The Qinzheng Hall of the Lin'an Palace was the place where emperors of the Southern Song Dynasty studied and reviewed memorials. Zhao Hong was no exception and also handled political affairs here. After more than two months of funerals, he was exhausted.
According to the rules in the palace, the mourning system is based on the day and the month. The emperor listens to the government on the third day and has good luck on the thirteenth day. After the death of the late Emperor Zhao Kuo, after passing through Xiao Xiang Day, Da Xiang Day, and finally removing the mourning clothes on Gui Day, he finally returned to normal governance and the orderly operation of the court.
Even so, it will take two or three months to wait until Zhao Kuo's body is buried. The emperor of the Song Dynasty did not build any mausoleums during his lifetime, so the cemeteries were all newly built, which took several months.
In the afternoon, Zhao Hong stood in front of the window, looking out the window at the hazy sky.
There was wind, rain, thunder and lightning, and there was silence in the palace. The vigilant Imperial Guards raised their heads and held their chests high, motionless, seeming to blend in with the stormy and dark sky.
Amidst the sound of wind and rain, Zhao Hong stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window at the dim wind and rain, frowning.
Everything was over, the palace coup was over, and with the new emperor ascending the throne, and with Shi Miyuan and his cronies gone, the Song Dynasty court finally got back on track.
The first year of the reign was the first year of Xingqing. Xue Ji was the right-hand prime minister and a minister of the Privy Council. Xuan Zhen, the minister of the Ministry of War, was informed of the affairs of the Privy Council. Feng Shu was appointed as the commander of the front department of the palace. His bodyguards controlled the imperial army in front of the palace and ousted Liang Cheng, the prime minister. As well as many historical party figures.
One year after his rebirth, he finally got his wish and ascended the throne of the Song Dynasty Emperor.
The emperor of the Song Dynasty, leading the land, could not be the king's ministers. It seems that the ninety-five supreme kings dominate the world, and the earth is under his feet...
In fact, there are internal and external troubles, lack of national power, poor people's livelihood, civil servants love money, military generals are afraid of death, and soldiers are slack, walking on thin ice and wary.
All this seems to be just a dream. One nightmare passes, and another, longer nightmare comes.
The iron-clad ministers and the free-flowing emperor only have their own interests forever. The ministers have kept their black hats and their own power, glory and wealth. The monarch and his ministers know each other and work step by step.
Behind this peaceful singing and dancing, everything is just an illusion. It will only take a few years for the Mongolian cavalry to destroy Xia and Jin, and the cavalry to move south.
The Southern Song Dynasty still wanted to whitewash peace and linger on, but was ultimately hopeless, after Yashan?
Sorry, it's a pity he's here!
Now that he has come to this era, he cannot just watch the nation sink, with bones piled up in the sea and mountains of corpses piled up. Even if it is some bullshit "God's whip", he will break this whip, step on it under his feet, step on it into the mud, and never be reincarnated.
Another huge thunder shook the soul, and Zhao Hong, who was looking at the wind and rain in a daze, woke up.
Is this God's roar that stirs him up?
Who doesn't want to give him a grand life in Niang?
"Your Majesty, today Shi Miyuan and others are dead in the East Market. Scholars and people have gathered to watch, and the streets are empty. Shi Miyuan was executed, and the soldiers and people in the city set off firecrackers to celebrate. It is really very satisfying!"
Dong Songchen said softly from the side, with a relaxed and pleasant tone.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly and felt relieved.
Everything has finally settled.
"Did Shi Miyuan leave any words?"
Thinking of this man's domineering and majestic manner in the past, Zhao Hong felt a little regretful.
Shi Miyuan was too confident and overestimated his own strength. And he also overestimated Shi Miyuan's energy.
However, none of this matters anymore. The era of Shi Miyuan's autocratic power is now gone.
"Returning to your majesty, Shi Miyuan didn't even look at his family. He only sighed to his eldest son Shi Zhaizhi who was being executed together: I want to go to Cai Dongmen with Ruofu and lead the yellow dog to chase the cunning rabbit. How can I get it? He also said to him Not willing to give in."
Dong Songchen said cautiously and softly.
As for Shi Miyuan's final "dull knife torture" process, he did not say anything.
Who knows if the emperor will be dissatisfied with this?
