Chapter 814
Hu Weiyong: The might of the King of Han is truly unpredictable!
Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang left with their appointment letters; Chen Jie had already determined their job duties long ago.
The main purpose of this banquet was to reassure the two men and get them to wholeheartedly serve him like slaves.
At this moment, the two walked out of the Han Prince's Mansion. Liu Bowen stroked his goatee and looked at Li Shanchang, saying, "Brother Li, this new lord is no ordinary man."
Li Shanchang, also holding an appointment letter, said, "Sigh, he's even worse than Shangwei. If Shangwei is a fierce tiger, he's a real dragon! Look at all the work he's assigned us that will offend people, and we still have to do it for him with a smile. Sigh, what a miserable life!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen said, "You seem to be enjoying yourself, after all, this is a lucrative position in the central government, while I..."
Liu Bowen looked at the appointment letter in his hand: Pingzhang Zhengshi of Anhui Road, in charge of pacifying the people, raising grain and fodder, and supporting the army's northern expedition!
Anhui is Zhu Chongba's hometown, and there are many of his loyal followers there. It's much more difficult to carry out work there now than in Yingtian, since Yingtian was conquered by Zhu Chongba later and is not very stable.
But Anhui was Zhu Chongba's stronghold, and most of the people there were from his hometown. Now that he was going to be the Grand Councilor, wouldn't that cause trouble for him?
Upon seeing this, Li Shanchang said, "Didn't the Prince of Han give you the command and dispatch authority of five thousand guards and patrolmen? I've heard all about it. These guards and patrolmen, though called patrolmen, are all elite soldiers. They would be used as elite soldiers even if they were sent to the battlefield."
"With these five thousand people, would anyone in Anhui dare to be impolite to you? With a flick of your pen, these people will be beheaded."
Li Shanchang said.
Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen smiled wryly and said, "But writing is a job that offends people. They say that the stroke of the pen can startle ghosts and gods. If I write this, my name, Liu Bowen, will be cursed by my fellow Anhui natives."
Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang looked at Liu Bowen and said, "I already told you, don't act too aloof. No monarch will like your kind of aloofness."
"You were unhappy when you ascended the throne, and you're unhappy now, Prince of Han. At this banquet, you insist on arguing with me that Prince of Han is not as good as Emperor Taizu of Song. Why are you arguing about this?"
Liu Bowen said, "Reason cannot be clarified without debate. I cannot become a flatterer just because I fear displeasing the emperor..."
Liu Bowen glanced at Li Shanchang and took back his words. Even with his low emotional intelligence, he knew he couldn't call Li Shanchang a sycophant in front of him.
Li Shanchang's smile froze at this moment. He looked at Liu Bowen and said with a wry smile, "Hehe, Bowen, you deserve what you have today..."
After saying this, Li Shanchang shook his head and left. Liu Bowen looked at the appointment letter in his hand, patted his mouth and said, "Disaster comes from the mouth, disaster comes from the mouth."
Li Shanchang walked home with his hands behind his back, but he was in a very good mood.
Although he had boundless loyalty to his former employer, Zhu Chongba, what loyalty is there when a person is dead? Besides, his new employer was giving him too much.
The Minister of Revenue was in charge of all matters related to taxation, grain and salary, and finances in Han areas.
Li Shanchang was extremely excited as he looked at the power in his hands. According to the Prince of Han, he planned to continue using the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and improve upon it.
The Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs are the three departments. Below them are the six ministries: Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works. According to the King of Han, these six ministries will be retained. In addition, a few more departments may be added, such as the Ministry of Commerce, which is currently the most powerful department in Han territory, and the Academy of Sciences, which are the most prestigious. These departments will be listed separately.
And you've already become the Minister of Revenue right from the start, so what more could you ask for? This is what it means to be highly valued.
The Han lands now encompass the entire southern region, and most of the empire has already fallen to the Han. At this starting point, especially considering that I am still a disgraced official, it is already an act of great grace from the King of Han.
Li Shanchang decided to work hard for Chen Jie and make achievements so that he might one day become prime minister.
Inside the small pavilion, Chen Jie drank a cup of wine, looked at Hu Weiyong, and said, "Old Hu, what do you think of these two?"
Hu Weiyong was silent for a moment after hearing this, then said, "Li Shanchang is slick but capable, and Liu Bowen is aloof but also a capable person. Although they have different personalities, they are both capable officials. With these two, our court affairs will be much easier."
Chen Jie said, "In fact, Song Lian and Lü Chang were also capable officials, and I recruited them all to give them important positions."
