Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

At noon, Ju Ming did not eat at school.

He rode a horse and rushed to the vicinity of the official office. After waiting for a while, Bai Chongyan and Min Zishun finally came out.

The two of them looked downcast, and it seemed like nothing good was going on.

Seeing Zhu Ming approaching with his horse, Bai Chongyan said with a dry mouth: "We have failed the test, so we have to take our time to apply."

"You haven't passed the exam yet?" Zhu Ming looked at Min Zishun.

Min Zishun nodded, looking depressed and not wanting to speak.

Ju Ming didn't know what to say. With Min Zishun's ability, he could definitely pass the test. Because he did not just improvise, but learned a lot of knowledge about laws, official documents, and case judgments several years ago.

The official department is really shady, and they are clearly trying to suppress Ju Ming's two friends.

"Come on, let's go drink." Ju Ming said.

Min Zi turned his grief and anger into food, gritted his teeth and said: "Go to Fanlou, I'm going to treat you! Come to Tokyo and haven't had a drink at Fanlou, isn't it all in vain?"

Fan Tower is only one street away from the Imperial City. It is three stories high. Standing on the top floor, you can see the inside of the palace.

After Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty ordered the expansion, Fan Tower now has five buildings. Each building is connected by a flying bridge, allowing high-altitude travel between the second and third floors.

Why did the emperor request expansion?

Because Fan Building is a state-owned asset.

It was originally a guild hall for merchants in the alum industry, called the Bailan Building.

Alum merchants were as wealthy as salt merchants in the Song Dynasty and needed a franchise license. A large number of alum merchants had banquets and gatherings here, so they simply changed it into a restaurant, and the alum building became a fan building.

I don’t know if some alum merchants committed crimes or for some other reason. Anyway, the Fan Building became a state-owned asset and was auctioned and contracted to private businessmen for operation.

Entering one of the lobbies, Min Zishun shouted: "Bartender, bring some good wine!"

While the three of them were ordering, a eunuch came from the streets in the south on horseback.

Shi Biao followed the horse and galloped to the outside of the official office.

The eunuch asked: "Where are the people?"

Shi Biao scratched his head and said, "I don't know."

The eunuch then rode his horse and rushed some distance away, and asked the clerk of the shop on the street: "Can we see that the Imperial Academy is teaching Ju Ming?"

The store clerk shook his head and said, "I don't recognize him."

The eunuch reminded: "He is Xinke Tanhualang."

The waiter suddenly realized: "Tanhualang is riding north."

Shi Biao ran all the way and followed the eunuch to the north. The eunuch rode along the street and shouted: "The imperial scholar is Zhu Ming, the courtier Zhu Ming is summoned by the officials..."

Before the food was even served on the table, Ju Ming heard a voice: "Who is calling my name?"

Bai Chongyan shook his head: "I didn't hear it."

On the street, Shi Biao shouted: "That's my husband's horse!"

There is a "parking lot" in front of and behind the house in Fan Tower, which is surrounded by vermilion wooden strips interspersed with each other. This is the specification for the residence of a third-rank official or above.

The cornucopia was tied to a carriage.

As soon as the eunuch dismounted, a "parking boy" came to wait on him. The eunuch warned: "Don't tie the horse, we will leave as soon as we see someone."

"Your Majesty, please come in. I'm holding the royal horse." The parking boy bowed and said.

The eunuch stepped into the hall of Fanlou and shouted at the top of his voice: "The Imperial High School Master Zhu Ming has been summoned by the officials. Enter the palace immediately!"

Ju Ming put down his chopsticks and said in a low voice: "Let me see if I can help you two with some work."

Min Zishun immediately became energetic: "If I need to be sent...forget it, I won't say thank you for your kindness. This glass of wine is a success!"

Bai Chongyan said: "There is no need to force it, and don't tarnish the reputation of success."

"How can I, a little righteous person, have a good reputation?" Zhu Ming stood up with a smile.

The eunuch finally saw him, stepped forward and pulled him away, and said anxiously: "Zhu Xuezheng, you can make it easy for me to find you. Let's go to the Imperial College first, but the Imperial College student said that you are not here. I asked all the way to your home to ask your relatives. Follow the directions and it will take more than half an hour. Quickly follow me into the palace to meet the saint, the officials are holding a banquet waiting for you!"

Ju Ming quickly came to the parking lot and stepped on the accelerator of his BMW.

Because the eunuch rode too fast, he couldn't keep up if he ran slowly.

