prosperous age

After the imperial edict to dismiss Pan Sheng was issued, the court remained quiet for two days, with no new impeachments emerging.

Just as Wei Guangde was waiting for Zhang Siwei to impeach Feng Bao, an unexpected memorial arrived in his hands. Cao Yikui, the supervising censor of Shaanxi Province, impeached Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Personnel, for selling official positions and forming cliques for personal gain.

Moreover, the memorial also listed several crimes, some of which involved Zhang Siwei, the second-ranking official in the cabinet.

"Cao Yikui."

Wei Guangde didn't have a deep impression of this Wugang censor; his ranking in the palace examination wasn't considered high.

Speaking of which, he was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Wanli reign, and could be considered a student of Wei Guangde.

However, this person was not close to Wei Guangde and had only paid a courtesy visit, so he could not be considered a disciple.

It should be noted that the imperial examinations generally admitted 300 candidates, but it was impossible for all 300 to become disciples of the chief examiner, as he could not possibly take care of them all.

Therefore, even though Wei Guangde was the chief examiner of the provincial examination that year, he actually had no real connection with many of the candidates.

Logically, Wei Guangde should have written a note at this point, instructing Zhang Ji to send someone to investigate the mastermind behind it all.

However, Wei Guangde did not do so.

The truth is quite obvious. The impeachment of Wang Guoguang was orchestrated by targeting people implicated with Zhang Siwei. You only need to see who ultimately benefits to know who the mastermind is.

Feng Baozhen is really something, actually striking first.

A faint smile appeared on Wei Guangde's lips; he had already guessed that this was probably the work of Feng Bao.

Emperor Wanli disliked Zhang Juzheng, so he may have had a bad impression of him as well.

However, even if Feng Bao knew this, he had to act quickly to eliminate the person who posed the greatest threat to him, namely Zhang Siwei.

This person is now the nominally most popular successor among Zhang Juzheng's remaining followers, previously it was Pan Sheng.

Having already eliminated Pan Sheng, it was natural to press the attack and drive Zhang Siwei out of the court in one fell swoop.

"Lubu, come right away."

Wei Guangde had just entered the duty room when, knowing there was an impeachment memorial, Lu Bu said something extra at the door.

He initially thought it was Zhang Siwei who impeached Feng Bao, but it turned out to be the other way around; it was Feng Bao who made the first move.

"I'm coming."

Lu Bu's voice rang out from outside the duty room, followed by hurried footsteps. Lu Bu carried in freshly brewed tea.

After setting down the tea, he bowed and said, "Master, what can I do for you?"

"Go and see if Grand Secretary Zhang and Grand Secretary Shen have arrived yet. If they have, invite them over."

If they don't come, inform their clerk, and when they arrive, immediately invite them over.

Wei Guangde gave an order and then looked down at the memorial.

"Yes."

Lu Bu agreed and left the duty room to call someone.

Before long, Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing arrived.

They were called over early in the morning, so there must have been something important, which is why the two of them arrived quickly.

Wei Guangde invited the two men to sit down in the middle room, handed Cao Yikui's memorial to Zhang Siwei, and said with a smile, "Ziwei, take a look first."

"it is good."

Zhang Siwei was unaware of this matter. The memorial was submitted to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs this morning. Feng Bao, who knew about it and handled it personally, immediately forwarded it to the Cabinet.

Both Zhang Hong and Zhang Jing were kept in the dark.

Zhang Siwei picked up the memorial and began to read it; his face immediately turned visibly dark.

I never expected this, I really never expected it.

Zhang Siwei judged others by his own standards, assuming that Feng Bao would quiet down recently because the emperor seemed to have expressed his dissatisfaction with Zhang Juzheng.

As a close ally of Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao should have known better than to exercise restraint.

In fact, if one truly has foresight, learning from Pan Sheng at this point might not be impossible, and one could potentially escape unscathed.

Don't even mention that Feng Bao is a eunuch; he has no way out.

In fact, when senior eunuchs in the palace grew old and frail, they would often ask their masters for a favor: to leave the palace and be cared for by their families so they could enjoy their old age in peace.

Feng Bao naturally had family members, and he had even arranged official positions for them, all of which were quite good jobs.

This is a classic case of "when one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven." With him as the inner minister, his family naturally has no worries about their future.

Fortunately, the impeachment memorial was directed at Wang Guoguang. Although it implicated him in a possible favoritism, he was not impeached.

Otherwise, at this point, all Zhang Siwei could do was immediately put down his memorial, apologize, go home and reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors, and then prepare to submit a self-defense memorial.

The memorial was quickly passed from Zhang Siwei to Shen Shixing, who had naturally noticed the change in Zhang Siwei's expression.

When he got to the middle of the memorial, he finally understood why Zhang Siwei had changed his expression. He even looked up at Zhang Siwei before continuing to look down at the memorial.

After the two of them had finished reading, Wei Guangde finally spoke up: "I saw this when I came to the duty room this morning, so I hurriedly invited the two of you here to discuss it."

