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Emperor Deqing also knew that Huo Zhengyuan had now joined Zhao Junchen. After hearing Huo Zhengyuan's self-recommendation, he immediately guessed that it was Zhao Junchen's idea, but he glanced at Zhao Junchen calmly from the corner of his eyes, seeming to be hesitant. .
At the same time, many officials in Huangji Palace changed their expressions after hearing Huo Zhengyuan's self-recommendation.
After all, according to rumors, the assassination of Zhao Junchen was carried out by forces in the DPRK and China that opposed the rectification of business and taxation. Although the specific identity of the mastermind behind the scenes is not yet known, with Zhao Junchen's character, I am afraid he will never give up and will definitely do it. He will retaliate violently, and will also anger all DPRK and Chinese officials who oppose the rectification of business and taxation.
Nowadays, people such as Qin Huaiyuan, the minister of the Ministry of Justice, and Gu Quan, the censor of Zuo Qiandu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, are all close associates of Zhao Junchen. This allows Zhao Junchen to maintain a certain degree of influence in various yamen of the Three Laws Division. In addition, Xichang is It was built by Zhao Junchen and has not yet been officially handed over to the inner court. Even if the West Factory is about to be handed back to the inner court, Zhao Junchen will still have a certain degree of control over the west factory...
As for Shuntian Mansion, it controls all movements in the capital, and is now the main force in detecting the assassination of Zhao Junchen and the attack on Xichang. If Zhao Junchen controls Shuntian Mansion, plus the assistance of Sanfasi Yamen and Xichang Yamen , Zhao Junchen can control the direction of the investigation and the outcome of the case to a large extent. At that time, Zhao Junchen may take the opportunity to retaliate, and he may be deeply implicated. At that time, all the ministers in the DPRK and China who oppose the rectification of business and taxation , they will all run into trouble and face Zhao Junchen’s deliberate revenge and frame-up at any time...
Therefore, for those ministers who oppose the court's rectification of commercial taxes, anyone and any force can obtain Shuntian Mansion, and they will not deliberately interfere or oppose it, but only Zhao Junchen cannot!
Therefore, as soon as Huo Zhengyuan finished speaking, he was immediately opposed by many courtiers.
Guan Wenqing, the censor of the right capital of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, seems to be incorruptible, but the family behind him controls a large-scale smuggling shipyard and can make huge profits of hundreds of thousands of silver through smuggling every year. Therefore, Guan Wenqing himself is the most important. He opposed the imperial court's rectification of commercial taxes. Among the officials who opposed the imperial court's rectification of commercial taxes, his reputation was second only to Shen Changmao and several core figures within the "Shen Party."
In short, Guan Wenqing is a roadblock for Zhao Junchen to rectify business taxes, and he is also one of the political opponents that Zhao Junchen must defeat.
Now, after hearing Huo Zhengyuan's self-recommendation, Guan Wenqing was afraid that Zhao Junchen would take the opportunity to rectify himself in the future, so he immediately retorted: "Your Majesty, I think that Academician Huo is not suitable for the position of Shuntian Governor. Although Academician Huo He is extremely knowledgeable and highly respected, but he has not had experience in governing local areas or serving as a chief official for many years, and he has never been good at judging cases. The situation under the emperor's rule in Shuntianfu Yamen is the most complicated, and now it is There are several serious cases that need to be solved as soon as possible, and we need experienced officials who are good at investigating cases, and Academician Huo Da is not the best candidate. Please be aware of this, Your Majesty!"
As Guan Wenqing finished speaking, Ma Shangde, the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, also came out and said: "Your Majesty, Academician Huo has a high status and high intelligence. He is an important minister of the imperial court. He will assume the position of Yin of Shuntian Prefecture. It seems that some of them are overqualified, and I hope that Your Majesty can choose another talented person."
Ma Shangde is a disciple of Zhou Shangjing, but he has never been taken seriously by Zhou Shangjing. Like Guan Wenqing, Ma Shangde's family can obtain a lot of benefits every year through smuggling and tax evasion. Therefore, since the imperial court wanted to rectify the business tax, Ma Shangde ignored it. Following Zhou Shangjing's instructions, he did not act in a low-key manner like other "Zhou Party" officials, but he took a clear-cut stand against the imperial government's rectification of commercial taxes.
