The day before Zhang Zhou returned to Beijing.
In the People's Government Office, Xie Qian, as the special envoy of the cabinet, came to discuss the results of the Beijing inspection and assessment of the officials in Beijing that year with the outgoing Minister of People's Affairs, Tu Fu.
At the beginning, the conversation was normal. Later, Tu Yan took out a piece of paper from his arms and handed it to Xie Qian.
"This is it?" Xie Qian did not open it rashly. He didn't know the purpose of Tu Yu giving him this piece of paper, so he had to ask in advance.
Tu Jing said: "These are the candidates discussed among the current officials of the six departments, as well as the officials and officials, and will be changed before the end of the year. Since they have not been discussed by the court, they are not counted, and many of them are only candidates. Plan. Yu Qiao, take a look."
Xie Qian frowned and then opened it.
There were many people listed on a piece of paper, headed by the current officials of the Sixth Department of the Kadu Procuratorate.
Tu Fu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Lin Han, the left minister, and Han Wen, the right minister.
Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, Fu Han, the left minister, and Zhang Sheng, the right minister.
Ma Wensheng, Minister of the Ministry of War, Zhang Zhou, the left minister, and Xiong Chong, the right minister.
Bai Ang, Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Tu Xun, the left minister, and He Jian, the right minister.
The Minister of Household Affairs Zhou Jing, the left minister Xu Jin, and the right minister Li Mengyang.
Xu Guan, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Zeng Jian, the left minister, and Shi Lin, the right minister.
The imperial censor of the Ducha Yuan was Min Gui on the left, and Zhong Zhong on the right.
Xie Qian said: "What's the point of listing these for me?"
Tu Yan sighed: "There are discussions outside, and the candidates for the six ministers to be replaced are the main topic."
Xie Qian looked back and saw a list of the Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel. The person who had the most speculation was Ni Yue, who had been squeezed out by Xu Qiong to be the Minister of Nanjing and was now the Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing.
The Minister of Hubu is Ji Zhong.
The minister of the Ministry of Industry is Zeng Jian.
The Minister of Punishment is Min Gui.
The Minister of War is still Ma Wensheng.
The Minister of Rites is Lin Han.
The censor of Zuodu was Dai Shan.
"Humph." Xie Qian smiled contemptuously, "If the position of the Minister of the Central Government can be arranged in this way, then what is the use of the court meeting? Why have all the six ministers changed, but the Minister of War has not changed?"
Tu Yan asked: "Yu Qiao, don't you think that only if Ma Futu is still serving as Minister of War, can you suppress him?"
The so-called "that one" is naturally Zhang Zhou.
Xie Qian is also very clear about this.
If Ma Wen is promoted or relegated, or is transferred to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, then the vacant Minister of the Ministry of War seems to have only one way to let Zhang Zhou take over. The emperor will convene the Liaodong Ping Jurchen's credit, and then give Zhang Zhou an official position as the Minister. The Ministry of War itself was the "hardest hit area" for the upstarts headed by Zhang Zhou.
"Your Majesty will not agree." Xie Qian almost threw the drafted list in front of him on the table.
Tu Yu asked: "Is that because Zhang Bingkuan was not taken seriously? Or is it because in some places, the arrangements were not made according to His Majesty's ideas?"
Xie Qian's face was silent, and after a while he said: "First of all, His Majesty's transfer of Zhang Bingkuan, do you have to suppress him with a negative plan? Can't you choose other ways, such as transferring him to Nanjing? Or, continue to let him go He oversees various places in the northwest? The official vacancies in the capital are not prepared for him."
"Yu Qiao, look at this again..."
After Tu Yu heard Xie Qian's words, which were equivalent to the cabinet's plan for Zhang Zhou's future career, he took out the second thing.
Xie Qian was not polite this time and opened it directly. After reading it, his expression changed drastically: "You..."
Astonishingly, it was a memorial to jointly impeach Zhang Zhou.
The words were so intense that they were almost a "rebellious statement."
Tu Yu said with a calm expression: "I am about to leave this court, so I have nothing to worry about. I can still do something for the court before I leave. Even if I make a little noise, it can be regarded as fulfilling my duty as a minister."
Xie Qian said angrily: "If you don't say anything else, you have to wait until this year, today, to make a sound? Do you think His Majesty can listen?"
Tu Yu said: "In the past two years, everyone was waiting for the cabinet elders to take the lead and suppress Zhang Bingkuan's rise. Until the middle of last year, after Zhang Bingkuan passed the Jinshi examination, he repeatedly served as an official outside, and rarely Interference in matters between the DPRK and China is something that all officials in the DPRK and China have been waiting for, but until now, the cabinet has not taken action, so the officials below can only initiate it on their own."
