The daily office of the prime ministers of the Great Song Dynasty was called the Political Affairs Hall, which was located in the southwest corner of the imperial city, opposite the Privy Council to the west. Therefore, it is known as the East Mansion and the West Mansion.

The area of the east and west mansions is about the same, each composed of more than 20 pavilions and palaces, which is the political and military center of the Great Song Empire. Although the power of the Song Dynasty has declined to a certain extent compared with the previous dynasty, no matter how holy the Son of Heaven is, he is only one person, and no matter how diligent he is, it is difficult to manage all opportunities. If there is no ruler and auxiliary government, he will not be able to control the family and country of Nuoda at all.

Moreover, the young son of heaven who grew up in the palace of the deep palace since he was a child, how many major events in the world can he know? If you really rely on the experience and wisdom of the Son of Heaven to govern the country, the country will never be able to do well. Therefore, the selection of suitable prime ministers and privy councillors for the east and west two mansions in the southwest corner of the imperial city was the first priority of the Son of Heaven.

In the past Zhezong Dynasty, although the party and government were violent, the ups and downs of the old and new parties alternated, so that many people were demoted to the ends of the earth. However, it is undeniable that whether it was the years when Empress Dowager Gao listened to the government, or the seven years when Zhezong was in power, the rulers of the two prefectures were all famous ministers, and although the party and government of the Zhezong Dynasty were fierce, they implemented "the two parties took turns to govern".

In the early stage, the Empress Dowager Gao was in the dynasty, and the two mansions were all famous ministers of the old party, such as Sima Guang, Wen Yanbo, Lu Gongshu, Fan Chunren, Lu Dafang, Liu Zhi, Su Song, An Tao, Han Zhongyan and so on. In the second half of the period, Zhezong's pro-government was undoubtedly employed, and Zhang Dian and Zeng Bu were in charge of the eastern and western prefectures respectively, and they worked for seven years.

On the surface, this method of "taking turns in power" seems to be a fierce party and government, and a single rotation will change the entire imperial court. But in reality, the "ruling party" no longer has the restraint to implement its policies.

Therefore, although Zhezong Dynasty had a very bad reputation in history, and it was recognized that the lord and the ministers had frequent treacherous party disputes, the economy was prosperous during the reign of the Empress Dowager Gao in the early stage, and the world was well-off. In the later period, Zhezong made great achievements in military affairs, and his economic situation was also passable.

However, this kind of "partisan politics" is always inconsistent with the traditional Chinese concept of "the monarch is reserved but not fighting, and the group is not the party", that is, when Zhezong was alive, he was also despised by people of insight in the world. The so-called "new party" and "old party" are actually talking about each other -- the other party is a traitor who has formed a party of friends, and they are all gentlemen without party affiliation on their own side...... In the Song Dynasty, "joining the party" itself was a sin, and it was to be impeached by the imperial history, so everyone was an "underground party".

And when the throne passed into the hands of Zhao Ji, who was determined to be a holy monarch, the Mingjun line, which eliminated friends and used the old and the new to stir up different opinions, became politically correct.

Looking out of the public hall where Shangshu's left servant shot and the servant of the door, there was a snowy sky outside the window, which seemed to freeze the entire Kaifeng Mansion. Seeing this cold and freezing scene, Han Zhongyan, who was the prime minister, couldn't help but think of the first emperor who died in the first month of this year, and the weather at that time was as cold as it is now. He thought of Zhang Dian who had assisted the Son of Heaven for seven years, and at this time last year, Zhang Dian was still sitting in this public hall, a lone minister with great power, and he didn't know how proud he was.

But now that it's his turn to be prime minister, why can't he be proud at all? It's even worse than when he knew the Privy Council during the Yuan Yu period. At that time, it was the Empress Dowager Xuanren who listened to the government, and the whole dynasty was full of "non-party gentlemen", and it was still very easy to do things. Like now, no matter what he proposes, the right minister Zeng Bu will definitely oppose it. Even the opening of a school palace in Yuntai Mountain and the appointment of Su Dongpo to be in charge of the matter explained by the official family were blocked by Zeng Bu - Su Dongpo is a "gentleman without a party"! Zeng Bu wanted the members of the traitorous party to take charge of the Yuntai Academy......

If it weren't for the official family losing his temper in the Chongzheng Palace, Su Dongpo's lifting of the Yuntai Academy Palace would not have come down until now!

In addition to Su Dongpo, who almost failed to take the Yuntai Academy, the cadres of the old party, Su Zhe and Fan Chun (Fan Zhongyan's son), were not able to successfully recover. The two of them, one is 61 and the other is 55, they are both in very good health, and their qualifications are enough, Su Zhe has been the prime minister, Fan Chun has been the commander of the Yan, if they can recover, they can enter the center.

But one of these two people lifted the Taiping Palace of the Qing Dynasty, and the other simply waited for the Zhishi in the Huiyou Pavilion - he was only 55 years old, so how could those who were 60 years old and only became a Jinshi?

As for Fan Chunren's brother Fan Chunren, he gave it to the scholar of Guanwen Palace, but Fan Chunren was blind, and he couldn't do it even if he worshiped the prime minister.

So now Han Zhongyan, the "non-party" prime minister, is a bit of a bare-bones commander!

However, the "non-party gentlemen" are not without the slightest strength to resist. Zuo Zhengyan Ren Boyu, Right Zhengyan Chen Qiang, Left Counselor Doctor Feng Ji, Right Counselor Chen Cisheng, and Imperial Servant Chen Shixi (they are not old men of the old party, but they are all upright gentlemen who are unwilling to attach themselves to the new party) and others have been continuously impeaching Zhang Dun, Cai Bian, Cai Jing, Zhang Shangying and other traitors of the New Party since the completion of the first emperor's mountain mausoleum.

