I, Jiajing, successfully cultivated immortality

After several days of deliberations, the rankings of the remaining departments were finally determined.

Forbidden City, Cabinet.

After the last word fell, Yan Song put the brush in his hand back to its original position and looked at the paper on the desk with the rankings of various departments written on it. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Afterwards, he stroked his beard, handed the paper with the detailed rankings of various departments of the Ming Dynasty to Xu Jie, and then said: "Mr. Xu Ge, take a look, are there any flaws in this? "

When Xu Jie heard the words, he responded in a subtle way, and then took the paper from Yan Song's hand.

Because the ink on the paper has not yet dried, there is still a slight fragrance of ink left, and the handwriting on it is very neat, fresh and elegant, as graceful as a swimming dragon.

After taking the paper with the rankings from Yan Song's hand, Xu Jie began to read it with extra concentration.

"Well, the six departments are ranked as officials, households, rituals, soldiers, workers, and punishments. On the five temples, Honglu Temple is ranked first. On the twelve prisons side, the ceremonial supervisor is on the list. On the five army side... "

Time passed by slowly. I don’t know how long it had passed. I saw Xu Jie put down the paper with the rankings of various departments in his hand, nodded, and said in agreement: "Well, Mr. Yan Ge, I can see the rankings among them." It’s passed, no problem!”

"Everyone, let's take a look. After confirming that it is correct, we will send it to the Supervisor of Ceremonies!"

After Xu Jie finished speaking, he handed the paper with the specific rankings of each department to Hu Zongxian who was standing aside.

After Hu Zongxian confirmed that the contents were correct, he handed it over to Gao Gong. After Gao Gong, there were Zhang Juzheng and Yan Shifan.

The piece of paper with the rankings of various departments in the Ming Dynasty was turned around in everyone's hands and then returned to Yan Song's hands.

Immediately, Yan Song summoned a subordinate official and gave instructions: "Send this list with the rankings of various departments to the Supervisor of Ceremonies!"

When the subordinate official heard this, he did not dare to show any slightness. He took the paper from Yan Song's hand with great solemnity and said in a deep voice: "Yes, Mr. Yan Ge!"

After that, the subordinate official didn't dare to show any signs of neglect and left quickly.

After the subordinate official left the cabinet, Yan Song picked up the tea cup with wolfberry water on the table, took a sip, and suggested to everyone: "Since the department rankings have come to an end, let's start next. Calculate the accounts of each department this year and draw up the votes by the way!"

"Yes, Mr. Yan Ge!"

……

On the other side, inside the ceremonial prison.

At this moment, the ceremonial prison was extremely busy, with subordinates carrying memorials coming in and out from time to time.

I saw Feng Bao put aside the completed memorial in his hand, then stood up from his seat and moved his limbs.

After moving his limbs, Feng Bao sat back on the chair and complained: "Why are there so many memorials that need to be approved recently? It's almost twice the usual number!"

Not far away, Huang Jin, the chief pen eunuch, heard Feng Bao's words. He put down the brush in his hand, chuckled, and comforted him: "It will be fine when you are done with this period of work!"

At this moment, a subordinate official walking in a hurry entered the ceremonial department.

After entering the ceremonial office, the subordinate official did not hesitate at all. He immediately came to Huang Jin, leaned down, and reported respectfully: "Eunuch Huang, the recent matters that were handled by the cabinet have come to fruition! "

After the subordinate official finished speaking, he handed the piece of paper with the rankings of various departments in front of Huang Jin.

"Oh, the results will come out so soon!"

After the words fell, Huang Jin took the paper from the subordinate's hand and read it with special concentration.

"On the Sixth Department side, the Staff Department ranks first, and on the Twelfth Supervisor side, our Chief of Ceremonies ranks first. Well, not bad, not bad..."

Soon, Huang Jin finished browsing the contents on the paper. He could see that the cabinet had tried its best to prevent the ranking of various departments from causing too much controversy.

Except for the rankings of the six subjects that are subject to discussion, the rankings of the other departments are also relatively reasonable.

