Prime Minister

Chapter 1350: Political Consultation ( words)

Chapter 1350: Political Consultation ( words)

At dusk, Cai Que returned to his mansion and looked at the officials queuing up in a long line outside the gate waiting to be received. The officials in red robes and black hats were rubbing their hands and stamping their feet in the cold wind, but they did not dare to slack off for a moment.

Cai Que loosened his fingertips, and the car curtain fell heavily, blocking out those eager gazes.

The carriage drove straight into the middle gate, and the servants had already lit the corner lanterns. Cai Wei led three or five servants to wait in front of the eaves. Cai Shuo hurried over from the west wing, and the jade belt buckle on his waist made a crisp sound - this former poor boy now even had South China Sea pearls inlaid on his belt.

"Father." Cai Wei stepped forward to support him. After Cai Wei married Feng Jing's daughter, even the scholars of the Imperial College had to bow to him when they saw him.

Cai Shuo's daughter married Wen Kangshi, the grandson of Wen Yanbo.

As the left prime minister, Cai Que is now extremely powerful. If it were in the past, how could he have married into the families of prominent officials such as the Wen and Feng families?

The entire Cai family was elevated to a new height because of Cai Que, and everyone looked up to Cai Que.

When they arrived at the hall, Cai Shuo handed over a gold-painted visiting card box. There were still a few spots of wet ink on the sandalwood box. Cai Que looked at these visiting cards. They were all from officials from all over the country who came to Beijing to ask for a meeting.

For officials, Tsai may not necessarily see it, but the script must be delivered.

The maid knelt in the corridor holding a gilded copper basin. Cai Que washed his hands while looking at the visiting cards on the desk. The paper piled up like a mountain in the past was only a thin pile today. He counted them and found that there were 20 to 30 letters every day in the past, and as many as 50 to 60. But today there were only a dozen.

"Huang Yan, He Zhengchen, Xing Shu and the others have been waiting in the hall for half an hour."

Cai Que nodded, and these people went in one after another.

The candlelight flickered in the hall. Cai Que sat in the main seat, with the steam rising from the teacup in his hand and swaying in front of his eyes.

He Zhengchen said first: "Zuo Kui, there are rumors that you are going to give up the position of prime minister to Duke Zhang Wei. I wonder if it is true or not?"

Huang Yan said: "It's ridiculous. Even if Duke Zhang Wei had the late emperor's will, he shouldn't be so aggressive. He swore that he would run the government for five years. Now that the late emperor has passed away, he has turned around and returned."

"What about the previous five years? This is just a shaky promise. It's just... just..."

His Adam's apple rolled, but he didn't utter the word in the end.

Xiang Qi twisted his beard and sneered, "You have been dealing with Zhang Duzhi for many years. Don't you see through his trick of 'retreat to advance'? He has always retreated to advance, not for the country but for himself."

"He claims to be righteous, but flees in times of danger. We must not be fooled by him again!"

Cai Que didn't say anything and just drank his tea.

"That's enough," Cai Wei suddenly interrupted, his young face flushed, "Are you unwilling to let Zhang Duzhi return to the court, worrying about whether the new law will survive, or are you reluctant to give up the wealth and power you have enjoyed for so many years?"

Huang Yan and the others were shocked. The whole room was in uproar.

"How can Yanei speak like this?"

"We have been following Zuo Kui wholeheartedly and have been loyal to him for many years."

Cai Shuo hurried to smooth things over: "Although nephew Wei's words are blunt, they are also reasonable. Now the Empress Dowager favors Sima Junshi. If there is no Prime Minister Zhang returning to the court to check and balance, the new law will undoubtedly be abolished - this is what the Left Prime Minister is really worried about."

Xiang Qi said, "Zuo Kui, we can't let Zhang Duzhi deceive us at this time."

Zuo Kui is wise! "Xiang Qi was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead, "If Zhang Yue is in power, will he let Zuo Kui go? I would rather trust Sima Guang than Zhang Duzhi. Although Sima Guang is pedantic, he is at least a gentleman and keeps his word. Zhang Duzhi...his heart is hard to predict!"

He Zhengchen said: "After all, Chen Heshu of the Zhang Party died in our hands. Although Sima Junshi and Lu Huishu opposed the new law, they had no deep hatred towards us. I would rather give Sima Junshi and Lu Huishu to Zhang San!"

He Zhengchen, after Xiang Qi finished speaking, Cai Wei on the side was about to speak, but was interrupted by Cai Que.

"I have replied to Zhang Zizheng today that I will not resign!"

When Cai Que said this, Huang Yan and others were overjoyed. Cai Shuo, Cai Wei and others all looked disappointed.

Only Xing Shu, who had remained silent the entire time, finally let out a long sigh.

Several people stood up and said goodbye.

Cai Que pointed at Xing Shu and said, "Uncle He, stay!"

Xing Shu bowed and asked, "What advice does the Left Prime Minister have?"

Cai Que asked, "Has Lord Zhang Wei asked anyone to look for you these days?"

Xing Shu nodded after a little hesitation.

"Why didn't you say anything just now?"

