Bao Ci Palace.
The Queen Mother was sulking.
The reason for sulking is simple.
Not long ago, someone from Tongjian Si handed over another letter from an old minister who came to Beijing to go to the palace.
The Queen Mother was very happy when she first received it.
Because that veteran minister was once her favorite senior minister.
Regardless of her background, she was a minister in the late residence of Emperor Daxing—a minister chosen by her husband for Emperor Daxing.
During the Xining and Yuanfeng eras, he repeatedly advised the emperor Daxing to stop the military and live with the people.
During the Five-Road Expedition to Xia, this veteran minister served as Tongzhi Privy Councilor and was extremely opposed to Emperor Daxing's adventurous actions.
Later, he was transferred to the Privy Council and appointed as Deputy Privy Envoy.
Before and after the Yongle City War, because he tried his best to oppose to no avail, he resigned due to illness, so he appointed the bachelor of Guanwen Palace to know Heyang Mansion.
Later, he became ill and returned home. Emperor Daxing praised his old ministers and ordered him to be promoted to Chongfu Palace in Songshan.
But just like this, a veteran minister who once had the favor of the Empress Dowager did not mention a word about the shortcomings of Xi Ning and Yuan Feng in his first letter when he returned to the capital.
Instead, he used all the words to persuade her that she should not belittle the left prime minister.
The reason is that 'a prime minister, an important minister of the country, who governs the world together with the emperor, is a minister who is courteous and shunned by all officials'. If 'the emperor and the empress dowager punish his crimes seriously, the old ministers are afraid that the world's scholar-bureaucrats will be disappointed', and they will even 'make him' Everyone in the world knows that our government has chosen people improperly.
Moreover, 'This is not a system in which our ancestors treated Confucian ministers kindly', let alone 'Since Renmiao, our ancestors have never been guilty of serious crimes.'
After reading the letter, the Empress Dowager became a little angry.
Liang Weijian didn't even want to eat her favorite lotus seed soup cooked by the imperial chef.
When Empress Dowager Xiang brought Zhao Xu to her, the Empress Dowager was still angry.
"What's wrong, my empress?" Empress Dowager Xiang could tell at a glance that the Empress Dowager was angry, so she hurriedly stepped forward and asked.
"It's not that Sun Gu!" The Empress Dowager grabbed the letter in her hand and said angrily: "As a senior minister, he returned to the capital to submit a letter to the palace, but he didn't say anything about the military affairs, and he only pleaded for mercy for a guilty minister! "
"He also said that if I punish him for his crime, I will disappoint the scholar-bureaucrats all over the world!"
Zhao Xu was listening and watching.
There was no surprise or surprise at all about the appearance of his mother-in-law.
Because, she was like this in her previous life.
When her temper flares up, except for Sima Guang and Lu Gongzhu who can persuade her, others may be scolded if they don't follow her words!
The main reason why Sima Guang and Lu Gongzhu were able to persuade others was because they knew how to speak, and they spoke very nicely.
He opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty's daughter, Yao and Shun", which made the Empress Dowager almost forget her last name.
After listening to the Queen Mother's words, Queen Mother Xiang almost knew what happened?
So, he said in a low voice: "My Majesty, please forgive me. The bride thinks that what Xueshi Sun said is not unreasonable!"
"Since my ancestors in the Song Dynasty, I have ruled the world together with the scholar-bureaucrats!"
"In Xining, Duke Wen Lu used this to persuade Emperor Daxing..."
After hearing Wen Yanbo's name mentioned to the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother's temper finally subsided.
Wen Yanbo, that was the senior minister she respected very much!
However, she was still dissatisfied and still said: "If this is the case, in the future, if the ministers of the country are guilty, they will not be punished!"
"If this is the case, the country will not be a country!"
"Besides! The Queen Mother, the Queen Mother has also read the bullets of the censors!"
"Does what Wang Gui do look like a leader of the country?"
"He even communicated privately with the Liao envoy!"
While the Empress Dowager was speaking, her eyes were quietly observing Zhao Xu's expression.
Empress Dowager Xiang didn't notice this detail, so she could only persuade her patiently: "Your Majesty is a clear warning, and the censor's report is just a rumor...Since our ancestors, have any of the country's scholar-bureaucrats ever visited people from the Liao Dynasty?"
The Queen Mother shook her head and said: "Zhang Yuan, Wu Hao, doesn't the Queen Mother know?"
Empress Dowager Xiang choked immediately, and said after a long time: "Those are just two fallen scholars, not scholar-bureaucrats..."
The Empress Dowager immediately smiled and said nothing, just looking at the Empress Dowager Xiang.
Zhang Yuan and Wu Hao were scholars in the Renmiao era.
Because he failed in many attempts, he grew evil from the side of courage, so he turned his mind to the Western Thieves, and was reused by Yuan Hao, the leader of the Western Thieves' country.
Legend has it that Zhang Yuan commanded the Battle of Haoshuichuan.
