Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 904 Abandon Tang Lu
The people talked for a long time in Chu Wang's mansion, Wang Yan saw that it was almost three o'clock, so he asked them to go back first.

He personally sent the people outside the mansion, and watched the group of people get into the carriage and leave the palace under the guard of soldiers.

Not long after, the carriages in which many officials were riding slowly disappeared into the dark streets. Among the seven or eight important officials, only Mrs. Wang was left in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that he didn't leave, Wang Yan knew that he had something to say to him, so he smiled, "Would you like to meet me and talk, brother?"

"Right on my mind!"

Wang Fuzhi also smiled, but he was not as free and easy as Wang Yan, obviously pretending to be something in his heart.

Immediately, the two turned back to the side hall, Wang Yan asked the maid for a cup of strong tea to refresh himself, and while motioning Wang Fuzhi to sit down, he said: "If you have anything to say, brother, you can speak directly now."

After Wang Fuzhi sat down, he pursed his lips and pondered for a moment, before he opened his mouth and said: "Your Highness, I didn't want to say much just now, I agree with the purge of officials, but now, is it too urgent? If it causes dissatisfaction among the people below, They may fall to Tang Lu!"

Whether the central government sends censors to inspect the localities, or the central government accepts local Wanmin letters, it is all a matter of offending the bureaucracy.

There are three factions in the court, which makes it easy for some people to switch to others.

Wang Yan was silent for a while, slowly picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and suddenly asked: "Brother, what do you think of the affairs discussed in the council hall in the past half month, and how the government has been running in the past two years?"

Wang Fuzhi didn't expect Wang Yan to say this suddenly. He was slightly taken aback and pondered for a while, "The meeting hall has gradually improved. Although there are some problems in the operation of the government, the increase in taxes and the rapid success of the war are not major mistakes. It can be said that Your Highness's reforms have already paid off."

After Wang Fuzhi finished speaking, he paused, "Why are you asking such a question suddenly, Your Highness?"

Wang Yan put down the teacup, and then looked at Wang Fuzhi, "In the past two years, the council hall and the cabinet have been operating normally. Have you noticed that under this set of rules, we ignore Tang Wang and Lu Wang and directly communicate with Zhejiang party officials, or Can officials from the Pro-Tang Faction make a compromise and implement it?"

Wang Yan's words were a bit unconstrained, Wang Fuzhi didn't understand for a while, what does this have to do with his question just now, but he seemed to have caught a glimpse of the point, and suddenly his eyes lit up, "Your Highness, what you mean is that the government is up to us civil servants to play?"

Wang Yan smiled knowingly, "The Zhejiang Party and the Tang supporters are essentially the same as us. They support Tang and Lu. Except for some people who are loyal, most people still hope to protect their own interests by supporting Tang and Lu, or Engage in political speculation in order to seek greater benefits, but if Tang Lu is not needed, they can also achieve the purpose of safeguarding their own interests through the meeting hall and other channels, and even replace the Chu Party in power. Brother said they would still support Tang Lu ?”

Wang Fuzhi is a smart man. When Wang Yan said that, he immediately understood what Wang Yan meant. Looking at the history of several generations of emperors in the Ming Dynasty, it was basically the history of the struggle between imperial power and ministerial power.

If, as Wang Yan said, the Zhe Party and the Tang-supporting faction can gain their own interests through the struggle in the court, then why do they still have to offer Tang Lu?Especially the supporters of the Tang Dynasty, there is no reason for them to continue to support the Tang Dynasty.

However, Wang Fuzhi was cautious and did not agree with Wang Yan. He pondered for a while, then frowned and asked: "Personally speaking, if this is the case, our faction will have to give up huge benefits. I am afraid that several adults will not agree to this. If the Zhejiang Party and the Tang-supporting faction really want to be in power, what will my Wang family do? From a public perspective, who will replace the imperial power to contain the civil servants, and if it eventually develops into a situation like Donglin, where one family dominates, what will we do?"

Wang Fuzhi raised two questions in a short period of time, and they were both particularly sharp.

