Chapter 37 Section VII
In a few words, Pan Zhaolin mentioned several key weaknesses of the Great Song Dynasty, and almost revealed the future of the Song Dynasty, which left a deep impression on Shi Yue, so Shi Yue was very much looking forward to meeting him again.Unexpectedly, in the next few days, Pan Zhaolin seemed to disappear.
In this way, the days passed day by day, and soon came the beginning of winter.It has been a full year since Shi Yue returned to the Song Dynasty.During this period of time, Baishuitan College has added several teachers such as Shen Kuo and Fan Zhen.Shen Kuo had studied Shi Yue's "stone science" for a long time, and it was very speculative to meet Shi Yue. In addition, he was giving lectures by order, and the salary of visiting professors at Baishuitan College was quite generous, so he was very active in attending classes at Baishuitan College.With this good assistant, Shi Yue's pressure was greatly relieved.The so-called "things of a feather flock together, and people are divided into groups", within a few days, Shen Kuo recommended to Shi Yue a large number of people with very deep scientific literacy to come to take part-time courses, and Baishuitan College has gradually become a gathering of humanities.
On this day, because the emperor ordered a grand feast for the ministers, Shi Yue rushed to Shangshu Province early in the morning. Xiangguo Temple prays for blessings.Shi Yue has no interest in these activities with many etiquettes, he just follows the rules and participates with everyone.
At this time, the situation in North Korea and China is changing.On September 13, Zeng Gongliang, the prime minister who recommended Wang Anshi, resigned. In October, another prime minister, Chen Shengzhi, also died because of the death of his mother, Ding You.Seeing that all the positions of prime ministers were vacant, on the one hand, Wang Anshi was smugly waiting to be promoted to "Tongzhong Shumenxia Pingzhangshi" to become a real prime minister, and to carry out policy proposals in a legitimate way; Many ministers who originally supported Wang Anshi moved to the opposite side of the new party step by step, and the tension increased day by day.Under such circumstances, Shi Yue was very unwilling to participate in any activities of the court, for fear of being accidentally involved in the political struggle between the old and new parties.
After returning from Daxiangguo Temple, Shi Yue was preparing to go to the Shangshu Provincial Capital Office for a banquet, but unexpectedly, a Chinese envoy came to say that the emperor had summoned him.The exhausted Shi Yue had no choice but to force himself to see the emperor.
He followed the eunuchs into the palace through the right Yemen, but just as he walked to the Right Changqing Gate, he ran into Wang Anshi and Zeng Bu, and an official in his forties who was talking and laughing with Wang Anshi, and seemed to be going there too. See you.Shi Yue murmured "unlucky" in his heart, but he had no choice but to respectfully pay respects to Wang Anshi.Wang Anshi was very polite to him, he helped him up warmly, and said with a smile: "Ziming, you don't need to be polite, the emperor summoned you?"
"The next official is here to see you." Shi Yue forced a smile and replied.
The forty-year-old official walked up to Shi Yue, saluted, and said with a smile, "So this is the well-known Master Shi Zi Ming Shi, the next official in Ningzhou to judge Deng Wan, it's polite here."
Shi Yue didn't know who it was, so he could only hypocritically agree: "Jiu Yang."
Zeng Buzhi Shiyue certainly didn't know about Deng Wan, so he laughed beside him and said, "Master Deng has more than a dozen things to say about current affairs, which is very well received by the emperor."
Unexpectedly, a Cheng Yaojin appeared next to him, and said with a sneer, "I wonder if it's the Emperor Jia Na, or the Political Consultant?"
Shi Yue didn't expect that someone would dare to mock Wang Anshi face to face, but he recognized Liu Xiang, the magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture, who had always been at odds with Wang Anshi.Behind Liu Xiang, Su Shi and other Kaifeng government officials followed.
Wang Anshi looked at him with a blue face, Liu Xiang saluted Wang Anshi casually, and said: "Today's festival, you don't have to be so pretentious when you participate in politics. Liu is no better than Mr. Deng. He only wants to be a court, and the worst is not to be an official. If you have something to say, you have to say it straight.”
"Master Liu, you are insulting people too much." Deng Wan couldn't help but burst out.
"Really? Is there anything insulting to me? Didn't Mr. Deng say, 'I'll be a good official if you laugh and scold me'? I'm just laughing and scolding, and it won't prevent Mr. Deng from being a good official." Liu Xiang held a gun and a stick scolded back.
Deng Wan's face turned red and white, and her body trembled with anger.Wang Anshi was furious: "Liu Xiang, it's too presumptuous for you to humiliate the minister in front of you. I want to impeach you."
