Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 1294 Changes in the court situation ([-])
No matter whether it is the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of War, the assistant to the Jingying Rongzheng, or the governor of the Ministry of Households, Cangchang, this is a very important position.Before taking office, Gao pragmatic still needs to return to the Ministry of War to hand over his work.

Although Gao Wushi is a Zuo Shilang and Tang Shangguan in the Ministry of War, his work is relatively "simple" compared to Shi Xing, another left-servant under the "Four Shishi Lang System", because Shi Xing is regarded as an "assistant". The book is comprehensive", while Gao pragmatically manages Beijing.

But the "simple" of Gao pragmatism is only a relatively single scope of work. In fact, everyone knows that the business in Jingying is not simple.

Especially after Gao pragmatism personally led the restructuring of the Beijing business, this kind of "not simple" is even more remarkable.If Gao Wushi did not make arrangements and explain, the new Rongzheng Shilang would only be confused if he took office, and he would not even be able to figure out the doorway after a few months.

However, the lack of the imperial court has not yet agreed on a candidate, so Gao Wushi can only find Liang Menglong to hand over the job at present - Shi Xing has also received the imperial edict, and Yang Zhaozhi's post office minister is missing.

There are many people who are more anxious than him when Gao Pragmat is stepping down.Qi Jiguang and the generals of the Imperial Guard immediately sent people to the Ministry of War to report, and after obtaining permission to enter Beijing privately, they all came to the Ministry of War to learn about the situation; Zhu Yingzhen, Zhang Yuangong and other members of the Jingnan Department of Xungui hurriedly handed over a joint salutation, saying In the evening, I will go to Jinggongfang in Zhaohui to see Si Nong, and even the name of Xu Wenbi, the Duke of Dingguo, who has been in bad health, is listed...

It's no wonder they are anxious. After Gao pragmatically "divided the Beijing camp", the Beijing camp was divided into two parts: logistics and operations. Although nominally it still obeyed the jurisdiction of the Five Armies Governor's Office and the command of the Ministry of War, it was "separately governed" after all. Both sides are also very satisfied with the current situation and are not willing to change again.

Now that Gao pragmatic is going to be promoted to the minister of households, will the system of the Beijing camp change under the auspices of the new military minister? Of course, they are very anxious, how can they not prepare in advance?
Qi Jiguang and Gao Yushi have been friends for many years, and of course there will be no change in attitude just because Gao Yushi resigned as Minister of the Rongzheng.On the contrary, he became more respectful to the 25-year-old Dasinong, and the inscription on the invitation card was changed back to "Qi Mou, a lackey under Mu En's sect, pays homage to him."

Commander Qi has this tone, not to mention the invitations from other generals of the Praetorian Guards, it is really a match of humility, and another match of intimacy.

Gao Wushi understood that this post once again changed the meaning of his claim. Qi Jiguang and the generals made it clear that they still had the word "高" on their foreheads, and that there would not be any changes because of Gao Wuxi's job change.

This is a smart move.

High pragmatism is a promotion, and it is not forced to retire.As a civil servant, he has entered the first rank (Prince Taishi), and he is one step closer to the position that civil servants yearn for in the cabinet. The most important thing is that he is only 25 years old now!
Qi Jiguang and others dared to make a prediction: as long as the decisive battle of the imperial court against Chahar goes according to plan, judging from the status of the "literary commanders" in the imperial court in the emperor's mind, this battle is likely to be a battle. Highly pragmatic leader.Then, once the battle is won...isn't this position of assistant minister easily attainable?
It is very likely that the "Old Gao Ge" at that time is not yet in his thirties!

This is amazing!
You must know that today’s cabinet is not the cabinet of the early years. The story of Xie Jin’s 32-year-old cabinet minister and 33-year-old chief assistant cannot be applied—the cabinet at that time was just the emperor’s personal staff, but what is the current cabinet?It is roughly equivalent to the Zhengshitang in the Tang Dynasty, and the two are completely different.

