Prime Minister

Chapter 324 Who is the third class?

Inside Chongzheng Hall.

The papers of the three candidates were presented in front of the five examiners.

On the one hand, there is a family of three Su who is famous all over the world, and on the other hand, the number one scholar who has been Jiayou for six years.

Everyone read Su Shi's article first, and the five examiners praised it together.

Sima Guang first praised: "Before the system was instituted, Su Zizhan told the old man that he spoke bluntly about the reasons of the world, and he did not wrong him. From this point of view, it can be said that every sentence has been corrected.

Cai Xiang said with a smile: "No wonder Zhang Letao (Zhang Fangping) promised this son as a national scholar. Ou Gong once praised Su Zizhan to me, saying that after decades, no one will know his articles."

Several examiners laughed, and they were all convinced by Su Shi's article.

Hu Su said: "You can enter the third class. But don't rush to make an assertion, first read the other two's system and then speak."

Everyone praised unanimously: "This is an old saying."

Then everyone looked at Su Zhe's paper.

Su Zhe's paper really made the examiners gasp. What is this?

"Twenty years have passed. The ancient sages were deeply worried when nothing happened, and feared nothing when there was something to do. A man who had nothing to worry about deeply, so he did not fear anything. Now Your Majesty does not worry when nothing to do, and fears when there is something to worry about. Your Majesty I think His Majesty is worried about losing something."

Su Zhe made a policy of criticizing the emperor with one sentence.

Hu Su shook his head and said, "This is not what I said."

Unexpectedly, Hu Su read halfway through, and Su Zhe had another sentence below.

"Your majesty's humble ministers, the way of eavesdropping. Since your Majesty was nearly a year old, there have been thousands of noble concubines in the palace, singing and dancing, drinking and drinking, having fun and breaking the rules. They sit at court and don't hear Zimo, so there are no advisors in the palace."

Su Zhe actually said that the courtiers have heard that the emperor has thousands of beauties in your palace, singing, dancing and drinking all day long, and ignoring the government?

Seeing this, Hu Su was furious.

The emperor is also a human being, so why can't he have some normal people's hobbies?Even if there are so many beauties in the palace, it's because of working hard for the country.

Su Zhe actually compared the emperor with Shang Taikang, Shang Zujia, King Mu of Zhou, Emperor Han Cheng, Tang Muzong, and Tang Gongzong.

The five examiners also had different comments on Su Zhe's paper.

Sima Guang thought that Su Zhe's paper should be in the third class.

Sima Guang said: "Although Su Zhe's words are urgent, he is not a person who abides by the middle-of-the-road and wishes to tell the truth. On the contrary, it seems crazy and not inferior."

"Junshi's words are wrong. It may not be true that no one pretends to be loyal to the wishes of the village." Fan Zhen said.

Fan Zhen and Cai Xiang agreed that Su Zhe's paper should be ranked fourth.

Hu Su, the chief examiner, was even more violent, thinking that Su Zhece's words were not condescending, and urged his dismissal.

The examiners have different opinions, so let's put it on hold for now.

The last one is Zhang Yue's paper.

After the five examiners read Zhang Yue's article, they also immediately split into two factions.

Sima Guang said: "Although what Zhang Duzhi sees in this article is profound, it is full of legalist stratagems. He seldom talks about morality, but only talks about rectifying the emperor. If Gaodi is suspected of invading officials and disrupting government. But his writing is talented. Knowledge must be commended, and in my opinion, the fourth class is enough."

Fan Zhen was silent for a while and said: "I also feel that there is a suspicion of trespassing on the government, but it cannot be demoted to a lower level based on this."

Sima Guang said, "It's not as good as Zizhan."

Yang Tian said: "My view is different from Jun Shi's. Zhang Duzhi's insight in this article is even more profound than that of Zizhan Ziyou."

Yang Tian looked at Cai Xiang, the envoy of the Third Division of Quan Li, and asked, "What about Mr. Cai's opinion?"

Zhang Yue's article believes that the prime minister's leadership of the branch is really a bit of a violation for Cai Xiang, who is the prime minister.

Cai Xiang said, "Everyone, look at each other. Both Su Zizhan and Zhang Duzhi mentioned emigrating to Huguang, but what is the difference in their policies?"

"What is Mr. Cai's opinion?"

