Chapter 80. A party for powerful officials and corrupt officials (Part 2. Two chapters in one)
As Zhou Shangjing finished speaking, Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao both frowned and turned their attention to Zhao Junchen.
As mentioned above, in the eyes of Shen and Huang, Zhao Junchen was only a participant in this banquet, not the decision-maker. However, because of everyone's silence before and Zhou Shangjing's inquiry, during the discussion, There is actually a trend surrounding Zhao Junchen.
Zhao Junchen naturally saw the changes in the expressions of Shen and Huang, and chuckled: "There are three seniors here, so naturally it is not the juniors' turn to decide these issues. The juniors are not qualified yet, so it is all decided by the three seniors. That is, as long as the interests of this junior are not harmed, I will give my full cooperation to whatever happens next."
After a pause, Zhao Junchen changed the topic and said: "However, the junior sees that the three seniors are hiding and holding back, so they are not going to speak first. I am afraid that the next words will not be straightforward. I am the junior here with the least seniority." , since the seniors don’t want to say some things, it might as well be for the juniors to say it. If I say something wrong, please give me some advice from the seniors.”
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Zhou Shangjing looked Zhao Junchen up and down and nodded with interest. Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong looked at each other and had no objection.
"During His Majesty's southern tour, the Crown Prince stayed in the capital to control the country. However, we all know how the Crown Prince is as a person. If the Crown Prince was allowed to do whatever he wanted at that time, both the three seniors and the juniors would be in trouble. In the past, we Although they were fighting each other in the temple, during His Majesty's southern tour, the idea of suppressing the prince's party was also the same. It is true that cooperation brings benefits, and division brings disadvantages. After all, the prince's foundation in the outer court is still shallow. As long as We will cooperate fully. All government affairs during His Majesty's southern tour will be taken care of by the assistant ministers who stayed in Beijing. Once the prince is eliminated, the rest of us will have nothing to worry about when accompanying him on the southern tour."
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Zhou Shangjing, Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao all nodded.
Zhao Junchen continued: "So, although the assistant minister who stays in Beijing can dominate the family and make countless profits during His Majesty's southern tour, I don't care about this. Is it senior Shen or senior Huang? How to choose? To be honest. , it is not the younger generation's turn to intervene, and the younger generation does not care about this. What the younger generation cares about is how to ensure that our respective rights and interests will not be damaged during His Majesty's southern tour, and how to suppress the prince's party from causing trouble for us, no matter what Whether it is Senior Shen or Senior Huang, as long as these can be guaranteed, then the junior will fully support it. If it cannot guarantee this and only focuses on fighting for power for itself, then the junior will have no choice but to intervene and participate beyond its own capabilities."
After finishing speaking, Zhao Junchen turned to look at Zhou Shangjing, and saw Zhou Shangjing slowly nodded and said: "Junchen is right, and I mean the same thing. Since everyone is attending the banquet, it is already clear that we will advance together and retreat together. If I just left Beijing with Your Majesty, and a fire broke out in the backyard not long after that. It is absolutely unacceptable."
Seeing Zhou Shangjing's subsequent statement, Huang Yourong smiled and nodded: "Of course I understand the concerns of the Chief Assistant and Junchen. When His Majesty left the capital, it was always the Chief Assistant who took charge of the capital and assisted in government affairs. What did the Chief Assistant do in the first place? I have always seen what he did, and if I stay in Beijing to assist the government this time, I will naturally follow suit, and Xiao Gui will follow suit, and the rights and interests of the three of them will not be harmed. "
As soon as Huang Yourong finished speaking, Shen Changmao snorted coldly and said, "Really? Everyone here is well aware of Mr. Huang Ge's reputation for being greedy for power. If you stay in Beijing to assist the government, even if the chief minister is not worried, The Ministry of Personnel and Shuntian Mansion, Junchen are not worried about the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. I am also worried that my little property will be targeted. What's more, the prince's party has been fighting openly and secretly with us over the years. Mr. Huang Ge, you have always been shrinking. I don’t believe you are taking advantage later. If you stay in Beijing to assist the government, you will have the courage to break up with the prince and others."
