In the Song Dynasty, there was no law or order.

A few days passed in a flash, and Bianliang City still maintained its former prosperity.

Zhao Jun thanked Zhao Yunrang for the invitation, neither offended nor contacted, and waited quietly to see whether Zhao Zhen could really give birth to a healthy child.

He gave those two pieces of advice, firstly, there was no need to make enemies for nothing, and secondly, it was to let Zhao Yunrang be more obedient and not jump up and down. Otherwise, if Zhao Zhen was annoyed, Zhao Zongshi might not be able to sit on the throne in the future.

Although Zhao Zongshi was a mediocre monarch and a short-lived ghost, Zhao Jun did not object to him sitting on the throne of the emperor when Zhao Zhen had no children.

Because even if Zhao Zhen had no children, it would take decades for Zhao Zongshi to take the throne.

If everything went well, Zhao Jun's position would probably have been as stable as Mount Tai by then. If Zhao Zongshi was smart, he would know what he should and should not do, and there was no need to make Zhao Jun unhappy.

So after a few decades, it is possible that his throne will be vacated. If Zhao Zongshi can still sit on that position, it is actually no different from others.

The afternoon sun shines down, and the weather has been rare in recent days.

Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Division are still in action. There are fewer rogues who used to be all over Bianliang, and even the arrogant and domineering generals have become more restrained.

Although there is no record of the evil deeds of the yamen in history books, there are also many second-generation descendants who are lawless and rampant in Bianliang in real life.

Sometimes walking on the street, if someone accidentally touches you, you may feel insulted and hurt others.

In the past, ordinary people could only think that they were unlucky.

Now that Fan Zhongyan is in charge of Kaifeng Prefecture, if you encounter such things on the street, you have to handle them impartially.

A few days ago, a yamen from the third shift went to Kaifeng Prefecture and was beaten with a board. Now he is much more honest.

In addition, Liu Yuanyu's house was confiscated.

Selling prohibited items, plus some other illegal activities, is enough to exile him to Lingnan.

Zhao Jun did not go to this matter. Now the Imperial City Department is still managed by Cao Xiu. Such things are basically ordered down, and he does not need to do it himself.

The Censorate will inevitably write a letter to impeach and argue, and ask for the case to be transferred to the Censorate and the Dali Temple.

The main reason is that the current responsibilities of the Imperial City Department are too broad. It can punish officials who violate laws and discipline, and deal with conflicts and public security among the people. Sometimes they even want to intervene in the investigation of cases, which is too broad.

Almost all the work of Kaifeng Prefecture, Dali Temple, Ministry of Justice, and Censorate was taken away, which made the other departments except Kaifeng Prefecture very dissatisfied, so they often jointly impeached.

In other words, these things were suppressed by Zhao Zhen and the prime ministers of the Political System Institute. Otherwise, in the past, the Imperial City Department would have been suppressed long ago.

At this moment, the midday wind blew on the camphor tree outside the Political System Institute, and the branches and leaves rustled, and a few soft leaves fell.

Zhao Jun left the palace in a carriage.

This morning, Li Di went to the Political Bureau in the name of official business and invited him to a banquet privately.

Faced with the invitation, Zhao Jun did not refuse and chose to go at noon when he was free.

The main reason was that Li Di had invited him twice. He didn't have much time on weekdays. Today, he happened to be a little free, so he agreed to the appointment.

It's interesting to say.

Since Li Di returned to Bianliang in a low-key manner, he only took one day to integrate all the data of the Salt and Iron Bureau, and delivered it personally the next day.

When he came, he met Lu Yijian. The two old men stared at each other like two old roosters.

Lu Yijian disagreed with Li Di being recalled to Beijing, but Zhao Jun, Wang Zeng, and Cai Qi agreed with three votes. Zhao Jun, the head of the court, could still make up for two votes. In the end, Lu Yijian and Song Shou's faction could only pinch their noses and accept it.

Zhao Zhen agreed with his opinion.

Because Li Di was also one of the imperial teachers, he once served as a scholar in the Zizheng Hall to give lectures to Zhao Zhen. When Li Di was excluded by Lü Yijian, although he was dismissed from his position as the governor of Xiangzhou, Zhao Zhen still kept him in the capital.

