Zhang Yue wandered in the court, holding a letter in his hand.
A few months ago, Deputy Privy Councilor Bao Zheng passed away. Everyone in the court was shocked when they heard about it. Officials not only visited the court, but also went to their residences to offer sacrifices. The officials were shocked to see that Bao Zheng's family was extremely poor.
Bao Zheng's sister-in-law said that before Bao Zheng died, he repeatedly asked the officials to establish a heirloom. Chen Yan knew that he would die if he spoke about it, but he had to say it for the sake of the country's interests.
When Bao Zheng was dying, he learned that the official family had finally agreed to Sima Guang and Zhang Yue's request to establish a heirloom, so he passed away with a smile.
Therefore, Cui specially asked Wu Kui, who was good friends with Bao Zheng, to write a letter to express her gratitude to Zhang Yue on behalf of Bao Zheng.
Zhang Yue was very emotional after hearing this.
The real historical Bao Zheng is somewhat different from the one in the TV series. What people admire about Bao Zheng is that he is straightforward and outspoken, and he is strong-willed. He often makes suggestions on major national affairs and does not avoid impeachment of powerful people.
Therefore, there is a folk saying that Bao Lao is the Zhenzhongcheng and one of the four Zhenzhen of Jiayou.
At the same time, Zhang Yue also knew that Bao Zheng had a legacy when he died: descendants of Shi'an who committed corruption must not be released back to their own family; after they died, they were not allowed to be buried in a big tomb. Those who do not follow me are not my descendants. Yang Gong published a stone and erected it on the east wall of the hall as a warning to future generations.
When Bao Zheng passed away, his only son Bao Shou was only five years old, and his family was extremely poor. Wen Yanbo, who was the same age as Bao Zheng, felt lonely, so he came forward to marry his granddaughter to him.
This incident is quite popular among scholar-bureaucrats.
The two became in-laws after Bao Zheng passed away, and it was not Zhang Yue's misunderstanding that they had been in contact with each other for a long time.
Of course, this misunderstanding made Zhang Yue respect Bao Zheng even more. Unfortunately, his time as an official was too short and he never had the opportunity to meet Bao Zheng and express his respect to him.
Zhang Yue immediately returned to the study and wrote a long letter to be handed over to Cui, expressing his admiration. At the same time, he would be able to help the Bao family with anything in the future.
After writing the letter, Zhang Yue was walking in the middle courtyard, and happened to see Zhang Qiu walking out.
After the provincial examination, Zhangqiu and Guo Lin were waiting at home for the results to be released.
Seeing Zhang Qiu's confused look, Zhang Yue understood what he was going through and immediately invited him to talk in the corridor. Seeing that Zhang Yue had not returned to his room for a long time, the Seventeenth Niang went out to look for her. She saw her uncle and nephew talking and laughing in the corridor, so she ordered the female envoy to add two thick clothes and boiled a pot of hot wine to give them to her personally. The two brought it.
The three of them sat on the porch and looked at the moonlight, wearing thick clothes and drinking some wine by the charcoal stove.
After Huang Lu left, Zhang Yue was often a little lonely. Fortunately, Zhang Qiu and his wife were both able to talk to each other.
Zhang Qiu said: "Third uncle, now everyone is talking about the official's dizziness and illness. I heard that he can't even talk."
Zhang Yue nodded and said: "This matter is true, but you must not tell anyone about it."
Zhang Yue also speculated that the official's illness this time was unusual. Ordinary dizziness may be related to high blood pressure, and as for the inability to speak, it may be a stroke.
Nowadays, the officials in the palace who heard rumors about the reincarnation of the Barefoot Immortal are actually afraid of the cold and turn on the stove in the palace to keep warm.
Zhangqiu said: "What about the prince?"
Zhang Yue said with a deep heart: "What do you ask the prince for?"
Zhang Qiu said: "I heard that the prince's life in the palace was very miserable. He couldn't even ask questions about his fellow clan members in the palace in the past, so I was curious."
Seventeenth Mother smiled and gave the two of them more wine. At this time, Mother Chen went to the street to buy chickens and ducks to go with the wine.
