prosperous age

After a busy day in the cabinet, in addition to processing about twenty memorials, Wei Guangde also drafted a proposal on the sale of military equipment to the Ming Dynasty, outlining its advantages and disadvantages.

After the cabinet released the news, officials in the capital also learned that the cabinet intended to restore the ten-day weekend.

Since the Ministry of Rites had to be informed, the officials there had to discuss the matter before submitting a memorial to the throne, so the news could not be kept secret.

After just one afternoon of discussion, the matter was basically settled.

No one would object to having an extra day off each month, so the Ministry of Rites approved it quickly, and then the next step was to draft a memorial and submit it.

After Wei Guangde finished his official duties and returned to his residence, Zhang Ji greeted him at the door. On the way inside, Zhang Ji quietly recounted the news that Lu Bu had reported that morning.

"Do you know the source? Who did it?"

Wei Guangde then asked.

"We haven't found out yet, but someone said they saw someone spreading this news at Lord Pan's residence in the southern city."

Zhang Ji answered in a low voice.

"Lord Pan?"

Wei Guangde was taken aback, stopped, and turned to look at Zhang Ji.

"It is Lord Pan, who retired due to illness half a year ago. After leaving office, he has been recuperating in the capital and has not returned to Zhejiang."

There were rumors that Lord Pan had recovered from his illness.

Zhang Ji didn't continue. He added that if Pan wanted to return to office, it was possible, but since the Ministry of Rites was now under Xu Xuemo's control, it wasn't something he could just do so easily.

"You mean."

Wei Guangde stopped mid-sentence, saying, "Investigate again, and report back once you've found out the truth."

It's just that some people saw the servants in Lord Pan's mansion talking about this matter. Although it may have been at the behest of their master, it's also possible that they overheard it outside and then spread it around.

After all, that's just how people in the capital are—they love gossip and can talk about anything. It's not impossible for a household to have a servant with a sharp tongue.

That evening in his study, Wei Guangde heard news from Zhang Ji that Xu Guo, the Vice Minister of Rites, and Yu Youding, the Vice Minister of Personnel, also seemed to be suspects.

"Xu Guo, Yu You Ding."

Wei Guangde softly read out the names of the two people and nodded slightly. They were indeed qualified to compete for a chance to join the cabinet.

Pan Sheng, having already served as Minister of Rites, was considered a semi-Grand Secretary and thus qualified to enter the cabinet.

However, this person has very little chance of being added to the cabinet.

Pan Sheng, courtesy name Siming, sobriquet Shuilian, was a native of Xinchang, Zhejiang. In the twentieth year of the Jiajing reign, he passed the provincial examination and won second place in the palace examination. He was then appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy and assisted in compiling the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty".

In the fourth year of the Longqing reign, he rose through the ranks to become Minister of Rites, but then spent several years in stagnation.

He had a strained relationship with Gao Gong, and his resignation in the sixth year of the Longqing reign was the result of Gao Gong's instigation of an impeachment by a censor.

He had a close relationship with Zhang Juzheng, but he was at odds with Zhang Siwei.

Zhang Siwei was worried about being replaced by Pan Sheng, so he reportedly belittled Pan Sheng in front of Zhang Juzheng on several occasions. However, Zhang Juzheng never expressed his support for Pan Sheng's entry into the cabinet.

Pan Sheng and Wei Guangde had a casual relationship, merely that of ordinary colleagues, perhaps due to his relationship with Zhang Juzheng.

Wei Guangde would naturally not speak up for Zhang Juzheng's friend, and even if he was qualified to be nominated for cabinet, Wei Guangde would not recommend him.

The crucial step from the imperial court to the cabinet is actually most importantly having a cabinet minister's recommendation.

Perhaps Pan Sheng's initial friendship with Zhang Juzheng was also motivated by this intention, given his good relationship with Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng's teacher.

It can only be said that he was not destined to have this opportunity. He was a Jinshi in the twentieth year of the Jiajing reign, and his qualifications were even older than Zhang Juzheng's.