The ranking of each department is based on the powers and responsibilities it possesses, as well as daily work efficiency and political performance.

Among the six departments, the reason why the official department is ranked first is because the official department has been the head of the six departments since ancient times.

The Ministry of Personnel is responsible for the evaluation and promotion of officials, and is firmly in charge of the personnel appointments of officials. It has extremely powerful powers, so placing the Ministry of Personnel at the top of the list can avoid disputes to the greatest extent.

Not to mention the Chief of Ceremonies. The Chief of Ceremonies has eunuchs such as admirals, palm seals, pens, and attendants. The admiral eunuchs are in charge of all etiquette and punishments in the imperial city, as well as the management of errands and servants.

The eunuch who holds the seal is in charge of internal and external memorials, as well as the inspection of talismans and deeds before the emperor. The eunuch who reports the pen and the attendant is responsible for managing memorial documents and approving the votes of the cabinet.

Therefore, the Supervisor of Ceremonies has always been known as the first department, and his powers and responsibilities are not unimportant!

No one can find fault with the Chief Supervisor of Ceremonies being ranked first among the twelve supervisors. The remaining departments are also ranked according to the weight of their powers and responsibilities. The heavier the powers and responsibilities, the higher they are ranked.

After that, Huang Jin handed the piece of paper with the rankings of various departments to Feng Bao, and said: "Feng Bao, this ranking of various departments drawn up by the cabinet will be published later. It’s up to you to deliver it to His Majesty personally!”

When Feng Bao heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, with a look of disbelief on his face.

He couldn't believe that Huang Jin had given up such a good opportunity to him in vain!

You know, for eunuchs, the most important thing is to gain the emperor's favor. The closer they are to the emperor and the closer the relationship with him, the greater the power they can get!

This was the reason why Feng Bao took a huge risk and reported the auspicious snow to the emperor in front of everyone.

The outcome of the matter did not disappoint Feng Bao. He came into the emperor's sight because of this matter, and then rose through the ranks. He successfully took over Shi Eunuch's job and took the position of chief ceremonial supervisor and eunuch.

After that, Feng Bao suppressed all the chaotic thoughts in his heart, faced the envious eyes of everyone, and gratefully took the paper with the department rankings from Huang Jin's hand, and said calmly. vocal channel.

"Thank you, Eunuch Huang!"

Huang Jin didn't seem to care about this. He just narrowed his eyes and said with a smile: "Okay, don't waste time, hurry up!"

"Yes, Eunuch Huang!"

After responding, Feng Bao didn't hesitate at all, and immediately left the Supervisor of Ceremonies and headed towards the direction of Qianqing Palace.

……

On the other side, the Forbidden City and the Qianqing Palace.

At this moment, Jiajing and Lu Fang were playing Go and chatting.

Hearing a 'click' sound, Jiajing dropped the black chess piece in his hand onto the chessboard, then looked in the direction of Lu Fang and asked.

"Lu Fang, didn't I ask you to find out who was behind the instigation of the Imperial College students? Do you have any clues?"

"Your Majesty, I have already investigated clearly. It is the people on the other side of the matter who are secretly instigating the students in the Imperial College. I have ordered Dongchang to take down all the relevant people!"

After Lu Fang finished speaking, he picked up a white chess piece from the chess basket on the side and dropped it onto the chessboard.

After Jiajing heard this, he pondered for a moment and then turned to Lu Fang to confirm: "In the case of Li Ke, I remember that it was the Yan Guan named Hu Yingjia. He was in the department. He has been involved in several disputes between the DPRK and China recently. Participation!"

"Back then, together with that Ouyang Yijing, Shangshu asked me to postpone the exam that was going to be held in Gongyuan on the grounds that there were ghosts and gods in Gongyuan!"

Lu Fang couldn't help but feel a thump in her heart when she saw Jiajing's old matters brought up again.

As the person closest to Jiajing, Lu Fang naturally knew why Jiajing had gone out of his way to hold exams specifically for the clan and nobles.

