The Prosperous Era of Longwan

On the evening of the second day, the two people left Xu Jie's mansion in a small sedan and followed the alleys before reaching the main road.

The sedan chairs came one behind the other, and soon they arrived outside the wall of the residence of Yang Bo, the Minister of Civil Affairs.

There, a small, inconspicuous door opened.

As the sedan curtain opened, it was the current Minister of Civil Affairs, Yang Bo, and Minister of War, Huo Yi, who stepped out.

The two of them quickly entered the mansion through the small door. After a while, Yang Bo's study was already brightly lit.

Countless servants stood around the study, all of them with upright expressions and firm eyes.

Although many people have wrinkles covering their cheeks and leaving traces of time, their eyes are still deep and sharp, as if they can see through everything.

Their muscles are still solid and powerful, and every muscle exudes perseverance and unyielding strength.

There is no doubt that these people are the soldiers of the border army who followed Yang Bo to fight with the captive cavalry on the battlefield of Xuanba. They were selected by Yang Bo because of their bravery in battle and were transferred to serve as personal soldiers under him.

After he left Xuanda and returned to the capital as an official, he also brought him back with him as a servant.

At this moment, they were distributed around the study to prevent anyone from prying into the study.

"Sir, I think Xu Ge is unreliable."

It was Huo Yi who spoke, but the relationship between him and Yang Bo at this time seemed to be no longer on the same level as they were in the court outside, but on a superior level.

"Sit down."

Yang Bo had been silent since he returned home, and it was only then that he finally spoke.

After Huo Yi sat down, Yang Bocai said leisurely: "When I asked you to submit your resignation that day, Xu Zisheng should have wanted to quit, but at that time he was not very determined, and maybe he still had a glimmer of hope.

But Chen Yiqin's subsequent begging for divorce and Zhang Qi's impeachment should have let him know that the situation was over. "

"Sir, I don't understand. Regarding Zhang Qi's impeachment, didn't His Majesty directly demote him and send him away?"

Yes, Zhang Qi was demoted due to impeachment and released directly, which was a heavy punishment for Ke Dao. Huo Yi did not see anything worthy of Xu Jie's resignation.

"Have you forgotten what happened last year?"

Yang Bo shook his head and said: "Kedao officials are used to hearing about things, and they will not be punished, but mostly issued imperial orders.

But this time, His Majesty directly punished him. In fact, he was attracting the anger of the Kedao officials to Mr. Xu Ge.

Just like Gao Gong did at the beginning, the fight with Hu Yingjia eventually led to the entire department to attack him, impeachment proceedings were filed together, and he was eventually forced to resign.

Xu Jie was still very cunning. Knowing that there was no hope anymore, he decisively cut off his arms.

It's better to resign yourself than to be impeached. "

"No wonder when we talk about that matter today, Mr. Xu Ge always talks about him."

Huo Yi was finally sure.

Being able to become the Minister of the Ministry of War, he is certainly not an idiot. In fact, he had already felt it when he was in the sedan chair just now, but he still couldn't believe it.

Even if he hadn't been a minister, he wouldn't have felt like this, that he had great power.

Well, although he has been the minister for a short time, he has been obsessed with power. If he asked himself, he would definitely not compromise easily.

Really, he couldn't let go of the rights he had obtained.

It’s clear to those who are on the lookout, but it’s confusing to those in the game, maybe that’s the case.

Although Yang Bo has been an important minister of the Ming Dynasty for a long time, he has always been independent of the main forces in the court and is independent, so he has always been able to look at the court situation with the mentality of a bystander.

Even now, he can still remain calm, because no matter how fierce the fight between the Shouxuan faction and the Yuzhu faction is, it seems that they have nothing to do with him.

This relationship is very subtle. Wei Guangde envies him and wants to learn from him.

Xu Jie naturally understood, but he could not let Zhang Juzheng, who was about to inherit his political legacy, follow suit because a big tree attracted the wind.

He has too many old relatives and friends, and he is already a very powerful force, enough to influence the court and cannot be hidden.

"Sir, what should we do from now on?"

Huo Yi asked hesitantly.

After Xu Jie leaves, the court will be dominated by Yu Zhuan's old party, and it will be difficult for Li Chunfang to control this group of people.

At that time, in the Ming Dynasty's cabinet, there may be a situation where the words of the second assistant count.

"Don't be surprised when things change, that's what I keep telling you."

Yang Bo glanced at Huo Yi and said, "Do your job well and don't meddle indiscriminately.

As for that group of people, as long as it is beneficial to the court, you can support it, but if there is something wrong, point it out directly, argue with them openly, and don't play petty tricks. "

"Even if the palace wants it."

"We must fight for what the palace wants."

Regarding Huo Yi's hesitant words, Yang Bo's answer was straightforward.

But soon, Yang Bo seemed to realize something: "Perhaps, this is what Xu Jie wants Uncle Zhang to do. He must cooperate with them, but he cannot follow them in everything, but..."

"But what?"

Huo Yi asked strangely.

