Prime Minister

Chapter 187
At the table, only Ouyang Xiu and Su Xun spoke, and the other juniors sat upright, not daring to answer easily.

Together with Su Shi, Su Zhe also had no words, and only Su Xun followed.

During the meeting, Ouyang Xiu talked about recent hot issues.

During the winter festival, the official family worshiped the ancestors, and the prime minister led all the civil and military officials to give Renzong the honorary title as usual.

However, the minister Liu Chang believed that adding honor titles in the famine years was a vain name, and he went to the public four times in a row to stop him.

What Liu Chang did here was praised by Ouyang Xiu.

Zhang Yue understood that Liu Chang was Ouyang Xiu's political ally, and at the same time he had a close relationship with Wang Anshi. Later generations believed that Wang Anshi's thoughts on Confucian classics came from Liu Chang.

Zhang Yue originally admired Liu Chang, but he didn't expect them to talk about one thing.

At that time, the Song Dynasty competed with the Qiang people for the ancient Wei land in Qinzhou.

Renzong asked Liu Chang, "How about abandoning the defense?"

Liu Chang replied: "If the new city can cover Qinzhou, there will be no danger of the Qiang people in the long run, so how can the country be defended. Or if the terrain is dangerous and the thieves take advantage of it to harass our borders, how can the country be contended for."

"Nowadays, the ancient Wei land does not seem to be important. Instead, it is a waste of money and poor people, donating the lives of soldiers for small profits, and morality is not on our side. It is not a plan."

After Zhang Yue heard it, there is still such a reason?

Unexpectedly, the views of Ouyang Xiu and Su Xun surprised Zhang Yue even more, and they just said, "Based on this, Qinzhou will be troubled from now on." '

Zhang Yue heard that it was difficult to object, so he didn't say much. Besides, when Di Qing was dismissed as a privy envoy, it was Ouyang Xiu and Liu Chang who attacked him most severely, and finally Di Qing vomited and died of illness.

Zhang Yue thought to himself that the politics of the Song Dynasty were really deep.

From a Confucian point of view, the character of Ouyang Xiu and Liu Chang are standard scholar-bureaucrats worthy of respect.

But why did they come to such a conclusion?
Zhang Yue's expression just caught Su Zhe's eyes.

However, Ouyang Xiu changed the topic, turned to Zhang Yue and said with a smile: "Liu Yuanfu is a family of Confucian classics in the world, when will he be able to live on his shoulders?"

After hearing this, Zhang Yue knew that it was Ouyang Xiu who was making a face for himself.

At the beginning, Su Xun thought that Zhang Yue was a junior, so he didn't care. Hearing Ouyang Xiu's praise, he couldn't help but be amazed.Su Xun was looking at Zhang Yue, and Su Zhe said in a low voice, "Daddy, this is Mr. Zhang Sanlang who wrote the three-character poem."

Zhang Yue felt that the moment Su Xun's eyes fell on him, his face was about to freeze.

Su Xun, who has always been honest, looked at Zhang Yue and nodded, showing appreciation.

Zhang Yuedao: "I'm listening to Mr. Su's unique experience in reading Yi. I have learned about hardness and softness, distance, joy, anger, obedience and rebellion. I hope to come to ask for advice in the future."

Su Xun has a special experience in the Book of Changes, seeing that Zhang Yue is so eager to learn, he readily agrees.

While talking, he heard Zeng Gong come to visit.

Zhang Yue thought, okay, five of the eight great masters of Tang and Song Dynasties have come, except Wang Anshi.

Ouyang Xiu laughed and said, "Zi Gu is so late."

Everyone went to the front hall to meet Zeng Gong.

It turned out that Zeng Gong had just been elected as a judge of Taiping Prefecture to join the army, and he came here today with one person with him.Zhang Yue happened to know this person, Zeng Zai, Zeng Gong's younger brother, and now they are studying together in Taixue.

Everyone saluted immediately.

Zeng Gong had a good relationship with Wang Anshi in the past, but recently his relationship with Wang Anshi has not been so close.

Zhang Yue heard from Wang Anguo that Wang Anshi knew Changzhou, and later served as Jiangdong to prosecute him. From time to time, there were small cases, but there were many slanderous discussions.

