Prime Minister

Chapter 551 Disagreement
Zhuo Zuo Lang is a magical official position.

After the death of Emperor Renzong, Zhang Yue was promoted to this post by Dali Fanjie.

Zhang Yue was the No. [-] scholar in Jiayou's six years. This promotion speed is really fast, but if he hadn't resigned from office for two years before, he would be a step higher now.

As for Wang Shao, Zeng Bu, and Zhang Dun, they were all Jinshi in the second year of Jiayou, and they were Zuo Lang in the first year of Xining.

Zhang Dun is actually the fifth Jinshi in the fourth year of Jiayou, and it is reasonable to write Zuo Lang with this rank.

Relying on Zhang Yue's recommendation, Wang Shao was promoted to Zuo Lang for his meritorious service in recruiting and recruiting Fanren from the border.

As for Zeng Bu, he rose a little faster.

After Zeng Bu met Zhang Yue, he was convinced. Zhang Yue had a good relationship with Zeng Gong, and he also intentionally supported Zeng Bu.

Of course, Zhang Yue's current official position was not enough to recommend Zeng Bu for a test in the museum, so he recommended Zeng Bu to Han Wei.

Han Wei agreed to help Zhang Yue.

As for Zeng Gong and Wang Anshi, although they have had little contact recently, Zeng Bu and Wang Anshi have a good friendship, so Wang Anshi also recommended him.With the recommendation of Han Wei and Wang Anshi, Zeng Bu was promoted to the post of examination hall.

As for Zhang Dun...

Zhang Yue heard from officials at a court meeting that Zhang Dun had voted under Wang Anshi's door.

There are various versions of how Zhang Dun was appreciated by Wang Anshi.

One said that Li Chengzhi was recommended by Zhang Xun, and the other said that Zhang Dun did not hesitate to worship under Wang Anshi's brother-in-law Wu Yi in order to take refuge in Wang Anshi.

But Zhang Yue knows more than that.

Nowadays, there are two factions in the court who advocate the promotion of political reform.

One faction is Han Jiang and the Han Wei brothers. Han Jiang is supported by Han Qi, and Han Wei is supported by Fu Bi. Although their brothers all support reform, their approach is relatively moderate.

For example, Zhang Yue was the first to propose the exemption law, and Han Jiang Shangshu proposed it, but was opposed by Sima Guang when the officials of the two systems and above gathered together and gave up.

After giving up, Han Jiang and Zhang Yue had nothing to do.Because the conservative forces in the court are too great.

Otherwise, if there is a court dispute, everyone will tear their faces apart.

The other faction is Wang Anshi, Han Jiang and Zhang Yue's ideas are surprisingly consistent.

They all rely on Wang Anshi's prestige and talent, as well as his determination to reform.What's more important is that Pharaoh is a ruthless person.

Since Han Jiang's side is unable to contend with conservative forces such as Sima Guang and Lu Gongzhu in the court, Wang Anshi must join his camp.

The most important thing is that Wang Anshi's political views are more radical than Han Jiang's, and he is more determined to reform.

Han Jiang had no choice, someone must be the bad guy, so Wang Anshi had to act as a thug.

So why Zhang Dun was favored by Wang Anshi.

Since Wang Anshi wants to carry out reforms, what kind of people will he find as helpers?
Are you really looking for a flatterer?
Not so, looking at Cai Que, Zeng Bu, Zhang Dun, Cai Jing, and Deng Wan in another time and space history, their methods are more ruthless than Wang Anshi, and their political views are more radical.

If Wang Anshi wants to reform, he will not find officials who also support the reform, but have relatively moderate political views, because he can do it because he is a good person.

But if the reform is to be carried out, those who rush to the front line must be people who are more ruthless and radical than themselves.

Therefore, Han Jiang asked Wang Anshi to implement the reform, Wang Anshi asked Zhang Dun, and Deng Wan implemented his ideas.

Everyone's thoughts are exactly the same.

Wu Chong, who was already an official of the two systems, submitted a memorial to the officials requesting the implementation of the exemption law.This memorial was fully discussed by Wu Chong, Zhang Yue, Weng and his son-in-law. Compared with the first memorial, it is more stable and more feasible.

This time the Exemption Act was renamed the Enlistment Act.

Zhang Yue drafted the purpose of the Service Recruitment Law, the first of which is: Anyone who has property and material resources but no service law in the old days should contribute money to support the service.

To put it bluntly, this law is aimed at the families of Fang Guopin officials. They all have a lot of property, but they don't need to bear the labor. Instead, the people should bear the heavy labor. Is it fair?
Is it appropriate to have a high status but fluff the country's wool all day long?

It is conceivable that once this immunity law is implemented, it will be resented by many officials.

Zhang Yue originally thought that his father-in-law would cherish his current fame and position and would not allow himself to write so bluntly, but his father-in-law said without hesitation: "I will bear this grievance alone."

Zhang Yue originally wanted to go to college jointly with his father-in-law, but Wu Chong refused. He said that this matter was risky and they could not sit on the same boat.

It is mentioned in the memorial that rural households are divided into five classes, and Fang Guo is divided into ten classes.

Rural households of the third class and above, and Fangguo of the fifth class and above pay service money according to the household. The more the family property, the more money they will pay.

The fourth class of rural households and the sixth class of Fang Guo do not need to pay money, as long as they contribute their strength, the imperial court will use the money collected to hire these people to undertake labor.

The same is true of tax law.

This method Wu Chong and Zhang Yue showed it to Han Jiang after writing it. Han Jiang admired Wu Chong and Zhang Yue, and also added some comments.

In the end, Wu Chong sent the final draft to the officials. The officials were very happy after reading the memorial of the exemption law, and immediately summoned Wu Chong and said, "The late emperor really knew people. He knew that you would speak out on state affairs."

