Chapter 18: Worry and Feelings, Feeling Safe
In the sixth year of Longqing, on the third day of the sixth month, early in the morning.

……

Before daybreak, Gao Yi set out from home and headed for the imperial city.

I bought two scallion pancakes on the roadside and started eating them while walking.

It’s not that I don’t have time to make breakfast at home, but I just don’t have the appetite today.

Yesterday, someone from the palace came and inexplicably brought him a lot of daily necessities and a few taels of silver as a supplement, which left him confused.

After asking, I found out that it was the grace that the Crown Prince and Concubine Li asked for.

The eunuch's original words were: "The Crown Prince said that you have benefited me a lot, how can I bear to see you in such a state of embarrassment. The Imperial Concubine then obeyed."

He was caught off guard and stood there in a daze.

Gao Yi was different from Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng. He was a traditional scholar, or in other words, he retained some of the temperament of the old-fashioned scholar-officials.

His lagging behind just means he is dissatisfied with the current situation, it does not mean he does not recognize traditional etiquette.

On the contrary, it is precisely because the current world cannot satisfy his yearning for traditional etiquette that he has become a good-natured person who just gets by.

It is said that the king treats his subjects like grass, and the subjects treat the king like an enemy.

Just as Taizu treated scholars and officials as worthless, the attitude of the Zhu emperors towards civil officials made Gao Yi lose trust in the Zhu emperors.

Not to mention that the King Sejong he had served was extremely selfish and would always blame his subordinates; the previous emperor indulged in sensual pleasures and was lazy about state affairs.

How can I get his approval?
But the Crown Prince... he actually paid attention to his family background and treated him as a disciple and a king and father!

This courtesy between teacher and student, this intention between monarch and father, suddenly aroused Gao Yi's long-lost love for his child and loyalty to his monarch.

The scholars and officials should know that if the ruler regards his subjects as his own hands and feet, then the subjects should regard the ruler as their own heart and soul!

However, he was still hesitant.

Is this Concubine Li using the name of the Crown Prince?

Or received guidance from someone?

Even taking a step back, even if the Crown Prince had this intention, would he have other motives and treat him with political acumen?

But Gao Yi couldn't help but feel a little bit of anticipation in his heart.

Entrusting the orphan to assist in governing the country, the emperor is the father, the teacher is the student, such a beautiful story, how could the scholars not yearn for it? With the example of Zhuge Wuhou in front of us, who would not be moved?

Gao Yi was almost sleepless all night due to his random thoughts and complicated emotions.

Today is the third day of the first lunar month. The third, sixth, and ninth day of the lunar month are the days when the Crown Prince holds court. There is no need to preach every day, which made Gao Yi feel a little disappointed, but also relieved.

The loss was self-evident, but the relief came from the fact that he really didn't know how to face the Crown Prince now.

Yesterday he was asked by someone to change the lecture schedule without permission, and he felt really uneasy at the moment.

Gao Yi was lost in thought, walking in the street in a trance.

All government offices have roll calls, although they are a little later than the morning court, but almost the same.

Court officials wearing official uniforms of different colors gathered in the imperial city one after another.

As a cabinet minister, Gao Yi was a well-known figure, so when he met people on the road, it was natural for him to greet and socialize with them.

"Mr. Ge."

"Mr. Gao."

"Mr. Ge."

Along the way, people kept bowing to him, his face almost stiffened from smiling, which also stopped him from thinking.

"Sir, why don't you get in the sedan chair and join us?" a voice came from behind.

Gao Yi turned around and saw a sedan chair carried by six people. Inside, an old man and a young boy opened the curtain and greeted him.

When he saw their faces clearly, he remembered that they seemed to be Zhu Xixiao from the Chengguo Mansion and Jiang Keqian from the Yutian Earl's family.

Oh... Your Excellency, it's okay then.

Gao Yi finally didn't have to smile back, and turned away as if he was seeing air.

He felt helpless, wondering who he, Gao Yi, was. Even nobles tried to get close to him. Did they really think that any noble could be like Zhu Xizhong?

He didn't take it seriously and just walked away.

When he reached the imperial city, Gao Yi was stopped again.

"Zi Xiang, why do you look so bad?"

Gao Yi turned his head and saw Zhang Juzheng, who was walking hand in hand with the Minister of Rites Lu Diaoyang.

Lu Diaoyang followed suit and bowed: "Lord."

