Where is Yang Jie?
This is a really good question!
This time Yang Jie went to Xuanfu, ostensibly to select the vanguard of the government army, but in fact, he secretly sneaked into the grassland to find the Tatar Jinong Agabarji and influence the situation of the grassland war.
This task is extremely difficult, and naturally, it must be kept secret.
At least so far, in the entire Xuan Mansion, Yang Xin is the only one who knows about this matter. Even Tao Jin only vaguely knows that Yang Jie is not in the city, but he doesn't know exactly where he went and what he did. Not sure.
Therefore, when he heard that Jin Lian asked about this matter, Yang Xin subconsciously was a little more cautious and said.
"Master Shangshu, my brother is naturally recuperating in the mansion!"
It's not that he deliberately wanted to deceive, but if this matter was leaked, the first person to be threatened would be Yang Jie.
Therefore, even if he was facing Jin Lian, Yang Xin could only choose to deny it.
Seeing this situation, Jin Lian was stunned for a moment, but then he understood. He didn't feel displeased and just continued.
"Vice-General Yang doesn't need to keep it secret. I know that Envoy Yang Zhen is not in the city, but went to the grassland with His Majesty's secret order."
Seeing that Yang Xin was still silent.
So, Jin Lian took out a letter from his sleeve, handed it to Yang Xin, and said.
"This is the letter that Yang Zhenfu envoy left when he came to Datong City to see me. You will know it as soon as you read it!"
Yang Xin's eyes fell on the envelope, and the words "Brother Yang Xin personally express" came into view. The handwriting was beautiful and clean. It was Yang Jie's good handwriting.
In this letter, Yang Jie said two things.
One is what he wanted to do when he went to Datong.
Yang Jie took advantage of Datong and found two people. The first one was Jin Lian, who handed over some of the collected evidence of Ren Li's crimes in Gansu. This was to completely put Ren Li to death and solve the Yang family's future troubles.
The second person is Dai Wang, who is trying to persuade Dai Wang to support the reorganization of the military camp in order to restore the Yang family's favor.
Yang Xin knew about this matter. He was the one who sent people to collect evidence of Ren Li's crime.
However, the second thing Yang Jie said surprised even Yang Xin.
Logically speaking, he should have handed the evidence to Jin Lian and then left to do his own thing. However, he did not leave directly. Instead, he told Jin Lian everything he wanted to do on the grassland. .
Moreover, in exchange for persuading the king, he hoped that Jin Lian could continue to stay in Xuan Mansion after the reorganization of the army was completed...
The letter ends here.
Yang Jie did not say why he asked Jin Lian to stay, but he did say in the letter that he hoped Yang Xin could cooperate with all Jin Lian's actions and protect Jin Lian's safety.
After reading the letter, Yang Xin pondered for a moment and said.
"Since Lord Shangshu knows that brother-in-law has a heavy responsibility, he should also know that this matter is very secret. All Yang did was to cover up brother-in-law's whereabouts and block all prying eyes. As for where brother-in-law is now , Yang really doesn’t know.”
This was said very sincerely, because... Yang Xin was telling the truth.
Yang Jie has been a person with ideas since he was a child. This matter has been secretly decreed by the Holy Emperor. Naturally, the fewer people who know about it, the better.
Even Yang Xin was surprised that Yang Jie would tell Jin Lian about it.
In fact, since Yang Jie left Xuanfu, he has not received any news in the past few months.
Hearing this, Jin Lian also frowned. Obviously, Yang Xin's answer surprised him. With his eyesight, he could naturally see that Yang Xin did not lie to him.
But……
"To be honest with Deputy General Yang, when Yang Zhenfu came to look for me, we agreed that I would arrive at Xuan Mansion in August at the latest."
"At that time, Yang Zhenfu will send someone to reply to me, but now..."
It’s already the end of August!
Yang Xin's eyes flashed with solemnity.
If the time agreed between Yang Jie and Jin Lian is August, then it means that what Yang Jie wants to do can be completed in August.
But now, the time has come, but the person has not come back, and there is no news at all. Could it be that...
After thinking about this, Yang Xin straightened up, looked up at Jin Lian, and asked.
"Jin Shangshu, Yang takes the liberty of asking, what is the matter that my brother-in-law entrusted to you?"
Yang Xin is a measured person, and at the same time, he is also a person with a very political vision. This is precisely what Yang Hong values most about him.
In fact, after reading the letter just now, Yang Xin knew that there must be some secret agreement between Yang Jie and Jin Lian.
Otherwise, would the dignified six ministers and imperial envoys who were sent out of Beijing stay at the border for so long just because of Yang Jie's request?
You know, just now Jin Lian only said that Yang Jie asked him to stay at the border, but he didn't say why he wanted to stay...