"You are well-informed." Zhang Yue smiled.
Seeing that Zhang Yue didn't blame him for asking, Zhang Qiu continued: "I also heard that the Ministry of Internal Affairs knows that Ren Shouzhong has been mean to the prince, and even heard that a maid in the palace is pregnant."
After hearing this, Zhang Yue thought that Zhang Qiu knew about the official's serious illness. After all, it was spread all over the city that he had a nose and an eye. But the matter of Ren Shouzhong and the pregnancy of the palace maid are not known to ordinary people, not even ordinary ministers.
Even officials like Zhang Yue who frequently visited the palace only heard the general information. Ouyang Xiu told him the exact news.
Seventeen Niang asked: "Axi, where did you learn about it?"
Zhang Qiu said hurriedly: "It's just gossip from my classmates in the Imperial College."
Zhang Yue said: "I didn't want you to inquire about these words, but now that you have taken responsibility, I might as well tell you that some of them are true and some are false, but the prince's situation in the palace is indeed not good."
Zhang Qiu said: "I just think that the prince should inherit the throne. If the palace maid is pregnant and gives birth to a prince, won't she be deposed again? If something unexpected happens to the official family, then the ministers will decide whether the child in the belly is still the prince. Woolen cloth?"
"There's no point in being worried in the palace all day long. It's better to be an ordinary citizen."
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "It's not easy to be an official. It's so cold in the high places."
"Then, does the third uncle just need to be an official and be able to do whatever he wants?"
Zhang Yue laughed when he heard this and said: "How can it be like this? You see, there are many emperors in the past and present who have had difficulty in ending their lives well. As for being an emperor, there are many people who can't leave the palace. They think that becoming an official will make all the difference. It’s just the words of the common people.”
Zhang Qiu lost his voice and said, "Don't you feel happy being an official?"
"It's the same for officials and common people. Whether they are happy or not depends on whether they are in line with the Tao."
"What way?"
Zhang Yue took a sip of wine and chanted: "The way to observe the sky is to follow the way of heaven. The so-called nature is human beings. The so-called human heart is machine.
"The sky sends murderous intentions, and the stars change places; the earth sends murderous intentions, and dragons and snakes rise from the ground; people send murderous intentions, and the heaven and earth turn upside down."
After hearing this, Zhang Qiu knew that what Zhang Yue said was from the Emperor's Yin Fu Jing, but he didn't know what it meant.
Zhang Yue smiled. Zhang Qiu was not experienced in the world and believed that people in high positions could control everything.
If this were the case, the admonishing officials would not spit on the officials. Today, the prime minister who is less than one person and more than ten thousand people will be impeached and dismissed by a small official tomorrow.
This was still the case in the Song Dynasty. Before the Song Dynasty, there were very few high-ranking officials who showed that their dynasties were in danger. When dynasties changed, it was even more common to do everything in public.
Zhang Yue said: "What is Tao? I call it laws. In terms of the Yin Fu Jing, adhering to the Tao of Heaven and observing the sky are to act in accordance with the laws, and there will be no disadvantage. To comply with the Tao of Heaven is to comply with the human heart, and the human heart is ever-changing. , but there are rules to follow.”
"If the sky doesn't follow the rules, the stars will all change. If the earth doesn't follow the rules, wild beasts will run rampant. If people don't follow the rules, both heaven and earth will be against you."
"Therefore, even officials must act according to the rules. If you violate the rules, you will be punished by the rules. If you enter the officialdom in the future, the so-called big officials and small officials are just the same as the powerful ones. The big officials are more powerful, but the most important thing is Laws. Officialdom only talks about winners and losers. Those who go with the trend will win, and those who go against the trend will lose. Once you understand this, you will know that the officialdom is nothing more than this."
Zhang Qiu showed a look of enlightenment and said: "So, Third Uncle, what is Tao? Is it the law? Is it to abandon material desires and understand the mind clearly?"
Zhang Yue said: "Regulations need to be practiced in things, and people are hardened. As the saying goes, the road is not far away, and people are the same."
