Kou Ji was reminded by the eunuch all the way to Zishitang.
Standing in front of the Zishi Hall, Kou Ji glared at the eunuch.
The eunuch gave him a dry smile.
Kou Ji pulled his clothes, tilted the official hat on his head, and shouted, "It's unfair..."
"It's unfair!"
Kou Ji cried out these three words in a mournful voice, and entered the Zishi Hall under the astonished eyes of the eunuch.
In the Zishi Hall, Liu E was sitting at the top of the throne, listening to the government. Ever since she reappeared in the Zishi Hall after her imprisonment, she had been listening to the government.
She only listens, only sees, does not speak.
In her own words, she was helping the officials to listen to the government, but she did not dare to help the officials to manage the government.
Kou Zhun, Li Di, Ding Wei, Cao Lili, and Wang Zeng were sitting under her, busy with the political affairs happening in the court.
Kou Ji shouted, which really shocked them.
They all put down their government affairs and looked outside the Zishi Hall door.
Kou Zhun frowned and roared: "Whoever is howling outside the door is giving me a stick..."
Halfway through his words, he saw Kou Ji entering Zishi Hall with a sad look on his face and shouting.
Immediately, Kou Zhun stopped talking and glared: "What are you yelling about? This is a place where you can fool around?"
Kou Ji bowed his hand.
"Chen Kou Ji, please see the Queen."
"I have seen you sir."
After Kou Ji saluted, he shouted again: "It's unfair!"
Liu E, Ding Wei and others subconsciously looked at Kou Zhun. They wanted to see how Kou Zhun would handle the matter.
Kou Zhun said angrily: "What's unfair? What's unfair? If you have a grievance, go to Dali Temple and complain, go to Kaifeng Mansion to complain. This is not a place for you to fool around. Get out of here."
Kou Ji cupped his hands and said with a grimace: "The reason why I am shouting about injustice is not for myself, but for my superior, Zhang Lun."
Liu E, Kou Zhun and others looked shocked when they heard this.
Shouting injustice for Zhang Lun?
What's the fuss about?
Zhang Lun is in the fourth rank and is an important minister of the imperial court. He can attend court meetings at any time. Do you need to shout out about his injustice?
"Get out!"
Kou Zhun was completely annoyed.
Kou Ji not only refused to listen, but said loudly: "My Shangguan is a loyal man. I usually refuse to speak when I am wronged, but I can't stand it. I must help him."
Kou Zhun still wanted to reprimand him.
But I heard Ding say: "I would like to hear how wronged Zhang Lun is. Is it worth it for you to break into Zishi Hall and cry out for injustice on his behalf?"
Li Di glared at Ding Wei and scolded: "The child is fooling around, and you are also fooling around. How can you behave like this?"
Ding Wei curled his lips and said calmly: "In your eyes, he is a child, but in my eyes, he is an official of the imperial court and a disciple of the emperor. Since he is an official, he is naturally qualified to discuss government affairs."
Kou Zhun frowned and wanted to reprimand Ding Wei.
Liu E suddenly said: "I think Ding Xiangyan is right. Kou Aiqing, although Kou Ji is your grandson, he is also an official of our Song Dynasty. In Kou Mansion, you are ancestors and grandsons, but in Zishitang, you are the same
Serve as an official for the imperial court.
As long as it is beneficial to our country, the Song Dynasty, we must listen to it."
Since Liu E ended her self-imprisonment, she has always adhered to the duties of a queen. Everything was done according to Kou Zhun's wishes, and Kou Zhun could not embarrass her anymore.
Now she suddenly spoke up for Kou Ji, and every word she spoke made sense.
Kou Zhun had no way to refute.
Kou Zhun pondered for a moment, glared at Kou Ji, frowned and said, "Why don't you tell me quickly?!"
Kou Ji hurriedly said: "The lower official feels that the court is unfair to my Shangguan Zhang Lun. I, Shangguan Zhang Lun, became an official during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and successively governed Yi, Peng, Jian, Chen and other prefectures. Wherever I passed, thieves were frightened by the news. Isn't it true?
If you raise the flag and lower it, you will be killed. If you govern the place, you will have great achievements in the sky.
He also sent envoys to the Liao Kingdom successively and brought many years of peace to the Song Dynasty.
