prosperous age

Those seated at the banquet today are all high-ranking officials of the third rank or above in the imperial court of the capital; in fact, there are only a handful of them.

The influence of the Jiangxi clique in the imperial court is now far less than during Yan Song's time. At the end of the Jiajing era, a large number of veteran officials from the Jiangxi clique retired, while the officials that Yan Song had been grooming to succeed him fell due to purging, resulting in the loss of many personnel.

Afterwards, perhaps out of dissatisfaction with Yan Song, or as retaliation for the long-term monopoly of the court by Jiangxi officials, especially the cabinet, Jiangxi officials were suppressed to some extent in both the imperial examination and the promotion of officials.

The reprimand of Zhang Ke was largely part of this suppression.

If Zhang Ke succeeds Hu Zongxian in suppressing the Japanese pirates, and this continues, he might just become another Hu Zongxian.

Therefore, some people secretly plotted to kill him and get rid of him as soon as possible.

In just a few years, they utterly defeated the Jiangxi officials in the imperial court.

Wei Guangde was still copying books at that time, and luckily escaped disaster.

Of course, the fact that Emperor Longqing secretly protected them was also an undeniable factor.

After all, the general trend is clear: Prince Yu will inevitably ascend the throne. It is difficult for anyone to take action against a former member of Prince Yu's faction, as that would give Prince Yu a very bad impression. This person is dissatisfied with me and is therefore targeting my faction.

After Wei Guangde entered the cabinet, such actions against officials involved in the scandal decreased. After all, Wei Guangde, Chen Yiqin, and Yin Shizhan formed a small iron triangle, supporting each other and maintaining their influence in the court.

After Wei Guangde raised his cup in a toast to all the guests, he put down his cup and finally said leisurely, "Back when Shan Dai went to the capital to take the imperial examination, he held a grand banquet for his fellow townsmen and officials at the Jiangxi Guild Hall at the end of the year, from Grand Secretary Yan to Minister Wu, Censor Zhou, and Minister Ouyang."

Although Jiangxi officials still hold two ministerial positions, their influence is not what it used to be. In particular, the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng is as powerful as Yan Song was back then, which has greatly reduced the influence of the Second Grand Secretary Wei Guangde.

Wei Guangde wasn't in a hurry because he had calculated that Zhang Juzheng didn't have many years left to live, but for everyone else, no one was not anxious.

Their careers are all tied to this small circle.

The greater the power within this small circle, the better their career prospects will be. Among them, Lao Kan and Wei Shiliang, who aspire to advance further to become Left Censor-in-Chief and Minister of Justice, are naturally even more concerned.

After recalling for a while, Wei Guangde continued, "When the Yan family fell from power, I was in a lowly position and had no influence. I couldn't even speak up for him. For a long time afterward, the court was only maintained by Minister Zhu."

"It's fortunate that you joined the cabinet back then, otherwise, things would have been even more difficult for us."

Zhang Ke opened his mouth with a smile.

He understood the political situation at the time. One of the reasons he returned to his hometown in a fit of pique was that he found the political situation in the court to be very unfriendly to the officials in Jiangxi, so he wanted to avoid trouble.

Only after Wei Guangde's position as Vice Minister was secured did he reluctantly begin to work.

He certainly wouldn't reveal his little scheme; he'd keep it a secret to himself.

"In the end, it was because our team was not strong enough. Some officials who should have succeeded us suffered because of the Yan family. They were sent to other places or dismissed from their posts. Now it is difficult to return to the glory days."

Wei Guangde smiled and continued.

"Actually, it would be good enough to hold onto two ministerial positions. If we could also take down a few more ministerial positions, we would be just as good as we were back then."

Jiang Zhi did take a look, but who told him he couldn't be selected for the Hanlin Academy back then? Even if he becomes a minister now, he still won't have the chance to enter the cabinet.

"However, in the end, we still prefer our own people in the cabinet."