Xu Guo, courtesy name Weizhen, sobriquet Yingyang, was a native of Shexian County, Huizhou Prefecture, and a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 44th year of the Jiajing reign (1565).

Clearly, Xu Guo's official career was very successful. He ranked second in both the provincial and palace examinations, but was fortunate enough to be selected into the Hanlin Academy as a probationary official, and later became a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, similar to the career paths of Zhang Juzheng and Wei Guangde.

He successively served as Hanlin Compiler, Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He went through all the procedures before entering the cabinet. If no one had given him any guidance, he would definitely not have achieved this.

Wei Guangde's success was largely due to luck, and he was able to complete this process mainly because he received the protection of two emperors.

And what about the others?
Zhang Juzheng was promoted by Xu Jie, who single-handedly put him into the cabinet.

Wei Guangde had already sensed Zhang Juzheng's influence and guessed that Zhang Juzheng was probably behind Xu Guo's actions.

"You mean that Grand Secretary Zhang Siwei went to Vice Minister Xu's residence a couple of days ago?"

Wei Guangde asked casually.

"Yes, it was the day before the master returned to the capital, and he stayed until almost midnight before leaving."

Zhang Ji replied.

He kept all of these notes in a small notebook.

On the surface, it seems that Xu Guo was Zhang Siwei's man, but Wei Guangde still suspected that it was Zhang Juzheng's doing.

Putting aside other matters, Zhang Siwei's rise to power was actually due to both Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong vying for the support of Yang Bo's faction of Shanxi officials. Moreover, Zhang Siwei was initially promoted by Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng may not have truly considered him as his successor.

As for Xu Guo, Wei Guangde hadn't really paid much attention to him before; he kept a low profile.

"Did Grand Secretary Shen visit Vice Minister Yu's residence during those days?"

Wei Guangde continued to ask.

"Yes, he went there the day after the master returned to the capital. The first night he was drinking with the master to welcome him back, and the second night he went to the residence of Vice Minister Yu and stayed for more than an hour before leaving."

Zhang Ji replied.

Yu Youding, courtesy name Bingzhong, style name Tonglu, was a native of Qishan Village, Gaoqiao Town, Yin County, Zhejiang Province. It is said that he was a descendant of Yu Tianxi, a famous minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. He was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 41st year of the Jiajing reign (1552) and was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination. He was in the same cohort as Shen Shixing and they were classmates.

Therefore, it's easy to understand why Shen Shixing and Yu Youding are close, since there are only three of them in the top class, and the other one is Wang Xijue.

However, Wang Xijue angered the emperor and Zhang Juzheng by resolutely opposing Zhang Juzheng's "seizure of mourning" incident a few years earlier, and subsequently retired and returned to his hometown.

At the very least, during Zhang Juzheng's tenure as Grand Secretary, Wang Xijue had no chance of regaining his former status.

It must be acknowledged that the fact that all three candidates from the 41st year of the Jiajing reign, especially the top three, were admitted to the cabinet was actually quite rare in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

The top two scholars, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue, both served as Grand Secretaries of the Ming Dynasty, while the third-ranked scholar, Yu Youding, served as the second Grand Secretary, assisting Grand Secretary Shen Shixing in his work.

However, Yu Youding had a major disadvantage: he was seven or eight years older than Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue, which meant he was destined not to stay in the court for long.

In fact, Yu Youding had already passed away before Wang Xijue became the Grand Secretary; otherwise, according to the cabinet order, Yu Youding should have succeeded Shen Shixing.

The fact that his subordinates were working so diligently inevitably made Wei Guangde feel a sense of urgency.

Now he understands how to be an official: those in positions of power are not so much concerned with what to do, but rather with how to maintain their position.

To maintain one's position, one must create opportunities for promotion for those below.

If someone below you holds an important and crucial position, then whatever you do or say will be met with overwhelming support.

Expecting those in power to consider the needs of ordinary people is nonsense. In fact, even if relevant policies are introduced, they are usually devised by middle and upper-level officials to accumulate political achievements.

