"Wechen retires!"

Fan Ning gave a salute and slowly walked towards the outside of the imperial study.

"Go ahead! Take a good break, Aiqing has really worked hard in the past two years. ”

Zhao Ji looked at Fan Ning with a smile and said goodbye, just as Fan Ning left the imperial study, the smile on Zhao Ning's face disappeared, he sat back in his seat, looked at the resignation letter on the table in a daze, and there was some chagrin in his eyes, he agreed to Fan Ning's resignation, is it a good thing or a bad thing?

He suddenly slammed his fist on the table, gritted his teeth and said, "The eldest husband did it, why regret it?" ”

An hour later, Zhao Ji issued a holy decree, agreeing to Fan Ning's resignation as the generalissimo and privy envoy of Peking University, and reappointing Fan Ning as a scholar of Longtuge University.

This is the first time that Zhao Ji has exercised this personnel right since he obtained the right to appoint and dismiss officials above the third rank from the Queen Mother a month ago.

When the news came out, the government and the opposition were in an uproar, and Fanning's resignation as the commander of the troops was certainly surprising, but Fanning's resignation was equally shocking.

After the reform of official positions, the imperial court paid attention to the unity of power and affairs, although there was a process of this reform, but at least at the level of Xiangguo has been clarified.

The prime minister of the Great Song Dynasty is the left and right servants and the Zhongshu Ling or the subordinate servants, and the deputy ministers of the Great Song Dynasty are the Zhongshu Shilang, the Menxia Shilang and the Shangshu Province left and right, plus a privy envoy, a total of seven prime ministers, including two prime ministers and four deputy ministers and a privy envoy deputy minister.

Fan Ning was appointed by the Longtuge University Scholar to the Zhongshu Sect Ping Zhangshi, although he still retained the qualifications of Xiangguo, but it is only equivalent to the later generations to enjoy the vice-national treatment, he can no longer participate in the Zhizheng Hall vote, nor can he participate in the Xiangguo Deliberations, Taishi is an honorary position, to a certain extent, Fan Ning has resigned from all positions in the court.

If Fanning was sixty or seventy years old, but he was still so young, this had to make people sigh and reverie infinitely.

Fu Bi blocked Fanning in front of the door of the Privy Council, he pulled Fanning aside, and said urgently: "What the hell is going on with you?" ”

Fan Ning smiled slightly: "The rich minister came just in time, I don't know where my new official room is?" Can you give me some pointers? ”

"Don't give me a hippie smile, I'm serious."

Fanning looked up at the sky and said with a smile: "Why don't we go have a drink together?" ”

Fu Bi saw that there were people on both sides and knew that this was indeed not the place to speak, so he waved his hand, "Go to Zhu Lou!" ”

Fanning and Fu Bi came to the special private room in Zhu Lou, and the two sat down at the table, and the bartender served them wine first.

Fanning poured a glass of wine for Fu Bi and said, "My grandmother has been in poor health this year, she is over eighty years old, and I want to meet her." ”

"She's in the North Island?"

Fanning nodded, "She can no longer take the boat back to her hometown, so I can only go there." ”

Fu Bi looked at Fan Ning for a long time and said, "It's just an excuse!" ”

"It's really just an excuse, but the Son of Heaven approved it, what do you say?"

Fu Bi understood the meaning of Fanning's words, "You mean, in fact, the Son of Heaven wants to remove you from your position?" ”

Fanning smiled, "I didn't say that, it was Fu Xianggong who was thinking about it." ”

"Alright! Even if I'm thinking about it myself, I wonder why? ”

"Haven't you thought of it?"

Fu Bi's eyes widened, and he held back four words for a while: "Meritorious master!" ”

Fanning stared at the wine in the glass and smiled: "This wine tastes really good, I didn't know before, I have to take a few more bottles to the North Island." ”

Fu Bi was stunned for a moment, then sighed and said, "What's the trouble? ”

Fanning drank the wine and said with a slight smile: "Instead of being suspicious, it is better to go to it, isn't this a relief for me?" ”

"But what about Da Song?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "The rich minister is too worried, the Great Song Dynasty is full of talents, it won't be impossible because of the lack of anyone, I am not there, there will be other bosses, besides, the general trend of the Liao State has gone, as long as the troops are cautious, there will be no problems, why should the rich minister worry?" ”

"How can I not be worried?"

Fu Bi was really helpless, he knew that the matter had come to this point and it was irreparable, so he had to ask, "When are you going to go to Beidao?" ”

"Prepare, half a month later!"

Seeing that Fu Bi was worried, Fan Ning smiled and said: "Now there is also a pigeon post between Beidao and the Great Song Dynasty, if there is an emergency, you can contact through the pigeon letter." ”

Fu Bi nodded silently, he thought that Fan Ning could persuade him to resign just for some reason, but he didn't expect that he was actually because of his high merits, so he couldn't persuade him.

Fu Bi is an old bureaucrat, he knows that some bottom lines cannot be touched, and the high merit is the bottom line of the Son of Heaven, once the Son of Heaven has this awareness, then leave quickly, Fanning's departure is undoubtedly a wise move.

"Alright! I will greet the newspapers and ask them not to report on this matter, so as not to cause unnecessary criticism. ”

Fanning smiled a little surprised and asked, "Can the government still control public opinion?"

