I studied in modern times

Chapter 755: Removal of Worship (1) [Happy National Day]

I followed Empress Dowager Xiang to Qingshou Palace and asked about the queen's well-being.

The Empress Dowager said, "I have invited the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to the Qingshou Palace today to discuss with them the vacancies in the capital and the selection of officials for the Central Office."

Zhao Xu nodded.

Empress Dowager Xiang asked, "Madam, do you have a candidate?"

The Empress Dowager hesitated for a moment and said, "I have always lived in the palace, so I don't know the ministers outside the court very well."

This is actually a way to save face.

The Empress Dowager wanted to choose one or two people who suited her taste.

But the problem is that almost all those who meet the qualifications of Dutang Zaizhi and Zhongsi are now trying their best to distance themselves from her.

In the case of Lu Huiqing, the Empress Dowager only sent someone to test the waters.

He was so frightened that he immediately made a public statement that he had no intention of staying in the court and was willing to guard the border for the country.

Although his words to the outside world were - I was entrusted by the late emperor to guard the country's borders! Now, the lord is young, and the four barbarians are bound to be uneasy. I am willing to be a border official and protect the country.

Lu Huiqing is always like this.

Not to mention others.

Han Wei of Daming Prefecture sent his youngest son Han Zonghou back to the capital to explore the way. Whenever he met someone from the Gao family, he would immediately fall ill.

Sometimes I felt dizzy, and sometimes I had a splitting headache.

It's just like being bewitched, the spell always strikes at a very opportune moment.

But no one could blame him, because Han Zonghou did have an old illness.

During the time of the previous emperor, he even sought pulse diagnosis from the imperial physician and took medicine for several years.

Cai Que's son Cai Mao simply stayed drunk in taverns and hung out in brothels every day.

When people were sent to contact Cai Mao, he was either drunk or on his way drunk, making it completely impossible to communicate.

Zeng Bu of Yangzhou was an old acquaintance of the Empress Dowager, and his wife Wei was often summoned to the palace by the Empress Dowager to speak with her, and was highly favored and loved by her.

But the problem is that Zeng Bu’s younger brother Zeng Zhao had just had a big bowel movement before the New Year.

Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to use Zeng Bu, she had to think carefully about it.

What's more, Zeng Bu's reaction was extremely cold.

Under such circumstances, the Empress Dowager could only try to save her reputation.

Empress Dowager Xiang listened and said, "The new bride is just like the queen, she also lives deep in the palace and doesn't know much about the ministers outside the court..."

“It is hard to tell the virtuous from the unvirtuous.”

As she spoke, she took Zhao Xu's hand and said, "Sixth brother, you often get along with the gentlemen in Jiying Hall. I believe you know what kind of wise ministers the country has now, right?"

Zhao Xu was suddenly touched.

Empress Dowager Xiang is looking for every opportunity to put him in power!

After hearing what Empress Dowager Xiang said, the Empress Dowager hesitated for a moment, then nodded in support, "Your Majesty is right!"

"You are the Son of Heaven, so you should also pay homage to the Prime Minister, so that the world and the four barbarians know that our Song Dynasty has a wise ruler who can identify and employ people!"

The reason for her support was that since the first year of Yuanyou, the capital had selected the ruling party twice through the method of imperial recommendation.

This has shaken the foundation of imperial power!

Although the Empress Dowager often acted on impulse, she was not sensitive enough about politics.

However, since the matter involved the fundamental imperial power, she was still able to distinguish the priorities.

So, since no one was willing to approach her, she might as well do them a favor.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that Zhao Xu made her happy today and her thoughts became clear.

Otherwise, even if she would agree, she probably wouldn't agree so quickly.

Zhao Xu looked at the two palaces' expressions, thought for a moment, and replied, "Grandmother, Queen Mother, I am only studying in the Jiying Palace, and the teachers rarely talk to me about the important officials of the country..."

This must be said.

Because the officials in the Jiying Hall were only responsible for education.

