Not only was Li Zhigang a good friend of Xie Jin, but he was also a Jinshi in the 21st year of Hongwu. Li Zhigang was a man who knew how to work hard. Over the years, whether at the local level or in the central government, the exchange of letters and gifts during the New Year had never stopped.
"You are good friends with the Bachelor of Reconciliation?" Xia Yuanji thought about it, "What's the use of that?"
"fool!"
Li Zhigang cursed in his heart and said with a smile, "I'll go back and ask him what's going on. Isn't it clear at a glance? If this is the case, if Hou Yong and the others can do it in the first grade, we can do it in the fifteenth grade."
"No, no, no!" Unexpectedly, Xia Yuanji shook his head and said, "Hey, today's disaster is also caused by my poor thinking. I cannot blame anyone else. After the emperor ascended the throne, the most taboo thing is the fight between civil servants. As ministers, how can we because of this?
Why don’t you give up on your private grudge against me?”
"Weizhe, you are really a humble gentleman, you can bully him!" Li Zhigang said with a smile, "I don't understand, what are you afraid of? In terms of qualifications, who are you lower than? If you were not alone in the court, this minister would
The function falls on Ren Shangshu’s head?”
As he spoke, he continued to lower his voice and said, "Good people can be bullied. This time they secretly made trouble. Maybe they will do it to you again next time... They are in the south study room, close to the emperor!"
"Don't talk nonsense. They are all important officials of the Ming Dynasty. How can they be as miserable as a shrew in the market!" Xia Yuanji stood up and walked out with his hands behind his back. "Don't mention this matter again!" He said, sighing, "I want to think about it now.
, how to write an apology note to the emperor!"
After that, he shook his head and left.
"Ha!" Seeing him going out, Li Zhigang showed a bit of a sneer on his face.
"You are an indecisive person with good eyesight and weak skills!" He cursed in his heart, full of disdain.
Then, he watched Xia Yuanji's figure disappear, straightened his clothes, walked out with his hands behind his back, and walked toward the central hall of the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites.
The Zhongtangzhengyamen is the official office of Ren Hengtai, the Minister of Rites.
Standing outside the door, he smiled kindly at the chief on duty and said, "Please tell me, sir, I would like to see you!"
"Wait a moment!" The chief didn't dare to be lazy. He stepped in and quickly came out. He saluted and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, please!"
"Thank you!" Li Zhigang nodded reservedly.
~~
"What do you want from me?" Ren Hengtai stood up from his chair and responded.
"Brother Nian!" Li Zhigang saluted respectfully and at the same time full of enthusiasm.
He and Xie Jin were both Jinshi in the 21st year of Hongwu, and the number one scholar in Hongwu in the 21st year was none other than Ren Hengtai.
Therefore, the name "Brother Nian" is justified.
"Sit down!" Ren Hengtai was an elegant man and said with a bit of joking, "Since I took over the Ministry of Household Affairs, you have never been to my place!"
Li Zhigang smiled bitterly and said, "Young brother has long wanted to visit you, so you can come to the Yamen. There are so many people in the Yamen, and I'm afraid someone might be looking for someone to catch you. Why don't you come..." Then he smiled bitterly again, "That man Wei Zhe...
That’s all, don’t say anything!”
Ren Hengtai asked curiously, "Is it related to Shilang Xia?"
"Brother Nian doesn't know anything at all?" Li Zhigang said in surprise, and then sighed, "That's right, you are a gentleman, so naturally you don't even bother to listen to these gossipy things!"
As he spoke, he sighed again, "However, even if Brother Nian doesn't want to hear it, Brother Yu still has the responsibility to tell you!"
Ren Hengtai's face gradually became serious.
"Before you took over, there were rumors in the Ministry of Rites that Wei Zhe was the minister!" Li Zhigang said with a wry smile, "His guy... Well, he's not a bad guy, he's just too shy! The imperial edict hasn't been issued yet, and he's also
I really thought I was 100% sure, but when Brother Nian was transferred here, he couldn’t keep it off his face!"
"Well, it's human nature!" Ren Hengtai has been an official for many years, so he naturally understands the meaning behind this. It might be the same for him, eagerly waiting for promotion, but suddenly someone else was sent from above, and he felt like a dream. Can you not feel uncomfortable?
It is precisely because he understands this that he has been observing secretly since he took office, without putting on any airs of being a minister.
"Wei Zhe and I have a good personal relationship. If I come to visit Brother Nian at this time, I'm afraid he will even blame me!" Li Zhigang said with a smile, "He must think that I will follow the wind and do whatever I want with you, and give you the cold shoulder. Kill him!"
