In the sixth year of Longqing's reign, it was early morning on the sixth day of June.
…
Today, the sixth day of the lunar month, is not only the day of the Chang Dynasty, but also the time of the third persuasion.
As the daily lecturer of the Crown Prince, Yu Youding naturally joined in the fun and had to get up very early.
Just because I was asked to come in today, I had to dress more formally than when I was at work in the Yamen. I had to wear a beam crown, a red dress uniform, and scattered accessories such as leather belts and ribbons.
After all the hard work, if I don’t get up earlier, I won’t be able to catch a bowl of hot soup at the end of the alley.
Yu Youding has been drinking the mutton soup restaurant at the end of the alley since he became a Jinshi and settled in the capital. It has been exactly ten years now and it has always been to his liking.
For this reason, he also specially wrote a whole page about this store in his written talk, leaving it to future generations to think about.
This was the inspiration he got from a book called "Tokyo Menghua Lu" written by Meng Yuanlao from the Song Dynasty.
At that time, the Northern Song Dynasty was defeated by the Jin people, and the prosperous Song Dynasty capital was instantly wiped out. However, when Meng Yuan was in exile, he frequently looked back at the capital that satisfied people's hearts.
Yu Youding saw that since the Jiajing period, the situation in the world had taken a turn for the worse. Japanese pirates, Tatars, annexations, finance and taxation, armaments, and localities were in a mess, and it almost seemed like the sun was declining.
If something goes wrong in my lifetime, instead of recalling the prosperity of the capital afterwards, it is better to record it now, stroke by stroke, so as to preserve the happy mood at that time.
Yu Youding held San Yu's Liang Guan in his arms and played with it gently. He didn't know how many years it would take before he could change it to Wu Yu and enter the house.
Although there is nothing wrong with being ranked fifth, if you can enter the sixth rank and serve as Jiuqing, you will naturally have a brighter future.
Thinking about it, I walked to the mutton soup restaurant at the end of the alley.
It's still early now, it's not even dawn yet, but someone is there earlier than him.
When Yu Youding stepped into the threshold, Shen Shixing had already drank, and Wang Xijue was also beside him.
The three of them are Jinshi in the same subject, Shen Shixing is the number one scholar, and Wang Xijue is the second, so their friendship is certainly not shallow.
Among them, Shen Shixing served as Zuo Yude and served as an attendant at the Hanlin Academy. He was also on duty at the Hanlin Academy. In addition, he lived not far away, so he and Yu Youding always went to work together on weekdays.
On the other hand, Wang Xijue was clearly an official in Nanzhili (Nanjing), so why was he here?
Yu Youding sat down and asked curiously: "Yuan Yu is not on duty in Nanzhili. Why did he come to the capital? Was he promoted?"
Yuan Yu is Wang Xijue's cousin.
The three of them, as one of the Three Cauldrons, all have the title of cabinet minister. Yu Youding's current position as a daily minister is a kind of test.
Just like Shen Shixing, as the number one scholar, he served as the late emperor's daily lecturer last year. Although the late emperor passed away half a year later, this did not prevent Shen Shixing from being qualified to enter the six departments.
But Wang Xijue was unlucky. Because he offended Zhang Siwei, he was moved to South Zhili, far away from the central government.
In the Ming Dynasty, there were two capitals, one in the south and one in the north, but they were divided into upper and lower levels. If an official was moved from Nanzhili to the capital, even if the official rank remained unchanged, it would be considered a promotion.
But Wang Xijue shook his head and denied Yu Youding's conjecture: "It was originally a business trip, but today I was persuaded to come in. I was arrested by the Ministry of Rites to collect my head."
Yu Youding understood.
To persuade hundreds of officials to join, one wave after another, some people from each place must be arrested to go through the ceremony and recognize the face of the new monarch.
"Bingzhong, Yuan Yu has arrived so far away. Look, you are the closest and the last to leave." Shen Shixing said with a smile.
Bingzhong is the cousin of Yu Youding.
Among the three, Wang Xijue is the youngest at thirty-six years old, the most outspoken and has a tough temper.
Shen Shixing was only one year older and was the number one scholar in the same subject. He was lively and at the same time had a beautiful heart.
Yu Youding is about forty years old and is an easy-going person.
At this time, Shen Shixing saw that Wang Xijue was unwilling to talk about promotion, so he changed the subject.
