A recommendation

"If I were to grant you an important position, could you remain honest and dedicated to your duties?"

"Cannot!"

"Knew!"

The new emperor did not stay at Zhang Xuezhou's residence for long. Before leaving, he used his real self-address to inquire.

This inquiry is clearly very formal.

But Zhang Xuezhou's answer disappointed him.

A large number of positions were quickly eliminated from his mind.

Zhang Xuezhou's answer was so sincere. If he were to place the other party in a position that controlled the money, and then watch him fall into depravity and eventually be caught and executed, it would clearly not be a good outcome.

"Only you would tell me you wouldn't be honest and upright in serving the public!"

The new emperor had met many people, and all of them remained completely innocent in his presence.

There were many people around Emperor Jing who had done such things, so many that Emperor Jing couldn't even count them all, and many of them were later beheaded.

Throughout Emperor Jing's life, none of his subordinates were completely clean, not even the most outstanding Zhou Yafu.

Emperor Jing did not explain to the new emperor how to solve this problem; if Emperor Jing could have solved it, this matter would not have been left for him to deal with.

But for some reason, after the new emperor left the Zhang residence, he felt that Zhang Xuezhou was actually useful.

It's a very strange and contradictory feeling.

The other party clearly stated that he would not be honest and upright, but the new emperor still believed Zhang Xuezhou.

The new emperor felt that he had probably seen too many people who were secretive and evasive, and he was somewhat uncomfortable to suddenly see such an honest person.

"Can't even cover it up!"

As long as Li Shaojun comes to Chang'an City to accept the recruitment, the new emperor is confident that he will definitely arrange a good position for Zhang Xuezhou, even if the other party has a physical ailment.

But since the other party has said that, and given that there's a time when their health condition might be out of control, these positions are not suitable for Zhang Xuezhou.

Given the other person's mindset and physical condition, there's a high probability they'll lose control if given a high position.

He couldn't help but feel that assigning Zhang Xuezhou tasks was a headache, no less so than his search for a solution to the problem of corruption.

"I have far too few people around me, and they all need to set an example to satisfy the Empress Dowager. What is he really suited for?"

Thanks to the effects of the Crimson Sky Sword, a peaceful atmosphere prevailed between Anle Palace and Weiyang Palace. The Empress Dowager rarely interfered with the new emperor and allowed him to do whatever he wanted.

However, the Empress Dowager also had some very simple requirements: if the new emperor wanted to appoint people, she hoped that their virtue and ability would match their positions.

One must meet the requirements of spiritual practice and possess virtuous character; these were the Empress Dowager's minimum requirements.

If these two points cannot be achieved, the new emperor would be better off using the Empress Dowager's people first.

"Marquis Wei Qi, Tian Fen, Dou Ying, and Marquis Wu An, Tian Fen, was criticized by the Empress Dowager for lacking virtue. Although these two are clearly close to me, they are unlikely to gain the court's favor and replace Xu Chang and Zhuang Qingdi!"

He boarded the carriage, his desire to leave the palace completely gone.

Aside from a brief moment of joy from playing with the children at the Marquis of Pingyang's residence, the new emperor found it difficult to feel happy.

Previously, the Empress Dowager required him to report on everything, and almost every aspect blocked the new emperor. However, when the Empress Dowager relinquished her power and only made some low-standard demands on him, the new emperor found that things were just as difficult.

"Tian Fen, Tian Fen of Xuanwu!"

Upon returning to the Weiyang Palace, he read many ancient books.

When it grew dark and the writing on the bamboo slips became too difficult to read, the new emperor finally put down the ancient book.

He summoned a young eunuch and ordered him to go and deliver the message.

Marquis Tian Fen of Wu'an was forcibly promoted to the position of Grand Commandant at the beginning of the new emperor's reign, thus rising to the top in one step, but Tian Fen did not establish a firm foothold.

Even with the Empress Tian Fen's strong support, Tian Fen was still forced to be eliminated in the palace intrigue.

