Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The Rise of Donglin

The first assistant is gone, but life is still going on. Zhao Zhigao, who was originally ranked second, should take over, but this person is too soft, and anyone dares to bully him. From the emperor to the ministers, everyone feels that he can't hold back, so The emperor ordered that the minister recommend the chief assistant. Gu Xian, the figure behind the scenes, made the move. Gu Xiancheng, courtesy name Shushi, was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu.In the fourth year of Wanli, he took part in the provincial examination, and won the first place in the examination, Xie Yuan.Three years later, I went to take the Jinshi examination, and my grades were mediocre, so I was assigned to the household department as a head.After becoming an official, the person he dislikes the most is Zhang Juzheng, who is always as awkward as he is.

For example, Mr. Zhang was seriously ill, and everyone went to Shangshu to pray. If he refused to go, others saw that he would not go on the road, so they signed his name for him. After he found out, he refused to quit. He insisted on crossing out his name, which was quite persistent.But that's okay, there were many people who were against Mr. Zhang at that time, and he was not missing. When Zhang Juzheng died, he went to the Ministry of Officials, but he was not promoted, and continued to be the head of the sixth rank (director level), and he took three years off in the middle. In short, this is an unremarkable person.

In the 21st year of Wanli’s Jingchao period, Sun Yu was the Minister of the Ministry of Officials (the second grade), Zhao Nanxing was the doctor of the Kaogong Division (equivalent to the director, the fifth grade), and Gu Xiancheng was just a member of the Kaogong Division Wai Lang (deputy, from the Five products). Wanli entered the imperial court in the eighth year of Wanli, and he was the head of the sixth grade. After thirteen years of mixing, he was promoted to a higher level. It is really unreasonable. But it is such an unreasonable person who is the manipulator behind the storm (in fact, he is the right and left), and he will not accept it.

What's even more amazing is that when things got serious, Sun Wei was dismissed, Zhao Nanxing returned home, and even Wang Shoufu resigned, but he remained motionless.Not only did he not move, but he was promoted to a higher level and became a doctor of the Department of Wenxuan of the Ministry of Officials. As I said before, the Department of Literature and Selection is responsible for the selection of officials and personnel, and it is the most fat job in the Ministry of Officials.According to historical records, Gu Xiancheng is generally a person with a stubborn personality and will not turn around when things happen. It is a bit inconceivable that such a personality can get this position.

The unbelievable thing is still to come. When Sun Wei was just dismissed, there was no minister in the Ministry of Officials. Wang Xijue planned to take the opportunity to replace him and recommend his confidant Luo Wanhua to take over.Gu Xiancheng objected and recommended Chen Younian, the censor of the right capital. The final result: Chen Younian, Minister of the Ministry of Officials. You have to know that Lord Wang Xijue's position at this time is the chief assistant of the cabinet, a scholar of the Jianji Temple, the title of Minister of the Ministry of Officials and the crown prince and Taibao, from the first grade.And Gu Xiancheng is a fifth-rank doctor who has just been promoted for a year.

Behind Wang Xijue, there is Wanli's backing.Behind Gu Xiancheng, he couldn't see anything. The first in command plus the second in command, against a small officer, but the facts tell us that Gu Xiancheng won. Because behind Gu Xiancheng was an unfathomable night. In that darkness, I believe, lies a powerful force. Soon, the facts will prove this again. When Wanli ordered the ministers to nominate candidates for the cabinet, Mr. Gu Xiancheng appeared again and went to Shangshu to nominate candidates.Although it is true that this matter belongs to him, it is strange that the servants of the Ministry of Officials did not respond to such an important political decision, and Shang Shu Chen Younian also obeyed him.Historical materials have been turned over and over again, only his glorious deeds, it seems that the official department only works for him.

And when Comrade Wanli saw the name recommended by Gu Xiancheng, he almost turned the table over. Because on Gu Xiancheng's list, the first one is Wang Jiaping. As an official of the Ministry of Officials, Gu Xiancheng knew that this guy had tormented the emperor to such an extent that he still wanted to recommend him. It was obvious that he was trying to make things difficult for the emperor. So the emperor couldn't bear it anymore, and finally sent Gu Xiancheng back home. Although it was easy for officials in the Ming Dynasty to be dismissed, it was not difficult to be promoted. As long as the situation changed in a few years, they could immediately return to the court and start over.With Gu Xiancheng's previous work performance and athletic energy, it is only a matter of time before he makes a comeback.

But no one thought that after Mr. Gu left, he never came back. Although Wanli felt a little pleasure in getting this man fired, the consequences would be beyond his imagination. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, no matter how capable they are, no matter what background they have, including Liu Bowen, the number one fortune teller in the world, if they fail to re-emerge after leaving the field, they will gradually be marginalized, and then they will go to the same end-it is over, without exception. The exception started with Gu Xiancheng. Like Zhao Nanxing, Gu Xiancheng's fame has skyrocketed since he left the field.Everyone recommended him to come out again. Although it didn't have much effect, it was regarded as a personal success.Not long after, his younger brother Gu Yuncheng and fellow countryman Gao Panlong also resigned and returned home. The three of them together thought that they were idle anyway, so they just gave lectures.

This lecture lasted for three years, and as the lectures continued, the number of people increased, so one day, Gu Xiancheng said the following sentence to Gao Panlong: "We should find a fixed lecture place." There is a place. At the east end of Wuxi County, there is a place where Song Dynasty scholar Yang Shi gave lectures, but it was in disrepair for a long time and was too dilapidated to be used, so this matter was shelved. Seven years later, the owner of the money was finally found.Ouyang Dongfeng, the prefect of Changzhou, had a good relationship with Gu Xiancheng. Hearing about this matter, he took care of it with a swipe of a pen and allocated special funds to repair the place.Since then, this place has become the activity place of Gu Xiancheng and others.

Its name is Donglin Academy, and to be honest, it is indeed an academy.But in the following decades, it radiated incredible magic power and became a powerful belief. Those believers who believed or accepted it were collectively called Donglin Party in history. The fate of countless people and the current situation in the world will be finally determined by this place that seems to have nothing to do with the imperial court. Wang Xijue went home to retire, Gu Xiancheng went home to give lectures, Wang Jiaping naturally stopped, so the position of chief assistant fell to Comrade Zhao Zhigao. This is really killing people, because Zhao Zhigao doesn't want to do it at all!