Grand Secretaries like Zhang Juzheng and Wei Guangde, who were wholeheartedly devoted to the country and the people, were actually quite rare in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

It's not that Wei Guangde is trying to embellish his own image; it's genuinely true.

Even if it exists, it's just incidental.

Actually, to be honest, it's better for them not to be officials at all; it's exhausting and stressful.

Wei Guangde tapped his hand lightly on the desk, pondering Shen Shixing's future arrangements. Lao Kan was definitely out of the question; he hadn't spent time in the Hanlin Academy and his work was mostly practical, so even placing him in the Ministry of Rites would be extremely difficult.

Zhang Ke, who had returned home in a huff years ago, was already incredibly fortunate to be able to take charge of the Ministry of War.

His predecessors and contemporaries had nothing worth investing in, which was why Wei Guangde had to appoint Shen Shixing earlier.

Now, Wei Guangde has found another investment opportunity, but he still needs time to develop it cautiously.

This person was Zhang Wei, who was not well-known in history. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Longqing reign. Most importantly, he was from Xinjian District, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, and became a compiler in the Hanlin Academy after serving as a Shujishi (junior compiler) in the Hanlin Academy.

Earlier, he was almost sent away for offending Zhang Juzheng, but Wei Guangde stopped him at the Ministry of Personnel and kept him in the Hanlin Academy. Now he is actually serving as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy in the capital.

Several years have passed, and Wei Guangde now intends to have him enter the Court of Imperial Sacrifices or the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Although the Court of Imperial Sacrifices still seems to be doing nothing, it is still a necessary procedure for entering the cabinet. Moreover, there are now two imperial offspring in the palace. Whoever gives birth to a prince will be the only candidate to compete for the throne.

Either the Empress gives birth to the eldest son born of the principal wife, or the eldest son born of a concubine; then the Court of Imperial Sacrifices will have something to do.

"Send me a note inviting Minister Jiang, Vice Minister Zhang, and Imperial Censor to a banquet at my residence tomorrow evening."

Arrange the banquet for tomorrow; there must be no mistakes.

He couldn't handle this personally; instead, he needed to have them come up with a solution and get people to cheer for Zhang Wei.

After building up momentum, Wei Guangde would then mention in the cabinet that Zhang Wei should be appointed as a junior official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices or a Grand Secretary, and then plot to seize the positions of Junior Grand Master of Ceremonies and Grand Master of Ceremonies.

After working in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for two years, he could be transferred to the Ministry of Rites without any problem.

Wei Guangde had a shrewd plan: he could arrange for a fellow Jiangxi native to join the cabinet after him, ensuring that no matter what happened later, the Ming court would never lack people from Jiangxi supporting each other.

At the very least, as long as virtuous and capable officials from Jiangxi emerge during Zhang Wei's tenure in the cabinet, he will have no fear of not having the opportunity to enter the cabinet.

This, perhaps, is the legacy passed down among fellow villagers.

There is a reason why many people from Jiangxi have served in the cabinet since the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.

Even if there were no people from Jiangxi in the cabinet, there would certainly be people from the Six Ministries, because only in this way could they maintain their voice in the Ming Dynasty court.

"Have someone prepare hot water; the master wishes to take a bath."

After the matter was over, Wei Guangde gave further instructions.

Soon, the night passed, and Wei Guangde got up early the next morning to wash up and practice a set of boxing in the courtyard.

As a military man, Wei Guangde had no intention of learning Tai Chi for self-cultivation; his style was all about forceful and vigorous techniques.

Actually, sometimes he wondered if he had been there when Yin Shizhan beat Gao Gong, and if he had prevented Gao Gong from getting out of bed.

Yin Shizhan was known as the "Boxer of the Ming Dynasty's Cabinet," but that was just a nickname he gave himself because he was tall and dared to take action against the Grand Secretary in such a sensitive department as the Cabinet.

People from Shandong certainly have a physical advantage.

