A few days passed in a flash, and Bianliang City still maintained its former prosperity.
Zhao Jun thanked Zhao Yunrang for his invitation. He neither offended nor contacted Zhao Yunrang. He just waited to see if Zhao Zhen could really give birth to a healthy heir.
The two pieces of advice he gave were that there was no need to make enemies for nothing, and that Zhao Yun should be more relaxed and not jump up and down. Otherwise, if Zhao Zhen is offended, Zhao Zongshi may not be able to sit on the throne in the future.
Although Zhao Zongshi was a mediocre king and a short-lived ghost, Zhao Jun did not resent him sitting on the throne of emperor when Zhao Zhen had no heirs.
Because even if Zhao Zhen had no heirs, it would be decades before Zhao Zongshi came to power.
If everything goes well, Zhao Jun's status may be as stable as Mount Tai by then. If Zhao Zongshi is smart, he knows what he should and shouldn't do, and there is no need to make Zhao Jun unhappy.
Therefore, in a few decades, his throne may have to be vacated. If Zhao Zongshi can still sit in that position, it will be no different from anyone else.
The afternoon sun is shining down, and the weather has been rare in the past few days.
The Kaifeng Mansion and the Imperial City Division are still in action. There are far fewer rogues in Bianliang in the past, and even the originally arrogant and domineering Jiangmen Yanei has become more restrained.
Although there are no records of evil deeds in the yamen in the history books, in real life there are many second-generation ancestors who were lawless and ran amok in Bianliang.
Sometimes when you are walking on the street and someone accidentally touches you, you may feel insulted and get violent and hurtful.
In the past, ordinary people could only admit that they were unlucky when they encountered it.
Now that Fan Zhongyan is in charge of Kaifeng Mansion, if something like this happens on the street, it must be dealt with impartially.
A few days ago, a yamen from the third class went to Kaifeng Mansion and got beaten up. Now he is much more honest.
In addition, Liu Yuanyu's home was ransacked.
Selling prohibited items, plus other illegal activities, was enough for him to be exiled to Lingnan.
Zhao Jun didn't go to this matter. Now the Imperial City Department is still in charge of Cao Xiu. This kind of thing can basically be ordered and there is no need for him to do it himself.
The Yushitai had to write a letter to impeach and argue, requesting that the case be transferred to the Yushitai and Dali Temple.
The main reason is that the current scope of responsibilities of the Imperial City Department is too broad. It can punish officials for violating laws and disciplines at the top level, but it can deal with conflicts among the people at the bottom level. Sometimes they even want to get involved in investigating cases, and their control is too lenient.
Almost all the jobs of Kaifeng Mansion, Dali Temple, Ministry of Justice, and Yushitai were taken away. This made other departments except Kaifeng Mansion very dissatisfied, so they often jointly impeached him.
That is to say, these matters were suppressed by Zhao Zhen and the prime ministers of the Constitutional Yuan. Otherwise, in the past, the Imperial City Division would have been suppressed long ago.
At this moment, the noon wind was blowing on the camphor tree outside the political courtyard, the branches and leaves were whirling, and a few soft leaves fell.
Zhao Jun left the palace in a carriage.
This morning Li Di went to the Constitutional Yuan on official business and privately invited him to a banquet.
Facing the other party's invitation, Zhao Jun did not refuse, so he chose to do it at noon when he had time.
The main reason is that Li Di invited him twice. He usually doesn't have much time, but he just had a little free time today, so he agreed to attend the appointment.
It’s also interesting to say.
Since Li Di returned to Bianliang in a low-key manner, he only spent one day integrating all the data of the Salt and Iron Company and delivered it in person the next day.
When I arrived, I met Lu Yijian. The two old men glared at each other like two old roosters.
Regarding Li Di being recalled to the capital, Lu Yijian disagreed ten thousand times, but Zhao Jun, Wang Zeng, and Cai Qi voted in favor. Zhao Jun, the magistrate, could still support two votes with one vote. In the end, Lu Yijian and Song Shou could only You can recognize it by holding your nose.
Zhao Zhen readily agreed with his opinion.
