Never Sleeps CH 081 Righteous And Awe-inspiring
Tang Shen's gaze was too direct. Wang Zhen noticed that his little junior brother didn’t have the slightest intention of being subtle, almost as if he was wearing a sign on his forehead that said, “Senior Brother, are you sure you’re not rebelling against yourself by doing this?” Wang Zhen couldn't help but chuckle softly and said leisurely, “The Wang clan of Langya has never been inflexible. The two great clans, Wang and Xie—the Xie family has shown signs of decline, while the Wang family is at its peak. Little Junior Brother, have you ever thought about why?”
Tang Shen pondered for a moment before suddenly sighing deeply, “Water that is not stagnate doesn’t rot, and a door’s hinge that is used doesn’t rust.”
Wang Zhen gazed at him, his eyes shining even brighter.
Tang Shen took his leave from Wang Zhen and left the Minister Residence.
Water that is not stagnate doesn’t rot, and a door’s hinge that is used doesn’t rust... movement!
Wang Zifeng used the Wang clan of Langya as an example, but all he said was that the Wang clan represented the great aristocratic families. He never claimed the Wang clan to be the executioner that harmed others. The Wang clan had been established for hundreds of years, gaining its reputation and standing as the foremost clan on the vast land of the nation. Long ago, before the imperial examination system existed, the social class hierarchy was even more rigid. Later, when the examination system emerged, the aristocratic families' interests were gradually stripped away, and many fell into decline, but the Wang clan remained standing.
This was because the Wang clan adapted to the changing world!
If it had been the descendants of other aristocratic families facing the reform of replacing gold and silver with paper currency, knowing that this would greatly damage their own interests, how would they have responded? They would have hidden it or resisted it deliberately. But both Wang Zhen and Right Prime Minister Wang Quan vigorously promoted the reform.
The children of the Wang clan of Langya did not only serve the aristocracy but also the greater world.
Tang Shen thought: "The influence of the aristocratic families in Guangling is far less than that in Jinling, yet the death of the county magistrate happened in Guangling, not Jinling... this is the Wang clan's stance, isn't it!"
In mid-February, an imperial envoy set off for Guangling in Jiangnan to investigate the Revenue And Expenditure Department case.
By the end of March, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Cao Huixun, wrote a memorial and sent it by a fast courier to Shengjing. After reading the memorial, Zhao Fu flew into a rage and ordered the Minister of Revenue, Wang Zhen, and the Minister of Justice, Geng Shaoyun, to travel to Guangling to supervise the case of the Revenue And Expenditure Department. That evening, the two ministers, along with their trusted aides, set off for Guangling.
In Qinzheng Hall, there was little change from the usual, except that the tax reform issue was gradually being postponed.
The Twenty-Three Articles of Tax Reform were essentially a concept, an ideology, and the Revenue And Expenditure Department was the instrument to carry it out. Now that the Revenue And Expenditure Department had been abolished by the emperor, and with Zhao Jing and Qin Si both under house arrest awaiting punishment, the Department had no personnel left, and the Twenty-Three Articles of Tax Reform were also being delayed.
Everyone knew that the tax reform was a good thing, but no one could implement it.
In April, in the area around Youzhou, the Liao forces violated the border, leading to minor skirmishes with the Song army.
Marshal of the Western Expedition, Li Jingde achieved a major victory over the enemy, and the triumphant report was sent urgently to Shengjing on the third day. The emperor, after reading it, was overjoyed, exclaiming "Good" three times in a row and decided to reward the troops. A few days later, the detailed military report arrived at Qinzheng Hall. Tang Shen read through the thick pile of military dispatches for a long time, and suddenly, something stirred in his heart.
Two days later, Tang Shen wrote a memorial and quietly sent it out.
Before long, a government worker passing by while delivering meals slipped Tang Shen a note. After reading its contents, Tang Shen silently hid the note in his sleeve and, when no one was around, secretly burned it. After work, instead of heading east toward home, Tang Shen walked out of the palace and made his way to Zhengyangmen Street.
Zhengyangmen Street was lined with shops on both sides, and the passersby moved hurriedly along the road.
Tang Shen went straight to Xixia Tower, which belonged to the Tang family. He slipped in through the side door, where someone was waiting to cover for him. He made his way to a private room on the second floor. After pushing open the door, Tang Shen immediately bowed and said, “Lower official Tang Shen, greets the Wang xianggong.”
