Prime Minister

Chapter 1347: Gu Ming (8 words)

Chapter 1347: Gu Ming ( words)

The night was as dark as ink, and the hurried sound of horse hooves crushed the silence of the streets of Bianjing.

But in front of the mansion with the words "Zhang Mansion" written on the door, the door knocker suddenly sounded like thunder, and the copper bells under the eaves and the servants' screams overlapped and exploded.

"The palace messenger is knocking on the door!" the old servant staggered in to report.

Suddenly, lights came on one after another, and the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Zhang Zhi was seen walking barefoot on the cold blue bricks.

He caught a glimpse of several vermilion palace lanterns swaying among the shadows of the trees outside the window, casting a ferocious shadow on the head of the lion-like beast on the door lintel, ready to pounce.

But the night watchman was seen holding a yellow silk urgent decree, the black fuku ribbon rising and falling with his breathing: "Prime Minister Zhang, please go to Funing Palace immediately! The emperor has spoken!"

Zhang Zhigengyi's fingers trembled slightly, and he was surprised by the autumn breeze after the cold rain that blew into his nose.

Cai Que took the risk of providing tonic medicine to the government, and it actually worked.

"Have you informed the Duke Jianguo's Mansion?" Zhang Zhi asked suddenly.

The palace envoy was stunned and stammered, "What Duke Jianguo?"

Zhang Zhi said angrily: "Which other Duke of Jianguo is there in the current dynasty? Of course it's the Prime Minister Zhang's mansion."

"Never heard of it."

Zhang Zhi hesitated a little after hearing this. Mrs. Lu, who was standing beside him, had just woken up. After putting clothes on her husband, she tapped his palm three times with her fingertips. This was a secret signal agreed upon between the couple.

Lu hinted that she would definitely inform Zhang Yue.

As a couple for many years, they no longer needed to talk too much. Zhang Zhi nodded and said to the palace eunuch, "I will enter the palace immediately."

Zhang Zhifang took a few steps when he suddenly heard someone calling from behind: "Sir!"

Zhang Zhi turned around and saw that Lu looked worried. Zhang Zhi smiled and patted her hand and said, "Don't worry."

The couple smiled at each other. After Zhang Zhi followed the palace servant away, Mrs. Lu told the servant, "Lu Zhong and Lu Chen, follow your husband into the palace and act accordingly."

After the two said yes, they immediately followed Zhang Zhi's footsteps.

……

The eaves of the red houses in Xingdaofang glowed with a cold light.

In Zhang Yue's mansion.

Zhang Zhi's servant who delivered the letter had already arrived. In fact, even if Zhang Zhi did not send anyone to inform the public, there would still be several shocks in the city of Bianjing tonight.

Xingdaofang in the inner city where Zhang Yue lived was where the residences of court ministers were densely populated and it was also an important thoroughfare.

The accumulated water in the courtyard reflected the red light of the palace lanterns.

One night, everyone in the Zhang Mansion could hear the sounds of horse hooves, knocking on the door, and the ministers rushing from their mansions to the palace without anyone notifying them.

The palace gate was opened so late at night, which obviously meant something big had happened.

The brothers Zhang Gen and Zhang Cheng ordered their servants to set up a ladder and climbed up to the gate wall to watch the dragon-like lights outside the wall.

At one moment, someone was summoned into the palace.

So and so entered the palace at night.

"What happened in the palace? Even Prince Yong and Prince Cao were summoned into the palace." Zhang Cheng said with a frown.

Zhang Gen said: "Dad has been in power since the Xining period and has been in power for five years. In terms of seniority, who in Bianjing is more experienced than him?"

"Although Daddy has been dismissed from his post, his influence from banishing Prince Yong five days ago is still there. How dare the palace deliberately ignore Daddy tonight."

Zhang Gen smiled upon hearing this and said, "My dear Cheng brother, don't take it for granted. Many things are not as they seem on your face."

The two brothers talked about the escalator they climbed down. A few days ago, fathers and sons, brothers, uncles and nephews were still writing the exemption law.

There was no light in the study, and Zhang Yue sat alone in the dark.

Is it the Jinkui Incident?

King Yong came to power?

Zhang Yue was worried. He didn't know what was going on in the palace, but after receiving Zhang Zhi's message, he knew that the emperor could actually speak. He felt incredible. This must be a medical miracle.

