At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

In response to the imbalance of educational resources in various regions, Guo felt that he had to consider the matter of ranking admissions, so as to help those from remote areas become officials, so as to maintain centralized rule.

What happened in Jingzhou was the first crisis and challenge that the imperial examinations faced.

In the following era, the imperial examination will face more challenges. For Guo, all he can do is to constantly change the rules of the imperial examination to keep pace with the times.

As for further matters, he could no longer think about it.

Yande was dispatched in November of the 11th year, and decided to return to the north in early March of the [-]th year of Yande. Guo Peng inspected half of Wei State, and the remaining half of Wei State was farther away. It was really impossible to inspect.

Perhaps after he abdicates and becomes the Supreme Emperor, he will have the opportunity to inspect these territories. When he was the emperor, these places could not be easily visited.

Guo Peng’s route back to the north is from Nanyang County to Luoyang through Wuguan. Basically, many people have traveled this route. At the beginning, Yuan Shu, Lu Bu and Sun Jian had all traveled it, and the road was quite easy.

After more than ten days of effort, Guo Peng returned to Luoyang, his base camp, the capital.

Unlike after returning from the last Northern Expedition, this time, Guo Peng asked Guo Jin how he felt handling government affairs when he was away. Guo Jin answered honestly, saying that the feeling was indeed different.

In the last six years of Yande's Northern Expedition by Guo Peng, Guo Jin handled government affairs on his behalf and worked as the prince of the country, feeling his own inadequacy and the feeling of being despised by the officials.

That time, most of the ministers had neglected him, they were not serious about their work, they were often lazy, and they were a little careless in handling the tasks assigned by him, which made them feel rather bad.

But this time, the ministers were more serious. Even if Guo Peng left, he did not slack off, and still assisted him in handling government affairs seriously and responsibly.

He felt respected, which made him very happy.

The biggest difference is that he feels that his workload has been greatly improved.

"I haven't read a bunch of memorials, and another pile has been delivered. The number of memorials sent makes my son feel frightened. Is my father also handling so many government affairs on weekdays?"

Guo Jin also had to deal with a lot of things in Henan Yin's tenure, and also needed to run around to contact this contact and that, and there were quite a lot of problems, but it was still not as fierce as this time.

It felt like everything in the world was rushing at her face. In the first few days, it is not an exaggeration to say that Guo Jin even dreamed of reviewing the playbook.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha."

Guo Peng laughed and patted Guo Jin on the shoulder.

"This is the feeling of the real emperor, because in the past few years, the father has killed all the positions and people who can share the pressure on the father. Such people and positions no longer exist.

All the remaining assistants, those who can help the father with government affairs, whether it is in the cabinet or the South Study, are all part-time jobs. Do you know what the benefits of doing this are?What do you think. "

Guo Jin frowned and thought hard.

"Benefits? The emperor has more things to do?"

"This is indeed a benefit. There are more things to do, which means that more and more things need to be handled by you, which means the expansion of imperial power."

Guo Peng said slowly: "For my father, all positions that threaten the emperor in terms of power have been banned, and the people who hold these positions have also been disposed of. Now the remaining assistants, whether it is the cabinet, or the servants of the South Study Room Well, there is a duty to assist, but no right to assist.”

Guo Jin blinked and suddenly realized.

"It turns out that my father did this to prevent them from having formal authority. They can only do things and hold power, but they don't have a real position. It's the same reason as being humble."

"Yep."

Guo Peng laughed and said: "Humble status and power are the emperor's mind. As long as the position is low, no matter how powerful the power is, it is easy to deal with it. The reverse is also the same. No matter how high the status is, as long as the power is light, it is easy to deal with it. The most terrible thing is Those in high positions."

"My son understands."

Guo Jin took a deep breath: "People with high positions and powers can only be appointed temporarily, not for a long time. If you want to maintain the Guo family's imperial career, the best way to employ people is to use low positions and low positions."

"The so-called county magistrate is not as good as the current one. Many people only value the power in their hands. When they have enough power and do enough things, they will care about their reputation and position. You have to use this method flexibly, just like using the cabinet first for your father. Like the South Study, in the future, you can also have your own cabinet and South Study.”

"My son knows."

Guo Jin nodded seriously, keeping his father's teachings in mind.

"Well, by the way, Ah Jin, I want to talk to you about the Great Qin Kingdom as a father."

"Great Qin Kingdom?"

Guo Jin was a little puzzled: "What is there to say about the Great Qin State?"

"In the seventh year of Yande, our fleet had encountered Daqin people at sea. In the ninth year of Yande, General Wang Wei was sent by my father to lead a fleet across the ocean to Daqin. He succeeded. , arrived in the Great Qin Kingdom, and was received by the Great Qin Emperor."

"Emperor Qin?"

Guo Jin was surprised: "Father, what is the Great Qin State like? Is it strong? How many people? How many soldiers? Will it be our enemy?"

