Wang An had noticed Wang An's previous high pragmatism, judged his fate, and even deliberately did something to speed up the process. But to be honest, Gao Pragmatic did not expect that he would die so quickly and without any warning.
According to Gao Pragmatic's original prediction, there is a high probability that Wang An will get into trouble after the secret connection between him and Shen Yiyi is exposed, and Shen Yiyi is involved in the "medicated diet case" and cannot be cleared of suspicion.
Moreover, Gao Pragmatic did not even judge that Wang An would die - if he had to say death, it would only be his political life. The final outcome was more likely to be "Sixiang Xiaolingwei" or "Nanjing Zhongcai".
But Wang An still died, very suddenly, and what is even more questionable is his method of death: hanging himself.
After all, he is the Superintendent of Ceremonies, Bingbi, and the Supervisor of the East Factory. From the perspective of internal and external relative matters, his status is like that of the second assistant in the cabinet. To be honest, it would be difficult for a senior official of this level to die even if he failed in the party struggle. Unless there is irrefutable evidence of suspected treason, it is generally impossible to lose his life.
It is impossible for Wang An not to know this reality, so how could he be so obsessed with it that he chose to hang himself so suddenly?
Theoretically speaking, there is only one possibility, and that is that he is really suspected of treason, and the truth will be revealed to the world soon. Since the crime was unpardonable and there was no way to escape, he had no choice but to hang himself. At least he could preserve his last trace of dignity and avoid being pushed out of the Meridian Gate and executed in Lingchi, ending up with a tragic end of being cut into pieces without a whole body.
In this case, the problem arises. Although Wang An has done a lot of small things and is certainly guilty according to the crime, in the final analysis, he is not treasonous! Guilty and unpardonable crimes are two completely different concepts in a human-governed society like the Ming Dynasty.
For example, Gao Pragmatic beat someone to death on the street one day. Do you think he is guilty? There is definitely a crime, but it is by no means an unpardonable crime.
Gao Pragmatic can be said to be that the other party did not avoid the honor guard of the imperial ministers. He only ordered a slight punishment, but the subordinates were a bit harsh, so this was an accident. He could even be even more shameless and simply say that the other party's dirty words to him were an insult to the imperial officials and a contempt for the laws of respect and inferiority!
When such a matter comes to the emperor, it is very likely that the emperor will finally say: "What Gao Aiqing said is absolutely true, and the court's laws cannot be tarnished." Then this person will be killed in vain. The unlucky guy who died innocently and tragically will have no choice but to go to the Lord of Hell. Thinking that you are unlucky, you will die in vain and go to the city to cry out for injustice.
This is called man-governed society. Depending on your status, the laws that apply to you will be different. What is fairness and justice? What the hell is that?
People are born as princes and grow up to be emperors; you are born as a refugee and grow up to be a beggar. In the eyes of others, you are at most just a "wait" in the statistical results. How do you still expect others to treat you fairly and justly? This is not what dreams do.
Therefore, Wang An's death was too strange. There was no reason for him to die. Taking a step back, Wang An is now in the key position of admiral of the East Factory as a bargaining chip. If he is willing to change his stance, he is pragmatic and may not be unwilling to accept it. Why would he die suddenly?
Gao Pragmatic narrowed his eyes slightly, and his mind was running at high speed - what went wrong?
Not only was Gao Ponggong pragmatic and calculating, but now half of the high-ranking officials present here had come to the court. Everyone could not help but be surprised, surprised, and doubtful, and then discussed the various possibilities behind this matter with their close colleagues.
Even Chen Yubi, the official minister who only expressed some attitudes at the beginning of the meeting, could not sit still at this time. He leaned over and said to Gao pragmatically: "Rixin, just yesterday, Dongchang and Jinyiwei The investigation into the medicinal diet case has officially begun, do you think there will be any involvement here... In addition, Wang An was recommended by Chen Zhangyin."
Chen Yubi was not originally a member of the Real School. He was the son of Chen Yiqin, a colleague and cabinet minister of Gao Gong during the Jiajing and Longqing dynasties. He was originally a small force of his own.
Later, during the War of Yunnan and Burma, Liu Shizeng, an important member of the Chen Party and governor of Yunnan, fell into political passiveness because of the unsatisfactory war. It was Gao Pragmatic who stepped in to help him, and this kept the Chen Party from falling apart.
From then on, Chen Yubi saw the general trend clearly and honestly joined the Real School, but he still had a certain independent status. As a "non-core force" of the Practical School, Chen Yubi himself was promoted to the special high position of Minister of Civil Affairs by Gao Pragmatic - part of the reason why he was promoted was that he was not the core of the Practical School and stayed in such a sensitive position. Received less criticism.
Of course, since it is "non-core", there are many secrets that he did not get in time. For example, we can know from his words at this moment that he is not even aware that the relationship between Chen Ju and Wang An has changed.
However, Gao Pragmatic couldn't elaborate with him at the moment. He could only nod slightly and said, "There are some doubts in this. I will discuss it in detail with Brother Yulei after the meeting." Chen Yubi also knew that now was not the time to discuss in detail. He nodded and said: "I hope to see you again every day."
So, Gao Jingshi coughed heavily, and everyone immediately quieted down to see what Mr. Gao Ge had to say.
