Chapter 145: Complexity and Sorrow

On the tenth day of the eleventh month, the court held a meeting in Wenhua Hall.

A group of court officials held banners and were divided into two groups.

On the imperial steps, the little emperor sat solemnly behind the imperial desk, reading through memorials.

Influenced by the imperial examination of the Prime Minister's son in the past two days, the Prime Minister did not come to the court today.

But even though the victim was not around, the tense atmosphere in the court caused by this incident did not diminish in the slightest.

Everyone exchanged glances from time to time.

Occasionally, someone was eager to try, but they all held back.

Zhu Yijun closed the memorial, looked around the steps, frowned and said, "Why? When I was cultivating virtue in the Wanshou Palace, you all submitted memorials enthusiastically like bamboo shoots after rain. Today, I came to the court to inquire, but you are silent like cicadas in winter?"

He looked at Chen Wude, the Right Censor of the Military Department, and slammed the memorial on the table: "Mr. Chen, you cursed the most harshly, you speak."

On the sixth day, Zhang Juzheng requested to retire as usual.

This was a very normal thing. Logically, things should have calmed down at this time, either waiting for the emperor or the two palaces to express their opinions, or Zhang Jingxiu would boycott the exam.

But things didn't go as planned, and the censors from the six departments and thirteen provinces still came after smelling the odor.

Some submitted impeachment memorials, while others reprimanded him in court. They all said that the Prime Minister was taking a step back to advance, and was trying to coerce the emperor by shirking state affairs - if he didn't allow his son to take the imperial examination, he would quit. Isn't this naked coercion?
It also implicitly mentioned that before the emperor took power, the government was in the hands of his clique, which posed a hidden danger.

Among them, Chen Wude, the Right Censor of the Military Department, cursed the most harshly.

After the court discussion, this person submitted two memorials in succession, advising the emperor and the two palaces to consider the overall situation and invite the prime minister back.

A letter was sent to the Ministry of Public Administration and handed over to the two palaces, saying that the new policy was now entirely in the hands of the Prime Minister. If Zhang Juzheng became angry and abandoned state affairs, the emperor would still have to bear the blame in the future, so he must be careful.

What’s more, the good governance of a country depends on its personnel and finance.

Today's Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Revenue both follow the lead of the Prime Minister. If the Emperor and the two palaces act on impulse and accidentally anger the Prime Minister, the selection and national treasury will be turned upside down.

For the sake of national affairs and the overall situation, we might as well swallow our anger and invite the Prime Minister back respectfully.

Another act of mercy was to allow the Prime Minister's distinguished son to take part in the imperial examination. Compared with the overall national situation, even if he was selected as the top one, it would be a great benefit without any cost.

In this way, the superficial harmony in the court can be maintained, and everyone will be happy, right?

The hypocrisy in this memorial reached the pinnacle.

As soon as the memorial was submitted, it was immediately rejected by the two palaces, who politely reminded him to pay attention to the etiquette of a minister.

As for why you are so polite...

Chen Wude is a virtuous man today.

In the fourth year of the Longqing reign, he advised the late emperor about the solar eclipse, urging "Your Majesty to abandon all fun and act in accordance with the facts of heaven."

Then he directly criticized the late emperor, "The treasury has been empty for a long time, people's livelihood is in trouble, and the Ministry of Finance is worried day and night. Your Majesty, why did you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars just for fun?"

Then came the familiar process of being imprisoned and dismissed from office during the imperial court, and then being reinstated and promoted after the death of the previous emperor.

In addition, this person also spoke up for Empress Dowager Chen who was banished to the cold palace, and also helped Zhu Yijun to leave home and study.

There is really hope for virtue.

The two palaces couldn't scold him directly, so they could only comfort him.

But people like Chen Wude have such political ideas that I simply cannot listen to them.

The memorial was rejected by the two palaces, so he sent it to the Wanshou Palace again, begging the emperor to open it personally.