If Zhao Xu opened and closed his mouth, he would use their words as evidence.

Then the crows of the Censorate would immediately jump up and grab the officials of the Imperial Lecture Hall for a mixed doubles fight.

Who do you think you are?
Do you dare to criticize the ministers of the world in front of the emperor?

"However, in my spare time, I like to order the Chongwen Academy and the Ministry of Personnel to submit the official documents and resumes of the ministers and officials of the previous dynasty..."

"Therefore, I have some understanding of all the ministers who are worthy of being appointed as prime ministers."

"From what I have seen, among the officials in the imperial court, there are only five who can be appointed as prime ministers!"

"Former Right Prime Minister, Fujian Surveillance Commissioner, Director of Quanzhou Maritime Customs, Duke of Run, Prime Minister Cai..." Zhao Xu first mentioned Cai Que's name: "Prince is an assistant minister appointed by the Emperor, and he is also a meritorious minister who has made great contributions to the country."

"Your Excellency has been in office in Fujian for more than a year now. Your achievements are remarkable. People from all over Fujian are following your lead. They all say that since your Excellency was in office in Fujian, the business and industry in all the prefectures have prospered, and merchant ships from all over the world have flocked to Fujian..."

"In this case, Mr. Cai is worthy of being the prime minister!"

"It's just..." Zhao Xu changed the subject: "My lord, you are in Fujian, and everything has not been accomplished yet. If you rashly change the general, I am afraid that I will regret the failure of Zhang Jinzhou's peace and stability..."

Zhang Jinzhou is the famous minister Zhang Zhi during the Renmiao period.

When he was alive, his official rank was not high - he ended up as Guanglu Qing and concurrently the judge of Xijing Censorate.

Because his last actual assignment was as the governor of Jinzhou as a member of Longtu Pavilion, he was called Zhang Jinzhou in the world.

His official rank was probably similar to that of Sima Guang when he wrote Zizhi Tongjian in a cellar in Luoyang.

But he was the one with the most outstanding political achievements in the Song Dynasty Fire Department during the Renmiao era.

From south to north, from civil affairs to military affairs, from water conservancy to plastering.

Wherever he went, he did practical things and achieved amazing political achievements.

The Anfengtang Project was his starting point.

During the Mingdao period, Zhang Zhi was the magistrate of Anfeng County, Shouzhou, Huainan West Road.

Anfengtang is the most important water conservancy facility in Anfeng County and even in the entire Huainan West Road!
It was under the jurisdiction of Zhang Zhi in those days. It was called Shaobi in ancient times. It is said to have been built by Shusun Ao, a famous minister of the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn Period.

After Zhang Zhi arrived in Anfeng, he quickly discovered that this ancient project from the Spring and Autumn Period looked like a pill!
This is also normal.

The last time Anfengtang was maintained and repaired on a large scale was during the Sui Dynasty, when Chen Gui, a famous official, was in power.

It has been almost five hundred years since the Song Dynasty.

By the Renmiao era, this ancient water conservancy facility had already developed various hidden dangers. It had lost its ability to regulate water power and irrigate farmland, and instead became a hidden danger during floods!

Therefore, Zhang Zhi, who was still young and strong at that time, decided to rebuild Anfengtang.

On the one hand, he went to the homes of local powerful and wealthy people to beg for alms and raise money and supplies.

The Lu family, who lived in Shouzhou, was also fleeced by him.

On the other hand, he also mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Anfeng, and received strong support from his superiors. It can only be said that Zhang Zhi's eloquence is really amazing!
In this way, Zhang Zhi rebuilt Anfengtang, which had not been extensively renovated for 500 years.

Dozens of miles of river channels were dredged, dozens of sluices were set up, more than thirty miles of new dams were built, and the silt in the silted lakes was cleared again.

Anfengtang has been revived and is full of new vitality.

However, Zhang Zhu only served one term in Anfeng County.

So, he left a tail - there is a water source in Anfengtang called Hanquan.

