Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 589 I'm working again?

Thinking of this, Pei Qianhu couldn't help but feel a strong sense of crisis.

Of the nine officials of the Ming Dynasty, Pei Yuan can only influence one.

Moreover, the relationship between the two parties is merely one of mutual benefit.

Apart from the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who was somewhat lacking in authority, the other nine officials of the Ming Dynasty were all leaders of their respective factions, and Pei Yuan could not possibly challenge them.

Even someone like Li Shishi, outside the Censorate system, also gained influence from the Ning Kingdom.

Aside from the disgraced Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the relatively weakest of the Nine Ministers of the Ming Dynasty was Lu Wanwan, the newly appointed Minister of War.

As a remnant of Liu Jin, Lu Wan was naturally prone to being ostracized.

So when the four outer armies caused trouble before, the others joined forces to set Lu Wan up.

Now that he has gained some understanding, Lu Wan is already integrating the power that belongs to him.

Moreover, with the conclusion of the purge of Liu Jin's remnants, many officials who were implicated were left destitute and helpless.

These legacies of Liu Jin are naturally subordinates of Lu Wan's camp.

Even Wang Chang, who was far away in Shandong, received a letter from Lu Wan reminiscing about the past.

Pei Yuan could barely persuade Lu Yin, the weakest of the three, Lu Wan.

Pei Yuan simply did not intend to use this relationship for the time being, as the alliance between the "Shuanglu" had only just been formed and had not yet been tested by blood and fire in major matters.

Drawing on the rewards too early will only create cracks in this newly formed alliance.

Upon thinking of this, Commander Pei, who had been somewhat arrogant, couldn't help but sigh inwardly and almost shed tears.

To have a decisive influence on the appointment, removal, and dismissal of high-ranking civil officials in the imperial court, one must control more than half of the positions in the Nine Offices.

He, Commander Pei, didn't even have a single obedient servant.

Looking back on the past year and a half since I entered officialdom, I feel like I haven't done anything except for becoming Pei Baihu (a military officer) and Pei Qianhu (another military officer).

However, the sorrow he felt at this moment was something he couldn't tell outsiders, and Pei Yuan didn't want Dou Yu to know that he couldn't even produce the Nine Chang.

He immediately replied vaguely, "Let's discuss this matter again."

Dou Yu, unaware of Pei Qianhu's embarrassment, suggested from the side, "The appointment and removal of the Minister of War and the Left Vice Minister of War should also be subject to the recommendation of the Five Military Commissions."

“I think Xiao Ying, the Left Commander of the Central Military Commission, was also there when Commander Song got married that day. His vote was crucial.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan immediately perked up.

I'm working again?

He hesitated for a moment and said, "Including the Central Military Command, there are fourteen people involved in the court recommendation. Is Xiao Ying's vote dispensable?"

Dou Yu smiled and pointed out, "Each time the court recommends candidates, the court usually recommends two or three people. Although there are fourteen votes, as long as you have eight votes, you can guarantee a win, and as long as you have seven votes, you can guarantee a draw."

"If Governor Xiao votes for someone else, then the difference between the inside and outside votes will be two votes. Looking at it that way, isn't Governor Xiao's vote crucial?"

"Hiss—" Pei Yuan couldn't help but gasp. It turned out that Xiao Ying was quite important.

In the present dynasty, whenever a high-ranking civil official is appointed, the process of court recommendation must be followed.

Aside from the Ministry of War being a special case where the opinion of the Five Military Commissions must be considered, the appointment of other high-ranking officials depends on the results of these nine votes.

In other words, getting five votes guarantees a win.

Every vote these bigwigs cast, regardless of who they choose, is equivalent to two votes in total.

No wonder anyone with a vote can become a powerful figure.

So every vote is this powerful?
In the early Ming Dynasty, the system of court recommendation was not very well-established. However, during the Zhengde era, due to breaking with convention, it became possible for ministers to enter the cabinet.

This led to a dramatic increase in the cabinet's influence over foreign affairs.

The cabinet's intentions, especially those of the chief minister, can greatly influence the direction of the procuratorial process.

This era is the most mature time for the system of recommending officials by the court, and since in the past only vice ministers entered the cabinet, the trend of ministers entering the cabinet is just beginning.

The Nine Permanent Members of the Outer Court, who can decide the appointment and removal of senior officials, are still quite powerful.

This was also the biggest source of confidence for Yang Yiqing, the Minister of Personnel and convener of the court's recommendation, in his opposition to Yang Tinghe.

Pei Yuan was thinking about a way to break through the current situation.

He didn't have many high-ranking officials to begin with, and even fewer were qualified to be part of the nine-person group.

Are they going to add more burdens to Wang Chang? But Shandong is Pei Yuan's solid base of operations, so it's also crucial. To make trouble in Shandong, the cooperation of the Shandong governor is indispensable.

But where can I find someone of a high enough rank who will also obey my orders?

As he pondered, Pei Yuan suddenly realized another excellent angle.

Getting into the Nine Offices is difficult, but you can try for the Sixth Office.

