Prime Minister

Chapter 1044 The battle over military law

Zhang Yue opened his eyes and glanced out the window. It was still dark.

Zhang Yue glanced at Qi Niang who was still sleeping beside the pillow.

Zhang Yue stood up quietly. There was still some time before going to court, but he was no longer sleepy. When I was young, I felt like I couldn't get enough sleep, and I even had the power to cheat in my dreams, but now I don't dare to sleep more.

Great power, in addition to giving people great strength, also brings responsibility.

Now that he has reached the position of power, Zhang Yue is no longer running for himself alone. There are many people behind him pointing at him and looking up to him. When one decision of yours can bring disaster and blessing to countless people.

Why is it said that 'the farther back a fake thing is, the more real it is, and the farther back a real thing is, the more fake it is'?

Liars who have deceived people for a long time will naturally think that they are real. As time goes by, those in power will no longer take running the country as a thing. From the beginning of worship, they feel that it is just that, and they can't hear the suffering of the people.

Therefore, it is said that "the heart of the Tao is only subtle".

Zhang Yue felt deeply pressured when he thought about the reform of military service and the attack on Xia.

Why don't you just keep doing it? We don’t compare ourselves to anyone else, we just want to live longer than anyone else.

Such thoughts came to Zhang Yue's mind. At this moment, he felt his shoulders sink. It turned out that Seventeenth Mother had already picked up and put a piece of clothing on him.

"Madam, I woke you up again." Zhang Yue held Seventeenth Niang's hand.

The Seventeenth Mother said: "My lord, I woke up early, and worrying too much makes me nervous."

"I know." Zhang Yue said with a smile.

Seventeenth Mother said: "It's time to go to court soon. I'll comb your hair and change your clothes."

"it is good."

The Seventeenth Mother served Zhang Yue and put on her purple robe, gold belt, and black gauze. At this time, she could see that the lights in the front hall were already on.

"Brother has cooked porridge again and is waiting for you!"

Zhang Yue looked at it and smiled. He knew that his brother Zhang Shi had gotten up early again to make porridge for him. Although he no longer has to be busy with these things, he has his own servants to take care of them.

But that day, Zhang Yue mentioned that he hadn't eaten the porridge cooked by his brother for a long time. After saying this, Zhang Shi cheered up and cooked a bowl of it himself before leaving home every day.

While eating porridge, the two brothers would chat, or just sit there and talk about common things.

As Zhang Yue became more and more official, the two brothers talked less and less. Zhang Shi would not bother him with trivial matters, and would be more cautious when speaking. Zhang Yue was very strict in running the family. When Yu's natal family had worked for him on the tea ceremony, although he helped, he also made a few polite remarks.

Zhang Yue himself came from a poor family, was promoted quickly, and has a weak foundation, so he cannot easily give others advice and must be cautious in every step he takes.

Zhang Shi also gradually understood this, and did not dare to cause trouble to Zhang Yue. From then on, he never asked him to do anything to help him and Yu. Now the two of them are like people from two different worlds.

But just for a while every morning, the two brothers sat opposite each other and chatted for a while without knowing what to say.

Even though his brother is getting older, no matter how many years pass, the deep expectations for him in his eyes will never change.

"Third brother, the porridge is delicious!" Zhang Shi said in the same tone.

Zhang Yue picked up the big bowl and slurped up the thick, hot and cold white porridge with chopsticks. He felt warm all over his body. Zhang Yue raised his head and said, "Okay."

"Sanlang liked to drink the porridge I cooked since he was a child."

Zhang Shi added another bowl of porridge with a happy face. For Zhang Yue, what taste in the world is better than this bowl of white rice porridge.

He was used to having porridge in the morning, chewing some pickles, and boiled eggs dipped in soy sauce, which was better than all the delicacies in the world.

This is true when you are poor and humble, and it is true when you are rich and noble.

Therefore, Su Shi will always be a god.

The sentence "The best taste in the world is pure joy" sums up everything in it.

"Hello, uncle!"

"Hello, daddy!"

At this time, Zhang Gen and Zhang Cheng's eyes were dim, and they were aroused or twisted out of bed by Shi Qi Niang and her maid. They yawned and greeted Zhang Shi and Zhang Yue.

The two sons, Qi Niang, Zhang Yue, and Zhang Shi did not eat together. They ate at another table, and the maids placed plate after plate of exquisite side dishes.

The habits of one generation after another.

After eating, Shiqi Niang will supervise their homework.

As for Mrs. Yu's recent poor health, Mrs. Lu personally served him meals.

Zhang Shi looked at Zhang Gen and Zhang Cheng with doting eyes, and said to Zhang Yue, "When will Brother Gen get married?"

"The second half of the year!"

"Okay!" Zhang Shi was happy when he heard this, and after saying that, he stood up and worried about Zhang Zhi, who was holding a heavy army in Xihe.

It was already twilight on the horizon, Zhang Yue mounted his horse, and surrounded by hundreds of followers, he left the mansion with white walls and green tiles. The stone lions on the left and right of the door prostrated to watch him off.

……

After the morning court, Han Jiang and Zhang Yue stayed to play the duel. After Zi Zhong opened Tianzhang Pavilion, officials placed more emphasis on Han Jiang and Zhang Yue.

However, in history, after the Tianzhang Pavilion was opened, the emperor only used Fan Zhongyan and others for only one year. How many years can the officials use them this time?

The official looked at Zhang Yue carefully. He saw that the official had changed a lot over the years, and there were a lot of white hairs on his temples. In recent years, the officials have been thinking too much about planning to attack Xia, and they can't sleep well every night.

Zhang Yue was about the same age as Guan Jia, but when Guan Jia looked over, he didn't have a single gray hair, but his complexion was well maintained.

