In the late spring of April, Qin Dewei took Xu Miaojing, escorted by Mrs. Li, out of the city twenty miles southwest and arrived at the Yongding River.
Of course, Qin Dewei did not go to see the farmland. Before the Spaniards brought sweet potatoes to the Philippines, he had little interest in agricultural production.
Just a year ago, some craftsmen in the capital fled and "hided" in Zhuangzi by the Yongding River, becoming hidden residences protected by unknown powerful people.
At that time, Qin Dewei gave some general technical ideas to these craftsmen, and it was not until recently that they finally developed a hydraulic blower and matching blast furnace.
So today Qin Dewei is here for on-site inspection and acceptance, and by the way, we will discuss the next technical direction.
While Academician Qin was standing talking to several old craftsmen, he suddenly saw his servant Zhao Si galloping towards him on horseback.
After Zhao Si stood up and dismounted, he hurriedly reported: "Sir! The Hanlin Academy is reporting urgently. Your Majesty has summoned ministers of the third rank and above, ministers of the fifth rank and above, and officials above the director of the Ministry of Rites, for a court meeting in the Wenhua Palace in two days!"
At this time when "the chief minister was seriously ill", Emperor Jiajing suddenly took the initiative to convene ministers for a meeting, which was equivalent to telling the court officials whether they were ready?
However, Emperor Jiajing's selfish and cold attitude made many ministers secretly sigh...
The chief assistant was only seriously ill, but not dead. As for starting to think about his death?
And what is particularly meaningful is that "officials above the director of the Ministry of Rites" were specially invited to attend.
As usual, that night, countless small meetings in the capital started in advance.
Of course, some people invited Academician Qin to hold a small meeting to make a situation report or something, but it was a pity that Academician Qin was having fun at a farmhouse outside the city tonight and did not return to the city.
Yan Song, the Minister of Rites, also summoned trusted close party members to his home.
There are Zhao Wenhua, the adopted son who is also a member of the Ministry of Punishment, a foreign minister, Yin Geng, who is also the head of the Ceremony Department of the Ministry of Etiquette, and Ouyang Bijin, the brother-in-law of his wife who happened to be in Beijing recently to resign.
The people present were so luxurious and tall that Yan Shangshu was so excited that he wanted to burst into tears.
There is nothing you can do about it, in the eyes of others, Yan Shangshu is still the younger brother of Academician Xia.
Instead of currying favor with Yan Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, who had little real power, it would be better to go directly to curry favor with Grand Scholar Xia.
And what makes Yan Song even more worried is that even Qin Dewei can summon a lineup that is ten times stronger than this!
The encounter of "calling two more ministers" is simply a nightmare that still lingers for Yan Shangshu.
It's just that Yan Song doesn't understand why Qin Dewei seems to be so "discerning about people"?
It seems that no one Qin Dewei comes into contact with or cares about is mediocre. Even Feng En, who seems to be the most incompetent, is simple but not simple.
Yan Song was thinking in an erratic way, so the younger brothers started talking first.
Zhao Wenhua, the godson of the Yan family, was very excited. After waiting for so many years, his adoptive father finally had the opportunity to leap over the dragon gate.
If a new person is chosen to join the cabinet, the foster father, the Minister of Rites, will be very competitive!
And he, Zhao Wenhua, is an "old man from Qiandi" who has been following his adoptive father since the Imperial Academy ten years ago!
Zhao Wenhua counted on his fingers: "Apart from the foster father, the other most qualified people are the Heavenly Officials Xu Zan and Huo Tao."
When Yan Song heard these names, he couldn't help but said: "The person we really need to pay attention to is Qin Dewei!"
Zhao Wenhua looked at his adoptive father in surprise, did you take the wrong medicine?
What we are talking about now is the issue of joining the cabinet. So Qin Dewei is not qualified to join the cabinet, so can he be considered a competitor?