Similarly, the six departments and thirteen examinations were never behind in such matters and they all submitted petitions to the Wanshou Palace, hoping that the emperor would pay attention to the malpractices in the imperial examinations.

Hence, today’s court meeting saw the scene where Zhu Yijun stepped forward to “uphold justice”.

Chen Wude, the Right Censor of the Military Department, was not afraid at all when he was appointed by the emperor, or perhaps he had been waiting for it for a long time.

"Your Majesty, I was just reinstated this year, and I have no cliques in the court. I knew nothing about the posters in the city, and I have nothing to do with the current new policy disputes. I am only speaking for justice in my heart!"

Chen Wude's face was firm and he bowed to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the children of ministers should not take the imperial examination! This is the justice of the imperial examination, please understand!"

Zhu Yijun looked at Chen Wude's expression, trying to discern his motives.

After a long while, he slowly nodded without comment.

He then looked at Liu Bushi, the Left Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, and said, "Mr. Liu, you are the initiator, so you should also say something."

Although it can be confirmed that the debunking of the letter had nothing to do with him, he was still the one who initiated the memorial.

Upon hearing this, Liu Buxi stepped out of the line with some timidity and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I have already explained in my memorial that the imperial examinations for the children of ministers are against the established precedents of our ancestors, violate the fairness of the imperial examinations, and damage the reputation of the prime minister."

The six subjects and thirteen exams were a very special group in the Ming Dynasty.

Their ranks were not high; the Imperial Censors and the Thirteen Censors were only of the seventh rank.

But at the same time, this group of people has a unique position in the central power system.

His status is so noble that he is often compared with that of assistant ministers.

The fact that he could participate in the government affairs in the court with the rank of seventh is a clear proof that "only the assistant ministers can discuss the affairs of the world, and only the censors can speak out. Although the censors are humble, they are equal to the assistant ministers."

This group of people had full authority as court officials to set agendas and influence decisions, and their power was considerable.

If they are dissatisfied with an issue, their votes of disapproval are more direct than those of other officials.

That's impeachment!
From the gentry and common people to the emperor himself, all were within the scope of impeachment by this group of people - in other words, the emperor was called admonishment.

As for what major omissions there are in the impeachment?

I'm sorry, but when it comes to hearsay, even if it is made up by oneself, it can be called "or so said".

It can be said that while possessing extremely high authority, one also possesses unparalleled immunity from liability.

Disciplinary inspections are fine, but personnel appointments are also within the authority of the censors.

For example, in the selection process, "officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital, as well as officials and censors, are ordered to recommend those they know to be appointed to prefectures and counties."

Or it could be "Ministers make their own statements, and their stay or departure is already decided. If they have any unfavorable behavior while in office, the officials and censors will accuse them, which is called picking up the lost."

Even the power to exempt taxes was regulated by the officials in red robes: "All Hanlin, officials of the fifth rank and below in the Ministry of Personnel, the six departments, and the thirteen provinces shall be exempted from 5,350 mu of land, as is the case with the fourth rank."

If you want real power, you will have real power; if you want dignity, you will have dignity.

Adding the total number of 150 people, it would be most appropriate to call them "Ming Dynasty Parliamentarians".

As we all know, the presence, power and even political achievements of legislators almost all come from setting the agenda, and the science and technology officials are no exception.

For Liu Buxi, he was a Jinshi in the second year of Longqing, and he would be fifty years old in two years.

At an advanced age, if you want to make a name for yourself in your career, nothing can make you more successful than doing something big.

The issue concerning the Prime Minister was thus brought to the table by this person in a dignified manner.

After Liu Bushi finished speaking, his subsequent thoughts gradually became clear.

His tone became calmer and his speech slowed down: "I know that Your Majesty does not like me to talk about empty things."

"But this matter I am reporting is a matter of great concern to the eight thousand candidates, a matter of great justice that has been a success for the past two hundred years, and a matter of great importance for the country to recruit talents and nurture new policies. I am speaking truthfully, and I hope Your Majesty will understand it."

