Prime Minister

Chapter 555
I heard that the officials want to discuss this matter with officials above the system.

Sima Guang said: "Your Majesty, Wang Anshi cleverly said that the people do not add taxes, but the country uses enough, and takes money from the world, but what he did was the method of Sang Hongyang in the past. This way of collecting money is too much, and the scholars will complain, and the people will be exhausted. Extremely stealing."

"Now that this matter is being discussed by officials above the waiting list, I am afraid that officials will try to follow suit in the future, and their hearts will not be the same from now on! Your Majesty, please withdraw this order, and only discuss it in the academy."

"As for Zhang Yue, as the minister of Tianzhang Pavilion, this is not a place for banquets, and he actually interferes in politics with nonsense, please His Majesty deal with it!"

The official wanted to make a promise, but was pushed back by Sima Guang.

Zhang Yue hesitated whether to confront Sima Guanggang head-on, after all, the two had a good personal relationship.But hearing Sima Guang burn himself on fire, he was also a little annoyed.

I really favor Wang Anshi.

He and Wang Anshi are not without conflicts, and the conflict between him and Wang Anshi will definitely be a dispute over the details of the reform in the future.

But the conflict between him and Sima Guang was a dispute over whether to reform or not.

Which of the two is more contradictory?
Zhang Yue thought about it, and decided to take a step back first, there was no need to stand between Wang Anshi and Sima Guang.

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

The official took a look at Zhang Yue, and said with a protective face: "I will deal with Zhang Qing's crime in the future! But what do the other two Qing families think about whether to discuss it under the waiting list?"

Wang Gui remained silent.

Wang Anshi said: "There are as many as 70 to [-] officials in Beijing who are above the waiting system. It would be too involved to hand over this matter to the waiting system for discussion! I think it is enough for officials above the two systems to discuss!"

The original exemption law was also discussed by officials of the two systems or above.

How many officials are there in the two systems?

When Ouyang Xiu was in Jiayou, he said that during Renzong’s reign, the number of officials with more than two systems and less than 50 was considered ugly, which means that as long as there are fewer than [-] officials with more than two systems, the ministers think it is unattractive. Is there a shortage of people in the court? What a prosperous age should look like.

As for the good Emperor Renzong, the general courtiers have been with him for a long time, and if the other party pleads for a while, he will reward him with a high-quality literature as soon as his heart softens.

In the end, there were too many officials of the two systems or above in the Renzong Dynasty, often exceeding 50 people. You must know that there were only 20 officials above the two systems in Zhenzong.

After Ouyang Xiu's resignation, the imperial court got better because of the removal of titles, but it also suffered grievances from many officials.

It can be seen from this that Ouyang Xiu often does such offending things, no wonder he is not popular in the officialdom.

In the Xining year, officials with two systems and above were restricted to more than 40 people, and they were never allowed to exceed [-]. The two systems and above were almost the top [-] officials in the Song Dynasty.

Below the two systems is pending system.

As for the waiting officials, the requirements were strict at first, but later, as the transfer officer of the deputy of the third division, he could be transferred as long as the time limit was up, and there was no need for a special performance, as long as the emperor approved it.

Officials above the waiting system not only have special extra money and envoy money, but also rank among the important ministers.

After Jiayou years, redundant officials were strictly restricted, and now the number of officials above the waiting list is controlled at around 100.

Once an official is awarded the waiting system, there is no mechanism for retiring from the title. When he is released from Beijing, he will take the title of servant to the local area to serve as an important official of the Dafan.

Therefore, there are as many as six to seventy people waiting in Beijing.

Wang Anshi said that officials above the two systems should be discussed, which is a compromise. Sima Guang did not object when he touched his lips, but his face was not good-looking.

Seeing this, the official said, "Let the officials above the two systems discuss it!"

The official got up, so the discussion came here.

Walking out of the gate of the palace, Zhang Yue saw Sima Guang, and accompanied him with a smiling face.

Sima Guang looked at himself meaningfully.

The next day, Zhang Yue returned to Tianzhang Pavilion to be on duty.

