Daming talker

Chapter 652 Winter Solstice Storm (Part ) Please give me your monthly vote!

Compared with previous dynasties, the Ming system had many differences in the specific details of government administration, such as a greater reliance on the circulation of official documents.

In previous dynasties, holding meetings may have been the mainstream way for the court to conduct government affairs, but in the Ming Dynasty, official document exchanges were the mainstream.

In most official matters, officials from different offices did not meet each other, and all communication and negotiation at the same level were carried out through paperwork.

People like Mr. Lin who move around the office, giving orders and giving instructions everywhere are absolutely non-mainstream.

Specifically in the inner court, the secretariat under the Imperial Household Department was equivalent to the central hub for the circulation of official documents.

For example, memorials from various parties must first be received by the Secretariat, and then sent to the Cabinet, or directly to the Emperor.

The cabinet's draft was also sent to the Silijian by the Secretariat, and after approval, it was sent back to the cabinet by the Secretariat.

After the cabinet completes the draft edict according to the red approval, it will be taken to the secretariat for use, and then sent to the six departments for review and issuance.

It can be said that every link in the circulation of official documents in the inner court must be handled by the Secretariat.

Therefore, the Shushufang has a very high status in the eunuch system, which is equivalent to the Hanlin Academy among the civil officials. The eunuchs who can take charge of the Shushufang will basically be the eunuchs in charge of the Silijian in the future.

Eunuch Sun Yongsun, the former commander-in-chief of the Twenty Gates and current junior supervisor of the Inner Study, is such a popular and sought-after figure.

It was unanimously recognized that after Sun Yong's godfather, factory manager Sun Xian, retired, Sun Yong would be promoted to the position of eunuch of the Imperial Household Department.

There are several eunuchs in charge of the inner study, and Sun Yong’s main workplace is at Huiji Gate.

This place is just outside the cabinet, which is conducive to getting acquainted with the elders, making it easier to carry out work after being promoted to the Imperial Household Department in the future.

Today, the Fourth Assistant Zhao Zhigao went to the Cabinet to serve. When he passed by Huiji Gate, he suddenly spoke to Sun Yong, the Junior Supervisor of the Inner Study, and asked, "Does the Cabinet have any secret memorials to submit today?"

The contents of the secret letter must be kept confidential, and Sun Yong is not qualified to open it and read it, but the existence of the secret letter itself does not necessarily have to be kept strictly confidential.

After thinking about it, Sun Yong decided to do a small favor.

Although old man Zhao has no future and is just waiting to die in the cabinet, he is Lin Tailai's man, and Lin Tailai's face is still very valuable.

If Lin Tailai had not created the "Loyal and Brave Eunuch of Xizhimen" last year, Sun Yong would not have been able to benefit from it and be promoted from the Commander-in-Chief of Twenty Gates to the Inner Study.

So Sun Yong gestured twice towards Zhao Zhigao, indicating the numbers "one" and "two", implying that both the first and second assistant ministers had submitted secret memorials.

As expected, a secret memorial was submitted! Zhao Zhigao walked to Wenyuan Pavilion with a worried look on his face, but he felt a little suffocated inside, so he paced back and forth outside the door of Wenyuan Pavilion.

Generally, after arriving at Wenyuan Pavilion every day, the Grand Secretaries would either hold meetings in the main hall or work in the cubicles.

People like Zhao Zhigao, pacing back and forth outside, are like conspicuous bags.

Perhaps because his conversation with Lu Guangzu last night affected his sleep, Sanfu Wang Jiaping arrived a little late today.

Seeing the cabinet minister, old man Zhao, circling in the courtyard, Wang Jiaping could not help but sneer at the left and right secretaries: "Old Zhao looks like an ant running around before a thunderstorm."

In front of Zhao Zhigao, who was thirteen years older than him, Wang Jiaping, the youngest Grand Secretary in the cabinet, could not help but feel a little superior.

Wang Jiaping did not deliberately lower his voice, and his words reached Zhao Zhigao's ears.

Then Zhao Zhigao suddenly turned around, glanced at Wang Jiaping, but did not respond, and walked straight into Wenyuan Pavilion.

Wang Jiaping suddenly felt that he might be dazzled. The moment the cowardly old man Zhao turned around, a strange and fierce look seemed to flash across his face.

In the Huiji porch room, a junior eunuch from the secretariat was holding a pile of freshly-issued imperial edicts and asking for instructions from the junior eunuch Sun Yong.

Sun Yong waved his hand casually and said simply, "Send it to the Sixth Department."

This is all done completely according to routine procedures, just like working on an assembly line, and does not require any thinking.

The secretariat was only responsible for receiving and sending documents and had no authority to process the contents of the imperial edicts.

A quarter of an hour later, these imperial edicts, which had been stamped with the Dashang seal, were sent to the six departments in different categories. After being registered and reviewed by the six departments' secretaries, they were distributed to various ministries.

When several of the Engineering Department's secretaries were looking through today's imperial edict, two of them suddenly cried out in unison, "How could there be this?"

In the Huiji porch room, Sun Yong, the young eunuch in the secretariat, exhaled a breath of cold air, sat down beside the brazier, and while warming himself by the fire, he let his imagination run wild.

Godfather Sun Xian is not in good health. He may have to resign from his position as factory manager next year and apply to return home to retire.

Then, by then, would it be possible for me to go a step further and be promoted to the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department?

Suddenly, a servant opened the door and rushed in with a cold wind, howling like a bereaved mother: "Master Sun! Something bad has happened to the memorial!" Sun Yong looked at the servant in surprise. He was only responsible for the moving work in the secretarial room and was not responsible for the content of the memorial. What bad could have happened?
The long-servant shouted, "News came from the Engineering Department that two secret memorials from the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were somehow inserted into the imperial edict to be issued. They were sent to the Engineering Department and have been read!"

