When Wen Tianxiang went home, he brought a bag of tips, which was the twenty pearls given to him by Zhao Guan's family. From Wen Tianxiang's point of view, the quality of these beads is also quite good. In the carriage, Wen Tianxiang wanted to go home. Every time he saw Zhao Guan's family and Empress Qin together, Wen Tianxiang couldn't help but feel the benefits of the family.

As the eldest son of a large landowner in Jiangxi, Wen Tianxiang has been rich and noble since childhood. The young man was admitted to the top prize, and he was even a beautiful concubine and courtesan, and he was a dog and horse. He is a person who enjoys it. Twenty fine pearls are not cheap, and they are not something that Wen Tianxiang cannot bear. However, when Empress Qin handed Zhao Guanjia a bag of pearls, her demeanor was very simple. If you ask for a bag of pearls, you will give a bag of pearls. Unintentionally.

Wen Tianxiang could see that Empress Qin had something to find an official, and immediately said goodbye and left after getting the gift. When I got home, I didn't wait for Wen Tianxiang to take out the beads, and I saw that there were many gifts in the living room on the first floor of the house. It's already December, and it's almost New Year's Day, so normally we have to walk around each other. Wen Tianxiang belongs to the kind of people who are not very normal.

Rich, capable, and an important official of the family, Wen Tianxiang is qualified to be capricious. He didn't like to associate with a lot of people. Etiquette is still exchanged, Wen Tianxiang is so arrogant, and other officials have no reason to bow to Wen Tianxiang. There must be something wrong with so many gifts in front of you.

The matter of sending the beads was postponed, and Wen Tianxiang asked his wife what was going on.

"Suddenly a lot of people came with gifts, and I was embarrassed to turn them away." Mrs. Wen replied.

"We don't lack these things in our house. Next time, don't accept gifts from people with ulterior intentions. Wen Tianxiang complained.

Mrs. Wen was told like this, and she wanted to grit her teeth and admit it. But she still couldn't hold back, "Official, you are an official in the imperial court, and other people's families have some relatives and friends, but our family does not." In addition to our classmates, our children have no other childhood sweethearts. ”

"What's wrong with classmates. I see that the children are motivated. Wen Tianxiang's opinion on his wife is not acceptable.

Mrs. Wen is not happy now. It's just that the official affairs of the court are not up to her, so Mrs. Wen got up indignantly, "I'll have people send these things back tomorrow!" ”

"I've collected everything, what's the point of sending it back." Wen Tianxiang sighed. After speaking, he stood up and handed it to his wife, "This is a gift from the official family." Rest assured, the official family has no other intentions. ”

As a result, Mrs. Wen put down a sentence, "How could the official family not have intentions." He wants you to remain loyal to the court. ”

After speaking, Mrs. Wen took the bag and went upstairs.

Madame's words made it difficult for Wen Tianxiang to refute, where would the adult world really have no intentions. But Wen Tianxiang was not willing to compromise with his wife's opinion, and he said loudly to his wife who was walking up the stairs on the first floor: "After the official family expresses their intentions, this matter has been closed. Others show kindness to set the stage for their next step. The two are still very different! ”

After listening to this, Mrs. Wen stopped for a while, just when Wen Tianxiang thought that Mrs. would turn her head and say something, but saw Mrs. continue to go upstairs without saying a word, leaving Wen Tianxiang downstairs alone.

Early the next morning, Mrs. Wen invited Mrs. Xiong Shangshu to come. Wen Tianxiang saw that Mrs. Xiong brought a black and white dog, and the dog was sitting by the door of the living room with unusual intelligence and stability. Quietly watching the two women happily discuss the color of the pearl and how to process it. When Wen Tianxiang left, he couldn't help but look at the black and white dog again, and this time the dog changed from a squatting posture to lying on the ground. It doesn't bark, it doesn't bark, it waits like a beautiful piece of decorative furniture.

Seeing Wen Tianxiang looking at him, the dog also looked back at Wen Tianxiang with a smart gaze. When he went out, Wen Tianxiang's mind was still the kind gaze of other people's dogs. This well-informed man couldn't help but wonder if his family used to have fake dogs.