"I dare to ask Your Majesty to issue a decree to prohibit the children of ministers from taking the imperial examinations!"

Zhu Yijun listened quietly to Liu Buxi's petition.

But my mind is full of thoughts.

There are always two sides to every coin.

This excellent quality of being able to reason has now gradually begun to show its drawbacks.

Are these censors dedicated to the public?

Hard to say.

Otherwise, why didn’t anyone expose the previous incidents during Guannian’s reign?

You, Liu Bushi, are forty years old, an old scholar. You passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty-four, and took advantage of this to get a good job as a secretary. How come you don't have "great fairness" in your heart?

But now, people are still speaking for the justice of the imperial examination.

He knew that the emperor was reasonable and would not follow the example of Jie and Zhou and torture his subjects to warm their hearts.

Sure enough, everyone is responsible for their own workplace persona.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun couldn't help but shook his head and stretched out his hand to signal Liu Buxi to stand up.

He then turned to look at the Minister of Rites Ma Ziqiang, who was standing in the third row, with his head bowed and his mind clear. "Ma Qing, you are the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, in charge of the national court ceremonies. How do you think we should deal with this?"

To be honest, this matter is not really that difficult.

Whether it was to demote the censors and suppress the public opinion, or to use Hai Rui's reputation to supervise the exam in a friendly manner and win the trust of the scholars.

It's not a big deal.

After all, in history, Zhang Juzheng's son was going to take this exam, which also caused a lot of controversy, but in the end he took the exam, didn't he?

Even the descendants of the later Prime Minister Shen Shixing and Zhang Siwei took the examination one after another.

So what if the censors impeached Shen Shixing? They just demoted him.

Things are not difficult to handle.

But it's more than that.

The problem is that there are bad people among the ministers!
It was clear that he had kept the memorial in his possession and not sent it out, but it was still copied and made into notices, which spread all over the city.

Zhang Jingxiu had not taken the exam yet, he just registered and Liu Bushi immediately wrote a memorial for him.

Especially Zhang Juzheng.

There is clearly no situation in history where too much power is being concentrated. In order to avoid suspicion, even the Minister of Personnel is still a figurehead, with the Cabinet remotely controlling the work of the Vice Minister.

But Zhang Juzheng still suffered the same impeachment again and again.

In addition to the well-known reason - the ministers were dissatisfied with the new policy.

I'm afraid that it is more or less mixed with the internal disputes among cabinet members that have lasted for nearly a hundred years!

From the dictatorship of treacherous prime ministers in the Jiajing period, to the power grabbing by powerful assistants in the Longqing period, to the present day, the power of the cabinet has been expanding day by day.

What followed was the inevitable power struggle between the Cabinet and the six ministries.

If Gao Yi wanted to employ Pan Jixun, he had to consider the mood of Zhu Heng, the Minister of Works.

Zhang Juzheng wanted the Ministry of Personnel to cooperate with the Cabinet, so he had no choice but to ask Lu Shusheng, who was unwilling to take the post, to build a memorial archway.

If Zhu Yijun wanted to control the Beijing camp, he had to keep the position of Assistant Minister of Military Affairs vacant, and he had to rely on Wang Chonggu's prestige to suppress dissent in the Ministry of War.

When they wanted to reform the system of princes and vassals, they could not make any progress without the approval of Zhang Siwei from the Ministry of Rites.

This is the size of the six ministries!

In fact, in history, a cabinet without the support of the emperor was always at a disadvantage. The six ministries would directly bypass the cabinet when doing things, and even the emperor would be kept in the dark.

Now that the cabinet members have gradually stood together with the emperor, this cabinet dispute that has lasted for nearly a hundred years has become increasingly intense.

So, these days are not going well.

The situation became particularly complicated as it was intertwined with the dispute between the new and the old, the dispute between the cabinet, the dispute between the local parties, the dispute between the north and the south, and the dispute between schools of thought (Chapter 103 mentions Wang Yangming's entry into the Confucius Temple).