Gao Yi did not dare to be arrogant, and quickly returned the greeting: "Lu Shangshu, Zuo Kui."

Zhang Juzheng was the second in command, and Gao Yi addressed him as Zuo Kui, which means left prime minister, to show respect.

After returning the gift, he smiled bitterly and said, "I'm old now. Yesterday the palace sent me some fresh bamboo shoots, but I ate them all because of my appetite. I felt bloated and uncomfortable after eating, so I went to bed late."

Lü Diaoyang was amused by him. He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "It's a good thing that you have such an appetite. Unlike me, my teeth are loose and I can't eat even if I want to."

Gao Yi was humble and easy-going, and had good relations with court officials.

Zhang Juzheng also spoke up, "Zixiang, it's just right. Heqing and I were discussing the ceremony for the crown prince's ascension to the throne. I'd like to come and take a look."

Heqing is Lu Diaoyang's courtesy name.

The Ceremony of Ascension refers to the etiquette, sacrificial texts, selection of persons for various matters, etc. used when ascending the throne.

The three of them walked together, Zhang Juzheng walked in front with dignity, and Lu Diaoyang felt that he was half a step behind.

Gao Yi asked, "When will the third persuasion be held?"

Zhang Juzheng replied, "The two palaces approved the memorial yesterday and will make another appeal on the sixth day of the first lunar month. After the crown prince accepts it, he will ascend the throne on the tenth day."

Gao Yi pondered for a moment and said, "The country is in turmoil, so I should take the throne in front of the spirit."

The mourning period in heaven is often expressed in days instead of months, or in months instead of years.

Zhu Yijun's mourning period was 27 days, from the day of the late emperor's death to the tenth day, only a dozen days, so naturally he succeeded to the throne in front of the coffin.

As the Minister of Rites, Lü Diaoyang had the heaviest burden at this time. He couldn't help but sigh, "The funeral and the coronation ceremony weren't difficult, but the budget of the Ministry of Revenue was tight. It was also thanks to the two palaces' understanding."

Gao Yi nodded. This was also the advantage of having the cabinet in power. Women could never go against the collective decision of the civil officials.

You know, when the late emperor was alive, he always asked the Ministry of Personnel for money and put it into his own private treasury.

He suddenly thought of something and asked, "Has the matter of the mountain tomb been settled?"

It means choosing a Feng Shui-good location to build the mausoleum.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head: "This matter was discussed by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Works. We have to find the dragon veins and inspect the mountains and tombs first. They should still be selecting people."

Lu Diaoyang took over the conversation: "The only things that have not been decided yet are the matters concerning the mountain mausoleum and the sacrificial text."

"Mr. Gao, you are responsible for your own work. Why don't you write the memorial?"

The Grand Secretaries of the Palaces and Cabinet were responsible for writing sacrificial texts, and almost all of them were good at writing sacrificial texts. Moreover, Gao Yi was the Minister of Rites before entering the cabinet, so he was just the right person for the job.

Gao Yi was fine with it: "Just don't think I'm not well-educated."

Lu Diaoyang flattered, "I'm afraid that the elder's words will be too difficult to understand and the Crown Prince will have a hard time reciting them."

After hearing this, Zhang Juzheng and Gao Yi laughed at the same time.

Lu Diaoyang didn't understand what was going on, so he laughed twice in agreement.

"I will go to the public quarters to prepare the memorial for the court discussion. We will discuss this in the morning court."

Gao Yi apologized and left first.

Zhang Juzheng and Lu Diaoyang bowed in return and slowed down their pace.

After Gao Yi left, Lu Diaoyang slowly said, "Mr. Gao seems to be quite admired by the Crown Prince recently."

The palace rewarded fresh bamboo shoots, and everyone had a share.

But Gao Yi happened to receive an extra reward, and this matter certainly could not be hidden from the court officials. The meaning behind it was really unpleasant.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said helplessly: "It's just bullying honest people."

Lu Diaoyang looked at him in confusion.

Zhang Juzheng did not dwell on this, but asked something else: "Did the Yuanfu contact you privately?"

Lu Diaoyang shook his head: "They haven't looked for you, so why would they look for me?" Zhang Juzheng was the leader of the Chu Party, but the Chu Party was not divided by region. There were people from all over the world. It was only because Zhang Juzheng was from Huguang that they were given this name, and the regional nature was not as obvious as it would be later.