When he came back in the afternoon, Wen Tianxiang found that his wife had changed into a pair of pearl earrings and was happily entertaining guests. Seeing Li Tingzhi, a guest, Wen Tianxiang became a little vigilant.

The two sat down, Li Tingzhi first exchanged a few words, and then talked about the current government and politics, "I am now in office, and I can finally relax." ”

For such an entry point, Wen Tianxiang couldn't help but recall the reason why Li Tingzhi became a celebrity. Zhao Guanjia implemented the standard time of Zhishi, which was 55 years old at that time. At that time, Li Tingzhi, the governor of Nanchang, resisted the land reform and went smoothly. It is solved systematically. This method caused quite a stir at the time.

Li Tingzhi continued to express a high-sounding truth, "The official family was originally the prime minister of the Great Song Dynasty, and now he does not appoint the prime minister, but still implements the prime minister." I think the official family is too hard. ”

Wen Tianxiang looked at Li Tingzhi, and many thoughts were turning in his heart.

Li listened and looked at Wen Tianxiang's thoughtful expression, and said tentatively: "If according to the previous system, Brother Wen has done so many errands, and when he returns to the court, he will at least be in power. ”

Hearing this, Wen Tianxiang couldn't help but nod. Yesterday he went to see Zhao Jiaren, and the two of them sipped black tea and chatted very frankly. Zhao Jiaren said: "Rui Song, I know that many civil officials hope that I can understand nothing like other officials in the Great Song Dynasty, so that I can be deceived by them. ”

Wen Tianxiang could still remember the feeling of an electric current rushing from the root of his tail to the Tianling Gai. Such an accusation can already be attributed to the crime of defrauding the king, although the Great Song Dynasty did not kill the scholar doctor with his words, but he did not kill the scholar doctor. Even if the crime of bullying the king is not killed, it is also dismissal and exile. It's no ordinary thing.

"You don't have to panic, if I don't know what they think, I'll probably be angry. Now that I know, of course I won't be angry. Zhao Jiaren said with a smile.

Wen Tianxiang asked at the time: "If the official family thinks that those people are disloyal, please announce their viciousness and send them to the frontier." ”

"Speaking of the Frontier, I actually have a heart problem. There was talk of sending prisoners to the frontier, but I don't think that's appropriate. When the prisoners joined the army, they had already come up with the title of thief with the army, and added the word stab. The status of the military has plummeted. If I mention the frontier in the Great Song Dynasty, I think of the places where all kinds of prisoners are, then who would be willing to go to the frontier to make contributions. When you think about the Tang and Song dynasties, although it was hard to guard the border, it was where the achievements were made. When it comes to the frontier, it is the north wind that sweeps the white grass and folds, and the snow flies in August. Suddenly, like a night of spring breeze, thousands of trees and pear blossoms bloom. ”

After that, Wen Tianxiang and Zhao Jiaren talked about these serious things, but they didn't expect that the next day, someone began to incite Wen Tianxiang.

Nodding slightly, Wen Tianxiang still gently twisted his beard. Seeing Wen Tianxiang like this, Li Tingzhi showed joy, "It seems that Brother Wen wants to be the prime minister." ”

"Great Song officials, who doesn't feel that the prime minister's status is respected." Wen Tianxiang said with a smile. Yesterday, Wen Tianxiang asked a question, 'Does Zhao Jiaren want to pass on the war to the next generation?' Now Wen Tianxiang understands his true thoughts, he is a little worried that Zhao Jiaren will pass on the current situation of the Great Song Dynasty to the next generation.

What you want to be an official below is merit, and you don't consider this when you are a prime minister. The responsibility of the prime ministers was to solve the problems that the local officials could not solve, and to formulate the general policy strategy of the imperial court. The policy is effective, and there will naturally be political achievements below. With political achievements, the prime minister's position will be secured.

Now Zhao Guanjia is serving as prime minister himself, and he is doing a very good job. As Wen Tianxiang saw on Lianghuai Road, at least the production of raw silk in rural areas has skyrocketed, and cotton cultivation has also begun to spread near the Yellow River. The income of the people is increasing rapidly. The policy of substituting money for copper coins was also successful, and farmers had to sell cash crops to grow them. With the supply and marketing cooperatives, the peasants made money and spent it. As soon as this entry and exit, the economy immediately became active.

