The court discussion is a very important decision-making method of the imperial court, and the scope of participation varies from one to the other, but it is certainly indispensable to scholars and six books. When the Son of Heaven himself couldn't make up his mind or wanted to see the direction of the courtiers, he often asked for a "lower court discussion" for the performance.

When Li You saw the answer, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought. The Empress Dowager Cisheng gave up the arbitrariness of the Qiangang and threw out the "lower court discussion" which is very interesting.

Although the fuse of this salt industry trend was the Cheng family's unjust case, the root of it was that after the abolition of the treasure banknote, the imperial court used the salt as a banknote. Since the formation of the practice, nearly 100,000 Changlu salt has been rewarded every year in lieu of real money, which has seriously damaged the order of the salt industry.

The biggest losers are naturally the powerless and powerless small and medium-sized salt merchants, and the beneficiaries are the powerful people in the capital. For example, a certain eldest princess, last year, she was given 5,000 yuan (note: super prince treatment) of long reed salt and all of them were withdrawn - this is what Li You saw by chance when he was consulting the archives. No wonder she casually bought herself with a thousand taels, it's really not bad money, and it's no wonder that she is so sensitive to salt matters, and she actually killed her family out of thin air.

This is a white 5,000 leads, envy, jealousy and hatred, and because it involves his own mistress, Master Li is very impressed, so he joked to His Royal Highness, "You and I can't have one heart in this matter."

Although she has vested interests, she is more generous and loyally defending the Zhu family. So knowing its hypocrisy, he still couldn't help but be moved by Li You's deliberate sentence "for the country and the people".

However, not every powerful person has the bearing of the eldest princess of Guide. For various reasons and entanglements, the Queen Mother is also very conflicted, she does not want to be commented on by later generations as mediocre and greedy and compete with the people for profit, and she does not want to fall behind the reputation of being stingy and mean. Therefore, for this complicated matter involving the struggle between the interests of the powerful and the common people, she handed over the responsibility to the courtiers to deal with it.

Under normal circumstances, which ministry is responsible for convening and presiding over the matter of which ministry belongs to the court, and if it is difficult to define the belonging or involves multiple ministries, it will be presided over by the head of the six ministries. The salt industry belongs to the affairs of the household department, so the court discussion on the turmoil of the salt merchants in Jingshi Zhili was convened by the household department.

At the beginning of December, there was no court meeting, no feast, no feast, and it was not a festival, so the household department agreed to this day.

Two days in advance, the Ministry of Household Affairs sent a summoning post to all yamen and cabinets. Cheng Zhilang, Shang Bao Sicheng, and the following twenty-eight words are omitted Lord Li learned the news, and then he didn't receive a post from the household department for a long time, and he was dissatisfied with the household department in his heart.

Recently, when the Queen Mother convened the cabinet, ministries, and ministers of science and technology several times to discuss things, Lord Li, as a court magistrate, coupled with the special position of dividing the vote, has always had a stable position, and even the class is ranked above the science and road. This time, the household department organized the court meeting and actually omitted him? It's not scientific.

Although he generally does not intervene in deliberations, it does not mean that he can tolerate being ignored by the household department. There is no place for the court meeting, so what is the dignity and significance of the court push as an official, a court push official who has not a few people in the court cannot even participate in the court meeting, isn't that a joke?

Well, in fact, it is also the arrogance and arrogance that Lord Li is used to in his surname when he is in good times, and it is difficult to change his surname.

In the afternoon, Li You finished handling the chapter at hand and hurriedly left the palace to go to the Shangshu Mansion of the Ministry of War. Ten days of raising soldiers, using soldiers for a while, it's time to use Daddy Cheng. It's a pity that Cheng Xiaoniang was caught in his hands by Guide Chitose, and he couldn't come back when the eldest princess was delirious in bed a few days ago, which shows that His Royal Highness is determined to do things for others.

When he arrived at Lu Mansion, accompanied by his cheap brother Lu Sangongzi and the housekeeper, Li You entered the courtyard and said to Cheng's father: "So far, the time has come for you to become famous and make a fortune!" ”

Father Cheng sat still, looked up at Li You without desire and uneasiness, and then bowed his head and said: "Fortunately, I am forgiven, I have no other thoughts in this life, I only wish to spend the rest of my life quietly." ”

How did this somewhat dull but self-righteous old man become like this? A few days ago, it was okay when I let him go to the front of the household department to show up and post a signed big-character poster to brush up his reputation. Li You was stunned by this, his eyes fell on Father Cheng's hand, and there was a Buddhist scripture in his hand, could it be that he was depressed by the blow of this cruel world?

Father Cheng said again: "Origin and extinction, all laws are empty, red dust cause and effect..."

Again... The superstitious Buddhists (potentially counted) are the most annoying! Li You angrily kicked the Buddhist scriptures away, and said to the Lu Mansion steward who accompanied him: "Where did you come from?" ”

"There are always miscellaneous items in this house, and there is a cabinet where some Buddhist scriptures of the deceased old lady are placed, and the old gentleman is probably bored and turned them out."

There is enough bizarre, Li You said to Father Cheng again: "Old man! You used to be a small salt merchant, and it was difficult to support a bag of salt. Don't you want to be admired by thousands of people in the future, be a celebrity, and earn a hundred family businesses? ”

Father Cheng was silent.

"A hundred years in the world, a great opportunity is just around the corner, don't you think it's a pity that the opportunity can't be lost and never come again?"

Father Cheng shook his head and said nothing.

