Changsheng walked to the door, opened it, and washed his face with water from the basin next to the door.
Datou stepped into the door and said, "Sir, you are now an official of the imperial court. Wouldn't it be bad to go on stage to compete for Longhu Mountain again?"
Changsheng did not answer the call. Datou reminded him that it was necessary. He was now an official of the imperial court. If he went on stage to challenge Longhu Mountain again, he might indeed arouse the emperor's suspicion. However, he would not follow Long Hushan just because he was an official of the imperial court. To draw a clear line in Hushan is to betray one's trust and forget one's ancestors.
"What you said makes sense, let's take a look at it later," Changsheng said casually, "What did the imperial list say?"
Chang Sheng was washing up and it was not convenient to read it in person, so Da Tou unfolded the copy he copied and began to read aloud, "Under the sect, in the first year of Dashun, the martial arts examination Enke..."
"Don't read the original text," Changsheng interrupted, "just tell me what the rules are."
Da Tou shook his head, "I just said, there are no rules in the martial arts competition."
"You said there are no restrictions. How can there be no rules in a martial arts competition?" Chang Sheng wiped his hands and face, took the copy copied by Da Tou and read it quickly.
After reading it quickly, Changsheng folded the copy and returned it to Datou.
"Sir, you finished reading so quickly?" Datou was surprised. Ten lines at a glance were not enough to describe the speed of Changsheng's reading.
Changsheng nodded. In fact, although his reading speed was very fast, it was not that fast. The reason why he read so fast this time was because he had heard Zhang Mo talk about the rules of the martial arts competition before. What he read this time was only the specifics. The details, the rules stated in the imperial edict are roughly similar to what Zhang Mo said. The main martial arts test lasts for seven days. There are nine arenas in the first four days, and three arenas in the last three days.
Whichever sect can win three games in a row in the ring will be the champion. If the champion loses three games in a row, the champion's qualification will be permanently cancelled. Then other sects will continue to compete for the champion. The sect that previously lost the qualification to be the champion will be the winner. After winning three games in a row again, he is no longer qualified to be the champion.
If the champion loses two games in a row and wins the third game, then whoever wants to disqualify this sect from being the champion must let him lose three times in a row.
Such rules have undoubtedly been scrutinized by many people countless times, and there is definitely no problem with the rules. The sect that comes to the stage first to compete for the champion is the earliest. The enemy is in the dark and we are clear, and we will definitely suffer a loss. But once we win the champion, whoever wants to go up and fight for it will definitely suffer. The difficulty is even greater, as the challenger has to lose three games in a row.
"What do you think of the rules of combat?" Changsheng asked casually.
"That's fair." Big Head said.
"Well, I think it's fair too." Changsheng nodded. All the rules have only one purpose, which is fairness. To put it bluntly, it means to prevent good people from suffering and bad people to take advantage of loopholes.
"If nothing else goes wrong, the fight will be fierce from the beginning," Datou said. "There are many small sects this time. They are unable to break out of the siege. They can only choose sides. Whoever wins the championship first will be the helper." Just more.”
"Guess who the three winners are in the end." Changsheng stepped out and walked to the dining hall.
"I can't guess which sect it is," Big Head shook his head and said, "But I feel it should be a Taoist sect, a Buddhist sect, and a Confucian sect."
"Tell me your reasons." Changsheng said casually.
Datou said, "The court's tactic of choosing sides is very powerful. Even if some sects are not very harmonious on weekdays, at a critical moment, they will still take into account the origin of their martial arts and their friendship."
"I agree with what you said, but the last three champions are really not necessarily one-third of the world," Changsheng said. "The early stage of the competition will definitely be very intense, and it will become more intense as it goes on. It is divided into three stages. After that, he will even break his head. This is something that is known to all the nine states and is famous all over the world. The three schools of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism all hope to stand out through this competition and overshadow the other two schools. In the end, they not only need to do their best to defend their position. , and will fight tooth and nail for someone else’s seat.”
"Haha, there's a good show to watch." Datou rubbed his hands excitedly.
"It's not a big deal for those who want to watch the excitement," Changsheng glanced at Datou, "When the time comes, you can go on stage and help Longhushan play a few games."
Da Tou knew that Chang Sheng was joking and was not afraid, "Haha, okay, I will do it if you ask me to, but I have my word first. If I let someone beat me down, don't blame me for losing a round in vain."
