I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 782 Tell me, where do you want to go for training?
Zhang Juzheng got on the carriage at Nanhua Gate and ordered, "Go to the Cabinet Hall."

Sitting back in the duty room of the Council of State, Zhang Juzheng felt exhausted both physically and mentally. He closed his eyes involuntarily and took a nap.

His trusted follower Zhang Tong covered him with a thin blanket, closed the door and left quietly.

Suddenly, he heard a gentle knock on the door and Zhang Juzheng woke up suddenly.

He turned around and looked at the clock. It was ten minutes past six in the afternoon.

Well, I slept for half an hour.

"Who?" Zhang Juzheng yawned and rubbed his face.

Zhang Tong responded from outside: "Sir, the Minister of Public Affairs Zeng and the Chief Secretary Zhang are here."

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan walked in hand in hand, followed by two servants carrying a food box.

"Zhang Xiang, this is the dinner that Zi Yu prepared for you, and one for me. I'm a little hungry after a day of meetings.

Zhang Xiang, shall we eat here?"

Zhang Juzheng raised his head, glanced at Zhang Xueyan and Zeng Shengwu, and said cheerfully, "Okay, the three of us will eat here."

Zhang Xueyan waved his hand, and two servants opened the food boxes and placed four dishes, a bowl of soup, three rice bowls, five pairs of chopsticks, and a rice steamer on the table.

After the servant left, Zeng Shengwu grabbed the rice spoon first, scooped out three bowls of rice, and placed them in front of Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Xueyan along with a pair of chopsticks.

There are also two pairs of chopsticks, which are used as serving chopsticks.

Zhang Juzheng picked up the rice bowl, picked up the chopsticks, and glanced at the dishes on the table, "Four dishes and one soup, very good!

Three thoughts, Zi Yu, eat. "

Zhang Juzheng ate in silence. The three of them finished their meal at a leisurely pace. The servant came to clean up, wiped the table clean, and brought three cups of hot tea.

"Prime Minister Zhang." Receiving Zhang Xueyan's gaze, Zeng Shengwu understood and said, "When the meeting was over in the West Garden today, the emperor called away Lord Gangfeng and Prince Jian, and everyone was talking about it."

Zhang Juzheng glanced at the two of them. "Are you two among them?"

"Teacher," Zeng Xingwu changed his words, "To be honest, I and Ziyu did ponder over it for a while, but we don't know what the emperor meant."

"Your Majesty should take this opportunity to convene a plenary session of the Council of State and the Council of Imperial Councils to make some adjustments."

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan looked at each other and guessed correctly!

"Teacher, nothing major has happened recently, why did the emperor suddenly think of making adjustments?"

"Zhao Dazhou is suffering from various illnesses and can no longer support the army. Also, several old ministers such as Cao Bangfu, Huo Ji, and Lu Tong are all about to retire. The emperor might as well make an adjustment."

Zhao Zhenji is going to step down?

Once he stepped down, the positions of Prime Minister and Grand Councillor, one of the three giants, became vacant!
Last time, when Meilin Gong (Hu Zongxian) retired due to illness, Wang Chonggu was promoted after a series of open and covert struggles, which triggered a series of replacements. Now another position has been vacated, which naturally caused a lot of unrest.

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan thought about it calmly and immediately figured out the key.

"Teacher, the emperor wants to use Lord Gangfeng to replace Lord Dazhou and take charge of the Imperial Censorate?"

Zhang Juzheng nodded approvingly.

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan looked horrified.

"Lord Gangfeng is in charge of the Imperial Censorate? All officials are in trouble."

Zhang Juzheng disagreed and said, "Whether Hai Gangfeng is there or not, being an official in the Wanli Dynasty is not easy."

This is true.

But for some officials, it is really a life worse than death; but for officials like me, it is a mixture of pain and happiness.

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan saw the solemn expression on Zhang Juzheng's face.

It can be seen that although Zhang Xiang said this, he was actually opposed to Hai Rui taking charge of the Censorate. The two knew that Zhang Juzheng had always had a prejudice against Hai Rui.

In addition to the fact that Hai Rui wiped out the family of his mentor Xu Jie, which left him speechless, he was also secretly scolded by many scholars and Confucian scholars as ungrateful.

More importantly, the two have completely different political philosophies.

But Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan couldn't understand why they actually had similar temperaments.

As the emperor once joked, both of them were idealists who pursued perfection and were willing to sacrifice their lives for the Ming Dynasty and the people.

In the process of adhering to ideals and achieving goals, the means are flexible.
The biggest difference between the two that Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan could think of was that Hai Rui lived a life like an ascetic monk and even dragged his family to live such a life together.

Zhang Juzheng was not particular about his private life. Although he did not live a life of extreme extravagance, he still enjoyed what he should enjoy. He was also very "tolerant" towards his relatives and family members.
There aren't many differences, not even as big as the differences between us, so why do we dislike each other?

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan looked at each other and temporarily put aside their thoughts.

Zhang Xueyan asked, "Prime Minister Zhang, Lord Gangfeng is now in charge of the Imperial Censorate. What new position will the prince recommend?"

