Zhao Kuangyi had a reason to break through the defense. After thinking about Zhao Pu's return for a period of time, he had already accepted it and was fully mentally prepared. But Emperor Liu's final courtesy and appointment of authority to Zhao Pu still made Zhao Kuangyi feel sour.
Even when Zhao Pu was the Prime Minister, his highest title was only Shangshu Zuopushe. Now he is directly entrusted with Shangshu Ling, which is worthy of the name. In addition, a cabinet bachelor's degree will be added, and the title of cabinet bachelor will be given to the prime minister of the Political Affairs Hall. This is still the first case since Emperor Liu came to the country.
Although it has been a false title since the establishment of the cabinet and has not really had the effect of checking and balancing the political hall, its political status and treatment are very high. Those who can hold this title are all noble ministers and ministers of the country. And not just any minister who has taken a back seat is qualified.
What's more, even if he doesn't hold real power and doesn't handle specific affairs, he is still Emperor Liu's advisor and can advise on any major military affairs, and his influence on the court is real.
When Emperor Liu first established his cabinet, some people studied this institution. The description of its functions in "Huidian" is somewhat general, but many people can see that it imitates the role of the original Chongzheng bachelor, and is Emperor Liu's balance As a measure taken by the imperial bureau, the people who served Emperor Liu around him changed from young juniors with little qualifications to successful and distinguished ministers, while the real power was greatly restricted.
Due to Emperor Liu's long-term decentralization of power, the cabinet gradually became a vacant position, and now it has completely been reduced to the role of advisor, and the current situation is ignored. However, one important thing is that the weight of authority is not entirely based on the regulations of the imperial system. Sometimes, it depends on the will of the emperor, which is obviously more important than those rigid systems, and the higher the power pyramid, the more important it is. The more so.
After all, the emperor's influence and control would be stronger if the high position was too narrow. Take the prime minister as an example. The Han Dynasty has never established the position of prime minister. There is no definition of the power of the position of prime minister in the explanation of the official system in the "Huidian" or "General Category" and other books.
The origin of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty only lies in Emperor Liu's attitude and the consensus formed in the daily work of the court. The imperial court can have seven, nine or even more ministers, but who can become the head of the ministers and enjoy the most generous prime ministerial power, and who can coordinate the yin and yang with his colleagues and the emperor, all of this depends on the will of Emperor Liu. And transfer.
The relationship between the cabinet and the Zhengshitang is similar. Previously, when Emperor Liu delegated administrative power to the prince and the Zhengshitang, the cabinet was ineffective. However, in the past two years, as Emperor Liu began to deepen his involvement in and even intervene in government affairs, the cabinet His power has increased. Now, in addition to Zhao Kuangyin, Xiang Xun, Li Hongwei and other ministers holding bachelor's degrees, Emperor Liu has added four more cabinet bachelors to assist him in handling state affairs.
The shift in the balance of power is already very obvious. At this juncture, it is easy to guess Emperor Liu's intention of letting Zhao Pu serve as a cabinet bachelor. This is to show his trust in Zhao Pu and his firm support for Zhao Pu's reforms.
Such a situation is naturally not optimistic for Zhao Kuangyi. Zhao Pu is not someone like Song Qi, Li Fang, Wang Zhu, or Lu Duan. Zhao Kuangyi is particularly fearful and has no possibility of suppressing him. He can only deal with it carefully.
Zhao Kuangyi, the prime minister, was different from others in that he did not directly oversee the ministries and departments. He had been in charge of the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Works, but they were all deprived of them during the adjustment in the past two years.
Therefore, at least for the past two years, Zhao Kuangyi has no actual control over the ministry, and the power in his hands is not reliable. When Song Qi and Li Fang were in office, he could ask about everything and even intervene. But when Zhao Pu comes back, even if it is Nothing can be controlled.
Zhao Kuangyi could even imagine that in the next few years, he would tremble under Zhao Pu's "obscene power", find it difficult to use his talents, find it difficult to realize his ambition, and even be expelled from the court.
