Novellv Chapter 1343 Brainstorming
Chapter 1343 Brainstorming
Chapter 1343 Brainstorming
As dusk fell, the locust trees on both sides of Suzaku Street passed quickly before our eyes.
Zhang Yue and Zhang Zhi returned to the palace by carriage. From a distance, they saw a huge crowd of people in front of the palace, flooding the streets like a tide. Leading the crowd were hundreds of students from the Imperial College and many common people. When they saw their carriage, they rushed to it and said, "Lord Zhang Jiang! The new law cannot be abolished!"
"Lord Jian! The blood of the Western Army soldiers is still hot, how can we allow them to cede territory and negotiate peace?"
"Mr. Jian, all the loom owners in Liangzhe rely on the new law. If the exemption law is abolished, their livelihood will be cut off!"
"Lord Jian! Anyone who advocates abolishing the new law must be a traitor who is bringing disaster to the country!"
"Please dismiss Sima Guang from his position!"
Students along the way raised their arms and shouted, their coarse linen shirts soaked with sweat, their young faces flushed red. Some held up books such as Mencius and New Interpretations of the Three Classics, and the snow-like pages fluttered in the evening breeze.
"Third Uncle..." Zhang Zhi wanted to speak.
Zhang Yue lowered the curtains and sat in the carriage with his eyes closed. Zhang Zhi took a closer look and saw that although he hadn't seen a year, Zhang Yue actually had a few new gray hairs on his temples, casting heavy shadows on his eyelids.
Zhang Zhi's heart surged, and he knocked on the door lightly, saying, "Make way!"
The driver understood and immediately drove the carriage over the bluestone slabs. The rumbling sound blended with the noisy voices outside.
Seeing that Zhang Yue refused, the students of the Imperial College chased after the imperial carriage and, ignoring the attempts of the Kaifeng Prefecture patrolmen to stop them, started banging on the carriage.
Sitting in the carriage, Zhang Zhi could hear the sound of palm strikes, as dense as raindrops.
"I beg you to take charge of the situation! The survival of the new law depends on you!"
"Jian Gong!"
"Jian Gong!"
Zhang Yue listened to the increasingly turbulent noise outside the car. The mist and clouds of Wuyi Mountain and the fragrance of Jianzhou rock tea were still before his eyes. And now, in the Yuanfeng period, the torrent of the entire era was rushing in at this moment and rushing before his eyes. Unconsciously, he was standing on the cusp of the storm.
Even when Zhang Yue arrived at the palace, the people still refused to leave for a long time.
When Sima Guang returned to the capital, the people rode on trees and climbed up to rooftops to watch. Now that Zhang Yue returned home, the people were still reluctant to leave.
Zhang Cheng and Zhang Zhi were already there to greet him. Zhang Yue looked at the officials behind him, including Han Zhongyan, Cai Jing, Cai Bian, Su Song, and Zeng Bu.
Zhang Yue said: "Everyone go back home first, Zixuan stay!"
……
Zeng Bu followed Zhang Yue into the study.
Zhang Yue said to Zeng Bu: "When Jing Gong discussed the new law, the one who said it was feasible was Zeng Bu; the one who said it was not feasible was Sima Guang; the rest of them were rebels at first and joined later, and some came in and some left."
Zeng Bu smiled bitterly when he heard this.
These are what Wang Anshi said back then, saying that Sima Guang and Zeng Bu had the most resolute stance in the Xining Reforms, while other ministers wavered in the process of promoting the new laws.
However, Zeng Bu's "reputation was lost in his later years" because he opposed the Market Exchange Law.
Zeng Bu remembered that on the day when Lu Huiqing was promoted to councilor, he pointed at his followers and cursed them in public. Afterwards, Lu Huiqing threw his memorial on the market exchange law in public in the government hall, and Zeng Bu was finally forced to leave.
Zeng Bu served successively as the governor of Raozhou, Tanzhou, Guangzhou, Guizhou, Qinzhou, Chenzhou, Caizhou, and Qingzhou! "Zeng Bu served as the governor of eight prefectures in ten years, such as Guangzhou, Guizhou, Qinzhou, etc., which were all remote places.
So many years have passed.
Later, Zhang Yue invited Zeng Bu to return to the court three times, but was rejected each time. Only when Zhang Yue was about to resign as prime minister did Zeng Bu return to Beijing to serve as vice minister of the Ministry of Justice.
