Chapter 384 I still have the final say in the world
"Your Majesty, Hai Rui got an honors in the examination and should have been promoted. There is nothing unreasonable in promoting him as the censor of Zuodu. However, I don't understand why he should be promoted to the governor of Henan!"
The current political system of the Ming Dynasty is that the cabinet controls all power. The Ministry of Personnel responsible for personnel appointments can issue orders to the provincial councils without going through the cabinet, which is equivalent to the provincial standing committee in later generations. The Ministry of Personnel of each province receives the orders. .
Naturally, the Ministry of Personnel, like the cabinet, is directly responsible to the emperor. The emperor can appoint and remove officials directly through the Ministry of Personnel.
This is different from the original history in which the cabinet gradually took over all government affairs after the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, and therefore also acted as an agent of personnel power for the emperor.
Therefore, Gao Gong, the chief minister of the cabinet, who was also the official who appointed Hai Rui as the governor of Henan, learned the news a few days later. As soon as he learned the news, he hurriedly asked to see the emperor Zhu Zailei.
"This is what the Emperor meant."
Zhu Zailei replied and stopped talking to Gao Gong.
Gao Gong was stunned for a moment, and then said hurriedly: "Then we can't let Hai Rui become the governor of Henan just because the emperor wanted to do it. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty is you, your majesty! The governor officials are directly appointed by the governor without being recommended by the administrative affairs department. The decree is issued, which may make the world dissatisfied.”
"If my dear, you have any objections to this, you can talk to the Emperor. I only know that the Emperor has the final say in Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Zailei replied like this and stopped talking to Gao Gong.
Gao Gong looked at Zhu Zailei's leaving back and wanted to open his mouth to say something for a moment, but he still closed his mouth and said no more. He couldn't help but flick his sleeves and returned to the cabinet.
Xu Jie's incident made many civil servants understand what kind of person Hai Rui was, and they would rather consecrate Hai Rui than let Hai Rui cause chaos in the local area, or even cause chaos in his hometown. Flying dog jumps.
Because there is no official whose family members do not pretend to be powerful or rely on power for profit. Even if there are relatives of officials who are loyal to the law and abide by the law, once an official like Hai Rui who only makes decisions for the people becomes the parent official of his hometown, once there are unruly people Taking the opportunity to file a complaint and slander your own family will only favor the common people.
Therefore, Gao Gong also knew that once Hai Rui went to Henan to become the governor, his family would be under constant scrutiny by Hai Rui.
This gives the feeling of a high arch like a awn on the back.
Of course, what made Gao Gong even more uncomfortable was that he could not interfere with the appointment of a governor.
Gao Gong couldn't help but wonder to himself, could he still be considered the chief minister of the cabinet? Is he still considered a minister of state affairs?
What Gao Gong didn't understand, Zhu Hou made it clear.
In fact, when Zhu Houzhao asked Hai Rui to be the governor of Henan, he did not really intend to rectify Gao Gong, but the high profile of Gao Gong becoming the chief minister of the cabinet made Zhu Houzhao realize that Gao Gong still had a strong desire to control power. I believe that Gao Gong is by no means a chief minister who can be manipulated by others. The family members of such a chief minister are likely to dominate the local area because of their power.
And Hai Rui went to Henan to be the governor, so he could supervise the chief minister of the cabinet.
Zhu Houzhao wanted to safeguard the interests of his royal family and the people, rather than considering Gao Gong's feelings. Therefore, he had to arrange for someone to look after his home for the court in Gao Gong's hometown.
"This is my test for his high status! If he manages his family well, is upright, and is willing to serve the country with sincerity, even if I send another Hai Rui there, what will happen to him? There is no way to continue to sit together now. What is he afraid of! If he thinks this won’t work, he can choose not to do it!”
Zhu Houzhao's attitude was equally tough. After Zhu Zailei told him about Gao Gong's reaction, he had no intention of compromising.
The Ming Dynasty is still an empire.
In the final analysis, imperial power is still greater than anything else.
Zhu Houzhao was willing to delegate power, and the administrative office could decide all major matters. Gao Gong, as the chief assistant of the cabinet and minister of administrative affairs, could directly intervene in the appointment of ministers.
However, if Zhu Houzhao is unwilling to delegate power, even the chief minister of the cabinet can only implement some of his own ideas on domestic affairs.
It's obvious.
As Gao Gong, even many people in Ming Dynasty do not want Zhu Houzhao to have the final say in the world.
these days.
Zhu Houzhao discovered that some newspapers and periodicals expressed dissatisfaction with the emperor's decision to appoint officials without going through the administrative office.
It’s not just the newspapers that are criticizing.
Li Ke's public officials also began to discuss the matter in the public forum. They all believed that Hai Rui should not admit that such an appointment was legal and should refuse to take up the post.
"Father, it seems that both the officials in the court and the people are very dissatisfied with the appointment of officials by decree. What do you think about this?"
Emperor Zhu Zailei asked Zhu Houzhao.
