After Zhu Yijun received this memorial, he summoned Shen Shixing and asked: "Do the scholars really want me to ask the sky for rain?"
Shen Shixing's thick eyebrows slightly spread, and he stood up with a happy expression and cupped his hands and replied: "Return to your majesty, the people of the world have been looking up to the rain for a long time, and they do have a heart of resentment towards heaven. If your majesty can really pray to heaven for rain at this time, it will indeed show your majesty's love for the people." Virtue, so that the people will know that there is no way in the world, and it is not the king who is unkind!"
Zhu Yijun nodded after hearing this, and then said: "But master, do you really think that if I go and ask for it, I can make it rain?"
Shen Shixing replied calmly: "Things are planned by people and accomplished by God. Your Majesty is willing to work hard for the people. For the people, it is like rain and dew."
"I understand what the master means! However, I am thinking that we can't just let the people get spiritual relief. It is best to actually pray for rain."
Zhu Yijun said.
Shen Shixing had no choice but to hand over his hand: "Your Majesty, please make it clear."
"Master, have you discovered that every time a heavy rain is coming, there will be dense clouds?"
Zhu Yijun asked.
Shen Shixing nodded.
Zhu Yijun added: "So I asked people from Qin Tianjian to study the weather in the past five years, and summarized several phenological phenomena to know what kind of clouds are prone to rain after they appear, and I also asked them to try using lime The principle of producing water when it comes into contact with water is trying to think about whether it is possible to artificially produce rainwater. Last year, they came up with a method, which is to use kelp, green water and caustic soda to make a yellow powder (silver iodide) and put it in a special furnace. After medium combustion, you can use the airflow to rise to achieve rainfall, or you can use cannons and salt powder to shoot into the clouds!"
"But it's only suitable when the weather is slightly colder, so I thought of waiting a little longer until the clouds are suitable before praying for rain. In this way, I might actually be able to pray for rain."
Zhu Yijun said to Shen Shixing: "I will not proceed with praying for rain for the time being. When the weather gets cooler and the Qintian Supervisor observes changes in the clouds, I will inform you and I will issue an order to prepare to pray for rain."
"I will obey the Holy Order."
Shen Shixing then drafted Wang Jiaping's memorial according to the imperial edict, so that when the emperor of the Qin Dynasty selected a good time to pray for rain, when the emperor prayed for rain to calm the people's hearts, he could also use practical and artificial methods to achieve rainfall.
"This is obviously laziness and not wanting to pray for rain! Why is it because practical research has found that asking for rain has to be timed!"
"The emperor of this dynasty is good at everything else, but he is not as diligent as Taizu in offering sacrifices to heaven and earth."
Wang Jiaping did not want to believe that the emperor was waiting for the opportunity to pray for rain, but thought that the emperor was deliberately delaying.
Because he knew very well that the rain-seeking ceremony was very laborious, and many kings in the past were unwilling to do it, because the rain-seeking ceremony required the emperor to walk from the palace to the altar area outside the palace, and then pray to heaven in person.
For the pampered emperor, this was indeed a very hard job.
Wang Jiaping instinctively thought that the emperor was unwilling to work hard.
Therefore, Wang Jiaping and Zhao Nanxing wrote a second memorial asking the emperor to pray for rain immediately. The reason was that the drought was serious and could not wait any longer. Rainfall is determined by the sky. If you are sincere, it will definitely rain. This is not the so-called practical learning. That is what human power can achieve.
Zhu Yijun ignored it and only let the cabinet handle it.
Nowadays, the cabinet has divided the work, and Zhang Xueyan, a bachelor, is in charge of matters related to internal affairs.
Therefore, the memorial jointly signed by Wang Jiaping, Zhao Nanxing and others finally came into the hands of Zhang Xueyan, who decided to deal with it.
Zhang Xueyan knew that this seemed like a small matter, asking the emperor to immediately offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for rain, but it involved the issue of who would take the lead between imperial power and scholarly power.
If he had made the decision in the name of the emperor and allowed Wang Jiaping and others to invite the Ministry of Rites and the Qintian Supervisor to prepare a grand ceremony for praying for rain, it would be tantamount to obeying the imperial authority.