Zeng Bu said: "Mr. Jian's words are too harsh. These are things that happened when I was young and ignorant."
Zhang Yue said, "Sima Junshi has submitted a petition to abolish the exemption from military service. What do you think?"
Zeng Bu said: "When I was in the Regulations Department of the Three Departments, many of the provisions of the Exemption Law were written by Bu!"
Zhang Yue asked, "What does Zixuan think of Sima Junshi?"
Zeng Budao said: "The East Hall Councillor harbors resentment and is determined to change everything. Your Majesty treats him as a loyal minister, but he has such an intention. He is betraying Your Majesty and is most despicable."
Zhang Yue nodded. Zeng Bu’s words were very well-spoken.
"Zixuan, do you know that Sima Junshi has submitted another memorial today?" Zhang Yue pulled out a scroll from his sleeve. "This time, he brought up the old system of corvée service during the reign of Emperor Renzong, asking all prefectures and cities to re-create the five-class property register and restore the rotation system."
Zeng Bu took the note and when he glanced at the sentence "Seven out of ten families are ruined by serving in the government office", he suddenly sneered: "That's what he said in the beginning! In those days, wealthy families in Suzhou would rather burn their houses to avoid serving in the government office - such tragic events have become what Sima Gong called "the people are content with their customs!"
Zhang Zhi said: "My father-in-law also advised Sima Gong, but Sima Gong was too stubborn."
Zhang Yue said: "Zixuan drafted the 'Origin and Development of the Labor Law' overnight. I will present it to the Queen Mother in three days."
Zeng Bu stood up and said, "I will go and mobilize the Yuanfeng conscription case right away!"
Zhang Yue said: "Zixuan, you have been really hard over the years. Are you willing to be sent out again?"
Zeng Bu saluted and said, "Since I am sent by Lord Jian, I am not afraid of any consequences."
Zhang Yue nodded.
As soon as Zeng Bu left, Zhang Zhi said to Zhang Yue, "Among the New Party members, Zeng Zixuan is second only to Lü Jifu in terms of talent."
Zhang Yue nodded slowly.
Zhang Yue looked at Zhang Gen in the hall. Zhang Cheng smiled, and soon Shiqi Niang also arrived.
Shiqi Niang said, "Daddy has a letter for you."
Zhang Yue said: "Okay."
When Wu Chong came to power, he wanted to recall Sima Guang, but Wang Gui and Cai Que stopped him. Wu Chong fell last year and is now unable to get out of bed.
Shiqi Niang smiled and said, "We have prepared a family dinner, today is a good time..."
Zhang Yue said: "Let's put the family dinner on hold for now."
After saying this, Zhang Yue's eyes swept across the people in the hall like lightning. Zhang Cheng lowered his head and stood solemnly, while Zhang Gen raised his head slightly.
"Tonight we must follow Zu Ti's example - it's time to rise and dance when we hear the cock-crow!"
Zhang Yue stood up suddenly, and the candlelight in the room flickered with his steps.
Zhang Yue stood in the middle hall with his hands behind his back and said, "When I first passed Xianxia Mountain, I threw my staff into the valley, intending to imitate Fan Li and sail on the rivers and lakes."
"I looked for land and houses in the countryside, tilled the land in Jianyang, thinking that I could put aside all the affairs of the court."
"How could I know that there was a tea rebellion in Jianzhou? I had no choice but to serve as the governor temporarily. Now I have been summoned back to the capital by Your Majesty, and I am here now."
Zhang Yue looked leisurely, and his brothers and nephews didn't know what Zhang Yue meant.
Zhang Yue said to the crowd, "If I were not in the capital, I would not say a word. Now Sima Guang has submitted a petition to abolish the new law, and the Queen Mother has allowed him to speak freely and discuss the pros and cons of the new law."
Zhang Yue paused here and asked, "What do you mean by free speech?"
Isn’t this making the new law the target of public criticism?
Zhang Yue had also advocated for free speech many times, but the emperor was in good health at that time. It was okay to listen to criticism at this time, but it was not obvious whether the court would allow people to say good things or bad things if free speech was allowed at this time.
Zhang Yue said: "Don't we know the gains and losses of the new laws in recent years? Since the world can discuss it, why can't we discuss it? Sima Guang wants to use the power of the Queen Mother to abolish all the new laws? Good! Then let the world see what it means to 'rule the world differently'. Now I have given the exemption law to Zixuan, and the other seven laws will be explained tonight."
