Why did the emperor rebel?

Chapter 574 Ask

The court meeting is over, but the bosses all know in their hearts that this year is not going well.

The dust has settled in the Beifu of the Eastern Palace, Zhan Shi in the Prince's Mansion, the left and right Chunfang University scholars have their own masters, it should be said that this court discussion was a success.

However, when the elders went down to court, without exception, all of them frowned.

In fact, for most of the courtiers, if the East Palace prepares a complete set of officials this time, it will naturally be a big event.

Because that means that officials from the third rank to the seventh rank in the imperial court will all have the opportunity to enter the Prince's Mansion, and there will naturally be a fierce game surrounding these new vacancies.

However, this time in Beifu, only Zhan Shifu, Zuochunfang and the chief officials of Sijing Bureau were appointed.

This has become a time-consuming effort. In other words, it may be that as the prince grows up, a few more will be added to the East Palace every year. In short, there will be no large quantities of preparations.

In this way, for many ministers, the degree of attention is not so strong. Of course, for other people, private activities are definitely indispensable.

However, more people may be concerned about the political signals revealed by all parties in the court discussion surrounding the Eastern Palace Beifu.

For more than a year, because of the threat of Oala, most of the time the court has worked together, and many conflicts have been covered up.

However, as the court situation gradually stabilized, the borders stabilized, and the emperor Yuji has been in control for more than a year, the forces of all parties have gradually formed, and the struggle in the court has gradually emerged.

Between the old and the new Qingliu, between the Supreme Emperor and the Tianzi Party, between the nobles of the capital and the nobles of the border, between the cabinet and the six ministries, all kinds of forces are entangled and intricate, and their influence on the court has begun to appear.

This court discussion, the political signal behind the attitudes of all parties, is what the real discerning people in the court should pay attention to.

Especially at the end of the court meeting, what the emperor said is worth pondering carefully.

Still the same sentence, today, with the strengthening of the emperor's control over the court, it has become more and more difficult to guess what the holy will is.

The remarks made at the court meeting this time should be the few times the emperor expressed his philosophy of governing the country and the situation of the court.

If you want to stand upright in the court, you have to think through these words thoroughly, and you must have basic skills.

Of course, there is also the military settlement, which is also a major event.

Above the court, the emperor said clearly that Yu Qian was ordered by the holy order.

In other words, it was not the Ministry of War's idea to rectify the military settlement this time, but the emperor stood behind it.

Obviously, on this matter, the emperor's determination is very strong, and he has been planning for a long time.

Otherwise, his old man would not have specially sent Yu Qian to visit border towns in the name of investigating the Luo Tong case, and it would be impossible to make such a huge adjustment to the personnel of the Ministry of War at once.

Even for the matter of recommending officials, the emperor has ordered the Ministry of Officials and the Metropolitan Procuratorate to conduct assessment and supervision, and at the same time warned the officials.

But there is no doubt that even if it is true as the emperor said, the few people recommended by Yu Qian this time are not the kind of people who ignore public affairs for personal favors.

But at the very least, Fang Gao, Hong Chang, and Gu Yi will definitely spare no effort to assist Yu Qian in the matter of rectifying the army.

In fact, if you are familiar enough with the court, you can actually see a lot of things about the transfer of personnel in the Ministry of War.

Let’s talk about Fang Gao, Hong Chang, Ju Shi, and Shen Jing first.

The Department of Officials of the Four Qings was set up under the Ministry of War, and its chief officer was Lang Zhong, and these four people were transferred to the Ministry of War to take charge of the Department of Officials of the Four Qings.

Needless to say, Fang Gao was the one who had been with Yu Qian all along during this border inspection, so he naturally had a deep understanding of the military settlement.

The same is true for Hong Chang and Gu Yi.

Very early on, these two men joined forces and believed that the frontier army was weak in battle. The weakness lies in the lack of farming, poor training, weak officers and troops, and that they would surely lose in battle.

Transferring them to the military department, they will certainly not have other attitudes towards the military station.

As for Shen Jing, this person did not perform too well in military matters before, but he is Wang Wen's favorite general, and he was transferred to the Ministry of War. After that, the communication between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Officials will definitely be much smoother.

Or in other words, the emperor asked Shen Jing to go to the Ministry of War to balance the relationship between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Officials.

Then there are two new ministers, Xiang Wenyao, the former minister of the Ministry of officials, and Li Shi, the former cabinet scholar.

These two people have one characteristic, that is, they are young!

Li Shi is 37 years old this year, and Xiang Wenyao is only 32 years old. Even after the Civil War, the average age of important court officials dropped by several years, they still look too young.

It is actually not a good thing for them to occupy a high position at such a young age.