These things left by our ancestors are really amazing. Maybe the government will get better with them.

As for whether or not to announce his entry into the palace, Zhang Yue felt that it could not be forced.

Because what the emperor had said before, "Xuan Zhang Yue", was known to the whole court, and now someone dared to make a fuss about it and prevented her from entering the palace.

Doesn't this just give people in the world something to talk about?

Of course, if the palace refuses, there is nothing I can do.

Zhang Yue simply got dressed and waited in the room to avoid being in a hurry. Years of ups and downs in his official career had made him a patient person.

This is also the result of hard work. When he first entered the officialdom, Zhang Yue was also impatient and complained about his treatment and unfairness, but after all these years, he has long been relieved.

It doesn't mean that you can be calm and at ease without fighting or competing.

When he first entered the officialdom, he worked hard, always thinking that hard work would be rewarded, and even resigned in anger with Emperor Yingzong. Later, when he met the emperor and his father-in-law became the prime minister, he realized that no matter how much you do, it is not as good as a word from the noble.

The strange thing is that it is often such transformations that make one successful.

Life is like this: sharpen the sword first, and then wait for an opportunity.

There was no light in the study, but Zhang Yue was already accustomed to lying in wait in the darkness.

Zhang Yue closed his eyes, not feeling impatient at all. People are like this, after going through things and suffering, they can let go of their pride and withstand any difficulties.

At this moment, Zhang Yue suddenly felt that the lights outside the house were very bright, and the bright light shone through the window paper onto his face.

There was the sound of hurried horse hooves in front of the mansion gate, which was the unique rhythm of the Qinghai Cong.

Apart from the Liangzhou guards in Xihe Road, only the imperial guards in the palace had such a good horse in this case.

The sound of horse hooves in the blue brick alleys was as loud as drums. There was a loud knock on the door. Zhang Yue opened his eyes and the pages of the book on the desk suddenly moved without wind.

Zhang Yue saw a piece of paper on the desk.

Walking out of the city gate of Qi, I looked into the distance at Dangyinli. There were three tombs in the village of Qi, which looked very similar. When I asked whose tombs they were, I found that they belonged to Tianjiang and Guyezi.

He is strong enough to move the southern mountains and break the earth's rules. Once he was slandered, he killed three men with two peaches. Who could have planned this? The prime minister of Qi, Yan Zi.

This is Liangfu Yin.

Zhuge Liang once chanted this with a sigh, which was probably to express his pity on how difficult it is for a scholar to establish himself in the world, and also to satirize the unkindness of the prime minister.

In the distance, lights were like snakes, engulfing one mansion after another. The messenger had already passed through the second gate.

The accumulated water in the courtyard reflected the passing lights.

Zhang Yue pondered in his heart and pushed open the door of the study.

The leading eunuch, holding a yellow silk imperial edict, saw Zhang Yue coming out accompanied by Zhang Gen and Zhang Cheng, and immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty has ordered that you please enter the palace as soon as possible."

"I accept your order."

Zhang Yue nodded, and glanced sideways to see Zhang Gen and Zhang Cheng standing in front of the steps, with both worry and expectation in their eyes. He nodded slightly.

As soon as Zhang Yue left the palace, Zhang Gen ordered his attendants, "Ride your horses to Kaifeng Prefecture immediately and tell Governor Cai that Daddy has entered the palace. Tell him to be careful. If there are traitors causing trouble, they should be punished according to the law."

After saying that, Zhang Gen took Zhang Cheng to the inner courtyard to find Shiqi Niang.

"Dad went to the palace late at night, and we were very worried."

Shiqi Niang smiled and said, "Your father has been an official for decades and has experienced many ups and downs. He has planned this matter for a long time, so there will be no mistakes."

"Just wait in the mansion with peace of mind."

Zhang Gen and Zhang Cheng felt relieved after hearing what Shiqi Niang said.

……

In the Funing Palace.

Cai Que arrived in a hurry and looked at the emperor lying on the sickbed. He was overjoyed at first and thought that "if I could get a few words from the emperor, I could turn the tide."

But after the emperor said "Sixth brother", he said nothing more and just held the prince's hand.

