Prime Minister

Chapter 866 What You Said Is Exactly (Two Updates In One Update)
Chen Shengzhi looked at Zhang Yue, and it was hard to imagine that the boy in the past could eat at the same table with him today.

He remembered that his family was poor when he was young, and it would cost thousands of dollars to go to the township exam, so he went to a temple to make a fortune telling whether he would pay the money for the exam.

In the end, he occupied it three times in a row, all of which were to persuade him not to go.

Chen Shengzhi was so discouraged that he went home and slept all night, only to dream that the gods told him that he had just taken the wrong account. If you go to the imperial examination, you will definitely pass the high school, and you will be able to become a prime minister in the future.

After hearing this, Chen Shengzhi cheered up, took the last money of the family to go to the provincial examination, and got No. 1. The next year, he was awarded a Jinshi.

Chen Shengzhi always felt that his life was like a fortune-telling.

But today he looked at Zhang Yue and really sighed, he missed such a character at the beginning, it is better to give charcoal in the snow than to make icing on the cake, now it is too late to show his favor to him.

In the end, he let the fellow countryman beside him take the lead and called him a son-in-law.

Cai Ting, the deputy privy envoy at the side, looked at Chen Shengzhi, Wu Chong, Zeng Xiaokuan, and Zhang Yue, and sincerely lamented the power of the Fujian Party, and the Privy Council has almost become the world of Fujian people.

Wu Chong glanced at Chen Shengzhi's leg. The opponent's foot disease was already very serious. After all, he was getting older and his health was getting worse, and now he was barely holding his position.

He has long wanted to replace it.

The officials of the court each took their own positions and served the dishes on the table.

This is the system of eating under the porch that has been handed down since the Tang Dynasty. As for Huang Haoyi and Peng Jingyi, they were taken aside to eat with their followers.

Five senior officials sat down around a rectangular table, saying that the long table was not an appropriate description, and it would be better to call it a big bed.

In the center of the huge table are meat porridge, soup cakes, steamed buns, rice, wine, cold water, each served in a large basin.

Wu Chong and Chen Shengzhi sat on the east bench, while Zhang Yue, Cai Ting and Zeng Xiaokuan sat on the west bench.

The court officials at the side brought food boxes to the five people, which contained meat soup and vegetables, among which the best dish was roast mutton. As for the staple food, soup, and drinks, they took them from the table.

Gathering food is a ritual, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, the etiquette of dining is the first etiquette.

Why?This is most concerned with the distribution of benefits.Ritual is to teach people how to distribute.

For example, wild beasts living in groups are "knowing how to eat", and you fight for each other, and the appearance of eating is very ugly.

However, human society adopts a food-sharing system, and one person distributes food to prevent people from eating too much and occupying too much.This is the food sharing system. How to ensure that the food sharing is fair and equitable, so that those who can eat more?What is the standard of ability?How much do those who share the food get?Or pay attention to the average?This is the earliest gift.

The food sharing system after the food is sufficient pays attention to the distinction, which is etiquette.

It was not until the Tang Dynasty that there was a meeting food, which was mainly used among officials.

Everyone is a social person, which eliminates the scene of a group of dogs fighting for food. At the same time, the dagger used to cut meat has been replaced with chopsticks, which also prevents people from being killed when eating together.

The most important thing is that a group of people will eat and chat while eating and the atmosphere is more harmonious.

Based on this, there is a "meeting discussion", which is a less formal discussion, and everyone should treat it as a small talk, not the kind that is responsible.

The meeting meal means that the imperial court paid officials to come to the team building or work meal. We had just finished arguing in the political affairs hall in the morning, and then exchanged opinions during the meeting to try to resolve the conflict.

So eating is not the goal, but discussion is the goal.

The Bachelor of Duanmingdian is an official of the Privy Council, and was originally the eyes and ears of the emperor. Although he is not serving in the Privy Council now, he still reserves the right to participate in the banquet.

