When Emperor Deqing asked the elders for their opinions, his expression was full of solemnity, making it impossible to see any bias in his attitude.
Obviously, Emperor Deqing had not yet made up his mind, so he allowed the cabinet ministers to speak freely.
On the other side, the elders also fell into deep thought.
There is not much that needs to be discussed about the imperial court sending troops to regain the Hetao. All the cabinet ministers understand that Emperor Deqing is eager to use this matter to establish his status in history. Now is indeed a great opportunity for the imperial court to regain the Loop.
, naturally would not refute Emperor Deqing's high interest.
However, how the court should reward Zhao Junchen is a very serious political issue that will affect the changes in the court structure for many years to come. The decision must be made after careful discussion between Emperor Deqing and the ministers.
In fact, the central government of the imperial court did not have much choice. After all, Zhao Junchen had already been the minister of household affairs of the second rank, and now he had made great military exploits. There were only two methods of rewards from the imperial court. One was
The first is to confer a title of nobility, and the second is to join the cabinet to assist in government.
If Zhao Junchen was just an old minister who had no interest entanglements with the major factions in the court, there would be no need for discussion on this matter. The feat of annihilating the Mongolian army of 100,000 in one fell swoop would be enough to receive two rewards at the same time.
The title of knighthood also means joining the cabinet to assist the government, and only such awards can show the importance and generosity of the court.
But Zhao Junchen is too young, and his relationship with the major factions in the court cannot be called harmonious. Most of the powerful officials do not want Zhao Junchen's power to expand too quickly, so naturally the rewards given to Zhao Junchen by the court cannot be too generous.
.
Of course, the reward given by the imperial court to Zhao Junchen cannot be too small, otherwise it will inevitably arouse strong dissatisfaction from Zhao Junchen himself - when the situation has developed to this point, no one can ignore Zhao Junchen's attitude.
Either be granted a title of nobility, or be appointed to assist the government, at least one of these two rewards must be guaranteed - this is also the judgment of most people in the Imperial Study Room.
Both of these reward methods have their own pros and cons.
If the imperial court grants Zhao Junchen a title, it may seem flashy and will only make Zhao Junchen's status more respectable, but the potential impact is extremely far-reaching.
The rule of the Ming Dynasty is that "no title can be given to anyone who has not achieved military merit, and no title can be given unless it is for a special purpose." If an ordinary Ming Dynasty official wants to be awarded a title, he must have outstanding military achievements, such as Yu Qian and Wang Mingyang, who are both civil and military.
All famous ministers can be met but cannot be sought. Since Emperor Deqing ascended the throne, only Zhao Junchen among the civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty has met the standards for knighthood.
The title of the Ming Dynasty was a super official rank. Once the imperial court bestowed the title on Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen would have the only honor among civil servants in the dynasty. Even the elders would take the initiative to salute Zhao Junchen when they saw him.
Saying hello will definitely increase Zhao Junchen's prestige and may lead to hundreds of officials surrendering to him.
On the other hand, if Zhao Junchen is allowed to join the cabinet to assist the government, Zhao Junchen's power will inevitably increase greatly. From now on, he can legitimately intervene in the direction of the court's policies, but everyone knows that Zhao Junchen has already
According to the cabinet minister, Zuo Lanshan is actually Zhao Junchen's cabinet spokesperson. Zhao Junchen cannot be circumvented in the imperial court's policies. Under such circumstances, promoting Zhao Junchen to the cabinet minister will not change the existing situation of the imperial court too much.
pattern.
What's more, if Zhao Junchen joins the cabinet to assist the government, the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue will be vacant, and his control over the Ministry of Revenue will inevitably be reduced a lot. This will be a great opportunity for major factions to intervene in the Ministry of Revenue.
After such comprehensive consideration, it is more acceptable for various factions to allow Zhao Junchen to join the cabinet to assist the government.
Everyone in the royal study room was a cunning and cautious person, but they quickly figured out the pros and cons.
*
While thinking deeply, all the pavilion elders were silent for a moment.
Then, Chief Assistant Shen Changmao took the lead and said: "Your Majesty, the Mongolian tribes have experienced successive years of natural disasters, and now Zhao Junchen has wiped out an army of 100,000 people. It can be said that their vitality has been severely damaged. It is a godsend for our country to send troops to regain Hetao. Good opportunity! The old minister also agreed that the imperial court should mobilize immediately and mobilize manpower and material resources to rush to Shaanxi and Gansu to prepare for the next war! Of course, this matter should be given full responsibility to Mr. Liang Ge. Mr. Zhao is lucky to have suffered for so long. , and it’s really time to go back to Beijing and rest!”
