Chapter 13: Each Has His Own Plans, Moths Fly to the Flame

"Bai Gui, if you have time to play house with the kids, why not take a look at this mountain of memorials?"

As soon as Zhang Juzheng returned to the door of the cabinet office, he heard Gao Gong's voice coming from inside the room.

Baigui was Zhang Juzheng's childhood nickname. Gao Gong was always like this. He did not think it was impolite to call someone by his childhood nickname. Instead, he felt that it was a way of showing closeness.

Zhang Juzheng was used to it. He walked into Gao Gong's room, picked a chair and sat down: "I can only pretend I didn't hear what Yuan Fu said."

Gao Gong didn't even raise his head, and wrote quickly at his desk: "There are no outsiders here now. The few people on duty have all gone to Sishan Gate to pay their respects."

Zhang Juzheng poured himself a cup of tea and moistened his throat. "Prince, the late emperor's departure seems to have enlightened the Crown Prince. His words and manner of conversation have impressed me."

"In my opinion, he may become a wise ruler in the future."

He praised it and spoke casually, his tone sounding like he was chatting about family matters.

Gao Gong shook his head: "Each generation has wise and wise people, and each generation has foolish people. What's the point?"

"When Sejong ascended the throne at the age of fourteen, he subdued the cabinet officials, and then he reformed the old abuses and revitalized the government. Isn't he a wise ruler? But what happened after that? He practiced Taoism for twenty years and didn't attend court!"

"Bai Gui, don't always think that if a wise ruler emerges, the Ming Dynasty will last forever. Even if you are precocious, can you compare with you and me in the imperial examinations?"

Gao Gong spoke out all kinds of treasonous words, and Zhang Juzheng could only remain silent.

After a long while, Zhang Juzheng finally spoke: "Su Qing, you and I are always subjects, and the emperor is always the emperor."

Gao Gong hummed, obviously not taking it to heart: "The monarch is of course the monarch, especially a monarch like the late emperor who entrusted the government to the cabinet, he is a truly good monarch."

Zhang Juzheng sighed in his heart.

This was the irreconcilable difference between him and Gao Gong—Gao Gong was too radical!

In other words, Gao Gong was unrealistic and took things for granted.

It is true that Zhang Juzheng wants to be in charge of government affairs, but how long can he live?

After saving the country from collapse, he would hand over all the government and new laws to the monarch. Even if he did what Shang Yang did, he would not be greedy for power.

But Gao Gong did not think so. This close friend was tired of the system of loyal ministers and wise rulers, and he hoped that from now on, all rulers would rule without any intervention.

Simply whimsical!

He didn't know how far Gao Gong wanted to go, but it was unrealistic anyway.

It can still be controlled if it is suppressed temporarily. However, if Gao Gong really does what he did, the emperor whose power has been eroded will inevitably rely on the Imperial Household Department to retaliate wildly and confront both internally and externally.

The Ming Dynasty can no longer withstand the turmoil.

Unfortunately, he knew that he could not convince Gao Suqing, just as Zhang Juzheng would not agree with Gao Suqing.

Zhang Juzheng lightly skipped over the topic: "Is the Prime Minister writing a memorial to impeach Feng Bao?"

Gao Gong waved his hand and said, "I have just sent the impeachment memorial to the palace. This is Xuan Da's business. I am writing a letter to Wang Chonggu."

When Zhang Juzheng heard that the memorial impeaching Feng Bao had just been sent out, his eyes flashed.

But he remained calm: "What does Yang Shangshu from the Ministry of War mean by Xuan Da's matter?"

Gao Gong paused and continued writing: "Yang Bo said that the Tatars in Xuanda were indeed causing a lot of trouble, and the border troops had been owed wages for too long, so Wang Chonggu had no choice but to do this."

Zhang Juzheng was startled: "Wang Chonggu can no longer suppress the border troops?"

This is not something to be taken lightly.

Gao Gong sneered: "Yang Bo's bombardment is no longer able to suppress Wang Chonggu!"

