How many buildings are in the mist

"Your Majesty, this..." Cui Yi sat on the side of the hall as usual, her mind was spinning rapidly, trying to compose words perfectly.

Feng Zihuan said: "Cui Xiang thinks this is inappropriate?"

Cui Yi smiled and shook her head slightly, "I think this plan is very good, but... well, I don't know what will happen if it is carried out and the world will be swept away." It is necessary to fight with the emperor.

"I have Cui Xiang's family, what is there to be afraid of?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the compliment. The minister's family is only a few, and sometimes it is difficult to manage."

Hearing this, Feng Zihuan restrained his smile, "Speaking of Cui Xiang being sad, I really don't mean it."

"Where is your Majesty, since you are an official in the court, it should be like this. If your majesty wants to hold a civil and military competition, it needs a lot of manpower and a lot of time to prepare, and it needs public opinion in the government and the public to relax from the Lu Mao case. And in The design of the test questions should be as fair as possible.”

Feng Zihuan said: "Naturally. I think that the assessment of officials is to assess what the officials should actually do. For specific topics, let them come up with their own questions and draw lots for assessment. The rest is writing articles, and martial arts is competition. Besides, I don't know how to be fair."

"Does Your Majesty have any favorite candidates for the examiner?"

"I think it's unfair for one person to make decisions alone. It's better to ask Cui Xiang to choose a few veteran ministers with good reputation and impartiality to form a review meeting with me."

"Your Majesty is wise."

"As for other details, let's not discuss it. We always discuss and discuss. All the criticisms in the world will flow to me and Cui Xiang. We can discuss it in the court tomorrow."

"The minister obeys the order."

After Cui Yi left, Feng Zihuan was alone in the hall, leisurely thinking about the idea Cui Xuanji gave her last night.

"This time His Majesty wants to get rid of the old and bring in the new. On the one hand, we must eliminate those who are not worthy of their talents and virtues among the existing officials; , to assess what they should do in their own jobs, Mingjing, Mingfa, Youyi, Zhiju, Art of War, Yin and Yang Disasters, each corresponding to a specific official position. A special department of literature can also be set up, which is not only to give the children of the aristocratic family a way out , It is also a stage for equally talented children from poor families. This setting is only fair. As for the military officers, all martial arts competitions will be fine.

"In terms of the competition system, martial arts competitions are very simple. One-on-one draws, the winners advance, and then compete with each other, and then advance until No. 1 and No. 2 are finally produced. Civil affairs should require the prime minister and the minister to write questions, such as water conservancy, then It is required to make a model to test whether the plan designed by the officials is feasible. Those who are feasible will pass, and those who are not feasible will be eliminated. The number of people participating in the civil service is not too large. After about two rounds of competition, more than ten people will be eliminated. It can be compared or competed The scoring system, I think the scoring system is better. The final judges decide the score, which is more appropriate. The literary competition is more complicated, and the elimination system must be carried out at the beginning. The actual competition method can refer to the wine order. After one round of elimination, five or six People form a group, and limit the topic to be a fu, which is also handed over to scoring. If it is not enough, the final three to four winners can be determined and debated in front of the emperor. His Majesty and other judges will also score.

"Finally, according to the reverse order of being eliminated, the Civil Service stipulates that officials in specific positions will be demoted or dismissed if they have not reached a certain level, and scholars will be awarded official positions according to the final results. The specific rules need to be discussed by the court. Every game Both examiners and one supervisor are required to ensure fairness. If examiner A discovers that examiner B is covering up or assisting a contestant to cheat, he must point it out, otherwise he will be exempted from prison. If there is fraud, the supervisor must report it, otherwise the supervisor will be dismissed from office and sent to prison together with examiners A and B."

After listening to it, she laughed with satisfaction, and asked Cui Xuanji again: "How long did it take you to figure out this whole set of things?" The invigilation system is so strict, there must be opposition forces in the government and the opposition, and they are worried whether it will be implemented.She said the same thing to Cui Xuanji as she said to Cui Yi just now: "I have two aunts and nephews in your family, what are you afraid of?"

