Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 412 Candidates

Chen Qingsi mentioned Xu Jingzong's help when Liu Rengui was attacked by Li Yifu.

When Xu Jingzong heard Chen Qingsi's old story brought up again, he felt reassured when he thought about the other best candidate, Li Ji, who had been neglecting political affairs for many years and had never helped Chen Qingsi.

Xu Jingzong knew that Chen Qingsi's importance in Li Zhi's heart was not as good as his own in terms of favor, but every suggestion he made went straight to the nature of the court and pointed out its shortcomings and hidden dangers.

What he said was of great benefit to the court.

Such as Silla theory, Tubo theory, the surrender of Sanshou City in Mobei, and the conquest of the Japanese country in Haidong, all of which had a profound impact on the court.

To put it bluntly, Chen Qingsi’s existence contributed most to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

Even the Tang Dynasty will enjoy the benefits brought by Chen Qingsi, the stable Northern Xinjiang, and the Japanese Yinshan Mountains in the next few decades.

He may not be as favored as himself, but his existence value is higher than his own.

Li Zhi paid no less attention to his suggestions than he did.

He is on his side. With Yaxian and Zhongxian, there is a high probability that he can get a seat.

Thinking of this, Xu Jingzong became more fond of the knowledgeable Shang Shulang in front of him and became more friendly.

Chen Qingsi didn't care about Xu Jingzong's attitude. The old guy fell out of favor as quickly as he turned the page in a book. His goodwill and friendliness were worthless.

But his position in Li Zhi's heart was very important. With him competing for Yaxian and Zhongxian, the goal was achieved.

The carriage stopped at Chen's residence, and Chen Qingsi returned home.

Jing Jing, who was playing in the back garden, saw Chen Qingsi coming back. She laughed and threw herself into her father's arms, shouting "Aye, Aye".

Xu Shi's time with her was short, and Jingjing was particularly close to his father.

Chen Qingsi came to Xiao Miaochen's side holding her good son and living father in her arms.

Xiao Miaochen said: "I have something to discuss with Mr. Lang."

Chen Qingsi sat down next to his wife, looking like she was listening attentively.

Xiao Miaochen said: "It's about Jingjing. Jingjing has reached his age, so it's time to consider elementary school."

Chen Qingsi nodded. Don't think that the ancients didn't do it.

Human progress depends on learning and continuous examination.

It's just that the vast majority of people in ancient times were not even qualified to write papers, and they lived like cows and horses.

For those families who are truly qualified, their children usually start their education at the age of three or four and enter the education center. Children who enter school between the ages of six and eight are similar to today's kindergartens and elementary schools.

Historically, people at the age of five recited Liujia, and at the age of ten they watched hundreds of schools of thought.

What is Rokko?
It is the Sixty Years Table of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, which even modern people may not be able to recite smoothly.

Not to mention a five-year-old child?

Although it shows Li Bai's genius, it also shows on the other hand that he is also writing.

Even if Jingjing has this condition, he cannot avoid being involved in this path.

In fact, Chen Qingsi has some resentment in later generations. She has been brainwashed by various ideas since she was a child, saying that happy summer camp and happy education are king.

The results of it?
One by one, the boomerangs pierced the so-called public figures to pieces.

How do the new generation of Chinese people who have made their way through the exams compare with the new generation of happy education in the West?
They are raising pigs!
How did the generation of people who studied for all kinds of ridicule build China?
The results are obvious to all!

Chen Qingsi also has certain expectations for her son and attaches great importance to his education. She responded seriously: "Jing Jing is quite astute and can indeed allow him to receive an orthodox elementary education."

Xiao Miaochen stretched out her hand to scratch Jing Jing's little face, which elicited a burst of laughter, and said: "Now there are two kinds of elementary schools. You can hire famous teachers to serve as teachers in the house and build a book school in your own home." She said this and smiled. He said: "With Lang Jun's reputation in the scholarly community, it is not difficult to hire a talented scholar. It's just that the mansion in Chang'an is a bit small and not suitable. Luoyang is big enough, so it's okay. Another option is to go to someone else's mansion. I want to study in a private school in my residence. Many ministers have private schools and they also recruit students from outside. "What do you think?"

Chen Qingsi said: "We are not a scholarly family here, and we do not show people the fragrance of books. It is not appropriate to build a book school in the house, not to mention that a great scholar may not be a good teacher or a good teacher. What you learn in Mengxue is not culture, but the foundation of being a human being. People with high talents, You may not be able to be a good Mongolian teacher. You are afraid of recruiting those who are extremely talented but are bent on flattering others and want to climb high through Jingjing. What Jingjing needs is a good reputation. A good environment, not a privilege for the son of a minister."

Xiao Miaochen immediately said: "I have inquired about the more famous book schools in Luoyang City. I hope you can find out more about them."

"Say it! Remember it for your husband!"

