The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 519 Cai Guogong is a kind man

Zhu Houzhao seemed to have a profound understanding of the "essence" of Zhang Zhou's behavior.

Immediately, a group of eunuchs who followed Zhu Houzhao to the interview realized that Cai Guogong was using the same method of influencing the emperor to lead the Ming Dynasty's prince into a ditch. This was to push the conflict between the emperor and his ministers into an irreconcilable direction. push?
Then you, Zhang Bingkuan, are really cruel.

What good does it do you if the monarch and his ministers are at odds?
Aren't you an ordinary civil servant yourself? Why are you digging a hole for yourself and your colleagues?
"Mr. Zhang, do you think it is better for Tang Yin to go to Liaodong or Yang Yiqing? If the Jurchens are beaten to the ground, can they all be wiped out? I think there is no need to relocate them to the southwest or southeast. , just drive them north and keep them away from the territory of the Ming Dynasty. What do you think of this idea..."

Zhu Houzhao seemed to have finally found someone who agreed with his military views, and finally had the opportunity to seek advice from Zhang Zhou.

For a young man like him, he is also eager to express and prove himself, and expressing it to others obviously cannot satisfy his inner vanity.

But it's different when talking to Zhang Zhou. Who made Zhang Zhou such a miraculous existence in the Ming Dynasty?
If he can get Zhang Zhou's approval, he will be happy for a few days, and he will be more confident to think about those weird things and enjoy it endlessly.

……

……

After Zhang Zhou briefly exchanged a few words with Zhu Youtang, he left.

Zhu Youtang seems to be recuperating from illness, but more from "heartache". Because Zhu Youtang is tired of government affairs, now he wants to be lazy more, and finally has the opportunity to take leave to recuperate. When he enjoys two After a free day, if you want him to go back and deal with court affairs continuously, he will be unable to do it.

In this way, I can find a reason for my son to come out to exercise, and I can hide behind and have some leisure time.

As for his condition, it was just a cover. At least in Zhang Zhou's view, Zhu Youtang just had an ordinary cold this time. Apart from being a little tired, he also had a headache and a fever, but it was nothing serious.

After Zhang Zhou and Zhu Houzhao left.

Xiao Jing still stayed in Qianqing Palace and even personally helped Zhu Youtang bring lunch.

"Is something wrong?" Zhu Youtang glanced sideways at Xiao Jing.

Xiao Jing said: "Your Majesty, I think it is necessary to tell you in detail about the prince's affairs in the Wenhua Palace."

Zhu Youtang had already picked up the chopsticks, but when he heard this, he put it down and said, "Let's talk."

Xiao Jing then told Zhu Youtang about the conflicts between the prince and Liu Jian and other civil servants. From Xiao Jing's point of view, he actually wanted to remind the emperor that the young prince was just starting out and didn't understand anything yet. But he got into conflict with civil servants, which was not a good sign.

He didn't even cite Zhang Zhou. He also knew that the emperor had great trust in Zhang Zhou. He only hinted that the civil servants present were very keen on regulating the prince's behavior.

Probably he also wanted to remind the emperor that Liu Jian and other civil servants actually had good intentions, but the prince had a somewhat impatient personality.

After Zhu Youtang listened, he nodded and said, "I don't think there is anything wrong with this."

Xiao Jing was a little surprised.

The emperor actually thinks that it is appropriate for his son to antagonize his ministers?Then wouldn’t this prince lose all the people’s hearts in the future?How can we govern the country then?

Zhu Youtang picked up the chopsticks again and said quietly: "Do you think that if the prince is like me, he has always been tolerant and humble to the ministers in the court, and even trusted him in everything about the court affairs, and his opinions have always been dismissed. , is that okay?"

"This is not what I meant, slave." Xiao Jing heard it.

The emperor "learned from it the hard way", probably because he felt that his first 11 years as emperor were in vain. It was not until Zhang Zhou appeared that he found himself again.

So I reflected on the source of pain when I was an emperor, that is, I was always too kind to the civil servants, so that anyone in the court and central government could step on him, and almost all affairs in the court were dictated by the cabinet.

Ever since, Zhu Youtang felt that it was not working and had to change.

My own generation has been unable to completely break up with the ministers, but the prince's side is different. His character can still be shaped when he comes out, so much so that the emperor even puts his ministers on the opposite side of himself.

Xiao Jingxin said, Zhang Bingkuan, you are doing great harm to others.

