The next day, early morning.
Before the political discussions in Chui Gong Hall began, the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty gathered in the back garden.
Recently, in order to take care of the ministers who clock in early every day and come to Zhao Jun's lectures, Zhao Zhen even ordered the Gongchenmen time to be advanced by half an hour.
The ministers yawned and walked slowly to the back garden. Lu Yijian was not young anymore. He was fifty-nine years old this year and his legs and feet were not very good. Zhao Zhen asked people to wait outside Gongchen Gate, waiting for him to come. When the time comes, he comes in in a sedan chair.
During the lecture, everyone stood at first, but sometimes Zhao Jun would talk non-stop for an hour or two, so Zhao Zhen prepared a few extra stools and put them in the room for everyone to sit.
Just because they were afraid that Zhao Zhen would hit someone with a stool, the other ministers refused. Only Lu Yijian was really uncomfortable standing for so long every day, so he thanked the emperor for his favor and sat down to listen.
It was before dawn, and Yan Shu was standing outside the Guanjia Hall with breakfast. Fan Zhongyan arrived before anyone else, while Lu Yijian was late. The guards put the sedan at the door, and Lu Yijian came slowly. Come down to the ground and bow your hands to everyone.
After everyone returned the courtesy, Fan Zhongyan glanced at him and said, "Prime Minister Lu, you are a little late today."
Lu Yijian smiled and said: "I am indeed getting older, and my energy is not as good as before. With His Majesty's grace, an old minister like me can walk a few steps less and stand for an hour or two less. God's grace is like an ocean."
He said this, but it was undoubtedly demonstrating his unique status in Zhao Zhen's mind.
Wang Zeng's face twitched slightly.
Fan Zhongyan snorted.
"Your Majesty has arrived."
Just then, the eunuch shouted.
Everyone quickly looked to the west and saw Zhao Zhen coming in a hurry.
Now Zhao Zhen lives in Houyuan. Although he is close, he is the slowest to arrive every time.
It's not that he is lazy, but that he has been tossing and turning in bed these past few days, unable to sleep, and all he can think about is that my Song Dynasty is going to die.
Sometimes I gnashed my teeth and talked in my sleep, mumbling things like "You are the second fool, you are the stupid donkey", etc., and I didn't fall asleep until midnight.
This made Wang Shouzhong, the eunuch who was guarding the door, puzzled. He wondered who had offended the official family, and he kept cursing in his dream.
Zhao Zhen came over sleepily. Everyone bowed their hands and saluted. He raised his hands and said, "Pingshen, let's go."
"yes."
Yan Shu responded, and then went into the east room where Zhao Jun slept.
"Crunch!"
When the door opened, Zhao Jun got up immediately.
Now he can't do anything every day, he's blind, he's covered in injuries, and he lies in bed 23/7 without even leaving the door, so naturally he can only sleep.
Therefore, he was in much better spirits than Zhao Zhen and the others, and he looked forward to Yan Shu and Fan Zhongyan coming to accompany him every day. Even if they talked more, it wouldn't be so boring.
"Uncle Lari, what delicious food are you eating today?"
There was a little joy in Zhao Jun's tone. Now that he was familiar with Yan Shu, he didn't have so many scruples when speaking.
Yan Shu chuckled and said: "Kill a chicken and give you a good supplement."
Zhao Jun said happily: "Is there any chicken to eat? That's great. Thank you, Uncle Lari. How much is the chicken? I'll give it to you when the time comes."
"It doesn't cost money. Doesn't the state provide subsidies?"
Yan Shu replied.
Zhao Jun nodded repeatedly and sighed: "The country is better."
"I'm coming too."
Fan Zhongyan reminded him aloud.
"Uncle Nima is here too?"
"Yes, the injury is not healed yet, but I can go to the ground now, so I will come over and chat with you."
"It's a good relationship, and it's not so boring if I have multiple people with me."
"How do you feel physically now?"
"Much better. There are all external injuries on the body, and they should be almost healed. The injury on the head is still a little painful."
"It's been a hundred days since my muscles and bones were broken, so I need to take a good rest."
"Uncle Xenima."
