When he first arrived in Licheng, he did not accept Li Hongwei's suggestion to stay and rest first. Regardless of the fatigue of the journey, Emperor Liu chose to meet with the officials of Henan Province directly. The location was chosen in the back garden of the Chief Envoy Si Yamen.
There is a rockery and quiet pond, green trees and yellow flowers, and the surroundings are full of life. On the open grassland, tables and mats are laid out, and fruits and snacks are placed. Emperor Liu's meeting with the officials basically started in the form of a tea party.
"Henan Road, the hinterland of the Central Plains, the hometown of Qilu, the hometown of culture, I can level the world and clarify the world, and I also rely on its power! Many of Qianyou's meritorious deeds and important officials in the court were from Henan.
I have been in charge of the country for twenty years, and I have always wanted to be a governor, but I was unable to do so, and I deeply regret it. Now that I can finally come east and see the scenery of Qilu, I am very happy! "Sitting on a dragon chair, looking at his legs, looking at the Daozhou and county officials in front of him in a leisurely manner, Emperor Liu said slowly.
What he said was praise and praise for Henan as a whole. Of course, he was just speaking for the occasion. However, everyone from Li Hongwei on down showed happy expressions about this, and the emperor's attitude was reassuring.
"Your Majesty's visit is also an honor for the people of Henan. I feel grateful to you and should welcome your Majesty to visit!" Li Hongwei said.
Upon hearing this, the corners of Emperor Liu's mouth curled up. During this period of patrol, he seemed to have put on a mask for himself, gentle and elegant, with a smile like the spring breeze. Instead of his usual seriousness, the people around him were a little uncomfortable with it.
Although Li Hongwei is the uncle of the state, he has been an official away from home all year round and is not familiar with Emperor Liu. He is very affected by the inherent impression of the past. Therefore, it is still surprising to see the emperor's words and deeds.
Looking around, the chief officials of these groups were all respectful, sitting in a proper manner, severely restrained and restrained.
Seeing this, Emperor Liu continued to speak, and said in an almost joking tone: "This is not the first time for me to go on patrol, and I am very familiar with it this time. However, I heard that in the past, in my Xiazhou County, many officials were wary and anxious. Feeling uneasy is like welcoming the plague god to pass through. You should not be like this..."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed. Obviously, gentleness and kindness could not be the label of Emperor Liu for a long time. That gaze was calm and indifferent, but no one dared to look at it.
It was impossible to guess the specific intention of Emperor Liu, but Li Hongwei reacted quickly and said cautiously: "Your Majesty's inspection tour is to observe the government and the people's livelihood, and to bless and show kindness. The soldiers and the people are all happy. As long as you hold yourself upright and serve the government with integrity, If you are diligent and manage things for justice, why should you be afraid? Only corrupt officials will be guilty and frightened!"
"What the Duke of Surabaya said is very good!" After hearing what he said, Emperor Liu still looked cheerful and said: "I also mean the same thing. Therefore, if you can feel at ease, there is no need to be nervous! I am passing through this time. , from Pu, Ji to Yunqi, what I saw along the way was the political situation and people's livelihood, and I was very satisfied."
As soon as these words were said, the ministers here finally felt relieved. Everyone's expressions were different, but Emperor Liu was not in the mood to observe carefully.
With so many people gathered together, it would be impossible to discuss anything practical effectively. Emperor Liu did not deliberately amplify his voice, so those magistrates and county magistrates who were further back could only hear it indistinctly. .
Therefore, this meeting lasted for half an hour. Emperor Liu briefly made some remarks and listened to Li Hongwei talk about the situation of officials' management of people's livelihood on Henan Road, and then dispersed.
Of course, summoning so many officials was not a perfunctory matter. Starting from April 2, Emperor Liu visited each state and county as a unit and listened to their reports.
Basically, everyone was given at least a quarter of an hour to report, mostly officials speaking, and Emperor Liu listening and asking questions at any time. This is a bit like an interview, an assessment, and Emperor Liu is the examiner.
The performance of the officials naturally pales in comparison. There are those who are well prepared and talk eloquently, but there are also those who meet Emperor Liu and can't even speak coherently.
It was also the first time for Henan officials to experience such meticulousness and face-to-face representation of the emperor. On the first day alone, Emperor Liu received more than 40 people.
