Chapter 181 Is Mr. Cai stained with unclean things?
Now that He Shen is not in the capital, Cai Jing alone is in charge of the Shangshu Province, but now he only has a title but no real power.
In a practical sense, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Industry were still in charge of He Shen, and there were many things that would not be reported to him, Zuopushe, the Minister.
But now this turmoil is an opportunity for Cai Jing to regain real power.
As long as he makes concerted efforts to jointly fight against the activities of the Zhongshu Province, he will reach out to the other three books, and gradually gain control of the other three books, and in the end he may be able to truly control the entire six books of Shangshu.
The sedan swayed, and the silver charcoal in the brass charcoal basin burned quietly.
Cai Jing's eyes became brighter and brighter, and he felt more and more that this idea was wonderful.
"Misfortune lies where blessings depend, and blessing lies where misfortune lies..."
He stroked his beard with a slight smile on his lips: "The ancients never deceived me."
When they arrived at the imperial city, the group of five people were all dressed in scarlet robes and looked extraordinary. When the young eunuchs on the road saw such a big battle, they held their breath and walked away with their tails between their legs, not even thinking of going up to say hello.
Dare to have it.
Arriving at the Shangshu Provincial Yamen, Cai Jing took the other four people to a larger value room.
The yamen in the imperial city have always been luxuriously decorated, so there is no shortage of meeting rooms and the like.
"Go to the Sixth Ministry and tell all the ministers and ministers that I have invited you and I have something to discuss."
After receiving the order, the clerk hurried out and sent people to spread the news throughout the six yamen.
Ministry of Rites.
Wang Mang looked at the clerk in front of him and frowned.
"You said it was Mr. Cai who invited me?"
"Yes, Wang Zongbo." The clerk chuckled and said, "I heard that the Song Department of the Ministry of Rites is also here."
"Oh?" Wang Mang stood up and asked casually while clearing away the documents on the table: "Besides Minister Song, who else is there?"
The clerk was a little dumbfounded and said with a dry smile: "Uncle Wang Zong, you are in a dilemma now. I also heard what others said, and I don't know which of the ministries are there."
Wang Mang was startled and nodded thoughtfully: "It doesn't matter."
The clerk smiled flatteringly and said: "But when we entered the Shangshu Provincial Yamen, many people saw Mr. Cai going in with the Song Department of the Rites Department, the Han Department of the Hu Department, and the two departments of the Punishment Department...
…”
Wang Mang looked at him deeply, then nodded: "I understand, let's go."
"Okay, I will show you the way." The clerk nodded and walked in front, and the two of them headed towards the Shangshu Yamen...
When Wang Mang came here, both sides of the huge long table were already full of people.
"Ju Jun is here?" Cai Jing, who was sitting in the first place, looked at him with a smile: "It's just you, come and sit down."
As he spoke, he pointed to an empty seat on his left.
This time there is also something special about it.
If the military officers were asked to rank the six departments of Shangshu, they would rank the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Households, and the Ministry of Works in the first, second, and third positions. But if we follow the practice of civil servants, they would usually be the officials, households, rituals, soldiers, punishments, and work.
Neither the Minister of Personnel nor the Minister of Hubu were present, so naturally Wang Mang, the Minister of Rites, sat in the second chair, while Li Jing, the Minister of War, sat in the third chair, Yu Wenkai, the Minister of Work, sat in the fourth chair, and then the six others sat in order.
Waiters.
"Yes, Mr. Cai." Wang Mang glanced at everyone present and was shocked that they were all here.
He walked over and sat down, then followed the example of the others and turned his head to look at Cai Jing, who was sitting in the first place.
A clerk closed the door for them outside, and the room was quiet for a while, and the atmosphere gradually became quiet.
Cai Jing glanced at the people present with a smile, and saw that everyone in the room was full of nobles and had an extraordinary bearing.
"Colleagues, I won't say anything else today. I just want to ask you, have you received any documents from the Zhongshu Ministry of Education?"
As soon as he finished speaking, you could hear a needle drop in the check-in room.
The eyes of many ministers gradually became subtle.
Cai Jing waited for them to think for a moment before speaking: "The Xinwei Ke Examination will be held in March next year, and the deputy examiners for the examination have always been selected from the ministers of the Sixth Department of the Secretariat."
