Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 438 Party strife breaks out again!

When Zhao Xu saw that no one spoke, he felt disappointed. He thought that when his father was alive, although there were fierce party struggles, both the old and new parties were full of responsible people. However, when it came to him, he promoted so many people, but there was not even one person who dared to speak.

Zhao Xu was angry and looked at Zeng Bu. Zeng Bu saw Zhao Xu looking at him and knew that as the prime minister, this juncture would be difficult for him, so he had to bite the bullet and said, "Your Majesty, Chang'an must not be lost, and the northwest must not be lost. I think the most urgent thing now is to take Chang'an back first. If Chang'an is returned, there will be a chance to save the northwest.

Therefore, I suggest that we transfer troops from Lianghuai to the northwest to quell the rebellion, and echo the strategy of Zongzhen, and do our utmost to recapture Chang'an!"

After hearing this, Zhao Xu finally felt better. It was good to have a suggestion. No matter what the suggestion was, it was a solution after all.

He looked at the others and said, "Gentlemen, tell me what we should do now."

At this time, an imperial censor stood up. It was Yu Heng, one of the Eight Masters of Cheng’s School.

Zhao Xu was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself that we are discussing military strategy, why do you, a censor, stand out here? Oh, why is Yu Heng here? I remember that the censor was not invited when he was urgently summoned.

But no matter what, since they are here and have something to say, we might as well let them speak.

I only heard Yu Heng, the censor, say: "I, the humble official, have something to say. Today we should discuss military and national affairs, but if one thing is not resolved first, then the response strategy we have arranged will be of no use.

This matter is about the Prime Minister of the time, Mr. Zeng.

Since Mr. Zeng was appointed as prime minister, the war situation in the northwest has been getting worse and worse. This is no coincidence!
Before Chang'an fell, Duke Wen Lu led tens of thousands of soldiers to garrison Chang'an and urgently requested 200,000 shi of grain and fodder to keep out the cold winter. However, Zeng Bu withheld half of the grain and fodder on the pretext of floods in the south of the Yangtze River, causing the soldiers to suffer from hunger and cold, and their fighting power was greatly reduced! "

He took a step forward, his voice becoming more and more excited, "What's worse, last month, an urgent military report from the northwest said that the rebels wanted to gather a large force to attack Chang'an, but Zeng Bu actually kept the 800-mile urgent document on his desk for three days, delaying military operations!

I ask, with such dereliction of duty, how can Chang'an not be lost? How can the northwest be at peace?"

After that, Yu Heng pulled out a document from his sleeve, held it high above his head, and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, this is a secret report signed by the three commanders of the Northwest Front. Every word is heart-wrenching and every fact is true!
Since Zeng Bu took office, instead of coordinating the overall situation and actively preparing for war, he appointed people based on personal connections and handed over the responsibility of allocating military rations in the Northwest to his cronies, profiting from it.

Now that Chang'an has fallen and the northwest is in danger, he cannot escape blame! I beg Your Majesty to look into this matter and remove Zeng Bu from his position as prime minister to thank the world!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the court was in an uproar.

Zeng Bu's face suddenly changed, veins popped up on his neck, and he pointed at Yu Heng and said in a trembling voice: "What nonsense! The loss of Chang'an was a long-planned plan by the rebels, and it was beyond human control. I have worked hard to mobilize troops and generals, how can I allow you to confuse right and wrong here!"

He turned to look at Zhao Xu, his eyes full of grievance and unwillingness, "Your Majesty, I am loyal to the court, and I cannot bear such slander!"

Zhao Xu frowned, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

He slapped the armrest of the dragon throne heavily, and the court suddenly became quiet.

"Yu Heng, impeachment requires solid evidence. Isn't it too hasty for you to put all the blame on the prime minister just because Chang'an fell?
Moreover, Prime Minister Zeng has only been in office for a few months. Even if there were any mistakes, it was probably because he had just taken office and was not familiar with the work yet. It was not his fault. "

Yu Heng shook his head and said, "When Prime Minister Zeng was the Prime Minister, he had already worked in the Political Affairs Hall for a long time. It is really hard to convince people that he is not familiar with the work.

There is one thing that cannot be ignored. Since Prime Minister Zeng took office, Su Ni has won many victories and is now trying to seize control of the entire northwest. Faced with such a situation, Prime Minister Zeng only hastily proposed to allocate troops from the Huai River and Huai River to support Chang'an... Haha, then what?"

Yu Heng looked at Zeng Bu and said, "Prime Minister Zeng, as the Prime Minister, facing such a situation, you can only say what kind of troops to transfer, so what about the others?

How to raise food and grass, who should lead the army, how and what route should the army take from Lianghuai, and how to make arrangements when arriving near the front line, and how to cooperate with the diagnosis and strategy, these, Prime Minister Zeng, do you have a plan?"

