golden scales

The rustling sound came from outside the window, awakening Zhu Cihong from his sleep.Because the script of the country's destruction and family destruction has been advancing irreversibly, his sleep condition has always been poor, and he will be awakened by the slightest sound.And this kind of movement became louder and louder, and even became one piece, rustling into a rhyme, dispelling Zhu Cihong's last bit of drowsiness.

Zhu Cihong stood up in his clothes, and the eunuch on duty greeted him in a low voice: "Your Highness, do you want some tea?"

Zhu Cilang's voice was hoarse: "What time is it?"

"Yes," the eunuch quickly ran over to take a look at the Taixi clock, "Return to Your Highness, it is now [-]:[-]." He was not used to the hours used by Taixi people, but His Highness seemed to like this timekeeping method so much that everyone Anyone who works on the sidelines of the palace has to learn to read a clock.

"How long has it been raining?" Zhu Cihong asked, and then said: "Prepare some hot water."

The eunuch first replied "It's not long since I came down", and then said: "Your Highness, the night is too cold, let's rest for a while."

"Prepare water, I'm going to the war room." Zhu Cihong ignored the eunuch's suggestion.

The little eunuch didn't dare to say more, he quickly asked people outside to bring hot water and snacks, and came in to help Zhu Cihong dress and comb his hair.Ever since Zhu Cilang was born in the Ming Dynasty, he has never learned to wear traditional clothes by himself. It is useless to barely be able to wear casual clothes. He only has a dark eye for court clothes and dresses, and gradually he is used to having people help him dress. settings.

Although a little uncomfortable at first, it is quite convenient once you get used to it.

Zhu Cilang tidied up and walked towards the outer courtyard.There are two wing rooms on the east and west, and the war room on the west, where there are sand table maps and war books.To the east is the civil affairs hall, which mainly receives civil affairs officials of Ruzhou, as well as patrol censors and the like.Now the territory of Henan is not easy to travel, and the chief envoy of Henan has not come to see him until now, and it is not known whether he avoided it on purpose or was really stuck on the road.

"Hey, why is there no one on duty in the civil affairs hall?" Zhu Cihong asked someone to be on duty at any time to deal with urgent matters.Especially now that Ruzhou is under martial law, the civil pressure is actually stronger than the military pressure.

Judging from Liu Zongmin's tentative attack the day before, it really didn't look like he was determined to attack the city, so as long as there was no turmoil in Ruzhou, there would be no worries about losing the city.In order to achieve internal stability, the best way is to let the common people eat and drink, and release their grievances appropriately.These are the tasks of the civil affairs department: they must personally investigate the livelihood of the people in the neighborhood, coordinate the relationship between the local yamen, and urge the people-friendly officials to perform their duties.There are a lot of things every day, and every day is not lit all night long.

However, today the civil affairs hall was pitch black, and there was no sign of anyone on duty.

"Return to Your Highness," the eunuch said from the side, "Perhaps Master Zhang has already fallen asleep."

"Master Zhang?" Zhu Cihong asked, "Which Master Zhang? Is it a friend of the Eastern Palace?"

"Master Zhang is just an example. I heard that he used to be a clerk in the Imperial Academy." The eunuch said: "Every time it's his turn to be on duty at night, he must fall asleep within three o'clock."

Zhu Cihong was used to seeing his subordinates arriving late and leaving early.Some are flexible at work, some are sloppy, and some are really capable.He was not in a hurry to make a conclusion, but just walked over to see how sophisticated this "master" was.

The eunuch quickly turned on the light to lead the way, and was about to knock on the door when he went up, but Zhu Cihong grabbed him and said in a low voice, "Is it locked?"

The door had no latch.

The civil affairs hall is a typical wing structure, with one large and one small suites.The big one can be used to receive visitors, and the small one is an office for stacking materials.The aides put a spring stool in the office, piled up books during the day, the right to be short, when you are tired at night, you can remove the books, spread the quilt, and immediately become a single bed.

Zhu Cihong went all the way in, not hiding the sound of his footsteps.The person inside was in a deep sleep, and he didn't even wake up when the lantern shone on the front door.Zhu Cihong looked at his face with the light on, and it was indeed "Master", about sixty years old, with a beard and gray hair, and his thin face and neck were full of wrinkles.

