King of Song

Chapter 71
For the emperor, political discord and fighting among ministers in the DPRK and China were not entirely a bad thing.As long as it is within the controllable range, it is conducive to the control of the government and the country, and the centralization of power through decentralization.

Zhao Xu understands this truth. The prime minister and the Hanlin scholars are not of one mind, and even fight openly and secretly, he turns a blind eye.As long as these people are loyal to him and the Song Dynasty, the principle of loyalty remains unchanged.

But in the current situation, the rebuttals of Sima Guang and others are not included, which makes Zhao Xu very troubled.

Reform and reform, enriching the country and strengthening the army are his most urgent wishes at present, and are also the top priority in the plan.Everything else can only be done on this basis, or in the process.However, the momentum of opposition is too great right now, and there are too many constraints, making it difficult to do anything, or even move an inch.

The Great Song Dynasty seemed to be prosperous, but Zhao Xu knew better than anyone else that it was just a show!
Father Renzong has been the Taiping Emperor all his life, leaving a good reputation, but leaving a mess for his descendants.The various maladministrations of the country and the government are becoming more and more serious, and it has reached the point where it is hard to return.

His father, Song Yingzong, also wanted to do something, but unfortunately he didn't live long, and his reign was only four years.In addition, he was not the parent and son of Emperor Renzong, and there was dislike between him and Empress Dowager Cao, and there was a vague undercurrent in the court.In just a few years of his reign, most of his energy was devoted to consolidating his position, and there was simply no time for other things.

Now that the throne is in his hands, is it still possible to do nothing, be a conservative king, and watch the country continue to decline?Zhao Xu is absolutely unwilling. He has ambitions and is unwilling to be mediocre. He hopes to become a famous and promising king like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty.

But the reality is incompatible with it, and even runs counter to it!Take the death of an envoy of the Liao Kingdom in Bianjing last time. At that time, he was nervous and worried, fearing that the army of the Liao Kingdom would go south and take advantage of the fire to loot.He didn't even notice that there was a rebellion in the Liao Kingdom, and it was a false alarm in the end, and his face was greatly lost.All of these deeply stimulated Zhao Xu. The only way to solve this problem is to make the country rich and the army strong, and to defeat the enemy.

At present, all these special cases are concentrated on the Ayun case. Zhao Xu is very clear about the essence of the debate among the ministers.This game involves vital interests, and he has no other choice, he must support Wang Anshi.

Before, I was very distressed about how to convince the public and how to convince the courtiers.Otherwise, if he was ordered again, was rejected again, and the censor continued to write letters, it would be troublesome.Lessons learned from the past, we have to be cautious...

Now Lin Zhao brings good news, and everything is solved.Zhao Xu pondered for a long time, thinking about how to use this matter?

Since there is another hidden story, the most urgent task is to find out what hidden secret is it?Also, who are you going to send?

Theoretically, the Ministry of Criminal Justice or Dali Temple is responsible, but in this case, will those people make small moves in order to deal with political opponents?

Not only that, Zhao Xu didn't want to reveal the news for the time being, the so-called hidden secrets might be a big killer for him, and it would have the effect of surprise at critical moments.The temptation and debate about the reform had lasted for too long, and he had no patience.I just took advantage of this opportunity to shut up some people and make a staged breakthrough...

Just who is the right person to go?Zhao Xu's eyes could not help falling on Lin Zhao.This son had been to Dengzhou before and had met Ayun, and he was also the one who was sought by the witnesses to appeal for grievances, but he did not participate in the previous investigation and debate.Staying out of the matter, but having a lot of contacts, is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate!
At the same time, he also wanted to give Lin Zhao a chance. He had not been enthroned soon, but he lacked capable assistants and no direct descendants.Lin Zhao has good talent, is young, and the most important thing is that he came from a humble background. If he is enticed with gifts at this time, can he be cultivated as a confidant?
Lin Zhao didn't know that he had been so favored by the emperor inadvertently, and now he really had a bright future.

Zhao Xu said: "Dongyang, just take a hard trip, don't make a fuss, how about going to Dengzhou to investigate this case?"

Uh... isn't it?Lin Zhao was a little speechless. He didn't dare to say this matter in the court of Zichen Palace, because he didn't want to be involved in the whirlpool.I thought to myself that there are three judges for the investigation, and I just need to remind myself, but I didn't expect the emperor to come up with such a trick...

Officials, it's not good to play cards not according to the rules!I have to rush back to Jiangning to spend the New Year with my uncle. I don’t know how long it will take to go to Dengzhou now!
If so, getting involved is inevitable!It is inevitable that people will be offended.Thinking about the fierce party struggles in the Song Dynasty, Lin Zhao was really scared!
"Your Majesty, isn't it appropriate for a minister to go?" Lin Zhao's first thought was to decline.

