Volume 5 Chapter 8 Guess
During the New Year holidays, a heavy snowfall can be regarded as a sign of a good harvest.
But perhaps because it was the emperor's first return, the political atmosphere was still a little tense, everyone was a little cautious, and the city of Tokyo was also eerily quiet... No matter what, this was still the backward feudal monarchy era, and the emperor was still the emperor.
However, after the New Year's Day ceremony, as a copy of "Water Margin" signed by Wu Yong suddenly appeared in the official bulletin, occupying the original position of "Miscellaneous Records of Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", there was an obvious commotion in the capital.
Everyone knows who wrote this new so-called "novel", but the more it is known, the more absurd and bizarre it seems. Because the book actually opens with the history of Gao Qiu's rise to wealth!
God has mercy on me. It has only been a few years since Gao Qiu died. Although Gao's sons were beaten up, they are still alive, okay?
Then there is the straightforward Prince Duan. Who is Prince Duan? Is there any need to explain?
The people involved are still alive! And it's been adapted into a novel?
Fortunately, the transformation of Prince Duan into Emperor Daojun was only a flash in the pan, and then Wang Jin, who was persecuted by Gao Qiu, fled with his mother and met Shi Dalang, who then learned martial arts and made friends with the three people from Shaohua Mountain. He was then forced to flee, which led to the appearance of Lu Tingjie again...
This story is very out of tune. In one day, how many people asked each other who Wang Jin was? Why did Shi Jin and Shi Dalang sound familiar? And who was Lu Tingjie, who was born in the Zhong family?
Finally, it was Zhang Jun, the Grand Commandant who was still in the capital and had just finished the New Year's Day court, who spoke up and told several acquaintances who came to ask about it, saying that there was absolutely no such Lu Tijie, otherwise he would have found it long ago. He was also very sure that the story of this Lu Tijie was something the emperor had heard about in the Daxiangguo Temple a long time ago, and had repeated it to Zhang Rong, the Grand Commandant, and there was a reason for it... As for Zhang Rong, the Grand Commandant who was on the Yellow River north of the capital, who later had someone read the court report to verify this statement, it goes without saying.
Not only that, in the next few days, the updates of "Water Margin" were very fast and very frequent, but they were all centered on this Lu Zhijie, from the time he killed Zhen Guanxi with three punches, to his becoming a monk in Mount Wutai, to the time he made a big fuss in Taohua Village, burned down the Waguan Temple, and finally came to the Daxiangguo Temple to uproot the willow tree. It was surprisingly smooth all the way.
The story was so exciting that soon, the storytellers in the main store who returned to work after the New Year's Day directly included the story of the Flowery Monk Lu Zhishen. It was even said that related plays were also being adapted... This treatment and speed are enough to make many coders in later generations envious.
Back to the point, these vulgar developments also relieved many people of their political burdens. At this point, many people really thought that Emperor Zhao was bored during the New Year and was going to serialize a heroic story he had heard of, and he had no other intentions. Even a few people thought that Emperor Zhao's actions were somewhat contrary to the country's legal system, but when they saw that the background was with the Emperor Taishang Daojun, they became silent.
But... then, with the end of the New Year holiday, the popular character Lu Zhishen was offline, and Leopard Head Lin Chong officially appeared, and the court was gradually stunned.
First of all, everyone knows that Gao Qiu has three biological sons, and there is no such a lecherous godson, so everyone has also realized that Gao Qiu is just a trigger. Who asked the Gao family's cook to throw the sheep's head and shout "Ruo Gouzi"? If not disgusting, who are you disgusted with? Moreover, Gao Qiu is a close minister of the Emperor Taishang Daojun. Although he is not among the six thieves, he will definitely be on the list if he is to be the seventh or eighth thief.
No one cared about the reputation of this impoverished family.
Secondly, whether it is Leopard Head Lin Chong or Cangzhou Chai Jin, the background is written so clearly that you can know it with just a little inquiry. They are obviously fictional characters like Ruhua Monk... and at this time, those who are knowledgeable and have good memory have found some lists from an ordinary rebellion quelled by Zhang Shuye, and roughly confirmed that Lin Chong and Chai Jin seem to be the same as Shi Dalang, both of whom are leaders under the bandit Song Jiang... This further proves one thing, that is, stories are just stories, and Emperor Zhao may have seen the names in some memorial and used them at random.
Besides, there is the appearance of Liangshan Marsh. There was only one great leader on Liangshan Marsh from beginning to end, Marshal Zhang Rong. How did this scholar in white come about, and he took the same name as Li Bai's friend, Wang Lun?
