The cabinet, unless it is a "dissatisfied staff", is usually a carrot and a pit. Now that the pits are full, naturally there is no way to add people. This is what Wang Xijue is worried about now, and Shen Shixing is actually more worried about it than Wang Xijue.
The current cabinet ranking is as follows: Shen Shixing, a bachelor of Zhongji Palace, Xu Guo, a bachelor of Jianji Palace, Wu Dui, a bachelor of Wenhua Palace, Wang Jiaping, a bachelor of Wuying Palace, Wang Xijue, a bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, and Wang Xijue, a bachelor of Dongge University. Scholar Liang Menglong.
There are nominally three assistant ministers of the Pragmatic School, but Xu Guo and Gao Jingshi are not the same person. They had not dealt with Gao Jingshi for many years before. Therefore, Gao Jingshi can actually rely on two assistant ministers in the cabinet.
On the Xin School side, there are naturally Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue, but Shen Shixing is the first assistant, so he obviously has extra "bonuses". And their advantages don’t stop there, because their advantages are even greater in terms of age: Shen Shixing is fifty-eight years old, Xu Guo is sixty-six years old, Wu Dui is sixty-six years old, Wang Jiaping is fifty-six years old, and Wang Xijue is fifty-nine. Years old, Liang Menglong is sixty-six years old. [Note: The above are all false years. ]
In other words, the three elders of the Practical School are all sixty-six years old. They are only four years away from the theoretical retirement time. They are all very old ministers.
what does that mean? This means that if nothing happens in the next four years, then the three elders of the Practical School will abdicate in four years and make way for their successors. Normally, it would be difficult for the Practical School to replace the three new ministers at once. In this case, the Heart School can certainly find a way to take advantage of the opportunity to get a quota and fill in their own people to enrich the team of the Central School of the Cabinet.
However, if Gao Jingshi was unable to be rewarded for his high merits and the emperor refused to convert him into a military minister, then the best way would be to let him join the cabinet as an exception. But if Gao Jingshi wants to join the cabinet, someone must step aside to make way for someone worthy of his position. Who will the emperor ask to step down at this time? It's hard to tell.
Generally speaking, it is impossible for important ministers, such as cabinet bachelors, who are regarded as prime ministers and assistants, to lose their posts for no apparent reason, and it is even rare for the emperor to take the initiative to remove them. Most of the time, something goes wrong and the cabinet minister takes the blame and resigns, or else he retires due to illness.
Taking the blame and resigning are very common in Ming Dynasty officialdom. In many cases, it is not even that important whether the "blame" really exists. For example, in the twelve years since Gao Pragmatic became an official, he has taken the blame and resigned countless times. Most of the time, it was not that he actually caused any irreparable losses, but just that he was questioned and said nothing. Speaking of Cishu.
Although he resigned only after being questioned, according to the official gameplay of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor could still accept it without reservation at this time. Or you can give him a little face and save him once, and then accept it when the assistant minister resigns again - anyway, resignation is usually not just once. After all, it is just pretending to be noble, so how can pretending once be enough?
For example, Xu Jie got into trouble by playing this trick. Originally he was just showing off, but when he asked to resign again, Emperor Longqing "reluctantly" accepted it, forcing him to resign and return home.
But the question is, who among the current cabinet would resign at such a moment? Everyone knows that being pragmatic means making great achievements. Resigning at this time is just like eating arsenic for an old man - he is impatient with life, and His Majesty the Emperor is worried that he will not be able to find a job.
However, both Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue knew that there was a big hidden danger, that is, Li Song's dismissal might be used to make a fuss.
Although Li Song blocked the border on the pretext of "discovering Chahar's detailed work", this argument was not very convincing. In addition, even if this happened, he blocked the border and cut off the food and wages of hundreds of thousands of troops, which would undoubtedly be a major "missed opportunity."
Because of this, although Gao Pragmatic's handling somewhat damaged the civil servant group's face, considering that Gao Pragmatic was also a civil servant, after the matter was disputed by the cabinet, it could only be concluded that Gao Pragmatic's handling was appropriate and did not overstep his bounds. But then another crisis arises: Is there anyone else standing behind Li Song's order? Is there a black hand controlling Li Song's actions?
It is not surprising to have such suspicions. After all, Li Song was a veteran border minister who had worked in Liaodong for twenty years. He could imagine with his toes the serious consequences of closing the border while the army was outside the Great Wall, and he could also imagine it with his toes. He knew very well that he could not withstand such charges. He knew the consequences but still dared to do it. Could it be that there were some high-ranking and powerful people hinting and instigating him behind his back?
Of course, this matter was decided by Shen Shixing after internal discussions among the top leaders of the Heart School!
Therefore, this matter cannot withstand investigation, and the secret may be revealed once investigated. For example, did Li Song keep the letter written by Shen Shixing to him? If so, if you find this letter, everything will become clear.
