A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 448 I'm clearly a conservative, so why am I being labeled a radical?
Yan Shu did not actually tell Song Xuan the truth.

Before Emperor Zhenzong fell seriously ill, he did indeed give him some instructions, which Yan Shu also intended to do.

However, to avoid suspicion, he requested to stay overnight at the Academy and announce it the next morning.

After all, opening the palace gates late at night would inevitably lead to all sorts of speculations, and Emperor Zhenzong agreed.

The content sent out of the palace the next day did not pass through Yan Shu's hands and was completely different from what Emperor Zhenzong had said the day before.

Yan Shu was utterly shocked.

So many years have passed, and he hasn't dared to utter a single word about it to outsiders.

As for the tasks Emperor Zhenzong entrusted to him, Yan Shu would certainly not do them.

Because Yan Shu knew that there were bad people around Emperor Zhenzong who could arbitrarily change the emperor's decrees, and crucially, he had no evidence.

Even if he reveals it, how many people would believe him?
On the contrary, it will bring disaster upon oneself.

They chatted for a while longer before Yan Shu and Song Xuan finished their shift together.

Having finally returned home, Yan Shu naturally wanted to spend more time with his family.

Arguments in the court are one thing, but Yan Shu is content to spend time with his family and doesn't care about the disputes in the court at all.

While the Khitan envoys were still on their way, the Guiyi Army, the Ganzhou Uyghurs, the Kingdom of Kucha, and the Kingdom of Khotan (Karakhan) had all arrived in Song Dynasty to pay tribute.

Now, after internal strife, the Guiyi Army is no longer a match for the enemy.

The Uyghurs in Shazhou developed rapidly, replacing most of the territory of the Guiyi Army and making the Guiyi Army their vassal.

Moreover, at this time, the Guiyi Army was just a symbol; it no longer belonged to the Zhang family but had been replaced by the Cao family and was enfeoffed as the King of Dunhuang by the Khitans.

Because of some reasons analyzed by Song Xuan for Cao Yong, the Song Dynasty court used soldiers in the northwest to support the Ganzhou Uyghurs, enabling them to re-enter the Western Regions.

The Guiyi Army noticed this and naturally hoped to receive the protection of the Song Dynasty to better maintain its rule.

The Ganzhou Uyghurs were attacked by the Western Xia and Khitan in turn, but thanks to the help of the Song Dynasty, they were able to catch their breath.

As for Kucha, he was also a long-time rebel leader.

Back then, Ban Chao defeated and deposed the king, and installed a new ruler.

During the Tang Dynasty, they repeatedly invaded the Four Garrisons of Anxi, but after being soundly defeated, they gradually declined, and their people were gradually replaced by the Uyghurs.

Now, Kucha is becoming increasingly weak, and it sends tribute to the Song Dynasty frequently, hoping to gain the protection of the Song Dynasty.

Kucha was the only place where the world's four great civilizations met, and it was also a vital transportation hub on the Silk Road. Many powers wanted to occupy this place.

As for Khotan, it was the most powerful of the four forces.

However, it was called Yutian in the Song Dynasty, and it didn't care about the Song Dynasty's opinion.

However, if any other power in the northwest dared to call it Khotan, they could expect to be beaten by the Karakhanid Dynasty.

The kingdom of Khotan was destroyed more than 20 years ago, and the entire Hotan region was under the jurisdiction of the Karakhanid Dynasty.

After destroying Khotan, it continued to attack its kinsman, the Gaochang Uyghurs, without stopping, actively expanding outwards.

Although the Gaochang Uyghurs suffered several defeats at the hands of the Karakhanid Dynasty, their national strength was not weak, and they maintained excellent relations with the Liao Dynasty.

The Karakhanid Dynasty (Khotan) sent envoys to engage in friendly communication with the Song Dynasty.

They hoped to help contain the Khitans so that they could focus on fighting the Gaochang Uyghurs and expanding their power.

Yelü Shucheng paid no attention to the arrival of envoys from other countries at Banjingguan.

During his time in the Liao Dynasty, there were more envoys coming to pay tribute than envoys from small countries coming to the Song Dynasty.

After all, the Liao Dynasty had fought in the north and south, and its military strength was truly forged through conquest.

In the chaotic northwest region, whoever can fight is the boss.

However, due to a butterfly effect, various forces in the Northwest believed that the Song Dynasty was planning to return to the Western Regions, and they all came to test the waters.

