prosperous age

Empress Dowager Chen looked at Zhu Yijun and said, "Then let's take away her love."

The reason why Empress Dowager Chen chose to seize the throne was actually because she considered the attitude of the young Emperor Zhu Yijun more. His words "the court needs Mr. Zhang" were the fundamental reason that made her make the decision.

When he was in Prince Yu's Mansion in the early years, the mansion had a very tight life due to financial difficulties.

Of course, for her, a tight life actually means that she cannot make the new clothes she wants, and cannot buy the jewelry she wants, but she still has no worries about food.

But for the maids like Empress Dowager Li, they didn't have such worries.

Anyway, the palace can provide them with food and pay them some silver every month.

Therefore, when Empress Dowager Li said that without Zhang Juzheng, the court would reduce its funding for the palace due to financial difficulties, the Empress Dowager did not take it seriously at all.

She was almost deposed because she advised Emperor Longqing to limit extravagance and waste in the palace and strictly control the harem.

Empress Dowager Li was also happy to see that Empress Dowager Chen was persuaded with just a few words.

Strike while the iron is hot, Empress Dowager Li handed the memorial to the young emperor Zhu Yijun and said, "Emperor, this is the memorial from your Mr. Zhang. Your mother and I want to take away his affection and keep Mr. Zhang in the court to handle government affairs. You will be the one to approve it."

"slow."

But at this moment, Empress Dowager Chen spoke out to stop him.

"Sister, what are you doing?"

Empress Dowager Li was puzzled and looked over quickly.

"It is not appropriate to directly propose a vote at this time. Let the former court submit a petition to request the revocation of the relationship first, and then the emperor can take the opportunity to propose the revocation of the relationship."

Queen Mother Chen said.

Although she did not have much political experience, Empress Dowager Chen instinctively thought that it was inappropriate for the palace to make such a decision.

It would be better to follow the court's usual procedures for handling affairs, with the external court submitting memorials and the internal court approving and sealing them.

"Who shall we call upon to make the report?"

At this time, Empress Dowager Li couldn't think of who would be the best candidate.

"Let Feng Bao do this. He is familiar with the previous dynasty. It would be safest to ask him to find someone from the six ministries to make a report."

Queen Mother Chen said.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Li nodded slightly and then asked the people around her to find Feng Baolai.

Soon, Feng Bao trotted into Ciqing Palace. Naturally, the palace servants here did not dare to stop this powerful figure in the palace.

"Your servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager Cisheng, the Empress Dowager Rensheng, and Your Majesty."

Feng Bao entered the room and immediately knelt down and saluted, shouting.

Although Feng Bao seems very impressive outside, when he gets here, he is very cautious and keeps his tail between his legs.

In front of the two queen dowagers, any one of them could bring him to ruin, so the right thing to do was to behave properly.

"Get up."

Empress Dowager Li spoke up, and then told him about asking him to find someone in the previous dynasty to petition the emperor to take back her love.

Feng Bao listened with his head down, his eyes darting around, wondering who he was looking for.

If he were an ordinary Beijing official, there would really be someone under him who could do this.

After all, Feng Bao had actually placed some officials who defected to him through Zhang Juzheng.

However, most of these people have bad conduct, are excluded in the government, or are people who are not in power.

It is possible to keep them in Beijing as officials, but it is still difficult for them to rise to the top overnight.

Therefore, the official positions of these people are not very high, they are just transferred to positions with more benefits.

For their own benefit and also for Feng Bao's benefit.

The Empress Dowager hoped that one of the six ministers or at least an official at the vice minister level would submit a memorial requesting that Zhang Juzheng remain. This was really a bit of a hurdle for Feng Bao.

It’s not that he doesn’t know them, but he can’t talk to these people.

Although the cabinet ministers were all polite to Feng Bao, including Zhang Juzheng and Wei Guangde, who had a good relationship with him, most of the civil servants deliberately avoided interacting with eunuchs.

Especially for officials at the vice minister level, who have already reached the third rank, who would care about a eunuch?

For the sake of their reputation, they could talk to Feng Bao in private, but they would never have any public contact with him.

It can be said that the cabinet ministers interacted with him because of the power of the Imperial Household Department and they had no choice but to do so, but others cannot say that.

"Yes, Madam, I will go down and arrange it right away."

Although he knew that this matter was difficult to handle, Feng Bao couldn't say it here.

He had to show that seizing the love was an opinion supported by many officials in the court, otherwise the two empress dowagers might change their attitudes.

"Then you go and do your work. I will leave the Prime Minister's memorial with me for now."

Queen Mother Li spoke.

After Feng Bao left, Empress Dowager Chen spoke first, "Sister, I don't understand the affairs of the court, so I'm using this to test the officials' attitudes.

If that group of people started making trouble, the late emperor would have a headache and would not dare to provoke them. "

"Sister is right, sister is not considerate enough."

What else could Empress Dowager Li say? She agreed immediately.

Feng Bao left Ciqing Palace and was thinking about who to find to do this all the way.

Without a doubt, the best government offices to submit memorials to are the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Personnel.

