"Who is this?" Dunsher didn't seem to have heard of it.

"Have you forgotten? This person was originally a guest house receptionist. Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen's envoys were received by him. ”

Without waiting for Ji Zongzhou to finish speaking, Deng She thought about it, suddenly realized, and said, "Oh! That's right, Fang Congzhe. Fang Congzhe,......, I remember that when Fang Guozhen and Zhang Shicheng's envoys left, they specially mentioned him to me, and they were full of praise. Especially Fang Guozhen's envoy, he was even more roundabout, trying to find an excuse to let him go. At that time, I wanted to meet him, but when Chahan came to commit it, I forgot about it. ......, is he still in the State Guest House? ”

"Yes. However, it is no longer a reception, because of the meritorious service of receiving Fang Guozhen and Zhang Shicheng's envoys, he has been promoted to one level, and he is now the main thing. ”

"Are you familiar with him?"

"It's not familiar, but I've had a relationship. He was originally from western Zhejiang, and he should have passed the imperial examination of Meng Yuan, although he was successful, he refused to be an official. Later, he traveled all over the world. Just before the lord came to Yidu, he also came to Yidu. And get acquainted with the minister. The minister talked to him, was surprised by his talent, and had planned to recommend him to Shicheng. But because he refused, he was not recommended in the end. ”

Deng She became interested and said: "As you said, he should first take the Tartar imperial examination, and he will not be appointed as an official." I came to Yidu again, and I refused to accept your recommendation. It's clearly a savage hermit, and it's first-class. You just said that he is currently the host of my Yidu State Guest House, no, what is the matter with the director? ”

"The reception of this guest house is after the lord benefits the capital, and he takes the initiative to respond."

"Proactive response? Didn't you say that you had planned to recommend him to Wang Shicheng, but he refused? Why did he accept your recommendation when I came to Yidu? ”

"He was appointed to the State Guest House, but it was not because of the recommendation of the minister. The minister wanted to recommend him again, but he still refused. Didn't the lord recruit talents at that time? After Fang Congzhe found out, he took the initiative to apply for the job that day. After the assessment, he was awarded the official to receive the guest house. ”

"Rejected your recommendation? Unsolicited application? ......, in this way, this person is still a little disciplined, and he must be proud of his talents. However, he went through the assessment before he was awarded the official to receive the guest house? ......," Deng She frowned slightly, asked Luo Lilang, and said, "Luo Qing, you were in charge of the recruitment assessment at that time, right?" ”

Luo Lilang replied respectfully: "Yes." ”

"I remember that among the sages who were summoned, the highest official was admitted to the left and right divisions of the province, right?"

"Yes."

Deng She was suddenly disappointed and said: "The reception of the guest house is just a non-streamed official, and it is not a good idea to be different from the left and right divisions of the province. Although he had been praised by Zhang and Fang's envoys, he was only awarded this position after assessment. His talent can be seen. It is expected that it is just a matter of words, and there is no real talent to learn. Even if there is discipline, what is the use? Ji Gong, what is there about him that you recommend? ”

Ji Zongzhou was not in a hurry, and said, "So that the lord can know." If you want to talk about the talent of Fang to make up for the truth, he was actually enough to enter the provincial left and right divisions at that time. ”

Deng She was suspicious, seeing that Ji Zongzhou was full of confidence, he couldn't help but be suspicious, glanced at Luo Lilang, and thought: "Since you have the talent to enter the province, why do you have to be given the reception of the guest house?" Could it be that someone is playing favoritism? He asked, "What does Ji Gong mean by this?" I would like to hear about it. ”

Luo Lilang didn't know what Ji Zongzhou meant by this, and the beads of sweat on his forehead suddenly came down. Ji Zongzhou said with a smile: "The minister does not dare to hide the lord. In fact, the position of receptionist at the guest house was a position that Fang Congzhe had set to do before he applied for the job. ”

Not only Deng She, but everyone in the hall was confused by Ji Zong. Yan Zhixi said: "What does Lord Ji mean is that Fang Congzhe has actually decided to be the guest house reception before he applied for the job?" Therefore, although he is talented, he disdains to be a senior official in the province? ”

Ji Zongzhou said: "Exactly." ”