"Although this incident is bizarre, more news will surely come out in the future. For now, we should continue to discuss the disaster in Jiangnan." Gao pragmatically said calmly: "My judgment is that this white disaster in Jiangnan will not be the only one. Several prefectures and counties were seriously affected by the disaster, and in more places, the time to report the disaster may have been delayed due to inconvenient roads. However, those of us who are assisting the government must not be unpredictable.
This dynasty has been in existence for more than 200 years. In the past, due to financial difficulties, it was often unable to deal with disasters among the people. However, since he took the throne today, he has worked hard for more than 20 years and the country has been rejuvenated. Therefore, the imperial court increasingly plays a backbone role in disaster relief. You have all experienced this, and I don’t need to explain it one by one.
This time, there was the Liaodong earthquake in the north and the white disaster in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the south. It was no coincidence. However, as the saying goes, a nation can be rejuvenated by adversities and difficulties. Although this disaster is serious, it is also a great opportunity to test whether we are diligent in the king's affairs and whether we have the people in mind. Therefore, as Otsuka Zaigai said, the aftermath of these two major disasters should indeed be included in the key points of this year's official assessment.
You might as well tell us what measures you have taken to deal with the disaster in the south of the Yangtze River. By pooling our wisdom, we can always better solve these difficulties. "
Gao Pragmatic paid so much attention to the white disaster in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which surprised many people present. The reason is not complicated. Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the strongholds of the Heart School. From a political perspective, it is the hostile sphere of influence of the Practical School. It stands to reason that he should be pleased with his pragmatism when Jiangsu and Zhejiang are hit by the disaster. Even if he has to show the so-called prime ministerial demeanor, he only needs to routinely reduce or reduce taxes in various places this year.
It can even be said that the tax does not necessarily need to be completely reduced. You can see from the handling opinions of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs: "Those who suffer severe disasters will be taxed in different colors, while those who suffer from mild disasters will still be taxed in their original form, and items such as rice, beans, sesame, etc. will be used as sacrifices." The use of the mausoleum and temple cannot be changed."
This is normal practice! Those who are severely affected by the disaster will be exempted from a portion of the tax, and those who are lightly affected by the disaster will be levied as much as possible. As for the items collected in kind, such as rice, beans, sesame, etc., these are collected for sacrifice to the mausoleum and temple. You must charge as much as you should charge for these projects, not a penny less!
Look, in the Nanjing Household Department, this is called being an official, and this is called the ancestral system that must not be violated. You, the high-ranking minister, have elevated things like disaster relief to such a high level, and even said, "We are worried about the saints, and it is difficult to build a country." Having said it all, what kind of trick are you playing?
As for disaster relief, there are so many kind-hearted gentry among the people, so they will naturally contribute to the countryside. And the common people are not dead, so why don’t you just sweep the snow away from home? Why are you always so nervous? What's the matter, you have already been a Buddha among thousands of families in Henan and Guangxi, and now you plan to become a Buddha among thousands of families in Jiangsu and Zhejiang?
After Gao Pingshi's words came out, no one was willing to speak first, regardless of whether they were from the Practical School or the Heart School.
Officials from the Practical School feel that Jiangsu and Zhejiang have never dealt with us. Even if everyone has to help him out of respect for Mr. Gaoge, they will not take the initiative to get close to him. If a hot face touches a cold butt, Awkward or not?
Officials from the Xin School think Gao's pragmatic attitude is too weird. They say that there must be a monster when something goes wrong. Who knows what he is planning. Maybe this is because he deliberately extended favors to the Jiangnan area in order to establish his reputation as a practical sect and a great scholar in the world. In the end, it was just to win over the people's hearts and minds, causing the Wo Xin School to lose its final place of worship.
Of course, there are also many people who come from the neutral school of traditional Neo-Confucianism. They can be relatively objective and neutral, but they also have two troubles:
First, Gao Pragmatic seems to take disaster relief too seriously. This is not the tradition of the Ming Dynasty, and if this matter becomes a routine, then once there is a disaster in the future, everyone will have to find a solution in a hurry. You know, disasters are everywhere these days, and it’s not surprising that there will be a few more major disasters. Then we people will be busy to death by then?
Secondly, if you look at the officials from the two schools of practical learning and spiritual learning, they don't look at each other. At first glance, they seem to doubt each other's position. If I jump out and make irresponsible remarks at this time, who knows what they will think?
In officialdom, the emphasis has always been on doing more things rather than doing less. All big things are turned into small things. Only those with a brain defect would look for trouble and treat small things as big things. How much money of salary has the imperial court given us? Is it worth risking our lives so much?
What, why do you think Gao Ge Lao has to do this? What a joke, why are you comparing yourself to others? Not only are their saints independent and prosperous, but they have also allowed civil and military officials to do so over the years, and they have made countless great achievements in civil and military affairs. Maybe they will be another "Wen Zheng" after their death! Are you competing with him to see who eats more?
Seeing that there were dozens of people present, but no one answered for a long time, Gao Pragmatic's expression gradually turned stern.
——
Thanks to book friends "Cao Mianzi" and "Lonely Yimi" for their support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Book Friends 20200516141431603" and "Yu Jian Fei Peng Chong Lou" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
PS: As I said before, I am very busy on Tuesday and Thursday. I won’t be free until 9:30 tonight. I only have 3K now. I will update it first. I'll try to work extra hours later to see if I can squeeze in another chapter, but I can't guarantee it.
(End of chapter)
