Not published in the Zhongshu.
This sentence is extraordinary!
Among the four great prime ministers in the current court, Tang Jie is in charge of the Three Departments, Zhao Yan is in charge of the Censorate, and Fu Bi and Zeng Gongliang are in charge of the Secretariat.
Because now the three provinces and six ministries are in name only, the one that truly holds administrative power is the Secretariat.
However, Fu Bi and Zeng Gongliang were both old and did not interfere much in state affairs. The administrative power was actually in the hands of the Vice-Chancellor, and Wang Anshi himself was the Vice-Chancellor. Logically speaking, this imperial edict could not have been stopped.
Unless the prime minister comes forward in person.
Although they are all in semi-retirement, they are prime ministers after all and the nominal bosses. In addition to their status and prestige, they are still quite influential as long as they open their mouths.
So the person who stopped the imperial edict was either Fu Bi or Zeng Gongliang.
However, Zeng Gongliang had always been invisible in this matter and rarely attended meetings. Although Fu Bi did not explicitly support or oppose it, after returning to Beijing, he had more contacts with conservatives and kept his distance from Wang Anshi.
It can be seen that he tends to be conservative.
Lu Gong knew clearly that it was most likely Fu Bi who stopped him.
This is very surprising, because Fu Bi was unwilling to come back before, and it was Shenzong who forced him to come back, which shows that he did not want to get involved in this matter.
No one expected that Fu Bi would suddenly take action at this critical moment.
At the beginning, the prime minister came forward.
Lu Gong couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Wang Anshi.
Is this playable
... ..
As soon as Qian Yi struck the drumstick, the situation in the court suddenly became turbulent and unpredictable.
Before, both the censors and the censors impeached Wang Anshi for playing power games, violating ancestral rules, and having rebellious intentions. Later, they impeached Wang Anshi for excluding dissidents and forming a clique for personal gain.
But the problem is that the emperor has only set up one department and has not yet found all the staff.
Even moderates felt that the conservatives' reaction was too radical.
But now the entire conservative faction has suddenly turned their guns around and demanded a public trial of this case.
If Zhang Fei can sue, why can’t Qian Yi
If you really serve the country and the people without any selfish motives, why don't you dare to go to class and debate
What did you, Wang Anshi, say when you supported Zhang Fei
When it's your turn, you don't want to do it.
In particular, the emperor secretly issued an order to let Kaifeng Prefecture impose a heavy sentence on Qian Yi. This was truly shameless, causing the neutral faction to gradually turn to the conservative side.
Can't you just talk about reason
Don't be a double standard.
In fact, Fu Bi was still trying to calm everyone down secretly. The emperor had made up his mind. Whether he agreed or opposed, he would let Wang Anshi give it a try first.
What he feared was the division of the court and the start of dark party struggles.
He was well aware of the internal friction that party strife caused to the country, which was extremely terrible.
If Qian Yi was really exiled to the frontier, this matter might not be resolved.
Because by then everyone will feel insecure, so they will huddle together for warmth and start party struggles again.
Therefore, Fu Bi stepped forward directly and stopped the imperial edict.
At the same time, Zhao Yan also stood up to speak for Qian Yi.
Among the four prime ministers, only Zeng Gongliang remained silent. Tang Jie wanted to speak, but his body did not allow it.
Regardless of whether they have real power or not, their status is there, and it is impossible for Zhao Xu to demote all the prime ministers at once.
Things haven't come to this.
Zhao Xu had no choice but to hold a meeting to discuss the matter.
Chuigong Hall.
"Your Majesty, since ancient times, wise monarchs have never punished censors for their words. Regardless of whether they are right or wrong, this is their duty. Listening to both sides will lead to enlightenment, while only listening to one side will lead to ignorance. If they keep silent, Your Majesty will not be able to hear the voices of the people. Now you force the censors to take off their official robes and go to Kaifeng to file a complaint. This will surely make future generations laugh at you. I hope Your Majesty will think twice before acting."
Zhao Yan spoke to Zhao Xu in a serious tone.
"Prime Minister Zhao is wrong."
Wang Anshi immediately stepped forward and said, "Yes, the censors are your Majesty's eyes and ears, so we should be more cautious in selecting censors. People with evil intentions and bad intentions should never be appointed to this position. People like Qian Yi, who spread evil words to confuse the people and destroy the harmony of the court, should not be allowed to stay in the censorate."
