Prime Minister

Chapter 388
Zhang Yue lingered in the court, holding a letter in his hand.

A few months ago, Bao Zheng, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, passed away. The whole court was shocked when they heard about it.The officials were shocked to see that Bao Zheng's family was poor.

Bao Zheng's sister-in-law said that before Bao Zheng died, he asked the officials many times about establishing a reserve. Chen Yan knew that he would die, but he had to say it for the sake of the country.

When Bao Zheng was dying, he learned that the officials finally agreed to Sima Guang and Zhang Yue's request to establish a reserve, so he passed away with a smile.

Therefore, Cui specifically asked Wu Kui, who had a good relationship with Bao Zheng, to write a letter to express his gratitude to Zhang Yue on Bao Zheng's behalf.

Zhang Yue was very emotional after hearing it.

The real Bao Zheng in history is a little different from the TV dramas. Bao Zheng is admired for his straightforwardness and courage.

Therefore, among the people, there is Yun Baolao who is the prime minister of Zhenzhong, one of the four truths of Jiayou.

At the same time, Zhang Yue also knew that when Bao Zheng passed away, there was an injunction in his will, that those who have stolen stolen goods should not be returned to the family; after death, they should not be buried in the big tomb.Those who do not follow me are not my descendants.Yang Gong published stone, erected on the east wall of the hall, to order future generations.

When Bao Zheng died, his only son, Bao Shou, was only five years old, and his family was extremely poor. Wen Yanbo, who was the same year as Bao Zheng, felt lonely, so he came forward to marry his daughter to him.

This matter is quite well-known among scholar-bureaucrats.

The two married their daughters after Bao Zheng passed away, not because Zhang Yue misunderstood that they had been in contact with each other for a long time.

Of course, this misunderstanding made Zhang Yue pay more respect to Bao Zheng. Unfortunately, his time as an official was too short, so he never had the chance to meet Bao Zheng and pay his respects to him.

Zhang Yue immediately went back to the study and wrote a long-term trustee to Cui Shi, expressing his admiration, and at the same time, he would help the Bao family with anything in the future.

After writing the letter, Zhang Yue paced around the middle courtyard, just in time to see Zhang Qiu also stepping out.

After the provincial examination, Zhangqiu and Guo Lin waited at home for the results to be released.

Seeing that Zhang Qiu looked a little confused, Zhang Yue understood after experiencing this, and immediately invited him to talk in the corridor.Seventeen Niang saw that Zhang Yue hadn't returned to her room for a long time, so she went out to look for it. Seeing the uncle and nephew talking and smiling in the corridor, she ordered the maid to add two thick clothes, and boiled a pot of hot wine for her. The two brought it.

The three of them sat on the porch looking at the moonlight, drank some wine by the charcoal stove in thick clothes.

After Huang Lu left, Zhang Yue was often lonely. Fortunately, both Zhang Qiu and his wife were able to interpret.

Zhangqiu said: "Third Uncle, now people are talking about the official's dizziness and illness, and I heard that they can't even speak."

Zhang Yue nodded and said: "This matter is true, but you must not tell outsiders about it."

Zhang Yue also speculated that the official's illness was unusual this time.Ordinary dizziness may be related to high blood pressure. As for the inability to speak, it may be a stroke.

Now the officials who heard rumors in the palace that the barefooted immortal was reincarnated were actually afraid of the cold and turned on the stove in the palace to keep warm.

Zhangqiu said: "Then what about the prince?"

Zhang Yue said with a chill in his heart: "What do you ask the prince for?"

Zhang Qiudao: "I heard that the prince's life in the palace is very depressing, and he can't even ask about the same clan in the old mansion, so I'm curious."

Shi Qi Niang smiled and added wine to the two of them. At this time, Mother Chen went to the street to buy chickens and ducks as side dishes.

"You are well-informed." Zhang Yue said with a smile.

