Chapter 663 662 Xu Jie becomes official
On the evening of the second day, two sedans left Xu Jie's mansion and followed the alleys before getting onto the main road.
The sedan chairs came one behind the other, and soon they arrived outside the wall of the residence of Yang Bo, the Minister of Civil Affairs.
There, a small, inconspicuous door opened.
As the sedan curtain opened, it was the current Minister of Civil Affairs, Yang Bo, and Minister of War, Huo Yi, who stepped out.
The two of them quickly entered the mansion through the small door. After a while, Yang Bo's study was already brightly lit.
Countless servants stood around the study, all of them with upright expressions and firm eyes.
Although many people have wrinkles covering their cheeks and leaving traces of time, their eyes are still deep and sharp, as if they can see through everything.
Their muscles are still solid and powerful, and every muscle exudes perseverance and unyielding strength.
There is no doubt that these people are the soldiers of the border army who followed Yang Bo to fight with the captive cavalry on the battlefield of Xuan. They were selected by Yang Bo because of their bravery in combat and were transferred to serve as personal soldiers under him.
After he left Xuanda and returned to the capital as an official, he also brought him back with him as a servant.
At this moment, they are distributed around the study to prevent anyone from prying into the study.
"Sir, I think Mr. Xu Ge is unreliable."
It was Huo Yi who spoke, but the relationship between him and Yang Bo at this time seemed to be no longer outside the court. The halls are all on the same level, but there are distinctions between superiors and inferiors.
“You sit down.”
Yang Bo had been silent since he returned home, and it was only then that he finally spoke.
After Huo Yi sat down, Yang Bocai said leisurely: "When I asked you to submit your resignation that day, Xu Zisheng should have had the intention to quit, but at that time he was not very determined, and maybe there was still a hint of hope. Hope.
But Chen Yiqin’s begging for divorce and Zhang Qi’s impeachment should have let him know, The situation is over.”
“My lord, I don’t understand. Didn’t His Majesty directly demote Zhang Qi because of the impeachment?”
Yes, Zhang Qi was demoted because of the impeachment. The crime was directly exposed, which was a severe punishment for Ke Dao. Huo Yi did not see anything worthy of Xu Jie's resignation.
"Have you forgotten what happened last year?"
Yang Bo shook his head and said: "Kedao officials are used to hearing about things, and they will not be punished, most of them are shenchi.< br>
But this time, His Majesty directly reduced the crime and punished him. In fact, he was attracting the officials of science and education to Mr. Xu Ge.
Just like Gao Gong's fight with Hu Yingjia, the whole department eventually launched an impeachment campaign against him, and finally forced him to resign. He is still cunning and cunning, knowing that there is no hope anymore, he decisively cuts off his strength
It's better to resign yourself than to be impeached. "
"No wonder Mr. Xu Ge always talks about him when talking about that matter today. ”
Huo Yi was determined then.
Being able to become the Minister of the Ministry of War, he is certainly not an idiot. In fact, he had already felt it when he was in the sedan chair just now, but he still didn’t dare. Believe it.
Having not been a minister, he would not have felt like this, that is, he has great power.
Well, although he has been the minister for a short time, he has been obsessed with power. If he asked himself, he would definitely not compromise easily.
Really, he couldn't let go of the rights he had obtained.
Those who are in the game are confused, but those who are in the game are confused. Perhaps this is the case.
Although Yang Bo has been an important minister of the Ming Dynasty for a long time, he has always been independent of the main forces in the court and is independent, so he has always been able to look at the court situation with the mentality of a bystander.
Even now, he can still remain calm, because no matter how fierce the fight between the Shouxuan faction and the Yuzhu faction is, it seems that they have nothing to do with him.
This relationship is very subtle. Wei Guangde envies him and wants to learn from him.
Xu Jie naturally understood, but he could not let Zhang Juzheng, who was about to inherit his political legacy, follow suit, because a big tree attracts wind.
He has too many old relatives and friends, and he is already a very powerful force, enough to influence the court and cannot be hidden.
"Sir, what should we do in the future?"
Huo Yi asked hesitantly.
After Xu Jie leaves, the court will be dominated by Yu Zhuan's old party, and it will be difficult for Li Chunfang to control this group of people.
At that time, in the Ming Dynasty's cabinet, there may be a situation where the words of the second minister count.
“Don’t panic when things change, that’s what I’ve always told you.”
Yang Bo glanced at Huo Yi and said, “Do your job well and don’t meddle indiscriminately.
As for that group of people, as long as it is beneficial to the court, you can support it, but if there is something wrong, point it out directly, argue with them openly, and don’t play tricks.”
"Even if the palace wants it."
"If the palace wants it, we must fight."
In response to Huo Yi's hesitant words, Yang Bo's answer was very straightforward.
But soon, Yang Bo seemed to have some realization: "Perhaps, this is what Xu Jie wants Zhang Shuda to do. He must cooperate with them, but he cannot follow them in everything, but..."
“But what?”
Huo Yi asked strangely.
“It always feels like it won’t be that simple.”