However, after Wu Chong made this statement, the officials handed it over to the Academy for discussion, but Sima Guang still opposed it.

Wang Anshi, who is also a Hanlin scholar, did not say anything about this.

Zhang Yue knew that his father-in-law had no follow-up due to the opposition of the academy, so he was also a little depressed.It is true that I have a good relationship with Sima Guang, and both Fan Zuyu and Guo Lin have entrusted him to take care of them.

Let him come forward to tear face with Sima Guang and have a big fight, but it can't be done.It's really noisy, and I guess I'm no match for them.

He and Sima Guang have no personal grievances, and the other party's character has nothing to criticize, but even if their political views are not on the same line, what can be done?
And Han Jiang knew that the recruitment method was blocked by Sima Guang twice without any follow-up, and finally went to Wang Anshi's mansion in person after retiring from the court one day.

The two talked all night, but it is impossible to know what they talked about.

A few days later, Han Jiang went to the Shu and said that Wang Anguo, Wang Anshi's younger brother, had been in mourning for three years and had no imperial examination, so he asked the officials to call him to take a separate Jinshi examination.

Wang Anguo passed the examination, was granted Jinshi background, and became the professor of Xijing Guozi.

In fact, without Han Jiang's help, Wang Anshi had gained the trust of the officials further through his lectures at this time.

Everyone in the court knew that although Wang Anshi had the lowest qualifications among the Hanlin scholars, he might catch up from behind and become the minister first.

Along with the rumors of Wang Anshi's worship, the two people who were in the academy with Sima Guang had a quarrel for the first time because of this matter.

This is a very common case.

A woman named Ayun in Dengzhou wanted to kill her husband and stabbed her more than ten times.Murdering one's own husband is an appalling thing, even if no one is killed, it will be punished severely.

But Xu Zun, the magistrate of Dengzhou, believed that Ayun was married by his uncle while he was still in mourning.In addition, Ayun still surrendered himself, so his punishment should be reduced.

Then the case was handed over to the Court of Justice, and Dali Temple ruled.

Dali Temple thinks that Xu Zun's statement is weird, and Ayun must be hanged for the crime of murder.

The matter ended here, but Xu Zun thought that he was right in the judgment and Dali Temple was wrong, so he directly reported the lawsuit to the officials.

But the Court of Justice and Dali Temple insisted that they were right.

The officials let the matter be handed over to the two systems for negotiation.

Wang Anshi and Sima Guang came to different conclusions. Sima Guang believed that Ayun's crime was so serious that he should be given a heavy sentence, but Wang Anshi supported Xu Zun's idea of ​​commuting his sentence.

Therefore, Wang Anshi and Sima Guang disagreed for the first time at the meeting of the ministers of the two systems, and they each complained to the officials afterwards.

After the officials saw Wang Anshi and Sima Guang's appointment, they also questioned Zhang Yue, who was standing by him.

Zhang Yue said truthfully: "I have never served as a criminal judge, and I am not very familiar with the law of the case."

The official said: "It's okay to say it directly, but Wang Xueshi has been in the local area for many years, so he should be familiar with the criminal law. You can see why this case is so simple, but my two ministers will have diametrically opposite opinions."

Zhang Yue said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, in fact, behind the case is a dispute about strict punishment and severe punishment."

"For hundreds of years, officials have been adjudicating cases like Sima Guang's proposal. Murder of one's own husband violates the code of ethics and should be punished severely, even during the funeral period. Because folks marry wives first by making an engagement, as for marriage It can be done after the funeral period, although it is a bit of a violation of small etiquette, but it is not a major hindrance. It is said that the punishment cannot be punished by a doctor, and the courtesy cannot be inferior to the common people. How can everyone be polite? But a husband and wife are a husband and wife, and the rules of human relations are always a big festival. You can't harm the festival."

The official nodded.

Zhang Yue said again: "However, what Wang Anshi said is also reasonable. The punishments imposed on the people in this dynasty have always been too heavy. It is normal for them to be exiled and assassinated. If they rob three thousand of money, they will die! The people are under heavy taxes and heavy labor. It's no wonder that there are so many refugees and robbers."

The official nodded and said: "Zhang Qing's words are the ultimate theory!"

"Before Sima Guang opposed the exemption law, I also said that you were angry in your heart, but now it seems that you are really a gentleman."

That's right, although Zhang Yue was a little angry at being blocked by Sima Guang because of the immunity law, but this time he did not criticize Sima Guang for supporting Wang Anshi.

Therefore, the confrontation with the emperor must be as objective as possible, so as to maintain the official's trust in him.

Facing the Ayun case, the officials did not make a clear statement this time, leaving them to argue first.

However, in the debate between Wang Anshi and Sima Guang this time, Han Wei in the academy and Duke Lu firmly supported Wang Anshi.This is a change from the previous situation where Sima Guang was one-sided in the court, calling the wind and calling the rain.

Finally someone can stand up and challenge Sima Guang.

Your best friend can sometimes be your worst enemy!

After Sima Guang retired from the court that day, he met Lu Hui, deputy envoy of Yantie.

Lu Hui said to Sima Guang, "Junshi, I plan to impeach Wang Jiefu."

Sima Guang turned pale and said, "Xianke, what's the meaning of this? There is nothing wrong with Jiefu."

Lu Huidao: "When I worked with Junshi and you in the Jianyuan, I knew that you and Jiefu were close friends, and this person was not a treacherous person, but Tang Zifang (Tang Jie) said this earlier. People like to learn from ancient times, and they like to talk about things. Now according to the case of Ayun, this person likes to change things and innovate. There is no reason for peace in the world!"

"Junshi, do you see the same as me?"

Lu Hui asked Sima Guang.

(End of this chapter)