Moreover, it is basically impossible for the "Second King" Shangshu, who has the best relationship with Qin Dewei, to join the cabinet.
Yan Song reprimanded: "Do you think this is just a matter of entering the cabinet? The issue of entering the cabinet is just a bait thrown by the emperor. The emperor wants something else!"
Yin Geng, the head of the Ceremony Department of the Ministry of Etiquette, could guess a little bit of the inside story because of his professional sensitivity, so he explained to Zhao Wenhua: "I'm afraid the emperor wants to discuss etiquette again."
In the Jiajing Dynasty, the word "Yili" was a bitter medicine to many ministers, and an aphrodisiac to others.
Zhao Wenhua flashed with excitement and said again: "Then the foster father is the Minister of Rites, wouldn't it be a good time for him?"
Businesses related to "rituals" are all led by the Ministry of Rites, which is naturally the stage for the Minister of Rites to play. Others cannot take away this leading position.
Yan Song replied: "Things are not that simple. All in all, this situation is essentially a competition for the king's favor. Whether he can join the cabinet is secondary.
When it comes to this aspect, Qin Dewei is the biggest opponent, and this has nothing to do with his rank, official position, or whether he is qualified to join the cabinet."
When Zhao Wenhua, Yin Geng, and Ouyang Bijin heard this, they only understood the second half of the sentence. The person who is best at flattering the emperor is our biggest enemy!
But I still don’t understand the first half of the sentence. What does “whether you can join the cabinet is secondary” mean?
Yan Song sighed softly, if his son Yan Shifan was here, why wouldn't anyone be able to understand him?
At present, there are only a few insect gangsters with no choice. Yan Song can only further explain: "Based on my observations over the years, I have come to a conclusion.
In the Jiajing Dynasty, as long as the true monarch's favor can be obtained and maintained, even if the whole dynasty is full of enemies, it will still be invincible.
The most important thing is to firmly believe in your heart that the emperor will not let you fall! And the emperor also has enough political skills to keep you standing!
And discussing etiquette is just a way to exchange for the king's favor, and joining the cabinet is secondary."
Zhao Wenhua subconsciously asked, "Is it Qin Dewei that you, foster father, are observing and learning from?"
Yan Song wanted to point to the door and say, "Get out of here."
How dare you say that the dignified Minister of Rites has learned from a novice in officialdom for three years? I really can’t afford to disgrace that person! Couldn’t he have learned from the former chief minister Zhang Fuking?
Ouyang Bijin, who came to Beijing from other provinces to work in politics, was the younger brother of Yan Song's wife Ouyang. He was not so scrupulous about talking to Yan Song and said at this time:
"If you really want to discuss etiquette, please think twice, brother-in-law! If you attract the attention of thousands of people and be reviled by thousands of people, the gain will outweigh the loss."
If the emperor issues a motion ceremony again, what else can be discussed? It is nothing more than "proclaiming one's clan and entering the temple", but this weight is too heavy.
At the beginning, the discussion of etiquette was about "who should be recognized as father", which to a large extent could be regarded as the emperor's family affairs. However, "proclaiming one's clan and entering the temple" was more serious than "who should be recognized as father". What was worse was that it was a national gift, which was tantamount to openly trampling on the laws of the ancestors.
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It can be said that whoever dares to support "proclaiming one's clan and entering the temple" will immediately be regarded as a "treacherous official" in the public opinion of the court. Can you, Yan Song, bear the blame?
Yin Geng, the head of the Ceremony Department of the Ministry of Etiquette, said helplessly: "But as the Minister of Etiquette, how can I escape? You can't even remain silent. You must express your stance."
Faced with soul torture, Yan Song was silent for a long time and suddenly asked: "Do you think Qin Dewei will support proclaiming his clan and entering the temple?"
The other three were speechless. Boss Yan, you really didn't take the wrong medicine, right? Why can't you avoid Qin Dewei when you go back and forth today?