It can be said that, except for the Ministry of Rites, these three government offices were the ones under relatively stable control by Zhang Juzheng.

However, according to the rules, the Minister of Rites had the most say in whether Zhang Juzheng should return to his hometown to observe the mourning period. But thinking of Ma Ziqiang's stubborn character, Feng Bao was secretly worried.

He himself felt that it would be difficult to persuade this adult.

However, Feng Bao did not dare to delay at this moment, and went straight to the Ministry of Rites after leaving the imperial city.

When Feng Bao arrived, Ma Ziqiang did not dare to neglect him and directly welcomed him into the duty room.

People look down on eunuchs, but after all, the royal family is behind them, so they have to be given face.

"Eunuch Feng, I am honored to be here today at the Ministry of Rites. I wonder if you have any advice for me."

At this time, Ma Ziqiang still thought that Feng Bao came to choose a queen for the young emperor.

The people had been sent to the palace for a long time, and Ma Ziqiang thought that the result had been obtained, so he asked them to prepare for the next ceremony.

After the candidate for the queen is decided, the Ministry of Rites must petition for her title before the palace will issue an edict.

However, Ma Ziqiang was destined to be disappointed.

"Minister Ma, Shuanglin is here because of the Prime Minister's matter."

Feng Bao also got straight to the point, but he lowered his voice and said, "You know what the current situation is like. The Prime Minister's new policy has just started for three years. If the Prime Minister is in mourning at this time, the new policy seems to be stranded.

The two ladies believe that the current new policy is beneficial to the court."

Therefore, Feng Bao, in the name of the empress dowager, began to explain the situation in the court to Ma Ziqiang in detail, expressing the inner court's hope that the outer court would take the initiative to submit a memorial to retain Zhang Juzheng.

In fact, when Ma Ziqiang heard Feng Bao talking about Zhang Juzheng, he had already made some guesses, but he just frowned slightly and didn't say much.

From Ma Ziqiang's perspective, he certainly did not want Zhang Juzheng to seize his position, because this would mean that it would be difficult for him to enter the cabinet.

Yes, if you become the Minister of Rites and continue to move up, the only way left is to enter the cabinet.

If Zhang Juzheng stayed, the cabinet would definitely not need to recruit new people, and he naturally would not be able to make any progress.

As for the benefits of Zhang Juzheng's new policies to the court, Ma Ziqiang naturally knew it, but he was unwilling to end his career because of it, even if it was the Queen Mother's intention.

"Eunuch Feng, the Prime Minister returned to his hometown to observe mourning for his father's death. This is a matter of etiquette. The Ministry of Rites cannot ask for a change of heart."

Ma Ziqiang expressed his attitude very directly. He could not agree to it both morally and logically.

If the Ministry of Rites petitions to "seize the relationship", then he will not be able to continue his job as the Minister of Rites, and will only be ridiculed by the scholars as a person who curries favor with the powerful.

"Ma Shangshu, don't you have any consideration at all?"

Feng Bao saw that Ma Ziqiang was determined, but he still tried to persuade him.

"No, as the Minister of Rites, I cannot take the lead in destroying etiquette."

Ma Ziqiang said frankly.

"In that case, Shuanglin will take his leave. I only hope that when the court discusses the seizure of love, Minister Ma will think more about the current changes in the court and not deliberately obstruct it because of etiquette.

After all, this is what the palace wants."

In fact, Feng Bao knew that it was very unlikely that Ma Ziqiang would gain anything here, but he still went to the Ministry of Rites as his first stop, in order to use the Queen Mother to suppress Ma Ziqiang and make him be more restrained and not so presumptuous in the future disputes over "seizing love".

Ma Ziqiang wants to join the cabinet, but he must get the consent of the harem.

This time, Ma Ziqiang did not respond, but just sat quietly.

He now understood Feng Bao's intention. His intention to win his support was fake, but his real intention was to put pressure on him.

When Feng Bao came out of the Ministry of Rites, he was thinking about who to look for next.

This time, we must find someone who can be persuaded to petition for the revocation of the relationship.

Thinking that the Ministry of Revenue would actually benefit the most from Zhang Juzheng's new policies, Feng Bao went straight to the Ministry of Revenue.

The current Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang has actually gone to the Ministry of Personnel. Because Zhang Han offended Zhang Juzheng, he has submitted two retirement petitions and is waiting for the palace to return the third petition for approval. Then he can return to his hometown to enjoy his old age.

The successor to the Minister of Personnel was the Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang.

The current Ministry of Revenue is temporarily headed by Assistant Minister Li Youzi, while Minister of Revenue Zhang Xueyan has not yet stepped down from his post as Governor of Liaodong.

After all, Liaodong is the northeastern gateway of the capital, and the two men have to conduct a handover when the new governor takes office.

In addition, the war in Liaodong had just ended and many matters needed to be dealt with, so Zhang Xueyan might have to wait until the end of the year to take office.

Let Li Youzi make a memorial. Although he is only the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he can also represent the attitude of the Ministry of Revenue.