"snort!"
Xie Qian was very angry.
Tu Feng's words were clearly blaming the cabinet's iron triangle for not being able to suppress Zhang Zhou enough, which allowed Zhang Zhou to rise rapidly in the court, to the point where it was out of control.
Xie Qian said: "So now the whole government is afraid that after this group of old people go down this year, the new ones will be unable to stop Zhang Bingkuan's overwhelming power, and want to take the opportunity to suppress him?"
"Yeah." Tu Yu didn't hide it, and nodded directly, "Now that we old people can't suppress him, do you expect those on the list who are just ministers and censors in the future to be able to deal with him in the future? Does Zhang Bingkuan's holy favor have any impact? Zhang Bingkuan's harm is far greater than that of Li Guang, but no one dares to touch him until now. This is the tragedy of the Ming Dynasty."
"It won't work..." Xie Qian looked irritated.
In the cabinet, Xie Qian himself was the vanguard in resisting Zhang Zhou, but after the past two years, even he, Xie Qian, felt that forceful resistance was not a good strategy.
But it seems that the people below don’t think so.
Tu Yu said: "In the past, the chance of success might not have been great, but this time the government and the public are almost united. Whether it is the six ministries and five temples, as well as large and small yamen such as Hanlin Academy and Duchayuan, almost everyone will work on this Signature in joint signature. Not to mention..."
"What do you want to say?" Xie Qian heard some clues.
In the past, the failure to fight against Zhang Zhou may have been due to the lack of coherence among the civil servants, but this time it seemed that everyone who could be mobilized was mobilized.
"There are also people from the Governor's Mansion, as well as... the princes and nobles of the royal family, sects and vassals." Tu Yu added.
The muscles on Xie Qian's face jumped a few times and he said: "The people in the Governor's Mansion are easy to understand, especially the British Duke. They know that Zhang Bingkuan's rise will not be of any benefit to them, but Zongfan...how is that possible?"
Tu Yan said with a smile: "It's Zhang Bingkuan's fault for wanting to take action against the vassal! This news came from the palace, and the credibility is very high. With the help of the palace, Yu Qiao, do you think it is in the eyes of the government and the public?" You are a sycophant, did your Majesty really interfere with the affairs of the state just to protect one person?"
Xie Qian was silent for a moment.
Tu Yu said: "Your Majesty, what you want in governing the country is integrity. If even the vassals and all the ministers in the court believe that Zhang Bingkuan relies on alchemy to make speeches and endangers the Ming Dynasty, does your Majesty not care about the safety of the Ming Dynasty Zuo?"
"You... are simply trying to force me into the palace." Xie Qian said harshly.
Tu Yan sighed: "Yu Qiao, there are things I haven't told you yet. Haven't your cabinet department ever thought about who will join the cabinet after this year? Zhang Bingkuan is still a bachelor until now. His Majesty wants him to join the cabinet. You will be replaced soon. With him in the office, the cabinet will be replaced soon. Is this what you cabinet ministers want to see?"
Xie Qian remained silent.
Tu Yu said: "I didn't mention this matter to Xixian and Binzhi. I told you first because I know that you have always had your own opinions about Zhang Bingkuan."
"You want to say that I persevered and wanted to suppress Zhang Bingkuan, so do you think I'm in the same party with you?" Xie Qian asked angrily.
"Don't you want to?" Tu Yu asked.
Xie Qian slapped the table and said: "Your Majesty has some imperfections in employing people. In the past few years, there were first Li Guang and then Zhang Zhou. Both of them were close to the sycophants and favored them, but Zhang Zhou was different from others. He was a Jinshi. , what he did did not go beyond the scope of a civil servant, and he made military exploits for the Ming Dynasty. Now he has not done anything wrong, but you want to use the unanimous voice to force His Majesty to punish him, are you not afraid of backlash? "
At this point, Xie Qian suddenly seemed to realize, how could Tu Yu, a man who was about to step down as Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, still care about this?
I really want to get out of here, and I don’t care about the life or death of others.
"Just tell me, how many of the people who want to sign a petition are sincere? How many of them are being coerced?" Xie Qian breathed heavily, as if he was filled with resentment.
Tu Yun looked very indifferent and sighed: "This is the last chance, Yu Qiao."
Xie Qian had to remain silent again.
He seemed to understand that he could not dissuade Tu Yu, nor could he dissuade the group of civil servants, military officials, and relatives of the emperor who wanted to bring Zhang Zhou down.
Tu Yu said: "Even if this matter can be accomplished, it will not kill him."
"Hmph!" Xie Qian snorted, as if to say, do you still know that there is no reason to kill Zhang Zhou now?
