Chen Yi had not been to court for some time, and the imperial doctor reported that he was very ill and could hardly get out of bed.
For Zhu Qiyu, the weight of the Zuodu censor was different from that of other ministers in the court.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that each of these important ministers in the court today has its own particularities.
Among them, Chen Yi actually looks more like an elder.
Of course, he is not an elder like Hu Hui. In terms of age, Chen Yi is not the eldest among the important officials in the court.
However, the difference between him and other ministers is that in the process of getting along with Zhu Qiyu, they are more guided and tolerant.
This is actually somewhat inconsistent with his status as the leader of the branch, but it is indeed the case.
Simply speaking from the perspective of Fengxianguan, what Chen Yi should do is actually to admonish the emperor and supervise all officials.
But in fact, since Zhu Qiyu ascended the throne, what Chen Yi has really done is to assist him, the emperor, to control the court situation more smoothly.
To put it bluntly, Zhu Qiyu himself was strategizing and resourceful, but he always had a flaw, that is, before he ascended the throne, he was just a powerless vassal king, with no power or prestige in the court. .
Although this is not a big deal for the emperor, as time goes by, his cronies will surely be promoted slowly, and his own prestige will be gradually established.
However, for Zhu Qiyu, the situation he faced was not peaceful, and he himself was not an emperor who was just willing to rule from the top. In this way, the difficulties and pressures he encountered when he first ascended the throne would have Much bigger.
In fact, Zhu Qiyu could solve the manpower problem quickly by relying on his familiar understanding of the ministers in the court.
But establishing prestige is not easy. From Zhu Qiyu's point of view, he has the memory of past and present lives, and can clearly know what kind of general direction is right.
However, for other people, this is not the case...
No one can predict the future, so when faced with major events and a choice needs to be made, there will inevitably be two or even more voices with different opinions in the DPRK and China.
Under this situation, no one is sure that their opinion must be correct, or in other words, they all feel that they are the most correct.
The most terrible thing is that Zhu Qiyu himself cannot produce convincing enough evidence to prove that he is right on many things.
An emperor who was not succeeded by a vassal king who succeeded normally had just ascended the throne and had no prestige. Although he promoted some people, there was not enough supporting evidence to convince all the ministers in many major issues.
Under such circumstances, it is actually very difficult to implement one's own major policies. The most likely constraints are science and technology groups.
If you look at Wang Hong and his gang, you will know that there are many people in science and technology who are willing to accept death and do not care about their lives. They may not be able to achieve anything, but once they start fighting, they will definitely be able to stir up trouble.
As the chief official of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, after Zhu Qiyu ascended the throne, Chen Yi basically helped him suppress and control the imperial court.
Of course, this does not mean to block the way of speech, but to communicate with the emperor in a gentler way on the one hand, and on the other hand, to help Zhu Qiyu, the new emperor, to establish his prestige faster with the help of his status as the censor of Zuodu. .
It can be said that without Chen Yi, among many things, Zhu Qiyu would have encountered greater resistance.
In many cases, although Chen Yi could not directly make the officials stop, with his prestige and influence, he could cooperate with Zhu Qiyu's rhythm and gain more time.
With time, Zhu Qiyu can make more arrangements, and because of this, many government affairs can be smoothly transitioned.
From this point of view, among many courtiers, Chen Yi can be regarded as the type who is good at fighting but has no outstanding achievements.
He is not like Yu Qian or Wang Wen who are sharp in the court, nor is he like Shen Yi or Jin Lian who just keep his head down and does things, nor is he as scheming as Hu Hui or Chen Xun.
Chen Yi's role is that he can foresee possible problems in advance and avoid them in advance.
Therefore, Zhu Qiyu has very complicated feelings about Chen Yi, an old minister. In a sense, Chen Yi's position with Zhu Qiyu is that of a reliable elder.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. My father is ill in bed and cannot get up to pay his respects."
Chen Shen led Zhu Qiyu to the outside of the bedroom in the backyard with a rather nervous voice.
Chen Yi's upbringing has always been very strict. Therefore, although he is the only son of the dignified Zongxian family, Chen Shen has only been a ninth-grade official so far. On weekdays, he is not even qualified to go to the palace to worship, even for large court gatherings. You can only stand on the outermost edge.
Now, the emperor was standing in front of him, naturally a little at a loss.
Zhu Qiyu didn't care, he said.
