Among the Grand Governors who sit in the Governor's Mansion of the Fifth Army, there are three princes, namely, Duke Qiu Fu of Qi State, Duke Zhu Neng of Cheng State, and Duke Xu Jingchang of Ding State. As the saying goes, it depends on the master of the dog. There are three heavyweight figures like this.
No matter who the owner of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion is, anyone who wants to touch the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion must think carefully about it.
But not only did Xia Xun move, but he also had experience of being whipped, demoted to a subordinate position, and his counterattacks were as powerful as thunder. This was all under the premise that everyone believed that the Governor of the Fifth Army had just made an unintentional mistake. He originally had the image of a harmless good man.
Xia Xun immediately jumped into the eyes of all parties in the political arena.
Only then did they realize that Duke Fu had so much energy, was so powerful, and had such a great favor. No one dared to underestimate this seemingly lonely figure with no help in the political arena.
In fact, Xia Xun is no longer alone at this time, because he did another high-profile thing: treat!
Treating guests is not a big deal in itself. The big officials in the capital will entertain guests from time to time. However, Xia Xun treated guests and invited so many important officials of the court who would stomp their feet and tremble in all directions. It was not just a treat.
It's as simple as treating guests. This is a bright sword. The Duke of Fu, who has always upheld the doctrine of moderation, finally shows his prowess.
Xia Xun's treat was under the guise that he was welcomed by his colleagues on the day he returned to Beijing, and today he is formally thanked.
The reason why Xia Xun was so high-profile was because he had vaguely figured out Emperor Yongle's thoughts. The emperor demoted him to the post of Qianshi of the Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Army, and openly tried to sidestep him, which was to support him in establishing his own power.
Zhu Di was neither the founding king who overthrew the previous dynasty, nor the emperor who legitimately inherited the unification. Therefore, the way he established the new regime was also different from others. He directly grabbed the top of the power pyramid to control the country. He
It is impossible and impossible to conduct a complete overhaul of the entire regime.
Even though Jianwen's old ministers seemed to have no power to resist under the bloody purge, this was just their temporary forbearance. When the political situation stabilized, the old dynasty forces who were unwilling to support Zhu Di would gradually launch a counterattack. The means of counterattack may not be clear-cut.
Confrontation requires only being passive and sabotaging work, making stumbling blocks and making underhanded moves. This kind of internal friction is unbearable, especially for an ambitious person like Zhu Di who wants to do something big.
Of course, the old ministers may not be unwilling to submit to the new emperor, but the emperor does not have thousands of hands and eyes. If he inspects and tests them one by one until he is sure of their support, it will take a long time. For Zhu Di who wants to do something big,
, this is also not something he can wait for.
Therefore, Emperor Yongle needed to cultivate new forces and cultivate the power of his trusted ministers in Peking! The emperor wanted to manage the world and could not do everything by himself. He needed some powerful ministers to share his responsibilities. He was a towering tree with all kinds of intricate roots.
His power is his branches and roots, and further down, those low-level officials and local officials are the branches, leaves and roots. He needs to use new branches and roots to gradually replace the roots and branches of the old dynasty.
Xia Xun's opponents this time are also the heroes of the Peking faction. It doesn't matter. The emperor is only afraid that his ministers will not do anything, and is not afraid of their opposition and competition. As long as they have opposition, they will work hard to win over everyone who can win and establish their own power.
, and the most numerous officials in the court now are the officials of the old dynasty. A large part of them will inevitably be attracted and absorbed by the ministers who are favored by him in this competition, and the power of the old dynasty will gradually divide and disappear.
If there is competition among these confidants, they will try their best to be loyal to him and work hard for him. After all, everyone's power comes from him. It is impossible for everyone to be harmonious, and it is also the most dangerous. Proper factional competition will only affect the emperor.
benefit.
As for the possible loss of control, Zhu Di is not worried. He is strong and confident. With him mediating and balancing from above, he can ensure that everything develops in a healthy and positive direction. If someone deviates from the rules of the game he established and endangers his rule, he will
Nature will take action to stifle this dangerous situation.
In his eyes, the whole world is a chess game, and everyone is a chess piece on the chess board. The person who dominates the entire chess game and the fate of every chess piece is him, the chess player. After understanding this, Xia Xun became unscrupulous
Already.
The lineup of people Xia Xun hosted at the banquet was so large that it was enough to attract the attention of the civil and military officials of the court.
In terms of honorable relatives, there are two princes-in-law Wang Ning and Mei Yin; in terms of meritorious officials, there are Cao Guogong Li Jinglong and Ding Guogong Xu Jingchang; in terms of military generals, there are Governor Chen Xuan and the three commanders of Shuangyu Island who have recovered from their injuries. These three people
He has been officially branded as the auxiliary of the country, and it is also the first time that he has allowed one of his people to appear publicly in front of the courtiers. This is also a disguised form of cultivation.
