I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 564 Su Liang's amazing reply! Three reasons for being rejected from the Zhongshu
Early morning on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.

The winter sun rises slowly.

All the ministers from the two governments and three ministries gathered in the Secretariat's political affairs hall.

There was no need to go to the government office today, but because Su Liang was returning to the capital at noon, all the officials wore their official robes and prepared to hold a grand welcome ceremony for Su Liang.

"Everyone, I plan to welcome Jingming with the ceremony of prime minister. He is a smart man and naturally knows what we are thinking. Then we will support him together and make him the prime minister, and this matter will be done!" Wen Yanbo said.

Wen Yanbo sincerely wanted to give the position of prime minister to Su Liang.

He made no secret of his reasons.

I just want to be able to enjoy the unprecedented prosperity of the Song Dynasty, which is far superior to the Tang Dynasty, during my lifetime.

As prime minister, he is in charge of everything, so the possibility of achieving this goal is much smaller than that of Su Liang.

This reason was also very tempting to Wu Yu, Zeng Gongliang and Wang Yaochen, who were already over 50 years old.

They also wanted to see what the Song Dynasty would look like in three to five years if Su Liang, a versatile man of both civil and military affairs who was always full of clever ideas, was in charge of all the officials.

more importantly--

The government also supports their idea.

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

……

All the gentlemen nodded, with no objection.

If it were someone else, and a third-rank official enjoyed the treatment of a first-rank official, the ritual official would definitely object, but Su Liang had made great contributions and had enjoyed this treatment after defeating Xia, so there was nothing wrong with it.

Immediately, the gentlemen began to discuss the welcome ceremony.

About a quarter of an hour later.

A clerk walked quickly into the government hall.

"My Lords, Prime Minister Su is here!"

Hearing this, all the gentlemen were stunned, and then they saw Su Liang walking in wearing a purple robe with a smile on his face.

"My dear husbands, I haven't seen you for nearly a year. I...I miss you so much!"

All the men stood up, but before they could say anything, Su Liang quickly walked up to them and gave each of them a big hug.

Ouyang Xiu said with both anger and laughter: "Jingming, did you guess that we would welcome you, so you ran back early?"

On the side, Wen Yanbo's mouth was almost crooked with anger.

"The original plan was to arrive at noon today, but I missed my children so much yesterday that I walked faster and arrived home last night. It's my fault, my fault!" Su Liang bowed to the men.

At this time.

Wen Yanbo said, "Jingming, we have prepared the welcoming ceremony for you. Why don't you leave the city first and come back in at noon."

"Minister Wen, you are just joking. How can you come back and go out again? Isn't this just right? It will save me and you all a lot of trouble!"

"You are so cunning!"

Wen Yanbo punched Su Liang on the chest and couldn't help laughing.

Afterwards, everyone started chatting.

……

Half an hour later.

Su Liang and other ministers appeared in Chuigong Hall.

Zhao Zhen straightened his body and said, "This year is different from previous years. I have three things to discuss with you, and they must all be finalized today."

"First, the ritual officials have submitted petitions one after another. This year is the year we recovered Yanyun and destroyed the Liao Kingdom. According to the ritual system, we should have a new year name. After discussion among the cabinet and ritual officials, we want to change the third year of Zhihe to the first year of Jiayou. Next year will be the second year of Jiayou. Do you have any objections?"

Then, a eunuch handed the booklet of "New Year's Blessings" to everyone.

"Jiayou, Jia means rewarding good deeds and beauty, and You means protection from heaven. This reign title is very good, and I have no objection."

"The new Song Dynasty should use a new era name, and I have no objection."

"I second the proposal."

"I second the proposal."

……

soon.

The new year name Jiayou was decided.

Zhao Zhen continued, "The second is that the ministers requested that Su Qing be admitted to the Secretariat."

Zhao Zhen looked at Su Liang.

"Mr. Su, do you want to lead the Song Dynasty to continue its reforms as the Vice Minister, or do you want to follow me in reforming the world as the Prime Minister?"