It was nothing more than that the only big Jianghu stronghold that Emperor Zhao was familiar with was Liangshan Marsh, so he just used it for the purpose. As long as General Zhang himself didn't mind, no one else would say anything about it.
However, even though they knew that the background was fictitious, the content was made up by the government, and the names were randomly picked out, but seeing Lin Chong's plot unfold, seeing a good and law-abiding officer being forced step by step to the temple in the snowy mountain and to Liangshan on a snowy night just because his wife was beautiful, the people at all levels could no longer sit still.
Because, anyone with a little literary knowledge can see what this official means. Isn't it that the officials forced the people to rebel? ! It's fine if the officials forced the people to rebel, but you, Wu Yong, obviously have the official behind you? Can the official also jump out and say that the officials forced the people to rebel?
And he made the story so fascinating? So full of twists and turns?
It made ordinary people believe it was true, and the Gao family couldn’t even buy ginger and fermented black beans after the Chinese New Year, okay?
So, starting from the incident when Master Lin went to Liangshan on a snowy night, and also during the first ten days when the court resumed normal work, strange memorials began to appear:
First, the two brothers of the Gao family who were still officials resigned and returned home;
Then the Minister of Justice Ma Shen wrote a letter, saying that the court newspaper had published absurd stories that damaged people's reputations, but he also proposed in another letter that the prison should be properly cleaned up to reduce unjust cases, and finally he wrote another letter to plead guilty, saying that he had misbehaved in the palace that day... After all, he had been criticized for two months, and with this wave of official oppression, he could no longer bear the emperor's temper;
As Yang Zhi sold the knife, someone impeached Yang Yizhong for abusing his power;
Even after the Red-haired Ghost Liu Tang brought Chao Gai out, someone actually impeached the family of Direct Sheren Chao Gongwu for misconduct in Jeju?
Poor Chao Gongwu, he had only been back in Beijing for two months when he received the first impeachment in his life. It was so inexplicable, it was like a bolt from the blue.
Instead, they impeached him for not reporting Zhang Jun's maritime trade activities?
Of course, Emperor Zhao also realized the problem at this time. This kind of story about officials forcing the people to rebel was really not easy to put in the official gazette, because many ordinary people really didn't understand that this was a story... So, he immediately accepted Ma Shen's suggestion and reprimanded Hu Quan, who was in charge of the gazette affairs. "Water Margin" was also taken off the shelves from then on.
However, just when everyone was breathing a sigh of relief, the people of Tokyo were shocked to discover that although "Water Margin" had been removed from the official gazette, it had not stopped being serialized. Instead, it was printed and nailed to the back of the notice of the opening of the Cuju League in Tokyo City.
Everyone in Tokyo City knew who owned the Cuju League, so they naturally knew that this was a pirated version of the game... That was fine! The point was that seeing that Liang Yangzu, the recently retired Liang Xiangye's father, had become Cai Jing's son-in-law, and then the 100,000-gu birthday gift given to Cai Jing was robbed, everyone in Tokyo City who had anything to do with politics couldn't sit still.
Because by this point, everyone realized that the government was indeed trying to express some specific messages through this "Water Margin"! This "Water Margin" was indeed hinting at something!
But no one wrote to the emperor or made a petition in person, not because it would make them look ignorant, but because since it was a hint, it would be something that was not easy to say in public, otherwise why would the emperor Zhao use this method? Wouldn't it be better to make it clear?
For a while, Prime Minister Zhao took advantage of his work and privately summoned several Shangshu, Shilang, and Temple Ministers during lunch break for several consecutive days to inquire about work in related fields. Then, Prime Minister Zhang Shu finally couldn't hold back and held a banquet to entertain a group of old friends and colleagues on his day off at the end of the ten-day period.
This was a formal banquet. It was said that the emperor had left the capital before, and Prime Minister Zhang Shuxiang and several ministers took turns guarding the palace, so the eldest son's full moon wine was delayed. Now it was made up... Therefore, there were quite a lot of people coming, even Prime Minister Zhao came in person, but after the afternoon banquet, he left again in a dignified manner.
More than 90% of the guests, including two other prime ministers, also left. For a moment, only a dozen people remained in the Prime Minister's residence.
Of course, after Prime Minister Zhao played such a trick of pulling out the heart of a black tiger with an antelope hanging on a horn, it was already very good that there were still more than ten people left, especially since among them there were two Shangshu Liu Ziyu and Lin Jingmo, one assistant minister Lu Zhi, and Qu Duan, the commander-in-chief of the imperial camp cavalry who would return after the new year to take up his post.
