Chapter 87 The twenty-fourth session of the discussion on seizing the love, the heavenly officials, resisting the decree, Chen Li, and the emperor's use of authority

On September 29, the Secretary of General Administration sent Zhang Juzheng's two essays in full in the residence newspapers sent to the major yamen.The first is "Xie Shuai Guan Ci Shu Shu", the text is as follows: I heard about my father's worries on the twenty-fifth of this month, and today I received an imperial decree to bestow five hundred liang of silver, ten bills of silk, ten thousand guan of new banknotes, twenty stones of white rice, two hundred catties of sesame oil, and all kinds of broken pieces. Twenty catties of incense, one hundred pairs of candles, and fifty pieces of linen.The eunuch Wei Chao, the supervisor of ceremonies, respectfully presented it to the minister's private house, and the minister would like to kowtow to receive it.

Fu Nianchen's dogs and horses are weak, and the scorpion is of low quality. The owner of the case cannot use the power of help, and the relatives cannot enjoy the joy of the water, so that they hold grudges all day long, and even if they live, they will die. I look up to the holy kindness of the lotus and pray for my compassion. I not only offer comfort to the diligent and tired, but also bestow my blessings on the long-wo.The father and son of the minister's family, the deceased tied the rings and knotted grass, and the survivors smashed their heads and sacrificed their lives, it is still not enough to repay the holy grace in case.The minister mourned the pain and foolishness, fell into a coma and couldn't figure out what to do, looked up to the sky and wept blood, and couldn't say his words sincerely.I am very grateful to Dai.

September 27th in the fifth year of Wanli This letter of thanks was written to the emperor, and the other letter was written to the empress dowagers Rensheng and Cisheng. I heard about my father's worries on the twenty-fifth of this month, and today, according to the decree of Empress Dowager Rensheng, I bestowed on you five hundred taels of silver, ten bills of silk, ten thousand guan of new banknotes, twenty shi of white rice, and two hundred catties of sesame oil. Twenty catties of various incense sticks, one hundred pairs of candles, and fifty pieces of linen.Zhang Zhongju, the eunuch in charge of the Ciqing Palace, respectfully presented it to the minister's private residence, and the minister would like to kowtow to receive it.

Fu Nianchen's crimes were so serious that he misfortune his father, so that he held grudges all day long and suffered almost endless pain.I look forward to your kindness and pity for the remaining dogs and horses, and I sincerely comfort you.He also specially awarded a thick fee, and He Yi filled the court.Gu this kindness is rare in ancient and modern times.The father and son of the minister's family, the deceased tied the rings and knotted grass, and the survivors sacrificed their lives and died, it is not enough to repay the kindness in case.The minister mourns the pain and the foolishness, and cannot express his sincerity.I am very eager to admire it.

It is conceivable that after the major yamen received the Dibao, the officials rushed to read it first.Ever since Zhang Juzheng received the obituary, there has been a lot of commotion in the capital.Everyone was discussing one thing: whether Zhang Juzheng should go or stay. The Ding You Shou system of imperial officials has never been easier after more than two hundred years of implementation.As soon as an official gets the obituary from his family, it is customary to immediately write a note to the emperor and beg to go home and stay under the system for three years.The emperor will also give an immediate reply, and the Ministry of Officials will complete the official's vacancy and return home.If the emperor refuses to allow it, it is called seduction. Except for wars, this kind of thing rarely happens.However, Zhang Juzheng has received the obituary for four days, but he has not yet applied for the obituary to the emperor.The two thanks published in today's mansion newspaper do not mean any worry.As a result, some good officials guessed all the possibilities here.This morning, Wang Xijue, the academician in charge of the Imperial Academy, took his subordinates Wu Zhongxing, Zhao Yongxian and others to the office of the Ministry of Officials in Liubu Street, and asked to see Zhang Han, the Minister of the Ministry of Officials.The Minister of the Ministry of Officials is the head of the ministers of the Ministry, known as Tianguan, also known as Zhongzai.Because he holds the power of selection and promotion, except for official business, he seldom meets officials in the duty room. Even for official business, it is extremely difficult for officials below the fourth rank to see him.In terms of rank, both Wu Zhongxing and Zhao Yongxian are fifth-rank attendants, and they usually don't even have a family.But Zhang Han had no choice but to come forward to meet Wang Xijue, the academician in charge of the academy.Firstly, Wang Xijue is the leader of Ci officials in the third rank of the official residence, and his popularity is extremely high; secondly, this person never visits the door, and most people can't invite him if they want to invite him. Can An Neng reject him? But Zhang Han said that this line of business The person greeted the attendant and sat down. He and Wang Xijue had just exchanged a few words, and Wu Zhongxing couldn't wait to interject:

