The prince is more stable

Chapter 872 The Prime Minister's Dispute
The Imperial City Guard was mobilized, and its officers, along with the Imperial Guards, rushed to the offices and residences of the three convicted officials.

The moment these people left the Imperial City Guard, the court officials in Bianjing received the news.

Recently, things have been turbulent in Bianjing. From Yanfu Palace to the Hall of State Affairs, there is an oppressive feeling that a storm is brewing. Many court officials have sent their servants to keep watch at the palace gates and the gates of the Imperial City Guard day and night, so that they can get the latest news as soon as possible.

Upon hearing that the Imperial City Guard had been mobilized, the court officials felt a chill in their hearts; they knew that something had happened in the court again.

The Emperor had just dismissed more than two hundred court officials and arrested Zhu Zhen, the deputy commissioner of the Salt and Iron Bureau, to question him about ice well affairs. Only one day later, the Imperial City Guard took action again.

The officials in Bianjing gradually realized that being an official was not so easy, especially serving under the newly enthroned emperor, where they felt unprecedented pressure.

The previously so-called relaxed political environment, the so-called "gentlemanly politics," and the so-called "the rule that officials are exempt from punishment" were all ignored by the current emperor during the Jingkang era.

Since the emperor ascended the throne, he has been investigating and punishing court officials, bestowing titles and rewards upon military generals and meritorious officials, and insisting on establishing the Censorate...

All these actions sent a strong signal to the outside world: the emperor did not trust civil officials and had a tendency to allow military generals to participate in politics.

These actions also reveal that the central authority of the Song Dynasty is becoming increasingly consolidated and the imperial power is becoming more secure. From the central government in Bianjing to local officials, compared with the methods of previous emperors, the current emperor is more autocratic and more powerful.

If the Censorate were truly established, then the imperial power of the Song Dynasty would never have been as consolidated and concentrated as it is today since the founding of the nation. All the power in the country would be firmly in the emperor's hands, and the emperor would have the power to decide the life and death of all officials.

An emperor who has been to the battlefield is truly extraordinary; the court officials are now experiencing firsthand Zhao Xiaoqian's character and methods.

The fierce and menacing officials and imperial guards of the Imperial City Guard split into three groups and marched through the streets of Bianjing, attracting the curious stares and onlookers of countless passersby.

The common people were indifferent to the matter; they were just watching the spectacle with a sense of schadenfreude, wondering which official would be in trouble today.

Upon receiving the news, the court officials were restless, filled with panic and unease.

Most officials have some shady dealings. Seeing the Imperial City Guards menacingly preparing to arrest people, no one can say for sure whether these people are there to arrest them or not. What if their past misdeeds are exposed?

When the Imperial City Guard set out, countless eyes in Bianjing were anxiously watching the direction they were heading. If the gods and Buddhas of the heavens happened to be passing over Bianjing at that moment, they would surely hear countless prayers and pleas.

After the Imperial City Guard arrested three officials in their offices and residences, all the court officials breathed a sigh of relief.

After things returned to normal, the court officials hurriedly inquired about the crimes committed by the three arrested officials and why they were arrested directly by the Imperial City Guard without going through the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate.

Rumors spread like wildfire, and the streets were filled with court officials and commoners watching the spectacle. However, the Imperial City Guards turned a deaf ear to these rumors and directly escorted the three convicted officials to the Dali Temple.

The next day, reliable news finally came out.

The three arrested officials had indeed committed crimes, some minor and some serious. Some had embezzled public funds, some had abused their power, and some had even disregarded human life.

However, these three people have one thing in common: they committed crimes that happened many years ago, and they were suddenly exposed by the Imperial City Guard yesterday, and on the same day.

This is intriguing.

When arguing with his wife, she can bring up old grievances from years ago as evidence to seize the high ground and righteously accuse the man of being a jerk and claim that she has suffered a lot of grievances.

But you're the imperial court!

Is it right for the imperial court to dredge up old grievances from years ago, just like women?

Of course, some astute courtiers, after learning about the crimes committed by the three men, realized that things were not so simple.

An old grudge from years ago? Are you kidding me!
It's clear that these three people may have done something recently that has offended someone, but they can't be dealt with on a legitimate basis, so they've brought up old grievances from back then.

It has to be said that this move is a bit outrageous, and also a bit shady.

As for who these three corrupt officials had offended, everyone already knows the answer.

The Imperial City Guard is directly under the Emperor's command, and no one but the Emperor can command them. So, do we still need to guess the answer?

The question is, how exactly did these three people offend the officials? What did they say or do?
While the court officials were completely bewildered, only the prime ministers in the Council of State Affairs understood perfectly.

After all, the memorials submitted by these three men to the Censorate were sent to the Funing Hall by the Council of State Affairs. The prime ministers had read every single memorial, so they naturally knew how harsh the insults these three men had used in their memorials.

To the ministers' surprise, the emperor abandoned his act and instead used a pretext from many years ago to interrogate and imprison the three men.

Why are young people so hot-tempered? Can't they even tolerate the slightest anger?

Although there were precedents of Song Dynasty emperors punishing people for their words, and even literary inquisitions such as Su Shi's "Wutai Poetry Case," most emperors were actually quite mild-mannered and rarely punished court officials for the wording of their memorials.

Well, this emperor is a different kind of person... Zhang Dun's face was very ugly. He could clearly feel that the emperor's dissatisfaction with the Council of State Affairs was growing stronger, and the pressure he was putting on the Council of State Affairs was becoming heavier and more urgent every day.

