Unlike the coldness I saw when I visited Zhang Dun’s mansion last time, what Ji Yi saw in Zhang Dun’s mansion today was a scene of prosperity. The men and women with Fujian accents were all wearing new clothes, with festive atmosphere on their faces.

Ji Yi knew that these people were not officials who came to the door to flatter, but Zhang Dun's family and relatives.

The Zhang family in Pucheng is a family of Fujian. Since the late Tang Dynasty, Zhang Zaijun, the sixth-generation ancestor of the Zhang family in Pucheng, Zhang Dun's great-grandfather Zhang Renche, and Zhang Dun's great-grandfather Zhang Wenyan were all important officials of the Fujian State. Zhang Dun's grandfather Zhang Qi and Zhang Zijun's son Zhang Renche successively served in the Southern Tang Dynasty (after the Southern Tang Dynasty destroyed the Fujian family and defected to the Southern Tang Dynasty) and served as high-ranking officials.

After entering the peaceful Song Dynasty, the children of the Pucheng Zhang family embarked on the bright road of imperial examinations and officials. Among Zhang Dun's father's generation, Zhang Desi was a senior official. Zhang Dun's father Zhang Yu also passed the Jinshi. In the two generations of Zhang Dun and Zhang Dun's sons and nephews, the Zhang family in Pucheng had many talents, and there were more than a dozen people in high school. Among them, Zhang Dun's nephew (ten years older than Zhang Dun) was still in the second year of Jiayou (Zhang Dun passed the Jinshi for the first time this year, and chose to "repeat" because he was not as good as his nephew's exam). Zhang Dun and the two brothers Zhang Dun and Zhang Dun's tribe not only passed the Jinshi, but also became important officials of the country. One was the only prime minister for many years and the other was in the northwest for many years. This combination was unique in the history of the Song Dynasty.

While Zhang Dun and Zhang Shi were extremely prominent, their sons also had high school Jinshi. Now they either serve as officials in Kaifeng Prefecture or work in the local area... They are really an enviable family of the imperial examinations!

Today is New Year's Eve. Most of the Zhang family's children who were officials in the local area rushed to Kaifeng Prefecture. The Zhang family's children and nephews who worked in Kaifeng or studied hard in Kaifeng Prefecture were also on vacation. Now they all gathered in Zhang Dun's prime minister's mansion.

Most of the people who came were officials, but Ji Yi couldn't feel the atmosphere of wealth and honor. Of course, it was impossible to be shabby. The Song Dynasty implemented high salaries and integrity. The salaries and benefits of officials were very good, and they could live more comfortably without corruption. But it was just comfortable, and it could not reach the level of wealth and luxury. If the family of the priest seemed shabby everywhere, it would be hypocritical to pretend to be honest. If wealth and luxury are everywhere, it would definitely be a corrupt official.

As far as Ji Yi knows, Zhang Dun, a recognized "power traitor", is not a corrupt official. Not only is he not very corrupt, he also does not appoint personal personalities and promotes his children excessively. Apart from his concubines from his elders in his early years, he can't find any small braids in his ethics.

Of course, the "power and traitor" label that Shilin Qingliu put on Zhang Dun was not a slander for not saying that Zhang Dun was a corrupt official, and a traitorous minister was not the same as a corrupt official... Zhang Dun's "traitor" is not about holding money, but about getting power.

The two things Zhang Dun, the only prime minister and Zhang Feng, are enough to be charged with taking power. Not to mention that after he came to power, he kept collaborating charges and cracking down on dissidents, making the already a bit fierce struggle between the old and new party more intense.

The family law of the ancestors of the Song Dynasty focused on "different theories to each other" and "dividing power and checking and balancing". Military, wealth, punishment, and government were separated from each other, each performing their duties and pulling their backs. Zhang Dun monopolized the power (using the standard of the Song Dynasty was monopolizing power), which damaged the rules of "different theories to each other" and "dividing power and checking and balancing", turning the court into a one-man rule.

However, the basis of Zhang Dun's "one-man rule" is not the strength of the Zhang family, nor the power of the new party group, but the recognized support for Zhang Dun by the foolish emperor Zhezong.

The foolish emperor Zhezong was determined to destroy the Western Xia and recover Yan Yun. Naturally, he could not tolerate a noisy court that was thrusting each other.

In fact, the court led by Zhang Dun's one-man rule was not expanded by the power of the prime minister, but by the power of the monarch. This was because the civil servant group led by Zhang Dun did not break through the "control of the army" and did not have real military power. The new party collapsed at any time and the old party could make a comeback at any time. The intensification of the contradiction between the old and new parties gave the later Song Huizong the possibility of easy control of the court without any restrictions... So the destruction of Xixia Zhezong (who lived for ten more years would definitely be gone) and Zhang Dun became recognized as tyrant monarchs and treacherous ministers!

Well, very complicated logic.

Zhang Dun himself must not understand it, and he did not have the time to figure out such a long-term problem. On this New Year's Eve, he was busy using tricks against the Liao Kingdom and the Xixia.

Zhang Dun, a treacherous minister, is very traitorous to both the inside and the outside!

"Good job!" Zhang Dun listened to Ji Yi's report and laughed, "Empress Dowager Xiao Liang will never die, and there will be a bloody storm within the Western thieves... Maybe the Western thieves will really surrender to our court."

"If this is true, my husband will be the number one hero in our dynasty!"

