The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Cabinet value.

Li Dongyang didn't see Xie Qian coming over, and asked Cheng Minzheng specifically, but was told that Xie Qian was recuperating at home these days.

Cheng Minzheng said: "I went to his house yesterday to check on his condition. He looks pretty good, but the wind and cold are a bit severe. He is said to be top-heavy and may need another three to five days to recuperate."

"Ah."

Li Dongyang could only hand over all the errands he had run for Xie Qian to Cheng Minzheng.

Liu Jian remained silent.

Because Li Dongyang was on duty that night, he would leave the cabinet before noon.

After coming out of the check-in room, he went straight to Xie Qian's villa on East Chang'an Street, where he usually worked. This time Xie Qian did not go home to recuperate, which also made Li Dongyang see that Xie Qian was not He took the initiative to go home to recuperate, but was forced to do so.

After Li Dongyang met Xie Qian, he confirmed his suspicion. Xie Qian was not sick at all, and the so-called cold symptoms were all fake.

"With or without me in the court, is there any difference?" Xie Qian also seemed very calm.

It seems that I can feel a lot more relaxed when I am not in court. Pretending to be sick and resting at home seems to be the best way to escape from real difficulties.

Li Dongyang said: "Who hasn't gotten sick in the past few years? If you are really unable to do anything, you can rest at home for a few days. But the current situation is also the time when the imperial court is employing people. Come back if you can."

Xie Qian shook his head, pushed the hot tea in front of Li Dongyang, and said: "Your Majesty may not keep me for a few days. Your Majesty has already agreed to the resignations."

Li Dongyang frowned and said, "Don't think too much."

"Haha." Xie Qian said with a bitter smile, "I know very well why I ended up like this. It's probably because of my words. I was good at making friends, but I had to spend every penny. As a result, when something happened, I didn't care. Someone help me.”

Li Dongyang did not answer directly.

He could hear some dissatisfaction in Xie Qian's words. In addition to being dissatisfied with the courtiers, he was also dissatisfied with Li Dongyang and Liu Jian.

Xie Qian was investigated by the factory guards this time, and it was more of a scapegoat. In the past, whether he was causing trouble for Zhang Mao's expedition or finding people to impeach Wang Shouren, Xie Qian was just the vanguard of the cabinet. Their interests were one and the same, but now they only have Xie Qian was under investigation, but Li Dongyang and Liu Jian were both safe and sound, which would cause some resentment in Xie Qian's heart.

Xie Qian said: "I heard recently that my classmates were boycotting me when I was studying in Yi Zhong. Some people thought that he was using my identity to get into power. I don't know what will happen in the spring of next year. Alas! That's how it is in the imperial court. It's clear that they don't want to separate. They formed factions, but in the end they formed separate parties. This one belongs to this party, and that one belongs to that party. Even I didn't expect that secular people are so philistine now."

This happened to Xie Pi again.

Since Xie Pi became the judge of Zhang Zhou's provincial examination, Xie Qian's reputation among civil servants also began to decline.

Many people think that Zhang Zhou eased the conflicts with the cabinet and traditional civil servants by giving Xie Pi Jieyuan, and Xie Qian became the beneficiary of the transfer of benefits.

Xie Qian was lying on his back.

Li Dongyang said: "Yi Zhong has good knowledge. Let him come to my house to pay a visit in the next two days. I will give him some good advice."

Li Dongyang is not a person who is afraid of trouble.

If you think your son is alienated, then I will give him some personal guidance. After all, I, Li, can be considered a leading figure in the literary world. If he thanks Pi and comes to my house, and I still treat him as a student, then other people's criticism of him will be gone. calm.

"Farewell, he is still preparing for the exam and will not go anywhere before the year." Xie Qian also wanted to be embarrassed.

The son went to visit Li Dongyang just to quell the criticism of the world, and Xie Qian didn't think it was necessary.

"Bin Zhi, I have something to say. In fact, I wanted to tell you two days ago. It's like this... I learned from Lu Quanqing that Zhang Bingkuan didn't seem to be in the capital recently. Even Lu Quanqing seemed to doubt that Zhang Bingkuan was leading the troops. Went to Jizhou." After thinking about it again and again, Xie Qian decided to tell the matter.

Li Dongyang said: "Does he want to personally lead the troops to make achievements?"

Xie Qian shook his head slightly and said with a helpless expression: "I didn't know what he wanted to do, so I asked someone to ask. Indeed, except for Chao Shang, he didn't even go to the Ministry of War, and he didn't see the Yanwu Hall. He is missing. This time, Prince Consort Cui Yuan and Anbian Hou Zhu Feng are both out on an expedition. None of them can take the lead. Since His Majesty attaches great importance to this battle, he asked Zhang Bingkuan to go to the other side of the Tatars and come back with some merit. , it’s not impossible.”

Li Dongyang thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "It's unlikely."

"Oh? Why?" Xie Qian said, "Do you think Zhang Bingkuan doesn't even have the courage?"