Zhang Juzheng picked up the teacup and took two sips.

"Guess."

Just take a guess.

Zhang Xueyan and Zeng Xingwu began to guess, "The emperor will definitely not let him go to the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Works. He would be wasting his talent."

"The Ministry of Revenue probably won't let him go either."

"Well, what the three provinces said makes sense. It's easy for the Minister of Revenue to get stuck in there and not be able to get out."

That’s right, the Minister of Revenue is in charge of financial expenditures and is highly professional. Those who are chosen by the Emperor and Prime Minister Zhang to hold this position are all capable and talented officials.

But if you do a good job, the Emperor and Prime Minister Zhang will be reluctant to let you go, and it will be difficult to find a suitable person to replace you.

The key reason why Wang Guoguang was able to be promoted to the right prime minister of the cabinet was that the capable minister Lu Diaoyang took over the Ministry of Revenue, which made the emperor and Prime Minister Zhang feel relieved.

After Wang Guoguang was transferred to be the Right Prime Minister, he was also in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Taifu Temple, the Dushui Temple, and the Sinong Temple.

With him keeping an eye on things, Lu Diaoyang's burden at the Ministry of Revenue was greatly reduced.

Wang Yi'e was appointed as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, specializing in checking accounts and killing people?
Zeng Shengwu counted on his fingers and said, "Only the Ministry of War, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Personnel are left. I can't guess which ministry the emperor will recommend the prince to." Why not the ministers of various temples, but must guess the ministers of one of the six ministries?
Wang Yi'e was famous throughout the world because he successively pacified the rebellions of the Yang family in Bozhou, the An family in Shuixi, the She family in Xuyong, and eleven chieftains in Yunnan, and was granted the title of Julu Earl for his military merits.

Is it possible that the emperor would only appoint such a capable minister who is both civil and military as the chief minister of a temple?

Must be one of the six ministers!

Zhang Juzheng put down his teacup and said slowly, "The emperor has mentioned that he wants Dongcun Gong (Cao Bangfu) to resign from the post of Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, stay in the capital, and transfer to the post of Jijiu of Hongwu Military Academy and Right Doctor of Constitutional Affairs. He will be semi-retired but not idle, so that he can recuperate.

The post of Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu was taken over by Xu Wenchang, and the post of Governor of Gansu was taken over by Xu Rudong (Xu Zhenming).

The emperor also intends to have Lord Si Zhai (Huo Ji) resign from his post as governor of Sui Da and right envoy of Xuan Hui Yuan, and stay in the capital to serve as the chief priest of Xuan Hui University and the right doctor of the Constitutional Court.

Xuanhui University is similar to Minzu University of China. Children of the chief territorial officers of "ethnic minority" groups such as the various wings of Mongolia, the Sushen and Solon in the northeast, and the Miao, Yao, and Zhuang in the southwest, as well as a large number of outstanding young people from various ethnic groups, study here.

"Doctor Constitutional?"

Zeng Shengwu asked curiously.

A new official position has emerged?
"That's the Attorney General. The Law Courts were changed to the Constitutional Court. Shi Lugong was the Constitutional Court Middle Attorney, Zhao Dazhou was the Constitutional Court Left Attorney, and the rest, including Cao Dongcun and Huo Sizhai, were the Right Attorneys."

Change the soup but not the dressing.

After listening to Zhang Juzheng's explanation, Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan nodded.

"After the Mongols surrendered, various methods of detention and winning over were carried out in an orderly manner and were quite effective.

But after all, they have only been subordinate for a few years, so they must be on guard against others. The Governor-General of Sui Da and the Governor-General of Jingying, one on the left and one on the right, guard the flanks of the capital. At the same time, they are also the Right Envoy of Xuanhuiyuan, directly monitoring the movements of the left and rear wings of Mongolia, which is a matter of great importance.

After Huo Sizhai leaves office, a capable official is needed to take over."

The Governor-General of Sui Da was in charge of Shanxi and Guisui areas.

The Guisui area refers to the Guihua City (Hohhot) area that was started by Altan Khan and taken over by the imperial court, as well as the Suiyuan City area built in the central part of the Hetao (near Baotou), and also includes the Ordos area south of the Hetao.

It was the core area of ​​Altan Khan's power and the front line of monitoring the left and rear wings of Mongolia. The Ming Dynasty set up several thousand households and agricultural and animal husbandry companies in these areas, which were half military and half animal husbandry.

Zhu Yijun established the Governor-General of Sui in Guihua City, in charge of the Guisui area and Shanxi.

Shanxi has its own governor, and the Sui Governor-General's responsibilities are more focused on managing the military and political affairs of the Guisui area and dealing with matters concerning the left and rear wings of Mongolia.

Shanxi is its backing.

Just as Zhang Juzheng said, this position was of great importance. Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan were wondering in their hearts, who should be sent to succeed Huo Ji?

Zhang Juzheng spoke up, "I suggest to the Emperor that Fang Xingzhi be sent to take over the post of Governor-General of Sui Da."

Send the Minister of Personnel Fang Fengshi away?
Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan were shocked.