Cai Que stood silently outside the tent, seeing that the emperor was seriously ill. Han Zhen looked at Empress Dowager Gao in the tent and said, "I knew it was not easy to treat Your Majesty with such a strong medicine. If such a vague and careless thing makes Your Majesty's condition more serious, it will be the fault of Zuo Kui."

Empress Dowager Gao, who was sitting behind the curtain, apparently heard all this, but did not say anything.

Cai Que knew that this would happen if the medicine was not taken properly, but he gave Han Zhen a sidelong glance.

He knew that Han Zhen had already surrendered to Zhang Maoze and Liang Weijian in order to get promoted to the position of prime minister in the future, so he could find a pretext to accuse him. Cai Que was too lazy to explain to people like Han Zhen. He looked at the emperor on the sickbed, and the decades of kindness between the emperor and his subjects were still before his eyes.

Zhang Dun, standing by, defended Cai Que, saying, "This matter was originally decided by the ministers. If Lord Han objected, why didn't he speak up when the matter was first discussed?"

Han Zhen saw Sima Guang and the others gradually arriving and said, "I saw that you were so confident and I thought you had a great chance. But who knew..."

Sima Guang rushed over, already panting. He interrupted the argument: "The most urgent thing is to listen to your majesty's will, rather than arguing about right and wrong here."

Right Prime Minister Lu Gongzhu said sternly: "The state is in danger, the prince is young, and as prime ministers, we should share the queen mother's worries."

"It should be so." Sima Guang nodded in agreement.

As is well known, when the emperor was seriously ill in the seventh year of Yuanfeng, he designated Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhu as his mentors. Later, the emperor trusted Lü Gongzhu more, but had no intention of summoning Sima Guang back to the capital.

The call for Lu Gongzhu to replace Cai Que as the head of all officials was growing louder.

But whether it was Lü Gongzhu, who had moderate political views, or Sima Guang, who was determined to abolish all new laws, once one of them had this righteous cause, he could not only drive Cai Que out of office, but also compete with Gao Taotao, the second Empress Dowager Zhangxian.

Sima Guang agreed, saying that he had no intention of clinging to the throne.

For him, writing books and studying throughout his life, being loyal to the emperor and the country were the most important things in life.

Cai Que ignored Han Zhen and Sima Guang, and went outside the hall to ask the eunuch Yan Shouqin.

"Did the Queen Mother summon Prince Yong and Prince Cao?"

"It has been announced."

Cai Que nodded and returned to the hall.

Outside the palace, the ministers have arrived one after another.

The left servant was Cai Que, the right servant was Lu Gongzhu, and the privy councilor was Zhang Dun.

Sima Guang, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Zhang Zhi, the Minister of the Secretariat, Li Qingchen, the left and right chancellors of the Shangshu, and Zhang Xu.

The Deputy Privy Councilors Su Song and Han Zhen both stood outside the tent, waiting to be summoned by the emperor.

Su Song looked around and couldn't help but discuss with Zhang Zhi: "Why didn't Lord Jian announce it?"

Zhang Zhi said: "I dare not ask."

Su Song said: "Ask the Prime Minister!"

Zhang Zhi and Su Song stepped forward and asked Cai Que and Lu Gongzhu, "Your Majesty gave the order before, why didn't you announce the Duke of Jianguo?"

Cai Que said: "The Queen Mother has ordered it."

"Once Prince Yong and Prince Cao arrive, it will be too late." Zhang Zhifu said.

Su Song said: "If there is anything about the golden box, we will regret it endlessly."

Cai Que nodded and said, "What do you think, Lord Lu?"

Lu Gongzhu said: "Today's matter is not only about our lives and property, but also the safety of all families. I think we should be summoned!"

Cai Que and Lu Gongzhu walked over together. Lu Gongzhu first quietly pulled Zhang Maoze over and asked, "Your Majesty had previously ordered Duke Zhang Jian to enter the palace. Has he been summoned?"

Zhang Maoze whispered, "The Queen Mother only ordered the minister to enter the palace."

Lu Gongzhu said: "We all know that your majesty wrote a letter to summon Zhang Yue when he was seriously ill."

"If I don't announce it, I'm afraid people in the world will be suspicious. Please report it to the Queen Mother."

