Although half a year has passed since the incident, Yu Qian's kneeling at the palace gate before he left the capital is still talked about by the court officials until now.
For the emperor Zhu Qiyu, it was of course a very unpleasant experience, but in the court, when faced with the emperor's edicts, he refused to change his mind despite being punished many times, and was even arrested in the end. In prison, no matter which case, he is the image of an upright remonstrator sought after by scholars.
However, that matter was different in the eyes of other important ministers.
At their level, many things basically have no secrets; some are just differences in opinions and choices.
In fact, there is no big problem with the Imperial Village. Even if there are problems inside, it is not to the point of total overthrow. This can be seen from the Imperial Estates spread out in various vassals.
This is not something difficult to see. From this point of view, if you look at Yu Qian's behavior of kneeling and admonishing at the palace gate, you can actually detect more things hidden behind it.
To put it bluntly, what Yu Qian really wants to dissuade is not the imperial palace itself, but the emperor's act of issuing imperial edicts without court consultation, which is the emperor's arbitrary style.
If you don't understand this, then in the court, you will always be a mediocre person who is led by the nose.
Based on this, it is very interesting to look at the situation in front of us.
You know, this time the troops were mobilized along the coast. Although it was not a direct imperial edict like Huangzhuang, it was just a brief discussion with a few ministers in private.
Moreover, everyone who participated in that small-scale meeting knew very well that the emperor gave no room for discussion at all, and set the big tone from the beginning. The so-called discussion was just to discuss what to do specifically.
For the court ministers, this was still a direct imperial edict without any prior discussion at the court meeting.
However, for something with almost the same style, Yu Qian's attitude this time was completely opposite, which had to make the important ministers present feel a little surprised.
You know, if the emperor hadn't called them in advance and had already said it to death, in fact many ministers, especially a group of people represented by a certain household minister, were also opposed to sending troops.
Therefore, regardless of emotion or reason, there seemed to be no reason to agree with Yu Qian's character, but the fact happened in front of them.
So, is it because Yu Qian went to prison and calmed down his temper, or is there something hidden behind this that they don't know yet...
It has to be said that Yu Qian's reputation in the court is still very high. As soon as the words "treacherous minister of the country" came out, many censors below began to show hesitation in their eyes.
They were originally following the flag-waving and shouting, whether to send troops or not. In their opinion, there was actually no big problem. After all, there were only 20,000 to 30,000 officers and soldiers, and it was not like the emperor's personal expedition, which wanted to take away most of the capital. With regard to military strength, if the emperor can be persuaded, of course it is good. If he cannot be persuaded, then it is not a big deal.
But if you stand on the opposite side of Yu Qian over this matter, you will lose more than you gain.
It's not that Yu Qian would deliberately target them, but among scholars, reputation often represents status.
Outside the court, Shilin's public opinion is often not so clear about matters within the court. Yu Qian's reputation gives him natural appeal and justice.
To put it bluntly, if they stand on the opposite side of Yu Qian, the scholars and the people will naturally think that they are treacherous ministers. This is not a good thing for ordinary censors who rely on their reputation...
At this time, the emperor who was above him also spoke and said.
"What Yu Shaobao said makes sense. Nowadays, when it is not Taizu's time, there is only a sea ban and the people are not allowed to go to the sea. It is no longer possible to contain the Japanese pirates."
"The attack on the Dai Wang Mansion clearly shows the rampant Japanese pirates. The people along the coast are also the people of the Ming Dynasty. They cannot allow the Japanese pirates to wreak havoc and ignore them. The army is sent out to protect the environment and the people. This is the foundation of the country and the responsibility of the temple."
"All ministries have to work harder these days. Everything should be prepared before the New Year's Day. When the imperial court opens the seal after the New Year, the army will set off for the expedition!"
As soon as this statement came out, it was the final word.
With Yu Qian here, the censors below were not firm enough. Wang Hong originally wanted to speak again, but before he could say anything, he saw two ministers from the Ministry of Husbandry and the Ministry of War coming out at the same time and said.
"I accept the decree!"
So, when the words came to his lips, he had to swallow them. After all, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War were in charge of this matter, and they had no objections. If Wang Hong kept holding on, then it would be equivalent to adding these to the emperor. Not to mention that there will be no good fruits to be gained if the important ministers oppose each other, but the success rate alone is extremely slim.