Seeing that Zhang Yue didn't blame himself for asking too much, Zhang Qiu continued: "I also heard that the Ministry of Internal Affairs knows that Ren Shouzhong has been mean to the prince, and even heard that a maid in the palace is pregnant."

After Zhang Yue heard it, he felt that Zhang Qiu knew about the serious illness of the official family, after all, the people all over the city had a nose and eyes.But the matter of Ren Shouzhong and the matter of the maid's pregnancy, not to mention ordinary people, even ordinary ministers don't know.

Even officials like Zhang Yue who frequently entered and left the palace only heard about it, and Ouyang Xiu told him the exact news.

Seventeen Niang asked: "Axi, where did you know that?"

Zhangqiu hurriedly said, "It's the gossip of the classmates in the Imperial College."

Zhang Yue said: "I didn't want you to inquire about these things, but now that you have taken the responsibility, I might as well tell you that there are some truths and some falsehoods during the period, but the prince's situation in the palace is indeed not good."

Zhang Qiudao: "I just think that the prince should inherit the throne. If the maid is pregnant and gives birth to the prince, wouldn't he be deposed again? If something happens to the official family, then the ministers will be the child in their womb, or the prince." Woolen cloth?"

"It's meaningless to be in fear in the palace all day like this. It's better to be an ordinary citizen."

Zhang Yue smiled and said: "It's not easy to be an official, Qionglou Yuyu, the heights are extremely cold."

"Then the third uncle just needs to be an official, and he can do whatever he wants?"

Zhang Yue laughed when he heard the words: "How can this be so? You can see that there are many people who have been emperors in the past and present. Yes, but the words of ordinary people."

Zhangqiu lost his voice: "Don't you feel happy to be an official?"

"Officials are the same as ordinary people. Whether you are happy or not depends on whether you are in line with the Tao."

"What?"

Zhang Yue took a sip of wine and chanted: "Observe the way of the sky, follow the way of the sky. The so-called nature is also a person. The so-called human heart is also a machine.

"When the sky sends out murderous intentions, the stars change places; when the earth sends murderous intentions, dragons and snakes rise from the land; when human beings send murderous intentions, the sky and the earth change."

After hearing this, Zhang Qiu knew that what Zhang Yue said was from the Emperor's Yin Fu Jing, but he didn't know what it meant.

Zhang Yue smiled, Zhang Qiu was not deeply involved in the world, and thought that people in high positions could do everything they could.

If this is the case, the admonishing officials will not spit at the officials. Today, the prime minister who is under one person and over ten thousand people will be impeached and dismissed by a small official tomorrow.

This was still the case in the Song Dynasty, but before the Song Dynasty, there were few high-ranking officials who were precarious, and when the dynasty changed, it was common to see all the bones of the public in Tianjie.

Zhang Yuedao: "What is the Tao, I call it the law. In terms of the Yin Fu Jing, the way of observing the sky and the way of adhering to the sky is to act in accordance with the law, and there will be no disadvantages. To follow the way of heaven is to follow the heart, and the heart is changeable. , but there are rules to follow.”

"If the sky doesn't follow the law, the stars will change. If the earth doesn't follow the law, wild animals will run rampant. If people don't follow the law, the heaven and the earth will oppose you."

"So even officials have to follow the rules. If you violate the rules, you will be backlashed by the rules. If you step into the officialdom in the future, the so-called big and small officials are no more than the first-class. The big officials are more powerful, but the most important thing is Law. In the officialdom, there are only winners and losers. Those who follow the trend will win, and those who go against the trend will lose. If you understand this, you will know that officials are nothing more than this."

Zhangqiu showed a look of great enlightenment and said: "Then what is Dao, Third Uncle? Is it the law? Does it mean abandoning material desires and enlightening the mind?"

Zhang Yuedao said: "Laws need to be practiced in things, and they are honed among people. The so-called road is not far away."

"People are far away from the Tao, and they can't be the Tao. As for abandoning material desires, why should they abandon them? Greed, love and love are also the Tao. For example, people in the mountains are born and stand, talking about reason, but they have no achievements in world affairs. It can be called mastering the law.”