Li Dongyang said: "He still has some courage. The Xuanfu rushed to support Weininghai in the battle, and he sent troops quickly. It's just that he didn't personally lead the troops in so many opportunities before. Why did he send troops from Jizhen this time? It seems There are no major changes that require him to go there in person?"

Xie Qian analyzed: "Could it be that the Tatars may have a group of troops who want to invade the border from Jizhou. He expected it in advance and was prepared to kill the enemy by surprise."

Li Dongyang said: "If this is really the case, His Majesty may not say it to the court. Doesn't this mean to scare the snake?"

"This……"

Xie Qian couldn't explain why.

Li Dongyang said with some emotion: "Since Zhang Bingkuan entered Beijing, he has repeatedly done extraordinary things. If he was fighting for the front line, I don't think he would lead the troops so rashly. It's not his direct descendant there. Liu Yu is just a follower at best." The local Censor who has risen to the top does not have a deep friendship with him."

Xie Qian smiled and said: "Do you think that Ma Futu has helped Liu Yu, so Liu Yu will not devote himself to Zhang Bingkuan?"

Li Dongyang did not answer such a sensitive question of party affiliation. He continued: "Zhang Bingkuan does not follow common sense in doing things. Whether he is present or not, as long as he has a bad relationship with His Majesty, it will be difficult for us to ask. I have learned that Wang Boan led his troops from Weining Hai The dispatch of troops is expected to be the highlight of His Majesty’s expectations.”

"Wang Bo'an sent troops? Your Majesty... never mentioned it." Xie Qian felt that the situation seemed a bit serious.

Li Dongyang said: "That's why I feel that Zhang Bingkuan's failure to show up is just a cover-up. The main Tatar tribe's troops are all to the west of Weining Sea, so what's the point of sending troops from Ji Town? Even if he went east, It's probably also for the construction of the harbor in Yongping Mansion, so don't get too entangled. You should concentrate on recuperating, and you must return to the court in the next two days."

Xie Qian forced a smile and said, "Let's talk about it later."

……

……

Inside Xinuan Pavilion.

Zhu Youtang is sitting cross-legged. The warm floor makes him very comfortable. He feels more energetic even when doing things. It feels like strolling in a garden. It is about to enter the cold winter, but it also feels like spring all year round.

The sandalwood on the side is also burning, which can calm him down.

At this moment, Chen Kuan walked in, knelt down in front of him, and placed several new memorials on the octagonal table in front of Zhu Youtang. "Is there any news from the northwest?" Zhu Youtang asked.

Chen Kuan said: "Not yet. At present, the court and the government are discussing... the matter of Cai Guogong not showing up for several days."

Zhu Youtang held the pen in his hand and continued to dip it in cinnabar ink and said: "Bingkuan went to do something for me. He will not return to Beijing for many days in the future. Even I am not in a hurry. Why do those people care so much? Could it be that they Do you miss Bingkuan more than I do?"

Chen Kuan wanted to ask, why did you send Mr. Zhang?

But Chen Kuan was very careful now and did not dare to have any inconsistency with the emperor. Even asking an inappropriate question would be a sin for him.

"Counting the days, he is almost here. Speaking of which, he is not in Beijing. Sometimes when I am depressed, I can't find anyone to talk to." Zhu You put down his pen again.

People are not as motivated as before, and they seem to start slacking off all of a sudden.

Chen Kuan said: "Your Majesty, you should get more rest. Recently I heard that many ministers in the court have caught wind and cold, and they are all recuperating at home."

"Are you saying thank you to Yu Qiao?" Zhu Youtang said, "I know that he is not sick at all, he is just avoiding me on purpose. I didn't plan to do anything to him, I just want to know what their cabinet wants to do. Now he is so evasive. , This shows that the cabinet’s actions against Bingkuan’s people are far from over, they are just planning some things secretly.”

Chen Kuan was also shocked when he heard this.

The cabinet was obviously the government office that the emperor relied on most before. It was equivalent to the emperor's advisers and even the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty.

Now the emperor and his ministers are not in harmony to this extent? Not only are they suspicious of each other, but they even have their own plans and are starting to compete?

"His Majesty……"

"You don't need to say anything. I actually know that they don't want the relationship between Bingkuan and the British father to be harmonious, and I have no intention of making them harmonious. It's just that someone deliberately instigated the situation, which is too deliberate. Even Bingkuan Kuan has squeezed the position of the old British nobles in the government, but all this is for the country and the people, and it is not Bingkuan's original intention, but my wish."

Zhu Youtang flicked his sleeves and said, "If you want to pretend to be sick, let him continue to be sick. The cabinet is not afraid of shortage of people. I have thought about it and it seems that the time has come for Bingkuan to join the cabinet."

Chen Kuan was even more frightened after hearing this.

It turns out that the emperor already had a plan to replace the iron triangle in the cabinet.