The servant Hu Ding at the side brought a cup of tea to Zhang Yue, and asked tentatively, "Did something happen to Yanhe Palace yesterday?"

Zhang Yue picked up the tea ceremony: "No."

Relying on his acquaintance with Zhang Yue, Hu Ding said with a smile: "Zhang Zhengyan doesn't need to hide from our family. We have been in the palace for decades, and we have some acquaintances. There must be a dispute. You talk to our family."

After speaking, Hu Ding moved a stool, and grabbed a handful of snacks and put them in his palm, like gossiping people eating melon seeds and watching movies.A few inner eunuchs who were cleaning and wiping the calligraphy, painting and porcelain in Tianzhang Pavilion also gathered around in the same way.

Zhang Yue frowned, sighed and said, "That's fine, just help me out."

Hu Ding said happily: "That's all right, our family will definitely help you as a staff officer."

Zhang Yue nodded, Hu Ding picked up the teacup and looked at Zhang Yue expectantly, and the other eunuchs gathered more tightly.

"Today in Yanhe Palace, the official summoned me...is..."

Hu Ding nodded again and again, and when the tea entered the mouth, he saw Zhang Yue's mouth moving, and couldn't help stretching his ears.

Zhang Yue made an expression of looking at my mouth shape, and everyone also put on a posture of listening.

Zhang Yue waited for their ears to get close, and Fang said: "The Yanhe Hall is... all right!"

Hu Ding sprayed the tea on the ground, and the eunuchs also looked disappointed.Hu Dingman complained and said: "Zhang Zhengyan, you are entertaining our family again."

Seeing this, Zhang Yue laughed, grabbed snacks from the table and chewed with the other party.The rest of the eunuchs continued to clean and wipe the calligraphy, painting and porcelain in Tianzhang Pavilion in frustration.

This is also Zhang Yue's daily on-duty routine, talking and laughing with these eunuchs, and even beating and scolding.The eunuch's temperament is a bit like a woman, and he will be a little emotional.

At the same time, if you respect them enough, they will always remember a little good, and if it is bad, they will always remember it.

Zhang Yue still got along quite well with the eunuchs in Tianzhang Pavilion, and when the officials were not summoned, he would drink tea and gossip with them.Zhang Yue also often gives some small favors and favors, so he can often learn a lot of news in the palace from them first, which can be regarded as clairvoyant.

At this time, an eunuch rushed over and said to Zhang Yue: "Zhang Zhengyan, I heard that Wu Jingshangshu, the supervisory censor, impeached you for the crime of making irresponsible remarks in Yanhe Hall yesterday!"

When Zhang Yue listened to his heart, he really came.

In fact, he had already prepared for this matter, but he didn't expect it to come so soon.

But at this moment, in the Zizheng Hall, Lu Jing, the censor, is about to play with the officials.

On the side are Sun Jue of Zhijian Yuan, Chen Xiang of Xiu's daily life note, Zeng Gongliang, Prime Minister, and Wen Yanbo, Privy Councilor.

First, Sun Jue said to the emperor: "Your Majesty thinks that Chen Shengzhi can serve as a privy envoy, but Shao Kang should not know."

The official said impatiently to Sun Jue: "I don't know if Chen Shengzhi will be appointed as the privy envoy. Is it already my fate? Why do you keep saying that I want to accept favors? I hope that the privy envoy I use must be recommended by you." , can I thank Dade for you in the future?"

Sun Jue panicked and said: "Your Majesty, I don't know that the privy envoy has been ordered. I ask Your Majesty to forgive me!"

The official shook his head and said: "It's really embarrassing. You have made a mistake about Shao Kang before, and now you are wrong again. How can you be an admonisher?"

Chen Xiang, who was paying attention to his daily life, also felt sorry for Sun Jue, his disciple who had followed him the longest.

Sun Jue is upright and outspoken, often discusses generously, is not afraid of powerful people, and dares to criticize the government.However, Sun Jue acted recklessly, often without discerning the situation.