There is only one thing that does not look old: no old person can sleep so deeply.

"Why did such an elderly person come along?" Zhu Cihong frowned slightly, and said to the eunuch, "Tomorrow, I will tell Wu Weiye that the elderly can stay in Yanjing without running around." Priority should be given to the camp, and older people may not be able to hold on.Zhu Cihong knew how difficult it is to find a reliable literate person nowadays, so it would be impossible to just waste it like this.

"Who!" Master Zhang suddenly called out from his dream, but his eyes hadn't opened yet.

Zhu Cihong took a step back, and replied in a deep voice, "It's me."

Only then did Master Zhang stand up, revealing that he was dressed in a coarse cloth, but he looked like he was sleeping seriously.He squinted his eyes and watched Zhu Cihong take a full ten breaths before jumping off the spring stool nimbly, and bowed without any signs of aging: "My subordinate Zhang Shiqi, I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Excuse me." Zhu Cihong took a step back, sat down in front of the desk, glanced at the neatly piled documents on the table, but couldn't help feeling dissatisfied.He said: "I'm old, why bother to run around like this. There are also things to do in the capital."

It was through Li Mingrui's relationship that Zhang Shiqi entered the East Palace Muzhong as a Muyou.He thought that he had made some contributions, and he would be appreciated faster in the East Palace.After entering the attendant's room, I learned that Li Mingrui claimed to be the prince's teacher, but in fact he had just joined the job not long ago, and he was arrested for talking about the prince behind his back, so the future is bleak.

Following the wrong person made Zhang Shiqi extremely depressed, but he couldn't go back to the Imperial Academy, so he had to settle down first.Anyway, I wasted my whole life, not bad for so many years.Who knows the future?Not only did he stay here for a short time, when the prince went to Luoyang to Fujun, Zhang Shiqi had to follow anyway.

Being able to fight with the crown prince is the most glorious stroke in his life history.

"This subordinate has just passed the year of destiny, and he is still young." Zhang Shiqi blurted out without knowing where his courage came from.

Zhu Cihong was startled at first, then laughed again, and said with a smile: "Yes, if you talk about going to battle to kill the enemy, you are old. But when it comes to governing the country, compared with Jiang Ziya, you are still in your prime."

Zhang Shiqi was also happy, regardless of the future future, just say that this anecdote tonight is enough to pass on to his descendants: Your grandfather and I were also the ones who talked and laughed with His Royal Highness back then!

He said with a smile: "Your Highness is absurd, the old man has no strength to restrain a chicken, even if he was 30 years earlier, he would not be able to fight for His Highness in battle. If we talk about the talent for governing the country and the safety of the country, it will be 30 years later because of the limitation of talent. You can't be a duke."

Zhu Cilang said with a smile: "Listening to what Mr. said, it seems that there are still some talented people who are not known."

"I've been a bit of a brain since I was a child, so I can never forget it." Zhang Shiqi didn't hide it, and quickly seized the opportunity to introduce himself: "Although the micro-dust technique is laughed at in the temple, it may not be impossible to try it for a hundred miles."

Officials joked that the county magistrate was Bailihou.

This official position is the starting level for many low-ranking Jinshi. It can also be selected by tribute students with good reputation and good grades, or by senior officials with outstanding assessments.Zhang Shiqi himself has a reputation for raising people, a well-deserved "master", and has been a clerk in the Imperial Academy for many years, and his qualifications are sufficient. It is appropriate to ask Zhu Cihong for a county magistrate.

Zhu Cihong has been thinking about the civil affairs of his future base.He doesn't trust the old officials, but training new officials is not something that can be done in ten days and half a month.There is still room for change in the issue of civil affairs. If it is placed in a judicial office like the Judiciary of the Procuratorate, it will definitely be a waste of human life.

"How many people are there in Ruzhou City, how many Dingkou, how many households among them?" Zhu Cihong casually picked up the newly sorted yellow book on the case, opened it and asked.

There is still a scent of ink on the yellow book, which has just been transcribed.Zhang Shiqi had a photographic memory in the first place, let alone the things he wrote, and Lang Lang didn't have the slightest pimple to deal with them right now.