The most important thing is the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty; the environment is different.

Ultimately, the emperor is the highest authority. Everyone else is just a worker, a scholar who has passed the imperial examination. Although their official positions and ranks differ, they are all equal and work for the royal family. This has led to the situation where even a lowly seventh-rank official dares to criticize a first-rank official.

In later generations, who would dare?
The emperor, high above all, was quite happy to watch, as it was beneficial to maintaining royal rule.

When Wei Guangde arrived at the palace gate in his sedan chair, he got out and saw Zhang Juzheng's sedan chair parked to the side. He and Zhang Juzheng arrived one after the other.

So Wei Guangde stood there, waiting for Zhang Juzheng to come down. After exchanging greetings, they went inside together.

"I had the document sent to Ru Mo yesterday, and it should be transferred to Zi Wei today."

As they walked, the two chatted casually, and Wei Guangde recounted the proposal he had drafted the day before.

"Look, Chen invited Shuanglin to the cabinet. Should we hand it over to him in person or send it directly there for the safer sake?"

Zhang Juzheng began to speak.

"Or, after you've reviewed it, you could invite him to the cabinet so we can answer any questions he might have in person."

This is a matter of great importance; even if His Majesty cannot answer, he will consult with the Emperor, and there are some questions he can answer.

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"Alright, I'll arrange for someone to invite them after I've seen it."

Zhang Juzheng responded in agreement, and soon the two entered the cabinet.

Once inside, they quickly exchanged greetings and parted ways to go to their respective duty rooms.

The memorial did not require Wei Guangde's attention. After reading it, Shen Shixing made only slight modifications and then asked someone to send it to Zhang Siwei's duty room for review.

The cabinet had already agreed in principle, and Zhang Siwei would not obstruct it. After a brief look, it was sent to the Grand Secretary's office.

At this time, it was only the middle of the morning, which would be around 10 o'clock in later generations.

Zhang Juzheng carefully reviewed the memorial, even examining both Wei Guangde's original text and Shen Shixing's revised version, making slight adjustments before sending it to Wei Guangde.

At the same time, he instructed the clerk to send an attendant to invite Feng Bao.

At this time, Feng Bao was following the emperor out of the Wenhua Hall; it was already noon.

Today, Your Majesty attended a lecture on the classics, which was given by Wang Jiaping, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. After the lecture, wine was served, and the young emperor then returned to the Qianqing Palace.

"Master, make arrangements to continue hosting a banquet for the Grand Secretaries at the Qianqing Palace at noon today."

On the way, the young emperor Zhu Yijun said.

"Your Majesty, this might not be a good idea. Didn't we already host a banquet yesterday?"

After the cabinet meeting yesterday, Wei Guangde returned to his office and then went to the Qianqing Palace to pay his respects to the young emperor.

It was lunchtime, so I invited him to join me.

Finally, naturally, all four members of the cabinet went to the Qianqing Palace and had a meal with the emperor.

This is actually quite rare in the palace.

However, all four of them were the emperor's teachers and had participated in imperial lectures, so it's somewhat plausible.

Today, the young emperor wanted to invite him to lunch again, so Feng Bao smiled and said, "Why don't you have lunch at Kunning Palace, Your Majesty? We can have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some delicious imperial dishes."

"Kunning Palace? Very well, issue the decree."

Zhu Yijun nodded. He had a good relationship with the Empress at the moment and wanted to have dinner with his wife.

Usually, they would go there for dinner, rest for a while after eating, and then return to the palace.

Just then, a eunuch from the cabinet came over quickly. Seeing the emperor in person, he didn't dare to approach him, but instead whispered something to a little eunuch beside him.

"Go see what's going on?"

The young emperor said dismissively.

"Yes."

Feng Bao bowed and replied, then went over.

"The Grand Secretary has invited the Ancestor over, saying he has a proposal to discuss with the Ancestor."

"I don't even know whose godson he is," the eunuch said as he saw Feng Bao approach. (End of Chapter)