Gao Gong gave himself three consecutive days of leave. He neither went out to defend himself nor went out to take matters into his own hands. He didn't say anything except staying at home and acting like he was "waiting for investigation."
Gao Gong's disciples were also very quiet, as if they suddenly no longer recognized their masters, they were all busy with their own affairs, without any intention of rolling up their sleeves to discuss the matter.
Liu Fenyong and Cao Daye were in a state of anxiety, feeling that this situation was simply torture, as if they knew they were going to be beaten but didn't know where the other person would hit them. They were in a state of high tension. In just three days, these two people actually lost a lot of weight, ushering in a new era of weight loss.
Liu Fenyong and Cao Daye were not the only ones who couldn't stand it any longer. The emperor couldn't stand it anymore either. He issued successive edicts to appease Gao Gong, asking Gao Gong to come out and take matters into his own hands. But there was a problem here. If the emperor asked Gao Gong to come out and take matters into his own hands, he had to come out and take matters into his own hands. , usually Liu and Cao need to be dealt with first, but according to convention, Gao Gong must first submit a self-defense statement, so that the emperor can choose to believe the ministers based on the self-defense statement, and then deal with Liu and Cao.
In other words, if Gao Gong cannot defend himself and shuts himself up at home, then the emperor will freeze. However, it is not appropriate to issue an edict urging Gao Gong to defend himself. The reason has been mentioned before. Generally, only when the emperor is extremely angry and seriously dissatisfied with the minister will he issue an edict to urge the minister to defend himself.
After all, it was Emperor Longqing. Since he couldn't stand it any longer and face was not important, he sent Chen Hong, Feng Bao and Meng Chong to the Gao University Scholars' Mansion one after another, and asked Gao Gong to go to court to defend himself. This would have a different nature, no? A decree, but a request.
On the fourth day, Gao Gong finally gave the emperor face and Shangshu defended himself.
"I have a cool virtue, misunderstood the heavy responsibilities, and failed to achieve anything in my duties. As a result, I have caused people to blame me, and I dare to defend myself! But among them, there are those who have great righteousness in Shangguan and righteousness in Xiaguan. I dare not not understand what I said.
The month before last, the Holy Eucharist was in disobedience. The minister and his colleague Zhang Juzheng were at court day and night, vacillating relative to each other, and did not sleep or eat until the Holy Eucharist was in peace. Then they returned home. The marriage ceremony between the minister and Cao Jin, the minister of the Ministry of punishment, was also held after the holy body was installed, and the sun and moon could be counted.
When the East Palace lectures and reads, although the cabinet ministers have the responsibility of promoting the tune, but they are still accompanying them, the ceremony is not included in the ceremony, and the Ministry of Rites does not issue an invitation. This is unprecedented. The ministers did not dare to enter the service without authorization, but they felt uneasy, so they asked for a kowtow every five days, which added to what was not in the past, rather than subtracting from what was in the past. The examples are legible. also.
My answer is obedient, and Chen Shi and Zhang Juzheng have always been planning for the emperor. They strongly praise his achievements and show their dedication to serving the country. Although I have been repeatedly praised by Wen Lun and given many promotions, I have spoken vigorously, but I dare not take the credit. Now I say that I owe the credit to myself. This is a lesson from the sage.
Since the emperor summoned his ministers to return to the cabinet and take charge of the government affairs, I immediately worried that exercising too much power would lead to danger. I was not invited to resign at the end of the year, but I was not invited. I was even rewarded with stipends. I was grateful and respectful, and worked hard to do my job. So far in the spring, the emperor has resumed his rhetoric, saying that the emperor is sitting quietly, not daring to be rude, but now he says that his ministers have exclusive power and refuse to resign, which is also the enlightenment of the sages. These are all matters of great righteousness, and I would like to state that this is the case.
The minister is clumsy, foolish and self-reliant, but he is quite capable of cleanliness. He comes to the door to pay selfless visits and does not let a piece of paper enter. This behavior of the Jin gentry is known to everyone in the world. Deputy envoy Dong Wencai was already highly regarded, and he was recommended by his ministers to participate in politics. Bureaucrats must be cautious in choosing mature people, while minister Lu Tiaoyang was an official of the emperor and did not dare to touch him.