After entering the palace, the horses will be taken care of by the palace staff, and they can also refuel for free. Bean cakes and fodder are prepared here every day.

Ju Ming followed the eunuch and walked quickly, and couldn't help but ask: "What is the name of this noble man?"

The eunuch replied: "Enter Zou You, the yellow gate."

The Huangmen Gate, the full name of which is "Huangmen Gate for the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Palace", is responsible for serving the daily life of the emperor and queen, and also serves as an envoy out of the palace to announce imperial decrees, or is sent to supervise the affairs of the foreign dynasty.

From a ninth-grade eunuch, he is in charge of a group of small yellow sects.

Zhu Ming couldn't figure out which faction this eunuch belonged to. Anyway, he must be someone close to the emperor. He pretended to be clumsy and made friends with him: "It's been a hard journey for a middle-class nobleman. I have a low status and a low salary, and I don't have much money. I will meet him next time." , I will give the noble man a piece of writing."

Zou Yu couldn't laugh or cry after hearing this, and thought to himself: You are not a famous artist, how much is a calligraphy worth?

But Ju Ming thought he was poor, what else could Zou Yu say?

Is it possible to ask Ju Ming to grab a few quickly and make up for the errand fees next time we meet?

This has become a custom. Eunuchs help deliver orders to the emperor, and they will give some more or less.

What's even more ridiculous is that for civil servants, once they are promoted or transferred to a better department, as long as the position is above the fifth rank, the person who gets the official position must give the writing fee to the official who wrote the edict of appointment and dismissal.

It's just polishing the pen, not bribery, and it can easily cost dozens or hundreds of pens.

Ju Ming also wanted to help his two friends seek official positions, so he couldn't offend all the eunuchs around the emperor.

The emperor's banquet was held quite far away this time, in the garden of the expanded Yanfu Palace.

In addition to Song Huizong and Xue Daoguang, there was also a Songshan Taoist named Wang Zaixi.

Wang Zaixi put down his wine glass and said, "In the official family, the Jiuding is a sacred weapon. How can it be shown to others? It must not be hidden in the outer court. It should be placed in a building in the forbidden area."

Song Huizong thought it made sense: "I will build a Yuan Xiang Hui Diao Pavilion specifically to store the Jiuding artifact."

Xue Daoguang drank and said nothing. He and Wang Zaixi were not the same people.

Wang Zai used to practice the Shangqing Talisman, and he was particularly good at the seven-element Taoist method, and could predict good and bad futures. This guy only met Song Huizong a few times, and he became a popular figure around the emperor. He was already completely popular and treated the eunuchs like slaves.

Wang Zaixi said: "When the Round Elephant Emblem Tuning Pavilion is built, I will definitely use my lifelong magic power to draw the Seven-Yuan Talisman to suppress evil spirits, so that those evil spirits will not dare to covet the Nine Cauldrons for luck."

"This matter is due to Master Lao." Huizong of the Song Dynasty was very happy. He liked the talisman Wang Zai had painted in the past. It had a rhythmic beauty and contained supreme magic power at a glance.

Xue Daoguang continued to drink and eat meat, as if he didn't know that Wang Zaixi was competing for favor.

"Guan family, Imperial Master Zhu Ming has arrived."

"Let him come over."

Ju Ming came to the front, bowed and said: "I pay homage to your Majesty."

Song Huizong said: "Sit down."

Ju Ming sat down with his golden sword, and the eunuch immediately added a pair of bowls and chopsticks.

Song Huizong found it very interesting: "When I usually summon foreign ministers, they are all restless. Why are you so fearless?"

Ju Ming replied: "If I behave righteously, I will sit upright."

Song Huizong deliberately set a trap and asked: "You mean, other ministers are misbehaving?"

Ju Ming said: "I really don't know about other people's affairs. I just hope that I don't feel guilty."

Song Huizong added: "For matters related to the Carboniferous Department, you, a small-time righteous person, wrote two memorials in a row, just to not feel guilty? If you exceed your duties, you will be punished for eighty years according to the law."

Ju Ming said: "I have not exceeded my duties."

Song Huizong asked: "Xue Zheng impeached the Carboniferous Division. Is this your authority?"

Ju Ming said: "I came from a humble background, and now I am still sharing a house with my friends. The price of charcoal is too high, and I can't afford it. It is a matter of life and death due to hunger. Can't we report it? If I starve to death, won't it bring shame to the official family?" "

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Song Huizong laughed: "You are so pitiful, so I won't fine you any more salary."