Cui Xuanji replied the same.

"There are only a few people in my family, how can I resist the power of Youyo's crowd."

Last night, she said to Cui Xuanji, "It's okay. You have me. What I want to do, I must do. Not to mention it is something that will benefit thousands of years."

Outside Taicheng, in Cuifuzhong.

"Is this all your idea for the emperor?"

"Yes."

The aunt and nephew are sitting in the gazebo watching the moon, with wine on the table, and the sound of crickets in the grass.

"You are taking those thoughts in your mind when you were a child, trimming them, and giving them to the emperor."

"Auntie thinks it's wrong?"

"That's not true. I think it's pretty good. The emperor can be as bold as he wants, and I just need to be responsible for pulling it back. Anyway—" Cui Yi laughed, "Think about it, the infamy won't be mine. .This is much better than me taking the initiative to implement some reforms while the emperor is timid.”

Cui Yi smiled happily, even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes formed beautiful arcs.Cui Xuanji knew that her aunt was joking, and that humor was Cui Yi's greatest hobby, and Xie Yan was very similar to Cui Yi in this respect.When she was young, she remembered that when she and Xie Yan were still living in Jiankang, Cui Yi said to Cui Tong, I like your daughter so much, "It's not like you at all, like me. Isn't it?" She remembered Cui Tong Yi pinched Xie Yan's face, "You white and tender little monkey, isn't it more fun to follow auntie?" Xie Yan was very mischievous, saying "Yes, following auntie is very fun, I want to go with auntie" while holding on tightly Her mother's skirt didn't let go, and Cui Yi pretended to leave, but she said "Don't go, auntie" and pushed Cui Yi out of the house.

Cui Xuanji still remembered that Jiang Yuan stood aside, watching them and smiling.

"Auntie, have you ever thought about what it would be like if Jiang Yuan was still around?"

Cui Yi looked at her and blinked slowly, "You want to say, if Jiang Yuan is still there, would the emperor still want to strengthen his own strength and then go to the Northern Expedition?"

"Not quite. I just want to ask my aunt, if Jiang Yuan is alive, would my aunt still be here?" After she finished speaking, she regretted that she must have been in a trance after drinking these glasses of wine, "I shouldn't have said it."

"It's nothing, don't think so. Jiang Yuan..." Cui Yichang sighed, "If Jiang Yuan is still there, what will happen to the world and the emperor? I don't know. There is nothing wrong with this kind of thing. Maybe she and I are still like this , one is guarding the frontier, the other is in charge of the court. Or maybe we have found a place to live in seclusion, maybe. I will bury her on Yuzhang Mountain, and that place is where we want to live. Xuanji—” She turned around and looked at Cui Xuanji, "Actually, Jiang Yuan and I were happier than many life partners in those years. Until today, she is gone, and I am still happy now. Because I have the same dream as her, She is gone, and I have to complete her part together. Some couples care about people, some couples care about being unique, some couples care about supporting each other, and some couples like us care about being for Work hard with the same goal. So we don't have to be two people to be together and guard each other's life and death to be satisfied. We understand each other, and our hearts and souls are in one place. I never feel separated from her."

"Even now?"

"Yes, look." Cui Yi took out a pendant from her neck, a small brocade pouch with silk on the outside and leather on the inside.Cui Xuanji recognized at a glance that it was the sachet that Jiang Yuan had used before.I touched it with my hand and felt that there were ashes inside.

"I burned her so that she could be buried in three places according to her wishes. In Yuzhang Mountain, on the front line of Guangling, and with me. This is very good."

Every time Cui Xuanji heard Cui Yi talk about Jiang Yuan, no matter how easily Cui Yi said it, she still felt sour. "I always think of Jiang Yuan who taught me archery when I was young."

