I studied in modern times

Chapter 67 Vortex
Baoci Palace.

The Empress Dowager was sulking.

The reason for sulking is simple.

Not long ago, the people who met with the secretary handed over another letter from the old minister after he went to Beijing to go to the palace.

When the Empress Dowager first received it, she was very happy.

Because that old minister was once the elder minister she favored more.

Regardless of her family background, she was a minister in the hidden residence of Emperor Daxing—a minister chosen by her husband for Emperor Daxing.

In the Xining and Yuanfeng eras, the Emperor Daxing was repeatedly advised to stop the military revolution and live with the people.

When the Five Routes conquered Xia, this old official served as a member of the Tongzhi Privy Council and was extremely opposed to the adventurous actions of Emperor Daxing.

Later, he moved to know the affairs of the Privy Council and added the Deputy Envoy of the Privy Council.

Before and after the Yongle City War, he resigned due to illness due to his strong opposition, so he was appointed as a scholar of Guanwendian to know Heyang Mansion.

Later, he was ill and returned home due to illness. Emperor Daxing praised the old officials, so he ordered the promotion of Songshan Chongfu Palace.

But it was such a veteran minister who was once favored by the Empress Dowager, but in his first letter to return to Beijing to go to the palace, he didn't mention the various disadvantages of Xining and Yuanfeng at all.

Instead, he used all the words to persuade her that she should not belittle the Left Prime Minister again.

The reason is that "the prime minister, the important minister of the country, is the sharer who governs the world with the emperor, the minister who is extremely courteous, and the ministers avoid the way."

And 'this is not the system of ancestors treating Confucian ministers kindly', let alone 'since Renmiao, ancestors have never committed serious crimes'.

After reading a book, the Empress Dowager became a little bit tempered.

Even when Liang Weijian came to invite her to eat her favorite lotus seed soup cooked by the imperial chef, she didn't want to eat it.

When the Empress Dowager brought Zhao Xu to her, the Empress Dowager was still angry.

"What's the matter, ma'am?" The queen mother could tell at a glance that the empress dowager was angry, and hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

"It's not that Sun Gu!" The Empress Dowager grabbed the letter in her hand and said still angrily: "As a senior minister, I went back to Beijing to go to the palace to write a letter, but I didn't talk about the military affairs, I just pleaded for a guilty minister!"

"I also said that if the old man punishes him deeply, he will disappoint the scholars and bureaucrats in the world!"

Zhao Xu was listening and watching.

There was no surprise or surprise at the appearance of his mother-in-law.

Because, in her previous life, she was like this.

Once the temper comes up, except for Sima Guang and Lu Gongzhu who can persuade them, everyone else may be scolded if they don't follow her words!

The main reason why Sima Guang and Lu Gong's works can be persuaded is because they can speak, and they speak very nicely.

He opened his mouth and said "Your Majesty's daughter Yaoshun", coaxing the empress dowager to hardly remember her last name.

Listening to what the Empress Dowager said, the Queen Mother almost knew what happened?
So, he said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, forgive me, the bride thinks that what Xueshi Sun said is not unreasonable!"

"Since my ancestor in the Song Dynasty, I have ruled the world with the scholar-bureaucrats!"

"In Xining, Duke Wen Lu used this to persuade Emperor Daxing..."

When Wen Yanbo's name was mentioned to the queen mother, the queen mother finally lost her temper.

Wen Yanbo, that is the elder minister she respects very much!
However, she was still dissatisfied, and still said: "If this is the case, the ministers of the court will be guilty in the future, and they will not be able to add more crimes!"

"If this is the case, the country will not be a country!"

"Besides! Empress Dowager, the censors' bullets, the Empress Dowager also read!"

"Wang Gui's actions, there is a little look like a country's governor?"

"He even communicated with Liao envoys in private!"

While the Empress Dowager was speaking, her eyes were quietly observing Zhao Xu's expression.

The Empress Dowager Xiang didn't pay attention to this detail, so she could only persuade patiently: "Your Majesty, the imperial censor played the role, it's just a rumor...Since the ancestors, has anyone in the country communicated with the Liao people?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, "Zhang Yuan, Wu Hao, doesn't the Empress Dowager know?"

Empress Dowager Xiang choked immediately, and said after a long time: "Those are just two low-ranking scholars, not considered scholar-bureaucrats..."

The Empress Dowager laughed immediately and didn't speak, just looked at the Empress Dowager.

Zhang Yuan and Wu Hao were scholars in the Renmiao era.

Because of repeated failures, evil comes from the side of the guts, so he throws his thoughts into the Western Bandit, and is reused by the Western Bandit leader Yuan Hao.

Legend has it that Zhang Yuan commanded the battle of Haoshuichuan.

After the war, this fallen scholar of the Great Song Dynasty stepped on the corpses of countless fallen soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty on the battlefield and wrote a poem: Xia Song, when did Han Qi not be so strange?Manchuan dragon and tiger chariots, still talking about military planes!
Thus, one battle became famous.

