Jinyi champion

Chapter 952
Wenyuan Pavilion.

For the civil official group, it was another setback. Although the result did not seem to be urgent, Jiang Mian was obviously exhausted.

Mao Ji invited Jiang Mian aside alone, and asked in a low voice, "Have you prepared to retire from the imperial court and return to your hometown to spend the rest of your life?"

Jiang Mian nodded: "Your Majesty is so stubborn in those fields. As the head of civil servants, you can't fulfill the responsibility of supporting the king. What's the point of staying in the court?"

"But you can't be angry."

Mao Jidao, "If you and I quit the court, the court will be stable under the current situation? Huang Gongxian will definitely join the cabinet. What do you think the cabinet will do in the future when it comes to discussing rituals?"

One sentence made Jiang Mian fall into deep thought.

Both Fei Hong and Liu Chun seem to be on the standpoint of opposing the Dali Conference, but this is based on the fact that Jiang Mian is the head and assistant, and the Korean and Chinese officials advance and retreat together.

If Jiang Mian and Mao Ji are no longer in the court, and Fei Hong is the chief assistant, how can they guarantee that they will firmly oppose the emperor's proposition?

Mao Ji sighed: "Speaking of which, I got the news two days ago that Xi Shu is already on his way to Beijing."

"What?" Jiang Mian frowned.

This surprised him.

Mao Jidao: "When your majesty recruited Zhang Cong, Zhang Bangqi and others to Beijing, they planned secretly. The news didn't come out until they arrived in the capital. I thought that your majesty was just recruiting ministers of ceremonies to discuss affairs in Beijing. Now it seems that your majesty may have planned it long ago. In order to use it to represent the Minister of Rites, this move...is not a temporary plan."

Fei Hong closed his eyes, shook his head and said, "Your Majesty greeted us in advance when discussing the ceremony. Doesn't it mean that His Majesty has plans?"

The two were silent for a while.

At this time, footsteps came from outside, and Liu Chun called out: "You two, Eunuch Zhang, the supervisor of rites, is here and said he wants to see the four of us."

"Understood, let Eunuch Zhang wait for a while, and go when I finish dealing with the matter at hand." Jiang Mian said.

After Liu Chun went to the living room first, Mao Ji asked, "What is Zhang Zuo's intention of coming to the cabinet?"

Jiang Mian said: "To convey His Majesty's meaning, it may also be to appease us... Let's take a step and see."

After speaking, he got up and walked towards the door.

Mao Ji looked at Jiang Mian's rickety, aging back, and probably heard that Jiang Mian's interest in the government was waning, so he didn't say much, got up to follow, and the two went to see Zhang Zuo together.

……

……

Zhang Zuo smiled and greeted the four members of the cabinet with a very polite tone.

It seems that Zhang Zuo didn't care about the conflict between the king and the civil servants in the ceremony. He smiled like a good old man, but because he was born in Xingwang's mansion, and he had never been in the study room of the Supervisor of Rituals, the civil servants always kept a close eye on him. Distance, dare not get close.

"Let's put it this way, Your Majesty wants to add one person to the cabinet... This time, His Majesty said that he wants to be promoted by the court. At present, one of the three Hanlin bachelors will join the cabinet. I wonder what the four cabinet elders have to say?"

cliché.

The emperor wanted to increase the number of cabinet bachelors.

Jiang Mian and Mao Ji knew very well that the emperor wanted to divide their influence in the cabinet. Apparently, the emperor did not intend to add Shi Ping and Fengxi to the list of cabinet scholars. The purpose was to facilitate Huang Zan's entry into the cabinet.

Mao Jidao: "Hasn't this matter been discussed at the court meeting? At present, the four members of the cabinet can still complete the errands. If there is no increase... I am afraid that the Imperial Academy and other yamen will have insufficient manpower to complete the affairs of the court."