Liu Xiang smiled nonchalantly, raised his head and clasped his fists and said, "You are welcome." After saying that, he walked away.
It was the first time for Shi Yue to experience the incompatibility of these ministers, and he couldn't help admiring Liu Xiang's courage, but on the surface, he could only remain calm. He deliberately kept a certain distance, and followed the angry Wang Anshi to the Jiying Hall go.
Entering the Jiying Hall, I saw the emperor sitting on the dragon chair, talking to several ministers with a smile; Shi Yue looked for Liu Xiang again, but found him standing calmly among the ranks of civil servants.
After everyone saluted the emperor, Wang Anshi sternly said, "I report to Your Majesty, I have my own report."
Seeing his unhesitating expression, Zhao Xu couldn't help but startled and said, "What's the matter with participating in politics?"
"Your Majesty, I want to impeach Liu Xiang of Quan Zhi Kaifeng Mansion for being rude and humiliating to the minister." Wang Anshi's voice was stern.
Before Zhao Xu could answer, Liu Xiang came out and said: "Your Majesty, I also have a report. I want to impeach Ningzhou Tong and judge Deng Wan to be in power. It is inconvenient for Wang Anshi, who is a political adviser, to disturb the people!" .
Seeing that a joyful banquet was about to turn into a court debate where ministers attacked each other, the young emperor felt extremely unhappy.He lowered his face and said: "Liu Xiang, you are not the censor. You don't need to say whether Deng Wan is flattering or not in power." Turning around, he said to Wang Anshi: "Talk about participating in politics first, why is Liu Xiang so rude?"
Wang Anshi then told about the Youchangqing gate, and Deng Wan had already stepped out and knelt down, crying: "Please the emperor be the master."
Liu Xiang watched him cry coldly, snorted heavily, and scolded: "Little man!"
"Liu Xiang, what are you talking about!" Zhao Xu looked at Liu Xiang in disbelief.
"I said that Deng Wan is a villain." Liu Xiang answered boldly.
"It seems that Wang Anshi didn't wrong you when he said that you humiliated the minister face to face!" Zhao Xu stood up angrily and asked sharply.
"Return to Your Majesty, if someone like Deng Wan is worthy of being called a minister, I would be ashamed to be with him!" Liu Xiang pushed back abruptly, causing many people to sweat secretly for him.
"Okay, he is not worthy of being called a minister, you are, right? Tell me, how can he be unworthy of the law, and how can you be worthy of the law?" Zhao Xu laughed back angrily, he had already decided that Deng Wan supported the new law Nengchen, this matter is just an excuse for the opposition to make trouble, so they are very angry.
"Your Majesty, Deng Wan wrote a letter saying that Wang Anshi is Yi Yin, which is shameful. The defeat of Qingzhou, the court focused on side matters, and his writing was a side matter. Because Wang Anshi was away, Prime Minister Chen Shengzhi and Feng Jing, who participated in politics, planned Letting him go to the frontier would be useful. Deng Wan was not happy. When someone asked him what kind of official he wanted to be, he claimed to be a cabinet official, and even wanted to be an admonishing official, so he flattered Wang Anshi. When the minister heard that Wang Anshi was on rotation, he immediately changed his position. It will be announced in two days that he will be awarded the post of Jixian School Manager and Jianzheng Zhongshu. "
Only now did Shi Yue know the whole story, and he also felt that Deng Wan was a little shameless.Just as he was thinking about how this matter would end, Fan Zhen, a Hanlin scholar, came out and said: "Your Majesty, Deng Wan is so shameless that he should be reprimanded and not listed in the imperial court. The former, Deng Wan wrote a letter, Yun Qingmiaofa is here Since the implementation of Ningzhou, the people have rejoiced. He said that if you look at it from one state, you will know that it is true all the way, and if you look at it from one road, you will know that the whole country is the same. In fact, the Qingmiao Law is inconvenient to disturb the people. The world knows that Deng Wan is true. It's unbelievable. Your Majesty, please see clearly, the country will be lucky if the young crop law is abolished as soon as possible."
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen people knelt down in the hall and asked the emperor to abolish the Qingmiao Law.