In the past, it was the official family that needed to rely on civil servants to govern the country and military generals to fight. Now the situation in the Great Song Dynasty has become that civil officials rely on the policies of the official family to obtain merit, and military generals rely on the guidance of the official family to achieve victory. It is equivalent to a reversal. If this situation continues, the tradition of scholars and officials ruling the world together will be completely broken.

After this layer of window paper in his heart was punctured, Wen Tianxiang's thinking was no longer suffocated. He said to Li Tingzhi, who was full of expectations: "Brother Li, but I don't know how many people in the court want to restore the prime minister. ”

Of course, Li Tingzhi would not confess, he smiled and said: "Although there are many people who have this idea, if the official family does not agree, I can't wait." You have to be like-minded first. ”

"I'm a coward. Let me lead, I won't. Wen Tianxiang smiled and expressed his attitude first.

Li Tingzhi frowned slightly, he and some people hoped that Wen Tianxiang would be able to jump out and pick his head. However, they also know that Wen Tianxiang is not a fool, and now at least Wen Tianxiang does not object, even if it is a good progress.

Wen Tianxiang disdains a lot of things in officialdom, which doesn't mean that he doesn't know these methods. sent Li Tingzhi away very well, Wen Tianxiang sat on the sofa, very happy in his heart. Grasping a certain trend in the imperial court is like opening the eyes of the sky. This sudden enlightenment also includes the current situation of the Great Song Dynasty. That's even more satisfying.

After ordering a cigar, Wen Tianxiang leaned back on the sofa and thought about it according to his previous thoughts. He found that he could not support the current model more, or the traditional model of the previous Great Song Dynasty. Now the Mongols still pose a certain threat to the Great Song Dynasty, and Zhao Guanjia is also the prime minister, Wen Tianxiang feels that he has the bottom in his heart. No matter what the situation is, it will not make him feel afraid.

However, compared with the traditional model of the Great Song Dynasty, foreign enemies did not make the Great Song Dynasty feel afraid. Such a strong official is a bit frightening.

In the past 30 years, there have only been two real prime ministers in the Great Song Dynasty. One is Zhao Jiaren, who ruled after the surrender of Lin'an, and the other is Jia Nidao, who is believed to have caused Lin'an's surrender. When Jia Rudao was on stage, like those powerful prime ministers, he created a lot of pressure on the ministers. Jia Rudao was dismissed because of a bad thing. The Zhao official family had to give up the power of the prime minister, so what kind of big thing had to happen?

Jia Yidao didn't have telepathic ability, so he didn't know what Wen Tianxiang was saying about him at this time. If Wen Tianxiang dared to accuse Jia Nidao in person of causing Lin'an to surrender, Jia Nidao would definitely firmly oppose it. In Jia Yidao's view, if he hadn't gone to defend Ezhou back then, the situation of Lin'an's surrender would have broken out earlier. Jia Yidao also once reflected on his own governance, and he felt that his only mistake back then was only one, that is, underestimating Zhao Jiaren.

Time has allowed Jia to gradually get rid of emotional considerations, and his reflection in the past two years is completely different from previous years. Jia Rudao admitted that he was still not generous enough, and he was using his experience to tell his eldest grandson the key points of politics.

"Da Lang, the Tao Te Ching says, I don't see it; It is not self-sufficient; If you don't kill yourself, you have merit; not self-conscious; The husband is indisputable, so the world can not fight with it. Not fighting is not not doing things, but not fighting for fame and fortune, only doing things themselves. I originally thought that this was a fool's blowing, but in the past two years, I suddenly realized that I was really trapped by fame and fortune when I was in the prime of life. ”

Jia Weixin listened attentively, and like all young people, he was very interested in the stories that had happened with a clear guiding path. Although the things told by his grandfather were too high, Jia Weixin still listened to them with relish.

"Da Lang, what do you think was my biggest mistake back then?"

"Please also let Azu know." Jia Weixin is reluctant to directly blame his grandfather.