But they were afraid that things would get serious by then. Many people wanted to label Zhang Zhou as a traitor and rebel against the party. They would slander Zhang Zhou as a reason for rebellion and force the emperor to kill him.
"He is now the Duke of the country, and he has been transferred to a local garrison based on his military exploits. His Majesty has promised that he will not be transferred to the capital within ten or twenty years. He has exchanged more than a year of official experience for this, which can be regarded as a reward. It's his destiny, isn't it?" Tu Yun looked very confident, as if this matter would definitely come true.
Xie Qian said: "What if His Majesty does not agree?"
"It all depends on manpower." Tu Fu probably meant that he wanted the government and the public to remonstrate to the end. "This is the last chance. Zhang Bingkuan's gang members have begun to spread all over the nine sides. His people are increasingly recognized by His Majesty and the soldiers, even the foreign barbarians." Everyone is starting to be afraid of him. Yu Qiao, do you just want to watch him, within three to five years, use a brutal war to destroy the stability that Ming Dynasty has gained in the past few decades of recuperation? "
Xie Qian figured it out again.
This move by Tu Yu and the ministers below not only involves a struggle for power, but also involves a debate over whether the future of the Ming Dynasty will be civilized or martial.
Obviously, these ministers in the court, including those who were waiting to die, also hope that in the future, the Ming Dynasty will continue to "maintain success" as it is today and complete a "promoting the ZTE" that everyone has jointly supported and praised. However, they ignore all the people in Beiguan crisis, as well as the rise of the grasslands that the Ming Dynasty has encountered over the past 100 years since its founding.
It is tantamount to watching others rise while choosing to be a coward.
He also wanted to strangle Zhang Zhou in the cradle.
Even Xie Qian looked down on this group of people.
But when he thought about it again, it seemed that what he had done in the past was no better than Tu Yu and the others.
"Yu Qiao, I think it's best for you to tell Xixian and Binzhi. This matter must be led by the three of you. Otherwise, if we are united and united, there will always be something missing." Tu Yu said.
Xie Qian said angrily: "Isn't it enough for you to take the lead?"
Tu Yu smiled and shook his head.
Xie Qian said: "I'm afraid that your Majesty will refuse, and if Zhang Bingkuan uses strange tactics, your Majesty will seize the opportunity to divide the vassal civil servants and military officials. If this fails, not only the civil servants of the DPRK and China will be severely punished." If there is a change, some people may even be exiled, and the situation between the DPRK and China may even change drastically as a result.”
Tu Yu asked with a smile: "Then it depends on whether you three cabinet ministers should take the lead. The people below have nothing to lose, especially those who do not rely on Zhang Bingkuan. Their future is bleak. This move is right or wrong. No!"
Xie Qian raised his hand and said: "No need to say it. Let's pretend that the cabinet is unaware of this matter. I will discuss it after I go back."
…
…
Xie Qian's heart was filled with huge waves.
Regardless of the fact that it was already sunset that day, he hurriedly went to Liu Jian's house to pay homage, only to be told that Liu Jian was meeting visitors from the palace.
Xie Qian waited in the Liu Mansion for a long time before waiting Liu Jian out.
"It's Eunuch Xiao, the Supervisor of Ceremonies." Liu Jian said with a gloomy expression.
Xie Qian said: "What is he here for?"
Liu Jian asked: "What did Chaozong tell you?"
As soon as Xie Qian heard this, he understood that Tu Yu was not actually "fighting alone" in this matter.
In what kind of situation could Tu Fu contact the courtiers without skipping the cabinet, and even gain the support of so many vassals, civil servants and military officials?
Someone must be cooperating secretly.
And this person is obviously the three "internal ministers" of the Ming Dynasty, the Supervisor of Ceremonies.
Xie Qian sat down with Liu Jian and summarized what Tu Yu said.
Liu Jian's face was gloomy, as if he was not surprised at all by Xie Qian's words. Finally, Liu Jian continued: "Now there is only one opportunity."
Xie Qian asked: "Did you know about it before, or did you just learn about it?"
Liu Jian felt that he was being suspected by Xie Qian, so he looked over and said, "I just learned the details. I was vaguely aware of it before, but I thought that Your Majesty could not be unprepared. But now the number of people contacting him is increasing, and even people from the clan are not aware of it." Being involved makes a difference.”
"Do we have to go to such a field?" Xie Qian seemed very unwilling.
Liu Jiandao: "Yu Qiao, don't you despise Zhang Bingkuan the most?"
"That's..." Xie Qian's face became anxious, and he wanted to defend himself, but he said angrily, "I usually fight with him because I want him to return to the right path. Have you ever seen anyone who treats others openly?" Are you fighting to put him to death?"