The root of all this, of course, lies in the establishment of the Censorate, which is currently the fundamental contradiction between the emperor and his ministers.

As things have progressed to this point, the Emperor is gradually exerting pressure, forcing the prime ministers of the Council of State Affairs to compromise and make concessions. The Emperor's determination to establish the Censorate remains very firm, and no matter how many memorials from court officials try to dissuade him, the Emperor still has no intention of retracting his order.

Moreover, he has begun to take the initiative to purge those court officials who have stood out, making an example of them as a warning to others.

Who is the monkey?

All the prime ministers of the Council of State Affairs are monkeys.

From Zhu Zhen, who led the kneeling at the palace gate, to the dismissal of more than two hundred court officials, and now to the three corrupt officials being investigated, all of these actions were intended to serve as a warning to the Council of State Affairs, with the aim of forcing the Council of State Affairs to compromise.

In the process of the collapse of the old order and the establishment of the new order, the fate of many people is destined to be crushed.

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, Zhang Dun's face was extremely grim.

When he was prime minister, even when he had heated arguments with the late emperor, the relationship between the emperor and his minister had never been as strained and cold as it is today.

Zhang Dun really didn't want his relationship with Zhao Xiaoqian to sour. After all, besides inheriting Wang Anshi's legacy, Zhang Dun also cared about his own future. If the relationship between the emperor and his minister continued to deteriorate, the emperor might consider dismissing him as prime minister.

The establishment of the Censorate was a truly critical matter. Even if Zhang Dun was willing to agree, he couldn't bring himself to say it. He was also afraid of being criticized by officials across the country. After all, the Emperor had touched the power and interests of too many people this time, and as the prime minister, he really couldn't withstand the pressure from the people.

Sitting in the Hall of State Affairs, looking at the equally grim faces of the other prime ministers, Zhang Dun sighed.

"Gentlemen, as you can all see, the Emperor's determination to establish the Censorate is unwavering, and we are afraid we cannot persuade him otherwise..." Zhang Dun sighed.

The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Cai Bian, said in a deep voice: "Minister Zhang, you must not! This precedent must not be set, otherwise we will both be condemned by thousands and even be infamous for eternity. In any case, the Censorate must not be established. We will continue to find ways to persuade His Majesty to rescind his order."

Zhang Dun frowned: "Otherwise, can you and I change the Emperor's mind? This stalemate between the emperor and his ministers is not good for the country or the people. The establishment of the Censorate is no longer a matter of change. You and I can only compromise with the Emperor."

Cai Bian said solemnly, "The matter of the Censorate must not be done. If the Council of State agrees to this, the officials of the country may be powerless against the Emperor, but the Council of State will definitely become the target of all officials. Looking around the world, everyone will be an enemy. Even if you and I retire, I am afraid we will not have a good end."

Upon hearing this, the ministers in the Hall of State Affairs were all shocked, and their faces grew even more grim.

Seeing the strange expressions on everyone's faces, Zhang Dun couldn't help but sigh, looking quite distressed.

As prime minister, Zhang Dun had already planned to compromise with the emperor and let him establish the Censorate. This matter was not entirely without benefits, since having the emperor directly control the power of supervision throughout the country would actually be beneficial for implementing the new policies.

But just as Zhang Dun opened his mouth to test the waters with the other prime ministers in the Council of State, he was met with such fierce opposition that he found himself in a dilemma.

Being a prime minister is really too difficult!

After a moment of silence, Zhang Dun suddenly looked at the old party officials who were far away from them in the hall.

The old and new parties have been fighting for years. Even within the political arena, the two factions are clearly distinct and unwilling to associate with each other. They keep their distance and regard each other as a pile of excrement, finding it unlucky to be associated with the other's stench.

Forcing a smile, Zhang Dun cupped his hands in greeting and looked at Su Zhe, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, saying, "I wonder if Mr. Ziyou has any insightful opinions?"

Su Zhe stroked his beard, his expression calm. Zhang Dun tried to discern something from his face, but found nothing.

As one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, Su Zhe's literary talent was undoubtedly outstanding. However, he was not only a talented writer but also a cunning old fox who had experienced many ups and downs in the court. Faced with questions from his political enemies, how could Su Zhe easily reveal his true colors?

Su Zhe stroked his beard and said calmly, "I have been mentally confused and have poor eyesight lately. Even reading memorials is very difficult for me. As for the matter of Your Majesty establishing the Censorate, I have nothing to say."

Zhang Dun curled his lip, a look of disdain flashing in his eyes.

The old man is really ruthless to himself. In order to shirk responsibility and make excuses, he has ruined himself. He claims to be mentally confused, to have blurred vision, as if he has some serious illness...

You're so old, why don't you resign and get out of here?
Undeterred, Zhang Dun continued to probe, "His Majesty is determined to establish the Censorate, and all the court officials are vehemently opposed, but I don't recall Mr. Ziyou ever opposing it..."

Su Zhe stared in astonishment: "Didn't I object? Ah! I forgot to mention earlier that besides being mentally impaired and having blurred vision, I've also been forgetting things a lot lately... As people get older, their memory gets worse and worse; you can't deny getting old!"

Zhang Dun's eyelids twitched a few times.

The establishment of the Censorate actually affects the interests of all officials in the country, but at this moment, Su Zhe, as the leader of the old party, appears calm and collected. If his attitude is the attitude of the old party, it means that... the old party does not oppose the establishment of the Censorate.

With such an ambiguous and vague attitude, what are they trying to do?
(End of this chapter)