This matter was known by Zeng Gong, and he advocated to educate first and wait for a long time.Accusing Wang Anshi of not teaching others first, but following the law of persuasion.

Of course Wang Anshi was not happy, thinking that Zeng Gong was out of touch with current affairs.

Zhang Yue also guessed that Wang Anshi's official position is getting higher and higher now, and Zeng Gong was finally appointed to an official position until this year. The status of the two is very different. As for the positions they stand on, their views on things and things, and their political views have also changed. .

Even so, the relationship between Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong is still very good, but not as good as before.Now Wang Anshi is fighting fiercely with Sima Guang.

Both Wang Anshi and Sima Guang are famous for their stubborn temper, and they also have good personal conduct, they don't like drinking or being lecherous.

When Bao Zheng was the boss of the two, he saw that they did not drink alcohol, so he toasted them.

Sima Guang refused for a while and finally took a drink because of Bao Zheng's face, but Wang Anshi said that if he didn't drink it, he wouldn't drink it, and he didn't give him any face!

Thinking of this, Zhang Yue greeted Zeng Gong.

Zeng Gong looked at Zhang Yue and was also very emotional. He originally liked Zhang Yue as his sister-in-law.

Unexpectedly, in the end Zhang Yue and the Wu family made a verbal engagement.The more he is a chapter, the more he is worthless. Why would he be willing to get married after being wronged by a talent like him.

But Zeng Gong also knew that it was because he didn't speak up.

Now Zeng Qiniang is married to Wang Wujiu.Wang Wujiu was originally Zeng Gong's second brother-in-law, but Zeng Erniang died of illness not long ago.Zeng Gong cherished Wang Wujiu's talent, and married his seventh sister to Wang Wujiu.

In the second year of Jiayou's reign, Wang Wujiu became a Jinshi and served as Jiang Duwei, but he admired Wang Anshi very much, and soon he abandoned his official position to study under Wang Anshi's door, so that his family's livelihood was not settled, and the family was very poor. pause.

But Zeng Gong still didn't dislike his brother-in-law, thinking that his talent and character deserved his respect. After his second sister died of illness, he married his seventh sister.

But apart from respecting Wang Wujiu's talent, Zeng Gong also respected Wang Wujiu's talent, and because his second sister gave birth to two daughters for Wang Wujiu, the seventh sister would definitely treat him as his own when she married.

Such marriages were very common in the Song Dynasty. In history, Han Zhongyan married the daughter of Lu Yijian's son Lu Gongbi. As a result, Lu's health was not good, and before he died, he begged Han Zhongyan: "I can't be cured. If you take care of the old kindness and please continue it, you will be able to take care of my son and make the relationship between the two surnames continue."

Now Zeng Gong still has eight younger sisters, and the ninth younger sister is unmarried. His two younger sisters are virtuous, obedient and weak women. Regardless of food and clothing, share joys and sorrows with your family.

Zeng Gong even thought that if Zhang Yue didn't pass the Jinshi examination, even if Ba Niang got married by then, his own Jiu Niang could wait until the time came to marry Zhang Yue.

Anyway, Zeng Gong has such a temperament, and he can't be wrong in what he sees.

After everyone was seated, Ouyang Xiu immediately suggested that everyone write poems with titles and rhymes here.

All the sons and nephews applauded unanimously.

Zhang Yue no longer suffers from headaches when he writes poems, but he forgot to bring a poem bag when he came to Ouyang Xiu's mansion today.

This bag of poems is all the good sentences I have accumulated on weekdays. When I have no ideas, I can take them out to save the day.

First of all, in the rhyme poems, Ouyang Xiu got the character of 'song', Su Xun got the character of 'snow', Zeng Gong got the character of 'wind', Su Shi got the character of 'spring', Su Zhe got the character of 'stone', Zhang Yue got the character of 'wine' , Zeng Zai got the word 'cold'.

Each of them wrote a poem with this rhyme.

Anyway, Zhang Yue used it as a practice essay in the examination room, and soon everyone wrote poems, Ouyang Xiu was the most witty and quick, and he was the first to finish writing.

