The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 762 Return your money!
After chatting for a long time, Cao Qicai said goodbye to this person.

"I think this person is extremely stingy. Why should I talk to him?"

The tree function said unhappily.

Cao Qi shook his head. "Don't say that. This person is just from a poor family, so that's why he is like that."

"It's not easy for these people who come from humble backgrounds."

After they finished their meal, they stayed in a nearby restaurant for one night and went to the local county school the next day.

When they arrived at the place, it was already crowded with people.

Scholars from all over the country gathered here, and local officials rushed back and forth.

Just as more and more people were gathering, a large number of soldiers suddenly appeared.

This movement made the scholars realize that an important figure was about to appear.

Sure enough, after the soldiers had stood guard in various places of the county school in an orderly manner, a man walked in with a smile, surrounded by many officials.

When they saw this person, everyone bowed to greet him, even the famous people were no exception.

The person who came was Pei Hui, the governor of Jizhou.

This person had been in Jizhou for many years and was very famous. He smiled and returned the greetings to everyone, then, surrounded by everyone, he walked onto the high platform specially used for debating classics.

He looked around and said, "This time, many famous scholars have gathered in Jizhou. This is a grand event. It just so happens that Jizhou is also preparing to hold an examination and promote officials. In addition, the schools in various places also need a large number of academic officials."

Pei Hui is a very direct person.

He didn't beat around the bush and stated his purpose very openly.

This time he allowed so many famous people to gather in Yecheng in order to recruit a large number of outstanding talents.

In fact, the local assessments are mostly for small positions, which are positions that many people don’t even look down upon. But if a governor comes specifically to invite you, then things become different.

However, people were more concerned about the position of academic official. If one could be recommended by the governor to be the local academic official, it would be more promising than being a minor official.

This position is also suitable for those celebrities who are not very good at governing.

Pei Hui spoke a lot, and finally said: "You are all free to debate the classics, write essays and poems in Jizhou. In a few days, I have invited a famous scholar to come and lecture on the classics."

Pei Hui did not reveal who this famous scholar was, but the scholars were already excited.

There are not many people in the world who can be called a great celebrity by Pei Hui.

Pei Hui spoke for a moment, then turned and left.

He still has a lot of things to do.

Cao Qi and others watched him leave, and then he made a few friends here and participated in their debates.

At this moment, Shu Ji Neng's eyes lit up and he pointed at a person in the distance, "Isn't that the person from the restaurant yesterday?"

Cao Qi looked at the man, and it was indeed him!

Following Cao Qi and the others' gaze, the others also looked at him, and then said disdainfully: "What is this guy doing here?"

Cao Qi was stunned for a moment, then said unhappily, "How can you look down on someone just because of his background?"

The man laughed. "Background? We greatly respect this person's background!"

"You may not know this, but this man comes from a prominent family. His grandfather was the Marquis of Xiling Township! His father even served as a minister!"

"what??"

Cao Qi was very surprised.

"His name is He Jiao. He served as the Crown Prince's attendant at a young age and had a bright future. But then, he accepted bribes! He fell directly into the hands of Your Majesty and was dismissed until now! He is not a good person!"

Hearing what the people around him said, Shu Ji Neng was very unhappy. "We actually invited such people to dinner. We might as well just throw away the meal yesterday!"

But Cao Qi felt something was wrong.

Whether judging from this person's appearance or his words and actions, he doesn't seem like a cunning person.

He pondered for a moment before quickly walking forward.

"Hejun!"

The man turned around and saw Cao Qi. He saluted with a smile and said, "It's you!"

Cao Qi once again sized up the man before him. He asked directly, "I heard someone say you were dismissed for taking bribes. Is that true?"

He Qiao hesitated for a moment before nodding, "That's the charge."

Cao Qi then extended his hand.

He Qiao looked at him in surprise.

"Give me back the five cents."

"My money is for the poor and needy. How can I give it to those who are corrupt and committing crimes?"

A trace of reluctance suddenly appeared on He Qiao's face, and he grabbed Cao Qi's hand.

"Sir!! I didn't actually accept bribes!! I had my reasons!"

He had originally had no intention of arguing, but now he explained with a sense of grievance, "Why would I ask for bribes? Back then, I had just become a court official, and famous scholars often came to visit me, leaving behind gifts when they left!"

"I made friends with these people, but I never did anything for them!"

"That's what famous scholars do when they visit each other, and they all give each other gifts! Everyone does that. I can swear to my ancestors that I have never accepted money to do anything for anyone!" Cao Qi understood. "You only accept money and don't do anything?"

"Right! That's gifts between good friends!"

He Qiao sighed deeply.

