Volume 1 The Wind Rises Chapter 38: Prime Minister's Generosity
Council Chamber.
With the demise of the Tang Dynasty, the system of three provinces and six ministries gradually changed.
The six ministries still existed, but the three provinces caused dissatisfaction among many emperors of the Five Dynasties due to the division of power.
After all, the three ministries emphasize the division of power. The Secretariat is responsible for practical matters, the Chancellery is the agency in charge of issuing government decrees, and the Ministry of Personnel is responsible for reviewing imperial edicts and has the power to seal or reject them.
The three provinces each have a clear division of labor, which is a perfect system.
But in troubled times what emperors want most is to hold all the power in their hands, so they are unwilling to divide the power.
Gradually, the three-province system began to become meaningless, and most government affairs were handled by special envoys appointed by the emperor.
Originally, the highest officials of the three provinces were fixed prime ministers, but this was changed to officials specially appointed by the emperor as prime ministers.
The place where the new prime minister handled government affairs was called the Council of State, and the department that handled military affairs was called the Privy Council.
In the council hall, Wang Pu was looking through various disaster relief records sent by the Ministry of Revenue and was working on the allocation of relief supplies.
Thanks to the efforts of Wang Pu and officials at all levels, the living conditions of the victims outside Kaifeng city have improved.
In particular, the warm clothes are being dispatched from Luoyang. As long as they are distributed, they will not have to worry about food and clothing. Once the accommodation problem is solved, this mission will be completed.
As soon as spring arrives tomorrow and the weather warms up, the victims will be able to return to their hometowns one after another.
Fan Zhi walked quickly from outside the hall with an official document in his hand.
"Qiwu! Wang Jixun's case has been sent to the Ministry of Justice. This is what we are waiting for. Wait and take a look!"
Fan Zhi handed Wang Pu the official document from Kaifeng Prefecture that he had specially obtained from the Ministry of Justice.
Wang Pu put down the disaster relief record in his hand, took the Kaifeng government document with great interest, and glanced at it. He didn't pay much attention to Wang Jixun's crime and the trial process, but he read every word carefully until the final trial record. When he saw that Luo Youdu sentenced Wang Jixun to ten days, paraded him through the streets and then beheaded him, he exclaimed, "Oh, it's more cruel than we thought! Beheading is not surprising, but beheading after parading him through the streets is more effective for those reckless people who value face over life than being stabbed ten times or eight times. With this trick, I believe those arrogant and reckless people will be afraid before they do anything wrong."
Fan Zhi also said with admiration: "This kid is said to be smooth and worldly-wise, but he is like a newborn calf, not afraid of offending those reckless men. But he is said to be reckless, but he is also cautious and able to foresee opportunities. Even if we don't secretly help, Shi Shouxin and his men will not be able to get away with it. The key is that he can persuade Li Chongjin, which really surprises me. That old guy is famous for his stubbornness."
He smiled and praised, and said: "Qiwu... Have you noticed that this kid seems to treat Kaifeng Prefecture as his own. He is obviously just a military officer, but his ambition is not small at all."
Wang Pu smiled calmly and said, "How can I not see that he is building up momentum for Kaifeng Prefecture? Besides... given the current situation, how is Kaifeng Prefecture any different from his?"
"Why did Yin Yide dare to take advantage of those reckless men? He has already seen that he is no match for Luo Youdu. The vacant judge position is reserved for Luo Youdu. Once Luo Youdu takes the position, he will definitely not be able to keep his position in the government. Zhang Yue's former subordinates made friends with Luo Youdu early on, isn't it for this day? Rather than being excluded in the end, it is better to take the initiative to jump out and apply for transfer. Since they are not in the capital, they are naturally not afraid of offending those military officials. Yin Yide's courage is not bad, you can pay attention to him. As for Cui Yan, the good old man, an old fox who seeks stability rather than merit, he will retreat when encountering problems, so why would he argue about anything?"
"Just wait and see. As soon as Wang Jixun's head falls to the ground, the whole of Bianjing will know that Kaifeng Prefecture has an upright ruler who is not afraid of evil and power. Luo Youdu's reputation as the little devil will be established, and the atmosphere in Bianjing will also become more solemn."
Fan Zhi shook his head and sighed, "He is capable and ambitious. The emperor calls him sir, which shows that the emperor has an extraordinary attitude towards him. It would be great if such a person could join us."
Wang Pu pondered for a moment, and suddenly said with a serious face: "I don't think so. Too much is as bad as too little... If the government wants to accomplish great things, it is inevitable that those reckless men will charge into battle. If we really force them, we may not be able to get anything good. Luo Youdu has a sense of propriety and has won the favor of Li Chongjin. We also regard him as a top figure. It just so happens that his presence can ease the conflict between the two sides. He can remain neutral. It is more beneficial to us than standing on our side."
Fan Zhi looked at Wang Pu deeply and said, "I know what Qiwu means. You and I have read poetry and books for decades, but we are not here to compete with those reckless men. Now is a time of chaos, and I also want to seek a wise ruler to conquer the world and restore the power of Han and Tang dynasties. You and I can also go down in history like Xiao He and Fang Qiao. The current emperor has the spirit of Taizong, and is a wise ruler worth pursuing. We should not waste national strength on internal strife. Isn't the end of the former Han Dynasty a lesson for us?"
He said worriedly, "I am the Prime Minister, and I am not without the bearing of a prime minister. I am not going to argue with them. We have suppressed them for decades, and now we have finally gained the upper hand. If we give up the pursuit, what if they don't stop? You and I can see far ahead, but what about those reckless men?"
Wang Pu glanced at the official document from Kaifeng Prefecture and said with a smile, "Then push this little devil out. A reckless man has no foresight, but this kid doesn't have it either? I think his future achievements will be greater than you and me. Like us, this kid is also a man with great ambitions."
"In this world, only the emperor can accomplish great things. If he wants to realize his ambitions, how can he sit back and watch the government be disrupted by reckless men? Besides, there are some military officials who have real insights. Let's not talk about Li Chongjin. Zhao Kuangyin is also very good."
"At this point, the development of the matter is beyond our expectations. Instead of continuing to use Luo Youdu to suppress arrogant soldiers and fierce generals, it is better to use the opportunities he created to achieve a delicate balance with the military officers."
"Luo Youdu has opened up a new situation, and as prime ministers, how about you and I take a step back ?"
Fan Zhi's thoughts moved randomly, and he smiled and said, "Qi Wu is smart. He doesn't want to be a chess piece in our hands, so he went to find Li Chongjin himself, intending to jump out of the chessboard. It depends on whether he is qualified to be a chess player! If he can't stand it, we will come forward to clean up the mess, which will also make him convinced."
"Wait and see!" Wang Pu said these four words, then took out his prime minister's seal, stamped it heavily on the official document from Kaifeng Prefecture, and handed it back to Fan Zhi.
Fan Zhi also returned to his seat and stamped his seal on it.
The seal of Kaifeng Prefecture, the seal of the Ministry of Justice, the seal of the two prime ministers, and the seal of the emperor together mean that the case has been officially finalized.
