Luoyang Palace Tianjin Bridge, located in front of the end gate of the imperial palace, spans the Luoshui River.

Tianjin Bridge is the ship that is maintained with two long and thick cables and lined up, floats on the water surface across the shore, and then connects with the iron lock hook, the bridge length is one hundred and thirty steps, the north and south bridgeheads of the pontoon bridge, also raised four towers, each is more than 100 feet high, and its building is the image of the sun and the moon and the surface of victory.

After the completion of the Tianjin Bridge in the first year of the Great Cause, it has always been a necessary place for civil officials to enter and exit the Luoyang Palace, and later when Li Mi attacked Luoyang, Pei Renji had set fire to the Tianjin pontoon bridge, and the bridge was destroyed and rebuilt. Because Tianjin Bridge is located on the central axis of Tianjie and the end gate of the imperial palace, it is also a prosperous and lively place outside Luoyang. In the Great Sui, it is equivalent to the status of the vegetable market in later generations.

Now in the south of Tianjin Bridge, under the two side-by-side buildings, there are crowds. Countless people of Luoyang are crowded here. This caused so many onlookers to watch, which started from the news that Li Chongjiu decided to upgrade Luoyang to the accompanying capital and set up Henan Dao Daxingtai.

If it is a general station, it is just that, and the new Henan Province Daxingtai is said to have abolished the original temporary organization of the platform, and instead established it as a permanent position. Xingtai imitated Shangshu Province, set up Xingtai left and right servants, and the officials of the six departments were complete, instead of the original temporary Xingtai, one person held multiple positions.

In addition, Luoyang was promoted from the government to the accompanying capital, which attracted people's attention, so after the news came out, countless Luoyang scholars who were interested in going out of business flocked to Tianjin Bridge to inquire about the news. On this day, a notice was released, and those who were interested in seeking officials could go to Duanmen to register, and after being screened afterwards, they could enter the court as officials.

As soon as the news came out. Suddenly, the scholars who swarmed from all sides almost crowded the Tianjin Bridge.

At the moment, he is in a Dongjia restaurant next to Tianjin Bridge. A man wearing a cardigan and a hood on his head. Sit by the window and drink. At this moment, the scholars who were originally in the store had already rushed to Duanmen because of Zhao Guo's election of officials, and now the store is deserted and there are only a few people.

The man had only asked for a pot of the most ordinary wine, and there was only a tight plate of broad beans on the table, and a dusty robe with a few patches in an inconspicuous place.

This man's surname is Ma, his name is Zhou, and his name is Binwang, and he is a native of Chiping, Shandong. Ma Nian was lonely and poor when he was young. But he is diligent in reading and erudite, proficient in poetry and books, and is the best at spring and autumn, and he is a man full of economy.

So when he was twenty years old, he was recommended as an official, Ma Zhou was originally a Li Tang Qi Gongshun, and Liu Lan was an official, and later Zhao broke through Qingzhou and got Shandong. Ma Zhou was laid off and returned home, but he was not reconciled. This time, I found an opportunity to say goodbye to my family and prepare to enter Chang'an to seek an opportunity.

However, because of the great war between Zhao and Li Tang, it was the time when the Tang army was besieging the city, and Ma Zhou was stranded in Luoyang. It is not possible to travel to Chang'an. Ma Zhou's body was almost exhausted in Luoyang City, and he could only owe money, and he still had a blank eye on the store. often speaks disrespectfully to Ma Zhou.

Ma Zhou pretended not to mind, but once asked the store to bring a bucket of eight liters of wine. Drinking it all alone, the store was amazed by Ma Zhou's extraordinary amount of alcohol. At the moment, he felt that this person was extraordinary, and he never dared to ask Ma Zhou for arrears from now on.

Ma Zhou drank alone in the restaurant on this day, and when he saw Li Chongjiu's edict coming out, he couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart when he saw that Luoyang scholars were flocking to him. In the past few days when the Tang army besieged the city, he saw with his own eyes how Zhao treated the people of Luoyang. Ma Zhou couldn't help but compare Li Chongjiu, since ancient times, no emperor has been able to treat the people so kindly.

