Prime Minister

Chapter 538 New Party Old Party
The first month of the first year of Xining.

Because the first emperor was seriously ill last year, there was nothing to do.

And this year when the new king ascended the throne, although it was in the period of national mourning, Bianjing had already begun to gather.

It has a new atmosphere for the new year and the new king.

For the officials, due to the national mourning, the big ceremony and pilgrimage were exempted. During the first month, everyone can finally live at home with their wives and children on the kang.

Except for the officials who have been on the throne for nearly a year, they are still tirelessly governing the government in the Royal Palace, paying attention to the border situation in Shaanxi, but the other officials are taking advantage of this holiday to relax.

The same is true for Zhang Yue.

Official visits are indispensable during the holidays. When I visited my wife's house, I happened to hear that my father-in-law was about to be promoted.

If it is said that Xining's early years were popular in the political arena, of course they belonged to Sima Guang, Lu Gong, and Han Wei.

It just so happens that my father-in-law has a very close relationship with the three of them. For example, my father-in-law and Sima Guang are in the same year, and they often meet in gatherings in the same year.

In the fifth year of Qingli, Sima Guang and his father-in-law both served as the school manager of Jixian, and they still worked in the same room.

At that time, Sima Guang and his father-in-law happened to be ill, and Sima Guang wrote a poem "Wu Chongqing and Wu Chongqing were sick when I presented the book to the same room, and I was sick when I was sick".

In the third year of Huangyou's reign, they both knew Taichang Liyuan together.

Because of Sima Guang's relationship with his father-in-law, Sima Guang also gave himself a hand in the matter of Renzong's establishment of the reserve.

As for the works written by father-in-law and Lu Gong, Han Weina is also related by marriage.

Therefore, when there are three popular politicians in your circle of friends at the same time, it is really difficult not to get promoted.

Wang Anshi, who was also known as the Four Friends of Jiayou with these three, was also recalled back to Beijing as a Hanlin scholar.As we all know, the Hanlin Bachelor is one of the four entrances, and the next step is Zaizhi.

At the family banquet in the Wu Mansion, Zhang Yue heard Wu Anshi reveal the matter to himself.

What Zhang Yue cares about is what official position will his father-in-law take up next?
I heard that it is likely to choose one of Zhijianyuan and Zhizhigao, or even both.But no matter which one is very awesome.

After the family dinner, Zhang Yue was called into the study by his father-in-law to discuss.

Zhang Yue knew that his father-in-law wanted to listen to his summary of his work and life for a year, as well as his outlook for the future.

After Zhang Yue talked, Wu Chong said to Zhang Yue: "This time, I probably want to know about the Court of Admonishment."

Zhang Yue thought to himself that his father-in-law was not on official business with his elder brother Sun Jue, so he said: "Congratulations to Lao Taishan."

"Don't be in a hurry to congratulate. If you know that the job of admonishing the court is not good, if it has no achievements, then it is a waste of opportunity. Since you have been serving, you know what the officials are most concerned about now?"

Zhang Yue said: "One is the war with Xixia, and the other is to find a way to enrich the country and strengthen the army."

Wu Chong nodded and said: "Nowadays, the country has accumulated evils, and lightly talking about war with Xixia is not only easy to be opposed by the ministers, but also suspected of catering to the king's wishes."

Zhang Yue said in his heart, I have recommended Wang Shao to go to Beijing, and I will definitely not be able to escape if I cater to the king's wishes.

Wu Chong said: "But if you don't talk about war, the only way is to find a way to make the country rich and the army strong. I remember that brother Zihua said before that the law of rural service is bad, and that he should be exempted from service. Is this proposal still from your hands?"

Zhang Yue said: "Exactly, but when this matter is waiting for the meeting of the above-mentioned ministers, Sima Zhongcheng objected and gave up."

Wu Chong said: "I know, but I already knew the disadvantages of the rural service law in the local area, not to mention that this matter was initiated by you and Zihua brother together, so after I came out of Zhijianyuan, the first thing I did was to do it. The disadvantages of sparse court service law."