Zhu Youtang said: "The prince is too impatient. This needs to be changed. Sometimes he doesn't know how to restrain himself and insists on discussing the merits of the moment with others. It seems a little impatient, but in fact he is also young and energetic. I also come from a young age. , can understand.”

I go.

Xiao Jing was thinking again, your young man is said to be "vigorous"?When you were the prince, you always kept your tail between your legs, but after you became the emperor, you didn't show any great courage.

It seems that your current courage is all given by Zhang Bingkuan, right?

"Then Your Majesty, how should we decide on the Liaodong matter?" Xiao Jing asked in a requesting tone.

Zhu Youtang took two mouthfuls of rice and didn't seem to be in a hurry to answer this question. After he calmed down a little, he seemed to suddenly remember that Xiao Jing was still waiting for his instructions, and he almost ignored the people around him. .

"Oh, Liaodong? Just follow Bingkuan's wishes, who did he ask to go?" Zhu Youtang said.

Xiao Jing said: "My servant seems to think that Cai Guogong wants Tang Yin to go to Liaodong to manage the army and carry out the Jurchen affairs."

Zhu Youtang shook his head and said: "Wrong, he also advocated letting Yang Yiqing go. He also said that this was an all-round training for Yang Yiqing. What is needed in the Ningxia War is courage and obeying orders. But in Liaodong, fighting with the Jurchens, The terrain is more complex and the situation is more special. That’s it.”

Xiao Jing suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Based on his understanding of this matter, it seemed that there was a discrepancy between what the emperor said. He immediately realized that this was not the first time the emperor had said this to the eunuch around him.

When he realized this, he knew that Li Rong had already known the details and deliberately didn't explain it to him.

Xiao Jing suddenly felt ashamed of being betrayed by the people around him.

"Tang Yin is about to return to the capital to report on his duties." Zhu Youtang said, "When he comes back this time, he also wants to get money and food for shipbuilding from the court. Let Bingkuan pay more attention to what to do specifically. I have been very busy recently. Since I let When the prince comes to manage the government, he must be fully trusted. If there is anything difficult to decide, please ask Bingkuan."

The prince plus Zhang Bingkuan are equal to the emperor?
This made Xiao Jing feel even more dangerous.

But he hurriedly bowed and resigned. When he came out, he found that his back was already soaked.

Not because I was nervous, but because I felt scary.

It is very likely that he will soon be replaced by Li Rong, and at Li Rong's age, it is obvious that he will not be able to serve in the court for a few years.

"Your Majesty should have already chosen a candidate to be appointed as the Supervisor of Ceremonies. It seems that... that person is Zhang Yong, who has previously served in the military and has a close relationship with Zhang Bingkuan. Otherwise, why would Your Majesty let him go to the Wenhua Hall to listen to politics? "

……

……

Xiao Jing's feeling of self-danger is spreading.

When he returned to the room of the Supervisor of Ceremonies and saw Wei Bin, Wei Bin had just completed a batch of memorials and manuscripts and was waiting for Xiao Jing to come back to use the seal.

Xiao Jing waved his hand and motioned for Wei Bin to come to him.

"Do you know who your Majesty has been paying too much attention to recently?" Xiao Jing asked.

Wei Bin asked curiously: "What does this mean? Could it be that you want to find someone to give Cai Guogong to..."

Not finished, but it means that Zhang Bingkuan was replaced?
Judging from Wei Bin's evasive expression, he seems to be very worried about Xiao Jing's problems. This is a dangerous signal, let's not do this.

Xiao Jing said: "If our expectations are good, in a few months, not only will there be new faces in the cabinet, but there will also be new people in the Li Prison. Do you think Zhang Yong has been too public recently?" "

Wei Bin nodded and said: "This man has always been very flamboyant, especially after fighting a few victorious battles, he seems to regard himself as a military commander. However, he doesn't have much contact with us. After all, he is not a ceremonial officer." If someone comes out of the Supervisor's Study Room, Your Majesty should not admit him to the Supervisor of Ceremonies."

"Everything is possible." Xiao Jing looked at Wei Bin eagerly and said, "Who do you think is closely related to Cai Guogong? If Cai Guogong wants to find a trustworthy person in the Supervisor of Ceremonies, who do you think it is?"

Wei Bin looked ugly now.

Because he could tell that Xiao Jing regarded Zhang Zhou as an obvious opponent.

It is easy to understand that a Minister of the Ministry of War wants to find an accomplice in the Supervisor of Ceremonies. If a Minister of the Ministry of War cultivates his own power in the Supervisor of Ceremonies... Grand Eunuch Xiao, do you have any misunderstandings about this?
Seeing that Wei Bin didn't want to answer the question so directly, Xiao Jing said bluntly: "If our family retreats, who will be in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies?"