In fact, among the various factions in the DPRK, whether it is the "Zhou Party", "Shen Party", "Zhao Party" or "Prince Party", there are not a few officials like Ma Shandde. Of course, they are usually They obey their respective patrons, but that is only because their patrons can fight for their interests and benefits. If the intentions of their patrons are contrary to their interests, these people may not be loyal and obey their orders. .
Like Shen Changmao, he himself may not really want to oppose the imperial court's rectification of commercial taxes. After all, this would mean that he would be on the opposite side of Emperor Deqing. The reason why he wanted to oppose the imperial court's rectification of commercial taxes was because such a stance could provide In addition to the extremely high momentum he brought, it is also because Shen Changmao does not have Zhou Shangjing's superb methods, nor Zhao Junchen's ability to induce benefits, nor is he as firm as Prince Zhu Heyu. If he does not express such a position, he will All the officials under his command were about to break away from him.
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Without further ado, it is said that with the opposition of Guan Wenqing and Ma Shangde, ministers in the court who opposed the rectification of business and taxation also came out to express their views, and they all disagreed with Huo Zhengyuan's position as the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture.
"Your Majesty, I also agree with Master Guan and Master Ma that Academician Huo is not a suitable candidate for Shuntian Prefecture..."
"Your Majesty, Academician Huo has limited energy. Now he is not only responsible for the affairs of the Hanlin Academy, but also has the responsibility of assisting the cabinet. If he is allowed to serve as the governor of Shuntian again, he will inevitably lose his energy. I hope your Majesty will understand..."
"Your Majesty, it is certainly commendable for Academician Huo to take the initiative to ask for the imperial examination. However, Academician Huo's temperament has always been modest. I am afraid that he is not suitable for the position of Shuntian Prefecture..."
"His Majesty……"
Faced with the opposition of the officials, Zhao Junchen frowned slightly, and then hinted to the "Zhao Party" officials with his eyes. After receiving Zhao Junchen's hint, the "Zhao Party" officials also came out to refute.
Situ Han, the left deputy censor of the Nadu Procuratorate, has always been close to Huo Zhengyuan. At this time, regardless of the fact that Guan Wenqing was his immediate superior, he immediately stepped out and said: "Master Guan's words are wrong. If you think that Master Huo is not Suitable for the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin, can Mr. Guan recommend a suitable candidate? Or, Mr. Guan, it would not be a bad idea for you to take up the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin yourself! But if Mr. Guan, you do not have a suitable candidate to recommend, neither do you yourself. If you are willing to take up the post in person, why should you oppose Academician Huo's initiative to apply? Wouldn't this hurt Academician Huo's enthusiasm? Mr. Guan, although you are the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, if there is no feasible solution, But it would be inappropriate to blindly oppose other people's policies."
After hearing Situ Han's rebuttal, Guan Wenqing suddenly looked gloomy. Unfortunately, the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin is now a hot potato. If Guan Wenqing recommends someone else to take this position, it will be tantamount to framing this person, and the other party may not be willing. As for letting him It was even more impossible for him to hold this position concurrently, so Guan Wenqing had nothing to say for Situ Han's rebuttal.
On the other side, Zhan Shanchang, the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, targeted Ma Shangde, the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and also went out and said: "Your Majesty, although Academician Huo has a respected status, serving as the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture may be a bit condescending, but I I believe that now is an extraordinary period, and Shuntian Mansion needs a highly respected and important official in the DPRK to take up this position, and Academician Huo Da is obviously the most suitable candidate!"
Then, under the leadership of Situ Han and Zhan Shanchang, all the "Zhao Party" officials came out and expressed their opinions in support of Huo Zhengyuan's appointment as the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture.
However, most of the officials in the court are opposed to the court's rectification of business taxes. Now they are afraid that they will encounter unwarranted revenge from Zhao Junchen, and they are all unwilling to see Huo Zhengyuan assume the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin. Therefore, compared with the "Zhao Party" Although everyone's voices of support were still louder, they opposed Huo Zhengyuan's appointment as Shuntian Prefecture Yin.
However, everyone in the "Zhao Party" was well prepared for this and was not as unprepared as their opponents, so they did not fall into a disadvantage during the debate. The situation was just a stalemate for the time being. No one could do anything about the two views, but they continued to argue. Debating fiercely.
While the officials were arguing, Zhao Junchen did not express his opinion, but his eyes kept scanning at Emperor Deqing, Zhou Shangjing, Shen Changmao and others.
Under such circumstances, whether Huo Zhengyuan can assume the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin ultimately depends on the opinions of these people.