After all, this matter concerns the Ministry of Personnel and the highest officials, so it cannot be taken lightly.

The memorial also needs to be copied and sent to the Ministry of Personnel so that Minister Wang is aware of the matter.

Since it concerned himself, Zhang Siwei chose to remain silent this time, as saying anything would be inappropriate.

Therefore, only Shen Shixing spoke up, saying, "Grand Secretary Wei, let's proceed according to custom."

This naturally meant that the relevant authorities would send personnel to participate in the verification and check each statement in the memorial.

Shen Shixing actually knew most of what was going on here.

It wouldn't be accurate to call it selling official positions, but it certainly involved forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices.

However, all three of us here have done such things, and they can't withstand scrutiny.

Therefore, Cao Yikui's memorial was actually a way of cutting himself off from officialdom.

Perhaps he thought that with Feng Bao as his powerful backer, he would be safe.

But they forgot that the atmosphere in the court was strange at the moment, and no one dared to say that they were guaranteed to win.

After Shen Shixing finished speaking, Zhang Siwei remained silent, only nodding to express his attitude.

He was actually quite lucky at this point, as the memorial did not directly name him as someone to be impeached.

This shows that the cabinet ministers of the Ming Dynasty were not as glamorous as they appeared on the surface.

If the censor is willing, you can stay in the capital for a long time without any problems.

As for why he didn't return to his residence to reflect on his mistakes and write a self-defense when Yan Song was in power.

That's different. These memorials were all sent to the inner court, and Huang Jin didn't delay. He immediately handed them over to the Jiajing Emperor.

Emperor Jiajing was not one to drag things out; often, the moment Yan Song stepped into his residence, an imperial edict would be issued.

What a load of rubbish! Just have the censor who impeached them flogged.

Back then, the Jiajing Emperor couldn't do without Yan Song and wouldn't give him any time to rest at home; he would close the case immediately.

The Jiajing Emperor knew what he wanted, so he acted quickly.

Most other emperors lacked his decisiveness and often waited for the authorities to investigate before making a decision, leaving the officials involved with no choice but to go home and rest.

So, right there in this duty room, Wei Guangde had Shen Shixing draft a document, and then had the Secretariat copy it and send it to the Ministry of Personnel to inform Wang Guoguang, so that he could return to his residence to await further instructions.

After leaving the Grand Secretary's office, Zhang Siwei returned to his own room without saying a word.

He knew that Feng Bao was targeting him, but he didn't expect Feng Bao to be so arrogant even at this point.

Indeed, although Emperor Wanli expressed his dislike for Zhang Juzheng, he did not reveal his attitude towards Feng Bao.

This eunuch, there's still room for imagination.

Zhang Siwei originally wanted to press his advantage and send someone to test Zhang Juzheng again to see if he could confirm the emperor's thoughts.

At this moment, he finally made up his mind, overturned the decision he had made the night before, and decided to bring down Zhang first and then Feng.

Feng Bao was so annoying that he didn't even bother to provoke him, but instead got attacked first. Soon, Zhang Siwei wrote a note and had his clerk send it out of the palace.

The plan to overthrow Feng had been prepared long ago; they were just waiting for the right opportunity.

Although the timing isn't ideal, he has to make a move. Otherwise, people will think he's a pushover, someone anyone can take a bite out of, and then endless trouble will be waiting for him.

The note that was sent out was naturally to inform two of the censors to submit their prepared memorials within the next two days, as he was now ready to fight Feng Bao in a real battle.

Political struggles are a matter of life and death, and the dangers involved are self-evident.

But now Feng Bao does have the upper hand, but fortunately, he chose the wrong target.

If we attack him directly, he might not be able to withstand the attack right now.

After all, being impeached means going home and having one's power suspended.

Whether his men will be afraid of Feng Bao by then is hard to say.

Next, we'll see how the emperor handles this memorial targeting Wang Guoguang.

Hmm, and also, Zhang Siwei started calculating in his mind who would be suitable to succeed the position of Minister of Personnel.

Thanks to the support of Empress Dowager Li, the birth mother of Emperor Wanli, and Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao's confidants and cronies were also placed throughout the court, wielding great power. Although most of them were low-ranking officials and few were high-ranking, these positions were mostly lucrative.

As long as we make a show of force to bring down Feng Bao, I believe many officials in the court will be happy to participate.

The downfall of Feng meant that these lucrative official positions were vacant, and that's when their opportunity came.

"Someone is coming."

Thinking of this, Zhang Siwei suddenly shouted outside.

After the clerk came in, Zhang Siwei instructed, "Spread the word that we should order the signature dishes from Cuihualou for lunch today, and the best wine, and send it to the Grand Secretariat. I want to host a banquet for the two Grand Secretaries."

During lunchtime, subtly hint to Wei Guangde and Shen Shixing that they would be allowed to choose the seats that would be available later.

This is the benefit Zhang Siwei offered, putting himself last.

Once we take down Feng Bao, we can deal with the rest later.

Soon, the news reached Wei Guangde's ears from Lu Bu.

"Haha, I got it."

