Zhu Youtang's new imperial concubine was admitted to the palace.
Temporarily live in Yong'an Palace in the East Sixth Palace.
She was given the title "Xian Fei" early on. From this title, Empress Zhang could feel a strong sense of jealousy...She is virtuous, but I am not virtuous, right?
When Concubine Xian entered the palace, because she had just given birth to a child, she could not have ventilation. She was carried in in a closed phoenix and did not have to go to greet Empress Zhang. Originally, Empress Zhang wanted to visit the mother and son in person, but she was told that the emperor had already He strictly ordered no one to get close to him, and even planned to move the mother and son out of the palace.
Before, she would not enter the palace before giving birth, but now she has entered the palace after giving birth and is preparing to move out. This even made Queen Zhang a little confused.
"Your Majesty, since this sister has entered the palace, why can't I let my concubine go and see her?" Queen Zhang raised the issue directly when Zhu Youtang went to Kunning Palace for lunch.
Zhu Youtang's expression was somewhat unkind.
Because in the past few days, Empress Zhang seemed to have forgotten that she had a son. Empress Zhang still didn't know about the disappearance of Zhu Houzhao, and Empress Zhang only regarded him as a son and was grounded by her husband, so she didn't interfere.
Zhu Youtang said coldly: "I'm afraid of causing trouble."
The word "trouble" without explaining the specific meaning made Empress Zhang feel that her husband was full of doubts about her.
This is because Zhu Youtang grew up in a poor environment. He lost his mother when he was young and grew up in fear. He was very afraid that the grudges and resentments of the previous generation in the palace would be extended to him.
Empress Zhang now seems to understand why Zhu Youtang first brought the "virtuous concubine" into the palace, and then moved her to a remote mansion... The purpose of bringing the "virtuous concubine" into the palace was to rectify her status, and to send her out to live in order to avoid infighting in the palace. A bloody disaster.
Queen Zhang said: "I would like to give her some gifts to express my condolences."
Zhu Youtang shook his head and said: "Queen, you should have heard of a lot of ancient palace battles. Even if you are well-intentioned, you will be misunderstood by others, and some people will even take advantage of it. So you don't need to show anything, it's normal. Just get along.”
"If you send some condolences, will others gossip about you?" Queen Zhang looked displeased.
I, the Lord of the Sixth Palace, have already taken the initiative to show my kindness, but Your Majesty actually thinks that I am causing trouble over nothing? Is this a case of good intentions?
Zhu Youtang did not answer.
After lunch, Zhu Youtang hurriedly left Kunning Palace.
…
…
Zhu Youtang went to Qianqing Palace. Before arriving at the palace, Xiao Jing and Chen Kuan were waiting.
Zhu Youtang ordered: "Listen carefully, if anyone brings gifts to Yong'an Palace, they will be rejected. All food and drinks must be inspected first. Recently, the imperial dining room must be reserved. If anyone sends unclean food there, no matter who it is, they will be punished." It needs to be investigated strictly.”
"yes."
Xiao Jing was very confused when he heard this. Should he, a eunuch in charge of etiquette and eunuch, handle such a matter?
Chen Kuan interjected and asked: "If the Queen is sending gifts to Yong'an Palace..."
Zhu Youtang stopped and stared at Chen Kuan, who quickly lowered his head.
"Everyone is the same, and the queen is no exception." Zhu Youtang said, "It's not that I suspect that someone wants to harm my concubine, but I'm afraid that someone will take the opportunity to cause trouble. In the palace, people who have been punished by the queen in the past, or those who are against There are many people with grudges in the new imperial concubine. People's hearts cannot stand scrutiny in the face of interests. Who can guarantee that the things sent in are good and will be good when they are usable? "
"yes."
Chen Kuan quickly responded.
He actually understood. In fact, he was still afraid that Queen Zhang would harm the wise concubine and the young prince secretly.
Zhu Youtang said: "I am not saying that I am just guarding against people in the palace. Who knows what the thoughts of people coming in from outside the palace are like?"
Originally, both Xiao Jing and Chen Kuan regarded the emperor as a fool who could be easily deceived, and felt that the emperor had completely trusted the new imperial concubine.
But as soon as these words came out, Xiao Jing and Chen Kuan realized that the emperor's thoughts were also multi-layered.
From a logical point of view, this virtuous concubine and Empress Zhang had a "rivalry for harming her sister." Although her sister was not sent to be killed by Empress Zhang herself, she died because of Empress Zhang. If the things Empress Zhang sent There was no problem at all. The wise concubine wanted to poison herself... This kind of thing is not uncommon in court struggles. There is no need to go to the Tang and Song Dynasties for real cases. Just talk about Wan Zhen'er's fraudulent miscarriage. It's not close by. In front of you?
