I studied in modern times

Chapter 778: The Empress Dowager: What a sin!

As usual, Zhao Xu was copying calligraphy in the East Pavilion of Funing Hall today.

This is a hobby and also a habit. He has persisted in it for three lifetimes and it has become his daily routine.

At this moment he was copying Yan Zhenqing's "Feng Ming Tie".

Feng Jing tiptoed up to him and whispered, "Master Guo Sheren begs to see you..."

Zhao Xu was not in a hurry and continued to copy the calligraphy. He just asked casually, "What's the matter with Tongjiansi?"

"Mr. Guo said that the imperial censors have all arrived at the inner east gate..." Feng Jing said tremblingly, "They said they would go to the palace to see the emperor..."

"They also said that if everyone refused to see them, they would kneel down at the inner east gate and not get up..."

Zhao Xu then put down his pen, looked at Feng Jing, and asked, "Is this a knock?"

Things like withholding money from the emperor's officials are considered as appeals to higher authorities. Even in modern times, similar things are considered very serious political events.

Naturally, Zhao Xu needed to treat it seriously.

"Did Sheren Guo tell me why the imperial censors came to knock on the palace gate?"

"Report this to the Lord. Sheren Guo said... The censors requested to see the Lord in person to report the son-in-law's illegal behavior..."

Zhao Xu listened, his face turned serious, and said: "Go and tell Sheren Guo, and tell her to tell the other censors..."

"Just say, I understand, please go back first!"

Feng Jing raised his head and looked at Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu waved his hand and said, "Why don't you go now?!"

Watching Feng Jing's hurried back as he walked away, Zhao Xu pursed his lips.

At this moment, for some reason, Zhao Xu thought of Su Shi.

I still remember that it was probably around this time in my previous life, right?

After the lecture in Miying Pavilion, every time it was Su Shi's turn to lecture, he would have a private conversation with Zhao Xu.

The content of the whispers is basically about how wise kings and powerful rulers of past dynasties killed their ministers.

To summarize the content introduced by Big Beard, it can be roughly organized into the following title - "On How to Safely Kill Prime Minister/Rule Master/Uncle/Uncle-in-law/Brother/Ergo".

From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Tang Dynasty, each case is vivid and detailed.

The strategies include but are not limited to - fishing enforcement, playing the pig to eat the tiger, sudden attack, palace coup...

Thinking of this, Zhao Xu shook his head and sighed: "What a pity... there is no one who is suitable for the Song Dynasty system..."

……

After hearing what Feng Jing said, Guo Zhongxiao hesitated for a moment, swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth, and bowed to the study room in the east hall of Funing Palace, saying: "Your Highness will obey your command!"

Then, he returned to the Inner East Gate in a dilemma and looked at the imperial censors who were still hiding outside the Inner East Gate.

These law enforcement officers wearing Xiezhi crowns.

Guo Zhongxiao cleared his throat and said to them, "My lords, the emperor has sent a message of virtue!"

Everyone prostrated themselves collectively, not moving, and only kowtowed, saying, "We respectfully listen to your teachings!"

"The Emperor's Message: I understand. Please go back first!"

All the censors instantly got furious!
Wang Di reacted immediately and kowtowed: "Please forgive me for not obeying your order!"

Wang Di silently recited Fan Zhongyan's "Ode to the Spiritual Crow" in his heart, then bowed again with full energy and said, "Please tell your majesty..."

"Since your majesty ascended the throne, you have appointed upright ministers and opened up channels for people to express their opinions. The whole country is delighted, and everyone in the world is excited that the country has a wise ruler..."

"Now I bow down and ask for your advice..."

"If Your Majesty does not summon me, I am afraid that the world will think that Your Majesty does not accept my advice..."

"This hurts your majesty's virtue and damages the country's reputation!"

"If this is the case, from now on, I will bow down to you and ask you to come to me, and then I will end it!"

"If the country has another major event the next day, and Your Majesty is not allowed to have ministers to advise you!"

"I would like to ask Your Majesty to listen to our words and read our memorials!"

As he spoke, Wang Di took out a written memorial from his bosom and held it in his hand.

The other censors also took out a memorial from their bosoms and held it in their hands.

More than a dozen imperial censors and law enforcement officers wearing xiezhi crowns knelt at the foot of the inner east gate, holding high the memorials in their hands.

Huang Shi, the attendant who had rushed over after hearing the news, felt his blood boiling when he saw this scene.

Without caring about anything else, he went to the inner east gate, took out a pen and paper, and started to record quickly.

Like him, Zhang Shangying, the secretary of Chongwenyuan, also took up a pen and started taking notes.

Of course, there are slight deviations between the records of both parties.

Moreover, as time goes by, the records of these two parties deviate more and more from the facts in terms of text, wording, and narrative.

Later on, even the names and order of the participants began to become confusing.

Different versions and different eras are all different.

I can only say that history is interesting.

Of course, at this time, whether it is Huang Shi or Zhang Shangying, their recording direction is generally the same.

At least in terms of the specific process and characters involved, there is not much difference.

The difference is only in the wording and terminology.

……

Lu Gongzhu listened quietly as the person he sent to gather information reported what had happened.

After he finished listening to the introduction, he frowned and asked his attendants: "Why didn't the imperial court know about the censors impeaching the prince consort?"

Everyone was trembling with fear and no one dared to respond.

Lu Gongzhu also knew that this answer was destined to be impossible.

Because the emperor's place was piled with hundreds of secret impeachments.

No one knows the content of these bulletins.

Only when the information was occasionally "leaked" did the court officials suddenly realize - Oh, it turns out that someone had been impeached!
Seeing that no one around him spoke, Lu Gongzhu looked at the officials in the court.

