prosperous age

"Hehe, I understand."

Wei Guangde nodded. He understood. Zhang Siwei and Zhang Jing were probably still in contact, and this matter might have been orchestrated by Zhang Siwei.

Yang Sizhi didn't know how he got in touch with Zhang Siwei, but he knew Li Zhi was Zhang Siwei's student.

He revealed some hidden agents while also providing a spokesperson for him, letting astute officials in the court know that he had a powerful backer.

Although Zhang Siwei left the court, such a cabinet minister was in mourning for his parents. If he returned two years later, even if he did not join the cabinet, he would at least be a minister.

However, according to convention, he will most likely be reinstated to his original position, that is, he will still be a cabinet minister, because he will still have the title of Grand Secretary.

Wei Guangde originally thought that once Zhang Siwei was brought back, he would have nothing to do in the court.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Siwei still managed to manipulate the political situation in the court during his period of mourning.

"Thank you for making this trip, Eunuch Liu."

Wei Guangde politely bowed to Liu Ruoyu as usual, then smiled and said, "I'm going back to the cabinet now. Please keep an eye on Eunuch Zhang Hong's reaction."

Wei Guangde certainly wouldn't let this matter go so easily. Although Zhang Siwei could do it, it still left a bad impression.

The fact that he was still corresponding with people in the capital during his mourning period shows that his "filial piety" was flawed.

At the latest tonight, there will definitely be plenty of people talking about it in the streets, alleys, restaurants, and teahouses of Beijing.

Even if Zhang Jing directly submits the memorial to the Qianqing Palace, so what? He will just leak the memorial and see how Zhang Siwei handles it.

Wei Guangde walked back to the cabinet, sat down in his duty room, wrote a note, and then had Lu Bu send it out of the palace.

He didn't need to mention this matter in the cabinet; he just needed to let people outside the palace spread the word.

As for the palace, he didn't even need to say a word; Chen Ju and Liu Ruoyu naturally knew.

Perhaps Zhang Siwei instructed Zhang Jing to secretly deliver the message to the emperor, allowing the emperor to make a decision in a fit of rage.

Once the decree is issued to the cabinet, everything can be covered up very well.

Unfortunately, the Wanli Emperor had lost his youthful arrogance. In the year or so that he had truly ruled in his own right, he had experienced a great deal. Therefore, at the last moment, he remained calm and did not act arbitrarily. Instead, he summoned Wei Guangde to the Qianqing Palace to listen to his advice.

He naturally had no idea that this memorial had never been reported to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and naturally did not suspect Zhang Jing.

In fact, even if he knew, he wouldn't lash out at Zhang Jing at this critical juncture.

Ultimately, emperors tend to trust their own people more than they trust those from other dynasties.

It can only be said that Zhang Jing guessed the Wanli Emperor's intentions, but he had not spent enough time with the young emperor, or his past impressions were too deep, so he did not realize that the current Wanli Emperor was already more shrewd.

Zhang Jing's misjudgment naturally affected Zhang Siwei as well.

So, in the afternoon, Shen Shixing suddenly came to Wei Guangde's duty room.

"Your Excellency, have you heard?"

"What did you hear?"

When Shen Shixing asked him questions, Wei Guangde pretended to be ignorant and replied...

"I heard that someone has impeached Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister."

Shen Shixing was actually a little doubtful, but he still answered anyway.

"Oh, that matter. I went to the palace this morning because of that."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"Oh, is this the memorial you received?"

Shen Shixing seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and said something that sounded like nothing was wrong.

However, Wei Guangde immediately shook his head, saying he would absolutely not take the blame.

When faced with a difficult memorial, it's surprising that the cabinet doesn't consult with the relevant authorities now; this goes against cabinet tradition.

"Your Excellency, you didn't receive it?"

Seeing Wei Guangde's reaction, Shen Shixing immediately asked.

"I only saw these memorials in the Qianqing Palace; I had never seen them before."

I wasn't familiar with Li Zhi and Yang Sizhi, who wrote the memorials, and I don't know how they got together.

Wei Guangde spoke calmly.

"So that means the memorial was submitted by the Directorate of Ceremonial?"

After a slight surprise, Shen Shixing immediately spoke.

Wei Guangde shook his head again, "After leaving the Qianqing Palace, I inquired about it, and it seems that the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has no record of this memorial."

I heard that Zhang Jing delivered it directly to the Emperor, but never mind him. As for matters within the inner court, I imagine Eunuch Zhang will give us an explanation soon.

Even if it were a secret report, surely it wouldn't be kept from the inner court?

Wei Guangde spoke expressionlessly.

"Li Zhi, Zhang Ziwei's student?"

Shen Shixing should have thought of it by now, but the rumors outside had already mentioned it.

However, he had never seen the memorial and did not know whether it was the same person.

After all, in the Ming Dynasty, it was not uncommon for officials to have the same name, but their official titles would be specified in their memorials, which made it possible to distinguish them.