The rank of the Six Ministries Attendants was not high. Generally speaking, if a probationary official could not stay in the Hanlin Academy, the priority would be to enter the Six Ministries.

Pei Yuan had quite a few people in his circle who had the potential to become probationary scholars.

At that time, it won't be difficult to find a few people to join a supervisory department like the Sixth Division, and then have Pei Yuan help them grind monsters and build up their reputation.

Once you enter the Six Departments and gradually become a Supervising Secretary, you'll have the power to veto decisions at crucial moments, and perhaps you can make the final decision at the most important time.

Pei Yuan was lost in thought when Dou Yu asked in a low voice, "Commander of a Thousand? Should we still invite Shi Jie?"

Pei Yuan came to his senses. He thought that since Yun Buxian's matter had not yet been exposed, there was no need to be in such a hurry.

He immediately said calmly, "Just because you had a meal with me, you want to help him get the position of Left Vice Minister? Where does that put the imperial court's discipline?"

Dou Yu was stunned, not expecting Pei Yuan to set the bar so high.

However, Pei Yuan's words were yet to come.

Pei Yuan looked at Dou Yu.

"You don't actually think I'm helping you get the position of Right Provincial Governor just for a house, do you?"

Dou Yu was startled and was about to say that he dared not.

Pei Yuan calmly said, "I promoted you because you are sensible."

"Don't be ignorant or ungrateful."

Dou Yu was so shocked by these words that he broke out in a cold sweat. His fat face trembled, and he quickly stood up and said, "I dare not, I dare not. I will remember the commander's kindness."

Pei Yuan gave a somewhat disappointed "heh".

Pick up your chopsticks and continue eating the food on the table.

Dou Yu didn't dare to say anything or sit down, but stood aside and watched Pei Yuan slowly finish his meal.

Pei Yuan finished eating and got up.

Seeing that Pei Yuan was about to leave, Dou Yu quickly offered to see him off.

Pei Yuan waved his hand and said calmly, "You eat too, don't waste food."

After leaving Chengqingfang, Pei Yuan suddenly remembered something else.

Censor, inspector of the border, and appointed Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shanxi...

Holy crap, Shi Jie's resume looks so familiar, it's giving me a strange sense of déjà vu.

Pei Yuan thought for a while before realizing why he had this feeling. Wasn't his father-in-law, Zhang Lian, walking down this very path?
However, it seems that Zhang Lian in history did not transfer to the same post afterward, but instead went to Sichuan to serve as the provincial governor.

It seems that Zhang Lian and the local authorities did not engage in a two-way exchange.

Could I exert some influence on this cheap father-in-law, at least to stabilize the Shanxi border troops?

No, no, it seems I still need to deepen my relationship with Zhang Yunjun.

Pei Yuan thought back to the enchanting moments in the sedan chair that day. Although his thoughts at the time were shameless, the emotions he felt then were still worth reminiscing about.

If Song Chunniang is willing to make peace, given their relationship, Pei Yuan might be willing to apologize.

When Yan Song returned to Zhihua Temple, he had already left with full confidence.

Pei Yuan asked Chen Xinjian a few questions, and seeing that Chen Xinjian's answers were to his liking, he couldn't help but sigh, "No one understands me better than Xinjian. Now, I can finally rest assured that you can go out and command the troops."

Now that Yan Song's matter is settled, Pei Yuan needs to recommend him to the emperor as soon as possible.

He thought for a moment and then had someone fetch the flying fish robe that he had been rewarded with for his meritorious service in suppressing the Luo Sect.

Then, a few people were selected and sent to the palace to see Zhu Houzhao.

We arrived at the palace gate.

The guard, seeing that it was a Jinyiwei officer dressed in a flying fish robe and carrying an ivory token, quickly informed Pei Yuan of the emperor's whereabouts.

Once things had settled down a bit, Zhu Houzhao went to the Yongshou Earl's residence to cause trouble again.

Just as Pei Yuan and the gatekeeper were exchanging questions, a patrolling officer from the Imperial Guard came over and glanced at the showy fellow a few more times.

He immediately recognized Pei Yuan and exclaimed with delight, "Isn't this Commander Pei of our Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Pei Yuan heard this tone and saw the Jinyiwei captain's face full of joy.

He thought to himself that his conflict with Qian Ning had not affected how the Embroidered Uniform Guards viewed him.

This is a good thing.

It should be noted that one of the important channels through which Pei Yuan's subordinates obtained intelligence was by paying a small fee to their fellow Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) who were spies all over the capital.

If the relationship between the two sides deteriorates, not only will it be more troublesome and costly, but if they are cheated on regarding important intelligence, the losses will be incalculable.

Pei Yuan figured that this reputation was probably earned from Jiang Bin last time.

He quickly put on a friendly smile and said casually, "I am Pei Yuan. We're brothers, why be so polite?"

The Jinyiwei sergeant's goodwill towards Pei Yuan grew even stronger upon seeing how friendly Pei Yuan was. Hearing Pei Yuan call him "brother," he grinned from ear to ear, "This humble servant wouldn't dare. The brothers have all heard these past few days that after Commander Pei recovered from his injuries, he went and beat up Jiang Bin again."

