The first month of the first year of Xining.
Because the late emperor was seriously ill last year, there was nothing to do.
This year the new king ascended the throne. Although it was a period of national mourning, things started to get organized in Bianjing.
It has the new atmosphere of the New Year, the New King, and the New King.
For the officials, due to the national mourning, they were exempted from the rituals and worship. In the first month, everyone could finally live at home with their wives and children on the hot bed.
Except for the official who has been on the throne for nearly a year, he is still working tirelessly in the imperial palace to manage affairs and pay attention to the border affairs in Shaanxi, but other officials are taking advantage of this holiday to relax.
The same is true for Zhang Yue.
Official visits are inevitable during festivals. When I visited my wife's house, I happened to hear that my father-in-law was about to be promoted.
If one were to say that the most popular figures in the political arena in the early years of Xining were Sima Guang, Lu Gongzhu, and Han Wei.
It happened that my father-in-law had a close relationship with the three of them. For example, my father-in-law and Sima Guang were of the same age, and they often met at gatherings in the same year.
In the fifth year of Qingli reign, both Sima Guang and his father-in-law served as managers of Jixian School, and they even worked in the same building.
At that time, both Sima Guang and his father-in-law were ill. Sima Guang wrote a poem "I wrote to Wu Chongqing during his illness, and I wrote to him that he was also sick when he was ill."
In the third year of Huangyou's reign, they both knew Taichang Liyuan together.
Because of Sima Guang's relationship with his father-in-law, Sima Guang also gave him a hand when Renzong established the heir apparent.
As for his father-in-law and Mr. Lu, Han Weina are also related by marriage.
Therefore, when three popular political celebrities appear in your circle of friends at the same time, it is really difficult not to get promoted.
Along with these three, Wang Anshi, who was also known as Jiayou's Four Friends, was also recalled back to Beijing to serve as a Hanlin bachelor. As we all know, the Hanlin bachelor is one of the four leaders, and the next step is to become the Prime Minister.
At the family banquet in the Wu Mansion, Zhang Yue heard Wu Anshi reveal the matter to him.
Zhang Yue is concerned about what official position his father-in-law will take next?
I heard that it is possible to choose one, or even both, between Zhijianyuan and Zhizhigao. But no matter which one is very awesome.
After the family dinner, Zhang Yue was called into the study by his father-in-law for discussion.
Zhang Yue knew that his father-in-law wanted to hear his summary of his work life over the past year and his outlook for the future.
After Zhang Yue said something, he saw Wu Chong saying to Zhang Yue: "I will probably inform the admonishment court this time."
Zhang Yue thought that his father-in-law was not doing official business together with his elder brother Sun Jue, so he said: "Congratulations to Lao Taishan."
"Don't rush to congratulate me. If you know that this job of admonition is not good, and if you have no achievements, it will be a waste of opportunity. Since you have been serving, do you know what the official is most concerned about now?"
Zhang Yue said: "The first is the war with Xixia, and the second is finding a way to enrich the country and strengthen its army."
Wu Chong nodded and said: "Now that the country has accumulated many shortcomings, if we talk lightly about war with Xixia, we will easily be opposed by the ministers, and it will also be suspected of catering to the emperor's wishes."
Zhang Yue thought to himself, I have recommended Wang Shao to Beijing, and he will definitely not be able to escape by catering to your wishes.
Wu Chong said: "But instead of talking about war, we can only find ways to make the country rich and strengthen its army. I remember that Brother Zihua said before that the disadvantages of rural service should be changed without conscription. Is this proposal still made by you?"
Zhang Yue said: "That's right. However, when the ministers above the level were meeting for discussion, Sima Zhongcheng objected and dropped the matter."
Wu Chong said: "I know, but I already knew the disadvantages of the rural service law at the local level. What's more, you and brother Zihua initiated this matter together. Therefore, after I came up with the idea of knowing the admonishment court, the first thing I did was to Eliminate the shortcomings of imperial service laws."
Zhang Yue was overjoyed when he heard this.
