Chapter 844: The Departure of a Great Talent (10200 Supplement)

Jiangzhou Fucheng.

Taixue.

Aaron was sipping tea.

Fan Jin, Cao Man, and Dulongzi were all present.

Fan Jin's eyes were shining as he presented a letter of self-recommendation: "Prime Minister... our foundation is now deeply rooted, and many ambitious men from all over are willing to join us. This 'Wenzhengming' has written the best article, and it is full of substance; he is truly a talent of the age!"

Dulongzi also nodded and stroked his beard: "This old Taoist previously observed the man's physiognomy; he is no mere sparrow, but possesses the ambitions of a swan!"

"Oh? Since I have the recommendation of you two, he is clearly not bad..."

Every time he looked at this painting, he felt the fire in his heart constantly burning and expanding...

Although this Prefectural Assistant is the deputy to the Prefect, the Prince of Liang currently only holds one prefecture; while called Prefectural Assistant, he is actually the deputy to the Prime Minister!

Aaron took the article, read it carefully, and then sneered: "Arrogant and conceited. Look at this implication: asking to abolish military farming and not to contend with the people for profit... Is the underlying meaning that if I do not do so, he will not serve me?"

Aaron blinked, saying quite indifferently.

"Fellow Daoist, you must not underestimate the harm of this rumor!" Dulongzi said: "The Prince of Wu has won battle after battle and already has an army of fifty thousand, claiming one hundred thousand to the outside world. His next target is either us or Jinshi. Now that this song has spread, everyone thinks we have designs on Jinshi, and the Prince of Wu will surely attack us with all his might! This is a scheme to sow discord!"

"If it were an ordinary person, the guards would have killed him long ago. It seems he is a man of renown? Or did he send a heavy gift?"

His talent was truly insufficient; he could only follow the established rules of his predecessors.

"Young Master..."

After I leave, what do I care if the world is flooded?

Suddenly, a Eunuch outside said softly: "Your Highness... there is a scholar outside the palace gates requesting an audience."

If a thorn is planted in the heart of a superior, the future will be fraught with endless difficulties, and one's fortune may even become unpredictable!

"Plant a thorn? Then let it stay!"

In this way, the hearts of the people flowed back like a hundred rivers, and the power grew greater day by day.

Yet, being ignored is the most hurtful thing of all!

Wenzhengming, who prided himself on his scholarly heritage and superior intellect, could not bear this grievance!

Aaron nodded with satisfaction.

Inside the Palace of the Prince of Wu.

Just then, Dulongzi walked in, his expression off: "Fellow Daoist, have you heard a song? 'Ten thousand plus a dot, when winter ends, the title of honor is claimed. Crossing the river waters, the traces appear in Jinshi.' This is already being sung throughout the entire prefecture!"

Diyou was very sharp and smiled.

At this moment, he only sighed and bowed:

"Exactly... Your Highness, the other party sent a topographical map of Jiangzhou, and even some information on passes and garrison troops. He calls himself 'Wenzhengming'!"

Wenzhengming exchanged pleasantries, sent Fan Jin away, and looking at his retreating back, dug his fingernails into his flesh: "Not sending soldiers, looking down on me like this? Or should I say... ignoring me?"

He only feared that the army would not grow large enough!

"I have remembered it!"

"He is indeed a talent, and most superiors would probably like him very much... Unfortunately, our paths are different and we cannot work together. Let him get out!"

Cao Man held the document and praised: "The Prime Minister's policy is excellent. We have already executed dozens of landlords in the prefecture and reclaimed one hundred thousand mu of land. Even if we only convert half to military farming, we will have over one hundred thousand shi of grain after the autumn harvest, enough to wage war."

But who was being driven to discord, he did not say.

During this period, he had been very happy in marching, fighting, and governing the people, and he paid more attention to recruiting talent and sheltering powerful local figures.

But that was exactly what Aaron liked.

"I fully understand the Prime Minister's intent." Wenzhengming did not stop his brush, and a splash-ink landscape painting leaped onto the paper: "It is a pity that I cannot work with Brother Fan... Brother Fan not bringing soldiers was already being polite."

Seeing Aaron sneer, Fan Jin was suddenly startled.

"This matter must be resolved quickly, otherwise, if a thorn is planted in the Prince of Liang's heart, what will happen in the future?" Dulongzi beat his chest and stamped his feet.