Yu Youding also woke up, took the words and sighed: "I've been busy with everything lately, and I'm really a bit sleepy."
After that, he called the shopkeeper and ordered a bowl of mutton soup.
Shen Shixing took a sip of soup and said, "Bingzhong is at its peak in Spring and Autumn, and there is still much to do."
He was born as a Jinshi in Sandingjia. Now he has accumulated qualifications and has a bright future, so he will naturally be busy.
Yu Youding knew what Shen Shixing meant, but he was a little helpless. Shen Shixing was ten years younger than him, was a scholar, and had a good job in qualifications. His official career was smoother than his, but he came to amuse him instead.
Fortunately, they are good friends and don't take their entertainment seriously.
He put Liang Guan aside and said with emotion: "It's just that there are a lot of things in the Economic Affairs Bureau recently, and I have to attend daily lectures, so I'm a little tired for a while."
After the death of the late emperor, the transition from old to new, the Bureau of Economic Affairs, as the nominal subordinate office of the East Palace, rarely had some serious official duties.
At this time, Wang Xijue suddenly interjected: "Speaking of Riduo... Since Bingzhong is the official of Riduo, do you know whether this crown prince is really what the rumors say?"
Shen Shixing also looked curiously.
Yu Youding was stunned: "Rumors? What rumors?"
Wang Xijue asked doubtfully: "As a court official, you don't know this? As soon as I arrived in the capital yesterday, I heard someone talking about the crown prince."
Seeing that Yu Youding was still confused, he couldn't help but explain: "There are rumors in the public that the Crown Prince was extremely naughty before, and he just played like a hawk in the palace."
"He looks like he can't hold a big responsibility, which makes the two palaces and Yuan Fu angry."
"Later, Emperor Daxing appeared in a dream, and I suddenly woke up in one day. Now I not only correct my past mistakes, but I also work hard to study and cultivate morality."
"It is said that the crown prince was studying in front of his soul. If God helped him, some people in the palace even saw him. At that time, the crown prince was accompanied by the shadow of the emperor, helping him with his studies."
"Then progress really came by leaps and bounds."
"Not only Concubine Li is impressed, but even Mr. Gaoge praised yesterday that the Crown Prince has been 'lecturing and cultivating the benefits of sage cultivation in the past few days; looking at the emperor and Mu Mu, there are wonders in the sky', which made him admire him with admiration."
"Nowadays, street vendors use this as an example to teach children, saying things like, 'Have you ever seen the Four Books and Five Classics written in the middle of the night?', which makes them sell out their oil lamps."
"I'm not in the capital, so I wonder how true or false these rumors are?"
Yu Youding frowned more and more as he listened to Wang Xijue's detailed collection of family treasures.
The old god Shen Shixing was beside him, drinking mutton soup and saying nothing.
When Wang Xijue saw that Yu Youding was not talking to him, he couldn't help but urge him again.
Yu Youding was helpless, and after thinking for a while he said slowly: "I haven't exaggerated this before. At most, it was just like a child, and my thoughts were not definite. How can I be so exaggerated as a naughty bird?"
"As for the fact that Yuan Fu was so angry that he refused to fight, and the late emperor had a dream to show him something, that is even more nonsense."
"But in recent days... I do feel like I'm working hard."
The waiter brought a bowl of mutton soup, and Yu Youding immediately kept silent.
After the people left, Wang Xijue asked: "How have you been these past few days? Don't try to sell things off."
Shen Shixing's eyes were wandering, but his ears were pricked up.
Yu Youding took a sip of the soup and felt a warmth flow into his stomach, which made him feel very uncomfortable.
After thinking about it for a while, he slowly continued: "In recent days, the Crown Prince has indeed been out of character."
"Going to the two palaces every day to say hello without showing any slightest care can be called pure filial piety."
"I have also made great progress academically. I have a photographic memory when reading and reciting sentences. I can even draw inferences from one instance and sum up the principles of governing a country and cultivating virtues. I am really surprised by the rapid progress."
"It's not clear that I'm not qualified to do the ranking in the early morning, but Mr. Gao Ge said privately that the Crown Prince behaves with dignity, as if he has the majesty of the heavenly family. I guess it's not a lie."
