Chang'an, the mansion of King Qin, Li Shimin, the future Taizong of the Tang Dynasty in history, sat on the main throne and was receiving a report from Yu Shinan. Then I looked at the plagiarized poem "Bamboo and Stone" written by Zhang Chao to Yu Shinan and Zheng Banqiao, and then I was also a little admired.

"Good words, really good words! I haven't seen this font before, could it be that he created it himself? Li Shimin was surprised.

Li Shimin is also very good at calligraphy, although he is not a well-known master, but he is much better than ordinary people. In particular, Li Shimin is very good at writing a kind of calligraphy called Feibaiti, which has been praised by later generations. Of course, although he is the emperor, if he doesn't have some level, others can't boast about it!

And Yu Shinan immediately replied: "King Qin, this Zhang Chao's font is indeed very good. I looked at it, and this font didn't exist at all in the past, apparently it was his own originality. And this font is not only more simplified than the font we currently use, but can even make simpler characters, which is a rare talent. Even, if you look at his text, it is simply simple to the extreme, and according to what he said, this is a method called simplified Chinese that he deduced in his heart, which is extremely simple. And if this simplified Chinese character can be implemented, it will definitely be of great help to culture and education. It can help Mengtong to become literate, making it easier. ”

"Yes, simplified, it's really a baby!" Li Shimin also praised.

As a calligrapher, Yu Shinan actually values the simplified Chinese characters in addition to Zhang Chao's font. The font written by Zhang Chao is actually not complicated, that is, the imitation Song style of later generations, which is the predecessor of Song style, which was invented by book printing merchants in the Southern Song Dynasty, and later invented Song style. As an official in his later years, Zhang Chao rarely used paper and pen to write things in person, and he mainly used computers to "code words", so he was most familiar with Song style and imitation Song style. However, Song style is not a font used for writing, so he also uses imitation Song style to write.

As for that character, it is a simplified character of later generations, not a traditional character of ancient times. As for whether the ancient people can understand the simplified Chinese characters, or if they still have any opinions, this Zhang Chao is actually not worried. Anyone who really understands history should know that the ancient literati did not reject the simplification of fonts. Those who think that the ancient people could not accept simplified Chinese characters is actually a kind of nonsense, in fact, the ancient people were more accepting of simplified Chinese characters, and it is not like later generations who thought that ancient people could not accept simplified Chinese characters.

From the oracle bone inscriptions of the ancient pre-Qin period, Chinese characters are constantly being simplified, not becoming more and more complex. Generations of famous artists used their own experience to continuously simplify the font, use the simplified font to work, and then gradually promote the world. And the calligraphy is also from the oracle bone inscription to the big seal, then to the small seal, and finally to the official script, regular script, in fact, step by step is in the process of simplification. Therefore, the ancient people were actually constantly simplifying Chinese characters, and they did not regard Chinese characters as something unchangeable.

So Zhang Chao wrote this simplified Chinese version of "Bamboo and Stone", which immediately shocked Yu Shinan, and Yu Shinan was also shocked, because he was able to simplify Chinese characters to this extent, how foundational Zhang Chao's talent is! Being able to simplify this man to such an extent shows that Zhang Chao knows the profession of calligraphy very well, and even far surpasses Yu Shinan. And Yu Shinan is just good at writing, and Zhang Chao is really helping to inherit civilization! Being able to simplify Chinese characters must bring great benefits, allowing many people to learn to write, and the material cost and time cost of learning words are also greatly reduced, and even for more people to learn culture, more people can learn words in the future.

"King Qin, not only that, this Zhang Chao is not only a talented person, he is also a capable minister who handles government affairs. Since he was able to figure out this test method this time, it is enough to show that he is very good at handling the affairs of the imperial court, and he can come up with this test method, which means that he is very good at managing the imperial court. No one else thought of this test method, so if he thought of it, it means that he is very good. Yu Shinan said.

Yu Shinan's words made Li Shimin nod as well. Because this test method is actually very good, don't look at it is a very simple test method, which is called performance appraisal in later generations, but it is a very good method in this era. Many things that later generations understood, but the ancients couldn't even think of it even if they thought about it, this is the accumulation of thousands of years of knowledge, and it is impossible to think of it without sufficient knowledge accumulation. The examination method can not only have an important means of selecting and assessing talents, but also can be said to further select those talents who have entered the officialdom. If the imperial examination is a stepping stone for selecting talents to enter the officialdom, and this examination method is also an important means of assessing talents, Yu Shinan is very praised for this examination method.

