I studied in modern times

Chapter 810 Interview (1)

The second day of the fifth month of the second year of Yuanyou.

Zhao Xu sat in front of the inner pond in the back garden, holding a fishing rod and looking at the water.

Led by Feng Jing, two ministers wearing purple robes, fish bags and wide-legged hats came to the inner pond.

"Hanlin scholar Chen Xie..."

"The academician of the Zizheng Palace, the minister of Bozhou, Zong Meng..."

"May His Majesty the Emperor be blessed with good health!"

Zhao Xu turned around and looked at the two ministers cordially.

Today, he was wearing a flat-top hat that was commonly worn by the common people of the Song Dynasty.

This kind of headdress is widely worn by everyone from officials to ordinary people because it is cheap and comfortable.

In modern TV dramas on Song Dynasty history, officials often wear this kind of headdress.

As for the clothes he was wearing, they were a light white linen shirt.

He looks like an ordinary boy fishing.

Obviously, this is cosplay!

Don’t think that only modern 2D youngsters play this.

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, emperors of every dynasty have also loved to play cosplay.

Moreover, they play more happily and attentively than the young people in the two-dimensional world.

Many people even immerse themselves in the image of the character they play.

For example, the famous Emperor Wanshou and True Lord Feiyuan completely immersed themselves in the roles they played and even brought them into their work.

For example, Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty would dress up as a Taoist priest or fisherman from the Tang and Song dynasties whenever he had free time, and have fun in the Old Summer Palace and his summer resort.

As for the Song Dynasty...

The Zhen Temple and the Ren Temple are both places where people are enthusiasts of this art.

Therefore, Qian Xie and Pu Zongmeng were not surprised by Zhao Xu's outfit.

"Both of you, please don't be polite..." Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Come and fish with me, and have a chat..."

Since summoning Shen Kuo here last time, Zhao Xu discovered that talking about work while fishing would help enhance the relationship between the monarch and his subjects and bring them closer together.

So I might as well summon the two ministers here at once today.

"promise!"

Qian Xie and Pu Zongmeng bowed again, then walked forward cautiously and sat on the chairs prepared for them.

The eunuchs at the side handed them the prepared fishing rods, baits and scoop nets.

Zhao Xu waited for them to sit down, then said, "Two scholars, come fishing with me, there is no need to be restrained..."

"It's time to fish, fish..."

"Yes..." the two answered in unison, and then began to busily put on the bait, looking like newbies in fishing.

When Zhao Xu saw it, he just smiled.

My acting skills still need to be polished!

But it doesn’t matter, the focus today is not on fishing.

"Mr. Pu..."

"I'm here!" Pu Zongmeng immediately perked up and lowered his head to face the emperor beside him.

"I have read the documents from Bozhou..." Zhao Xu said leisurely, "The scholar is in Bozhou, strictly enforcing public security, cracking down on bandits, making sure the people live in peace and at ease..."

Pu Zongmeng immediately lowered his head and replied: "Your Majesty, I am ashamed to accept your praise..."

Zhao Xu laughed and didn't respond.

Because it’s hard to answer!
In the Song Dynasty, every minister had his own personality, just like modern traffic stars.

Pu Zongmeng’s role is to maintain public order and fight bandits.

This is the label that carries him throughout his career.

He has been doing this consistently since he was appointed as the magistrate of Kuizhou and continues to do so today.

Just like his extravagant and reckless spending as an official.

However, anything can be overcorrected.

Pu Zongmeng’s character is also average.

Strictly enforcing public security and cracking down on thieves across the board means that false convictions and excessive punishment can easily occur.

Therefore, Pu Zongmeng's record in this regard can only be said to be mixed.

Those who like him like him very much, and those who hate him hate him to the core.

What Zhao Xu valued was Pu Zongmeng's achievements in public security.

The current Song Dynasty...

The issue of public security really needs to be addressed!

Because, if you want to develop capital, you need a good business environment.

How is it that outside of the big cities, we see gangs of bandits everywhere, robbing the rich and giving to the poor, and even the appearance of heroes from Liangshan?

We must strike hard!

Let the heroes go where they belong.

For example, Jiaozhou and Xihe!
But this is something that offends people, and most people are unwilling to do it.

Only Pu Zongmeng was willing to do it willingly.

As for Zhao Xu?

He is a benevolent emperor.

Of course you can’t get involved with this!
Anyway, if Pu Zongmeng messes up, then sacrifice him - I'm still a child! I was deceived by the treacherous ministers!

So, Zhao Xu passed Pu Zongmeng and looked at Qian Xie on the other side.

Qian Xie was promoted from Zhongshu Sheren to Hanlin Bachelor by imperial decree yesterday.

This sixth-generation grandson of the King of Wuyue received rich rewards for his speculation before and after the Ye Kangzhi case because he stood on the right side, had a firm stance, and was determined to implement the will of his superiors.

