Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Chen Tingjing, his eyes also showing a hint of surprise, said:

"The Duke of Jing's plan is indeed more thorough. In the old system of imperial examinations, there were more punishments than rewards, and officials at all levels sought to avoid mistakes rather than make contributions, so they would procrastinate as much as possible when it came to getting things done."

"After the reform, the Beijing Examination clearly linked the results of the examination with promotion. Those who performed well were promoted, while those who performed poorly were demoted and placed on idle posts."

"This is tantamount to telling colleagues across the country that officials who are impartial, dedicated to serving the people, and courageous in taking action are what the court needs and encourages!"

"This aligns perfectly with Your Majesty's earlier point about not being lazy or negligent in governance. I agree with this principle."

Perhaps inspired by Jia Jing's recent remarks, several cabinet ministers now subtly and implicitly quoted Emperor Jingsheng's sayings in their memorials and remonstrances.

Emperor Jingsheng listened to Chen Tingjing's words with a solemn expression, and then spoke thoughtfully:

"The Grand Secretary's words are well said! Many officials today would not serve in such a position, believing that merit and demerit always go hand in hand, and that not seeking merit is enough, considering the absence of fault as merit!"

"They are passive and lazy in their work, only showing up for work every day, approving official documents thoroughly, but dragging their feet on getting things done."

"Never fight or grab when things happen, never shirk or take on difficulties, and avoid responsibility faster than anyone else."

"To blindly admit wrongdoing, to echo others' opinions when they're right, to always stand in the middle, and never step forward... I think this kind of trend is very bad!"

The Tao Te Ching says: "I have three treasures, which I hold and cherish: the first is compassion, the second is frugality, and the third is not daring to be the first in the world."

"Many of them believe that not daring to be the first in the world is the essence of being an official. As long as you don't make mistakes, you can get promoted; as long as you don't stand out, you won't be attacked."

"This is a classic case of not understanding what one has read and completely ignoring the teachings of the ancient sages!"

"What does 'not daring to be the first under heaven' refer to here? It refers to desires and one's attitude towards self-cultivation."

"When faced with power, interests, fame, and status, one should 'not dare' to compete for the lead, and should remain humble and restrained."

"But in doing things and innovating, when we are breaking down old malpractices and creating new opportunities for the court, the country, and the people, we must have the courage and responsibility to be the first in the world!"

"'Daring to be the first in the world' and 'not daring to be the first in the world' are never mutually exclusive or contradictory, but rather complementary two sides of the same coin."

"True ministers throughout history have been able to maintain a delicate balance between these two aspects: daring to be the first in action, but not daring to be the first in desire."

"The saying goes, 'Merit need not be earned by oneself, nor fame by oneself. But if it benefits the nation and its people, I will go even if it means facing a thousand enemies!' This is the way a great man conducts himself!"

Emperor Jingsheng vehemently criticized the prevailing trend of "not daring to be the first in the world," then suddenly glanced at Zhang Tingyu, paused, and asked:

"Hengchen, you've always been known for your extensive knowledge; don't you agree?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tingyu's expression hardened, and he was startled, somewhat puzzled as to why the emperor had called his name at this moment. Nevertheless, he quickly stepped forward and said:

"No one is wiser than Your Majesty! In the past, Shang Yang dared to be the first in the world, but dared not be the last, so he was torn apart by chariots."

"Wang Anshi dared to be the first in the world, but dared not be the last, so he was dismissed from his post as prime minister twice and all his new laws were abolished."

"Fan Zhongyan dared to be the first in the world, and also dared to be the last. He submitted the 'Ten Matters Memorial' and promoted the Qingli New Policies, but he was not greedy for credit, power, or eager to be the first. Therefore, although the New Policies failed, his name has been passed down through the ages."

"Your Majesty, we are willing to emulate Fan Zhongyan, assisting Your Majesty in reviving the Han Dynasty. We will never hesitate to do what is right, and we will never reach for what is not rightfully ours. We will strive to be the first in practical work and put fame and fortune second."

At this moment, Zhang Tingyu's expression was solemn, and he had only one thought in his mind: His Majesty asked him whether this was intentional or unintentional.

If it was intentional, was it because they felt I was too self-protective? But hadn't I just taken on the dirty work of investigating a faction case?

Although His Majesty personally selected the general, I did not hesitate or waver at all!

It couldn't have been unintentional; the emperor never does anything meaningless!

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng's expression became inscrutable, and he spoke slowly again, as if with a profound meaning:

"Hengchen's words are reasonable! However, compared to Fan Chongyan, I prefer Wang Anshi!"

Emperor Jingsheng's words were like a thunderclap in Zhang Tingyu's heart!

Your Majesty means...

Jia Jing stood to the side, glancing at Zhang Tingyu with a slightly surprised expression.

Fan Zhongyan became a virtuous minister in the traditional sense. The core of his "Ten Points in Response to the Imperial Edict" was to rectify officialdom. It was more like a correction of the malpractices of the time. It can be said that he was more of a reformist!

Wang Anshi's ideal was to surpass the three dynasties and become a "sage minister," proposing that "Heaven's mandate is not to be feared, ancestors are not to be followed, and public opinion is not to be heeded."

