All the officials who came to congratulate me gathered and dispersed.
It seems very much like in officialdom, some people leave and some stay.
Many officials wanted to stay at the house to talk to Zhang Yue in the hope of being reused in the future, but in the end only a dozen core members of the Zhang Party were received by Zhang Yue.
Such as Cai Jing, Cai Bian brothers, Su Shi, Su Che brothers, Zhang Zhi, Zhang Kai's uncle and nephew.
Zhang Yue had less than two years left in his term as Prime Minister. He asked Qian Yi about Guan Jia's health a few days ago. Qian Yi said that Guan Jia's health was quite good recently under his care, but he did not control his desires and had an irregular diet.
Easily happy and angry, this is not the way to maintain health and prolong life.
Zhang Yue thought to himself that if the official family was still as old as in history, then he would still have a chance to return to politics.
If Qian Yi can live longer after taking good care of his body, then he will also be prepared to live in seclusion in the mountains and forests.
Zhang Yue remembered that when he was young, he could see better scenery every time he climbed a mountain. Now he has reached the top of the mountain again!
When you reach the top of the mountain, you have to go down and then choose a higher mountain to climb.
Zhang Yue was full of longing for this.
Regarding the question of who will replace Zhang Yue after he leaves, Zhang Yue previously planned to choose Cai Jing, but now he plans to arrange Cai Bian.
As a replacement, Cai Bian is an excellent choice. He can continue his reform path and is excellent in all aspects. However, due to the official's wishes, he has already found a replacement for himself, and that is Zhang Zhi.
This was the purpose of promoting Lu Gongzhu to the position of Deputy Privy Envoy.
Zhang Yue couldn't help but remember that the marriage between the Zhang family and the Lu family was facilitated by Han Qi. At that time, Han Qi did not want to see himself join Wang Anshi's camp, so he tried every means to bridge the gap between himself and Lu Gongzhu.
Lu Gongzhu is undoubtedly the benchmark and a banner of the old party, with qualifications and status that are no less than those of Sima Guang. As his son-in-law, Zhang Zhi, no matter what his political spectrum, is always dependent on a first-class path.
It's like two things. One thing goes smoothly for you and the other is more difficult, so you work harder in the easier direction.
Not only was Mr. Lu a member of the old party, but several of his sons, such as Lv Xizhe, Lv Xiji, and Lv Xichun, were all students of Shao Yong and tended to the old party.
In addition, Zhang Zhi and Lu's pillow style.
"Axi, how are you doing lately?" Zhang Yue asked Zhang Zhi.
Zhang Zhi said: "My back always hurts. I can't sit for a moment, so I have to lie down!"
Hearing what Zhang Zhi said, Zhang Yue knew that this was an old injury caused by his fall from Mingsha City a few years ago. He couldn't sit down at first. It's better now, but it hurts after sitting for a long time.
"But I heard that my brother and sister-in-law said that you can come back to take charge."
That's right, Lu asked Zhang Shiyu and his wife every now and then to give him a message, saying that Zhang Zhi had recovered and could return to the court to serve. Zhang Yue knew this well, so he didn't say anything.
Zhang Zhi said with some embarrassment: "It's... it's... my wife's intention."
Zhang Yue smiled, but Zhang Zhi was sincere.
However, Zhang Yue saw earlier that Zhang Zhi was not willing to return to the court. He seemed not to want to embarrass himself and his father-in-law, but he couldn't bear to have a wife by his side who expected his husband to succeed.
Zhang Yue lamented that Lu's temperament was like an enlarged version of Seventeenth Mother. Her abilities were not as strong as hers, but her ambitions were ten times stronger.
Zhang Yue understands the thoughts of the officials. Compared with reform, the officials now have to reconcile the party disputes in the court. So he wanted to revolt against Sima Guang, but was blocked by Wang Gui and Cai Que. Now he chose Zhang Zhi
Such officials who have connections with all aspects will serve as the core of the next prime minister's team, making them excellent candidates for succession and transition.
Zhang Yue said to Zhang Zhi: "You are His Majesty's disciple. His Majesty told me personally that I can call you into the imperial court and ascend the throne in both houses without thinking about Wang Zhongzheng."
"What's more, not only does Your Majesty have high expectations for you, but Zunyue and I also have the same thoughts."
Wang Zhongzheng's incident was a serious crime for any minister, but when it came to Zhang Zhi, he had the blessing of a halo, and it was only worth a few years of idleness at home.
Zhang Zhi said: "Third Uncle, I have thought about this a long time ago. Yes, I am the favorite candidate of all parties. This is why they value me."
"But if you can't have it both ways, it's a situation where you are being criticized by both sides. Among the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, apart from you, third uncle, who can convince both the old and new parties? And third uncle's success today is also based on these years.
