[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-272":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558438,2024,"Chapter 272: Unity","shao-song-chapter-272",272,"\u003Cp>\"Premier Zhao, you need to rein in Hu Quan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Chancellery located within the Chongwen Institute, Zhao Ding once again heard these words, and this time the speaker was Minister of Personnel Liu Dazhong. \"If this continues, I fear factional strife will break out again!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding, who was handling official business, sighed inwardly at these words, but outwardly he remained composed. He waved his hand to signal Fan Zongyin, the Secretariat Drafter who had come on official business, and the other clerks in the office to withdraw temporarily, before speaking unhurriedly from his seat: \"Has Hu Quan published another unauthorized supplement?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An unauthorized supplement is nothing; the key is the content!\" Liu Dazhong was almost frantic. \"If he were publishing supplements about the practice of Original Learning, telling stories, reporting news, or even advertising football matches, would I be this upset?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what about the content?\" Zhao Ding's expression remained unchanged. \"Minister Liu, please sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My son was on duty at the Imperial Academy today copying the official gazette. He had just finished when he rushed out and sent a servant to tell me that Hu Quan had published the allusion of Duke Huan of Qi approving the good and loathing the evil!\" Liu Dazhong flicked his sleeve in response. \"Tell me, does he mean to have half the central officials dismissed outright?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this allusion, Zhao Ding also found it troubling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, this allusion was too famous. It told of Duke Huan of Qi arriving at a small city and finding it in ruins. Curious, he was told that the local ruler 'approved the good and loathed the evil,' and thus his state perished. Duke Huan naturally did not understand: why would a city become ruins if the ruler 'approved good people and loathed bad people'?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the locals continued to tell Duke Huan that this ruler approved good people but could not employ them, and loathed bad people but could not expel them, so his city became ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this allusion was so famous and ancient that it had become the standard reference for anyone remonstrating with the sovereign or impeaching others. Coupled with Hu Quan himself, who had loudly denounced all peace advocates as spies in court, and the current situation, the intent was even more obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Liu, please sit.\" After a moment of headache, Zhao Ding still managed to maintain the demeanor of a Grand Councilor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Dazhong gave a scornful laugh, finally found a chair, and sat down casually, then waited for Zhao Ding to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Liu Dazhong had taken office when Zhang Jun went south to supervise the campaign at Dongting Lake. His recommender was Zhao Ding, and since taking office, he had almost always followed Zhao Ding's advice. In fact, it was well known that Minister of Personnel Liu Dazhong, Minister of War Hu Shijiang, and Vice Grand Councilor Liu Ji, who was highly cooperative, were the key pillars supporting Premier Zhao's smooth governance of all state affairs in the Chancellery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relatively speaking, Minister of Rites Zhu Shengfei was mild-tempered. Though he always cooperated with the Chancellery, he was widely recognized as Lu Yihao's man. Minister of Revenue Lin Qi had served for three or four years and came from Li Gang's staff. Minister of Justice Wang Shu should have been close to Zhao Ding, but unexpectedly, due to his staunch pro-war stance, he was very close to the Privy Council. As for the Minister of Works, it was Liang Yangzu, who had once led Zhang Jun, Tian Shizhong, and Yang Yizhong to protect the emperor, served as Deputy Marshal, supervised tea and salt affairs in the southeast, and finally entered the capital after the specially established post was abolished following the Battle of Yaoshan... This man had deep political capital and came from a distinguished family (his father was the prototype of Liang Zhongshu in *Water Margin*), but he was always humble and retiring, an impartial and upright gentleman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, under the situation where the Six Ministers were gaining increasing power after the court's restructuring in Nanyang, it went without saying that Minister Liu, occupying such a crucial position, was naturally a right-hand man to Zhao Ding. So facing this man, Zhao Ding had no reason to hide his true thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Liu, His Majesty advocates 'practical achievements' and reveres Prince Shu of Wang [Wang Anshi]. Consequently, the *Guanzi* has become a prominent study. Hu Quan publishing this, we can't really call it improper. And the root of this matter is not Hu Quan, but His Majesty.\" After careful consideration, Zhao Ding finally spoke frankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Premier Zhao.