Changsheng also laughed, but it was not easy. He didn’t know who came up with the rules of this competition. He not only incited the various sects to form cliques and fight each other, but also added fuel to the flames, sow discord, and fought to the end. There is no sense of loyalty in the world, and some sects that used to have a good relationship will be forced to choose sides in the end, each serving his own master and turning against each other.
From the standpoint of the Jianghu sect, this move of the imperial court was considered to be extremely damaging, but from the standpoint of the imperial court, this move was a multi-purpose strategy that not only attracted talents, but also alienated people in the martial arts world.
As a court, the most fearful thing is for people in the martial arts community to be harmonious. This is why they only set up the top three this time, not the top three. Once a martial arts leader is elected, don't just raise your arms and lead this group of martial arts people to defeat the court. Went out.
The establishment of the Three Armors can not only disperse power, but also allow these Three Armors to blackmail each other in the future, all for the use of the court.
When I went to the canteen, I found that the food was very simple, only porridge and pickles.
Changsheng drank two bowls of rice porridge with pickles. After eating, he ordered the cook to call the little official in charge of the kitchen and asked the Yushitai that he only had twenty taels of food salary a month, so he raised everyone's food salary to each person. One hundred taels a month. When the latter heard this, he was so happy that he ran to the old official who was in charge of the accounts to ask for money.
Chang Sheng himself didn't care about the food at Yushitai. He was born in a poor family and could eat any food. The reason why he wanted to increase his salary was because he understood that a strong general would not be short of hungry soldiers. If he wanted his subordinates to do their jobs with all their heart, they must let them Subordinates live a good life.
In fact, other people also understand this truth, but they are not the son-in-law of the Ni family, nor are they the targets of the emperor and the eunuchs to win over together. Even if they understand this truth, they have no money to spend, and they dare not violate the rules set by the Ministry of Households. Expense rules.
After dinner, Changsheng rejected Datou's proposal to buy horses together, and returned to the court to read about the criminal law and the duties of the censor.
Yesterday, he had ordered to go down and build a stable for Young Master Hei in the west wing of his residence. At this time, the walls were being smashed behind him.
The Yushitai is the official in charge of the Yushitai. The Yushitai's duties are also the duties of the Yushitai. He already knows that the Yushitai supervises all officials and imputes punishment. What we need to see now is how to supervise and how. Tidian.
The scope of duties was relatively quick to read, as was how to handle cases. The slowest part was criminal law, which was a thick pile.
You won’t know it if you don’t look at it, but you will be shocked when you look at it. Yesterday alone, he committed more than ten crimes, including ostracizing subordinates, avenging personal vengeance, abusing punishments, handling cases in violation of regulations, drinking alcohol on duty, committing crimes below the limit, giving and receiving beyond the limit, illegally changing offices, hoarding war horses, etc. For one count, several crimes were punished at the same time, and he was executed immediately.
However, he was only startled, not really afraid, because he knew that the emperor would not punish him, and the eunuchs would not impeach him. If the criminal law was strictly followed, there would be no king in the court yesterday. , all those officials who violated the etiquette must be dismissed from office and seize the title.
The law is certainly useful, but what is more useful than the law is the holy will. As long as there is an emperor in the world, the emperor's holy will will be greater than the law. Shang Yang's theory that the emperor breaks the law and the common people are just as guilty is just talk. Which minister dares to decide The emperor's crime? Living impatiently.
However, I know that the holy will is greater than the law, and the criminal law must be observed. If I want to arrest people in the future, I have to charge them with crimes that are included in the criminal law.
While I was reading the criminal law, someone came outside to report that my wife was here.
Before Changsheng could react, he saw Ni Chenyi and a group of maids and servants walking past the hall carrying bedding and daily necessities. Seeing Changsheng sitting in the hall, Ni Chenyi stepped in and looked around, "This courtroom is really not small. "
"Why are you here?" Changsheng frowned, "Why are you moving things here?"
"Don't think otherwise. I won't live with you until you come to the church," Ni Chenyi said. "I'm afraid that you will lack bedding and supplies when you live here, so I will give you some things for the winter."
Hearing what Ni Chenyi said, Changsheng felt relieved, put down his books and stood up. Seeing that the Yamen servant who came to inform him was still standing in the hall with an embarrassed look on his face, he waved his hand to him, "Go down, you can't stop me." She is not your fault."
After the latter had retreated, Ni Chenyi walked to the public case and looked at the things on the table, "How about it, did you get any ginseng this morning?"
"I didn't go, so I don't know." Changsheng said casually.