Fu Bi shook his head, "I can only say that I try my best, if they can take care of the overall situation, of course it is best, if they must report, we can't do anything." ”

………….

As it turned out, Fu Bi's efforts had no effect, and at noon the next day, almost all the newspapers reported on the front page that Fanning had resigned from his post as generalissimo of the expedition to the north.

For a time, public opinion in the government and the opposition was in an uproar, and this matter became the focus of discussion in the entire capital, and various newspapers wrote a series of comments analyzing the reasons for Fanning's resignation.

These comments have also become the basis for teahouses and restaurants in the capital to talk about this matter, but more people of insight are worried that once Fan Ning leaves, will it affect the war of the Great Song Dynasty against the Liao State.

In the afternoon, Zhao Ji, the son of heaven, was discussing with Wang Anshi the candidate for the coach of the expedition to the north, Zhao Ji was considering Fu Bi, but Wang Anshi strongly recommended the deputy minister Han Jiang as the coach of the expedition to the north.

"Your Majesty, although the battle to destroy Xia was led by Fan Ning, Han Xianggong was the deputy marshal, and he took on the important task of attacking Western Xia from the south, and it turned out that he had the experience of commanding hundreds of thousands of troops, although Fu Xianggong also had experience, but he was old after all, I am afraid that his energy and physical strength could not allow him to lead the army again."

Zhao Ji nodded, Fu Bi was indeed a little too old.

At this time, a eunuch shouted at the door: "The Empress Dowager has arrived!" ”

Zhao Ji was shocked, the imperial grandmother came, and as soon as his mind turned, he knew that he must have come for Fan Ning's business, what should he do?

Without waiting for him to think of a countermeasure, he saw Empress Dowager Cao angrily walk into the imperial study.

Zhao Ji hurriedly smiled and said: "As long as the imperial grandmother gives an order, the grandson will go to Cining Palace to greet her, why should the imperial grandmother personally work over?" ”

Empress Dowager Cao slapped the newspaper on the table with a cold face, "The mourning family asked you, is this thing true?" ”

Zhao Ji saw the headline report on the front page at a glance, and he sighed in his heart, sure enough, it was this matter.

Zhao Ji hurriedly said: "The facts are indeed true, Fan Xianggong resigned from his military position and phase to me yesterday. ”

"You have to give the mourning family a reason, the incompetent are reused, but the meritorious are dismissed, the mourning family can't figure out what the reason is?" After speaking, Empress Dowager Cao glanced coldly at Wang Anshi next to her.

Wang Anshi secretly smiled bitterly in his heart, in the heart of the Queen Mother, is he an incompetent?

Zhao Ji hurriedly found Fan Ning's resignation letter and presented it to the Queen Mother with both hands, "Imperial grandmother, please calm your anger, this is Fan Xianggong's resignation letter, which has a reason for his resignation, and his grandson is also reluctant to approve it, it is definitely not so unbearable as rumored outside." ”

Of course, Zhao Ji also read the newspaper comments, and those sharp comments all said that Fan Ninggong was dismissed only because of his high shock, which made Zhao Ji very annoyed, and these newspapers were clearly ruining his reputation.

Annoyed is annoyed, Zhao Ji has no choice, even if he is the Son of Heaven, he can't interfere with public opinion at will.

Empress Dowager Cao had already finished reading Fan Ning's resignation letter, and the anger in her heart slowly calmed down, and she frowned and asked, "His grandmother is far away!" How did you know the news that my grandmother was seriously ill? ”

Next to him, Wang Anshi said: "Empress Dowager Qiyu, there are pigeon letter stations in the North Island and the South Continent to contact the Great Song Dynasty, and the news can be transmitted to the capital in ten days." ”

Zhao Ji also said in a timely manner: "Sun Er doesn't want to change the coach at this critical time, but considering that filial piety is the first, Sun Er can only approve it." ”

"It's just that you removed him from his military position, why did he remove him along with his phase?"

Wang Anshi said on the side: "The Queen Mother doesn't know, there are regulations in the Zhizheng Hall, if Xiangguo takes private leave for more than three months, it will affect the operation of the Zhizheng Hall, this situation is generally to go to the actual post and retain the qualifications of Xiangguo, and Fan Xianggong goes to Beidao, at least four or five months, more than half a year or even longer, so His Majesty did nothing wrong to remove Fan Xianggong from the phase." ”

Empress Dowager Cao was also speechless for a while, and she said coldly: "Since the official family has sufficient reasons, the mourning family has nothing to say, but the mourning family wants to remind the official family that the Great Song Dynasty attacked and destroyed the Liao State, and the opportunity is rare in a hundred years. ”

After speaking, Empress Dowager Cao turned around and walked away.

Zhao Ji's mood suddenly deteriorated, did he really do something stupid?

Wang Anshi reassured him and said: "Your Majesty, the battle of Song and Liao is a struggle of national strength, and it will not change because of someone's ability, the national strength of Liao is declining, and the general trend has gone, Weichen believes that even if there is no Fanning, the Song army will definitely play a triumphant song." ”

Zhao Ji nodded, "May you be auspicious!" ”8)