It is approaching late autumn, and the weather is getting colder and cooler.
However, the time for the court meeting was not postponed. At dawn, civil and military officials were already waiting in the square in front of Jinshui Bridge, gathering in twos and threes and chatting.
The majestic bell rang, and the palace door slowly opened. Under the scolding of Yushi Jiuyi, the elders finally organized their team and stepped into the palace city with the first ray of the morning sun.
"Long live my emperor! Long live!"
Today is the regular court meeting that takes place every ten days. Basically all the civil and military officials in Beijing are here, except those who are on sick leave and those who are unable to attend the court for some reason.
Among them, the Kedao censors were the most present.
As famous trolls in the Ming Dynasty, the emperor now inexplicably wants to cover their mouths.
I originally thought it was just talk, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be real?
How can I bear this?
If you can't go to the palace, then go to the palace!
A group of censors stood in the hall with solemn expressions, already ready to go.
"In the past few days, I have received a lot of memorials, all of which are about the reform of science and education. There are also two matters related to Lin Cong, who is responsible for the affairs of etiquette."
"Since the imperial court has always had a tradition of hearing and reporting, I advise you not to lightly violate the code and block the way of speech. If you talk about the law and report, it is for the country and the country. I advise you to punish Zhang Ying, the censor of Yunnan Province.
It is really inappropriate to choose Li Xi."
"This matter has been discussed a lot in the court recently. In this case, today's court meeting will first discuss the treatment of Zhang Ying and Li Xi."
The emperor looked calm as usual and spoke calmly to give instructions.
So, as the initiator and the spokesperson recommended by this group of censors, Lin Cong took the lead and said.
"Your Majesty has clearly learned that since the founding of our country by Taizu, our country has always had a smooth road. It is said that if you listen to both sides, you will be enlightened, and if you listen to one side, you will be dark. As a minister, it is your duty to support the country and admonish the emperor. It is also an act for the country and the people.
.”
"I think that Zhang Ying and Li Xi came to report their words out of loyalty and patriotism. Your majesty's words of convict are really detrimental to the virtues of the saints. I sincerely request that your majesty order these two officials to be reinstated in order to calm the government and the public.
Heart."
After Lin Cong finished speaking, many censors immediately echoed and stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, what Mr. Lin said is true. Please make it clear to your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, Zhang Ying and Li Xi are not at fault. Because the sinners mentioned were not committed by the holy king, I hope that your Majesty will order them to be reinstated."
"I second the proposal..."
It was obvious that these officials from the Department of Science and Technology must have discussed this in private.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for so many people to come out as soon as we arrived.
Of course, as long as you have a clear enough understanding of the connections in the officialdom, you will be able to discover that the censors who have come forward now are basically old friends of Zhang Ying and Li Xi in the same year.
This is also a customary trend among Kedao officials, and it is not surprising. After all, Kedao officials are known to have small positions but great power.
However, a vocational primary school is a vocational primary school. If you don't have enough rank, your weight will naturally not be that sufficient. If you don't come up with something that will make a big splash, then building up momentum in the court is the best way.
As these people came out together, the atmosphere in the palace immediately became lively, and many officials below began to talk in low voices.
At this time, Shen Jing from the Ministry of War took the lead and said:
"Your Majesty, I think what Mr. Lin said is inappropriate!"
One sentence attracted the attention of everyone in the court.
Everyone knows that Shen Jing's backer is the famous Tianguan Wang Wen of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. After all, this Tianguan is a person of status.
To put it bluntly, if you want to be yelled at by Wang Tianguan, you also need some status, and you must at least start at the third level.
These sixth- and seventh-grade science and education officials are not good enough for him to take action personally. At this time, it is naturally time for Shen Jing to step forward.
Moreover, others did not know the various connections between these censors, but Shen Jing was very well-connected.
You know, before he was transferred to the Ministry of War, he was a member of the Examination Department.
Shen Jing's resume, which is full of experience in the court, is all kept in Shen Jing's heart.
Since it was a matter of discussion, he naturally spoke freely. Therefore, facing Shen Jing's refutation, Lin Cong did not shy away and asked directly.
"May I ask Mr. Shen, what's wrong?"
Feeling the looks from all sides, Shen Jing still stood firmly on the spot and said.
"Master Lin just said that Your Majesty is a sinner because of his words. This is a big fallacy!"
Turning sideways, Shen Jing and Lin Cong stood opposite each other, but remained calm when speaking.
At this time, the low murmurs in the court hall that were still there gradually stopped.
They knew that there would be no peace in the court today, but they did not expect that there would be such a fierce confrontation from the beginning.
Lin Cong is the favorite disciple of the old Heavenly Official Wang Zhi, but Shen Jing is the confidant of the new Heavenly Official Wang Wen. The conflict between the two is interesting.
As he spoke, Shen Jing bowed his hands towards his superiors and said.
