Zhu Yijun did not communicate his thoughts on political reform to Liang Menglong - it was not the time yet. After discussing the administration of officials, Liang Menglong discussed the word "power" again, and initially planned to further subdivide the functions of the current nine ministries, including the Privy Council, and re-plan and increase or decrease them according to the actual situation.
When talking about the word "law", Liang Menglong said: "After Taizu, the "Da Gao" was not used. The ancestors and clans made imperial edicts and legislation, or based on the "Da Ming Order", "Da Ming Law" and "Ming Huidian". The "Kaocheng Method" proposed by Prince Zhongxing has its origins in the "Huidian"." Zhu Yijun nodded in agreement.
Liang Menglong sighed and said: "However, since the reform, industry and commerce have flourished, and there have been many disputes. The household orders, household laws and historical precedents in the "Da Ming Order" and "Da Ming Law" are difficult to deal with today's civil disputes. I believe that for the overall plan of the reform, the revision The legal issue is imminent. This matter has been discussed between the government and the opposition for some time."
Zhu Yijun nodded in agreement and agreed: "If there is no law, businessmen and people will litigate, and local officials and subordinate officials will judge at will, and businessmen and people will suffer a lot." Liang Menglong said: "Yes."
Liang Menglong was very happy to see Long Yan, and continued boldly: "Since the emperor ascended the throne, he has produced dozens of edicts and orders such as the "Edict on Prohibition of Foot Binding", "Edict on the Management of Private Schools", and "Regulations on the Management of the Newspaper Industry of the Ming Dynasty". "Law" Bylaws. The ancestors of the past dynasties have had many such edicts, and there are many contradictions in them. In local government cases, there are criminal secretaries who are familiar with the relevant laws and regulations citing such edicts, and which side is favored depends only on the amount of bribes—— The Metropolitan Procuratorate still cannot find fault, which is a serious drawback."
"That's why I say that the key point of this political reform is the word 'law'."
Zhu Yijun was shocked when he heard this. He looked at Liang Menglong and waited for him to tell him the solution. Liang Menglong did not dare to look at the emperor, but looked straight at the emperor's robe, took a deep breath and said: "I have been thinking wildly these days, which may not be appropriate - I believe that the "Da Ming Code" should be rewritten and subdivided into "Xing", "Shang", "Xing" and "Shang". "Hu", "Bing", etc., and compiled "Lvgao" as its general outline!"
Zhu Yijun couldn't hide the excitement on his face. He quickly turned around and looked at the glass window of Dongnuan Pavilion. Although Liang Menglong added a prelude of "random thoughts", his heart was beating fast after he finished saying this. He did not dare to look at the emperor anymore and bowed his head in silence.
Zhu Yijun calmed down and said with a smile: "Taizu's edict said, 'The law cannot be changed lightly', and 'descendants will abide by it. If the officials make any slight changes, they will be charged with disturbing the ancestral system.' Mr. Mingquan is very brave." The voice gradually became lower, and Liang Menglong clearly heard a very light sigh.
Hearing this sigh, Liang Menglong couldn't hide the excitement in his heart, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, although the "Da Ming Code" was produced by Taizu's 'labor of mind and worry for nearly 20 years,' and the edict was 'not to be published' '. However, later descendants created regulations based on the law, and regulations were created based on the regulations, resulting in numerous regulations. The treacherous officials used the regulations to replace the laws due to circumstances, and they were arbitrary in severity - how can all the people in the world be wronged?"
Then he knelt down with a plop and said: "I am willing to work with all my heart and courage to be a pair of monarchs and ministers who can overcome thorns and thorns with Your Majesty, so that the Prince of Zhongxing County will not be the most beautiful!"
At this time, the sunlight approaching noon penetrated through the glass windows of Yangxin Hall, and it seemed as if thousands of pure dust were flying in the pillar of light. Zhu Yijun turned around and helped Liang Menglong up, and said in a deep voice: "I believe that Mingquan's wish today will be recorded in the history of the country and set an example for future generations!"
The audience process lasted for nearly two hours. Liang Menglong was given a banquet by the emperor in the middle and had a few drinks with the emperor.
Today's palace restrictions are many times stricter than when the emperor first ascended the throne. If the emperor ordered the news to be blocked, no one would tell anyone about the palace ban. For more than ten years, anyone who flouted the palace ban and talked nonsense would have a miserable end.
