Prime Minister

Chapter 945 Compromise and Negotiation

The bedroom was filled with a strong smell of decoction, and even some faint stains could be seen on Wang Anshi's clothes.

There were no official documents on the bed, only a few volumes, one of which was "Notes on the Tao Te Ching" annotated by Wang Bi.

Even when he was ill, Wang Anshi couldn't let go of the book.

Hearing Zhang Yue sitting on the side of the couch explaining his intentions, Wang Anshi thought for a while.

Zhang Yue just said this to express two meanings. The first sentence is that I am shocked, because I know nothing about Lu Huiqing's impeachment of Wang Anshi, and I have not participated in it.

The meaning of the last sentence is to express my position. I don't support Lu Huiqing's criticism of you at all.

These words cannot dispel Wang Anshi's doubts, but they are absolutely necessary.

When Lu Huiqing did this, everyone was ashamed, but Lu Huiqing did not let anyone else go, but only Zhang Yue.What would Wang Anshi think?

At this time, it must be explained clearly.Otherwise, Wang Anshi would suspect, good Zhang Yue, are you getting together with Lu Huiqing again?

Wang Anshi said: "Duzhi and Jifu must have always gotten along well before!"

Zhang Yue said: "I have frequent contacts with Ji Fu, but after returning to the court last year, they have gone their own way."

Wang Anshi said: "But when it comes to Jiaozi and salt money, Jifu still supports you."

Zhang Yue was upset when he heard Wang Anshi's words, and immediately pushed back and said, "Prime Minister, with all due respect, it's not just Lu Jifu. In the past few years, it's not just once or twice that you have neglected to employ people."

As soon as Zhang Yue said this, even Wang Anshi couldn't stand it, and his face turned slightly red from the darkness.

Zhang Yue said: "Prime Minister, I made a slip of the tongue."

Wang Anshi said: "It's okay, you are straight, I don't mind if you tell me directly in private."

Wang Anshi's mind and magnanimity are still there.

But first Zeng Bu, then Lu Huiqing, the No. [-] and No. [-] figures of the Reform Party have abandoned Wang Anshi one after another, and now Shen Kuo and Zhang Dun are added. At this time, let alone Zhang Yue, the emperor and the officials of the Manchu Dynasty will also doubt your employment of Wang Anshi .

For the monarch and the prime minister, other things don't really matter. The most important thing is to know people and employ them.

Wang Anshi said: "In terms of knowing people, I am not as good as Emperor Renzong. How can this old man understand you."

At this point, Wang Anshi coughed, and Zhang Yue hurried forward to beat his back.

Wang Anshi said: "Employing people too quickly, too fast, using people without experience, is the old man's disadvantage."

Zhang Yue said: "What the Prime Minister said is very true. It is appropriate to use officials who have been practicing for a long time. Officials who are suddenly promoted from below lack the experience to use things."

Wang Anshi nodded, and wanted to use existing and experienced officials instead of promoting them from below.

How did Lu Huiqing criticize Wang Anshi when he went to the emperor?

He said that since ancient times, only emperors have been isolated from people inside and outside, and have difficulty understanding human relationships, so they listen to slander.Unexpectedly, Wang Anshi also believed the slander and was only questioned by Lu Jia and surrounded by Lian Hengfu and several others every day.To the east of Lian Hengfu, he only guarded Wang Yu.Lu Jia asked and refused to go, so he guarded Wang Anshi, and the others were speechless.

These are Lu Huiqing's original words.

Its content is described so vividly that the ministers of the DPRK and China smiled knowingly when they heard it, and they can clearly distinguish the truth from the truth.And those petty officials who can't even see Wang Anshi's face, they all have the mentality of a group of melon-eating people. After seeing it, they thought, oh oh, so these high-ranking court officials are like this Well, that's all.

So not only Wang Anshi, Wang Yu, Lian Hengfu, and Lu Jiawen were also criticized and questioned by the officials. Is this how you got your official positions?No wonder the speed of promotion can be called skyrocketing.

