I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 505: The ruthless Zhang Juzheng

Zhang Juzheng raised his head upon hearing the voice and saw Li Chunfang standing at the door. He quickly put down his pen, stood up from behind his desk, and greeted him with a bow, saying, "The Prime Minister is here. Please take a seat."

Seeing how polite he was, Li Chunfang could no longer get angry and walked into the house angrily.

Zhang Juzheng stood at the door and glanced around with a stern look.

Upon hearing the noise, the clerks who had gathered in the corridor to watch the excitement shrank their necks in fear and went back to their offices.

The surroundings suddenly became empty and quiet.

Zhang Juzheng said to the attendant at the door, "Serve the tea, and then keep watch. No one is allowed to approach."

"Yes."

Zhang Juzheng took the teacup from the long-servant at the door, held it in both hands, and personally placed it on the table next to Li Chunfang. He asked loudly, "Prime Minister, why are you so angry?"

"Uncle, you know what the situation is. Why add fuel to the fire?"

"Yuan Fu, why add fuel to the fire?"

Li Chunfang took out the Ministry of Personnel's report book, threw it on the table, and said angrily: "Your Ministry of Personnel issued such a report book, using the excuse of failing the examination to suspend 231 officials in Beijing.

Look who is inside, Wang Lin, Ding Shimei, Gao Yongchun, Cheng Wenyi, Li You, Zhao Zhongyi, Zhang Chong, Dong Chuanze, Zhang Shuda, what do you want to do! "

Zhang Juzheng did not hide it any more, "Brother Zishi, it's very simple. Uncle does not want these people to attend the court meeting on the first day of February. He does not want them to stir up trouble at the emperor's first court meeting, which is like the emperor's enthronement ceremony!"

"Ridiculous! Stupid!" Li Chunfang said anxiously, "Can you stop people from talking like this?"

Zhang Juzheng used the excuse today that he was trying out the performance evaluation system in the Ministry of Personnel. Some Beijing officials failed the performance evaluation and were temporarily suspended from their posts in accordance with the performance evaluation regulations. They will then return to their posts after attending a study class for a period of time.

In the list of those suspended from the Ministry of Personnel, there were those who had indeed failed the examinations in the six ministries and temples, as well as Wang Lin's party.

Since you have been temporarily suspended, you are definitely not eligible to attend the court meeting.

You can't even get into Chengtian Gate, so why are you submitting an impeachment petition in public?

Li Chunfang continued to talk about Zhang Juzheng, "What's wrong? Do you want to do as the emperor said, if you can't solve the problem, then get rid of the person who created the problem?
Uncle, you are cutting yourself off from the literati community!"

Zhang Juzheng sighed, "Brother Zishi, you are still hoping for the best. I don't have even a shred of hope. The implementation of the new policy has become a life-and-death struggle."

Li Chunfang was stunned, surprised that Zhang Juzheng described the situation so seriously.

"Uncle, why do you say that?"

Zhang Juzheng stood up, took out a few books from the bookshelf, walked back and handed them to Li Chunfang.

"Zishi, take a look."

Li Chunfang took them and looked at them. They were a few storybooks. Then he looked at the titles on the cover and his face changed: "Records of Minister Xu's Retribution", "Records of Grand Master Zhang's Splendid Story", and "Dream of Spring in the Western Garden".

What is this?

Zhang Juzheng said with an unpleasant expression: "The Record of the Retribution of Minister Xu" says that in a certain dynasty there was a minister named Xu who was narrow-minded and vindictive. When he was in trouble, he was despised and ridiculed by a monk in charge of reception at a Buddhist temple, so he held a grudge.

Later, he became friends with Governor Hu in his court and gradually rose to prominence. One night, he stayed at the home of a famous prostitute in Hangzhou and secretly stole one of her embroidered shoes. He then presented it to the governor, saying that he had found it in the room of a monk in a Buddhist temple.

The governor, without any investigation, ordered the monk to be arrested and beheaded outside the camp.

Later, the minister rose rapidly to the position of vice minister and even married a beautiful woman, feeling very proud. But one day when he returned home, he suddenly saw through the window his wife embracing and flirting with a handsome monk.

Xu was furious and rushed in with his sword drawn, only to find his wife alone in the room, but no monk. He questioned his wife, but could not find the answer.

A few days later, when Xu Shilang returned home, he suddenly found his wife sleeping on the bed with the handsome monk. Seeing this, Xu Shilang was furious and drew his sword to kill the adulterer and the adulteress.

