Wenhua Hall.
There was quite a bit of quarrel in the court meeting today.
From far outside the temple, the fierce sounds inside can be heard.
"Whether we agree to the Tatar barbarians or not, we still have to make preparations first." Shi Maohua, the left minister of the Ministry of War, said solemnly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Yi, the right servant of the Ministry of Finance, said without hesitation: "Shi Lang, you might as well explain clearly how to make preparations in advance?"
"Liu Yingjie, the governor of Jiliao, has already distributed troops and dispatched troops and guards."
"Qi Jiguang, the military training governor of the four towns, has personally led his troops to defend against the enemy and prepare for war."
"It's not like we have to be transferred to another town, right? Could it be... lack of money and food again?"
Liu Yingjie was born in the household department. After the Gengxu Rebellion, he took the initiative to become the Deputy Military Envoy, and then patrolled Liaodong and Henan. His governor Ji Liao was a calm and steady general.
Qi Jiguang was a famous general with great achievements in the southeast. Previously, as the commander-in-chief, he had to control the commander-in-chief, which was quite restrictive. After the cabinet proposed it, and the emperor showed mercy, he was awarded the title of military training governor of the four towns.
The two of them hold high positions of power and are both immediate choices. What preparations are needed?
It’s just that the Ministry of War is eyeing the silver coins brought back from the salt inspection in Lianghuai!
Shi Maohua's expression did not change: "It is not necessary to transfer troops to other towns, but we cannot save the recruitment of troops that should be sent out."
"Besides that, there are also grain, grass and bundles of grass, so we have to prepare them in advance."
"I'm afraid that there are people who don't understand military affairs and are focused on money, which will damage the border defense. If the Gengxu Rebellion happens again, money can't remedy it."
Shi Maohua's words were slapped with a big hat and could be regarded as criticism.
Recently, the ministers have become somewhat angry over the matter of competing for patrol salt and silver.
Fu Yi's expression changed after hearing this.
Just about to speak.
Suddenly, there was a movement on the imperial steps.
Seeing the two young eunuchs carrying the throne up, all the ministers understood in their hearts - this is the emperor's arrival.
Zhang Juzheng immediately interrupted the argument.
"That's it."
"Xichengfang and other five places called for 1.2 million grass bundles to prepare for border defense."
"Sheng Ding Prefecture Guerrilla King Zhiyu defended Xifengkou and sent out two thousand troops."
Fu Yi glared at Shi Maohua and shut up angrily.
Not long after, the figure of the little emperor appeared on the imperial steps.
Everyone saluted: "Your Majesty!"
When he straightened up again after saluting, all the officials' expressions changed in unison.
But it was not because the emperor came to listen to the government, nor was it because the emperor did not follow the rules and did not cover the screen.
It's because, below the imperial steps, where the ceremonial officer is, there is an extra person, sitting on a low stool with his eyes and nose looking at his heart.
Xu Jie!
Why did this old immortal come back to the court again!
All the officials were thinking, frowning and thinking.
Zhu Yijun took in all the officials' expressions and found them interesting.
He looked at Zhang Juzheng and asked, "Yuan Fu, are you talking about Ji Bian?"
Zhang Juzheng came out of the queue and saluted: "Your Majesty, the invasion of the border by the barbarian Khan must not be ignored. We are about to discuss a charter."
Zhu Yijun nodded: "How did the discussion go?"
Zhang Juzheng briefly summarized what had been discussed in the past few days: "My colleagues have some objections to the matter of Dong Hu sending people to exchange prisoners."
"Qi Jiguang and Liu Yingjie presented the memorial, hoping to exchange soldiers so that the soldiers can see the benevolence of the court and work hard."
"The Ministry of War is worried that this move will encourage the arrogance of the Tuman Khan, who will rush to invade the border and plunder the people to make up for the exchange with our country."
"The court is discussing this matter."
"There is also the matter of Dong Hu asking for rewards. We don't dare to specialize in it, and we are waiting for His Majesty's Holy Judgment."
There are some unfinished meanings in it that are hard to explain clearly.
The so-called plundering of the people to make up for the loss was actually more worrying about exchanging prisoners and changing habits, which would eventually lead to peace talks.
