Chapter 226: Hongwen
Of course Xun Yu had met Tian Feng.
Xun Chen, one of the descendants of the Yingchuan Xun family, served under Yuan Shao.
Xun Chen and Xun Youruo were Xun Yu's younger brothers.
Before Xun Yu told Guo Jia that he was going to Xuzhou, he had also visited Yecheng.
However, since he was not very optimistic about Yuan Shao's idea of supporting Liu Bian in Yecheng, he claimed that he was just going to see his younger brother.
But now that Xun Yu has arrived, even if Yuan Shao sees that he is currently avoiding taking up an official position and has not made any attempt to recruit him, he will still let his advisers contact Xun Yu on the pretext of host-guest exchanges.
It was at this time that Xun Yu met Tian Feng.
Although... Tian Feng now seems to be in much better spirits than before, and has shaved his beard, but these are only changes that have occurred in the sect over a period of more than a year, and probably do not affect Xun Yu's ability to recognize him by eye.
Has Yuan Shao's method of sending his own advisers to Chang'an to spy on military intelligence become so simple and direct?
The moment he recognized Tian Feng, Xun Yu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Moreover, if it was really as he guessed, it would be very difficult for Tian Feng to escape from this position.
What is he thinking?
After all, Xun Yu didn't know that Tian Feng originally just wanted to sneak into the place where agricultural tools were produced to work as a low-level worker. He collected the agricultural planting methods of Bingzhou, became Zhang Niujiao's confidant, and even became an accompanying member of Lingtai Cheng on the way to Chang'an. All of these could be called accidents.
Even Tian Feng himself was extremely helpless about these accidents.
At this moment, Xun Yu couldn't help but think of what he had seen in the southern suburbs before entering Chang'an.
Lingtai and Mingtang Biyong stand opposite each other, echoing each other.
According to the situation of the emperor ascending the throne to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, since Chang'an is short of staff, it is inevitable to borrow personnel from Lingtai.
Is there a possibility that Tian Feng came to disrupt the coronation and sacrificial ceremony on the first day of the first lunar month next year?
When the news of Liu Yu's enthronement spread, many scholars from Jing, Yi and Yu states came, and Xun Yu became one of them. This was bound to bring great pressure to the court in Yecheng.
This may be a decision made by Tian Feng himself out of consideration for the interests of the Hebei gentry, or it may be that Yuan Shao assigned the task to Tian Feng in order to prevent others from doing their job incompetently.
This all makes sense!
Although Xun Yu has not met Qiao Yan yet, if Liu Yu, a relative of the Han royal family, ascends the throne, he will be more recognized by Xun Yu than Liu Bian.
After realizing that Tian Feng was very likely to have some plot, Xun Yu immediately said to Xun You beside him: "Hurry up and warn Lord Qiao that Tian Yuanhao from Jizhou is very likely to have sneaked into Lingtai!"
Xun You knew very well that Xun Yu would not joke about such things, nor would he draw such a conclusion just because two people had similarities.
The probability that this is true is quite high.
There is really no need to say more about what the name Tian Yuanhao means!
After settling Xun Yu down, Xun You immediately reported the matter to Qiao Yan.
If Tian Feng knew what kind of speculation Xun Yu had made about him, he would probably feel so guilty that he would feel wronged.
How could he, who at most could perform a little archery and driving according to the standard literary accomplishments, allow himself to become an assassin lurking in Chang'an!
Does he know how to count?
But at this time he couldn't help but fall into a state of anxiety.
When he saw Xun Yu, he was thinking that the combination of Qiao Yan's military achievements and Liu Yu's reputation was truly amazing.
Xun Yu appeared here, probably not to visit his uncle Xun Shuang and nephew Xun You in Chang'an, but to join them.
If this trend continues, the pressure Yuan Shao will face will not only come from the threat of her military strength, but also the subsequent impact after talented people join her.
On the other hand, Tian Feng was thinking that he, Tian Feng, might be arrested before Yuan Shao felt the subsequent impact.
When he just left Yecheng, Xu You still felt that Tian Feng was very capable in handling matters and was a suitable candidate for investigation. Now, any other person might not have the same experience of failure as him.
The chances of running away are slim at this time.
He was following the Lingtai Daizhao who was beside Ren Hong.
Although most of the Lingtai attendants were selected from Ma Lun's earlier female assistants, there were still a dozen of the forty-one Lingtai attendants who were filled in later, just enough to make up an eight-person room.
Tian Feng looked at his seven cellmates and thought that he might be seeing seven prison wardens.
It was just the possibility that they were similar, so he had to pretend to be indifferent at this time, in order to prevent others from revealing his true identity first when they were just suspicious.
After meeting Xun Yu and no one questioned his identity for three days, Tian Feng felt that he might have been worrying too much.
Xun Yu had only met him a few times, so it was normal that he didn't recognize him.
But at this time, his forged household registration record information and his miraculous "promotion" record since coming to Bingzhou were already on Qiao Yan's desk.
