With the end of the morning court, this round of party struggle between Zhao Junchen and Huang Yourong finally came to an end for the time being, and the fighting stopped for a while. 【Read full text】
Considering that Emperor Deqing is about to tour the south, Zhao Junchen will accompany him on the tour, and Huang Yourong will stay in Beijing to assist the government. The two sides will enter a period of truce, although small actions and conflicts in private will still occur. It will be inevitable, but it is difficult for large-scale conflicts to happen again.
At least, both parties will be patient for the time being until Emperor Deqing's southern tour ends. After all, Zhao Junchen and Huang Yourong both know that Emperor Deqing has high expectations for the upcoming southern tour, and they do not dare to easily disturb Emperor Deqing's interest.
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In this round of competition, on the surface, it is difficult to tell who will win and who will lose.
Huang Yourong took advantage of the "Huaihe River Flood Case" to launch a sudden attack, and got rid of a total of 19 close officials of Zhao Junchen in the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household Affairs. They were demoted, exiled, or imprisoned. They were all the backbone of Zhao Junchen's sect. .
Not to be outdone, Zhao Junchen struck back and suddenly struck back. The two core figures in Huang Yourong's sect - Yan Pengfei, the Minister of Punishment, and Liu Quan'an, the Inspector-General - suddenly fell out of power and were detained pending trial.
As a result, in this conflict, Zhao Junchen lost more trusted officials, but he did not lose the core figures among his cronies; while Huang Yourong lost only two cronies, but the status and influence of these two people But it should be higher.
It seems that the two major factions have come and gone, each has suffered losses, and they are almost equal.
But the actual situation is not like this.
Although Zhao Junchen lost nineteen trusted officials in the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Works in one fell swoop, the official positions of these nineteen people were only fourth or fifth grade, and the two major yamen, the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Works, had always been under Zhao Junchen's control. Zhao Junchen's management of the restricted areas and basic market is as airtight as an iron barrel, and does not allow others to interfere. Therefore, these losses can be made up for quickly, even if other factions take the opportunity to add sand into it. Zhao Junchen could easily squeeze out the sand.
However, Yan Pengfei and Liu Quanan were important chess pieces for Huang Yourong to maintain his influence in the Sanfa Division. Now that these two people had lost their positions at the same time, it would be difficult for Huang Yourong to find replacements for them in a short period of time. In addition, the Three Laws Division has always been a place where various forces are intertwined and the situation is complicated. It is not a place where Huang Yourong can do whatever he wants. This has caused Huang Yourong's influence on the Three Laws Division to be greatly reduced, and it will be difficult to recover in a short period of time.
From this aspect, Huang Yourong suffered more losses.
However, for Huang Yourong's party, the back-and-forth confrontation with Zhao Junchen and their respective losses finally ended. They were suppressed by Zhao Junchen one after another in the past few days and were completely unable to fight back The situation has slightly restored some morale and confidence, which can be considered a gain.
However. If we consider that all of this was planned and promoted by Zhao Junchen secretly, and Zhao Junchen's "losses" were just a purge of his subordinates by Zhao Junchen through Huang Yourong's help, Huang Yourong said this time that " "Complete defeat" is not an exaggeration - of course, not many people know this, so in the eyes of hundreds of officials in the court. This time the battle between Zhao Junchen and Huang Yourong was still just a draw.
This kind of view is what Zhao Junchen is happy to see.
In official circles, when one's status reaches a certain level, being underestimated is a good thing.
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Because of this view, after the morning court ended, most of the cronies of Huang Yourong and Zhao Junchen had a somewhat complicated mood. Half relaxed and half serious, Zhao Junchen's cronies thought that they had finally defended against the counterattack of Huang Yourong's faction and controlled the situation, while Huang Yourong's cronies thought that they had finally gained a firm foothold in the party struggle and reversed the situation. situation.
Relatively speaking, it is still more relaxed. After all, although the two major factions each suffered losses during the conflict, they were not the ones who suffered the loss after all. What's more, with Emperor Deqing's southern tour, the party disputes were temporarily suspended, and they could relax a lot.
