Chapter 404 Worshiping the Prime Minister (Part 2)
Zhu Yijun did not communicate his thoughts on political reform to Liang Menglong - it was not the time yet. After discussing the administration of officials, Liang Menglong talked about the word "power" again, and initially planned to further detail the functions of the current nine ministries, including the Privy Council.
Divide, re-plan and increase or decrease according to the actual situation.
When talking about the word "law", Liang Menglong said: "After Taizu, the "Da Gao" was not used. Our ancestors made imperial edicts and legislation, or based on the "Da Ming Order", "Da Ming Law" and "Ming Huidian".
The "Kaocheng Method" proposed by Prince Zhongxing has its origins in the "Huidian"." Zhu Yijun nodded in agreement.
Liang Menglong sighed and said: "However, since the reform, industry and commerce have flourished, and there have been many disputes. The household orders, household laws and historical precedents in the "Da Ming Order" and "Da Ming Law" are difficult to deal with today's civil disputes. I think that for the overall plan of the reform, the revision
The matter of laws and regulations is imminent. This matter has been discussed between the government and the public for some time."
Zhu Yijun nodded in agreement and agreed: "If there is no law, businessmen and people will litigate, and local officials and subordinate officials will judge at will, and businessmen and people will suffer a lot." Liang Menglong said: "Yes."
Liang Menglong was very happy to see Long Yan, and continued boldly: "Since the emperor ascended the throne, he has issued dozens of edicts such as the "Prohibition of Foot Binding", "Edict on the Management of Private Schools", and "Regulations on the Management of the Newspaper Industry of the Ming Dynasty".
"Law" Bylaws. For ancestors in the past dynasties, such edicts are even more numerous, and there are many contradictions in them. When local officials judge cases, there are criminal secretaries who are familiar with relevant laws and regulations citing such edicts, and which side is favored depends only on the amount of bribes——
The Metropolitan Procuratorate still cannot find fault, which is a serious drawback."
"That's why I say that the key point of this political reform is the word 'law'."
When Zhu Yijun heard this, he was shocked. He looked at Liang Menglong and waited for him to tell him the solution. Liang Menglong did not dare to look at the emperor, looked at the emperor's robe, took a deep breath and said: "I have been thinking wildly these days, which may not be appropriate - I thought
, the "Da Ming Code" should be rebuilt and subdivided into "Xing", "Shang", "Household", "Bing", etc., and the "Lv Gao" should be made as its general outline!"
The excitement on Zhu Yijun's face could not be concealed. He quickly turned around and looked at the glass window of Dongnuan Pavilion. Although Liang Menglong added a prelude of "random thoughts", his heart was beating fast after saying this sentence.
Dare to look at the emperor again, bow his head and say nothing.
Zhu Yijun calmed down and said with a smile: "Taizu issued an edict, 'the law cannot be changed lightly' and 'descendants will abide by it. If the ministers make any slight changes, they will be charged with upsetting the ancestral system.' Mr. Mingquan is very brave."
The voice gradually became lower, and Liang Menglong clearly heard a very light sigh.
Hearing this sigh, Liang Menglong couldn't hide the excitement in his heart, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, although the "Da Ming Code" was produced by Taizu after he had worked hard and worried about it for nearly 20 years, he also issued an edict not to publish it.
'. However, later descendants created regulations based on the law, and regulations were created based on the regulations, resulting in numerous regulations. The traitors were deceived and replaced the laws with regulations, and they were arbitrary - how could all the people in the world be wronged?"
Then he knelt down with a plop and said: "I am willing to work with all my heart and courage to be a pair of monarchs and ministers who can overcome thorns and thorns with your majesty, so that the king of Zhongxing County will not be the most beautiful!"
At this time, the sunlight approaching noon penetrated through the glass windows of the Yangxin Hall, as if thousands of pure dust were flying in the beam of light. Zhu Yijun turned around and helped Liang Menglong up, and said in a deep voice: "I believe that Mingquan's wish today will be fulfilled."
It will be recorded in the history of the country and serve as a model for future generations!"
The audience process lasted for nearly two hours. Liang Menglong was given a banquet by the emperor in the middle and had a few drinks with the emperor.
Today's palace bans are many times more stringent than when the emperor first ascended the throne. If the emperor ordered the news to be blocked, no one would tell the story about the palace bans - for more than ten years, anyone who despised the palace bans and spoke nonsense will be punished.
