There were so many people who came to visit him, whether they were former disciples or old friends, or those who had only met him once and couldn't even name him, they all came to visit him. They all came to visit him as if they thought he could be a member of the imperial family.
Representatives of wealthy families and merchants from all over the country in Beijing also came to send money and gifts, but they were all turned away by him.
It’s not that he refuses everyone, some people just can’t refuse. He was the second place in the Chenghua Twenty-Third Palace Examination. He has been working in the Hanlin Academy for more than thirty years. He has organized provincial examinations and academy examinations many times, and he has gained a lot of talents. Others come to visit him.
How do you refuse to order a gift or something?
"You don't need to come again. I no longer have any hope for an official career... Let's be clear, there is no way I will join the cabinet."
Liu Chun met almost everyone who came to visit him and told him the same thing.
It's not that he is very humble, or that he is trying to create a low-key image to facilitate his promotion in the future, but that he really doesn't want to make any further achievements in his official career, and he doesn't even think that he has the slightest chance of getting a promotion.
Although he and Yang Tinghe are both from Sichuan, their relationship is not harmonious. No one in the cabinet has asked his opinion on the matter of recommending people to the cabinet. In other words... he is not suitable for the cabinet system, and everyone
If you don't regard him as one of your own, even if you get in by chance, what's the point? Are you being used as a weapon?
I, Mr. Liu, have been in the government for half my life. I have already held the official positions that I should have. I have even been in charge of the Ministry of Rites for three years. What more do I want? I have to join the cabinet to reflect my own value.
…
…
That night, Liu Chun returned home and had dinner to prepare for rest. His family came to report that another visitor came to his door.
He wished he could turn away the guests, but he couldn't be too rude after all. Liu Chun took the invitation and looked at it, and found that Sun Jiaotong, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was visiting in the evening.
"Really...why is he here? Making fun of me?"
Liu Chun patiently invited Sun Jiao into his mansion.
The two of them arrived at Liu Chun's study. Books were piled everywhere, but no one was cleaning them up.
Sun Jiao smiled and said: "Similar to me, when I was in Anlu, there was always someone to help clean up the study. The study was quite tidy. After arriving in the capital, there was no one to take care of it, and the surroundings seemed messy... Fortunately, I have moved my family here.
Life is finally a lot more comfortable.”
"Brother Zhitong, I am different from you."
Liu Chun reminded Sun Jiao: "I don't allow my servants to touch my things, otherwise why would this happen?"
You old guy, when you were brought to the capital by the Empress Dowager Chiang, you didn’t plan to live for a long time. Now you think of moving your family here. You must have suffered a lot before... And I, Liu, have been in court longer than you.
As he grows older, there is no shortage of people around him to take care of him.
"If you have anything to do, just talk about it. If it involves joining the cabinet, there's no need to talk about it."
Liu Chun has a bad temper.
When Sun Jiao saw Liu Chun's furious look, he knew that his old friend had suffered a lot of blows recently regarding his appointment to the cabinet.
There are obviously people who are trying to get into the cabinet, so why don't you try to fawn over me and come to me to light up the cold stove? When the cabinet is waiting for candidates to be nominated, I don't even have a nomination, so why don't you make fun of me?
?
Sun Jiao said: "You are really worried about joining the cabinet!"
"you……"
Liu Chun glared at Sun Jiao, as if to say, you really don't want to open any pot.
Sun Jiao said solemnly: "You can come to my house to talk about things, but I can't come to your place to have a heart-to-heart talk with you? Others don't know your state of mind, so don't I know your attitude towards joining the cabinet?"
Liu Chun thought about it. Sun Jiao knew very well that he didn't want to join the cabinet, so there was some way to make a special visit.
"Say it."
Liu Chun waved his hand.
Sun Zhitong came to me on your own initiative, so you should start with what you want to say or what you want to know from me. You can't let me talk to myself, right?
Sun Jiaodao: "Your Majesty may not be looking for anyone to join the cabinet. I have found out a piece of news that your Majesty summoned four cabinet members and mentioned to them that he wanted Bohu to enter the Hanlin Academy, but the four cabinet ministers refused.
, and then His Majesty proposed
Add more people to the cabinet."
"Hey, where did you hear that?"
Liu Chun asked.
Sun Jiao shook his head and said he couldn't say anything.
Liu Chun squinted: "Your Majesty summoned the cabinet ministers. In addition to the parties involved, there may only be the chief of etiquette, the pen, or the chamberlain... Zhitong, your source of information is not simple. You are not here to show off to me that you are in the palace.
Is there anyone there?」
"Tch, what are you talking about? When did I feel complacent about knowing the palace people? Don't you know what I am like?" Sun Jiao said angrily.
Liu Chun nodded.
Sun Jiao understood his attitude towards joining the cabinet, and he also knew Sun Jiao's attitude towards the new emperor.
Moreover, both of them knew that their attitude towards the situation was not pretentious, but they really did not want to get involved in the disputes in the court.
"Let's be honest. Don't tell anyone else. It was Zichong who told me."
Sun Jiao exposed Fei Hong.
Liu Chun nodded. He didn't have a close relationship with Fei Hong, or rather... after Fei Hong returned to the court this time, he didn't have much contact with him. In fact, Liu Chun also knew how much pressure he would be under as someone from outside Yang Tinghe's faction joining the cabinet.
This was not the first time that Fei Hong had joined the cabinet. His previous reputation was there, and he could have decentralized power from Yang Tinghe. However, in fact, this time he joined the cabinet, Fei Hong was completely reduced to a marginalized person.
Marginal people also have their own personal network, but many times Fei Hong needs to do so secretly to avoid being gossiped about, or being suspected by Yang Tinghe, who would make it difficult for him to get along in the cabinet in the future.
