bookrandom Chapter 1318: Not as Good as Prime Minister Cai
Chapter 1318: Not as Good as Prime Minister Cai
Chapter 1318: Not as Good as Prime Minister Cai
Zhongshu Province.
Cai Que sat upright, and next to him was the Minister of Revenue He Zhengchen.
The two were sitting opposite each other drinking tea.
The clerks in the Secretariat were whispering nearby.
One person asked, "How long has Zhang Zihou been seeing the emperor?"
Another person glanced at Cai Que in the hall and whispered, "It's probably been more than an hour."
The other party shook his head and said, "From Wang Jinggong, to Lü Jifu, to Zhang Duzhi, and now Prime Minister Cai has been the right prime minister for only two or three months."
Another person said, "That's right. The government employs people like piling up firewood. The latecomers always come out on top."
"But it is rare for the Right Prime Minister to get cold before he even warms up."
One of them nodded and said, "You are right. Do you think it was Mr. Cai who offended His Majesty?"
"It's hard to say. But now the government and the public are discussing that Prime Minister Cai will find it difficult to handle the position of Right Prime Minister."
The two clerks discussed quietly.
Cai Que's face became more and more solemn as he said to He Zhengchen, "Before Zhang Duzhi stepped down, he ceded the power of the Zhongshutang to the Shangshu Province, and even your right Cao of the Ministry of Revenue was taken away." He tore open a stack of official documents on the desk, and the "Memorial of Joint Discussion in the Capital Hall" with fresh ink made his eyes hurt. "Now the Ministry of Revenue is full of Zhang's old party members, and even Zhang Zizheng dared to refute me at the court meeting!"
He Zhengchen said: "Right Prime Minister calm down, Zhang Duzhi is afraid that the Right Prime Minister will threaten his political power. If that's the case, we don't need to be polite to him."
How could Cai Que not know that Zhang Yue had set so many traps for him?
Tsai Ing-wen is in such a difficult situation that he cannot even take back power, let alone change the political situation.
He Zhengchen asked, "Your Majesty summoned Zhang Zihou to the capital. Is he dissatisfied with the Right Prime Minister?"
Upon hearing this, Cai Que thought that he was irreplaceable in his loyalty to the government, but unfortunately his ability to get things done might be a little lacking.
But Cai Que also had his own difficulties. Ever since Zhang Yue stepped down as the right prime minister, the government had resumed its style of micro-interfering in the affairs of the three provinces. Loyalty being the most important thing for Cai, he certainly couldn't say anything. He just did whatever the government said.
As a result, when something went wrong, the blame naturally fell on Cai Que.
In the end, the whole court collectively questioned Tsai Que's incompetence.
Cai indeed has his own difficulties. The power he holds is far less than what Zhang Yue had in the past, but he has to take care of almost the same things as Zhang Yue.
In addition, Cai Que made some moves to demote Fan Chunren from the capital. He first said in a memorial to the emperor that Fan Chunren was fond of strange ideas and should not be used in the court. Then, he deliberately sent Fan Chunren back to his hometown to recuperate on the grounds of illness.
As a result, a few days ago, when Fan Chunren's younger brother Fan Chuncui, who was the deputy envoy of Shaanxi Transportation, came to Beijing, the emperor asked about Fan Chunren's condition. Fan Chuncui said that Fan Chunren only had a minor illness and no serious disease.
Once the government knew about this, the result would be predictable.
However, even in front of his confidants, Cai Que still defended the emperor and said, "Your Majesty also has his own difficulties. It is not so easy to govern the country and bring peace to the world."
He Zhengchen asked, "What did Zihou talk about when he met with the Right Prime Minister yesterday?"
After Zhang Dun arrived in Beijing, he first paid a visit to Cai Que before meeting the emperor, which was also a courtesy.
But Cai did think of his meeting with Zhang Dun, and his displeasure was evident in his words.
Cai Que said: "Zihou hopes to stop the factional fighting and to collect some of the officials after Su Che, Qin Guan, Chao Buzhi, and Shangshu Zuocheng Langzhong Fan Chunren were sent out."
He Zhengchen knew that Cai Que and Zhang Dun were both members of the New Party, so they must not make trouble at this time.
He advised: "No matter how bad Zhang Zihou is, he is better than recalling Sima Guang. Now Sima Junshi is highly regarded as the prime minister. If he is really allowed to return to the court, it may overturn the government. Fortunately, he declined the offer."
Cai Que said: "This is a strategy to nurture hope. Don't be fooled by this old villain."
"The longer Sima Guang declined, the more the scholars in the world hoped that he would come to the court and become prime minister."
He Zhengchen asked, "Is there any connection between Zhang Zihou and Sima Guang?"
Cai Que said in a deep voice: "That's not the case."
