Chapter 865: If You Can't Beat Them, Then Join Them

Chapter 865: If You Can't Beat Them, Then Join Them

Chapter 865: If You Can't Beat Them, Then Join Them (Additional Update for Alliance Leader Qi Wangyue)
"Did you gain anything from the conversation with your elder brother just now?" Shao Xun asked his second son, Huanlang, while walking along the secluded mountain path.

"Officials need to understand the people's sentiments." Badger replied honestly.

"These are my original words. Do you have any ideas of your own?"

Hulang was silent for a long time, and then said, "I can't be deceived by cunning officials."

“So how can we avoid being deceived by them?”

"If you know everything clearly, the petty officials will not dare to act recklessly. If you use both kindness and severity, you can be safe for many years."

"Is this the insight you gained from the expedition?"

"Yes." Hulang said, "My grandfather used both kindness and power in Pingcheng, and he was also very familiar with the people's sentiments and military affairs, so no one dared to deceive him."

Shao Xun stopped and looked at the lush pine forest in the distance, saying, "People are like trees. They have to go through some hardships before they can have their own insights. Does Zuo Guocheng know?"

"know."

"It's a bit run-down there, but it will be repaired next year, so you can go there." Shao Xun said, "I wanted to do horse farming this year, but I haven't been able to do it yet. Now a hundred horses have been transported to Zuoguo City, and I will give you some households, farm tools, and seeds, so you can do this for me next year."

"Yes."

"After the New Year you will be sixteen years old, so don't still think about playing," Shao Xun said.

"Yes."

Shao Xun walked forward a little further and couldn't help asking, "Besides the tasks I assigned to you, don't you have any strategies of your own?"

Badger was stunned.

"Do you know where Lishi is?"

“The place where Liu Yuanhai started his career.”

"It's good that you know." Shao Xun said, "There are many more Xiongnu and Shanhu people in that place than Jin people. If you can do something, your father will think more highly of you."

The badger suddenly realized and said, "I know what to do now."

Seeing his expression, Shao Xun smiled and said, "Okay, I won't ask you. We'll see when the time comes. Let's go down the mountain. Your mother is waiting anxiously."

As expected, Lu Xun was walking back and forth at the foot of the mountain.

When he saw the father and son coming down, he actually looked at Shao Xun with a reproachful look, as if blaming him for scaring his son.

"A loving mother often spoils her child!" Shao Xun shook his head helplessly.

Back then, he was still a young man in his early twenties, but he ended up getting an aunt in her late 40s pregnant.

My aunt has only this one child in her life. Now that he has white hair, she still spoils him like he was when he was a child. It really makes people speechless.

But Hulang didn't look that delicate, which made him feel relieved. But he couldn't help but wonder, if he had gone through enough training, wouldn't it be better?

After walking forward for dozens of steps, he met the Secretary General Lu Chen.

Lu Chen withdrew his gaze from the mother and son on the mountain path and reported: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister has criticized the military system of the Fubing and said that it should be changed. The details are here--"

After saying that, he handed over a manuscript.

Shao Xun took it and read it, then asked casually, "Are they still going to change the election of officials?"

"That's right." Lu Chen replied: "No one can transfer to a government position with the status of a meritorious official, and a meritorious official cannot enter the government through family connections."

In theory, an official with honors could be examined by the Ministry of Personnel and transferred to a higher position - usually at a lower rank.

The same applies to those who enter officialdom through family connections.

Now they want to block these two paths and protect the basic base of officials.

If a meritorious official wants to become an official, he can only make meritorious contributions and enter the officialdom through the ways of "conscription", "appointment", "removal" and "granting".

"Is this their biggest concession?" Shao Xun asked after quickly reading it.

"That's right." Lu Chen said, "General Wang also said that since there are already eighteen levels of officials at the ninth rank, why not set up eighteen levels for honorary officials instead of twelve, that is, eighteen turns for honorary officials instead of twelve turns."

In the current honor system, the highest level is Shang Zhuguo, the second rank, and the lowest is Wuqiwei, the seventh rank, that is, Shang Zhuguo, Zhuguo, Shang Hujun, Hujun, Shang Qingche Duwei, Qingche Duwei, Shang Qi Duwei, Qi Duwei, Xiaoqi Wei, Feiqi Wei, Yunqi Wei, and Wuqi Wei.

Wang Yan meant that the system of honorary officials and the system of official positions should be aligned, with eighteen levels from the first rank to the ninth rank, corresponding one to one. One merit would earn you the ninth rank, and eighteen merits would earn you the first rank.

The logic is reasonable, but the underlying thoughts are also obvious.

"Please tell me that I can agree to the 18th rank of honorary official. But the honorary official must participate in the examination of the Ministry of Personnel, and the children of the honorary official must be admitted to the Imperial College." Shao Xun replied: "As for those who have been issued before, the old system will still be followed, and the seal of the Flying Cavalry Lieutenant will not be taken back."

"Yes." Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

This condition is actually not difficult to agree to, because scholars and officials with honors participate in the examination, and their background, appearance, manners, knowledge, and character are hard conditions.

Ninety-nine percent of the honorary officials came from poor backgrounds and were illiterate, not to mention their calligraphy skills. This alone was enough to keep most people out.

Even if there are people who can read, most of them are only proficient in writing and are not good at writing official documents. They also have poor literary talent and their handwriting is probably very ugly, which can eliminate a large number of people.

Those who can actually pass the examination are probably not military officers from aristocratic families. After all, it is prepared for them.