"You are brave enough for a new official to not go to court on the first day he takes office." Ni Chenyi said.
"Not only will I not go today, I will not go in the future either," Changsheng waved his hand and urged, "The people you brought are all waiting for you outside. Let's go quickly."
Just as Ni Chenyi was about to answer, Yang Kai walked in from outside.
Ni Chenyi couldn't stay any longer, so he said hello to Yang Kai, and then went out to take everyone in the Ni Mansion to the residence of the Immortality Center.
Just by looking at Yang Kai's expression, Changsheng knew that there was no accident in the court today. Even so, he still asked, "How about it? Is there any ginseng for me today?"
"No, no one mentioned this matter." Yang Kai shook his head.
Seeing Yang Kai standing in the hall, Chang Sheng pointed to the seat on the west side of the main throne that originally belonged to Yu Shi Zhongcheng. When Yang Kai walked over and sat down, he asked again, "Has the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment who was beaten yesterday gone to court?"
"Gone," Yang Kai nodded, "Wu Qijian, the doctor of the Criminal Department, also went. Although his face was bruised and swollen, the civil and military officials in the court turned a blind eye."
Changsheng nodded slowly. This result was also within his expectation. The emperor had summoned him alone and had some understanding of his temperament and mind. After what happened in the morning yesterday, the emperor should know what he did yesterday afternoon. The purpose is to paralyze the eunuchs.
"Sir, the emperor looked at me this morning, and there was no dissatisfaction in his eyes." Yang Kai said.
Changsheng whispered, "I will never go to court in the future. You should pay attention to the emperor's eyes when you go to court every day. There are traitorous officials around him. It is inconvenient to see me alone, and it is inconvenient for me to go to see him. Menxiasheng and Zhongshu To avoid being mixed up, I don’t dare to write a letter at will. He knows that you and I are close friends, and he may convey information to you with his eyes."
Yang Kai knew the weight of these words and nodded heavily.
Changsheng said again, "When you go to court, you only listen but don't speak. Don't report anything unless I ask you to participate."
Yang Kai didn't quite understand what Chang Sheng meant, but he still nodded.
"You go and do your work," Changsheng stood up, "I'll go to the residence to see what Ni Chenyi is doing."
Yang Kai stood up, and the two of them left the court together and went to various places.
The backyard was noisy, with craftsmen demolishing walls and moving bricks in the yard, and servants and maids from Ni's house in the house. When Changsheng entered the house, Ni Chenyi was changing his bedding and making his bed with his own hands.
In addition to several sets of bedding, Ni Chenyi also brought a lot of clothes, all of which were made for him. In addition, there were washbasins, face towels, heaters, teapots, candlesticks and other items, including tea, dried fruits, snacks and other food. Brought a lot.
Since the things have been moved here, Changsheng cannot let her move them back. Fortunately, the things Ni Chenyi brought are not fancy, and they are quite heavy in color and shape.
Before everyone in the Ni Mansion left, the catchers who had followed Datou to buy horses came back. All three hundred horses were bought, and several horse sellers drove them to their doorsteps.
Datou didn't come back together and went to find a place to make famous thorns.
Hu horses are taller and stronger than horses from the Central Plains and can run faster, but they are also more expensive. Normal horses cost five taels per piece, while Hu horses cost eight taels of silver.
So many horses were added at once, and the stables were not enough. Fortunately, there were plenty of buildings, which could be renovated quickly. This made the group of craftsmen busy. There was not enough manpower and they had to be divided into two. A few people were divided to take the censor. The policemen from Taiwan went to renovate the stables.
At this time, the Yamen servant came to report again, and only the Minister of Hube came to visit.
As soon as he heard that the Minister of Hubu had arrived, Changsheng immediately knew that what he said in the court yesterday had been leaked. Yesterday, when he heard that Hubu was in arrears with the salary of the officials at Yushitai, he had said that he would give them some color. Hubu said He heard the news and came over to "surrender".
In fact, it is not surprising that the Ministry of Finance is so nervous. A doctor who dared to beat the Minister of the Ministry of Justice and was fine after the beating. God knows who he will dislike next. It is undoubtedly a wise move to take the initiative to make friends with him.
Changsheng was too lazy to see visitors, and seeing that it was rare to be clean, he simply took the pile of law books and hid. The censor's platform was closer to Xuanwu Gate in the north, so he rode out of the city from the north gate this time.
Originally, he wanted to find a secluded place in the mountains and stay for half a day, but it was cold in winter and no one could stay outside. Fortunately, there was an inn nearby, so he ran to the inn.