Yan Song snorted coldly, "In my opinion, if anyone dares to take the lead in supporting the declaration of the clan and entering the temple, only Qin Dewei, a treacherous minister who has always flattered the emperor, is the most likely!
You guys think, what if Qin Dewei takes the lead in supporting the proclaimed ancestor and entering the temple, attracting criticism from others, and I just follow Qin Dewei and wave the flag and take advantage of it, how about this?"
No matter how hard Qin Dewei tries, he is only in the fifth rank at present, while he, Yan Song, is the distinguished Minister of Rites!
As long as the Minister of Rites adopts a steady follow-up strategy, he can still obtain the favor of the emperor and the qualification to join the cabinet!
Moreover, with Qin Dewei taking the lead and attracting firepower, those who follow will have a much easier time, and they can create an image of "having to do something forced by the general trend."
When the opportunity comes again, you can change it to "endure the humiliation" and reverse the reputation.
Yin Geng asked a little doubtfully: "But would Qin Dewei do that?"
Yan Song said confidently: "When we get to the Wenhua Palace, if we want Qin Dewei to speak, it's up to you!
Moreover, in the past few years, Qin Dewei has received so many blessings from God that he is known as the Jiajing Man. This is both his blessing and his burden!
If I am not qualified to be silent, then Qin Dewei is not qualified to be silent either.
This is why I must keep an eye on Qin Dewei. If he is not the traitor that many people have accused him of, who should be?"
Ouyang Bijin asked again: "Brother-in-law, do you need to tell Mr. Xia Ge about these thoughts?"
Yan Song was silent for a long time again, and then said calmly: "In the future, there is no need to tell Xia Guizhou about my affairs."
The three of them were all shocked. After talking for so long tonight, this sentence was the most shocking to them.
With most of the courtiers uneasy, the scheduled day for the court meeting arrived.
The clock slowly went out, the cigarette smoke curled up, and Emperor Jiajing ascended his throne in the Wenhua Hall.
What is special is that the eunuchs who are responsible for the rituals also appear. From No. 1 Zhang Zuo to No. 2 Qin Fu, as well as Huang Ying, Dai Yong and other six eunuchs who are responsible for the rituals are arranged on both sides.
However, Eunuch Qin No. 2 had a solemn face and furrowed his eyebrows, not knowing what he was worried about.
After all the ministers had finished saluting, Emperor Jiajing on the throne took the initiative to open the mouth of Chrysostom and said:
"I saw Huang Kao again in my dream a few days ago. Now that we are separated from each other, I feel sad. But I don't know if I will be able to reunite with Huang Kao in ten thousand years."
The ministers sighed helplessly. It is coming, it is coming, it is indeed coming!
His Majesty pretended to ask if he could have a happy reunion with his biological father after his death. This obviously meant that the father and mother's tablets could be placed together and they could receive sacrifices together.
Therefore, the Wenhua Hall immediately became silent, and the ministers could only deal with it by pretending to be stupid and remaining silent.
Qin Dewei, the concubine of the right concubine who was studying as a bachelor, and the Shaoqing of Honglu, had a relatively relaxed attitude. He glanced at Yan Song secretly, and Yan Song also happened to glance at Qin Dewei secretly.
The two people's eyes happened to meet each other, and their expressions were a little awkward for a while as they looked at each other.
The two of them looked away in unison and snorted in their hearts, "Treacherous minister!"
So Qin Dewei just stood there with a low eyebrow and a submissive look. He was really not in a hurry.
As the saying goes, if the sky falls, the tallest people will be hit first. Anyway, Yan Song, the Minister of Rites, will definitely express his position.
As for how Yan Song will express his position, is there any need to think about it?
As a treacherous minister with a long history, Yan Song would definitely cater to the emperor. Otherwise, how would he defeat Xia Yan and become the chief minister in the future?