"Old minister seconded the proposal!"
"The veteran also believes that the imperial court should take the opportunity to regain the Hetao to show His Majesty's power!"
As Shen Changmao finished speaking, all the cabinet elders expressed their agreement.
Previously, the cabinet ministers did not agree with Liang Fuchen's division of Zhao Junchen's military achievements. They were worried that after Liang Fuchen achieved military achievements, he would be immediately recalled to the capital by Emperor Deqing, and he would naturally take up the position of chief minister of the cabinet. At that time, no one would be able to do so. Stopped Emperor Deqing's plan to control the cabinet.
But if Liang Fuchen is given full responsibility for the imperial court's recovery of the Loop, as long as the situation in the Loop cannot be completely calmed down in the future, Liang Fuchen will be unable to return to Beijing. By the time Liang Fuchen has completely stabilized the situation in the Loop and can return to the capital, it will probably be too late. Five or six years later, the structure of the imperial court also changed with time, and Emperor Deqing missed the opportunity to control the cabinet.
In this way, everyone got what they needed, and Emperor Deqing and the ministers quickly agreed on the matter of sending troops to recover the Hetao.
Then, the monarchs and ministers in the imperial study began to discuss the matter of the imperial court's reward for Zhao Junchen.
This time, it was Shen Changmao who was the first to express his position, saying slowly: "Zhao Junchen's achievement of annihilating one hundred thousand troops of the Mongolian coalition in one fell swoop will inevitably attract the attention of the world, and the imperial court should reward him... The veteran believes that Zhao Junchen His administrative ability is extraordinary. He has made outstanding achievements in presiding over the Ministry of Household Affairs in the past few years. It is time for him to join the cabinet to assist in government. As the chief assistant of the cabinet, the veteran also earnestly hopes that there will be more young people like Mr. Zhao in the cabinet. Talent!"
When expressing his stance, Shen Changmao's expression was full of appreciation and relief, as if Zhao Junchen was an outstanding underachiever promoted by him.
Then, Shen Changmao's eyes flashed slightly, as if he had thought of something on the spur of the moment, and added: "It's just... Zhao Junchen is a little younger after all, and his experience and qualifications are slightly insufficient, so let him join directly. The cabinet assistant administration seems to be counterproductive and will cause a lot of controversy!
There is an old saying that says, "If you don't manage the prefectures and counties, you don't plan the province of Taiwan." There is also a saying that "the prime minister must start from the prefecture." It just so happens that Zhao Junchen lacks experience in governing local areas. The old minister thought that the court might as well give him the title of Young Master and the title of Young Master first. The title of Hanlin Bachelor not only expresses the imperial court's reward and commendation, but also paves the way for him to join the cabinet to assist the government in the future, and then send him to a place where it is easy to achieve political achievements to serve as a governor or governor. This is how he experiences his experience. In three to five years, after serving one term, let him return to Beijing to join the cabinet. By then, his qualifications and age will have increased a lot, and it will be justifiable for him to join the cabinet to assist the government!"
Shen Changmao's suggestion was obviously with bad intentions. He not only deliberately reduced Zhao Junchen's reward, but also wanted to take the opportunity to transfer Zhao Junchen away from the core of the temple for a period of time.
Taking advantage of the time when Zhao Junchen left the center of the capital, it was enough for the major factions in the imperial court to accomplish many things.
On the other side, Cheng Yuandao immediately understood and immediately agreed: "I think what Chief Master Shen said is reasonable. If your Majesty confer on Zhao Junchen the title of Young Master and Hanlin, everyone in the world will understand that Zhao Junchen will soon join the Cabinet." Once the government is in power, such a reward is enough to convince the public... As for the proposal to let Zhao Junchen serve as a feudal official for a term, it is indeed a good thing. With the experience of governing the local area, Zhao Junchen's temperament will be tempered and mature, regardless of Both the imperial court and Zhao Junchen will be of great benefit when the time comes."
During the Ming Dynasty, the imperial power suppressed the power of ministers, and the status of the cabinet was quite embarrassing. It seemed that it replaced the function of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the early Ming Dynasty. The power of the chief minister of the cabinet was not inferior to that of the prime minister in the early Ming Dynasty, but in fact it was never clear. The legal status is not a legitimate central institution. In a legal sense, it can only be regarded as the emperor's personal advisory body.