After the five people are seated, they sit upright. According to the rules, everyone must be present when the meal is held.

Chen Shengzhi held up the wine cup to toast Zhang Yue, and Zhang Yue immediately drank a glass of plain wine.

Chen Shengzhi said: "On weekdays, the Privy Council will not prepare food and wine, but today it is an exception to catch up with the wind."

Thank you Zhang Yue.

Chen Shengzhi smiled, picked up the chopsticks and clamped the first chopsticks, and everyone just picked up the chopsticks.

In the entire privy envoy hall, the court officials did not dare to make a sound, they all waited for a few people to eat, for fear of disturbing everyone's interest in eating.So apart from the chewing sound, the eating environment is extraordinarily quiet.

Will there be any questions at this moment?Where is the opinion?

This is just a joke, do you still take this as real?

Just go through the process, and it's true to come to trainees.

Zhang Yue just kept his head on the table without saying a word. Back then in the Tang Dynasty, Lu Huaishen obeyed Yao Chong in everything, and did nothing but eat, so he was ridiculed as the prime minister of the food companion. Now I am a bachelor of the food companion.

Of course, if you think cooking is boring, you can also show your high EQ. For example, when you see a colleague next door accidentally getting rice on his beard, you can take the initiative to help him brush the rice on his beard, and then praise his beautiful beard. You can definitely win the favor of your colleagues immediately.

Wu Chong and Cai Ting didn't say a word, but Chen Shengzhi greeted Zhang Yue from time to time and talked about the friendship of fellow villagers.

After eating, Chen Shengzhi put down his chopsticks. At this time, the court officials took several notes and presented them to Chen Shengzhi. Wu Chong looked at them.

Zhang Yue glanced at it but saw the words "So-and-so has done it, so-and-so reported it".

According to the meeting of the prime ministers of the two mansions, hundreds of officials are not allowed to pay homage, so everything is written on the note, and the prime ministers collectively review it after the meal.

Chen Shengzhi glanced at it and said to Zhang Yue: "Duzhi, are you still used to the Privy Council's food?"

Zhang Yue said: "Lao Shu moved to ask, it is extraordinarily delicate and delicious."

Chen Shengzhi smiled and got up immediately, and everyone also got up to see him off.

Wu Chong gave Zhang Yue a wink and left.

And Zhang Yue also returned to the academy to rest.

Nothing happened in the afternoon, Zhang Yue was lying on the couch with Xiaomei, and let Peng Jingyi and Huang Haoyi tidy up and decorate the scholar's pavilion.

When it was almost evening, there was a reception banquet.

According to the old system, the reception banquet for newly appointed Hanlin scholars can allow Kaifeng mansion to invite female singers. This is an etiquette that the prime minister does not have, and it will be left later.

However, this reception banquet is still quite grand.

In the Song Dynasty, the consumption of the three publics was not low, especially in the item of food and drink with public funds. A large part of the Song Dynasty poetry was read carefully at the banquet.

Sending off old friends and welcoming new ones, drinking together daily, and feasting on festivals are four major feasts.

Zeng Bu, the envoy of the third division, knew that Yuanjiang and Yuanjiang from Kaifeng had arrived, Cai Ting and Zeng Xiaokuan from the Privy Council had arrived, and Wang Gui from Zhongshu, Han Wei, Wang Lian and so on.

Before the banquet, everyone chatted for a while.

Everyone understands that Zhang Yue is now a Duanming Palace scholar, only one step away from Zai Zhi.Even if he is not Zaizhi, he has won the trust of the emperor, and his words have enough weight for the emperor.

Whether in the future or now, Zhang Yue can be said to play a pivotal role in the political arena.

Otherwise, Lu Huiqing would not condescend to congratulate Zhang Fu as the second person in Zhongshu.