Yang Bo just shook his head. He still couldn’t imagine how Xu Jie would arrange the follow-up, but he knew that Xu Jie was a person and would not give in easily.
His purpose is always to hope that his faction can control the situation of the court, which will inevitably lead to a fight between Zhang Juzheng and Yu Zhuan's gang, and to compete for the emperor's support.
Emperor Longqing in the Palace.
However, no matter how he looked at it, Yang Bo did not think that Zhang Juzheng was a person who flattered Emperor Longqing, and doing so would be tantamount to ostracizing himself from the court.
On the second day, Xu Jie, the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty cabinet, the young master and the prince's grand master, the minister of the Ministry of official affairs, and the bachelor of Jianji hall went to Shu again to beg for leave.
The memorial was sent to the Qianqing Palace that morning, but this time Emperor Longqing did not approve it quickly and neither approved nor rejected it.
In the afternoon, Wei Guangde hurriedly left the Rites Yamen and went to a nearby teahouse.
In the elegant room, Wei Guangde saw a person sitting quietly inside when he pushed the door open.
"Brother Chen, you can just say something if you have something to do. Why bother leaving the palace in person?"
Wei Guangde said after closing the private door.
"You are here with an order. Let's make a long story short. Mr. Xu Ge has asked to resign. Do you agree to His Majesty's wishes?"
Chen Ju asked.
When Wei Guangde came, he had already speculated that Emperor Longqing was a little unsure whether he should approve it at this time. After all, he felt that Xu Jie had not been pushed to a dead end.
Whether Xu Jie's resignation is sincere or false is worth examining.
"Everyone else will go there, and your Majesty will have to weigh it."
Chen Ju intercepted Wei Guangde's words and said.
“This time, Xu Ge always used old age as an excuse to beg for retirement. It didn’t seem like he was going against his will. The main thing was that he knew the general situation and knew that it would be useless to stay. If your Majesty doesn’t want to punish him, you can let him leave. ”
"Will leaving now have a negative impact on the government?"
This should be what Emperor Longqing was most concerned about. After all, Xu Jie had experienced the Jiajing Dynasty and was extremely proficient in handling government affairs.
Although he wished he had left earlier so as not to be an eyesore, Emperor Longqing had to consider whether the government would be delayed and cause trouble if Xu Jie left the capital.
In fact, this is also because of his consistent view of himself. If he is not a wise god, he needs the assistance of famous ministers.
Gao Gong, whom he was most at ease with, was not here, and now that Xu Jie was leaving, he was inevitably worried about the government.
Wei Guangde chuckled and shook his head, "Don't worry. Mr. Xu Ge is gone from the cabinet, as well as Mr. Li Ge and Mr. Chen Ge. Uncle Zhang is also capable and will not have a great impact on the court situation."
Wei Guangde is very confident in this. Although Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin were not famous in history for unknown reasons, Zhang Juzheng's name is real.
It’s just that Wei Guangde knew that if he boasted that Zhang Juzheng had great talent at this time, and Chen Ju recorded it and said it back, Emperor Longqing would definitely not dare to let Xu Jie go, because he would not be believed.
The more powerful the people below brag, the more the savvy superiors cannot believe it.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Chen Ju said at this time.
Anyway, Chen Ju also came from the inner study hall and served the emperor for a long time. In fact, he also saw a lot about handling government affairs.
The government affairs of the Ming Dynasty, to put it bluntly, are those. There are precedents for copying the handling methods, but there is no precedent for calling the nine ministers to discuss.
As later generations said, the Ming Dynasty at this time was like an old man entering his old age.
No one thinks about building on the past and reforming the past, because doing so is risky.
Even if you copy previous precedents, even if you find that the results are not good after the final implementation, you are not responsible. The most you can do is make changes.
The Ming Dynasty had enough experience to try and make mistakes. In any case, it has been two hundred years since the dynasty was established, and the world has returned to its home.
As for why time travelers dare not propose drastic reforms, haha. That is a fatal job.
How many of those who engaged in reform in history had a good ending?
Don’t say dressing up as an ordinary person, even if you dress up as an emperor, if you dare to carry out large-scale reforms and affect the interests of the powerful, you don’t know how you will die.
If you think about the restoration of Yingzong in the last years of Jingtai, you will know that without the support of the powerful, there is no guarantee that a second "gate-stealing coup" will not occur.
Wei Guangde also hopes that there will be changes in the Ming Dynasty, but it can only be done subtly. If he can change it, he will change it. If the impact is so great that it threatens him, then let Zhang Juzheng go to the front.
I vaguely remember that Zhang Juzheng actually succeeded in reforming, but failed to maintain it in the end, and the results of the reform were in vain.
After Chen Ju left, Wei Guangde sat alone in the private room for a long time, then slowly got up, left the teahouse and returned to the Rites Yamen.
Later in the evening, the latest news came from Lubu. Emperor Longqing agreed to Xu Jie's begging for leave, and ordered Chiyi to send travelers to escort him back. He was given eight husbands per year and six rice and six stones per month.
