Prime Minister

Chapter 534 The Difficulty of Knowing People
To find the way to enrich the country and strengthen the army has become something that the officials never forget.

Since the Wei Mingshan brothers surrendered, the officials have strengthened their determination.

It rained heavily again in Bianjing.

The officials all thought of the heavy rain in the second year of Zhiping. Kaifeng Mansion and Dushui Supervisor were all mobilized to check for gaps and make up for leaks.

But for Chaotang, the rumbling thunder and lightning accompanied by heavy rain indicated that a revolution was about to begin.

Because the officials crossed the Zhongshu Privy Council to direct the war in Xixia, in order to allow Zhong Er to attack Suizhou, the officials allocated 60 yuan to make it happen.

As soon as Sima Guang said this example, the war between the dynasty and Xixia would never stop.

Sure enough, as Sima Guang said, after Zhong Er attacked Suizhou, the Xixia people quickly retaliated, and Li Liangzuo designed to trap and kill Yang Ding, the security guard of the Song Dynasty.

Yang Ding once approached Xixia as an envoy of the imperial court, and agreed with Li Liangzuo to return the acquaintances who were looted to Xixia.Li Liangzuo also asked Yang to pay tribute to the emperor with swords, gold and silver.After Yang Ding returned to the court, he only dedicated the sword to the emperor, but did not see gold and silver.

Yang Ding said that Li Liangzuo could be assassinated by tricks, and the emperor was overjoyed and let him know about the security forces.As a result, as soon as the attack on Suizhou happened, Li Liangzuo believed that the Song Dynasty had no sincerity in negotiating peace, so he summoned Yang Ding in the name of a meeting, and then killed him.

The officials heard that they were furious and wanted to retaliate, but Shao Kang and other ministers opposed it.The ministers said that the world is short of financial resources, so it is not appropriate to lightly talk about military affairs, and they also asked the imperial court to mainly appease the Quartet.

The officials had no choice but to stop their plans to use troops against Xixia. At the same time, they issued an edict to ask the officials to speak out. After the Kaifeng city was flooded, Emperor Yingzong once ordered to speak out.

Now the government issued an edict to speak out, so that even if you are a low-ranking official, you can report to the emperor, and you are free to speak, you can say whatever you want, even if you point at the government and curse It doesn't matter.

Such an edict is actually the third time since the official's ascension to the throne for more than half a year that the official has issued a blunt edict. The groom's official has never seen such a hurry to enter the bridal chamber, but everyone in the world knows how urgent the official is.

In addition to issuing edicts, the officials also implement the system of turning to the right. The so-called system of turning to the right means that, except for the officials who are waiting to be ordered, every court official can enter the daily life to play against the officials.

He also called on the ministers around him to raise their own talents.

It is true that the officials are so earnest, which really worries Sima Guang and other ministers, but it also makes many officials see a step forward.

On this day, the capital was hit by an earthquake.

The entire palace was crumbling, and the queen mothers of both palaces were frightened.

A few days later, the officials called important ministers to discuss matters in the hall.

The official asked Zeng Gongliang, "What does God want me to be vigilant about about the earthquake?"

Zeng Gongliang said: "Your Majesty, when I read Gan and Shi's star scriptures, there are clouds, sky cracks or earthquakes, all of which have excess qi and insufficient yang. Earthquakes have excess yin, and sky cracks have insufficient yang."

"This earthquake must be due to excess Yin Qi."

The next Zhang Yue couldn't help but admire after listening to it, Zeng Gongliang is too good at talking.

The official asked Zeng Gongliang, "Then what is Yin?"

Zeng Gongliang said: "The minister is the yin of the king, the son is the yin of the father, the wife is the yin of the husband, and the barbarians are the yin of China. Your majesty should guard against it."

The official thought for a while, and then said: "That's right, barbarians are the shadow of China."

All the ministers looked at each other in blank dismay, Zeng Gongliang gave a very vague answer, unexpectedly the officials took their seats, this level of imagination.

However, Zhang Yue was right when he thought about it. Compared with the Han and Tang Dynasties or any other powerful regime in history, the transfer of imperial power between the kings of the Song Dynasty seemed extremely smooth and smooth.

Ministers, princes, empress dowagers and other dynasties have threatened the imperial power, and they are all within a controllable range.

But there is no good way to deal with external threats.

Just at this time, a cold voice said: "Your Majesty, there are villains among the ministers, and the party of villains is prosperous. This is the early warning of the earthquake to Your Majesty."

The speaker was Wu Kui.

Zhang Yue thought to himself, mother, what is a villain's party? Is it the same as the gentleman's party and villain's party during the Qingli period?There is no end to party disputes all day long. Is this the problem of the country now?

Not only Zhang Yue, but even the officials showed displeasure.

After Wu Kui finished speaking, Wang Tao came out of the class and said: "I seconded the proposal, Your Majesty is eager to seek treatment, and entered people too fast, so that some villains were favored by the holy favor, and they were able to lean around and deceive the saint."

"Your Majesty should heed the warning from the heavens, and expel all the villains on the left and right from the court, and exile them to places like Lingnan Yashan for a lifetime."

After hearing Wang Tao's words, Zhang Yue felt angry in his heart, and got used to it. It's not once or twice that this person has spoken ill of himself in front of the emperor.

After Wu Kui and Wang Tao finished speaking successively, Sima Guang, the representative of the department, must be indispensable.

Of course Sima Guang supported Wu Kui, and Wang Tao's opinion said: "Your Majesty, a few days ago, Mr. Fu Zheng said that the king has no job, but to distinguish between a gentleman and a villain."

