Facing Zhu Zhongyan's teasing, Zhao Lin smiled slightly and said, "Don't you, the General Manager, have us here? With you here, I can do whatever job I want."
Zhu Zhongyan laughed heartily: "You are very interesting, much more interesting than those so-called literati."
Zhu Zhongyan sighed, "Everyone would rather avoid a eunuch like us, but you took the initiative to approach me. You are a thoughtful person."
Zhao Lin said, "I'm just a commoner who wants to climb the social ladder. The General Manager needs help, and I need someone to back me up. It's that simple."
Zhu Zhongyan said with satisfaction, "I like your directness. Many people secretly want to curse me, but on the surface they serve me like their own father, which is very hypocritical. I like your poems very much. Don't be distracted from now on. Prepare well for the imperial examination next year. As long as you pass the imperial examination, I will let you become an editor in the Hanlin Academy. That is the privilege of the top scholar, just like Bai Shiyuan. You will also be a favorite of His Majesty in the future."
Generally, only the top scorer in the imperial examination can directly enter the Hanlin Academy as an editor. After two or three years of experience, he can become the president of the academy, enter the cabinet, or become the minister of one of the six ministries, etc. This is a very important step.
Therefore, only the top scholar has that qualification, not even the second or third place, let alone other Jinshi.
But the fact that Zhu Zhongyan was able to marry Zhao Lin was enough to show his influence on the emperor.
Zhu Zhongyan thought Zhao Lin would be overjoyed, but unexpectedly, he only thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your kindness, General Manager, but I don't want to stay in the court. I want to go to the countryside."
"Oh? Why?" Zhu Zhongyan asked curiously, "You should know that this is the center of the world. Countless people have tried their best to get in here, but they can't even stay. You can stay just by nodding your head. Why do you have to go somewhere else? Isn't that like trying to catch fish in a tree?"
Zhao Lin smiled and said, "Of course this place is good. It's the political center and power center that everyone yearns for. Students also want to stay here, but it's not suitable at the moment."
Zhu Zhongyan became interested and said, "Tell me about it."
Zhao Lin said, "Although the Supervisor is second only to the emperor, his power is limited to the imperial city. Outside the imperial city, his words will not have much effect, right?"
Zhu Zhongyan didn't mind Zhao Lin's directness and nodded, "You are right. Everything we have comes from His Majesty. Naturally, the closer we are to His Majesty, the more respect those people have for us. If we leave this imperial city, they will dare to kill us."
Zhao Lin said, "But the General Manager can't stay in the Imperial City forever. He will have to leave one day. Are you, second only to the Emperor, willing to do this with your tail between your legs?"
Zhu Zhongyan said thoughtfully, "So our family needs someone from the local area?"
"Yes." Zhao Lin said, "Just like the Jiujiang Governor Feng, if the General Manager went to other provinces, those governors and others might pretend to obey but secretly disobey. But if he went to Jiujiang Province, would Lord Feng do the same?"
"Of course not." Zhu Zhongyan said.
Feng Siyuan was nailed to the pillar of shame of the eunuch party. Zhu Zhongyan was Feng Siyuan's heaven. If Zhu Zhongyan was good, Feng Siyuan would be good. If Zhu Zhongyan was finished, Feng Siyuan would not be far from death.
Therefore, Feng Siyuan would never betray or disrespect Zhu Zhongyan.
Zhao Lin continued, "That's it. If I also go there and help the steward remotely, it will be better than having Master Feng handle it alone, right?"
Zhu Zhongyan nodded slowly.
Zhu Zhongyan has many minions, but the only one who really has power is Feng Siyuan. The others are just officials who do not have much power.
If Zhao Lin went to the local area and could communicate with Zhu Zhongyan, it would indeed be much better than for him to stay in the court.
Zhu Zhongyan was not short of people in the court, but was short of manpower in the local areas.
Although Zhu Zhongyan relied on the emperor to have absolute power in the court, those officials had deep roots in the local area, so Zhu Zhongyan could only issue orders with the help of the emperor's authority, which was very embarrassing.
It would be much better if there was someone like Zhao Lin working for him locally.
"You've convinced our family." Zhu Zhongyan said, "What do you want to do?"
Zhao Lin said, "The prefect of Qingzhou."
Zhu Zhongyan looked at Zhao Lin with amusement and said, "If you become the prefect, what will happen to Gao Junliang? He will support you very much if you go on duty."
Zhao Lin said, "Mr. Gao has been the prefect of Qingzhou for five or six years. It's time for him to move up. It would be nice to be an inspector or something like that in the province."
The Chief Justice and Supervisory Commissioner was a third-rank official in charge of the judicial and supervisory affairs of a province, and was responsible for assessing official administration, redressing unjust imprisonment, etc.
Equivalent to the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission in Zhao Lin’s previous life, a high-ranking official at the vice-provincial level.
The prefect was only a fourth-rank official, equivalent to the municipal party secretary in Zhao Lin's previous life.
One is a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, ranking among the top in the province, and the other is the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, not even ranked in the province. Even a fool can tell which one is better.
So this is Zhao Lin's return for Gao Junliang's previous support.
If someone gives you a peach, you should give him a plum in return.
Don't let other people's kindness go to waste.
This was the most important gain Zhao Lin had gained from his many years in his previous life.
Zhu Zhongyan smiled and said, "It seems that he has done a good job and you are very satisfied with it. You actually made such a request for him. It is easy to ask him to be the provincial governor, but why should our family help you so much?"
A poem is equivalent to Zhao Lin joining the eunuch party, so Zhu Zhongyan is willing to help him.
However, Gao Junliang did not join the eunuch party, and Zhu Zhongyan did not want to get involved.
This powerful general manager is not like those petty officials who will do things for a little bribe.
Zhao Lin smiled slightly and said, "Sir, do you know what Qingzhou's specialty is?"
Zhu Zhongyan thought for a moment and said, "Qingzhou soldiers and Qingzhou horses."
Zhao Lin asked, "What if I help you train a group of soldiers?"
Zhu Zhongyan immediately shouted angrily, "You want to rebel?"
Zhao Lin waved his hand and said, "Your Excellency, there is no need to be so. Your Excellency should understand that our dynasty is now in a state of treasury depletion, plagued by internal and external troubles. Although the house is still large, it is already riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse."
Zhu Zhongyan's face was solemn and he didn't say anything.
Zhao Lin continued, "Internally, various factions are fighting each other, and externally, the Northern Di and Western Rong are eyeing us covetously. Two years ago, there was a severe drought, and last year, there were floods. Harvests are difficult, and the people are living in misery. This is truly the greatest crisis since the founding of this dynasty."
"That's nonsense!" Zhu Zhongyan said coldly, "Your Majesty is wise and powerful. This is a peaceful and prosperous era. How can there be a crisis?"
Zhao Lin smiled and said, "Do you believe this yourself, sir?"
Zhu Zhongyan did not answer, but asked: "What do you want to say?"
Zhao Lin said, "I would like to train an army for you in Qingzhou, so that we can achieve a surprise victory when needed. You should understand the importance of military power better than I do."
Zhu Zhongyan looked at Zhao Lin coldly: "Of course we understand. But who will have the military power then?"
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