"Lord Zukazai, today we are here with Lord Wang to visit you, in order to guard the system of Master Zhang, the chief assistant." Zhang Han was taken aback.He glanced at Wu Zhongxing and said, "Why do you come to this old man for such a thing?" Wu Zhongxing asked again: "Master Zukazai must have seen today's residence report?" "I've seen it." Zhang Han deliberately replied lightly. "I don't know what the adults think?" It was Zhao Yongxian who asked this question, he was a big fat man, he was wheezing when he spoke.Zhang Han didn't like the aggressive way these two young officials talked, so he said with a straight face:

"If the old man remembers correctly, both of you are Jinshi in the fifth year of Longqing." "Yes." Wu Zhongxing replied. "Master Zhang, the chief assistant, is your seat lord, and the tone of your speech today doesn't sound like his disciple!" "We are his disciples, but we can't enter his house," Wu Zhongxing replied angrily, with resentment in his eyes, and then added, "Liu Tai, who has been dispatched to Duyunwei, Guizhou, isn't it? Shoufu's disciple!" As soon as the name Liu Tai was mentioned, Zhang Han immediately felt out of breath.This person was also a Jinshi in the fifth year of Longqing. Zhang Juzheng appreciated him because of his dexterity and ability.In the third year of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng personally nominated him and promoted him from the position of the head of the sixth-rank criminal department to the fourth-rank Liaodong inspector.In his thirties, he became a local official who opened a government and built a government office, and it can be said that he has made rapid progress.In the autumn of the second year, Li Chengliang, the general soldier of Liaodong, defeated the Tatar enemies and beheaded more than 200 people. Liu Tai rushed to repay the merit.According to the rules, local inspectors are not allowed to embezzle military merits, and reporting victory to the imperial court is the duty of the governor and the governor. Liu Tai violated this taboo.Before he went to Liaodong to take up his post, Zhang Juzheng met him alone and asked him to humbly practice government affairs and do a few practical things for the local elders.The purpose of this conversation is obvious, that is, to hope that Liu Tai will make political achievements for future reuse.Unexpectedly, after Liu Tai took office, he relied on the big backer of the chief assistant, bossed around in front of his colleagues, and made the relationship tense.Hearing some gossip about Liu Tai, Zhang Juzheng was already dissatisfied with him, the Fengxian official who insulted and governed Taiwan, and now he saw him breaking the law and repaying meritorious service, he was even more angry, so he took advantage of this incident to go to The letter reprimanded Liu Tai.Unexpectedly, Liu Tai is a master who only listens to good words and does not listen to training. As soon as he received this letter, he thought that Zhang Juzheng was about to punish him.But at that time, news of officials being punished for violating Chiyi Regulations was published in successive issues of the residence newspaper. What's more, his fellow Jiangxi Fu Yingzhen Yushi was punished for accusing Zhang Juzheng of being too strict. He was punished by cutting officials for the people.Liu Tai thought to himself: "Instead of letting you dismiss the official indistinctly, it is better for me to sue your parents for favor, treat the emperor as a puppet, and treat all officials as servants." Yan's "Impeaching Zhang Juzhengshu" was sent to the capital.As soon as this book came out, it immediately caused a sensation in the capital.After Zhang Juzheng read this book, he was overwhelmed with astonishment and anger, and immediately wrote an argument to the emperor, and applied for removal from the post of chief assistant.In the early dynasty, Zhang Juzheng leaned over Danchi and played: "The great victory in Liaodong, Liu Tai violated the system and played indiscriminately, the law should be relegated, and the minister asked for an edict to warn him, but Liu Tai was self-conscious and suspicious, so he had no scruples to criticize the minister. And Liu Tai Taiwan is selected by the ministers, and in the past two hundred years no disciples have impeached the elders, the only plan is to resign and thank him." After saying this, he fell to the ground and cried bitterly.The little emperor came down from the throne to help Zhang Juzheng up, and comforted him again and again. When the court announced the decree, Liu Taiji was plundered to Beijing, and after eighty sticks, he was relegated to Duyunwei, Guizhou, never to be used again.

