armyinform Chapter 1290: Legalist
Chapter 1290: Legalist
Chapter 1290: Legalist
The Imperial Lecture Hall.
The prime minister and ministers attended the imperial lecture.
Zhang Yue and Cai Que were the prime ministers in charge of the imperial lecture, and the imperial lecture officials beside them included the storytellers Chen Guan and Xing Shu from the Chongzheng Hall.
In addition, there is Lu Dian, who is worth noting.
After the Yuanfeng reform, Tongxiu Qijuzhu was changed to Qijusheren, and now it belongs to Menxia Shenghou Sheng.
Chen Guan is lecturing on "Taixue" today, while Xing Shu is lecturing on "Zi Shuo".
Nowadays, there are three places in the world where the disputes over academic orthodoxy are most obvious. One is the Imperial College, one is the lecturer of the crown prince, and the other is the emperor's imperial lecture.
It was common for ministers to take advantage of the opportunity of the imperial lectures to tell the emperor about their own governing philosophies and sell their private goods.
Topics that Chen Guan and Xing Shu each wanted to elaborate on.
Zhang Yue and Cai Que each glanced at each other. This was also the result of the two of them fighting in front of the emperor through Chen Guan and Xing Shu.
Now Zhang Yue asked Chen Guan to talk about the Mingmingde in the Imperial College, while Cai Que asked Xing Shu to talk about Yidedao.
Xing Shu said: "Your Majesty, the creation of characters is the text of heaven and earth, and it is similar to the eight trigrams of Fuxi and the sixty-four trigrams of King Wen. They have different uses but the same system, and they complement each other to form the Book of Changes."
"The ancient kings believed that it was not to be neglected, and they were worried that the world would lose its rules in the future, so they made it the same every three years. The reason for the same is that the morality is the same. The Qin Dynasty burned the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents, and killed scholars. At that time, the ancient script was changed to the official script. It was the will of heaven to destroy this culture."
Chen Guan, who was standing by, sneered subconsciously when he heard the words "morality". Zhang Yue looked at Cai Que with amusement in his eyes.
"When Xu Shen wrote Shuowen Jiezi, he used small seal script as the body, referring to the ancient texts and Zhuanwen of Qin. When Jing Gong wrote this book, he pushed forward the classics and wrote it down, so that scholars all over the world could come to the same conclusion. Understand the meaning of this morality and customs!"
As the top general in charge of ideology under Tsai Que, Xing Shu's words do make sense.
Every word of "one morality" is directed at Zhang Yue's "bright virtue".
The official asked, "What does the Prime Minister think of this matter?"
Zhang Yue glanced at Cai Que and decided to make it clear: "Your Majesty, whether it is 'One Morality' or 'Ming Ming De', it is a dispute over the country's orthodoxy."
"I can't help but think of the Qin Dynasty, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang burned books and buried scholars alive. It was all for the sake of 'morality'."
"Your Majesty, please learn from the lessons of the pre-Qin period again and again, so that future generations will not suffer the same fate."
Xing Shu thought to himself after hearing this, how dare Zhang Yue compare a moral principle to burning books and burying scholars alive.
He couldn't help sweat dripping from his forehead.
If this word gets out, he will surely be criticized by the scholars and officials.
The emperor nodded happily upon hearing this and said, "I deeply agree with the Qin people's lesson and will take it as a warning day and night."
"You two ministers have explained the scriptures very well. I will give each of you thirty pieces of Beji cloth!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chen Guan and Xing Shu both expressed their gratitude.
Zhang Yuecai thought to himself that if the emperor was willing, he would have rewarded only Chen Guan. The fact that he rewarded both of them showed that he had the intention of "uniting morality" in his heart, but he had to admit it for the sake of his own face and that of the literati.
After several people left, Zhang Yue and Lu Dian followed the emperor back to the palace.
The emperor suddenly asked Lu Dian, "Are you from Yuezhou?"
Lu Dian immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have been weak since childhood and have studied hard, traveling all over the country to learn, but my ancestral home is indeed Yuezhou."
The official laughed and said, "So you are not from Fujian!"
Lu Dian was stunned, not knowing why the emperor asked this question.