In fact, after a few words of casual chatting, everyone sat down again. Zhang Shuxiang went into the back hall with several senior officials, while the rest, such as Mei Sheren, the newly-risen celebrity who came with his uncle to broaden his horizons and pay homage to the leader of the faction, were not people who could be on the stage, and could only serve as gatekeepers outside with Xiahou Yuan, the commander of Qu Duan's personal guards, and Liu Zihui, Liu Ziwu's younger brother.
Fortunately, Xiahou Yuan was also a half-civilian and half-military man. He was in the same year as Liu Zihui, who had a family background in learning, and they could chat.
However, let's not talk about what happened in the front hall at this moment. Let's just say that everyone in the back hall sat down. Before the host Zhang Jun could speak, Qu Duan couldn't help but sneered:
"Mr. Zhang, you are still the same person as before. It has only been two or three years. Do you have to act so arrogantly? You even have to go to the inner hall to rank again? If the emperor hears about it, will he laugh at you?"
If this gets to the ears of the government, who will laugh at you?
Two Shangshu and one Shilang went to see Qu Da together. Zhang Jun was also at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "If that's the case, why did Qu Jiedu come in?"
"Because the emperor will only laugh at me for making a scene, but he won't kill me for it." Qu Duan said proudly. "As a minister, I am not able to share the worries of the emperor, which is the biggest disaster! Otherwise, what does Zhang Xianggong think I am here for? Am I here to steal the throne?"
Everyone was stunned, and then they all had different thoughts:
Zhang Jun and Liu Ziyu both laughed, while Lü Zhi remained calm but sneered in his heart - Qu Da was a well-known foul-mouthed man in the court, but he came here today to make a fuss, wasn't it because he had supported Wan Qi Xie in the court and was exiled, and the lone minister who had partnered with him in the past could no longer serve, so he came here alone to pay homage to the leader? I just didn't expect this guy to be so thick-skinned that he could actually say it himself on the spot, saving the embarrassment, and he was considered a character.
However, Minister Lin Jingmo took a rare look at Qu Da seriously before sitting down again.
"Qu Jiedu, you are in the army, it is better." Zhang Jun came back to his senses and smiled bitterly. "From the perspective of sharing the worries of the emperor, it is us who have a harder time..."
"What if it's better?" Qu Duan continued to face him proudly. "I haven't been to the capital for a long time. When encountering such a thing, I have to make it clear, right? How about this, all the superiors, just treat me as a subordinate and bring only a pair of ears... You talk, and I listen... Don't waste time."
"cough!"
Zhang Jun coughed dryly upon hearing this, and indeed felt that there was no need to make a scene with Qiao, so he went straight to the point. "Have you all read "Water Margin"?"
“I saw it!”
Qu Da, who came with only a pair of ears, quickly took out a bound book from his arms, and spread it on his knees, flipping through it and talking. "Before Liang Xianggong's father gave the gift to old man Cai Jing, he read the manuscript on the road. The latest story about Leopard Head Lin Chong fighting with White-clothed Scholar Wang Lun was read from the Cuju match list... My superiors, do you think this fight is a hint?"
Zhang Jun was stunned again, and then asked seriously: "What does Qu Jiedu think?"
"I heard a lot of rumors when I came from Guanxi. It was said that after the pacification of Xixia, the two emperors and some bastards in Nanyang and Yangzhou were ready to make a move. Then some Taoists bullied the emperor in the court, forcing the emperor to flee to the army... Prime Minister Zhang Shu, is it because you are incompetent in guarding the family that treacherous ministers have emerged in the court, or is there simply a leopard-headed Lin Chong hiding beside the emperor, thinking about fighting day and night, forcing the emperor to speak like this?" Qu Duan held the manuscript and asked seriously. "Could it be that one of Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan was bribed and bewitched by the two emperors?"
Everyone except Zhang Jun was stunned.
After a while, Zhang Deyuan finally became angry: "Why is Qu Jiedu so absurd? How could these two be bribed by the two saints? What did the two saints use to bribe these two?"
Liu Ziyu was also furious: "This is really outrageous! Qu Da, even if you were bribed, Yang and Liu would not be bribed by others!"
