I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 27 Five consecutive hits, scolding Ouyang Xiu (please follow up)
Su Liang's memorial.

Instead of supporting Ouyang Xiu, he impeached Ouyang Xiu.

Su Liang said that the language in "On the Strike of Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi and Others" is arrogant and arrogant. It is not the words of a gentleman. It must be Ouyang Xiu's work of arrogance and drunkenness.

The Wangguan family will be severely punished to curb the unhealthy habits of court officials who talk drunkenly.

This impeachment is completely different from the memorial in the Zhao Zhenyu case.

On the surface, he was criticizing Ouyang Xiu, but in fact, he was trying to find a way out for him.

Zhao Zhen knew in his heart that Su Liang must have seen that Ouyang Xiu's true intention was to be demoted and released, so he wanted to use this memorial to save the virtuous man.

Well known.

Ouyang Xiu calls himself a drunkard. He is a very good drinker and often makes gaffes after drinking.

If Ouyang Xiu's advice was attributed to drunken rants, then things would be much simpler.

Ouyang Xiu's crime of "insulting the prime minister and being suspected of forming a secret party" became the crime of "talking nonsense while drunk".

Sin becomes fault.

As long as Ouyang Xiu admits his mistake, Zhao Zhen can reduce his punishment to the greatest extent and keep him in the court.

It can also block the mouths of those who impeach to a certain extent.

Nowadays, the court is in urgent need of capable ministers, so Zhao Zhen is naturally unwilling to let Ouyang Xiu go.

The key now is how to convince Ouyang Xiu to admit that he was wrong for talking nonsense while drunk, and then be willing to stay in Bianjing.

This requires Zhao Zhen to show enough sincerity.

It is even more necessary for Ouyang Xiu to understand Zhao Zhen's painstaking efforts.

Zhao Zhen thought for a while, looked at the chamberlain Zhang Maoze on the side, and asked, "When will Uncle Ouyang Yong arrive in Beijing?"

"Around noon tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, take Su Liang's memorial and the imperial edict conferring Ouyang Xiu the title of Hanlin bachelor, and go to stop him outside the city. He has read these two articles and will naturally understand my intentions. If he still can't keep me, he will That’s it!”

Zhang Mao handed over his hand heavily.

As a monarch, Zhao Zhen's move can be regarded as virtuous and generous.

If Ouyang Xiu still insists on making a big fuss in Bianjing and then leaves the capital, then there is no need for Zhao Zhen to stay.

Zhao Zhen flipped through Su Liang's memorials, thought about it carefully, picked up the imperial pen, and wrote a line of small words on a piece of paper.

"Give this note to Su Liang and ask him to stop Ouyang Xiu with you tomorrow. When he sees the content of the note, he will naturally know how to speak!"

"My lord, I obey!" Zhang Mao took the memorial.

……

That night.

Zhang Mao handed the note to Su Liang.

He was also shown the imperial edict conferring Ouyang Xiu a bachelor's degree in the Hanlin Academy, and was informed of the official's oral instructions.

Su Liang opened the note and there was only one sentence on it.

"If your heart is in the court, stay; if you have no ambition, let go."

Su Liang understood immediately.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for Zhao Zhen in my heart.

Officials are truly blessed to have such an emperor!
Su Liang presented this memorial, on the one hand, to bring virtuous people to the court.

The second is that he really does not want to see another internal fight in the court. Such quarrels will not do any good to the Song Dynasty except exacerbating party strife.

As for whether it is feasible, it depends on tomorrow.

……

The next day, around noon.

Su Liang and Zhang Mao took a carriage and arrived outside the Xinzizi Gate in the north of Bianjing City.

The two sat down in a pavilion beside the official road.

Ouyang Xiu must pass through this gate when returning from Hebei.

now.

On an official road less than ten miles away from Xin Suanzao Gate.

A carriage was speeding forward.

A red wooden sign fluttering in the wind hangs in front of the carriage, with the word "Ouyang" engraved on it.

Sitting in the carriage was 38-year-old Ouyang Xiu.

He is tall and lean, with a beautiful green beard under his chin.

At first glance, you can tell that he is a romantic scribe.

At present, he is appointed as the direct bachelor of Longtuge and the transfer envoy of Hebei Province, with the power to decide the affairs of the government.Ouyang Xiu leaned on the soft couch, holding a wine gourd in his hand.