Guo Peng couldn't help laughing.

"It's thousands of miles away, and it takes half a year for the fleet to go back and forth with bad luck. On land, there are several countries in Anxi, Guishuang, etc. How do you think this battle will be fought?"

Guo Jin thought about it, and felt that what Guo Peng said made sense, and this battle was really not easy to fight.

With such a long distance, both parties should be very restrained and very rational.

The ruling class should all understand that the two sides cannot cause effective, substantive and sustained blows to each other, and if the conditions for confrontation cannot be met, the exchanges must be commercial and friendly.

There was no irreconcilable core conflict between the Wei Empire and Rome, but the interests of the two sides could reach a consensus to some extent.

Judging from the current situation, the Wei Empire needs Rome's vast market and strong purchasing power, and Rome needs the Wei Empire to directly provide high-end luxury goods that are cheaper than those of the Parthian Empire.

The Wei Empire did not want the Guishuang Empire and the Anxi Empire to make profits by being second-hand dealers, so as to develop themselves and control the important silk trade route.

The Roman Empire did not want countries such as the Parthian Empire and the Guishuang Empire to control the trade routes, raising the already high prices of luxury goods in the Wei Empire to an even more unacceptable level.

The two sides hit it off, and a trade agreement is bound to be reached.

"Think about it, too, this battle can't be fought at all."

Guo Jin smiled: "Then why does father care so much about this matter?"

"Trade, money and goods, where do you think we sold so many things from the Western Regions? A considerable part of them went to Daqin, where they were bought by the nobles of Daqin."

Guo Peng faced the west with a smile and said, "Only with the population and size of the Great Qin State, can we afford so much silk, porcelain, and lacquerware from us. Who else is there besides the Great Qin State? The relationship between the Great Qin Kingdom."

Guo Jin nodded, expressing his understanding.

"If the trade with the Great Qin Kingdom is carried out directly through the sea, it must bring us a lot of benefits, right?"

"It's not only big, it should be said to be quite big. We can't find a larger trading partner except for the Great Qin, so no matter what, we have to maintain a good relationship with the Great Qin, but the Great Qin The political situation is really difficult."

Guo Peng rubbed his temples in a bit of embarrassment.

"What did father say?"

"The emperor of the Great Qin Kingdom... is changing a bit quickly."

"what?"

Guo Jin didn't know why.

Guo Peng then told Guo Jin what he had learned, so that Guo Jin knew something.

"Is there such a thing?"

Guo Jin felt a little unbelievable: "Changing the emperor is like a child's play, and you have to bribe the imperial army with money to become the emperor. This... This is simply a country without a country. How did the Great Qin maintain it?"

Guo Peng thought about it.

"As long as the power of the central government is not so great and its role is not as important as imagined, it is not a big deal to change the emperor. If we stomp our feet in Luoyang, the whole Wei State will tremble three times, and the emperor of the Great Qin State is dead. Just pretend nothing happened, and immediately start fighting for the throne..."

"Doesn't the inheritance of the throne of the Great Qin Kingdom talk about father's death and son's succession or brother's death?"

Guo Jin asked.

Guo Peng shook his head.

"I guess it is, but it is not so easy to implement. How can the son of the emperor who was killed be able to become the emperor smoothly? Unless it is those relatively powerful monarchs who can suppress the army, so that they can inherit the throne."

"This is too unstable, so that the Great Qin Kingdom can survive. It seems that the emperor of the Great Qin Kingdom is not a very powerful emperor. The place of the Great Qin Kingdom should be the same as the place of the former Han Dynasty. Each fights and makes his own decisions. , Each has its own little abacus.”

Guo Jin shook her head: "No, this kind of national regulation is too chaotic. In the long run, the country will not be the country, and someone must make changes. The emperor can often change and kill at will, so what authority is there?"

"This is probably the biggest problem of the Great Qin Kingdom, but it may also be the reason why the Great Qin Kingdom can continue to exist."

Guo Peng smiled: "It is not stable enough to change the emperor like this, but none of the people who can sit on the throne are idiots or mediocre people. They are all people with a little skill. Compared with our stable inheritance, their side , Strong men emerge in large numbers.

It is said that the territory of the Great Qin Kingdom is very vast, and even includes a large area of ​​​​the sea. If there were not so many emperors who were good at fighting, it is estimated that it would not have developed so powerfully, and it would not have such a vast country.

In order not to be killed and replaced by the imperial army, those emperors went to war everywhere, plundering wealth and land, so those dignitaries became rich and accumulated huge wealth, so that they could do business with us and buy our silk. "

chapter 1380 one thousand two hundred and ninety

Guo Jin thought about it and felt that what Guo Peng said made sense.

"Father's words are indeed reasonable, but in this way, the country will not be governed, the emperor's government orders will not leave the capital, the rich and powerful, and the people poor. How can the Great Qin Kingdom be stable in the long run? My son thinks that this is not advisable. .”