There is no need to even investigate. As long as someone questions and goes to the police, then as a rule, the person being questioned will have to go to the public office to resign and stay at home. In this way, the matter returns to what was said before - what if the emperor approves?
Wang Xijue thought of this and suddenly understood why Shen Shixing just said about Gao Pragmatic joining the cabinet: "If the emperor is determined to do this, with the blessing of the power of destroying the Yuan, none of us can save it."
Isn’t it irreversible? The current situation is that as long as the Real School insists on Li Song, Shen Shixing will have to resign, and even Wang Xijue will have to comply, and then the final decision on everything will be in the hands of the emperor.
Judging from Shen Shixing's performance, he should be planning to take a step back to open up the world. This may not be said to be conciliatory and pragmatic, but it can only be said to be forced by the situation. He must first protect himself and leave the green hills without worrying about running out of firewood.
Wang Xijue thought hard for a while, and finally gave up. He sighed and said, "It's really difficult... It seems that we can only place our hope on Bozhou."
Shen Shixing's former prime ministerial demeanor has now become much weaker. He said with a grimace: "Although Yang Yinglong of Bozhou occupies a favorable position, the weather, time and people are not as good as Liu Wei. I think it will be even more difficult for him to win. But fortunately we have It’s not that he has to win in the end, but he just has to have a big win.”
In fact, neither he nor Wang Xijue knew much about military affairs, but they could still do a rough analysis at the strategic level. At this time, Wang Xijue said: "Yang Yinglong's previous two great victories have actually dealt a big blow to the power of the Shi School in the southwest. If Gao Qiu hadn't been fighting in the north of the Great Wall at that time, the emperor would have given him some face. Maybe Sichuan has already become handsome."
When Wang Xijue said "Yi Shuai", he did not mean to replace Liu Wei, but Song Liangzuo. Generals like Liu Wei would not be replaced easily. After all, who would he use to fight if he were replaced? This is also the main reason why many generals can "encourage them to serve" and "make meritorious deeds" even if they suffer defeat. What's more, it wasn't Liu Wei who suffered the defeat before.
Shen Shixing said: "It doesn't matter that Sichuan is not easy to be handsome. If it is really easy to be handsome, we will lose our grip and it will become even more difficult to handle." After a pause, he became a little worried and asked, "Liu Wei, what are you doing here?" He became famous in Sichuan Gui (Pingman) when he was young. Brother Yuan Yu, how long do you think Yang Yinglong can last relying on the geographical advantage alone? Is there any chance of winning some victories?"
Of course Wang Xijue understood Shen Shixing's concerns. Liu Wei not only became famous in Sichuan and Guizhou, but also fought in the Yunnan-Burma War. It can be seen that he is very good at fighting in the mountains and forests of the south. Yang Yinglong's biggest reliance may not be very useful in front of him. But if Yang Yinglong not only fails to achieve any victory, but is defeated by Liu Wei three times, it will be even worse for the Heart School.
But now looking at the meaning behind Shen Shi's jargon, it seems that he hopes that he can find a way to help Yang Yinglong, not only to ensure that he will win, but at least to ensure that Yang Yinglong wins in a more important battle. This makes Wang Xijue feel Tricky.
Wang Xijue had the word "Sichuan" on his brows and said slowly: "Yuan Fu, not to mention that we don't have many grasps in Bozhou or nearby. Even if we do, I'm afraid it won't be easy to use randomly. Otherwise, if there is another Li Song case, I will How will it end between the two of them?"
Shen Shixing said worriedly: "Then we have to sit back and ignore everything, leaving the success or failure of life and death to God? Brother Yuan Yu, let's calculate the time account: Gao Qiuzhen returned victorious, voluntarily abstained and only brought 500 people back to the capital. With this posture, the emperor's reward will not be pending for a long time, so his entry into the cabinet will only be done quickly and not delayed.
Song Liangzuo and Liu Wei's side failed twice because they were too aggressive. This time they obviously spread the net on all sides but only attacked from one side. Therefore, their advance will not be too fast. Even if everything goes well, their victory time must be high. After Qiuzhen entered the cabinet.
So obviously, this matter became that as soon as Gao Qiuzhen entered the cabinet, Liu Wei immediately offered him a great gift to annihilate Yang Yinglong. Song Liangzuo and Liu Wei were both recommended by Gao Qiuzhen. Even if the emperor did not award a separate reward for this recommendation, this victory was enough to greatly enhance Gao Qiuzhen's prestige in the cabinet, and no one could shake it in the future. Brother Yuan Yu, is this what you want to see? "
"Of course I don't want to see it, but as Yuan Fu said just now, no one can stop the trend of Gao Qiuzhen entering the cabinet. Whether Liu Wei wins or loses on the southwest front is also beyond our control." Wang Xijue sighed. Said: "The biggest problem at the moment is that when it comes to war, the imperial court can only place its hope on people who seek truth. This is the core of all problems."