Last year, the biggest incident that happened in the Ministry of Officials was the "Liu Tai incident". Zhang Han didn't like this Liu Tai who was ungrateful and negligent in political affairs, so there was no psychological obstacle in handling it.Seeing Wu Zhongxing bring up the old matter again now, he replies angrily: "Liu Tai has his own fault. It's a great misfortune to have such a student at the first assistant booth." "Liu Tai's life is indeed flawed, but the facts listed in his "Impeaching Zhang Juzhengshu" are not all groundless. For example, Chen Wude, who was given by Li Ke in the incident, exempted the chief minister from Beijing because he chatted with his colleagues in the early court. Guan Guodong made a few sarcastic comments about the ear protection, and was accused to him, he immediately demoted Chen Wude to the second rank and banished from the capital, does this count as selfish venting of anger and arrogance?"

Listening to the conversation of these two attendants, Zhang Han already guessed the purpose of their visit.The young officials didn't know the heights of heaven and earth, and dared to be so presumptuous in front of the heavenly officials. He wished he could kick them out, but because of Wang Xijue's face, he couldn't reprimand him, so he had to say to Wang Xijue: "Master Wang, your two subordinates are newborn calves. According to the old man, they don't look like ministers of speech, but rather like officials of speech." Although Wang Xijue didn't have a city in mind, his words were very short.He heard the sarcasm in Zhang Han's words, so he replied solemnly:

"Lord Zukazai, it is understandable for young people to speak indignantly. They don't have any prejudice against Lord Shoufu. It's just that the law of the imperial court is involved in keeping the system. They want to hear the opinion of Lord Zukazai." Zhang Han didn't take Wang Xijue's defense seriously.He felt that the careers of the two young officials were suspected of trying to gain fame, so he persuaded: "Young people, I know your thoughts and want to make a fuss about the issue of discipline. own future." Upon hearing this, Wang Xijue asked in surprise, "Why did Mr. Zunk Zai make such a statement?"

Zhang Han paused, looked at the three present here carefully, and then slowly said: "I was quite famous when I was young. For the sake of fame, I often took risks. Looking back now, I find it very funny. Throughout history , so many famous people, who is not fleeting? Celebrities and celebrities are exhausted because of their names. Just talk about the characters in the Five Classics. Eighteen people, "Book of Rites" 244 people. "Spring and Autumn" 2,542 people, a total of 3,600 people, and the most important ones are no less than 300 people. Today, none of you still Remember these people? In the Han Dynasty, the three elders in Xincheng, the two born in Lu, the three elders in Huguan, and the Lingyin in Luoyang, none of them had their names. After thousands of years, later generations still miss their style. , Lord Wang, the truth behind this, you have to think deeply about it!" Zhang Han was emotional because of his name, and he admonished the three visitors by citing scriptures.Wu Zhongxing and Zhao Yongxian felt that Zhang Han had misunderstood their intention of coming, and they couldn't hold back.But due to seniority, it is inconvenient to argue.After all, Wang Xijue stayed in the officialdom for a long time, so it can be seen that Zhang Han deliberately "Wang Gu talked about it".The words are not speculative, and he doesn't want to stay here for a long time. His original intention of coming here is to ask the emperor about Zhang Juzheng's specific attitude towards Zhang Juzheng in person.So before getting up to leave, he could only bite the bullet and ask straight: "Lord Zukazai, Yuzhi wants to inquire about something. I heard that the emperor summoned you on the platform and asked you to persuade the first assistant to seize the love. Is there such a thing?" "Have." An imperceptible trace of worry flashed across Zhang Han's eyes.He pretended to drink tea and lowered his head.Only Zhao Yongxian rushed to ask: "What does the heavenly official plan to do? Is it to obey the order or resist the order?" "I'm old, and I don't want to be famous in history." After Zhang Han finished speaking, he stood up, which meant to see off the guests, so Wang Xijue and the others had no choice but to leave in dismay. As soon as he left the yamen of the Ministry of Officials, Zhao Yongxian scolded angrily: "Zhang Han is an old fool, he is a heavenly official, but he is still in the pocket of the chief assistant." Wang Xijue sighed: "I see Mr. Zhang's words are flickering, it seems that he