Mr. Zhao is really a veteran. In the second year of Longqing, he was a Jinshi. He was first a Hanlin, and then a Beijing official.After decades of ups and downs, I have suffered and suffered, and I have been in Shoufu in my seventies, which is meaningless. More importantly, he has a weak personality, neither as slick as Shen Shixing, nor as tough as Wang Xijue.However, most of the officials in the Ming Dynasty were not good at it, and they always bullied the weak and feared the hard.Once he sat in this position, not to mention solving sensitive issues such as the establishment of the crown prince, just coming to find fault would be enough for him to drink a pot. Mr. Zhao is very aware of this, so he took the initiative to go to the shubo, unwilling to do it, and would rather go home to support the elderly. But Wanli would not agree.It's hard to find someone to block the hole, you're leaving, what should I do? Helpless, although Mr. Zhao Zhigao is old and not very good at cooking, he still has to persevere. Thus, starting from the 22nd year of Wanli, he began a painful and long four-year career as the chief assistant.The specific manifestation is that I don't want to do it, I can't do it, but I can't leave. Speaking of which, he is still very dedicated.Because the past few years have happened to be troubled, with the Japanese fighting outside and the civil war inside, making it extremely difficult. Mr. Zhao is raising military equipment outside, coordinating internally, working overtime day and night, and doing a good job. But the following group of ministers didn't give him any face. Seeing that he was easy to bully, they bullied him hard.Some people scolded him when there was a fire in the palace, some scolded him for natural disasters, some scolded him when his son caused trouble, and some even scolded him when he was fine, saying that he should leave (Yan Zhigao Yifang). It was so deceptive that honest people finally got angry. When Wang Xijue was around, he always said the same thing and reprimanded his subordinates at every turn. Except for the outrageous things like the joint title of the three kings, no one dared to scold him too much.When Zhao Zhigao came here, he was approachable and friendly, but he was always scolded. In a fit of anger, the old man also scolded others: "They are all the chief ministers of the cabinet. If they are powerful and powerful, you will scramble to rely on them for progress. If they are small and powerful, you will scramble to attack and gain fame!" It's all about scolding, but the following group of people really don't have any awareness, and they still like to make fun of the old man.Old man Zhao is really unlucky, at this critical juncture, something happened again. The matter happened to Shi Xing, Minister of the Ministry of War. If you still remember, it was at the end of the first War to Resist Japan and Aid Korea. During the negotiations between the two sides, Shen Weijing, Shi Xing’s most trusted flicker, was at his peak, and the prospects for the negotiations seemed to be promising. Optimistic, Lord Shi informed the leaders that peace was very promising. His leader is Zhao Zhigao. Uncle Zhao didn't like to cause trouble, so he was naturally happy when he heard that, and agreed to negotiate. In the end, everyone knew that the so-called peace was all the result of the concerted efforts of professional liars from both China and Japan, including Shen Weijing and President Konishi.After the incident was revealed, Shen Weijing beheaded and Shi Xing was imprisoned. Ordinarily, this matter Mr. Zhao is at most a leadership responsibility, but the officials are really corrupt and always look for soft persimmons. Every time Shi Xing is impeached, Master Zhao must be brought along.Da Zhao was so angry that he wanted to resign, but the emperor refused.In the twenty-sixth year of Wanli, I couldn't hold on any longer, so I simply went home to recuperate, and the emperor didn't care anyway. In the twenty-ninth year of Wanli, Mr. Zhao died at home. It is unknown whether he died of illness or old age.But I know that he is really tired, because until the day of his death, his resignation has not been approved. In today's terms, he should be regarded as dead at work. Zhao Zhigao had a difficult life, but Zhang Wei was relatively better, because his temper was stronger, and the officials did not dare to take him seriously.In addition, he is the second assistant, so there is no need to be too prominent in everything. With Zhao Shoufu standing in front, life is fine. His only problem was that he strongly recommended someone during the War to Resist Japan and Aid Korea.Not only did he recommend him many times, but he also praised him a lot, saying that this person is an unborn genius, and he will surely be famous far and wide, and his teacher will return triumphantly. This person's name is Yang Hao. We have spoken before about this man.From a certain point of view, he really lived up to expectations. Although he lost, his reputation spread far and wide, and people all over the country knew about it.Immediately, accountability began.The ministers began to scold, and Zhang Wei couldn't bear the scolding, so he went to the emperor and said: "Everyone is scolding me (communication and attack), but I am loyal to the country, and I have no guilt. I hope the emperor will understand (only the emperor will observe)." The emperor said: "Yang Gao was the person you secretly recommended and recommended to me (secretly and repeatedly recommended)! I trusted you, so I appointed