Yu Youding was not impressed by the Crown Prince's intelligence. To put it bluntly, who among those who were born in the imperial examinations was not a child prodigy? The Crown Prince's appearance was really incomparable to what he had been back then.
What surprised him was that the magnitude of the change made him jaw-dropping.
After such a night of enlightenment, he couldn't help but wonder whether the so-called late emperor had really appeared.
Shen Shixing held the bowl and did not move for a moment.
Seeing that Yu Youding had finished speaking, Wang Xijue was a little surprised and said: "If you put it like this, isn't it really a completely new look?"
"It's no wonder that there is a widespread rumor that it was the late emperor who appeared as a spirit to grant wisdom to the crown prince."
Shen Shixing was silent for a moment, and finally couldn't hold himself back any longer.
I looked around and saw no one around, so I leaned closer and whispered, "Isn't this a bit exaggerated?"
"I heard that Mr. Gaoge is very much admired by the Crown Prince. After yesterday's lecture, the Crown Prince finished practicing his calligraphy and specially presented him with a copybook that said, 'He takes care of his life and assists the government, he is loyal and devoted, he protects his lone teacher, and he is sincere and sincere'."
The implication is that the reputation of the crown prince was deliberately promoted by Gaoyi, so as to show his ability in education, not only to support the cabinet, but also to strengthen himself in the cabinet.
Shen Shixing had heard some rumors. There have been a lot of moves in the cabinet recently, especially the fierce fight with the Supervisor of Ceremonies.
Yu Youding shook his head and did not explain much. He knew that the courtiers would find it difficult to believe the prince's current demeanor unless they saw it with their own eyes.
Even though he had watched the Crown Prince change his gender with his own eyes, he still hadn't come back to his senses, let alone outsiders.
But Wang Xijue suddenly said: "Rumo doesn't understand Mr. Gao Ge."
"Gao Ge is always my brother Wang Dingjue's tutor. When I met my brother yesterday, he told me about this matter."
"He said that Mr. Gao Ge has been thinking of becoming an official these days."
"That copybook was written by the two palaces and the crown prince after they tried hard to persuade him to stay. It almost made him burst into tears."
Shen Shixing quickly apologized and looked thoughtful.
Yu Youding interrupted at the right time: "We didn't have the opportunity to attend the morning meeting in the past, but if we urge you to come in today, wouldn't it be good to watch from a distance?"
I don’t want to continue this topic.
Wang and Shen immediately understood and said yes again and again, ignoring the matter.
After talking for a while, we finished our breakfast before we knew it.
The three of them headed to the imperial city together.
Wang Xijue brought up another matter: "I heard yesterday that the cabinet is discussing a new method of inspecting officials. I wonder if it is true or false?"
Nowadays, the performance of officials is assessed. Beijing officials have a "Beijing inspection" every six years, and local officials have a "big plan" every three years.
But often it is the superior who says you are good or bad; when he says you are bad, he is good or bad.
There is no specific and specific inspection standard, and it has gradually become a mere formality.
What the cabinet discussed this time was this specific inspection standard.
Since the late emperor ascended the throne, the voice of reforming the civil service has gradually become louder.
Many times people wrote letters asking for rectification of officialdom.
No matter the cabinet ministers, officials, or even local governments, they all reported this matter.
Among them are Zhao Zhenji's "Three Jis, Nine Disadvantages and Three Potentials", Zhang Juzheng's "Chen Liushi Shu", and even Wang Chonggu reported this matter.
After Gao Gong took charge of the Ministry of Personnel, he pushed this matter to its peak.
Last year alone, we dealt with the issue of false reporting of dates and wages for overseas assignments; rectified the incompetence of officials appointed by the Zongren Mansion to Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi; and rectified Taipu Temple, Yuanmasi Temple, and Salt Transportation Department.
"Three Divisions"
"Corruption and corruption"; ordered businessmen to return to Beijing within the specified time limit, so that dozens of people who overdue the deadline were punished; the promotion term was ordered to be calculated only after the completion of the term, and dozens of people who made false reports were punished by this method.
Dozens of corruption cases, large and small, have accumulated over time, setting off a huge uproar both inside and outside the government.
But these have always been carried out in the form of comments from the officials and approval by the emperor.
There is also no specific guideline, "every official has nothing to rely on".
Today's court discussion is to prepare for the implementation of new civilized laws to reform the official administration based on the imperial inspection and the grand plan.
