Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Zhu Guoxiang said that he didn't care about this matter, which was of course an angry talk.

Do you really think Dean Zhu is a vegetarian?

On the third day after being rejected by the cabinet and the Sixth Section, Zhu Guoxiang began to summon ministers one by one.

The first person summoned was Zhang Gen.

Zhu Guoxiang got straight to the point and asked: "Does the Prime Minister believe in the theory of good luck? Answer truthfully."

Zhang Gen said: "I don't believe it."

"Why deny it?" Zhu Guoxiang asked again.

Zhang Gen said: "I have to believe it."

"Why?" Zhu Guoxiang asked.

Zhang Gen said: "It is necessary to have this thing when it comes to the authority of the dynasty and the emperor."

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "Is it okay if I don't?"

Zhang Gen replied: "It's better to have it."

"I understand," Zhu Guoxiang asked again, "Does the Prime Minister believe in the telepathy between heaven and man?"

Zhang Gen did not respond directly, but used Song Huizong as an example: "The faint king Zhao Ji can sense the influence of heaven and man year after year."

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "Last year there was a flood in the Yangtze River, which can be blamed on Zhao Ji. If there is another flood in the future, how can we explain it to the people? Is it my fault or the ministers' fault?"

Zhang Gen said: "The yin energy is too strong."

"Too much Yin energy?" Zhu Guoxiang didn't understand.

Zhang Gen explained: "All things in the world are born from the two qi of yin and yang. If yin and yang are out of balance, there will be disasters. When governing, we should achieve neutrality, harmonize yin and yang, and the world will be stable."

This statement is a new invention of the Song Dynasty and a brand new version of the induction between heaven and man.

If there were any disasters in the Han and Tang dynasties, they must have been caused by the misconduct of the politicians.

Any disasters in the Song Dynasty can be explained as imbalance of yin and yang. The emperor was definitely right, it was probably a villain. Because there are too many villains, yin energy accumulates, resulting in yin and yang imbalance.

Expelling the villains in the court will weaken the yin energy, harmonize yin and yang, and the country will be stable.

As for who is the villain, it depends on the specific situation.

After sending Zhang Gen away, Zhu Guoxiang summoned other cabinet ministers. They all said the same thing, but they did not dare to be as straightforward as Zhang Gen.

These guys don't believe it, but they want everyone in the world to believe it. This is actually a way of ruling.

Li Bangyan seems special.

Facing Zhu Guoxiang's inquiry, Li Bangyan said: "I am too stupid to speculate on this matter. But I heard that when the Holy Emperor comes to court, his fortune will naturally decline. Your Majesty is a man of merit, whether you believe it or not. Someone with good fortune."

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "What will happen if I don't determine the fate of this dynasty?"

Li Bangyan said: "Destiny depends on whether it is determined or not. The emperor can decide whether the destiny is good or not. I will act in accordance with the emperor's orders. The cabinet rejected it, but I did not participate."

This guy is a slippery man. He directly stated that he was willing to obey, but he also emphasized that Ming Dynasty must have good fortune and blessings.

After listening to the cabinet's opinions, Zhu Guoxiang was too lazy to summon them one by one, and directly called Xiao Chu, Huang Shang, and Huan Guo.

Huang Shang, who had been compiling the Taoist Canon for ten years, was actually very excited: "The river produces pictures, and Luo produces books. This is such a weird and heretical theory! The five elements of virtue are even more nonsense. When a holy emperor governs a country, he must abide by the scriptures and uphold justice. This cannot be believed. Those false words.”

Zhu Guoxiang smiled: "Why is Aiqing so opposed?"

Huang Shang stood up in excitement and said: "In the early years of the old Song Dynasty, which learned man did not object to this? I studied "Yi", and the achievements of Song Yi's theory were to deny the prophecies of Han Yi! Even Zhao Ji, the ignorant king, was like that Indulging in auspiciousness, I exclude the sun and moon eclipses from the perception of heaven and humans!"

