Looking for a way to make the country rich and strengthen its army has become something that officials never forget.
After the surrender of the Weimingshan brothers, the official family became even more determined.
It rained heavily again in Bianjing.
The officials all thought of the heavy rain in the second year of Zhiping. People from all walks of life in Kaifeng Mansion and the Capital Water Supervision Department were mobilized to check for deficiencies in various places.
But for the court, the rumbling thunder and lightning that accompanied the heavy rain heralded that a change was about to begin.
Because the officials overrode the Privy Council of Zhongshu to direct the Xixia war, in order to allow Zhong'e to attack Suizhou, the officials allocated 600,000 yuan to complete the task.
Once Sima Guang reported this case, the war between this dynasty and Xixia would never end.
As Sima Guang said, after Zhong'e attacked Suizhou, the Xixia people quickly retaliated. Li Liangzuo designed to trap and kill Yang Ding, the security guard of the Song Dynasty.
Yang Ding once contacted Xixia as an envoy of the imperial court, and agreed with Li Liangzuo to return the familiar households that had been plundered to Xixia. Li Liangzuo also asked Yang Xiang to pay tribute to the emperor with swords, gold and silver. After Yang Ding returned to the court, he only presented the sword to the emperor, but no gold or silver was found.
Yang Ding said that Li Liangzuo could be assassinated by a trick, and the emperor was overjoyed and told him to inform the security forces. As a result, when the attack on Suizhou came out, Li Liangzuo believed that the Song Dynasty was not sincere in negotiating peace, so he summoned Yang Ding in the name of a meeting and then killed him.
The officials were furious after hearing this and wanted to raise troops to retaliate, but Shao Kang and other ministers opposed it. The ministers said that the world's financial resources were scarce and it was not appropriate to talk about military affairs lightly. They also asked the court to focus on appeasement from all directions.
The officials had no choice but to stop their plans to use troops against Xixia, and at the same time issued an edict asking officials to speak out. Emperor Yingzong had issued an edict asking him to speak out once after the city of Kaifeng was flooded.
Nowadays, officials issue edicts to speak out, allowing officials from all over the world to report to the emperor, even if you are a low-ranking official, and you have no scruples in speaking, and you can say whatever you want, even if you point out the abuses of the government and curse. No problem.
This kind of edict is actually the third time the official has issued an edict to speak out since he took the throne more than half a year ago. I have never seen the groom be so anxious about entering the bridal chamber, but everyone in the world knows how anxious the official is.
In addition to issuing edicts, the officials also implemented the transfer system. The so-called transfer system meant that every official in the court, except the officials waiting to be ordered, could go into daily life and report to the officials.
He also issued a summons to the ministers around him to select one person with talents.
It is true that the officials are so eager, which makes Sima Guang and other ministers worried, but it also allows many officials to see a way forward.
On this day, the capital was hit by an earthquake.
The entire palace was crumbling, and both queen mothers were frightened.
A few days later, the officials summoned important ministers to discuss matters in the palace.
The official asked Zeng Gongliang: "What does God want me to be wary of about the earthquake?"
Zeng Gongliang said: "Your Majesty, I read Gan Shi Xing Sutra and there are clouds in it. The sky splits or the earth trembles, both of which are excess qi and insufficient yang. When the earth trembles, there is excess yin, and the sky splits and there is insufficient yang."
"This earthquake must be caused by excess Yin energy."
Zhang Yue, who was nearby, couldn't help but admire him. Zeng Gongliang was so good at talking.
The official asked Zeng Gongliang: "Then what is Yin?"
Zeng Gongliang said: "The minister is the king's yin, the son is the father's yin, the woman is the husband's yin, and the barbarians and Di are the yin of China. Your Majesty should all refrain from this."
The official thought for a while and then said: "Yes, the Yi and Di are the shadow of China."
The ministers looked at each other in confusion. Zeng Gongliang gave a very vague answer. Unexpectedly, the official responded to the question. Such a level of imagination.