Moreover, almost all the people in the Ministry of Revenue were people Zhang Juzheng could trust, so Feng Bao thought that it would be easy to get things done if he found Li Youzi.

What's more, if Li Youzi wanted to go one step further and become a Shangshu, he had to obey the orders, otherwise Shilang would be his last official position.

Arriving at the Ministry of Revenue, Feng Bao easily reached the lobby of the Ministry of Revenue.

At this time, Li Youzi was temporarily in charge of the seal of the Ministry of Revenue, so he worked in the lobby of the Ministry of Revenue instead of returning to his duty room.

Feng Bao was an ally of Zhang Juzheng, so Li Youzi was very polite to him.

Just like when he went to the Ministry of Rites before, Feng Bao sat down and repeated his previous words to Li Youzi, and then waited for Li Youzi's opinion.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao and the people in the palace came out. No one else knew about Zhang Juzheng's "love seizure", but Ma Ziqiang knew about it, but he would not say it casually. Wei Guangde also guessed it, but he would not say it casually.

So, after Feng Bao finished speaking, Li Youzi just frowned in surprise and said nothing.

Requesting to deprive a person of his affections is no small matter. Although the Ministry of Revenue's request seems to be justified, the risks behind it are also visible.

The Prime Minister is in mourning, and those below him have the opportunity to make further progress.

But if you take away someone's love, it would be equivalent to blocking someone else's path to promotion.

In fact, in the case of Zhang Juzheng's love affair, many officials, especially high-ranking officials in the court, were opposed to it. This was a very important point.

In addition to "profit", the remaining low-level officials get involved for "fame".

“Minister Li should have seen the changes in the Ministry of Revenue over the years. I can say that without Prime Minister Zhang, you should be very clear about what the Ministry of Revenue is like now. The palace is also clear about it, so the two Empress Dowagers hope to seize the position and let the Prime Minister stay in office to observe the mourning period.

Minister Li, you are a smart man. You should know that although there are risks in doing this, the benefits you can see are also huge. "

Seeing that Li Youzi's attitude was unclear, Feng Bao decisively continued to exert pressure.

"Eunuch Feng, it's such a big deal, it won't help if I file a petition alone."

Finally, Li Youzi spread his hands and said.

“You just need to submit the memorial, and it will naturally be in Her Majesty’s hands.

As for your concern about being alone, don't worry. You are definitely not the only one who wants the Prime Minister to stay in office."

Feng Bao naturally could think of what Li Youzi thought of. He just needed someone who was presentable to stand up and make the first statement, and others would naturally follow suit.

Not only Feng Bao's people, Zhang Juzheng would also make secret arrangements.

Although Zhang Juzheng did not make a clear statement yesterday, after Feng Bao spoke out, Zhang Juzheng's attitude obviously softened and he just said to wait and see.

The higher the position, the less anxious you are to express your attitude.

Since Zhang Juzheng has not made up his mind yet, Feng Bao will help him make the decision.

"Don't worry, Eunuch Feng. I know what to do. I will report this matter tomorrow."

Finally, Li Youzi couldn't resist the temptation and decided to take a gamble.

There is no doubt that if this matter is done well, when the Prime Minister rewards people according to their merits, I will naturally be the first to receive the reward.

"There is no time to lose. It is best if you submit the memorial this afternoon."

When Feng Bao saw Li Youzi coming up, he immediately said, "Tomorrow someone else will follow and report this matter."

Seeing this, what else could Li Youzi say? He immediately nodded in agreement.

After Feng Baozhi came out of the Ministry of Revenue with a triumphant look on his face, he immediately sent someone to call the Censor Zeng Shichu and the Personnel Department's Chief Censor Chen Sanmo to make some arrangements for them.

As long as Li Youzi's memorial reaches the palace today, the two of them will immediately submit a memorial tomorrow, echoing Minister Li's words and begging the emperor to retain the Prime Minister.

After separating from Zeng Shichu and Chen Sanmo, Feng Bao got into a sedan chair and ordered his men to carry him directly to Zhang's house.

After making these arrangements, we must at least inform Zhang Juzheng about it.

"Yesterday, the palace representative came to offer condolences, and today Shuanglin himself is here."

When he met Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao also explained his purpose.

Yesterday he expressed condolences according to imperial orders, but today it was his personal behavior.

"Shuanglin is thoughtful."

After Feng Bao finished paying homage, Zhang Juzheng welcomed him to a side room and arranged for someone to serve him tea and snacks.

"Uncle, what you said yesterday has been approved by everyone in the palace, from the two ladies to His Majesty.

This time I left the palace because the Queen Mother arranged for me to find the ministers in the court to report the matter to the emperor."

After the servants of Zhang's house left, Feng Bao directly stated his purpose.

"This"

When Zhang Juzheng heard this, he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

After all, his father had just died, and although he was still thinking about state affairs, his sadness was real.

It has been more than 20 years since I returned to Beijing in the 37th year of Jiajing.

"The Emperor said that the court needs Mr. Zhang."

Feng Bao continued. (End of this chapter)