Chapter 41 The 14th round of recommending corrupt officials and the palace to make a deal was awarded as a political friend
The torrential rain lasted for almost half an hour.As soon as Yu lived, Yang Bo left.Zhang Juzheng returned to the duty room, and had no time to rest, so he immediately buried himself in the mountains of written documents.Since Gao Gong resigned and Gao Yi died of illness, Zhang Juzheng was the only one left in the cabinet.In a huge country, there are so many important military and political affairs that need to be dealt with every day. Just reading the various documents that need to be issued by the cabinet, there is no need to do anything else on duty.Although Zhang Juzheng is capable in handling affairs, after all, he only has one pair of eyes and one pair of hands, so there are many things that he can't take care of.He hated himself for being incompetent, and felt that it was imminent to select a minister to be his assistant, but the selection of cabinet ministers was more important than the selection of six ministers. Although this matter was urgent, it could not be done hastily.Before the second assistant is selected, Zhang Juzheng can only handle all the big and small matters by himself. But he said that before Yang Bo's visit this morning, Zhang Juzheng had already made an appointment with Wang Guoguang, Minister of the Household Department, to discuss matters. Seeing Yang Bo coming, he sent someone to the Household Department to inform Wang Guoguang, and changed the appointment time to the afternoon. Zhang Juzheng made an appointment with Wang Guoguang to recommend Hu Zigao as envoy of Lianghuai Salt Transportation, as entrusted by Feng Bao.This matter was readily agreed at the time, but Zhang Juzheng hesitated to do it.Everyone knows that the Lianghuai salt transportation envoy is the first-class vacancy, and many people are looking for backers and digging their way to get this golden chair.Zhang Juzheng's proposal to rectify the administration of officials in Beijing is to put an end to this kind of unhealthy trend of running away from officials.But Feng Bao is also a person who cannot be offended. Since he opened his mouth, he must deal with special matters.And it can only be done well and not messed up.The Lianghuai salt transportation envoy opened Yangzhou, a fourth-rank government office, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs.Therefore, although the appointment and removal of this official was written by the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Household Affairs also had the responsibility to participate in the selection.Zhang Juzheng came to Wang Guoguang to persuade him to agree to the candidate proposed by Feng Bao, and to submit the document in the name of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Zhang Juzheng had just read half of today's mansion newspaper when the book office came to report that Wang Guoguang had arrived. Zhang Juzheng pushed aside the paperwork and walked to the living room. Wang Guoguang was already standing in the living room.
Since he was injured by the troublemaker Wu Bian in front of the storage warehouse that day, Wang Guoguang recuperated at home for a few days.When he first arrived home, his wife saw his head was bleeding, she was so frightened that three souls lost two souls, and hurriedly asked him what happened?Although Wang Guoguang was so angry that he cooked the bull's head, he still tried to save face in front of his wife.He asked the servant girl to wash the blood and put a bandage on it, and then he said to his wife with a grinning smile, "I was passing by on the road, and I met a lunatic woman who was naked and naked, and she danced and sang at the same time. Many people squeezed to watch, should we stop the sedan chair and want to feast our eyes, but the lunatic woman found out, and rushed towards us like an arrow, and wanted to kiss us, but we refused, which annoyed her. This lunatic picked it up at random A stone was thrown, impartially, and hit our forehead."
Madam heard this, she was furious and scolded: "You old and unscrupulous person, why did you only get a stone and a knife!" The sergeant with the gun was Wang Zhuan, who was ordered by Zhang Juzheng to dispatch a police patrol to protect Wang Guoguang's safety.The wife probably found out the truth about her husband's injury from another place, and then she ran to her husband's bed and cried, "What kind of official are you? Does the emperor not care if the grasshopper pecked at the fighting cock?" , neither laughing nor angry at this time.Mrs. Ren said that the heaven said the earth, but he just closed his eyes and didn't say a word.The next day, Zhang Juzheng came to see him in a hurry. Seeing that his old friend had suffered such an accident, Zhang Juzheng was very upset, and he didn't say much except to comfort him.Before breaking up, Wang Guoguang threw out a sentence: "Uncle, you know what we are, Wang Guoguang. We believe in everything, but don't believe in evil!" Three days later, the wound on his head was healed, and Wang Guoguang returned to The household department is on duty.His attitude was even tougher than usual when it came to matters related to the compensation of pepper and sumac. When Zhang Juzheng walked into the reception room, Wang Guoguang was staring at a calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall.Zhang Juzheng walked up to him, and asked: "You Guan, do you see something strange?"
