I studied in modern times

Chapter 837 Yes, You Are All My Wings
Without any hesitation, Feng Jing played directly: "The other foot..."

"I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict to set up another inspection sequence under the law of stopping obstacles..."

"Let all clerks in the country be able to be promoted through examinations... just like the ranks of art officials... and allow clerks to change their civil or military qualifications!"

After saying this, Feng Jing bowed deeply.

Zhang Fangping on the side widened his eyes and looked at Feng Jing in disbelief.

Naturally, he had thought about this method.

But...but...

It's too unorthodox!

What is a clerk?
He is a lowly, dirty fellow! He is a cunning and treacherous person! He is a mean person who fawns on those above him and exploits those below him!

In the Confucian worldview and world order, there has never been any place left for clerks!
They almost always appear as villains in all literary works.

In real society, the performance of clerks perfectly matches the evaluation of them by literati and scholars for thousands of years.

The clerks have no morals, no benevolence, and no loyalty.

Whoever gives you milk is your mother. As long as there is an order from above, no matter how ridiculous it is, they will carry it out.

Therefore, in the eyes of the literati, the social status of clerks is lower than that of a son-in-law, and their personalities are more despicable than prostitutes!
At least the son-in-law may have various difficulties, and at least many prostitutes are not willing to fall into depravity.

Moreover, whether it is a son-in-law or a prostitute, the harm to society is very low.

At most it just affects the atmosphere.

It is different for clerks.

They replace their fathers with their sons, their brothers with the same business, and intermarry with each other. They control one side, act lawlessly, harm the local area, and oppress the good.

The most important thing is that these people will commit crimes if they get the chance!

How many moral people, how many upright people, have been humiliated by clerks?

Even a gentleman like Sima Guang, who was famous all over the world, was once oppressed by the clerks in Chenzhou, so that his beautiful jade was damaged. His reputation is still controversial to this day!
Therefore, Feng Jing’s proposal seemed very dangerous to Zhang Fangping!

If we take it too far, it may even shake the foundation of the country and cause the collapse of rituals and music!

more importantly……

Zhang Fangping saw the admiration in the eyes of the young official in front of him.

and so……

Feng Jing accurately guessed the emperor's intention!
That golden-haired rat might very well gain the emperor's favor because of this!
How is this possible?

Zhang Fangping barely hesitated. In a flash, before Feng Jing finished speaking, he bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister respectfully reports..."

"What the Baoning Army Jiedushi said must not be used!"

"Otherwise..." Zhang Fangping raised his head. He wanted to say, 'The collapse of rituals and music is imminent, and the morals of the world will be ruined.' However, when he saw the unhappy expression on the face of the young official in front of him, he immediately changed his words: "I am afraid that Your Majesty will have no time to show his virtue from now on..."

Feng Jing immediately turned his head and glared at Zhang Fangping fiercely.

He and Zhang Fangping are old enemies.

Although during the Jiayou period, they were both members of the same faction when they were in court.

But it is precisely because of this that they become enemies!
Struggles within a faction are much more frequent than struggles outside of it.

Because the struggle within a faction is essentially a fight for the resources of that faction.

This is involution.

Although involution is generally of low intensity, it is very frequent.

The two competitors will compete openly and covertly in all aspects.

What's more, Zhang Fangping and Feng Jing had another public case - this was the case that happened in the fourth year of Jiayou, when the old woman Liu sued her nephew Liu Baoheng for selling the ancestral property at a low price.

The case is simple.

It was Zhang Fangping, the then Minister of Three Departments, who purchased the mansion of Liu Baoheng, a native of Bian Jing, at a price lower than the market price.

Then, Liu Baoheng's aunt, Old Lady Liu, was dissatisfied and thought that Liu Baoheng was suspected of selling the ancestral property at a low price, so she filed a lawsuit in Kaifeng Prefecture.

After investigation, it was confirmed that Zhang Fangping was suspected of using his power to force Liu Baoheng to sell his ancestral property at a low price in this transaction - Liu Baoheng was a wine merchant, and the Sansi at that time was the superior administrative department of the Du Shang Taxation Institute and the Du Qu Institute.

It just so happened that Liu Baoheng failed in business and owed more than a thousand strings of cash to the Duquyuan and Dushangshuiyuan.

