Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Your Majesty truly desires to become a saint!"

"He actually discussed academic matters with Qian Qianyi during the leadership transition and even sought out talented individuals from the public?"

"To relinquish such important matters and merely engage in empty talk in the court?"

With some confusion, Min Hongxue asked, feeling unable to see the situation in the imperial court clearly.

Based on his observations in the provinces, the current emperor has consolidated his power after purging the eunuch faction.

They release policies and establish pilot zones every now and then.

Local officials who were promoted were mostly those who did a good job of implementing the emperor's policies.

If he hadn't distinguished himself during the period when Hubei and Hunan were divided into two provinces, he wouldn't have been able to become the Minister of Revenue in Nanjing.

He arrived in the capital to pay his respects and express gratitude. Then, carrying the emperor's and the court's instructions, he went to Nanjing to carry them out.

In order to find out the court's intentions, Min Hongxue naturally sought out his fellow townsman, Wen Tiren, to inquire about information.

Wen Tiren may appear unassuming in the cabinet, but he is actually a man of great vision and wisdom.

He was adept at discerning the emperor's intentions and understood some of the emperor's plans:

"The current emperor may seem a bit impatient, but he is actually very cautious."

"Take the policies formulated in recent years as an example. If they were all implemented, both the imperial court and local governments would be in a state of chaos."

"But the Emperor made the policies hastily, and never urged them to be implemented."

"He was simply praising officials who were willing to work and letting them choose for themselves."

"The task of offending people is often entrusted to ministers."

"The reason Han Kuang was retained was because he came up with a clever plan."

What is a subtotal?
It not only involves formulating annual plans, but also assessing officials across the country in accordance with grand plans.

This may not be as many officials as the Imperial Examination and the Grand Assessment, but with assessments conducted year after year, officials will eventually have to follow the imperial court's orders.

Wen Tiren had long realized that the emperor's mindset regarding the restoration of rites and music was already set. What he needed now was not officials who could propose new policies, but ministers who could implement them.

Therefore, Yang Jingchen, who had relatively new ideas and was able to propose new policies, failed to become the Grand Secretary.

Han Kuang, the conservative and somewhat soft-hearted chief minister, was controversial in court and among the public, yet his position seemed precarious but was actually secure.

That's exactly the kind of person the emperor wanted—someone who had no ideas of his own and could only follow orders.

In addition, Han Kuang is relatively weak-willed, so there is not much resistance to replacing him. In fact, he might even resign on his own when faced with pressure.

On the contrary, if Yang Jingchen, as a minister who advocated the new policies, were to be dismissed while implementing them, it would easily give the public the impression that the new policies were abandoned, which would be detrimental to their implementation.

The paradox of politics lies in this: those who adhere to the old ways often have more room to maneuver when implementing new policies, and they are more likely to do things that reformers cannot.

Wen Tiren estimates that if Han Kuang does a decent job this term, he will most likely be re-elected next term.

As the first official Grand Secretary appointed by the emperor to reform rites and music and implement term limits, the emperor must have wanted to set an example by allowing him to serve his full nine-year term.
Nine years!

"Han Kuang has only served one term as Grand Secretary; he won't step down for another six years."

Will I still have a chance to become Prime Minister six years from now?

Wen Tiren shook his head, feeling it was difficult.

Six years later, he will be sixty-six years old. Given the current emperor's style of not using ministers over seventy years old unless absolutely necessary, he will only have one term.

Such a short-serving prime minister makes it difficult to establish authority and command obedience from officials at all levels. They may not even be considered by the emperor, lest they have to be replaced after three years.

Especially since, ahead of Wen Tiren, there was the even younger Grand Secretary Yang Jingchen. This man was only fifty-three years old this year, and six years later he would still be under sixty, possibly serving for nine years like Han Kuang.

Given the emperor's high regard for Yang Jingchen, as long as he is in good health, he will most likely become the next Grand Secretary.

Even if Wen Tiren was unwilling, he could only keep his mind to himself in the face of such an opponent. He even sought refuge under Yang Jingchen's command to avoid being targeted by the Donglin faction.
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As Wen Tiren pondered his future, he heard Min Hongxue say:
"The annual check-up is something that can offend people."

"Can Prime Minister Han make this decision?"

"I don't think he's that kind of person."

Wen Tiren chuckled upon hearing this, and reclined in his chair, saying:
"Prime Minister Han is certainly not that kind of person."

"But he was forced by the emperor to do it, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue."

“Look, even a governor-general from the provinces like you knows that the Emperor has delegated power to Chief Minister Han to oversee the leadership transition, giving him full authority.”

"If he still doesn't do well, who will the world blame?"

"His Majesty has repeatedly emphasized the unity of power and responsibility, precisely in preparation for this."

"It's impossible to think that one can simply shirk responsibility for power."

"When the Emperor goes fishing in his leisure time, it is a way of making a statement to his ministers."

What was he saying? He was showing the court and the public that he was giving Han Kuang more power.

