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?!
It stands to reason that it is such an honor to appoint Cao Fu as the supervisory censor and issue the imperial edict of "improving the authority with the imperial pen". For other officials, they would happily accept it with tears of gratitude.
However, Cao Fu is very grateful to me.
However, he flatly rejected me and criticized me for choosing the censor to be a local county magistrate who had served two terms according to the imperial court's deconflation system.
"Hey!" Zhao Ji sighed. If Cao Fu is as flattering as other ministers in the court, will I still reuse him overtly and covertly?
Of course not.
What I value is Cao Fu’s integrity,
It is Cao Fu who has such an upright character that he likes to impeach the treacherous ministers who hold power in the court.
The county magistrates who have served two terms in the local area are too bureaucratic, and most of them are corrupt and swaying people.
We are in the Song Dynasty now, and it is the last years of the Northern Song Dynasty. How can there be an upright official like Hai Rui, the local magistrate of the Ming Dynasty?
……
"The imperial edict issued by my imperial pen has been written and cannot be taken back." Zhao Ji said majestically:
"Although the imperial court's practice is to select supervisory censors from local county magistrates who have served two terms.
However, as far as I know, most local county magistrates are also corrupt and swaying people.
If I can recommend a local magistrate who is upright, upright and dares to remonstrate, and who is not afraid of power,
Then, of course, I can continue to follow the court's practice and fill the vacancy of the supervisory censor by the local county magistrate."
"Uh?! This..." Cao Fu, who was kneeling in the main hall, held the imperial edict of "The imperial pen removes the teachings" in his hand, and thought hard for a long time.
He really had not imagined that a local county magistrate who had served two terms would be as upright and upright as the Zhao family required, a magistrate who was upright, dared to remonstrate, and was not afraid of power.
"Cao Aiqing, have you figured it out?" Zhao Ji, who was sitting on the dragon chair, smiled and looked at Cao Fu, who was frowning and thinking hard, and asked step by step:
"Is there any local county magistrate you can recommend to me?"
"Alas!" Cao Fu sighed and said guiltily: "Chen Fu, please reply to your majesty.
As far as I know, there are no local county magistrates who have complied with His Majesty's request."
"Alas!" Zhao Ji said sadly, showing concern for the country and the people:
"Cao Aiqing, since we can't recommend anyone suitable to serve as a supervisory censor, and extravagance and corruption are prevalent in the court, who can clean up the rules?"
Cao Fu was moved by the talented acting Zhao Ji. With tears in his eyes, he said:
"Although I, Cao Fu, am determined to clean up the conduct of the imperial court, I do not have the qualifications to serve as a supervisory censor!"
"What are qualifications?" Zhao Ji said domineeringly: "I said you have the qualifications to serve as a supervisory censor, so you have the qualifications!
What's more, the country is in need of talents. If you continue to refuse, Cao Aiqing, wouldn't it mean that you don't want to serve the country and do errands for me?"
"Your Majesty, Cao Fu doesn't dare!" Cao Fu kowtowed and said, "My Lord, Cao Fu, is loyal and patriotic! I must do my best to serve the country and do good things for Your Majesty!"
Zhao Ji smiled slightly and said: "Then you still won't accept the imperial edict to be the supervisory censor?"
"Your Majesty, Cao Fu, accepted the edict and thanked the Lord for his kindness!" Cao Fu raised the imperial edict of "The imperial pen removes the teachings" and kowtowed to express his gratitude.
Zhao Ji was happy to see that he had finally convinced the upright and loyal minister Cao Fu.
Zhao Ji added: "Secretary Cao Fu listened to the rumors and came to remonstrate with you. I demoted you to the supervisory censorship of Yushitai, and your official rank was reduced from the original sixth rank to the seventh rank.
Although I openly despise you, I secretly want to reuse you!
I order you to supervise all officials, especially those with high positions in the court, to collect evidence of corrupt officials and treacherous ministers, and report them to me in a timely manner after you become the Supervisory Censor!
I will severely punish corrupt officials, rectify the political system, return the people to a healthy life, and let me revive the Song Dynasty!"
After hearing what Zhao Guanjia said, Cao Fu was so moved that his eyes turned red.
He witnessed inconceivably that sitting in front of him on the dragon throne was the Zhao official who had neglected government for twenty years and was only obsessed with monasticism, immortality, wine, calligraphy and painting, and exotic flowers and stones.
Now, he has suddenly transformed into a Holy Lord who cares about the country and the country and cares about the people!