This sentence can be translated as: Do you want to be the deputy prime minister as a transition, or go straight to being the prime minister?
All the men looked at Su Liang, their hearts full of anticipation.

He is the first person in the Song Dynasty who can make the emperor ask such a question. He is still the first person in the Song Dynasty who can make all the ministers wish for him to be the prime minister.

Su Liang looked helpless.

The emperor obviously ignored his reply and wanted all the ministers to work together to make him the prime minister.

Su Liang paused, looked at Zhao Zhen and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am unwilling to be the vice prime minister, nor am I willing to be the prime minister. The most suitable position for me is still the censor."

Zhao Zhen’s eyes widened.

"Su Qing, you have made such a great contribution, but you refuse the imperial reward. Do you want people to say that I am ungrateful?"

The accusation made by Zhao Zhen was reasonable and in line with regulations.

Before Su Liang could explain, Wen Yanbo stood up.

"Jingming, you are in your prime, and with your talent, you can definitely be the prime minister. If you refuse for personal enjoyment, how can you be worthy of the court and the people of the world? This is not what a scholar-official should do!"

Immediately, Wu Yu also stood up.

"Jingming, we all know your character, but the Song Dynasty is about to usher in an unprecedented moment. We are not as good as you. It is time for you to shoulder this responsibility!"

"Jingming, I know that leaving a name in history is not what you pursue, but the Song Dynasty needs you now. You must not shirk your responsibilities for personal gain. The government and we are looking forward to creating miracles with you!"

……

The other husbands also spoke actively, with the aim of blocking all the excuses that Su Liang could come up with.

About a quarter of an hour later.

After the ministers finished speaking, Su Liang first bowed to Zhao Zhen, then bowed to the other ministers, and then he paused before speaking.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty and all the ministers. The reason I refused was not for myself, but for the Song Dynasty, for the future of the Song Dynasty."

Su Liang's expression turned serious.

"I have three reasons for refusing to join the Secretariat."

"First, I am very special. I have never been seen before, and it is unlikely that there will be an official like me in the future. Of course, what I am referring to is not my talent, but my relationship with the government and with you gentlemen."

"The emperor had a son in his middle age, and I am the main contributor. The emperor is grateful to me, the queen is grateful to me, and the entire royal family is grateful to me. This makes the emperor very kind to me, without any suspicion or suppression."

"Although I am a censor in the government, I am different from many other censors in that I have a close relationship with the officials in the two governments and three ministries because we have worked together. We are close friends."

"The emperor trusts me, and all the ministers support me. If I enter the Secretariat, whether as vice minister or prime minister, and if I preside over the reform of the Song Dynasty, within a year, I will become a powerful minister."

"Although I won't be so successful that I'll threaten the emperor, and the emperor and you won't believe that I would do anything wrong, but this precedent must not be set."

"If the Song Dynasty had a powerful prime minister like me whose power is equal to that of the emperor and who is popular among the ministers, there would be a second and a third one."

"If a powerful minister with evil intentions appears in the future, the Song Dynasty will be in danger of collapse. Therefore, for the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty and to prevent the birth of powerful ministers in the future, I refuse to join the Secretariat to avoid setting a bad example for future generations."

……

"Secondly, the comprehensive reforms that our dynasty started during the Huangyou period are different from the reforms that we are about to start to create a prosperous era."

"The former sought speed, in order to cure the Song Dynasty's illnesses. However, many chronic diseases had to be cured, and they had to be cured quickly, so any means could be used. The reason for our success, in addition to the correct strategy, was more due to the wise ruler, virtuous ministers, and unity of purpose."

"Without the determination of the government to reform, and without the countless days and nights of hard work of all of you, the reform would never have been accomplished."

“If we want to create a prosperous era, we should not pursue speed, but stability, because we do not expect a prosperous era that will last for a day, but a prosperous era that will last for a hundred years or even a thousand years.”

