No matter how turbulent the capital city is, the government affairs of the imperial court must still continue to run.
This morning, with Yu Qian in jail, the long-delayed rectification of the military government finally came to an end.
"...Promoted the Commander-in-Chief Zhang Xi to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Left, in charge of the affairs of the Central Army Commander's Office; promoted Commander-in-Chief Wu Xing to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Right, in charge of the affairs of the Right Army Commander-in-Chief; Yang Hong, Marquis of Changping, was promoted to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Left and in charge of the Governor's Office of the Front Army
In order to make things happen, Yang Xin, the governor-general of Qianshi, was promoted to be the governor-general of the former military governor's office. Fan Guang, the Bo of Jing'an, was moved to the left as the governor-general and the admiral of the capital camp."
"I ordered the left governor Zhang Xian to reorganize the five armies according to the order. All the governor's offices will cooperate, the governor's office, and the criminal department will be co-presidents. Qin Zai."
Huai'en held a roll of yellow silk imperial edict in his hand, and his tone was calm, but it made the civil and military ministers below restless.
As soon as this imperial edict came out, the civil and military parties had different reactions. Although the civil servants had expected it, they were still a little disappointed when they actually heard the edict was announced.
On the contrary, the noble military ministers were extremely excited.
You must know that since the Battle of Tumu, the power of the military officials in the court has been weakened for a long time. As the top military official, the military governor has been firmly blocked by the civil servants.
This resulted in no one being able to fight for them in court on many important military and political matters. In the past two years, the Ministry of War even had a slight tendency to overtake the military government.
But now, with the announcement of this imperial edict, this situation has completely changed.
Not mentioning Yu Qian's imprisonment, let's just talk about the situation of the military government after this imperial edict. On behalf of the British Duke, Zhang Xi regained control of the Central Military Governor's Palace. Wang Qin, as an in-law of the Duke of Chengguo, took charge of the affairs of the Imperial Army Governor's Palace and led the right army.
Although Wuxing, who was in charge of the Dudu Mansion, did not have a title, he had a close relationship with Duke Dingguo's Mansion.
The remaining Zuojun Dudufu and the former Army Dudufu are respectively run by Zhao Rong, the Bo of the City, and Yang Hong, the Marquis of Changping. Zhao Rong himself is not outstanding, but behind him, although his presence is not high, he is just like Yu Qian.
Li Xian, the Duke of Feng Kingdom, who had the merit of supporting the establishment.
As for Yang Hong, it goes without saying that in today's court, no one can surpass him in terms of military achievements.
The only regret is that since the Xuanfu and his party came back, the famous Marquis Yang has fallen ill. It is said that he has been unable to even get out of bed in recent days.
Therefore, if nothing unexpected happens, Yang Hong is only in name only, and the person who really leads the affairs of the former military governor's office should be his nephew, Yang Xin, who has just been promoted to the governor's fellow magistrate.
As a result, the former military governor's voice will be slightly weaker, but with the support of Yang Hong's reputation, it will not be much weaker.
As for Fan Guang, the ministers had already anticipated his whereabouts. Although there were many ministers in the court who hoped that he could take over the reorganization of the military government, let alone Fan Guang's short stay in the capital.
, it is difficult to sort out the intricate relationships between the top and bottom of the military government, and whether he can handle the matter well.
But since Fan Guang was the commander-in-chief of the military government and the admiral of the capital camp, it was impossible for him to be responsible for the rectification of the military government.
Therefore, it is probably a matter of doing one of the two. The affairs of the Beijing camp are important, and the two share the same power. Naturally, he will retain his errand as the admiral of the Beijing camp.
As a result, the new structure of the military that we see now was formed.
Zhang Shi, Wang Qin, and Wuxing have no titles, but they each have a public palace behind them. Together they represent that the old noble system has regained its right to speak in the court. Zhao Rong, Yang Hong, and Fan Guang
, both have titles, but their connections in the court are not deep. The former is between the old and new nobles, while the latter two are the pure new nobles.
These two forces have become the fundamentals of today's military government.
On the surface, Zhang Xi has taken control of the most powerful military governor's office, and will have a great say in the subsequent rectification of the military office. However, as the most critical and core military commander, the admiral of the Beijing camp
, but was led by Fan Guang.
In addition to these, the British government has always been close to Nangong, but Fan Guang is the emperor's confidant. Everyone else either does not help each other, or they are wise to protect themselves, and each has his own position.
The connections, prestige, military achievements, titles, real power, positions, and many other factors vary among the various governments.
They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and together they form the delicate balance we have today.
But no matter what, taking advantage of this rectification of the military government, the honorable nobles who had been silent in the court for several years finally regained a foothold.
This made all the noble families heave a long sigh of relief.