Wang Guoguang bowed his body as a gift of meeting, and then replied: "Last time we came, here is a picture of Zhong Kui painted by Wu Daozi, and now it is replaced with Mi Yuanzhang's characters. I am looking at Mi Yuanzhang's painting. What is it." "It's his poem about visiting Tiger Hill."
"Is it authentic?"
"What do you think?"
Wang Guoguang looked closely at the ink and seal on the vertical scroll again, and said in an expert tone: "This paper is made of waxy juice, which is a characteristic of Song Xuan. It should be an authentic work. Uncle, where did you come from?" Did you get it?" Zhang Juzheng said: "This is not mine, it's a treasure in the archives room of the cabinet. The book office found it and hung it here as a display." Wang Guoguang praised it and said with emotion : "Remove Zhong Kui and replace it with Mi Dian. It's a good change, a good change." Seeing Wang Guoguang shaking his head, Zhang Juzheng was amused, and asked, "It's such a simple matter. What tricks can you see?" "Of course there are tricks," Wang Guoguang said eloquently, "If you talk about fighting ghosts, brother uncle, you are a master yourself, so you don't need to use Zhong Kui. It's different if you replace Mi Dian , this Mi Maniac was the most cleanliness person in the Song Dynasty for more than 200 years. He worked in the yamen. He met a poor scholar named Qin Quchen. He felt that the name was clean. Qu Chen became a son-in-law. Uncle’s obsession with cleanliness, and Mi Yuanzhangyuan are also brothers, so putting his characters here corresponds to two lines in the play.”“Which two sentences ?”
"Two idiots, a pair of clean people."
Wang Guoguang learned the chanting in the play, and learned the dan role with a high-pitched voice. When he swung his sleeves with both hands and raised his orchid finger, Zhang Juzheng couldn't help laughing out loud.Then he said mockingly: "It's okay to say that a pair of clean people is okay, but two infatuated people are not in line with love." People who are obsessed with cleanliness wish that there is no dirt in the world. What is it if it is not infatuation?" "Well, you big Situ, what words come into your mouth, all the sour, sweet, bitter, spicy tastes have changed. No wonder people say you have a It is true to say that you can light a lamp with white water." In the Han and Tang dynasties, the Secretary of the Household Department was also called Da Situ, so Zhang Juzheng called Wang Guoguang that way.Zhang Juzheng suddenly felt much more relaxed after telling this joke when they met in the first day of junior high school.He greeted Wang Guoguang to sit down, and after tea was served in the book office, Zhang Juzheng cut to the chase and said: "Ru Guan, I came to you today because I have something to discuss with you." " What's the matter?" Wang Guoguang asked.
Zhang Juzheng did not go around the bush just because Wang Guoguo was just an old friend, so he simply pointed out and asked: "The term of office of Shi Yuanyang, the envoy of the Lianghuai Salt Transport, has come to an end. I don't know if Xiongtai has any candidates in mind to take over." "This You should seek the opinions of Bo Lao.”
"Mr. Bo stayed here all morning. I haven't talked to him yet. I think it's better for the two of us to come up with a plan on this matter. It's not too late to have a meeting with him."Wang Guoguang thought for a while, Said: "Humanity, salt administration, water administration, and river administration are the three major administrations in the south of the Yangtze River. The salt administration is the first. There are nine salt transportation departments in the country, and the Lianghuai River is the largest. It is huge, accounting for more than one-third of the country. Therefore, the candidates for the two Huaiyan transport envoys must not be sloppy, and must be selected carefully.""Have you considered the candidates?"
