In fact, Shao Yong also invested a lot of money. He used half his life's reputation as an endorsement, which once again messed up the opponent's plan. If he unfortunately lost the bet, he would even lose his job...
So Shao Yong's gaffe is understandable.
But Sima Guang was not very excited. He knew very well that this time it only destroyed the opponent's momentum, but it did not affect the overall situation...
Everything is just procrastination. Once the opponent stops being coy and starts acting like a bully, there is really nothing he can do.
"If we don't move Han Qi away, we will never have peace." Wang Yu also realized this clearly.
Sima Guang glanced at him. This sentence was really below the level of Wang Yuanze. The Song Dynasty had been established for hundreds of years, and the principle of checks and balances had been deeply rooted in the bones. From top to bottom, no single dominant force would be allowed to appear. For one person,
This is especially true for the Prime Minister.
In the past, the central government had two people in and two out. The official might have the intention to support Zhao Zongji, but the more important reason was that he saw that the central government was unbalanced and Zong Shi's party was too arrogant, so he used two people who were close to Chen Ke but were loyal.
The replacement of ministers was to harmonize with the central government, and it was more for the sake of the stability of the imperial power.
Fu Bi was the only minister in the Song Dynasty who could entrust state affairs and would not form factions for personal gain. Of course, the official family would not let him go, so Han Qi's position was as secure as Mount Tai.
Xianggong Han's tenacity is unparalleled in the world. Although he suffered successive setbacks, it did not affect his determination at all.
In the middle of June, Zuo Si first admonished Li Liang to clear the way. In the fourth year of Jiayou, His Majesty promised to establish a heir within two years. It is now June of the sixth year of Jiayou. The two-year period is about to pass, so it is better to make preparations early.
Zhao Zhen knew that he was throwing stones to ask for directions. If he pressed down one book, more than a dozen would appear. So he promptly replied: "There is still half a year left, so we can discuss it in the long run..." There is still half a year left, so what's the rush?
Zhao Zongshi's officials took a look and realized that the emperor was trying to delay time. But after all, Jiayou's sixth year had not yet passed, and he had made an appointment before. If he hurriedly wrote a letter to urge him. If he was found to have broken the contract and delayed the registration, then
But he lost his wife and lost his troops.
This is also the reason why Xianggong Han saw the unicorn and the solar eclipse as if he saw a life-saving straw, because only in that way can he take advantage of the situation to gather together and ask the emperor to register him in advance!
He has always had an ominous premonition recently, and is really worried about long nights and dreams, so he wants to decide the overall situation early.
The most important thing that Xianggong Han lacks is methods. You have to create even if you have no conditions. Without Butcher Wang, can you just eat pigs with hair on them?
Since you can't use auspiciousness and solar eclipse to create momentum, then you can create momentum artificially! The most important thing that Mr. Han lacks is the method...
A few days later, the doctor of the Ministry of Industry wrote a letter saying that in view of the imminent appointment of the crown prince, our department inspected the East Palace. It was found that it had not been used for a long time and was dilapidated. It was urgent to allocate funds for repairs, otherwise the canonization ceremony would be delayed.
This memorial is reasonable and reasonable, and according to experience, if the palace is to be overhauled, it will take a year no matter how soon. The officials thought about it and found that there was really no reason not to allow it, so they approved it.
But if he goes to the East Palace for inspection, he will find that the situation there is far better than what the Ministry of Industry and Engineering Department described. With the full support of the three departments, it can be repaired in more than a month!
When the renovation of the East Palace is completed and the ministers send their congratulations to ask for the establishment of a crown prince, Zhao Zhen will look shameless if he delays the decision any longer... The delay of two or three months does not make any sense, but it will appear that the emperor is obsessed with power.
In that room, Sima Guang and Wang Yu had an insight into the matter, but were unable to do anything. After all, the foundation was still shallow, and it was beyond their reach to influence the palace's projects, so they could only sit and wait day by day.
In July, Chen Ke came back.