"Li Si has talent but no virtue, Shi Miyuan has neither talent nor virtue. Li Si's selfish motives led to the demise of the Qin Empire II. Shi Miyuan thought that he was similar to Li Si and could gain power. He refused to repent and was crazy. Why is he so stubborn?"
Zhao Hong was slightly surprised and shook his head slightly.
Shi Miyuan had no intention of repenting from the beginning to the end. He refused to obey him and his heart was as stone. His stubbornness was beyond his expectation.
His heart is as solid as stone, as can be seen from the fact that Shi Miyuan and Yang Guizhi dared to fake the imperial edict and assassinate Han Kanzhou. This man was extremely bold. Without nerves like steel bars, it would be difficult to accomplish such a major rebellion.
He was unwilling to do so because he pretended to be a pig and ate the tiger, causing Shi Miyuan to fail and regret for the rest of his life.
"Your Majesty, it's Zheng Qingzhi, Yu Tianci and others. Thank you for not involving their families. Your Majesty doesn't have to worry about these things."
Dong Songchen shook his head secretly. It is said that the power of a king is unpredictable, but why is the emperor still so kind to a woman?
How can one govern the world if his heart is too soft?
"Dong Songchen, do you think I am a little too kind and soft-hearted?"
Zhao Hong couldn't help but sigh.
What was he worried about? Was he worried about the counterattack of the scholar-bureaucrats, or was he just so indecisive?
"Your Majesty is arbitrary in everything, so why should you care about the opinions of those scholar-bureaucrats? Most of them work as officials for thousands of miles just to make money, and only have fame and fortune in their eyes. Your Majesty makes decisions in the world, so you don't need to care about them."
Dong Songchen had an apologetic smile on his face, nodded and bowed.
"Dong Songchen, you know a lot, which impresses me."
Zhao Hong nodded appreciatively.
Everyone has his or her own merits. Dong Songchen has some insights and a unique perspective on scholar-bureaucrats, which is a bit interesting.
Although he was someone close to him, Dong Songchen was only a chamberlain and a supervisor of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and he did not have much real power. Zhao Hong's move also allowed him to intervene in the power struggle as little as possible to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"The Queen Mother and Zhao Guicheng, aren't they doing anything strange?"
Don't the two accomplices Yang Guizhi and Zhao Guicheng feel sorry for Shi Miyuan's execution?
"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother paints and writes poems all day long, and sometimes she comes to see the emperor's grandson. Zhao Guicheng has gone to Ningguo County to become a feudal vassal. I hope she will behave herself."
Dong Songchen hesitated for a moment, then continued:
"Where is Princess Yi? I asked Zhao Guicheng several times. It seems that after getting along for a long time, there is still some affection for her."
Zhao Hong couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, then relieved.
If Zhao Guicheng was really killed, his stepmother would be sad.
The human heart is a complex, strange animal.
"The Queen Mother, do you think there will still be trouble?"
Shi Miyuan was questioned and beheaded. Yang Guizhi wouldn't be affected, right?
"Your Majesty, the overall situation has been decided. The Queen Mother is old and she won't bother with it anymore. It's useless. The Queen Mother's personal maid Cuizhu came to serve Your Majesty. The Queen Mother is in a good mood and has started reciting poems and painting again."
Dong Songchen's report made Zhao Hong relax a lot.
Internal stability is the overriding foundation.
"Dong Songchen, you are good, you understand people's hearts, you are cautious and smart. You are determined!"
Zhao Hong praised his waiter.
"Your Majesty, I don't dare to be greedy for merit. This is what Master taught me."
Dong Songchen is very humble.
Zhao Hong cared about Li Gu and Zhao Guochen's old age and frailty. When he came to the throne, he gave them a sum of money to retire and return to their hometown to take care of themselves.
"Your master is good. I will send someone to check on him later."
Li Gu is a smart man, and the reason why he retreated from the rapids is probably related to the fact that he knew many secrets about himself.
"Dong Songchen, according to what you just said, being an official for thousands of miles is only for promotion and wealth. So, why are there not any scholar-bureaucrats in the entire dynasty who are loyal and honest?"
Zhao Hong's heart sank and he frowned unconsciously.
If all officials are greedy, it may be difficult to implement the New Deal on Jiangnan East Road.
"Your Majesty, throughout the civil and military dynasties, the servants only heard that Fan Zhong, Cui Yu, Hu Mengyu, and Li Zongmian were incorruptible. As for other officials, it seems that they all have high houses and spacious courtyards, and have many wives and concubines."
