Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 8 Traveling and Observing Politics!

The years do not live, the seasons flow.

New Year's Day, January, February.
Before we knew it, it was already the end of March.

As the morning sun shines, the golden rooster crows at dawn.

Jiang Zhao got up and washed up, silently reciting to himself as usual: "Going against the current, if you don't advance, you'll fall behind. Fame and fortune are right in front of you. You are already famous throughout the world, so you should work hard and strive to climb higher."

This is his earnest admonition to himself, constantly reminding himself not to indulge in the comfort of the present life, but to aim high, strive for the future, and bravely climb to the peak of life.

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person. Suddenly, he became a member of the corrupt and feudal Jiang family and enjoyed some decent treatment. However, he was worried that he would become arrogant and complacent, so he developed the habit of self-admonishment.

In particular, the story of "Han Men Li Xue" (standing in the snow at Han's door) made him famous throughout the world, and he instantly became a model of "respecting teachers and valuing the way, and studying diligently". Wherever he went, he was surrounded by a crowd.

This made him even more cautious, reminding himself to act prudently and not to be arrogant.

Silently reciting a sentence often brings clarity of thought, imbues every action with a refreshing energy, and adds a touch of boldness.

This is his daily self-encouragement routine; he recites it as soon as he wakes up.

The corresponding phrase is something to silently repeat to yourself while you're half asleep: Be content with what you have, know when to stop, and don't be careless. You've already achieved some success, so you should keep a low profile and work steadily.

This serves as a reminder to myself not to be overly ambitious, but to live in the present, act prudently, and take things one step at a time.

In his previous life, he often learned about things through short videos, which made it easy for him to romanticize the difficulty of doing something. Jiang Zhao was worried that he was being too ambitious and falling into unrealistic fantasies, so he came up with this sentence to remind himself.

Silently reciting two sentences has long been a daily routine for Jiang Zhao, a way to reassure himself and stay clear-headed.

After all, those who aspire to great things must be clear-headed!

After washing up, Jiang Zhao slowly walked out.

"Hesheng, where is that painting?" Jiang Zhao asked.

A few days ago, Han Jiayan went to the capital to participate in the spring imperial examination and returned home with the title of second-class Jinshi.

As a top-tier official's son, the fact that he still has the ability to pass the imperial examination with the second-class honors is quite remarkable. This also means that the Han family at least has someone to maintain their family business, which is very worthy of congratulations.

However, Han Zhang was busy with the reinstatement and recall during this period and needed to keep a low profile. He had no intention of making a big fuss, so he specially sent someone to invite Jiang Zhao to have a sumptuous family dinner together.

The teacher had no intention of holding a grand celebration, but the students still felt they had to offer their congratulations in a proper way.

The Jiang family has collected some famous paintings and calligraphy over several generations. Among them is a painting called "Pavilion in the Immortal Mountain" by Li Sixun, a member of the Tang Dynasty imperial family. The painting depicts pavilions, towers, carved beams and painted rafters, showcasing the grandeur of a prosperous era.

Its artistic, historical, and cultural value is considerable, making it a suitable gift.

Yesterday, Jiang Zhao specially took out the painting and instructed Hesheng to find a suitable box to display it so that it could be given away as a gift.

"Young master, it's ready!" He Sheng took out an exquisite nanmu box, its surface with fine texture and a faint woody fragrance.

Jiang Zhao nodded and said, "Then let's go."

Han family.

As expected, Han Jiayan came out to greet people with a triumphant look on his face. More than twenty years of hard study had finally paid off, and anyone would be excited for a while.

"Congratulations!" Jiang Zhao said with a smile, quickly stepping forward to present the painting.

Han Jiayan gladly accepted the gift and entrusted the child to the care of his trusted servant.

The two began to talk, and then walked inside side by side.

Inside the hall, Han Zhang was chatting with a gentle woman.

"Teacher." Jiang Zhao stepped forward and bowed respectfully, then nodded to the gentle woman, "Aunt Cui."

The gentle woman quickly rose to return the greeting and quietly withdrew.

A few years ago, his wife, Cui, passed away due to illness. Han Zhang was heartbroken and never remarried.

Unfortunately, he took many concubines, and someone had to take care of the household affairs. One of the concubines was surnamed Cui, who was quite favored and had a gentle nature, so she tacitly allowed him to take charge of the household affairs.

