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Cai Jing first served as prime minister in July of the first year of Chongning.

That year, Cai Jing was fifty-six years old and Zhao Ji was twenty-one years old.

At that time, the Song Dynasty, which had been in existence for a hundred years, was facing two choices of paths - either taking the path of reform or taking the path of conservatism.

The new party and the old party fought fiercely for this.

Zhao Ji, who had just started to rule, was eager to make some achievements, so he resolutely chose Shaoshu's father and brother (that is, to take the path of reform) and chose Cai Jing as the auxiliary minister.

Cai Jing was grateful for Zhao Ji's kindness and was determined to repay him with all his life.

When Cai Jing came to power, a vigorous Chongning reform boom was quickly set off, and the country's appearance quickly became new.

Cai Jing's political style was always decisive and sometimes aggressive, which made Zhao Ji feel very uncomfortable, and Zhao Ji began to suspect that Cai Jing had a tendency to be authoritarian.

Some ministers were also dissatisfied with Cai Jing's strong politics, but they were struggling to find no opportunity to attack.

In the first month of the fifth year of Chongning, a comet appeared in the western sky, with a long tail that stretched across the sky. Every night, it shone brightly on the windows of the Imperial Palace.

Zhao Ji was a little panicked.

Some people saw the opportunity and wrote a letter saying that the court's policies were inadequate.

Liu Kui, the Minister of the Secretariat, advised Zhao Ji to destroy the Yuanyou Party’s monument and stop the reform measures implemented by Cai Jing. He swore to Zhao Ji: In this way, the celestial phenomena will be normal and the world will be peaceful.

Zhao Ji adopted Liu Kui's suggestion--one day in the middle of the night, Zhao Ji sent a group of eunuchs to Wende Hall to destroy all the stone carvings on the east wall.

When he was in court the next morning, Cai Jing suddenly found that the stone carving was destroyed, so he said sternly: "Stones can be destroyed, but their reputation cannot be destroyed!"

Cai Jing's fierce confrontational attitude made Zhao Ji really intolerable.

In February, Cai Jing was dismissed from prime minister and served as an idle envoy of the Central Taiyi Palace, staying in Tokyo.

Zhao Tingzhi (Li Qingzhao's father-in-law) was appointed as the Right Pushe, and Liu Kui continued to be the Secretariat of the Secretariat. The two of them worked closely together to abolish all the reforms and reforms carried out by Cai Jing.

The court caused another big shock.

At that time, the saying "three must notes" began to be widely circulated in society, namely, "The laws and regulations cannot be changed, Liu Kui cannot be used, and Cai Jing cannot be stopped."

A few days later, the comet disappeared.

Zhao Ji was also very dissatisfied with the political measures of Zhao Tingzhi and Liu Kui, and he regretted the removal of Cai Jing.

Zhao Ji's thoughts were revealed by Concubine Zheng (later Empress Zheng).

Concubine Zheng revealed this information to her father Zheng Shen.

Zheng Shen also revealed this information to the Hanlin scholar Zheng Juzhong. Zheng Juzhong claimed to be the subordinate brother of Concubine Zheng and often visited Zheng Shen's house.

Zheng Juzhong felt that this was a good opportunity to show his political views, so he immediately went to the palace and said to Zhao Ji: "Your Majesty builds schools, promotes rituals and music, and sets up nursing homes and Anjiyuan. These are all measures to benefit the people. How can they be abolished? How can it be said that this is a despicable act?"

Zhao Ji agreed deeply.

Liu Zhengfu, the Minister of Rites, also went to the palace to make comments to Zhao Ji, which was the same as Zheng Juzhong's statement.

Just ten months later, in December of the fifth year of Chongning, Cai Jing returned and served as prime minister for the second time.

After his second term as prime minister, Cai Jing's political influence became increasingly greater and his political status became more stable.

Cai Jing realized that during the Chongning period, he expanded his attack on the Yuanyou Party and political enemies, so he continued to identify and rehabilitate some of the sixth.