Hu Weiyong said, "My lord is wise."
Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong and asked, "Old Hu, how's your mindset lately?"
Hu Weiyong was taken aback by these words and looked at Chen Jiedao, saying, "My lord, I've been feeling quite pleased lately as I've seen our Han territory expand more and more."
Chen Jie said, "That's good. But Lao Hu, you are very capable, but you need to know how to delegate. The Prime Minister should focus on the big picture and let go of the small details. You can't be greedy for everything."
Hu Weiyong was startled, and immediately replied, "Yes, my lord, I have noted it down."
Chen Jie patted Hu Weiyong on the shoulder and said, "Don't overthink it. I can see your loyalty, and you work very hard. But people can get arrogant sometimes, so you know?"
"I deserve to die!"
Hu Weiyong suddenly knelt down. Chen Jie, seeing Hu Weiyong like this, knew perfectly well what he had done. Recently, he had been recruiting disciples, and had already taken in eighteen capable officials.
They are known as the Eighteen Arhats of the Hu Mansion.
This is not a good sign. If we don't give them a warning, things could get much worse in the future. So, we need to give them a warning now. Hu Weiyong should know what to do.
No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. If you can't tolerate others making even the slightest mistake, that's wrong. Correcting mistakes promptly will make it much harder for them to make them.
Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong kneeling on the ground and said, "Weiyong, I know you didn't do this willingly, but you should be aware of your position in the court. Your every word and action affects many people."
"Today you have accepted these eighteen people as your disciples, the Eighteen Arhats. Tomorrow, you will be able to accept thirty-six people called the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, and seventy-two more called the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends. You can then accept hundreds or thousands more, making them the stars of the heavens."
"When so many people rely on you, flatter you, and follow you as their leader, do you think you'll be second only to the emperor, or..."
Chen Jie's gaze turned cold as he swept it over Hu Weiyong and said, "You are my loyal minister who helped me rise to power, and I rely on you greatly. But if one day you really become too powerful to control, I will have no choice but to bear the pain!"
Chen Jie's eyes turned cold as he looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "You must always keep a clear head. Remember, if you become too powerful, you will have enemies, and your enemy is me, sitting in the highest position."
"Do you want to be my enemy, Old Hu?"
Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong with a smile on his face. Upon seeing this, Hu Weiyong was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and said, "My lord, I dare not, I dare not!"
Seeing Hu Weiyong's appearance, Chen Jie's smile relaxed and he said, "Get up."
Hu Weiyong then knelt on the ground and said, "Your subject dares not!"
Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "The fact that I can speak to you openly means that I don't consider you an outsider. If one day I stop talking to you, you'd better watch your head."
Hu Weiyong didn't dare to breathe loudly upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, I am terrified." Chen Jie sighed and said: "Old Hu, you and I have been friends for a long time. I don't want you to be left out when I list the twenty-four meritorious officials of my Han Dynasty."
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. When I return, I will immediately dismiss those eighteen people from their positions as disciples and will never accept any more disciples from now on."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "Well, as for the other eighteen people, all of them will be demoted one level in their recruitment, and their performance evaluation criteria will be raised. Those who fail to meet the standards will be removed from the official system and will never be recruited again."
"Yes!"
Hu Weiyong immediately agreed, and Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "Take care of yourself."
After saying this, Chen Jie turned and left, leaving Hu Weiyong standing in the small pavilion, his back soaked with cold sweat. As he watched Chen Jie leave, he leaned on the table and slowly sat down.
His hands were still trembling slightly.
Faced with Chen Jie, whose imperial aura was invincible, Hu Weiyong felt like an ant challenging a dragon, unable to withstand even a single breath from the dragon.
He paused for a long time, then suddenly gave a bitter laugh, perhaps a self-deprecating laugh, and then shook his head.
I had become arrogant. When those eighteen disciples knelt down and told me they would follow my lead, I felt inflated and had a sense that the world was under my control. But looking back now, I realize how ridiculous I was.
He was merely a pawn in this game, yet he aspired to be a player. If his lord hadn't warned him today, he might have continued to swell with arrogance.
If things really turn out as the lord said, with the Eighteen Arhats, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, and hundreds of other celestial beings, these people will gradually flatter and destroy you until you are no longer satisfied with your current position.
And above them is the heavens.
If I continue like this, I'll be defying the heavens.
unbelievable!
The moment Hu Weiyong thought of this word, he felt that he was not far from death. What was his heaven? It was the supreme monarch who inherited the way of heaven, defeated Zhu Chongba, and was about to launch a northern expedition to unify the world.