Zhang Maoze listened to Cai Que who was beside him. Since it was a joint decision made by the two prime ministers, he could only go into the tent and report to Empress Dowager Gao.

Now the imperial doctors were burning moxa for the emperor, and Empress Dowager Gao was listening to Zhang Maoze's report with tears in her eyes. Empress Dowager Gao glanced at the emperor on the sickbed and the prince who was concerned about him and said, "Just follow your wishes, gentlemen."

Zhang Maoze lifted the curtain and came out, saying, "The Queen Mother has ordered Xuanzhang to enter the palace at night."

……

Zhang Yue straightened his clothes and followed the palace messenger out of the mansion.

Dozens of imperial guards stood outside the palace gate with spears in hand, their iron armor grim in the light of the fire.

Zhang Yue glanced at the sedan chair behind the palace messenger and knew that this was a specially arranged ceremony.

As they walked through the Imperial Street, the night watchman's hoarse clapper sounds could be heard in the night fog. Zhang Yue lifted the curtain and looked over, only to see that the gates along the way were tightly closed, with only the lights on in the direction of the Imperial City. The imperial guards of the three yamen were patrolling with torches.

When the sedan chair reached the front of Xuande Tower, Zhang Yue suddenly felt the sedan chair stop. He heard the palace messenger outside whisper, "Lord Jian, the Queen Mother ordered us to go to the side pavilion of Funing Palace to wait for her order."

According to the rules, even if an external minister came to pay a night visit, he should do so in the Chuigong Palace. But now he has to take a detour through the Funing Palace.

"Thank you for leading the way." Zhang Yue said calmly.

When they arrived in front of the Funing Palace, dozens of Dutch imperial guards were standing at the steps like an iron tower. Suddenly, the light of a lantern shone in, and someone shouted, "Who is coming?"

The palace emissary hurriedly raised the fish token and said, "Duke Jianguo is ordered to enter the palace!"

"It's really Jiangong!"

Zhang Yue stared at the scene, only to see Yan Da, the deputy commander-in-chief and governor of Kangwu Army, walking quickly in front of the palace. This veteran general, who had helped Zhong Yan build Luowu City, opened Xihe with Wang Shao, and helped Guo Kui pacify Jiaozhi, was now covered in armor and saluted in front of the steps with his fists clasped: "My eyes are so short that I didn't recognize that Lord Jian had arrived!"

Zhang Yue raised his hand and said, "General Yan, there is no need to be so polite. The country is in trouble now, and we need loyal and brave men like you to stay in the palace. Thank you for your hard work these days."

Yan Da said, "I have been on duty at the inner east gate under the order of the Queen Mother."

Zhang Yue said: "Very good, there is a general here to prepare for emergencies. What if a traitor follows us in?"

Yan Da stood solemnly with his sword in hand: "I have received your majesty's grace in selecting me, and I shall repay you with my life. My sons are all on duty in front of the palace. If anything happens, the entire Yan family is willing to die to protect you!"

Zhang Yue nodded and said, "Very good."

At such a time of great change, Yan Da's attitude was crucial. Zhang Yue had experienced the death of Emperor Renzong and the ascension of Emperor Yingzong, when the then palace commander Li Zhang was crucial.

It is the same with Yanda now.

The order of ascension of a new emperor in the Song Dynasty was: the identity of the crown prince was one, the last will of the previous emperor was one, the confirmation of the empress dowager was one, and then the confirmation of the prime minister. The most important one was the confirmation of the three military yamen headed by Yan Da.

Zhang Yue said: "Then the general must be vigilant. If someone follows him in with ulterior motives, no one except the general can tell the difference."

Yan Da understood what Zhang Yue meant. He said, "Just stop Prince Yong and Prince Cao outside the palace."

Yan Da said sternly: "I understand. If anyone pretends to be a royal family member and enters, they will be stopped."

Zhang Yue said: "The words of the royal family are not appropriate, the commander should understand it himself. I am from the family of the assistant minister, and I should not have a word with the eunuchs and the generals at ordinary times. Now the country is in trouble, and I am forgetting myself and reporting to the emperor, so I have spoken to the commander again and again, not to miss the big thing because of a small suspicion."

Yan Da crossed his hands and said, "I have kept every word of Lord Jian's words in my heart. I am willing to do my best to help Lord Jian."

