The officials were very happy after a long chat with Wang Anshi.
I deeply feel that the whole court is now in a state of despair, as Fu Bi, Sima Guang and other important ministers are firmly opposed to him being a promising king and carrying out reforms.
Now only Wang Anshi, Zhang Yue firmly supports him to break the current conservative trend.
The official thought about it in the palace. Now the opposition forces in the court are so strong. If he insists on doing it, there will be great resistance. He must seek more support.
The official then summoned the chamberlain and asked, "Where are the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager?"
The chamberlain said: "We are admiring flowers in the imperial garden. We should go back to Cishou Palace together now."
The chamberlain whispered again: "Prince Chang just came to ask An Gang to leave."
The official sighed slightly when he heard this. Prince Chang was his younger brother Zhao Hao. After the death of Emperor Yingzong, his mother, Queen Mother Gao, was lonely in the palace, so she asked Zhao Hao to stay with her in the palace.
But the officials were a little unhappy. Now that he had ascended the throne, it was very inappropriate for his brother to stay in the palace.
According to the past, officials have already raised objections, but now no one has spoken.
However, the official thought that he still had a very good relationship with his mother and brother, and now was not the time to worry about it.
The official immediately said to the servant: "Please change my clothes. I am going to Cishou Palace."
In the Cishou Palace, the two Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Dowager Gao sat opposite each other and sipped tea. After the death of the late emperor, they were as close as mother and daughter.
Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Dowager Gao talked for a while, and suddenly heard the official asking for an audience and immediately smiled and said, "Just call him in."
However, Empress Dowager Cao saw a strange look on her servant's face and asked, "What?"
At this time, I heard a clanging sound coming from outside. Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Dowager Gao were both from a general background, so of course they heard the sound of the clanging of armor leaves.
But he saw the official wearing a golden armor entering Cishou Palace, and then he knelt on the ground with a thud.
Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Dowager Gao were both shocked.
What's going on with the officials?
"Officials, please get up and talk, why are you still wearing military uniforms?" the two queen mothers said repeatedly.
The official then sat on a stool nearby and said: "My eldest lady, my lord, the Xia people and the Khitans are all Rongdi barbarians. Our ancestors have the virtue of good life, and their benevolence and righteousness cannot bear to add more troops, so we make peace with them every year with annual coins. But The two armies were particularly dissatisfied and pressed forward step by step."
"In recent years, especially when the Xia people invaded too deeply, the late emperor repeatedly violated the border. After I ascended the throne, the Xia people continued to plunder familiar households along the border. I originally wanted to live in harmony, but before that, the Xia people actually trapped and killed my envoy Yang Ding. ."
"My son wants to cheer up, enrich the country and strengthen his army to regain the ancestral homeland, but the ministers of the court have always opposed it, and even Fu Zhenggong asked my son not to talk about military affairs for twenty years. But now I really can't bear it anymore, my son I sincerely ask the eldest lady to ask her to lead the expedition in person and fight to the death with the Western thieves."
Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Dowager Gao found out that this was the case.
Empress Dowager Cao said: "How can we take the matter of personal expedition lightly? When Emperor Taizong was young, he accompanied Emperor Taizu on his expeditions in the north and south. He must be familiar with military affairs, but after the Gaoliang River, he never went on personal expedition again. Also Emperor Zhenzong was also a hero, and it was Kou Zhun and other ministers who carried him before he negotiated peace with Liao in Chanzhou."
After Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, no emperor of the Song Dynasty ever personally conquered the country. Song Zhenzong did not want to personally conquer the country, so Kou Zhun forcibly carried him away.
When negotiating peace with the Liao Kingdom, they agreed on the number of annual coins. Cao Li raised his three fingers. Song Zhenzong thought it was three million and was shocked. He said it was too much, too much. Later, he thought about buying a peace with three million a year. , it’s not impossible.
Finally, when he learned that the annual coin was only 300,000 yuan, Song Zhenzong was so happy, as if he had won a battle.
Later, Emperor Renzong and Emperor Yingzong did not mention the personal expedition.
But our official family is so big that we have to conduct military campaigns personally. Is this still the legacy of our old Zhao family?
Thinking of this, Queen Mother Cao couldn't help but glance at Queen Mother Gao.
Besides, Yang Ding was not killed in a day or two, it had been several months, so there must be a reason for his grandson to mention it now.
Empress Dowager Cao did not speak, but Empress Dowager Gao said: "My son, you are the emperor now. You can make your own decisions about government affairs. If Xixia makes you unhappy, just send a general who is good at conquering and fighting to lead the army. Why bother?" Go into battle yourself."
The official said: "It's not like I'm going away, the ministers will be perfunctory, not giving money or food, and holding you back for everything... I know that the ministers also have good intentions. Now the country is not strong, the people are not rich, and the soldiers are not Practice and fight with the Western bandits reluctantly, I'm afraid you will win less and lose more."
Empress Dowager Gao said: "Since the country is not strong, make it strong. If the people are not rich, make them rich. If the soldiers are not trained, make them train. Since you have become an official, everything will be up to you to protect your ancestors." In this world, it’s all about choosing capable ministers.”
The official said: "My son also has this idea..."
Empress Dowager Cao had already seen the official's plan, so she said: "But Guan, you have just ascended the throne, and it is not easy to change your plans at this time. Whether it is a matter of enriching the country and strengthening the army or enriching the country and tranquilizing the people, it requires a minister of virtue to do it." ."
The official said: "I have reported to the Empress Dowager that my grandson has found a person. His name is Wang Anshi. I am now asking him to serve as a scholar and lecturer in the Hanlin Academy."
