Wanli Xinming

Chapter 3 The Sutra

After the feast was over, the lingering voice was still lingering.When all the ministers saw the emperor's talent and intelligence, what they thought and asked was close to the great road, and all of them touched their foreheads and praised them, saying that the emperor had succeeded in winning people.

Those who are so thoughtful can't help pondering over the views expressed in the emperor's few words, secretly thinking about a cheap opportunity to do what he likes.

The chief assistant of the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng, returned to the cabinet signing room, thinking for a long time to no avail.It is said that the emperor was instructed, but he did not look like it, because the emperor interjected later and no one should be instructing, but he thought carefully for a few simple sentences, and it seemed that he understood the book.

In this big house, the emperor's words and deeds are all under the eyes of Feng Bao, his imperial teacher and his great companion. When will the emperor's holy studies be advanced?
As a scholar-bureaucrat, it is a good thing for the emperor to be sensible, and Zhang Juzheng can only be happy; but as a powerful minister who wants to carry out big plans, it is a pressure for the emperor to be sensible.If the emperor has his own ideas, his own governance will inevitably add a possible resistance.

Zhang Juzheng struggled for a while, and then thought of the recent 'Prince Wang's case', which gave him a headache.So he called someone close to him and asked him to tell him that Feng Bao would go to the prime minister's mansion to talk secretly at night.

Here Zhu Yijun is still in the excitement of participating in major political activities.However, with his years of experience as a civil servant, the city government is deep, and he is not overjoyed.

Back in the harem, serving Empress Dowager Li as usual.There was a long time ago that the ear reported the emperor's performance at the banquet. Empress Dowager Li was overjoyed when she heard that, and rewarded the palace servants around the emperor and encouraged the emperor.

Seeing her very happy face, Zhu Yijun took the opportunity to say: "Empress mother, the emperor has improved his studies recently, all of which were made by himself, but no one discussed the reasoning. Mr. Zhang, Mr. Shen, Mr. Lu and others taught very strict. , there are too many official duties, the emperor dare not bother Mr.

Seeing that there was no change in Empress Dowager Li's color, she boldly asked: "Can I choose some young men who are slightly older than the emperor's age and have both character and education to accompany me? It can also be beneficial.”

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Li said: "The emperor wants to study, I shouldn't have stopped you, but now you are the emperor, you are full of scholars, you have Hanlin, you are good at politics, Mr. Zhang, and there is Feng Bao in the palace. These people are not enough for you. To communicate and study? Get some teenagers, and your classmates, how will the emperor use them in the future? Don't you hear the truth of 'nearness'? Please don't!"

Zhu Yijun heard what Empress Dowager Li said, apart from being a little disappointed, he had a more intuitive understanding of the "iron triangle of politics" in the Wanli period.

At this time, the supreme power of the empire was not in the hands of the emperor, but through the trusting iron triangle of the empress dowager, Feng Bao, and Zhang Juzheng.Among them, the Empress Dowager Li is the granter of the highest power and is at the top of the triangle, but because she has no ability to govern, she has fully authorized Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao.Zhang Juzheng, as the chief assistant of the cabinet, handled the political affairs of the foreign court, Feng Bao, as the chief cleric supervisor, handled the affairs of the inner court, and at the same time endorsed Zhang Juzheng's political affairs as the emperor's secretary.

This famous triangular relationship in history is unbreakable. From the fact that Empress Dowager Li singled out the names of these two people, it can be seen that she trusts them - it was not until Zhang Juzheng's death and the emperor's rule that the iron triangle fell apart, and the consequences of the disintegration were other than Empress Dowager Li lived in the harem and no longer interfered in state affairs, but the other two were all gone. Zhang Juzheng was almost whipped, and Feng Bao was expelled from the palace and died miserably - which directly led to the complete failure of Zhang Juzheng's reform.

Zhu Yijun often studied the history of the Ming Dynasty in later generations, and deeply felt sorry for Zhang Juzheng.He believed that Zhang Juzheng was a rare virtuous minister for thousands of years. He almost single-handedly pulled the Ming Dynasty back from the brink, but because of the suppression of imperial power, the reform failed.

Later historians said that "the Ming Dynasty died in Wanli". In fact, it means that Wanli counterattacked after Zhang Juzheng's death, splashed water and fell with the children, and abolished all the achievements of Zhang Juzheng's reform, resulting in the complete weakness of the Ming government, which was easily taken by the Manchus. Occupy the country.