The purpose is to use the examination to bring the clan and nobles back to the court to check and balance those civil servants.

For the emperor, there was no doubt about the loyalty of those clans and nobles. After all, no one wanted to see the Ming Dynasty continue to exist more than they did.

As long as Ming Dynasty is still there, then their privileges will still be there!

If the emperor wants to implement reforms, with these clans and nobles around, the resistance he will encounter will be much smaller.

Previously, the ministers and officials in the court united and asked the emperor to postpone the examination on the grounds that ghosts and gods were causing trouble. This was tantamount to blocking the emperor's way.

In Lu Fang's view, let alone a few people who died in the Gongyuan, even if a knife fell from the sky, this exam specifically for the clan and nobles would still be held as usual.

At present, all these clan and noble disciples who have passed the examination have been sent to Bozhou by the emperor to serve. They only need to practice at the grassroots level for a few years before they can be transferred back to the capital and then entrusted with important tasks.

"When these clan members and nobles take up important positions in the court one after another, things will probably change!"

After that, Lu Fang gathered her thoughts, came back to her senses, looked in the direction of Jiajing, and comforted her: "Your Majesty, be careful. No matter what you say, Hu Yingjia is also a public official, so you must not..."

Hearing this, Jiajing waved his hands and responded: "Don't worry, I know what to do!"

After Jiajing finished speaking, he picked up a black chess piece from the chess basket, dropped it on the chessboard, and said to himself: "I don't even need to come forward personally to do this, someone will take care of it for me!"

When Lu Fang heard Jiajing's words, a look of surprise appeared on her face. In Lu Fang's opinion, Yan Song and Xu Jie must have received the message Jiajing wanted to convey.

And they will also serve as the emperor's sword, taking this opportunity to severely beat those officials.

Just as Lu Fang's thoughts were racing, he saw the guiding eunuch walking quietly in front of Jiajing, bending down and reporting respectfully.

"Your Majesty, the Chief of Ceremonies has reported to Eunuch Feng Bao that the cabinet has already agreed on the ranking of each department!"

"Well, I understand, let him come in!"

Hearing this, Jiajing looked away from the chessboard in front of him, waved his hand, and gave instructions.

"As you command, Your Majesty!"

After responding, the guiding eunuch bowed to Jiajing and then left the Qianqing Palace without any hesitation.

... Not long after, Feng Bao was seen stepping into the Qianqing Palace. After entering the Qianqing Palace, he knelt on the ground with a plop, then took out the paper with the rankings of various departments from his sleeve, and held it high. He raised it above his head and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, here are the rankings of various departments as assessed by the cabinet!"

"Well, bring it over!"

After the words fell, Lu Fang stepped forward, took the paper with the rankings of various departments from Feng Bao's hand, and respectfully handed it to Jiajing.

"His Majesty!"

"Ah."

After Jiajing took the paper with the rankings from Lu Fang's hand, he read it with great concentration.

"The rankings on the Six Departments are Officials, Households, Lis, Soldiers, Workers, and Punishments. On the Twelve Prisons side, the Li Jian is ranked first. On the Six Subjects side, the Criminal Section is ranked first, and the Criminal Section is ranked first. The second one is Hu Ke Shizhong, the others are Engineering, Etiquette, and Military Affairs, and the Personnel Branch is ranked last!"

"The ranking of departments drawn up by the cabinet is beyond reproach. Well, it's pretty good!"

After Jiajing browsed through the rankings of each department, he put them aside and said to himself.

Seeing that Jiajing recognized the department rankings drawn up by the cabinet, Feng Baoquan couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief, with a look of relief on his face.

At the same time, Lu Fang on the side had a look of shock that could not be concealed.

At this time, he felt an inexplicable sense of crisis in his heart.

"Mr. Yan Ge and Mr. Xu Ge are really good at figuring out the holy will. As soon as His Majesty gave them a hint, they took care of things properly. Lu Fang, you must not relax!"

At this moment, Jiajing's voice was heard, bringing Lu Fang back to reality: "Feng Bao, I have read this department ranking drawn up by the cabinet. There is no problem. I will announce it later!"

