Compared with the previous dynasty, life in the harem was stable and peaceful. Zhao Tuo did not ride on the chariot, but just walked with his hands behind his back and groaning. The eunuchs and maids behind him did not dare to express their anger.
The emperor was happy when he went to court, but his face was clouded when he went to court. Everyone didn't know what was going on. They watched the emperor pass by his Qianyuan Palace without entering, and went straight to Deqing Palace where the Empress Dowager lived.
"Hey, Your Majesty is going to court so early today?" The Empress Dowager was watering the flowers under the East Corridor. She had already caught a glimpse of the Emperor hurriedly entering her front hall with his head down and not looking at the road, and she was a little surprised.
Eunuch Liu signaled Liang Wu to come over and whispered what happened in the court. The Queen Mother understood, smiled slightly, turned around and continued watering the flowers, then handed the water spoon to the maid, wiped her hands and entered the room.
Zhao Tuo was a little embarrassed. After all, he was too busy to get angry. He came in and walked around before he realized that his mother was outside, and he couldn't rush out again. Seeing the Queen Mother come in, she hurriedly greeted her and apologized to her mother.
The Empress Dowager chuckled: "That's all, I know you have a lot of things on your mind, wouldn't you be happy if you didn't vomit? Come, sit down and let us talk slowly."
The emperor sat down on the embroidered pier moved by the palace maid. Just as he was about to speak, the empress dowager raised her hand and waved.
Qin Rang, the eunuch in charge of the Deqing Palace, immediately waved and left with a group of people. Only then did Zhao Tuo tell the story about the previous palace.
After hearing this, the Empress Dowager asked him: "Where is the emperor angry? The Ai family didn't understand."
Yes, why are you angry? Zhao Tuo thought for a moment in a muffled voice: "Mother, my son and I were very excited when they heard the news of the great victory. They really wanted to go to Liaodong to see how the soldiers fought bravely to kill the enemy!
Of course, I can only think about it. Those ministers in the previous dynasty even wanted to call Li Dan back, let alone let me go to the battlefield. "
"Your Majesty is angry that he cannot lead the troops himself?"
"No." Zhao Tuo shook his head: "As an emperor, how can I travel easily? I just thought... it was just a small victory, but they couldn't wait to jump out and call for peace. Don't you believe that my army can annihilate the ugly prisoners?"
It is both disappointing and embarrassing for a minister of the Celestial Dynasty to say such things in the palace! Also, Li Dan had only been in Liaodong for a few days, and some ministers suggested that he should be replaced. They also said that they wanted to prevent the tail from falling off. It was really ridiculous!
I think they are in the red-eye position, and I want Li Dan to move so that they can easily place their own people there! ” He said a lot angrily, but the Empress Dowager smiled and said nothing.
Who knows whose child it is, how can a mother not understand her son’s thoughts?
She knew that the emperor had a strong personality. The reason why he was so angry now was actually because these "loyal" ministers jumped out and openly opposed His Majesty's military strategy against Kelge when he was enjoying the praise and compliments. Just take it."
On the surface, they were worried about Li Dan, but in fact, these people were raising objections and criticisms about the imperial government's issuance of national bonds in a roundabout way.
When the Empress Dowager tactfully analyzed the mystery behind this for the Emperor, Zhao Tuo suddenly realized that they were here to employ people and issue national debt.
"But..., the national debt issuance and management method proposed by Li Dan is indeed good. Without this, the army stationed in Liaodi would have been defeated by Ye Bihan one by one, and they would be crying to collect the corpses of their own people instead of celebrating victory!"
Zhao Tuo frowned: "These ministers are all well-educated, can't they see the benefits? Why do they want to deny it when they get the chance?" He had no scruples when confiding to his mother:
"Also, Li Zedong is a very capable civil servant. I sent him to Liaodong not only to supervise the military, but also to use the funds brought from war bonds to renovate roads, ports, bridges, establish factories, trading companies, School.
There are so many things that can't be done in two or three years. How can we be transferred back to the capital in less than a year?
