manynovel Chapter 1339: The Moderates in the Old Party
Chapter 1339: The Moderates in the Old Party
Chapter 1339: The Moderates in the Old Party
In Bianjing under the night sky, heavy rain was pouring down.
The candlelight flickered in the study in Zhang Dun's mansion.
The sound of heavy rain was knocking on the window, and Zhang Dun stood in front of the map with his hands behind his back.
"Tianjue, do you know what this map of Western Xia is?" Zhang Dun asked Zhang Shangying beside him.
"I am stupid."
"This is the hard work of your majesty!" Zhang Dun said, "The Queen Mother wants to expose this picture, but Zuo Kui and Lu Jifu insist on keeping it safe. But what about you and me?"
Zhang Dun turned around, and Zhang Shangying saw that his cheekbones were prominent when his brows were lowered.
Zhang Shangying asked, "What does Prime Minister Zhang mean?"
"When the Silver Bureau presents the petition tomorrow, will you be willing to submit this petition for me, 'Requesting the Queen to Take Part in Government Affairs'?" Zhang Dun shook out a roll of gold-sprinkled paper from his sleeve. "Since the Queen Mother wants to emulate the Han Dynasty's Lü Zhi, let's find her a Dou Yifang!"
Under the light, Zhang Shangying's forehead was covered with sweat: "This move may offend the Queen Mother."
Zhang Dun snorted and said, "Don't you understand how much the Queen Mother treats Sima Junshi?"
"If we compromise temporarily, we can preserve the new law. But everyone knows that the Queen Mother will expel us from the court."
There was a sudden thunder outside the window and the rain became heavier.
When Zhang Shangying saw the words "The Empress is wise and should share the Empress's worries" in the memorial, it was like a sword stabbing at Empress Dowager Gao.
"I will copy it right away." Zhang Shangying said seriously.
Zhang Dun said: "After you submit your memorial, I will speak up for you in the court and strongly advise the Queen Mother."
"We need to let the Queen Mother know that the Song Dynasty not only has the Zizhi Tongjian, but also the new interpretations of the Three Classics left by Prime Minister Wang!"
The third watch drum sounded in the rain.
Zhang Shangying stroked the memorial and said, "Mr. Zhang, you would rather break than give in. You will remain upright even in death."
Zhang Dun waved his hand.
……
The next day.
In Funing Palace, officials from the three provinces visited the emperor as usual.
Before entering the Funing Palace, Cai Que said to Zhang Dun, "According to the court system, the prince and the crown prince attend to the sick together."
Zhang Dun said: "Right Prime Minister, the destiny cannot be changed, but it is inevitable that there are some false intentions to spy on you."
"Does Prince Yong have such intention?"
Zhang Dun shook his head and said, "Should we ask the Queen Mother if she has such intention?"
"After the emperor fell ill, Prince Yong frequently visited the harem. The empress was so worried that she spent money to hold vegetarian feasts in various Buddhist temples in the capital, and posted a plaque saying 'The crown prince prays.'"
"Do you think the Queen is worried?"
Zhang Dun said to Cai Que: "Right Prime Minister, you can't retreat any further."
Cai Que remained silent.
But the official was still the same, and his illness was getting worse.
Later, the ministers paid their respects to Empress Dowager Gao behind the curtain.
Cai Que said to Empress Dowager Gao: "I heard that Gao Zunyu, the governor of Huanqing Road, was defeated in Lingwu last time, but he is still a tiger from a general family."
Empress Dowager Gao said from behind the curtain: "Zunyu lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and Your Majesty was shocked and became ill due to depression. How could I bear to forget Your Majesty and be partial to my own flesh and blood?"
Seeing that Empress Dowager Gao was unwilling to admit her mistake, Cai Que took the initiative to make overtures to the Empress Dowager and mend their relationship, but the Empress Dowager did not accept.
"I am terrified." Cai Que had to sweep the cracks between the bricks when he was lying on the ground.
Zhang Dun sneered as he watched from the sidelines. He knew that Cai Que wanted to show his favor to the Queen Mother, but he didn't expect that he would use Gao Zunyu as a bargaining chip.