Originally, the establishment of the cabinet was because the emperor was too busy on the one hand, and on the other hand, the emperor wanted to use the cabinet to contain the six ministries and the power of the six ministries.At that time, Chengzu probably did not expect this scene: the cabinet completely suppressed the six ministries.

Gao Wushi is now the Minister of the Household. According to the traditions in the early years, he would not be able to enter the cabinet, but according to the habits of recent decades, it means that he is very close to entering the cabinet.It is necessary to talk about the changes in the system and habits.

From the Yongle period when the cabinet was first established, until the Hongzhi period, there has never been a formal transfer between the six ministers.This mutual antagonism has been reflected in the early days of the Cabinet.

At the beginning of spring in December of the second year of Yongle (1404), Chengzu Zhu Di gave a banquet to the ministers in the Palace of Fengtian. Huai, Hu (Guang), the attendants of Yang Rong, Yang Shiqi, Jin Youziyi, are the same as the Shangshu", and very clearly pointed out: "I, Yuqing and others are not too thick, the secretary of the endorsement, the secret place, and the six of Qingqing. At my right and left, hard work is not under the book. Therefore, when you give lai, you must be called for his merits, so why should you be restricted by grade." He also emphasized: "The emperor's examination is a primary system, and the grade of the Hanlin chief is the same as the book. appoint."

How to understand this passage?In the early days of the establishment of the cabinet, although it was still under the jurisdiction of the Hanlin Academy, and the ministers of the cabinet were also respected by the official positions of the Hanlin Academy, but at this banquet, Zhu Di rewarded the ministers of the cabinet with the six ministers, and clearly emphasized that although their official rank is the same as the six ministers. It is only five grades, but its function is not under the six Shangshu.

This basically shows that Zhu Di's original intention to set up the Diange Grand Scholar had the intention of weakening the status and authority of the six ministers, thus establishing a relationship of checks and balances between the two.

Of course, the serious mismatch between the positions and powers of the cabinet did not last long. With the improvement of the status of the cabinet, the practice of adding six ministers or ministers to the cabinet began to form during the Renxuan period.

For example, in the first month of the first year of Hongxi (1425), "Huang Huai is the Shaobao, the Minister of the Ministry of Household is still a scholar of Wuyingdian University, Jiashaofu is a scholar of the Huagaidian University, Yang Shiqi's military secretary, and Prince Shaobao is a scholar of Wuyingdian University Jin Youzi. The Minister of Rites, with three salaries, is still in charge of the internal system.”

Although this kind of seal is "not expected to be promoted", it is also a violation of the powers of the Sixth Department to a certain extent.People at that time also clearly pointed out that it violated the meaning of the ancestors, "If you want to add five grades of great scholars to Liuqing, why not honor their rank."

Although this addition of titles undermined the restrictions on the cabinet, it obviously facilitated its interference in the affairs of the six ministries to a certain extent, and further strengthened the cabinet's checks and balances on the six ministers.

In addition, at the beginning of the establishment of the cabinet, the selection method was also significantly different from the officials of the six ministries. The cabinet was basically selected directly from the officials of the Hanlin Academy, and even some new scholars and officials of the Hanlin Academy were selected to view politics in the cabinet as cabinets. The preparer of the minister.This article still exists even today in the Wanli period, that is, the so-called jinshi who observe politics - their common feature is not actually "jinshi", but "Hanlin".

Regarding this situation, there are about two clear records in the "Ming Shilu". The first time was around the second year of Yongle (1404), when the first class of Xinke Jinshi and 28 people from Shuji "were Wenyuan." The pavilion will enter his studies.” When the final three-year examination was completed, Peng Ruqi, Wang Zhi, Yu Ding and others were able to stay in office.

The second time was in August of the ninth year of Xuande (1434), "ordered to edit Ma Yu, Chen Xun, Lin Zhen, and Cao Nai in the Imperial Academy, Lin Wengong, Qi Zhongfu, Zhao Hui, Dali Temple Zuo Pingshi Zhang Yi, along with 37 fellow Shu Jishi Sa Qi, He Xuan, Zheng Jian, Jiang Yuan, studied in Wenyuan Pavilion".

