Chapter 12 If you are poor, you will hold a grudge. If you are rich, you will counterattack.
When a boss wants to do something, the first thing he has to deal with is the people below him. Xu Jingchang knew this very well in his previous life.
At present, Zhu Di has to rectify the internal affairs, restore people's livelihood, and use troops externally... He felt relieved when his lips touched, but the myriad of things, as messy as a hemp rope, will all fall on the people below.
But fortunately, I am a general affairs envoy, so I don't have to be responsible for specific government affairs, so it may be easier.
Speaking of which, this is Xu Jingchang's first time working in the General Affairs Department.
A civil servant in his forties was already waiting.
"I will lower my official rank to Wu Shan, join the Zuo Councilor, and pay homage to the general envoy."
Xu Jingchang glanced at him and saw that Wu Shan was holding a roster in his hand, so he smiled and said: "I am an official for the first time and I don't know the rules very well. Please tell me first, how many subordinate officials are there in our General Affairs Department and what government affairs are they responsible for?"
Wu Shan hurriedly said: "This General Affairs Department was established by Emperor Taizu Gao. His old man said that government affairs are like water, and he wanted to keep them open, so he established the General Affairs Department to deal with government affairs specifically to prevent ministers from deceiving the emperor and his father. Especially the abolition of the Zhongshu Province
After that, the power of the General Affairs Department became increasingly powerful, and it was only under the Six Ministries and the Supervisory Council. The General Affairs Secretary was even one of the Nine Great Ministers, looked up to by both the government and the public."
Xu Jingchang nodded and said, "Then tell me, what are your specific responsibilities?"
Wu Shan nodded, "That's it. First of all, all the memorials from the ministries and yamen in Beijing must be sent to us, and the General Affairs Department will classify them. Some small matters will be sent directly to the ministries and yamen for them to handle. Urgent matters need to be dealt with.
Send it directly to Zuoshunmen and hand it over to the Inner Court's Chief of Ceremonies, who will present it to His Majesty. After His Majesty handles it, the General Affairs Department will issue orders to the six ministries."
Why is there such a huge gap between this person and other people?
But no matter what, Xu Jingchang is willing to give him a chance, and Wu Shan is also willing to give it a try.
Assist the emperor in handling government affairs.
"In addition, the title books of chapter memorials from various places outside Beijing must also be sent to the General Affairs Department, and we will submit them. Furthermore, if people have grievances and report them, they must first go to the General Affairs Department. The Dengwen Drum is located in our courtyard.
.Furthermore, if they hear about important matters, the general affairs envoys can report them to His Majesty at any time. Furthermore, the general affairs envoys must also participate in the discussions of hundreds of officials and important military and state affairs. In short, the affairs of various ministries, both inside and outside the capital, from top to bottom
Next, you can ask me a question."
Xu Jingchang nodded, "That's good if you think so. When I resign one day, this general affairs envoy will be yours."
But there is no need to be too happy, because after Zhu Di ascended the throne, he soon felt that government affairs were too complicated. He did not have the energy of his father, so he established a cabinet and selected a group of Hanlin officials to serve as cabinet members.
Only the general envoys can intervene in all matters of the court, and their power is astonishing.
When it is the turn of Zhang Juzheng to be the first assistant, no matter how powerful the six ministers are, they will not work.
Inadvertently, I drew a big cake for Wu Shan.
Xu Jingchang nodded again. It seems that there are similar methods in ancient and modern times. It just depends on your skills.
"Actually, our General Affairs Department can do a lot of things. For example, if two yamen have a quarrel over the same matter, whoever can hand in the memorial first so that His Majesty can see it first can seize the opportunity. The so-called
That's the principle: first come in as the host, last in as the guest." Wu Shan said in a low voice.
The general secretary can be regarded as the emperor's secretary.
Wu Shan was shocked, "Xiaguan is scared. Could it be that Xiaguan said something wrong somewhere?"
But now we are in a very special stage.
"After the Jingnan period, many officials from various ministries fled. Some did not want to serve as officials for Your Majesty, and some were afraid of being regarded as Jianwen remnants, so they all ran away."
Xu Jingchang thought silently, became a little interested, and said, "That's true. Are there any other tricks?"
Xu Jingchang was startled and said in surprise: "There are still people who don't want to be an official? Are there many such people?"
In fact, the establishment of the cabinet usurped the authority of the General Secretary. After that, the emperor did not even bother to deal with government affairs, and the power of the inner court became more and more powerful. The Secretary of General Affairs sent the memorial, and the Chief of Ceremonies could still intervene.
The General Administration Department has even lower authority and has almost become a decoration.
"I did not come from a proper background in Kejia. I relied on Emperor Taizu's support to become an official in the court. My family is not rich either. Several members of my family live on this small salary. How could I dare to resign?
? What’s more, if the emperor is wise and powerful, and conquers the world with a small area, he must be an accomplished emperor. Being able to serve the Mingjun and the Holy Lord is also a blessing for the lower officials."
"Many, there are more than a hundred people with names and surnames." Wu Shan answered truthfully.
