I, Jiajing, successfully cultivated immortality

In the next period of time, the wind direction up and down the government and the public was very different from what Zhang Juzheng expected.

No one mentioned the Yuan family in Jiaxing anymore, and even the officials in the six departments where they worked were constantly criticizing each other and fighting openly and secretly because of their rankings.

As the leader of the officials, Ouyang Yijing naturally ranked first in the criminal department where he worked.

But the remaining people, in order to compete for a better ranking, are using their wits.

And this also allowed Yan Song and Xu Jie to see an opportunity. After all, they had all suffered from Yan Guan, especially Xu Jie.

So after a brief discussion, the two decided to temporarily put aside their previous grudges and use this matter to clean up the group of officials and drive a wedge between them.

Under the secret instructions of Yan Song and Xu Jie, all kinds of news are flying all over the capital. The news about the ranking of departments is one version today and another version tomorrow.

In the process, the internal battles within the Sixth Section became more and more intense.

……

Beijing, Yan's study room.

At this moment, Yan Song was sitting behind the desk, browsing the books in front of him with extra concentration.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and then Yan Shifan's voice was heard outside the door: "Father, the child has something important to report!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Song turned his attention away from the books in front of him and then ordered: "Come in!"

After the words fell, there was only a "squeak" sound, the door of the room was pushed open, and then Yan Shifan was seen walking in.

After Yan Shifan entered the room, without any hesitation, he immediately leaned down and saluted Yan Song respectfully: "My child has seen his father!"

After Yan Song heard Yan Shifan's words, he slowly took off his reading glasses.

Then, he looked in the direction of Yan Shifan with cloudy eyes and asked, "How did you do with the things that were assigned to you?"

When Yan Shifan heard this, he didn't hide anything. He immediately said everything about the current situation: "Reply to my father, I have sent people to keep an eye on those officials according to your instructions. As long as there is any trouble over there." , the child will get the news immediately!"

Then, as if Yan Shifan suddenly remembered something, he added: "By the way, father, I heard that in recent times, those officials seemed to have quarreled more than once over rankings. There was even a conflict and a fight almost broke out!”

When Yan Shifan said this, his face was full of gloating.

Seeing this situation, Yan Song just glanced at Yan Shifan quite indifferently, and then said: "Okay, don't gloat about the misfortune. The six departments are still the same. Have you discussed any results?"

In order to determine the remaining rankings as soon as possible, at the suggestion of Yan Song and Xu Jie, the six departments gathered together to discuss the distribution of the remaining rankings.

When Yan Shifan heard Yan Song's words, the expression on his face instantly darkened.

Then, he shook his head and said, "Return to my father, no one wants to be last in line without discussing the outcome!"

Yan Shifan seemed to be quite indignant about this. After considering his words, he began to complain to Yan Songda: "Father, you don't know something. Although Li Chunfang is usually not showy, he is very reasonable and unforgiving. We even once joined forces with that Zhang Juzheng to sing the double act!"

"It seems that in Ming Dynasty, only the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War are doing real things. Didn't the Ministry of Industry also take charge of repairing the dams along the Yellow River this year?"

After that, Yan Shifan paused for a moment, looked in the direction of Yan Song, with a sad expression on his face: "Father, if the Ministry of Industry where my child works is ranked last, you will lose face! "

When Yan Song heard this, he was instantly furious. He slammed the table and reprimanded: "You bastard, what nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean by embarrassing me?"

"Look at the people you employ. The Ministry of Works, which is a good place, has been turned into a mess by you. It is spreading throughout the government and the public that people from the Ministry of Works are not very capable but have a bad temper!"

After being reprimanded by Yan Song, Yan Shifan became much weaker. Soon, he mustered up the courage and explained: "Father...Father, that's not the case. It's mainly because of the ideas put forward by those people." It’s too ridiculous and impossible to realize. Anyone can do it..."

Yan Song took in the expression on Yan Shifan's face. After pondering for a moment, he turned and said, "Okay, I will find a way to do this!"

When Yan Shifan heard this, he couldn't help being stunned for a moment. Soon, he came back to his senses, his face was filled with unconcealable excitement, and he responded in a deep voice: "Yes, father!"

"Okay, if there's nothing else, you can go down first!"

"Yes, father, please leave now!"

When the words fell, Yan Shifan bowed to Yan Song and then left the study.

After that, I heard an inaudible sigh coming from the study: "Oh, it's really annoying. If only I, Yan Song, had a son like Hu Zongxian!"

……

Since it was Yan Song and Xu Jie who jointly proposed, let the six departments send people to gather together to discuss the distribution of the remaining rankings.