"If we have such expectations, the rule of law and the rule of rites must be greater than the rule of man. The success of our previous reforms came from the wise ruler and virtuous ministers, the unity of the people and the abundance of talents in the court, but such a grand occasion can only be encountered by chance."

"If we want to achieve prosperity for hundreds or thousands of years, we cannot take shortcuts, nor can we expect that our Song Dynasty will always have wise rulers and virtuous ministers to rule the country. Instead, we must create a set of laws and rules that can be implemented for thousands of years. In the future, even if our emperor and officials are not so outstanding, we can still make the country develop healthily."

"So, when we create a prosperous era, we should not rush for it, but constantly discover problems and flaws. I have a lot of privileges and tricks, which may cover up some flaws, but if these flaws are circumvented by people instead of changing the rule of law, they will reappear sooner or later. Therefore, if the Song Dynasty wants to become a prosperous era for hundreds or thousands of years, according to my current personality, identity and methods, changes will cause problems in the future." ...

"Third, at present, there is no one in the entire court who is more suitable to be the chief censor than me. As the Chief Censor, I dare to scold the emperor and the ministers. Who else dares to do that? As the Chief Censor, all the ministers work together to create a prosperous era step by step. This is the long-term strategy."

……

After Su Liang finished giving his three reasons, the Chuigong Hall suddenly fell silent.

All the gentlemen were speechless.

If Su Liang was doing it for his own benefit, they would have countless reasons to refute it, but now it is for the future of the Song Dynasty.

How can you refute this?

There are only two words left in their eyes now: admiration.

There might be two more words in Wen Yanbo's eyes: I give in.

For a moment, the hall fell silent, and everyone fell into deep thought.

About ten breaths later.

"Cough cough..." Zhao Zhen's dry cough made everyone look up.

"What Jingming said makes a lot of sense. Let's just leave it at that for now. According to the usual practice, we can just give Jingming a title, and then we can give him a generous reward in the future."

"I obey!" All the ministers bowed their hands in unison.

Zhao Zhen took a sip of tea, let everyone calm down, and then talked about the third thing.

"The third thing I want to talk about is the imperial examination. Candidates from all prefectures and cities have come to Bianjing City. The provincial and palace examinations are imminent. This imperial examination is different from the usual ones. The court is in urgent need of grassroots officials. This time, they will definitely expand the recruitment, but they cannot select a group of mediocre people. Who do you think should know about the imperial examination?"

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Everyone's eyes turned to Su Liang.

"Your Majesty, this matter must be handled by Prime Minister Su!" Ouyang Xiu was the first to bow.

In the past, he was always the best candidate for the imperial examination. However, the court was in urgent need of practical officials at that moment. Su Liang had a thorough understanding of the grass-roots officials, so Ouyang Xiu was the first to recommend Su Liang.

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

……

All the ministers strongly recommended Su Liang. Su Liang was in charge of the imperial examinations. Even if he could not select a group of young Su Liangs, he could still select a group of practical officials like him.

This is the most scarce resource in the court right now.

At this moment, a bright smile appeared on Zhao Zhen's face.

He had already decided on Su Liang, and he proposed this now so that after Su Liang refused to join the Secretariat, he would not be able to refuse the position of being in charge of the imperial examination.

Zhao Zhen also looked at Su Liang.

Su Liang smiled helplessly, knowing that the imperial examination was exhausting and that he would be locked in a small dark room to answer the test questions. But if he refused at this moment, the government might overturn the table.

"I would like to know about the imperial examination!" Su Liang bowed.

Suddenly, Zhao Zhen and all the ministers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

They were also worried that Su Liang did not want to take the imperial examination and would simply give up.

At this moment, Su Liangruo said that he wanted to retire early and return to Yangzhou to serve the people. However, Zhao Zhen and the other ministers had no idea what to do and were reluctant to beat or scold him.

In fact, Su Liang has always had this idea, but compared with the other gentlemen, he is too young. If he resigns early, he will be too ashamed to see anyone.

At this time, Zhao Zhen stood up and looked at Su Liang's red official robe not far away.