Achievements come step by step. Without the reputation of consecutive victories over the years, I'm afraid even you, the third uncle, would not be able to secure your position."
Zhang Zhi's words made Zhang Yue feel a little sad. It was very difficult for him when he first ascended the throne. Fortunately, he has survived now.
Otherwise, how could the scene in front of the hall have happened?
Zhang Zhi continued: "And I was defeated in Mingsha City. All the soldiers and horses that followed me were lost in the army, and I was the only one who escaped. Over the years, every time I think of the fallen soldiers, I can't sleep at night, and I can't even close my eyes."
Even old people, women and children ask me for a husband and a son, but I don’t have a good night’s sleep.”
"If I are elected in this way, it will be a situation where the new party will not obey the old party, so why should I wade into this muddy water?"
Zhang Yue thought to Zhang Zhi that this was a bit of post-war stress trauma syndrome.
However, Zhang Zhi was right. He, Zhang Yue, was able to suppress the demons and monsters in the court now, and it was not because of his great achievements in killing them all the way.
If you lose one of these battles, what would you think of the faces of those in the government and the public?
The reason why I can hold great power now is that the officials have developed first-class path dependence. Since there is one person who can lead you from one victory to the next, then everyone will follow you blindly and blindly.
This is why the founding emperor's prestige is so high in history.
But as soon as Zhang Yue loses a game, someone will immediately say, "I knew it a long time ago."
Zhang Yue realized that he had underestimated Zhang Zhi. He was actually a very politically intelligent person, but he could not look at people in the same light.
"You can't be the best, you have to be the only one!" Zhang Yue said. No wonder Zhang Zhi didn't want to go out because he was afraid of taking sides.
Immediately, Zhang Yue said immediately: "I will transfer Shen Cunzhong back to the court. How about you go to the northwest to replace him?"
Dangxiang fell into decline after losing Liangzhou, and lost all his elite troops in Pingxia City. He was a tiger without claws and with teeth pulled out, so he was no longer something to be afraid of. He brought Shen Kuo back and asked Zhang to directly fight a few victorious battles for him. Such prestige
Isn’t it already there?
Isn’t that how the official second-generation gold plating came about?
Zhang Yue inevitably had selfish motives for Zhang Zhi's career.
Faced with Zhang Yue's words, Zhang Zhi couldn't help but struggle in his heart for a while. Zhang Yue saw the other party's face and immediately said: "You don't have to answer me in a hurry. Think about it slowly."
Zhang straightened up and said, "I'm sorry, third uncle, I can't do this!"
Zhang Yue was a little angry when he heard this, and said: "What are you thinking? Shen Cunzhong has made great achievements and will be promoted to two offices when he returns to the court. It is just right for you to take his place."
After a general has made meritorious service on the front line, he must find a way to bring him back to the court. This is also the tradition of the Song Dynasty.
Zhang Zhi blushed and said: "Third uncle, let Uncle Chu do it! He is more qualified than me!"
"You..." Zhang Yue was so angry at Zhang Zhi's words that he immediately waved his hands and said, "It's up to you, it's up to you."
Zhang Zhi said apologetically: "Axi has let down his third uncle for all his hard work!"
Zhang Yue angrily refused to answer.
"Third uncle, please take care of yourself, I'll take my leave first." Zhang Zhi had no choice but to leave Zhang Yue's study.
After Zhang Zhi left, Cai Bian entered.
Zhang Zhi and Cai Bian were like the palm of his hand to Zhang Yue, but he was inevitably more affectionate to Zhang Zhi. After Zhang Zhi, Wang Anshi married his daughter to Cai Bian.
Cai Bian has always been very good to Wang Anshi. This time he came to do something for him, and Wang Anshi approved of it.
This gave Zhang Yue a helping hand and helped him win over many new party members.
In fact, there is no secret to being an official. The first important thing is to follow the right person.
If you follow the right person, you will be right. If you follow the wrong person, you will be wrong.
Cai Bian understands the key to this.
Cai Bian is a man of few words but not too arrogant. He is as low-key as possible, smart, capable and discerning. The most important thing is loyalty. Cai Bian has a famous saying, 'Don't be like a hungry eagle that flies when it's full'.
This sentence is a mockery of an official.
This official was originally under Su Shi's staff. Later, after seeing that Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, he took the initiative to draw a clear line with the other party and switched to Cai Bian's staff.
Cai Bian had a good relationship with Su Shi, and he had learned calligraphy from Su Shi. After this person came to his account, Cai Bian did not refuse in person. Instead, he deliberately held a family banquet at home one day and invited this person to the banquet.
In front of everyone, Cai Bian wrote a poem to the mandarin ducks in the courtyard pond, "Don't imitate the hungry eagle that flies when it is full."
All the officials heard that Cai Bian was ridiculing this person, and he even humiliated him in public, saying that the other person wanted to run away after he was full. There was no kindness at all.
