Chen Lin soon spread Zhao Zhen's will to the ears of hundreds of civil and military officials.

The civil and military officials wailed.

As Kou Ji expected, when choosing between real and fictitious positions, the civil and military officials decisively chose their actual positions.

They left some of the family's weaker children and young children in the care of the women of the house, and they themselves hurried to the place where the altar was located, with the help of the strong heirs of the family.

For this sacrifice, the auspicious time selected by Qin Tianjian was in the afternoon, so there was plenty of time left for the civil and military officials to hurry.

Some young officials, suffering a little and gritting their teeth, were able to arrive within the stipulated time.

Some of the elderly, with the support of their able-bodied heirs, were able to arrive within the stipulated time.

Zhao Zhen was still a benevolent king after all, and he did not treat his officials harshly.

If it is replaced by Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, most of the officials who participated in the sacrifice this time will be dismissed by him.

If Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty was determined to abolish some corrupt officials and nobles, he would definitely give full play to the role of sacrifice.

He may have moved the time to noon, or even in the morning, after the Qin Heavenly Supervisor gave the afternoon sacrifice time, and possibly sent a close supervisor to rush the civil and military officials.

It's a pity that Zhao Zhen is not Liu Che, he doesn't have the courage to dismiss half of the civil and military officials in one go.

Kou Ji didn't have that courage, so even if he knew that he could use the sacrifice to dismiss half of the civil and military officials, he didn't dare to encourage Zhao Zhen to do it.

When the auspicious time came.

Among the civil and military officials, nearly eighty percent of them went to the location of the altar.

Zhao Zhen lay down in the gap in the curtain of the tent door, looked carefully, and found that most of the important officials in the court were there, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai sitting on the ground, sweating and panting.

Zhao Zhen sighed: "I'm really afraid that the three of them will delay the hour......"

Kou Ji stood behind Zhao Zhen, calmly staring at the panting officials outside the tent, and said, "The three of them know the importance of the suburban gift, so even if they climb, they will climb here within the specified time." ”

It's a bit impersonal, but it's true.

The will handed down by Zhao Zhen may not make Lu Yijian and the others feel fearful.

But the great Confucians who regarded sacrifice as their life were different.

They will definitely do their best to make everyone aware of the importance of sacrifice.

"They moved ......"

Koji whispered.

Zhao Zhen looked outside the tent and saw that the Confucian scholars who had come to the altar with the support of the disciples of the sect had gathered together, blocking the avenue leading to the altar, blocking the officials, martial artists, and concubines who came later.

After the officials, martial artists, and concubines who came later were stopped out of the avenue by the Confucians, they wanted to break through one by one.

Someone took advantage of the strength of the crowd to push the Confucians back.

Some of the great Confucians accidentally fell to the ground.

His disciples immediately swarmed him and knocked the people he was leading to the ground.

The other big rus shouted loudly.

Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, Zhang Zhibai, and Qi Qi glanced at the tent where Zhao Zhen was, and saw that Zhao Zhen did not move.

Lu Yijian gasped and stood up, "The official family is determined to punish these disobedient guys, so he will definitely not come forward." If we don't come forward, once those great Confucians are hurt, we will have to follow the infamy. ”

By now, Lu Yijian had already guessed the intention of Zhao Zhen's will.

Those great Confucians were obviously looking towards Zhao Zhen, and Lu Yijian had no way to find Zhao Zhen and let Zhao Zhen take back his fate.

Once he finds Zhao Zhen, those great Confucians will definitely blame him for destroying the sacrificial ceremony.

At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, in order to facilitate the work of officials from the government and the opposition, Zhao Kuangyin simplified some etiquette to a certain extent.

The cumbersome etiquette has been removed, and the essence of it has been retained.

None of the rituals left today are superfluous.

It was impossible for the Confucians to sit idly by and watch Lu Yijian destroy what little etiquette was left.

Lu Yijian didn't want to have a bad reputation, so he could only silently cooperate with Zhao Zhen's will.

Lu Yijian got up, used the Xiang Order, mobilized a team of hundreds of soldiers and horses, blocked in front of the Great Confucian and the officials, and captured all the officials who had collided with the Great Confucian and twisted them to Zhao Zhen's tent.