"You can make a profit of thousands of silver every year! Maybe the court still looks at you differently, and you are not moved at all? ”

The temptation of fame and fortune has failed, Li You is really speechless, thinking about whether to use some violent means? According to his observations, Father Cheng seems to have a psychological shadow on force and is very afraid. Last time, Wang Yannu forcibly took Cheng Xiaoniang away in front of him, and he didn't dare to say a word; When he forcibly abducted him and left, he was still arrested by himself without saying a word, although he was very stubborn before.

At this time, Li You's wife's brother Lu Sangongzi suddenly stood in front of him and said to Cheng's father, "Can you read Buddhist scriptures? Also someone who has read a book? ”

Father Cheng nodded and said, "It's a pity that I couldn't study when I was young." ”

Lu Sangongzi said aloud: "What is the matter with reading the book of sages? Kong said to be benevolent, Meng said to take righteousness, stand in heaven and earth, benefit the common people, and almost deserve it! Indulge in foreign ways, isn't it in vain to read books? ”

A pair of nerds! Li You sighed, so that the big truth can be decorated with a façade sometimes, what is the use of saying it now? This is not a crooked novel, do you really expect someone to bow down after saying a few empty and empty truths?

Lu Sangongzi continued: "Although your family is unfortunate, there are still tens of millions of peers facing danger like you!" So far, the industry has felt what happened to you, and has risen up for the fate of your own family, the former sage Yuntie shouldered morality, and you are also a person who has read books, how can you not recognize morality, and evade your own responsibilities with empty and empty words, and you are worthy of reading the sage books? ”

Father Cheng's face gradually changed, and he got up and bowed to Lu Sangongzi: "Childe's teachings, keep them in mind." ”

That's it? Li You was dumbfounded, the spiritual world of nerds, he didn't understand this layman... After thinking about it again, he came to a conclusion: "Actually, Daddy Cheng really didn't read the book, let alone read it thoroughly!" ”

If you really read the book thoroughly, just look at what the bigwigs in the court look like.

The next day, when the salt merchants of Jingshi heard that there was going to be a court meeting, they gathered again in front of the household department to petition. The father of the Cheng family also appeared, and he performed very seriously and really in his true colors, running and calling under the slogan of "reforming the salt law", and also posted big-character posters, and was beaten after a conflict with the household officials, and became famous in the Beijing division industry for a while.

In a blink of an eye, it was the seventh day of the first lunar month, the sky was sunny and windless, and the winter was warm and warm, so that people didn't want to drill into the house. At this time, when the sun is outside, it is often warmer outside than inside.

For example, the first room of the East Dynasty Room outside the noon gate was very cold, but the court bigwigs still gathered here.

It was a small court meeting, and the scale was not very large. Participants are limited to university scholars, Jiuqing, and household science to the middle of the matter, and related imperial history.

In the cough of the head of the household Shangshu Yan Jun, the court discussion began, and the topic was naturally the turmoil of the closure of the salt merchants in Beijing.

The salt industry is basically a matter of the household department, and it has almost nothing to do with the other five departments, not to mention that this is a relatively vulgar government affairs, which is too active and detrimental to decency. In addition, when it comes to the interests of the powerful, these bigwigs are rewarded with salt every year to show their grace, and they can be regarded as beneficiaries, which makes the situation even more complicated. Therefore, most of the other people were not interested in speaking, and Xu Tianguan, the secretary of the ministry, began to close his eyes and recuperate.

The people in the business department can excuse themselves by not caring about themselves, but the old scholars can't show the corpse vegetarian meal. Therefore, the court discussion was mainly held among the scholars, and occasionally there were science and Taoist officials mixed in one or two opinions.

Gradually, two very different opinions were formed, one for pacification and the other for repression.

The "pacification" faction was dominated by Peng Gelao, a scholar of Wuyingdian University, and the "suppression" faction was dominated by Yuan Gelao, a scholar of Wenhuadian University. It just so happened that these were the two people who were secretly competing for the first pavilion elder, and things became more complicated and sensitive.

Yuan Ge Lao said murderously: "How can they condone if they want to blackmail the imperial court!" If there is any discomfort, he will often stop his business and call for a break, where will he put the court's plan? If it is easily coerced, what is the face of the court? This wind must not last, and the culprit must be investigated and disciplined! Otherwise, there will be more things to do in the future! ”

Elder Peng Ge retorted: "You are wrong! There are many extenuating circumstances, just for a livelihood, and not for rebellion. The court should be considerate of the people's feelings, practice the foundation of benevolence, soothe their hearts, and forgive their intentions. How can you add fuel to the fire? Moreover, the matter of business travel is not forced labor, and if you want to be forcibly recruited, how can you recruit it? On the contrary, it will ruin the major events of the country next year! ”

"Thou shalt not be spared the kindness of a woman!"

"Thou art harsh!"

In fact, both of them consciously ignored one point, should they restrict the salt introduction of the powerful? Whether it is repression or pacification, there must be this premise, but it is more difficult to solve, so it is put down first.

In the midst of the stalemate, the door to the room suddenly opened, and a shining light shone into the room. With the tall figure that Yue Guang stepped into the threshold, who could it be if it wasn't Li Zhongshu?

"I just heard the two pavilion elders outside the door, and they were all empty talk! When national affairs are in difficulty, how can we deal with them with empty talk? As soon as Li You came in, he said loudly.

"Get out! I'll wait for the discussion, who will let you in? Peng Ge Lao scolded unceremoniously.

Li You smiled disappreciatively: "The Queen Mother has a decree to order me to come to this East Dynasty Room!" Peng Ge is not allowed? ”

Everyone in the room quickly pondered, what did the Queen Mother mean by sending Li Zhongshu here?

(To be continued)