Han Jiang wanted to reform the labor laws, while Sima Guang opposed reforming the labor laws. His father-in-law's two most important allies in the political arena had different political views, and at this time he decided to choose sides.
Zhang Yue thought to himself, it is said that in another time and space, the father-in-law was classified as an old party member, but now it seems that this is not entirely the case...
Zhang Yue certainly supported his father-in-law's move with both hands and feet.
So Wu Chong asked Zhang Yue to draft a charter to reform the service laws. After he revised it, he decided to give advice to the officials as the first person after the new official took office.
Zhang Yue was of course very happy, and the two discussed the pros and cons of the starting method. Zhang Yue listened to Wu Chong talk about the shortcomings of the military service he encountered when he served as three transfer envoys.
Zhang Yue couldn't help but retract his original view. He thought that his father-in-law's support for reforming the draft law was a bet on the emperor, Han Jiang. In fact, this was not the case. He really understood the long-standing shortcomings of the draft law and was determined to correct it. Do a practical thing for the country and the people.
Moreover, in terms of experience in serving as an official, Wu Chong indeed far surpassed him. Zhang Yue felt that the idea of reforming the service law was not initiated by him, but by Wu Chong.
After the two of them finished their discussion, Zhang Yue asked a question that had been hidden in his mind for a long time: "How does Lao Taishan think that he is a crony in the court?"
"Are the gentlemen and villains each in their own party, or are both gentlemen and villains inevitably in cliques?"
Wu Chong smiled after listening to Zhang Yue's words and said: "Why do you ask this? Back then Ouyang Yongshu said that in general, gentlemen and gentlemen will be friends with the same path, and villains will be friends with the same interests. This gentleman is a metaphor for righteousness. The theory that a villain is a metaphor for profit."
"Fu Zhenggong once said that in the dispute between a gentleman and a villain, the gentleman will always be defeated by the villain."
"But I believe that no matter whether it is a party of gentlemen or a villain, there is no need to fight. As long as you are the emperor, you should distinguish right from wrong and know which party is a gentleman and which party is a villain."
After listening to Wu Chong's words, Zhang Yue understood that even high-ranking officials like Fu Bi, Wu Chong, and Ouyang Xiu still understood party struggle as a struggle between gentlemen and villains.
But is the following Xining Reform a battle between the gentlemen’s party and the villain’s party?
For example, if your political views lean towards the new party, you will invisibly regard the people of the new party as gentlemen and the people of the old party as villains.
If you support the old party, you will regard all the people in the old party as gentlemen and all the people in the new party as villains.
This is an emotion that people naturally adopt, but as long as you are an individual, you cannot avoid the words like and dislike.
And what about Wu Chong?
Regardless of anything else, first of all, he supports reform in terms of service law, and it cannot be purely based on the old party.
Zhang Yue left his father-in-law and met Wu Anshi who had been wandering outside the study.
Zhang Yue knew that his uncle would have something to say, so he stood still and waited for Wu Anshi to come in person. Sure enough, Wu Anshi hesitated for a moment, but still stepped forward: "I wonder if you have any free time these days."
"What? Brother-in-law, is there anything you need to do?"
Wu Anshi said: "That's right, do you still remember He Qi from the Imperial Academy? He asked me to speak to you, saying that he and Wang Kui were obsessed with each other at the time, and he offended many of you. He apologized to you for serving wine, but I didn't know you Can you give me a favor? At least for my sake...he has one more thing to ask for your help with."
Although the relationship between Zhang Yue and Wu Anshi has eased, it has not eased much.
Zhang Yue said: "Brother-in-law, I have never had any holidays with He Qi. Even if I have, I don't remember it. I don't have to go for this drink. And brother-in-law, I have one thing to say to you. People like He Qi are still Have less contact with each other. Making friends is harmful and beneficial, but people like He Qi are harmful but not beneficial."
Zhang Yue can understand people like He Qi, but now that he has passed the Jinshi examination and became an official, he is completely different from him, so why should he turn around and get involved with such a person now?
