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Zhao Junchen naturally knew about Xichang, the "famous" spy agency. 【Read the latest chapter】
Xichang, also known as Xichang, during the 13th year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty, Ming Xianzong, who was in power at that time, set up another Xichang in addition to Dongchang to investigate the words and deeds of citizens. right.
Since the establishment of the West Factory, its power has far exceeded that of the old signature spy agency Dongchang. The number of Tiqi under its command is twice that of the Dongchang, and it has also taken over all the powers of the Dongchang and the Jinyiwei. The scope started from the capital and spread all over the country, and prisons and courts were mixed into yiti. Suspects could be detained and tortured, and ministers of the DPRK and central government could be arrested at will without even asking the emperor.
But within a few years, because the actions of Wang Zhi, the director of Xichang, were too unscrupulous, they caused a backlash from the government and the public, and the impact was extremely bad. In order to quell the impact, Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty could only order the abolition of Xichang. Although Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty later briefly restored the Xichang organizational structure in order to suppress the ministers of the DPRK, in any case, Xichang was the shortest spy agency in the Ming Dynasty, with a total duration of less than ten years.
However, although the time was short, the spy terror that the West Factory brought to the Ming Dynasty was still greater than that of the East Factory, and its impact was great.
Therefore, when he heard Emperor Deqing's question, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but trembled slightly. He seemed to have thought of something, but he was not sure. He just replied cautiously: "Your Majesty, Xichang has been abolished for many years, and I don't know much about it." Many, I just remember that during the Chenghua period of Xianzong, there was a demon named Li Zilong who used the "devil fox to show up at night" to deceive people's hearts and win over the inner court. He had evil intentions and coveted the throne, although he was quickly killed. But Xian Zong Youfei felt that our imperial reconnaissance power was insufficient, so he established the Xichang institution. However, because Wang Zhi, the governor of Xichang at that time, took over the power, it was quickly abolished. Although it was briefly restored after Emperor Wuzong came to the throne, Following Liu Jin's execution, he was abolished again. The two establishments took only ** years in total, but the power is even greater than that of Dongchang."
Emperor Deqing observed the changes in Zhao Junchen's expression. He seemed to be more mǎnyi, with a smile on his face, and said: "The West Factory has been established for a long time after all. It has only existed for a short time. It is not bad for you to know so much."
After a pause, Emperor Deqing finally stated the purpose of summoning Zhao Junchen alone this time. Xichang, what does Zhao Aiqing think? "
Zhao Junchen raised his head and took a peek at Emperor Deqing, only to see that Emperor Deqing was looking at him with a smile, but he no longer looked as angry as before. Feeling slightly cold in his heart, he did not answer Emperor Deqing's question. He just asked cautiously: "The reconstruction of the West Factory is of great importance. I wonder which father-in-law in the inner court does your Majesty want to be the factory director?"
Emperor Deqing snorted softly and said: "In the past few days, the news around me has been leaked repeatedly, and it has been banned repeatedly. Now there is the loss of Dongchang intelligence. The eunuchs in the inner court, I don't know the information for a while. Who, this time the West Factory is rebuilt, I have no intention of handing over the position of factory director to them."
As he spoke, Emperor Deqing smiled at Zhao Junchen and said warmly: "Now the person I trust most in the whole court is you, Junchen. I plan to let you handle the reconstruction of the West Factory, and the factory supervisor I also intend to leave the position to you, otherwise, why do you think I am summoning you alone this time?"
Although he had already guessed in his mind, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but be shocked when he heard what Emperor Deqing said.
But I was surprised, not happy.
Regarding the reconstruction of the West Factory, Zhao Junchen had no intention of getting involved in any case.
The power of the West Factory and the position of factory supervisor are certainly attractive to Zhao Junchen. With the power to monitor the words and deeds of the government and the public, Zhao Junchen's power and influence will inevitably increase significantly in a short period of time.
But the disadvantages are more obvious.
Without him, Xichang's reputation is really bad. When people hear this word, they may immediately think of derogatory words such as "persecution", "cruelty", "espionage" and so on. Institutions will arouse the natural hostility of officials in the DPRK and China. Zhao Junchen's reputation is already bad enough now, and he is almost recognized by the world as the most corrupt official in the dynasty. How can he be willing to put this shit basin on his head again?
If that's all, then that's fine. The most important thing is that once the West Factory is established, the first priority must be "responsible only to the emperor." What does this sentence mean? It means that you have to become the emperor's minion. You have to punish whoever the emperor asks you to punish. After all, Xichang is an organization that offends people. Although the power seems to be great, the fundamentals are still in control. In the hands of the emperor.
