After the conversation got to the point, Ran Tao listened to Shang Cheng quietly. Even if Shang Cheng mentioned that his current position would change, although he was a little surprised, he was not very surprised.

There's a reason he's able to hold his composure.

As early as mid-October, people from the Inspection Department of the Health Department visited Geping Daku and Yanshui County. They lingered in the two places for more than ten days, and they also found many people in the name of auditing the place; He was also called in to talk twice. Although the content of the two conversations was ordinary, he was still sensitive to the fact that there was something strange about it: everyone else only talked once, but he was the only one; There must be something unusual about this, but he still thinks about whether the two conversations are good or bad for him. His hunch was soon fulfilled. A few days later, Ge Ping and Yanshui spread a gossip at the same time: one by one, Yanshui County Linggan will leave office at the end of this year because of the expiration of his term, and most of the next parents in Yanshui County will be him Ran Tao Yanqing. It was precisely because of these rumors that he had expected this conversation when he suddenly received an order from the Admiral's Mansion a few days ago; After participating in Shang Cheng's family banquet, he was specially left behind, which further confirmed this incident.

However, he didn't expect that it would be Shang Cheng who came forward to talk to him, so his current mood was inevitably a little complicated. On the one hand, he was very grateful to Shang Cheng for his appreciation and respect, and on the other hand, he was very hesitant about whether he would take up the post of Yanshui County Commander. For some time, he had been in this dilemma. Now, while listening to Shang Cheng, he is still thinking about what kind of decision he should make. Should I accept the Admiral's arrangement, or should I resign tactfully?

Shang Cheng said: "...... Now the Health Department is ready to recommend you to the imperial court to take over as the general judge of Duanzhou. I asked you to come back just to hear your personal thoughts and opinions on this matter before recommending it to the imperial court. ”

Ran Tao froze suddenly.

Is it a general judgment in Duanzhou, not a Yanshui county order? This is completely different from what he has heard! What the hell is going on? His mind was like a pot of paste, and he didn't know what he was saying in his confusion.

Shang Cheng laughed and said, "Who told you that it was the Yanshui County Order?" He picked up the bowl and took two sips of bitter tea, waited for Ran Tao's mood to stabilize, and then said, "You are working in Geping, it is not far from Duanzhou, and you must be more aware of the situation in Duanzhou, so I won't talk too much nonsense." I called you here to hear what you think about it. Originally, this kind of thing didn't need him to come forward in person, it was enough to let Lu Ji find Ran Tao to talk. However, the situation in Duanzhou was complicated, and the general judgment was a very important position, and he also had the heavy responsibility of assessing officials, so in the end he decided to talk to Ran Tao himself. He saw that Ran Tao kept his head down and didn't speak for a long time, and thought that he had concerns about Li Shen of the Right Army in his heart, and said, "If you have any ideas, just say them directly, and you don't need to hide them." There is one thing you can rest assured that since the Health Department recommended you to be a general judge in Duanzhou, it will definitely support you in doing things. ”

Ran Tao knew that Shang Cheng's words were actually a statement and a promise. With the support of the Health Administration, especially with the big tree of the Admiral standing behind him, it is conceivable that he will not encounter too many problems after he goes to Duanzhou, and the high-flying and domineering Li Shen will also let him score three points, and it is easy to make some practical achievements......

But he did not reply in a hurry, but fell into deep thought for a long time.

Whether or not to do the general judgment of Duanzhou, this difficult problem completely tested him.

In his heart, he hoped to go to Duanzhou. As a scholar, especially as a senior intellectual who has been on the gold list for ten years, he naturally has his own ideals and political ambitions, although he has repeatedly encountered ups and downs in his career, but his will has not been depressed, and he has not given up the positive and enterprising idea of "helping the world", so when he was a county minister in Dun'an, even if his body has been sick, he still tried his best to make the poor county in that ravine famous. Especially now that he has met a good overseer who truly appreciates and trusts him, he is even more desperate to have a piece of land to implement his ideas for many years. However, at the same time, he is also a person who has encountered major twists and turns in his life, and prudence has become an indelible part of his character......

In this silent contest in his mind, the bitter experience and the cruel lesson finally prevailed, and it triumphed over the ideals of a scholar. He let out a long breath and asked, "Commander, can I not go to Duanzhou?" ”

This is obviously not the answer Shang Cheng wants to hear. Even if he thought that Ran Tao might not necessarily be willing to go to Duanzhou, but now that he heard Ran Tao's refusal, he still felt very disappointed.