Cai Jing accepted the lessons of the past, implemented a policy of lenientness, and asked Zhao Ji to amnesty the world.

Cai Jing summoned all officials to discuss politics, and the grim atmosphere of political struggle in the court eased. "The world is in great governance, and the four directions are barbarians."

Cai Jing's second resignation of prime minister has a lot to do with Tong Guan.

Tong Guan's value doubled because he was good at fighting.

Slowly, Tong Guan took control of the military and political power in the northwest, and then began to serve the arrogant and arrogant people. He completely left the court and bypassed Cai Jing and reported to Zhao Ji directly.

This not only hurt Cai Jing's self-esteem, but also destroyed the imperial system, causing great dissatisfaction from Cai Jing, and the relationship between the two began to appear.

In May of the third year of Daguan, Zhao Ji remembered that Tong Guan had outstanding military achievements in the northwest Kaibian border, and issued an edict to grant Tong Guan the three departments of Kaifu Yitong, a three departments of Kaifu Yitong, which was an honorary official title that showed the emperor's grace and lofty social status.

Cai Jing firmly opposed this edict and refused to implement it. He said angrily: "Tong Guan is a eunuch. It is a bit too much to let him serve as the governor. How can he be granted the prime minister?"

Cai Jing's tough attitude made Zhao Ji very angry.

Imperial power was challenged again.

Tong Guan was also very angry when he heard about this. He secretly contacted the Chief Censor Shi Gongbi, the Deputy Chief Censor Zhang Kegong and other ministers to impeach Cai Jing. He encouraged Guo Tianxin to enter the palace and said to Zhao Ji: "There is a black spot in the sun, and the Lord is repelling the ministers, otherwise it will be unknown."

When Guo Tianxin was in the Taishi Bureau and Zhao Ji was appointed as King Duan, he predicted that "the king should have a world." Therefore, Zhao Ji was more convinced by his words.

Zhao Ji wanted to stop his appearance again.

Cai Jing went to the palace to ask for a meeting many times, but was rejected by Zhao Ji.

How smart is Cai Jing? How can he not understand that Zhao Ji wants to dismiss him?

So, not long after, Cai Jing submitted a statement and asked to resign from his position.

Zhao Ji quickly agreed to let Cai Jing serve as the idle Taiyi Palace Envoy again.

Not long after, Zhao Ji promoted Cai Jing to Duke of Chu, ordered him to retire, and was still prosecuted to compile the "Records of Zhezong". On the first day of each month, he went to court.

This is Cai Jing's second time to stop his prefect.

Although Cai Jing's first and second two eliminations in the face of the film were different, he had one thing in common, that is, it was all because of the "sky changes".

The ancients believed that the occurrence of changes in nature means that there are shortcomings in the government affairs. The prime minister, who is the general government, should bear the responsibility, either directly dismiss or resign due to blame.

In fact, this is just an excuse for the political struggle of the court.

Cai Jing was dismissed from prime minister twice, and the essential reason was the same, both Cai Jing offended Zhao Ji's imperial power with prime minister power.

Since Emperor Shenzong of Song Dynasty, the political arena of the Northern Song Dynasty has formed a situation where all rights belong to the emperor.

How could Zhao Ji tolerate Cai Jing's challenge to this situation?

When he was young, Zhao Ji was actually very smart in politics. He was good at using political skills. He had to firmly control the final decision-making power. He wanted to play with the ministers in his hands.

Before the second time, Cai Jing was pursuing an ideal situation, that is, the prime minister and imperial power jointly rule the world.

This is also the consistent dream and pursuit of Confucian intellectuals in the feudal era.

However, Zhao Ji did not think so. He believed that the prime minister's power was to serve the imperial power, and the prime minister could not fight against the imperial power. Therefore, he had to use Cai Jing's talents to serve him, and he also had to attack Cai Jing's arrogance in time and give Cai Jing a little color.

