Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 436 Appointed to Yingtian Mansion

Yingtianfu was called Songzhou in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which is today's Shangqiu in Henan Province. It was the birthplace of Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, and the name of the Song Dynasty came from it. One of the accompanying capitals.

The official position setting of Yingtianfu is relatively complicated, which is also related to the status of Yingtianfu. It is firstly the accompanying capital of Nanjing. In short, military and civilian affairs, because there are many overlaps in power and authority with the prefect of Yingtian, this official position is generally held concurrently by the prefect of Yingtian.

Secondly, Yingtianfu is the administrative seat of Jingdong Road, under the jurisdiction of two prefectures, fifteen prefectures, and two armies, so that there are many government offices in Yingtianfu, including appeasement envoys, transshipment envoys, mentioning prisons, and elevating Changping, etc. Four major functional bureaus.

Secondly, Ying Tianfu set up Nanjing Mu and Ying Tianfu Yin as two official positions according to the standard of the capital city. Nanjing Mu is a vacant position and is usually held by the prince from afar, while Ying Tianfu Yin is currently concurrently held by Langya King Zhao Wenyun, which is only in name. The chief official, but the real power is in the hands of Zhiying Tianfu Shi.

This is also the characteristic of local officials in the Song Dynasty. The nominal chief official of the state capital should be the governor, but the governors are all held by the big and small dignitaries in the capital. The real power is in the hands of the court officials sent by the court. So-and-so state affairs, etc. In this way, local power is in the hands of the court. This is also a measure taken by the Song Dynasty after learning the lessons of the local separatist regimes in the late Tang Dynasty and even the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

Although the Song Dynasty did avoid the tragic reappearance of the separatist regimes in the late Han and Tang dynasties, it also caused another serious consequence, that is, redundant officials, one of the three redundant officials in the Song Dynasty, required too many official positions, and the financial burden on the court was extremely heavy.

Generally, Zhizhou is a court official of the sixth rank or above, and Fan Ning is a senior official of the fourth rank, so he was able to serve in an important place in the capital like Yingtianfu.

Ten days after his wife, daughter, mother and sister arrived in Beijing, Fan Ning left the capital and went to Yingtian Mansion to take up his post.

The first time he took office, Fan Ning did not bring his wife and daughter with him. He needed to stabilize himself before taking his wife and daughter to Ying Tianfu.

Yingtian Mansion is close to Kaifeng Mansion, about [-] miles away from the capital. The mansion governs Songcheng County and can be directly reached by boat along the Bian River.

Fan Ning took a two-thousand-dollar passenger ship, accompanied by his two new aides, Sun Xuance and Zhang Bo, and four guards with high martial arts skills, and the concubine Aya and several maids. child.

Staff members are a special group in the official circles of the Song Dynasty. There were a large number of scholars in the Song Dynasty, but only a small number of them passed the Jinshi examination. Most of the scholars had to find another way to make a living. He is willing to sell on the street, so the employment problem of scholars has always been a headache for the court. The development of education is a way out for scholars. In addition, attaching to the rich and powerful is also a way out for scholars.

But even if they are dependent on the rich and powerful, they have to be divided into three or six grades. The staff of the prime minister are called staff, and the staff of the county magistrate are also called staff. The difference lies in their respective abilities.

The thirteen scribes in the Wenyuan Hall of the Zhu Clan are all top talents. For example, Gongsun Xuance was a Jinshi in the third year of Qingli. Because he had no backstage background, he was assigned to Xiuzhou as a teaching assistant for state studies. After five years as a teaching assistant, his future was hopeless. In a rage, he resigned and returned to his hometown, and was recruited into Wenyuantang by the Zhu family.

Zhang Bo was born in Taixue, taught in Pingjiang Fuxue, and was hired by Wenyuantang eight years ago.

As the power of the Zhu family gradually declined, the two were worried about their future, and being recommended to Fan Ning by Zhu Yuanfu this time really made them feel at ease.

In the cabin, Gongsun Xuance and Zhang Bo were playing chess and chatting. Both of them were from Pingjiang Prefecture. They were both thin and elegant.

Zhang Bo put a chess piece and said with a smile: "Do you feel that brother Guo Huai is a bit regretful?"

They said that Guo Huai was also a scribe of Wenyuan Hall. He and another scribe chose to follow Zhu Xiaoyun. Yesterday, everyone gathered together to drink, and it was also a practice for the two of them.

Gongsun Xuance smiled lightly and said: "I persuaded him at the beginning, although Da Ya Nei is the left servant of the official department and has a lot of power, but he is relatively ungrateful and indifferent, too cautious, following him is just to look good, no What kind of future will there be, at most it will be a clean guest in the house, it's not interesting, it's normal for Guo Huai to regret it."

"What about our official! What do you think?" Zhang Bo asked again with a smile.