Because Li Di was also one of the emperor's teachers. He once served as a bachelor of Zizheng Palace and gave lectures to Zhao Zhen. When Li Di was squeezed out by Lu Yijian, even though he was dismissed from power and knew Xiangzhou, Zhao Zhen still kept him in the capital.
As a result, Li Di's operation was a bit abstract, and he actually falsely accused Lu Yijian, which made Zhao Zhen unable to save him, and he was eventually kicked out of the court.
Therefore, Zhao Zhen was reluctant to let go of Li Di, but there was nothing he could do about it because he and Lu Yijian were in the same situation.
Now that Zhao Jun has brought him back, Zhao Zhen is naturally very happy.
Li Di invited him today. For an old court fox like him, he probably smelled something and wanted to get closer to him.
Since people want to curry favor, why bother to refuse?
After all, as the teacher said, making more friends and making fewer enemies is the right direction.
Li Di's banquet was held at Fan Tower.
Zhao Jun had only heard of the hotel with the highest standards in Bianliang, but had never been to it.
His current salary is quite high. Although he does not have a rank, the annual income of Song Guogong alone is more than 10,000 guan. In addition, plus the dispatches from the Zhiyuan of the Constitutional Yuan and the Imperial City Secretary, the total adds up to more than 20,000 guan. Almost like a prime minister.
But he himself planned to cut his salary by two-thirds first, let alone use the salary to live a luxurious life. On weekdays, he would put his monthly salary in the Imperial City Department as funds, but he had never enjoyed this Fanlou. taste.
Today, thanks to Li Di, I got to see it.
The carriage stopped outside Fan Tower. The shopkeeper of Fan Tower had been waiting for him. Countless people came and went inside and outside the door. After entering under the leadership of the shopkeeper, he discovered that Fan Tower was indeed well-deserved.
Five three-story buildings are distributed like a tic-tac-toe, with corridors connecting the left and right, and attached courtyards scattered at random. There are even pavilions, waterside pavilions, and balconies. A faint fragrance comes to your nostrils, mixed with the smell of food and wine. And the flavor of spices is appetizing.
The shopkeeper took Zhao Jun all the way to the tallest building in the east. In the private room on the third floor, from here you can see the scenery of Bianliang Street at a glance. Looking over, there are streets and alleys, temples, pink walls and red tiles, rivers and bridges, and countless buildings. There are also many towering trees mixed in among the things, which is quite like a Jiangnan water town-like scenery.
"Zhiyuan, I'm sorry to bother you, but I would like to ask Haihan."
When Li Di saw Zhao Jun come in, he stood up and said hello with a smile. Now that he is nearly sixty years old, he is much smoother in doing things. Unlike when he was young, he fought with Ding Wei for power and was eventually demoted to another country.
The rest of the people retreated. Zhao Jun first offered his hand to Li Digong and said, "It's an honor for Prime Minister Li to invite me. How can it be considered an intrusion?"
Then he looked around and said, "This place is indeed elegant. I have never been to such a high-end place before."
"Please sit down, President."
Li Di extended his hand to signal, then smiled and said: "If the Imperial Academy likes it, just ask Fan Lou to leave a private room for the Imperial Academy to come often."
"hehe."
Zhao Jun sat down and said with a smile: "Fan Lou spends too much money and I often can't afford it. Besides, I don't have any requirements for food. The street food is very good."
"It seems that the Supreme Court is still more concerned with public sentiment, which is also a good thing for the country."
Li Di smiled and said haha and sat down.
Zhao Jun smiled and said, "I wonder why Mr. Li invited me here?"
"Well, what does it mean to be a person who has been demoted to me?"
Li Di smiled bitterly and said: "I thought I was going to die of old age in another country in this life. It's only thanks to the Zhiyuan that I can come back."
"The deputy prime minister is also a prime minister."
Zhao Jun smiled.
In the second and third divisions of the government, Tong Zhongshu's Ping Zhangshi is recognized as the prime minister, and Shenzhi Zhengshi is the deputy prime minister.
The envoy to the Privy Council is the Privy Councilor, and all other Privy Council affairs with the same knowledge, the Privy Council affairs with the signature signature, and the Privy Council affairs with the signature signature are the deputy privy ministers.
Although the Third Bureau has the title of Prime Minister and is in charge of financial power, it actually has the lowest status among the Three Bureaus of the Second Government.
