The Heavens: From Knowing Whether You Rule the World

Chapter 70 The two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Great Zhou Dynasty are on my shoulders! (4k)

Late night
Fan Lou
Wang Anshi and Sima Guang drank tea quietly, with no intention of communicating, as if the other party did not exist.

About quarter of an hour later, Chu Hong arrived with a happy face.

"Jiefu, Junshi, I'm really sorry, I'm late for some things."

Chu Hong flicked his sleeves and sat down with a smile.

Now that the new king has ascended the throne, there are too many things to do. He discussed things until the evening, had a family dinner with his uncle, aunt, and cousin, and then left the palace.

"Young Lord. Oh no, Lord!"

"Lord Chu is very busy, so it's normal for him to be late. As a small official like me, I dare not say anything more."

Sima Guang's face looked a little strange, and he rebuked Chu Hong for an inexplicable reason.

If this sentence is said jokingly, it is naturally a joke between friends.

But Sima Guang didn't smile either, and his expression looked strange.

Chu Hong's eyes narrowed slightly. What was going on?
Because of the governance philosophy?

Chu Hong had some guesses, but still asked: "Jun Shi, why do you say that? With the friendship between you and me, even if I join the cabinet now, I will still be treated equally!"

Although the three people have different governing philosophies and are destined to score points in the future, he still prefers the days of mutual disputes.

Even though he was now a Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion and had eaten in the palace, he would come without hesitation when Wang Anshi and Sima Guang called him out for drinks and tea in the middle of the night.

So, you call me Lord?
Wang Anshi drank his tea quietly, looking as if it had nothing to do with him.

"Haha! The Lord is planning to reform?"

Sima Guang looked indifferent, but his clenched fists proved that he was not that calm.

"nature!"

It is indeed reform!
When it comes to reform, Chu Hong admitted it openly and there was nothing to hide.

I will no longer correct Sima Guang's name. Let him call me that if he wants!

Lord!
Not bad, sounds good!
At the beginning, the three of them had different political philosophies, and he knew that this civil servant trio would break up sooner or later.

Especially the matter of Sima Guang.

Chu Hong and Wang Anshi both leaned towards the reform faction, but there were some differences within the reform faction. One thought that reform should be done quickly, while the other thought that reform should be done slowly.

Sima Guang is different. He is a conservative, a super conservative.

Both fast-paced reform and slow-paced reform are reforms, and their general direction is the same.

But the reformists and conservatives are generally in opposition.

Therefore, Chu Hong already knew that there would definitely be a dispute.

I didn't expect it to come so soon.

Yes, if he hadn't come now, by the time Sima Guang entered the cabinet, he would have been sitting in the position of prime minister for more than ten years.

Oppose reform?

Sima Guang couldn't even see the dust!
"Why do you insist on reform? The laws of our ancestors cannot be changed, and how can the foundation of our country be shaken?"

Sima Guang might be intending to suppress Chu Hong with his momentum, so he immediately stood up and looked down.

"Oh? Are you questioning me as Sima Junshi, or are you questioning Lord Chu as Sima Guang, the Minister of Tianzhang Pavilion?"

Chu Hong's smile gradually faded. He stood up with the tea and looked at Sima Guang quietly.

"How can personal feelings come before state affairs? Lord Chu, Sima Guang asks you, how can the foundation of the country be shaken?"

Sima Guang's voice became a little louder. One was a lecturer in Tianzhang Pavilion, a fourth rank, and the other was a cabinet minister, a first rank.

Chu Hong's identity and age put too much pressure on him, and speaking louder could give him courage.

"Oh?"

Chu Hong looked at Sima Guang deeply and immediately became serious.

Tonight, the trio is destined to break up.

"If you don't try to restore the past, you can't follow the law. Han Feizi's words, you have read so many books of sages, you must know them, right?"

Chu Hong sat down calmly and placed the teacup gently on the table. This was his habit of doing things seriously.

Wang Anshi, who had been watching quietly as if he were a third party, also became serious and focused his attention on Chu Hong and Sima Guang.

Reformers and conservatives have always had their own opinions, but he wanted to see how the debate goes today.

First floor.

Sheng Hong, who was drunk and full of joy, was full of vigor and enthusiasm. He said, "Oh, I'm just lucky. Who would have thought that Zifeng would be such a great kid?"

Sheng Hong has been a very busy man recently.

The son-in-law soared into the sky, as if he had entered the cabinet.

He is a royal relative and a 28-year-old cabinet minister. Who knows how long he can stay in the cabinet?
Twenty years?
Thirty years?
Or forty years?

Hiss. I dare not think about it!
No matter which one it is, he is a person who dominates the world.

Lord Chu is from Yangzhou... well, he was born into a prominent family in Jiangnan. He has nothing missing and ordinary people are not qualified to see him.

As a result, Sheng Hong naturally became the one being praised.

"Brother Sheng must have a keen eye for talent!"