Zhao Jun thanked him obediently. He was not very familiar with Fan Zhongyan yet, and he felt that Fan Zhongyan was a bit aggressive and not easy to deal with, so he tried to be polite.
Fan Zhongyan had no idea that he was already a bully in Zhao Jun's mind. Seeing that Zhao Jun was in good spirits, he immediately asked: "By the way, I want to ask, does Fan Zhongyan have to reform? Didn't you say that he sacrificed for the reform?" Is it a lot? Would it be better if he didn’t reform?”
"yes."
Zhao Jun took a bite of chicken and took over the conversation: "Lao Fan sacrificed a lot for the reform. He opposed Lu Yijian and was demoted to Raozhou. Even his wife died of illness there."
Fan Zhongyan's face turned gloomy for a moment. He had already heard about this matter yesterday. Fortunately, he was not demoted now.
"But Lao Fan is not ashamed. He is fifty years old and married a fifteen-year-old prostitute after his wife died. Alas, this was not good in ancient times. They were only fourteen or fifteen years old. How could they do this? Get rid of it."
Zhao Jun beat his chest and felt sad. The evil old society turned people into ghosts.
It's better for our New China. Do you dare to marry a fifteen-year-old? Punishment, Zhang San is not as arrogant as you, just sit in jail.
Married a young prostitute?
Fan Zhongyan's face suddenly became embarrassed, but Zhao Zhen and others behind him couldn't stop laughing. It was rare to see Fan Zhongyan, who had always looked like a gentleman, embarrassed.
Especially Zhao Zhen, who was scolded bloody by Zhao Jun before, but now he finally has someone to accompany him to be scolded.
"Let's first talk about why Fan Zhongyan must reform."
Fan Zhongyan quickly changed the topic.
Zhao Jun drank the chicken soup, pinched the chicken leg and took a bite and said: "If Fan Zhongyan reforms, it is naturally to save the Song Dynasty. If he does not change, the Song Dynasty will perish." And didn’t Lao Fan’s reform fail? From the failure of Fan Zhongyan's Qingli New Deal in 1045 AD to the disgrace of Jingkang and the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty in 1127 AD, how many years have passed in between. Isn’t it caused by the harm of three redundancies? So Lao Fan wanted to save the decadent Song Dynasty, but unfortunately he couldn't. "
Fan Zhongyan looked back at Zhao Zhen and said, "Apart from the emperor's lack of support, is there any other reason?"
“There are also conservative interest groups that won’t agree.”
Zhao Jun shrugged: "Didn't I say that last time? Lao Fan's reforms touched the interests of a large number of scholar-bureaucrats. They were large in number and held considerable real power. The purpose of the Qingli New Deal was to revolutionize their lives. How could they agree? "
“So who are these conservative interest groups?”
Fan Zhongyan asked again.
Um?
Lu Yijian behind him suddenly frowned.
Being scheming, he vaguely sensed something was wrong.
Why did Fan Zhongyan ask this?
Could it be that you want His Majesty to know who is blocking Qingli's reform?
Lu Yijian secretly thought something was wrong.
His Lu party is spread all over the government and the public, and they must have vested interests.
Ask yourself, if Fan Zhongyan carries out reforms and Zhao Zhen supports him, he will probably not be affected.
But the disciples and grandchildren below are different and will definitely be implicated.
So in terms of stance, Lu Yijian is probably a conservative.
Now Zhao Zhen already knows that the Northern Song Dynasty will perish in a few decades due to the three redundant problems.
After being scolded a few more times by Zhao Jun, it was hard to say that the emperor might make up his mind to support Fan Zhongyan's reform to the end.
And if I stand opposite the emperor because of my position, wouldn't that be...
Thinking of this, Lu Yijian suddenly became anxious.
But it was too late.
He heard Zhao Jun shrug and said: "This is a good question. Most people will definitely not be able to remember it. That means I have a very good memory. I remember Lu Yijian, Xia Song, Chen Yaozuo, Jia Changchao, as well as Wang Gongchen and Zhang De." People like Xiang, Chen Zhizhong, Liu Yuanyu, Li Ding, Qian Mingyi, Song Chu, and Song Qi."
Lu Yijian was suddenly as cold as if he had fallen into a cold cave!
Fan Zhongyan, this thief, is really sinister!
