Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 50: The Unsolved Case of the Qing Dynasty
This matter is a bit complicated. In the past, Emperor Renzong deposed Empress Guo on the grounds of "no children" because she was slapped in the face by her. The current Empress Cao was chosen as the successor because of her noble family background and good moral character.

Well, she is from a real famous family. She is the granddaughter of Cao Bin, a famous general of the founding of the Song Dynasty.

At the beginning, the relationship between the emperor and the empress was okay, but Empress Cao's position in Renzong's heart was soon replaced by Zhang, whose beauty and dancing skills were comparable to Zhao Feiyan of the Han Dynasty. Zhang was favored by Renzong, and in just a few years she was promoted from a talented person to a concubine, and then to a noble concubine. Her favor was unprecedented.

In the first month of the eighth year of the Qingli period, a rebellion broke out in the palace.

Yan Xiu, Guo Kui, Sun Li and Wang Sheng, four armored and spear-wielding imperial guards on duty, suddenly set fire and made noise in the palace, and then went straight to Kunning Palace.

Empress Cao, the daughter of a general, remained calm in the face of danger. She ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to lock the door of the hall and set up obstacles. She also sent people to collect the water always available in the palace to put out the fire. She held out until Wang Zhongzheng arrived with his troops and shot and killed three of the four rebels on the spot, but one escaped.

Afterwards, Renzong ordered the Imperial City Administration to search the entire city. It took three days to find the last person.

However, the strange thing is that this man was killed on the spot by the Imperial City Bureau and no one was left alive.

Officials such as the Chief Censor Yu Zhouxun believed that there must be a mastermind behind the incident, but strangely enough, Renzong chose not to investigate further and simply dismissed the head of the Imperial City Administration.

This case became another unsolved case in the Renzong Dynasty.

In this palace coup, it was obvious that Empress Cao played the most crucial role, but she did not receive gratitude or reward from Emperor Renzong. Instead, Emperor Renzong intended to give the credit to Zhang, who arrived last, and praised her for her "merit in escorting the emperor."

At that time, Xia Song and other ministers took the opportunity to propose that he be treated with "respect for the different". Renzong was very happy and planned to accept the advice. However, Zhang Fangping, who was the Minister of the Three Departments at that time, believed that this move seriously violated the etiquette. He cited the story of Feng Jieyu in the Han Dynasty who blocked a bear to save the emperor, and strongly advised him against it.

In the end, Concubine Zhang failed to ascend to the throne. Empress Cao did remember Zhang Fangping's kindness, but she could not prevent Zhang Fangping from being demoted due to some trivial matters and becoming the governor of Chuzhou.

Concubine Zhang died last year. Emperor Renzong insisted on burying Zhang with the ceremony of an empress, regardless of the fact that Empress Cao was still alive, which also caused a lot of discussion in the court and the country.

"Over the years, the emperor's uneasiness has long since dissipated. Moreover, now that Concubine Zhang has passed away, the country's finances are in a precarious situation. Inside and outside the palace, whether it's Empress Cao or the two eunuchs Han and Fu, who doesn't want you to come out of retirement?"

"I have already told the ministers that if I want to come out of seclusion, I must bring Lord Fan Jingong with me."

Zhang Fangping stood up and said bluntly, "Otherwise, I can't do this job. Whoever wants to do it can do it."

Zhang Fangping and Fan Xiang are both technical bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty court who are specifically responsible for the economy. Their ideas can be summarized as "conservative finance", emphasizing the cherishing of people's strength and the priority of saving money. At the same time, they believe that it is necessary to rectify the three redundancies and develop the economy, but they oppose overly radical measures and believe that quick success and instant benefits should not be sought.

Because of this, when the Qingli New Deal was in full swing, Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Han Qi, Fu Bi and other new policy factions were so active, but Zhang Fangping and others were not involved. After the failure of the new deal, they were not the ones to be held accountable by Lü Yijian.

However, it is not true to say that Zhang Fangping was very close to conservatives like Lu Yijian. Zhang Fangping himself clearly stated in "A Letter to Prime Minister Lu Xugong" that "Although I have heard your secret words, I will never be able to become your disciple." It was just that his financial proposals coincided with the conservatives' opposition to radical open source.

In short, he is a neutral and conservative person.

Zhao Yan thought for a moment and asked, "What are Liu Hang and Fan Zhen's attitudes?"

There are now two co-prime ministers and two assistant ministers in the Council of State, a total of four prime ministers.

Although Prime Ministers Han and Fu temporarily took over the power, the two deputy prime ministers Liu Hang and Fan Zhen also had their say.

These two deputy prime ministers, like Zhang Fangping, are both neutral and conservative figures in the Song Dynasty's government. They advocate adjusting policies within the existing system rather than radical reforms. Although they will not actively form cliques, they have a basic tacit understanding.

"It was them who suggested to Han and Fu that I be recalled to preside over the Three Departments." Zhang Fangping did not shy away from the question.

Seeing this, Zhao Yan said bluntly, "But Han and Fu won't hand the entire Sansi to you. They're afraid of a power imbalance. If you're not restrained, the Sansi Envoy and the two Vice Chancellors will be enough to counter them. Especially now, during this turbulent time, the emperor's attitude is uncertain."

"If they do that, whoever wants to clean up this mess can do it. I will continue to stay in Chengdu."

