Chapter 605: Master Qin at the Turning Point of History (1)
Although Qin Dewei appeared to be calm on the surface and even thought of answering questions to amuse him, anyone who understands history knows that the two things Tao Zhongwen mentioned were definitely major events in the Jiajing Dynasty.
Speaking of the politics of the Jiajing Dynasty, the period from the second half of the seventeenth year of Jiajing to the early months of the eighteenth year of Jiajing was a very obvious turning point, which can be called the watershed between the early and middle and late Jiajing Dynasty!
This period of time in history was not long, but three major events happened in succession.
The first major event was that Yan Song came to power by "proclaiming his clan status and entering the temple" and began a ten-year-long overt and covert struggle with Xia Yan, which also fully affected the political landscape for the next thirty years.
Of course, in this time and space, because of Qin Dewei's random interference, the political situation has begun to deviate from the track.
The second major event was the death of Emperor Jiajing's biological mother, the Empress Dowager Jiang, in December of the 17th year of Jiajing's reign, and the southern tour three months later.
This incident had a great mental impact on Emperor Jiajing, and after that, Emperor Jiajing began to enter a fanatical cultivation mode.
The third major event was that Shao Yuanjie, the national advisor in the early Jiajing Dynasty, became seriously ill and died in February of the 18th year of Jiajing.
Before this time in history, Emperor Jiajing was still a very diligent and studious emperor who was eager to prove himself by bringing great governance to the world, but he was impatient and could not follow the law.
But after this period of time, the frustrated Emperor Jiajing seemed to have turned back 180 degrees, and gradually became obsessed with cultivating immortals. He no longer went to court, rarely met with ministers, and became indifferent to his sense of responsibility for the country.
Therefore, the "two major events" that Tao Zhongwen and Tao Laodao talked about are not empty words, they are indeed major events, which can be called a turning point in history.
Of course, Tao Laodao actually didn't know the significance of these two things. He only looked at them from the impact on himself.
If Shao Guoshi dies of illness, will Tao Zhongwen have a chance to become the new Guoshi?
This is not just a conjecture. He, Tao Zhongwen, was also a high-ranking scholar who went to the palace to perform Dharma and showed his face in front of the emperor!
As for why he told Qin Dewei these things, it was because Qin Dewei predicted three years ago that he, Tao Zhongwen, had the energy to be a national advisor.
Tao Zhongwen may be the old god in the minds of many people, but Qin Dewei is the old god in Tao Zhongwen's heart. At this critical moment, Tao Zhongwen just wants to hear what Qin Dewei has to say.
"Calm down!" Qin Dewei said: "What to do, I have emphasized to you a long time ago! You don't have to think about the emperor, and you don't have to think of ways to go to the emperor to increase your presence!"
Tao Zhongwen was a little confused about Ji Ze, and couldn't help but say: "Now there are many Taoist friends who are trying to find ways to find connections, including several disciples of Shao Xianchang."
Qin Dewei said with certainty: "What you have to do is to continue to follow Master Shao closely! The more he is about to die, the more you must serve Master Shao!"
The emperor is actually a nostalgic person, and Shao Guoshi is a real person who has won the emperor's trust for more than ten years. Let Shao Guoshi recommend you a few words before his death, which is more useful than anything else!"
Tao Zhongwen asked again: "Although I have a very good relationship with Mr. Shao, Mr. Shao has several disciples. Why did Mr. Shao give up his disciples and recommend me instead?"
Qin Dewei didn't know much about religious history, and he didn't know why Shao Yuanjie recommended Tao Zhongwen to Emperor Jiajing before his death.
However, it does not affect Qin Dewei's inferring the causes from the results and making up nonsense. Anyway, Tao Laodao should have made up the wrong things, and it does not affect Qin Dewei's political status.
"Shao Guoshi has been favored for more than ten years, which shows that Shao Guoshi knows the emperor's temperament very well, so he can maintain the emperor's trust.
When the opportunity is right, you can ask Master Shao directly, are his disciples capable of serving the emperor? Can his disciples bear the consequences of poor service?"
With Emperor Jiajing's awkward character, few people could serve him well. If Shao Yuanjie was not afraid of being implicated by his disciples after his death, he should know how to be safe.