"Not bad, not bad. It's rare to see a person like Lord Chu in history books. Brother Sheng, you've caught the Lord's eye and are lucky enough to be his father-in-law. That's quite a feat!"

"Haha! You two brothers are so embarrassed!"

Even Sheng Hong, who has always been cautious, couldn't help but smile proudly. The two people next to him were both high-ranking officials of the third rank. In the past, he would have to call them brothers, and sometimes they would give them face and get together for the sake of their son-in-law.

Now, the poles are reversed.

Brother?

No, it's my brother!

Are you only coming out to get together because you give me face?
No, now it depends on the mood of my wise and decisive Master Sheng Hong!

"Brother Sheng, come on, let's have a good drink together."

An official saw that Sheng Hong's wine glass was almost empty, and immediately poured wine for him in a flattering manner.

"No, no, no, enough is enough, I'm drunk!"

Sheng Hong tried to dissuade him again and again, but his hands did not make any move to stop him.

"Where, where."

Just as the flattery was going on, a roar interrupted everything.

"Lord Chu, our Great Zhou has been around for a hundred years. Why do you insist on favoring reform? Are the people of this world worthless in your eyes?"

The roaring voice from the top floor of Fan Building drowned out the noisy sounds in Fan Building, and the usually bustling Fan Building suddenly became silent.

Everyone looked towards the top floor, wanting to see what was going on.

Sheng Hong stopped looking at the table, stood up and looked up at the top floor.

"Sima Guang, I don't want to hurt anyone. All I've wanted to do is to make life better for the common people without damaging the interests of the local big families, and to give the court a new look without causing any damage. What reason do you have to stop me?"

The sonorous and powerful voice echoed throughout Fanlou. Although no one was seen, the power in the voice made people afraid to say anything.

From these addresses, everyone knew the identities of the two people quarreling—Chu Hong, Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, and Sima Guang, Assistant Lecturer of Tianzhang Pavilion.

Well, one is from the first rank, and the other is from the fourth rank. The gap is a little bit big!
"Are you going to gamble with the lives of the people in the world?"

The angry voice but conservative attitude came from Sima Guang.

"Sima Guang, you keep calling yourself Fan Wenzhengong, but you only recite his name and don't follow his deeds. Aren't you just like Ye Gong who loves dragons but doesn't like them?" Chu Hong's voice was neither hurried nor slow, and one could tell who had let down his guard as soon as he heard it.

"Ye Gong likes dragons? Since we know Fan Wencheng, we should learn from his reforms and never make changes lightly without caring about the people of the world!"

Sima Guang's words were good, but they lacked momentum.

"Hahaha! What qualifications do you have to teach me a lesson under the pretext of the people of the world?"

Chu Hong's loud and penetrating voice was no longer gentle, but aggressive.

"You shout slogans loudly every day, but you dare not do anything. When it comes to doing practical things for the people, you keep silent and become a coward. You even try to stop me?"

"Do you care about the lives of the people in this world? I am embarrassed to point it out to you!"

"You read the books of sages every day, claiming to emulate and surpass the sages, but you stop when you encounter the difficult reforms of Fan Wencheng. Is this the attitude of emulating and surpassing the sages?"

"The two capitals and thirteen routes of the Great Zhou Dynasty are carried on the shoulders of Master Han and I. It is not your turn to speak for the people of the world!"

"Sima Guang, are you worthy enough to talk to me about serving the country?"

"You are a hypocrite!"

The sonorous and powerful curses of Lord Chu penetrated through the wooden beams without a break or pause, leaving Sima Guang, who was also the successor of the faction, completely defenseless, and many people's eyelids twitched.

Hiss. There isn't even any curse word in this sentence, but it's so harsh!

"Chu Zifeng!!!"

Sima Guang was silent for a few breaths, then burst into the most suppressed roar since he was born.

The insult was really harsh, especially the last word "hypocrite", which completely broke Sima Guang's defense.

"Boom!"

"I don't want to associate with people who don't have great ambitions!"

Chu Hong strode out, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, and left angrily.

"Master, will this hurt him too much?"

The servant Bu Mu's heart was pounding. This insult was really hurtful!
"Hurt your mother's head!"

The crisp sound of wine glasses breaking echoed throughout the silent Fanlou!
Everyone looked at this scene quietly, each one was horrified and shocked.

Chu Hong walked down the stairs quickly with a menacing look on his face. He saw his father-in-law looking a little restless from afar. He nodded slightly and strode away.

Sheng Hong smiled a little flatteringly, but when he realized there were people around, he quickly regained his upright demeanor.

"What is this, Elder Chu?"

The official who was adding the wine couldn't help but take a breath and had no appetite for drinking anymore. Curiosity in his heart surpassed everything else.

"Did the Lord have a quarrel with Sima Guang? It seems that it was because of Sima Guang's lack of ambition and hypocritical behavior."

An official in plain clothes said in amazement.

"You didn't hear the key point! It's obviously because of different political philosophies. The young cabinet minister hopes to reform without harming the interests of the local big families, while Sima Guang prefers not to reform. Naturally, the two sides quarreled because of their disagreement."

