prosperous age

Wei Guangde's proposal seems to have only losses but no gains for the civil service group, but it will only increase the combat effectiveness of the Beijing camp.

But no one who enters the cabinet cares about the "petty profit".

Even if the military commanders seem to benefit from the increase in the Beijing camp's combat power, they can still accept it because no one wants the events of that year to happen again.

There is a powerful army stationed outside the city, and being an official in the city can make you feel more at ease.

The cabinet reached a consensus, and Wei Guangde thought that today's matter was over and was about to say goodbye and leave Li Chunfang to check in. Zhang Juzheng suddenly took out a memorial from his sleeve and said to Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin: "Two cabinet elders, I have received a memorial here. The memorial written jointly by Zheng Dajing and Yushi Zhang Zhan to Shizhong was omitted because they were not in the capital during the previous inspection of the Ministry of Justice. Kedao believed that Hong Chaoxuan, the minister of the Ministry of Justice, had improper official conduct and mediocre political achievements and should be dismissed. .”

"Inspecting the relics?"

Li Chunfang asked, stroking his beard.

"Exactly."

Zhang Juzheng stepped forward and handed the memorial in his hand to Li Chunfang.

At this time, the Beijing inspection has ended, and the promotion, retention and dismissal of officials have already been decided.

The petitions of several members of the cabinet were rejected by Emperor Longqing, who also expressed gentle words of relief, so they had passed the test, and now they feel very relaxed when talking to others.

"Hong Chaoxuan, is he the one who was sent to Huguang last time?"

Chen Yiqin asked with a frown.

"I checked, and it's true. Shilang Hong was on a business trip during the capital inspection, so the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Department of Science and Technology made omissions in his assessment. It was not discovered until Shilang Hong returned to the court this time.

After a follow-up inspection, Ke Dao found some missing items, and then he petitioned to be dismissed from his post. "

Zhang Juzheng was already handsome, and now he spoke with an upright expression, which made Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin believe him immediately, and they all nodded their heads without doubting him.

Yin Shizhen and Wei Guangde, who were standing behind Zhang Juzheng, didn't think much about it because the matter had nothing to do with them.

Wei Guangde knew Hong Chaoxuan. After all, there were only so many third-rank officials in the court, so it was impossible not to know this person. He just didn't have much contact with him, so he was naturally too lazy to talk to him.

This is politics. From ancient times to the present, it has been pursued that "there are people in the court who are good at becoming officials."

"Since the assessment picks up, let's hand it over together."

Li Chunfang glanced at Chen Yiqin and saw that he had no intention of speaking for Hong Chaoxuan. Then she glanced at Yin Shizhen and Wei Guangde behind them. Both of them lowered their heads slightly and spoke immediately.

Naturally, no one in the room would refute his opinion, so it was unanimously approved again.

"Do you have anything else you need to discuss?"

Li Chunfang continued.

After hearing Li Chunfang's words, Chen Yiqin also looked at Yin Shizhen and Wei Guangde. When he saw that both of them just raised their heads to look at the crowd's reaction, but made no other movements, they knew that nothing happened.

So, Chen Yiqin said: "Master Chief Assistant, it seems that everyone has nothing to say."

"Ah."

Li Chunfang nodded.

"In this case, there are still some memorials in my room that I have not read, so I will take my leave first."

While Chen Yiqin was speaking, he stood up and bowed his hands to Li Chunfang to say goodbye.

Zhang Juzheng, Yin Shizhen and Wei Guangde also stood up one after another and said goodbye to Li Chunfang.

Everyone left the first assistant's duty room together, not taking Zhang Juzheng's previous memorial seriously or taking it to heart at all.

In just a few moments, they decided whether to stay or stay for a third-grade official in the dynasty.

It wasn't until after the office was dismissed that Wei Guangde was sitting in a sedan chair without incident. He suddenly remembered whether there were any omissions in the official documents handled today.

"Hong Chaoxuan? Huguang?"

Thinking that this person was a relic from the assessment, Wei Guangde naturally remembered that he was the envoy who went to Jiangling Mansion in Huguang to investigate the affairs of the Liao Dynasty. He was impeached and dismissed from office less than half a month after returning to the capital.

Wei Guangde came to his senses when he thought of Zhang Juzheng's memorial to the cabinet about the King of Liao, and Hong Chaoxuan and Shi Duchen's separate memorials.

Dizzy, Zhang Juzheng tricked him.

Although I don't know what grudges there are between the Zhang family and the Liao Prince's Palace, it is clear that Zhang Juzheng is going to take action against the Liao Prince, and Hong Chaoxuan obviously did not care about the authority of Zhang Juzheng, a cabinet minister, and said "fair words."

As for Zheng Dajing, Zhang Zhan and others making malicious accusations, Wei Guangde still didn't believe it.

The ethics of officials in the Ming Dynasty have long since disappeared.

