Chapter 310 309 Visiting the Yan Mansion
On the second day after returning to Beijing, he was summoned by Emperor Jiajing. Wei Guangde did not expect to be so eager.
Well, influenced by later generations, he felt that he should not be surprised no matter how corrupt the Ming army was.
In fact, during this trip to Ji Town, Wei Guangde saw that the life of the border guards seemed to be slightly better than that of the guards in the mainland, especially those in the south of the Yangtze River, but there were battlefields here from time to time. There is a possibility of losing your life at any time.
Wei Guangde is not sure whether the generals in the north are more conscientious than those in the south, but what is certain is that if Father Wei was really sent to rescue the capital, the Jiujiang Guards at that time would be afraid In one gulp, he was overwhelmed by the Anta cavalry.
After leaving Xiyuan, both Tang Shunzhi and Wei Guangde kept silent to the summons in Xiyuan. After exiting the gate of Xiyuan, they bowed their hands to each other, got into a sedan and left the place, and returned to their respective homes.
Emperor Jiajing did not forget to give two people a holiday. This is also a common practice. This time each person has ten days of rest, and only goes to their respective yamen to order mao after ten days.
Going home to rest for two days, Wei Guangde asked Zhang Ji to collect gifts early in the morning. Naturally, he wanted to prepare for a visit to Yan Ge's mansion today.
Five-hundred-year-old wild ginseng can only be found in rare items. Ordinary yellow and white items are actually not in the eyes of Mr. Yan Ge. Perhaps only Yan Shifan, who is known as the genius of the Ming Dynasty. Only Mr. Yan likes it.
Zhang Ji also took some of the peppers that Wei Guangde had collected from Nanjing and put them into the gift list, but Wei Guangde deleted them.
He doesn't have much stock of peppers anymore.
Comparatively, it is an ornamental plant, which determines that it will not be planted too much in the mansions of Nanjing's Duke Gonghou and other powerful people.
However, after Wei Guangde put the pepper back into the dish, his family couldn’t eat it at first. It was only after eating it a few times that they gradually accepted the spiciness of the pepper.
Now, the Wei family's farm near Jiujiang Prefecture has begun to experiment with pepper planting, using more than ten acres of land at one time.
Now Wei Guangde is reluctant to give the peppers away, and secondly, others won’t be able to use them, which is a shameful waste.
After lunch and resting in the backyard for a while, Wei Guangde went out to Shi Shiran and got in the car to go to Yan Mansion.
Under normal circumstances, before officials visit each other, they must first send a greeting note to each other's house, and then wait for the other party's reply. That is, they can only come to the door after confirming the visit time.
However, who said that Wei Guangde and Mr. Yan Ge were fellow villagers?
In the past few times, Wei Guangde followed these rules and was strict, and then he was ridiculed by Yan Shifan for a long time, and he did not stop until he stopped sending greeting cards.
When I went to Yan Mansion today, Wei Guangde naturally followed his usual practice and just went there with his gifts ready.
Going through the house as usual, you can tell from the reception on the other side whether Yan's attitude towards him has changed, and from this you can also deduce whether there will be any actions against him in the future.
Wei Guangde still values his own life very much.
Unexpectedly, when Wei Guangde's carriage stopped outside the side door of Yan's Mansion, the concierge of Yan's Mansion had already ran out to greet him.
This is also their usual routine. When a familiar car arrives, one side has to directly announce it inside, and the other side has to come out to greet the distinguished guests, letting them feel the courtesy of Yan Mansion. I was so happy that my purse flew out with a shake of my hand.
The seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's door, the concierge of the Yan Mansion seems to be only half a rank lower than Wei Guangde.
Wei Guangde got off the carriage and threw a purse over. Then he smiled and cupped his hands at the man and said, "Which master in the house is here?"
"So that Mr. Wei can know that you two The master is currently busy with official duties in the cabinet and is not at home."
The porter smiled happily when he received the red envelope thrown by Wei Guangde and quickly put it in his arms.
Of course, he did not get this bag of silver alone. In the end, it was shared equally by the concierge of this door.
The family rules in the Yan Mansion are very strict. Although there are no specific regulations for the concierge to collect red envelopes, the master's lack of instructions does not mean that the servants can do whatever they want.
If the servants make trouble in front of guests because of something as trivial as a red envelope, it will be a disgrace to the Yan family.
Wei Guangde nodded and sighed: "The Prime Minister's family has worked hard on state affairs and devoted themselves to the court. They are really role models for our generation. Guangde feels inferior."
The concierge has already bowed down at this time. Wei Guangde was invited to come in. Naturally, Wei Guangde would not hang around in front of someone else's door. He raised his legs and walked up the steps, walking inside. Only Zhang Ji was waiting behind him.
As for the carriage and guards, the Yan family will not miss them.
There is a whole row of horse-tying posts on one side outside, which can park dozens of carriages or sedans at the same time. The Yan Mansion has special personnel to look after them. As for the coachmen and guards, there will also be people to greet them for tea and return them at meal time. Have a hearty meal.