As a result, Li Di's operation was a bit abstract. He actually falsely accused Lü Yijian, which led to Zhao Zhen's inability to protect him. In the end, he was forced to be expelled from the court.

So Zhao Zhen was reluctant to part with Li Di, but he and Lü Yijian were at odds with each other.

Now that Zhao Jun has brought him back, Zhao Zhen is naturally very happy.

Today, Li Di invited him. For an old fox in the court like him, he probably smelled something and wanted to get closer to him.

Since he wants to curry favor, why refuse?

After all, as the teacher said, making more friends and fewer enemies is the right direction.

The place where Li Di hosted the banquet was Fanlou.

Zhao Jun had only heard of the highest-standard hotel in Bianliang and had never been there.

His salary is quite high now. Although he has no official rank, the annual income of the Duke of Song alone is more than 10,000 guan. In addition, he is also sent by the head of the Political System Institute and the head of the Imperial City Department. The total income is more than 20,000 guan, which is almost the same as that of a prime minister.

But he himself plans to cut his salary by two-thirds, not to mention using his salary to live a luxurious life. On weekdays, the monthly salary is also placed in the Imperial City Department as funds. He has never enjoyed the taste of Fanlou.

Today, thanks to Li Di, I have seen it.

The carriage stopped outside Fanlou. The shopkeeper of Fanlou was waiting. There were countless people coming and going inside and outside the door. Under the guidance of the shopkeeper, they entered the room and found that Fanlou was indeed worthy of its reputation.

Five three-story buildings are distributed like a tic-tac-toe, with corridors connecting the left and right, and attached courtyards scattered at random. There are even pavilions, waterside pavilions, and balconies. A faint fragrance comes to your nostrils, mixed with the smell of food and wine. And the flavor of spices is appetizing.

The shopkeeper took Zhao Jun all the way to the tallest building in the east. In the private room on the third floor, from here you can see the scenery of Bianliang Street at a glance. Looking over, there are streets and alleys, temples, pink walls and red tiles, rivers and bridges, and countless buildings. There are also many towering trees mixed in among the things, which is quite like a Jiangnan water town-like scenery.

"Zhiyuan, I'm sorry to bother you, but I would like to ask Haihan."

When Li Di saw Zhao Jun come in, he stood up and said hello with a smile. Now that he is nearly sixty years old, he is much smoother in doing things. Unlike when he was young, he fought with Ding Wei for power and was eventually demoted to another country.

The rest of the people withdrew. Zhao Jun first bowed his hand to Li Digong and said, "It's an honor for Prime Minister Li to invite me. How can it be considered an intrusion?"

Then he looked around and said, "This place is indeed elegant. I have never been to such a high-end place before."

"Please sit down, President."

Li Di extended his hand to signal, then smiled and said: "If the Imperial Academy likes it, just ask Fan Lou to leave a private room for the Imperial Academy to come often."

"hehe."

Zhao Jun sat down and said with a smile: "Fan Lou spends too much money and I often can't afford it. Besides, I don't have any requirements for food. The street food is very good."

"It seems that the Supreme Court is still more concerned with public sentiment, which is also a good thing for the country."

Li Di smiled and said haha ​​and sat down.

Zhao Jun smiled and said, "I wonder why Mr. Li invited me here?"

"Hey, what does it mean to be a person who is demoted to me?"

Li Di smiled bitterly and said: "I thought I was going to die of old age in another country in this life. It's only thanks to the Zhiyuan that I can come back."

"The deputy prime minister is also a prime minister."

Zhao Jun smiled.

In the second and third divisions of the government, Tong Zhongshu's subordinate Ping Zhangshi is recognized as the prime minister, and Shenzhi Zhengshi is the deputy prime minister.

The envoy to the Privy Council is the Privy Councilor, and all other Privy Council affairs with the same knowledge, the Privy Council affairs with the signature signature, and the Privy Council affairs with the signature signature are the Deputy Privy Councilors.

Although the Third Bureau has the title of Prime Minister and is in charge of financial power, it actually has the lowest status among the Three Bureaus of the Second Government.