So, after the next court. When Zhao Junchen just walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, his main cronies, such as Zuo Lanshan, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Zhan Shanchang, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Liu Changan, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Li Lide, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, Chen Dongxiang, the Minister of the Ministry of Works, and the right deputy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate Inspector Yushi Gu Quan, general affairs envoy Tong Huan and others have gathered around Zhao Junchen, and they are full of admiration and compliments.
Today, Zhao Junchen took the initiative in the early morning, not only blocking Huang Yourong's further counterattack, but also causing Huang Yourong to lose Yan Pengfei and Liu Quanan. The method was superb, which made them feel relieved, but also He would not miss this opportunity to flatter Zhao Junchen.
"What a trick, sir!" Zhan Shanchang was the first to compliment: "This time because of the 'Huaihe River Flood Case', we lost nearly twenty trusted officials in the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Works. I was afraid that they would implicate the rest of us because of this, but I didn’t expect that you would use your plan to arrange for them to confess and then retract their confessions in court. However, Yan Pengfei and Liu Quanan also lost their official positions, allowing Huang Yourong and the others to steal. The chicken loses the rice, so I am really impressed by such a sophisticated method!"
Zuo Lanshan smiled and said: "Oh? Mr. Zhan, are you worried about this? I have believed in Mr. Zhao's methods from the beginning. After Mr. Zhao guaranteed us yesterday, I firmly believe that Mr. Zhao will be able to protect us. In the morning meeting today, Mr. Zhao turned his hands into clouds and rain. Not only did I admire Mr. Zhao's abilities, but I also became more confident in the future prospects of us people."
"Yes, speaking of it, we will benefit more this time. Those officials impeached by Huang Yourong and the others are not good people for doing things in private without telling us. If they are left here, they will do bad things sooner or later. It is better to get rid of them with Huang Yourong's hands. , Huang Yourong, on the other hand, lost Yan Pengfei and Liu Quanan, these two people were his closest confidants. As long as we follow Mr. Zhao, what do we have to fear in the future?" Tong Huan also nodded repeatedly.
Relatively speaking, Li Lide, the Minister of Justice, was the happiest among the people. Although he and Yan Pengfei were both Ministers of the Ministry of Justice, they had always been suppressed by Yan Pengfei. Now that Zhao Junchen had defeated Yan Pengfei, Li Lide felt like he was high and mighty. Feeling, so he also said: "Yes, speaking of it, because of the 'Huaihe River Flood Case', we have suffered huge losses this time. But after all, the losses were only some middle-level officials below, and under Mr. Zhao's counterattack, Huang Yourong has lost a minister and an inspector. From now on, his influence in the Sanfa Division will be greatly reduced. Even if he wants to fight back in the future, it will be difficult to threaten us."
Liu Chang'an also said: "It's a pity that His Majesty is about to tour the south. It's not good for us to have another conflict at this time. Otherwise, with Mr. Zhao leading us in pursuit of victory, we may not be able to defeat Huang Yourong's party in one go. By that time , we have no one to fear in the court! Even the chief minister, Zhou Shangjing, must be courteous to us."
Although Liu Changan now holds the position of Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the most important yamen of the Ministry of Civil Affairs has always been Zhou Shangjing's territory. Naturally, Liu Quan'an, a close friend of Zhao Junchen, would not be allowed to control real power. Now that Liu Changan had been ignored in the official department, he had a deep resentment towards Zhou Shangjing and very much hoped that Zhao Junchen could compete with Zhou Shangjing.
But among Zhao Junchen's friends, Gu Quan served in the Metropolitan Procuratorate. He wanted to be more cautious, but he said thoughtfully: "However, this time, although we relied on Mr. Zhao's means to strike later and did not let Huang Yourong and the others take advantage of us during the counterattack, things like the 'Huaihe River Flood Case' , after all, it is better not to happen again! According to the official, Huang Yourong's faction was originally suppressed by us, but suddenly found a lot of conclusive evidence of the "Huaihe River Flood Case", and therefore had the means to fight back. It is really strange , you must know that this matter was done by the subordinates without telling us, and even we didn’t know about it! So we’d better check this matter. See how the matter was leaked, otherwise I will really feel uneasy. .”