Now that Zhang Dian and Cai Bian have been driven out of Kaifeng Mansion, Cai Jing has also been demoted from Zhijiangning (not yet in office), and Zhang Shangying's Hebei East Road transfer envoy is also in danger, and it seems that it will be finished soon.

However, this level of denunciation was still not enough to sweep away the traitors of the new party who were all over the court......

And what is even more worrying is that the Empress Dowager Xiang is also sick in bed now, if there is anything in case, the gentlemen and ministers in the court will have no backer to rely on!

Thinking of the sick Queen Mother, Han Zhongyan only had a long sigh.

Empress Dowager Xiang is not Empress Dowager Gao after all! This old lady does not have the iron fist to sweep away the traitorous party in one fell swoop. However, now the traitorous party in the DPRK and China is powerful, and the upright gentleman is weak. If only there was any way to sweep away the traitorous party.

Thinking about it, Han Zhongyan didn't think of any tricks, but it was not early, and the twilight drum would soon be beaten. Han Zhongyan was about to pack up and go home—tonight in the mansion, there were still some officials and new science and technology scholars to meet. Of course, those people are all upright gentlemen who are "non-partisan", and they are all Han Zhongyan who wants to be of great use, or wants to discuss important matters with them.

When he was about to pack up the copywriting to take home, he saw his son-in-law Wu Haowen walk in.

Wu Haowen's office is in the secretary province, not far from the two prefectures, so he often comes over and walks around to get in touch with his feelings. But today he has something to say to his father-in-law, Old Taishan.

"Uncle Yue, someone from Fang's family said that my eldest brother has returned from Haizhou and wants to visit your old man tonight."

Han Zhongyan smiled clearly, Wu Haogu is an official who can drill the camp, and he should not look down on him, but he doesn't really appreciate this fortunate one.

And I have to meet him tonight! Because the focus of discussion in the Chongzheng Hall in the past few days is "the matter of the north" - this is a chain reaction caused by the news of the Liao State to pacify the Mogusi Rebellion in the Great Song Dynasty.

It seems that Zhang Dian's previous judgment that the Liao State will be chaotic has been disappointed, so the imperial court should adjust the national policy of military preparations for Liao set by the first emperor era. The Privy Council's Military Science Department and the Jiehe Shang City, the two projects of "preparation for Liao", do you have to reconsider the value of existence? These two projects were initiated by Zhang Dan...... Several upright imperial historians and righteous words, these days they are all thinking about making a fuss about this military academy and the business market!

However, Han Zhongyan was worried and did not dare to make a decisive move. On the one hand, he is a bit cowardly; On the one hand, he also knew that Wu Haogu was the confidant of the official family, and there were many generals from Kaifeng Mansion in Jiehe Commercial City who had invested money.

Therefore, this matter still has to be discussed with Wu Haogu first, and the thoughts of the official family can be drugged!

……

"Great official, Wu Dongmen has arrived, and he and the Goryeo delegation have entered the city with their front and back feet, and some people have seen Wu Dongmen talking with a Goryeo official."

Ji Yi had already returned to his home in Kaifeng Mansion at this time, and was playing backgammon with Zhang Yuan in the attic.

Zhang Dian has now been awarded the Zhizhou of Yuezhou and is on his way to his post. However, Zhang Yuan has not been implicated for a while, and he was promoted from the seventh rank of Xuan Fenglang not long ago, which can be regarded as a courtier. But he didn't give him a real job, and he also dismissed the school secretary and let him be elected in Kaifeng Mansion.

He originally wanted to accompany Zhang Dian to Yuezhou, but was stopped by Zhang Dian and asked him to stay in Kaifeng Mansion to see the limelight and keep in touch with Ji Yi.

So after Ji Yi returned to Beijing with the edict, Zhang Yuan went to Ji Yi's mansion to meet him every once in a while.

"Remember, how did Wu Haogu talk to a Goryeo official?"

Zhang Yuan listened to the report of the Ji family, so he frowned and asked "Gao Litong" Ji Yi.

"That Goryeo official should be Wu Yanzhong, he is a Haizhou person from my dynasty, his family is a maritime merchant, and he has a lot of way in Goryeo."

"Oh." Zhang Yuan nodded, "Yizhi, who do you say this martial artist will be the first to visit after returning to Beijing?" ”

"Then you still need to ask?" Ji Yi snorted and said, "Of course it's Han Zhongyan." ”

"Is he optimistic about the old party?"

Ji Yi shook his head and smiled, "He is Bianliangzi, the son-in-law of the general, and he is also a Confucian and a businessman, and these characters are naturally inclined to Yuan You's traitorous party." ”

"However, the Yuanyu Party wanted to dismantle the Military Science Division and the Jiehe Business Market...... Both of these have something to do with him, right? ”

Ji Yi smiled, "It's true that you want to dismantle the Military Academy, and Jiehe Shang City is something that those Yuanyou Party people who are afraid of Liao like a tiger dare to move?" ”

"That's right." Zhang Yuan also smiled, "Yizhi, do you think the official family will want to dismantle the Military Academy?" ”

"This ......," Ji Yi pondered, "I'm afraid it will!" ”

"Oh? How so? ”

"There are a few elite soldiers in the Military Academy," Ji Yi said, "and it is also in the hands of the ministers of the two prefectures...... This is a matter that is bad for the ancestral family law.

However, whoever proposes the abolition of the Military Academy Division will not be far from its downfall! ”

"Why?"

Ji Yi sneered, "Because the official family is a saint!" Whoever wants the official family to be the lord is the one who is loyal! Whoever doesn't want the official family to be the boss is a traitor! ”