First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 607 I want to improve too much
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Shortly after Yang Shilue left, before Gao Chong had time to enjoy lunch, he heard Feng You coming to see him.

None of the officials in these prefectures and counties is good. If they use their hard work to improve people's livelihood and well-being, it will be a blessing to the people.

The key is that Feng Xuan's identity is not trivial. Privately, he is the spokesperson of the Gaozhou Feng family in Guangzhou. Every word and deed represents the Feng family. As the largest wealthy family in Lingnan today, the Feng family's influence cannot be underestimated.

Yu Gong, he is the Sima of Guangzhou, with great powers. Guangzhou is one of the few upper states in Lingnan. The position of Sima is ranked fifth. As an assistant to the governor, he is responsible for managing the affairs of the state. He is an absolute senior bureaucrat in the local area.

Of course, if the state governor is strong, Sima will be just a sinecure, with a high status but little power. But now that Guangzhou governor is concurrently held by Gao Chong, Gao Chong is destined to be unable to spend a lot of energy on state and county affairs, so power will be delegated to Feng You, the state Sima, will have Sima Feng You to exercise the power of governor to a certain extent.

This is why Gao Chong attaches so much importance to Feng You, not only because of Feng, but also because of practical needs.

When Feng You arrived at the back office, he was a little stunned. He saw that food was already served on the desk. It was obvious that Gao Chong was about to have a meal, so it was very embarrassing to come to visit him at this time.

Feng Xuan had the same idea as Yang Shilue before. Since the general summons was summoned, he must wait early. It would be rude to arrive late.

It's just that the two of them also exerted too much force. One came during Gao Chong's morning exercise and the other came during Gao Chong's lunch.

"It's still early, please take your time with the summary. I'll wait in the front hall." Feng You bowed and said.

"Hey," Gao Chong waved, "You're already here, I guess you haven't had your meal yet, so come sit down and join us."

"This..." Feng You was stunned.

"Hurry up and take a seat," Gao Chong said with a smile, "When I was in Gaoliang, I was never polite."

Feng You was overjoyed when he heard this and quickly thanked him and took his seat.

After sitting down, the attendant brought another meal. Feng You saw that there were only two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, and he was a little surprised. This meal was very simple.

Seeing this, Gao Chong shook his head and said with a smile: "It's a commonplace meal. If it's a bit crude, Ziyou will deal with it."

Feng You sighed and said: "Jinglue is in a high position, but his food, clothing, housing and transportation are so simple. He is really a role model for us."

Hearing this, Gao Chong just smiled indifferently and pointed to the desk on the other side. Gao Kan and other four teenagers were sitting around the desk, eating exactly the same food.

"To be honest, with my current salary and salary, I can't eat any delicacies from the mountains and seas. It is a royal tribute. It is common in the palace. It is just a simple meal, there is no need to be so extravagant and extravagant."

Feng You was also moved when he heard this, "The general manager is really a model for all officials."

Gao Chong laughed loudly, waved his hand and said: "Ziyou, don't flatter me. In my opinion, this is just a very ordinary thing. Do you know that a saint in the palace only eats two meat and one vegetarian meal every day? I Now the treatment is very good."

Feng You finished this unforgettable lunch with a complicated heart, and followed Gao Chong to the front hall, where he came to the seat where Yang Shilue had been sitting in the morning. After they sat down, Feng You didn't wait for Gao Chong to ask, and took the initiative to speak.

"The envoy called me here, what are your instructions?" Feng You stood up and bowed his hands in greeting: "Feng You, I'll do whatever I can."

Hearing these familiar words, Gao Chong nodded and smiled, "Sit down and talk."

"Ziyou has been in Guangzhou for many years, and he must be very familiar with the situation in Guangzhou." Gao Chong took a sip of tea, "I am about to launch the Municipal Shipping Division. According to Ziyou, where is the biggest resistance?"

After speaking, Gao Chong looked around and said with a chuckle: "There are no outsiders here, Zi You can speak freely."

Hearing this, Feng You looked solemn and nodded deeply, "To be honest with Jing Lue, Feng You had received a letter from his uncle earlier and was fully cooperating with Jing Lue to develop the shipping company. The pros and cons of this have already been made clear to me by my uncle. ".

Gao Chong was not surprised by Feng You's sincerity. After all, he had already reached an agreement with Feng Ang. He just nodded slightly and motioned for him to continue.

"If we want to implement the municipal shipping system, the first people to oppose it must be the wealthy families in various places. The wealthy families in the coastal states also have some sea ships. But now, the Ning family, the Chen family, and I, the Feng family, the three major surnames are very loyal to the imperial court. , are willing to dedicate the benefits of maritime trade, and with my three surnames as the starting point, the resistance will be greatly reduced."

"You are talking about Lingnan, what about Guangzhou?" Gao Chong asked without comment on what Feng You said.

"Guangzhou..." Feng You pondered for a moment.

Then he said seriously: "Guangzhou is dominated by the Yang and Wang families. Among them, the Wang family is a local wealthy family with deep roots. Wang Canjun is quite famous and is deeply supported by local people. There is also the Yang family. Although the Yang family hopes to be in Chaozhou, But in recent years, under the leadership of Yang Changshi, the Yang family has developed rapidly and is as powerful as the Wang family in Guangzhou."