"Hey, why are you acting like a child!" Ren Hengtai laughed, "and forming cliques!"
Li Zhigang suddenly lowered his voice, "Do you know what happened today?"
"Can you not know?" Ren Hengtai knew what he was talking about and whispered, "I already knew it when you were still in Qianqing Palace!" He said with a frown, "Shilang Xia is really confused, Your Majesty. At the time when the Spring and Autumn Period is at its peak, why should we build the imperial mausoleum?"
"Brother Nian!" Li Zhigang lowered his voice again, "This is why Brother Yu came to see you!" As he spoke, his voice was almost inaudible, and he hesitated, "Originally, Brother Yu shouldn't have said this. But if I didn't Said, not only did it harm you, but it also made Wei Zhe fall deeper and deeper into trouble!"
Ren Hengtai's face became serious, "But it doesn't matter!"
"You took up the position of Minister, and Wei Zhe worked in vain. He thought it was because the Holy Heart was not enough. So he thought of going to Zhezi... to seek the emperor's favor!"
"What's his idea? Haha, it's a solution!" Ren Hengtai said with a smile.
"But I didn't expect to lose such a big face to everyone in the South Study Room..."
In Li Zhigang's description, Ren Hengtai's face changed from solemn to full of anger.
"He complained to Brother Yu just now. Maybe you greeted the people in Nan Study Room, so you deliberately made this matter a big deal, which made the Emperor Long Yan furious!"
Bang! Ren Hengtai looks elegant, but he actually has a fiery personality.
He is fundamentally different from the traditional Han scholar-officials. His mother is a princess of the Dayuan Dynasty, and his wife is also a descendant of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. The reason why he became the number one scholar in the first place was not only talent and learning, but also status.
"Asshole!" Ren Hengtai said angrily, "Who does he think he is? Is he worthy of me secretly colluding against him?"
"Brother Nian, please calm down, you are a gentleman and you can't stand it... Hey, I don't blame others for thinking, who let you block their way of advancement? Besides, since Zheng Shangshu resigned and Old Scholar Ling returned to his hometown, It seems like everything is calm in the court, but everyone below has to stand out and have their own agenda!"
With that said, Li Zhigang took two steps forward and saluted, "Brother Nian, I am not telling you this to make you angry. Weizhe is ignorant and you are too rich. Our Ministry of Etiquette can no longer withstand internal strife!"
Ren Hengtai was silent for a long time and sighed, "It's rare for you to be a person who takes the overall situation into consideration!" He said with a wry smile, "If Minister Xia was half as transparent as you are, he wouldn't be like this!" Then he sighed again, "If he were. If I really think so, I can’t help it. But I’m afraid, it’s him who will be harmed in the end!”
"I told him this, but can he listen?" Li Zhigang also sighed.
~~
After coming out of the main hall of the Ministry of Rites, Li Zhigang looked in the distance at the closed door of Xia Yuanji's room on his left, and a sneer appeared on his face again.
"I thought I could make a move when you were promoted to minister, but now that you can't move, you can't delay me! Haha, Zuo Shilang!"
Although the difference in rank between the left minister and the right minister is only half a step, the power and future in their hands are completely different.
Once there is a vacancy in the six ministers, the first thing to consider is the left minister of each ministry. In other words, only if Xia Yuanji, the left minister, is promoted, he, Li Zhigang, the right minister, can be promoted.
Otherwise, he will always be able to take care of some chores in the Ministry of Etiquette.
Since Xia Yuanji can't be promoted, then think of a way to squeeze him down!
"Ren Hengtai was promoted to minister, and Xie Jin entered the south study room. With these two relationships, it's time for me to make further progress!" Li Zhigang thought in his mind, and stepped out of the Ministry of Rites and walked towards the palace city.
Now, it's time to meet Jin Jin.
~~
"Your Majesty, Prince Yan wants to see you!"
Zhu Yunxi nodded after hearing the bastard's report. After a while, Zhu Gaochi came in from outside like a ball.
"minister....."
"Okay, okay, sit down!" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile, "What do you want to see me for?"
Zhu Gaochi took out a letter from his sleeve and held it up with both hands, "I have a letter from my father, asking for the emperor's permission to come to Beijing for an audience!"
"Oh?" Zhu Yunxi narrowed his eyes, "You're so good, why do you want to go to Beijing?" He said with a smile, "Come to intercede for your fifth uncle!"
Zhu Gaochi raised the letter above his head with both hands, "I don't know, but I think it shouldn't be the case!"