Prime Minister

Chapter 1186 Father-in-law Zhang Chao

Chapter 1186 Father-in-law Returns

November of the third year of Yuanfeng.

Zhang Yue’s old friend Wu Chong finally returned to the court.

In another historical time and space, Wu Chong was angered to death while in office by Wang Gui and Cai Que, who teamed up to plot against him.

However, in this time and space, Wu Chong, because of his disagreement with Wang Anshi in the ninth year of Xining, would rather give up his position as prime minister and let his son-in-law Zhang Yue return to the court to serve as a councilor.

In the following years, Wu Chong served as the Grand Secretary of Guanwen Hall and successively served as the judge of Daming Prefecture and Chengdu Prefecture.

Now Zhang Yue's position as prime minister was as stable as a rock, and Wu Chong was in poor health. He repeatedly submitted petitions requesting retirement. The emperor finally agreed to let Wu Chong serve as the envoy of the Xitaiyi Palace.

Wu Chong's return to the court after retirement this time was quite glorious.

Wu Chong watched the carriages drive into Bianjing, and the scenery of Bianjing remained the same. He was now an old man, and his decades of official career had long passed like a passing cloud. Now, despite his poor health, he was able to stay in the palace and spend his later years safely, which could be considered a good beginning and a good end.

After Wu Chong arrived at the Wu Mansion, he went in immediately. Wu Chong's three sons and Shiqi Niang were waiting in the mansion, as well as a group of nephews and nieces, most of whom were from the eldest son's branch, Wu Yu.

When Wu Chong saw his three sons and one daughter, a smile appeared on his face.

He did not speak to his three sons, but first said to Shiqi Niang: "I have received the clothes and food you sent, very good."

Shiqi Niang smiled and said, "As long as Daddy likes it, that's good. Sanlang said he will come to see Daddy after he retires from court."

Wu Chong smiled when he heard this, but he said, "I have already retired, and I will have plenty of time to relax in the future. Sanlang is busy with state affairs now, so there is no need to rush."

Shiqi Niang smiled and said, "It's Sanlang who wants to see his father. What does this have to do with state affairs?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chong nodded and went in immediately. Lady Li was already waiting there.

Because Wu Chong was tired from the long journey, he had some simple snacks and would hold a banquet in the evening after Zhang Yue arrived.

……

After the court session, Zhang Yue rushed straight to Wu Mansion from the Secretariat.

Zhang Yue and Wu Anshi had a bad relationship, so he didn't like to visit Wu's mansion except during the New Year holidays. This was his first visit since he returned to the court to serve as prime minister for more than a year.

Zhang Yue looked at the status of the Wu family and felt a lot of emotion in his heart. He was uneasy when he first visited the family, and then he felt nervous as a son-in-law to the Yue family.

Strangely enough, this time when he visited Wu Mansion again after becoming the prime minister, this feeling of restraint suddenly disappeared.

Wu Chong's second and third sons, Wu Anchi and Wu Anshi, were all waiting from afar for Zhang Yue's carriage to arrive again.

Wu Anchi was transferred from the City Trade Department to the Water Conservancy Department. He had always had a good relationship with Zhang Yue and his brother-in-law Cai Bian. Because Wang Anshi and Wu Chong had different political views, Wu Anchi and his wife Wang Shi were caught in the middle and felt uncomfortable.

Wang was never favored by Lady Li.

However, Shiqi Niang mediated between the two, so Wang and Shiqi Niang had a good relationship.

Wang mentioned Shiqi Niang many times in her letters to Wang Anshi.

Now that Zhang Yue has come to visit, Wu Anchi and Wu Anshi are personally there to greet him. This would be natural in the officialdom, since a family has a son-in-law who is a prime minister, so the rules must be followed in accordance with officialdom.

Wu Anchi was full of respect, and Wu Anshi beside him was even more reserved towards Zhang Yue.

Now it’s not me who is feeling reserved, but the people of the Wu family.

Zhang Yue entered the hall and saw Wu Chong standing on the steps with a smile on his face. Lady Li was standing beside him, holding a cane and looking at her son-in-law with a smile on her face.

Shiqi Niang supported Wu Chong and stood aside, enjoying the attention of thirty or fifty nephews, nieces and wives from two generations of the Wu family in the hall.

