The prince is more stable

Chapter 877 A Perfect Victory in the Game
Zhang Dun gave in.

He had no choice but to back down, because Zhao Xiaoqian's relentless pressure was putting increasing strain on him.

The emperor did not call for violence; he simply used a slow, insidious approach, gradually forcing him and the Council of State to make a statement.

Of course, what worries Zhang Dun even more is that he and the Council of State Affairs are wearing down the Emperor's patience. No one knows when the Emperor's patience will run out, but it is certain that when Li Shao and Hong Tao of the Council of State Affairs are questioned and the Emperor takes action against the Council of State Affairs, it means that the Emperor's patience is running out.

The emperor summoned Su Zhe to the palace, and they talked until late at night under the pretext of drinking and reminiscing. This incident became the last straw that broke Zhang Dun's back.

It's acceptable for the emperor and his ministers to have conflicts and arguments, but if the emperor is forced to make a major change in his political stance, it means that things have reached a point where there is no turning back.

This is also one of the proofs that the government's patience has run out.

Zhang Dun dared not go against the emperor any longer. Even if the power of the prime minister was weakened, even if the supervisory power was completely separated from the Council of State Affairs, even if he was criticized by officials all over the country, Zhang Dun had to compromise and agree to establish the Supervisory Office.

If they don't agree, the Emperor might repeat the same old drama of abolishing the new party and restoring the old party that happened during the Yuan You era. In recent years, the new party has been extremely ruthless in its attacks on the old party. If the new party is defeated, the retaliation from the old party is predictable.

The next day's court meeting.

Zhang Dun was the first to submit his memorial, which he had written overnight, and firmly stated at the court meeting that he and all his colleagues in the Council of State Affairs were willing to follow the Emperor's decision to establish a Censorate, from which time all officials in the country, including those in the Council of State Affairs, would be subject to the supervision of the Censorate.

While establishing the Censorate, the imperial court could also set up censorship agencies in various prefectures, states, and counties throughout the Song Dynasty. Censorship officials would not interfere in local affairs, but they would have the power to investigate and impeach officials.

The Censorate was supervised by the Imperial City Guard, which was directly under the Emperor. Local impeachments could reach the Emperor directly without going through the Council of State Affairs, ensuring unimpeded channels of communication.

Zhang Dun's initial statement caused an uproar among the court officials.

Many court officials immediately cast resentful glances at Zhang Dun, gritting their teeth as they stared at his retreating figure.

Only the other prime ministers in the Council of State Affairs looked gloomy and dejected, but they did not object to Zhang Dun's statement.

Clearly, Zhang Dun had spoken with his colleagues in the Council of State Affairs before the court assembly, analyzing the pros and cons and trying to understand Zhao Xiaoqian's thoughts.

Then, use the examples of Li Shao and Hong Tao to tell them that if the Council of State continues to oppose the government, each of them could become the next Li Shao or Hong Tao.

Those who could rise to the position of Minister of State Affairs were all seasoned veterans. They understood the advantages and disadvantages analyzed by Zhang Dun better than anyone else. As they grew increasingly respectful of Zhao Xiaoqian, they tacitly approved the establishment of the Censorate.

In the Daqing Hall, after Zhang Dun and the prime ministers of the Council of State expressed their opinions, a low-pressure atmosphere instantly filled the hall. The officials were shocked, and they did not understand why the members of the Council of State knelt down so quickly.

The government's move was clearly a power-sharing initiative; how could the Council of State possibly agree to it?
According to past practice, the emperor had no choice but to compromise on any matter if the Council of State and the majority of his ministers opposed it.

But why was it the Council of State that compromised this time?
No one knew the reason; only some high-ranking officials silently sneered.

In the past few days, how many court officials have been interrogated by the Imperial City Guard, and how many have been dismissed by the Emperor? Do you think that the crimes of those people are really as simple as they appear on the surface?
How naive!

Zhao Xiaoqian, dressed in a yellow robe, sat on the throne and watched Zhang Dun bow and express his opinion. A smile appeared on his lips.

Old man, I still prefer your unruly self from back then. Why don't you revert to your old self?
"I have heard that many officials in the court oppose the establishment of the Censorate, but Mr. Zihou and the Council of State Affairs have stood up against the majority to support my idea, which is truly commendable. However... Mr. Zihou, you should not force yourself," Zhao Xiaoqian said leisurely.

"If it is because of your support for me that Mr. Zihou is scorned by officials throughout the land, I cannot bear it. Others may curse you, but unlike me, I will only feel sorry for you..."

Zhang Dun gritted his teeth. He's already the emperor, and he's still doing this kind of self-serving thing. How childish!
"The establishment of the Censorate is truly a great achievement for the dynasty for generations to come. It is beneficial to the court and the people. I had not understood this before, but after much deliberation these past few days, I believe that the establishment of the Censorate should be supported."

"With the establishment of the Censorate, the new policies were established. Local officials were subject to the supervision of the imperial court, and their implementation of the new policies was also subject to constraints. The right to interpret the new policies was no longer determined by local officials, ensuring that the new policies would not be misinterpreted by local officials and thus harm the people."

"The establishment of the Supervisory Office is a good policy."

The hall was completely silent. The civil and military officials simply stared coldly at Zhang Dun's back, thinking, "I'll just watch you show off."

Zhao Xiaoqian's smile grew deeper and deeper. Zhang Dun's current appearance was just like a goddess who couldn't have him falling into the arms of a rich second-generation, while he had to force a smile and offer his blessings.

That's good. Men need to experience things to grow, and the same goes for older men.