Moreover, unlike the East Factory, which had a stable status over time, the West Factory was only a temporary organization in the eyes of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. It was only used to temporarily strengthen the surveillance power of spies and help the emperor stabilize the situation. However, it was like a chamber pot that ran out of use. He will be abandoned and disliked later, and when he ends his historical mission, he will help the emperor take the blame on himself.
Didn’t you see that among the two factory directors of the West Factory in history, whether it was Wang Zhi or Zhang Jin, which one was not extremely powerful? Which one has a good ending?
Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty established the West Factory and appointed Wang Zhi as the factory director. This was because after he experienced what happened to the demon Li Zilong, he was paranoid and restless all day long. Therefore, Wang Zhi would hunt for people everywhere and try his best to construct major and important cases. In this way, Ming Xianzong had a sense of security and felt that his country was stable, while Xichang was of no use anymore, and Wang Zhi's reputation was ruined, so he was cleanly discarded by Ming Xianzong.
As for Zhang Jin, it was also because Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty didn't like the government. In order to suppress the repeated objections of the officials in the court, he built the West Factory again. With Zhang Jin as the factory director, he suppressed and persecuted the courtiers everywhere. In the end, the officials in the court could no longer They didn't dare to speak out anymore, and the reputation of Xichang and Zhang Jin was extremely bad. In the end, Xichang was abolished and Zhang Jin was executed, taking the blame for Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty.
All in all, for Zhao Junchen, rebuilding the West Factory and serving as factory supervisor was a job that would make his reputation worse, offend everyone for the emperor, and ultimately take the blame. It seemed like a sweet job. In fact, it was a hot potato. How could Zhao Junchen be willing to accept it?
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Thinking like this, Zhao Junchen quickly admonished Emperor Deqing: "I hope your Majesty will think twice. The West Factory was established twice, but it was abandoned within a few years. The reputation between the government and the public has become extremely bad. This Such reconstruction will not only cause backlash from the government and the public, but will also damage His Majesty's reputation for virtue. This is no longer possible. After all, the West Factory belongs to the inner court, and the factory governor has always been served by the eunuchs of the inner court. Although I am close to His Majesty, after all, it is For officials from outside the DPRK, if I were to rebuild the West Factory and serve as the factory supervisor, I would not say it would be a violation of the rules, my identity would be sensitive, and my authority would not be clear. In the future, internal and external communication will also be inefficient, and I am afraid that it will ruin His Majesty's important affairs, so I will give more details. That’s not possible.”
Having said this, Zhao Junchen knelt down and kowtowed: "I hope your majesty will think twice!"
Seeing Zhao Junchen's performance, Emperor Deqing couldn't help but be stunned.
During this period of time, Zhao Junchen and the major factions in the DPRK have been vying for power. Obviously he is very keen on power, and now Emperor Deqing has given Zhao Junchen such great power. I thought Zhao Junchen would be extremely happy, but I didn't expect that Zhao Junchen would refuse with all his strength. Looking at Zhao Junchen's attitude, it didn't seem like he was lying.
However, the real reason for Zhao Junchen's refusal was not stated clearly, and the reason for submitting the submission to Emperor Deqing was even more high-sounding, as if he was thinking about Emperor Deqing at every turn. Therefore, regarding handing over the West Factory to Zhao Junchen, Emperor Deqing On the contrary, I feel more reassured and have a firmer attitude towards my decision.
The reason why Emperor Deqing rebuilt the West Factory this time was precisely because the murder of He Ming made Emperor Deqing worried that someone in the court might be plotting against the prince and even coveting his throne. The relationship between Dongchang and Jinyiwei The loss of relevant information made Emperor Deqing feel uneasy as the factory guards, who had always been so attentive, were actually out of control.
Therefore, the reconstruction of the West Factory was an imperative for Emperor Deqing.
However, Emperor Deqing had always been hesitant about who to hand over the power of Xichang.
Who is the mastermind behind the murder of He Ming? Emperor Deqing has doubts about all the major forces in the court. Because of the loss of Dongchang intelligence, Emperor Deqing also lost trust in people in the inner court. The only ones who had no suspicion were Prince Zhu Heyu and Zhao Junchen.
Without him, the crown prince and grand master who took over was killed. Prince Zhu Heyu himself was the biggest victim, so it was impossible for him to do such a thing.
