Rubbing his eyes, tears flowed down unconsciously. Yan Yingyuan yawned, stretched and got up from the couch.
The only people accompanying him at this time were two secretaries of the cabinet who were also on duty like him. They did not have this kind of treatment and could only spend the night lying on the table.
It was another peaceful night.
"Dong dong dong——"
At this time, there was a knock on the closed door, and a sharp voice sounded: "Mr. Ge, the time has come, it's time for breakfast."
Yan Yingyuan looked up and saw that the grandfather clock on the ground had stopped at six o'clock.
The shift from last night to now is over.
Of course, when nothing serious happened, he usually slept on the table, and the ground dragon had already warmed up.
"Well! Come in!"
"Creak——"
The door was opened, and several eunuchs brought lunch boxes and carefully placed them on the table.
On the table, there are millet porridge, steamed buns, pickles, and fried dough sticks, simple but not simple.
After the Ding Revolution, the imperial dining room underwent comprehensive rectifications. In the past, dogs were not allowed to eat, and the situation in which the emperor was forced to eat from the eunuchs' private kitchens was changed.
This is also a manifestation of the weakness of imperial power.
During the reigns of Taizu and Chengzu, if pig food was cooked in the imperial dining room, it would be dead as soon as it came out of the pot.
Of course, these two ungrateful masters may not be able to reward them with breakfast.
It truly belongs to the Emperor's great kindness and generosity today.
At this time, the two secretaries of the cabinet were also busy and started to clear the table. Their noses twitched and they smelled delicious food.
They were Shujishi in the 19th year of Shaowu's reign. While other colleagues were observing politics in the Eight Departments, they came to the cabinet to study.
Memorials from all over the world broadened his horizons.
They are the reserves of the important officials of the imperial court. Even the worst ones will be expected to become high-ranking officials in the border areas in the future, such as ministers and cabinet ministers.
Yan Yingyuan was filled with emotion when he saw the two of them.
If he had not made achievements during the revolution, how could he have been in and out of the temple from an unofficial official?
But people only need to take exams well, and once every two years, the court will carefully train them, and the officialdom will go smoothly, which can be said to make people cry with envy.
In the side room, he brushed his teeth with willow branches and salt, then washed his face before eating.
After eating a bowl of porridge, biting two steamed buns, and adding a fried dough stick, Yan Yingyuan felt full.
After eating, he could have packed up the few empty plates in front of him and taken them home directly along with the lunch box.
Custom-made from an official kiln, it must be worth dozens of dollars at the very least.
But you can't do anything more than three times. One or two times is enough. If things go on like this, you will easily lose your sense of proportion.
The secretaries of the cabinet can do the same, but their tableware is a bit cruder, just ordinary models. Although it is customized by the official kiln, it is not very valuable.
After a full meal, Yan Yingyuan asked several Zhongshu to follow up and asked, then left.
After walking two miles and eating, we finally left the imperial city.
At this time, it was already broad daylight, and the groom wearing white frost had been waiting outside the city gate for a long time.
"Let's go!" He stepped on the chair and got into the car, sitting firmly on the soft couch, feeling comfortable.
The couch in Wenyuan Pavilion was not soft enough, and the hardwood was covered with a quilt. It was really difficult to sleep at night.
Of course, this could also be intentional and no one wants to change it.
After all, we are on duty, can An sleep comfortably?
After staring for a while, the carriage stopped.
"Master, we're home."
A large courtyard comes into view.
This is an official residence assigned by the imperial court, and it is a large courtyard.
It consists of a courtyard with twenty-five rooms, covering an area of about five acres, and a small garden. It is considered a top-level house in the capital.
If you sell it at market price, you won't be able to buy it for less than 100,000 yuan.
In addition to the area, there are many fourth- and fifth-level courtyards in the capital. The key is the location. This area belongs to the inner city. It is only a few hundred steps away from the imperial city and is not as far away as he could walk out of the imperial city.
Such an excellent location is at a price but not marketable.
But it is also because the official residence is of a welfare nature, so once it leaves office, it will be taken back and given to the next cabinet minister.
As for the level of Babu Shangshu, there are also three courtyards, but there are only about twenty houses.
Senior officials such as ministers and Xiao Jiuqing were assigned to the second courtyard, which only had about fifteen rooms.
Considering that it is difficult to live in the capital, officials in the capital, regardless of their size, will basically allocate housing.
Only people of rank four and above can live alone in small courtyards. For example, the officials of the middle and lower classes are counted according to the number of rooms.
At the fourth level, a small courtyard with ten rooms will be allocated.
When it comes to the fifth rank, there are only eight rooms, the sixth rank has six rooms, the seventh and eighth ranks have four rooms, and the ninth rank has only two rooms.
This allocation is not even enough to accommodate more servants, so they can only live in a large courtyard.
Therefore, generally the wealthier officials will rent a small courtyard, especially the middle-level officials below the fourth rank and above the seventh rank.
Don't look at the fact that Jiupin only has two rooms, but it is still in the inner city. If calculated according to the market price, it will cost at least three silver yuan per month to start.
