Strictly speaking, the first assistant and the second assistant are in a competitive relationship in the cabinet.
In the past, although Wang Ao and Yu Shiyue coexisted peacefully, they had never stopped fighting secretly.
Especially after Yu Shiyue concurrently assumed the post of Zhan Shi of the Prince's Mansion, his status and prestige in the court suddenly increased greatly. In terms of speaking power, he was almost on par with Wang Ao.
In a sense, part of the reason why Wang Ao was persuaded by Jiang Yuan was because Yu Shiyue's rising reputation threatened his voice in the cabinet.
Therefore, in the eyes of many people, at this time, Yu Shiyue has every reason to add insult to injury. At the worst, as long as he watches with cold eyes, there is no telling who will win in the end.
Theoretically speaking, the most nervous person right now should be Wang Ao.
The emperor named Yu Shiyue, which shows that Yu Shiyue's attitude has a great reference in the emperor's heart.
But the fact is completely opposite. If Wang Ao was still uneasy just now, then with the emperor's move, his heart dropped to his stomach.
Turning slightly to look at Yu Shiyue, Wang Ao's eyes at this moment were no longer the calmness he had suppressed just now, but real calmness.
The two looked at each other, Yu Shiyue's face remained calm, but without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward and offered his hand.
"Your Majesty clearly knows that the affairs of the cabinet are complicated, and the chief minister has the power of voting, so it is inevitable that he cannot cover everything. It would be biased to conclude that he uses the power of voting to suppress ministers. I have been in the cabinet for a long time, and what I see in my eyes is that there is no manipulation of power.
Your Majesty, the Chief Assistant, has never ordered the memorial to be handled as soon as possible, delaying the government affairs of the court. There may be friendships in the court, but according to what I see, there should be no cliques or cliques for personal gain."
Yu Shiyue's tone was calm, but his words were not hesitant at all.
At this moment, everyone was watching him, but he was not in a hurry, as if the attention from the whole court was nothing to him.
After saying these words, the court became slightly quiet. The emperor looked at him, pondered for a moment, but did not comment too much on Yu Shiyue's statement, but continued to nominate people and asked.
"What do the other gentlemen think? Is it possible for the cabinet to seize power and form a party to suppress cabinet ministers?"
The early dynasty was relatively casual, but those who could be called sir by the emperor were at least at the level of minister.
These elders are all people who have been in officialdom for a long time. If it were another person, they might not be able to hear the emperor's tone.
After all, the emperor never expressed his stance, and first Chen Xun and then Yu Shiyue, although their attitudes were relatively biased towards Wang Ao.
Ordinary ministers might feel that the emperor asked them again at this time because he was uneasy about the answers of the first two people.
However, if you really think this way, you can only say that you are not immersed in the court enough.
First, and most importantly, is Yu Shiyue.
To be fair, what Yu Shiyue just said is actually a bit biased. Wang Ao has been in power for so long, and there is indeed no clique, but there is still a certain degree of suppressing cabinet ministers.
However, Yu Shiyue brushed aside Wang Ao's mistakes, which was obviously biased.
After spending so long with the emperor, they at least knew something about him.
This majesty has always been full of ideas and has an insight into people's hearts. Since he asked Yu Shiyue to speak by name, it means that the emperor is probably clear about Yu Shiyue's position.
To take a step back, even if the emperor's judgment was wrong and what Yu Shiyue said was not what the emperor wanted, then the emperor's next step should be to find someone more confident to come forward.
For example, a certain heavenly official who has always been able to read the emperor's eyes, for example, a certain great uncle who has a clever mind and knows the subtleties...
However, the emperor did not continue to point out people, but asked in general terms. With Yu Shiyue's statement in front of him, the emperor's intention was actually obvious.
At this thought, the faces of the elders couldn't help but show a bit of regret.
I thought I would see a big show today, but I didn’t expect the thunder to be heavy and the rain to be light...
Glancing at Chen Xun, the elders seemed to expect that the 'mastermind behind the scenes' would cause some trouble again. However, what was regrettable was that Chen Xun stood firmly on the spot without making the slightest move.
So, the elders looked at each other, and Wang Wen took the lead in stepping forward and said.
"Your Majesty, I think there may be some discord among the ministers in the cabinet. However, if it is true, as Mr. Zhu Ge said, that the chief minister relies on the power of voting to monopolize the power of the cabinet, then how can the two cabinet ministers be able to serve as ministers now?
Is the imperial court impeaching the chief minister?"