Of course, the expressions of the civil servants must be very bad at this moment. Yu Qian was imprisoned, the job of rectifying the military government changed hands, and the power of the nobles was restored. No matter which one it was, it was not a good thing for them.
Fortunately, the emperor's edict did not come suddenly, but had been foreshadowed for a long time. Therefore, after a short period of frustration, the elders in the court quickly regained their confidence and looked at the king at the front.
arts.
So Mr. Wang sighed and stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, according to the regulations, the cabinet has a full quota of six academicians. Now that Jiang Yuan has been dismissed and Zhu Jian is in charge of Dali Temple affairs, there is a shortage of nearly half of the cabinet seats. In the long run, it may affect the government affairs of the court. Therefore, I sincerely request your majesty to allow the court to nominate ministers.
"
Since it has been predicted that the power of the nobles will rise again, it is impossible for the civil servants to do nothing. Yu Qian is in jail, and the Ministry of War is now unable to compete with the military government. The rise of the nobles is unstoppable. In this case, there is no other way.
Think of ways to.
As the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the head of hundreds of officials, Mr. Wang cannot just curse people in the court, nor can he suppress the nobles. Then, it is always possible to strengthen himself.
Although the cabinet is not more noble than the six ministers, it is still considered an important minister in the court. If the vacancies can be filled, then the civil servants will naturally have a greater reputation in front of the nobles.
Normally, I didn't mention it because the cabinet ministers were matters that were under the dictatorship of the Sacred Heart. The emperor had not made any move, and the ministers naturally did not dare to say anything.
But now that they have such an opportunity and can force Wang Wen to come forward to complain about this matter, they will naturally not let it go.
"That's right."
When Wang Wen, the Minister of Civil Affairs, came forward in person, the emperor really did not insult him, saying:
"In the past few days, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has first compiled a list of people with sufficient qualifications and performance and submitted it to the public. If there are outstanding people, the ministers can also recommend them. If there is no suitable candidate, the Japanese court will recommend them."
"According to the decree..."
It can be seen that the emperor is still somewhat unwilling to do this.
Although it is accurate, it does not completely decentralize the power of selecting candidates. Instead, it is necessary to first see if there are suitable candidates. If it is not possible, then make a recommendation.
This is actually a bit disappointing for many ministers in the DPRK, but after all, there is a chance.
Although the cabinet minister was not a big deal during the Hongwu and Yongle years, after Renxuan, his status became increasingly high. When the current emperor ascended the throne, he fixed the title of cabinet scholar and minister. From this perspective, entering the cabinet
, that is, entering the rank of a second-grade official.
This time, the emperor gave the nod to supplement the cabinet, and to fill it all at once, which naturally aroused the hearts of the people in the capital. In just a few days, recommended memorials were sent to the cabinet one after another.
On this day, Yu Shiyue was sitting in the public room. Just after finishing the memorial in front of him, someone from the Zhongshushe came to report that the chief minister had arrived.
Hearing this, Yu Shiyue was surprised for a while, but he immediately stood up and went to greet him.
Although there is no hierarchy among the cabinet, the first assistant is still the first assistant, so when he comes in person, his etiquette must be attentive.
"I've met Mr. Chief Assistant."
Yu Shiyue respectfully bowed his hands as a gift, but Wang Ao was not arrogant and returned the gift with a smile. After they both sat down, Wang Ao said.
"Recently, in all affairs in the DPRK, the priority is to recruit more cabinet ministers. I must have received a lot of recommendation letters during this period, right? I wonder, does Mr. Cifu have someone he thinks is suitable?"
Although such major matters have to go through the hands of the cabinet, they obviously cannot decide. However, this does not mean that they cannot intervene.
On the contrary, when recommended by ministers under the emperor's orders, the cabinet has a lot of room to play.
It is true that they cannot decide on the final candidate, but there are so many officials in this dynasty. Even if we only count the officials of third rank and above, there are at least hundreds of people in and outside the capital, from all over the country. Since His Majesty asked the ministers to recommend them this time
, indicating that there is no definite candidate in mind.
Under this situation, the range of options is huge, and the emperor has only been on the throne for a few years, and the number of ministers who can be remembered is probably not many. After the cabinet receives the memorial, although it cannot directly say whether this person is good or not, for him,
It is possible to comment on past political achievements and qualifications.
In this way, it is not easy for them to successfully win the election for someone, but it is not necessarily difficult for them to ruin someone's future.
Yu Shiyue held the tea cup in front of him, knowing that Wang Ao must have the person he wanted when he came here, but...
"Your Excellency, the Chief Assistant, is joking. The important position of cabinet ministers is a matter of His Majesty's Sacred Heart. How can it be decided by you and me?"
This is a clear sign of pretentiousness.
Although he couldn't figure out who Wang Ao wanted to use, Yu Shiyue had already made up his mind not to wade into this muddy water.