But Zhao Xu said: "If you send someone else with a big fanfare right now, there will definitely be disturbances again, and there may be changes! You, Lin Dongyang, are bold and careful, and you are good at punishment and prison. Work hard! Remember, I appreciate you very much, work hard!"

The emperor greeted you face to face, said he admired you, encouraged you, and even persuaded you to assign you a task. What kind of rhythm is this?Anyone would be flattered.

As for the task, if you refuse, it will be really shameless.Do you dare not give the emperor face?Don't dare to joke about your own life and future.

Lin Zhao said helplessly, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, for your obedience!" At the same time, he was thinking about how to operate in his mind, paying the least and gaining the most...

Zhao Xu is full of expectations, and the test for this son has officially begun, hoping that he can give a satisfactory answer...

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Not long after Lin Zhao left, Emperor Zhao Xu secretly received another person. This person was an official of the Imperial City Department, and his status was rather shady.

The responsibility of the imperial city division is to control the entrance and exit of the palace, the guards in the Zhou Lu, and the opening and closing of the palace gate.Two bronze talismans and one iron plate are given to each door, the left talisman is reserved for the door, the right talisman is for the key, and the iron plate is for the key.

In addition, there is a more important task - to send relatives to observe the movements of the subjects and report to the emperor.

To put it bluntly, the Imperial City Division is the secret service agency of the Song Dynasty, similar to the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty.Of course, its power and influence are far inferior to the latter.

The main task of the Imperial City Division is to spy on the news and monitor the behavior of the officials and the people for the emperor.It is called Huangcheng Division, and its main scope of activities is also in the capital Bianjing.

"Has there been any changes in the courtiers recently?" At the beginning of Zhao Xu's ascension to the throne, the government was unstable, so he was not absolutely at ease with the courtiers, and would secretly send people to watch.

"Return to Your Majesty, there is no change, everything is stable!"

"Okay, keep watching, and report to me in time if there is any change... By the way, pay attention to Lin Zhao, and check his background to see if he is innocent?"

The personal follower asked casually: "Your Majesty is talking about Lin Zhao and Lin Dongyang, the director of Honglu Temple?"

"That's right, do you pay attention to him?" Zhao Xu was a little surprised. Lin Zhao's official position, logically speaking, wouldn't attract the attention of the Imperial City Secretary?
Qin Cong said: "It's a coincidence..."

It turned out that the Imperial City Secretary would do everything he could to inquire about the news.The major restaurants in the city of Bianjing, and romantic venues are the objects of their focus, because these places are often visited by dignitaries and dignitaries, and there are many clues to be found.

In the past six months, Jiangnanju has quickly become famous in Bianjing, and its business is booming, and it has also become the new object of attention of the Imperial City Division.Lin Zhao, one of the owners of the Jiangnan House, should have entered the vision of the Imperial City Secretary.

The relative immediately said: "Lin Zhao's background was rehabilitated and innocent. I knew it before. Both of Lin Zhao's parents died since he was a child, and he and his uncle were slaves in the Meng Mansion in Jiangning. The son of the Meng family was killed last year. It was Lin Zhao who helped find out the truth. Revenge. The Meng family was grateful, not only gave him freedom, but also did business with him. He opened the Jiangnanju restaurant near Xiangguo Temple, which is famous in Bianjing." The task of checking the details was so easy.

"Oh!" Zhao Xu didn't know these details, and his usual experience never caught his attention. Then he asked, "Who does he associate with?"

"Uncle Tai's grandson Cao Jian, Wen Xianggong's son Wen Jifu, Jinshi Huang Tingjian, etc. all have contacts with him. The closest one belongs to Wang Xueshi's son Wang Yu. He even went to visit yesterday afternoon!"

"Wang Yu met Lin Zhao yesterday?" This detail caught Zhao Xu's attention.

"Yes, it seems that they rushed to visit Lin Zhao after hearing that Lin Zhao had returned from an injury, and left after staying for an hour!"

Zhao Xu pondered for a moment, then asked again: "Did anyone else go to see Lin Zhao yesterday?"

"Others... By the way, a down-and-out scholar went there before this, and even had a conflict with a buddy. Later, Lin Zhao came forward and seemed to know that person, and he has been staying in Jiangnan Residence since then..." Everything was detailed, and the Secretary of the Imperial City Everyone will pay attention.

"So that's how it is!" Zhao Xu understood it already, and ordered: "Let me continue to pay attention, by the way, he will go back to Dengzhou later and send someone to follow..."

"Yes!"

Poor Lin Zhao didn't know that he had already been targeted by the secret service agencies of the Great Song Dynasty.

"If I want to use you, you can no longer secretly communicate with other people, so..." Zhao Xu seemed to be muttering to himself, and his eyes became more and more complicated. No one knew what the young emperor was thinking... …

PS: Thanks to book friends Yan Huangzhong, abccd5432, Qianchuan Baihe, srqg for their rewards, thank you!

(End of this chapter)