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Seeing the seventh prince Zhu Hejian taking the lead and complaining, Emperor Deqing and Yang Xun were both stunned.
You know, Zhu Hejian has always been known as a gentle, humble and courteous gentleman. Now he and Yang Xun are meeting Emperor Deqing at the same time, and Yang Xun is a world-famous scholar and senior. Zhu Hejian should be the one at this time. Show humility and let Yang Xun speak first.
However, Zhu Hejian was so impatient that he didn't even care about basic etiquette. He obviously lost his bearings and was forced to panic.
Seeing Zhu Hejian's performance, Emperor Deqing naturally took it seriously, and regardless of Yang Xun's presence, he quickly asked: "What on earth is going on? That makes you act so bitterly?"
"Father, you'd better read these newspapers first."
Zhu Hejian shook his head and sighed, then handed several copies of the Di's newspaper to the eunuch Zhang De and forwarded them to Emperor Deqing.
In the Ming Dynasty, Dibao was an official newspaper published in the center of the temple. It was used to publicize the emperor's edicts, ministers' reports, and political information. Most of them were posted on notice boards outside the government offices.
During the Chongzhen period, due to the use and popularization of movable type printing, the printing scale of Di Bao was getting larger and larger, and it could even be sold and purchased. The readership was also getting wider and wider, including officials, squires, merchants, and scholars from all over the country. Everyone will learn about the temple's trends through the content of the Dibao.
Emperor Deqing quickly flipped through the Di newspapers with a puzzled expression, but saw that most of the contents of these Di newspapers contained Emperor Deqing's imperial edicts, changes in court officials, and memorials of important court ministers. Emperor Deqing had already read these contents, and Nothing surprising.
Then Emperor Deqing raised his head and asked: "What's wrong with the contents of these Di newspapers?"
Zhu Hejian smiled bitterly and said: "Father, haven't you noticed that the contents of these imperial newspapers, whether they are your edicts, official reports, or cabinet instructions, the selected contents are all 'praising' your ministers" Are you obedient to advice, humble and inactive?
In fact, this situation has been going on for nearly three months, but it was only in the past few days that I realized something was wrong!
For several months, every time the Di newspaper was published, the contents were all about 'praising' Erchen, repeatedly emphasizing to the world that Erchen was a wise man who obeyed advice and lived in a high position... For such praise, Erchen I can't afford it, and I don't dare to take it. "
Emperor Deqing was stunned for a moment, vaguely aware of the seriousness of the matter, and looked down at the newspapers again.
Later, Emperor Deqing finally discovered that the contents of these newspapers were all "praising" the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, and the content of the praises was extremely consistent. He repeatedly emphasized how good the seventh prince Zhu Hejian was at listening to opinions, appointing people on their merits, etc. .
In fact, these contents are not difficult to find. Since Emperor Deqing selected Zhu Hejian as the next crown prince, in order to build up momentum for Zhu Hejian, he has repeatedly issued decrees to commend Zhu Hejian. As the signs of Zhu Hejian's rise to power become more and more obvious, there are often Some speculative officials submitted memorials to Emperor Deqing praising Zhu Hejian's conduct.
Before Zhu Hejian officially took office, these things also had the proper meaning in the title.
However, the imperial newspaper repeatedly published these contents, which is obviously full of selectivity. This situation seems to be meaningful.
Seeing that Emperor Deqing was deep in thought, Zhu Hejian continued to complain: "Father, now it is not only the imperial court newspapers that are 'praising' my son, but the public opinion is also in the same situation... Today, many people are convinced that my son is I am very obedient to advice, humble and do nothing, and even correct my mistakes when I know they are wrong. I am simply a weak persimmon with no temper!
This situation is really hard for me. Everyone believes that my son should listen to their opinions unconditionally. If my son expresses a slightly different attitude, they will look incredulous and disappointed. It's like sons and daughters shouldn't have their own opinions, and Qingliu's performance is the most obvious...
Father, you also know that I have always had a close relationship with the Qingliu people in the court. They often met and talked with each other. They used to be in harmony with each other. However, since the relevant public opinion spread more and more widely, the Qingliu people have become particularly active in front of my son. Got it!
The Qingliu people were always good at boasting and giving advice, but now they have become even more serious. They all take pride in admonishing their ministers. They always act like wise elders, seizing every opportunity to point out the problems, check for mistakes and fill in the gaps for their ministers. He would even take matters into his own hands, make decisions for his subordinates, and ask his subordinates to reflect on themselves at every turn...