Gongsun Xuance said with a smile: "Ten years ago in Xuanmiao Palace, I asked Master Taiqing to give me a divination, saying that I was a late bloomer, poor and ineffective when I was young, and met noble people in middle age. Times come and go. I am 39 years old this year. Enter middle age!"

"You mean Officer Fan is a nobleman, why isn't the big yamen a nobleman?"

"I'm not optimistic about the big yamen. He didn't choose a side at the critical moment. It's not a big deal for such a person. His minister of officials has reached the top, and he can only enter the palace as a scholar, and cannot enter the Zhizheng hall."

"What about Officer Fan?"

Gongsun Xuance pointed to Zhang Bo, and then to himself, "You and I both choose him, you should understand in your heart, so I don't need to say more."

At this time, brother Gui, the tea boy, said at the door: "The officials invite the two gentlemen to drink tea."

Zhang Bo laughed and said, "We'll be right there!"

They put away the chess, got up and walked towards the main cabin.

The main cabin is located on the second floor, which is Fanning's living place. The cabin is spacious and has a wide view, which is extremely comfortable.

Aya was chatting with Fan Ning, when she saw the two coming up, she got up and retreated.

"The officials are looking for us?"

Fan Ning said with a smile: "Two gentlemen, please come in!"

The two looked at each other and walked into the cabin. Fan Ning waved his hand, "Please sit down!"

After the two sat down, Fan Ning poured them a cup of tea each, "This tea is not bad, you two should try it!"

The two picked up the teacup, put it in front of their noses and smelled it, and took a sip slowly, only to find that the fragrance was richer than the phoenix tea they usually drank.

"This is Dragon Tea?" Gongsun Xuance couldn't help but marvel.

Fan Ning nodded in praise and said, "As expected of someone from Wenyuantang, you really have insight."

Wenyuantang enjoys top-level treatment, not only a high monthly salary, but also fine clothes, delicious food, and a big house. The tea they usually drink is Fengcha provided by Zhu's family.

Even so, they have never enjoyed dragon tea, and only real relatives of the emperor have the opportunity to receive the reward from the emperor.

Fan Ning is also because of his meritorious service in opening up overseas territories. The emperor Zhao Zhen rewarded him with a hundred catties of dragon tea. He didn't have much left, and he was reluctant to drink it at ordinary times. He would only take it out when entertaining guests.

At this time, Zhang Bo next to him was looking at the teacup in his hand. He saw that the teacup in his hand was bright and coquettish, and the purple and red matched each other, like agate, thick and deep. !"

Fan Ning gave a thumbs up and praised: "Mr. Zhang also has good eyesight!"

Zhang Bo blushed, such a superb teacup, can you not see it?

Fan Ning was very sincere in his hospitality at the Dragon Tea official kiln. The three of them drank a cup of tea. Fan Ning said with a smile: "This time, when I go to Yingtian Mansion to take up the post, I have already gone to the official office. How about the two gentlemen strolling around the city for a couple of days?"

Gongsun Xuance and Zhang Bo looked at each other, and they immediately understood that Fan Ning was asking them to understand the people's sentiments first.

At this moment, Gongsun Xuance pondered and asked, "I heard that the official also serves as the supervisory censor?"

Fan Ning took out a censor gold medal and put it on the table, and the two cheered up immediately. The supervisory censor was a silver medal, but what Fan Ning took out was the gold medal of Yu Shi Zhongcheng.

Fan Ning said indifferently: "My official position is still Dr. Zuo Jianyi, and at the same time I have the title of Yushi Zhongcheng. This is what Han Xianggong fought for me, so it may not be a good thing."

Both of them understood, Zhang Bo asked cautiously, "Is there a mission to work in Yingtian Mansion this time?"

"It should be. I heard that the appointment of the Yingtian Mansion is the meaning of Julu County King, but I don't know the specific intention for the time being."

Gongsun Xuance thought for a while and said: "It is estimated that Han Xianggong also wanted the officials to gain a firm foothold and grasp the power first, and then arrange tasks. I suggest that the officials should not think too much, just take up the post normally, and stabilize it a little bit." Think about something else in a month."

Fanning nodded, "What do you think should be my first step in taking office?"

The two said in unison: "Seize power!"

Fan Ning really has no experience in this area. He opened Kunzhou and has absolute power in Kunzhou. No one can compete with him, but in Song Dynasty, he is the first time to be a magistrate, which really makes him confused. water.

"Compete with who for power?" Fanning asked puzzled.

Zhang Bo smiled slightly: "When the imperial court set up the powers of the local government, it consciously overlapped the powers of the general judge and the prefecture. Appears to dominate the place.

However, the consequences of setting up power in this way have led to fierce struggles in the local officialdom, and almost every prefect will face the situation of seizing power and evading power when he takes office. "

Fan Ning suddenly remembered that Zhu Pei had told himself that his father Zhu Xiaoyun had been depressed for several years when he went to Qingzhou to serve as the magistrate.

Fanning nodded, "Then I'll give it a try."

(End of this chapter)