Chapter 231: As soon as he resigned, he was demoted to a common people
Zhu Houzhao knew that this was the entire civil service group putting pressure on him, but he had no intention of directly using the Guards to intervene in internal affairs. He believed that the current Ming Empire should be different, at least the civil service group should not be what he imagined. So united.
Early the next morning.
Zhu Houzhao was sitting in the dragon chariot, preparing to hold court meetings.
At this time, civil and military officials had begun to enter the main hall one after another, waiting for Zhu Houzhao to appear.
Zhang Cong, the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, who had just arrived in Beijing, was very excited as it was his first time to attend such a high court. He had been busy with the establishment of the National Academy of Administration in the past few days.
Moreover, Zhang Cong also pioneered the establishment of a Zhongjun Society organization in a school institution such as the National Academy of Administration. He even received the approval of Emperor Zhu Houzhao to become the head of the Zhongjun Society of the National Academy of Administration. Zhang Cong decided based on this, in the training of the first choice training. A group of national administrative academies should give priority to officials with a background as members of the Zhongjun Society.
Of course, Zhang Cong also recently learned about Dongchang's establishment of the Inspectorate, but what he knew better than others was that the Inspectorate was directly appointed by the emperor and was not accountable to the Admiral of Dongchang. Even the personnel of the Inspectorate were loyal to the emperor. Because of this, Zhang Cong was able to accept the appearance of the Dongchang Inspectorate.
Zhang Cong is now more concerned about whether, due to the emergence of the Dongchang Inspectorate, most of the civil servants who represent the interests of the gentry will have an impact on the court's established policies when they express their protest by resigning. Then implement the system of border trade and external expansion.
"Everyone, please remember the beliefs of our Zhongjun Society. No matter how many courtiers want to resign later, we cannot resign. Do you understand? Once these people resign, the members of our Zhongjun Society will be arranged at that time. Various departments, and Zhang has received His Majesty’s approval, the National Administration Academy gives priority to training officials with Zhongjun Society membership background.”
Zhang Cong still remembers what he said at the temporary meeting of the Zhongjun Society's internal organization before going to court.
At this time, other courtiers did not realize that there was already a group of civil servants who were not of the same mind as them.
When Zhu Houzhao entered the main hall and the ministers saluted, Zhu Houzhao asked directly: "If anyone wants to resign now, he can directly stand up and make a statement! The Metropolitan Procuratorate comes first!"
then.
A group of censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate stood up.
"Your Majesty, I, Yan Hong, the Vice-Censor of the Left Imperial Palace, want to resign!"
"Your Majesty, Qiao Ying, the imperial censor of Zuo Qiandu, wants to resign!"
"Your Majesty, Jiang Chao, the censor of Huguangdao, wants to resign!"
……
For a time, many censors stood up from the court one after another and expressed their intention to resign.
Hang Huai, the censor of Zuodu, couldn't help being secretly happy when he saw this. He thought that your majesty might be in a bad mood at the moment. But when Hang Huai raised his head, he found that some censors did not come out to express their intention to resign.
Zhu Houzhao also discovered it at this time, and just asked the group of censors: "Do you also want to resign?"
"Your Majesty, Guo Dongshan, the Censor of Henan Province, will not refuse!"
"Your Majesty, Shaanxi Taoist Censor Cheng Cai will not refuse!"
"Your Majesty, Tao Xie, the Sichuan Taoist Censor, does not hesitate!"
……
At this time, several censors who had been silent stood up.
Seeing this, Hang Huai, the censor of Zuodu, was so angry that he didn't know what to say. He wondered why these guys suddenly changed their minds!
When the left deputy censor Yan Hong saw this, he was even more angry and asked in a low voice: "You, you, what do you guys want to do?!"
"Your Majesty, I am impeaching the left deputy censor Yan Hong for disrespecting the court and intimidating me!"
Guo Dongshan immediately played.
As a member of the Zhongjun Club and a representative of the interests of the emerging capitalist class, it is normal for Guo Dongshan to change his mind temporarily.
Seeing this, Zhu Houzhao also reprimanded Yan Hong: "Yan Hong, they are the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Although they are your subordinates, they are also officials of the imperial court. You must not intimidate them!"
With that, Zhu Houzhao directly ordered: "According to the decree, Guo Dongshan was moved to the left deputy capital censor to replace Yan Hong! Cheng Cai was promoted to the left deputy censor of Qiandu! Tao Xie was promoted to the right censor of Qiandu. Since the other censors If Shi wants to resign, you should first put the Metropolitan Procuratorate under control, and there must be no mistakes!”
