"The so-called cabinet is the internal organization corresponding to the six ministries and nine ministers and other external yamen, and is staffed by civilian officials."
"Once you enter the cabinet, you cannot hold any position in the outer court, and you must be on call at any time. The emperor can dispatch you at any time."
"There are three or five cabinet members. The first one is called the chief assistant, the second one is called the second assistant, and the remaining members are called the cabinet elders."
"This title does not mean the size of the official rank, it is just a difference in the time of joining the cabinet."
"The job content of these three or five people is to classify the mountains of memorials and give their own preliminary suggestions, and then hand them over to His Majesty for processing."
"We can call this approach public discussion."
"If they do a good job, Your Majesty can reward them with a title such as a bachelor's degree. If they don't do a good job, let them pack up and get out."
"What is the cabinet? This is the cabinet!"
Zhu Ying explained while writing.
"wonderful!"
“It’s really wonderful!”
Zhu Biao's eyes immediately lit up when he heard this. He originally thought that if this boy came up with some bad ideas to increase his workload, he would persuade his father to recognize each other as soon as possible when he went back. Then he would leave everything to this boy and let him shoot himself in the foot.
.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Ying's words fell to the ground, and Zhu Biao was instantly relieved. What this kid said the cabinet was doing, wasn't it what he was doing now?
Once the so-called cabinet is established, won't your job become instantly easier?
Not only Zhu Biao, but also Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but nodded when he heard this.
At first glance, this cabinet sounds a bit similar to a prime minister, but the two are obviously fundamentally different.
The prime minister has his own residence, and he can directly exercise control over the six ministries and nine ministers, and can even appoint his own staff at will.
The power of the prime minister is so great that it can be said that one person is inferior to ten thousand people.
But the cabinet that this kid talks about cannot have any positions other than cabinet members. It has neither official positions nor the power to appoint or remove any officials.
And I can only provide my own suggestions, but I have no power to deal with them.
There is no mansion, they just revolve around the emperor. Wherever the emperor handles government affairs, they will follow him.
To put it nicely, they are called cabinet members, but to put it more simply, they are the emperor’s lackeys!
As long as the emperor is happy, there is no problem in changing one every day.
This strategy is so insightful!
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but glance at Zhu Ying again.
Didn't this kid just live outside for a few years?
How did it become so powerful?
Everyone in our Lao Zhu family is talented!
Unexpectedly, when Zhu Yuanzhang was about to praise Zhu Ying, Zhu Ying shook his head and sighed.
"Although this cabinet is good, it also has flaws."
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned and immediately asked: "There are still flaws in the cabinet? What flaws?"
Zhu Yuanzhang is a typical Virgo personality who pursues perfection in everything.
Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang has established countless systems, ranging from national policies to the people's eating, drinking and drinking. He has to grasp everything.
I originally thought that the cabinet system was perfect, and I turned around to implement it. Unexpectedly, as soon as the idea came to my mind, Zhu Ying said that the cabinet system also had flaws.
If this defect cannot be made up for, Zhu Yuanzhang may not be able to sleep well.
"If the emperor does not handle it properly, the cabinet will evolve into another kind of prime ministership."
Zhu Ying looked at the three people in front of her who were all listening, and returned with a smile.
"Will the cabinet become another kind of prime minister?"
"Is this true?"
The three people asked almost in unison.
In the minds of these three people, the cabinet system is completely similar to the existence of staff, and it is impossible to evolve into prime ministerial power.
"Of course it's true!"
Just point to the two big words "cabinet" on the wall and continue to explain.
"Whether the power of the cabinet is large or small depends entirely on the ability of His Majesty the Emperor."
"If His Majesty the Emperor is not lazy and works hard and is strong, these cabinet members, even if they are extremely capable, can only act as the Emperor's lackeys."
"If His Majesty the Emperor is lazy by nature and neglects his duties, then the imperial power will fall into the hands of the cabinet members."
"Once two such lazy emperors appear one after another, over time, in the minds of civil and military officials, the cabinet will no longer be different from the prime minister, and the richest man will become the prime minister."
"I'm afraid it will be even more difficult for His Majesty the Emperor to take back his imperial power."
Zhu Ying explained while thinking about the emergence of cabinets in history.
It was first in the Yongle period, but at that time Zhu Di and Zhu Laosi were very powerful. They could criticize the master in literature and kill the Tatars in military force. When encountering such a role model of an emperor who conquered Mobei in five ways, the cabinet could only act as a lackey to Zhu Laosi.
Seeing that you are unhappy and telling you to get out, you will get out of here in despair.
Zhu Laosi even threw the richest man in the cabinet into the ice and snow and froze to death.
Therefore, although the cabinet appeared in the Yongle period, the cabinet in the Yongle period did not pose any threat to the imperial power.
When Zhu Laosi's son Zhu Gaochi became emperor, the situation changed dramatically.
It was not that Zhu Gaochi was lazy, but that Zhu Gaochi was physically worse than Zhu Biao and could not have as much energy as Zhu Laosi. Therefore, the imperial power slowly fell into the hands of the cabinet.
As a result, the Ming Dynasty continued to develop like this, and the next richest man in the cabinet, whether it was Xu Jie, Gao Gong, or even a once-in-a-century talent like Zhang Juzheng appeared...
Each of these people are extremely capable and full of shrewdness.
Even Jiajing, the smartest emperor in the history of the Ming Dynasty, could not suppress this existence.
The sedan in which Zhang Juzheng even went out required thirty-two people to carry him. The sedan was equipped with bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens.
He even said it directly in front of everyone.
"I am not a phase, but a photo!"
Fortunately, Zhang Juzheng did not live during the Hongwu period, otherwise the mummies hanging above Yingtianfu City would probably not just be Lan Yu.
By the time of Zhang Juzheng, the peak period of civil power in the past dynasties appeared.
Although the richest man in the cabinet at that time was not called the prime minister, his power was even greater than that of the prime minister.
"this....."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded thoughtfully after hearing this.
Zhu Yuanzhang is naturally not afraid of causing trouble in the cabinet. He himself is a workaholic. Compared with Zhu Yuanzhang in later generations, 996 is nothing.
Zhu Yuanzhang was so energetic that he even gave birth to a daughter when he was almost seventy years old.
Not only did he have to deal with piles of memorials every day, but he also had the energy to read the secret reports submitted by Jin Yiwei.
Throughout the Ming Dynasty, it can be said that all disturbances were under Zhu Yuanzhang's control.
Therefore, even if a cabinet appeared during the Hongwu period, it was just like the Yongle period. It was just a tool in one's own hands and could be manipulated at will.
However, the physical condition of Prince Zhu Biao was also not good. When Zhu Biao succeeds to the throne, he will naturally have to rely on the existence of the cabinet.