This is the first and final chapter of the thirteenth volume of the Flat World.

Cai Xiang silently followed Zheng Lang to the outside of the palace. Zheng Lang has an ordinary friendship with Zhao Zhen, and Cai Xiang and Zhang Fang are also friends of Zheng Lang, and they finally faded a little. They are also knowledgeable people, they are Fanghua people, and they do not conspire with each other if they are different. When I was a teenager, I still had a few friends, and my status was very different, and there could be no friendship. Only Zhao Zhen is, not only has friendship, but also is the kind of rare confidant for eternity.

Cai Xiang doesn't understand this kind of feeling, and no one else understands and thinks that Zheng Lang is loyal.

Zheng Lang leaned in front of him and walked slowly, but in Cai Xiang's heart, his status was so tall, almost as majestic as Mount Tai, and he sighed in his heart, I am not without sages.

It wasn't until he left the palace that he came to his senses in a trance, and stepped forward to ask: "Xingzhi, there are people in the court who are arguing, some people want to build the Daxing Mausoleum in accordance with the rules of Yongding Mausoleum, and some people propose that the national economy should be simple and simple." ”

"What do you think, Junmo?"

"I don't know, the first emperor was benevolent, and it may not be impossible to host the Daxing Mausoleum according to the Yongding Mausoleum, but the first emperor lived a simple life...... But it's not up to me," Cai Xiang said self-deprecatingly.

"If you don't say anything, who will say? Not to mention anything else, just with His Majesty's savings of more than 40 years, it is enough to build dozens of hundreds of Daxing mausoleums, how can it be too simple? ”

"yes."

"Jun Mo, the appearance of the Daxing Mausoleum should be solemn and solemn, but the burial objects must be simple, and His Majesty does not like it if it is too extravagant." Zheng Lang said slowly. Although he was sad, his wisdom was still there, and he actually stuffed a lot of precious jade into the mausoleum, only bad things were not good, and sooner or later tomb robbers would be invited. In ancient times, they were also thieves, or the powerful leaders led their subordinates to openly steal.

Cai Xiang said again: "Xingzhi, there is another thing I don't understand, there are many virtuous ministers, why is the country's revenue and expenditure more and more unbalanced?" ”

He is a gentleman party, and he has a good relationship with Zheng Lang, because he used to be a gentleman's party, and he also had a good relationship with Han Qi, Ouyang Xiu, and Fu Bi. Moderates, that is, those who just want to do more practical things and don't want to argue, are not good at saying that they are afraid of causing trouble and don't want to offend people.

At the same time, Cai Xiang is also a good minister, and the finances seem to be in big trouble, and he also wants to hear some answers from Zheng Lang, and then discuss with Zhongshu how to solve it.

When this question is asked, if Zheng Lang is not in a bad mood, he will want to laugh.

Without the intention of laughing, he asked calmly, "Is Lu Yijian a good minister?" ”

"It's not a good minister, it's a meritorious man," Cai Xiang said.

When Lü Yijian was alive, he was attacked by almost all the ministers, but to this day, more people reflect on Lü Yijian's exploits. After Zhao Zhen was buried in a few months, the god was enshrined in the Taimiao, and the state should select three or four meritorious heroes to enjoy the temple with the god according to the system.

The edict has not yet been issued, but the two governments have already decided on the candidates. The first is Wang Zeng, who is virtuous and talented, and it is Wang Zeng who supported Liu E and Zhao Zhen's mother and son, and took back the rights from Ding Wei's hands, which is indispensable.

There was only one of the military ministers, it was Di Qing, and many ministers were still very uncomfortable when it came to Di Qing. It wasn't until the time of Song Shenzong that Di Qing was really brought justice. Therefore, another famous general, Cao Wei, is the son of Cao Bin, the maiden family of the Empress Dowager Cao, and of course, a super celebrity. There is another person, it is not Li Di, it is not Fan Zhongyan and Wang Shu, nor is it the later Pang Ji, but Lu Yijian!

The minister still thinks that Lu Yijian's virtue is unqualified, and Zheng Lang also thinks so, but they no longer ignore Lu Yijian's contribution to the country. That is, they all agree with Zheng Lang's opinion at the beginning.

"The most accomplished famous minister in the first emperor, Lu Yijian, and Pang Ji, why did Lu Yijian and Pang Ji let their ministers attack when they were in power, and they became traitors in the world?"