Of course, if you have to rent, you can only go to Xuanwu County and Chongwen County in the outer cities, but traveling every day is too hard.
After returning home, he changed his clothes and ate two soup dumplings to fill his stomach. Yan Yingyuan was completely sleepless at this time.
"What happened yesterday?"
Trapped in the palace for a night, without hearing or seeing, Yan Yingyuan desperately wanted to know what happened.
After all, after the military robe scandal occurred, Zhu Mou was dealt a huge blow, and his prestige that had suddenly increased a while ago dissipated a lot.
In a sense, Zhu Mou, Feng Xianzong, and Du Yinxi are already in an equal position and are on par with each other.
Even though Yan Yingyuan was calm, he couldn't resist the temptation:
This is the first assistant!
In the three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, except for the Chongzhen Dynasty, which had nineteen chief ministers in the seventeenth year, the other dynasties together only had about eighty people.
In other words, in the seventeenth year of Emperor Chongzhen's reign, he deposed almost a quarter of the chief ministers of the Ming Dynasty, which was quite impressive.
Zhu Mou was not stable this year, while Yang Shiqi served for 21 years in the former Ming Dynasty. The gap is too big.
But if you think about it carefully, Zhao Shu has been reelected for more than ten years, which is quite impressive.
The more he thought about this thing, the less sleepy he became.
At this time, a servant suddenly reported that his friend Feng Houdun was visiting.
If it were someone else, Yan Yingyuan would have refused. After all, he was confused and it was customary not to see guests after being on duty.
But Feng Houdun was different. He was trained by Jiangyin and defended the city with him. He kept the Qing troops outside the city for many days, so that he waited until the emperor's troops arrived in Nanjing and relieved the siege of Jiangyin.
It can be said that the two have a friendship that shares weal and woe.
The identities of the two are similar, and they are both from Juren background.
However, Yan Yingyuan came one step ahead and was elected as the deputy candidate, while Feng Houdun was just an ordinary failed candidate.
Therefore, at the time of the conferment, Yan Yingyuan was in charge of the judicial affairs of a county and served as the canon and historian, while Feng Houdun could only serve as the instructing deputy of the edict.
Relying on the merits of defending the city against tens of thousands of troops, Yan Yingyuan rose through the ranks and became a member of the cabinet.
However, Feng Xiandun's official career was somewhat poor, and he is now just the governor of Shandong.
Under the emperor's intentional or unintentional arrangements, it has become an unspoken rule in the officialdom to reach the age of 60. Except for divine grace, it is difficult to avoid it.
Feng Xiandun is now fifty-six, so there is still hope.
Especially since this hope is still in the cabinet.
When he thought that his former colleague Shangguan was now an elder, Feng Xiandun felt an uncontrollable impulse in his heart:
When can I do the same?
"Brother Feng, what are you doing?"
What appeared in front of Yan Yingyuan was a thin figure, wearing a long robe, cloth boots, and a felt hat. He was dressed simply, but he had a certain air of dignity.
"Return to Beijing to report on my work." Feng Xiandun smiled: "I handed you the sign last night. I will see you in three days..."
The emperor's time is too tight and he can't arrange it.
Yan Yingyuan knew in his heart that the emperor was busy fishing and cutting flowers and had no time to pay attention to people.
"Brother, I'm afraid I'll be in trouble this time I enter Beijing!"
Yan Yingyuan smiled and congratulated.
The governor is the second rank of subordinates, and the special governor and the title of minister of the Ministry of War are the second rank of chief.
As a second-rank governor, Feng Houdun had four promotion paths.
One is to be promoted to governor, responsible for the military affairs of two or several provinces, and become a real frontier official.
Er Zeping was transferred to Beijing and served as minister.
Three of them served as Xiaojiuqing, such as Taichang Temple, Dali Temple Ping, Imperial College Jijiu, etc. They were originally the third rank, but in the early years of Shaowu, the imperial officials were all promoted one level to the second rank.
Finally, he was transferred to other provinces to continue serving as governor.
According to the conventions of official circles, Beijing officials are naturally at the first level of magistrates.
Likewise in the officialdom, as long as you don't make mistakes, you won't be demoted, you can only be promoted or promoted.
Therefore, Feng Houdun's first three choices were all considered promotions, and only the final promotion was the most uncomfortable, because it meant that his future was at its peak.
But if there is no one, that's fine. But if there is someone in his court, he naturally wants to take two steps forward.
"Governor?"
Yan Yingyuan pinched the beard on his chin and made a thoughtful gesture: "Brother Feng, you don't have military expertise, so you can only go to the mainland."
"Nowadays, there are candidates for the three major governors of the imperial court: Shaanxi-Gansu, Guangdong and Guangxi, and Shanxi-Suiyuan. It is really difficult to choose."
Whether it is Sun Shirui, Sun Changzhou, or Yu Jackie Chan, they are not easy to get along with, and they cannot compete at all.
