Chapter 105 Sanyuan calls for his father, the official? This...
What do you think? Of course, it's a good thing.
The ministers present all had a teacher-student relationship with Fusu, and they couldn't bear to see him suffer from jealousy and criticism every day because of his talent and age. After the identity of His Highness Prince Cheng was announced, at least those voices would disappear, and their ears would be much quieter.
As for the emperor's prestige being diminished by his son? The emperor himself doesn't seem to care much. So they shouldn't take it seriously either. Otherwise, it would look like they're trying to sow discord between father and son.
There's only one thing to note.
"Your Majesty, have you mentioned this matter to the young prince?"
Logically speaking, according to the traditional hierarchical relationships of ruler and subject, father and son, His Highness Prince Cheng should only accept whatever the emperor does. But as mentioned earlier, this father and son are different.
Emperor Renzong was taken aback: "Never."
He quickly gave a helpless smile: "But I doubt Su'er would agree. It seems he hasn't had enough fun yet."
Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, and Fu Bi: "..."
Please, Your Highness, stop playing around. If you keep going, the court is almost falling apart.
Unbeknownst to them, on the original timeline of history, a factional struggle would erupt in the court decades later. Its impact would be far-reaching and exceptionally fierce. However, several powerful political figures who had navigated the treacherous waters of the court had already sensed the impending crisis—if His Highness Prince Cheng did not intervene, a factional struggle might indeed ensue.
This is no longer a clash between the new policymakers and the conservatives, but rather the conservatives launching a full-scale attack, targeting only the young prince. Don't you see that these former leaders of the new policy have already been relegated to the sidelines amidst a deluge of impeachment memorials?
"I understand. I will discuss it with Su'er. We may need the help of all the ministers at that time."
"Definitely, definitely," Fan Zhongyan and the others assured him.
At the same time, they couldn't help but imagine: what kind of astonished and surprised expressions would appear on the faces of those who were hostile to the king when they discovered that the person they were targeting was the current prince, the designated crown prince, and their future superior?
As they thought about it, smiles unconsciously appeared on their faces.
After the agreement was reached, the group took their leave and returned to the Privy Council to handle government affairs. Only Emperor Renzong remained in the Chuigong Hall. He casually flipped through the Qiuzhi Bao (Seeking Knowledge) newspaper spread out on the table, and after reading a few pages, he became engrossed in it. It wasn't until he turned to the end of the entire newspaper that he suddenly seemed to remember something.
"I vaguely remember that Su'er once told me that the original intention of publishing this newspaper was to enlighten the army. Is that true?"
Huang Duzhi replied, "Your Majesty, this is indeed the case."
"Su'er really is..." The Emperor sighed, "I don't know whether to call him clever or cunning."
Previously, enabling soldiers in the army to read and write was considered taboo by both Mei Yaochen and the Emperor. Such a proposal would have sparked heated debate in the court for three days and three nights. However, after the *Seeking Knowledge* newspaper published the proposal and it was sent to the army, the entire court seemed blind, with not a single person raising any objections.
Indeed, teaching soldiers to read alone would be a blow to the intellectuals, but what if the target of education is the general public? Then it would be to "make the ruler like Yao and Shun, and restore the purity of customs." Adding a category of "army" to the category of "public" is not a big deal at all; at most, it would just add an extra expense to the budget for printing newspapers.
As expected of Su'er, she can create thunder in silence.
If Fusu could hear Emperor Renzong's true feelings, he would surely cry foul. He was genuinely inspired by Su Shi's unintentional remark and decided to start a nationwide newspaper, thus resolving the controversial issue in the process.
But whose "criminal record" is so outstanding? Even now, his closest friends and family can't help but see his every breath as part of a carefully considered plan.
Emperor Renzong suddenly stood up and placed his hand on the table: "I am going to the army. Go and make preparations. Do not explain to anyone."
Since it's a newspaper written for the military, it's natural to check how well the soldiers read it.