He took off his blindfold, changed the cotton again, put the blindfold back on, and then said, "Since you are reluctant to go, the Health Department will not force you." He had made up his mind to end this unpleasant conversation immediately, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't help but ask Ran Tao, "Can you ask the reason why you don't want to go to Duanzhou?" He looked at Ran Tao with blazing eyes, and said in a low voice, "Don't fool me with those vague words!" Tell me what is in your heart, why don't you want to go to Duanzhou to be a general judge? He didn't believe he was going to look away! When Ran Tao was in Dun'an, he was so sick that he often had diarrhea and couldn't straighten his waist, and he jumped up and down to build roads for the county, why did he change his temperament after only half a year? He wondered if Ge Ping's errands were too leisurely and the oil and water were too abundant, which made this Jinshi in the seventh year of the Eastern Common Era think differently......

Ran Tao lowered his eyelids to avoid his fierce gaze, and meditated for a long time before he spoke: "My lord knows, I had ups and downs in my career in the early years......

"You don't need to be reminded of this." Shang Cheng interrupted him in a cold tone, "I've read your resume, and I've also reviewed your personnel files, and a few of the sins of indulgence and prostitution have polished off your edges and corners?" It seems that you are nothing more than that. Thanks to Huo Gong, he also said a lot of good things for you, one by one, he is reasonable, he is familiar with current affairs, he does not avoid tediousness and can ......take responsibility," he pursed his lips and sneered, and did not continue to speak.

Listening to Shang Cheng relay Huo Shiqi's praise for himself, Ran Tao lowered his head and said ashamedly: "Huo Gong praised it." In fact, Huo Gongcai is really the person he said he was. In Ge Ping, Huo Gonghe ......"

"What kind of person Huo Gong is, I know better than you." Shang Cheng interrupted him very unceremoniously again.

Ran Tao gritted his teeth and sighed, trying to defend himself one last time. He said: "Commander, in fact, when I was relegated to Yanshan, it wasn't really any sins. My wife is in Chuzhou, and she is filial to my parents and raised my children for me. The reason why I don't want to go to Duanzhou is also because of my troubles......"

"Isn't it a Liu Lingtai case?" Shang Cheng said, "The old case from more than ten years ago, who is still patient to turn it over." If you do things in a down-to-earth manner and make some solid achievements, then there will be boring people who want to turn over your old bottom, and what waves can be set off? Even the sage Confucius said, 'Knowing mistakes can improve the great thing', is there anyone more powerful than the sage, who dares not to allow others to correct their mistakes? There is no such reason in the world! ”

Ran Tao was stunned. He raised his eyelids in surprise and glanced at Shang Cheng quickly, and immediately lowered his head again. This is the words in "Zuo Biography", "People who have no faults can change after passing, and they are very good." "I don't know what's going on, but the Governor is mistaken. However, he immediately thought of a reason for Shang Cheng: although the commander was born intelligent, he was both literate and understood a lot of truths, but after all, he was not a real reader, and it was common for him to use an allusion incorrectly once in a while. He had also heard several stories of the mistakes and jokes made by the Governor on this subject. Still, like the vast majority of officials, he doesn't think this small flaw can overshadow Shangcheng's strengths in other areas. The actual situation is that many people think that it is this small problem that makes people feel that the Admiral is more worthy of respect and trust. It's hard to understand.

But what Shang Cheng said is also the truth. He was indeed heartbroken by Liu Lingtai's case and the mutual tilting in the officialdom. Since the commander handed over the decision to him, between the Duanzhou general judgment of the seventh rank and the deputy envoy of Ge Ping of the eighth grade, he chose the latter without hesitation. Although Ge Pingzhai's official duties are heavy and trivial, people live very relaxed, and when they have nothing to do, they sit down with Huo Shiqi to have a drink, and listen to Huo Gong's various whimsical ideas and talks, which is also a rare and beautiful thing. Besides, he is just as useful in Ge Ping. Compared with serving as the general judge of Duanzhou, Ge Ping's deputy envoy is the real envoy who helps the world, and the military tents and camps on both sides of Yanshui are not a kind of foreshadowing?

Since Ran Tao was still reluctant to go to Duanzhou, Shang Cheng didn't do any more persuasion. The actual situation in Duanzhou determines that there is no need for a general judge who goes to office with a belly full of complaints. It seems that before finding a suitable candidate, Meng Ying of Duanzhou can only continue to hold three positions, and arrest the errands of the prefect, the magistrate and the general judge without missing any leaks. Alas, I hope that the next time I see Meng Ying, Meng Fat will not be tired and become a Meng Ma pole......