Yan Zhixi shook his head again and again, and said, "Abandon high-ranking officials and become low-ranking officials." Master Ji, even if you appreciate Fang Congzhe's talent, this statement is too ridiculous. Deng She was interested again and asked, "There must be a reason for 'abandoning high officials and becoming low officials', right?" Ji Gong, Fang Congzhe, why is this? ”

Ji Zongzhou said: "At the beginning, the minister didn't understand what he meant. When I asked him later, he replied, 'He who knows others is wise, and he who knows himself is wise.' 'People are precious in their own knowledge. He is well aware of his own talents, focusing on two aspects, one is the study of rules and regulations, and the other is the art of vertical and horizontal. In today's troubled times, the rules are light and heavy. Therefore, although there is an opportunity to enter the province and occupy a high position, it is not a matter of hard work. For him, it is better to choose to go to the State Guest House and do a small reception. Although the position is low, it can give full play to its learning. ”

When everyone in the hall heard this, they were incredulous. Deng She laughed and said: "'People are precious and self-aware', which is easier said than done. If what Ji Gong said is true, then this person can still be called a wonderful talent. ”

"What the minister said, every sentence is true, how dare you deceive the lord."

Deng She pondered for a moment, reiterated the old words, and asked again: "You just said that he was promoted but should not have been promoted, and he came to Yidu, but he refused to be recommended by you." I ask you, why did he want to be my ruler of Haidong? ”

"This is not known to the minister. If the lord is interested, he may as well summon him and ask him, and he will know. ”

Deng She nodded, instructed the guards outside the hall, and said, "That is, the transmission party is from Zhe. "Someone has gone in response. Deng She turned his head and saw the corner of Hong Jixun's mouth sneering on the side, and asked casually, "What does Mr. think of this person?" Hong Jixun snorted and said: "In the opinion of the ministers, he is just a person who sells his reputation and reputation." ”

"What do you mean by that?"

"The duties of the left and right divisions are to reach the upper and lower levels, and to oversee the government affairs of a province. Since the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, most of the high-ranking officials of the province and the Zhongshu province have come from the left and right divisions, which shows the importance of their status. How can it be said that it is 'the work of the case'? This exaggeration is also true. From this it can be seen that this person will be vain and untruthful. 'Abandoning high officials and becoming low officials' is nothing more than fishing for reputation.

"The lord just said that he thinks that he 'has no real talent and no real learning'. The minister thought that it was a bloody evaluation of this person. ”

"Then he was promoted first and then rejected Ji Gong's recommendation, but why? Is it also selling fame? ”

That's right, if it's to gain fame and reputation, why don't you want to do it when you have the opportunity to be an official? Hong Jixun said: "Fang is in war today, although he is in the middle of the Mengyuan Dynasty, he is a southerner, and he is an official at most. Let me ask my lord, now in the north and south of the river, where is there still a pure land? Where can he go where he is an official? If he really went to the official, it would be a self-defeating death. As for rejecting Lord Ji's recommendation, it seems that he is just suppressing and then rising, waiting for the price to sell. ”

Deng She smiled, stopped talking to Hong Jixun, changed the topic, and began to discuss the matter of buying grain in Jiangnan with the ministers again. Seeing that it was already noon, he instructed the guards to go to the dining room to spread the word, cook more food, and leave it for everyone to use. It wasn't until the matter of buying grain was almost discussed, and when lunch was almost eaten, that Fang Congzhe's guards came back and said, "Fang Congzhe has already brought it." ”

Before Deng She left the table, he stopped his chopsticks and said, "Call him in." ”

I saw a person walking in outside the hall, seven feet or below, dressed as an eight-rank official, not very old, about 20 years old. The face is thin, the eyebrows are thin and long, the eyes are dark and translucent, and the beard is short. He bowed and said, "Fang Congzhe, the director of the State Guest House, greets His Highness." "The tone is not high. Although he spoke official dialect with an obvious Jiangsu and Zhejiang accent, it did not make people feel that his official language was not standard, but rather clear.

Without waiting for Deng She to speak, Hong Jixun asked first: "You are Fang Congzhe?" ”

"Humble is exactly."

"An hour ago, the Lord called you. The State Guest House is only a few streets away from the palace, why are you late and still here? Don't you know that it is disrespectful to make the lord wait for a long time? ”

Deng She smiled and didn't speak, just looked at Fang Congzhe and waited for him to answer.

