Chapter 1352 Killing someone with a knife

In the winter of the eighth year of Yuanfeng, the situation in the Bianjing court changed suddenly. As Cai Que stopped the prime minister, the news of Zhang Yue's appointment as a minister of the service spread. Sima Guang's direct descendants Liu Zhi, Liang Tao, Wang Yansou and others successively put on the bullets, causing storm in the Zizheng Hall.

The reason was that Dangxiang lost Liangzhou and in order to capture Xingqing Prefecture, he not only hesitated about moving the capital, but also concentrated his troops to guard Lingzhou, Xiazhou, Yinzhou and other key places, which were increasingly weak in Hexi. With a gradual momentum, Aligu successively captured Ganzhou, Suzhou, Guazhou and Shazhou, which Dangxiang had originally occupied.

After Aligu occupied the four counties of Hexi, the Uighurs in the Northern Alliance of Xizhou became increasingly powerful and their unruly intentions were overwhelmed. They sent troops to attack Dongwu's troops in Qingtang many times and plundered the population. At the same time, they sent envoys to pay tribute to the tribute of the lion, asking for this and that, and at the same time asking the Song Dynasty for the title of King Xiliang.

The Song Dynasty did not agree and asked Aligu to stop harassing Qing Tang.

Aligu was furious and finally arrived at the city of Liangzhou and negotiated peace with Dangxiang.

Zhang Yue's proposal to bring Aligu to Hexi, and he also funded money, grain, soldiers and armor many times. Therefore, Liu Zhi submitted a memorial to impeach, saying that Aligu would be overwhelmed and gradually became unruly. Zhang Yue's decision on the northwest can be said to be "driven the wolf in the front door and tiger in the back door".

Liang Tao also made a complaint in his memorial that Zhang Yue, Duke of Wei, insisted on investing in Ali Gu money, grain, soldiers and armor that day, saying that he could check and balance the party. Looking at it now, it is actually to support the enemy and respect himself!

Wang Yansou turned over old accounts, saying that Chen Mu accepted bribes of 300 Aligu that year [but the tip of the iceberg], implying that Zhang Yue made a profit from it [no less than ten thousand gold]. He took kickbacks from the money and grain that the Song Dynasty funded Aligu.

At the same time, the Liao Kingdom repeatedly went south to fight under the name of the Song Dynasty's inviting the rebel prime minister Yelu Yixin. Zhang Yue was also the one who advocated taking Yelu Yixin to escape.

Liang Tao seized the Liao Kingdom and invaded the south by Yelu Yixin, saying that Zhang Yue accepted the Liao Kingdom's rebellion as a "disaster neighboring country". In the past, Lanzhou and Liangzhou's contributions were not worthy of praise.

These impeachments were by no means accidental, but meticulous planning, and the old party created public opinion in Beijing and criticized Zhang Yue.

The north wind swept the bullet stamps of the Censorate through the streets and alleys of Bianjing.

The memorials of Liu Zhi, Liang Tao, Wang Yansou and others were published in the book by people with ulterior motives and distributed everywhere in the Zhouqiao Night Market.

"Have you heard it? The victory in Liangzhou was a lucky draw!" A scholar shouted loudly, "That chapter, my husband and the Tubo barbarians secretly met the song "

After speaking for a moment, the scholar was immediately taken away by the Imperial City Department's inspection record.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

In the tea shop south of the bridge in Bianjingzhou, steaming water vapor wrapped around the hustle and bustle of the market. Several porters unloaded the cargo and were filling herbal tea around the thick wooden table to quench their thirst.

"Have you heard it?" A porter with a frosty face wiped his sweat, "The green robe men in the Censorate have submitted a memorial again. This time, even Mr. Zhang Wei dares to impeach him!"

His rough fingers knocked heavily on the table, "Cai Que, it's okay for Zhang Dun to bite even the heroes who recovered Liangzhou. Isn't this a mad dog barking?"

"No!" The old man selling cooked cakes next to him shook his head and sighed, "Grandpa Zhang won a battle in the northwest and seized Liangzhou, so that the Dangxiang people dared not offend the border again. The Dangxiang people dared not come to steal our wheat. Now it has become a sin? The heroes have become sinners. This world!"

"Hmph, what do they know?" A young man dressed in a scholar sneered and lowered his voice, "When Mr. Zhang was in court, he would improve the new policies and reduce the taxes and make it easier for us ordinary people. Now he is about to serve as the attendant, and some people are anxious to drive him down. Who are you talking for us?"

"Of course it was Sima Xianggong who spoke for the people."

"No, it's Mr. Zhang."

In the tea shop, the medicinal material merchant wearing silk shirts suddenly sneered: "You are afraid you don't know? How many merchants have the Shiyi Fa harmed? The wolves insulted by Zhang Yue!"

"If Sima Xianggong hadn't abolished this evil law, I would have been forced to jump over the Bian River!"