Zhang Dun now roughly understands that going against the emperor brings no benefit.

"In that case, let's settle on it then." Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "The State Council, the Ministry of Works, and the Department of Revenue will discuss and select a site on the Imperial Street in Bianjing immediately to build the Supervisory Office."

"The Censorate has three chief officials: Han Zhongyan, Censor-in-Chief; Lü Huiqing, Left Censor; and Li Qingchen, Right Censor."

"Li Qingchen is still on his way back to the capital from Zhending Prefecture. Han Zhongyan and Lü Huiqing are in charge of the construction of the Censorate. The two of them, together with the Council of State Affairs, the Ministry of Works and the Department of Revenue, will supervise the construction."

"The building materials used for the government offices must be solid, the wages of the hired workers must be paid in full and no delays are allowed, and the accounts must be clear and transparent. Anyone found to be embezzling will be severely punished."

The matter was already settled, and the officials had no choice but to comply.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood up and said, “Gentlemen, when you become officials, you cannot do so for the sake of wealth and honor. Please think more about the original intention of being an official. Think more about Zhang Zai’s ‘Four Sentences of Hengqu.’ Don’t just shout these four sentences as slogans. Put them into practice so that you will not go against your original intention.” “If you cannot ‘continue the lost learning of the past sages’ or ‘create peace for all generations,’ then be more pragmatic. ‘Establish a heart for heaven and earth and establish a destiny for the people.’ Really seek more happiness for the people.”

"Whether the establishment of the Censorate is good or bad, you all know the answer. Only those with guilty consciences would vehemently oppose it. What they oppose is that I have taken away your power and placed you under the supervision of the court. You cannot seek personal gain, cannot embezzle, and cannot bully the people."

"If officials live too comfortably, then the people will inevitably suffer. As long as the people can live a better life, I don't mind making the officials of the world uncomfortable. That's all I have to say. You gentlemen, take care of yourselves."

After finishing his speech, Zhao Xiaoqian adjourned the court and turned back to the rear hall.

The moment he turned around, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but smile, a wide, happy smile spreading across his face.

…………

It's late summer, and the weather isn't so hot anymore.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat in the pavilion in the back garden, listening to the mountain spring and sipping fragrant tea, looking relaxed and carefree.

The recent power struggle over the establishment of the Censorate has finally come to an end, with Zhao Xiaoqian emerging victorious.

The Council of State Affairs has now selected a site on the Imperial Street, the Department of Revenue has allocated funds, and the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works are building the Censorate in full swing.

Under Zhao Xiaoqian's insistence, the court officials had no choice but to accept the outcome.

Zhao Xiaoqian was unusually relaxed and even had the leisure to come to the rear garden of Yanfu Palace today, where he sat alone in the pavilion and enjoyed tea.

Zheng Chunhe was quite skilled at brewing tea, a skill he had honed while serving Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xiaoqian picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then nodded.

At this moment, he was thinking about something else. Back then, when he created snow salt, the Chu Prince's Mansion monopolized the trade, and Zhao Xu also got a share. That's why the Salt and Iron Bureau didn't dare to say a word.

Fortunately, snow salt was too expensive for ordinary families to afford; only powerful officials could afford it, so it did not have any impact on the salt industry across the country.

Times have changed. Now that Zhao Xiaoqian is the emperor, he feels uneasy seeing that snow salt is still a monopoly and a niche consumer product.

Salt, which is commonplace in ordinary households in later generations, became a rare commodity in the Song Dynasty. Why couldn't ordinary people enjoy it?

As the official in charge, Zhao Xiaoqian was considering whether to lower the price of snow salt and hand it over to the Salt and Iron Bureau for management. He suggested trying a joint venture between the state and individuals, with him retaining one share and the remaining nine shares going to the state.

Of course, the price will definitely drop significantly, to a level slightly higher than the coarse and fine salt that ordinary people can afford on the market. It will be considered a high-end product for the common people, so that they can taste the legendary snow salt by spending just a little more money, and the country will also benefit greatly from it.

However, the problem is that the living father of the Chu King's mansion might not agree.

After thinking it over, Zhao Xiaoqian ordered someone to invite Zhao Hao into the palace.

Half an hour later, Zhao Hao sat in front of Zhao Xiaoqian in the back garden, his face filled with grief and indignation.

"Are you the emperor or a spendthrift? I hope you will ascend the throne. I don't ask you to make money for our family, but you can't give away the best things in the house, can you?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said earnestly, "Father, strictly speaking, the professions of 'emperor' and 'spendthrift son' are not actually contradictory..."

"What?" Zhao Hao was taken aback.

"You see, whether it's a good emperor or a bad emperor, they all spend money like crazy. Here it's river management, there it's grain relief, wars and agriculture, salaries and commerce—everything costs money. When the emperor runs out of money, he can only set his sights on our own pockets..."

Zhao Hao angrily retorted, "Why should I? The emperor who was sent to the palace is like water spilled on the ground; why should he still ask my family for money?"

Zhao Xiaoqian rubbed his nose. "Am I really like water spilled on the ground?"

I feel insulted...

“We didn’t ask for any money. All we had to do was hand over the business of snow salt to the Salt and Iron Bureau, and our family would even get a share…” Zhao Xiaoqian explained.

Zhao Hao sneered: "Our family used to own four shares, but now it's only one. Do you think we've gotten the better deal?"

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded seriously: "We did get a good deal."

Give me a perfect explanation.

"Does Father not know that 'small profits but quick turnover' yields greater profits?"

(End of this chapter)