"Bai Gui, if you have time to play house with the children, you might as well take a look at this mountain of memorials."
As soon as Zhang Juzheng returned to the door of the cabinet office, he heard the sound of high arches coming from inside the house.
Bai Gui is Zhang Juzheng's nickname. He was a high-spirited person and had always been like this. He didn't feel rude when calling someone by his nickname. On the contrary, he felt that he was breaking the knot to show his closeness.
Zhang Juzheng was used to it. He walked into the straight room with high arches, picked a chair and sat down: "I can only pretend that I didn't hear what Yuan Fu said."
Gao Gong didn't even raise his head. He bent down at his desk and wrote: "There are no outsiders now. The few people on duty have all gone to Sishan Gate to express their condolences."
Zhang Juzheng poured himself a cup of tea and moistened his throat: "Yuanfu, now that Emperor Daxing has left, the crown prince seems to have really become wise, and his words and conversation make me admire him with admiration."
"In my opinion, he may not be a wise king in the future."
He gave a compliment and spoke casually, his tone seemed to be businesslike.
Gao Gong shook his head: "There are wise people in every generation and mediocre people in every generation. What's the point?"
"As soon as Sejong ascended the throne at the age of fourteen, he subdued the cabinet ministers, and then rectified the old abuses and revitalized the discipline. Wasn't he a wise king? But what happened after that? He practiced Taoism for twenty years and did not go to court!"
"Bai Gui, don't always think about having a wise king. The Ming Dynasty will be able to survive forever. No matter how precocious and intelligent you are, can you compare to you and me who are in the scientific examination?"
Gao Gong spewed out all the treasonous words, and Zhang Juzheng could only remain silent.
After a long time, Zhang Juzheng finally spoke: "Qing Su, your ministers to me will always be ministers to you, and your superior will always be your superior."
Gao Gong hummed, obviously not taking it to heart: "The emperor is naturally the emperor, especially the emperor who entrusts the government with the cabinet like the late emperor. He is a really good emperor."
Zhang Juzheng sighed in his heart.
This is the irreparable difference between him and Gao Gong - Gao Gong is too radical!
In other words, being too high-minded is unrealistic and takes things for granted.
It is true that Zhang Juzheng wants to preside over political affairs, but how long can he live?
After turning the world upside down, he will return the great government and new laws to the king. Even like Shang Yang, it is not a bad idea to leave people and keep the government. He is not greedy for power.
But Gao Gong didn't think so. This acquaintance of gold and stone was tired of the idea of ​​loyal ministers and wise kings, and wished that from now on, all kings would rule by Gong Gong.
Simply whimsical!
He didn't know what Gao Gong wanted to achieve, but no matter what, it was unrealistic.
The suppression was controllable for a while, but if Gao Gong really did what he did, the monarch whose authority had been eroded would inevitably rely on the Chief of Ceremonies to fight back crazily and fight internally and externally.
The Ming Dynasty could no longer stand the trouble.
Unfortunately, he knew that he could not convince Gao Suqing, just like he, Zhang Juzheng, would not agree with Gao Suqing.
Zhang Juzheng lightly ignored the topic: "Is Yuan Fu writing a memorial to impeach Feng Bao?"
Gao Gong waved his hand: "I have just sent the impeachment memorial to the palace. This is a matter for Xuanda. I am writing a letter to Wang Chonggu."
Zhang Juzheng's eyes flashed when he heard that the memorial to impeach Feng Bao had just been sent out.
But there was no expression on his face: "What does Yang Shangshu of the Ministry of War mean about the announcement?"
Gao Gong paused and continued to write: "Yang Bo said that the Tatars in Xuanda were really making trouble, and the border troops were in arrears for a long time, so Wang Chonggu had no choice but to do so."
Zhang Juzheng was startled: "Wang Chonggu can't suppress the border troops?"
This cannot be taken lightly.
Gao Gong sneered: "It's Yang Bo who can't suppress Wang Chonggu!"
He handed over a memorandum: "Take a look."
