While Su Ze was busy opening fields in Changningwei, the capital was in the palace of Prince Yu.
The young King Yu held a Buddhist feast, and Qingliu, headed by Xu Jie, quickly formed a new group around King Yu to fight against the Yan Party, headed by Yan Song, the chief minister of the cabinet.
As the crown prince's Taibao, Xu Jie was regarded as his teacher by King Yu. Xu Jie also regarded King Yu who respected his teacher and was close to Qingliu as his hope for the future and tried his best to teach him.
However, Xu Jie is the second assistant in the cabinet and the second-ranking figure in the civil service. He cannot enter and leave Prince Yu's palace freely except when the palace is officially holding a banquet.
In contrast, King Yu valued Gao Gong, the Japanese official, more highly.
Compared with Xu Jie, who had been in the officialdom for decades, Gao Gong, who had only been awarded Jinshi in the 24th year of Jiajing, had a hotter temper.
Nowadays, Gao Gong's position is Hanlin Editor, Zuo Chunfang Zuo Shuzi, and the banquet officer of Prince Yu's Mansion. Although his rank is not high, he can go in and out of Prince Yu's Mansion on a daily basis. Compared with Xu Jie, who is the nominal Taibao of the Crown Prince, Gao Gong and Prince Yu It is a relationship of both teacher and friend.
But now King Yu is in a very embarrassing situation. Originally, the crown prince appointed by Jiajing was Zhu Zaihen, but after the crown prince died suddenly in the 28th year of Jiajing, the emperor has not established a new crown prince.
Both King Yu and his younger brother King Jing were left in the capital by Jiajing. The court ministers believed that King Yu, who was closer to Confucianism and was older, should be made the crown prince.
But Emperor Jiajing seemed to prefer his youngest son, King Jing.
Nowadays, Zhan Shifu, which is nominally the official of the East Palace, is vacant. Zuo Chunfang, subordinate to Zhan Shifu, is the official of King Yu, and right Chunfang is the official of King Jing. The situation of the two kings coexisting makes the ministers even more uneasy, and King Yu therefore He also had trouble sleeping and eating.
It was Gao Gong who kept walking between Prince Yu's Mansion and the court, comforting Prince Yu and encouraging Prince Yu to cheer up. Now Emperor Jiajing's attitude seemed to have changed a little. Today, the team of officials in Prince Yu's Mansion was enriched, and Qingliu was relaxed one after another. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now he could not count on the loyal and filial emperor in the court. He only hoped that the future emperor would be a wise emperor who could listen to his ministers.
Today is the day of the Sutra feast in Prince Yu's Mansion, so Xu Jie can enter Prince Yu's Mansion to give lectures. After Xu Jie finished speaking, Prince Yu held it in for a long time before he asked:
"Master Xu, the Ministry of War wanted to investigate the children of criminal officials a few days ago. Why did you write a letter to object?"
Nie Bao, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, raised the shortcomings in the army. He believed that a large number of officers in the army in various places were the sons of criminals who were expelled from the army for crimes. They were resentful of the imperial court, so they were unwilling to use their heart in fighting the Japanese pirates. He requested the imperial court to send patrol censors. , remove the descendants of these sinners from their military positions.
This incident reached the court and once again caused a violent storm.
It stands to reason that Nie Bao belongs to Yan Song's party, and is also a traitor party in Qingliu's mouth, but this time his advance is justified, and what he talks about is also the actual shortcomings in the army.
However, the Qingliu in the court, headed by Xu Jie, constantly criticized Nie Bao's progress and opposed the investigation of the descendants of criminal officials into officials.
Xu Jie's attitude made King Yu very confused. Master Xu had always adhered to the teachings of the saints and taught himself that Qingliu was not a party member and that he could not work with the party to defeat differences.
Although Nie Bao was a member of the traitorous party, what he was talking about was the military affairs of the Ministry of War, which was also within his responsibilities. What he was talking about was also the actual shortcomings in the military. Why was Qingliu so opposed to it.
If they are opposed only because of Nie Bao's identity, what is the difference between Qingliu and Yandang?
After today's banquet, King Yu finally couldn't help but asked his doubts face to face.
Xu Jie sighed and said: "Nie Shangshu said that although the army has long-standing disadvantages, now that the Japanese pirates are invading the southeast, it is the time to use troops. I am afraid that sending patrols and censors will disrupt the morale of the army!"
The impatient Gao Gong immediately said: "What Ci Fu said is wrong! Accumulated abuses are accumulated abuses. How can we not clean up just because the imperial court wants to use troops? Then isn't it true that Nie Shangshu said that it is self-respect for raising bandits?"