In such a complex situation, distinguishing one's positions is the most important thing.

After Ma Ziqiang became the Minister of Rites, Zhu Yijun frequently tested his attitude.

I just want to see what his stance is between the new and old, between the cabinet and between the local party members.

Today is no exception.

Ma Ziqiang was named by the emperor and stepped out without hesitation.

He bowed first, then answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, I think what Liu Jieshi said is reasonable. As an assistant minister, even if it is unintentional, I am afraid that there will be flatterers who will follow me and undermine the fairness of the imperial examination."

Many of the court officials nodded.

Zhu Yijun looked at Ma Ziqiang with interest, waiting for his next words.

Ma Ziqiang paused for a moment, and then continued, "Not only the assistant ministers, I think that the six ministries, three courts and two temples, and the officials of each department are also in high positions and have great power. They should also be subject to this restriction during their tenure, and their sons and nephews are not allowed to take the position!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the censors applauded and praised, expressing their deep admiration.

Only the officials from various departments had their eyelids twitching and looked embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Ma Ziqiang took in everyone's expressions and couldn't help but snorted. The range of officials in various departments was large, including the six ministers and vice ministers, the ministers of various temples, the heads of the Hanlin Academy and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and even a group of governors and prefects.

His words were blatant support overtly and opposition in secret.

joke.

His eldest son Ma Yi and his youngest son Ma Xuan will start taking the imperial examinations in these two years.

Ma Ziqiang was just one step away from becoming a cabinet minister. What if he betrayed his son?
To put it another way, Wang Chonggu was still a member of his own party after all, and his two sons also wanted to take the examination. As an uncle, how could he not hold them back? Whenever the censor said that only the prime minister could ban the examination, he would hesitate.

Everyone had different expressions.

Wang Zhigao, the Minister of Justice, suddenly said, "We are only discussing the descendants of the assistant ministers. The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan should not expand the scope recklessly."

"This ban covers a large area, and it is not only against human nature but also unrealistic to implement."

"If the Grand Master wants to use this as an excuse to oppose, he might as well oppose openly, which will also appear frank. You should know that His Majesty hates people who talk without substance the most."

The Emperor's boomerang is coming.

Everyone looked strange.

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun couldn't help but cough lightly, drawing everyone's attention back.

He waved his hand and asked Ma Ziqiang to return to the train first.

He then turned to look at Gao Yi, the foreman today: "Sir, you are the right prime minister, what do you think about this?"

It is a court discussion, and those who have the right to speak naturally have to express their opinions one by one.

Everyone looked towards Gao Yi.

Gao Yi quickly stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I am an assistant minister and I should avoid suspicion in this matter."

After saying this, he bowed down.

At the same time, the assistants Lu Diaoyang and Wang Chonggu came out and bowed to express their attitude.

This is also the reason why the three of them did not speak during the entire court meeting.

After Gao Yi had picked out the two colleagues, he paused and continued, "But since Your Majesty asked... I have no brothers or nephews, and I am all alone, so I can just say a few words."

This is the invincible man.

Not only does he have no children or nephews, he is also an old bachelor. Obviously, he will not have any children or nephews in the future, so there is naturally no risk of a boomerang.

Since no one complains, there is nothing to avoid.

Zhu Yijun motioned Gao Yi to continue.

Gao Yi coughed lightly and said slowly: "Your Majesty, what Liu Jieshi said makes sense. As your Majesty's assistants, we are like the sun and the moon, accompanying the stars."

"Whether it's the examiners, the classics, or the policy essays, they are all influenced by us to some extent, so it's hard to guarantee that they are not biased."

"My sons and nephews are referring to it, and I dare not say that it is fair."

"Especially since we have used your majesty's power to hinder the fairness of the imperial examination, we are truly disloyal."

This was fair, but all the ministers looked at Gao Yi quietly, waiting for the turning point.

as predicted.

Gao Yi changed the subject and sighed, "But if my son or nephew really has talent and is interested in taking the imperial examination, how can I bear to ruin his future as a parent?"