Zeng Bu was stunned by so many questions. He just made the suggestion based on a sudden inspiration and had never thought so deeply about it. How could he answer so many questions at once?

The cold sweat on Zeng Bu's forehead slid down his temples and dripped onto the blue brick floor, leaving dark marks.

He opened his mouth, and a dry sound came out of his throat. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out the words: "The situation in the northwest is changing rapidly, and many matters naturally need to be considered in the long run... Your Majesty, I propose to transfer the troops from Lianghuai based on the most urgent and urgent needs at the moment!"

"Let's take a long-term view?" Yu Heng sneered, turned around and faced the ministers, and swept the memorials on the table with his sleeves. "The soldiers on the front line are fighting bloody battles with the rebels, and the people of Chang'an are wailing under the iron hooves of the rebels. At this critical moment of life and death, Prime Minister Zeng actually said 'let's take a long-term view'!"

He walked quickly to Zeng Bu again, his eyes sharp as a knife, "Zhongzhen Jinglüe sent a secret letter three days ago, saying that the northwest's grain and grass can only last for seven days. Zeng Xiangruo has a plan in mind, why hasn't he come up with a plan for the allocation of grain and grass? Is he still waiting for the flood in the south of the Yangtze River to recede?"

Zeng Bu staggered back half a step, causing the jade scepter behind him to fall to the ground with a clang.

When he bent down to pick it up, he caught a glimpse of Zhao Xu's gloomy face, and his heart was in a panic. His voice changed in a hurry: "Your Majesty! Yu Heng is deliberately framing me! I, your minister, will draft a detailed strategy and present it to you within three days!"

As he spoke, he tremblingly took out a wrinkled handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Zhao Xu became furious upon seeing this, wondering how come the prime minister, whom he had personally helped to become, looked so cowardly?
He originally wanted to use Zeng Bu because he wanted to take advantage of the fact that Zeng Bu was one of the important ministers who carried out reforms during the time of the previous emperor.

The previous reform ministers, such as Wang Anshi, Cai Que, and Zhang Dun, were either killed or demoted.

He wanted to restore the new law, so he had to find a minister to carry out reform. After looking around, he found that Zeng Bu was the only one who could be used. He did not expect that this man who had such a great reputation at the time was such a coward!

But this is unfair to Zeng Bu. If Zeng Bu was a stupid person, how could he stand out in the reform at that time?

The current situation is indeed very complicated. Su Yun's capture of Chang'an and the change of flag in Huanqing Road are really too shocking. Let alone Zeng Bu, even the civil and military officials in the court, what good response strategies do they have under the current situation?
In a moment of urgency, he proposed sending the Lianghuai Army, which was a very appropriate response. As for the issues raised by Yu Heng, in fact, anyone else would have to study them carefully and hold a meeting with military personnel to discuss before a detailed strategy could be proposed. How could it be done easily?

While Zhao Xu was daydreaming, Zeng Bu glanced at Cheng Yi, his eyes full of hatred. Cheng Yi was a little puzzled, and reacted randomly, thinking: Zeng Zixuan wouldn't think that I instructed Chang Ning to impeach him, right? Yes, Chang Ning is my student, he impeached Zeng Zixuan, so it's natural for Zeng Zixuan to think that I instructed him.

However, Cheng Yi frowned and thought, as the prime minister, Zeng Zixuan, you failed to defend Chang'an during your tenure, and the Huanqing Road changed its flag. It is natural for you to bear this responsibility. It is also normal for the censor to impeach you. What is there to resent?
Thinking of this, Cheng Yi snorted coldly.

Zeng Bu saw Cheng Yi's expression, which confirmed his thoughts. His resentment became even stronger. He decided to go all out and shouted, "Your Majesty, the fall of Chang'an is not your fault!
I had only been in charge of the Council of State for a few months, and the one guarding Chang'an at that time was Duke Wen Lu. Duke Lu was a veteran of four dynasties in the imperial court, and his seniority was much higher than mine. How could I have any objection to guarding Chang'an?

Secondly, the court sent General Zhongzhen to support Chang'an, which was supported by Minister Cheng. The fall of Chang'an was due to General Zhongzhen's ineffective rescue, and naturally it was also because Minister Cheng did not know people well!

As for logistics, it's not that I won't provide them. The truth is that the traitor Su has already cut off Chang'an's food supply route. A large amount of food and fodder is blocking the Yellow River ferry. The food and fodder are piled up like a mountain, exposed to the wind and sun. If this passage is not opened, what's the use of sending more food and fodder?
Regarding matters in the northwest, I have done my part, and regarding the flood in Jiangnan, I have done my best to prevent the disaster of causing displacement.

So, Your Majesty, I think I have no problem.

On the contrary, I think there are people in the court who have a very big problem. At such a critical moment for the country, some people are trying to attract students and spread their own theories in the name of saving the nation, and even criticize the government. I think such people are the biggest harm to the court!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Cheng Yi's face suddenly changed.