His reforms aimed to fundamentally "enrich the country and strengthen its military," and were a profound social transformation involving many fields such as politics, economy, military, and education.

This is the biggest difference between Fan Zhongyan and Wang Anshi: one was a reformist, and the other was a change-oriented person.

The latter is not just trying to repair the old system, but to create a completely new institutional framework.

The emperor's intention may have been to truly reform and strengthen the Han Dynasty, and at the same time, to have a "reform minister" who dared to be a pioneer and had extraordinary courage, rather than a morally perfect person like Fan Chongyan!

Moreover, Emperor Shenzong of Song trusted Wang Anshi far more than Emperor Renzong of Song trusted Fan Zhongyan!

Otherwise, one wouldn't be called "Emperor Shenzong" and the other "Emperor Renzong"!

The emperor may also be implying that he trusts the Han dynasty's chief minister, Wang Anshi, just as Emperor Shenzong trusted Wang Anshi.

In short, Zhang Tingyu is likely to be promoted!

He was originally the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, and concurrently the Minister of Personnel!

Given Chen Tingjing's advancing age and the court's focus on the new policies, adjustments to the cabinet ministers are inevitable.

In other words, if Zhang Tingyu can handle the two matters of factionalism and the capital inspection well, he may become the new Grand Secretary before Gong Dingzi, truly ruling the country and surpassing all other officials!

That's right, as expected, the Beijing inspection is probably Zhang Tingyu's job as well.

According to the original system, the Beijing Inspection was led by the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Personnel, with the Censorate assisting.

After the reform, the power of the capital inspection was concentrated more in the cabinet, but the Ministry of Personnel still played a significant role.

Therefore, no one is more suitable to take charge of this matter than Zhang Tingyu, the Minister of Personnel and Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet!

However, Fang Congzhe, the Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion and Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, might also be involved.

The two men, one from the new party and the other from the old party, are a perfect check and balance!

Sure enough, after a moment of contemplation, Emperor Jingsheng on his throne said:

"Since none of you have any objections to the capital inspection, let's agree to this!"

"The cabinet has drafted the regulations in the past few days, which will be implemented on a trial basis for one year, allowing for errors and corrections, to observe the results. After one year, the final draft will be discussed and approved!"

Emperor Jingsheng was very efficient in handling government affairs. After discussing with several cabinet ministers, he immediately decided to implement the plan!

Emperor Jingsheng paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Zhang Tingyu, Li Guangdi, Chen Tingjing, Fang Congzhe, and others before settling back on Zhang Tingyu. He slowly said:

"Now the cabinet has the power to draft proposals, the Ministry of Personnel has the responsibility of performance evaluation, and the Censorate has the duty of impeachment."

"The reformed Beijing Censorate divided the assessment power into three parts: the Cabinet was in charge of the assessment results, the Ministry of Personnel was in charge of the application forms, and the Censorate was in charge of the review."

"Since that's the case, let's not trouble two masters with one matter. This time, the matter of the capital inspection will be led by Minister Heng and assisted by Minister Fang. The two of you will be fully responsible. If there are any unresolved issues, then submit them to me for judgment!"

Zhang Tingyu was taken aback upon hearing this. "Me again?"

Although he understood that the emperor might intend to give him an important position, he was responsible for handling both of these offending matters, and now his decades-long reputation for integrity would be completely ruined!

Therefore, for a moment, he felt a mix of emotions that were hard to express!

He also strongly suspected that if he waited until he had done these two things and offended all the officials in the court, then he would offend all the gentry and scholars in the country when he tried to implement the new policies!

Will he really have a chance to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the future? Perhaps he will be retaliated against, his coffin dug up and his corpse whipped!

The gains and losses, advantages and disadvantages involved are not something that can be fully weighed at once!

Seeing that Fang Congzhe had already slowly walked out of the classroom, he had no time to dwell on it anymore. His expression turned solemn, and he hurriedly accepted the imperial decree to express his gratitude!

After all matters were settled and the officials dispersed, it was already pitch black outside the palace.

Outside the Qianqing Palace, a night breeze blew out from the depths of the palace alley, carrying the scent of dust and vegetation, and enveloped Jia Jing's python robe.

He stepped down the stairs, and the palace gate behind him let out a low groan in the wind.

The bronze lamps on both sides of the palace alley swayed slightly in the wind, their flames dancing along the inside of the lampshades, casting flickering shadows on his face.

"The wind is picking up!" Zhang Tingyu, who had somehow appeared behind Jia Jing, suddenly uttered a meaningful remark.

"The June wind is a rare and wonderful one! I hope it lasts a long time, thoroughly sweeping away the dry, poisonous air that plagues the capital!"

Jia Jing paused for a moment, but without turning around, he replied with a similarly meaningful remark.

The wind grew stronger, chasing after us from behind and then sweeping in front of us, carrying a whistling quality.

The lights of the Qianqing Palace behind me flickered in the wind, as if they could be blown out at any moment!

Thousands of rooftops stood silent under the moonlight, each tile resembling a closed scale.

Jia Jing and Zhang Tingyu's figures slowly disappeared into the night of the palace!