Tong Guan was one of the 'Six Thieves' of the Northern Song Dynasty. When Yang Fang said that Emperor Han Ling favored the Ten Attendants and that Emperor Liang Wu was obsessed with Buddhism, she did not mention the names of those treacherous officials. Only when she talked about Emperor Huizong of Song did she mention their names. Moreover, she ranked General Tong Guan before Prime Minister Cai Jing. Obviously she was implying something. The generals were too stupid to understand, but the civil officials were already whispering to each other.
Yang Fang saw that Emperor Zhengde could not understand her painstaking efforts. She could not help but kneel down and say, "Studying history is to warn the later generations. Your Majesty should study morality, be sincere and clear, revering virtue and repaying merit. Then you will rule the world. Nowadays Your Majesty likes riding and shooting and is too lazy to study. I heard that Your Majesty has left the palace many times to watch martial arts in the western suburbs. Being obsessed with this little skill is not what a wise Son of Heaven would do. "
As soon as Yang Fang's voice fell, a leisurely voice in the hall said, "It turns out that those who are good at riding, shooting, and practicing martial arts are not wise rulers. Milord's history books are really well read. Hmm, it turns out that the Qin Emperor and Han Wu who practiced martial arts to expand the territory were not wise rulers."
Yang Fang suddenly turned around and saw it was Yang Ling talking to her. She immediately said, "Confucius said …"
As soon as Yang Ling heard it was Confucius again, he immediately said, "Confucius said, don't use my words in every sentence."
"Ha ha ha ha …!" This time, not only did the military generals not care that the Emperor was sitting above them, they couldn't help but laugh, even many of the civil officials couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh. As a result, Yang Ling's famous saying later became an effective weapon of destruction for the military generals against the civil officials, often making the civil officials roll their eyes.
Li Dongyang coughed twice to cover his laughter. He said seriously, "Mr Yang, in the imperial court, in front of the Emperor, you must not make fun of a saint!"
Yang Ling looked around and saw that many civil officials were angry and dissatisfied. He smiled at Grand Secretary Li and said, "Grand Secretary Li, please forgive me. I just think that in the time of Confucius, it was the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period. The situation, culture, politics and economy of the various countries were different from now. After a thousand years, the world has changed dramatically.
The benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust of the Saints to educate the people are universal and unchangeable. However, the views of the Saints on the politics of the dynasty are targeted at the politics of the time. If the people of today recklessly use them, rigidly adhere to the rules and speak nonsense in the name of the Saints, not only will it harm the country and the people, it will also ruin the reputation of the Saints. "
As a matter of fact, as long as one became an official and truly detached themselves from books, they would have long felt that it was not enough to rule the world just by relying on the knowledge of the Sages. The so-called 'ruling the world with half of the Analects of Confucius' was just a boast. Although all the virtuous officials claimed to be the disciples of Confucius and Mencius, their political policies had long been mixed with the teachings of Huang Lao. Although they said it was one thing, deep down, they did not believe that just a few words left behind by the Sage could solve all the problems.
Therefore, after listening to Yang Ling's explanation, Li Dongyang did not say anything. Yang Ling turned to Yang Fang and asked, "Mr Yang said that one can rule the world by learning morality, and military training is just a small skill. Now that the Miao Tribe is in chaos and the Tartars are eyeing them, this is Ming Destiny's current internal and external problems. Can it be quelled by education? If we only focus on education, not on civil affairs, and not on military affairs, can the country be peaceful for a long time? "
Hearing this, Yang Fang disdainfully said, "A bunch of fugitives stirring up trouble is no more than a minor ailment, not a calamity to the country. The Tatars and the Yuan people live in a remote corner of the wilderness, they do not have any great ambitions, what is there to worry about? Making a mountain out of a molehill is just an alarmist. "
Yang Ling clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Wonderful. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang are just a disease, but the barbarians of the Meng Yuan Dynasty are nothing to worry about. Well, I believe there must have been a lot of virtuous officials like you in the Song Dynasty. "
Yang Fang blushed and said angrily, "Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were against tyranny. It was because the tyrannical Qin Dynasty treated the people harshly that the people rebelled."