Zhang Yue, who was standing by, was slightly thoughtful after hearing this.
The emperor returned to Empress Dowager Gao.
After the official took the handkerchief and wiped his face, he said, "Empress Dowager, I heard that the people of Fujian and Sichuan share the same customs, that they both have worms in their abdomens, so some people in the court call the people of Sichuan 'Chuanzhi' and the people of Fujian 'Fujianzi'."
Empress Dowager Gao smiled and said, "I think it's because the people of Fujian and Shu are meticulous and capable, so they say this."
The emperor said, "Su Shi and Su Zhe in the court are from Sichuan, while Su Song, Cai Jing, Cai Bian, Chen Guan, Huang Lu, Chen Mu and others are all from Fujian. I can't help but feel a little scared when I think of this."
Empress Dowager Gao said thoughtfully: "Your Majesty, Cai Que, Zhang Dun, and Lu Huiqing are also from Fujian!"
The emperor nodded and said, "Yes, the South has been stronger than the North in the court for many years, and I still intend to maintain a balance."
Empress Dowager Gao said, "Zhang Yue will resign in less than a year, so why should Your Majesty be so anxious?"
The official laughed and said, "I forgot. I was planning to keep him for a few more years."
Empress Dowager Gao said, "Yes, Zhang Yue is indeed a capable minister. He usually does not show off his abilities. This is just like the saying that a good chess player has no brilliant moves throughout the game. If they move in the same direction, they compete; if they move in opposite directions, they fight."
"Zhang Yue was competitive but not quarrelsome when he was in office. If a man does not quarrel, no one in the world can quarrel with him. In the past few years of Yuanfeng, my mother and I have finally lived a peaceful life. Not only did Zhang Yue block the Tanguts and Khitans for Your Majesty, but the party quarrels within the court were also gradually eliminated."
"But the more this happens, the harder it is to stay content!"
The official asked, "Why did the Queen Mother say that?"
Empress Dowager Gao said: "It was easy for Zhang Yue to rectify this situation, but if he stays in office for too long, he will inevitably block the way for others to make progress."
"So whether he and Your Majesty have a five-year term, he won't be able to stay in the position of prime minister for long. In fact, five years as prime minister is pretty good."
"Your Majesty should let him go when the time comes, so that we can have a good story about the monarch and his subjects."
The official said: "The Queen Mother is right, but I am reluctant to let you go."
"But Zhang Yue is too lenient in his administration. He has released hundreds of officials who were previously imprisoned or exiled. I don't mind it, but Cai Que can't sit still!"
Empress Dowager Gao said: "Cai Que is just hoping that the world will not be in chaos! He is trying to fish in troubled waters and rise step by step."
"After Zhang Yue resigned as prime minister, Your Majesty appointed a sycophant like Cai Que as the right prime minister. It would be strange if the court was not in chaos. Your Majesty, please find another candidate."
The emperor said, "Don't worry, Queen Mother. I have been through two prime ministers, Wang Anshi and Zhang Yue, and I am already mature in governing the country. I will use Cai Que, but not in a big way."
"Now the Liao army is trapped in Hedong and cannot move forward or backward. As long as Lu Huiqing drives the Liao army back from Hedong, I can withdraw my hands and send a large army to attack the Dangxiang, conquer Xingling, wipe out the shame of our ancestors, and recover our Han homeland!"
Empress Dowager Gao said, "Your Majesty, I have no objection to doing these things, but you should ask Zhang Yue, Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi and other experienced ministers for their opinions."
The official said, "I save it."
After the official left the hall, he felt full of fighting spirit.
Holding great power and being able to pursue great ambitions, isn't that what a wise ruler does?
After Wang Anshi's reforms in Xining and Zhang Yue's restructuring in Yuanfeng, the national treasury gradually became full, and the court felt a new lease of life.
He felt that he was gradually approaching the hegemony of the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor Wu. What could be more exciting than when a career is about to be accomplished?
Now he needs some spice.
He said to Shi De beside him: "I want to drink deer blood tonight!"
Shi Deyi heard this and said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, please exercise some restraint!"
The official said, "I save it, but I only take it a few times a month, don't spoil my interest."
"Yes."
……
Cai's house.