After hearing Gu Quan's words, Chen Dongxiang, who had been silent all this time, showed a strange expression - but after hesitating for a moment, he did not interrupt after all, and just followed everyone silently outside the Meridian Gate.
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Zhao Junchen does not need these compliments to please him. But Zhao Junchen also knew that although he did not need it, his cronies did. This was a major means of establishing friendship in the officialdom. If he did not accept it, it would make his cronies uneasy and think that Zhao Junchen How dissatisfied Junchen was with them.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen just listened with a smile. After everyone had said something nice, Zhao Junchen changed the subject.
"As everyone said, although we and Huang Yourong have their own losses this time, we did not let him take advantage. The advantage is still on our side." Zhao Junchen said calmly: "However, if we want to take advantage of In order to win, we cannot be careless."
Having said this, Zhao Junchen's face became solemn, causing all his friends to become more serious.
"So, when everyone returns to their respective yamen, don't relax. We still have a lot of things to do." Zhao Junchen looked calm and ordered the cronies in an orderly manner: "This is After all, we suffered a lot of losses this time, especially the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Works. We lost nineteen officials in one go, all of whom were our backbone in the two yamen. Their positions are now vacant, but they need to be filled as soon as possible. , otherwise other factions will be the first to take advantage. Zuo Shangshu, you are the Minister of the Ministry of Works. I will not overstep your authority on how to fill the gap. I will leave it all to you. I only have one principle. The officials of the Ministry of Works who need supplementation must Put ability first, and don't be greedy and unwilling to restrain like their predecessors, otherwise they will only fall into trouble like this time and cause trouble for us people."
After seeing Zuo Lanshan nodded in agreement, Zhao Junchen ordered Zhan Shanchang again: "Sir Zhan, speaking of which, you haven't been responsible for anything since you came to the Ministry of Household Affairs as a minister. I will take over the vacant positions in the Ministry of Household Affairs this time. It’s up to you. You and Jiang Qian will discuss how to fill the vacancies. The principle is the same as that of the Ministry of Industry. The officials you recruit should be based on ability first, and their character should not be too bad. "
Hearing that Zhao Junchen had given him such a great benefit, Zhan Shanchang couldn't help but be overjoyed and nodded in agreement.
Then, Zhao Junchen turned to look at Li Lide and ordered: "Li Shilang, now that Yan Pengfei has been dismissed from office and taken into custody, this is a great opportunity for you. If nothing happens next, Yan Pengfei will inevitably be held responsible, and when Feng Po, the Minister of Punishment, comes He is too old to be reused. Secondly, it is inevitable that he has reused Yan Pengfei over the years. I am afraid that he will not be able to sit in the position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice. This is your opportunity. You should seize it and make some achievements during this time. Come out and accept Yan Pengfei's power and influence as soon as possible, and I will naturally fight for you to be the minister."
Li Lide was also overjoyed and patted his chest repeatedly to promise not to mention it.
"And Gu Quan. Liu Quan'an's influence in the Metropolitan Procuratorate has always been great. Now he has been dismissed from office along with Yan Pengfei and taken into custody. As the right deputy inspector of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, you should take the opportunity to make a difference. Expand our presence in the capital The influence of the Procuratorate is very important to the yamen of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. The greater our influence, the easier things will be in the future..."
"...and Liu Chang'an, I also know that you have been wronged in the official department, but don't be too anxious. Sooner or later I will get it back for you, but you don't want to just sit around in the official department. When you get back, check the various yamen There have been changes in official positions in recent days, especially among the local chief envoys. This time we are fighting with Huang Yourong, and I am always worried that Zhou Shangjing wants to make a profit, but we cannot be too easy on him."
As Zhao Junchen continued to give instructions, his thinking was clear and thorough, and he more or less gave many benefits and promises to his friends. Everyone admired and was grateful to Zhao Junchen, and felt that they were following the right person.
And by doing this, Zhao Junchen naturally had the intention to further win over people's hearts and show favor to his friends.
Yesterday's morning meeting, Huang Yourong's party's counterattack was both sudden and violent. Although Zhao Junchen's late strike was a decisive blow, in the end they lost everything. But these cronies of Zhao Junchen may still have lingering fears, and may even question Zhao Junchen's decision to initiate this party struggle.