Yang Ling asked back, "What about the Yuan Dynasty destroying the Song Dynasty? Are the Yuan people the masters of justice? Are the Yuan people nothing to worry about? "
Wang Yan jumped out and said, "That's different. The Yuan people are now divided, and they are like barbarians in a remote place. What is there to be afraid of?"
Yang Ling said, "The Yuan people came from outside the Great Wall. Didn't they enter the Central Plains in the end? Now that they are back outside the Great Wall, are they not afraid of stopping the Yuan people outside the Great Wall? "
Yang Shousui, the Minister of the Ministry of Works, said, "Times have changed. Now that the world is at peace, the country is prosperous, and the people are at peace, so it is enough to be virtuous and benevolent to the people. The Tatar barbarians are born in the bitter cold and live as nomads. They are good at riding and archery. They are not our experts in agriculture, so it is unwise to compete with them in martial arts. Therefore, we only need to stop the barbarians outside the country with an army. If there is no internal strife, how can they take advantage of it? "
Yang Ling stretched out a finger and said, "First, it is not wrong to say that the world is at peace, the country is prosperous, and the people are at peace. But as a minister, I should always have a sense of worry. Isn't it said that people live in worry and die in peace? Right now, Ming Destiny's benevolent policy has won the hearts of the people. Unfortunately, natural disasters have been happening in the past few years, and desperate people have been fleeing for their lives. His Majesty doesn't know about these things. You keep saying that the world is at peace, and the people are at peace. What are you up to? "
Yang Shousui was so angry that his white beard was twitching. This sentence had really become a cliché. It was not said with care, and it was not pleasing to the ears. Yet, Yang Ling had used this sentence to pick on his words, making this old man of the same family extremely angry.
Yang Ling extended another finger and said, "Second, you said that times have changed, so you admit that policies should change according to the time, the place, and the situation? Is it what the saints taught you to stick to the rules and be inflexible? "
"Third!" Yang Shousui was just about to open his mouth when Yang Ling shouted and stopped him. If this old man were to start a long speech again, Yang Ling would not be a match for him. Yang Shousui was an old man, and his mind was not as quick as a youngster's. Furthermore, every word he said was not about the Emperor, but about the founding emperors and fallen emperors of the past. The old man was careful with his words, afraid that he might break a taboo. As long as he hesitated for a moment and wanted to organize his words, he could continue.
Yang Ling raised his third finger and said with assurance, "As long as the internal affairs are at peace, we don't have to worry about foreign enemies? How do you know that foreign enemies won't be developing, improving, and pacifying their internal affairs like us? Only wise emperors like Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu would send troops to attack the Yuan people several times to prevent them from gaining power outside the pass. "
Yang Shousui and Yang Fang (… Why are there so many people in the old Yang Family? Is the Yang Family the most prominent surname?) Wang Ao was so angry that blood almost rushed to his head. He had used Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu to help him. How could they argue? This man is too shameless!
The other officials wanted to help, but they did not dare to do so. Some of them had already forgotten what the original topic was. How did they end up talking about foreign military affairs?
Yang Ling did not dare to give them time to think. He said again, "Fourth!" Zheng De was ecstatic to hear this; he turned his head and looked around, he could not help but feeling a little regretful, why didn't he bring Liu Jin, Gu Dayong, and the others with good foresight? Look at how pleasant Yang Shishu's speech is, it's much better than their scripture recitation.
Yang Ling took a step forward and turned to see the generals listening attentively. He could not help but feel a little ashamed. "I'm just an intellect. I can only fool uncouth people like you." He counted on his fingers and said, "Fourth, you said that the Yuan people are good at riding and archery, but the people of the Central Plains are not good at fighting. Then how do you explain the powerful nomadic Xiongnu and Turks defeated in the Han and Tang Dynasties?
Legend has it that the Jin soldiers were undefeatable when there were no more than 10,000 of them. But when the Jin fought against the agricultural Yue Army, they were defeated again and again. They exclaimed, 'It is easy to shake Mount Tai, but difficult to shake the Yue Army!' How do you explain that?