"In my opinion, it's better to be the chief official of a government office. Xiao Jiuqing is also good."
Feng Houdun sighed: "It's no less generous!"
The so-called Xiao Jiuqing, in the early Ming Dynasty, was Zhan Shifu of Zhanshifu, Jijijiu of the Imperial Academy, bachelor of Hanlin Academy, minister of Taichang Temple, minister of Guanglu Temple, minister of Taipu Temple, minister of Shangbao Temple, minister of Honglu Temple, and Yuan. The nine officials of Masi Qing are the second rank.
Later, the six bureaus became eight bureaus, and the ministers of Dali Temple and General Affairs were reduced from Dajiuqing to Xiaojiuqing, squeezing out the ministers of Shangbao Temple and Honglu Temple.
Later, the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture squeezed out Yuan Masiqing and became one of the Xiaojiu Qings.
Da Jiuqing is the Minister of the Eight Departments and the Censor of the Duchayuan.
Among the Xiao Jiuqing, Zhan Shifu of Zhanshi Mansion and the bachelor of Hanlin Academy must be common people. Yin of Shuntian Prefecture is the emperor's confidant, and the Imperial College is responsible for offering wine and examinations. He is even less likely to do so.
Taichang, Taipu, Guanglu, a place of leisure.
If they are young officials, it is to polish their seniority, while for older officials, it is to provide for their retirement.
There is too much competition between the general envoys and the ministers of Dali Temple. Even the governor wants to compete because this is the real power department, the former Dajiu minister.
"That's true!" After thinking about it carefully, Yan Yingyuan felt that it was even more impossible.
As a result, there is not much choice, the only choice is to be the minister.
The key is, it’s not just about where you can be promoted, but there must be official vacancies, every carrot is a pitfall.
"The current situation in Beijing is not stable."
Suddenly, Feng Houdun's voice came, with a hint of flexibility.
"Ha!" Yan Yingyuan said casually: "Just so-so!"
"Then I can stay with Xiao Jiuqing for a while." Feng Houdun tentatively said.
"Oh? Brother Feng wants to fight for it?" Yan Yingyuan was slightly surprised.
"I believe in Brother Yan's ability."
Feng Houdun said seriously, staring at Yan Yingyuan, revealing his sincerity.
These words made Yan Yingyuan a little stunned.
Well, you are betting your future on whether I can go further.
After a year and a half, he was promoted from group assistant to second assistant, and even to chief assistant. Then it would be easy for Xiao Jiuqing to be promoted to governor or minister.
"Hahaha, since Brother Feng believes in me, then Yan will bet with you."
Yan Yingyuan laughed loudly, and then said seriously: "If I don't respond, I won't let Brother Feng wait."
The two of them clasped their hands, and for a moment they seemed to have returned to the time when they were guarding Jiangyin City.
The ups and downs in the capital were once again suppressed by an invisible hand, and the emperor's feet returned to the calm state of the past.
Only the undercurrents in the officialdom are surging, and the situation is pressing.
Because everyone knows that if the cabinet is at odds, it will never give up until a decision is made.
After the cabinet reached a certain sense of balance, the secret struggle for power did not stop, but became more secretive.
In mid-October, when the first snow fell in the capital, the prince left the capital again to assume the post of governor of Sichuan and Chongqing.
This is the fourth governor-general after Shaanxi-Gansu, Shanxi-Suiyuan, and Guangdong and Guangxi, and it is an important and rich land like Sichuan and Chongqing.
In the twelfth month of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Mou submitted a letter of resignation and officially resigned from the cabinet.
A few days later, the second assistant Feng Xianzong received the same treatment and was forced to take up his official post.
The person who served as the chief assistant became the group assistant Du Yinxi.
Yan Yingyuan of Qunfu was promoted to second assistant.
Great earthquake in the imperial court.
When the King of Yue returned to Beijing, he felt that the capital had changed too quickly.
"Zhu Mou came down so soon? It's only been less than a year!"
When several brothers gathered together, the King of Yue couldn't help but sigh.
King Wei said casually: "You lose your sense of proportion, you are greedy, and your ability does not match your position. This is what you will end up with."
"I heard it was pretty good. It started and ended for about a year. If it had been in the previous dynasty, tsk tsk -"
Full of wonder, the King of Yue entered the palace.
"So, you want Sakhalin?"
Facing the emperor's question, the King of Yue responded: "Father, the country of Yue is too small. Most of it is grassland. Its land is barren and crops only once a year. Now there is less land and more people, but it will not be possible in the future.
The island of Sakhalin in the north is extremely suitable. "
Zhu Yixi also fell into thinking.
Looking at his son's pleading face, he finally felt a little soft-hearted: "Sakhalin Island was discovered by the Heilongjiang General's Office and has been registered, but it is indeed bitterly cold in Yue..."
"In this way, I will divide Sakhalin Island in two, and you and Heilongjiang will each get half. Don't take more to get more."
It’s good to get half.
"My dear father, thank you for your kindness!" The King of Yue couldn't help himself, with a look of surprise on his face.
