The prince is more stable

Chapter 1029 Decentralization and Filing a Complaint
The atmosphere in the imperial court has been a bit strange lately.

This eerie atmosphere originated from the Political Affairs Hall.

The strangest thing was that many court officials noticed that Prime Minister Zhang Dun had become much more idle.

In the past, Zhang Dun was extremely busy, handling state affairs every day, often not returning home until late at night, and having to get up before dawn to attend court meetings. He didn't get enough sleep, appearing as if he was working tirelessly until his dying breath.

But now, Zhang Dun is inexplicably much more relaxed.

Many matters of state, large and small, from the memorials submitted by officials to the emperor's approval and return to the Hall of State Affairs, were handed over to Cai Jing by the emperor.

The official reply to the memorial was very clear: "It shall be handled by Cai Jing, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery."

Almost every memorial received the same reply. Even if Zhang Dun wanted to take over, he couldn't. The Emperor had already named him in his reply, and it would be very undignified for Zhang Dun to force his way in.

As the prime minister of a nation, the second most important figure in the Song Dynasty, he couldn't possibly compete with his subordinates for business, could he?

The prime minister's power was quietly taken away and stripped away.

Cai Jing, who had only been in the Council of State for less than half a year and was just a Vice Minister of the Chancellery, several ranks below the prime minister, was now clearly exercising the power of a prime minister. Like Zhang Dun, Cai Jing was now extremely busy and thriving.

The courtiers gradually noticed something amiss and sensed something unusual.

The gazes of civil and military officials toward the Hall of State Affairs also became intriguing.

Everyone had a vague feeling that Zhang Dun's era might be coming to an end.

As for the reasons, the court officials were certainly more aware of them.

The Emperor wanted to establish a military academy, but Zhang Dun stepped forward to oppose it. This was only the superficial reason. The Emperor was always magnanimous and would not easily consider dismissing himself as prime minister over such a trivial matter.

The root cause is probably that since the Emperor ascended the throne, he had had many disagreements and disputes with Zhang Dun, and after enduring them time and time again, the Emperor finally decided to stop.

The prime minister is the emperor's most important advisor. If even the prime minister disagrees with the emperor's political views in every way, he has lost his role as an advisor and has instead become the emperor's biggest obstacle.

This is something no emperor could tolerate.

The meaning of "assistant minister" emphasizes the word "assistant." In plain terms, as a minister, you should honestly help the emperor with his affairs, resolve problems in state affairs, share the emperor's burdens, and avoid causing trouble for the emperor.

But everyone has seen Zhang Dun's performance over the past year.

This prime minister was too assertive, too subjective, and extremely stubborn.

The emperor is also a very powerful person, and if the two men's political views clash, it will undoubtedly cause a fierce conflict between the emperor and his minister.

From the earlier establishment of the Censorate to the later discussions on new policies, from the Green Sprouts Act to the Equal Taxation Act for Fields, and now the establishment of the Military Academy, Zhang Dun has, frankly, played the role of an opponent in all of these. He has almost taken a position of opposing the government at every turn.

From the moment Zhang Dun resolutely opposed the establishment of the Censorate, many court officials had a premonition that, given the Emperor's strong personality, his tolerance for Zhang Dun would eventually be limited. It was just a matter of when he would lose his temper, and Zhang Dun's position as prime minister would likely be untenable.

It seems that the Emperor has been quite patient; it's remarkable that he's only now considering dismissing the Prime Minister.

Yes, the Song Dynasty never lacked talented people, especially civil officials.

Zhang Dun was not the only one with the talent to govern a country, and he was not particularly outstanding in office. From the time he became prime minister during the Shaosheng era, he did many shady things to suppress the old party, including framing old party officials and fabricating unjust cases.

At that time, it was an inevitable trend, and Emperor Zhezong needed Zhang Dun as a tool to clean up the court in order to restore order.

Today, the trend is the same. Under the emperor's impetus, the Song Dynasty is reforming and moving forward in an orderly manner. At this time, the emperor no longer needs a sword. What he needs are wise ministers who dare to break the old rules and firmly uphold the new rules.

He needs a minister who will unconditionally implement his policies, rather than an opponent who will constantly contradict him and create obstacles.

Zhang Dun is undoubtedly no longer suitable to sit in this position.

Now that the emperor has entrusted all state affairs to Cai Jing, Zhang Dun's power as prime minister is being gradually eroded and sidelined, and the atmosphere in the Council of State Affairs is becoming increasingly strange.

Zhang Dun still arrived at the Hall of State Affairs on time every day and sat in his exclusive prime minister's seat.

The Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, the Vice Ministers of the Secretariat, and the Vice Ministers of the Chancellery, upon entering the Ministry of Personnel, would, as was customary, first bow and greet Zhang Dun, exchanging pleasantries and small talk with smiles on their faces.

However, when the Council of State Affairs began to carry out its duties and handle state affairs, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

The officials, unsure of what to do, still carefully handed the memorials to Zhang Dun. But every time Zhang Dun saw the words "to be handled by Vice Minister Cai Jing" in the official's reply on the memorial, his expression changed again and again. Finally, Zhang Dun closed the memorial and silently gestured for it to be handed over to Cai Jing.

This situation was incredibly awkward.

Zhang Dun was embarrassed, and so were the other officials. The only person in the Hall of State Affairs who wasn't embarrassed and was all smiles was Cai Jing.

From beginning to end, the Emperor never uttered a single word about dismissing Zhang Dun as prime minister, nor did he give anyone any hints. However, everyone knew that the Emperor was consciously relinquishing Zhang Dun's power as prime minister and redistributing power, which would eventually fall to Cai Jing.

