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Hearing Wang Baoren's comments, Zhu Hejian was not angry.
After this period of experience, he also discovered his shortcomings.
Zhu Hejian used to be a mouse hiding in the ditch, but now he has become a young tiger with the opportunity to rule the mountains and forests. He is in the stage of trying to adapt.
Ever since he stood in the light, Zhu Hejian had to maintain his own image, was closely watched by too many people, and had to bear all the consequences himself, so he was always tied up and no longer as handy as before, and he also believed that he must change Suddenly the behavior changed.
Zhu Hejian's initial thought is that he can no longer be regarded as a bad person by both the government and the opposition, and should try to show more decisiveness.
But Zhu Hejian has not thought carefully about how to do it specifically.
Zhu Hejian had never had the opportunity to learn relevant knowledge before, He Ming had been unwilling to teach him, and Emperor Deqing had no time to teach him.
Although Wang Baoren's knowledge and skills are not as good as Zhou Shangjing's, and may not be better than Zhao Junchen's, he is still among the best among the officials, so Zhu Hejian is willing to listen to Wang Baoren's opinions, which is better than working alone behind closed doors.
Therefore, Zhu Hejian became more humble and said again: "Please teach me."
Wang Baoren also acted like a teacher, took another sip from the tea cup, and said slowly: "You are now sitting in Nanjing and presiding over the overall situation. In the future, you will be a half-king and half-minister. You are destined to deal with various matters." The different demands of the various forces!
These appeals may not be reasonable, may not be beneficial to you, and may even be contradictory. In this case, you need to use the methods of the emperor's mind... I am not as well versed in this as He Ming and Your Majesty, but I also have some opinions of my own. ! In my opinion, the so-called emperor's mind is nothing more than three points! "
Having said this, Wang Baoren did not give an answer directly. Instead, he looked sideways at Zhu Hejian, wanting Zhu Hejian to think alone and give an answer.
After Zhu Hejian thought carefully for a moment, he summarized Emperor Deqing's daily behavior and replied hesitantly: "Factional checks and balances? Distribution of rewards and punishments? Justified?"
After hearing Zhu Hejian's answer, Wang Baoren was very satisfied with Zhu Hejian's understanding, but in the end he shook his head and denied Zhu Hejian's answer.
"His Highness's thoughts are not wrong, but they are still not deep enough! And my answer is - remain aloof, distinguish between public and private matters, and be monopolistic!"
After giving Zhu Hejian some time to think deeply, Wang Baoren explained in detail: "The so-called maintaining aloofness is actually a prerequisite for factional checks and balances! Has His Highness carefully thought about why the temples are named 'Zhou Party,' 'Zhao Party,' These two major factions are the most popular? Your Majesty is obviously the supreme king in the world. Why do you rarely win over some civil servants as confidants in the temple to compete with the Zhou Party and Zhao Party? Even if you win over a few civil servants as your confidants, , they are all just lone ministers, they cannot be called a partisan faction at all?"
After Zhu Hejian thought again for a while, he finally looked enlightened and nodded: "That's it! My father did this to ensure his transcendent status! ...
If he deliberately recruits some civil servants as his confidants and allows these civil servants to form a party, then he will definitely be involved in the factional struggle in the temple. Not only will he need to consider more factors when making decisions, such as taking care of the interests of his own people. , if a close civil servant makes a mistake and needs to personally find a way to clean up the mess, it will even damage his prestige and credibility!
Therefore, my father has always rarely attracted civil servants as his confidants. Almost all of his confidants are concentrated in the Ministry of War and the Beijing Camp, just to help him control military power, but he will never personally participate in party struggles... This kind of approach, Just to avoid trouble, maintain prestige, and become a pure decision-maker and leader! Only in this way can the father be able to check and balance the major factions in the court with ease! "
Wang Baoren nodded and said with a smile: "That's right! Only if you have a transcendent status and have no interest in any major factions on the surface, will the major factions in the court beg you and hope that you will support them! Again! Then, your words will have weight and be convinced by all parties! In the end, you will be able to check and balance all parties with ease. When you lean slightly to the left, that means the left side has the upper hand. If you lean slightly to the right, that means the right side can win back the victory... ...The so-called "sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai" is nothing more than this!"
After a pause, Wang Baoren continued: "The so-called "maintaining detachment" also has another meaning, that is, do not express your true attitude at will, even if it is a conciliatory attitude, you cannot express it at will...