And Li Shimin actually agrees with this test method. This is the ass that determines the head, Li Shimin is the prince, he wants to compete for the throne in the future, then his ass is sitting in the emperor's chair, so his brain is naturally considered by the emperor's thinking. If it is an emperor, what he hopes most is that his courtiers have no friends, no gangs to oppose him, and can maintain the emperor's centralized power. Moreover, what the emperor hopes most is that talents can take the initiative to "tell" themselves that he is a talent, so that he does not have to bother to select talents.

And this method of using the system to select people made Li Shimin feel much better than the past method of uniting his courtiers and becoming friends. If they all rely on courtiers and friends as the selection of talents, then this must be very insecure for the emperor. Li Shimin is currently the prince, and if he wants to be the emperor in the future, he naturally chooses an excellent method of assessing talents, which is the best.

"Unfortunately, he's not the kind of person who is willing to change his morals." Yu Shinan said.

"Oh? How? Li Shimin asked.

Yu Shinan said: "King Qin, look at this poem, you insist that the green mountains will not relax, and the roots are in the broken rocks." Thousands of blows are still strong, and the wind blows from east to west, north and south. This poem is enough to show that he is a very determined person, his will is very strong, and he is not the kind of person who can change his position because of risks or threats. He is a strong person, plus you see that he invented this font, this is square, which is enough to show that he is a firm position, not the kind of person who is timid and afraid of things. ”

"Well, that makes sense. Words are like people! Li Shimin said.

Li Shimin and Yu Shinan are both very good calligraphers, and they both believe in a certain degree of saying, that is, words are like people. Zhang Chao's imitation of Song style characters is square and square, in fact, in terms of Yu Shinan and Li Shimin's inference, that is, Zhang Chao is also a square person, not the kind of treacherous villain. And coupled with Zhang Chao's "Bamboo and Stone", it made them firm in this idea, making Yu Shinan and Li Shimin think that Zhang Chao's character is very good, he is an upright person and has strong willpower.

"It's a pity that this kind of person can't be used by me!" Li Shimin sighed and said.

And Yu Shinan could only answer: "King Qin, if you want him to be used by you, I am afraid that King Qin must be the emperor, so that he can really be used for you." And he said that he is just loyal to his position, he just needs to work hard to do his duty well, not thinking about what to please his boss or do some crooked promotion. And his main idea is to do everything he does, to do every duty well, so that he can do his duty faithfully. He will not take refuge in the King of Qin, because he only has his own guards in his eyes, and there is no crown prince or King Qin. ”

"His ethics are very good!" Li Shimin also had to admit it.

Devoted to his duties, although not loyal to the emperor or the lord, but to some extent he is also a very good person. Zhang Chao's words actually made Li Shimin feel even more excited, because those who keep saying that they are loyal to the lord and are willing to do whatever it takes to do anything for the lord, but how many people have actually betrayed? And although Zhang Chao didn't say anything that he would be absolutely loyal to a certain person, he said the words of loyalty, although these words are not as good as those who are loyal to the emperor or the lord, but they are more real and can better reflect a person's loyalty. As for what people are loyal to the emperor and the lord, there are not many credible ones, but Zhang Chao is loyal to his duties, so Li Shimin thinks that he is more loyal than those other "loyal ministers", because he is not exaggerated, he does not say anything loyal to the lord, but says that he is loyal to his duties, which can make people feel more real.

"Okay, since he is a talent, then after King Gu can become the emperor in the future, he will definitely be used by me. Now we don't think about wooing him, but we have to maintain his relationship. Wasn't it the suggestion of Feng Lun (Zi De Yi, to Zi Xing) that he was able to stay in the Ministry of Officials at the beginning? And Feng Lun is my Tiance Mansion Sima, and our Tiance Mansion can be regarded as being kind to him, so we should be able to maintain this line. This kind of person who is very good in both governing and literary talent is rare in the ages! Li Shimin said.

"Okay, the minister must work hard and let Feng Lun help the minister maintain his relationship!" Yu Shinan said.