The so-called "cabinet minister" is just a conventional title, not a clearly existing official position in the Ming Dynasty. The appointment and retention of cabinet ministers and the extent of their power are not clearly defined. In this case, the cabinet assistant The ministers were naturally at a disadvantage when facing the emperor.
Of course, there is still a relatively obvious sign of the official position of the cabinet ministers - that is, they hold the two false titles of Sangu and Diange University Scholar at the same time.
In short, if an official is granted the title of Young Master, Young Master, or Young Protector by the emperor, if he is further awarded the title of Grand Bachelor by the emperor, it means that the official has the right to join the cabinet to assist the government. Power has become one of the so-called "Pavilion Elders".
Now, Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao's proposal is precisely for this reason. If the court gives Zhao Junchen the virtual title of Young Master and Hanlin, it means that Zhao Junchen is only half a step away from joining the cabinet to assist the government. Yao, by then everyone will understand that Zhao Junchen will soon join the cabinet to assist the government, and serving as a feudal official is just a transitional means to accumulate qualifications and experience. Such rewards are a bit stingy, but it is still justifiable.
However, although Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao were shrewd in their calculations, others were not fools either.
Zuo Lanshan still looked like a loyal follower, and immediately retorted: "Shen Shoufu, Mr. Cheng Ge, but I can't agree with what you two said! The so-called 'If you don't Li prefectures and counties, you don't plan Taiwan. "Province", "The prime minister must start from the state department" and so on are just rules from the Tang and Song Dynasties, but this dynasty has never had such a rule! In fact, since Emperor Jiaqing, there has been a Hanlin Academy in our dynasty. A high-ranking and noble official directly joins the cabinet to assist the government, and I remember that you, Mr. Cheng Ge, have no experience in governing the local area. Are you not the same as the elder of the cabinet now? Why did Mr. Zhao specifically ask for experience in governing the local area when it was his turn? Yes? Mr. Shen, you just said that the imperial court must reward Mr. Zhao generously. Why did you find reasons later to deliberately lower the reward? Isn’t it inconsistent? If you really do this, won’t it chill the world?”
After a pause, Zuo Lanshan said again: "According to the idea of this cabinet, with Mr. Zhao's current merits and status, let alone directly joining the cabinet to assist the government, even if he joins the cabinet to assist the government, he will be given a title. No one who holds the title of earl dares to be dissatisfied!"
Since receiving the good news from Zhao Junchen, Zuo Lanshan has straightened up his back and become more courageous. Now after seeing the evil intentions of Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao, he directly refuted it without any intention of giving in. .
Hearing Zuo Lanshan's unceremonious rebuttal, both Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao showed anger, but Zuo Lanshan's statement was indeed reasonable, and the two elders were unable to fight back for a while.
In the end, Shen Changmao just snorted coldly and said: "My suggestions are all out of public interest. Zhao Junchen is slightly younger and has less seniority. Although he has made a lot of achievements, he has also caused a lot of trouble." , everyone can clearly see the turmoil in the temple caused by Zhao Junchen during this period! The cabinet is the core of the temple, and Zhao Junchen's temperament is still a little lacking, so let him temporarily serve as a feudal official for training. The character of your heart is also the impartiality of this pavilion!"
Cheng Yuandao also nodded and said: "Yes, Zhao Junchen's abilities and achievements are naturally worthy of praise, but his various actions over the years have been controversial. After all, he is a little younger and more energetic. Under such circumstances, let him be responsible alone. Of course, it is more than enough to handle the affairs of a department or a province, but it is slightly insufficient to let him take charge of the overall situation. It is better to practice for a while."
The idea of transferring Zhao Junchen out of the capital was originally Shen Changmao's temporary suggestion, and he did not intend to insist on it too much. However, due to Zuo Lanshan's merciless rebuttal, Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao were forced to I plan to stick to it till the end.
But Zuo Lanshan still refused to give in and said with a sneer: "I don't think so! Even if you don't talk about merit, Mr. Zhao's ability to handle affairs is by no means inferior to us cabinet ministers. Since ancient times, anyone who is willing to do practical things Officials, which one is not constantly controversial? Which one is not making countless enemies? I am afraid that only those who never do practical things and only know how to talk can live without any controversy in their lives, right?"