During the reign of Dazhong Xiangfu, the salt class suffered heavy losses. I, Shangguan Zhang Lun, was ordered to go to the three prefectures of Tong, Tai and Chu to manage the salt households. The salt class increased by hundreds of thousands of stones every year. I also set up salt farms in the three prefectures of Hangzhou, Xiu and Hai.
, the yearly income of salt class is another 1.5 million dan.
In just two years, Hangzhou, Xiu, and Haizhou not only added salt classes, but also provided 800,000 shi of rice, opened five canals, led Taihu Lake into the sea, and rented another 600,000 shi of rice.
After that, I went to Shangguan Zhang Lun and successively served in Taizhou, Zhaozhou, Qinzhou, Yingzhou, and Cangzhou. Everywhere I went, I made great achievements.
In terms of merit in terms of merit in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, how many people are there who can compare with my superior?
Yan Shu entered the court at the age of fourteen and served for fourteen years. He made little contribution to the court, but he was ranked fourth rank, the same as my Shangguan.
How can I, the superior officer, not feel aggrieved?
Just because I, Shangguan, am not a Jinshi, do you treat him like this?
If things go on like this, all the scholars in the dynasty will imitate Yan Shu. How many people can be like me, Shangguan, who can work for the court in a down-to-earth manner and bring peace to the people of the court?
If the people are uneasy, where will the country be?”
Kou Ji finished speaking.
Kou Zhun, Liu E and others were stunned on the spot.
They have seen many people who impeach Shangguan, whisper bad things about Shangguan, secretly report Shangguan's shortcomings, or pat Shangguan's horse.
But this was the first time they met someone who helped Shangguan aggrieved him and helped Shangguan get an official position.
More importantly, as Kou Ji finished counting Zhang Lun's contributions one by one, they felt that what Kou Ji said made sense.
Zhang Lun has been an official for decades and can be regarded as a capable minister.
He has made many contributions.
But it just happened that he had the wrong background, failed the scientific examination three times, and had to make up for a third-class job.
Therefore, in the officialdom, those officials with Jinshi background are always inferior.
So every time when someone gets promoted, others are either looking up to students, looking up to old friends, or looking up to classmates.
Only Zhang Lun had no one to support him.
Moreover, when he was an official abroad, he went to mostly poor places. Even when he was sent to wealthy places, he was still trying to gnaw on hard bones that others were unwilling to gnaw.
Only when he made great achievements and alerted the court, the officials would support him.
Just like that, some people in the court who didn't want to see Zhang Lun, a man from a wild background, get promoted, wanted to suppress him.
In the past, Zhang Lun's grandma didn't care and his uncle didn't love him, so no one helped him cry out.
Now, Kou Ji shouted for him.
Kou Ji saw everyone froze on the spot and said nothing, so he said with a bitter face: "Empress, gentlemen, is this fair?"
Kou Zhun and others frowned and remained silent.
Ding Wei opened his mouth and wanted to help, but he swallowed the words.
Speaking carefully, Ding Wei's previous experiences were somewhat similar to Zhang Lun's.
When he was an official abroad, he also made countless achievements, but he could not get promotion.
Ever since, his mind changed and he embarked on the path of greedy ministers.
Only then did he have a prosperous official career and a smooth career.
He should be the most sympathetic person to Zhang Lun's experience.
Inside the Zishi Hall, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
After a long time.
Wang Zeng suddenly said: "The Ministry of Punishment still lacks a Minister of Punishment Cao..."
Quan Xing Cao Shangshu, an official of the third rank and a pensioner.
The power of the Ministry of Punishment has been transferred to the Department of Punishment, and Dali Temple has been vacated.
Everyone in the Penal Department is in a state of retirement.
When Kou Zhun and others heard this, some frowned, while others nodded secretly.
Promoting Zhang Lun to Shangshu of Quanxing Cao, although it helped him get promoted, it did not affect the division of power in the court, nor did it take away power from any of them.
What's more important is that by promoting Zhang Lun to an old-age official, those officials with Jinshi background will not look for trouble.
Why not?
If he has merit and there are people helping him to overcome his injustice, he should be promoted.
Anyway, the imperial court is just giving out some extra salary.
It's not like taking money out of their pockets.
Moreover, since Zhang Lun was transferred from the Punishment Division, they could find a way to put their own people in to take charge of the Punishment Division.
Zhang Lun is usually smelly, tough, and not obedient at all. It would be good for them to change him to someone who is obedient.