Zhao Yan said: "Qian Yi is not the only one who opposes the establishment of the Three Departments Regulations Office. Prime Minister Ji is also against it. Are they all treacherous and flattering? Or are those who oppose you, Wang Anshi, treacherous and flattering?"
Wang Anshi nodded: "Yes."
Sima Guang, Wen Yanbo and others were all dumbfounded. You are so arrogant!
Zhao Yan frowned: "What do you mean by that?"
Wang Anshi said: "Your Majesty has enabled me to reform the country in order to address the country's bad policies and make the country rich and strong. Everyone present should also know that the three redundancies have reached a point where they must be dealt with. Zeng has also proposed reforms, but his ideas are different from mine, Wang Anshi's.
But they rejected your majesty's efforts to govern the country just because they disliked me, Wang Anshi. What else can they be but treacherous people? They also said that I, Wang Anshi, was arrogant and unreasonable, but they were the ones who were truly selfish. "
My new law hasn't even come out yet, and you're already opposing it. You're clearly targeting me!
Wen Yanbo immediately retorted: "What they are against is not the reform, but the fact that this country has a fixed system. If you want to reform, it should be presided over by the two ministries. For example, when Fan Gong carried out the reform, he did not set up a separate department. If the censors heard about this and said nothing, they would be guilty of dereliction of duty."
Wang Anshi immediately asked, "Did Mr. Fan's reform succeed?"
This sentence left Wen Yanbo speechless.
Wang Anshi asked again: "If I follow Mr. Fan's example, will the result be different? It is precisely because I have learned from Mr. Fan's lesson that I petitioned Your Majesty to set up another department."
He actually said this to Fu Bi. After all, Wen Yanbo did not participate much at that time, and Fu Bi was the backbone of the Qingli gentlemen.
Fu Bi was embarrassed and remained silent.
They did fail.
Wang Anshi was not willing to give in. "At that time, many censors impeached Mr. Fan. Do you agree with those charges? At that time, Mr. Fan gave in again and again, which led to the censors becoming more aggressive. In the end, the reform failed. Not only did it fail to correct the bad policies, it even put the country in jeopardy and the building was about to collapse. Now you want me to learn from Mr. Fan. What's the reason?"
You haven't finished yet. Fu Bi gradually became unhappy. Fan Zhongyan was his confidant, close friend, and even comrade-in-arms. He respected Fan Zhongyan very much. It was really too much to always use Fan Zhongyan as a negative example.
He nodded with a smile and said, "You are right. What Mr. Fan did is indeed not worth learning. After all, Mr. Fan failed. So why don't we do the opposite? The two ministries and three departments should all follow the lead of Sima, who is in charge of the three department regulations, and obey his orders. What do you think?"
Wang Anshi's heart trembled, "Anshi definitely doesn't mean that."
Zhao Xu glanced at Fu Bi without saying anything, thinking to himself, Mr. Fu is getting stronger as he gets older!
Fu Bi smiled amiably and said, "I, Fu Bi, also respect Mr. Wang's loyalty and character. What Mr. Wang said just now is also reasonable. You are assisting the holy monarch and serving the country and the people. The whole court should support you."
At this point, he suddenly changed the subject, "But does the court only allow this kind of voice? If this precedent is set, what if the next person is Wang Mang or Li Linfu? At that time, the censors and remonstrators dare not speak out, who will stop them? Mr. Fan is well aware of this, so he ended the new law with a gentleman's dispute."
Although Zhao Xu didn't say anything, he couldn't help but nodded slightly.
I have to say, old ginger is still spicy.
This statement gets to the root of the problem.
Even if you are right, even if you are the truth, the court should allow different voices. You cannot guarantee that your successor will be like you, Wang Anshi, caring about the world and serving the country and the people.
If you, Wang Anshi, can make the censor shut up today, then anyone can do the same in the future.
The Censorate was abolished.
These words were actually said to Zhao Xu.
The emperor still needs to strike a balance.
In all dynasties, people have said that censors are annoying, but why have there been censors in every dynasty? Are the emperors stupid? Don’t they know to depose them? It is because the censors are actually a knife in the emperor’s hand, not a hemp rope to strangle the emperor.