Li Di, the deputy envoy of the third department, was promoted to be the deputy prime minister. Normally, he was just the deputy envoy of the third department, ranking more than ten.
However, Li Di's qualifications are there. If the court is considering promotion to the prime minister, as long as he doesn't make a big mistake, he will basically be the one to do it.
"Thank you very much for your support, Zhiyuan."
Li Di said politely, and then said: "The rice and vegetables were just served. I don't know if they suit Zhiyuan's taste. Let's talk while eating."
"That would be disrespectful. It's just the right time for lunch."
Zhao Jun was not polite and picked up the chopsticks.
Although Li Di is the elder, he has a higher status and is a guest, so everyone just needs to treat him equally.
The two of them started chatting while eating.
Zhao Jun said that Li Di worked hard and made great achievements, and he was a pillar of talent left by the late emperor.
Li Di said that Zhao Jun is young and promising and will be the future pillar of the country.
The two parties were polite for a while, and then Li Di said: "I actually have some doubts about bothering the magistrate today."
"oh?"
Zhao Jun asked: "Please speak, Mr. Li."
Li Di said: "The Constitutional Yuan was established to control hundreds of officials. With such power, how could the officials agree?"
Zhao Jun laughed and said: "Prime Minister Li came to me because he wanted to ask why I was able to become the magistrate of the Constitutional Yuan at such a young age, and one person was lower than ten thousand people. Even Xiang Lu and Xiang Wang were the best. Just be submissive."
Li Di was shocked, but he was not embarrassed. He just stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Zhiyuan is outstanding. He is a unique talent. It is just right to sit in this position."
Wow.
Is this old Mr. Li flattering me so much?
Zhao Jun glanced at the other party strangely, but he didn't expect that Li Di was quite aware of current affairs.
As soon as he returned to Bianliang, he started to fawn over him. This was something that no one expected.
But that's not a bad thing.
What Zhao Jun wants is not someone like Ding Du who has only moral character but no talent and is dissatisfied with him, but someone like Li Di who is talented and willing to listen to him.
As long as the other party doesn't cause trouble, doesn't make trouble, obeys the arrangements, and does the assigned tasks well, then let alone Li Di, even Xia Song, the insidious villain who undermined the Qingli New Deal in history, can't be reused. .
Thinking of this, Zhao Jun said: "Prime Minister Li is right about one thing, that is, I am truly unique. The officials, Prime Minister Lu, and Prime Minister Wang need me, so I can achieve this position."
"oh?"
Li Di was still puzzled and said: "I would like to hear the details."
Zhao Jun smiled and said: "You can understand that I am Demu Tiandi, Taoist leader in ancient and modern times. According to our words, I am very awesome. However, I cannot tell Prime Minister Li in detail. If one day Prime Minister Li can enter the Constitutional Yuan, even if he is only a candidate Tongzhi Zhizhiyuan, you can also know why."
Now the Constitutional Yuan is full of insiders. Although Yan Shu and Fan Zhongyan are not prime ministers, they have been appointed as alternate colleagues because they know the inside story, which is comparable to the status of deputy prime minister.
So in a way, as long as you enter the Constitutional Yuan, you will know Zhao Jun's origin and identity.
Then he will definitely know how awesome Zhao Jun is.
Li Di guessed that this might involve a big secret. Thinking of the rumor that Zhao Jun was the youngest son of Zhenzong, he couldn't help but feel awe. After thinking about it for a while, he said: "So it turns out that it is me Meng Lang."
"It doesn't matter. I guess the whole court is curious about why I can sit in that position. But this is indeed a big secret. It is uncertain and impossible to make it public in the future. If the insider dares to spread the word, it will basically be a dead end, including Lu Yijian and the others. .”
Seeing that there was no one around, Zhao Jun frightened Li Di and said: "So it's better for Prime Minister Li not to know at least for now. The Constitutional Yuan is indeed powerful, but this is actually done to let Prime Minister Lu, Prime Minister Wang, and others keep secrets." If Li Xiang can support me in reforming the system, he may not be able to join the Constitutional Yuan in the future, knowing this secret."
"oh?"
Li Di asked: "Is the Academy really going to be restructured?"