Fang Congzhe replied: "When His Royal Highness summoned the lowly post, it happened that the envoy of the State of Wu had something to do. It has been heard that 'those who worry about the public and forget their selfishness will not be the case, but they will do it themselves before the public and then the private.' 'Your Highness summoned me to serve as a private matter for my Haidong. The envoy of the state of Wu has something to do, and he is on business for my Haidong. The duty of humility lies, so although he has been summoned by His Royal Highness, he cannot help but solve the matter of the envoy of the State of Wu before he can come. ”

"Wu envoy's affairs are public, and the lord's call to you is for private purposes? Ridiculous! When the lord is in the council hall, he sends someone to summon you, and it is clear that it is also for the public, how can it be said that it is for private purposes? Besides, the lord has never heard of your name before, so how can it be a private matter to summon you? Are you playing a trick? ”

Hong Jixun is the head of the civil ministers, and Fang Congzhe is just a petty official who has just entered the stream, and after a reprimand, even Luo Lilang and others who were watching couldn't help but be shocked. Fang Congzhe was fearless.

He talked eloquently and said: "The guest house is a place to welcome and send off envoys. Wu envoy Wang He, who was sent to our country, came on behalf of Wu Guogong. Although the humble position is low, he serves in the State Guest House, which represents His Royal Highness King Yan. His Royal Highness summoned me, although I don't know why, even if it is as big as heaven and earth, it is also for my internal affairs in Haidong. The envoy of Wu has something, and his humble duties are there, even if he is as small as a mustard seed, but it is also for my Haidong foreign affairs. Compared with the two, how is it not for personal gain that His Highness summons a lowly position? ”

Hong Jixun accused him, thinking that he was late and disrespectful to Deng She, and delayed his official business. Fang Congzhe argued that the reason why he came late was precisely because he came first and then privately. The two of them stand at different angles, so they have different views. You can't say who is wrong, you can only say that everyone has their own reasons.

Ji Zongzhou came out to play a round and said: "Director Fang, in front of the lord, you must not be rude!" Mr. Hung is right, if the lord was not for official business, how could he have summoned you? You were too late, you were already wrong, how dare you argue with clever words? Why don't you hurry up and ask the lord and the gentleman for their guilt! ”

Deng She smiled, diverted the topic, and asked, "What is the matter with the envoy of the State of Wu?" Why did you delay coming until now? ”

"Wu Envoy plans to go on the road in the next two days and go back to Jinling. The lord should already know, right? ”

"This morning, the king just received his resignation."

It was because he planned to go back to Jinling, and before leaving, he wanted to bring some local specialties from Shandong. When His Highness summoned the lowly office, the lowly office was outside to buy for him. So, the delay has not come until now. ”

As soon as he said this, not only Hong Jixun was stunned, but all the ministers in the hall were stunned.

Luo Lilang said: "Just because Wu Envoy buys specialties? It's been delayed so far! He shook his head again and again, disapproving. Ji Zongzhou's face also changed slightly, and he wanted to help Fang Congzhe say something, but he didn't know where to start. The purchase of souvenirs is too small. Ji Zong Zhou said in his heart: "Zhonghan is a smart person, if he comes late, he will be late, and the justification just now is not bad." It's just that, how can you come up with such an excuse! I can't say it, I'm afraid it will cause the lord to be angry. He secretly turned his head to see Dunshe's expression.

Deng She remained silent and said with a smile: "You came an hour late, you must have done your best to choose special products for Wu Envoy." So, is Wu Envoy satisfied with this? ”

Fang Congzhe knelt on the ground and said: "It is easy to satisfy Wu Envoy, but it is difficult to win the heart of Wu Guogong. ”

There was a moment of silence in the hall. Deng She looked at Fang Congzhe carefully and asked, "Oh? What do you mean by that? ”

"Although Chahan has retreated today, our Yidu has been ravaged by two months of war, not only have there been heavy casualties among the soldiers, but also many warehouses in prefectures and counties have also been looted by Chahan, and even the entire city has been burned down in some places. People have been displaced and the winter is sad. Although the lord has ordered all localities to do their best to carry out the bereavement of the people as soon as possible, it is expected that the effect will not be too great. I, Haidong, now seem to be in danger. Humble and courageous, may I ask the lord, I don't know what is the best way to deal with this? How do you plan to tide over this? ”