In addition, he also personally wrote imperial edicts. Since he was weak, he has achieved the highest rank. After serving as an official at home and abroad, he achieved a lot, and was promoted to Ju Lun Pavilion by the late emperor's family members. He was responsible for the great government
"After hearing that His Majesty's decree was issued, Li Ge Lao and several other cabinet ministers came to the palace to ask for an audience. It should be I want to persuade your Majesty to take back his life. "
When Lu Bu said this, his eyes were secretly staring at the expression on Wei Guangde's face, but he soon relaxed.
The expression on Wei Guangde's face remained the same as before, with no hint of happiness or anger, so it would be easier for him to go back.
After disbanding the government, Wei Guangde returned home first, and later went out to Chen Yiqin's home to learn about the situation.
"It's all rules, and this is generally the case. Please think twice, your majesty. After all, Mr. Xu Ge has been in the cabinet for many years and is well versed in political systems. However, your majesty also said that Xu Ge is old and old, and he asked again and again, so he agreed to beg for leave. Therefore, Give him a feast of labor and tin Long Yi is like Yang Ting and the story is called You Longyun. "
Chen Yiqin briefly told the conversation between them and Emperor Longqing in the Palace of Qianqing. Of course, the emperor could not say that he had his way, but he said it according to Xu Jie's reasons. .
Moreover, although Emperor Longqing did not like Xu Jie, the gift he received was indeed very generous, even more generous than when Emperor Jiajing sent Yang Ting and Li Jing off.
At this time, Zhang Juzheng had just returned from Xu Jie's Mansion. There were quite a few people coming to Xu Jie's Mansion today. Although they knew he was leaving, many people still had many questions to ask for advice.
These people came and went in a hurry, Zhang Juzheng could only stay beside Xu Jie, and he was very tired by this time.
However, he did not rest after returning home. Instead, he went straight to his study and took out an unfinished memorial and laid it on his desk.
He has carefully studied several suggestions drawn up by Xu Jie before, and most of them will not change them. However, he will not copy Xu Jie's articles, but is considering adding his own things.
In fact, he and Xu Jie still have differences in governance, but he hides them skillfully most of the time.
At the very least, he knows that the actual situation of the Ming Dynasty today is different from what it was in the early Ming Dynasty. If we continue to follow the practices of Xu Jie and others and follow the precedents before the Guo Dynasty, the country will not only be in trouble There will be ups and downs, and there will be gradual decline.
Even as Gao Gong said, purging officials can only slow down the speed of defeat, but it cannot eradicate the long-standing evils, because after two hundred years of development, the Ming Dynasty has already changed.
Instead of purging officials, Zhang Juzheng preferred to improve officials' ability to handle their jobs.
It should be noted that when Taizu was in the early Ming Dynasty, the suppression of corrupt officials was very strict, but the officials still followed one after another, which shows how attractive yellow and white things are to people.
Instead of replacing corrupt officials one after another, it is better to acquiesce in their behavior within a certain range and improve their work ability.
Corrupt officials are not scary, as long as you do practical things.
The scary thing is that people are both greedy and bad, they are living without food, they amass money but do nothing or do all the bad things.
With the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Zhang Juzheng did not worry about officials doing bad things, but if they did not do things, the people would have to wait for years, and they would only be discovered during inspections.
With this thought in mind, Zhang Juzheng picked up his pen and started writing quickly in the corner of the article.
"Check the name and the truth.
Today, when we call people's talents, we don't need to try to do them; if we let them do things, we don't need to test their success; when they commit crimes, their crimes may not be clearly rectified.< br>
The scholar-bureaucrats wrote numerous articles and articles, but they were at a loss when discussing their own duties.
This so-called name does not match the reality.
From now on, when you employ people, you must test them to the end, and when you teach people, you must ask for their performance.
The method of strict examination of classes, advance and retreat with abandon, focus on who you are really for, don’t dazzle your reputation, don’t show favoritism, don’t shake reputation, don’t mix love and hate, don’t summarize your life, don’t cover it up. Big festival.
People have full-time jobs and responsibilities. ”
This is actually very similar to the examination method implemented by Zhang Juzheng when he was in power. In other words, he has begun to consider establishing a system to supervise the work efficiency of officials.
In the past, the Ministry of Civil Affairs mostly used "literary selection" and "merit examination" to inspect officials, and did not pay much attention to their work ability.
Some people can accomplish something in one day, while others need ten days or more.
Moreover, many times, things continue to be implemented without knowing the end, and it becomes unfinished work.
Officials all day long just want to write a colorful article to become famous, and they have to write a series of articles.
The next day, the young master and the crown prince Taifu, Yang Bo, the minister of the Ministry of official affairs, Huo Ji, the minister of the Ministry of war, and Mao Kai, the minister of the Ministry of punishment, all went to Shu to invite Xu Jie, a bachelor to stay.
This was Yang Bo's last resort to keep Xu Jie in court. After all, he was not dismissed from office and had to leave Beijing within a time limit.
(End of this chapter)