Chapter 4486 Hidden dangers in the empire
Liu Ji was very aggressive as soon as he came in. Li Chengqian frowned slightly, feeling unhappy, but it didn't show on his face. He just said calmly: "Liu Zhongshu will sit down first, and Zhang Shilang will also sit down. Come and serve tea."
"Here."
Zhang Wenguan quickly sat down on a chair nearby. When Wang De brought tea, he stood up slightly and took it with both hands, then sat down again.
Liu Jie was interrupted by the emperor's move, but he did not dare to disobey, so he had to sit down first. He did not even look at Wang De's offer of tea. He looked at the emperor and said: "Since the Duke of Yue became the minister of the Ministry of Industry, there has never been a new emperor." I went to the Yamen for a few days to take up my duties, and I paid no attention to the ministry affairs. Now I am in tears. The embankment submerged countless farmland and farmhouses on both sides of the bank, and most of Fanchuan River was affected by the disaster. The failure to patrol the embankment to eliminate hidden dangers resulted in heavy losses due to the floods breaking the embankment, and even threatened the entire city of Chang'an and even Taiji Palace. Such dereliction of duty is an unforgivable crime! ”
Although Liu Jie kept talking about the Ministry of Works, Zhang Wenguan lowered his head and stared at the tea cup without saying a word. First, he knew that Liu Jie’s target was not the Ministry of Works but Fang Jun. Second, he knew that he could not get involved at that level. struggle.
This is the advantage of having a great god above your head. All external firepower is actively attracted. As the second-in-command, he only needs to be honest and low-key. Not only will he not be the target of criticism, he will not even be injured...
But having said that, isn't it a tragedy to be ignored like this in an officialdom?
Seeing that Li Chengqian was silent, Liu Jie continued: "I heard that the flood water has flooded the farms, heaven and earth on both sides of the river. Thousands of people have been affected, and it may even endanger Chang'an and even Taiji Palace! And even if we start to seal the breach now, it will take a long time." It is difficult to raise manpower and material resources, and there is a serious shortage of stone materials. This is because the Ministry of Industry did not make preparations in advance, which resulted in the failure to deal with the disaster calmly. It is all Fang Jun's fault! "
This time the flooding of the embankment caused an extremely serious situation, and the Ministry of Works could not be blamed for it. It finally grabbed Fang Jun's pigtails. How could he let it go?
Li Chengqian had a headache. He took a sip of tea and said warmly: "The Duke of Yue is currently working on the preparation and reorganization of the Jinwu Guard. He has a heavy responsibility. It is inevitable that he will overlook the affairs of the Ministry of Works. However, Shilang Zhang has taken care of the affairs of the Ministry of Works in an orderly manner. , extremely competent. Now, this is the flood control and disaster relief strategy formulated by Zhang Shilang. Zhongshu Ling might as well take a look at it and give some opinions."
Seeing the emperor excusing Fang Jun and talking about him, Liu Ji held his anger in his heart and said with a cold face: "Wei ministers have no objections to Zhang Shilang and are convinced of Zhang Shilang's ability, but this has nothing to do with Yue Guogong's neglect of duty." Why? Since Yue Guo The Duke is responsible for the preparation of the Jinwu Guard, and it is difficult to take care of the affairs of the Ministry of Works. He might as well abolish his position as Minister of the Ministry of Works and appoint a minister who works hard. From the perspective of a humble minister, Zhang Shilang is a good candidate. "
The last sentence naturally shows that the reason why he impeached Fang Jun was for the public good and had no personal grudges, and he had no intention of seeking the position of Minister of the Ministry of Industry.
Zhang Wenguan on the side was a little speechless. You, Liu Jie, started complaining as soon as you came in. Do you want to imitate Wei Zheng?
That's fine, but why drag me in?
What if Fang Jun misunderstands that what happened today is that you and I are trying to get each other to seek the position of Minister of the Ministry of Industry?
Zhang Wenguan couldn't sit still anymore, and quickly stood up, bowed his hands to the ground, and said respectfully: "I am a humble minister with little talent, little knowledge, and insufficient moral character. As the left minister of the Ministry of Works, I am already a super-high-ranking minister. Therefore, I am trembling and walking on thin ice. How can I lead the affairs of the ministry?" I am self-aware and will never dare to covet and rebellious. I hope your Majesty will be aware of it. ”
Liu Ji glanced at Zhang Wenguan, feeling a little disdainful in his heart. Of course, he might be misunderstood by Fang Jun, but so what? This person is a civil servant but has no integrity. He can't wait to express his feelings to His Majesty to avoid suspicion. He is soft and has no spine and is not worth fighting for.
Li Chengqian comforted him and said, "Don't worry, dear, just sit back and relax for now."
There is some trouble in my heart, and I can't help complaining about Fang Jun. You said that even if you want to avoid suspicion, you can't abandon the work of the Ministry of Works, right? Now that someone has caught you, how can I speak for you?
However, he never thought about the matter of dismissal.
With Fang Jun's past achievements, he can occupy any position in the imperial court. Now there is only one minister of the Ministry of Industry with real power. As for the minister's right servant, he is in name only because the emperor personally controls the minister's province. General Jinwuwei is even more powerful. There is not even a shadow. If even the minister of the Ministry of Industry has been withdrawn, can this greatest hero be left to carry only the title of "Prince and Young Master"?
He would never do such a deed that would chill the hero.
There was no suitable position for Fang Jun in the imperial court for a while.
But although Liu Jie was targeting Fang Jun, what he said was correct. As an emperor, you can't just favor a certain minister, right?
Just when Li Chengqian was in trouble, Wang De came in from outside and bowed: "Your Majesty, Duke Yue and Ma Shizhong have sent a memorial from Fanchuan, talking about sealing the breach, controlling floods and providing disaster relief."