Deng She retracted his clothes, pushed the cups and plates on the table outside, and asked Zhengrong: "Before summoning you, this king is discussing this matter with the princes. In your opinion, in the face of such difficulties, what should be used to deal with it? ”

"Humble and dull, people speak lightly, and they should not speak in vain. However, the lowly position has also heard: 'The humble does not dare to forget the country', so in addition to ordinary official duties, he often can't sleep at night and has tasteless food, so he is worried about this. In the view of humble duty, if you want to overcome this difficulty, there are only two feasible strategies. ”

"What's the solution?"

"Use the vertical and horizontal technique to form strong reinforcements. Follow the example of Gou and practice, and taste the courage of lying on the salary. ”

"I want to hear about it."

"In the late Spring and Autumn Period, the more inferior to Wu, the more King Goujian was able to endure it, enter the country of Wu, and serve the king of Wu. Ten years of accumulation, ten years of birth. Painstaking and inspirational, lying on the salary and tasting courage, accumulating 20 years of strength, then broke through the strong Wu and achieved hegemony. Looking at the present, Jin Ji, that is, the strong Wu of the past. Haidong, that is, the weaker it was in the past.

"The battle of Yidu ended in two months, although our army won, and Shandong accumulated into nothing, although I won but still lost. Although Chahan was defeated, when he retreated, the vehicles carrying grain and goods with the army were endless, and Jinan was also occupied by him. At the end of winter, the ice and snow are coming, and the weather will be warmer in the coming spring.

"May I ask my lord, if at that time, I am weak on the inside and weak on the outside, and I will be strong on the inside and strong on the outside, how should I deal with it?"

Dunshe didn't say anything.

Fang Congzhe continued: "Yes, the minister thinks that Fang Jin's two strategies, in my country, should be used to practice the story, you might as well lie down for the time being, and the minister will be strong." He was reminding Deng She not to be arrogant because of a momentary victory, but to see the shortcomings within Yidu, and to endure humiliation and bow to him when it was time to bow to Chahan. Deng She was noncommittal and said: "Following the story of Wu Yue, lying on the salary and tasting the courage is like this, so what does it mean to use the vertical and horizontal technique to form strong reinforcements?" ”

"Those who are strong outsiders are also the heroes of Jianghuai outside. He has formed a group of heroes, spared no expense in jewelry, and did not hesitate to flatter, or form an alliance with it, or make friends in private. In this way, there will be two benefits. First, with the help of its momentum, it can compete with Jinji. Second, communicating with each other can also ease my urgency. ”

Yan Zhixi interjected: "You're just talking in generalities. It is well known that there is strong external support. Now that there are four or five heroes in Jianghuai, intrigue, how should I end up in Haidong? Who should I knot with? Just like the two countries closest to our Haidong, Zhang Shicheng and Zhu Yuanzhang, these two have enmity against each other. is to marry Zhu Yuanzhang, and he will be the enemy of Zhang Shicheng. If you marry Zhang Shicheng, you will be the enemy of Zhu Yuanzhang. How do I make friends? ”

"Now there are four or five Jianghuai heroes. How do I make friends? Regard those who are beneficial to our Haidong and make friends with them. Regard those who are not profitable to our Haidong, and do not make friends with them. Regard it as a great person with my Haidong and make friends with it. Regard it as a small person who is friendly to me, and do not make friends with it. So much for. ”

Listening to Hong Jixun, Luo Lilang, Yan Zhixi and others talking with Fang Congzhe one after another, some people in the group of generals became interested in this, and Zhao Guo asked: "As you said, who and who is beneficial to my Haidong?" Who, who has no interest in my Haidong? Who, who is with me? Who, who is with me Haidong Li Xiao? ”

Fang Congzhe said: "I am not talented, and I am willing to tell His Highness about the general trend of the world." ”

Deng She waved his hand, ordered the guards to remove all the dishes on the desk, sat upright, and said a simple word, "Please." ”

"Fang is down today, and the heroes are rising together. Looking at the land of the east of the sea, it is connected to Jinji in the west and Jianghuai in the south. Chahan and Polo of Jin and Hebei can be described as the heroes of a country. Jianghuai's Han, Wu, and Zhang Shicheng can also be described as a momentary hero. There are also Shuzhong Ming Yuzhen, Fujian Chen Youding, Taizhou Fang Guozhen, and they can also be called the heroes of a place. Among them, Jin, Hebei, Han, Wu, and Zhang Shicheng are the most prosperous.