Chen Shengzhi was Han Qi's right-hand man, and was listed alongside Han Jiang as the right-hand protector. This time, he returned to the court to serve as a privy envoy, which was also planned by the officials long ago.

The purpose is to use Chen Shengzhi to balance the forces in the court.

This is the ancestral system, and the officials are prepared to worship Wang Anshi as their prime minister, so they must use a person who is not from the same faction as him to enter the Zhongshu. This is Emperor Zhenzong's strategy of mixing different opinions.

The official said to Sun Jue: "Before you said that Teng Fu was greedy for ink, and you cited seven crimes for him. I will give him your memorial. Teng Fu said that there is any crime of corruption for ink, and he is willing to resign from his official position."

"I hope that in the future, your remonstrance will need to be verified before proceeding."

Sun Jue accepted it silently.

The official said to Zeng Gongliang who was on the side: "Last time, Sima Guang said that the Court of Admonitions is no good, so he recommended Lu Hui to know the Court of Admonitions again. What do you think? What position should Lu Hui be given?"

Chen Shengzhi served as the deputy privy envoy back then, but was impeached by Lu Hui for colluding with eunuchs and was dismissed from office.

Zeng Gongliang knew that the officials re-appointed Lu Hui as an admonisher, and they also had the purpose of supervising Chen Shengzhi.

Zeng Gongliang said: "Lü Huo is loyal and available, and has always had a strong character. It would be great to have him as an admonisher."

"When Your Majesty ascended the throne, Lu Huo added Jixian Hall to compile it because of his meritorious service. Now I am a doctor of the Ministry of Punishment, and I am sent by the deputy envoy of Yantie. The provincial deputy of the third division of the case can be moved to Tianzhang Pavilion to be appointed. .”

Wen Yanbo asked, "Is it appropriate?
"

Zeng Gongliang talked about the ordinances of employing officials like a few treasures: "There are three promotion paths in the waiting system. The first is the local transfer envoy to be promoted to the third division judge, and the deputy envoy will be removed from the waiting system."

"The second-class censor Zhiza was promoted to the judge of the third division, and the deputy envoy was promoted to the waiting system."

"The third class is the banquet official, the promotion system."

"Lü Hui is the highest foreign official, but he knows Hezhong Prefecture. He is a shepherd of the Dafan and not a local transfer envoy. However, he served as the imperial censor and is now the deputy envoy of Yantie. You don't need to take a decree to be promoted to the waiting system."

"Although it's only been a year, His Majesty has issued an imperial decree as an exception at the request of Sima Guang."

Wen Yanbo nodded and said, "I don't mean anything else. It's just that in the later period of the Renzong Dynasty, the third envoy and deputy had to go to Khitan before allowing the granting system."

"This is to avoid the abuse of the system."

Zeng Gong nodded brightly, Wen Yanbo was right, and Lu Hao's prefaces were all right, but it was true that he had never been sent to Khitan.

The official said: "The imperial court is at the time when it is employing people. Now let's put aside the trivial matters of being an official, as long as the officials outside have no objections."

Wen Yanbo said: "Your Majesty, there is nothing wrong with Lu Hui's appointment as the Tianzhang Pavilion Waiter. It is just a waiting position, which is an important minister in the court. It should not be given lightly. It must not only be a joint order, but also have both virtue and prestige."

The official said: "What the Prime Minister said is very true."

Wen Yanbo knew that the official family members were more eager than Emperor Renzong back then, and there was actually no problem with Lu Hui's appointment, but he still had to do his duty to persuade him first.

In this way, Lu Hui's appointment as Tianzhang Pavilion was confirmed.

After Sun Jue and Zeng Gongliang played the incident, Lu Jing, the censor, said: "Your Majesty, I impeach the servant of Tianzhang Pavilion to preach Zhang Yue!"

Lu Jing sent an impeachment memorial of hundreds of words to the officials.

The officials didn't bother to look at it, and sat on the throne with a headache.

Everyone present knew that the officials were unwilling to punish Zhang Yue, but Lu Jing was ignorant.

In fact, this time things were really going to be made a big deal by Zhang Yue.It was originally an ordinary thing bestowed by the prime minister's resignation, so if the prime minister doesn't want it, he just doesn't want it.

