Bright Spring

At the beginning of last year, the emperor managed to avoid Yao Fang's death penalty, but it was very difficult for Yao Fang to become an official again.Although Shen Xu is a businessman, he has a close relationship with the Holy Majesty and may be involved in some state affairs.If Yao Fang does something first in the businessman Shen's house, it is very likely that he will be noticed by the Holy Majesty and regain the trust of the Holy Majesty.

Yao Ji also explained some reasons.The Shen family had funded the crusade army during the "Battle of Criminology", and made a lot of contributions, but when the Shen family wanted to get involved in the salt merchant business, they were stopped by the Holy Majesty.The Holy Majesty also handed over the business of transporting military supplies by water during the Northern Expedition to the Shen family; and asked the craftsmen of the Longjiang Shipyard to help the Shen family build merchant ships for sea transportation.

Based on Yao Ji's understanding of Zhu Gaoxu, he seems to be planning a long-term military affairs, and the merchants of the Shen family are also in the deployment.If elder brother Yao Fang wanted to return to the imperial court and serve the Holy Majesty, he would take the path of the businessman, which would be another way.

In the letter, his sister told him to revive him and not to lose his morale.

Yao Fang sat in the chaotic fasting room for a long time, reading her sister's letter over and over again.In the afternoon he finally left the room.

The sun was shining brightly today. When Yao Fang walked out of the room, she felt the sun was glaring.

Just like how he felt when he walked out of the imperial prison last year, he began to feel uncomfortable with the outside world.His movements were still a little sluggish, maybe those monks were right: Yao Fang's hair was not shaved, but his heart was already shaved.

There was a monk under the eaves not far away, looking curiously at Yao Fang who had walked to the gate.There was a bit of contempt in the monk's eyes, but he seemed relieved.Thinking about it, even if Yao Fang's family background is very good, it's easy for others to look down upon her as a mess.

Yao Fang went to the vicinity of the imperial city first. He didn't go home on the way, but somehow he came here.

He passed by Hongwu Gate, and it was impossible for him to be allowed to enter the city gate in such a distressed state, so he walked straight over.On the southeast side of Hongwumen, Yao Fang saw Xia Yuanji, Shangshu of the household department; Xia Yuanji was standing beside a carriage, looking at a certain place with strange eyes.

Xia Yuanji obviously didn't recognize the disheveled Yao Fang, he was looking at the other side very absorbedly.

Yao Fang followed Xia Yuanji's eyes curiously, and saw a gate opposite, some government servants were busy up and down the ladder, nailing a plaque to the gate.Yao Fang took a closer look and found that it was not the handwriting of the Holy Majesty: Fake Museum.

That door is next to two yamen, as long as you move your eyes to the west, you can see the screen walls of the North Office of the Shou Yu Si and the South Office of the Shou Yu Si.Therefore, this newly opened "fake house" may belong to the government office of the Shouyu Division.

After a while, a few people walked out from the North Office of the Shou Yu Si, and the current one was someone Yao Fang knew: Hou Hai.

Hou Hai came to the opposite side of the street on foot, bowed to Xia Yuanji and said, "I pay my respects to Xia Butang. Your honorable presence, why didn't you send someone in to inform you?" After Hou Hai finished speaking, he glanced at Yao Fang. .

Xia Yuanji replied: "I was just passing by, and saw that the newly hung plaque was inscribed by the Holy Majesty, so I looked at it for a while, and it is inconvenient to bother Hou Zuoshi."

After listening, Yao Fang looked around, how did she "pass by" at the southeast corner of the imperial city?The city walls of the inner city can be seen from the south and east, and people would not come in this direction unless they made a special trip to the government office here.Xia Yuanji must have made a special trip to see it.

Hou Hai said with a smile: "You are interested in that place, you can only get Qian Youshi to receive it. It's the place of the South Administration, it hasn't 'opened' yet, and some preparations are being made."

"No, no need." Xia Yuanji said.

