Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "With the power of Zhongxuan Gong, even if he does not increase the number of ministers, he will be able to manage Yin and Yang, follow the four seasons, be close to the people, and care for the barbarians."
Feng Bao sneered: "We don't know if he has such great ability. We are just worried about you, Mr. Taiyue."
"Are you worried about me?" Zhang Juzheng looked calm: "I am a latecomer, so I can't threaten Mr. Zhongxuan at all. What's more, whenever he makes a decision, I will give my full support to him. How can Mr. Zhongxuan still be able to do this?" Can’t you tolerate me?”
Feng Bao laughed and said slowly: "Does Mr. Taiyue think that Gao Huzi will regard you as his right-hand man, or even the next chief minister after him?"
Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said: "Ju Zhengde is weak and talented, and he doesn't dare to do his job."
"If Mr. Taiyue really thinks so..." Feng Bao pretended not to hear Zhang Juzheng's self-effacement, put away his smile, and said in a deep voice: "Then I'm afraid he has to follow the old saying: If you don't have long-term worries, you will have immediate worries."
Zhang Juzheng's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly: "Oh? I need Mr. Feng to give me some advice on this."
"Originally, our family didn't notice it, but someone reminded us recently." Feng Bao looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "The day Gao Huzi got up and returned to Beijing, he brought one of his nephews with him, and he also Brought into the palace...Does Mr. Taiyue still remember?"
Zhang Juzheng nodded and said: "Remember, that child's name is Gao Pingshi. He is the eldest son of Gao Cai, the youngest brother of Duke Zhongxuan. He is quite young and mature. If he is willing to study hard, he will definitely have a bright future."
"The problem lies with Gao Pragmatism." Feng Bao looked at Zhang Juzheng and curled his lips: "Does Mr. Taiyue know why?"
"Is it because of him?" Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but frown. Although he was somewhat impressed by the pragmatic young man, the two of them just met each other, so naturally they didn't have a deep understanding. Hearing this, he was surprised and said: "Mr. Feng doesn't It is said that Duke Xuan hopes that his little nephew will take over as the first assistant in the future, right? Haha, although they are uncles and nephews, they are more than fifty years apart in age, so there is no way they can take over. "
"Of course our family doesn't mean this." Feng Bao obviously felt that Zhang Juzheng's answer completely looked down on him, and frowned: "Gao Huzi is the pragmatic uncle, but who is the pragmatic uncle? Does Taiyue Xianggong know? It's Zhang Fengpan. This relationship was something that almost no one in the capital noticed before, but now they can't help but notice it... Taiyue Xianggong just didn't want to think about it, why when Gao Huzi returned to Beijing this time, even his wife He came later, but he brought his nephew with him first? What's more, after his recovery, he took charge as the elder of the cabinet. In less than a month, he immediately promoted Zhang Fengpan from the Hanlin Academy to the Ministry of Civil Affairs as a minister. "
Zhang Juzheng was silent.
Feng Bao smiled: "Everyone knows Zhang Siwei's family background. The Zhang family in Puzhou almost dominates the Cangzhou Changlu Saltworks. Not to mention the richest in the world, at least one of them is the richest, right? However, the Zhang family's Does Taiyue Xianggong know about the in-law relationship?"
Zhang Juzheng frowned and shook his head slightly.
"After all, our family is also in charge of the East Factory, so we still know a little bit about these things." Feng Bao showed a proud smile, but his tone was very cold: "Xuanda Governor Wang Jianchuan is Zhang Siwei's direct uncle; Young Master Yang Yupo (Yang Bo, nicknamed Yupo) and Zhang Siwei are both from the same hometown, and they are also married. They are still close friends. In addition, the prince Xima Magan'an (Ma Ziqiang, nicknamed Qian'an) and Zhang Siwei are also in-laws..."
Zhang Juzheng looked a little ugly and said in a deep voice: "I'm not very familiar with Ma Gan'an, but Yang Yupo and Wang Jianchuan... are both old friends of Duke Zhongxuan for many years."
Feng Bao showed a smile: "Now Mr. Taiyue should know that if Zhao Dazhou, Li Shilu and Chen Songgu all go, who will be replaced once the cabinet recommends additional ministers?"