"So what if they are absurd? Isn't it just a guess?" Qu Duan said disapprovingly. "Even if Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan are fine, the four words "officials forcing the people to rebel" in "Water Margin" are also what the emperor wants, right? It can be seen that in the eyes of the emperor, the officials during the reign of Emperor Taishang Daojun have absolutely nothing to do with him, the Emperor of Jianyan! Even the Imperial Song before Jianyan is only a hindrance in name, and it has nothing to do with him... The emperor has always intended to abandon the old Song and establish the new Song. He should have said it clearly in public, right? Is this wrong?"
Zhang Deyuan and Liu Ziyu were speechless, and the rest of the people were also silent.
Because as Qu Duan said, although his words were a bit absurd, the meaning he pointed out was basically the same... Ever since Emperor Zhao returned from the Huai River, he has always been rebellious against the ancestral family rules, perhaps out of reflection on the shame of Jingkang.
If the situation could be covered up a little in the past few years due to the obvious political inertia and resistance, then in recent years, as the military achievements of the Imperial Camp system were laid out and the country's revival became evident, the government's military and political power was gradually consolidated without any unnecessary concerns.
In fact, the differences between Emperor Zhao and his Taoist and Neo-Confucian ministers became increasingly serious, which eventually led to the Baima Shaoxing Rebellion, which was close to a coup d'état... This was largely the reason, and it was probably not just the original school of thought.
Even the government's introduction of original learning should have contained this factor of dividing the past.
"Qu Dutong has a point."
After a moment, Liu Ziyu, who had regained his composure, spoke in a deep voice. "The government certainly intended to force the people to rebel, but at this moment, the government's main concern may not be this. You must know that since the return of Huaishang, the government has been focused on restoring the country and avenging the previous humiliation. In a nutshell, it is to destroy the Jurchens and recover the lost territory. After the battle of Yaoshan, the Jurchens retreated to the other side of the Yellow River. The court wanted to eliminate the pseudo-Qi and then take advantage of the situation to sweep Guanxi, and there was also the momentum of the Jinhepo Alliance. Under such a big situation, there is only one key event in the future. That is..."
At this point, Liu Ziyu paused for a moment. Perhaps he was thinking of the feud between Ma Kuo and his father and son, his expression slightly tensed, and then he continued speaking, his tone becoming more short and harsh: "That is to accumulate troops and food in preparation for the Northern Expedition! And when we discuss matters, we should start from here!"
"Minister Liu is right." Seeing this, the well-prepared Vice Minister of Personnel Lü Zhi responded. "And I have a point here..."
Zhang Jun immediately turned his head and looked at Lü Zhi. "What An Lao (Lü Zhi's courtesy name) said must be good advice! The strategy you proposed to pacify Jin coincides with that of Yue Jiedu. The general plan of the country is also moving forward step by step according to what you two have said. You two have a general plan in mind!"
Lu Zhi smiled complacently, and did not refuse Zhang Jun's praise. He twirled his beard and said, "I think that everything should be viewed from a higher perspective. For example, in "Water Margin", it is meaningless to dwell on Lu Zhishen or Lin Chong. According to the context of this book, there may be more characters appearing next... The key lies in the gathering of heroes!"
"Gather together?!" Zhang Jun's heart was slightly moved.
"It seems that the Prime Minister has learned something." Seeing this, Lu Zhi continued to smile. "Speaking of the emperor's experience of the gathering of heroes, it was nothing more than the private oath of the ten commanders, which led to the emperor's gathering in Heyin that day. Therefore, for the emperor, this gathering of heroes should refer to the formation of the Imperial Camp. And this matter is also in line with the current situation... If we want to march north, we must accumulate troops and improve our combat effectiveness. Therefore, the first thing to do is to expand the Imperial Camp!"
Everyone became serious.
"And if we want to expand the army quickly, there are a few issues that make it difficult for the government to speak up... One is that expanding the army will eventually cost the people money and make the finances tight; the other is that if we want to quickly build up combat power, we will inevitably have to take in the old Tangut soldiers, the Khitan survivors, and even the small Mongolian tribes, which will definitely cause discussion." As he spoke, Lu Zhi himself became serious. "So, some words and some things need to be said by us as ministers... Prime Minister, what I mean is that the Privy Council must step up and take the initiative to come up with a plan for expanding the army. The foreign people must also be sorted out in advance, and they must also block the pedantic views of some people who always take the long-term view for the government."
