It was mid-afternoon.
Although autumn is always associated with bleakness in the eyes of literati and poets, for Kong Zhang, taking a nap in the cool weather would be great.
Maybe it was a habit, he felt sleepy at this time.
But just a few simple words from Tan Min made the Sixth Young Master suddenly wake up.
After the initial shock and bewilderment, cold sweat suddenly broke out on my back.
He subconsciously wanted to stand up, as if to use this opportunity to distance himself from the person in front of him, but he soon remembered that this was happening in his own house. If the news really got out, no matter where he hid, he would be blamed.
He looked around again, fearing that someone might have heard him.
It turned out that there was no one around.
Because the front hall was large enough and their conversation was low, no one else would hear it unless Immortal Langyun borrowed the magic weapon.
The reason why only the two of them were left here was because Tan Min came suddenly and drove directly into the mansion in a sedan chair, which made Kong Zhang instinctively alert, so they met in private.
Now that I think about it, this person’s purpose in coming here was not pure!
Kong Zhang no longer bothered to conceal his feelings. He frowned and asked, "Isn't it a bit rash of you to say this, sir? If anyone else heard this, both you and I would be killed."
Tan Min looked at him and smiled faintly, "Then if no one else hears, will you agree to my request?"
Kong Zhang's expression froze for a moment, and then he became furious: "Don't try to get me off my chest! I really don't want to, you got the wrong person!"
I originally thought that this person would continue to persuade him or even threaten him.
But what Kong Zhang didn't expect was that Tan Min took a sip of tea, sighed softly, and said slowly: "I think you are the most suitable candidate, absolutely certain."
Perhaps because his tone had softened, Gongzi Zhang wasn't as tense anymore, though his words were still a little stiff. "That's your illusion. My brothers are all better than me."
"Sir, where do you think it's strong?"
"They understand politics and checks and balances better than I do, and are better at winning over the people."
As soon as these words were spoken, Tan Min's smile gradually faded.
Although he has a delicate face, he is particularly scary when his face is cold.
Kong Zhang's heart began to lift again, and he wondered if he had said something wrong.
Then, Tan Min's voice rang out again: "Since when did being the ruler of a country require relying on power and scheming?"
It was like a sigh, a feeling of helplessness that made Kong Zhang confused: "Isn't it always like this..."
Tan Min said, "These can certainly be learned, but what is more important is the love for the people, charity and diligence. These are what a ruler should truly possess."
Kong Zhang blinked and thought to himself, that sounds good, but what good is that?
I'm afraid it won't be long before it's eaten up by those with bad intentions.
As if he understood what Kong Zhang was thinking, Tan Min said directly, "Nowadays, most of the aristocratic families have been eradicated. Under the guidance of Langyun Fairyland, all regions are focusing on development and construction. In such a situation, if a king who only cares about fighting for power and profit were to replace him, I'm afraid all his efforts would be in vain."
Kong Zhang looked confused: "What do you mean?"
Tan Min didn't say much, but just mentioned it briefly: "Young Master, since you have managed a factory before, you should know how much profit there is in it."
When it came to his "professional" work, the Sixth Young Master seemed much more confident. "Yes, there are indeed quite a few profits to be made. Purchasing raw materials, buying land, building factories, and then selling them later on, all of these involve a lot of money, but there's nothing to gain. The immortals have warned us before, so these are all under the jurisdiction of the local county governments, and they are also equipped with special supervisory officials. There will be no problems."
Tan Min looked at him and said slowly, "Where there are people, there will be problems. Even if everything is taken over by the imperial court, there will still be loopholes, and there will always be people who exploit them."
Kong Zhang, who had just been acting like a young man with a furious temper, was now remarkably calm. He even retorted, "If there's a hole, plug it. If there's a loophole, fill it. You can't just starve to death because you're afraid of sand among the rice."
Tan Min didn't seem to have expected Kong Zhang to say this.
It is obvious that the Sixth Young Master is not as ignorant of political affairs as he claims.
At least, smart enough.
Tan Min nodded secretly, and said, "But there is a hole you can't plug."
"What?"
"If the royal family takes the lead in tearing the hole, what are you going to do?"
Just one sentence left Kong Zhang speechless.
What, what can I do?
In fact, no one is stupid. To put it bluntly, the royal family of the court is just a family that is even larger than the aristocratic families.
It's just that they own this country and they are the monarchs here. It has been like this for generations, and no one thinks there is anything wrong with it.
But think about it carefully, can he guarantee that all the money in the treasury will be used for national construction?
Maybe the current King of Zhou can do it, and Kong Zhang also thinks he can do it, but if it were someone else, would it work?
I don’t know and I dare not think about it.
But the moment this thought came to his mind, Kong Zhang shuddered.
Because he suddenly felt that he was breaking a certain fixed cognition and began to challenge the inherent system that he had never dared to challenge before.
If he asked this question to the people of Langyun, who had received nine years of compulsory education in China and successfully entered university, they would clearly tell Kong Zhang what feudal society was, what limitations were, and what historical perspective was.
But at this stage, Gongzi Zhang, who knew nothing about these things, only felt that he was thinking of doing something that would be condemned by the world.
He almost instantly fell silent and instinctively moved back.
Fortunately, Tan Min didn't think of achieving success overnight.
Many things need to be done step by step, depending on the situation. It would be inappropriate for him to force a member of the royal family to rebel against himself now.
Take your time.
