At the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, the grandfather of the Song Dynasty, once had a conversation with Zhao Pu, the prime minister, and as a military general who peacefully seized the throne with "yellow robes and body", Zhao Kuangyin asked Zhao Pu with great interest: "What is the biggest thing in the world?" ”
Who is Zhao Pu? Zhao Pu was the prime minister who was known as the "half of the Analects ruling the world", and he was also the main adviser of Zhao Kuangyin who was able to successfully seize the world, and Zhao Pu was not only Zhao Kuangyin's confidant, he was also a confidant of Zhao Kuangyin and later Emperor Taizong of Song.
In the face of Zhao Kuangyin's questioning, Zhao Pu thought about it a little, and did not say the two words that Zhao Kuangyin hoped for, the emperor, but said the other two words- the truth.
Zhao Kuangyin was also quite surprised, how could this confidant old minister not give face so much? What is the greatest thing in the world, isn't it me, the emperor who is high above? How can it be "truth"?
However, after all, Zhao Kuangyin was a rare benevolent prince in the history of our country, and he did not get angry, but expressed his approval of this "truth" that was greater than the emperor.
Zhao Pu not only answered Zhao Kuangyin in this way, but also carried out this in his actual work, truly driving the truth that he believed to be correct above the imperial power.
Once, Zhao Pu wanted to recommend a person to an official position, but Zhao Kuangyin repeatedly refused, and Zhao Pu did not take the emperor's will as a guide, but continued to propose this appointment to Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Kuangyin was very angry, and he even tore up the appointment application sent by Zhao Pu and threw it on the ground.
Zhao Pu did not have any fear, but slowly picked up the shredded pieces of paper, returned home and spliced them together, and gave them to Zhao Kuangyin another day, continuing to ask him to approve the appointment.
Zhao Kuangyin encountered such a difficult prime minister, and was forced to do nothing, and finally had to agree to Zhao Pu's suggestion.
Another time, Zhao Pu wanted to promote an official, and Zhao Kuangyin just didn't approve it. Originally, according to the system of the Song Dynasty, officials had a certain number of years, and if there were no bad deeds, they should be promoted.
However, Zhao Kuangyin did not like this official and did not agree to let him be promoted, and Zhao Pu did not have personal feelings with that official, and he continued to insist on his opinion as before in accordance with the "reason".
Zhao Kuangyin was forced to be anxious by Zhao Pu again, and he angrily said to Zhao Pu: "Zhao Pu just doesn't agree, what can you do?" ”
In the face of the angry supreme emperor, Zhao Pu said without fear:
"The reward of punishment, the reward of punishment under the heavens, the reward of non-Majesty's punishment." How can you be moody and angry! ”
Zhao Kuangyin listened, his face turned pale with anger, he did not want to listen to Zhao Pu talk about this kind of big truth, and he threw off his sleeve and went to the inner palace. Zhao Pu could not enter the inner palace, so he stood outside the palace gate for a long time, just not leaving.
After Zhao Kuangyin heard the news from the eunuch, he had to agree to Zhao Pu's request again: to do things according to the rules.
Through this story, we can interpret Zhao Pu's stubbornness to speak "truth" in the face of imperial power, and it can also be interpreted as the benevolence of Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, who not only knew that mistakes could be corrected, but also could decide the promotion of officials without his own preferences.
The sentence spoken by Zhao Pu has also become a famous quote often quoted by many ministers in later generations, and we can often see similar words in the deliberations of the ministers of the Song Dynasty:
"But the king of men shall take the whole world as justice." (Cai Jie, grandson of Cai Xiang, a famous minister of the Northern Song Dynasty)
"The law of the world should be shared with the world, and there is a division to keep it and die." Although the Son of Heaven shall not be private, then the great public of the world shall be established. (Fan Chengda)
"The world under heaven, the world of China, the world of ancestors, the world of the courtiers, the surnames, the three armies, the world of non-Majesty." (Southern Song Dynasty Imperial History Fang Tingshi opposed song gaozong's peace talks)
"The world under the heavens, the world under the world, not the private property of one person." (Zhu Xi)
This article is referenced from: Beyond Interest Groups: An Unprecedented Brutal Dissection of the Song Dynasty