Chapter 1344: Confrontation with the Queen Mother

The red lacquer gate of Zhang Mansion was closed for three days.

Zhang Yue was copying the calligraphy in the study when he suddenly heard the old servant report that Zhang Duzhi was visiting.

But a rare guest came.

That is Zhang Maoze.

Zhang Maoze and Zhang Yue have been in contact for decades. When they served Emperor Renzong, Zhang Yue was not born yet.

When Zhang Yue entered the court and became an official, he had long been a prominent big sable.

After the officials ascended the throne, Zhang Maoze served Cao and Gao two empress dowagers.

After so many years, Zhang Yue has always been polite to Zhang Maoze.

In front of the bluestone steps, Zhang Yue looked at the black sedan chair. Seeing Zhang Maoze lifting the curtain, his old face still looked like an ancient pond without waves.

"Don't you come here well?"

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "Okay, everyone knows that their health is good."

Zhang Maoze said: "I still only eat a cup of coarse rice every time, and the thick and greasy things will never come to my mouth, so I am old and peaceful."

"I would rather eat less and have no big fill. When I was an official, I knew how to persuade me like this, and I always remember. I still remember when I presided over the first lecture for Ren Temple, I knew how to use a whisk to sweep away the snow on the steps. At that time, I was still nervous, thanks to everyone who knew how to raise some points along the way."

Zhang Yue also used the sentence "Ning for little food, no big feast" to show that he had no ambitions to return to the court this time.

Zhang Maoze said: "It's just an old minister in three dynasties."

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "More than three dynasties, half of the secret history of the Song Dynasty is in my heart."

The two laughed together, and Zhang Yue and Zhang Maoze walked into the lobby together.

After sitting down, Zhang Yue asked, "How is Your Majesty's body compared to that of a month ago?"

Zhang Maoze remembered the emperor who was getting thinner on the dragon bed. He shook his head after a moment.

Zhang Maoze said: "The Empress Dowager sent our family to listen to Mr. Zhang's opinion. It is almost June, and the court's prevention of autumn is the top priority."

"After the defeat in Yongle City last year, the Liao Kingdom asked the court to ask for 700,000 yuan in annual monies. After so many years of war, it seems to be more difficult than before."

Zhang Yue said: "It's difficult? This dynasty is difficult, but isn't it difficult for Dangxiang? It's also difficult for Liao Kingdom."

"If the system is not changed, if the law is not changed, it will be ten times more difficult for the court than today."

"Those who cannot plan for the whole world cannot plan for a moment."

Zhang Maoze said: "It's true that the Empress Dowager likes the Jiayou rule in Ren Temple the most. There is nothing wrong in the world, and the Holy Lord is in the court. Can Mr. Zhang know that this time you went to Beijing, the Empress Dowager prepared two edicts?"

Zhang Yue said: "I don't know."

Zhang Maoze said: "According to the truth, Your Majesty is seriously ill, it is safer for the court to ask Mr. Zhang to preside over the state affairs. But if Mr. Zhang continues to be stubborn, it will be difficult for the capital."

Zhang Yue said: "The world is so great, where can I go?"

"It's just that things have come to this point. The most important thing in my eyes is the prince."

In recent years, officials promoted by the emperor have supported the new law, so the empress dowager must confirm her power by abolishing the new law.

At the same time, the Empress Dowager herself also opposed the new law.

There is no way to fight against the imperial power, so Zhang Dun came up with a way to follow the rule of the empress and the empress dowager.

Used to fight against imperial power.

However, listening to both palaces is purely a joke. It was easily suppressed by Empress Dowager Gao, Zhang Dun was defeated miserably, and even Zhang Shangying, who wrote a memorial, was happy to be exiled to Lingnan.

But there is another way, and it is the most direct way.

It is the prince who takes power in advance and takes over the position in advance.

That is, the crown prince is in hand, Han Zhongyan, Cai Bian and Cheng Yi are all lecturers of the crown prince.

Han Zhongyan is Han Qi's son, Cai Bian is Wang Anshi's son-in-law, and Cheng Yi is a direct lecturer from the Imperial Academy.

The official family had expected that the lineup of the divisions and assistants arranged for the crown prince would be powerful.

Zhang Yue's routine is as always, first he appointed the crown prince, but now he is to carry the crown prince to divide the imperial power.

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty is still there... Of course, the Crown Prince does not have any other ideas, serves medicine and performs filial piety. But there is a saying that the Crown Prince is eleven years old this year, and it would not be too early to handle national affairs personally at the age of fourteen."

Zhang Maoze felt a stern after hearing this, three years!