"Yes, she said that she has many apprentices in archery, and you are the best one. If you miss her, go to the front line of Zhenguangling if you have the opportunity. She will be happy to see that she has regained the rivers and mountains. Of course If you can’t get it back, don’t blame yourself.” Cui Yi put her hands on her shoulders, “Sometimes you can force yourself to do something, and you can rely on yourself to persevere. But forcing the world often has no good results. You think you can win the world In fact, to get someone's heart is already very good."

Win a heart?She thought, I'm afraid I won't even get a heart.Because that person's heart is so big, there may not be room for me.

"Your generation, grow up quickly." Cui Yi turned to look at the moon again, "Otherwise, when will I be able to go back to Yuzhang Mountain? It's really worrying."

Another day, in the court hall, Feng Zihuan specially asked Cui Xuanji to stand beside him to participate in the civil and military contest of the court discussion. It was a beautiful name, and the military officers also need a representative.Cui Yi saw her niece appearing with a blank expression on her face.Feng Zihuan stood up from the throne, and talked loudly, talking about what he thought, why he thought so, and what he imagined now.The courtiers reacted after hearing this, and the emperor asked this sentence "What do you think?" He just came to ask "Do you agree or not?"

The court was quiet, Cui Xuanji observed the expressions of the courtiers, Cui Yi counted quietly in her heart; Feng Zihuan was the same, she was still guessing who would speak first.And Cui Yi had already guessed who it would be.

The first to say that it is possible but the competition system cannot be done this way, and that the preparation period should be longer is Zhongshu Supervisor {62} Gu Heng.Three of Zhongshu Tongshi Sheren {63} also agreed with this point of view, and believed that poor scholars received insufficient education and should be given more time to prepare.Cui Xuanji said in his heart that this is a tactic to slow down the army, so why don't you say it clearly?Zuo Pushe {64} Sun Mu, a representative of the stubborn conservative faction, said that His Majesty's ideas are very good, but His Majesty lacks understanding of the education of children from poor families. fetched.There was even a rebuttal.

At this time, You Servant She Fan Deng was the first to stand up and say that His Majesty's move is feasible. The officials are not redundant but incompetent, so they should be eliminated. Those who have nothing to say, sitting in an official position will endanger the court.He also specifically gave an example that people like Lu Hao should be exempted.Some low-ranking officials who were not high-ranking and got officials because of recommendation came forward to express their agreement.The two factions stood together like this, Feng Zihuan roughly counted, they were quite evenly matched.

The two factions quarreled in the court.The Sun Mu faction mainly believes that it is impossible to recruit scholars from poor families, and wantonly belittles the education level of poor families.Cui Xuanji listened, thinking of those men he met on the street a while ago, he thought to himself that you admired them, but they looked down on you at all.Those of Fan Deng's faction, if they were insulted by their background, they would immediately bite back. After all, this is how it is in the world, and it is not good to cause public anger in the court.Sun Mu immediately said that you will try it and waste the public funds of the treasury. Are you responsible?Gu Heng said again at this moment, the competition system that His Majesty wants is difficult to guarantee fairness, how to find someone who is really suitable to be a referee, there should be a complicated identification and selection system, and it is not the way of a benevolent king to threaten to be exempted from office and sent to prison.

Cui Xuanji obviously felt that Feng Zihuan was already angry when he heard the word "threatening".

Sun Mu agreed, and then continued to debate with Fan Deng's faction, and the words became more and more talkative, entering into a debate about whether an individual's level can be judged from the general situation.Cui Xuanji felt a headache when he heard this, and glanced at Feng Zihuan, seeing the emperor frowning, he felt more and more angry.Taking another look at Cui Yi, Cui Yi happened to meet her gaze.She wanted to ask for help with her eyes, but Cui Yi smiled at her.

it is good.

