The capital of the Song Dynasty, Jinling Palace, outside Chongzheng Hall.
Song Jiang went through the etiquette of meeting the emperor carefully in his mind, and then carefully touched the green robe on his body, showing a strong look of cherishment.
This is an official robe.
His determination to serve the country with fists and fists was finally appreciated, and he became an official on the recommendation of Zhang Xianggong and became a right-level official, commonly known as Baoyi Lang.
When this was certain, Song Jiang couldn't wait to send a message to his younger brother Song Qing, asking him to connect his father to Jinling to witness his son's glorious moment from being a clerk to an official.
What makes Song Jiang happy is that not only himself, but also the brothers around him, Li Kui, Zhang Qing, Wang Ying, Bao Xu, Mu Hong, Mu Chun, and Deng Fei all put on official robes, that is, except for Sun Erniang, who is a woman
In the future, I can only seek a royal title, but I will become an upright official of the court, contribute to the country, and honor my ancestors.
What made Song Jiang even more ecstatic was that he could bring his brothers to meet the officials together.
According to Zhang Dun's wishes, these civilian righteous men who can exterminate traitors can all be recognized as saints. However, due to the appearance of his brother, especially Li Kui's temperament, Song Jiang would never dare to take him into the palace.
Yes, after much thought, I decided to let Mu Hong and Mu Chun follow.
In their hometown, these two people often interacted with people in the government and had seen the world. Their appearance was not bad, and they looked like normal people when they put on official robes.
But when they actually arrived at the palace, the Mu brothers, who were once bullies in the town, also froze, twisting their bodies from time to time, and the sound of swallowing could be clearly heard.
Song Jiang's glances several times could not suppress their uneasiness, so he ignored them. After all, besides them, several people on the other side were even more unbearable.
That was the rebel gang headed by Guo Kang. Now that they had been recruited, they also put on official robes, but nervously looked at the groups of Ban Zhi guards coming and going, as if these tightly guarded Forbidden Army were about to pounce at the next moment.
, pushing them to the ground.
Zhang Dun, who was standing at the front, turned a blind eye to these small movements behind him, with his waist straight and calm. Only his gray hair was slightly exposed under the head of the long-footed robe, and his eyes looking straight at the palace in front also showed a bit of unconcealable anger.
exhausted.
"Call Zhang Gong, Guo Kang, Song Jiang... to meet you!"
Finally, the high-pitched voice of the chamberlain sounded, and everyone outside the palace became excited. Zhang Dun also strengthened his spirits and walked towards the palace under the guidance of the chamberlain.
Song Jiang followed Zhang Dun and stepped into the palace. The light around him dimmed. He couldn't help but raise his head and saw that there were already more than a dozen officials standing in the hall, all of them were nobles and nobles. He felt a surge in his heart.
Trembling, he quickly lowered his head and walked forward with gentle steps.
Along the way, the official boots with black wooden soles made a crisp sound on the ground. The incense smelled in the nose not only had no effect on calming the mind, but also made the body more and more hot. Sweat poured out from behind, soaking the clothes.
"I will pay my respects to Your Majesty!"
Fortunately, they followed Zhang Dun and finally reached the steps. Zhang Dun bowed and saluted, while Song Jiang and others all knelt down. Among them, the rebel Guo Kang shouted the most fervently: "Long live your Majesty!"
He knelt three times and kowtowed nine times until he stood up, with his head bowed deeply. He did not dare to look at the layout of the palace, and as for the officials themselves, he did not dare to take a rash look.
Song Jiang suddenly felt very interesting.
Guo Kang once caused this man to rebel, but when he was in front of him, he didn't even have the courage to look at him.
It seems unreasonable, but it makes sense.
At this moment, a young voice sounded: "Without courtesy, I will give Zhang Gong a seat!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After thanking him, Zhang Dun slowly sat down and looked at Zhao Ji with no expression on his face, as if nothing happened before.
Although he knew that this was a city that a prime minister should have, Zhao Ji breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked over with expectant eyes: "Zhang Gong internally discussed the truth of Taoism and established the state, and externally he had the idea of opening up borders and restoring the universe.