Qin Dewei was more confident than Tao Zhongwen himself, "Only you, Zhenjun Zhongwen of Xianling Palace, is the best candidate to be the next national preceptor, no one else can!
If Shao Guoshi is still troubled by this, or has no confidence in your ability, then let Shao Guoshi give you a chance to try the waters!"
Tao Zhongwen said doubtfully: "What opportunity?"
Qin Dewei said enigmatically: "It will be around the beginning of next year, I can't say at this time."
In February or March next year, Emperor Jiajing will embark on a southern tour. As for the reason, Qin Dewei dare not say now.
It's already November, and Empress Dowager Chiang will be gone early next month.
In the end, Qin Dewei tried his best to encourage Tao Laodao: "I am optimistic about you, Zhongwen Xianling Zhenjun!"
Tao Zhongwen said a little annoyed: "Can you please stop calling me Zhenjun Zhongwen!"
This title is completely nondescript and embarrassing. I don’t know why Academician Qin likes to call people like this so much today.
Back home, Qin Dewei said to his father-in-law: "It is not suitable to hold an official position now. We have to wait until next year."
Zeng Hou's father wanted to ask the reason, but Qin Dewei kept it a secret, which made Zeng Hou's father feel heartbroken again. He sighed that a father would not be a father, and a subordinate who lived like a son was still the kind of subordinate who was not a close confidant.
Then Qin Dewei received another news. After all, Emperor Jiajing was grateful for Yan Song's "contribution" and felt that it was unacceptable not to reward him at all, so he favored Yan Shifan and appointed him as Shangbao Sicheng.
This shows that the emperor has erased all of Yan Shifan's past, so the Jinyiwei officer school blocking Yan's mansion has no excuse to arrest people and can only be removed.
There is no other way. The son of a powerful man is not so easy to catch, and time travelers are not omnipotent.
By this time, the weather was already very cold. Only when he returned to the heated kang in the inner room would Qin Dewei take off all his masks, lie on the edge of the kang and sigh.
Xu Miaoxuan asked doubtfully: "Why is my husband sighing when he is proud?"
Qin Dewei said with emotion: "The whole world is turbid, but I alone am pure. Everyone is drunk, but I alone am awake, so I lament."
Xu Miaoxuan is not a political novice either, so she still doesn’t understand: “Isn’t the Great Ceremony Meeting over?”
Qin Dewei turned over and said sadly: "How did you know that the real winter is coming?"
How could optimistic people know that the troubled times of the Jiajing Dynasty were about to begin.
The minister thought that the emperor who was stubborn about the ceremonial discussion was already very annoying, but it was all in the past.
But after this year, the ministers realized that the emperor who was obsessed with cultivating immortals was even more annoying!
Xu Miaoxuan forcefully pulled Qin Dewei, who was worried about the country and the people, over, "Even if winter comes tonight, you can't escape! According to you, now is not a safe period. You are not allowed to be lazy these days!"
The time is approaching the end of the year, and as usual, all yamen have gradually entered a leisurely and relaxing mode, just waiting for December to prepare to close the yamen for the New Year.
Zhang Chao, the right minister of the Ministry of Personnel and a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, completed his mission and returned to the capital from other places. Qin Dewei, fearing an accident, left the capital and came to Tongzhou to greet him.
Teacher Zhang will stay overnight in Tongzhou that night, and Qin Dewei will have time to communicate with Teacher Zhang.
There is no other meaning, it's just that Qin Dewei is really worried and wants to see if Teacher Zhang's thoughts have changed.
After all, Teacher Zhang's idea of becoming a critic before leaving Beijing was a bit scary, but it didn't work out, so he changed people without changing his ideas. Qin Dewei also prepared for the worst.
After seeing the ceremony, Qin Dewei was too lazy to exchange greetings and asked proactively: "Does the teacher know the news?"
Zhang Chao said expressionlessly: "The reception I received along the way back was ten times grander than the one on the way out. How could I not know?
I have lived for more than fifty years, and I never knew that an official could do this. It feels like I could be promoted several levels without doing anything."
Qin Dewei praised him sincerely and said, "That's because you have a good disciple, Master Zhang."
Zhang Chao: ""
Qin Dewei then encouraged Zhang Xueshi: "Do it well. The Minister of Rites may not be the end, and the cabinet bachelor may not be unable to look forward to it."