Xing Shu said: "It's hard for me to say anything. What's the point of saying this now? After all, Uncle Chen He is a life!"

"Zhang Duzhi promised to let Prime Minister Cai go, but I'm afraid it won't end well for us. When the late emperor was alive, everyone was afraid of Zuo Kui and afraid of us, but now... things are different now."

Cai Que burst into laughter upon hearing this

……

In Zhang's mansion.

Zhang Yue looked at the sycamore tree outside the window and mentioned the four words "party unity and elimination of dissidents". This was a tradition from the time of our ancestors.

How old?

It is said that when humans were still Homo sapiens, they encountered Neanderthals. Later generations found that Neanderthals were smarter and stronger than Homo sapiens, but why did they lose to Homo sapiens in the end?

Because Homo sapiens can speak, but Neanderthals cannot.

Without language, it is difficult for an organization to exceed fifty people, but with language, an organization is formed.

Language allowed Homo sapiens to learn to lie, or to gossip together and make up stories about the one who couldn't speak.

One can imagine a scenario where two Homo sapiens or two tribes of Homo sapiens meet, communicate through language, and together plot against another Neanderthal man or Neanderthal tribe.

The essence of the factionalism in the court is actually similar to a group of married women getting together to make up or gossip about an unmarried woman.

The function of language is to describe an imaginary alliance.

For example, father and son, family and country, nation, the world, religion, etc.; the New Party and the Old Party are all artificially defined and divided alliances.

Even if a group of officials gather together, they will gradually form various alliances artificially.

Those who do not join any alliance are easily marginalized.

It is like a village, which eventually becomes a village of people with the same surname, because there is a big surname in it, and a clan temple is built, and people with other surnames who do not participate in clan temple activities are naturally excluded.

Therefore, if an official really wants to move up, he still has to find his own allies.

Of course, there are risks in standing in this way. Stocks have their ups and downs, and politics also has its ups and downs. Once you have stood in this line, you must be firm and unwavering.

At this moment, Zhang went straight to the mansion. Zhang Yue looked at the other party's face and said, "You won't agree to be honest!"

Zhang Zhi shook his head and said, "Prime Minister Cai is stubborn."

Zhang Yue thought to himself, it seems that Cai Que is definitely going to be exiled to Lingnan. In fact, the reason why everyone is afraid to go to Lingnan is mainly because of the miasma.

In fact, malaria is regarded as miasma.

How to get quinine? There is no cinchona tree in China.

It seems that taking Artemisia annua directly is also effective. I will send a prescription to Cai Que when the time comes.

Historically, Su Shi ate lychees when he went to Lingnan and ate oysters when he went to Hainan. He could change his mood at any time. I wonder if Cai Que can learn this skill.

Zhang Yue said: "Chi is just trying to erect a monument for himself."

Zhang Zhi said: "Then my nephew understands."

Zhang Yue laughed and said, "Ah Xi, do you still think that after overthrowing Cai Zhizheng, the position of Left Prime Minister will really fall into my hands?"

Zhang Zhi heard this, lowered his head to avoid Zhang Yue's gaze and said, "Hasn't the Queen Mother promised Uncle San? Besides, Uncle San has the late Emperor's will."

Zhang Yue seemed to be thinking about something, and took the initiative to change the subject: "Nothing? What are your plans? If I return to the court, you will have to go out, do you have any plans?"

Zhang Zhi was slightly surprised and said, "I haven't recovered since I came to Mingsha City. I don't want to be an official."

Zhang Yue looked at Zhang Zhi with a meaningful look on his face.

"Axi, accompany me for a walk outside the city!"

Zhang Yue and Zhang Zhi rode their horses out of the city together.

When driving in the city, you have to avoid the people and drive very slowly. When you are outside the city and in a remote place, you don't have to avoid people and you can just ride your horse.

The uncle and nephew whipped their horses at the same time - the riding skills honed in the battlefields of the Northwest were fully displayed at this moment, the horses' hooves crushed the weeds, and startled flocks of birds.

Climbing the hill, Zhang Yue reined in his horse and looked out into the distance. The Yellow River meandered eastward like a ribbon, and fireworks shone through the nine gates of Bianjing. "Axi," he suddenly whipped his horse towards the surroundings, "do you know the most significant change in Bianjing over the past twenty years?"

The uncle and nephew stopped their horses on a small hill near Bianjing, from which they could overlook the Yellow River and the entire city of Bianjing.

Zhang Yue pointed at the surrounding mountains and rivers with his whip and said to Zhang Zhi: "Axi, do you know what I have discovered in all these years in Bianjing?"

Zhang Zhi said: "My nephew doesn't know."

Zhang Yue asked, "Have you noticed that there are fewer and fewer trees around Bianjing?"

Zhang Zhi looked along the tip of his whip, but he saw that there were no tall trees within ten miles outside the city, only low bushes. "The price of firewood is rising." He suddenly realized, "Since the Zhenmiao era, all the trees in the capital have been cut down within thirty miles!"

"That's right. At the beginning of the country, Bianliang had only 100,000 households, but now there are millions of people cooking and the smoke never stops. It takes 20 years for a tree to grow, but ordinary people only need half a day to cut it down."

