I studied in modern times

Chapter 712: The Prime Minister Divides the Chicken (1)

Han Jiang rode his horse and went straight in from Xuande Gate.

As he was the prime minister, he could naturally ride a horse into the imperial city, and he could ride directly into the palace where court meetings were held and dismount in front of the gate.

When Han Jiang's team arrived at the East Shanghe Gate in front of the Daqing Palace and dismounted from their horses.

Yuan Sui, who bought smoked chicken for him, came back with a portion of smoked chicken wrapped in oil paper.

Han Jiang took it, smelled it, and couldn't help but feel hungry.

At this time, a familiar voice came from not far in front of him: "Zuo Xiang is in a good mood, I bought some food today!"

Han Jiang laughed, holding the smoked chicken in his hand, and greeted the visitor: "Have you had breakfast, Right Prime Minister?"

"If not, you can share this chicken with me!"

Lü Gongzhu laughed as he came to Han Jiang. He took a look at the food in Han Jiang's hand by the light of the lantern hanging under the door. He was immediately delighted: "It's Yingchang smoked chicken!"

Back then, he, Han Wei, Wang Anshi and Sima Guang were known as the Four Friends of Jiayou.

Naturally, I was influenced by Han Wei and fell in love with Yingchang smoked chicken.

However, Wang Anshi and Sima Guang could not get used to the smoked chicken from Yingchang and always felt that it had a strong smell.

Han Jiang said with a smile: "Right Prime Minister, please share this chicken with me!"

So, two prime ministers, wearing Jinxian crowns, purple gold fish bags, and bright red court robes, came to the East Shanghe Gate in front of the Daqing Palace with a smoked chicken that probably cost less than a hundred coins. The prime ministers came to the official residence specially prepared for the prime ministers and ministers waiting for the grand court meeting.

The news that Han Jiang bought the smoked chicken quickly spread.

Deng Runfu and Li Qingchen also came to the door under the pretext of loving Yingchang smoked chicken.

Han Jiang didn't care and invited them all to the government residence.

So, the two prime ministers, the two ministers, gathered together and looked at a cheap smoked chicken wrapped in oil paper.

Of course, everyone knows that the real intention is not the smoked chicken, but the court structure after Han Jiang is about to retire.

Han Jiang stood up slowly and prepared to divide the chicken. At the same time, he slowly looked at the three younger generations in front of him.

Although there were only four people present, they represented the power structure in the court of the Song Dynasty after the eighth year of Yuanfeng.

For example, he is the left prime minister.

He looks like a neutral person, but his job is to reconcile the new and old laws and play the role of a peacemaker between differences.

But in fact, everyone knows that when the previous emperor passed away and the young master ascended the throne, both palaces tended to be inclined towards or even close to the old party.

It can stabilize the new law and preserve the framework of the new law.

Han Jiang has made great contributions to the New Party!

He is worthy of Wang Anshi's trust and the expectations of today.

And what about Lu Gongzhu?
At that time, Sima Guang was known as the red flag of the old party and wrote books in a cellar in Luoyang.

However, Lu Gongzhu insisted on staying in the court and resolutely fought against the New Party.

He and Sima Guang, one in the opposition and the other in the court, can be regarded as the two banners of the old party.

Now that Sima Guang has passed away, Lu Gongzhu is the person with the highest status and greatest reputation in the old party.

However, during the more than one year he had been in the court, he had been helping Han Jiang with repairs.

This is where he matured politically.

but……

Don’t Lu Gong and Lu Huishu have their own opinions?
impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Han Jiang believed that as long as he retired, Lu Gongzhu would definitely do what he wanted.

He has close relations with the royal family and can have a say in front of the two palaces. The young master also respects him very much.

at the same time……

Han Jiang also knew that Lu Gongzhu now had a trump card in his hand - Wang Anshi's grandson Wang Di, who was now by Lu Gongzhu's side.

By holding Wang Di in hand, Wang Anshi's weak spot was also held in hand.

When Jiang Ning was called, he became mute and could not speak.

As long as Wang Anshi does not stand up to oppose him, then basically what he wants to do is unlikely to encounter too much obstacles. So what does Lu Gongzhu want to do?

Han Jiang could guess something, so Lu Gongzhu needed him, the prime minister who was about to retire, the nominally neutral faction but actually a member of the New Party, to endorse and coordinate.

Han Jiang could agree to this.

This is the political tacit understanding between the two people - I am on the stage, you help me.

I'm stepping down to pave the way for you.

But Li Qingchen and Deng Runfu are interesting.

Li Qingchen, on the surface, appears to be a member of the New Party, but a closer look at his resume and his performance in the court over the past two years.

For example, when he was in the Privy Council, he had been suppressing Lu Huiqing of Hedong and Liu Changzuo of Fuyan Road.

Don't let them cause trouble!

At the same time, he always kept his deputy An Tao under great pressure in the Privy Council.

As a result, in the past two years, An Tao had almost no voice in the court, and in the Privy Council he was reduced to Li Qingchen's parrot.

Is that what An Tao wanted?

It’s definitely impossible!

If a politician cannot even make his own voice heard, he might as well be dead.

But An Tao was suppressed by Li Qingchen to the point that he had almost no voice, so he had to come and do odd jobs with Han Jiang.

Why did Li Qingchen suppress An Tao so much?

Most people would only think that Li Qingchen and An Tao had an old grudge.

But Han Jiang knew that this was actually Li Qingchen's way of implicitly expressing his position to the outside world - I am not a complete new party.

Would anyone believe it?

Definitely.

You see, didn’t Lu Gongzhu believe it?

In the past two years, Li Qingchen was able to suppress An Tao thanks to the resources and assistance of Lu Gongzhu - Lu Gongzhu's brothers had served as officials in the Privy Council for a long time.

His elder brother, Lu Gongbi, served as Deputy Privy Councilor during the Zhiping period.

Lu Gongzhu himself served as Privy Councilor for a long time during the Yuanfeng era.

Then why did Lu Gongzhu trust Li Qingchen and even cooperate with him secretly?
The answer lies in Li Qingchen's resume.

He was promoted by Ouyang Wenzhong (Ouyang Xiu). His first wife was the niece of Han Zhongxian (Han Qi), and his second wife was the daughter of Sun Zhu, a veteran of the old party.

He is the former Hanlin scholar Sun Zhu, who was praised by Han Qi as "the modern Jia Yi who discussed the affairs of the world with tears and tears."

Moreover, according to what Han Jiang knew, the matchmaker for Li Qingchen's second marriage was Han Qi!
Therefore, this Shangshu Zuocheng and Menxia Shilang actually had the Xiangzhou Han family behind him.

He was an undercover agent pushed into the New Party by Han Qi.

He was a person jointly promoted by the two major factions of Ouyang Xiu and Han Qi.

Maybe Han Qi and Wang Anshi made a deal behind the scenes!
Deng Runfu is even more typical.

As the new party in power, he is the minister in the palace of the current emperor.

But as far as Han Jiang knew, Deng Runfu never spoke any of the new words he had learned in Jiying Hall.

He never even mentioned Jiang Ning, not even a hint!
When people open their mouths, they say: My teacher, Mr. Xujiang, said... My teacher said...

His rebellious intentions were obvious, and his intention to create a new school of thought could not be concealed.

People in Bian Jing said: Everyone knows what Deng Wenbo is thinking!
Behind Deng Runfu are Empress Dowager Xiang and the current emperor.

so……

Is he acting on orders to split the New Party?
No one can explain this clearly!
But one thing is certain, the ruling party came to see him today for a purpose.

(End of this chapter)