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Emperor Deqing had been fighting with Zhou Shangjing for many years, and he also knew Zhou Shangjing thoroughly. He knew that Zhou Shangjing's move to impeach Xue Gui and Zhang Bochong was by no means that simple. I am afraid it was just a way of retreating to advance, playing hard to get. On the surface, it was to impeach Xue Gui and Zhang Boxong, but in fact, it was to secretly excuse the two. If Zhou Shangjing was allowed to continue talking, with Zhou Shangjing's clever excuse, I am afraid that Xue Gui and Zhang Boxong would soon be "uncoverable." It's excusable." In this way, the final punishment for Xue Gui and Zhang Bochong will naturally be loud thunder but light rain.
Therefore, Emperor Deqing still looked angry and did not give Zhou Shangjing a chance to explain his thoughts in detail. Instead, he asked directly: "Neglect of oversight and dereliction of duty? This crime can be minor or major, and the punishment can be light or severe, that is, You can fine them a salary, or you can dismiss them and seize their posts... So, according to Mr. Zhou Ge, should Xue Gui and Zhang Bochong settle the matter with a fine? Or should they be dismissed and seize their posts?"
Emperor Deqing's rhetorical question can be said to be very particular. He took advantage of the current situation and pretended to be furious. He only gave Zhou Shangjing two choices, one was to fine him a salary, and the other was to be dismissed from office. When Zhao Junchen was assassinated, The nature of the attack on the West Factory was extremely bad. After Xue Gui and Zhang Boxhong were implicated, it was obviously impossible to just fine them. Otherwise, they would not be able to convince the government and the opposition. In this way, Zhou Shangjing had only one choice left. .
Zhou Shangjing seemed completely unaware of Emperor Deqing's language trap. He saw a serious expression on his old face, a business-like look, and said slowly: "As your Majesty said, yesterday, first of all, Zhao, the Minister of Household Affairs, Junchen was assassinated, and then Xichang was attacked. The assassin of Zhao Shangshu was also intercepted and silenced. The nature of this incident was so bad that it was rare in a century. The prestige of the imperial court was also greatly damaged as a result, and Xue Gui was the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture. The occurrence of such a major case in the capital was entirely due to his dereliction of duty. If he was not severely punished, it would not be able to show the court's determination. Therefore, I believe that Xue Gui should be deprived of his post of Shuntian Prefecture Yin. For the sake of diligence, he can be temporarily appointed as the Tongzhi of Shuntian Prefecture and let him assist the new Shuntian Prefecture Yin. After all, Xue Gui has been the Shuntian Prefecture Yin for eight years and is most familiar with the situation in the capital. Now is an extraordinary period. , several major cases yesterday must be solved as soon as possible. The new Shuntian Prefecture Yin has just arrived, I am afraid it will delay a lot of opportunities, and we need to rely on Xue Gui's experience."
After a pause, Zhou Shangjing changed the subject and added: "However, the situation of Zhang Boxhong, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, is a little different. He has only served as the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments for more than five months. During this period, he still has four months to follow His Majesty on his southern tour, even with the Ministry of Punishments. I haven’t had time to familiarize myself with the details of the situation, let alone control the Ministry of Punishment. If we insist on holding him accountable, I’m afraid it would be inappropriate. I think a fine and a warning are all that is needed.”
After hearing Zhou Shangjing's suggestion, Emperor Deqing pondered for a moment.
It seems that Zhou Shangjing wanted to make a deal with Emperor Deqing to preserve Zhang Bochong's position as Minister of Punishment at the cost of giving up the important position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin.
In this regard, Emperor Deqing thought for a moment and felt that the transaction was still acceptable.
After all, as Zhou Shangjing said, it was only a short time since Zhang Boxhong took over the position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice. If Zhang Boxong was forcibly held accountable, it would be difficult to convince the officials. With Zhou Shangjing's full protection, it would be difficult for Emperor Deqing to remove Zhang Boxong. Because of his official position, it is not a bad idea to let Zhang Bochong go once.
