After seeking Zhu Hao's opinion, Zhu Si formally named Xiaozong "Huang Bo Kao" and the Queen Mother Zhang as "Huang Aunt".
Although there were many opinions among the people in the court, because of the Zuo Shunmen incident, and the fact that the emperor had already decided to posthumously confer Zhu Youjia on the Imperial Examination...this incident did not have any major impact.
After the matter was settled, Zhu Si specially called Xi Shu and Zhang Cong to Qianqing Palace to commend them.
"...Thanks to you guys, I can rest easy this time!"
Zhu Si was very happy.
There is a feeling that after I become the emperor, everyone in the world will listen to my spirit, which makes Xi Shu and Zhang Cong feel a lot of pressure.
Xi Shu said: "I'm afraid that someone in the court will report to the court later and ask for reconsideration of the matter."
"Let me see who dares!"
Zhu Si was not polite and threatened in front of the two of them, "Whoever dares to report, I will let him know the consequences of doing so! You also send people to keep an eye on it. If anyone among the civil servants dares to discuss it privately, he will think that I am unkind." If you are unfilial or disobey the ancestral system, you are talking about government affairs in private, and I will punish you severely!"
Xi Shu reluctantly accepted the order, but Zhang Cong beside him seemed very calm.
Anyway, when Zhang Cong was helping the emperor do these things, he expected that the emperor's attitude would be extremely firm.
"Hey, thanks to Jingdao, he does everything to make me feel at ease." Zhu Si was about to go to see Empress Dowager Jiang. Before he screened the two of them, he praised Zhu Hao with a smile.
Xi Shu didn't think anything of it, but Zhang Cong felt bad after hearing it.
Didn't I help you do this?
That boy Zhu Jingdao, when he heard that there was going to be a ceremony and knew that His Majesty relied heavily on him, he went to Xishan to hide for a while. After that, should the credit go to him?
Isn't this too unfair?
Xi Shu asked: "Your Majesty, I wonder how much contribution Zhu Shilang made in this matter?"
"There is no need for him to do anything. What he has done before is enough. I trust him absolutely, can't I?" Zhu Si's rhetorical question made Xi Shu feel that he was completely unnecessary.
This is causing trouble for oneself.
"Okay, please step aside. Recently, I heard that Master Zhang Tianshi from Longhu Mountain is coming to the capital. I want to study Taoist matters, but I am afraid that there will be problems with etiquette. Please help me keep an eye on the next step... Even if we are to give the late emperor a temple title, we should do it as early as possible."
Zhu Si seemed not satisfied yet and wanted to push the ceremony discussion further.
Xi Shu and Zhang Cong were speechless this time.
…
…
The two came out of Qianqing Palace and walked outside the palace under the guidance of the eunuch.
There was nothing to say all the way. The two of them walked out of Zuoshun Gate. There was a sedan waiting in front of the palace gate. Xi Shu was about to get on the sedan when Zhang Cong walked over and said, "Xi Shangshu, can you take a step to talk?"
Xi Shu nodded.
This is not the first time that the two of them have spoken alone. Now their identities are quite different from before. Zhang Cong also understands that it is not easy to suppress Xi Shu. Even if Xi Shu takes credit for his rise to power, now Xi Shu is There is absolutely no need for the Minister of Rites, Zhang Cong, to regard him as his superior.
"I wonder what Shangshu Xi thinks about Jingdao?"
Zhang Cong asked bluntly.
Xi Shu said: "Bingyong, if you want to say that it is inappropriate for His Majesty to value Jingdao, don't mention it again. In fact, even Mr. Fei Ge knows about this matter. Even if it is not made public by the court, it will not be said like before. Everyone is kept in the dark."
Zhang Cong couldn't help but be shocked when he heard this. Thinking of how he mentioned Zhu Hao in front of Fei Hong before, and Fei Hong's indifference to him, he felt a chill running down his spine.
He obviously wanted to use Fei Hong, the head of the civil service, to suppress Zhu Hao, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, making Fei Hong feel that he, Zhang Cong, was a duplicitous person.
"Could it be that Xi Shangshu told the truth?" Zhang Cong asked.
Xi Shu shook his head: "Are there few people in the court who know about this matter? There are Mr. Liu Ge and Mr. Tang Ge in the cabinet. Their relationship with Jingdao is extremely close. Even if they reveal it a little bit, others still don't understand?
Furthermore, your Majesty’s current high regard for Jingdao, won’t the people in the court wake up?”
Zhang Cong was speechless.
In the past, you could use Zhu Hao to go undercover inside the civil service group and try to launch attacks to make it difficult for Zhu Hao to gain a foothold in the government. The problem is that this is no longer the time when conservatives were in power. Even the chief minister Fei Hong
He was a centrist, and the emperor's high pressure silenced the civil servants. No one cared about whether Zhu Hao's position was left or right. In the eyes of the civil servants, Zhu Hao had become an insignificant figure.
Xi Shu said: "But there is one thing I can tell you. Your Majesty seems to have to choose someone to join the cabinet."
Zhang Cong was startled.
There are now five people in the cabinet. Even if Yang Yiqing returns to the dynasty, he will most likely be the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Of course, he may also join the cabinet directly. So the emperor still plans to increase the number of cabinet ministers? Doesn't this make the Ming Dynasty cabinet too bloated?
"Two options, one is you, and the other... is Jingdao."
Xi Shu continued to tell him what he knew.
Zhang Cong shook his head: "It's absolutely impossible. Given the time it has taken for me to enter the court with Jingdao, how could your Majesty easily allow us to join the cabinet? Xi Shangshu, I think the person most likely to join the cabinet is you."