Zhu Yuanzhang abolished Zhongshu Province, and the six ministries were directly subordinate to the emperor. The Tianguan of the Ministry of Personnel was still the well-deserved boss of the court.
"It's like this. In recent days, people have been complaining, saying that soldiers and horses have robbed civilian women and plundered them into military camps, causing family separation, husband and wife separation, and great resentment among the people. It is also the responsibility of our General Affairs Department to ask for orders for the people. If
If you can speak up and save innocent people, you will definitely be grateful to all people."
Xu Jingchang became interested, "Then why didn't you run away?"
As a result, a yamen was needed to make preliminary arrangements for Zhu Yuanzhang and convey the holy orders. There is no doubt that this responsibility fell on the general affairs envoy.
Wu Shan repeatedly promised, "The general affairs envoy will be wise."
Wu Shan couldn't help but grit his teeth. He had been working for most of his life and was just a leftist senator. He was directly the general political envoy. What was even more annoying was that he didn't even look down on the general political envoy and wanted to go home and inherit the title.
The cabinet has not yet been established, and the Supervisor of Ceremonies is still at the stage where "eunuchs are not allowed to interfere in politics." As one of the great ministers, he is still the official secret of the emperor.
Xu Jingchang thought for a while and said with a smile: "Wu Shan, I am a young man with a young spirit, and revenge does not last overnight. I believe that if you are poor, you will hold a grudge, and if you are rich, you will counterattack and plan. That Qi State Duke Qiu Fu, he said in front of a group of people that I am a child.
, looks down on our Xu family, do you have any idea to give him some color?"
Wu Shan had a sullen face and thought to himself, what kind of motto is this?
However, he also couldn't stand the upstarts who acted arbitrarily and tyrannically. In the past, they only dared to be angry but dared not speak out.
"You're right. The main reason is that I have no interest. I still have a title to inherit in my family!" Xu Jingchang said with a smile: "You have to work hard as a real political envoy!"
Wu Shan didn't know what Xu Jingchang was planning, so he just continued to introduce: "Our General Affairs Department, under the general affairs envoy, has left and right general affairs, and there are left and right counselors, and there is also a transcriber Huang Youtongzheng who is responsible for copying imperial memorials, but
Do not participate in the internal affairs of the department.”
Wu Shan said hurriedly: "I misunderstood. It's not that they didn't come to see you, but that they all returned to their hometowns early."
Xu Jingchang nodded, "By the way, I remember you claimed to be the Left Councilor, but what about the Left and Right Councilors? Where have they gone? Nothing will happen, why don't you come to see me?"
"Go back home? What do you mean?"
Why not simply suggest to Zhu Di to set up a cabinet, get Sanyang under his command as soon as possible, let them work, and then he can feel more relaxed.
Originally, the prime minister was responsible for adjusting the yin and yang and leading the officials. All these internal and external government affairs, large and small, had to go through the prime minister's level before they could be handed over to the king.
Therefore, the six departments, nine ministers, and the other eight are all in charge of their own affairs. Even if they are as powerful as Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji, they can only be responsible for the affairs of their own department.
Wu Shan added: "Our daily responsibility is to distinguish the big and small government affairs and hand them over to the ministries or the palace. There is a lot of room for maneuver here. Whether you make a big deal out of a molehill or make a big deal out of a trivial matter depends on your preference.
"
Xu Jingchang couldn't help but take a deep breath. He can take care of everything, but why does it sound familiar? Could it be the Administrative Affairs Department? Is he becoming Jim Hacker?
Xu Jingchang thought about it for a while and realized that Zhu Yuanzhang was still to blame for this matter.
By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the cabinet had unified the world, and all the officials and officials had to obey the great scholars.
From this point of view, promoting yourself to be the General Secretary is indeed a bit over-promoted.
Turning around, the memorial was handed in.
Xu Jingchang thought for a while and said: "Let's do this. You pick two memorials and stuff them into the title book handed to the palace. Just treat it as a moment of negligence on our part and don't take the initiative to offend anyone. After all, the entire Jingnan generals will be implicated.
Cast a stone first to ask for directions."
But if it were replaced by the paper-coated Sange Lao, the situation would be different.
Therefore, the power of the inner and outer courts, and the six ministries of the cabinet, is a dynamic balancing process, which also depends to a large extent on the ministers' own abilities.
However, Zhu Yuanzhang abolished Zhongshu Province and directly used the title of emperor to concurrently serve as prime minister. He directly faced the six ministries and had to submit all matters, no matter how big or small, to the emperor.
While Xu Jingchang was waiting for the results, Qiu Fu also went to see Zhu Di with a confession.
"Your Majesty, I'm telling you that Sheng Yong has a grudge and is plotting something evil. I have obtained the confession here. Please read it to your Majesty."
Zhu Di lowered his head and said casually while watching: "I heard that Sheng Yong arrested one of our 100 households and asked him to put back the woman he snatched. Is this true?"
Qiu Fu immediately shook his head, "Your Majesty, this is someone slandering the soldiers. We have strict military discipline and will never do such a thing."