Li Di, the Deputy Envoy of the Third Department, was elevated to the position of Deputy Prime Minister. Normally, he was just the Deputy Envoy of the Third Department, and he was ranked no. 10.

However, Li Di's qualifications are there. If the court is considering promotion to the prime minister, as long as he doesn't make a big mistake, he will basically be the one.

"Thank you very much for your support, Zhiyuan."

Li Di said politely, and then said: "The rice and vegetables were just served. I don't know if they suit Zhiyuan's taste. Let's talk about it while eating."

"That would be disrespectful. It's just the right time for lunch."

Zhao Jun was not polite and picked up the chopsticks.

Although Li Di is the elder, he has a higher status and is a guest, so everyone just needs to treat him equally.

The two of them started chatting while eating.

Zhao Jun said that Li Di worked hard and made great achievements, and he was a pillar of talent left by the late emperor.

Li Di said that Zhao Jun is young and promising and will be the future pillar of the country.

The two parties were polite for a while, and then Li Di said: "I actually have some doubts about bothering the magistrate today."

"oh?"

Zhao Jun asked: "Mr. Li, please tell me."

Li Di said: "The Constitutional Yuan was established to control hundreds of officials. With such power, how could the officials agree?"

Zhao Jun laughed and said: "Prime Minister Li came to me because he wanted to ask why I was able to become the magistrate of the Constitutional Yuan at such a young age. Be obedient."

Li Di was shocked, but he was not embarrassed. He just stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Zhiyuan is outstanding. He is a unique talent. It is just right to sit in this position."

Wow.

Is this old Mr. Li flattering me so much?

Zhao Jun glanced at the other party strangely, but he didn't expect that Li Di was quite aware of current affairs.

As soon as he returned to Bianliang, he started to fawn over him. This was something that no one expected.

But that's not a bad thing.

What Zhao Jun wants is not someone like Ding Du who has only moral character but no talent and is dissatisfied with him, but someone like Li Di who is talented and willing to listen to him.

As long as the other party doesn't cause trouble, doesn't make trouble, obeys the arrangements, and does the assigned tasks well, then let alone Li Di, even Xia Song, the insidious villain who undermined the Qingli New Deal in history, can't be reused. .

Thinking of this, Zhao Jun said: "Prime Minister Li is right about one thing, that is, I am truly unique. The officials, Prime Minister Lu, and Prime Minister Wang need me, so I can achieve this position."

"oh?"

Li Di was still puzzled and said: "I would like to hear the details."

Zhao Jun smiled and said: "You can understand that I am Demu Tiandi, Taoist leader in ancient and modern times. According to our words, I am very awesome. However, I cannot tell Prime Minister Li in detail. If one day Prime Minister Li can enter the Constitutional Yuan, even if he is only a candidate. Tongzhi Zhiyuan, you can also know why.”

Now the Constitutional Yuan is full of insiders. Although Yan Shu and Fan Zhongyan are not prime ministers, they have been appointed as alternate colleagues because they know the inside story, which is comparable to the status of deputy prime minister.

So in a way, as long as you enter the Constitutional Yuan, you will know Zhao Jun's origin and identity.

Then he will definitely know how awesome Zhao Jun is.

Li Di guessed that this might involve a big secret. Thinking of the rumor that Zhao Jun was the youngest son of Zhenzong, he couldn't help but feel awe. After thinking about it for a while, he said: "So it turns out that it is me Meng Lang."

"It doesn't matter. I guess the whole court is curious about why I can sit in that position. But this is indeed a big secret. It is uncertain and impossible to make it public in the future. If the insider dares to spread the word, it will basically be a dead end, including Lu Yijian and the others. ”

Seeing that there was no one around, Zhao Jun frightened Li Di and said, "So it's better for Prime Minister Li not to know at least for now. The Constitutional Yuan is indeed powerful, but this is actually done to let Prime Minister Lu, Prime Minister Wang, and others keep secrets." If Li Xiang can support me in reforming the system, he may not be able to join the Constitutional Yuan in the future, knowing this secret. "

"oh?"

Li Di asked: "Is the Academy really going to be restructured?"

"Yes."