It can be seen from this that Lu Huiqing's negligence is like throwing a firecracker in a latrine, disgusting everyone.

Wang Yu, Lian Hengfu, and Lu Jiawen were questioned in this way. At the same time, Wang Anshi also understood that Lu Huiqing, Zeng Bu, and Zhang Dun could still govern the country in the new party.

And these people are not feasible. First, they cannot work with those ministers, and others do not obey them. Both of them prefer to clean up people they don’t like rather than governing the country and the world.

Wang Anshi said: "In recent years, I have worked with Ling Yue and Wang Yuyu in government affairs. I also plan to use some ministers who have been away from home before. At that time, I was a little motivated, and there were also villains among them."

When Zhang Yue heard it, he said in his heart, the villain is Lu Huiqing. Lu Huiqing is most competent in the role of taking the blame. Everyone just throws at him.Even Wang Anshi is no exception.

But if you think about it carefully, you will realize that it is really difficult for Wang Anshi to say this.

Wang Anshi is an obstinate gentleman, and it is more difficult than anything else to ask him to change his mind.But it was not easy for him to make such a concession.

After thinking about it carefully, I understand that after Lu Huiqing left, coupled with his troubles, Wang Anshi and the New Party suffered a lot of loss of reputation and prestige.

At this time, Wang Anshi had to make some compromises. Whether he was willing or not, this must be the time to unite people.

Zhang Yue said happily: "Prime Minister, don't worry, Lao Taishan is willing to tide over the difficulties with the Prime Minister. Uncle Lu Hui (written by Lu Gong) and Han Chiguo (Han Wei) are old friends of the Prime Minister. Can you use them?"

Among Jiayou's four friends, regardless of Sima Guang, Zhang Yue recommended Lu Gong and Han Wei in front of Wang Anshi.

Hearing Zhang Yue mentioned these two people, Wang Anshi showed hesitation.

Wang Anshi did not answer directly but asked rhetorically, "It is the candidate for the third envoy, who do you recommend?"

After Zhang Dun was dismissed, the third envoy was vacant, and many people looked at him.

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty wants to belong to Shen Cunzhong, you can make him do it."

Wang Anshi said noncommittally: "It's difficult to reconcile the top and bottom. If it weren't for the New Deal to be maintained, the old man would have resigned from the position already."

"Tell me about you, I know that Du Zhi has always wanted to abolish the market exchange law formulated by the old man!" Zhang Yue agreed.

Wang Anshi said: "I have also seen the disadvantages of the market change law in the past few years. I don't want to abolish it, but I can't do it for the time being. You see, after Xiao Xi returned, the Khitan army was overwhelming. And Jiaozhi is about to move... It's already making progress. It has reached a place where it cannot be tolerated."

"I would like to ask Your Majesty to promulgate the Southern Edict. When the war breaks out, spending money will be like flowing water. The Market Change Law is worth millions a year, and it cannot be abolished."

Zhang Yue said: "But sooner or later we still have to abolish it. It's better to abolish it sooner than later."

Wang Anshi frowned when he heard this, he had given Zhang Yue enough hints, but why didn't he understand what he meant.

Wang Anshi was displeased with Zhang Yue's ignorant behavior and asked, "What do you think about the Liao Kingdom?"

Zhang Yue said: "Attack is unstoppable, and defense should be the main thing. But once we fight against Jiaozhi, no matter whether we win or lose, the Liao Kingdom will rise up and enter."

"Do you need to cede the land?"

Zhang Yue said: "Unless it is absolutely necessary, the land cannot be cede. The morality is up to me, and I must sternly retaliate against the unreasonable request of the Liao Kingdom."

Wang Anshi said: "You led the army to defeat the Qing Tang Dynasty and used it to intimidate Xixia. It would be best for you to preside over the negotiations with the Liao Kingdom."

