unclear

Chapter 625: Dividing the spoils in court
This is politics. I have always wanted to separate power and money, but in many cases, in order to win the support of more people, I have to actively put power and money together, which is a slap in my face.

Therefore, no one who engages in politics can distinguish between high and low morals and good or bad human nature. The only criterion for evaluating them is success or failure. No matter what the winner says, it will be reasonable; no matter how the loser defends, he will be a bad guy.

The ancients said that if you gain the right way, you will get many help, but if you lose the right way, you will get little help. What is Tao? How can one attain enlightenment? Hong Tao believes that Tao is the human heart, and trying every means to gain the support of more people and becoming the spokesperson for the interests of most people is the Tao.

The Tao cannot change, but the benefits can change, and so can the methods of obtaining benefits. These two changes are the new things and new ideas that the emperor needs to bring to the people and officials of the Ming Dynasty.

"..." The jurisdiction over the Luzon Special Administrative Region has just been taken away from the hands, and now it is said that the benefits of Jinzhou Forecasting Market will be shared by everyone. It is really a bit hot and cold, which makes the courtiers present. I was a little confused about the situation, and no one dared to take the lead, for fear of being taken advantage of by this unpredictable emperor again.

"Ahem... I thought it was inappropriate for the imperial court and the country's security to be run entirely by merchants. The scale of the Jinzhou forecourt is larger than usual, and most of the goods needed must go by sea, and the shipping yamen are involved, so we need to consider the long term. !”

Seeing that no one was going to speak, and the meeting was about to fall into silence, Yuan Yingtai, the Minister of Civil Affairs, coughed lightly and came up with a suggestion. Although he did not give any specific suggestions, he relieved the emperor's embarrassment. He was worthy of being a leader of the royalist party, and his stance was firm at critical moments.

"...I second the proposal, what Yuan Shangshu said is absolutely true!" It's not that the chief minister of the cabinet, Ye Xianggao, doesn't want to relieve the emperor's worries, it's just that he didn't receive a notice from the Supervisor of Ceremonies before the meeting. He doesn't know what the regulations are today, so he can't mess with it. say. At this time, seeing Yuan Yingtai speak, he quickly came out to support.

"If the merchants are not allowed to go there, how will the court handle it?"

Zhao Shiqing, the Minister of Household Affairs, was almost 80 years old. He knew that his time in the court was short and he did not want to get involved in these matters. But when I heard Yuan Yingtai say that Jinzhou's market is not run by private businessmen, I couldn't sit still. Is it possible to establish a royal caravan? This may be related to the Ministry of Revenue, so we must ask clearly first.

"..." Not only was he interested, the officials present immediately raised their ears and focused their attention on the emperor. Yuan Yingtai is the emperor's confidant, and Ye Xianggao is the emperor's yes-man. When these two people sing and harmonize, it must be the emperor's inspiration.

"Uh... I think it would be safer for the General Staff to uniformly allocate goods out of customs. However, this matter needs to be carefully handled by the military staff. I wonder if you are willing to do so?" Even though the ministers saw through the little trick, Hong Tao still continued to act. , acted very uncertain, as if he had a sudden idea and was afraid of causing trouble to the ministers.

"Your Majesty is wise and far-sighted. Your ministers must abide by the imperial edict and work tirelessly to share your worries for you and your country!" As soon as he finished speaking, Weng Zhengchun, a cabinet scholar, stood up abruptly, took two steps across to avoid the chair, and raised his head with both hands in the air. land.

"...Long live my emperor, long live the emperor!" The others quickly imitated the situation and knelt down in large numbers.

These bastards really love the Ming Dynasty and the country so much that they can't bear to see any benefit slip away from them. He just put forward an intention, and they hurriedly agreed, saying that they would share the worries of the king and the country.

Without the huge benefits that can be seen with the naked eye in Jinzhou Forecasting Market, and without the fact that each of them has invested in many factories, where would they have come from? How can I share your worries with you? I am clearly trying to steal money from you.

"That's very good... Your Majesty, just follow this and send envoys to Jinzhou to discuss with the Mongolian ministries in a few days, finalize the regulations and then show them to me!" Seeing the ministers' hard-working performances, Hong Tao was also very dedicated and satisfied. There was a smile of relief and satisfaction on his face, as if he was very satisfied with the strong support of the ministers, and then he raised his hand and waved to dismiss the meeting! Get out of here quickly, I'm going to vomit if I continue to act!

"Long live my lord, although Zuo Guangdou has made outstanding achievements in office, he is from the Donglin Party. With such an important responsibility and being alone overseas, I think he needs to be closely guarded!"

As one of the general staff members, Wang An is also qualified to participate in the imperial meeting. He didn't express any opinions in the performance just now, but when he followed the emperor back to the apse, seeing no one around him, he immediately expressed what he was thinking.

"Well, you are right. I will arrange manpower to handle this matter. Is there any response from the North Korean envoy?"

The same thing means one thing when it comes from Gao Panlong's mouth, but it means another thing when it comes from Wang An's mouth. Hong Tao first affirmed, then changed the topic and asked about other things.

At present, the chief eunuch is no longer in charge of the East Factory, but he has the title of General Staff and Military Aircraft, and his position is equal to that of the cabinet bachelor and the six ministers and nine ministers. It is really difficult to calculate whether it is a loss or a gain.

Now Hong Tao is using practical actions to remind him that from now on, he should focus more on government affairs and stop worrying about the activities of people he rarely sees. It is enough to concentrate on being an internal minister.

"Yesterday, my slave accompanied Zhu Guozuo to meet with the North Korean court officials at the post house. In her words, she seemed to be criticizing the officials of her country, accusing them of being in cahoots with the Jurchens."

Seeing that the emperor did not intend to discuss the selection of the governor of Nanyang, Wang An did not insist anymore, and immediately switched to the identity of the chief minister of etiquette, and reported the process of receiving the North Korean envoys in a formal manner.

Ordinarily, the Supervisor of Rites does not have this power or responsibility. All visits by foreign envoys are arranged by the Ministry of Rites. But since the establishment of the General Staff, Hong Tao has intentionally or unintentionally arranged for the staff to participate in various diplomatic activities. The euphemistic name is to know oneself and the enemy, but the implication is that he is not satisfied with the work of the Ministry of Rites.

You only know hearsay all day long, and you know very little about the surrounding countries and don't ask for a thorough understanding. Then don't blame me for overstepping my authority and using my own sources of information. One of the methods is for the staff officers and eunuchs to attend the meeting.

In the past, this arrangement would have definitely attracted firm opposition from the Ministry of Rites and even other ministries, but now no one dares to contradict it. In the emperor's previous purges of the court, the Ministry of Rites was the hardest hit area, and everyone was already in danger.

Yang Tingyun, the current minister of the Ministry of Rites, is an old friend of Li Zhizao and Xu Guangqi. He must have received some hint or explicit instruction and has never made any noise on this issue.

As the person involved, neither one of them took the lead in opposing, and others seemed to have no sufficient reason to stand up for them. It has gradually become a routine for the Director of Ceremonies and the General Staff to participate in meetings with diplomatic envoys.

(End of this chapter)