"To say the least, these cabinet ministers had hidden selfish motives during the palace examination. They knew that someone was engaging in malpractice for personal gain, but they never reported it to Your Majesty. Now that the incident has failed, they have begun to reveal their 'inside information'. It is really unconvincing.
"
The relationship between the Ministry of Personnel and the Cabinet is quite delicate. Although there are frictions, there is also cooperation. Generally speaking, they can coexist peacefully.
So obviously, Wang Wen has no intention of embarrassing Wang Ao.
Following Wang Tianguan, Shen Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue also sighed and said.
"Your Majesty, although the affairs of the cabinet are complex and simple, they are all matters of the imperial court, and everyone should perform their own duties. It is really shameless to criticize each other just because of unfair voting."
After the words fell, Zhu Jian's expression changed obviously.
This Shen Pixiu usually doesn't speak, but when he speaks he can choke people to death.
He seemed to say it simply and in a sighing tone, but this simple sentence was actually a reminder to the courtiers.
Don't forget what Mr. Zhuge did before.
When it comes to fighting for power and profit and criticizing courtiers, Wang Ao is not sure whether he is good or not, but Mr. Zhuge is really a good man.
The ministers of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice are not in Beijing. Obviously, they can't get in the middle of a conversation of this level.
Of the other ministries, only Chen Yi from the Metropolitan Procuratorate and Hu Hui from the Ministry of Rites were left.
Logically speaking, Mr. Hu Lao Shangshu is the oldest and should be the finale. However, this time, Chen Yi did not step forward, but waited a moment.
Hu Ming was a little surprised, but he himself was not a stickler for this order. With his current position in the court, it didn't matter when he spoke. He did not need to emphasize his right to speak in this way.
Since Chen Yi is half a step behind, he must have some considerations.
After thinking for a moment, Hu Hui also stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, no one is a saint, and no one can make mistakes. The cabinet has been running smoothly since the Chief Minister took office. Although there were occasional disputes between cabinet ministers, the Chief Minister did not intervene and did not cause the cabinet to shut down. I think that the Chief Minister
Your Excellency may have some inconsiderations, but it is not an exaggeration to say that you are responsible for your duties."
Although it was inadvertently, Hu Hui actually vaguely emphasized what a certain pavilion elder had done before. Generally speaking, he also held a positive attitude towards Wang Ao.
With Hu Hui's words, the overall situation has actually been decided.
Although Chen Yi has not expressed his position yet, under this situation, it is obviously impossible for him to raise any objections.
However, his last move was a bit surprising.
As Hu Xi finished speaking, Chen Yi finally stepped forward and spoke. However, what was surprising was that he did not answer what the emperor had just said, but instead mentioned another matter.
"Your Majesty, I believe that whether the Chief Minister has fulfilled his duties is obvious to all and does not need to be said. However, the other three cabinet ministers who participated in the palace examination have acted for selfish reasons and cannot be denied."
"Today's meeting is to discuss the case of fraud in the imperial examination. Now that Jiang Yuan has admitted that he, together with Xiao Tan and others, manipulated the imperial examination, he should be dealt with accordingly."
"Besides that, the root cause of this matter is, as Chen Shangshu said just now, that the imperial atmosphere is not upright and discipline is weak. The ministers only know how to protect themselves and cannot be impartial."
"The palace examination case is just a corner of the officialdom. You only know a little bit, so you can't be careless. The Metropolitan Procuratorate monitors all officials. If the officialdom is like this, it is difficult for officials to shirk their responsibilities. As the general constitution, I am extremely ashamed. Please convict me."
.”
Ah this...
Chen Yi's words were so serious that all the ministers present looked at each other.
It should be said that there is nothing wrong with what Mr. Chen said.
In a sense, he was also helping Wang Shoufu by bringing the topic back to the imperial examination case.
However, the problem is...
Why are there still people rushing to take responsibility?
Chen Xun just put the responsibility on the officials, which was a bit far-fetched, but after all, he was taking the blame for the emperor and the emperor, so forget it.
No one will look into this matter in detail.
But what is Mr. Chen doing now?
Looking for punishment yourself?
The ministers below couldn't help but be a little confused.
However, the expressions of the important ministers on the side became a little intriguing.
Especially Wang Wen looked at Chen Yi with a vaguely evil look...
However, Chen Yi obviously didn't care. On the contrary, after he finished speaking, although he seemed to be looking intently, he vaguely seemed to have his eyes on Chen Xun again.
At the same time, Chen Xun frowned slightly, seeming to be thinking about something.