"Xingzhi, not many people attacked you."

"Yes, I admit that there are few people who attack me. But at the Fan Lou banquet, how many reform strategies did I talk about and how many were implemented? The reason why the state's financial surplus is that one is to lay off troops and not dare to lay off officials. Why, once the officials are cut or the rewards of officials are reduced, there will be more attacks, which will affect the government. Second, do you know how much effort I have put into balancing the interests of all parties, and it is no less than government affairs? The third article was that I went to Zhongshu at that time, and everyone expected it, and I was lucky to do a good job. Fourth, I try to maximize the interests of all parties and take the initiative to reduce the number of opposing voices. The reason for the surplus is the result of the reduction of troops, and the result of the smooth flow of government decrees. That's it, think about it again, after four years in power, do you start to have some ministers who don't like me? ”

"I still don't get it."

"Okay, to put it simply, Wen Yanbo was the first time he was the leader, I said that he was a famous minister, and as a result, how many ministers attacked him and looked for his handle. But then he became prime minister for the second time, why didn't many ministers impeach? There is also Yan Guo, and there is also the childish master. ”

Sima Guang also played a concert and talked about the various reasons for the gradual scarcity of the country's finances, but he was only half right.

Later, he played the impeachment of Han Qi for serious extravagance and waste, but it was still unclear.

Worried in his heart, to be honest, everything Zheng Lang did not only forced Pang Ji to sell his old life, but also made several students' thoughts further sublimated, and they had black bellies, and they were really worried about the country and the people. But I haven't seen Zheng Lang for a long time.

Zheng Lang was seriously ill, and Cui Xianxing'er and several wives and concubines hurried from Zhengzhou together. It turned out that he only came alone, and even if he returned to the capital, he couldn't bring his wife and concubine, which was not an ancient rite after all. But I'm sick, no matter what, I all went back to the capital. What can Cui Xian say, she has to put the door halfway, don't ask about the world, or occasionally buy a few newspapers and come back to read. reported a lot of things, some gossip, novels, and another eye-catching is the battle of the Five Gentlemen, the source is Zhengjiazhuang, but many great Confucian scholars are involved. In fact, this gradually became a grand event of Confucianism.

It wasn't until Zheng Lang gradually recovered that Cui Xian opened the door, and Sima Guang and Lu Gong came to Zheng's house to visit Zheng Lang, looking at Zheng Lang, the two of them were very sad. After being relieved for a long time, Sima Guang said business. Zheng Lang had known about this result for a long time, but he didn't want to say it. It may not work if he says it, will Han Qi listen to himself? Sima Guang asked, but Zheng Lang patiently explained.

The reason is not as simple and vague as Zheng Lang said to Cai Xiang, and it is very complicated.

Many, three redundant, serious annexation, with the imperial court city grace. But the fundamental thing is still one, redundant government.

The officials of the Song Dynasty liked to overlap and overlap, and the various institutions were not clearly divided, and if each decree was implemented, if they were afraid of offending people and were unable to simplify the decree, there would be a lot of waste. There are three kinds of state financial expenditures, the bulk of which is military spending, followed by the encouragement and rewards of officials, and the last is the various infrastructure construction of the state, including civilian and official use, as well as disaster relief and poverty relief, the establishment of schools, and so on. The latter also has to use a lot of money every year, Zheng Lang's several largesses cannot be counted, under normal circumstances, there are more than 40 million yuan a year, and the less one will reach more than 20 million yuan.

The decree has the power to simplify it, reduce waste, and do the same thing, 20 million a year is enough. If we can't let it be simplified, sit back and watch officials waste and deduct at all levels, fill their own pockets, and profiteers participate, and shoddy it is so bad, 70 million or 80 million may not be enough.

The same goes for military spending.

If you are not afraid of offending people and have the ability, the quality of the grain and grass transported to the border is good, the transportation speed can be fast, and the loss will be reduced as soon as it is fast. If you are afraid of offending people and want to show goodwill, then a bucket of grain transported to the border can become more than 1,000 wen for 300 wen, and it is still moldy grain mixed with sand grain that many soldiers can't eat.

Officials are also the same, a normal salary of only 10 million yuan a year is enough to pay, why can the salary be paid 40 million yuan a year when the salary is the highest? Reward! If Zhongshu is incompetent, and then encounters such a major event as the death of the first emperor and the accession of the new emperor to the throne, the finances will be even more corrupt.

