Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 57: Six Departments Asking for Leave?

"Sir Huang, look at this..." Several civil servants were trembling, their faces were pale, and their voices were shaking with fear.

They have already begun to think about quitting.

"We can't retreat!" Huang Shijun, the Minister of Rites, gritted his teeth, the muscles on his cheeks bulging, "For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, for the sake of the people of the Ming Dynasty, we must not retreat!"

Chen Yan, the president of the Hanlin Academy, stood up with a grim expression and said, "Minister Huang is right. If we withdraw this time, the power of personnel in the court will completely fall into the hands of Your Majesty. If that happens, we will be really powerless."

"That's right. At the first attack, we are as powerful as a tiger, but at the second, we will weaken and at the third, we will be exhausted. Your Majesty has already taken back the East Factory, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Beijing Camp. If we don't respond, won't all the power belong to Your Majesty?" Xue Guoguan, the Left Vice Minister of Rites, said earnestly.

Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Justice, also echoed: "Your Majesty's reckless behavior is a disaster for the Ming Dynasty..."

"But your majesty has become so hard-hearted now..." Liu Yuliang, the right vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, couldn't help swallowing. He didn't say the rest, but his worry was clearly revealed.

The emperor would really kill someone.

After Zhang Sizhi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, had his eyes flickering for a moment, he stepped forward and said, "Minister Huang, Minister Bi, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not."

Huang Shijun: "Minister Zhang can speak frankly."

"In addition to dying for our remonstrance, we have another way, which is to directly advise Your Majesty on court affairs!" Zhang Sizhi said calmly.

"Frankly speaking out against the government affairs of the imperial court?" Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan's brows twisted into the shape of a "川" character, and his eyes twitched wildly.

How could he not understand what Zhang Sizhi meant? It was useless to let them kneel here, but if the emperor saw that the entire Ming Dynasty could not function without them and the court would be paralyzed, he would naturally submit.

"Why do we study so hard? Isn't it to serve the court?" Huang Shijun glanced at everyone, "But if we want to serve the court, we must have power in our hands."

"Your Majesty has repeatedly tightened his authority. If we are still disunited and unorganized, when Your Majesty takes back all the power, then life will be really difficult."

Now is the best time for them as civil servants. All power of the six ministries is in their hands, and what the emperor can do is confined to a very small range.

As long as the emperor's actions beyond the rules often aroused dissatisfaction and dissuasion from the civil service group, they had already formed a powerful curtain, forcing the emperor sitting on the throne to abandon his personal will.

In the history of the Ming Dynasty, several events also proved that the civil officials would stand to the end.

During the Ming Wuzong's southern tour, more than 100 ministers were beaten with sticks in the court, but the civil officials eventually stopped the practice. During the Wanli reign, under the pressure of the civil officials, Wanli yielded to the civil officials and did not depose the eldest son and enthroned the youngest son, but he also stopped attending court for a long time.

What's more, during the Chongzhen period, they would never allow the imperial power to rise.

"I think it's OK!" Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Justice, said with a glare, "I'll go back to the Ministry of Justice right now!"

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures!" Donglin Party backbones Wen Zhenmeng, Xiong Kaiyuan, Sheng Renxing and others also nodded and said, "It will also let your majesty know that the Ming Dynasty cannot be saved by acting on one's own!"

"Let's go!" The ministers looked at each other and then walked towards their own ministries.

……

Ministry of Justice,

"Come here, all of you..." Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Justice, called over several of his trusted men and whispered something in their ears.

Soon, several close confidants went down and reported the Ministry of Justice's intentions.

Then they went to the palace one by one, holding the documents.

The same situation occurred not only in the Ministry of Justice, but also in other ministries.

……

Qianqing Palace,
"Your Majesty, Guang Shiheng and several others have been arrested, and other ministers have also left one after another." Wang Chengen came in and reported to the emperor happily.

"I thought they would continue to die!" Zhu Changgan sneered and said, "I was just about to ask you to give Gao Yushun an oral order. At night, let Gao Yushun arrest a few more people."

The bureaucratic system of the civil service group had degenerated the emperor into an image and symbol in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.

Starting from the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the prince's teacher was selected from among the grand secretaries, accompanied the prince to adulthood, and then became a member of the emperor's cabinet grand secretary.

In other words, it was a typical education that started from childhood. Not only that, the civil service group also made a set of moral codes for the emperor.

For example, when Emperor Wanli wanted to rebuild the palace built by the Empress Dowager, Zhang Juzheng dissuaded him, saying that the palace was already perfect and did not need to be renovated, and that the people were living in poverty and that the Emperor should be frugal.

For example, when Emperor Zhengde wanted to lead troops to war, the civil officials would dissuade him, saying that the emperor was the ruler of a country and it was improper for him to lead troops to war. If the emperor did something wrong, the civil officials could speak out and advise him. If they were punished by the emperor, they might even gain a reputation for being brave enough to speak out.

This approach was always beneficial to the emperors of the middle and late Ming Dynasty, especially Chongzhen.

But it didn't work for Zhu Changgan, so I won't blame you for it.

Half an hour passed in a flash. Zhu Changgan was about to get up and go to the Yongwei Camp when he saw the eunuch running in in a hurry, "Your Majesty, Jinyiwei Commander Li Ruolian wants to see you."

"Let him in!"

Li Ruo Lian walked in quickly, knelt down and saluted: "Your Majesty, all the officials in the major government offices in the capital have spread the news, and only one in ten of those who stayed are left alive."

"I think this matter is very strange."

"Tell everyone? Go home?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have not returned home. It seems that..."

As he was speaking, he heard a commotion outside.

"Your Majesty, officials from the six ministries... have all come to ask for leave!" The eunuch ran in in a panic, his face pale.

Leave in the Ming Dynasty was very peculiar. Whether it was personal leave or sick leave, it almost all required the emperor's approval. Especially for officials in Beijing, they all had to obtain the emperor's consent before they could take leave.

When Zhu Changgan heard this, his face turned blue with anger. "I was wondering why they would give up so easily. Are they waiting for me here?"

Ask for leave?

This is not asking for leave, it's just a strike!

Zhu Changgan couldn't help but laugh angrily. After pacing back and forth for a few circles, he suddenly turned his head and said, "Wang Chengen!"

"Your Majesty, the eunuch is here!"

"Register all the patients who have come in for sickness today, and to show my benevolence, invite all the doctors from the Imperial Hospital to come to me. I will diagnose and treat them on the spot and give them medicine on the spot!"

The sick leave classification of officials in the Ming Dynasty was very detailed, and there are detailed records of it in Volume 13 of "Ming Hui Dian" titled "Sick Leave".

Different regulations apply to sick leave for Beijing officials, censors, Jinshi, and officials outside the capital, and the rights they enjoy are different. The penalties for violating the regulations also vary in severity.

Officials in Beijing who are ill will be treated strictly. "If the Ministry of Personnel finds that the illness is serious, they will be released as usual. If they pretend to be sick and are under investigation, or if they recover but do not take up their posts, they will be dismissed and forced to retire."

Zhu Changgan's eyes were as cold as snow. "If it is found that the person is indeed ill, he will be allowed to retire and return home; if it is found that it is not true, he is deceiving the emperor and will be killed by me!"

　I suddenly got a lot more monthly tickets today, thank you all for your votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)