"People had to bring firewood from farther places, so firewood in the capital became more and more expensive."

Zhang Yue nodded and said, "That's right. People say that firewood cannot be sold within a hundred miles. Look at these merchants. Today they sell firewood from Zhengzhou, and tomorrow they have to go to Huazhou. In less than ten years, there will be no trees to cut within a hundred miles!"

"How many people were there in Bianjing at the beginning of the country, and how many people are there now. But the land is not increasing, so sooner or later the people of Bianjing will have no firewood to use."

Zhang looked into the distance, trying to understand the implication of Zhang Yue's words.

"So restrictions are necessary. The well-to-do don't care about the price of firewood. They use as much as they like every day. But if firewood becomes expensive, the common people will not be able to cook. Once winter comes and there is no firewood to keep warm, they will freeze to death. So restrictions are necessary."

Zhang Zhi recalled the report from Kaifeng Prefecture last year - more than 300 people died of freezing around the winter solstice. He blurted out, "My uncle pushed for coal as a substitute for firewood back then."

Zhang Yue nodded. In fact, Bianjing had begun to try to use coal for heating since the time of Emperor Zhenzong. And now, nearly half of the one million households in the capital have replaced firewood with coal.

"What you said about coal is one solution, but what if there is no coal?" Zhang Yue raised his whip and pointed at the bare mountains in the distance, his voice lowered.

Zhang Zhi looked at his uncle's solemn profile, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

Zhang Yue said: "The only way is to strictly enforce the law of limiting wages. This law will inevitably be criticized by the powerful, and the common people will inevitably be resentful."

Seeing his nephew bow his head and remain silent, Zhang Yue said earnestly: "I know that everyone likes to be flexible and does not like to start a war or do things that offend people. However, governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. A slight mistake in the heat will lead to a great loss."

He pointed to the dry riverbed and said, "The pond is drying up, but the fish population is increasing. It is said that it is better to forget each other than to live together in misery."

"But the pool is so small and it's going to dry up soon. What if there are more and more fish? How can you survive until the high tide comes? Someone will have to take the blame at that time."

Zhang Zhi nodded and said, "Uncle, what you said is very reasonable. Although the new policy may hurt the immediate future, it is actually a plan for the next hundred years, right?"

Zhang Yue said: "Even if the new law has some shortcomings, it is also necessary to do so. Although there are some shortcomings at present, it will be beneficial in the long run. We are all people who have read history. We cannot only look at the next few years or ten years, but also look at the achievements of a hundred years."

“If you don’t plan for eternity, you can’t plan for the moment.”

Zhang Yue looked at Zhang Zhi's expression. Tan Sitong once said, "The Qin system has been in place for two thousand years."

This sentence is where he is dissatisfied and also where his root lies.

Over two thousand years of ups and downs, the empire went from prosperity to decline and then back to prosperity, and the population fluctuated several times.

No one has more experience than us in maintaining such a large territory and ruling such a large population.

Zhang Zhi's face flushed, and he whispered, "My nephew is more convinced by what Emperor Xuan of Han said. Our Han family has its own system, which is originally a mixture of kingship and hegemony."

Zhang Yue nodded and said, "Yes. This is what Sima Junshi said, 'To study the relationship between heaven and man, to understand the changes of the past and present.'"

"But you must remember that the kingly way comes before the hegemonic way."

Zhang Zhi was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "My nephew is the same..."

Zhang Yue looked at Zhang Zhi with a cold expression: "But when it comes to methods, you have to use tyranny first!"

Zhang Zhi heard this and said, "My uncle always said that governance should be based on the kingly way, and actions should be based on the hegemonic way! I always keep it in mind."

"Zi Zheng, those who accomplish great things either use thunderbolts to show their compassion, or... vice versa." Zhang Yue pointed to the surging Yellow River and said:

"As the rulers of a country, we should be like the Yellow River, a pillar in the middle of the river. We should not be diverted by the rapids, but we should be able to divert the rapids!"

……

In the late autumn of the eighth year of Yuanfeng, the debate on the market exchange law in the court of Bianjing became increasingly heated.

First, Su Shi was appointed as a Hanlin scholar and attendant reader.

Zeng Zhao was appointed as Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel.

Lin Xi was appointed as Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites.

This was just a prelude. As the old party filled the air of public opinion, Sima Guang had not yet given up, while Liu Zhi, Wang Yansou and others began to work.

The old party first criticized the Market Exchange Law, which was the most controversial of the new laws.

The market exchange law was implemented in the fifth year of Xining and was implemented for more than ten years. Zhang Yue, Wen Yanbo and Zeng Bu tried to implement it many times but failed.

The market exchange method claimed to be able to earn more than 2 million strings of cash in interest each year, but in fact, by the eighth year of Yuanfeng, the court had already recovered the principal of 12 million strings of cash, plus an additional 410,000 strings of cash in interest.

At the same time, there is still 2 million strings of interest that has not been recovered.

At present, there are still 27,000 small traders and peddlers who owe the imperial court market money.

This good law, originally intended to "stabilize prices and curb mergers," has in practice become a tool for cruel officials to exploit merchants.