"It's just that Zihou is not clear-headed. He claims to be pragmatic, but in fact he is wishful thinking. He spoke for Su Shi in the Wutai Poetry Case and even accused Wang Zuoxiang of taking advantage of Shu Tan, showing that he was not afraid to turn against him. But even though Zihou made such a statement, the Su brothers never showed any gratitude to him. They even criticized his military operations in Meishan."
"What did you say yesterday? Since Liu Xinlao (Liu Zhi) was expelled, he has not expressed any different opinions. Can't people change their ways?"
He Zhengchen said: "Liu Xinlao is a stubborn person. How can he think it is reasonable to use it just because he doesn't have any different opinions? This person has no intention of harming the tiger, but the tiger hurts people's hearts."
"I think the court should carve a stone tablet on these people and write a note stating that they will never be employed again."
"But Your Majesty insists on interfering with different opinions."
He Zhengchen said: "I have seen through it. Even if you, the Right Prime Minister, want to show some leniency to these people, they will not let you go. It is better to just put an end to it all."
Cai Que said: "You are right. Zhang Zihou is ignorant, but how can I be ignorant?"
"There is only one principle in the world that you should follow. There is no such thing as choosing both sides. You think it is the right way, but in fact it is useless."
"To achieve great things, one must have the determination to stand firm against a thousand-foot wall without support!"
He Zhengchen sighed: "The Right Prime Minister's heart can be seen by the sun and the moon, and by the heaven and earth."
"Cai Que took out a roll of names from his sleeve and pushed it onto the table: "These are the 57 members of the party. They can all be expelled. The Censorate has already started investigating, and the honest officials should also recommend some capable people to fill the positions."
He Zhengchen nodded upon hearing this.
After a while, Xiang Qiru said, "Your Excellency, I have found evidence that Chen Mu, the governor of Dengzhou, received three hundred strings of gold from Aligu!"
Cai Que's expression was stern. He hated such corrupt people the most in his life. He looked through it carefully, stroked the two characters "Chen Mu" drawn in red ink on the list and said, "What are you waiting for? Arrest him!"
Xiang Qi said: "After all, Chen Mu is the former Minister of Rites. Should I report this to His Majesty?"
Cai Que said, "You go get the person first, Your Majesty, I will handle the matter myself."
Xiang Qi, who followed Cai Que, has now risen to the position of Censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs.
After a pause, Cai Que said, "Although Chen Mu and I have had a feud, the overall situation is more important. Send someone to talk things over properly and don't alarm him."
"Now that Shen Cunzhong has surrendered, Wang Chudao, what do you think of Uncle Zhong Yi?"
Xiang Qi said: "Wang Chudao, Uncle Zhong Yi is still the same."
"Then continue to investigate Director Wang! Until it's over." After saying this, Cai Que stroked the ice cracks on the official kiln teacup, as if he didn't notice that the tea in the cup had cooled down.
Zhang Yue's three generals in the northwest were Shen Kuo, the acting Privy Councilor and the governor of Huanqing Road, Wang Hou, the governor of Xihe Road, and Zhong Shidao, the governor of Fuyan Road.
Cai indeed sent officials to review the military expenses of the three men in the northwest, and almost every penny was reviewed without exception.
Shen Kuo was afraid that Cai Que would punish him, so he expressed his loyalty to Cai Que.
Wang Hou still refused to accept.
He Zhengchen said: "Wang Shao and Wang Hou, father and son, have been in charge of Xihe for many years. I'm afraid no one else can win the support of the people except them. Should we let them go for now? Also, the Zhong family has been a popular general in the northwest for generations, so it would not be good to offend them too much."
Cai Que said, "Alright, then we can transfer Uncle Zhong Yi to another place and let Xu Dezhan take his place."
……
Dengzhou.
The place where Chen Mu, the former Minister of Rites, was exiled.
The twilight fell on Chen Mu's face. He was writing on the desk, stopping and starting, seeming extremely hesitant.
The letter was finally completed. Chen Mu sighed and said to his son Chen Yanwen: "I don't know if this letter can save my life!"
Chen Yan asked: "Dad, is this true or false?"
Chen Mu said: "This is what my confidant reported to me overnight, how can it be false? Right now, only Lord Zhang Jiangong can save me."
"But Mr. Zhang is far away in Fujian, I'm afraid he won't be able to make it in time."
Chen Yanwen shed tears and said, "Dad, why bother to gamble your life? It's just a mere three hundred strings of cash. We should just accept it."
Chen Mu said, "You don't understand. Cai Zhizheng doesn't want money. He wants Zhang Yue's confession of having an affair with Aligu! Moreover, Cai Zhizheng and I have an old grudge. He will definitely make a fuss this time to borrow these three hundred strings of cash."
"The story of Zhang Gong's secret relationship with Aligu is completely false, but I will arrest him and bring him to Beijing to be humiliated."
"Look at the major cases that Tsai Chih-cheng has committed in prison over the years. Even if he comes out alive, he will be exhausted. How can I endure such hardship at my age now?"
Chen Yanwen cried, "Father! The lives of our entire family depend on you. Please endure the humiliation for a while!"
