Sima Guang took a small boat and arrived at the shore.
Two stout maids stepped forward, took off his raincoat and took his hat.
The old servant who had served him for decades brought him tea soup.
Sima Guang took a sip, and the bitter taste of the tea leaves and the spiciness of the ginger slices spread in his mouth, which lifted his spirits.
"My lord!" Fan Zuyu, who had been waiting nearby, bowed his hands and said, "There is news from the capital!"
"On Xin Mao Day, the Crown Prince has been established!"
"The emperor's sixth son, the prince of Yan'an County, more respectfully said: Xu, make him the crown prince..."
Sima Guang nodded slightly, faced the direction of Bianjing, bowed his hands and said, "The country is blessed with a queen, the country has an heir, and the world is lucky!"
For Sima Guang, for the senior officials in Luoyang.
Although today's officials seem to have the demeanor of a holy king, they... are on the wrong track!
Many people have been waiting for His Majesty's palace carriage.
It’s just that no one said it.
Now, this day is finally coming!
The most important thing is-his heir is only eight years old!
An eight-year-old prince or emperor is very malleable.
As long as we put it on the right track, everything in the world will be prosperous!
Fan Zuyu swallowed his saliva and whispered: "The decree seems to be somewhat..."
"Huh?" Sima Guang asked, "What happened to the decree?"
Fan Zuyu lowered his head and said: "News from Bianjing, the imperial decree states that Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother has the right to listen to government affairs, and Her Highness the Queen has the right to assist in military and state affairs!"
Sima Guang raised his head in surprise.
"Are Wang Yuyu and Cai Chizheng crazy?"
"Since ancient times, where has the story of two palaces listening to politics come from?"
"I want to express this!" Sima Guang made his judgment immediately.
This must have been done by the new party ministers in the court!
The emperor is sick and cannot afford to be sick.
The young master is young, and the erotic palace is ignorant.
It must be Wang Gui, Cai Que and others who deceived the two palaces!
Sima Guang must take care of this matter! No matter what!
Not only that, Sima Guang also decided to write letters to Xuzhou, Yangzhou, and Daming Mansion to contact other senior officials.
You can even write a letter to Jiangning and ask that stubborn Mr. Wang Jiefu, was this your instigation?
Fan Zuyu pulled Sima Guang's sleeve.
"Chunfu?" Sima Guang frowned: "But is there a hidden secret?"
Fan Zuyu nodded.
Sima Guang pondered for a moment and then asked: "Tell me...what's going on?!"
Fan Zuyu then told Sima Guang the general information he had received.
After hearing this, Sima Guang's face was full of disbelief: "Are you sure?"
Fan Zuyu nodded: "It should be confirmed!"
"If your Majesty has any doubts, tomorrow at the latest, the courier from Bianjing will bring the Xinmao day report and the tabloid from Bianjing that day!"
Sima Guang took a deep breath.
"Everything goes well with the family..." He pondered, chewed, and then praised: "Your Majesty is truly the sage and emperor!"
only……
Since Your Majesty knows this truth, why do you only believe in Wang Anshi and the new law villains promoted by Wang Anshi?
Let them cause trouble to the country and destroy the ancestral system? !
Sima Guang shook his head in his heart.
Then, he looked at Fan Zuyu and asked, "Does Chunfu think the news from Bianjing is credible?"
Fan Zuyu naturally knew what Sima Guang was referring to?
All kinds of legends about the erotic court Yuan Liang, the current crown prince of the Song Dynasty!
If it were before today, Fan Zuyu would probably shake his head.
What are the news coming from Bianjing?
The eight-year-old prince copied two volumes of Buddhist scriptures every day and sent them to the emperor to pray in front of him.
Not only that, this prince also understands etiquette clearly!
In addition to praying for my father, I also know that I want to pray for my mother-in-law’s long life, my mother’s blessings for a long time to come, and my mother-in-law’s long-term happiness!
This is really too much.
Where does an eight-year-old child come from such mobility and execution? Where does this kind of knowledge and insight come from?
However, this did not prevent everyone in Luoyang from immediately starting to write congratulations after receiving the news.
The Tian family, aren’t they all so good-looking? !
Since the Tian family wants to brag, naturally the minister will not be disappointed!
However, the news coming from Bianjing became more and more exaggerated.
The prince was polite and eager to learn. At the age of only eight, he had already mastered the Analects of Confucius and the Classic of Filial Piety. His words of benevolence and sage came out casually, and his teachings were engraved in his heart.
