Chapter 140: A Round of Autumn Shadows Turning into Golden Waves (4)
Zhang Dun, who was in a good mood, ordered his servants to place drinks and dishes in the pavilion near the water in the garden. He took Huang Fu and General Xu, who had come to report the news, and insisted on having a few drinks.
Zhang Dun looked up at the sky. The first quarter moon hung in the sky, clear and cold, dragging a layer of halo through the clouds, sometimes bright and sometimes dark.
Not far away, the pool was sparkling, and under a dozen lanterns, little golden lights shone, swaying and twinkling.
"Everything is fine, except that the moonlight is not beautiful. If it were a full moon, it would be perfect." Zhang Dun said proudly.
"Zi Hou, there is nothing perfect in the world." Xu Jiang advised from the side.
"Haha, Chong Yuan is right, I am too demanding." Zhang Dun picked up the wine flask and filled a glass of wine for Xu Jiang and Huang Fu. When he poured the wine for himself, his hand shook and some wine spilled out.
on the table.
Xu Jiang saw this in his eyes and said nothing. Huang Fu asked with concern: "Zi Hou, are you okay?"
"It's okay. It's just that the excitement in my heart has not dissipated." Zhang Dun sat down and replied with a long sigh of relief.
"Our officials..." Huang Fu also had a lot of thoughts in his heart. He started from the beginning. He had thousands of words in his heart and didn't know where to start.
"Anzhong, you have now realized why our officials are intimidating?" Zhang Dun asked with a smile. He picked up the wine glass and took a sip.
"Things that you are sure of will be difficult and difficult, and you must persevere to the end despite all twists and turns. 'The yellow sand will wear golden armor in a hundred battles, and the Loulan will never be returned until it breaks.' How can this steel-like determination not make life fearful?"
"
Huang Fu was holding the wine glass and was stunned for a moment. It wasn't until Xu Jiang gently pushed him that he woke up and drank the wine in one gulp as if to cover up.
"Anzhong, what's wrong?" Zhang Dun saw the uneasiness in his old friend's heart and asked.
"The power of destroying the country and the power of the official family have reached a higher level." Huang Fu said in panic: "The previous official family has already made people restless. The official family with this power has made every promise...
Words can determine the life and death of countless people."
"That's right." Xu Jiang said slowly while turning the wine glass in his hand, "The official came to the front line to command the destruction of the Xia Kingdom. His prestige and power are already equal to those of Emperor Taizu and Taizong. If we recapture the sixteen states of Yanyun,
He even attacked and destroyed the Northern Liao Dynasty. I am afraid that among all the previous emperors, only the achievements of Emperor Taizu can rival them."
Zhang Dun shook his head and redefined it.
"Slightly inferior to Taizu, slightly better than Taizong. You must know that our officials dared to lead tens of thousands of Hehuangfan tribe cavalry directly into Mobei, destroy Kelie, Tatar tribes, kill tens of thousands, and establish the capital
I saw dozens of them. They overwhelmed nearly half of the tribes in Mobei and were afraid to worship him. He was given the title of Yanran Khan. Your Majesty was ashamed of this title and angrily refused."
Xu Jiang and Huang Fu looked at each other, "Is there such a thing?"
Zhang Dun briefly recounted a series of Zhao Si's achievements in Mobei. General Xu and Huang Fu were dumbfounded. After a long time, they sighed: "The murderous nature of the official family is really serious. He is obviously the king of ZTE, but he has made innovations."
The mind and courage of the king of the country. But from then on, the power of the official family was unstoppable in the world. It is a trivial matter. If he is as headstrong as Han Wu, who can control him?"
After listening to the sighs of the two men, Zhang Dun said quietly on the side: "That's why he went on an expedition to Mobei and entrusted all military matters to us. This will be the norm from now on."
Huang Fu seemed to understand, but Xu Jiang understood the meaning of Zhang Dun's words.
"Zihou, are you saying that your Majesty will entrust state affairs to the prime minister and the three provinces from now on, while he will focus on war?"
"Chong Yuan, our Song Dynasty cannot launch wars every year. Apart from expeditions and wars, His Majesty likes to visit privately and travel around incognito." Zhang Dun added.
General Xu's eyes lit up and he said, stroking his palms: "Wonderful, your majesty is so powerful, how can you have powerful ministers? Even if Zihou, the prime minister, or I, Xu Taiwei, dare to take advantage of the power and violate the law, your majesty only needs one
A piece of paper, a few petty officers and soldiers can tie you and me up. The soldiers and the people are united in their hearts, how dare you not be convinced?"