How do you explain that Xie An defeated the 270,000 cavalrymen and 600,000 infantrymen of the former Qin Dynasty with 80,000 soldiers in the south? Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu of our dynasty went on expeditions to the north several times. The Yuan people fled at the sight of them. Sometimes when the army arrived, they could not even see their shadows. How do you explain that?
Let me tell you, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, we Han only sent out one army to destroy half of the Xiongnu and drive away the other half. It was these defeated Han soldiers who fled to the west. They successively conquered the Goths and the Germans, causing the destruction of a vast empire in the far west. You can imagine how powerful the martial arts of the Han people were at that time! "
Yang Ling did not know how much reason these guys wanted to talk to him. In any case, he was afraid that bringing up the cowherd Zhu Zhongba and the butcher Zhu Di was not enough, so he simply brought up the entire Han people. At that time, the nationalism was a hundred times stronger than it was now. When he said something, the hot-blooded generals all shouted, "Good!"
Zhengde looked as if he was listening to a story. He was beaming with joy and scratching his ears and cheeks.
After Yang Ling said this, whoever dared to refute him would be opposing Ming Destiny! Opposing Zhu Yuanzhang! Opposing the Han people! If they said something wrong, they might become a laughing stock in the future. These people were experienced officials and they knew that Yang Ling's words were full of traps. No one was willing to fall into them.
But … if they did not refute, didn't that mean that he had won?
Many of the officials secretly touched the articles that they had prepared for the whole night and sighed. The materials they had prepared were all unrealistic and empty talk about ideals and morality. It was completely different from what Yang Ling had said.
Yang Tinghe looked to his left and right, only to see the generals rubbing their fists, Liu Daxia glancing sideways, the civil officials looking at each other, the three scholars keeping their mouths shut. As for Zheng De, who was rocking back and forth with joy behind the table, not at all behaving like an Emperor … Yang Tinghe decided to ignore him.
The three officials did not speak during the banquet. As the lecturer, Yang Tinghe had no choice but to come forward and give a concluding speech. He cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Tension without relaxation, civil and military cannot be achieved. Relaxation without tension, civil and military cannot be achieved. Tension and relaxation is the way of civil and military. The theory of governing a country includes civil and military, politics and economics. It is true that one cannot use one method to understand everything. But … listening to Mr Yang's words, do you think that military affairs can decide everything? "
Yang Ling was overjoyed. Yang Tinghe wanted him to give a concluding speech. He finally managed to muddle through. He hurriedly smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Not so. Just like what all the officials have said, what decides everything is internal affairs. Only when the government's orders are clear, the officials are upright and the people are well-off, only then can we talk about a strong country and strong army. The examples that I have given are all countries where the ruler is virtuous and the officials are capable. Only when the country is wealthy can they train strong soldiers. But as a ruler, there is no king who does not attach importance to military affairs. It is only because I heard that Yang Lin, Mr Yang, is biased that I have the guts to speak frankly.
Military affairs should always be prepared. As the saying goes, 'Nurture an army for a thousand days, use it for a single day'. Military affairs are the supplement and guarantee of governance. It cannot be neglected during normal times and be rushed to the Buddha's feet. This lowly official is a military general. Therefore, when discussing military affairs, I only talk about one aspect of the country's politics. Ha, ha, this is a lecture, it is to open up a wide range of opinions and not stick to one pattern. As for whether what I say is right or not, it is not my business. "
Yang Tinghe smiled slightly. He was about to speak when Zhengde slapped the table and said happily, "Very good, very much to my liking. Zhen is also tired, I still have to pay my respects to Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager. Let's leave now."
Yang Tinghe bowed in acknowledgment. He ordered the lecture to end and the hundred officials to leave the hall. Zhengde stood up. Seeing that Yang Ling was surrounded by the military generals, he quickly shouted, "Beloved Subject Yang, come to the Eastern Warm Room later, zhen has something to say to you."
