Idle courtiers

Chapter 341 Wang Xijue

Wang Ruoxu: "Why, Zimu knows this Wang Xijue?"

"I heard about this person from my mentor." Zhou Nan replied.

Because next year's spring is related to his height in the political arena in the future, Zhou Nan is also very careful on weekdays.Even Wang Shizhen pulled out a list of candidates who might be able to become a sergeant next year and be able to be admitted to the Imperial Academy, and Wang Xijue was among them.

When Zhou Nan saw this name, he felt familiar. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that this person is the chief assistant of the cabinet of the Wanli Dynasty in the future?
Like Wang Shizhen, Mr. Wang Ge is also an examination machine. He passed the provincial examination in Nanzhili the year before last.In the next year's Chunwei, he won the first place in Huiyuan, and was named No.2 by Jiajing in the palace examination.

Later, his son Wang Heng ranked first in the Shuntian Township Examination. In the 29th year of Wanli's high school Jinshi and No.2, he was hailed as "the second place in the father and son list" by the people at that time.There are many descendants of Wang Xijue who are successful in the examination field, and his family continued into the Qing Dynasty and became a veritable family of hairpin tassels.

He is from Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and is from the same town as Wang Shizhen.Because he was very familiar with this person, when Wang Shizhen talked about this person at that time, he commented that this person was a first-class talent among the rising stars in Nanzhili.It is no problem to be a Jinshi in the middle school, and even a hopeful one.

Zhou Nan also smiled and asked Wang Xijue if he was a descendant of the Wang family in Taicang, and he should get close to him when gathering in the capital in the future.

Wang Shizhen shook his head with a wry smile, and replied that Wang Xijue had nothing to do with the Taicang Wang family.Not only did the two have no origin, but their relationship was not very good.

It turned out that Wang Xijue's grandfather was a wealthy merchant in Taicang.In ancient times, the political status of businessmen was quite low, and the Wang family of Taicang also looked down on this man who stinks of copper.Taicang is only a small place, and everyone is a local gentry, so there will inevitably be conflicts of interest.

Wang Xijue's grandfather felt that his political status was not high, and he was offended by others on the scene, so he invited a famous teacher to teach his children.

But the children in the family were really miserable. Although Wang Xijue's father was a scholar, he could not pass the Juren examination.In order to become an official, he had to enter the Nanjing Guozijian.After serving his full sentence in prison, he found a small official, but later lost his official position because of a lawsuit, abandoned Confucianism and went into business, and followed his father's old path.

The Wang family in Taicang saw the decline of Wang Xijue's family, and Wang Shizhen was very arrogant when he was young, and made a lot of sarcasm to Wang Xijue's father, so the two families were incompatible.

Fortunately, Wang Xijue is extremely upbeat, and once he enters the examination room, he is always at a disadvantage.

In the Wanli year, he even assumed the position of chief. In this way, two Wang families appeared in Taicang, both of whom claimed to be the descendants of Langya of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the prime minister of the Jin Dynasty, Wang Dao.The two families have continued to fight in academia and officialdom for two to three hundred years.

Speaking of which, Wang Shizhen, Zhou Nan's teacher, was really bad-tempered when he was a teenager, and he offended many people in the same way.Gu Yan, it's the same, and so is Wang Xijue's family.

Zhou Nan said again: "I heard from my mentor that this Wang Yuanyu's essays are so good that it must be very easy to get a Jinshi. He didn't get into the Imperial Academy, so why did he think of going to the Daolu Department first?"

Yuanyu is Wang Xijue's nickname.

Wang Ruoxu said lightly, "Because of King Yu."

Zhou Nan didn't expect that King Yu would be involved in this matter, and he was shocked: "Please ask Ruoxu to clear up my doubts."

Wang Ruoxu: "Because of the dispute over the position of chief assistant, both Elder Xu Ge and Gao Gong wanted to influence the emperor by placing people in the Daolu Department. By the way, Wang Xijue's father is a big salt merchant, and the new Lianghuai Salt Road is from the palace."

Zhou Nan fully understood that the Salt Road is one of the most important sources of taxation for the treasury.

If King Yu wants to take over the throne smoothly in the future, he must grasp the two major powers of personnel and finance.A few years ago, the royal family had already started to make arrangements, and it was based on this consideration that Zhan Tong was transferred to the Changlu Salt Field.

Now, the strict party has collapsed, Yan Maoqing has been imprisoned, and the new head of the Lianghuai Salt Division is bound to compete for the palace.

The former Yan Maoqing abolished all salt quotations, filled his own pockets, and provoked anger and resentment.However, this has given the successor a lot of convenience, the so-called: a blank sheet of paper is easy to make a fuss about.It is up to him to give the salt to whom or not.

If Wang Xijue's father wanted to continue the business, he would try his best to please the palace. This time, he just took the opportunity of his son to hook up with King Yu.

Xu Jie heard that the emperor was full of praise for Zhou Nan's Qingci, so he moved Zhou Nan to serve the emperor in the Daolu Department as his eyes and ears, and to fight for the post of chief assistant for himself in the future.

Similarly, the palace also thinks so.Wang Xijue is a top-notch talented scholar in the south of the Yangtze River, and Qingci is a piece of cake for him.With him passing news by the emperor's side, Gao Gong was a little more confident about being the chief assistant.

For the benefit of the family, Wang Genjue left his official position ahead of schedule.He was originally a Juren, so this time as an official, he is naturally different from Zhou Nan, a rascal. It is not easy to grab the leadership of the Daolu Department?
After talking about the inside story, Wang Ruoxu reminded Zhou Nan: "Zimu, you have to report this matter to Elder Xu Jie and Xu Ge as soon as possible, and find a way to make Wang Xijue, the Zuo Zheng, unable to do it."