Just like Lu Diaoyang, although he was from Zhejiang, he was also classified as a member of the Chu Party.

It is more accurate to call it the New Party rather than the Chu Party.

As for why they did not unite around Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng simply followed Gao Gong's lead.

For Gao Gong, he had his sights higher. The Qingliu, Chu Party, Jin Party, and Zhejiang Party were all the same. Whether it was Yang Bo or Zhang Juzheng, he could just listen to them and use them.

Zhang Juzheng sighed and lowered his voice to a very low voice: "Before the Prime Minister retires, we must use his influence to make the six ministries and nine officials recognize the general outline of the performance evaluation law, so that we can do our work later."

The Kaocheng Law, which is commonly known as the official performance appraisal, is also the foundation of the new law.

Such changes to the civil service system have always been met with a lot of resistance.

If it cannot be finalized before Gao Gong retires, it will take a lot of time for him to clean up the situation and coordinate all parties after he becomes the Prime Minister.

There is not much time left for him to implement the new law.

Lu Diaoyang asked curiously: "What are you going to do?"

Zhang Juzheng waved his hand: "I don't know."

"Let's go to the morning court."

……

During the regular court session today, Zhu Yijun was very silent.

Not only did he not interfere in the court discussions, he didn't even ask Feng Bao, who was standing beside him, any questions, causing Feng Bao to sneak glances at him frequently.

Of course, he wasn't pretending to be profound, he was really tired!

Jobs like copying Buddhist scriptures and Taoist letters were more torturous than he had imagined.

I went back to the East Palace and wrote for two hours yesterday. My arms are still a little sore and numb, and I am extremely exhausted. I have to conserve my energy and think less and talk less.

It’s just that Zhang Juzheng is really wicked. He bullies children like this. Don’t let him get the chance.

While Zhu Yijun was resting, he glanced at Gao Yi through the screen.

Unfortunately, these old foxes, who are very good at cultivating their qi, could not see any clues at all, and I don’t know whether my goodwill gesture yesterday had any effect on them.

It seems that we need to increase our efforts.

The court discussion proceeded in an orderly manner.

Such as the spring tax situation in each province, the appointment of provincial governors, the trial of criminal cases of meritorious officials, etc.

This was the first time Zhu Yijun met Ting Tui and Ting Ju.

The so-called court recommendation means that when a high-ranking official is vacant, the court officials, namely the Nine Ministers, the Chief Censor, the Chief Academician and other officials, will publicly recommend two or three people and report them to the two palaces for use.

As for the court trials, when there are major cases, such as those involving nobles, they must be decided by the court officials.

As for how to push and discuss it - it's actually by voting by head?

Zhu Yijun found it quite surprising. It really felt like a team meeting, with a strong sense of déjà vu.

Of course, all parties had reached a tacit understanding before the public nomination, and they were exactly the same.

He watched the show intently, enjoying it very much.

After discussing everything, he thought the court was going to be dismissed, but he saw Feng Bao take two steps outside and said, "Everyone, I have something else to discuss."

He looked down at Gao Gong and said, "According to the rules, the spring tax should be paid into the treasury at a rate of 100,000 taels. It was like this when the late emperor was alive. Yesterday, I asked the imperial concubine for an order and asked the court officials to discuss it. Why did the prime minister skip it during the court discussion today?"

The Taicang Storehouse was the treasury of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Neiku was the small treasury of the inner court. Others like the Taipu Temple, Guanglu Temple, and even provincial governments also had their own treasuries.

No matter how big or small the government offices were, they still ate from separate pots.

Gao Gong naturally knew about this, and he said without blinking an eye: "I know a little about this matter, and I was just about to tell Feng Dayong about it."

"Yesterday, just as the Imperial Concubine issued her decree, the Six Departments' Censors rejected it with the words 'this is a disorderly order, we will not obey it'. This court does not even know the content of the decree."

The Six Departments' Censors were in charge of the affairs of the six ministries and hundreds of departments, such as attending to the emperor, admonishing the emperor, supplementing the emperor's shortcomings, picking up lost items, and inspecting the six departments and offices, which was equivalent to the Disciplinary Inspection Committee.

Similarly, there is the power to seal and reject imperial edicts, which is part of the ritual system and is legitimate.

Gao Gong looked calm and composed, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Feng Bao was furious and pointed at Gao Gong and said, "Gao Gong! You... are so audacious!"