And at this moment, Zhu Yijun is the fourth person standing outside the iron triangle of power. According to normal history, he cannot help but have a power struggle with this iron triangle—in fact, it is not a struggle, but he is just waiting for it to break naturally. During this period, I have accumulated a lot of resentment - it may be possible to change to myself, to avoid the tragedy of people's death, but life is too short, obviously I already have the soul of an adult, and I have to wait ten years for Zhang Juzheng to die? !

Seeing that Empress Dowager Li did not agree to the companion reading, Zhu Yijun pretended to be unhappy.Empress Dowager Li was a little tired, but patiently reassured: "Don't be annoyed, the emperor, it is not feasible for the emperor to accompany you to read things. If you have time, our mother and two will go to Xiyuan to play." Zhu Yijun was afraid that she was overhearted, and pretended to be happy. .

The mother and son talked, and the palace wife Peng Shi and others arrived with the emperor's younger brother Lu Wang Zhu Yiliu, the emperor's sister Shouyang Princess Zhu Yao'e, Yongning Princess Zhu Yaoying, and Ruian Princess Zhu Yaoyuan.Zhu Yiliu is the second son of Empress Dowager Li, who is five years old today, and was named King Lu when he was two years old.

These children and Zhu Yijun were both born by the same mother, and Zhu Yaoyuan was considered a posthumous daughter, still in swaddling, held by a nursing mother.

Because she can only be a rich and noble prince all her life, Empress Dowager Li does not strictly demand King Lu, but she is more spoiled.King Lu has his eldest brother and two older sisters. He has not yet reached the age of reading. Although he is taught by a court lady who teaches etiquette, no one seriously controls him. Therefore, his nature is not lost, he is lively and active, and he is different from his brother. people.

After the ceremony, the monkey played tricks on Empress Dowager Li. Empress Dowager Li also smiled, stroked her back with her hand, and asked him how his breakfast and lunch went.Zhu Yiliu replied, and suddenly asked: "My mother, my sister is still drinking milk, how come my sisters and I have no milk to eat?"

Empress Dowager Li was stunned for a moment, then she smiled and said, "You have grown up, how can you eat human milk? If you want to drink milk, then let the Shangshan Supervisor put in some milk, and you can eat it when it is hot."

When King Lu heard this, he made a fuss about wanting to eat human milk like his sister. Zhu Yijun laughed while listening, thinking that King Lu deserved to be the number one "disgusting king" in the world, and he was full of tricks at a young age.

Nai smiled and said, "Brother, don't be annoyed, this human milk is only suitable for young children, if you grow up a little, eating human milk will make you neither tall nor strong. Do you want to grow taller and stronger? Do you need more strength? "

All children do not want to grow up quickly. I heard that eating human milk will not grow taller. Zhu Yiliu asked Zhu Yijun what he eats to grow taller and stronger. Zhu Yijun pondered for a while, and said: "The mother only said cow's milk, and cows are the most powerful among livestock. , Eating cow's milk will increase your strength and strengthen your body - I will drink it with my brother in the future, okay?"

Immediately looked at Empress Li and asked, "Empress Mother, do you think it is feasible?"

The matter of a bowl of milk, Empress Dowager Li did not fail to listen to the truth, and immediately ordered to go down, and in the future, she would give the emperor and King Lu a pound of milk every day.The two princesses wanted to hear it, and the Queen Mother Li also agreed.

Zhu Yijun didn't know whether the people in the Ming Dynasty regarded milk as a regular meal, and when he saw that the princesses wanted it, he knew that there was no such thing in the palace.

While speaking, he looked at Princess Yongning carefully, and seeing that her stature was not open, but there was indeed a beautiful embryo between her brows and eyes, and he couldn't help but secretly hate Feng Bao.

He came from later generations and knew that when Yong Ning was the master, because Feng Bao accepted bribes, he actually betrothed Yong Ning to a weak and sick ghost.The concubine vomited blood and fell into a coma at the wedding. Yong Ning was a widow for two months after getting married. He died in depression within a few years. When he died, he was unmanned, which can be said to be extremely tragic. - Feng Baozhi's domineering is evident.

Now that he has known about this, Zhu Yijun will naturally make this tragedy never happen again.

From this, he thought to himself about the trio of the Iron Triangle - Empress Dowager Li had filial piety and could not go against her will, and Empress Dowager Li, a woman in the palace, was honest and worshipped Buddha, and did not have the ambition of Wu Zetian. Zhang Juzheng delegated power only because she was the most economical just the heart

Zhang Juzheng, a reformer, is about to be effective, but he must limit his domineering - only Feng Bao is the weakest, and the only one he relies on is the favor of the Queen Mother Li.

As soon as Feng Bao left, Zhang Juzheng could only rely on his "early wisdom" to carry out reform plans, and he could slowly nurture Zhang Juzheng's concept of governing the country in later generations, so that the old empire could be brought to life.