Shi Yue sighed secretly in his heart, these people don't know how to plan, and they don't know how to follow every step.If you attack Deng Wan with all your strength and find a way to tear a hole, as long as the evidence is complete, you may not be able to defeat Deng Wan.After winning this battle, it will not be too late to take advantage of the torn hole and attack slowly.At this time, when the matter was expanded to an attack on the Green Crop Law, Wang Anshi definitely defended Deng Wan to death. This was an attack on a minister to an attack on the general policy of "reform" established by the emperor himself. Whether it was the emperor or Wang Anshi, I will definitely not back down. Once I back down, all previous efforts will be wasted.Deng Wan's future was saved because of this.
He sighed there, but he didn't notice that after more than a dozen people knelt down, he stood very conspicuously.This is the time to express their position, Su Shi and others looked at him straight, wishing to get up and pull him to kneel.Wang Anshi and Zeng Bu showed appreciation on their faces.
Wang Anshi glanced at all the people kneeling down, and said sharply: "What Liu Xiang said is all nonsense. Deng Wan wrote a letter, and His Majesty personally rewarded him. Except for Deng Wan's Jixian School Manager and Jianzheng Zhongshu Kongmufang's official business, it is the minister's and The result of the prime minister's participation in political discussions is to cherish talents for the court. Liu Xiang is not a censor, and he dared to humiliate ministers in front of him based on rumors. It is inconvenient, but it is an indisputable fact that the income of the state treasury has increased, and the peasants will not miss the time of farming. How can the ministers and workers listen to the popular words? Besides, even if this matter is inconvenient, it should be debated in the court. We will discuss this matter today. It is also disrespectful, Fan Zhen, a scholar of the Imperial Academy, discusses the new law in dismay, and I ask your Majesty to punish him for his crime."
After he finished speaking, to Shi Yue's surprise, he didn't kneel down. Instead, some ministers came out and made their speeches, attacking Fan Zhen and Liu Xiang around Wang Anshi's central idea.After thinking about it for a while, Shi Yue realized that the new party was much smarter than the opposition's kneeling together—at least the impression of "clique" was not so obvious, as if they were "a group of gentlemen rather than the party".
It's just that there are not too many ministers in the Jiying Hall. At this time, Shi Yue neither kneels down nor speaks, which is even more annoying.Seeing his silence, Wang Anshi sneered and said, "Lord Shi, what's your opinion?" Immediately, the eyes of dozens of people in the Jiying Hall were all focused on Shi Yue.Shi Yue secretly groaned in his heart: he was so unlucky that he would be involved in the political vortex even if he attended a royal banquet.
Zhao Xu is also in a dilemma. Fan Zhen has always had a good reputation, and the emperor treats him quite graciously. Liu Xiang has a real name, and he is not willing to belittle him easily, but if they are not dealt with, it will be very difficult for the new law to be implemented in the future.When Wang Anshi asked Shi Yue when he had no idea, he couldn't help but ask, "Shi Qing, what's your opinion?"
Shi Yue had no choice but to speak slowly and carefully: "Your Majesty, I don't know much about the pros and cons of the Qingmiao Law, so I dare not speak rashly about it. However, I think that since Emperor Taizu, there has never been a sinner in this dynasty. Your Majesty is The unworldly hero should be tolerant so as not to obstruct the way of speech. Fan Zhen, a Hanlin scholar, has always been loyal. He proposed to abolish the Young Crop Law, regardless of whether it is right or wrong, but his heart is sincere and fair. Your Majesty should not add crimes to this , the king should also have the measure of a prime minister when he participates in politics. In this way, everyone in the world will know that your majesty is the master who accepts advice, and he is tolerant in governing. As for the fact that Liu Xiang in Kaifeng Prefecture insulted and sentenced Deng Wan in Ningzhou, the minister thought that Liu Xiang would listen to him Rumors are also unknown, but there is no need to delve into this matter. If you delve into it, there will be various rumors among the people. Whether it is true or not, it will not look good on Mr. Deng, and it will lose the dignity of the court. But Liu Xiang disturbed Banquet, the crime is unavoidable, there should be a judge to determine the crime."
In his words, he helped Fan Zhen and Liu Xiang get rid of the crime. The people in this palace are all experienced in official careers, so there is no reason why they don't know.Wang Anshi was about to refute him with an ashen face, but Shi Yue said again: "Your Majesty, I have no prejudice against the Qingmiao Law, but when it comes to this matter today, I have a few words to say, if Your Majesty is willing to forgive the crime of lying, The subject should be presented in front of His Majesty."