He didn't mention any names, but everyone present knew who he was talking about!

Although Cheng Yi was a politician, he still often went to the Imperial College to give lectures. This was to learn from what Su Yun had done in the past. Cheng Yi believed that this approach was indeed of great benefit to the dissemination of his theories.

Su Yun insisted on teaching in the Imperial College for many years, thus the Su Society was born. Now the foundation of Su Yun's rebellion is the Jingsai Army and the Su Society.

To some extent, the Su Society is the reason why Su Ni has such a great momentum!
Cheng Yi certainly did not want to rebel, but he wanted his teachings to be as popular as Su Shi's teachings were back then, so he learned to do this.

In order to promote the theory, it is natural to combine it with current affairs. At present, with the Western Xia eyeing the country covetously from outside and the Su rebels sweeping across the northwest from within, the Song Dynasty regime is in danger. At this time, Chengxue naturally has no way to avoid this realistic problem, or in other words, it is to use this issue to attract a large number of disciples, which is also the meaning of the topic.

But now Zeng Bu said this, it seemed that he was spreading Cheng's school of thought, which was quite similar to the rebellion of the Su School back then. This made Cheng Yi change color!
Originally, Cheng Yi had no intention of ousting Zeng Bu. It was just that the one who impeached Zeng Bu was his own disciple, so he remained silent. But now Zeng Bu actually turned against him, so he couldn't blame himself!

Cheng Yi clasped his hands together, bowed deeply to Zhao Xu, and said in a voice as loud as a bell: "Your Majesty! Zeng Bu is trying to confuse the public and shift the blame!
I am an old minister teaching at the Imperial College, and I have always taught students with the teachings of a sage, and I care about the world. How can I allow him to slander me like this! "

He turned around abruptly and glared at Zeng Bu, "If what Prime Minister Zeng said is true, spreading doctrines is treason, then wouldn't all the great scholars of the Song Dynasty who wrote books and theories be considered traitors?"

Without waiting for Zeng Bu to refute, Cheng Yi strode forward again and pulled out a scroll of documents from his sleeve, "Your Majesty, this is the memorial on the war in the northwest that I compiled recently.

It is clearly recorded that several months ago, I proposed to Zeng Bu to send more elite soldiers to escort grain and grass and strengthen the defense along the Yellow River to prevent the rebels from cutting off the grain route! How did Zeng Bu respond?

He said, "The affairs of the Northwest will be decided by ourselves, no need to say more!"
Now that the food supply has been cut off, he is blaming the rebels. This is clearly his stubbornness and he is wasting the opportunity to fight!"

Zeng Bu's forehead was bulging with veins, and he pointed a trembling finger at Cheng Yi: "Councilor Cheng, please stop slandering me!
The flood in the south of the Yangtze River has left the people in dire straits. The imperial court has limited money and grain. I know how difficult this task is. How can we transport all the grain and grass to the northwest?

You are just a wise man after the event, using this to gain fame and reputation!"

"enough!"

Zhao Xu stood up suddenly, his dragon robe rustling, his eyes full of anger.

"I asked you to discuss the strategy for the northwest, not to listen to you attack each other!
Mr. Zeng, as the Prime Minister, if you fail to come up with a practical strategy to quell the rebellion within three days, don't blame me for being ruthless!

Cheng Yi, as a councilor, you should be devoted to the country and not argue endlessly with your colleagues in the court!"

Zhao Xu glanced at the silent ministers below, and spoke in a low and cold voice: "The northwest is the barrier of the Song Dynasty. Chang'an has been lost, Guanzhong is in danger! The northwest is in danger! The Song Dynasty is in danger!

At this moment, only when the whole court is united can we cope with the current situation. No matter what other grudges or struggles for power and profit there are, we must first overcome the current difficulties. Only then will all this make sense!
Therefore, I don't care what grudges you had in the past. From now on, if anyone continues to shirk responsibility and fight against each other, don't blame me for punishing him according to the family law of our ancestors! Dismiss the court!"

After Zhao Xu left, the ministers in the court looked at each other and left quickly.

Zeng Bu and Cheng Yi looked at each other, both with undisguised hatred in their eyes.

Cheng Yi snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves and walked away, while Zeng Bu stood there in a daze, his face looking terribly gloomy.

After leaving the palace, Cheng Yi called Yu Heng and whispered to him, "Chang Ning, although the impeachment was unsuccessful this time, Zeng Bu has already lost the emperor's favor.

You continue to collect evidence of his crimes and don't slack off.

As long as Zeng Bu is in office, the imperial court will have no peace."

Yu Heng nodded solemnly: "Teacher, rest assured, I will live up to your trust!"

On the other side, Zeng Bu returned to the prime minister's residence, kicked over the memorial on the table, and shouted angrily: "How dare Cheng Yi, an old villain, go against me!

I want to see how you, Cheng Yi, an old man, can defeat me!"

(End of this chapter)