The Emperor had spoken, the military generals did not dare to linger too long. After a while, Yang Ling, shaking his shoulders that had been slapped until they were numb, also left the Hall of Literary Glory and hurried to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
The Palace of Heavenly Purity was the main hall of the inner court. There were nine horizontal rooms and five inner rooms. At the two ends were the Eastern Warm Room and the Western Warm Room. Because the Emperor of Hongzhi used to often handle memorials and government affairs in the Eastern Warm Room, after Zhengde succeeded the throne, he also often worked in this room.
Yang Ling came to the imperial road in front of the main hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. He was just about to turn toward the Eastern Warm Room when suddenly the Golden Pavilion creaked. Two little chamberlains pushed open the door of the hall and a group of people walked out from inside.
On the two sides of the balcony in front of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, there were two gilded bronze pavilions on the stone platform. They were called the Golden Hall of the Country of Rivers and Mountains. On all four sides of the pavilion, there were four partition doors. The upper eaves of this pavilion were round and pointed, and there was an elegantly cast treasure roof, symbolizing that the country of rivers and mountains was in the hands of the Emperor. The people in the Palace all called it the Golden Pavilion.
Usually, other than the eunuchs who were sweeping, no one else was allowed to enter. Yang Ling could not help but take a glance. He saw two little chamberlains holding horsetail whisks walking out of the hall door, one on the left and one on the right. Soon after, two palace maids carrying a beautiful person wearing light yellow palace attire leisurely walked out of the hall door. The beautiful person's delicate head was slightly tilted, that pair of beautiful eyes just happened to meet Yang Ling in martial attire.
As soon as she saw Yang Ling, the beautiful person in the palace attire was first startled, then a joyful light appeared in her eyes. That crescent moon-like light eyebrows also suddenly bent. Yang Ling recognized that it was Princess Yongfu. He hurriedly took a step forward and bowed below the platform. He said, "Subject Yang Ling greets Your Royal Highness the Eldest Princess!"
Now that Princess Yongfu's brother had become the Emperor, according to etiquette, she should be called the Eldest Princess, so Yang Ling addressed her this way. Princess Yongfu's heart beat a little fast. She originally had an inexplicable feeling for this young man who was the only one she had ever come into contact with outside the palace. Ever since Yang Ling entered the capital, he had not stopped. There would always be news of him passed into the inner palace through the little eunuchs, and then through the palace maids by her side who were quick to speak, she could not forget him even if she wanted to.
A few days ago, when she heard that Yang Ling was imprisoned because of the Emperor's tomb case, Princess Yongfu really worried a lot for him. But no matter what, it was not convenient for her to come forward and plead for him. She could only pray in her heart that the Heavens would bless him and let him live. Later, Yang Ling did not die, and this made this little girl happy for a long time.
She did not think that she would be able to see the person she thought she would rarely see today. Princess Yongfu was startled for a moment, then a happy smile blossomed on her face. She said, "So it is Count Weiwu, Mr Yang, you may rise!"
"Yes!" Yang Ling stood up straight and respectfully did not dare to raise his head to look at her. Princess Yongfu saw this and felt a little disappointed. So what if they saw each other? Although the two of them were very close, they seemed to be worlds apart. The joy in Yongfu's eyes dimmed a little.
At this moment, a Taoist priest walked out from behind Princess Yongfu. This Taoist Taoist priest was only sixteen or seventeen years old. He was actually wearing an official Taoist robe. He was a Taoist official of the imperial court with a red sandalwood hook in his hair bun. His hair was black as if it was dyed with paint. His appearance was clear and handsome, but he was young and handsome, and did not look like an immortal.
As soon as he came out, a Taoist boy followed behind him. He was two years younger than him. His nose was sharp, and his eyes were like bright stars. He was unbelievably beautiful, but he was wearing an ordinary grey-green Taoist robe.
The older Taoist priest saw a general standing below the stage. He could not help but smile and said, "Your Highness Yongfu, this general is …?"
Princess Yongfu quickly said, "This is the Emperor's bodyguard commander, Mr Yang Yang Ling, General Yang, and this is Zhenren Hong Zhan."
Yang Ling saw that Princess Yongfu was very respectful to the young man. He quickly bowed and said, "General Yang Ling greets Zhenren."