Sitting in the spacious and tidy room was none other than Wang Quan, the Right Prime Minister of the current dynasty!
Wang Quan, over fifty years old, already had graying hair at his temples. He kept a long beard and had a thin, refined figure, fitting the image of a clean-handed, upright official. Wang Quan did not resemble Wang Zhen much, but both had an air of aristocratic grace that was hard to imitate. At this moment, Wang Quan sat upright in the main room, watching Tang Shen’s respectful demeanor, and smiled, “We’re all family here, come closer.”
“Yes.”
This was Tang Shen’s first formal meeting with the Right Prime Minister.
In the court, there were many factions. The officials didn’t necessarily form opposing parties, and there were some vague connections between them. Tang Shen was considered half a member of the Wang faction because he was aligned with Wang Zhen, but he couldn’t be counted as a member of the Right Prime Minister’s faction.
Wang Quan and Wang Zhen were uncle and nephew, but they operated independently.
More than his affiliation with the Wang faction, Wang Zhen seemed more like a loyalist to the emperor. His loyalty and service were directed solely at the emperor. He was Zhao Fu’s trusted confidant.
Because Wang Zhen was a loyalist, Tang Shen, being aligned with him, was naturally classified as part of the imperial faction. Of course, this faction was complex. Su Wenyun was also a member of the imperial faction, yet he and Wang Zifeng had always been at odds, and he didn’t get along with Tang Shen either.
Zhao Fu’s way of balancing the officials’ power was deeply intricate. He had spent thirty years crafting the court’s political landscape, which appeared simple to an ordinary person but revealed terrifying complexity when examined closely.
In the private room, a steaming hotpot sat on the table, but Wang Quan showed no intention of picking up his chopsticks.
The two sat side by side, and Wang Quan said, “Why did you send me that memorial?”
Tang Shen hesitated for a moment before replying, “Senior Brother isn’t here, and the only person I could think of was you, Wang xianggong.”
Wang Quan smiled, “You certainly have great trust in Zi Feng.”
Tang Shen said nothing but thought to himself: I do trust Wang Zifeng, but I don’t trust you. It was only after weighing my options, I chose to give the memorial to you.
Just as Wang Zifeng had said, the Xie clan had long since declined, while the Wang clan still stood strong. He trusted the Wang clan, so he handed the memorial to Wang Quan.
Wang Quan stared fixedly at Tang Shen, as if trying to find something remarkable on his face. After a long moment, this influential minister of the court laughed and stood up, saying, "I've heard from Fu Xiru that although he is your teacher, he has never taught you a single class, instead entrusting you to Zi Feng. Now, it seems the student has surpassed the master."
Tang Shen felt genuinely uneasy at this: "Wang xianggong, you overpraise me."
To be compared favorably against Wang Zifeng made Tang Shen a bit self-conscious. His senior brother had an eccentric temper, and Tang Shen still hadn’t fully figured out Wang Zifeng’s thoughts. What if Wang Zifeng heard that Wang Quan had praised Tang Shen as being better than him and became jealous or upset?
Wang Quan laughed, "That will be all for today."
With that, Wang Quan left.
The hotpot on the table had not been touched at all. After Wang Quan left, Tang Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief and called for Shopkeeper Lu and Tang Huang to join him for the hotpot.
Tang Huang, seeing the untouched table of food, exclaimed in surprise, "These are the freshest ingredients we carefully selected! Brother, how come you didn’t eat any? It’s delicious!"
Tang Shen teased, "Your mind is always on food."
Tang Huang pouted but retorted with confidence, "Food is the people’s primary concern!"
Tang Shen sighed and said, "‘Food is the people’s primary concern’—what a wise statement."
For rulers, the people are the foundation, and for the people, food is paramount.
Tang Huang had no idea that just moments ago, the very person in this room had been the Right Prime Minister of the court, Wang Quan! Nor did she know that the conversation just held here was about ensuring that more commoners could have enough to eat.
As for how Wang Quan would execute this plan, Tang Shen didn’t know.