"Yeah", Gao Chong nodded in agreement, and then continued to ask: "What about your Feng family? Ziyou has been in Guangzhou for more than ten years."

Feng You's face was startled, and then he did not deny it. He said directly: "Feng You has been an official in Menyin, Guangzhou for 15 years thanks to his father's inheritance. But in the past 15 years, if uncle Gaozhou hadn't supported him from behind, Feng You wouldn't have been able to do so." It is difficult to establish a foothold in Guangzhou, which Feng You dare not deceive."

At this point, Feng You's expression darkened, his head lowered and his eyebrows lowered, "Therefore, Feng You dare not have any emotions when facing the son of the enemy who killed his father in the past."

Gao Chong sighed, and felt a different kind of emotion towards Feng You.

Feng You has an extraordinary background. As the eldest grandson of Feng Pu, the former chief of the Feng family, and the eldest son of Feng Guo, the eldest son of the Feng family, if nothing unexpected happens, his father Feng Hun will definitely succeed him as the chief in the future. After Feng Hun passes away, he will also be succeeded by Feng Guo. His eldest son inherited.

It was just fate that caused his second uncle Feng Xuan to miss the opportunity to kill his father Feng Hun in Guangzhou. When he grew up, Feng An wrote to the Sui court and Feng You inherited Feng Hun's official position.

Because Feng Hun died for his country while resisting the rebel king Zhongxuan in Guangzhou, Feng You was regarded as a loyal martyr to the Sui Dynasty. Yang Guang was not stingy, and with a wave of his hand, he awarded Feng You the post of Sima. It's 15 years.

After the fall of the former Sui Dynasty, Feng You followed Feng An back to the Tang Dynasty. The court did not promote him and continued to serve as Sima until now.

After being away from his hometown for more than ten years, he held the position of Sima and had to work with the son of Wang Zhongxuan, the enemy who killed his father. The key point is that Feng You did not dare to express any strange emotions. Just because the Wang family was so powerful, Feng You's psychological pressure was evident.

After all this time, Feng You has not collapsed, and he really has a strong psychological quality.

Thinking of this, Gao Chong also became wary of Feng An, who was far away in Gaozhou.

In Feng You's view, his uncle Feng An's love and care for him was his biggest support in Guangzhou. But thinking about it carefully, is this really the case?Even that is not necessarily the case. It is not a case of Gao Chong maliciously trying to guess people's hearts. But looking at Feng Xuan's departure from Gaozhou and Feng You's stay in Guangzhou, there is only one biggest beneficiary.

"Ziyou, you have been Sima for so many years. It's time to make a move." Gao Chong thought of his plan and said softly.

Feng You was stunned for a moment, and then became ecstatic, "Do you really mean what Jing Lue said?" Gao Chong's eyes narrowed, and Feng You was busy apologizing, "Feng You made a mistake, it's not surprising that Jing Lue said it. It's just that in more than ten years, there have been some Numb".In the end, Feng You just laughed at himself.

When Gao Chong saw this, a strange color flashed in his eyes. Perhaps Feng You was not as simple as he seemed.

Also, although Feng Ang is supporting him in Gaozhou, Feng Xuan can single-handedly secure his position as Sima in the complicated situation in Guangzhou, not to mention facing the family who killed his father. If he is simple, he will survive. Not now.

Gao Chong waved his hand and said, "Don't be too happy yet. I understand that you want to make progress, but you have to make corresponding efforts. Do you understand this?"

"understand".

Feng You nodded excitedly and responded, "Jing Lue, I really want to make progress."

"Okay", Gao Chong laughed when he heard this, "That's good if you have this intention."

Gao Chong pulled out a booklet from under the desk, "Tomorrow I will inspect Panyu Port. At that time, a site will be selected to build Panyu Customs. You will be the superintendent. This is the relevant information. If you need cooperation, please contact Governor Shi Yang Shilue. and Panyu County Magistrate Tian Yangming."

Feng You excitedly stepped forward to take the booklet and bowed to accept the promise.

"After it is accomplished, this will be your political achievement, do you understand?" Gao Chong still likes to communicate with people who have needs like this, at least the purpose is clear.

If you are in court, dealing with those scheming courtiers is really physically and mentally exhausting.

"Understood", Feng You nodded hurriedly and bowed deeply again, "Feng You will remember the grace of being promoted by Manager".

After Feng You left, the four teenagers came forward one after another, either pouring tea and water or arranging the desk.

Xue Rengui frowned, shook his head and said: "I thought this Feng Sima was a sincere gentleman, but I didn't expect that he was also a flatterer."

Gao Kan also deeply agrees, "'I want to make progress so much', this kind of thing can be said out loud, and the official reputation is probably not very good."

Gao Chong looked thoughtfully at Pei Xingjian, "How do you feel about keeping the promise?"

Pei Xingjian frowned when he heard this, "This person is different from what he looks like. It makes me laugh when I think about it. But I always feel that his appearance is sincere or just a cover-up. As for the rest, I can't tell."

