Zhang Juzheng has always been good at burning cold stoves. When Yan Song was in power, Xu Jie was obedient in front of Yan Song and even married Yan Song. In the cabinet, he was just a small thing under Yan Song's brilliance and did not dare to disagree with Yan Song at all. The outside world is not optimistic about him at all, and even thinks that this person has no backbone.
Only Zhang Juzheng could see Xu Jie's forbearance, like a crocodile lurking in the water. He would not move until the last moment. Once he opened his bloody mouth, it would kill someone.
Sure enough, when Yan Song grew old and his holy family gradually declined, Xu Jie launched a seemingly inconspicuous but actually thrilling killing blow, which led to the downfall of Yan Song, the most powerful official of the Jiajing Dynasty who had dominated the world for decades!
Xu Jie then succeeded him as the first assistant. Zhang Juzheng gained Xu Jie's trust because he had stood unwaveringly by Xu Jie's side for many years. He was soon recommended by Xu Jie and entered the cabinet directly from the Hanlin Academy. Thousands of miles”!
If Gao Gong burned Prince Yu's cold stove back then, it was somewhat due to luck - he was "assigned to work" in Prince Yu's Mansion, but because he worked conscientiously, he won Prince Yu's trust; then Zhang Juzheng is his own Lecturer Yuwang chose the path to follow Xu Jie and follow Xu Jie's instructions.
From this perspective, Zhang Juzheng firmly believed that his vision surpassed that of Gao Gong. He believed that Gao Gong was just luck. Of course, Zhang Juzheng still admired Gao Gong's talents and ambitions in his heart, otherwise he would not have become good friends with Gao Gong and expected each other to work together.
However, when both of them actually entered the cabinet and became "father-in-law" in a practical sense, Zhang Juzheng's mentality became somewhat unbalanced.
What Gao Gong wants to do is so similar to what he wants to do, but he is the real "emperor" in the emperor's mind. As long as he is around, how can he realize his grand ambitions? Could it be that I have to follow the example of my teacher, who always relied on his youth to endure hardships until he became old and lost his holy love, so that he could stand out from the light of others?
Zhang Juzheng was a little hesitant and confused.
Gao Gong probably still trusts him. Judging from the current situation, he will probably be willing to recommend him to succeed him as the first assistant before he takes office in the future. However... Gao Gong is only fifty-seven years old this year. Even if he doesn't delay for a day, As usual, he will reach official service at the age of seventy, so he still has thirteen years left!
Yes, I am only forty-five years old this year. Even thirteen years later, I will only be fifty-eight years old. The chief assistant at that age is not that old. If everything goes well, I can still work for more than ten years. However, if Gao Gong has been working for more than ten years and has done everything he should and can do, what will he do in the future?
Xiao Gui and Cao Sui? joke! Xiao He or Cao Shen, who is more admired by future generations?
How can I, Zhang Taiyue, be content to be inferior to others!
What I want is for the book to be published all over the world, for me to be the one to end the world, for the Ming Dynasty to be revived...it will be done by my hands!
Since Yu is born, how can Liang be born? Duke Zhongxuan, brother Suqing, I, Zhang Juzheng, must compete with you!
What's more, you already have an unparalleled holy family member, but now you still want to lay a foundation for the prince. Could it be that you still want to work until you reach that age like Yan Song did back then, and then directly hand over the power to your nephew?
absurd! As long as I, Zhang Juzheng, am still here, I will never allow this situation to happen!
It's just that it's easy to make a decision, but it's hard to get things done. You Qi reported back this afternoon that the abbot, Li Weiwei, was having a banquet with guests and secretly passed on a piece of news, saying that he had previously paid a visit to Emperor Jing's mausoleum and returned to the capital to meet the Holy Spirit. During his chat with the Holy Spirit, he discovered that the Holy Spirit felt that he was from the capital. The selection of the prince among the third-grade civil servants to accompany him as a reading companion was a bit too broad.
This statement cannot be said to be unreasonable. After all, the previous batch of Xunchen's children came from the families of the top Xunchen in the Jingnan Department. The scope of the third-grade civil servants in Beijing is indeed a bit too large.
But the question is, if the scope is reduced, to what extent? Six departments and nine ministers? Or should we just pick and choose from a few pavilions?
However, it is okay to limit it to the six ministries and nine ministers. If it is limited to the cabinet, what is the reason? You must know that the cabinet system has developed to this day. Although in actual operation it is based on "the imperial court recommends civil servants of third grade and above", the grade of the cabinet bachelor is very low, but his powers are getting heavier and heavier as time goes by.
In the Ming Dynasty, the scope of the cabinet's responsibilities was explained. Specifically, they were as follows: "Whether it is possible to offer a substitute, follow the instructions of the old rules, check the questions and memorials, prepare votes and approve answers, so as to ensure the fairness of the common government."
"Replacement availability" is the main way for the cabinet to help the monarch reduce government affairs. Cabinet ministers express their opinions based on the emperor's advice. This is called "offering". The monarch's approval and instructions to carry out this are called "Xianke". If the cabinet ministers have different opinions on the emperor's plan, it is called "yes or no". Simply speaking, it is the right to refute.
"Follow the teachings of Chen Gui", "Chen" refers to the Confucian classics of the Four Books and Five Classics, the political achievements of the previous Ming Dynasty and the legacy of the ancestors of the emperors, and "Gui" refers to the rules and methods used to educate and cultivate the emperor. According to the old rules, the cabinet bachelors used the classroom to teach the emperor the Four Books and Five Classics and the art of peace and stability.
"Inspection and Title Memorial", although everyone's letters to the emperor are often collectively referred to as memorials, but strictly speaking, letters written for official matters are called "Tis", and letters written for private matters are called "Zou". The review of memorials means that the cabinet has the right to preview various memorials from various departments.
"Public vote for approval" began in the Yingzong Dynasty. It was also the main form of the cabinet's help in the emperor's political affairs in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. It is usually said that the cabinet leads the ministers. How do they lead? Isn’t it because all official reports must first go through the cabinet, and the cabinet will submit the handling opinions in the form of a draft attached to the original document and submit it to the emperor? The emperor is actually not that familiar with many government affairs. Most of them are just how to write the draft, and the emperor approves or approves it. Even the emperor himself probably didn't even bother to write the word "ke", and left it to the chief ceremonial officer to write - this is a red criticism.
In addition to the above-mentioned powers, the cabinet also has the rights to draft imperial edicts, participate in political discussions, and compile imperial records. But in any case, cabinet ministers are just because they are at the center of power, so "although they do not have the title of prime minister, they actually have the power of prime minister." Just looking at their rank, they really can't do anything about it.
The actual grades of cabinet ministers actually come from their titles.
Take Gao Gong, for example. He was the young master and the crown prince. He was a civil servant of the first rank, and at the same time he also served as the minister of the Ministry of official affairs in a unique way.
But the trouble is, if you want to increase your title, you also have to include a bunch of people who can take care of the elderly comfortably.
Zhang Juzheng frowned and cursed in his heart: This Li Wei is really incompetent. Since you are delivering messages on behalf of the emperor, you have expressed the emperor's meaning accurately. How should the officials respond to such unclear words? If you recommend me to my nephew, you may be said to be flattering; if you don't recommend me, it may be said that you "despise the holy bow".
But after much thought, Zhang Juzheng decided to ask his fourth son, Zhang Jianxiu, to go with him tomorrow.
