The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty

Guo Xun was imprisoned.

This is not a big deal.

The so-called collusion with the White Lotus Sect is most likely framed by others.

After all, a serious hereditary prince could only live a good life with fine clothes and fine food. Only when he was full would he collude with Li Fuda to plot rebellion. This matter simply cannot withstand scrutiny.

At first, Tang Hao thought that Zhu Houzhao could not withstand the pressure from the civil servants and gentry, so he had to temporarily dismiss Guo Xun from his post and jail him. After the storm subsided, he would release Guo Xun. Small punishments and big warnings were all in this way!

However, the second piece of bad news was a direct punch to Tang Hao's life gate!

Why?

Because of military power!

The reason why Tang Hao dared to lead his army out to sea to open up shipping routes was because he had control of the Beijing army's soldiers!

As long as this overseas trade starts, the money and food benefits will roll in. This alone will be enough for Tang Hao and the little emperor to train their troops. At that time, the little emperor will truly have control of the military!

After all, Tang Hao did take charge of the Beijing army's soldiers, but the problem is that raising and training soldiers requires money, and it's not a small amount!

Simply relying on plundering the stolen money from corrupt officials’ families is not a long-term solution at all!

The money and food of the treasury are in the hands of civil servants and gentry!

If he wanted the soldiers of the Beijing army to escape the control of civil servants and gentry, Tang Hao had to find other ways to make money, a way of making money that could be completely controlled by the little emperor.

For example, following the example of the Yongle Emperor, he controlled overseas trade routes and used profits from sea trade to raise and train troops, thus realizing the ZTE strategy of "riching the country and strengthening the army."

However, now, the soldiers of the Beijing Army are basically gone.

Because the Secretary of the Ministry of War had changed, Xu Jin and Ding You returned home after becoming official, which was unexpected.

The so-called "Ding You" means that after the parents of serving officials pass away, they must stop all work and return to their hometown to observe mourning for their deceased relatives for twenty-seven months. There are also three-year, twenty-month and other systems, which vary by dynasty and period.

The roots of Dingyou system come from Confucianism.

After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty deposed hundreds of schools of thought and only respected Confucianism, Confucianism began to prevail, and the ancient Confucian precept "filial piety comes first among all good deeds" was established as a social norm.

In order to strengthen and deepen Confucian education, the imperial courts of the past dynasties wrote many behaviors advocated by Confucianism into the code of law and made them into legally binding regulations. The Dingyou system is one of them.

The ancients believed that "loyalty and filial piety" are inseparable. A person must first be a filial son before he can be loyal to the emperor and patriotic. If he is not even willing to support his parents and is an unfilial beast, what else can you expect him to do?

A person can abide by filial piety at home, be honest when entering society, and be loyal as a minister or official.

Under the influence of this kind of thinking, the Dingyou system became an iron law followed by all dynasties.

The Ming Dynasty ruled the world with etiquette and law, and established the "Dingyou" system mainly to promote filial piety, and the purpose of promoting filial piety was to deepen officials' loyalty to the emperor, that is, to maintain the ruler's own dominance.

Generally speaking, when official Ding You returns home, he will retain his official position and his salary will remain the same. After the expiration of the term, he will be reinstated.

The system opposite to Ding You is called "grabbing love".

The so-called love-stealing means asking the official who is supposed to be Ding You to give up Ding You and continue working, or to shorten or postpone Ding You's date.

Of course, the officials whose love is stolen are usually in high positions and shoulder important responsibilities and missions.

After all, the Dingyou system is by no means a child's play, but an iron-clad tacit rule. Unless there are special circumstances, the emperor can never propose to win love. Even if he wins love, if the official does not agree, he has the right to refuse.

For example, during the Wanli period, Zhang Juzheng was the chief minister of the cabinet (i.e., prime minister or premier of the State Council). When the reform movement led by him was at a critical moment, his father suddenly passed away.

Throughout the dynasties, any reform and innovation has faced huge resistance and backlash. The fighting struggle between the conservatives and the reformers has always existed, and the reform led by Zhang Juzheng was no exception.

Therefore, if he returns home to Dingyou at this time, then this reform is likely to end in failure, and all the previous efforts will be in vain in an instant!

Therefore, at this time, through discussions between the emperor and his ministers, Emperor Wanli issued an edict to seize love, and Zhang Juzheng did not return to his hometown. Dingyou stayed in mourning for three years and was able to continue to implement reforms, which enhanced the national power of the Ming Dynasty to a certain extent. Zhang Juzheng himself was also praised As the "prime minister who saves time".

