After completing all the necessary measures to stabilize his position, Gao Pragmatic also happened to receive news from the palace on this day.
This news was not easy to come by, because the source was not the emperor - it was easy for the emperor to pass the news to Gao Pangshang. This was what the Chief of Ceremonies did, and generally there was no need to avoid anything, he could just send someone to the door to inform him.
In fact, the news passed to Gao Pragmatic from the palace came from the eldest princess Yongning, or to be more precise, it came from both the queen and the eldest princess.
Gao Jingzhi always had his own news network in the palace, so the sources of news were wide, and there were not just one or two lines. In fact, he has multiple non-overlapping information sources and multiple message transmission lines. In addition to the most obvious two lines, the eunuch Ju, the eunuch in charge of the rites, and Liu Ping, the eunuch Bingbi, the ceremonial eunuch, he also has other connections with others. The slightly lower status Dahui maintain a "long-term cooperative relationship."
History books describe a person as being deeply rooted in the court, but they often do not explain in detail the aspects in which this deep-rootedness is reflected. In fact, someone like Gao Pragmatic is said to have deep roots - whether inside or outside the palace, in various ministries and offices, there are people who work for me or who cooperate with me; whether in the court, in the army, or among the people in the capital, there are many people up and down. People who are influenced by me.
Of course, the more important thing is that whether these people maintain a close relationship and cooperate closely with "me", or they are just mentally and emotionally inclined to "me", in the final analysis, it all depends on interests. Only when "I" can truly affect their actual interests can the above fetters and connections be effective and even last long.
What role can Gao Pingxi play in the palace so that he can influence many people to maintain a "long-term cooperative relationship" with him? There are at least two aspects to this: power and money.
Over the years, Gao Jingshi's greatest direct influence in the palace has come from his close allies: Huang Mengyu and Chen Ju - of course, after Huang Mengyu retired, this faction was succeeded by his nephew Liu Ping.
These two people, or the two inner court factions, are the direct manifestation of Gao Jingzhi's acquisition of "personnel power" in the palace. It was precisely because Gao Pragmatic personally promoted the rise of Huang Mengyu and Chen Ju in his early years, and took advantage of the fact that Zhu Yijun, who was still the new emperor at that time, had no one around him to quietly cultivate them into the emperor's closest friends. With the fact that they were able to control the "administrative affairs" of the inner court through them for a long time.
If the young eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty wanted to stay in the inner court, almost all of them had to join the sect of a certain big minister. This has been mentioned many times before. If you don't take sides, no one will support you when you have a chance to get promoted and protect you when you get into trouble.
On the contrary, if a small fish or shrimp with no foundation is found to be hugged by a thigh, it will only be swallowed up by the big sharks without leaving any skin or bones. To some extent, the factions in the inner court were even more divided than those in the outer court.
The alliance between Gao Jingshi and the two strongest factions in the inner court, Chen and Huang, will naturally severely squeeze the power space of the eunuchs who are not the two factions in the palace and seriously damage their interests. This is why Zhang Jing, Zhang Cheng and others will Going forward one after another and being the enemy of high pragmatism - all other reasons are secondary or superficial reasons, this is the most fundamental reason.
Even Wang An's choice to betray Chen Ju a few days ago actually had this reason: You, Chen Ju, are always supported by Gao Pragmatic, who is about to become the chief minister in the outer court, so when will it be our turn to take the throne?
Moreover, you, Chen Ju, sent us to the side of the emperor's eldest son, so that you can monitor the emperor's eldest son, and it seems that we can also make great contributions to you. However, this also binds us men to the lineage of the eldest son of the emperor. In the future, once the eldest son of the emperor cannot take the throne, are you really willing to recommend us men when you retire? You won't, because you will definitely consider the emperor's feelings when recommending a successor.
In other words, although Chen Ju was promoting Wang An, in Wang An's view, Chen Ju's actions actually restricted him to the position of admiral of Dongchang, and he would never have a chance to aspire to the position of palm seal - unless the emperor The eldest son succeeds to the throne.