I am at peace when I return to the court... Today, the world is in chaos and the court is restless. I hope that Mr. Zhang can make plans for the country and protect the country and the country!"
The compliment was very explicit and the request was very direct.
He Zhizhong resigned and returned to his hometown to find an excuse for Zhang Dun to return to the prime minister. However, the civil and military officials in the court knew very well that Zhang Dun could come back precisely because wars were everywhere and rebels were everywhere. The authority of the imperial court was declining day by day.
The country of Song Dynasty was already in danger.
In this case, Zhao Ji no longer kept secrets, and simply asked directly. The other officials in the palace had different expressions when they heard this, some looked expectant, and some had cold eyes, but they all looked like they were listening, wanting to see this person.
How does the old husband resolve various current problems.
Zhang Dun's sonorous and powerful voice soon sounded: "Today's chaos is caused by the northern barbarians tearing up the alliance and invading south. The war caused the people to lose their homes and their lives were ruined. Some ambitious people took advantage of the situation and committed treason...
"
"For example, Jinghu Fangla, who colludes with the Mingzun cult, deceives the people's hearts, and commits evil deeds that are too numerous to describe. Such evildoers are unpardonable and should be cut into pieces as a warning to others!"
"There are also corrupt officials in the imperial court who do not know how to make decisions for the people, but instead impose excessive taxes and excessive taxes, causing the officials to force the people to rebel. For example, Guo Kang of Xiangyang was originally a good citizen, but he was forced to rebel under heavy taxes. Later he woke up and abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side."
"Although these righteous men have made mistakes, they repented in time and performed meritorious service. Their circumstances were excusable. They were also given an edict by Your Majesty to pardon their crimes, were summoned to surrender, and paid homage day and night. How generous and virtuous they are... They should be given scarlet robes and seals again."
The wife’s shadow declares it to the world as a reward!”
As soon as these words came out, there was a faint commotion in the hall.
Even if many ministers knew that Zhang Dun advocated recruiting peace, they still showed dissatisfaction with such remarks.
In terms of time, Guo Kang was one of the first rebels in Xiangyang. He was of a bad nature. At his peak, he had hundreds of thousands of naval troops under his command. The imperial court was so frightened that he frantically urged the Western Army to return to defense, fearing that he would invade all the way to the south of the Yangtze River. On the contrary,
Fang La from Jinghu took nearly a year to make his mark.
Now that Guo Kang was being recruited, most of his officials disagreed. They wanted to directly ask him to kill him as a warning to others, but Zhang Dun actually gave him a scarlet robe, granted him the title of wife and son, and declared him to the world. It was really an exaggeration.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Mu Hong and Mu Chun's face changed slightly, and Song Jiang felt a strong sense of discomfort in his heart.
If Guo Kang received this reward, it would be a golden belt for murder and arson. His official rank would be higher than theirs. How could he accept it?
"This is what Zhang Gong said..."
Even Zhao Ji frowned, not because of fairness in reward and punishment, but because he hated these rebels so much in his heart, how could he be willing to give them such good treatment.
Zhang Dun sighed secretly, if Zeng Bu, Cai Bian, and Fan Chunli were still here, even Han Zhongyan would know his intentions.
It is a pity that this group of people and even their cronies were saved by Zhao Ji. Now, those who remain in high positions in the court are mostly Jiangnan officials. They may be able to do their jobs well, but once they encounter such a disaster
, after all, the pattern is still not enough.
In this case, he said it more straightforwardly: "Your Majesty, in view of the disaster of the former Tang Dynasty King Xianzhi and Huang Chao, please appease the public opinion and do not chill the hearts of the righteous people in the world!"
There was a sudden silence in the hall, many of the ministers looked shocked and angry, and Song Jiang was shocked all over.
Taking Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao as examples, and comparing it to now, it is obvious that Zhao and Song Dynasties are going to perish!
"Is this old guy coming back to see my jokes? No... what he said makes sense..."
Zhao Ji was first filled with shock and anger, then looked at the trembling Guo Kang, and thought about the lives of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, and became thoughtful.
Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao were the rebel leaders in the late Tang Dynasty. They were both private salt traders. Their families were rich in property and they were good at riding and shooting. Some people in later generations roughly attributed all non-bureaucratic rebellions to peasant uprisings. However, there are also many scholars who have different opinions on Wang Xianzhi, Huang Chao and others.
The definition of their gang is "an alliance of bandits".
"This is not an army of farmers. On the contrary, it creates terror in the countryside, robs farmers of everything by force, and has never been committed to promoting the interests of farmers. Once conditions are favorable, it is eager to accept the imperial court's recruitment." Such a characterization is actually more accurate.
Don't think that the imperial court is corrupt and those who rebel are all active peasant uprisings. Sometimes the opposite of black is black, and it is not a simple opposition between black and white.
However, there were differences between the two men. Wang Xianzhi was happy to be recruited, while Huang Chao prevented Wang Xianzhi from surrendering to the Tang Dynasty in Qizhou, split his troops and fought independently. At first glance, this seemed to be a staunch anti-imperialist faction. In fact,
otherwise.
Huang Chao had been taking the imperial examinations in his early years, but failed many times. Finally, after failing one time, he wrote the most famous anti-poem in history, "Ode to Chrysanthemums for Not the Empress". Listen to the name of this poem, "Not the Empress"
” Fu Ju, and then raised troops to rebel.
Later, the imperial court recruited Wang Xianzhi, and the imperial court gave Wang Xianzhi the title of "Zuo Shence Army Administrative Officer and Supervisory Censor", which sounded very good, but he was an eighth-grade sesame official. Wang Xianzhi was already overjoyed and celebrated with his brothers, and then Huang Chao
Erupted.
The reason is very simple. He was not included in the recruitment and reward list. Wang Xianzhi came ashore and he was pulled down. The slogan during the rebellion was "Heaven makes up for the average". How come I was missing my brother when I was an official?
This record in the history books is: "Xianzhi was happy, but Chao hated that he could not be rewarded. He asked: 'Your Majesty surrendered, and only got an official position. What can I do with five thousand soldiers? I have no soldiers left.' Because of the attack on Xianzhi, he was injured in the head."
"
Huang Chao was so angry that he broke up with Wang Xianzhi, hit him on the head, and parted ways. Therefore, if the court had given him another eighth-grade official, Huang Chao would have been among the overjoyed people, and there might not have been a "Sky-high General."
Now, I want to be an official!
Of course, this is impossible to say, because at that time, the party struggle in the court was fierce, and the two factions of ministers adopted completely different attitudes towards recruitment. Even if Huang Chao was included in the list, he would probably be disturbed later. After all, this is how Wang Xianzhi failed to recruit, and he ended up going around.
After a while, Huang Chao will still advance into Chang'an...
Now Zhang Dun uses "Wang Xianzhi, Huang Chao" as an example. His intention is very simple, that is, to use the method of recruiting people to prevent the emergence of Huang Chao, the gravedigger of the dynasty. In his words just now, he classified the rebels into two categories.
One type is Fang La, who has a given year and has become powerful with the help of Ming Zun's teachings. They are "unpardonable sins and should be cut into pieces as a warning to others";
The other type is Guo Kang, who "has extenuating circumstances and should be given the title of wife and son-in-law and declared to the world." There are more than ten rebel leaders in the south, big and small. Obviously, these people can be arranged in this way, and
As long as the rewards are in place, they will be willing to surrender just like "Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao".
Of course, this is humble.
But there are many things that cannot be circumvented, but once they are circumvented, that's what happens.
When the imperial court is weak, it must be humble.
After being humbled, one can no longer worry about face. Instead, before the influence of more than a hundred years of rule is completely dissipated, use it as much as possible to recruit and divide the enemy, use thieves to control thieves, and strive for the last possibility of resurrection.
Just like in the Tang Dynasty, it was already dusk in the Western Mountains tomorrow, but I still had to act coy, and eventually I was beaten directly into Chang'an by the rebels.
Of course, Zhang Dun had another intention. He wanted to learn from the lessons of the collapse of the former Tang Dynasty. When the country was in turmoil, there must be no party fighting.
Zhao Ji was extremely smart and completely understood what the old minister meant, and he actually agreed with it in his heart.