has other hidden worries, so don't force him." Wu Zhongxing came up with an idea: "As of today, Zhang Shoufu has not been on duty in the cabinet for five days. Let's go back to the Imperial Academy now, invite all colleagues to change into scarlet robes, and go to the cabinet." "What?" Zhao Yongxian asked. "Don't you know the imperial court's rules for replacing chief assistants?" Wu Zhongxing said with a wink and a smile, "The story of the previous dynasty was that the chief assistants hadn't been in the cabinet for three days, and the second assistants could be moved to the left in order to replace them. It is time for officials to go to congratulate in scarlet robes." "You mean, let's go congratulate Mr. Lu Ge on his promotion?" "I just think this way. Whether it can be done or not depends on Mr. Wang's decision." Wang Xijue was also one of the six lecturers Zhang Juzheng selected for the young emperor. He had no personal grievances with Zhang Juzheng. The reason he opposed Zhang Juzheng's seduction was because he felt that if the chief minister violated the regulations, it would be a waste for the dynasty that ruled the world with filial piety. It is tantamount to setting a dangerous precedent.Because the dynasty has been in existence for more than two hundred years.Although there are occasional cases of seizing love, none of the chief assistants has ever done so.Judging from what happened in the past few days, Zhang Juzheng had no intention of going home to guard the system at all. He was greedy for salary and ignored the competition for filial piety.Wang Xijue felt that Shoufu's move was intolerable.The leader of the ministers who had always stayed away from right and wrong finally couldn't hold back, and was instigated by Wu Zhongxing and Zhao Yongxian's staff to move around to prevent Zhang Juzheng from seizing his love.After hearing Wu Zhongxing's idea now, he felt that such an "excitement" might affect the emperor's decision-making, so he nodded in agreement. Press Wang Xijue's line and say nothing, and talk about Zhang Han later.After sending Wang Xijue away, he sat alone in the duty room, staring at the roof in a daze.Zhang Han is over sixty years old, he passed the Jinshi examination one class earlier than Zhang Juzheng, and he is also a veteran of the court.He has been in the officialdom for decades, but he has made no major achievements and made no mistakes.Based on his qualifications, in the second year of Wanli, he came to the position of Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Officials in Liudu, Nanjing.In the eyes of ordinary people, after staying in this office for a few years, it is time for him to retire and go home to take care of his life, and he himself thinks so.Unexpectedly, times will turn around. In this year, he suddenly replaced Yang Bo and came to Beijing to take over as Minister of the Ministry of Officials.The day the appointment was announced, everyone in the court was shocked.Because no matter in terms of qualifications or ability, such an important position will not be his turn.All the ministers in the court knew that Zhang Juzheng had taken a fancy to him: Zhang Juzheng had his own selfish intentions in making such an arrangement. It is inconvenient to control, and it is inevitable that there will be embarrassment between the cabinet and the officials.Drawing on the lessons of the previous dynasties and his own experience, he believes that the candidates for the Ministry of Officials should be based on character over talent.This person can't be too assertive, but he must be a modest gentleman who keeps his mouth shut.According to the picture, Zhang Juzheng took a fancy to Zhang Han. Zhang Han never dreamed that a man who was nearly sixty years old would be lucky enough to be the head of the six ministers.He knew that his bright future from old age was entirely because Zhang Juzheng favored him against all opinions, so he was grateful to Zhang Juzheng from the bottom of his heart.In the three years since he took office, he has always obeyed Zhang Juzheng's advice.As soon as he took office, he saw Zhang Juzheng's determination to rectify the administration of officials, and his way of employing people who valued officials and despised Qingliu.Although he was not flattering, he tried his best to promote it.Every time there is a vacancy in official positions in the world, Zhang Han will ask Zhang Juzheng who should take over.Sometimes Zhang Juzheng thinks the candidates proposed are inappropriate, but he will not raise objections.Therefore, he is a heavenly official in name, but in fact, Zhang Juzheng firmly grasps all the powers of personnel and affairs.As the days passed, Zhang Han sometimes felt pain.The feeling of