The other party also reacted very quickly, and immediately replied, "I am greedy for grace but I am not willing to fly."
This man wanted to restore his dignity and at the same time continue to serve under Cai Bian. Unexpectedly, Cai Bian's wife, Wang Shi, said, "Why is he refusing to fly? Didn't he just fly from Su Shi's pond?"
At this time, the other party left Cai Bian's house in shame.
Zhang Yue said to Cai Bian: "My brother is the Empress of Kaifeng. He feasts and plays and sings every day!"
Cai Bian said: "The disciple tried to remonstrate with his brother, but he didn't listen. Sometimes the disciple and his brother are not in harmony."
Zhang Yue knew about the situation of brothers Cai Jing and Cai Bian and asked, "I heard that the sisters-in-law are at odds with each other, right?"
Cai Bian nodded.
Cai Jing's wife is the daughter of Xu Zhongmou. Xu Zhongmou was not prosperous as an official and was dismissed from the wine supervisor because of his outspokenness. Therefore, the Xu family is just a daughter of a small official family.
Cai Bian's wife is the daughter of Wang Anshi, the prime minister's daughter.
The relationship between the sisters-in-law is unknown to anyone.
Cai Bian said to Zhang Yue: "Prime Minister, something happened recently. A pair of student's handwritings was secretly bought by King Yong for a thousand dollars!"
Zhang Yue raised his eyebrows after hearing Cai Bian's words and said with a smile: "Very good, this is King Yong's promotion of you. Does King Yong have anything to say to you?"
Cai Bian immediately said: "No, I saw him a few days ago and he didn't mention a word."
Zhang Yue said: "Prince Yong is very interested in making friends with ministers!"
Cai Bian said: "The student also gave the exact same words in this post to King Jing in another name a few days ago."
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "How smart!"
King Yong and King Jing were both younger brothers of the emperor. Although Cai Bian learned calligraphy from Cai Xiang and Su Shi, a single calligraphy was not worth a thousand guan, especially when the calligrapher bought it without revealing the news, which seemed strange.
However, Cai Bian was very clever and resolved this difficulty.
Zhang Yue was entrusted by the emperor, and he would definitely help the emperor's six sons to ascend to the throne. At this time, there was no room for anyone below him to be half-hearted.
Cai Bian is his confidant. If he interacts with King Yong, the emperor will doubt his motives.
Cai Bian's team has always been very stable.
Zhang Yue said to Cai Bian: "The sixth son of the emperor is already seven years old. In a few days, I plan to contact the court official Shangshu to transfer the sixth son of the emperor to the third division of Yitong in the Kaifu. Then I will invite a teacher to teach the sixth son of the emperor. When the time comes, I will let you teach the sixth son of the emperor."
.
Cai Bian heard this and said gratefully: "It's teacher."
Zhang Yue said: "Official affairs are not about the short-term, but about the long-term. Remember. From today on, you should not get involved in the party disputes in the court, even after I lose my position. Wait until the situation becomes clearer."
"yes."
As long as Cai Bian stays with the future emperor, he will be invincible no matter what the party struggle is. After all, Cai Bian's current qualifications are somewhat junior compared to Cai Jing and Zhang Zhi.
At the same time, this is also a retreat.
After Cai Bian retreated, Zhang Yue met several more confidants. By now he was exhausted.
Now Chen Guan enters.
Zhang Yue wiped his face with a cloth and said to Chen Guan: "Yingzhong, it's up to you to take charge of Liao affairs."
Chen Guan put down the washbasin and said to him: "Students must obey the teacher's arrangements."
Zhang Yue said to Chen Guan: "Do you still remember what I said to you before?"
Chen Guandao: "The teacher pointed out the students' puzzles, and the students have gained a deep understanding these days."
Zhang Yue smiled, and the methodology he summarized was actually not foresight.
There is a best-selling book that summarizes the three F rules. The first is Focus, setting a quantifiable focus (goal) that can be adhered to for a long time.
Feedback, establish an immediate and efficient feedback system.
Fix it, correct and improve bit by bit through the feedback system, and finally verify it repeatedly through a lot of practice, and improve day and night.
Zhang Yue has never been afraid of selling the scriptures to others, because most people can't understand it, and even if someone does, he can't do it himself. Instead, he can get feedback from teaching others and further improve his own methodology.
When I first started playing party items.
Zhang Yue told the officials that I would copy a thousand copies of my fortress tactics and post them in the streets and alleys of Dangxiang City. I am not afraid that the other party will find out and have countermeasures.
Without him, for Zhang Yue, local and temporary victory or defeat is no longer within his current realm.
For the Song Dynasty, the most important thing was to upgrade and iterate the system through attacks, rather than building a few forts and occupying a lot of land.