He thought he had a conscience, but he still took a lot of money that would not be clean in the eyes of future generations.

And the most important income of the family, from the perspective of later generations, is actually a transaction of power and money, using one's own power to protect the merchants in doing business, and the merchants repay the favor.

Shaking his head, Wei Guangde stopped thinking about this person. It would be good if he offended the cabinet minister and could go home safely and retire. It would be good luck if no one found evidence of his illegal crimes, at least he still had his official status.

If Zhang Juzheng was guilty of corruption and perverting the law, it would not be too difficult to directly deprive him of his official status.

But if you think about it carefully, even if he didn't get what he wanted, Zhang Juzheng's methods were extremely ruthless when he took action to kill a third-rank official.

That night, Wei Guangde's house was quiet, and no one from the noble residence came. Apparently they didn't know the content of Wei Guangde's memorial.

Thinking about it, Wei Guangde's memorial was sent to the Evacuation Office before being sent to the Chief of Ceremonies. After it was sorted and sorted there, since it was not an important official matter, of course no one would see it until later.

At that time, the palace may have been locked up, so it would naturally be difficult to convey the news.

But early the next morning, it is estimated that some noble people will know about it, and then it will spread quickly like a virus.

However, Wei Guangde was not worried. He thought of a way for them to substitute interests. Using salt to make money was actually more upright.

Isn't it cleaner to hold the newly issued salt in hand and cooperate with a big salt merchant to make money and share dividends than to be greedy for military pay?
If you want to rely on your so-called power to forcibly deprive others of their interests, you will definitely attract a huge backlash.

But in the transaction, everyone just negotiated the price, and it was not clearing them out of the Beijing camp, but still leaving them with a bunch of official positions.

They just asked for some positions and selected them from the generals in the border towns to take up their posts in Beijing.

In fact, the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty regularly transferred "talents" from various military stations to join the Beijing camp. For example, Qi Jiguang's father was transferred from Shandong to the Shenji camp.

Sure enough, Wei Guangde was still handling government affairs in the cabinet the next day. At early noon, a palace servant arrived and said that the emperor had summoned him.

Wei Guangde followed the chamberlain into the Qianqing Palace to see Emperor Longqing. After saluting, he stood up and heard Emperor Longqing ask: "How was the review of the capital camp the day before yesterday? Tell me about it."

Wei Guangde then reported to Emperor Longqing like a running account of what he had seen and heard in the Beijing camp. When talking about the drills of the various formations in the Beijing camp, he used some slightly exaggerated words, such as as solid as a rock, as fast as the wind, and as unstoppable as possible. Emperor Longqing listened. Fascinating.

"It's really as beautiful as you say, Shandai, you can't trick me."

Emperor Longqing said jokingly.

Wei Guangde was not frightened, and hurriedly bowed and said: "Your Majesty, that is not a trick on you, it is a crime of deceiving the emperor. How dare I commit it. I will see you on the day of your majesty's grand review, and I know that I am not exaggerating."

Emperor Longqing blinked and looked toward the palace door, as if recalling the past.

"At that time, because the capital camp was unable to fight, when the captives were plundering outside the city, our Ming capital camp could only huddle in the city and did not dare to leave the city to annihilate them.

In your opinion, if this Beijing camp had been there at that time, would it have been able to go out of the city and compete with the captives? "

Emperor Longqing asked abruptly.

In fact, when Wei Guangde heard Emperor Longqing's question, he knew how to answer it. Could he say no?

But the actual situation is that you can fight, but the probability of failure is very high.

After all, the Beijing camp was just for training and lacked actual combat, and the leading generals had no actual combat experience.

Although the Ministry of War regularly sends Beijing camp generals to border towns for training, these people go to cities in various places and will not go out of the city to fight with the captives, so there is not much actual gain, it is just a show.

Now that the emperor asked this, Wei Guangde pretended to hesitate and said: "Based on the current situation, I don't think the Beijing camp can leave the city to fight."

"Didn't you say that the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp are well-trained and very capable? Why are you saying that you can't go out of the city to fight at this time?"

Emperor Longqing said in confusion.

"Your Majesty, these soldiers must train regularly so that their combat capabilities will be improved. As for the current training, time is still short after all. Although they can still show their performance on the school field, if we really want to put them on the battlefield now, we will only You will be frightened and helpless because of the ferocity of the enemy on the opposite side, and the training results will probably be difficult to reflect.

Only after several years of rigorous training, all the technical movements of the battle formations are engraved in their minds and bones. On the battlefield, facing the pressure of the cavalry charge, they will subconsciously carry out the training movements and follow the orders of the general. Act to resist.

Only then can they be considered qualified Ming soldiers and can be put on the battlefield to fight the enemy. "

Wei Guangde explained simply.

"So you wrote a memorial saying that the eunuchs' review of the capital should be stopped and that the eunuch review should be held every three years instead?"

Emperor Longqing said: "After three more years of training, the soldiers in the Beijing camp should be as well-trained as you said?"

