Chapter 341 The Civil Service is Frustrated
Zhu Houzhao looked at Zhou Luo, who was more than ten years older than him, and shivered. Zhu Houzhao also felt that he was a little pitiful, but more than anything he was hateful. He thought to himself that these bad old men were not bad, and sometimes they established heirs, sometimes they established virtuous people. The fundamental purpose is not to dissatisfy the civil servants who represent the bourgeoisie with the current behavior of the emperor's eldest son Zhu Zailei.
However, Zhu Houzhao had no intention of not giving face to these selfish civil servants and used his status as emperor to force the emperor's eldest son Zhu Zailei to be crown prince.
After all, he doesn't want to make the relationship between monarch and minister so tense now. Of course, what's more important is to protect the safety of his eldest son Zhu Zailei.
The eldest son of the emperor, Zhu Zailei, is no better than himself. He has loyal interest partners and the support of the people, plus his moral integrity, so he doesn't have to worry about his personal safety now.
But Zhu Zailei, the eldest son of the emperor, is different. He does not have these security guarantees. Therefore, Zhu Houzhao is also worried that once he establishes that the prince is Zhu Zailei, he will undoubtedly become the target of public criticism, and he is afraid that he will be killed directly by extreme means!
Zhu Houzhao knew that political struggle was never as simple as a quarrel and he would not give up until the other party was killed.
You must know that the Crown Prince Yinfeng of the Qing Dynasty was miserably cheated by his other brothers after he was established as the crown prince by Kangxi.
In the final analysis, Zhu Houzhao is still a father, a father who does not want to put his son in danger and wants to protect his son.
Therefore, his determination to make Zhu Zailei the prince was not that firm at first. Now that Zhou Luo said this, he went down the donkey road:
"The establishment of a crown prince is indeed the foundation of the country. It should not be decided arbitrarily. Since you said so, I will put this issue aside for the time being and instruct all the princes to work conscientiously, abide by the law, and contribute to the interests of the country and the people! I will choose the wise ones. He will be crowned prince!”
When Zhu Houzhao said this, Zhou Luo and other civil servants hurriedly bowed and praised: "My emperor is a wise man!"
Xu Jin, who like Zhou Luo did not want Zhu Zailei to become the prince, and also began to advocate "establishing virtuous people", could not help but smile proudly when he saw this.
Zhu Houzhao saw the pride on the faces of these civil servants. He knew that these civil servants must think that he, the emperor, was getting softer as he got older, and thought that he, these civil servants, had really blocked the opportunity for Zhu Zailei to become the prince.
Again, to destroy the enemy, you need to make them crazy, and this is also the only way to maximize your chances of winning in the future. Zhu Houzhao now likes to stew meat slowly and will only lift the pot when it is cooked. He does not want to deal with these people anymore. The civil servants representing the bourgeoisie directly clashed, because that would ultimately deplete the country's strength, and now I no longer have the energy of youth to dare to preside over the world's affairs alone when no one in the world is on my side. .
But Zhu Houzhao naturally did not intend to make life easy for these selfish civil servants.
As an emperor, there is no need for him to have a direct conflict with these civil servants, but that does not mean that the people of the world cannot do so.
After all, the system of establishing heirs and elders is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Because even though Ming Dynasty has now become an industrial country, its farmers still account for the majority, and agriculture is the basis of industry. A country with developed industry does not mean that its agriculture is underdeveloped. On the contrary, its agriculture is more developed. , and the idea of small farmers and the Confucian ethics represented by it cannot be eliminated simply.
thus.
For many people, especially the lower-level scholars and civil servants, there is nothing wrong with establishing direct descendants.
Regardless of whether the emperor is wise or foolish, at least the system is fair.
For most people, what they want most is justice.
Therefore, after this, Zhu Houzhao ordered:
"The Hanlin Academy recorded that in March of the 51st year of Zhengde's reign, the emperor wanted to follow the instructions of the emperor's ancestors and establish the system of direct descendants. This was also the public opinion of the world. It was decided to make the emperor's eldest son Zhu Zailei the crown prince. However, the Minister of Rites week Luo remonstrated with him, saying that establishing a direct descendant is not as good as establishing a worthy person. The crown prince is the foundation of the country and cannot be chosen lightly. Therefore, the emperor will accept his request and put aside the matter of establishing a crown prince for the time being. "
Zhu Houzhao said, and then ordered: "Publish it all over the world! I am still very obedient to advice."