He was the commander of ten thousand armies, holding the six major legions of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Begging for Life, Buddha's Army, and Destroyer of the Barbarians, with nearly 500,000 troops.
He was an invincible powerhouse who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts and was about to become a terrestrial immortal.
You, Hu Weiyong, only have a few protégés and former subordinates, a few civil officials under your command. Do you think you can turn the world upside down? If your own government wants to kill you, it's just a matter of a cough. At that time, no one can help you. You will only have one way out: death.
Having figured all this out, Hu Weiyong touched his head: "Is my head still there?"
Hu Weiyong touched his head and found it was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief and realized that what seemed like a test for Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen was actually a warning to himself.
The meaning is clear: Hu Weiyong is not the only option. Even without you, I still have Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen, and even people like Lü Chang, Song Lian, and Yang Xian to use.
If you, Hu Weiyong, can't distinguish between the two kings, then the King of Han will help you do it.
However, when the King of Han finally made it clear, Hu Weiyong breathed a sigh of relief. The King of Han still valued their past relationship. If the King of Han did not value their past relationship, he would have ambushed axemen around the lotus pond pavilion today.
By smashing the cup as a signal, I should now be nothing more than minced meat.
Hu Weiyong suddenly chuckled to himself as he thought about this, but he was overthinking it. Did he deserve to be subjected to such a despicable method as the executioner's men by the King of Han?
As long as the King of Han issues an edict, how could I dare to resist?
Thinking of this, Hu Weiyong got up and knelt down respectfully in the direction Chen Jie had left, kowtowing once: His lord's will is becoming more and more unpredictable, but today he has escaped death, and it can be said that his lord spared his dog's life.
At this moment, Hu Weiyong felt that Chen Jie's power was unpredictable, and at the same time, he completely extinguished the arrogant thoughts that had arisen from the rapid expansion of the Han Prince's Mansion's power.
The Prince of Han's mansion is now far too large, and its expansion has been too rapid. When the Prince of Han's mansion only consisted of Hubei Province, Hu Weiyong didn't think much of it, but as the Prince of Han has grown stronger...
Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Qinghai have all become part of the Han Prince's territory, and after defeating Zhu Chongba, his power has more than doubled.
Now there are even more: Anhui, Henan, Jiangxi, Jiangnan, and Fujian, making a total of five routes. The Han Prince's forces now control ten routes.
The once mighty Qian Dynasty, now in its twilight years, has only managed to retain control over Shandong, Hebei, and the vacant lands of Liaodong.
So now that the King of Han has established his power, Hu Weiyong, as the head of the civil officials and the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, has naturally risen in status and begun to swell in arrogance.
That's how he got the idea of taking on disciples after being persuaded by others. Looking back now, Hu Weiyong only feels that he was extremely foolish.
How could I have been blinded by self-interest?
Hu Weiyong thought to himself, then left the Prince of Han's residence with a wry smile. He soon arrived at his temporary residence, and as soon as he reached the gate, he saw a group of officials gathered nearby.
Hu Weiyong frowned, seeing many of his students through the curtains.
At this moment, Hu Weiyong's carriage stopped. As soon as Hu Weiyong lifted the curtain, a large group of people surrounded him, and a group of officials knelt on the ground.
"Greetings, Prime Minister Hu."
Hu Weiyong frowned, looking at the people kneeling on the ground, and asked, "What are you doing?"
At this moment, Tu Jie, who was once one of Hu Weiyong's eighteen disciples, hurriedly stepped forward to Hu Weiyong's side and said, "Teacher, you're back."
“These colleagues have all come here because of your reputation, hoping to become your disciples. They are all officials from Yingtian and Jiangnan. I have counted them, and there are a total of thirty-six people, which is just enough to make up the thirty-six Heavenly Spirits.”
"By the way, teacher, there are many people who admire you. It is said that there are even more in Huangzhou Prefecture. Some of our colleagues have already counted them, and there are about sixty or seventy people. We will then make up the seventy-two Earthly Fiends."
"Let's work together to help our teacher rise to greater heights!"
"Yes, yes, may the teacher rise to higher positions step by step!"
A group of people then began to flatter Hu Weiyong. In the past, Hu Weiyong might have quietly agreed, but he had just been warned by Chen Jie and knew how dangerous his idea was. So he took a deep breath, looked at everyone, and said, "Step by step, I'm rising higher and higher. I'm already the prime minister. How high am I going to rise? To replace the King of Han?"
These words caused an uproar. (End of Chapter)