Got a miserable end.
But the fact that Liang Menglong was given a banquet seemed to have grown wings. In just two days, no one in the capital knew about it. If some people still don't understand the meaning of this banquet, there is "tap water" to explain it.
If the summons and banquet on the first day of the lunar month were normal - after all, there were between 100 and 80 courtiers who had the same experience, so it was not too unusual. But after the early morning court on the third day of November, the emperor once again stayed with Liang Menglong when he dismissed the court.
This is a clearer signal.
In just five days, Liang Menglong's power expanded rapidly. The ministers and above were still a little reserved, waiting for Liang Menglong to write letters or post messages; the sedan chairs below the minister's rank were already lined up for half a mile at the door of Liang Mansion.
On the fifth day of November, the emperor officially issued a decree to nominate Liang Menglong as Prime Minister, and Xu Tingtui. The next day, the ministers of the third and higher ranks of the court held a secret vote in the Huangji Hall without the presence of the emperor, and won the title of Luo Ting.
Liang Menglong, who was supported by Wanhua, received 70% of the votes and successfully became the third prime minister after the Wanli Reform.
On the ninth day of the eleventh month, after the morning court session, the Ministry of Rites set up a seat for the emperor at Huangji Gate and issued the edict on the appointment of the prime minister and ministers.
After Taizu deposed the prime minister, the term "prime minister" has disappeared from the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty for two hundred years. Despite the implementation of the Great Reform, Zhu Yijun still did not completely break through the ancestral system, and in the end he did not give Zhang Juzheng the title of "prime minister".
Zhang Juzheng had no complaints and worked hard until his death. The most important reason was that after the reform, the Zhengshitang had the seal of "Zhengshitang Order" - this is the most essential difference between the Zhengshitang and the "cabinet".
With this big seal, the prime minister is the prime minister. As for whether his name is "prime minister", it doesn't matter to Zhang Juzheng.
Another reason is that the emperor’s participation in the design of the etiquette for the appointment of prime ministers and ministers is so awesome-it is no less generous than the ancient prime minister worship. Two of the most exciting things are:
First, after the emperor appoints the prime minister, he must pay homage to his ancestors. The ceremony is similar to that of Zoujie: the emperor and the prime minister fast for three days in advance and take a bath. On the official day, the emperor wears a formal dress, goes to the ancestor hall, and worships his ancestors.
——This item is what civil servants value most.
Second, the appointment process of prime ministers and ministers has a higher standard than the "Xuanma Worshiping Prime Minister" in the Tang and Song Dynasties: all those with rank seven or above in the capital watch the ceremony in the square outside Huangji Gate. When the prime minister and ministers pay homage, the emperor stands up to receive the ceremony. The edict is promulgated.
At that time, the emperor personally held the edict, and the prime minister and ministers knelt down to receive the edict. The emperor bowed and said: "I will burden you with state affairs, so I encourage you!"
The Prime Minister held the imperial edict and replied: "I obey the imperial edict. I must be loyal and do my best. I will assist you and do my duty respectfully!"
During this question and answer, the prime minister knelt down to receive the edict, but the emperor stood up to receive the ceremony and bowed! After this ceremony, it did not matter whether the "prime minister" was the "prime minister" or not.
The glory of "being courteous to all officials" makes every minister's bladder swell when he thinks about it.
Of course, etiquette does not end after this ceremony. There are also some new etiquette systems: for example, when the prime minister and ministers are traveling, princes and below must stay out of the way when meeting them. That is, the ceremonial guard and sedan chair must wait at the roadside, etc.
The Prime Minister's ceremonial sedan passed first.
Others, such as when the prime minister is seriously ill, the emperor comes to inquire about his illness and gives him medicine; when the prime minister dies in office, the emperor drives to pay his respects; the prime minister has chariots to sit in the political hall and the palace - the above are not expressly stipulated, but belong to
The "tradition" left behind after the interaction between the emperor and Zhang Juzheng.
Including during the New Year, everyone from the door gods to the emperor would think about the prime minister and the emperor who gave gifts both big and small. One of the charges Zhang Siwei was impeached for was that he had received a lot of gifts from the emperor, but still failed to "respectfully fulfill his duties."