I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 350 Zhao Zhen: I have been a benevolent king for half my life, but I also want to get over the addiction of being a tyrant!

Reform of the yamen.

Not long after Su Liang entered the door, three ministers, Wen Yanbo, Zhang Fangping and Song Xiang, hurried over.

All members of the Reform Department gathered in the chamber.

Prime Minister Wen Yanbo was the first to speak: "Everyone, can the review of the "Provincial Officials List Bianjing Chapter" be completed? The government sent three of me to the Reform Department to review this list, and requested that this policy must be promulgated before noon today!"

"Ah, will it be announced before noon?"

Fan Zhongyan, Su Liang and others all looked shocked.

The officials were eager to implement this policy, so something must have happened.

Wen Yanbo let out a long sigh.

"Due to yesterday's incident of five officials jumping into the river, this morning, the Department of Banking and Finance received nearly 500 petitions opposing the policy of cutting officials, and it is expected that the number will continue to increase."

Wen Yanbo said: "If this list is promulgated today, I'm afraid those officials will cause big trouble! If officials in local and state governments follow suit, the consequences will be disastrous. Do you think it is appropriate to promulgate it today?"

I heard the words "the bird is gone and the bow is hidden".

You know, this is just the first wave.

The damage caused to the imperial court was much greater than that of scholars and men's officials who had never entered the officialdom!
Throwing the five senses into the river was like throwing a fire stick into a pile of dry wood, which completely ignited the opposition of many officials.

The government administration in Bianjing City is pretty good.

"I agree, the policy of cutting officials should be postponed!" Song Xiang added on the side.

……

All three of them frowned.

Angry as thunder.

Picking one out alone, very few dare to defy Long Yan, but once they gather in large numbers, they can overthrow the Daqing Palace.

and.

Fan Zhongyan smiled helplessly.

"At present, the court is full of voices of resentment. If an official dares to die to express his will, there will be officials who dare to stop working or resign to object. I estimate that there will be at least a thousand copies of opposition memos today, and most of them will be from lower-level officials. If they join forces and quit or resign one after another, there will be big chaos in the court!"

"Now, the officials are angry. I suggest that we go together to advise the officials and put this policy aside. This matter is related to the stability of the Song Dynasty, so we must be cautious!"

Zhang Fangping frowned and said, "What the officials said is really an angry talk. I object to the issuance of this list today."

Fu Bi took out the document "Provincial Official Directory Bianjing Chapter".

Today, as soon as someone's interests are touched, many people say such heart-wrenching words.

Wen Yanbo took the directory and read it together with Zhang Fangping and Song Xiang.

"I agree too." Zeng Gongliang also said.

Su Liang couldn't help but understand Zhao Zhen's mood at this time.

These officials with "Jinshi background", regardless of their position, all hold practical and important positions.

"Prime Minister Wen, we had a long discussion yesterday, but we couldn't reach a conclusion, so we thought about letting the officials make the decision. Unexpectedly, the officials decided to enact it without even looking at it!"

The middle and lower class scholar-bureaucrats and officials in the Song Dynasty.

"agree."

Not only the officials in Bianjing City will continue to make trouble, but I am afraid that after officials in various localities learn about it, they will also make trouble.

My heart is as cold as ice.

"The Reform Department has completed the verification and was planning to hand it over to Zhongshu and the officials before noon."

Not long after.

"Some officials said that the policy of cutting officials would easily lead to the collapse of the imperial court. Some officials said that the officials of the Reform Department were seeking fame and reputation, which made the officials accused of being unjust. Some officials said that the policy of cutting officials violated the laws of our ancestors. Control is a tactic of using the bird to use its bow and hiding it..."

"Agree." Wang Yaochen also said.

They believed that they were protected by their status as scholar-bureaucrats and believed that the law would not punish the public. In particular, they had experience in dealing with the dismissal of officials during the Qingli New Deal.

At this time.

As soon as this list came out.

I never thought there would be one hundred and sixty people.

"The officials were so angry that they uncovered all the imperial cases, and then informed the three of me that this policy would be implemented before noon to shock these officials who only have themselves and no court in their hearts."

"agree."

The three of them thought that the total number of officials who had retired early and those who had been dismissed was at most forty or fifty.

"agree."

Behind every official position is a decision on the rise and fall of a family or even a family.

In the past, officials treated scholar-bureaucrats too favorably and rewarded them constantly.

I was convinced that the officials would be the ones to compromise in the end.

Fan Zhongyan, Liang Shi, and Sima Guang all nodded.

At this time, Wang Anshi stood up.

"I object!"