Zhao Jun nodded and said: "Nowadays, the government is corrupt, the state is in decline, and uprisings continue in various places. Some changes must be made. However, foreign enemies are currently surrounding us, and the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms are eyeing them. The time has not yet come. Therefore, I am just doing some preliminary preparations for the future. Make another change.”

Li Di asked further: "Can the Zhiyuan tell me what specific reforms are needed? I am willing to support the Zhiyuan and want to do my best. If I knew about it earlier, I would have made preparations earlier."

Zhao Jun thought for a moment, but ultimately did not tell the other party.

Because the rectification of officialdom failed in the Qingli New Deal, this general reform will still touch the interests of many people, including Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng and others. If it were not for the support of the Constitutional Yuan, they might still continue to oppose it.

Therefore, he was not sure whether Li Di would continue to support him after knowing the situation, even though Li Di had shown goodwill and was very respectful and supportive of him.

But the New Deal is still in a hidden stage.

Even Ouyang Xiu's "Lun" was not allowed to be published, just to hide it and cause trouble in the future.

If outsiders knew about it in advance, it would easily cause complications.

What's more, as the saying goes, communication is simple and deep.

At least before Li Di entered the Constitutional Yuan, he only had to do what he was told, and there was no need to know so much.

So thinking of this, Zhao Jun changed the topic and said: "Xiang Li will naturally know these things in the future. Speaking of which, Xiang Li, I have always been curious."

"oh?"

When Li Di saw that he refused to say anything, he wisely did not continue to ask, but said, "What is Zhiyuan curious about?"

Zhao Jun said with some embarrassment: "It was a bad thing that happened to Li Xiang at the beginning. The main reason was that my relationship with Prime Minister Lu was just like that. He even set up on me at the beginning, so I am very curious about why there was a relationship between you in the first place. It doesn’t matter if it’s not convenient for Mr. Li to say it.”

Li Di didn't look very good when he mentioned this matter.

In fact, it was a bit presumptuous for Zhao Jun to ask about what happened between him and Lu Yijian, but Zhao Jun also said that because Lu Yijian had designed him in the first place, it was normal to ask out of curiosity.

Li Di then said: "Are you wondering why I want to use false accusations to fight against that old man Lu Yijian?"

"yes."

Zhao Jun looked puzzled and said: "If the officials investigate, won't they be in trouble?"

Li Di said meaningfully: "Did I really make a false accusation in this matter? In fact, it was the old man who was so powerful that he eliminated the evidence of the crime. Otherwise, how could I be the one who was dismissed?"

"I see."

Zhao Jun suddenly realized.

It turns out that Lu Yijian did make friends with King Jing back then.

It's just that the old guy is always good at playing tricks.

Historically, the way he deceived Wang Zeng was a deliberate move.

"History of the Song Dynasty" records that a minor official named Wang Jiming once gave Lu Yijian 3,000 coins, and Lu Yijian arranged for him to be the magistrate of Qinzhou.

After Wang Zeng reported the case to Song Renzong, Song Renzong was shocked and quickly questioned Lu Yijian. Unexpectedly, Lu Yijian said calmly: "This is a false accusation!"

Song Renzong then ordered the censor to conduct a thorough investigation.

The results of the investigation surprised Wang Zeng. First, the Qinzhou magistrate named Wang Jiming did not pay bribes.

Second, Lu Yijian did handle 3,000 yuan of money, but it was Lu Yijian's own money. It was just donated to his hometown to build a school through the hands of others.

In the end Wang Zeng was dismissed.

Li Di's situation was exactly the same. Lu Yijian also set a trap for Li Di, making Li Di think that he had befriended King Jing.

An investigation by the censor revealed that the child was false, so Li Di was dismissed from the prime ministership.

The old guy is very insidious.

Recommended book: "The Book of Troubled Times": With a sword in the rivers and lakes and a wine shop, Chu's waist is slender and his palms are light.

The young man carried a long knife on his shoulder, hung wine on his waist, and strode forward, but the world in his heart was vague.

Turn a page in the book of troubled times, and it will rain in the rivers and lakes for decades.

Suddenly looking back, the world has been shattered.