So Tan Min slowed down his voice and said soothingly, "I know that what you like most is nothing more than craftsmanship, but the prerequisite is that the country is rich and the people are strong. Nowadays, many aristocratic families are in decline, and all industries need to be prosperous. You are obviously capable of doing it well. As long as you are willing, I am willing to assist you."
I don’t know if it was because of the “treason” just now that made Kong Zhang dazed, or because he was now forced to take the risk and had no way to retreat, he was no longer so opposed.
After a long silence, he finally asked in a hoarse voice, "You can't help me for no reason. What do you want?"
Tan Min smiled and thought to himself that he had a lot of things to think about.
He wanted to expand the cabinet, promote education, and implement new policies.
The current King of Zhou is a wise monarch, but he is used to maintaining the status quo, so it may be difficult to persuade him.
Then cultivate a new one early and bet on the future.
But these explanations were too complicated, so Tan Min simply said, "I can swear that all my actions were motivated by serving the country and the people."
Kong Zhang looked up at him: "Really?"
Tan Min smiled and said, "I really mean it. But now, regardless of whether it is true or not, I am afraid you have to agree to it. Tomorrow I will submit a petition and become your teacher."
"What if I don't agree?"
"You've heard so many secrets, do you really think you can get away with it?"
Kong Zhang: ...suddenly got angry.
Taking a deep breath, Gongzi Zhang gritted his teeth and said, "...you are forcing me to buy and sell."
Tan Min was not at all disappointed: "Young Master, you have won the throne, it's not a loss."
Kong Zhang started to have a headache again.
For the first time, he felt that this handsome gentleman in front of him, who had a stunning appearance, was so unreasonable.
But in the end he agreed.
Not only because he couldn't escape at all, but also because he knew very well that if his brothers took the throne, at best they would be like their father, but more realistically, they would be instigated by the powerful families behind them to take advantage of loopholes and make money.
If he became the king, at least he wouldn't have to go through approval again and again when he wanted to build a waterwheel.
Now that he had made up his mind, Kong Zhang no longer hesitated.
He took a deep breath, sat up straight, and bowed to Tan Min as a disciple, saying, "Master, please teach me."
The next moment, he saw Lord Tan take out a booklet from his arms.
It was red, and the cover was made of a material he had never seen before, with a small star on it.
Kong Zhang looked puzzled: "What is this?"
Tan Min smiled with his lips curved. Without explaining, he said softly, "Believe me, you will like this course."
This not-so-long meeting directly changed Kong Zhang's future plans. He inexplicably changed from a carefree and idle prince to someone who had to work tirelessly for the throne.
But to others, this did not cause any concern.
No one even knew they had ever met.
In response to this, Kong Zhang once again marveled at the ability of his new teacher who had come to his doorstep.
He was able to avoid all eyes, walk in with a swagger, and leave with a dignified manner without anyone knowing.
This is enough to show how much control he has over every part of the capital.
Kong Zhang even felt that this man had so much power now that he didn't even need to ask for his opinion.
As long as he wants, anyone can sit on the throne...
As a result, the Sixth Prince studied even harder, and his diligence was so great that even the King of Zhou was surprised and rewarded him.
In contrast, Lord Tan was very relaxed.
He went to pay a visit to the Langyun Immortal who had just arrived in the city, prepared various welcoming arrangements, and arranged carriages and horses early to escort the Langyun people to different mission counties.
As for those who wanted to wait until New Year's Eve to go to Qi together, Tan Min quickly reported to King Zhou, and after crossing the clear road, he began to make preparations with a very positive attitude.
It may be for the sake of good relations with Langyun, or it may be because he values the resources of Bankui and Weiguo brought this time, or it may be both.
But for the people of Langyun, as long as they can provide help with the mission, it's enough.
As for what other people think, they never care or interfere.
After meeting Tan Min, He Yiyi called Kun Jingming and the first thing she said was, "Senior, just as the student union expected, we can go to Qi together with the Zhou team."
Kun Jingming didn't seem surprised.
He pushed his glasses and said calmly, "I understand. Be careful on the road. I'm going there too. See you then."
He Yiyi looked curious: "The system will be updated soon. I'm afraid we can see the principal this time. Senior, won't you wait in the school?"
Kun Jingming, who would have returned to Langyun early to prepare in previous years, chose to decline this time: "I've thought about it. We have teachers, members of the student union, and students from related majors here. It doesn't matter whether I'm here or not. Besides, I really want to visit Qi State."
"Why?"
"Compared to being in school, I prefer being a teacher in the Qi Kingdom Palace." After a pause, Kun Jingming suddenly smiled, his voice tinged with emotion. "It's almost the end of the semester for them. Wouldn't it be more interesting to watch others take exams than to bury my head in school writing reports?"
...Is this a real example of turning one's life around and becoming the master of one's own destiny?
He Yiyi choked and asked dryly, "Um, senior, I remember you are from the College of Arts, not Education. This shouldn't be considered your professional task, right?"
Kun Jingming remained calm: "Not really, but it will be of great benefit to me in the future."
"?What's the meaning?"
"When I get back, I can write a resume that says, 'During my time at school, in addition to studying hard and actively participating in various school activities, I also worked as a part-time teacher.' I believe this resume will make my future job search smoother and contribute to a brighter future."
He Yiyi thought hard for a moment: "A part-time teacher is just a tutor, right? It sounds like there's no difference..."
Kun Jingming said calmly, "I am not very talented, and I don't have many students. I only have a few future princesses, princes, and kings."
He Yiyi: ...
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