Therefore, this Aunt Cui was not the legal wife, but merely a concubine who shared the same surname.

However, no matter how much she manages affairs, she is not officially his wife, and therefore cannot be considered a proper wife. Han Zhang gestured for the two to sit down.

"How many gifts did Zhao'er send?" Han Zhang suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Jiang Zhao was somewhat surprised when he heard this as soon as he sat down, but then he realized what was going on: "Could it be that there is some other good news?"

"Smart." Han Zhang stroked his beard and smiled. Having such a gifted disciple made chatting much easier.

As he spoke, Han Zhang took out a secret edict and gestured for his beloved disciple to look at it.

Jiang Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly took the secret decree and began to study it carefully.

The secret edict discusses the relationship between the emperor and his subjects throughout, but only the last sentence is truly thrilling:
[The western part of the capital is in disarray, with incompetent officials in charge; Dingzhou, being a frontier region, is plagued by arrogant soldiers and lax military discipline, lacking the discipline expected of a royal army. You, sir, were skilled in military command and governance in your early years. I hereby order you to proceed to the capital immediately for a audience with the Emperor.]

Jiang Zhao let out a long breath, and his body unconsciously warmed up.

We've finally waited for this day!

My esteemed teacher, though he remained in shallow waters for a long time, has finally risen to prominence on the wind!

From then on, his official career was smooth sailing, and he rampaged through the ranks.

I wonder if, if I work hard, I'll have a chance to earn the title of "Junior Grand Secretary" in the future?

"Teacher, you will soon be going to the capital? Judging from the Emperor's intentions, I'm afraid you will be in charge of the Jingxi Circuit or the Dingzhou Circuit." Jiang Zhao calmed himself down and asked.

The government's attitude is very clear.

Now that the official has no son, many people are getting restless.

Fireworks lit up the sky!

It just so happens that Han Zhang is still serving in a local post. The emperor intends to have him travel around to various places to serve as a "firefighter" for a period of time. Once everything is settled, he will be promoted again and go straight to the capital.

This is often the process for a regional official to enter the capital, as he needs to subdue all sides and stabilize the country.

"Exactly." Even Han Zhang couldn't help but show his delight.

The light boat has passed ten thousand mountains!
"Congratulations on your reinstatement, my esteemed teacher!" Jiang Zhao quickly stood up and offered his sincere congratulations.

Han Zhang was overjoyed, stroking his beard and laughing heartily.

After a long while, Han Zhang's smile faded, and he said seriously, "In matters of governance, it is difficult to gain anything without firsthand observation and witnessing. Zhao'er, you will eventually have to take on a position in governance as well."

Han Zhang said earnestly, "The main reason I'm showing you this letter is to ask for your opinion on whether you want to go to Bianjing with me, and then travel to Jingxi Road or Dingzhou, to study literature and observe politics at the same time. After all, even I don't get many opportunities like this to govern a region."

Given Han Zhang's official position, if his career goes smoothly, he will likely take charge of the Six Ministries and become a Grand Secretary again; if his career does not go smoothly, he will retire in glory, and it will be almost impossible for him to become a powerful regional official again.

Allowing his disciples to observe the administration was a result of Han Zhang's careful consideration.

Observe governance, cultivate a broader perspective, and expand your horizons!

A broad perspective and high level of vision can only be cultivated by actually seeing and experiencing things firsthand.

These two things may seem abstract, but they are actually very important.

In the halls of power, there are many people from humble backgrounds who are exceptionally talented in political maneuvering, but their vision and perspective are rarely very broad. They are often petty and narrow-minded, which leads to their defeat in political struggles and puts them in a passive position.

Cultivating a broad perspective and expanding one's horizons are absolutely essential steps for becoming an official; it's just a matter of time.

Of course, if Jiang Zhao had stayed in Yangzhou, given the Jiang family's background, the minimum level of his vision and perspective would not have been low.

But no matter what, it's certainly not as good as watching a regional governor govern and manage his affairs.

The highest-ranking official in charge of a region is the one who governs a specific area; above that are the Six Ministries and the Cabinet, which govern the entire country.

“The student will go.” Jiang Zhao agreed decisively without any hesitation.

"Okay." Han Zhang nodded with satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)