All the bustle in the world is for benefit, and all the hustle and bustle in the world is for benefit. The so-called irreconcilable conflicts in the world are, in the final analysis, nothing more than irreconcilable conflicts of interest - you have seen the Sweet Zongzi Party and the Salty Zongzi Party arguing with each other, but have you ever seen them become sworn enemies?
Gao Jingzheng had many "cooperating partners" in the inner court. Firstly, he could take care of or suppress certain people through the hands of Chen Ju and Liu Ping. Secondly, he could also satisfy the greatest pursuit of most eunuchs. - The pursuit of money.
The greed of eunuchs in terms of money is well known to everyone, but what many people may not understand is that although there are many ways for eunuchs to make money, there are actually not many ways to make big money.
Just as the hierarchy among eunuchs is even stricter than that of the outer court, the eunuchs' ability to make money is also very different. A eunuch who wants to make a lot of money in the capital generally needs two conditions: holding a high position or holding an important position.
Eunuch is a "profession" that relies entirely on the emperor's endorsement. Being able to hold a high position among eunuchs not only means that he has a distinguished status in the eunuch system, but also means that this person is deeply trusted by the emperor. In this way, the more senior the eunuch is, the more he can borrow the power of the imperial power, and naturally he is the target of countless people below who must fawn over him.
This is like saying that Chen Ju promoted Wang An before, and within ten years he was able to promote him to the position of admiral of Dongchang, the second-in-command in the inner court. This shows how important the emperor's trust is to eunuchs - it is crucial!
When he reaches such a position, his position in the inner court is like a high and pragmatic position in the outer court. There are many people who fawn over and seek refuge, so naturally there will be no less filial piety. This kind of money-making method is the most reliable. Whether the emperor or the queen mother, they often know the inside story, but no one will tell it because it is already an unspoken rule.
However, high positions are always very limited. Every carrot is a pit, and if the "godfather" in front of you has not left, then you have no chance to move up. The eunuch system of the Ming Dynasty did not have any elimination system for the last eunuch. Everyone usually worked for life until death, or resigned from the emperor after they could no longer work. Therefore, it was difficult to wait for the vacancies of high-ranking officials in the inner court.
It is better to expect them to die of old age or resign than to expect them to fail in a certain political struggle and end up being demoted to Nanjing to grow vegetables. This is a bit like many companies in Japan in later generations, with lifetime employment and extremely strict seniority rankings. Young people cannot expect to rise to the top after entering a company. They can only follow the "seniors" to do everything they can, and wait for the day when the seniors get old and retire. Or even just send it, then it's your turn - unless of course your family is from a wealthy family.
Therefore, compared to high positions, what most eunuchs can really hope for are important positions. What is an important position? Being able to work in the Supervisor of Ceremonies is almost always an important position, as long as he has the opportunity to go out of the palace to do things. However, it does not mean that only the position of the Chief of Ceremonies is an important position. The twenty-four eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty (this is the abbreviation, actually the twelve eunuchs, the eighth bureau, and the fourth division), but all the eunuchs who hold the seal of the first eunuch can actually be counted. Important position.
After all, when you reach the level of Palm Seal, you are not only in charge of a single supervisor, specializing in certain affairs, but also, judging from the level, you can be transferred to the Secretary of Ceremony Supervisor for re-use.
Even for Zhidianjian, who was in charge of sanitation, his eunuch was also a familiar person who often appeared in front of the emperor - remember one thing, the logic of power operation is many concentric circles, the closer to the center of the circle, the stronger. The palm seal of the Zhidian Supervisor seems insignificant, but it is also in the circle closest to the center of the emperor, and it is much more powerful than the people in the outer circle.
The driver may not be important, but if he is the top driver, do ordinary people dare to look down on him?
However, Gao Pragmatic was very cautious in his dealings with the various supervisors. Instead, he focused more on the various bureaus and departments of the inner court, such as the War and War Bureau, the Banking Bureau, the Salary Cherishing Department, and the Baochao Department. , these are highly pragmatic and truly in-depth cooperation partners.
