The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

With a "snap", a memorial was thrown on the ground. Zhao Zhen gritted his teeth and frowned angrily: "It's nonsense, it's nonsense, Ouyang Xiu is talking to me, I want them to reflect on their words and deeds, and understand the court's attitude towards cronies. But he gave me such a memorial, this is blatant contempt, is it tolerable or unbearable?"

Huang Peisheng who was waiting on the side was startled, quickly picked up the memorial and said: "The emperor calm down, don't let the emperor get angry, Ouyang Xiu is a fool, why should the emperor get angry for him?"

"A muddled person? He doesn't know how smart he is. This memorial is not his intention alone, but the common aspiration of those who got involved. In my opinion, this is contempt, Huang Peisheng! Immediately deliver the decree, write Officials from the two government departments, three divisions and six departments will enter the palace immediately, and I will come to court urgently."

Huang Peisheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it's almost three o'clock, you should take a rest, and it won't be too late to bring it up tomorrow morning."

"What did you say? When is it your turn to make up your mind?" Zhao Zhen glared at Huang Peisheng, who was so frightened that Huang Peisheng hurriedly kowtowed and made arrangements. [

The guards moved around and went to the mansions of the major officials to announce the decree overnight. All the civil and military people were in a panic. They didn't know when, one by one, they rushed to the main hall and asked each other what happened in a low voice. After a while, President Zhao Zhen walked out of the hall , followed by Yan Shu and Du Yan, obviously these two were summoned in advance, the faces of the three were different, Zhao Zhen's face was gloomy, Yan Shu's face was anxious, and Du Yan's face was sneering.

After all the ministers knelt down and stood on both sides, Zhao Zhen said in a hoarse voice: "My dear friends, I have no choice but to call you to the court in the middle of the night, just because when I was reviewing the memorial, I saw it." An extraordinary essay, since it is an extraordinary essay, should be appreciated together, Huang Peisheng, please read that brilliantly written excerpt."

All the ministers looked at each other in blank dismay, they shouted to the court in the middle of the night just to listen to an article, the emperor must have made a big deal out of a molehill, the emperor seldom tosses people like this, what's the matter?

Huang Peisheng bowed to accept the memorial, took a breath and began to read: "I have heard the theory of cronies since ancient times, but fortunately, a gentleman can distinguish between a gentleman and a villain. Generally, gentlemen and gentlemen regard their fellows as friends, and villains and villains treat each other as friends. It is a natural principle to share interests and become friends.”

The ministers were in an uproar, it turned out to be a matter of factions that were hotly discussed in the imperial court, and the person who wrote the memorial was really brave enough to say something like, "A gentleman and a gentleman are friends of the same way, and a villain and a villain are friends." It is a natural reason for people to regard the same benefits as friends. 'Isn't this blatantly supporting cronies?I don't know who is so bold.

Ouyang Xiu, who was in the crowd, didn't know what happened at first. After reading the first paragraph of the article, Ouyang Xiu suddenly discovered that he was the culprit of tonight's incident. It was his memorial that touched the emperor's nerve. Then they were summoned into the palace overnight.

"However, ministers call petty people friends, but gentlemen have them. What's the reason? The petty man likes money and benefits, and greedy goods. When they have the same benefits, those who are temporarily regarded as friends by the party, Hypocrisy; if one sees the benefits and strives to be the first, or if the benefits are exhausted and keeps friends, he will turn against and harm one another. Although his brothers and relatives cannot protect himself. Therefore, if a minister calls a petty friend, he is a hypocrite if he is a friend for a while. A gentleman is Otherwise, what you keep is morality, what you do is faithful, and what you cherish is called integrity. If you practice self-cultivation, you will benefit from the same way; if you serve the country, you will be of one heart and help each other. If you are consistent from beginning to end, you are a friend of a gentleman. Therefore, you are a gentleman. But if you get rid of the false friends of the villain and use the true friends of the gentleman, then the world will be governed."