The postmen at the post station were talking about what happened in the city yesterday. Who would have thought that when Cao Cao arrived, the dignified imperial censor actually came to inspect the post station. This frightened the postmaster and a group of postmen to death. Fortunately, This young Master Xiantai was not as arrogant and domineering as the legend said. He just found a house with a fire pit to read quietly.
Lunch was eaten at the inn. Worried that the post manager would mess up the affairs, Chang Sheng called for noodle soup and did not leave after lunch. He liked the fire pit in the inn very much, so he finished reading the books he brought and then went to sleep. For half an hour.
After waking up, he was not in a hurry to get up. Instead, he lay down with his eyes closed and pondered. What he was thinking about was not the martial arts competition the day after tomorrow, but how to eradicate the eunuchs.
The general direction has been thought out before, keep a low profile and bide your time. Once the time comes, they will immediately wipe out all the eunuchs with lightning speed.
What he was thinking about this time was how to grasp the time and master the rhythm.
When thinking about something, no one can think of a complete and mature solution at once. They first come up with a roughly feasible idea based on the actual situation, and then gradually refine it and finally take shape. Although Changsheng is gifted, He is extremely smart and cannot escape this process when thinking about problems.
Changsheng knew that he was very smart, but at the same time he also knew that his opponent was very smart. People said that Jiang was old and hot, and this was true. He was not sure at all in the battle of wits and courage with the cunning Eunuch Dang. The longer time passed, the more Eunuch Dang became. The more you learn about him, the worse the situation becomes for him.
The reason why the eunuchs dared to let him take over as the censor doctor was because they underestimated him and thought that he was young and no matter how smart he was, he would never be as wise as a demon.
His position was appointed by the emperor, and the eunuch is not a fool. It is impossible not to know why the emperor appointed him as the censor. In other words, the eunuch has already guessed what the emperor wants him to do.
Next, he will let the eunuch party take advantage of him. In the view of the eunuch party, even if he wants to eliminate the eunuch party and rectify the officialdom, he must find out the situation before taking action. It takes time to find out the situation. He has to Take action at a time when the eunuch thinks it is impossible for him to take action.
He was originally a Taoist priest and knew nothing about the situation in Chang'an. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least a year to figure out the complicated relationship between the court and officials.
But he couldn't last that long. He was surrounded by not only the emperor's informants, but also the eunuchs' informants. During this year, no matter how cautious he was and how restrained his mind, he would inadvertently reveal his flaws and follow the enemy. The more you learn about yourself, the more fearful and defensive you become.
He knows how much he weighs. If the eunuchs completely figure out his details, face to face, and compete with each other in a battle of wits and courage, he will definitely not be the opponent's opponent. He has been wandering all the way, and has grown his mind through hardships, and how many times the opponent has. Ten years in officialdom are not in vain, and so many years of salt are not in vain.
Absolutely not one year, half a year?
It is also dangerous. The opponent is too powerful. The emperor can find out his details. Naturally, the eunuchs can also. If they know everything he has done since leaving Wang Jiakuan, they can not only infer his temper, but also his personality. At what level is the mind.
Three months, three months at most, and you have to take action in the first month of the next year at the latest. During this period, you can't underestimate the enemy. It's useless to pretend to be stupid. You have to hide your mind a little and work hard to show your edge. When faced with the eunuchs' attempts to woo them, they should not immediately pretend to agree, but should show firmness and a slight looseness.
The past three months have not been easy. He beat his subordinates yesterday in order to eradicate the eunuchs one day, and his subordinates can execute them immediately.
The same is true for buying horses. As the saying goes, soldiers are valuable and quick. Once you make a move, you must be quick and do not give the other party any chance to tip off the information.
After thinking about the general outline, Chang Sheng opened his eyes and sat up, secretly encouraging himself. He didn't like this kind of intrigue and racking his brains. To put it bluntly, he didn't like to be involved in officialdom. Fortunately, this kind of intrigue The days will not last forever, and the day when the eunuch falls is the moment of his liberation.
Firstly, he wanted to be freed, and secondly, even if he wanted to be the imperial doctor, the emperor would not allow it, because the emperor only asked him to be the imperial doctor because he was the best candidate to deal with the eunuchs, and once the court was in peace, , his mentality and temperament are not suitable for continuing to serve as a censor, because then the emperor will find that he has the potential to be a leader and will pose a threat to himself.
At sunset, Changsheng left the inn and returned on horseback...
