The overwhelming criticism did not hurt Cai Jing and Yang Lin.
However, the toad lying on the feet does not hurt people, but it is disgusting.
Soon Cai Jing's counterattack began. Wang Ning planned to befriend Liang Shicheng and be promoted to minister, but Cai Jing accused him of slandering the official family and was exiled.
Cai Jing's eldest brother Han Mulu was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War, his youngest son Cai Quan was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Cai Jing's confidant Bai Shizhong became the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
After a brief confrontation, the officials of the Song Dynasty who were intoxicated with money and wealth realized that the situation of the Song Dynasty had changed.
Cai Jing remained calm and secretly controlled the power of the court. The implementation of the New Deal allowed him to surpass Liang Shicheng. The Song Dynasty now had only one prime minister.
The so-called hidden minister is already a thing of the past, and the one who rules the world is Cai Jing, the chief minister.
At this time, Yang Lin tacitly handed over the court to Cai Jing and concentrated on getting rid of Wang Fu.
The Shangyuan Festival is approaching, and this can be said to be the biggest carnival in Bianliang City.
On the street, there are many pedestrians.
In order to attract customers, shops on both sides hang a string of lanterns high above their doors, reflecting the brightly lit streets every night.
Not only shops, but also street vendors, they also put up all kinds of interesting lanterns on their stalls and sang tunes and chants to attract the attention of tourists.
Even though it was daytime, many lanterns were already lit. Bianliang in the Song Dynasty was so gorgeous that they didn't even know what frugality was.
On what should have been a day of celebration, there seemed to be a dark cloud hanging over Bianliang. A piece of news was spreading at a very fast speed, making it known to everyone in Bianliang.
The Song army was defeated by the divided Tubo people on the southern front. One hundred thousand Forbidden Army men suffered heavy casualties.
These people are all athletes in Kaifeng Prefecture, and many of them have relatives and relatives in Bianliang City. They are all depressed and weeping all day long.
In teahouses and restaurants, pieces of shocking news were leaked out through some "well-established" insiders.
Zhao Ji, dressed as a scribe, was walking slowly on the roadside. He used to be very interested in visiting shops and street stalls, buying back all kinds of rare things and giving them to his family members in the palace.
But today, Zhao Ji looked gloomy. After walking a few steps, he heard many pedestrians discussing the military affairs in the southwest.
A major defeat caused the people of Bianliang to lose the joy of previous years, and the prosperous atmosphere created by the recent good news was almost destroyed.
Behind him, Yang Lin wore a scribe's robe and walked squarely with a square collar, and was escorted by Liu Qingshui from the Imperial City Department.
Yang Lin watched with cold eyes. Many "passers-by" were arranged by him, but there were also some people who were also discussing worriedly.
Today, the best person is face-saving, and he has always been proud of the peaceful and prosperous era under his rule.
Now, Yin Muhong mobilized the "Navy Army" group established by his subordinates to build momentum for Yang Lin. These poets, essayists, and storytellers exaggerated the defeat of the Southwest countless times, causing people in Bianliang to panic.
However, Cai Jinger fulfilled his promise, and the yamen at all levels were very restrained and played a conniving role.
Rumors were flying all over the place for a while, including that the vicious Tibetans were going to invade Bianliang just like they invaded Chang'an in the late Tang Dynasty.
The imagination of the people is endless. The Shangyuan Festival in Bianliang City has always been the most important festival to whitewash peace. Now that it has cast such a shadow, Zhao Ji can't help but feel a little angry towards his close minister Wang Fu.
What Yang Lin wants is this anger. For close ministers like Wang Fu and kings like Zhao Ji, this trace of anger and disappointment is better than countless ironclad evidences of corruption.
Zhao Ji has always ignored the corruption of his close ministers, even if it was excessive.
But whoever destroys his peaceful and prosperous age will really touch Zhao Ji's reverse scale, and will definitely be unlucky.
Yang Lin followed him, sullen and silent. Even Liu Qingshui felt that something was wrong in the atmosphere, and he was not talking and laughing as usual.
At this time, Yang Lin refused to come forward and say anything bad about Wang Fu. Finally, Zhao Ji couldn't help it anymore and turned around and said, "I'm a little tired from shopping today, so why not go back."
With Zhao Ji's energy and stamina, even if he walked around for several days, he would not necessarily feel tired. Yang Lin knew that he would follow him back to Genyue, and he would leave after clasping his fists.
In Gen Yue's pavilion, Zhao Ji relaxed his mood a little. He went out to play in the past few days, and every time he came back he was angry, especially today.
Now looking around in the garden, there are famous gardens covered with snow, lakes and mountains wrapped in ice, newly washed pavilions, and old green pines and cypresses. Only then did Zhao Ji feel that he had returned to his own world.
The stories about the blood everywhere in the southwest, the numerous deaths in the Nu River, and the Tibetan soldiers eating people and drinking their blood were all dismissed as hard as they could from my mind.
He gently waved his hand to summon a palace maid, who came in soon carrying a drawing board, and behind him several servants carried pens, ink, paper and inkstones.
Zhao Ji looked around and saw the several towers and the copper bells hanging on the eaves, hanging in the blue sky. Against the lingering snow on the eaves, he couldn't help but praise: "Yang Aiqing has built a beautiful garden. It is really a world of glazed glass, with white snow and red plum blossoms."
He splashed his pen and ink, completely immersing himself in it. White snow, winter, sunny days, blue sky, old branches, and red plums were all sceneries. He only needed a few strokes to fully express their meaning.
After finishing the painting, Zhao Ji let out a long sigh of relief, but suddenly he remembered something and knocked over the ink with a bang, completely contaminating a copy of the work that could be handed down from generation to generation.
Several chambermaids and maids hurriedly bent down to pack them up. Zhao Ji closed his eyes and said in a deep voice:
"Call Cai Jing, Yang Lin, and Liang Shicheng to come together to see me."
On the eve of the Shangyuan Festival, Tejin Wangfu, who had been active in the Huizong Dynasty for many years, finally ended his shocking promotion.
Being promoted to the eighth level from Tongyi Dafu and being appointed as Tejin has already broken the record since the founding of the Song Dynasty. Yang Lin, who was born as the number one scholar, is also slightly inferior in comparison.
After the great defeat in Southwest China, the official general Wang Fu was demoted from the capital and demoted to deputy envoy of the Chongxin Army, with no family property.
Cai Jing and Yang Lin looked at each other and lowered their heads randomly. This was like removing an arm from Liang Shicheng, but there was no expression on Liang Shicheng's face.
Yang Lin bowed and said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to be angry. There is still room for maneuver in the southwest war. This huge defeat is actually due to the incompetence of the commander Wang Fu and not the weakness of the soldiers. I am willing to go to the southwest in person, clean up the remaining troops and defeated generals, rectify the flags, troops and horses, and serve as our emperor."
Conquer Tubo."
Cai Jing's expression changed. He looked at Yang Lin's side face and cursed in his heart: A cunning hozen.
Set Liang Shicheng, an old eunuch, on fire and sneak out to lead the troops. Now that the officials are so angry, you will naturally not dare anyone to hold you back. I will bear the wrath of old eunuch Liang alone?
Zhao Ji nodded and said: "The business depends on your love. This time we need to come back with a great victory to restore the situation and appease the people. Don't lose my hope."
Yang Lin crossed his hands and clasped his fists: "My lord, I dare to be loyal and wise, wipe out Tubo, cleanse the southwest, open up new territories, and serve our emperor!"