When encountering mutual attacks and fierce conflicts between various forces, since you are firmly on the Diaoyutai, just let them continue to fight with each other. As long as the situation has not shown signs of getting out of control, never leave the position easily and express your position!
Even if you already have a preference in your mind, you should wait until the situation is about to become clear before expressing your attitude. If the force you support has already gained the upper hand, then your statement will be the final word! If the force you support is at a disadvantage, then your statement can also help them recover from their disadvantage..."
Having said this, Wang Baoren frowned and criticized: "Your Highness, the reason why you are at a loss of ground and in trouble now is because you have lost your transcendent status and faced this conflict between the wealthy Jin gentry and the eunuchs of Huangzhuang. The conflict not only made the noble gentry see through that you were actually asking for something from them, but also convinced the eunuchs of the Imperial Palace that you would favor them, and directly expressed your intention to make peace without waiting for the situation to become clear...
In this way, the noble gentry and the eunuchs of the Imperial Palace are all confident and think that it is natural for you to favor them, so your words will lose weight. Everyone will only force you to support them instead of begging you to support them. them! The next step is naturally to be in a quandary and become a different person inside and outside! "
After hearing what Wang Baoren said, Zhu Hejian pondered for a long time, nodded and sighed: "That's it! What the teacher said is reasonable, and the students have been taught!"
When expressing his stance, Zhu He insisted on calling "teacher" with a hint of sincerity.
Of course, it's just a trace.
Wang Baoren was once a powerful official in the temple, and his experience and insight were exactly what Zhu Hejian needed most at the moment. …
With Zhu Hejian's intelligence and acumen, I am afraid that he will soon be able to fully understand Wang Baoren's experience and insights... At that time, whether Zhu Hejian will still retain this trace of sincerity is another matter.
Teaching apprentices and starving masters to death have been common occurrences since ancient times.
Wang Baoren was very satisfied with Zhu Hejian's respect for him. After nodding with a smile, he said: "Besides, the distinction between public and private affairs... This is the prerequisite for the distribution of rewards and punishments! The so-called rewards and punishments mainly follow the court regulations. Even the emperor cannot say it alone. Forget it! Under such circumstances, how to reward, how to punish, and how to use rewards and punishments to control officials, that is a profound knowledge!
In my opinion, on the surface, it is natural to reward those who have merit and punish those who have made mistakes. Just follow the court regulations and do things! But sometimes, some people need to be punished and warned, but there is no obvious reason. At this time, you have to use some brains and make some detours, such as arranging him to do a thankless and drudgery job. Next As long as you wait for a while, you can justly punish him;
Sometimes, some people need to be won over and appeased. If you want to take the initiative to give them some benefits, you should also find a reason that is enough to convince everyone. If you must reward without merit, it must be done in private. If it is done in public, If you don't worry about this kind of thing, you are not worried about the scarcity but the inequality. Most people will be dissatisfied, and you will lose your prestige and credibility! "
Having said this, Wang Baoren frowned again and criticized again: "Your Highness, you also made the same mistake when dealing with the conflict between the Jin gentry and the Huangzhuang eunuchs! When the Jin gentry and the Huangzhuang eunuchs were fighting, When you were grabbing various resources to build your own dam, you actually took the initiative to provide them with a sum of money...
But they have absolutely no merit, so you take the initiative to give them benefits, and you give them benefits publicly, and both parties give benefits. Not only does this approach fail to earn their gratitude, but it will only make them think that they deserve more. ! Even if you want to give them benefits, you should give them privately, so that they mistakenly think that they are the only ones getting benefits from His Highness, which can also bring the relationship between the two parties closer!
All in all, the key to rewards and punishments lies in the distinction between public and private matters! Some things are suitable for doing in public, some things are suitable for finding a reason to do, and some things need to be done in private. If you choose the wrong time and occasion, no matter how generous the reward or severe the punishment, you will not be able to achieve the effect at all, but will backfire! "
Zhu Hejian nodded with a solemn expression and accepted Wang Baoren's teachings firmly in his heart.
Wang Baoren shook his head and sighed, and then said: "There is one last point, which is the exclusive right! This is also the most serious mistake you made! What is the exclusive right? It is the right to explain good and evil, right and wrong! What is good and what is Evil, what is right and what is wrong should be explained and elaborated by you yourself!