Zhang Chao took a deep breath and said fiercely: "When I was sent out of Beijing, I originally had the idea of severing the relationship between teachers and students, then resigned and left!"
Qin Dewei was politely shocked and said: "Teacher, how could you do this!"
Zhang Chao continued: "Later I realized that I cannot do that. I must retain my usefulness and the teacher-student relationship."
Qin Dewei was overjoyed and praised quickly: "It seems that you have really understood it, teacher! Yes, you must retain your usefulness, otherwise how can you look forward to the future?"
So for the sake of the teacher-student relationship, let’s give up admonishing and protect yourself first before talking about anything else!
Then I heard Zhang Xueshi say: "What I have seen clearly is that if you are as reckless as you are, if you are not restrained, you will definitely become an able minister in the world.
Therefore, I must retain my usefulness and teacher-student relationship for you, so that I can restrict you!
Looking at the imperial court, only I have such qualifications, and this is my responsibility! When I selected you, I laid the foundation for your fate today."
After Qin Dewei was stunned for a moment, he couldn't help but stretched out his thumb and praised: "Teacher, your psychological construction is really good. You can be called a great scholar of the generation."
It doesn’t matter what reason you use as a fig leaf, as long as Teacher Zhang can convince himself.
The next day Qin Dewei accompanied Zhang Chao back to the capital, and then Academician Zhang received the imperial edict and moved from the Hanlin Academy to the Ministry of Rites to take up his post.
From then on, Zhang Xueshi was Zhang Shangshu, and he was respectfully called Da Zongbo and also called Chun Guan.
After the ceremony was completed, the ministers all thought that Emperor Jiajing must be ambitious, work hard, and have a good year first.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jiajing did not go to court for the whole of November, and did not even appear in front of ministers. Even the Winter Solstice, one of the biggest court rituals, was cancelled!
Now all the ministers understood that something must have happened.
Then the news came out that the Empress Dowager Jiang, the biological mother of Emperor Jiajing, was critically ill. Countless Taoist priests prayed for Empress Dowager Chiang in the palace, and even the emperor himself went to the fasting ceremony in person, so he could not care about the affairs of the court.
The newcomers who entered the court in recent years may not know it, but the old people all know what the Empress Dowager Jiang means to Emperor Jiajing.
During the Great Ceremony Conference that year, Emperor Jiajing, a young newcomer, fought against the old leader of the court, largely because of the courage given by the Empress Dowager Jiang, who was the spiritual support of Emperor Jiajing.
With the attention of the entire court, Empress Dowager Chiang passed away on the fourth day of December, ending her legendary life from the capital to Anlu and back to the capital.
Emperor Jiajing cried from the bottom of his heart and almost fainted. Xia Yan and other cabinet bachelors and Zhang Chao and other officials from the Ministry of Rites supported him several times.
A few days later, after Emperor Jiajing's mood stabilized slightly, a consolation ceremony was held in the Wenhua Palace, where all civil and military officials entered the palace to comfort Emperor Jiajing.
This is also the first public appearance of Emperor Jiajing in front of courtiers in the past twenty days.
Qin Dewei, who was standing in the team, secretly sighed, fearing that such scenes of court meetings between kings and ministers would become less and less common in the future.
Anyone who knows history knows that from then on Emperor Jiajing only loved writing small notes for his ministers to guess riddles, rather than having face-to-face conversations.
In addition to comforting the emperor, the main content of this consolation ceremony was to discuss the posthumous affairs of Empress Dowager Chiang.
Emperor Jiajing's first edict was to ask the Ministry of Rites to draft a posthumous title for the Empress Dowager Jiang. This was as it should be. Zhang Chao, the Minister of Rites, who had only been in office for a few days, accepted the edict.
Emperor Jiajing's second thought was that he suspected that his aunt, the Empress Dowager Zhang, had used witchcraft to curse his biological mother, the Empress Dowager Jiang, in an attempt to depose the Empress Dowager Zhang.
The ministers were immediately furious, and countless idiots whizzed past in their hearts. The emperor's anger was completely unreasonable.
The ministers who almost went crazy, whether loyal or traitor, rushed forward and forcibly persuaded Emperor Jiajing, who was also almost crazy.