Wang Anshi said emotionally: "Everyone, please don't think that the Song Dynasty's reform has already achieved fruitful results and achieved great success. Everything is just the beginning."

"The key to the success or failure of the reform in the Song Dynasty is not the officials, nor us, but all the scholar-bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty! The main purpose of eliminating redundant officials is not to save salaries, but to make the new legal strategies we try out more effective. Easy to implement. The results of the reform throughout the Song Dynasty will only be revealed after ten or twenty years, and the maintenance of these twenty years depends on all the scholar-bureaucrats and officials!"

"If we compromise today, we will always compromise. If redundant officials are not eliminated, our bureaucracy will always have huge flaws, and our reform will also decline because of this! The Song Dynasty has just improved, do you still want to go back to the past? ?"

Zhang Fangping looked at Wang Anshi and said, "Jiefu, you are a bit alarmist!"

Wang Anshi raised his chin and looked at the ministers.

"Scaremongering? I think you gentlemen are just afraid of taking responsibility! Once compromised this time, those officials will take advantage of the imperial court's weaknesses. If they want to lay off officials on a large scale, it will be extremely difficult. We should deal with those rats and poisonous insects with force Suppress it, otherwise the consequences will be endless. I didn’t expect that the officials didn’t compromise, but you did!”

Wang Anshi has always been outspoken.

All the husband-in-laws couldn’t hold their heads up after what they said.

"Today, if you want to persuade the officials to postpone this plan, I, Wang Anshi, will resign immediately. If you have different opinions, you will not be in conflict with each other!"

Hear this.

Wen Yanbo's temper suddenly rose.

"Who are you threatening? You, Wang Anshi, are the only ones in the world who know how to reform? Are we all trash? Once hundreds of officials go on strike or ask themselves to resign, what should you do if you tell me? What should you do if someone in the state capital takes the opportunity to rebel? ? Will the suppression require military expenditures? Will the people suffer? Things cannot be accomplished with passion!"

"Why don't I resign? You can be the Prime Minister. You can see if the officials will listen to you. Who can't be a hero? The premise of the whole Song Dynasty's reform is that our country, the Song Dynasty, is in danger of being destroyed!"

Wang Anshi continued: "Those who oppose the layoff of officials are all incompetent people and paper tigers. So what if they are laid off? Officials have made this determination. What we have to do is to help them, not to discourage them!"

"Incompetent people? Do you think all officials in the world are like you, Wang Anshi? Although some officials have no great pursuits, but they are good to the people and manage the place without causing chaos, they are good officials. They will be fired and the people will be left to whom to take care of. ?”

At this time.

Wang Yaochen tugged at the corner of Su Liang's clothes.

Wang Anshi was not afraid of anything, and he refused to accept anyone. He could only accept Su Liang's words.

Su Liang never spoke.

Because he was still thinking about what Bao Zheng told him: the five senses might not have been willing to commit suicide.

Bao Zheng only told Su Liang, explaining that the matter was just speculation.

Naturally, Su Liang couldn't explain the speculation to everyone as a reason.

However, he believed Bao Zheng's guess.

When Wang Anshi heard Wen Yanbo's rebuke, he immediately tossed his sleeves, turned his face and was about to leave.

At this time.

Su Liang finally spoke up.

"Jiefu, don't be so angry and come back!"

Wang Anshi continued to walk out with a dark face and said without looking back: "I'm going to write my resignation!"

At this moment, he tried to hold on, but even a hundred cows could not be pulled back.

Su Liang's tone became serious.

"Wang Jiefu, can you leave after I finish speaking?"

Hear this.

Wang Anshi stopped.

The entire meeting hall was the same as Su Liang's opinion.

Immediately, Wang Anshi returned to his original seat.

this moment.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Su Liang.

Su Liangdao: "Everyone, if you make a big effort, then it will decline again, and then it will be exhausted. I think what Jiefu said is correct. If we delay this strategy, it can almost be concluded that our strategy of reducing officials has failed."

"What we are discussing now should be how to minimize hidden dangers when enacting this policy, rather than delaying this policy."

Wen Yanbo looked helpless.

"Jing Ming, how could I not know what you and Jie Fu think? The Song Dynasty's reform has reached this point. Of course we also want to get rid of the cancer of redundant officials, but the negative impact of this move is too great. Officials will go on strike or ask themselves to resign. , who will do things for the court, even if we have three heads and six arms, we can't do it!"

Su Liang looked at Wen Yanbo.

"In fact, what we are worried about is nothing more than that after the officials in Bianjing City went on strike and resigned, officials in various prefectures followed suit, causing political chaos in the court and unruly gangsters taking the opportunity to rebel."

