Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 165 0160 [Don’t be a serious person]

Although Zheng Juzhong lost the Ministry of Households, his confidants took over the Ministry of Officials, and this business is definitely not a loss.

The enemy of an enemy is a friend. Zhu Ming and Cai Jing are enemies. Zheng Juzhong felt that he could win them over, and personally intervened in the arrangement of Bai Chongyan and Min Zishun.

Min Zishun's Jinshi rank was higher, so he threw away the more lucrative Carbon Charcoal Division.

Bai Chongyan worked in the Ministry of Industry and was in charge of cultural transfer affairs in the office.

They were downcast two days ago, but now they are all full of joy, and they only have admiration for Ju Ming in their hearts.

Although he was only a petty official, he was a petty official in the capital, and Zhu Ming made the arrangements as soon as he said they would!

Min Zishun was afraid of spoiling Zhu Ming's affairs, so before going to work, he asked earnestly: "Although the rank of the Carbon Charcoal Division is very low, he is in charge of the coal affairs in Kaifeng Mansion and its surrounding areas. The oil and water are so rich, there must be someone to lend a hand. What can Brother Cheng teach you?" my?"

Zhu Ming said: "The Ministry of Industry builds palaces every year, and there is a lot of oil and water. What is the Carbon Coal Division? Since the Carbon Coal Division has been transferred to the Ministry of Industry, and the original officials have been purged, within three to five months, no higher-level officials should dare to come. Money. Taking advantage of this time, it is best to deal with internal bureaucracy, do a good job in the purchase of government-run farms, and stabilize the market price of coal as soon as possible.”

Min Zishun asked: "Greedy beetles cannot be cured, so should we be more ruthless?"

Zhu Ming nodded: "Be more ruthless, but you have to leave room for it, otherwise it will not last long, and it will become more chaotic in private."

In a word, the officials must be greedy for a little money, otherwise they will not be able to work at all.

This is determined by the system. The middle and high-level officials in the Song Dynasty were treated so well that they were frighteningly frightening.But for low-level officials and officials, it is difficult to support their families purely on wages, and they will not let the subordinates corrupt at all, and they will never be able to do anything.

Bai Chongyan came up with an idea: "First knock the mountain to shake the tiger, punish a few severely, and then show kindness to subdue the hearts of the subordinates."

Bai Sanlang is not a nerd, only occasionally ignorant of practical affairs, the suggestions he puts forward now are very good, and he also knows the policy of carrots and sticks.

"Sir, someone from the Zheng family wants to see you." Bai Sheng ran over quickly.

Zhu Ming said, "Ask him to come in."

The person who came was a high-ranking servant of Zheng Juzhong's family. He handed over the invitation card and said: "My husband, I invite Xuezheng to a banquet, and Xuezheng must come to the banquet."

Zhu Ming looked at the invitation, and politely declined: "I have received Zheng Xianggong's kindness, and there is no need for the banquet."

The servant felt that he had heard it wrong, and said in disbelief: "Zhu Xuezheng, this is the banquet of the privy envoy. Your Excellency has already hated Cai Jing, are you going to offend Zheng Xianggong again? You two fellow villagers, Zheng Xianggong personally arranged the dispatch, Your Excellency is Such a repayment?"

"Don't dare, it's just that I'm busy with work, and I really can't take time off." Zhu Ming said.

The servant of the Zheng family looked displeased, and he didn't want the basic etiquette: "You will suffer a lot sooner or later for doing things like this, and then don't come to beg my husband again!"

After speaking, he walked away.

Min Zishun felt something was wrong: "Since you hate Cai Jing, you should turn to Zheng Juzhong. You can't offend both sides."

Zhu Ming explained: "The official family just promoted me, Cai and Zheng will definitely not treat me. It is also because of the official family that Zheng Juzhong will entertain me. But if I fall for one of them, the other will definitely hold a grudge In my heart, I want to get rid of me and then quickly. With the behavior of these two people, can they last long? Even if I am suppressed by them, I will be silent for a few years. If I cling to them, the stigma will be a lifetime thing. "

Bai Chongyan admired: "Success still has a long-term vision."