Hanlin Bachelor!

Since Qian Weiyen and Qian Yi, the Qian family has produced another Hanlin scholar!
That is, I wonder if he will be like Qian Weiyen, slowly becoming arrogant, then being involved in the internal struggles of the royal family, and ultimately leaving Beijing in disgrace?
Zhao Xu thought about it, and said to Qian Xie: "I have read the resignation letter submitted by the scholar yesterday..."

In the Song Dynasty, when the imperial court dismissed important officials, the dismissed officials had to submit a symbolic resignation according to convention.

Just like being dismissed, the emperor needed symbolic consolation.

In the past 150 years, there was only one exception: Wang Anshi. When Wang Anshi was appointed prime minister, he did not refuse and directly accepted the imperial order.

When he resigned, he also did not wait for anyone to persuade him to stay. He just left after submitting his petition.

Qian Xie listened and immediately said: "I am a humble official with little talent, little learning, and little virtue. I am already struggling as a secretary..."

"How dare I hope to be selected by the Imperial Academy?"

"Besides, in today's world, there are so many talented people, and I don't know how many of them are extremely talented..."

"Your Majesty, I am truly ashamed of your kindness. I humbly hope that Your Majesty will revoke your order and choose someone more capable..."

Zhao Xu listened, and although he knew that Qian Xie was just pretending to be polite, he still nodded.

Because Qian Xie is right!
In terms of writing and talent, Qian Xie is unlikely to be in the top 20, let alone the top ten, in today's Song Dynasty!
Not to mention anything else, the mere existence of Su Shi is enough to scare others away.

Before Su Shi became a Hanlin scholar, anyone else who wanted to be a Hanlin scholar had to consider whether they could withstand the torture of contemporary literati and the evaluation of future generations.
This is a trend that has emerged this year.

Because Su Shi's official rank reached the minimum requirement to be appointed as a Hanlin scholar.

In March, Su Shi, the prefect of Dengzhou, was commended by the court for his outstanding political achievements. Su Shi was promoted from Chaoqinglang [seventh rank] to Chaofeng Dafu [sixth rank], and was given a post in the Imperial Library, from being directly under the Jixian Academy to being directly under the Longtu Pavilion, officially becoming one of the important officials of the Song Dynasty.

As a result, Su Shi became a stumbling block for all those who wanted to become Hanlin scholars.

As long as Su Shi has not become a Hanlin scholar, all other newly appointed Hanlin scholars will feel guilty.

no way!
Today, Su Shi has written numerous famous works destined to be passed down through the ages, including "Preface to the Red Cliff", "Postscript to the Red Cliff", "Nian Nujiao. Reminiscence of the Red Cliff", "Jiang Chengzi", "Ding Fengbo", etc. Who among contemporary writers dares to say that his level of writing and poetry is better than Su Shi's?

But Zhao Xu always kept Su Shi in the local place.

This is embarrassing.

Probably only someone like Qian Xie, who is thick-skinned, could accept the court's demotion with peace of mind.

And this is exactly the effect Zhao Xu wants to see.

The Hanlin Academician is in charge of the internal affairs and appointments and dismissals, so he cannot use people who are too principled.

Qian Xie is good!

Therefore, after Zhao Xu looked at Qian Xie's face full of expectations, he said softly: "The scholar is too modest. Although the Hanlin scholar is a Yutang Qingmi and the best choice of poets, his main job is to draft the text of appointment and removal for me!"

"So...the Hanlin scholars of all dynasties were not selected from the best literary officials, but the most suitable literary officials..." Zhao Xu said, looking at Qian Xie.

Qian Xie took a deep breath. He certainly knew what the emperor meant.

He also understood why he was appointed as a Hanlin scholar - wasn't it because the emperor asked him to write an imperial edict and he didn't even ask any questions and just wrote it directly?
Therefore, he should continue to do so when he arrives at the Academy.

This is the word "suitable".

but……

Qian Xie couldn't help but ask himself in his heart: "Everything is only about the superior, and no one else is asked... Is this appropriate?"

The next second he had the answer: "Suitable!"

Who said it's inappropriate?

Hanlin Bachelor is one of the four top ranks and is the honor of all the writers and poets in the world.

The articles and poems of Su Shi and Su Zizhan are truly unparalleled in the world!

But what does that have to do with my father Qian Xie and Qian Mu?
As an official, you cannot be pretentious!

Just like what Deng Wan said - you can laugh or scold me, but I will be a good official myself!

Qian Xie immediately expressed his loyalty: "Your Majesty loves me, and I have nothing to repay you for, so I will serve you till my death!"

Zhao Xu nodded gently: "Of course I believe in the loyalty of the scholar!"

Zhao Xu had a very accurate view of Qian Xie's character.