Shen Shixing couldn't help but regret what he said, and said with some regret: "It seems that we were very wrong before. I always feel that the real school's control of the Ministry of War is a gain that outweighs the losses, because as long as there is a defeat, it will severely damage Gao Qiuzhen." His prestige and power, who knows..."
This is a very sincere statement. Shen Shixing and the others were previously content with the "division of labor" of the He Shi School. A large part of the reason was that they all felt that among the three major basic areas of the Six Departments of the Shi School, only the Official Department was guaranteed to make a profit, while the Household Department If there are many troubles, it is easy to cause trouble; if there are many dangerous tasks in the Ministry of War, it is easier to cause catastrophe.
Although the Ministry of Husbandry and the Ministry of War have considerable power, they are both yamen that can cause big trouble if they are not careful. They are yamen that are difficult to achieve results and often cause trouble. How can they be as safe as the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Work that they control? The Ministry of Rites holds the imperial examination as usual, which is a great achievement. The Ministry of Works, whether it builds a mausoleum or renovates the three main halls, is a great achievement, and there is still enough money to be made.
But who knew that after Gao Pragmatic became the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he gained a lot of financial power. Now the funds for the Ministry of Rites to run the imperial examinations must be approved by the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Works also sends personnel from the Ministry of Revenue to calculate and calculate the entire process, so his income can be said to have dropped sharply.
At the same time, I originally wanted to wait and see how the Ministry of Household Affairs was stretched thin and repairing holes everywhere in order to cut down the Yuan. As a result, Gao Pragmatic was stunned. The newly established two departments and eleven departments greatly increased the income of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and also paid attention to the past. Strict control was imposed on some places that were easy to control, which could be said to both increase revenue and reduce expenditure. It took only two years to support a full-scale Northern Expedition of 600,000 troops. Who can explain this?
The Ministry of War is even more speechless and asking the sky. I don’t know what happened. All the armies of the Ming Dynasty suddenly became loyal and patriotic. In recent years, except for this time they suffered a little loss in Bozhou, all the others have achieved great success without exception. Victory, it was like seeing a ghost. Although these two small defeats in Bozhou shocked the court, they happened to happen after Gao Pingshi left the country, so he could not be blamed.
After going back and forth like this, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, the two departments where it is not easy to achieve results and where troubles are the most common, actually made great achievements after Gao was pragmatically mastered them, making the whole world feel that troubles are not terrible, as long as Gao Rixin is there. There is a way. What can the emperor think and do under such circumstances? Of course I will continue to rely on him.
In the final analysis, the problem is that Gao Pragmatic's ability to solve problems is really strong, and he can solve any trouble easily. Therefore, when we look back from this perspective, we will find that the past struggle ideas are fundamentally wrong. It is better to limit Gao Pragmatism's opportunities to solve problems from the beginning than to expect Gao Pragmatism to make mistakes!
It's a pity that this realization came too late, and it is too difficult to restrict him now.
But now that Shen Shixing has begun to reflect from this perspective, another door has opened. He thought for a moment and suddenly asked: "Brother Yuan Yu, do you think that if Gao Qiuzhen joins the cabinet, which one will the emperor put him in charge of?"
Wang Xijue is such a smart man. When he heard this, he knew what Shen Shixing was planning, but he shook his head and said: "I think it should still be the Ministry of Household Affairs, but so what? Even though Gao Qiuzhen is only in charge of the Household Department in name, he can Will his influence on the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War weaken on its own?"
Shen Shixing was really speechless, and then he said a little discouraged: "Is it possible that he is now like a flying dragon in the sky, and no one can stop him?"
He said this dejectedly, but unexpectedly reminded Wang Xijue. An idea suddenly flashed in Wang Xijue's mind, his eyes lit up and he said, "Yuan Fu's words are a great kindness!"
Shen Shixing was confused: "This is not a great good, this is a great evil!"
"Otherwise!" Wang Xijue suddenly became excited and said, "Yuan Fu, Feilong is the queen of the sky, but he has regrets."
"Uh, ah, you mean..." Shen Shixing suddenly understood. His eyes also lit up and he said with piercing eyes: "Brother Yuan Yu means that instead of stopping him, we should change our confrontation strategy in time. Why not take this opportunity to send him even higher, preferably '90,000 miles higher'?"
Wang Xijue laughed and said: "That's right, since we can no longer restrain him, let's let him go higher until he touches the nine heavens and the middle sky of Beichen."
Beichen is the residence of the Emperor of Heaven and the representative of the emperor.
----------
Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Yun Covers the Moon and Rain", "The Evil Smiling JJ", "Fat Belt Paper", "Feng Sheng Shui Qi 1976", "llhz", "Cao Mianzi", "Heaven huwz", "Altay's Old West" ", "Xinquanren", "Zhi Yujing Fengchen" monthly ticket support, thank you!
PS: I fell asleep in the middle of coding again, woke up from the cold and continued. This chapter is from the 29th, but today’s chapter is from the evening as usual.