Letting Cheng Minzheng join the cabinet is only the first step. The next step is for Zhang Zhou to join the cabinet. It is very likely that the next step will be for Wang Hao and others to join the cabinet.

Because among the people who might join the cabinet, it seems that only Cheng Minzheng is worthy of "sacrifice". In order to make way for Zhang Zhou, the emperor did not advocate letting Wang Hao join the cabinet before. We can also see the clues. Everyone else should be for Zhang Zhou. Zhou enters the pavilion to pave the way.

"But now there is a place to listen. It doesn't seem that important whether Bingkuan joins the cabinet. I just rely on the cabinet to make suggestions. I feel that there is indeed something missing. However, the world still recognizes the elder cabinet more, and sometimes I have to let Bingkuan do two things."

The emperor's meaning was clearer.

It doesn't matter whether he joins the cabinet or not, but Zhang Bingkuan is already my most important adviser.

However, if the civil servant does not agree with the Shangting Department, then I can only let him become the Minister of the Listening Department first, and then the cabinet minister, so that others will not object based on the rules.

……

……

Li Dongyang didn't bother to go back to rest, but went straight to the official office and saw Ma Wensheng who was drinking tea.

Even Li Dongyang was surprised by Ma Wensheng's ability to keep a low profile. In Li Dongyang's view, it seemed that Ma Wensheng in front of him had indeed lost his energy.

"Bin Zhi, I don't think Zhang Bingkuan will personally lead the troops. He has a good life, so why would he take the initiative? How much benefit can this battle bring to him?"

Ma Wensheng analyzed that Zhang Zhou would not go to the battlefield from a human perspective.

What's the point of going to the battlefield if there's no profit to be made? Leaving the capital was tantamount to leaving the emperor, which would only bring opportunities for political opponents to attack him.

Unless sending troops from Jizhou this time would bring huge benefits to Zhang Zhou, Zhang Zhou would be more suitable to be the mastermind behind this battle.

Li Dongyang said: "That's what I told Yu Qiao at first, but it seems that Zhang Bingkuan is not in Beijing now. What do you think he can do? Just build ships and repair ports? No matter how unstable the Ming Dynasty's maritime borders are, how can it have such a big impact on him?" The attraction makes him forget to eat and sleep?"

Ma Wensheng smiled and said nothing.

He just added tea to Li Dongyang and continued to close his eyes and rest his mind, as if he was thinking, but more like enjoying himself.

Li Dongyang asked: "Is it possible that Ma Butang doesn't agree with you?"

Ma Wensheng smiled, shook his head and said: "I cannot say whether I agree or disagree with something that cannot be confirmed. I just think that going to sea can bring a harvest of more than one million taels of silver to the Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty can say that this is He is very enthusiastic, and it is not impossible to arrange a few more trips to sea. Isn't it strange that he personally supervises it? "

Li Dongyang said: "You can only bring back money, but you can't bring back any foreign products. What's the use?"

"That's not necessarily the case, Binzhi." Ma Wensheng said, "Isn't it that there are some new crops that will be sown in the next spring? This Zhang Bingkuan's ambition is not small. Have you ever seen any minister like him, for the sake of something? Something that seems incredible, so passionate that you forget yourself?"

Li Dongyang thought for a while and shook his head. He really couldn't think of any capable person in history who would talk nonsense like Zhang Zhou.

When the sea was stable, it was highly recommended to build ships and go to sea.

A civil servant actually made a name for himself by relying on astronomy and horoscopes, and he even relied on Kanyu Xuankong in battles... He was really like a half-immortal.

Now even the crops that have been inherited by the people of the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years have to be changed in farming methods. This is not a cool thing, but simply unbelievable. The literati under the influence of traditional Confucian culture and their conservative nature cannot accept this at all. Raising people.

Li Dongyang said: "What if he really led troops from Jizhen to go on an expedition?"

"Just take him with you." Ma Wensheng also seemed less interested, "In the past few years, the court has made a lot of attempts to impeach him. Your Majesty seems to be too lazy to care about it now. Zhang Bingkuan can give whatever your Majesty wants, and now he probably can't." Even though the country is at peace and the people are at peace, apart from the fact that he is not doing his job properly, I don’t see him doing anything harmful to the country and the people, so let’s just wait and see what happens.”

It seems that even Ma Wensheng is lazy.

He couldn't beat Zhang Zhou.

The emperor's unconditional support and even his popularity among the people were growing, but it seemed useless to rely solely on the opposition and exclusion of civil servants.

"If he sends troops, will he definitely win?" Li Dongyang asked seriously.

Ma Wensheng naturally heard that Li Dongyang meant to trip up Zhang Zhou behind his back. He said: "Bin Zhi, just think about some things and stop it. After all, Zhang Bingkuan is also the hope of the Ming Dynasty warriors. There is no need to put their Hope has been shattered. People everywhere are still waiting for the New Deal reforms to bring long-term stability. If it changes, it is impossible for anyone to accept the situation in the past. Nothing can go back, so it is better to be bearish." (This chapter) over)