They said they were transferring him back and giving him a higher official rank. In fact, I think they just wanted to replace him with one of their own, so that he could make a lot of money in Liaodong! Do you think I can't see these hypocritical things? You still treat me like a child! "The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
"Wen Ju, get the Ai family's handkerchief embroidered with a cat looking at plum blossoms." The Empress Dowager suddenly interrupted him and ordered. When she got the veil, she handed it to the emperor:
"This is your father's veil. When I pricked my finger after pricking a plum blossom, it became bloody, so the Ai family embroidered these two cats looking at the plum blossoms in the snow."
Zhao Tuo hurriedly stood up and accepted it respectfully. His mother continued: "Back when your father was supervising the country, a minister said that Ganoderma lucidum appeared in a garden near Luoyang. Do you know what your father's attitude was after hearing this?"
"I'm afraid I'll send a censor to check the authenticity. If I make any assumptions, I'll be punished severely."
The Empress Dowager covered her mouth and laughed: "It's really a father and son. Isn't that what he wanted to do from the beginning?"
"Didn't my father do this in the end?" Zhao Tuo was surprised.
"Emperor Renzong asked him to go and have a talk with him. When he came back, your father issued an edict to hold the Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Festival one day early to celebrate this auspicious occasion!" After finishing speaking, the Empress Dowager looked at Zhao Tuo's puzzled look and smiled. :
"Two months later, it was said that the official was accused of unfairly deciding the case, so the late emperor ordered him to be demoted two ranks and went to Chang Pingcang to do all the work." After she finished speaking, her eyes flashed: "Did you know What am I going to tell you?"
"Mother, don't you want to tell a story, then... you mean, to adopt useful opinions, officials who have made mistakes sometimes don't have to rush to rectify them, but it depends on the timing and reasons. Right?"
"It's a bit interesting, but not enough." The Empress Dowager licked her hanging hair toward her ears: "Generals of any dynasty are good at fighting. When they hear about fighting, they howl and scream. Like this time in Liaodong, why did even Sun Zongbing do it? Praising Li Dan?
Because he made the Liao army strong and strong, everyone jumped when they heard there was a war. And what about civil servants? They just want to repay these auspicious things.
But whether it's a military general winning a battle or a civilian official reporting good fortune, it all means pleasing His Majesty. This is called "fascination."
But as long as the flattery is beneficial to the country, there is no problem. On the contrary, His Majesty should punish him. This does not mean that he cannot encourage unhealthy trends.
What is good at the top must be good at the bottom. But if something goes too far, it will become a bad thing. No matter how novel the intention is and the original intention is good, it is a crooked way. There is a lot of belief in auspiciousness among the people, but it has no practical use.
Therefore, Renzong moved the Lantern Festival one day forward to use this auspicious sign to boost people's morale. However, it has no practical benefit in governing the people of a place, and it can easily be manipulated by subordinate officials, becoming an excuse for evil.
Therefore, Emperor Renzong would neither ignore it nor cut him off with a single blow. The Lantern Festival is brought forward one day, which seems to be a celebration, but in fact there is no commendation or reward.
Emperor Renzong used this subtle move to tell the world his attitude and approach to auspiciousness.
As for the official being demoted, it was also a warning to him. The envoy sent by Emperor Renzong asked him face to face and told him not to be clever in the future. The official was ashamed and went to Changpingcang honestly. From then on, he did not dare to flatter him again. thing.
Emperor Renzong not only saved him face, but also warned all officials through him not to make mistakes. From then on, those who reported auspiciousness only dared to vote at the palace gate, and did not dare to vote directly to the cabinet or Zhongshu. Therefore, the late emperor deserves this word of benevolence! "
After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she looked at the emperor and said, "Regardless of whether what those ministers said was right or wrong, at least they did not come up with bad ideas, and they spoke and argued from a perspective that was beneficial to the court. They are much better than those auspicious ones!
Whether this is true or not, whether it is right or wrong is another matter. The emperor must not choose to listen based on his own feelings. He must remember that listening to one side will lead to darkness. "
After she finished speaking, she ordered some tea, took a few sips, and asked, "So, your Majesty's opinion is to continue the fight?"
