Manchu traitor, how can you let me be the emperor of the ages

Chapter 241 Dividing the cake, the conflict between Cai Bian and Sima Guang
Wang Mang was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The Ministry of War is the least likely to snatch away the errand of holding the examination. There is no risk in temporarily handing over the errand of knowing Gongju to them once.

What's more, there is Sima Guang, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, as the deputy magistrate?
"Wang Zongbo, you should be busy with the errands of the Ministry of Rites these days."

Wang Mang's heart skipped a beat, he thought that Li Gan was going to talk about another candidate for the Minister of Rites next, but he didn't expect him to change his voice and talk about the examination.

"As for the examiner, I actually already have a candidate in my mind."

Li Gan said with a smile: "Let me tell you, Uncle Da Zong, listen to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Mang's heart moved, and he nodded in response.

In fact, he has already guessed who the candidate is, or the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty have already guessed.

Right Prime Minister Qin Hui.

"I think that Wei Zheng and Wei Qing's family are more suitable to be the chief examiner. What does Uncle Da Zong think?"

"I would like to obey... Lord Wei?"

Wang Mang raised his head abruptly, and looked at Li Gan with astonishment.

"That's right, that's him." Li Gan nodded, indicating that you heard correctly.

In fact, Wei Zheng was the chief examiner, something he had already thought about, and Qin Hui was just a smoke bomb he released.

"But……"

Wang Mang couldn't help but said: "But the chief examiner of the examination has always been the imperial court's minister, and Mr. Wei is not the minister."

Li Gan shook his head, he knew that he had to convince Wang Mang first.

It is very difficult to convince this kind of person who accepts death, but Li Qian was already prepared today.

Not only is he sure of persuading Wang Mang, but he may also make Wang Mang willing to support him and help Li Gan persuade other ministers.

"Uncle Dazong, Wei Qing's family is a first-rank royal censor, the same rank as Zaifu, why can't they be the chief examiners?"

"Same product as Zaifu, but not Zaifu."

Wang Mang's logic was very clear, and he did not get caught up in Li Gan's simple words, but firmly said: "Your Majesty, only Zaifu can be the chief examiner of the examination. This is the court practice."

Li Qian's words were blocked by him, and he was not angry, but waved his hand with a smile: "Wang Zongbo, don't worry."

"You have always admired ancient etiquette, so you just think about it, was the ancient imperial doctor the same minister?"

"minister……"

Just as Wang Mang was about to speak, he froze in place suddenly.

Li Gan looked at him with a smile, and didn't hurry to urge him.

When Dagan first established the country, the three metric system was indeed implemented for a period of time, and the doctor Yushi was responsible for inspecting the officials, and he was one of the three gongs with a noble status.

Later, through the evolution of the official system, it gradually became the current four unlikes, three provinces and six departments, but that period of history cannot be ignored and indelible.

Sure enough, after hesitating for a moment, Wang Mang nodded firmly.

Seeing this, Li Gan smiled: "Supervising officials, how important is it?"

"The edicts and policies formulated by me and the imperial court need hundreds of officials to implement them. If there is no one to supervise, how will the hundreds of officials implement the imperial court's decrees? Yu Shitai is in decline, and today's big work is the answer."

Wang Mang was silent, although he subconsciously felt that Li Qian's logic might be a bit wrong, and the ancient rituals mentioned by His Majesty the Emperor were slightly different from what he wanted...

But no matter what, at least the current situation is strongly supporting the words of His Majesty the Emperor.

Li Gan didn't know what Wang Mang was thinking, or even if he knew, he wouldn't care too much.

It is impossible for two people to have exactly the same thoughts and ideas, and there is no need to force them to be the same, because it is not good for both parties.

Li Gan didn't really want to restore the ancient rituals, all he wanted now was to have a common direction with Wang Mang, and that was enough.

Standing up and walking a few steps forward with hands behind his back, he said with emotion: "Uncle Da Zong, there are many similarities between the ancient rituals you insist on and my ideas, especially the part about Yushitai."

"Now I not only appoint Wei Qing's family as the chief examiners of the examination, but also want to restore Yushitai to its former state."

Wang Mang was silent for a moment, but still nodded, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is innocent, and I will obey your Majesty's orders."

He is not a naive child, so he naturally understands that nothing can be accomplished overnight in this world.

What Wang Mang was looking forward to was an ancient ritual longer than Daqian, but given the current situation in the court, how could this be achieved?

It can only be done step by step, first restore to the founding of the country at the beginning of the Daqian, and then plan for the follow-up...