"My father also views it in the same way. In the end, it is not the emperor who destroys the forbidden army and re-establishes the emperor's authority. generally."

Guo Peng smiled bitterly and said: "But as a father, I don't want that to happen. Only when the political situation of the Great Qin State is stable can we buy more silk and other goods from us. If the political situation of the Great Qin State is in turmoil, our business will definitely be affected. There will be less."

"That's a matter of the Great Qin Kingdom. We are thousands of miles away, so we can't stop it if we want to?"

Guo Jin smiled: "If, as my father said, the emperor of the Great Qin Kingdom has little authority and the local power is huge, then the local government must be more stable than the central government, and perhaps richer. We may not only be able to do business with the Great Qin Emperor. , Those local forces may also be able to."

After hearing this, Guo Peng squinted his eyes and looked Guo Jin up and down.

"Hahahahaha, not bad, Ah Jin can already think of these things. That's right, this is the idea of ​​being a father. You can't just build a good relationship with Emperor Daqin. I don't know when he will die. Those local forces are the ones. We mainly want to build a good relationship.”

Guo Peng stood up, took Guo Jin's hand and walked outside the South Study.

"General Zhang Wenyuan has already led a large number of large ships to sail to the Great Qin State under the order of his father. He is not only carrying goods, but also officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, those skilled diplomatic officials and interpreters.

Going to the Great Qin State this time, it is necessary to understand the internal problems of the Great Qin State. Only by understanding these issues can we know who has a stable status, who has more money, and who is more generous and willing to spend a lot of money to buy things.

Doing business between countries is nothing more than these things. If it is done well, the money obtained from the trade of the Great Qin State is enough for us to do many, many things. Ajin, Wei State is very big, and there are many projects. A lot of money is needed, and money must be firmly held in your own hands. "

Guo Jin nodded.

"My son knows."

When Zhang Liao and others led the big ship to set sail for Rome, Wang Wei and others had already arrived in the city of Rome on the Apennine Peninsula and were received by the Roman emperor Caracalla.

Caracalla held a relatively grand welcome ceremony in order to welcome Wang Wei and demonstrate the demeanor of the Roman Empire and his prestige as an emperor.

Wang Wei had already told Caracalla in advance that he was not an official envoy, but an advance envoy, and there would be official envoys arriving later, which meant that you should not be so grand, I can't bear it.

But Caracalla thinks it’s not possible. The advance envoy is also an envoy. Since it’s here, the Great Roman Empire must demonstrate its national prestige and its strength. Let you take a good look.

Don't say that I look down on you, and don't say that I, Big Rome, have neglected you.

Of course, the most important thing is to make Wang Wei's arrival extremely grand, so that everyone will forget that he just killed his own brother and became the dictatorial emperor.

Politics matter most.

So Wang Wei still got the kind of welcome ceremony that he couldn't get before.

Caracalla led his civil servants and generals to welcome Wang Wei outside Rome.

In addition to the curious Roman citizens, there are also guard soldiers with tall horses, big horses and distinctive armor along the way.

The flags are flying and the momentum is majestic. Wang Wei can see the demeanor of a great country at a glance.

It is indeed a big country that Guo Peng will praise.

Wang Wei secretly praised these soldiers for their bright armor and excellent weapons, and their spirit was not weaker than that of the elite Wei army.

The other party showed the national prestige in front of us for us to see, we can't embarrass Wei Guo and Your Majesty!

"Cheer up! Don't let the people here look down on us! We are here, representing the entire Wei State! And His Majesty the Emperor! Hold your head high!"

When Wang Wei gave an order, the [-] soldiers who escorted him to the city of Rome immediately held their heads high and looked forward, full of vigor and spirit, holding the battle flag of the Wei Empire in a high-spirited manner, and they did not lose the wind in the face of the Roman elite.

Caracalla looked from a distance and saw that the guard army of this envoy had bright armor, excellent weapons, and was also tall and energetic, and the elite level was not weaker than the elite guards around him.

He was a little surprised.

The general Roman Legion can accept non-Roman citizens to join, but the Praetorian Guard must be a Roman citizen to join. There are also certain requirements for origin, and there is a set of standards for selection.

In order to maintain combat effectiveness, maintain deterrence, and increase its attractiveness to the emperor, the Imperial Guards at least look very strong, at least they still have to have airs.

Caracalla also gave a lot of money to the Imperial Guards. With the money, these guys can eat and drink well. They are well-nourished and strong, so they will never be weak.

So Caracalla felt a little surprised.

Thousands of miles away, there is such a powerful army.

Fortunately, the distance between the two sides is very far. The two-month sea voyage, sea and land transportation are very difficult, so it is basically impossible to have a direct military conflict.

Compared with military conflicts, it is more harmonious to do business with each other and buy and sell goods.