This is not a man of integrity.

To be precise, integrity is something that he only values ​​when needed.

In order to climb up, Qian Xie would do anything.

Just like in the eighth year of Yuanfeng, Qian Xie was a centrist who leaned towards the New Party.

Today, he is a stalwart of the conciliatory faction.

Every day he says things like 'Party strife harms the country' and 'You can't love your king and father only when you win'.

In Zhao Xu's previous life, during the Yuanyou era, after the Empress Dowager came to power, this man quickly tore off his centrist disguise and jumped directly to the Old Party camp, firing at the New Party.

The content of the imperial edict of reprimand and demote that he wrote to Zhang Dun was not polite at all!
The harshness of the words used is no less than that in the imperial edict of reprimand that Su Shi wrote to Lu Huiqing.

The sentence 'Yangyang is not a minister of the young master, and he does not have the integrity of a minister' made Old Zhang hate him for the rest of his life!

Therefore, in the early years of Shaosheng, as soon as Zhang Dun returned to the court, the first person to be put on the list was Qian Xie, the father of Qian Mu!

Qian Xie was not only a fence-sitter in official matters, but also in private matters.

He and Su Shi were good friends.

However, when the Wudai Poetry Case broke out, Qian Xie chose to protect himself and did not defend Su Shi.

Of course, you can say that it is understandable that Qian Xie did this to protect himself.

But the problem is that there was no risk in defending Su Shi in the court at that time.

Zhang Dun, Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, Fu Bi, and Wen Yanbo have all come to prominence.

Qian Xie's words for Su Shi at the time were at most a follow-up, and no one would attack him.

But he didn't speak.

That in itself says something.

That's why Zhao Xu chose him to join the Hanlin Academy.

An obedient writer, this is how Zhao Xu positioned Qian Xie.

As he spoke, Pu Zongmeng's fishing rod moved.

Zhao Xu's attention was drawn to it.

After feeling Zhao Xu's gaze, Pu Zongmeng lifted the fishing rod exaggeratedly.

The fish that was supposed to bite the hook was scared away.

All he brought up was air.

Pu Zongmeng suddenly became exaggeratedly annoyed: "Oh!"

"Ran!"

"At least five pounds!"

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "It is common for fish to escape when fishing. Scholar, don't worry. The next one will surely be bigger!"

"Your Majesty is right!" Pu Zongmeng took the fishhook, put the bait on it again, and threw it into the water.

As a veteran fisherman with experience in modern times, Zhao Xu looked carefully and found that the bait that Pu Zongmeng had hung was not hung properly at all. He was afraid that it would become an empty hook after entering the water.

Zhao Xu saw through it but didn't say anything, he just watched with a smile.

At the same time, I also look forward to catching fish myself.

I don’t know why today?
Maybe it was because the weather was too hot and the air pressure was too high, so the fish didn't bite. In short, after a long time, Zhao Xu finally caught a carp weighing about one kilogram.

Only when they saw Zhao Xu catch the fish did Pu Zongmeng and Qian Xie breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, all kinds of flattering words came out of his mouth.

It can be seen that they have been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Even Feng Jing followed their lead and flattered them a few words.

Zhao Xu listened to these people's flattery, and was in a very good mood because he had caught a fish and was no longer in the empty field.

Of course, he knew in his heart that today's task was actually an interview.

Interview these two ministers and see if they can understand what you mean.

Now it seems that Qian Xie is generally willing to cooperate.

So, the next focus is Pu Zongmeng.

Zhao Xu waited for Feng Jing to untie the fish and put it into the fish basket, and he threw the fishhook back into the lake.

Then, while waiting, Zhao Xu said to Pu Zongmeng: "Mr. Pu..."

"I'm here..."

"I remember that on the Gengyin day of last month (the ninth day), I ordered the officials to send urgent horses to summon the scholars back to the capital to report on their work..."

"Why did the scholar arrive in Beijing only after Wushen (27)?"

"But something happened on the way?"

This is to see if this guy will behave himself.

Pu Zongmiao swallowed his saliva and replied: "Your Majesty, I should have arrived in Beijing long ago..."

"However, halfway through the journey, my relatives and friends in Xuzhou knew that I was going to Beijing to report on my work, so they invited me to Xuzhou for a while... I should have stayed in Xuzhou for a while and returned to Beijing immediately, but something happened in Xuzhou, and I am a curious person, so I couldn't help but stay for a few more days to investigate..."

"I beg Your Majesty to forgive me!" As he said this, he stood up, knelt down and kowtowed to plead guilty.

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "I have no intention of blaming you. Scholar, there is no need to do this... Stand up and talk..."

"I thank Your Majesty for your magnanimity!" Pu Zongmeng bowed again.

After he stood up and sat down again, Zhao Xu asked, "What did you see in Xuzhou?"

(End of this chapter)