Wenyuan Pavilion is the place where the cabinet ministers entered the direct office. The two admissions were actually conducted by the cabinet for the selection of successors. It is more clear that Wang Zhi once wrote edicts in the cabinet for a long time, and Ma Yu and Cao Nai worked in Yang Shiqi. , Yang Rong entered the cabinet to pre-engineer after he became an official. It can be seen that the practice of moving the cabinet was mainly based on the official positions of the Imperial Academy. If you enter it as a scholar, and Zhang Yi, Peng Shi, and Shang Xun enter it as a scholar, then the old meaning still exists and can be tested.”

This method of directly selecting "ci ministers" or "historians" to enter the cabinet obviously attaches great importance to the secretarial duties. ".

This is completely different from the selection of the Six Books, which focused on administrative ability. The Six Books of this period, such as He Wenyuan, Wang Ao, Li Bing, etc., all underwent local and central administrative experience, and were promoted from local officials such as prefects and officials to the central government. , tired of moving to the post of Shangshu.

I just said that if Gao pragmatically became the Minister of the Ministry of Households according to the rules of the past, he would basically have no way to enter the cabinet. There are examples.

A very typical representative was Wang Zhi, who had served as the official minister of the Ministry of Personnel. His official experience fully reflected the balance between the cabinet and the six ministerial ministers.

Wang Zhi, a native of Taihe, Jiangxi Province, was a Jinshi in the second year of Yongle (1404), and was awarded Shuji Shi and "Wenyuan Pavilion".He is also the first batch of new scholars who have been selected to study in the cabinet since the establishment of the cabinet.When the final three-year examination was completed, Wang Zhi was able to continue to serve as the cabinet, "for the grass".

Of course, in a strict sense, Wang Zhi was not a real cabinet minister. He did not have the name and reality of a Dangge scholar, and could only be regarded as a candidate for a cabinet minister.

Wang Zhi's cabinet career lasted until about the fifth year of Orthodox (1440), and he has been in the cabinet for more than [-] years. Whether it is literary or ability, he is highly respected and "relyed by Chinese and foreigners."Moreover, the cabinet ministers such as Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong were already old at the time of orthodoxy and were about to enter official positions. Wang Zhi also had fellowship with Yang Shiqi, and becoming official cabinet ministers was a matter of course.

But an accident happened. At this time, Wang Zhi had a rift with Yang Shiqi. Yang Shiqi's son Yang Ji "was violent at home, and the villagers suffered very much". Wang Zhi once reminded Yang Shiqi about this. Unexpectedly, Yang Shiqi was deceived by his son, thinking that "Yi An" (Wang Zhi) was jealous of his fame and made such a rash statement", so he hated Wang Zhi and immediately expelled him from the cabinet.

After Wang Zhi came out of the cabinet, he served as the minister of the Ministry of Rites, and then he was promoted to the Minister of Officials in the eighth year of Zhengtong (1443), and served until the first year of Tianshun (1458).During his tenure, Yang Shiqi died of illness in the ninth year of the orthodoxy (1444), and the status and prestige of the cabinet Ma Yu, Cao Nai, Chen Xun, Miao Zhong, Gao Gu and others could not be juxtaposed with him, and since the second year of Jingtai (1451), due to Wang Zhi was old and frail, and successively appointed He Wenyuan and Wang Ao as ministers of the Ministry of Personnel to assist in the management department.

It can be said that all obstacles to Wang Zhi's entry into the pavilion have been basically removed.But the actual situation is that Wang Zhi still held the post of Minister of Personnel at this time, which is roughly the same as Jianyi, Minister of Officials and Minister of Household Xia Yuanji in the Xuande period, who resolved the affairs of the Ministry to prepare for consultants. That is to say, if the officials at this time were If you promote the Shangshu first, you will not have the chance to enter the cabinet - because the cabinet at this time is still more important in the attribute of "secretary" as a whole.