Cai Xiangdao: "Su Zi looked at the emigration of the people in order to get rid of narrowness and lenient, and answered his questions. But Zhang Duzhi first moved the people to the frontier, and then changed the native officials into exile officials. In his words, he changed Returning the land to the natives. Relocating people and reforming the land to return to the natives are the way to strengthen the cadres, and the whole article is consistent with the main points. I think it can be said that the truth is coherent, and the source is explored.”

After hearing Yang Tian's words, Sima Guang suddenly remembered that Wang Anshi commented on Su Shi and Su Zhe's entry.

It is to discuss a matter in terms of one matter, and the whole article is not important. It is just for political strategists, and it is the so-called Warring States article.

Zhang Yue's article is indeed coherent and clear, and the whole article is drawn from one theory, which is the so-called governance of the country.Of course, Sima Guang objected to such a powerful way of governing the country, but in terms of strategy, it was better than Ersu.

Therefore, Sima Guang remained silent, and he did not object to Zhang Yue being demoted to the fourth class, but he did not support Zhang Yue's promotion to the third class either.

Sima Guang said: "I think Su Ziyou's Theory of the Six Kingdoms is wonderful, and it is also a great essay. Zhang Duzhi's article is not as good as the Theory of the Six Kingdoms."

The five examiners discussed and disagreed.

Should Su Zhe do it or not?
Su Shi, Zhang Yue, who is the third class, everyone debated for a while, but they still couldn't agree, and in the end they still asked the Holy Judge in the old way.

As for it was already dark now, Zhang Yue, Su Shi, and Su Zhe had been waiting in the side hall of Chongzheng Hall for more than half an hour, but no one came forward to announce the order, so it was strange in their hearts.

At this moment, Su Shi, Zhang Yue and the three talked about countermeasures.

"Duzhi, what is the topic of your entry?" Su Shi asked, and Su Zhe glanced at his elder brother. Can you ask this question casually?

Zhang Yue smiled. He knew that Su Shi didn't have much scheming, so he said frankly: "The topic is to be strong."

Su Zhe breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and then asked, "Du Zhi, is it a strong stem and a weak branch?"

Su Shi said to Su Zhe: "Ziyou, this phrase comes from the chronology of the princes and kings since Han Xing in the Historical Records of the Han Dynasty. Power, superiority and inferiority are clear and everything has its place. I forgot when I recited Han Shu, but you reminded me."

Su Zhe smiled and said, "My brother still remembers what happened so many years ago."

Su Zhe said to Zhang Yue: "I remember that the Han Dynasty used the decree to cut down the power of the princes and kings. It can be said that it strengthened its stems and weakened its branches. What Taizu Taizong did was to use literature to suppress military affairs and abolish the feudal towns. , why do you want to save it? Is there still a twitter order?"

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Tweeting the grace order is a good law through the ages. In the final analysis, it lies in suppressing mergers."

After a pause, Yue continued: "Actually, I only talk about strong stems and not weak branches, but if I really want to say it, it should be strong stems and weak branches that enrich the people."

Su Zhe said: "Although Duzhi has a good idea, it is difficult to enrich the people by forcing him to work, and it is difficult to force him to work if he wants to enrich the people."

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "What Ziyou said is very true. This is the way of repetition, and the meaning of lenient and fierce. For example, when planting a tree, the trunk is the root, and the branches are trimmed first to make the trunk more upright and strong. Later, the branches and leaves will be stronger. dense."

"It's not too much to think about the branches and leaves of that time, not the branches and leaves of this one." Su Shi frowned and said.

Zhang Yue said: "The Taizu used to drink wine to release his military power, and he did not replace it."

Su Shi pondered and said: "If this is the case, it seems feasible. But I'm afraid it's taken for granted."

Zhang Yue smiled and said: "Governing the world is different, and governing the way is different. Confucianism alone is not enough to guide the world."

Zhang Yue knew Su Shi, and Su Zhe both opposed reforms in history.

However, at this moment, the relationship between conservatism and reform has not yet reached the point where swords are at war in the future.Zhang Yue talked frankly with Su Shi and Su Zhe, even though they had different views, it was as common as talking about a piece of food.

It's like you are a sweet party and I am a salty party. Everyone fights and fights without hurting the friendship.

Hope it will be like this in the future.Even if everyone has different political opinions, they can sit down and chat calmly.

At this moment, he suddenly heard footsteps, and it turned out that it was Han Qi who had arrived.

The three of them hurriedly got up to salute.

(End of this chapter)