Cai Jing is a traitor, isn't Zheng Juzhong?
Look who are Zheng Juzhong's henchmen?More than half belonged to Cai Jing's former confidants.

Wang Fu is worse than Cai Jing.

Liu Zhengfu and Zheng Juzhong have also merged completely, and Zheng Juzhong is the main one.

Regardless of the fact that Liu Zhengfu didn't want to be entangled in the court, he just wanted to resign and go home.But this old thing, after returning to Hangzhou, he immediately built a house to enjoy.

Just build it, you can't find anything wrong with the money that people embezzle based on their ability.

But Liu Zhengfu didn't even bother to pretend, and directly occupied the barracks of the Hangzhou Xiang Army, saying that he wanted to build an attic to store the books bestowed by the emperor.

Don't blame the local army for stretching out, the barracks are gone, so where do they go to train?
Zhu Ming is ashamed to keep company with a group of insects!

……

A few days later, Min Zishun took office in the Carbon Coal Department and began to prepare for the purchase.

A government-run farm in the south of the city, Zhu Ming intends to contract its management rights.It should be easy to win the bid by communicating with the Charcoal Bank first, and with Min Zishun's official cooperation.

Don't talk about Zhu Ming saying one thing and doing another. In the business environment in the late Northern Song Dynasty, buying and selling were [-]% operated in the dark, and there was no way to win a serious bid.

Anyway, he doesn't take advantage of the imperial court, at most he delays the contracting fee, and pays it after he makes money.

Zhu Ming's energy is all back to Taixue, because the quarterly exam is coming soon.

As a student, he needs to supervise the examination of the lower students in the outer house.

The quarterly exams are relatively casual, and are basically invigilated by Xuezheng.

The imperial court will arrange the chief examiner for the annual examination and dormitory examination, and the examination level is similar to that of the imperial examination.

Returning to the Gongyuan again, in less than half a year, Zhu Ming's identity changed from a candidate to an examiner.

After wandering around the examination room, he returned to sit under the eaves, picked up a book and read it by himself.

Zhang Gang, a doctor of Taixue, dragged a chair over and sat down.

Zhang Gang is the examiner, and Zhu Ming is the supervisor.

"After the quarterly examination papers are graded, they will be promoted," Zhang Gang said, "and then all the imperial students will move to the new location in the southern suburbs."

Zhu Ming asked: "Is it confirmed?"

Zhang Gang nodded: "I'm sure."

Zhu Ming said: "Some students travel a long way home."

In principle, all students are obliged to live in dormitories, but this is simply not possible in practice.

There are too many and complicated courses in Taixue. It takes at least three years to graduate, and most of them take five or six years, or even seven or eight years to graduate.

Let young people in their 20s live in school for several years?

They have wives!

Local students often go home, or even simply live at home.

Students from other places often rent houses and live with their wives and concubines.

The new campus in the southern suburbs is too remote. Students who live in rented houses are expected to change houses, and the rent of houses in the south of the city will also increase accordingly.

Just to improve the consumption capacity there, the coal shop contracted by Zhu Ming is in the south of the city.

Zhang Gang said: "The quarterly exam is over, and I'm going to be transferred to Secretary Lang."

Ju Ming cupped his hands in congratulations: "Congratulations, brother Yanzheng!"

Zhang Gang sighed: "I'm afraid that if I can't control my mouth, I will be relegated sooner or later."

This old man is also very forbearing. When he was studying, he never said anything bad about the traitor.

So no one came to suppress him. When he was promoted to the inner house, he was the first in the exam, when he was promoted to the upper house, he was the first in the exam, and he was still the first in the graduation exam. That's why he was awarded the number one scholar and the first birth by the emperor.

After being appointed as an official, I had no choice but to visit Cai Jing once.

After that, I didn't bother to walk around, because Cai Jing wanted to recruit him, but he politely refused.

Zhu Ming said with a smile: "Put the officials' ass more, and you won't be afraid of the treacherous party's frame."

Zhang Gang said: "If you don't come to flattery, you are always ashamed of it."

"Then there is no other way." Zhu Ming said.