However, it was precisely because of this love affair that Zhang Juzheng was criticized after his death. "Violating the ancestral system" (that is, not returning home to Ding You) was one of the charges against him. Although the love order was It was Emperor Wanli himself who made the move at that time, but the emperor of the old Zhu family selectively ignored this point.

Xu Jin's troubles will last for three years, completely disrupting all Tang Hao's plans and plans.

The new Minister of War, the Grand Sima in charge of the military affairs of the world, is Yang Yiqing.

Tang Hao had heard about Yang Yiqing.

A native of Anning, Yunnan, he was a Jinshi in the eighth year of Chenghua. He served successively as a member of Zhongshushe, Shanxi's envoy to Shanxi Province, deputy envoy to Tixue in Shaanxi, young master of Taichang Temple, minister of Taichang Temple in Nanjing, governor of Shaanxi, and trilateral general system. He is indeed a genius with both civil and military skills.

However, his successful career relied on Liu Daxia, Li Dongyang, and the Huguang Township Party!

In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi, due to Liu Daxia's repeated recommendations, Yang Yiqing was promoted to the left deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. He served as governor of Shaanxi and was responsible for supervising Shaanxi's horse administration. During this period, he quelled border invasions, impeached the corrupt commander-in-chief Wu'an Hou Zhenghong, and reduced the number of garrison officials. Expenses ensure strict military discipline.

Then in the first year of Zhengde, the little Mongolian prince heard that the Ming Dynasty had changed its emperor, and wanted to test the merits of this little emperor. Tens of thousands of Mongolian troops invaded Guyuan, but the military commander Cao Xiong refused to send troops to assist. Yang Yiqing then led his light cavalry to march day and night from Pingliang. Resist invasions and launch surprise attacks to repel the Mongol invasion.

After that, Yang Yiqing asked the imperial court to appoint ministers and managers because Yansui, Ningxia, and Gansu had no police to support them. Liu Daxia then requested the imperial court to appoint Yang Yiqing to take charge of the military affairs of the three towns (governor of Shaanxi and Gansu). The imperial court did nothing wrong. From then on, Yang Yiqing The Yushi of Youdu was in charge of the military affairs of the three sides, and he could be called the first official of Xinjiang.

However, no matter what, Yang Yiqing is an out-and-out member of the Huguang Township Party. No matter how outstanding and capable he is, he was promoted to power by Liu Daxia and Li Dongyang. He must repay this debt!

Therefore, Yang Yiqing suddenly became the Minister of the Ministry of War, the great Sima in charge of the world's military affairs!

Why is this punch so deadly?

Because the Minister of War controls the soldiers and horses of the world, he can also control the soldiers of the Beijing army!

This is the rule set by the civil servants and gentry after the Civil War, and they forced the civil servants and gentry to put their hands into the Beijing army. Not only did they control the military power, but they could also get a share of the pie to prevent the noble warriors from making any counterattacks!

And Yang Yiqing himself is also proficient in military strategy, plus he has military exploits. If he obeys Li Dongyang resolutely and goes against Tang Hao, he can forcefully command the Dongguanting camp as the Minister of War. At that time, , Tang Hao will be controlled by this civil and military wizard, whether it is sending troops or training troops, in short, the soldiers of the Beijing army will no longer be under his control!

At this point, the route that Tang Hao had worked so hard to open with his five thousand soldiers had lost all meaning, because Yang Yiqing would never give him another chance to lead his troops and leave Beijing!

When he heard the news, Tang Hao couldn't sit still.

It was difficult for him to understand why Zhu Houzhao agreed to the choice of Yang Yiqing!

Even if Xu Jin wants to cause trouble for the officialdom, there is no one else in the government and the public who can choose. Why is it Yang Yiqing?

Where did Zhu Houzhao's brain go?

Were they all eaten by dogs?

However, the next piece of bad news made Tang Hao extremely angry!

Liu Jian, the chief assistant of the cabinet, and Xie Qian, a bachelor of Dongge University, took office, and the chief assistant of the cabinet immediately became the old fox Li Dongyang!

If the previous two pieces of bad news were indeed just bad news, then this news would be a fatal blow!

How could Liu Jian become an official?

How could this Xunli, who had devoted his whole life in managing state affairs for the Ming Dynasty, suddenly become an official?

Anyone with a normal mind would never accept that Liu Jian would end his career just like this!

After all, when Tang Hao left Beijing, Liu Jian had sworn that he would try his best to assist His Majesty the Emperor in stabilizing the overall situation of the government. After three years, Zhu Houzhao would be eighteen years old and could personally govern the country, so Liu Jian Will exchange the power of government with him!

