Chapter 49 Chapter 7 Design in the open, fortify in the dark
Fishing Banquet, the full name is "Flower Appreciation Fishing Banquet", which is a large-scale royal entertainment event led by the emperor. It takes place in the inner courtyard of the palace. The annual meeting of each unit is held every year, and every year is different, but the principles and procedures are the same.Of course, many interesting things will happen during this period, and even homicides will occur.
Once at a fishing banquet, Song Renzong gave a poem, and first read two lines of his own poems, and the prime ministers made peace with each other.After the poetry was given, everyone sat down to watch the play.Most of the poems are occasional works to praise Taiping, without any special meaning.In Song Renzong's imperial poems, there are many words "wandering", which have no practical meaning, and are just for rhyming.Then Jiaofang entered the play, playing the role of a guy strolling back and forth in front of the hall, monologue "Wandering also".Walking into the back hall, wandering repeatedly without leaving.Someone asked him why, and the actor replied, wandering!Can't it?Another person said with a smile, it's okay, it's too much "wandering" ("Yan Weigong Quotations").This drama is an evaluation of the talented Song Renzong's imperial poems.In the joyful atmosphere, no one would care. The relationship between the monarch and his ministers seemed to be very close, and everyone laughed it off.However, the seemingly convivial atmosphere hides a certain political order.
"Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian" contains: "Calling the prime minister, attending the political affairs, the privy, the third envoy, the Hanlin, the privy direct bachelor, the fourth rank of the Shangshu province, the fifth rank and above of the two provinces, and the third-rank bachelor, the banquet is held in the back garden. , Enjoying flowers and fishing, giving Zhang Le a drink, ordering all officials to compose poems and practice archery, naturally, every year." In the second year of Emperor Yongxi of Song Dynasty (985), the standards and procedures for participating in the "Flower Appreciation and Fishing Banquet" were formally established. From the above standards, it can be seen that not all officials in the ruling and opposition parties can participate in the banquet hosted by the emperor. They need to have a certain rank and qualifications, and the minimum is a fifth-rank official. "Miscellaneous Notes on the Green Box" records: "Admiring flowers and fishing, the three pavilions are the only ones to sit in advance, and those who are below the school manager can write poems and leave." , Fishing, and wearing flowers are nothing to you.At that time, Li Zong'er was the school manager, and expressed his indignation at not being eligible to participate in the fishing banquet. He wrote a poem: "Wearing palace flowers and writing poems, you can't see ocher yellow clothes again, but you can go out of the palace gate, just like when you were in the second place. "
It can be seen that fishing banquets are extremely attractive to officials, and it is a great honor for officials to participate in fishing banquets.The official position is too small, and there are not many opportunities to meet the emperor. At the end of the year and the end of the year, there is such an opportunity, and he is not allowed to participate. What is the difference between this and failing the exam?After Song Taizong finished reading the poems, he immediately ordered to go to the banquet. From then on, all those below the school manager in the three halls can go to the banquet.
After a year of busy work, a year of exhaustion, and a year of fighting, the emperor personally presided over a banquet for the officials to relax and rest. During the banquet, everyone put down their burdens and enjoyed themselves, leaving troublesome things for tomorrow.But the order here can’t be messed up. It’s like the leader toasting at the table at the annual meeting. He knows exactly who should stand there to toast, and everyone at the table also knows that they need to stand up and cooperate with the leader. This is the order relationship of the fishing feast. ——If the Son of Heaven doesn't catch the fish, he can't raise the head.The waiter did not get fish, and the bachelor could not be promoted ("Su Shui Ji Wen").When fishing, if the emperor didn't catch the hook, the others had to hold on if they bit the hook.After the emperor caught the fish, the prime minister raised the pole, and then raised the pole in order.During this period, of course, some officials were absent-minded, and they often participated in it and felt that it was meaningless and lost their freshness, such as Wang Anshi.During a certain fishing banquet held by Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi was appointed to make a decree. He sat uncomfortable and even ate the bait.The emperor used a red net to catch the fish, and the prime minister used a white net to catch the fish.Order cannot be chaotic, once it is chaotic, serious murders are likely to occur, such as Cao Lili, who used red nets to hold fish.At that time, someone noticed this phenomenon and asserted: "Cao Gong has such power and position. It will not last long if he does not settle for arrogance by approaching himself." Cao took advantage of it and was defeated.