What Cai Jing lacks now is only a formal official position.

After three days of this eerie atmosphere, Zhang Dun could no longer bear the awkwardness in the Hall of State Affairs, so he submitted a memorial claiming illness.

For those at the pinnacle of power, even a seemingly ordinary sick leave certificate can have a deeper purpose.

Zhang Dun's memorial claiming illness was also a test, a probe of the emperor's attitude—whether he wanted to retain him or simply let him go.

How did Zhao Xiaoqian react after receiving the memorial?
His reaction was perfectly normal. First, he issued an imperial edict to comfort and care for the person in question, and the words in the edict were very earnest and sincere.

Secondly, the emperor sent a royal physician to examine the patient and bestowed upon him many precious medicinal herbs. Finally, with tears in his eyes and deep reluctance, the emperor sent his personal eunuch Zheng Chunhe to personally convey his message: "Master Zihou, please take good care of yourself and recover quickly. The Song Dynasty is in a crucial period of reform and development, and the court cannot be without Master Zihou for even a day. I await your return after your recovery so that you may continue to assist me."

Every word is flawless; outsiders would only be moved to tears upon seeing it, deeply grateful for the emperor's favor and attention.

After receiving the imperial decree, Zhang Dun was utterly disheartened. His face turned pale, and he remained speechless for a long time.

Having reached his position and grown to this age, he had long since learned to see through appearances to the essence of things.

When adults speak and act, it's not about what they say or do; those things are actually unimportant. What matters is the result.

Only the results can fully reveal the other party's true purpose; all the answers lie in the results.

No matter how many nice words the officials said or how much they cared for him, it was all just superficial.

The result Zhang Dun saw was that the emperor had granted him permission to recuperate at home, meaning that his long-term sick leave had been approved.

This was the result, and also the official's true answer to him.

Zhang Dun's test of the emperor this time finally yielded the desired results: he got what he asked for, he got what he asked for, and he got what he asked for.

When adults interact, their meaning is expressed clearly but subtly, and each person saves face for the other.

Zhang Dun sat in his simple house, weeping uncontrollably.

Having served as prime minister since the first year of the Shaosheng era, Zhang Dun ruled the empire for over five years, yet unexpectedly, things have come to this.

He is not old and frail; he has simply been left behind by the times.

The news of Chancellor Zhang Dun's illness spread uncontrollably throughout the court, shocking some officials, saddening others, and indignating still others.

But most people had an expression that said, "I knew it."

The most affected was the State Council.

In the past, Zhang Dun was the backbone of the State Council. It is not surprising that the backbone is now recuperating at home. However, the fact that the emperor actually allowed him to take a long leave to recuperate is more intriguing.

Anyone could see that Zhang Dun's feigned illness was merely a test by a subject to the emperor, a subtle form of negotiation, using "I quit" as a bargaining chip to gain the emperor's retention and compromise.

This time, however, the Emperor did not try to keep him. Although he was very concerned about Zhang Dun's condition, he not only sent the imperial physician to examine him and prescribe medicine, but also bestowed many precious medicinal materials upon him. The Emperor's care for his old minister was evident and could be recorded in history as a timeless tale.

However, the emperor ultimately agreed to let Zhang Dun recuperate at home, which was quite direct.

…………

Inside the Funing Palace.

Cai Jing stood bowing before Zhao Xiaoqian, reporting on state affairs to him.

Completely different from Zhang Dun's way of handling things, Cai Jing was a very discerning person and would never abuse his power. No matter how big or small the matter was, Cai Jing would take the initiative to report and ask for instructions, and only dare to approve and deal with it after receiving the emperor's clear opinion.

To be honest, Zhao Xiaoqian was getting annoyed with him. The role of a regent is to assist the emperor and share his heavy workload. You go to the palace eight times a day to report. What use is this iron rod to me?

But Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't let Cai Jing's loyalty be undermined. Cai Jing had made a clean slate, refusing to be a powerful minister and always taking the emperor's attitude as the standard. Could Zhao Xiaoqian just kick him out?

After patiently listening to Cai Jing's report, Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him with displeasure, indicating that he could get lost.

Cai Jing remained standing still, cautiously saying, "Prime Minister Zhang is ill, and the court is in turmoil. Many New Party officials have submitted memorials requesting Your Majesty to reinstate Prime Minister Zhang..."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly.

Just by looking at the surface text of these petitions, one can discern many clues.

According to official sources, Zhang Dun was on sick leave.

The key point is: "Zhang Dun is ill."

The fact that the prime minister was clearly ill, yet the New Party officials still asked the emperor to "reinstate" him, is quite intriguing.

The person is sick, and you still expect him to continue working? Isn't that inhumane? Even the donkeys in the production team wouldn't dare to work like that, let alone Zhang Dun, who has a strong personality and is a stubborn old donkey.

Therefore, the vast majority of people in the imperial court are actually sensible; they are well aware of what has happened and even more aware of what will happen next.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Zhang Dun's career as prime minister is nearing its end.

So the New Party objected, and they began to gather their strength and create public opinion.

It's not so easy for an emperor to dismiss a prime minister.

Over the years, Zhang Dun has not only been the prime minister, but also the leader of the New Party. It might be an exaggeration to say that he deliberately formed a faction, but given his position, it is reasonable that he had a group of supporters in the court and naturally formed a power base.

"Reactivate?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sneered, then said indifferently, "Tell those court officials who submitted memorials that it's useless to say this to me. It was Zhang Dun who claimed to be ill, not me who made him sick."

"If you don't believe me, have them line up at Zhang Dun's house to have their pulse taken. They can detect the rhythm of a 'general's command' from his pulse. Do you believe me?"

(End of this chapter)