Now, as soon as the notice of the Zhao Imperial Court recruiting scholars came out, the scholars of Luoyang came from all directions to ask for an official and a half-position, which shows that Zhao Guoshi is already popular at present, and it is not inferior to the scene when Li Yuan first entered Chang'an, and the children of Guan Long rushed to join him.

Ma Zhou also changed his mind at the bottom of his heart, since Zhao Guo is so popular, why did he go all the way to Chang'an to join the officials, and directly find an opportunity in Luoyang, can he get ahead in the future? Ma Zhou thought to himself that no matter which country between Tang and Zhao could win the world in the end, but just because the Zhao court treated the people well, it was also worth serving by himself.

Thinking of this, Ma Zhou drank all the wine on the table, strode out of the restaurant with a long robe, stepped across the Tianjin Bridge, and went straight to the end door. It is precisely because of this small turning point that this famous minister of Li Tang in history did not go to Chang'an to defect to Li Shimin in the end, but went to Zhao State in Luoyang.

In the Luoyang Palace, Li Chongjiu looked at the roster of Luoyang scholars, there were hundreds of people on it, many of whom had heard of their names even in later generations, such as Cui Renshi An Xiren, who was a young man from the Zhong'an Bungalow of the Boling Cui clan in the five surnames and seven hopes.

There is also Zhang Xingcheng, the word Deli, Yifeng people, studied under the famous Confucian Liu Xuan in Hejian, was once raised as filial piety, and later came out of Wang Shichong, for Zheng Guodu Zhishangshu. After Wang Shichong's defeat, Zhang Xingcheng buried himself incognito in the field, but this time he took the initiative to come to serve.

As for Ma Zhou, needless to say, his name is a famous minister who can be called a bright man with Zhang Xuansu in later generations.

After Li Chongjiu saw Ma Zhou's name, he immediately said to the guards outside the door: "Immediately summon this Ma Zhou to the palace to see me!" After Li Chongjiu spoke, it was only a moment for the imperial car in the palace to carry Ma Zhou, from the hotel in Qiaonan, Tianjin, to Luoyang Palace.

Li Chongjiu looked at Ma Zhou, but when he saw that the other party had a mediocre appearance and simple clothes, but his bearing was extraordinary, he couldn't help but praise it in his heart.

"Grass people Ma Zhou to see His Majesty, long live my emperor!"

Li Chongjiu immediately said: "Flat." ”

After Ma Zhou got up, the attendants on the side showed Ma Zhou a seat, and Li Chongjiu immediately asked straight to the point: "Ma Zhou, you have the idea of serving my Da Zhao, but I don't know where you can help me?" ”

Ma Zhou arched his hand and said: "Returning to Your Majesty, please forgive the arrogance of the grass people, whether it is the promotion of talents, the politics of Qian Valley, the poetry and books of etiquette, the use of generals, the law and criminal law, and the civil engineering tuntian, I know a little bit about it, it depends on how His Majesty uses the grass people." ”

Hearing Ma Zhou's tone so loud, Li Chongjiu smiled and said: "Since you said so, I won't ask about this, just talk about the rise and fall of the ancient and modern dynasties in the world." ”

Ma Zhou was not embarrassed at all, and opened his mouth and said: "The grass people have seen the previous generations, since the Xia, Yin, Zhou, and the world of the Han family, the Zuo has been passed on one after another, more than 800 years, and less than 4500 years. However, Wei and Jin have fallen, and Zhou, Sui, no more than fifty or sixty years, less than twenty or thirty years of death, all because the entrepreneurial king is not gracious, when he was alive, self-defense has been reluctant, and there is no virtue to be remembered in later generations. Therefore, it was passed on to later generations, and only then did it lead to a husband shouting and the world collapsed. Now His Majesty has pacified the world, but the accumulation of virtue is shallow, when the virtue is extensive, so that there is room for grace, so that the king should be thrifty with himself, and the favor should be widely extended to the people of the world. ”

Li Chongjiu nodded after listening to Ma Zhou's words, although this is the opening sentence of Confucian clichés, but it is quite innovative.