When he left office, the river channel from Hanquan to Anfengtang had not been dredged.

Zhang Zhi originally thought that he had completed 70% of the project.

The remaining 30% can be completed by the successor with just some effort, right?

But it turned out that he thought too much.

From Mingdao to Yuanfeng, over the decades, the magistrate of Anfeng County changed more than twenty times, but no one was willing to help him clean up the mess.

It was not until the Yuanfeng period, when Yang Ji was appointed as the Director of the Revenue Department of Huainan West Road, that this problem was discovered.

Then Yang Ji spent a year dredging the Han Spring, diverting water southward to irrigate 10,000 hectares of nearby land.

It is precisely because of the water storage and regulation function of Anfeng Pond that Shouzhou was not greatly affected by last year's severe drought in Huainan. As a result, Shouzhou became a sponge, receiving hundreds of thousands of victims before the imperial court's large-scale disaster relief.

This matter was dug up by the Bian Jing Yi Bao after the great disaster in Huainan last year, and was severely criticized.

As a result, the scholars were outraged, and all the magistrates of Anfeng County and the inspectors of the Huainan West Road's grain affairs after Zhang Zhi and before Yang Ji were criticized.

This is mainly because, in the report of Bian Jing Yi Bao, the person who was mentioned as cleaning up the mess for Zhang Zhi, a famous minister of the previous dynasty, was Yang Ji, a "flatterer and villain" who was criticized every day by gentlemen and upright people.

This made the gentlemen lose face, and the New Party began to mock and even attack them. For example, Deng Runfu used the pen name "Shengqiu" to submit an article to the Bian Jing Yi Bao, titled "Yang Gong Rebuilt Anfeng Pond". He was sarcastic and even deliberately mentioned someone vaguely - Anfeng County is in Shouzhou, and Shouzhou is the hometown of a prime minister!
However, the family of Prime Minister Minggong ignored the hidden dangers of Anfengtang for decades.

Finally, it is us, the New Party ministers, who are brave enough to take on responsibilities, loyal to the country and loyal to the government!
So, in the final analysis, we should hire people from our New Party!
Because our New Party knows how to get practical things done!
Unlike some people who claim to be disciples of saints, national elites, and famous people in the world.

This allowed the gentlemen to break down their defenses.

But they have no way to refute it - because the facts are there and cannot be denied!
Gentlemen whose defenses are broken need a place to vent.

They followed the clues and dragged out all the living people who had served as officials in the court, those who had served as magistrates of Anfeng County or those who had served as supervisors of the Changping public affairs of the Huainan West Road, and accused them all of being "stupid" and "holding a position for nothing".

I vented all the depression in my heart!

The Crow of the Censorate immediately followed suit, echoing public opinion and writing a letter of impeachment.

All those who were named were suddenly struck by disaster and were all punished by the court.

Either they were subject to additional inspection or they were suspended, or at the very least they were fined copper.

All we can say is that a grain of sand of the times, when it falls on an individual, is like a mountain.

After this public opinion storm, a large number of commentary articles by scholars from both the new and old parties appeared in the Bian Jing Yi Bao for a month.

These people discussed this and that in the Bian Jing Xin Bao, and finally both the New Party and the Old Party actually reached a consensus on this issue - they strongly suggested and demanded that when the court recruited people in the future, they should try their best to let them finish their work before leaving.

So as to avoid regrets like 'Zhang Jinzhou's peace and prosperity'.

The public opinion in Shilin reached a consensus in this miraculous way.

Once the public opinion in the academic circles reaches a consensus, it naturally becomes a national consensus.

Therefore, in the first month of this year, the imperial court began to emphasize in the official edicts sent to local supervisors as usual, requiring the supervisors to conduct a good review of officials in the prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction before they leave office.

And required all supervisors to report the ongoing projects in the prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction.

The Ministry of Personnel also began to emphasize that if officials in office had unfinished projects, they would be punished.

Before leaving office, one should report to the Ministry of Personnel, which will then report to the capital for review to decide whether to leave or stay.