"Of the five, two are in the northwest and three are in the southeast. Jin and Hebei have strong soldiers, and Han Wu and Shicheng have rich fields. Who is the opponent in the world? If we only talk about the present, then the strong enemies of the lord are these five people. If you look forward to the future, the strong enemy of the lord will inevitably only appear in these five people. ”

Ji Zongzhou frowned and said, "The strength of Jin, Ji, Han, Wu, and Shicheng is known to the world. Director Fang, there is no need to talk about the heat, and please state the key points directly. ”

"The strength of Jin, Hebei, Han, Wu, and Shicheng is known to the world. From the philosophical courage, may I ask you, if you stay in five or ten years, who will be the survivor of these five strong people? Did you expect it? ”

"This ,......。" Ji Zongzhou was speechless, and said tentatively, "Chahan will be one of them." ”

Yan Zhixi said: "Wu Guogong is located between Anhui and Zhejiang, adjacent to Chen Youliang in the west and Zhang Shicheng in the east. Although his country is rich and his neighbors are strong, if there are no good generals, he is afraid that he will not be able to escape the end of destruction. Zhu, Chen, and Zhang can survive, or Chen, Zhang. ”

Ju Sheng has always been very concerned about the general trend of the world, and he has some experience, he disagrees with Yan Zhixi's opinion, and said: "Although Wu Guogong is between the two powers, Zhang Shicheng is rich and arrogant in the east, and Chen Youliang is unruly and reckless in the west. These two strengths have shortcomings. If you use the method correctly, you can break it individually. In my opinion, Zhu, Chen, and Zhang Kecun may be Wu Guogong or Chen Youliang. But Zhang Shicheng will inevitably perish sooner or later. ”

Deng She was full of interest and asked with a smile, "Why?" ”

Of course, no one knows the final outcome of this number of strong people now, but Dunshe does. Ju Sheng couldn't deduce who would survive between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang, but he conclusively deduced that Zhang Shicheng would inevitably fall. This is not much different from the real historical facts. Therefore, it is no wonder that Deng She was suddenly interested and asked Ju Sheng such a sentence.

Ju Sheng replied: "Zhang Shicheng has Zhu Yuanzhang in the west, and I have Haidong in the north. Yes is also similar to Wu Guogong's situation, located between the two powers. Today, the ministers have watched the previous battles between Shicheng and Wu Guogong, and Shicheng's strategy is far inferior to Wu Guogong. It is the two strongest neighbors of Shicheng, and it is far more powerful than the two strong neighbors of Wu Guogong. From this inference, Shicheng will inevitably be destroyed sooner or later. or die in Wu's hand, or be destroyed by me. ”

Deng She laughed and asked him again: "Southeast Sanxiong, do you think Shicheng will die." Then the two males in the northwest, Chahan and Polo, who survives and who dies? ”

Ju Sheng said: "Chahan and Polo are both the generals of Mengyuan, and they are also the two people who are the most capable of fighting and relying on Mengyuan today, so the director of Shicai Fang described the two of them as the heroes of a country." Which of these two survives and who dies, but no minister knows. ”

Chahan and Polo were both generals of Mengyuan, different from the heroes of Jiangnan. The Jiangnan heroes are divided, and they are very free to fight each other, and no one cares. And although Chahan and Polo are not in harmony, they will also be somewhat constrained by the capital. Therefore, Ju Sheng said that it was not for him to know which of the two of them would survive and who would die.

Deng She nodded, and seeing that Hong Jixun didn't speak for a while, he asked, "Ji Gong thinks that Chahan must be one of the survivors of the top five. Yan Gong thought that Wu Guogong might not exist. The big eyes thought that Shicheng would inevitably not exist. Sir is a wise man, in your opinion, who will survive in these five powers? ”

Hong Jixun originally disdained to answer Fang Congzhe's question, but only then did he speak when he saw Deng She's question. He said categorically: "In the opinion of the ministers, the survivors of these five strong will be Chahan and Wu Guogong. ”

Deng She smiled in surprise and said, "Why? Is that so sure, sir? ”

"The two heroes in the northwest, Chahan and Polo, although they are both generals, their power has long been far greater than that of the Yuan court. Strong branches and weak stems, that is, for this reason. And the armies of the two of them, mostly recruited for themselves, have little to do with the Yuan court. Eating and using are all self-sufficient, wearing and wearing are from themselves, from generals to soldiers, many of them only know the main general, not Emperor Yuan. It is the power of the main general, and it is far higher than Emperor Yuan.