Chen Qingsi knew that Xiao Miaochen was more eager to have a successful son than he was, so the book school he mentioned should be one of the best, and he would not be in trouble if he chose any one. But when I care about my children, I still listen very carefully.

Xiao Miaochen said: "The first school is the Yu Family School in Dongcheng. The Yu family has been running schools for several generations, starting from Yu Yongxing and continuing to the present. The current teacher of the Yu Family School is Lu Xuanzhi, a famous talent in the south of the Yangtze River."

Chen Qingsi nodded slightly. Yu Yongxing was Yu Shinan. He had the five qualities of virtue, loyalty, erudition, literary poetry, and calligraphy. The Yu family was also well-known as a scholarly family.

The current head of the Yu family is Yu Chang, the son of Yu Shinan, who is currently the minister of the Ministry of Industry.

The Yu Family School is certainly reliable.

Xiao Miaochen continued: "There is also the Confucius School. The teacher of the Confucius School is Kong An, the old head of the Confucius family. This man is the most severe. At that time, Xianggong Xu's grandson was studying in his school. He was kicked out by Mr. Kong because he bullied others. At the school, Mr. Xu wanted to intercede, but he was turned away by the old gentleman. "

Chen Qingsi also knew the name of Kong An. He was a great contemporary Confucian and a descendant of the Confucius family. The descendant of Confucius, his father was Kong Yingda, who was known as a great Confucian.

Kong Anzhi couldn't rest in his official career, so he became a teacher in his own school.

His teaching ability should be good. His sons Kong Zhiyuan, Kong Zhiyue, and Kong Zhiliang are all famous Confucian scholars.

Chen Qingsi nodded. Although he didn't have a good impression of the Kong family, Kong Yingda's ancestors and grandsons still had real talents and learning.

Morality is also acceptable, and teaching elementary education is more than enough.

Xiao Miaochen paused and said: "There is another school, the Yan family school in Xicheng. After the Yan family's first teacher Yan Hui, the scholarly tradition has been passed down for thousands of years. Especially the "Yan Family Instructions", I read it in person, it is amazing."

Chen Qingsi sat up slightly.

Yan family.

Although they are descendants of the Confucian family, the Yan family's character is much stronger than that of the Confucian family.

Yan Gaoqing and Yan Zhenqing have such character that Chen Qingsi will be in awe even when she hears the words "Yan family".

"It's just that the Yan family has had some problems recently..."

Chen Qingsi asked curiously: "What's the problem?"

Xiao Miaochen said: "Since Mr. Yan Zhitui, all the members of the Yan family have been famous Confucians for several generations, especially Yan Shigu, Yan Xiangshi and Yan Qinli. However, Yan Qinli's wife, Mrs. Liu, is the sister of Zhongshu Ling Liu Shi. …”

Hearing this, Chen Qingsi understood immediately.

Liu Shi was Empress Wang's uncle. After Wang was deposed and Li Wu was abolished, Empress Wang and Liu Shi were executed together. Yan Qinli had this relationship and was inevitably implicated.

Chen Qingsi said: "It's been so long since it happened, so we shouldn't be implicated anymore!"

Xiao Miaochen shook his head and said: "That's not the case. Only Yan Qinli's lineage will be affected. The son of his wife Liu will not be able to enter the official career for life, and the other three branches will not be affected. But after all, there are some taboos, and not many people go to the Yan family's book school. Study. Most of the people in the school are descendants of the Yan family and some students studying there.”

Chen Qingsi thought for a while and said, "Well, I will take some time to visit three book schools. Take a look at the environment, get a deeper understanding, and then make a decision. For some things, hearing is false and seeing is believing."

Xiao Miaochen was even more happy and said: "That's great."

Chen Qingsi hugged her child and sighed, muttering: "It would be really good if he could learn to sleep by himself."

Xiao Miaochen obviously heard it and glanced at it with annoyance.

Zhenguan Hall. The four major envoys gathered together.

Li Zhi smiled and asked the four of them to take their seats.

At the mention of Feng Chan, Li Zhi felt happy. Looking at the Feng Chan envoy he had chosen, the joy appeared on his face and in his words.

"Your Majesty, we are here to enshrine the throne! There is an outline outside the house. Please allow your Majesty to present it to me."

As a Zen envoy, Li Ji made a representative speech.

"Submit it quickly!"

Li Zhiying did not hesitate.

As the silk cloth was presented, Li Zhi saw that the silk cloth was so huge, so he asked the servant to use a human frame to spread the silk cloth.

Li Zhi stepped forward excitedly and looked at the entire outline. His eyes immediately flashed with shock and consternation. He looked at Chen Qingsi at the end calmly and said with a smile: "Needless to say, this outline was written by Chen Aiqing."

Among the four, only Chen Qingsi can tinker with these weird things, and they are very practical.