The maids and servants who rushed over after hearing the noise grabbed Minister Xu, only to find that there was only the body of his wife on the bed, and the monk was nowhere to be seen.

Xu Shilang, who murdered someone, was protected by Hu Duxian, who falsely reported his wife as having died of an illness and hurriedly buried her. Not long after, he married a young and beautiful woman and continued to live a carefree life.

A wandering monk came to the rear palace and told Minister Xu, who then realized that it was the monk who was wrongly killed and came to seek revenge.

This is "The Retribution of Minister Xu". Mr. Shilu, who do you think this Minister Xu is? And who is the Governor Hu who killed innocent people without asking questions and shielded them for personal gain?"

Li Chunfang replied solemnly: "Xu Wenchang, Hu Ruzhen!"

Zhang Juzheng continued: "In the "Zhang Ge Lao Hua Qi Lu", it is said that there was a Zhang Ge Lao in a certain dynasty, who was known as the Jiangling Prodigy."

When Li Chunfang heard this, he was stunned.

It's so obvious, why don't you just point out the name?

"For this minister's lunch, the kitchen prepared more than a hundred dishes, including both land and sea food, which cost hundreds of gold. But Minister Zhang sat there holding his chopsticks and said that the food was so plain and simple that he had no idea where to start.

Moreover, this old man was very afraid of heat, and the summer nights were the most unbearable, and he was often unable to sleep all night due to the heat. So a certain governor of a certain place presented a bamboo lady. It was said to be made of a hundred-year-old Huguang Xiangfei bamboo, and the surrounding area was decorated with Tianshan black jade, which cost a thousand gold coins.

The old man fell asleep holding Madam Zhu in his arms. Even on the hottest summer night, it was as if he was holding the ice and snow fairy in his arms, sleeping soundly all night. "Mr. Shi Lu" is written so clearly, it is self-evident who this old man Zhang is. "

Li Chunfang nodded with a gloomy face.

Zhang Juzheng continued, "The Dream of Spring in the Western Garden tells the story of a prince in a certain dynasty who lived in the Western Garden and was presented with seven beauties by the local people."

Li Chunfang slammed the table and said sternly: "Okay, no need to say more!"

Zhang Juzheng saw Li Chunfang getting angry and continued, "Mr. Shilu, relying on your writing skills, you can fabricate stories, distort the truth, slander people, and create trouble. Isn't that what those people are good at?
These books were beautifully printed and spread all over the country along with the pamphlets and posters. Mr. Shi Lu, they regarded us as traitors like Yan Song and used their pen to destroy our reputation.

Do you think this matter can be alleviated?" Li Chunfang closed his eyes in pain and murmured, "What are they doing? Not only do they insult the important officials of the court, but they even dare to insult the emperor with the private affairs of the palace.

The way to death! The way to death! "

Zhang Juzheng said to Li Chunfang: "Brother Zishi, the undercurrent has become so turbulent, do you still need Your Majesty to protect us from the wind and rain?

Brother Zishi once told me that the old road was difficult to walk, and the new road is even more difficult! However, no matter how difficult it is, we cannot expect Your Majesty to clear all the thorns for us.

If they want to fight, then let them fight!
With the new policy reform, we will encounter more dangers in the future. We can't just let things go peacefully! If we don't strike hard, how can we dispel the evil haze!"

Li Chunfang opened his eyes and looked at Zhang Juzheng with a complicated expression, "Uncle, you are still responsible."

Zhang Juzheng replied: "In presiding over the New Deal reform, responsibility is the most important thing."

Li Chunfang shook his head: "Uncle, it's not that simple. What you did today is to completely break off relations with those people. There is no room for reconciliation."

"Brother Zishi, ever since Uncle Da took over the new policy reform from the Emperor, he has been determined to burn his boats."

Li Chunfang suddenly realized that Zhang Juzheng's fierce counterattack was also for the emperor to see, to demonstrate his determination to persist in the new policy reforms.

Thinking of the open and covert struggles between Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong for the leadership of the New Deal reforms some time ago, Li Chunfang sighed deeply.

Ding Shimei and Gao Yongchun stormed into the study room of Wang Lin's mansion angrily, "How despicable! Zhang Shuda is also a Jiangling prodigy, a Jinshi or Shujishi, but he actually resorted to such a dirty trick!

Shameless! Despicable! "

Wang Lin looked angry but helpless.

Zhang Chong and Dong Chuanze, who were sitting next to each other, looked at each other and felt a little discouraged.