Gao Gong said coldly: "Eunuch Feng, be careful with your words."

Seeing that the correction officer was ready to make a move, Feng Bao's chest rose and fell violently, and he retreated in anger: "I will report the truth!"

Zhu Yijun watched the whole process and frowned.

Gao Gong not only offended Feng Bao, but he actually dared to directly order someone to refute Concubine Li's order. This was really beyond his expectation.

Even if it was just an order from the Imperial Concubine, theoretically, it was indeed possible to disobey the order.

But Li will become the empress dowager in a few days, and then it will not be the imperial concubine's order, but the empress dowager's decree.

Gao Gong rejected it unilaterally without any discussion, which was completely merciless.

Isn’t he afraid that the Li family will settle accounts with him later?

Even though Gao Gong is extremely powerful now, once the two sides fall out, Li will overturn the table and Gao Gong will have no choice but to retire. This is not the Song Dynasty.

What is he relying on to look so confident?
History records it clearly, but we cannot know everything. Zhu Yijun only knew that Gao Gong was eventually expelled by the Li family.

But how they will fight specifically is unknown.

Is Gao Gong just a naive young man, or does he have some backup plan?
……

On the way back to the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yijun was still thinking about this question.

He didn't even notice Zhang Hong coming to greet him.

Zhang Hong followed him for a long distance before he came to his senses.

"Zhang Daban is here, why didn't you call me?"

Zhang Hong lowered his eyebrows and said: "Master is thinking about something, I dare not disturb you."

Zhu Yijun smiled, very satisfied with his attitude: "Tell me, what's the matter?"

Zhang Hong paused and ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to stay away.

Then he whispered beside Zhu Yijun: "Just now, a Jinyiwei on duty in the East Palace came to me privately and said that Jiang Keqian wanted to see you. I wonder if I should inform him?"

Zhu Yijun was stunned.

He asked in confusion: "Jiang Keqian? I don't want to listen to music, why do you want to see me?"

He had heard of this person. He was a musician who was famous in later generations. Why was he looking for him?

Is Feng Bao going to do that again, wasting his time on playing around?
Zhang Hong choked. It was really strange that the Crown Prince knew that Jiang Keqian was compiling piano music but had no idea of ​​his identity.

Could it be that... besides Zhang Hong, there is someone else who is loyal to the Crown Prince?
Thinking about it this way, Zhang Hong found it reasonable. After all, the crown prince had been keeping a low profile for so many years, so he must not be completely powerless.

Zhang Hong was even more impressed.

He did not dare to think about it any further, and after a moment's deliberation, he said, "Master, Jiang Keqian is the direct descendant of the Yutian Earl's family. His grandfather, Jiang Lunfang, was the younger brother of the Empress Dowager Shizong. His father committed crimes after inheriting the title, and now he has been demoted to the position of Deputy Commander of the Jinyiwei."

"I will work under Zhu Xixiao."

Upon hearing the Jinyiwei and Zhu Xixiao's men, Zhu Yijun immediately understood.

This was Zhu Xizhong’s reply, in which he chose a fallen nobleman to be the vanguard.

However, he had the impression that this guy was a musician, and he thought that he was sent by Feng Bao to entertain him and to kill time, which led to a misunderstanding.

It turns out he is from a royal family. No wonder he has the money and time to make music.

He pondered for a while and said, "Let him see me directly, no need to report to me."

The so-called whether to report to the relevant authorities means whether the meeting is private or open and aboveboard.

Since he happens to be in charge of guarding the Eastern Palace, it would be convenient for us to meet, so there is no need to be in public.

After all, many things need to be done in secret, so there is no need to poke at sensitive points in front of others.

　Note 1: The Six Departments of the Imperial Censorate are responsible for the affairs of the six ministries and hundreds of departments, such as the Six Departments of Attendants, Admonition, Remedies, Revisions, and Inspections. All imperial edicts are issued, major matters are reported back, and minor matters are issued after being signed; if there are any errors, they are sealed and returned to the court. All memorials submitted by the court and the people are copied and sorted, and submitted to the Ministry for review and correction of any errors. - "Da Ming Hui Dian"

　　Note 2: Jiang Keqian wrote the book "Complete Collection of Qin Books·Preface", which includes "Prosody", "Qin System", "Fingering", "Tune", "Qin Saints", etc., and contains 62 Qin pieces.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)