As soon as Wang Guoguang said these words, the ministers became more and more silent.
After a while, Shen Shixing smiled and said: "It's not that I have no conscience, it's just that scholar-bureaucrats should think more about the emperor and the common people. They would rather submit to the clan officials and gentry than to submit to the emperor and the common people." .”
Zhang Siwei also said at this time: "Yes, we must be like Yuan Fu and always keep our father and the country in our hearts."
When the Privy Councilor Fang Feng heard what Zhang Siwei said, he stood up directly and cupped his hands in front of Zhang Juzheng and said: "Uncle! The sage said: 'A gentleman is understood by righteousness, and a villain is understood by profit.' All the gentlemen present are those who read the books of sages and practice them. Gentlemen who follow the principles of sages and sages will naturally not ignore the great righteousness because of some pros and cons; even if you think about it, it is just a thought, and you will not really implement this new policy, and you will not even care about right and wrong for the gentry and clan!"
"So, if you really want to continue the restructuring, and the purpose is to lay the foundation for eternal stability, we will not fail to work together."
"That's right!"
"The King's Pavilion always takes action to speak out for the powerful because he considers that the public will make carnivores hate and hate him even more;"
"In fact, we are also worried about this, but we know even more clearly that you would rather risk your life and death for your father's straw mat! That's why now, like Mr. Wang Ge, we don't dissuade you, but we won't force you either. We really want to tolerate the powerful officials and gentry for this."
"So, we can only follow what Mr. Zhang Ge said, only obey the orders of the public;"
"If you want to change it, then change it!"
"If you don't change it, then don't change it and leave it to future generations for those with greater perseverance to change it!"
"If Hengqu keeps silent for a long time, then he is a man who does not care about life and death for the country, and he will not die!"
Pan Sheng, the Minister of Rites, also spoke at this time.
After hearing this, Zhang Juzheng looked at Zhang Siwei: "Ziwei, do you mean the same thing as Uncle Zong said?"
Zhang Siwei glanced at the Minister of Rites, who was recommended to the cabinet by Zhang Juzheng before his death. Then he had to stand up, bow his hands, and said with a forced smile:
"Yuanfu, my subordinates are indeed as the great uncle said. Personally, I really can't bear to let Yuanfu go through this road full of thorns and beasts; but publicly, I don't want to let the opportunity of long-term peace and stability of the country be missed, so I'm in a dilemma. , we can only obey Yuan Fu’s orders;”
"As Uncle Zong said, if Yuan Fu is desperate, then his subordinates should also be desperate!"
Zhang Siwei choked up as he spoke: "Everything Grand Uncle Zong said was taken from the bottom of my heart!"
Zhang Juzheng smiled and nodded, then stood up and raised his hands to Zhang Siwei, Pan Sheng and others: "How lucky is this servant to meet all the nobles, who can help you to revive the country and build a prosperous dynasty!"
Zhang Siwei, Pan Sheng and others hurriedly returned the gift.
Seeing this, Wang Guoguang sighed: "That's alright! I am the most unfair and loyal to the country among all the ministers of the dynasty. But now that I have been influenced by the trend of Zhengying dynasty, I know that I am willing to change. I know You shouldn’t be selfish just for the safety of your friends and not caring about the country!”
After saying that, Wang Guoguang also cupped his hands to Zhang Juzheng and said: "Uncle, just do what you want. I will not resign because of this matter and embarrass you. Even if someone impeaches me for this, I have to defend myself." , share some of the infamy with you."
"And the other gentlemen, who are more upright and sensible than me, will only be like me, and even more willing to do so."
"But?"
After Wang Guoguang said this, he asked everyone.
"Except for the fact that you sometimes can't tell the difference between public and private affairs, the princes are indeed more discerning than you, but you are also worried about the servant, so why does the servant have the right to be angry?"
Zhang Juzheng didn't wait for anyone to answer Wang Guoguang. He started talking with a smile. Then he stood up, cupped his hands and smiled and said, "I already understand what you mean. I will inform you after I make up my mind."
Then, Zhang Juzheng said again: "At present, Mr. Xu intends to persuade the servant to return power to the emperor and enjoy the happiness of the forest. He also intends to marry the servant and admire his daughter-in-law as a concubine, so as to make a good story. Although I have already had it." However, as the princes said in the past, the emperor's rites for cultivating the land and visiting the mausoleum have not yet been completed, and the old evils have not been completely eradicated. Therefore, I would like to ask the princes again to tell me whether the servants should return home or not?"
"Not at home!"
It was Wang Guoguang who spoke first, then slapped the coffee table, stood up and said:
"What kind of talk is this! What qualifications does a veteran minister have to persuade the head of the dynasty to beg for leave?"
"If you don't listen, will you get the reputation of being a powerful person?"