In the past two years, Wang Yan thought about it while changing it. Although he didn't know if he wanted to go wrong, he also came up with an idea to trick him.

"I've thought about these two issues too, and occasionally came up with a set of explanations. I feel that there is some truth to it, but I have a shallow mind, so it is inevitable that I have not thought carefully. I will talk to my brother today, and my brother will help me to read it carefully."

Wang Fuzhi nodded slightly, and Wang Yan then continued: "Over the years, we have offended many people, but also benefited more people. The predecessors reformed and tried to benefit the people. They were too public-spirited and did not cultivate a strong class. , once it suffers a counterattack, it is difficult to keep the results, and we have cultivated a powerful bureaucratic gentry, merchants, and honorable class. Within our set of rules, they are all beneficiaries, so it is not easy for someone to counterattack, besides My Wang family will not be caught without a fight."

This idea is indeed a bit different. Wang Fuzhi thought about it. Whether it is Wang Anshi or Zhang Juzheng, they are all harming the interests of the gentry and the old aristocracy, and reducing the burden on the people. They really have not cultivated a class that can compete with the old aristocracy, but only rely on the protection of the imperial power to reform. Well, when the emperor changed his mind, he was finished immediately, and the people couldn't keep the results at all.

The current situation is different from previous dynasties. If the imperial power wants to counterattack, what it has to face is not the royal family, except for the maritime merchants under the Chu Party, the gentry, various workshop owners, and the five loyal military officers. Even under the rule of the Tang and Lu factions, many business houses and big families also benefited from the new policies of the Chu Party.

Wang Fuzhi seemed to have seen the surging trend at once, and saw a giant growing crazily.

The meaning of Wang Yan's layer is to reply. It is not easy to deal with the Wang family. Wang Yan waited for him to digest it, and then said: "Let's talk about giving up benefits, I don't want them to make concessions, but Let others compete. Like this time, we did not do a good job in Suzhou Prefecture. We were exposed by others and took the position of Suzhou prefect. We have nothing to say. We want the Zhejiang Party and the Pro-Tang faction to abandon the two kings of Tang and Lu. , Unknowingly, to eliminate the two kings of Tang and Lu, we should not blindly suppress the Zhejiang party and the supporters of Tang, but should absorb them into our system, so that Chu, Zhejiang, and Tang form a check and balance, Avoid the dominance of one faction, so as to make the government run better."

Wang Fuzhi frowned, "When did Your Highness come up with such an idea?"

Although Wang Yan has repeatedly controlled the Chu Party, the regionalism of the Chu Party is still too strong. After Wang Yan became the regent of the imperial court, he was concerned about the entire Ming Dynasty, so there were often conflicts. With his suppression of Tang Lu, the Chu Party was stabilized. After the party's ruling status, the conflict became more obvious.

This time his elder brother was corrupt, and the people below sued the governor's yamen, but no one answered him. In the end, he was dealt with by the Zhejiang Party. Moreover, regarding Qingzhang's land, Wang Yan dared not indulge the Chu Party anymore. Use checks and balances.

"Probably after the Wang Fuji corruption case!"

Wang Fuzhi understands that although Wang Yan is now the regent, he is almost the same as the emperor, and he must consider checks and balances.

"Your Highness has already considered it carefully." Wang Fuzhi sighed, "The Chu Party should indeed limit it, but Your Highness should grasp the scale, after all, this is the foundation of His Highness."

"No, the Chu Party, the Zhejiang Party, and the Tang Supporting Party are all tools. My real foundation is the merchants, gentry clans, and Xunzhen that benefited from the New Deal!" Wang Yan said with enthusiasm, and continued to share his thoughts. "In the final analysis, the royal family, nobles, and us gentry and aristocrats do not want the world to be turbulent and overthrown, but the world has been handed over to the bureaucratic group. They have power in their hands and there is no external force to supervise, so I want to further reform. From now on, the imperial court will only have the right to rule, and nobles and nobles will be introduced into the meeting hall to enjoy the right to supervise. What do you think, brother?"

(End of this chapter)