The price that Zhang Fangping paid for Liu Baoheng's mansion was exactly over one thousand strings of cash.

Therefore, Bao Zheng, the then Chief Censor, immediately impeached Zhang Fangping on the charge of "taking advantage of his power to buy the houses of the wealthy people under his jurisdiction at a low price."

Zhang Fangping was immediately dismissed and sent to be the governor of Chenzhou.

Originally, this matter had nothing to do with Feng Jing, so he was happy to just sit back and watch the show.

But he never expected that he could eat the melon himself!
The following year, Bao Zheng impeached Feng Jing again, saying that during his stay in Beijing, he had financial dealings with Liu Baoheng.

Not only did he lend Liu Baoheng money from the government to do business, he also took a lot of silver items from Liu Baoheng at very low prices and sold them on the market for profit.

As a result, Feng Jing was inexplicably demoted while in Yangzhou.

For Feng Jing, the responsibility for this matter lies entirely with Zhang Fangping.

If it weren't for you, who insisted on spending more than a thousand strings of coins to buy someone else's mansion worth several thousand strings of coins, and got caught with the chicken feet, how would I be implicated?

Not to mention the various consequences caused by the fierce struggle between the Fu Bi faction and the Wen Yanbo faction surrounding this case.

From then on, Feng Jing and Zhang Fangping became at odds with each other.

After Fu Bi died, Feng Jing simply joined forces with his former political enemy Wen Yanbo.

How could Zhang Fangping have no objection to this?

It was because of the political struggle between the new party and the old party at that time that they reluctantly held their noses and pretended to be united for the sake of the overall situation.

But now, hasn’t the struggle between the old and new parties come to an end?

As a result, the old party, which had originally been a caravan, immediately began to split.

When Sima Guang was still alive, the old party was already divided and began to fight openly and secretly.

As for now?

All I can say is that there are superficial gentlemen and fake friends everywhere.

Scenes similar to Li Zhuang Bai Rou can be seen everywhere.

A typical example is the Ye Kangzhi case at the beginning of the year, in which Wen Yanbo’s faction did a lot to fan the flames.

In the end, Su Song and Zhang Fangping were forced to go to the palace to apologize and save their reputation before the matter was settled.

There is nothing we can do about this.

It is a personal subjective will and cannot be reversed.

Even if the elders are willing to unite, his disciples will definitely not be content.

The reason is simple - the cake is so small, and there are only so many tasks. If the cake is eaten by others, the tasks will also be taken by others.

So what have we been fighting so hard against the New Party for over the past decade?
Oh!
Before we won, we had no benefits and couldn't get a good assignment. Now that we have won, we still have no benefits and still haven't gotten a good assignment.

Then we won in vain? !

With such a knot in mind, Feng Jing did not hesitate and bowed directly, "Your Majesty! I think Fang Ping, the governor of Zhangde Army, is exaggerating!"

"In my humble opinion, if we use the scholars who pass the civil service examination to serve as the chief officials of the counties and towns, and then set up a system of examination for the clerks to reassure them, not only will it not tarnish your majesty's virtue... but it will enhance your majesty's virtue, so that there will be no more unskilled people in the prefectures and counties! It will also allow the heroes of the world to be used by your majesty!"

Zhang Fangping snorted and glared viciously at Feng Jing's disgusting old face.

I cursed wildly in my heart.

"Feng Dangshi!"

"You are a white-haired rat! How dare you betray the scholar-officials!"

He was about to speak when he saw the young official in front of him. He suddenly put his hands behind his back, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Zhang Fangping immediately cried out inwardly that something was wrong.

Because he knew that Feng Jing's words might have touched upon the Zhao officials' "stability maintenance instinct".

You know, in the hearts of Zhao officials, stability is above all else.

In order to maintain stability, the Song Dynasty was the dynasty that recruited the most and most frequently in history.

Killing officials and rebelling and being recruited is not just an isolated case, but a common fact!
As long as you rebel under the banner of fighting against corrupt officials rather than against the government, and at the same time be able to withstand the first wave of iron-fisted attacks from local authorities.

Then, Emperor Zhao might recruit you!
How many bandits and how many outlaws have risen to official positions by rebelling!

