Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 119 The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 119 The Calm Before the Storm

Seeing his brother's strong reaction, Lü Duan was slightly taken aback, and then slowly said, "Brother, don't be anxious, I have no other intention."

"Only today, upon returning to the capital, I saw the common people and students on the street discussing the new policy on the imperial examination. I heard that this new policy was proposed to the emperor by the Prince of Wugong. I was curious and wanted to ask my brother about it."

Lu Yuqing knew his younger brother well, knowing that he was usually calm and reserved and wouldn't inquire about these things for no reason. But he also knew that even if he kept quiet, given Lu Duan's personality, he would eventually find out the details from other sources.

He could only reply with a grave expression, "Do you know that the current situation in the court is far more complex than you imagine?"

He paused, then lowered his voice and said slowly, "After His Majesty quelled the rebellion of the two Lis, he intended to promote both civil and military affairs. On the one hand, he wanted to greatly advance civil administration and appease scholars throughout the land, and on the other hand, he did not want military generals to have too much power and repeat the mistakes of the five dynasties."

"The court is now subtly divided into two factions."

"Among them, the military faction, led by Prince Zhao Dezhao of Wugong, held military power and was deeply favored by the emperor, who even bestowed upon them a jade axe and the title of prince. The civil faction, led by Marquis Zhao Guangyi of Taiyuan, had gathered many civil officials and powerful families in the court, and their power should not be underestimated."

"These two factions appear to be at peace on the surface, but in reality they are at odds with each other, and the situation outside the court is already a mess."

Lu Yuqing's tone grew increasingly heavy, his eyes filled with admonition: "Although Prince Dezhao is young, he is ambitious. This time, his implementation of the new civil service examination policy seems to be aimed at recruiting talented people, but in reality, it is to win over the hearts of poor scholars across the country and enhance his own prestige. He wants to surpass the Marquis of Taiyuan in both civil and military affairs."

"But what he did was too dangerous and angered too many people. Both the civil and military factions had a lot of resentment towards him. If he was not careful, he would be doomed."

"You've just returned to the capital, your position is not yet secure, and you've never been good at court intrigues. Don't get involved in this mess. Stay away from Prince Dezhao, and don't get yourself into trouble, understand?"

Lü Duan listened quietly, his expression growing increasingly solemn, and he finally understood his brother's concerns.

It turns out that it wasn't just the civil officials; even the military generals were quite dissatisfied with the Prince of Wugong's efforts to promote civil administration.

But for some reason, he sensed a heroic spirit of selflessness from this eleven-year-old Prince of Wugong!

Whatever the purpose of this Prince of Wugong.

Since he dared to speak out for the scholars of the land and dared to oppose the entire court, such courage and boldness were truly remarkable.

If he is not a hero, then what is?

Recalling Zhou Wei's high praise for Zhao Dezhao, a mix of thoughts swirled in his mind, making him even more curious about this eleven-year-old Prince of Wugong.

Does a child prodigy necessarily become a great adult?

Or will it be a true dragon emerging from the abyss, dominating the world?

He really wanted to see this Prince of Wugong with his own eyes.

As Lü Yuqing had predicted, things turned out exactly as he had expected.

As soon as the new imperial examination policy was promulgated, the entire Song Dynasty court was instantly swept up in undercurrents, and a storm broke out!

At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, most of the court officials were former officials left over from the Later Zhou Dynasty. Most of them entered officialdom through hereditary privilege, public recommendation, or appointment by regional military governors. Over the years, a solidified system of selecting officials has been formed, dominated by "literary discourse power + personal connections".

Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, the practice of public recommendation and the submission of examination papers has been prevalent. High-ranking officials in the court could recommend their confidants and students based on public recommendation, and scholars could submit their poems and essays in advance to accumulate reputation and win the favor of examiners.

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While this system may occasionally allow a few talented individuals from humble backgrounds to stand out through connections, its essence is ultimately a tool for high-ranking officials and literary families to consolidate their positions and monopolize official careers.

This web of interests is intricate and deeply entrenched.

A single hair can affect the whole situation!

Zhao Dezhao's new civil service examination policy completely abolished the public recommendation and examination system, which was equivalent to directly depriving them of all their privileges and cutting off their shortcut to monopolizing officialdom and cultivating cronies!

How could they just sit and wait to die?