"Li Zedong told me before leaving: All favorable negotiations are the result of superior force over the opponent. Now we only have a small victory, but we still have 200,000 people.
It was unclear whether he would continue to go south or shrink back to the grassland. Erchen thought it would be best to win one or two more battles so that he could retreat before the difficulties and seek a dignified retreat.
Then we will not only have more confidence when negotiating, but we can also ask him to compensate or cede. At that time, I had the initiative, and I could talk about whatever I wanted. To discuss peace now is just like begging for mercy despite victory but defeat. I am not ashamed to do this! "
"Well, let's just follow the emperor's wishes. The Yi family also feels that there is no need to give.
Good look. Otherwise, he feels that the Central Plains are easy to bully, and if he comes again and again next year and the year after, won’t the court be struggling to cope with it? "
The Queen Mother understood the differences between the two parties, and a smile appeared on her lips. "But has Your Majesty ever thought about how to deal with these talking ministers?"
"Queen Mother, is this a test?" Zhao Tuo smiled. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to them. The most I can do is make them kneel under the royal book table for two hours!"
"No!" the Empress Dowager said angrily: "Those literati, what if you ask them to lie down under the shade of a tree and kneel for two hours under the bright sun? If one of them falls, you will be compared to Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty in the history books in the future. Got it!
You, don't answer now, go back and think about it yourself. After she finished speaking, she changed the topic: "What kind of person does your Majesty think Li Dan is?"
"I thought that Li Zedong, who had the best knowledge in the world, was knowledgeable about China and the West, and understood ancient and modern times, could allow the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to fight the Liaodong War without spending any money. This is something that has never happened in ancient times.
At present, the transformation and training of the new army he is carrying out in southern Liaoning are very effective. In this battle, 16,000 muskets were used in the battle, which rendered Kerr helpless.
I think the firearms are excellent, and I plan to let him form another 16,000 or 7,000 fire rifle soldiers. In this way, even if the Shandong New Army withdraws, the Liao Army can still fight independently.
He gave me a report saying that the Liaojin, Jinshan, Liaochen, Fushen and Tiechen roads would be rebuilt, and the labor would come from the tens of thousands of captives.
He is also preparing to establish Fushun Coal Mine, Fushun Steel Plant, Liaonan Steel Plant and Shenzhong Quilt Factory. He hopes to expand the scope of immigration to solve the population congestion problem in the mainland and accept 150,000 new immigrants...! "
He was so excited that Empress Dowager Leng Buding asked: "In your Majesty's heart, is Li Dan and Li Zedong a loyal minister or a female official?"
"Of course I am a loyal minister, so I feel angry. They have just sprouted new sprouts from the seedlings, and they are about to pick them. How unreasonable!" Zhao Tuo said angrily.
After he finished speaking, he suddenly felt that the Queen Mother would not ask this question for no reason, and looked over in confusion: "What does the Queen Mother mean...?"
"If Huo Guang and Wang Mang were in Emperor Wu's dynasty, would they be female ministers or loyal ministers?"
Zhao Tuo was silent for a moment and said: "Li Qing is just a new civil servant of the sixth rank, how can he be compared with Huo and Mang?"
"However, did Huo Mang ever control a party at the age of eighteen and carry two hundred thousand armor?"
"This..." Zhao Tuo hesitated for a long time before asking: "Mother, do you think he rose to the top too quickly? I really wish he would enter the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister tomorrow!"
"Your Majesty!" The Empress Dowager put her hand on the emperor's knee: "The Ai family knows that this Li Dan is different. He is young and capable of both civil and military affairs, but he is also mature and calm, with the air of a national scholar.
It is true that His Majesty is thirsty for talents, but we must not be too hasty in hiring people or over-promote them. This is not only a matter of qualifications, but also whether Li Qing himself can experience the ups and downs of the court, and can he clearly see the dangers here?
Is his gratitude to the royal family just to repay His Majesty for clearing the Chen family's wrongdoing? Once he encounters a stormy sea, how likely is it that he will abandon his life, death and wealth to continue protecting the Zhao family?