Zhu Houzhao's words were very plain, but they were like a thunder on the ground, exploding in the splendid palace, so frightened Zhou Luo who was so proud that he couldn't help but tremble, and he crouched on the ground with a pale face:
"Your Majesty! The people can follow it, but they cannot know it! Most of the people in the world are ignorant, and most of the young scholars are ignorant people! It is not the choice of the prince to establish a direct descendant, but because it is the ancestral precept, it is in line with the world. Ethics, so if you tell the world about this, it will be a small matter if your reputation is ruined, but it will be a big deal if the people of the world are filled with resentment!"
"I beg your Majesty not to make this proposal public for the sake of stability for the world. The affairs of the court should not be known to the world. After all, the foresight of the princes in the court cannot be understood by ordinary people. Once this proposal is made public, it will only It makes the imperial court lose its majesty!”
Zhou Luo begged Zhu Houzhao sincerely. He was a civil servant, and he also knew how strong the public support base was for the establishment of a direct descendant among the scholars. It was no less than the rule that Ding You should pay attention to the death of his parents. At least the world relied on the establishment of a direct descendant. The eldest sons who have obtained clan management rights under the eldest system will not agree.
Xu Jin considered that denying the idea of "establishing a direct descendant" would be criticized by the world, so he did not stand up on his own. He also hoped that His Majesty would not be aware of the criticism from the people, and people like himself could directly say that this was the emperor. To do this, let the emperor take the blame, but he did not expect that His Majesty the Emperor could ignore public opinion when he did not need it, but it did not mean that the emperor would not use public opinion when he needed it.
The emperor is unwilling to take the blame. He wants to let the world know that it was Zhou Luo, the Minister of Rites, who prevented His Majesty the Emperor from establishing a direct heir. This is equivalent to pushing Zhou Luo, a civil servant leader, to the front to be scolded by the world. What should he do? !
Xu Jin and others could understand why Zhou Luo was so panicked at this time, and he begged the emperor in a panic not to make this court meeting public.
Not to mention how happy Zhu Houzhao was, he couldn't help but think that these civil servants were sometimes afraid.
Xia Yan was equally happy as Zhu Houzhao. Xia Yan had been unhappy with these civil servants who had not listened to him for a long time. Now that he saw them being forced into such a situation by His Majesty the Emperor, he couldn't help but add fuel to the fire:
"Your Majesty, whether it is to establish a direct heir or to establish a virtuous person, it is the legal principle for the imperial court to establish a prince. No matter which legal principle is chosen, the people of the world should know it, because Your Majesty, you have chosen the prince of the world! And the outline of the constitution is clear It is stipulated that the people of the world are the masters of the Ming Dynasty, so although the people of the world do not have the right to make decisions, they have the right to know!”
Zhu Houzhao is now waiting for a minister to stand up and refute the behavior of these selfish civil servants who don't want the world to know their tricks, so that he can once again step down and follow the trend. Now when he saw Xia Yan say this, he nodded: < br>
"What the chief minister said is true. Everyone in the world has the right to know how the prince is chosen."
Zhu Houzhao directly called Xia Yan his first assistant. Naturally, he intended to praise Gao Xiayan and took this opportunity to let Xia Yan share the complaints of these civil servants for him.
Xia Yan could only accept it. After all, as the first assistant and the emperor's similar figure, the value of existence was indeed to take the blame for the emperor or to deflect conflicts.
Xu Jin stood up at this time and said: "Your Majesty, I think what Chief Kui said is true. Today's discussion should indeed be made known to the world. However, the world can know it, but cannot make decisions. I think what the great uncle said is wrong." It’s a fallacy, but it’s actually too old. When it comes to seeking a country, it is naturally the ancestral motto to establish a direct descendant and establish a virtuous person. However, when establishing a prince, he should also establish a virtuous person. This is also a concern for the future of the country. Therefore, I believe that establishing a virtuous person should be the first consideration. If the people of the world are confused, the court will It should be taught!”
Xu Jin knew that the emperor had made a tone, and Xia Yan, the chief minister who only cared about the country and the people, supported him from the side. He wanted to prevent the world from knowing that he, a high-ranking civil servant, had denied the idea of "establishing a direct descendant". It's impossible, and there is no airtight wall in the world. Even if you don't let the world know it now, the world will know it sooner or later.
Therefore, Xu Jin decided to sacrifice his position to protect the commander again. He would rather let Zhou Luo be despised by the world than sacrifice the interests of civil servants and make Zhu Zailei the prince. He also rushed to the conclusion that the prince should be regarded as a virtuous man. Set it down.
Zhu Houzhao smiled slightly. He naturally knew what Xu Jin was thinking, but he was not in a hurry to expose it now. Moreover, he wanted to take advantage of this to trick Xu Jin, so he said:
"In this case, Xu Qing, you have always been talented and eloquent, so you will be fully responsible for organizing the literati to explain to the people of the world the matter of establishing the virtuous over the direct descendants and establishing the elders!"