Empress Dowager Gao did not appreciate his kindness at all.
Empress Dowager Gao said, "I have heard rumors in the market that Your Majesty is not my biological son. Do you know where this rumor comes from?"
Rumors like this come around every once in a while.
When Empress Dowager Gao said this, it was obvious that she intended that someone among the prime ministers was trying to alienate the relationship between mother and son.
Cai Que finally realized the consequences of Wang Gui's absence. In the past, when Wang Gui was there, there was someone to take over the matter. Now that Empress Dowager Gao did not trust him, it was useless for him to say anything.
Cai Que could only say: "The Queen Mother is the Yao and Shun of women, why would she care about these words?"
Empress Dowager Gao said, "I don't care, but someone else does."
Empress Dowager Gao was obviously unwilling to let Cai Que off the hook for this matter and insisted that Cai Que give an explanation.
Zhang Dun silently shook his head and said to Cai Quexin, "Let me see how far you can retreat."
Cai Que said solemnly, "Empress Dowager, as everyone knows, the Empress Dowager married the late emperor when he was in his private residence. She was only fifteen or sixteen years old at the time, and gave birth to Your Majesty the following year."
"The late emperor did not take concubines at that time, so how can you say that Your Majesty is not the son of the Empress Dowager?"
After hearing this, all the ministers covered their faces. How could they explain this matter in detail?
Empress Dowager Gao coughed heavily after hearing this. She was indeed dissatisfied with Cai Que's words: "Cai Qing is familiar with the old affairs of the palace."
Cai Chengli immediately said, "I made a mistake in my words."
Empress Dowager Gao, who was in power behind the scenes, did not make any comment.
Cai Que glanced at Zhang Dun, and his eyes showed that everything was as you expected.
Prince Yong, who was serving the medicine, said, "Your Majesty has been taking the medicine for three months. Please ask the Queen Mother to instruct the ministers in military and national affairs behind the curtain. Wait until Your Majesty recovers."
Before, it was just dealing with state affairs.
But speaking from behind the curtain means attending court on behalf of the emperor.
The Queen Mother wants to further seize power.
What a female Yao and Shun, Zhang Dun thought.
Just at this moment, Zhang Maoze entered behind the curtain and whispered a few words.
"What do you mean by submitting a memorial to the imperial court? Bring it here, I want to take a look at it."
Immediately, an official from the Tongjinsi came in to present the memorial, and the eunuch handed it to the empress dowager behind the curtain.
Empress Dowager Gao glanced at him for a few seconds and said to Zhang Maoze, "Read it!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Maoze immediately stepped out of the curtain and read out the memorial, "I, Shang Ying, am so brave that I will die... I humbly wish that Your Majesty will inherit His Majesty's noble destiny and be gifted with holy knowledge. However, since last year's Cold Dew, your health has been unwell, and I, your ministers, have been worried day and night. I have heard that the Zhou Li says that "the queen leads the women inside and outside the palace to raise silkworms in the northern suburbs." Now that the young and inexperienced young Queen Mother is young, it is appropriate to follow the ancient system and let the queen participate in government affairs to show her virtue..."
The ministers below felt that this was absurd.
What is the status of the Queen and how does she handle state affairs together with the Queen Mother?
You said that it was okay for the Empress and Concubine Zhu to attend court together, but how could the Empress Dowager and the Empress attend court together?
But your Majesty Gao wants to abolish the new law, and Zhang Dun has no right to do anything.
The queen led the ladies of the court to raise silkworms in the northern suburbs, which was derived from the Zhou Li. The queen led the ladies to perform the silkworm ceremony, and the emperor led the ministers to perform the spring ploughing ceremony. The two rituals were similar. It was also a good story of men farming and women weaving.
If it is true as Zhang Dun said, you Sima Guang have Zizhi Tongjian, and I have New Interpretations of the Three Classics.
Special note is given to Wang Anshi's innovative interpretation of "women's duties" in "Zhou Li", which provides a legal basis for the queen to participate in politics.