Therefore, out of the need to avoid suspicion, Yan Song and Xu Jie did not participate in this discussion. On the Hubu side, Gao Gong participated instead of Xu Jie.

At this moment, Xu Jie was in his mansion in the capital.

In the hall, Xu Jie was sitting in the main seat, and beside him were Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng. At this time, Gao Gong was reporting the results of this discussion to Xu Jie.

"Mr. Xu Ge, no result has been negotiated this time. No one is willing to give in, especially that Yan Shifan!"

Gao Gong seemed quite aggrieved by this. He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and continued: "You know, the Ministry of Industry has not achieved much this year. Even along the Yellow River, the court spent huge sums of money. There are also problems with the dams being built..."

Hearing this, Xu Jie shook his head, then turned his gaze in the direction of Gao Gong, and comforted him: "Okay, now is not the time to talk about this. In short, it's good to be able to sit down and talk calmly!"

"If it doesn't work this time, try next time. If it doesn't work next time, try next time. As long as we can finalize the rankings of each department before the end of the year!"

After listening to Xu Jie's consolation, Gao Gong nodded and said no more words.

At this moment, Zhang Juzheng, who was standing aside, seemed to have made up his mind. He raised his head, looked in the direction of Xu Jie, and said, "Mr. Xu Ge, just let the Ministry of War sacrifice. Be last in line!”

When Zhang Juzheng said this, he paused for a moment and then continued to add: "If the cabinet really delays this matter until the end of the year, it will not look good on your Majesty's side. It is just a matter of how much reward you will receive, or whether you should take into account the overall situation... …”

Gao Gong on the side obviously did not expect Zhang Juzheng to say this, so he couldn't help but have a look of shock on his face.

Just when he was about to say something, he heard Xu Jie's voice: "No, no, the contribution made by the Ministry of War this year is obvious to all. How can we give in without a bottom line?"

"Don't worry, I will find a way in this regard. In short, the Ministry of War will definitely not be the last!"

Seeing Xu Jie's resolute attitude, Zhang Juzheng had no intention of persisting and could only nod in agreement.

Zhang Juzheng's initiative to give in made Xu Jie deeply gratified.

In Xu Jie's view, although Zhang Juzheng had just joined the cabinet, he was capable, discerning, and experienced in human relations. His future prospects would be immeasurable, and now he was able to take the initiative to take the overall situation into consideration.

Thinking of this, Xu Jie looked at Zhang Juzheng with satisfaction in his eyes.

"Well, that's good. It seems that I have to fight for Zhang Juzheng's position as Enke's co-examiner next year!"

Generally speaking, serving as an examiner for the imperial examination has great benefits.

Those students who passed the imperial examination and entered the official career would automatically become the examiner's disciples, and the relationship between them could barely be called that of teacher and student.

When those students first entered the official career, they naturally had to seek support for themselves so that their career would go smoothly. The examiners could take advantage of this opportunity to expand their subordinates' power and increase their reputation in the court.

It can be said that this is a good thing that benefits both parties.

However, because the examiner of the last imperial examination took money from the candidates and secretly leaked the test questions, the matter was later exposed. From the examiner to the officials who patrolled the examination room, no one escaped!

What's more, in the recent palace examination, some candidates openly opposed the imperial government's policy of integrating grain payments for officials and gentry, which angered His Majesty.

All the candidates who took part in the palace examination that time were implicated and treated coldly by the court. They were sent to the corner of the country, and their official career was completely hopeless.

Even those officials who participated in reviewing the test papers were more or less implicated.

……

The official gap caused by this imperial examination will definitely be filled by Enke in the coming year.

Because of this, next year's Enke, although nominally called Enke, is actually the same as a normal imperial examination.

Having learned from the past, the officials in the DPRK and the Central Government are still afraid of this and do not dare to take risks and get involved easily.

After all, when you reach that position, no one knows whether you can withstand the temptation. Even if you can withstand the temptation, what if there are some short-sighted candidates who casually express their own ideas on the examination paper and oppose the imperial policy? ?

Rather than taking risks and going further, it is better to guard this one-third of an acre of land and keep the black gauze hat on your head.

Don’t ask for merit, just merit if you don’t have any faults!

After that, Xu Jie looked in the direction of Zhang Juzheng and asked: "Next year, Enke of the imperial court, I plan to personally recommend you to your majesty as a fellow examiner. What do you think?"

After Xu Jie finished speaking, he stopped talking and quietly waited for Zhang Juzheng's response.