"Zuo Lanshan! You...are rude!"
These words stepped on Cheng Yuandao's painful foot, making him feel that he was being mocked, and he suddenly became furious.
*
Seeing the argument between Shen Changmao, Cheng Yuandao and Zuo Lanshan, Emperor Deqing frowned slightly. He was secretly moved by Shen Changmao's proposal, but also felt something was wrong.
If we use the excuse that Zhao Junchen still needs training before joining the cabinet to assist the government, and take the opportunity to transfer Zhao Junchen away from the capital for a period of time, it will certainly be possible to suppress Zhao Junchen's expansion of power, but such an approach will fall into the eyes of the world. He felt that the imperial court was stingy with commending meritorious officials and was suspected of killing the donkey, so Zhao Junchen himself may not let it be manipulated.
At the same time, Emperor Deqing's eyes lingered on Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao for a moment, and a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes.
I don’t know why, but since Emperor Deqing hinted that he would depose the crown prince Zhu Heyu and install the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao have become closer and closer. The concepts become more and more similar, and the cooperation between them becomes more and more tacit.
You must know that Cheng Yuandao is the second-largest figure in the "Princeling Party" after Prince Zhu Heyu, and his relationship with Shen Changmao has always been incompatible in the past.
It seems that there are gradually some signs of cooperation between the "Shen Party" and the "Prince Party".
Moreover, Emperor Deqing was somewhat familiar with Shen Changmao's proposal.
When Emperor Deqing inspected the seventh prince Zhu Hejian a few days ago, he also asked Zhu Hejian what to do if Zhao Junchen became a powerful force.
There are two ancient sayings: "Taiwan province" and "The prime minister must start from the state department"!
This situation was so coincidental that Emperor Deqing had to think deeply.
Of course, Emperor Deqing now has a good impression of Zhu Hejian and does not doubt Zhu Hejian's role in these matters. It is just that he has always been proficient in the emperor's mind and is also a suspicious person. He will subconsciously be suspicious after noticing any signs.
, I felt that I should send someone to investigate secretly.
All the thoughts just passed by in a flash, but Emperor Deqing did not show any abnormality. He just turned to the silent Zhou Shangjing and asked: "Mr. Zhou Ge, do you have any thoughts about the imperial court's award of Zhao Junchen?"
?”
Zhou Shangjing seemed to have already made up his mind, and immediately replied: "Your Majesty, I believe that Mr. Zhao has wiped out 100,000 troops of the Mongolian coalition and created a good situation for the court to regain the Hetao. The court should reward him generously, but
The specific method of awarding is left to your Majesty's discretion, and all the veterans have no objections... But no matter how the court awards Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen should continue to work in the center of the capital."
Hearing Zhou Shangjing's statement, Shen Changmao couldn't help but darken his face again, feeling that Zhou Shangjing was deliberately embarrassing himself.
Zhou Shangjing didn't care about Shen Changmao's face, and just said slowly: "Your Majesty is aware that the central government of the imperial court cannot do without Zhao Junchen! Not to mention business tax rectification, Sichuan salt development, agricultural restructuring, disaster relief in several northwest provinces, etc.
, now they are all just getting started, and no one except Zhao Junchen can take on these important tasks...
...Besides, Shaanxi and Gansu have ushered in a great victory that has not been seen in a century. This is certainly a good thing, but the court must also spend a large amount of money to reward the armies as soon as possible, and considering that Zhao Junchen wanted to motivate him some time ago
In order to improve the morale of the army, the standard of silver rewards for military merits was deliberately raised. The old minister made a rough estimate and found that the court would have to prepare at least three million taels of silver. It would be difficult for the treasury to come up with this silver, and Zhao Junchen would still need to turn over the money.
means……
...In addition, if the imperial court really wants to successfully send troops to regain the Hetao, logistics, military pay, military rations, and silver rewards are all indispensable. These things also require Zhao Junchen to find ways to come up with money and food...
...Moreover, Zhao Junchen was the chief contributor to the annihilation of the Mongolian coalition. If the reward given to him is too small, the rewards of other officials must be reduced accordingly. By then, not only will they be unable to convince the public, but the world
The morale of the soldiers will also be low, which will also affect the subsequent plan to regain the Loop...
