Lu Mansion.
After returning home from duty, Lu Yijian had a rare drink. Not only that, he also invited his second son Lu Gongbi over.
Lu Gongbi was surprised when he saw his father with a happy face.
What happened to dad today?
Why are you so happy?
After a while, Lu Yijian noticed his son's gaze, then put down the wine bottle and said.
"Baochen, are you curious why you are so happy to be a father?"
"kindness."
Lu Gongbi nodded.
"You should have heard about the Liao Dynasty's withdrawal of troops. Dad will give you a test. Why do you think dad is happy?"
In later generations, the Lu family was able to stand still, half of which was due to Lu's family tradition, and half to Lu Yijian's example.
If Lu Meng was the key figure who came from the east to make the Lu family a wealthy family, then Lu Yijian was the core figure who made the Lu family an evergreen tree in the political arena.
No, during the celebration, Lu Yijian did not forget to take the exam for his son.
It is said to be a test, but actually it is a guide.
After hearing his father's question, Lu Gongbi pondered for a moment.
Since dad asked this, the reason must not be that simple.
The Liao Dynasty's withdrawal was probably just a prelude.
The subsequent impact is the key.
What will happen if the Liao Dynasty withdraws its troops?
Is the northern border completely peaceful?
Before Liao and Song returned?
it's out of the question!
Yang Wenguang led his troops to break into the Liao territory and harass the rear of the Liao army. This alone was tantamount to breaking the contract.
Moreover, it was Song Ting who took the initiative to break the contract.
Although the Liao Dynasty sent 50,000 troops southward, these troops were only stationed at Qigou Pass for a generation and did not invade the Song Dynasty.
In this way, the Liao Kingdom could find countless reasons to prove that it had no intention of attacking the border.
Based on this matter alone, the country and the DPRK are the ones at fault.
To be fair, Lu Gongbi was very puzzled about this matter. Why did the officials issue a secret order to invade the Liao Dynasty?
Is it necessary to actively destroy the hard-won peace?
Are there any benefits?
The renewed war between Song and Liao was a thing that had no benefits at all, only disadvantages and no benefits. Why would the officials do it?
Before, his father often mentioned the official family in his ears, and the most mentioned thing was that the official family would be a powerful leader in the future, and seemed to have the aspirations of the Qin Emperor and the Han Dynasty.
Only those with matching skills and ambitions can be worthy of the title of hero.
Looking at the performance of the official family after they ascended the throne, the official family's skills are indeed very clever. Even outstanding figures such as my father and Prime Minister Ding cannot understand the official family's thoughts.
a long time.
Lu Gongbi, who was thinking hard, still couldn't figure it out, so he couldn't help but look at his father for help.
Seeing the look from his son, Lu Yijian smiled slightly and said slowly.
"Why did Yizu (Taizu) create the position of participating in politics?"
Hearing this, Lu Gongbi had a flash of inspiration, and he finally grasped the core of the problem!
At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, the three prime ministers Fan Zhi, Wang Pu, and Wei Renpu were all former ministers of the Later Zhou Dynasty. At that time, Taizu retained three of them as prime ministers, which was just a temporary measure.
After all, the Song Dynasty was established on behalf of the Zhou Dynasty. In order to win over the old officials of the later Zhou Dynasty, this was a necessary means.
After the political power was stable, Taizu dismissed the three prime ministers of the early Song Dynasty, and then promoted his confidant Zhao Pu to prime minister.
However, at the beginning of the founding of the country, Zhao Pu alone was completely unable to handle the important military and political tasks of the country.
Therefore, Taizu established Zhao Pu as an assistant to participate in politics.
At first, participating in the political position was only to assist the prime minister and had no intention of decentralizing power.
wrong!
It should be said that Taizu had the intention to decentralize power from the beginning!
However, due to the situation, he had to conceal his original intention until the time was right. He immediately made a plan and personally pushed his political participation to the position of deputy prime minister.
This is decentralization!
The power of the prime minister has become smaller, and the power of the monarch has naturally expanded.
After Taizu, Taizong and Zhenzong also inherited the purpose of weakening the power of the prime minister.
When it comes to the official family, the power of the prime minister is suppressed to the extreme. The frequent bypassing of Zhongshu is the most obvious sign.
Location dictates ideas.
Lu Gongbi was born in the Lu family from the east and came from a family of officials, so he naturally sided with the scholar-bureaucrats.
How should the monarch's power be limited if it is too powerful?
In traditional Confucian concepts, rebellion is definitely not the right answer.
Admonishment is the right path!
How to give advice?
Of course, it is to unite all officials to put pressure on the court, or the officials!
Although the emperor is the co-owner of the world, it is the scholar-bureaucrats who carry out the emperor's will.
If there were no scholar-bureaucrats, could the emperor's will be carried out as expected?
I'm afraid I can't.
Thinking of this, Lu Gongbi's doubts were suddenly resolved. Then, he thought for a moment and spoke cautiously.
"Dad, has the war between the North and the South come to an end for the time being?"
Lu Yijian nodded with satisfaction after hearing this.
Children can be taught!
With just one sentence, "Why did Taizu establish political participation?" Baochen directly got to the core of the problem.
At the same time, the word 'temporary' is even more wonderful.
The struggle between the North and the South is, to put it bluntly, a struggle for the right to speak, or a struggle between the advanced and the latecomers.
As long as a balance point is not reached, the struggle between the North and the South will never stop.
The current convergence is just the effect of 'external forces'.
Once the 'external force' disappears or weakens, the struggle between the North and the South will inevitably resume and will never end.
In the future, even if there is no longer a war between the North and the South, there will be other factional fights.
After all, the pie is only so big, and if some people take more, then some people must take less.
And the greed of the human heart is endless.
The party with more will only think about taking more, more.
Faced with such a 'dilemma', how could the less powerful party be willing to give in?
So, the struggle comes.
As for that balance point, it only exists in theory. In reality, there will never be that balance point.
…
…
…
Funing Hall.
Li Jie did not know the information that the northern and southern scholars were about to merge because the matter was too secretive.
Neither Lu Yijian nor Ding Wei are fools.
For something as big as this, the more secretive it is, the better.
They have never met in private at all. After all, their position is too sensitive, if they really meet in private.
Even if your whereabouts are secret, they may be exposed.
Therefore, even in the political hall, they did not discuss this matter when they met.
Some things are just left unsaid.
Just like a tacit goal in a football match, the two sides seemed to be playing fiercely, but no one took the lead to break through the opponent's goal.
Until the end, it may be zero to zero, maybe one to one, two to two, anyway, it will definitely end in a draw.
evening.
Li Jie was watching the latest military situation in the northwest region, when suddenly there was a rush of footsteps outside the door.
Lei Yungong was seen running in in a hurry, fell to his knees with a plop, and then immediately reported the movements in Liaojing.
"Guan family, the latest information has come from Zhongjing."
"The Emperor of Liao woke up, personally took charge of Yong'an Palace, and summoned all his ministers."
At this time, Lei Yungong had only one thought in his mind.
War is coming again.