Now, Marquis Tian Fen of Wu'an has retired from his post and is at home. Only his status as a marquis remains unchanged, which is almost equivalent to that of a scholar-official like Zhang Xuezhou.

The new emperor only summoned Tian Fen to the palace when he encountered some difficult problems.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, your old minister has arrived!"

The new emperor didn't wait long; just a quarter of an hour later, he saw Tian Fen arrive, riding the waves.

"Uncle's skills have improved a lot!"

The new emperor waved his hand, and Li Guang, who had appeared in a flash, immediately withdrew his right foot that had been blocking the way.

He exclaimed in admiration.

Tian Fen referred to himself as a subject, clearly indicating that the other party was eager to regain his official position.

The new emperor addressed Tian Fen as his uncle merely as a form of kinship, without intending to assign Tian Fen a position or forcibly insert Tian Fen into the court.

The two had their own names for each other, and their interactions were fairly normal.

The new emperor looked at the waves beneath Tian Fen's feet. Tian Fen hadn't completely wasted his time since being dismissed from his post; his flying skills had improved considerably, indicating he had practiced a lot in the Marquis's residence. This prompted the new emperor to praise him.

"This leaping technique is too difficult to master," Tian Fen said. "This old minister has explored it for a long time before figuring out this method of leaping half a foot off the ground. Once you get used to flying like this, you won't fall off when leaping high in the sky in the future!"

"It's a good thing to have insights into cultivation," the new emperor agreed. "Uncle's method is excellent. It seems he will become the greatest leaping expert in our Great Han Dynasty!"

"Still a long way off!"

Tian Fen beamed with joy.

As core officials of the imperial court, each official possessed exceptional cultivation abilities.

Tian Fen's cultivation level was relatively low, and his aptitude was also limited. He had no chance of winning in conventional Technique Method such as Incantation Technique, water spells, and fire spells, which led him to take a risk and choose the flying technique.

The art of flying is an excellent technique, but it is also a high-risk Technique Method that many people are unwilling to practice.

The fact that everyone cultivated to the Divine Ability Realm wasn't for experiencing a fall from a great height, which gave Tian Fen a very special opportunity.

With the help of treasures, royal books, and a bit of cleverness, Tian Fen was indeed very good at using his flying technique.

If flying were not prohibited in the palace, he could fly from his home to the palace and then back home, and with the help of treasures, he could achieve even longer flight distances.

If given a special opportunity to utilize all his skills, Tian Fen is certain he will shine once again.

He stared longingly at the new emperor, hoping that the emperor would give him something that no one else could do but that he could.

"I summoned you here to ask if you have any outstanding individuals to recommend," the new emperor asked.

"Outstanding abilities? Your Majesty, my abilities are quite outstanding..."

"Change it!"

The new emperor waved his hand, indicating that Tian Fen's current approach was not feasible.

This left Tian Fen looking utterly disappointed, but his expression returned to normal after a moment.

"I recommend a man named Han Anguo, courtesy name Changru," Tian Fen said. "This man is highly capable and possesses extremely high cultivation!"

"Han Anguo? I've heard that name before. I remember he was from the side of the Prince of Liang?"

"The State of Liang has changed. Han Anguo was dismissed from his post by King Liu Mai of Liang, and he has already left State of Liang for Chang'an City," Tian Fen said. "I believe that Han Anguo has not established a foothold in Chang'an City and does not have a complex network of connections. He can be given an important position now, and he will definitely listen to us!"

The new emperor took Sima Xiangru away from Suiyang City. When the State of Liang collapsed, the former members of the Liang king's court were either difficult to control, harbored disloyal intentions, or were feared by the new Liang king, leading to their exodus.

Han Anguo was undoubtedly someone who quickly sought a new path after leaving.

This news from Tian Fen gave the new emperor a jolt of energy.

However, he also had some doubts. These people abandoned the royal court and joined the imperial court, which did not meet Emperor Jing's criteria for 'loyalty'. The new emperor was unsure whether to accept the former members of the Liang royal court.