But the fact that Liang Menglong was given a banquet seemed to have grown wings. In just two days, no one in the capital knew about it. If some people still don't understand the meaning of this banquet, "tap water" can explain it.
If the summons and banquet on the first day of the Lunar New Year were considered normal - after all, there were not one hundred but eighty courtiers who had the same experience, so it was not too rare. But after the morning court on the third day of November, the emperor stayed with Liang Menglong again when the court dispersed, which was a clear signal.
In just five days, Liang Menglong's power expanded rapidly. The ministers and above were still a little reserved, waiting for Liang Menglong to write a letter or post a note; the sedan chairs below the minister were already lined up for half a mile at the door of Liang Mansion.
On the fifth day of November, the emperor officially issued a decree to nominate Liang Menglong as Prime Minister and Xu Tingtui. The next day, without the presence of the emperor, ministers of the third and higher ranks of the court held a secret ballot in the Huangji Hall. Liang Menglong, who received Luo Wanhua's support, received 70% of the votes and successfully became the third prime minister after the Wanli Reform. Minister.
On the ninth day of November, after the early morning court session, the Ministry of Rites set up a seat for the emperor at Huangji Gate and issued the edict on the appointment of the prime minister and ministers.
After Taizu deposed the prime minister, the word "prime minister" disappeared from Ming Dynasty official circles for two hundred years. Despite the implementation of major reforms, Zhu Yijun still did not completely break through the ancestral system, and in the end he did not give Zhang Juzheng the title of "prime minister".
Zhang Juzheng had no complaints and worked hard until his death. The most important reason was that after the reform, the Zhengshitang had the seal of "Zhengshitang Order" - this is the most essential difference between the Zhengshitang and the "cabinet".
With this seal, the prime minister is the prime minister. As for whether his name is "prime minister", it doesn't matter to Zhang Juzheng.
Another reason is that the emperor's participation in designing the etiquette for the appointment of prime ministers and ministers is so awesome-it is no less generous than the ancient worship of prime ministers. Two of the most exciting things:
First, after the emperor appoints the prime minister, he must pay homage to his ancestors. The ceremony is similar to that of memorial ceremony: the emperor and the prime minister must fast and bathe three days in advance. On the official day, the emperor wore a formal ceremonial dress, went to the ancestral hall, and paid homage to his ancestors - this was the most important thing for civil servants.
Second, the appointment process of prime ministers and ministers has a higher standard than the "Xuanma Worshiping Prime Minister" in the Tang and Song Dynasties: all those with rank seven or above in Beijing watch the ceremony in the square outside Huangji Gate. When the prime minister and ministers saluted, the emperor stood up to receive the salute. When the edict was promulgated, the emperor personally held it in his hands, and the prime minister and ministers knelt down to receive it. The emperor bowed and said: "I will burden you with state affairs, sir, so I encourage you!"
The Prime Minister held the imperial edict and replied: "I obey the imperial edict. I must be loyal and do my best, assist and assist, and perform my duties respectfully!"
During this question and answer, although the prime minister knelt down to receive the edict, the emperor stood up to receive the ceremony and bowed! After this ceremony, it didn't matter whether the "Prime Minister" was the "Prime Minister" or not. On the contrary, it was the honor of being "courteous and courteous" that made every minister's bladder swell when he thought about it.
Of course, being polite to a hundred officials does not end after this ceremony. There are also some new etiquette rules: for example, when the prime minister and his ministers travel, princes and below must avoid them when meeting them. That is, both the ceremonial guard and the sedan chair have to wait at the roadside, waiting for the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister's ceremonial guard and sedan chair to pass first.
Others, such as when the prime minister is seriously ill, the emperor comes to inquire about his illness and gives him medicine; when the prime minister dies in office, the emperor drives to pay his respects; the prime minister has chariots to sit in the political hall and the palace - the above are not expressly stipulated, but belong to The "tradition" left behind after the interaction between the emperor and Zhang Juzheng.
Including during the New Year holidays, everyone from door gods to gifts of all sizes to the emperor would have to think about the Prime Minister - Zhang Siwei was impeached for accepting a huge number of gifts from the emperor, but still failed to "respectfully fulfill his duties".
(End of chapter)