him as commander-in-chief. Now that the battle has been defeated and the national prestige has been damaged, you still dare to say that you have nothing to lose. No guilt (you say no guilt)!?" For this sake, it is estimated that there is nothing to say. Zhang Wei was not even qualified to resign, so he was dismissed by the emperor. When he left, no one spoke for him. It is estimated that the stimulation was too great, and the brother died shortly after returning home. By the twenty-ninth year of Wanli, all the elders in the cabinet had died, and a seemingly insignificant person stepped onto this stage. Seven years ago, Wang Xijue resigned, the court elected cabinet ministers, and Gu Xiancheng elected Wang Jiaping.But one thing must be explained: At that time, Mr. Gu recommended not one person, but seven Wang Jiapings. Among the seven, Wang Jiaping ranked first, but Wanli didn't agree and drove Gu Xiancheng home.However, in fact, the Emperor still approves of Mr. Gu's vision, at least the fourth one. Shen Yiguan, Shangshu of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites, is fourth. Shen Yiguan, courtesy name Jianwu, was a Jinshi in the second year of Longqing.Calculated, he should be Zhao Zhigao's classmate, but his grades are much better than Mr. Zhao's. He became a good scholar, and later went to the Imperial Academy to give lectures to the emperor.Similar to the previous ones, his relationship with Mr. Zhang Juzheng is also quite bad, but the reason why he offended Mr. Zhang is quite funny. What happened was like this. One day, instructor Shen gave a lecture to the emperor. While talking, he suddenly expressed his emotion, saying that since ancient times, the emperor has been entrusted with his loneliness. He should find a loyal person. If he can’t find such a person, it’s better Educate your children more and do it yourself. You must know that Comrade Zhang Juzheng has many eyes and ears, and this word soon reached his ears. In addition, he was not too broad-minded. Therefore, during Mr. Zhang's administration, Shen was always quite depressed and never received any attention. reuse. Compared with Wang Xijue and other comrades who were blunt and scolded Zhang Juzheng, and ended up in the same end, I can only say that he did not mean it. After Zhang Juzheng's death, Shen Yiguan came to the fore. He successively served as Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Officials, a bachelor of the Imperial Academy, and later went to Nanjing as Minister of Rites. This person has always been low-key and looks like he has no characteristics. However, this is only a superficial phenomenon. Gu Xiancheng is the influencer behind the court, Wanli is the supreme ruler, and the two are at odds. So a person who can be recommended by Gu Xiancheng and recognized by the emperor is very scary. In the 22nd year of Wanli (1594), Shen Yiguan was appointed Minister of the Ministry of Officials and a Bachelor of Dongge University, and entered the decision-making level of the empire. Soon, he showed his abnormalities, specifically, everyone bullied Zhao Zhigao, but he didn't. Zhao Shoufu is really a soft persimmon, no matter how big or small officials are, they can't help but pinch him when they pass by him, and the only one who respects Mr. Zhao is Shen Yiguan (Shi Gao very respectful). However, Mr. Shen Yiguan's respect for Mr. Zhao is not respecting the old man, but respecting the leader, because he respects the second Zhang Wei and the third Chen Yubi. Shen Yiguan took root in this way. In the following seven years, Zhao Zhigao was scolded until he became ill, and Chen Yubi was scolded so much that he resigned from office. They recommended Yang Hao, and it is said that he also received money, but Yang Hao's incident happened, Zhang Wei was impeached and dismissed, and he was safe and sound. By the twenty-ninth year of Wanli (1601), those who died died, those who retreated, and only Shen Yiguan remained, so the No. 1 slicker in Tianzi finally became the chief assistant of the empire. Relying on many years of messy skills, Mr. Shen was able to handle things with ease, pushing left and right, the emperor trusted him, the ministers gave him face, and his position was quite stable. However, in history, Shen has always had a bad reputation. The reason is that he is too slippery. Because from a certain point of view, the chief assistant of the imperial court is the one to blame. There are so many things in the country, and someone has to be responsible, but Mr. Shen has no such concept at all. He can hide and escape if he can. At that time, the situation of the imperial court had reached a fatal juncture. In the twenty-ninth year of Wanli, the eldest son of the emperor was nineteen years old. Although he was out of the court to study, he was still not a prince. Moreover, Wanli was not kind in his work, and he was very mean to the lecturer who taught his son. The teachers were in arrears of wages, but Wanli didn't even care about the food. He had to bring his own food when he told the official to teach his son, which was really outrageous. Relatively speaking, the third son of the emperor is really much more comfortable, he can get what he wants, he is favored by Wanli, he is spoiled and spoiled, he has never experienced any hardships, and he has the momentum to seize the position of prince. Everyone can see these situations, and Concubine Zheng is a stupid person who is rarely seen in a hundred years. She doesn't know how to restrain herself and is extremely arrogant. The story of a