Even though Chen Guan had been under Zhang Yue's door for many years, he still had the impression that Zhang Yue could not enter through his master's wall.
Hearing that Zhang Yue wanted to leave the Liao affairs to him, he couldn't help but lack confidence.
Zhang Yue said to Chen Guan: "You have the highest understanding among the people I have seen. You should talk to the Liao envoy according to your own understanding. Remember to act with a normal heart. If anything happens, I will take care of it for you."
!”
Chen Guan heard this and said: "Yes, teacher."
But Chen Guan still said reluctantly: "Teacher, don't you have any words to express?"
Zhang Yue laughed and said: "I will tell you a Zen koan, and you can talk about it with the Liao envoy!"
…
Liao envoy Xiao Xi was very dissatisfied with Chen Guan's arrival. The first person to negotiate with them was Sun Gu, the privy envoy, then Chen Mu, a Hanlin scholar, and now Chen Guan, who had just joined the imperial court, became the deputy envoy.
The official positions of the negotiating envoys were getting lower and lower. Did the Song Dynasty become less and less interested in Liao affairs?
Chen Guan asked Xiao Xi: "Is your envoy proficient in Zen public cases?"
Xiao Xi said disdainfully: "What's wrong? From the Queen Mother on down, everyone in this dynasty worships and worships Buddha. Even the emperor will pay homage to any eminent monk who has attained enlightenment!"
Chen Guan smiled and said, "That's good. In this way, I won't worry about your envoy not being able to understand."
"There was a koan in Zen Buddhism!"
"What public case am I not interested in listening to?" Xiao Xi scolded, "I ask you if the Song Dynasty wants to start a war with the Liao Dynasty if it continues to delay like this!"
"If the war breaks out and Hebei becomes a scorched earth, will you, a small minister, be responsible for this, or which minister in the court will be responsible for this! You can understand the consequences!"
All the officials from the Song Dynasty looked ugly. Chen Guan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down and listen to me finish this public case."
"When Huaihai lectures, there is always an old man who comes to listen. One day after class, all the students have left, but he won't leave. Baizhang Huaihai asked, who are you?"
"The old man said, I am not a human being. I used to be the abbot of this mountain, because a scholar asked, can a person who is a great practitioner still fall into the cause and effect? I replied, I do not fall into the cause and effect. Therefore, I fell into the body of a wild fox. Please speak for me, monk.
Transference."
"After listening to Baizhang Huaihai Dao, would you like to ask again?"
"The old man then asked: Do people who practice great cultivation still fall into the trap of cause and effect? Zen Master Huaihai replied, there is no ignorance of cause and effect!"
"The old man suddenly realized and said, I have escaped from the wild fox body."
Xiao Xi said angrily: "This koan is not 'Wild Fox Zen'. Anyone who doesn't understand Buddhism will know a little bit about it. It is really superficial!"
Chen Guan laughed when he heard this, and then said: "Your Majesty only knows one thing, but not the other."
"In fact, according to my understanding, not falling into causation and not being ignorant of causation are just one sentence, 'not falling into causation means doing nothing and not causing trouble; not being ignorant about causation means not being afraid of trouble when encountering it'."
Xiao Xi scolded: "How can there be such an explanation? This is what Li Zong said, and it is the real Yehu Zen!"
Chen Guan said: "Yes, this is not entirely correct, but it is true. But it is not the same between Song and Liao."
"Since the Chanyuan Alliance, we, the Song Dynasty, have strictly adhered to the righteousness of our alliance. We have never delayed paying tribute to Xiongzhou every year, and we have never failed to fulfill the righteousness of the alliance. There is no trouble!"
"However, Ru Liao Kingdom has repeatedly provoked troubles. Not to mention the increase of 200,000 years of tribute from Qingli, Xining has also forcibly demarcated our territory, provoked troubles again and again, and repeatedly threatened us with troops to suppress the border.
, you really think that the Song Dynasty is afraid of not being able to win the battle!"
Xiao Xi sneered when he heard this: "You are what you said when you have nothing to do but don't cause trouble, and you are not afraid of trouble when things happen?"
"Why do you Chinese dare to fight with me, the Khitan? Have you forgotten what happened at Gaoliang River and Qigou Pass? Have you forgotten the alliance under the city?"
After Xiao Xi finished speaking, the envoys from Liao who were accompanying him burst into laughter.
Before his laughter ended, he saw Chen Guan take out a letter from his sleeve and smash it on the table.
"shut up!"
An angry scolding made Xiao Xi and others' smiles freeze on their faces.
"From today onwards, Er Khitan is no longer worthy of speaking to me, the Song Dynasty, in such a tone!"
Xiao Xi was shocked. He was used to seeing the envoys of the Song Dynasty being submissive these days. How could he see such a scene today? He saw the number "Pingxia City" written clearly on the note on the case!