"Having a way is nothing more than a favor. The Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple are in that position, and they will always be used by some officials in the court. They come to ask for help, and the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple will always sell some favors.
As time went by, there were more cases where I couldn't see anyone.
Bao Zheng now wants to dig out these cases and try them again.
Of course they don't want to."
Kou Ji truthfully told Zhao Zhen the stakes involved in Bao Zheng's investigation of old cases.
After Zhao Zhen heard this, he said with some displeasure: "I don't dare to show favors when dealing with the emperor's relatives, but they talked to me about favors. The Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple handle major and important cases.
, where there is a human murder case, if there is a flaw, it is a human life. How can it be influenced by human feelings?
Let Bao Zheng investigate, investigate ruthlessly, I really want to see how many people are behind this."
Zhao Zhen is relatively upright now, his eyes are either black or white, and there is no gray area.
So after hearing the secret behind Bao Zheng's investigation into the old case, he decisively asked Bao Zheng to investigate thoroughly.
Kou Ji had no objection to this.
He feels that this is how an emperor should be, seeing things in black and white and not always staying in gray areas, let alone tolerate the existence of gray areas.
If the emperor could tolerate gray areas in his eyes, then the officials below would dare to turn all grays into black, and even turn all whites into gray.
Human desires and ambitions cannot be filled.
As long as the person at the top opens the door, the person at the bottom can turn the hole into a sky.
Therefore, the people above must block all the openings, so that the people below have no openings to exploit, let alone turn the openings into a piece of sky.
Just like what happened with Denwengu.
After the imperial court approved Kou Ji's request to set up Dengwen drums in various yamen, it also approved the killing of Wei sticks.
The imperial court approved local yamen's killing of powerful people in order to prevent false accusations from happening in the local area.
But when the local government implements this decree, it is very likely that the killing stick will turn into a killing stick.
As long as the magistrate is a greedy person and as long as the defendant feeds the magistrate, the plaintiff will be beaten to death with a stick when he enters the Yamen.
The cruelty and boldness of local officials will always exceed everyone's imagination.
It is precisely because of this that there are so many unjust cases among the people.
Zhao Zhen wanted to see what was behind the old cases handled by the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple, so he ignored the memorials impeaching Bao Zheng. Not only that, he also personally wrote a handwritten letter on a thorough investigation and sent Chen Lin to give it to Bao Zheng.
.
As soon as this incident came out, the memorial to impeach Bao Zheng disappeared instantly.
Zhao Zhen's move is clearly telling everyone that I am supporting Bao Zheng. I asked Bao Zheng to investigate. If you are dissatisfied with Bao Zheng, you are dissatisfied with me. As my ministers, if you are dissatisfied with me, then you can
Go to hell.
After the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty realized Bao Zheng's deep intentions, they still dared to impeach Bao Zheng.
They didn't dare to use some insidious means to deal with Bao Zheng.
Because the current prime minister, Kou Ji, hated officials using despicable means to deal with their colleagues.
I remember when the people in the court used despicable methods to deal with Li Di, Kou Ji scolded him like crazy.
Kou Ji did not have that much power to protect Li Di from the civil and military hands of the Manchu Dynasty, so Li Di was eventually dismissed and lived in Hexi.
Nowadays, Kou Ji's power is overwhelming, and those who oppose Kou Ji will almost never end well.
He keeps an eye on the court, who dares to use insidious means under his nose?
People from the Ministry of Justice and Dali Temple had no way to impeach Bao Zheng, so they had no choice but to follow Kou Ji's old example and write a letter to plead for Bao Zheng's credit. They spoke highly of Bao Zheng's contributions and political achievements, and asked Zhao Zhen and Kou Ji to
Bao Zheng was placed in a position that was more in line with his merits and achievements.
In short, ask the court to promote Bao Zheng.
It's a pity that Bao Zheng is not Zhang Lun.
Bao Zheng was a Jinshi, so no one deliberately suppressed him because of his background.
Therefore, his achievements in establishment have been praised by the court, and he was promoted very quickly, which can be said to be a meteoric rise.
Therefore, no one paid attention to the memorials submitted by the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple to promote Bao Zheng.