mother-in-law bullying an honest tenant. The problem is getting more and more serious, and the public opinion is getting more and more fierce. Wanli is the master who hides for a day, but there is such a chief assistant again. You must know that if the ministers don't make trouble, it doesn't mean they dare not make trouble. Once their anger reaches the peak , The country will be plunged into unprecedented turmoil. However, turmoil did not break out, because this seemingly unsolvable problem, which had brought down countless political masters such as Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and Wang Jiaping, was actually solved. And the one who solved it was Shen Yiguan, who was extremely dishonest and always slippery. Speaking of it, this is a very mysterious thing. In August of the twenty-ninth year of Wanli (1601), Shen Yiguan asked the emperor to register a prince. The general content was that the eldest son of the emperor should be registered as a prince and formally married. When you have a grandson, you can also enjoy Blessed are the children and grandchildren. No matter how you look at it, this is a mediocre memorandum, not original in conception, and mediocre in writing. According to past practice, the final outcome should be to be pressed under the pile of documents for a few years, and then pulled out to be used as firewood. But there are always surprises. On the second day, Shen Yitong received a reply from the emperor: "Immediately appoint the eldest son of the emperor as the crown prince!" Shen Yiguan was dumbfounded at the time. This is absolutely impossible. After fighting for nearly twenty years, countless fierce men were sacked, countless officials were dismissed, and the emperor was tortured to death, but he refused to let go. Now, however, everything is settled. The facts are in front of you, the crown prince will be established immediately, very clear and obvious. Shen Yitong was ecstatic, and he immediately sent someone out to announce the news, and there was a sensation in the court, and all the people cheered for this long-awaited victory. The "struggle for the foundation of the country" came to an end. This was the most intense and complicated political incident during the Wanli period. A total of four chief assistants, more than ten ministerial officials, and more than 300 central and local officials were involved. Many people were dismissed, dismissed, and assigned, creating a mess, and a by-product called the Donglin Party was created. Almost everyone did not believe that it would one day be resolved. However, this matter was solved by the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time. Zhu Changluo, who was neglected by his father, finally achieved a positive result and became the prince. But in this matter, there is still the biggest question: Why can the letter of the Shang Shu solve this mess? I don't know if Shen Guanyi has thought about this problem, but I have. Wanli is not stupid. In fact, judging from his previous performances, he is a very mature politician. He has no history of mental illness, whim or sudden nervousness, which can basically be ruled out, and his intentions are very obvious——Lihuang Three sons. So what is the reason that made him give up this persistent attempt after more than ten years of scolding and tossing? After reviewing Shen Guanyi's letter over and over again, and combining all the signs before the incident, I came to the conclusion: this is the last straw that broke the camel's back. Wanli never wanted to establish the eldest son of the emperor, there is no doubt about it, but the doubt is that he knows that the hope is very slim, and he also knows that the ministers under him are dead-headed, so why should he continue to procrastinate with all the saliva and abuse? Tactics have been hard for more than ten years? If he is not fully sure, His Excellency the Emperor will not suffer from this. For more than a decade, he had been waiting for two things to happen.However, he did not wait for these two things. I once analyzed that in order for the third son of the emperor to surpass the eldest son of the emperor, tricks such as modifying the birth certificate are of course useless. There must be a reason, a reason that can convince everyone, and the answer can only be: There is no long-term succession. Only by establishing a son-in-law can he overwhelm the eldest son and stop everyone's mouths. But the third son of the emperor is the third son of the emperor, how could he become the son of the eldest son? In fact, it is possible, as long as one condition is met-Concubine Zheng is the queen. As long as Concubine Zheng became the queen, the queen's son would naturally be the legitimate son, and it would be logical for the third son of the emperor to succeed to the throne. But there is only one empress, so if Concubine Zheng is to be empress, she can only wait until Empress Wang dies, or when the time is right to abolish her, Concubine Zheng will be able to take over the throne smoothly. It's a pity that the queen was in good health and lived until the forty-eighth year of Wanli (the year Wanli passed away), which was almost longer than Wanli herself, and she was always kind and kind, and she was deeply loved by the Queen Mother. There is really no excuse for dropping her. The first thing is to wait for the queen, and the second thing is to wait for the minister. This matter is even more out of the question. Wanli originally thought that by exempting a group of people, assigning a group of people, and finding a