Fang Fengshi seems to be quiet, but he is the backbone of Zhang Xiang's party, and can even be said to be the leader.

He first served as the chief minister of the Guanglu Temple, and later as the Minister of Personnel. He also served as the deputy director of the Central Performance Assessment System Steering Committee. He was responsible for most of the practical work of promoting the performance assessment system at the central and local levels.

Teacher/Zhang Xiang, are you willing to do so?
Zhang Juzheng saw the two people's confusion, stroked his beard and said: "Xingzhi is a man of great talent and strategy, and he handles military and political affairs in a timely manner. He offended many people when he was the deputy director of the Examination and Legal Affairs Committee.

I have to make some plans for his future career. He should leave Beijing and go to Guihua City for a few years to gain experience, so as to avoid the limelight and get familiar with local affairs.

The emperor is very observant and will not let his hardworking and diligent subjects suffer any injustice. "

There was some helplessness in Zhang Juzheng's words, but Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan were confused by these words and were still in shock.

The Minister of Personnel is the heavenly official in charge of the transfer and demotion of all officials!
A golden official chair was left vacant. Who wouldn't be confused when seeing it?
Zhang Xueyan asked tentatively, "Prime Minister Zhang, does the emperor intend to recommend the prince to be the Minister of Personnel?"

Zhang Juzheng shook his head. "Wang Zijian has the courage and ability, but he is too aggressive and has too much strength but not enough tenderness. He is not suitable for the position of Minister of Personnel."

He glanced at the two of them, as if to suggest, "There is another person who is more suitable for this position."

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan were both smart people. They immediately realized that the emperor had already communicated with Prime Minister Zhang about the position of Minister of Personnel and had decided on a suitable candidate. They didn't know who it would be for the time being, but it was definitely not them.

The two tried hard to suppress their melancholy. "Then only the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice are left. Where will the emperor recommend the prince to go?"

"Think about it again, think about it carefully."

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan felt a little disappointed. They forced themselves to think about it, but their minds were confused and they shook their heads.

"Sansheng, have you forgotten what the emperor said at the beginning of the meeting this morning?"

Zeng Shengwu's mind suddenly clicked as he thought, "The emperor emphasizes ruling the country according to law. The Ministry of Justice, the emperor wants the prince to be recommended to head the Ministry of Justice, and work with Lord Gangfeng to promote the rule of law that he emphasizes."

Zhang Juzheng smiled with satisfaction, stroked his beard and said, "Sanxing, Ziyu, I want you to leave the capital and go to the local areas for training. I want to ask for your opinions."

Zeng Shengwu and Zhang Xueyan both knew that the official promotion route designed by the emperor now required local experience.

It can be said that if you have not been a provincial governor or governor, you will not have the opportunity to serve as the minister of the six ministries and the chief minister of the various temples. If you have not been a minister or a chief minister, you will not have the opportunity to be promoted to the left and right chancellors of the cabinet or to the Advisory Bureau.

Both of them are now court officials in the Imperial Court Council. If they want to be promoted, they must find a way to add the title of Advisory Academician.

With the title of Advisor, not only can he legitimately participate in the Advisory Council meetings instead of just as an observer or a member of the meeting staff, and participate in the decision-making of the military and national affairs of the Ming Dynasty, but he can also progress faster than his colleagues of the same rank who do not have the title of Advisor.

If you want to be awarded the title of Advisory Bachelor, you must choose a good place to go out of the capital for training.

Zhang Juzheng met the two men's eager eyes and continued, "There are vacancies suitable for you now, one of which is the governor of Hunan.

The prince was recommended to the six ministries in Beijing, and the emperor should let Ling Yunyi, the governor of Hunan, take over as the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. The governor of Hunan should be taken over by Hu Bo'an (Hu Xi), leaving the post of Hunan governor vacant.

The second is the Governor of Jiangsu.

The Emperor discussed with me about the post of Governor of Jiangsu vacated by Lord Hai and decided to let the Minister of Rites Cai Qiushi (Cai Maochun) take over, and the Governor Xiao Xiaqing (Xiao Daheng) was transferred to be the Prefect of Huzhou, leaving the post of Governor of Jiangsu vacant.

The third is the Governor of Jinghai.

The emperor meant that Jinghai Province had been governed for several years and had returned to normal, so a governor should be appointed. Originally, the governor of Jinghai, Yang Lingde (Yang Fengming), was to be transferred, but he was to be transferred to another post, so a new one had to be chosen.

The fourth is the Governor of Liaohe River.

After Li Zi'an (Li Qian) took over as the Governor-General of Liang Liao, Chen Konglin (Chen Rui) took over the post of Governor of Liaohe. But later Wu Junze (Wu Dui) moved to Beijing to become the Minister of Honglu Temple, and Chen Konglin moved to Haidong Province to take over the post of Governor, so the post of Governor of Liaohe became vacant.

The remaining three vacancies are the Henan Provincial Governor, Shandong Provincial Governor, and Anhui Provincial Governor."

Zhang Juzheng looked at the two of them, and asked with deep eyes: "Tell me, where do you want to go to train for these seven vacancies?"

(End of this chapter)