Zhao Zhen and Kou Ji ignored the request from officials from the Ministry of Justice and Dali Temple to promote Bao Zheng, but Wen Yanbo and others looked at it with jealousy.
They are all students of the same teacher. You, Bao Zheng, have only been in Beijing for a short time, and yet you have so many officials in Beijing asking for credit for you.
We have done nothing and no one asks for credit for us. Doesn’t that mean we are inferior to you?
Wen Yanbo and others are all outstanding people, and they consider themselves to be as good as Bao Zheng in terms of talent, learning and ability. How can they let Bao Zheng excel?
Therefore, the Ministry of Rites reported that the imperial court was asked to conduct an inventory of the world's elementary schools to see if the world's elementary schools were laid out exactly where they should be. Is there anyone greedy for money in the process?
Is it time to establish county schools and government schools?
Now that the second and third batches of Meng children are about to graduate, if the imperial court does not set up county schools and government schools, wouldn't it be a waste of the talents that have been cultivated with great difficulty?
The turmoil in the Ministry of Rites had just started, and before it became settled, those in the Ministry of Husband also began to petition the imperial court to conduct an inventory of the world's population and acres of land.
The reasons given are very good.
In recent years, the imperial court has moved a large number of people out of the country, and the people who moved away have left behind more or less some land.
Among them, military households left the most when they migrated out of the hinterland of the Central Plains. However, the imperial court did not receive a huge number of acres, so it was necessary to conduct a thorough investigation to see who occupied the land left behind by the people who migrated out.
Zhao Zhen attaches great importance to land, so when the memorial from the Ministry of Household Affairs was submitted, Zhao Zhen approved it without even thinking.
And in front of the civil and military officials of the court, he told the Ministry of Revenue to investigate strictly and thoroughly, and to give him an explanation.
Zhao Zhen needs an explanation. If he doesn't kill a few people and find out a certain amount of land, it may be difficult to give an explanation.
After Zhao Zhen approved the affairs of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, the Honglu Temple and other yamen successively reported the matter.
The matters reported to various yamen are like water poured into a frying pan, causing the whole frying pan to boil.
Chen Yaozuo lost a lot of hair, and Wang Zeng's eyes were filled with bloodshot eyes.
The two old men stood guard beside Kou Ji, one on the left and the other on the right, staring at Kou Ji with wide eyes.
Kou Ji put down the pen he was reviewing the memorials, glanced around, took off the tea cup on the table, took a sip, and asked: "You two are not sitting at the Yushitai and the Ministry of Justice at this time, so what are you doing in the political hall?
?Have the officials promoted the two of you to the position of political advisor? From now on, the two of you will be doing errands in the political hall?"
The two old men stared at Kou Ji fiercely without saying anything.
Kou Ji put down the tea cup and said in a neutral tone: "What do you mean? Tell me?"
Wang Zeng said in a hoarse voice: "Bao Zheng is your student?"
Chen Yaozuo asked: "Is Tang Jie your guest?"
Kou Ji said righteously: "Strictly speaking, Bao Zheng can only be regarded as my disciple, not my student. Although he called me sir, I did not impart any knowledge to him.
People like Shou Wang, Wang Anshi, Zeng Gong, Su Jingxian, Su Shi, and Di Yong can be considered my students.
Tang Jie did pay a visit to my house, but it was just a low-ranking official visiting the superior to ask for advice, and he was not considered a guest.
The threshold of our Kou Mansion is high, and not just anyone can become a guest of our Kou Mansion."
Wang Zeng puffed his beard and said with a glare: "I don't care whether he is your disciple or your student, if you instigated him to murder me, it is your fault."
Kou Ji looked Wang Zeng up and down in disbelief, and said puzzledly: "Instigating him? To plot to murder you? I can't bear such a big crime. As the Minister of Punishment, you should know the criminal laws of the Song Dynasty, instigating others to plot to murder.
It is a serious crime to take someone else's life. It is also a serious crime to attempt to bite and frame an important official in the court."
Wang Zeng shouted angrily: "I am now sixty-six years old, and I am no longer what I used to be. My energy is not as strong as it used to be. You instigated him to look for me day and night, which made me unable to eat well."