…Also, don’t forget that the imperial court’s plan for the Six Ministries in Nanjing requires Zhao Junchen’s cooperation and contribution…”
When Zhou Shangjing expressed his stance, he still looked like he was taking his time and speaking slowly, but the expressions of the monarchs and ministers in the imperial study were constantly changing. For example, the expressions of Zuo Lanshan and Tong Huan were all joyful.
, Cheng Yuandao, Shen Changmao's face became more and more ugly, while Emperor Deqing's face was heavy.
Zhou Shangjing seemed to talk a lot in a long way, without any focus or attitude, but in fact his meaning was very clear - the imperial court currently has a huge shortage of money and food, and once Zhao Junchen becomes his son,
If he quits, I am afraid that the operation of the entire temple will be paralyzed! Therefore, not only can Zhao Junchen not be transferred out of the capital, but also Zhao Junchen cannot be treated badly and make Zhao Junchen feel cold. He must give priority to comforting Zhao Junchen.
Zhou Shangjing's statement seemed to overexaggerate Zhao Junchen's role, but Emperor Deqing had to admit that Zhou Shangjing's words were reasonable.
For Emperor Deqing, the most important thing at the moment is not to suppress Zhao Junchen's rise, but to send troops to regain the Hetao as soon as possible to establish his historical status. This matter cannot be avoided by Zhao Junchen. Once the court
The reward given to Zhao Junchen was too light, which made Zhao Junchen feel dissatisfied. If he "claimed illness and retired," Zhao Junchen would have lost the money and food he had prepared, and the imperial court's plan to regain the Hetao would probably be aborted.
Previously, Emperor Deqing and various factions were only thinking about reducing Zhao Junchen's rewards and suppressing Zhao Junchen's rise, but they were a little eager for quick success and quick gains, which was taken for granted.
If you are worried about Zhao Junchen's power expanding too fast, there will be countless opportunities to suppress him in the future. But if you miss this opportunity to regain the Loop, it will be difficult to find good opportunities in the future.
But before that, in order for the court's various plans to proceed smoothly, Emperor Deqing still had to appease and reward Zhao Junchen generously, even if he was extremely unwilling to do so.
No matter what, Zhao Junchen’s reward must not be too small!
Thinking of this, Emperor Deqing couldn't help but feel secretly vigilant. He felt that the imperial court was gradually relying too heavily on Zhao Junchen in terms of money and food. This situation must be reversed.
After hesitating for a moment, Emperor Deqing finally made up his mind and said slowly: "What Mr. Zhou Ge said is reasonable... Zhao Junchen is an important minister of the country, and now he has made great achievements. The court should naturally reward him generously and not let the world feel cold.
...Now the memorials from Shaanxi and Gansu have not yet been sent, but it can already be confirmed that Zhao Junchen has made great contributions... Where is the Supervisor of Ceremonies? He wrote the imperial edict for me!"
As he spoke, Emperor Deqing had a smile on his face, as if he thought the imperial court's award to Zhao Junchen was a happy event, but everyone could see that Emperor Deqing's smile was far-fetched.
As Emperor Deqing finished speaking, a eunuch and eunuch in charge of rituals hurried over with a blank imperial edict and pen and ink, ready to write the imperial edict according to Emperor Deqing's wishes.
Emperor Deqing raised his voice and continued: "I govern the world with letters and fight chaos with force. Zhao Junchen resisted the invading Tatar enemies when the fire was sifting into the invaders, and completely annihilated one hundred thousand troops of the Mongolian coalition. This was not done for a hundred years.
A great victory also greatly boosted the morale of the Celestial Empire. He should be the mainstay of the imperial court and the main city of the country. I am very pleased! Thinking about Zhao Junchen's management of the household department in recent years, he has also achieved outstanding results and made many meritorious deeds. It can be said that he is
He is both civil and military, and his achievements can be wasted if he works hard to repay his efforts. Wouldn't he be praised and favored by his fate?
Zhao Junchen is hereby conferred the title of Young Master of the current dynasty and a bachelor of Dongge University. After returning to Beijing, he can join the Wenhua Pavilion to assist the government, and canonize him as the Immortal Xin Cheng Bo, with a salary of 800, and a jade plaque and ten pearls.
Three thousand gold and silver each, please give me this!"
…
A big chapter of 6,000 words.
The first update today, there is another chapter around early in the morning, it will still be a big chapter of over 4,000 words.
Before Friday this week, Chongzhu was idle at home, so I updated it twice every day.