"I will present it to Your Majesty in person in three days, and the Queen Mother will have a look!"
"No matter whether we succeed or fail, we should give it a try!"
The Zhang family members were stunned when they heard this. Zhang Qixian said, "I am most familiar with the two methods of protecting the Jia and protecting the Ma in the Privy Council. I will write this."
"My nephew is good at the Green Seedling Law and the Farmland Water Conservancy Law!" Zhang Zhi said.
They were assigned one by one. Later in Zhang Yue's study, Zhang Zhi, Zhang Gen, Zhang Cheng and Zhang Qie were all busy copying and writing.
There were a total of eight laws in the Xining Reform, namely the Exemption from Military Service Law, the Green Sprouts Law, the Equal Transport Law, the Market Exchange Law, the Farmland and Water Conservancy Law, the Equal Taxation Law for Square Fields, the Baojia Law, and the Horse Protection Law.
Zhang Yue was lost in thought in the study. The exemption law had to be preserved at all costs. As for the farmland and irrigation law, the equal taxation law for square fields, the baojia law, the horse protection law, and the green seedling law, there were also some things worthy of praise and they could continue to be used after some modifications.
However, the market exchange method and the equalization and transfer method must be abolished no matter what.
Now that Zhang Yue has returned to the capital, he will naturally draw up a set of regulations and present them to Empress Dowager Gao as his own political proposition to compete with Sima Guang.
Zhang Yue knew that the other party would definitely not use him, but even so, he had to say what he wanted to say and he had to do what he wanted.
When building a state, one can keep silent and wait and see the success or failure of the new law, but if one does not speak out in the capital, one would be derelict in one's duty.
……
Just when Zhang Yue returned to the court, Empress Dowager Gao had already received detailed reports from the Imperial City Administration.
Liang Weijian said, "Empress Dowager, Mr. Zhang is returning to the capital. Here is the list of officials to welcome and see him off."
"Almost all the students in Beijing have come to greet and see them off, and there are also quite a few common people."
Empress Dowager Gao looked on without saying a word.
Liang Weijian lowered his head and continued, "I heard that Han Zhongyan and Cai Que have been planting cliques and setting up private societies among the students of the Imperial College over the past few years! Most of them were instigated by the two of them."
The wind blew through the curtains, and the summer twilight made Empress Dowager Gao's face light and dark.
Empress Dowager Gao said: "These are not a problem. Scholars are bound to be hot-blooded."
Zhang Maoze said: "He is not an ordinary scholar. He studied privately in the county school, then from the county school to the state school, and then from the state school to the Imperial College."
"I heard that more than a thousand students from the Department of Mathematics and Law also plan to sign a petition, all saying that they want Zhang Yue to preside over state affairs. Cai Jing's reform of 'half of the poor students are officials' has really won the hearts of scholars all over the world."
Liang Weijian looked at the Empress Dowager's expression and said, "I wonder if Fan Wenzheng could have expected that the Imperial College would become a hotbed of factional strife a hundred years later when he founded the school. Should we order the Censorate to conduct a thorough investigation?"
"No need." Empress Dowager Gao interrupted, "It is better for scholars to discuss politics than for generals to lead troops. Pass on my oral order, and ask the lecturer of the Imperial College to add a seat for the "Emperor's Model" tomorrow."
After a pause, Empress Dowager Gao looked at the list and said, "When Sima Junshi entered the capital, the people rode trees to climb up to the roofs of their houses; now that Zhang Duzhi has returned, the students of the Imperial Academy block the streets to recite laws - the popularity of the Song Dynasty has been divided entirely by these two."
"Political opinions all come from human feelings. If these students can speak for the world, I won't be biased. But there is no room for two tigers in one mountain. Sooner or later, there will be a party struggle."
"Draft a petition to dismiss Lü Huiqing from his post and have Zhang Yue transferred to Taiyuan Prefecture and appointed as the governor and pacification commissioner of Hedong Road. Write it now."
Liang Weijian agreed and stole a glance. Behind the curtain, the old empress dowager's silver hair was reflecting the setting sun in the west window, just like the gesture of Empress Zhangxian holding the jade tablet in the mural of the Taimiao.
(End of this chapter)