Hearing what Shen Changmao said, Huang Yourong's smile froze, and he turned to stare at Shen Changmao and said, "When should we fight and when shouldn't we fight? I can still see these things clearly. But you, Mr. Shen Ge , I have always been the most ruthless in my work over the years, and I have never been merciful. If you stay in Beijing to assist the government, I am worried that you will plot against me. Besides, I have not been able to compete with the prince's party in the past few years, but that is because of this There is always someone to do things, but do you really think I am afraid of the prince?"
Without saying a few words, Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao started attacking each other without showing any mercy.
Neither Zhao Junchen nor Zhou Shangjing paid any attention to this. They just looked at Shen Changmao intentionally or unintentionally and were silent.
Shen Changmao naturally noticed the expressions of Zhou Shangjing and Zhao Junchen, snorted again, and said coldly: "If I stay in Beijing to assist the government, I will not touch the rights and interests of everyone here. The prince's side, I have already broken up with him, and I will suppress him with all my strength and will not let him make any move."
After hearing Shen Changmao's assurance, Zhao Junchen and Zhou Shangjing looked at each other and nodded lightly.
The two of them came here for the banquet to get similar guarantees from Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao. Although this guarantee was only verbal and the two of them might not abide by it, they would never give up such a guarantee in front of everyone. Will not violate it at will.
With such a guarantee, Zhao Junchen and Zhou Shangjing's purpose of coming to the banquet had been achieved. Whether Huang Yourong or Shen Changmao would stay in Beijing to assist the government next, they were not so concerned.
As Zhao Junchen and Zhou Shangjing began to watch with cold eyes, the battle between Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong also began to become fierce. They either lured each other with benefits, or compared with each other with power, or attacked his shortcomings, or exploited their own strengths. , it was hard to tell the difference for a while, and no one could convince anyone.
In fact, Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and even Zhao Junchen would find it difficult to choose.
Shen Changmao's cold and decisive temper, combined with the Crown Prince's sternness, and him staying in Beijing to assist the government, will inevitably lead to a good show when the two are fighting. The Crown Prince and his party may not be able to spare the energy to fight again. Regardless of everything else, if this happens, it will inevitably cause political instability, delay business, and even lead to chaos.
Huang Yourong is a smooth and experienced person, so if he stays in Beijing to assist the government, the situation between the government and the opposition will be more stable. However, due to his temperament, he may not be able to cope with the pressure from the prince.
From Zhao Junchen's point of view, Zhou Shangjing is probably leaning towards Shen Changmao. Shen Changmao will stay in Beijing to assist the government. Once the temple is unstable, Emperor Deqing's southern tour will be shortened. This is in Zhou Shangjing's interests. After all, Zhou Shangjing is not originally Support Emperor Deqing's southern tour. Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong were both equally powerful and powerful, but Shen Changmao had the upper hand now, presumably because Shen Changmao had Zhou Shangjing's support in private.
Emperor Deqing should be more optimistic about Huang Yourong. After all, Emperor Deqing values the stability of the temple and the world. If Zhao Junchen's prediction is correct, Emperor Deqing will take action after seeing Huang Yourong at a disadvantage.
"Thinking about it this way, in the future, as Emperor Deqing expresses his stance, I will have to favor Huang Yourong?"
Zhao Junchen thought secretly.
………
Gradually, the dishes were getting colder, but Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong still couldn't come up with a reason.
Seeing that this fight seemed to have no end, Zhao Junchen secretly shook his head. Although he knew that the banquet was for negotiation, he did not think that anything could really be negotiated. Who among Shen and Huang would stay in Beijing? In the end, I am afraid that it will take a battle to reach the conclusion, not only the battle between the two of them, but also the battle between Emperor Deqing and Zhou Shangjing.
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen coughed twice, attracted everyone's attention, and said: "Senior, I heard a new term a few days ago, which is 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'. Now since the two seniors Shen and Huang can't If we want to come up with a result, then we might as well put aside the controversial issues and talk about the things we need to cooperate with."
Hearing Zhao Junchen interrupt the argument between himself and Huang Yourong, Shen Changmao frowned slightly and said, "I didn't know there were other things to discuss at this party."
Although Shen Changmao had a bad attitude, Zhao Junchen was not angry. He just said: "When His Majesty is on tour to the south, as the regulations become more and more strict, there will be more and more people accompanying him. We have no control over the harem and the inner court, but It seems that the juniors need to discuss the candidates of the previous dynasty."