As a result, Sima Guang and Wang Anshi held different opinions before the imperial court, and it became a dispute whether to increase income or reduce expenditure, which in turn led to the topic that the people do not add taxes and the country uses enough, which has been debated since the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty until today.

The Song Dynasty said it practiced Confucian politics, but official wine, official tea, official salt, as long as it was a profitable industry, the imperial court would like to intervene.

The previous Jiaozi was originally private finance, but Zhang Yongzhi Shu set up Jiaozi, turning Jiaozi into an official business.

Therefore, it is appropriate that Sang Hongyang's law is practiced today, but Song Dynasty officials do not recognize it from top to bottom.

Now that the issue of the two systems is underway, many officials of the two systems are unavoidably annoyed, who is so boring to put such a thing on the table again.

Is it okay to say one thing and do another on weekdays?Isn't it good to hide one's ears and steal one's bell?

So someone asked who proposed the ministers of the two systems to discuss, and then Zhang Yue was shaken out.

Lu Jing deserved to be the censor, and he impeached Zhang Yue without saying a word.

It just so happens that when Zhang Dun tried his post in the library, it was Lu Jing who impeached Zhang Dun for his misbehavior and could not be granted a post in the library.This time Lu Jing impeached Zhang Yuelai again.

At the beginning, Ouyang Xiu's resignation was also due to Lu Jing's contribution.

Lu Jing made a long speech, the more it is wrong.

Now the discussion of the two systems under the lower regime has become a fait accompli and cannot be changed, but Zhang Yue's proposal to discuss changes is a big taboo of officials.Lu Jing could not impeach Zhang Yue and proposed to discuss it, but only impeached him for the crime of discussing politics in a humble position.

The official finally waited for Lu Jing to finish speaking, and then acted as a peacemaker: "Lu Qing, although the words of the Yanhe Palace broke the rules, they are justifiable. How about forgetting it?"

Lu Jing said seriously: "Your Majesty, the rules of the imperial court must not be messed up. I remember that His Majesty issued an imperial edict to Zhang Yue to participate in the government affairs, and allowed him to listen to and hear about the political affairs. This is already a great grace." .”

"But Zhang Yue didn't know how to measure. When the Hanlin scholars in the Yanhe Hall were discussing the great affairs of the court, he made a statement to interfere with the government! This is really not the body of a minister."

"Even Meng Tong, who has just entered school, knows that he is not in his position and does not plan for his own affairs. If he does not know what is going on, he should not speak lightly. Zhang Yuecai has only participated in political affairs for more than a year, and he dares to speak out. He will not be punished. Attendant officer, the banquet official will have no rules at all!"

The official said: "Then according to Qing's opinion, how should we punish?"

Lu Jingdao: "It must be removed from his post, demoted to another state, and served as a local official for several years before he can be used again!"

No!

This was the official's first reaction.

Zhang Yue knew his intentions best, and worked with Wang Anshi to promote reforms, making him a promising king who could make the country rich and the army strong.

This time, the discussion of the two systems under the two systems was promoted by him.This matter was done very much in line with his wishes.

But Lu Jing wanted to punish him. If Zhang Yue was punished, who would dare to stand up and speak for him in the future.

This Lu Jing is so ruthless, first Ouyang Xiu, then Zhang Dun, and now Zhang Yue.

Zeng Gongliang observed the meaning of the officials, and said, "No, this punishment is too much. Posting is the most important thing in the selection of the West. Officials must be taken with them when they go out to guard, let alone dismissed."

Lu Jing said indignantly: "Since you can't be dismissed from the official position, you should also seize the three officials and demote them!"

Winning three officials in a row means dropping three ranks in a row!

How can the officials be willing to let Zhang Yue leave now? After hearing Lu Jing's aggressiveness again and again, they immediately said angrily: "Isn't Lu Qing just thinking that Zhang Qing is inferior? Waiting! So what else do you have to say?"

Hearing what the official said, everyone present was dumbfounded.

(End of this chapter)