If anything happens in the court in the future, Han Kuang will be the first person responsible.

Thinking about the responsibilities he was in charge of, Wen Tiren sighed:

"The Emperor's shift to abstract matters is intended to make the Grand Secretary take the blame."

"In the future, if the Ming Dynasty is not well governed, people will not curse the emperor as a tyrant."

"Instead, they would criticize the prime minister for being incompetent and lacking the ability."

"If Han Kuang still had any sense of shame and wanted to be granted a title after retiring, he would have no choice but to grit his teeth and continue doing it."

This was his speculation that the current emperor wanted to find a scapegoat.

After all, the emperor had long predicted that the drought in the Ming Dynasty would become increasingly severe and would last for more than a decade.

Even if the cause is attributed to the Western massacre, when people suffer from drought or even unrest, they still need to find a scapegoat.

Han Kuang's reputation as the leader of the Donglin Party was enough for him to shoulder these responsibilities.

This is also why Wen Tiren has somewhat given up and hasn't made a concerted effort to vie for the position of Grand Secretary.

With his small frame, he's not up to the task of shouldering such a heavy responsibility.

Min Hongxue pondered Wen Tiren's words and asked:

"Then, when I serve as Minister of Revenue in Nanjing, should I also implement the minor measures and carry out the policies set forth by the Emperor?"

"So that I can find an opportunity to return to the court during the next leadership transition."

Wen Tiren shook his head, not optimistic about it.

He learned from Min Hong:

"Your position as Minister of Revenue in Nanjing was specially appointed by the Emperor to appease the local governors."

"But to be honest, you haven't done a good job in Hubei and Hunan. There are still many problems in Hubei."

"If you do not achieve any extraordinary feats while serving as Minister of Revenue in Nanjing, you will definitely be on the list of those who retire during the next reshuffle."

Min Hongxue is a bit older than him, already sixty-six years old this year. According to the old saying "seven up, eight down," he will most likely retire in three years when he is sixty-nine.

However, Min Hongxue felt that he was still at an age where he could make meritorious contributions, and of course he was unwilling to retire in disgrace.

In particular, the current emperor is very generous in bestowing titles; as long as one has made merit, one can receive the corresponding title.

He felt that if he didn't seize such an opportunity, his descendants would surely curse him.

In particular, his cousin Min Mengde would be granted the title of Earl after retiring from officialdom. Min Hongxue did not want to be outdone or to acknowledge the other as the head of the Min family, so he had to strive for a high-ranking title.

He said to Wen Tiren: "Those who are over sixty-eight years old and remain in office need to establish outstanding merits."

"I wonder if Lord Wen has any ideas, and could you please give me some pointers?"

Wen Tiren and he were from the same hometown, so they naturally belonged to the same faction in officialdom.

He took Min Hongxue's request very seriously, and after thinking it over, he said:
"I do have a solution, but I don't know if you can make up your mind."

"You know Shen Yongmao and Guo Shangyou, right?"

"The reason they can still hold official positions at such an advanced age is because they went overseas."

"If you tell the Emperor that you are willing to serve overseas, the Emperor will definitely arrange a place for you."

"Putting everything else aside, the India campaign needs someone to lead it. Sun Yuanhua is not qualified enough, and Yuan Chonghuan made a mistake before. If you want to go, you can compete for this position."

This is indeed a position where one can make meritorious contributions, especially since Min Hongxue previously served as the governor of Yunnan and participated in suppressing the She'an Rebellion, so he has experience in leading troops and is relatively more familiar with India in the southwest.

However, Min Hongxue was still hesitant to give up the comfortable life of Nanjing and go to fight in the wild overseas lands.

he asked:
When will the India campaign begin?

"I don't think this war will break out anytime soon."

Wen Tiren nodded in agreement:
"That's why I say the current emperor seeks stability, which is also why he delegates power."

"For the Emperor, apart from the Jurchens, there is no imminent threat, so there is no need to be as anxious as before."

"What he needs to do now is to live longer according to the theory of immortality and ensure that the previously established policies are implemented."

"First, we'll dismantle Korea, then conquer Japan, then occupy the entire South Pacific, and expel the Netherlands and other countries."

"Only when all these are done can the Indian campaign begin; this is Your Majesty's strategy."

This was something he had someone analyze carefully, all in order to secure a position in the Grand Council and the opportunity to be granted a noble title.

Xu Guangqi was able to be ennobled based on his achievements in the Grand Council, and he felt that he could too.

If he couldn't become the Grand Secretary, the only one worth striving for was the Grand Secretary in charge of the Grand Council.

Therefore, he hoped that Min Hongxue would lead the troops and that he could have his own people in the army.

Min Hongxue asked, puzzled:

"According to the Emperor's strategy, it will take decades to conquer India."

"I'm already in my sixties or seventies, how can I possibly wait any longer?"

Wen Tiren laughed heartily:
"The Emperor's thoughts are his own, but there are quite a few people in the army who don't think so."

“Hong Chengchou and Mao Wenlong are now planning to fight Japan.”