Zhao Zhen appeared outside the tent very 'coincidentally'.

In Lu Yijian's complicated expression, in the clarity of the great Confucians' expectations, Zhao Zhen snorted coldly and said: "The person who presided over this ceremony is the famous Confucian in Bianjing City, I still have to respect them for three points, how dare you collide with them?"

Many of you and others still took advantage of the meaning of their commentaries to take the Jinshi.

After some people entered the official career, they did not study the articles and classics they preached.

They want to educate them, but they don't respect them.

In my court, there is no room for ruthless and unrighteous people. ”

"Chen Lin?"

"The slave is here!"

"Dismissal, dismissal, assassination for thousands of miles!"

"......"

Chen Lin led the imperial guards and dragged the officials who had collided with the Great Confucian out of the altar.

The Confucians saluted Zhao Zhen excitedly one by one.

"Official Shengming!"

Zhao Zhen gave them enough respect, so they offered their most sincere respect to Zhao Zhen.

It is impossible for Lu Yijian and the others to pretend to be deaf and dumb on the side, they can only follow the Confucians and praise Zhao Zhen Shengming together.

Zhao Zhen, who was extremely sage, continued to speak after they gave their salutes, "Those officials and nobles who did not arrive here at the auspicious time will all be demoted by six levels...... The concubines in the palace will all be demoted to three levels ......"

As soon as Zhao Zhen's words came out, the Confucians agreed without hesitation.

Lu Yijian and the others twitched in pain, but they couldn't say anything against it.

The official titles they had won for the little cubs in their family were now all gone.

When the imperial court was in the family of the shadow official, the official title given was not high.

All of them will be downgraded by six levels, and they will be able to be reduced to a negative number at once.

Naturally, there are no negative numbers above the officials, so they are equivalent to dismissal officials.

Of course, when old ministers such as Lu Yijian and Wang Zeng resigned or passed away, the officials whose heirs were shaded by the family had other sayings, which were not included in it.

When they were in the center, the imperial court would not give them too high an heir, and they were basically below the seventh rank.

If the heirs of their families want to obtain higher official titles, they can only wait until they become adults, enter the official career, take up a real position, and be promoted by virtue of their own merits.

Or when they die or resign, they will go further through the shadow.

This is not difficult to see from Kou Tianci's body.

Zhao Zhen can be said to be very fond of Kou Tianci, but even so, he only used Kou Ji's merits to give Kou Tianci the official position of a prince's attendant.

After Kou Ji returned to the dynasty after making contributions in the northwest, Zhao Zhen did not add an official to Kou Tianci.

Instead, a part of the grace was distributed to Xiang Yan and Kou Li.

After Zhao Zhen's will reached the outside of the altar, there was a wail.

But no one cared inside the altar.

The attendant of the Ministry of Rites stood on the stone steps at the altar and proclaimed.

The Confucians held the sacrifices that had been prepared long ago, and stood under the altar to greet Zhao Zhen.

The civil and military ministers were divided into three groups, following Lu Yijian, Kou Ji, and a royal family member respectively.

Zhao Zhen was wearing a chapter uniform and stood at the front.

"Ritual Initiation ......"

When the waiter of the Ministry of Rites pronounced these three words.

Zhao Zhen led the civil and military officials and relatives of the emperor and walked to the altar.

Zhao Zhen entered the incense, and the civil and military officials and relatives of the emperor bowed.

Zhao Zhen offered three animals and five grains, and the civil and military officials and relatives of the emperor bowed again.

Subsequently, Zhao Zhen took Lu Yijian and Kou Ji to the altar.

The Confucians followed up to the second step of the altar.

The Confucians stood on the second step of the altar and read out the sacrifices that had been prepared long ago.

After the Confucian scholars finished reading the memorial text, the civil and military officials and the emperor's relatives bowed again.

Zhao Zhen took Lu Yijian and Kou Ji to the top of the altar.

Zhao Zhen stood at the top, read out the sacrificial text prepared for him by the Ministry of Rites, and threw the sacrificial text into the dings at the top of the altar.