"Don't be nervous. I'm here today to visit you. Mr. Jie'an has worked hard for the country, and now he is seriously ill. I'm really worried, so I came here to take a look."
After saying that, he glanced at Wynn next to him, and the latter immediately understood and stepped forward.
"Your Majesty gave you five Ganoderma lucidum trees, ten ginseng roots, and eight boxes of medicinal materials collected by the imperial court!"
After hearing this, Chen Shen quickly knelt down and said.
"On behalf of my father, I would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness."
So, Zhu Qiyu nodded, without saying much, and motioned for his servants to push open the door and walked in. As soon as he entered, he smelled a strong smell of medicine.
On the bed not far away, several servants were waiting beside him.
Chen Yi seemed to be dozing with his eyes closed, and when he heard a sound, he opened his eyes.
After he saw the person clearly, his expression immediately became one of shock, and he struggled to get up.
"His Majesty……"
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu hurriedly took two steps to the couch and said.
"Sir, please don't get up. I came here incognito today just to visit the patient. There is no need to pay so much courtesy. Sir, just lie down."
The Chen Yi in front of him was much thinner than the last time Zhu Qiyu saw him in Chaoshang. His hair had become extremely pale, and his face looked even more haggard.
With the help of the maid, Chen Yi sat up and leaned on the couch, looking a little uneasy and said.
"I am old and seriously ill. Your Majesty's personal visit here really makes me feel uneasy..."
Zhu Qiyu sat on a stool nearby, showing a comforting smile and said.
"Mr. Jie'an has worked hard for the country, but I am late."
It should be said that Chen Yi was Chen Yi after all. Even though he was seriously ill, his many years of officialdom experience still allowed him to immediately notice the emperor's depression.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi asked.
"I see that your Majesty is worried and worried, but I don't know, but what troublesome things happened in the court? If so, your Majesty may say something to me. Although I am old, I can still be of help."
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu looked a little apologetic, but he did not give in too much. He pondered for a moment and then told the story about the Ministry of Punishment.
"...I have discussed with several ministers from the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Punishment, and Ministry of Husbandry today. However, they all do not agree with the rectification of officialdom during this Beijing inspection. This matter makes me very distressed. Mr. is the leader of the ethics of science and education. , Therefore, I would like to hear your opinion, sir.”
It should be said that anyone dealing with such a big matter would definitely be cautious.
However, after hearing this, Chen Yi did not hesitate too much. He just shook his head and smiled.
"Is your Majesty telling the truth?"
If the prelude to the palace was correct, this would be extremely disrespectful, but since we were in private, naturally there weren't that many rules.
However, despite this, Zhu Qiyu couldn't help but be slightly stunned after hearing this.
Seeing this situation, Chen Yi hit the nail on the head and said.
"Your Majesty has made up his mind about the matter of Beijing inspection. No matter what the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Household Affairs, or what I say, your Majesty will not give up, so why bother to ask the minister?"
Ah this...
To be honest, Zhu Qiyu rarely had such embarrassing moments in front of his ministers, but it has to be said that Chen Yi was right.
For him, this rectification of officials was not just as simple as rectification of officials. More importantly, he needed a sum of money to deal with the upcoming natural disasters.
Although Huangdian's merchant ship has gone to sea, for one thing, this is the first time it has gone to sea, and all conditions are unknown, so Zhu Qiyu cannot bet everything on it.
Moreover, even if the merchant ship can bring back a large amount of money as scheduled, the return date is uncertain. It may be early in the middle of the year, and if it is later, it may be until the end of the year.
Water from afar cannot quench the thirst of those nearby. The snowstorm in Fengyang is just the beginning. For the next whole year, the court will not be able to live in peace. In addition, it has to support the expense of the Japanese conquest army. Therefore, the court urgently needs a sum of money to tide over the difficulties. .
The previous military camp squeezed the nobles, and the subsequent imperial village put a heavy burden on the vassal princes. After thinking about it, the only place left that could be squeezed was the civil servants in the court.
With a hundred years of vision, Zhu Qiyu naturally knows how much oil and water is hidden in them, and among them, the officials in the capital are the worst.
Strictly speaking, Zhu Qiyu was already planning for this when he made the big plan last year. Now, it's just time to finally bring things to the table.
Therefore, it is naturally impossible for him to give up, but...
"Your Majesty, you should know that the stability of the country and the stability of the government are not the same thing!"
Looking at the emperor's expression in front of him, Chen Yi sighed, his expression a bit complicated, he hesitated, and then he spoke.