Xu Jin was stunned for a moment, and immediately realized that he had been tricked by him. He couldn't help but feel extremely regretful for a moment, thinking that it was better now. He was appointed by His Majesty the Emperor as an official to explain to the world. This undoubtedly made him also Then get scolded by people all over the world.
Xu Jin wanted to pretend to be sick, but he knew that His Majesty the Emperor was not allowed to be rejected, and pretending to be sick was not acceptable unless he committed suicide.
Therefore, Xu Jin had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree: "I obey the order!"
Seeing Xu Jin's deflated look, Zhu Houzhao was naturally very happy and nodded: "This matter should not be delayed for a long time. Once it is made public to the world, it will cause an uproar. Aiqing should immediately announce it as your Dongge bachelor Article to set the record straight! ”
soon.
Zhou Luo, the Minister of Rites, objected to the establishment of a direct descendant in the court, and his advice to the Emperor to establish a virtuous person was made public to the world. All of a sudden, it really caused the civil scholars to criticize Zhou Luo for not following etiquette and being a Confucian minister in vain.
Not only did it attract verbal and written criticism from scholars, Zhou Luo's actions also caused opposition from some courtiers, including some high-ranking civil servants.
Zhan Shi Jiang Rubi, the young master of Zhan Shi's Mansion, even scolded Zhou Luo, the Minister of Rites, for being rebellious.
The Minister of Punishment heard that Yuan Ben was recuperating from illness. After learning the news, he also wrote an article criticizing Zhou Luo as a despicable person.
Even some military ministers and nobles were very dissatisfied with this. Dingxi Marquis Jiang Rou also went to court to impeach Zhou Luo as a traitor.
Xu Jin explained Zhou Luo's behavior and the court's decision, and published the article in the Huangming Newspaper. However, Xu Jin was soon criticized by all officials who insisted on maintaining the Confucian ethical order of establishing heirs and elders. They attacked one after another.
After all, it would be okay if the emperor asked to establish a virtuous person, or if the chief assistant wanted to do this, it would be acceptable. After all, it is based on the dignity of the emperor and the father, and the power of the chief assistant. It is difficult for everyone to comment, but now Xu Jin, Zhou Luo and others are here If you deliberately mislead your majesty and make him give up on establishing a direct heir, you can naturally scold him as much as you want.
Some people even wanted to burn down the houses of Xu Jin and Zhou Luo.
Zhu Houzhao was very happy to see the current situation, because the current situation meant that selfish Qingliu civil servants such as Xu Jin and Zhou Luo had completely lost their prestige among the people. In the future, it would be impossible for these people to hold public opinion against themselves as the emperor.
After waiting for most of the people and courtiers to criticize these selfish civil servants in the court, Zhu Houzhao stood up and said that he would personally decide the position of the crown prince, and would still announce it according to the original time schedule, and that no further orders would be given. Arguing about government affairs and so on.
As a result, the people and courtiers of the empire became quieter, but smart people will find that, invisibly, who is qualified to be the prince is still under the control of His Majesty the Emperor.
Zhu Houzhao had actually drafted his will and was just waiting for a good time to take it out and make it public.
In other words, Zhu Houzhao had already determined who would be the prince. Although the outside world was still discussing the matter, he no longer hesitated and began to focus on the construction and expansion of the empire.
For Zhu Houzhao, the issue of heir has been resolved, but for the princes, it seems to be getting worse.
This time, the selfish behavior of some civil servants in the court allowed Zhu Zailei to see through the despicability of these people, and also made him clearly realize that the gentlemen he respected in the past were not all ice-hearted but jade pots. His previous behavior has undoubtedly made these civil servants completely disappointed in him.
Zhu Zailei knew that from now on, Xu Jin and others would become his political enemies and would not be able to help him.
Zhu Houzhao also guessed that his eldest son Zhu Zailei would gradually realize that he was in opposition to the civil servants who represented the bourgeoisie. It was impossible to rely on civil servants to create the prosperous Ming Dynasty. With his hands getting older, he said: "Although Lei'er is not the prince yet, he must have the prince's state of mind."
While the Ming Dynasty's central empire was constantly fighting over national issues, in the Ceuta region of the Mediterranean, the Ming army here was already at war with the Spanish Armada.
However, the Ming army's rifled guns and faster sail warships did not allow the Spanish fleet to take advantage. However, due to the lack of military strength of the Ming army in the Ceuta area, the Spanish fleet was not seriously damaged. Therefore, Spain prepared Launched another attack on Ming Dynasty Ceuta.