Huang Duzhi: "Yes."
He then asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to have someone accompany you?"
No need.
Half an hour later, Emperor Renzong, dressed as a scholar with practiced ease, couldn't help but think as the palace servants helped him put on his clothes that this wasn't his first time traveling incognito.
Immediately, he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. Sure enough, he had been corrupted by Su'er.
Emperor Renzong possessed a scholarly air, refined and elegant, which perfectly complemented his attire. However, his success in the martial world relied not on his clothes, but on his appearance. He had only stood outside the Imperial Guard camp for a short while when Chief Steward Chen of the Imperial Guard camp came running, bowed respectfully to him, and opened the gate.
But for some reason, the steward seemed completely unfazed by Emperor Renzong's arrival, as if it were something he had expected.
What happened?
The Emperor frowned, suspecting that someone close to him had leaked the information. Just as he was about to test the waters, Chief Steward Chen suddenly spoke up: "Sanyuanlang has been here for a quarter of an hour and is currently in the C13th Battalion. Your Majesty, would you like to go and join him, or...?"
"Sanyuanlang?" The emperor was a little confused.
Chief Steward Chen was even more bewildered: "Huh? It was Sanyuanlang who told me that he came to inspect the army on your orders?"
So you weren't together?
The Emperor rubbed his temples, both amused and troubled: "Yes, it is my decree. Fine, just take me to the 13th Battalion. I happen to want to see how the 'Seeking Knowledge Daily' is doing."
Chief Steward Chen moved his lips: "Your subject obeys the decree."
He couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Sigh, comparisons are odious. Some people are even protected by the government for forging imperial edicts. What if they were to execute first and report later, or disobey orders in the field... Ugh, I don't dare think about it. My life is more important!"
The group passed through the military camp.
Emperor Renzong looked around at the military discipline and appearance, shook his head almost imperceptibly, and sighed inwardly.
As is well known, due to the chaos of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, where military men held power and social order collapsed, the Song Dynasty was extremely wary of military governors. More than half of the country's army was organized into the Imperial Guard and stationed in the central government, where they were well-fed and clothed by taxes. They had neither external enemies nor opportunities for advancement, and simply drifted through life, doing their jobs aimlessly.
Even the elite troops initially dispatched to reclaim the southwest were disbanded and reorganized into the Imperial Guard after returning to the capital and receiving rewards. Like salt in water, they were quickly assimilated by their surroundings and could no longer reproduce the fierce bravery they displayed when Di Qing commanded the troops, which is truly regrettable.
When Emperor Renzong heard of this, how could he not be heartbroken? But the ancestral precepts were above him, and the lessons of the past were even more vivid and severe. He would rather be criticized for being weak than return to an era where benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom were all meaningless, and where people were preying on each other.
Fortunately, fortunately, Su'er, taking a risk, came up with a solution that would satisfy both sides.
Thinking of this, Emperor Renzong asked, "Is today the first time the Imperial Guards read the 'Seeking Knowledge Report'? How was the effect? Did they like listening to it?"
Manager Chen was caught off guard by the question.
"Uh, this..."
The Emperor said expressionlessly, "Very well, my dear minister, you need not say more. I understand."
He couldn't even come up with a polite excuse; the truth was obvious to anyone. Although the official had expected it, he couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.
He lowered his head in thought, his shoes scraping against the sand, making a slightly harsh sound. How could he get the Imperial Guards to accept the *Seeking Knowledge Daily* quickly? He needed to think of a few ways. Su'er's hard work and efforts couldn't be in vain.
Suddenly, a burst of cheers erupted from nowhere, causing the official to look up in surprise. What had happened? He and Chief Steward Chen looked in the direction of the sound, and the latter quickly exclaimed "Ah!"
"Was that the 13th Battalion, the place Zhao Sanyuan just visited?" He asked on behalf of the Emperor, "What happened?"