"Minister Lu's words actually make sense!" After hearing this, Qu Duan was the first to shake his head and sigh. "I'm expanding the army in Yinshan and Xingling, but I also know that there are constant impeachments here in the court, saying that there are too many foreign soldiers in the imperial cavalry, and the cavalry is also stationed in the Yuetai camp near the capital, which will inevitably cause trouble in the future... But to be honest, when it comes to cavalry, if you pull out a foreigner and a Han Chinese, it will definitely be easier for the foreigner who has been used to riding and shooting since childhood to quickly develop combat power... How do you want me to choose?"
Zhang Jun nodded seriously, and Liu Ziyu also nodded.
But at this time, Minister Lin Jingmo, who had been silent all this time, also spoke up: "Did the emperor hint that he wanted to rob the rich and help the poor?"
The others were startled at first, and then became solemn.
“It’s very simple.”
Although several people seemed to understand instantly, Minister Lin still responded softly and explained a little. "The country wants to march north. The expedition requires not only expanding the army, but also refining weapons, training soldiers, and storing food and money... All of these, in the final analysis, cost money and materials. But the country's finances are there now. If we want to do something, we'll probably have to work hard to open up some new sources of income to keep up. To open up new sources of income, the people have already reached the limit. According to the government's temper, they will never oppress the lowest people at this time. We can only look for the rich to get some money and food... So, is this what the government means?"
The room was silent.
After a long time, Qu Duan sneered: "I think that what Minister Lin said is more clever... Isn't it robbing the rich to help the poor? Moreover, if the emperor really wants to say something that he can only hint at, then robbing the rich to help the poor is more appropriate."
"In fact, what Commander Qu said before is also very reasonable." Lin Jingmo looked at him solemnly. "If we want to march north, it is not only a matter of expanding our combat power and storing food and grass, but also of making the inside and outside of the country one, and the top and the bottom of the country one... At this time, it is necessary to discard the old and establish the new, and even make some arrangements for the two saints, the descendants of the Nanyang emperors, and the Queen Mother of Yangzhou when necessary."
Zhang Jun, Qu Duan, Lu Zhi, and others all nodded seriously almost at the same time... Liu Ziyu hesitated for a moment, then nodded heavily.
"But if you put it this way, aren't you thinking too much?" After reluctantly nodding, Liu Ziyu suddenly raised his eyebrows. "It's just a storybook, after all, it's a good story. Even if the emperor has some thoughts in it, why would he use so many metaphors? In fact, some people say that the emperor's temperament is still a bit eccentric. He just wanted to make up a story of going to Liangshan on a snowy night to mock the deposed minister and vent his anger. Maybe he has no other intentions?"
"In fact, I have thought about it." Qu Duan also laughed while pinching the storybook on his knees. "It is possible that the emperor himself does not know what "Water Margin" is about, or the real story is still to come... We are just guessing."
"Having said that, the things I talked about today are all serious matters that we should pay attention to." Zhang Jun shook his head. "The so-called abandoning the old and establishing the new behind the officials forcing the people to rebel, the expansion of the army behind the heroes gathering together, and the opening up of financial resources behind robbing the rich to help the poor are all urgent tasks of the country... As important officials of the country, we can't not do it just because there is no such idea in the book! We must share the worries of the government and accomplish great things!"
Lin Jingmo's heart moved again, and finally after waiting for the others to nod, he said: "In fact, on the way to the Prime Minister's Mansion today, because of the question asked by the nephew in the front hall, this humble official has been thinking about it."
The other four came to watch together.
Minister Lin was not in a hurry and said calmly: "The matter is simple. My nephew asked me that as an official of a department and one of the most important officials in the world, I could have been independent. Why did I come here to meet with the prime minister and others, even though I was suspected of forming a faction? I replied that since the emperor had given such a clear hint, he wanted us to put aside these superficial differences and find out his intentions. Therefore, at this time, there is no need to worry about the suspicion of forming a faction."
Everyone in the room was excited, and Lin Jingmo continued to speak frankly: "At that time, I had an idea, and when Commander Qu came in and said those words, I was even more excited. When we discussed this, we had a direct guess... That was the emperor's original intention. It might not be aimed at a certain thing, but more to use the sensitive background of "Water Margin" to make all of us court officials who were promoted by the emperor alert and mobilize, so as to work together for the country's Northern Expedition, instead of doing those messy and pretentious gestures before!"
At this point, the important officials present had already been convinced, and Minister Lin also looked around and said in the end: "The Water Margin itself may have a specific reference, or it may not, but once this book was thrown out, the court, which had been stagnant for a long time and had caused many inappropriate things, immediately started to roll back and regain its vitality, which is worth it in itself!"