Without mutual contact, there would be fewer entanglements, and there would be no suspicion of harming each other or framing each other.
This is what the emperor thought deeply about.
What I want is not nothing, but not giving you the opportunity to make something out of nothing.
…
…
In the Qianqing Palace.
Three members of the cabinet, as well as the newly appointed Minister of Rites, Lin Han, and Minister of War, Ma Wensheng, plus a British Duke, Zhang Mao, were summoned.
Tables and chairs had been prepared for them early that day, and a meeting about the inner court was to be held that day.
In addition to the cabinet, several people came in the name of the "Shangting Office". Lin Han entered the Shangting Office on Zhang Zhou's behalf, which meant that Lin Han, in the name of the Minister of Rites, was qualified to discuss important matters. Zhang Mao and Ma Wen were able to They came not only because of their titles and official positions, but also because they were members of the Shangting Department.
"I would like to discuss with you the candidates for the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Hubu."
After Zhu Youtang arrived at Qianqing Palace, he made an opening statement, which immediately tightened the atmosphere.
Liu Jiandao: "The choice of minister should be decided through court discussion."
Zhu Youtang seemed indifferent and said: "The inner court can also discuss it, so there is no need to go to a lot of trouble. You can speak freely, but I feel tired no matter what matters are discussed in the court. If you have any candidates, please report them together. Just come up."
Zhu Youtang seemed to have no energy.
After several exciting events such as hailstorms, earthquakes, and the birth of a son passed, his life fell into dullness. But at this time, the prince disappeared, which made him anxious.
Once something was brought up to the court, he would feel that the ministers were targeting him and Zhang Zhou. It would be better to summon people to the inner court for a small circle meeting. The matter would be settled satisfactorily and there would be no need to argue anymore.
Lin Han, Ma Wensheng and Zhang Mao would not speak casually on this matter.
Even if they are qualified to make recommendations and recommend personnel, they still have to follow certain rules, that is, the cabinet will take the lead...unless Zhang Zhou is here and let Zhang Zhou speak. If Zhang Zhou is not here, they would rather do a good job. The work of the Shangshu at the executive level is delegated to the cabinet with decision-making and advisory powers.
Liu Jiandao: "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue has been recommended before. The Ministry of Personnel has conducted assessments over the years. It is most suitable for Youdu Yushi Zhong to succeed Zhou Shangshu."
After Liu Jian finished speaking, he first observed the emperor's reaction. After seeing that the emperor had no expression, he then selected a candidate for another position, "Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, I should first recommend Tu Xun, the left minister of the Ministry of Punishments."
It had been discussed before that Zhong Zhong would succeed Zhou Jing.
Tu Xun was temporarily pushed out because Min Gui, the censor of Zuodu, was convicted in a fight with Zhang Zhou and ordered to serve.
If the Censor of the Zuo Capital cannot succeed Bai Ang, it would be reasonable to replace him with the Zuo Shilang of the headquarters.
"Yes." After hearing the two candidates, Zhu Youtang just nodded indifferently, and then said, "The qualifications are not enough."
Liu Jian asked: "Who is your Majesty talking about?"
"Both of them are." Zhu Youtang said firmly, "It has been less than a year since Tu Xun succeeded Zuo Shilang. Even if Zhong Zhong has experience in managing Datong's military pay, he has never made any great achievements. After being promoted to the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, he faced I am not optimistic about many financial matters."
This made Liu Jian and the other three cabinet members very passive.
It was difficult for them to select the "suitable" person from the crowd. They were originally considered as successors, but if they were put on the court recommendation, they would be "popular." As a result, the inner court meeting was directly denied by the emperor.
If he wanted to find someone more suitable than them...Liu Jian felt that it was unrealistic.
Unless the emperor planned to make an extraordinary promotion, it would involve party issues. Those who were qualified for the extraordinary promotion were either very close to Zhang Zhou, or... at least a neutral faction.
Zhu Youtang suddenly changed the topic and said: "The candidate for Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs has not been decided yet. What do you think about this matter?"
This time, Li Dongyang said: "The right servant Han Wen should be promoted."
"Not good." Zhu Youtang said, "I want to transfer Cheng Minzheng, a Hanlin scholar and in charge of the Nanjing Hanlin Academy, back to Beijing as the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Do you have any objections?"
The candidate was selected directly.
Cheng Minzheng... returned to the imperial court and became the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs... Although Cheng Minzheng had been working in the Hanlin Academy, Zhanshifu and the Ministry of Rites system before, it was not too much to be promoted to Zuo Shilang. After all, Cheng Minzheng's political qualifications and knowledge, And the prestige in the court is enough...