Empress Dowager Cao thought for a while after hearing the name Wang Anshi and said, "Wang Anshi was not mentioned much when Emperor Renzong was here."
Empress Dowager Cao's implication was that Emperor Renzong didn't like Wang Anshi very much.
Empress Dowager Gao said: "When the late Emperor was here, he also summoned this person several times, but he resigned all the time."
Empress Dowager Gao's implication is that this person is very arrogant!
Empress Dowager Cao said: "But my grandson thinks this person can be used, so let's use him, but it is not as good as Mr. Fu. In addition to Wang Anshi, is there anyone else around the official family who can be used?"
The official said: "There is also Zhang Yue, the minister of Tianzhang Pavilion. He also supports me in enriching the country and strengthening the army. However, his qualifications are too junior. He has been an official for a short time and is not yet qualified to bear the heavy responsibility."
Empress Dowager Cao smiled at Empress Dowager Gao and said: "Emperor Yue Renzong said many times in this chapter that he has the talent of a prime minister. This man is quite upright and outspoken. Just now the Empress Dowager told me that he once clashed with the late Emperor, but the Empress Dowager did not He is said to be Wei Zheng, a minister like Kou Zhun."
Queen Mother Gao smiled and nodded.
Empress Dowager Cao said to the officials: "Emperor Renzong liked to use direct ministers and grandsons back then. Since Zhang Yue is not qualified enough, he will be cultivated and kept around to see if the emperor and ministers can be compatible."
The official said happily: "My grandson understands."
Seeing the officials' happy faces, Empress Dowager Cao couldn't help but said: "My grandson, since ancient times, a king has nothing else to do. As long as he can recognize people, whether the minister is worthy or not depends entirely on the king's judgment. Emperor Renzong is here That’s when you can recognize people!”
The official said: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, my grandson got along well with the ministers at the Jingyan lectures, and he still has some confidence in knowing people."
The officials talked with Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Dowager Gao for a while, and then left after seeing that they supported their idea of enriching the country and strengthening the army.
After the official family left, Empress Dowager Gao said to Empress Dowager Cao: "The official family is too. They can't live a peaceful life, but they have to make this trouble."
Empress Dowager Cao smiled and said: "The child is in high spirits. If you go against his will, it will be bad. If you can handle it, he will be a wise king in the future. Let's see what he can do."
…
After Wang Anshi returned to the court, he gave lectures to officials.
Wang Anshi's official title is Hanlin bachelor and minister.
The minister is also a member of the banquet officials.
According to their official positions, the officials of Jingyan are: Hanlin Shidu Bachelor, Hanlin Shishi Lecturer, Shidu, Shishi Lecturer, Tianzhang Pavilion Shishi Lecturer, and Chongzheng Hall Storyteller.
In this way, Wang Anshi and Zhang Yue worked together and were responsible for official lectures.
The ones that had been giving lectures to officials before were Lu Gong, a direct scholar of Longtuge, and Lu Huiqing, a storyteller in Chongzheng Palace. Zhang Yue only lectured once. He served as an advisor most of the time, and as a background wall during daily political discussions.
The so-called being a background wall actually means listening to political affairs along with the officials. If the officials have any questions afterwards, they will usually ask Han Wei and himself, as well as the officials responsible for the daily affairs.
After Wang Anshi took charge of the banquet, the first thing he did was to co-sign a book with Lu Gong.
After Wang Anshi presided over the sutra banquet, he raised objections to the process.
Originally, the officials responsible for delivering lectures to the emperor, as well as the officials who were not accompanied by attendants, all sat down. That is to say, both the emperor and the officials sat down to speak and listen.
But Song Zhenzong changed it. The Jingyan official who was giving the lecture stood, and the Jingyanguan who was attending the ceremony was still sitting.
Wang Anshi thought that this was not allowed. Instead, the main lecturer should sit while the attendants could stand.
Zhang Yue heard what he thought at that time: Wang Anshi is really a good person.
The emperor invites you to be the official of the Sutra Banquet. All you have to do is preside over the sutra banquet. But before you can give the lecture, you have to change the rules.
In the past, you felt uncomfortable when the main lecturer stood and everyone else sat. If you want to change it to sit while everyone else stands, is this a staged show for us, the banquet officials?
As soon as this matter came out about Han Wei and Diao Yue, officials such as Hu Zongyu supported it and said: "The official's move shows the style of observing ancient times and emphasizing morality."
Two good friends, Han Wei and Lu Gongzhu, supported Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi was not talking about officials at ordinary scripture banquets, but talking to officials about the way to reform. No matter how the Song Dynasty would go in the future, he would be the leader. Qualifications to speak.
Liu Tong came forward to object and said: "In the past, when ministers spoke to the emperor, they could not sit down and had to avoid the banquet to speak. The emperor said that you might as well sit down and speak. This is the meaning of respecting morality and morality, but the emperor has not said anything yet, ministers You actually asked for it, you are so fucking thick-skinned!”
Han Zhongyan and other officials, who were already unhappy with Wang Anshi, said rudely: "Jingyan officials have been enforcing this rule for fifty years. Why should you change it because of Wang Anshi's words? Are you so special?"
When the matter got serious, Wang Anshi took a firm stance and decided to do so.
Zhang Yue was also impressed by Wang Anshi's strength.
But having said that, for five thousand years in China, there have been two kinds of people who cannot be offended, and even the emperor should be afraid of them.
One is the common people who are forced to go to Liangshan.
There are also scholars who are stubborn and accept death.
The former can change dynasties.
The latter are often seen as hopeless idealists...but they can create new worlds and recreate China!
