Chapter 5388 The Infamy of a Villain is Hard to Bear

Chapter 5388 The Infamy of a Villain is Hard to Bear
Pei Huaijie suffered greatly from being "rootless".

He was a veteran minister during the reign of Emperor Gaozu and was highly regarded. Therefore, he was dispatched to Luoyang, the eastern capital of the former Sui Dynasty, to oversee the region and was entrusted with great power as the governor of Henan. Although his official duties were to govern Luoyang and Henan, he was actually responsible for monitoring and stabilizing the powerful families in Henan. Although he did not have any outstanding achievements over the years, he never made any major mistakes. He can be described as having "worked hard and made great contributions".

Having survived the reigns of Emperors Wude and Zhenguan, the powerful families of Henan had long since lost any ambition and all submitted to the rule of the Tang Dynasty. This is why Fang Jun was able to carry out a thorough purge of the powerful families of Henan after arriving in Luoyang. In the past, if Fang Jun had dared to be so forceful, Henan would have been engulfed in flames of war long ago!
However, after returning to Chang'an, he seemed to be promoted and given a higher rank, but in reality he had no real power and even had to bow down to Fang Jun!
Ultimately, the reason lies in the fact that his foundation and backers have all distanced themselves from the center of power.

Although he has now fulfilled his long-cherished wish of being selected by His Majesty to become the second-ranking prime minister after the Grand Secretary, Pei Huaijie believes that it is better to become Ma Zhou's "lackey" than to completely side with His Majesty.

That's why he openly showed goodwill to Ma Zhou in the main hall of the Secretariat.

Unexpectedly, Ma Zhou told him to "be careful"...

Extremely ashamed and angry.

*****
Ma Zhou's talent was beyond doubt, and his style was decisive and efficient. Although Liu Ji's sudden "abdication" was quite criticized, under Ma Zhou's leadership, the administration of both the Secretariat and the Capital Prefecture was handed over quickly and smoothly.

After handing over the administration of Jingzhao Prefecture, Ma Zhou instructed Ren Yaxiang: "I know you must have many ideas as a new official. In fact, most of the affairs of Jingzhao Prefecture are inherited from when the Grand Commandant was in office. With the rapid development of Chang'an City and even the entire Jingzhao Prefecture, many clauses and rules are no longer appropriate. Whether it is to eliminate the dross and retain the essence, or to optimize and improve, you can do it as long as you think it through. However, the population of Chang'an City has now exceeded one million, and the floating population of the entire Jingzhao Prefecture is even more than three million. Whatever reforms are made, stability must be the top priority. Under no circumstances can the capital region be in chaos."

His attitude towards Pei Huaijie was completely different from how he treated her.

Moreover, this instruction is indeed necessary.

Today, Chang'an City has a permanent population of one million, and more than 200,000 merchants, tourists, and students from all over the country and abroad gather here. With various forces mixed together, the slightest carelessness could lead to violent turmoil, which is absolutely unacceptable.

Moreover, since the "Renhe" reign, various new policies have been implemented. Although they seem to have many advantages at the moment, they have only been in effect for a short time and need to be put to rest to see their effects. At this time, stability is of utmost importance.

Ren Yaxiang solemnly accepted the instruction: "Please rest assured, Grand Secretary, I will keep this in mind after taking office and prioritize stability above all else."

He certainly has his own political ideals and ambitions, but he is still young and needs time to settle down, clarify his governing principles, consolidate his position as the Prefect of the Capital, and cultivate his prestige before pursuing further goals in the future.

Especially now that the rift between His Majesty and the Crown Prince is widening and the struggle is fierce, if one were to be caught in the crossfire, there would be no place to even cry out for justice...

Therefore, he confirmed his goal at this moment: to remain calm and steady, and not to be impatient for quick success.

Ma Zhou could tell that Ren Yaxiang was not just being perfunctory, but had truly taken his advice to heart. He said with delight, "Don't harbor any resentment about being 'unappreciated' or 'being complacent.' We are in the midst of a transformation unprecedented in a thousand years. Everything in the world is changing rapidly, with new things constantly emerging. Yesterday's strategies may be outdated, obsolete, or even obsolete by tomorrow. As long as you have something to strive for and it aligns with the trend of national development, you will eventually find a place to use your talents."

Ren Yaxiang respectfully replied, "This humble official understands the Grand Secretary's meaning: to seek progress while maintaining stability, to seek movement while remaining still, to continuously understand change and accumulate capabilities, and to always follow in the Grand Secretary's footsteps, so as to contribute to the glorious prosperity of the empire."

Ma Zhou laughed: "There's no need for that. We are both young and strong, so it doesn't matter who follows whom. We should join hands and contribute everything to His Majesty's great cause. If one day you are capable of serving as prime minister, what's wrong with me stepping down and giving way to a more capable person? I still have that kind of magnanimity."

Ren Yaxiang was filled with awe.

Compared to figures like Liu Ji, Pei Huaijie, and Xu Jingzong, Ma Zhou was more like a "pure minister," indifferent to fame and fortune, and only thinking about igniting himself into a bonfire to illuminate the empire's night sky.

Even if one day I run out of oil and turn to dust, I will die a worthy death.

This is a person worthy of respect, and even more so, a person worthy of following.

"A true man is born between heaven and earth; when poor, he should cultivate his own virtue; when successful, he should benefit all under heaven. Although I dare not claim to be famous throughout the world, I am fortunate to hold a high position and ride a fine horse. For the rest of my life, I will dedicate all my efforts to the country, so that the civil and military achievements of our Great Tang Dynasty will far surpass those of ancient times!"

