novelonline Chapter 1336 Deal with each other
Chapter 1336 Deal with each other
Chapter 1336 Deal with each other
In March of spring, there was rain in the mountains of Jianzhou.
Mist and rain covered Mount Wuyi, and the eaves of the Jianzhou government office looked even greener in the late spring drizzle. Zhang Yue stood at the threshold with his hands behind his back, gazing at the green mist drifting among the peaks.
On the desk beside him was Sima Guang's memorial, not the imperial report, which was urgently delivered by Cai Bian Baili.
After becoming a Jiedushi, he could use the government's post stations, and news from Bianjing would reach his desk within a few days.
Sima Guang is truly worthy of the saying that a person's reputation reflects his shadow. When he helped Zhang Yue to help Emperor Yingzong with his succession, Zhang Yue had witnessed his ability to make things happen at the drop of a hat.
Sima Guang was certainly a gentleman, but to hold a high position, one must have both the virtue and the skills.
Sima Guang was so old that he had lost all his teeth, but he was still working tirelessly to abolish the Reform Movement. Zhang Yue was amazed by his energy. What else are you trying to achieve at this age? I can only say that it was his inner persistence.
Now that Sima Guang was favored by Empress Dowager Gao, he immediately aroused the vigilance of New Party officials such as Cai Jing and Cai Bian.
Cai Bian even told himself at the end of the letter that the Queen Mother wanted to change the Emperor's policies.
Zhang Yue looked at it and smiled. It was expected that Empress Dowager Gao would summon Sima Guang back to the court but not him.
Historically, the emperor had already passed away at this time. Now, with Qian Yi's help, he was still in the court, but he was too ill to speak. However, when the emperor was still alive, Empress Dowager Gao took on the role of handling military and state affairs and began to deal with the people, which surprised him.
When Sima Guang returned to the court, thousands of people blocked the road to stop him. This was a grand scene in the capital and also showed that people's hearts were against him.
The old party members in Beijing submitted memorials one after another praising this matter.
Some people say that the reason why a minister is important is not because he has talents and wisdom that surpass the rest of the country, but because he has the moral integrity and prestige to win the hearts of the people. During his fifteen years in Luoyang, the whole world expected him to become the prime minister. Anshi was a powerful minister, and Wen Gong was an important minister.
While the government was still in place, the old party had already begun to criticize Wang Anshi by name and praise Sima Guang.
Of course, Cai Bian was wary of whether Sima Guang would abolish the new law. Of course, this was possible, and Zhang Yue was also paying attention.
But he always believed that Sima Guang's return to the court was a good thing, not a bad thing.
In Zhang Yue's view, reform is just like quitting smoking and drinking.
It is like someone who wants to quit smoking and swears at the beginning that he will never smoke a cigarette again. The success rate is usually not high. Especially for those who shout slogans loudly and publicly, the success rate is extremely low.
When you quit smoking, you are not quitting cigarettes, but overcoming human nature.
You cannot care about temporary success or failure, you must view it as a systematic project.
After making up your mind, do a comparison. Start with 20 sticks a day, then 10, then 5. Don't be obsessed with a schedule. If you feel like you can't hold on any longer, relax appropriately or even back off.
But general progress must be made.
To quote Lincoln, I walk slowly, but I never walk backwards.
As for those who make up their minds suddenly, they are often more resolute when they make up their minds, and more indulgent when they give up in the end. They say they won't smoke one cigarette at a time, and once they give up, all their efforts will be in vain.
Many people think that the last reason is the reason why they fail to quit smoking, but in fact they do not understand their nature.
You learn this and that in a rush, but your enthusiasm only lasts for three minutes and you end up accomplishing nothing.
The same is true for reform.
Sima Guang is welcomed by so many people. It must be said that the people are really tired after so many years, so it’s no big deal to slow down a bit now.
We must respect human nature, respect the natural tendencies of people such as fatigue, laziness, indulgence, etc., and not view them as the opposite.
It is of course best for people with strong willpower to be able to strictly discipline themselves, but if you are a person with weak willpower, you still have to act according to human nature.
Zhang Yue picked up his pen to reply to Cai Bian. Reform is like an old farmer tending to rice seedlings, you can't rush or slow down. If you insist on quitting your thirty-year-old addiction to alcohol, it will only make you heartbroken. It's better to drink one cup less a day, so that your spleen and stomach can slowly adjust.
……
In March of the eighth year of Yuanfeng, all officials thought that the emperor was doomed to fail.
But no one expected that Wang Gui would become seriously ill and was determined to die before the emperor.
As the "Licorice Prime Minister", Wang Gui has made "great contributions" over the years.
You say he was a minister of three orders and didn't do much, but during the ten years of Xining, he was involved in everything.
During the reign of the emperor, as the left prime minister, he suppressed the ambitious right prime ministers Zhang Yue and Cai Que, while also giving them more power to display their talents in the position of prime minister.
She was completely obedient to the emperor, even to the point of enduring bullying, but at critical moments she was able to accompany Zhang Yue to complete the matter of appointing a crown prince.
Normally, he was a person who was very cautious and self-protective, but he left traces everywhere in major events such as the recovery of Liangzhou and the pacification of Xiacheng. Now that he was really about to let go, he showed his pillar of support.
No one knew what was going on until Wang Gui left. As soon as he left, everyone was shocked that Mr. Wang was so important.
Everyone has realized that we cannot live without you, Wang Sanzhi.