The minister, Zhang Siwei, had the same qualifications and expectations, and he and Zhang Juzheng recommended him as the official in charge of the waiting class. They said that he was given 600 gold for his literary talent and 800 for his literary talent. How can he see this, and why can't he clearly state the evidence?
In the fourth year of Longqing's reign, Chen Lu reviewed the records and found that Lu Kaiyu's poems were inconsistent with the laws, so he planned to write Youci. In the following year, the Law Department planned to write Ke Jin, but he had nothing to do with the ministers.
The minister's family was poor and was still like a commoner. Everyone could see it at that time. It had never been robbed. So how could it be said that hundreds of thousands of gold were robbed?
These are all under the name of Xiaguan, and I would like to state that this is the case. As for other accusations, the loyalty and falsehood of the ministers seeking the country, the respect and neglect of the deacons, the public and private use of the service, and the existence of private grudges are all obvious to the people. The world has its own public discussion, and I have no room to comment. However, the minister's power is too small to win the battle, and his hope is too small to convince others. After the officials have spoken and discussed, it is reasonable to retire, but fortunately he is dismissed. "
This self-defense not only refutes all the previous impeachment points of Cao Daye one by one, but also finally comes to the conclusion: "The minister is too weak to win the important one, and the weak hope is not enough to convince others. After all the officials have said it, it is reasonable to retire." , I am grateful to be removed from office." This is not only an attitude required by convention, but also a response to impeachment.
The emperor had been waiting for this self-defense for three days, so he responded very quickly. Gao Gong went to court in the morning, and at noon the emperor's edict of condolence came down: "I know that you are loyal, honest and prudent. Those who have spoken falsely have been punished, so you can rest assured." To assist the government, rely on the deputy family members. Do not accept your resignation."
The emperor's statement that "those who speak lies have already been punished" is really not a joke, because before Gao Gong's self-defense was even announced, the emperor had already written down the punishment for Liu Fenyong and Cao Daye. As soon as he entered the General Administration Department, the emperor immediately wrote two handwritten edicts, asking the Secretary of Ceremonies to use treasures for writing and issuing them.
"Liu Fenyong made lies and was demoted to a foreign post."
"Cao Daye, this fellow, is a subordinate minister and is being demoted and transferred to foreign posts. Someone should be dealt with severely!"
Feng Bao took these two edicts, feeling a little panicked, and hurried to the cabinet to discuss with Zhang Juzheng - after Gao Gong stayed behind closed doors, Guo Pu and Zhang Juzheng were now taking turns drafting the votes in the cabinet, and Zhang Juzheng happened to be the one writing today.
When Zhang Juzheng received the emperor's edict, he showed no expression on his face, nor did he look like Feng Bao who was in constant panic. Instead, he comforted him and said, "Don't be anxious, Mr. Feng. The emperor's move is just what the title says." It’s just righteousness.”
Feng Bao breathed a sigh of relief, but still had a serious look on his face. He took a few steps hurriedly and said: "What is the meaning of the question? Mr. Zhang Ge, Liu Fenyong can just give it up. The emperor only blames him for speaking nonsense, demoting him to a foreign post." We can also make proper arrangements to prevent him from suffering too much. But what should Cao Daye do? Look at the tone of the emperor's edict, 'this guy' has come out! Not only is he demoted to foreign posts, but also made 'Yousi Yi' From a serious point of view, 'Ah, who is Yousi? The official department! The official department is a high-arched yamen! The emperor did not say to what extent he was reduced, so why shouldn't he be beaten to the end? This person is considered useless - if he were an ordinary person, he would be useless It’s useless, but he is your disciple!”
Zhang Juzheng smiled, waved his hand and said: "It's just a temporary setback, it doesn't matter. Besides, I have a word with him about the risks of doing this."
Feng Bao exhaled and said helplessly: "Even if he can think about the overall situation and doesn't complain about it, what will outsiders think when they see it?"
Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment this time before saying: "The emperor's hand edict is just a hand edict after all. The formal edict is still at the top of the cabinet. It's just a matter of removing the emperor's impulsive words."
Feng Bao looked serious and asked, "How to change it?"
Zhang Juzheng said: "Cao Daye made arrogant remarks and demoted him to a foreign post."
Feng Bao frowned and hesitated: "If the emperor knew..."
"It doesn't matter, this is an edict drafted in accordance with the holy will. It is originally the responsibility of the cabinet. The focus of this edict is still to demote Cao Daye to a foreign post. I have not changed this decision. Even if the emperor knows about it, nothing will happen. "
Feng Bao reluctantly accepted this statement and said: "Since Mr. Zhang Ge has this responsibility and Feng can't say much, let's just do it like this." He paused, then frowned and said: "Gao Huzhi, this holy family member , why are you so steadfast?"
Zhang Juzheng's eyes twitched twice and he said solemnly: "There are always times when things change."
This sentence reminded Feng Bao. Feng Bao looked around a few times and lowered his voice and said: "The emperor has been in a bad mood these past few days, and his food intake has decreased."
Zhang Juzheng's eyes moved and he said: "This is the misfortune of the world... How is the emperor's condition?"
Feng Bao said with some annoyance: "The emperor has replaced a group of personal servants, and I am not sure of the specific situation. But you don't have to worry. I estimate that it is not only my people who have been replaced, but also the people deployed by Meng Chong, Chen Hong and others." , has also been replaced. Now everyone in Qianqing Palace is afraid that they all have a dark look... I am trying to find ways to win over the people in Qianqing Palace, which will take some time. "
Zhang Juzheng frowned and asked, "Don't you know the situation at all? Is it getting worse or getting better?"
Feng Bao sneered and said: "In such troubled times, how can the emperor's condition be alleviated? Besides, although the emperor has replaced a batch of internal servants in Qianqing Palace, he can't just replace those imperial doctors, right?"
Zhang Juzheng's eyes lit up: "Feng Gongyou...reached a consensus with a certain imperial physician?" He originally planned to say, "Feng Gongyou bribed a certain imperial physician?" But when the words came to his lips, he woke up and changed his words.
Feng Bao was not so cautious. He waved his hand and said: "The imperial doctors cannot bribe them. If they have problems with this kind of thing, it will be a crime against which the nine tribes cannot be protected. I thought of the solution based on the people around the imperial doctors - at least One thing is certain, the emperor’s dosage of medicine has increased.”
Zhang Juzheng was overjoyed, and his face became more serious. He nodded and said: "Korai Changjun, we ministers should recite prayers for the emperor day and night, but if the country is unlucky and the emperor really has a contingency... we also need to be prepared."
Feng Bao's eyes flashed and he nodded: "I came today to discuss it with Mr. Ge in detail." He paused and said, "I have something to tell Mr. Ge: Dongchang has found out that Jinghua Soap The soap produced by the factory flows into Liaodong from Xuecheng through the command of Zhongtunwei in Kaiping."
Zhang Juzheng was good at political maneuvering in officialdom and didn't know much about these business matters. He frowned and said, "So what?"
Feng Bao chuckled and said, "Mr. Ge, Jinghua Soap has huge profits, you know that, right?"
Of course Zhang Juzheng knew this. He himself used the Guoshi soap produced by Jinghua Soap Factory.
When Feng Bao saw him nodding, he continued: "Although the specific profit of Jinghua Soap is unknown, it must be huge. And for such a hugely profitable product, that guy Gao Pragmatic was willing to hand over the entire distribution rights of Liaodong. Xuecheng.”
Zhang Juzheng vaguely understood what Feng Bao meant, and asked: "What is the origin of this Xuecheng?"
Feng Bao chuckled: "Old Haojiaoge knows that this man is the direct younger brother of Xue Qian, Marquis of Yangwu."
Zhang Juzheng's eyes immediately lit up.
When Feng Bao saw this, his smile became even brighter, and he added: "The people in Dongchang followed the clues and found that he couldn't keep much of the money Xuecheng made from it. Most of it should have been transferred back to Marquis Yangwu of the capital. Mansion."