Yang Xin didn't ask before, out of caution.
But now, when it comes to Yang Jie's life and death, he must obtain the most comprehensive information in order to make the most accurate judgment.
Those who lead troops in war are rarely indecisive.
After thinking clearly, Yang Xin didn't care so much and asked directly.
As expected, after asking this question, Jin Lian's face became a little embarrassed. After pondering for a moment, he said.
"At the beginning, when Yang Zhenfu came to discuss with me, he said that his entry into the grassland was a secret. However, he had obtained His Majesty's permission before leaving the capital, so he told me everything."
"Later, he hoped that I could take advantage of the matter of rectifying the military garrison and wait at the border for a while. This matter is not a trivial matter, and I did not dare to agree hastily, so I sent a secret report to ask for your Majesty's instructions."
"After all, I am the Minister of the Ministry of Justice. It is not appropriate to leave the capital for a long time. Although the matter of organizing the military camp is complicated, the reason why I stayed at the border for such a long time is because I got His Majesty's permission."
These words seem to answer the question somewhat.
However, Yang Xin's question has actually been answered.
Yang Xin asked what exactly Yang Jie had entrusted to Jin Lian, but Jin Lian replied that the reason why he was able to linger on the border for so long was not only to deal with the affairs of the military camp, but more importantly, to cooperate with Yang Jie with the emperor's permission. act.
This means that the emperor knows what Yang Jie entrusted to him.
Just because it is what the emperor meant.
Therefore, this matter cannot be disclosed without the permission of the emperor.
Yang Xin's eyebrows knitted tightly. Obviously, Jin Lian's words not only did not alleviate his worries, but made him even more worried.
After thinking about it, I know that the things entrusted by the emperor will never be simple and easy to complete. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is difficult and dangerous.
Yang Jie has always been frail, and traveling long distances is already worrying, and now he is still shouldering such a heavy burden...
With a long sigh, Yang Xin stood up, cupped his fists and saluted, and said.
"Thank you, Lord Shangshu, for informing me. Don't worry, sir. Yang will immediately arrange manpower to sneak into the tribes in the grassland to detect the news. As soon as I find anything, I will report it to you immediately!"
Yang Xin is a sensible person. Since Jin Lian said this, if he continues to ask questions, he will be in trouble.
However, not asking doesn't mean he doesn't care about it.
Since Jin Lian couldn't tell, he would check it out himself.
The most urgent task is to find Yang Jie's whereabouts.
Although I don’t know what the other secret thing Yang Jie is shouldering is, after all, it must be related to the grassland.
At least, what Yang Xin can be sure of is that one of his important tasks here is to stir up discord within the grassland.
With this clue, we must be able to find out something.
Xuanfu is an important town, and the Yang family has been operating here for many years. The battle with the bandits is far from a simple battle to defend the city...
Seeing this situation, Jin Lian's eyes flashed with approval.
It has to be said that Yang Xin is indeed a well-informed and knowledgeable person, and he understood his purpose so quickly.
"In that case, I will just wait for the good news."
"To be honest, Deputy General Yang, the border rectification matters are now being steadily advanced. This matter is a major matter of the country and cannot be postponed. Once the matter is over, I need to rush back to the capital as soon as possible, so..."
"Yang understands."
Yang Xin nodded, his expression a little solemn.
He knew what Jin Lian meant. No matter what important task Yang Jie shouldered, in the end, it was not as important as organizing the military camp.
In order to rectify the military camp, the imperial court invested countless manpower and material resources. From the initial preparation to the present, it has been more than a year. From the emperor to local officials and inspection censors, everyone has been busy on this matter.
Jin Lian may be able to sit in Xuanfu, but he cannot delay returning to the capital, even if this matter is approved by the emperor.
In fact, when you reach the position of Six Ministers and Seven Ministers, your every move often touches the hearts of countless people.
Even if we don't mention that Jin Lian has been out of Beijing for more than half a year, the backlog of government affairs in the Ministry of Punishment, just saying that he has been away from the political center for a long time, is not a good thing for Jin Lian.
What's more, keeping such an important minister on the border for a long time, if there is no major government affairs, is not only a huge waste of political resources, but also causes unnecessary rumors to both the government and the public.
What Mu Yong doubted was that the reason why Yang Jie went to Jin Lian in the first place must be because there was something that required Jin Lian to handle.
Once Jin Lian leaves, even if Yang Jie comes back, things may not be done.
After frowning and thinking for a moment, Yang Xin asked.
"May I ask, Lord Shangshu, how long will it take for the rectification matter to be completed?"
"Two months!"
Jin Lian sighed and said.
"The matters on the border are quite big, so it is not easy to deal with them. However, thanks to the preparations made by the Ministry of War and the Metropolitan Procuratorate in the early stage, as long as you make up your mind, it does not take too long to deal with them. time."