Ever since Li Zhi saw the memorial written by Chen Qingsi, he felt that it was not interesting when he looked at other memorials. He wished that all the civil servants in the dynasty could express things as concisely and clearly as Chen Qingsi, getting straight to the point and getting to the point every word.

For this reason, he also specifically asked the officials below to learn Chen Qingsi's writing style.

But just like Dongshi's imitation, it is neither fish nor fowl, so we can only give up.

This can only be attributed to the fact that Chen Qingsi's cultural level is too high, so he can return to his original nature and write concise and clear official documents that everyone can understand.

Chen Qingsi said modestly: "I don't have any other skills. I can only summarize and start. The people who really summarize and summarize are the credit of Li Yinggong, Prince Zheng, and Xianggong Xu, especially Xianggong Xu. I admire his erudition." "

Chen Qingsi is very good at being a person and an official.

Before you reach the top, it is best to avoid focusing on beauty alone.

Being granted Zen status is a big deal, and it is not a good thing for him to be alone, given his current size.

His modesty made even Li Ji's face smile.

After all, this thing is everyone’s effort...

As for Xu Jingzong, he nodded with satisfaction and thought to himself: "Chen Shangshu is upright!"

Xu Jingzong is not a person who is easily satisfied or easily fooled.

But he cherishes fame, which is his Achilles' heel.

If a person has a weakness, it is easy for others to take advantage of him.

Li Zhi did not answer, but looked at the outline seriously. Shi'er nodded and Shi'er frowned.

After reading it from beginning to end, Li Zhi immediately pointed out a few things he was dissatisfied with.

Either make corrections or negotiate a reasonable result.

Finally, we talked about the candidates for Feng Chan Yaxian and Zhongxian.

"I want to hear your opinion."

Li Ji said: "According to the ancient system, we should choose from among the ministers."

Li Yuanli and Xu Jingzong both seconded the proposal.

Chen Qingsi also said: "Your Majesty is the emperor, and the minister is the humerus. I naturally choose it from the minister."

This is a matter of course. Empress Wu becoming Yaxian is the real abnormality.

This is what Chen Qingsi admires about Empress Wu. She thought of things that most people would not dare to think of, and she also did it.

I have to say that Queen Wu is really amazing in this aspect.

But as long as there is resistance to such an abnormal thing, it will be extremely difficult to complete it.

Li Zhi heard that the four people in the hall avoided the matter of candidates, and he also knew that he would not start the matter, even the four people below would not speak easily.

After thinking quietly for a while, Li Zhi said: "Let's do it this way. Yaxian will choose one from among the emperor's relatives, and the final Xian will be chosen from among the ministers. What do you think?"

Chen Qingsi was startled after hearing this, and instantly understood what Li Zhi was thinking, and why Empress Wu became Yaxian in history.

This was certainly due to Empress Wu's methods, but it was also Li Zhi's political need.

This person who serves as Yaxian and finally serves will undoubtedly gain huge political capital.

Who will collect this political capital?
This is a big problem.

Prince Li Tang was young, and the emperor was ill and might die at any time.

In this case, Li Zhi was unwilling to let the ministers obtain the huge political capital brought by Feng Chan, thereby enhancing the power of the ministers.

The ministers who can represent Yaxian and Zhongxian of the imperial court are at least third-rank officials. Even if they are not prime ministers, they are still close to the prime minister.

Since ancient times, monarchy and power have been incompatible with each other.

Once the power of the prime minister becomes powerful, the power of the monarch will inevitably be affected.

If Feng Chan's political capital is given to two ministers, it will not be easy to strengthen the power of the prime minister.

It would be perfect to distribute Feng Chan's political capital to the queen and ministers respectively, so that both sides can restrain each other.

Now because Queen Wu has just risen, her status is far inferior to that in history.

Li Zhi never thought about letting Empress Wu share the burden, so he chose to give the political capital to the clan, so that the clan and ministers could share it equally to avoid making the ministers stronger.

After thinking about all this, Chen Qingsi also had a dangerous idea. If it drags on and gives Empress Wu more opportunities, the outcome will be really hard to predict.

Li Zhi spoke.

Naturally, the four of them had no objections.

Li Ji saw it through, Li Yuanli was the beneficiary, and Chen Qingsi could be a dog, so he really had no objection.

But Xu Jingzong was lying. He asked the clan to allocate a quota, and there was only one left. His chance was reduced by half.

But facing Li Zhi, Xu Jingzong did not dare to have any dissatisfaction or objection.

The selection of the clan is very simple, there is no second person, it is Li Yuanli who is here.

Li Yuanli is the most wise and talented person in the clan. Since the death of Li Xiaogong and Li Zongdao, he has belonged to him.

As for who to choose as minister, it’s worth the headache.

"Let's do this!" Li Zhi said: "You each write down the recommended candidates and give them to me."

Li Zhi was still able to sympathize with his subordinates' difficulties.

(End of this chapter)