"What a great idea to 'follow the ancient system'!" The Empress Dowager Gao, who was bent on restoring the ancestral system, finally understood what it meant to shoot herself in the foot.
Behind the curtain, Empress Dowager Gao glanced at all the ministers. This was not an isolated memorial. There must be a prime minister supporting Zhang Shangying behind the scenes. Who was it?
Empress Dowager Gao wanted to capture this man.
Zhang Dun straightened his robe and stepped out of the line, saying, "Her Majesty, please understand. Zhang Shangying's proposal is truly for the good of the country. In the past, when Emperor Zhenzong was in trouble, Empress Liu and Zhang Xian... this is the time for the two emperors to rule the country!"
Zhang Dun did not hide anything and fought back in class.
"I have read Wang Jinggong's New Interpretation of the Zhouguan, which states that silkworm farming is the work of the emperor himself. Your Majesty is not feeling well now, which is in line with the principle of the co-governance of heaven and earth and yin and yang."
Behind the curtain, Empress Dowager Gao nodded slowly and said, "Mr. Zhang is very familiar with the classics of Jing Gong."
"Our dynasty governs the world with filial piety, but where is this filial piety?"
The ministers were shocked, and the Queen Mother's counterattack was sharp.
"Is it filial piety for the two saints to come to the throne?"
"Zhang Dun! Do you think I am a Lu Wu? Do you think I don't read the Book of Zhou? This memorial is written in a flowery style, but it is intended to destroy the family ethics of the royal family! If you dare to let the Queen sit with me today, you will dare to let the Crown Princess sit with the Queen tomorrow!"
The ministers had long heard that Empress Dowager Gao had a strong character, but this was the first time they saw it. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were treated as equals, and the moral order was disrupted.
"Tell Zhang Shangying that since he is familiar with the Book of Zhou, I will give him a three-hectare silkworm room! Let him take his wives and concubines to the northern suburbs every day to perform his duties as a wife."
After saying this, Queen Mother Gao turned away, leaving the ministers looking at each other in bewilderment.
Zhang Xu was watching and Li Qingchen shook his head.
Lü Gongzhu and Zhang Zhi left the palace together. Lü Gongzhu told his son-in-law, "I have heard that the Empress Dowager has a strong character. Now you know it."
Zhang Zhi said: "Cai Zhizheng, Zhang Zihou are also smart people, but..."
Lü Gongzhu said: "It's not that they are not good, but if you want to fight against the one on the throne, you have to be two levels higher in Taoism."
Zhang Zhi said: "No wonder His Majesty wants to summon my third uncle back to the court."
Hearing this, Lu Gongzhu sighed and said, "Before I came to the capital, I was dissatisfied with the new law in every aspect. Over the years, I have watched your uncle do things, pacify Liangzhou, and then win a great victory under the city of Pingxia. I have indeed changed my mind."
"So I didn't refute it just now in the palace. I also don't agree with Sima Junshi's idea of completely changing the new law."
"I wrote to Junshi that even if the new law has disadvantages, it should not be changed too quickly. We should gather public opinions before making detailed decisions. Junshi said that I was just the remnant of Anshi's heresy."
There are also moderates and radicals in this old party.
Sima Guang was undoubtedly a radical who wanted to abolish all new laws, while Lu Gongzhu advocated compromise.
Zhang Zhi said: "Why do you say that, Old Taishan? You told me before that the correct way is to choose new laws that are beneficial to the people and the country and keep them."
"From now on, the world will rely on you, Old Taishan."
This is also the reason why Zhang Zhi took the initiative to approach Lu Gongzhu. In today's world, only Lu Gongzhu could preserve some of the new laws, rather than abolishing them completely like Sima Guang.
"It's difficult." Lu Gongzhuo's face was solemn.
The two walked slowly, but heard a long laugh coming from behind them.
The two looked back and saw Zhang Dun standing in front of the palace with his hands behind his back and laughing.
Zhang Zhi looked at Zhang Dun with mixed feelings.