Sure enough, seeing the situation reached a stalemate, Emperor Deqing no longer remained silent and said angrily: "Quiet! In the Huangji Palace, you are all important officials of the imperial court. How can you argue loudly regardless of your status?!"
After the officials calmed down, Emperor Deqing turned his eyes to Shen Changmao and asked: "Shen Chief Fu, what do you think about this matter?"
Since Shen Changmao became the chief minister of the cabinet, he has paid more and more attention to his status. Naturally, he will not quarrel with the officials. After Emperor Deqing asked him personally, Shen Changmao slowly came out and said: "Your Majesty, I also think that Huo University is the best." The scholar's experience, character, identity, etc. are not suitable for the position of Shuntian Prefecture..."
The cooperation between Shen Changmao and Zhao Junchen was just that Zhao Junchen helped Shen Changmao fight back the rumors, and Shen Changmao acquiesced that Zhang Jizhi, Zhao Junchen's disciple, got the position of Yanzhou prefect. In addition, the two were still political enemies with different political views, so Shen Changmao naturally did not agree. Will support Huo Zhengyuan to serve as Shuntian Fuyin.
After a pause, Shen Changmao hesitated for a moment, and then said: "The old minister recommended Ye Wenkang, the right deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, for this position. Mr. Ye has served in the Metropolitan Procuratorate for many years and is an indispensable general of the Three Law Departments. He has always been He is good at solving cases and has experience in governing the people, so he is the most suitable candidate."
After hearing Shen Changmao's recommendation, all the officials who opposed Huo Zhengyuan's appointment as the Shuntian Governor were cheered up. Under the current situation, as long as someone is willing to compete with Huo Zhengyuan for the position of Shuntian Governor, everything will be easy!
However, including Shen Changmao, they all ignored Ye Wenkang's ideas.
Ye Wenkang, the right deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, was originally a "Yellow Party" official. Now he has followed Huang Yourong and defected to Shen Changmao. He is one of the few former "Yellow Party" officials who did not defect to Zhao Junchen.
This person has a similar personality to Huang Yourong. He has always been greedy for power and has always stayed away from things that would affect his official career.
As mentioned above, under the current situation, the position of Shuntian Fuyin is a hot potato. A slight mistake will affect his official career. How can Ye Wenkang be willing to take up this position?
"What a good Shen Changmao. He also said that he should treat the new and old disciples equally, but now he is going to burn bridges! He didn't ask my opinion at all, and he just threw the hot potato of Shuntian Fuyin into my hands! Among your old disciples Among them, there are several people who are suitable for the position of Shuntian Fuyin. Why do you recommend me? Aren't you bullying me because I am from the "Yellow Party" and have recently taken refuge with you? Hey! I will not suffer the loss of being dumb! The worst is that we will break up. , I, like everyone else, also took refuge in Zhao Junchen!"
While thinking about it, Ye Wenkang suddenly came out and said to Emperor Deqing: "I am naturally willing to share your worries for Your Majesty... However, I have been feeling unwell in recent days and often lack energy. I am currently recuperating and am just dealing with the problem. The affairs of the Metropolitan Procuratorate are already my limit, and the affairs of Shuntian Prefecture are far more complicated than those of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Now is an extraordinary period. I am worried that my lack of energy will delay things. If I betray His Majesty's trust, I cannot escape the blame for my death..."
As Ye Wenkang finished speaking, Shen Changmao's face suddenly turned ugly.
He never expected that Ye Wenkang would dare to refute his attitude!
In fact, Shen Changmao had no selfish motives for recommending Ye Wenkang as the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, just because Ye Wenkang was the most suitable. However, Shen Changmao had just annexed some of the "yellow party" forces, but he ignored Ye Wenkang's selfish character and sensitive mind. , and swing attitude.
On the other side, after hearing Ye Wenkang's answer, Emperor Deqing didn't say much. He just turned his gaze to Zhou Shangjing and asked, "Zhou Aiqing, what do you think?"
Zhou Shangjing came out again and said: "Your Majesty, Academician Huo is an important minister of the imperial court. He is always known for his wit and ability. If there are no other suitable candidates, and Academician Huo has taken the initiative to ask for help, we might as well let him give it a try. .”