He is so panicked now that he is afraid that the rebels will invade Jinling at any time, so he can just recruit them. After the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, the dictatorial power of Jiedu envoys in various places continued for more than a hundred years...
Zhang Dun knew from Zhao Ji's look that his words had an effect, and secretly sighed. This official was actually extremely smart, but it was a pity that his temperament was not suitable for being a king. What's even more pity was that he had no choice now.
At this time, Zhao Ji must be in his position. If he goes through the twists and turns of changing officials again, then Zhao Song will be doomed and no one can save him.
So Zhang Dun stood up and handed over his hands: "In the opinion of the veteran, Your Majesty should issue an imperial edict, give good words to the righteous people everywhere, recruit peace to surrender, and jointly defeat local thieves. This is a public and private policy to protect the country and the people. I hope Your Majesty will learn from it."
!”
Before Zhao Ji could answer, the opposition jumped out. Chen Guan, the imperial censor, came out and said: "I think it is absolutely impossible. This kind of behavior is to confuse black with white and confuse right and wrong. Once it is done, rebels from all over the country will follow suit. Take this as an example."
The way to advance will not only lead to endless chaos in the world, but also the court will be infamy for eternity, your majesty’s holy guide!”
“I second the proposal!” “I second the proposal!”
Guo Kang was about to bow down ecstatically and kowtow, but he saw upright figures standing out from among the noble ministers, and they all stopped him, and his expression changed again.
However, it didn't take long for him to become happy again, because Zhang Dun's response to this was straightforward and domineering: "Your Majesty, at this time when the country is about to survive, Chen Guan is still burdened by his reputation and engages in partisanship. Please behead him."
Be a warning!"
Chen Guan was stunned when he heard this, and then became furious. The impeachment of the imperial censor was a matter of course. When had he ever encountered such a counterattack? He immediately shouted angrily: "Zhang Dun, how dare you monopolize your father's favor and steal the power of the country?"
When Ren Boyu was appointed Youzhengyan, Chen Guan became Zuo Sijian. Now the grass has grown on Ren Boyu's grave, and Zhao Tingzhi's family was killed again. Chen Guan succeeded him and became the censor Zhongcheng. He will not be afraid of Zhang Dun anymore. Seeing Zhao Tingzhi
The prime minister of the Song Dynasty, who had not appeared for more than a hundred years, was actually going to be born at this moment. He immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, we must not allow the Zhang thieves to cause chaos!"
Zhang Dun straightened his back, looked directly at Zhao Ji, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, at this time of national crisis, we must put the country, the country, and the country first. Please kill Chen Guan, otherwise I will resign immediately and return home, never to serve as an official again!"
"Zhang Dun, how dare you openly threaten the emperor!!"
"Without you, the Song Dynasty will be destroyed! Your Majesty, we must capture such traitors!!"
There was a lot of crying and yelling in the hall. Zhao Ji didn't expect that what he just said was so good, he couldn't help but look panicked: "This... this..."
Song Jiang was even more frightened when he heard it, and felt incredible: "Is this a dispute in the court at the center of power? Why are you like an iron bull, always ready to kill people?"
But this chaos did not last long, because Zhao Ji, who had always been irresponsible, had to make a decision this time.
He barely suppressed his panic, stood up slowly, and pressed down with both hands. After the palace became quiet, he looked at Zhang Dun and asked a key question: "Zhang Gong's strategy of recruiting peace can solve the rebellions in the south.
However, the real enemy of the imperial court is Lin Chong and the rural army who have invaded the north. Even the capital of Bianjing has been occupied by these beasts. How can we get rid of such a huge evil?"
The ministers fell silent, and Guo Kang immediately lowered his head.
It didn't matter to anyone else. If the imperial court dared to let him confront Lin Yiyong, who forced the Liao Kingdom to sign an alliance under the city, he would defect immediately and would not go there even if he was beaten to death.
Zhang Dun took a deep breath, and under the expectant gaze of Zhao Ji and the hostile gaze of the ministers, he uttered a ground-breaking sentence: "Your Majesty, please reward the restoration of Yanyun and make Lin Chong king!"