Chapter 113 Little people bring down big leaders

Master Zeng's loyalty effect continued to play a role. In addition to the death of the old monk king, Prince Gong was also repaired by the queen dowagers of the two palaces, and the title of king of politics was stripped. This incident is also called Cai Shouqi's battle with Prince Gong, a small person who overthrows a big leader.In the officialdom, the most fearful thing is encountering provocations from small people.The so-called barefoot is not afraid of wearing shoes. Once you are challenged by a small person with unequal status, people will say that you have no majesty and lack of influence.In a more serious situation, the opponent's provocation is used by your opponent and becomes a powerful weapon to humiliate and suppress you.

The poor and shrewd Prince Gong encountered the last kind, and also the scariest one. Moreover, the incident that Prince Gong encountered also had a certain strange color, which completely conformed to the law of the butterfly effect.The so-called people in the rivers and lakes can't help themselves, even if you don't make troubles, don't be afraid of troubles, you can't help it. Small incidents that happen in places that are out of reach, like a fire in the wilderness, suddenly burn on you. It is said that there was an editor in the Imperial Academy at that time, named Cai Shouqi, who suddenly had the opportunity to be released as an official.The editors of the Imperial Academy were poor officials with no real power and low salaries, and the only chance to make money was to release them outside, so Cai Shouqi made a lot of money all the way, all the way to Sichuan.At that time, the governor of Sichuan, Liu Rong, found that Cai Shouqi was so wretched, so he drove him away unceremoniously.

Although Cai Shouqi is an editor of the Imperial Academy, he has no real power in the imperial court, not even the power of Shangshu. It is said that Liu Rong drove him away, and there may not be any future troubles.But for 30 years in Hedong and 30 years in Hexi, Cai Shouqi drilled and drilled in the capital, and finally won the right to write a memorial.With power, it is necessary to take revenge on Liu Rong unceremoniously.You bastard, you didn't let me make money, and even drove me away from Sichuan, isn't that unreasonable?So Cai Shouqi prepared to impeach him. Since impeachment is to be done, it is necessary to seal the throat with a sword and find out the fatality of Liu Rong.So Cai Shouqi launched an intensive research work, which is remarkable.He found out that the reason why Liu Rong dared to treat him so fiercely was because Liu Rong and the famous official Zeng Guofan were close friends.The reason why Zeng Guofan was able to become a saint in the world and eliminate the Taiping Army entrenched in Nanjing City was because Prince Gong was their black backer.

Once you find the black background, it will be easy to handle.But the next question is that Prince Gong is the king of politics and the most powerful person in the court. Impatient? Therefore, Cai Shouqi conducted an in-depth analysis. This analysis found that it was just right for an unknown person like him to engage Prince Gong, and he would definitely get a few birds with one stone. Cai Shouqi discovered that, first of all, the reason why Prince Gong became the number one powerful figure in the imperial court was that, as his younger brother-in-law, he joined forces with the queen mothers of the two palaces to launch a coup, overthrew the eight ministers Gu Ming left behind by Emperor Xianfeng, and realized uncle Sister-in-law Republic.The empress dowagers of the two palaces are in charge of the house, and Prince Gong is in charge of the outside, so they have mastered the power.

Secondly, Cai Shouqi noticed that the power system of the Qing Empire was not a single-track system, but a dual-track system, in which Prince Gong assisted the government and the two empress dowagers co-existed.Prince Gong has the final say, the empress dowagers of the two palaces have the final say, only the little emperor Tongzhi has the final say. In addition, Cai Shouqi was keenly aware that the Empress Dowager Cixi had an uncontrollable desire for power.However, at the beginning of Prince Gong's administration, Cixi was just a woman who lived in the deep palace and knew nothing about state affairs, so she could only sit behind the curtain and stare dumbfounded.But recently, the Empress Dowager Cixi has become more and more aware that she has gradually become a rival to Prince Gong.It's just that she lacks a ready-made opportunity for her to take power away from her uncle in a legitimate way.