Zhu Houzhao smiled faintly: "I did not discuss with them and decided on my own. It is normal for the people of the world to feel dissatisfied. But I still have this power. It is impossible that I cannot use it to take care of the preferences of the people of the world. I just If Hai Rui is to supervise Gao Gong, no matter what anyone says, unless they really have the same financial and military power as me, I will compromise.”
Zhu Houzhao said, "Just like you, Lei'er, you definitely don't want to let me decide everything in your heart, right?"
"Son, I don't dare," Zhu Zailei replied quickly.
"I don't dare, but I definitely have this idea, but you and I are father and son, with the same interests and the same views. I will respect your choice, just like you respect my authority and ask me for advice on everything. In fact, Gao The same is true for Gong, and I also respect his decision-making on reforming the land and using troops in the northwest. Therefore, I will not interfere with his arbitrary actions in this regard;
However, I let Hai Rui take office as the governor of Henan. It is not something he can interfere with, nor can he. He must also respect the royal family's choice! Otherwise, wouldn’t the royal family in this world have the surname Gao instead of Zhu? ”
After Zhu Houzhao said that, he added: "No matter how the world changes, the strong are still respected. In the economic structure of the Ming Dynasty, most of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of me and the few chaebols who followed me at the beginning. Ordnance manufacturing, industry, Infrastructure, land resources, power resources, mineral resources, silver Business, maritime trade, etc., the most profitable industries are all in the hands of our royal family and several chaebols related to our royal family, and I have absolute controlling rights in the industries of these chaebols, so this is why I can dominate Daming’s strength! Does Gao Gong have this strength?”
"Even now that the army has withdrawn from the Zhongjun Society's corporate organizations, the Royal Industrial Company and several military academies that I control can still control all the armies of the Ming Dynasty for me. Therefore, I will still have the final say in this world! This is No one can change the reality. Even if Ming Dynasty is not the one who has the final say, it will be given up by me on my own initiative and will not be taken away by others.”
Zhu Houzhao said very plainly.
But Emperor Zhu Zailei could hear the majesty revealed in his father's words, and he also admitted that no matter how much dish cooking was promoted in the world, it could not change the reality that the strong were respected. Although his father had retreated to the background, and even the big chaebols he controlled behind the scenes had retreated to the background, the national economy and people's livelihood of the entire Ming Dynasty were all in their hands, and their companies and businesses controlled every one of them. Ten thousand families are just like the big clans in the past.
Therefore, even if he is the emperor, even if Gao Gong is the chief minister of the cabinet, it will be difficult to force these people to listen to him.
And if he wants to truly control the entire Ming Dynasty, he can only truly control the entire Ming Dynasty after his father leaves this world and he becomes the heir to all the royal family's properties.
Hai Rui did not refuse to recognize the imperial appointment, but went to Henan to take up the post.
The Jin gentry in Jiangnan breathed a sigh of relief and bid farewell to Hai Rui one after another.
The gentry in Henan took a breath of cold air one after another and became anxious. The common people were naturally happy. People who had been unable to petition for several years were already waiting at the gates of various prefectures and counties.
Gao Gong did not choose to compete with the Supreme Emperor Zhu Houzhao on the condition of resigning as the chief minister of the cabinet. He also knew that it was useless, not to mention that he did want to do something. After all, he had already promised the whole world at the court meeting at the beginning of the year. Even in order to implement his comprehensive medical insurance coverage and fund the north, he still has to rely on the support of the Supreme Emperor and several consortiums behind the Supreme Emperor.
Therefore, Gao Gong did nothing else except telling his family to pay attention to their words and deeds and restrain their behavior.
Zhu Houzhao did not make things difficult for Gao Gong, and even took the initiative to convene several major financial groups of the Ming Dynasty to hold a meeting on supporting the imperial court in revitalizing the west and north.
On the day after the meeting, the British Gong family, the Xinjian Bo family, the Liu Jin family, the Gu Dayong family, the Ma Wensheng family, the Jiao Fang family, the Xu Jin family, etc. all signed a petition, willing to allow the court to impose an additional 10% monopoly tax.
Gao Gong was extremely happy when he found out, because this meant that the government's national tax revenue would increase a lot, enough to support him in returning the chieftains from the southwest and even Siam to native land, and enough to build a railway directly to the Altai Mountains.
Of course, Gao Gong also knows that this is all the energy of the Supreme Emperor, and his level is not enough to make these families spit out so much wealth.
Let these big chaebols take the initiative to apply for tax increases.
It's now Zhu Houzhao's eightieth birthday.
The people of the Ming Empire sincerely lamented the longevity of the Emperor. Now even Gao Gong, the chief minister of the cabinet, sincerely congratulated Zhu Houzhao on his longevity because Zhu Houzhao gave his cabinet a large amount of money and stable income.
Even, in return for the Supreme Emperor Zhu Houzhao, Gao Gong took the initiative to ask the Ministry of Rites to hold a grand birthday celebration ceremony for the Supreme Emperor Zhu Houzhao. Not only was there a national holiday, but a grand parade and concert were also held.