"Alright, alright, although I told you that stability is more important than anything else, it's good that you have this kind of spirit!"

Ma Zhou greatly admired the newly appointed Prefect of the Capital, and patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Come visit me at the Secretariat when you have some free time. I have obtained a new type of black tea made by the Grand Commandant. Please have some tea with me."

"promise."

……

Fangfu.

Inside the flower hall, Xu Jingzong sat on a low stool, watching Fang Jun opposite him take some plump, tightly rolled, and dark-colored tea leaves from a porcelain jar and put them into a teapot. He then picked up the kettle on the small stove and poured boiling water into the teapot, and a fragrant and rich aroma immediately filled the air.

Fang Jun personally poured the tea into a glass container. The tea soup was bright red and clear, and looked very beautiful.

Xu Jingzong asked in surprise, "This humble official is ignorant and has no idea what kind of tea this is?"

Fang Jun put down the teapot, poured the tea from the glass teaware into a teacup, and pushed it in front of Xu Jingzong. He smiled and said, "This tea is a type of 'black tea.' Because it is produced in a specific area of ​​Wuyi Mountain, it is called 'Zhengshan.' And because the raw material is picked from a special small-leaf tea tree in the area, each tree yields only a few ounces, making it extremely rare. Hence, it is called 'Xiaozhong,' or 'Zhengshan Xiaozhong.' Minister Xu is fortunate to have such a palate. This tea was made this autumn after several years of experimentation with the process, and it was just delivered to Chang'an a few days ago."

Xu Jingzong picked up the white porcelain teacup, first looked at the bright red and clear tea soup, then smelled the rich aroma, took a small sip to savor it, and found it to be mellow, sweet, rich and long-lasting, with a faint and lingering pine smoke fragrance...

It's a completely different experience from Longjing tea.

I couldn't help but exclaim, "Excellent tea!"

Fang Jun also took a sip of tea, and the unique sensation seemed to bring his thoughts back to his past life: "This tea has a fermentation process during its production, so it is mild and most suitable for drinking in winter, unlike Longjing tea which is slightly stimulating and can harm the spleen and stomach. It is not fair to say which is better or worse. Everything in this world has its own principles, and there are positive and negative, yin and yang. If used properly, even arsenic can be used as medicine."

Xu Jingzong understood the meaning behind the words and could only manage a wry smile.

Is he comparing himself to arsenic?

Even if it could be used in medicine, it would still be highly poisonous...

"This matter was caused by my momentary lapse of judgment. Call me a corrupt official or an ungrateful wretch, but I have failed the Grand Commandant's kindness in promoting me. I am truly ashamed. I have come to apologize and beg for forgiveness. I will not hold a grudge against you for any beating or scolding."

Those who leave their mark on history are truly remarkable, and their shamelessness in betraying others and then admitting their mistakes is astonishing.

Fang Junqi said, "Minister Xu, do you think I'm being sarcastic? That's not true! I promoted you back then not out of personal favoritism, but because you were capable of handling the important task of 'measuring the fields.' In fact, I wasn't wrong about you, and you did complete this arduous task. As for this matter... I don't care about it. We're all just serving His Majesty and the Empire, each doing our duty. As for my house, it doesn't matter who comes and goes as they please."

Xu Jingzong was extremely embarrassed.

So I'm not even as good as arsenic?
Arsenic may be highly poisonous, but at least it has some uses...

But Fang Jun really didn't take it to heart, and had no intention of retaliating.

When Ouyang Xiu compiled the New Book of Tang, he included a "Biographies of Treacherous Officials" for the first time, listing Xu Jingzong as the "number one treacherous official"... This was completely unnecessary.

The most egregious of Xu Jingzong's crimes were "unauthorized alteration of national history," "smearing meritorious officials," and supporting Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi's deposition of Empress Wang and the investiture of Wu Zetian.

Regarding the allegations of "unauthorized alteration of national history" and "smearing of meritorious officials," this is indeed true. Because of a personal grudge between Feng Deyi and Xu Jingzong, Xu Jingzong used his position to settle personal scores. When compiling the "Records of the Martial De Era" and the "Records of the Reign of Zhenguan Era," Xu Jingzong used his position to settle personal scores with Feng Deyi and "exaggerated his crimes."

However, it would be an exaggeration to say that Xu Jingzong "arbitrarily altered the national history." When the "Wude Shilu" and "Zhenguan Shilu" were completed, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin personally reviewed them and then bestowed upon Xu Jingzong the title of Baron of Gaoyang County, granted him 800 bolts of silk, and appointed him as Acting Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat...

If Xu Jingzong had truly "arbitrarily altered the national history," would Li Shimin have reacted in this way?
The second charge was merely political opportunism. His political enemies at the time, such as Changsun Wuji, opposed deposing Empress Wang and bestowing the title of Empress Wu Zetian, so Xu Jingzong naturally supported it. How could he have known that decades later, Wu Zetian, once a lowly concubine, a nun at Ganye Temple, and without even a proper family connection, would overthrow the Tang dynasty, establish the Zhou dynasty, and become an empress?
As for the others, they were all morally deficient and far from being considered "treacherous officials."

Even if Xu Jingzong was a "treacherous minister," what merit or ability did he have to stand before Li Yifu and Li Linfu?

Xu Jingzong was unaware of how he had become "infamous" in the original history. Seeing that Fang Jun was truly without any reservations and treated him with sincerity, he felt extremely ashamed: "Grand Commandant, you are so magnanimous! I am utterly ashamed!"

At this moment, I was truly captivated by Fang Junzhi's personal charm and felt deeply ashamed.

Of course, he himself couldn't guarantee how long he could maintain this shame...