Zhang Yue nodded and immediately went up the stairs. In addition to His Highness, he vaguely saw a number of armored soldiers hiding outside.

He appears calm on the outside, but undercurrents are surging inside.

Guarding the palace gate was the eunuch Yan Shouqin. Yan Shouqin said, "Lord Jian, the emperor has woken up. Please wait in the side room."

Zhang Yue asked, "Have you said anything these days, sir? Didn't you say you can't talk?"

Yan Shouqin said: "The rumors in the outer court are untrue. In fact, the emperor sometimes said fragments of words, such as 'I fell down and got a headache', 'I am so lonely and poor', but they were not complete sentences.

Zhang Yue nodded and walked into the side pavilion.

The air was filled with sandalwood incense. Zhang Yue looked through the carved lattice windows at the brightly lit candlelight in the main hall of Funing Palace. The figures of imperial doctors were moving back and forth on the window paper.

However, Zhang Yue was not in a hurry and returned to his seat.

After waiting for a while, Zhang Maoze came in holding a whisk and said, "The Queen Mother summoned Duke Jianguo to see her."

The moment he entered the main hall, a strong smell of medicine mixed with ambergris hit him in the face. Zhang Yue glanced at the situation in the hall and saw that the curtains were lifted and Cai Que, Zhang Dun and other ministers were kneeling on the east side of the emperor's sickbed.

Sima Guang, Lu Gongzhu and others sat in the west, while the prince knelt in front of the imperial couch.

The official, who was supposed to be bedridden, was half leaning on a hidden bag, his gaunt face slightly flushed.

When the ministers saw Zhang Yue enter the palace, some felt relieved while others felt uneasy.

Zhang Yue knew what was going on when he saw this. He looked back at the emperor on the sickbed. As their eyes met, Zhang Yue fell to the ground and shed tears, saying, "Your Majesty! I am late."

But seeing Zhang Yue's sincere words, Empress Dowager Gao raised her sleeve to wipe away her tears, and Queen Xiang even covered her face and cried.

Zhang Yue served three emperors and was the prime minister during the Yuanfeng period. His call of "Your Majesty" made those around him heartbroken.

Just as Zhang Yue was lying on the bed crying, Zhang Maoze stepped forward and whispered, "Let Lord Jiang know that the emperor woke up today and first said 'Sixth Brother', then said 'Tai', fearing that we would not understand. He wrote another word 'Tai' to give orders. I am an old and stupid servant, so I don't understand the emperor's intention?"

Zhang Yue said without hesitation: "The emperor's intention is profound. The one who wrote the word 'Tai' must be referring to the crown prince."

As soon as he finished speaking, you could hear a pin drop in the hall.

Zhang Yue entered the hall and started the conversation. Anyway, he was not the prime minister now, so there was nothing to worry about.

But the emperor on the sickbed nodded slightly, tears streaming down his face, and pointed at the prince beside him and reluctantly said two words: "Yao and Shun..."

Cai Cheng immediately led all the ministers to bow their heads and said, "We ministers will obey your order and will help the prince become a ruler like Yao and Shun!"

The emperor was delighted to hear this. He glanced at the group of ministers and pointed at the seat beside the couch with difficulty, saying, "Sir..."

But when the emperor nodded at Zhang Yue and the word "Qing" came out of his mouth, Cai Que's pupils suddenly shrank, Sima Guang's white eyebrows trembled slightly, Lu Gongzhu and Zhang Zhi exchanged glances, and Zhang Dun clenched the tablet in his hand.

"Sir, obey the order."

Zhang Yue straightened his robe and sat beside the imperial couch in full view of everyone.

The emperor raised his hand, and the veins on the back of his hand showed that he had used up all his strength: "If you don't get involved in the affairs of the world, it's useless. You have always been self-reliant, and I dare not disturb you...

The emperor gasped for air every time he spoke, but he still struggled to continue, "...but the prince is weak, so I have no choice but to entrust him with important matters."

"I dare not compare myself to Yao and Shun, I only have two wishes..."

"I wish to conquer Helan... and recapture Yanyun..."

"The second wish is for a new method... to be passed on from generation to generation..."

"I will now leave it all to you to help my son and fulfill his long-cherished wish!"