Hearing this, Li Gan understood what he meant, and nodded with a smile: "Okay."

From now on, Li Gan has only initially established his own, real political clique.

Political partners cannot simply gather based on interests, such a group is too fragile and too scattered.

It is best to have the same or similar beliefs and goals in addition to interests, so that they have a lot more risk resistance and cohesion than other groups.

Just like the Qi Dang, Chu Dang, and Qin Dang who were once active in the Daqian court...

In addition to common interests, each party has common goals and common constraints... And they are from generation to generation, and every imperial examination brings a steady stream of fresh blood into the party, which keeps the party strong.

These parties are terrifying and tenacious, but with the efforts of generations of emperors, these "vassal parties" have finally been gradually weakened, and this form of party formation has gradually faded out of the Dagan court. No one mentions this anymore.

They were replaced by parties centered on power ministers, which were much weaker than those regional parties and princely states parties.

For example, Yan Song's Yan Party, Cai Jing's Cai Party, He Shen's He Party...

The power and influence of these people may have surpassed the former Qi Party and Chu Party, but in the eyes of the emperors, their harm is limited.

As long as the vassal states are not destroyed, the parties of these vassal states can be maintained forever, and they will always lie on Dagan to suck blood.

But these power minister parties are centered on power ministers. As long as the minister dies, they will disappear sooner or later, and at most they will only endanger a generation.

Now Li Gan's behavior of bringing Wang Mang under his command is no different in essence from the behavior of these parties.

It's just that his identity as the emperor represents orthodoxy, and the imperial party is much better than any minister's party.

"Your Majesty, will the candidate for the deputy examiner be selected from within the Ministry of Education?"

Wang Mang looked at Li Gan and asked.

Li Gan nodded with a smile: "Let's just go to Wan Qixi, the right servant of Zhongshu."

This time he used Qin Hui to make a smoke bomb, so he had to be compensated, otherwise Qin Hui might lose his reputation in the court, which would not be good for the relationship between the two parties.

Although the assistant examiner was slightly inferior to the chief examiner, it was not too far behind, enough to give him an explanation.

As for why Wan Qixie was chosen instead of Wang Ciweng, there are also reasons.

In the history of Li Gan's previous life, Wang Ciweng had always been Qin Hui's loyal dog, but Wan Qixie was also "one of Qin Hui's three good friends", but he turned against Qin Hui later, and the two turned against each other.

Li Gan didn't know what the relationship between the two was now, but he was very happy to see Qin Hui's camp divided at this time.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Mang also had no objection, and silently approved Li Qian's choice: "After returning to the Ministry of Rites, I will discuss with you adults."

It is said to be a discussion, but the relationship between Sima Guang, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, and Wang Mang is very good. If the two agree, there must be no one in the Ministry of Rites who is not open-eyed and dares to object.

Li Qian nodded with a smile, very satisfied with his attitude: "Uncle Da Zong, what do you think about the candidates for the same examiner?"

"Is there anyone to recommend?",

This time, it was Li Gan who came to ask Wang Mang: "If there are any talents who feel good and are qualified to be the same examiner, they don't need to stick to official positions, and it's okay to be promoted out of the box."

Wang Mang's heart moved, but he still pulled out a document from his sleeve: "Your Majesty, this is a preliminary discussion by the Ministry of Rites. It can be used as a fellow examiner. Please have a look at it."

"Ah."

After Li Qian took it, he flipped through it, compared it, and found many names he was familiar with.

"Uncle Da Zong has put his heart into it."

After Li Gan looked at it roughly, he raised his head and asked Wang Mang with a smile: "It's just that the number of fellow examiners is limited, and these people can't all take up the post. Who does Uncle Da Zong think is the most suitable?"

Wang Mang hesitated for a moment, but still named a few people: "This is an official that both Chen and Sima Shilang think are good."

Li Gan circled the names of these people with a Chinese ink pen, and said with a smile, "Is there anything else?"

"The same examiners have to select more than 30 people in total. Does your Ministry of Rites choose these few?"

Wang Mang was taken aback for a moment, and then decisively named a few people, until finally he racked his brains and couldn't think of the right ones.

"it is good."

Li Gan continued to write, and he wrote about eight or nine more, and then stopped.

"This is an official who I think is not bad. The Ministry of Rites can refer to it when you go back. As for other candidates, you can discuss it yourself when you go back. There is no need to ask me again."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Mang responded, and was about to leave with the document.

"Wait a minute, Wang Zongbo."