In terms of civil servants, there are Xie Jin, the great scholar, Ru Chang, the minister of the Ministry of War, Wang Pu, the minister of the household department, Zheng Ci, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, Zhang Shen, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Huang Ligong, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, Mao Taiheng, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Chen Ying, the imperial envoy of Zuodu, and deputy ministers.
The imperial envoy Wu Youdao, the imperial censors Yin Changlong, Huang Zhen, and in addition Liu Yujue, the Fusi of Jinyi Weinan Town.
It can be seen from the composition of these personnel that the old ministers of Jianwen still control most of the powers in the court. If Zhu Di does not build a few hills of his own, and then let these mountain kings recruit troops and win over the old ministers, the only choice for these old ministers is
They were hugging each other, which was obviously not good for Zhu Di.
There were three tables for the banquet, which were full of delicacies. The table on the left had the fewest people because Chen Ying sat at this table. Although the political purge after Emperor Yongle ascended the throne has ended, the follow-up processing has not yet been completely completed, so Chen Ying
Ying and Ji Gang are still the focus of the entire court, and their every move is still touching the nerves of many people.
At this point, even Xia Xun, who won a battle with the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, can't compare. After all, no matter how powerful Xia Xun is, he will only retaliate if you mess with him, and Chen Ying and
Ji Gang is like a pair of mad dogs, he may bite someone at any time, and your unintentional words may be a crime in his ears, so everyone subconsciously avoids him.
Sitting at the same table with him were the deputy imperial envoy Wu Youdao, the imperial censor Yin Changlong, and Huang Zhen. These were all people from the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Of course they couldn't be far away from their immediate superiors. In addition, Xu Hu, Ren Juying, Wang Yuxia, and Chen Ying sat at this table.
At the main seat, sitting on the right hand side is a young man in white robes who is as handsome and gentle as a virgin. He is Nanzhenfu Liu Yujue, the Jinyi guard, and his left hand side is temporarily empty.
The guests and hosts were having a good time, and while they were enjoying their cups, the old butler suddenly called out at the door: "Master Ji Gangji, commander of the Imperial Guards, has arrived~~"
With this shout, the hall immediately became silent. There was no way. Ji Gang was notorious now. Even though there were many princes and first- and second-rank officials from the Six Ministries sitting in the hall, they all commanded this third-rank Jin Yiwei. When they heard his name,
I really felt a little scared.
"This humble official was busy with an errand, so I came a little late. Please forgive me, my lord!"
Ji Gang walked in with a happy face, first clasped his fists to Xia Xun and apologized, and then clasped his fists to salute the princes, princes-in-law, and various ministries. Those of higher rank than him nodded, and those of the same rank or lower rank also nodded.
They stood up to greet him, and even several ministers who were one level higher than Ji Gang subconsciously stood up. When Ji Gang arrived, he really had the effect of giving him a head start.
Xia Xun sat still and said with a calm smile: "Ji Gang, you are not a little bit late. I'm inviting you to a drink. You dare to be late, so punish yourself with three drinks first!"
The imperial envoy Chen Ying and Ji Gang had a similar temperament. When he saw Ji Gang arriving, he waved with a smile and said: "Master Ji, sit here, sit here, I have reserved a seat for you a long time ago."
At Xia Xun's table, the people sitting were either the Duke of the Kingdom, the Consort, or the First-Rank Minister. Ji Gang really had no place for him. Ji Gang walked to Chen Ying's side, asked someone to bring him a glass, filled three glasses of wine, and said with a hearty smile.
: "Today I invited the Duke of Fu to have a drink, but I came late for my humble duty. I should be punished. Ji Gang punished himself with three drinks and apologized to the Duke of Guo."
After finishing speaking, he drank down the three glasses of wine one by one, hugged everyone again, and then sat down. Chen Ying smiled and said: "Master Ji, what case is so important that it even delays the dinner party of Duke Fu Guo?"
Ji Gang took a mouthful of food, wiped his mouth and said: "It's nothing, just jailing and beheading a person. There is no need for me to jail and execute criminals, but this person is an imperial prisoner. The emperor personally issued the order. How could Ji dare to be careless?
Otherwise, when the Duke of Fu is summoned, no matter how big the matter is, we will have to put aside the rules and regulations."
Beheaded?
Xia Xun was secretly surprised. The capital has calmed down these days. Who is this big move against? He quickly asked: "Who has the emperor executed? You are commanding the envoy to personally oversee the execution. This
I'm afraid Guan'er won't be able to grow up."
Everyone also stopped eating and listened. Ji Gang chuckled and said, "Apart from the audacious Tie Xuan who dared to use the soul of Emperor Taizu as a shield and blaspheme the spirit of Taizu in heaven, who else is there?"
Everyone heard a commotion, and Xia Xun hurriedly asked: "Tie Xuan was captured? How did the emperor deal with it?"
Xia Xun's question made everyone raise their ears. Ji Gang said triumphantly: "The emperor has already resisted, but Tie Xuan still resists and wants to hold on to the city. Hehe, it's a pity that he can't command him this time."
