After dark that night, Zhao Zhen left Zhao Yang to rest in Funing Hall.
Considering that he had nowhere to go, Zhao Yang's original intention was to let Zhao Zhen find him a place to stay, but even if Zhao Zhen made this arrangement, he would not refuse.
It was not to cater to him, but he saw that Zhao Zhen obviously wanted to talk to him more, even if it was inconvenient to talk about future generations when people talk too much.
Speaking of the New Deal, Zhao Yang indeed gave Zhao Zhen a lot of inspiration.
But what Zhao Yang didn't expect was that Zhao Zhen would ask him to take a bath with him.
Of course, there is a bathtub for each of the two.
Compared with Zhao Yang, Zhao Zhen, who grew up in the royal family since childhood, has long been accustomed to being served by others. Besides, he is nearly forty years old and has long lost the shyness of young people. He took off his clothes under the service of several eunuchs and maids. Calmly stepped into the tub.
But Zhao Yangke felt awkward. He had no experience of stripping naked in front of so many people. After all, there were quite a few eunuchs and maids serving in this side hall, and all of them secretly looked at him with curious eyes. As if he was looking at something strange, his gaze made Zhao Yang feel very uncomfortable.
Seeing that the two young and beautiful palace maids were about to step forward to undress him, he had no choice but to ask Zhao Zhen to order everyone in the palace to retreat.
"Everyone, please step back."
Zhao Zhen waved his hand to dispatch everyone, turned to look at Zhao Yang, who looked a little nervous, and suddenly felt something in his heart.
How old is this kid...?
It’s no wonder that Zhao Zhen is so curious. After all, Zhao Yang’s face looks like he is fifteen or sixteen years old, but his vision and knowledge are far beyond those of his age. Even he can’t match him. He doesn’t say that this kid is actually about the same age as him. Suspect.
But considering that this boy couldn't calmly face the service of two palace ladies, it was obviously due to the shyness of the young man, which was very strange.
After a few breaths, when the group of eunuchs and maids exited the side hall, Zhao Zhen asked Zhao Yang: "How old are you...? I mean in your 'hometown'."
Hometown, this is a code they agreed on before, replacing the word 'posterity'. After all, if the two of them talk about some sensitive things in the future, they can't keep everyone away every time, right?
Zhao Yang didn't hide anything when he heard this inquiry. He turned his head and glanced in the direction of the palace door, and lowered his voice and said, "It's twenty-one."
really……
Zhao Zhen nodded secretly.
From the beginning, he did not think that such an outstanding vision and knowledge could be possessed by a fifteen or six-year-old boy. On the contrary, he was surprised because the number Zhao Yang said was much lower than his guess.
He had previously estimated that Zhao Yang was at least thirty.
"You don't look like... fifteen or six years old at most. How did you do that?" Zhao Zhen raised his finger and pointed at Zhao Yang's slightly childish face.
He is obviously a twenty-one-year-old boy but he looks like he is fifteen or sixteen years old. Could this be the immortality that kings of all ages have sought?
"How do I know this?" Zhao Yang poured cold water on the secretly excited monarch: "Maybe there was a deviation in the information reorganization when traveling through the quantum tunnel. This knowledge is still metaphysics in my 'hometown' …”
Zhao Zhen, who didn't understand what the boy was talking about, immediately fell silent, but glanced at the boy again, just in time to see the boy climb into the tub with his butt naked.
Only twenty-one years old...
Just as he muttered in his heart, Zhao Zhen suddenly felt that his entanglement was a bit ridiculous.
After all, this kid comes from a thousand years in the future. If he is really more than a thousand years younger than him, what is there to worry about?
"Sit over here and talk to me." He waved.
"Ah?" Zhao Yang turned to look at Zhao Zhen in confusion, vaguely feeling that Zhao Zhen's tone had changed.
Obviously, the attitude towards him was quite equal before, but now it feels like an elder is greeting a junior.
But then think about the age difference between the two...
Well, he is indeed a junior, extremely junior.
"What do you want to say?" He sat on the side next to Zhao Zhen, leaning against the wall of the barrel like the latter.
Zhao Zhen pondered for a moment and suddenly asked in a low voice: "I intend to transfer Fan Zhongyan back to Bianliang. What do you think?"
Are you talking about business?
Zhao Yang, who was a little surprised, nodded immediately and said: "I think it's good."
"Well."
Zhao Zhen nodded, looking as if he had made some kind of decision, and continued: "...but this matter is not easy."
"ah?"
Zhao Yang was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion: "Isn't it a matter of an imperial edict?"
Zhao Zhen turned his head and glanced at this boy, knowing that this boy only had a rough understanding of the affairs of the Song Dynasty, so he shook his head and explained: "Maybe in his dynasty, but in my Song Dynasty... On weekdays, if I want to do it... The imperial edict must first be submitted to the Zhengshi Hall and discussed with all Pingzhang Zhengshi and Shenzhi Zhengshi, the same people you have met today. If they have no objection, the Zhengshi Hall will then issue it to Zhongshu Sheren, and Zhongshu will Someone drafted it, this is the imperial edict."
"What if they object?" Zhao Yang said with a strange expression.
Zhao Zhen paused for a moment, frowned slightly and said: "...I can still force the Zhengshi Hall to inform Zhongshu Sheren, but Zhongshu Sheren probably won't accept it and will return it to my place, which is called... Feng. Return the beginning of the word.”
"Can I change it to someone else?"
"It won't help." Zhao Zhen shook his head and sighed: "The rules of our ancestors are like this. Let alone changing people from Zhongshushe will not help. On the contrary, if I force them to issue an edict, they will resign in response."