After all, Chen Yi is the leader of Feng Xian. With his attitude, Zhu Qiyu naturally cannot remain indifferent. His eyes moved. He looked at Chen Yi thoughtfully, but he remained very calm on his face and said.
"The General Constitution does not need to blame itself. The unhealthy atmosphere in the officialdom did not happen overnight. In the past, Wang Zhen took over power, and loyal and upright people were often suppressed and mistreated. Now, although Wang Zhen's party has been liquidated, it will not happen overnight if the officialdom atmosphere is to be reversed.
achievement."
"Everything in the imperial court has been going smoothly recently, and it is inseparable from the concerted efforts of all the ministers, especially in the previous period to clear the father-in-law's land and organize the army and the army. The Metropolitan Inspectorate and the Ministry of War worked together to penetrate into various places. Only then can this great policy be implemented. I have made great contributions to science and technology. I have done my best.
Know it.”
After a brief pause, Zhu Qiyu's face became solemn and he continued.
"In the palace examination case, since Jiang Yuan has already pleaded guilty, it should be dealt with. As a cabinet minister, Jiang Yuan colluded with Hanlin scholar Xiao Fan to manipulate the palace examination and disrupt the imperial talent promotion ceremony. He has betrayed me and should be punished for dereliction of duty."
"Never mind that he had not colluded with Cheng Zong and others to accept bribes, he was dismissed from his official position and exiled to the Tieling Guards as punishment."
"Xiao Tan, a scholar in the Hanlin Academy, is guilty of greed and evil intentions. He is guilty of the same crime. He thinks that he will be framed by others, and he has the intention of repentance. He should be dealt with lightly. He will be dismissed from his official position and will never be used again!"
Although the emperor did not express much attitude during the court discussion, when it came time to deal with the matter, the emperor was obviously very decisive and did not hesitate at all.
This treatment was expected by the ministers and was in line with the emperor's always tolerant style.
Jiang Yuan was lucky enough to save his life. Although he was exiled, considering his behavior of wielding power to get the emperor's head, this treatment was really a sign of kindness from the emperor.
As for Xiao Fan, he was a bit pitiful and had been tricked in vain. However, political struggle is like this, the capable are promoted and the mediocre are demoted.
Xiao Tan himself was a great scholar, but he was not a man who was good at maneuvering.
Since he is not good at these tricks, he should just do his duty honestly. However, he could not restrain his greed. As a result, he not only lost his official position, but also his lifelong reputation.
, it can be regarded as your own fault.
This matter was so big that even in the end, the imperial court placed the main responsibility on Jiang Yuan, but for the scholars below, Xiao Fan, as a Hanlin bachelor, was the host of this imperial examination.
If the imperial examination is unfair, he must be the first to be scolded!
So in fact, Xiao Tan's situation is not much better than Jiang Yuan's.
The fate of the two of them had already been decided, and it was just a matter of severity. The ministers sighed a few words in their hearts, and then quickly regained their composure.
These two people are no longer worthy of attention, but don't forget that Dali Temple impeached all ten record readers this time.
How to deal with the remaining people is the most critical.
Among these people, there are cabinet ministers and six ministers. If any one of them is replaced, under normal circumstances, it will cause an earthquake in the officialdom.
Not to mention, there are now ten people.
If they are all dealt with, it will be a major blow to the entire court.
Of course, it might also be an opportunity...
In fact, if you listen carefully, you will find that no matter who it was, even the Seven Ministers, they were discussing who was to blame.
However, no one has mentioned how to deal with it specifically.
Because for this kind of matter, the emperor must first express his position and set the tone before there is room for discussion.
Otherwise, whoever speaks first will get into trouble.
As for how the emperor will deal with it...
Those with a bright mind have gradually tasted a bit of the flavor.
When Dali Temple presented the memorial, Jiang Yuan, Xiao Tan, Zhang Min, and Zhu Jian were listed together, but just now, the emperor singled out Jiang Yuan and Xiao Tan alone.
Does this mean that the emperor took this case very seriously?
However, now that this matter has arisen, Chen Xun, Wang Wen, and later Chen Yi have all expressed that this matter is not only a matter of fraud in the palace examination, but also an issue of officialdom.
Under such circumstances, if no punishment is given, wouldn't it mean that this trend is encouraged?
Come to think of it, for such a big case and so many file readers to remain silent, it might be that they are not punishing the public.
The failure of laws and regulations may not be one of the reasons for the unhealthy atmosphere in the officialdom.
It may even be one of the main reasons.
So, this is actually a dilemma.
Let's see now, which side is more important in the emperor's heart...
Working late at night, taking a break from the busy schedule...