"But now the Zhongshu Province has issued another edict, saying that it is necessary to add the Zhongshu Minister and the subordinate minister. Do you think this policy is reasonable?"
It was still quiet in the duty room, but the eyes of many waiters had become restless.
Especially some ministers who are expected to run for deputy examiner this year, they don't want to see four more competitors for nothing!
Seeing that no one spoke, Cai Jing turned to look at Wang Mang with a smile: "Uncle Wang Zong, the Ministry of Rites is presiding over the examination. What do you think the candidate for the deputy examiner should be?"
Wang Mang felt bitter in his heart. In front of all his colleagues, of course he could not betray the organization and say anything about supporting Zhongshu and the selection of his subordinate minister.
Otherwise, everyone could spray him to death with just a spit of spit.
"Sir, I feel that the Sixth Minister has participated in the examination for many years, so he naturally has more experience."
Wang Mang stopped talking and didn't say whether he supported it or not.
Even Cai Jing looked at him in surprise, his eyebrows sank slightly.
What a slippery old loach.
Rich in experience, this is irrefutable and can be said wherever you get it.
If he wants to support the Minister of the Sixth Division later, he can naturally use this as a basis. But if he supports Zhongshu and his minister is selected, he can naturally come up with another argument.
Although the ministers of the Sixth Department of Shangshu are rich in experience, the ministers of Zhongshu and the two provinces handle more documents every day, and they should be more familiar with this kind of thing...
Cai Jing glanced at the many ministers present, and regardless of whether they heard the meaning or not, he smiled and said directly: "It seems that Wang Zongbo also feels that our Minister of the Sixth Department of Secretariat is more skilled and should serve as deputy examiner.
"
"As for Zhongshu and his minister...it's still a bit inappropriate."
Cai Jing followed the conversation and directly blocked Wang Mang's words.
Now is the time to confirm the candidates for the deputy examiner of the general examination. The attitude of the Ministry of Rites is particularly important, and they can no longer sit on the fence.
Wang Mang's face twitched, but looking at the looks of many ministers present, he was unable to refute in the end.
Cai Jing looked at Li Jing again: "What does Da Sima think of this matter?"
Li Jing frowned slightly: "Since it is a general examination, naturally the decision of the Ministry of Rites is the most important thing."
Cai Jing nodded slightly and looked to the left: "What do you think of Da Sicheng?"
Yu Wenkai, who had a white beard, nodded slightly: "The lower official and Da Sima have the same view."
"Um……"
Cai Jing nodded lightly, this was the benefit of being the first to get the Minister of Rites.
As long as you get through to him, there will be no resistance from the rest of the people.
"I think the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Finance must also think so, right?" Cai Jing looked at the ministers below with a smile.
Wang Danwang, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Wu Shenglan, the right minister of the Ministry of Personnel, looked at each other. After a while, the former said: "The Ministry of Personnel still needs to ask for your opinions."
Wu Shenglan added: "But there should be no problem."
The smile on Cai Jing's face froze slightly, then he nodded and looked at Hube.
With the Ministry of Personnel at the beginning, Guan Peng, the left minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Han Mulu, the right minister of the Ministry of Finance, did not even confirm, and said directly: "The Ministry of Revenue also needs to ask Prime Minister Yan for his opinion."
Cai Jing laughed twice and showed a meaningful smile.
At the same time, the eyes of other ministers looking at Hube also changed somewhat.
The Minister of Hubu is concurrently in charge of the left prime minister, Yan Song, who is also in charge of Menxia Province. In other words, Yan Song's attitude may be very immodest, and he may even support the selection of two ministers from Menxia Province.
But no matter what, Guan Peng looked as usual and didn't care about other people's eyes at all.
Beside him, Han Mulu looked a little embarrassed. He looked up at Cai Jing and didn't know what to do.
Cai Jing looked at him expressionlessly. Han Mulu was stunned for a moment, then he had to bite the bullet and said: "Actually, Prime Minister Yan will probably not agree to let Zhongshu and his disciples..."
"shut up!"
Guan Peng suddenly shouted loudly, directly interrupting Han Mulu's words. He stared at Han Mulu with a stern face and said in a cold voice: "What Prime Minister Yan does is up to him. It's not anyone else's turn to do it for him."