However, Yelü Shucheng was very interested in the arrival of Song Xuan's second elder brother, Song Kang.

Because he wanted to learn the Khitan language.

This puzzled him greatly.

In Yelü Shucheng's view, since Song Twelve had achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, his elder brother must have also made some achievements in the imperial examinations.

Why become a translator when there's clearly no future in it?

Song Kang readily admitted that he had disliked studying since childhood.

He will accompany his younger brother on a mission to the Khitan in the future, serving as a translator, so as to avoid being deceived.

Or the meaning may not have been conveyed properly, leading to misunderstandings.

Yelü Shucheng felt that Song Kang's statement was a normal request, but he was also overly worried.

Nowadays, most of the Khitan nobles can speak Chinese, but few of them can read Chinese characters.

Only the lower-ranking Khitan people could not speak Chinese.

It should be noted that the Khitans were able to actively accept Han culture.

Otherwise, if they can't even speak Chinese, how can they claim to be the successors of the Tang Dynasty?
However, because of Song Xuan's reputation, Yelü Shucheng was still very willing to be Song Kang's teacher and teach him to speak the Khitan language.

After all, this was something Yelü Shucheng could talk about and gain face when he returned to Khitan.

The significance of a Song Dynasty scholar achieving the highest honor in all three levels of the imperial examinations.

It also had a very good market in the Liao Dynasty.

Not to mention that some of Song Xuan's poems had already been spread to the Khitans long ago.

Although they looked down on the local imperial examination system, they greatly admired the Song Dynasty's imperial examination system and its poetry and prose.

After all, the saying "the moon is rounder in foreign countries" is also very applicable to the Khitans.

Driven by a desire to save face and rise above others, Yelü Shucheng taught with all his heart, and Song Kang also studied diligently.

However, there were some difficulties, and Yelü Shucheng was quite helpless. The first Khitan language that Song Kang learned was some swear words.

Compared to the insults he heard in his hometown in the countryside, Song Kang felt that the insults used by the Khitans were not aggressive at all.

Can this be called swearing?

Song Kang didn't understand, but he remembered it anyway.

What if I scold them later and they don't understand?
After Song Kangxue returned, feeling dizzy and disoriented, he ate with Song Xuan and mentioned that they spoke in a roundabout way and didn't even know how to curse properly.

Song Xuan laughed a few times.

Their language is indeed somewhat limited; many words have to express multiple meanings. It's nothing like the profound and extensive Chinese language.

"However, swearing is simple and easy to learn."

Song Kang couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Once he learns the Khitan language, he will surely spread the swear words of the Song Dynasty, lest the Khitans not even know how to curse.

If you don't curse a bit while gambling, you're missing out on a lot of fun.

"Third brother, I've seen quite a few more people of different races. I heard they all come from the Northwest."

"Is the Northwest about to descend into chaos again?"

Song Xuan has no time to pay attention to the Northwest right now; he just wants to go to the Liao Kingdom to watch the show. He's really too far away to be of any use.

Have the Western Xia Tanguts arrived?

"do not know."

Song Kang didn't ask any more questions, but he noticed that there were several people whose hairstyles were different from those in the Central Plains, and there were also monks wearing hats.

They are quite different from the monks of the Central Plains.

In the Northwest, religious competition is fierce, with Buddhists serving various factions to stabilize public sentiment and maintain internal control.

However, after a foreign party launched a holy war and Kucha was destroyed, the Hui people carried out devastating damage on Buddhist culture.

All temples were demolished, Buddha statues were destroyed, documents were burned, and Buddhist followers were massacred.

From then on, everyone here converted to a certain religion.

"That's alright then. Second Brother should just study hard with Yelü Shucheng. He has a photographic memory and is very capable."

"Oh?"

Song Kang was somewhat surprised.

He had thought that someone like Zhang Fangping was one in a million, but he never expected that someone else would have such abilities.

With so many envoys coming to pay tribute, news soon followed from the south.

That was the invasion of the Song Dynasty's border by the Prince of Nanping (of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam), who was enfeoffed by the Song Dynasty, and the plundering of the border people.

While the court was arguing, Empress Liu, in the name of Emperor Zhao Zhen, issued an order for the transport commissioner of Guangxi to pursue Li Gongyun for the return of the Song Dynasty border people who had been abducted.

Otherwise, we'll have to send troops.

Actually, the problem is that the news spread too slowly.

King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty, Prince Nampyong, Li Gongyun, is dead.

Its local control is very weak.

