I studied in modern times

Chapter 759 Wen Yanbo's Oath
Guisi (twelfth) in April of the second year of Yuanyou.

Zhao Xu had just returned from the Jiying Palace when he received a report from the Tongjiansi: "Grand Tutor and Minister of Military Affairs Yanbo is seeking an audience!"

Zhao Xu was immediately happy: "The old master is here!"

"I have been waiting for the Grand Master for a long time..."

Six days have passed since Zhao Xu issued an edict to recall Yang Ji and Cui Taifu and appoint them as the Du Shuijian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and the Minister of the Dali Temple respectively.

Even if we count from the time Lu Gongzhu entered the palace to advise, four days have passed.

But in the past few days, apart from the time when Lu Gongzhu went to the palace to see Zhao Xu and persuade him once.

The others were silent.

Especially the elders, they have been keeping their troops on hold.

Since they didn't move, Zhao Xu simply pretended that nothing happened.

Now it seems that they are not moving.

Instead, they are all weighing the pros and cons and calculating the gains and losses.

Now, Wen Yanbo has handed the note into the palace. Perhaps all parties have reached an agreement and negotiated in private, right?

Zhao Xu curled his lips.

Backroom politics and private deals are the drawbacks of elite politics.

The successive Zhao emperors have always been wary of the ministers' private actions.

The so-called control over the big and small and the interference of different opinions were aimed at preventing the ministers and officials from establishing a community of interests through private connections and thus undermining the emperor.

However, the effectiveness of these measures can only be described as better than nothing.

Because the scholars will make progress.

Nowadays, people in the court curse each other's mothers, and who knows how many of them are in-laws in private!
Under such circumstances, they deliberately provoked and even magnified the conflicts among the literati in order to divide and disintegrate them.

In fact, it is not only useless, but will only increase internal friction.

And it is the most meaningless kind of internal friction - over the years, how many things have happened in the Song Dynasty just for the sake of opposition?
I can’t even count them all!

This is pure overcorrection.

Therefore, after Zhao Xu gradually came to power, he no longer deliberately provoked or magnified the conflicts between the prime ministers.

They would even take the initiative to mediate conflicts between ministers.

Put getting things done first!
People also became much more cautious in the use of the Censorate.

The crows' impeachment memorials against the prime ministers often entered the palace but were never heard of.

Zhao Xu would only bring up those impeachments that were reasonable and had solid evidence.

For example, last year Zhang Xu and Lin Xi played secret politics and got out of hand, but Zhao Xu did not tolerate it.

This forced Zhang Xu to apply for a county, and also forced Lin Xi to stay on the construction site in Hebei until now, and he dared not return to Beijing.

Of course, Zhao Xu did not give up on the crows.

On the contrary, the morale of the Censorate of the Song Dynasty is now at its highest point in history!

none of them!

The evidence is that since the first year of Yuanyou, the number of impeachment memorials sent into the palace by crows has been increasing.

Moreover, the number of impeachment letters sent directly to Zhao Xu has doubled since this year.

As for why?
Of course, Zhao Xu gave them both spiritual and material rewards!
For example, last month, Zhu Guangting, the Censor-in-Chief who won the double crown of impeachment quantity and quality in the Censorate, was promoted by Zhao Xu's special decree, and was appointed to the Jixian Academy and given double salaries. What was particularly important was that Zhu Guangting's father, the late Guanglu Qing Zhu Jing, was posthumously awarded the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Rites was ordered to posthumously award him a posthumous title.

Zhu Guangting was a well-known filial son.

After this stimulation, my working state immediately became as energetic as if I had been injected with chicken blood.

Not only Zhu Guangting, but also the top three KPIs of the Censorate last month all received rewards and incentives.

Even those who did not make it into the top three received rewards ranging from money to paper and pens according to their rankings.

Some of the memorials that were written well even received imperial encouragement from Zhao Xu.

There is only the quantity and quality of the bullets, and the people at the end have nothing.

Stimulated by Zhao Xu's methods, the crows in the Censorate have now become mad crows, biting anyone they see!
Moreover, Zhao Xu would keep most of the rumors and matters related to personal morality to himself and not disclose them.

Therefore, the crows are becoming more and more courageous.

It is said that some people have started to follow a minister around the clock, just like modern paparazzi.

Because the crows are so enthusiastic, now the crows have become Zhao Xu's third source of intelligence besides the patrolmen of the Reconnaissance Department and the newsboys of the Bian Jing News.

Also, because crows are scholars.

Therefore, they can penetrate into places that guards and newsboys cannot enter.

Poetry gatherings, banquets, and even singing and dancing performances by scholars and officials.

Learn unknown things from others.

Therefore, after thinking for a while, Zhao Xu called Feng Jing to his presence and ordered him, "Go and bring me all the impeachment documents sent by the Tongjian Division in the past few days!"