Make a decision."
Others were also startled, and then looked at this scene with the eyes of a good show.
Making key decisions for an absent supervisor is actually something that is easily tabooed. If you don't do it right, you could be in trouble at least, or lose your job directly at worst.
What's going on with Minister Han? Don't you want to hang out in the Ministry of Household Affairs?
But what surprised everyone even more was that Han Mulu, who had been scolded, didn't even dare to fart. He just moved his buttocks back with a stern look on his face, which shocked all the ministers and ministers present.
.
You are the right servant, only half a rank lower than Guan Peng! You are not his eldest grandson, why are you such a coward?
When Cai Jing saw Han Mulu's reaction, his face was on fire and he didn't look very good.
After all, this is his brother-in-law, Cai Jing, and everyone knows the relationship between Han Mulu and Cai Jing.
Now that he was being treated like a dog in public, it was not only Han Mulu's company that was humiliated, but Cai Jing's face as well.
Fortunately, after Han Mulu said this, Hubu's mouth was opened a little.
Cai Jing looked solemn, and then said to everyone: "It seems that most people think that Zhongshu and the ministers from the two provinces should not be involved. This is what everyone expects..."
The five ministries have already expressed their stance, and you are the only household ministry left, so you don't need to care so much.
This is the general trend!
Cai Jing said in a deep voice: "In this case, please ask the Ministry of Rites to reject the document from the Zhongshu Province and refuse to accept it!"
Everyone present was stunned and turned to look at Wang Mang in front of them.
Wang Mang was stunned. After waking up, he turned to look at Cai Jing: "Sir, the Ministry of Rites has no right to return the documents of Zhongshu Province."
He is not stupid either. He could let Cai Jinghan go over the matter just now, but now the matter of returning the letter is too important and he cannot do it.
"Why not?"
Cai Jing said with a smile: "In the past, Liu Zongbo returned the imperial edict during the Dezong period, and later during the Guangzong period, Zhang Sima Feng returned the imperial edict..."
The seniors are all so awesome, I can't afford to lose their status here.
Of course Wang Mang knows these precedents, and he can give more examples than Cai Jing.
It's just that this is not the same thing at all.
What is the situation when someone returns a seal? That is when the entire court is united in resisting a cowardly king or a treacherous prime minister, and what is returned is an extremely important edict. Once it is implemented, the country will not be able to survive.
At that time, forcibly sealing and returning the edict was called a righteous act, which would be praised by everyone, leave a name in history, and be famous throughout the ages.
What time is it now?
It's just a document for selecting a deputy examiner.
If the Ministry of Rites oversteps its authority and returns the title, then Wang Mang will leave his name in history, but what he will leave behind is a bad reputation, and he may be labeled as a rebellious official and traitor.
"Master Cai."
Wang Mang would not do this even if he was beaten to death. He scratched his neck and said: "The sages had their principles, and now we have our own principles."
"The Ministry of Rites does not have the power to return documents from Zhongshu Province, and I dare not exceed my authority and do it by force."
The atmosphere in the check-in room suddenly became tense, and the cold wind hit the windows, making a whistling sound.
The windows in this apartment should be repaired, they are almost leaking... Many people are thinking divergently.
But no matter what they thought in their hearts, the ministers subconsciously slowed down their breathing and watched this scene quietly, fearing that they would get burned.
Only Sima Guang, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, spoke: "Mr. Cai, what Wang Zongbo said is true. In the past, the ministers of provincial affairs returned imperial edicts. It was because the sages were brave and righteous, and put the stability of the country first."
"Now that future generations do not have the courage and righteousness of the forefathers, they naturally cannot imitate the forefathers and perform such righteous deeds."
As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere here suddenly became more solemn.
Is it possible that the entire Ministry of Rites is going to confront Mr. Cai, the servant of the minister, with open swords and real guns?
Cai Jing glanced at Sima Guang again. The atmosphere in the check-in room was terrifyingly depressing.
After this depressing atmosphere lasted for a while, Cai Jing chuckled to Wang Mang: "It turns out that there is another reason for this, but my talent is lacking."
"In that case, there's no harm in accepting this document."