"There are so many officials in the imperial court, so many positions, how can His Majesty arrange for them to go one by one... Now that His Majesty wants to make the country rich and the army strong, it is quite the style of a wise monarch to open up the way of speaking, but it is widely accepted by all officials. Since you have obtained a lot of words, it is really difficult to distinguish which words are true and which words contain evil intentions."

"Some treacherous plots seem to be dignified schemes, and some treacherous and evil people appear to be loyal ministers. Please distinguish carefully, Your Majesty."

After hearing the words of the three officials, the official finally couldn't help but said: "Your family, is the most urgent task now is to distinguish between a gentleman and a villain?"

"The first emperor can be said to be able to distinguish between a gentleman and a villain, but after I ascended the throne, I saw that the court's accounts are now in deficit, and the country can only be overthrown overnight. In order to save money, I reduced the funeral expenses of the late emperor and the rewards to the officials and soldiers after he ascended the throne. It is only one-third of what it was when the first emperor came to the throne."

"But even so, the treasury is still empty, and the imperial court is struggling everywhere. It's okay for a Suizhou to dare not recover. Now that the envoys of the imperial court have been killed, I have to swallow it?"

Sima Guang and other officials stepped aside.

At this time, Zhang Fangping, a Hanlin scholar, came out of the class and said: "Your Majesty, I have served as the third envoy and managed the country's finances. I think that if the country wants to maintain long-term stability, the most important thing is not benevolence, but a word of wealth. As long as the treasury is sufficient, the imperial court and officials will have confidence, and the barbarians will not dare to underestimate China."

The official's eyes lit up, what Zhang Fangping said was good.

Zhang Fangping was the one who was good at saving money among the ministers. When it came to organizing the funeral of Emperor Yingzong, Zhang Fangping cut a little here and saved a little there.

Regarding this matter, the officials felt that Zhang Fangping could be reused.

The officials thought that if Zhang Fangping could be used, why would they call Wang Anshi?He asked: "Then what strategy does Zhang Qing have to fill the treasury?"

Zhang Fangping talked eloquently: "I thought it was saving money. When I was the third envoy at the beginning of the year, I dredged the Bianhe River and rectified the water transportation. When I left office, I had accumulated three years' worth of grain and six years' worth of horse fodder..."

"When I served as the third envoy for the second time, the grain in the capital was only one and a half years, and the horse feed was only enough for one year. It took me less than a year, and the capital had five years of grain..."

What Zhang Fangping talked about was his achievements in serving two and three times as envoys.

Zhang Yue had heard a lot of rumors about Zhang Fangping, and knew about his talent.

Zhang Fangping is indeed a capable minister, and among the officials who were in charge of finance in ancient and modern times, he rarely paid attention to data.

Generally speaking, ordinary officials are in charge of the national economy, and they will only deal with it vaguely around the two aspects of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure.

Zhang Fangping is different. He reviews the finances and compares the fiscal revenue and expenditure data of this year with the previous year, not only in this item, but also with the data of Taizu, Taizong, and Zhenzong, and draws an accurate conclusion. .

In the appointment of the third division, he also clarified the statistical system of the third division, making statistics once a year, and listing the surplus and reduction of income and expenditure every three years.

Zhang Fangping talked a lot in the court hall, the data of the court's income and expenditure over the years.

Everyone was stunned by the series of numbers. You must know that the courtiers are not convinced when it comes to endorsement skills, but when it comes to the ability to memorize irregular numbers in their minds, that's really true. No.

But Zhang Fangping can.

why?
Because Zhang Fangping has a photographic memory, the legendary book does not read it a second time.

Now even Zhang Yue expressed his admiration for Zhang Fangping's ability, he really deserves to be a cadre.Unexpectedly, apart from Wang Anshi, there would be such a capable official as Zhang Fangping in the court.

After Zhang Fangping finished speaking, he stepped aside triumphantly.

This time the palace meeting was also broken up.

When the official family, Zhang Yue, and Shao Kang, who was repairing the daily notes, retreated to the hall together.

The servant told Sima Guangfu to see him again.

The officials met Sima Guang in the hall.

After Sima Guang entered the palace, he played to the officials: "Your Majesty, the words spoken in the palace just now are the words from the heart of the ministers. At the beginning of your majesty's reign, you must not reveal the master's likes and dislikes. What you like and what you hate, you must not let the officials and officials know. .”

"If you know about it, some officials will come to cater to you and try to take advantage of your official career, and now the country will be in chaos. What your majesty does is to be as silent as the deep, just like the sky treats everything, and does not treat each other with likes and dislikes. Treat everyone as equal."

"At this time, the virtuousness, foolishness, loyalty, and treachery of the officials can be seen at a glance. Your Majesty will reward and punish, and the world will naturally be stable now."

The officials heard Sima Guang's heartfelt words and couldn't help but be moved. Just now what Sima Guang said in the court hall displeased him, but now he knows that the other party is really a plotter.

The official was quite touched and said: "I really did not misunderstand the Qing family, I will write down what I said. I intend to use Zhang Fangping as a political advisor, what does the Qing family think?"

Sima Guang immediately said: "Zhang Fangping is a treacherous and greedy person, His Majesty must not use him."

The officials were immediately unhappy when they heard this, and said: "Why do I have to use only one person, and the next one will do the objection. This is not a good thing for the court."

Sima Guang argued with reason: "No, I think this is a good thing for the imperial court. Knowing people is something that even Yao and Shun can't do. What's more, your majesty has just ascended the throne. How can you recognize evil? If you keep silent, how will your majesty know? "

The official said: "I am not a three-year-old child, you can tell the evil by yourself."

Officials and Sima Guang broke up again.

After Sima Guang left, the official looked at Zhang Yue angrily and asked, "Qing recommended Wang Anshi before, but he didn't want to come to Beijing. Now I want to use Zhang Fangping instead. Do you think this person is available?"

(End of this chapter)