"Then where are those who are virtuous and capable...are you considered one?" Zhao Jiu still maintained a good attitude in response...For some reason, he was extremely tolerant towards Zhang Jiuchen, which made several close ministers behind him marvel.
"I am a commoner... I don't have enough talent and virtue." Zhang Jiucheng still gritted his teeth and insisted. "But people like Lu Haowen and Xu Jingheng are both talented and virtuous. Although Zhao Ding is a bit weak in serving the emperor, he is still virtuous and can do things. Even among the military generals, there are Li Yanxian and Yue Fei, whose virtues are obviously superior to those of their peers. It can be seen that if the government opens up the way for learning and recruits talents, there will always be people with both talent and virtue."
Before Zhang Jiuchen had finished speaking, Xu Jingheng, who was singled out for praise, looked embarrassed, even more embarrassed than Lu Yihao who was singled out for criticism. And Li Gang, who was not mentioned, looked more embarrassed than the two of them combined... He was the main advocate of the Red Banner War back then, but he was found to be incompetent in political, military and financial strategies, so that this famous scholar from the southeast who was risking his life to make suggestions was unwilling to mention him at all, which was probably more embarrassing than being mentioned at all.
Just when the three gentlemen were thinking different things, Emperor Zhao smiled, but his voice was vague, as if he was talking to himself: "Let go of the school road..."
"Yes!" Zhang Jiucheng gritted his teeth and responded, and was about to start this almost hopeless topic. "I think... the original school is top-heavy after all, and has lost its Confucian roots. It is not as pure and upright as Taoism..."
However, just as Mr. Wuqiu started to speak, Emperor Zhao suddenly stood up. Then he turned around with his hands behind his back and pointed to the clear sky reflected by the West Lake on a winter afternoon in front of the gentlemen and beside Zhang Wuqiu. He started to recite aloud, which forced Zhang Jiuchen to shut up.
As the saying goes:
"The vitality of the Nine Provinces depends on wind and thunder, so it is a pity that all the horses are silent.
I advise the God to shake himself up and send down talents in all kinds of ways! "
The verses were majestic, the voice was passionate and loud, and it was appropriate for the time and the people around who were waiting for consultation were stunned. Even the close minister Lu Benzhong was a little embarrassed... It can only be said that Emperor Zhao's recitation in response to Zhang Jiuchen's memorial has finally confirmed his reputation as a famous poet.
And this is what Master Dahui called internal strength...it cannot be learned.
Without further ado, after reciting the poem with a melody of ups and downs, Emperor Zhao looked up to the sky and let out a long breath. Then he turned to Mr. Wuqiu who was interrupted by his interruption and asked, "Is this what Mr. Zhang meant?"
Zhang Jiucheng was also obviously distracted, or rather, he was right next to Emperor Zhao, and as the main person being recited the poem, he was the most shocked. But now he slowly came back to his senses, and could only try to respond, "Yes, that's exactly what I meant."
"I have the same idea, but your idea is different from mine." Zhao Jiu sighed with his hands behind his back.
Zhang Jiucheng didn't know how to respond... What Emperor Zhao said was almost more difficult to understand than Monk Dahui's jingle.
However, Zhao Guanjia was not a professional riddle teller after all, and immediately gave the answer:
"You are also silent. You probably feel that the court's policies and the development of the school of thought are not what you want, and the virtues of the prime ministers and military commanders are not what you want. So you want to find virtuous and saintly people to come out and restore order and peace... But I think that in this shabby situation, it is already very good that the court can find these people to do these things, and even do its best. However, the world is still falling apart, and there are still endless things to do as a monarch. At this time, if there is a useful person willing to jump out, I will be grateful!"
Having said this, without waiting for the other party to respond, Zhao Jiu turned behind the other party with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Wuqiu, have you heard the difference between us?"
"I am ashamed." Zhang Jiucheng didn't even turn his head and bowed. "Your Majesty probably means that I have high expectations but low skills. No matter how good my words are, they are not enough to shake those who do the work."
"That's right." Zhao Jiu's expression dimmed. "Before I met you, I thought you were a famous scholar in the world, and you must have great ideas because you are well-respected in the southeast... But your words today have disappointed me a little."
"I have limited abilities, and this is something I should be ashamed of." Zhang Jiucheng bowed again. "But what I said is from the bottom of my heart... and I don't think that I am incompetent and can sit back and watch those immoral people sit in the hall."
"That's actually what I said." Zhao Jiu spoke clearly. "As a descendant of the Luo School of Taoism, and the Luo School is the Taoist tradition that I personally rejected that day, it is normal for you to have grievances, dissatisfaction with personnel, and even want to 'open up the school'; and the tax increase in the south, as the leader of the literati in Hangzhou, the capital of the south, it is normal for you to be dissatisfied with the government and the country, and the prime ministers, including me, the emperor... It's natural for people in the opposition... Even the talented and virtuous people you mentioned, I don't mean to laugh at them, because you are an honest person after all, and you didn't say that your teacher Yang Shi was a prime minister. But you still disappoint me, because you shouldn't stand here with empty words, and regard Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun and others as enemies, and then want to drive them out, even if they do have so many problems."
"If a person does have shortcomings, he should be criticized. And if this person is an important official of the country, he should resign to set things right, so as not to let the world down." Zhang Jiuchen remained unafraid.
"The first half of this is correct, but the second half... I don't agree with it." Zhao Jiu's voice became deeper and more serious. "Because these incompetent people are already the best and most suitable ministers and military commanders that I can find."
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