"People should follow the Tao and stay away from others, but they cannot follow the Tao. As for abandoning material desires, why should we abandon them? Greed and love are also Tao. For example, people in the mountains and wilds, standing in the world, talking about truths, but making no achievements in worldly affairs, where It can be called mastering the rules.”
Zhang Qiu's views were refreshed once again after hearing Zhang Yue's words, and he couldn't help but admire him.
After chatting, Seventeen Niang and Zhang Yue went back to the room together. Seventeenth Niang said: "If Xi'er asks you today, I'm afraid Prince Pu's Mansion asked him to ask you."
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "I know. But it doesn't matter. I just want you to know about this matter. Just let Xi'er help his friend."
"What about the palace maid's pregnancy? Is it true or false?"
Zhang Yue said: "There is a rumor that the official family visited the private body of a man named Han Chong'er three months ago. At that time, the official family was wandering around the palace and saw a palace maid fetching water from the well, and the fetching water There was actually a little dragon wrapped around the water rope, so the palace maid was blessed that night."
The Seventeenth Mother asked suspiciously: "The official's body is like this now?"
Zhang Yue said: "This is also suspicious. This woman didn't say anything sooner or later. It was only at this time that there were rumors that she was pregnant. The official family is now too ill to know anything about her."
"What's even more suspicious is that several Zhongshu heard about Ren Shouzhong's inquiry, but this person kept hesitating. He even asked the imperial doctor to diagnose whether he had a happy pulse, but there was no way to arrange it."
Seventeenth Mother said: "Could it be that you want to use this matter to blackmail the prince?"
This is an obvious thing. Everyone knows that the prince has been returned once, and now he is frightened.
Zhang Yue said: "Whether this is the case or not, I don't know. Now you and I are more cautious and tell my parents that it is best not to go out these days."
Seventeenth Mother smiled and said: "The officials are worried, my mother has already given the order."
The next day, Zhang Qiu and Zhang Kai went to the Su Mansion to meet Su Xun, followed by Su Che. Both of them became disciples of Su Xun, and they wanted to visit him after the exam.
After leaving the door, Zhang Qiu said goodbye to Zhang Kai, and then came to a teahouse.
In the private room of the tea house, his good friend Zhou Zhongzhen was waiting, and the two met.
Zhou Zhongzhen said happily: "You are finally here."
Zhang Qiu said with a frustrated look on his face: "I haven't found out anything for you, but my third uncle said that the prince is indeed in a bad situation in the palace."
Zhou Zhongzhen couldn't hide the look of concern on his face after hearing this.
Zhang Qiu said: "Don't worry, the prince has shown great kindness to your family. No matter what, I will continue to inquire for you at Third Uncle's place."
Zhou Zhongzhen said gratefully: "Thank you very much. I have no master at the moment. In fact, it would be better if the prince does not enter the palace, or he can be a clan member in peace, but what if he is an official?"
Zhang Qiu said: "Yes, there is nothing happy about being an official. You don't have to worry too much about the prince. After all, the affairs of the other royal family are not something that ordinary people like us can get involved in."
Zhou Zhongzhen said: "Why do you say that the official family has nothing to be happy about?"
After hearing Zhang Yue's words, Zhang Qiu said: "Because no matter how big the official family is, it can't be too big, and it still needs to...act according to the rules."
"What is the law?" Zhou Zhongzhen asked.
"It's the way to observe the sky and the way to follow the sky."
Zhang Qiu thought for a while and immediately learned and sold what Zhang Yue taught him to talk to Zhou Zhongzhen.
Zhou Zhongzhen's eyes lit up after hearing this, and Dasheng said with admiration: "That makes so much sense. Although I am two years older than you, I definitely don't have such insight."
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "You misunderstood. I also listened to what my third uncle said."
Zhou Zhongzhen showed his original expression and said: "Sir is really amazing. It's a pity that I can only learn calligraphy from him, and I can't listen to his teachings as often as you do."
Zhang Qiu smiled and said: "What's the difficulty? I'll talk to my third uncle when this matter is over."
Zhou Zhongzhen nodded after hearing this.