In the 30th year of Kaiping, the great victory in the northwest significantly weakened the Liao people's morale. Emperor Zhao Fu was overjoyed and rewarded the entire army. Xu Linghou, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, advised that the usual process of rewarding soldiers often suffered from logistical losses, leading to inefficiency. With Wang Zhen, the Minister of Revenue, not in the capital and the Right Vice Minister of Revenue, Qin Si, under house arrest, Xu Linghou proposed establishing a Silver Pull Division in the northwest to oversee military affairs.
The emperor agreed.
By May, Wang Zhen and the others returned to the capital. The investigation into the Revenue And Expenditure Department in Guangling Prefecture was officially concluded. The Court of Judicial Review arrested several officials, and the Ministry of Justice detained more people.
Emperor Zhao Fu lamented, "Our founding emperor abolished the Three Departments—did you really think it was merely to curtail ministerial power?"
Emperor Zhao Fu was known for speaking in riddles, rarely saying anything so directly. Now that he had said this, the ministers in Chuigong Hall all bowed in unison. Had the officials of the Song Dynasty been required to kneel before the emperor, there would have been a sea of people on their knees at that moment.
Zhao Fu sighed, "You all fail to understand the painstaking efforts of our founding emperor!"
In May, Emperor Zhao Fu abolished the Revenue And Expenditure Department, a department reinstated for barely a year, dismissed so effortlessly.
Zhao Jing, the Consultant in Policy Affairs of the Department of State Affairs, was demoted for poor supervision and sent to Qinzhou as a fourth-rank governor. Qin Si, the Right Vice Minister of Revenue, was also demoted to serve as a circuit governor in Liuzhou for inadequate oversight. Neither had the chance to appear before the emperor again.
Upon receiving the imperial edict, both Zhao Jing and Qin Si stared blankly at the sky.
The next day, Zhao Jing visited the residence of the Left Prime Minister to see his teacher.
Ji Wengji, the Left Prime Minister, came from humble beginnings. Although he was now a high-ranking official, his lifestyle remained simple. He personally greeted his prized pupil, with his wife serving a modest meal of wild vegetables—two meat dishes and two vegetarian dishes.
Seeing his teacher, Zhao Jing’s eyes filled with tears, and he knelt down immediately, crying, "I’ve let you down, Sir!"
Ji Wengji gently supported him, preventing him from fully kneeling. He said, "What fault could you possibly have? Come, eat some food, and don’t be so emotional. It may only be wild vegetables here, but where you're headed in Qinzhou, you might not even have this much to eat."
Qinzhou was a desolate place, and Zhao Jing knew it might be years—if ever—before he returned.
Zhao Jing couldn’t stomach a bite, choking out, "I failed in my duties and even brought disgrace upon you, being publicly rebuked by His Majesty."
Ji Wengji chuckled, "It wasn’t you who failed; it was my misjudgment. I thought Wang Quan was pushing for tax reform solely for the benefit of the aristocratic families, so I intervened by reinstating the Revenue And Expenditure Department. Now, a year later, upon reflection, I realize I underestimated him—I underestimated Wang Dezhan, I have been narrow-minded; in this matter, I do not possess his grace!"
Zhao Jing was puzzled, "Sir?"
"I've gradually come to understand what Wang Quan has been trying to achieve over these past few months. If he truly succeeds, it will be a good thing, a great thing. Now that he's establishing the Silver Pull Division in the northwest, I finally understand his intentions, though I no longer have the power to intervene."
Zhao Jing, filled with guilt, said, "It’s because I failed to carry out my duties."
Ji Wengji replied, "Who knows if misfortune may not prove to be a blessing in disguise?"
Zhao Jing was still confused.
Ji Wengji took another bite of food, his chopsticks pointing vaguely in the direction of the imperial palace. "Look at it now; my most prized pupil has been exiled to Qinzhou, and the power of the Left Prime Minister's faction has significantly diminished. Surely His Majesty must feel at ease now?"
Zhao Jing thought for a long time, reflecting on everything he had seen and heard over the past year.
Suddenly, a chill ran down Zhao Jing’s spine, followed by a surge of hot blood through his chest. As Ji Wengji’s prized pupil, he wasn’t a fool, and at that moment, he truly understood.
Zhao Jing stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Sir, your noble spirit is clear to me now!"
Ji Wengji smiled serenely, "Eat your food!"