Why do people pay attention to seniority in the officialdom, because in many cases, seniority means experience, credit, connections, and ability.

These all need years of time to polish.

However, those who suddenly occupy a high position, these four are getting weaker and weaker from the back to the front. They are young and do not have enough achievements to overwhelm them, so they are easily attacked as the lucky ones.

Once this title is deducted, it is often impossible to take it off for a lifetime.

Therefore, the younger the person, the higher the position in the officialdom, the more low-key, the more humble, the more tolerant, and the more able to endure loneliness.

There are some things that cannot be rushed...

Because of this, Xiang Wenyao, who had never been in the limelight for a while, and was promoted to three ranks, became silent after he became the Minister of the Ministry of Officials. For a whole year, he was basically not seen speaking in the court.

Because of this, Li Shi, who is famous for his outspoken words and never turning his head against the south wall, after being promoted to the cabinet for his service as an envoy to Oara, became a wooden man who is more worthy than silent. Court old.

But you must know that when you are in your position, you should plan your own affairs.

Above the court, if he just kept a low profile and remained silent, he might be treated as a soft persimmon, impeached as a vegetarian, and his morality is not worthy.

Therefore, on the one hand, they need to keep a low profile, and on the other hand, they also need solid political achievements.

Now, here's your chance!
There is no doubt that rectifying the military settlements is a major government task for the imperial court. Once completed, it will be a real political achievement, which is what Xiang Wenyao and Li Shi urgently need.

Moreover, with Yu Qian as an important minister of the Seven Ministers at the front, they only need to do their work well, and Yu Qian will bear the extra pressure.

What's even better is that historically, all such political achievements that can be relied upon are basically intended to offend others.

Just like Zhou Jian, why did he become so famous?

It's not because he is not afraid of the "powerful", even the son of the minister of the Ministry of Industry dares to enforce the law impartially.

However, offending people is often risky. If the foundation is not stable enough, if you offend the wrong person, your official career may come to an end immediately.

However, this time is different. The investigation of the military settlements touched the interests of the nobles and the frontier generals.

If you want to offend, it is also the military minister who offends.

Of course, having said that, the military settlements of the Ming Dynasty have become a large piece of fat since it was disintegrated. It is impossible to say that it only contains the interests of military officials and the civilian officials have not moved at all.

However, what is called a civil war, most of the civil servants were completely replaced up and down.

The important ministers who originally had good relations with Xungui and were involved in the border army were all planted in the civil fort. The newly appointed bosses have only been in office for more than a year, so there is no time to reach out.

The biggest difference between civil servants and nobles is that civil servants are prosperous in life. Once a person dies, the family will also decline, until a new descendant enters the court.

But Xungui is different. After Xungui dies, the title is still there, and the contacts accumulated over the years due to various in-law relationships are still there. Naturally, the benefits are still there. The difference is nothing more than size.

Therefore, there is no doubt that the investigation of the military colonies this time must have touched the interests of the nobles and military officials.

There is a clear distinction between civil and military officials in the Ming Dynasty. If these military officials dare to target them because of this, then the big boss of the civil servants will step forward to stop them.

For Xiang Wenyao and Li Shi, there is nothing more tailor-made than this, and they can rely on it as the foundation of their lives.

Therefore, it is conceivable that after arriving at the Ministry of War, they will also go all out to help Yu Qian handle this matter beautifully.

From supporting Yu Qian in the court, to carefully arranging the ministers of the Ministry of War, Langzhong and other officials, as long as you think about it for a while, you can see everywhere that the emperor attaches great importance to this matter, and it can almost be said to be the greatest support he can give.

Therefore, those who want to obstruct the implementation of this matter or the mansion, naturally have to weigh it carefully...

If there is any regret in this court meeting.

That is, a certain old man surnamed Zhu escaped a catastrophe. As the vanguard who first set off a party struggle in the court, after this court meeting, Zhu Jian's reputation in the court has plummeted.

From a meritorious minister who went through fire and water for the court and went deep into the enemy camp alone to welcome back the Supreme Emperor, he became a villain who was obsessed with official positions and only knew how to fight for power and profit by relying on his merit.

Although he knew that the recent affairs of the cabinet were just a trigger, some elders couldn't help but vent their grievances on Elder Zhu Ge.

If he hadn't quarreled with Yu Cifu in the cabinet every day, the emperor might not have taken action to clean up the officials at this time.

In the officialdom, there is no one who is a latecomer or an old student. When there is a vacancy in the official position, direct recommendation to the court has always been the best way for the elders to support the younger generation.

But now, because of your selfishness, Zhu Jian, the Ministry of Officials has obtained the right to be recommended for the annual examination of officials.

In this way, the bosses must be cautious when recommending talents in the future. After all, if one fails, they may do something bad with good intentions, and the recommendation will harm others.

