Chapter 27 Indecisive
It snowed several times in a row, and the Chinese New Year is only a few days away.
The school is finally on holiday, and classes will not resume until the Lantern Festival after the New Year.
However, Zhao Xing was not completely free. He still had to attend etiquette classes every day.
After Si Tianjian's selection, the eighth day of March next year was the most auspicious day in recent years, so the date for Zhao Xing's canonization of the crown prince was set on the eighth day of March in the seventh year of God's blessing.
Now that he has made every effort, the date of canonization is less than four months away. Therefore, even though the New Year is coming soon, Zhao Xing has to learn etiquette every day to prepare for the canonization.
Zhao Xing has not taken the initiative to ask about the salt affairs since he told his father and empress what Mr. Bai said last time.
But usually when we have meals together, his father will tell him something.
Listening to what my father said, I am already collecting evidence.
Zhao Xing once asked his father whether he was planning to restructure or rectify the salt affairs.
My father meant that restructuring would involve too much, and he only planned to rectify the salt affairs this time.
Moreover, only some of the important positions responsible for salt affairs will be cleared, and the rest will only be fined and adjusted in official positions as punishment.
Zhao Xing was very dissatisfied with this rectification.
In his opinion, it’s either don’t do it, or if it’s done, it must be solved once and for all.
Of course, there are too many officials involved in the salt affairs. Under the current situation, it is unrealistic to severely punish all officials involved.
The best way is to severely punish some officials as a deterrent, and then take the opportunity to reform the salt affairs system.
The salt affairs have been so corrupted. Although there are official factors, there must be problems with the system.
If you really want to deal with it like your father, the severity of punishments imposed on civil servants in the Song Dynasty will not be able to achieve a deterrent effect at all.
And the system has not been reformed. The so-called rectification of salt affairs can only make those moths converge in a short period of time. Otherwise, it will be the same as before, which is meaningless.
But after Zhao Xing talked to his father, his father said that stability was the priority. If he made drastic measures, it would easily lead to disaster.
Zhao Xing finally saw it at this time. His father really wanted to reform and become stronger, but he had too many worries and was indecisive.
Although he had previously proposed to his father that the reform should be gradual and start with the salt affairs, his father also agreed.
But in the eyes of his father, he is still a child, and Zhao Xing cannot affect him in specific decisions.
The reason why my father said this to him was not to discuss with him or ask what he meant, but just to teach by words and deeds.
Zhao Xing had previously had the idea of looking forward to his father becoming a dragon. He thought that when his father was in power, he would gradually change some of the shortcomings within the court, so that when he ascended the throne in the future, he would be able to relax. Now it seems a bit wishful thinking. .
No wonder the old saying goes that it is better to rely on yourself than to rely on others. This cheap father can no longer be relied on.
But now that I am still young, even if I am crowned a prince, I don’t want to interfere in the affairs of the court in the short term. I should slowly cultivate some close talents.
......
While Zhao Xing was determined to work hard, Liu Sanshi's boat arrived at Yangzhou Pier.
As one of the important cities in the south of the Yangtze River and located in the canal basin, Yangzhou is naturally very prosperous.
Although the Chinese New Year is only three days away, the pier is still bustling with activity.
When I saw a group of Imperial Guards soldiers and a man in eunuch costumes disembarking from a large ship, the noisy dock immediately became quiet.
Liu Sanshi ignored the people who were watching, ordered someone to hire a carriage, and arranged for someone to go to Yangzhou City to report first.
......
Yangzhou City, Tongfan Houya, is the current residence of the Sheng family.
Now that the New Year is approaching, all the government offices in Yangzhou have closed their offices and stopped sleeping.
Officials in the Song Dynasty not only received generous salaries, but also had a lot of holidays. Routine vacations plus holidays during the holidays took up one-third of the year.
The holiday during the New Year begins seven or eight days before the New Year and lasts until the Lantern Festival after the New Year, which is almost a month's rest.
Of course, during such a long vacation, it is impossible not to deal with official duties at all, but as long as nothing major happens, the rest will be left until after the year.
Sheng Hong came to Yangzhou to take office at the beginning of this year. Sheng Hong was already diplomatic. Within one year of taking office, he had already gotten along very harmoniously with Yangzhou officials, big and small.
Yangzhou was already prosperous, and the weather was good this year. There were no major cases, which made Sheng Hong feel good.