Everyone was smiling, as if everyone became reserved the moment Zhang Yue arrived, and even dared not to speak. Wu Anchi looked at Zhang Yue and thought of Wen Jifu's words, that this person could take care of the Wu family for thirty years.

Wu Anshi was the only one who looked unhappy, but since Zhang Yue was here, he had to maintain outward respect in this occasion.

After that, they immediately arranged a banquet. This banquet was said to be a welcoming banquet for Wu Chong, but it was Zhang Yue who was waiting.

Wu Chong's smile never stopped during the banquet, and Lady Li, who was standing beside him, often ordered people to serve Zhang Yue food and urge him to drink.

However, Zhang Yue always remained respectful. No matter how high his official position was, he was still not higher than his parents or his parents-in-law.

……

After the banquet, Wu Chong and Zhang Yue went to the study to talk.

In the past, every time this happened, Wu Chong would teach Zhang Yue some political insights or give him some advice.

Zhang Yue admired Wu Chong's political wisdom very much and often asked for his advice. The father-in-law and son-in-law often talked about everything.

Shiqi Niang made tea for the two of them and went out. Wu Chong raised the teacup and put it down again, saying with a smile, "Three years ago, I drank a bowl of tea every night."

"But now that I've drunk this tea, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "Old Taishan should now cherish his blessings and live a healthy life to enjoy his remaining years."

Wu Chong waved his hands and said, "Fortunately, I have been blessed by the emperor this time and have been granted a palace. Otherwise, I would have to travel a lot. How is the court doing these days?"

Zhang Yue said, "I have something to ask Old Taishan."

After Wu Chong heard what Zhang Yue said, he said solemnly: "You have been the prime minister for more than a year, why did you make such a big mistake?"

When the father-in-law and son-in-law talked privately, Wu Chong sometimes spoke harshly, but of course when others were outside, Wu Chong always gave Zhang Yue face. This had been the case for more than ten years.

Zhang Yue said: "Please give me some advice, Old Taishan!"

Wu Chong said: "Didn't you say it very well before the emperor? Fire is harsh, so people are rarely burned; water is weak, so people often drown. Don't you know that the way to govern is also like this?"

"As the prime minister, I would rather be strict than lenient. At the beginning, the emperor did not trust me, so I dare not be strict, and I cannot be strict. But you don't have to be so strict if you want to be a king. This is just weakness!"

Zhang Yue felt somewhat displeased after hearing this. Nowadays, few people dared to talk to him like this.

Wu Chong slowed down his tone and said to Zhang Yue, "I know what you are thinking. You hated Wang Anshi's morality at first, so you thought that after becoming prime minister, you could work together with everyone and allow and accept different opinions. You even agreed to Lü Huishu's opposition. But this is wrong."

"I take the example of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin. During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, many people were killed, but afterwards he adopted a lenient policy. The world believed that he was a wise ruler, and this led to the Zhenguan Reign."

"In other words, you adopted a lenient policy when you first became prime minister, which only made those in the government and the opposition think that you were weak and yielding. In the end, there were constant conflicts inside and outside the government, which made you exhausted. May I ask whether you should adopt a lenient or strict policy at this time?"

Zhang Yue suddenly realized, yes, it is indeed impossible to take leniency right from the start.

I always thought that after becoming the prime minister, I should not suppress speech, but allow healthy party struggles to exist, and learn from Wang Anshi's example. In fact, if I continue to let it go, I will become indecisive.

Once the conflicts below become irreconcilable, Zhang Yue will have only two choices: one is to resign himself, and the other is to suppress them by force.

Zhang Yue said: "My father-in-law is right. Water is weak and many people will drown."

"If we give in at the beginning and do not deal with the conflict, and let it run its course, once the conflict escalates, we will have no choice but to suppress it by force, and in the end everyone will drown in it."

It is like not dealing with these conflicts at the beginning. Once the conflicts intensify, the only way to deal with them is to suppress them by force. That is when you are truly suppressing dissenting opinions.

What seems like an act of concession and compromise actually causes more people to suffer.

Wu Chong said: "That's right. Governing is like being a human being. Be strict first and then lenient. Be vile first and then gentle."

“Don’t be lenient first and strict later, be a gentleman first and a villain later!”