After all, the Ceuta area of the Ming Dynasty is near the Strait of Gibraltar. How can he allow others to snore next to his bed? As a ruler of Spain, even if he has never heard of this sentence, he can understand this truth, and he is even more intolerable. Yes, non-Western empires have a military base here.
In terms of weapons and equipment and tactical command, the Ming Dynasty naturally has an advantage over Spain. However, a fatal problem of the Ming Dynasty is that the central empire of the Ming Dynasty is too far away from the Ceuta area, and logistical supply support is very problematic, so that it is difficult for the Ming Dynasty to launch a one-time launch. A large amount of military power was used to completely eliminate Spain's military threat to the Ceuta area.
But the Spanish army could harass the Ming Dynasty's Ceuta area at any time.
At this time, after being colonized by the Ming Dynasty for decades, the Ceuta area was no longer just a trading base. Although its main role was still as a trade transit station, it was rich in mineral resources and cheap labor. The abundant fishery resources have caused many people to move here in the Ming Dynasty.
The Spanish Armada's siege of the Ceuta area some time ago prevented the Ming fishermen in the Ceuta area from fishing for several months. It can be said that they suffered heavy losses. Therefore, these days, the Ming fishermen bring their black slaves and white fish every day. The slaves went fishing in order to make a fortune during the short fishing shortage in Ceuta.
On this day, at dawn, fisherman Lu Liang, who had moved to Ceuta and settled there for twenty years, took his fleet out to sea for fishing. As a fisherman from Qiongzhou for generations, he used the fishing he had accumulated over the years along the coast of Daming to His experience and skills in fishing allowed him to return home with a full load this time, and the entire boat was filled with fish.
Of course, he was not the only one who went fishing, even there were three or four Ming fishermen who returned with him.
When the morning sun just emerged on the Atlantic Ocean and was swayed by the rippling waves, the entire Atlantic Ocean rang with the Han fishing songs made up by the people of the Ming Dynasty. The sound was high-pitched and powerful, but also filled with the joy of harvest. It seems that even in this distant Atlantic Ocean, people can feel the wealth of the Minghan family.
But at this moment, a large fleet of white sails swept out of the sea, like thousands of white ghosts, holding flags with red backgrounds and yellow crosses, and rushed towards Ming Dynasty's fishing boats. Judging from the formation, there were no less than a hundred ships.
Lu Xunxian shouted in horror: "It's a Western! Run away!"
But the Ming Dynasty's ordinary fishing boats were no match for these regular Spanish fleets, so they were naturally unable to escape. Not long after, Lu Xun saw with his own eyes that the fishing boats in front had been surrounded by Westerners, and they were soon surrounded by Westerners. The artillery bombarded them into pieces, and many fishermen fell into the sea, and some were even killed on the spot!
As for some larger fishing boats, these Westerners even stuck to them. Then, they jumped onto the fishing boats and stabbed the Daming fisherman directly into the stomach, stabbing the fisherman to death.
Lu Xun saw his compatriots pouring blood into the sea with his own eyes. He was so scared that his heart was in his throat. But just when he was feeling sorry for the murder of his compatriots, at this time, Western warships also surrounded him. He jumped onto his fishing boat and onto his deck.
It happened that Lu Xun's youngest son was playing on the deck, but at this moment, a Western fan suddenly caught him and broke his neck in front of Lu Xun.
"No!"
Lu Xun saw with his own eyes that his youngest son was killed by this Western man. Even his neck was cut off. Only his lips moved instinctively, as if calling him daddy.
Lu Xun was in great pain. He picked up the harpoon and rushed towards these Westerners: "Damn it, I will fight with you!"
Phew!
Lu Xun saw with his own eyes that the Western fan who killed his son also quickly stabbed a knife into his stomach. He looked at the Western fan in shock, with endless hatred in his eyes. He didn't understand why. I was killed by this evil person instead of killing this evil person myself!
The Western fan smiled proudly and threw the bodies of Lu Xun and his son into the sea.
Immediately afterwards, the miserable cry of Lu Xun's wife came from the cabin.
In this era, the Spanish colonists were naturally not peaceful messengers of civilization. They were essentially pirates who committed all kinds of evil. They did not dare to directly attack the Ming Dynasty's regular areas in the Ceuta area, but they dared to attack the Ming Dynasty's fishermen.
But now, Lu Xun and other fishermen from the Ming Dynasty were naturally not spared, and they were all killed by the Spanish colonists!
Thank you book friend for the reward of 100 starting coins per pound of sugar
(End of chapter)