Li Qian suddenly stopped him again, and asked with a smile on his face: "Before I said at the court meeting that Uncle Da Zong would consider the candidate for the right servant of the Ministry of Rites, what did Uncle Da Zong think?"

Wang Mang was taken aback, as if he never thought that Li Qian would mention this again, didn't he mean to be busy for a few days first?

After thinking about it, he still replied conservatively: "I don't have any ideas for the time being. Now it seems that I will either add a servant from several other departments, or directly promote him from below."

"I wonder if His Majesty has a favorite candidate?"

Because of Li Qian's words at the court meeting, the competition for the position of the servant has not yet fully broken out.

As long as those who are qualified to covet this position are now holding back their energy, they only wait for the examiners to enter the Tribute Court and when the court can spare their hands, they will fight for it with all their strength.

The positions of these two servants are too tempting. The servants of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Punishment, which are not as good as the Ministry of Rites, must be staring at this position.

Just like Su Ling'a, he is the right servant of the Ministry of Industry. Although it seems that he is transferred to the right servant of the Ministry of Rites, according to the practice of the court and the unspoken rules of civil servants, the Ministry of Rites is higher than the Ministry of Industry, so This counts as a promotion.

In addition, there are so many counties in the imperial court, and each county guard is a fourth-rank official position, and they are also eligible to be promoted to the third-rank minister.

From a local official of the fourth rank to a minister with real power in the capital of the third rank, this is a step to the sky!
Compared with many people, they must have started to use their contacts and prepare to send people to Beijing from the first moment they got the news.

There are also those fourth-rank officials among the Beijing officials. I am afraid that they will fight even more fiercely.

Of course, most of the latter two don't care what kind of minister they are. For them, as long as they can reach the third rank, they are considered successful.

If the right servant of the Ministry of Rites is taken away by the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, then the vacated right servant of the Ministry of Industry will definitely become the target of these people again...

So this time the battle for the servant will be extremely fierce, and there will be many variables.

The fourth-rank officials who can't compete for the ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Household Affairs are likely to turn around and run to support the ministers of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Punishment, in exchange for the minister's support for taking over his position.

Others will feign a shot, turn into a spy and infiltrate a servant, provide information for others, and even cheat him at a critical moment to create opportunities for his competitors. This is also to gain support for succession...

Anyway, the competition for the assistant minister in the past has shown that the officials will definitely play this process in various ways and with a variety of tricks.

If you want to appoint a candidate at this time, then let the news out as soon as possible. This is to tell other officials not to waste their efforts again, and it is better to compete for another opportunity.

If he hadn't said it earlier, and had to wait until the result was finalized before spreading the news of the internal decision, it would be tantamount to offending all the officials who were vying for this position.

Cai Jing before suffered this loss.

In fact, as long as this trick is played well, there will be no problems at all, but Li Gan leaked the news of the default decision, which became Cai Jing's reason for overturning.

"It's not that I have a favorite candidate, but I think that Cai Jing and Cai Qing's family may have a favorite candidate."

Cai Jing?

Wang Mang was once again shocked by His Majesty's thoughts.

This... Isn't this just killing people?Why are you thinking about Cai Jing again now?
Facing his gaze, Li Gan smiled lightly: "Uncle Da Zong, I believe you are no stranger to Cai Bian, right?"

"Cai Bian?"

Wang Mang's voice suddenly rose several degrees, and then he realized that he had lost his composure.

Li Gan looked at him curiously: "I think you may know each other, but looking at Uncle Da Zong like this, it seems that you are still familiar with him?"

"His Majesty……"

Wang Mang smiled wryly: "If Cai Bian came to the Ministry of Rites as a servant, the Ministry of Rites would probably be unstable."

Seeing him like this, Li Qian also became interested. After thinking for a while, he suddenly realized, and figured out the joint: "Could it be that Sima Shilang is at odds with him?"

Wang Mang nodded, with a flash of helplessness on his face: "Your Majesty should know that Cai Bian once served as the Minister of Rites, and he was a colleague of Sima's Minister at that time."

Li Gan was even more interested: "Could it be that Uncle Da Zong is very clear about their affairs? You might as well tell me about it."

Wang Mang shook his head slightly: "At that time, I was not working in the Ministry of Rites, so I only knew a little bit about their affairs."

"It is said that Cai Bian and Sima Shilang had a good relationship at first, but because of one person, the two parted ways."

When mentioning this person, Wang Mang also showed some dissatisfaction on his face: "This person is Wang Anshi, an old minister of the late emperor, and he is Cai Bian's father-in-law."

(End of this chapter)