The prince is more stable

Chapter 867 Decentralized Architecture
The father and son were having a nice chat when the father suddenly slapped Zhao Mingcheng hard across the face, leaving Zhao Mingcheng stunned.

After being slapped, Zhao Mingcheng's first reaction was to sniff, wondering if his father had drunk too much and lost his mind.

I couldn't smell any alcohol, but my cheeks were still burning.

Zhao Mingcheng was already filled with grievances and sadness today, and when he returned home, he was slapped by his father, which made him even more indignant.

"Father, what did I do wrong?" Zhao Mingcheng cried like Yiping asking her father for money.

Zhao Tingzhi trembled with rage, pointing at Zhao Mingcheng and shouting, "You unfilial son! You've caused a terrible disaster! My Zhao family is doomed!"

Zhao Mingcheng protested, "What trouble have I gotten myself into?"

Zhao Tingzhi angrily retorted, "Zhao Zi'an, Zhao Zi'an... Don't you know who Zhao Zi'an is?"

"I don't know!"

“In the entire city of Bianjing, there is only one person named Zhao Zi’an. ‘Zi’an’ is not his given name, but his courtesy name!” Zhao Tingzhi stared at Zhao Mingcheng with bloodshot eyes and slowly said, word by word, “The current emperor is named Zhao Xiaoqian, and his courtesy name is Zi’an!”

"You beast, now you know? You...you dare to steal a woman from the Emperor? Do you think my whole family has lived too long?"

Zhao Mingcheng's eyes widened, his mind buzzed, and he instantly lost his hearing, his father's words still echoing in his ears.

Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Zian...

He... is actually the current emperor?
So what exactly did he do today? For Li Qingzhao, he actually competed with the emperor for her affections, and he was very impolite in his words, showing off his status as a student of the Imperial Academy, boasting about taking the imperial examination next year and becoming an official, and finally even mocking him for failing to get his job...

How could someone cause such a huge mess? This isn't just courting death; it's utterly reckless. He's carrying the names of his entire family on his shoulders, dancing wildly on the edge of a knife...

When Zhao Mingcheng realized what he had done, his face was as white as a dead man's.

His lips twitched violently as if he had suffered a stroke, and Zhao Mingcheng's expression was a mixture of crying and laughing; he was on the verge of emotional collapse.

"I actually tried to steal a woman from the current emperor..." Zhao Mingcheng muttered to himself, his eyes vacant.

Seeing his son's current state of madness, Zhao Tingzhi gritted his teeth and slapped him hard across the face again.

A sharp crack and a burning pain on his face finally brought Zhao Mingcheng back from the brink of collapse.

"You unfilial son, tell me right now what you said and did with the Emperor today. Did you disrespect him? Tell me everything without missing a single word! This concerns the lives of the entire Zhao family, so you are not allowed to lie about a single thing!" Zhao Tingzhi said fiercely.

Zhao Mingcheng trembled uncontrollably, but tried his best to keep his voice normal as he said, "I saw the Emperor by the Bian River today. He was fishing with Miss Li... He had many guards with him, who should be members of the Imperial Guards..."

“At the time, I was filled with jealousy and went up to greet Miss Li, but she didn’t pay much attention to me, so I turned my attention to…the Emperor.”

Zhao Tingzhi's legs went weak, and he almost slipped off the chair.

The "spearhead" is aimed at the officials...

Such a niche term!

With his heart pounding in his chest, Zhao Tingzhi asked in a trembling voice, "And then? What did you say to the Emperor? Was there any disrespect?"

Zhao Mingcheng swallowed hard, his face contorted with grief, and said, "Your son... deliberately mentioned that he was a student at the Imperial Academy, and that he would definitely pass the imperial examination next year..."

Zhao Tingzhi's eyes blazed with fury as he gritted his teeth and asked, "And then?"

"Then I saw that the official's fish basket was empty, and I think I... mocked the official. Father, I really didn't know he was..."

"Shut up! And then what?"

"Then, Miss Li stepped forward and argued with me to defend the Emperor. She took out a poem by Li Jiaming of the Southern Tang Dynasty, 'Ordinary fish dare not swallow the fragrant bait, knowing that the Emperor is fishing for the dragon,' and also cited a poem by Ding Wei, the Prime Minister of our dynasty, 'The oriole is startled as the phoenix carriage flies through the flowers, the fish are afraid of the Emperor's face and are slow to take the bait'..."

Zhao Tingzhi took a deep breath: "Miss Li is very talented. In this situation, she has the quick wit to protect the official's face and can even quote ancient poems at will, which are appropriate to the occasion. Mingcheng, she saved your life today."

Zhao Mingcheng was still somewhat bewildered: "She saved me?"

Zhao Tingzhi sneered, "If she hadn't been quick-witted and used ancient poems to save face for the Emperor, and if he had held a grudge against you for mocking him to his face today, our fate would have been uncertain."

"The two lines of poetry recited by the Li family girl not only saved the official's face but also aligned with his ambitions. The bad thing of not catching any fish was turned into a good thing in her words, so the official might not hold it against you too much..."

Zhao Mingcheng's pale face finally regained some semblance of normalcy, and he asked anxiously, "So, our family is alright now?"

