As Li Zhi expected, before Ma Bin's signed report letter was sent to the Nanjing Times, the two major newspapers in the capital received one letter with the same content.
On the surface, nothing happened, but secretly, both letters went straight into the palace through secret channels and arrived at Zhu Yijun's desk, with brief abbreviations attached.
After Zhu Yijun finished reading, he was secretly upset. Han Bixian, who had committed suicide, was ranked fourth grade and was already a quasi-high-ranking official in the imperial court. His suicide showed that the power behind the Xiaomiyun excavation case was not trivial. It was probably like the "uncovering case" that caused Zhang Juzheng to faint.
"Generally, if there is a high-ranking official like Zhang Xueyan operating behind the scenes, it is even more likely that a party has already formed.
In order to quickly advance the reform, Zhu Yijun used the Zhang Wenming case and the Jingma case to kill many people. A direct consequence of this was that the resolute opposition disappeared and hid in the dark.
But thousands of years of ideology and two hundred years of Ming Dynasty's accumulated habits are not so easy to liquidate - when the reform was carried out openly due to the blessing of imperial power, the opposing forces turned into underground wildfires.
If a politician goes to extremes, his opponents will also go to extremes. Zhu Yijun, who has been emperor for thirteen years, has a deep understanding of this truth. But reflecting on his past actions, he has no regrets: At that time
The emperor's authority has been challenged, and the banner of reform cannot be raised without killing a river of blood.
The Miyun excavation case was probably a plume of black smoke coming out of the underground cracks of this wildfire, and this letter of report was a test flame that reached the emperor's eyes. No one dared to say in court that Jiangling's old regime should be abolished, so the spearhead was
Targeting Zhang Siwei, who wants to implement a lenient policy, and the emperor behind him: Will you do another "big killing" in the thirteenth year of Wanli? If you continue to "sweep gangs and eliminate evil", then Zhang Siwei will use Xu Yuanchun
What is the use of sending political signals?
Thinking of Zhang Siwei's little trick, Zhu Yijun smiled. Zhang Siwei's move deeply impressed the officials: Of course, people can choose officials, so it is not abnormal for Xu Yuanchun to be a county magistrate; but Xu Yuanchun is not waiting for election in the Ministry of Personnel
Just sending officials directly smells a bit heavy, but the official position distribution in a border area just dilutes this smell - just like Zhang Siwei himself, he is very slippery.
"It's really a little clever." Zhu Yijun looked at the abbreviation in his hand and frowned again. He dropped the piece of paper and walked around in a circle in the hall.
Standing in the corner of the palace, Wei Chao bowed, but the corner of his eye followed the emperor's footsteps. As the most favored eunuch around the emperor, he knew the emperor's habits. Whenever the emperor encountered a new challenge, he would come to the palace.
Walk around a few times - when the emperor stops walking, there will often be thunder between the government and the public.
...
While the emperor was circling in the Hall of Cultivation of the Heart, Zhang Siwei, who was furious, was also circling in Wang Chonggu's study. As the weather got warmer, his uncle's joint disease was mostly relieved. Now he was sitting on a chair, his face flushed.
The Prime Minister vented his anger.
"Who is this bastard?" Zhang Siwei gritted his teeth in an unusual manner. Wang Chonggu looked at his nephew's ferocious face with interest. Zhang Siwei turned around a few more times, and couldn't help but be stunned when he saw the old god Wang Chonggu sitting upright.
After a while, trying to calm his aura, he sat down opposite Wang Chonggu.
Wang Chonggu shook his head and said: "It's really unexpected. It's definitely not Pan Sheng and his ilk - they won't use this trail."
Zhang Siwei was stunned again. When he saw the copy of the complaint letter given by the emperor, he immediately thought about the political struggle. Pan Sheng was the first to be suspected, but Wang Chonggu was the first to deny him and let his brain
He also calmed down.
Yes, it is useless to expose political battles in newspapers. There must be impeachment and cooperation. Now the court is calm, and Pan Sheng and others have not shown any intention of arm-wrestling because Zhang Siwei climbed to the top.
Zhengshitang feels this very clearly.
"Then what's the purpose of doing this?"
Wang Chonggu closed his eyes slightly and suddenly changed the topic and said: "I want to beg for the bones." Zhang Siwei was surprised and said: "Why did uncle say this? I am in the Political Affairs Hall and you are in the Privy Council. It just so happens that-" said this
At this point, he suddenly stopped talking.