Because of this public opinion storm, both palaces naturally knew what Zhao Xu was referring to.

So, they all nodded subconsciously and said, "Indeed!"

"Mr. Cai had better stay in Fujian and sort out all the mess!"

Originally, Tsai should have stepped down this year.

It was precisely because the "Shibosi affairs" had not been completed that the capital had been using this excuse to repeatedly reject Cai Que's resignation letter.

Mr. Cai!

Fujian can’t do without my husband!
My husband, you don't want the Quanzhou Maritime Customs to have any regrets and be criticized by the elders, right?

Cai Que was completely numb.

This is why Cai Mao returned to Beijing to smooth over relations.

He lived a happy and carefree life in Fujian.

But it always felt like something was missing.

After thinking about it, Cai Que felt that it might be because he hadn't fought with anyone for too long.

Therefore, he couldn't wait to return to the court to compete with Lu Gongzhu and Li Chang.

"Since Prime Minister Cai must stay in Fujian... the only people who meet the requirements for being appointed as the Prime Minister of the Capital are Prime Minister Han Wu of Daming Prefecture, Scholar Zeng of Yangzhou, Scholar Sun of Henan Prefecture, Prime Minister Han Liu of Hangzhou, Scholar Pu of Bozhou, Fan Longtu and Zhang Longtu of Shaanxi, and Scholar Zhao of Xihe..."

Last year's Song-Xia war not only led to the promotion of a large number of military officials, ambassadors, remote commanderies, but also some even ranked among the horizontal classes.

It also allowed a large number of civil officials to cross the ceiling stipulated by the Obstacle Law and become court officials, waiting officials, and even to have their wives and children enfeoffed, and to posthumously honor their fathers and grandfathers for three generations.

Even Deng Wan, who was originally a dead fish, was able to be promoted from a direct scholar of the Longtu Pavilion to a bachelor of the Longtu Pavilion by virtue of his meritorious service in delivering military supplies to the front line.

The little dragon becomes a big dragon!
The three people who benefited the most were naturally Zhao Xie, Fan Chuncui and Zhang Qie.

Zhao Xie was promoted from Tianzhang Pavilion Attendant to Tianzhang Pavilion Scholar, and was granted the title of Founding Earl of Longyou County, with a fief of 1,200 households and actual fief of 200 households. His original rank was Chao San Da Fu (sixth rank), and he was promoted three levels in a row to Zhong San Da Fu (fifth rank).

Fan Chuncui was promoted from a direct scholar of Longtu Pavilion to a scholar of Longtu Pavilion, which also means that a small dragon has become a big dragon.

His original official rank was changed from Chao Feng Daifu (seventh rank) to Chao San Daifu (sixth rank).

This was the result of Fan Chuncui using his military merits to exchange for an imperial decree for his biological mother.

Otherwise, he would definitely be able to get the title of a founding earl or even a founding marquis.

And Zhang Yu, a civil official who was serving as the deputy envoy of transportation in Chengdu Prefecture in the eighth year of Yuanfeng, rose to prominence even faster.

From being transferred to the Jixian Academy, he was promoted to the position of Longtu Pavilion attendant, and the official became a sixth-rank doctor of the Imperial Court.

This is the bonus after winning the war.

Regardless of whether they are civil or military, all will ascend!
Even the soldiers received extremely generous rewards.

One year is equivalent to ten or twenty years of hard work for others!

It is no wonder that, since last year, both the Capital and the Censorate have been keeping their eyes wide open and keeping a close eye on Shaanxi, Xihe and Hedong.

I am afraid that the generals along the border will be blinded by the benefits of war and take the initiative to go to war with the Western bandits.

This kind of thing is too common and too common.

Not to mention the Han and Tang dynasties, even in the Song Dynasty, such things happened frequently.

To open up the border and provoke.

There are countless people who destroy the country's major policies for their own benefit, just like the number of carp crossing the river!
(End of this chapter)