The debate between the two factions has increasingly lost its focus, twisting crookedly towards the past.Each asked for old stories, Fan Deng was inconvenient to talk about Gao Family's bad things, but Sun Mu was unscrupulous, Gu Heng interrupted from time to time to deflect, and said that there should be rules for officials' civil service, and they can't just mess around.And there was a slight creaking knuckle sound in her ear, it was Feng Zihuan.She saw that Feng Zihuan was expressionless, but clenched his left hand tightly.

"Your Majesty," she was full of air, her voice echoed in the hall, and everyone fell silent. "May I have a word?" Feng Zihuan smiled—and even used a certain amount of strength to restrain himself from being overly happy—"Of course, Ai Qing will speak up if he has something to say, and today's court meeting is for debate."

"Excuse me, Mr. Sun, have you ever tasted river eel?" Sun's eyes were stunned, "Why do you ask this? Above the court—"

"A while ago, in the twelfth lunar month of winter, Yu Zun's mansion ordered a stewed river eel. It tasted delicious. I thought that my love can be used for entertaining guests, and must be used for relatives. Have you ever tasted it?"

The river eel was originally a product of the northern region {65}, and it is rare in the south. Since the north fell to the Murong family, it has disappeared from the dining table in the south.If there is, let alone whether the source is suspicious, the asking price must be expensive.When Sun Mu heard this, he knew that he had been caught short. If he said he didn't have it, he would be considered a liar; He replied, "I have tasted it."

"Is it delicious?"

"nature!"

"Sure enough, love is the most filial piety."

"Why do you say that!"

"Then, has Master Sun ever tasted eel?"

"What a contempt, I have none!"

"That's strange. At the banquet, Ling Ai repeatedly said to me that eels are more delicious than eels. Mrs. Sun has a rich family and can afford eels. Ling Ai's banquet cost less than ten thousand yuan, but she never put chopsticks on it. Eels. Eels are born in farmland, ponds, streams and ponds. They are common things for ordinary people. It can be seen that Mr. Sun is too high and not close to the world. And there are many good things that Mr. Sun does not know. It is a pity. I will come to Japan I will definitely tell Ling Ai to find some as soon as possible and be filial to Master Sun."

There were giggles in the hall that were trying their best to hide.

"My lord, by chance, I am a general of Habayashi Zhonglang. I was ordered by His Majesty to protect His Majesty's safety, and I was always worried that I would not be able to do my duty. My lord is classified as the Supervisor of Zhongshu, and I have the responsibility of procurating all officials and appointing and dismissing personnel. , can I ask you a question or two?"

"Master Cui is serious, please speak."

"Today, if a thief comes to stab the driver, if I pull it out and see that the knife is blunt, should I sharpen the knife first, or protect the driver first?"

Gu Heng knew that she was going to plot against him, so he glared at her, and was about to go down the steps here: "Naturally, escort first."

"If you don't have a sharp blade, how can you escort it?"

"Did you wait until then to sharpen the knife?"

"Master Gu really understands."

She turned around, faced Feng Zihuan, and talked eloquently, first refuting Sun Mu's so-called insufficient level theory, thinking that if you don't try, you will know, and if you don't try, it is not good, it is like doing without knowing, like eating dead eels The same, must be poisoned.Don't forget to remind Sun Mu to ask clearly when eating next time.There was another laugh in the hall.Then she refuted Gu Heng's so-called preparation time theory, thinking that it deviates from the essence of the assessment and cannot obtain reliable assessment results.The meaning of Bao Heng, could it be that the enemy army from the north is coming, and they are still going to discuss with Murong, give us half a year, let's train the army?Could it be that it is raining heavily and the embankment is about to collapse, so why not learn how to build an embankment on the spot?

She originally wanted to add a few last words, thinking that everyone was an official in the court and cared about the country to kill and kill, but Feng Zihuan stopped her and said these words by herself. "Let this matter be handed over to Cui Xiang. From now on, the court will only discuss the details, and no longer discuss whether to do it." The ministers had no choice but to agree.Feng Zihuan added another sentence: "Also, in the future, when discussing matters in the court hall, you must discuss the matter according to the facts, and you can't talk casually. You must know that this is the court hall, not Qing et al's home!"