"Yuan Feng... haha." Qiao Yan couldn't help laughing when she saw the name. She said to Cheng Yu who was standing beside her, "This reminds me of Zhicai, doesn't it? This way of choosing a pseudonym is really straightforward."
When Qiao Yan first heard Xun You's report that Tian Feng was lurking in Lingtai and was suspected of doing something bad to Liu Yu, he was shocked.
Even though the interactions between the various forces now can be considered as open and covert fighting, it is still far from developing to the point of planning assassinations.
If a precedent had been set with the strategist Tian Feng, I really wouldn’t know what to say.
But when he saw how Tian Feng joined the Lingtai team, Qiao Yan couldn't help but shed a tear of sympathy for him.
Zhang Niujiao is really capable!
Under such circumstances, Tian Feng was captured and sent to Qiao Yan in this way.
Anyone who sees this will have to say that it's the work of qi.
Cheng Yu replied: "If I remember correctly, the prince gave himself a pseudonym, which was just a reversal of his real name."
From Qiao Yan to Yan Qiao, and from Tian Feng to Yuan Feng, there is no need to laugh at others for taking only a hundred steps, right?
At least Tian Feng changed both words.
Qiao Yan coughed lightly.
Some subordinates have been following me for a long time and have some trouble with this aspect.
He knew her past all too well.
Fortunately, Cheng Yu turned around and asked, "How do you plan to deal with Tian Yuanhao?"
It is obvious that Tian Feng did not come here on his own initiative, but due to a variety of coincidences, he found himself in such a conspicuous position, which led to him being discovered by Xun Yu by chance. Therefore, it was of course impossible for him to assassinate Liu Yu.
Qiao Yan thought for a moment, "It seems unnecessary to expose his identity. If I really do that, he will either ask to be imprisoned and let Yuan Shao come to negotiate with me for a replacement, or I will kill him and be done with it."
From her perspective, unless Yuan Shao can offer huge benefits that will affect his development, the most appropriate way of dealing with the situation is the latter.
No one can be sure how much information Tian Feng has learned since he arrived in Bingzhou.
After these news are sent to Yecheng, will it bring unfavorable consequences to Bingzhou?
The safest scenario, of course, is to eliminate the problem.
But Tian Feng is a talented person.
Since he is a talented person, there will always be a place for him to play his role.
Qiao Yan said, "I have a good place for him. But this place doesn't exist yet, so it's a good opportunity for him to participate in the construction planning."
Cheng Yu was somewhat curious. From what Qiao Yan said, it seemed that she wanted Tian Feng to continue to maintain his identity as Yuan Feng and become her helper, so he asked, "I wonder where you are going?"
She replied: "This is what I want to discuss with Xun Wenruo."
Xun Yu’s arrival made Qiao Yan feel relieved.
This means that her decision to use Liu Yu's name has successfully covered up her contradictions that might be discovered by smart people, and at the same time has made her more attractive to knowledgeable people in the world. It also means that this top internal affairs talent will not fund her opponents.
Qiao Yan was not afraid that Xun Yu would become Cao Cao's helper as in history, she just didn't want to cause more losses to the family during the conquest.
But now you don't have to worry about this problem anymore.
Before this, Xun Yu was traveling around, which was equivalent to not having taken up an official position, so Qiao Yan did not have the extra time to invite him over.
But the person is now under her control, and if she still can't keep him here, then it would be her incompetence.
While Tian Feng was still worried about his identity being exposed, Qiao Yan had already invited Xun Yu to his house for a chat.
The aristocratic style of the Yingchuan Xun family was particularly clearly demonstrated in Xun Yu.
During the past two years, Xun Yu seemed to have not been affected by the hardships of life at all.
When he sat down in front of her at Qiao Yan's signal, the scent of incense brought by the breeze from his sleeves was just like the pure and elegant demeanor displayed by Xun Yu himself, and did not make people feel that he was invading her territory.
It is no wonder that Xun Lingliuxiang is cited as a praise story.
But when Qiao Yan looked into Xun Yu's eyes, he was certain that his so-called elegant demeanor and fragrant presence could not conceal his talent, and that he might not be as elegant as he appeared to be, but had his own persistence.
In a sense, the descendants of the Xun family in Yingchuan do have something in common.
For example, when others see Xun You, it is often difficult for them to imagine that he is very capable of making flexible changes in combat strategies.
Of course, what we are talking about now is Xun Yu.
What surprised Xun Yu was that what was placed in front of him was not the Bingzhou tea he had heard about from Zhou Yu, but plain water.
The warm water in the celadon cup was clean and free of impurities, which did not seem like a common way of entertaining guests. But when Qiao Yan opened his mouth, Xun Yu felt that the cup of water in front of him was undoubtedly a sign that Qiao Yan was going to confront him directly.
It is just right.
Qiao Yan said, "I just had a talk with Mr. Ciming a few days ago. When he went to Chang'an to maintain the emperor's dignity, his health was not very good. He was seriously ill again last year and this year. In any case, he is not suitable to stay in an environment like Chang'an for a long time."
