The prince is more stable

Chapter 873 Pressing forward step by step

Zhang Dun was well aware of the complex situation at court.

Conflicts between the emperor and his ministers, between the two parties, between Bianjing and local officials, and between the imperial court and the powerful, wealthy, and landlord groups, etc.

Other conflicts may be concealed or disguised, but the conflict between the old and new parties is irreconcilable, and the two sides have long been at odds.

The existence of contradictions means disunity and discord.

The establishment of the Censorate by Zhao Xiaoqian should have been met with unanimous opposition from all officials across the land. Even the most assertive emperor would likely have to make some concessions in the end.

Before today, Zhang Dun did indeed hold such thoughts. Therefore, the prime ministers of the State Council not only treated the establishment of the Censorate with indifference and perfunctory attitude, but also delayed it again and again. They also secretly set obstacles for the emperor, instructing cannon fodder to take the lead and try to make a big fuss.

As the emperor and his minister were engaged in a power struggle, Zhang Dun's heart sank when he saw Su Zhe's attitude.

Su Zhe's attitude was very strange, or rather, the attitude of the entire old party was very strange.

As Zhang Dun recalled the memorials received by the Council of State Affairs in the past few days to remonstrate with the Censorate, a string of names flashed through his mind. Then he was surprised to find that there seemed to be very few memorials from old party officials remonstrating with the Censorate.

Zhang Dun initially thought that the momentum was not strong enough and that most of his colleagues in the court were still observing.

Now that I think about it carefully, it turns out that you old party members are all watching and waiting, treating our new party as cannon fodder to be used as stepping stones, right?

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, Zhang Dun stared into Su Zhe's eyes and slowly said, "Mr. Ziyou, the Censorate's division of power with the Hall of State Affairs means that all officials in the country will be under the Emperor's surveillance. This is not a good thing for anyone; it is a time when everyone suffers. Mr. Ziyou, please don't be confused..."

Zhang Dun spoke with great earnestness, but Su Zhe frowned secretly.

He sensed a warning in her words, a feeling that made him very uncomfortable.

Undeniably, since the late Emperor Shaosheng assumed personal rule, the New Party has been relentlessly attacking the Old Party. Under Zhang Dun's instructions, the Old Party has been overwhelmed by the New Party in recent years, and the New Party has basically taken over all the important positions and voices in the court.

So why is it that when you attack me, you act with impunity, but when you need to ally with my old party to fight against the government, my old party must set aside past grievances and ally with you?

Do you really think of my old party as your new party's lackey?

When our old party was gloating during the Yuan You era, your new party was wailing everywhere, and we slapped you so hard your faces were swollen. It was only because we were lenient and didn't completely wipe out your new party during those years that we have suffered the consequences we have today.

Su Zhe stroked his beard calmly and said, "Prime Minister Zhang, are you speaking to me?"

A single, simple sentence caused Zhang Dun's expression to change drastically. He then took a deep breath and forced a smile.

He sensed the dissatisfaction in Su Zhe's words, and Zhang Dun also realized that now was not the time to be domineering towards the old party. He needed to unite the old party's strength and dissuade the emperor from establishing the Censorate.

"Haha, Mr. Ziyou, I misspoke just now, please forgive me. The situation is really bad, and I was a little flustered, so I spoke without thinking."

Just as he was about to explain further, Su Zhe said leisurely, "I am well aware that the establishment of the Censorate by the Emperor is opposed by all officials in the country."

"However, Minister Zhang, the reason everyone opposes this is because officials are under constant surveillance by the court, which makes them uncomfortable. Moreover, they can no longer abuse their power as before, so they are all wary of it. The power of the Council of State Affairs and the Censorate has also been significantly reduced, which is why they are all opposing it, right?"

Zhang Dun remained silent with a sullen face.

Su Zhe added, “Prime Minister Zhang is the prime minister of a country, but he is only thinking about his own selfish interests. To be honest, I am very disappointed.”

"Why don't you set aside your personal interests and reconsider the establishment of the Censorate proposed by the Emperor from the perspective of the great Song Dynasty? Can you honestly say that the establishment of the Censorate is truly a bad policy? Do you dare to say that?"

Su Zhe's gaze was sharp as lightning, yet his weathered face carried a hint of mockery and sarcasm.

"From the imperial court in Bianjing to the local prefectures, everyone is scheming and fighting for their own interests. No one has thought about whether the establishment of the Censorate is good or bad for the Song Dynasty. Anyway, you don't care. What you want is to protect your own power and interests."

“I can see through your thoughts clearly. Do you think the Emperor can see through them too? If this continues, the Emperor’s patience will run out. At that time, not only will Prime Minister Zhang’s position be lost, but the entire New Party will probably be purged by the Emperor.”

"Yesterday, Zhu Zhen was arrested and over two hundred officials were dismissed. Today, three corrupt officials were arrested and sent to the Dali Temple for public execution. What about tomorrow? Hasn't Chancellor Zhang noticed that the Emperor's actions are a step-by-step encroachment? Who knows if the Emperor will take action against the Council of State Affairs tomorrow?"

Seeing Zhang Dun's face growing paler and paler, Su Zhe sneered a few times and said, "I have said all I need to say. Zhang, you should take care of yourself."

After speaking, Su Zhe stood up, nodded to his colleagues in the Council of State, and took his leave.

Zhang Dun stood there, stunned, watching Su Zhe leave.

Su Zhe's words, like the resounding toll of a bell, were still echoing in his ears, and a deep sense of crisis gradually crept into his heart.

Yes, what happens next if the government's patience runs out?
Will he really target the Political Affairs Hall?

