The prince is more stable

Chapter 51 Authority is like a sword
The Imperial City Division originated from the "Wu De Division" in the Five Dynasties period. It was renamed "Imperial City Division" during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song. It is a very special and mysterious organization in the Song Dynasty.

It was directly under the jurisdiction of the emperor, and no official or government office had the right to interfere in the affairs of the Imperial City Administration.

This organization is relatively secretive, and its nature is roughly equivalent to the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty, but its power is not as exaggerated as that of the Jinyiwei.

The main duties of the Imperial City Bureau were spying, questioning and monitoring.

Unlike the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Imperial City Division had the power to arrest and interrogate subjects, but not the power to judge.

In other words, if a minister or commoner was found to have committed an illegal act, the Imperial City Division could arrest, escort and interrogate him without going through the local authorities. However, after the interrogation, the sentence imposed on the person still had to be determined by the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple.

If the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple cannot convict the person, the person is still innocent and should be released.

Of course, those who are targeted by the Imperial City Bureau will most likely not be able to escape, but the Imperial City Bureau rarely takes action unless it involves very serious cases, such as treason, collusion with foreign enemies, etc.

Zhao Xu appointed Zhao Xiaoqian as the "official in charge of the Imperial City Affairs", which was an official title.

Yes, "勾当" was originally an official title, but after thousands of years, it somehow evolved into a derogatory word.

Just like the power of the prime minister in the Song Dynasty, the power of the Imperial City Bureau is also divided. It has no top leader, but three officials who jointly govern the Imperial City Bureau. The three officials are the highest-level officials in the Imperial City Bureau. The three cooperate with each other and also check and balance each other.

The officials of all dynasties in the Song Dynasty were probably aware that the Imperial City Administration was a ferocious tiger, so they would not concentrate the power to control this tiger in one person. The most secure way was to separate the powers.

Moreover, as the highest-ranking official of the Imperial City Bureau, his rank in official duties was not high, only the seventh rank. This might also be due to the government's wariness of the Imperial City Bureau.

A powerful agency that holds such enormous powers as supervision, interrogation, and spying is like a tiger that chooses its prey. The government must keep the tiger in a cage, otherwise its power will become too strong to be controlled and will bite the tiger's owner.

It has to be said that the successive officials of the Song Dynasty have always been sober and cautious when it comes to the issue of power.

Today, after careful consideration, Zhao Xi finally decided to use the Imperial City Bureau.

Not only that, he also wanted to put Zhao Xiaoqian into the Imperial City Division.

Clan members were not allowed to hold powerful official positions, but the Imperial City Office was an exception.

The Imperial City Bureau is directly under the jurisdiction of the emperor. It does not participate in state affairs, nor does it have the opportunity to interfere in state affairs. It has an antagonistic relationship with civil and military officials, one of supervision and being supervised. There is no need to worry about the Imperial City Bureau making friends with officials.

More importantly, Zhao Xu is now in a difficult situation and he needs a knife to stab the old party forces.

The Imperial City Division is undoubtedly an extremely sharp knife. If the handle of the knife is held in the hands of a relative of the same surname, Zhao Xu will surely be able to use it more easily.

Zhao Xiaoqian is the most suitable candidate, or rather, he is the only candidate among the clan members that Zhao Xi can think of.

Who else could we choose if not him? Should we choose that 300-pound fat guy, Zhao Hao?

…………

Prince Chu's Mansion.

Zhao Xiaoqian returned to the palace with a tired look on his face. He went to Yaohua Palace today but did not see his mother, so he felt a little disappointed.

After returning to the palace, Zhao Xiaoqian told Zhao Hao. Zhao Hao seemed to have expected it and was not very surprised. His expression was very calm.

Perhaps Zhao Hao really had no feelings for Feng, his former wife.

Only your feet know whether the shoes fit you or not. The so-called adjustment in marriage is nothing more than forcing yourself to compromise and make sacrifices for your partner. When the compromise reaches a point that you can no longer tolerate, separation is the greatest kindness to both of you.

This truth is probably not understood by lovers who have not experienced the daily necessities of life. Middle-aged couples may have a better understanding of it.

Zhao Hao was obviously not someone who was used to compromising in marriage. Zhao Xiaoqian could see that Zhao Hao was very happy after the divorce, and Zhao Xiaoqian really couldn't imagine his happiness.