The official who was adding wine shook his head and said, "You bastard, you are using the Spring and Autumn style when you speak?"
"Well... to be honest, our Great Zhou Dynasty does have some problems. The young minister is also from a local big family. Duan Ran will not make it difficult for the local big families to get along, nor will he harm the interests of the local big families. In this way, if the young minister can really make changes, it will be a good thing!"

The official in plain clothes felt a little emotional. He had experienced Fan Wencheng's reforms in the past and knew that the main reason for Wencheng's failure was that the reforms harmed the interests of local clans and could not be implemented locally.

If... the young cabinet minister could really make repairs and reforms without harming the interests, it would definitely be a great thing.

The official who added the wine also quite agreed with it. It is worth affirming the necessary breaking of the old and establishing the new, but it is really not worth it to be as absolutely conservative as Sima Guang.

Most of those conservatives are representatives of local big families. If the young cabinet minister can avoid harming the interests of local big families, the resistance of the conservatives will basically be eliminated.

After all, absolutely brainless conservatives like Sima Guang are still a minority.

"Young Lord is also from a local noble family!"

The plain-clothed official was somewhat emotional. This identity seemed unimportant, but it was actually very important. If only Fan Wencheng had this identity back then...

Sheng Hong listened quietly, took a deep breath and said nothing...

Chu family
Chu Hong sipped his tea with a gloomy look on his face. If he had known it would turn into such a quarrel, he would not have gone to Fanlou.

After this incident, the idea of ​​winning over Sima Guang that he had hidden in his heart was shattered.

Fortunately, Wang Anshi softened his stance.

They are both reformers, just one is fast and the other is slow.

In Chu Hong's view, Sima Guang, Wang Anshi and Sheng Changbai were all first-class figures, and winning them over would undoubtedly help realize his own political views.

However, we cannot win these people over by appealing to their interests, only their ideals.

Wang Anshi has loosened his lips and Sheng Changbai is his brother-in-law. If he can also win over Sima Guang, the four-member group of civil servants of the Great Zhou will be complete.

Who would have thought that Sima Guang was actually a brainless, die-hard conservative?
Sima Guang was not conservative because of interests or anything like that. He simply felt that there should be no reform and insisted on it without thinking.

This thing's stubbornness is a bit like an ideal, and it is basically impossible to convince it.

The main reason why Chu Hong and Wang Anshi could share the same ideal was that the general direction of their ideals was the same. Wang Anshi's quick and decisive reform policy was also a decision that could not be helped. With Chu Hong as a royal relative, Wang Anshi naturally no longer insisted.

Sima Guang was different. He was a conservative, a thoroughly brainless conservative. His opinions and reforms were basically opposed. It would be strange if the two sides could convince each other.

It's difficult to deal with and there's no way to convince them.

Chu Hong sighed again.

The once mighty trio of civil servants is finally going to disband!

"Why are you sighing, sir?"

A voice as gentle as spring water, as clear as an oriole, and as noble as a vermilion bird sounded. It was Sheng Hualan who had just arrived.

Sheng Hualan showed concern and quickly walked to Chu Hong and gently rubbed his forehead.

"It's just some dirty business in the court, not worth mentioning."

Chu Hong tilted his head slightly, his eyes brightening slightly.

Sheng Hualan wore a golden purple silk dress engraved with mandarin ducks playing in the water. The gold thread showed her nobility, while the purple thread made her look more serious. A jade hairpin made of Hetian warm jade was hung on her jade crown, and the white jade pendant added a touch of freshness and elegance. The gorgeous long shawl fluttered lightly, and her dignified, generous, and elegant aura was evident at a glance.

"Is this the imperial robes of a lady of the first rank?"

Chu Hong's eyes were clear, this thing made people feel awe just by looking at it!

"That's right. Thanks to my husband, I was able to wear this imperial decree. Although someone from the palace came to announce the decree a few days ago, I didn't dare to wear it because of the great funeral and the coronation ceremony."

Sheng Hualan was filled with joy, but she had never thought that she would have the chance to obtain an imperial decree.

Although there are five ranks of imperial consorts, in theory an official who reaches the fifth rank can ask for an imperial consort for his wife, but in reality no one would come forward to ask for an imperial consort, and it was His Majesty who took the initiative to confer the award.

This made the title of Lady with Imperial Noble Consort in the Zhou Dynasty even more precious, as many wives of powerful third-rank officials might not even have one.

Chu Hong stood up and took a closer look, "It's really good!"

"Hmm? Husband, it's daytime!"

Sheng Hualan screamed, and Chu Hong had already carried her inside. She was immediately filled with shame.

"It's daytime!"

"Uh-huh. Husband~!"

"Hi~!"

"Hoo~!"

"uh-huh."

Today I got 8k for no reason. Is it very long and lasting? Originally I was going to stop at the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Zhou Dynasty to whet your appetite, but I don't think it's very ethical.

How is it? Am I a good person?
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(End of this chapter)