Liu Jian smiled and said, "Has this kind of thing happened less often since ancient times?"
Xie Qian shook his head and said, "But I'm not that kind of person."
"Haha." Liu Jian was laughing again.
In the past, the Ming Dynasty had the most quarrels with Zhang Zhou in the court. Even the court officials thought that Xie Qian, who was Zhang Zhou's mortal enemy, seemed to be trying to protect Zhang Zhou at this time, which Liu Jian found very interesting.
Liu Jian smiled and said: "Yu Qiao, you are sincere and have helped the younger generations a lot, but you talk too much and can easily offend others. You have no ill intentions towards Zhang Bingkuan in your heart. Do you think Zhang Bingkuan has a good attitude towards you? He Do we regard you as a mortal enemy that cannot tolerate two tigers in one mountain?"
Xie Qian didn't answer.
He had little contact with Zhang Zhou, and he didn't know much about Zhang Zhou's character.
Who knows if Zhang Zhou is a coward?
To think of a near man who made his fortune by being friends with the emperor, but he was still a tolerant and generous gentleman... Xie Qian thought about it for a moment, and it seemed that this was a bit too much to ask of Zhang Zhou.
Liu Jiandao: "According to what Eunuch Xiao said, there have been constant natural and man-made disasters in various parts of the Ming Dynasty in the past two years. It is the work of your majesty's favorite traitor to talk about disasters. And Li Guang has passed away. Who is the person who has the greatest influence on the court now? ?”
Xie Qian shook his head: "The theory of disaster is far-fetched."
"But your Majesty believes it." Liu Jian replied directly.
I'm afraid you have forgotten how Zhang Bingkuan started his business, right?
Didn't he gain the emperor's absolute trust just by relying on those disasters and unusual events?
Now let him taste the consequences of being bitten by the disaster.
Xie Qian asked: "So the opportunity you mentioned is to wait for another big disaster? Is someone setting fire to the palace? Or is it waiting for a folk epidemic? Or is it waiting for the floods in Jianghuai and other places before autumn? , Drought?”
"Yu Qiao, calm down." Liu Jian felt that Xie Qian's reaction today was a bit excessive.
Xie Qian didn't want to have a direct conversation with Liu Jian.
He turned his head away, not even looking at Liu Jian.
Liu Jiandao: "Now that both the government and the public are at odds with Zhang Bingkuan, do you want the cabinet to stay out of the matter at this time?"
Xie Qian shook his head. He understood that even if the cabinet was being coerced, they would still be involved.
This can reflect the leadership role of the cabinet.
"Even if you really think that Zhang Bingkuan is a talent that can be developed, you should give him some lessons and experience. Now in two years, he has become the Duke of the Ming Dynasty. He even has to serve in the Hanlin Academy and six ministries, and has the ambition to win the title of six ministries. With the qualifications for the Ministry being so smooth, aren’t you afraid that he will pose a threat to the Ming Dynasty in the future?”
Liu Jian is also candid and honest.
Let’s not worry about whether those people took us with them when they did big things, or whether Zhang Bingkuan really did something wrong.
Let’s just talk about this person... It’s been less than a year and a half since he passed the Jinshi exam, and he’s already so awesome.
Is this a good thing for a young man?
No matter how capable he is, no matter how much the emperor trusts him, we are still convinced of his ability. Aren't we afraid that something "yellow robe will be added to his body" will happen in the future?
"His Majesty used Zhang Bingkuan to the point of insisting on not listening to other people's opinions. This is not a good thing for the Ming Dynasty, for His Majesty, for the government and the opposition, and even for Zhang Bingkuan. This is the reason why the government and the opposition are united."
Liu Jian is explaining and paving the way for people from both the government and the opposition to jointly participate in the impeachment.
Xie Qian asked coldly: "What if Zhang Bingkuan counterattacks and he succeeds?"
Liu Jiandao: "Then it will be impossible for him to gain your Majesty's complete trust again. For his own selfish interests, he opposed the civil and military affairs of the vassals of the Manchu Dynasty. How can such a person still want to gain your Majesty's favor? Wouldn't Your Majesty be wary of him? "
Xie Qian frowned when he heard this.
"Yu Qiao, you will understand if you think about it. Regardless of success or failure, it is a warning to His Majesty. Even if His Majesty does not understand it for a moment and feels that I have failed the court, time will explain everything and Your Majesty will understand that I have failed the court. painstaking efforts."
Liu Jiandao, "There is only one chance to do this. Who knows what kind of errands His Majesty has arranged for Zhang Bingkuan to return to the court?"
(End of chapter)