In addition, Wang Hong did not expect that Yu Qian would speak out against him. Suddenly, he began to think whether his consideration was a little one-sided, and naturally he became a little shaken.
The debate over sending troops came to an end. Immediately afterwards, Zhu Yi, the Duke of Chengguo among the military officials, stepped forward and said.
"Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates are cunning and scattered. It is not easy to eradicate them. The government's finances have been tight in recent years, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to use troops for a long time. Therefore, I believe that the people who will go out for this expedition need to be mature, prudent and proficient in the art of war. , only then can the battle be successful.”
"Therefore, I recommend Zhang Xi to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Army. General Zhang is the younger brother of the late British Duke Zhang Fu and has a good reputation in the army. If he goes out to fight with his seal, he will surely be able to successfully annihilate the Japanese pirates and demonstrate the prestige of our Ming Dynasty!"
After saying these words, the officials below were a little commotion.
It should be said that it is not unexpected that Zhu Yi recommended Zhang Shi. After all, he is the in-laws of his children. Now everyone in the court knows that the two princes are in the same breath and have already advanced and retreated together. Zhu Yi wants to fight for Zhang Shi. This errand is considered normal.
However, they had just agreed to send troops. At this time, Duke Chengguo jumped out in a hurry, wondering if he was a little too anxious.
Sure enough, as soon as this statement came out, some people among the nobles immediately had objections. Xu An, the Marquis of Yongkang, took the lead and said.
"Your Majesty, although Governor Zhang is from a well-educated family, he has been in the capital for a long time. Moreover, he is in the Governor's Mansion of the Chinese Army and is in charge of important matters. It would be inappropriate to go to the coast."
"I believe that Mr. Wuxing of the Right Army Governor's Mansion, who has a long history of military exploits and is familiar with military affairs, is more suitable to take up this position!"
This surprise is something that most people did not expect.
Xu An, Marquis of Yongkang, is from the lineage of Duke Dingguo. However, the person who is now being promoted to Duke Dingguo is too young and not yet qualified to go to court. Therefore, Duke Dingguo has always been very considerate in the court. Low profile.
However, keeping a low profile does not exist. At many critical moments, Duke Dingguo's attitude and stance were also very firm.
The Marquis of Yongkang, Xu An, and the Marquis of Longping, Zhang Fu, could be regarded as the mouthpieces of Duke Dingguo in the court. Take the last rectification of the army as an example, the first people to respond to the imperial government's policy were Duke Dingguo, and those who came forward on their behalf were these two. A prince.
As for Wuxing, although he did not have a title, he was indeed promoted by the old Duke Ding.
At this time, Xu An came forward to compete for this job for Wuxing. Could it be said that Duke Dingguo planned to end his career again and start to intervene in the court situation?
Zhu Yi obviously did not expect that such a change would happen. He glanced at Xu An next to him and said with an ugly expression.
"What Mr. Xu said is wrong. Now that the errands of rectifying the military government have been completed, with Governor Zhang's reputation in the army, it is naturally more suitable for him to go out on the expedition."
These words are quite arrogant.
However, Xu An remained calm and said.
"What the Duke said is certainly true. However, Governor Wu has been fighting on the battlefield for many years. Governor Zhang is probably not as good at this kind of thing as Governor Wu. The Duke also said just now that the government's finances are tight, so it should be done as soon as possible. The battle must be decided quickly, and Governor Wu was particularly good at fighting quickly before he was transferred to the military government. Therefore, it is more appropriate for Governor Wu to take the seal for this battle!"
Unlike Zhu Yi, Xu An's words were hidden in words and he pushed him back with a smile.
Suddenly, everyone in the palace began to discuss.
Indeed, in terms of battlefield experience, Wu Xing is far superior to Zhang Shi, but this does not mean that Zhang Shi has no advantages. His advantage, as Zhu Yi said, is his family background. To put it bluntly, he has a A good father and a good brother.
The reputations of Zhang Yu, the king of Hejian, and Zhang Fu, the king of Dingxing, are still prominent in the military until now. With their reputations, at least among many officers and nobles, Zhang Min still has appeal.
Of course, because Mr. Zhang has played too few games, how much this appeal can be converted into points is also a question.
After all, these reputations are not his, but those of his father and brother. Once he is in the army, it is not known whether Zhang Shi can suppress these arrogant and powerful generals with his ability.