"If we can convince these opponents in Bianjing City, local officials will not be able to follow suit, and the possibility of this worry will definitely be reduced a lot."

"How to convince?"

Fu Bi was a little excited. Su Liang said this, indicating that he already had an idea in his mind.

Su Liang continued: "There are no more than three types of officials who submit memorials to officials to oppose the policy of reducing officials."

"First, those whose interests have been harmed. That is, those who may themselves be laid off or their family members and relatives may be laid off." "Second, those officials who have always opposed reforms or often follow the trend."

"Thirdly, some officials who are worried about the safety of the country actually opposed this policy because they were worried that it would cause turmoil in the country."

Everyone nodded, basically they fell into these three categories.

immediately.

Su Liang looked at Wen Yanbo and asked: "Wen Yanbo, how many people do you think we can convince to issue this list?"

Wen Yanbo thought for a while and said: "Let's say 60%. If it's more prudent, 70% would be better. If there are only 30% of opponents left, it will be difficult to gain momentum."

"Okay, then we will set a task. Within three days from noon today, if we can convince 70% of the opponents, the list will be issued. If not, it will be postponed indefinitely. We need to work with the officials to do this. "

"Jing Ming, tell me in detail! Tell me in detail!" Wang Yaochen looked excited and wanted to know the detailed strategy.

Immediately, Su Liang started talking to everyone in detail.

……

Half an hour later.

Seven people, Wen Yanbo, Zhang Fangping, Song Xiang, Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Zeng Gongliang and Su Liang, appeared in Chui Gong Hall.

In the hall, there are stacks of memorials on the table and on the floor.

Zhao Zhen looked at the seven people.

"You don't need to persuade me, I won't listen. Over the years, I have been bullied by groups of scholar-bureaucrats and officials. I have had enough. Today, they must see my attitude of dismissing officials!"

Zhao Zhen is not easy to be an emperor.

Over the years, as long as the scholar-bureaucrats and officials gained momentum, they could basically make him compromise.

He was also aggrieved in his heart!
Immediately, Zhao Zhen looked at Wen Yanbo and asked: Has the directory been checked? "

"All right!"

Fu Bi handed Zhao Zhen the document "Provincial Official Directory Bianjing Chapter".

After Zhao Zhen looked at it carefully, he nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good! Very good! The writing is very detailed. The officials who retired early and were dismissed are all to blame themselves. It's not that I'm unkind, but that they let the court down too much!"

"After I use the seal, I will issue it immediately!" Zhao Zhen said impatiently.

At this time, Su Liang came out.

"Officials, I think it is not appropriate to issue this list today. Can it be postponed for three days?"

Hear this.

Zhao Zhen glared at Su Liang and said: "I can't delay it for three days, but I can't delay it for a moment. If you haven't seen the memorial written by these ministers, you are almost calling me a coward and a tyrant. I have been a benevolent king for half my life, and today I can't delay it for a moment." Get over the addiction of being a tyrant!"

"Jingming, I am not reckless, but if I don't be tougher this time, I will inevitably repeat the withdrawal. I regret withdrawing the official reduction measures of the Qingli New Deal back then than you do. These officials are all paper tigers, and I believe they cannot lift them. What a storm!"

Zhao Zhen looked forward to the success of the Song Dynasty's reform more than anyone else, and he understood the value of the policy of reducing officials better than anyone else.

At this moment, Su Liang admired Zhao Zhen in this state.

He smiled and said: "Official, the delay is only three days. I am not asking you to compromise or bow to the officials who oppose this policy. I can help you get over the addiction of being a tyrant. Can you give me a quarter of an hour? Explain in detail?"

"Help me get over my addiction to being a tyrant. Are you serious about this?"

Su Liang nodded heavily, and then told his strategy.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Zhao Zhen looked at Su Liang excitedly and said, "Su Qing, is this strategy really feasible?"

"Absolutely doable!" Su Liang said with a smile.

After Zhao Zhen hesitated for a moment, he said, "Okay, then I'll give it a try."

On the side, Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi and others couldn't help but take a long breath and sighed in their hearts: Su Jingming is indeed a favorite of the official family!

……

At noon that day.

Zhongshu Sheng informed all the officials in Bianjing City: Any official who opposes the policy of reducing officials can submit a memorial stating the reasons. The deadline is today's sunset, and no repeated petition is allowed.

For a time, officials who opposed the policy of cutting officials became excited.

They feel they have achieved a staged victory.

The officials called on those who opposed the policy of cutting officials to continue to speak out, which shows that the officials have already compromised somewhat.