The purpose of attacking Cai Jing is essentially a strike against the prime minister controlled by Cai Jing. Zhao Ji's purpose is to show the supreme authority of imperial power to the civil and military officials of the court.

Zhao Ji wanted all the civil and military officials of the court to understand: I can give you high officials and generous salaries, or make you nothing, or even ruin your reputation and lose everything.

At this time, Cai Jing finally realized that in the eyes of the emperor, the prime minister was just a vassal of the imperial power, and the target he wanted to serve was not the Song Dynasty, but the Song Dynasty emperor Zhao Ji.

Cai Jing was sixty-three years old that year.

That winter, Cai Jing officially completed the retirement procedures, and he thought he could say goodbye to politics from now on.

Although he has stepped down, because of his fear of Cai Jing, Cai Jing is still constantly attacked by political enemies.

Cai Jing was forced to leave Tokyo and live in Hangzhou.

If Cai Jing withdrew from politics and lived his life in Hangzhou, then Cai Jing might not have been portrayed as a treacherous minister by the Ming Dynasty novel "Water Margin", and perhaps he would not have been listed as the "Six Thieves" by Tai student Chen Dong and became the scapegoat for the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty.

However, Cai Jing promised Zhao Ji that he would die to repay Zhao Ji's kindness for his kindness.

Cai Jing wants to fulfill his promise, so if Zhao Ji needs him, he will come back happily.

Three years later, Tong Guan had the idea of ​​regaining Yan Yun, and the priests at that time (Zhang Shangying, Zheng Juzhong and He Zhizhong) were useless, so Tong Guan helped Cai Jing to regain prime minister.

At that time, Zhao Ji was also fed up with the incompetent priests who made the Northern Song Dynasty mess.

So, Zhao Ji issued a Taoist imperial edict to Cai Jing, who had been idle for nearly three years.

In this imperial edict, Zhao Ji first affirmed Cai Jing's achievements over the years, and then gave Cai Jing a luxurious mansion (i.e. Mingluan Hall) located in the city of Bianliang in Tokyo, and ordered Cai Jing to regain the Grand Tutor and still retire as Duke of Chu.

After receiving Zhao Ji's imperial edict, Cai Jing immediately moved his whole family from Hangzhou to Bianliang City in Tokyo.

Soon, Cai Jingluo retired and became prime minister for the third time.

Cai Jing served as prime minister this time for nine years, and did not retire for the third time until June this year.

These nine years were the most glorious period of Cai Jing's life, the most glorious period of the Song Huizong era, and it can even be said to be the most peak and most prosperous period of the entire Northern Song Dynasty.

During these nine years.

The implementation of the social assistance system was rare in ancient history. The nursing homes, Anjifang and Luzeyuan systems it implemented were undoubtedly the peak of the Northern Song Dynasty relief system development, and it was unprecedented in Chinese history, and even above the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It was Cai Jing who scaled and institutionalized social relief activities.

The "Chongning Promotion of Learning" hosted by Cai Jing during the Chongning period was further deepened. Its main measures include: the establishment of local schools across the country; the establishment of a three-level academic system system that is linked to county schools, prefecture schools and Taixue; the establishment of Piyong and Taixue; the restoration of medical science, the establishment of mathematics, calligraphy, and painting schools and other junior colleges was a concentrated reflection of the Northern Song Dynasty's "promoting culture and education" policy and played a major role in the development of education in the Song Dynasty.

Cai Jing's third resumption of prime minister was related to the recovery of Yan Yun, and Cai Jing's third resumption of prime minister was also related to the recovery of Yan Yun.

When Zhao Ji first started to launch the strategy of "Union of Jin to destroy Liao and recover Yanyun", Cai Jing strongly agreed and actively promoted it.

But later Cai Jing's attitude changed.

One reason is that Cai Jing is very dissatisfied with Tong Guan’s appointment as the leader;

Another reason is that when Cai Jing saw that the world was scarce and the border was unprepared, he felt worried and did not want to fight this national war.
To be continued...