While Cai Que was teasing the green parrot, he was discussing matters with his confidants such as Xing Shu and He Zhengchen.
"You actually compare morality to burning books and burying scholars alive!"
Cai Que scattered bird food to the green parrot and said, "He clearly wants to kill me, Cai Que."
Xing Shu said, "The Right Prime Minister has recently been releasing those who were convicted by the Left Prime Minister in recent years. I think if this continues, the Left Prime Minister will be uneasy when he sits on the Right Prime Minister's seat in the future."
Cai Que said: "Zhang Yue is blindly seeking leniency and releasing those who are hostile to me, Cai Que, which means that I will not be able to keep my position in peace in the future."
"Who do you think is the most prominent person in the Zhang Party right now?"
He Zhengchen said, "Reporting to the Left Prime Minister, the most prominent person in the Zhang Party right now is Su Zizhan."
Cai Que said, "Yes, I thought of him too. When he returned from his diplomatic mission to Goryeo, even the King of Goryeo showed him courtesy and praised him as a figure who only appears once in thousands of years."
"Now that the Holy Emperor is on the throne, Su Shi only appears once in thousands of years, so where does that put Your Majesty?"
Xing Shu said, "However, after the Wutai Poetry Case last time, Su Shi has become much more cautious in his words, so it is not easy to catch his mistakes at the moment."
He Zhengchen said: "It is easy to change the country but difficult to change one's nature."
"Su Shizhan just didn't speak in crowded places. After he returned to the court this time, he repeatedly advocated the establishment of a customs office in Mizhou and other places to trade with Goryeo. At the same time, he repeatedly said that Goryeo and the court shared the same language and could be regarded as brother countries, and could be used to unite with Goryeo to resist Liao."
"It's hard not to wonder if he received any other benefits from the King of Goryeo when he was on his diplomatic mission to Goryeo."
Cai Que said, "I heard from the envoy that Su Shi praised the King of Goryeo many times for his wisdom, generosity and cherishing talents. This is something that Your Majesty has never heard of before."
He Zhengchen said, "What Zuo Cheng said is right. We only need to find a few faults of Su Zizhan and then accuse him of colluding with Goryeo."
"Your Majesty will know who truly shares the same ideals as Your Majesty!"
Cai Que threw the bird food away and said, "Yes, if there is no common morality, how can there be unity of purpose? We don't have to talk about common morality every day, but if the country didn't have us legalists to maintain order in the court, the world would have been in turmoil long ago."
Xing Shu said: "That being said, it is a good thing that Su Shi advocated trade with Goryeo. Once Su Shi falls from power, then trade with Goryeo will not be far away."
"Trade between the two countries is a good thing that benefits both the country and the people. I think it is better not to criticize Su Shi for this matter."
He Zhengchen said, "It has come to this. Why are you still considering whether to trade with Goryeo? You are being too soft-hearted."
"You should go back and write some articles, circulate them in the tabloids, and spread them among the scholars and officials, criticizing Mr. Zhang's style of governing in a compromising manner."
"Only by reestablishing 'morality' in the court can we eliminate the cancer in the court and ensure that our Song Dynasty is as stable as Mount Tai."
Xing Shu got a little angry after hearing this. Who do you think I, Xing Shu, am I just good at writing?
But the Song Dynasty is in my heart.
Cai Que nodded and said, "You are right. We should tighten the screws on this matter. But we should not overdo it, or His Majesty will be unhappy. We need to strike a balance."
……
A few days later, Su Shi's short essay spread throughout the court.
Huang Yan submitted a memorial accusing Su Shi of more than ten crimes including collusion with foreign countries.
The emperor was shocked when he received Su Shi's impeachment letter and said to the court officials, "I have been lenient with Su Shi time and again, why is he so ungrateful?"
"Since he is so flattering to the King of Goryeo, why not just go to Goryeo and be a minister there and receive his salary? Why should he serve me, the king, in the court?"
Cai Que said: "Your Majesty, I am not exaggerating."
"Indeed, there are many ministers like Su Shi who harbor evil intentions among the court officials. Once we fail to monitor them, these people will start a rebellion."
"I also ask Your Majesty to enforce strict laws to correct the customs of the world!"