Hou Hai suppressed his smile, stroked his goatee, and began to chant as if something had happened: "Fake horses are not good for feet, but travel thousands of miles; fake boats are not good for water, but cut off rivers. A gentleman is born with no difference, good and false are like things..."

Xia Yuanji said: "Shouyu Sinan Administration wants to open a private school, and persuade people to study?"

Hou Hai shook his head and said: "Xia Butang has far-reaching knowledge, but as far as I know, the name of this 'Fake Museum' is just a literal meaning. What does the Shouyu Sinan Department do? The fake museum seems to be for storage, The places where some books are edited are all related to skills. There are small officials transferred from the Six Departments, some from the Imperial Academy, and people transferred from the iron factory..."

At this moment, Hou Hai apologized and walked towards Yao Fang.A little closer, Hou Hai suddenly said in surprise: "Isn't this General Yao? I mean, he looks familiar!"

Yao Fang clasped her fists and said, "I don't dare to be, now I'm a commoner."

Hou Hai smiled and said, "It's easy to talk about."

Yao Fang walked towards Xia Yuanji again, clasped her fists and said, "Caomin pays homage to Xia Butang."

Xia Yuanji cupped his hands casually, staring and said: "Why do you look like this? The old man didn't recognize you!"

Yao Fang shook her head and said, "It's a long story."

This Xia Yuanji was a civil servant, and he had met Yao Fang as early as the Jianwen Dynasty, but the two were not familiar with each other, so it was normal for him not to recognize Yao Fang.On the contrary, Hou Hai had a lot of dealings with Yao Fang because he was originally a close minister of the Han Dynasty.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xia Yuanji and Yao Fang had nothing to say.As a minister, he really has nothing to talk to people like Yao Fang, and he can talk only because of the face of the concubine Xian and Marquis Yao Fengji.

Xia Yuanji quickly turned around and faced Hou Hai.Hou Haidao: "'Fake Wuyuan' is just a small yamen. From Shouyusi to Nanshu, to Fake Wuyuan, the grades are not high. Why does Xia Butang care so much?"

Xia Yuanji said bluntly: "The grade is not high, but it is a gold-selling cave."

Hou Hai laughed and said: "Your Majesty, you can say that the 'Chunhan' produced by the Southern Department is worth another 200 million Guan! Besides, it is also a third-rank government office."

Xia Yuanji shook his head and remained silent.

Yao Fang understood what Xia Yuanji meant, and also understood some facts about the government. After all, he had been a military officer for many years.The most expensive yamen in the capital is nothing more than the six departments, but the six departments have their own methods of raising money, and they do not completely rely on the household department to manage money and food.And this Shouyu Division should have no income and rely entirely on appropriation.

The three of them stood together and talked for a while, Yao Fang could barely get in.He is a warrior, and now he has resigned from the official position of Jin Yiwei, so he is inevitably alienated by the bureaucrats day by day.

After a while, Xia Yuanji bid farewell, Yao Fang also bid farewell to Hou Hai, and went their separate ways.

As Yao Fang was walking, she couldn't help turning her head, and took another look at the newly established fake museum; even ministers at the Shangshu level made a special trip to watch. It can be seen that the involvement is not that simple, and it may have reached the level of state affairs.Yao Fang felt that something seemed to be slowly changing after Jinshang came to power.

7 Chapter [-] The Obscure Wang Bamo

Hubu Minister Xia Yuanji not only went to see the "Fake Museum" with his own eyes, but also went to Longjiang Treasure Shipyard.

Longjiang Port is located fifteen miles outside Waijinchuan Gate.Many sea-going ships docked in the pond (dock) have taken on a new look.Most of the hard sails have been replaced with new ones, and craftsmen are repairing the sliding ropes (blocks), water barriers, and decks.There are so many people in the port that it looks like it has become a market.

And a temple called Jinghai Temple by the pond has almost become a place for eunuchs dispatched by the palace, guarded by many royal guards and eunuchs inside and outside.