He handed over a memorial: "Take a look."

Zhang Juzheng stood up, took it, and looked at the cover. It was a report from an imperial censor.

He opened the memorial with doubts.

After scanning the entire page at a glance, Zhang Juzheng's expression immediately became serious.

He said with a serious expression, "Of the 50,000 war horses purchased last year, only 30,000 can be used!?"

Gao Gong had seen it beforehand, so he naturally knew what Zhang Juzheng was talking about. He said with anger in his tone, "Not only that, the quota given to him by the Ministry of War last year was 70,000 horses!"

"In the first month of this year, all the silver from the Imperial Household Department was sent over."

"The Mongols' horses have not been sold, and they are making a fuss about this!"

Zhang Juzheng closed the memorial and frowned.

So that's how it is. The various tribes on the grassland were just waiting for the trade to fill their stomachs. Now that this matter has been discounted, it would be strange if they didn't make a fuss.

As for where the money used to buy the horses went, it goes without saying.

How dare you say you owe me wages? Not to mention the distant past, only in February this year did they send 270,000 taels of military pay to Xuanda!

Xuanfu doesn’t even have to submit commercial taxes to the central government, but now it is still asking the central government for money!
Xuan Da is almost turning into a blood-sucking tumor!

Zhang Juzheng said, "Then what is this letter from Yuanfu..."

The letter from the central government is a public-to-public matter, so there is no room for maneuver.

Gao Gong obviously did not want things to come to this, so he wrote the letter in his personal name.

Gao Gong snorted coldly: "I am asking him, with such high walls and abundant food storage, when are you going to rebel?"

Zhang Juzheng knew that Gao Gong was speaking in anger, so he shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, I believe that Wang Chonggu is greedy and has taken advantage of the enemy, but I'm afraid it's a bit too much to say that he is preparing to rebel."

"His two sons are still in the capital."

The Ming Dynasty is in danger, but no one dares to be the first to step forward.

Gao Gong was silent for a while after hearing this.

Finally, he sighed and said, "Bai Gui, I know this, but I just hope he can be more restrained."

"Altan Khan was granted the title of tribute (a Mongolian tribe surrendered to the country), he has made great contributions, and entering the cabinet is just the last step. I am afraid that he will lose his integrity in his later years."

He and Wang Chonggu were both Jinshi in the same year and they had a good personal relationship.

Zhang Juzheng also frowned: "State affairs are difficult."

Gao Gong quickly calmed down and waved his hand: "Bai Gui, please sign the official documents first. This is a time of great trouble, and I really can't handle it."

Zhang Juzheng nodded, stood up and said, "That's just right. Zixiang and I still have to discuss the late emperor's temple name with the Ministry of Rites, so we'll go first."

After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the house.

Gao Gong looked at Zhang Juzheng's departing figure and his expression gradually became serious.

In the empty room, he said in a cold voice: "Did you hear what I said?"

Just as he finished speaking, a figure walked out from the screen behind his desk.

He slowly walked to Gao Gong's side and said, "I have heard everything I should have heard."

Gao Gong picked up the letter he had just written, turned his head and stared at him: "Zhang Siwei, pass this letter to your uncle Wang Chonggu."

"Please tell them one more thing. He is no longer in power in Xuan University. I will no longer trust him. He must come to the central government next year. He can even join the cabinet!"

"Otherwise, if Xuan Da rebels, I will evacuate all the other towns and kill him as a sacrifice!"

The undisguised anger made Zhang Siwei tremble.

If someone else said this, he could think it was just outwardly timid, but when it came from Gao Gong, he dared not disbelieve it. Zhang Siwei stretched out his hand, took the letter from Gao Gong, and said hesitantly: "Prime Minister, does Minister Yang know about my joining the cabinet..."

Although Zhang Siwei was only the Minister of Personnel, the provincial governor Wang Chonggu was his uncle, the party leader Yang Bo was his cousin's father-in-law, and he himself was the big boss behind the Shanxi merchants.