Holy shit! Sun Yong stood up in shock and almost kicked over the brazier. "How could such a big mistake happen!"

The secret memorials written by the Grand Secretary to the Emperor must contain information that cannot be made public! If it is leaked, it will be a major accident!

The more sensitive the content is, the greater the crime will be if it is leaked!

"Who did this?" Sun Yong was furious and shouted without thinking, "Who is secretly framing us?"

The intrigues and infighting among the eunuchs were even more insidious. Sun Yong's first reaction was that someone must have framed him, the rising star!

Thinking of this, Sun Yong ordered his long-servant: "Go and report to godfather immediately!"

Then he went to the Sixth Department in person to confirm the contents of the two leaked secret letters in order to judge the severity of the situation.

After leaving the Meridian Gate, I saw Zhang Youde, the Imperial Secretary of Engineering, standing in front of the Six Departments Corridor, holding a memorial and reading aloud to a group of people:
"I, Shen Shixing, am recuperating at home. The cabinet's memorial opposing the removal of Luo Wanhua has nothing to do with me, and I feel that Luo Wanhua is stupid and does not understand the overall situation.

As for the matter of enthronement, I believe the emperor has made up his mind and can make the decision himself. There is no need to worry about the instigation of villains. "

After reading it, Zhang Youde shouted again: "Second Assistant Wang Xijue also has a secret memorial with similar content!"

Hearing this, Eunuch Sun's legs went weak and he fell to the ground.

It's over! Everything is over! Not only the Prime Minister and the Second Prime Minister are finished, but I am also completely finished!

If we classify them by political sensitivity, the content of this secret memorial is definitely at the highest level!
The Prime Minister actually told the emperor in private that the Minister of Rites Luo Wanhua, who requested the enthronement of the eldest prince, was stupid and ignorant of the overall situation, and that the court officials who were arguing about the country's foundation were all villains, and that the emperor should just make the decision directly without listening to the outside world's clamor!
This kind of face does not conform to the current political correctness at all! The political correctness of establishing the eldest son and free speech have been completely trampled!
And the second assistant Wang Xijue seemed to have similar ideas!

After being exposed, it can't be said to be a huge storm, but it is a shock to the heavens and the earth!

For some reason, Eunuch Sun suddenly thought of Eunuch Liu who committed suicide by jumping off the top of the Xizhimen city wall.

In politics, it seems reasonable for the scapegoat to commit suicide out of fear of guilt, right?

"Hahahahahahaha!" Eunuch Sun sat in the corridor between the Duanmen and the Wumen, laughing wildly towards the sky.

One second he was still dreaming of being promoted to a eunuch in the Imperial Household Department next year, and the next second he foresaw his own death. Is there anything more absurd and ridiculous than this?

The contents of the two secret memorials were like a strong wind that blew out of the Chengtian Gate from the six departments and violently swept through the various ministries and agencies of the outer court!
All the officials in the court were shocked, and even Prime Minister Shen’s political enemies had never expected that the secret memorial could be leaked publicly.

Upon hearing the news, Shen Yongmao, Deputy Director of the Military Selection Department of the Ministry of War, rode his horse towards home without hesitation.

In the central hall of Wenyuan Pavilion, the deputy chancellor Wang Xijue’s face was as pale as paper, his hands were shaking violently, and he couldn’t even hold a teacup steadily.

The other two university secretaries, Wang Jiaping and Zhao Zhigao, sat on both sides with frowns on their faces.

The strangeness of the secret leak left most people confused at first.

How did this happen? Why did this happen?

Wang Cifu, who always prided himself on his intelligence, seemed to have lost the ability to think. He could only keep mumbling to himself: "How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Now he will be subjected to a storm of impeachment attacks, and no one will publicly defend him!
He said he had the potential to be the Prime Minister, but he lost his official position!

Bang! Suddenly there was a loud noise, and the fourth assistant Zhao Zhigao slammed the table and stood up, attracting everyone's attention.

At this time, people who have nothing to do with the matter are all pretending to be low-key, so what does Old Man Zhao want to do by standing up?
Zhao Zhigao, with white hair and beard, pointed at Sanfu Wang Jiaping and angrily shouted, "You've gone too far!"

A question mark slowly emerged in Wang Jiaping's mind: Are you having a seizure, old bastard?

Old man Zhao shouted angrily: "Although the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister disagree with your political views, Wang Jiaping, you should not use such despicable means!"

Caught off guard, Lord Wang San was hit on the head by a huge black pot and almost vomited blood on the spot.

"Zhao Zhigao, how dare you slander me!" Wang Jiaping stood up subconsciously and scolded harshly.

Old man Zhao continued to ask, "You have violated the rules and bottom line. Will there be no descendants for those who started this?"

Wang Xijue looked at Wang Jiaping in confusion and suspicion. As for motives, this Wang San also has them, right?
If both the first and second assistants are killed, wouldn't Wang San become Wang Da?
Moreover, from a technical point of view, as long as Wang San was willing, it was not impossible to mix the secret memorials with a pile of imperial edicts and hand them over to the Secretariat. He could just instruct a secretary to do it.

In the strange atmosphere, Zhao Zhigao said loudly again: "Lin Jiuyuan once said that the biggest beneficiary is often the instigator!"

So Wang Jiaping could finally be sure that the fierce look that he seemed to have seen flash across Old Man Zhao’s face earlier was definitely not an illusion!

(End of this chapter)