All of you here are acquaintances, and at the same time, they are trying to figure out Zhang Yue's thoughts without any trace. It is unknown whether such a new political force will break the existing court structure in Bianjing.

However, Zhang Yue has always dealt with it calmly. Compared with leaving Beijing in embarrassment a few years ago, he can cope with today's situation with ease.

No one can find out anything from his words.

Even if everyone here is an old fox, there is no way.

How to say nonsense correctly is an art.It's like someone asking you, does the sun come out from the east?

Zhang Yue also had to answer that under normal circumstances the sun rises from the east, but I do not rule out the day when the sun rises from the west under other circumstances.

Everyone would think that Zhang Yue opposed the Shiyi law in the northwest, but why did his attitude become ambiguous when he arrived in the capital.

Finally, the court officials came to announce the opening of the banquet, and everyone went to the courtyard of the academy.

Han Jiang, Lu Huiqing, Feng Jing, Wu Chong, and Chen Shengzhi, the prime ministers of the two governments, were not present.

Han Jiang is the head of a hundred officials and has a noble status, so it is the same when Han Wei replaces him.Needless to say, Wu Chong, and Lu Huiqing visited the door yesterday.Chen Shengzhi met at the banquet, and he is old, and he is the lord of the shackles so he can't come.

Feng Jing and Feng Sanyuan said nothing at all, which surprised Zhang Yue.Zhang Yue recalled that on the night of Emperor Renzong's death, he, Feng Jing, Han Qi and other Qizai executives joined hands to help Emperor Yingzong ascend to the throne.

That night experienced a battle of swords and swords, and the two had somewhat of a friendship, but now...

Everyone pushed Wang Gui to take the seat, followed by Cai Ting.The position of the Zhongshu Province is higher than that of the Privy Council, so they are both prime ministers, and Wang Gui is ahead of Cai Ting.

Zhang Yue was Wang Gui's student, and in the second year of Jiayou's imperial examination, he was Zhang Yue selected by Wang Gui. Butterfly fell off the paper, this incident made it even more obvious that Zhang Yue, the number one scholar, was a godsend.

Wang Gui must be very happy that Zhang Yue is a Bachelor of Duanming Palace today.

Regarding the dispute between Zeng and Lu in the court and the case of Zheng Xia, his old man's attitude is that he has no attitude. I will not help anyone, and try my best to play a good political mascot.

Although Wang Gui didn't rely on left and right, and never expressed his opinion when encountering problems, no one dared to offend him.Wang Gui was a Hanlin bachelor in the first year of Jiayou. When Lu Huiqing failed to win a Jinshi, he was on duty in this courtyard.

Wang Gui replayed the old tune and talked about what happened in the Imperial Academy back then, because he was talking about himself, and this kind of talk was not about sensitive topics, and it was not easy to offend people, so everyone let go of the tension in their hearts and listened happily. Roughly lay the groundwork for a pre-banquet atmosphere.

However, Cai Ting was reluctantly recommended because of his marriage relationship with Zeng Gongliang. He had no chance to go any further. At the same time, he was in poor health and often felt dizzy.

His attitude was quite peaceful, and he came to the banquet to save Zhang Yue's face, and he admired the other party's feats in leveling the Northwest, comparable to Cao Bin.At the same time, he will no longer be in power in the future, but several sons are still in office.

Zhang Yue looked at other people, and Han Wei was about to be released soon because his elder brother Han Jiang was the prime minister.As the second generation, Zeng Xiaokuan needs to improve his qualifications and ability.Zeng Bu can't protect himself now.

Only Yuan Jiang and Wang Lian must be vigilant.

His obeisance to the Duanming Palace Bachelor directly blocked the way for the two of them to become prime ministers, especially since Wang Lian would have to work together in the future. After Han Wei left, who would be the Chengzhi Hanlin Bachelor.

Chengzhi is generally excluded from those who have been in the Imperial Academy for a long time. Although Zhang Yue has just entered the Imperial Academy, he is not without this opportunity.