Huang Fu finally understood the meaning.
"Zihou, Chongyuan, do you think that your Majesty will rarely be involved in the affairs of the state from now on?"
"The sharp edge is too sharp and can easily hurt innocent people. It is better to hide the sharp edge in its sheath and wait for the opportunity to act. Your Majesty knows that the subsequent reforms and new policies will bring greater resistance, so he went on an expedition to Mobei to attack the Xia Kingdom and regain his power, using this coercion to overwhelm everyone.
. But he also understands that if the power is too great, it is easy for thousands of horses to sing in unison and listen to and believe something."
Zhang Dun explained, and Xu Jiang and Huang Fu couldn't help but sigh a few words.
After drinking a few glasses of wine, Zhang Dun was slightly drunk and recalled his decades of experience from being a Jinshi to following Wang Wencheng's political reform.
"No one is a hundred years old in this world. Young people are demented, old people are haggard. Only in the middle, some young people, can't bear to be involved in a false reputation? A first-grade and a thousand gold, asking about gray hair, how to avoid it?"
Zhang Dun shook his head and finished reciting the words of Que Fan Wenzhenggong, and Xu Jiang froze his hand holding the wine glass.
"Zihou, are you thinking of quitting?"
"The officials and I have made an appointment for five years. Now more than three years have passed. The New Deal is being vigorously implemented and has begun to bear fruit. Wang Wenchenggong's vision back then is being realized one by one. The Xia Kingdom has also been conquered, the temple, and the Zhe Temple of the late emperor.
My long-cherished wish is over. I have gray hair and have no regrets. The remaining time is not a retreat, but mainly a handover."
Looking at Zhang Dun's silver beard and hair, Xu Jiang didn't ask any more questions. But Huang Fu couldn't help but asked: "Zihou, you retreated from the rapids, do you have a place to go?"
"The official and I talked about it while chatting. He invited me to retire and go to Sungkyun University and the Hanlin Academy as a part-time professor of national affairs. In his spare time, he can write memoirs and tell future generations what he has experienced in his life.
Pass on the accumulated experience to future generations.”
"That's fine." Huang Fu thought for a while, and it was indeed a good place to go. "Zihou, before you retreat, some people are starting to think and play tricks for the seat under your butt.
Come."
"Haha, An Zhong, I know who you are talking about. Lu Jifu, Zhang Tianjue and Cai Yuanchang are all a little unable to hold themselves back."
Huang Fu said in surprise: "Zihou, you know everything."
Then he thought that he was making a big fuss. Zhang Dun had been in power for many years and had battled wits and courage with many famous ministers. What method had he not seen before? Of course he had noticed these signs a long time ago.
He asked curiously: "Zihou, who do you think should succeed Dazai?"
Zhang Dun shook his head repeatedly: "Such a major matter is decided by His Majesty Qian Gang, and it is not something you and I can speculate on."
Huang Fu refused to give up: "Zihou knows that you and I are inseparable. If you go to Xiang to become an official, I will definitely resign as a right servant and follow you to Chengjun to join in the fun of the Imperial Academy. There is no harm in talking about it!"
"You really want me to tell you?" Zhang Dun was very interested today and asked deliberately.
"Say, you must say."
"If you ask me, Lu Jifu and Cai Yuanchang both have a chance."
"Both of them? Everyone is speculating that the next Dazai is most likely to be Cai Yuandu. He has served as a secretary and provincial minister, and is highly trusted by officials. Now he has practiced in three provinces, and he shows signs of taking over as Dazai."
"Haha," Zhang Dun laughed, "He did have a chance to take over as Dazai. But in the past three years, Cai Yuanchang has done an outstanding job. I have to say that the Cai brothers are indeed both talented. One is good at coordination, and the other is good at financial management.
.”
Huang Fu was stunned for a moment, "Cai Yuanchang has done so well? In the past three years, he has followed the strategy of the official family and Zihou, and worked hard to enrich the national treasury without hurting the people's power. It is indeed rare. Yes, it is impossible for the official family to
The affairs of the Ministry of Education are in the hands of his two brothers, so they must separate."
Zhang Dun smiled and said enigmatically: "In my opinion, none of these people's chances of succeeding as Dazai are actually as good as this one."
He glanced at General Xu's face, picked up the wine glass, and was about to take a sip when he suddenly heard cheers and then the sound of firecrackers outside the house.
"The common people also know this great news. I think the city of Kaifeng will not be able to sleep tonight." This chapter has been completed!