Wei Guangde just smiled faintly and didn't say anything else.

Now it's just those two groups fighting like dogs. After taking down one of them, they start tearing each other apart.

Wei Guangde wasn't actually interested in getting involved in this matter, but his decision to oust Feng was actually beneficial to him as well.

Leaving aside the private business dealings with Feng Bao, once Feng Bao falls from power, those shares will naturally no longer need to be distributed to him. The next thing to consider is the upcoming Eastern Expedition plan.

If successful, Wei Guangde couldn't guarantee that Feng Baozai wouldn't secretly ask him for shares.

A mine that produces hundreds of thousands of taels of silver a year will definitely attract endless greed.

"Don't provoke" means he won't provoke anyone.

If Zhang Siwei makes a move, Wei Guangde wouldn't mind giving him a push; ultimately, it all depends on the sincerity Zhang Siwei demonstrates.

Having achieved several goals at once, Wei Guangde was naturally very satisfied.

Once he was in the position of Grand Secretary, Wei Guangde didn't even consider fighting against anyone; he only needed to ensure that he didn't make any mistakes in handling government affairs.

The only hidden danger is actually the Eastern Expedition.

If he wins, Grand Secretary Wei's prestige will increase significantly, allowing him to secure his position.

I lost, pshaw!
Wei Guangde didn't continue thinking about it; it was too ominous.

Wei Guangde, who used to be an atheist, is actually quite eccentric sometimes now, and he doesn't stop his wife from going to temples.

His existence cannot be explained by materialism, so it's good to seek psychological comfort by praying to gods and Buddhas.

The news also caused a stir in Beijing's officialdom.

The officials of the Ministry of Personnel watched as their eldest son walked out of the Ministry of Personnel with a dark face and went straight home, and everyone was talking about it.

This scene was naturally observed by those who were interested, who then hurriedly returned to the palace to report to Feng Bao, much to Feng Bao's delight.

Just now, Feng Bao personally delivered the memorial to the Qianqing Palace. Emperor Wanli did not show any abnormality and readily approved it, ordering the Censorate to check the contents of the memorial and report back.

what does this mean?
This means that Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Personnel, is no longer in office, and his downfall is only a matter of time.

Next, they could push Wang Zhuan to the position of Minister of Personnel and then enter the cabinet.

He was also a graduate of the Hanlin Academy, so he was naturally qualified to enter the cabinet, as long as he could pull some strings.

As for the key point, Feng Bao was naturally eyeing Wei Guangde.

I'll just give Wei Guangde a heads-up; he probably won't refuse. It's just a matter of placing someone in the position anyway.

As long as Wei Guangde gives his approval, Wang Zhuan has a high probability of being promoted, whether through the cabinet or the Nine Ministers meeting.

After lunch, Wei Guangde returned to his duty room to rest.

However, he immediately sent a message to Lu Bu, summoning Zhang Ke, Jiang Zhi, and others to his place that evening to discuss matters.

However, when Wei Guangde had his guests prepared for the evening, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived.

"Brother Shuanglin, it's been quite a while since you last visited my humble abode."

In the flower hall, Wei Guangde welcomed Feng Bao in.

After sitting down and exchanging pleasantries, Feng Bao got straight to the point.

"Shan Dai, I've come here to ask for your help."

Half an hour later, Wei Guangde saw Feng Bao off at the mansion. After watching him get into the carriage and leave, he turned back.

"Master, the gentlemen have been waiting in your study for quite some time."

Zhang Ji leaned closer and whispered.

"Understood. You stay in the yard and keep watch, don't let anyone else come near."

After Wei Guangde finished speaking, he strode towards the study in the outer courtyard.

After entering the house and exchanging a few words, Wei Guangde explained Feng Bao's purpose for coming.

"Heh, he thought his move was a warning shot, both to bring down Wang Guoguang and to intimidate Zhang Siwei. Little did he know that without Zhang Jiangling to advise him, he would make a series of foolish moves."

Finally, Wei Guangde gave a summary.

Then, Wei Guangde repeated all of Zhang Siwei's hints.

“Shan Dai, if Zhang Siwei succeeds in this matter, it might be like getting rid of a wolf and gaining a tiger, and it may not be beneficial to us.”

Jiang Zhi frowned.

Wei Guangde used Zhang Siwei to get rid of Feng Bao, which was like using one tiger to devour another, but what was the result?
In Jiang Zhi's view, Zhang Siwei's defeat of Feng Bao might not be beneficial to them.

The most advantageous situation is to let them keep fighting.

"The idea is good, but it may not meet that person's expectations."

Wei Guangde pointed to the roof and said in a pretentious tone.

"Hmm? You mean that person?"

Jiang Zhi's brows furrowed even deeper.

He might have had doubts before, but now he doesn't.

Wei Guangde's understanding of the emperor certainly surpassed theirs.

Wei Guangde simply nodded in response.

At this, none of them said anything.

"I have my own ways of dealing with Zhang Siwei, so you don't need to worry."

Wei Guangde reassured them. (End of Chapter)