After breakfast, Fang Jun went to the study room, made a pot of tea, and wanted to calm down and read for a while. I'm really tired of going to banquets and drinking wine all these days. It would be nice to have half a day of free time and calm down and read a book to cultivate my sentiments.
Unexpectedly, he had just ordered his servant to politely indicate his absence if someone came to deliver an invitation, and then the servant knocked on the door and came in.
Looking at the invitation placed on the desk in front of him, the words "Pei Shouyue greets you" were written in silver hooks and iron strokes, and he said helplessly: "Invite people in."
Even if no one is seen, it is impossible not to see Pei Xingjian.
Previously, Pei Xingjian was left in Huating Town for several years. On the one hand, it was to hone Pei Xingjian's abilities. On the other hand, it was to capture a "low-paid, high-energy" labor force. Now, he was transferred to the capital to follow the prince to the democratic government. Department, this has always been cultivated as the core of his team.
Not long after, Mr. Pei, who was handsome and handsome in a moon-white robe, pushed open the door and came in. He bowed his head to the ground and said respectfully: "I have met the Duke of Yue in this lowly position."
Fang Junduan sat motionless in his chair. He just waved his hands casually and said warmly: "You and I are brothers and we meet in private. Why should we stick to etiquette? Come on, come on, sit down and have a cup of tea."
"Here."
Pei Xingjian was not polite. Hearing this, he stood up straight and came forward to sit opposite Fang Jun. He grabbed the teapot from Fang Jun's hand and poured tea into the two teacups on the desk.
Fang Jun raised his hand to signal Pei Xingjian to drink tea. He picked up the teacup and took a sip, then asked, "Are you still getting used to being transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs?"
Pei Xingjian picked up the tea cup and put it in his hand, thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "In Huating Town, I was fortunate to have the trust of the Duke of Yue. I can say that I follow the law and can decide anything with one word. Of course, the responsibility is not small." , but they work together as one, without any shirk. Now that I have entered the Ministry of Civil Affairs, I find that the bad habits in the officialdom have been there for a long time. Even with His Highness the Crown Prince at the forefront, there are still constraints everywhere. What is more serious is that people are superfluous and shirk each other. If you want to make a difference, it’s really difficult.”
His words were full of frustration.
Although he is a descendant of the Pei family in Hedong, he has not been able to go deep into the various ministries of the imperial court before. Even when he was serving, he never tried to understand it with his heart. Instead, like most of the dandy boys, he just put his name on it and ate and drank after ordering it every day. Have fun.
Now, carrying the rich achievements of Huating Town, he stepped into the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and at the same time, he was charged with the task of reforming the currency system for the prince. He was very ambitious and ambitious, but in the end, he seemed to have stepped into a quagmire, and he couldn't use all his strength.
Nowadays, the world is peaceful, the government is clear, and the empire is prosperous. However, the officialdom is still full of bad habits. It can be seen that those years of political turmoil in the history books were really gloomy...
"hehe."
Fang Jun smiled and said warmly: "You are too impatient. The Ministry of Civil Affairs is the center of the empire's wealth and food. Although there are some unavoidable officialdom bad habits, it is definitely not as bad as you have seen. It's just The interests involved are too great, and even if the prince wants to control the situation, it will be difficult, so some people are deliberately holding you back."
After a pause, he taught solemnly: "Wherever there are people, there is struggle. Whether it is Huating Town or the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the essence is actually the same. It's just that Huating Town is too small and its various components are much simpler. , coupled with someone’s prestige and your ability, that’s why you can move your fingers freely. When you get to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, everything involved is huge interests, and mixed in are the forces representing the interests of all parties. It is absolutely impossible to think about being as relaxed as in Huating Town. Don't be impatient under such circumstances. If you are anxious, you will easily do the wrong thing. Once those people catch you, they will drag you into the abyss of eternal destruction. "
He is qualified to say such things.
In his previous life, he was promoted from a poor boy to a deputy county-level official. Although he may not have much power, he can still cope with the ecology of the officialdom calmly, dealing with various forces and playing both sides.
In this life, he has risen through the ranks, relying on his family background, background, and ability to reach his current position as an important official in the dynasty. His views on officialdom were enough to teach Pei Xingjian.
Pei Xingjian was a little frustrated when he heard this, and sighed: "Thank you very much for the teachings of the Duke of Yue... But having said that, if you are so cautious all day long, for fear of making mistakes, how can you achieve anything? Do too much and make many mistakes. , If you don’t do well, will you end up hanging around in that yamen, collaborating with others?”
For an ambitious young man, the most cruel thing is to "be in harmony with the light".