The Holy Majesty asked people to edit craftsmen's books and repair ships. What exactly did they want to do?All kinds of signs are already very obvious, the Holy Majesty will continue to do the work of going to the West as an important event during his administration.

Xia Yuanji came to his senses: Since last year, the Holy Majesty has already started to arrange these things.What made Xia Yuanji a little angry was that, as a minister, the Holy One never discussed this matter with him!

He went home and thought about it all night, preparing to talk to his colleagues first.

Most of the counselors in the Yanwang Palace among the civil servants have been liquidated because they supported the abolished prince before and after the "battle of crimes", and they had persecuted Jinshang; Most of the bloody suppression at the beginning were very satisfied with the appeasement today and the fact that they regained control of the central power.

What Lu Zhen and his like, in the interweaving of fear and joy, have already succumbed to the imperial power, and dare not object to what the emperor is determined to do.But Xia Yuanji didn't want to talk to someone like Xie Jin who was fearless.

After much deliberation, Xia Yuanji chose Qi Tai, Shangshu of the Ministry of War.

Qi Tai didn't show up with his real name during the "Battle of Criminology"; but Xia Yuanji believed that Qi Tai might be the number one counselor of the old Han Palace, just like Dao Yan was to Taizong.Moreover, during the Jianwen period, Qi Tai was already an official at the level of Shangshu. Although he was not trusted by Jianwen, he was still a minister of Gu Ming left by the Taizu.

And Xia Yuanji had served as an official in Hongwu, Jianwen, Yongle, and Hongxi dynasties, so he could be regarded as the "Jianwen old party", so he had a talk with Qi Taineng.He believed that Qi Tai was not only knowledgeable, but also dared to speak up to the Holy Majesty, even if it was against the Holy Majesty.

Xia Yuanji came to the government office of the Ministry of War.Because he was equal to Qi Tai, Qi Tai opened the door and went out to greet him in person.

When the two came to the lobby, Xia Yuanji said again, "Take a step to talk".So they went down the hall together to a suite in the back yard.

After Xu servants served tea, Qi Tai waved them out.Qi Tai was a thin man in his 40s. He had been an official since the Hongwu period. He could be regarded as a veteran of the four dynasties, but he was not too old, about the same age as Xia Yuanji.Xia Yuanji thought in his heart: This is the benefit of becoming an official early.

Xia Yuanji was more cautious, and first mentioned the fake museum and the repair of sea ships.

Unexpectedly, Qi Butang said directly: "Yesterday, Bachelor Xie (Scholar Attendant) wrote a letter to refute the 'Fake Museum'. I heard from Minister Gao Si. Xia Butang is in the cabinet, and he doesn't know about it?"

Xia Yuanji said: "Yesterday I went to Longjiang Port, the journey is a bit far, but I haven't been to the Hall of Martial Heroes."

Qi Butang frowned and said: "The saying that 'a gentleman is good at fakes is better than things' comes from "Xunzi". The world is not very fond of Sun Qing (the name was changed in the Han Dynasty to avoid taboos, and both names are used in later generations).

Xunzi has the theory of kings and tyrants (Longli respects the virtuous and the king, respects the law and loves the people and tyrants); and believes that human nature is inherently evil, so he wants to persuade the world to learn to improve morality; The records of the king are unknown, the society is also changing, and it does not necessarily adapt to the development of the current society, so we must learn from the recent sages)... These are very different from the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and even more contrary to the Neo Confucianism since the Song Dynasty.

And because Li Si, a student of Xunzi, disturbed the Qin Dynasty and caused chaos in the world, and his reputation was very bad.Therefore, Xunzi has always been underestimated. "

Xia Yuanji said: "Xunzi is different from Confucius and Mencius, but he is also a Confucian sage of the Huaxia (the ancestors of the Han nationality). Dongpo also said that Xun Qing taught kings and explained rituals and music, while Li Si used his learning to disrupt the world."