…
Sun Biao and three others looked at each other. When they saw Zhao Sen and four others, Ma Guocheng was the first to grin and said, "Isn't this Zhao Sen? What, the class is over?"
Zhao Sen nodded: "Yes, Captain Ma. I have handed over the work and came here specially to have a bowl of noodles."
Sun Biao said: "Okay, okay, busy with you, go back and rest early after eating."
Then he told the restaurant owner: "The money for their table will be charged to my account."
Zhao Sen hurriedly said: "Mr. Sun Qian, how can I let you spend money? I will pay for your face today."
Zhou Boxiong laughed when he heard this and said, "Zhao Sen, you have only been in Chang'an for a few days, and you are so anxious to please your boss?
We are all face-conscious people, so why would we fall in love with your three melons and two dates? Just keep your salary for yourself.
I heard that you have recently taken a fancy to a house in Baiguanyuan, Dongjun? It's a nice place. Every house is equipped with a bamboo waterwheel. It's warm in winter and cool in summer. But the house price is a bit expensive. You'd better save up to buy a house.
It's really difficult. I'll guarantee you that you can get a low-interest loan from Anhu Bank Longsheng Bank first, and then you can settle down your family. With your income, you can barely repay the money in five or six years at most. "
After saying that, Sun Biao and the others found a table and sat down. Ma Guocheng immediately said to the restaurant owner: "Three bowls of hot soup noodles, add more pepper and matsutake mushrooms."
When the noodle shop owner heard this, he went to work with enthusiasm.
What Sun Biao and the others said was true. They really looked down on the courtesy of their subordinates. Which of them had not made their fortune through military service? These so-called "meager" salaries are just enough for them to eat and drink for a few days. Just by renting out their fields in the Far East, they can earn an enviable monthly income.
Being treated to a meal by his boss, Zhao Sen saved another breakfast. After being extremely grateful, he finished eating noodles with his subordinates, performed military salutes with Sun Biao and the other two, and quickly left the noodle shop.
As soon as they left, Ma Guocheng immediately yelled and cursed in displeasure: "Shame! These snarky scholars are getting more and more angry as they think about it. They all talk about benevolence, justice and morality, but do they understand what the overall situation is?!"
Zhou Boxiong took out a pipe from his waist and poured it into the pipe while saying: "I say, old horse, you don't need to be full of evil fire. What can you complain about?
Who is Your Majesty? A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood have come here, but are you still being led by these useless rotten scholars? Look, these fools will pay the price sooner or later. "
Sun Biao took a pair of chopsticks, held one in each hand, rubbed the chopsticks for a while and said, "Okay, there's no need for a little guy like Wang Daofu to get angry with him.
Do you really think that all the six officials in the court are vegetarians? Since they want to seek death themselves, we shouldn't stop them and see what tricks they can come up with. "
Ma Guocheng sighed: "It's a shame that Your Majesty didn't reuse these corrupt scholars. If you let them govern the country, I'm afraid that in less than two years, the people will be in dire straits!"
Sun Biao said: "Okay, let's eat. Don't complain. After eating, we still have official business to do. The ordnance shipped to Jingzhou must be counted within two days. If anything is missing, report it to the Ministry of War in time to make up for it.
Recently, the Chu State in the south is ready to take action. It wants to use our army to focus on Xuanwu Pass and take action. It is necessary to ensure that General Wu has sufficient military pay and equipment. "
Ma Guocheng and Zhou Boxiong stopped talking and started eating the noodles as soon as they arrived.
…
"Your Majesty, do you really want to go your own way and ignore the livelihood of the people in China? Do you know that without scholars, the country will not be able to survive, and the people will not be able to survive!"
"Your Majesty, there is a severe drought in Jingdi this year, there is a locust plague everywhere, and the people are hungry. Don't you just ignore it?"
"Oh my god~ open your eyes and have mercy on me, the people of the Central Plains~"
Outside the gate of Weiyang Palace, an old man in his early fifties, dressed in a blue Confucian robe, knelt in front of the bright bluestone and let out a heart-rending cry into the palace gate.