When the paper ashes rose with wisps of green smoke, he took Kou Ji and Lu Yijian to worship the sky three times.

The sacrifice did not end there.

In order to show his sincerity, Zhao Zhen also had to take the civil and military officials to live under the altar for seven days.

Of course, it's the officials who really eat and drink.

Zhao Zhen has a tent and food.

Zhao Zhen gave enough face to the Confucians, and the Confucians were not good at this matter.

The great Confucians just stared at the civil and military officials.

Seven days later.

Civil and military officials, relatives of the emperor and the country, all of them were hungry and couldn't straighten their waists.

Finally, with the support of the soldiers of the forbidden army and the soldiers of the imperial guard, he got into the carriage.

Of course, the three members of Kou Ji's family are not among them.

Xiang Yan was pregnant, so she received special care from Zhao Zhen, and Zhao Zhen secretly sent someone to invite Xiang Yan over and let her live with the two pregnant concubines and eat and drink together.

When he set off from Bianjing City before, Zhao Zhen couldn't maintain Xiang Yan in front of everyone.

But taking care of Xiang Yan in private, no one can say anything.

Even if the ministers of civil and military affairs are unbearable, they still need some face, and they will not be able to deal with a pregnant woman.

Kou Tianci didn't worry about eating and drinking.

When he was fine, he slipped into Zhao Zhen's tent to eat and drink.

He has a special status, and the ministers of civil and military affairs are not easy to care.

Kou Ji teleported from it through Kou Tianci and got some food from Zhao Zhen, so he was not hungry.

Zhao Zhen sat on the dragon and led the civil and military officials and imperial relatives back to Bianjing, and then dispersed.

The civil and military officials and relatives of the emperor drove directly to the most famous restaurants in Bianjing, obviously hungry.

Kou Ji originally wanted to go home, but was stopped by Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai, who found a wine shop and invited Kou Ji in.

After sitting down.

Lu Yijian said to Kou Ji with a complicated expression: "In the future, the three of us will keep an eye on it, and we won't let people impeach you again, don't make trouble anymore." ”

When Kou Ji heard this, he said with a strange expression: "The gift of the suburbs, in the eyes of the three of you, is it a demon?" If these words reach the ears of those great Confucians who have just received the rewards of the official family, they will probably be able to scold your eight generations of ancestors. ”

Without waiting for the three of them to speak, Kou Ji said again: "Although I proposed to hold the suburban ceremony, it was the official family who made the final decision. The three of them suffered this time, and it was also given by the official family, so it has nothing to do with me.

I proposed to hold a suburban ceremony, purely out of public interest. ”

"Phew!"

Wang Zeng took a sip and said angrily: "What kind of person is your kid, the old man knows clearly." You just can't see anyone impeaching you, that's why you came up with such a bad idea and tossed everyone around.

Your kid proposed to hold a suburban ceremony, and if it was a public heart, the old man's head would be taken off for you. ”

Kou Ji said unhappily: "I don't like to hear what the prince says, am I Kou Ji such a domineering person?" Am I the kind of person who will repay my eyes? If someone impeaches me, I will take revenge on them, so what am I for? In this world, who doesn't know that I, Kou Jile, am charitable and broad-minded. ”

Zhang Zhibai sighed and said a fair word, "It's true that your kid is kind and charitable, but he is not broad-minded. ”

Kou Ji asked, "When I went to the northwest, the impeachment of me was almost piled up in the Vertical Arch Hall. Who am I taking revenge on? I didn't retaliate against anyone. That alone is enough to show that I have a big heart.

When I went to the northwest, the people in the mansion of the eldest princess of Deng Guo coerced my wife behind my back and asked my wife to hand over the members of the forging steel workshop and the textile workshop.

But did I get revenge on her?

I didn't? ”

When Lu Yijian and the others heard Kou Ji's words, the corners of their mouths twitched.

You didn't retaliate?

You didn't take revenge on the Chai family, how did you die?

How did the eldest princess of Deng Guo get imprisoned in the mansion?

It's not that you didn't take revenge, you didn't take revenge to the death.