The Ministry of Personnel would never place officials with the same name in the same official position. This would be like having twins, making it impossible for superiors to tell them apart and unnecessarily increasing the difficulty.

Shen Shixing glanced at Wei Guangde and immediately understood.

If his relationship with Zhang Siwei was merely that of colleagues before, now he is actually Zhang Siwei's rival, just like Wei Guangde.

Yes, after returning to court following the mourning period, Zhang Siwei will not directly become the second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, ranking above Shen Shixing, but he will still be ahead of the three cabinet ministers behind him due to his title of Grand Secretary.

Unless all three of them can continuously improve their palace titles over the next two years, Zhang Siwei's return will definitely cut in line and put him ahead of them.

At that time, both Wei Guangde and himself were targets that Zhang Siwei wanted to eliminate.

If you want to make progress, you can only clear away the obstacles in front of you, just like Gao Gong did back then.

If you can't bring down Li Chunfang all at once, then get rid of Chen Yiqin first, take his place, and then force Li Chunfang to step over the two of them to become the Grand Secretary.

“These eunuchs are so despicable that they can even disregard the law.”

Shen Shixing only cursed once, then chatted casually for a few minutes before resigning and leaving.

The topic of heated discussion among officials and ordinary citizens in Beijing tonight is clearly not only being fueled by Wei Guangde; Shen Shixing will also mobilize his own people to start smearing Zhang Siwei and Zhang Jing.

This was a clear confirmation from the Grand Secretary. In fact, before coming here, Shen Shixing had already checked the records of the Directorate of Ceremonial through his connections, and there was indeed no record of that impeachment memorial.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the Directorate of Ceremonial was solemn. Zhang Hong sat at the head of the table, with several scribes of the Directorate of Ceremonial sitting on either side, and several eunuchs standing in the hall. Everyone was staring at the person kneeling in the center.

That was Zhang Jing, Zhang Hong's godson, who was very favored; otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned to run around the Qianqing Palace.

There were no outsiders present; those sitting or standing were all people close to Zhang Hong.

Zhang Cheng, Chen Ju, and the others consciously called their people back, as this was Zhang Hong's own business, and his household was no longer clean.

"Zhang Jing, I misjudged you. I never thought you, this traitor, would harbor such malicious intentions."

“Godfather, I absolutely did not mean what you said, it was all…” Hearing Zhang Hong’s words, Zhang Jing wanted to explain, but obviously he could not find a sufficient reason.

It was a risky move from the start, with the idea of ​​provoking the emperor and then gradually spreading the news to encourage other officials to submit impeachments.

They started with Zhang Juzheng, inciting officials whose interests were harmed to overturn Zhang Juzheng's previous policies, and then shifted the blame to Wei Guangde.

If the court descends into chaos, Emperor Wanli might even issue a special decree to reinstate Zhang Siwei in order to maintain stability.

Such special decrees forcibly removing someone from their mourning period generally go unnoticed in court, unlike Zhang Juzheng's actions of doing so in the capital.

After all, Wei Guangde had gone through this himself, was exempted from the ten-month mourning period, and when he returned to the court, everyone treated the matter calmly.

Well, the Longqing Emperor is gone, and he needs regents he approves of to help the young emperor stabilize the court. There's really no reason to argue against that.

It's not that Emperor Longqing didn't trust Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng; it was simply a matter of course.

Zhang Siwei clearly didn't waste his time in his hometown; he was instead considering how to create chaos in the court so he could return as a savior.

After all, Zhang Siwei was also in the cabinet back then, and he knew a lot about the relationship between Wei Guangde and Zhang Juzheng. He even knew that the "equalization of land tax and poll tax" was actually suggested by Wei Guangde to Zhang Juzheng in private.

The fixed poll tax was directly distributed across the land after the land survey, making the gentry and powerful pay the poll tax on behalf of the peasants.

These were the handles he used to bring down Wei Guangde.

Of course, the timing of triggering these issues is up to him to consider; it's not something that can be done by simply releasing information arbitrarily.

After all, Wei Guangde now holds considerable authority in the cabinet; with power comes influence, and he can sway public opinion in the court.

The cold weather tonight will not affect the nightlife in the capital. In just one night, the streets and alleys are filled with all kinds of negative comments about Zhang Siwei.

"At the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, Eunuch Zhang cleaned up everyone, and I don't know how he dealt with Zhang Jing."

In Wei Guangde's study, several charcoal braziers glowed with warmth, and Wei Guangde and Chen Ju sat facing each other, chatting casually. In front of them was a steaming hot pot.

Yes, hot pot.

The origin of hot pot is a matter of much debate, and there is still no definitive answer.

Some people initially believed that hot pot originated from the culture of ding (a type of ancient Chinese cooking vessel), which was a ritual vessel for nobles and could not be used for both cooking and eating.

The contents of the cauldron need to be cooked and then shared; this is the origin of stewing and cooking.