If you want to know what tricks those ministers and elders are playing in private, you still have to read the crows' reports!

"Yes!" Feng Jing took the order and left, and soon brought a large impeachment document to Zhao Xu's desk.

Zhao Xu picked them up and quickly flipped through them one by one, only stopping to read carefully when he found key words.

Soon he was laughing.

Because, although the crows' criticisms are mixed, most of them are just groundless.

But the information revealed in it is indeed very interesting!

Zhao Xu had only flipped through a few books when he saw many secret stories about the private contacts among the ministers and elders.

For example, Zhu Guangting reported: "I heard that the Left Counselor Chen Tao recently visited the Grand Tutor Chen Yanbo, the Military Governor of Zhangde Army Fang Ping, the Military Governor of Baoning Army Jing and others at night, and stayed for a long time. I wonder what Tao discussed with the three elders?"
However, as a minister, he met with the elders day and night.

I think that Tao's behavior is quite strange, and I urge Your Majesty to pay attention to it.

Zhu Guangting was a student of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, and was also a frequent visitor to the homes of Sima Guang and Wen Yanbo.

Therefore, he had sources of information in the homes of the elders.

Therefore, this amounts to selling out Wen Yanbo and the others?

And that is simply the nature of crows.

Once you enter the Censorate, you have no choice but to be pushed into the role of the emperor's lackey.

The report of another censor, Zhang Shunmin, is even more interesting.

Zhang Shunmin said: Recently, because the ministers heard that Your Majesty intends to employ the two villains Yang Ji and Cui Taifu, many people have written poems to express their concerns. I am also worried. I would like to copy the poems and essays of the ministers who express their concerns for the country and present them to Your Majesty, and request Your Majesty to pay attention to it.

Among the authors of poems and essays listed in the appendix to Zhang Shunmin's yellow book, one of them was Zhang Fangping.

But there was no name of Wen Yanbo, let alone Feng Jing.

Don't they want to?

Or are they unwilling to write?

Putting down the crows' impeachment, Zhao Xu thought for a moment and instructed Feng Jing, "Feng Jing, go to the inner east gate in person and invite the Grand Master to the Funing Palace!"

"Remember, be careful and don't be negligent!" "Yes!" Feng Jing took the order and left.

After Feng Jing left, Zhao Xu called out Wen Xunniang, who was sorting documents in her bedroom in Funing Palace, and asked her to serve him.

Zhao Xu knew that the old master would definitely like it.

At the same time, Zhao Xu also specifically asked Wen Xunniang to bring a chart out from the inner bedroom and hang it in Zhao Xu's study in the east pavilion of Funing Palace.

……

With the support of brothers Wen Yiqing and Wen Jifu, Wen Yanbo followed Feng Jing's footsteps and arrived at the East Shanghe Gate in front of the Funing Palace.

"Please wait here for a moment, Grand Master... I will go and inform everyone!" Feng Jing turned around and said with a smile.

"Thank you for your service!" Wen Yanbo bowed slightly.

Wen Yiqing and his brothers supported him and stood in the shade in front of the gate to avoid the sun that was shining directly on the palace.

Not long after, Feng Jing came out and bowed in front of Wen Yanbo: "Grand Master, everyone has an order to invite you to the study room in the east pavilion of Funing Palace to see the emperor..."

Wen Yanbo exerted a little effort to break free from the support of his two sons, leaned on a few sticks, and bowed slightly towards the East Pavilion of Funing Palace: "Your Highness Yanbo, I respectfully obey your orders!"

The Wen Yiqing brothers obediently stepped aside and planned to wait here.

When Feng Jing saw them, he said to them, "Wen Sheren, Wen Ku Shi, we have an imperial decree ordering you two to personally escort the Grand Tutor into the palace to see the Emperor."

Wen Jifu and Wen Yiqing were immediately happy.

Throughout the year, they have very few opportunities to see the emperor except during festivals.

And, every time they appear before the emperor, it is precious to them.

Wen Yanbo glared at them and said, leaning on his cane, "Although I am old, I am not so old that I need help to see the emperor!"

"These two rebellious sons should stay here!"

Brother Wen Yiqing quickly stopped and looked at Feng Jing eagerly.

Feng Jing smiled and said to Wen Yanbo, "Grandmaster, this is everyone's will."

"Everyone heard that the Wen Sheren and the Wen Ku Shi had also arrived, and they were very happy. So they asked the Ganquan County Lord who served in the imperial court whether he would like to see the Wen Sheren and the Wen Ku Shi?"

"Since the county lord has expressed his wish, I have issued an order to invite the servants and treasurers to enter the palace... to comfort the county lord in his pain of missing his family, and to inquire about the situation at home..."

Wen Yanbo then sighed and said, "The emperor's grace is so great!"