Wasn't it the censors who caused the downfall of the prime minister
Which emperor was killed by the censor
Wang Anshi said: "Mr. Fu has a point, but is it a way to ensure long-term peace if we allow them to quarrel every day in the court?"
Fu Bi nodded and said, "You are right. I also hope that the court can be harmonious. If there are disagreements, we should argue like gentlemen. Why not go to the court and have a debate..."
Wang Anshi immediately said: "How can this be done? If this precedent is set, then every policy issued by the court may be sued, which will seriously damage the prestige of the court. At that time, no problem of the country can be solved."
Zhao Yan said, "When Zhang Sanwei sued the court, you seemed to support him."
Wang Anshi retorted: "That's different. Zhang San is seeking justice for the people, while Qian Yi is just making trouble and causing chaos beyond the scope of the law. He must be severely punished."
Fu Bi said calmly: "Just listen to me. I also think that no matter what Qian Yi said, he should not go to Kaifeng Prefecture to file a complaint. Kaifeng Prefecture must not accept this case and must severely punish such behavior.
But in my opinion, this is also an opportunity to promote unity in the court. We can debate in class, discuss things with theory and law, and everyone must admit whether they win or lose. This will prevent the court from falling into division and endless quarrels. "
His words were not really meant to be conservative. His ultimate goal was to prevent the court from splitting, because he knew how terrible it would be. However, a tough style like Wang Anshi's would definitely accelerate the split of the court.
You have to know that Wang Anshi's current reputation is far inferior to that of Fan Zhongyan at that time. People will not accept it and the situation will definitely get worse.
This is really predictable.
Sima Guang, who had been hiding in the corner to gather his strength, suddenly said, "Wang Jiefu, are you feeling guilty?"
Wang Anshi looked at Sima Guang and became even more furious. "Why should I feel guilty?"
"If you are not guilty, why don't you dare to argue in class?"
Sima Guang laughed and said, "Although Zhang San's lawsuit was about redressing the injustice of the people, what you, Wang Jiefu, said at that time is also very appropriate here. Those who dare not go to court to argue must be those who are guilty. If they are upright, how can they be afraid of a fair trial?"
"Can this be the same thing?"
Wang Anshi retorted: "Do you think I don't know their purpose? They just want to disrupt the court's reform by arguing in class. Today, they complain about the establishment of the Three Departments Regulations Office. Tomorrow, they complain again when I promulgate new laws. This goes on and on. Your Majesty appointed me to reform the law, not to let me quarrel with them."
Zhao Xu nodded heavily again.
Sima Guang said: "As you said before, arguing in class is, after all, an upright method. If people are not allowed to use such an upright method, then they are forced to use some despicable methods."
Zhao Xu suddenly said, "I think what Grand Secretary Wang said makes sense. If we finish the case today and someone else comes to file the case tomorrow, this matter will never end."
Fu Bi said, "Your Majesty, I have always opposed Qian Yi's going to Kaifeng Prefecture to file a complaint, but I also think that since so many people are against it, you should give them a reasonable explanation. If Grand Secretary Wang wins the lawsuit and some people continue to make a fuss about it, it would be unreasonable. No matter how much Your Majesty punishes them, I will not say anything."
Wang Anshi's eyes sparkled, and he said, "If I promulgate a new law, and they come to complain again, Mr. Fu will have to speak up for me."
Sima Guang immediately said, "What Mr. Fu said is about setting up the Three Departments Regulations Department. As for your new law, if someone complains about it, you have to first examine whether they have a reason. If they have a reason, it can only prove that you did not do a good job. You made a mistake, so why don't you let people complain?"
Seeing that Fu Bi had said so much, Wang Anshi also planned to achieve his goal in one battle. Let's fight. If I win, you can't object anymore.
But he was referring to the entire reform.
Everyone is betting their fortunes.
How could Sima Guang, this old fox, fall for this
Let’s count them one by one.
Wang Anshi could not help but glare at Sima Guang.
Sima Guang ignored him and said to Zhao Xu: "Your Majesty, Zhang San sued the court based on the ancestral law. Although there was no judgment at that time, Your Majesty later accepted Zhang San's reasoning and defined Taizong's edict as the ancestral law. No one said anything. It can be seen that disputes can be avoided by going to court.