Of course, this is the case now, but it is hard to say in the future. When the second generation of the family of honorary officials grows up in large numbers, many of them will definitely receive education, which actually expands the scope of the selection of the King of Liang in disguise.

Perhaps this was one of his purposes.

King Liang does things one thing at a time.

From the perspective of talent, it is actually the group of meritorious officials who snatched land from the group of scholars, and then had the money to educate their own children. God knows how many more people who are literate and skilled in martial arts will emerge.

At that time, if there are still people who insist on selecting officials based on family background, I am afraid they will incur public outrage. Maybe we have to come up with another method, such as setting up exams?

But then again, this is a long process.

In the short term, the gentry did not need to worry too much, as they still had at least a few decades of good life to live. As for what would happen decades later, the farsighted gentry saw it, but they did not dare to intervene.

People always have a lucky mentality. There are still decades to go. Who knows what will happen in that time? Do I have to oppose King Liang now because of this? Even if I jump out to oppose, what if others don't support me? Wouldn't my family be destroyed?

This is the dilemma faced by scholars.

Lu Chen had actually seen that the matter of the honorary officials was irreversible. With the support of the King of Liang, in another twenty years, they would be a huge force that even the scholars could not easily overthrow until the system collapsed and the group of government soldiers died out. But what would the situation of the scholars be like at that time?
The drastic changes in the world always make it difficult for people to see the whole picture.

******
After Shao Xun left, Lu Chen lagged behind a few steps.

Lu Xun understood and walked over with Hulang.

"Uncle." Hulang bowed first.

"You don't have to do this, Hulang." Lu Chen put on a smiling face, helped his nephew up, and then looked at him carefully, and said with a smile: "He is a beautiful young man with a gentle and jade-like appearance. I don't know which daughter has this blessing."

When this matter was mentioned, Lu Xun nodded repeatedly and said, "Ziliang, are there any good families in Hebei?"

Lu Chen shook his head and said, "Hebei is not appropriate."

After that, Lu Chen pondered for a moment and said, "I also have good friends in Henan. I will look for a good family for Huanlang. You can try your best to get King Liang's approval."

According to the customs at that time, the mother's opinion was crucial in her children's marriage, and what Lu Chen said was not without reason.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Ziliang." Lu Xun felt relieved and said, "You don't have to look for someone from a high-ranking family. I'm worried that the king will have doubts..."

Lu Chen was speechless.

How can we take such an important matter as marrying a wife lightly? If there is no help, what is the point of marrying a wife?

"I only have one child, Hulang..." Lu Xun said again. As he spoke, he didn't know what he was thinking about, and his eyes became red.

Lu Chen sighed heavily.

Since the death of my father, the morale of the Hebei gentry has been low and they have been depressed. Can't they think of a solution?
Seeing that the Qinghe Cui family is active and showing signs of challenging the status of the Fanyang Lu family, shouldn't we think of a solution?
"What did the king say just now?" Lu Chen suppressed his anxiety and asked.

"Hulang will go to Zuoguo City next year..." Lu Xun briefly narrated.

"This is a big deal!" Lu Chen said, "Don't worry, I'll find a way to deal with whatever Hulang needs. Just do your job well."

Lu Xun sighed, obviously not very happy.

Lu Chen ignored it.

Are those who have experienced the war among the kings afraid?

"How is Hebei doing recently?" Lu Xun asked.

"The news of the honorary official has just reached Hebei, and I don't know about it." Lu Chen said, "I think many people will be dissatisfied. Alas, the scholars in Hebei are also very depressed and have never eaten meat. I am also afraid that some people will be ignorant and act rashly. If someone rebels, their death is not a pity, but it will ruin the big thing."

For some reason, Lu Xun actually secretly hoped that there was really a rebellion in Hebei.

"As for horse plowing..." Lu Chen didn't pay any attention to Lu Xun's expression, and said to himself: "This matter is not simple. When the king went to war this year, he ordered General Pu Gulu of Dai to implement the method of horse plowing. I wonder how they tried it. I will send someone to ask. By the way-"

Lu Chen seemed to have thought of something, and said happily: "I heard that the Wuhuan in Guangning lacked oxen for plowing, and they had tried plowing with horses. I will write a letter and ask some Wuhuan masters about it."

"Yes." Lu Xun nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your help, brother."

"It's okay, it's just a small matter." Lu Chen said.

In terms of connections with the Hu people, apart from the already declining Wang family of Taiyuan, no one should be able to surpass the Lu family of Fanyang. They really have close relations with the Xianbei and Wuhuan, while the Wang family of Taiyuan is mainly involved with the Xiongnu.

At this time, Lu Chen realized that Hu Lang had not spoken a word. But he was obviously listening carefully, which was good.

It’s just that his personality is a bit dull. Could it be that he was spoiled by his younger sister?
"I shouldn't stay long, so I'll leave first." Lu Chen bowed and said.

In addition to the daily affairs of the secretary, he has a lot of things to do.

The most important thing was to ask King Liang to set up a garrison in Youzhou.

There were many heroes in Youyan, so it was easy to select palace soldiers. If he could set up five or six Longxiang Mansions, he could persuade the sons of the Fanyang Lu family and other noble families in Youzhou to serve as palace soldiers, fight for King Liang, and be rewarded for their meritorious service.

Since there is no way to stop it, then join it! This is the solution Lu Chen came up with.

However, this matter still needs to be discussed with the Youzhou gentry, and it is not something he can decide alone.

(End of this chapter)