Zhang Fangping chuckled and said.

At this time, Zhao Yan suddenly looked at the lake and asked, "Do you think it is possible that the emperor is fishing?"

"You mean?"

Zhang Fangping frowned, then shook his head vigorously. "That's unlikely. We've only finally had a few years of stability, and we can't afford any major disruptions."

Zhao Yan didn't say anything.

Zhang Fangping turned to look at him and said, "What about you? It's not easy to stay in the Censorate. There are even more factions there."

Zhao Yan smiled and said, "The Censorate is responsible for criticizing and admonishing the court. They are responsible for advising on major matters and reporting on minor matters. They just need to do their job according to their heart. What's so difficult about this job?"

"You can still laugh."

Zhang Fangping curled his lips and said, "Fan Zhen also serves as the Assistant Censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs. He is in charge of the general affairs of the Censorate. I am afraid that the two of you will clash if you stay together."

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Zhao Yan suddenly said, "If I really am reinstated as the Minister of the Three Departments, should I change the salt and banknote system?"

"Of course it should be changed."

Zhang Fangping said as a matter of course, "I sent the memorial drafted by Lu Beigu to Huazhou via Hanzhong to be reviewed by Lord Fan Jingong. Even if the salt law really needs to be revised, he will be the one to do it personally. Only he can do it." "Lu Beigu's plan is ultimately sound."

Zhao Yan said: "All the steps are based on reality and are closely linked. They are innovative and can solve problems without being radical. They are much better than sudden and aggressive innovations."

"Yes, I appreciate it."

Zhang Fangping said, "How can we take matters of the nation for granted? Even if it's not a straightforward matter, there must be a foundation. Changes must be made bit by bit based on past events. If changes are made suddenly, not only will everyone be at a loss, but chaos will surely follow. I knew during the Qingli New Deal that things can't be rushed."

"You're quite good at talking, and I see you're pretty anxious." Zhao Yan joked.

"The country is like this, and I am just worried."

Zhang Fangping looked at Zhao Yan and asked, "What do you think of Lu Beigu?"

The scholar-officials in the Song Dynasty were very keen on supporting and cultivating talented young people whose potential could be seen at first glance.

The reason is that after the aristocratic families that had lasted for hundreds of years were destroyed by Huang Chao, who advocated "if I can't get into Chang'an through the exam, I will break into Chang'an", new aristocratic families could not be formed under the imperial examination system of the Song Dynasty, and the class mobility of the literati in the Song Dynasty was quite high.

The descendants of the lower class of cattle and horses can become prime ministers through studying. The descendants of prime ministers will not be reduced to the status of pure cattle and horses, but if the descendants of the family do not have the talent to study and take the imperial examinations, they will soon slide down the social ladder.

This situation is very common because no one can be sure of the talents of their offspring.

What should I do?
There are two methods. One is the famous "catching a son-in-law from under the list", where the prime ministers and high-ranking officials go directly to the list of Jinshi to catch a son-in-law; the other is to support the younger generation and accept disciples.

Therefore, it is very normal for Zhang Fangping and Zhao Yan to pay certain attention to Lu Beigu, a talented young man whose talent is visible to the naked eye.

"Which aspect? Politics or scholarship?"

"Governance."

"He's a good talent. He always has his own unique perspectives on things, and he doesn't act rashly. He prefers to proceed in an organized and gradual manner. After experiencing the ups and downs of officialdom, he will surely become a capable official of the country in due time."

"What about studying?"

Zhao Yan smiled and said, "Studying hard and following the legacy of Fan Xiwen, passing the imperial examination will be no problem. As for whether you can pass the imperial examination, it depends on luck."

Zhang Fangping nodded in agreement. Zhao Yan's words did not mean that he was pessimistic about Lu Beigu. On the contrary, he was very optimistic about him.

Because of the cruel imperial examination admission rate in the Song Dynasty, no one can guarantee that they will make it to the end, especially Lu Beigu's current knowledge, which is still far from the level of a Jinshi.

But "it depends on fate" itself shows that Zhao Yan had high hopes for it.

"Simply speaking of the art of governing a country and benefiting the people, Lu Beigu is truly a world-class talent!"

Zhang Fangping laughed heartily and said, "If he could pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, it would be better for him to be transferred to the Sansi. Don't follow you, he is not qualified to be an imperial censor."

Zhao Yan also smiled.

However, at this moment, he seemed to have thought of something and spoke.

"By the way, there's one more thing I want to tell you about Lu Beigu. I'm just guessing, no one has mentioned it."

"what's up?"

"Do you still remember the unsolved case that occurred nearby when Chen Xiliang was building the Hongqiao Bridge during the Qingli period?"

"Unsolved case."

Zhang Fangping's words got stuck in his throat: "It can't be such a coincidence, right?"

"It's just possible."

"Let this kind of thing be over." Zhang Fangping frowned and said, "There are so many unsolved cases in the Qing Dynasty. Even if it is indeed that person's descendant, what can it do? After all, few people know the truth of the past. Didn't we just hear about it?"

"If it's true, he'll definitely know about it when he returns to Kaifeng."

"A real man must make choices when living in this world." Zhang Fangping relaxed his brows.

Zhao Yan looked at the water thoughtfully, and suddenly the float sank. He was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and quickly swung up the fishing rod.

Sure enough, a big fish was caught.

(End of this chapter)