In the second year of the Xingqing reign of the Song Dynasty, in late spring and April, in the imperial city, there was the Chui Gong Hall.
The imperial court held a meeting today to prepare for the imperial examination in the second year of Xingqing. The hall was filled with officials dressed in purple and green, and everyone was enthusiastic.
"Zou Yinglong, the former direct bachelor of Fuwen Pavilion and the magistrate of Tanzhou, stepped forward to receive the order!"
Dong Songchen's shrill voice sounded, and Zou Yinglong walked out of the queue, took a few steps forward, and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty Zou Yinglong is here!"
"Zou Yinglong is honest, upright, mature and prudent. He is involved in political affairs. He is also the Minister of the Ministry of Industry and the editor of National History and the Record Academy. Zou Yinglong accepts the order!"
Zou Yinglong received the imperial edict and kowtowed in thanks.
"I accept the decree and thank you! Long live your Majesty! Long live your Majesty!"
"Zou Yinglong, please live in peace. The country is in dire straits and needs to be revitalized. You and I, the monarchs and ministers, work together as one mind to do good things for the people of the Song Dynasty."
Zhao Hong said warmly, with a friendly look on his face.
"I sincerely obey your Majesty's teachings!"
Zou Yinglong stood up, his face flushed, and returned to his shift to sit down.
All the ministers in the palace looked at each other in shock.
Zou Yinglong was promoted to the position of political counselor and minister of the Ministry of Industry, so Hu Ju, the former counselor of political affairs and minister of the Ministry of Industry, who was imprisoned for corruption, had ended his official career in the Song Dynasty court.
"Your Majesty, I have a copy to write."
Song Ci, the criminal prosecutor of Jiangnan East Road, walked out. His black face was extremely solemn, which made Zhao Hong feel nervous.
"Song Tixing, come forward to make a statement!"
I originally wanted to call him "Song Qing", but because the poisoning was too deep, I changed it to "Song Tixing".
Seeing Song Ci come out, many officials in the hall turned pale and felt guilty, fearing that Song Ci would say something related to them.
"Your Majesty, the case of Hu Kui, the son of the minister Hu Ju, who murdered his wife and invaded the land and invaded the people, involved 42 illegal officials and 68 subordinate officials in Jiangxi. Among them were Ganzhou magistrate Wu Hao, Jizhou Tongpan Gaoliang, Luling magistrate Xu Zijin and other local officials There are 13 members. The evidence in this case is conclusive, please make your decision!"
Song Ci's words echoed in the hall, and all the ministers in the hall were shocked. Zhao Hong also had a solemn expression on his face and sat upright involuntarily.
"Your Majesty, Hu Ju, the Minister of Political Affairs and the Minister of Industry, reported that 230,000 guan of wood, bricks, and labor were used to build the Ordnance Institute. In addition to the 190,000 guan of ink used to build the Imperial Ancestral Temple, since the anti-corruption law was implemented in the first year of Xingqing, Hu Ju A total of more than 600,000 yuan was embezzled. The accounts are clear and the crime is conclusive. The officials from the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Revenue involved have confessed. Special report to Your Majesty!"
Xu Xuan, the minister of Dali Temple, followed him out and bowed solemnly.
The two memorials were presented. Zhao Hong looked at them carefully and frowned slightly.
"Does Hu Kui have two underage sons?"
"Your Majesty, Hu Kui has a son. The elder is eight years old and the younger is only three years old."
Song Ci was puzzled and followed the instructions.
Didn't the emperor pardon Hu Kui out of kindness?
"The national law is ruthless, but there are also human feelings. Hu Ju and Hu Kui and his son investigated and dealt with according to the law. After ransacking their home, they provided a residence and three rations to Hu Kui's wife until the two sons came of age. The other officials involved were convicted according to the law, and the Dali Temple and the Criminal Division After handling it, just send me a memo."
Once the scandal comes out, Hu Ju will be abandoned by everyone. Adding insult to injury is also a major characteristic of Chinese people. Allowing Hu Ju's descendants to grow up in peace is also considered benevolent government and part of Chinese civilization.
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
"Your Majesty's Holy Judgment!"
Xu Xuan and Song Ci retreated one after another.
"Your Majesty, Fan Zhong, Commander-in-Chief of the Sichuan Consulate General, reports that the case of Pu Hong, the pacifying envoy of Kuizhou Road, and the case of embezzlement of ink by An Gongxing, the transshipment envoy on Tongchuanfu Road, included the seizure of 4.6 million yuan earned by Pu Hong and other officials from embezzling ink, and the case of An Gongxing and other officials. The proceeds from corruption were 3.7 million yuan, and the total proceeds from corruption were 8.3 million yuan. The proceeds from the seizure are temporarily retained by the Consul General of Sichuan. Please judge by His Majesty."
Prime Minister Xue Ji stood up, stepped forward and held a scepter to play.
