I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 24 Use retreat to advance and save Du Yan’s position
The so-called internal edict.

That is, Emperor Zhao Zhen bypassed Zhongshu's direct instructions on the edict.

This approach actually goes against the ancestral system of the Song Dynasty.

However, since Zhenzong, such internal edicts have gradually increased.

Because this is the embodiment of the emperor's power.

The emperor privately praised, comforted, and even reduced punishments for some ministers and relatives to show his divine grace.

Zhao Zhen proclaimed himself emperor at the age of 13, but did not take charge until he was 23.

During this period, the Empress Dowager Zhang Xian (Liu E) was in charge behind the curtain and was very powerful.

This sense of oppression from the native family led Zhao Zhen to issue multiple imperial edicts after he took office, demonstrating the emperor's grace.

Especially for the nobles of the clan, they are especially favored.

This type of edict actually had little impact on government affairs.

Zhao Zhen also had a sense of proportion in what he did.

Former prime ministers Lu Yijian and Zhang Dexiang turned a blind eye and let it pass.

But Prime Minister Du Yan is serious!

He intercepted these edicts from the Yintai Department and returned them to Zhao Zhen for formal procedures.

This approach on the surface showed Du Yan's virtuous style, but in fact it slapped Emperor Zhao Zhen in the face.

The prime minister has too much power and is suspected of being a dictatorship.

Su Liang couldn't help but look helpless.

What is this!

Sun Fu of the Zhijian Yuan beat up Ding Du, a Hanlin scholar who had accepted the decree, and went beyond the rules by recommending a prime minister. He was definitely going to be released.

Now, Du Yan has seized Ding Du's memorial, and he is suspected of being a dictatorship.

The officials were already dissatisfied with him. Under the impeachment of Wang Gongchen and others, Du Yan would most likely lose his position.

Once Du Yan loses power.

Officials like Han Qi, Bao Zheng, Su Liang and others who are at odds with Jia Changchao and Chen Zhizhong will definitely have a difficult life.

Su Liang originally wanted to write a memorial to plead for Du Yan and Sun Fu, but suddenly he didn't know how to write it.

……

The next day.

Sun Fu was directly suspended from his post for beating people and breaking the rules by recommending the prime minister.

The Chui Gong Hall became a debate venue.

Du Yan said that he was performing his official duties and did not do anything beyond his powers.

Wang Gongchen and Qian Mingyi asked him how to explain his private deduction of Dingdu's memorial. Du Yan said that such a trivial matter was not worth alarming the officials.

The two of them said to each other: There is nothing trivial about memorials.

Jia Changchao, Chen Zhizhong, Bao Zheng, Han Qi and others were all involved in this matter and complained one after another.

However, everyone has a bottom line: keep silent about the official imperial edict.

Because this matter is indeed against the rules.

If the matter is dealt with in a magnified manner in the court, it is likely that the officials will have to write edicts on their own crimes.

……

Near noon.

Su Liang raised his head and looked out the window and saw Bao Zheng striding out with a memorial.

Obviously going to Shangshu again.

Su Liang thought for a moment and quickly chased after him.

"Brother Xiren, stay, please stay!" Su Liang shouted.

Bao Zheng stopped immediately and looked at Su Liang.

"Brother Xiren, are you going to intercede for Mr. Du?"

Bao Zheng nodded. "Jingming, please hurry up and write a memorial. Sun Jianyuan will definitely be released. If the officials dismiss Prime Minister Du again, Zhongshu will have no good ministers anymore!"

"I dare to ask Brother Xiren, what is the reason for interceding for Mr. Du?"

Bao Zheng puffed up his chest and said: "I, the ministers of the court, should take Du Xianggong as my law. Zhongshu cannot lose such a pillar of the court!"

Should ministers take Du Yan as the law?

Su Liang couldn't help but laugh and cry.

"Brother Xiren, there is nothing wrong with what you said, but this kind of estrangement will only make Prime Minister Du's resignation faster!"

"Why?"

Su Liang looked around, and then walked with Bao Zheng to the locust tree in front.