The source of all this is redundant government, whether the country can be run well, it depends on whether Zhongshu can do it in the case of such overlapping and empty government decrees in the Song Dynasty, and the government decrees can be smoothed and wasted can be saved.

No, no matter how open source it is, even if the state revenue is 200 million yuan a year, it will not be enough to cover the expenses.

Sima Guang and Lu Gong smiled bitterly, Zheng Lang was right, but who could do it?

Those who were able to do it are now sleeping in hospital beds with gray hair.

But I don't believe in Zheng Lang's last sentence, if the country can really open source to 200 million yuan a year, there will be no deficit. Don't believe in this evil! Zheng Lang didn't want to talk about it either, if he didn't believe it, in another three years, you would believe it.

Of course, it can't be said that Han Qi is very harsh to the people, on the contrary, he is not thin on the people, but who doesn't want to be good to the people? What to do with the big hole in the critical country?

"What then?" Lu Gongzhu has always been a good old man, and asked eagerly.

Sima Guang's eyes were already beating.

Zheng Lang said: "Uncle Hao, ask Junshi." ”

Sima Guang said: "Gong Zheng, I'm not so dark. ”

jokingly, he explained to Lu Gongzhu: "Han Gong is in the limelight now, Zheng Gong is interested, even if Zheng Gong enters the Chinese book, can he do good deeds with Han Gong's constraints?" It's not as good as three or four years. ”

Let him be right, no matter whether there is that black hole in three or four years, Zhao Shu will definitely die, Zhao Ji will take the position, and Han Qi's phase will also come to an end. If you come to check the accounts, you can wake up again, who is the root of the problem, Han Qi has completely arrived on Java Island. Sima Guang is right, but this is not what he meant, it means that in the past three or four years, the country's deficit has become bigger and bigger, and in the end, if he loses one or two hundred million yuan, the problem is big, and Han Qi has to go down. So who can turn the tide?

Zheng Lang said: "If this is not the case, it is the system. ”

Without this black hole, people would not be aware of the seriousness of the problem. In fact, it is very easy to make up for it, after all, Zheng Lang's decades of careful management have laid a good foundation for the Song Dynasty, and there is no need for Wang Anshi to be in such a hurry. Guan Jian is what Zheng Lang said to Zhao Zhen a few months ago, if a good person meets a good virtuous minister, the country is good, the ability of the person is slightly insufficient, and the ability to slaughter and assist is a little worse, and the national finance will be poor immediately. Or if you encounter Cai Zun's goods again, all the people will be sad.

The real source is the system.

China has never governed the country by system, and the country is governed by law, and the country is governed by people, the system by people, and the law by people.

But changing it is definitely much better than not changing it.

If you want everyone to change, you have to show everyone the seriousness of the problem.

Going deeper, not only the system, but also a morality and idea, if the officials can do it for the sake of the people of the country, not for the sake of the wine villa sports car and the second wife to the seventy-two milk, is it still so troublesome?

However, Zheng Lang's mood did not recover, and he didn't want to say more, the three masters and apprentices said lightly, and Sima Guang and Lu Gongzhu left.

Now Cai Xiang asked, and Zheng Lang also answered, but he didn't say deeply, Cai Xiang is not bold enough, his official position is insufficient, and he is not very good at business. It doesn't help to make it clear. And Zheng Lang is in the mood to explain patiently.

Go back to your home and get ready to do the last thing.

asked his wife Cui Xian to go to Jining Temple, that is, the Taoist temple that Zhao Zhen next door to Zheng Mansion built for his daughter before his death, and gave her the Taoist name Yongning.

The name of the Taoist temple and the name of the Taoist temple are deeply full of a kind of fatherly love.

Since Zhao Zhen's death, Zhao Niannu has also been more sad.

But outsiders have long forgotten the existence of her, the eldest princess.

Cui Xian went to Jining Guan to let Zhao Niannu enter the palace and ask two people, Zhou and Feng. Zheng Lang helped them to leave the palace and become Taoist monks. But there is one condition, you must not marry for the rest of your life. It sounds a little cruel, although the two little sisters are Zhao Zhen's concubines, they are only about twenty years old. But in this era, because of their identity, they have to be.

Once they got married, the three little princesses were sad, and Zheng Lang was also sad.

After agreeing to this condition, Zheng Lang can help.