In comparison, although the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin is not as prominent as that of the Minister of Punishment, this position can control and participate in all changes in the capital in a timely manner. Moreover, Shuntian Prefecture is also qualified to undertake complaints from all over the country, which is equivalent to a small Punishment Ministry. , but the importance is no less important. Being able to seize the opportunity to take away Xue Gui's position as Shuntian Mansion and make Zhou Shangjing lose control of Shuntian Mansion is a good result.
Although Emperor Deqing originally wanted to remove all Zhang Bochong and Xue Gui from their official positions, that was only the most ideal result. With Zhou Shangjing's precautions, Emperor Deqing could barely accept half of the goal.
So, Emperor Deqing nodded slightly and asked: "Then, who should take over the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin?"
Zhou Shangjing replied: "The position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin is quite important. Who should take over should naturally be decided by Your Majesty's Sacred Heart. I dare not interfere."
After hearing Zhou Shangjing's answer, Emperor Deqing's eyes flashed with satisfaction, feeling that Zhou Shangjing still knew how to advance and retreat.
Then, Emperor Deqing glanced at the officials, trying to find the next candidate for Shuntian Prefecture among the officials, and waiting for the recommendations of the important ministers.
However, under Emperor Deqing's glance, all the officials were looking at their noses, noses, mouths, and mouths. They were all silent, as if they were completely unaware of Emperor Deqing's thoughts. Not only were there no officials Mao Sui recommended himself, and no important officials in the court even recommended his disciples.
For a moment, Huangji Hall suddenly fell into silence.
If in normal times, there was a vacancy of third-level real power in the court, it would inevitably be a scene where the major factions would not give in to each other and hundreds of officials in the court would fight to the death. However, today's situation is completely opposite. Regarding the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin, various Not only did the major factions and officials in the court not compete for him, but they seemed to avoid it. They all shrank their heads, fearing that Emperor Deqing would notice them and allow themselves to take this position.
Seeing this situation, Emperor Deqing was slightly startled, but in a flash he figured out what the officials were thinking.
The situation in the capital city has always been complicated, with various forces intertwined. Any small matter will involve many powerful people. Therefore, although the position of Shuntian Fuyin is important, it has always been a crater. If you are not careful, you will offend people. , the slightest mistake will attract countless attention and accusations. If the ability is insufficient and the backing is not strong, Shuntian Fuyin will be a thankless position, and it will even affect his career, connections, and reputation. Officials will naturally It is impossible to avoid it.
If this were the case, considering the importance of Shuntian Mansion, although officials would avoid it, the major forces in the court would still fight for it.
But today is different from the past. The case of Zhao Junchen's assassination and the attack on Xichang is complicated and confusing, and it seems to be very involved. The day of solving the case seems far away. No matter who sits in the position of Shuntian Fuyin, he must take over the case. , if the case cannot be solved, he will still be reprimanded by Emperor Deqing. At that time, the official position of Shuntian Fuyin has not yet been established, and I am afraid it will have to be replaced again.
In this way, the position of Shuntian Fuyin has become synonymous with affecting official career. All the officials are "smart people" who seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, so how can they compete for it?
In fact, it was precisely because Zhou Shangjing saw this clearly that he voluntarily gave up his position as Shuntian Prefecture Yin.
Although Emperor Deqing clearly knew the importance of Shuntian Prefecture, he still did not appoint his cronies after getting the vacancy of Shuntian Prefecture. Instead, he looked for suitable candidates among the officials, with the same intention. , I want to wait until this hot potato cools down a bit before eating it in my mouth, otherwise I will only burn my tongue.
However, Emperor Deqing did not expect that all the officials had thought of the key pros and cons, and no one was willing to be taken advantage of.
As a result, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
A trace of anger flashed in Emperor Deqing's eyes, and he felt that no one among the officials could share his worries.
Just when Emperor Deqing was about to force the assignment, Zhao Junchen suddenly glanced at the great scholar Huo Zhengyuan.
Then, Huo Zhengyuan suddenly came out and said, "Your Majesty Huo Zhengyuan has volunteered himself and is willing to serve as the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture!"
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…(To be continued ~^~)