"It is difficult to have both the emperor and his subjects, and the father and his son."

"I only ask your majesty to make the decision."

These words are not nonsense.

At least between the monarch and his subjects, a layer of father-son affection was added, which gave the relationship a foothold in human relations.

The ministers had different expressions and their own thoughts.

After everyone had expressed their opinions, it was finally the emperor's turn.

At this time, Zhu Yijun finally stopped calling out people.

He pondered for a while.

He slowly said, "I understand what you all mean."

This is the conclusion to be drawn.

All the ministers looked over.

The emperor suddenly sighed: "Now people inside and outside say that I don't care about justice and only care about protecting the prime minister."

"Today I will speak to you from the bottom of my heart."

No matter whether people believe it or not.

Zhu Yijun first looked at Liu Buxi, who had initiated this matter, and said, "Mr. Liu, I know that you were not sincere in your memorial."

Liu Bushi's face suddenly changed and he was about to step out to apologize.

Zhu Yijun raised his hand to stop him, and continued slowly: "The name of the censors all comes from remonstrances, and the merits all come from offending superiors. This is the custom of my ancestors, and I naturally know it."

As a department responsible for disciplinary inspection, Kedao has its own progressive system.

But at the same time, the two sides of things determine that a good system has its limitations if it wants to function properly.

Without an emperor who is good at accepting advice, independent of various factions, and has a personal integrity of fulfilling his duties, the impeachment of the censors would hardly be effective, not to mention considering the overall situation of the country.

The biggest problem for censors who care about fame and reputation today is impeachment for the sake of impeachment.

This is also the reason why Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, who were eager to get things done, looked down on the six departments and thirteen examinations - they were full of empty words.

Although this is the case, the emperor's words cannot help but be suspected of malicious speculation about his inner thoughts.

This is a symbol of lack of martial ethics.

Liu Buxi was so shocked and terrified that he began to sweat coldly because of his wrong bet.

He froze in place, not knowing what to do with his hands.

Fortunately, at this time, Zhu Yijun changed the subject.

The young emperor said sincerely, "But you are right about this matter. Your words are meaningful and hit the nail on the head. Even if you are a little disregarding the overall situation, it is within your duty. I have no reason to blame you."

Liu Buxi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he still could not accept the emperor's previous malicious speculation, so he could only bow and say nothing.

Zhu Yijun's tone became more and more emotional, and he continued, "You may have heard about it a long time ago. Zhang Jingxiu asked the Imperial College to submit a petition the day before yesterday, requesting to cancel the examination."

He pointed at the chief priest Tao Dalin, who was in a daze and seemed not to have heard him.

The ministers also had no reaction to the emperor's speculation about spying on the memorials.

Zhu Yijun ignored the reactions of the ministers and continued, "But the Prime Minister has assisted the country in major affairs and has made contributions to the country. I cannot bear to ask the Prime Minister to retire or to ask my eldest son to withdraw from the examination."

"I cannot agree to what Mr. Liu has suggested."

Liu Buxi and Chen Wude looked at each other, feeling somewhat disappointed.

The Minister of Justice Wang Zhigao shook his head slightly. The emperor's move would most likely be criticized by the literati, and would also be a big blow to Zhang Juzheng's reputation.

If we keep taking one step at a time, sooner or later the situation will become irreversible.

At this time, Zhu Yijun looked at Chen Wude, the Right Secretary of the Military Department, and said, "Mr. Chen, you were demoted because you insulted my father for his extravagant spending in the inner court. I will reinstate you after I ascend the throne."

"You said you were speaking for justice in joining Liu Qing's memorial. I believe you."

After these words were spoken, Liu Buxi couldn't help but look resentful. Why were they treated differently?
However, he did not know that the emperor treated him differently because Chen Wude was later demoted for offending Zhang Juzheng. When the central government launched a counterattack, Chen Wude was reinstated, but he did not take office.

To put it bluntly, he may be an old-fashioned person, but he is probably not the kind of person who seeks fame and status.