As Zhao Junchen finished speaking, Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong both looked serious, but they suddenly discovered that compared with who would stay in Beijing to assist the government, who would accompany the DPRK and China on the southern tour was also an issue that could not be ignored.
After all, the more people under his command accompany him on his southern tour, the weaker his power will be to stay in the capital, and his power and interests in the center of the temple will naturally not be guaranteed.
On the other side, Zhou Shangjing, who had been silent, nodded appreciatively at Zhao Junchen.
And Zhao Junchen continued: "In the opinion of this junior, Bao Wenjie, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, is familiar with etiquette, shrewd and capable, and he is indispensable as a companion during the southern tour."
If Bao Wenjie, the most capable general under the Crown Prince, accompanied him on the southern tour, the Crown Prince's ability to stay in Beijing would naturally be greatly weakened.
Huang Yourong nodded and said with a smile: "That's right. There is also Lu Chunxiao, the imperial envoy to the right capital of the Imperial Procuratorate. He is well-read, has a strong memory, and has broad knowledge. He is also from the south of the Yangtze River. If your majesty has him accompanying you during your southern tour, you will definitely be able to do it." It adds a lot of fun.”
The prince's party's power in the outer court is now mainly concentrated in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the mainstay in the Metropolitan Procuratorate is Lu Chunxiao.
Shen Changmao said slowly: "Cheng Yuandao, the academician of Wenhua Palace, is also indispensable. His Majesty has attached great importance to him in recent days. He may not be the next candidate to join the cabinet. With him following, Your Majesty will feel at ease."
Cheng Yuandao said that as Wen Guanliang returned to his hometown after serving as an official, there was a high demand for him to join the cabinet, but the trouble was that he belonged to the prince.
In this way, although Zhou Shangjing still spoke very little, within the few words spoken by Zhao Junchen, Huang Yourong, and Shen Changmao, the prince's capable generals were all inserted into the list of people accompanying him on the southern tour. among. With the four people here working together, we are not afraid of any big surprises on this list.
While the prince was still gearing up for Emperor Deqing's next southern tour, he didn't know that his followers had been evacuated by the corrupt officials he hated most.
Next, Zhao Junchen mentioned the names of several officials under his command, such as Chen Dongxiang, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, who Zhao Junchen regarded as a factor of instability. Zhou Shangjing, Shen Changmao, and Huang Yourong were also included in the list of the southern tour. Some of our own people. Although there are still many vacant places on this list, it depends on the next plans of the four people and the wishes of Emperor Deqing.
After the list was finalized, perhaps because of their mutual cooperation, the atmosphere between Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong became more harmonious, at least not as tense as before.
At this moment, Zhou Shangjing, who had spoken the least before, suddenly spoke.
"It's rare that the four of us can get together. As Junchen said before, at this time, it is most important to accommodate common ground while seeking differences. Since Shen and Huang can't come up with a result, we might as well put this matter aside for now. Let’s not talk about it for now, let’s take the opportunity to talk about some things that we are all concerned about so that we can discuss it together.”
"Sir, please speak."
Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao seemed a little reluctant, but now that Zhou Shangjing had spoken, they both spoke in unison with Zhao Junchen.
After Zhou Shangjing coughed twice, he tremblingly poured himself a cup of tea, and then said slowly: "The first thing is about Chunwei. I know that you always value the National Examination and the Imperial Examination the most. There are candidates that I value, my own juniors, juniors under my disciples, and juniors who rely on connections to find connections. I am afraid that I have found everyone's disciples these days. However, the Qiuwei fraud case in three provinces just came out last year. Now the people's morale is low. Stable, but everyone here should be careful, take the world as the top priority, do not act too hastily, and do not undermine each other. If there is news, you may wish to communicate with each other, and if there is something, you may wish to cooperate with each other, so that you can be stable."
Huang Yourong smiled and nodded, and said, "I heard that your grandson Zhou Suwen, Mr. Shofu, will also take part in the spring examination this year. In my opinion, Mr. Shofu has a tutoring background. He will be the top scholar in the Huiyuan Examination and the Palace Examination. It is inevitable that everyone will do their part.”