"In addition, the news is released that the year-end bonuses of various departments will be distributed together with this salary, so that everyone can have a good year!"

When Feng Bao heard Jiajing's words, he immediately looked stern, bowed to Jiajing and said, "I obey, Your Majesty!"

……

After Feng Bao left the Qianqing Palace, soon the department rankings reviewed by the cabinet were officially announced.

Among them, the rankings of various departments were quickly posted on bulletin boards in various places after being copied by officials.

As for the cabinet, the news of the official announcement of the rankings of various departments quickly spread at a viral speed among the government and the public.

After all, the recent cabinet rankings based on the performance and efficiency of various departments over the past year have already caused a stir in the DPRK.

But now, this extremely important event has finally come to an end, how could it not make people feel excited.

In order to obtain first-hand information as soon as possible, various departments sent officials to inquire about the news. The bulletin boards with department rankings were surrounded by officials who came after hearing the news.

At this moment, a large number of officials had gathered at the bulletin board near the cabinet. These officials were squeezing in involuntarily in order to see clearly the paper with department rankings posted on the bulletin board.

"Ouch, don't squeeze. I haven't seen clearly yet. Don't the people behind you have eyes?"

"Who doesn't have a lot of eyes to step on my officer?"

"Ouch, don't squeeze, don't squeeze!"

After experiencing the initial confusion, everyone finally unanimously decided to find someone to read out the rankings of each department for everyone. This way, pushing and shoving can be avoided.

Then, an official from the Ministry of Personnel wearing a scarlet robe stood up and volunteered to take over the job.

Seeing that the specific candidate had been decided, everyone made way for him.

After that, the official came under the paper with the department rankings posted and read the rankings above.

"On the six departments side, the Ministry of Personnel ranks first, followed by the Ministry of Husbandry, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Punishments. In addition, on the side of the Six Branches, the Criminal Branch ranks first, followed by the Household Branch. Among the tasks, the remaining ones are: Engineering, Etiquette, Military, and Officials..."

Before the official from the Ministry of Personnel had time to finish reading out the rest of the rankings, he saw dissatisfaction on the faces of the officials around him.

"Why do you, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, rank first? Logically speaking, the Ministry of War has made greater contributions this year. The suppression of Japanese pirates, the suppression of Tatars, and the suppression of Bozhou are all real achievements!"

"Hmph, the people in the Ministry of War are really thick-skinned. They take all the credit for themselves!"

"Long before the war started, our Ministry of Household Affairs began to transport ordnance, grain, and various weapons. Without our Ministry of Household Affairs to ensure logistics and transport baggage, would the soldiers on the front line have been able to win the war?"

"If you really want to say that, our Rites Department has also made great contributions this year. Whether it is the imperial examination or the preparation for the ceremony of canonizing the queen, we are not inferior to everyone present at all, right?"

"Humph, your official position is ranked first because of Mr. Hu Ge's favor. Who doesn't know that Mr. Hu Ge is highly valued by His Majesty? If it weren't for Mr. Hu Ge who led your staff, you would have made great progress in the imperial court's triennial plan. If you perform well..."

"I see, this department ranking is based on the rights and responsibilities of each department. You see, the more rights and responsibilities, the higher the department's ranking!"

"It's true. Alas, I have no choice but to admit it!"

If we say that the dissatisfaction of the officials of the Sixth Ministry is just in words.

After hearing the ranking of departments in the Sixth Section, the dissatisfaction in the hearts of the officials in the Sixth Section was about to materialize, especially those in the Like Section.

In their opinion, their department is not only extremely efficient, but also does a lot of practical work, but it is ranked last by the cabinet.

Afterwards, an official in charge of the Li Ke stood up with an indignant look on his face and said in a deep voice.

"It's unfair. There is a shady story. Why is it that we, the official, are ranked last, while Hu Ke, who has made no achievements and has nothing to do, is ranked second? They must be playing tricks in secret. What means!"