"Everyone!"

"The censor has knocked on the door of the palace because of the prince consort. The capital cannot remain indifferent!" "Please come with me into the palace and greet the two empresses and the emperor!"

All the ruling parties looked at each other. At this moment, both the New Party and the Old Party had formed a united front. They all stood up and bowed: "We are willing to follow the advice of Zuo Fu!"

Lu Gongzhu looked at them and nodded slightly in his heart.

Although he knew that the team of officials in the capital seemed united, in fact, with just a little instigation from the palace, under the temptation of fame, wealth and power, everyone present might betray their current position!

Or even, on the contrary, become a running dog of imperial power.

He became the vanguard in suppressing imperial power and suppressing public opinion.

The same goes for him, Lu Gongzhu.

But at least for now, everyone is still a member of the scholar-official group, and naturally stands on the side of the scholar-official group's clear opinions.

and……

Lu Gongzhu has already smelled something.

Although this smell doesn't seem like the style of Emperor Zhao.

In the past, the Zhao officials either wanted to protect or punish their relatives by marriage.

They are always straightforward and never hide anything.

Just as Ren Miao protected Empress Wencheng Zhang's relatives, and just as the late emperor protected Cisi Guangxian's family.

play?
nonexistent!

A dead pig is not afraid of boiling water!

It's obvious that they are biased!
No matter how much the censors and ministers advise the emperor, his heart remains unchanged.

For example, when he was in the Ren Temple, he favored Empress Wencheng Zhang, and loved her so much that the entire Zhang family prospered.

At one point, I even wanted to give all the servants who guarded the Zhang family an official title!

As a result, Zhang's relatives had great power in the court!
At the peak of his glory, he could even influence the appointment of ministers.

According to popular legend, the reason why Grand Tutor Wen Yanbo was able to become prime minister was because of Empress Wencheng's advice.

At that time, the discussion about the Zhang family was a hot topic in the court and the public.

But no one can shake the overwhelming power of the Zhang family!

Empress Zhang's uncle, Zhang Yaozuo, was appointed as the Three-Division Envoy as a relative of the emperor and was appointed as the Director of Longtu Pavilion.

Later, he was appointed as the Envoy of the Southern Courtyard of Xuanhui!
The court officials were so frightened that they were scared out of their wits. It was only thanks to the persistence of Bao Zheng and others, and the Zhang family's own wisdom, that the plan failed.

otherwise……

The Song Dynasty might set a precedent for external relatives to be appointed as prime ministers!
Compare it with Ren Temple and then look at the present day?

Before today, they had heard about the son-in-law being impeached by the censor.

But no one knows what the censors impeached.
All they knew were some legends and rumors.

so……

There must be something behind this!
……

Inside Qingshou Palace.

The Empress Dowager was chatting with the concubines about the past.

Just when she was talking excitedly, Liang Weijian, the elder servant beside the Empress Dowager, came to her in a panic.

"My lady..."

"Hmm?" The Empress Dowager looked at him and asked, "What's the matter? Why are you so flustered?"

Liang Weijian looked at the concubines.

The concubines immediately stood up, apologized, and retreated to the back of the hall.

The figures of the concubines disappeared behind the curtain and their footsteps disappeared in the corridor.

Liang Weijian then bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty!"

"Just now, the censors from the Imperial Censorate arrived at the inner east gate and knocked on the gate!"

"What?!" The Empress Dowager stood up suddenly and asked immediately, "What's the matter?"

"I heard that it was because the imperial son-in-law, Zhang Dunli, violated the law and owed money to others..."

The Empress Dowager's face turned pale in an instant.

After a long while, she closed her eyes and chanted a Buddhist name: "Amitabha!"

"What a curse!"

For her, face is more important than anything else!
At the beginning, because Sima Guang made her lose face, her attitude towards Sima Guang took a sharp turn for the worse.

In addition, the ladies of the Gao family came to the palace every day and exaggerated the descriptions of Sima Guang's behavior.

In just a few days, Sima Guang's image in her mind quickly changed from "capable minister", "virtuous minister" and "loyal minister" to "stubborn" and "pedantic".

After Sima Guang went to Chenzhou and lost face, even the label of a capable minister was quickly removed by her.

As a result, Sima Guang never became prime minister until his death!

Although Zhang Dunli is her son-in-law.

But a daughter who is married off is like water spilled!
Normally, for the sake of the royal family's dignity, she would show her kindness and generosity.

But now, Zhang Dunli was impeached by the censors and had to go to the palace to ask for an explanation!

The image of this son-in-law in her mind quickly plummeted!
"What a curse!" the Empress Dowager repeated her sigh.

Her current image is very bright.

After the death of the previous emperor, the Empress Dowager protected and supported the young master and taught him how to read.

Under her education, the emperor grew up healthily and became more and more intelligent.

He was a pure and filial servant, paying his respects morning and evening, regardless of rain or snow, wind or rain.

Therefore, he ordered the elders to compile the Yuanyou Dictionary to praise the virtues of the Taimu, ordered the ruling officials to preside over the Yuanyou Water Transport Ceremony to magnify the Taimu's achievements, and ordered Shen Kuo to present the Taimu's chariot to establish a destiny for women and children all over the world!
All these things have raised her reputation to a level comparable to that of the virtuous queens of all ages!
But now, Zhang Dunli has come out to cause trouble!

It tarnished her image!

This is hitting her taboo!
There is no need to ask why Zhang Dunli was impeached?
The Empress Dowager only knew that the censors had already come to the palace!

The fact that the censors were investigating the palace shows that the problem is very serious.

Otherwise, why didn't they audit for other things, but specifically for Zhang Dunli?
(End of this chapter)