Wang Mang paused for a moment, then raised his hand and said: "It's not that you have little talent and knowledge, but that you have a deep heart and care about thousands of underachieving students. You should be more serious."
Cai Jing chuckled and nodded slightly.
Others looked at this scene, but they were a little surprised. Only a few people could guess Cai Jing's thoughts.
Hitting Wang Mang was to warn him about his behavior of sitting on the fence just now, but he should not make the relationship between the two parties too rigid. After all, Cai Jing would have to rely on the Ministry of Rites to cooperate in the subsequent examinations, so he lowered his profile and took the initiative to admit his mistake.
, it seems that he is more courteous and virtuous.
"But as long as you accept the documents from the Zhongshu Ministry of Education, Zhongshu and his four assistant ministers will be allowed to run for the Chunwei Deputy Examiner."
Cai Jing shook his head gently and looked at the many ministers present: "You are all people with real talents and knowledge. If there is a fair competition, you will definitely be no less inferior to the other four ministers."
The six ministers looked at Mr. Cai calmly, obviously not drinking his ecstasy soup.
Cai Jing frowned and added: "It's just that this document from Zhongshu Province came unexpectedly and suddenly. I don't know what will happen next..."
Everyone present was not a human spirit, and they immediately understood the profound meaning of Cai Jing's words.
This means that Prime Minister Qin may be operating behind the scenes and dealing behind the scenes!
Lu Yin, the right minister of the Ministry of War, frowned: "Master Cai, the imperial court has always acted impartially when selecting examiners. Even the ministers of Zhongshu and the two provinces under his sect should follow the regulations, right?"
Lu Yin had never served as a deputy examiner for the examination in previous years, so he cherished the opportunity of this examination and had started preparing for it long ago.
Nowadays, when I suddenly hear some conspiracy theory, I am naturally very nervous.
Yan Lide, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry, also frowned and said: "Even if the ministers under Zhongshu want to come in and run for election, we cannot directly give them the opportunity."
Minister Yu Wenkai is about to reach the age of becoming an official, and he has high expectations for him. When the old minister retires, he, Zuo Shilang, is the most likely to take over the position of minister.
If he can be appointed deputy examiner this time, he will have a group of disciples in the court, and he will be a sure candidate to succeed the minister.
"We have twelve ministers in the Sixth Department of Shangshu. There are only four of them under the sect. Even if they can't compete with us, it's very reasonable!" Song Qiaonian said loudly: "No one can gossip!"
Deng Xunwu also nodded and said with considerable approval: "Since this matter is what everyone wants, we must not lose the word fairness!"
"There are many people in the Sixth Department of the Secretariat, and there are many colleagues who have participated in the examination. It would be the biggest unfairness if you fail to choose..."
Under the leadership of a few people, the room was almost filled with anger.
Even the other servants who did not speak frowned tightly.
As long as someone is qualified, who doesn't have some ideas about the position of deputy examiner? Naturally, everyone doesn't want to see the Zhongshu Province and the Menxia Province being too strong.
Cai Jing also showed a bit of solemnity on his face and said frankly: "Now that the situation is unclear, the six departments of Shangshu must naturally unite as one and not let the position of deputy examiner fall to other places."
"So what if the documents from the Zhongshu Ministry of Education arrive? As long as the Minister of the Sixth Department is still capable, we cannot let the candidate for deputy examiner fall by the wayside!"
"I am going to report to Your Majesty right now. I must carefully select the candidate for deputy examiner."
At this moment, many ministers thought of the efforts and hardships of the seniors of the Sixth Department when they obtained the position of deputy examiner from the Hanlin Academy, and they felt a little more sentimental in their hearts.
How can we share the privileges that our predecessors gained through hard work and hard work with others in vain?
Thinking about it this way, everyone was naturally a little more pleased when they looked at Mr. Cai Jing.
Well, not bad.
Cai Jing is a serious person, and he actually wants to go to His Majesty the Emperor to argue with him when something happens.
Who doesn't know that Prime Minister Qin will run away from Ziwei Palace every two days? His relationship with His Majesty is very close!
Moreover, according to rumors, His Majesty the Emperor does not seem to be very friendly to Mr. Cai.
The prospects are so bad, why would Mr. Cai still want to take a trip into this muddy water? Isn't this like entering the dragon's pond and the tiger's den...
