First Prince of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 123 The Prime Minister's Weight

When we arrived in front of Li Shanchang's official office, a group of people had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Zhu Biao, they saluted and said, "I will see your Highness, Your Highness."

These people are officials who assist Li Shanchang. After all, his workload is not much easier than Zhu Yuanzhang's, and it is even more cumbersome.

Let them enter the house behind Liping, only Liu Jin followed, and the rest waited outside.

Liu Jin took the teapot handed in from outside, poured it for Zhu Biao and Li Shanchang, and then stood at the door with her arms drooping naturally, her eyes looking at her toes.

Zhu Biao glanced at the pile of official documents on the other side of the desk and said: "Mr. Li has worked so hard and made great achievements. The Ming Dynasty can't exist today without Mr. Li."

Li Shanchang said cheerfully: "It is right for a minister to serve His Highness as a sage, but the old minister is indeed a little bit more than capable, and next year he will be begging for the bones to return to his hometown to raise him."

Zhu Biao shook his head and persuaded: "Li Xiang is in the prime of life, and he is about to beg for bones, not to mention how the father would be willing to let you go."

Li Shanchang said with a smile: "The old minister has occupied the position of prime minister for a long time, and it is time to give way to the young man."

Zhu Biao picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Why should Prime Minister Li care about Yang Xian? His ending has already been decided, starting from the day he bullied the emperor."

Li Shanchang shook his head: "It's not just Yang Xian who is staring at the old minister's position."

Zhu Biao laughed: "Hu Weiyong is your disciple, without your support he is not even as good as Yang Xian, let alone the rest."

Li Shanchang sighed and said: "The more I look at Yang Xian recently, the more I feel panic in my heart."

Zhu Biao asked curiously: "Why? Li Xiang sees it thoroughly, why would he panic because of Yang Xian?"

Li Shanchang picked up the teacup and took a sip: "The more I look at Hu Weiyong, the more I look like Yang Xian when he was still under Liu Bowen. He is equally talented, equally good at seizing opportunities, and equally good at forbearance. He even hides some arrogance in his heart." very similar."

Zhu Biao asked with a smile: "Since Li Xiang has noticed it, why not suppress him."

Li Shanchang showed bitterness on his face: "Hu Weiyong has already fallen into the eyes of the Holy Majesty, and he cannot be suppressed by a veteran if he wants to, not to mention the relationship between teachers and students for so many years."

Zhu Biao nodded. As expected of Li Shanchang, he has discovered the biggest threat around him so quickly, not Yang Xian but Hu Weiyong.It's a pity that it's too late, Hu Weiyong has become Zhu Yuanzhang's tool man, even if Li Shanchang suppresses him, the emperor will come back immediately.

The two were silent for a while, Li Shanchang said: "The heart of the sage is getting higher and higher, and the old minister is really anxious, fearing that he will not be able to enjoy his old age."

Zhu Biao reassured: "I know Li Xiangzhi's merits in my heart, and so does my father's side."

Li Shanchang was silent for a while before he said: "Your Majesty intends to abolish the post of Prime Minister?"

Zhu Biao was startled, and turned to look at Li Shanchang with a calm face. Zhu Yuanzhang never said this, even to him and Queen Ma.

Li Shanchang smiled again on his old face: "The old minister has been with the Holy One for too long, and since I became the prime minister, I feel more and more afraid of the Holy One. Even if I have something important, I will first ask the Holy One what he wants to do." decision."

Zhu Biao didn't speak, and looked at Li Shanchang quietly.

Li Shanchang then said: "Perhaps His Highness also thinks that there is nothing wrong with dismissing the prime minister, but the old minister thinks that the prime minister is necessary. The minister will retire next year, and the dismissal of the prime minister will not be abolished on the minister's head, so It's not because I don't want to bear power, but because the position of prime minister is really necessary!"

Zhu Biao opened his mouth and said: "The prime minister is high and powerful. He is in charge of the Zhongshu Province. He is in charge of the six ministries and a hundred officials under the emperor. Every dynasty has an example of powerful ministers controlling the government.

Li Shanchang cupped his hands and said: "It is not that no emperor in the past dynasties wanted to abolish the prime minister, but they did not do so in the end. The reason for this period is not unexpected with His Highness's wisdom. If that day really comes, I hope His Highness can persuade the Holy One."

Zhu Biao said slowly: "Since Li Xiang still guessed the will of the Holy Majesty, why didn't he go to the memorial to persuade him?"

Li Shanchang sighed: "Not only did I think of it, Liu Bowen should have guessed it, but I didn't dare to wait. The Holy Majesty did not express this meaning, and the minister said that he would cut himself off from the Holy Majesty. I am afraid that it is rare to die well. Only His Highness As the State Reserve of the Ming Dynasty, he is qualified to appeal to Sheng about this matter."

Zhu Biao didn't say anything more, and talked with Li Shanchang about the imperial examination for a while, and then got up to leave. After all, Li Shanchang's official duties are still piled up.

After Li Shanchang sent Zhu Biao out of the government office in person, he sighed and went back to work in the house.

Sitting on the road, Zhu Biao kept thinking in his mind that the abolition of the prime minister system has both advantages and disadvantages, at least for their father and son, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, but even if the position of prime minister is nominally gone, he will still exist in the end. When the cabinet arrives In the end, isn't the first assistant the prime minister? Even during Zhang Juzheng's period, he was even more powerful and overwhelmed the emperor, overwhelming the world.

The emperor's decentralization of power is actually inevitable. According to Zhu Biao's calculation, now my father has to read more than 100 memorials and deal with more than [-] military and state affairs every day. If the prime minister is abolished, the daily workload will at least double. times more.

That's really unbearable for a triathlon practitioner. The ghost knows how my father did it in history, and he was able to sneak in and give birth to many sons.

The infinite expansion of imperial power and the emperor's own energy are extremely serious contradictions, which lead to the emperor taking care of all the affairs of the world, but his physical energy limits him, and he cannot handle the affairs of the whole world by himself. This is the prime minister cause of the system.

For an emperor like Zhu Yuanzhang who has no pursuit of pleasure, dealing with government affairs is his happiest thing, because he is from the wind and rain in the thatched cottage to the lonely lamp in Huangjue Temple, from the swords and swords in Chuzhou to the flames of Poyang Lake. Galloping out from thousands of troops, standing up from the sea of ​​corpses and blood.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang cherishes his hard-won power extremely, but the descendants of later generations are different. They are rich and noble, and they were born for pleasure. How can they have the mood to lie on the table day by day to deal with endless official duties.

Those princes finally ascended to the throne, they don't play with women more, build a few palaces, raise tigers and leopards, drink and have fun every day, do they have to die suddenly at the desk?

My own father has been working hard since he was a child, he is in good health, full of energy, and has a big appetite.If you are a champion in the ironman competition in the future, it is estimated that running a marathon will be a piece of cake.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, driving the prime minister away is nothing more than that he has to work more in the future, he is tired, and he has nothing to fear for the happiness of his children and grandchildren, so the glorious deeds of Zhu Yuanzhang, a model worker, have been left in history.

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(End of this chapter)