But Zhang Yue was right when he thought about it. Compared with the Han and Tang Dynasties or any other powerful regime in history, the transfer of imperial power between several generations of kings in the Song Dynasty was extremely smooth and smooth.
The threats to imperial power posed by ministers, princes, queens and queens in the past dynasties are now within a controllable range.
But there is no good way to deal with external threats.
At this moment, a cold voice said: "Your Majesty, there are villains among the ministers, and the villains' parties are flourishing. This is an early warning for Your Majesty from the earthquake."
The speaker was Wu Kui.
Zhang Yue thought to himself, "Mother, what is the villain party? Is it the same thing as the gentleman's party and the villain party during the Qingli period?" Is this the problem of the country now if we engage in party fighting all day long?
Not only Zhang Yue, but also the officials looked unhappy.
After Wu Kui finished speaking, Wang Tao came out from the side and said: "I agree, your Majesty is very eager to seek treatment, but he entered the room too quickly, so that some villains used the favor of the saint to get closer and deceive the saints."
"Your Majesty should heed the warning from heaven, expel all the villains on the left and right from the court, and exile them to a place like Yashan in Lingnan for the rest of their lives."
Zhang Yue felt less angry after hearing Wang Tao's words. He was used to it. This man had spoken ill of himself in front of the emperor more than once or twice.
Wu Kui and Wang Tao said one after another that Sima Guang, the representative of the Department, would definitely be indispensable.
Sima Guang, of course, supported Wu Kui. Wang Tao's opinion was: "Your Majesty, a few days ago, Duke Fu Zheng said that a king has no job. He can only distinguish between gentlemen and villains."
"There are so many officials in the imperial court and so many positions. How can your Majesty arrange and arrange them one by one... Now His Majesty wants to enrich the country and strengthen the army. He issued an edict to ask for advice. It is quite the style of a wise king to open up a way to express his opinions. However, he has widely adopted the advice of hundreds of officials. Since we have gained so much through words, it is really difficult to tell which of them are true and which contain evil intentions.”
"Some treacherous plots may seem like upright plots, and some treacherous and evil people may appear to be loyal ministers. Your Majesty, please distinguish between them carefully."
After listening to the opinions of the three officials, the officials finally couldn't help but said: "Is the top priority for you, the Qing family, now to distinguish between gentlemen and villains?"
"The late Emperor can be said to distinguish between a gentleman and a villain. However, after I ascended the throne, I saw that the accounts of the imperial court were now in such deficit, and the overthrow of the country was only a matter of seconds. In order to save money, I reduced the funeral expenses of the late emperor and the rewards given to hundreds of officials and soldiers after I ascended the throne. It is only one-third of what it was when the late emperor ascended the throne."
"But even so, the treasury is still empty, and the imperial court is struggling everywhere. It's just that Suizhou does not dare to recover. Now that the envoy of the imperial court has been killed, do you still have to swallow your anger?"
Sima Guang and other officials stepped aside.
At this time, Hanlin scholar Zhang Fangping came out and said: "Your Majesty, I have served as the third envoy and managed the country's finances. I believe that if the country wants to have long-term peace and stability, the most important thing is not benevolence, but wealth. As long as the national treasury is sufficient, the court and officials will have confidence, and barbarians will not dare to underestimate China."
The official's eyes lit up, Zhang Fangping said it well.
Zhang Fangping was good at saving money among the ministers. When organizing the funeral of Emperor Yingzong, Zhang Fangping cut a little here and saved a little there. It was done very decently and the cost was only one-third of the original budget.
Regarding this matter, the officials felt that Zhang Fangping could be reused.
The officials thought that if Zhang Fangping could be used, why should they summon Wang Anshi? He asked: "Then what plan does Zhang Qing have to replenish the national treasury?"
