novelcrest Chapter 4685 The Way of Being an Official
Chapter 4685 The Way of Being an Official
Chapter 4685 The Way of Being an Official
What is the core of Confucianism? In short, it is the "Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues", which are inheritance, order, and the Way of Heaven. What is the Way of Heaven? All things operate according to their nature, which is the Way of Heaven. All people perform their duties and do what they should do in their respective positions, and naturally the world will be harmonious.
It is biased to simply belittle Confucianism.
Whenever the world was in chaos and war was everywhere, people's minds would naturally be at peace. Adhering to Confucianism could quickly stabilize the world and people's hearts. Therefore, China was able to recuperate and multiply its population in the ruins of each dynasty's collapse and quickly rise again.
Everything has its pros and cons. The shortcoming of Confucianism is that it restricts people's hearts and thoughts, which limits the height of the dynasty. Whenever a dynasty reaches its peak, it is difficult to make any further progress and cannot break through to a higher level.
How to take the strengths of Confucianism and avoid its weaknesses?
This is the most difficult question in the world. Fang Jun has no answer. He can only try to find a way out of the so-called "Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues" to see if he can break through the limit and make the empire reach a higher level...
*****
Inside the imperial city, the Ministry of War.
The streets outside the gate were filled with horse-drawn carriages parked along the wall. There was an endless stream of people coming in and out to do business, gather information, or ask for favors. Ever since the news of the establishment of the additional agency came out, it has become the most prosperous place among the six ministries.
The window of the duty room was open. Outside the window, the locust tree was lush and leafy, with numerous flowers weighing down the branches and drooping their branches, and a faint fragrance was emitted.
Cui Dunli stood at the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the people coming and going in the corridor outside, the noisy voices, and shook his head and sighed: "It's really noisy, how can this be the Ministry of War? It's even worse than the East and West Markets."
Liu Rengui, who was wearing an official robe and was boiling water to make tea, was sitting on a mat in front of another window. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "If you are upset, why don't you just post a notice on the main gate, prohibiting irrelevant people from entering the yamen?"
"You think I don't want to?"
Cui Dunli turned around and walked back, kneeling beside the coffee table, and said helplessly: "Officialdom has strict rules and clear levels, but it cannot resist the worldly affairs. You can't offend everyone just to keep your ears clean and cut yourself off from the world, right?"
Taking the boiling kettle off the stove and pouring it into the teapot, Liu Rengui said: "The world is bustling with people, all for profit. The world is bustling with people, all for profit. You and I, ordinary people rolling in the world, have to endure this noise. If we want to act according to our nature and not be vulgar, we probably have to wait until he takes off this official robe, retires and returns to his hometown, and returns to his roots."
People in the arena involuntarily.
When you are in the officialdom, you have no choice.
Cui Dunli picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. He smacked his lips and said with a smile, "It's not bad. When I think about the lonely and desolate situation after returning home, I feel that the current noise and bustle are not unbearable."
The two looked at each other and laughed at the same time.
Being in a high position, holding power and a lofty status, surrounded by flatterers and smiling faces, but when you retire, suddenly there are fewer people coming and going in front of your door. Not everyone can bear that kind of gap. How many heroes were full of vigor and energy when they were in office, but as soon as they retired, they became physically weak and died of depression within a few years?
While drinking tea, Liu Rengui asked, "Brother, you went to visit the Duke of Yue. Did you give me any instructions?"
The issue of setting up additional institutions in the Ministry of War has already caused a lot of controversy, and seven out of ten people who come from outside to inquire about the news are here for this purpose.
Cui Dunli glanced outside the door and saw that no one was around, so he whispered, "Liu Li probably wants to recommend Zheng Rentai. His Majesty seems to have the same intention, wanting to plant a nail here so that he can always control the changes in the situation. But Zheng Rentai is the Duke of Yue's man... Just keep it to yourself and don't spread it to others."
"Zhengze" is Liu Rengui's pen name.
Cui Dunli finally became the Minister of War after many years of hard work, while Liu Rengui was suddenly promoted to the Left Vice Minister of War. Logically, there was a natural hostility between the two. However, both of them were Fang Jun's confidants, with the same stance and interests, and both were talented, so they got along better and better.
According to the current trajectory, Cui Dunli will sooner or later be promoted to one of the three highest officials, while Liu Rengui will either take over as the Minister of War or become the main force leading the military reform, both of which have bright futures.
Liu Rengui was stunned at first, then laughed: "Doesn't this mean that Zheng Rentai was forced to become a 'double agent'?"
Cui Dunli also laughed: "The moment Liu Li came to the door, Zheng Rentai probably wanted to curse his mother."
It is impossible for the aristocratic families to truly make peace with Fang Jun. After all, the interests of both sides are contradictory and they are naturally hostile. The reason why Zheng Rentai submitted to Fang Jun was just a temporary measure. As long as there is a chance in the future, he will definitely fight back.
But Liu Li regarded him as a nail driven into Fang Jun's inner circle, which forced Zheng Rentai to face a situation of two choices: to be willing to be Liu Li's pawn, or to be completely loyal to Fang Jun?