Hearing Zhang Yue's words, Zhang Qiu refreshed his three views again, and couldn't help admiring him.

After chatting, Shi Qi Niang and Zhang Yue went back to the room together.Seventeen Niang said: "If Xi'er asks today, I'm afraid Prince Pu's mansion asked him to ask you."

Zhang Yue smiled and said: "I know. But it doesn't matter, I know this matter and you know it, as long as Xi'er helps a friend, let him go."

"What about the palace maid's pregnancy? It's true."

Zhang Yuedao: "There are rumors that the official's family had the fortune of a private person named Han Chong'er three months ago. At that time, the official's family was wandering in the palace and saw a maidservant fetching water from the well, and that There was actually a small dragon wrapped around the rope used for water, so that night I was lucky for this court lady."

Seventeen Niang asked suspiciously, "The body of the official family is now?"

Zhang Yue said: "This is also the suspicious point. This woman will not say it sooner or later. It is only at this time that there are rumors that she is pregnant. The official family is now so sick that they don't know anything about it."

"What's even more suspicious is that several Zhongshu heard about Xun Du Zhi Ren Shouzhong's inquiry, but this person hesitated again and again. Even asking the imperial doctor to diagnose whether he has a happy pulse, there is no way to arrange it."

Seventeen Niang said: "Could it be that you want to blackmail the prince with this matter?"

This is a clear thing, everyone knows that the prince has been returned once, but now he seems to be frightened.

Zhang Yue said: "Whether this is the case or not, I don't know, now you and I should be more cautious, and tell your natal family that it is best not to go out these days."

Seventeen Niang said with a smile: "The officials are worried, my mother has already given orders."

The next day, Zhang Qiu and Zhang Wei went to the Su Mansion to meet Su Xun, the successor of Su Zhe.Both of them worship at Su Xun's door, and they will visit him after the exam.

After leaving the door, Zhang Qiu said goodbye to Zhang Wei, and then came to a teahouse.

In the private room of the teahouse, his good friend Zhou Zhongzhen was waiting, and the two met.

Zhou Zhongzhen said happily: "You are finally here."

Zhang Qiu said with a frustrated face: "I didn't find out anything for you, but third uncle said that it seems that the prince is indeed in a bad situation in the palace."

Zhou Zhongzhen couldn't hide the worry on his face when he heard this.

Zhang Qiu said: "Don't worry, the prince has shown great kindness to your family, no matter what, I will continue to inquire for you at Third Uncle's."

Zhou Zhongzhen said gratefully: "Thank you very much. I have no master at the moment. In fact, it would be fine if the prince doesn't enter the palace. It's good to be a clan in peace, even if it's an official family?"

Zhang Qiu said: "Yes, there is nothing to be happy about being an official. You don't have to worry too much about the prince, after all, the affairs of the other party's royal family are not something ordinary people like us can get involved in."

Zhou Zhongzhen said: "Why do you say that the officials have nothing to be happy about?"

After hearing Zhang Qiu's words, Zhang Qiu wanted to go to Zhang Yue and said: "Because no matter how big the official family is, it is too big, and you have to follow... the rules to do things."

"What is the law?" Zhou Zhongzhen asked.

"It's the way to observe the sky, and the way to follow the sky."

Zhang Qiu thought about it for a while, and then Zhang Yue taught himself what he learned and sold, and talked to Zhou Zhongzhen.

Zhou Zhongzhen's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said with great admiration, "That's very reasonable. Although I'm two years older than you, I definitely don't have such insight."

Zhang Qiu said with a smile: "You misunderstood, I also heard what my third uncle said."

Zhou Zhongzhen showed his original expression, and said: "Mr. is really amazing. It's a pity that I can only learn calligraphy from him, and I can't listen to his teachings as often as you do."

Zhang Qiu said with a smile: "What's the problem? I'll talk to my third uncle when this matter is over."

Zhou Zhongzhen nodded upon hearing this.

(End of this chapter)