Daming talker

Chapter 641 God will give you a great responsibility

In the Wuxi County Mansion, Gu Xiancheng, former Deputy Director of the Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Reward Department, was playing chess with Zhao Canlu, the Governor of Yingtian.

In May of the 17th year of the Wanli reign, Gu Xiancheng was in mourning and had to temporarily resign from his official position and return to his hometown to observe the mourning period.

Theoretically, the twenty-seven months of mourning had ended, and Gu Xiancheng could stop mourning and resume his normal life and serve as an official again.

However, in a social context where filial piety is regarded as a great virtue, if one cannot wait to start jumping around just after the baby is 27 months old, it will also affect one's personal image.

Therefore, officials who value their reputation usually dawdle for a few more months to express their filial piety and want to continue serving the country.

Perhaps this is the reason why the mourning period is often said to be three years, even though it is clearly twenty-seven months according to etiquette and law.

So even though the mourning period had expired, Gu Xiancheng still needed to stay in his hometown for a few more months and could not rush to Beijing.

Moreover, it is inconvenient to arrange social activities such as eating and drinking, so we can only play chess.

Of course, no one's mind was on the chessboard. Governor Zhao first praised Gu Xiancheng: "Mr. Jingyang is still very resourceful. All the suggestions he made for our court hit Lin's weak spot."

In fact, these are true, not just flattery.

If it weren't for the guidance of a "local" like Gu Xiancheng who was familiar with the situation, how could Governor Zhao have started three fires so targetedly just one month after arriving?
But Gu Xiancheng did not show much emotion, and only reminded: "I heard that Lin Tailai is about to return to Jiangnan, Zhongcheng should be careful."

To be honest, when the newly appointed Governor Zhao came to him and asked for help in dealing with Lin Tailai, Gu Xiancheng did not agree. He did not think it would succeed.

But this was a task assigned by the "organization" and Gu Xiancheng could not stay out of it and had to do his best to help.

Even from the very beginning, Gu Xiancheng believed that he should not send his own people to serve as the governor of Yingtian and the prefect of Suzhou.

In Gu Xiancheng's opinion, there was no point in sending these two people over.

However, his colleagues far away in the capital could not resist the huge temptation of the two positions of "Governor of Yingtian" and "Prefect of Suzhou", and Gu Xiancheng had no choice.

While Gu Xiancheng and Governor Zhao were playing chess and talking at the same time, Lin Tailai, the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, the Attendant of Hanlin Academy, and the Correspondence Officer of the Ministry of Examination, arrived in Wuxi County.

In official circles, the fourth rank is not considered low, let alone a fourth rank official in the capital who has both real power and a good reputation as a Hanlin.

Therefore, County Magistrate You of Wuxi County must go out of the city to welcome him. This is the most basic official etiquette.

"What? Lin Taichang wants to enter the city?" County Magistrate You was a little surprised.

In order to facilitate transportation, officials passing through Wuxi usually stayed at Xishan Posthouse outside the South Gate and seldom entered the city to avoid their boats being stuck in the city’s rivers.

Anyway, for the cities in the south of the Yangtze River, the prosperity outside the city gates is no less than that inside the city.

Lin Tailai asked back, "Why? County Master You doesn't welcome me? My mother's temple property is in your county town. As her son, shouldn't I go and donate to offer incense?"

County Magistrate You looked at the twenty or thirty boats on the river and the hundreds of men standing on the bows and on the shore, and his scalp tightened.

I can only try my best to explain: "With so many people, it is difficult to accommodate them in such a hurry in the city."

Lin Tailai said casually: "I heard that your county's mansion is quite large, so requisitioning it should be enough."

Magistrate You said helplessly, "The county mansion has been requisitioned by Governor Zhao."

Lin Tailai stared at Magistrate You and shouted, "Your Excellency, you look down on me? The governor can use it, but I can't?"

Feeling that he was being bullied everywhere, Magistrate You could no longer bear it and just threw it out, "He is the governor after all."

At worst, I can just quit my job and not have to endure this pressure!
Lin Tailai asked again, "What rank is this governor?"

County Magistrate You hesitated for a moment and answered truthfully, "Fourth rank."

The governors of the Ming Dynasty were not set in stone. There were governors from the fourth rank to the second rank, all depending on the title of the Censorate.

Governor Zhao was reinstated in the 12th year of the Wanli reign, and began serving as governor in the 17th year of the Wanli reign. Currently, he only holds the title of Left Censor-in-Chief, so he is a governor of the fourth rank.

Lin Tailai seemed very angry. He grabbed Magistrate You by the collar and shouted, "You really look down on me! We are both fourth-rank officials. The governor can use the county mansion, but I can't?
In terms of official rank, I am a fourth-rank official in the capital, a Hanlin official, and a minister. The governor is nominally just an external official!"