If you don't sleep well, even if you return to your house, he will come to your door.
He pulled up the old man's sleeves and chatted all night long.
How can my body and bones be able to bear it?!"
Kou Ji raised his eyebrows and said, "Is there any problem when young people ask elders for advice?"
Wang Zeng blew his beard and said with a glare: "You just want him to keep looking for me, and then I will be exhausted to death!"
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and said: "You are a person with status and reputation after all. Is it really okay to wrongly accuse a good person like this? Bao Zheng wants to investigate the old cases of the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple. Did you give permission?
Did he write a memorial to me and the officials only after you nodded in approval?
Now that you are annoyed by him, why don't you find out the reason within yourself and instead frame it on me?"
Wang Zeng shouted angrily: "Is that your treacherous plot?"
Kou Ji said angrily: "Let's put aside whether it is a treacherous plot or not. How can you, a minister of the Ministry of Justice, be manipulated by a subordinate official? If you dislike him for being annoying and disturbing your purity, just shut him out.
ah?"
Wang Zeng gritted his teeth and said: "How can I refuse a person who spends day and night burying himself in piles of files and only eats two cakes and a bowl of water for each meal in order to overturn old cases?
Every time he appeared in front of me, I smelled the smell of vegetable oil on his body and knew that he had been busy lighting the lamp and boiling oil all night again.
With such a talented person serving the country and the people, how can you tell me to turn him away?"
Kou Ji spread his hands and said: "So in the final analysis, it's because you couldn't be cruel and allowed him to come to you again and again, which finally made you exhausted.
Then why do you blame me?"
Wang Zeng said arrogantly: "I can't bear to speak harshly to him, so I can only blame you for being lax in teaching."
Kou Ji was annoyed, "I didn't teach you anything!"
Wang Zeng said very ruthlessly: "I am your disciple, so you have the responsibility to teach."
Kou Ji stared and said harshly, "Why didn't he exhaust you to death?"
Wang Zeng snorted coldly: "It is a serious crime to murder an important official in the court."
"If you really feel that your energy is low, beg for your life, lest you die of exhaustion in office and the officials will shed tears for you."
Kou Ji cursed Wang Zeng very viciously.
Wang Zeng raised his head and said, "As long as that disciple of yours restrains himself a little, I think I can live a few more years."
Kou Ji shouted: "You are a disaster as long as you live."
Wang Zeng said unceremoniously: "You are the one who is causing trouble!"
Seeing the two people bickering endlessly, Chen Yaozuo couldn't help but said: "Can you two slow down and solve my problem before you bicker again?"
Kou Ji glanced at Chen Yaozuo and said without politeness: "Are you tired too?"
Chen Yaozuo shook his head and said: "That's not true..."
Kou Ji raised his eyebrows slightly.
Chen Yaozuo sighed and said, "I'm too busy..."
Kou Ji said angrily: "Isn't it good to be idle? I wish I could do nothing every day, eat delicious food and drink spicy food every day, and find a few beauties to serve me. Then my life would be more comfortable than that of a god."
Chen Yaozuo sighed and said: "Since Tang Dynasty intervened in the Yushitai, he has written memorials for all matters, big and small, no matter how big or small. It has been more than a month, and I haven't submitted any memorials.
I have nothing to do every day and have insomnia every night. I always feel like I am in a dead body.
If my hair keeps falling out every day, and if it keeps falling out again, I should go to the Daxiangguo Temple to be the abbot."
Kou Ji said maliciously: "It's okay to take a stab and go to accompany Chen Lin."
Chen Yaozuo shook his head decisively and said, "Isn't that okay?"
Kou Ji sneered: "Are you scared?"
Chen Yaozuo said with a stern face: "I am the humerus of a country, and after being castrated into the palace, others will say that the official is unkind, which is not good for the official's reputation.
For the sake of the reputation of the official family, I still reluctantly continue to sit on the Yushitai."
Kou Ji snorted coldly: "You are quite capable of making excuses for yourself."
Chen Yaozuo tugged at his beard and said with great justice: "As a human minister, you cannot trap officials into unrighteousness."
Kou Ji glanced at Chen Yaozuo, then at Wang Zeng, and hummed: "So the two of you came to me to cause trouble simply because your subordinates are too capable?"