Zhang Yue drank a lot of wine during the banquet, and returned home after the banquet.

It happened that Wang Lian stayed straight tonight, so he stayed in the academy.

Seeing Wang Lian back in the hall, a man immediately went up to greet him.

Wang Lian has a beautiful beard of three feet, and he has a dignified appearance: "You know that the three poems written by the old man tonight can be said to overwhelm the audience. As for Zhang Duzhi, who is really not good at this, he wrote one, which is much inferior to the old man."

Jue Cong said: "Neihan used to have a poem in three steps and a word in five steps. How can Zhang Duzhi compare with it?"

Speaking of this, Xie came forward from the side to understand the wine and tea.

Wang Lian looked at the drinking tea and said, "I'm not drunk yet."

Jue Cong said, "Neihan will never get drunk with a thousand cups, so what's the point of having a feast today? It's just to avoid hurting your body."

Wang Lian was good at writing parallel prose, and was good at composing poems, but his poems were quite gaudy and had a petty air, which was not accepted by Ouyang Xiu and other mainstream literary circles, but he felt good about himself.

At the side, Jue Cong handed him a manuscript and said: "Tomorrow's daily life in the inner hall will include all the details."

Wang Lian took over the other party's book and read it, and said: "The most important thing in the court now is the case of Zeng Zixuan and Lu Jifu's market change. Lu Jifu has a good chance of winning."

Wang Lian shook his head and said, "What's the benefit of this city's easy legal dispute? Your response has something to say."

Jue Cong said modestly: "This is all Nehan's cultivation."

"The other thing is that the Khitans came to make Xiao Xi and the Khitans set up shops on the border. Nehan should strongly advocate fighting against the Khitans in order to win people's hearts..."

Wang Lian said: "The Khitan people are arrogant and unreasonable. They also call us Han people Nanmanzi and Biankou. Thinking about the trip to Liaojing when they were envoys back then, they were really angry."

Jue Cong said: "Don't worry, Nehan, dealing with the Khitan matter is so tricky. If you are not careful, it will cause the two families to fight each other. The officials must have a sense of proportion. Zhang Yue who just returned from the northwest is undoubtedly the first choice, but he is unwilling to go. Even Lu Xianggong doesn't want to see him in court. I think it's probably his fault."

Wang Lian said happily after hearing this: "You are right, let's make a high-profile one. That's right, July is the big gift in the southern suburbs."

Jue Cong said: "It would be best if Nei Han acted as an agent for this matter. This is also an opportunity to let people go. Nei Han and Yuan Houzhi (Yuan Jiang) should communicate with each other first."

Wang Lian said with a smile on his face, "Exactly, I'm old, these things can't change quickly, it's because you are young and strong, and you want to be ahead of me in everything."

Wang Lian was indeed old, and he might have had a lot of ambitions when he was young, but for many years in the official circles, his energy was all about welcoming and seeing off, writing poems and drinking, and he didn't care about the court's great policies and strategies.

So that when responding to the emperor's inquiries, he had to write the content of the response on the note in advance.Wang Lian had to memorize it before going to court every day.

Otherwise, if the emperor asks questions, Wang Lian will be caught blind, and once he almost couldn't answer.

But it's also strange that an official like him who is good at poetry can rise to the sky, and he is so flexible in politics that no one can offend him, but he lives more and more nourishingly in the confrontation between the new party and the old party.

Wang Lian said: "When I went to the mountain to ask for a lottery, the Zen master said that if I didn't get promoted to Zaizhi within two years, I would have no hope in this life. Now that I am old, if I can't make progress, it will be two or three years before I return to my hometown. "

"It's a pity that Zhang Duzhi suddenly appeared, and the horizontal bar blocked my way."

Jue Cong said: "Don't worry about Nehan, Lu Dashen has always been jealous of him, and besides, he was appointed as a scholar of Duanming Palace, Yuan Houzhi was also hindered by him."