Chen Mu said, "Suffering is the least of my worries. I'm afraid Cai Zhi is trying to get me to say something bad about Lord Zhang. If anything happens to me, you should go to Lord Zhang as soon as possible. He is a kind and righteous man. He will not treat you badly because of our friendship for many years."
As they were talking, a servant stumbled in and said, "My Lord, someone from the capital seems to have arrived, and has already passed the East Market."
Chen Mu and his son Chen Yanwen were both shocked.
"The Tiqi arrived so quickly. I just received the news not long ago!" Chen Mu collapsed on the ground.
Chen Yanwen hurriedly helped Chen Mu up and said, "Dad, we have closed the gate, you should leave first! Quick, prepare the car!"
Chen Yanwen grabbed his father's sleeve and tried to escape, but was pushed away. Chen Mu said, "It's useless. The whole world is the emperor's territory. Where can I escape to? I can only live a few more days. If I leave today, I will be guilty of a crime."
At this point, Chen Mu held Chen Yanwen's hand and said, "You go and close the door of the palace and delay time. I will write another memorial to the emperor, exposing Cai Zhizheng's actions over the years. From now on, he will not have an easy life."
Chen Yanwen said: "Daddy!"
Chen Mu said sternly, "Go! Only in this way will Cai Zhizheng be so cautious! Go and get my letter."
When Chen Yanwen took the letter, a tear fell on the word "Cai" in the letter, and it flowed like blood.
"Yes." Chen Yanwen left in a hurry.
Chen Mu returned to his desk and hurriedly wrote a letter before handing it to the servant. He then pushed the desk aside and walked to the back of the yard, staring at an old well for a moment: "Cai Zhizheng, for three hundred strings of cash, I will not let you go even if I become a ghost!"
After saying this, Chen Mu straightened his clothes and jumped into the well. The well was so deep that one could not see the bottom. Only a muffled sound could be heard, startling the crows under the eaves.
……
Under Huanzhou City.
Zhang Gen reined in his horse and looked back at the tower. He bowed to Shen Kuo and Xu Xi and said, "Prime Minister, take your leave! Xu Gong, take your leave!"
Shen Kuo blushed and twirled his beard as he sighed, "The old files on the crossbow case of the Military Equipment Administration are still in the hands of Prime Minister Cai. I... really have no choice." After saying this, he covered his face with his sleeves.
Zhang Gen flicked his whip and pointed northwest, saying, "Why do you need to explain, Prime Minister? I have been under your command for many years, so I know your difficulties."
"Prime Minister Cai is only in name only, but he has no power to mobilize troops and finance expenditures. He knows that his position in the court is unstable, so he wants to borrow his father's old method and win a few battles in the northwest to gain prestige."
"It's a pity that his ambition to consolidate power through military means is nothing like what my father had done back then!"
Shen Kuo and Xu Xi each raised their heads and thought to themselves that Dayanei Zhang was truly amazing as he could see through Cai Que's motives at a glance.
That’s right, Cai Que wanted to copy the approach of Wang Anshi and Zhang Yue and use his military achievements in the northwest to shut up the opposition in the court.
That's why he was in a hurry to replace Zhang Yue's three generals in the northwest.
Now Shen Kuo was forced to surrender, and Zhong Shidao left, leaving Wang Hou alone, who was alone and could not support the army. Although Xu Xi was not Cai Que's confidant, he was promoted by the emperor.
It can be said that Cai Que had no one to use in the court, yet he actually wanted to interfere in the military affairs of the northwest.
Little did people know that most of the Western Army generals in recent years were promoted by Zhang Yue.
Shen Kuo felt truly guilty when he heard Zhang Gen say, "My dear nephew, you are so insightful. I had no choice."
Shen Kuo had a trick in his hand and was helpless this time. Unfortunately, he had become a slave of the N family.
Xu Xi said, "Please tell Prime Minister Zhang to rest assured that I, Xu Xi, will take care of the northwest for him."
Zhang Gen said: "Prime Minister, Lord Xu, rest assured. I swear to fight Cai Zhizheng to the end when I return to Bianjing. Goodbye!"
Shen Kuo and Xu Xi both clasped their fists.
The horse's hooves crushed the gravel, and Zhang Gen had already ridden away and disappeared into the dust in the distance.
……
There were only three people in the Golden Palace: the emperor, Cai Que, and Zhang Zhi.
The emperor stroked the teacup as he listened to the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Zhang Zhi reporting the news of Chen Mu's death.
“…When the body was fished out, its eyes still refused to close.” Zhang Zhi’s Adam’s apple rolled and tears almost fell. He took a deep breath and continued, “Now there is a children’s song in Dengzhou: The well in Dengzhou is three hundred feet deep, but it is not as deep as the one that Prime Minister Cai trapped.”
Hearing this, the official stared at Cai Que who was standing on the steps, and the entire teacup was almost crushed in his palm.
Cai Que sighed deeply.