"I want him to go to Leping and stay with Mr. Bo Ji and Duke Zheng. Since Mr. Yuan Hua is also in Leping, he may be able to take care of his health."
From Xun Yu's perspective, this was indeed the most suitable arrangement for Xun Shuang.
Xun Ciming was not originally suitable for the court environment, and was more suitable for writing books. He was forcibly recruited by Dong Zhuo in order to win the support of scholars, and then he could not leave.
It would be nice if I could return to my original place now.
"But there is a problem with this. Since Dong Zhuo's rebellion in Luoyang, most of the court officials, except for Duke Lu and Duke Xun, have moved to Yecheng. But the new emperor is about to be established, and he needs supporters. Duke Xun has a good reputation and connections, and he is upright. The position of Shangshu Ling must belong to him. When Liu Youzhou becomes the emperor from the governor of Youzhou, if he behaves inappropriately, Duke Xun will advise him."
The current Shangshu Ling is actually Lu Zhi.
But Xun Yu knew very well that Lu Zhi was the Minister of the Chancellery under Liu Hong, because Liu Hong was afraid of his military achievements. He was still the Minister of the Chancellery under Dong Zhuo, because Dong Zhuo also wanted to avoid Lu Zhi from taking charge of the military.
Putting him in this position is actually not very suitable.
As the Three Dukes were mostly in charge of the Secretariat, the power of the Shangshu Ling was inferior to that of the Three Dukes. The power of the Canzhi Zhengshi of the Inner Court was also greatly reduced during Liu Hong's administration.
Compared to the Shangshu Ling, Lu Zhi is actually more suitable to be the Taiwei.
Xun Yu asked, "What does your Excellency mean?"
Qiao Yan obviously did not want Xun Yu to directly replace Xun Shuang, but said: "Among the Xun family members, Gongda has made great achievements in military strategy. He will definitely follow me to fight in the future. If I directly move Xun Gong to Bingzhou, he will definitely worry about the lack of close ministers to the emperor."
"So I have an idea that I would like to discuss with Wen Ruo."
She paused here, her eyes sharp for a moment, as if demanding an answer, "But in the meantime, I have something to ask you, is Wen Ruo willing to serve in Chang'an?"
If Qiao Yan asked if he was willing to be recruited by her, Xun Yu might still hesitate, but since she asked about serving in Chang'an, there was really no need to refuse.
If he didn't have this idea, he wouldn't be here.
So he replied: "To serve the Han court is what scholars like us want."
Qiao Yan smiled.
Xun Yu's words meant that the court in Chang'an was the Han court, so the court in Yecheng was a fake court.
This qualitative statement is sufficient for the current situation.
Her expression brightened: "With Wen Ruo's words, the rest will be easy. In my opinion, what Xun Gong is worried about is that the order and laws of the court are not yet determined, and there are many vacancies in the upper and lower positions. What I am worried about is that the emperor does not have enough close ministers, and his authority is not enough to make the four seas submit. If this matter is not settled, we are not strong enough to resist the court in Yecheng, and Xun Gong cannot live in Bingzhou to recuperate."
"Fortunately, since Mr. Liu entered Chang'an, many people with lofty ideals and benevolence have rushed here, and the people who have migrated here have been constantly coming and going. Among them, there may be those who hesitate to make a decision, those who have no chance to recommend themselves for promotion, and those who are good at writing but not good at speaking. It would be a pity if we let them pass through without entering. Therefore—"
"I would like to ask the future emperor to set up a Hongwen Academy in Chang'an City to recruit and select scholars. Half of it should be used as a place for book storage, and the other half should be used as a place for scholars to talk and debate. Then, some talented and quick-witted people who are good at general affairs will take turns to sit in this gate, observe the words and deeds of the scholars here, select the good ones and recommend them to the central government, and gradually fill the vacant official positions in the court."
"It's a pity that the person who sits in this place needs to have the ability to judge people, but not the intention to form a clique for personal gain. It's really difficult to choose."
Qiao Yan looked at Xun Yu steadily and said, "I would like to recommend Wen Ruo as the Minister of the Court and concurrently as one of the directors of the Hongwen Academy. What do you think?"
This is an extremely special invitation.
But if we look at its benefits to Chang'an, this is indeed a necessary move.
But when Xun Yu took on this task and walked out of Qiao Yan's office, he felt complicated emotions in his heart.
If the Hongwenguan was really established as Qiao Yan said, it would strengthen and consolidate the power around the emperor, and sooner or later it would increase to the point of competing with Qiao Yan.
If she had any selfish desire to seize power, she shouldn't have made such a choice.
Maybe he really was overthinking it before.
He really shouldn't doubt this loyal minister of the Han Dynasty!
After sending Xun Yu away, Qiao Yan began to think about issuing another order.
After she informed Liu Yu about the Hongwenguan matter and obtained his consent, she gave the order.
This order stated that due to shortage of manpower, fifteen people were ordered to be selected from the Lingtai attendants to assist in the construction and planning of the Hongwenguan, including Tian Feng.
No, it should be Yuanfeng.
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