\" Liu Dazhong had also calmed down by now, but he kept shaking his head. \"What you say, Your Excellency, I understand well enough. But His Majesty's intent is so blatant that it inevitably makes people suspect that Hu Quan is acting on His Majesty's orders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding finally sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, what was His Majesty's intent? There was no need to elaborate—it was to advocate war, to launch a northern expedition! His Majesty's stance had been clear from start to finish... The edict forbidding active peace talks on the Huai River had not been revoked to this day. Anyone from the north who delivered a letter was immediately charged with 'having done something, but not necessarily proven.' The Jin envoy was given the time it takes to burn one stick of incense in court, given no chance to speak by any minister, and directly expelled. Later, after the 'hat-string incident,' His Majesty simply swept out in a huff. What more could one expect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Majesty certainly did not give orders; this was definitely Hu Quan acting on his own. But it must be said that His Majesty's attitude is ambiguous, and he deliberately indulges it.\" Zhao Ding continued thoughtfully. \"I think we need to figure out His Majesty's crux in this matter...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Walls have no ears, Premier, please speak freely.\" Liu Dazhong frowned slightly but couldn't help adding half a sentence. \"If walls do have ears, then this Chancellery Premier and this Minister of Personnel might as well resign!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding ignored the other's complaint and spoke slowly from his seat: \"I believe there are two cruxes. First, His Majesty's determination to wage war is unshakable. Seeing half the court officials inclined toward peace talks, he inevitably developed a mindset of going his own way as the sovereign...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we could gain the land south of the Yellow River without war, and also welcome back the Two Emperors, wouldn't a brief peace to rest and recuperate for a few years be good?\" Liu Dazhong shook his head helplessly. Clearly, during the final division of opinion that day, he had expressed support for peace talks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On this matter, everyone has their own argument... If we make peace, everything is fine, but what about the hearts of the people in the Two Rivers region? Not to mention them, how many have fled across the river? How do we account for that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doesn't His Majesty advocate practical achievements?\" Liu Dazhong stomped his foot in his seat. \"Why does he only talk about righteousness now and not utility? What's wrong with a brief rest and recuperation, then raising a great army for a northern expedition?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding was silent for a moment, but continued: \"Let's set that aside for now... Continuing from just now, second, His Majesty seems resistant to welcoming back the Two Emperors...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not 'seems,' but undoubtedly.\" Liu Dazhong became serious upon hearing this. \"And I believe this matter is even harder to discuss. Premier, before, when I was in the provinces, I heard rumors and didn't quite believe them. Only today do I realize that the estrangement between the imperial family has reached this point!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Majesty may not necessarily be suspicious; I think it's more resentment.\" Zhao Ding replied earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Suspicion or resentment, it's hard to say. And if those above can't clarify it, those below can't either.\" Liu Dazhong said somewhat helplessly. \"If we say it's suspicion, His Majesty says it's resentment. If we say it's resentment, His Majesty might instead become suspicious... Premier Zhao, the key isn't here. The key is that everyone understands certain things, but why must His Majesty go this far? Can't the peace talks be slightly adjusted? Can't the matter of the Two Emperors be slightly glossed over? The consequence of leaving no room and directly exposing everything is that now there is mutual suspicion inside and out, and all dignity is lost!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was the crux of the problem, and the fundamental reason for the strange atmosphere in the court in the few days since the Jin envoy left—His Majesty's actions had unequivocally touched the foundation of Confucian society, namely the basic Three Bonds and Five Constants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patriarchal social system constructed by Confucianism, whether good or bad, was indeed a stable and useful thing. For centuries, everyone had adapted to using it to maintain social stability... When Wang Anshi reformed and went back and forth with Sima Guang for decades over the Dengzhou Ayun case, was it because they had nothing better to do? Wasn't it because it concerned the ethical foundation of Confucianism?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, His Majesty was not only challenging ethical issues himself but also pushing this ethical contradiction onto these officials... You say the sovereign is the bond for the minister, and the father is the bond for the son. But who is your sovereign and father now? If the sovereign-father commits a great ethical wrong, what do you do? Oppose him? Then what's the difference between you and His Majesty? Acquiesce or agree? Then aren't you helping His Majesty violate the bonds and constants?