In the imperial court, a group of high-ranking officials, led by Fan Zhi and Wang Pu, took the lead in launching an attack. They jointly submitted a memorial opposing the new policy, arguing that "the old system of selecting officials since the Sui and Tang dynasties should not be changed lightly" and "the imperial examination system has been abandoned for a hundred years, and the sudden implementation of new policies may disrupt the government."

The memorial was filled with alarmist remarks, criticizing the new policies for being too hasty and violating ancestral rules, and earnestly requesting Zhao Kuangyin to rescind his order and restore the system of public recommendation and document submission.

Even worse, some people brought up the argument that "the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed, or misfortune will surely follow," stirring up conflict between the court and the public in an attempt to force the emperor to compromise and back down.

It must be said that their power is indeed not to be underestimated.

Within just a few days, voices opposing the new imperial examination system arose in popular literary circles.

A group of literary leaders and Confucian scholars, taking advantage of the platforms of major academies and literary gatherings in the capital, vehemently criticized the drawbacks of the new policy: "The new policy, which determines one's fate with a single day's examination, is far too hasty! This is not selecting talented individuals; it is clearly burying the nation's brightest minds!"

"Public recommendation and examination are the best long-term methods for judging students' talents and character. The current emperor's rash implementation of new policies is tantamount to destroying his own Great Wall!"

"The traditional social order of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants has been established by our ancestors. The new policies, by relaxing restrictions based on birth, are corrupting the court's atmosphere, desecrating the teachings of sages, violating moral principles, and confusing the hierarchy!"

As criticism of the new policy intensified, a collective boycott sweeping through literary circles escalated rapidly within just a dozen days.

Many prominent scholars and scions of aristocratic families in Beijing openly declared: "Those with virtue and talent should boycott this imperial examination to demonstrate their resolve and refuse to compromise their principles!"

At the same time, they also secretly courted those poor scholars who originally relied on their writings to gain attention and connections to get ahead.

They threatened to cut off his official career and used the promise of "recommendation for officialdom" as bait in an attempt to divide the poor students who supported the new policies.

This has left many students from underprivileged backgrounds who had high hopes for the new policy in a dilemma.

Before the new imperial examination policy could be fully implemented, it was already in a precarious state, showing signs of being aborted.

Inside the Chui Gong Hall of the Imperial Palace, Zhao Kuangyin looked at the mountain of dissenting memorials piled on his desk, his expression gloomy and silent.

He had considered that the new policies would affect various interests, but he never expected the backlash to be so swift, involving all aspects of the court, the literary world, and the local areas, and even showing signs of shaking the political situation.

What he feared most was that even people like Shi Shouxin, though they did not submit petitions publicly, had privately expressed their dissatisfaction with the new imperial examination policy.

Because of the new imperial examination policy, the system of hereditary privilege was also restricted.

In the past, almost every family could grant two or three sons official positions through imperial favor, allowing them to enjoy high-ranking official positions and generous salaries without having to study hard for years.

However, since the new policy was promulgated, each family can only grant favors to one son, and that son can only be a candidate for an official post.

The difference between them is like heaven and earth!

"It seems—the sword I bestowed upon Zhao'er before was not sharp enough!"

Zhao Kuangyin gently tapped the imperial desk, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

If the sword is sharp enough to terrify anyone, then naturally there will be no dissenting voices.

However, the current situation in the court is not suitable for a major conflict, because the drama he has been planning for a long time has not yet unfolded.

"Wait a little longer—wait a little longer."

Zhao Kuangyin slowly closed his eyes, exhaled a deep breath, and murmured to himself, "After this year, your father will forge you the sharpest imperial sword!"

After speaking, he opened his eyes and said in a deep voice to Zhang Dejun, the eunuch who was bowing and waiting beside him, "Issue my decree: With the New Year approaching, the court and the people need to be at peace. The matter of the new imperial examination policy will not be discussed for the time being, and a decision will be made after the New Year."

"Here you are."

After this seemingly neutral decree was issued, the court gradually quieted down on the surface, but the undercurrents beneath the calm became increasingly turbulent.

The calm before the storm!

Everyone was waiting for the end of the year, waiting for a new year to arrive in the Song Dynasty.

Countless gazes, each with its own hidden agenda, were focused on the Prince of Wugong's residence.

However, the Prince of Wugong's mansion remained silent, making no move, as if it had completely abandoned the new policies, letting rumors and criticisms spread from the outside world.

The first New Year of the Great Song Dynasty began amidst this turbulent atmosphere, accompanied by a heavy snowfall.

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