In addition, there was internal strife, including the rebellion of the three kings who plotted to usurp the throne.

The rebellion of the three kings was quelled by his son, Li Fuma, who then offered his head as a sacrifice to ascend the throne before the spirit of the late emperor.

Li Fuma is currently busy suppressing rebellions and sorting out the government affairs, and has no time to pay attention to the demands of the Song Dynasty.

There are minor border troubles outside, and internal strife is raging.

So Fan Zhongyan took action.

Fan Zhongyan, a compiler in the Imperial Library, believed that it was inappropriate for the emperor, the supreme ruler of the country, to openly perform the kowtow to the Empress Dowager in front of civil and military officials. Therefore, he submitted a memorial stating:

"The emperor has the duty to serve his parents, but not the duties befitting a subject."

"There is a position facing south, but no ritual of worshiping to the north."

"If one serves close relatives in the imperial palace, one may perform the rites of family members."

"Now, however, he bows to the north along with all the civil and military officials, which is disrespectful to the emperor and undermines the dignity of the sovereign. He cannot serve as a model for future generations."

The memorial did not reach Zhao Zhen, but instead went to Liu E.

Liu E was already hostile to Fan Zhongyan.

When Liu E submitted her lengthy memorial that caused a sensation in the court, she already disliked Fan Zhongyan.

Now he's trying to sow discord again, which only makes Liu E more unhappy.

However, to show her magnanimity, Liu E ignored it.

Anyway, this matter was something the emperor was wholeheartedly pushing forward.

Such rare filial piety—how could I, as her mother, possibly refuse it?
Liu E had no intention of refusing, and even felt that Zhao Zhen's handling of this matter was very much to her liking.

Because this is one way to expand her influence.

The desire for power was relentlessly pounding in her heart.

Fan Zhongyan's memorial seemed to have sunk without a trace, which greatly worried him.

Taking advantage of his position as the emperor's secretary, he went directly to Zhao Zhen to discuss the matter in person.

Zhao Zhen couldn't tell Fan Zhongyan about his plans with Song Xuan; the fewer people who knew about such things, the better.

Although Emperor Renzong (Zhao Zhen) had a good impression of Fan Zhongyan, he did not have much trust in him.

So Zhao Zhen ignored him and simply told Fan Zhongyan that his mind was made up.

Even stamping his feet in frustration didn't help.

After finishing his shift, Fan Zhongyan thought long and hard, and went directly to his disciple Song Xuan to discuss the matter.

He knew that Song Xuan had a good relationship with the Emperor and could even speak on behalf of the Empress Dowager.

Fan Zhongyan was determined to submit a memorial to the Empress Dowager, requesting that she relinquish power.

Fan Zhongyan felt that Song Xuan wouldn't submit a memorial like him, as it would only waste paper and serve no other purpose.

"Oh, don't say that, Master."

Song Xuan said in a serious tone:
"Your memorial was not only not wasted, but it also made the Empress Dowager resent you, so it had a positive effect."

"you!"

Fan Zhongyan was still wearing his green official robe, and looking at his disciple who was wearing a red robe, he was speechless.

"Master, honest advice is hard to swallow." Song Xuan saw that Fan Zhongyan was getting angry.
"I imagine the Empress Dowager would have the same expression when she saw your memorial."

"Alas," Fan Zhongyan sighed, "I..."

"Master, it's no use submitting a memorial."

Song Xuan stood up and poured him a cup of tea:

What's the use of being anxious now?

Song Xuan, of course, did not understand Fan Zhongyan's actions.

However, Fan Zhongyan possessed a strong sense of political responsibility and courage.

In his view, the Song Dynasty cultivated scholars in such a way that they should be encouraged to submit memorials and speak out without any hesitation or reservation.

They all had an inescapable sense of responsibility to advise the emperor on his words and deeds and to supervise the chief ministers.

This was also the political concept that successive Song emperors wanted to achieve governance through mutual supervision among civil officials.

People like Fan Zhongyan are the result of this idea being implemented over many years.

"Why isn't it working?"

Fan Zhongyan became somewhat anxious seeing Song Xuan's nonchalant attitude:
"Have you considered the possibility that if we further strengthen the Empress Dowager's political influence, things could turn out differently?"

"Of course I've thought about it."

Song Xuan sat back down:

“Master Fan, if she dares to sit in that kind of chair, don’t think that others won’t dare to make a move.”

Fan Zhongyan instinctively stood up.

He stared at Song Xuan in disbelief.

