unclear

Chapter 76

"Are you afraid that the courtiers will unite in private to oppose me?" Hong Tao didn't want to pay attention to it at first, because he was too ignorant. He wanted to wait until I finished singing.

However, it would be unbearable to ask an old eunuch in his 60s to walk quickly with small steps and his head bent, so he might as well make his words clear, so as not to make the people around him on tenterhooks all day long.

"That's exactly what I mean. Long Live Lord doesn't know. The late Emperor suffered a lot back then. They... they..."

Seeing that the emperor understood in his heart, Chen Ju finally breathed a sigh of relief, but the other half was still hanging on.He had never seen how other emperors dealt with their courtiers, but Emperor Wanli had been fighting with his courtiers for half his life, winning less and losing more. He not only saw it with his own eyes, but was also involved in it, often making him feel like a stranger inside and outside.

"They are very shameless and dirty, right? It doesn't matter. As long as there are no outsiders who want to say it, just say it. I will not convict you for my words, and I don't think you can convince the courtiers just by being reasonable. There is only one way to deal with shameless villains. , do you know what it is?”

Hong Tao was quite pleased with Chen Ju's reminder. He finally saw the right person. The old eunuch was more or less on his side, which also guaranteed Dongchang's general stance.

Since subordinates tell the truth with all their heart and soul, leaders should not be all fake. Telling a few words of truth appropriately is not only not dangerous, but can also enhance mutual feelings and trust.

"...I'm stupid, I don't know!" Looking at the young emperor with a strange smile on his face, Chen Ju wondered if he was old and confused. Compared with the prince two years ago, the prince in front of him obviously looked like a different person.

"It's very simple, more shameless, more despicable, and more dirty than them... Hehehehe, let me remind you, what year is next year? What big things are going on in the court?"

Although this life is just a soul-transportation, and the body is not brought here at all, many habits are still stubbornly followed, such as asking questions during explanations to inspire the trainees to think on their own.

"This year is the second year of Jingyang...a major event in the court...Is the Long Live Master going to choose a concubine?"

Chen Ju lowered his head and thought for a long time before vaguely finding something that could be called a big deal.He didn't seem to be used to this way of speaking. Emperor Wanli didn't have so much free time to chat with the eunuchs. When he had something to say, he mostly used a commanding tone.

"According to usual practice, the beginning of next year will be the first external inspection of our DPRK, and officials from all over the country will start to come to Beijing in another two months."

When it comes to big things, I just think about marrying more wives and having more sons. The stubborn ideas of the ancients cannot be reversed. I might as well stop thinking about it and just give the answer directly.

"...Long Live Lord wants to force all officials to agree to reduce clan treatment by appointing and removing officials?"

Chen Ju was shocked when he heard this, and his eyes towards the emperor had an extra layer of meaning, which seemed to be contempt, or contempt.If such a simple method worked, Emperor Wanli would not be so reviled that he would not go to court for more than ten years.Being young is unreliable and self-righteous.

"You think this is called shameless and despicable!" As a result, the emperor's expression became even more exaggerated, and he raised a question worth pondering with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Slave...Slave..." Now it was Chen Ju's turn to be at a loss. He opened and closed his mouth, closed and opened it again, stammering but unable to speak the entire sentence. "Chen Ju, you, Admiral Dongchang, are my right-hand man. You must not think like this. Dongchang is my eyes, ears and minions, and you deal with officials in the DPRK. If you want to do this job well, you have to be more despicable, shameless and more shameless than them. Little man, this is very, very important!”

Seeing the old eunuch at a loss, Hong Tao's good mood suddenly disappeared.Guang Zhongcheng has no use, and his ability is a good helper.Obviously, Chen Ju is fine in terms of being stable, but there is a gap in terms of insidiousness and viciousness. It seems inappropriate to let him take charge of Dongchang.

"Long live the Lord, forgive me, but I am incompetent..." After hearing this, Chen Ju's legs went weak and he knelt down, kowtowing like pounding garlic.

These words had a completely different meaning in his ears. If the emperor was dissatisfied with his work, it would most likely mean his removal. Without the position of Chief of Ceremonies Bingbi, an old eunuch would be considered useless in the palace. .

"Get up! I have said many times that in the inner court, you should not kneel down and kowtow no matter what happens. Wang An, do you know how I will use the external inspectors to fight with the officials?"

I was walking well, but suddenly someone knelt down from behind me, completely ruining my mood.Hong Tao could only keep a straight face and pretend to be serious, but there was nothing he could do. The eunuchs, including most of the officials, did this. If you spoke to them in a friendly manner and smiled, it would be equivalent to swearing.

"... This slave thought that Long Live Lord would use his official position as a bargaining chip in exchange for the cabinet bachelors."

Although Wang An was also an eunuch, he spent many times more time with the emperor than Chen Ju, and was educated by the emperor many times more times. He gradually changed his previous habits and was able to understand the emperor's intentions better. He gave the answer without hesitation, and said that there was no psychological burden.

"Look, look, Chen Ju, you have taught a good apprentice, and he will definitely inherit the mantle in the future. In this way, you first go to the cabinet and several bachelors to reveal my meaning, and it must be tactful and clear. Probably In three to five days, this matter should be resolved."

If it weren't for his weak foundation, Hong Tao would really want to replace both Tian Yi and Chen Ju.It's not that they are not loyal enough, nor that they don't work hard enough, but that their ideas are too different, or too upright.

It seems that the reason why Emperor Wanli was so criticized by his courtiers that he could not take care of himself was that in addition to personal problems, the lack of reliable helpers was also an important factor.If you want to rely on regular eunuchs like Tian Yi and Chen Ju to fight against officials who are full of evil intentions, the winning rate is too low.

The so-called external inspection refers to the central government's regular assessment of officials from the two capitals, Shuntian Prefecture, and Yingtian Prefecture, usually once every three years, including the Chief Secretary, Ancha Division, Fuzhou and County and other administrative agencies, as well as Taipu Temple, Duyuan Salt Envoy and other officials of specialized agencies.

By then, except for Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi, which are relatively far away, all officials undergoing assessment will have to go to Beijing.First, they will be assessed by various departments, then re-examined by the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and finally the results will be handed over to the emperor for the decision to depose.

Since Emperor Wanli had not been in court for many years, and even ignored government affairs, the internal inspections for inspecting officials in the capital and the external inspections for evaluating local officials had been abandoned for a long time. There was a serious shortage of officials from the capital to the local areas.

After Emperor Jingyang ascended the throne, he followed the advice of the cabinet and approved some officials to take office, but the number was still insufficient.As the year is coming to an end, it is a good opportunity to resume internal and external observation.The cabinet has been busy with this matter since the middle of the year. Various official documents are sent out for free, and officials who need to be assessed are notified to pack their bags and rush to the capital.

Why did Wang An say that the emperor should use the opportunity of external inspection to make exchanges with officials? It is very simple. No matter whether his political performance is good or bad, or his official position is promoted or demoted, there is only one person who can make the final decision, the emperor.

(End of this chapter)