Shi Yue knew that Wang Anshi was definitely not as familiar with etiquette and laws as Wang Anshi. If Wang Anshi quoted the scriptures, he would punish Fan Zhen and Liu Xiang. Therefore, the topic was deliberately changed, before Wang Anshi spoke, and the topic was changed, leading to the new law that Wang Anshi was most concerned about.Sure enough, as soon as he mentioned the Green Miao Law, everyone in the palace cared and wanted to hear the opinion of this famous Shi Yue.Listening to his tone, Zeng Bu thought he was about to say bad things about Qingmiaofa, so he kept rolling his eyes anxiously, almost wanting to stomp his feet, but Shi Yue just pretended not to see it.
Zhao Xu was also taken aback for a moment before he smiled and said, "It's okay, sir."
Shi Yue looked around at the crowd and said, "Your Majesty, with my qualifications, I am the lowest in this hall. Besides, I don't care about fame, and I should not talk about the gains and losses of the government. But I am grateful for your majesty's kindness. , saddened by the turmoil of the courtiers, so I have a heartfelt statement, which I dare to say before your majesty-the pros and cons of the Qingmiao Law. I have not personally investigated the states and counties. There is no factual basis, no statistics, and I dare not make false statements. However, the minister I have read the regulations of the Young Crop Law. From the perspective of the regulations, Wang Canzheng and the people in Sinong Temple are all for the country and the people. The meaning of the legislation is to relieve the difficulties of the people and increase the revenue of the national treasury by the way. In all fairness , the method of young crops is also a good method." Wang Anshi's expression turned pale when he heard this, Zhao Xu also nodded his head to show his approval, and Zeng Bu heaved a sigh of relief.And those officials who knelt down had a bad look on their faces.
Unexpectedly, Shi Yue's words were not finished: "However, even if it is a good law, it needs good officials to implement it. Although Wang Shenzheng is talented and knowledgeable, he is not an ancient sage. In a hut, building a car behind closed doors will inevitably fail to be perfect. Although this method has been practiced on one road in the past, the people's customs, customs, and officials' virtuousness are different from each other. It doesn’t necessarily mean not to disturb the people; disturbing the people on the other side may not be a good law on this road. Although the law is the same, the result is different. Therefore, some people in the world say that the Qingmiao law is good, while others say that the Qingmiao law is bad. This is not because some people want to deceive Your Majesty and discuss new laws , It’s really because I haven’t seen it widely.”
Zhao Xu nodded, and then Shi Yue continued: "In ancient times, there were blind people who touched an elephant. Those who touched the legs of an elephant thought they were like pillars; those who touched the body of an elephant thought they were like walls; , thinking that elephants are like snakes. The new law of modern people is the blind man's touch of an elephant. Therefore, in the opinion of my ministers, your Majesty should neither rush to abolish the Qingmiao Law just because a certain minister said that the Qingmiao Law is inconvenient; nor should a certain minister say that the Qingmiao Law If the law is good, those who oppose the Qingmiao law will be punished. Although the Qingmiao law was advocated by the king when he participated in politics, he should think so, otherwise, I am afraid that the Tang Dynasty will not be far behind for the party struggle."
On the surface, Shi Yue's remarks were 50% each, and they were fair, but inside they were really biased towards the old party.However, not many courtiers can understand these deep meanings, so it is inevitable that the new party and the old party will be offended to some extent.It's just that his words are not easy to refute, Wang Anshi was not happy to hear it, and hated that Lu Huiqing was not here at this time, otherwise, with Lu Huiqing's eloquence, he should be able to argue with Shi Yue.He was about to refute it himself when he suddenly heard someone sternly say: "Your Majesty, I think otherwise!" Wang Anshi was overjoyed.
The person who spoke was named Tang Ji, and he said in a stern voice: "If you follow Shi Yue's words, the court's prestige will be lost. Although the name of the Qingmiao Law is not abolished, it is actually abolished. The Qingmiao Law cannot be implemented well, and the court is legitimate. How can we encourage dissidents to oppose the new law by punishing one or two dissidents?"
Shi Yue knew that this person was an official because of his father's shadow, and he was appreciated by the emperor for his words and deeds. He advocated a tough policy to implement the Young Miao Law, which was appreciated by Wang Anshi. He is a young talent with great ambition, and he is the most generous and fierce in his work.But he didn't want to argue with Tang Tie, so he only said to Zhao Xu: "Your Majesty, this is all I have said. Your Majesty is wise and makes his own decision." After he finished speaking, he stepped aside and stopped talking.Unexpectedly, Tang Tie was so scorned by Shi Yue, his face was flushed with anger but he was helpless.
Zhao Xu thought for a long time with a sullen face, then suddenly sighed, got up and left silently.A joyous banquet broke up unhappily.
Notes:
Notes: