Volume 4 Chapter 33 Xinghan
"The emperor said that Doctor Chen should write down what you want to say in the Secret Pavilion. He will review it together with the letter sent from the Imperial College." On the third floor of the Secret Pavilion, Lan Gui, the chief guard of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, bowed his head to the people in the Secret Pavilion. "Then I ask you to be patient and go back to work and study with the people in the Imperial College... Don't cause trouble to the ministers, and don't disrupt the order. There are so many important military and national affairs that need to be done seriously in the north and south of the Yangtze River and the central regions."
"I understand." Chen Kangbo nodded slightly, but then asked again in a serious tone, "Excuse me, Mr. Lan, is this all you have to say?"
"Yes." Lan Gui nodded immediately.
Upon seeing this, Chen Kangbo just nodded and said nothing more.
Zhao Ding, however, couldn't hold it in any longer and took the initiative to interrupt: "Master Lan, may I ask where you are now? What are you doing?"
"I dare not hide it from Minister Zhao. When there was a commotion here just now, the emperor was drawing in the stone pavilion beside the fish pond..." Lan Gui answered immediately without any hesitation.
"Drawing a picture?" Zhao Ding was stunned for several breaths before asking in confusion. "Drawing what?"
"To make the "Yu Ji Tu" and the "Hua Yi Tu." Lan Gui explained seriously. "The government has been working on these two maps these days ..."
"But the two famous paintings by Pei Xiu and Jia Dan?" Zhao Ding was stunned again before he reacted.
This was not his fault, but the message from Emperor Zhao made people feel as if they were in another world. In fact, not to mention Zhao Ding, almost everyone else in the secret chamber was in a trance.
It should be noted that "Yu Ji Tu" is a geographical map that focuses on hydrological mountains, while "Hua Yi Tu" is a geographical map that focuses on administrative divisions. The former was created by Pei Xiu of the Western Jin Dynasty, and the latter was created by Jia Dan of the Tang Dynasty. They are recognized geographical model maps of this era and belong to the category of professional and high-end professional knowledge that gives civil officials a headache when they hear about them.
"Exactly."
Lan Gui responded sincerely. "This matter actually started before the Jing Kang period. At that time, the Emperor Taishang Daojun issued an order to remake the two maps of "Yu Ji" and "Hua Yi" according to the old maps of Pei and Jia, and prepare to store them in the secret cabinet, carve them on stone, and then display them in the Chang'an Stele Forest, as well as in Mingdao Palace, Dongxiao Palace and other places..."
When everyone heard the words "kept in the secret pavilion", they couldn't help but look at the empty surroundings.
"As a result, by the time of the Jingkang Incident, the two maps had already been completed, and the stone carvings were 99% done, but there was no time to write the back of the stele. However, it was for this reason that when the Secret Pavilion asked for the Jin people, the two maps were spared because of the stone carvings..." Lan Gui continued to explain without panic. "A few days ago, the emperor heard that you were in the daily meeting in the Secret Pavilion and asked about the relevant books and sundries, but he found two stone tablets in the corner of Yanfu Palace, so he took them out and placed them outside the stone pavilion for observation. But for some reason, the emperor took a look and said directly that the details of the two maps were extremely detailed, but there were too many distortions in Jingdong and Liaodong, and there was also some bias in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, and the parts in Guangxi and Nanyue were even more absurd. It was also ridiculous to deliberately magnify the line of Chang'an, Luoyang, and Dongjing, so he wanted to correct it himself... However, for some reason, the more the two maps were corrected, the more mistakes there were, and now it has been four or five days of careful correction."
Everyone in the secret chamber looked at each other again, not knowing what to say... What could they say?
If we have to say something, it's not that we can't say it. On the contrary, there are too many things to say. After all, at this sensitive moment, no matter what the official does, it will arouse people's reverie. "Yu Ji Tu" and "Hua Yi Tu" can certainly lead to many meanings, such as "Jiuzhou Complete" and "One World"; and the official can also find out something by inquiring about the collections in the secret cabinet, which at least shows that the official knows this place well; and the "distortion" of Jingdong and Liaodong can be interpreted in many ways.