Zhang Gang also said: "In recent years, Taoist priests have been favored by the officials. This year, Xue Daoguang was favored first, and Wang Zai was favored in the past. I heard that Lin Lingsu was recently. Among the three, only the one who was successfully recommended Xue Daoguang has the demeanor of a master of Taoism. Wang Zixi and Lin Lingsu have interfered in political affairs and recommended officials to serve. Even after the students of the Taixue moved out, the old house of the Taixue will be changed into a Taoist school. Alas , how can there be a country governed by morality and law?"

"The officials have their own interests, so what can we do?" Zhu Ming also put on a show, and sighed.

Wang Zixi and Lin Lingsu have already started working, and they both want to flatter Gu Chong.

Wang Zaixi will definitely lose, and he will die a miserable death.Because this person is too careless, if he treats the eunuch like a slave, he will be counted by the eunuchs sooner or later.

Instead, Xue Daoguang stayed out of the matter, too lazy to get involved, and was unanimously approved by civil officials, eunuchs and Taoists.

Zhang Gang sat on the porch, looking at the test booths in front of him, feeling confused about the future of himself and Da Song.

In other words, all upright people don't know the way out.

It is true that the emperor suppressed Cai Jing crazily this year, but he has no intention of dismissing him at all.Now, let the Cai Party regain control of the household department, who knows what will happen next.

Zhang Gang suddenly said: "Your Excellency and Mr. Mo An's manuscript, I have already read it."

"How?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhang Gang said: "The book of managing the world and governing the country."

Zhu Ming smiled and said, "Haha, if you are interested, you can visit Mr. Mo An more often."

Tai students have to learn everything. When they were studying in their hometown, they had the foundation of Luo Xue, Shu Xue and other schools.When I came to the capital, I took a new study, and I had to learn "Three Biography", "Laozi", "Zhuangzi", and arithmetic was also a compulsory course.

Such a complex learning content makes the Tai students very open-minded and maintain an inclusive attitude towards various schools of thought.

They also have no resistance to the "learning of Taoism".

Zhang Gang graduated from Taixue first in the whole test. After reading the manuscript, he had a more thorough understanding of "Tao Yongxue".

Zhang Gang said: "I want to dedicate this book to the officials."

Zhu Ming asked: "Aren't you afraid that some of the opinions that are not the emperor's will annoy the officials?"

Zhang Gang said: "Providing a book on your own initiative can also use arithmetic to curry favor with the officials. If the traitor party sees the manuscript, it must hide other pages and take the meaning out of context to frame the crime."

"Indeed." Zhu Ming nodded.

Reminded by Zhang Gang, after the invigilation, Zhu Ming immediately went home to pick up the manuscript, and then rode to visit Xue Daoguang.

"Daozhang, I'm here to see you!" Zhu Ming said with a smile.

Xue Daoguang said in a bad mood: "Little friend, you can't get up early, if you have anything to say, just say it."

Zhu Ming said: "The Taoist priest's words are too direct."

Xue Daoguang asked: "Isn't it?"

"I'm just sighing, the Taoist priest is really accurate in seeing people," Zhu Ming asked Bai Sheng to hold the manuscript, "The Taoist priest please dedicate these things to the officials."

Chen Yuan has already finished writing "The Article on Righteousness and Benefit", roughly citing Wang Anshi's views, but he deliberately ignores the question of who comes first between righteousness and benefit.

Xue Daoguang asked: "Little friend, do you know the reason for this promotion?"

Zhu Ming asked: "Did I offer advice to help the officials solve the Carbon Carbon Division matter?"

"No," Xue Daoguang shook his head, "It's because the officials love to read "Journey to the West". They have read it several times, and they like you as the author."

Ju Ming: "..."

Sure enough, it is better to write novels to please the emperor than to offer advice and suggestions to contribute to the court.

Just like when Zhu Ming took the imperial examination, he wrote policy theory seriously and analyzed the pros and cons of governance for the court, but he ended up at the bottom of the provincial examination.He wrote nonsense and talked nonsense about cultivating Taoism and governing the country, but instead he was accused of being a prostitute.

In this world, you can't be too serious.

(End of this chapter)