As for Zhao Junchen, let’s not mention that he was “seriously ill” at the time of the incident. In the past few days, although Zhao Junchen has obviously risen in the court, he has insufficient background and a shallow foundation. He silently destroyed He Mingquan. Zhao Junchen has no ability to do such a thing.
Considering the upright character and future reputation of Prince Zhu Heyu, it was obviously inappropriate to hand over the Xichang to him, so it had to be handed over to Zhao Junchen.
Moreover, Zhao Junchen's performance and actions have always been considered loyal among Emperor Deqing. Emperor Deqing was relieved when he handed over the West Factory to Zhao Junchen.
As for whether Emperor Deqing used the establishment of the West Factory to further damage Zhao Junchen's reputation among the government and the public and prepare for the future accession of Prince Zhu Heyu to the throne, this?a href='/711/4849414/'>. Thoughts. I didn't realize it in a hurry.
Therefore, Emperor Deqing was not angry at Zhao Junchen's refusal. He just said with a gentle smile: "Junchen, you have become more and more advanced these days. You think so far-reaching and comprehensively, and you are not greedy for power. I I’m very relieved, but this time, it’s Junchen who thinks too much.”
After a pause, Emperor Deqing explained: "It is true that Xichang had a bad reputation before, but that was because Wang Zhi and Zhang Jin relied on the favor of the late emperor to do whatever they wanted in the court. But how can you, Junchen? Compared with those two eunuchs? I am extremely reassured about your character. Junchen, you will rebuild the West Factory and serve as the factory director. As long as you are not as arrogant and domineering as Wang and Zhang, how can you corrupt me? Reputation? Maybe Junchen, your sincerity in doing things will not only change the world's impression of Xichang, but also make me look good."
Seeing that Zhao Junchen wanted to refute, Emperor Deqing did not give him a chance and continued: "As for whether you are a minister of the foreign court or an eunuch of the inner court, it has nothing to do with whether you can serve as the governor of the West Factory. It is just about my internal affairs." The treasury, before Junchen, has always been managed by the eunuchs of the inner court. Now, don’t I just hand it over to you, Junchen? Since Junchen, you have managed the inner treasury, and the effect has been seen by both the outer court and the inner court. The size of the inner court Foreign ministers have no say in matters. I have always made the decision with my word. I have asked you to be the director of the West Factory, so who can say anything?"
Speaking of which. Emperor Deqing pondered for a moment and then said: "As for the inconvenience of internal and external communication you mentioned, won't it be solved by giving you the right to see the emperor at any time from today on?"
After saying this, Emperor Deqing looked at Zhao Junchen with a smile, his attitude was unprecedentedly gentle, but it was obvious that this was what I meant. You can't say no!
Seeing Emperor Deqing's attitude, Zhao Junchen felt even colder, but he still said: "But today's household affairs department of the outer dynasty and the inner treasury of the inner court have already involved most of my energy, and I am only good at financial management, and I am not interested in criminal investigations. I don’t have much experience in prison matters. I’m afraid I won’t be able to do a good job. I’ll live up to His Majesty’s holy hope.”
In response to Zhao Junchen's desperate struggle, Emperor Deqing waved his hand and said: "How can you not know if you don't try it? Just help me set up a shelf in the West Factory first. I will be satisfied with the help of people. If If you really can't do it well, I won't blame you. I'll just replace you when the time comes. And I also trust your ability."
After a pause, Emperor Deqing smiled slightly. Looking directly at Zhao Junchen, he said slowly: "Now in the whole court, I only trust you, Aiqing. Isn't Aiqing unwilling to share my worries?"
As he spoke, Emperor Deqing changed his name for Zhao Junchen from "Junchen" to "Aiqing", showing his dissatisfaction with Zhao Junchen's repeated rejection.
Hearing what Emperor Deqing said, Zhao Junchen knew that he could no longer refuse the current Zhao Junchen. He could not get rid of Emperor Deqing's control and could compete with the imperial power like Zhou Shangjing, so he could only say respectfully: "Since your Majesty trusts me so much. , I am wholeheartedly sharing your Majesty’s worries and dare not refuse.”
Seeing that Zhao Junchen finally agreed, Emperor Deqing laughed heartily and said, "I really saw Junchen right!"
Zhao Junchen lowered his head and smiled in apology, but secretly thought in his heart: "Now that the matter is over, I can only take on the matter of the West Factory. However, although the West Factory is a shit basin, everything in the world has advantages and disadvantages. So-called Crisis is also an opportunity hidden in danger... In any case, this West Factory is extremely powerful, and if it is run well, it may not necessarily be a bad thing."