You come to invade and steal money, I come to earn military honors, and then exchange prisoners to settle the score after the war is over. It's a win-win situation. This is something we have learned from experience.
Zhu Yijun was thoughtful.
However, he did not express his position clearly, but ignored the matter: "Yuan Fu, we will discuss this later."
"I just met with Master Xu, and I learned about the difficulties and dangers of this salt patrol, which really makes my heart palpitate."
"The reward for such meritorious ministers cannot be delayed without delay."
"Has the official department and the cabinet discussed the rewards for meritorious officials this time?"
Zhang Juzheng glanced at Xu Jie, who was discussing with the court at the moment, and immediately understood the emperor's decision.
I couldn't help but feel relieved.
He faced Shen Shixing and signaled the latter to play correctly.
Shen Shixing understood the idea and said: "Your Majesty, this matter has been reviewed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and reviewed by the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is about to be discussed in court."
"Among them, Hai Rui, the censor of the capital Qian on the right, and Chen Dong, the young minister on the right of Dali Temple..."
He glanced at Xu Jie who was sitting on the short pier, guessing the emperor's intention, and added another person: "There is also the former Grand Bachelor of Zhongji Palace and the Young Master Xu Jie."
"This is the first achievement of three people."
"The rest, such as Jiao Ze, Gu Chengguang, etc., take second place."
"Among them, Hai Rui plans to be promoted to the imperial censor of Zuoqiandu, but will lose two years."
"Chen Dong plans to be promoted to Zuo Shaoqing of Dali Temple, but he will lose one year."
"As for Master Xu... his position is high and well-paid, it is up to His Majesty to decide."
The emperor himself had not expressed his position before on how he wanted to deal with Xu Jie.
You can't talk about how to award rewards in front of others, and abandon the market in the back.
To say the least, even if Xu Jie is to be rewarded, his special status is really difficult to deal with. He can't really give him real power and make his colleagues uncomfortable when he enters the court, right?
Zhu Yijun nodded, and the reward was given according to the rules, which did not surprise him.
The main reason is that there are too many people offended, and it is thankless to step on other people's heads and try to reward them lavishly.
But for Zhu Yijun, this was a bit of a snub to the hero.
He pondered for a moment and then said: "What Shen Qing just said is consistent and complete. I will follow your advice."
At this point, he changed the topic: "However, in addition to the official rewards, I also have some feelings that need to be expressed, otherwise I will be said to be harsh on good ministers."
"Chen Dong is also given a place to rent outside Donghua Gate, free of rent, and can bring his wife and children, and his two sons can be admitted to the Imperial Academy."
Zhu Yijun heard that Chen Dong's father was a psychopath. He spent all his son's salary for his own entertainment, and often whipped and punished him by kneeling. It was simply an insult to the face of the country.
However, it is a family matter and it is not easy for outsiders to interfere.
Now that he has an excuse to reward him, instead of making all the bells and whistles, why not give him an excuse to take his children to school and move out by himself.
Shen Shixing didn't understand the emperor's painstaking efforts. He just thought it was a casual favor and responded respectfully.
Just listen to Zhu Yijun continue to say: "As for Hai Rui having no heir, it's not easy to get married..."
He pretended to ponder for a moment, then reluctantly said: "Just give me the same birthplace as a Jinshi!"
Shen Shixing was subconsciously prepared to agree, but when he came to his senses, he looked up in shock.
Hai Rui is known to have a low background.
It can be said that if a person is born as a juren, he will be an official of the seventh rank.
However, he relied on his shoulder to shoulder the great ambitions of Qingliu, and built an indestructible golden body. He rose to the rank of fourth-rank censor of Qiandu, which was rare in the country.
If you think about it further, a third-rank official is a serious court official who controls the situation in the world. If you don't have a Jinshi background, it is impossible to get the award.
Now, in a blink of an eye, the emperor granted him a Jinshi background.
This is paving the way for Hai Rui!
The ministers looked at each other in confusion, with conflict in their eyes.
The emperor relied on his high position to become an official and forced everyone to revive Hai Rui. This was already the limit.
Is it possible that you still want this stubborn donkey to join the cabinet!?
That’s not true!
Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Rites, was the first to come out: "Your Majesty, Jinshi are selected by the palace examination, how can they be awarded based on merit!?"
"Even if this happened in the imperial dynasty, it would be a posthumous gift, and no one would be awarded a Jinshi during his lifetime!"
"This is not only unfair to the candidates, but also undermines the customization of the imperial examination!"
"Your Majesty, please think twice and don't destroy the ancestral law!"
Zhu Yijun explained in a warm voice: "Zhang Qing doesn't know something. Although this matter is rare in our dynasty, it is common in Qing history."
"Lu You and Lu Fangweng, weren't they the ones who received the title of Jinshi from Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty?"
He explained calmly on his face, but he was sneering in his heart.
What ancestors established the law is just an excuse.
Being given a Jinshi background is really not a big deal.
The Wanli Emperor in history looked like that. In the fourth leap month of the forty-sixth year of Wanli, wasn't he the one who gave the ministers the title of Jinshi?
Then a group of people were given to me, but why didn't anyone make any irresponsible remarks?
In the final analysis, Hai Rui was still not very popular and was rejected by the courtiers.
Wang Zhigao, the Minister of Punishment, came out with a straight face and said: "Your Majesty, the previous dynasty was the previous dynasty, and the current dynasty is the current dynasty."
"The selection of Jinshi is a great ceremony of the country, how can it be destroyed easily?"
Because of the incident in Nanzhili, his son was exiled three thousand miles away, so he naturally did not have a good impression of Hai Rui.
Li Youzi, who had just been changed from Zuo Shaoqing of Dali Temple to Minister of Guanglu Temple, also came out to agree: "Your Majesty, if the Jinshi are given lightly and the situation is overrun, I am afraid it will cause serious trouble."
Later, there were Huo Ji, the censor of Youdu, Ma Ziqiang, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, Cai Ruxian, the minister of household affairs, and seven or eight others, all of whom came out to support it to varying degrees.
Zhu Yijun looked at these courtiers quietly.
Some of them were against Hai Rui, and some were simply afraid that the emperor would disrupt the imperial examination.
He had thought that the resistance would be great before, but he did not expect it to be so great.
He glanced at the expressionless Zhang Juzheng again.
I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. The cabinet probably didn't want to see Hai Rui climb above the third rank, which was already the threshold for joining the cabinet.
Shen Shixing, the Minister of Civil Affairs, looked around at the attitudes of his colleagues. He made up his mind and immediately went out to persuade: "Your Majesty, why don't you give Hai Yushi's parents and ancestors the Yin Guan?"
Zhu Yijun was noncommittal.
At this moment, all the officials and officials were in trouble, and Li Zaiting also took a step forward.
"Your Majesty, I also think that because I have the same background as a Jinshi, I am not in line with the ancestral system and may be undermining the imperial examination."
"I suggest that you might as well follow Yan Shu's story and give Hai Rui the opportunity to participate in the Spring Palace Examination next year!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yijun spoke immediately without giving anyone a chance to interrupt.
He scolded himself loudly: "What you said is right. Being a Jinshi depends on your talent and learning. You should not teach lightly."
"Then I'll follow Li Qing's wishes and let's take part in the imperial examination together next spring."
"From now on, we will learn based on their talents."
The ministers stared at Li Zaiting angrily.
What kind of advice is this? You won’t be deposed in the imperial examination!
Previously, Zhang Yuan of the Song Dynasty was deposed in the palace examination, defected to Xixia, and was directly awarded the position of prime minister.
Then he directly led Xixia and beat the brains out of the former Song Dynasty. In the Battle of Haoshuichuan alone, tens of thousands of people were killed. After the war, he wrote a poem to ridicule, signing "Tai Shi, Shangshu Ling, and Zhongshu Ling".
"Zhang Yuan has arrived here with his Majesty", which made Song Ting so angry that he didn't even think about food or tea.
With this example in front of us, everyone will understand that it is best not to let talented people go unappreciated. If there are too many such people, trouble will arise.
Therefore, when I went to the back palace examination, I only ranked in the rankings and no longer deposed.
Li Zaiting's proposal still gave Hai Rui a Jinshi status, but it just legalized the process.