Zhang Zuo continued to smile and said: "Anyway, the cabinet's errands are important. The words have been brought, if the elders of the cabinet have any opinions, why not...wait for the Japanese court meeting?"

Come again?

When Jiang Mian heard the anger, he couldn't bear it anymore, and said loudly as if he was questioning: "If your majesty is dissatisfied with the cabinet's errands, why did you resign before, and your majesty wants to keep it?"

The smile on Zhang Zuo's face froze this time.

The surrounding Mao Ji, Liu Chun and Fei Hong all looked at the two of them with strange eyes, probably feeling that Jiang Mian was losing his composure.

Zhang Zuo hesitated for a moment and said: "This is His Majesty's intention. Our family is just sending a message. What is the specific intention? If Mr. Jiang Ge has any doubts, he will consult His Majesty together... Our family is leaving."

Originally, the eunuch, the chief inspector of ceremonies, came with a smile, and the relationship between the two parties was quite harmonious. They were both people on the scene, so they shouldn't tear their skins apart, but now it turned out that Zhang Zuo left with a tense face.

Now even Mao Ji didn't understand Jiang Mian's impulsiveness.

……

……

Jiang Mian went in to deal with the ticket drafting.

Mao Ji called Fei Hong and Liu Chun aside.

Mao Jidao: "You have also seen that His Majesty intends to increase the number of cabinet ministers. The first choice is Huang Gongxian. He used to be a vassal in Huguang, and he had more or less contacts with Xing Wangfu. With Huang Gongxian's reputation in the court, he became a minister. Perhaps, if it is used to enter the cabinet, I am afraid that it will make people dissatisfied."

Both Fei Hong and Liu Chun could tell that Mao Ji was trying to win them over and oppose Huang Zan's entry into the cabinet.

Liu Chun said with a smile: "The current state of the cabinet is actually quite good."

Mao Ji turned his attention to Fei Hong again.

Perhaps Mao Ji also knew that if he and Jiang Mian retreated, Fei Hong would be the next Chief Assistant, and the political orientation of future civil servants would largely be determined by Fei Hong.

Fei Hong said: "It's okay to increase the number of cabinet ministers. I have prepared my resignation letter and will submit it in two days."

Mao Ji shook his head: "You shouldn't go."

Liu Chun was still smiling, but after hearing this, his smile suddenly disappeared. What does this mean?
Shouldn't he be leaving?

Is it time for me to go?

"The cabinet should not be greatly disturbed. With the current situation, Jingzhi and I have to retreat, but if you stay, at least the major affairs of the government can be maintained as before... As for whether Gong Xian and others will join the cabinet, it is fine."

Mao Ji said suddenly frustrated.

Liu Chun couldn't understand.

You obviously wanted to win over the two of us, and you opposed Huang Zan's entry into the cabinet with your first and second assistants. Why did you suddenly say that this matter doesn't matter?

If it doesn't even matter about this matter, how can it matter?
Fei Hong thought for a while and asked, "The most worrying thing right now is, will His Majesty use the old man from the previous dynasty?"

One sentence hits the point.

Apparently Fei Hong is ready to be the chief assistant, probably only he knows who the potential political opponents are if Jiang Mian and Mao Ji step down, they will definitely not be people like Huang Zan and Qiao Yu. It will not be Shi Pang, Fengxi, Jia Yong, Li Ting and others who may enter the cabinet in the future, but the "old men from the former dynasty", namely Yang Yiqing and Xie Qian.

Only when they return to the court will they have a fundamental impact on the order of the future cabinet.

Mao Ji nodded: "That's right. Your Majesty has a tendency to continue using the old ministers in the past, but in many things, the older the better, the court must always look forward."

Fei Hong himself was also an old man hired by the emperor, so he didn't think there was anything wrong with appointing an old man, but if Yang Yiqing and Xie Qian came back, Fei Hong would feel great pressure.