Fan Zhongyan circled around him several times.

"Twelfth Brother, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Song Xuan shrugged and smiled, offering no further explanation.

"What on earth do you think?"

“Master Fan, if you do this and I do that, we are all working towards the same goal, aren’t we?”

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Fan Zhongyan, who had always stuck to his own ideas, became somewhat insecure.

He thought for a long time before shaking his head and saying:

"So many years have passed, and your methods are still radical and unchanged."

"I don't think I need to change anything."

Song Xuan coughed lightly:
"At least it's better than Master Fan's repeated memorials, which others don't care about and don't achieve their goals. They can only get angry at their own methods and get a little bit better."

"The Song Dynasty is not the Tang Dynasty." Fan Zhongyan looked at Song Xuan and said, enunciating each word clearly:
"The Song Dynasty cannot allow the old stories of the Tang Dynasty to reappear, otherwise everything will fall into chaos."

"You'd better put away your arrogant ideas."

Confucius said, “Do not be impatient for quick results, nor be greedy for small gains. If you are impatient for quick results, you will not achieve your goals, and you will not accomplish great things.”

Listening to Fan Zhongyan's past teachings, he advised Song Xuan not to be impatient for quick success, lest he fail to achieve his goal.

“Master Fan, if you can step forward, others who support the Empress will also step forward.”

Song Xuan skipped over this topic entirely:

"Then we'll see whether there are more scholar-officials like you or more scholar-officials who support the Empress Dowager, shall we?"

Fan Zhongyan stared at Song Xuan:

"Twelfth Brother, you are still young and have a bright future ahead of you. Never go down the path of crime!"

"The Song Dynasty is not in such a crisis yet."

"I know."

Song Xuan picked up his teacup and took a sip:
"So Master Fan doesn't need to be in a hurry, just wait and watch the show."

"If even Minister Wang and the others can sit idly by and do nothing, then the words of us lowly officials will not be heeded either."

"Watch a show!"

Fan Zhongyan sighed deeply:
“I’m not as carefree as you when it comes to this kind of thing. If it’s not stopped, it will inevitably happen.”

Fan Zhongyan shut his mouth again; he didn't like that overly forceful approach.

Once this precedent is set, and the successors of the Song Dynasty become like those of the Tang Dynasty, the tragedy will repeat itself.

After a moment, Fan Zhongyan finally spoke:
"Wouldn't it be better to resolve things perfectly before they get too bad?"

"Master Fan," Song Xuan chuckled softly.
"I've always thought you were a somewhat naive romantic idealist, and that's certainly true."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like the ten-thousand-word memorial written by Master Fan, which contained content on promoting agriculture and sericulture and reducing corvée labor."

“When I was doing disaster relief, it wasn’t just a number written in an official document, but it became a specific individual, holding a bowl full of thick porridge in their hand.”

"Your current idea is good, and it can bring a better life to the people if you follow your approach, but the reality is cruel and unforgiving. How can it possibly change according to your personal will?"

"I'm a pragmatist; I'm only focused on solving problems."

Fan Zhongyan understood what Song Xuan meant, but he actually said he was naive?

Am I naive?

"Naive, because you have a sincere heart, which makes you seem politically naive."

Song Xuan didn't stand on ceremony either:

“Naiveté and politics are completely incompatible.”

"To put it bluntly, even accomplices and family members can be killed by naive people."

"For example, Cao Shuang's entire clan was exterminated by Sima Yi."

"You're being too extreme. Such a problem wouldn't happen in the Song Dynasty."

Fan Zhongyan subconsciously retorted.

Because the Song Dynasty valued literature over military affairs, the extermination of three generations of a family was almost impossible.

Kou Zhun, Ding Wei, and others were merely banished to the malaria-ridden south to await their deaths.

Their family members are still alive and well.

"I know."

Song Xuan nodded slightly:

"That's why I feel that Confucius's theory is not suitable for me. I have my own ideas to implement, and Confucius also thinks that his ideas can succeed. Our ideas are different."

"Hey."

Fan Zhongyan sighed again.

His mind was now preoccupied with persuading his disciples not to take a radical path, rather than thinking about how to advise the Empress Dowager to return power to the Emperor.

"What you're doing is wrong."

"Twelfth Brother, things aren't that dire yet."

"We still need to trust Minister Wang and the others."

"You must not do anything foolish. Your father-in-law doesn't have a single soldier under his command."

"On the contrary, it will implicate him."