Is it really necessary to continue opposing the establishment of the Censorate? Knowing that it is something the government is determined to do, why do we overestimate our abilities and try to stop it?

He was the emperor, and he was the subject. What difference was there between his current actions and a mantis trying to stop a chariot? Having sat in this high and powerful position for too long, Zhang Dun only now realized that he was nothing more than a prime minister.

The prime minister could be him or someone else; the emperor doesn't necessarily need him, and Zhang Dun is not irreplaceable.

Even the New Party, this time the New Party has made a big show of opposing the Control Yuan. How will the officials feel about this?
With your power so great, and the court almost entirely in your camp, how can he possibly remain emperor in peace?
…………

Emperor Zhao Xiaoqian was indeed having an unstable reign; he, who usually slept very well, actually suffered from insomnia last night.

The thought that he was fighting against all the officials of the Song Dynasty, as well as the established bureaucratic system and various interest groups, made Zhao Xiaoqian, even as the emperor, feel some pressure.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian was not a pushover. Throughout history, some emperors were weak-willed and controlled by the power of their ministers, while others were tyrannical and prone to killing.

Zhao Xiaoqian was different. He was well aware of the weight of the word "imperial power" and always restrained himself to keep the imperial power in a cage and not let it out to harm the world.

But this time, he had no choice but to use imperial power to suppress it. Not for any other reason than that he just wanted to do things well and try to be a less incompetent ruler, so as not to be cursed by future generations in the history books.

Inside the Funing Palace, Zhen Qing stood respectfully before Zhao Xiaoqian, waiting for him to finish reviewing the memorials.

The hall was very quiet. Zhen Qing didn't dare to make a sound or even breathe loudly.

Zhao Xiaoqian was engrossed in reviewing the memorials, and after reviewing them, he categorized them.

Those with clear instructions were placed in one group, those with clear rejections were placed in another group, and those with doubts about the content of the memorials, or those for which he had not yet thought of a solution, were placed in the last group.

Finally, Zheng Chunhe was instructed to send the approved memorials to the State Affairs Hall for processing, while the memorials with doubts were kept in the central government until he had given them a thorough consideration before issuing his instructions.

A full hour passed, and Zhen Qing's legs were numb from standing. It was clear that the Emperor was still focused on reviewing the memorials and hadn't even raised his head. Zhen Qing didn't dare to move either, since the rules in the palace were strict, and the slightest carelessness would be considered a breach of etiquette in front of the Emperor, leaving a bad impression on him.

After a long while, having finished reviewing the last memorial, Zhao Xiaoqian stretched and was about to let out a hearty yawn when he suddenly looked up and was shocked to see Zhen Qing standing straight in front of him.

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately blurted out, "Holy crap! When did you get in here?"

Zhen Qing was taken aback, then looked aggrieved: "Your Majesty, I entered the palace an hour ago. It was Eunuch Zheng who led me in..."

As he spoke, Zhen Qing said cautiously, "After I came in, I greeted Your Majesty. Your Majesty told me to wait a little while until you finished reviewing the memorials... Has Your Majesty forgotten?"

Huh? It seems that's true. He was so engrossed in reviewing the memorials that he forgot there was someone standing in front of him. He was so startled that he thought an assassin had infiltrated the hall and almost drew his short-barreled flintlock pistol from his waist.

"So, you stood before me for a full hour?"

Zhen Qing nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty is handling important state affairs, and I dare not disturb Your Majesty's train of thought, so I have been standing here without daring to move."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Why are you so stubborn? I told you to wait for me for a while, and you just found a seat and stood there like an idiot for an hour. Are you seriously ill? Should I summon the imperial physician to take a look at you?"

Zhen Qing smiled wryly and said, "I am not ill, it's just that the rules in the palace are very strict, and I dare not be disrespectful..."

“We’ve known each other for a long time. When there are no outsiders, feel free to be bold. I won’t care about these trivial matters. As long as you do good things for me and are bold in front of me, I will only consider you one of my own. Do you understand?”

Moved, Zhen Qing bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty's grace is boundless, and I will remember it in my heart. I will serve Your Majesty with all my heart for the rest of my life."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised his chin: "Hurry up and find a seat that looks good. Why are you so silly, kid? The big boss of the Imperial City Guard should be a ruthless killer, but you're as obedient as a rabbit..."

After expressing his gratitude, Zhen Qing was about to turn around and sit down when he found that his legs were no longer under his control. His whole body was stiff as if he had stepped on an electric wire. Then, under Zhao Xiaoqian's astonished gaze, Zhen Qing fell straight to the ground like a piece of wood.

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback and quickly got up to help him up, saying, "A stroke? Or epilepsy? Should I call the imperial physician?"

Zhen Qing smiled wryly and said, "I'm fine, I'm really fine. It's just that I've been standing for too long and my legs have gone numb..."

Zhao Xiaoqian clicked his tongue in disdain: "Xiuer, sit down first."

Zhen Qing's legs were still numb, but he dared not disobey the emperor's decree. So he lay on the ground, used his hands to support his body, dragged his two numb legs, and gritted his teeth to crawl towards a chair in front of him. His indomitable spirit despite his disability was truly moving to the Song Dynasty.

The scene looks familiar. In my past life, there were often disabled people like this in the underground passage, lying on the ground with weathered faces, singing sad and dejected songs, "A merciless fire destroyed my home"... and there was a broken bowl in front of them.

At this moment, Zhen Qing's appearance perfectly captures that essence.

This made Zhao Xiaoqian feel an urge to throw money away.

The head of the Imperial City Guard, what a character he is... tsk!

(End of this chapter)