From this perspective, Wu Xing, who was born in the military, does seem more suitable...
Seeing that the discussion in the palace was getting louder and louder, at this time, the emperor, who was in charge, spoke up and said.
"This expedition is of great importance, so we must not be careless. The person who bears the seal is related to victory or defeat, so naturally we must not take it lightly. Since the ministers have differences, we will not discuss it for the time being. After the next court, the ministers will think carefully about it. Then recommend the right person!”
As soon as these words came out, many people below breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that the emperor is also a little hesitant in his heart, and that's right. After all, he is setting out with a large army, so he must be cautious.
There was no decision made on the spot, which gave them time to think about the decision carefully after they returned.
The morning court continued, but nothing major happened. However, one thing worth noting is that after this, the Ministry of Officials reported some lists of people to fill the vacancies.
Originally, this was not a big deal, but in this big plan, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Metropolitan Procuratorate took heavy action and deposed a large number of officials. Many of them were not only dismissed from their posts, but were also escorted to the capital and imprisoned in the Ministry of Punishment. He was imprisoned, waiting for further trial. It is said that during these days, Jin Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment was almost crazy busy.
For everyone, it is obvious that the positions vacated by this group of people are the most important. Therefore, there have been many people in Beijing recently around this matter. However, the big plan is to consider foreign officials after all. Most of the officials did not move. Therefore, for most of the officials in the capital, they were just watching the fire from the other side.
Because there are so many people who need to fill vacancies, the Ministry of Personnel cannot handle them all at once. Basically, a list of vacancies must be submitted every few days, which is not a rare thing.
However, one thing that attracts attention is that among the list of people to fill the vacancy this time is the governor of Fujian. Originally, this was not a big deal, but don’t forget that just now, the imperial court had just decided on the strategy of using troops against Japanese pirates along the coast. This is the time when Japanese pirates are most prevalent.
Although it was already certain that the previous governor of Fujian would be demoted due to poor evaluation, at this time, the imperial court wanted to send a new governor there, obviously to cooperate with the subsequent suppression of Japanese invaders.
From this perspective, the new governor may not have an easy life...
At this thought, many people looked at Mr. Zhu Jian, who was proposed to be transferred to Fujian as governor. Although the imperial court sent him to Fujian, he was not demoted. He was still governor of Fujian as the censor of Youdu, but in official circles According to the common practice, officials in the capital are more valuable than officials outside the country. As a official in the capital, being transferred out of the capital is actually not much different from being demoted.
Logically speaking, although Mr. Zhu was previously criticized for seeking personal gain when the prince left the cabinet, this was not considered a crime after all. After all this time, he was also transferred out of the cabinet and began to take charge. Dali Temple, in the opinion of many ministers, has been suppressed enough.
At this time, being transferred out of Beijing is indeed a bit deliberately targeted...
However, what is surprising is that Zhu Jian himself did not have any trouble and showed no signs of protesting.
He himself didn't say anything, and other people who were willing to say a few words of justice for Master Zhu naturally stopped. The emperor didn't say anything more, and everyone else filled the gap.
So, this morning meeting ended like this...
After the dispersion of the dynasty, the civil and military ministers had their own concerns and dispersed in twos and threes. The army went out to fight, involving many yamen, not just the affairs of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War.
Originally, although many yamen received the imperial edict, they were still waiting and watching, thinking that there would be a turn for the better. However, after today's morning meeting, the matter was considered to have passed the court discussion, and it was difficult to change it.
In this way, there are many things that need to be handled urgently. Otherwise, if the deadline is missed, the superior will blame it, which is no joke.
However, this is all a matter for the officials below. For the cabinet, the next thing to do is to prepare an imperial edict. The original imperial edict was just a simple order to tell each government office to take action. Since things have happened It is a foregone conclusion, then, whether it is the appointment of generals or the mobilization of officers, troops, ordnance, and supplies, once the regulations of each yamen are handed over, an imperial edict must be prepared.
The second is that since the troops are going to be mobilized, many things will have to be taken into consideration when drafting the vote. Simply put, many places that should have been accurate originally need to be considered more appropriately at this time. However, , that is all a matter for the future, the most important thing now is...
"Let Admiral Yu Shaobao supervise military affairs in Fujian and other places?"
After going to court, Yu Shiyue got the news as soon as he returned to the cabinet. For a moment, he couldn't help but frowned and looked a little uncertain...