With tears in his eyes, Cao Fu looked at Zhao Guan's family sitting high on the dragon chair, as if he saw a holy light...
He kowtowed again and said: "My minister, Cao Fu, must do his best to supervise all officials for the government, inspect counties and counties, correct punishments and prisons, and clean up court rituals."
…………
After Cao Fu was summoned by Zhao Ji, he exited the Wende Hall with the imperial edict of "The imperial pen removes the professor" secretly in his arms, and was led out of the palace by the young eunuch.
There were six supervisory censors in the Song Dynasty. Although their ranks were low, their positions were important. They could supervise officials, impeach prime ministers, and directly advise the emperor.
When appointing a supervisory censor, he must be appointed by the emperor himself, and then go to the capital hall where the prime minister has his office to report, and then he can go directly to the censor's desk to take office.
In the Song Dynasty, Yushitai was equivalent to the supervisory department in Zhao Ji's later generations, the highest department that investigated whether officials had violated discipline.
Even in the Song Dynasty, the Yushitai was more powerful than the highest department in later generations that would frighten corrupt officials. After all, the small supervisory censors in the Yushitai could directly impeach the prime minister...
The nominal highest official of the Yushitai is [Yushi Dafu].
However, the emperor of the Song Dynasty was afraid that the imperial censor would have too much power.
This [Censorship Officer] is generally just an honorary title given to retired officials; or it is only awarded to courtiers as an official title to commend their merits or diligence. Therefore, Censorship Officer Zhongcheng became the highest official of the Censorship Platform and the judge.
Taiwan Affairs.
The three courtyards are divided into three courtyards: the Taiyuan, the Imperial Palace, and the Chaoyuan. There is one person named [Servant of the Imperial Palace], two persons of the Imperial Palace, and six persons of the Supervisory Imperial Palace.
…………
When Cao Fu arrived at the gate of the capital hall where the Prime Minister's office was in high spirits, he prepared to report, and then went to the Yushitai to take office.
However, if a lower official wants to see four high-ranking officials at the prime minister level, he must go through the doorkeeper to notify him.
At this time, the four ministers Yu Shen, Wang Fu, Zhang Bangchang, and Li Bangyan who were sitting in the capital hall, because they heard that Zhao Guan's family had Lin Lingsu imprisoned and sent to Dali Temple for trial and conviction last night, they, the four old foxes, went out early in the morning.
I no longer wear Taoist robes and have changed into court clothes that I haven’t worn for a long time.
The four of them were discussing. Since the Zhao Guan family has accused the demon Dao Lin Lingsu, what should they, the prime ministers, do to please the Zhao Guan family?
At this time, the officials from the capital hall came to report that Cao Fu had official business and wanted to see all the ministers...
"Humph!" The seventy-year-old Dazai Yu Shen was still holding back his anger because Cao Fu had contradicted him in the capital hall. He closed his eyes slightly and said nothing.
The left prime minister, Zhang Bangchang, and the right prime minister, Li Bangyan, looked at each other and then looked at the young prime minister, Wang Fu.
What they mean is that they don't want to get involved in this troubled water.
This little official, Cao Fu, usually had no grudges with them, but Ling was bound to be demoted from the capital.
All of this is because you, Wang Shaozai, did not suppress the remonstrance written by Cao Fu that satirized the emperor for leaving the palace incognito; and you, Wang Shaozai, even added more fuel to the Zhao Guan family and copied Cao Fu's book.
As a result, Cao Fu, who has just been summoned by the emperor for accountability, must have come to the capital hall to scold you, Wang Shaozai, to settle accounts before he was demoted from the capital...
"Hahaha..." Young Prime Minister Wang Fu held his palms and laughed, saying: "My lords, it seems that I will be responsible for this offending errand.
Fu, I always think about the officials and are not afraid of offending any courtiers!
Fu, I have always known what the officials want. If he doesn’t understand the etiquette of a monarch and his ministers and listens to the rumors, he dares to touch Cao Fu, the dragon’s reverse scale. I must demote him to the most remote and poor place!"
At this time, Dazai Yu Shen slightly closed his eyes and nodded slightly.
When the left prime minister Zhang Bangchang and the right prime minister Li Bangyan saw Yu Shen nodding in agreement with Wang Fu's words, they also nodded slightly in the same way.
After Wang Fu saw that the three princes acquiesced to his proposal, he said to the doorman of the capital hall:
"According to Cao Fu, enter the capital hall."