He even started to learn from his mother-in-law!
His mother-in-law gave him the meaning of Spring and Autumn, and the prince read it and understood it, so he would like to report to his mother-in-law: If Uncle Zheng is captured but not killed, and he teaches Uncle Duan with benevolence, justice, etiquette, and law, what will Uncle Duan do to Uncle Zheng?
When the news reached Luoyang, everyone opened their mouths wide, and then went back to write congratulations.
The Queen Mother wanted to praise her grandson and make her grandson look bright and bright in front of the world.
Understandable! Understandable!
Fan Zuyu followed Sima Guang to study Zizhi Tongjian, and he had historical materials in his hands and loads of them in his cart.
There are countless similar examples in history books.
There are things more exaggerated and bizarre than this.
Left and right are nothing more than illusions deliberately created by those in power to whitewash themselves.
Not to mention, the Heavenly Book incident in this dynasty is well known to everyone, and all the scholars and officials are ashamed of it.
Even if the Tian family can't bring it up now, it won't be mentioned.
However, the news coming from Bianjing today is really thought-provoking.
The prince... no, it should be His Royal Highness the Crown Prince now.
His Highness showed astonishing wisdom before and after he moved to the palace.
In particular, when asked by the prime minister, he was able to explain his personal opinions in a clear and logical manner without exceeding any etiquette.
If the news from Bianjing is indeed true.
Then Fan Zuyu had to go back and examine the various beautifying deeds that he thought were the empress dowagers and empresses in the palace who deliberately released in order to whitewash the prince.
He had to think about it - what if... what if, those things were really done by the prince himself.
So, now in Luoyang City, all the speculations and assumptions made by the elders and wise men about His Highness Yuanliang of the Song Dynasty have to be overturned.
Thinking of this, Fan Zuyu raised his hands and said: "My lord, I think that if everything Bian Jing said is true, it will be a blessing to the country and the country!"
The sages of Luoyang have retreated to Luoyang for more than ten years, just waiting for such an opportunity and possibility.
The officials are stubborn and have been completely fascinated by the gold, silver and copper coins in the treasury.
But how did he know that the wealth in the world is fixed?
Either in the government or among the people.
Now, the court has more money, and the people naturally have less money.
The people have no money, their livelihoods are in ruins, and all industries are depressed!
In this way, no matter how much money there is in the government treasury, what is the use?
Sima Guang did not answer Fan Zuyu, but fell into deep thought.
Fan Zuyu couldn't help but become curious when he saw it. He raised his hands and asked, "Ms. sir, what are you thinking about?"
Sima Guang's eyes were blurred for a moment, and he looked at Fan Zuyu, who was almost the same as when he was in his prime. After pondering for a moment, he said leisurely: "I am thinking about something..."
"May I ask my husband what's going on?"
Sima Guang raised his head and looked at the sky: "As Chunfu said, on top of setting up the prince and making words, the empress dowager's power is to listen to the government, and the queen's power is to assist the military and state affairs... It was the prime minister who invited Yuan Liang in the Spring Palace, The ministers gathered in the hall and invited the two palaces to come... then..."
"Chunfu has been studying with me for more than ten years. You should know that since ancient times, the power of female protagonists to rule over the military and state affairs at court has been given by the superiors!"
"The story of how Queen Mingsu governed the country behind the curtain in Zhang Xian of this dynasty came about because of the edict left by the Zhen Temple!"
"But now, the two palaces listen to the government behind the curtain, but it was the prime minister who invited the good empress Yu Yuanchun to report to the two palaces..."
"Although it does not come directly from Harugong Genliang's will, it is inseparable from Harugong Genliang!"
"In that case..."
"When Harugong Yuanliang comes, he can also take back his power with an edict!"
Fan Zuyu listened, not quite understanding, and asked: "Ms. sir, isn't this a matter of course?"
"If the emperor comes of age, the two palaces will return their power to the emperor!"
Sima Guang laughed when he heard this.
Very satisfied with Fan Zuyu's answer.
These are the words of a pure gentleman who have not been contaminated by the court.
Therefore, he nodded to Fan Zuyu: "Chunfu is right!"
After the emperor reaches adulthood, both the queen and the empress dowager will automatically lose their power to make decisions about the government, and they should take the initiative to return power to the emperor!
This is not only etiquette, but also a system, and it is also the principle of the scholar-officials.
However, Sima Guang knew.