There are countless truths in this world, and these truths often conflict and contradict each other! It is a truth that human nature is inherently good, and it is also a truth that human nature is inherently evil; it is a truth that one would rather die than surrender, and it is a truth that one can bend and stretch; it is a truth that one abandons evil and pursues good, and forgets the past; it is also a truth that we must eliminate evil and do our best to correct things that have gone too far...
As long as you think about it, you will definitely be able to find a reason that is beneficial to you, and you will definitely be able to do things in a legitimate manner, but the key point is to monopolize the power of interpretation, rather than handing over relevant power to others! Otherwise, you lose the right to judge and can only do things according to other people's rules and principles! Only by monopolizing righteousness and monopolizing the right to explain good and evil, right and wrong, can we justifiably judge the rights and wrongs of all parties!
In the recent period, when Your Highness faced the wealthy gentry and the eunuchs of Huangzhuang, you gave up the relevant power to them. The wealthy gentry said that the eunuchs of Huangzhuang were competing for profits with the people, but you did not refute it. The eunuch of Huangzhuang said that the royal estates It is sacred and inviolable, and you did not interrupt, allowing others to occupy a high moral position and dictate to you... which will naturally make your situation even more unfavorable! "
Zhu Hejian had to admit that old foxes like Zhou Shangjing and Wang Baoren did have a lot to praise.
At least Wang Baoren has a much deeper understanding of officialdom rules than he does.
This is just Wang Baoren. If it were Zhou Shangjing, his understanding of official rules would probably be in another level.
Thinking of this, Zhu Hejian shook his head and smiled bitterly, and said: "The student originally thought that his coping methods during this period were at least satisfactory. It was just because of his bad image as a good person that he was always criticized by others... But Now after hearing Taishi Wang’s advice, I realize that I still have many shortcomings..."
Wang Baoren comforted him by saying: "Your Highness is still young and is not used to standing in the public eye and presiding over the overall situation. It is natural that he lacks relevant knowledge and experience! Although there are many smart people in this world, absolutely no one can know everything from birth." , I have gained these insights and experiences from my own hard work in the officialdom. Your Highness, as long as you study with an open mind, I believe you will be able to master this knowledge soon."
After hearing this, Zhu Hejian frowned more and more, and his expression became more and more unwilling: "Speaking of which, that Zhao Gechen... is only a few years older than the student, but he always goes smoothly and is handy, almost He has never stumbled, and rarely gets into trouble... Could it be that the students' talents are not as good as his?"
Wang Baoren had a sneer on his face and said: "The knowledge and wisdom of that cabinet minister Zhao may not be much better than His Highness, but he always goes smoothly in the officialdom because he has a unique skill, that is, he You can always find more benefits and benefits, and then you can distribute these benefits and benefits, or win over cronies to strengthen your own power, or ease conflicts and turn enemies into friends... I can't learn this method, and your highness can't learn it. Zhou Shangjing can’t learn from it either!
Take the recent conflict in southern Zhili as an example. If the Seventh Prince suddenly discovers tens of thousands of unowned fertile fields, and then allocates these unowned fertile fields to the wealthy Jin gentry and the eunuchs of Huangzhuang, then you will definitely be punished by both sides at the same time. Full support can also quickly ease the conflicts between the two parties, so how can they be trapped in a dilemma and be in a dilemma?
But this is also Zhao Junchen's hidden danger. If one day, his methods lose their effectiveness and he is unable to find more benefits in time and distribute them to all parties, then will he be able to go smoothly as before? "…
At this point, Wang Baoren's expression froze for a moment, and he shook his head helplessly: "However, Zhao Junchen is also a smart man. I see the various methods he has shown recently, and his knowledge and skills have grown rapidly, so when he When I can’t find more benefits to distribute, I’m afraid I’ve already established a solid foundation and a deep foundation... Therefore, Seventh Prince, you must be careful to guard against this person in the future. If you let him grow up, he will at least be the next Zhou Shangjing!”
Zhu Hejian nodded in agreement with a solemn expression.
But the next moment, Zhu Hejian quickly changed the topic and said: "But Zhao Junchen is only a distant concern, and Zhou Shangjing is a near concern! After the students heard Wang Taishi's teachings just now, they only felt that they had benefited a lot! But now even if they know their own It’s too late to fix the mistakes made before! But I don’t know, teacher, can you give me some advice and help students solve their problems regarding their current predicament?”