However, there is another method of rinsing, similar to hot pot, which comes from the pot.

The "Qian Ce" unearthed at Mawangdui also records the practice of "zhuo tun" (濯豚), where "zhuo" means to wash or rinse.

The practice of cooking food in a pot actually existed before the Han Dynasty, and was mainly practiced by ordinary people.

Nobles ate from bells and tripods, while commoners ate from pots. The pot was the predecessor of the cooking pot, and the way of eating was actually very similar to the later hot pot.

The name "hot pot" originated from the ancient military system.

The word "hot pot" first appeared in the Tang Dynasty. Originally, it referred to a pot used by ten people in the army to share food, making it a true military hot pot.

The pot is an earthen cauldron, belonging to the element of earth, with the element of metal. It is used to burn wood to make fire, boil water, and cook food. It implicitly contains the five elements and the Chinese philosophy of nourishing and balancing. This way of eating quickly spread among the people.

From the Tang, Liao, and Song dynasties to the present day, there are numerous paintings and folk texts related to hot pot.

Enjoying a hot pot around a fireplace in winter is a true pleasure.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, hot pot had to be eaten in secret. At least, it was impossible to open a hot pot restaurant in the city or neighborhood, because Zhu Yuanzhang had secretly banned hot pot in the early Ming Dynasty, so people could only eat it secretly at home.

In the second year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict prohibiting the private opening of "boiling soup" shops.

This "boiling soup" was actually the common name for hot pot at that time.

The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang reacted so strongly to hot pot is because hot pot is a dish that is suitable for use in the military. Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shicheng used it to win people's hearts many times.

Secondly, this stuff is suitable for poisoning; one poisoning can target an entire group of people.

Knowing the benefits of hot pot, Zhu Yuanzhang was naturally wary of it, especially since some people were using it to form cliques and threaten his rule.

Because the Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government) contains a subtle description that whenever a dynasty changes, new forces often emerge from ordinary people eating and gathering together.

Because this is the time when it's easiest to build relationships and form cliques.

Hot pot is a great way for everyone to get together and eat.

A group of people sat around a table, creating a lively atmosphere that easily fostered a sense of "we're all in this together."

This poses a significant hidden danger for a newly established regime.

Of course, as a way of eating, people just don't eat like this in public.

At home, you can do whatever you want, so nobody checks.

"However, Zhang Jing is no longer someone that Zhang Hong can easily deal with. He has a connection with the Emperor and also serves as the head of the Eastern Depot. Sigh."

Chen Ju sighed and said.

In reality, the Director of the Eastern Depot was not as powerful and influential as later generations believed. The main problem was that when the Eastern Depot and its guards were mobilized, it was usually led by the Director of the Eastern Depot, which posed a great threat to the outer court.

However, in the inner court, if one did not hold any other position and only held the title of "Chief Eunuch," one would only rank fifth or sixth in the eunuch hierarchy, and would not even be worthy of being called a "Grand Eunuch."

Because the Eastern Depot was an external agency representing the emperor's face, and its eunuchs were often trusted and relied upon by the emperor, in later generations, the head of the Eastern Depot was synonymous with high position and power.

"So, at most, Zhang Hong can only expel Zhang Jing from the sect?"

Wei Guangde asked in a low voice, "Even if you several chief eunuchs cooperate, it will be difficult to get him."

"It depends on His Majesty's wishes."

Chen Ju understood Wei Guangde's meaning and immediately replied.

Zhang Jing's actions were extremely outrageous and something the inner court could not tolerate.

However, as mentioned before, they were merely household slaves, and everything depended on the emperor's will.

"Zhang Jing is very greedy."

Wei Guangde suddenly said.

Chen Ju shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Do you think His Majesty doesn't know about this? Zhang Jing sends His Majesty treasures from time to time, saying that he found them outside."

You might think the Emperor wouldn't know the truth, but it's actually a way for him to clear his name.

He admitted to collecting money outside, but claimed that all the money he collected was used by the Emperor to collect treasures.

"It's pretty awesome."

Wei Guangde praised him and then raised his wine cup to Chen Ju.

Chen Ju also raised his glass and clinked it with Wei Guangde's; both of them drank it down in one gulp.

Wei Guangde picked up the wine jug and poured more wine for Zhang Cheng before asking, "Has Zhang Cheng contacted Zhang Jing?"

“I’ve had someone keep an eye on things. Zhang Jing has lost Zhang Hong as his backer, so he’ll definitely try to find a way.”

He probably won't come here.

At this point, Chen Ju glanced at Wei Guangde before saying, "I reckon the only option is to try Zhang Cheng. I'm not sure what he'll choose; we'll just have to wait and see."

It's also a test. If he really accepts Zhang Jing, then Zhang Cheng is probably...

There are unspoken rules in the outer court, and there are also in the inner court, especially in the current situation, changing allegiance within the inner court is a major taboo. (End of Chapter)