Chapter 165: Mr. Zhao, what do you think of the ten strategies?
Is it him? Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, surprise showing on his face. He squinted his eyes and looked at the uninvited guest, and said:
"So it's Master Han. What a coincidence. Is his home nearby?"
Inside the carriage, the Dayu "Wang Anshi", who was hailed as the "first talent" and had recently shone brightly in Xiuwen Hall, smiled and said:
"Your Excellency, there is no need to test me. After leaving the abbey, I, Han, deliberately followed Your Majesty's carriage, with the purpose of serving Your Excellency.
It's noon now, and I happen to know of a good restaurant nearby. I wonder if you would be so kind as to visit it?"
For me? Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows and nodded happily:
"good."
…
A moment later.
In an elegantly decorated restaurant, Zhao Duan and Han Zhou were led by the owner into a private room.
The restaurant is not very big, it has the charm of "quiet in the bustling city", the style is good and the prices are also reasonable.
When Zhao Duan entered the room, he saw that most of the guests were dressed like scholars, so he knew that this was a place where scholars often gathered.
"Envoy Zhao, please."
Han Zhou was obviously a regular customer. After inviting him to the table, the two of them exchanged pleasantries and ordered some food and drinks.
This private room is not furnished with tables and chairs, but with mats spread out and low tables placed on it.
Sitting cross-legged while drinking is a popular trend among scholars in the capital.
Zhao Duan saw that he behaved properly and smiled:
"I have long heard of the name of Scholar Han. I never expected that you would invite me for a drink."
Han Zhou, who was about thirty years old, had a very scholarly air, and his hair was neatly combed back. He smiled, first adjusted his crown, and then straightened his robe sleeves - after leaving Xiuwen Hall, he changed back into his Confucian robe.
Then he took the initiative to pick up the wine pot, filled Zhao Duan's glass, and said with a smile:
"Envoy Zhao is also well-known in the capital. Seeing is believing. We are officials in the same court. I ate his pears before, so I should treat him back."
Hypocrisy... Zhao Duan shook his head and said:
"Famous...or rather, notorious. I've heard that many scholars in the Hanlin Academy hate me to death and call me a traitor to the country. Scholar Han, aren't you afraid that getting close to me will tarnish your reputation?"
He was born into a poor family and studied hard by living frugally. One year, the mountains were blocked by heavy snow and there was no rice to cook. He once divided a bowl of cold porridge into three parts with tree branches and ate it for three days. He changed his name because of this and took the single character "Zhou".
He was the top scholar in the imperial examination because he witnessed the famine-stricken people everywhere and he was determined to make sure that everyone in the world could have white porridge to fill their stomachs every day.
The Hanlin editor, whose literary reputation is far-reaching and whose poetry and prose are outstanding, is regarded by the scholars of the time as a man of great talent with the potential to be a prime minister, and his demeanor is as graceful as the spring breeze.
He was not at all upset by these overly straightforward words. Instead, he said with a gentlemanly demeanor:
"Now that Han has entered the museum, why should he care about his reputation?"
Zhao Duan chewed over these words, his gaze falling on the face of this pillar of society nicknamed Banshan.
Han Zhou didn't dodge or avoid, his eyes were clear with a hint of self-mockery.
He clearly looks like a weak scholar, but he exudes a tough edge.
Zhao Duan understood the meaning of these words, and thus became slightly interested in this alien version of Wang Anshi.
Frankly speaking, Zhao Duan read history in his previous life and had complicated feelings towards literati.
On the one hand, these ancient highly educated classes were indeed important pillars supporting the operation of society, and many of them have left their names in history.
On the other hand, his indifference to the world outside, his out-of-touch style, and his almost perverted desire for fame are really annoying.
How can one maintain an unblemished reputation in this world?
It's very simple, just do nothing.
As long as you sit back and talk, point fingers at others, and concentrate on criticizing others, a good reputation will naturally come to you.
If you do nothing, you won't make mistakes.
Those who actually do things will inevitably be criticized. The bigger the things they do, the more mistakes they will make, the more interest groups they will affect, and the more widespread the abuse and attacks they will receive.
The meaning of Han Zhou's words is very clear. He entered Xiuwenguan to "do things."
If you want to get things done, you will inevitably offend a lot of people.
In order to accomplish their goals, they even sacrificed innocent people, stained their hands with blood, and bore eternal infamy... That's why it is said that once you have entered the museum, you no longer care about your reputation.
Since your reputation will be ruined sooner or later, why bother?