"Furthermore, Deputy General Yang must have heard that His Majesty has just promoted Du Ning, Minister of Dali Temple, and ordered him to patrol Shaanxi, Shanxi and other places."
"When he comes this time, if nothing else happens, he should work together with me to clean up the last remaining mess. Therefore, time does not wait for us!"
Two months?...
Yang Xin let out a long breath, looked up at the clear blue sky outside the window, and rarely felt unprecedented pressure.
…………
Beijing, Wenhua Palace.
It has been less than half a month since that noisy court meeting. During this time, the court hall was quite peaceful.
There was no way to remain calm, even though the emperor only dismissed one cabinet minister and Xiao Tan, who was already doomed to be eliminated.
However, none of the ministers involved in this case, including two in the cabinet and six in the six ministries, escaped punishment. Even the chief minister of the cabinet, Wang Ao, was implicated.
Under this situation, naturally no one dared to touch the emperor's troubles again, and they all worked honestly in the yamen.
Of course, the person who gained the most from this court meeting was naturally Du Ning, the former minister of Dali Temple and now the governor of Shaanxi Province, the censor of Youdu.
However, for some reason, Governor Du seems to have been very low-key recently. Since he received the order and received the transfer order from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he has basically not gone out much except to deliver the affairs of Dali Temple.
When people came to congratulate him, they simply entertained him and didn't even include a banquet. This caused a lot of criticism among his colleagues who were on good terms with him.
However, Du Ning was obviously not affected by these sounds.
Standing outside the Wenhua Hall, Governor Du was wearing a brand new second-grade scarlet robe just sent by the Ministry of Etiquette, and he was full of thoughts.
If nothing else happens, he will stay away from this place, which symbolizes the political center of the entire Ming Dynasty, for a long time to come.
After talking to Chen Xun that day, Du Ning still didn't know what the so-called 'own way of serving as an official' was.
However, I finally found a bit of my own flavor.
It should be said that Du Ning has been an official for more than 20 years. He certainly has his own way of being an official and principles of doing things.
But since Chen Xun said this, it means that what he thinks is the way to be an official is not the same thing as what Chen Xun said.
In fact, this is also one of Duning's greatest strengths, which is that he is good at introspection.
After returning home, he repeatedly thought about what Chen Xun had said, and finally he almost understood it.
What Chen Xun said about the way to be an official is actually more accurate. It should be the political principles that need to be upheld to truly enter the ranks of important officials in the imperial court, as well as the structure and political courage needed to be the top of civil servants.
In a sense, a person who can truly occupy a high position must be someone who has achieved the ultimate in a certain aspect.
There are six ministers and seven ministers, plus the chief assistant Wang Ao, a total of eight people. In fact, each has his own persistence.
Take the most sensitive matter of dealing with the Emperor. Some of these ministers unconditionally support the emperor, such as Wang Wen and Yu Qian, some are neutral, such as Chen Xun and Shen Yi, and some are obviously trying to make peace with each other, such as Hu Mi et al.
However, no matter what their position is, they all have one thing in common, that is, they are not afraid to show their position.
Perhaps, when the official rank is not high, one can be as good as the light and have both sides, but once one wants to step into the ranks of the Qingqing, one must have the determination to face all the storms head-on.
This point was also vividly reflected in the last court meeting.
The situation Wang Ao faced at that time was, without exaggeration, a siege by the entire cabinet, but he was able to deal with it calmly.
This kind of determination and courage is beyond the reach of anyone!
In addition, the more important point is that as long as you observe carefully, you will find that these people actually have their own excellence.
Jin Lian and Shen Yi were outstanding in practical matters. Under their care, the two yamen with the most affairs, the Criminal Department and the Household Department, were in perfect order.
Apart from anything else, this is already the second time Jin Lian has been out of Beijing for a long time, but the Criminal Department is already running in an orderly manner. This is his ability.
As for the Ministry of Revenue, not to mention, although Shen Shangshu's various styles are quite controversial, the government and the public at least believe that no one can do a better job than Shen Shangshu in the position of Minister of Hubu.
As for the others, Hu Hui will not talk about it. The status of this eldest uncle is unshakable based on his qualifications alone.
Wang Wen has a bad temper, but he is loyal to the emperor. Chen Xun seems to be kind, but his disciples are all over the government and the public. Yu Qian is loyal and upright and has a reputation all over the world. Chen Yi is an upright person and has a high prestige in science and education.
These are their irreplaceable advantages.
So in fact, Chen Xun's so-called "own way of being an official" is actually more about asking Du Ning whether he has such courage.
Ask him, what is the unique and irreplaceable thing about the court that is different from other ministers?