Song Xuan kept pouring water for Fan Zhongyan, telling him not to lose his voice from talking too much.

He felt he couldn't persuade Fan Zhongyan to submit a memorial relinquishing power.

Why not help Lao Fan distract himself?

Otherwise, he would have been kicked out of the capital by Empress Liu.

After dinner, Fan Zhongyan patted Song Xuan on the shoulder, still telling him not to act impulsively, before going home to sleep. In the middle of the night, Fan Zhongyan suddenly woke up.

He sat up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, stared blankly into the darkness for a while, and then slowly lay back down.

I tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

"No, Twelfth Brother, is he alright?"

"How can I possibly persuade them?"

Fan Zhongyan couldn't bring himself to tell anyone about this.

To avoid others overhearing and harming Song Xuan in the process.

"Why does he still look like a ruthless bandit?"

Back then, when Song Xuan left his hometown of Lema Town, he single-handedly confronted the bandits who came to intercept his boat, which left a deep impression on Lao Fan.

When Fan Zhongyan was young, he also traveled around with his sword to study.

Before I could even offer any help, Song Xuan single-handedly dealt with the entire group of thieves at the bow of the boat.

Fan Zhongyan got out of bed in the dark; he had long since stopped indulging in food and drink.

However, since he hadn't tasted the food at Song Xuan's house for a long time, he inevitably ate a little more than usual.

I'm so full now that I can't sleep.

He sat to the side, unwilling to light the candles.

Song Twelve has always been someone who enjoys watching a good show and doesn't mind making things worse; he'd love to fan the flames for others.

Fan Zhongyan sighed, realizing that his student was outstanding in every way.

But sometimes he's too outstanding, so much so that he can't even offer advice.

He makes more sense than you do.

It leaves you speechless, and you might even find out that he is right after thinking about it.

Are you kidding me?
It's a case of trying to persuade someone to surrender but failing, and instead, the enemy commander persuaded you, the envoy, to betray them.

After much deliberation, Fan Zhongyan decided to light the candles.

He wanted to write a memorial to Empress Dowager Liu, requesting that she return power to the emperor.

In this way, things won't get too bad.

Then his disciples wouldn't need to ruin their future by doing such dangerous things.

He can bear the consequences himself.

Even though Song Xuan tried his best to mislead Lao Fan, Lao Fan still had his own considerations.

However, Lao Fan's memorial remained unanswered for several days.

The Tibetan chieftain Wenbuqi, who was under the patronage of Gusiluo, came to the Song court to pay tribute.

They had contact as early as the time of Emperor Zhenzong, when they were a three-person alliance.

However, because Li Lizun was refused the title of Zanpu by the Song Dynasty, he harbored resentment and attacked the Song border, but was defeated by the Song army.

Although the current Tibetan chieftain, Wenbuqi, supports Qusiluo, he also secretly desires to become the Zanpu (king).

To replace the Zanpu (king) Qusiluo, he sent people to test the Song Dynasty, requesting that they grant him the title of Zanpu so that he could have a legitimate reason to assassinate the king.

Not only Fan Zhongyan submitted a memorial, but Song Shou also submitted a memorial, telling Empress Liu about some of the history of the Tang Dynasty.

He originally came to explain Tang history to Zhao Zhen, hoping to learn lessons from it.

Song Shou was not against Zhao Zhen holding that kind of ceremony.

Instead, it means that when Emperor Ruizong of Tang became Empress Dowager, he would attend court every five days to handle important military and state affairs, appoint and dismiss officials below the third rank, and adjudicate various punishments involving hard labor.

We should now follow the old system and have the officials present their reports in the front hall.

Unless it's a matter of national importance, such as the appointment or removal of officials, one can directly obtain the emperor's decree.

Fan Zhongyan's suggestion in his memorial was actually quite radical.

But it also depends on who you compare it to.

Compared to Fan Zhongyan, Song Shou was a conservative.

Even Song Shou's conservative advice was ignored by Empress Liu, which greatly angered her.

The suggestions Song Shou made were hardly anything at all.

Liu E simply couldn't accept it!
"I knew they were all plotting to return power to the emperor. First they impeached Zhongli Jin, and then they impeached Song Xuan and Song Xiang."

"These are just appetizers; the ultimate goal is to return power to me!"

At this moment, Liu E was like a chicken with its feathers ruffled, and she didn't even wait for the prime ministers to reply.