"You can discuss this matter with him and see what Yuan Houzhi thinks."

Wang Lian said with a smile, "That's right. I have a very close friendship with Yuan Houzhi. He has no reason not to help me in this matter."

"Also..." Jue Cong said in a low voice, "Even Mr. Feng from Shu's side did not come to the banquet today."

Wang Lian's eyes brightened and said, "Not bad."

Jue Cong said: "Duke Fu Zheng is opposed to managing the Northwest, and Feng Sanyuan has also opposed Xihe's open border in recent years. And Zhang Duzhi's contribution to being a Duanming Palace scholar probably doesn't like it."

"Yes, yes," Wang Lian smiled. "At the time when Han Weigong and Fu Zhenggong Xuanma worshiped each other, all the officials congratulated each other. It's so easy to be a prime minister."

Jue Cong said: "Now there are seven chancellors. From my point of view, Minister Chen Shu and Vice Minister Cai have been in poor health recently. I'm afraid he will leave office in a year or so. If Nei Han is strong, he can be replaced at that time."

Wang Lian nodded.

The next day.

It is the daily life in the inner hall once every five days.

Different from the order of classes in the outer court, the daily life in the inner hall is arranged in a first-class way.

The daily life in the inner hall is mainly based on the level of the position.

This reflects the role of the post of the library, or how to say it is the emperor's close minister.

For example, if you are an admonishing doctor, your seat will be above Zhizhigao, but if your job title is a certain cabinet, even if you are an admonishing doctor, your seat will be below Zhizhigao. Officials jokingly call this For the pendant.

There is a large living room in the inner hall, and the Hanlin bachelor's class is second only to the prime minister's class.

This time, Zhang Yue stood in the class during his daily life in the inner hall, but he saw the prime minister and the Hanlin scholars playing the right ones in turn.

Compared with standing outside the hall, the daily life in the inner hall has the appearance of truly participating in the government.

But having said that, the more people there are in a meeting, the less decisions can be made.

The two-system or two-government meeting is the place to really predict the politics. The big living in the inner hall is now more formal than content. As for the station outside the hall, apart from listening to Xuanma, what everyone eats is only the saliva of the prime minister and the officials of the two systems. .

Zhang Yue saw that Wang Lian was full of energy on such an occasion, and talked about the establishment of shops in the southern suburbs and Khitan on the border.

When Zhang Yue first heard it, he felt that this person was quite outspoken, and that he was not the kind of official who was a vegetarian, but when he listened carefully, he found that the content was really fake, and what he said was politically correct nonsense.

In addition, during yesterday's dust-cleaning feast, Zhang Yue vaguely felt that Wang Lian was considerate to him on the surface, but he didn't like it in his heart.

Zhang Yue remembered a sentence, if you faintly feel that a person doesn't like you, then most likely the other person must hate you from the bottom of his heart.

However, when Zhang Yue heard Wang Lian's advocacy of taking a tough attitude towards Khitan, he was echoed and appreciated by many officials, and he was ready to strike hard.

Wang Lian could feel the atmosphere in the palace. Most of the officials supported him. Da Song had been bullied by Khitan for more than 100 years, and he held his breath from top to bottom.

From the defeat of Gaoliang River at the beginning, to the alliance under the city of Chanzhou, and then to the great power of the Xia Kingdom, the Liao Kingdom shamelessly demanded an increase in annual tribute.

The more he spoke, the more impassioned he became, as if anyone who proposed to ease relations with the Liao Kingdom at this time was a traitor, just when he was in high spirits and full of ambition.

Zhang Yue suddenly came out of duty at this moment, and said in front of dozens of officials in the hall: "Your Majesty, what Wang Lian said is very true. I think that Wang Lian should come forward to refute the Liao envoy, kill his prestige, and stop his invasion of the land." Heart!"

(End of this chapter)