chief assistant who works closely with him, the matter can be resolved by a combination of soft and hard. Unexpectedly, the ministers of the Ming Dynasty were soft and hard. They don't even eat, and those who lost their official post are not only not afraid, but happy. You know, it is an honor to be driven home because of contradicting the emperor, and the popularity is soaring, which is worth a fortune. Therefore, the stricter he is, the more people will rush upwards. I just ask the emperor to be more ruthless, and it is best to be furious, so that his reputation will be greater and the effect will be better. As for Shoufu, although there are a few obedient ones, they are all old fritters. It is okay to help, but it is not allowed to go into the water with your old man.After finally pulling Wang Xijue down, and conferring the three kings together, he figured it out halfway, and ran away again. As for people like Wang Jiaping, it can be painful for several days just thinking about it. After more than ten years of hard work, many people have changed. . I believe that one event played a pivotal role in his making up his mind. The exact time of this incident is unknown, but it should be after the fourteenth year of Wanli. One day, Empress Dowager Li talked with Wanli and talked about the eldest son of the emperor. The Empress Dowager asked: Why didn't you make him the crown prince? Wanli replied casually: He is the son of a court lady. The queen mother was furious: You are also the son of a court lady! This is what it deserves. Wanli is busy all day long, but he forgot his mother's background. You must know that this old lady Li was a court lady back then. She was selected by Longqing because of her beauty, and Wanli became the Emperor, if the son of the court lady cannot succeed to the throne, should Brother Wanli take the blame and resign? Wanli broke out in a cold sweat immediately, and knelt down to apologize to the old lady, trying to fool him. This incident must have left a deep impression on him. The queen had no hope, the old lady objected, and the minister did not buy it. It was not too much to say that everyone betrayed their relatives.Wanli began to realize that if he was desperate and forcibly established the third son of the emperor, his status might be lost. All mature statesmen make the same choice when it comes to their own throne and that of their sons. The ultimate criterion for determining political trends is interests, and the balance of interests. This is a truth. In this way, Shen Yiguan took a big advantage and achieved the great cause of being a crown prince. His reputation was also in the sky, and he became the object of support of court ministers. But if you want to say that he just took advantage of it and made no contributions, that would be wrong. In fact, he has indeed done a remarkable thing. On the second day after the imperial decree was issued, Wanli went back on his word. Maybe it was because he was unwilling to be spat on for more than ten years, or maybe Zheng Guifei blew the pillow wind and found an excuse to postpone it again. See if that means not planning to do it up. But the court ministers did not see the resignation edict, because Shen Yiguan returned it. This always slippery Brother Yi finally got tough, he returned the imperial decree, and added this sentence: "I dare not obey the imperial edict!" Shen's consistent attitude deeply shocked Wanli, and he realized that he had no way out. In October of the twenty-ninth year of Wanli, His Majesty the Emperor officially named Zhu Changluo, the eldest son of the Emperor, as the crown prince, and the "struggle for the country" incident officially ended. Zhu Changluo, who had been oppressed for more than ten years, finally stood up, but his mother, that concubine Gong, seemed to never have a bright future. Ordinarily, when a son becomes a prince, the mother can at least confer a noble concubine, but Wanli didn't mention this matter at all, and kept suppressing it until Zhu Changluo's son was born in the thirty-fourth year of Wanli, and she was conferred the title of imperial concubine. But the imperial concubine is different from the imperial concubine. The concubine Zheng has pomp and style, while the concubine Wang is not only treated poorly, but even her son has to ask the emperor for permission to meet him when he comes to see him. But for decades, she didn't say a word, until that day in the thirty-ninth year of Wanli. She was terminally ill and died soon, and Zhu Changluo was allowed to visit him, and when the door opened, she saw her son again. The chance encounter twenty-nine years ago created her legendary life, from court lady to imperial concubine, and then to future queen mother (posthumous title). But at the same time, this chance meeting also destroyed her, because Comrade Wanli was very dishonest, and he had been abusing her in the family for decades. However, she is not lonely and has no regrets. Because she saw her son, a grown son. It doesn't matter whether it's the empress dowager who is famous in history or the maid who is not famous.The important thing is that as a mother, seeing her son before dying, seeing him go through all kinds of hardships and finally grow up safely, that is enough. So, at the last moment of her life, she pulled her son's clothes and said with a smile: "My son grows up like this, why should I hate death?" The original text of historical materials is used here, which cannot be translated because of emotion. Also, in fact, she said this sentence in tears, but I