The prince is more stable

Chapter 164: A rift between the ruler and his subjects
Zhang Dun suddenly felt as if a thunderbolt was about to strike him.

Just now he thought he was the chosen one, but God slapped him in the face in an instant and struck him with a nine-day divine thunder, which made him burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.

On the surface, it was just a young boy who caused trouble without thinking about the consequences, but when you think about it more deeply, you will find that the big boss behind it is actually the government.

If Cai Bian hadn't reminded him, Zhang Dun would have never thought of it.

Yes, if the Imperial City Administration wants to mobilize the imperial guards, it must have an order.

After the founding of the Song Dynasty, successive officials paid particular attention to military power. Perhaps they had learned from the lessons of the Tang Dynasty. All the deployment of soldiers in the world had to be reported to the government. Only after the government issued the deployment order could the ministers below be qualified to mobilize the troops.

Otherwise, don't look at the Song Dynasty talking about gentleman politics and not punishing scholars and officials. That's because you haven't crossed the red line. Once you cross the red line and touch the military power, it is a serious crime of treason, and your property will be confiscated and your family will be exterminated without any negotiation.

In this regard, the officials of the Song Dynasty were very clear-headed.

The civil officials argued and fought in the court, and even if they broke their heads, it was just verbal disputes and private fights between the literati, and could not affect the foundation of the country.

Military power is different. It is really deadly. Without the permission of the government, anyone who touches it will die, and his household registration book will also be lost.

Today, Zhao Xiaoqian mobilized a thousand imperial guards. Thinking about the details, Zhang Dun couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Cai Bian was right. Without the emperor's order, Zhao Xiaoqian could not mobilize the troops in Bianliang. In other words, the emperor condoned Zhao Xiaoqian's actions. If you think about it more deeply, the emperor also wanted to save Su Che.

Seeing Zhang Dun's expressionless face, Cai Bian cautiously asked, "I have another question for you, Lord Zhang. Yesterday, Su Che was arrested for questioning. Regardless of whether it happened before or after, did you report this matter to the emperor?"

Zhang Dun broke out in a cold sweat again.

"I...I was busy with government affairs and forgot to report this matter." Zhang Dun said palely.

Cai Bian's eyelids couldn't help but twitch, and he felt speechless.

Su Che, let's not talk about his status in the literary world, just say that he was the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the deputy prime minister, and he was thrown into the Ministry of Justice for no reason. Such a serious incident, you didn't even inform the emperor, and just handled it on your own?

Cai Bian sighed. It had only been a few days since he became prime minister, and this old man was already getting cocky.

Once a person becomes arrogant, he is not far from getting into trouble.

Those who are arrogant will be punished by God. Looking at Zhang Dun's appearance now, he looks like he is about to be taken away by God.

Cai Bian couldn't help but start to hesitate whether to follow Zhang Dun to the end.

Today, Zhao Xiaoqian led the imperial guards to break the prison, which was actually an obvious signal released by the government that the government was dissatisfied with the newly appointed prime minister.

The dissatisfaction may not just be about Su Che, there may be other things.

Conflicts always accumulate bit by bit. Before this, the emperor must have had some grudges against Zhang Dun in some aspects, otherwise he would not have taken Su Che away from the Ministry of Justice in such a slapping way today.

So, this is a warning and also a wake-up call.

The emperor wanted to use this method to tell Zhang Dun that the power of the emperor is always above the power of the prime minister, and old man, don't even think about turning the tables.

Seeing Zhang Dun still sitting in the chair for a long time without moving, Cai Bian sighed and said, "Lord Zhang, if I were you, I would immediately go to the palace to see the emperor, explain the matter clearly, and then test the emperor's intentions."

"If today's warning is just a warning, then it's fine. But if the government is already deeply prejudiced, perhaps the new law will still be implemented, but the position of prime minister... may not belong to Zhang Gong anymore."

Zhang Dun shuddered all over and felt his hands and feet go cold.

He had only been the prime minister for a few days. If the government was already deeply dissatisfied with him and wanted to replace him, then Zhang Dun would become a laughing stock of the world.

Now that I think about it, I did go too far by instructing Xing Shu to interrogate Su Che without even saying hello. If I put myself in his shoes, I think if he were the emperor, he would definitely be furious.

Today the government only ordered Zhao Xiaoqian to rob the Ministry of Justice prison, which shows that the government has been very restrained.

Zhang Dun, who was originally strong, felt a little scared for some reason at this moment.

Trying hard to suppress his inner uneasiness, Zhang Dun had to maintain his composure in front of outsiders. He was still the prime minister who remained calm even when faced with a mountain of collapse, without changing in the slightest...

Stroking his beard and smiling, his face calm, Zhang Dun said with a smile: "The emperor and his subjects have no doubts. Yuandu is worrying too much. Since the emperor has given me the power of prime minister, I can act according to my own discretion."

"To be honest, I do have something to report to the emperor. The corvée labor on the Kaifeng section of the Yellow River has begun, and the Ministry of Revenue should also allocate funds and grain. I will go to the palace to discuss this with the emperor."