On the one hand, it is not a pleasant thing for Chen Ju and Liu Ping to establish direct contact with various supervisors, and it can easily make the relationship between the two parties tense; on the other hand, the Bingzhan Bureau, Yinzuo Bureau, and Xi The Xinssi and Baochaosi are all palace institutions that need to be closely connected with the outside world. Jinghua's high pragmatism makes it easy to quietly control them through cooperation.
Some people may be curious, Gao Pragmatic is not short of money anyway, so what is the use of controlling these inner court departments with real power?
In fact, it does not necessarily have to have a clear role at all times, but at least Gao Pragmatic can clearly know the financial situation in the palace, and knowing the finance... can actually predict many things. To give the simplest example: You know that Desan owes a huge debt to the old butt, but he has built a lot of weapons and equipment, so how can you still not know that Mustache is going to start a war?
In fact, there is really no such thing as a sneak attack. Those are all signs. At most, the leaders of other major powers do not know the specific date of the outbreak of the war, but the "outbreak" itself must have been expected by them.
Getting back to the subject, the person in the palace who brought the news to Gao Pingshi was none other than a secretary sent by Jiu Jian Mian Ju's seal.
The Wine and Vinegar Noodles Bureau is one of the "Eight Bureaus" of the imperial court. It is mainly responsible for the purchase and storage of bulk materials. Therefore, it is naturally inevitable to cooperate closely with Jinghua Trading Company, the northern commercial overlord.
With this relationship, it would be easy for the Wine, Vinegar and Noodles Bureau to send someone to Jinghua Trading Company to deliver some news. It would be even more natural for Jinghua Trading Company to receive the news and send it to the Nanning Marquis Mansion. Who would think that there is anything wrong with a servant reporting to the head of the family? Wrong?
In the study, Huang Zhiting raised her eyebrows slightly and said: "Looking at it from this point of view, everything the master wants to see is being realized step by step. This time, a comprehensive agreement has been reached inside and outside the palace. As long as the master requests the appointment of the heir apparent, Even the Emperor has no reason to delay any longer.”
Gao pragmatic nodded slightly and said "hmm".
Huang Zhiting said in surprise: "The master doesn't seem too happy. Is there any variable here?"
"That's not true. There won't be many changes this time." Gao Pingshi shook his head and said, "I'm just feeling a little emotional, and at the same time I'm also a little worried about the future."
Huang Zhiting was stunned when she heard this, but shook her head and said: "Everything is fine for me, but I worry too easily... What future prospects are worth worrying about? The Ming Dynasty did not have the tradition of abolishing the prince at every turn. In fact, he is the crown prince and the future emperor, and you, sir, are the first to support him, so what future prospects are there to worry about?"
"From birth to adulthood, twenty years, no one dares to guarantee what will happen in such a long time." Gao Pragmatic said in a deep voice: "And the most important thing is that although Concubine Zheng will be affected by this matter, She was demoted as a concubine, but instead won the emperor's sympathy... If she learns to be smart from now on, that's fine, but if she is just temporarily subdued to wait for the future, it will be very bad. "
Huang Zhiting frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, she shook her head and said, "I think that even if this possibility does exist, even if it does, it will only cause some trouble, and it will not be possible after all."
"Really?" Gao Pingshi smiled and said, "You are more optimistic than me."
"I think that I don't really think that Concubine Zheng will be able to make a comeback in the future. My so-called worry is that I don't want to see any more trouble."
Huang Zhiting spread her hands and said: "Master, in the current situation, even she, Emperor Zheng, and Concubine Zheng can't turn the world upside down. In the future, when the throne of the East Palace is restored, Chang Hao and Chang Xun will also have their names decided. Who can turn the world upside down? ?
Besides, in the final analysis, Concubine Zheng can only rely on the emperor. But the emperor is the emperor first. She can't make everyone in the world unhappy just for her to be happy. Wouldn't she become King You of Zhou? I think that because of your Majesty's wisdom, you will not do such stupid things as playing tricks on the princes. "
Gao pragmatic nodded at first, but then suddenly smiled and said: "Your theory is correct, but you mentioned that the beacon fire plays on the princes, I would like to argue with you on this matter."