Officials are indispensable for visiting and socializing before the year. Although Sheng Hong is the general magistrate of Yangzhou and is in charge of Yangzhou's government affairs, there is also a magistrate above him.
After taking a rest, Sheng Hong went to visit Zhizhou, and then entertained a group of officials who came to visit him at home.
After being busy for several days, I finally felt free.
On this day, Sheng Hong was in the study room assessing the studies of his two sons, when Chang Sui Dongrong walked in in a hurry. "My lord, a soldier came outside just now. He said that the angel from Bianjing will be here soon. Lord, please prepare quickly." Dong Rong saluted and said without waiting for Sheng Hong to ask.
“What?”
Sheng Hong stood up suddenly, horrified.
Generally speaking, when an official issues an edict, it needs to be reviewed and signed by the Ministry of Education before it can be issued.
After the Zhongshu Province has reviewed and issued the order, it will send someone to notify the officials who will receive the order in advance of the specific date of the order.
There was no way, there were no telephones in ancient times, and traffic was slow. If people were not at home when delivering the message, we couldn't let the angels wait.
But Sheng Hong did not receive the notice. Now someone suddenly came to the door and said that the angel was coming soon. There were only two possibilities.
One is that the other party is a liar, and the other is that this purpose is not official.
If it is just a private matter, the will naturally does not need to go through Zhongshu Sheng, the official can just send someone to convey it casually.
The first possibility was ruled out by Sheng Hong. Who would be so bold as to falsely convey the imperial edict and even trick him into Tongpan's home.
Although he didn't know why the official had a private order for him, Sheng Hong didn't have time to think about it now. When he came to his senses, he said hurriedly: "Quickly, let someone clean the middle courtyard and prepare the incense table!"
" Yes!" Dongrong responded and trotted down to get ready.
"Go quickly and inform your mother and sister to prepare for the order!" Sheng Hong ordered his two sons again.
“Yes!” Sheng Changbai and Sheng Changfeng bowed and hurried away.
Sheng Hong hurriedly came to Shou'an Hall.
"Mother!"
"What happened?"
Old Mrs. Sheng was sitting on the soft couch with Hua Lan, chatting and joking. When she saw Sheng Hong walking in with an anxious look on her face, she felt a rush in her heart. Suddenly, I thought something big had happened.
Hua Lan stood up, saluted, stepped aside, and gave up his position.
How could Sheng Hong be in the mood to sit down now? He didn't even care about the etiquette and said anxiously: "Just now, a soldier came to the door and said that an angel from Bianjing is coming, and he will be here soon."
"It is still unknown why the angel came, so there is no need to panic. Can someone prepare the incense case and inform the lady and the others?"
Old Mrs. Sheng was born in the Hou Mansion, and she can naturally think of everything Sheng Hong can think of.
"My son has already ordered people to prepare, and the eldest lady has also asked Bai'er to inform." Sheng Hong said.
"Then go back and change your clothes quickly. Let's wait at the door!" Old Mrs. Sheng said.
It's too late to take a shower now, so I can only change my clothes.
"Yes, son, go right away." Sheng Hong bowed and left in a hurry.
Old Mrs. Sheng asked Hua Lan to go back to the room to change clothes, and she also went into the room to change clothes.
When Hualan came back after changing her clothes, she helped Old Mrs. Sheng out.
After waiting for a while at the door, Sheng Hong rushed over with Mrs. Wang, her two sons and three daughters.
As for the concubine, she is naturally not qualified to appear.
"Mother, would you like someone to inform Lord Zhizhou?" Sheng Hong came to his mother and saluted and asked.
"No need, since there is no advance notice, it is not a business matter. I don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse now. Plus the time is short, it is too late." Mrs. Sheng shook her head.
“Here it comes!”
The Sheng family braved the cold wind at the door and waited for about a stick of incense. From a distance, they saw a group of soldiers guarding a carriage. He drove over and quickly shouted, reminding everyone to check their attire.
After a while, the carriage came and stopped nearby. Sheng Hong and Mrs. Sheng were in front, and Mrs. Wang led a few children behind and stepped forward to greet them.
"Yangzhou general magistrate Sheng Hong, together with the young and old of the Sheng family, welcome the angel!"
Liu Sanshi opened the curtain of the car, stuck his head out, and said with a smile: "People from Shanda are very polite."
>The official called the Sheng family's brother to serve as his attendant. Who knows what the future will bring, but he didn't dare to take any arrogance just because of this.
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(End of this chapter)