The result is now good, but Liu Jian suddenly retired!

This shock to Tang Hao was no less shocking than when he first learned that the kid was Zhu Houzhao!

What happened?

What made Liu Jian so angry and disappointed that he angrily chose to become an official?

This answer, others say, is in vain.

Tang Hao wanted to ask Liu Jian personally, because Liu Jian had not left the capital yet. He had been staying in the capital since he became an official, and seemed to be waiting for something.

After several days of galloping through the starry night, the group finally arrived in the capital.

Looking at this majestic imperial capital, Tang Hao's face became increasingly grim.

Zuo Yidao rode forward and said in a low voice: "Master Marquis, I have found out clearly that Lord Yuanfu took office because of a major case of a vile nature, called the "Imperial Dao Suicide Note Case"!"

The case of Yudao’s suicide note?

"Tell me more about what happened?"

Zuo Yidao did not hesitate and immediately recounted what happened.

It turned out that since Tang Hao led his army to leave the capital, Liu Jin, the former eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, began to stir up trouble. I don't know what means he used, but he actually asked the young emperor to demote Zhang Yong from the Qianqing Palace, and he, Liu Jin, succeeded Zhang himself. Yong, became the eunuch in charge of the Qianqing Palace and regained his power.

After that, Liu Jin became more and more arrogant, giving full play to the true nature of a vicious and mad dog, biting foreign court officials crazily.

And the main target of his attack was clearly the chief minister of the cabinet, Liu Jian!

In fact, because of Liu Yu's incident, Liu Jian was questioned by both the government and the public, and criticism soon followed.

Originally, Liu Jian ignored all these impeachment and criticisms. Even Liu Jianjian, as the chief minister of the cabinet, did not abuse his power. Instead, he submitted all the memorials of impeachment and criticism to the Chief of Ceremonies and handed them over to His Majesty the Emperor for disposal. .

The little emperor didn't take it seriously at first, too lazy to pay attention to those scheming clowns, and ignored all these criticisms and impeachment memorials.

However, the problem happened precisely with the little emperor!

For some unknown reason, the old attitude of the little emperor emerged. He directly dismissed Jing Yanri and stopped even participating in court meetings. All affairs were handed over to Liu Jin. The civil servants and gentry could not even see the little emperor. To say nothing of persuading His Majesty the Emperor to study and cultivate virtue!

Under such a sudden change, Liu Jian, the chief minister of the cabinet, Ma Wensheng, the minister of civil affairs, and Zhang Fuhua, the general secretary of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, went to see His Majesty the Emperor many times, but they were all blocked by Liu Jin. , even once they met His Majesty the Emperor, the latter yawned profusely, didn't care what they said, and left impatiently before sitting down for a moment.

Since then, Liu Jin has completely become a bridge between the civil servants, the gentry and the little emperor. Following this, Liu Jin's personal power has skyrocketed, and he has become the most powerful person in the inner court, surpassing Chen Kuan, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony. Even because Chen Kuan mentioned the matter of Zhang Yong when he met the emperor, the "internal prime minister" was severely reprimanded by the young emperor and had to leave sadly.

This also means that Zhang Yong, the chess piece left by Tang Hao in Zhu Houzhao, has completely lost its meaning of existence.

Then, Liu Jin attended the daily court meetings on behalf of the emperor and strictly monitored all the actions of the civil servants and gentry.

The young emperor's dismissal was discussed at a banquet, and he did not even participate in the court meeting. Instead, he sent Liu Jin, an eunuch, to discuss matters with the court officials. This naturally aroused strong dissatisfaction among the court officials, so the issue of the eunuch was brought up again. The civil servants Jin Shen and Liu Jin Wait for the conflicts among the Eight Tigers eunuchs to intensify as never before!

However, the problem is that even the three giants can't see the little emperor, let alone punish eunuchs and eunuchs!

All their impeachment memorials have fallen into disgrace, without exception.

On the contrary, Liu Jin seized the opportunity. In fact, it was Chen Kuan who left behind a back-up to check and balance the civil servants and gentry, which was the old imperial village issue.

At first, because Zhu Houzhao listened to the slander of Liu Jin and other eunuchs, and built a large imperial palace in order to make money, the people complained, and the civil servants and gentry were filled with indignation. Many courtiers, headed by Han Wen, the Minister of Household Affairs, began the first eunction operation.

However, Tang Hao came out of nowhere. Because of his position, he chose to side with the little emperor and jointly made plans to protect the Eight Tiger eunuchs, including Liu Jin. The final result was that the entire Yiying Imperial Manor was abandoned and all the occupied fields were handed over to The household department was returned to the people.

