The prince is more stable

Chapter 53 Standing on the Trend
Zhao Xiaoqian finally discovered that he was no longer unfamiliar with the world, and he no longer looked at the joys and sorrows of the world with the eyes of an outsider and indifference.

The family affection in this world is like an invisible rope that tightly binds him, pulling him step by step into the world of mortals and making him willingly integrate into it.

The only bond in the world is family. Faced with Zhao Hao's love and doting, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly felt that he really wanted to give something for this father and this family.

Perhaps, when I grow into a towering tree, my shade will be able to protect him and his family from wind and rain.

The banquet was held at the palace, but there were not many guests.

The news of Zhao Xiaoqian being granted an official title had not yet spread, and the only guests in the palace today were Zhao Shuangzheng and Cai You.

The two of them lived up to expectations and sent generous gifts to the palace.

Zhao Hao was very happy and immediately upgraded the two guests to SVIP.

If the palace had not been still in mourning for the Empress Dowager, Zhao Hao might have planned to arrange singing and dancing to entertain the guests.

The next morning, Zhao Xiaoqian, wearing a red official uniform and a long-winged official hat, walked out leisurely.

According to Zhao Xiaoqian's official rank, he was a seventh-rank official in charge of official affairs in the Imperial City Division. According to regulations, he should wear green official uniforms. Only officials of the fifth rank and above could wear red.

But Zhao Xiaoqian's official position was not limited to handling official affairs. He also had another identity, that is, the governor of Duanzhou, a fifth-rank official.

The Governor of Duanzhou was a salaried official, which is commonly known as a honorary title, but an honorary title is still a title. Since he is of the fifth rank, he should wear a red official uniform.

Wearing bright red, with long wings on his head and a jade belt around his waist, Zhao Xiaoqian stood in front of the mirror, looking left and right, feeling uncomfortable, like a groom.

As heaven and earth can attest, he is still... well, commonly known as a "virgin" in this life, a shameful title.

After leaving the palace gate, Zhao Xiaoqian got on a carriage and headed straight for the imperial palace.

In Funing Palace, Zhao Xiaoqian met Zhao Xu again.

He bowed his head without saying a word. There was no other way. The etiquette between the monarch and his subjects could not be neglected. Who knew if Zhao Xu was narrow-minded and failed to show proper etiquette? What if others secretly held a grudge against him?

Zhao Xu was in a good mood today, probably because he didn't stay up late last night and had a good sleep. He looked energetic today and his eyes were much clearer.

"Haha, Zi'an, I guessed that you would come today." Zhao Xu waved and motioned him to sit down.

"The emperor values ​​me so highly that I am overwhelmed. I came to the palace today to express my gratitude for the emperor's grace." Zhao Xiaoqian said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Zhao Xu waved his hand and said with a smile, "The Imperial City Division is the safest position I can think of. Zi'an's talent is in my eyes. First, work steadily in the Imperial City Division and do a few things for me. Since I have broken the ancestral law, it is not impossible to transfer you elsewhere in the future."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will be loyal to you and serve my country until my death."

"Your Majesty has only been in power for a short time, yet you dare to break the laws of our ancestors and appoint the sons of our clan. This shows how bold you are. Even the Qin Emperor and Han Wudi could not match you. I believe that under your rule, our Song Dynasty will be unified and surpass the mighty Han and Tang dynasties. Long live your Majesty!"

After saying that, Zhao Xiaoqian quickly rubbed his cheeks. He felt so embarrassed that goose bumps appeared on his face, and a faint sense of shame arose in his heart.

Flattery may sound a bit shameless, but it cannot be omitted.

The emperor liked to hear others compare him with the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor, and add some flattery like loyalty and dedication. Of course, Zhao Xiaoqian had to cater to his wishes.

Sure enough, Zhao Xu laughed out loud, looking up to the sky, laughing like the villain boss Zuo Shandiao. It was obvious that Zhao Xiaoqian's flattery hit the spot.

"It's an exaggeration, haha, it's an exaggeration. How can I be compared with the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor? Zi'an, please don't say these words in the future. I'm so embarrassed." Zhao Xu was humble, but the corners of his mouth were harder to suppress than AK.

Zhao Xiaoqian secretly curled his lips and said, "How can I be so worthy of this?", but the smile on his face was engraved with the words, "I am the undisputed number one in history. If you don't agree, blow up my grave and come out to chop me down."

Don't you think about it? Strictly speaking, the Song Dynasty was just a separatist regime.

Not only did the Song Dynasty fail to achieve unification, but it became increasingly degraded. By the time of the Southern Song Dynasty, it was simply unbearable to watch.