After hearing Zhou Shangjing's opinion, Emperor Deqing pondered again for a moment, and finally said: "In this case, for the time being, Grand Scholar Huo Zhengyuan will concurrently serve as the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture! Grand Scholar Huo, you also know the current situation. After you take office , we must fully urge the Shuntian Mansion to solve the assassination case of Zhao Junchen as soon as possible, and we must not neglect it! ... However, the current situation between the government and the opposition is complicated, so you must be more cautious when handling the case, and do not cause too much chaos and turmoil. "
In fact, Emperor Deqing did not want Huo Zhengyuan to assume the position of Shuntian Fuyin. After all, Zhao Junchen's power was really not suitable for any increase. Moreover, Emperor Deqing had not forgotten his general direction of stabilizing the situation between the government and the opposition, and did not want to be blamed for this matter. The situation in the court became turbulent again. However, once Huo Zhengyuan becomes the governor of Shuntian, Zhao Junchen may make big moves, and the situation in the court will become chaotic again, which is inconsistent with Emperor Deqing's original plan.
Therefore, when Emperor Deqing appointed Huo Zhengyuan, he left a back-up, just letting Huo Zhengyuan concurrently serve as Shuntian Fu Yin "temporarily". In this way, if the situation is not right in the future, Emperor Deqing can immediately correct it.
After hearing Emperor Deqing's order, Huo Zhengyuan immediately accepted the order and thanked him, saying: "I obey the order, and I hope that Your Majesty will feel at ease. I dare not live up to your holy hope. I will do my best to solve the case as soon as possible, and I will also act with caution. Never cause trouble to His Majesty!"
After receiving Huo Zhengyuan's assurance, Emperor Deqing nodded with satisfaction.
Then, Emperor Deqing's face suddenly became serious, his eyes turned to Zhao Junchen, and he said: "The appointment of Shuntian Prefecture Yin is over for now! Now, it's time to talk about the business! Zhao Junchen!"
Following Emperor Deqing's call, Zhao Junchen immediately stepped out of the queue and responded: "I am here!"
Emperor Deqing's voice was filled with anger again, and he said, "Now tell the officials the story of your assassination in detail!"
"I obey!" After Zhao Junchen bowed and agreed, when he stood up again, his face showed sadness.
Then, Zhao Junchen explained in detail the events surrounding his assassination yesterday in front of hundreds of officials.
Of course, Zhao Junchen has not forgotten the lies he made up!
"...The murderer approached me while I wasn't paying attention. He took out a dagger and stabbed me in the heart. He shouted loudly, 'Even if you want to please the emperor, you shouldn't stop him. "I have ruined everyone's wealth." I am a scholar and have never been good at martial arts. I was stunned on the spot and did not react at all. I was about to be stabbed to death by the murderer. Fortunately, Miss Cui next to me was kind and righteous and sacrificed her life. I blocked the knife for you, otherwise I would not be able to see Your Majesty today... It is a pity that although I escaped with my life by chance, Miss Cui was seriously injured and is still in a coma..."
As he spoke, Zhao Junchen's eyes gradually turned red, perhaps because he felt scared, perhaps because he felt aggrieved, or perhaps because he was worried about Cui Qianxue's condition.
Then, Zhao Junchen wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeves - the sleeves had been stained with ginger juice beforehand - so after Zhao Junchen lowered his sleeves, his face became even more "tears"...
Then, Zhao Junchen knelt down in front of Emperor Deqing with a plop and cried: "Your Majesty, I don't understand that the corrupt state of the imperial court's commercial taxation is well known to everyone. It has never been a secret that the imperial court has difficulty in turning over money and food. Therefore, the current situation of commercial taxation in our dynasty must be rectified. This is also the consensus of all officials! I just want to do things for the court, and I just want to be loyal to your majesty. Why, why do some people just can’t tolerate me? Since I was ordered to rectify the commercial taxation Since then, not only have I encountered all kinds of difficulties, but yesterday I was assassinated and almost lost my life... Your Majesty, you must make the decision for me!"
Zhao Junchen's cry was so sad and pitiful that all the officials changed their minds after hearing it.
Emperor Deqing felt that his authority and authority had been challenged. At this time, his face became even more gloomy, and he said slowly: "You work for the court and are loyal to me. I see all this. If someone can't tolerate you because of this, , then naturally they are unwilling to serve the imperial court and are unwilling to be loyal to me!"
As he spoke, Emperor Deqing had already determined the assassination of Zhao Junchen.
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PS: Well, two chapters in one, five thousand words!
…(To be continued.)
