, the party and Lu Lingxuan slandered Hu Luguang. Transformation is also normal, so Zu Ting has never been targeted again.

Northern Qi officials take an exam every three years. In the past three exams, Zu Ting was excellent, and his official position went smoothly.

I thought that the next step would be the minister of the Ministry of Rites, but the head of the fourth division of the Ministry of Rites who came down from the air, Gao Rui, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, gave him a heavy blow.

The so-called princes and generals, rather have a kind, there are two different answers in troubled times and governance, after the chaos into governance, they should be born noble, Zu Ting worked hard as an official for ten years before he was appointed as the doctor of the shrine department Position, the 16-year-old Gao Rui Airborne Etiquette Division Doctor, but it still makes people feel that he has been treated badly.

Thinking that in two years' time, Gao Cheng's fifth son, Gao Xiaocong, would come to the Ministry of Rites to record his affairs at the age of eight, and it would never be possible to hand over the Ministry of War to Gao Laowu, Zu Ting was completely enlightened.

There were only so many high positions in the imperial court, and it was difficult for him to look back on the backs of senior officials such as Gao Longzhi, let alone Yang Min, Cui Jishu and other former officials in the hidden residence, and Gao Cheng's close nephews and brothers also wanted a share of the pie.

If you rely on yourself, your future is limited. In this world, you should find a master, so that you can hold the authority and have the opportunity to show what you have learned.

The establishment of the four kings' mansion also provided him with an opportunity to find a master.

With the candlelight flickering, Zu Teng wrote down four names on a piece of white paper early on: Gao Xiaozhang, Gao Xiaoyu, Gao Xiaowan, Gao Xiaoguan.

He groaned and remained silent, the meal his wife brought to him earlier was already completely cold, but his eyes were still fixed on the white paper.

After a long time, Zu Teng stroked Gao Xiaozhang's name.

On the bright side, Gao Xiaozhang seems to have the most limelight. After all, the Gao family was born out of the Erzhu family, and grew stronger by annexing the Erzhu family. At least the Qihu people will tend to him without thinking, and with the status of the eldest son, no matter how you look at it, he must be the one who reserves the position.

After all, when Gao Huan was alive, he always preached that he was against the regicide Er Zhu Zhao, not the benefactor Er Zhu Rong.

But in Zu Ting's view, the eldest son is difficult to become a great treasure because of his status as Er Zhurong's grandson.

Er Zhurong slaughtered the princes of the Manchu Dynasty in the Heyin Incident, and his hands were full of blood debts. The Er Zhu family had a deadly feud with the Sinicized Xianbei and the Han gentry. Otherwise, it would only be Yuan Ziyou who was killed. rebel.

By virtue of his status as a grandson, Gao Xiaozhang was favored by the Qihu people, so he had to bear the consequences of the Heyin Change. His mother's family was the Erzhu family.

Zu Teng knew that Gao Xiaozhang was supported by an expert behind him, so he went to pay homage to the graves of the victims of the Heyin Incident almost every year, and kept a distance from his only surviving uncle, Erzhu Wenlue. So easy to dissolve.

The matter of seizing the heirloom does not lie in how many supporters there are. After all, no matter how many supporters there are, the weight cannot compare with his father Gao Cheng's preferences, but in how many staunch opponents there are.

Among other things, if you ask Yang Min, the Yang family of Hongnong was almost exterminated by the Erzhu family. Although this blood debt cannot be counted on Gao Xiaozhang, if Gao Xiaozhang becomes the heir, his mother's family, the Erzhu family, will be all prosperous. Shi's scenery is boundless, this is no more uncomfortable than letting him die.

Like Yang Min, there were more than one or two families who had blood feuds with the Erzhu family. More than [-] ministers and ministers were killed in the Heyin change, including both Sinicized Xianbei and Han people.

Of course, Gao Xiaozhang naturally has many supporters. After all, the saying that there are heirs and no heirs is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and not all civil servants have blood feuds with the Erzhu family.

Focusing on the remaining three names, Zu Teng crossed out Gao Xiaoyu and Gao Xiaowan in one breath, leaving only Gao Cheng's fourth son, Gao Xiaoguan who was newly named King of Lu.

It is normal for the Han people and the Sinicized Xianbei who are not in the same pot as Gao Xiaozhang to urinate towards Gao Xiaoyu and Gao Xiaowan respectively. After all, one is born of a Han woman and the other has Xianbei blood. In terms of momentum, they can compete with Gao Xiaozhang.

Zu Ting felt that he should stop going to Prince Qin's Mansion and Prince Zhao's Mansion to join in the fun. Compared with his three elder brothers, the sparsely populated King Lu's Mansion was the place he should go.

Outsiders think that King Lu is a little transparent, and his father Gao Cheng's history of joining the ministry is just to show fairness. After all, the three brothers have their own power because of their mother's background. As for Gao Xiaoguan, his mother is just a maid in the Qi Palace. He doesn't have a name, and you don't even know whether he was born of a Han, or a Xianbei or Qihu, so there is no mother clan to rely on.

But in Zu Ting's view, this is precisely Gao Xiaoguan's advantage, if people ignore him, he won't be hated.

As I said before, the key to the battle for the reserve position is how many staunch opponents there are. No one knows which race blood is in Gao Xiaoguan's body and the other half, so there is no need to worry about his inclinations after he takes the position.

The other three parties fought each other and forged enmity. Perhaps in the end, the fourth son whose birth mother is unknown was a candidate acceptable to the three parties of Han, Xianbei, and Qihu. After all, national integration did not happen overnight.

The more Zu Ting thought about it, the more tempted he became, and he felt like Lu Buwei who discovered Qin Yiren.

No one cares about Gao Xiaoguan now, and everyone's eyes are on Gao Xiaozhang, Gao Xiaoyu, and Gao Xiaowan. If I vote at this time, with my full of talents and learning, I will definitely be cited as a confidant and entrusted with important positions.

As for Lu Buwei's bleak end and suicide by drinking poisoned wine, he didn't care too much. It was Qin Yiren's early death, and it was Qin Yiren who had a deep friendship with Lu Buwei, not Ying Zheng.

I am nearly 30 years older than Gao Xiaoguan, and I think Gao Xiaoguan will never be ahead of me.

Of course, if this kind of thing happened, I would not be tolerated by the new king. At worst, I would resign and return to my hometown. The Gao family couldn't say anything else, at least they still cared about their kindness. Could they die well without seeing Wei Jing?

With a plan in place, Zu Ting laughed heartily, and his eyes fell on the edge of the table, only to find the meal brought by his wife.

At this time, the night outside the house was dark, and he was already hungry, so he didn't bother to let the back kitchen heat it up. In the cold winter, a bowl of cold rice and cold dishes could not cool Zu Ting's warm heart.

　I came back too late yesterday, so I fell asleep directly, but everyone can rest assured that everything is done, and it is three o'clock today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)