All the cards that a Prime Minister's Mansion should have are available in Yan's Mansion.
There is no change in the entrance section.
However, Wei Guangde did not expect that the servants of the Yan Mansion would know about his affairs. Otherwise, the rumor that he had written a memorial for the Xuan Mansion would have spread in the capital long ago.
Wei Guangde walked in with a smile on his face. Before he reached the second door, Yan Xin, the second housekeeper of the Yan Mansion, had already walked out of the door to greet him.
"Forgive me for being late."
Yan Xin and Wei Guangde are also old acquaintances. Yan Nian, the chief steward of the Yan Mansion, is trusted by Yan Song and Yan Shifan. However, he is a bit old, so ordinary guests will not come out to receive guests like Wei Guangde. He only interacts with Yan Song. and Yan Shifan and his son.
The third housekeeper, Yan Dong, is unruly and arrogant. Even when receiving fellow Jiangxi people like Wei Guangde, he sometimes has to act like the third housekeeper of the Yan family. Naturally, he cannot be sent out to receive distinguished guests. .
Wei Guangde once heard someone from the Yan family say privately that two senior officials from the Metropolitan Procuratorate came to Yan's family to ask for a calligraphy painting from Yan's chief assistant. It happened that Yan Song was not around, and Yan Dong, the third housekeeper, had enough He made people wait outside the pavilion for more than an hour.
It was winter, and the two high-ranking officials in the court, who were third-rank officials, were almost frozen there. It was the butler Yan Nian who passed by and found out, so he sent someone to help the two adults into the house. They also arranged for someone to serve hot tea.
So of course the current Yan Mansion is made by the chief steward, Yan Nian, but Yan Xin is actually in charge of things in the manor, and Yan Dong is mainly responsible for things outside the manor.
He and Yan Xin entered a flower hall, and Yan Xin arranged for tea and cakes to be served, and he sat under Wei Guangde to accompany the Prime Minister.
"Have there been a lot of affairs between the DPRK and China recently?"
Wei Guangde asked a little puzzled. In the past, Master Yan would only go to the cabinet office with Yan Shoufu in the morning, and usually in the afternoon He would sneak out and do his own thing.
But today the concierge said that the eldest son has not come back and is still working in the cabinet. This is a bit strange.
"Hi, Mr. Wei, you are a noble person and forget things a lot."
Yan Xin glanced at Wei Guangde, and then said slowly: "You just came back from Jizhen. I have read the contents of the memorial. It is so shocking, is it not a big deal?
In the past two days, Liubu Hall officials are recruited to the cabinet every day to discuss the follow-up matters. I heard that Long live the Lord was very anxious when he saw it, saying that Ji Town was like this, what would the other military towns in Jiubian be like? meeting Together with the Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Sixth Section, we will inspect other military towns. This time, we will conduct a detailed investigation to get the same result as your trip to Ji Town. We must know the shortage situation in military towns in various places and grasp the actual situation before we can deal with it. "
"Oh, that's right."
Wei Guangde nodded. Most of the military households in Ji Town were on the run, and there was also a serious shortage of sergeants. The situation in several other military towns was only the same. More serious.
Although Ma Fang never mentioned this matter to him, it was probably because the scope of the matter was too wide, and most people would not dare to lift this layer of window paper unless the message came from above.
“Other military towns will send court ministers to investigate. The matter in Ji Town is not over just yet. It is said that the Ministry of Household Affairs will take the lead, and jointly with people from the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Ministry of War, they will investigate those who have falsely claimed the title over the years. The food and salary officials are conducting an inventory, and those money and food officials may not be able to sleep well, haha."
Yan Xin continued.
"Is the impact so big? I thought it was just a scolding, no one has time to make mistakes."
When Wei Guangde heard what Yan Xin said, he knew immediately , this time the court's fault is not just on the military generals, but the doctors and chiefs who are in charge of money and food, as well as the civil servants in the military and military department are probably all responsible for this.
In fact, he and Tang Shunzhi knew from the beginning that many people would be unlucky. After all, there were too many vacancies, but in the past, military generals were responsible for such things.
Liedly reported the number of sergeants and defrauded the money and grain officials of excess money and grain. He was greedy, but this time he obviously wanted to take a heavy hand and beat the border ministers, lest they think that the sky is high and the emperor is far away, so they can do whatever they want in the local area. .
“It’s really hard work for Mr. Chief Assistant with so many personnel arrangements.”
Wei Guangde sighed, “Those border town officials are not worried at all and cannot do their jobs well. There is no need to bother the Chief Assistant. He is over seventy years old. I'm busy working on the affairs of the world."
"Who says it's not the case? I don't know who will be the governor of Ji Town. I guess the gentlemen will come back very late today. I heard what the eldest son said yesterday, and that will be the day today. To determine the candidate for Governor of Ji Town.”
Yan Xin answered with a smile.
"Jizhen? Didn't Governor Yang Boyang come to Jizhen? The things found out now have nothing to do with him, do we have to be dismissed?"