The old man's name was Wang Daofu. He was from the same hometown as Kong Yifu, who was demoted as a first-grade scholar and was demoted to a non-grade gatekeeper. Both of them were Confucian scholars. Wang Daofu, in particular, was quite prestigious among scholars.
Wang Daofu was not from Chang'an. He originally lived in Jinling in the south. When Liu Ce was on his southern tour, he wiped out thousands of corrupt and incompetent officials and nobles in the south of the Yangtze River. Wang Daofu was the first to publicly criticize Liu Ce as a tyrant. This move must be punished by God. .
This year, the war between Mengluo and the Han Dynasty broke out, and when the war between the two armies at Xuanwu Pass was in full swing, Wang Daofu even scolded Liu Ce for resorting to militarism and putting the people in a state of dire straits.
In addition, a drought broke out in Jingdi, so Wang Daofu decisively led a group of Confucian disciples north to Chang'an, intending to "please for the people."
As a result, once he arrived in Chang'an, Wang Daofu turned a blind eye to the earth-shaking changes in Chang'an City. Instead, he satirized Liu Ce for wasting national power. Seeing that Kong Yifu, who was also a Confucian scholar, actually became a humble gatekeeper, he even scolded Liu Ce for putting the cart before the horse and being degrading to gentlemen. , determined to "scold and wake up" Liu Ce!
For six consecutive days, Wang Daofu ignored the surprised looks of the people in Chang'an and knelt outside the palace gate to "please for the people". He only asked to meet Liu Ce so that he could "point out" him on the spot on how to be a good emperor.
Is Wang Daofu really asking for help from the people and choosing to fight Liu Ce? of course not!
The main reason why he did this was that since Liu Ce ascended the throne, the interests of the gentry have been suppressed like never before, including the Wang Daofu family.
Liu Ce's approach to appointing officials was completely different from that of the previous dynasties. Regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners, as long as they were truly talented and could manage the land and water well and bring benefits to the country and the people, they would be hired.
This was tantamount to directly declaring that the situation in which the former gentry and the royal family jointly controlled the world was broken, which was something that gentry like Wang Daofu could not tolerate.
Therefore, the reason why Wang Daofu dared to go to Beijing in such an extreme way to ask for an audience with Liu Ce regardless of life and death was because, in the final analysis, the huge gentry class supported him in doing so.
Wang Daofu was still shouting hysterically outside the palace, while inside the Weiyang Palace, officials from the six departments were also quarreling.
However, the purpose of the quarrel among the six officials was not because of Wang Daofu. Such a trivial matter was not worthy of quarreling among these pillars of the country.
The reason for their quarrel was to compete for funding from various ministries in the second half of the year.
"Everyone, you should understand by now that our Han army is fighting with the Mengluo people outside Xuanwu Pass. The Chu State in the south is also making frequent moves. I think it is not excessive to ask for 20% more military resources for the Ministry of War."
The person who spoke was dressed in a jet black robe, with a beard on his chin, and his expression was calm and composed. He looked polite and courteous, but his eyes were gleaming, giving people a very sinister and uncomfortable feeling.
This person is Xu Wenjing, the greatest contributor to Liu Ce's founding of the country. After taking refuge with Liu Ce in his early years, he repeatedly made extraordinary suggestions to help Liu Ce gain power step by step. Now he is the Minister of War of the Han Dynasty and the best candidate for the chief minister of the cabinet.
Xu Wenjing's abilities are obvious to everyone, but because the situations he lays out are often extremely sinister, and because of his character of repaying his flaws, almost all the officials in the six departments don't like to have a close relationship with him, but Xu Wenjing doesn't care at all.
"Xu Shangshu, I don't like hearing what you say. It is true that Han and Mongolia were at war, but are the people's livelihood just because of the war and are they indifferent?"
The person who spoke had a serious look on his face. It was Qin Mo, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue. He started his career with Liu Ce earlier than Xu Wenjing. By letting him handle the internal affairs, Liu Ce could conquer everywhere without any worries.