Since Emperor Taizong, the imperial court has set up a special army: the Longmeng Army to accommodate the bandits and rebels who were recruited.

Among those who were recruited, there were even some high-ranking officials who were rampant!
For example, Peng Sun of Huanqing Road today was appointed as the military commander of Huanqing Road and the governor of Jingbian Village based on his service as Sifangguan Envoy and Laizhou Defense Envoy.

From a bandit, he became the commander of a group of soldiers.

After retirement, there is hope that one can be appointed to a regular position, or even have a chance to obtain the military power!
The Zhao officials did this to maintain stability.

Even rebellious robbers and bandits can be recruited and given wealth and honor.

Why can’t we give the clerks a way out?
really!

Zhang Fangping heard the young official in front of him and said with emotion: "What the governor said is very true!"

"I have read history books and have seen stories of heroes rising from the grassroots at the end of the Qin Dynasty..."

"I have also seen the Huang bandits and other people who harmed the world at the end of the Tang Dynasty..."

"I have always been thinking... If the Qin court could employ Xiao He, Zhang Liang, Cao Shen and others to make them rich and powerful..."

"If the Emperor of Tang could allow Huang Chao and others to enter the government and enjoy wealth and honor..."

"Perhaps the Qin and Tang dynasties may not be in danger of collapse!"

"If that's the case, I'm afraid I'm still a minister of the Tang Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fangping could only bow his head.

Feng Jing bowed his head in delight: "Your Majesty is wise and wise!"

Maintaining stability is the highest political correctness in the Song Dynasty.

The Zhao Song Dynasty was a dynasty that openly ruled the country together with the scholar-officials.

Therefore, maintaining stability is not just the responsibility of Emperor Zhao alone!
It is the common obligation of all scholars, officials, military officials, nobles and relatives of the emperor in the world!
Maintaining stability can bring peace to the world and avoid the recurrence of the tragedy of "the bones of nobles were trampled on the streets and the inner treasury was burned to ashes."

Everyone in the ruling group knows that recruiting tattooed young men as soldiers in times of peace and disaster is an important system to protect everyone's safety!
After all, no one wants to see Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Huang Chao and others succeed in their uprisings again.

You must know that this world does not just belong to Emperor Zhao.

It belongs to everyone too!
Everyone has the responsibility and obligation to protect Emperor Zhao's country and people!
and so……

Zhang Fangping looked at Feng Jing and felt uneasy.

He knew very well that once Feng Jing gained power, it would mean his loss of power.

If he loses power, the entire faction will fall apart.

He will no longer have the ability to protect the brothers Su Zhe and Su Shi.

However, he had no choice but to bow his head and say dejectedly: "This old minister is terrified... I didn't know that your majesty's wisdom is so far-reaching... I beg your majesty to punish me!"

He lost this round after all!
Since you have lost, you should give up and admit defeat immediately.

This is the experience Zhang Fangping has accumulated over decades of official career.

This is because continuing to pester them would not only be of no avail, but would only increase the emperor's resentment, leading to a greater failure!

Stop losses in time!

This is a skill that every old minister who has come through the Jiayou era has learned.

however……

The next moment, Zhang Fangping felt a pair of tender little hands resting on his body.

"What crime has the governor committed?"

"A gentleman is harmonious but different. This is the teaching of the sages!"

"Besides..."

"Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened, listen to only one side and you will be confused. This is the foundation of a ruler's governance!"

"Although what Feng Jiedu said is very kind, Zhang Jiedu's concern may not be wrong!"

"Therefore, I would like to ask the Jiedu and Feng Jiedu to work together to draft for me the method of examining the clerks and the system of promoting the civil service examination in prefectures, counties and towns!"

Zhang Fangping looked up in surprise, and saw the young official in front of him, whose eyes were sincere and full of expectation and dependence.

Zhang Fangping was deeply moved and immediately bowed with tears in his eyes and said, "Yes!"

"I will follow your command!"

Zhao Xu chuckled and helped Feng Jing up.

"Both of you elders are my loyal followers left to me by our ancestors!"

"We should work together to offer advice and suggestions for me and the country of Song!"

"I will listen to whatever you say and whatever you propose!"

Yes!

You are all my wings!

We can fight, but we must do our work!
As for how to do it?
That's their business.

(End of this chapter)