After speaking, Jiang Zhi looked around at everyone. Well, not a single one of them was an official from the Hanlin Academy.

"We must send our younger generation to the Hanlin Academy; otherwise, if we treat them well, who will succeed them? Can we rely on Shenshi (the time of day)?"

Jiang Zhi continued.

He's reached the end of his life, but many of his old friends and acquaintances back home are still studying diligently, all aiming for a bright future.

If the capital city had no powerful officials from the Jiangxi clique to rely on at that time, his career path would have been much more difficult.

"Among the Hanlin scholars, there are only Zhang Wei and Miao Hanyu. However, Hanyu is still a junior scholar, and his influence is limited. Today, I have already discussed with Zhang Jiangling that Zhang Wei will first enter the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and be appointed as a junior scholar in the Right Spring Palace, and then find an opportunity to enter the Ministry of Rites."

Wei Guangde steered the conversation back on track, explaining that his decision to support Zhang Wei's bid for a cabinet position naturally required him to consult with others in the capital to facilitate mutual assistance and prevent anyone from looking down on him due to his lower status.

Even among Jiangxi officials in the capital, there was internal strife, a phenomenon later known as involution.

There are only so many official positions above that, and if you take one, someone else can't get promoted, which easily leads to internal strife.

Wei Guangde didn't want internal strife, so he wanted to put forward his chosen person as soon as possible. As long as the people present didn't object, the next step would naturally be to take action and promote that person to the top.

"Doesn't he look a bit like Gao Xinzheng?"

Just when Wei Guangde thought no one would object, Wei Shiliang suddenly spoke up.

"Ok?"

Wei Guangde was taken aback and looked over.

Wei Shiliang then spoke under the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd: "I have had many interactions with him, so I know quite a bit about him."

He is talented, decisive, self-willed, arrogant, and somewhat stubborn, refusing to listen to advice. Interacting with him is somewhat reminiscent of Gao Xinzheng.

Gao Gong was a man who always thought highly of himself and looked down on others; there were very few people who could catch his eye.

His actions after joining the cabinet, such as attacking Chen Yiqin and expelling Yin Shizhan, demonstrate his character flaws. He even ostracized and suppressed his former colleagues from his early days, showing that he had serious issues with his character.

Now that Wei Shiliang has mentioned that Zhang Wei's personality is similar to Gao Gong's, Wei Guangde has to think about it more.

Is supporting such a person ultimately beneficial or detrimental?

Wei Guangde remained silent in thought, but Jiang Zhi spoke up and asked, "Really?"

"That's the impression I get from him. You gentlemen might as well spend more time with him and see if it's as I see it."

Wei Shiliang immediately explained.

He did have that feeling, thinking that Zhang Wei was too arrogant, and that such a person was actually very difficult to get along with, as he had a somewhat stubborn personality.

"That makes sense. I remember when he was forced to renounce his father's ...

However, after that, I didn't see him make any more statements opposing Zhang Juzheng, so I thought he had listened to advice.

Looking back now, it seems they only yielded because they realized the tide had turned against them; at least they were able to assess the situation and act accordingly.

Jiang Zhi continued.

He spent a considerable amount of time in the capital, during which he served as a messenger for officials from the Jiangxi clique. After all, matters concerning the Ministry of Works could be delayed, but matters concerning Tan Lun and the Ministry of War were of great importance and could not be delayed.

Therefore, Jiang Zhi actually had quite a few people who had a lot of contact with Zhang Wei.

As for Wei Guangde, he had mostly met Zhang Wei at the Wenhua Hall, but they didn't see each other at other times, so he didn't know much about him.

"We will continue to push this matter forward, and if it really doesn't work out, we'll discuss it another way."

Among the younger generation, there seems to be few outstanding individuals. If they can't even enter the Hanlin Academy, how can they exert their influence?

Wei Guangde finally spoke.

Even if Zhang Wei is indeed not up to the task, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and push him forward for now.

Anyway, before he enters the cabinet, Wei Guangde will definitely have a lot more contact with him.