Gao Chong sat up straight and said, "Go on."

Pei Xingjian looked thoughtful, "According to the yin and yang skills passed down in my family, Feng You is a person who is tolerant on the outside and hides his edge on the inside. Judging from his face, his eyes are concave, his cheeks are protruding, and his brows are twitching his cheeks. He shouldn't be what he looks like on the surface. Simple".

At this point, Pei Xingjian scratched his head in distress, "Master, I really can't see anything else."

Gao Chong nodded with satisfaction and said, "You have already learned this far at such a young age. It is very impressive. Keep working hard and your achievements in the future will be limitless."

Pei Xingjian's youthful nature made him smile happily when he heard the praise.

"The Biography of Pei Xingjian in the Old Book of Tang Dynasty" records: "I know the yin and yang arithmetic, and also have the lesson of human ethics... From the time when I was selected to be the general manager, I met all the virtuous and talented people, and every time I defeated the enemy and urged the evil, I would be sure to win the day first. ".

In short, Pei Xingjian was born with a keen eye, and then he studied Pei's Yin and Yang skills deeply, and he was extremely good at recognizing people.

This is not a deliberate boast in the history books, but there are many concrete examples. The four heroes of the early Tang Dynasty, Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and King Luo Bin, gathered in Chang'an. Li Jingxuan, who was the Minister of Civil Affairs at the time, recommended the four to Pei Xingjian. Everyone thought that These four people are talented and will definitely achieve great things in the future.

However, after Pei Xingjian observed them one by one, he said directly: "The talent is worthy of the name, and the rank and salary are more important than the few. Yang should be the commander, and I can rarely be the commander."

When the world heard this, they didn't take it seriously. In the end, Pei Xingjian's words became a prophecy.

Did Pei Xingjian's words come true?The truth was as he expected.

Wang Boguan was hated by his colleagues when he joined the army, and was sentenced to death for killing an official slave. He escaped death during the general amnesty, and went south to visit relatives in Jiaozhi. He drowned while crossing the sea and died of panic. He was only 28 years old.

Yang Jiong was implicated in Xu Jingye's uprising because his cousin Yang Shenrang was demoted to Zizhou Judiciary and joined the army. After Wu Zetian became emperor, he was appointed magistrate of Yingchuan County. He died in office that year at the age of 43.

When Lu Zhao was a neighboring county captain, he was imprisoned due to misfortune. He was saved by his friends. Soon after, he resigned from his post due to catching wind disease and lived in seclusion in Taibai Mountain. He was poisoned by pills and his hands and feet were disabled. He finally committed suicide by drowning himself in Yingshui River. 60 years old.

King Luo Bin served as the chief registrar of Chang'an County in the last years of Emperor Gaozong's reign. He was framed and demoted, and eventually resigned. When Xu Jingye launched an army to attack Wu Zetian, King Luo Bin served as an aide and drafted the "Essay against Wu Zetian", scolding Wu Zetian. After Xu Jingye's defeat, , King Luo Bin disappeared.

This comment came true one by one in the end. In addition, Pei Xingjian also promoted famous ministers and generals such as Cheng Wuting, Wang Fangyi, Li Duozuo, Hei Chi Changzhi, etc. His ability to recognize people can be said to be the best in the world.

Gao Kan and others were also surprised when they heard Pei Xingjian's words.

"What senior brother said makes sense to me," Tu Dijin, who was silent behind him, suddenly said.

Seeing everyone looking over, Tu Dijin racked his brains to organize his words and could only say: "Looking back carefully, the feeling that Feng You gave people has always been the characteristics that he actively displayed, such as his previous sincerity and his current flattery. How we feel about him depends on how he behaves. I think this is definitely not right.

Just like the wolves on the grassland, sometimes the wolves act timid and fearful and keep retreating to confuse people. At this time, the wolves take the opportunity to attack.Sometimes the wolves behave very fiercely and look like they are fighting to the death, but they feint their shots and take advantage of others' negligence to break out and escape."

Gao Chong laughed loudly, clapped his hands and praised: "It is also very good to be cautious. Drawing inferences from one example can spread your thinking and make great progress."

Seeing that the four of them had their own thoughts, Gao Chong walked out of the front hall without waking them up.

"Mr." Gao Da immediately greeted him.

Gao Chong nodded, "Don't go in and disturb them. Just take someone with you and come out with me now."

He bowed tall and agreed.

Seeing the tall figure, Gao Chong couldn't help but think of Kaohsiung, the follower who had been with him since he was a child. He had been guarding him for many years and had shed blood in countless battles. In the Black River Valley, he faced the siege of the Western Qin army. At Hulao Pass, facing For the elite Hebei cavalry, Kaohsiung has always used flesh and blood to resist hidden arrows and cold shots.

Now he is only in his thirties, but he has been injured all over his body. He has to stay in Chang'an to recuperate and take on the responsibility of looking after the home and nursing home. Gao Chong is also very worried about it. After returning to the capital, he will make up for it, even if it is just a child. It is possible that he cannot be awarded an official position.

(End of this chapter)