Wang Guoguang shook his head, still making sense: "As the saying goes, 'Three years to clear the magistrate, one hundred thousand snowflakes'. If the salt officials are not properly selected, to put it another way, it is 'three years to clear the censor, one million snowflakes' Already." "There's no need to talk about these reasons, everyone understands from the bottom of their hearts, what I want to ask is the candidate, have you thought about this candidate?" Zhang Juzheng asked the same question urgently.Wang Guoguang was very shrewd, he guessed that Zhang Juzheng already had a candidate, and the so-called discussion was just a formality.So he said with a smile: "Uncle, you don't have to go around in circles. Tell me, who are you going to replace Shi Yuanyang with?" , Fang said, "Maybe you recognize this person." "Who?"
"Hu Zigao."
"He, do you recommend him?" Wang Guoguang opened his mouth wide open in shock.He couldn't be more familiar with Hu Zigao. In the second year of Longqing, when he was the governor of Tianxia Cangchang as the right servant of the household department, Hu Zigao was one of his Fucang ambassadors.This man is notoriously greedy.Wang Guoguang only thought that Zhang Juzheng was going to assign this fat vacancy to his cronies, but he never expected that it would be Hu Zigao. He asked puzzledly, "Do you know about Hu Zigao's bad deeds?" "Yes, Ru Look, I know even more than you.” Zhang Juzheng got up and walked under Mi Yuanzhang’s book scroll, staring at those iron paintings and silver hooks, in fact, he was not reading the words, but to stabilize his emotions for a long time He spoke again, his voice sounded like coming out of an ancient well, "Hu Zigao is a corrupt official, and he is greedy and has no talent. On the one hand, he spends his time and drink away from his work, and on the other hand, he goes around trying to make money for the position of Baolu. Bah, what a villain!" "Then, why do you still recommend him?" Wang Guoguang asked angrily, and then said, "At the beginning of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, Nanjing Institute of Technology gave Jiang Jiakuan a handbook to impeach Hu Zigao, saying that he spent 30,000 yuan. Two silver coins bought a string of fake Bodhidharma beads and gave it to Feng Bao..." At this point, Wang Guoguang stopped abruptly, he suddenly seemed to understand something, looked up at Zhang Juzheng with a livid face, and asked carefully , "Uncle, is it Feng..." Zhang Juzheng waved his hand to stop talking, he sat down again, looked at the suspicious Wang Guoguang, and asked sincerely: "Ru Guan, let me ask you , If you use one corrupt official, you can punish thousands of corrupt officials, will you use this corrupt official or not?"
Wang Guoguang pondered the meaning of Zhang Juzheng's words and asked:
"So, Hu Zigao has a lot of background?"
"You are a sensible person, why do you have to ask for the truth?" Zhang Juzheng sighed, and said with emotion, "For the sake of the country's plans, there must be some transactions between palaces and palaces when necessary."Zhang Juzheng arrived on time Only now did Wang Guoguang understand the "unspeakable secret" of his old friend, but he still did not forget to advise: "Uncle, once Hu Zigao takes the post of the Lianghuai salt transport envoy, there will be an uproar in the two capitals, and you and I must be prepared to take the blame." Zhang Juzheng smiled disdainfully, and said: "As long as the servant's major policies can be implemented, what's the point of taking the blame?" I would rather be a minister than a clean stream, this is my consistent view. You Guan, when you were young, didn’t you also hold the same view?” Wang Guoguang nodded, no longer arguing on this issue, but turned around and asked Said: "The Ministry of Households issued a report recommending Hu Zigao, what should I say?"
"Do you need to discuss this trivial matter? You can just find a few reasons at random." Wang Guoguang smiled wryly, and said teasingly: "At the time of the Beijing inspection, you, the chief assistant, keep saying that you want to refresh the official administration. , but we have to rack our brains to recommend a corrupt official." "It's a bit funny to say this, but the servant regards the world as the public, and only God can learn from it." Zhang Juzheng said solemnly, "Let's let Hu Zigao Being promoted to this position is not to let him continue to be greedy for ink. Ruguan, you have to find a way to keep a close eye on Hu Zigao, and once you find him greedy for ink, you must be severely punished!" "With this sentence, we You know how to do it."