After hearing this, Zhu Qiyu's expression changed and he asked.
"What do you mean, sir?"
Having made up his mind, Chen Yi was not one to hesitate. He pushed himself up, barely straightened his waist, looked at Zhu Qiyu, and spoke seriously.
"I am already an old man, so I dare to say a few more words in front of His Majesty."
"All ministers in the court are people who are willing to work hard for the country. However, most officials have their own selfish interests. This is a normal thing. Your Majesty wants to organize the officials. Those who are injured are in the interests of the ministers. Therefore, it is not a problem to encounter resistance. Accident."
"What your Majesty is worried about now is nothing more than the large army outside the imperial court, the disaster inside, the big plans ahead that disturb people's minds, and the talent ceremony in the spring. Therefore, he is afraid that a major war will affect the government."
"But, is this really the case?"
This question made Zhu Qiyu stunned.
However, Chen Yi did not care and continued.
"Your Majesty, whether it's the Fengyang snow disaster or the spring plan, in the final analysis, it's just a matter of government affairs. Although the army is outside, the Japanese pirates are different from the bandits, and it is difficult to shake the sacred weapon of the Ming Dynasty. Now the grassland is in chaos, and the bandits have no time to go south. Miao When chaos is brought to an end and the border is peaceful, this is the stability of the country."
"When the country is in chaos, it is necessary to ensure that the government is stable, and then everyone can work together to stabilize the artifact. However, when the country is stable, it does not necessarily mean that the government is stable."
It must be said that Chen Yi, as the censor of Zuodu, has been involved in the court for many years, and his vision is indeed unique.
In just a few sentences, it gets to the point.
As he spoke, Chen Yi sighed and said.
"It is unavoidable that the officials in the imperial court are not in good governance. Whenever they are rectified, it will always affect the government. Therefore, what several ministers said is neither right nor wrong!"
"If officials are not managed properly, they are like tarsal maggots, eating away at the country. The longer it goes on, the harder it will be to eradicate it. The government seems to be in chaos now, but as long as your majesty has a long-term perspective, you can understand that it is just chaos for a moment, and it does not affect the foundation, but it requires dedication. The price is acceptable."
"On the contrary, it is hesitation that will cause harm to future generations. When it is really hard to get back, it will be too late to regret..."
The meaning of these words is actually very clear, but there are some words that Chen Yi cannot explain clearly.
To put it bluntly, his meaning is very simple. If the court is facing foreign enemies or other crises that may shake the country, it should unite as one and prioritize ensuring stability.
However, now that the border is peaceful, the emperor can do whatever he wants.
Don't listen to those people who are fooling around about spring plans, pirates and snow disasters. So what if these things can't be handled?
If Chun Wei is not handled well, it is nothing more than one less imperial examination, and the Japanese conquering army cannot support it. It will be withdrawn. As for the snow disaster, it is a problem. However, even if it is the worst result, the chaos within the court will lead to the failure to provide disaster relief in time, causing If there is a civil uprising, with the current strength of the imperial court, it can completely suppress it.
The cost of all this is not unbearable for the court.
As Chen Yi said, if you stretch out the time and take a long-term view, you will understand that the problems you are worried about are actually not problems at all.
Even if it is the worst result, this year's government affairs will be messed up due to the rectification of officialdom, but so what?
It sounds cruel to say this, but the fact is that the people have lived a more miserable life. For the court, as long as it can clarify the officialdom, everything will naturally get back on track. When the time comes, when we look back at the current troubles, I am afraid that it will I felt that I was really overthinking it.
What's more, this is just the worst outcome, and it may not really come to this. If that's the case, why worry?
So just go for it.
After hearing these words, Zhu Qiyu couldn't help but sigh with emotion, because Chen Yi's words were actually the principles he had used in getting along with himself in the past few years.
The emperor is still young, he will always make mistakes, and he should make mistakes. Some things should be tried before he knows whether they will work.
If one or two mistakes in government affairs can allow the emperor to grow from them, then for the country and the country, it is far better than forcing the emperor to bow his head.
After all, as the emperor has been in power for a long time, it is impossible to always have ministers who can remonstrate with the emperor. However, as long as the emperor himself knows what can be done and what cannot be done, then even if there are no so-called remonstrators, the emperor can still The country is well governed.
From this point of view, Chen Zongxian's philosophy is different from that of a certain person who likes to be more serious...