……
Cao Fu walked into the capital hall with great dignity and bowed his hands according to etiquette to pay homage to the four princes.
Wang Fu said with a strange tone: "Cao Zhengzi dared to criticize and ridicule the emperor based only on rumors. Now that he has entered the palace to meet the emperor, and after being questioned, how can he come to see us?"
Cao Fu's face remained calm and he said: "After I was reprimanded by the officials, and before I was demoted and took up my new post, I followed the imperial edict and came to the capital hall to meet all the ministers for business."
"Haha..." Wang Fu laughed sarcastically. He heard two important messages from Cao Fu's words.
The first piece of information should be that as Wang Fu expected, Cao Fu was summoned to the palace to face the Holy Empress and was reprimanded by Zhao Guan's family.
The second piece of information, probably as Wang Fu expected, was that Cao Fu was demoted.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Wang Fu said sarcastically: "It's a pity that you, a learned man who was a Jinshi in Zhezong, took more than 20 years to reach the rank of Secretary and Provincial Zhengzi Official of Xiaoxiaoliupin.
Just because you listened to the rumors and wrote remonstrances without any discernment, which angered the officials, you will not be able to keep your status as a sixth-grade official!
Alas! What a pity!"
Dazai Yu Shen, who had kept his eyes slightly closed and hadn't said a word, agreed and felt happy after hearing what Wang Fu said. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Sigh!" Zhang Bangchang, the minister Zuocheng, managed to serve the country and the people with some conscience and kindness. He really sighed from the bottom of his heart at the sad fate of Cao Fu, a person who passed the imperial examination.
Because he felt that he was just a Jinshi and did not do as well as Cao Fu. Just because he knew how to stand in line, he was now the father-in-law of the capital.
At this time, Li Bangyan, the right prime minister of Shangshu, who was meeting Wang Fu and Shenli, said: "Wang Shaozai, you should first listen to what Cao [zhengzi] brought to the capital hall is the oracle!"
Wang Fu sneered and said, "What Mr. Li said is absolutely true. We should have heard the imperial edict from the officials earlier and banished Cao Fu from the capital earlier so that the officials' ears would be clearer!"
Cao Fu asked for the imperial edict and placed it on the table in the capital hall.
The four princes in the capital hall all followed the etiquette and left their official seats one after another, bowed to the ground...
After the simple ceremony of receiving the imperial edict, Wang Fu and other four ministers watched the imperial edict together. The main content of it was written in thin gold calligraphy by Zhao Guan's family:
Secretary of the Ministry of Secretariat [full name] Cao Fu, transferred to the Yushitai, demoted to the position of supervisory censor...
Wang Fu instantly felt the seeds in his big head buzzing...
After all, he had been so sarcastic and contemptuous of Cao Fu in front of the other three ministers before. What made Wang Fu the most incredible was what kind of evil did the Zhao Guan family commit? Did he demote Cao Fu?
The official rank of assistant.
However, the Zhao family decided to let Cao Fu take on the important official position of supervising the censor...
Wang Fu grimaced and thought to himself: "Although Cao Supervises the Censor is of low rank, he has the power to supervise all officials and impeach the Prime Minister. In the future, the Prime Minister may be in a lot of trouble, right?" But Cao Fu's face is still as calm as before!
What he cares about is not personal grudges, what he cares about is serving the public as usual!
Cao Fu was full of confidence in his taking up the post of supervisory censor to eliminate corrupt officials and treacherous officials for the country and the people...
…………
Zhao Ji, who was in the Hall of Wende, asked Liang Shicheng, the eunuch who was full of doubts: "Master Liang, look at whether I handled Cao Fu's demotion properly."
Although Liang Shicheng was suspicious in his heart, he immediately smiled on his fat face, showing that he was obeying the emperor, bowed and said:
"The officials are wise, this matter could not have been handled more appropriately."
Zhao Ji smiled and nodded, and then said: "I read Cao Fu's remonstrance and what he said. It has been spread among the people that I stayed at a prostitute's house in Fanlou last night.
Mr. Liang, have you heard about it?"
Liang Shicheng knelt down and replied in horror: "I have never heard of this!"
After Zhao Ji thought for a while, he said: "In order to verify whether there is such a rumor in the public, I will go out of the palace incognito and find Master Li to find out!
Mr. Liang, arrange it for me..."
[ps: This chapter has 3600 words.
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I wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival in advance!]