"Haha," Zhang Dun touched his white beard and looked at Ji Yi with a smile, "The one who restores Yanyun is the first hero. I am old and can't see this day. But you, Ji Yizhi, are still young, and maybe you will be the one who restores Yanyun in the future."

When Ji Yi heard this, she quickly stood up and bowed and said, "I may not be able to take on a great responsibility."

Zhang Dun smiled without commenting, and did not talk about this question again. Instead, he changed the subject, "I remember your family is a maritime businessman?"

“That’s right.”

Zhang Dun asked again: "Is it a Manichaeism peddler?"

Ji Yi was shocked when she heard this and quickly explained: "In order to learn the Persians' ability to sail, my ancestors took over Persian Manichaeists. It was all the matter of the Tang Dynasty. The officials did not believe in Manichaeism..."

Zhang Dun waved his hand and smiled, "I know that I am from Fujian."

He was not only from Fujian, but his ancestors were also important officials of the Fujian State, such as the maritime merchants and Manichi, and the Tianfang Cult. Moreover, the Zhang family and the Ji family were close relatives. Of course, he knew that some people in the Ji family believed in Manichi.

"You just said that your ancestors learned the skills of the Persians in sailing?" Zhang Dun continued, "How is your ability? Where can you go at the farthest distance?"

"You can go to Sanfoqi and Tianzhu at the farthest distance," Ji Yi replied truthfully, "but you don't go there often."

"Can't you beat the Dashi Maritime Businessman?" Zhang Dun asked.

"It's not impossible to defeat it," Ji Yi said, "The main reason is that the Dashimai merchants have the advantage of the territory... To the west of the Sanfoqi, they are all the territory of others. Even in the Sanfoqi Kingdom, there are also strongholds of the Dashimai merchants."

"Oh." Zhang Dun nodded and asked again, "Whose territory is Liaodong, Liaoxi and Yanyun coast?"

Ji Yi replied: "Song Shang, Liao Shang, and Goryeo merchants all account for a part."

Zhang Dun then asked: "Where is your Pingjiang Ji family?"

Ji Yi replied: "It also accounts for a part."

"Oh." Zhang Dun asked, "What about the court?"

"The court?" Ji Yi was stunned, "My grandpa, the court does not do maritime trade... The sea affairs are too risky. If you are not careful, the ship will be destroyed and the people will be killed. It is just a life to fight for wealth!"

Zhang Dun smiled and said, "Do you think I want to take away the profits of your family? I don't mean that. I want to know if the court can use the maritime merchants along Liaodong, Liaoxi and Yanyun for their own use?"

"This is... not easy." Ji Yi frowned, "After all, it is difficult for the government to control the affairs at sea."

Zhang Dun stroked his beard and smiled and said, "Then you can think of a solution slowly... People always think of it.

By the way, this time I returned from Liao, don’t take the land. If you want to take a boat, I will take a boat back. There will be two ways, one way to go along the Yellow River and one way to the sea. This boat will be delivered by your family. This is an opportunity, take it carefully!”

"Okay, please make arrangements right now."

Ji Yi understood that Zhang Dun was giving herself the opportunity to make achievements... This person is not rich without wealth, and a horse is not fat without night grass, so it is the same as being an official! Without the great opportunity to establish achievements, it is difficult to have Zhang Dun's current status by following the steps.

If you want to join the two governments as soon as possible, you must have a great opportunity to rise!

Zhang Dun nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, celebrate New Year's Day first... By the way, are your family in Pingjiang?"

Ji Yi said: "I am still unmarried, and my mother lives in Pingjiang."

"Oh," Zhang Dun smiled, "Then let's spend the New Year's Eve here tonight."

The "unmarried couple" mentioned by Ji Yi refers to the eldest wife who has no formal marriage. There are many concubines and family tricks, and there are three children, all waiting for him to go home for the New Year's Eve dinner.

However, Ji Yi will not give up the opportunity to have the New Year’s Eve dinner with Zhang Dun... Mr. Zhang’s move may have other meanings. He has many daughters, nieces and granddaughters!

...

"Mr. Dalang, the old man asked you to go out to welcome relatives from Luoyang's hometown."

At the same time, Wu Haogu had just sent away another wave of visitors who came to give gifts. When he was about to discuss his painting experience with his newly accepted apprentice Du Wenyu, a servant from the Wu family came to report like a flying servant.

It turns out that he lives in a poor place and has no one to ask about the city. He is rich and has distant relatives in the deep mountains. Wu Haogu's family and Baibo Wu family in Luoyang have not had contact with each other for many years. Now, a letter has passed and relatives have come to visit him.

Wu Haogu smiled at his female apprentice and said, "Wenyu, you go back first... and move to the teacher's place after you have met your master's wife."

Du Wenyu's identity is a bit of a traitor, and it is called a master and apprentice, but in fact... it depends on Pan Qiaolian's meaning.

Madam Du blushed and asked softly: "When will the student come to serve the teacher?"

She is actually the granddaughter of Old Man Du, and she is born in a vassal family and has no status in the Du family's mansion. However, she would not be a gift for her grandfather to give to Wu Haogu. She was a disciple of Wu Haogu. She proposed that she herself. She has been practicing painting since she was a child and is very talented. She would have become a generation of fake masters of the Du family, but when she copied Wu Haogu's works, she was impressed by the other party's genius, so she had the idea of ​​becoming a disciple and learning skills... and her grandfather went with the flow!

Wu Haogu looked at her and said with a smile: "After the New Year, go to Christie's' big study every day.
Chapter completed!