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When Emperor Deqing asked the elders for their opinions, his expression was full of solemnity, making it impossible to see any bias in his attitude.
Obviously, Emperor Deqing had not yet made up his mind, so he allowed the elders to speak freely.
On the other side, the elders also fell into deep thought.
There is not much to discuss about the imperial court sending troops to regain the Loop. All the ministers understand that Emperor Deqing is eager to use this matter to establish his status in history. Now is indeed a great opportunity for the imperial court to regain the Loop. , naturally would not refute Emperor Deqing's high interest.
However, how the court should reward Zhao Junchen is a very serious political issue that will affect the changes in the court structure for many years to come. The decision must be made after careful discussion between Emperor Deqing and the ministers.
In fact, the imperial court didn't have much choice. After all, Zhao Junchen had already been the minister of household affairs of the second rank, and now he had made great military exploits. There were only two methods of rewards from the imperial court. One was The first is to confer a title of nobility, and the second is to join the cabinet to assist the government.
If Zhao Junchen was just an old minister with no interests entangled with the major factions in the imperial court, there would be no need for discussion on this matter. The feat of annihilating the Mongolian army of 100,000 in one fell swoop would be enough to receive two rewards at the same time. The title of knighthood also means joining the cabinet to assist the government, and only such awards can show the court's attention and generosity.
But Zhao Junchen is too young, and his relationship with the major factions in the court cannot be called harmonious. Most of the powerful officials do not want Zhao Junchen's power to expand too quickly, so naturally the rewards given to Zhao Junchen by the court cannot be too generous. .
Of course, the reward given by the imperial court to Zhao Junchen cannot be too small, otherwise it will inevitably arouse strong dissatisfaction from Zhao Junchen himself - when the situation has developed to this point, no one can ignore Zhao Junchen's attitude.
Either to be granted a title of nobility, or to serve in the cabinet to assist the government, at least one of these two rewards must be guaranteed - this is also the judgment in the minds of most people in the Imperial Study Room.
Both of these reward methods have their own pros and cons.
If the imperial court grants Zhao Junchen a title, it may seem flashy and will only make Zhao Junchen's status more respectable, but the potential impact is extremely far-reaching.
The rule of the Ming Dynasty is that "no title will be granted to anyone who has not achieved military merit, and no title will be granted unless it is for a special purpose." If an ordinary Ming Dynasty official wants to be granted a title, he must have outstanding military achievements, such as Yu Qian and Wang Mingyang, who are both civil and military. All famous ministers can be met but cannot be sought. Since Emperor Deqing ascended the throne, only Zhao Junchen among the civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty has met the standards for knighthood.
The title of the Ming Dynasty was a super official rank. Once the imperial court bestowed the title on Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen would have the only honor among civil servants in the dynasty. Even the elders would take the initiative to salute Zhao Junchen when they saw him. Saying hello will definitely increase Zhao Junchen's prestige, and may lead to a situation where hundreds of officials will surrender to him.
On the other hand, if Zhao Junchen is allowed to join the cabinet to assist the government, it will inevitably increase Zhao Junchen's power. From now on, he can legitimately intervene in the direction of the court's policies, but everyone knows that Zhao Junchen has already According to the cabinet minister, Zuo Lanshan is actually Zhao Junchen's cabinet spokesperson. Zhao Junchen cannot be circumvented in the imperial court's policies. Under such circumstances, promoting Zhao Junchen to cabinet minister will not change the existing situation of the imperial court too much. pattern.
What's more, if Zhao Junchen joins the cabinet to assist the government, the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue will be vacant, and his control over the Ministry of Revenue will inevitably be reduced a lot. This will be a great opportunity for major factions to intervene in the Ministry of Revenue.
After such comprehensive consideration, it is more acceptable for various factions to allow Zhao Junchen to join the cabinet to assist the government.
Everyone in the royal study room was a cunning and cautious person, but they quickly figured out the pros and cons.
*
While thinking deeply, all the pavilion elders were silent for a moment.
Then, Chief Assistant Shen Changmao took the lead and said: "Your Majesty, the Mongolian tribes have experienced successive years of natural disasters, and now Zhao Junchen has wiped out a hundred thousand troops. It can be said that their vitality has been severely damaged. It is a God-given opportunity for our country to send troops to regain the Hetao!" The veteran also agreed that the imperial court should mobilize immediately and mobilize manpower and material resources to rush to Shaanxi and Gansu to prepare for the next war! Of course, this matter should be left to Mr. Liang Ge with full responsibility. Mr. Zhao has been lucky enough to have suffered for such a long time. It’s really time to go back to Beijing and rest!”
