Chapter Nine Hundred and Fifty Six Continues to See the Saw
In the Wenhua Hall, the ministers were having lunch, which was a banquet given by the palace. It was a great honor to receive a banquet from the emperor, but the faces of the ministers present were not good-looking, because the second minister, Mao Ji, became official, and the emperor's attitude towards the ceremony
It was reopened, and Xi Shulu was appointed as the Minister of Rites... All kinds of things made the ministers feel that the sky was about to collapse.
While the ministers were discussing, there was movement outside, but it was Dai Yi who came out from Renshou Palace and came to see the chief minister, Jiang Mian.
Jiang Mian was called alone outside the Wenhua Hall. Dai Yi was extremely respectful to Jiang Mian.
"Our family has just met the Queen Mother and received some instructions from the Queen Mother, so we came here specifically to talk to Mr. Jiang Ge." Dai Yi said with a smile.
Jiang Miandao: "The Empress Dowager wants to interfere with the affairs of the outer court?" Dai Yi smiled bitterly and said: "It is not the matter of the outer court, but the internal affairs of the palace. The Empress Dowager has made it clear that she will no longer interfere with your Majesty's pursuit of Emperor Xingxian and Empress Xingxian.
Please also ask Mr. Jiang Ge to be accommodating. This is the Queen Mother's decree."
Since his words were unfounded, Dai Yi naturally wanted to provide some evidence. He showed Jiang Mian the imperial edict signed by Empress Dowager Zhang herself.
Jiang Mian didn't even need to look at it to know what exchange of interests should be involved.
Jiang Miandao: "Eunuch Dai, you are also a veteran of several dynasties. You should know the affairs of the Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty's throne comes from the inheritance of Xiaozong. Now your Majesty wants to pursue the title of Xingdi. This is a betrayal of the orthodox inheritance of the Ming Dynasty. The Queen Mother is the Holy Mother.
, and the king’s faults should be regulated. Should a mother give up her child? What’s the point of this?”
The mother takes the initiative to allow her son to return to her native country. If this is a private matter, it doesn't matter.
But the problem is that Queen Mother Zhang is now the only remaining "talker" in the royal family's orthodox inheritance. If Zhu Si dies now, Queen Mother Zhang is the only person with the power to decide who will succeed the throne.
But what would happen if Zhu Si "recognized his ancestors and returned to his clan"?
At that time, Empress Dowager Chiang was qualified to decide who would succeed her son to the throne.
This difference may not matter to ordinary ministers, but as a staunch supporter of the Ming Dynasty's legal system and the successor of Yang Tinghe, Jiang Mian believed that he had an obligation to maintain the existence of this legal system.
Dai Yi sighed: "Why is Mr. Jiang Ge so insistent? Now that even the Queen Mother has made accommodations, a minister should not put maintaining the stability of the court first?"
"When there is a rift between the monarch and his ministers, it is an opportunity for the rebellious ministers and traitors, and it also allows foreign barbarians to take advantage of it. In the past two years, my family has been living in the capital. I have heard a lot of comments from outside, and I highly praise your majesty's filial piety. Why do we have to do it for one thing?
Has the matter of consolidating the imperial line made people uneasy?"
Dai Yi acted like a good old man and persuaded Jiang Mian to turn back.
But his words were unconvincing. Jiang Mian shook his head helplessly: "The law cannot be violated."
Dai Yi said: "We have brought the Queen Mother's wishes to our family. What the rest of Jiang Ge will do depends on you."
After Dai Yi saw Jiang Mian, he went back to find Zhu Si to restore his life.
Zhu Si was in the Palace of Qianqing at this time, and there were two of his "guku ministers" beside him, one was Xi Shu and the other was Zhang Cong. However, Huang Zan, who was supposed to be a scholar of the Hanlin Academy of Litigation, was not among them at this time.
It is also considered that Huang Zan is now being recommended as a cabinet scholar. If Huang Zan must be sided with the emperor at this time, there will be certain obstacles to Huang Zan's entry into the cabinet.
"...The man named Jiang is really ignorant. I am giving him a chance. Even the Queen Mother agrees to something, but he still wants to continue to oppose me?"
In front of Xi Shu and Zhang Cong, Zhu Si's tone was quite tough and he almost regarded Jiang Mian as his enemy.
Zhang Cong didn't think so. With his mentality of comparing every dollar he spent, he probably thought it was strange that the emperor didn't hate Jiang Mian.
Xi Shu, on the other hand, was a little frightened. The emperor actually had such disdain for his chief minister? Does the emperor still have civil servants in the court? Is it right or wrong to support such an emperor? Also, what is the true purpose of the emperor's ceremonial meeting?
Is it to maintain filial piety? Isn’t it just a way to suppress dissidents?
Dai Yi said: "I have told Mr. Jiang Ge truthfully, and I have resigned."
"Wait!" Zhu Si did not let Dai Yi go.
Dai Yi stood there respectfully and continued to wait for the emperor to give him instructions. "Some people are obsessed with it. I can't just sit back and ignore it. I went to say hello to the people in Dongchang and stared at the Hanlin Academy.
If there are Hanlin coming towards the palace gate, they should be stopped as soon as possible. "Zhu Si gave the order.
"Yes." Dai Yi accepted the order.
Xi Shu asked in confusion: "Your Majesty, what is this?" Zhu Si did not explain.
Zhang Cong on the side said: "Xi Shangshu may not know something. There is a group of self-proclaimed Qingliu people in the Hanlin Academy. Whenever they encounter something they think is unfair, they will instigate colleagues to initiate confrontation. Your Majesty is here to prevent them from doing extreme things and protect the country.