Wang Baoren smiled slightly and said confidently: "Of course there is a way! I have been operating in Nanzhili for many years. Although I suffered a heavy blow due to the imperial court's rectification of the Six Ministries of Nanjing, I also left some family assets and trump cards!"
As he spoke, Wang Baoren looked regretful and shook his head: "Actually, because His Highness has made continuous mistakes some time ago, I originally wanted to suggest to His Highness that he should fully support the wealthy gentry families in Southern Zhili and severely punish those royal houses. Eunuch's...
I also know that those wealthy gentry families are greedy and want to make more and more money. If you severely punish the eunuchs of the Imperial Village, they will want to reduce the number of Imperial Villages in the territory. If you reduce the number of Imperial Villages in the territory, they will want to abolish all the Imperial Estates in the territory, forever. If you fail to satisfy them, you will incur strong dissatisfaction from His Majesty and the resentment of the Inner Court Ceremony Supervisor!
But Your Highness, you will not stay in Nanzhili forever. You will return to the capital soon. There is no need to keep satisfying the demands of the wealthy gentry. You only need to temporarily alleviate the current predicament and delay time. You can also compete with Zhou Shangjing for influence. force! Moreover, after Your Highness has offended the noble gentry, they will always hold grudges, but after causing dissatisfaction between His Majesty and the Chief of Ceremonies, there is still a chance to exchange for understanding..."
Hearing what Wang Baoren said, Zhu Hejian couldn't help but frown secretly.
Zhu Hejian is a very independent person. He seems to be seeking advice from Wang Baoren now, but in fact, he has already made a decision in his mind and made relevant plans before asking Wang Baoren for advice. He will soon punish Nan Zhi. It belongs to the wealthy Jin gentry clan within the territory.
Compared with these wealthy gentry families in southern Zhili, Zhu Hejian still paid more attention to the ideas of Emperor Deqing, and was more afraid of the Chief Li Supervisor's alienation from him.
Therefore, Zhu Hejian would not agree to Wang Baoren's proposal anyway.
But fortunately, before Zhu Hejian could refute, Wang Baoren changed the topic and said: "However, after meeting Zhou Shangjing, I have changed my mind! Zhou Shangjing seems to be open-minded and easy-going, but in fact He is just an old stubborn man. When he is prejudiced against His Highness, he will spare no effort and use any means to become his enemy. Even if he is terminally ill and dying soon, he will definitely leave behind a backup plan and will never let His Highness go smoothly. Inherit the throne!"
Having said this, Wang Baoren's expression became more serious and said: "Under such circumstances, your Highness should firmly support the eunuchs of Huangzhuang, and it would be better to actively arouse the hostility of the gentry and wealthy families! The reason is also very simple. Can you, Your Highness, successfully inherit the throne?" It all depends on His Majesty’s will, so you must not arouse His Majesty’s suspicion!
And Zhou Shangjing has always been the spokesperson of the Jin gentry in the south of the Yangtze River. Therefore, after Your Highness becomes an enemy of those Jin gentry nobles, if you encounter Zhou Shangjing and the Zhou Party in the future, you can complain to His Majesty and say that you are just to protect the territory of Southern Zhili. The interests of Huangzhuang have offended the wealthy gentry family in Southern Zhili, so they have incurred the hostility of Zhou Shangjing and the Zhou Party. Then they can gain His Majesty's mercy and support, and allow His Majesty to take the initiative to defend it, which will give them the greatest chance to block it. Zhou Shangjing and Zhou Dang, the follow-up targets!
At the same time, if Zhou Shangjing spreads rumors again and continues to smear His Highness, with this reason, it can be entirely attributed to Your Highness that you have offended the wealthy Jin gentry family, to prevent His Majesty from being affected by Zhou Shangjing's rumors and then becoming suspicious of His Highness! Although this approach will definitely arouse the hostility of the wealthy Jin gentry family in Southern Zhili, as long as His Highness can successfully inherit the throne in the future and the situation is completely different, this matter can be easily remedied! "
After hearing what Wang Baoren said, Zhu Hejian couldn't help but his eyes lit up. He nodded repeatedly and then asked: "But... how should students deal with the wealthy gentry families in Southern Zhili?"
Wang Baoren smiled coldly: "The Song family has always been the leader of the wealthy gentry families in Southern Zhili! Therefore, when you hit a snake, you have to hit it seven inches!"
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The description of the contents of the previous chapter involving Ouchi Factory was incorrect and has been revised. Thank you for reminding everyone!
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