I studied in modern times

Chapter 840 Storm (1)

June, Gengzi day.

After three refusal and three declines, Zeng Bu finally took office and became the ruler of the Song Dynasty.

At the same time, he became a member of the six ministries, just like Su Song.

This made him very proud.

In particular, when Zeng Bu paid a visit to the left prime minister Lu Gongzhu in the capital hall, his emotions reached its peak.

Because Zeng Bu discovered that the mental and physical condition of Lu Gongzhu, the left prime minister, was far worse than when he had just returned to the court in the eighth year of Yuanfeng.

This would be great!
Because this means that the Left Prime Minister Lu Gongzhu may not stay in the position of prime minister for long.

Once it is gone...

Zeng Bu's heart suddenly started beating wildly.

He felt an unprecedented opportunity!
As long as I can... then, wouldn't the position of Left Prime Minister be...

As for the right prime minister Pu Zongmeng?
Zeng Bu didn't take it seriously at all and didn't regard it as a threat!
In Zeng Bu's eyes, as long as Pu Zongmeng can keep his position as the right prime minister, that's all he can hope for!

If things go wrong, it is possible that he will be convicted and dismissed from his post.

However, when Zeng Bu moved into his command hall the next day.

He saw a person who made him feel physically uncomfortable.

Cai Jing and Cai Yuanchang, the acting governor of Kaifeng Prefecture!
Especially today's Cai Jing made him particularly disgusted!
Cai Jing was wearing a purple official robe today, a goldfish bag, a jade belt around his waist, and a wide-legged hat on his head.

Cai Jing was tall, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a neat and clean beard on his chin.

In front of Cai Jing, Zeng Bu felt like a dwarf!

Yes!

dwarf!

What Zeng Bu hated most in his life were the civil officials who were taller and stronger than him.

Cai Jing was one, Zhang Dun was another, but the one Zeng Bu hated the most was Han Zhongyan, the son of Han Qi.

Because Han Zhongyan is not only tall and strong, but also comes from a prominent family. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. No matter what he does, there are always people paving the way for him.

Every time he met Han Zhongyan, although Zeng Bu had a smile on his face, he was actually full of disgust in his heart.

As for Cai Jing?

Zeng Bu recalled the rumor he heard after returning to Beijing.

During the Xining period, Prime Minister Jiefu once talked to Cai Yuandu about his successor.

Cai Jing is among them!

Zeng Bu was immediately filled with hatred!

However, he showed an extremely warm smile on his face, walked forward and greeted him in an extremely intimate manner: "Why are you here, Yuanchang?"

Cai Jing remained calm and bowed to Zeng Bu in a formal manner, saying, "Your humble servant greets Yuan Zuo!"

Zeng Bu's face darkened for a moment, then he returned to normal, and used a normal official tone: "Is it Prefect Cai who came to the capital?"

Cai Jing clasped his hands and said, "I have come to report to Yuan Zuo in compliance with the imperial decree that the clerks in the prefecture and counties are exploiting and framing the good people!"

Zeng Bu hummed and said, "In that case, please come in and discuss in detail!!"

As he spoke, he led Cai Jing into the quiet room in his newly decorated hall.

……

Pu Zongmeng leaned back in his chair and read today's Bian Jing News.

The headline on the front page is very eye-catching - When will the malpractices among clerks in the government be put to an end?

The whole article lists the cases of exploitation, extortion, blackmail and false accusations against "good merchants" by clerks in Kaifeng Prefecture in the past half month since June, which were reported by the Bian Jing Xin Bao.

Then, at the end, a soul-searching question is asked: The sun is bright, the king's laws are strict, the emperor is benevolent and wise, and the country is full of righteous people, but why is it that we are in this country, right at the feet of the emperor, in the best place, the capital?

Can the clerks repeatedly attack the good and inflict violence on the innocent? !
What about Kaifeng Prefecture?
Where is the Censorate?

Why is there no sound?
How long will this situation last?

Is it true that the laws of the Song Dynasty are no longer able to govern the clerks?

Is it true that the emperor's decrees can no longer be implemented within the prefecture?
How long will you, the officials in power, remain silent?
Will we only take it seriously when someone really dies and innocent blood is shed?

Pu Zongmeng put down the tabloid in his hand and narrowed his eyes.

He wanted to get up several times and called his confidants to prepare writing materials and writing brushes so that he could write a letter and bring it to the palace.

But in the end, he didn't move.

Instead, he looked quietly outside the gate of the Lingting Hall, opposite the Right Prime Minister's Lingting Hall, where the government officials were located.

He knew that Cai Jing had just arrived in the capital and went straight to the newly appointed Zeng Bu.

As soon as Zeng Bu took office, he was in charge of both the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice.

So he lowered his head and read the report in the Bian Jing Xin Bao again.