Cao Li's most famous story is to represent the Northern Song Dynasty and the Liao State to talk about the "Chanyuan Alliance" on the issue of the year's coins.At that time, Zhenzong said that he could give some money, but he could not cede the land, one million!The prime minister, Kou Zhun, told him that if he returned with too much money, I would kill you!Cao Li went to negotiate under the pressure of many parties, but as expected, the Liao Kingdom proposed to cede the territory.The Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao Kingdom said that the land given to us by the Later Jin Dynasty was taken away by Zhou Shizong, and it should be returned to me now.Cao Li cleverly replied that the people of Jin gave Khitan land and the people of Zhou took it, but I don't know.I dare not hear about the request for land cession. "The History of Song Dynasty: The Biography of Cao Yong" only briefly recorded a few lines of dialogue, and the details are unknown, but he must be the sharpest negotiator of that era, and he showed excellent diplomacy in this event ability.When he came back, the servant asked him how much he had paid, and Cao Li stretched out his hand to scratch the itch and said that this is a confidential matter, and he will tell the officials face to face.The servant reported back to Zhenzong, didn't say how much it was, just stretched out three fingers and scratched his face.Zhenzong shouted: "Three million?" After a long time, only three million is three million!As long as there is a truce and a ceasefire, it is better than anything else.Cao used to meet the officials, and Zhenzong hurriedly asked the specific figures.Cao used to sell a pass, the minister was guilty, and promised too much silver and silk to the Liao Kingdom.Zhenzong said, stop talking nonsense, how much did you promise them to give?Cao Li said 300,000.Zhenzong was surprised at first, and then overjoyed, this matter can be done clearly!In the Chanyuan alliance, the two parties agreed that Liao and Song would be brother states, and Song would provide Liao with 100,000 taels of silver and 200,000 bolts of silk every year, equivalent to the tax revenue of two counties in the Song Dynasty.At that time, there were more than a thousand counties in the Song Dynasty, and the tax revenue of two counties was exchanged for a hundred years of peace. This deal was worthwhile.Because of this, Cao Li was promoted to the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, successively served as the envoy of the Privy Council, under Tong Zhongshu's door, and he was added the title of Zuo Servant and Servant.
Coincidentally, at a festival banquet, the prime minister Kou Zhun had the problem of persuading him to drink. When he persuaded Cao to use it here, Lao Cao refused to drink.After three persuasion and two persuasion, Kou Zhun thought that he was shameless by blatantly refusing the prime minister's toast.Cao Lili thinks that the two of us are now at the same level and use your title of prime minister to overwhelm me. Do you think I'm still the little official you threatened back then?Kou Zhun got anxious and scolded him, you are just a man, why don't you give me face?Cao Li is not to be outdone, I am a high-ranking official of the central government, but you, as the prime minister, call me a fool, and you will argue in front of the officials tomorrow.Other officials hurried out to smooth things over, and the matter was left alone.Afterwards, Kou Zhun was squeezed out of the central government by Ding Wei and Cao Li, and lived a life of footprints in the local area.Kou Zhun was demoted to Daozhou, and the common people heard that Kou Xianggong was coming and had no house to live in, so they built a house spontaneously, and the public house was established, which was quite magnificent.The magistrate reported the matter to the imperial court, and Ding Wei, who was in the central government, quickly issued an order to demote Leizhou.When Kou Zhun was leaving, there were countless officials and people who came to see him off. The road was blocked, and horses were unwilling to go.Kou Zhun felt sad and cried to the local officials, go back and tell Ding Wei, what did I do wrong to treat me like this?Later, Ding Wei was demoted to Yazhou and passed through Daozhou, and the local official Yuan Kang conveyed Kou Zhun's words.Ding Wei said that the person who beat him was Cao Lili, and it had nothing to do with me. At a festival banquet that year, the two of them quarreled over persuasion, which was due to this ("Facts Class Garden").
This kind of orderly relationship at the fishing banquet caused some people to be happy and others to worry about their careers.Cao used the details of loading fish with red nets to be seen, and made a conclusion.Cao took advantage of his excessive power and became more and more erratic.After Song Zhenzong's death, Song Renzong came to the throne at a young age. Yan Shu proposed that Empress Dowager Liu listen to the government behind the curtain, so as to check the power of Zhenzong's veteran officials.At that time, Empress Dowager Liu, Cao Lili, Ding Wei and others jointly expelled Kou Zhun, and her power had grown, so listening to politics behind the curtain was just a formality.Empress Dowager Liu was quite jealous of her partner Cao Li, and never called him by name, calling him "Shi Zhong".
The biggest characteristic of Cao Li is pride.Pride needs capital, and he can say with great fanfare that the Hundred Years of Peace in the Great Song Dynasty was negotiated by him.The facts are there, there is nothing wrong with it.As for the meritorious Kou Zhun in the Chanyuan Alliance, he has already been dealt with, and rewarding Cao for his meritorious deeds is the most profitable, so he often "praises himself as an old man" and doesn't take Empress Dowager Liu seriously at all, leading to "left and right" Much resentment".Cao used his fingers and claws to tap on the belt when he did not like something when he was playing in front of the imperial court.The people around the queen mother said, would he dare to do this when the late emperor was around?The queen mother was very angry.Not very popular, offending people everywhere, no one has a good word to say, maybe someone will stab him in the back at any time.Cao Li had offended many people. Luo Chongxun, the servant, made a mistake. Empress Dowager Liu asked Cao Li to teach him, but Cao Li scolded him so angry that Luo Chongxun hated him deeply.