The officials thought she was a little angry, Cui Yi thought she was just taking advantage of the situation to show off her power, only Cui Xuanji knew that she was very happy now.

"I should thank you very much for today's matter." Back in the harem, Feng Zihuan was in a good mood, and asked Cui Xuanji to ride a horse with her in Hualin Garden to relax.

"Your Majesty's words are serious. It's just for the job."

"You are now so frugal with the polite words that are prevaricating to me?"

"Your Majesty is really in a good mood, and you are still free to tease me."

Feng Zihuan laughed out loud.The two let the horses trot for a while, feeling refreshed physically and mentally, and rested in the nearby Liquan Hall. "I predict that after a few days of quarreling among the people in the imperial court, it will be settled, and the competition will be held in July in two months' time. It's not too good if it's too soon." After finishing speaking, he picked up the teacup, accompanied by Cui Xuanji.Now when the two of them come out, they often don't want to accompany them. One is that Feng Zihuan doesn't like crowds at first, and the other is that sometimes they often talk about secrets, so it's not easy for others to hear.After drinking, he stood up and walked to the window to look at the lake and mountains, Cui Xuanji had no choice but to follow.

"Is Xuan Ji interested in participating in the competition?"

"According to the competition system, I must participate in the military officer competition as a civil service."

"Don't consider anything else? I think you can also participate in some competitions for civil servants. I think you can win the top three in other exams except alchemy or water conservancy, which are too professional."

Cui Xuanji stood behind her, and said calmly: "I have obtained the official position by relying on the emperor's grace and Zu Yin, and I will go to participate in other competitions, crowding out the places so that talented people can't come out, it's just a competition for fame, which is against your majesty's original intention."

Feng Zihuan turned to look at her, apart from admiration for what she said in the courtroom today and thanks for being a partner with aspirations, there was also a subtle liking in his heart—the two of them had just galloped on horseback for a while, Cui Xuanji's cheeks were slightly red at the moment, she was panting slightly, and she was paler than usual, she guessed that Cui Xuanji's menstruation happened suddenly today, that's why she felt overwhelmed.This weakness made Cui Zhonglang reveal a different kind of coquettishness.

She stretched out her finger, picked Cui Xuanji's chin and said: "Aiqing doesn't want to get more top three, why don't I give you a beauty test to see if Aiqing can win the top three?"

Cui Xuanji's face naturally turned red as expected, no one else was present, Feng Zihuan was overjoyed and overjoyed to see her like this.

The author has something to say:

{62} During the Western Han Dynasty, Zhizhongshu belonged to the eunuch organization of the inner court. It was responsible for organizing the archives in the palace library in the emperor's study, and had frequent contacts with the emperor. The chief official was called Zhongshuling.After Cao Wei, the eunuchs were gradually employed, and scholars were also employed, which evolved into a research institution that could discuss policies. The chief official was called Zhongshujian, and the second was called Zhongshuling.

{63}During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the "Zhongshu Tongshi Sheren" was built in Zhongshu Province, and it was renamed Zhongshu Sheren in the name of Liang Qutongshi in the Southern Dynasty.Zhongshusheren is second only to the servant, in charge of presenting chapters, writing imperial edicts, and appointing envoys, with different powers and responsibilities in previous dynasties.

{64} That is, Shangshu Pushe.In the Qin and Han Dynasties, he was an official of the Shaofu, helping Shang Shuling manage the files and documents of the Shaofu, and was a very low-level official.Later, Shangshu began to manage secrets, and Shangshu Pushe became more and more important.During the Three Kingdoms period, it was divided into Shangshu Zuopushe and Shangshu Youpushe.

{65} Huai River.