Zhu Cilang tested his memory skills, closed the yellow book immediately, and asked: "Nowadays, there are many people fleeing from the state and county. As a county magistrate, how should I take care of it?"

Zhang Shiqi was overjoyed, he was looking at his policy.

Since Confucianism was the only one, the people-friendly officials of all dynasties in China have not received strict political education, but they are like apprentices taught by a master.Generally speaking, it is to pay attention to a "general principle".Under this general principle, legal principles are more important than human feelings. As long as one's character is not bad, governance is basically within a reasonable range and will not lead to public grievances.

In the Guo Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Gao knew that officials harmed the people, so he imposed heavier punishments on county officials who disturbed the people, and at the same time stipulated the conditions and frequency of county officials going to the countryside, forming a custom.This is also the system of "imperial power not going to the countryside" that has been followed since then, and in the eyes of the Ming people, it is the good governance of the country that is superior to that of Zhao and Song.

Generally speaking, as long as the officials of the state and court do not do anything, they have already done good deeds.

Zhang Shiqi went through the righteousness of Confucianism he had read in his mind, and then returned to the question of His Royal Highness.Since His Highness focused on "as the county magistrate in charge", the answer of "doing nothing and recuperating" may not be as good as expected.He coughed twice and decided to give it a go.

"Your Highness," Zhang Shiqi said, "my subordinates think that the county magistrate is the parent of the same place, so it is better not to take care of them. Those who escaped have nowhere to rely on. If they blindly block them, they will be forced to become thieves. If the county magistrate can sort out the fields, Cultivate wasteland to settle the farmers; build water conservancy, level the official road, and relieve the hooligans. Don’t respect your parents, but let the people love them, this is the way to be an official.”

Zhu Cihong nodded and said, "How about your ancient prose?"

The people of Ming took eight-legged art as their contemporary writing, and Han and Tang articles as their ancient writing.If you want to be an official, you must first obtain the qualifications for Jinshi Juren through art making.After becoming an official, you have to focus on ancient prose, otherwise you will be ridiculed if your knowledge is too narrow, your vocabulary will be lacking, your writing will have no charm, and other people's allusions will not be understood.

Zhang Shiqi was too old to fail the Jinshi examination, which is enough to prove that his writing is mediocre.Zhu Cihong only asked about ancient prose, which already gave him the opportunity to make use of his strengths and avoid weaknesses.

"Subordinates spend all their time on ancient prose, so it is difficult to improve current prose." Zhang Shiqi said immediately.

Zhu Cihong nodded: "Ancient prose is as important as history. Sir, when you read ancient prose, who else's article is better?"

"My subordinates try to learn Han Wen Gong's composition." Zhang Shi said strangely.

Han Wengong refers to Han Yu who "was the decline of the eight generations of literature".His style of writing had a profound influence on Song people, and was highly praised by Ouyang Xiu of a generation of Wenzong.

During the Jiajing period, the literary world was at the time when the seven masters alternated. During this period, the Tang and Song schools, represented by Wang Shenzhong, Tang Shunzhi, Mao Kun, and Gui Youguang, resisted the ancient school's purpose of "writing must be Qin and Han, and poetry is flourishing Tang". He advocated learning from Han Liu and Ouyang, and demanded that "writing conveys Tao and integration of writing and Tao".

For future generations, this is ancient history, but for Zhu Cihong, it is a current event in which ancient history and contemporary history are integrated.He doesn't need to learn stereotyped art to compose, the main thing is to learn ancient prose.Compared with the imitation and plagiarism of the ancient school of literature, he still prefers the style of the Tang and Song schools that imitated the Tang and Song Dynasties.

Hearing Zhang Shiqi say that he prefers Han Yu, Zhu Cihong also had a feeling of bosom friend, just to cultivate this old man who aspires to be a county magistrate, he deliberately said: "To be a writer, you should learn from Han Changli, and to be an official, you have to read Liuhe Dong. EMI articles, I I only love Liu Zongyuan's "Preface to Sending Xue Cunyi", and every time I read it, I often feel deafened and refreshed."

Zhang Shiqi memorizes surnames well, and he definitely won't fail to recite such a masterpiece through the ages, and he already knows what His Highness the Crown Prince is saying. (To be continued.)