The father and son talked very little about Feng's topic and just passed it over briefly.

But Zhao Xiaoqian secretly decided that he must find a legitimate reason to swagger into Yaohua Palace and see his biological mother in this life with his own eyes.

The father and son had nothing to talk about, so they decided to find some leisure activities. Since then, the palace's regular leisure activity has become watching servants clean carpets.

As the creator and initiator of this activity, Zhao Xiaoqian was enthusiastically sought after by the owner and servants of the palace.

Zhao Hao, from his initial disdain, gradually became an avid spectator.

This thing really has magic. It is just a simple flushing, washing, flushing again, and washing again. Such a boring activity, but Zhao Hao felt like he was being fed chicken soup for the soul.

What the servants were washing was no longer the carpet, but Zhao Hao's soul. He understood the tranquility and peace of life, healing and sublimation, as well as the law of nature.

At this moment, in the courtyard of the palace, the servants were busy working with sweat on their foreheads, and four people were squatting side by side on the stone steps of the courtyard. In addition to Zhao Hao and his son Zhao Xiaoqian, there were also Zhao Shuangzheng and Cai You.

It's unknown when Zhao Shuangzheng and Cai You became friends. During the last ambush at the horse farm, they were the ones beating each other, but today they became friends for some unknown reason. Judging from the intimate tone they used when talking, it was almost like they were sworn brothers.

When the Zhao father and son were watching the carpet washing, Zhao Shuangzheng and Cai You happened to come to visit.

The two entered the courtyard and saw the father and son staring at the servants washing the carpet. They almost thought they were crazy.

Why were the father and son so absorbed in this boring and tedious task, as if they were completely oblivious to everything else? Could it be that carpet cleaning was hiding some incredible secret?
The two of them did not salute, and even if they did, the father and son probably wouldn't even look at them.

So the two of them squatted quietly in a row with the father and son, and the four of them watched the servants clean the carpet in silence.

They watched for nearly half an hour, and Zhao Shuangzheng and Cai You were horrified to find that they could not pull their eyes out!
It's both addictive and crazy. It turns out that carpet cleaning is such a magical and charming activity.

Finally, after one side of the carpet was washed, the servant spread it out and hung it in the sun, and only then did the father and son breathe a sigh of relief.

Zhao Shuangzheng and Cai You were still not satisfied: "Go on, another carpet!"

I can’t quit, I can’t quit at all!
Zhao Xiaoqian sighed quietly, "That's all."

"What's gone?"

"The carpet is gone. All the carpets in my palace have been washed in the past two days." Zhao Xiaoqian said resentfully.

Zhao Shuangzheng was anxious. He was addicted to watching the carpet and how could he allow it to be gone?

"I have some at home. Send someone to my house as soon as possible and move all the dirty carpets here!" Zhao Shuangzheng said immediately.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him indifferently and sneered: "My servant is cleaning your carpet. Did you take the wrong medicine?"

"Can I pay you for your work?" Zhao Shuangzheng scratched his head. Carpet cleaning was very tiring.

Zhao Xiaoqian's face darkened as he said solemnly, "You are a man of great stature, yet you don't think of being loyal to your king and country, and you don't strive for self-improvement. Instead, you sit in my house and watch others wash carpets. How boring!"

Zhao Shuangzheng and Cai You looked at him speechlessly.

This is your house, and you were the one who came up with the idea of ​​cleaning the carpet. If nothing unexpected happens, you have witnessed the entire carpet cleaning process in the palace. But now you say that we are not striving for progress?
"We don't strive for progress, what about you?" Cai You couldn't help but ask.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled slightly and said, "I am a member of the clan. Clan members are not supposed to seek advancement. I would like to make some progress, but the government won't allow it."

Zhao Hao laughed: "Me too."

Zhao Shuangzheng also laughed: "Me too!"

Cai You: “…………”

The words are ridiculous, but the amazing thing is that they are impossible to refute.

The sound of hurried footsteps broke the peace of the four people, and a servant appeared in the courtyard with a happy face.

"Your Highness, and the Crown Prince, an imperial decree has arrived from the palace, appointing the Crown Prince to an official position! He's in charge of official affairs at the Imperial City Office, and he's a powerful official!"

(End of this chapter)