overhead is very uncomfortable, and it is difficult to fall asleep at night after tossing and turning.But no matter whether he was in front of people or behind people, he never said a word of complaint. He always reminded himself not to call himself a "heavenly official", at best he was just a subordinate.Therefore, even in the smallest matter, he will never make his own claim and disobey Zhang Juzheng. Accustomed to living this kind of days of dignity on the surface and being depressed in secret, Zhang Han's heart was already numb. However, the death of Zhang Juzheng's father broke his peaceful life.When Wang Xijue came to visit with his staff, his heart was overwhelmed. But the day before yesterday, the little emperor listened to Feng Bao's suggestion and summoned Zhang Han alone on the platform, hoping that he would write to the court to persuade Zhang Juzheng to win his love.Feng Bao's suggestion is really a perfect strategy to preserve the emperor's authority.The emperor is the master of the world, and there is nothing impossible to do.However, seizing love is a serious matter. If the emperor directly issued an order to Zhang Juzheng, it would definitely cause criticism from scholars. The risk of this matter was transferred from the emperor to Zhang Han.If it can be done, the emperor is worthy of being the king of the country, if it can't be done, Zhang Han is the scapegoat.Of course, there are many officials who are willing to write notes to the emperor to comfort Zhang Juzheng, but Feng is worried that Zhang Han is the most suitable candidate.First, Zhang Han is a heavenly official, with a high position and authority, and his words have weight; second, it is also his job to deal with the officials' discipline or not. After personally inheriting the little emperor's knee-jerk talk, and getting out of the platform, Zhang Han secretly complained all the way.For the next two days, he has been troubled by this matter, not knowing how to handle it.When he first heard the obituary of Zhang Juzheng's father's funeral, his first reaction was a sense of relief, because he thought that Zhang Juzheng would soon return to his hometown in Jiangling to guard the system. It's the ear of the deaf--shown.A fantasy that he dare not expect is about to become a reality, Zhang Han is almost a little happy.However, the little emperor's conversation made him feel disillusioned again.He didn't know that it was Feng Bao's idea that the emperor summoned him, and he believed that the reason why the emperor wanted to keep Zhang Juzheng was because he was concerned that he was not capable of governing alone.In the past few years, Zhang Juzheng has been playing the role of "Regent". Everyone in the world can see this, but no one dares to speak out.Today, the emperor is still inseparable from this "regent".Once Zhang Han saw the "mystery" clearly, his heart felt terribly painful.According to his consistent nature of being a man, at this time, he only needs to act in accordance with the decree and beg the emperor to comfort Zhang Juzheng for the common people, and everything will go smoothly.He will not change anything, and he can still win the trust of the emperor and the chief assistant, and he will be pampered and pampered in the high hall.But he really didn't want to do this. It wasn't just about his personal grievances, gains and losses, but his stubborn belief that Zhang Juzheng shouldn't rob his feelings, no matter from the perspective of the court or the country's political situation. In general, the imperial dynasty ruled the world with filial piety. If the parents are filial and do not worry about the rules, is it not that the family is ruined? Not being filial to the parents is not filial. How can you be loyal to the emperor if you are not filial to your parents? Can command the world and let scholars return to their hearts? This is one of them; second, in terms of the political situation, the nine borders of the north are peaceful. , The official administration is also very clear. At this time when the country is peaceful and the people are safe, what reason does Zhang Juzheng have for seizing his love? After much deliberation, Zhang Han decided to resist the order.Before Wang Xijue and the others came to visit, he made up his mind that he would never take the lead in writing a letter to persuade Zhang Juzheng to seize his love.But he didn't want to tell Wang Xijue about his plan, he didn't want to get involved with these literati.He felt that their purpose of instigating this incident was to show off, while he was to maintain the court's principles and personal integrity. When he was thinking hard in the duty room alone, the book office came in to report that Li