There were also different opinions within Qingliu against Nie Bao's advance.
Young radicals like Gao Gong believed that Nie Bao's advance was reasonable and that these long-standing shortcomings in the army should be eliminated immediately.
However, Qingliu, who was in high positions like Xu Jie, strongly opposed Nie Bao's suggestion and believed that the imperial censor should not be sent to patrol.
For this reason, some people within Qingliu continued to criticize Xu Jie, believing that he was just fishing for fame, and like Yan Song, gained power through his charming poetry, and should be expelled from Qingliu.
Xu Jie sighed. Nowadays, there are a lot of discussions in the court. Qingliu thinks that he is not clean enough, and Yan Dang thinks that he is not dirty enough. Caught in the middle, she is really the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family, and she suffers from both sides.
There were many young people like Gao Gong, so Xu Jie could only explain patiently:
"Your Highness, I would like to ask the censor of the patrol how to start investigating the children of criminal officials?"
King Yu immediately said: "The Ministry of War naturally has a list of documents for being expelled from the army due to crimes. It is natural to compare and check them."
Xu Jie shook his head and said: "The Ming Dynasty has been in existence for so long, and countless people have been exiled from the army for crimes. How can there be records? Moreover, there are countless people who have served as officials after being exiled from the army. Even the Ministry of War can't figure it out. How can we compare the origins of these officers with the records to eliminate the descendants of criminal officers?"
King Yu was stunned for a moment, he had never thought about this problem.
Xu Jie added: "Even if there is a book record, how many military positions are there in the world now? Everyone has to go to the Ministry of War to read the book and trace why their ancestors were sent to the army? Can the Ministry of War be busy? Can the censor be busy? ?"
Gao Gong understood what Xu Jie meant and immediately said, "Then let these people prove it for themselves!"
Xu Jie sighed again and said: "Qing Su, how can a guilty person prove his guilt, and how can an innocent person prove his innocence?"
Gao Gong also fell silent at this time, and Xu Jie continued: "Your Highness, if it is true as Nie Shangshu said, the imperial court sends the censor to patrol, then the advancement and retreat of these officers will be in the hands of the censor, what will happen?"
King Yu was silent now. Many of the censors in the imperial court are now attached to the Yan Party. If the censors are really sent down, then this matter will become a big blackmail. Officers who have made mistakes in their ancestors will definitely do their best. Bribing the censor to keep his official position, even officers with innocent ancestors may be blackmailed by the censor.
No wonder Xu Jie was so fiercely opposed and sent the censor to blackmail the officers on this occasion of using troops. This would inevitably lead to greater unrest.
King Yu immediately said: "If it weren't for Master Xu's advice, I would have been deceived by this traitorous party! I will write a letter to the emperor right now, please don't send the censor to patrol at this time!"
Xu Jie said quickly: "Absolutely not!"
King Yu looked at Xu Jie in confusion and heard Xu Jie say:
"His Highness cannot persuade His Majesty about this matter. Writing a letter at this time will only increase His Majesty's disgust. Writing a letter to oppose the actions of your own ministers, Your Highness should not take risks!"
King Yu still looked confused, and now even the young and impulsive Gao Gong couldn't stand it anymore.
At best, King Yu is able to listen and understand, and listen to the opinions of people around him.
To put it bluntly, he has no opinion and lacks political acumen.
Compared with Jiajing, a master of playing tricks, King Yu is really lacking in talent.
After being reminded by Xu Jie, Gao Gong understood Nie Bao's sinister intentions and why Jiajing wanted to support Nie Bao.
Gao Gong immediately said bluntly: "Your Highness, the military expenditure in the Southeast is huge. The traitorous party's move is to plug the gap in military expenditure and take the opportunity to make a fortune."
At this time, King Yu finally understood that cleaning up the descendants of criminal officials was not the goal, but making money was the ultimate goal.
And in order to make money, his father will definitely support the Yan Party.
Thinking of this, King Yu looked sad and lost interest in discussing state affairs.
A few days later...
On the ninth day of March in the thirty-third year of Jiajing, the imperial court finally came to the conclusion of the discussion on the issue of the sons of criminal officials taking up military positions.
After opposition from Qingliu led by Xu Jie, the Ministry of War also made concessions.
The Ministry of War decided that all those who committed crimes in the military and were sentenced to imprisonment or exiled from the army, which had been inherited between Hongwu and Yongle, would remain unchanged; all those who committed crimes after Hongxi would be punished.
Emperor Jiajing ordered Qixiu to send a royal censor to patrol the army and punish the sons of criminal ministers who served as military officials.