Wei Guangde nodded, "As His Majesty said, as long as the Beijing camp can maintain the current training and be commanded by experienced generals selected from the border towns, the Beijing camp in three years' time will definitely have the strength to fight with the captive cavalry in the field. Not to mention that both sides will suffer losses. And the victorious minister is also confident.”

Wei Guangde did not brag in front of Emperor Longqing from the beginning, saying that now the Ming army could fight the Luqi. Such words were too false, and the fake Wei Guangde would blush.

What he wants is a force that is continuously trained and truly capable of fighting.

For now, if we can't offer enough rewards to make soldiers risk their lives to gain a fortune, then we can only train them to death.

If you want to train troops, it’s okay if the emperor doesn’t support it.

Draw a big cake so that the emperor is willing to eat it. When the nobles come here to beg the emperor, Emperor Longqing will harden his heart and refuse.

After all, in the eyes of the emperor, this group of nobles and nobles who live with the country are a very important force in safeguarding imperial power.

After the words fell, Emperor Longqing remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Yes, he actually knew something. He knew that after agreeing, the nobles in the capital might find him.

He needs to weigh the pros and cons, whether he wants an army that can fight well or the support of a large group of comrades.

Don't think that the Xunqi just stayed in the capital and lived in luxury. They actually placed many people in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, especially in the border towns.

Although most of the family members have long lost the bravery of their ancestors, each family will have some outliers, and there will also be a large group of hereditary officers behind them who started their careers with them.

Even the Wei family in Jiangxi seems to be a small hereditary household that only occupies Bengshan Fort. However, if you follow the lines and search upwards, you will find that they actually belong to the line of Wei Guogong. In the early years, the ancestor of the Wei family was the Xu family. The personal soldiers, followed by the hereditary inheritance obtained by making achievements on the battlefield.

This kind of relationship network has long been deeply rooted in the Ming Dynasty guard.

Therefore, Emperor Longqing also had to consider the interests of the Xungui Group and not allow them to be dissatisfied with him. The interests were complicated and difficult to grasp.

"You plan to recruit generals who are good at fighting from the border towns to command these separated capital camps. Don't you think those tigers from aristocratic families in the capital can do the same?"

After thinking for a long time, Emperor Longqing asked.

“Without actual combat experience, you are likely to feel panic when facing the enemy on the battlefield.

To be honest with you, your Majesty, when I went to the battlefield to fight the Japanese for the first time, my legs were shaking. "

Wei Guangde laughed at himself.

"You all go out, and you are not allowed to go near the main hall unless you get the order."

Emperor Longqing suddenly gave instructions to the eunuch serving beside him.

After everyone exited the hall, Emperor Longqing asked: "Then what are you going to do to balance the interests of the nobles?"

He didn't believe that Wei Guangde didn't know the reaction of the nobles when they found out. According to the news he received, Wei Guangde drank with a large group of nobles in the capital two days ago, but he didn't talk about it during the banquet.

"Your Majesty, I want to use the remaining salt from the salt farms in various places. In addition to the Ministry of Household Affairs raising funds and distributing this part of the salt, the honorable Qi Wan actually needs a lot. It is better to use this to formulate a regulation and distribute it to them according to a certain proportion in the future.

With this income, I believe that these Qi Wans will not complain to His Majesty about their poverty and ask for rewards. "

Wei Guangde replied.

Emperor Longqing placed his right hand on the royal writing desk and tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, obviously weighing again.

In fact, in addition to obtaining Yanyin in accordance with the Salt Guidelines Law, accepting silver and asking for rewards from the emperor were also one of the ways to obtain Yanyin in the Ming Dynasty, but the latter was mostly issued temporarily and did not form a routine.

As the profits from buying and selling salt were huge, everyone from princes, nobles, nobles to wealthy merchants competed to plunder this huge profit.

In order to obtain huge profits, the relatives often ignored the ban and went into business.

During the Yongle period, the phenomenon of salt trading by princes and governors was already very common, and it has become more and more serious since then. This phenomenon of relatives selling salt has always existed through Hongxi, Xuande and Zhengtong.

An important part of the salt trade for clan members, nobles, and relatives was to obtain salt quotations, and the main method for them to obtain salt quotations was through petitions, asking the emperor directly for salt quotations in the name of family life difficulties.

At first it was only a few thousand, but later the appetite grew bigger and bigger, often reaching more than [-].

In fact, in this kind of business, in addition to salt, selling tea is also one of their profit methods, and the profit is no less than that of salt.

Emperor Longqing understood what Wei Guangde meant. It was an exchange. After establishing a routine, it seemed to be beneficial to him.

Future petitions can be dismissed directly, and resources such as salt and lead will be allocated according to customary practices.

"Have you talked to them?"

"Without His Majesty's approval, this matter is only being planned in my mind and has not been discussed yet."

"I'm sure about this."