Soon, some wavering officials also wrote memorials.

……

At night, inside the Reform Department.

Wang Anshi informed Su Liang of the number of officials who had submitted memoranda against the policy of reducing officials.

1120 people.

Some of these people were officials who opposed the reform of the imperial examination system and the Menyin Regulations.

There are also some minor officials under the Kaifeng Prefecture, who are not even officials in the Beijing Dynasty, but they have the right to submit memorials.

These people are also the officials who are most afraid of losing their jobs.

An hour later.

All officials who submitted objections to the policy of cutting officials received official instructions: Tomorrow morning, political affairs will be discussed in Daqing Hall.

……

In the south of Bianjing City, in the courtyard.

Cui Hong, the judge of the household department, and Qiu Yu, the chief minister of the palace, were sitting in the living room. In front of them, there were several singing girls dancing gracefully.

Qiu Yu picked up the wine glass and said with a smile: "Brother Cui, tomorrow's political discussion in the Daqing Hall will probably involve the officials compromising!"

Cui Hong smiled proudly.

"More than a thousand officials are opposed, how can he not compromise?"

Immediately, Cui Hong looked at Qiu Yu and asked, "You haven't found Prime Minister Zhou You yet?"

Qiu Yu shook his head.

"It was probably washed away by the water, and the chance of survival is probably low."

Cui Hong murmured: "Even if he is alive, there should be no accidents. I asked someone to write a memorial poem for him, as well as several articles praising him for admonishing the emperor with his death, which seemed to praise him as a loyal and patriotic man. A loyal minister who dares to remonstrate will only confess the two of us when the court revokes the policy of dismissal of officials, unless he has a brain problem, right?"

Cui Hong raised his head and found that there was no one on the other side.

And in the center of the living room.

Qiu Yu swayed his fat body and was dancing with the dancers.

With a look of disdain on his face, Cui Hong drank the wine in his glass and joined in.

……

The next morning, Daqing Hall.

All 1120 people who opposed the policy of cutting officials came to the main hall, talking and laughing, as if they were coming to receive a reward.

After a while.

Zhao Zhen came to the throne with an expressionless face.

He looked down, and the officials immediately fell silent and stood in line.

Daqing Hall suddenly became quiet.

One breath, ten breaths, twenty breaths...

After half a quarter of an hour, Zhao Zhen did not speak, and none of the officials moved.

You can hear a pin drop clearly in the hall.

At this time, Zhao Zhen stood up.

"I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it! There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the court, and all the literary talents are not weaker than Uncle Ouyang Yong!"

"I have read all your memorials and they are very wonderful. Some people scolded me for being unkind and ungrateful. Some people said that I crossed the river and burned down the bridge. Some people thought that I was just like Gou Jian, the king of Yue. I used the bow to hide the bird..."

"I would like to ask, what are your contributions to the imperial court? During the reform of the Song Dynasty, what achievements did you make that others could not do? Do you really understand why the imperial court laid off officials?"

Upon hearing this, the officials immediately felt something was wrong.

It seems that the officials are not here to compromise, but to reprimand them.

"Can anyone answer my question?" Zhao Zhen looked down, his face gloomy, and he raised his voice.

Those standing here are either mediocre or incompetent, and most of them are ranked low in political performance.

It is impossible for people like Tang Jie, Lu Hui and others to oppose the policy of cutting officials.

Followed by.

Zhao Zhen strode to the middle of the officials.

"Today, I will tell you why the court wants to lay off officials, what kind of officials are being laid off, and why I insist on laying off officials despite the risk of chaos in the court!"

"I am so disappointed with the performance of some officials. They deceived the court, harmed the people, acted in secret, formed cliques for personal gain, and only had themselves in mind, not the court."

"When there is trouble in the court, he cannot be found anywhere. When rewards are to be distributed, he runs faster than anyone else. Can such a virtuous scholar-bureaucrat share my worries?"

……

Zhao Zhen's mission today is to scold these officials and enjoy the feeling of being a tyrant.

I have to say, swearing is very satisfying.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Zhen felt much more comfortable.

He continued: "Today, I clearly tell you that the imperial court does not support idle people. Later, officials from the two governments and the Reform Department will have a detailed discussion with you, and I will send your memo against the policy of reducing officials to the Yintai Department. , as of noon the day after tomorrow, if the memorial is still at the Yintai Department, I will have a detailed chat with him again!"

After saying that, Zhao Zhen rolled up his sleeves and left.

Su Liang, who was behind, took a long breath and said: "The first step of the strategy has been successfully completed."

(End of this chapter)