"Eunuch Li?" Wei Bin said this in a questioning tone.

Xiao Jing said: "Our family trusts you two, but His Majesty asked Li Rong to come back, obviously to break the original pattern. Among the eunuchs in the East Palace now, who do you think can be recruited? If there is something in the future, Things... maybe because now that the prince has come to the court to supervise the country, the weight of the words of the servants in the East Palace is different from before." Wei Bin nodded and said: "You mean, it's time to make plans for the future?"

"That's probably it." Xiao Jing said.

Wei Bin said: "Donggong is just a servant of the prince. There are quite a few people who are close to the prince. Most of them are old people from Kunning Palace. They have good eyesight, but not many are talented, knowledgeable and accomplished. . If you want to get closer, you must have some resentment against them, but Liu Jin, who was punished and almost died before, does not have a harmonious relationship with the other people."

Xiao Jing frowned and said: "Liu Jin is very good at flattering, and he seems to be deeply appreciated by Cai Guogong."

Wei Bin smiled and said: "How much trust do you think people who have offended Cai Guogong and were almost killed by Cai Guogong can have in each other? Is it just superficial harmony at most?"

Others didn't know the link. The eunuchs of the Si Li Supervisor were well-informed. Naturally, they knew that Liu Jin was very wary of Zhang Zhou at first, and even used some small tricks. In the end, Zhang Zhou pushed him down and lifted him up again.

Only after Liu Jin "escaped from drowning" did she show respect to Zhang Zhou, but their trust in each other must have been greatly compromised.

"Then you go and test his tone. With his current status, if he wants to be a ceremonial supervisor, he is still lacking, but if he wants to be a royal eunuch, you can give him some activities." Xiao Jing seemed to be interested in it. Liu Jin also has a good impression.

Only those who have a grudge against Zhang Zhou and are still in a certain position of power can make it easier for him to win over him.

Although people like Gao Feng and Qiu Ju were also eunuchs in the East Palace, Xiao Jing felt that there was no need to win over them. If they extended an olive branch easily, it would be easy to do bad things.

Wei Bin nodded and said, "Do you have any other instructions?"

"Delay matters reported by the Ministry of War if they can be postponed. Don't be too deliberate and obvious. Be sure to involve matters such as voting. If you can bring it to the court, don't resolve it privately." Xiao Please start giving and receiving privately.

Wei Bin said: "If His Majesty knows about it..."

Xiao Jing stood up and said: "We people are not causing trouble for Cai Guogong. We are just doing things according to the rules. If your Majesty encounters any questions, we will also report to the Ministry of War to Cai Guogong. If you still want to get the authority to supervise Dongchang, Just listen to our family and keep it within the year so that you can get what you want."

Wei Bin's goal in life has never been to be the chief of etiquette, he wants to be the owner of the Dongchang factory.

Because Wei Bin's connections are mainly in the military, Wei Bin wanted to use this as a breakthrough. Of course, Wei Bin also knew that there were too many people in front of him before. He was still young and there was no need to think about becoming a leader before he was 50 years old. The chief ceremonial officer's handprint, instead, gained control of the East Factory, which allowed his own worth and status to rapidly expand.

……

……

In front of the Donghua Gate of the Imperial Palace.

Yongkang wanted to enter the palace to intercede with his imperial brother, or to complain, but as expected, he was turned away again this time.

The person who came to receive Princess Yongkang was Li Rong. Yongkang had a special status. An ordinary person would not be able to get someone with Li Rong's status to come and meet her in person.

"Your Majesty, Princess, please don't force yourself. Your Majesty has decided something, and it will be in vain for you to object any further."

Li Rong did not speak so politely, "Your Majesty has been recovering from illness recently. If anything happens in the court, the prince will take care of it. As for matters related to military affairs, your Majesty has entrusted it to Cai Guogong with full authority. If you come to ask your Majesty, it is better to talk to Cai Guogong more." Say something soft."

Yongkang's face was ashen, but he didn't speak.

In the past, given her personality, she would have yelled at Li Rong or scolded Zhang Zhou in person.

But now she seems to see that her own sister is not as good as her confidant, and she has suffered so many losses. She has finally gained wisdom and knows that open confrontation will not do her any good.