"Thank you for your consideration." Zhu Ming picked up the chopsticks and ate the meat.

Song Huizong liked this approach and did not find Ju Ming rude. Cai You and Wang Fu were all so invisible that they could make the emperor feel that he was one of his own.

Song Huizong asked: "Since you have gone to the hospital twice, you must be familiar with the matter of charcoal. How should we deal with it?"

Zhu Ming didn't even bother to pretend, and said directly: "The Carboniferous Department is currently under the Cangchang Case of the Ministry of Revenue and the Cangbu Division. Since the Household Department is not managed well, why not change it to the Material Case of the Ministry of Works. Then use Jinke as a candidate to be a Jinshi and head the Carboniferous Department. Matters. Take out 60% of the government-run charcoal farms, such as Fanlou, and buy them for private businessmen to operate, so as to prevent officials from continuing to control charcoal prices."

This suggestion greatly exceeded Song Huizong's expectations.

But if you think about it carefully, it is the best solution.

Although Yao You, minister of the Ministry of Industry, also relied on catering to the emperor to rise to power, he was not in the same faction as Cai Jing.

This man was originally promoted to a transit judge. Before he could leave the capital, he heard that the emperor held an archery party. So he inquired about the specific situation and wrote an "Ode to Shengwu Lin's Archery", which boasted that the emperor's archery skills were as good as gods.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty was delighted and immediately promoted Yao You.

Immediately afterwards, he suggested that all the states near Kaifeng Prefecture should be upgraded to prefectures, which kicked off the Huizong Dynasty's crazy prefecture-to-prefecture promotion.

Now, as the Minister of Industry, Yao You is responsible for helping the emperor demolish and build buildings. With rich wealth and power in his hands, Yao You has become a party of his own, and there is no need to look at Cai Jing's face.

By transferring the Carboniferous Department to the Ministry of Industry and sending new scholars to manage it, we can completely break away from the original environment. If 60% of the government-run facilities are contracted to private operators, the problem of soaring carbon prices can be solved completely.

Moreover, it can also weaken Cai Jing's power and enhance Yao You's power.

It is comprehensive and completely in line with Song Huizong's wishes!

At this moment, Song Huizong couldn't help but love talents and felt that this young man was so interesting. Not only are the poems written well, but the work is also very appropriate. I can be entrusted with important responsibilities in the future.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty asked: "Is there any worthy person to recommend?"

Zhu Ming took the opportunity to say: "I have two fellow countrymen, both of whom are Jinshi. For some reason, they failed the examination and are still candidates."

Song Huizong understood clearly that Cai Dang was retaliating against Ju Ming's friends from the same hometown.

Since it was the target of the Cai Party's attack, it would definitely work. He immediately expressed his position: "Let one of these two people go to the Ministry of Works to manage the Carboniferous Division, and the other to work on the case at the Ministry of Works."

The Carboniferous Department is not a department-level unit, but a subordinate agency at the department level, and it should arrange for candidate junior officials to do their jobs.

After being recommended by Ju Ming, Bai Chongyan and Min Zishun were still junior officials of the ninth rank. But the starting point of their official careers has almost caught up with the top three or four Jinshi.

In the middle of the afternoon, Ju Ming left a friend's message to the emperor and left the palace with the two Taoist priests.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty invited the eunuchs from the Royal Medicine Academy to write the edict: "In the drafting of the edict, Liu Huan, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel (a member of Cai Jing's party), is transferred to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Zhang Kegong, Zhongcheng of the Yushi (a party member of Zheng Juzhong), is promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

Wang Fu went home for the funeral, and Cai Jing finally got back the financial rights of the Ministry of Household Affairs, but lost the personnel rights of the Ministry of Personnel.

Song Huizong was playing the art of balance. Unfortunately, this balance would cause serious internal strife in the country and even have a negative impact on the campaign to conquer Xixia.

After thinking about it, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty added: "Wen Linlang and Taixue Zheng Zhu Ming, who have made meritorious contributions and are promoted to Chengwu Lang, are still Taixuezheng."

The rank of Ju Ming's salary official remained unchanged, still from the eighth rank.

However, he went from selecting someone from the eighth level to becoming an eighth-level imperial official, completing an elegant triple jump in an instant.

Well, Ju Ming’s salary has also increased.

The monthly salary increased by 1 guan, the lumi increased by 5 dan, and the attendant allowance increased by 200 ren.

Proper promotion and salary increase.