Everyone wrote poems based on the things in the room. Ouyang Xiu got a nautilus cup, Su Xun got a gall cup, Zeng Gong got Zhang Yueqin, Su Shi got Chengxintang Paper, Su Zhe got Jinxingyan, Zhang Yue got Fangzhuzhang , Zeng Zai got the moon inkstone screen.

Everyone wrote poems.

Seeing that no one has failed, Ouyang Xiu was overjoyed and proposed to use the portrait on the wall as a poem.

Now Ouyang Xiu has Han Tuizhi, Su Xun has Li Wenrao, Zeng Gong has Du Fu, Su Shi has Li Bai, Su Zhe has Wei Zhenggong, Zhang Yue has Zhuge Kongming, and Zeng Zai has Xie Anshi.

Zhang Yuetu felt something and took up his pen to write a poem.

Ouyang Xiu was very happy to see that all the people were quick-witted and quick to write.

It is only interesting to have couplets like this, and at the same time, I am happy that several future generations of nephews are so promising, so I took everyone's paper to make a brief comment.

When Ouyang Xiu read Zhang Yue's poems, he couldn't help but pause for a while and read: "If you can attack your heart, you will turn your back on yourself. From ancient times, you know that soldiers are not warlike; if you don't judge the situation, you will be lenient and strict. You must think deeply about it later."

After listening to this poem, the four seats moved immediately.

Ouyang Xiu played the chapter and remained silent.

Su Xun recited it several times and praised: "Good sentence, I have never read a poem mourning Kong Ming like this."

Su Shi and Su Zhe also spoke words for this poem, and then stood up together to express their admiration to Zhang Yue.

As for Zeng Gong, he sighed, for some reason.

At this time, Ouyang Xiu, who was supposed to comment, didn't speak, but Su Zhe, who was always taciturn, suddenly said, "Duzhi, this poem seems to have a deep meaning, can you express it?"

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Let's just do it for a while, it's a joke."

Zhang Yue looked at Ouyang Xiu, at this moment Ouyang Xiu put down the paper and said with a smile: "Who will analyze this poem?"

At this time Zeng Zai finally got up and said: "I will try my words, and I hope some people can correct me."

Ouyang Xiu nodded.

Zeng Zai said: "The word "attacking the heart" comes from the annals of the Three Kingdoms. During Kong Ming's southern expedition, Ma Su said when he saw off, the way to use troops is to attack the heart and attack the city. It’s just his heart. In the end, Kong Mingnan conquered and conquered Meng Huo.

"As for judging the situation, when he entered Shu, Kong Ming assisted Liu Xuande to manage vegetables, and the law was quite severe. Xuande's other conspirator, Fazheng, persuaded Kong Ming to follow the three chapters of the Han Gaozu Liu Bang's agreement. .Kongming, but the king of Dao knew one thing, but didn't know the other. Qin thought that he had no way, and the government was harsh and the people complained. Because of it, the ancestors could be lenient."

"However, Liu Zhang is dark and weak. Although he has been gracious for many generations, he has not acted virtuously and punished. The people in Shu are self-sufficient, and the way of monarchs and ministers is gradually abolishing. My prestige is based on the law, and the practice of the law will know the grace and rule it. Yes, written by Yu Si."

Everyone nodded, feeling that Zeng Zai had made a thorough analysis.

Ouyang Xiudao: "The most important thing in the court today is the method of treating the heart and the law of leniency."

"Duke Fan Wenzheng's new policy at the time was that the ministers could not be of one mind and turned left and right. There are endless party disputes. What is the way to attack the heart? It can make the world unite and eliminate party disputes."

"As for the law of leniency, what does Saburo think?"

Everyone looked at Zhang Yue.

Zhang Yue replied: "Meng Shibo asked, my nephew thinks that the law of leniency and strictness are different. It's not that Confucianism insists on leniency, while Legalism insists on strictness. But the law of severe punishment is considered to be the idea of ​​Legalism?"

"My nephew dare not agree with this theory. Confucianism also says in governing the country that "the punishment of the world is light and the world is heavy, there is equality and non-equity, and there is morality and importance." Different laws are different at different times. Sometimes it should be lenient and sometimes it should be strict. Leniency is beneficial and fierce. Encouraging wideness. Then people only know superficially, blindly use lenient or blindly use strict, can not attack the heart and punish the heart, it is really absurd!"

(End of this chapter)