But he could not help but secretly whisper in his heart. Didn't they say that ever since the Emperor of Hongzhi drove away the foreign monks, he no longer favored Buddhism? Who found such a young boy to play tricks on them? He actually dared to go straight to the inner palace and let the Princess accompany him to the Golden Pavilion. It seemed that he was very favored.
Princess Yongfu saw that Yang Ling looked calm. She knew that he still did not know the young man's identity. She could not help but smile. She gently lifted her skirt and slowly walked down. The two Taoist priests, little eunuchs, and palace maids followed behind her down the stone steps.
Princess Yongfu walked in front of Yang Ling and said softly, "General Yang, this Zhenren is Zhenren Hong Zhan. He is in charge of all Taoist matters in the world. He is the 48th Taoist Master of Mount Longhu."
Yang Ling was shocked. It turned out to be the Nation Master. No wonder Princess Yongfu was so courteous to him. He did not expect the Nation Master to be so young. He quickly bowed to the Nation Master again.
The Taoist priest behind the Nation Master squeezed to the side of Princess Yongfu. He looked at Yang Ling curiously with his black eyes. Then he frowned and asked with a pair of feminine curved eyebrows, "You are Yang Ling? The Yang Ling who disobeyed the imperial edict to save his wife? "
That Zhenren Hong Zhan was young but had an imposing manner. He frowned and reprimanded, "Fu Bao, step back. Don't be rude."
That Taoist priest stuck out his tongue and suddenly retreated behind him. Yang Ling saw that the Taoist priest named Fu Bao had casually approached the Princess Yongfu. Princess Yongfu was not angry at all. He could not help but be surprised. Although this Nation Master's official rank was not high, just like the three Grand Secretaries in the cabinet, they were all fifth or sixth grade officials. But he had great power and could not be offended.
He quickly smiled and said, "Yes, I dare not disobey the imperial edict. It is just a rumor among the people. Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned me to the Eastern Warm Room. I will go now."
A trace of reluctance flashed in Princess Yongfu's eyes. She nodded slightly and looked at Yang Ling's back in a daze. But that Taoist master Zhang was also stunned as he looked at Yang Ling's back. He frowned and seemed to be deep in thought.
Princess Yongfu soon realized that she had lost her composure. A blush flashed across her jade-like face. She turned around in surprise and said, "Taoist Master has prayed for blessings. Have you returned to the back palace to see my mother?"
"Ah?" Taoist master Zhang Yu-shuo was calculating with his fingers in his sleeves. When he heard Princess Yongfu's question, he quickly said, "No, the Taoist will enter the palace to pray for blessings on the day of His Majesty's wedding. Today, when I arrived at the capital, I hurriedly came to see His Majesty and Empress Dowager. The Taoist wants to take this opportunity to visit Duke Cheng Province."
The 47th Taoist master Zhang Yuanqing married the daughter of Duke Cheng according to the imperial edict. He was bestowed with a python robe and a jade belt. He was both the Nation Master and a relative of the Emperor. This young Taoist master was Zhang Yuanqing's only son and Duke Cheng's grandson. Since he had come to the capital, of course he wanted to see his grandfather.
Princess Yongfu smiled sweetly and said, "If that is so, I will return. Xiao An Zi, escort the Nation Master out of the palace."
Reverend Hong Zhan cupped his hands in front of Princess Yongfu and followed a servant out. The Taoist named Fu Bao caught up with him and walked shoulder to shoulder. He whispered, "Brother, what were you calculating just now? Is it because that Yang Ling looks a little ancient …? "
Reverend Hongzhi suddenly stopped and covered his mouth. He glared at him and scolded in a low voice, "Shut up, trouble comes from the mouth!"
He quickly glanced at the little eunuch who was leading the way. Seeing that the eunuch was not paying attention, he let out a sigh of relief. He let go of his hand and said, "We'll talk when we get back. If you cause trouble again, I won't bring you out!" He then hurriedly chased after the little eunuch.
Fu Bao stood still in a daze. He stretched out his fingers and calculated for a while. He scratched his head in confusion and hurriedly chased after the eunuch.
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