Zhang Yue actually gave Empress Dowager Gao only three years.

Zhang Maoze thought to himself, it was because Zhang Yue was more powerful. The contradiction between reform and abolishing reform lies in the battle for imperial power.

I allow your old party to restore the throne, but only three years are allowed.

Three years later, the crown prince, that is, the emperor in the future, will naturally be changed back.

As long as this restriction is achieved, the old party will not dare to do things too well like in history.

This is to trade time for space.

Everything has a way out. Time cannot solve the problem, but the solution must be in time.

Things will be smooth if they are slow.

Of course, these words cannot be directly discussed with Empress Dowager Gao when they meet the saint. They must pass them to the palace through Zhang Maoze.

"Fourteen years old..."

Zhang Yue said: "It's not too late. Please tell me that the Empress Dowager will be transferred to the Queen Mother. Three years of time will be enough for Zhifeng to give birth to Caiyu."

"It was too late for Empress Dowager Zhang Xian to return to power back then. Fortunately, Ren Temple is generous."

Zhang Yue represented himself, the civil service group, and the prince came to Zhang Maoze. It was also the conditions behind him that Gao Tai later made.

The crown prince took power at the age of fourteen, and Empress Dowager Gao had only been in power for three years.

The way to break the deadlock is to find a way out from the prince as always.

"I will bring it to the Queen Mother if you say that to Mr. Jian," Zhang Maoze said slowly.

Zhang Yue said: "The future of the world is directed at the cicadas."

...

"I will only give the Empress Dowager three years to the court! Zhang Yue's tone is so big." Chen Yan smiled as he listened to Zhang Maoze's words.

"A prime minister who retires to the position of the prime minister is still Zhang Xianggong of Pingzhang's military and national affairs? How can I tell the Queen Mother this!" Liang Weijian said.

Zhang Maoze said: "He first advocated the founding of the crown prince, and was forced to leave the court."

Chen Yan said: "I see that Zhang Jiangong was already the Prime Minister of Power before, so I dare not let him return to the court to take charge of the government."

After the three powerful officials chatted, a eunuch suddenly came. Zhang Maoze asked, "Has the Empress Dowager decided to meet Mr. Zhang?"

"The Queen Mother's decree is in the Chugong Hall!"

The three of them looked at each other in a glance.

Liang Weijian and Chen Yan both looked happy, while Zhang Maoze's eyes became dim.

In the Chuigong Hall rather than the Funing Hall, this is the last time the Empress Dowager refused to let Zhang Yue meet the official family.

...

At this moment, Zhang Yue was wearing a purple robe and holding the scepter in his hand and walked straight into the Chugong Hall.

While walking, he saw Sima Guang also on the corridor from afar.

Next to Sima Guang is Xing Shu.

Xing Shu was chasing Sima Guang and saying something.

Zhang Yue knew that Xing Shu had come from Sima Guang's school, and the other party came to Xihe Road for a long time, but it was a letter of recommendation written by Sima Guang.

Now, the star is representing that Cai Que and Sima Guang are talking about peace.

He was wearing a purple robe and jade belt, holding a tablet in his hand and arched his foot on the long bluestone steps in front of the hall.

Sima Guang had bad eyesight, and he only saw Zhang Yue next to the pillars of the hall after a while.

Zhang Yueyao heard Xing Shu say.

"My teacher knows how to learn! Although the righteous prince is in charge of the new law, he often tells someone that if Sima Gong is in charge of the capital, why worry about the uneasiness of the government and the country? If the teacher is willing to slow down the "Book of the New Law" a little, the whole world will be convenient."

Zhang Yue's mouth raised slightly, and the two greeted each other.

"Kun Jian!" Sima Guang saw Zhang Yue, and Xing Shu retreated aside.

Sima Guangdao, "I heard that in order to welcome the Duke, the tea merchant in Jianzhou engraved the four words "free service and perpetuity" on the cliff of Wuyi."

Zhang Yue said: "I also remembered what Sima Gong said, "In troubled times, we use heavy rules and follow the old rules in the world. I suddenly realized that the word "old rules" must not be the law of the governance of Jiayou."

Sima Guangdao: "Mr. Lu has advised me a long time ago. You should know that the rule of exemption from the law of the rule is not the old Jiefu system. Unfortunately... the law of exemption from the law is the head of the new law. If the head is not cut off, the rest will be discussed."

"Sima Gong can tell how the clerks in prefectures and counties exploited the people during the Jiayou period? Nine out of ten households were evading the yamen's front jail to sell their wives and children!"

"I saw an old farmer in Jiannan who was holding money for exemption from labor and said that this was money for survival."
To be continued...