Liu Chundao: "Then what are we going to do? Agree to His Majesty's proposal to increase the number of cabinet ministers? Let Huang Gong offer to join the cabinet?"

Mao Ji shook his head: "That's something you should care about in the future... I will continue to ask for resignation tomorrow, you two should not join in the fun, even if you mention it, His Majesty will not agree. Whatever it is, just follow the established plan come up with a plan."

……

……

After talking with Mao Ji alone, Liu Chun had many doubts in his heart.

Before Sun Jiao left the capital, Liu Chun missed his old friend and visited him personally, but he saw that Sun Jiao's belongings were almost packed, and he was about to leave for the south in two days.

"Why are you leaving in such a hurry?" Liu Chun and Sun Jiao came to the main hall, and Sun Jiao had a look of contentment on his face, Liu Chun was quite puzzled.

Even if your grandson resigns from office, it would be nice to live in the capital for a while, and have time to talk about court affairs with your son and son-in-law who are officials in the Imperial Academy?

Why are you in such a hurry to go back to Huguang?

Sun Jiaodao: "Since I have retired, I must retreat completely. No one will bother me with court affairs in the future."

Liu Chun asked, "Then who will take over your position as Minister?"

Sun Jiao shook his head: "I don't know."

"Haven't you proposed any candidate to His Majesty?"

Liu Chun still didn't understand.

It is obvious that Sun Jiao is quite close to the Xinhuang faction. When Sun Jiao returned to the court, it was the Xinhuang who insisted on kidnapping him. Why did he retreat so hastily this time?
Even if your grandson wants to leave, do you want to finish the handover first?
After all, the candidate for the new Shangshu hasn't been finalized yet, are you going to escape?Could it be that you have a big deficit in the household tribe and must leave?

Sun Jiaodao: "Your Majesty is young and promising. He used his ideas to govern the court, and finally made some achievements... I will not get involved."

Liu Chun's old face was tense after hearing such nonsense, obviously unhappy.

I came to exchange my heart with you, and you just use diplomatic rhetoric to perfunctory?

Sun Jiaodao: "I have something to tell you, the most important person around His Majesty is Jingdao."

"Didn't you mention it earlier?"

Liu Chun frowned, "I said it was important, but I didn't see how much it was. Now it's still just a Hanlin editor, and it's at stake... How do you value the law?"

Sun Jiao snorted softly: "But everything you see is created by Jing Dao, so you can understand?"

Liu Chun smiled and shook his head: "I don't believe it. If you want to say something, I can still understand it if Jingdao participated in it, but if you say that everything is about him...how is this possible?"

Sun Jiaodao: "I've told you everything, and you'll understand it later, don't blame me for not reminding you. I'm leaving for the south early in the morning the day after tomorrow, so you don't have to come and see it off... This place in the capital is freezing cold in winter and hot in summer. Die, I've had enough! From now on, we won't see each other again, and we have time to exchange letters."

"Ah."

Liu Chun wanted to mention Jiang Mian and the cabinet to Sun Jiao, but seeing that Sun Jiao was so relaxed, he was embarrassed to mention it.

"What's up?"

Only then did Sun Jiao remember to ask Liu Chun's purpose of visiting.

Liu Chundao: "Jingzhi and Weizhi will continue to beg for return tomorrow... His Majesty also intends to increase the number of cabinet ministers."

"Forget it, forget it, don't mention this to me, it has nothing to do with me." Sun Jiao really didn't want to talk more about Liu Chun's employment in the court.

Liu Chundao: "Then you should tell me what the future direction of the court you foresee will be?"

Sun Jiao said impatiently: "I told you everything, everything is planned by Jing Dao behind the scenes, if you have any questions in the future, just ask him...

"Don't underestimate him. If His Majesty can choose, he will definitely let Jing Dao be the chief assistant. Do you think I'm just joking with you? He won't tell me everything if he has something to do, just like what happened in the court this time. I know very little, so...you should find him to find out."

(End of this chapter)