Just when all the ministers were secretly worried, Cai Jing said again: "Of course, Prime Minister Qin may have other ideas, so this trip may not be fruitful."
"But we can't give up on this matter."
Cai Jing said solemnly: "The efforts of the seniors of the six departments cannot be wasted."
"The cooperation of all of you will be needed at that time. As long as they are not selected this year, their confidence will be much weaker in the next subject."
"If you fail to choose the next subject, these people will be embarrassed to mention it again."
"Otherwise, if I am assigned a deputy examiner today, my sixth department will be the next Hanlin Academy tomorrow!"
"Everyone, defend the Six Divisions at this time! It is not the officers who rely on me, but everyone who is doing it, everyone in the Six Divisions!"
Cai Jing looked serious and stood up solemnly, looking at the many ministers and ministers.
Suddenly, he bowed slightly and saluted everyone present.
All the ministers and ministers were startled and hurriedly stood up. Suddenly there was a messy sound of chairs scraping against the floor in the guard room.
"Master Cai, how could this be so?" Song Qiaonian was extremely anxious and rushed forward to hold Cai Jing's arm.
"Master Cai, the six departments are our six departments. Everyone has an obligation. This matter cannot be shouldered by Master Cai alone!" Deng Xunwu said sternly.
Lu Yin also clenched his fists and said: "Yes, we should work together and never let this examiner's position be taken away by Zhongshu and his disciples..."
Mr. Cai was like this, and the remaining ministers, whether they were really moved or hypocritical, all cheered for Mr. Cai.
Looking at this scene, Cai Jing was very moved, and even had tears in his eyes...
I have to say that Mr. Cai is quite extraordinary for being able to sit in the position of Minister Pushe.
At least many people can't learn the ability to cry at all costs...many men can't learn it.
Cai Jing tried his best to keep his eyes open, as if to prevent the haziness in his eyes from leaking out. He looked around vigorously at the many ministers and ministers present, as if trying to remember the appearance of each one.
"Everyone, I'm leaving."
After saying this, without waiting for anything else, he turned around and walked towards the door. There was a heroic atmosphere in his back, which made everyone startled.
"Master Cai!" Song Qiaonian hurriedly followed. The others also recovered and hurriedly followed.
A group of high-ranking officials in scarlet robes rushed out of the duty room, startling the clerks in the corridor.
They arrived at the door of the Shangshu Provincial Yamen, and then dispersed at Cai Jing's strong request.
All the servants separated and went back to their respective homes, heading towards their own Yamen.
Walking on the road, Su Ling'a secretly glanced at Yu Wenkai in front of him. Although the old minister was old, his physique was not weak at all. He walked with great strength and soon left the two middle-aged men behind.
.
"Huh? Yan Butang, what do you mean by Mr. Cai?" Su Ling'a quietly pulled Yan Lide's sleeve and asked in a low voice with a frown.
Yan Lide was startled, glanced at the back of the old minister from a distance, and then lowered his voice and said, "What do you mean? Didn't Master Cai make sense?"
"Oh no!"
Su Ling'a said hurriedly: "Didn't you see him behave like that at the end? He stared with big eyes, as if he was about to eat someone, it was so fierce..."
"You're right, I was shocked..." Yan Lide subconsciously touched his chest, as if he was equally uncomfortable.
In fact, Mr. Cai's heroic performance at the end was indeed a bit superfluous.
Maybe it's because he's old, or maybe he hasn't used this trick for too long, which has led to a slight decline in his skills.
He thought his eyes were filled with tears, but in fact they were not. At least no one but himself could see it. There were tears, but not many.
Therefore, the scene that Mr. Cai imagined, with his eyes open and holding back the tears, turned into simply staring at everyone with big bull eyes.
You could say he was shocked, but there was no shocked expression at all. You could say he was glaring, but it didn't look like that...
All in all, it was a very, very strange and awkward feeling that made people feel terrified. Just now, Yan Lide thought that Mr. Cai was possessed by an evil spirit, possessed by something unclean... I heard that Mr. Cai's body was weak.
, Yang fire is not strong, this possibility is not impossible.