Chen Yaozuo raised his head and looked at the sky covered with dark clouds.
Wang Zeng lowered his head and counted the bricks and stones on the ground.
Koji said what was in their hearts, but they couldn't admit it.
Admitting that your subordinates are too capable is tantamount to admitting that you are a little bit incompetent.
The two of them are now considered well-known figures, how could they admit that they are incompetent?
Just when Kou Jicheng was about to say a few words to the two old men, he saw Chen Yaozi entering the political hall with a groan.
After meeting Chen Yaozuo and Wang Zeng, he first bowed to Kou Ji, then bowed to Chen Yaozuo, called "Second Brother", and finally bowed slightly to Wang Zeng.
Both Chen Yaozuo and Chen Yaozi were older than Wang Zeng.
Chen Yaozi bowed and saluted Chen Yaozuo because Chen Yaozuo was his biological brother and he must respect him, regardless of his rank.
He bowed his hand to Wang Zeng because the two of them were on equal terms, so there was no need to bend down to Wang Zeng.
It was considered polite for Chen Yaozi to be the first to salute Wang Zeng.
If the two people were unrelated and met on the street, Wang Zeng would be the first to salute Chen Yaozi and call him "elder".
Kou Ji saw Chen Yaozi and said angrily: "You came to me to complain because the people under you are too capable?"
Chen Yaozi was stunned when he heard this, glanced at Chen Yaozuo, and then at Wang Zeng.
The two old men turned their heads aside.
When Chen Yaozi saw this, he laughed and understood the meaning of Kou Ji's words. He shouted at Kou Ji: "I came to you to ask for someone. The whole Ministry of War is a bunch of idiots now. Let them do it for a little while."
Even if they are not done well, it makes people angry just looking at them.
Do you still have any capable disciples under your tutelage?
Give two to me."
After listening to Chen Yaozi's words, Kou Ji nodded and said: "Since the reform of the military system, most of the people in the Ministry of War are from the army. They are all good soldiers in the army. There must be some deficiencies in civil affairs. You should guide them well."
, only by promoting some talents at the same time.
You are a Jinshi, well-educated, and come from a family of officials. When you were young, you mostly held clerical positions, so you are very comfortable handling clerical affairs.
But you can’t ask everyone to have the same background as you, and you can’t ask those who don’t have much knowledge to handle paperwork better than you.”
Chen Yaozi yelled: "Even so, why don't you arrange one or two good-looking calligraphers for me? Each one of them writes like a dog crawling, and I feel unhappy when I look at it."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes, "As long as you can understand the military documents and transfer orders, what are you doing with such high requirements? Take the imperial examination?"
Chen Yaozi gritted his teeth and said, "I grit my teeth and admit it. But this year's military competition in the imperial court must be presided over by me. I have to choose someone who is proficient in both the art of war and knowledge."
Kou Ji pondered and said: "You can preside over it, but I must remind you. You are not allowed to take out those formation diagrams anymore.
If I find out that the formation diagram appears in the martial arts examination again, be careful that I fall out with you.
The last examiner who used formation diagrams as a test question in the martial arts exam was killed by me."
As soon as these words came out, before Chen Yaozi could speak, Wang Zeng took the lead and said: "The formation map is from Taizong..."
Wang Zeng only said a few words, but when he saw Kou Ji and Chen Yaozi looking at him as if they were idiots, he immediately shut his mouth.
Chen Yaozi snorted and said: "The terrain on the battlefield is constantly changing, the enemy situation is constantly changing, and the battle formation must also change rapidly. Using formation diagrams to set up formations and create barriers is to seek death."
You go back and forth with a set of formation maps, or a set of maps that are out of date. If you don't suffer defeat, whoever doesn't suffer defeat will suffer.
More importantly, people who hold array diagrams often cannot keep secrets.
The enemy had already obtained the formation map before it reached the hands of the soldiers at the front.
Under such circumstances, why fight?
It is more comfortable to tie one's hands and stay in the enemy's camp than to confront the enemy."
Wang Zeng looked a little ugly when he heard this.
Chen Yaozuo snorted coldly and shouted at Chen Yaozi: "Shut up! The national policy set by Taizong is not something you can arbitrarily discuss."