Yihe, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, had arrived at the house, and Zhang Han hurried over to greet him.As soon as he entered the house, Li Yihe, who was waiting, saw him, he stood up and bowed to him, saying: "Master Zhang, I heard that you are looking for me?" "Master Li, please sit down." Zhang Han enthusiastically seated himself, while watching tea, he said, "Bugu came to find Master Li, and I want to trouble you with something." "What's the matter?" Li Yihe burped as he asked. Zhang Han checked the room alone in the morning, so he sent someone to the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry to invite Li Yihe to come over and talk.It was no secret that Li Yihe was Zhang Juzheng's most trusted friend. The purpose of Zhang Han looking for him was to let him bring a letter to Zhang Juzheng.At this moment, he carefully said: "Shoufu Jiayan passed away, and Bugu expresses his deep condolences." "That's right," Li Yihe replied with a gloomy face, "As soon as the Chief Assistant heard the obituary, he set up a mourning hall in the mansion. I have gone there twice to express my condolences." "Ah," Zhang Han could hear the sarcasm in Li Yihe's words, and complained that he didn't go to worship in time.He didn't explain, but started talking, "The first assistant has been keeping the rules at home these few days, doing his best to be a filial son, and the emperor and the empress dowagers of the two palaces have also comforted him. The righteousness of a monarch and his ministers is admirable." Li Yihe smacked the meaning of Zhang Han's words, and felt that something was wrong, so he simply pierced through and asked: "I heard that the emperor received you on the platform two days ago?" "Yes." Zhang Han knew he couldn't hide it, so he replied, "The emperor summoned Bugu for the sake of the chief assistant's defense." "What is the emperor's will?" "The emperor asked Bu Gu to write a letter, suggesting that the court let the first assistant win the love." "That's great," Li Yihe said excitedly, "judging from the current situation, the imperial court cannot live without Zhang for a day. The emperor is wise and wise. I see this. Master Zhang, has your scripture been published yet?" "No." "Ah," Li Yihe stared at Zhang Han, and asked worriedly, "Master Zhang, from your tone, could it be..." Zhang Han avoided Li Yihe's inquiring gaze, and summoned up his courage to say, "Lord Li, Bugu came to you today because I wanted you to send a letter to Shoufu, but after thinking it over again, Bugu thought it was inappropriate to persuade Shoufu to seize his love." , so I am not going to write a book." "You?" Li Yihe stood up abruptly, and said in great surprise, "Master Zhang, the chief assistant treats you well, how can you do this?" "Master Li, this involves the rules and regulations of the court. If you don't dare to be selfish, please explain to the chief assistant." In the past few days, Zhang Juzheng's mansion has seen a lot of hangers-on, and Zhang Juzheng's sons took turns guarding the mourning hall. Zhang Juzheng, wearing Tsing Yi and sash filial piety, stayed in the study to deal with official duties, and rarely met with hangers-on.Just after lunch that day, Zhang Juzheng was just talking about sleeping for a while, when he suddenly saw Li Yihe broke into the study recklessly, seeing his expression, Zhang Juzheng guessed what happened, so he pulled himself together and asked: "Brother Youzi, what happened again?" As soon as Li Yihe fell off the chair, he began to curse: "Zhang Han is such an idiot, he's turned his back on him today." "Betrayal? How did he turn back?" Zhang Juzheng asked in surprise. Li Yihe then recounted the details of his meeting with Zhang Han in the Ministry of Officials in the morning.After hearing this, Zhang Juzheng immediately changed his face, and said with a sneer: "He regarded me, Zhang Juzheng, as someone who was greedy for the position, thinking that if I didn't go home to guard the system, it was because I was reluctant to leave the throne of Shoufu. It's a big joke. Brother Youzi, you should take a look at this first." After Zhang Juzheng finished speaking, he picked up a memorial on the table and handed it over. Li Yihe took it and saw that it was an argument presented to the emperor by Shandong governor Yang Ben'an.In the excerpt, Wen Keli’s impeachment by Huke was justified for his ineffectiveness in tax collection, and the bad deeds of Xue Bian, Marquis of Yangwu, and Kong Shangxian, Duke of Yansheng, who wantonly occupied land and hid it without reporting, were suggested.This excerpt was originally written by Yang Ben'an according to Zhang Juzheng's instructions, and now it has been sent from the emperor to the cabinet for