Zhang Juzheng was not only a cabinet minister but also the Minister of Personnel. He was ordered to try out the performance evaluation system and deal with people according to the system. You really couldn't do anything to him.

You can go and appeal, but after the first day of February, no one knows when the next morning court session will be held.

Once the opportunity was lost and the fatal attack could not be launched, all the hard planning of the previous days was wasted.

Gao Yongchun asked anxiously, "Mr. Jijin, what should we do? We are all ready. We have polished the memorial to the court more than ten times and have shown it to all our relatives and friends. Now we can't even enter Chengtian Gate, so how can we impeach in public?"

Wang Lin was also anxious, but he knew he couldn't show it, otherwise people would lose their morale and the team would be even harder to lead.

"Why panic? There are many righteous people in the court. Uncle Zhang has suspended us from our posts, and there are other colleagues who will follow suit."

Dong Chuance asked curiously, "Who? Who else? I looked at the list published by the Ministry of Personnel. All 81 of us were caught in the net. We were all suspended from our posts and sent to study in a one-month class."

Wang Lin glanced at him, feeling angry.

How would I know who else is there? I have to go look for them now!

When I saw that nearly a hundred people were willing to submit an impeachment petition together at the morning court, I thought I had a sure win, so I didn't contact them any more. I never expected that Zhang Juzheng would come up with such a ruthless move!
Just don’t let us enter Chengtian Gate!

Wang Lin calmed down and said, "The traitors are now counterattacking frantically, and the situation is serious. In order to prevent the news from leaking out, I will not mention the names of other colleagues here.

I will contact them later and ask them to submit a petition on our behalf. Don't panic, we are all righteous people. We are united and will work together to overthrow the treacherous officials!"

Ding Shimei, Gao Yongchun, Zhang Chong and Dong Chuanze looked at each other.

Are people really wholeheartedly devoted to the holy religion and the so-called righteous path of heaven, willing to risk abandoning their homes and careers?
Just kidding, we are all adults, don’t be so childish!
Now the people of the New Party occupy important positions, and Hanhua Qingliu is being excluded and neglected. If we don't take advantage of this great opportunity of the strange phenomenon to fight back fiercely, there will be no place for us in the future.

If we don't expel these treacherous new parties from the court and vacate important positions, how can we serve the court and contribute to the Ming Dynasty?

But now everyone had been hit by a sudden blow from Zhang Juzheng and was a little discouraged.

Everyone looked at Wang Lin, who had a calm face, and made secret guesses in their hearts.

How much truth and how much falsehood is there in what Wang Jijin said?

Ge Shouli and Zhang Siwei also found Gao Gong as soon as possible.

"This Uncle Zhang is really..." Zhang Siwei originally wanted to say that Zhang Juzheng was courageous, but he was quick-witted and afraid of irritating Gao Gong, so he quickly changed his words: "How courageous! He actually used public power to settle personal grudges!"

Gao Gong had been a little absent-minded these days. After listening to Zhang Juzheng's words, he was in a trance for a while before he slowly replied: "Uncle Zhang is full of ambition and arrogant.

Now that the little guys are irritating them, they are like tigers with their backs and cannot get down, and fish are rotten and they don’t care anymore. So they resort to this trick.”

Ge Shouli took out a few books, placed them on the table, frowned and said, "Su Qing, Feng Pan, look, these are the storybooks that came from the south.

Look at the names of these storybooks: "Records of Minister Xu's Retribution", "Records of Grand Master Zhang's Splendid Records", and this rather disrespectful "Dream of Spring in the Western Garden".

Wang Jijin and the others have really gone too far this time! Uncle Zhang’s actions may have angered Xiyuan!”

Gao Gong took the books, glanced through them quickly, his face changed, showing disgust, he slammed them on the table and cursed.

"Are Wang Jijin and his people at their wit's end? They are so bold that they even wrote "A Dream in the Western Garden"! They are just bastards who are only capable of causing trouble!"

Zhang Siwei took the storybooks and read them over and over again.

He was a man of great literary talent, having published more than a dozen books, and was very familiar with the printing of books. He took the book in his hand and read it over and over again, and the more he read, the more familiar he became. Suddenly, he remembered something and was startled.

His eyes involuntarily glanced at Gao Gong.

Seeing that he was still angrily scolding the author, printer and bookseller of these books, Zhang Siwei's heart moved, and he swallowed back the words he wanted to say.

(End of this chapter)