Zhao Tingzhi sneered: "Nothing to worry about? Don't you understand the saying 'trouble comes from the mouth'? You're not a child anymore; you have to take responsibility for what you say. Although the Emperor didn't hold it against you at the time, he will definitely remember this incident."

“I am a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, a close advisor to the Emperor. If he remembers you, he will also remember me. From now on, my future will likely be jeopardized…”

The father and son's faces gradually darkened. Zhao Tingzhi looked at his son, his teeth itching with hatred.

Unexpected misfortune can strike out of nowhere, tarnishing a promising future. In an era where the rule of man trumps the rule of law, sometimes a simple word can ruin the future of oneself and even several generations of one's family.

Seeing his father's ashen face, Zhao Mingcheng vaguely understood that this matter was unlikely to be easily resolved and would definitely have an impact on his family.

Zhao Mingcheng's expression grew increasingly desperate.

At this point, he no longer cared about Li Qingzhao. Compared to his father and his own future, what did mere romantic feelings matter?
Zhao Mingcheng regretted his foolishness today, which had clouded his judgment and caused trouble for his whole family. He wished he could slap himself a few times.

"Father, is there any way to salvage this situation? I'm willing to give anything, as long as you can protect your future..." Zhao Mingcheng said with a mournful face.

Zhao Tingzhi had calmed down by then.

It is certainly a misfortune, but the Song Dynasty has a tradition of treating scholars and officials well, so the conflict between the son and the emperor today is not too intense.

The emperor has the universe in his heart, and wherever his eyes fall, he sees the expansion of territory and the diligent governance of the country. Perhaps he will not be too stingy with a nobody like Zhao Mingcheng.

It's not a matter of magnanimity, the problem is... who does Zhao Mingcheng think he is? The emperor is such a big shot that he wouldn't even bother with him. In such a small conflict, if the emperor even glances at him, he'll consider himself the loser.

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Tingzhi suddenly stood up, grabbed Zhao Mingcheng's arm, and pulled him outwards forcefully.

"Come, have the manor prepare generous gifts. You come with me to Li Gefei's residence. You must see him and his daughter tonight. Kneel down and apologize to her, especially to win over the Li family's daughter's forgiveness. Beg her to explain and plead for leniency in front of the official!"

…………

The Council of State Affairs still held daily court assemblies, and Zhao Xiaoqian still attended them every day.

In the past two days of court meetings, how to revise the new policies has no longer been the focus; the prime ministers of the Council of State have no interest in it at all.

The discussion was about the establishment of the Control Yuan.

This was proposed by Zhao Xiaoqian after much planning.

The emperor's words, whether right or wrong, must be carried out by the court officials.

Despite the strong opposition, including from several prime ministers in the State Council, Zhao Xiaoqian was determined to carry out the plan.

A mature and complete court structure consists of the separation of political power, military power, and supervisory power.

If future generations do not make any unwarranted changes to this framework, the foundation of the nation will surely continue for hundreds of years.

What Zhao Xiaoqian is doing now is laying a solid foundation for the Song Dynasty, from its structure to its laws.

In comparison, the revision of the new policy terms has become secondary.

With the imperial court strengthening its oversight powers, local officials will be much less likely to distort the new policies, and seemingly sharp conflicts will naturally resolve themselves. Officials will also be less likely to resort to underhanded methods of embezzlement.

Therefore, it is imperative for the imperial court to establish a supervisory office, and it should be done as soon as possible.

"The composition of the Censorate is roughly made up of personnel from the Censorate and the Imperial City Guard, and will be adjusted or replaced in the future."

Zhao Xiaoqian spoke slowly, and since everyone present was a shrewd old fox in their seventies and eighties, he had to make sure that everyone could hear and understand him.

"Officials of the Censorate will not serve for long. In principle, they will be rotated every three years, not only in terms of location but also in terms of official position. All major and minor incidents during the period of supervision must be archived by the court for future review."

"In other words, the court reserves the right to investigate anyone who deliberately conceals or covers up wrongdoing or abuses their power for personal gain during the investigation. No matter how many years have passed or how many years you have retired, once the matter is uncovered, you will be questioned and punished. Don't think that you can get away with it by retiring to your hometown."

Zhao Xiaoqian's tone was slow and indifferent.

Having lived two lives, he knew all too well the character of officials. When someone sits in that position and has such great power, anyone would have crooked thoughts.

If technology were advanced enough, Zhao Xiaoqian would want to equip every official with a body camera so that their every move would be exposed to the light of day. Otherwise, without supervision, they would abuse their power, engaging in all sorts of corruption and seeking personal gain.

"Within a month, all the main officials of the Censorate must be in place. The Censorate can have one head and two deputy heads. Remember, the Censorate is characterized by high turnover."

"Officials in this position should not hold their posts for too long, to prevent them from colluding with local officials. Moreover, supervisory officials also need to be supervised, and this is the responsibility of the Imperial City Guard."

After Zhao Xiaoqian gave a general overview of the structure of the Censorate, the officials in the Hall of State Affairs looked at each other, their expressions somewhat grim.

The power that originally belonged to the Council of State Affairs was thus neatly divided up, and not only that, but from then on, they would be under constant surveillance.

Being an official in the Song Dynasty was becoming increasingly difficult.

(End of this chapter)