Ma Zhou continued: "Today's funeral, than the heyday of the Great Sui is less than one-tenth of the people's national strength, His Majesty should pity the people, in the past, Tang Yao lived in the house of Maoci soil steps, Xia Yu was evil clothes and food, although the grass people thought that such a thing, His Majesty did not have to return to today, but Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty cherished the cost of 100 gold, stopped the battle of the people's terrace, Emperor Jing because of the splendid red ribbon on the official mansion, hindered the female workers, and the special edict was exempted, so the rule of Wenjing, the people can be happy. His Majesty was born from a humble background, and he will be able to pity the suffering of the people. The previous dynasty stored Luokoucang, and Li Mi got it, the eastern capital accumulated cloth, and the king was full of it, and the rise and fall of the country could not be accumulated, but only in the bitterness and happiness of the people. ”

This can be regarded as a supplement to what Ma Zhou said, first thrifty himself, and then show favor to the people, especially the rise and fall of the country, only in the bitterness and happiness of the people, and it can be regarded as a summary of the successes and failures of all dynasties, which is a rare insight in this era.

"The grass people are people-oriented, and they will be able to make the people happy, and His Majesty will establish the law of the imperial examination, put an end to the monopoly of the gate lords, and can recommend talents from the people, which is conducive to the ancient and modern times. The grass people believe that this can be the law of eternity, and the system of the imperial examination treats the poor of the scholars equally, does not despise the poor families, does not favor the scholars, and checks and balances each other, which is the long-term way. ”

This sentence can be regarded as going to the bottom of Li Chongjiu's heart, this is a real way to govern the country.

How can a talent like Ma Zhou miss out, Li Chongjiu immediately said: "Your words are deeply in line with my intentions, virtuous and virtuous cannot be buried in the suburbs, I have decided to promote you to be a scholar of the Middle School." ”

Ma Zhou heard that Li Chongjiu did not place him in Daxingtai, Henan, but directly in Zhongshu Province, obviously to keep himself by his side and summon him at any time, and he was very grateful for the weight of the Son of Heaven.

Ma Zhou immediately stood up and thanked him.

After introducing Ma Zhou into Zhongshu Province, Henan Daxingtai was also ready to be established.

In addition to selecting local scholars in Luoyang as officials, Li Chongjiu also transferred many talents from Youjing. For example, Gao Jifu from the Bohai Gao clan, this person is the younger brother of Gao Xu Dao, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and is regarded as the most outstanding descendant of the Bohai Gao clan. Because Gao Xudao was about to become a minister, he strongly recommended Gao Jifu to Li Chongjiu, so that he could become the Gao family and continue to occupy a place in the court.

In addition to Gao Xu Dao, there are also courtiers from Guanzhong, who betrayed Li Tang and Zhao, this person's name is Dai Guan, the word Xuanyin, a native of Anyang, who was originally a subordinate of Wang Shichong, and guarded the tiger prison with Wang Xuanying.

After the Tiger Prison Pass was broken by Li Shimin, Dai Zhou was captured, and Li Shimin appreciated him and let him enter the Tiance Mansion to join the army for Shi Cao, but Li Shimin was dismissed from the army by Li Yuan soon after. Dai Xuan was reluctant to go to Li Shimin, so he secretly returned to Luoyang and decided to serve Zhao Guo.

In addition, Xiao Miao, who was in the south of the Yangtze River, did not forget to show Xiàn, and also recommended two talents to Li Chongjiu.

They were the Zhongshu Shilang Cen Wenwen of the Liang State and the Huangmen Shilang Liu Xun, both of whom were officials under Xiao Miao, and important ministers of the Liang State, and this time Xiao Miao also recommended them to Li Chongjiu, hoping that Li Chongjiu could enable them.

Therefore, when Li Chongjiu looked at the list of officials in his hand, this series of names that would be thunderous in later generations, he couldn't help but feel that the heroes of the world had entered my world, thinking that when he was in Huaihuang Town, no scholar was willing to serve, and when he entered Youjing, the Hebei scholar clan was unwilling to follow, and now when he captured Luoyang, the scholars who came from all directions to vote, the contrast between before and after was too great. (To be continued......)