In order to collect market money, the court appointed seventy clerks, who in turn hired their own people, ranging from ten to more than thirty, for a total of more than a thousand people.

Half of the interest collected by the court was used to subsidize these officials.

These officials were corrupt by nature and would directly detain people on the pretext of merchants defaulting on payments. They would not release people unless the merchants paid them money.

Now the merchants are still heavily in debt and are being asked to pay taxes by the Municipal Exchange every day.

This is the current situation after the implementation of the Market Exchange Law.

This was also the most criticized of Wang Anshi's new laws. Even after Shaosheng, when the new laws were restored, the market exchange law was not used.

It was implemented for thirteen years from the fifth year of Xining to the eighth year of Yuanfeng. The principal of 12 million strings of cash has only been recovered now, and more than 2 million strings of cash are still in arrears among the people.

The imperial court did not make much money, but instead caused countless private businesses to go bankrupt, and more than 27,000 businesses still owe money to the imperial court.

Later, officials in the court also realized that the market exchange law was not good, but why did they not abolish it for a long time?

The New Party believed that although the Market Exchange Law had some problems, it should not be abolished until the court had recovered the interest. At the same time, abolishing the Market Exchange Law would be like opening a loophole, giving the Old Party an excuse.

The New Party and the Old Party are both holding their own. One insists that nothing can be abolished, while the other insists that all must be abolished.

This approach is like one is fully invested and bullish, while the other is fully invested and bearish.

There are also opinions within the New Party that Tsai can indeed follow the general trend, make some concessions on the Market Exchange Act, or use a compromise solution.

For example, Su Che in Zhang Dang proposed to waive interest on merchants who owed less than 200 guan. There were more than 25,000 such merchants, accounting for 90% of the more than 27,000 merchants. This could be used to gain reputation.

This theory was praised by Zhang Yue.

"This is an evil policy that competes with the people for profit!" Liu Zhi said in the court, "Please abolish it immediately to relieve the people's suffering."

"If the Qingmiao and Shiyi systems are abolished, the annual income of each household will drop by millions of strings of cash. Where will the food and wages for the border troops come from? How can the war in the northwest be sustained? How will the national finances continue?" Cai Que's question echoed in the hall.

Liu Zhi immediately asked back: "During the Zhiping and Jiayou years, the state never ran out of money. May I ask Prime Minister Cai how to explain this?"

Cai Que sneered when he heard this. What was the situation with the Jiayou era that the old party praised? Wang Anshi had already said that after the Qingli period, the court had a deficit of 3 million strings of cash every year, and during the Zhiping period, the deficit reached 15 million strings of cash.

Wang Anshi once said, "The world's financial resources are becoming increasingly scarce, and customs are becoming increasingly decadent."

Cai Que said: "Is Liu Yushi trying to imitate the story of carving a boat to find a sword? Is the world today still the same as it was in Jiayou period?"

Liu Zhi was a junior member of the old party, and Cai Que was too disdainful to answer. However, in front of all the officials, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, he still had to explain as the prime minister.

He looked around at his ministers, his voice getting deeper and deeper: "Will you have the mighty army of Xihe? Will you have the cavalry of Liangzhou? If the Iron Forests of Liaoxia and the Iron Harriers come south, what will you do to resist them?"

At this moment, Han Wei, the Grand Secretary of the Zizheng Palace, stood up with the help of a cane, his white hair sullen.

"Mencius said that by treating big things as small, the world can be protected. The edict of Emperor Guangwu has the same purpose. They are all the most appropriate opinions of ancient sages. Fan Kuai of the Former Han Dynasty wished to have 100,000 troops to run rampant among the Xiongnu, and Jing Yanguang of the Five Dynasties claimed that Jin had 100,000 horizontally sharpened large swords. These are all the frivolous words of warriors in previous dynasties, which will be laughed at in history!"

Han Wei was an old minister during the reign of Emperor Renzong, and it was he who recommended Wang Anshi, the leader of the New Party, to the late emperor.

With Han Wei's appearance, the old party became even more powerful.

Fan Chunren also stepped out and said, "Your Majesty's love for life is beneficial to all living things. The peace our ancestors and the country enjoy for eternity is all due to your words."

Han Wei said: "I heard that when Gugong Danfu lived in Bin, he was attacked by the Rongdi tribe. They wanted to take the land and the people. The people were all angry and wanted to fight. Gugong said: If the people establish a king, we will benefit them. Now the Rongdi tribe is attacking us and giving our land to the people. What is the difference between the people being with us and those with us? The people want to fight for my sake, kill the father and son and make him the king. I can't bear it. So I left Bin with my private followers and stayed at Qixia. The people of Bin, carrying the elderly and children, all returned to Gugong Qixia."

Facing the questioning of Han Wei and Fan Chunren, Cai Que said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Mr. Han is wrong. Mr. Wang Jing once said: 'The most extraordinary things seem ordinary, and the easiest things are the most difficult to achieve.' How could today's peaceful scene be easily achieved?" He pointed to the palace wall vaguely visible outside the hall, "Every brick and tile was earned by the blood and sweat of the soldiers in the northwest."

……

A few days later.