Wei Guangde listened to Yan Xin's words , I couldn't help but tremble in my heart, this involved innocent people.
It has only been more than a year since Yang Bo was transferred to Jizhen from the post of Governor of Xuanda. It was because of the discovery of serious problems that Wei Guangde and his team conducted this inspection. Moreover, Yang Bo can be regarded as a leader because of his past achievements. Jane is in the emperor's heart, so logically speaking, she should not be punished for this.
"Master Wei has thought differently. It is not a dismissal, but it may be a good thing."
However, Yan Xin smiled and shook his head and said: "Last time, His Majesty punished Xu Lun, the Minister of the Ministry of War, because of the matter of Xuanda. Now the post of Minister of the Ministry of War is still vacant. Naturally, someone needs to take over. Someone proposed that Yang Bo be promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of War. . ”
When Yan Xin said this, he stared at Wei Guangde without blinking, observing the subtle changes in the expression on his face.
Wei Guangde felt it. Although Yan Xin chatted with him as usual and looked the same as before, those eyes were always observing him. It was obvious that Yan Xin knew much more than other people in the Yan Mansion.
Yang Bo should not be from the same family as the Yan family. At this time, Yan Xin mentioned in front of him that Yang Bo might be promoted to the post of Minister of the Ministry of War. How could he think that he was trying to trick himself to see if he and Yang Bo secretly has a hook.
Yes, after all, I visited Xuanda when Yang Bo was the governor of Xuanda, and visited Ji Town when he was the governor of Jizhen, and found a big mess in the border town. The Yan family would not doubt themselves and Yang Bo. Let’s contact you secretly.
Of course, Wei Guangde was just thinking about these things in his mind.
"Besides Governor Yang, are there any other candidates?"
Wei Guangde did not ask whether Yang Bo could be promoted to the position of Minister of War, but asked other candidates.
"There must be candidates, but I don't know who else is specific."
Yan Xin said with a smile.
"Actually, the official position is a carrot and a pit. If Governor Yang is removed, you still have to find someone to be the governor of Ji Town. Everyone has the opportunity to be moved, which is a good thing, haha."
Wei Guangde He smiled in agreement, looking at Yan Xin with a wink.
"Haha. Mr. Wei, what's your look, haha"
Yan Xin knew what Wei Guangde meant. Doesn't it mean that moving Yang Bo will cause a series of personnel changes? Many people's official positions have changed from top to bottom. It depends on whether you have found the right person.
Yan Xin also helped Yan Shifan with the pawnshop business on weekdays. He had mentioned it when chatting with Wei Guangde in the past. In fact, this was no longer a secret in the capital.
He knew the meaning of Wei Guangde's eyes, which was that his pawnshop business was going to be booming again.
Yes, whether you are a Beijing official or a foreign minister, knowing that you have such a good position, you will naturally strive for it with all your strength.
Master Yan Shifan is very moral when it comes to accepting money to do things. Once you receive money, you have to do something. If you can't do it, you don't accept the money.
It is conceivable that as long as the news spreads, those officials who are interested in furthering their official careers will definitely get on the pole and send money here. Even if they cannot make any benefits from this personnel change, they can win over the Yan family. It’s also good to have good relationships.
Sure enough, it was already late when the Yan family and his son returned home, and Wei Guangde was just called over to chat for a few words before serving tea to see off the guests.
However, even though they had not been together for long, Wei Guangde still saw a hint of fatigue on their faces. Such a look was common on Yan Song, but it was the first time he saw it on Yan Shifan.
Two days later, the exact news about the position of Minister of the Ministry of War also quickly spread among the officials in the capital. Yang Bo was changed to Minister of the Ministry of War, and Wang Yan was appointed governor of Jizhen.
When Wei Guangde heard the news, he thought about the meaning of Yan Xin’s words that day and the rare expression on Yan Shifan’s face. There was probably a conflict in the cabinet that day between the Minister of War and the governor of Jizhen. There was a fierce debate, but the Yan family did not achieve their goals.
The news now coming out also shows that the final result of the cabinet discussion was that the ministry meeting was submitted to Emperor Jiajing. Emperor Jiajing did not choose people supported by the Yan Party, but chose them and Don't like the results.
Yang Bo's appointment as Minister of War was actually not controversial. Yan Shifan's expression at that time was probably caused by his failure in the governorship of Jizhen.
Wang Yan's courtesy name was Minying and his name was Sizhi. In the 20th year of Jiajing's reign, he was a Jinshi, awarded the rank of traveler, and moved to the position of supervisory censor. Since then, he has been promoted within the Imperial Procuratorate system and served successively as the right censor of Qiandu and the right deputy censor of the capital. Governor of Datong.
In the Metropolitan Procuratorate these days, there are several censors who have never impeached Yan Song. As long as the words are not fierce, the Yan family will not take them seriously. Only those who pose a threat will be hated.
After this promotion, Wang Yan became the right minister of the Ministry of War and the governor of Ji Liao, which naturally made the Yan family unhappy.
(End of this chapter)