From the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty to the ascension of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, the theory of telepathy between heaven and man was constantly disintegrated.

On the one hand, it strips away the influence of disasters, and on the other hand, it introduces yin and yang to supplement it.

The "New Book of Tang" compiled in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty directly reflects this.

This book breaks the millennium tradition since the "Book of Han", which only records disasters and does not record the events in response to disasters. The general meaning is that you just need to be in awe of unknown phenomena and don’t make any random connections with reality.

Reform is coming.

Solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, earthquakes, and comets appeared frequently, and the conservatives used these to attack the reformers.

Of course Wang Anshi wanted to fight back, and the most drastic method was to exclude "Spring and Autumn" from the imperial examination, just because "Spring and Autumn" recorded many strange reactions.

During this period, Tianren felt suppressed by the government.

The conservatives gained the upper hand, and although they were pushed back, the overall trend was towards rationality.

Until Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty came to the throne and carried out auspicious events, the sense of heaven and man came back, even the upright ministers were subtly influenced, and the overall social atmosphere became strange.

However, even Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty issued an edict to exclude solar and lunar eclipses from the perception of heaven and man, believing that the ancients were making blind connections because they did not understand astronomy.

Why did Song Huizong do this?

Because this guy knows astronomy. He knows the causes of solar and lunar eclipses, the phenomenon of five latitudes retreating, and even has a preliminary understanding of orbital differences.

This is an advancement in astronomy!

Zhu Guoxiang looked at Xiao Chu and Huan Guo: "What do you think of the Five Elements of Destiny?"

Xiao Chu said: "It's nonsense."

Huan Guodao: "Maybe something happened."

Both of them were students of Cheng Yi and both studied the Spring and Autumn Annals in depth, but their views were completely different.

Xiao Chu emphasized the classics but passed them lightly, ignoring the details and pointing directly to the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period.

However, Huan Guo belongs to the Gongyang School, and the most important thing is Gongyang Chuan, and he especially believes in natural induction.

Zhu Guoxiang asked Huan Guo: "Mr. Hu, do you think heaven and humans can really sense things?"

Huan Guo said: "Heaven here refers specifically to the laws of heaven. To be precise, it should be called the response of people. When disasters come from heaven, it is the laws of heaven that warn the world. As long as the monarchs and ministers in the world implement virtuous government, put the people first, and be wary of the debate between China and Yi, If we carry forward the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period, disasters will no longer occur or become less frequent."

"I understand." Zhu Guoxiang nodded.

After the three people left, Zhu Guoxiang wrote the imperial edict.

He promoted Huang Shang and Xiao Chu to cabinet ministers on the grounds of their high moral prestige, talents and abilities.

This is the power of the emperor!

There are two ways to promote the prime minister. One is the emperor personally promotes the prime minister, the other is the cabinet officials discuss the recommendation, and then the emperor nods to confirm.

Under normal circumstances, if the edict involves military and state affairs, it must be turned into a real imperial edict to be effective (it can also be like that of Song Huizong).

Ju Ming's arrangement was that the Tongzhengyuan was responsible for internal control and the cabinet was responsible for external control.

The two central edicts were sent to the Tongzhengyuan, and Liang Yi immediately wrote an edict. The Sixth Section had no authority to refute the matter.

Two edicts appointing new cabinet ministers were quickly sent to the cabinet.

Zhang Gen watched in silence, because this was not a discussion with them, but a direct announcement of the results to them.

Internally issued special edicts issued by the emperor, including canonizing queens and princes, promoting prime ministers and ministers, or informing the people of the world.

The power to draft internal regulations has been handed over to the General Affairs Council, and the cabinet has no right to interfere.

"The officials are angry." Zhai Ruwen said after reading the edict.

Li Bangyan said angrily: "I told you not to refute the official decree. If the new dynasty's moral destiny is not established, it will not be established. Why make the emperor and his ministers uncomfortable?"