Empress Dowager Gao banished Li Xian and Song Yongchen from the palace one after another.

Li Xian was the official who had the greatest contribution to the capture of Xihe Road, while Song Yongchen presided over the project of diverting Luoyang to Bianyang and the repair of military equipment. He had a very good relationship with the New Party.

Li Xian and Song Yongchen were both eunuchs, so Empress Dowager Gao demoted them with just one word.

This is the emperor's family affair and the ministers have no right to interfere, but it is a signal.

Li Xian and Song Yongchen have left, so can other new party members in the court also leave?

Empress Dowager Gao also told the prime ministers: "The horse protection law is very disturbing to the people and should be abolished as soon as possible. At the same time, if you find any inappropriate parts of the new law, revise it immediately (if the law is inconvenient for the people, revise it)."

Since the Market Exchange Law, the old party has turned its attention to the Horse Protection Law.

Does the Horse Protection Law disturb the public?

During the reign of Emperor Renzong, the pastoral supervision system was adopted, which supervised 30,000 to 40,000 horses, occupied 90,000 hectares of fertile land, and cost one million yuan a year.

The imperial court spent almost 500 strings of cash every year to raise a horse.

Why was it okay to implement horse policy in the early years of the country, but not in the later years?

It is because of the large population that the population of the Song Dynasty has now exceeded 100 million, but it was only a few at the beginning of the country.

As the population increases, there will not be enough land.

The common people will become inward-looking.

Given the same hectare of pasture and hectare of farmland, it goes without saying that the people would choose whichever has higher output value.

Converting pastures into fields is a common practice.

According to statistics during the Xining period, there were only 68,000 hectares of pastureland left. This was the registered number, but there were actually only 55,000 hectares, and the rest was hidden among the people.

Therefore, Wang Anshi's horse protection law came out from this, and he proposed the idea of ​​"keeping horses among the people".

They came up with the idea of ​​allowing the third- and fourth-class households among the common people to raise horses.

However, Shen Kuo criticized the shortcomings of the Horse Protection Law many times. Are the horses raised by ordinary people in their homes the same as those raised by the grassland ethnic groups? You use such cavalry to fight against the Liao Kingdom?

However, Baoma can still be used as post horses, and even Lu Huiqing came up with the idea of ​​using chariot soldiers.

The horse may not be able to gallop in battle, but it should be able to pull a cart.

The biggest advantage of raising horses for the common people is that they are cheap, and the mortality rate of horses is much lower than that of official horses. Once a horse dies, the common people have to pay for it. At the same time, the court also saves a lot of expenses.

As a temporary measure, the horse protection law is acceptable, and it is also a solution. However, it is true that it disturbs the people. How would ordinary people feel if the court suddenly asked them to raise an official horse?

This official horse cannot die, if it dies, it must be compensated. The market price of an official horse is 100 strings of cash, even a third-class household cannot afford the compensation, so it has to be taken care of carefully.

People are generally not afraid of this, but they are afraid that officials will do something to you. For example, when sending official horses, officials deliberately give you a sick horse, and you raise the horse for a few days and the horse dies...

Or you may have a good horse, but when the official takes it away, he may say that you have spoiled it and ask you to pay compensation. So many ordinary people would keep the official horse at home and buy a good horse to offer to the official when the official takes it away. Or they would simply not keep any horse and offer a good one of their own when the official needs it.

The imperial court did make a loophole and allowed private horses to be brought into the government.

The premise of this policy is that the Song Dynasty had no horse grazing land.

Now that Liangzhou has been captured, Qingtang has almost completely surrendered to the Song Dynasty. Both Liangzhou horses and Qingtang war horses can be continuously imported into the Central Plains.

However, horses from the northwest traveling to the capital were prone to acclimatization and death.

After Gao Taotao wanted to repeal the Ma Protection Law, Tsai Que continued to oppose it.

Cai Que had no choice because the Horse Protection Law was his political achievement. Just like when he abolished the Exemption Law, Zhang Yue resisted, and when he abolished the Horse Protection Law, Cai Que also refused.

Since the law cannot be changed, just leave.

……

In the Golden Palace, dusk gradually deepened.

After Li Xian and Song Yongchen were expelled from the capital, Wu Juhou, the transport envoy of Jingdong Road, was demoted to the deputy envoy of Chengzhou militia and settled in Huangzhou; and Lu Xiaolian, the deputy envoy of Jingdong Road, who supervised the tea, salt and wine taxes in Binzhou, and Jian Zhoufu, Jian Xuchen and others were also expelled one after another.

The flickering candlelight in the hall illuminated the solemn faces of the imperial censors.

Wang Yansou, the Censor-in-Chief, stepped out holding a tablet and said in a voice like a bell: "Grand Empress Dowager, I have heard that benevolent people should be in high positions, and those who are unkind in high positions will spread their evil to the public. I have seen that Zhang Dun is frivolous and has no self-discipline. He does not behave like a minister when discussing government affairs in the court. He is arrogant and frivolous, and makes jokes to insult his peers and show off to his left and right. His words have spread throughout the capital and far away, and people laugh at him."

Everyone knew that Zhang Dun had been arrogant to his peers for a long time.