Not to mention, today's emperor attaches so much importance to this matter, even though he doesn't say it, he may not keep an account in his heart, which will implicate the recommender's future career.

The so-called wall fell and everyone pushed, although Zhu Jian started the party dispute, but it was Yu Qian who implicated the person who recommended it.

However, if the elders don't care, blame Zhu Jian alone!

After all, the person standing behind Yu Qian is not easy to mess with now, so Zhu Ge can only let Mr. Zhu bear all the responsibilities.

Anyway, he wasn't wronged!

Therefore, when he was in court, Elder Zhu Ge clearly felt that many people were talking about him behind his back, and looking at him with contempt and dissatisfaction.

Standing on the square outside the Wenhua Palace, Zhu Jian could not help clenching his fists tightly as he felt the gazes behind him.

Although his life has not been smooth sailing, he has quite a good reputation among scholars.

However now...

Taking a long breath, Zhu Jian turned around and glanced at the majestic Wenhua Palace, then turned and walked outside the palace.

In the Wenhua Palace.

After the court meeting was over, Zhu Qiyu also returned to the apse, sat down and rested for a while, and then there was a sutra lecture, so in fact, he could rest for a short time.

Sipping tea on the couch, he went through everything that happened just now in his mind, and when he opened his eyes, Zhu Qiyu saw that Cheng Jing hesitated to speak.

"Why, but do you think there is something wrong with what I just dealt with?"

Although Zhu Qiyu asked easily and didn't mean to ask questions, Cheng Jing immediately lowered his head and said.

"The ministers dare not, but there is one thing that the ministers do have doubts in their hearts."

Putting down the teacup in his hand, Zhu Qiyu asked with a slight smile.

"Is it Xu Youzhen?"

Cheng Jing hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said.

"Don't dare to lie to Your Majesty, the ministers still have impressions of this person. When the court was in crisis, he proposed to move to the south, and then he did various activities to seek official career. I understand why His Majesty put such people in the Eastern Palace."

Zhu Qiyu didn't speak, he just looked at Cheng Jing, his face became a little stern.

Under such gazes, cold sweat began to break out from Cheng Jing's head, until a moment later, he suddenly fell to his knees on the ground and bowed his head deeply.

After a while, Zhu Qiyu said.

"When Shu Liang came over that day, you also saw that he was determined to do something, so I will naturally give him a chance. Of course, whether he can grasp this opportunity well depends on his own ability."

"As for..."

Zhu Qiyu paused for a while, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

As soon as Cheng Jing opened his mouth, he knew that Cheng Jing was a drunkard who didn't want to drink.

A mere Xu Youzhen, it's not worth asking such a big question, what Cheng Jing really wants to know is...

"On the side of the East Palace, I still have the same words. The East Palace is the East Palace, and the South Palace is the South Palace. If the East Palace has not committed any serious crimes, I will treat each other as my own and will not be easily shaken. You can spread these words."

Zhu Qiyu has no doubts about Cheng Jing's loyalty.

In fact, because the two events of the East Palace's exit from the pavilion and the return of the Supreme Emperor to the court are closely related, not only the people, but also the court and the central government have always had doubts about the stability of the country.

The supervisor of ceremonies had a lot of dealings with foreign courts. Naturally, Cheng Jing would inevitably be questioned overtly and secretly. Therefore, it was not surprising that he inquired about Zhu Qiyu in a roundabout way.

However, what made Zhu Qiyu dissatisfied, or, more precisely, what made Zhu Qiyu feel helpless was Cheng Jing's deep-rooted, scholar-official habits.

As the eunuch who is the chief inspector of etiquette, it is understandable that he cares about government affairs.

However, even if the things he does on weekdays are similar to those of ministers in foreign courts, he must never forget his status as a eunuch.

The ministers of the imperial court should take the society as the most important thing and the country as the most important thing.

However, as an eunuch, you should unconditionally focus on the interests of the emperor. This is a natural difference brought about by the difference in status.

As far as Cheng Jing was concerned, if he was a courtier, it would be normal to inquire about the emperor no matter what, but he was an eunuch, the emperor's confidant eunuch.

Then, what he should do is to keep silent, to cover up the real intention for the emperor, and then reveal it when the emperor needs to reveal it.

Although Zhu Qiyu never intended to cover up the matter of the East Palace, Cheng Jing's actions were indeed inappropriate.

In the final analysis, Cheng Jing was born as an orthodox scholar, and he was a true scholar of the Qing Dynasty, with the style of a civil servant in his bones.

Even if he becomes a eunuch, some styles are hard to change.

This style is a good thing to use in government affairs.

However, sometimes, it does make people feel a little helpless...

(End of this chapter)