Li Chengqian was stunned: "The Duke of Yue is in Fanchuan?"
Wang De hesitated for a moment and said vaguely: "When Ma Shizhong arrived at Jianshui to seal the breach, Yue Guozheng arrived coincidentally. The two met together and began to organize the people to control the flood and provide disaster relief."
It can't be said that Fang Er escorted Princess Changle to the Zhongnan Mountain Taoist Hall for a stay yesterday and stayed out all night. After getting up early, he returned to Chang'an and met Ma Zhou, right?
This matter can only be reported to His Majesty in private, but it cannot be discussed in front of other ministers, especially to avoid Liu Jie...
Li Chengqian immediately said happily: "Who said that Duke Yue neglected his duties? Hearing that the flood of water broke the embankment, he immediately rushed to the scene to organize the blocking of the dam. He is also the pillar of this country. Before Liu Zhongshu saw Duke Yue go to the Yamen, he took it for granted that he failed. It was unfair to perform my duties.”
We must talk to Fang Jun. How can we ignore court affairs just to avoid suspicion? Moreover, the most trusted person among the civil and military emperors of the Manchu Dynasty was Fang Jun. He wished he could leave all important matters to Fang Jun so that he could rest assured. How could he avoid any suspicion?
Liu Jie suddenly paused. The impeachment that had been brewing all morning was ended so quietly?
Li Chengqian read the memorial and was a little stunned for a moment, sighing: "When it comes to loving the people as a son, who can compare with the Duke of Yue?"
After saying this, he handed the memorial to Liu Jie.
Liu Jie didn't understand why His Majesty expressed such emotion, so he took it with a dull head. He saw that the memorial listed all the measures taken by Fang Jun and Ma Zhou at the scene. Xingjiao Temple donated a large amount of stones to seal the breach. Fang Jun even took the lead in jumping into the flood and led his soldiers to resist the flood with their flesh and blood. This enabled the successful implementation of sealing the breach...
To be honest, he was extremely shocked.
Who is Fang Jun? Born into a noble family, he was superior to others from the moment he was born. The fashionable young princess became the emperor's son-in-law, which can be said to be a golden branch and a beautiful leaf. His poetry and lyrics are outstanding, and his calligraphy is ranked among the great names in the world with Chu Suiliang, Ouyang Xun and others. He can be regarded as a rare seed of civilization in the world, high, noble and glorious.
However, it was such a person who risked his life and jumped into the cold and turbulent river when the flood was raging. He set an example and never looked back, blocking the flood with his own flesh and blood...
With such character and virtue, even as a political opponent, one has to sincerely admire him, and he has a kind of admiration that one can admire from a high mountain.
But this does not negate the basis of his struggle with Fang Jun. They have different paths in civil and military affairs, and each has his own political views. How can they work together and join forces just because of their respective morals?
Liu Ji straightened his back and pointed to the words "Mobilize a thousand soldiers outside Xuanwu Gate" on the memorial. He said in a sonorous tone: "Your Majesty, Fang Jun is a traitor! Without a transfer order signed by the Military Aircraft Department, and without an ink-written order from Your Majesty, he mobilized Xuanwu Gate without authorization. The garrison was complicit in the rebellion! He was arrested and charged in front of Baiqisi to serve as a warning to others! Moreover, he went to Xingjiao Temple to intimidate and induce, forcing Master Huili to donate stones. This move is very likely to conflict with Buddhism, put everyone in Buddhism in danger, and lead to turmoil in the court. It is simply lawless. If he is not severely punished, others will suffer in the future. If you follow the same example, it will lead to corruption! ”
Zhang Wenguan on the side wished he could stuff his head into his crotch, unable to hear or see anything. How could a mere minister of his be able to hear such a collision between the top civil and military leaders?
As long as a few sparks burst out and contaminate his upper body, it will be enough to cause him to suffer a disaster...
Li Chengqian was also a little confused: "Huh?"
This memorial clearly describes the political achievements of Fang Jun and Ma Zhou, but how could Liu Ji find so many illegalities in it?
After being stunned for a moment, Li Chengqian's expression became cold and he looked at Liu Ji and said: "Extraordinary things must be done. Now the water has burst its embankments and the floods are raging. It has not only submerged hundreds of households in Fanchuan for countless days, but also caused the Qingming Canal." The surge in water threatened the Tai Chi Palace. Although the Duke of Yue's move was a bit presumptuous, it still In times of crisis, how can we just follow the rules and sit back and watch the people fall into disaster? As for the conflict with Buddhism, it is even more groundless. Master Huili's initiative to provide meals for the soldiers and civilians in the disaster has shown his approval. Liu Zhongshu's words are alarmist. "
He finally understood that the reason why Liu Jie repeatedly impeached Fang Jun was not because Fang Jun really committed any heinous mistakes, but just because he was Fang Jun.
As long as Fang Jun said or did anything, Liu Jie would definitely oppose it.
Oppose for the sake of opposition, not for the sake of right or wrong.
The current situation is that Liu Jie has attracted a large number of senior officials to compete with the military headed by Fang Jun. The starting point is not right and wrong, benefit and harm, but to compete for the right to speak and then compete for interests. This is a party struggle...
The most violent party struggle recorded in history is none other than the "Party Disaster" in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
During the reign of Emperor Huanling, his relatives interfered in politics and the imperial power declined. The emperor had to rely on the eunuch group to suppress it, and the relatives united with the scholar-bureaucrat group to resist. The internal fighting was fierce and the world was in chaos. In the end, Yuan Shao led troops into the palace to massacre the eunuch group, which directly led to " The motherland was destroyed by its weakness, and the Han Dynasty was destroyed by its strength." The tragic ending. (End of chapter)