Sun Jiao continued: "Your Majesty's intention is actually to have more peaceful people in the court. In the eyes of outsiders, you and Jiefu seem to be inseparable, so it is impossible for you to join the cabinet. But in my opinion, the more you are like this,
The easier it will be for Your Majesty to push you out."
"so……"
Liu Chun looked at Sun Jiao with doubts in his eyes.
Sun Jiaodao: "So my suggestion is, if you are afraid of being targeted by Yang Jiefu, just go to the petition and beg to return home, and forget it."
As soon as these words came out, Liu Chun was stunned for an instant.
Sun Jiao's "upright" suggestion was really unexpected.
But thinking back carefully about Sun Jiao's words, Liu Chun felt that they were very kind and pleasing to the ear. In his opinion, those who advised him to retreat were really thinking about him, while those who advised him to join were harming him.
"That makes sense, but in my current state, I can still stay in power for a few more years, so why should I retire so early?"
Liu Chun gave an answer that surprised Sun Jiao as well.
You, Mr. Sun, are quite interesting.
I mean I don’t have any career ambitions, but I’m not saying I’m going to retire just yet.
It's good for you to retire at this age. Anyway, you have been away from the court for a long time and are used to the life of leisurely clouds and wild cranes. You can live your life in your hometown.
and I?
I am much younger than you. I have lived through the Chenghua, Hongzhi, Zhengde and Jiajing dynasties. Except for returning to my hometown to observe the system, I have never left the court. My work in the Hanlin Academy is very leisurely. I don’t have to worry about busy government affairs.
You can live a pure life in the Hanlin Academy. Wouldn't it be nice to be a monk and ring the clock all day?
Do I have to retreat if I don’t advance?
Is there no option to take the middle value and neither advance nor retreat?
Sun Jiao smiled and said: "So, you still have ideas..."
"Hey, brother Zhi Tong, I treat you as a confidant, but don't treat me like a stick!"
Liu Chun raised his hand to interrupt Sun Jiao.
Sun Jiao smiled again. This was a joke only among friends. Anyone else would have fallen out with him long ago.
Liu Chun sighed: "It's not that I haven't thought about quitting, but in fact, my life in Hanyuan is not bad. I can do something for the court and fight for future generations. It's not too bad. In fact, I think you are the same.
, why do you always want to retreat? It’s not too bad to stay in the government for a few more days and make people remember you.”
Sun Jiao nodded.
The two had similar ideas, so there was no need to get entangled in them. Sun Jiao turned to him and said, "Then...if you have the opportunity to join the cabinet, even if it's only for a year and a half, why not ring the bell in another place?"
?」
"Um?"
Liu Chun suddenly realized that Sun Jiao came to him and it was not a matter of simply persuading him to join or to leave.
"Renzhong, I didn't mean to set things up for you. You are now over sixty years old. If you just step down, it would be good in my opinion. But if you stay in the court and join the cabinet, it is still much better than if you stay in Hanyuan.
." Sun Jiao said.
Liu Chun pouted: "Zhitong, do you need to say this? Who doesn't want to join the cabinet? Let me ask you, if you are given the opportunity to join the cabinet, can you not join? But now, you know better than me.
, you hold such an important position as Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, you are no longer a human being inside and outside. The cabinet... is it really accessible to ordinary people? How can you gain a firm foothold after entering?"
Sun Jiao nodded repeatedly, and he finally understood Liu Chun's thoughts.
Liu Chun no longer has any ambitions, but that doesn't mean that the fire in his heart has been completely extinguished.
In other words, after Liu Chun experienced a near-death escape, he began to re-examine his life and tried his best to suppress his ambition for an official career. It's not that Liu Chun really looked away or anything, but given a chance, Liu Chun could still burst out.
Second spring.
This is also the reason why Sun Jiao was unable to persuade him to retreat and was unable to persuade him to advance.
Because Liu Chun did not completely give up on the court like him.
"Okay, Renzhong, with your words, I understand. If someone really asks me for my opinion in the future, I will tell the truth..." Sun Jiao stood up and left.
Liu Chun hurriedly stopped him: "What do you mean by this?"
Sun Jiao said: "Let's put it this way, Your Majesty has sent a message to Eunuch Zhang, the Supervisor of Ceremonies, asking me to go to the inner hall to discuss things after the court tomorrow morning. I guess the matter of candidates for the cabinet will probably be mentioned. By then... I may
..."
"Hey, don't mess around. I didn't say I wanted to join the cabinet, so don't trick me."
Liu Chun heard some clues and hurriedly refused.
Sun Jiao smiled and waved his hand.
I already know your intentions, why are you still pretending to be in front of me?
No matter what Liu Chun said, Sun Jiao was determined to promote his old friend to the top.
…
…
After the morning court meeting the next day, when Zhu Si summoned Sun Jiao alone, he indeed raised the issue of candidates for cabinet.
"Mr. Sun, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?" Zhu Si asked.
Sun Jiao would not mention Liu Chun immediately, but said in a business-like tone: "Such matters should be brought to the court meeting, and the outcome of the court's recommendation will be the main thing."
"Before the recommendation, can't we have some private communication first? As far as I know, in the past, the recommendation was just a formality, and I was just used to decorate the appearance, and was at the mercy of others, and finally made the decision.
It’s just that we all agree. Are the personnel matters really just discussed in court? Didn’t someone make the decision first?”
Zhu Si was very aware of the awkward position he was in.
Sun Jiaodao said: "If your Majesty insists on choosing someone, then the veteran will recommend one person, Liu Dongchuan, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. He has been in power for a long time and has the greatest reputation. He may be the best candidate to join the cabinet."