It can be said that this person is the prince of the Jin Party.

He is the next leader of the Jin Party.

Status and position are of great importance and cannot be explained by a mere official position.

At this time, Gao Gong put forward the conditions of the cabinet in exchange for Wang Chonggu letting go of Xuan Da. Naturally, he had to stand on the position of the Jin Party and confirm one or two things.

After all, Yang Bo is still the leader of the Jin Party and Wang Chonggu's immediate superior.

If it was true as Gao Gong said, he was afraid that Yang Bo would feel resentful and start a feud with his uncle, which would be bad.

Gao Gong did not give a direct answer, but just said: "Just deliver the message."

That was all he had to say. He had already talked to Yang Bo about this, but Zhang Siwei was not worthy of asking him to explain.

Zhang Siwei's true intentions were exposed, and he said, "Prime Minister... our Jin Party is no different from others. Perhaps, can we give another quota to Yang Shangshu?"

"We can do more by then..."

They are the Jin Party. If they want money, they have the Shanxi merchants. If they want power, they have Yang Bo. If they want soldiers, they have Wang Chonggu. Isn't such strength more worthy of fighting for than those in Nanzhili, Huguang, and Zhejiang?

It would be unreasonable not to bargain.

Gao Gong was too lazy to answer. Who did the Jin party think he was? He would give in a little for his own ambitions, but he would not be coerced by anyone!
If it weren't for the matter of the real power of the prime minister, which was extremely difficult and required the concerted efforts of many civil officials, he might not have allowed Zhang Siwei to make such a noise.

Yes, the truth is what he is planning!
Today's cabinet is different from the three-province system of previous dynasties.

The Cabinet appears to be the office of the Prime Minister, but in fact it is just the private office of the Emperor. The actual official title of the Cabinet minister is Grand Secretary of the Palace, which is only the fifth rank and serves only as an advisor to the Emperor.

Since its establishment, there has been no real prime minister.

Only after the ministers had seized power generation after generation, following Xia Yan, Yan Song and others, and up to Gao Gong, did he gradually gain the power of prime minister.

But even so, the emperor's private appointment of the fifth-rank official system is still inherently insufficient. It can be established based on the individual, but it is not a regular system.

Unless - the real power of the prime minister, according to the ritual system, raises the cabinet to the status of prime minister!
This requires raising the ranks of cabinet officials, taking away the veto power of the Imperial Household Department, and more importantly, the full support of civil officials and scholars!
If not, why would he tolerate the Shanxi Party and the Zhejiang Party, and even repeatedly show goodwill to Southern Zhili?

If not, why would he linger in the position of Minister of Personnel?

If not, why would he recommend the seal holder twice, and now target Feng Bao? Outsiders only thought he was petty and vindictive, and really looked down on Gao Suqing.

Thinking of this, Gao Gong became even more impatient with Zhang Siwei, who was judging his character with a petty mind.

He waved his sleeves and pointed: "Go out through the side door."

Gao Gong had been accumulating power for a long time, so Zhang Siwei didn't dare to say anything more and quickly stopped talking.

But he did not leave, instead he brought up another matter: "Prime Minister, I have sent you the impeachment memorial against Feng Bao through the eunuch Chen Hong."

"However... Feng Bao is deeply trusted by the Li family. Some of his corruption and isolation from the outside world are probably useless, right?"

Now the Jin Party has placed its bet on Gao Gong. Naturally, he has to pay close attention to matters like investment, otherwise it will be too late if something goes wrong.

Gao Gong glanced at Zhang Siwei and sneered.

He twisted his beard, looking somewhat smug, and said, "I was offended yesterday. If I don't take any action, won't it make him more alert?"

"This is just a trick. Let him be proud for a few days. Our real tricks have not been used yet."

He took out a memorial entitled "Five Urgent Matters of the New Policy" from under the table.

As soon as Zhang Siwei saw a few words on the cover, Gao Gong took it back.

He quickly asked: "What is this, Yuan Fu..."