Lying on the sickbed, Wang Gui glanced sideways at the medical officer sent by Empress Dowager Gao to see him.
"The Queen Mother gave my husband a hundred-year-old ginseng"
Wang Gui nodded, and after the medical officer left, his sons and grandchildren came to the bedside.
Wang Gui ordered: "After I die, you are not allowed to go to the exchange office to withdraw a single penny."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"I hold the position of Prime Minister with caution. A cautious man can sail a boat for a thousand years. Wang Anshi, Lu Huiqing, Zhang Yue, Cai Que, Sima Guang all went through wind and rain. Their glory was temporary but not lasting."
"Remember this from now on. If someone wants to throw dirty water on me, just don't continue and let them talk."
"Don't go in. Your salary as an official is enough. My son-in-law has the potential to be a prime minister. You should rely on him and help him in the future. In the future, I will select a few outstanding daughters and granddaughters, give them more dowry, and marry them to poor children who are able to study and willing to endure hardships. This is the way to long-term wealth and prosperity..."
After saying this, Wang Gui closed his eyes, and then opened them again and ordered: "Mr. Zhang Jiang will return to the court sooner or later. When that time comes, you must all go to the city gate to greet him from afar...even if you have to lead the horse and whip him."
"So there will be another twenty years of peace."
After saying this, Wang Gui lost consciousness.
……
The shadow of the locust trees in Chongwenyuan cut diagonally across Cai Jing's purple official uniform.
Cai Jing was pacing with his hands behind his back. In the court, Wang Gui was seriously ill. In the court, Empress Dowager Gao was in power, and Cai Que was in power.
Sima Guang was supported by the people when he returned to Beijing, and then returned to Luoyang, which made him look down on fame and fortune. When Empress Dowager Gao found out, she blamed Wang Gui and sent her inner tutor Liang Weijian to Luoyang to summon Sima Guang again.
With this coming and going, Sima Guang took all the glory of the world.
What’s more important is that the memorial written by Sima Guang on his desk is like a sharp blade, pointing directly at people’s hearts.
Sima Guang wanted to open up the channels for people to speak freely, which was a very dangerous signal.
The court was in a state of confusion, and the whole world was in doubt as to whether the reform should continue. Many officials were waiting and watching. It was well known that Empress Dowager Gao was clearly against the reform. What would happen if the emperor passed away?
What options do ministers like Cai Jing, who advocated reform, have left?
On the other side of Cai Jing's desk was the essay on the common path of the four classes of people written by Zhang Cheng when he was supervising the examination. Cai Jing thought that if he named it as the first place, it would slightly overshadow Sima Guang's essay.
Cai Jing was also hesitant, but he always liked to think, and once the time came, he would often dare to give it a try.
Cai Jing said to himself: "Mr. Zhang is right. The struggle over the line is the struggle over power, and the struggle over power is ultimately the struggle over the line."
"We must set a certain direction for the court and do our best for Lord Zhang."
"At least let the Queen Mother listen to what our reform ministers have to say."
Thinking of this, Cai Jing no longer hesitated and ranked Zhang Cheng's article as the first in the Imperial College examination.
The first place in the examination is a direction. In this way, all the scholars in the world will read the first place article, try to figure out the highlights of this article, and then grasp the "subtle meaning" of the central decision-making of the court.
Thinking of this, Cai Jing no longer hesitated and put down his red pen.
Cai Jing thought that since this boy was selected as the first by me, he could be exempted from the provincial examination and go directly to the palace examination.
At this moment, he seemed to see how the candidates who were pondering the current political situation in front of the Imperial College would analyze this magnificent article word by word when the results were announced tomorrow. Even more interesting was the group of old scholars in the Jingyi Bureau, who would probably knock on the drum to get into the court with the words "emphasis on commerce".
……
At this moment, Lu Huiqing, who was in Taiyuan, was coughing.
Lu Huiqing waved her hand to signal the attendants not to serve the reheated porridge.
Lu Huiqing said to his brothers, "What a good Sima Junshi. He didn't go to the capital when the emperor summoned him several times before. Now that the emperor is seriously ill, he will go to the capital."
"He wrote a memorial and left. No one is better at seeking fame and reputation than this man."
Lu Shengqing said, "Old thief Sima, you have been seeking fame and reputation for a long time."
"But the emperor is still here, and the empress dowager wants to use Sima Junshi to test the waters. This is really infuriating."
Lu Huiqing said: "If it weren't for the Xining Reforms, the court wouldn't be what it is today."
"If the Queen Mother uses Sima Junshi to abolish the reform in the future, it will be too late. All our efforts will be in vain. We must completely dispel the Queen Mother's idea."
Lu Shengqing asked, "Brother, what's the plan?"
Lu Huiqing pointed with his bony knuckles at the beacon tower mark on the northern foot of Hengshan Mountain on the Hedong Road map behind him and said, "In three days, have Zhe Kexing mobilize 20,000 soldiers from Linfu..."
Lu Shengqing was shocked and said, "Brother, when the emperor is seriously ill, there is an order not to provoke border conflicts lightly."
"So hurry up!" Lu Huiqing coughed violently, "Let the Dangxiang take the blame again."
Lu Huiqing laughed grimly: "Prince Wang said, 'there is nothing to fear from natural disasters'. We must let the Queen Mother know that as long as the Tanguts are not destroyed, the new law cannot be abolished!"