Zhang Juzheng was shocked by this sudden surprise. After a long time, he came back to his senses and responded respectfully: "Thank you, Mr. Xu Ge, for your support. I am willing to serve as a fellow examiner!" Seeing that Zhang Juzheng agreed to the matter, Xu Jie nodded. Then he said: "Although the imperial examination situation has been going on recently, as long as you pay more attention, it will still be of great benefit to you!"

When Xu Jie said this, he paused, as if he suddenly thought of something, and then continued to add.

"Li Chunfang is the Minister of Rites and the number one scholar in the 26th year of Jiajing. He is honest and upright. There should be no problems with Enke next year. You can rest assured about this!"

At this time, Zhang Juzheng was not as calm as he seemed on the surface, because this was a good opportunity for him to cultivate his own power.

If he serves as a co-examiner, he will have an extra "teacher-student friendship" with the candidates taking the exam next year. With this relationship, many things will be much easier to handle.

After that, Zhang Juzheng suppressed all the chaotic thoughts in his heart, with a face full of gratitude. He stood up from his seat, looked in the direction of Xu Jie, leaned down, and saluted respectfully: "Thank you Xu Jie." Mr. Ge!"

Xu Jie saw the gratitude on Zhang Juzheng's face, and his face was filled with a warm smile.

At this time, Xu Jie became more and more satisfied with Zhang Juzheng's performance. He stroked his beard and secretly sighed: "Well, not bad. He knows how to advance and retreat, is grateful, takes the overall situation into consideration, and supports such a junior. How can I, the Ming Dynasty, do it?" Not happy!"

After that, Xu Jie came back to his senses, waved his hand, and said calmly: "It doesn't matter, it's just a small thing!"

Afterwards, everyone discussed for a while before leaving one after another.

After sitting on the sedan, the expression on Zhang Juzheng's face gradually calmed down.

Then, he opened the sedan curtain, looked at the scenery on both sides of the road, and said silently to himself: "I didn't expect that there was an unexpected gain!"

After knowing the emperor's intention, Zhang Juzheng no longer valued the department's ranking.

In the final analysis, the cabinet took the lead in ranking Ming Dynasty's various departments based on their performance and efficiency over the year and issuing year-end bonuses. This was just an opportunity the emperor wanted to take to divert the attention of the government and the public.

By diverting the attention of the civil and military officials from the matter of the Yuan family in Jiaxing, it was possible to cover up the emperor's desire to clear the land and inhibit land annexation.

When the time is right, he will suddenly attack and give those wealthy gentry and landlords a fatal blow.

Moreover, Zhang Juzheng was very convinced that the emperor had a thorough knowledge of various departments in the Ming Dynasty and had his own way of making judgments.

Therefore, the rankings ranked by the cabinet are not very convincing. The most important thing is to see whether the emperor approves!

After thinking about this, Zhang Juzheng planned to take the initiative to stand up and mention it to Xu Jie face to face, so that the Ministry of War would be ranked last. In this way, he could not only gain Xu Jie's favor, but also end this dispute as soon as possible. .

Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected gain and a promise from Xu Jie.

Next, I can take advantage of the opportunity of being a fellow examiner to win over those candidates openly and cultivate my own power.

"Just wait, the position of chief minister of the cabinet will belong to me, Zhang Juzheng, sooner or later!"

After that, Zhang Juzheng lowered the sedan curtain with a look of determination on his face.

……

As Yan Shifan said before, at this time, the Sixth Section was under endless criticism because of the department ranking.

This point caused a headache for Ouyang Yijing, the leader of Yanguan.

After all, those who can join Yanguan must have a different kind of persistence in some aspects. Most of them are honest and self-reliant, speak uprightly, and are not afraid of the powerful.

It can be said that the character of scholars is well reflected in some officials.

But equally, they also have a fatal weakness, and that is their good reputation.

For these officials, the most dreamed thing is to speak out their interests in front of the emperor and then hit their head against a pillar to death.

In the history books, he engraved his own name, leaving a clear name that spoke out his advice to the death, and then passed it down to future generations.

Even if it doesn't work, he will have to confront the emperor and anger the emperor, and then he will be dismissed and return home to write a book. This ending is also favored by many officials.

Now, the emperor has asked the cabinet to take the lead in issuing year-end bonuses based on the performance and efficiency of each department over the year.

For those officials, it is naturally very important to get a good ranking, and maybe they can get the emperor's attention!

At this time, Hu Yingjia looked at the mansion so close in front of him, his face full of confusion. He had been wandering around for a long time, but he had not yet made up his mind.

This mansion is where the famous criminal officer Ouyang Yijing lives in the capital.

Although it is said to be a mansion, it is actually not much different from an ordinary people's home. There are not many decorations at the door and there are only two servants.