"Before, Your Majesty asked me who to send troops to Jiaozhi, and it seems to have your intentions, but I think the matter of Liao Kingdom is more important than sending troops to Jiaozhi. At this time, it is up to you to advocate."

Zhang Yue knew Wang Anshi's position. His implication was that he could make certain concessions to the Liao Kingdom, and even cede land to satisfy the Liao Kingdom's ambitions, and use the time in exchange to attack Jiaozhi and carry out Pingxia affairs in the future.

However, Wang Anshi was worried that this move would be opposed by the main fighters in the court and dissatisfied by the emperor.So he intends to use himself on this matter, and at the same time temporarily avoid the differences of opinion between the two on the country's major politics.

Zhang Yue asked: "I don't know how much advice the Prime Minister is willing to give to this matter on this matter?"

Wang Anshi said: "You can discuss with me all the military and political matters in Hebei and Hedong."

Zhang Yue said: "Let me think about this for a while and take my leave!"

Visiting Wang Anshi this time, Zhang Yue got what he wanted, and Wang Anshi also made a considerable concession.

One is the consent of the minister who opposed the reform at the beginning.

There is also a right to control military and political affairs in Hebei and Hedong.Of course, Zhang Yue didn't immediately agree to this matter, and he had to go back and discuss it with Wu Chong.

After Zhang Yue got up, Wang Anshi made a gesture of getting up from the sick bed.

Zhang Yue was so busy that he didn't dare.

After Wang Anshi lay down again, he asked his second son Wang Pang to send Zhang Yue out of the mansion, and said to Zhang Yue: "Chongqing and I are getting old, Duzhi can take on more responsibilities."

Zhang Yue said: "The Prime Minister is serious. Take care of your health. The important affairs of the country need you to work hard."

When Wang Pang sent Zhang Yue out, he wanted to send him through the small gate with few people, but Zhang Yue said he should go through the gate instead.

Wang Pang was slightly surprised when he heard this, but he still agreed.

When leaving the gate, I met many officials who were visiting Wang Anshi.

All the officials of the New Party were very surprised to see Zhang Yue, thinking that he was not at odds with Wang Anshi, so why did he come to visit his illness.

But Zhang Yue left as if nothing had happened, and then several New Party officials stood up and saluted Zhang Yue cautiously.

Several people also realized that at the moment when Lu Huiqing criticized Wang Anshi, Zhang Yue took the initiative to visit Wang Anshi and what it meant and what it represented.

After Zhang Yue left, Wang Yu entered Wang Anshi's bedroom.

But he saw that Wang Anshi had already left the sickbed, standing by the window with his hands up and down, looking at the scenery in the courtyard.

It is true that Wang Anshi is not in good health, but it is only for outsiders to see that he is so sick that he cannot stand up.

Wang Yu thought about it for a while. In fact, since Wang Anshi asked Wang Pang to send Zhang Yue out, he knew that the meeting between the two had a good result.

Wang Yu looked out of the window and said: "Zhang Duzhi is a really smart person, it seems that Chen Shengzhi and Cai Zizheng are both at their age and still can't understand."

After a pause, Wang Yu said again: "But this time, father, Lu Huiqing is going to attack each other, and I am afraid that there is also a role for Zhang Duzhi."

Wang Anshi said: "This is beyond Zhang Duzhi's claim."

Wang Yu asked, "Who ordered that?"

Wang Anshi said: "You said that Zeng Bu and Shen Kuo rebelled against him one after another. Whose order was it?"

"Could it be an official?" Wang Yu couldn't believe it.

Wang Anshi said: "Lu Huiqing's attack is also in accordance with the official's will!"

Surprised and angry, Wang Yu asked, "What are the officials going to do?"

Wang Anshi didn't answer, but looked out the window again.

Ps: Most of the historical materials in this book are collected from Song Dynasty and Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian, both of which are against the New Party.Therefore, when this book excerpted first-hand historical materials, there were more places about the Black New Party, but there were no other historical materials at hand, so it had to be like this.