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if His Majesty had been more discreet, more hypocritical, couldn't these things have been glossed over? Why must everyone be embarrassed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that, after all was said and done, the Battle of Yaoshan had too great an impact. The situation between the two states, the internal military, political, and personnel affairs of both sides, including the authority of the rulers, had all undergone drastic changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that battle, perceptive people understood that within the internal political situation of the Great Song, His Majesty now had the strength to overturn the table. But the problem was, as a chief minister, wasn't your main historical mission precisely to prevent His Majesty from overturning the table?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't forget, this wasn't His Majesty's first attempt at the low-level ethical trick of the Two Emperors. He had tried it after returning to the old capital last time, but was cried down on the spot by Lü Haowen... This time, could Zhao Ding cry him down too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Liu, I believe we must make a choice between the two matters.\" After nodding, Zhao Ding finally spoke frankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Excellency means... to retreat on one to secure the other?\" Liu Dazhong immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" Zhao Ding finally stated his response. \"My idea is that we jointly submit a memorial—the Chancellery, the Privy Council, the Six Ministries, the Nine Courts... everyone who was in court that day, every single one of them, sign together, requesting plans for a northern expedition, to show we are selfless and without faction. But also ask His Majesty to show some dignity regarding the matter of the Two Emperors!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Dazhong was silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Liu, with His Majesty standing firm like this, peace talks are ultimately unlikely to happen. And the resistance to this matter is greater than you think... There are two things you may not know. Minister of Justice Wang Shu came to me after coming down from court that day and said that Hu Quan's words had relieved a burden in his heart. And Privy Councilor Zhang Jun just wrote a note, citing Hu Quan's position as a Compiler in the Privy Council and that the gazette concerned military secrets, to demand that the Chancellery transfer the gazette's affairs to the Privy Council.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Dazhong looked up in shock: \"Is this really going to lead to factional strife?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It won't come to that!\" Zhao Ding said sternly. \"As I said, His Majesty's intent is clear. And as the Chief Councilor of the Chancellery, I will not allow factional strife to arise in the court again!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Dazhong sighed for a moment, but finally nodded: \"In that case, we need to find someone to speak with His Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need.\" Zhao Ding became serious again. \"First, we ultimately cannot control His Majesty. Second, His Majesty may appear frivolous and stubborn on the surface, but he has a grand strategy in his heart and will surely understand our meaning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well!\" Liu Dazhong thought for a long time, then finally stood up. \"In that case, I will go and contact our colleagues in the Chancellery for you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding finally showed some relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, while Premier Zhao was painstakingly maintaining the unity of the court, His Majesty, who had caused everyone's disunity, had no such awareness. Quite the opposite, he had been in high spirits these past few days, constantly dealing with matters of the Military Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As mentioned before, His Majesty was unlearned and unskilled. He had no idea that the Zhao Song dynasty had always had a Military Academy and thought he was creating an institutional innovation... In fact, the Military Academy had existed since the reign of Emperor Renzong, modeled after the Imperial Academy. Students would take exams to enter and be taught, coordinated with the military examination system—very advanced. It just lacked the high-level military academy His Majesty envisioned that could intervene in the promotions of military officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but as the saying goes, a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. After carefully questioning the well-informed Yang Yizhong, His Majesty learned that the Zhao Song dynasty also had nursing homes, shelters for the disabled, a medical promotion bureau, and a public cemetery system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the systems were all good systems; it was just that their actual implementation varied greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, the highest military academy under the Directorate of Education had only one professor position permanently, and like the Imperial Academy before Cai Jing's reforms, it only served as training for the civil service examinations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another example: nursing homes