"Your Majesty, this is the list of officials to be received tomorrow!" At night, after walking and eating, Shi Xizai quietly walked in with an album in his hand and presented it to Emperor Liu.
Liu Chengyou was a little tired after meeting so many officials that day, but he was still in high spirits and looked through some notes he had taken.
"Let me take a look!" he ordered, and soon Yantuo presented the list.
After a quick glance, he saw that they were officials from Yanyun Jidan and fifty people. As his eyes passed by, Emperor Liu suddenly said: "This Qufu Order..."
Emperor Liu's face didn't look good. The reason was simple. Qufu's surname was Kong, and his given name was Yi!
Noticing his expression, Shi Xizai reported: "Kong Yina is the direct descendant of the Kong family. He is twenty-seven years old. He has been smart since childhood and can write at the age of ten. In the third year of Kaibao, he was promoted to the order of Qufu..."
"Ha!" Hearing this, Emperor Liu interrupted him directly and his tone was a bit colder: "It has been three years since I opened the treasure. Isn't that just twenty-five years old? I don't know what kind of young talent can make Dou Yi advance to this level! Hum! !”
Obviously, Liu Chengyou could see through it at a glance without Shi Xizai having to tell him. This must be Dou Yi's decision. After pondering for a while, Liu Chengyou almost sneered: "Ten years ago, someone came to tell me about his family background and asked me to give him an official title. I refused because of my young age. I never thought that, ten years later, there would still be people who would remember. And make the decision for me..."
Facing Emperor Liu's heart-wrenching words, Shi Xizai's expression changed slightly, he bowed and cupped his hands, and called out: "Your Majesty!"
"Do you have anything else to say?" Emperor Liu glanced at him.
Shi Xizai looked solemn and said seriously: "The selection and promotion of officials is originally the responsibility of the Ministry of Personnel. If Your Majesty is based on his age, it is not the decision of the Ministry of Personnel. I think it is inappropriate!"
"Then do you think that if he were not the legitimate son of the Kong family, he would be able to become the order of Qufu at this age?" Emperor Liu asked in return.
"Your Majesty has always advocated meritocracy. Wouldn't it be unfair to despise him now based on his family background and age?" Shi Xizai said.
After hearing what he said, Emperor Liu's face suddenly turned cold and he stared at him fiercely. However, Shi Xizai's face was calm and he just lowered his head and lowered his waist a little.
"It seems that I am being unfair?" Emperor Liu became indifferent.
Taking a deep breath, Shi Xizai said in a deep voice: "I just feel that your majesty seems to be biased against the Kong family! Now, your majesty has not seen this person and does not know his abilities. How can you judge that he cannot govern a county? If you have any doubts about his talents, If you have any doubts, why don't Your Majesty make a judgment after receiving the interview?"
"You, Shi Xizai, dare to talk to me like this!" After listening to his advice and pondering for a while, Emperor Liu finally sighed and all the negative emotions dissipated.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for my offense!" Seeing that the emperor's tone improved, Shi Xizai secretly relaxed.
"That's all!" Emperor Liu waved his hand and said, "I will meet Kong Yi tomorrow. I want to see how good this person is!"
Facing Emperor Liu's special gaze, Shi Xizai still looked upright and solemn, and just responded: "I will make arrangements!"
The next day, a large number of officials came early to wait for summons. Emperor Liu also got up early. With a feeling of anger in his heart, he summoned Kong Yi directly and gave Liang Kezhong a special time.
Then, at the end of the interview, Emperor Liu was all smiles. Although Kong Yi is burdened with the glory and fame of the Kong family, he is indeed a talent. He is smart and responsive, and he is not a talkative person in politics. It can be said that as a county magistrate, he has the talent is enough.
Facts have proved that Emperor Liu did have a certain prejudice and a kind of contempt from the bottom of his heart. But no matter what, Kong is suitable for him and cannot be put to great use. This is also a limitation brought to him by his status.
Through his own performance, Kong Yi reversed the emperor's prejudice to a certain extent and gained recognition. However, Emperor Liu soon issued an edict to move Kong Yi to Hebei.
If you can be an official, don't stay in Qufu. That is the territory of the imperial court, not the territory of your Kong family.