Hey! Today, Erchen's reputation and image are getting better and better, but he is increasingly unable to convince the public! "
Speaking of this, Zhu Hejian, who had always been a serious man, couldn't help but a flash of anger in his eyes.
The things he said may be exaggerated, but they are by no means made out of nothing.
Zhu Hejian's disguised image at this time is exactly the Mingzhu that Qingliu people dream of, so they naturally want to seize the opportunity and give full play to their strengths.
Recently, Zhu Hejian was simply fed up with those Qingliu people who always thought highly of themselves and took pride in admonishing their superiors. He wanted to kill them all.
But it was precisely because the Qingliu people were the first to be affected by the relevant public opinion and carried out their forgetfulness that Zhu Hejian finally realized the seriousness of this matter, which is why today's meeting with Emperor Deqing took place.
Zhu Hejian believed that if the relevant public opinion could not be stopped in time, sooner or later the ministers around him would become "admonishing ministers" like Wei Zheng.
For Zhu Hejian, this situation is not much different from the scene of hell.
On the other side, Emperor Deqing also realized the seriousness, and his face suddenly darkened.
"Not only the imperial newspaper... but also public opinion? It seems that someone is secretly fueling the flames... I remember that the publication of the imperial newspaper must be approved by the cabinet in advance, right? Ha! Cheng Yuandao is also a waste, You can’t even see the trap hidden in it!”
Hearing Emperor Deqing's angry rebuke, Zhu Hejian's bitter smile became even stronger and he said: "In fact, when Er Chen talked about this matter with Mr. Cheng Ge, Mr. Cheng Ge was still proudly asking for credit from Er Chen!" Many of the 'praise' content in the newspaper were written by him!
well! This method is really clever. It is obviously that the son is being roasted on the fire, but the content of the memorials selected in the newspaper are mostly from those court officials who have a close relationship with the son. Under such circumstances, the son is You can't even refute it, otherwise it will chill the people around you, which is really hard to say! "
Upon hearing this, Emperor Deqing's expression became more serious.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Deqing turned to Yang Xun and asked, "Yang Daru, have you heard about the relevant public opinion since you came to the capital?"
Seeing Emperor Deqing asking Yang Xun for advice, Zhu Hejian's eyes flashed with joy.
In fact, Zhu Hejian chose this time to meet Emperor Deqing and complained to Emperor Deqing first because of Yang Xun.
Yang Xun was famous for his fairness. Although he had been away from the temple for ten years, Emperor Deqing still had great trust in him.
Therefore, as long as Yang Xun spoke a few fair words for Zhu Hejian, Emperor Deqing could make up his mind and fully support Zhu Hejian.
Sure enough, Yang Xun had nothing to hide in front of Emperor Deqing, and immediately replied: "Not long after I arrived in the capital, I heard the relevant public opinion, and the momentum was quite influential."
Emperor Deqing frowned even more and asked: "What do you think of this public opinion?"
Yang Xun still spoke his true thoughts calmly, saying: "With such a big public outcry and the matter of the Di newspaper, there must be someone hiding behind the scenes to add fuel to the flames!
After I heard the relevant discussion, I thought about it at that time, what is the difference between the so-called "following the good" and "having no independent opinion"? What is the difference between the so-called 'correct once you know your mistakes' and 'weak character'? There is also 'meritocracy', which also implies that His Highness the Seventh Prince is not responsible!
On the surface, these words are compliments, but in fact they are hidden slander and slander! If these public opinions are allowed to take root in the hearts of the people, the world will only have "respect" for His Highness the Seventh Prince, but not "fear"... If His Highness the Seventh Prince is an ordinary prince, there is nothing wrong with this situation. "
At this point, Yang Xun remained silent.
But Emperor Deqing naturally understood what Yang Xun meant - Zhu Hejian was not an ordinary prince, but the next prince selected by Emperor Deqing!
If Zhu Hejian's image of having no opinion and having a weak personality is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, all parties in the government and the public will lose fear of Zhu Hejian, and Zhu Hejian will no longer be able to secure his position as a reserve in the future!
After Zhu Hejian ascended the throne, the imperial power and ministerial power would inevitably be weakened, and Emperor Deqing was not willing to see this happen anyway.
Thinking of this, Emperor Deqing finally made up his mind to use all means to reverse Zhu Hejian's image.