"Even worse, I heard that Zhang Dun dared to question the imperial edict on the removal of the censors in front of the curtain, and even secretly communicated with the demoted official Song Yongchen."

Before he finished speaking, Liu Zhi came forward with a hu tablet in his hand and said, "I want to impeach Prime Minister Cai Que! When the late emperor passed away, the three ministers all stayed in the two ministries, but Cai Que avoided it. As a minister of state, it is really disrespectful to neglect the late emperor like this!"

Zuo Zhengyan Zhu Guangting immediately seconded the motion: "Cai Que was promoted to the position of prime minister by the late emperor, but he was so disrespectful when he was about to die. I ask that he be punished!"

Empress Dowager Gao sighed softly behind the curtain: "Cai Que and Zhang Dun were both important ministers of the late emperor. Now that the late emperor has just passed away, they are impeaching them like this. Doesn't this undermine the late emperor's ability to judge people?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhi suddenly knelt down and kowtowed: "Grand Empress Dowager, please allow me to report this! When Zhang Dun was discussing the ceremonial system of the cloak-and-dagger system, he actually said wildly, 'Wait for some courtesy from the Grand Empress Dowager.' This remark was frivolous, and all the civil and military officials in the court changed color when they heard it!" He raised his head, his eyes flashing with anger, "The Grand Empress Dowager is the mother of the late emperor and the grandmother of the current emperor. She is the most respected person in the world. Zhang Dun's words are really a violation of etiquette and morality. I request to punish him for great disrespect!"

The sound of teacups clinking came from behind the curtain, indicating that Empress Dowager Gao was really angry. After the imperial censors left, she turned to the young emperor beside her and asked, "Your Majesty, did you understand everything?"

The young emperor replied respectfully: "My grandson will remember my grandmother's teachings."

Empress Dowager Gao looked at the darkening sky outside the palace and said meaningfully: "When the late emperor was alive, they were indeed loyal ministers. But times have changed."

From outside the palace came the eunuch's shrill voice: "Vice-Envoy Han Zhen requests an audience!

Empress Dowager Gao nodded slightly behind the curtain. Since she took power from behind the curtain, she has deliberately changed the rules - for any confidential matters, officials can report directly to the emperor without going through the prime minister. Once this loophole is opened, the court has a shortcut to the sky.

Therefore, officials also used this method to bypass the prime minister headed by Cai Que and Lu Gongzhu to report matters.

Han Zhen dressed neatly and entered the palace, his purple robe and jade belt glowing dimly under the candlelight. Empress Dowager Gao remembered clearly that it was this man who had secretly reported "the merits of Zhang Yue, Cai Que, Zhang Dun and Xing Shu in conspiring to make a plan". This kind of villain who spreads mischief is particularly easy to use.

"Han Qing, please stand up." Empress Dowager Gao said in a warm voice, "The day before yesterday, Cai Qing came back to the court and wanted to promote Gao Zunhui to the position of Taizhi, Zhang Yan to the position of Langguan, and Han Zongwen to the position of a minister. What do you think?"

Han Zhen immediately said in a serious tone: "Gao Zunhui is a relative of the Empress Dowager, Zhang Yu is the younger brother of the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Zhang Zao, and Han Zongwen is my nephew. If I make an exception and promote him, I am afraid that people in the world will think that the court appoints people based on personal connections." He glanced behind the curtain and added: "I dare to speak frankly, and I hope the Empress Dowager will understand."

The sound of teacups clinking came from behind the curtain. Empress Dowager Gao sighed, "You are truly selfless. It's just that Cai Qing's kindness is so kind that I can't refuse."

"The late emperor once said, 'Planning depends on many, but decision-making depends on one.'" Han Zhen suddenly knelt on the ground, "The Empress Dowager is wise and wise, so she should make decisions on her own. If everything is delegated to the subordinates, it may not be a blessing for the country."

Empress Dowager Gao nodded slowly. Han Zhen was also a man who knew how to handle things. She leaned forward slightly and said, "Han Qing, please continue."

Han Zhen saw that the time was ripe, and his voice suddenly rose: "When Han Qi returned from the Yonghou Mausoleum as an envoy, he repeatedly asked to resign from the position of prime minister. Emperor Yingzong, mindful of his contribution to policy-making, insisted on retaining him. Now that Cai Que has returned from Yuling, not only does he not think of retiring, but he immediately took up his duties after receiving congratulations in the Jiying Hall. His greed for power is known to everyone!"

The candlelight in the hall flickered, reflecting Han Zhen's uncertain expression. He continued to add fuel to the fire: "Cai Que and Zhang Dun are in collusion with each other, one pretends to obey but secretly disobeys, and the other is arrogant and domineering. If these people who disrespect the emperor are not removed early, there will be trouble in the future!"

"I hope the Empress Dowager will make wise decisions soon, correct political issues, clarify the national constitution, and comfort the Chinese and foreigners."

Empress Dowager Gao nodded when she heard this, but pretended to be hesitant and said, "Your Majesty has not been on the throne for long, it is not appropriate to dismiss the ministers lightly."