Even the Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han would laugh out loud in their tombs.

So, why are there so many shameless people around me, and even the officials are so thick-skinned.

"How can your Majesty be so self-deprecating? When I say your achievements are comparable to those of the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor, I am not flattering you, but speaking from the heart."

Zhao Xiaoqian said solemnly, "Since you took power, you have worked diligently to govern the country. Discarding the old and restoring the new is what the people want. You have employed relatives without any restrictions and dared to break the laws of our ancestors. Throughout the history of the Song Dynasty, who could match your fearlessness?"

"I believe that given time and with the right timing, the emperor will be able to make the Song Dynasty rise, destroy the Liao and conquer the Xia, and achieve immortal achievements." He rubbed his face and got goose bumps again!

"Haha, haha, hahaha! That's too much, Zi'an has gone too far!" Zhao Xu laughed wildly towards the sky, his eyes shining terribly.

Zhao Xu seemed to take Zhao Xiaoqian's flattery seriously, which no one would believe.

That's good. Whether life is really confusing or pretending to be confusing, it's never wrong to praise everyone you meet. What did Carnegie say about the weaknesses of human nature?

Whatever it is, just praise it to death.

Zhao Xiaoqian flattered Zhao Xu for a long time without any bottom line and shamelessness. The more Zhao Xu listened, the happier he became, and the more he looked at Zhao Xiaoqian, the more pleasing he became.

After all, we are relatives with the same surname, he understands me!
It was not until Zhao Xu's face turned slightly red from the flattery that Zhao Xu rationally interrupted Zhao Xiaoqian's flattery.

I can’t listen to it anymore. If I listen to it again, I’ll get addicted and lose myself.

Then the king and his ministers started talking about business.

"Including you, there are three people in charge of official business in the Imperial City Office. You three are not subordinate to each other and each of you has your own responsibilities. You only need to report important news directly to me." Zhao Xu said.

"I understand."

Zhao Xu hummed and said, "I have appointed you to handle official business. Do you know what task I want you to do?"

"I don't know. Please explain clearly, Your Majesty."

Zhao Xu was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The most important issue facing the country right now is abolishing the old and restoring the new. I have discussed the changes in the new laws with the ministers in the court. However, the old party is so powerful that it is difficult to implement the laws, which sometimes gives me a headache."

Zhao Xiaoqian asked cautiously, "What does the emperor mean by that..."

Zhao Xu smiled slightly, but said no more.

Seeing Zhao Xu's attitude, Zhao Xiaoqian knew that there were some things he needed to figure out on his own. No matter what he figured out or what he did, it was his responsibility as an official, and whether he was right or wrong had nothing to do with the government.

"I understand." Zhao Xiaoqian bowed.

Zhao Xu was very satisfied with Zhao Xiaoqian's response, and then said, "If you encounter any problems that you are undecided about, you can come and ask me. If there are any problems that the Imperial City Office cannot solve, you can also report them to me."

"The minister obeys the order."

After taking his leave and leaving the palace, Zhao Xiaoqian's mind was constantly racing as he walked from Funing Palace to the palace gate.

Zhao Xiaoqian roughly understood what Zhao Xu meant.

In a nutshell, there are too many old parties and too few new parties, and the power in the court is unbalanced, which is not a good thing for the emperor.

Therefore, some of the positions occupied by the old party should be vacated to allow the new party to fill them.

So, how can we get the old party to willingly give up their positions? The imperial edict of appointment and dismissal cannot be made without reason, so the Imperial City Bureau should take action.

Those who accepted bribes, violated laws and disciplines, and abused their power for personal gain, in short, someone had to be held accountable for all kinds of crimes. Zhao Xu openly dismissed these people and then issued a transfer order to let the New Party fill their positions.

Zhao Xiaoqian is in charge of official business, and these are the tasks he will be doing in the future.

That’s right, it is very offensive. If you are not careful, you will be criticized by everyone and hated by the old party.

But Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care.

He knew the direction of history. If nothing unexpected happened, in the next few decades, even the next and the next emperor of the Song Dynasty would advocate new laws.

From this year on, the Old Party will be suppressed year after year, and until the Southern Song Dynasty, it is still under the pressure of the government and the New Party.

The famous writer Mr. Su Dongpo, because he was a member of the old party, later in the Huizong period, his name was carved on a stone tablet, which was called the "Yuanyou Traitor Tablet". Can you believe it?
That’s right, it was Cai Jing who did this.

Zhao Xiaoqian is on the side of the general trend, so what is there to fear?

(End of this chapter)