After listening to Cui Xian's words, Zhao Niannu understood that he would immediately enter the palace. Although she became a female Taoist priest, Zhao Shu was still named the eldest princess and the princess of Yue Kingdom in order to do superficial work. This time it was the real eldest princess, and the palace guards didn't dare to stop her.

After entering the inner palace and talking to Zhou Feng and the others, he returned to Jining Guan and sent an elderly woman in the Dao Palace into the Zheng family, Cui Xian went over again, and the two talked for a while. The next day, Zheng Lang got up early and arrived at the hospital.

Instead of going to the court, he went into the hospital to block the officials and say one thing.

Seeing Zheng Lang coming, almost all the ministers stood up in awe.

Zhao Shu was making trouble with Han Qi putting out the fire in the back, but no matter how he pounced, there were still some rumors outside, and some ministers were faintly dissatisfied in their hearts. Even if you ignore the ugliness of power, at least you can't pick a sick man for the country.

However, no one took the lead, Fu Bi seemed to be able to take the lead before coming back, and he was not Han Qi's opponent when he was in Han Qi's class, and he was under Han Qi's class at this time, not to mention, so he didn't have much hope for him.

Zheng Lang came out and let many ministers see the light.

At least the emperor can't be allowed to make trouble anymore, what has become of it.

Looking at Zheng Lang's white hair, what they saw was not hair, but loyalty, morality, and sages.

Zheng Lang didn't want to go out of the mountain, if he went out of the mountain at this time, more than half of the ministers would defect and start another stove.

Fu Bi looked at his good friend, and felt a little miserable in his heart, holding Zheng Lang's hand and saying: "Xingzhi, the first emperor died, I also feel very sorry, but people can't be resurrected, and the country still has many difficulties, and it needs to be known." ”

"Yanguo, you look back on the past forty-two years."

"You said, carry on the past and forge ahead into the future."

"Yes, but looking back, can that heartbreaking scroll of that beautiful scene be reproduced again?" Saying that, Zheng Lang's tears couldn't help but flow again and again.

The boy easily did not cry, but it was not time to be sad. Zhao Zhen's death brought a lot of sadness to Zheng Lang, and this mood could not be calmed down in three or two years. Zhao Zhen is usually really good to the scholars, and some conscientious ministers watched Zheng Lang cry, and the corners of his eyes couldn't help but moisten.

Fu Bi also accompanied Zheng Lang to shed tears, and after a while, Zheng Lang wiped away the tears with a handkerchief and said: "I came to wait for the missing courtyard to ask you to agree with the two systems to agree to the next edict, Zhou Feng and the two nobles asked to become a monk and pray for the blessing of the first emperor." ”

Han Qi was anxious when he heard this, and said: "Although the two nobles have good intentions, but they still have three princesses, what should they do if they become monks?" ”

"For a female Taoist, not for a female nun, you can be raised by your side."

That's not going to work, if it gets out, what will the people outside think? Han Qi said: "Who said that?" ”

"The two nobles asked the eldest princess to entrust my wife, I think this is also a beautiful thing, so I have come to ask for your approval."

"No, they have a heart, and they will be in the harem for the first emperor."

Fu Bi returned to the capital, and he couldn't figure out the object, although Zheng Lang said that he had good intentions, he was a little nonsense, but Zheng Lang was definitely not this kind of person, and asked: "Xingzhi, what happened?" ”

Zheng Lang did not answer.

Sima Guang replied for Zheng Lang: "Rich man, don't you know? ”

"Know what?"

This is a pre-emptive event. More than a month ago, Zhao Niannu was crowned as the eldest princess, Qingshou was changed to Princess Huiguo, Yongshou was changed to Princess Rongguo, and Baoshou was changed to Princess Shunguo. His three daughters are Princess Dening, Princess Bao'an, and Princess Shoukang. This is no problem, none of them are out of the cabinet, and they can't be crowned princesses by the state, although they are young to celebrate their birthdays, they are the daughters of the first emperor, but they can be crowned princesses by the state. There is absolutely no problem with the title, although the latter three country names are quite contemptible, but the three princesses are not very expensive, and the problem is not big.

There are also several sons of Zhao Shu, who are not crowned kings, all of them are princes of the country, and they seem to be very humble. In fact, Zhao Shu didn't want his son to be crowned king immediately, and he was righteous in his name. At this time, he had forgotten his past.