If Wei Guangde truly possessed a stubborn and self-willed personality, he should have thought twice before acting.

During the Wanli reign, Jiangxi officials were indeed severely suppressed, while Zhejiang officials quickly rose to the position of Grand Secretary, and even Shanxi officials secured a place in the cabinet. However, several Jiangxi Grand Secretaries from the late Ming Dynasty had not yet entered the court, so naturally, the court could not find any decent officials to support.

"You need not be limited to those from Jiangxi. If there are talented people from other provinces, you are welcome to recommend them."

My desire to promote someone to a higher position is more about giving a fellow townsman a chance than a necessity.

Look at how Grand Secretary Xu recommended Zhang Jiangling, and Gao Xinzheng strongly supported Zhang Ziwei; it wasn't because they were from the same hometown.

Shen Shixing, whom I recommended before, also performed exceptionally well in the cabinet, haha.

Wei Guangde laughed.

"Let's take a look first."

Zhang Ke nodded slightly, exchanged a glance with Lao Kan, and immediately picked up where Wei Guangde left off.

“Well, there aren’t many qualified candidates to challenge for a seat in the cabinet right now. Since Zhang Wei is one of them, we should give him a shot.”

Lao Kan also said.

Although Wei Shiliang had different opinions, the final decision was to continue pushing Zhang Wei and make more contact with him to get to know him better.

However, Wei Guangde also took notice of this. Once a person's character is formed, it is difficult to change. Stubborn people are not actually suitable for working in the cabinet. Governors-general and provincial governors are already their limit.

At the end of the banquet, Wei Guangde also shared with them the matters discussed in the cabinet that day, namely the contents of his own proposal.

Zhang Ke was naturally the one most concerned about this matter, since it involved the export of the Ministry of War's military equipment, which was no small matter.

"Is Shandai really going to sell firearms to countries like North Korea?"

Although Wei Guangde made it clear that it was a portion of old-fashioned firearms, there might be a small number of arquebuses, especially the small arquebuses that the government troops disliked because they felt they weren't powerful enough to penetrate armor. There might also be a small number of single-layer gunboats and their accompanying cannons.

It depends on the other party's needs. The Ming Dynasty will not force a sale, but it will certainly weigh the quality of the firearms sold.

I've heard that the barbarians also want to sell their firearms, but the quantity is small and the price is high.

With such substantial profits, the imperial court could not possibly turn a blind eye. If the barbarians could profit, why couldn't our Great Ming Dynasty?

Moreover, most of the profits would be used to supply the Ministry of Works with funds to develop more advanced firearms, such as field artillery and more advanced muskets, like the electric musket.

Although the court's financial difficulties have eased somewhat, Zhang Jiangling is unwilling to invest too much money in firearms, since there are no adversaries around that the Ming Dynasty should take seriously.

Even the Mongols are just so-so; Altan Khan is half-dead, and there's been a covert power struggle within the Mongol ranks recently.

Wei Guangde began to explain.

Today, in addition to handling memorials in the cabinet, he also reviewed the briefings previously sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He was most concerned about intelligence on the Mongols.

Anda Khan is still clinging to life, but news has come that he probably won't survive more than six months.

As of now, Anda Khan has not yet explicitly designated Huang Taiji to succeed him as Khan.

According to Mongolian tradition, if Anda Khan does not appoint a representative, then a Kurultai (assembly of assemblies) must be convened to elect one.

On December 15, 1206, tribal chiefs, clan leaders, princes, and ministers from all over Mongolia held a grand Khuraltai on the banks of the Onon River, which was later translated as "Great Khural," meaning a democratic election assembly.

At that assembly, the tribal leaders unanimously elected the 44-year-old Temujin as the Khan of all Mongolia, with the title "Genghis Khan".

After Genghis Khan ascended the throne, he pioneered the democratic election of Khan. All major decisions were made by convening the Great Kurultai, thereby achieving the goal of unity among the Mongol tribes.