"At that time, Wang Rong had just been promoted to the Ministry of Personnel. He accepted money from others and then did things for them, which made Your Majesty furious."

"Then someone told Your Majesty that my family and I had a very good reputation, but I became corrupt, just like Wang Rong, who had a great reputation but loved to engage in corruption!"

"Your Majesty immediately dismissed me from my official position and expelled me from Luoyang."

Speaking of this matter, He Qiao felt even more aggrieved.

"But I'm different from Wang Rong. I'm just interacting with good people. Besides, I hold a nominal position, a candidate for the position of Deputy Minister. Why would anyone bribe me? Even if I accepted a bribe, what would I do?"

"They said it was because my father was the Minister of Personnel, but he had already resigned and returned home!"

He Qiao talked a lot, and finally said seriously: "I have never committed a serious crime!"

"When my great-grandfather was alive, he taught us that we must never accept bribes and must always be honest. When he passed away, our family had no money and was praised by the world for his integrity. My father served as an official for many years, and although he wasn't as good as my great-grandfather, he was also known for his fairness and integrity. How could I do something like this and tarnish their reputation?"

Cao Qi looked at the man in front of him with a strange expression.

Brother, you are really working hard. For just five cents, you even brought out your father and grandfather???

This was the first time Cao Qi had met such a person.

However, this guy was not lying. His grandfather and father were indeed famous honest officials.

Especially his father, who was known as the most honest minister of the Wei Dynasty. In order to make a living, he once sold his land and houses.

He even wrote to the emperor many times, hoping that the court would promote frugality and integrity.

Cao Qi hesitated for a moment and finally gave up the idea of getting the five cents back.

"He Jun, since you have been wronged, why don't you write a letter to defend yourself?"

"This is an order from His Majesty himself. Who dares to argue?"

He Qiao smiled bitterly and said, "In these years, I couldn't even take the exams. I heard that they were recruiting academic officials, so I wanted to give it a try."

Cao Qi took him away from there, and Shu Jineng and Liu Hong also followed them.

Cao Qi told the other two about his situation.

Both of them looked skeptical.

Cao Qi found a place and had a meal with a few people. They talked about this literary gathering and had a lively conversation with Qiao.

"There are very few literary gatherings these days. Officials today are different from those in the past. Most of them understand the importance of simplicity and brevity."

"If anything is done too complicatedly, it will have a negative impact. Whether it's the government governing the country or officials governing the local areas, simplicity is the best."

Cao Qi and others listened to him talk about some principles.

This person actually has his own ideas when speaking, and he has repeatedly said that governing should be people-oriented.

Cao Qi asked him a few more questions, and this guy was able to answer them all fluently.

Cao Qi increased the difficulty and asked, "Your Majesty, what harm is there in relocating many large families?"

"There's no danger. Once Your Majesty has relocated the great clans of Shu and Wu, you will relocate the great clans of the Central Plains to the south. This is for the long-term survival of the country."

Cao Qi was increasingly surprised, and the other two couldn't help but look at him several times. How could this stingy guy actually say such a thing?

Cao Qi couldn't help but admire: "You are quite talented."

He looked around and whispered, "However, the current emperor has implemented many tyrannical policies and treated talented people with disdain. Even someone as talented as you has been punished by him. People over here say that he is a tyrant like the First Emperor!"

Shu Jineng and Liu Hong pursed their lips and didn't dare to respond.

He Qiao frowned and looked at Cao Qi in front of him, "Lord Qiu, what are you talking about?"

"Your Majesty, is your harsh punishment not because the morale of the world is not right?"

"So-called benevolent governance depends on whether it benefits the country. When the first emperor forced nearly a million people to leave their homes to perform forced labor, countless families were broken up and the whole country was in mourning. The people were living in misery and farmland was abandoned. The people could not survive and finally rose up in rebellion, leading to the country's demise!"

“This is called tyranny!”

"But since your Majesty implemented these policies, prosperity has gradually grown across the country, and the people have more than enough food at home. The poll tax has been abolished, and the whole world is hailing you as a sage. How can this be called tyranny? The world has prospered because of this, and this is truly benevolent governance!"

Cao Qi's eyes lit up. Qiu Qi was the pseudonym he used, so the other party called him Qiu Jun.

It seems that this guy can be used.

He was about to speak when He Qiao stood up, fumbled around for a long time, and finally found some money.

His face was full of hesitation, and after struggling for a long time, he finally put the five coins on the table.

"I have different ideas from you, so we cannot be friends!"

"I'll return the money to you!!!"

After saying that, he turned around and left proudly.

Cao Qi looked at the five coins and then at the meal the other person had just finished.

What about the money for this meal?

(End of this chapter)