It's just that his political leanings are not pure enough for anyone to take him seriously.
Seeing that several people present did not answer for a while, Zhu Youtang asked again: "Isn't he qualified enough?"
Li Dongyang looked at Liu Jian first, and when he saw that Liu Jian had no expression, he said, "Bachelor Cheng's qualifications are sufficient."
Having said that.
However, because the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel was the most prominent among the six ministers, he was also regarded as a reserve position for the six ministers. Previously, traditional civil servants wanted to give this position to Fu Han, who had not been promoted to the minister of rites.
Now Cheng Minzheng suddenly appears...
In terms of qualifications, Cheng Minzheng is not inferior to Fu Han, but why is Cheng Minzheng not as upright and popular as others?
It would be embarrassing if Fu Han could not be promoted to the position of Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel. There is currently no room for him as the Minister of the Six Ministries. Should he be made the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Husbandry, and the Ministry of Works? Or let him be the censor of Zuodu?
As a result, at the age of sixty-six, Fu Han might not be able to survive for a few more years in the court.
If you want to be a minister, you can only go to Nanjing.
"That's good." Zhu Youtang said, "Cheng Minzheng has been the right minister of the Ministry of Rites for a long time, and it is reasonable to be promoted to the left minister. As for the censor of Zuodu, I have thought about it before and think that Nanjing was recommended by the court. Dai Shan, Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, is suitable."
Dai Shan is the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment in Nanjing, and he has also made connections in the past few years, because he has been in the prison system for half his life. Now that Bai Ang and Min Gui have retired, it is not impossible for Dai Shan to move directly to the capital and become the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment in Beijing. , allowing him to be the censor of Zuodu and in charge of the affairs of the Procuratorate is the emperor's "reciprocation".
If you agree to let Cheng Minzheng return to the court and become the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, then I will agree to let Dai Shan be the Censor of the Zuodu, an equal exchange.
"As for the Minister of Punishment in Nanjing, let Tu Xun go." Zhu Youtang added.
This can be regarded as pushing the "first candidate" for the position of Minister of Punishment to the position of Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment in Nanjing.
Sounds reasonable too.
Since Tu Xun is not qualified enough to be the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, then he should go to Nanjing first, and how to arrange it in the future is another matter... If Tu Xun leaves, then no matter who you recommend next, the qualifications of the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment are questionable. There is an explanation for who the seat will be given to.
Zhu Youtang said: "Now that Bingkuan is the Minister of War in Nanjing and the counselor of military affairs, I will not transfer him back to Beijing for the time being. The so-called temporary period will probably be this year. I think it is necessary to mention it to you."
Liu Jian and others felt a little awkward.
This seemed to be an inoculation for them. In order to avoid making them think too much, the emperor did this to prepare for Zhang Zhou's promotion to the Northern Six Ministers, so he told them that even if Zhang Zhou wanted to be a minister in the future, it would not be now, so the Ministry of Punishment The ministers and the ministers of household affairs should still be held by people who are currently in the court.
Liu Jian sighed: "If Min Gui becomes official and Tu Xun is transferred to Nanjing as Minister of Punishment, it will be difficult to find a replacement for the position of Shangshu of Punishment."
Zhu Youtang suddenly said: "Wang Shi, the Minister of Dali Temple, has been in Dali Temple for many years and has a reputation as an arbitrator in handling prison matters. Isn't he qualified to ask the Minister of Punishment?"
"Um?"
Not to mention Liu Jian, even a few people nearby were very surprised when they heard this.
Wang Shi's ability is sufficient, but the problem is that Wang Shi is not very popular in the court. This is also related to the fact that he was mostly in charge of various places and conquered the north and south. In other words, he was not an orthodox Beijing official. Not enough, and he didn't move his joints. Others knew too little about his policy ideas, so they wouldn't consider him for promotion.
Historically, Wang Shi had the reputation of being "upright and forgiving" when he was an official. In the 13th year of Hongzhi, he was qualified to be promoted to the imperial censor of Zuodu. However, because of his shortcomings, Dai Shan took the opportunity and he was disheartened. When he resigned, the emperor only comforted him by giving him the position of Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing, and immediately made him the left deputy censor of the capital and admiral of Guizhou military affairs, and sent him to conquer the "Milu Rebellion" in Guizhou.
This situation... is very similar to Wang Shouren in history.
No matter how capable you are, the court officials will treat you as a foreign minister. You will be given the dirty work in the local government. Do you want to be the minister and the center of power? Sorry, there are too few positions in the capital's power center, and you are not qualified.
Zhu Youtang said: "When it comes to prison matters, I can't think of any other more suitable candidate. Wang Shi has served as minister of Dali Temple for many years and has a spirit of advancement. I think he should be qualified for this position."