Liu Rengui was surprised: "From what I heard from my brother, Zheng Rentai actually chose to stand on the side of Duke Yue? Although it's not surprising, it's not easy to make such a quick decision."
The entire Guandong region was under the threat of the navy. Even if His Majesty was the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he was powerless to deal with the situation in Guandong. So it was not surprising that Zheng Rentai chose Fang Jun. But the emperor was the emperor after all, representing supreme power. Moreover, Li Chengqian was young and strong, and there was still a long way to go. No one knew how the situation would develop in the future. Zheng Rentai was very courageous to give up Li Chengqian and choose Fang Jun so quickly.
Cui Dunli put the kettle back on the stove, thought for a moment, and said, "Perhaps Liu Li has some hidden agenda. After all, this Zhongshu Ling seems fair, but in fact he is selfish."
Liu Rengui looked strange: "Could it be that Liu Li arranged for Zheng Rentai to infiltrate us, intending to take all the possible merits of Zheng Rentai for himself, and was discovered by Zheng Rentai?"
Zheng Rentai risked being discovered by Fang Jun, but the credit went to Liu Li. How could a man like him do such a stupid thing?
Cui Dunli laughed and shook his head: "Who knows? But it is very likely to be the case."
He added a piece of incense charcoal to the small stove, stirred the flame, and said, "It may seem empty and hypocritical to say that one should serve as an official and benefit the people, but we should still have some determination to do things when we are in the court, and we cannot always weigh the pros and cons. If even high-ranking officials like us only seek personal gain, how can the world not be in chaos? If the world is in chaos, the people will suffer, and we cannot do anything about it."
Liu Rengui drank his tea silently without saying anything, but he fully agreed.
The dragon has nine sons, each of them is different, and so are people. There are always some who are selfless and others who are greedy. If it is just a county magistrate who has low character and seeks personal gain, it will only harm the people of the county. But if the six ministers and even the three high officials do the same, and still do not care about the country and only care about their own interests, it will be the sorrow of the entire empire, and countless people will suffer.
Therefore, a higher official position means greater power and also greater responsibility.
At their level, a wrong policy order can lead to a huge disaster...
The water in the kettle boiled, and Liu Rengui brewed and poured tea, feeling a little emotional. He had not expected that his political views and personalities were so compatible with Cui Dunli's, and they usually cooperated very well and got along very harmoniously.
Cui Dunli took a sip of tea and said, "Starting tomorrow, you will be responsible for setting up additional institutions. First, finalize the structure, then report to His Majesty and select personnel."
Liu Rengui was stunned: "This is a serious matter, why don't you take on the responsibility yourself, brother?"
This is related to military reform, and both the government and the people, the civil and military, are watching. This means a huge amount of power...
Cui Dunli waved his hand and said with a smile: "I have already made enough achievements. What I lack is experience to make further progress. I can only work hard. You are different. It seems that you have accumulated enough achievements in the navy, but no matter how strong the navy is, it is only a small army and cannot be compared with the siege of cities and strongholds on the road. If you do this well, it will be a great political achievement. Whether you gain experience in the Ministry of War or seek other careers in the future, you will get twice the result with half the effort."
Liu Rengui was touched and bowed: "Brother, I will always remember your kindness in cultivating me."
Cui Dunli refused to accept the gift: "You and I are only two years apart in age. We serve in the same government office and it is a pity that we met each other too late. It is only natural for us to look after each other. Why do we have to be so serious about it? It's over, it's over."
They have similar personalities, appreciate each other, have bright futures, and serve under Fang Jun... Therefore, Cui Dunli is unwilling to regard himself as a superior in front of Liu Rengui, and prefers to treat him as an equal.
……
The Ministry of War is now more powerful and its personnel composition is increasingly complex, but there is no struggle or obstruction common in official circles, but everyone works together to handle the affairs of the ministry. After all, there is Fang Jun, who is not a minister but even a minister can consider himself a disciple, so no one dares to cause any trouble, and even if there are some small thoughts, they have to hide them carefully.
The matter of setting up additional institutions was handed over to Liu Rengui, and Cui Dunli completely gave up the matter. The only person who was qualified to compete, the "eternal third place", the Right Vice Minister Guo Fushan, was a man who did not seek power and was only focused on taking care of logistical affairs, so others naturally had nothing to say.
This kind of organization seems complicated, but the difficulty lies in the fact that there is no precedent. Liu Rengui took only a few days to sort out the structure and quickly compiled a set of regulations. He sent them to Cui Dunli for review and confirmed that there were no omissions. Only then did he hand it over to Fang Jun for the final decision.
As a result, Fang Jun only took a quick look at it and asked Liu Rengui to sign it, and then went into the palace to present it to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian looked at the charter that clearly stated "infringement of the monarchy" from left to right, feeling mixed emotions. He wanted to tear it up, but he had to hold back.
Soon after a grand court meeting in early June, he discussed with a group of prime ministers and important officials in the Wude Hall and recommended candidates to join the Ministry of War to participate in the military reform.
All of a sudden, all the civil and military officials in the court heard the news and wanted to participate in such a major event that was destined to affect the future of the empire, either to gain qualifications or to get involved in power. They secretly signed alliances and colluded with each other, hoping to get a piece of the pie.
(End of this chapter)