If we have to make this comparison, it seems a bit far-fetched, since Governor Zhao is also a fourth-rank official.

County Magistrate You let Lin Tailai grab him and closed his eyes without answering. I'm tired, let's destroy it all, whatever happens!

Lin Tailai did not let Magistrate You go. He called out to his servants, "Leave 200 men here to guard the city. The rest of you can follow me into the city. Let's seize that mansion!"

Then a large number of people surrounded the county magistrate, rushed into the south gate, and then rushed to the mansion in the south city.

At this time, Gu Xiancheng and Governor Zhao were still talking, and the conversation was getting deeper and deeper.

Governor Zhao asked, "According to past practice, Lin Tailai will definitely mobilize the gangs and coerce the people to launch a fierce resistance. How should this court word it when reporting to the court?"

Gu Xiancheng answered without hesitation: "If it really comes to that, the wording of the Zhongcheng's report to the court must be stern and tough, without any euphemism!
Report the rebellion directly to the imperial court, saying that it doesn't matter if the whole city is in rebellion, and request to mobilize a large number of government troops to quell the riot!

We can even use the excuse of extraordinary measures to directly use the standard camp to quell the riots!"

Governor Zhao was surprised and couldn't help asking, "Is that too much?"

Gu Xiancheng gritted his teeth and said, "As the saying goes, when two meet in a narrow road, the bravest wins! When facing Lin Tailai, it's a matter of who is more ruthless. We must not be afraid of making things worse!"

Just at this moment, an officer from the standard camp suddenly came in with Magistrate You.

Magistrate You had lost all hope and reported directly, "Lin Tailai brought hundreds of people to ask the governor to give up the mansion. He said that he was more prestigious and the governor should give way to him."

For any governor, such a request would be tantamount to a humiliation.

Governor Zhao was immediately furious and shouted at Magistrate You, "Did you bring Lin Tailai here?"

Magistrate You replied, "Lin Tailai took the initiative to specify that he wanted to use the mansion."

Governor Zhao slammed the table and stood up, "This is unreasonable! Are you afraid of him?" He then ordered the officers in the middle, "Gather all the standard-bearers!"

So what if you, Lin Tailai, gathered hundreds of people to block the door? Didn't I, for the first time in history, mobilize a thousand government troops to form a standard camp just to prevent this kind of thing?

"Wait!" Gu Xiancheng stood up to stop them and advised Governor Zhao, "Don't clash with Lin Tailai!"

Governor Zhao: “?”

Mr. Gu, you just said "When two brave men meet in a narrow road, the brave one wins" and "Who is more ruthless?" and you also said "I'm not afraid of things getting out of hand." How can you be a coward?
Gu Xiancheng quickly explained: "Don't misunderstand, Zhongcheng! I just think that the conflict between Zhongcheng and Lin Tailai must occur in government affairs!

Only in this way can it have political value to be reported to the court! Only in this way can it destroy the impression of Lin Tailai in the emperor's mind!
And it is extremely unwise to conflict with Lin Tailai over such a small matter as the use of the library building! "

Governor Zhao pointed in the direction of the gate and said, "Let's not talk about anything else for now. Lin Tailai is standing outside the door now. What do you think we should do?"

Gu Xiancheng said decisively: "Avoid Lin Tailai and give up the mansion!"

Governor Zhao: “.”

As a governor, doesn't he have any dignity? Isn't it shameful to give up the station to others?

Gu Xiancheng continued to persuade earnestly: "Although Lin Tailai is reckless, he is definitely not stupid!
He did this obviously to find an excuse to stir up trouble, and then made a big fuss over a small matter and drag you, Zhongcheng, into the quagmire!
This is the method of diverting the conflict, limiting the conflict to personal grudges! If Zhongcheng can't tolerate it, then he has been fooled!
Please imagine for yourself how the court and the emperor would feel if the two situations of fierce conflict with Lin Tailai over money, grain and taxation and fierce conflict over the residence were reported to the court and the emperor. "

Governor Zhao clenched his fists tightly, his face changing from gloomy to bright. It was indeed the most difficult to be a local official in Jiangnan. Could it be that being a governor was also so pathetic?
Gu Xiancheng shouted softly: "When God sends a great man to this place, he must first make his heart suffer!"

"Then I will give in!" Governor Zhao gritted his teeth and said, "Withdraw from the mansion in one hour!"

Lin Tailai, who was standing outside the gate showing off his power, was very confused when he heard the news.

How could this governor be such a coward? How could he cause trouble? Are enemies so difficult to deal with nowadays?
Originally, things could have been very simple. After provoking a conflict, they would start a fight and then complain to the bad guys above.

But the governor is so patient and tolerant, what should we do?
(End of this chapter)