From time to time, take a sip of wine.

He didn't swallow it immediately, but let the drink swirl in his mouth.

Swirling like this for a moment.

A beautiful article is now ready.

Soon.

Ouyang Xiu had already thought about how to argue with officials who disagreed with his political views.

When it came to political affairs, he did not dare to think too highly of himself.

Because Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi are too good.

But in terms of essays and eloquence, Ouyang Xiu considered himself to be unparalleled in the Song Dynasty.

Ouyang Xiu returned to Beijing this time.

On the surface, it's just to report on the work, but in fact, it's just to fight.

He has already thought about it.

This time I will make a big fuss in the court, scold all the evildoers, and then leave.

Even if you can't get rid of those mediocre officials, you still have to make them break out in a cold sweat.

Let officials understand what is virtuous and what is mediocre.

His article "On the Strike of Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi and Others" spoke from his heart.

Since Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi were released, he had the idea of ​​​​"retiring with the virtuous".

At this moment, Ouyang Xiu was like a thunder that had been gathering momentum among the thunderclouds and was about to explode in the court hall.

After a while.

The carriage reined in and stopped.

Ouyang Xiu opened the curtain and saw two people standing in front, and couldn't help but get out of the carriage quickly.

These two people are Zhang Maoze and Su Liang.

Ouyang Xiu didn't know Su Liang, but he knew Zhang Maoze.

This chamberlain was a confidant of the official family. When he went out to do things in the palace, he mostly carried the official's orders.

Zhang Mao smiled and cupped his hands and said, "Sister Ouyang, we have been waiting for you for a long time!"

Ouyang Xiu immediately returned the gift with his hand.

Su Liang also held up his hands and said, "My lower official, Su Liang, has met Bachelor Ouyang!"

Ouyang Xiu couldn't help being stunned, and said excitedly: "You are Su Liang and Su Jingming who wrote "Three Essays on Taiwan's Admonitions" and "Book of Refutations and Chen's Ten Matters". What a great article!"

After that, he also returned a salute to Su Liang.

Zhang Mao was the first to speak: "The lower official has been ordered by the official family to hand over this imperial edict and Su Yushi's memorial to Academician Ouyang. I hope that Academician Ouyang will read it before entering the city."

Ouyang Xiu nodded slightly doubtfully.

Immediately, the three of them sat together under the pavilion.

Ouyang Xiu took the lead in opening the imperial edict, and he could tell the official's intentions at a glance, and then opened Su Liang's memorial.

Suddenly, he understood everything.

The officials wanted him to admit that the article "On the Dismissal of Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi and Others" was just drunken gibberish, so as to keep his official position and avoid being released.

Ouyang Xiu thought for a moment and looked up at the two of them.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"The officials have good intentions and are very kind to Xiu. Xiu knows what he means and is very moved in his heart. However, Xiu's heart is no longer in the court, so it is really difficult to obey!"

After saying that, Ouyang Xiu pushed the imperial edict and memorial in front of the two of them.

Zhang Mao looked at Su Liang.

Su Liang had already guessed that Ouyang Xiu would refuse, so he stood up slowly.

"Sister Ouyang, if all the ministers in the world are as clean and self-sufficient as you and are unwilling to join the ranks of traitors, what future will we have in the Song Dynasty?"

"You keep claiming that you are for the country, the country, and the people, but now you want to hide in a certain state capital and be an idle official. This is not a noble character, but timid and cowardly behavior!"

"As the leader of scholars in the world, you have brought such a bad atmosphere. How is it different from the traitors in the court that you mentioned?"

"You wrote "On Clique" and scolded the villains for gathering together for the sake of profit and wealth. However, as you do so for the sake of fame and wealth, and do not share the monarch's worries but add chaos to the monarch, you are not the same as the villain. What’s the difference between the two parties?”

"Xianggong Fan and Xianggong Fu asked to be released because they did not want to fight in the court. But when you came back this time, you wrote an article "On the Dismissal of Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi and others", scolding all the officials and making the limelight, except for the magistrate. It’s a headache for the family, it’s destabilizing the court, it’s exacerbating partisanship, what good can it bring?”

Su Liang stared, his face was cold, he struck five times in a row, and made sense in every sentence, and directly asked Ouyang Xiu into confusion.

(End of this chapter)