"Su Qing, this imperial censor's robe should be kept in Chuigong Palace forever. I still need it to reflect on itself. If you hadn't taken off your robe in anger in the palace, we wouldn't be here today."

"It's up to the government to decide." Su Liang said with a smile.

……

The next day was New Year’s Eve.

The city of Bianjing was bustling with people, and carriages and horses on the main street might not be able to travel a hundred meters in an hour.

This year is the busiest New Year's Day in Bianjing City in nearly fifty years.

There are many foreign envoys and many common people.

In addition, candidates from various prefectures and cities gathered together, making the city of Bianjing packed.

If you want to stay in an inn, you must make a reservation more than half a month in advance, otherwise you can only sleep on the streets or live outside the city.

Even if you have money, you may not be able to find an inn.

afternoon.

Su Shi and Su Zhe came to Su Liang's house to pay New Year's greetings.

They will all take part in the imperial examination this time, but they don't know who will take the examination yet.

Even if they knew, they would still come to see Su Liang, otherwise Su Xun would break their legs.

Su Shi is twenty-one years old this year, and Su Zhe is nineteen years old. They have both grown from children into handsome young men.

The two men called Su Liang "Uncle" one after another.

They are also pen pals with Su Zimu and have a very close relationship. They can talk about anything from current politics and military affairs to poetry and songs.

……

New Year’s Eve is still the same routine.

Tang Ze, Su Zimu, Su Qinyi, the old man and the two children kept watch until dawn, while Su Liang and Tang Wanmei went back to the house to rest early.

Su Liang informed Tang Wanmei that he had refused the position of prime minister.

"Mei'er, you won't blame me for not letting you become the prime minister's wife, right?"

Tang Wanmei gently touched Su Liang's nose.

"I am your wife, Su Liang. As long as you are Su Liang, your other identities don't matter. Being a prime minister is so tiring. It's right to refuse."

Tang Wanmei looked at the scar on Su Liang's neck, feeling heartbroken.

"Haha, my wife still cares about me!" Su Liang turned over and got down to business.

……

The next day was the first day of the first month of the second year of Jiayou.

Fourth watch.

The stars and the moon hang in the night sky and the weather is very cold.

Su Liang put on his official uniform and came to the Daqing Palace together with the civil and military officials.

Today’s Yuanri Dynasty Meeting is of special significance.

It was the first New Year after the Song Dynasty conquered the Liao and Xia dynasties and its territory was comparable to that of the Han and Tang dynasties, so it was a very grand occasion.

Zhao Zhen broke the precedent and first announced the new year name.

Then he ordered everyone to observe a moment of silence for the Song Dynasty soldiers who died in the battlefield, and asked the Secretary of State to announce the compensation for their families.

Next, all civil officials, military officers, clerks and soldiers were rewarded according to their merits.

Finally, it is time for envoys from various countries to pay homage.

At this time, envoys from various countries were very respectful to the Song Dynasty, as their future depended entirely on trade with the Song Dynasty!

At the lunch at noon.

Everyone was smiling and in a good mood.

Wen Yanbo and Zeng Gongliang hugged each other's shoulders and drank. As they drank, they talked about the daily affairs of the Secretariat and they actually started crying.

In less than half an hour, Ouyang Xiu drank so much that he fell under the table.

Bao Zheng, who was always serious, drank so much that his face turned red. Then he asked Wang Yaochen, the third official who had been forcing him to drink, to go to another place to drink...

As the most dazzling star, Su Liang was constantly toasted. Finally, he had no choice but to go home to urinate. It was not until dusk that he drank two bowls of sobering soup and finally sobered up a little.

Next, Su Liang planned to have a good rest and spend some time with his family.

After the Lantern Festival, he would lead a group of officials from the imperial court to set questions for the examinees behind closed doors.

He was looking forward to it.

Under his question-setting mode, how many great talents for governing the country could emerge in the second year of Jiayou, which once produced the "first place in the imperial examination".

(End of this chapter)