I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 339: The king is weak and the minister is strong? Zhao Zhen is making a big move and the abolition of redundant officials is about to begin

Han Jiang, the newly appointed supervisory censor, objected to Xia Song's son Xia Anqi's appointment as a Jingyan official for overstepping the etiquette system.

Many Taiwanese admonishers responded and also submitted memorials one after another.

Fan Zhen, the imperial censor in the palace, even wrote three memorials in one day to oppose it.

He said: Jingyan Shidu is an official who teaches Confucianism, and only those who are familiar with ancient and modern times can be qualified. Today, the official family is giving favor to the Xia family and teaches it internally. In fact, Ling'anqi is ridiculed by the world.

Zhao Zhen was very angry.

He believed that officials could not understand the relationship between him and Xia Song.

Zhao Zhen originally planned to suppress these objections and not publish them.

However, Xia Anqi found out that this matter caused an uproar in the court.

On the grounds that he lacked moral integrity and that Ding You needed to observe filial piety, he resigned from his post with a very firm attitude.

However, the Taiwan admonishment officer repeatedly made mistakes and did not give Zhao Zhen any face.

Zhao Zhen thought for a while and decided to call Wang Yaochen, the envoy of the third division, as well.

Although Zhao Zhen did not agree with Xia Song's statement that "Taiwan's remonstrance was so powerful that it was implicitly above the imperial power."

Recently.

Su Liang is quite sensible.

Zhao Zhen was also willing to talk to him about what was on his mind.

The memorials and articles are written like swords.

The matter ended in this way, which made Zhao Zhen feel very uncomfortable.

……

It made him feel a little angry.

Let him be a middleman and a consultant on how to help Tai Jian get rid of this bad habit of being direct and aggressive.

Zhao Zhen had no choice but to remove Xia Anqi from his position as an attendant.

Zhao Zhen decided to talk to the Taiwanese admonishment officials, hoping that they could change the way of admonishment.

Even easy-going officials like Han Jiang became vigorous and resolute after entering Taiwan to remonstrate.

The weather is sunny and the wind is slightly cool.

After thinking carefully, he decided to call Su Liang for a chat first.

From Xia Song's posthumous title to Xia Anqi's post of manager, the admonishing officials in Taiwan repeatedly made it difficult for Zhao Zhen to leave the stage.

Compared with the uprightness and stubbornness of Taiwanese admonishers such as Tang Jie, Ouyang Xiu, and Fan Zhen, they always refuted Zhao Zhen with the sentence "Please give the officials the most important priority."

Don't be too straight, don't be too stubborn, don't be too forceful, and save some face for him as an official.

afternoon.

Zhao Zhen increasingly felt that the Taiwan admonishment officer was too overbearing.

Wang Yaochen and Su Liang followed the imperial edict and came to Chui Gong Hall.

Zhao Zhen got straight to the point and told the two of him his recent dissatisfaction with Tai Jian.

To sum it up in one sentence -

"Today's admonishment, with angry words and cold deeds, always makes me lose face. I should immediately change my bad habit of being reckless and upright."

After hearing these words, Wang Yaochen was a little dumbfounded.

"Most government officials and Taiwan admonishers have this kind of character. And if they don't have this kind of upright character, I'm afraid they won't be able to be Taiwan admonishers. If I ask them to do things more smoothly, I'm afraid... I'm afraid they can't do it!"

Tang Jie, Ouyang Xiu, Fan Zhen and others understand more than anyone else.

He is also good at debating.

Wang Yaochen believed that it was impossible to convince them.

It is simply impossible to prevent Taiwan's remonstrance officials from being straight, stubborn, and aggressive.

Zhao Zhen curled his lips.

"Then let them scold me like a child every day?"

"I'm not trying to make them slick and sophisticated, but I'm telling them to think twice before admonishing them. I've lost face every time!"

Hear this.

Su Liang stood up and cupped his hands and said: "In the official family, I believe that the fundamental reason for this situation is not the Taiwanese admonishers' desire to seize power, nor the strong and domineering character of the Taiwanese admonishers. It is the fact that since the reform of the Song Dynasty, the emperor has been weak and the ministers have been weak. Caused by force.”

The king is weak and the ministers are strong.

These four words made Zhao Zhen and Wang Yaochen tremble.

They are clear.