Although due to the development of capital industry, a large number of scholars among the people still hope that the Ming Dynasty will improve in the direction of Panzi, but most of them are grateful for the changes Zhu Houzhao brought to them.
Especially women. Although Zhu Houzhao is actually an old pervert, he has a series of policies that are beneficial to women, such as abolishing foot binding, prohibiting infant abandonment and even treating it the same as murder, and legislating that daughters also have inheritance rights. The Supreme Emperor is still loved by almost all women.
Even though Zhu Houzhao was eighty years old, there were many people who recommended themselves as pillows, including some young and educated women.
……
"Only one year after the death of the Queen Mother, the Supreme Emperor announced his marriage to Wei Yuqing, who was only seventeen years old. I heard that Wei Yuqing was a woman from a high family, and her father was Xuancheng Bo Wei Shouzheng. Do you think this is interesting? Our Emperor has a nineteen-year-old stepmother!”
"The Emperor said this was free love, or Wei Yuqing confessed her love on her birthday."
He Xinyin listened to the recent discussion on the tram about the Supreme Emperor and couldn't help but laugh: "Everyone, although free love is popular nowadays, of course, He also advocates not having the king or the father to dominate our own marriage, but do you think a seventeen-year-old is Will a beautiful 20-year-old woman fall in love with an 80-year-old man?
In He's opinion, this woman was just vain, and she must have taken a fancy to the reputation and status of the Supreme Emperor! Of course, it is enough to see what we, the tax payers, did with the wealth we paid. It all gave the Emperor the capital to marry a beautiful young woman! ”
When He Xinyin said this, the scholars who were discussing Zhu Houzhao's renewal of the marriage all looked sideways. One of them recognized He Xinyin and hurriedly stood up and saluted:
"It turns out to be Brother He. I work for Wu Guozheng in the Free Literary Society. I have admired Brother He for a long time. Brother He's words are reasonable. Today's Supreme Emperor lives a luxurious life. It is rumored that he always likes Japanese women. This is all because of the rumor of the former deputy privy envoy Qin Jin. The Japanese girl is so good that she sends troops Although the Japanese invaders were killed in the Eastern Expedition, they were just spending the money from the imperial treasury to satisfy their own desires. The silver from the imperial treasury undoubtedly came from our taxes, but it was used to pay for the Supreme Emperor's arrogance and extravagance. It is really outrageous!"
"It turns out that Brother Wu is also from the Free Literary Society, and He happens to be the same. I have admired him for a long time. Just as Brother He said, the Supreme Emperor and his retainers at that time occupied the world's interests. We, the people of all industries, have no place to stand, and we have to do it for them. Paying for a luxurious life is really intolerable! Therefore, in He's heart, he has always had no king or father."
He Xinyin said this, and Wu Guozheng also nodded: "Brother He's words are reasonable. The so-called king is just like the Bodhisattva in the temple and the true king in the Taoist temple. We just pay homage during festivals. We are all independent people." , naturally should be a free, independent and equal individual, and should not be controlled by any person or force, not even ancestors! ”
"I heard that Zhongjun Society is being reorganized recently. Has Brother Wu heard about this?" He Xinyin asked.
"How could you not know, but what is really disappointing is that, except for those group of warriors, no one has left this evil society of slaves to the emperor! This shows how many ignorant people there are in the world! Even Wu Xin, the Chief Secretary of Shandong Province, and my father, several He scolded the Zhongjun Society a few years ago, and now the higher-ups are still refusing to retreat! ”
Wu Guozheng replied.
"Either they are ignorant, or they are just greedy for profit, but He believes that our Free Literary Society must also be reorganized. In He's opinion, our Free Literary Society should also have its own leadership organization and its own social program, and integrate the members of the literary society into Re-screening, only those who are interested in establishing a free Ming Republic are required to join the society. ”
He Xinyin said.
"Yes, Brother He's suggestion is very good! I believe that our Free Literary Society will surpass Zhongjun Society in the future and realize the ideal of transforming the Ming Dynasty!"
Wu Guozheng said.
"Now, let's each gather the people from the Free Literary Society. In addition, there is another thing at the moment. Are you interested in doing it together?" He Xinying asked.
"What's going on?" Wu Guozheng and a few people behind him asked.
"Because several consortiums took the initiative to apply for the payment of anti-monopoly taxes, the cabinet intends to implement anti-monopoly taxes in various provinces and allow local autonomy. Now the Chief Secretary of Huguang, Zuo Buqiang, Bi Qiang, intends to tax private monopoly merchants in various industries in Huguang. I I got a job from Nanjing Li Kedu With the support of Mr. Zhongcen, we are preparing to hold a big demonstration in Wuchang in the near future, uniting the major gentry to oppose Bi Keng, a cruel official, to increase taxes! This matter is not only supported by officials from the DPRK and the Central Government, but also secretly funded by His Highness King Chang and His Highness the King of the West. Five hundred thousand silver dollars!”
When He Xinyin said this, Wu Guozheng laughed happily: "Do it! I will listen to Brother He's arrangements when the time comes!"
(End of chapter)