Prime Minister

Chapter 260 Lonely Official (Part [-])
In the second year of Jiayou's No. [-] list, Lin Xi was not very eye-catching, and even Zhang Heng didn't leave much fame later.

Cai Xiang was appointed as a Hanlin scholar and envoy of the Third Division of Quanli. However, at that time, the Song Dynasty maintained the annual tribute to Liao and Xixia, and the people there were poor and had no money to collect, and the finances were already in a predicament.

Therefore, Cai Xiang's appointment as the third envoy also meant to clean up the mess.At the same time, there is also the reason why a good friend Ouyang Xiu is behind the scenes. He hopes that Cai Xiang can support himself in Fangtian's average tax.

However, because of Zhang Wangzhi's incident before, Zhang Heng and Cai Xiang did not get along happily.

It's not that it's better to offend a gentleman than to offend a villain. Offending an honest gentleman is sometimes more terrifying than a villain. Although you won't face retaliation, you will be isolated and marginalized for no reason.

Zhang Yue talked with Zhang Heng, although it was still as usual, but he secretly felt the silence, which is different from the confidence and calmness in speech, the hesitation of success when he just returned to Beijing as a judge of Yantie last year Feelings are very different.

Zhang Heng got up to change his clothes, and Zhang Yue made excuses to follow.

Zhang Heng knew that Zhang Yue had something to talk about and slowed down. Zhang Yue told Zhang Heng about Guo Lin's situation in Nanjing Guozijian, and was plotted by his classmates so that he almost missed the provincial exam.

Zhang Heng heard the words and said: "Isn't it rare for you to step on me and I to step on you in the examination room? Don't worry about those who are jealous of the virtuous and capable. All right."

"As for your Senior Brother Guo, who was acquainted with each other when he was in the academy, he has to help anyway. This time, let's see if the Mingjing can be passed. If not, I will let him go to the North Prison to talk about it."

"Thirty old Mingjing, fifty young Jinshi, you Senior Brother Guo has put in so much effort, and you will be able to survive for a few more years. If you have a background, you can honor your ancestors and honor your ancestors. Don't let your achievements fall short."

Zhang Yue breathed a sigh of relief, and Zhang Heng just said this to help.

"What else?"

Zhang Yue hesitated and said that he talked about Fangtian's tax equalization in the policy question. Zhang Heng's face changed when he heard it, and he immediately reprimanded: "You are taking risks to gain fame?"

"At the beginning of the Qingli New Deal, those officials were relegated, and those who took away officials took away officials. It's only been a few years, have you forgotten?"

Zhang Heng looked solemn, and then said: "I have seen that your article has made great progress in the past two years. I didn't tell you before because I was afraid that you would be complacent. I expected you to be a high-ranking student and once again glorify my Zhang family. Now you However, it is risky to fight for fame. Although today’s saints have this intention, they need to know that there are many officials in the officialdom who oppose Fang Tian’s equal tax. If there is someone who opposes Fang Tian’s average tax among the three examiners, what will you do?”

Zhang Yue said: "The head of the house is right."

Zhang Heng saw Zhang Yue's expression of humility, and then said: "But it's not necessarily true. Having said that, do you know why today's saints value our Zhang family so much?"

Zhang Yue said: "I also ask the head of the fasting to enlighten me."

Zhang Heng nodded and said: "Taizu had an ancestor's instruction not to use a southerner as a prime minister, but Duke Xun worshiped the No. 1 prime minister for the Fujianese, why? Because he was a lonely minister. When I won the first prize, I also worshiped him. Legacy."

The more Zhang understood.

He realized that he had made a mistake in consciousness.

I have been jumping back and forth between the new party and the old party. I hesitated about Wu Chong's marriage before, and wanted to hold Wang Anshi's thigh but failed. In fact, I didn't understand the real trick in the officialdom.

Yes, forming factions is the norm among officials.

