The prince is more stable

Chapter 832 Advantages and Disadvantages of the New Policy
Throughout history and across all dynasties, the "Great Rites Controversy" was a rare occurrence.

When the factions within the court become so acutely conflicted over a certain matter that they can no longer reconcile, the matter has no choice but to be brought to the forefront.

The original meaning of "ritual discussion" is to discuss, based on the actual situation, whether a matter conforms to the rules, whether it is reasonable and legal, or whether it violates the system of etiquette.

The theoretical basis for the "ritual system" is either the Zhou ritual, the Han ritual, or the ancestral system of the current dynasty.

For example, in the Song Dynasty at present, the issue of whether to establish the eldest son of the legitimate wife or the most virtuous son as heir is highly controversial. The court officials have different attitudes and deep-seated contradictions and differences. Therefore, it is necessary to hold a public debate in the form of the "Great Rites Controversy" at the court meeting.

The debate is merely a facade; in reality, due to the numerous entanglements of power and interests, the so-called debate is nothing more than a negotiation between the two camps.

The negotiations were about securing power and benefits for each side. The new party and the old party bickered and argued, pressing each other or compromising amidst debates and curses, and finally reached a reluctant agreement, thus bringing the "Great Rites Controversy" to a satisfactory conclusion.

As for rituals and ancestral rules, they are merely tools for both sides to compete for interests. Everyone lives a very pragmatic life, and no one really lives by rituals and ancestral rules.

The New Party aims to fully implement new policies and gain overwhelming power in the court. The Old Party, clinging to life, is unwilling to exit the stage of history and thus needs to gain a voice in the court to preserve its strength.

Even now, no one mentions the name Zhao Xiaoqian.

The court officials were discussing whether to establish the eldest son of the legitimate wife or the most virtuous and capable son as heir; it had nothing to do with personal matters.

But everyone knew that once the Great Rites Controversy came to a conclusion and the court officials reached a consensus, if "establishing a worthy person" became a tacitly accepted fact, then it would have legitimacy, and Zhao Xiaoqian's name would naturally come to the fore.

After all, if we're talking about "establishing a virtuous person," among all the members of the Zhao clan, who could be more virtuous than Zhao Xiaoqian?

To put it more bluntly, Bianjing City and the Imperial Palace are still under the control of the Yan-Yun Border Army.

For several days in a row, the Daqing Hall was packed with people.

All officials of the fourth rank and above in Beijing participated in this grand ceremony discussion, creating a very impressive atmosphere.

Of course, the new party and the old party also had a heated argument.

Although the old party was weak, it still occupied many seats in the court. Many prime ministers in the Council of State Affairs belonged to the old party camp. For example, Su Zhe, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, was a staunch old party official.

The stance of the old party officials was mostly to uphold the ancestral system.

On a deeper level, upholding ancestral rules means that the new emperor can only be either the Prince of Yan or the Prince of Yue, both of whom are only twelve or thirteen years old this year.

They hoped to recreate the golden age when the Empress Dowager ruled as regent. During the Yuan You era, Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu was young, and the Empress Dowager ruled as regent. The old party officials, led by Sima Guang, completely overthrew the new policies and restored the old laws. The old party officials once again seized power and spared no effort to suppress the new party.

At this moment, just like at that time, everything is very similar.

The old party officials' schemes were naturally seen through by the new party officials long ago, and this was absolutely unacceptable.

A few dishes and you're already this drunk? You still dream of restoring the old ways? Our new party has already taken over the majority of the court. Do you still want to turn the world upside down?

The debate over whether to establish the eldest son of the legitimate wife or the most virtuous son as heir has intensified over the past few days of court assemblies.

There was even an open fight between officials from the new and old parties, with both sides claiming that it was for the sake of justice.

…………

Prince Chu's Palace, Yin'an Hall.

Zhao Xiaoqian had never known that Zhang Dun's alcohol tolerance was so impressive.

Zhang Dun arrived discreetly tonight. The servants in Yin'an Hall and the front courtyard of the Prince's Mansion were dismissed, leaving only Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhang Dun inside.

Zhang Dun came to discuss matters, specifically the details of the Grand Rites Controversy held at court these past few days.

The court officials argued fiercely, but Zhang Dun scoffed at their arguments.

As prime minister, Zhang Dun knew very well that this matter was basically a foregone conclusion, and the current Great Rites Controversy was just a formality.

With Zhao Xiaoqian's promise, the interests of the New Party were maintained and even deepened. With the Prime Minister and the New Party officials working together, the Old Party could not cause much trouble.

The New Party will definitely accomplish what it sets out to do, including putting Zhao Xiaoqian in that position; there is no doubt about that.

Don't be fooled by the current antics of the old guard; it's nothing more than a death throes.

After all, Zhang Dun had suppressed the old party too harshly in recent years, and there were not many old party members left in the court. Their voices were very weak and could not play a significant role.

"Your Highness, please drink to your heart's content. This old man toasts Your Highness in advance on your ascension to the throne, for the sake of the Song Dynasty and all the people under heaven." Zhang Dun raised his cup frequently.

Zhao Xiaoqian was a little dazed. He couldn't remember how much he had drunk that night; he only saw Zhang Dun constantly raising his glass and offering toasts, with a whole repertoire of toasting phrases that left him no choice but to drink. The moral blackmail at the dinner table was unavoidable, so Zhao Xiaoqian had no choice but to obediently raise his glass and drink it all.

