The advisor is the staff member. Feng Yuan is formally inviting Song Chi, and he is showing respect to the wise.

He originally had this idea and came to Ji County alone. Although he was the county magistrate, he was greatly constrained and had no one to discuss things with.

But it is extremely difficult to find a suitable person. County Magistrate Dong Weimin has recommended candidates to him more than once, but Feng Yuan has rejected them all. Those candidates were not his aides at all, but people who were monitoring him.

The first person he thought of was Song Chi, but he was not sure whether Song Chi was willing to get involved in this mess with him. However, after this case, Feng Yuan knew very well that the young man in front of him was his "like-minded" person.

"It's my pleasure, Lord Feng."

Song Chi agreed without any hesitation.

The two of them had a teacher-student relationship by chance. He wanted to find a backer and gain a foothold in Ji County. Feng Yuan was the most suitable person at the moment.

"good!"

Feng Yuan said solemnly, "You have agreed to come down to my side and serve as my advisor today. This is a timely help to me. I will remember this kindness."

This was a heartfelt statement. He knew very well how dangerous it was to take up this post in Ji County.

"Master Feng, you are too kind. If Master Feng hadn't argued for me during the county exam, how could I have won the title of first place?"

"That's because you write well, so you deserve to be the first in the county." Feng Yuan admired the young man more and more. He had a calmness that was not in line with his age, and this was what he valued most.

As long as you don't die young, your future will be limitless.

"snort."

While the two were talking, Dong Weimin snorted coldly and walked past them and left the lobby. Feng Yuan didn't care about Dong Weimin being next to him, because he knew Song Chi would agree.

This is more like a declaration of war.

"Let's go, this is not the place for conversation."

Feng Yuan took Song Chi to the classroom in the backyard of the county government office. The room was clean and tidy, with all the items neatly arranged, and no flaws could be seen.

This obsessive-compulsive disorder is horrible.

Song Chi noticed that the teacups on the reception table were not only neatly arranged, but also the patterns on the cups were in the same direction.

"sit."

Feng Yuan took off his official hat and placed it on the table, with the brim flush with the edge. He then gestured to Song Chi, "You don't have to be so reserved. Although you are my advisor, I won't treat you as my subordinate, and you don't have to treat me as your superior. You and I should be more like...colleagues, because we share a common goal."

His tone was easygoing and there was no trace of the magistrate's authority at all. He looked more like a humble scholar.

It's not just like, he is a scholar.

Song Chi saw that the bookshelf in his classroom was full of books, without a speck of dust on them. They must have been newly placed there by him.

Being Feng Yuan's advisor means that he will be tied to him for a long time from now on, and he may not be able to break away from him when he takes the imperial examination and enters the officialdom in the future.

Song Chi also wants to examine Feng Yuan to see if he is worth "following".

He stopped and looked around but did not sit down. A legal advisor is an aide to the advisor, in fact, a subordinate. As a subordinate, he should not overstep his authority. Common people should have the proper attitude. This is absolutely correct, and it is for better cooperation in the future.

"You sit down first." Feng Yuan said again. He walked to the table and took out a wooden box from the cabinet. He grabbed a handful of tea and put it into the teacup. After the hot water was added, the fragrance of tea filled the air.

Song Chi didn't know much about tea, but he could smell the rich fragrance and thought it must be good tea.

He only made one cup of tea and then put it away, as if he was reluctant to do so.

"This is Qingcheng Snow Bud, which produces less than five taels of it annually. My teacher gave it to me before I left."

"Teacher?" Song Chi asked, "Master Feng, your teacher is Master Lu?"

"That's right."

Feng Yuan admitted directly, "They all know that I am the teacher's person, but they don't know that we also have a teacher-student relationship and a closer relationship."

As soon as they met, Feng Yuan revealed an important secret. Song Chi knew that this was to show that he was not treated as an outsider and that trust was the basis of cooperation.

Feng Yuan must have known why he agreed, so it would be more accurate to use cooperation as a positioning for the two of them.

"Drink the tea quickly. It won't taste good if it gets cold." Feng Yuan sniffed the wafting tea fragrance. It was obvious that he wanted to drink it but couldn't bear to.

This was an olive branch Feng Yuan extended to him. Anyone who drank his tea was his, and he was also testing his reaction.

Song Chi knew it very well, so he sat down, picked up the teacup and took a sip. The fragrance of the tea entered his mouth and the aftertaste was endless.

“Good tea.”

"That's it."

Seeing Song Chi take a sip, Feng Yuan's stiff black face finally showed a smile. He had already explained the origin of this tea. One was Qingcheng Snow Bud, which had an annual output of less than five taels, and the other was a gift from his teacher, Lu Taiyuan, who was also the second-in-command of the current dynasty.

Song Chi drank such precious tea without hesitation, which meant that he accepted the olive branch offered by him.

The two sat opposite each other, obviously closer to each other.

Song Chi didn't know much about Feng Yuan's background, but during the county examination that day, Song Shiwen met Feng Yuan and promised him an official position to win him over, which was pretty clear.

I remember that Song Shiwen said at that time that Feng Yuan was a Jinshi in the 13th year of Yuan Jing, and later he worked as an editor in the Hanlin Academy for ten years. This was his first time to serve as an official outside the capital, so he came to Ji County.

Thinking of this, Song Chi asked, "Excuse me, but I'm curious why Lord Lu was willing to let you come to Ji County to serve. For you, this is a dangerous place."

"I came here on my own initiative."

Feng Yuan's expression remained calm. "The rumor that I've been suppressed for ten years is pure nonsense. My teacher is, after all, the current Vice Minister, and I'm an editor in the Imperial Academy. How can I not have a position?"

"The teacher has suggested a career path for me more than once, but I have always refused. I once told the teacher that if I wanted to be an official, I would become the head official of the Song family."

Song Chi was slightly stunned. He could hear that County Magistrate Feng hated Song Shiwen very much.

"My teacher criticized me for taking myself too seriously. A mere seventh-rank official couldn't possibly move the needle, but I had lofty ambitions. A month ago, my teacher came to me again and told me there was an opportunity, so I came straight away."

Feng Yuan told everything he knew without reservation. He knew what he had to do, and the only one who could help him was the young man in front of him. The two of them had to be completely open and not have any grudges against each other.

"Song Shiwen is a very hypocritical person. He calls himself a scholar and gentleman, clean and honest. He lives in poverty and often talks about integrity. He is also valued by the emperor, so he is almost impeccable. But I don't believe it."

Song Chi listened and asked curiously, "Why does Lord Feng hate Song Shiwen so much? Is it just because you two have different positions and you are united in attacking each other?"

"Of course not."

Feng Yuan stood up and flicked his robe. "I studied hard to pass the imperial examinations and embark on a career in government. My goal was not to become an official or make a fortune, but to speak up for the people. I read the books of the sages and seek the truth. Cultivating myself, governing the country, and pacifying the world are my ideals and aspirations. If I fight someone simply because I have different ideas or political views, then how am I any different from those who eat up high salaries and occupy positions for nothing?"

Song Chi was filled with awe. He could tell that what Feng Yuan said was from the bottom of his heart.

After saying this, Feng Yuan turned to look at him and asked, "Do you know how Song Shiwen became the Prime Minister?"