In the officialdom, if no one above speaks for you, it is difficult to move an inch. Therefore, after entering the officialdom as an official, you always have to face the problem of standing in line.It is easy to be marginalized if you do not stand in line, and no one will speak for you when you are excluded.

The two largest groups in the Song Dynasty were the New Party and the Old Party.

Because Zhang Yue is familiar with history, he naturally leans towards the New Party, so he inevitably has the idea of ​​hugging his thigh.

But in fact, this is a set error in thinking.

Who is the biggest leader of the new party?

Neither Wang Anshi of the first generation nor Zhang Dun of the second generation, but Song Shenzong and Song Zhezong.

Having said that, why does the emperor attach great importance to Zhang Dexiang?

Because he is a lonely minister.

Take the Jinzuoyuan case as an example, Su Shunqin and others, as the "gentlemen's party" who were demoted to Fan Zhongyan, also wrote such disrespectful remarks as "drunk lying in the North Pole and sending the emperor to help" during the banquet.

However, as far as the real issue of entering the court is concerned, such as eating and drinking with public funds and sitting with prostitutes, this is not a big mistake.

But Su Shunqin's people were punished, and even Su Shunqin's father-in-law Du Yan was dismissed.Su Shunqin returned to Suzhou and wrote the Canglang Pavilion under Yu Yu, but died of illness a few years later.

This punishment is too much.

Therefore, the government and the opposition complained a lot for them. Many officials wanted the prime minister who was the head of the officials to come forward and say a few words on behalf of the scholar-officials to protect Su Shunqin and the others. to speak).

Zhang Heng said: "In the second year of Jiayou, the prime ministers in the imperial court were in charge of discussing the establishment of a reserve, and the officials were dissatisfied. The officials made me the number one scholar, because they thought of Duke Xun, the old prime minister who had followed him for many years, and he was always cautious in his words and deeds."

"The officials appointed me as the No. [-] Scholar to tell the courtiers of the Manchu court to be lonely officials like Duke Xun. Your second brother Zihou is also well versed in this theory."

Zhang Yue understood that there was a reason for Zhang Dun's resignation as a Jinshi.

Zhang Pin and his younger brother Zhang Di were awarded Jinshi in the same year, and Song Zhenzong issued an edict saying that only one of his brothers should be awarded Jinshi.

Zhang Pin didn't have a word of dissatisfaction, so he let his younger brother go. As an older brother, he waited six years before he was awarded a Jinshi.Zhang Pin's move won the appreciation of the emperor, and his first official was the Secretary of the provincial school (Beijing official), which is comparable to the treatment of the top three Jinshi.

In the second year of Jiayou, Zhang Heng and Zhang Dun were selected as Jinshi.

Although the officials didn't say that only one of the uncles and nephews could be a Jinshi, Zhang Heng was already the number one scholar, and he was already the most glorious, so Zhang Dun withdrew immediately.

In the fourth year of Jiayou's reign, Zhang Dun re-examined, not only won Kaifeng Mansion Jieyuan, the emperor also kissed Jane as Jinshi No.5.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang and his younger brother Wen Bi also passed the provincial examination. The two brothers discussed that one would take the imperial examination and the other would not. In the end, the younger brother gave up his quota and went home to fulfill his filial piety, and Wen Tianxiang won the first prize.

So from Zhang Heng's words, Zhang Yue understood what a lonely minister is.

That is to always put the meaning of the Son of Heaven first in my heart, and it must be above the individual, family, and colleagues.

"The words of the head of the house, Du Zhi has been taught. The so-called lonely minister means not forming a party (colleague), not pursuing personal interests (family), and not being arbitrary (personality)."

Zhang Heng heard the words and praised him greatly: "Of course, the villain likes to seek private interests, and the gentleman likes to be arbitrary, but the gentleman and the villain all form cliques and fight against each other. If you want to be a lone minister, you don't have to be one of the three."

Seeing Zhang Yue revealing the color of enlightenment, Zhang Heng thought in his heart, Zihou is arrogant and proud, but he dares to break the rules.