"If you listen, will it mean that he is the one who really has the final say in our Ming Dynasty? He is more powerful than the emperor. Whoever advises to retreat will have to retreat. At this point, does the world only know to fear him but not the emperor? "
As he spoke, Wang Guoguang raised his hands to Zhang Juzheng and said, "Uncle, I feel that this matter is inappropriate. Other gentlemen understand the truth better than me, so they will naturally feel that this matter is even more inappropriate!"
Wang Guoguang then looked at Zhang Siwei: "Ziwei, do you think so?"
Zhang Siwei's heart was burning, he gritted his teeth, and finally had to nod his head and said: "Yes! Mr. Xu did this very badly, and it was unbecoming of an ancient minister!"
"Mr. Xu's love for Yuan Fu was due to his friendship with his teachers and students. Although it is indeed inappropriate, it is understandable."
"If Yuan Fu really wants to beg for leave because of this, people in the world will not really speculate that Uncle Da is more afraid of the Xu family than the Tian family. They will only think that Yuan Fu is just following the master's orders."
Ma Ziqiang said.
"Is Mr. Ge confused?"
Wang Guoguang asked Ma Ziqiang, and then asked: "The master's fate is more important, or the emperor's majesty?"
After asking, Wang Guoguang said sternly: "It's okay that Mr. Xu didn't persuade him like this, but now that he has persuaded him like this, no matter what, Uncle Shuda can't retreat! Unless the emperor personally issues an edict, or someone really impeaches him, But he can’t resign on his own initiative! And if we now persuade Uncle to listen to Mr. Xu’s words and take a leave of absence to become an official, that would be a disservice to His Majesty, to Yuan Fu, and even more to Mr. Xu!”
Wang Guoguang continued: "If Mr. Hai were here, Mr. Xu would be impeached immediately for being disrespectful to the emperor! As the chief minister of the two dynasties, what kind of things have he done? Do you still take the emperor seriously?! "
Immediately, Wang Guoguang asked the ministers present: "Do you want me to follow the Emperor Muwu?!"
It's natural for all ministers to say no more.
Even Ma Ziqiang had to say: "I made a mistake. I was not as thoughtful as you, and I almost made a big mistake!"
At this time, Zhang Juzheng asked Zhang Siwei and other ministers again: "Do all the ministers think so?"
At this time, these ministers all replied: "As Mr. Wangge said, there is no doubt that Mr. Shanzhongge can decide whether to stay or leave the auxiliary ministers in the court."
"The princes are indeed aware of the general situation. In this case, I can only rest my mind of going back to my hometown to beg for leave. We will wait until the ceremony of farming and visiting the mausoleum."
Zhang Juzheng smiled and said, "Please leave now."
As a result, all the ruling ministers left the official residence of the chief minister.
…
"What are you talking about? Officials and gentry all pay for themselves and work as errands?!"
One month later, Songjiang Huating.
After Xu Jie learned from Xu Ying that Zhang Juzheng had discussed with all the ministers in power in the court about canceling the preferential exemptions and making the officials and gentry pay the same salary as errands, he immediately stood up from the imperial chair with a cane and his voice was trembling. asked Xu Ying.
Xu Ying said: "That's what Zhang Shixiong's letter said, but it's only under discussion at the moment and has not yet been decided. Zhang Jiangling seems to have not yet made up his mind to continue doing this."
"Change it, change it, he will keep changing it. If Zhang Jiangling changes the Ming Dynasty, the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty will not let him go!"
Xu Jie kept knocking up the floor tiles with his crutch, and for a moment he lost his temper and complained about his dissatisfaction with Zhang Juzheng.
After a while, Xu Jie regained his composure and asked: "What was the discussion? Did Ziwei and the others ask him to give up this idea? Did they persuade Zhang Juzheng to agree to our initiative to seek peace?"
Xu Ying shook her head, handed the letter to Xu Jie, and said: "Brother Zhang Shi said that because the old guy Wang Yangcheng (Wang Guangguang) was so treacherous, in the end everyone could only think that what you did was wrong, because otherwise it would It will be suspected of being arrogant."
Xu Jie took the letter and read it. His face fell as dark as water for a moment. After a long time, he sat back and said with gritted teeth:
"This Wang Yangcheng is actually so hateful!"
"These high-ranking officials who came from the state department are really more difficult to deal with than those who have survived in the Imperial Academy. They are trying to set up traps one by one and use the same methods to deal with evil gentry and corrupt officials to deal with their colleagues, without showing any mercy!"
"Wang Yangcheng is like this, and so is Ding You's Hai Rui. It's not difficult to understand why Ziwei is at a disadvantage."
"The key point is that Zhang Jiangling is also vicious. In order to reform the system, he did not hesitate to let non-Qingliu Ci ministers like Wang Yangcheng into the cabinet, which led to the current situation!"
"However, sometimes I think about it, the really hateful thing is not Wang Yangcheng, Haigangfeng, or Zhang Jiangling, but these sages and sages. Some scholar-bureaucrats really believe in it!"
(End of chapter)
