Chapter 43 Section 10 Political Golden Bell Jar

Seeing these overwhelming memorials, Wei Zhongxian, who "courages to take responsibility", was really panicked.On the one hand, he felt aggrieved. He devoted himself to doing things for the Ming Dynasty, but he got such a result; The aggressiveness of the courtiers made him feel the danger on his head very clearly. Once his reputation was ruined, what awaited him would be the worst end.However, once the taste of power is tasted, it is never easy to give up. Wei Zhongxian was a person who lived by instinct, and the instinct of safeguarding vested interests controlled him without hesitation. He immediately found the Ke family, and together they went to the emperor to beg for asylum.

Like the emperors of previous dynasties, Emperor Tianqi had absolutely no affection for or trust these courtiers.In his eyes, these stern-faced ministers are strange, scary, and annoying at the same time.And he never doubted Wei Zhongxian's loyalty, this old servant who had been by his side for decades was as obedient and obedient as a dog, understanding and caring for him.The friendship between the master and the servant is deep and profound. This kind of friendship has been accumulated bit by bit in decades of common life, and it is absolutely difficult to break. Therefore, after Wei Zhongxian and Keshi "cry day and night", he stood firmly on Wei Zhongxian's side and agreed that Wei Zhongxian would not publish Yang Lian's memorial, that is, he would not reply.At the same time, an edict was issued in the name of the emperor to commend Wei's loyalty and virtuousness, and to maintain Wei Zhongxian's authority.In the days that followed, the emperor's trust in Wei Zhongxian never wavered, and he and the Wei family stood together through thick and thin, and became Wei Zhongxian's strong backer without hesitation.

For the emperor's asylum, the generous and fierce Donglin party members had nothing to do.They can be outspoken to the emperor, they can hit the nail on the head, they can criticize, and they can even be sarcastic, but they have to implement the emperor's decision.After all, the emperor is their master, and they are the emperor's appendages.Although the emperor is stupid, the world is the emperor's private property, and the slaves have no right to interfere with what he wants to do with it.All they can do is risk their lives to admonish them. The protection of the emperor is like a golden bell cover, an iron cloth shirt, and the sword and arrow will not hurt.For this discovery, Wei Zhongxian was full of surprises.Unexpectedly, the menacing attack of the "honest man" of the Manchu Dynasty, the black cloud overwhelming the city, did not damage a single hair of him in the end.He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, initially in shock.However, what he didn't expect was yet to come.

At the beginning of his administration, Wei Zhongxian had no political foundation in the court other than the emperor's trust, and everyone doubted his ability and legitimacy.At the beginning of the attack on Wei Zhongxian by the Donglin Party members, the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty were all waiting and watching.The failure of Donglin Party members to return again and again caused the court's political balance to change unconsciously. More and more people realized that Wei Zhongxian's position was unshakable. Therefore, many people with keen political acumen immediately changed the direction of the wind , decisively surrendered to Wei Zhongxian.

Dividing people into gentlemen and villains was originally a stupid invention of Confucius, but things in the world are so wonderful. Since the invention of the distinction between gentlemen and villains, scholars have indeed been divided into two groups: gentlemen and villains .The literati and bureaucrats of the Ming Dynasty flaunted their morality and integrity, and loyal officials came out in large numbers, which was the most in all dynasties.However, in the Ming Dynasty, there were more literati and bureaucrats than in previous dynasties who shed all moral burdens and did not want any shame.

Donglin Party members are typical representatives of the former, while the so-called Eunuch Party is composed of the latter. In the spring of the fourth year of Apocalypse (AD 1624), Wei Guangwei, a cabinet scholar, was the first to keenly feel that Wei Zhongxian's power had become established, and hurriedly made friends with Wei Zhongxian as a fellow villager and surname.Wei Zhongxian was overwhelmed by the support of civil servants for the first time, and he was also very grateful and respectful to Wei Guangwei, and the two of them immediately fought fiercely.Wei Guangwei wrote a letter to Wei Zhongxian, all of which wrote "Cabinet Family Newspaper" on the cover, combining public and private affairs, which can be described as a great invention.

In August of the fourth year of Apocalypse, Cui Chengxiu, the inspector censor, was dismissed and questioned for corruption and bribery, and would be punished with a felony.In a crisis, through the introduction of an acquaintance, he visited Wei's house at night, wept and kowtowed bitterly, complaining that he was squeezed out by the Donglin party members, and at the same time asked to be Wei Zhongxian's adopted son. "At that time, Zhongxian fought against the courtiers, and he was very angry. Fang Si got the help of the foreign ministers. If you want to show off, you will never meet again." The two hit it off.Cui Chengxiu was quickly reinstated, and then quickly promoted to Zuodu Yushi, Shaofu and Prince Taifu, and became an important minister of the court.

In a short period of time, a group of ministers gathered around Wei Zhongxian, and formed a snowball effect, gathering more and more. Before the middle of the Ming Dynasty, although the calamity of eunuchs (eunuchs) was rampant, scholar-bureaucrats were still ashamed to openly associate with them.The chief academician of the cabinet, Gu Bingqian, who is equivalent to the prime minister, actually kowtowed to Wei Zhongxian at a family banquet: "I wanted to worship at my knees, but I was afraid I didn't like this white beard, so I asked my child to recognize my grandson." Wei Zhongxian is his son.And another Zhang Woxu, who used to be the governor of the Ministry of War, Chuangui, was even more clever. Because he had a maid who belonged to Wei Zhongxian's family, he "added it to his first wife and went to Beijing eight times, calling him 'Mrs. Wei'" , blatantly calling himself the uncle of the Wei family.

Most of the so-called "ten children" and "forty grandchildren" in historical records are Jinshi in the second list.To be the son or grandson of Wei Zhongxian, for them, it is tantamount to adding an insurance to their future.These people are well-read poetry and books, and all the dependent eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty and the previous dynasties were all ruined, and they would not be unaware of this. However, the huge real interests made them care less. This group of gamblers in the last days bet their whole life on Wei Zhongxian. ) Jue, set up a private person, threaten revenge, and earn enough interest for himself in the shortest possible time.As for the decline of the country and the chaos of the political situation, it has nothing to do with it.It is probably not surprising that an empire under the leadership of Wei Zhongxian's group, no matter how dark it is.