think she was very happy at that time. The maid of the palace ended her life in this way. Although after her death, Wanli was still an asshole as always, and refused to give him a generous burial. After repeated requests from the chief assistant Ye Xianggao at the time, she was given a posthumous title. Although she didn't have any deeds to pass on in her life, she was already content. In this world, all love is for getting together, only maternal love is for separation. Zhu Changluo, who has accepted his mother's last blessing, will continue on. Before he becomes the ruler of the empire, he must accept a more terrifying test. Zhu Changluo is a pitiful person. The specific performance is that he came from a low family background and was not welcomed by others since he was a child. As a prince, let alone prenatal education, he didn't even go to kindergarten. He didn't study until he was twelve years old.As the eldest son, his position has been unstable, and he was not officially registered as the prince until he was nineteen years old. When studying, the teacher doesn't care about the meal, and when the book is established, the ceremony is kept simple. For this sake, it's a miserable word. He is still an honest man, he rarely speaks, doesn't make trouble, and treats people kindly, which is very interesting, and he will repay all kindness to him.For example, Mr. Dong Qichang, although he is known as the greatest genius painter in Ming Dynasty, but his character is extremely bad. After resigning, he was specially recalled and given generous treatment. What's even more rare is that he doesn't hold grudges against those who treat him badly. The most typical one is Concubine Zheng. He also excused him many times. No matter from which point of view, he is an out-and-out good man. But history has proved countless times that in the struggle for imperial power, the final outcome of a good person is a useless person. Although he has gone through ups and downs before and finally became the prince, the imperialists will never die. As long as Wanli does not die or ascend the throne for a day, the conspiracy behind the scenes will never cease until he is completely destroyed. Real life is not a movie, the bad guys always win, the good guys always lose, and a good guy like Zhu Changluo should be regarded as a sure loser. But this time, it was an exception. Facts have proved that in the twenty-ninth year of Wanli, when Zhu Changluo was canonized as the prince, it was only the first step of the Long March. Two years later, the trouble came. This is a big trouble, so big that the country is in turmoil, the emperor is terrified, the prince is uneasy, and even the old cunning Shen Guanyi is forced to step down. But the interesting thing is that it was neither Zhu Changluo, Zheng Guifei, nor Wanli who caused the trouble. In fact, no one knows who is behind the scenes until today. In November of the thirty-first year of Wanli, an article began to circulate between the government and the public. At first, it was copied in a small area, but later it simply became a big-character poster. It was posted everywhere in the residential market. In just a few days, everyone in the imperial court knew about it, even the old lady who bought vegetables knew about it. In the days when there was no Internet and mobile phone text messages, the speed of transmission was astonishing. The reason why it was so sensational was because the content of this article was too hot. This article is called "Continued Worry and Dangerous Discussion", and the whole article is only a few hundred words, but in history, it has a strange name-"Demon Book". In this demon book, there is no discussion, no narration, only the dialogue between two people, one person asks and the other answers.The name of the person who asked the question was unknown, but the person who answered was Zheng Fucheng.This name is also the only protagonist in the text. At the beginning of the article, two people were talking about things.One said that the world is peaceful now, Zheng Fucheng immediately refuted, saying that the current situation is critical.Because although the emperor appointed the crown prince, it was due to Shen's consistent request, and he would soon be changed to King Fu as a last resort. Back then, it was considered a reactionary leaflet, and the name Zheng Fucheng was also very technical. The three-in-one concubine Zheng Guifei, King Fu, and Success can be described as concise and to the point. The reason why it is called a demon book is that it only refers to the emperor and prince, which seems to be unqualified, so the two adults in the cabinet also got into the water together. There were three people in the cabinet at that time, Shen Yiguan was the chief assistant, and the other two were Shen Li and Zhu Geng.The author of the demon book was ingenious and chose Shen Yiguan and Zhu Geng, and let them make guest appearances in friendship. The lines are as follows: Question: How did you know that the emperor was going to change Li Fuwang? Zheng Fucheng replied: You can see that he uses Zhu Geng.There are so many people in the court, why must Zhu Geng be used?Because his surname is Zhu, his first name is Geng, and Geng's name is Geng Ye.What it really means is that it will be renewed in another day (admiration, admiration). This is Zhu Geng and Comrade Shen Yiguan: Q: Is Shen always silent? Zheng Fucheng replied: Shen Yiguan is insidious and cunning. For this reason, the author is still not reconciled, and wants to carry out the demon book to the