The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

The day after Su Jin left the capital, it was Ouyang Xiu who wrote the unlucky article.

Zhao Zhen said: "Isn't it? I remind you, don't get involved. Even now, those few still refuse to admit their mistakes. I don't think they will. I want to teach them a lesson. If you beg for mercy, The answer I give you is to act in accordance with the law and never tolerate it."

Su Jin said: "Your Majesty, you have misunderstood, I am not here to ask the Emperor to forgive them."

Zhao Zhen said: "Didn't you beg for mercy?"

Su Jin said: "Instead of interceding for them, I also ask the emperor to punish them severely."

Zhao Zhen was confused, looked at Su Jin with a frown and said, "What the hell are you doing?"

Su Jin said seriously: "I'm not playing tricks, I really came here to ask the emperor to punish them severely. Your majesty, I heard that the Ministry of Punishment charged them with forming a party for personal gain, intending to seek rebellion, and violating the former emperor's admonition?"

Zhao Zhen couldn't get his head around for a while, he hesitated and said: "That's what I said, but I..."

Su Jindao: "Your majesty, don't hesitate any longer. Why are you hesitating for these rebellious and unscrupulous people? Hurry up and order the execution of all four of them to show the world, so that all the subjects in the world will know that Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi and other treacherous people are in court. The consequences of stirring up trouble in the court should be a warning to those who want to make trouble."

Zhao Zhen said in astonishment: "How could you make such a suggestion? As far as I know, you have a very friendly relationship with them."

Su Jin said: "Friendship is friendship. I still have to do the righteousness and extermination of relatives. I was in a hurry to come to the audience because I was afraid that the emperor's ears would be soft and could not help others begging to forgive them. Moreover, as far as I know, they still have many crimes. It is not known to the public, and I want to expose it together."

Zhao Zhen couldn't believe his ears. Su Jin came here to make trouble, which really came as a surprise to Zhao Zhen. In his impression, Su Jin didn't seem to be this kind of person. He entered the palace on purpose today to expose Fan Zhongyan and others From the look on his face, he doesn't look like he's a fake. Could it be that Su Jin really has some criminal evidence against these people?

"You... tell me."

Su Jin's expression became angry and said: "I have wanted to expose these people for a long time, but I have never had a chance. Now that their conspiracy has been exposed, I can't keep my mouth shut; the first charge of Han and Fan is that they are timid and afraid of death. Destroy my great Song army."

Zhao Zhen frowned and said, "How do you say that?"

Su Jindao: "The facts are obvious. The Western Thieves rebelled against Song Zili, and my Great Song ordered to attack the Western Thieves. As the leading generals in the Northwest, Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi were timid and cowardly. They did not dare to march northward. They only knew how to build The city wall is huddled in it, and it has been reluctant to step on the western thieves for a long time. Let the western thieves laugh at my Song army's ability. Isn't this cowardly and afraid of death? I even think that they are deliberately delaying, and they are suspected of collaborating with the western thieves, otherwise why? Deliberately lost two battles and lost tens of thousands of my army?"

Zhao Zhen laughed dumbly and said: "Su Jin, you are joking with me."

Su Jin said solemnly: "I'm not joking. The second crime I exposed is that they bought people's hearts by fishing for fame."

Zhao Zhen said: "Stop, stop, why does it sound like you are talking ironically."

Su Jin ignored it, and continued: "As far as I know, during Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan's stay in the Northwest, he used his salary and family property as military funds for military expenses, ate and lived with the soldiers, and deliberately pretended to share the joys and sorrows of the soldiers. They deliberately dressed in tatters. I heard that Fan Zhongyan had a lot of patches on his shirt but didn’t lose it on purpose. Isn’t this just for fame? I heard that when the soldiers came back from the war, they knelt down to welcome the dead soldiers on purpose, and even personally Writing a letter with money and ordering someone to send the corpse back to the hometown, isn’t it buying people’s hearts? When they were in the Northwest, they used this method to deceive the local people, and asked the people to make a song for them, saying, “There is a Han in the army.” , When Xixia heard about it, they were heartbroken. There was a fan in the army, and Xixia was terrified when he heard about it.' This is a clear proof that they bought people's hearts with fame.

Zhao Zhen's heart was agitated, and he looked at Su Jin's excited face and spoke silently. [