"Old minister seconded the proposal!"
"The veteran also believes that the imperial court should take the opportunity to regain the Hetao to show His Majesty's power!"
As Shen Changmao finished speaking, all the elders expressed their agreement.
Previously, the cabinet elders did not agree with Liang Fuchen's division of Zhao Junchen's military exploits. They were worried that after Liang Fuchen achieved military exploits, he would be immediately recalled to the capital by Emperor Deqing and naturally take up the position of chief minister of the cabinet. At that time, no one would be able to do so. Emperor Deqing's plan to control the cabinet was prevented.
But if Liang Fuchen is given full responsibility for the imperial court's recovery of the Loop, as long as the situation in the Loop cannot be completely calmed down in the future, Liang Fuchen will be unable to return to Beijing. By the time Liang Fuchen has completely stabilized the situation in the Loop and can return to the capital, I am afraid that time has passed. Five or six years later, the imperial court structure also changed with time, and Emperor Deqing missed the opportunity to control the cabinet.
In this way, everyone got what they needed, and Emperor Deqing and the cabinet ministers quickly agreed on the matter of sending troops to recover the Hetao.
Then, the monarchs and ministers in the imperial study began to discuss the imperial court's reward for Zhao Junchen.
This time, it was Shen Changmao who was the first to express his position and said slowly: "Zhao Junchen's achievement of annihilating one hundred thousand troops of the Mongolian coalition in one fell swoop will surely attract the attention of the world, and the imperial court should reward him... The veteran believes that Zhao Junchen's reason is He has extraordinary political ability. He has made outstanding achievements in presiding over the Ministry of Household Affairs in the past few years. It is time for him to join the cabinet to assist in government. As the chief assistant of the cabinet, the veteran also sincerely hopes that there will be more young talents like Mr. Zhao in the cabinet. !”
When expressing his stance, Shen Changmao's expression was full of appreciation and relief, as if Zhao Junchen was an outstanding underachiever promoted by him.
Then, Shen Changmao's eyes flashed slightly, as if he had thought of something on the spur of the moment, and added: "It's just... Zhao Junchen is a little younger after all, and his experience and qualifications are also slightly insufficient, so let him directly join the cabinet as an assistant. The government seems to be a bit counterproductive and will cause a lot of controversy!
There is an old saying that "If you don't plan the prefectures and counties, you don't plan the province of Taiwan." There is also a saying that "the prime minister must start from the prefecture." It also happened that Zhao Junchen lacked experience in governing local areas. The veteran thought that the court might as well first confer him the title of Shaofu and the title of Shaofu. The title of Hanlin Bachelor not only expresses the imperial court's reward and commendation, but also paves the way for him to join the cabinet in the future to assist the government, and then send him to a place where he can easily achieve political achievements to serve as a governor or governor. This is how he experiences his experience. In three to five years, after serving one term, he will be allowed to return to Beijing to join the cabinet. By then, his qualifications and age will have increased a lot, and it will be justifiable for him to join the cabinet to assist the government! "
Shen Changmao's suggestion was obviously with bad intentions. He not only deliberately reduced Zhao Junchen's reward, but also wanted to take the opportunity to transfer Zhao Junchen away from the core of the temple for a period of time.
Taking advantage of the time when Zhao Junchen left the center of the capital, it was enough for the major factions in the imperial court to accomplish many things.
On the other side, Cheng Yuandao immediately understood and immediately echoed: "I think what Chief Master Shen said is reasonable. If your Majesty confer on Zhao Junchen the title of Young Master and Hanlin, everyone in the world will understand that Zhao Junchen will soon join the cabinet." If the government is in power, such a reward is enough to convince the public... As for the proposal to let Zhao Junchen serve as a feudal official for a term, it is indeed a good thing. With the experience of governing the local area, Zhao Junchen's temperament will be tempered and mature, regardless of Both the imperial court and Zhao Junchen will be of great benefit when the time comes."
During the Ming Dynasty, the imperial power suppressed the power of ministers, and the status of the cabinet was quite embarrassing. It seemed that it replaced the function of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the early Ming Dynasty. The power of the chief minister of the cabinet was not inferior to that of the prime minister in the early Ming Dynasty, but in fact it was never clear. The legal status is not a legitimate central institution. In a legal sense, it can only be regarded as the emperor's personal advisory body.