Specifically, it means how to be considered qualified, how to be unqualified, and how to be promoted.
This is the focus of today's New Deal.
Shen Shixing had the highest official rank and was the most well-informed. He nodded: "The cabinet has already announced the matter. The fourth court was discussing this matter, and it was discussed all day yesterday."
Wang Xijue asked curiously: "Why is there no result? Is there resistance?"
Yu Youding interjected: "It is strange that there is no resistance. In the past, monks who did not ring the bell also had incense. Now the abbot asks the monks to ring the bell and monitor the incense money. The monks say that if this is the case, it is better to return to secular life."
Shen Shixing suddenly answered abruptly: "It's okay for monks to make noises. Buddha was unwilling to do so. Ananda Kassapa learned to recite crooked sutras."
Wang Xijue was stunned and immediately realized that this meant that the two palaces were still unwilling to express their stance, and the Chief of Ceremonies tried to figure out what was going on and interfered with the court discussions.
He is also a human spirit, and after thinking about it, he understood why the two palaces refused to express their stance - without him, it would offend people.
The late emperor has just passed away, and he is about to offend hundreds of officials. What if he causes trouble?
If the monks get together and make a big fuss, what will happen to the three Buddhas if the abbot can get his ass off and become an official? The future Buddha will only be ten years old.
After trying to understand this level, Wang Xijue felt even more strange.
He can see it, there's no reason why the cabinet can't see it.
Wang Xijue considered it and said: "Why doesn't the cabinet want to report to the two palaces more thoroughly?"
The old and the new alternate, it’s better to be quiet than to move, why don’t you wait any longer?
Once the situation in the DPRK stabilizes, the implementation of the new law will be smoother.
Yu Youding sighed with emotion: "Who knows, our official rank has not reached that level, and we cannot see the situation at that level."
Wang Xijue shook his head and did not think too much: "That's good. If the official system is rectified as soon as possible, the Ming Dynasty will have more breathing space."
Shen Shixing nodded and said nothing.
He sighed in his heart and thought back to what Master Lu Tiaoyang said to him yesterday.
Elder Zhang Ge discussed with Yuan Fu and said that although the examination of the law to examine hundreds of officials could rectify the administration of officials, it would undermine the sanctity of the officials and would inevitably "return power to the cabinet". When the crown prince gets older, he may not agree.
This persuaded Yuan Fu and promoted the matter at the court meeting.
Shen Shixing did not agree with such drastic actions, and even felt that the legal examination was too harsh. It should be noted that people's hearts are like water, and legalists cannot strictly enforce laws and prohibitions.
It is clear that this matter should be planned slowly and step by step for thousands of miles before it can be achieved naturally. Acting violently is like strong medicine, and the backlash will be huge, which is scary to think about.
only……
His master, Lu Tiaoyang, just shook his head and said that only those who are currently acting violently have the space for younger generations like them to do so slowly.
Shen Shixing has been thinking deeply about it, and his emotions are getting more and more mixed.
"Hurry up, Rumo. Don't miss the chance to persuade me to come in." Yu Youding called him.
Shen Shixing responded and quickly followed.
But I can't help but think in my heart, is the younger generation of the Crown Prince Zhu Yijun not included in the scope of the teacher's theory?
Note 1: In the 26th year of Hongwu, the great sacrifices, celebrations, Zhengdan, Winter Solstice, Holy Festivals and edicts were issued, read out, entered into the table, and circulated. They all used beam crowns, red robes, white gauze singles, and green
Decorated collar edge, red robe, green edge, red robe covering the knees, large red belt, white two-color silk, leather belt, sash, white socks and black shoes. - "History of the Ming Dynasty·Zhi·Volume 43·Yu Fu"
》
Note 2: Fifth grade, three beams, leather belt with silver, 鈒hua, and medicinal jade. The ribbon is made of yellow, green, red, and purple into a carved brocade, with a green silk net underneath, and two silver-gilt ribbon rings. - "Da Ming Dynasty"
"Hui Dian"
Note 3: There are many historical materials on Gao Gong’s reform and rectification of corruption, so I won’t list them one by one. Those who are interested can check it out for themselves. However, it is absolutely correct to say that Gao Gong was the initiator and pioneer of the New Deal. The original
Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng got together because they had similar goals - of course, their methods were not very good.
Chapter completed!