drafting. After reading it, Li Yihe lowered his eyelids and thought for a while, then asked: "Brother Uncle, if the emperor agrees to clear Zhang's land, is it limited to Shandong?" "That's right, clearing the land must be a major event that is deployed nationwide, and it is a huge project." "This must be your uncle's idea again. This move can not only punish the powerful, but also increase the national tax. It is a great plan for the long-term stability of the country." Li Yihe suddenly stopped talking, frowned and said, "It's just that if you go home Keep the system, this matter will definitely go to waste.” "This is exactly what Bugu is thinking about." The muscles on Zhang Juzheng's cheeks were a little stiff, and he could see the turmoil in his heart, "The main targets of Qingzhang's land are those wealthy and powerful families, and the many malpractices of the court are all due to these people's misconduct. However, if you want to weaken their privileges and divert their interests, it is not easy. Only those who do not avoid disasters, do not fear power, and do not count the merits and sins of thousands of years can undertake this matter. Brother Youzi, tell me, today’s world , who is willing to act like this?" Li Yihe blurted out: "Only your uncle and elder brother, otherwise, the common people in the world would not call you an iron-faced prime minister." "Yes!" Zhang Juzheng let out a long breath, and sighed, "Zhang Han thought that my refusal to keep the rules was because I was greedy for power and position. Such a misunderstanding is too great!" "He's judging the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a villain," Li Yihe said angrily, "These people, in the name of maintaining the court's principles, are actually abandoning the world and the common people." "It's going to rain, and my mother is going to get married. This is a matter that no one else can control. Let him go." Zhang Juzheng showed a look of contempt, "It's just that Bugu misjudged the person and trusted him for so many years." Li Yihe replied: "If uncle and elder brother are determined to clear the land, it is imperative to seize the love. Zhang Han failed to live up to the emperor's expectations and refused to come forward to comfort him. Simply, let me come forward and contact the ministers of the department to do this." "It's not right for you to come forward." "Why?" "Everyone knows the relationship between you and me. If you come forward to comfort us, it will be hard for you to be impressed by the world's scholars." "That said, Wang Guoguang can't do it either." "Yes, he can't either." Zhang Juzheng replied affirmatively, "Bugu does things on a daily basis. Although he does something drastic to avoid suspicion, he is walking on thin ice. What's more, the matter of seizing love can't leave any excuse for those Qingliu." "I see, I believe Li Yihe will handle this matter well." The two talked in secret for about an hour about some specific matters, and then Li Yihe bid farewell and left.As soon as he left, Zhang Juzheng ordered You Qi to find Xu Jue, and asked him to quickly inform Feng Bao of the news that Zhang Han refused to come forward to express condolence.Feng Bao thought that getting Zhang Han to submit the letter was a sure thing, but he didn't expect that when the sick mule also had hooves, he suddenly felt that the situation was serious, so he hurried into the Qianqing Palace and reported the matter to Queen Mother Li.Empress Dowager Li ordered her eunuchs to call the emperor from Dongnuang Pavilion to discuss the matter together. "Zhang Han was recommended by Mr. Zhang, and he is usually very cautious. Who gave him the ecstasy soup this time, and made him confused, huh?" Queen Mother Li stared at Feng Bao with a puzzled look. After waiting for the answer, she added heavily, "Don't he know that Mr. Zhang is the Minister of Gu Ming appointed by the late emperor?" Feng Bao's eyeballs rolled around, and he said darkly: "Whenever something happens in the court, all kinds of gods will come to the surface one after another." The little emperor heard that there was something in the words, and asked: "Mr. Zhang's seizure of love, what's the reaction in the capital?" "In the morning, Wang Xijue, the academician in charge of the Imperial Academy, led a dozen of his subordinates, all wearing bright red robes, to the cabinet to congratulate Elder Lu Ge." "Congratulations on what?" "Congratulations on his promotion to chief assistant." Empress Dowager Li raised her eyebrows, and said angrily, "How can these sour literati be so bold?" Feng Bao explained: "There is a rule in the imperial court. The first assistant is not on duty for three days, and the second assistant moves