However, now that Yang Xun was still in the imperial study, some things were not suitable to be discussed in front of Yang Xun, so Emperor Deqing used his eyes to signal Zhu Hejian to calm down, and then focused on Yang Xun again.
After looking at Yang Xun carefully for a few times, Emperor Deqing did not go around in circles and asked directly: "Yang Xun, I have been very happy since I heard that you came to the capital...
You are a real talent, and you should not waste your talents in the wild. Every time I think of your resignation and departure, I always feel deeply regretful. I just feel that I should retain you for a while... Now, I hope you can resume your official position. , serve the imperial court again, but I don’t know what you want? "
After hearing Emperor Deqing's inquiry, Yang Xun couldn't help but hesitate again.
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In fact, Emperor Deqing made up his mind to remove Lu Yuanan, the governor of Shandong, not only because Emperor Deqing had realized the necessity of agricultural reform under Zhao Junchen's repeated emphasis, but also because he wanted to make room for Yang Xun and let Yang Xun resume his duties. Serve as an official.
Of course, Emperor Deqing did not intend to let Yang Teng directly serve as governor of Shandong, but planned to promote Fang Shiwen, the current minister of Dali Temple, to governor of Shandong, while Yang Xun continued to serve as minister of Dali Temple as he had ten years ago.
The so-called Dali Temple is the Supreme Court of this era. It has the power of review and redress, and even the judgment of the Ministry of Punishment will be controlled by it. Moreover, once temple officials are involved in crimes, most of them are handed over to Dali Temple for trial. In many cases, they are even a key link in the victory or defeat of the party. It can be said to be crucial.
Because of this, Emperor Deqing, Zhou Shangjing, and even Zhao Junchen all hoped to control Dali Temple in their own hands.
When many forces compete for a goal at the same time, the result is often that no one can get it, and they can only choose a plan that is acceptable to everyone.
Taking Dali Temple as an example, all the ministers of Dali Temple in the past twenty years have been neutral officials in the temple, including the current minister of Dali Temple Fang Shiwen.
But Emperor Deqing was not satisfied with Fang Shiwen. Although this person was neutral, he lacked responsibility and always ran away when trouble came. Therefore, Dali Temple did not play its due role in many cases.
In other words, Fang Shiwen's so-called "neutrality" means "no one can be offended", not "no one dares to offend".
In comparison, Emperor Deqing was more satisfied with Yang Xun. After all, Yang Xun was not only neutral and fair, but also responsible and daring to act. In Yang Xun's eyes, court laws were more important than anything else. No one would give face to anyone who violated the law.
Therefore, if Yang Xun is appointed as the minister of Dali Temple, even if his attitude is neutral, it will be more beneficial to Emperor Deqing. After all, he is the ninth emperor. Dali Temple is not qualified to judge him, but it is qualified to judge Zhou Shangjing. , Zhao Junchen and others, once they catch Zhou Shangjing and Zhao Junchen in the future, they can let Yang Xun charge into the battle.
But it all still depends on Yang Xun’s own thoughts.
Therefore, after Emperor Deqing saw Yang Xun's hesitant attitude, he continued with a gentle attitude: "If you don't want to return to officialdom, I will never force you, but... I am not satisfied with the current minister of Dali Temple. , I have always wanted to find someone else to take over, and I originally thought you were the best candidate, but if you are unwilling, then I can only let Zhang Bodao take over!"
As Emperor Deqing finished speaking, Yang Xun's expression suddenly changed, and he couldn't help but raise a question, saying: "Your Majesty, please think again. Zhang Bodao only values Confucian principles and does not care about court decrees at all. He has always believed that the Three Cardinal Principles and the Five Constant Rules should be the most important." How can people who are ministers of Dali Temple be able to serve as ministers of the Dali Temple based on the laws and regulations of the imperial court?
What's more, he is also the brother of Zhang Bochong, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. If he is allowed to serve as the Minister of Dali Temple, how will the Dali Temple Yamen control the Ministry of Punishment? "
Upon hearing Yang Xun's fierce protest, Emperor Deqing immediately smiled.
In a certain respect, Emperor Deqing was better at controlling gentlemen like Yang Xun than Zhu Hejian, Zhao Junchen and others.
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The number of words updated in recent days will be smaller.
In addition, in the previous chapter, Chongzi misremembered the name of the governor of Shandong. It should be Lu Yuanan. He mentioned it during Emperor Deqing's southern tour (Chapter 300). It has been revised. Please forgive me.
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