The gift given by Han Zhongyan is low-key, luxurious and meaningful.
It's like giving three hundred yuan as a gift, one person gave him wine, and the other person gave him a pair of brand-name socks.
Han Zhongyan sent this piece of real water from Hainan. One tael of this thing is worth 10,000 yuan. Han Zhongyan gave each person one tael, as well as pen and paper.
As far as the pen is concerned, the Xuan pen is used.
The pen is made of fine Zihao, and the entire body is made of fine jade. The most famous craftsmen who make Xuan pens are also invited to carve dragon and phoenix patterns that symbolize auspiciousness, and to engrave names on the pen. The value of such a pen is more than Agarwood.
According to Han Zhongyan, if it spreads out, people outside will hear about it and learn that it is just a gift of a pen. It sounds not very valuable, but in fact it contains all the knowledge.
Zhang Yue couldn't help but sigh after hearing this. From ancient times to the present, giving gifts in official circles is really a very profound knowledge, and one can live to learn from it. Han Zhongyan himself gave the agarwood and asked Zhang Yue to give him the pen, which was consistent with Zhang Yue's status.
And now in the palace.
Han Qi, Zhongshu, Zeng Gongliang, and Fu Bi, the privy envoy, all played in front of the officials. In addition, the political ministers, deputy privy ministers, two systems, and admonishers were also present.
The discussion was about Li Liangzuo, the current leader of the Xixia Kingdom, invading the northwest.
Han Qi and Fu Bi, as the highest officials of the two palaces, stood on the left and the right, but there was a clear distinction between them. .
When it came to reporting on the Xixia incident, there was no tacit understanding between the two governments. They each said their own things in front of the officials, as if they were not prepared. Fortunately, the officials were inexperienced and did not notice the strangeness. If Empress Dowager Cao was here, she would have discovered the clues.
That's right, Han Qi and Fu Bi were completely at odds.
As a result, the two governments did not communicate with each other beforehand, resulting in different opinions between the two parties.
Who is responsible for this?
In the early days of Jiayou, Fu Bi was the prime minister and Han Qi was the privy envoy. Every time there were major military and state affairs, Fu Bi would discuss them with Han Qi in advance before going to the officials.
But now, Han Qi is the prime minister and Fu Bi is the privy envoy.
Unless the official issued an order for the two governments to discuss matters together, Han Qi never stated his opinions to Fu Bi in advance.
Especially when it came to the matter of Han Qi evacuating the Empress Dowager Cao and returning the government to the officials, Han Qi had an agreement with Zeng Gongliang, Ouyang Xiu, and Zhao Gai, but did not discuss it with Fu Bi.
Fu Bi was shocked when he learned about the incident and asked Han Qi, "Why didn't you discuss this with me in advance?"
Han Qi said: "It is the Queen Mother's own decision to withdraw the curtain. How can I tell you."
Fu Bi was very angry when he heard this. After returning, he talked to his family members and said, Mr. Han wants me, Fu Bi, to be exterminated.
What Fu Bi said was correct. For such a big thing as withdrawing the curtain and returning power, if Fu Bi did not express support for the officials on the spot, it would be equivalent to opposing it.
What will be the consequences in the future if an important minister like Fu Bi opposes the government's pro-government?
After Fu Bi finished speaking, many people were indignant and wanted to break up with Han Qi. However, Fu Bi was indeed a gentleman. He told everyone around him that Mr. Han must have his own difficulties. In the end, he took a step back and did not make the matter a big deal.
However, Han Qi and Fu Bi completely severed their relationship.
This time, Han Qi and Fu Bi just said one thing and had no tacit understanding about how to deal with the invasion of Xixia by Li Liangzuo.
Han Qi's opinion was to send more troops, generals and food to the northwest as a defense strategy, and at the same time send an envoy to Xixia to question the king.
Fu Bi argued that the current treasury was too empty to support the war between the Song Dynasty and Xixia in the northwest.
Fu Bi said: "Now the public and private affairs are exhausted, the soldiers are arrogant and lazy, there are few generals, and the Western invaders invade the border, the country's security is more dangerous than this. At the beginning of the year, Liang Zuo sent an envoy to Beijing, but our envoy spoke rudely and insulted his lord. , the Xixia envoy once said that he wanted the court to punish the envoy, but the whole court ignored it."
"Sima Guang, Lu Jie once told his ministers that once an envoy returns home with a grudge, everyone in the country will feel ashamed and will inevitably raise troops to retaliate, leading to military disaster."