Then he said to Wen Jifu and Wen Yiqing, "Rebellious sons, why don't you thank me quickly?!"

But his face was already full of smiles.

Because Feng Jing's words revealed that his precious granddaughter was quite favored in the imperial court and was deeply trusted by the emperor!
If not, why would the emperor allow Shisan Niang to meet Wen Jifu and Wen Yiqing?
Wen Yiqing and his brothers quickly knelt down and kowtowed to the east hall of Funing Palace: "We bow to thank God for His grace!"

After getting up, the two brothers immediately stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, supporting their old father, along the corridor of the gate, following Feng Jing, and walked towards the Funing Hall above.

When they arrived at the palace, the two brothers were about to wait and see the scene in the emperor's palace, but Wen Yanbo pulled their sleeves. They quickly lowered their heads and dared not look around again.

Just following Feng Jing's footsteps, he passed through one door after another in the hall and arrived in front of a palace.

"Please wait here for a moment, Grand Tutor, the treasurer, and the servants..." Feng Jing's voice came from in front of him.

The Wen Yiqing brothers quickly let go of their old father's arms and began to tidy up his clothes.

After a while, they heard the sound of the curtain being lifted.

Then, the sound of light footsteps came from the hall.

Immediately, a slightly excited young girl's voice came from the front: "Grandmaster!"

It’s Wen Xunniang!
Wen Xunniang at this time had grown into a graceful young lady, but with the shawl she wore and the pearl ornaments on her head, she still looked young and immature.

But, she is already a beauty.

Tears welled up in her almond-shaped eyes, and her thin cherry lips trembled slightly with excitement.

She came to Wen Yanbo, bowed gracefully, and after a while, she suppressed her excitement and bowed to Wen Yanbo, saying, "Ganquan County Lady Wen greets the Grand Tutor and Duke of Lu!"

Then, she bowed to her two uncles again: "Greetings to the Wen She Ren and the Wen Ku Shi!"

Wen Yanbo stared at his granddaughter, who is almost fourteen years old this year, with tears in his old eyes.

He looked up and down at his granddaughter who had been in the palace for almost two years, praising her repeatedly!
He could see that his granddaughter must be living a good life in the palace.

Whether it was the clothes she wore, or her appearance, expression, or body shape, it all proved that she not only lived well in the deep palace, but also had adapted to life in the palace.

After a long while, Wen Yanbo bowed slightly and said, "Old minister Yanbo, I greet the Lord of Ganquan County!"

After this granddaughter entered the palace, she was no longer the inconspicuous illegitimate granddaughter of the Wen family who had to depend on her biological mother and struggle hard.

She is the emperor's wife!

She could even be the future Empress or Queen!
Wen Yiqing and Wen Jifu came to their senses and bowed quickly, saying, "Your Highness's Secretary, I am Yiqing..."

"The Deputy Envoy of the Supply Department and Fu..."

"Greetings to the county lord!"

Wen Xunniang took a deep breath and said to her second and sixth uncles, "Sheren and Kushi, there's no need to be so polite!"

"I have something to say to my servant and the treasurer. Please ask my servant, the treasurer and I to move to the imperial garden of Funing Palace..."

"promise!"

……

Wen Yanbo looked at his granddaughter, who then led his two sons toward the palace with grace and grace.

He exhaled: "Shisan Niang, you have really grown up!"

This year, Shisan Niang is fourteen years old and Guan Jia is twelve years old.

It is exactly the age difference between the late emperor and Empress Dowager Xiang.

It is said that Empress Dowager Xiang liked her very much because of this and often kept her by her side to teach her in person.

The emperor was kind and filial, and would go to the Qingshou Palace and Baoci Palace every morning and evening to pay his respects to the two palaces, and most of the time he would stay overnight in the East Bedroom of the Baoci Palace.

Legend has it that at this time, Empress Dowager Xiang would order Shisan Niang to guard the emperor's bedroom.

It is almost as if Shisanniang and the Emperor were to be childhood sweethearts in this palace, just like Yingmiao and the current Empress Dowager.

When the official grows up in the future...

Shisan Niang's age is just the right age for childbearing.

If she is lucky enough to give birth to the eldest prince, then the position of Empress will be secure!

of course……

It’s not like there are no competitors!
Di Yong's daughter and the girl from the Meng family chosen by the Empress Dowager are both strong rivals!

but it does not matter!
The old master said in his heart: "Don't worry, Lady Thirteen!"

"Even if I have to sell off all my property and borrow money from every household, I will definitely help the county lady become the Empress!"

For this reason, he no longer cares about his reputation!

Soon, he will throw away what little moral integrity he has left!
Anyway, the Wen family wants to transform into in-laws, and in-laws don't need these things.

To in-laws, face and moral integrity are just a burden!

(End of this chapter)