"I heard that Commander Pei not only made Jiang Bin run away with his head in his hands, but also left most of the hundred or so elite guards with bruises and swelling on their faces."

Pei Yuan thought to himself, "Isn't it better to be passively pushed aside?"

Pei Yuan wanted to maintain good relations with these Imperial Guards, so he immediately boasted, "What injury is healed? I wasn't injured at the Great Ci'en Temple last time. It's just that I was afraid the situation would get out of control and put His Majesty in a difficult position, so I let Jiang Bin go."

"That's why I got angrier and angrier the more I thought about it, so I went and beat them up again."

These Imperial Guards had been oppressed by the four outer armies for some time, and the killing of Commander Zhou Qi made them even more humiliated.

Pei Yuan spoke with great enthusiasm, and not only the small flag bearer but also the other Imperial Guards who surrounded them felt a sense of pride.

The little flag was happy for a while, then it remembered something.

He quickly added, "By the way, there's a deputy commander named Xu Tai in Xuanfu who claimed to be ill and returned to the capital to recuperate. Later, someone recommended him to the emperor, and now Xu Tai is in charge of the four outer armies."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan's smile vanished instantly.

He then asked, "Did Xu Tai claim illness and return to the capital before my decisive battle with Jiang Bin, or after my decisive battle with Jiang Bin?"

The flag officer understood Pei Yuan's meaning and quickly replied, "It was only after the commander defeated Jiang Bin that he claimed to be ill and returned to the capital."

Pei Yuan sneered upon hearing this.

The flag bearer continued, "Xu Tai was extremely arrogant even when he joined the four outer armies. He not only belittled the commander to the point of being worthless, but he also didn't take Jiang Bin seriously. He even boasted that he wanted to have a good match with the commander."

Pei Yuan finally understood completely.

This must be because the Four Garrisons saw that Jiang Bin had failed and the prestige of the border army had been ruined, so they specially sent Xu Tai to the capital to settle scores.

Otherwise, why would a dignified deputy commander of Xuanfu go and cause trouble in the small pond of the four outer armies?

It's hard to say about other things, but Xu Tai's personal combat strength is incredibly strong.

This man was the top military scholar in the seventeenth year of the Hongzhi reign, and was once the strongest fighter among the Ming Dynasty's military generals.

Compared to him, Pei, who was the top scorer in the martial arts examination, clearly looks rather inferior.

But right.

During the Zhengde reign, there were only two officially held martial arts examinations.

The first subject was the third year of Zhengde.

Sixty people were admitted to the martial arts examination that year, and An Guo was the champion in the martial arts examination.

After the imperial examination, Zhu Houzhao personally inspected the military skills at the West Garden and presented a banquet to those who passed, along with armor and waist knives.

The next one was the one Pei Yuan participated in in the sixth year of the Zhengde reign.

However, this examination was only halfway through before it was suspended due to "rampant banditry." Therefore, Pei Yuan, the top-ranked martial arts candidate certified by many influential figures, was stuck at this stage.

According to the original history, this martial arts examination, which was suspended, was to be rescheduled in the seventh year of the Zhengde reign.

However, because Pei Yuan wanted to intervene in the court and prioritized holding the special imperial examination, the focus of the year shifted to the civil service examinations for scholars.

Moreover, the Ministry of War has undergone a major upheaval, and no one has the energy to deal with these matters right now.

As for why there were no more martial arts competitions after that?

That's because Zhu Houzhao attached great importance to the military examinations, believing that true military talents could not be selected solely based on horseback archery, foot archery, and policy essays.

Moreover, the early military examinations placed more emphasis on individual combat skills, and the level of policy essays was mostly only passable.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao discussed with the Ministry of War and requested that the rules for the military examination be improved, requiring candidates to be well-versed in the "Seven Military Classics" and current affairs strategies, and increasing the weight of strategic planning in the score.

Although the Ministry of War was in charge of military affairs, its officials were all graduates of the civil service examinations.

What is a military "successful candidate in the imperial examination"?
Disgusting! Ugh!

Do they even deserve to be called Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)?
Only those whose names are called out outside Donghua Gate are true men.

Therefore, as soon as Zhu Houzhao proposed reforms, the Ministry of War immediately and happily agreed.

The officials of the Ministry of War all expressed that they must thoroughly understand the Emperor's spirit, implement the reforms meticulously, and set a benchmark for future generations.

Zhu Houzhao also felt that he had done something great that benefited the country and its people.

then……

He died before a reform plan was ever put forward.

The martial arts examination during the Zhengde reign was thus suspended.

So Pei Yuan ended up with a mediocre first place in the martial arts examination.

Pei Yuan has just defeated Jiang Bin, and the people in the border town have sent someone with a title that clearly surpasses his. It's practically blatant targeting.

Moreover, Xu Tai's words were arrogant and rude. Have you forgotten that we ate together when we were on the front lines in Huguang?

(End of this chapter)