"In the time of Yao, the villains Gonggong and Huandou were four friends, and the gentlemen Ba Yuan and Ba Kai were friends. Yao ruled the world. Shun himself was the son of heaven, and 16 people such as Gao, Kui, Ji, and Qi were placed side by side in the court, which was more beautiful and more compatible. All 22 people were a friend, and Shun used them all, and the world was also ruled.

Zhao Zhen said with a half-smile, "Oh? It turned out that the three of you drank together, which means that Fu Bi couldn't tell why he came here, right? Why did the three of you forget to invite Ouyang Aiqing to drink? Not enough friends."

Han Qi's face turned red, and he puffed out his chest and said, "Your Majesty's words are unbearable for mediocre ministers. Isn't it forbidden for ministers to have a drink while waiting for official duties?"

Zhao Zhen ignored him, and said in a cold voice: "Who will analyze this article for me? It seems that this article seems to be quite reasonable. Master Ouyang used Yao, Shun, Shang and Zhou as examples. It seems that this The imperial court should encourage cronies."

Du Yan stood out from the crowd and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I would like to say a few words."

Zhao Zhen said: "Say."

Du Yan said: "Lord Ouyang's crony theory is extremely absurd, and the examples he cited are also illusory and verifiable. If you dare to ask Lord Ouyang, even if it is as you said, gentlemen form parties with gentlemen, and villains form parties with villains. And why do you claim that the party of gentlemen can withdraw from the party of villains? If the party of villains gains power, wouldn’t it be a great chaos in the government? Even if the two parties cannot compete and the two parties fight against each other, who will suffer? Isn’t it the foundation of the court’s laws and society? Busy with forming cliques and eliminating differences, what about political affairs? Moreover, if one party gains power and controls the government, how can it guarantee the majesty of the emperor?"

Ouyang Xiu heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Du Shumi, you misunderstood. What I meant was that a gentleman has cliques and a villain has no cliques. They are only temporary cliques, which are also false cliques. Gentlemen are not like this: they What we insist on is morality, what we perform is loyalty, and what we cherish is reputation. Use these to improve your self-cultivation, then the same interests can benefit each other. Use these to do things for the country, then the same views can make progress together and be consistent. As Your Majesty, as long as we can repel the fake friends of villains and use the real friends of gentlemen, then the world will be stable."

Du Yan blushed. It turned out that he didn't understand the meaning of the article, but he quickly put the little embarrassment behind him, and asked again: "Joke, you have no idea what you said. The so-called gentleman and villain Is it self-proclaimed? By what standard is it judged what is a party of gentlemen and what is a party of villains? You only cite the affairs of Yao, Shun, Shang and Zhou. Let me ask you. Who did not flaunt themselves in the struggle between Li, Tang, Niu and Li in the previous dynasty? For the sake of the country and the people, who doesn’t claim to be an upright gentleman, but what do you think today? Niu and Li formed a traitorous party and made trouble for 40 years, until the end of Li Tang’s downfall, they are all sinners through the ages.”

Ouyang Xiu protested: "Whether you are a gentleman or not, the emperor can naturally distinguish the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor Li Tang is incompetent, so it is natural to distinguish. How can you be like them who do not distinguish between loyalty and evil when you are a sage?"

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but yelled: "Shut up! Ouyang Xiu, you are too presumptuous! You are holding me hostage with words. If I agree with your point of view, I am a wise gentleman, and if I disagree, I am a foolish monarch, right?"

Ouyang Xiu repeatedly kowtowed and said, "I don't dare, I'm speaking from the bottom of my heart, I don't want to."

Zhao Zhen said with an angry face: "The sages clearly said: 'If you move, you will compete, if you compete, you will be friends, and if you are friends, you will be false. 'Forbid cronies to punish the common people'. These words have fallen on your ears. Where have you read the books of sages and sages? What do you say about "true friends and fake friends" and "gentleman and villain"? Do you think you can rely on these sophistry words? Can you get rid of the crime of cronyism? I have not yet reached the point where I am deceived by delusion."