"Don't you bet!" The storyteller stuffed the awakening wood into the bag and pointed it straight into the tip of the merchant's nose. "I have seen it with my own eyes when I was telling the story at the Prince's Mansion of Tianshui County. The manager of the Zhang Gonggong's Mansion paid cash when he bought a green onion."

He spat, "But some people have just abandoned the market law and hoarded the market!"

Dr. Tea came over to replenish the water with a copper pot and interrupted after hearing this, "You two calm down. The young man sold tea in Bianjing for forty years. He had seen Fan Zhongyan conducting the new policy, and Wang Anshi's reform. "He added boiling water to each table.

"I can't tell you right or wrong, but I think Xianggong Zhang and Xianggong Sima are all worried about the country."

"Why worry about the country? I heard that the censors who impeached Zhang Xianggong were all from Sima Xianggong behind them! They said that Zhang Wei Gong's resources to the enemy will ruin the country!"

The scholar spat just now, "I've been talking about the 'Ancestor's Law' all day long, but can the Ancestor's Law give us a full meal? Mr. Zhang's farming in the northwest and let the border troops be self-sufficient, how much money and ointment has he saved? Now it's a sin?"

"Oh, how can we ordinary people say the affairs of the court?" A teacher sighed, "But Mr. Zhang really can't be the minister of the service. The world... is probably going to be even more chaotic..."

After several people chatted, they were all sighing.

After a moment of silence, I suddenly heard a noise coming from afar. It turned out that several students were talking excitedly, denying the treacherous and slandered the country. The people surrounded them one after another, and their blood was boiling. Some even shouted: "Gong-gong Zhang is not guilty! The court should observe clearly!"

The people in the tea shops were both unfair and unfair to Zhang Yue and Sima Guang, and there were many debates.

...

In the "Qingfeng Pavilion" in the south lane of Zhouqiao, several officials in regular clothes were sitting around the private room next to the window. The tea shop outside the window was hustle and bustle, but the tea soup was only boiling in the room.

Several officials in regular clothes sat around the celadon teacup and frowned.

Zhang Kangguo, who returned to the court to recuse himself, sneered: "How powerful are Liu Zhi and other censors who impeach Zhang Shizhong on weekdays? Now the Liao envoy Chen Bing Baigou asked for millions of yuan, and they hurried in the censor's desk and didn't even dare to let go! Yesterday, Wang Yansou was still writing in his letter and saying, 'Zhang Yue's capital to the enemy ruined the country'. Why didn't he write a half-way plan to retreat to the enemy today?"

Another person said: "More than that? Even the victory in Liangzhou can be said to be "lucky" by them. According to this argument, Huo Qubing Fenglang Juxu may be impeached to be "unable to initiate border provocations"!"

He suddenly lowered his voice, "I heard that the old party arranged it privately, saying that Shizhong Zhang was 'raising the enemy and respecting himself' in Hexi..."

An official suddenly choked and said, "Absurd! During the Qingli period, the Dangxiang people slaughtered Huanqing, why didn't they jump out? Although Aligu is independent now, at least he has been dealing with Dangxiang in Hexi, and now it has become Zhang Gong's sin!"

He suddenly slammed the teacup on the desk: "I want me to say that these remarks are the real self-destruction of the Great Wall!"

The official sitting in the corner sighed quietly: "Do you still remember the old things in Qingli? Didn't Fan Zhongyan rectify his military equipment back then, and was also scolded for being 'very happy for merit'? Now this chapter..." He pointed to the copy of the memorial in the hand of a hawker outside the teahouse, "How different is it from the "Records of Fellowships" forged by Xia Shu back then?"

A moment later, the hawker was also taken away by the people from the Kaifeng Government Office.

Zhang Kangguo sneered: "You didn't say anything about it. I heard that the Empress Dowager used Mr. Zhang to get rid of Cai Que, and now he has removed the grinding and killed the donkey again."

"What a trick to kill someone by borrowing a knife!" The officials couldn't help but shake their heads.

Just as a team of postmen rushed past, the splashing mud wet the tea guitar. Everyone suddenly fell silent, and only heard the postmen shouting: "Xiongzhou urgently reported! Liao cavalry broke into the Juma River!"

Several people were disgraced when they heard this.

Zhang Kangguo suddenly stood up and pointed at the street outsider: "Look! This is the end of their impeachment of Zhang Gong!"

He grabbed the head and slapped it hard on the table, "I really have to wait until the Liao army stationed in the Yellow River, and this group of people will know."

"The backbone of our Song Dynasty has always been supported by hard-working ministers like Duke Zhang Wei, rather than these censors who only buzz with flies."

...

When Zhang Ruxue was playing outside and people were talking about it, Zhang Maoze arrived at Zhang Mansion for the second time with the edict in his hand and learned that Zhang Yue had set up a new vegetable garden outside the Wei Mansion.

This time, Zhang Maoze arrived at Zhang Mansion without a royal troupe directly closed the road, nor did he order the servants of Zhang Mansion to inform him.

Zhang Maoze, who was the minister of the eunuch, went straight to the vegetable garden and saw Zhang Yue bent over the vegetable bed and loosened the soil. However, he saw that the other party's cloth clothes were covered with new mud and half of the newly pulled wild artemisia was sandwiched between his fingers.