He already knew that this Bian Jing Xin Bao, when it came to criticizing and discussing the government.

In fact, it no longer represents the position of this tabloid.

But the highest will!
and so……

"Wait a little longer!" said Pu Zongmeng.

He had been in the capital for some time. After being appointed prime minister, he went to the palace to receive imperial decrees and accompanied the emperor on two fishing trips.

Although the emperor and his ministers were still in the process of getting along, Pu Zongmeng already knew that the current emperor did not like the prime ministers interfering in his affairs.

If it were a straight-forward minister, he might have resolutely entered the palace even though he knew the emperor's intention on this matter.

but……

He, Pu Zongmeng and Pu Chuanzheng, have never been upright subjects.

Quite the contrary!

He is famous for catering to his superiors, and he got to where he is today by sucking up to them!

and so……

Pu Zongmeng could only wait.

When the palace's intentions became clear, he would take advantage of the situation.

but……

"Where are you, Zuo Kui?" Pu Zongmeng looked towards the wall.

On the other side of the wall, at the end of the corridor and the attic room.

It was the left prime minister's left servant Lingting.

The command hall of Lu Gongzhu, Duke of Shen!
What choice will the Left Prime Minister make after reading the text in today's Bian Jing Xin Bao?

……

Lu Gongzhuo put down the Bian Jing News in his hand tiredly.

All the hair on his head is now white.

The eye sockets began to sink, the cheeks, which were not plump to begin with, showed signs of dryness, and the wrinkles on the face became deeper.

He is so tired!

Since he succeeded the position of Left Prime Minister, he had to take care of the affairs of the capital, manage the personnel arrangements of the hall, and even had to engage in intrigue with those nobles and relatives over the matter of pawning.

However, the constant appearance of traitors in the scholar-official group also made him busy and confused.

Wen Yanbo, Feng Jing, Zhang Fangping...

Even his younger brother, Lu Gongru, went against him on the issue of pawnshops.

They all just wanted the court to buy out the pawnshop as soon as possible so that they could put the money in their pockets.

He had no sympathy for the difficulties of the court, nor for the hardships he faced as prime minister.

Now, Lu Gongzhu finally understood Han Jiang's feelings before he retired.

I'm tired!

I won’t play with you anymore!

Have fun on yourselves!

Sometimes, Lu Gongzhu would privately think about whether he should do the same as Han Jiang.

Just quit the position of prime minister and do whatever you want!

however……

he can not!
Responsibility...family and country...the country...and the young emperor in the palace, whose clear eyes are always filled with sincerity, hope and dependence.

It makes it impossible for him to give up everything and withdraw.

If you treat me like a countryman, I will repay you as a countryman!

This is the ideological stamp of traditional scholar-officials like Lu Gongzhu.

So, Lu Gongzhu stroked the Bianjing New News in his hand. He naturally knew whose attitude was expressed in this article in the Bianjing New News.

"The government is wise!" he thought, "and it loves the people like its own children!"

The purchase of the Embankment Office, the de facto abolition of the Silk and Brocade House's monopoly on state-run textiles, the exemption of excessive taxes, the purchase of the Pawnshop...

The officials in the palace not only said it with their mouths, but also proved through their actions that they were practicing the way of the saints.

For Lu Gongzhu, this is enough, enough!
He waited a lifetime for such a king.

At this time, Lu Gongzhu suddenly remembered the title of a chapter in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" serialized in the Bian Jing Xin Bao not long ago: Stars Falling at Wuzhangyuan.

In gratitude for the recognition and support from Emperor Zhaolie, Wu Hou devoted himself to the country until his death.

He, Lu Gongzhu, should be the same!
As he was thinking this, the door of the hall was pushed open.

The figure of his student Li Chang appeared in front of him.

"Gong Ze is here?" Lü Gongzhu looked at the Bian Jing Xin Bao in Li Chang's hand and asked, "Gong Ze has also read today's Bian Jing Xin Bao?"

"kindness!"

"how?"

Li Chang came to Lü Gongzhu and said, "I want to go to the palace to ask for a question!"

The parallel questions in today's Bian Jing Xin Bao are too heartbreaking.

Especially when he knew where these questions came from, Li Chang could no longer sit still.

Lu Gongzhu shook his head: "No hurry!"

"Gongze, please drink a cup of tea with me first!"

As he spoke, Lu Gongzhu stood up, walked to the side of the hall, and started to boil water and make tea in front of the burning charcoal stove.

Wang Di, who had been studying with Lu Gongzhu, immediately started to prepare tea sets cleverly.

Li Chang looked at his mentor and was about to speak, but Lu Gongzhu suddenly turned around and said to him, "Just two quarters of an hour ago, Cai Jing arrived at the capital to see Zeng Bu!"

