Chapter 35: Supervise hundreds of officials and deceive people upon hearing the news
Chapter 35: Supervise hundreds of officials and deceive people upon hearing the news
Zhao Ji, who was sitting on the dragon chair, looked down at Cao Fu, who was paying homage. He was an old man in his fifties. His height was a little over 1.7 meters tall according to future generations, and his body was on the thin side. p>
"Ping Shen." Zhao Jidao.
Cao Fu got up and stood in the hall.
Zhao Ji saw that Cao Fu looked upright, with three strands of black hair floating on his chest. His face was thin, with sharp edges and corners, and his eyes were piercing.
Zhao Ji wanted to test whether Cao Fu was really as upright as recorded in historical materials, so he asked:
"Cao Fu, you claim to be 'a mere heart, asking for nothing but loving you';
However, you are above the memorial, regardless of the dignity of the monarch and his ministers, and ruining my reputation. How can you show your love for the monarch?"
Liang Shicheng, the great eunuch who was serving as Zhao Ji's subordinate, was very happy after hearing the question from Zhao Guan's family. He concluded that Cao Fu, an upright old bookworm who was ignorant of current affairs, would definitely be demoted to a remote and poor place by the officials this time.
The ground is gone.
Liang Shicheng secretly laughed in his heart: In the Song Dynasty, if Taizu hadn't established one of the three rules at the founding of the country, one of which was "Do not kill those who comment on matters and scholar-bureaucrats", you, Cao Fu, would have been so reckless in exposing the officials when you came to admonish them.
The shortcoming is that other dynasties will probably die.
When Cao Fu faced the accusations from Zhao Guan's family, he said: "It is because I love the emperor so much that I dare not be like the princes in the capital and the eunuchs around the officials, who only flatter the officials.
Report good news but not bad news!"
"You!"
Liang Shicheng felt that he had been slightly distracted by Cao Fu again. He was so angry that he pointed at Cao Fu and wanted to yell at him. However, he found that Zhao Guan's temperament seemed to have changed in the past two days, and he was no longer as easy-going and trusting towards him as before.<
/p>
Liang Shicheng only uttered one word and then stopped speaking wisely.
But he saw Zhao Guanjia's face darken.
Zhao Jidao: "Master Liang must be tired from running errands. Go back outside the palace and go to the side hall to rest first!
I will wait until I have personally interrogated Cao Fu before sending you into the palace."
"I thank the official for your thoughtfulness. I will retreat outside the palace now!" Liang Shicheng burst into tears of gratitude on the surface, but he was very nervous in his heart.
He did not dare to disobey Zhao Guan's family at all, and quickly exited the hall...
Zhao Ji then dismissed the eunuchs and maids serving in the palace. At this time, only Zhao Ji and Cao Fu were left in the Wende Palace.
Zhao Ji asked: "Cao Fu, you say that you love the king so much that you dare not be like the princes in the capital and the eunuchs around me, who only flatter me and report good news but not bad news!
Now, I want to use you again; however, if I have to demote you first, will you still be loyal and patriotic?"
Cao Fu replied sincerely: "It is the duty of a minister to read the books of sages, be loyal to the emperor and be patriotic, regardless of his official rank."
Zhao Ji nodded with satisfaction and said: "You were demoted because your remonstrances were all true. Now, I also regret that I should not have left the palace incognito, regardless of my body and safety.
However, I cannot bear the bad reputation, so I can only sacrifice you, my beloved."
After Cao Fu heard this, he was very surprised that the Zhao Guan family today was so candid.
Zhao Ji said again: "I want to demote your sixth-rank [official official] in the Secretary's Department to a seventh-rank [supervisory censor]. Are you willing to be the supervisory censor and supervise hundreds of officials and patrol the county for me?"
County, correcting prisons, cleaning up court rituals and other affairs are minor?"
"I am willing, my minister." Cao Fu raised his brows with joy, kowtowed and thanked him and said, "As a supervisory censor, I will definitely live up to your orders!"
Cao Fu knows:
Today, the imperial court has six [supervisory censors], who oversee six ministries and one hundred divisions, with a rank of seven. Just a few days ago, a supervisory censor was appointed as an official, and now a position is vacant.
In the Song Dynasty, the supervisory censor had the power to "snatch people" and had to report to the emperor once a month, which was called a "monthly lesson".
After the supervisory censor takes office, he must be impeached within 100 days, otherwise he will be dismissed as a foreign official or be fined a salary, which is called "humiliating Taiwan money".
The censor can directly impeach the prime minister, and is also responsible for admonishing the emperor.
The Yushitai also has the right to assign censors to participate in the trial of major criminal cases.
In short, although the supervisory censor's rank is only from the seventh rank, he has great power; it is a clever way for the emperor to use small officials to manage high officials.
The supervisory censor can supervise and check and balance the power of the ministers.
Zhao Ji picked up his writing brush and wrote the appointment and dismissal of Cao Fu's official position in the imperial edict in thin gold style - that is, "the imperial brush removes the appointment".
During the Song Dynasty, the appointment and dismissal of officials were divided into three types:
The first type is "improving the conferment by imperial pen", which is the conferment of important officials by the emperor himself. It is not commonly used, and generally refers to the conferment of high-ranking officials of the third or second rank or above.
The second type is "offices awarded by the court", which is awarded to the deputy ministers of the imperial court or local officials by the Prime Minister's Office (Capital Hall) and the Privy Council.
The third type is "annotated by the Ministry of Personnel". From the Song Dynasty, "all those who were appointed by regular officials and were dispatched by the regular officials since the fifth rank of imperial officials were returned to the Ministry of Personnel".
After Zhao Ji finished writing the appointment and dismissal of Cao Fu's official positions, he personally handed the "imperial writing to remove the appointment" to his admonishment minister Cao Fu.
Cao Fu kowtowed, received the imperial edict, and began to look around. It turned out that the Zhao Guan family had "removed the imperial conferment" on him, who was originally a small sixth-rank official, and demoted him to the supervisory censor of the seventh rank.
As a Jinshi of the Zhezong Dynasty, Cao Fu was naturally the one who "removed the grant from the emperor". What does it mean?
This means that the current Zhao Guan family loves him very much.
This means that the Zhao Guan family treated him openly and secretly.
This means that the Zhao Guan family is more important than him...
Cao Fu was so grateful that his eyes filled with tears. He held up the imperial edict of "The imperial pen removes the teachings", kowtowed to Zhao Guan's family, and solemnly said: "I thank you, Lord, for your kindness!"
If the officials want to use ministers and assistants to supervise the censors, they have the power to supervise all officials, and they are responsible for advising and admonishing the officials.
However, in addition to the sixth-grade official of Chenfu, the new official of Chenfu will be appointed as the supervisory censor.
I think it’s inappropriate!
Our supervisory censors throughout the Song Dynasty have all been appointed by those who have served as local county magistrates for at least two terms."
Damn it!
Zhao Ji not only complained in his heart: The Cao Fu I selected is really an excellent admonisher! I was about to promote you, but you came directly to criticize me?!