Su Liang's so-called king is weak and his ministers are strong.

It does not mean that officials monopolize power and eclipse the imperial power, but that the current officials are too good and capable. Zhao Zhen's old face darkened.

"You mean that I am too weak and my talents are too mediocre compared to other ministers, so I should listen to you, right?" Zhao Zhen asked.

Wang Yaochen showed a wry smile and just wanted to escape from Chui Gong Hall immediately.

The entire Song Dynasty.

I am afraid that only Su Liang dares to say that the king is weak and his ministers are strong, implying that the officials are mediocre.

Wang Yaochen thought about it carefully and found that this was the fact.

present.

All the officials in the court were dedicated to promoting the Song Dynasty.

Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi, Fan Zhongyan, Su Liang, Bao Zheng, Tang Jie, Wang Anshi and others, any one of them will be better than the officials in the late emperor's period.

we can even say--

The reform of the entire Song Dynasty can be carried out without Zhao Zhen, but it cannot be carried out without ministers.

Today's official families are actually considered excellent.

It's just that the abilities of these ministers are too incredible.

In the past, when there were party disputes, Zhao Zhen could still preside over justice and comment on the truth.

But now, the ministers know how to prosper and prosper the Song Dynasty better than Zhao Zhen, and most of them don't know how to flatter others, and all of them are straight-tempered.

Therefore, when Zhao Zhen acts emotionally, he will be refuted by the officials.

In the eyes of the ministers, the long-term stability of the country and the country were higher than the imperial power, so they had the confidence to refute Zhao Zhen.

Ever since, a contradiction emerged.

In any dynasty, it is not a good thing for the king to be weak and his ministers to be strong.

But the crux of the problem now is——

Zhao Zhen's imperial talents were indeed not worthy of these "elite soldiers and strong generals", and the entire Song Dynasty's reform was inseparable from these "elite soldiers and strong generals".

Fortunately, Zhao Zhen is not jealous, otherwise the court would have been in chaos.

Wang Yaochen looked at Su Liang.

I want to see how he will resolve this matter properly.

According to Su Liang's character and strategy, it was impossible for him to attack the officials so recklessly.

When Su Liang heard Zhao Zhen's question, he hurriedly explained: "Guan Jia, I have no intention of saying you are mediocre. I am saying that this situation has been caused by the current reform, which no one expected..."

Zhao Zhen reached out and interrupted Su Liang's words.

"Su Jingming, don't say these polite words. I know what role I play in the current reform of the Song Dynasty. You are right. The king is weak and the ministers are strong."

"The fault is not with me, but with me. I am the one who is holding me back! This situation is not conducive to the development of the Song Dynasty. Do you have a solution?"

Zhao Zhen has a very clear understanding of himself.

During the reform process of the entire Song Dynasty, he did the most.

It is to put a jade seal on the reform strategy document and write: "It is very consistent with my wishes, and it can be implemented quickly."

He also wants to progress, he also wants to lead the reform, and he also wants to become a saint king.

Everyone in the dynasty is virtuous, and he does not want to see this situation where the ministers are strong and the king is weak.

"Yes." Su Liang said firmly.

"In the past three years since the reform of the Song Dynasty, officials have developed strategies such as strengthening the country, strengthening the army, and enriching the people, but there is still a stubborn problem that has not been solved. This problem is something that ministers dare not mention, let alone do. Only the officials can take charge of it. thing!"

Wang Yaochen on the side suddenly laughed, he had already guessed what Su Liang was referring to.

Zhao Zhen was stunned for a moment, and then he guessed it.

"Reorganizing the administration of officials and cutting redundant officials really requires my own efforts. This time, I will personally write an article on the strategies for reforming the administration of officials for you to take a look at."

Zhao Zhen raised his chest and was full of heroic spirit.

Hearing this, Wang Yaochen and Su Liang were very excited.

these three years.

The imperial court has laid off soldiers, laid off officials, and also laid off officials on a small scale, and now it is finally going to take a big swing at officials.

At present, the largest expenditure of the imperial court, besides military expenditure, is official salaries.

If the officials can be laid off successfully, it will increase revenue for the court.

However, this is a matter that affects the whole body. It depends on how vigorously the officials are prepared to implement it.

Wang Yaochen and Su Liang were both full of expectations for this.

(End of this chapter)