It is true that the special structure of the cabinet determines that if there are people close to you in the cabinet, you will have a much greater say.
If several cabinet ministers unite, it is not difficult to oust the chief minister. In this case, letting one of your own people join the cabinet is the best choice.
But the problem is that Yu Shiyue has no intention of ousting Wang Ao, and more importantly, he is not only the second minister of the cabinet, but also the minister of the Prince's Mansion. Under such circumstances, if he recruits his own people into the cabinet, I am afraid that it will be a disaster.
It will make the emperor jealous.
Therefore, from the beginning, Yu Shiyue had no intention of getting involved in this matter. Looking at Wang Ao, whose expression changed slightly, Yu Shiyue thought for a while and continued.
"My lord, the Chief Assistant, has learned clearly that the academic workload in the East Palace has been heavy recently. All of Yu's thoughts are on Shi Zhan's house. The drafting of cabinet votes is just trying to maintain it. It is really incapable of thinking about such important matters in detail. To say this, I feel sorry for you.
Your Majesty is very trustworthy."
Such an obvious rejection made Wang Ao frown.
However, it only took a moment before a smile appeared on his face and he said.
"What Mr. Second Assistant said is that such important matters are indeed not something you and I can decide. However, it is our responsibility to share His Majesty's worries. The cabinet is different from the six ministries and has the responsibility of coordinating the internal and external affairs. As assistant ministers of the cabinet, you and I,
He knows the cabinet affairs best, so naturally he should help His Majesty solve his problems."
Seeing Wang Ao's shameless look, Yu Shiyue felt unhappy.
However, since he was the chief assistant after all, he couldn't refute the opponent's face, so he could only say perfunctorily.
"What Mr. Chief Assistant said makes sense."
Seeing this situation, Wang Ao didn't care at all about Yu Shiyue's resistance, but said.
"That's exactly what happened. Over the past few days, many people have been recommended by the DPRK, but there are only very few suitable people. To join the cabinet, in addition to qualifications and reputation, more importantly, familiarity with the government affairs of the DPRK."
"I received a memorial today recommending Xiang Wenyao, the Minister of War, to the cabinet. It reminds me that although this Minister of War is young, he is well-received in the court and has outstanding abilities. He also had some experience in reorganizing the army in the previous period.
Thanks to his great achievements, if he can join the cabinet, it will be a good story in the court, what do you think, Mr. Cifu?"
Xiang Wenyao?
Yu Shiyue's eyes flashed.
Of course he knew this man, and he was considered one of the ministers whom the emperor trusted very much, but more importantly, Xiang Wenyao was close to Yu Qian.
So, at this time, what is Wang Ao's intention in wanting Xiang Wenyao to join the cabinet?
Thinking of the instigation made intentionally or unintentionally by the chief minister in front of the emperor that day, Yu Shiyue felt a little more wary, shook his head and said.
"Xiang Wenyao is good, but he is too young. If I remember correctly, he is only in his thirties this year. At such an age, being a third-grade minister is already a super promotion. If he joins the cabinet and becomes a
How can a second-grade title convince everyone?"
"Well……"
Yu Shiyue originally thought that his words would make Wang Ao unhappy, but what he didn't expect was that Wang Ao not only didn't look angry at all, but actually thought about it seriously, then nodded and said.
"That makes sense. If Xiang Wenyao is not suitable, what about Li Shi? He had served in the cabinet before, but later he was transferred to the Ministry of War in order to rectify the military camp. Now that the matter has been resolved, it is time to add cabinet ministers.
It is just right for him to return to the cabinet."
Hearing this, Yu Shiyue frowned.
He felt more and more that he could not understand Wang Ao in front of him. He had given Yu Qian eye drops in front of the emperor before. This was not surprising. Yu Qian was not as popular in the court as he seemed.
But now, the emperor wants to recruit more cabinet ministers. Wang Ao first recommended Xiang Wenyao, but after he rejected it, he mentioned Li Shi again. What is the purpose of this?
"No, Li Shinian doesn't have enough capital. Although he has succeeded in welcoming back the Supreme Emperor, he may not be able to convince the public if he wants to join the cabinet."
After thinking for a moment, Yu Shiyue shook his head. Although he couldn't figure out Wang Ao's intention, now that Yu Qian was in prison, if the two ministers of the Ministry of War were transferred again, problems would inevitably arise in the operation of the Ministry of War. Therefore,
Yu Shiyue doesn't think it is a good idea to let Li Shi or Xiang Wenyao join the cabinet at this time.
After the words fell, Yu Shiyue thought Wang Ao would say something else, but what he didn't expect was that after he finished speaking, Wang Ao nodded in agreement and said.
"If that's the case, it's true that I didn't think it through well. Anyway, I'm disturbing Jisuke today..."
After that, Wang Ao didn't hesitate at all. He stood up neatly and left Yu Shiyue's apartment...