"It always feels like it won't be that simple."

Yang Bo just shook his head. He still couldn't imagine how Xu Jie would arrange the follow-up, but he knew that Xu Jie was a man and would not give in easily.

His purpose was always to hope that his faction could control the court situation, which would inevitably lead to a fight between Zhang Juzheng and Yu Zhuan's gang, and to compete for the emperor's support.

Emperor Longqing in the palace.

However, no matter how he looked at it, Yang Bo did not think that Zhang Juzheng was a person who flattered Emperor Longqing, and doing so would be tantamount to ostracizing himself from the court.

On the second day, Xu Jie, the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty cabinet, the young master and the prince's grand master, the minister of the Ministry of official affairs, and the bachelor of Jianji palace came to Shu again to beg for leave.

The memorial was sent to the Qianqing Palace that morning, but this time Emperor Longqing did not respond quickly and neither approved nor rejected it.

In the afternoon, Wei Guangde hurriedly left the Rites Yamen and went to a nearby teahouse.

When Wei Guangde opened the door and entered the private room, he saw someone sitting quietly inside.

"Brother Chen, you can just tell me if you have something to do. Why bother leaving the palace in person?"

Wei Guangde said after closing the private door.

"You are here on an edict. Let's make a long story short. Mr. Xu Ge has asked to resign. Do you agree to His Majesty's wishes?"

Chen Ju asked.

When Wei Guangde came, he had already speculated that Emperor Longqing was a little unsure whether he should approve it at this time. After all, he felt that Xu Jie had not been pushed to a dead end.

Whether Xu Jie's resignation is sincere or false is worth examining.

“Where the others are”

"Everyone is going, and Your Majesty has to weigh it."

Chen Ju intercepted Wei Guangde's words and said.

"This time, Xu Ge always used old age as an excuse to beg for leave. It doesn't seem like he was going against his will. The main reason is that he knows the general situation and knows that it is useless to stay. If your Majesty does not want to punish him, you can let him leave."

"If leaving now, will it have any negative impact on the DPRK?"

This should be what Emperor Longqing was most concerned about. After all, Xu Jie had experienced the Jiajing Dynasty and was extremely proficient in handling government affairs.

Although he wished he had left earlier so as not to be an eyesore, Emperor Longqing had to consider whether the government would be delayed and cause trouble if Xu Jie left the capital.

In fact, this is also because of his consistent view of himself. If he is not a wise god, he needs the help of famous ministers.

Gao Gong, whom he felt most at ease with, was not here, and now that Xu Jie was leaving, he was inevitably worried about the government.

Wei Guangde chuckled and shook his head, "Don't worry. Mr. Xu Ge is gone from the cabinet, as well as Mr. Li Ge and Mr. Chen Ge. Uncle Zhang is also capable and will not have a great impact on the court situation."

Wei Guangde was full of confidence in this. Although Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin were not famous in history for unknown reasons, Zhang Juzheng's name was real.

However, Wei Guangde knew that if he boasted that Zhang Juzheng had extraordinary talents at this time, and Chen Ju recorded his words, Emperor Longqing would definitely not dare to let Xu Jie go, because he would not be believed.

The more powerful the people below brag, the less likely the smart superiors will believe it.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Chen Ju said at this time.

In any case, Chen Ju also came from the inner study hall and served the emperor for a long time. In fact, he had seen a lot about handling government affairs.

To put it bluntly, the Ming Dynasty's government affairs were just those. There were precedents for dealing with them, but there was no precedent for summoning the nine ministers to discuss them.

As later generations said, the Ming Dynasty at this time was like an old man entering his old age.

No one thinks about building on the past and reforming the past, because doing so is risky.

Even if you copy previous precedents, even if you find that the results are not good after the final implementation, you are not responsible. The most you can do is make changes.

The Ming Dynasty had enough experience to try and make mistakes. In any case, it has been two hundred years since the founding of the dynasty, and the world has returned to its center.

As for why time-travelers dare not propose drastic reforms, haha. That is a fatal job.

How many of those who engaged in reform in history had a good ending?

Not to mention dressing up as an ordinary person, even if you dress up as an emperor, if you dare to carry out large-scale reforms and affect the interests of the powerful, you don't know how you will die.

If you think about the restoration of Yingzong in the last years of Jingtai, you will know that without the support of the powerful, there is no guarantee that a second "gate-stealing coup" will not occur.

Wei Guangde also hopes that there will be changes in the Ming Dynasty, but it can only be subtle. If he can change it, he will change it. If the impact is so great that it threatens him, then let Zhang Juzheng go to the front.

I vaguely remember that Zhang Juzheng actually succeeded in reforming, but failed to maintain it in the end, and the results of the reform were in vain.

After Chen Ju left, Wei Guangde sat alone in the private room for a long time, then slowly got up, left the teahouse and returned to the Rites Yamen.

Later in the evening, the latest news came from Lubu. Emperor Longqing agreed to Xu Jie's begging for leave, and ordered Chiyi to send travelers to escort him back. He was given eight husbands per year and six liters of rice per month.