Zhao Hong was startled for a moment, then shook his head and sneered softly.
The total tax value of Sichuan a year is only 100 million yuan, and the corruption income of these two officials alone is close to 10%.
How miserable the people are!
If he had known this, he would have sent 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers to fight in Xixia. He would have been much more certain of successfully defending the city and coming back alive.
As expected, he was a father-in-law of the common people, a scholar of the Song Dynasty, and a good minister of the imperial court!
The ministers in the main hall were also shocked, whispering to each other.
No wonder Emperor Long Yan was so angry that he killed him. The gains from his greed were really astonishing.
Zhao Hong felt extremely cold, his face turned ugly, and his voice became cold and stern.
"Pu Hong, An Gongxing and other criminal officials are not only greedy for money, but also deceive the superiors and subordinates, commit crimes, line their own pockets, and prey on the people. They are simply crazy. If they don't kill, it won't make the people angry, and if they don't kill, it won't bring peace to the world. People walk in the world. How could he be so shameless, despicable and dirty during this period? What is the meaning of his existence?"
Zhao Hong said coldly, many officials in the palace were frightened, and some of them blushed unknowingly.
"I still say the same thing, you are well-paid and the people are rich and anointed. The people are easy to abuse, but God is hard to bully. Pu Hong, An Gongxing, Hu Ju and his son are not the first, nor the last. Whoever breaks the law, Pu Hong , Hu Ju is a warning to others! I will never compromise!"
Zhao Hong was so cold that all the ministers worshiped together.
"I will obey His Majesty's teachings!"
Zhao Hong nodded slightly and looked at the ministers in the palace.
"The proceeds from Pu Hong, An Gongxing and others' corruption are temporarily retained at the Sichuan Consulate General and will be of great use later."
Zhao Hong picked up the paper on the table and looked at it before continuing:
"I have something to discuss with you today. First, I plan to build a Martyrs' Shrine in the northwest border to honor the heroes of the Song Dynasty who sacrificed their lives for the country."
Martyrs' Shrine? Northwest frontier?
Zhao Hong's words made all the officials in the palace stunned. The emperor's move was another attempt to improve the status of the warriors of the Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty used culture to control military affairs and established a country based on Confucianism. Military generals were bound to be suppressed. This was the strategy of the Song Dynasty to establish a country. If the emperor is so aggressive in military affairs, isn't he afraid that the warriors will be domineering and repeat the mistakes of the five dynasties of warlords?
"Your Majesty, our dynasty established the country based on Confucianism and flourished civilized governance. This is the law of our ancestors. Your Majesty founded the martial arts hall, organized and trained the new army, and let the warriors take charge of the troops. This is not in line with the regulations of our dynasty. If the Martyrs' Shrine is built again, the warriors will only You are even more domineering. If you use strong troops and strong horses, I am afraid it will cause disaster! Your Majesty, think twice!"
Zhen Dexiu, who was involved in political affairs and the emperor's master, came out and bowed solemnly.
Speaking of which, there seemed to be a layer of estrangement between him and his disciple Zhao Hong. They treated each other as if they were guests, and there was no sense of intimacy at all.
"Your Majesty, the construction of the Martyrs' Shrine costs a lot of money, and the gains and losses involved are difficult to estimate. I ask your Majesty to be careful about it."
Wei Wengweng, who had been promoted to Minister of Rites, was also worried and came out to play.
Zhao Hong remained unmoved and turned to Wei Liaoweng, the Minister of War.
"Wei Qing, you are the Minister of War, and I would like to hear your opinion."
Wei Liaoweng had no choice but to come out.
His son-in-law An Gongxing was punished, and his cousins Gao Dingzi and Gao Taishu were promoted respectively. He was also the vice-principal of the Jinling Martial Arts Hall. Even though he opposed the emperor's decision, he treated Zhao Hong With his understanding, Zhao Hong will never give up easily.
"Your Majesty, building the Martyrs' Shrine to honor the warriors of our Song Dynasty who sacrificed their lives for the country is a good deed, and I think it is feasible. As for saying that martial artists are domineering, I have been in the martial arts hall for a long time, and I know the hearts of students. The students are all your Majesty's disciples of the emperor, so They are soldiers of our Song Dynasty, and I am afraid that the military separatism is an exaggeration. Now that the treasury of our Song Dynasty is empty, if we want to build the Martyrs' Shrine, it depends on whether the Ministry of Revenue has enough money and food."
Wei Liaoweng bravely said it out, but his heart felt much more relaxed.
He had been at the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall for a long time, and he still had a good idea of the students' thoughts. If he said that these guys would be domineering in the future, he might believe it. But when it comes to separatist rule, how easy is it?
The emperor's disciples, the righteousness between the emperor and his ministers, the relationship between teachers and students. The army is full of generals who teach martial arts. If anyone wants to separate one side, can it be achieved?