The so-called "cabinet minister" is just a conventional title, not a clearly existing official position in the Ming Dynasty. There are no clear regulations on the appointment and retention of cabinet ministers and the extent of their power. In this case, the cabinet assistant The ministers were naturally at a disadvantage when facing the emperor.
Of course, there is still a relatively obvious sign of the official position of the cabinet ministers - that is, they hold the two false titles of Sangu and Diange University Scholar at the same time.
In short, if an official is named one of the Young Masters, Young Masters, or Young Protectors by the emperor, if he is also named a Grand Bachelor by the Emperor, it means that the official has the right to join the Cabinet to assist the government. Power has become one of the so-called "Pavilion Elders".
Now, Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao's proposal is precisely for this reason. If the imperial court gives Zhao Junchen the virtual title of Young Master and Hanlin, it means that Zhao Junchen is only half a step away from joining the cabinet to assist the government. At that time, everyone will understand that Zhao Junchen will soon join the cabinet to assist the government, and serving as a feudal official is just a transitional means to accumulate qualifications and experience. Such a reward is a bit stingy, but it is barely justified.
However, although Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao were shrewd in their calculations, others were not fools either.
Zuo Lanshan still looked like a loyal follower, and immediately retorted: "Shen Shoufu and Mr. Cheng Ge, but I can't agree with their opinions! The so-called 'If you don't manage the prefectures and counties, you won't plan the province.' "The prime minister must come from the state department" and so on are just rules in the Tang and Song Dynasties, but this dynasty has never had such a rule! In fact, since Emperor Jiaqing, our dynasty has often had Qing officials from the Hanlin Academy Your official directly joins the cabinet to assist the government, and I remember that Mr. Cheng Ge, you yourself have no experience in governing the local area. Aren't you the same as the elder of the cabinet now? Why did Mr. Zhao specifically ask for experience in governing the local area when it was his turn? Chief Shen, you just said that the imperial court must reward Mr. Zhao generously. Why did you find reasons later to deliberately lower the reward? Isn’t it inconsistent? If you really do this, wouldn’t it chill the world?”
After a pause, Zuo Lanshan said again: "According to my opinion, with Mr. Zhao's current merits and status, let alone joining the cabinet directly to assist the government, even if he joins the cabinet to assist the government, he will be given a title. No one who holds the title of earl dares to be dissatisfied!"
Since receiving the good news from Zhao Junchen, Zuo Lanshan has been very confident and emboldened. Now that he saw the evil intentions of Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao, he directly refuted them without any intention of giving in.
Hearing Zuo Lanshan's unceremonious rebuttal, both Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao showed anger, but Zuo Lanshan's statement was indeed reasonable, and the two elders were unable to fight back for a while.
In the end, Shen Changmao just snorted coldly and said: "My suggestions are all out of public interest. Zhao Junchen is slightly younger and has less experience. Although he has made a lot of achievements, he has also caused a lot of trouble. This Everyone can see clearly the turmoil in the temple caused by Zhao Junchen for a while! The cabinet is the core of the temple, and Zhao Junchen's temperament is still a little lacking. Let him temporarily serve as a feudal official to hone his character. This is also the impartial word of this pavilion!”
Cheng Yuandao also nodded and said: "Yes, Zhao Junchen's abilities and achievements are naturally worthy of praise, but his various actions over the years have been controversial. After all, he is a little younger and more energetic. Under such circumstances, let him be responsible alone. Naturally, it is more than enough to handle the affairs of a department or a province, but it is slightly insufficient to let him take charge of the overall situation. It is better to practice for a while."
The idea of transferring Zhao Junchen out of the capital was originally Shen Changmao's temporary proposal, and he didn't plan to insist on it too much. But now because of Zuo Lanshan's merciless rebuttal, Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao decided to stick to it. .
But Zuo Lanshan still refused to give in and said with a sneer: "I don't think so! Even if we don't talk about merit, Mr. Zhao's ability to handle affairs is by no means inferior to us cabinet ministers. Since ancient times, anyone who is willing to do practical things Officials, which one doesn’t have constant controversies? Which one doesn’t make countless enemies? I’m afraid only those who never do real work and only know how to talk can live without any controversy in their lives, right?”