The official remained silent, but quickened his pace.
——
Nothing happened—yeah right.
For the sake of the newspaper's original audience, Fusu naturally wanted to visit the Imperial Guard camp. He was, of course, stopped, but his cunning eyes darted around, and he immediately used the Emperor himself as an excuse.
Upon hearing the words "by imperial decree," even without a written order, Chief Steward Chen readily granted permission, considering Zhao Xiaosanyuan's status as the editor-in-chief of the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper and the recent series of rumors about his prominence and favor with the emperor.
Along with Su Shi, who was considered "unrelated person," he swaggered into the Imperial Guard camp, a place he would never have been able to visit in his entire life.
Another "unrelated person," Wang Anshi, was far less composed. When he heard that Fusu had forged an imperial edict, he turned to leave—he was joking; he wouldn't get involved in such a serious matter. Although the two were the top scholars in the imperial examinations one after the other, the difference between Jian's favor and lack thereof was far too obvious.
But as soon as he took a step, his sleeve was grabbed tightly by two little kids, one big and one small, making him unable to move.
Su Shi's voice came from the left: "Lord Wang, don't run away! You're already here!"
Zhao Xiaosanyuan's voice came from the right: "Lord Wang, don't you want to see with your own eyes how I open up the military market for the 'Seeking Knowledge Daily'? From now on, we'll be counting on you."
Wang Anshi could no longer move forward.
He turned around sheepishly, only to see the four-year-old boy grinning mischievously, his obsidian-like eyes brimming with a light he couldn't understand: "Don't worry, nothing will happen. Even if I take full responsibility, I'll protect you."
At most, the emperor would just ruffle his hair and flick his nose a couple of times—provided, of course, that the emperor didn't suddenly decide to personally inspect the Imperial Guard camp.
In the novel *Water Margin*, Lin Chong, nicknamed "Leopard Head," is known as "Instructor of 800,000 Imperial Guards." While this number seems exaggerated, it is not fabricated. During Emperor Renzong's reign, the country waged war against the Western Xia for three years, leading to an excessive expansion of the Imperial Guards and nearly causing a financial deficit. This ultimately led to the Qingli Reforms.
It was unrealistic to inspect each and every one of them. Fusu then looked up and asked, "May I ask, of the many battalions the Imperial Guards are divided into, which battalion is the most..."
What's the best?
The most valiant? Or the most lazy?
"What is the most moderate approach?"
As we all know, in schools, the evaluation of a teacher's teaching ability cannot be based on the top and bottom students in the class. The scores of average students are the most convincing. The same principle applies to the military.
Chief Steward Chen hissed, seemingly stumped. After thinking for a moment, he stammered, "It seems to be... the 13th Battalion?"
Fusu: "Then this one will do."
So mediocre that even the leaders don't remember it, you can't go wrong with this one!
——
The Imperial Guards of the 13th Battalion never imagined that they would one day be personally inspected by a distinguished person.
The good deeds of guarding city walls and palaces were always the ones that basked in the glory of the Japanese army and the Tenmu Army, never giving them a chance. But the most arduous and exhausting menial tasks, such as repairing the Yellow River and mending city walls, were done by people even more unfortunate than them. They only needed to go through the motions of practicing martial arts every day, and some even secretly engaged in business within the army, living quite comfortably.
Therefore, when the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper was distributed to the camp as a document from above, only a small number of them picked out what interested them to read. When the literate brothers told them that the "Battle of Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi" was actually a fabrication, they lost all interest and put it out of their minds.
This is what Fusu told him after he entered the gate of the Bing Shisan Camp, when hundreds of people gathered together and talked all at once.
After listening, Fusu raised his tender voice and asked, "Do you know who got this 'Seeking Knowledge Newspaper' for you?"
Someone below shouted, "Who is it? I don't know them! How come I know so many important people!"
Fusu shook his head: "No, you all definitely know each other."
"It is Di Qing, General Di."