Fortunately, this is the Imperial City, the place where the world's dragon energy gathers, and there are so many high-ranking officials of the third and second ranks here. The Yang energy is very strong, and they are not afraid of being unable to suppress any monsters. This gave Yan Lide great confidence, so he let
He didn't jump up and run away on the spot.
In addition, Cai Jing also said that he would go to the palace to meet the saint soon, which made Yan Lide even more relieved.
The Holy One is the destined emperor, and the real dragon descends to the earth. No matter what is unclean, it should be wiped out in the face of the emperor... right?
Normally ghosts would not dare to see the emperor, so it means Master Cai was not possessed by a ghost.
Knowing this, Yan Lide felt that arranging Mr. Cai in this way was really inappropriate, even in his heart he felt a little inappropriate.
Su Ling'a on the side was still thoughtful and talking to herself.
"Do you think Mr. Cai is almost paralyzed?"
Su Langzhong rubbed his chin and continued to scrutinize Cai Jing's condition dutifully: "I heard that when people get older, they are more likely to get this disease. Their hands and eyes are crooked, and they salivate all the time..."
"Huh? Yan Butang?" He took a few steps to catch up with Yan Lide: "Do you think this is a sign of illness, Mr. Cai?"
The corners of Yan Lide's mouth trembled twice, and he quickly straightened his face and glared at Su Ling'a who was standing aside: "Master Cai also went to His Majesty to intercede for our Sixth Department of Secretariat. How could you talk about him behind his back like this?"
After saying that, he walked forward quickly.
"Huh? Huh? Yan Butang? Please slow down?"
Su Ling'a hurriedly chased after him: "What's wrong with saying this? If Mr. Cai is really sick, he can be treated in advance!"
"By the way, Yan Butang, have you heard about Bian Que? In this treatment, you don't have to be extremely ill. You have to start taking medicine when the disease reaches the texture..."
While Dr. Su was promoting his treatment concept to Yan Lide, Cai Jing also rushed towards Miyagi.
Just a few steps away from the ministers, Mr. Cai regretted it.
If I had known earlier, I would have put on a coat and walked out, but at that time, I was only focusing on brewing the atmosphere in the check-in room. How could I have thought of this?
Besides, there was such a majestic atmosphere at that time. It would be too ruined to take a big cloak before leaving.
'Xianmin and Lu Cai didn't hand it over either...'
Cai Jing secretly cursed in his heart. In fact, those few people were so frightened by Mr. Cai's last performance that they lost their souls. How could they still think about this?
It is now the depth of winter, and it is even colder and freezing in the capital, and everything is dry and quiet.
Cai Jing took a few steps and felt the urge to shiver, but he forced himself to endure it.
If I can't go back to get my clothes, I have to rush to the Ziwei Palace and have a look at His Majesty the Emperor's Nuan Pavilion...
Ziwei Palace.
In recent days, Li Qian has been working in Dongnuang Pavilion to approve memorials. His efficiency has always been a bit low and he has always been distracted by other things.
Li Qian naturally knew the reason for this, so he left Wu Meiniang and Lu Zhi in Dongnuan Pavilion today, and returned to the political hall alone.
It is more important to review the memorials. After finishing these memorials, go to Dongnuan Pavilion and lie down for a while.
In the political hall, there was only a pot of charcoal fire lit in the corner, and above the charcoal fire was a window. At this moment, a gap was opened in the window inlaid with chiseled copper plates to ensure that His Majesty the Emperor's precious little life was not threatened by carbon monoxide...
But the cold wind also took away most of the heat in the charcoal basin.
Li Qian sat behind the table. Even with his body that had been exercising for several months, he still inevitably felt a chill at this moment.
But it was precisely this coldness that kept him from feeling sleepy and allowed him to wholeheartedly review the memorial as quickly as possible to get rid of this coldness.
What is self-discipline? (tactical retreat)
Li Qian rubbed his slightly cold fingers, picked up the pen and continued writing, only to find that the ink in the inkstone had begun to freeze and become stiff.
"Your Majesty..." The old eunuch carried a hot water bottle and hurriedly filled the inkstone with water.
Li Qian picked up his pen and dipped it in red ink. While reviewing the memorial, he encouraged himself with the inspirational chicken soup of "It's so cold, the inkstone is firm".
At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside: "Your Majesty, the servant of the minister is asking Master Cai Jing to see you!"