Zhou Nan smiled wryly in his heart, how could he meet Xu Jie now: "What does Ruoxu mean?"

Didn't Wang Xijue have already been appointed as Zuo Zheng of the Daolu Department, why did Wang Ruoxu say that he couldn't do it by trying to find a way?
Wang Ruoxu: "Wang Xijue is a great talent after all. This time, he became a sixth-rank official without passing the imperial examination, but he was reluctant in his heart. I heard that he has been slow to take up the post after he got the appointment."

Zhou Nan immediately understood that in the eyes of scholars in this era, the imperial examination is the right way.If you don't enter the official position by Jinshi, you will feel shorter when you see people.For a talented man like Wang Xijue, it was not a very glorious thing. He still felt ashamed in his heart, probably because he was having trouble with the palace.

Thinking about it in my heart: Although I am not good at Qing Ci, I have also been exposed to this stuff in later generations. When the critical moment comes, I can just copy a few excellent works of Taoism to deal with it.Why not take advantage of Wang Xijue's spare time before going to Dao Lusi to find a way to meet Jiajing and attract his attention.In this way, even if Wang Xijue intends to compete for favor at that time, my end is already in the heart of the emperor.

Zhou Nan: "Thank you Ruoxu for your guidance, I don't thank you for your kindness, I will only repay it in the future."

Wang Ruoxu smiled and said: "Zimu, there is no need to talk about our friendship. With your talent, if you get the honor of a Jinshi, you will have a bright future. That's all for the old man. In the future, please take care of your children."

Zhou Nan: "Ruoxu was joking, Zhou Nan is just a small person, and he still needs you, the head of the official department, to take care of him!"

Wang Ruoxu suddenly said, "Zimu, I'm going back to my hometown in Fujian next month."

"Ah, Ruoxu isn't doing this main job anymore?"

Wang Ruoxu nodded: "Your Majesty has made a decree. Xu Qian, the governor of Fujian Province, will be transferred to Guangxi to be the governor. There is already a vacancy for the governor of Fujian. The post is approved by the heavenly official."

He laughed and said: "Wealth and honor do not return to the hometown, it is like walking in brocade clothes at night. The court arranges it this way, and the old man is very satisfied."

The chief envoy participated in politics from the third rank, and Lao Wang can be regarded as promoted.Of course, power and officials are incomparable.

Feeling lost, Zhou Nan sighed and said, "Ruoxu left, and I don't know when we will meet again. But congratulations."

Only then did he understand what Wang Ruoxu said just now, "In a few years, Zimu may not be able to become a principal or even a doctor in Liubu. I'm afraid Wang will ask you for something." He was saying goodbye to himself.

Wang Ruoxu was also a little sad: "You and I met once, and I don't want to let go of our friendship, Zimu cherishes it."

Zhou Nan knew in his heart that with the bad traffic conditions and backward communication conditions in ancient times, it might be difficult to meet Wang Ruoxu in this life.

His greatest support in the capital was Xu Jie and Wang Ruoxu. Now that he had fallen out with Xu Ge, Mr. Wang was going back to his hometown. If something happened in the future, he could only rely on himself.

Looking back, I thought again: In fact, the reason why I have come to this day is not relying on myself?The so-called relying on the mountain to fall, relying on everyone to walk, only oneself can be relied on.

Zhou Nan thought about it. Going to the Daolu Division this time is also a great opportunity for him. In the future, he will become familiar with Jiajing and become a Jinshi. Even if he does not have any backing, he can still gain a foothold in the court.

In order to meet Jiajing before Wang Xijue, and to beat the time difference, Zhou Nan didn't delay, and went to the Daolu Department the next day to take up his post, which seemed urgent and unseemly.

Although Daolu Division Sizheng is only a sixth-rank official, it is an independent unit, and it has formed a unified body behind closed doors.

According to the etiquette system of the imperial court, it is not so casual for such an official to take office.

First of all, the officials in the department need to come to the door to invite them in person to show their respect.In addition, on the day of taking office, officials from the Ministry of Officials need to send it over in person to show solemnity.

Master Zhou can't care so much now.

The official office of Daolu Division is located in a place called Yandai Hutong next to Shichahai in the northwest of the inner city of the capital. The gate of the office is facing the sparkling lake.

Shichahai connects the Zhonghai and Nanhai below, and is the center of the capital.

Speaking of this, some people may ask, will there be cigarettes in Yandai Hutong in the Ming Dynasty?

It is true that at this time, it was the era of great geographical discovery, and American tobacco had been introduced to China, but it had not been accepted by people.It is only used as a herbal medicine by Chinese medicine to cultivate Yang Qi.

Unlike the yamen of the central government, the Daolu Department is actually located in a Taoist temple.

The name of the Taoist temple is Guangfu Temple. It was built in Dai Tianshun three years and is divided into two courtyards, East and West.The east courtyard is the main courtyard, with one Luzu hall, one Taishi hall and three Sanqing halls.There is also an apse at the end, which is very large in scale.There is a Taoist priest presiding over the temple, and there are about fifty Taoist priests under him, and the Taoist priest also has an official position of the seventh rank.

Emperor Jiajing believed in Taoism, and many Taoist priests were awarded official positions by him.For example, Shao Yuanjie, the celestial master of Longhu Mountain, won the first-rank title.Of course, these grades are only an identity certification, and they do not receive salary and have real power.

There are three courtyards in the east courtyard, more than 20 rooms, and about [-] messengers. That is the yamen of the Daolu Department.

That's right, the Taoist temple and the Siya share a Taoist temple, which can be regarded as the only one in the Ming Dynasty. This shows the high status of Taoism in the Jiajing year.

(End of this chapter)