Seeing that Lu Yijian and the three of them were staring at him without speaking, Kou Ji said with great certainty: "It can be seen that I am definitely a broad-minded person. ”

Lu Yijian was too lazy to talk to Kou Ji anymore, he stared at Kou Ji and said in a deep voice: "Don't tell those nonsense to the three old men, give me the right words, do you agree?" ”

"Promise what?"

"The three old men will help you stop those impeachments, don't make trouble in the future."

“……”

Kou Ji glared at Lu Yijian and shouted, "Who do you think of me Kou Ji?" From the time I came out to the present, everything I have done has been for the sake of the court, and I have never had the slightest selfishness......"

"What the hell do you want?"

The king cried out angrily.

Kou Ji said without hesitation: "I also want the three interpreters of Honglu Temple who know how to eat literature." ”

When Lu Yijian and the others heard this, they almost didn't spit out a mouthful of old blood.

Lu Yijian glared at Kou Ji viciously, "Here you go!" ”

Kou Ji asked, "When will it arrive?" ”

"Tomorrow's ......"

"Hoo ......"

Kou Ji let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Actually, I'm still very good at talking, you ...... say"

"Get out!"

Wang Zeng couldn't help it at all, and pointed to the outside of the wine shop and shouted.

Kou Ji got up, flicked his sleeves, and hummed: "Participating in political affairs in a dignified manner, saying such vulgar words in front of the public is unseemly, unseemly, unseemly......"

Before Wang Zeng broke out again, Kou Ji had already left the liquor store.

"Shaft! Shaft! ”

Wang Zeng scolded angrily.

Lu Yijian sighed, and after Wang Zeng had scolded enough, he looked at Wang Zeng and Zhang Zhibai and said, "You say, are he and the official family going to attack Wenchen?" ”

Wang Zeng and Zhang Zhibai frowned in unison.

Zhang Zhibai hesitated: "Could it be too early?" Through this suburban festival, the official family attracted a group of famous Confucians, but it was not enough to support them to complete the literary reform.

Don't look at those famous Confucians who are now supporting the official family, once the official family moves their interests, they will definitely stand opposite the official family without hesitation. ”

Lu Yijian said in a deep voice: "Then how do the officials who were dismissed from their posts explain this suburban festival?" Afterwards, I carefully checked and found that in this suburban festival, because of the delay in the hour, most of the dismissed officials were civil officials. ”

Wang Zeng said with some doubts: "Could it be that the official family and Kou Ji really want to fight against Wen?" ”

Zhang Zhibai asked: "It's like dealing with Wu Xun, looking for a reason to depose many unused officials in the court?" ”

Lu Yijian glanced at the two of them, lowered his voice and said, "The biggest danger to the literary system of my Great Song Dynasty is not the officials of the court chief, but the land. Most of the land in the Great Song Dynasty was in the hands of officials and local tycoons.

The reason why the people in various places frequently rebelled was because the land in their hands was occupied by local tyrants or officials, and they had no land to plant, so they could only act as tenants.

They will no longer be able to survive when they are oppressed, and they will inevitably cause chaos.

If this problem is not solved, even if the official family and Kou Ji play the literary system with flowers, it will not have much effect. ”

Zhang Zhibai said in a deep voice: "Who in the court doesn't know about this, I'm afraid the officials also know the harm." However, this matter is widely implicated, and the officials do not dare to act rashly. ”

When Zhang Zhibai said this, he glanced at Lu and Wang, and said: "The two mansions also have a lot of land, if the official family wants to distribute it to the people, are you two willing?" ”

Wang Zeng looked at Zhang Zhibai and said in a deep voice: "It's not a question of whether we are willing or not, even if we give up the land in the house, what can we do?" If the officials are unwilling, they will inevitably unite with the local powerful and make trouble from it.

When the time comes, we will be the target of public criticism. ”

Lu Yijian frowned and said: "This matter is extremely harmful, and you can't act rashly until you come up with a proper way." ”

Wang Zeng said in a deep voice: "But the thoughts of the official family and Kou Ji are not something we can control. They don't discuss with us what they're going to do behind their backs. ”

Lu Yijian pondered for a while and said, "I have to find a way to find out the thoughts of the official family." ”

Wang Zeng and Zhang Zhibai are two people.asxs. head.