"The Empress Dowager is wise!" Han Zhen clapped his head to the ground. "Cai Que boasted that the world cannot be separated from him. This is a crime of great disrespect. I beg for Your Majesty's mercy and discretion."

"People like Cai Que boast about their reputation, are greedy and deceitful, and think that the world will only be at peace if they wait for him. They despise the court and have no intention of resigning. This is the greatest sin. I hope that Your Majesty will take a deep look at this and make a wise decision soon!"

……

Dusk gradually dyed the palace walls, and Han Zhen walked out of Chongzheng Hall with square steps, his purple robe and jade belt shone darkly in the sunset. He had a smug smile on his face, just now in front of the curtain, the Empress Dowager was quite appreciative of his "selfless" advice.

"Brother Yuru is so impressive."

A light laugh came from behind the pillars. Cai Jing and Cai Bian came together, the former with a half-smile on his face, while the latter did not hide the sneer in his eyes.

Cai Bian played with the ivory tablet in his hand and said with a double meaning: "I'm afraid Han Shumi's advice will go straight into history."

Cai Bian said to Cai Jing: "Han Zhen thought that Sima Guang would regard him as one of his own because he had pledged his allegiance to the old party."

"Yuan Du is wrong." Han Zhen's smile froze. He was about to explain when he saw the Deputy Privy Councilor Su Song walking quickly towards him. The hem of his purple robe fluttered like waves in his rapid steps.

The two were very surprised.

"Two Cai scholars!" Su Song did not bother to greet each other, and lowered his voice very low, "Urgent news from the northern border - the Liao envoy Xiao Xi has passed Baigou, and threatened to the host if the annual tribute is not increased to one million, and the former land of Western Xia is not returned, the Liao lord will mobilize 700,000 cavalry to the south, slaughter all the four roads in Hebei, and let the horses drink from the Yellow River!"

Cai Jing was horrified, and the memorial fell to the ground with a "thump". When he bent over to pick it up, he caught a glimpse of Han Zhen's instantly pale face.

The Privy Councilor, who had just been planning to join the old party, was now shaking with his hands.

Cai Bian sneered and said, "Where are the censors like Liu Qizhi and Wang Yansou? They are usually very good at impeaching ministers, but do they have any strategies to resist the enemy now?"

"Yuan Du, be careful with your words!" Cai Jing pretended to stop him, but his eyes were shining. "Duke Wei is an important minister entrusted by the late emperor. Now is the time to..."

Before he finished speaking, Cai Bian suddenly tugged at his brother's sleeve. The two followed his gaze and saw outside Xuande Gate, a team of imperial guards holding torches and rushing past, tearing the twilight into blood-red streaks.

The two men said goodbye to Su Song and Han Zhen, and left with their own thoughts.

"Did you see that?" Cai Bian's voice was as cold as ice. "The Empress Dowager left Duke Wei alone for nearly five months, and only remembered the late emperor's will when the soil of the Yongyu Mausoleum had dried up. Now that the Hu horses are knocking on the border, Duke Wei is left to clean up the mess."

"What else? Who else is in the court now?" Cai Jing asked.

Cai Bian counted on his fingers and said, "Cai Que, Zhang Dun was impeached by the censor and is now under house arrest! Sima Guang is ill, and Zhang Zi is reporting illness!"

Cai Que and Zhang Dun were also stubborn and refused to resign even when they were impeached by the censor. As for Sima Guang, he had been in poor health since he became the prime minister, and Zhang Zhi also took sick leave after a long talk with Zhang Yue.

Cai Jing stroked the jade belt around his waist and suddenly chuckled: "Brother, do you know about the Battle of Zhenmiao and Chanyuan? When Kou Laigong was demoted, no one cared about him. He was only recalled overnight when the Khitan attacked."

Cai Bian said: "It may not be easy. Now Cai Que and Zhang Dun are about to be dismissed. The Empress Dowager still hesitates to summon Duke Wei."

A rapid ringing of a bell interrupted his words.

The two of them looked towards the Chuigong Hall at the same time - that was the alarm bell for summoning the ministers of the two governments. In the twilight, the bell sounded, carrying the wind and snow from the northern border, and hit the red walls of Bianjing.

……

Inside the Purple Palace, the scent of agarwood wafted through the air. Zhang Yue followed the eunuchs through the many palace gates, looking at the familiar red walls and green tiles, as if he were in another world.

The ministers in the palace had already been present. Sima Guang was ill and came to court. His pale face could not hide the sharpness in his eyes. Han Wei, Fan Chunren and other important officials were also present. Zhang Yue glanced at them and knew the deep meaning of the Empress Dowager's summons.

The eunuch arranged a chair for Zhang Yue to sit on, ranking above the other ministers.

The eunuch brought a red sandalwood chair and placed it at the head of the ministers. Zhang Yue bowed slightly and sat down calmly - this position should belong to him even if Cai Que was in the court, let alone Wen Yanbo and Wang Anshi.

Facing all the ministers, Zhang Yue did not give in. When he first came to power, the Right Prime Minister Lü Gongzhu was ranked below him. Towards Lü Gongzhu, Sima Guang and other old ministers of Jiayou, he maintained just the right courtesy, neither humble nor overbearing, and showing some friendship with old friends.