The left and right were about to come forward to talk.

Zhang Maoze stretched out his hand, handed over the imperial edict to his left and right, walked to the vegetable bed and said respectfully: "Duke Wei!"

Zhang Yue raised his head and laughed: "I know everyone. I'm sorry for being rude."

Zhang Maoze smiled and submitted an edict. Zhang Yue stood up from the field, walked to the well and stopped, scooped up a scoop of clean water to wash the soil on his hands, and finally wiped his hands casually on the lapel. A dark water mark suddenly appeared on the coarse cloth clothes.

Holding up the purple silk edict, Zhang Yue's eyes stayed on the words "Shizhong and Shangshu Zuo Pushe" for a long time.

"I am afraid."

After saying that, Zhang Yue returned the imperial edict and went out in a dress.

Zhang Maoze fell down and followed and said, "In the past, Duke Wei was worried that he had insufficient fame, so he successively elected Wang Jiefu, Han Zihua and Wang Yuyu. Today, he was expected by the prime minister and also recommended Wen. Wang and his two uncles, in fact, in our family, Duke Wei should not have such concerns."

Zhang Yue said: "The Empress Dowager has given some instructions. Zhang is doing his best. Now Cai Que will stop preaching."

"The Empress Dowager Montaigne and His Majesty are highly praised. Zhang is willing to repay this kindness with all his might, but he must not ignore the public opinion."

Zhang Maoze said: "Donald Wei didn't know what to say about Aligu's affairs?"

Zhang Yue was slightly angry. With his current status, why should he explain it to you? Isn’t this Aligu obvious?

But Zhang Yue thought about it and said patiently: "Everyone knows that there is no reason to be a crime to be added. Those who control things know that money, power and loyalty cannot be obtained at the same time."

"If you give money, it will be like the imperial guards of this dynasty, and you will be well-funded; if you give power, it will be like the vassal states in the late Tang Dynasty, and let them be large. If you give money and the word "loyal" is a luxury."

"Those who plan things should not seek completeness and plan for it, but leave a vassal. When Aligu went to Hexi, the most important thing was to cut off Dangxiang's right arm and cut off the road to the Western Regions."

Any organization is the impossible triangle of money, power and loyalty.

Zhang Yue said slowly: "This Ali Gu is a natural hero. People on the grassland value the hero. He has countless people who work for him in one sentence. I can't send a coward to Hexi!"

Zhang Maoze said seriously: "Don't worry, Duke Wei, the Empress Dowager can see clearly who is sharing the worries of the country and who is fighting against the differences."

Zhang Yue said: "I don't blame Sima Junshi and others. Everyone knows that if the crops grow well, they must not only work hard, but also know how to recuperate in time. The court weighs the trade-offs between reform and the old laws. Isn't this the same thing in governing the country?"

Zhang Maoze was overjoyed. Zhang Yue was willing to make certain concessions and compromises to Empress Dowager Gao in the matter of the new law.

Zhang Maoze immediately reciprocated and said: "The Empress Dowager also repeatedly said that Wei Yuanfeng was in power, and has always been beneficial to the new laws. He is based on lenient and benefiting the people. He is actually better than Cai Que and Zhang Dun."

Zhang Yue said: "Thank you, the Empress Dowager, for your praise. I said something to Zhang Duzhi with heart. This time I don't have to talk to Cai Que or Zhang Dun, but I'm afraid that they will...

Zhang Maoze sighed: "After all, Mr. Wei is suspicious. The Empress Dowager asked before that, Sima Gong had resigned as Deputy Privy Councilor, is Mr. Wei going to resign from the Shizhong now?"

Zhang Yue said: "How dare I compare to Sima Jun? Please report to the Empress Dowager that I am willing to go to the northwest or Hebei to defend against the Liao Kingdom or Dangxiang for the court."

"If you are appointed, I can go to the border immediately to retreat to the enemy, but if I want to return to the court to manage the government, it will be difficult to be competent!"

"I cannot explain this to the Empress Dowager of Wei. Zhang Zhi, the Minister of the Secretariat, submitted memorials and requested to leave the capital again and again." Zhang Maoze said.

Zhang Yue stopped and thought for a while and said, "Please know how to speak well for me on the side of the Empress Dowager. There will be no one in the court. If there is no one, the former Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Huang Luke will send him."

Zhang Maoze was stunned and then smiled. After the founding of the crown prince, the emperor was very passive. After the official's illness was cured, the first person to stop was Zhang Yue's confidant Huang Lu.

Zhang Maoze said: "Mr. Wei is really a nostalgic person."

"I have been in the court for many years, and I have only had a few friends." Zhang Yue sighed, "not only friends, but also in-laws."

Zhang Maoze nodded and said, "Our family will report to the Empress Dowager truthfully. There is another last thing. The Ministry of Rites drafted the temple name of the late emperor, and the Empress Dowager ordered our family to present it to Duke Wei to take a look first."
To be continued...