Zhang Juzheng stood up and took it, looking at the cover, he saw it was a Censor's Patrol.
He opened the memorial with doubts.
After scanning ten lines at a time, Zhang Juzheng's expression immediately became solemn.
He calmly said: "Of the 50,000 war horses I purchased last year, only 30,000 are usable!?"
Gao Gong had seen it beforehand and naturally knew what Zhang Ju was talking about. There was anger in his tone: "Not only that, the quota given to him by the Ministry of War last year was 70,000 horses!"
"In the first month of this year, all the horse price silver from Taipu Temple has been distributed."
"The Mongols didn't sell their horses, they were just making trouble because of this!"
Zhang Juzheng closed the memorial and frowned.
It turns out that all the grassland ministries are waiting for mutual trade to fill their stomachs. This matter has been discounted. It would be strange not to make trouble.
As for the destination of the horse-buying money, it is naturally self-evident.
Do you still have the nerve to claim that you owe pay? Not to mention, only 270,000 taels of military pay were sent to Xuanda University in February this year!
The business tax of the Xuan Mansion does not even have to be handed over to the central government, but now it is still asking the central government for money!
Xuanda is almost turning into a blood-sucking sarcoma!
Zhang Juzheng said: "Then Yuan Fu's letter is..."
The central government's letter was business-to-business, so there was no room for change.
Gao Gong obviously didn't want to get to this point, so he wrote the letter in his own name.
Gao Gong snorted coldly: "I'm asking him, after building walls and hoarding grain like this, when are he going to counterattack?"
Zhang Juzheng knew the angry words Gao Gong said, and he shook his head: "Yuanfu, I believe that Wang Chonggu is greedy and greedy for taking advantage of the bandits. If he says that he is preparing to rebel, I am afraid that it is too much."
"His two sons are still in the capital."
The Ming Dynasty is in danger, but no one dares to do this.
Gao Gong was silent for a while after hearing this.
Finally, he sighed: "Bai Gui, I don't know this. I just hope that he will restrain himself."
"I asked for a tribute (a certain Mongolian tribe surrendered). He has done meritorious service, and his entry into the cabinet was just a last resort. I'm afraid he won't be able to keep it later."
He and Wang Chonggu were Jinshi in the same year and had a good personal relationship.
Zhang Juzheng also frowned: "The national situation is difficult."
Gao Gong quickly calmed down his emotions and waved his hand: "Bai Gui, go and sign the official documents first. I really can't handle it in such a troubled time."
Zhang Juzheng nodded, stood up and said, "Just in time, Zi Xiang and I have to discuss the name of the late emperor's temple with the Ministry of Rites, so we'll go first."
After saying that, he turned around and left the room.
Gao Gong looked at Zhang Juzheng's leaving figure, his expression slowly becoming serious.
In the empty room, he said in a cold voice: "Did you hear everything I said?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure walked out of the screen behind his case.
He slowly walked to Gao Gong and said, "I heard everything that should be heard."
Gao Gong picked up the letter he had just written, turned his face and stared at him: "Zhang Siwei, please pass this letter to your uncle Wang Chonggu."
"Help me tell you one more thing. Just say that he is no longer a top student in Xuanda University. I will never trust him again. He will have to come to my center next year, and he can join the cabinet!"
"Otherwise, if Xuanda rebels against me, I will evacuate the remaining towns and kill him as well!"
The undisguised anger made Zhang Siwei tremble.
When other people said this, he could take it as a sign of fierceness but when he heard it from Gao Gong's mouth, he didn't dare not believe it.
Zhang Siwei stretched out his hand, took the letter from Gao Gong, and said hesitantly: "Yuanfu, does Yang Shangshu know about joining the cabinet..."
Even though Zhang Siwei was just a minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Wang Chonggu, the chief official in the border areas, was his uncle, the party leader Yang Bo was his cousin's father-in-law, and he himself was the big boss behind the Shanxi merchants.
It can be said that this is the prince of the Jin Party.