end. In the end, he also listed several high-ranking officials in the court, saying that they are all reformed accomplices and the source of chaos. What's even more funny is that at the end of this monster book, there is even the author's signature! The inscribers were Xiang Yingxiang, the official secretary, and Qiao Yingjia, the imperial censor of Sichuan Province. This fully shows that the author of the demon book is really not a good person, and he will play tricks at the end of the day. What is commendable is that he is quite aware of copyright. equivalent to the original book), Qiao Yingjia's book (equivalent to writing). When this thing came out, everyone was dumbfounded.Shen Yiguan immediately wrote a letter, expressing that he was very angry and hoped to find out who was behind the scenes and confront him face to face. At the same time, he also asked to resign to show his innocence and protest. Several other senior officials involved in the demon book also wrote letters, saying that they had nothing to do with this matter, and asked to resign. The most unlucky person was Zhu Geng, maybe someone was playing tricks on him and left a demon book at his door.This Mr. Zhu is a kind man, he was so frightened that he immediately presented this demon book and his own memorial to the emperor, and cried out with snot and tears, saying that I am almost seventy this year, and I have been so favored. It was an accident, and I had no other pursuits, and now I was framed. Please let me retire and return home, Your Majesty. The court was in chaos, and the prince was too frightened.He had just stopped for two years, when something like this happened, and he would have to go on if the trouble was not good, and he was restless and frightened all day long. To say that Comrade Wanli has weathered the storm for a long time, although he is angry, he is not very panicked.Go chat with the prince first, and say that I know this is none of your business, so study hard at home and don't go out. Then issue an order to appease the ministers, expressing their trust in everyone, and not to leave if they do not approve the resignation. After stabilizing the mood, it's time to solve the case.Such a political case like No. 1 in Tianzi naturally cannot be played by the yamen's policeman. Dongchang Jinyiwei came out in full force and set up a special case team to investigate day and night, earth-shaking. Wanli originally thought that with just a few moves, he could control the situation, but this storm seemed to be getting more and more violent. First of all, the crown prince, this man was originally timid, but now he is even more serious, staying at home and not going anywhere, for fear of accidents.Concubine Zheng was also uncomfortable, after all, the demon book was aimed at her, she was criticized by thousands of people, the pressure of public opinion was too great, she could only wash her face with tears every day, and no longer attended any public events. The cabinet also stopped. Shen Yiguan and Zhu Geng were so frightened that they didn't dare to go to work and stayed at home to avoid the limelight.Only Shen Li does the daily work, and he is often exhausted.The ministers are also afraid, because everyone knows that it's okay to fight for an official position and a salary, but this excitement can't be part of it.Although His Majesty the Emperor spoke to appease everyone not to let them resign, it might be a long line to catch a big fish, and you are not allowed to leave. When the time comes, it will be a big trouble. All in all, from top to bottom, people are panicking.Many people believe that behind this incident, there is a deep political background. Indeed. This is a famous political mystery in the history of the Ming Dynasty, and there is still no answer, but from various clues, the truth is vaguely discernible. What is certain is that this matter should have nothing to do with Concubine Zheng, because although she is stupid and wants to make trouble, there is no need to make such a big commotion and push herself to the forefront to suffer, and the crown prince will not do this. If others don't mess with him, he will be thankful and pray to God and worship Buddha. The perpetrator is neither Concubine Zheng nor the Crown Prince, but what is certain is that the perpetrator must be the beneficiary. In the imperial court at that time, there were no more than two kinds of beneficiaries, one was the spiritual beneficiaries, which generally included those who could not understand Zheng Guifei’s oppression of good people, who did not yell at injustices, and who specialized in secret black hands, who wrote articles to swear Exit. There are many such people, and the scope is very large, and there is no way to investigate them. The second is the real beneficiary.As far as the court situation was concerned at the time, there were very few suspects—only two. Of these two people, one is Shen Yiguan and the other is Shen Li. Although these two dear friends belong to the same family, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they are at odds with each other. 万历二十九年，沈一贯刚刚当首辅的时候，觉得内阁人太少，决定挑两个跑腿的，一个是朱赓，另一个是沈鲤。 朱赓是个老实人，高高兴兴地上班了，沈鲤却不买账，推辞了很多次，就是不来。沈一贯以为他高风亮节，也就没提这事。 可两年之后，这位仁兄竟然又入阁了。沈一贯同志这才明白，沈鲤不是不想入阁，而是不买他的帐。因为这位本家资历老，名望高，还给皇帝讲过课，关系很好，压根就看不起自己。 看不起自然就不合作，外加沈鲤也不是啥善人，两人在内阁里一向是势不两立。 而现在妖书案发，内阁三个人，偏偏就拉上了沈一贯和朱赓，毫无疑问，沈鲤是有嫌疑的。 这是我的看法，也是沈一贯的看法。 这位老油条在家呆了好几天，稳定情绪之后，突然发现这是一个绝佳的机会。 他随即恢复工作，以内阁首辅的身份亲自指挥东厂锦衣卫搜捕，而且还一反往日装孙子的常态，明目张胆对沈鲤的亲信，礼部侍郎郭正域下手，把他的老乡、朋友、下属、仆人全都拉去审问。 在这个不寻常的行动背后，是一个不寻常的算盘： 如果事情是沈鲤干的，那么应该反击，这叫报复，如果事情不是沈鲤干的，那么也应该反击，这叫栽赃。 