After saying this, the emperor reluctantly raised his hand and pointed at Zhang Yue. The prince watched this scene and couldn't help crying.

Zhang Yue was deeply saddened when he heard this. He held up the official's hand with both hands, and felt that it was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Zhang Yue knocked his forehead on the edge of the couch and said, "Your Majesty will take care of the dragon's body. I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse to repay your majesty's kindness."

When the emperor heard this, his cloudy eyes suddenly became clear, and two lines of hot tears rolled down his brocade quilt. Seeing this scene, all the ministers shed tears, and the palace maids on both sides sobbed and wept.

Muffled sobs echoed between the beams.

When the imperial doctors hurried forward to examine him, the emperor had already closed his eyes and remained silent.

Everyone left the hall, and only the sound of sobbing remained. Zhang Yue wiped his tears and choked up and said, "Your Majesty, the state affairs depend on the prince, and I already know that."

Empress Dowager Gao said to Cai Que, "Prime Minister Cai, there is no need to discuss internal affairs, but what about discussions outside?"

Cai Que said: "All officials are concerned about the country and are waiting for the emperor's judgment."

Empress Dowager Gao said, "Cai Qing is prudent."

Zhang Yue stopped talking after hearing this, and instead winked at Cai Que. Cai Que understood and said, "To prevent any unexpected events, we should ask the Crown Prince to take the throne as soon as possible. The rest can be worked out slowly."

Han Zhen suddenly stepped out and said, "You need to go to the curtain first to get the order!"

Cai Que stepped forward and said, "The succession has been decided, what do you mean by asking for the emperor's will?"

It is only natural for the crown prince to take the throne. We can just recommend him. Why do we need to go to Empress Dowager Gao to get her order?

Han Zhen felt embarrassed and forced to say, "The left prime minister is trying to take credit for what he has done. If there is any mistake in the future, you will have to bear the consequences yourself."

Cai Que said: "I have been entrusted by your majesty, and I have a clear conscience. Even if I end up like Chao Cuo in the future, I will not regret it."

Han Zhen had no choice but to retreat.

The prime ministers had a great dispute in front of the emperor, and every word of the dispute was heard clearly by the prince and Empress Xiang behind the curtain.

Empress Xiang whispered to the Crown Prince, "If it weren't for the two gentlemen Zhang and Cai, we mother and son would have no way to live."

The prince fell silent upon hearing this.

The Queen Mother Gao was silent for a long time, and finally said: "The Crown Prince is intelligent and wise, which is a blessing for the country."

"We, your subjects, will obey your imperial order!" all the ministers responded in unison.

After discussing it, everyone immediately summoned the Hanlin academicians into the palace to draft an edict of succession.

After the important matter was settled, there was a commotion outside. Yan Shouqin went inside to report, "Princes Yong and Cao entered the palace but were stopped by the imperial guards."

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Gao glanced at the ministers.

Yan Da's action shows that he is loyal to the prince. This is an early token of his allegiance.

"Good! Good!" Queen Mother Gao said two good words in a row. It seems that even if she wants to establish Prince Yong, it seems impossible to do so.

These words contain both relief and helplessness.

Cai Que glanced at Zhang Yue and knew that it must be his idea.

Cai Que said at the right time: "State affairs have not yet been settled. Please ask the Queen Mother to let the two princes wait in the side hall for a while, and then enter the main hall after receiving the decree."

……

A moment later, Hanlin scholar Zeng Bu entered the palace to draft the edict of succession.

The Queen Mother, the Empress and the Crown Prince all went to the side to rest.

All the ministers gathered outside the hall, each in silence, their expressions like clay sculptures or wooden carvings.

Zhang Yue saw Cai Que sitting on a chair by the corridor. His pale face was reflected by the palace lanterns, and he seemed to have aged ten years. He immediately raised his hand and said, "Hold it."

Cai Que raised his eyes, forced a smile and said, "Du Zhi is here."

The two of them looked at each other with heavy hearts and forced a smile.

The two of them were silent, and the twenty years of experience between the emperor and his subjects passed by in silence. When Zhang Yue lifted his robe and sat down, Cai Que said quietly, "I remember that one day during the imperial lecture, I talked to Your Majesty about Liao affairs."