It takes years and months to see all this. It cannot be solved in a sentence or two or a few bottles of wine. dont you agree? "
Zhao Tuo was shocked, but he had to admit that what his mother said made sense. As an emperor, what he has to consider is not friendship, but the interests of the empire and the inheritance of the throne.
He nodded with difficulty, admitting that he had indeed delegated power to Li Dan and was too indulgent. Think about it, is this kind of giving what you want good or bad for each other? Hard to say.
After re-examining, he began to slowly understand the ministers who wanted to withdraw Li Dan.
Li Dan is now doing everything he can to make things happen in Liao Dynasty, so others have the idea that "the tail may not be lost";
That’s why some people are not convinced of this guy’s ability;
So some people are eager to put themselves or others into a place where no one would otherwise refuse to work; because he is too young and rises too fast, many people think: He can do it, so can I, or even better!
That does not work! Zhao Tuo also began to realize the problem. He thought for a long time, raised his head and asked: "
Mother, what is a female minister? "
The Empress Dowager smiled: "Your Majesty, there are two types of outstanding ministers: capable ministers and female ministers. Xu Zixiang once commented on Cao Cao, 'A capable minister in times of trouble, and a female minister in troubled times.' This sentence illustrates the truth."
Just now Ai Jia also asked Your Majesty, if in Emperor Wu's dynasty, Huo and Mang would be female ministers, would they be capable ministers? "
"Mostly... they are capable ministers." Zhao Tuo replied thoughtfully.
"Haha!" The Empress Dowager clapped her hands: "So whether a minister is a capable minister or a female minister depends on the emperor. If the emperor is strong, the ministers will be weak, and conversely if the emperor is weak, the ministers will be strong. Do you understand?"
"Mother is saying that it is difficult for a weak leader to convince the crowd, and it is also difficult to control the crowd?"
"Exactly." The Empress Dowager stood up and took a few steps: "Look at the ministers from the outer court, they don't want Liao territory to be in the hands of someone close to the emperor, they will definitely send someone to serve as officials and control it.
No matter how favorably our Zhao family treats civilian officials, the imperial power, the cabinet, and the court have always been in opposition. It is impossible for civil servants to side with the imperial power just because they are grateful to the emperor. Their loyalty is not static!
When the Lord is strong and his ministers are weak, even Huo and Mang have to act like cats and act loyal, relying on the power given to them by the imperial power to manage the place.
But if the era comes when the leader is weak and the minister is strong, they will be impatient with the weak leader being in power, and will hope to show their talent in governance, so loyal ministers have become what everyone calls 'female ministers'. "
"Haha, according to you, if those female ministers had not encountered weak masters, they could actually have become capable ministers?"
"This brings us back to your question: What is a female minister?" The Empress Dowager lovingly put her hand on the emperor's shoulder:
"Remember, for weak leaders, those people can be called 'women', but for scholars and common people, these people are 'heroes.' In the world of weak leaders, only with such people suppressing them can the world be relatively stable, otherwise it will be unstable. In troubled times, all life is in ruins.”
"Are there no female ministers in the prosperous times?"
"Yes, like Li Linfu." The Empress Dowager was very satisfied that the emperor had caught up with the idea: "But the era Li Linfu lived in was the era when Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was changing from prosperity to decline, from a strong leader to a weak leader.
The appearance of female ministers has nothing to do with whether they are prosperous or troubled times, but only related to the strength of the monarch. Therefore, if the ruler of our Zhao family is strong, the country's destiny will last for a long time. Once a weak ruler appears, it may be the beginning of earth-shaking changes and dynasty changes! "
"My mother's teachings are profound and insightful. My sons and ministers must keep them in mind, and they will be recorded by historians and passed on to future generations. They will not be forgotten from generation to generation!" Zhao Tuo stood up, bowed solemnly and said.
"No need to worry about the words of the courtiers." The Empress Dowager helped the emperor up: "As long as my son is a hero, he will be able to control capable ministers like Li Dan.
However, running a country is like cooking fresh food, and when employing people, be careful not to be impatient and aggressive, so that everyone can be lucky and advance. If Li Qing breeds pride and complacency, things will not work together! Your Majesty needs to be careful! "
"The Queen Mother is an old lady who understands the truth."
