What did Gao Huzi want to do? Of course Zhang Juzheng was also doubting this question in his heart, but he did not want to reveal it to Feng Bao.
To be honest, Zhang Juzheng's attitude toward Gao Gong was difficult for him to define in just a few words.
Both of them were considered to be engaged in education. From the Hanlin Academy to the Imperial College, and from the Imperial College to Yuwang Lecturer, they have always been colleagues. At the same time, Gao Gong has always been Zhang Juzheng's senior and leader until he successively joined the cabinet to serve as an assistant.
Politics. The academic views of the two of them are very close. In other words, Gao Gong had a great influence on the establishment of Zhang Juzheng's academic views.
Although both Gao and Zhang regarded themselves as Confucian ministers, they actually admired Legalism. Of course, this is not surprising. After all, Chinese dynasties have often been "Confucian skinned and legal bones", wearing Confucian skin and doing whatever they want.
What the Legalists love to do. From the imperial education and Hanlin education proposed by Gao Gong in "Benyu" to Zhang Juzheng's "Xinweihui Examination of Cheng Ce" and "Reply to Chu Xuedao and Jin Shengwu on Academic Affairs" and other articles.
It can be seen that the two people's thoughts are very similar.
Gao Gong advocated practicality and "advocating modernism", which was completely different from those rotten scholars who often talked about the three dynasties of Tang and Yu. Zhang Juzheng also spoke of the same principle when talking about the "King of the Queen of France". It can be seen that the two of them have the same politics.
Philosophy and value orientation.
Furthermore, both of them opposed lecturing. Historically, the Jia, Long, and Wan dynasties were the heyday of Yangming’s philosophy of mind. Xu Jie once gave lectures at Lingji Palace in Beijing with famous Wang scholars such as Nie Bao and Ouyang De.
, sometimes as many as 5,000 people attended the lectures, which is evident from the popularity of the lectures.
Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng grew up and worked in such an atmosphere, so naturally they were not immune to its influence. Since Zhang Juzheng was a disciple of Xu Jie, he also had many contacts with a group of Wang scholars (Wufeng's note: This is evidenced by Zhang Juzheng's many letters)
.However, he often criticized those lecturers who were just talking, "taking false views as tacit evidence" and "Zen". He often advised these people to "be down-to-earth", "advocate the essence", and oppose "equanimity".
Don’t open a door to learn his skills.”
It is precisely because of this kind of thinking that historically Zhang Juzheng later destroyed the academy, killed He Xinyin, and stood in a completely opposite position to those lecturers.
Because Gao Gong himself was a master of practical studies, he had little contact with those lecturers. But strangely, from his writings and letters, we did not find how fiercely he opposed these people. His practical studies belonged to
He did his own thing and stood apart from Cheng, Zhu, Lu and Wang. He did not follow the popular Wang school at that time, but he did not go back to Cheng and Zhu. Instead, he insisted on starting from the current reality and what the reality required.
What kind of knowledge can he do to govern the country well?
It is precisely because the views are almost completely consistent that among the current cabinet, Li Chunfang and Zhao Zhenji are more like Xu Jie's direct disciples, while Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng are on the other side. On the one hand, they prohibit the inspectors from all over the country from gathering together to give lectures.
, on the other hand, they also demoted officials in the capital through inspections, curbed lectures in the capital, corrected the academic style with practical knowledge, and changed the officialdom atmosphere of talking about metaphysics and being unrealistic. Therefore, although the two of them may be more or less involved in
To a certain extent, they were influenced by Yangming’s philosophy of mind, but anti-lectures were an academic stance they both adhered to.
This position made Zhang Juzheng stand on the opposite side of his teacher Xu Jie. It was also an important factor why Zhang Juzheng failed to accept the huge political resources left by Xu Jie as he wished after Zhao Zhenji entered the cabinet. In turn, this was also an important factor why Zhang Juzheng tried every means after Gao Gong became an official.
The reason for building momentum for Gao Gongqi's restoration - after all, Zhang Juzheng also wanted to do practical things. He knew that if Gao Gong could not come back, he, a junior with the least qualifications, would not be able to deal with Li Chunfang and Zhao Zhenji, an alliance in a practical sense. This is
Zhang Juzheng hesitated about the first point in his relationship with Gao Gong: Without Gao Gong to attract firepower, would he become cannon fodder?
So Gao Gong is back, and he is still the same Gao Gong who does what he says. He is definitely different from Xu Jie back then, who muddle along and keep his reputation and status as his top priority.
Zhang Juzheng himself was in the cabinet. Although he was mainly in charge of the Ministry of War, he was still very aware of the reform measures Gao Gong had taken since he concurrently served as the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs: breaking the "constriction theory" and appointing Jinshi officials simultaneously;
Establish a personnel file system and form an echelon of alternate officials; state and county officials are getting younger, and "no one over fifty shall be the head of a state or county"; appointing officials based on their performance; adjusting employment policies and improving the regional avoidance system; reducing staff
Redundant staff, streamlined organization, rectification of morale; and so on.
These are all measures that Zhang Juzheng himself is eager to see and even wants to do personally.
This is also the second point where Zhang Juzheng hesitates about his relationship with Gao Gong: Without Gao Gong, with his qualifications and prestige, can he do these things well? Will he be subject to various constraints and ultimately be unable to implement it?
Because of these two doubts, Zhang Juzheng felt that at least while Li Chunfang and Zhao Zhenji were still in the cabinet, he still needed to maintain a good relationship with Gao Gong.
What's more, who is Zhang Juzheng? He doesn't know why Feng Bao is eager to come to get close to him? It's just because Gao Gong recommended Chen Hong and Meng Chong to the two chief ministers of rites, but he still refused to recommend him.
!
But doesn’t Zhang Juzheng know what Gao Gong is thinking? He just doesn’t want to see another Wang Zhen or Liu Jin come out of the Ming Dynasty!
However, Gao Gong thinks so, but I, Zhang Juzheng, don’t think so? I, Zhang Juzheng, am not a civil servant? I, Zhang Juzheng, want to see eunuchs disrupt the government? What a joke!
But the sneer in his heart returned. After all, Zhang Juzheng's personality is not like Gao Gong's. His joy and anger are directly displayed on his face, so he is willing to cooperate with Feng Bao in the performance: "Forgive Juzheng for being stupid, I don't know what Duke Zhongxuan has planned."
Feng Bao laughed and lowered his voice: "I heard that Mr. Xu sent someone to visit Mr. Taiyue today. I wonder if this is the case?"
That's what he said, but as the admiral of Dongchang, Feng Bao was obviously confident enough to confirm this.
Therefore, Zhang Juzheng did not bother to defend himself and directly admitted: "You Qi was about to talk to me about this matter just now... However, I was on duty at the cabinet today and had just returned not long ago, so the people sent by the teacher were not able to meet with me.
I don’t know why the teacher sent him here.”
"What else could it be but the trouble caused by the land withdrawal case?" Feng Bao snorted and said: "Hai Rui is no longer satisfied with letting Mr. Xu retire from the land, and has now begun to deal with several members of the Xu family.
Young Master... After all, Mr. Xu is no longer in the center, so we can only send people to the capital to find a solution. Mr. Taiyue, you are Mr. Xu’s most valued disciple. If he doesn’t come to you, who else can he look for? "