"Your Majesty said: Emperor Taizong's army was defeated under the city of Yanjing, and the Liao soldiers pursued him. He only managed to escape alone. All the imperial clothes and treasures were taken away by the Liao people, and all the servants and concubines were killed. Emperor Taizong was shot in the thigh by two arrows, and the arrow wounds would occur every year. He abandoned the world and finally got the wounds."

"The Liao people are our sworn enemies, yet we donate hundreds of thousands of gold and silk every year and treat them as our uncles. Is this what we should do as descendants? After saying this, Your Majesty cried for a long time. I know that Your Majesty has the ambition to conquer Liao in his heart."

"It's a pity that your majesty died before he could fulfill his ambitions. After the defeat of Yongle last year, your majesty has been depressed and often sits in front of the map until three o'clock in the morning."

"Your Majesty, your ambitions have not been fulfilled. Ultimately, it is all because of my incompetence."

Zhang Yue looked at the flickering candlelight in the hall and said, "Don't blame yourself if you are upright."

Cai Que smiled and took out a piece of paper from his boots and handed it to Zhang Yue. Zhang Yue took the paper with surprise and saw that it was the lyrics of "Nian Nujiao·Tian Ding Zhennu".

This poem was written by Zhang Zhi.

"Holding the right path, what does this mean?"

Cai Que smiled and said, "The wrath of the Heavenly Ding overturned the silver sea and scattered the pearl foil. Six petals of strange flowers flew everywhere... It's a really good poem. I didn't expect it to be written by your nephew, or maybe someone else."

"But this is not important. Today I will return the original item to your Zhang family."

Zhang Yue looked at Cai Que and said, "Hey, it's just a poem. It looks like my nephew's handwriting, but don't worry about it."

Cai Que said: "This is not important. What is important is the murderous spirit in this poem. I did not present it to Your Majesty before because I was waiting for an opportunity."

"Now I am returning this item intact to Zhao, hoping that he can buy me some favor in the future."

"Do you think it's okay?"

Zhang Yue said: "Why do you say that, Zhizheng? We are friends, so don't say such polite words."

Cai Que put away his smile and said, "I'm just trying to find a way out. After all, we have known each other for a long time."

Zhang Yue pondered and said, "Zhizheng is over-worrying."

After saying that, Zhang Yue threw the letter into the brazier beside him.

The charcoal in the brazier exploded with sparks, and the poem turned into a fluttering gray butterfly. Cai Que stared at the flying ashes.

Cai Que said: "I suddenly remembered a topic in the fourth year of Xining. Su Shi was asked to write a policy paper for the imperial examination. Emperor Wu of Jin conquered Wu by his own decision. Fu Jian conquered Jin by his own decision and was defeated. Emperor Huan of Qi relied on Guan Zhong to become the hegemon. Emperor Kuai of Yan relied on Zi Zhi to become the hegemon. The events were the same but the achievements were different."

"How do you plan to answer this question?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yue remembered that this was the question Su Shi asked during the provincial examination. At that time, the Xining Reform was in progress and the government appointed Wang Anshi to carry out the reform. Su Shi was dissatisfied and so he raised this question.

Sima Yan won the war against Wu despite opposition from the whole court, but later Fu Jian was defeated in the war against the Eastern Jin Dynasty because of his willful behavior. Duke Huan of Qi appointed Guan Zhong as his prime minister and became one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, while King Kuai of Yan appointed Zi Zhi as his prime minister to carry out reforms and later even abdicated the throne to him, which eventually led to the chaos of Yan.

Su Shi used this as a satirical topic for the provincial examination, which finally angered Wang Anshi so much that he expelled Su Shi from the court.

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "Yes, so many years have passed. When Zizhan came up with this question, I applauded him. Now it seems that Zizhan was too extreme and the question was inappropriate."

"Be upright. The world changes, things change, and there is no right or wrong. If someone is judged by the world as a treacherous and evil person, who knows if there will be no chance to redress his wrongdoing in the future."

Cai Que asked, "Is this to comfort me?"

Zhang Yue said: "I have no intention of comforting others."

"There are so many things and so many roads in this world that are created by people. If a strong wind blows down a phoenix tree, there will always be people who will say good things and bad things about it."