This time, Liu Jian came forward to object: "Your Majesty, if the Minister of Dali Temple is promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, I am afraid that it will be regarded as a transition and inconsistent with the norms."
"Is there any agreement?" Zhu Youtang asked, "I have to replace so many officials at once this year. It's actually quite a headache for me. It's rare that Wang Shi still has the heart to serve the court. I also want to give a job to the ministers in the court." Be alert and let them know that promotion does not mean they can always be promoted based on seniority. The most important thing for promotion is quality and ability."
The implication is that Wang Shi is very capable and I am very optimistic about him.
Historically, it was precisely because of the emperor's appreciation of Wang Shi that he did not allow Wang Shi to become an official. Originally, given that Wang Shi was over sixty years old, even if he really wanted to return to his old age, the emperor would allow it.
It could also be that... Zhu Youtang wanted to keep such a person who could do dirty work and call him at any time.
"If it weren't for Wang Shi, do you have any good candidates?" Zhu Youtang asked.
Liu Jian and others were all thinking.
Didn't you send the most suitable candidate, Tu Xun, to Nanjing to be the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment?
Now it's not Wang Shi, it's him.
He really skipped the three powerful opponents of Min Gui, Tu Xun, and Dai Shan. Wang Shi originally struggled to be the censor of Zuodu, but now he was promoted directly to the minister of the Ministry of Punishment... The emperor's employment... is a bit of a win over people's hearts.
Then wouldn’t Wang Shi just obey orders from now on and listen to the emperor’s orders and do things well?
"I second the proposal." Liu Jian gave up.
There is no need to discuss with the emperor.
Moreover, the emperor was actually quite disciplined in his work. He first appointed Min Gui as official, Tu Xun as the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment of Nanjing, and Dai Shan as the Yushi of the Zuodu. Then he talked about the issue of Wang Shi becoming the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment... which is equivalent to saying that first Competitors who are stronger than Wang Shi have been arranged, and then let's talk about how to arrange Wang Shi... Before they come up, they say that Wang Shi should be promoted to a higher level...
His opponents all belong to his family, and even if there are still opponents, their qualifications and prestige are similar to his, so it's not about who the emperor likes.
"If Wang Shi is the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, then I, the Minister of the Ministry of Hubu, should also recommend Yi Zhong." Zhu Youtang initially did not support Yi Zhong's appointment as the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, but suddenly changed his mind and thought that Yi Zhong was suitable. .
This also made several ministers present realize.
Is this actually a court meeting?
Here's the deal!
You first agree to one of my employment candidates, and I will compromise and give you a little sweetener. Let's just take a step forward and take a step back to play a balance.
"As for the Minister of the Ministry of War and the Minister of Industry, I think that the Ma Qing family and the Xu Qing family are still competent at present. If we want to discuss the replacement, we are not in a hurry. We will not discuss it before winter." Zhu Youtang added One sentence.
This means that since the ministers of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Husbandry, as well as the censor of Zuodu, were all replaced at once, there was no rush to move the two ministers of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry.
But remembering that the emperor said before that there was no rush to recall Zhang Zhou to the capital before the year...
Based on the political consciousness of these people, they can all think that in fact, the Minister of the Ministry of War was probably reserved for Zhang Zhou, and the fact that Ni Yue was the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was not liked by the emperor. It is very likely that Ni Yue became an official. It won't be too long to be a minister... This is actually related to Ma Wensheng's meritorious service.
Ma Wensheng is qualified to be promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but the Minister of the Ministry of War left by Ma Wensheng seems to be definitely reserved for Zhang Zhou. That is, only when Zhang Zhou is promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ma Wensheng can let go of the Minister of the Ministry of War and become the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Ma Wensheng said: "Your Majesty, there are tribal rebellions in Guangdong, Guangxi, Huguang and Guizhou. The local military situation is tense. Your Majesty, please appoint military personnel to maintain local stability."
Zhu Youtang asked: "Didn't I send Pinglubo before?"
Ping Lupo Ma Yi, the hero who assisted Wang Shouren in the Battle of Weininghai, was transferred to Guangdong and Guangxi as the chief military officer, but his personal ability was average.
Ma Wensheng said: "We should supervise and supervise military affairs."
"Do you have a candidate?" Zhu Youtang asked.
Ma Wensheng took the initiative to break the monopoly of the cabinet this time and said: "I recommend Liu Daxia, the former right minister of the Ministry of Revenue and censor of the right capital."
Zhu Youtang thought for a while, looked around at a few people and said: "I will mention it again during the court meeting to see if anyone in the court has any opinions. If not, let him be used to improve the military affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi."
(End of chapter)