Since Zhong Shidao became the prime minister, he seems to have become a different person. He follows the ethics of civil servants everywhere. He said: "Establishing the moral destiny of the new dynasty is a major event. Even if you don't believe in the induction of heaven and man, you should follow it as a kind of etiquette. Why should officials? Are you determined to have your own way?"

At this moment, a man from Zhongshushe came in: "Your Majesty has another edict."

Zhang Gen took it in his hand and looked at it, and immediately smiled bitterly and said: "The official said that from now on, the number of cabinet ministers will be determined. There will be one prime minister, one deputy prime minister, and five assistant prime ministers. To reject the decree, seven prime ministers need to vote. , at least four votes are needed to reject it.”

Zhai Ruwen grabbed the imperial edict, read it and sighed: "The officials are not angry, but already angry."

Zhang Gen sat down slumped: "Who will draft the edict?"

"I'll do it." Zhai Ruwen said.

This kind of edict can be issued internally or externally, that is, it can be promulgated by the cabinet or the General Council.

Zhu Guoxiang deliberately sent the imperial edict to the cabinet and asked the cabinet ministers to write edicts to restrain themselves.

They could also refuse and let the emperor take the route of Tongzhengyuan instead.

But that approach was tantamount to not giving the emperor face and had no impact on the outcome.

Zhai Ruwen quickly drafted the edict and handed it over to the imperial edict office for checking and making it into a real edict. He was a little dumbfounded and said with emotion: "You were not in the capital at that time, but I knew it. Zhao Ji sent people to conquer the emperor, but because the eunuch made rude remarks, he kidnapped the eunuch who was delivering the decree and brought him to the capital that day."

"Is there such a thing?" Master Zhong said in surprise.

Zhai Ruwen said: "Not only did he kidnap the eunuch, but he also returned all the property extorted from him to the officials along the way. Including the entourage who went out of Beijing to deliver the decree, as well as the officials along the way, they all helped impeach the eunuch today!"

Li Bangyan said: "I've heard about this."

The rest of the cabinet ministers looked at each other. They really didn't know about this. It seemed that the official was not easy to talk to.

But as for Huang Shang and Xiao Chu, they quickly received the appointment edict.

Huang Shang was so happy that he almost went crazy. He was a serious scholar. He was thrown by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty to organize Taoist scriptures and compile Taoist canons, and was asked by Ju Ming to engage in astronomy. He thought that his life was over, but unexpectedly he became the prime minister in the cabinet.

"Official sage!" Huang Shang sighed with emotion.

When Xiao Chu received the edict, he smiled and asked the newly hired servant to ask a tailor to make a brand new robe.

The next day, the two officially went to work in the cabinet.

Zhang Gen led everyone to welcome them and exchange polite greetings with each other.

Soon, Zhu Guoxiang sent a decree, the content of which was to declare that Ming Dynasty would not establish its moral destiny.

Zhang Gen still expressed his opposition: "Just vote."

Votes against: Zhang Gen, Zhai Ruwen, Zhong Shidao.

Votes in favor: Li Bangyan, Xiao Chu, Huang Shang, Liu Yao.

Unable to refute the decree!

The cabinet had no choice but to draft the edict, and the imperial edict was prepared by the imperial edict office and sent to the Ministry of Rites for execution through the Etiquette Department.

The etiquette department was assigned to Wang Qi, but he was very stubborn. He thought the edict was against the rules and even dismissed the edict from the cabinet.

In the afternoon of that day, the Etiquette Department was replaced immediately, and Wang Qi, who was stubborn, was sent to work at the Inspectorate...

At the Ministry of Rites, Meng Zhao acted in accordance with the imperial edict.

Many ministers came to advise and remonstrate, but Zhu Guoxiang stayed behind and pretended that he had not seen anything.

When Meng Zhao came home and talked about it, his wife Yu Shan smiled and said: "These ministers and ministers have never seen the officials who were in Daming Village. Who dares to object?"

Meng Zhao couldn't help but laugh and said: "The tiger put away its claws, it is also a tiger. This time it only showed its claws, and it scared those people."