After figuring out the hidden power structure in the imperial court, Cai Shouqi snapped his fingers in a happy mood. I'm sorry, but in order to avenge Liu Rong's expulsion from Sichuan, I first took the real power figure, Prince Gong. Your old man, Prince Gong, Just forgive me. Then he went to Shu, and it was not clear whether the impeachment of Prince Gong was right or wrong, nepotism, ignorance of loyalty and traitors, in short, it was all nonsense without evidence.But Cai Shouqi knew that he was betting on whether Cixi's judgment was correct. If his judgment was correct and Cixi wanted to regain power from her uncle, then the evidence was not important, but the crime.As long as there is a crime, it is enough for Cixi to seize this opportunity to seize power.Conversely, if he made a mistake in his judgment...the mistake would be a mistake. Anyway, he is not very capable, and it is impossible for him to stand out in the court, so it is better to take a gamble.

After struggling, Cai Shouqi gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, and shot a sharp arrow at Prince Gong. Cai Shouqi really made the right bet in this game.It is said that the Empress Dowager Cixi, since the launch of the Qixiang coup, has been sitting behind the curtain every day, hugging the little emperor Tongzhi, and watching Prince Gong handle state affairs.At first she couldn't see a trick, but after looking at it, she slowly came to her senses.It turns out that there is nothing mysterious about power politics, that is, you have to have the vision to find the most capable people, such as Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang, you find them and give them the work.Then, you have to find another group of masters who are particularly incapable of working and especially able to eat, and deliberately let them make trouble with those who can work.If the able-bodied people bully the able-bodied people too badly, they will come over and kick the able-bodied people;In this way, people who can eat can't do it, but rely on your authority to make a lot of money, and they will naturally protect your power with all their strength; people who can eat are restrained by people who can eat, so they can't override you , had to resort to your powers to punish those who could eat.

Power politics is to create two opposing factions, and you yourself live in the middle, maintain a balance, and sit firmly on the Diaoyutai. Only when the courtiers fight, the emperor can sleep peacefully.This is the nature of power politics. After seeing this, Cixi felt a strong impulse in her heart, she really wanted to tear up the curtain and rush out, kicking her brother-in-law, Prince Gong aside, to play this happy game by herself.This game is super fun, she really likes it. But thinking about it, Cixi was too embarrassed to act recklessly without an appropriate time.In the time of longing, just like the rain after a long drought, Cai Shouqi's memorial was handed over.At that time, Cixi seized it as if she had found a treasure, and called Prince Gong to ask: Hey, Xiaoliu, what did you do to mess up the government affairs of this country? By doing this, are you worthy of your dead brother Xianfeng?

what? What?Prince Gong was dumbfounded, and after receiving Cai Shouqi's memorial, he immediately became angry.Who is this Cai Shouqi?Why is he talking nonsense without evidence, you see how I can fix him... Stop it!The Empress Dowager Cixi regarded herself as a referee and categorically rejected Prince Gong's reasonable request to repair Cai Shouqi.Then set up an investigation team to investigate Liu Rong's problem. At this time, Liu Rong had been transferred to the governor of Shaanxi. Like Prince Gong, he was furious when he heard that Cai Shouqi was giving him eye drops in the back, and made a scene.As a result, the investigation team checked for a long time and found that Cai Shouqi's memorials were all empty charges without any evidence.Moreover, no matter whether it is Liu Rong, Zeng Guofan or Prince Gong, there is nothing wrong.

It doesn't matter if you don't make mistakes, obviously you are not wrong, how could Cai Shouqi impeach you?Getting impeached is your fault.The Empress Dowager Cixi issued a decree: to verbally criticize Liu Rong and demote her.Deprive Prince Gong of the title of King of Discussion, thank you... Wait a minute, there is also Zeng Guofan, Cai Shouqi's name is also on the impeachment list, this old man must not be let go.The decree was issued to remove Zeng Guofan from the position of Governor of Liangjiang, and Li Hongzhang acted as Governor of Liangjiang.Appoint Zeng Guofan as imperial envoy, thank you.

On the surface, Zeng Guofan was transferred from Liangjiang governor to imperial envoy, which was tantamount to sending him to guard the important areas of Gyeonggi. Although it was a transfer at the same level, it was no different from a promotion. In fact, what kind of official promotion, the Empress Dowager Cixi sent Zeng Guofan to settle Xin Nianzi.