Order in the Ming Dynasty."
Xi Shu said: "But Your Majesty, I have just taken over the matter of discussing etiquette, or... it may take some time."
Xi Shu was also a little panicked at this moment. Look who was following him.
Although there was some selfishness involved in defending the Great Rites Discussion, he cited scriptures and still wanted to discuss the matter as an orthodox Confucian scholar and make excuses for the emperor from legal grounds.
But the emperor's current actions clearly negated the principle of justice, which made Xi Shu feel like he was on a pirate ship.
Zhu Si smiled and said: "I didn't say that there must be a result today, but since the court meeting has been postponed until the afternoon, why not go further? Next, I ask you to stand firm in your position, and the rest...
Give it to me!"
Xi Shu was puzzled. He glanced at Zhang Cong first, trying to detect some clues from Zhang Cong's behavior, because he didn't understand the emperor's words at all.
But Zhang Cong seemed very cautious in front of the emperor.
When it comes to speculation... Zhang Cong is much more determined than Xi Shu. You, Xi Shu, are also from the governor of Huguang, so your status is always there, and I, Zhang, was just a new scholar at such an old age.
In the future, if I want to be in a high position, I will have to "take risks". I don't care what the ethics and etiquette are. As long as I can gain the appreciation of the emperor, I will not hesitate to go against the Manchu ministers.
Xi Shu and Zhang Cong returned from Qianqing Palace to Wenhua Palace where officials gathered.
Obviously they also knew that returning to the Wenhua Palace would not give them any good looks, so they planned to wait on the road and return to the Fengtian Palace with the ministers.
"Bingyong, your Majesty said before that you would leave the matter to him. I wonder... what do you mean by this?"
Although Xi Shu belongs to the Yili sect, he has not been in the capital before, so he is not aware of the dire situation in the capital regarding Yili.
Zhang Cong said: "Your Majesty has issued edicts directly on matters of ceremony many times without consulting the ministers. I think this is what he meant."
"Then...then why do you want me to be the Minister of Rites?" Xi Shu originally thought that he was very important and was planning to do something big when he arrived in the capital, but judging from the meaning revealed in Zhang Cong's words, whether he was in front of the emperor
The help from the Minister of Rites seemed to make no difference.
Zhang Cong asked back: "Could it be that the position of Minister of Rites, standing on the opposite side of the ceremony, can make it easier to pass the proposal of the ceremony?"
Xi Shu was confused.
He seemed to understand that I was not there to help the emperor discuss etiquette, but because the emperor felt that the previous ministers of the Ministry of Rites were too disgusting. Even if the position was vacant and no one was found to fill it, it would be fine anyway.
My opinion doesn't matter, as long as I don't object to the Great Rites Conference in my position as Minister of Rites, that's fine, right?
"That……"
Xi Shu originally wanted to have a serious discussion with Zhang Cong. But as he spoke, he suddenly thought of something wrong. Why do you, Zhang Cong, talk to me like this, the Minister of Etiquette? You said it as if you were my superior, and you seemed to be more powerful than me.
You have power and status, but do you... don't even understand the most basic etiquette and respect?
Is it just because there are rumors outside that you are going to succeed Huang Gongxian as a Hanlin bachelor?
Don't say that you are not a Hanlin bachelor now. Even if you are, you can only stand back. Isn't the Minister of Rites more respected than you, a Hanlin bachelor?
In the palace, the issues related to the great ceremony continued.
At the theater, Zhu Hao and Su Xigui were still waiting for news. At the same time, a guest came, namely Tang Yin, who was temporarily invited to the theater to watch the play.
"I met Tang Hanlin."
When Su Xigui saw Tang Yin, he quickly stood up and saluted him.
Tang Yin smiled and nodded, although now he and Su Xigui had no interest in each other.
Ge, but no matter what, Su Xigui helped me when I was in trouble, and I must honor this kindness no matter what.
The three of them sat down.
"Mr. Tang, you should know that there is a game going on in the palace at this time, right?" Zhu Hao asked with a smile.
Tang Yindao: "Of course I know. But what does it have to do with me?" Zhu Hao smiled and said: "If Huang Xueshi joins the cabinet, who do you think should leave the position of Xuesi Li Hanlin to whom?"
Tang Yin said calmly: "You wouldn't say it was me, would you?" "Or Zhang Bingyong, you choose." Zhu Hao said.
Tang Yin said: "It doesn't matter even if it's Zhang Bingyong. Anyway, I won't go into muddy waters."
Su Xigui on the side felt bad after hearing this. Is this a vegetable market?
Is it possible to bargain for the position of a Hanlin bachelor? There is a "noble" guy here, and he is not even willing to be a Hanlin bachelor?
Zhu Hao asked with a smile: "Sir, if you become a Hanlin bachelor, it will still be the same as today. You don't have to appear in the Hanlin Academy every day and do whatever you want. You can still be free and at ease, wouldn't it?"
"impossible."
Tang Yin naturally felt that Zhu Hao was lying to him.
Zhu Haodao: "If by that time, sir, you are a Hanlin bachelor and become a model civil servant, you won't have to worry about going to the Hanlin Academy every day. Many people will visit you at home, and other people's attitude towards you... will no longer be like that of an interested person."
He is an old minister of the royal palace, but more like a great scholar of the time... Sir, if you think about the situation at that time, you could go out and shine on your family name!"
Tang Yin frowned when he heard this.
I briefly imagined the scene Zhu Hao described. As a Hanlin bachelor, when relatives and friends see him in the future, they will not only admire him, but even fawn over him. How glorious is that?