The Khuriltai was originally a parliamentary system in which the leaders of the tribal alliance participated, also known as the tribal council. It is a remnant of military democracy in the process of social evolution of the Mongols.

This type of meeting evolved into the Grand Assembly of the Princes during the reign of Genghis Khan, with important ministers attending simultaneously.

In his will, Genghis Khan stipulated that the election of the Great Khan must be conducted through the Kurultai to ensure a smooth transfer of the Khanate.

After Genghis Khan's death, all the princes and officials gathered and, in accordance with Genghis Khan's last will, installed Ögedei Khan as emperor. He also ascended the throne after being approved by the Great Kurultai.

Güyük and Möngke also inherited the throne only after being approved by the Great Kurultai.

This system has continued to this day, and after the decline of the Golden Family, it became a common practice for electing the Great Khan on the steppes.

In short, whoever has the greatest influence can become the Khan.

Altan Khan, who once conquered the east, west, south, and north, was renowned throughout the grasslands and thus became the new Khan at the Kurultai.

Wei Guangde valued the grasslands, but Zhang Ke, after some thought, said, "It would be better to impose more restrictions on North Korea."

They had recently clashed with the Jianzhou Jurchens several times, and reports of this reached Liaodong, posing a challenge for Qi Jiguang.

"Are you worried that if the imperial court uses firearms extensively, it will launch an attack on Liaodong?"

Wei Guangde frowned. He had never imagined that Korea would have such audacity. After all, in his memory, Korea was terribly bullied by the Jurchens at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

However, things are different now; it seems that North Korea and the Jurchens are still fighting each other on equal terms.

However, in response to Zhang Ke's concerns, Wei Guangde simply smiled and said, "He wouldn't dare."

"Ah."

"Uh."

Their conversation naturally attracted the attention of a table of onlookers nearby, who were all watching their exchange.

Everyone was puzzled when they heard Wei Guangde say this.

“Jianzhou is part of the territory of our Great Ming. If they invade Jianzhou, it will be no different from attacking our Great Ming.”

If it were on the riverbank, or if the Jurchens were wiped out by the three provinces of Korea, that would be one thing. But if they were to invade Jianzhou, it wouldn't be a matter of enmity between them and the Jurchens anymore; it would be an invasion of our Great Ming.

If that's the case, then Qi Jiguang was incompetent, and that means he neglected his duty and deserves punishment.

When Wei Guangde said this, he was actually asking Zhang Ke to pass a message to Qi Jiguang, instructing him to defend Liaodong well.

No matter who it is, even if it's the docile Joseon, if they dare to have designs on the border of the Ming Dynasty, the Liaodong Army must decisively take action to cut off their thoughts.

Wei Guangde knew that in the minds of later generations of Koreans, Northeast China belonged to them.

If the Koreans dare to cause trouble now, Wei Guangde would really dare to send Qi Jiguang to lead troops into Korea, fight all the way to Pyongyang, and make the Korean king kneel down and beg for mercy from the Ming Dynasty.

"North Korea is..."

Before Zhang Ke could speak, Wei Guangde waved his hand and laughed, "Dongfan Island is the same, but now it belongs to my Great Ming."

He guessed that Zhang Ke's concerns stemmed from the influence of Zhu Yuanzhang's regulations, which made the Ming Dynasty somewhat hesitant and timid in its dealings with foreign powers.

It was broken during the Yongle reign, but because the Ming army eventually withdrew from Annam, a group of people took the opportunity to bring up the late Emperor Taizu's instructions.

So many years have passed, who still holds these thoughts?

If Annam dares to be disrespectful, Wei Guangde might actually send troops to Annam again, and have Li Chengliang send troops to pacify them.

It's just a caterpillar, so we'll divide it into three parts. We won't talk about the North and South, we'll just find three powerful families to control it separately.

Let them fight amongst themselves. Maintaining a three-way balance is sufficient. If they dare to annex, then send troops to wipe them out. (End of Chapter)