In addition, he also personally wrote imperial edicts. You have achieved the highest rank since you were weak, and you are a master of Ci poetry. Having served as an official at home and abroad, he has made a lot of achievements. He was promoted to Ju Lun Pavilion by the late emperor's family members and promoted the great political affairs.

"After I heard that His Majesty's decree was issued, Mr. Li Ge and several other ministers came to the palace to ask for an audience. They should be trying to persuade His Majesty to withdraw his order."

When Lu Bu said this, his eyes were secretly staring at the expression on Wei Guangde's face, but he soon relaxed.

The expression on Wei Guangde's face remained the same as before, with no hint of happiness or anger, so it would be easier for him to go back.

After leaving the office, Wei Guangde returned home first, and later went out to Chen Yiqin's home to learn about the situation.

"It's all rules, and it usually happens like this. Please think twice, your majesty. After all, Mr. Xu Ge has been in the cabinet for many years and is well versed in political systems. However, your majesty also said that Xu Ge is old and old, and he asked again and again, so he agreed to beg for leave. Therefore, The banquet is a labor of love, and the reward is as long as Yang Tinghe's story is called "Youlong Yun".

Chen Yiqin briefly explained the conversation they had with Emperor Longqing in the Palace of Qianqing. Of course, the emperor could not say that he had his way, but that he had to follow Xu Jie's reasons.

Moreover, although Emperor Longqing did not like Xu Jie, the gift he received was indeed very generous, even more generous than when Emperor Jiajing sent Yang Tinghe off to the capital.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng had just returned from Xu Jie's Mansion. There were quite a few people coming to Xu Jie's Mansion today. Although they knew he was leaving, many of them still had many questions to seek advice from.

These people came and went in a hurry, Zhang Juzheng could only stay by Xu Jie's side, and he was very tired by this time.

However, he did not rest after returning home. Instead, he went straight to his study and took out an unfinished memorial and laid it on his desk.

He had carefully studied several suggestions drawn up by Xu Jie before, and probably would not move them. However, he would not copy Xu Jie's articles, but was considering adding his own.

In fact, he and Xu Jie still have differences in governance, but he hides them skillfully most of the time.

At the very least, he knows that the actual situation of the Ming Dynasty today is different from what it was in the early Ming Dynasty. If we continue to follow the practices of Xu Jie and others and follow the precedents of the previous dynasty, the country will not only not improve, but will also Gradually destroyed.

Even as Gao Gong said, purging officials could only slow down the pace of decline, but it could not eradicate the long-standing evils, because after two hundred years of development, the Ming Dynasty had already changed.

Instead of purging officials, Zhang Juzheng preferred to improve officials' ability to handle their duties.

It should be noted that when Taizu was in the early Ming Dynasty, the suppression of corrupt officials was very strict, but officials still followed one after another, which shows how attractive yellow and white things are to people.

Rather than replacing corrupt officials one after another, it is better to acquiesce in their behavior within a certain range and improve their work capabilities.

Corrupt officials are not scary, as long as you do practical things.

The scary thing is that people are both greedy and bad, living in a state of poverty, amassing money but doing nothing or doing all the bad things.

With the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Zhang Juzheng did not worry about officials doing bad things, but if they did not do things, the people would have to wait for years, and they would only be discovered during inspections.

With this thought in mind, Zhang Juzheng picked up his pen and started writing quickly in the corner of the article.

“Verify the name.

Nowadays, when people are called talents, there is no need to test their work; if they are allowed to do things, there is no need to further test their success; when they commit crimes, their crimes may not be clearly rectified.

The scholar-bureaucrats wrote numerous articles and articles, but they were at a loss when considering their own duties.

This so-called name does not match the reality.

From now on, when you employ people, you must test them to the end, and when you teach people, you must ask for their performance.

The method of rigorous examination is to advance and retreat without hesitation, and to be clear about who you are for. Do not dazzle with fame, do not favor favors, do not waver in reputation, do not mix love and hate, do not summarize his life with one incident, and do not cover up his important details.

People have specific jobs and responsibilities. "

This is actually very similar to the examination method implemented by Zhang Juzheng when he was in power. In other words, he has begun to consider establishing a system to supervise the work efficiency of officials.

In the past, the Ministry of Civil Affairs mostly used "literary selection" and "merit examination" to inspect officials, and did not pay much attention to their work ability.

Some people can accomplish something in one day, while others need ten days or more.

Moreover, many times, things continue to be implemented without knowing the end, and it becomes unfinished work.

Officials only want to write a colorful article to become famous all day long, and they have to write a series of articles.

The next day, the young master and the crown prince Taifu, Yang Bo, the minister of the Ministry of official affairs, Huo Ji, the minister of the Ministry of war, and Mao Kai, the minister of the Ministry of punishment, all went to Shu to invite Xu Jie, a bachelor to stay.

This was Yang Bo's last resort to keep Xu Jie in court. After all, he was not dismissed from office and had to leave Beijing within a time limit.