After hesitating for a long time, Hu Yingjia seemed to have made up his mind. He clenched his fists, walked up to the boy at the door, cupped his hands, and then spoke.

"I am the official responsible for Hu Yingjia's affairs. Please go in and inform me that we have something important to discuss!"

"Sir, wait a moment, I'll go in and report!"

After Hu Yingjia revealed his identity, the boy at the door did not dare to show any signs of neglect and rushed in quickly to report.

While the servant came in to report, Hu Yingjia began to look at the mansion in front of him.

The red paint on the door has long been mottled and peeled off, and the bricks and tiles are also somewhat damaged. Even the corners of the wall have grown moss and vines. From the side door, you can see several green bamboo trees planted in the yard. The green bamboo trees are growing very well and are unusually tall. .

"You are truly worthy of being Lord Ouyang. He is able to remain calm and contented in such an environment and fight against those insects in the court!"

Just as Hu Yingjia's thoughts were racing, the boy who had gone in to report earlier walked up to him, lowered his head and said respectfully: "Master Hu, you can go in, my master is waiting for you inside!"

After hearing this, Hu Yingjia nodded slightly and followed the steps of the young man into the mansion.

……

After the boy brought Hu Yingjia to the study, he left directly.

Looking along Hu Yingjia's line of sight, we can also see Ouyang Yijing studying the book in his hand with great concentration.

Ouyang Yijing seemed quite happy about Hu Yingjia's arrival. He put down the books in his hands and asked Hu Yingjia to sit down in the empty seat beside him.

"The prayer is here, sit down!"

After Ouyang Yijing finished speaking, he pointed to the empty seat next to him, and Hu Yingjia didn't mean to refuse at all and sat down on the seat.

After sitting down, Hu Yingjia suddenly realized that except for a few necessary furnishings, the rest of the study was very old and thin.

Soon after, a servant came forward and brought a bowl of hot tea to each of them.

Then, Ouyang Yijing's voice rang in Hu Yingjia's ears: "What's the matter with Qili's visit this time?"

When Hu Yingjia heard this, he suddenly came back to his senses. Then, Hu Yingjia did not mean to hide anything and spoke out all the worries in his heart.

"Sir, I always feel that the direction of the wind lately is not quite right. It seems that someone is behind it!"

"Ever since His Majesty announced that the cabinet will take the lead in ranking various departments in the Ming Dynasty based on their performance and efficiency over the year and issuing year-end bonuses, all kinds of news from the DPRK and China have emerged one after another!"

When Hu Yingjia said this, his face was full of sternness, and he continued: "Among them, the rankings related to my six subjects are updated every day. Because of this matter, many colleagues criticize and ridicule each other, and even Conflicts almost broke out several times!”

"I suspect that someone must be taking this opportunity to drive a wedge between us so that they can reap the benefits!"

After hearing Hu Yingjia's conjecture, Ouyang Yijing's expression became extremely solemn.

Then, after thinking about it for a long time, he finally said: "Well, I don't rule out this possibility. Moreover, the court has this ability, and the only two people who can do it are Yan Song and Xu Jie!"

Facing Hu Yingjia's confused look, Ouyang Yijing continued to explain: "You know, last time we had a lot of hatred with Xu Jie, and so did Yan Song. Last time I personally reported to His Majesty Please postpone the examination for the clan and nobles, it should offend him!"

"This Yan Song only knows how to flatter Your Majesty and has no character as a scholar. As long as His Majesty asks him to do something, he will do it without even thinking. No matter how much damage this will cause to the scholars of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty clearly wants to bring the clan and nobles back to the court. As the chief minister of the cabinet and the head of the civil service, he just doesn't try to dissuade you. Instead, he helps your majesty..."

Ouyang Yijing seemed to be quite indignant about this, and his words were full of disdain and sarcasm towards Yan Song.

In Ouyang Yijing's view, a courtier like Yan Song who only knows how to flatter the emperor is an out-and-out insect and a complete traitor!

He has long since lost his original intention of being a scholar and only thinks about how to keep his position as the chief minister of the cabinet.

Moreover, Yan Song allowed his subordinates to be wanton and greedy, causing the people to complain and make their lives miserable. It is not an exaggeration to describe Yan Song with the words "flattery and bullying".

Hu Yingjia on the side couldn't help but have a look of admiration on his face after hearing what Ouyang Yijing said.

You know, Hu Yingjia just had a guess in this regard, but Ouyang Yijing had already guessed the specific candidate after some analysis.

After that, Hu Yingjia considered his tone, looked in the direction of Ouyang Yijing with an anxious look, and asked: "Then, what should we do next?" (End of Chapter)