After Zhang Heng's words, Zhang Yue understood from the bottom of his heart, but what the solitary minister said was nice, but it was very difficult. As an official, can he really not form cliques for personal gain, and not be willful?

This principle must be put into specific examples to be the truth, and it must be able to be shaped with things.

But since Zhang Dexiang, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Dun all take this path, it is natural for me to take this path as a child of the Zhang family... It can only be said that to a large extent, what kind of route you take and what you pay Such friends, even marriage, many times your family background has already been arranged.

This is the momentum!
After the three of Zhang Yue left Zhang Heng, they were planning to find a place to have a drink, when they came to a back alley, they suddenly saw a person rushing out in a panic.

Zhang Yue didn't care at all, but it seemed that people knew it by themselves.

The opponent turned out to be Wang Kui.

Looking at each other's disheveled clothes, everyone actually met in such an embarrassing environment.

Zhang Yue was about to pretend he didn't know each other, but Wang Kui stepped forward and said, "Duzhi, please do me a favor and cover up for me."

Zhang Yue didn't know why, but saw Wang Kui making a pleading look.

"Brother Junmin, why did you say that and ask me to help?"

But seeing Wang Kui said: "You will say that you didn't see me in a while."

After Wang Kui finished speaking, he rushed away, Zhang Yue looked dazed, and at this time an old man chased after him, followed by several tough men.

The old man asked Zhang Yue: "Did you just see where a scholar went?"

Zhang Yue said: "I haven't seen it, I don't know what the old man is talking about?"

The old man stomped his feet and said, "This goddamned scum, my daughter went to the temple to offer incense last month, and he met my daughter who lied to him with sweet words, saying that he is an imperial examination candidate, with such talents, not only can he pass the Jinshi exam, but he can also be as good as the palm of his hand, In the future, it is no problem to be the number one scholar, and in the future, I will promise a wife of the number one scholar to my daughter."

"My daughter is not very experienced in the world, and seeing that this man is indeed talented, she is also very fond of him. This man is good at talking and flattering, and he is willing to deceive my maidservant with money to cover him up, so my daughter has been in contact with him several times under the pretext of offering incense. He didn’t realize it, and finally did such a shameful thing.”

Zhang Yue couldn't help being dumbfounded.

The old man sighed: "This matter was finally brought to light. At that time, the old man wanted to beat her to death to rectify the family tradition, but the old man loved this girl all his life, and he couldn't bear to do such a cruel thing, so he had to bear with his anger. One day when they had a private meeting, the old man When I brought them all together, I asked him if he would marry my daughter, and this guy agreed, and told him where he was from, where he lived, and who his last name was."

"The old man saw that he spoke in a gentle manner, but he was a really talented person. He thought he kept his word. I didn't expect this guy to look like a beast. Afterwards, the old man went to look for him at his address, but there was no one there. The old man was almost so angry that he was lying in bed. From now on, my daughter couldn't bear this humiliation, and she wanted to hang herself, although she was saved by the maid, but half her life was lost."

"Didn't this son say that he wants to take the imperial examination... These days, the old man has been guarding around the Gongyuan, and finally let the old man catch this guy. Who would have thought that this guy is very clever. When he sees the old man, he will run away with oil on his feet." I don't know where to go, now I can't catch up with the old man, so please let the scholar tell me, who is this person's name? The old man is desperate to lose face, and also wants to sue this person to Kaifeng Mansion, and ask the scholar to tell, the old man and The girls are all grateful."

Zhang Yue was taken aback when he heard this, why is Wang Kui so scumbag?

On weekdays, I heard the other party go to Ma Zhangtai, but this is also a romantic affair of scholars, and Zhang Yue didn't care if he knew about it.

But it is possible to seduce a woman from a good family and ruin the reputation of the family, and it is really too scumbag.

Ps: Thank you for your monthly pass, thank you for your enthusiasm, I feel that I can keep updating more, and it will be a matter of time before I become a master... There will be another update in the evening, tears in my eyes.

(End of this chapter)