"Your Majesty has always been courteous to his admonishers and would never convict because of his words. The crime of Zhang Ying and Li Xi has been made clear by the previous decree. It was because they went beyond their duties and disobeyed the imperial edict, not because they submitted a memorial to the emperor. "
"Master Shen, what you said is wrong!"
After hearing this, Lin Cong immediately retorted.
"How can one go beyond his duty when he speaks of an official?"
"Zhang Ying and Li Xi performed their duties loyally and did not seek personal gain. All they did was to report to the emperor and express their opinions."
"If this is not a crime for words, then why is it a crime for words?"
Shen Jing frowned and looked at Lin Cong with a slightly unkind look. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said.
"I heard that it is indeed the authority of the official to report affairs. However, His Majesty has issued a clear edict. Officials of all disciplines must not go beyond their duties without authorization and speak of things beyond their duties."
"Zhang Ying is the censor of Yunnan Province, and Li Xi is the household secretary in charge of affairs. The two of them are not in charge of border affairs, and they have nothing to do with military affairs. If they rush to report, isn't it an overstep of their authority?"
"As for the theory that it comes from public motives, it is even more unconvincing. His Majesty did not ban the official speech, but also specifically ordered the Ministry of Rites to cast seal seals and allow official secret reports."
"If you two have a heart-to-heart remonstrance, you can report it to Your Majesty in secret. Why should you do it in a grand manner and report it to the court openly?"
"A gentleman behaves dignifiedly and has nothing to say to others."
This time, Lin Cong did not speak, but another person stood up and said.
"The two of them openly reported to the court and were not afraid of the public discussion. Doesn't it further prove that they were motivated by public motives and had no selfish motives?"
The military department is all in trouble, Ye Sheng!
One of Lin Cong's friends is not only similar in age and temperament, but also has very consistent attitudes on many court affairs.
Moreover, this person's reputation in the court is quite special.
Ye Sheng was an orthodox Jinshi for ten years. He was first assigned military science to Shizhong, and all his pursuits were given to Shizhong. He was a simple man and did not like extravagance.
Officials in the capital usually travel in sedan chairs, with many attendants and frequent attendants. However, when Ye Sheng came in and out of his daily life, he always walked on foot, with few attendants and a simple style.
He admired Fan Zhongyan since he was a child, and wherever he sat or slept in his house, there were portraits of Fan Wenzhenggong hanging to encourage him.
It should be said that if Ye Sheng is measured by the standard of a traditional scholar-official, there is no doubt that he is very qualified.
He has a gentle and simple personality, is honest and diligent as an official, does not love fame and fortune, and does not like to form factional ties. As a result, many people in the court compared him with Yu Qian.
Interestingly, even his friendship with Lin Cong is very similar to that of Yu Qian and Yu Shiyue.
Gentlemen get along well with each other, but they are group but not clique, which can be regarded as a model of the friendship between scholars and officials.
Of course, there are no two identical people in this world. Ye Sheng is not Yu Qian, and he cannot become Yu Qian.
In addition to the characteristics of simplicity and honesty, another characteristic of Ye Sheng is that he is a very serious person who abides by etiquette and ethics.
After the emperor succeeded to the throne, he proposed that the new emperor ascend the throne and reward all the ministers. Only Ye Sheng refused to accept it because the emperor was still living in the dust in the north.
Although in the end, he accepted the reward under the emperor's strong orders, it is enough to see this person's character.
This is a person who accepts death!
More importantly, he has an excellent reputation among Shilin, which makes many people wary when facing Ye Sheng.
Of course, as Wang Tianguan's confidant, Shen Jing naturally had some of his old man's style of scolding anyone he caught.
Even if the other party was Ye Sheng, it just made him frown, and then he opened his mouth to refute.
But this time, he was a step slower, and someone jumped in front of him, saying.
"Master Ye, as a royal censor, there is nothing wrong with him speaking out his duties according to his duties. I also believe that all the ministers in the court, up and down, who come to me to speak out are doing so out of loyalty to the country."
"However, the state has national laws, families have family rules, and the imperial court has edicts, and they should be followed until there is a new decree."
"Zhang Ying, isn't it true that Li Xi ignored His Majesty's will?"
"If it is true, then what is wrong with His Majesty convicting him for this?"
East Palace, Yu Yan!
An old minister of the emperor's Qiandi, during the War of Oara, he had been ordered to patrol the border many times, and even helped the pass guard to repel the enemy soldiers.
If there is a layer of separation between Shen Jing and the Emperor, then Yu Yan is obviously a pure Emperor's party.
Of course, this difference can be ignored in the court.
Seeing Yu Yan standing up suddenly, Shen Jing was stunned at first, but then, he saw Yu Yan glance at him without any trace, obviously intending to stop him.
Although he still hadn't figured out why, Shen Jing still stopped talking immediately out of trust.
Then, Yu Yan continued.