There were soldiers and horses in Jinan, and as soon as the imperial decree came, Tie Xuan was captured without hesitation.
As a minister, this man dared to use Emperor Taizu's spiritual body to resist artillery fire. This was extremely treasonous and unethical. According to me, it would not be an exaggeration to punish him from the nine clans. Unfortunately, the emperor only ordered Tie Xuan to be taken to the execution ground to be punished. His
His wife committed suicide by throwing herself into a well when Tie Xuan was arrested. Only her parents, Gao Tang, and two sons were left in the family. His parents were exiled to Hainan, and the eldest son was sent to guard Hechi. The second son was demoted to a pariah and a slave.
membership."
Xia Xun couldn't help but sigh slightly when he remembered the past when he and Tie Xuan went to the East China Sea to surrender the bandits. However, he was not too touched. The difference in status made him think about the problem no longer from the perspective of a bystander who stayed away from the matter.
When it comes to morality, he can see the essence of things more clearly. With the advent of a new era, the old forces will surely perish. This is not children's play. Just drive him away or exclude him from your game team.
Either obey or die, there is no middle way.
Chen Ying was also shaking his head and sighing, but his sigh was different from that of Xia Xun. He was dedicated to punishing people. The more people he punished, the greater his power. Now that Tie Xuan has also been conferred, it seems that "the hero has no place to play".
" Mr. Chen felt very disappointed.
Ji Gang took a few bites of the food, drank three glasses of strong wine in one go, then filled another glass, got up and came to Xia Xun's banquet, and said with a smile: "Ji Gang is late, I am borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha, and I am borrowing the help of the country."
A glass of the Duke's wine, to the Duke of Fu, all the princes, the prince-in-law, and the ministers."
After everyone had finished their wine, Xia Xun's eyes flashed slightly, and he picked up a plate, put a piece of eye meat with the fish beads on the big carp on the table, which weighed more than 20 kilograms, and handed it to Ji Gang with a smile.
Authentic: "This is the authentic Yellow River carp that His Royal Highness the King of Zhou sent from Kaifeng two days ago. You can try it."
Ji Gang was flattered and quickly took it with both hands. Xia Xun suddenly slapped his forehead and said with a smile: "Look at my memory, I almost forgot the things I promised others. The person who sent the fish from Prince Zhou's Mansion once mentioned something to me.
I don't know where to start, but you came just in time. Your Jin Yiwei has great supernatural powers and should be able to find out, but I don't know if this matter is under your Jin Yiwei's control."
Ji Gang hurriedly said: "The affairs of the Duke of Guo are humble matters. The Duke of Guo just gives orders."
When Chen Ying heard this, she pricked up her ears alertly.
Xia Xun waved his hand, and the servant hurriedly brought a stool. Ji Gang sat sideways with his buttocks propped up.
I asked my lord to have a taste of a big carp from the Yellow River. The official in charge of this matter went to his hometown of Kaocheng. After catching the fresh fish, he directly filled the barrel with it and hurriedly delivered it to me.
When he brought the fish, he mentioned something casually. He said that two months ago, the Yellow River burst its banks and Kaocheng was hit by floods. The local people were severely affected. The gentry obeyed the public opinion and wrote to the court to ask for exemption from the two taxes this autumn.
, and borrowed rice and grain from the government.
But now more than two months have passed, and there is no news from the court. Countless local people are hungry and have to abandon their homes and wander around begging to survive. The gentry questioned them, and the magistrate of Kaocheng said that he had already written to the court to report the disaster, and he had repeatedly said so.
He asked the prefectural government office, but he had no way of knowing why the court had not responded.
My father-in-law doesn’t know which part of the business was delayed. Yesterday, I asked Eunuch Mu in the inner study room. Eunuch Mu checked and found that the inner study room has not received any memorial from the magistrate of Kaocheng County in the past few months. The emperor is busy with everything.
I can't ask the emperor, this matter is related to the national economy and people's livelihood, but it cannot be ignored."
Speaking of this, Xia Xun sighed and said pitifully: "We are here enjoying the delicacies and delicacies, enjoying the wealth of the people and the people who dug the wells. How can we not care about the lives of the people? If you can help, please help.
Well, I just wonder if Jin Yiwei can help check it out, it’s almost winter, if we delay for one more day, the people will suffer for one more day!"
Ru Chang twirled his beard, glanced at Xia Xun quickly, and thought to himself: "Someone is going to be in trouble. It's just who has offended Duke Fu."
After hearing this, Ji Gang raised his buttocks and just leaned forward. Before he could reply, Chen Ying, the imperial emissary, jumped up impatiently like a fly smelling blood: "Is there such a thing? I'm the Imperial Procuratorate."
Sir, how can you turn a blind eye to this? Please rest assured, Lord Duke, please leave this matter to your subordinates. Your subordinates will definitely check it out thoroughly and clearly!"