"It's a strong branch and a weak trunk, and it's the main general. And the two have long been at odds. In this way, even if or due to the intervention of the Yuan court, they will not make a big move for the time being, and once the time goes by and the contradictions deepen, the Yuan Emperor will not be able to control it. And if these two people meet each other, Chahan is so strong that it is obviously better than Polo. Then who wins and who loses, needless to say, it is naturally visible. Yes, the two males in the northwest, the survivors will be able to see the Han yes. ”

"What about the three southeastern heroes?"

"As for the three southeastern heroes. The survivor is, of course, Wu Guogong. ”

"Why?"

"Just now, Lord Ju said that Chen Youliang is untamed and rigid, although Zhang Shicheng is rich and brittle. This assessment is still very pertinent. Lord Ju also said that if Wu Guogong dealt with it properly, he would be able to defeat each of these two enemies. This inference is also very good. From these two evaluations and inferences, it is natural that there is no need to say more, and we can draw the conclusion that 'the survivor must be Wu Guogong'. ”

Including Ju Sheng, they are all confused. Ju Sheng asked, "How did Sir come to this conclusion from these two evaluations and inferences?" The lower officials listened attentively. ”

Hong Jixun glanced at him and said, "I'll give you an example." Just a few months ago, Chen Youliang invaded Wu on a large scale and returned home. Regarding this battle, I heard that he had asked Zhang Shicheng to act together. But because Shi Cheng looked forward and backward, he couldn't wait, so he went out alone. And because of this, he was defeated.

"Isn't this example exactly what you said about the two of them? A leaf falls to know the world in autumn. It can be seen that between friendship and sincerity, their hearts are not aligned, and the personalities of the two people are one strong and one soft, one strong and one weak. In this way, even if there are three or four such enemies, how can they be Zhu Yuanzhang's opponents?

"Zhu Yuanzhang is also a person, I have heard a lot of things about him in the past year or so, and I know a little about him. Although he was born recklessly, he has the ambition to fly high. You are a prince of the country, and you can be humble and humble to break the corporal. Brave enough to go into battle to kill the enemy, sleep in the barracks at night, and be safe. Wen is enough to govern the country and secure the country, and whenever a place is placed, it must first seek a wise man. has ambitions for the world, and Liu Ji and the other four people said that they were 'Mr. Qu Si for the world'. This person is also a master. This Cao Cao and Sun Quan are also first-class.

"Friendship and sincerity have such strong neighbors, but they are still half-hearted, and they don't know how to join forces. The defeat of these two people will be five or six years at most, and three or four years at least, and the princes will be able to see it with their own eyes. ”

Deng She clapped his palm, admired, and said, "Sir's opinion, it is really clever. ”

Hong Jixun disagreed, and said: "The lord praises, but the minister doesn't dare to be." This common sense also. Visionary people can see it. What a compliment? "If you want to say this to another person, such as Yao Haogu, people will think that he is being modest. But when it came out of Hong Jixun's mouth, the taste changed, and it became arrogant. Among the ministers, such as Yan Zhixi, Ju Sheng, Liu Mingjiang, etc., they couldn't help frowning slightly.

Deng She smiled, asked Fang Congzhe, and said, "Mr. Hong and Zhu Gong's analysis is very clever. You asked this question, what is your opinion? ”

Fang Congzhe said: "The words of the princes are reasonable. And the humble only has the same opinion as Lord Hong. ”

"In other words, do you also think that among the top five, the ones who will survive will be Chahan and Wu Guogong?"

"Exactly."

At this time, everyone in the hall sat on their seats because they were having dinner just now. Only Fang Congzhe was standing. After hearing his answer, Deng She was not in a hurry to listen to him before he spoke, motioned to the guards to take a chair, put it in the hall, and said, "Please sit down." ”