Zhou Shangjing did not admit or refute, but just looked at Zhao Junchen with a half-smile.
When Zhou Shangjing mentioned the words "too hastily" before, his tone was a little serious. Now he looked at himself deliberately. Zhao Junchen knew that Zhou Shangjing might have discovered Liu Zimin's actions in the past few days and guessed Zhao Junchen's thoughts. Now this is a reminder.
The Spring Imperial Examination and the subsequent Palace Examinations were the top priority of the imperial examinations in the past dynasties. Those who entered the exams could become low-level officials of the imperial court. They would also receive special attention during the review by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, so they had a bright future. However, the selection process is mainly based on human factors, so how can we talk about true fairness? Corrupt officials and powerful ministers in the imperial court will naturally intervene to more or less benefit themselves.
It's just that you can eat as much food as you want. Now Zhao Junchen is looking at the Chunwei Examination with great ambitions, and has arranged Liu Zimin as a nail to attract candidates who want to get close to Zhao Junchen. In Zhou Shangjing's eyes, it is a bit too hasty. .
Zhao Junchen understood this clearly. He smiled slightly at Zhou Shangjing and nodded, but did not guarantee anything.
Seeing Zhao Junchen like this, Zhou Shangjing frowned slightly and continued: "The second thing is the rectification of Sichuan salt affairs. Although everyone here has benefited a lot from this matter, the Huizhou merchants have treated us badly over the years. We have always been respectful, but now because of the Sichuan salt reform, they are increasingly dissatisfied with us. In my opinion, we might as well find some ways to appease them. After all, we should be impartial to both Shanxi and Huizhou merchants. It’s right to tilt it.”
Hearing what Zhou Shangjing said, everyone here pondered, but after a long time, Shen Changmao said: "On this point, let's see what the Huizhou merchants are willing to do first. Appeasement is necessary, but we cannot give in. Huizhou merchants have always been mainly engaged in smuggling, and their profits have been huge."
Shen Changmao's comments seemed impartial, but privately, he wanted to see how much benefit the Huizhou merchants could bring to everyone present.
Zhou Shangjing naturally understood this and nodded: "In this case, during this southern tour, we might as well have more contact with those Anhui merchants to see what they think."
Listening to the conversation between Shen Changmao and Zhou Shangjing, Zhao Junchen's expression changed.
He remembered how the "Spinning Jenny" was made.
"It seems that during this southern tour, we really need to contact more Huizhou merchants."
Zhao Junchen thought secretly.
On the other side, Zhou Shangjing's expression became much more serious, and he said: "As for the last thing, it is about the prince. You may have noticed that your majesty has now begun to plan for the prince. First, he helped The prince's control of the Metropolitan Procuratorate has allowed him to expand his influence between the government and the opposition, and with the ability to control a few of us, it is now more and more likely that Cheng Yuandao will join the cabinet, and I am afraid that he may have His Majesty's intentions privately."
Hearing what Zhou Shangjing said, whether it was Shen Changmao, Huang Yourong, or Zhao Junchen, their faces became serious.
None of them wanted the crown prince to become the crown prince. In fact, they all desperately hoped that Emperor Deqing could change someone to be the crown prince.
"Your Majesty is afraid that you have acted too hastily. The prince is still young and has little experience. If you add burdens to the prince too early, I am afraid that it will not be a good thing for the prince or the court."
Huang Yourong looked worried about the country and the people.
Shen Changmao also nodded and said: "That's true. Your Majesty is now at the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period. It is not a good thing to consider the prince too early and increase the prince's power."
Zhao Junchen sighed lightly, but went straight to the core of the problem and asked: "In this case, seniors, how should we deal with it?"
Hearing Zhao Junchen's question, Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong were silent.
Under the current system of the Ming Dynasty, regarding the establishment of the prince, and facing Emperor Deqing, an emperor with clever methods and scheming, they, the foreign ministers, did not have much to do.
Then, both of them turned their attention to Zhou Shangjing.
But Zhou Shangjing looked at Zhao Junchen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ps: Two chapters in one, the update speed is gradually accelerating, there will be more tomorrow.
..The update is super fast, please press "crtl+d" to add "Xijie Novel Network" to your favorites for your next reading!
< >, reading is a kind of enjoyment, it is recommended that you collect it.