Even changed Da Song!
Since then, the imperial examinations in the Song Dynasty have no longer deposed scholars.

It also specially set up the title of "Special Exam Scholars" to give scholars who have tried and failed a way out and let them have an official job.

Lest these people feel that Huai Cai was not met in the Great Song Dynasty, just like Zhang Yuan and Wu Hao, and go to the western thieves and northern captives with all their heart.

The influence of these two people on the literary world of the Song Dynasty was far more than that.

Many subsequent reforms of the imperial examinations, including Wang Anshi's abolition of poetry and prose and selection of scholars based on classics and righteousness, also had the consideration of preventing people like Zhang Yuan and Wu Hao from reappearing.

The Empress Dowager Xiang was stared at by the Empress Dowager, so she could only bow her head and plead guilty.

The Empress Dowager didn't bother, she looked at Zhao Xu and asked, "Sixth brother is not studying in Funing Palace, what's the matter in Taimu's Palace?"

The Empress Dowager Xiang regained her self-confidence, and quickly told the Empress Dowager what happened in Funing Hall just now.

Immediately, the Empress Dowager also became surprised: "Really?"

"How can the bride deceive the empress? If the empress doesn't believe it, she can be the sixth brother!"

So, the Empress Dowager was in Baoci Palace with great interest, holding the memorial in the hands of the Empress Dowager, and asked Zhao Xu questions one by one.

Then she listened to Zhao Xu's articulate and well-organized answers, and she was extremely satisfied.

After asking each question, she clasped her hands together and bowed: "Bless the ancestors! Bless the ancestors! Bless the Bodhisattva! Bless the Bodhisattva!"

Da Song has become a hero!
However, the fear in his heart deepened because of this, and his killing intent towards Wang Gui intensified again.

Now, no one can persuade you!

The empress dowager has decided to kill!
Wang Gui, you must peel the hemp!
All the charges against him must be confirmed!

Otherwise... there will be endless troubles!

……

Yuxian Main Store, one of the 72 main stores in Bianjing.

It is also the largest and most luxurious restaurant on the entire Xixiangyu Street, and it is also the favorite restaurant for literati and bureaucrats.

Sima Guang hosted a special banquet here to entertain his old friend Sun Gu who had just entered Beijing.

Sun Gu was slightly older than Sima Guang. He was born in the ninth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1016), while Sima Guang was born in the third year of Tianxi (1019).

The two were in Bianjing in the past, and they were also good friends.

During the Zhiping years, they had very close contacts.

At that time, Sima Guang served as Yushi Zhongcheng, and Sun Gu was the minister of Emperor Daxing's hidden residence.

"I heard that Hefu wrote to the Empress Dowager today to plead for Wang Yuyu?" Sima Guang took the opportunity to ask after drinking.

Sun Gu nodded: "When I came to Beijing this time, I just wanted to talk about Wang Anshi's chaos in politics..."

"However, after entering Beijing, I heard that the two palaces wanted to punish Wang Yuyu's crime!"

"The Empress Dowager even has the intention of stripping King Yuyu of hemp!"

This is something Sima Guang never knew.

He was also taken aback when he heard the words: "Peel the hemp?
"During the 70 or [-] years of our ancestors, how has the Minister of Hemp ever been stripped?"

"Confucian officials and scholar-officials are respectable, how can they be contemptuous at will?!"

As he said that, Sima Guang solemnly promised Sun Gu: "Don't worry, Hefu, if the empress dowager really wants to use peeling hemp, the old man and Hefu will fight to the death!"

Sun Gu raised his wine glass and said respectfully to Sima Guang: "Goodness! I wish to obey you!"

In the past ten years, the new party and the old party have been making troubles and scolding. How have they ever ruled each other poorly?
Back then, Wang Jiefu had retired to Jiangning for the Wutai Poetry Case, so he wrote a request immediately after hearing the news.

Zhang Dun and Li Qingchen in Dutang also tried their best to rescue them.

To be governed is the foundation of the world, the backbone of the country, and the pillar of the country.

It is also the choice of Wenhua in the world, and a romantic figure in Kyushu.

They can be relegated, demoted, or even resettled and stopped.

But don't peel the hemp!
Sima Guang edited the Zizhi Tongjian. He knew very well that as soon as a precedent for this kind of thing is set, there will be endless disasters and catastrophes in the future!
If you can peel Ma Wanggui today, will you be able to peel Sima Guang tomorrow?

Even, what if a tyrant or a faint king appears in the future and directly kills them?
The debate between the new law and the old party is a matter of morality and position.

But the prime minister is a matter of principle.

Every scholar-bureaucrat would never allow such a thing to happen.

The Road of Thorns in Lingnan has not been opened for 70 to [-] years.

If it is opened for Wang Yuyu today, it will definitely be opened for others tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)