This kind of etiquette is correct, the system is naturally reasonable, and it is something that all scholars and officials agree with.
It's a different story in court.
At the beginning, Zhang Xianming hung the curtain solemnly, but even the emperor's crown was worn through it.
After Renmiao came of age, the queen ignored the calls from the government and the public to return to power.
She will keep her power until the moment she dies!
Sima Guang's father, Sima Chi, experienced the court during the period of Zhang Xianming's solemn curtain.
Therefore, Sima Guang remembered his father's evaluation of Zhang Xianming's period: He was almost the same as Empress Wu!
So, here comes the problem.
What if the prince comes of age in the future and the two palaces do not want to return to power, or one of them does not want to return to power?
Fan Zuyu looked at Sima Guang's expression and finally came to his senses.
In Zizhi Tongjian Bookstore, Fan Zuyu was responsible for the compilation, collection and editing of some historical materials of the Tang Dynasty.
How could he not know about the bloody chaos within the Tang Dynasty palace?
However, Fan Zuyu was not worried at all.
"My lord, don't worry!" Fan Zuyu cupped his hands and persuaded, "Our court has its own laws!"
The Song Dynasty is not the Han and Tang Dynasties.
After a hundred years of military governance in the Song Dynasty, it has reached an unprecedented peak.
Regulations, regulations, and established laws are everywhere and all-encompassing.
Although there are disadvantages of redundant officials, there is no political chaos like the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Especially after the Inmiao era, the system has eliminated the possibility of female protagonists disrupting the government.
At the beginning, Ci Shengguang presented the hanging curtain, but he was forced back to Baoci Palace by Han Zhongxiangong and hundreds of officials.
Scholar-officials would only recognize the legitimacy of the emperor's administration.
The empress dowager and empress listen to the government, which is a helpless way to obey power in urgent matters.
As long as the emperor shows that he can govern.
Then the emperor himself does not need to speak, the scholar-bureaucrats will take action and let the queen mother and empress return to power!
Sima Guang listened and just smiled.
This junior is good at everything, but he is too young and too naive!
While the two were talking, a servant came to report: "My lord, Taishi Wen sent someone to deliver an invitation. Please come to Luoyang Zisheng Zen Temple to meet you tonight!"
A gold-plated invitation was presented to Sima Guang by this servant.
Sima Guang took the invitation and opened it.
Then I saw the words on the invitation, "Yin Sou worships, Yue Sou respects".
He immediately laughed.
Yin Sou is the nickname of Taishi Wen Yanbo, a veteran of the Three Dynasties who has served as an official.
And Sima Guang called himself the old man.
Putting the invitation away, Sima Guang said to Fan Zuyu, "It seems that Grand Master Wen can't sit still anymore!"
"Chunfu, get ready. Come with me tonight to meet the elders of the country and the elites of the literary world!"
"Since the death of Mr. Fu Han, the senior citizens of Luoyang have not gathered together for a long time!" Sima Guang showed a nostalgic look as he said this.
After the Xining Reform, the gentlemen in the court went out one after another, either actively or passively, and then gathered in Luoyang.
Therefore, under the initiative of Duke Wen Lu (Wen Yanbo) and Duke Fu Han (Fu Bi), twelve senior ministers held a banquet and prepared wine at the house of Duke Fu Han. It was called a grand gathering of senior elites, and people at that time praised them as virtuous.
Later, Wang Gongchen, who stayed in Daming Mansion in Beijing, heard about it and sent a letter saying that he wanted to join.
So under the auspices of Wen Lugong, the famous painter Zheng Huan was invited to paint the portraits of the thirteen elders in the Qiying Hall of the newly built Zisheng Zen Temple in Luoyang and hang them in the hall.
This is the origin of the world-famous Luoyang Senior Citizens Association.
Unfortunately, since the unfortunate death of Mr. Fu Han, the elders of the Senior Citizens Association have not been together for a long time.
Everyone is playing their own game.
For example, Sima Guang organized a frank meeting of his own.
Wen Yanbo formed a group of five elders to play.
Wang Gongchen, who stayed at Daming Mansion in Beijing, also organized a game for the same year.
Now, after two years, the elders of the Senior Citizens Association gather again at the Senior Citizens Hall of Zishengchanyuan. It is another grand gathering!
…
Note: Chungong and Qinggong are both nicknames for the Crown Prince in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Yuanliang is the nickname for the Crown Prince.
Generally speaking, ministers would not address the crown prince directly in private situations, but would instead address him by proxy to show respect.