"Luo Zhi Jing · Protecting the Body": "Ordinary people should not fight with officials, and noble people should not form grudges. If you are weak, you can save your life, and you can't be strong; if you are strong, you can hold back your wings and don't seek perfection. Sin should be harsh, and pity for others will not cause great harm. Don’t be harsh on the person, Xiaohui may have big gains.” Clearly pointed out the scale of blaming subordinates, such arrogance like Cao Lili is very dangerous, as the saying goes, excessive humility is pride, and excessive pride is self-confidence. But pride plus self-confidence equals death!People who are so proud that their nostrils are turned upside down will not look at the road under their feet when they walk, and they will easily miss the ground and fall into the abyss.Well, everyone is waiting for an opportunity, and once an opportunity arises, they will be shot to death.
Cao used his nephew Cao Rui as a breakthrough point.Another fire broke out in the backyard of officials, and many people were defeated by it, and Cao Lili was no exception.His nephew Cao Rui didn't know what kind of insanity he had. When he was in Zhaozhou's military prison, he committed many crimes and was sued by Zhao Dechong, a state citizen.Internal servant Luo Chongxun offered to investigate the matter, an opportunity for blatant revenge. It is conceivable that Luo Chongxun will have to deal with it even if he has nothing to do.Under interrogation, it was discovered that Cao Rui drank too much once and was wearing a yellow dress, which made people shout long live, which was enough to kill him.Cao Rui escorted the capital and died with a stick.Cao Li was implicated for his lack of strict family management, so he was demoted to a privy envoy and sentenced to Dengzhou.The matter didn't end here. According to the habit of officialdom struggles, if you don't take action, everyone will live in peace.Luo Chongxun said that Cao Rui was Cao's nephew, and the rebellion had something to do with him, so he couldn't just deal with it hastily.Empress Dowager Liu was right to take down Cao Li.Prime Minister Zhang Shixun dared not agree with their opinions, and supported Cao Yongli, so angry that Empress Dowager Liu scolded him, Cao Yongli recommended you, so you just defend him, right?Ask another prime minister, Wang Zeng, and he has the same attitude.If the two senior members don't cooperate, let's come together!To remove the party feathers, be sure to uproot them.Cao used the dismissal of the privy envoys, and surrendered Zuo Qianniuwei General, Zhi Suizhou.Because of this, Zhang Shixun was dismissed as Prime Minister and went to Jiangning with the title of Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment. The subsequent king was demoted to Zhiqingzhou for dereliction of duty in the Yuqing Palace fire.
One of Cao Rui's incidents led to his uncle Cao Lili being kicked out of the central government, Cao Lili's two sons dismissed from office, and all his family property confiscated. At this point, it seems that the matter can be over.However, the habit of officialdom struggles tells us that things are not over yet.Cao Li went bankrupt and had nothing left. He thought about how to earn some money, so he embezzled public funds to lend money, but was seized by the court and demoted to Fangzhou. When he took office, he was accompanied by the servant Yang Huaimin.When central officials go to work in local areas, it is a status symbol to have servants accompanying them.At that time, Empress Dowager Liu ruled the world, and the servants Luo Chongxun and Jiang Deming were in power.Lao Cao once scolded Luo Chongxun, which cannot be as good as him.It is estimated that before leaving, the leader Luo Chongxun gave a face-to-face instruction, so when he walked to Xiangyang Station, Yang Huaimin refused to leave and forced him with words.I don't know exactly what he said. In short, there will be no good words, but all kinds of swear words used by Cao, sarcasm, and contempt.The proud Cao Li could no longer be proud now, Huluo Pingyang was bullied by dogs, and as soon as his self-willed temper came up, he threw himself into the trap and hanged himself.This is what Yang Huaimin and Luo Chongxun wanted, and used Cao Li's "sudden death" on the way to take office to play the court.
The first principle of officialdom struggle, beyond the actual order and spiritual order, will inevitably be rectified. This is also the enlightenment Cao Yong gave us.In reality, he did go beyond etiquette, such as using red nets to hold fish at the fishing banquet, disrespecting the new leader, Empress Dowager Liu, and not taking care of the emotions of his colleagues and subordinates, which made everyone hate him.Even if you don't overstep the previous rule, if you are so arrogant to the point of "immoral up and down", you will definitely be punished.As the saying goes, "Those who are superior are suspicious, and those who are inferior are afraid. If the upper and lower are unethical, misfortune will arise." ("Luo Zhijing·Shishang") The fishing feast has a glamorous side, but undercurrents are surging in the joyful and peaceful atmosphere.Whether an official can catch fish, enjoy flowers, walk steadily, go far, and eat well in the official fishing banquet, the key is to figure out the methods and principles of official struggle.People don't offend me, I don't offend others. This sentence is the way of life for many people. It is absolutely inapplicable in officialdom. You can guarantee that you will not attack others, but you cannot guarantee that others will not attack you!Sometimes it is even unclear why they were hacked, and they were "weaved" inexplicably.The mystery behind it is nothing more than recognizing the fishing feast and seeing through the "Luo Zhi Jing".
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