The prince is more stable

Chapter 860: Warning
In Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes, many of the clauses in the new policy were like time bombs about to explode.

I should have stayed far away, but being in this position, I had to take responsibility and had no choice but to bite the bullet and approach this mine to see if I could defuse it.

In addition to military reasons, the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty was also due to internal conflicts and factional strife within the court.

Don't think that factional strife is just a few people fighting each other in the court and that it doesn't seem like a big problem. If court officials only put the struggle first and even distinguish right from wrong in order to defeat their political enemies, then you can imagine how huge mistakes will occur in the government, both in terms of strategy and specific affairs.

Therefore, factional strife in every dynasty was a path to national ruin.

The emperor had to maintain a balance in the court, preventing any one faction from becoming too powerful while also avoiding excessive internal strife. Finding the right balance was a true test of the emperor's skill.

The art of "imperial rule" is not something all emperors can master. Some emperors like to play the game of imperial power, but while they are playing, they look out of the palace and realize, "Holy crap, the country is doomed!"

Zhao Xiaoqian disliked playing mind games with emperors, but he had to do so. Therefore, after ascending the throne, he still tacitly allowed the existence of two factions, the old and the new, in the court. He also wanted to involve the old faction's officials in the discussions on revising the new policy clauses.

Like all emperors, Zhao Xiaoqian could not tolerate the New Party's dominance in the court, as this would be detrimental to the emperor's rule.

As the leader of the New Party and the current prime minister, Zhang Dun accepted Zhao Xiaoqian's decision.

Zhao Xiaoqian's in-depth conversation with him last time ultimately had an effect.

At least after Zhao Xiaoqian ascended the throne, Zhang Dun's suppression of the old party was not so strong. Today, he can even discuss state affairs with the old party officials in a pleasant manner, which is a huge improvement.

Zhang Dun, that old fox, naturally saw the situation clearly. He knew that the old party would always exist and could not disappear under his suppression, because the government would not allow it.

Since he couldn't change it, he had no choice but to accept it silently; he was a subject, not a ruler.

The new policy revisions began with the more important Green Sprouts Act, a decision made after much deliberation by Chao Hsiao-chien, because the Green Sprouts Act had the greatest public resentment and was the most difficult to address.

It not only affected the interests of ordinary people, but also the interests of many powerful landlords and officials. In order to exploit the people, local officials and merchant groups used the Green Sprouts Act as a basis to legally and legitimately exploit them.

Once the thorny issues are resolved, the subsequent new policy provisions will be easier to formulate.

As the prime minister, Zhang Dun naturally had a sharp eye for problems, and he immediately saw the drawbacks and shortcomings of the Green Sprouts Act.

Zhao Xiaoqian largely agreed with Zhang Dun's view; he thought so too.

"That's right, the biggest problem is oversight. Local governments lack oversight, and officials and landlords deliberately distort the Green Sprouts Law to profit from it. Meanwhile, most ordinary people are ignorant and believe whatever the officials say. It's clearly a good law, so why does it cause so much resentment among the people when it's implemented at the local level?"

Zhang Dun sighed and said, "The Song Dynasty is too big. The imperial court simply cannot supervise it all. Many policies are completely different when they are issued to the local areas."

"The imperial court has provincial inspectors and censors, who are supposed to supervise local areas. However, in today's officialdom, power and interests are intertwined, and officials protect each other. When the officials who are supposed to supervise go down to the local areas, they make enough money and then submit memorials to the imperial court. Yet, the country is still at peace. The so-called supervision is just a formality."

Zhao Xiaoqian stared intently at Zhang Dun and said, "Master Zihou has a very insightful view of the issues. Since you are aware of these drawbacks, why has the Song Dynasty remained unchanged after you served as prime minister for several years?"

Zhang Dun was startled, his face turning pale. He hesitated several times before finally sighing sadly, "It is I who have failed in my duty."

Zhao Xiaoqian's tone turned somewhat cold: "This isn't a matter of dereliction of duty, it's that you haven't been paying attention to this. I'm afraid Mr. Zihou has been busy purging the Yuanyou Party and expanding the New Party's influence in the court these past few years, hasn't he?"

Zhang Dun was greatly alarmed. He could hear the dissatisfaction in Zhao Xiaoqian's tone, so he hurriedly stood up, bowed deeply, and apologized: "Your subject knows his crime."

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, courtiers from both the old and new parties were arguing fiercely over the revision of the Green Sprouts Law. Suddenly, Zhang Dun stood up and apologized to Zhao Xiaoqian with a look of fear on his face. The heated argument abruptly stopped, and the hall fell silent, the atmosphere becoming somber.

Looking at the astonished officials, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "Conflicts within the court are inevitable since ancient times. Conflicts are not a bad thing. If they are handled properly, they can actually be beneficial to the country."

"But if, in the name of fighting, one disregards the suffering and lives of the common people and only thinks about how to defeat political enemies, this is something I do not want to see."

"You have all studied diligently for decades to achieve your goals and sit in your current positions. I imagine you have been chanting Zhang Zai's four lines of poetry for many years now. Some of you became officials for fame and fortune, while others did so for ideals..."

"I don't care what your original intentions were. Sitting in this position, I require you to remember Zhang Zai's words, 'to establish a life for the people.' The court selects officials because the emperor needs your help to govern the country and bring happiness to the people, not so that you can enjoy wealth and power and compete for fame and profit!"

"If you gentlemen have become high-ranking officials but have no regard for the country and the people, what use are you to me? You will only bring more trouble and disaster!"