“Your Highness, the Great Rites Controversy will likely have a result in three to five days, and the result will be a foregone conclusion. Next, the court officials will nominate Your Highness. Before that, the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yue…” Zhang Dun hesitated.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded, understanding what Zhang Dun had left unsaid.

“The King of Yan and the King of Yue will behave themselves; they can’t afford to get involved in this matter,” Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly.

Zhang Dun smiled easily: "That's good. It saves everyone a lot of trouble. I must say, Your Highness, you created a buzz in the streets and alleys about 'Establishing the Virtuous,' and then, with the students of the Imperial Academy as your fulcrum, you stirred up the entire court and launched the 'Great Rites Controversy'..."

"This move truly amazes me; Your Highness is indeed brilliant."

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes lit up. Damn, it's been so long since I've heard anyone praise me so enthusiastically!

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately stood up, turned slightly to the side, and looked into the distance outside the Yin'an Hall. His brows were furrowed, and he was worried about the country and its people. Zhang Dun could only look up at his profile. He was a man of great vision and strategic talent.

Zhang Dun was dumbfounded, his hand holding the wine glass stopped, and he asked in bewilderment, "Your Highness, what is this...?"

Damn it, she's throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man.

Zhao Xiaoqian had no choice but to sit down. Without a trace of embarrassment, he calmly said, "Sitting for too long makes my back hurt."

"Your Highness is in the prime of your life, you must take good care of yourself. The future of the Song Dynasty depends on Your Highness," Zhang Dun said with concern.

"It's nothing, just a minor ailment. I have too many strengths; I excel in many areas, including my herniated disc," Zhao Xiaoqian said earnestly, praising himself.

Since others have praised him so enthusiastically, Zhao Xiaoqian naturally can't let himself down.

Zhang Dun stared at him blankly, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself, and finally a sheepish smile appeared on his face.

"Ah, come, come, Your Highness, please have a drink! Haha, let's drink!"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed sadly. They're all big shots, so why is their commercial flattery so insincere? He couldn't feel any genuine sincerity from them at all.

Zhang Dun's visit today was, of course, purposeful.

There were many other purposes. First and foremost was to build rapport. After all, Zhao Xiaoqian was already a shoo-in for the future emperor of the Song Dynasty, and as the prime minister, Zhang Dun naturally needed to maintain a good relationship with him. A harmonious relationship between the emperor and his minister would make many things easier to resolve and prevent conflicts from becoming so acute.

Secondly, he needed to report on his work, especially the recent debate on the Great Rites Controversy at the court assembly. Since Zhao Xiaoqian, as a party involved, could not participate, Zhang Dun needed to tell him all the details.

Even if Zhang Dun didn't report it, Zhao Xiaoqian still had ways to find out. But as a subordinate, regardless of whether the leader knew or not, the subordinate had to show the right attitude. This was not only a rule in officialdom, but also a matter of etiquette that had to be observed in interpersonal relationships.

Third, Zhang Dun still had some doubts.

These concerns are relevant to all New Party officials.

With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, a new atmosphere naturally emerged. The new party officials were eager to know about the future policy direction of the Song Dynasty, the revision and implementation of new policies, and the promotion, demotion, and transfer of court officials.

"His Highness once said that the new policies can continue to be implemented, but many details must be modified. I would like to ask, what exactly needs to be modified?" Zhang Dun asked cautiously.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, “The new policy has too many drawbacks. Although the advantages outweigh the disadvantages overall, the existing drawbacks are like mountains that can crush ordinary people.”

"Officials who participate in revising the new policies should first be sent down to rural areas to live and work with farmers. When the autumn harvest comes, they should pay their taxes to the government just like ordinary farmers. Then they should calculate how much is left and whether the remaining grain can feed their families."

Zhao Xiaoqian said earnestly, "If I ascend the throne, this matter must be done. There is no room for discussion. Don't think that you are superior just because you have become an official. Officials who have not understood the actual situation of rural farmers will not pass the Ministry of Personnel's assessment."

“These officials sent down to the local areas are the seeds of the imperial court. I’ll wait for them to come back in one or two years, three or four years, and summarize the actual situation in the villages and towns of various places.”

"Based on these realities, we should revise the existing new policy provisions to ensure that every provision benefits the people and makes ordinary citizens the true beneficiaries of the new policy, rather than turning them into tools for factional infighting in the court."

Zhao Xiaoqian stared into Zhang Dun's eyes and slowly said, "Prime Minister Zhang, I hope you will seriously consider my suggestion and cooperate with me. I know that implementing new policies and carrying on the legacy of Mr. Jie Fu is your lifelong ideal. Wouldn't it be perfect if we worked together to make this ideal even more perfect?"

"Officials in the imperial court sit in their offices enjoying a life of leisure. These people make decisions on a whim, and new policies are introduced. Are such new policies worth implementing? Have they considered whether the people can truly benefit from them? Are they good policies or bad policies?"

"The high-ranking officials are all muddle-headed, from the emperor to the prime minister. They insist on implementing new policies, regardless of whether they are good or bad. This is not the right attitude to do things, and it also tarnishes your ideals. Does Prime Minister Zhang agree?"

"Whether the new policy is good or bad, whether it needs to be modified, and what aspects need to be modified, neither you nor I know. Therefore, we must send officials down to the local level. Relying on rumors and hearsay is not as good as experiencing it firsthand."

"I once heard someone say, 'Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.' Please keep this in mind, Lord Zhang. If you agree with it, then the revised policies of the Great Song Dynasty will not be too bad, and the people will not curse us behind our backs."

(End of this chapter)