Huang Zhiting was stunned: "What do you mean by this?"
"The so-called beacon-fire play with the princes, or doting on Bao Si and demoting the queen, is probably not just as simple as being infatuated with Bao Si's beauty. In fact, what King You did was a deliberate political move."
Huang Zhiting's cultural level was not as good as Liu Xin's. She knew nothing about Gao Pingshi's remarks and wondered, "Why is this?"
"First of all, beacon messaging was a method only available in the Qin and Han Dynasties. King Zhou You didn't have it at all at that time. At that time, military warnings relied on drumming... Of course, this is not the point now."
Gao pragmatic waved his hand and said: "As people of later generations, when we read historical stories, we always habitually focus on the romance of King You of Zhou, while ignoring the cruel political struggle behind it.
The story goes that King You of Zhou doted on Bao Si very much. Not only did he play with the princes with a smile on his face, but he also deposed his wife, Empress Shen, and the prince Yijiu, and made Bao Si's son Bo Fu the crown prince.
However, Empress Shen cannot be deposed just because she wants to, because Empress Shen's brother Shenhou (some say he is Empress Shen's father) was very angry when he saw his sister and nephew being bullied like this. Quanrong attacked the capital of Haojing.
At this time, King Zhou You realized that he had made a big mistake, and panicked and asked someone to light a life-saving beacon. But this time, no one came to save him. So in the chaos and fighting, King Zhou You and his son Bofu died.
You see, there are a few key points here: the Queen Shen family is very powerful, and the Shen Hou coalition forces were able to easily defeat the 'Sixth Army of the Son of Heaven', which was the most theoretically powerful at the time, and easily capture Haojing. What does this mean?
Didn't King Zhou You know how powerful Shen Hou was before that? Now that he knew it, why would he do that? I'm afraid it can only mean one thing: he thinks that if he doesn't do something, then he, the Emperor of Zhou, will become the puppet of Marquis Shen.
Beyond that, let’s look at the ending. What's the ending of this story? It was Shenhou who joined forces with the Quanrong to attack Haojing, and King Zhou You was killed. Everyone supported Yijiu, the son of King Zhou You, to ascend the throne, that is, King Ping of Zhou. After King Ping succeeded to the throne, because Haojing had been destroyed, the capital was moved to Luoyi.
You see, after the whole incident developed, the winner behind it was Zhou Ping and Wang Yijiu. But although he was the winner, he did not win all - although he succeeded to the throne with support from all parties, he had to abandon Haojing, the home of the Zhou royal family, and moved to Luoyi, which was looked at by all the princes and had no hope of expansion. From then on, he was Being limited to a radius of two hundred miles finally caused the Zhou family to continue to decline and eventually die. "
"So that's it..." Huang Zhiting suddenly realized, but she didn't take it too seriously. She just nodded and said: "Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty is not the Zhou Dynasty, so there is no need to worry about these situations."
"Really?" Gao Pingshi asked calmly: "If some people think that the Ming Dynasty also had a Shenhou, then Zhiting, who do you think is worthy of being regarded as a Shenhou in this world?"
——
Thanks to book friends "Lu Ming Ye Jingqiang" and "Cao Mianzi" for their rewards and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Don't Envy Immortals Against the Wind", "Mr. Zhou's Migraine", "The Old Westerner of Altay", "Yun Covers the Moon and Rain", "SeamChe", and "First Login" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
PS: Grandpa has been discharged from the hospital. We have been traveling with him for two days. Now we are basically finished. We expect to resume normal updates starting tomorrow, or next Monday at the latest.
In addition, the previous statement that the book is "nearing the end" may have caused misunderstandings to some friends, who thought it was about to be finished. Let me explain here, this is a book that has written more than 7 million words. The so-called "epilogue" should also have a million words. This does not mean that I suddenly throw out a timetable for the following decades and say that I have finished it. ... Let’s not talk about anything else. I haven’t even finished Begonia Ye. The imperial examination only tests the Four Books and Five Classics. How can I finish it!
(End of chapter)