Dong Songchen bravely spoke out softly.
These words must not be known to the courtiers. Otherwise, both the peace-promoting faction and the war-promoting faction will criticize him to pieces.
Fan Zhong, Cui Yu, Hu Mengyu...
Zhao Hong frowned. Even Dong Songchen thinks so. It seems that his teacher Zhen Dexiu is really embarrassed to take on this important task.
When Cao Cao arrived, Zhen Dexiu came in and reported the execution to Zhao Hong, which was basically consistent with Dong Songchen's report. The two of them had a good understanding of each other, and they both saved Shi Miyuan from being tortured.
"Master Zhen, thank you for your hard work. What will Master Zhen Zhidao do now?"
Zhao Hong said with a smile. In terms of politics, avoid talking about it.
They don't talk about political affairs. The two of them don't seem to have much in common and can only talk about family matters.
"Back to Your Majesty, Quanzi likes to be busy. He and Wei Jinyu, the son of Wei Shilang, went to Jinling to pass the martial arts training hall. In addition, his two close friends from the Imperial Academy who were students of the Imperial Academy also went to Jinling in the past two days. It’s really speechless to sacrifice one’s life to join the army!”
Zhen Dexiu shook his head and said, seeming to be very dissatisfied with the scholars attending the martial arts hall.
Seeing Zhen Dexiu's sigh in his eyes, Zhao Hong couldn't help but be stunned.
"Isn't that a scholar who sacrifices his life to become an imperial scholar?"
Scholars, they still sacrifice their lives to study. They may fill the vacancy at any time and become an official, and run to take the martial arts exam. These two people are interesting.
"Your Majesty, of these two imperial students, one is named Yu Jie, who is from Qizhou. He is bohemian and likes to speak loudly. The other is named Du Shu, the son of Du Gao, the prefect of Yangzhou. He is a down-to-earth person. These two people have the same odor as Quan Zi, so they ran to each other one after another. It’s really a headache for me to go to Jinling!”
Zhen Dexiu shook his head, with a sad expression on his face.
Yu Jie? It turned out to be him!
Zhao Hong frowned and smiled slightly.
"Zhen Gong, you don't need to worry, maybe this is an opportunity for you!"
Zhao Hong laughed.
Wei Liaoweng was active and influenced his son to go to Jinling. It seems that a Jinling martial arts lecture hall has touched the heartstrings of countless young people in the Song Dynasty.
Yu Jie, a famous general in history, applied for the Jinling Lecture Hall, which was an unexpected gain.
He was considering whether to give this guy the green light.
"By the way, Mr. Zhen, how are the preparations at Jinling Martial Arts Hall and Jinling University Hall?"
Thinking of the martial arts hall, Zhao Hong's heart became warm again.
This is the core of the New Deal!
"Back to Your Majesty, Minister Wei reported that the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall has been basically prepared and the teaching instructions are in place. The student assessment will be from the end of February to the beginning of March, and the school should start in early March. The Jinling University Hall will be later, probably at the end of March. Or early April.”
Zhen Dexiu reported carefully and secretly shook his head.
The emperor acted vigorously and resolutely, and in less than three months, the Jinling Lecture Hall and the Jinling University Hall were erected.
Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with me.
"Wei Liaowen has worked hard and made great achievements. I want to reward him well!"
Zhao Hong laughed, feeling comforted in his heart.
This Wei Liaoweng was actually a capable official.
About to leave for Jinling, Zhao Hong said seriously:
"Zhen Gong, I have no skills, so you and Xuan Zhen will go to the Naval Academy on my behalf. After I leave, the whole family will depend on you!"
"Your Majesty, don't worry, I will live up to your Majesty's trust!"
Zhen Dexiu quickly accepted the order and asked:
"Your Majesty, are you planning to go to Jinling?"
Jinling Martial Arts Hall, Jinling University Hall, and Jiangnan East Road are implementing the New Deal. Will the new emperor want to move the capital to Jinling?
"That's natural. I still have to teach and serve as principal and instructor. I don't know if my place has been settled yet?"
Zhao Hong's eyebrows were dancing with joy and he laughed.
Just like his previous life as a teacher, he once again wanted to "mislead others" and become a coach again.
Jinling Martial Arts Hall, the first shot of his new policy, made him excited just thinking about it. All the heroes and talents of the Song Dynasty should be included in his pocket.