Feeling the loss of power is the root cause of Zhao Kuangyi's unbalanced mentality. He is angry, unwilling, and even fearful. For those who have tasted power, if they let go, it will be extremely painful and may even become a life-or-death enemy. Zhao Kuangyi is like this, and Zhao Pu is actually the same.
On the other hand, it is the appointment of Jin Wang Liu Xi, who is also a difficult role. From the emperor to the crown prince, Zhao Kuangyi was once the second most powerful person in the imperial court. Wang Zhu and Li Fang successively resigned as prime minister, and Zhao Pu returned to the prime minister. His position did not advance but retreated. What's the truth? Regardless of Liu Xi's talent and prestige, no matter how confident he, Zhao Kuangyi, was, he never dared to say that he could surpass the King of Jin.
Zhao Kuangyi didn't understand this very much. He didn't know what Emperor Liu's intention was in making such an arrangement. Do you want Liu Xi to offend a group of people through tax reform? Or take advantage of the opportunity to do things to cultivate power and increase influence?
Zhao Kuangyi, who had had similar thoughts, was more inclined to the latter, but because of this, he was even more puzzled. Isn't Emperor Liu afraid of triggering a fight for the right to inherit the throne, affecting the orderly inheritance, and shaking the stability of the country?
Zhao Kuangyi's desire for power was too strong, and his thoughts and ideas were too complicated. Therefore, in the face of major changes in the court situation, he seemed to be worried about gains and losses.
While he was feeling exhausted and having a headache, a piece of news came, whether it was a good thing or a bad thing for the Zhao family. Princess Murong of the East Palace was pregnant. According to the diagnosis by the imperial doctor, the signs of the Crown Princess being pregnant were very obvious.
People inside and outside the palace were naturally overjoyed, but for a political animal like Zhao Kuangyi, they couldn't help but think a little more about the deeper impact this matter could have.
Over the years, there have been constant struggles in the East Palace. Basically, the Murong and Zhao families revolved around the two imperial grandsons. The Crown Princess's childlessness has always been the biggest shortcoming of the Murong family. Although they adopted the Xiao family's son, the Khitan bloodline has always been taboo inside and outside the family. Zhao Kuangyi and others have never really regarded the Xiao family as their opponents. Although they have suppressed them, both Xiao Siwen and Xiao Chuo are cautious and keep their own rules. Coupled with the protection of the prince Liu Yang, they have not achieved very good results. .
Now, the Crown Princess is suddenly happy, which makes people have to speculate more about the future situation. If this baby is still a little princess, then everything will remain the same, and the situation will hardly change fundamentally in a short time.
If an imperial grandson is born, then there is something to say. It is conceivable that the situation will become turbid immediately. At that time, how will the Crown Princess treat Liu Wenji, who has been adopted for many years? I'm afraid there will be discord between the Murong family and the Xiao family.
The eldest son of the Crown Prince, Liu Wenhuan, born to Concubine Zhao, is now almost fifteen years old. Even if the Crown Princess gives birth to a legitimate son, with such a big age gap, with the support of a strong enough mother's family, it will definitely turn into a legitimate son. huge advantage
Zhao Kuangyi thought, worried, and imagined, and unknowingly, he accepted the reality again, that is, when Emperor Liu was in power, it was really difficult for the Zhao family to do more, and there was still hope for the future. After the emperor's death, when the prince was in power.
But, how long do we have to wait? For Zhao Kuangyi, who is nearly fifty years old, how much time can he still have to waste? Every time he thought about this, Zhao Kuangyi couldn't help but have a bold idea in his mind. It would be great if Emperor Liu could die early.
Due to the tense situation and depressive atmosphere in the court, there are probably not a few people who have had this idea, but they just dare not express it openly. In the past, ministers may have been intimidated by Emperor Liu's authority, full of awe, and had some thoughts of getting rid of their shackles.
But for an ambitious person like Zhao Kuangyi, it is already involved in the struggle between power and destiny. Taking money from others is like killing parents. If you block the way of human rights, the situation may be more serious than killing parents.
That night, news came that was really devastating to the Zhao family. The backbone of the Zhao family, Zhao Kuangyin, the Rongguo Duke who led the Zhao family to become one of the top dignitaries of the Han Dynasty, died of illness.