Empress Liu immediately ordered Song Shou to be demoted to Academician of the Dragon Pavilion and sent out of the capital to return to Yingtian Prefecture as its prefect.

The current prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, Li Di, transferred him to another place and came to the capital to report on his work.

As for Fan Zhongyan, such a minor official, Liu E was too lazy to even speak to him.

Given Fan Zhongyan's rank, he wasn't worthy of Liu E's anger; she should have just kicked him out of the capital.

This also reflects Empress Liu's governing philosophy of focusing on the big picture and letting go of the small details. Once the monkey is killed, the chickens and ducks will naturally not dare to say anything more.

Liu E also liked Song Xuan's way of doing things, and thought that she had some of her own characteristics.

When a person gets older, they often reminisce about how they were when they were young.

Even when encountering someone younger than themselves, they will inevitably feel a sense of admiration.

This is not just about appreciation, but more about reminiscing about the past, about the younger version of myself from my youthful days.

When Yan Shu heard that his two friends were so stubborn, he was shocked and immediately sent for Song Shou, Fan Zhongyan, Song Xuan, and Zhang Fangping.

Back when we were in Yingtian Prefecture, we often got together.

Now that he has arrived in the capital, Yan Shu rarely holds banquets, and he never takes the initiative to contact people after get off work.

He either works or writes lyrics.

Otherwise, where would you find so much free time to write more than 10,000 poems?
The group exchanged greetings. Song Xuan noticed that Yan Shu's expression was not good, and then glanced at Fan Zhongyan, wondering if his plan had failed.

Did Master Fan still submit a memorial requesting the Empress Dowager to return power to him?
Yan Shu said with great emotion:
"Fan Xiwen, I heard that you recently submitted a memorial discussing matters of court etiquette. Is this true?"

Fan Zhongyan bowed and said:

"This is indeed true. The official's actions have confused family etiquette with state etiquette. This should not be done."

"Fan Xiwen, do you realize that your actions have been far too reckless!"

Yan Shu was both angry and annoyed, and said in a fit of rage:
“Your disciple Song Wenwen has always said that you are a person who cares about the country and its people, but in my opinion, you are not a person who cares about the country and its people at all!”

"Because of this memorial, everyone will accuse you of being disloyal and dishonest, and that you are just trying to make a name for yourself by speaking arrogantly."

"If you continue to be so reckless and unruly in the future, you will inevitably implicate the person who recommended you."

Yan Shu believed that Fan Zhongyan would inevitably offend Empress Liu, and that their group would be implicated.

That woman has a lot of tricks up her sleeve.

You bunch of greenhorns, without any sense of righteousness, do you think you can defeat her?
She dared to alter Emperor Zhenzong's orders without permission. You're too green to fight her!

They were all oblivious to their own limitations, believing that submitting a memorial would change the political landscape of the court.

How naive!
Yan Shu didn't say anything more offensive; he was just angry.

“Lord Yan, I was fortunate to receive your recommendation, and I always worried that my virtue was not worthy of your recommendation and that I would bring shame to you. I never expected that I would offend you today because of this matter.”

Fan Zhongyan quickly apologized, but he still believed he was right.
"Don't try to argue your way out of this. You don't understand anything. Do you really think you can change the world just because you're full of enthusiasm?"

"Naive, naive!"

Yan Shu's tone became increasingly serious.

Fan Zhongyan glanced at his disciple Song Xuan, surprised that even Prime Minister Yan had called him naive.

This was the first time Zhang Fangping had ever seen Yan Shu lose his temper, so he sat awkwardly to the side.

After all, it was her own teacher who was being criticized.

He glanced at his twelfth brother and saw him holding his breath, looking like he was listening attentively. He then sat up straight, wondering what was going on.

Song Shou stroked his beard and acted as a peacemaker:

"Uncle Tong, please don't get so agitated."

How could I not be excited?

Yan Shu glared angrily at Song Shou, who seemed completely indifferent:

"I criticized Fan Xiwen, not you, Song Gongchui, right?"

"Look what you've done!"

"Fan Xiwen served as an official in the capital for a short time. Don't you understand how deep the waters are in the capital after all these years?"

"Of course I know, but I don't regret it."

Song Shou looked at Yan Shu:

"Didn't you go to Yingtian Prefecture as prefect in the same way back then?"

"what!"

Yan Shu raised his hands and roared a few times.

He has never lost his composure like he has today.

"Why are you all so out of your mind at a time like this?!"

Yan Shu took a few deep breaths:
"Do you really think that submitting a memorial will make the Empress Dowager relinquish her power?"