Gao Gong did not give a direct answer: "You will know then."

"If we don't take action, it's fine. But if we do, we will crush the Imperial Household Department to death! With the combined power of our cabinet, the six ministries, the nine ministers, the censors, and the governors of various regions, even the Li family can't stop us!"

Zhang Siwei did not dare to ask further, and quickly flattered: "The Prime Minister has a broad mind and a far-sighted plan. I am overthinking. We, the Jin Party, will definitely follow the Prime Minister's lead."

Gao Gong glanced at Zhang Siwei indifferently.

In his mind, he was thinking about how to break up the Jin and Zhejiang factions after he gained the power of the cabinet, but on the surface he warned, "Okay, go back and learn more from Yang Bo, and stop thinking about your petty tricks all day long."

Zhang Siwei was driven away again. He had no choice but to bow and prepare to leave.

He took a step back and then seemed to remember something and paused again.

Suddenly he said, "Prime Minister, Zhang Juzheng is wise to protect himself, and Gao Yi is indecisive. I'm afraid neither of them can be entrusted with important matters."

"This morning, I saw that the Crown Prince admired Gao Yi very much. The relationship between the two seemed to be special. Gao Yi might not agree with the idea of ​​the Yuanfu being a nominal emperor but a real prime minister."

Even though Gao Gong holds great power now, in fact every cabinet minister should not be underestimated.

If Gao Yi really raises the royalist banner of respecting the Lord's power and authority, I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble.

Gao Gong didn't care.

In order to accomplish his goals, he promised the positions in the cabinet to the ungrateful people from the Jin Party and Nanzhili who were forming cliques for personal gain, just to unite all parties.

By the time the cabinet was handed over from him, all those factionalists must have been eliminated, leaving only a central government office that could govern the country and manage the affairs of state, with capable officials promoted and incompetent officials demoted.

To really get things done, we still have to rely on officials like Gao Yi and Zhang Juzheng who are dedicated to public service.

Now those who are selfish are saying that Gao Yi and Zhang Juzheng are unreliable. This is really going against the will of Heaven.

He waved his hand and said casually: "Since you are a civil official, how can you not agree with this matter?"

"Besides, Zixiang and Baigui, please follow my lead in everything."

"Although I haven't explained it to them yet, but..."

Zhang Siwei plucked up his courage and suddenly interrupted Gao Gong: "Prime Minister, think twice."

Gao Gong frowned and looked at him.

Zhang Siwei saw this and quickly advised: "Prime Minister, what if things don't work out by then?"

"We can still live in peace with each other as insignificant people, but if a minister like you gets involved, it won't be that simple."

"Since you have such a close personal relationship with them, why don't you think more about them? This will also be for their own good."

It seemed that these words touched Gao Gong.

After thinking for a while, he finally nodded slowly.

Gao Gong said, "Well, I will let Gao Yi take sick leave and Zhang Juzheng will take care of the tomb."

The so-called inspecting the mountains and tombs means checking the tombs of the previous emperors to see how they were built.

Cabinet ministers have always taken the lead.

It will take some time to go back and forth.

Zhang Siwei breathed a sigh of relief and finally retreated this time.
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Note 1: Xuanfu Town Tour reported that in the first half of this year, horses were purchased from the city and various castles, including the original quota of cavalry training and the recruitment of official troops. Of the horses that were selected, horses were not purchased due to accidents. ——"Records of Emperor Shenzong of Ming Dynasty"

Note 2: In the first month of the fifth year of Longqing, taels of silver were sent from the Imperial Household Department to buy horses for the three towns of Xuanda and Shanxi, at the request of the Governor-General and Minister Wang Chonggu. - "The Veritable Records of Emperor Muzong of Ming Dynasty"

Note 3: In February of the sixth year of the Longqing reign, more than taels of silver were sent from Taicang to Xuanfu, taels to Datong, and more than taels to Shanxi to pay for the military expenses of the host and the guests. ——Records of Emperor Muzong of the Ming Dynasty

(End of this chapter)