The next generation to be the leader of the party must be him.
Status is of great importance and cannot be explained by just a mere official position.
At this time, Gao Gong offered the cabinet's conditions in exchange for Wang Chonggu letting Xuanda go. Naturally, he had to stand on the Jin Party's side and confirm one or two things.
After all, Yang Bo is still the leader of the Jin Party and Wang Chonggu’s immediate boss.
If it was true as Gao Gong said, he was afraid that Yang Bo would have resentment and start an internal strife with his uncle, which would be bad.
Gao Gong did not answer directly, but just said: "Just keep your words."
He said this, he was already angry with Yang Boyong, but Zhang Siwei was not worthy of letting him explain.
Zhang Siwei Tuqiong saw this and said: "Yuan Fu... Our Jin Party is no better than others. Perhaps, can we give Yang Shangshu another quota?"
"We can put more effort into it then..."
They are a dignified Jin party. If they want money, they have Shanxi merchants, if they want power, they have Yang Bo, and if they want soldiers, they have Wang Chonggu. Isn't this kind of strength more worthy of fighting for than those in Nanzhili, Huguang, and Zhejiang?
It would be unreasonable not to bargain for the price.
Gao Gong was too lazy to answer. Who did the Jin Party think he was? He would give in a little out of his own ambitions, but he would not be coerced by anyone!
If it were not a matter of real power, which was extremely difficult and required the concerted efforts of many civil servants, he would not necessarily allow Zhang Siwei to make such noise here.
Yes, the truth is his high-profile plot!
Today's cabinet is different from the three-province system of previous dynasties.
The cabinet seems to be the official office of the prime minister, but in fact it is just the private office of the emperor. The actual official position of the cabinet ministers is that of Grand Master of the Imperial Palace, a rank of fifth rank, and is only used as an adviser to the emperor.
Since its establishment, there has been no prime minister in name or reality.
Only after the auxiliary ministers took over the power from generation to generation, following Xia Yan, Yan Song and others, until they reached Gao Gong, did they gradually become the real ministers and auxiliaries.
But even so, the emperor's private office, the five-rank official rank, and the official position system are still innately deficient. They can be created according to people, but they are not a regular system.
Unless - the real power of the prime minister is truly based on etiquette and elevates the cabinet to the status of prime minister!
This requires raising the rank of the cabinet officials, seizing the veto power of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, and even more needing the full help of civil servants!
If not, why should he tolerate the Jin Party, Zhejiang Party and the like, and even repeatedly show his favor to Southern Zhili.
If not, why would he linger in the position of Minister of Civil Affairs?
If not, why would he recommend the person for the palm seal twice and now target Feng Bao? Outsiders only think that he is petty and vindictive, and they really underestimate Gao Suqing.
Thinking of this, Gao Gong became even more impatient with Zhang Siwei, who was trying to figure out what he was like with a villain's heart.
He waved his sleeve and said, "Go out through the side door."
Gao Gong had accumulated prestige over time, and Zhang Siwei did not dare to say any more and quickly stopped talking.
But he did not leave. Instead, he brought up another matter: "Yuanfu, I sent you the memorial to impeach Feng Bao in the same way as eunuch Chen Hong."
"However... Feng Bao is deeply trusted by the Li family. Some corruption and isolation of internal and external remarks are of little use, right?"
Now that Jin Dang has made a bet on Gao Gong, he will naturally have to take a hard look at the investment, otherwise it will be too late if something goes wrong.
Gao Gong glanced at Zhang Siwei and mocked.
He twirled his beard and looked a little proud, and said, "I was angry yesterday. If I didn't take action, wouldn't it make him more vigilant?"
"This is nothing more than a cover-up. Let him be proud for a few days. The real method of this pavilion has not yet been used."
He took out a memorial "Five Urgent Matters of the New Deal" from under the desk.
As soon as Zhang Siwei saw the words on the cover, Gao Gong took it back.
He quickly asked: "Yuanfu is..."
Gao Gong did not answer directly: "You will know then."