"A naiveté!"

"A delusion!"

"The mantis' arms are like a chariot!"

Fan Zhongyan was somewhat downcast.

He truly did not want the scenario described by his disciple Song Xuan to happen.

"But some things just have to be said."

Fan Zhongyan raised his head again to look at Yan Shu.

Yan Shu slumped into the chair, dejected.

"Song Wenwen, did you really not try to persuade your husband?"

"I tried to persuade them indirectly, and I thought I could convince them to stop."

Song Xuan chimed in:
"Even though I have thought of it, I cannot control the Master's behavior."

"Zhang Fangping, haven't you heard Song Gongchui mention this?"

Back in Yingtian Prefecture, Song Shou greatly admired Zhang Fangping, believing him to be a promising talent and a strong contender for the top scholar title.

Song Shou had a so-so impression of Song Xuan, thinking that Song Xuan had too many flaws, but he was very satisfied with Song Xuan's writing about Zhao Zilong of Changshan.

Because his hometown was Changshan, he was known as the Song family of Changshan, and the villagers gave him face by calling him Lord Song of Changshan.

Zhang Fangping lived up to expectations and passed the imperial examination as a third-place scholar, which was quite good.

Both men were officials in the capital and had a past relationship; Song Shou even officiated at Zhang Fangping's wedding in the capital.

Zhang Fangping shook his head:

“Lord Yan, Scholar Song never mentioned this to me, so I truly knew nothing about it.”

"What I need to do is what I need to tell you."

Song Shou patted the dust off his robes:
“Uncle Yan, don’t look at us like you’re accusing us. We did this because we were following our conscience, not because we were forming cliques for personal gain.”

"Hehe, hmph hmph hmph."

"So this is what you call following your heart, only thinking about your own pleasure and not considering the real consequences at all?"

Song Xuan ignored Yan Shu's sarcastic remarks.

He knew that Yan Shu had a strong sense of crisis and remained neutral on many issues.

He didn't know where Yan Shu's sense of crisis came from.
After all, Emperor Zhenzong treated him like his own son; such favor is not something everyone receives.

Yan Shu shook his head:
"What you think is completely unimportant; what matters is what the Empress thinks!"

"From her perspective, you and Fan Xiwen submitting memorials at the same time are accomplices!"

"Moreover, you are all working together in Yingtian Prefecture, how can you not form factions?"

"If anyone makes a fuss about this, you'll be in for a world of hurt."

"With your physical condition, do you really think you have several more years to live after going to the South?"

"To preserve one's life properly and retain a useful mind so that one can realize one's political ambitions in the future."

"How can you not even understand this simple principle?"

“Lord Yan is right!” Song Xuan immediately chimed in:

"You all act like you're not afraid of boiling water, you don't understand Lord Yan's good intentions at all."

"You two really think that you can just submit a memorial to the emperor and make people obediently give up the benefits they have already gained? You are delusional."

Song Xuan's words were so impolite.

Song Shou and Fan Zhongyan listened without saying much.

"If you act solely on passion, you will not be able to gain a foothold in the court, nor will you be able to realize your political ideals."

Yan Shu looked at the two of them:

"At that time, those who are good at flattery will be the ones who will hold positions in the court."

"You'll be happy then, and your goal will be achieved?"

"Prime Minister Wang and the others would not agree to such a thing."

Song Shou offered a brief explanation:
"In short, none of the court officials wanted the Emperor to do such a thing."

"Oh, if Minister Wang and the others could have stopped this, why didn't he submit a memorial to the throne?"

Yan Shu said quite bluntly:
"That's true. As the prime minister, he only needs to express his opinion on many things, and naturally many people will rush to his aid."

"What Prime Minister Yan said is correct."

Song Xuan naturally cooperated and said:

"Everyone is willing to be a knife in the hands of the prime ministers, and they are quite proud of it."

Song Shou knew that Yan Shu and Song Xuan were both intelligent men who were good at preserving themselves while doing things.

"But some things just have to be done by someone."

Fan Zhongyan looked at Song Xuan:

"Some things don't need to be done, so naturally they won't be done."

"But if no one stands up now, then when the Song Dynasty encounters problems in the future, no one will stand up either, and it will really be over."

Song Xuan remained silent. The deed was already done; it was a case of acting first and reporting later. Indeed, no one had formed a faction.

But they will convict you of the crime of forming a faction.