Wang Chonggu laughed softly and sighed: "Do you understand?"
Zhang Siwei remained silent. Wang Chonggu first comforted him and said: "As a politician, you dare not be upright and only do treacherous things. No matter how many fingerprints are stamped on that letter, it is all inferior. Not only can it not shake your
Status, on the contrary, has revealed its flaws."
"Now that this person has thrown dirty water, it is an opportunity. Wang Quan, there was some confusion with Mongolia before, but now it would be good to add a layer of armor with an unscathed slander. If I retreat again, your
My status is as stable as Mount Tai."
Zhang Siwei was silent for a while, then Fang said hoarsely: "My uncle is old and I feel like I have lost an arm."
Wang Chonggu laughed when he heard this and said: "If I don't leave Lianzhan, we may lose more than one deputy privy envoy."
Zhang Siwei was dissatisfied and said: "When the Chu Party was strong, everyone in the court looked up to King Zhongxing. At that time, he would no longer be taboo?"
Wang Chonggu listened and asked with a smile: "Do you have Zhang Jiangling's holy family?" Zhang Siwei was dumbfounded.
Wang Chonggu continued: "The emperor and the prince of Zhongxing County are unusual among the monarchs and ministers! Duke Wen has the determination to be independent and has the power to control himself. He is not only free of killing and humiliation, but also mourns and honors.
It is far ahead of the previous generation. Its holy family dynasty has not been seen in two hundred years!"
"How can people like you and me achieve this?"
Zhang Siwei didn't answer. Wang Chonggu rolled his eyes and said: "My leg disease is getting worse and worse now. In winter and spring, it's like gangrene attached to the bones. I can't sleep from tossing and turning. I stay up early and run out of oil quickly."
"I heard that the four seasons in Yunnan are like spring, neither wet nor dry. If I can return home from illness, I plan to retire in Kunming, and maybe I can live a few more years. There is a huge difference between winter and summer in Puzhou, and the cold and temperature are different between day and night. If I go back, will I be able to survive?
of sin."
Zhang Siwei had a strange look on his face when he heard this. He stared at Wang Chonggu and said: "The border of Yunnan has been a place of exile since ancient times - does your uncle have any plans in the southwest?"
Wang Chonggu hurriedly waved his hands and said: "No! I either want to go out, or I want to become an official and recuperate from illness. Moreover, soaps and perfumes have been booming for many years, and the prosperity of Kunming is not what it used to be."
After finishing speaking, he sighed and said: "Whenever the weather is cold or the heat and cold are uneven, my legs will be swollen like elephant legs. I only think about death, so there is no ambition!"
Zhang Siwei saw that his uncle really didn't plan to return to Puzhou, so he scratched his head and said: "My uncle's ancestral hall is also in Shanxi..."
Wang Chonggu said with a smile: "I have children and grandchildren to offer sacrifices to. I am in Kunming, just eating and waiting to die. If you are interested, you can open a private lecture forum or do some learning to relieve your boredom. Yunnan was remote before, but now Myanmar and Annan have been peaceful.
Yunnan is no longer a frontier land."
After hearing this, Zhang Siwei understood what Wang Chonggu wanted and raised his head to look at his uncle with admiration.
Wang Chonggu smiled and said: "Culture and education are not flourishing in this place, and the Han people still live together with the natives. If they can set up an academy, it will be of benefit to generations. There is also a Tea Horse Salt Road there, and we all make tea horse salt at home." For those who are well-established in the business, the immediate benefits are not small."
When Zhang Siwei heard this, he could only write a word of admiration in his heart. He thought to himself: "My uncle has been through seven towns, and his achievements were made in the border areas. His understanding of 'border benefits' is unparalleled."
...
Wang Chonggu's retirement cannot solve Zhang Siwei's immediate problems. The acting Prime Minister must find the poisonous snake in the dark and deal a devastating blow.
All he knows now is that the enemy has Ma Bin, the key figure in the Miyun excavation case, in his hands. Besides using the excavation case to smear him, what other cards can the opponent continue to play? When Zhang Siwei came out of Wang Chonggu's mansion, I just hope that the other party will continue to make moves.
Since the Internal Intelligence Agency had not found Ma Bin's whereabouts, the emperor, who had insufficient information, had no idea what to do with these two letters. It was indeed untimely to build a prison again, and now he could only stop with silence.