Zhang Yue was overjoyed when he heard the words.

Han Jiang wants to reform the labor law, while Sima Guang opposes it. The two most important allies of his father-in-law in the political arena have different political views, and he decides to choose sides at this time.

Zhang Yue said in his heart that in another time and space history, his father-in-law was classified as an old party, but now it seems that this is not entirely the case...

For his father-in-law's move, Zhang Yue of course expressed his approval with both hands and feet.

So Wu Chong asked Zhang Yue to draft a charter to reform the service law. After he revised it, he decided to advise the officials as the first step after the new official took office.

Of course Zhang Yue was very happy, and the two discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the method of enlistment.Zhang Yue listened to Wu Chong talking about the shortcomings of the service method he encountered when he served as the third transfer envoy, which was far beyond imagination.

Zhang Yue couldn't help retracting his original point of view. He thought that his father-in-law's support for the reform of the labor law was a bet on the emperor and Han Jiang. In fact, it was not the case. He really had a deep understanding of the long-standing disadvantages of the labor law and was determined to correct it. Do something practical for the country and the people.

Moreover, in terms of experience in serving as an official, Wu Chong is indeed far superior to himself. On the contrary, Zhang Yue feels that the idea of ​​reforming the labor law is not his own initiative, but Wu Chong's.

After the two of them had finished their discussion, Zhang Yue raised a question that had been in his heart for a long time: "I don't know why Lao Taishan thinks that he is a crony in the court?"

"Do gentlemen and villains have their own party, or are gentlemen and villains all unavoidable cliques?"

Wu Chong smiled when he heard Zhang Yuezhi's words: "Why do you ask this question? At the beginning, Uncle Ouyang Yong said that a gentleman and a gentleman are friends with the same way, and a villain and a villain are friends with the same interests. This gentleman is a metaphor for righteousness. The villain is a metaphor for profit."

"Duke Fu Zheng once said that in a dispute between a gentleman and a villain, the gentleman always wins over the villain."

"But I think that no matter whether it is a party of a gentleman or a villain, there is no need to fight. As long as you are the emperor, you should distinguish right from wrong, and know which party is a gentleman and which party is a villain."

After listening to Wu Chong's words, Zhang Yue understood that even for senior officials like Fu Bi, Wu Chong, and Ouyang Xiu, his understanding of party struggles was still a battle between a gentleman and a villain.

But is the following Xining reform a struggle between the party of gentlemen and the party of villains?

For example, if your political views are inclined to the new party, you will invisibly regard the members of the new party as gentlemen, and the members of the old party as villains.

Supporting the old party means treating people in the old party as gentlemen and people in the new party as villains.

This is an emotion that is naturally substituted by people, but as long as it is an individual, the word likes and dislikes is unavoidable.

And what about Wu Chong?

Regardless of other things, first of all, he supports the reform of the service law, and it cannot be completely discussed in terms of the old party.

When Zhang Yue left his father-in-law, he ran into Wu Anshi who had been wandering outside the study.

Zhang Yue knew that his uncle must have something to say, so he stood still and waited for Wu Anshi to come over in person.Sure enough, Wu Anshi hesitated a little, but still stepped forward: "Did you, do you have any free time these few days?"

"Why? Brother-in-law, what's your business?"

Wu Anshi said: "That's it. Do you still remember He Qi when he was in Taixue? He asked me to talk to you, saying that he was obsessed with Wang Kui back then, and he offended you so much. Can you show me some face? At least on my face... He still has one thing to ask for your help."

Although the relationship between Zhang Yue and Wu Anshi has eased, it has not eased much.

Zhang Yue said: "Brother-in-law, I don't have any festivals with He Qi, even if there was, I don't remember it. I don't have to go to this drink, and brother-in-law, I have a word to say, people like He Qi are still Less contacts. However, making friends is harmful and beneficial, and people like He Qi are harmful but not beneficial."

Zhang Yue can understand people like He Qi, but now that he has passed the Jinshi exam, becoming an official is different from him, why should he turn around and get involved with such a person now?

(End of this chapter)