"I obey the order!"
Guo Dongshan and others replied.
Yan Hong was greatly surprised, thinking to himself, would he just step down from the position of Zuo Fudu Censor?
……
While Yan Hong and other censors who expressed their resignation were still in shock, Zhu Houzhao asked the Ministry of Personnel: "Which officials in the Ministry of Personnel want to resign!"
"Lu Zhaoji, the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, wants to say goodbye!" Lu Zhaoji, the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, stood up first.
At this time, Zhang Cong, the right servant of the Ministry of Personnel, also stood up: "Your Majesty, I will not refuse! I will not abandon the emperor!"
Lu Zhaoji, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was very angry when he saw this. He thought that it was understandable that Zhang Cai, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, did not express his intention to resign. What do you, Zhang Cong, mean by saying that he would not resign so impatiently? Do you want him to be an official? Are you going to resign, Minister Zuo? ! Are you calling yourself a minister who has abandoned the emperor?
"Accurate!"
Zhu Houzhao first said something to Lu Zhaoji, the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and then ordered: "According to the decree, Zhang Cong, the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, was transferred to the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and continued to be in charge of the National Academy of Administration!"
Lu Zhaoji, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was confused. He did not expect that His Majesty would agree to his request to resign so simply, and in the blink of an eye, he would promote Zhang Cong to the position of left minister of the Ministry of Personnel. "Zhonglun Wenxu, the director of the Literary Selection Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, resigns!"
At this time, a civil servant still stood up and looked at Zhang Cong angrily. He was obviously not willing to let the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs resign collectively at this moment in protest being disrupted by Zhang Cong. He thought that he, a doctor in the literary selection department, would resign. How does your Majesty, the Emperor, make the civil service examination and selection work of the Ministry of Personnel proceed smoothly?
But in fact, Zhang Cong was not the only one who disrupted the situation. At this time, Pan Boring was signaled by Zhang Cong to stand up: "Pan Boring, the head of the Chen Wen Selection Department, will not refuse!"
"Very good, in that case, Zhun Lun Wenxu resigned from the post of doctor of the Literature and Selection Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Zhang Cai and Zhang Cong of the Ministry of Civil Affairs were promoted to Pan Bor, the head of the Literature and Selection Department, to the position of doctor of the Literature and Selection Department, responsible for the examination and selection of imperial civil servants, so as to avoid officials A large number of resignations from the Ministry affected the imperial examination and election! ”
Zhu Houzhao said with a smile.
Lu Zhaoji, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Zhong Lun Wenxu, the director of the literary selection department of the Ministry of Personnel, were both stunned at this time. Lu Zhaoji hated Zhang Cong for coming to disrupt the situation and taking over his position, while Lun Wenxu hated Pan Bor for coming to disrupt the situation. own position.
……
At this time, Gu Lin, the Minister of Punishment, could not help but shake his head when he saw this, but he still stood up stubbornly: "Your Majesty, I also ask to resign!"
Zhu Houzhao nodded and asked Wang Hua, the chief minister of the cabinet: "Wang Qing, are you resigning?"
"Your Majesty, I will not refuse!" Wang Hua replied.
Zhu Houzhao asked Xiang Cifu Liu Yu again, and Liu Yu said: "I will not refuse!"
Zhu Houzhao asked Wang Qiong again, and Wang Qiong replied: "I will not refuse!"
"Very good. Since the three great scholars in the cabinet have not resigned from their posts and the government can still function, I have approved your resignation request of Gu Lin, the Minister of Punishment. Wang Hua, please immediately convene a court meeting to recommend a new Minister of Punishment!"
< br>
Zhu Houzhao said directly at this time.
Gu Lin opened her mouth in surprise, thinking, Your Majesty, wouldn't you try to save her?
……
Suddenly, many civil servants who wanted to threaten the emperor by resigning collectively found that it was impossible for them to control the emperor in this way, because some civil servants were not willing to resign.
"Han Lian, editor and editor of the Hanlin Academy, never refuses!"
"Ge Hao, the doctor in the primary school department of the Chen Academy, will not refuse!"
"Xiong Zhuo, the minister and minister, will not refuse!"