Unfortunately, this approach is tantamount to sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth.

The gentry was inherently greedy, and the fields occupied by these royal estates were undoubtedly fertile local fertile land. How could the gentry miss it and use various means to directly occupy these "unowned fields".

And this just became the excuse for the eunuchs to attack the civil servants and gentry!

Following the little emperor's order, Dongchang, Xichang and Jinyiwei went out in full force, broke into doors and ransacked homes overnight, and arrested hundreds of officials, all of whom were thrown into Jinyiwei's prison.

This time, the government and the public were shaken, up and down, and people were in panic.

Liu Jian, the chief assistant of the cabinet, once again joined forces with Ma Wensheng, the Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, and Zhang Fuhua, the General Secretary of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, to ask for an audience with the emperor, hoping that the little emperor would be lenient and let these hundreds of officials live.

However, the problem is that this time the fault lies with these corrupt officials, not the little emperor.

Therefore, these three senior ministers did not even see the face of the little emperor. Even though they knelt at the gate of Qianqing Palace for a full hour (two hours), even if Tianguan Ma Wensheng passed out on the spot, Zhu Houzhao always remained. Didn't even show up!

In the end, all those hundreds of officials were exiled to the army, and many of them died tragically in prison, leaving only their bones!

After this case, Liu Jin successfully established his own power, looked down on his ministers, and gained overwhelming power!

And the "imperial suicide note case" mentioned by Zuo Yida is even more sad and ridiculous.

It was an extremely ordinary Shuo Dynasty. The little emperor showed up on time and then left in a hurry. The ministers looked at each other and felt extremely disappointed.

Immediately after the dynasty dispersed, the soldiers found a memorandum left by an unknown person on the royal road. There was no signature on it, but the content was undoubtedly a comprehensive attack on Liu Jin and other Eight Tigers eunuchs, and even included The little emperor accused Zhu Houzhao of listening to the eunuchs' slander, causing the eunuchs to cause harm to the country and chaos in government!

When Liu Jin and the young emperor heard the news, they were furious. They immediately stopped all the court officials and allowed them to be questioned one by one under the scorching sun. Even the eighty-year-old Renrui like Tianguan Ma Wensheng was not allowed to do so. Unexpectedly, he almost died on the spot!

It was a hot summer day and the little emperor did not show up. Liu Jin deliberately let these officials stand in front of the square to be exposed to the sun for two hours. Even though the chief minister of the cabinet Liu Jian begged to no avail, the last three elderly ministers died due to the exposure. He suffered from heat stroke and was taken to Tai Hospital where he died.

Tianguan Ma Wensheng was also sunburned and passed out, but fortunately he was rescued.

However, after this incident, he could no longer manage affairs, and all official affairs were handed over to Wang Hao.

It was precisely because of this incident that Liu Jian was completely disappointed with Zhu Houzhao, submitted his resignation in advance, and then left.

Xie Qian, who was jealous of evil, also chose to resign, not wanting to see the eunuchs holding power and causing trouble for the country again!

There are only four ministers in the cabinet. As Liu Jian and Xie Qian took office one after another, Li Dongyang, who had been dormant before, directly relied on the recommendation of civil servants and Jin gentry and his own qualifications to surpass Yang Tinghe and succeeded him as the first minister of the cabinet. Job!

However, the most ridiculous thing is that after Liu Jian and Xie Qian took office, Liu Jin's investigation result was that it was the work of eunuchs from the inner court and had nothing to do with officials from outside the court!

At this point, with the help of a memorial of unknown origin, Liu Jin took advantage of the situation and pointed the finger at the inner court. To be precise, he aimed at the Supervisor of Ceremonies and the number one official in the inner court, Chen Kuan!

No one cared about the suffering officials in the outer court, the three officials who died from exposure, and the Lord Tianguan who was over eighty years old and was exposed to coma.

After hearing all this, Tang Hao's face was as calm as water.

But after getting along for such a long time, Zuo Yidao has long understood that the more angry his prince becomes, the calmer and calmer he becomes. This is a sign of rage!

"Master Hou, we..."

"You go back directly to pay the order, and the soldiers return to the Dongguanting camp. You don't need to worry about the rest."

Tang Hao ordered in a calm tone, and then led his soldiers straight to Liu Jian's residence.

Even though Lord Yuanfu resigned and became an official, he never returned home and stayed in the capital.

It was obvious that Liu Jian was waiting for Tang Hao to return to Beijing!

The current crisis in the Ming Dynasty can only be solved by Tang Hao!