In fact, most people don’t think that Emperor Zhao has the ability to complete these two pictures. Instead, they believe that the emperor is more of a veiled critic. But the problem is that the Secret Council is almost on the verge of a coup, so those things seem insignificant.
The key point is that Emperor Zhao finally expressed his attitude that he did not want the chaos to affect the operation of the government, which was somewhat of a relief.
In fact, as Lan Gui chattered on and on about the trouble with the two pictures, Lu Haowen, Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun and others personally took Lan and Chen Kangbo downstairs, and easily calmed down the originally boiling atmosphere downstairs.
Even Chen Kangbo bowed slightly while holding the boot and went back directly.
Soon after, the students of the Imperial College dispersed after receiving the imperial edict and submitting their memorials, and the riot was instantly averted.
However, the apparent naturalness could not conceal the undercurrents underneath... A sudden petition, launched simultaneously by the Secret Pavilion and Xuande Building, coupled with Chen Kangbo's later public political declaration, had already formed an established fact similar to a political riot. Its huge political significance could not be ignored just because the government later sent people to pacify it.
It can only be said that after this incident, the power of the pro-war faction within the bureaucracy and literati was undoubtedly demonstrated, and they also formed a distant echo with the Emperor Zhao at the top, causing many people to feel anxious about the situation.
Leaving aside other people for now, let's just say that evening, the Prime Minister Zhao Ding returned home. He was restless after thinking about it for a while, and it was difficult for him to maintain the demeanor of a prime minister... However, soon, he received an invitation that he found somewhat unexpected, but reasonable, and then he immediately went out to meet the invitation in casual clothes at dusk.
It was nothing else, it was just that Privy Councilor Zhang Jun invited his old friend Zhao Ding to his house for a rare chat.
Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, and Hu Yin who were in Guanxi at that time, were the friends who had shared hardships when they fled to the Imperial College to avoid the war during the Jingkang Incident in the past. Then, they saw the opportunity at the same time when the emperor fell into the well in the Mingdao Palace, and then they caught the emperor's attention and rose to prominence one after another.
However, by now, the three of them have all reached high positions in the government, but it is difficult for them to be as frank and intimate as they were in the past when they shared a plate of ginger and fermented black beans... According to rumors, Zhao and Zhang have already been in a state of confrontation and are determined to fight to the death.
Of course, this is a bit ridiculous. The two were at most in opposition, which was far from the party struggle before Jing Kang.
And to be honest, this situation is not necessarily the so-called sharing of adversity but not of wealth. To a large extent, the three of them have grasped the secret. Once they have reached this position, it is difficult to continue to be close to each other... Because at this point, who doesn't have his own group of people? Who doesn't have his own political views? Who doesn't have his own ambition to leave a name in history?
How is it possible that people don’t have different opinions and behaviors? Once differences or structural contradictions arise, who should we listen to?
Of course, no matter what, this peace negotiation has brought the two of them together again.
"Brother Yuan Zhen, what do you think of today's incident?" After all, the two of them were so close that they didn't exchange unnecessary politeness when they met in private. Zhang Jun directly placed cold tea under the grapevines in his yard, drove away the servants, and then got straight to the point. "What exactly does the emperor mean?"
"I was thinking about this, too." Zhao Ding lost his prime minister's demeanor in front of Zhang Jun. He was panting and obviously panicked. "Today's incident was definitely not the government's doing. It was most likely that those people colluded with each other, and at most Wang Shu, Chen Gongfu, Hu Anguo and others fanned the flames..."
"Actually, I was somewhat lax about this." Zhang Jun suddenly interrupted, and was honest. "Although I didn't participate, I turned a blind eye to it."
"I've already said that the key to today's situation is not the situation itself. Even if you are behind the scenes, it has nothing to do with what we are talking about now." Zhao Ding shook his head repeatedly. "The key point today is that among the bureaucrats and scholars in the capital, those who advocate war are a minority after all, but the smoldering has become a fire burning the camps today, and the army, especially those preparing around Tokyo, are mostly people from the two rivers. There is no reason why there is a commotion here while the army is so quiet? What General Hu said today is actually too late. Unless..."
"Unless the emperor has made arrangements and said something in advance, I can't think of going anywhere else." Zhang Jun said. "And today the emperor only sent Lan Gui to suppress the riot easily, and what he said in the stone pavilion that day shows that the emperor has made up his mind and is bound to do something...Brother Yuan Zhen, to be honest, I am at a loss!"
"Who wouldn't be flustered?!" Zhao Ding shook his head repeatedly, but picked up the herbal tea and gulped it down in one gulp.
"Brother Yuan Zhen, I advocate war, you advocate defense; I am young, you are old; I am in charge of the cardinals, you are in charge of the world's affairs; I hope to conquer the north and establish the reputation of Ge Gong, you hope to assist the restoration of Wang Dao's career... But today, Wu and Yue should be in the same boat." Zhang Jun took a long breath, and then became serious. "I am in my private residence now, and there is no servant around. Do you want to speak first or should I?"
"I'll speak first." Zhao Ding put down the tea bowl heavily and gritted his teeth. "And to say something that is extremely treasonous... The government must not kill their fathers or brothers!"
"That's right! We must not let the emperor kill his father and brother... This is the basic principle! It is also a big worry in my mind!" Zhang Jun nodded heavily, but then he became panicked. "But what if? I thought about it. Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, Li Yanxian, Yue Fei, and Wu Jie are all OK. What about Qu Duan, Zhang Rong, and Li Qiong? Qu Duan is a disobedient person. Zhang Rong was born a pirate and was forced to rebel by the Emperor Taishang Daojun. Li Qiong's army and the Eight Character Army he led are mostly refugees from Hebei who have a deep hatred for the Jin people... What if the emperor really did it?"
"Do your best and leave the rest to fate." Zhao Ding was also a little depressed. "It is a last resort. We can't let the government bear this bad reputation even if we bear it. There has never been a wise emperor who killed his father since ancient times. Emperor Taizong of Tang only killed his brother who was fighting for the throne, and his father was only imprisoned..."
"We have no choice but to do this, but if we take on this kind of thing, will people in the world believe it?" Zhang Jun also became depressed. "It would be better to let the Jin people in the north deal with it..."
"Ridiculous!" Zhao Ding immediately scolded. " Let's not talk about whether we can hide this from the people of the world and the history books. The emperor is so smart, how could he not know the pros and cons? Even if he hates the two saints, he may not do this... If we really do this, it will backfire. The emperor will lose the support of the people, the world will be unstable, and the Northern Expedition will be a long way off. We will also be sinners for all eternity."
Zhang Jun shook his head and said, "Then we should be prepared. Otherwise, it will be too late to regret once the emergency comes."
"Let Emperor Taishang Daojun go to Mingdao Palace as soon as he comes back! Let Yuansheng go to Dongxiao Palace!" Zhao Ding said gritting his teeth.
"What do the two queens say?"
"Send it to Yangzhou!"
"What about the royal family? They are all brothers, sons, and nephews of the emperor..."
"If you cannot protect your father and brother, you will be stripped of your titles of prince and duke, and sent to Dongxiao Palace!"
"Dongxiao Palace is in the south of the Yangtze River, across the river from Yangzhou. The three queen mothers, Yuan Sheng, and all the royal family members are in the southeast..."
"Then let Empress Dowager Zheng go to Mingdao Palace, and Empress Dowager Wei stay in Tokyo..."
“…”
“…”
Just like this, the two of them talked to each other and made many plans of heinous crimes, but in the end, they were just some preliminary words that remained verbal.
"Putting aside the extreme theory of patricide, I think the government intends to prevent the peace talks from being successful." It took Zhao Ding a long time to calm his heartbeat caused by those violent remarks.
"Liu Yu?" Zhang Jun blurted out, as if he had thought of this a long time ago.
"This is the most obvious one." Zhao Ding responded seriously.
"Indeed." Zhang Jun sighed. "The emperor emphasized that the two saints must be returned unconditionally first, and then the five counties in Jingdong were the main conditions for peace talks. This was obviously a delay in time. Then he watched the peace talks escalate. He probably wanted Liu Yu to be alert and take the initiative to attack... If this is the case, the peace talks will naturally fail. The emperor can continue to maintain the posture of the Northern Expedition and give an explanation to the people who advocate peace... Otherwise, we should cooperate with the emperor to delay for a while?"