"If this cabinet doesn't take action, it will be fine. If we take action, we will kill the Chief of Ceremonies! With my cabinet, six ministries and nine ministers, officials and scholars, and the momentum of local governors, the Li family can't stop it!"
Zhang Siwei did not dare to go into details, and quickly flattered him: "Yuanfu has mountains and rivers in mind, and he has far-reaching plans. I am overly worried. Our Jin Party has ordered Yuanfu to be the tail of Ji."
Gao Gong glanced at Zhang Siwei indifferently.
He was thinking about how to smash and dismantle these Jin and Zhejiang parties after the cabinet became the prime minister, but he warned on his face: "Okay, go back and learn more from Yang Bo, and don't think about your stupid idiots all day long."
Zhang Siwei was driven away again, so he reluctantly bowed and prepared to exit.
Just as he took a step back, he seemed to remember something and paused again.
Suddenly he said: "Yuanfu, Zhang Juzheng is wise enough to protect himself, and Gaoyi is the leader of both parties. I'm afraid they can't handle big things."
"This morning, I saw that the Crown Prince is very admiring of Gao Yi. The relationship between the two seems to be extraordinary. Gao Yi may not agree with Yuan Fuxu Jun's true story."
Although Gao Gong holds great power now, in fact, every cabinet minister cannot be underestimated.
If Gao Yi is really given the royalist banner of honor, I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble.
The high arch does not take it seriously.
In order to achieve success, he only promised the position of the cabinet to the Jin Party and the Southern Zhili Party, who were gangsters and selfish wolves, just to unite all parties.
When the cabinet is handed over from his hands, all these party members must have been eliminated, leaving behind a central prime minister's office that can govern the country and govern the country.
If you really want to do things, you still have to rely on official officials like Gao Yi and Zhang Juzheng who have official affairs in mind.
Now the selfish people are saying that GROHE Zhang Juzheng is unreliable, which is really contrary to Tiangang.
He waved his hand and said casually: "As a civil servant, how can I disapprove of this matter?"
"Furthermore, Zi Xiang and Bai Gui will look after me in everything."
"Although I haven't confessed to them yet, but..."
Zhang Siwei plucked up the courage and suddenly interrupted Gao Gong: "Yuan Fu, think twice."
Gao Gong frowned and looked at him.
Seeing this, Zhang Siwei quickly advised: "Yuanfu, what if things don't work out by then?"
"We, our humble bodies, can still live in peace and harmony, but if ministers like you are involved, it will not be so simple."
"Since you have a close personal relationship with them, why don't you think more about them. This is also for their own good."
It seemed that this sentence touched Gao Gong.
After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded slowly.
Gao Gong said: "Forget it, I will ask Gao Yi to take a break while Zhang Ju faces the mountains."
The so-called "visiting the mausoleum" means to inspect the late emperor's mausoleum and see how it is being repaired.
Cabinet ministers have always been required to take the lead.
It takes some time to go back and forth.
Zhang Siwei breathed a sigh of relief and finally retreated this time.
——
Note 1: In the first half of this year, the Xuanfu Town Patrol conducted horse riding exercises and recruited officers and soldiers in the city and various castles. A new customs clearance of 51,521 horses was purchased, and 30,000 were found in Kanzhong.
One thousand and thirty-seven horses were not purchased due to accidents and other items, and 24,484 horses were not purchased.——"Records of Ming Shenzong"
Note 2: In the first month of the fifth year of Longqing, twenty-five thousand taels of silver were given to Taipu Temple to buy horses for three towns in Shanxi, Xuanda, and they were requested from Wang Chonggu, the governor-general's secretary - "Records of Mu Zong of the Ming Dynasty"
Note 3: In February of the sixth year of Longqing, more than 127,300 taels of Taicang silver were sent to the Xuanfu, 150,700 taels to Datong, and more than 89,600 taels to Shanxi to pay for the host and guest soldiers.
.——"Records of Muzong of the Ming Dynasty"
Chapter completed!