Chen Yaozi snorted and said nothing more.
If he continues to talk about it, if he is targeted by someone who is interested, he will not be able to escape the charge of slandering Taizong.
Although Zhao Zhen also knew that Taizong Zhao Guangyi gave the soldiers a formation map and asked the soldiers to march and set up the formation with the formation map, creating a barrier was a bit cheating.
But you can't say it openly.
If you talk about it, it goes against filial piety and you will easily be scolded.
If someone tells the truth, Zhao Zhen must deal with it, otherwise he will still be accused of violating filial piety.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Kou Ji waved his hands and said: "Okay, okay, although the formation plan is a national policy set by Taizong, when some lower-ranking people make the formation plan, they will not turn to Taizong for everything.
Therefore, many formation diagrams are made by low-level people.
The fault lies with those who are speculating."
Although Kou Ji despised Zhao Guangyi's actions, at this moment, he had to say something nice to exonerate Zhao Guangyi and Chen Yaozi.
Because of Zhao Guangyi's stupidity, it is not worthwhile to humiliate the talents of a country.
Chen Yaozi heard that Kou Ji was trying to excuse himself, and his expression softened a bit. After echoing a few words, he said bluntly: "You don't have to worry, I will not let the formation diagram appear in the army again. I will not choose.
Those who can only talk about military affairs on paper are called martial arts scholars."
Kou Ji nodded and said, "In this case, you will preside over the current martial arts examination, and I will ask the Privy Council to select someone to serve as a deputy examiner."
Chen Yaozi nodded with satisfaction, "It's a deal."
Kou Ji warned: "When selecting martial arts scholars, you must pay attention to whether the scholars are loyal to the emperor and patriotic. A large number of them will serve as supervisors in various armies, and only a small number will become commanders of the army.
A soldier."
Chen Yaozi nodded solemnly and left the political hall.
After Chen Yaozi left, Kou Ji said to Chen Yaozuo and Wang Zeng: "If you two feel that your energy is low, then you can beg for bones."
Chen Yaozuo and Wang Zeng stared at Kou Ji.
Kou Ji sighed: "You two must learn to let go. Don't hold on to power tightly, and eventually die of exhaustion in office. It's not worth it, and it's not worth it."
You can all see the talents of the younger generation.
You can also feel whether the younger generation can shoulder your heavy responsibilities."
Chen Yaozuo said unwillingly: "Without me and others to watch over them, how can they handle the government affairs well?"
Kou Ji said bluntly: "Those juniors are very aggressive, do you think you can suppress them? I dare not say anything about others. All of my disciples are rare heroes. They can be said to be the fastest promoted in the Song Dynasty.
A group of people.
They are not like the late Taixian Gong Su Yijian, who was the only one to dominate.
They are a group of people moving together.
Like a wave, it comes with force."
After listening to Kou Ji's words, Chen Yaozuo and Wang Zeng felt a little disappointed in their hearts. They looked at each other and let out a long sigh.
Wang Zeng stared at Chen Yaozuo and sighed: "You are old..."
Chen Yaozuo said with a bitter face: "You too..."
Wang Zeng said faintly: "That's all, let's sit in the court for a few more days and give the younger generation a good test. If they can really succeed us and shoulder the important responsibility of the Song Dynasty, we will take the initiative to ask for it.
To avoid being accused of coveting power and position.
It also prevents me from being looked down upon by a group of juniors.”
Chen Yaozuo hesitated for a moment and nodded in agreement.
He is ten years older than Wang Zeng, but his body is stronger than Wang Zeng's.
But even so, he was already gray-haired and old, and now he started losing his hair again.
He felt unhappy when he thought of standing in the court with a bald head and being secretly laughed at by his juniors.
The two old men walked out of the political hall with their hands clasped behind their backs and their waists bent.
The two old men had worked hard for the Song Dynasty for half their lives. It was very difficult for them to leave everything and leave.
Kou Ji felt that it was a bit cruel for him to persuade two old men to beg for their bones.
But the court is a cruel place.
If you don't leave when you are low on energy and still hold on to your power, you are looking down on human life and looking down on the lives of everyone in the world.