Chen Wude didn't know the inside story. When he heard that the emperor believed in his impartiality, he couldn't help but look complicated. He bowed to the emperor and said, "I am a humble servant. I am grateful for your trust. I bow my head."

Zhu Yijun nodded and accepted the gift.

He continued, "You said this matter is unfair, and I agree."

"But I cannot be fair in everything, and I will never be partial to anyone."

"You are a fourth-rank official, and your descendants can all be promoted to the position of a student supervisor; even after retirement, you can still be exempted from taxes on thousands of acres of land; even if you harm the people, at most you will be demoted, so how can you talk about fairness?"

"It's hard to have it both ways now. I'll put the overall situation first and do what's fair. I'll take my time."

"Can you understand?"

Logically speaking, it was somewhat unfair for the second-in-command of the court to take the civil service exam. Xu Guo had a heavy accent and read the exam paper for the candidates, which could have caused him to be ranked lower. What about other factors? It was inevitable that the son of the prime minister would influence the examiner.

But the question is, what qualifications does Zhu Yijun have to guarantee absolute fairness?

To judge whether a team is good or not, it is not to see whether it is perfect, but to see its morale and whether it is striving forward.

It is enough if one group of people does better than another. It is never too late to criticize them when they go downhill.

Therefore, Zhu Yijun was not so idealistic and did not try to give justice to everyone.

I don’t know whether Liu Bushi took these words to heart or not.

But when Chen Wude heard the emperor's earnest words, he was immediately moved and kowtowed repeatedly.

For a moment, he was choked with fear and speechless.

Zhu Yijun gently put him down and turned to look at Wang Zhigao: "Wang Qing, I know why you are angry, but to be fair, can you really blame me for the cause of the incident?"

Wang Zhigao's heart knot has been discussed privately many times.

But this person just blames everything and everyone, so there is no need to say too many good or bad things about him.

Zhu Yijun brought this up openly today simply to force him to retire.

Wang Zhigao was overwhelmed by the emperor's words. He suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, stepped out of the line and bowed: "I would like to retire."

The emperor's words are too heavy, and retirement is the last option.

Zhu Yijun nodded and instructed Shen Shixing: "Tell the Ministry of Personnel to recommend candidates."

Shen Shixing was in a daze for a moment, then stepped out to receive the order.

Everyone on the field was looking at the emperor's actions at this time and felt a little caught off guard.

The power displayed in such a casual manner is really hard to adapt to!

For a moment, all the ministers were silent.

At this time, Zhu Yijun looked around at everyone.

He stood up slowly and said, "The news of the poster has spread out, and the scholars are very enthusiastic about it, and are all discussing justice."

"I don't have the best of both worlds now, so I have to show some mercy."

He looked down at everyone.

"From now on, there will be 31 officials of the fourth rank or above in the capital. Their sons and nephews who take the exam will be included in the number of candidates for the imperial examination."

"The examination papers of the sons and nephews of the officials will be reviewed by me personally for the time being."

Zhu Yijun looked at Ma Ziqiang and said, "Grand Master, is that ok?"

Ma Ziqiang realized it later and bowed down quickly: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Lü Diaoyang and Wang Chonggu also breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at each other and quickly stepped out and said loudly, "Your Majesty is wise!"

As the three men bowed, the ministers followed suit: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Surprisingly, no one questioned the emperor's knowledge of classics in marking the papers.

Zhu Yijun glanced at everyone and nodded: "This matter ends here, you can continue your discussion."

After saying this, he stood up from the imperial desk and turned to leave.

As he was about to enter the side hall, Zhu Yijun paused again, turned around and said, "The position of Jinyiwei Commander is vacant now, and I didn't ask anyone to investigate who copied and spread the notice."

"Everyone, please think more about state affairs when you encounter problems. I will be grateful."

These words fell into the ears of the ministers.

They all knelt down and pleaded guilty.

When he looked up again, the emperor had disappeared.

(End of this chapter)