At this time, some officials with low official power also had the courage to stand up and express their inner thoughts. They did not have any political purpose. They just felt that the treatment given by the court was very generous and there was no need to resign. After all, everyone Not everyone is good at business, and not all of them are descendants of gentry from wealthy backgrounds.
But at this time, after these low-level Beijing officials also came out to express their position, they completely angered the hundreds of civil servants who tried to resign together and force the emperor.
Yan Hong was the first to shout: "That's enough!"
With that said, Yan Hong asked all the civil servants in front of him who had expressed their intention not to resign: "Everyone! What are you doing? Are you willing to just sit back and watch Dongchang dominate all officials?!"
"We are all descendants of Confucius and Mencius, and we all read the books of sages. Why, why do you do this! Are you going to betray the entire scholarly community!"
Lu Zhaoji, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, also asked, looking extremely distressed, because he did not expect that there were so many officials unwilling to resign.
Zhu Houzhao had no intention of stopping it. He wanted to see what these civil servants would look like when they got excited, and whether they would directly stage a full-scale military exercise like the Zhengtong Dynasty.
"You are so impudent! This is the court! It is not a teahouse or a restaurant. You are not allowed to drink and shout here. Don't think that because you are disciples of the emperor, you can do whatever you want. But since you are asking today, Zhang will answer you, we The reason why we do not resign is because we believe in Your Majesty and believe that Your Majesty will not allow eunuchs to monopolize power. We trust Your Majesty!”
"In addition, you cannot represent scholars, let alone the public opinion. Mr. Hengqu has said that we should establish a heart for the world, establish a destiny for the people, carry forward the unique knowledge of the past saints, and create peace for all generations. The reason why we will not resign is That’s right!”
After Zhang Cong said this, he raised his hand to Zhu Houzhao and said: "I have violated my etiquette before you. Your Majesty, please punish me!"
Yan Hong, Lu Zhaoji, Gu Lin and others were all stunned for a moment when they saw this.
At this moment, these more than a hundred officials don't know whether they should leave here, or whether they should apologize to His Majesty the Emperor like Zhang Cong, but they know that they have completely lost, not to His Majesty the Emperor, but to their own people. , they don’t understand, since when did some civil servants become so disunited?
"Resign from the imperial court! All those who resigned from the imperial court today will be dismissed! I approve them all! But most of you are new ministers who have not made any contribution to the country and have no good governance for the people. Therefore, I cannot Let you resign and still enjoy the treatment of officials!
The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Cabinet listened to the decree: all those who resigned from office and whose official career was less than twenty years were to be dismissed as common people. The imperial court gave scholars the treatment as scholars so that they could become national scholars and benefit the Ming Dynasty. Since you are not willing to serve the country If you work hard, you can only become a common people, whether you are farming or doing business, wealth or poverty all depends on your personal destiny! ”
After Zhu Houzhao said this, officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites stood up and hurriedly said that they obeyed the order.
They knew that His Majesty was retaliating against the civil servants who tried to force them to compromise, because after several purges, there were not many officials who had stayed in the court for twenty years.
Now Zhang Cai, the Minister of Civil Affairs, Zhang Cong, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and Pan Bor of the Literature and Selection Department have not resigned, and the three cabinet ministers have not resigned, so Zhu Houzhao's will can still be carried out.
But these hundreds of civil servants regretted it. They did not expect that they would become common people as soon as they resigned.
However, what they would never have imagined is that although Yan Hong, Lu Zhaoji, Gu Lin and other officials who were too unruly in the court had resigned, they would still be held accountable when it was time to pursue their crimes.
However, this time it was no longer the people from the Dongchang Inspectorate who arrested them, but the people from the Criminal Department.
I write this chapter just to express the purpose of the internal division of the civil servant group due to the social and economic changes in the Ming Dynasty, which were divided into two classes: the traditional gentry and the emerging bureaucratic capitalists. It is precisely because of this that I followed the emperor Zhu Houzhao and tasted it during Zhu Houzhao's reform and New Deal. Bureaucratic capitalists who benefited from business, mining and colonial expansion would no longer be aligned with the traditional gentry. This was directly reflected in the unwillingness of officials such as Wang Hua and Zhang Cong to resign. But the author always feels that he has not been able to write with this flavor. Unfortunately, his writing power is limited, so book friends will just have to make do with it. I will try my best to write more vividly, vividly and deeply in the future. In addition, Dongchang will have ways to check and balance him, which I will write about later.
(End of chapter)