With this in mind, Zhao Junchen reported to Emperor Deqing: "Your Majesty, since I have received your Majesty's trust, I will serve your Majesty wholeheartedly. Now I am rebuilding the West Factory for your Majesty, and I have some ideas about this."
"Oh? What do you think, Junchen? Tell me quickly."
Emperor Deqing was very interested in Zhao Junchen at this time.
"Your Majesty, in my opinion, the fundamental reason why the West Factory has gained such a bad reputation is because it has too much power but unclear responsibilities. The first two factory directors of the West Factory, whether it was Wang Zhi , or Zhang Jin, both took over all the powers of Dongchang and Jinyiwei, and could even arrest the ministers of the DPRK without reporting. This naturally caused them to act unscrupulously and domineeringly. I thought that Xichang's It was established to balance the East Factory, so that His Majesty would not have to listen to the East Factory when conducting investigations in the future. However, precisely because of this, the power and responsibility of the West Factory should be equal to that of the East Factory. "
After a pause, Zhao Junchen continued: "I am loyal to Your Majesty. However, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, it is inevitable that there will be no more directors like Wang Zhi, Zhang Jin, and others like Wang Zhi and Zhang Jin in the future. For ambitious people, such unrestricted powers and responsibilities are not a long-term solution. For the sake of your majesty's stability, it is imperative to limit the power of Xichang. I hope your majesty will think deeply about it."
In fact, whether the powers and responsibilities of the West Factory are limited or not, they are all matters of surveillance, investigation, and suppression. Zhao Junchen said that he limited the powers, but he did not want the rebuilding of the West Factory to be too publicized, and he was in conflict with the Dongchang and Jinyiwei. These yamen are just sharing the blame.
Emperor Deqing felt that what Zhao Junchen said was reasonable. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said: "What Junchen said is reasonable. After the West Factory is established, I will decree that the power and scale of the West Factory should be equal to that of the East Factory."
Zhao Junchen added: "Your Majesty, the reason why you rebuilt the West Factory is that you are worried that the East Factory and Jinyiwei will be infiltrated by someone with malicious intentions. Therefore, I believe that at the beginning of the reconstruction of the West Factory, the information should be kept secret, so that we can select those who are loyal to Your Majesty." We don’t have to worry about being infiltrated by people with ulterior motives. In addition, the selection of manpower should also focus more on the Forbidden Army and the Ministry of Punishment. After the West Factory’s framework is set up, it will be announced, and it will be difficult for outsiders and people in the court to object. It saves you a lot of verbal trouble.”
Emperor Deqing also agreed: "Junchen's thoughts are indeed comprehensive and far-reaching. I will do as you say, Junchen. I trust you, and I will give you all the manpower and money I need."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Just like that, the matter was settled.
………
After Zhao Junchen left the palace, it was almost noon.
Xu Qingyan waited outside the palace for a long time and was bored. When he saw Zhao Junchen finally leaving the palace, he hurriedly greeted him.
"Master, you are finally out. His Majesty has been looking for you for a long time this time." As he spoke, Xu Qingyan saw Zhao Junchen's expression looking both happy and worried, and quickly asked: "Master, what happened?"
Seeing no one around, Zhao Junchen sighed and briefly told Xu Qingyan that he wanted to rebuild the West Factory and serve as factory supervisor.
Xu Qingyan could not think of the harm that would come from such a thing. He only knew that the West Factory was extremely powerful, so he couldn't help but said with great joy: "Master, this is a great thing! When you become the director of the West Factory, Master, I want to see how full this power is." Up and down, who else dares to offend us!"
Zhao Junchen smiled bitterly, shook his head again, and said slowly: "How can this be so good? It's just a sugar-coated bullet."
Xu Qingyan didn't understand the meaning of "sugar-coated bullets" and couldn't help but look at Zhao Junchen in confusion.
Zhao Junchen did not explain, but just said: "Send me my name card and ask Li Lide to come see me immediately. Now the West Factory has just been built, and Li Lide has been the minister of the Ministry of Justice for many years, has rich experience, and has always respected me, so he should give it to him." Change positions."
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ps: The weather was sultry and I ran outside for another day because of work. I felt like I was about to die. But when I came back, I saw that my subscriptions had recovered a little. I couldn’t help but feel motivated. Chongzi believed that as long as he persisted, he would be rewarded sooner or later. . Well, here are five thousand words. (To be continued. Please read.)