Diyou was staring blankly at a painting of a lady.

However, since Aaron did not call for killing, Fan Jin naturally would not gild the lily.

"Haha... so it is this person!"

Cao Man was suddenly filled with gratitude.

Beside him, the serving page boy looked at his Young Master with worry.

This promotion, however, still went to Cao Man!

'Alas, I am a surrendered official, while Cao Man was personally rescued by the Prime Minister and owes him a great debt...'

And a Prefect is a fifth-rank official!

"Brother Wen... the Prime Minister has read your article, and there are some parts he is not satisfied with..."

Wenzhengming suddenly smiled: "Before you leave, go to the market and spread a nursery rhyme. Remember—'Ten thousand plus a dot, when winter ends, the title of honor is claimed. Crossing the river waters, the traces appear in Jinshi!'"

'Hmm, this Fan Jin is worthy of the ministerial talent Dulongzi values; being able to see this point makes him better than Cao Man.'

In the courtyard, Wenzhengming was wielding his brush.

The page boy nodded and took his leave.

"It is my heart that is in chaos..."

Aaron pointed at Cao Man again.

But would he be afraid of the military forces growing too large?

Hearing this, Fan Jin's expression remained unchanged as he bowed and retreated.

One must serve for five or six years before it is possible to be promoted to Prefect.

More than ten days later, inside the Prime Minister's residence.

"Heh... scholars are weak. I killed so many, and I originally thought the whole prefecture would rebel... I didn't expect they would only have the ability to spread rumors about me."

Fan Jin nodded: "I second this, and not only that... this rumor kills two birds with one stone; I fear it also carries the intent to sow discord!"

In the Great Song, even if Cao Man were not a Child Scholar, but a Presented Scholar, his initial appointment upon being sent out would only be a Seventh-Rank County Magistrate or an Eighth-Rank County Assistant.

He left the Prime Minister's residence, arrived at an inn, and entered a small courtyard.

"I am fine... pack up, and prepare to leave."

Aaron waved his hand.

In any case, everyone present could guess it.

Even later on, being directly promoted to Prefect would be commonplace!

As for the rest?

On this portrait, it was strikingly the peerless beauty seen in the dream that day.

"This..." This ballad was too plain, even Cao Man could understand it: "Ten thousand is a hidden allusion to the character 'wan', adding a dot makes it the character 'fang'; winter ending is 'la', and the two characters 'claiming supremacy' mean facing south to be the monarch... This is saying the Prime Minister will cross the great river to the east and proclaim himself king in Jinshi? This statement is heart-stabbing!"

He was painting a landscape; Fan Jin watched his brush move like a dragon or snake, wearing only a simple long gown, yet he was indescribably dashing, making Fan Jin feel even more that this person had a belly full of poetry and books, and his spirit naturally blossomed.

Aaron shook his head, unconvinced.

"This is the Prime Minister's magnanimity..." Fan Jin gave a bitter smile, then saw Wenzhengming's final stroke suddenly go awry: "This..."

"Also... Cao Man, I appoint you as the Prefectural Assistant of Jiangzhou Prefecture to help handle government affairs!"

'What a pity, Wenzhengming is indeed a great talent... Such a master strategist, once yielded to others, will greatly increase their Qi Number... Why does the Prime Minister not kill him?'

The Eunuch replied.

Yangzhou Fucheng.

His time of defecting was about the same as Cao Man's, yet the latter's talent was far inferior to his.

If one enters officialdom as a Provincial Graduate, the fifth rank is even the career ceiling.

Only Fan Jin felt something was not quite right: "Such vertical management, without needing to go through layers of exploitation by intermediate officials, is indeed beneficial to the central government at the start... but in the long run, with the military encroaching on civilian property, I fear there will be great chaos in the future!"

"Thank you, Prime Minister!"

Diyou was overjoyed: "I shall go to see... immediately."

Once out the door, he ran so fast he almost lost his shoes.

This Wenzhengming not only possessed outstanding talent and endless strategies, but he also came from the school of a great Confucian in Xuzhou, with thousands of threads of influence behind him, carrying a portion of the Qi Luck of the Confucian school; anyone with aspirations for the world would be overjoyed to obtain such a great talent!

(End of this chapter)