Besides, Your Majesty, you have just promulgated the laws of our ancestors. Now someone is suing you based on the laws of our ancestors. If Your Majesty does not allow them to sue, this will also cause doubts. "
This time, he had grasped Zhao Xu's vital point.
really!
He set the tone for the ancestral laws. Although there were some objections, at most they just grumbled in private and no one opposed openly.
We lost the lawsuit, so we admit it.
Now it's our turn to sue, but you won't give in.
What a double standard!
Who would accept this result
Zhao Xu couldn't help but look at Wang Anshi.
Wang Anshi suddenly felt like he was shooting himself in the foot.
He originally supported Zhang Fei in breaking the constraints of ancestral laws, but he never expected that the other party would use this trick against him and even drag the emperor into it.
It would be unreasonable not to agree.
Wang Anshi struggled for a while and said, "Okay! I can agree to take this lawsuit, but I have also said before, this time only, I will never accept this endless entanglement. The laws of our ancestors are the foundation of governing the country, not used to attack political enemies."
This is stated very bluntly.
He also knows that this ancestral law is just a pocket law. You can sue for anything. I promulgate a new law and you sue me for it. Who can stand this
If there are problems with the new law, let's discuss the issues based on facts and the law. If you have evidence, show it and stop talking about ancestral laws.
Zhao Xu also nodded.
He set the tone of the ancestral law to avoid these people using the ancestral law to threaten him. If the other party still wants to do so, then it can only be used once. If it is used again and again, he will not agree.
Fu Bi, Wen Yanbo, Sima Guang and others all nodded and agreed.
... ...
Zhang Fei, the founder of the ancestral law, was busy with business at this time.
It’s not that he doesn’t care about what’s happening in the government and the opposition, but he knows very well that the situation will only become more serious. He can no longer fight alone, and he needs a strong team.
Bian Jing Law Firm is also of vital importance to him.
“It still doesn’t work!”
After reviewing the contracts drawn up in the past few days, Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "But fortunately, they are all temporary contracts, and we can change them later."
Fan Li was surprised and said, "I checked it several times last night and didn't find any mistakes or omissions!"
Zhang Fei said: "I'm not referring to mistakes or omissions, but the writing style and wording of these contracts are completely different. They are too personalized."
Fan Li said awkwardly, "This isn't written by one person, so of course there are some surprises, but it's basically written according to the text you gave me."
Zhang Fei said, "That's the problem. You should remember that when I guaranteed the mortgage, I guaranteed the contract. If any word in it is different, it has nothing to do with me. But my own firm is a mess. How can this work?"
Fan Li said, "That's the mortgage business. Most of the businesses we take on are different. Just take the copyright contract for example. Everyone has different requirements. It's impossible to standardize it."
Zhang Fei said, "It must be the same."
Fan Li wondered, "How is it the same?"
Zhang Fei said: "If we can't make the decision on the form of the contract, then we will be controlled by others."
"What is controlled by others?"
Xu Zhiqian suddenly walked in.
"It's a small matter." Zhang Fei said to Fan Li again: "First, you classify these contracts for me, and then I will think about how to sign them."
This matter cannot be prepared in advance, because he also needs to look at the needs of contemporary businessmen and citizens for legal services, and then formulate standardized and unified contract templates based on their needs.
But it must be regulated, so that he will know what is going on and there won't be too much trouble.
"All right!"
Fan Li nodded, took the contract and went out.
Xu Zhiqian immediately sat down and came forward, "Are you still putting your mind into doing business?"
Zhang Fei said: "My mind is all on this."
Xu Zhiqian said: "Even Lu Xiaokan knows to make sure everything is foolproof, so you should also prepare for it."
Zhang Fei sighed and said, "Believe me, although this may be troublesome, Wang Daxueshi will never let them succeed. If they really take it to court, it will be a huge loss."
Xu Zhiqian said worriedly, "That being said, it's hard to predict what will happen in the court. The key is that this matter was caused by you. If it gets out of hand, you might really be implicated. I think you should be fully prepared in case of emergency."
"I can't possibly spend my energy on something that has such a small chance of happening..."
Having said this, he suddenly looked towards the door and frowned: "Maybe you... you are right."
Xu Zhiqian looked back and saw Wang Anshi and Lu Huiqing walking in with gloomy faces.