Wang Guoguang smiled slyly, and was about to change the subject to talk about ministry affairs, when suddenly the book office barged in rashly, and said to Zhang Juzheng, "Master Chief Assistant, the eunuch Wang Zhen has arrived." After the book office finished speaking, Wang Guoguang hurried into the document room to avoid it. Before Wang Zhen could enter the room, the shrill and bright voice came in: "Old Mr. Zhang, the emperor has ordered you." Before the words finished , I saw that he walked in with a happy face, followed by two little firemen, each holding a box. Zhang Juzheng raised the corner of his robe, ready to kneel down to receive the order, Wang Zhen giggled, and hurriedly said: "Old Mr. Zhang, please excuse me, today, The emperor's oral order." As he spoke, he habitually He cleared his throat twice, and read in an orderly manner:
The emperor's oral order: Tell Mr. Zhang that I know that every time I see you loyal to the country and working day and night, I feel pity for you, and how can I comfort you.Today, fifty taels of silver are bestowed, two scarlet silks, and a plain jade belt.This is it.
After reading, Wang Zhen ordered the two little firemen to put a few gifts on the coffee table, and asked Zhang Juzheng to have a look.Zhang Juzheng was both excited and astonished by this unexpected reward. He gave a deep bow towards the Qianqing Palace and said: "How can I be so virtuous, I am so favored by the Holy Majesty."
Zhongguan passed the decree, not to say a word.So Wang Zhen didn't respond, she just bowed to Zhang Juzheng and said:
"Mr. Zhang, this slave will go back to pay the decree. The emperor is still waiting in the East Pavilion.""Ah, the emperor is still on duty?"
"Eunuch Feng is with you, practicing calligraphy." The old eunuch Wang Zhen is Feng Bao's confidant, at this moment he paused, and then said, "Eunuch Feng asked the slave to tell Mr. Zhang that the emperor really likes that one. Wind gourd, you are very familiar with it now.""Didn't you delay your studies?"
"No, so the Queen Mother is also very happy."
Wang Zhen finished speaking and left the guard room.Wang Guoguang came out of the file room, looked at the gifts on the coffee table, and asked: "Uncle, what is the wind gourd that Wang Gonggong mentioned?" Zhang Juzheng smiled wryly, He replied: "Seeing that the emperor is boring all day long, I bought a wind gourd as a gift for him."
Wang Guoguang was originally a compliment, but Zhang Juzheng felt uncomfortable when he heard it. He thought for a while and asked: "Ru Guan, tell me, what is the purpose of the emperor's sudden award to me at this time?" Wang Guoguang blurted out: "Your majesty, no, it's the queen mother who appreciates you.""It's difficult, Ru Guan," Zhang Juzheng heard Wang Guoguang's words, and suddenly felt emotional, "It's difficult for ministers of ancient and modern times to serve the king. Young gentleman is even more difficult. In order to accomplish a thing, you have to work hard and try your best. Fortunately, I, Zhang Juzheng, think about the subjects of the world, so I can give in. As for what others think of me, knowing that I have sinned It doesn’t count.”“This is exactly what your uncle and elder brother have always advocated, you can’t have both fish and bear’s paws.” After some emotional words, Wang Guoguang thought it was true, so he replied, “If you can unify doing things and being a person, It can be said to be unsatisfactory. If there is any conflict, you can only put your work first." "Those who know me, you can see," Zhang Juzheng leaned back on the grand teacher's chair, looked at the gifts on the tea table in front of him, and resumed With a complacent expression, he seemed to be talking to himself, "These gifts will not arrive sooner or later, and they will arrive at this time." "What do you mean by uncle's words?" Wang Guoguang asked.
"Ru Guan, Zhang Dalang's case was met with three judges, and he was convicted of accidentally injuring someone's life and submitted to the palace. The emperor asked the cabinet to draft a decree...""How did you draft it?" Three thousand miles away from the Great Wall."
"The emperor approved?"
"Think about it, can you not allow it?"
"Poor Wang Song is a wronged soul!" Wang Guoguang felt dejected, and then touched the scar on his forehead that seemed to be still painful, and said angrily, "Isn't Zhang Dalang the nephew of Qiu Deyong? In terms of national law, how can the Empress Dowager have a heart of protection." "It's not the Empress Dowager's fault, she insists on adjudicating the case impartially." "Murder does not pay for life, where is the impartiality?"