Zhang Fangping spoke eloquently: "I thought it was about reducing expenditure. When I first took office as the Third Secretary, I dredged the Bianhe River and rectified water transportation. When I left office, I had accumulated enough grain for three years and enough horse feed for six years..."
"When I was appointed as the third envoy for the second time, there was only a year and a half of food left in the capital, and horse feed was only enough for one year. It took me less than a year to save the capital for five years..."
What Zhang Fangping talked about was the political achievements of his two terms as the third envoy.
Zhang Yue had heard a lot about Zhang Fangping and was aware of his talents.
Zhang Fangping was indeed a capable minister, and he was one of the few officials in charge of finance at that time and in modern times who valued data.
Generally speaking, when ordinary officials are in charge of the national economy, they will only vaguely deal with the two aspects of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure.
Zhang Fangping was different. He reviewed the finances and compared the fiscal revenue and expenditure data of this year with the previous year. Not only this one item, but also the data of Taizu, Taizong and Zhenzong were compared to draw an accurate conclusion. .
When he took office as the envoy of the Third Department, he also clarified the statistical system of the Third Department. Statistics are made once a year, and the excess reduction in revenue and expenditure is listed every three years.
Zhang Fangping talked a lot in the court about the data of the court's income and expenditure in recent years.
After hearing the string of numbers, everyone was confused. You must know that the courtiers are not convinced by anyone when it comes to the skill of endorsement, but when it comes to the ability to remember all the irregular numbers in their minds, it is really No.
But Zhang Fangping can.
Why?
Because Zhang Fangping has a photographic memory, he never reads a book a second time.
Now even Zhang Yue expressed admiration for Zhang Fangping's ability. He is truly worthy of being an official. Unexpectedly, besides Wang Anshi, there were also capable officials like Zhang Fangping in the court.
After Zhang Fangping finished speaking, he proudly stepped aside.
This time the palace meeting was broken up.
When the officials, Zhang Yue, and Shao Kang, who was practicing living notes, retreated to the side hall.
The chamberlain reported to Sima Guang and asked for an audience.
The officials immediately met Sima Guang in the banquet hall.
After Sima Guang entered the palace, he reported to the officials: "Your Majesty, what I just said in the palace is from the bottom of my heart. In the beginning of your Majesty's reign, you must not reveal the master's likes and dislikes, what he likes, and what he dislikes. You must not let the officials and ministers know about it. ."
"If you know this, officials will come to cater to you and try to take advantage of your official career. Now the country will be in chaos. What your Majesty does is to be as silent as the abyss, just like the sky treats all things, not to treat each other with likes and dislikes. Treat all people as equals."
"At this time, the virtuous, foolish, loyal and treacherous officials can be clearly seen. Your Majesty will continue to reward and punish them, and the world will naturally be stable."
The official couldn't help but be moved when he heard Sima Guang's heartfelt words. What Sima Guang said in the court just now made him unhappy. Now he knew that the other party was really someone who wanted to seek the country.
The official was quite moved and said: "I really did not misunderstand the Qing family. I will write down these words. I intend to use Zhang Fangping as a consultant on political affairs. What do the Qing family think?"
Sima Guang immediately said: "Zhang Fangping is a treacherous and greedy person. Your Majesty must not use him."
When the officials heard this, they immediately became unhappy and said, "How come I want to use one person, and the people below will do things to oppose it? This is not a good thing for the court."
Sima Guang argued with reason: "No, I think this is a beautiful thing for the court. Knowing people is something that even Yao and Shun would find difficult. What's more, your Majesty has just ascended the throne, how can you identify evil? If I remain silent, how will your Majesty know about it?" "
The official said angrily: "I am not a three-year-old child, and I can easily tell the difference between evil and evil."
The official family and Sima Guang parted on bad terms again.
After Sima Guang left, the official looked at Zhang Yue angrily and asked: "You recommended Wang Anshi before, but he was unwilling to come to Beijing. Now I want to use Zhang Fangping instead. Do you think this person is suitable?"