After all, this party struggle has not brought any benefits to Zhao Junchen's cronies so far.
Don't look at the compliments they had given Zhao Junchen just now, as if they were completely convinced. But flattery in the officialdom is often the most false thing in the world, and Zhao Junchen would not take it seriously.
Next, Emperor Deqing is about to tour the south, and then Zhao Junchen will accompany him south. Huang Yourong stayed in Beijing to assist the government. No one knew what would happen at that time. Although Zhao Junchen had already prepared a countermeasure for this, he still needed to appease his cronies in advance to prevent them from easily betraying Zhao Junchen under Huang Yourong's coercion and inducement.
The so-called crony is maintained by interests.
Therefore, at this time, it is also necessary to promise them some benefits first.
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At the same time, Huang Yourong also left the Hall of Supreme Harmony with the support of a group of cronies.
Relatively speaking, when they originally had the advantage, they were defeated by Zhao Junchen and lost two main figures. At this time, compared to Zhao Junchen's party, they were in a lower mood and looked more solemn.
Lin Wei, the Minister of Rites, Zhang Cheng, the Young Master, Huo Zhengyuan, the Grand Scholar, and others were surrounding Huang Yourong. They were all saying something, perhaps to comfort, perhaps to encourage, or perhaps to give advice.
But Huang Yourong didn't hear any of this. He just had a blank look on his face. His expression was very strange. It didn't look like anger or frustration. Of course, it had nothing to do with emotions such as joy.
In fact, Huang Yourong has always had this expression without any change since Emperor Deqing issued the order to take Yan Pengfei and Liu Quanan into custody.
Ever since the party dispute with Zhao Junchen began, Huang Yourong had been feeling uneasy deep in his heart, and it was getting stronger and stronger.
Originally, Huang Yourong thought that this feeling of uneasiness was due to the party struggle with Zhao Junchen. After all, Zhao Junchen now had the strength to defeat him.
But after today's morning meeting, after seeing Emperor Deqing's attitude and stance, Huang Yourong suddenly discovered that the uneasiness in his heart did not come from Zhao Junchen - no matter how powerful and influential Zhao Junchen was, he had not yet joined the cabinet. Huang Yourong, as the elder of the pavilion, is the maker of order and policy. He has a transcendent status. Even if he fails in the party struggle, he will be able to recover sooner or later. The uneasiness in Huang Yourong's heart actually comes from Emperor Deqing!
This morning at court, Emperor Deqing's attitude seemed impartial, but upon closer inspection, there was a big problem!
First, Liu Quanan was suddenly interrupted by Emperor Deqing when he was impeaching Zhao Junchen for the "Nine Deadly Sins". At that time, Emperor Deqing seemed to be furious, but in fact he interrupted Huang Yourong's party's attack on Zhao Junchen. steps, and alleviated Zhao Junchen's unfavorable situation at that time - if Liu Quanan had recited Zhao Junchen's "Nine Deadly Sins" one by one at that time, the atmosphere in the next morning would definitely be completely different!
Then, Emperor Deqing left room for Zhao Junchen to turn from defense to offense, and blocked the opportunity for Huang Yourong's party to intervene during the period, allowing Zhao Junchen to calmly launch a counterattack against Huang Yourong's party!
Finally, when Zhao Junchen's group impeached Liu Quanan and Yan Pengfei, Emperor Deqing suddenly lost his attitude and just let the ministers discuss. However, this discussion actually allowed Zhao Junchen's group to complete their work step by step. plan of!
It can be said that Emperor Deqing seemed neutral in today's morning court meeting, but as the rhythm controller of the court meeting, he had been secretly helping Zhao Junchen and suppressing Huang Yourong secretly.
In fact, Huang Yourong was very familiar with Emperor Deqing's method of "helping" and "suppressing", but in the past, it was Huang Yourong who was secretly helped, and the one who was secretly suppressed was the chief minister Zhou Shangjing!
But now, Huang Yourong found that his position in the eyes of Emperor Deqing seemed to have changed.
This change is the real source of Huang Yourong's uneasiness!
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Well, a five thousand word chapter.
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