Zhang Juzheng thought for a while and then said: "But Zhongxuan Gong and I have always known each other. At present, in the cabinet, he and I have no public or private conflicts, and Zhang Fengpan and I are still close. Besides, Feng Fengpan Don’t forget, Mr. Zhongxuan was the twelfth in the second class of Xin Chou in the 20th year of Jiajing, I was the ninth in the second class of Dingwei in the 26th year of Jiajing, and Zhang Fengpan was the guichou in the 32nd year of Jiajing. Ranked 86th in Section 2A...Zhongxuan Gong and I were two subjects apart, and Zhang Fengpan was two subjects behind me."
Zhang Juzheng's implication is that Gao Gong is his senior, and it is normal to be ranked above him; but he is also Zhang Siwei's senior. Even if Zhang Siwei joins the cabinet, he is still a junior, and he must be ranked below him. Moreover, Zhang Juzheng did not say anything yet. During the Guichou Section in the 32nd year of Jiajing, Zhang Juzheng was one of the same examiners, but Zhang Siwei's paper was not chosen by him.
In the Ming Dynasty, when discussing seniority among civil servants, the first thing to look at was the year in which you were a Jinshi. The person who was a Jinshi in one subject earlier was the senior. If you were a Jinshi in the same subject, it was based on your ranking. If you enter the cabinet in the future, it will also depend on the order of entry. The person who enters the cabinet first will naturally have seniority.
Therefore, Zhang Juzheng is Zhang Siwei's predecessor in every aspect, so he is not worried that Zhang Siwei can replace his position.
Unexpectedly, Feng Bao sneered: "Mr. Taiyue is really a gentleman, Li Shilu, Chen Songgu, and Zhao Dazhou. There are three cabinet ministers here. If Gao Huzi is interested, he has enough people to fill it in. It was about the same time as him last time. Guo Pu, who became an official, was Gao Huzi's friend for many years; Yang Bo was impeached last time due to the Beijing Inspection Incident, and his subsequent resignation was not approved by His Majesty. Now, although His Majesty has given Gao Huzi the post of Minister of Staff, Yang Bo has not He still stayed in Beijing with the title of Imperial Tutor despite being "sickly" and never took up an official position; Gao Yi, the Minister of Rites, was the same year as Gao Huzi, and he and Gao Huzi were in charge of two Hanlin academies in Beijing, one in the south and the other in the north. They were also old friends for many years. What's more, he, the Minister of Rites, was recommended by Gao Huzi when he entered the cabinet as Minister of Rites; there is also the more senior Ge Shouli, who tried his best to protect Gao Huzi during the previous Manchu dynasty. After Gao Huzi stepped down, he He also resigned angrily, which shows the close relationship between him and Gao Huzi. The man is also in his hometown now and seems to be leisurely wandering in the forest, but Gao Huzi will definitely not forget him."
"Hmph, there are many people who can use tall beards." Feng Bao smiled sinisterly: "Not counting others, just these few, who is not the 'predecessor' of Mr. Taiyue? Now Mr. Taiyue still thinks that he is Is it as stable as Mount Tai?"
Zhang Juzheng's face turned ugly this time.
When Feng Bao said this, he also found that his position was not as stable as he thought, especially because there was another point. Although Feng Bao didn't say it clearly, he knew it... Back then, he was a Hanlin bachelor and was recommended by his teacher Xu Jie. Entering the cabinet! In other words, theoretically speaking, he has no practical experience in governing. He rose to the rank of cabinet minister from Hanlin Qinggui. In normal times, this wouldn't be a big deal, but at critical moments... it's hard to say.
This kind of one-step rise to the top is certainly a reflection of Xu Jie's strength in the court, but it is also a major worry for Zhang Juzheng: Xu Jie promoted his students so quickly, how could there be no gossip outside? If Xu Jie is still in power, this gossip will of course have nothing to do with the overall situation, but the problem is that Xu Jie has now retired!
Not only did he quit, but he was now involved in a lawsuit against that Hai Rui!
Feng Baoneng, as Li Guifei's former celebrity, had become the second-in-command in the inner court in the Longqing Dynasty. His ability to observe people's emotions was so brilliant. Seeing Zhang Juzheng's expression, he immediately added another blow: "Besides, Mr. Taiyue is the master of Mr. Huating. Everyone in the world knows about this, but Duke Hua Ting’s situation is not very good now..."