Facing Wang Guoguang's indignation, Zhang Juzheng not only expressed sympathy, but also felt that this close friend was not yet home in cultivation, so he said: "In the second year of Longqing, when I first entered the cabinet, one day, Emperor Longqing suddenly came to Yaxing and delivered an edict Several cabinet ministers accompanied him to Xiyuan to play. The servant was in Xiyuan and witnessed a game of hungry tigers chasing sheep. In Xiyuan, three tigers brought as tribute from foreign countries were kept in the tiger house surrounded by iron bars. When our monarchs and ministers arrived there, the tiger breeder threw a sheep in. The tiger rushed out of the house and leaped in front of the sheep. Open mouth and bared teeth, the fat sheep shuddered. Everyone thought that the tiger would rush up and tear the sheep to pieces in no time, but the tiger turned around and left. The sheep saw the opportunity and immediately spread its hooves Fleeing in panic, at that moment, I saw the tiger's buttocks sank, and with a long roar, it soared into the air, and fell down like lightning, biting the sheep's throat in an instant. Within seven steps, Blood splattered in the dust. Watching the hungry tiger grab the sheep, let the servant realize the principle of attacking later. Forbearance and retreat are to accumulate strength for a more powerful attack, pounce...kill."
Zhang Juzheng told this story eloquently, Wang Guoguang smacked it again and again, then suddenly smiled and said, "How come the sheep are also the tiger's prey. What if the sheep want to tease the tiger? Do you want to escape?""Then take advantage of the tiger Take a nap."
"Uncle, don't misunderstand others, saying that you have carried a gun in a hard place, and killed a shot in a soft place.""I have already said that if you know I am guilty, I will ignore it." Zhang Juzheng Feeling that the gossip was enough, he turned to business again and asked, "Ru Guan, is there any relief to pay the tax money for this summer to Beijing.""Not yet."
"Taicang is still empty?"
"There is a small amount of income, which must be kept to meet the daily expenses of the various yamen." Speaking of this, Wang Guoguang thought of something that had been in his mind for a long time, and couldn't help asking, "Uncle, there is something, I don't know if it's appropriate to ask." "Tell me." Zhang Juzheng looked inquiringly.
"The military expenditure of 200,000 taels of silver that Gao Gong allocated to Yin Zhengmao, can you get it back to relieve the urgent need?"Zhang Juzheng pondered for a while, and replied: "At these times, Yin Zhengmao not only has a book to go to Beijing , to report the situation of the battle, since he took over as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, it has only been more than three months since Qingyuan suppressed the bandits. Yesterday, the emperor also ordered him to reward him. Regarding the two hundred thousand taels of silver, he gave It was mentioned in the Ministry of War’s message that it was the addition of armaments. You know this man, when the money is in his hands, it’s like jujubes in the mouth of a monkey. To wipe out the rebel bandits, even if he swallows two hundred thousand taels of silver, it is still worth it!' It should be said that Mr. Gao Ge is a good man.”“So, the two hundred thousand taels of silver will not come back Already?" Zhang Juzheng nodded, and said, "I don't think about it at all. If Yin Zhengmao can eliminate the banditry before this winter and capture the bandit leader alive, such a feat cannot be bought back even with ten million taels of silver. Yes." "It's just that, next month, you will have to pay a discount for pepper and sumac." "It was not planned at the beginning, and the discount will be implemented for two months. You have to act according to the order." "It's only been one month, and there are many complaints, and if it's implemented for another month, some people may eat our Wang Guoguang alive." "Are you scared?" Zhang Juzheng asked with a smile.
"What are we afraid of? I'm afraid that our nose will fall and bite our mouth." Wang Guoguang said mockingly, "If someone jumps out to make trouble again, the Queen Mother will come again. It's full of shit." "You Guan, things can't get so bad."
"It's hard to say. Anyone who dares to make trouble has a backer behind him.""That's true."
After talking about business and complaining enough, the sun was setting in the west again, so Wang Guoguang got up and left.The day went on and on, Zhang Juzheng was so tired that his body seemed to be falling apart, he ordered the book office to pour a basin of cold water on his cheeks, just talking for a while, the book office brought in another servant. "What's the matter?" Zhang Juzheng asked.
"Report to Mr. Zhang," the servant knelt down and said, "Mr. Feng sent his servants to inform you, sir, tomorrow, Empress Dowager Li will go to Zhaoning Temple to offer incense."