After thinking about it for a while, I feel more and more that the plan is feasible.Zhu Yijun packed up his mood, spent a while in the Queen Mother's bedroom, and then returned to the bedroom.

Empress Dowager Li said: "The emperor is tired of the banquet today, so he should go to bed earlier." Looking at his appearance, he wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he didn't say anything. He just instructed an old eunuch surnamed Yin beside the emperor called Yin Xiang, and to serve If the emperor's wife Xu Shi, the little inner supervisor Zhang Cheng, etc. want to serve the emperor to bed on time.

Afraid that Zhang Cheng was young and unsteady, Empress Dowager Li spoke a few words to Eunuch Yin very harshly, and then let him go back.

Eunuch Yin, wife Xu Shi, and supervisor Zhang Cheng served Zhu Yijun and walked back to the palace. Before they arrived, they saw Feng Bao, the eunuch in charge of printing, and Zhang Hong and Zhang Jing, the eunuchs holding pen, waiting outside the gate of the palace.Seeing the arrival of the emperor, he was busy paying homage to him.Zhu Yijun adjusted his mood and said with a smile, "Is your partner here?"

Feng Bao's chubby round face always had an amiable smile on his face, and a bunch of eulogizing words gushed out from his mouth, exaggerating the emperor's performance at the banquet.Zhu Yijun listened to a few words, and took the lead to enter the hall.Seeing this, Feng Bao showed confusion on his face, lightly brushed off his python robe, and also entered the hall with Zhang Hong and Zhang Jing.

When he entered the hall, Zhu Yijun was stunned when he saw a pile of inscription books that were approved by the supervisor of ceremonies on the table.Said: "Aren't these the ones you've been criticized for? What are you using for them?" Feng Bao smiled and said, "Returning to the emperor's words, I will see the emperor's speech at the feast of the scriptures. Familiarize yourself with government affairs first, so Empress Dowager Bingming, from today onwards, will be criticized in the Qianqing Palace - it is also an idea to let the emperor familiarize himself with state affairs as soon as possible."

Zhu Yijun moved in his heart and said with a smile: "I just came from the Queen Mother's Palace, and the Queen Mother did not say anything like that."

Feng Bao was also taken aback for a moment. He saw the emperor speak out at the banquet today, and his words showed more mature thoughts. In addition to his happiness, he also feared that the power would fall.Last year, he just joined Zhang Juzheng to bring down the former chief assistant Gao Gong, and took charge of the Yin Si Lijian as Gu Ming. In less than half a year, he was already intoxicated by the peak power.

Seeing the emperor's intelligence today, he couldn't help but fall into a kind of entanglement like Zhang Juzheng.Although he has received a complete education in the inner study since he was a child, he does not have Zhang Juzheng's palace, nor the ethics of a scholar-officer. He only cares about his own power.

After thinking about it for a long time after the disbanding of the dynasty, Feng Bao came up with the idea of ​​"if you want to take first, you must give first", which is to let the little emperor see how this government affairs is done first - with his understanding of the emperor, when the emperor knows After reviewing the memorial is so hard, he may not be able to stick to it for a long time. In the end, the red right must be returned to him.

Once established, the emperor may also fully delegate power to him when he is an adult, so that he can rest easy.Therefore, the empress dowager, who was so excited, wanted to be popular in the Qianqing Palace. Although the empress dowager felt a little early, her mother's love was still a little blind, and she couldn't help but have some expectations in her heart, so she agreed.

However, Feng Bao did not know that this "psychological shadow plan of criticizing red" was in the heart of Zhu Yijun, and he did not expect that the queen mother did not instruct the emperor.Seeing that he was stunned, Zhu Yijun said to Zhang Cheng, the little inner supervisor beside him: "You go to the Queen Mother's office to ask, does the Queen Mother have such arrangements today? I understand the answer." Zhang Cheng replied with a sigh.

Why did Zhu Yijun do this?Zhu Yijun saw in the Queen Mother's palace just now that the Queen Mother hesitated to speak. She didn't understand it at the time, but now she suddenly understood the intention of the Queen Mother's move - just like Feng Bao, he was testing himself.And I used Zhang Cheng to show that I didn't dare to act arbitrarily, and I would report everything to the Empress Dowager before doing it, just like the matter of asking for milk in the Empress Dowager's palace just now - even though it was a small matter, I had no intention of doing it exclusively. (ps: In the future, try to minimize verbal analysis, there is suspicion of making up words, please analyze the psychological activities of the characters by yourself)
(End of this chapter)