"Zuo Lanshan! You... are rude!"
These words stepped on Cheng Yuandao's painful foot, making him feel that he was being mocked, and he suddenly became furious.
*
Seeing the argument between Shen Changmao, Cheng Yuandao and Zuo Lanshan, Emperor Deqing frowned slightly. He was secretly moved by Shen Changmao's proposal, but also felt something was wrong.
If we use the excuse that Zhao Junchen still needs training before joining the cabinet to assist the government, and take the opportunity to transfer Zhao Junchen away from the capital for a period of time, it will certainly be possible to suppress the expansion of Zhao Junchen's power, but in the eyes of the world, this approach will probably Feeling that the imperial court was stingy in rewarding meritorious officials and was suspected of killing the donkey, Zhao Junchen himself may not let it be manipulated.
At the same time, Emperor Deqing's eyes lingered on Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao for a moment, with a hint of deep meaning flashing in his eyes.
I don’t know why, but since Emperor Deqing hinted that he would depose the crown prince Zhu Heyu and install the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao have become closer and closer. Similar, the cooperation between them is becoming more and more tacit.
You know, Cheng Yuandao is the second-largest figure in the "Princeling Party" after Prince Zhu Heyu. In the past, his relationship with Shen Changmao has always been incompatible.
It seems that there are gradually some signs of cooperation between the "Shen Party" and the "Prince Party".
Moreover, Emperor Deqing was somewhat familiar with Shen Changmao's proposal.
When Emperor Deqing inspected the seventh prince Zhu Hejian a few days ago, he also asked Zhu Hejian what to do if Zhao Junchen formed a situation that could not be lost. Zhu Hejian's answer at that time was "If you don't check the prefectures and counties, you won't plan." The two ancient sayings "Taiwan province" and "The prime minister must start from the state department"!
This situation was so coincidental that Emperor Deqing had to think deeply.
Of course, Emperor Deqing now has a good impression of Zhu Hejian and does not doubt Zhu Hejian's role in these matters. It is just that he has always been proficient in the emperor's mind and is also a suspicious person. He will subconsciously be suspicious after noticing any signs. , I felt that I should send someone to investigate secretly.
All the thoughts passed by in a flash, but Emperor Deqing did not show any abnormality. He just turned to the silent Zhou Shangjing and asked: "Mr. Zhou Ge, do you have any thoughts about the imperial court's award of Zhao Junchen?" ?”
Zhou Shangjing seemed to have already made up his mind, and immediately replied: "Your Majesty, I believe that Mr. Zhao has completely wiped out 100,000 troops of the Mongolian coalition and created a good situation for the imperial court to regain the Hetao. The imperial court should reward him generously, but The specific method of awarding is left to your Majesty's discretion, and all the veterans have no objections... But no matter how the court awards Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen should be allowed to continue to work in the center of the capital."
Hearing Zhou Shangjing's statement, Shen Changmao couldn't help but darken his face again, feeling that Zhou Shangjing was deliberately embarrassing himself.
Zhou Shangjing didn't care about Shen Changmao's face, and just said slowly: "Your Majesty clearly knows that the central government of the imperial court cannot do without Zhao Junchen! Not to mention business tax rectification, Sichuan salt development, agricultural restructuring, disaster relief in several northwest provinces, etc. , now they are all just getting started, and no one except Zhao Junchen can take on these important tasks...
...Besides, Shaanxi and Gansu have ushered in a great victory that has not been seen in a century. This is certainly a good thing, but the court must also spend a large amount of money to reward the armies as soon as possible, and considering that Zhao Junchen wanted to motivate him some time ago In order to improve the morale of the army, the standard of silver rewards for military merits was deliberately raised. The old minister made a rough estimate and found that the court would have to prepare at least three million taels of silver. It would be difficult for the treasury to come up with this silver, and Zhao Junchen would still need to turn over the money. means……
...In addition, if the imperial court really wants to successfully send troops to regain the Hetao, logistics, military pay, military rations, and silver rewards are all indispensable. These things also require Zhao Junchen to find ways to come up with money and food...
...Furthermore, Zhao Junchen was the chief contributor to the annihilation of the Mongolian coalition. If the rewards given to him are too small, the rewards of other officials must also be reduced accordingly. Not only will they be unable to convince the public, but also the world The morale of the soldiers will also be low, which will also affect the subsequent plan to regain the Loop...