The two of them breathed a sigh of relief, as they no longer had to push the cylinder. It's not easy to be the protagonist in a monk's book...
But then, I heard that due to the hot weather and overwork, Chen Ke actually fell ill and asked the court for leave to recuperate at home.
It was definitely an excuse! How could Chen Sanlang, who was as strong as an ox, fall ill? This made Prince Wang, who was thinner than Peach Blossom, extremely angry and directly blocked Chen Ke at home.
Chen Ke had nothing to do. He looked at the hazy sky and said to Wang Yu: "Fortunately, His Highness will be back soon. Let's talk about it then."
Wang Yu immediately went crazy, please, brother, it’s not you who makes the decision when His Highness comes back?
Anyway, if the sky falls, a high person will be able to bear it. Since Chen Ke is not in a hurry, why should he be in a hurry?
So in this already extremely tense summer, all the important people hid at home to escape the heat, letting time go by day by day.
In the blink of an eye, it is late July, the weather has turned cooler, and the construction project of the East Palace has come to an end.
Many officials in Bianjing City began to prepare congratulatory notes again. But this time it was relatively easy. They only needed to change the notes that had not been submitted several times before.
Everything is under intensive preparation, and the streets and alleys are buzzing about the Prince's Mansion that is about to be completed, and the lucky man who is about to live there... It seems that there is an invisible hand, pushing the atmosphere of Bianjing City to the rhythm of establishing a prince.
.
Who would have thought that discordant noises would appear...
On Xijiaolou Street, there is a majestic mansion with a gold-plated plaque saying "Prince of Nankang County" hanging on it.
In the study room in the backyard of the palace, Zhao Conggu, who was dressed in a decent Western Sichuan brocade robe, tall and resembled Emperor Taizu, stood in front of a picture of "Tiger Entering the Mountain" with a gloomy expression, and said in a deep voice: "Why is there nothing wrong with the summer floods, but there are no autumn floods?"
Where's the worry?"
Standing behind him was a thin man with a dark complexion, who turned out to be Chen Ke's friend of the same age, Prime Minister Jiaqian of the Du Shui Supervisor. He replied softly: "This is normal. There is no need to worry about the summer surge, or there may be a sudden outbreak due to the mountains and rivers.
Perhaps due to heavy rains, the river water will inevitably increase. However, the sky is high in summer and rises and falls with the rise, so the only thing to worry about is the autumn floods."
"If the autumn rise cannot be retreated immediately, it is most likely to lead to danger." After a pause, Jia Quan continued: "It has been raining continuously recently, and the Yellow River has surged by more than ten feet. Shouldn't we worry about it?"
"I no longer care about the river affairs." Zhao Conggu turned his face and said solemnly: "You can report it directly to your superiors."
"I have submitted copies several times, but there has been no news from them." Jia Dan said with a bitter face, "So I had to ask the prince."
"Why don't you go find Chen Zhongfang?" Zhao Conggu said coldly: "With your relationship, why bother looking for something far away?"
"Chen Zhongfang has already claimed that he has been ill for more than a month." Jia Dan sighed and said, "I have come to see him several times. Even though I have said good things to him, he has refused to do this favor for me."
"Humph, the true colors are revealed." Zhao Congzhuo sat down after a major case, folded his arms and began to think. Today, Jia Gan visited and the news he brought really shocked him - the autumn floods were fierce, and the Ergu River project was newly built last year.
There is a risk of the embankment bursting!
If the Ergu River, which was newly built at a huge cost last year, really bursts its embankments, he, the project supervisor, will definitely not be able to escape responsibility.
Of course, it is only a secondary responsibility. After all, the project was built by Zhao Zongshi, and he refused to listen to dissuasion. He insisted on rushing the work after the winter solstice, which laid hidden dangers for the project. This person who is mainly responsible cannot escape!
Thinking of this, Zhao Conggu really wanted to greet Zhao Zongshi's eighteenth generation ancestors, but when he thought that they were all the same ancestors, he resisted.