"Actually, when I entered the palace, I just wanted to say a few soft words to His Majesty and let His Majesty make peace on his behalf. I also didn't want to have any conflicts with Cai Guogong. I had a drink with him before to clear up the past grudges. Who would have thought that he was just Get me drunk."

Yongkang's tone was already very gentle.

Even with what she considered to be a gentle tone, she still had the unruly air of a member of the royal family.

Li Rongdao: "Are you drunk? Your Highness seems to have some misunderstanding. Cai Guogong is a kind man, except for those who are hostile to him... Of course, these people are jealous of his favor before the emperor, or think that he was promoted too quickly, but we all You know, that is what Cai Guogong has the ability to do, and his achievements in the past two years can speak for themselves. Cai Guogong is a soft-hearted person, but not the hard-line person. If you can have a good relationship with him, when the Ming Dynasty goes to the grassland in the future, Cui Consort will definitely be one of them. The commander-in-chief of the army can also serve as a pawn in front of the emperor if he encounters the imperial commander personally marching."

"what?"

Yongkang frowned.

You, Li Rong, would really put a high hat on Zhang Bingkuan. What the hell is there about a personal expedition?

"Your Highness, Princess, are you asking me to speak so plainly? Do you think anyone in the court who is against Cai Guogong will get a good harvest? What about the cabinet ministers? What about the minister? Our family has just been ordered to do so in the past two days. The palace of Duke Baoguo was copied. What do you think Duke Baoguo did wrong? Can’t you understand the reason behind it?"

Li Rong was also very sincere.

Yongkang said: "You mean, anyone who doesn't curry favor with Zhang Bingkuan will be expelled from the court?"

"That's not what I said. Your Highness has to understand everything by yourself. As for how to establish a good relationship with Cai Guogong, it all depends on your methods. You are so wise. I can tell you something from the bottom of my heart. Isn't the good relationship between you and Mr. Cai Guogong a reflection of your ability? As for whether it is a false relationship or a fake one, who cares?"

Li Rong just didn't want to cause any more trouble.

You come here once and I'll clean up the mess for you. Why do you have to torment me?

I'll praise you and let you concentrate on studying how to have a good relationship with Zhang Bingkuan, so that you won't cause trouble for me in the future.

"It's not enough to give him money or wine, so what else can he do? He doesn't have a lot of money and salt... He doesn't ask for bribes, but I have nothing to give," Yongkang said.

Li Rong smiled and said without saying anything: "As a man, there is always something good to do. Think of Lin Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, think of the former Marquis Weining... This slave can only say so much, you can realize it yourself. Resign."

……

……

Yongkang was a little angry at first, and was thinking about Li Rong's words on the way back.

When she got home, she seemed to have completely figured it out. This was a hint, asking me to give Zhang Bingkuan a woman.

"Your Highness."

Yongkang's wet nurse had been waiting in the front yard early.

After Yongkang entered the door, he said: "Find some more pretty girls and let me choose."

The wet nurse asked: "Princess, do you remember to give a gift to Duke Cai Guo?"

At this point, Yongkang was embarrassed to admit it.

"Look for it if you want." Yongkang said impatiently.

"Yes." The wet nurse accepted the order.

Just as he was about to go to the backyard, he suddenly thought of something and said to Yongkang: "The young lady from the Prince Consort's family is here to deliver some local specialties. She is still waiting to greet the princess."

Cui Yuan's sister came to deliver things to Yongkang on behalf of the Cui family. In fact, the more important purpose was to ask when Cui Yuan would be back.

The Cui family also heard about Cui Yuan's military exploits, and naturally wanted Cui Yuan to return to the capital as soon as possible. However, the Cui family did not have as deep a court background as Yongkang, and he could meet the emperor and drink with Zhang Zhou. The Cui family wanted to help Cui Yuan naturally wanted to rely on Yongkang when he was striving for status.

Cui Yuan was only in his 20s. One of his sisters had already married Zhang Yanling, and there was still a younger sister waiting to be married at home...

To be married……

Yongkang suddenly thought of something, his face showed some friendly kindness, his eyes formed a crescent moon, and he said: "Tell her, I will go see her right away. By the way, tell her about her brother... or you can give her some money." Keep a matchmaker."

The wet nurse said: "Hasn't she already... made a promise and will get married next year?"

In the Ming Dynasty, girls who were fourteen or fifteen years old usually had an engagement in advance, and Cui Yuan, a sister of the consort's family, would naturally get engaged earlier.

Yongkang said: "What do you think I am going to do? Just go and tell her! You can't harm her!"

(End of this chapter)