"My biggest mistake back then was that I wasn't broad-minded and couldn't tolerate people. Therefore, he wants to be alone and will never share power with others. I can't say that I did it all wrong back then, and those who want to be the right prime minister are also trapped by fame and fortune, so they are better than me alone if they become the right prime minister. ”

Jia Weixin has been an official for so long, and those who are trapped by fame and fortune have seen too much. So he very much agrees with his grandfather's point of view.

"But I didn't see Zhao Jiaren's talent back then, although he paid 120,000 copper coins a month for the imperial court back then, I think he was too capable to entrust me with important tasks, so as not to threaten my position. But he didn't see how much Zhao Jiaren had contributed to the imperial court. If others can do as much as Zhao Jiaren's one, they can get ten times his official position. I'm just bullying people! ”

Looking back on the past, there was no regret or loss in Jia Yidao's voice, only a faint melancholy. Jia Weixin listened carefully, and he himself had a lot of confusion about how to choose collaborators and how to promote his subordinates. My grandfather is the best teacher, or at least someone I can learn from.

"If I was willing to let Zhao Jiaren be the right prime minister. It will never end up where it is today. Therefore, the heart of guarding against others is indispensable, and the heart of harming others is indispensable. I was too selfish, and in the end I was burdened by selfishness. ”

When Jia Weixin heard this, he couldn't help but ask: "Azu, the Zhao official family also hid their strength back then. When he becomes the right prime minister, he may not really use all his strength. ”

"Your idea is to work backwards from the results of the moment. If he becomes the right prime minister, he must use all his strength. If Lin'an surrendered, Zhao Jiaren fled, and after he formed the Fuzhou court, he was majestic and won every battle. What do the people of the world think of him? Do you think he is the one who saved the Great Song Dynasty, or do you think he is a traitor who is insidious and cunning and does not hesitate to betray the court! ”

In Jia Weixin's view, Zhao Jiaren's path to power is simply a one-stop job. It seems that power should naturally belong to him, and even God is helping Zhao Jiaren. Now listening to his grandfather's story, Jia Weixin also feels that his eyes have been opened. Zhao Jiaren was able to seize the throne because the whole world felt that the Zhao official family was loyal. It's the big hero. What he can be criticized for in his life is probably the seizure of the throne.

But after all, this is the Zhao family's business, and the achievements of the Zhao official family are worthy of the emperor's status. Moreover, the Empress Dowager Yang and the petty official family are not dead, which in a sense also proves the character of Zhao Jiaren himself. In fact, he can play tricks to let the Empress Dowager Yang and the petty official family die, and then inherit the throne smoothly.

Looking at it now, the reason why Zhao Guan's road is so smooth is precisely because others tried to take the credit of Zhao Jiaren, but let Zhao Jiaren get rid of the dilemma of dog-eat-dog. As Jia Yidao said, if Zhao Jiaren became the right prime minister of the Great Song Dynasty, he would probably have to preside over the responsibility of the decisive battle with the Mongol army that invaded the south. With Zhao Jiaren's military talent, the tragedy of General Lin'an's surrender will definitely not occur.

After thinking for a while, Jia Weixin asked: "Azu, if Zhao Jiaren wins, wouldn't he want to be rewarded by Zuo Cheng?" ”

"If I fully recommend Zhao Jiaren to be the right prime minister, someone will let him be the left prime minister, can he do it? Even if I had to quit then, wouldn't it be ten thousand times better than now! Besides, in the more than 300 years of the Great Song Dynasty, how many prime ministers have changed. I have come down to enjoy happiness, and I am not a hundred times stronger than I am now. ”

"Uh-huh!" Jia Weixin nodded repeatedly. If things are really as Jia Nidao hopes, and Jia Nidao can calmly give up Prime Minister Zuo, then Jia Nidao's status and prestige will not only not be lost in the slightest, but will go to a higher level because of his talent for the country. Thinking about it this way, blindly being trapped by self-interest is harming oneself.

"But you're still young, so you don't have to be like me. If you are young, you will not be convinced, and everywhere around you is a guy like Zhao Jiaren. You don't have to make the slightest concession to those who are confused by utilitarianism. All of this is in response to what you said earlier. How to choose the people who do business, how to choose the people to support. You see people who can keep themselves, and if they're the kind of people who do things, you work with them. ”

"Do you have to be able to protect yourself?" Jia Weixin grasped the main point.