Even when the court officials said that the process was not in compliance with regulations, it seemed like the emperor was deliberately fishing.
Ge Shouli, the imperial censor of the capital, came forward to echo: "Your majesty is wise and wise!"
He Yongqing, the general envoy of general affairs, Wen Chun, the right minister of the Ministry of official affairs, and others also saluted and agreed.
At this time, the cabinet had to take a stand.
Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a while and then said: "Your Majesty, Hai Rui has certainly made meritorious service, but since the Ministry of Civil Affairs has already given him official rewards, would it be too much if he were to hold the imperial examination again?"
He and Hai Rui really couldn't get along.
It's one thing in terms of temperament, but the main thing is that they have different political opinions.
Zhang Juzheng was afraid that people like this, who had a good reputation and left no room for action, would enter the center and disrupt major events.
This time regarding the Southern Zhili incident, I heard that Gao Gong came forward to take care of the emperor's worries, but Hai Rui stopped him.
He saw it and understood in his heart that for Hai Rui, the overall situation of the Ming Dynasty was not considered at all. In his eyes, he only had the emperor and the people.
This kind of temperament cannot reconcile yin and yang, so it is not suitable for entering the center. Blindly standing on the emperor's side will only worsen the relationship between the officials and the emperor.
The emperor has not spoken yet.
Xu Jie, who was sitting on the short pier below the imperial steps, suddenly stood up and said, "Yuan Fu doesn't know something."
"Hai Rui took the lead in handling the case in Nanzhili this time. I, an old man, didn't get even the slightest credit."
This is to give credit to Hai Rui. Now he can cater to your Majesty without having to worry about his high position.
The courtiers all looked at Xu Jie.
Many people couldn't help but glance at the emperor.
Coming again?
If Hai Rui is not allowed to push the power, are you planning to use Xu Jie to return to the court to threaten everyone?
Zhang Juzheng also stagnated.
Although he is a teacher, he does not want Xu Jie to return to the court.
At this time, Zhu Yijun finally spoke: "Yuan Fu, it is difficult for the Metropolitan Procuratorate to achieve meritorious service, and it will be even more so in the future. I can't bear to treat important ministers harshly, so I am showing my kindness by being a little merciful."
After hearing this, Zhang Juzheng looked slightly enlightened.
It is naturally false that the Metropolitan Procuratorate found it difficult to perform meritorious service.
The emperor told him that he did not intend to let Hai Rui join the cabinet, but to pave the way for Hai Rui to be the censor of the capital.
If that's the case...it's still acceptable.
The Metropolitan Procuratorate is the best place for Hai Rui to go.
Thinking of this, Zhang Juzheng bowed and said: "Your Majesty has thought carefully, and it is unreasonable for me to do so."
Zhu Yijun nodded.
Once the cabinet agrees, things will be easier to handle.
"That's it."
"By the way, Xu Qing, I keep him in the capital for consultation, and I will look after Xu Fan and Bao Si Qing again."
Shen Shixing waited for a while, and when he saw that no one was trying to push back the emperor, he bowed in response.
After saying this, he looked around the hall.
Zhu Yijun paused and said, "Where's Yang Bo and Yang Qing? Will you make an early morning appearance today?"
Zhang Juzheng replied: "Yang Ge's old illness is getting worse and he is no longer able to get up. He has not entered the palace since he wrote the memorial to become an official a few days ago."
Zhu Yijun sighed: "Another important minister is leaving me."
He ordered Zhang Hong beside him: "Let the Taiyuan Hospital go and take a look. If it is difficult to cure with medicine and stone, just approve his memorial for becoming an official for me."
"By the way, if you want to go back to your hometown in Shanxi, let the imperial doctors Wang Wenli and Song Zhaohe take care of you, otherwise I won't be worried."
When he was giving this order, he saw Zhang Siwei out of the corner of his eye, looking uncontrollably excited.
He shook his head secretly in his heart.
He calmed down a little and got down to business: "Let's talk about Tuman Khan."
At this moment, Zhu Yijun finally turned his attention to Wang Chonggu, the Minister of War, who had attended the court meeting earlier today but had said nothing.
He inquired: "Wang Qing, do you have any suggestions on this?"
Chapter completed!