He also understood why Jia Quan was rejected by Chen Ke, because he had already figured it out and he didn't dare to ignore it!
His face changed from gloomy to bright for a long time, and only then did Zhao Conggu realize that Jia Quan was still standing there. He exhaled a deep breath and said, "Go back first!"
"Then this memorial..."
"You leave it here first, and you can make your own decision." Zhao Conggu waved his hand impatiently.
"Yes." Jia Dan withdrew with worry.
When Jia Quan came out of the palace, two of his subordinate officers came up to him and asked, "Sir, will the prince agree to leave?"
Jia Dan nodded, but then shook his head and said nothing.
In that room, Zhao Conggu thought hard for two days, and finally made up his mind and handed Jia Quan's memorial to the emperor.
He has already figured it out. Even if the embankment breaks in the end, it does not mean that there will be problems with the project. But if Jia Dan comes to call the police, he will definitely not be able to escape the eyes of someone who is interested. If he really fails to report the news, he will be in trouble.
What's more, even if the embankment does burst in the end, he can be regarded as atonement. At least he doesn't have to accompany Zhao Zongshi in his misfortune!
Zhao Zhen attached great importance to it and immediately ordered Prime Minister Fu Bi to be summoned. When Mr. Fu saw this memorial, his expression immediately changed and he said: "This autumn flood is destined to be dangerous. Along Shaanxi, Henan, Jingji, and all the way to Hebei Road, the Yellow River Basin is covered by dark clouds.
The weather is raining continuously in autumn. I just received an emergency report today that the water level in the iron pillars at the Kaifeng mouth upstream has risen three inches every day and has reached more than three feet..."
"This means that all newly built dams on Hebei Road will have to withstand a flood peak three feet away?" Zhao Zhen's heart shrank into a ball, and he asked with a hint of luck: "Can the Ergu River withstand it?"
"The Ergu River should be able to withstand a water level of five feet." Zhao Conggu quickly replied.
"There are still two feet..." Zhao Zhen muttered: "When will the autumn flood reach its peak?"
"There are still more than ten days," Fu Bi replied.
"Isn't that extremely dangerous?!" Zhao Zhen said solemnly: "Put everything aside for now and do your best to prevent floods and rescue operations!"
"Yes." They both responded together.
"Fu Aiqing, you are here to take charge of the overall situation," Fu Bi said and then looked at Zhao Conggu and said, "You were the river supervisor at the time and were familiar with the conditions of the Ergu River. You are responsible for the front line. Are you willing?"
"It is my duty to serve as a minister!" Since ancient times, Zhao dared to send memorials to the palace, and he had the consciousness of being caught as a young man. Either way, he would die, so why not be heroic?
"Good!" Zhao Zhen said enthusiastically: "This is the good man of my heavenly family!"
Without further ado, Fu Bi immediately mobilized manpower and materials. Zhao Conggu took the lead and went to the Ergu River to inspect the dangerous situation. He took Jia Dan and other water supervision officials to move all the atlases and instruments in the prison to the Ergu River.
At the fork, a temporary command post was set up.
Standing under the felt shed, I looked up and saw that the sky was full of dense rain. Looking straight up, I saw a violent yellow dragon in front of me. The fishy waves were rising into the sky, white foam was rolling, and it was carrying the big trees rolled down from the upstream. The corpses of humans and animals were roaring from before my eyes.
And passed.
Zhao Conggu couldn't help but feel dizzy. If it weren't for the concrete embankment newly built last year under his feet, which gave him a strange solid feeling, he would have doubted whether he had the courage to stand at the cusp of such a storm.
When he saw Jia Dan wearing a raincoat and a bamboo hat on his head, coming in despite the wind and rain, he asked directly, "How are you doing?"
"Your Majesty, in two days, the water level has risen another eight feet. If this trend continues, it will take at least three days to release water from the breach on the opposite side." Jia Dan's lips turned purple from the cold. He took off his raincoat and chattered his teeth.