"Look at a person like Li Tingzhi, if there is no one to protect him, he will not be able to protect himself. Do you think he can hold Yangzhou on his own? Look at the people under him, after the Great Song Dynasty had already recaptured Lin'an, they even colluded with the Mongols. Relying on helping people to hold Yangzhou is a big joke. Look at Zhao Jiaren again, he can not only protect himself, but also open up. ”

"Isn't it hard to restrain such people?"

"Huh. Da Lang, I had the same idea as you back then, and I felt that Zhao Jiaren was difficult to restrain it. Refuse to give him a chance. After waiting for more than ten years, it dawned on me that there are many friends and many paths. To give someone a way is to give yourself a way. It's impossible to get everything in your hands alone. ”

Jia Weixin nodded repeatedly. Although this dialogue is too high-minded, it is still the kind of truth that seems to tell people who can't believe it, true morality. But this content is combined with a very realistic experience, combined with an extremely painful family history. Those things that seem to be what saints need to do are so vivid and tightly entangled with interests.

If Jia seems to be tolerant of people, he knows the truth of retreating bravely from the rapids. He will serve as the one who saved the Great Song Dynasty from the danger of destruction twice. In the history books, what a lot of ink will be used to praise Jia Yidao's exploits. Feeling this, Jia Weixin had to admit that the reason why the great truth is the great truth is indeed because they are right.

Thinking of this, Jia Wei confidently said to his grandfather: "Azu, I understand. ”

"You still don't understand." Jia Rudao reminded: "You remember, if a person can't save himself, you can save him. But never work with such people. No matter how talented that person looks, you'll be dragged into the water by him. ”

Jia Weixin asked very seriously, "How do I know that he can't protect himself?" Azu, there are many times when I feel like I can't protect myself. ”

Hearing his grandson's words, Jia Rudao couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "Alas! You guys! It's really not as good as the generation! ”

Jia Weixin secretly stuck out his tongue, but he didn't take his grandfather's criticism to heart. Jia Rudao didn't hold on to his grandson unrelentingly. After going through so much, Jia Rudao also admitted that creation made people. He believes that both he and Zhao Jiaren are the top talents of the Great Song Dynasty, and even so, both have had moments of despair. Therefore, whether or not you can protect yourself is actually a very personal question. Jia Rudao means that he can protect himself on an errand of Jia Weixin's level.

It's really at the level of Jia Rudao Zhao Jiaren, and they have to resign themselves to fate many times. For example, if Zhao Jiaren met a more moral Jia Yidao, from the perspective of Zhao Jiaren's interests, he would face misfortune. Zhao Jiaren was able to get everything today precisely because others wanted to get more from him. Jia Rudao originally didn't believe that taking advantage of losses was such a thing. But he found that looking at Zhao Jiaren from the perspective of fame and fortune, this is the way things are.

Jia Weixin saw that his grandfather was tired, so he said goodbye and left. Back at his residence, Jia Weixin carefully sorted out the people around him according to the new ideas, and found that the people around him were all guys who wanted to improve themselves through their achievements. At least in Jia Weixin's opinion, these people don't look like doers. After coming to such a conclusion, Jia Weixin felt very disappointed, if these people couldn't do it, then Jia Weixin had to provoke the work of the sericulture industry. But where is this kind of thing so easy, without excellent subordinates, there is no way to solve the problem.

It seems that people who can cooperate are not so easy to appear. Jia Weixin regretfully made a conclusion.

The days passed like this, and the New Year's Day of the 326th year of the Great Song Dynasty was coming. Every year before New Year's Day, Zhao Guanjia has to make a New Year's Day speech. This speech will talk about this year's work and look forward to next year's future. Jia Weixin can only wait for newspapers and documents to be delivered whenever he is qualified to attend high-level meetings.

In the old days, the New Year's Day speech came out. The content of Zhao Guanjia's narration is: 'Next year, we will regain the lost land in Sichuan and recover the hometown of Lingxia. Seeing that the war was still going on, Jia Weixin was a little surprised.