"The official family is known for its benevolence. A large part of the reason for its reputation for benevolence and generosity comes from the imperial edict. Do you agree with this?"

Bao Zheng nodded slightly.

"The official reduced the culpability of some close relatives, but private rewards can influence the government?"

"Barely any impact."

"If it doesn't affect you, why bother insisting on the official business to show the name of benevolence?" Su Liang asked rhetorically.

Bao Zheng shook his head slightly and said: "But this approach breaks the rules. Prime Minister Du is not wrong, and his withholding Ding Du's memorial is not wrong. This is not arbitrary power, but due diligence!"

"I know that Prime Minister Du is not at fault, and Zhang Xianggong, Wang Zhongcheng and others also know that Prime Minister Du is not at fault, but they are still crazy about impeachment because of one thing: Prime Minister Du has hindered the official's path to becoming a benevolent king!"

Bao Zheng looked puzzled.

"The official family has reached its peak years. Since taking office, we have lost all three battles with Xixia. We have been forced to increase the annual currency to seek peace, and have made no military achievements. Now the new policy has ended in failure, and there have been no achievements in the court. And the official family You don’t have a son yet, so this is called unfilial, and it makes people all over the world speechless!”

"Now that he has finally earned a reputation as 'benevolent', he is used to treating others with kindness, privately offering favors and mitigating crimes in order to win people's hearts, and yet he has to be cut off by his ministers. How can he not be angry?"

"Although officials are benevolent, they are not saints. We want to leave a name in history, so why don't officials think about it? Since such a trivial matter such as issuing an imperial edict does not affect the government, so what if the officials do it? Why should we be serious?"

When Bao Zheng heard what Su Liang said, he suddenly realized that the official family had such a miserable life!
Supervised by courtiers.

Birthed by the harem.

The people of the world are unhappy and accuse him of rebelling against him.

When the Western Xia Liao Kingdom was short of money, they tried every means to squeeze money out of his pocket...

Su Liang has already said it very tactfully.

In short:
Zhao Zhen had been in charge for more than ten years without achieving anything, and he finally gained a reputation as "benevolent". Du Yan also prevented him from doing benevolent deeds.

Bao Zheng rubbed his head helplessly.

Suddenly I understood why Su Liang said that the memorial in his hand would speed up Du Yan's appearance.

Zhao Zhen is a docile donkey.

Bao Zheng's support for Du Yan was equivalent to helping Du Yan interfere with Zhao Zhen's little imperial power and freedom.

This is absolutely unacceptable to Zhao Zhen.

"Then... what should we do? Just watch Du Xiang be kicked out of the court?"

Su Liang thought for a while and said, "I have a method that I can try."

"Quickly tell me!"

"We will go to Prime Minister Du later and ask him to admit his mistake to the official superior. He will admit that it was wrong to withhold Ding Du's memorial, but he will never admit that it was to protect Sun Fu. In this way, the big mistake becomes a small one. "

"Officials will naturally not speak publicly about internal edicts. Once Prime Minister Du admits his mistake, officials will know that Prime Minister Du will no longer withhold edicts of his that have little impact on government affairs."

"Next, let's keep silent and let Wang Gongchen and those people impeach him hard. Then Prime Minister Du can use the trick you taught me to pretend to be miserable. Officials are kind and must have compassion. Then consider the situation in the court, maybe I will never give up!"

Bao Zheng nodded.

"But... but... Prime Minister Du accepts death. Once he decides something, I'm afraid ten cows won't be able to get him back? This matter is related to his reputation as a virtuous prime minister, and I'm afraid he won't compromise."

"How can my personal reputation be more important than my country and the country of the Song Dynasty? Which is more important or less important? Prime Minister Du must have a strong balance in his heart. Let's clarify the situation and make plans. The success can only depend on the sky!"

This is the only way Su Liang can think of to preserve Du Yan's position.

In addition, Su Liang had another reason for stopping Bao Zheng from going to Shangshu.

When Sun Fu was released, the position of chief officer of the Admonition Court should belong to Bao Zheng, but if Bao Zheng wanted to stand up to Du Yan and make the officials displeased, this was not necessarily the case.

(End of this chapter)