After the war, this fallen scholar of the Song Dynasty stepped on the corpses of countless dead soldiers of the Song Dynasty on the battlefield and wrote a poem: How could Xia Song be like Song? Isn’t it surprising that Han Qi? Sichuan is full of dragons and tigers, chariots, and they are still talking about military aircraft!
So, he became famous in one battle.
It even changed the Song Dynasty!
Since then, scholars were no longer deposed in the imperial examinations of the Song Dynasty.
The title of "Special Scholars" was specially set up to give scholars in the world who have repeatedly failed to succeed and have an official position.
Lest these people feel that they have no talent in the Great Song Dynasty, they should imitate Zhang Yuan and Wu Hao, and join the Western bandits and Northern captives in a heartbeat.
The influence of these two people on the literary world of the Song Dynasty went far beyond that.
Many subsequent reforms of the imperial examination, including Wang Anshi's abandoning poetry and prose and selecting scholars based on classics and righteousness, also had the consideration of preventing people like Zhang Yuan and Wu Hao from reappearing.
Empress Dowager Xiang was stared at by the Empress Dowager, so she could only lower her head and apologize.
The Empress Dowager didn't care. She looked at Zhao Xu and asked, "Sixth Brother is not studying in Funing Hall. Why do you come to Taimu Hall for something?"
Empress Dowager Xiang finally regained her confidence and quickly told the Empress Dowager what happened in Funing Hall just now.
Suddenly, the Queen Mother was also surprised: "Really?"
"How can the bride deceive the queen? If the queen doesn't believe it, she can be the sixth brother of the palace counselor!"
So, the Empress Dowager happily went to Baoci Palace, took the memorial in the Empress Dowager's hand, and asked Zhao Xu questions one by one.
Then she listened to Zhao Xu's clear and logical answers, and was extremely satisfied.
After asking questions one by one, she put her hands together and bowed: "Ancestors bless! Ancestors bless! Bodhisattva bless! Bodhisattva bless!"
The Song Dynasty has a British leader!
However, the fear in his heart became a little deeper because of this, and his murderous intention towards Wang Gui became a little stronger again.
Now, no one can persuade me!
The Queen Mother has decided to kill!
Wang Gui, you must peel off the hemp!
All the charges against him must be proven!
Otherwise...there will be endless troubles!
…
Yuxian Zhengdian is one of the seventy-two Zhengdian stores in Bianjing.
It is also the largest and most luxurious restaurant on the entire Xixiang Imperial Street, and it is also the favorite restaurant for literati and officials.
Sima Guang held a special banquet here to entertain his old friend Sun Gu, who had just arrived in Beijing.
Sun Gu was slightly older than Sima Guang. He was born in the ninth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1016), while Sima Guang was born in the third year of Tianxi (1019).
The two of them were friends in Bianjing in the past.
During the Zhiping period, there was a close relationship.
At that time, Sima Guang was serving as the censor Zhongcheng, while Sun Gu was the late minister of Emperor Daxing.
"I heard that my father wrote to the Empress Dowager today to plead for Wang Yuyu?" Sima Guang took the opportunity to ask after the wine was familiar.
Sun Gu nodded: "When I came to Beijing this time, I only wanted to talk about Wang Anshi's chaos in government..."
"However, after entering the capital, I heard that the two palaces wanted to punish Wang Yuyu for his crimes!"
"The Empress Dowager even harbors the intention of peeling off the hemp king Yu Yu!"
This is something Sima Guang never knew.
He was also surprised when he heard this: "Peel hemp?
"In the past sixty or seventy years, our ancestors have never stripped ministers of hemp?"
"How can you be so disrespectful to Confucian ministers and officials as they are honorable?!"
With that said, Sima Guang solemnly promised Sun Gu: "Don't worry, Father, if the Queen Mother really wants to use hemp peeling, I and Father He will fight to the death!"
Sun Gu raised his wine glass and said respectfully to Sima Guang: "Good! I am willing to obey you!"
In the past ten years or so, the New Party and the Old Party have been quarreling and scolding each other, but have they ever failed to govern each other?
During the Wutai Poetry Case, Wang Jiefu had already retired to Jiangning, but after hearing the news, he still wrote a petition as soon as possible.
Zhang Dun and Li Qingchen, who were in the capital hall, also tried their best to rescue.
The rule of law is the foundation of the world, the backbone of the country, and the pillar of the country.
He is also the first choice for the world's top liberal arts majors and a literary figure in Kyushu.
They can be demoted, punished, or even placed in a position or restrained.
But never peel hemp!
Sima Guang compiled Zizhi Tongjian. He knew very well that once a precedent for this kind of thing was set, there would be endless disasters in the future!
Today I can peel Ma Wanggui, but tomorrow I can peel Ma Ta Sima Guang?
Even more, what if a tyrant or coward appears in the future and kills them directly?
The debate between the new law and the old party is a matter of morality and stance.
But the prime minister is a matter of principle.
Every scholar-official would never allow this to happen.
The thorny road in Lingnan has not been opened for sixty or seventy years.
If it is opened for Wang Yuyu today, it will definitely be opened for others tomorrow.
(End of chapter)