What the official said to Shizhong soon received a unanimous response from his colleagues, while the officials on the side who reported the matter had unhappy expressions on their faces.

I saw an official from the household department stood up, his face full of ridicule, and said slowly: "Humph, this ranking was compiled by the cabinet elders. Everyone has no opinions, so just Are you special?"

"Could it be said that in the Sixth Department, Fiveth Temple, Threeth Division, and Twelfth Prison of the Ming Dynasty, you, the official department, are doing practical things for the court, while all of us here are just sitting on the table to fill up the numbers?"

Hearing this, the official in the Li Kejie incident could no longer suppress the anger in his heart. He pointed his finger at the official in the Hu Kegei incident who made the mocking words and said in a deep voice: "Huh, what a strong statement. Everyone, follow me." Come together and teach these shameless villains a lesson!"

After the Li Ke said to the official in charge, he suddenly stepped forward and pushed the Hu Ke to the official in charge to the ground.

Seeing this, the colleagues behind him quickly joined the fight. Afterwards, the two sides started fighting, and the scene gradually became chaotic.

……

At the same time, the cabinet was not far from the scene.

In the cabinet, everyone is calculating the accounts reported by various departments and making votes.

"The Ministry of Industry's expenditure this year totals 5,675,329 taels."

"Among them, repairing the dams along the Yellow River cost 2,289,650 taels, and repairing the dams near Chun'an and Jiande counties in Zhejiang cost 1,295,360 taels! "

"In addition, there are labor costs, 863,590 taels, and the remaining 1,226,729 taels were used to purchase materials for building dams, and Above the loss.”

After Yan Shifan submitted the bill from the Ministry of Industry truthfully, Xu Jie confirmed that it was correct and did some mental calculations before nodding and signing his name.

Later, Gao Gong, who was responsible for recording, brought the signed account to Yan Song.

After Yan Song carefully read through the accounts from beginning to end, he used a brush dipped in ink to write his handling opinions on the note posted on the memorial.

After finishing writing the opinions, Yan Song put the memorial with the note aside.

Later, Zhang Juzheng, who was standing aside, was holding the accounts from the Ministry of War and began to submit this year's expenditures.

"The imperial court will use a lot of troops this year. The Ministry of War's expenditure this year totals one thousand two hundred and sixty-three thousand two hundred and ninety taels."

Among them, the war against the Japanese pirates cost a total of 3,629,351 taels in military pay, the navy cost 1,263,800 taels, and the war with the Tatars cost a total of 3,623,800 taels. Two million two hundred and fifty-nine thousand two hundred taels of silver, and twenty new warships were built, which cost taels of silver..."

At this moment, a subordinate official hurriedly entered the cabinet.

After the subordinate official entered the cabinet, he subconsciously looked in the direction of Yan Song and Xu Jie, leaned down, and reported in a deep voice: "Sir, there is a conflict between officials outside over department rankings, and a fight broke out! "

After everyone learned the news, their faces were full of surprise.

Immediately, Xu Jie raised his eyebrows, looked curiously in the direction of the subordinate official, and asked, "Who started the fight?"

"I'm reporting to Mr. Xu Ge, it's the officials from the Li Ke who are responsible for Shi Zhong and the Hu Ke who are responsible for Shi Zhong who are fighting!"

After Xu Jie learned the news, he waved his hand and said: "Well, I understand, let's get down!"

"Yes, Mr. Xu Ge!"

After the subordinate officer left, Xu Jie withdrew his gaze and suggested to everyone present: "Let's continue. Where did we just talk?"

Seeing that no one expressed any objection to this, Zhang Juzheng took out the account books of the Ministry of War again, and continued where he left off: "The Ministry of War has built twenty new warships, which cost three hundred and twenty silver taels." Sixty-five thousand three hundred and ninety taels, the rest..."

After Zhang Juzheng submitted the bill to the Ministry of War, Xu Jie signed his name without even looking at it.

The process after this was the same as before. Gao Gong, who was responsible for recording, brought the signed accounts to Yan Song, the chief minister of the cabinet. (End of chapter)