"Hey." Zhao Yang was amused and couldn't help teasing: "You are really an aggrieved emperor. You are worthy of being the kind of Renzong who would be forced to use his sleeve to block the foam by his ministers."
"What did you call me?" Zhao Zhen asked with a frown.
"Uh..." Zhao Yang, who realized that he had made a mistake, smiled and said nothing.
Zhao Zhen thought about it for a while and then realized that what this boy was calling must be his posthumous name.
Renzong...?
He tasted his future posthumous title with a complicated expression, and then gave Zhao Yang a sharp look: "I will worry about your unbridled words later. What did you mean by 'blocking the foam with your sleeve' just now?"
"Hasn't it happened yet?"
Seeing that Zhao Zhen didn't mean to blame, Zhao Yang breathed a sigh of relief and explained: "...I forgot the details. It was probably what you wanted to do and a courtier grabbed your sleeve and sprayed him. I mean, according to You argue with reason, but the other person's words are enough to make spittle fly, so you have to block the spittle with your sleeve..."
He made gestures and almost couldn't help laughing.
When the emperor takes this position, the name of Renzong is worthy of its name.
Compared with Zhao Yang's attitude of having fun, Zhao Zhen was not in the same mood. His face was red and blue, and he was silent.
After a long while, he sighed with a wry smile, shook his head and said: "Although it's not as unbearable as you think, but...if I want to do something, I really can't do it so wantonly. Now you understand, right? This imperial decree It’s not something I can post whenever I want.”
Zhao Yang smiled disapprovingly, shook his head and said: "When I first read the history books, I felt that the officials were too kind and generous... What is excessive kindness and generosity? It is weakness!"
Zhao Zhen was a little unhappy and turned to glare at Zhao Yang: "Do you think I am a weak king?"
Zhao Yang shrugged and commented: "My personality tends to be weak, and I feel insecure inside. I always doubt this and that. At the same time, I am shallow-minded and easily influenced by others..."
Zhao Zhen was furious when he heard this. He stared at Zhao Yang and raised his right hand as if to hit this kid.
Zhao Yang was already on guard. He sat up and said, "Don't get angry in a hurry. I'm not arranging it for you. Please think carefully about what I said."
Zhao Zhen was stunned for a moment, then slowly lowered his raised right hand and placed it on the edge of the tub. He frowned and thought about Zhao Yang's evaluation, feeling more and more uncomfortable in his heart.
What this kid said...isn't it just right!
Zhao Zhen's expression was a little uneasy. Although this kid said it just right, he still felt that he couldn't get off the stage after being scolded by a junior like this.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the kid again lying down next to the bucket, with a few snickers on his face that made him feel annoyed. With a secret hatred in his heart, he immediately picked up his right hand and touched the back of the kid's head. .
"oops!"
Zhao Yang, who was in pain, immediately sat up, holding the back of his head and moving away.
To be fair, the shock was greater than the pain. Zhao Yang never expected that the Song Dynasty monarch who left the word "benevolence" in history would be so petty.
Isn't it because of the foam on one's sleeves?
Compared to Zhao Yang, who was a little upset, Zhao Zhen felt more comfortable now. He supported the tub with both hands, glanced at Zhao Yang sideways while soaking in the bath and said: "Don't pretend, I can't beat you with that little strength. "
After a pause, he lowered his voice and said seriously: "In your opinion, what should I do?"
Zhao Yang originally wanted to argue with Zhao Zhen, feeling aggrieved, but suddenly saw Zhao Zhen asking about the matter with a serious look on his face, so he stopped, thought for a while and replied: "I once heard a saying that in this world In most things, either the east wind suppresses the west wind, or the west wind suppresses the east wind. I think the same is true between the monarch and his ministers. If the monarch is cowardly, the ministers will definitely offend him, even if the original intention of these ministers is not to deceive the monarch, but to make the monarch accept them. the opinion of……"
"Use your sleeves to block the foam?" Zhao Zhen frowned.
"Right." Zhao Yang nodded.
Zhao Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Go on."
Zhao Yang nodded and continued: "... It is not a bad thing in the past dynasties for ministers to dare to give direct advice, but things like blocking foam with your sleeves will inevitably weaken the monarch's power, and then weaken the monarch's power, and reform, It is precisely the centralization of power by the monarch..."
Zhao Zhen frowned when he heard this and said, "Excessive power of the monarch, I think, is not a good thing and is not good for the country?"
"Half and half." Zhao Yang explained: "If the monarch concentrates power, then it depends on the monarch. If the monarch is wise, it will be a peaceful and prosperous age; if the monarch is fatuous, then the mountains and rivers will be broken. But no matter what, even if you encounter a tyrant, The people below don’t dare to act in a submissive manner. But if the monarch and his ministers share power, unless they are united as one, what will happen if you say something and he says something else, or if you act in a way that is contrary to the situation, or secretly do bad things?"
"Well……"
Zhao Zhen nodded thoughtfully and said: "Then tomorrow..."
"Tomorrow the officials will tell them directly that I will issue an order to order Fan Zhongyan to return to Beijing. If anyone dares to object, the officials will spit on him!"
"You..." Zhao Zhen shook his head and smiled bitterly, looking a little hesitant.
How else could I say that this person has a weak character...
Zhao Yang secretly sighed, and then recommended himself: "How about I stand up for the officials? I have great skills in trolling people."
"You?" Zhao Zhen was dumbfounded.
"It's up to me." Zhao Yang vowed.
Zhao Zhen chuckled and shook his head, but after thinking about it for a while, he did not refuse.
Sometimes, as the emperor of the Song Dynasty, it was not easy for him to express his position in a hurry. It was not a bad thing to have this kid asking for directions.