The admonishing officials Sima Guang and Lu Hui on the side also looked as if they had indeed said this.
Han Qi was displeased. It was he who listened to Zhang Yue's words and exempted the envoy from punishment.
Han Qi said: "The Xixia envoy spoke arrogantly, and the envoy repeatedly tolerated it, but the Xixia envoy insulted His Majesty with his words. All the envoys are loyal to the emperor and patriotic. Which one is intolerable? They tolerate it again and again, and the words are conflicting. It is also a common thing. If a great officer has no integrity and will not stand up, if a man has no ambition and will not be strong, then the country will perish if there are no scholars. If the envoys are punished, the morale of the soldiers and the army will be lost."
Fu Bi and Han Qi each held their own opinions and argued endlessly with each other.
The official on the throne let out a long sigh.
Fu Bi and Han Qi stopped talking and bowed down to listen to the holy teachings.
The official walked down the imperial steps to Fu Bi and asked: "Fu Qing, Xixia cannot shake the foundation. Everything is due to the country's weakness. When I first came to the throne, I felt that the long-term shortcomings were very serious. Why should I rescue them?"
Fu Bi said: "I'm afraid it needs to be changed gradually and slowly. It's easier to cut suddenly. It's like pouring hot oil into a pot and the whole world will boil!"
Han Qi couldn't help but shake his head after hearing this, and said softly: "This is a disease that affects people!"
A disease that transcends people!
It is an article written by Zhang Yue when he went to Fubi's house, and it contains the following words.
In the affairs of the world, if you hurry, you will lose, if you slow down, you will gain, but if you slow down, you will not achieve anything.
It means that Fu Bi's political views are too slow.
Han Jiang, who advocated reform, disliked Fu Bi's mother-in-law and did not hesitate to impeach Fu Bi and was demoted.
Officials and Fu Bi all heard Han Qi's words about surpassing others, but Fu Bi did not move his expression.
The officials then asked the other officials: "What did the rich minister just say, do you advise me to be lenient in my treatment?"
Wu Kui came out of the class and said: "A sage must be tolerant in governing people, but he must not be unruly. The scriptures say, be tolerant and controlled, calm and harmonious."
The official nodded when he heard the words, but Han Qi interjected: "I remember a poem that says that not judging the situation, even being lenient and severe, is a mistake. Later, when you govern Shu, you need to think deeply."
"I thought that governing the country was like governing Shu. The former emperor governed the country with generosity and the world returned to its heart. However, there are many evils now. Now we should correct them with violence, use the power to enforce the law, and limit them with nobility. Only in this way can the world know how hard it is to receive favors and how hard it is to be rewarded. It is valuable, so that there is discipline up and down, everyone abides by the law, and the world can achieve great governance."
"It is a mistake to be lenient or strict without judging the situation. Later, when governing Shu, we need to think deeply," the official said after some consideration, "I remember that this sentence also came from Zhang Taichang!"
Han Qi said: "The saint is like your majesty."
The official asked Fu Bi: "How is the clan of the previous dynasty?"
The ministers knew that officials asked three questions, one after another.
First of all, the officials asked what should be done to eliminate the long-standing abuses (implying that I want to do something)?
Fu Bi immediately advised that your Majesty has a good heart, but this matter can only be done slowly.
The official asked again, do you want me to use lenient treatment to eliminate the long-standing evils? (does it work)
Wu Kui came up and said to Xi Ni that lenient treatment does not mean no treatment (why can't we use lenient treatment to achieve the purpose of eliminating accumulated evils).
Han Qi immediately said, "Leniency can only work if you are general." Zhang Yue said that leniency should be used to judge the situation strictly. The former emperor had been lenient for decades, but if he continued to be lenient, the country would be destroyed, so he must correct it harshly.
The officials asked again how the previous dynasty's clan was doing.
The meaning of the officials raising this topic is obvious. Since they want to correct the problem fiercely, let's get rid of the long-standing abuses. Should we reform the clan and let them give up some of their benefits?
First, Fu Bi said: "Most of the famous officials in the Tang Dynasty came from the clan."
Then Sima Guang said directly: "Your Majesty, don't govern yourself before filial piety, and govern the country before public duties! Filial piety is the foundation of virtue. It is not known that people who do not love their relatives but love others, and those who have not been eradicated but flourished, the clan is the foundation of the country. fundamental……"
Sima Guang said something that the clan could not move.