Xi Shu shook his head: "Just taking care of the affairs of the Ministry of Etiquette has already made me overwhelmed, and joining the cabinet is not something I am considering for the time being. Bingyong, if you want to join the cabinet, you might as well build a good relationship with Jingdao. As long as he recommends it,
I think you have a good chance."
"Xi Shangshu..."
"You don't need to say anything anymore. You have seen His Majesty's attitude. With your current strength, you cannot compare with Jingdao. You should put away your thoughts and conscientiously complete the errands entrusted by His Majesty... You also know that you will enter the DPRK."
If the foundation is short and the foundation is unstable, why should we engage in unnecessary disputes?"
Xi Shu seems to be very indifferent to Zhang Cong and doesn't want to form an alliance with him at all, but what he says is definitely good to Zhang Cong.
Zhang Bingyong, don’t think that others can’t see it. You have great opinions on Zhu Jingdao, and you have even tried to win over others to confront Zhu Jingdao many times. But have you ever thought about whether it is the emperor’s trust or your personal ability?
They are all far away from Zhu Jingdao.
Even if you have the ability to make trouble in secret, I'm afraid you can't catch him.
Only if you have a solid foundation, are strong enough, do more practical things, and gain the emperor's trust can you have a chance to overthrow Zhu Jingdao. You are simply asking for trouble now.
…
…
Zhang Cong felt very useless.
But he also agreed with Xi Shu's statement that it was difficult to compete with Zhu Hao now, and Zhu Hao did not confront him head-on and hid in Xishan.
In this way, the emperor still had great trust in Zhu Hao, which made Zhang Cong very depressed.
"It seems that the only way to fundamentally reverse the current bad situation is to wait for Mr. Yang to enter the court." Zhang Cong began to think about the next person he could form an alliance with, and that was Yang Yiqing.
But Zhang Cong obviously underestimated the political determination of Yang Yiqing and other veterans. Before returning to the court, Yang Yiqing may have shown his appreciation for Zhang Cong, but after returning to the court...how could he not be prepared for Zhang Cong's rise?
After all, you, Zhang Cong, are also a rising star. Although Zhu Hao is the top one among the rising stars, why do you have to join forces with you, Zhang Cong, to fight against Zhu Hao?
Historically, the relationship between Zhang Cong, Fei Hong, and Yang Yiqing was not good, and it was almost to the point where the two could not coexist.
…
…
In the Hanlin Academy, Shi Yue met Jia Yong, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.
The purpose of Shi Yun's coming to the Hanlin Academy was to take advantage of the emperor's desire to add another cabinet minister and recommend Jia Yong to the cabinet, in order to increase the influence of the ritual guardians in the cabinet.
After all, there were already two cabinet ministers on the Yili faction, so Shi Yun felt that he needed to introduce Jia Yong into the cabinet to strengthen his own strength.
But Jia Yong is obviously not enthusiastic about joining the cabinet.
"I have no intention of attending court now, so I asked Your Majesty to resign, but His Majesty refused."
Jia Yong sighed and shook his head, and then continued, "Maybe transfer me to Nanjing. It will be easier this way, and it is better than floating in the whirlpool of the power struggle in the capital."
Shi Yun said: "You are the same age as me, just past the age of sixty. All those who enter the imperial court are at this age, so why should you give up on yourself?"
Shi Yun was usually on good terms with Jia Yong and held the same political views at the Great Ceremony Meeting. Now that Feng Xi has withdrawn, Shi Yun naturally can only place his hopes on Jia Yong, hoping to join forces with Jia Yong to transform the cabinet into one where civilians are in charge.
Place.
Jia Yong said: "What can I change if I join the cabinet?"
Shi Yue sighed and said, "Do you know why His Majesty wants to add more cabinet ministers?"
Jia Yong shook his head and said he didn't know.
Shi Yun said: "Recently, rumors have spread in the court, saying that Fei Zhongtang is not a good choice for your Majesty's first assistant. His Majesty may intend to use Liu Renzhong as his first assistant, and Tang Yin's time in the cabinet will not be long. After the two retire, they will definitely appear."
There is a vacancy. And Huang Gongxian himself thinks that he will not stay in the cabinet for a long time."
"What?"
Jia Yong frowned.
The five members of the cabinet now seemed to be very full. But after listening to Shi Yun's explanation, I realized that Tang Yin in the cabinet was bound to retire, and Fei Hong and Huang Zan could not predict which day they would suddenly take office. Wouldn't that mean that
...In the end, only Liu Chun and Shi Yue were left?
If this is the case, then the significance of Jia Yong's entry into the cabinet will be revealed.
Two people can't deal with Liu Chun?
If Liu Chun is squeezed out, the cabinet will become dominated by the proprietors again. After all, Liu Chun's age is there, and Liu Chun still has the old problem of chest paralysis. Who knows that one day he will suddenly belch?
"Nowadays, His Majesty often appoints treacherous and sycophantic villains in the court, and the only one I can think of is you."
Shi Yun said, "The remaining candidates, such as Meng Bi and Jiu He, are not mature enough. Right now, you are the only one who is the best candidate to join the cabinet to assist me."
Jia Yong was silent for a moment.
Now the emperor just let out a rumor that he would add a cabinet minister, but the direction has not yet been decided, and Shi Yun has already begun to encourage him.
Jia Yong couldn't help but think about it, the way you joined the cabinet was paved by Jiang Gelin before he retired, and was not His Majesty's preferred candidate. Why do you think that I, whom you recommended, are qualified to join the cabinet?
Jia Yong smiled bitterly and said: "But... I really can't do it. What do you think of Zhong Ming?"
Zhongming is Zhai Luan's cousin.
Shi Yuan frowned and said: "Zhong Ming is the minister of the Ministry of Rites of the South. There are rumors that your Majesty will call him to serve as a bachelor... With his qualifications, I am afraid that he is still far away from joining the cabinet."