"Mr. Lin and Mr. Ye feel that something is wrong. In the final analysis, they feel that Zhang Ying and Li Xi were convicted and banished because of their remarks to the emperor, and they had no other faults. Therefore, they accuse Your Majesty of being guilty of speaking out."
"However, Master Shen has just made this very clear. Your Majesty condemned Zhang Ying and Li Xi not because of their speeches, but because they disobeyed the imperial edict and made random discussions."
"The imperial court has its own system, and your majesty has its own holy virtues. When you speak to officials, you can listen to them and accept your advice, even if they directly criticize you for your faults."
"However, just because the rumors have been heard does not mean that you can overstep the court's rules and ignore His Majesty's imperial edict. If His Majesty gets angry and banishes the two people because of their excessive words in their remonstrances, you will be punished because of their words. If they are wrong because of what they said, , blaming and scolding is also a punishment for words.”
"But now His Majesty is not punishing him because of the content of his words, but because he disobeyed the decree and violated the rules. How can we say that he was punished because of his words?"
These words are a bit convoluted.
However, the meaning is explained very clearly.
To put it bluntly, the dispute between the two parties actually lies in the issue of what constitutes a crime for speech.
Lin Cong and Ye Sheng believed that Zhang Ying and Li Xi were just talking to each other and had neither offended the emperor nor made any other mistakes. They were punished and demoted for no reason, which was just because of their words.
This word refers to words and deeds.
However, Yu Yan firmly grasped that the two of them were not guilty for "speaking things", but for "speaking things not according to the procedures."
The concepts of the two are naturally completely different.
Therefore, for a while, there was another low-pitched discussion in the court hall. Apparently, the ministers below also had their own opinions on what both sides said.
At the same time, Shen Jing squinted his eyes, looked at Ye Sheng and Lin Cong opposite with gloomy expressions, and understood.
It's not that these two people don't know what the actual situation is, they just make it clear and want to confuse the concept.
It has been a long-standing tradition of the Ming Dynasty not to sin with words. As long as this can be established, then naturally we can help Zhang Ying and Li Xi escape.
Facing Yu Yan's analysis, Lin Cong glanced at Ye Sheng and then said.
"How can we say that speaking for the country means disobeying the decree?"
As he said this, he turned around and raised his hands to the emperor.
"Your Majesty, it is your duty to speak to your Majesty about what is known and reported. I will not block the way of speech when I remonstrate with Your Majesty. You should accept the advice widely. I sincerely ask Your Majesty to allow Zhang Ying and Li Xi to resume their posts."
Ye Sheng also said: "I second the proposal."
"Your Majesty, I have always opened up the way for my speech, and I have always spoken out in an all-encompassing way. If the way of speech is blocked, the people's sentiments cannot be communicated up and down, and there may be a big disaster. Your Majesty, please think twice."
As the two opened their mouths, seven or eight more censors came out and said one after another.
"I second the proposal."
Shen Jing watched coldly from the side. When he glanced to the side with the corner of his eye, he saw that there were still many censors standing there, seemingly hesitating. He immediately understood in his heart what the situation was.
This time, Lin Cong and Ye Sheng must have colluded long ago. What they want is not to plead for Zhang Ying and Li Xi at all.
What they were really targeting was the emperor's edict to reform science and education.
It can be said that the condemnation of Zhang Ying and Li Xi was the first time that this imperial edict exerted its power in the court, and it also directly damaged the power of Yan Guan.
Therefore, when they rescued Zhang Ying and Li Xi, they were actually fighting against this imperial edict. If they succeeded, then this imperial edict would naturally be invalidated.
Because of this, they insist on being punished for speaking out, hoping to stir up the sensitive nerves in the hearts of other speaking officials.
The Yanguan of the Ming Dynasty was indeed very powerful, but what was more powerful was the Yanguan as a whole. Their combined power was formidable.
Lin Cong and Ye Sheng cannot have the power to control the entire Yanguan family, and no one in this court has such power.
The emperor's decree indeed put a lot of constraints on the officials, but as Shen Jing said, it was just a restriction and did not block their way of speaking.
It's just that from now on, it's difficult for Yan Guan to use the previous means to invite names and buy the right. This is actually not that difficult for most Yan Guan to accept.
After all, Yan Guan has some strong bones, but not everyone likes to compete with the emperor in the ring.
Therefore, if they want to mobilize the power of these people, Lin Cong and Ye Sheng need to find a reason for them to take action.
Because talking about sinners is a good reason.
To put it bluntly, officials who are officials in science and education rely on their speeches and deeds to make a living. Therefore, if the emperor always sins because of his words, then for these officials, it is equivalent to blocking the passage to ascend.
This is definitely unacceptable to them. From this perspective, Shen Jing's efforts to explain to Lin Cong and Ye Sheng just now are actually of no use.
Because they knew the difference from the beginning, they were just deliberately confusing it, and...