"That being said, this plan is too shallow... You see, we all had some guesses right from the start, even Li Zhongcheng reminded the emperor not to follow the small path." Zhao Ding reminded him a little. "I think this kind of behavior is not what the emperor should do."
"But the emperor did not respond to Li Zhongcheng's words." Zhang Jun still insisted on his own opinion. "It can be seen that the emperor at least has the intention to go with the flow."
"That's true." Zhao Ding also nodded with a frown, but suddenly remembered something. "But judging from what Wulindazanmo said, the Jin people don't seem to care either?"
"Maybe he's too arrogant?" Zhang Jun also frowned.
"Regardless of him, at the moment, the emperor's intention is, at its most extreme, to wait for the two emperors to return south, then kill his father and brother; at its most casual, to lure Liu Yu to attack... But I think the emperor will neither abandon the overall situation for personal grudges, nor pin his hopes on such an unorthodox method." Zhao Ding sighed. "It's more in the middle."
"What happened in between?" Zhang Jun shook his head. "He clearly has the power to make a decision, but he still agreed to negotiate peace. Then he secretly informed the army and asked the five of us if we were willing to follow him to Bagong Mountain... What exactly does the emperor want to do?"
"Are there times when you can't figure out the emperor's intentions?" Zhao Ding suddenly couldn't help but sneer.
Zhang Jun also laughed at this time: "Brother Yuan Zhen, you think too much... If I say that since I was in Mingdao Palace, I have never really figured out the emperor's intentions, do you believe it or not?"
Zhang Jun was recognized as the emperor's most trusted confidant, and everyone knew that he had risen from the Mingdao Palace by guessing the emperor's mind. At the age of just over 30, he was already a prime minister. Therefore, such words at this time inevitably seemed false.
However, what is interesting is that as Zhang Xianggong's biggest political opponent, the provincial governor Zhao Ding was silent for a moment, but nodded heavily: "I believe it... because I have never figured out the emperor's intentions! Even if the emperor told me personally, I would still find it hard to believe, and I always feel that the emperor has something that he can't express."
It is said that the Yellow River is not like Huainan, where there is no plum rain season. The rain in early summer that makes everything moldy will pass away as soon as it comes. Now is the time when the stars are shining brightly. The two of them talked for a while, but when it was the official's turn, they were silent instead. They simply stood under the grape trellis, using the shadows of layers of grape leaves to look at the stars above their heads, both of them in a daze.
"The government has a very difficult and hard life." After a long pause, Zhang Jun, who was looking at the stars above his head, suddenly spoke again. "No one knows him, no one knows him, his country is ruined, his family is ruined, he is on the verge of life and death, the court is full of corrupt officials and old customs, there are soldiers and thieves everywhere, and the Jin people are always suppressing him from outside."
"That's why you and I are afraid that the government will do something..." Zhao Ding also answered while looking at the stars above his head. "People like Li Guang actually have good intentions and are fair-minded, but they just can't help but want to gain fame. When their blood boils, they don't care about anything else, they just want to show themselves off."
"Brother Yuan Zhen, how good are you? You, Liu Dazhong, Hu Shijiang and others, if you look closely, are all capable and honest officials, but you can't help wanting to go back to the old ways, and you always think of Feng Heng Yu Da. Chen Kangbo's words today really smashed you all to pieces."
Zhao Ding wanted to mock him and Lü Zhi for being reckless and incompetent, and being a bigger burden to the emperor, but he was more cultured than Zhang Jun after all, so he simply avoided this issue and just looked at the stars and sighed in his heart:
"So, what exactly does the government want?"
"Brother, what are we seeking after all the hard work we have put ourselves through in battle?"
Under the same Milky Way, thousands of miles away, in Qianzhou at the southernmost end of Jiangxi Road, among the mountains and fields, Zhang Xian, who was resting on the side of the road and looking at the countless stars above his head in deep thought, suddenly spoke.
"Go home!" Yue Fei withdrew his gaze from the top of his head, turned around and said, "But you must go back with dignity and bring everyone back with you! We are going south now, but we are actually going north!"
Zhang Xian nodded heavily but couldn't catch up.