and shelters for the disabled were certainly good, but in practice, they generally remained at the level of model projects for some officials, and they only operated for a few years before the Jingkang Incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The public cemetery system was similar. The assessment methods were quite good, but the main problem was the lack of supervision. The monks in charge of the cemeteries loved to play the same trick as Kindaichi—dismembering corpses, splitting five corpses into six, to make up the numbers and request ordination certificates from the court... Under these circumstances, many poor commoners preferred cremation over being buried in a public cemetery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing worth mentioning was the medical promotion system... Throughout the Song dynasty, both official and private sectors placed unprecedented emphasis on the promotion of medicine and Chinese herbal medicine. Famous physicians emerged in large numbers, and the medical administrative institutions, medical service institutions, and medical education institutions were all very well-established. The central government not only had the Hanlin Medical Academy, the Imperial Medical Institute, and the Imperial Pharmacy, but also the Imperial Medical Academy corresponding to the Imperial Academy, which was even more advanced than the Military Academy, directly ranking and grading according to the Three Hall System. Not only that, medical officers were stationed in various government offices, military camps, and localities, and large quantities of epidemic-prevention medicinal herbs were allocated to remote areas every year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could only be said that, purely in terms of the medical system, after the thorough explanation by Imperial Father-in-Law Pan, His Majesty felt he was truly unworthy of the times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, these things were destroyed overnight during the Jingkang Incident. It wasn't until the third year of the Jianyan era that the corresponding central institutions began to be rebuilt. Only last year did they start purchasing medicines again, but it was still funded through military expenditures, mostly used in military camps... And Imperial Father-in-Law Pan seemed to want His Majesty to allocate some funds to restore the former glory as soon as possible, but in the end, His Majesty just laughed it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was lucky not to ask this Imperial Father-in-Law for money, let alone allocate funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, His Majesty had also spent a fortune on rebuilding the Military Academy. Part of the idle Yanfu Palace behind the imperial palace was taken out to serve as school buildings... It must be known that this place was only separated from His Majesty's fish pond by a single wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the present, he had to admit that Wu Jie was indeed a few notches better than Zhang Jun, and also more meticulous. Not only did he send the agreed-upon officers for training, but he also sent dozens of young Guanzhong youths to fill out the military academy... This greatly pleased His Majesty Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is your name?\" After chatting for a while with the officers of the Imperial Rear and Right Armies on the open ground of the temporary military academy, His Majesty couldn't help but notice those Guanzhong youths. He turned around and, looking at the leading young martial student—whose upper lip was still bare of fuzz, but whose frame was exceptionally tall and sturdy, with unusually thick shoulder muscles—he truly felt a subtle sense that all the empire's talents were falling into his net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One had to know that just by looking at this man's bone structure, there was a hint of Han Shizhong about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I...\" This man was clearly at a loss due to his youth. He wanted to speak but didn't know what to say, wanted to bow but didn't know how to bow, and just stood there dumbfounded for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to Your Majesty.\" Wu Lin, who had come on behalf of Wu Jie to deliver these officers and military students, quickly stepped half a pace forward from behind to respond. \"This man's given name is Zhongfu, which happens to share the same name as Commander Zhang Zhongfu of the Imperial Cavalry. However, his surname is Wang. He comes from a prominent local family in Jingzhao... He entered the county school as a youth and made decent progress, but he is also a natural martial arts prodigy. At just eighteen, he has already fought all over Jingzhao without defeat. A month ago, the Prince of Yan'an was in Chang'an and heard of his name. He went to test him, and after a trial, actually suffered a loss. He also deemed him a prodigy and originally wanted to recruit him into the army for service. But later, upon hearing that Your Majesty was establishing a military academy, he recommended him and had me bring him along.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu clasped his hands behind his back and nodded slowly, appearing extremely satisfied. Then he moved on to look at the next student.\u003C\u002Fp>",3187,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","ee62f09a8106416401a05979179067ead84b09a728b41bcdf252ad65d23aafc2","shao-song-chapter-273","shao-song-chapter-271",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]