And if he did not allow Wang Jiaping and others to do what he requested when voting in the name of the emperor, it would be tantamount to abdication of imperial power.
This is a common choice faced by those in power who have the power to vote, that is, whether to choose to follow the power of the civil servants or the power of the emperor.
And because this time Wang Jiaping and others really thought about the country and spoke for the public opinion, Zhang Xueyan was even more difficult to make decisions, so he chose to ask the chief minister Shen Shixing for instructions and asked Shen Shixing how to vote.
Shen Shixing glanced at Zhang Xueyan and said, "Do you still need to ask?"
"His Majesty is a human being of flesh and blood. You must think about His Majesty's personal feelings at all times and think about whether you respect His Majesty. Otherwise, it will not be the new way of governing the country. It will be a random act of etiquette in the name of caring for the common people of the country."
"Understood! Then the order will be strict! For the sake of the people, we will not pursue the case for the time being. If we threaten the people again, we will definitely deal with it strictly."
Zhang Xueyan really issued strict orders to Wang Jiaping and other officials.
Wang Jiaping sighed after receiving the chapter memorial, but did not continue to play it. He only talked about it again one day when he and Zhao Nanxing and others gathered in the courtyard, and couldn't help but look at the dry vegetation in the courtyard in a daze. , and said to Zhao Nanxing, who was also here:
"The drought is like fire, and the hearts of all the people are like soup and charcoal roasting! Even if you can't pray for rain at this time, just making a show can appease people's hearts!"
Zhao Nanxing said: "It's not because Shenwu County is in charge of the country and cares too much about the emperor's feelings, and even allows the emperor to do whatever he wants. If not, he wouldn't kill the scholar-bureaucrats at every turn. Otherwise, with the emperor's bright benevolence, it can be more good!"
"You are right. Now the emperor can use his own funds as he pleases, because Yuan Fu advocates that the emperor should also have private property, saying that if the emperor's property cannot be preserved, then no one in the world can have property preserved. He has always They are all treating the Emperor the same as us."
Wang Jiaping agreed and waved his sleeves: "But the emperor is the master of the world, not us subjects!"
Zhao Nanxing said at this time: "The renovation of Xiyuan has been completed, and the Ministry of Industry has asked for an order to allow His Majesty and the nobles in the palace to move to Xiyuan. It is said that Xiyuan did not use cinnabar and other things to show the nobility of the heavenly family. Instead, it was all about beauty and beauty. Planting flowers and plants, setting up pavilions and pavilions, not following the rules, just seeking to be livable and exquisite, making it difficult for people to know where the emperor sleeps at any time unless he is your majesty's shadow; I'm afraid that your majesty will be thinking of moving to Xiyuan. Only when I have one thing in mind do I have no intention of praying for rain.”
"We should stop moving to Xiyuan at this time, otherwise the people of the world will be even more dissatisfied. Your Majesty only cares about enjoying himself and does not care about the people."
Wang Jiaping said something.
"Exactly this!"
Therefore, although Wang Jiaping did not go to Shu to ask the emperor to pray for rain immediately, he did go to Shu to ask the emperor to stop moving to Xiyuan.
…
"I am also a human being. I also need to be respected and understood. I also need to have relatively free fun and have my own opinions. Not everyone can teach me how to do things!"
After receiving this memorial, Zhu Yijun secretly complained a few words, and summoned Shen Shixing to ask: "This Wang Jiaping cares about the country and the people, and he is really sincere for the country."
"Your Majesty is right! Among the ministers of Qingliu, he is the one respected by the scholars the most."
Shen Shixing replied.
Zhu Yijun narrowed his eyes after hearing this, thought for a long time and then said:
"I remember that there is no governor in Hanhai yet who is responsible for managing the people who have moved there, as well as commanding troops to build cities and guard against Rakshasa people, so let him go!"
"He is a minister who cares about the country and the people. He should not care about personal gains and losses, and should not be afraid of the hardships there. Just as he will not consider the feelings of others and is willing to wrong others for the country and the people. Presumably, he is also willing Those who have wronged themselves for the sake of the country and the people!"
(End of chapter)