As long as Yan Song expresses his attitude with "a cold eyebrow and a thousand fingers", the effect will definitely be equivalent to exploding a fish pond. At that time, he can fish in troubled waters and just say a few words.
Anyway, the great villain and traitor destined by history is Yan Song, but I am helpless and against my will.
In fact, Qin Dewei has not revealed to anyone that his real hidden method lies not in the process of "proclaiming his clan and entering the temple", but in the aftermath.
When Yan Song became a new generation of great rites ministers and was full of ambitions, he would use a despicable and despicable trick to take away part of Yan Song's luck without making the emperor disgusted!
Therefore, Qin Dewei's overall strategy is to keep a low profile in the early stage and make waves in the later stage.
After Yan Song had worked so hard to win his luck and exposed his ambition to become independent from the Xia Yan Group, he, Qin Dewei, would sneak attack on Comrade Lao Yan and steal half of his luck. It was a pleasure to think about it.
As for the current big stage of the ceremony, leave it all to Yan Song!
Emperor Jiajing on the throne had lightning eyes, scanning the ministers back and forth. He couldn't help but curse in his heart, he didn't say it clearly just now, these people were all pretending to be stupid!
Zhang Zuo, the eunuch and eunuch in charge of the ceremony, who had been well prepared, stepped forward and said: "I am really stupid. What the emperor just wanted to ask is whether the emperor can add a clan name and the god's intention to enter the Taimiao Temple?"
Having made it clear directly, the minister can no longer pretend to be stupid.
But the ministers felt very bitter, and really no one was willing to support it, especially the first one to stand up and guide public opinion to support the emperor's ridiculous idea.
Anyone who does this is equivalent to directly abandoning morality and having his or her spine stabbed by everyone in the world.
Emperor Jiajing directly issued an edict: "Officials from the Ministry of Rites will discuss it first!"
This is also a relatively normal procedure. Which department is involved in the matter, let the department provide professional advice first.
Yan Song, the Minister of Rites, accepted the order first, and then told Yin Geng, the head of the Rituals Department of the Ministry of Rites, "This is the affairs that the Rituals Department should be in charge of. I want you to preside over the discussions among the officials inside and outside the Ministry of Rites!"
Yin Geng accepted the order, then stood in the position of the saluter and said a few opening remarks, looked at the crowd, found the target and said: "Qin Dewei, you discuss first!"
Qin Dewei, who was about to enter a fugue state, suddenly reacted and looked at Yin Geng in confusion.
Is there something wrong with your Chief Yin? What should Qin Dewei say when your Rites Department is discussing the matter?
Yin Geng smiled slightly and said to Qin Dewei: "Your Excellency has the official position of Shaoqing of Honglu Temple, and can be regarded as an official of the external department of the Ministry of Rites."
Qin Dewei: ""
The Ministry of Rites is a very strange government office. The main body of the office is very small, with only four departments. They are all very idle and the staffing is also small.
However, the peripheral yamen under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites are very large, such as Taichang Temple, Guanglu Temple, Honglu Temple, and Imperial College, etc., which are all part of the Ministry of Rites system, as well as the Jiaofang Division that everyone talks about.
Therefore, Qin Dewei, who is the young minister of Honglu Temple, insists on saying that he is a peripheral official of the Ministry of Rites, which can be justified.
Yin Geng continued: "Although Qin Dewei, your official official is Hanyuan Ci Minister, you are also an advisor to the emperor. It is not inappropriate to ask you to have a few words at this time.
Or, Qin Dewei, do you look down on the Ministry of Rites, or do you not want to speak?"
Everyone's eyes turned to Qin Dewei. I have to say that the first spokesperson chosen by Director Yin was really tricky.
Qin Dewei is a "Jiajing man". Others can be silent, prevaricate, and vague, but Qin Dewei certainly cannot.
Many people have begun to think that if Qin Dewei comes forward and takes this traitor for granted, will others be freed and can continue to stand on the moral high ground and pretend to be stupid?