Officials often compared Zhang Yue and Han Qi, both of whom were young and successful.

The official asked Zhang Yue, "Did Sima Guang say anything before returning to Luoyang?"

Zhang Yue always maintained a subtle attitude between the old and the new parties, seeming to cooperate and suppress at the same time, so he wanted to learn his attitude towards Sima Guang from Zhang Yue's mouth.

Zhang Yue replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Sima Guang didn't say anything. He talked with the minister for many days, and in the end he only said, 'Officials will not disturb the people, and the people will become rich' and asked the minister to tell it to Your Majesty before leaving Bianjing."

The official was silent for a long time after hearing this, and finally said: "One Imperial Guard is awarded fifty guans per year, and one hundred thousand Imperial Guards is five million guan. When Emperor Taizu only had more than 100,000 troops to conquer the world, what about now?"

"The imperial court raised millions of soldiers and horses, but the Western Xia and Liao Kingdom still refused to accept it."

"If I don't disturb the people, how can I raise millions of soldiers and horses to control the Liao Kingdom and Xixia? Therefore, Sima Guang's words are correct, but they are useless."

Zhang Yue and Han Jiang said together: "Your Majesty is wise."

The official said: "I think your Mencius' justice is indeed good. The country should be governed by benevolence and righteousness. Benevolence and righteousness are to benefit the people. I am committed to it."

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, I believe that the people are the [Tao] of governing the country, but since it is the [Tao], it cannot be stated, otherwise it will be inevitable that 'everyone in the world will know that beauty is beautiful, and this is evil.'"

"That's why I have to cultivate [Mencius' justice]. For [benefiting the people], [benefiting the country] is a skill, but for [benefitting the country], [benefiting the people] is also a skill."

The official pondered, he had heard Zhang Yue's statement that 'rebellion is the movement of the Tao' many times.

The official said: "Benefiting the people is benefiting the country, and benefiting the country is benefiting the people. The law on servants and the law on employment are reversed, okay?"

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Your Majesty, in the past, farmers cultivated in the fields every day. He looked at his children. In order to protect his children from the hardships of wind and rain, he opened a few more acres of fields and accumulated more money. The heirs will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives.”

"When he got old, he realized that his children and grandchildren had enough food and clothing, but he still went about doing idleness, eating well and being lazy. He still lost his family's wealth and ended up in poverty, so he had to farm for others to make a living. Later, someone saw this lesson and started farming by himself while providing for his children and grandchildren. When it comes to reading, he said that scholars are never lazy, and the children and grandchildren they teach will not ruin the family business. So his children and grandchildren studied poetry and books diligently, understood the principles of sages, and indeed no longer idle around. "

"His descendants have not ruined his family property, but they still suffer from studying every day, but instead of suffering from the body, they suffer from the brain. I dare to ask if this person has forgotten his original intention, just to prevent his descendants from suffering. ?”

The officials and Han Jiang laughed when they heard this.

Zhang Yue said: "I believe that I will gain something every step I take. In fact, Lu Huiqing's method of collecting labor for land is a good method, but His Majesty wants to use the money for other purposes, so he rejects it."

After Wang Anshi returned to the prime minister, Lu Huiqing's method of recruiting land for land was abandoned. In fact, the original intention of this method was very good.

Zhang Yue said: "Nowadays, both the labor law and the labor recruitment law have the disadvantages of unfairness and unfair exploitation. Even uncles and brothers are suing each other to avoid labor."

"I adopted Shen Kuo's method of recruiting and dispatching soldiers simultaneously, so that the subordinates could contribute their strength without paying any money. In the fourth year of Xining, Zeng Bu tried it in the government, and the people were satisfied with it."

The official said: "Is it not inconvenient for me to hear the recruitment law?"

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, Rong Chen bluntly said that the imperial court implemented the rural service system in local areas. In some places of the imperial court, the servants were not hired directly. Nowadays, there is a saying in the local area: 'Mean money is lost in vain, and the servants remain the same'. Some people even say that the imperial court "To lure people away from labor and get money."

The official heard this and said angrily: "Who said that? Why didn't anyone report it to me?"

The officials wondered if it was Sima Guang who asked.

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, this is a fact. The recruitment law originally stipulates that the imperial court will provide money for civilians to hire servants, but local officials decide how much they will give, and many officials will not hire civilians."

"This money originally came from the common people, was used by the common people, and was dispersed in the service law. Now that the imperial court has appropriated it for other purposes, how can the common people not complain?"

The officials knew that most of the leftover money raised from the people was used as military expenditure in the west, preparing for the expedition to Xia.

Seeing Zhang Yue's determination, the official asked again: "What did the three departments and Sinong Temple say about this matter?"

Zhang Yue said: "Three divisions, Sinong Temple is also what my colleagues saw."

When the officials heard this, their expressions froze. Could it be that even Cai Que had switched sides?

The official thought that since he had entrusted Zhang Yue to handle the state affairs, he finally said: "In that case, please handle it as appropriate, and don't let the people of the prefecture and county have any more dissatisfaction with the imperial service law."

"I can save it. I will try it out in Shaanxi and Zhejiang."

The official nodded, and Zhang Yue and Han Jiang also retreated.

At this time, the chamberlain led the emperor's sixth son into the palace.

The officials were filled with joy when they saw the prince, and the sixth prince asked: "Is daddy unhappy?"

The official said with a smile on his face: "I'm not unhappy."

The Sixth Prince continued to ask tentatively: "But because of state affairs? Is it Mr. Han or Mr. Zhang who made you unhappy?"

The official looked stern and said, "Who told you this?"

The Sixth Prince said: "I guessed it."

The official said seriously: "Han Qing and Zhang Qing are loyal ministers. You must not speculate like this."