In his later years, Wang Zhi also sighed: "Xi Yang does not want to be assigned to the cabinet of his colleagues, but to the management of the ministries. When it is time, he cannot have no regrets." Combined with Wang Zhi's official experience, this kind of regret is obviously aimed at Yang Shiqi at the same time. It is also not unrelated to the fact that the political system at the time blocked his way back to the cabinet.

In addition, the power of "voting and drafting" obtained by the cabinet during the orthodox period also has a strong check and balance with the administrative power of the six ministers. The most incisive explanation for this is Gao Gong.

Gao Gong mentioned in the "Three Beggars and Tianen's Resignation and Concurrent Responsibilities": "The affairs of our country are all inscribed by ministers and ministers, and the cabinet ministers propose votes. If it is not appropriate, it will be refuted; Mediation for it. I don't mind the similarities and differences, I'm in the army. So there are many things that make sense, and people don't dare to be traitors.

Chunfang has been relieved of his post, and the minister is still in the lead of the second assistant. If he is still in charge, he will do what he has written, and he will choose the vote, and it will be inconvenient to refute and mediate. Of……

Today, the cabinet is very important, and the Ministry of Personnel advances and retreats hundreds of officials.Since the ministers are ahead of the cabinet ministers, but still hold the post of general official Cao, isn't the exercise of power too heavy? The power is too heavy, not only is it difficult for ministers to live in, and the state system is not suitable. "

This is the third letter of Gao Gong's resignation and concurrently serving as the Minister of Officials. It clearly points out that the cabinet and the six ministries in the central power structure complement each other and restrict each other. This is also the outer court carefully designed by the imperial court after the abolition of the prime minister system. If the operation and restriction mechanisms are put together, the exercise of power will be too heavy, which will seriously threaten the stability of imperial power and the stability of the national system.

Of course, there is something special here, that is, the official minister of the Ministry of Personnel is different from other ministers, and Gao Wushi is not as sensitive as the official minister of the official department.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning", after Gao Gong served as the first assistant and the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, whether it is the patriarch who is also the patriarch or the patriarch as the minister, it has become normalized.

In other words, the cabinet and the six ministries are no longer as distinct as they were in the early years, and now not only have they begun to merge, but even the division of superiors and subordinates has emerged: the cabinet leads the six ministries.

Of course, this is not absolute. In the original history of the Wanli Dynasty, once the first assistant was weak in character, or he could not get the strong support of the emperor, the six departments might also turn around to empty the cabinet.

The reason why Qi Jiguang and others did not dare to be disrespectful to Gao Wushi is that Gao Wushi can be expected to enter the cabinet, as everyone knows;

The pavilion who manages Gao pragmatism is always Zhang Xueyan, who is a big boss of the real school and an important supporter of Gao pragmatism. It is conceivable that he will absolutely support Gao pragmatism in the Ministry of Households.

As for the Ministry of War, although the Rongzheng Shilang was temporarily absent, Qi Jiguang expected that this must be because the changes in the cabinet and the seven ministers were too sudden.

Qi Jiguang believes that this new Rongzheng Shilang will most likely come from the Shi School, and it is very likely that the emperor will summon Gao Pragmatist and ask him to recommend a successor-this is also a tradition, just like when Pan Sheng pushed Xu Xuemo up .

With such a judgment, Qi Jiguang and others naturally continue to be respectful, while Zhu Yingzhen, Zhang Yuangong and others naturally have to hurriedly submit a post to ask for a meeting with Gao pragmatism.

Therefore, Gao Wushi met with the generals of the Guards under his command for the last time in the Ministry of War, and gave him face-to-face advice.
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Thank you book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your support, thank you!
Thanks to the book friends "system crash" and "ASolsF" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
PS: The next chapter or the second half of the chapter will list the new cabinet and the list of the seven ministers, so that everyone does not remember it - I still remember it, and the next step is to "change the copy".

(End of this chapter)