"Haha, that's a great point," Zhao Duan laughed, raised his hand to pick up the wine cup that the other party pushed over, raised his head and drank it all in one gulp:
"Drink this wine."
In the private room.
A gentle breeze blew in from the window cracks, slender bamboos were placed in the corners, and calligraphy and paintings of mountains and rivers were hung on the walls...
There are two people sitting cross-legged, drinking and eating, with distinct temperaments, one is a civil official and the other is a "military general".
The atmosphere, which was initially stiff and tense, suddenly relaxed as Zhao Duan drank the wine.
"So," Zhao Duan put down the empty cup and said with a smile:
"Master Han invited me to drink, but his motives were not pure."
Han Zhou was curious: "How is it impure?"
Zhao Duan looked self-aware and said with a smile:
"I have always had a bad impression of scholars. After much reflection, I think that Scholar Han's only value is that he is relatively efficient and close to His Majesty.
I have also heard the ten strategies proposed by Han Xueshi. He was highly regarded by Grand Tutor Dong and surpassed many other scholars in one fell swoop. I think I am right when I say that he has great ambitions.
But if you want to get things done, if you want to carry out your plans, you must first gain the support of Your Majesty and secondly, find someone who can help you. I think I have both of these things. May I ask, Master, am I right?
Even though his thoughts were exposed, Han Zhou was not embarrassed and remained humble and gentlemanly:
"Your Excellency is indeed very thoughtful, but I, Han, am not so forthright."
Admitted it.
Obviously, other scholars were still proud of their status, maintained a noble attitude, and were unwilling to associate with cruel officials like Zhao Duan.
Han Zhou has lowered his status and tried to win over Zhao Duan and join his camp.
This alone made Zhao Duan look at this scholar in a different light.
"However, I, Han, invited you to have a drink, not just to make friends," Han Zhou continued.
"Oh?" This time it was Zhao Duan's turn to be curious.
Han Zhou picked up the wine pot and poured him another cup, then said:
"Earlier in the hall, we were discussing state affairs, and the envoy sat in the corner the entire time, not saying a word. But from my perspective, the envoy seemed to have a different opinion on what we were discussing.
Especially when Han made his own recommendations and presented his 'Ten Strategies,' I noticed that the envoy seemed... to disagree."
Zhao Duan was carefree, enjoying the other party's "service", squinting his eyes and said:
"How can Scholar Han be so sure that I don't agree?"
Han Zhou said:
“Perhaps, some people may think that Envoy Zhao was just listening and didn’t understand what we were discussing.
But Han has studied for more than 20 years. In other aspects, he is not as good as others, but he still has the ability to tell whether a person understands or pretends to understand.
Therefore, I, Han, would like to hear your opinion on my 'Ten Strategies'.
Haha, listening to your opinions is fake, and you are really trying to convince me to agree with you... Zhao Duan said with a half-smile.
Han Zhou obviously wanted to recruit him to help him win in the formulation of the new policy.
Therefore, we must first convince him strategically.
Given his knowledge and confidence in the Ten Strategies, he obviously did not think that Zhao Duan could come up with any strong rebuttal.
He could guess that Han Zhou's script should be like this:
First, let Zhao Duan express his opinion in the name of asking for advice.
Then, Han Zhou explained them one by one, using his words to give Zhao Duan, a martial artist, a little cognitive shock.
As long as Zhao Duan is convinced and agrees to the ten strategies, it will be equivalent to winning over a powerful foreign aid.
pity……
You got the wrong person.
Zhao Duan sighed softly, shook his head in his heart, and looked at the other person with some pity.
I thought you finally asked the right person...
"You really want to listen?"
Zhao Duan had a strange expression on his face, and he felt a little reluctant to destroy the other person's heart.
After all, it was quite unbearable to crush the confidence of the most talented man in the capital because of a few words from me... After all, Mr. Zhao was not a bad person.
Han Zhou didn't know that he was facing a wall hanging, but he still smiled gracefully and said:
"Your Excellency, please feel free to speak your mind. Without arguing, the truth will remain unclear. I also want to hear your opinions so that we can fix the loopholes."
It was you who insisted on bringing humiliation upon yourself... Zhao Duan sighed softly and said reluctantly:
"In that case, let me briefly explain your ten strategies."
Han Zhou smiled and listened quietly.
However, the next second, his smile froze on his face.
Zhao Duan sneered and commented:
"Ten Strategies to Strengthen the Nation? It's just a strategy that will harm the country. In my opinion, it's worse than dog shit."
(End of this chapter)
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