After all, the Jiajing Emperor was nominally established by the Empress Dowager Zhang. Your Majesty, your deposing the Empress Dowager Zhang is a treasonous act and has no support from heaven and law at all!
And if Empress Dowager Zhang is deposed, what will happen to your own legal system, Your Majesty?
Even Jie and Zhou could not do such a thing!
The big guys standing at the front looked at each other in confusion, and they all understood that they had to say something else now to distract the emperor, lest he go crazy again.
Everyone is undecided about what to say. The emperor is unpredictable, and now he is emotionally unstable, so anything he says is risky.
The third greatest scholar, Yan Song, who is known as the person who understands the emperor best these days, suddenly came out and said with a sad face:
"I heard that the Holy Mother once wrote a volume of "Women's Training" when she was hiding in the palace. Why not publish it and distribute it to the world?"
Emperor Jiajing felt a little relieved, and couldn't help but say with red eyes: "Yes! The Holy Mother gave birth to me, and I have inherited the teachings of kindness. I should have revised the official book as a legacy for all generations."
The rest of the people could only sigh, as expected of Yan Song, he knew how to coax the emperor, and treacherous ministers also have their uses.
Yan Song was secretly proud and was about to continue talking. Because there is still a very crucial question: who will compile Empress Dowager Chiang's "Women's Training"?
Anyone who knows anything knows that as long as he is responsible for compiling this "Women's Training", he will definitely be promoted after completion. Don't doubt Emperor Jiajing's filial piety towards his parents!
Moreover, I heard that this "Women's Training" only has one volume, which is not too long and should be completed quickly.
Although others were interested, they were too embarrassed to come out and grab it directly because this was what Mr. Yan Ge suggested.
According to the rules, Mr. Yan Ge has to speak first, unless you have other reasons, but it is already impossible. Can you still say that you should not compile the shabby book "Women's Training" by Empress Dowager Chiang?
It was too late to say that, but then it was too late. Before Mr. Yan Ge could speak again, someone rushed out from the back row, rushed to the throne, and said to Emperor Jiajing: "There are many shortcomings in what Yan Song said, and he was very ill-considered. Your Majesty Qin Dewei
I must add a few words!”
Although Yan Song didn't believe that Qin Dewei could conjure flowers, he always had a bad feeling.
Qin Dewei continued: "In the past, our Ming Dynasty published the "Biography of Empress Gao" which records the life and deeds of Empress Gao, and also published "The Internal Instructions of Empress Wen", both of which are treasures of virtue for women in the palace!
Now that the Holy Mother has "Instructions for Women", why not compile them together with "The Biography of Empress Gao" and "Internal Instructions of Empress Wen" and reprint them, so as to set an example for all generations!"
Yan Song: ""
Empress Gao was Empress Ma of Emperor Taizu Gao, and Empress Wen was Empress Xu of Emperor Chengzu Wen. Both of them had very high status in the harem of the Ming Dynasty.
If Empress Dowager Chiang is compared to those two and relevant writings are compiled together, wouldn't that elevate Empress Dowager Chiang to the same status as Empress Gao and Empress Wen?
Thinking of his mother's tragic death, Emperor Jiajing's eyes suddenly turned red again, and he choked and said: "That's it, let Qin Dewei compile it, and I will write the preface myself."
Qin Dewei immediately accepted the order! As a high-ranking Hanlin official, there is nothing wrong with being ordered to compile books! It’s not like he has never compiled before!
Yan Song felt like he was going to explode, so he almost snatched the golden melon from the noble samurai with his bare hands, and then beat Qin Dewei to death.
At Mahler Gobi, they don’t do anything about personnel, and they just grab the first place! This can be done once and never again!
Everyone looked at Yan Song and then at Qin Dewei, and suddenly felt a little sympathy for Yan Song. Although he was a traitorous minister, he was really a bit pitiful.
It was obviously the suggestion made by Mr. Yan Ge
In addition, Qin Dewei's routine is not new. When Qin Dewei compiled "The Emperor's Precepts", he stuffed "The Emperor's Precepts" with private goods.
Nowadays, Empress Dowager Chiang's "Women's Training" is compiled together with Empress Gao and Empress Wen, and the routine is the same as before.
But the most annoying thing is, how could they not think of such a free promotion opportunity?