"This is what history is all about. This is also the purpose of Minister Sima's compilation of the Zizhi Tongjian."

Cai Que smiled and said, “Duzhi hasn’t answered the question yet!”

Zhang Yue thought for a moment and said, "If I answer with 'The ruler's arbitrary decision may be wise or foolish, and the minister's exclusive responsibility may be virtuous or unvirtuous', how about being upright?"

Cai Que clapped his hands and laughed, "That's right, Du Zhi is truly a man of timeless skill."

……

As they were talking, Zeng Bu had already drafted the edict for the crown prince's accession to the throne, and the ministers were just bringing it to the curtain.

At dawn, the young prince had already begun to rest, and then he could hear sobbing from behind the curtains. Then someone said, "The emperor has passed away."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud cry in Funing Palace.

All the ministers were crying in front of the curtain. Zhang Yue stood among the ministers and didn't know what to say. He had been a minister for 20 years, and although there were often unpleasant things, he wouldn't be where he is today without the emperor.

Those disputes and favors, those unhappiness and support, eventually turned into the sob in my throat at this moment.

When the emperor was dying, he entrusted the whole country to me. At this moment, I feel deeply grateful to the emperor.

But Zhang Yue stepped aside at this time.

Cai Que stopped crying first and went to Zhang Maoze with Lu Gongzhu and said, "Please inform the Queen Mother to invite the Crown Prince to sit in front of the late Emperor's coffin and take the throne!"

Zhang Maoze entered the tent and reported to Empress Dowager Gao.

Soon the curtain was lifted, and Cai Que and others came in, seeing tears on the prince's face.

The ministers looked at the prince for a long time, then immediately helped him to the throne and knelt down with the etiquette of an emperor. Afterwards, Cai Que and Lu Gongzhu signed a series of matters and ordered the two ministries of Menxia and Zhongshu to implement them.

Only then did Prince Yong, Prince Cao, and the three palace commanders come to pay homage to the new emperor.

Prince Yong had a slightly disappointed look on his face, but that was expected. Prince Cao, on the other hand, was quite calm, and even the system of succession from elder brother to younger brother was passed on to Prince Yong.

So he always tried to show his goodwill to the prince from beginning to end.

Yan Da calmly led the three generals to pay homage to the new emperor and expressed his loyalty.

Of course, there were no twists and turns in this process, as the position of the crown prince had been decided long ago. The people in the palace and the world were all in favor of him, and the general trend was unshakable, so there was no controversy over the process.

"Lord Jian, the Queen Mother is calling you!"

Zhang Yue straightened his clothes and followed Zhang Maize into the room.

Empress Dowager Gao was sitting behind the curtain, summoning Zhang Yue face to face.

Empress Dowager Gao said: "Zhang Qing has been entrusted by His Majesty to look after the emperor, and I will obey his orders. From now on, you will be in charge of state affairs."

Everyone heard the emperor's last words, but he did not mention the empress dowager. I wonder if it was out of resentment that the empress dowager allowed Sima Guang to take the throne and abolish the new law.

Everyone has heard that Zhang Yue is carrying the emperor's last will.

Zhang Yue bowed and said, "Queen Dowager, I would never dare to do this."

Empress Dowager Gao said: "It is an important task for you to be the guardian of the emperor's will and the responsibility for the Marquis Wu. How can I refuse it? And how can I say I dare not."

The Queen Mother ran her fingertips across the rosary and said, "I will also rely on your family in the future."

After hearing this, Zhang Yue thought to himself, how could Empress Dowager Gao, who is so power-hungry, really let him take charge of state affairs like Zhuge Liang in history?

I'm afraid that within two years, I will be kicked out of the court by Empress Dowager Gao just like Ding Wei in history.

But the other party was not the emperor after all, so it was inconvenient for a woman to rule the world. It was definitely impossible for Empress Dowager Gao to rule like Empress Dowager Zhangxian in history.

The prince already has his own power.

Zhang Yue said: "As the Queen Mother said, Your Majesty is intelligent and wise. After you turn fourteen, you will be able to govern the country yourself. Then I can retire."

"Oh?"

Empress Dowager Gao's eyes narrowed, and she paused for a moment as she slowly said, "Your family has really thought things through."

ps: The solution to Su Shi's question came from a Zhihu netizen.