在这一光辉思想的指导下，斗争愈演愈烈，沈鲤的亲信被清算，他本人也未能幸免，锦衣卫派了几百人到他家，也不进去，也不闹事，就是不走，搞得沈鲤门都出不去，十分狼狈。 但沈先生如果没两把刷子，是不敢跟首辅叫板的，先是朱常洛出来帮忙叫屈，又传话给东厂的领导，让他们不要乱来，后来连万历都来了，直接下令不得骚扰沈鲤。 沈一贯碰了钉子，才明白这个冤家后台很硬，死拼是不行的，他随即转换策略，命令锦衣卫限期破案——抓住作案人，不怕黑不了你。 可是破案谈何容易，妖书满街都是，传抄者无数，鬼才知道到底哪一张纸才是源头，十一月十日案发，查到二十日，依然毫无进展。 东厂太监陈矩，锦衣卫都督王之桢急得直跳脚，如果还不破案，这官就算当到头了。 二十一日，案件告破。 说起来，这起妖书案是相当的妖，案发莫名其妙不说，破案也破得莫名其妙。二十一日这天，先是锦衣卫衙门收到一份匿名检举信，后又有群众举报，锦衣卫出动，这才逮住了那个所谓的真凶：皦生光。 皦生光先生是什么人呢？ 答案是——什么人都不是。 这位仁兄既不是沈鲤的人，也不是沈一贯的人，他甚至根本就不是官员，而只是一个顺天府的秀才。 真凶到案，却没有人心大快，恰恰相反，刚刚抓到他的时候，朝廷一片哗然，大家都说锦衣卫和东厂太黑，抓不到人了弄这么个人来背锅。 这种猜测很有道理，因为那封妖书，不是一个秀才能写得出来的。 那年头，群众参政议政积极性不高，把肚子混饱就行，谁当太子鬼才关心。更何况沈一贯和朱赓的关系，以及万历迫不得已才同意立长子这些情况，地方官都未必知道，一个小秀才怎么可能清楚？ 但细细一查，才发现这位仁兄倒还真有点来头。 原来皦生光先生除了是秀才外，还兼职干过诈骗犯。具体方法是欺负人家不识字，帮人写文章，里面总要带点忌讳，不是用皇帝的避讳字，就是加点政治谣言。等人家用了，再上门勒索，说你要不给钱，我就跑去报官云云。 后来由于事情干得多了，秀才也被革了，发配到大同当老百姓，最近才又潜回北京。 可即便如此，也没啥大不了，归根结底，他也就是个普通混混，之所以被确定为重点嫌疑人，是因为他曾经敲诈过一个叫郑国泰的人。 郑国泰，是郑贵妃的弟弟。 一个穷秀才，又怎么诈骗皇亲国戚呢？ 按照锦衣卫的笔录，事情大致是这样的：有个人要去郑国泰家送礼，要找人写文章，偏偏这人不知底细，找到了皦生光。皦秀才自然不客气，发挥特长，文章里夹了很多私货，一来二去，东西送进去了。 一般说来，以郑国泰的背景，普通的流氓是不敢惹的，可皦生光不是普通的流氓，胆贼大，竟然找上了门，要郑大人给钱。至于此事的结局，说法就不同了，有的说郑国泰把皦生光打了一顿，赶出了门，也有的说郑国泰胆小，给钱私了。 但无论如何，皦秀才终究和此事搭上了边。有了这么个说法，事情就好办了，侦查工作随即开始，首先是搜查，家里翻个底朝天，虽说没找到妖书，但发现了一批文稿，据笔迹核对（司法学名：文检），与妖书的初期版本相似（注意，是相似）。 之后是走访当地群众，以皦秀才平日的言行，好话自然没有，加上这位兄弟又有前科，还进过号子，于是锦衣卫最后定案：有罪。 案子虽然定了，但事情还没结。因为明朝的司法制度十分严格，处决人犯必须经过司法审讯。即便判了死罪，还得由皇帝亲自进行死刑复核，这才能把人拉出去咔嚓一刀。 所以万历下令，鉴于案情重大，将此案送交三法司会审。 之前提过，三法司，即是明朝的三大司法机关：大理寺、都察院、刑部，大致相当于今天的司法部、监察部、最高人民检察院、最高人民法院等若干部门。 三法司会审，是明代最高档次的审判，也是最为公平的审判。倒不是三法司这帮人有啥觉悟，只是因为参与部门多，把每个人都搞定，比较难而已。例如当年的严世藩，人缘广，关系硬，都察院、大理寺都有人，偏偏刑部的几个领导是徐阶的人，最后还是没躲过去。 相比而言，像皦秀才这种要钱没钱要权没权的人，死前能捞个三司会审，也就不错了，结案只是时间问题。 可是这起案件，远没有想象中那么简单。 一到三法司，皦秀才就不认账了。虽说之前他曾招供，说自己是仇恨郑国泰，故意写妖书报复，但那是在锦衣卫审讯时的口供。锦衣卫是没有善男信女的，也不搞什么批评教育，政策攻心，除了打就是打，口供是怎么来的，大家心里都有数。现在进了三法司，看见来了文明人，不打了，自然就翻了案。 更麻烦的是，沈一贯和朱赓也不认。 这二位明显是被妖书案整惨了，心有不甘，想借机会给沈鲤点苦头吃。上疏皇帝，说证词空泛，不可轻信，看那意思，非要搞出个一二三才甘心。 所以在审讯前，他们找到了萧大亨，准备做手脚。 萧大亨，时任刑部尚书，是沈一贯的亲信，接到指令后心领神会，在审讯时故意诱供，让皦秀才说出幕后主使。 可是皦秀才还真够意思，问来问去就一句话： “无人主使！” 萧大亨没办法，毕竟是三法司会审，搞得太明显也不好，就给具体负责审案的下属，刑部主事王述古写了张条子，还亲自塞进了他的袖口，字条大意是，把这件事情往郭正域、沈鲤身上推。 没想到王述古接到条子，看后却大声反问领导： “案情不出自从犯人口里，却要出自袖中吗？！” 萧大亨狼狈不堪，再也不敢掺和这事。 沈鲤这边也没闲着，他知道沈一贯要闹事，早有防备：你有刑部帮忙，我有都察院撑腰。一声令下，都察院的御史们随即开动，四下活动，灭火降温，准备冷处理此事。 其中一位御史实在过于激动，竟然在审案时，众目睽睽之下，对皦秀才大声疾呼： “别牵连那么多人了，你就认了吧。” 审案审到这个份上，大家都是哭笑不得，要结案，结不了；不结案，又没个交代，皇帝、太子、贵妃、内阁，谁都不能得罪。万一哪天皦秀才吃错了药，再把审案的诸位领导扯进去，那真是哭都没眼泪。 三法司的人急得不行，可急也没用，于是有些不地道的人就开始拿案件开涮。 比如有位审案御史，有一天突然神秘地对同事说，他已经确定，此案一定是皦秀才干的。 大家十分兴奋，认定他有内部消息，纷纷追问他是怎么知道的。 御史答： “昨天晚上我做梦，观音菩萨告诉我，这事就是他干的。” 当即笑瘫一片。 没办法，就只能慢慢磨，开审休审，休审开审，周而复始，终于有一天，事情解决了。 皦生光也受不了了，天天审问，天天用刑，天天折腾，还不如死了好，所以他招供了： “是我干的，你们拿我去结案吧。” 这个世界清净了。 万历三十二年（1604）四月，皦生光被押赴刑场，凌迟处死。 妖书案就此结束，虽说闹得天翻地覆，疑点重重，但有一点是肯定的，那就是：皦生光很冤枉。 因为别的且不谈，单说妖书上列出的那些官员，就皦秀才这点见识，别说认识，名字都记不全。找这么个人当替死鬼，手真狠，心真黑。 妖书何人所写，目的何在，没人知道，似乎也没人想知道。 因为有些时候，真相其实一点也不重要。 妖书案是结了，可轰轰烈烈的斗争又开始了。沈一贯被这案子整得半死不活，气得不行，卯足了劲要收拾沈鲤。挖坑、上告、弹劾轮番上阵，可沈鲤同志很是强悍，怎么搞都没倒。反倒是沈一贯，由于闹得太过，加上树大招风，竟然成为了言官们的新目标。骂他的人越来越多，后来竟然成了时尚（弹劾日众）。 沈一贯眼看形势不妙，只好回家躲起来，想要避避风头，没想到这风越刮越大，三年之间，弹劾他的奏疏堆起来足有一人高，于是他再也顶不住了。 万历三十四年（1606），沈一贯请求辞职，得到批准。 有意思的是，这位仁兄走之前，竟然还提了一个要求：我走，沈鲤也要走。 恨人恨到这个份上，也不容易。 而更有意思的是，万历竟然答应了。 这是一个不寻常的举动，因为沈鲤很有能力，又是他的亲信。而沈一贯虽说人滑了点，办事还算能干，平时朝廷的事全靠这两人办，万历竟然让他们全都走人，动机就一个字——烦。 自打登基以来，万历就没过几天清净日子。先被张居正压着，连大气都不敢出，等张居正一死，言官解放，吵架的来了，天天闹腾。到生了儿子，又开始争国本，堂堂皇帝，竟然被迫就范。 现在太子也立了，某些人还不休息，跟着搞什么妖书案，打算混水摸鱼，手下这两人还借机斗来斗去，时不时还以辞职相威胁，太过可恶。 既然如此，你们就都滚吧，有多远滚多远，让老子清净点！ 沈一贯和沈鲤走了，内阁只剩下了朱赓。 这一年，朱赓七十二岁。 朱赓很可怜，他不但年纪大，而且老实，老实到他上任三天，就有言官上书骂他，首辅大人心态很好，统统不理。 可让他无法忍受的是，他不理大臣，皇帝也不理他。 内阁人少，一个七十多的老头起早贪黑熬夜，实在扛不住，所以朱赓多次上书，希望再找几个人入阁。 可是前后写了十几份报告，全都石沉大海，到后来，朱大人忍不住了，可怜七十多岁的老大爷，亲自跑到文华门求见皇帝，等了半天，却还是吃了闭门羹。 换在以前，皇帝虽然不上朝，但大臣还是要见的，特别是内阁那几个人，这样才能控制朝局。比如嘉靖，几十年不上朝，但没事就找严嵩、徐阶聊天，后来索性做了邻居，住到了一起（西苑）。 但万历不同，他似乎是不想干了。在他看来，内阁一个人不要紧，没有人也不要紧，虽然朱首辅七十多了，也还活着嘛。能用就用，累死了再说，没事就别见了，也不急这几天，会有人的，会见面的，再等等吧。 就这样，朱老头一边等一边干，一个人苦苦支撑，足足等了一年，既没见到助手，也没见过皇帝。 这一年里朱老头算被折腾惨了，上书国政，皇帝不理，上书辞职，皇帝也不理，到万历三十四年（1607），朱赓忍无可忍，上书说自己有病，竟然就这么走了。 皇帝还是不理。 最后一个也走了。 内阁没人呆，首辅没人干，经过万历的不懈努力，朝廷终于达到了传说中的最高境界——千山鸟飞绝，万径人踪灭。 自明代开国以来，只有朱元璋在的时候，既无宰相，也无内阁，时隔多年，万历同志终于重现往日荣光。 而对于这一空前绝后的盛况，万历很是沉得住气，没人就没人，日子还不是照样过？ 但很快，他就发现这日子没法过了。 因为内阁是联系大臣和皇帝的重要渠道，而且内阁有票拟权，所有的国家大事，都由其拟定处理意见，然后交由皇帝审阅批准。所以即使皇帝不干活，国家也过得去。 朱元璋不用宰相和内阁，原因在于他是劳模，什么都能干。而万历先生连文件都懒得看，你要他去干首辅的活，那就是白日做梦。 朝廷陷入了全面瘫痪，这么下去，眼看就要破产清盘，万历也急了，下令要大臣们推举内阁人选。 几番周折后，于慎行、叶向高、李廷机三人成功入阁，班子总算又搭起来了。 但这个内阁并没有首辅，因为万历特意空出了这个位置，准备留给一个熟人。 这个人就是王锡爵，虽说已经告老还乡，但忆往昔，峥嵘岁月稠。之前共背黑锅的革命友谊，给万历留下了深刻的印象，所以他派出专人，去请王锡爵重新出山，并同时请教他一个问题。 王锡爵不出山。 由于此前被人坑过一次，加上都七十四岁了，王锡爵拒绝了万历的下水邀请，但毕竟是多年战友，还教过人家，所以，他解答了万历的那个疑问。 万历的问题是，言官太过凶悍，应该如何应付。 王锡爵的回答是，他们的奏疏你压根别理（一概留中），就当是鸟叫（禽鸟之音）！ 我觉得，这句话十分之中肯。 此外，他还针对当时的朝廷，说了许多意见和看法，为万历提供了借鉴。 然后，他把这些内容写成了密疏，派人送给万历。 这是一封极为机密的信件，其内容如果被曝光，后果难以预料。 所以王锡爵很小心，不敢找邮局，派自己家人携带这封密信，并反复嘱托，让他务必亲手交到朝廷，绝不能流入任何人的手中，也算是吸取之前申时行密疏走光的经验。 但他做梦也没想到，这一次，他的下场会比申时行还惨。 话说回来，这位送信的同志还是很敬业的，拿到信后立即出发，日夜兼程赶路，一路平安，直到遇见了一个人。 当时他已经走到了淮安，准备停下来歇脚，却听说有个人也在这里，于是他便去拜访了此人。 这个人的名字，叫做李三才。 李三才，字道甫，陕西临潼人，时任都察院右佥都御史，凤阳巡抚。 这个名字，今天走到街上，问十个人估计十个都不知道，但在当年，却是天下皆知。 关于此人的来历，只讲一点就够了： 二十年后，魏忠贤上台时，编了一本东林点将录，把所有跟自己作对的人按照水浒一百单八将称号，以实力排序，而排在此书第一号的，就是托塔天王李三才。 总而言之，这是一个十分厉害的人物。 因为淮安正好归他管，这位送信人原本认识李三才，到了李大人的地头，就去找他叙旧。 两人久别重逢，聊着聊着，自然是要吃饭，吃着吃着，自然是要喝酒，喝着喝着，自然是要喝醉。 送信人心情很好，聊得开心，多喝了几杯，喝醉了。 李三才没有醉，事实上，他非常清醒，因为他一直盯着送信人随身携带的那口箱子。 在安置了送信人后，他打开了那个箱子，因为他知道，里面必定有封密信。 得知信中内容之后，李三才大吃一惊，但和之前那位泄露申时行密疏的罗大纮不同，他并不打算公开此信，因为他有更为复杂的政治动机。 手握着这封密信，李三才经过反复思考，终于决定：篡改此信件。 在他看来，篡改信件，更有利于达到自己的目的。 所谓篡改，其实就是重新写一封，再重新放进盒子里，让这人送过去，神不知鬼不觉。 可是再一细看，他就开始感叹：王锡爵真是个老狐狸。 古代没有加密电报，所以在传送机密信件时，往往信上设有暗号，两方约定，要么多写几个字，要么留下印记，以防被人调包。 李三才手中拿着的，就是一封绝对无法更改的信，倒不是其中有什么密码，而是他发现，此信的写作者，是王时敏。 王时敏，是王锡爵的孙子，李三才之所以认定此信系他所写，是因为这位王时敏还有一个身份——著名书法家。 这是真没法了，明天人家就走了，王时敏的书法天下皆知，就自己这笔字，学都没法学，短短一夜时间，又练不出来。 无奈之下，他只好退而求其次，抄录了信件全文，并把信件放了回去。 第二天，送信人走了，他还要急着把这封密信交给万历同志。 当万历收到此信时，绝不会想到，在他之前，已