“Sun Yuanhua, Yuan Chonghuan and others, as well as members of the imperial family and nobles, also wanted to start a campaign in India to conquer a territory and collect taxes.”

"With Yuan Shikai suppressing the Privy Council, the desire to wage war cannot be heard."

"However, the Privy Council will be reorganized next year, and Zhu Xieyuan, who is currently in charge of the Annam war, will return to Beijing to take charge of the Privy Council."

"Although he made great contributions in Annam, it was not so easy for him to suppress those meritorious military generals."

"They will most likely meet these people's requests and find some travel guides for these places."

This was his estimate, which suggested that if the emperor relinquished control, no one could suppress those meritorious officials unless Yuan Keli and Sun Chengzong joined forces.

No matter how capable Zhu Xieyuan was, he was not considered a meritorious official of Liaodong.

In this situation, what choice would Zhu Xieyuan make? He would most likely support the meritorious official who conquered Southeast Asia.

Wen Tiren said:

"After Zhu Xieyuan goes to Beijing, Fu Zonglong, the Governor-General of the Southwest and Governor of Yunnan, will most likely take over his position."

"You have experience serving as the Governor of Yunnan. If you request to serve as the Governor-General of the Southwest, the Emperor will most likely agree."

"At that time, I will be able to command Yuan Chonghuan to conquer Burma and enter India from Burma."

This was Wen Tiren's plan; he had found opportunities for Min Hongxue to make a name for himself through various gaps in the system.

As far as he knew, Yuan Chonghuan had this intention and had recently been lobbying Han Kuang to begin the Burma campaign so that he could quickly gain merit and become the Governor-General of the Southwest after Fu Zonglong was transferred.

However, Yuan Chonghuan made several mistakes, which made Han Kuang less trusting of his abilities.

Furthermore, the current emperor seeks stability and is unwilling to launch a major war against other countries before Annam is completely eliminated.

Therefore, the emperor suppressed the plans to attack Burma and conquer Japan, intending to hand them over to Zhu Xieyuan after he took over the Privy Council.

In order to reward the meritorious officials who quelled the She'an Rebellion, Zhu Xieyuan would most likely agree to the Burma campaign.

Upon hearing this, Min Hongxue was extremely excited.

Even if the subsequent Indian campaign could not be carried out, the achievement of conquering Burma would be enough to earn him a count's title.

Back then, Wang Yue and others were all granted titles for attacking Luchuan, and he has the opportunity to replicate that achievement.

So he said very excitedly:

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Wen, to make sure you recommend one or two people when the position of Governor-General of the Southwest becomes vacant."

"If I could become the Governor-General of the Southwest, I would certainly support Lord Wen in taking charge of military affairs."

Clearly, he had guessed Wen Tiren's idea and knew that Wen Tiren wanted to demonstrate his military capabilities to gain control of military affairs.

When the time comes, one will be in the imperial court and the other in the border region, so they can support each other and move forward hand in hand.

Wen Tiren stroked his beard and smiled, having reached an agreement with Min Hongxue.

Then he asked:

Are there any good positions available in Nanjing?

"Xie Sheng failed to become a junior minister this time, and he is unwilling to take up a local post."

"I want to transfer him to Nanjing."

This is another capable subordinate of his, and he originally intended to place him in the Ministry of Personnel based on his previous experience as a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel Selection.

However, the emperor kept a close eye on the Ministry of Personnel, and it was Yang Jingchen and Guo Yunhou's territory, so he couldn't get involved at all.

As a result, after failing to be selected as a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel and failing to become one of the Nine Ministers, Xie Sheng had no choice but to go to Nanjing.

Min Hongxue was about to take up a post in Nanjing, so he naturally paid attention to the officialdom there. He said:

"There aren't many official positions in Nanjing, and the officials in the hall are not as prestigious as those in Beijing. Even doctors are allowed to hold these positions."

"It's not difficult for Xie Shaoqing to become a high-ranking official in the various departments of Nanjing, but it's not easy to get a position like Minister or Vice Minister."

"The current emperor is very strict about the staffing system, and he will not increase the number of officials unless necessary."

This is where officials complain the most. Compared to the previous overabundance of ministers and vice ministers, the current emperor would rather grant titles than arbitrarily promote officials.

Many officials who previously served as Langzhong or Yushi and held the additional title of Shaoqing found it difficult to be promoted to Shilang.

If the emperor hadn't increased the number of high-ranking officials in various departments during this reshuffle, there would probably have been even more complaints from officials.

Xie Sheng, the Left Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was thus unable to be promoted. Unwilling to stagnate in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, he wanted to go to Nanjing to be promoted.

However, although Wen Tiren was a Grand Secretary, he still had very limited say in the appointment of ministers and vice ministers.

The current emperor prefers to discuss personnel appointments with the Nine Ministers and limit the cabinet's power over personnel matters.

After discussing it with Min Hongxue, he felt they had no immediate solutions and could only wait for the Nanjing officials to make their recommendations. (End of Chapter)