"Oh? Mr. Feng, please continue." Zhang Juzheng said calmly.
"But the money was not sent directly to Yangwuhou's Mansion, but to a foreign residence in Yangwuhou's Mansion - that place is owned by Xue Yuan, the eldest son of Yangwuhou." Feng Bao chuckled and added Said: "This Xue Yuan is quite close to many distinguished disciples in Beijing, but that is not the key. The key is that he seems to have a very good relationship with Gao Pragmatic, and there is quite a lot of contact between the two people."
Zhang Juzheng frowned, thought for a moment, and asked, "Is there any more?"
"Yes." Feng Bao said in a deep voice: "Dongchang continued to investigate and found that Gao Pragmatic was not only closely related to Xue Yuan, but also the children of nobles in the capital, and even the children of many civil servants' families, were connected with him. I suspect... …This was not Gao Pragmatic’s own intention, I’m afraid it was Gao Gong’s instigation.”
Zhang Juzheng did not speak for a while, and then he pondered for a moment and then said: "I think something is wrong. Feng Gong, I understand what you mean. You are saying that the Gao family used the profits from Jinghua Soap to win over the nobles and even some civil servants in the capital, but in my opinion Mr. Gao Ge understands that he may not bother to do this, so this matter is not necessarily instigated by Mr. Gao Ge, but more likely that Gao Pragmatic did it himself."
Feng Bao frowned and said, "Did Gao Qingshi do it himself? Even so, but it doesn't make any difference. When there is a chance to pursue the case, the uncle and nephew of the Gao family will always be grasshoppers on the same rope."
Zhang Juzheng understood what he meant, and Feng Bao's implication was that as long as there was a chance to pursue this matter, he would blame it on Gao Gong. After all, Gao was pragmatic at his age, and it was only him who could talk about such a big matter. How many people in the world are willing to believe this idea without Gao Gong's permission?
He nodded inwardly, feeling that this was a solution. But there are two issues that need to be resolved in this matter. The first is how deeply the nobles and civil servants in the capital are involved in this matter, and how strong the backlash from these people will be if he and Feng Bao pursue this matter; The second thing is how wide-ranging this matter is. If it is too wide-ranging, it will be very troublesome to pursue it. Even if he and Feng Bao join forces and find the right opportunity, it is impossible to bring the nobles and nobles in Beijing together. A large number of civil servants were captured in one fell swoop - that would be a more serious problem than the death of the emperor, and there might be big trouble.
You must know that even if the emperor dies, as long as the prince is well, he can directly succeed to the throne. As long as the capital is not in chaos, this is a very appropriate thing.
But to capture all the nobles and nobles in the capital, no one would dare to try such a thing. Who knows how much trouble it would cause - in theory, all the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses in the capital camp are placed under the names of these nobles, even if in fact The shortage is serious, but there are at least a dozen or two hundred thousand people. If so many Qiuba get into trouble, no one can stop it.
In addition, some civil servants are also involved, and the consequences are even more unpredictable.
Thinking of this, Zhang Juzheng had to seek stability and asked: "Who are actually involved and how deep are they involved? Mr. Feng, please find out more clearly... Mr. Feng also knows that although those honorable men are usually It doesn’t have much serious use, but after all, they live together with the country, and if they all cry and seize the palace together, it will be troublesome.”
Feng Bao also felt nervous after hearing this. Of course he knew how powerful it was for the nobles to cry and seize the palace together. A top civil servant like Zhang Juzheng might not care too much about the power of the nobles, but he was an eunuch, so that was for sure. I don't dare to confront the nobles. After all, nobles and nobles are the hands, feet and arms of the emperor, and eunuchs are just domestic slaves. How can they be compared?
Cut off your arms for a domestic slave? No fool would choose this.
Although Feng Bao refused to believe that Gao Pragmatic could bribe all the nobles in Beijing, the danger of such a thing was indeed too great. Zhang Juzheng's worries were not unreasonable. He had no choice but to nod his head and said: "What Mr. Ge said is true. I'll go and let him know." The lads below will work harder and figure things out thoroughly before making any further calculations."