…Also, don’t forget that the imperial court’s plan for the Six Ministries in Nanjing requires Zhao Junchen’s cooperation and contribution…”
When Zhou Shangjing expressed his position, he still looked like he was taking his time and speaking slowly. However, the expressions of the monarchs and ministers in the imperial study were constantly changing. For example, the expressions of Zuo Lanshan and Tong Huan were all jumping for joy. , Cheng Yuandao and Shen Changmao's expressions became increasingly ugly, while Emperor Deqing's expression was heavy.
Zhou Shangjing seemed to talk a lot in a long way, without any focus or attitude, but in fact his meaning was very clear - the current money and food gap of the imperial court was huge, and once Zhao Junchen was defeated, If I quit, I'm afraid the entire temple would be paralyzed! Therefore, not only cannot Zhao Junchen be transferred out of the capital, but also Zhao Junchen cannot be treated badly and Zhao Junchen feels chilled. Zhao Junchen must be appeased.
Zhou Shangjing's statement seemed to overexaggerate Zhao Junchen's role, but Emperor Deqing had to admit that Zhou Shangjing's words were reasonable.
For Emperor Deqing, the most important thing at the moment is not to suppress Zhao Junchen's rise, but to send troops to regain the Hetao as soon as possible to establish his historical status. Zhao Junchen cannot be bypassed in this matter. Once the court The reward given to Zhao Junchen was too light, and if Zhao Junchen was dissatisfied and "retired" due to illness, he would lose the money and food prepared by Zhao Junchen, and the imperial court's plan to regain the Hetao would probably be aborted.
Previously, Emperor Deqing and various factions were only thinking about reducing Zhao Junchen's rewards and suppressing Zhao Junchen's rise, but they were a little eager for quick success and took it for granted.
If you are worried about Zhao Junchen's power expanding too fast, there will be countless opportunities to suppress him in the future. But if you miss this opportunity to regain the Loop, it will be difficult to find good opportunities in the future.
But before that, in order for the court's various plans to proceed smoothly, Emperor Deqing still had to appease and reward Zhao Junchen, even if he was deeply unwilling.
No matter what, Zhao Junchen’s reward must not be too small!
Thinking of this, Emperor Deqing couldn't help but feel secretly vigilant. He felt that the court was gradually relying too heavily on Zhao Junchen in terms of money and food. This situation must be reversed.
After hesitating for a moment, Emperor Deqing finally made up his mind and said slowly: "What Mr. Zhou Ge said is reasonable... Zhao Junchen is an important minister of the country, and now he has made great achievements. The court should naturally reward him generously and not let the world feel cold. ...The memorials requesting contributions from Shaanxi and Gansu have not yet been sent, but it can already be confirmed that Zhao Junchen has made great contributions...Where is the Supervisor of Ceremonies? He wrote the imperial edict for me!"
As he spoke, Emperor Deqing had a smile on his face, as if he thought the imperial court's award to Zhao Junchen was a happy event, but everyone could see that Emperor Deqing's smile was far-fetched.
As Emperor Deqing finished speaking, a eunuch and eunuch who presided over the ceremony hurriedly came with a blank imperial edict and pen and ink, ready to write the imperial edict according to Emperor Deqing's wishes.
Emperor Deqing raised his voice and continued: "I govern the world with literature and fight chaos with force. Zhao Junchen resisted the invading Tatar enemies when the fire was sifting into the invaders, and completely annihilated one hundred thousand troops of the Mongolian coalition. This was not done for a hundred years. A great victory also greatly boosted the morale of the Celestial Empire. He should be the mainstay of the imperial court and the stronghold of the country. I am very happy! Thinking about Zhao Junchen's management of the household department in recent years, he has also achieved outstanding results and made many achievements. It can be said that He is both civil and military, and his achievements can be wasted if he works hard to repay his efforts. Wouldn't he be praised and favored by his life?
Zhao Junchen is hereby conferred the title of Shaofu of the current dynasty and a bachelor of Dongge University. After returning to Beijing, he can join the Wenhua Pavilion to assist the government. He will also be conferred the title of Immortal Xincheng Bo with a salary of 800. He will also be given a jade plaque, ten pearls, Three thousand gold and silver each. I admire this! "
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A big chapter of six thousand words.
The first update today, there is another chapter around early morning, it will still be a big chapter of over 4,000 words.
Before Friday this week, Chongzhu was idle at home, so he updated twice every day.
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