His words were rather harsh; Zhao Xiaoqian was now speaking sternly and angrily, increasingly dissatisfied with the current state of the Song Dynasty court.

The assembled officials were startled, immediately breaking out in a cold sweat, and rose in unison to apologize in fear.

"We, your subjects, acknowledge our guilt."

Zhang Dun, present at the court, was the most apprehensive. He knew very well that Zhao Xiaoqian's words, seemingly directed at all the court officials, were actually a direct rebuke and warning to him. Zhao Xiaoqian was only avoiding naming him to maintain his authority as prime minister. Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "Regardless of whether you are from the Yuanfeng faction or the Yuanyou faction, you must first recognize your place: you are 'ministers'! Ministers who share the emperor's burdens and seek the people's well-being!"

"This is your primary task: to deal with matters objectively and not bring factional strife and personal grudges into the incident. What you need to do is to get things done and earn the people's support and gratitude towards the court, not to defeat your political enemies."

After the stern reprimand, Zhao Xiaoqian softened his tone and looked around at the assembled officials, asking, "Where is Su Zhe, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery?"

Su Zhe stood up and bowed: "Your subject Su Zhe is here."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him and said, "Mr. Ziyou, tell me your opinion on the Green Sprouts Act, what are its advantages and disadvantages, and how can it be revised to benefit the people?"

The court officials had just been reprimanded by Zhao Xiaoqian, and now Su Zhe had been singled out. Su Zhe was under immense pressure.

The Zhao Xiaoqian before them was no longer the Prince of Chu who had joked with them without any restraint, but the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. At this moment, the majestic aura of the emperor still lingered in everyone's hearts in the Hall of State Affairs, causing the ministers to feel awe and fear.

Therefore, Su Zhe had no choice but to seriously consider the matter. This time, his focus was no longer on how to target the New Party, but on the Green Sprouts Act itself.

After a moment's thought, Su Zhe said earnestly, "I believe that the Green Sprouts Law is beneficial to the people. Its greatest benefit is that it can save people from disaster. In years of famine, the court and government can provide a safety net for the people. If local officials can implement this decree meticulously, it is actually a good policy for the people."

"However, its drawbacks are also obvious. When government orders are issued to local areas, their implementation is often deliberately distorted by officials with ulterior motives. They collude with local merchants and landlords to exploit the people for personal gain."

"Its biggest problem is that the imperial court lacks oversight of local areas, which has led to local monks misinterpreting a good scripture."

After finishing his speech, Su Zhe glanced nervously at Zhao Xiaoqian's expression.

Zhang Dun, standing beside Zhao Xiaoqian, stroked his beard and nodded slowly. Although they belonged to different camps, Su Zhe's views were fundamentally the same as his.

After all, they are seasoned veterans who have been navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom for many years, and their insight and thinking are naturally much sharper than those of ordinary people.

Putting aside their opposing stances and simply discussing the matter at hand, everyone can see the pros and cons of the new policy at a glance. It's just that in the past, too many factions' power and interests were involved, and some things were done against their conscience in order to win in the party struggle.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded slowly.

The reason Su Zhe was specifically mentioned was because Su Zhe was one of the leaders of the old party. Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to see if, after the reprimand he had just given, the old party would still not repent and would still only be interested in scheming against people while neglecting to do things.

It now seems that Su Zhe and the old party officials are aware of the stakes and have gained a better understanding of the temperament of this emperor who has only recently ascended the throne.

He dislikes intense infighting, especially when discussing serious matters. He is particularly averse to letting personal or factional emotions and stances get involved in serious matters, which could affect the fairness of the matter itself.

Therefore, Su Zhe decisively changed his mood and, unusually, stood on a fair and impartial position to say these words.

It was indeed a rare occurrence. Su Zhe was a member of the old party and had always been particularly opposed to Wang Anshi's new policies. This time, he actually managed to say a few good things about the Green Sprouts Law in an objective and fair manner, which was simply unbelievable. The old party officials present were all astonished and widened their eyes.

Zhao Xiaoqian was very satisfied with Su Zhe's answer.

Factional strife may always exist, and Zhao Xiaoqian tacitly acknowledges its necessity, but when discussing serious matters, this impartial attitude is still needed.

“What Mr. Ziyou said is exactly the same as what Mr. Zihou said. Your views are consistent. The implementation of the Green Sprouts Law at the local level does have many problems. The biggest problem is the lack of supervision from the imperial court, which has allowed local officials, merchants, and landlords to take advantage of the loopholes and act recklessly,” Zhao Xiaoqian said slowly.

Su Zhe immediately turned to look at Zhang Dun, his eyes filled with surprise.

One is the leader of the new party, and the other is the leader of the old party. Unexpectedly, they agree on this matter.

The other courtiers present were even more astonished; the two-party struggle, which had nearly turned to the point of bloodshed, had revealed a surprising unspoken understanding between the two leaders…

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at Zhang Dun, then at Su Zhe, and suddenly smiled: "It's rare for two great minds to share the same view. We should celebrate! Why don't you two hold hands and become good friends from now on..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Dun and Su Zhe simultaneously snorted coldly and turned their heads away.

Zhao Xiaoqian smirked, thinking, "Damn, he's pretty arrogant."

Am I forced to invite both sets of parents?

It's quite difficult. First, you need to hire a highly skilled Taoist priest to perform a ritual to summon the souls of both sets of parents...

(End of this chapter)