Yan Shu was greatly annoyed by Fan Zhongyan's words, which was a sign of political immaturity.

I shouldn't have recommended Fan Zhongyan in the first place; I should have let him gain more experience outside.

Once my political thinking has matured a bit, I'll go back to Beijing and see just how murky this mess really is.

It's too late to say anything now. Yan Shu waved his hand dejectedly.
"I can't control it, I can't control anything."

"You can do whatever you want from now on."

Song Shou then comforted Yan Shu.

Anyway, Tokyo doesn't need another scholar like him, so it would be more comfortable for him to work in the local area.

"Tell me, I've been transferred to a post outside the city, so how come Fan Xiwen is completely unaffected?"

Song Shou's teasing remark elicited a chuckle from Song Xuan:
"Of course, our Master Fan is just a nobody with little influence, a mere fly among the officials."

"The Empress Dowager is used to focusing on the big picture and letting go of the small details, so it's understandable that she didn't deal with it immediately."

"Kill you, you monkey, to intimidate the chickens and see who dares to object now!"

After hearing this, Song Shou was speechless, unable to even jokingly say anything.

As for Fan Zhongyan, he wasn't angry, but rather felt that the Empress Dowager was looking down on him, which made him feel depressed.

How can one ignore correct advice from others simply because of their official rank?

"Song Wenwen is right."

Yan Shu stroked his beard and said:
"If you want your political ideas to be implemented, you naturally need to be in a high position so that everyone, from top to bottom and left to right, will listen to you seriously."

"Otherwise, it's just a bunch of flies buzzing around, annoying people, and no one will listen to what you have to say."

"Fan Xiwen, don't think that just because you wrote a ten-thousand-word memorial and had it discussed by everyone in the court, your political views will be implemented."

"Little did they know what they were using your ten-thousand-word letter for."

Fan Zhongyan simply nodded without asking any questions. He was also very troubled, so he took his leave first.

Song Shou also planned to go home and pack up, since he was familiar with the area of ​​Yingtian Prefecture anyway.

Song Xuan asked Zhang Fangping to escort the two away.

"Lord Yan, you don't need to worry too much about this matter. Now that the opponents have emerged, the rest should be the supporters."

"Oh, how foolish they are!"

Yan Shu's fingers trembled slightly: "Do they really think that things in officialdom are black and white?"

"They can't even pretend to be confused. Even if they rise to high positions in the future, it will be a very dangerous thing. On the contrary, it will harm many people who share the same ideas."

Yan Shu felt that both of them had the potential to become prime ministers.

But if you're in that position and don't know how to use power tactics, how can you get the emperor to agree with your political views, get your colleagues to cooperate with you, and get your subordinates to do what you're told?

Even though the Empress Dowager is in charge of the court, many things cannot be decided by her alone.

After so many years of development, the court system has also served to limit imperial power.

“What Prime Minister Yan said is right. After the Grand Court Assembly is over, we should both leave the capital city and avoid seeing each other.”

Song Xuan comforted Yan Shu, who was genuinely insecure.

I get nervous about even the slightest change in the weather.

"Now that the court has become like this, it is time for us to lie low and not to stand out."

Yan Shu then looked at Song Xuan:
"Actually, I've always thought you were the most dangerous one. You usually look harmless, but when things get really tough, your fangs will show faster than anyone else's."

"Since Prime Minister Yan has said so, then I shall change my name to Song Fangya."

"Get out of here, you're all such a handful."

Song Xuan stood up, bowed to Yan Shu, and left with a smile.

When they reached the door, Song Xuan noticed that none of the three of them had left.

Fan Zhongyan asked:
"Is Prime Minister Yan feeling much better?"

“Master Fan, you don’t need to worry about him. Master Yan just thinks you shouldn’t act impulsively.”

"But what's done is done, what can he do? There's no use regretting it now, let's just take it easy."

Song Xuan's seemingly casual words did not put their minds at ease.

Now that the Empress Dowager has reached the point where she won't listen to any advice, who knows what unexpected things might happen if things continue to develop this way.

They all didn't want the political situation in the Song Dynasty to deteriorate too much.

Song Xuan asked Zhang Fangping to escort Song Shou home, while he himself would see Fan Zhongyan off.

"Master, the Empress Dowager doesn't even accept the moderate advice of Scholar Song, let alone someone as radical as you. From now on, just watch what they do."

Fan Zhongyan never imagined that these words would come from Song Xuan's mouth: "My advice is radical?"

(End of this chapter)