The environment can most affect a person's will. If you are in a group that is actively forging ahead and looking forward to death, even a coward can muster up the courage to charge into battle; on the contrary, even a person with great ambition will remain in a decadent and filthy place for a long time. The environment will also wear away one's mind and spirit, and make everyone lose sight of them.
If it is close to vermilion, it will be red, if it is close to ink, it will be black; if the sound is harmonious, the sound will be clear, and if the shape is straight, the shadow will be straight.
Pei Xingjian had great expectations and hopes for his own future. He was able to gain Fang Jun's attention, and now he was promoted to the prince's staff. He might be able to serve as a general or prime minister in the future, and he could even accomplish something glorious for the ages. go down in history.
How can we be willing to fall into a decadent environment, depressed and frustrated?
Fang Jun, however, spoke in a relaxed tone and said with a smile: "Everything in the world, if it wants to grow and prosper, cannot escape from a 'moment'. The same is true for people, no matter whether they amass a fortune or rise to great heights, apart from their own abilities and efforts, Either you know how to create momentum, or you know how to take advantage of it. The imperial power is supreme, and as human ministers, we naturally cannot stir up the situation and create fortune, otherwise it will be suspected of overstepping and it will be the root of trouble, so we can only take advantage of the momentum."
Pei Xingjian thought this topic sounded new and couldn't help but ask: "What is taking advantage of the situation?"
Fang Jun said: "If you don't know the potential, you can't be a human being. If the potential changes and you are not aware of it, you will definitely fail. Therefore, if you want to take advantage of the potential, you must first understand what 'potential' is, and then you can take advantage of the potential."
After a pause, he continued: "Just like your current situation, if you want to use your own strength to break through the nests within the Ministry of Civil Affairs, it will be difficult to reach the sky. If you want to break the situation, you can only take advantage of the situation. This' What is "power"? Of course it is the prince. The prince is the crown prince of the country. He is subordinate to one person and superior to tens of thousands of people."
Pei Xingjian blinked and suddenly realized.
Putting down the tea cup in his hand, he said excitedly: "Do you mean, Duke Yue, to let the humble position wait?"
Fang Jun smiled and said, "You can teach me!"
Pei Xingjian clapped his hands excitedly: "Hey! After hearing what you said, my humble job suddenly became enlightened!"
What does it mean to be “below one person and above tens of thousands of people”? This is the crown prince of the country, with political power second only to the emperor. At the beginning of the Spring Festival, His Majesty will personally conquer Goguryeo. The one who will stay in Chang'an will definitely be the prince. At that time, the emperor will be away, and the prince will be the only decision-maker at the center of the court, naturally enjoying almost the same power as the emperor.
This is "potential!"
He entered the Ministry of Civil Affairs as an aide to the prince, and his mission was to assist the prince in completing the currency reform, which would not only bring the empire's financial resources to a higher level, but also significantly increase the economic impact on surrounding countries, even if he had to win without a fight. , We must also mess with the morale of the military, money, food, and troops.
As long as His Majesty leaves Chang'an in person, his "power" will come.
Now that he has confirmed what his "power" is, if he doesn't understand how to "take advantage of the power", then Fang Jun's cultivation of him will be in vain.
After thinking about this, Pei Xingjian's face showed joy, and his frustration was gone. He said excitedly: "Don't worry, Mr. Yue. During this time, my humble position has already collected the money, grain, and taxes of the yamen in recent years." After going through the accounts, I will also sort out the tax changes in the past two years when I look back, find out a pattern from them, and make preparations before the currency reform. When the 'luck' comes, I will be able to come up with a proper plan. The plan is coming. It’s just that I’m not too familiar with it yet, and I still need more guidance from the Duke of Yue.”
Fang Jun nodded and said: "The reform of the currency system is imperative because of the huge constraints currently restricting the economic leap of the empire. But after all, a country's currency is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. The slightest mistake will cause social instability, so we must be cautious. , we would rather waste the opportunity and hinder the development of the empire, but we must not rush for quick success, otherwise things will be counterproductive, and we will all be guilty of the empire."
Nowadays, merchants in the Tang Dynasty are prosperous, especially foreign trade, which is improving with each passing day and climbing to new heights. Currency reform is imperative.
However, even with the power of currency, if he failed to investigate the current trade situation of the Tang Dynasty in detail and made rash reforms, it would most likely lead to serious consequences. Although it will not cause the entire economic environment to suffer a heavy blow like the inflation and deflation caused by the paper currency era, even a slight fluctuation will have a fatal impact on the current extremely primitive and backward economy.