As for the Four Friends of Jiayou, except Wang Anshi, all of them were in the palace, and except Han Wei, all of them were promoted to prime ministers.

"How are you?" Sima Guang greeted with a cough. "Brother Junshi is still working hard for the country while he is still ill. It is admirable." Zhang Yue was very respectful.

When everyone met, they first reminisced about the past.

The atmosphere in the palace was subtle. When Cai Que and Zhang Dun were around, they never chatted with the old party members except for official business. But Zhang Yue was different - his illustrious background as the top scholar, his prominent family as the son-in-law of Wu Chong, and his brilliant achievements as prime minister for five years all made him naturally close to these old officials. At this moment, the sound of reminiscing about the past continued, as if they were reuniting with old friends after many years.

Cai Que and Zhang Dun had little experience and were promoted too quickly. They were promoted by the late emperor without going through formal procedures and lacked popularity. Therefore, once the late emperor promoted them, it seemed that they had very shallow foundations.

At the same time, they had no friendship with Sima Guang and Han Wei.

After some reminiscing about the past, they became very familiar with each other. In the end, Zhang Yue sat at the chief seat. Neither Han Wei nor Sima Guang showed any surprise.

Suddenly, three whip sounds were heard, and the Empress Dowager arrived with the young emperor.

Sima Guang presided over the palace meeting despite his illness.

Zhang Yue listened to Sima Guang's words and realized that there was nothing new.

Sima Guang's strategy was to carry out appropriate strategic contraction when the empire was weak.

Zhang Yue thought of a very controversial issue in the late Ming Dynasty. Xiong Tingbi, the governor of Liaodong, once advocated abandoning Liaoxi north of Shanhaiguan. Later, Wang Zaijun and Sun Chengzong had a debate about whether to defend Liaoxi or abandon Liaodong.

This is a topic that Ming history enthusiasts love to discuss on Tieba.

It was a question of whether the Ming Dynasty should give up given its national strength at that time.

But the Song Dynasty was completely different. When Li Yuanhao started his army, he repeatedly attacked the four directions of Shaanxi and even threatened Chang'an. But now the Dangxiang can only defend themselves and have no power to attack.

Finally, Sima Guang said, "I think we should follow the old system of Jiayou and make peace with the Xia Kingdom. Return part of the territory and increase the annual tribute by 700,000 in exchange for peace on the border."

Han Wei supported Sima Guang's argument, saying, "The late emperor mobilized a large army, initially in the name of punishing the people, and then took their land, which made the Xia people excuse themselves and lose their respect. The custom of that country is to be ashamed not to take revenge. Now that their national strength is gradually recovering, they will surely come to attack and take back their old land. If unfortunately we take it back, then the late emperor would have lost what he had gained through years of hard work, which would be a shame."

"If we raise an army to resist the enemy, the border will be broken again. I am afraid that the war will continue and the disaster will never end. I secretly think that there are three reasons why the war must be stopped, and five reasons why the land must be abandoned..."

Sima Guang said: "If the Xia Kingdom raises an army to invade the border, and the northerners send letters to ask for land, then we will lose our chance and cannot use them. The ancients cultivated virtue and practiced benevolence, without considering the short-term benefits and harms. Why? The merits of cultivating virtue and practicing benevolence are great, while the benefits and harms considered by the secular world are small. The difference between the big and the small is as far as the sky and the earth!"

"I ask that Jiayou be restored, and peace restored, so that we can be at peace with the people of the west and the north."

Empress Dowager Gao asked, "Why did Zhang Qing remain silent?"

Zhang Yue said: "Your Highness, I was reading Buddhist scriptures today and was thinking about the principle of impermanence."

Empress Dowager Gao was fond of Buddhist philosophy. When she heard Zhang Yue quoting Buddhist scriptures, she smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, why don't you give it a try?"

Zhang Yue said: "Seng Zhao once said, 'People seek the past in the present, and they think it does not stay; I seek the present in the past, and I know it does not go away.'"

"To seek the past in the present is to seek the impermanent in the permanent, and to seek the present in the past is to seek the permanent in the impermanent."

"What do you mean?" Empress Dowager Gao asked with a smile behind the curtain.

"For example, if someone sees the Yellow River changing its course, they would say, 'The Yellow River was not like this in the past' - this is to seek the old normality from the present change." Zhang Yue looked at Sima Guang, "But the wise should think: the Yellow River has been flowing for thousands of years, and changing its course is the normal state - this is to learn from the past and apply it to the present."

Sima Guang coughed, and Han Wei frowned: "What does Du Zhi mean by this?"

Zhang Yue bowed deeply to the throne and said, "The Empress Dowager is wise. "We should learn from history and not from the present. We should not look to the past for truth in the ever-changing present. Instead, we should look to the present for the eternal truths of the past and present."

"When governing a country, we should follow the principles that have not changed over the centuries, rather than trying to find a way to solve a problem by forcing ancient methods into modern situations."

To the prime ministers, it was the same story of trying to find a sword by carving a mark on a boat, but to Zhang Yue and Cai Que it was a completely different story.