After saying this, Zhang Dun stood up and walked out of the hall calmly. As he stepped out of the threshold of the government hall and turned the corner outside the hall, Zhang Dun's pace unconsciously quickened and his expression became a little anxious.

What is certain now is that a rift has arisen between the emperor and his ministers. Zhang Dun's lifelong ideal is to implement new laws, save the country, and benefit the people. If the emperor has any opinions about him, it will not be a good thing for him personally or for the implementation of the new laws.

…………

Su Che was sent to Bingjingwu.

This time, Su Che was not on trial and was not serving a sentence. Zhao Xiaoqian ordered Liu Dan to arrange a separate cell for him. The cell had better lighting and had been cleaned three times. Zhao Xiaoqian specifically instructed him to sprinkle some medicine powder on it first to kill the lice inside.

This... was purely out of Zhao Xiaoqian's personal needs. When the storm died down and Su Che was released from prison, the two of them would drink together. If the lice on Su Che's body jumped onto Zhao Xiaoqian...

A dignified marquis and a descendant of the royal family, having lice all over his body is not only disgraceful but also prone to anemia.

In short, Su Che should live there first, and Zhao Xiaoqian should observe the direction of the court.

If Zhang Dun was not convinced and pointed the finger at him, Zhao Xiaoqian would then have a fierce fight with the prime minister of the time.

If a real fight breaks out, Zhao Xiaoqian will most likely not be able to defeat Zhang Dun. Even with Zhao Xu's support, Zhao Xiaoqian will still have to experience the ups and downs of first suffering and then sweetness, first suppression and then rise, and he might even be thrown into jail for a few days.

If Zhang Dun had had some common sense and realized the unusual circumstances behind Zhao Xiaoqian's robbery of the Ministry of Justice's prison today, he would not have acted rashly.

Is it necessary to mobilize so many imperial guards to go to the Ministry of Justice?
What Zhao Xiaoqian left to Zhang Dun was not just a hint, it was an explicit statement.

So guess who gave me the order to assemble the troops?
In the small courtyard of the palace, a small charcoal stove was lit, and in the small iron pot on the stove, fragrant fish soup was boiling.

Fry the head of a bighead carp in vegetable oil until golden brown, add cold water, ginger slices, garlic, and star anise, and simmer for a while over low heat until the fish soup turns milky white and emits a strong aroma.

At this point, it has become an art.

When you open the lid of the pot, a rich aroma fills the air.

Jiang Miaoxian, who had been squatting beside and staring at the iron pot, held her chin with both hands, but her throat moved slightly.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at her and suddenly said, "Wipe your saliva! It's all over your shoes."

Jiang Miaoxian's pretty face flushed red. She subconsciously wiped her chin and found that there was no saliva. She was immediately furious and pinched him angrily: "Master, you are lying to me again!"

Then Jiang Miaoxian held her chin up and looked at him, her eyes full of tenderness: "My lord, you are really capable. You can compose poems and lyrics, and you can also... well, uh..."

"Can't go on? What can Wu Neng do? I'll tell you. Wu Neng can fight you all night long and put you in nine different positions. Nine!"

Jiang Miaoxian's pretty face turned the color of liver with embarrassment. She looked around in panic and said angrily, "I'm going to die! How can you say such words in broad daylight? Do I want to be a human being anymore?"

"I've seen you in every way, so why are you shy? The bond between husband and wife is more precious than the pleasures of painting eyebrows in the boudoir... The fish soup is ready. Autumn is the season for nourishing food. Drink more fish soup to replenish your nutrition."

Taking two bowls, Jiang Miaoxian first filled a bowl of soup for Zhao Xiaoqian, and then filled a bowl for herself.

Taking a sip from the bowl, Jiang Miaoxian's eyes lit up and she couldn't help but say, "How delicious! Master, your cooking is excellent. I didn't expect you to be so well-rounded, even your spoon-stirring skills are so extraordinary. I'm so blessed."

Zhao Xiaoqian also took a sip and nodded with satisfaction.

Yes, his cooking skills had not deteriorated in his previous life. In that era when people wanted to vomit from eating pre-prepared takeout meals, in order to live longer and save money, Zhao Xiaoqian usually cooked for himself. Over time, he had developed quite good cooking skills.

Without being modest, if this cooking skill were brought to the Song Dynasty today, it would be enough to crush all the chefs in the world.

It’s a pity that I’m a prince, not a chef. Otherwise, if I opened a restaurant in Zhouqiao, wouldn’t that be... crazy?

The two of them squatted in the yard and drank fish soup without caring about their etiquette. Jiang Miaoxian laughed happily, her face filled with happiness.

Whether a woman has married the right person can really be seen from her face.

Outside the courtyard, an ugly maidservant who was unworthy of having a name quietly approached and said with a bow, "Sir, Miss Di is here to visit."

Before Zhao Xiaoqian could say anything, Jiang Miaoxian looked guilty, put down the bowl, turned around and ran into the house in a panic.

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned. What was going on?
Are you serious about the guilty look on your face after being caught cheating with your wife?
(End of this chapter)