Just when Lu Yijian and the others were figuring out Zhao Zhen's thoughts, Kou Ji had already left Bianjing City in a carriage.

After returning to the mansion, Kou Ji stayed in the study, making his plan for a crash course in food literature, and did not leave the mansion again.

There is a turmoil about the suburban festival, which is boiling in Bianjing City.

As a result, many officials were dismissed from their posts at the suburban festival, and many officials were demoted because of this.

In the residences of various officials, there was almost a wail.

The same is true in the palace.

Those concubines worked hard, and finally they were promoted to one or two levels, and a suburban sacrifice brought them back to their original positions.

Some people even fell out of the ranks of concubines and became palace ladies in the palace.

However, no one had mercy on them.

With the endorsement of the great Confucians, it is not good for the ministers to trouble Zhao Zhen in this matter.

Although Wu Xun and the emperor's relatives were damaged in this suburban festival, their damage can be said to be very small compared to their ministers.

They saw that Wenchen was unlucky, and it was too late to be happy, how could they help Wenchen speak.

In the end, the end of the suburban festival was that in the midst of applause and praise, Zhao Zhen dismissed nearly seventy percent of the false positions in the court.

……

Next.

The three officials of Honglu Temple who knew how to eat food arrived at Kou Ji's mansion.

Kou Ji instructed the steward of the palace to arrange for them to stay first, and then instructed them to teach themselves to learn the Great Food Literature first.

Kou Ji plunged headlong into the study of Da Shiwen, and it took more than a month to study.

It wasn't until the spring was approaching that Kou Ji broke away from his studies.

Kou Ji walked out of the door of the study, stretched out his waist, glanced left and right, and noticed that no one was paying attention, so he subconsciously stuck out his tongue.

After studying Da Shiwen for more than a month, Kou Ji felt that his tongue was knotted, and he stuck out his tongue, naturally to relieve the pressure on his tongue.

It's just that this scene was seen.

"Sir...... You...... You ......"

Fan Zhongyan quietly appeared beside Kou Ji, looking at Kou Ji sticking out his tongue with a look of shock.

Kou Ji's face darkened slightly, staring at Fan Zhongyan and said, "When did you arrive?" ”

Fan Zhongyan was stunned for a moment, and said frankly: "I have been waiting in the side room, and when I heard your footsteps, I hurried over." ”

"Something?"

"There is ......"

Fan Zhongyan said with a somewhat solemn expression: "The rumors in Bianjing City are even better. ”

Kou Ji was stunned for a moment.

Fan Zhongyan reminded: "Rumors about your inner Jinshi...... Some scholars were running in secret, planning to boycott the exam on the day of the opening of the course. ”

"Strike?"

Kou Ji was stunned.

Fan Zhongyan nodded solemnly.

Kou Ji smiled, he stared at Fan Zhongyan and reminded, "Don't spread the news that the official family will come to the examination room in person." If they want to boycott the exam, let them stop.

When the official family came to the examination room in person, they saw that there was no one, and they would definitely 'reward' them. ”

When Fan Zhongyan heard this, he smiled bitterly, "Aren't you harmful?" ”

Kou Ji smiled and said, "Am I going to hurt them?" It is their own bad intentions. In previous years, the trend of submitting papers was prevalent, and there were countless fraudsters, and I didn't see them boycott the exam.

Their boycott of the examination this time is nothing more than that I have recruited some of the talented scholars to the government, which is a lever, and they can use it to get some of the talented scholars down and reduce competition.

If you want to harm others, they will harm themselves, not me. ”

Fan Zhongyan said with tears and laughter: "If you reveal the fact that the official family will come to the examination room in person, they will definitely not ......."

Before Fan Zhongyan's words were finished, he was interrupted by Kou Ji, who said: "Before they entered the officialdom, they have already learned to frame others for their own benefit.

If they succeed, will they continue to work harder in the future?

If I let them into officialdom, I might have to send them to death with my own hands when I turn back.

I hid the fact that the official family would come to the examination room in person, not to harm them, but to save them. ”