"Yes."
Zhao Jun nodded and said: "Nowadays, the government is corrupt, the state is in decline, and uprisings continue in various places. Some changes must be made. But currently, foreign enemies are surrounding us, and the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms are eyeing them. The time has not yet come. Therefore, I am just doing some preliminary preparations for the future. Make further changes.”
Li Di asked further: "Can the Zhiyuan tell me what specific reforms are needed? I am willing to support the Zhiyuan and want to do my best. If I knew about it earlier, I would have made preparations earlier."
Zhao Jun thought for a moment, but ultimately did not tell the other party.
Because the rectification of officialdom failed in the Qingli New Deal, this general reform will still touch the interests of many people, including Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng and others. If it were not for the support of the Constitutional Yuan, they might still continue to oppose it.
Therefore, he was not sure whether Li Di would continue to support him after knowing the situation, even though Li Di had already shown goodwill and was very respectful and supportive of him.
But the New Deal is still in a hidden stage.
Even Ouyang Xiu's "Lun" was not allowed to be published, just to hide it and cause trouble in the future.
If outsiders knew about it in advance, it would easily cause complications.
What's more, as the saying goes, communication is shallow and deep.
At least before Li Di entered the Constitutional Yuan, he only had to do what he was told, and there was no need to know so much.
So thinking of this, Zhao Jun changed the topic and said: "Xiang Li will naturally know these things in the future. Speaking of which, Xiang Li, I have always been curious."
"oh?"
When Li Di saw that he refused to say anything, he wisely did not continue to ask, but said, "What is Zhiyuan curious about?"
Zhao Jun said with some embarrassment: "It was a bad thing that happened to Li Xiang at the beginning. The main reason was that my relationship with Prime Minister Lu was just like that. He even set up on me at the beginning, so I am very curious about why there was a relationship between you. It doesn’t matter if it’s not convenient for Mr. Li to say it.”
Li Di didn't look very good when he mentioned this matter.
In fact, it was a bit presumptuous for Zhao Jun to ask about what happened between him and Lu Yijian, but Zhao Jun also said that because Lu Yijian had designed him in the first place, it was normal to ask out of curiosity.
Li Di then said: "Are you wondering why I want to use false accusations to fight against that old man Lu Yijian?"
"yes."
Zhao Jun looked puzzled and said: "If the officials investigate, won't they be in trouble?"
Li Di said meaningfully: "Did I really make a false accusation in this matter? In fact, it was the old man who was so powerful that he eliminated the evidence of the crime. Otherwise, how could I be the one who was dismissed?"
"I see."
Zhao Jun suddenly realized.
It turns out that Lu Yijian did make friends with King Jing at the beginning.
It's just that the old guy is always good at playing tricks.
Historically, the way he deceived Wang Zeng was a deliberate move.
"History of the Song Dynasty" records that a petty official named Wang Jiming once gave Lu Yijian 3,000 coins, and Lu Yijian arranged for him to be the magistrate of Qinzhou.
After Wang Zeng reported the case to Song Renzong, Song Renzong was shocked and quickly questioned Lu Yijian. Unexpectedly, Lu Yijian said calmly: "This is a false accusation!"
Song Renzong then ordered the censor to conduct a thorough investigation.
The results of the investigation surprised Wang Zeng. First, the Qinzhou magistrate named Wang Jiming did not pay bribes.
Second, Lu Yijian did handle 3,000 yuan, but it was Lu Yijian's own money, and it was only passed through the hands of others to donate to his hometown to build a school.
In the end Wang Zeng was dismissed as prime minister.
Li Di's situation was exactly the same. Lu Yijian also set a trap for Li Di, making Li Di think that he had befriended King Jing.
An investigation by the censor revealed that the evidence was false, so Li Di was dismissed from the prime ministership.
The old guy is very insidious.
Recommended book: "Book of Troubled Times": With swords in the rivers and lakes, wine shops, Chu waist is slender and the palms are light.
The young man carried a long knife on his shoulder, hung wine on his waist, and strode forward, but the world in his heart was vague.
Turn a page in the book of troubled times, and it will rain in the rivers and lakes for decades.
Suddenly looking back, the world has been shattered.
(End of chapter)