However, considering that Zhao Shugang succeeded to the throne, it is understandable.

Originally, there was nothing to do, probably because Zhao Zhen lived for half a year longer, for Zhao Shu, every extra day that Zhao Zhen lived, it was a day of torment for him, so the demons in his heart were heavier, causing one thing to be staged in advance. Zhao Zhen only used these four baby daughters, all of whom were flesh on their bodies, and selected four good palaces for them to make dormitories.

Zhao Shu walked around for a while, feeling wronged, his daughter was the real princess, why let Zhao Zhen's daughter still live in such a luxurious palace, so he called someone to pass on the word, and asked Zhou Feng and the others to take their daughter to move a nest to a place in the inner palace.

Zhao Zhen died, Zhou Feng's second daughter is a phoenix that has lost its hair is not as good as a chicken, and she resists and complains wherever she goes.

It is possible that Han Qi has heard of it, it is possible that he has not heard of it, and it is possible that other ministers have heard it. But at this time, Zhao Shu didn't even pay attention to the Empress Dowager Cao, and in the end he almost took away Zhao Zhen's name, Zheng Lang didn't mention it, the one who had the heart to take care of the three little princesses and the two little nobles.

Han Qi was bitter in his heart.

The emperor is too unconscious, a wave has not stopped, and a wave is about to arise again, in the past two years, Han Qi has never done a roller coaster, otherwise he will feel that he has been riding a roller coaster for the past two years, or the kind of super roller coaster with a large drop and fast speed.

But in the past few years, he has been strong, and said directly: "How can the foreign minister ask about the affairs of the inner palace!" ”

You have to figure it out, the inside and outside are clear, you are good at worrying, what happened to the inner palace of the housekeeper's house, and you are still a filial son and loyal minister!

If it is Fubi, let him be frightened by this sentence.

Han Qi was really wrong this time, there was someone in the court who could knock him down at this time, Sima Guang. If Sima Guang used a lot of strength and saw the right time, Han Qi would have to do it, and he didn't need Zheng Lang to come forward. It can't be said that Han Qi is ugly, and he doesn't want the country to be stable. However, from Zheng Lang's position, the two were already standing on the opposite side absolutely, absolutely. Zheng Lang is not rich, and said flatly: "The family affairs of the Son of Heaven are the affairs of the people of the world, what is the difference between inside and outside?" Back then, Fan Kong and the two of them slapped the palace gate in a row, and it was rumored to be a beautiful talk, why? ”

To deny Fan Zhongyan is to deny the party. Among the people sitting at this time, how many believers in Fan Zhongyan were there?

Han Qi said: "Queen Guo is the queen, the mother of the world. ”

"Two nobles, three princesses, can you compare with Yang Shang and the two beauties?" Don't talk about the story far, just talk about what happened in the Zhao Zhen Dynasty.

It's still a bland tone, but it's actually another kind of arrogance, the kind of soft water that kills people without seeing blood. But the latter is even more terrifying.

Han Qi was speechless. Everything has to be accounted for, Zhao Shu is not reasonable, Zhao Zhen's coffin is still in the inner palace and is not buried, so he drove out the daughter, do you still have a conscience? Therefore, Han Qi could not be discerned. couldn't let Zheng Lang succeed, and asked, "Even so, it's a little inappropriate for you to ask." ”

Use the right to card Zheng Lang.

Zheng Lang actually bowed his head and said, "Yes, it's a little inappropriate." Before the death of the first emperor, I went to the Funing Palace, and His Majesty summoned all the four princesses and said two things, the first thing is for me to guard the rivers and mountains of the Great Song Dynasty for His Majesty today. These are His Majesty's last words, and he still does not forget this country, the people of this country, and all the ministers. ”

As she spoke, she burst into tears again

It was definitely not sensational, but it had a sensational effect, Wang Xuan, Jia An, Fan Zhen, Lu Dafang and Fan Chunren, who had just been transferred back to the capital as a minister, were all like mourners, especially Fan Zhen knocked his head with his teeth, fell on the ground, and cried loudly: "First Emperor, First Emperor, why did you die so early, and the minister still wants to serve you for a few more years." ”

At this time, at the end of the winter month, the sky was late and the sky was not yet bright outside, but there was a crying sound from the courtyard, Han Qi and Ouyang Xiu looked at each other, and the two of them were dumbfounded.

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