Li Chang was stunned.

Zeng Bu just officially took office yesterday, and today Cai Jing came to him?

What did Cai Jing want to see Zeng Bu for?
Li Chang looked at the Bian Jing New News in his hand.

He swallowed and felt goosebumps all over his body.

At this moment, he seemed to hear the sound of metal clanging and saw the scene of human heads falling to the ground and blood gushing out.

"You mean?"

"Let's take a look!" said Lu Gongzhu.

Since the case of the clerks in Malanqiao Town, Yanling County, who framed and exploited "good people", the Bian Jing Xin Bao has tracked and reported more than a dozen cases of clerks extorting, blackmailing, framing and exploiting good people in the past half month.

It involves seven or eight counties, including Yanling, Taikang, Huaxian, Xiangyi, and more than ten towns.

Basically, a case is reported every two or three days.

This level of continuous tracking is unprecedented.

And today, all these reports, put together, turned into questions and rebukes, knocking on the hearts of every minister who thought he still had "morality", shaking their souls.

Still keep silent?
Can you still remain silent?
Do you really want innocent blood to be shed in front of you?

Li Chang knew that no one could withstand those soul-searching questions.

Even those guys who are morally corrupt in private cannot be stopped, let alone dared to stop it!

At this time, they must and can only make the same voice - severely punish the clerks!
Only in this way can they decorate their robes.

Only in this way can they prove their benevolence and righteousness.

So, this will become a trend.

Become something that everyone wants to see.

From peddlers to idlers in the neighborhood, from students to scholar-officials...oh...and also nobles and relatives of the emperor's wife!
Yes!

Noble relatives!

Li Chang suddenly discovered a fact - since some time ago, the nobles and relatives of the emperor in the city of Bianliang have increasingly expanded their industries into areas that require mobility, such as handicrafts and commerce.

Especially, as the pawn shop purchase date approaches.

Their power increasingly merged with the merchant power of Bianliang.

Yes!

Fusion!

You have me I have you.

It is no longer the sneaky way of playing as in the past, but now it is played openly in the form of fighting and leading, and participating in buying and pawning.

Therefore, in the face of this great trend, the clerks in the government are no match for the powerful.

Li Chang swallowed his saliva, looked at his mentor, and asked softly: "En Xiang...is this making a fuss out of nothing and using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"

Lu Gongzhu poured the cooked tea into the teacup, added icing sugar and fresh milk, and stirred gently.

He watched the tea, icing sugar and milk mixed thoroughly together.

Just like the current city of Bianjing.

The literati, nobles, relatives of the emperor and merchants were intertwined and entangled with each other.

Sooner or later, one day, they will be like the tea in front of them, blending with each other, and there will be no distinction between you and me.

and so……

Why did the palace want to do this? And why did they want to create such a momentum?

Lu Gongzhu sighed and said, "Gong Ze!"

"Students are..."

"I'm afraid I can't see it..."

"Gongze may know the answer one day!"

"Please inform me when the time comes!"

Li Chang raised his head, then lowered it again. He certainly knew what Lu Gongzhu meant.

"Students remember!" he said softly.

……

Zeng Buling was in the hall.

Cai Jing placed a number of files in front of him.

He carefully and in detail explained to him the cases reported from below.

Some of them were reported in the Bian Jing Xin Bao, while some were not.

There are so many, at least dozens of them.

And these are just selected, representative cases.

Even more cases reported from local areas were still piled up in Kaifeng Prefecture.

Zeng Bu looked at the files and listened to Cai Jing's introduction.

After Cai Jing finished his introduction, Zeng Bu narrowed his eyes and asked, "Prefect Cai..."

"How dare you, officials in the prefecture?"

"In the heart of the country under the emperor's feet, they are resisting the imperial edict and refusing to obey his orders... Are they going to rebel?"

Cai Jing lowered his head and said, "Replying to Yuan Zuo, I think they may think that the law does not punish everyone!"

He would never tell Zeng Bu that, in fact, more than half of these cases were caused by the secret instigation, encouragement and even induction of Kaifeng Prefecture.

The other half may be related to the Investigation Department.

This doesn't need to be anything complicated.

All it takes is a hint or encouragement to magnify the weaknesses of human nature, causing county and town clerks far away from the city of Bianliang to take risks for money.

At this time, Kaifeng Prefecture only needs to go through the procedures to encourage others to follow suit.

so……

This is to lure the snake out of its hole.

It is an essential prerequisite for a thorough cleaning.

Rats will not come out of their holes on their own, they need bait.

Foxes generally won't enter a chicken coop during the day unless the owner is not home.

Cai Jing was the one who provided the bait and created the illusion that the master was not at home.

However, he would not tell Zeng Bu about these things.

(End of this chapter)