A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier. Di Qing, who rose from exile to high rank, was naturally the idol of the Imperial Guards. Almost immediately, the soldiers below began to discuss it, creating a dull murmur.
Then someone asked, "So who are you? How did you know?"
"Who am I? My name is in the Qiuzhi Bao newspaper. But you should have heard of me too? My surname is Zhao, and I am the top scholar in the provincial, metropolitan, and imperial examinations this year. I am the triple champion."
Upon hearing this, Su Shi, who had been acting as a mascot, burst out laughing and pointed at Fusu: "It must have been really difficult for him. He must be so embarrassed to say something like that."
“Lord Wang, look, his ears are all red.”
Wang Anshi's expression was complex and hard to decipher; he didn't know what to say: "You two have such a good relationship."
Su Shi immediately retorted: "No, that's not true."
"However, although he was reluctant to boast, the effect was very good. Look at those soldiers, they could stuff eggs in their mouths."
Su Shi felt that if he were in Fusu's position, he would definitely burst out laughing. Just imagine, looking down and seeing hundreds of mouths big enough to fit an egg—it would be really hard not to laugh.
"But if it's Zhao Xiaolang, that's normal. He's the reincarnation of the God of Literature, seeing him is a stroke of luck." As Su Shi said this, a faint air of pride appeared between his brows, and he casually uttered an exaggerated compliment.
Wang Anshi's expression became even more complicated: You still say your relationship isn't good?
The stubborn husband, who has clear likes and dislikes and will denigrate anyone he hates, cannot understand this kind of tiring behavior.
However, he also felt that the Imperial Guards should have reacted, and their current reaction was perhaps a bit too lukewarm. Why were the civil officials of the Song Dynasty so arrogant and self-important? Wasn't it because the military officials of this dynasty genuinely believed they were superior to them?
He immediately witnessed a reaction far more intense than he had anticipated. The initial gasps, ignited by surprise, quickly escalated into deafening cheers that could be heard from a great distance. This drew frequent glances from other battalions.
Fusu, who was cheering, was indeed digging his toes into the ground, just as Su Shi had described. He kept reassuring himself that it was alright, at least he had attracted everyone's attention, which had a good effect.
Unexpectedly, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind, making everyone shudder: "What a sight to behold, Sanyuanlang."
Fusu didn't show any disbelief, his neck twisting around as if wound up: "Your Majesty?"
The Emperor?
When Wang Anshi confirmed the figure, his already uneasy and guilty conscience nearly made his knees buckle. Unlike the Ming and Qing dynasties, kneeling was a very serious ceremony in the Song Dynasty. One can imagine the extent of his panic.
what to do?
The officials have also come; the false imperial edict will surely be exposed.
The Emperor, looking stern, seemed ready to settle scores with the culprit on the spot: "I don't recall ordering you, Sanyuanlang, to inspect the Imperial Guard camp."
Fusu guiltily looked away: "..."
"However, I sensed your concern for the spiritual world of the Imperial Guards. So I came on your behalf."
The official immediately relaxed his brow: Doesn't this mean he's admitting that the father and son are of one mind?
Of course, he wouldn't back down so easily.
What should you call me?
Because of the clamor of voices below, not every word spoken by the Emperor and Xiao Sanyuan could reach Wang Anshi's ears. Like now, when Sanyuanlang deliberately lowered his voice, Wang Anshi could barely hear anything.
But Wang Anshi would not mistake the lip movements made by Sanyuanlang.
—This is the mouth shape of his lips, which showed that he was overjoyed for three whole days after he made his new piece.
Father.
Sanyuan is calling for his father, the official.
Wang Anshi: "..."
Wang Anshi: "…………"
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Author's Note: [Dog head carrying a rose][Dog head carrying a rose][Dog head carrying a rose]
A belated celebration for reaching 400,000 words! As usual, I'll be giving out 20 RMB red envelopes in this chapter~
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