Zhao Hong nodded appreciatively and glanced at Xue Ji and Xuan Zhen.
"Xue Qing, Xuan Qing, what do you two mean by building the Martyrs' Shrine?"
"Your Majesty, I think that if there is nothing wrong with the money and food, the Martyrs' Shrine can be established."
Xue Ji stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I second the proposal to Prime Minister Xue and Minister Wei. Now that the Tatars are eyeing us, our border army in the Song Dynasty is weak. It is a good idea to build the Martyrs' Shrine to inspire the soldiers to be loyal and patriotic. I agree with your Majesty's move."
Xuan Zhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, also solemnly reported the matter.
From the look on his face, he seemed to have carefully considered it.
"Your Majesty, Xue Ji and Xuan Zhen's proposals are harmful to the country. Please do not adopt them. Please do not build the Martyrs' Shrine, lest you lose the hearts of the world!"
Zhen Dexiu walked out with a dark face and played the song impassionedly.
"I second that the truth is public, your Majesty, please think twice!"
Ge Hong, the Minister of Punishment, also walked out and solemnly reported the matter.
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
Wu Jing, the governor of Lin'an Prefecture, and Xu Xuan, the minister of Dali Temple, came out one after another and urged Zhao Hong not to build the Martyrs' Shrine.
Zhao Hong was furious and his face was livid.
This is the court of the Song Dynasty, where the scholar-bureaucrat family dominates. This is also the reality of the Song Dynasty. Civilization controlled military affairs and literati ruled the country.
It's a pity that he, Zhao Hong, doesn't accept this trick.
"The purpose of building the Martyrs' Shrine is to honor and commemorate the patriotic heroes who generously fought for justice. They were all heroes of the Song Dynasty who defended their country and fought for national disasters. If we don't worship them, how can we worship traitors like Hu Ju and Pu Hong? A huge evil?"
There was silence in the court hall, everyone bowed their heads and said nothing.
In Zhao Hong's heart, those words flashed involuntarily:
A nation without heroes is unfortunate; a nation that has heroes but does not know how to respect and cherish them is hopeless.
If the Southern Song Dynasty does not perish, the will of heaven will not tolerate it!
"Your Majesty Qiankun can make your own decisions!"
Zhen Dexiu looked embarrassed and finally stopped insisting. He could see that the emperor was on the verge of violence. Even if he obstructs it, he may not be able to stop the emperor from going his own way.
Moreover, the emperor did not overhaul the palace and waste the people's power. What was he objecting to?
"Your Majesty, I think it is feasible to build the Martyrs' Shrine."
Xue Ji observed the words and expressions and bowed again.
"Your Majesty, building the Martyrs' Shrine will bring hundreds of benefits and no harm. I second the proposal to Prime Minister Xue."
Xuan Zhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, was unwilling to lag behind and followed suit.
"I second the proposal to Prime Minister Xue!"
"I second the proposal!"
Several more ministers stood up one after another and agreed to build the Martyrs' Shrine.
"My lords, please return to your ranks."
Zhao Hong nodded slightly, feeling very tired.
Fighting against these scholar-bureaucrats is really exhausting.
"I have some thoughts about this imperial examination and would like to discuss them with you."
Zhao Hong immediately moved to the next topic.
"My lords, the purpose of the national imperial examination is to select talents for the country. In view of the fact that in the past, after the palace examination, the Jinshi became officials, the good ones were uneven, and there were many omissions in the administration. This time, I propose to let the new Jinshi practice in the six ministries, six ministers, and various yamen for half a year. Then we will arrange official positions according to abilities and specialties. Do you think this is okay?"
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
"Your Majesty, this method is good, I think it is feasible!"
Xue Ji and Xuan Zhen came out one after another to perform.
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
All the ministers in the palace bowed together and said, Zou Yinglong, Zhen Dexiu and all the ministers saluted together.
Emperor Qiankun is arbitrary, but he doesn't know whether it is a blessing or a curse?
These matters can only be discussed with the emperor after he retires from the court.
"My lords, in view of the obvious crimes committed by officials and the involvement of several important officials in the imperial court, the public's anger is extremely high. This time, parades on horses and arresting son-in-laws under the rankings will be cancelled, in order to calm the resentment of the scholars and the people and calm the hearts of the people."
Zhao Hong's words shocked all the officials in the palace, but they were unable to protest.
The officials are full of ugliness and their crimes are shocking. Anyone who dares to report it at this time may be given special attention by the angry emperor and will be investigated to the end.
How many of the ministers in this palace have clean butts?
Zhao Hong looked at the ministers in the palace with cold eyes.
If we are unwilling to build a cemetery for the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country, should we build a "martyr temple" for these worms who harmed the country and the people?
The Song Dynasty court was so selfish that it could be described as the ultimate bastard!