along, so he can sit in the first assistant's seat." "The emperor hasn't issued a decree, so Lu Ge can be the chief assistant?" The Queen Mother Li looked at her son, and she became more aggressive, "In the capital, Mr. Zhang has been rectifying it for several years, and the evil spirits in the officialdom are all gone. Disappeared. Now that Mr. Zhang's father has passed away, they feel that they have an opportunity to take advantage of it." "It's inevitable that a dung beetle will attack a dung heap," Feng Bao made a nondescript metaphor, and then said, "In the past few days, the interview forms in the Dongchang newspaper are all things that some officials secretly colluded. People want to make a fuss about Mr. Zhang's seizure of love." "What exactly do they want?" "Squeeze Mr. Zhang away, as soon as he leaves the chief assistant position, no one will be able to subdue that group of troublesome officials." Empress Dowager Li felt that Feng Bao's words made sense, so she asked the little emperor, "Jun'er, can you leave Mr. Zhang now?" Even though the little emperor was fifteen years old, he did not dare to govern alone, so he relied heavily on Zhang Juzheng.He replied: "Mother, I still can't do without Mr. Zhang." "Yes, although you are the emperor, you are still a child after all," Queen Mother Li bit her lip and said fiercely, "You can't let these people go on messing around. The matter of Mr. Zhang seizing love is not for discussion." "Then, what should we do with the officials of the Imperial Academy?" Feng Bao took the opportunity to ask. "What do these little people do? If you want to punish, punish Zhang Han." When Empress Dowager Li said this, the little emperor immediately agreed, saying: "Zhang Han dared to resist the order, I can't forgive him. Companion, pass on my order and order him to resign immediately." "The slave obeys the order." Feng Bao kowtowed and retreated, and hurriedly ran back to the supervisor of ceremonies to draw up an order.After he left, the little emperor asked Queen Mother Li: "Mother, my son comforts Mr. Zhang for the sake of the world. I don't know what the Li people will think of me in the future?" Empress Dowager Li asked in surprise, "Jun'er, why do you think so?" "After all, the boy is the emperor," Zhu Yijun replied a little nervously, "The merits and demerits of those emperors in the previous dynasty were compiled by Mr. Zhang into a "Di Jian Tu Shuo" as a daily lesson for Jingyan. Therefore, what Haier did today If you make a slight mistake, won’t you be ridiculed by future generations?” Empress Dowager Li laughed when she heard this, and asked, "Do you think it's wrong to let Mr. Zhang lose his love?" "Father sticks to the system, it's a matter of course and right. If he steals his love, Mr. Zhang will not be able to fulfill his filial piety. My son is afraid that people in the world will say that I am unkind." Empress Dowager Li shook her head and replied, "Jun'er, you have to remember that scholars in the world pay attention to two characters the most, one is loyalty and the other is filial piety. Filial piety is to parents, and loyalty is to the emperor. If loyalty and filial piety cannot To be a courtier, you have to be loyal first. The mother-in-law engraved the words "serve the country with loyalty" on the back of her son Yue Fei, which is what it means." "Then, the child will not be reprimanded in this matter?" "No," Empress Dowager Li looked at her son lovingly, and said kindly, "If you keep a treacherous official for the sake of your own sensuality, and let him steal his love, future generations will definitely laugh at you, but you have As I said, you let Mr. Zhang seize his love for the sake of the common people, this should be the act of a wise monarch." "With the words of the queen mother, the child will feel relieved." Zhu Yijun laughed with relief. He thought about the problem so seriously that Empress Dowager Li deeply realized that her son had grown up. She felt excited and a little melancholy.After thinking about it, I gave my son an idea and said: "Jun'er, letting Mr. Zhang seize his love this time will definitely cause a storm. To spread the news of Zhang Han's official appointment tomorrow, I'm afraid there will be an uproar in the public opinion. You must be prepared in your heart." "If someone makes trouble, how should we deal with it?" "Kill one to warn others. When you are an emperor, when you should use your authority, you must not be soft-hearted. In Mr. Zhang's words, you just don't act like a woman." When Empress Dowager Li was speaking, the setting sun just slanted in, and painted the embroidered Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue on the wall behind her with a light red halo.