Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 60: Civil servants’ momentum
at the same time,

The chief officials of all the government offices in the capital were waiting inside the government offices.

In the Ministry of Personnel, someone kept trotting back to report what was happening outside the palace gate.

When officials from various departments heard that the Jinyiwei had killed people, they were horrified. Besides fear, they were more angry and sad.

Some people also felt a little secretly happy in their hearts.

Your Majesty has started slaughtering the ministers, and they have reason to impeach the emperor.

Tian Weijia, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, slammed the table, his fat body trembling, "Killed? Your Majesty actually did it directly? Was this done by the king?"

"Your Majesty, how can you be a wise and enlightened ruler if you kill so many people like this?"

"You are extremely tyrannical and have slaughtered all your ministers without distinction, including loyal ministers, martyrs, good men, and gentlemen. This shows that your Majesty is a ruthless and incompetent ruler who has no moral integrity and is willing to punish anyone!"

"Since your majesty came to power, you have disregarded the laws and regulations of your ancestors and the dangers of the Ming Dynasty. For such behavior, you should issue an edict of sorrow and remorse..."

"..."

Among the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Personnel, there was a roar of anger.

At this moment, another clerk ran in from outside, "Master Tian, ​​Master Fei and the others have confessed."

"Why are you calling for confession? Wasn't he beaten to death?"

"No, only less than ten people were beaten and killed. The rest all admitted that they were instructed by someone else, reported the person who instructed them, signed and sealed their names, and were fined for three years before being released."

"Identify..." Tian Weijia, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, didn't understand what was going on when he heard a group of people coming back from outside.

Hundreds of officials came in from outside with their heads lowered.

"Doctor Fei!"

Fei Chaonan, a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel, happened to meet Tian Weijia's gaze. His face and ears turned red, and his neck turned red. He wished he could jump into a crack on the ground.

The person he pointed out was none other than his 'teacher' Tian Weijia, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

"Fei Chaonan, why are you running?" Tian Weijia saw the other party's eyes avoiding him, and at this moment he realized what Fei Chaonan had done. He was immediately furious and his face turned red and his whole body was shaking. He raised his hand to slap Fei Chaonan, "You shameless boy! How dare you call me your master?"

"You take my bowl and smash my pot, and you still have the nerve to come back? Why don't you just die!"

"Master Tian, ​​you are talking without any hesitation. I'm afraid you are not the one who will be beheaded." At this point, Fei Chaonan, a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel, simply retorted, "You always say that we should dare to resist the superiors, but if we really want to resist, your chief officer will not go and let us, the fifth and sixth ranks, go? What can we resist with our bodies?"

"You want to shock the imperial court, why don't you use the lives of your sons and nephews to do it?"

"You..." Tian Weijia, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, had black lips, suddenly covered his chest and collapsed to the ground.

Fei Chaonan continued to chatter, "What qualifications do you have to teach me a lesson?"

"Shut up!" Two officials came over, "Master Tian? Master Tian... Quick, call a doctor, Master Tian has fainted."

"..." Fei Chaonan's face froze, and he quickly stepped back a few steps. "You all saw it. You can't blame me for this. I didn't even touch him."

……

A similar scene is also happening in the other six films.

Although these civil servants have repeatedly demonstrated their righteous image to the people of the world and the court, most of them are actually full of talk about benevolence, righteousness, and morality, but they are also full of selfish desires.

Seeking fame and forming cliques for personal gain are their specialties.

They can instigate the people below them to die, but they themselves cannot be stained with even a speck of dust. If they are pointed out by their subordinates or students, it would be equivalent to handing the handle to the emperor.

How could they tolerate having a knife stuffed into their black hats?
The six or seven hundred officials who went to the palace were all driven back to the six ministries by the emperor. They were all middle-level officials and the backbone of the six ministries.

The chief officers of the six ministries and the hundreds of traitors under them collided with each other.

The scene suddenly became like dye entering a big dye vat... there were constant sounds of cursing, quarreling, shouting, resistance and dissatisfaction.

Those minor officials of the seventh and eighth ranks, who were not very important, looked at the commotion above and looked at each other, not daring to step forward.

But their eyes were bright and they were whispering.

……

Fortunately, the civil servants still have some dignity.

With the help of Huang Shijun of the Ministry of Rites, Zheng Sanjun of the Ministry of Justice and other officials from various departments, the matter was kept under control within their departments and did not become too ugly.

Several senior civil servants gathered together again, their faces looking extremely ugly.

"Everyone, tell me what we should do now." Minister of Rites Huang Shijun looked at everyone and said, "I think we should not retreat!"

Tian Weijia, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, gritted his teeth and said, "It is said that we officials should think twice before we can act, think about danger, think about retreat, and think about change."

"But in my opinion, this change of mindset should be put first. If you think about danger and retreat, you will always think that if you know there is danger, you can choose to avoid it, or hide in a place where others will not pay attention to you, and you may be safe for a while."

"In the face of a changing situation, Your Majesty keeps moving forward again and again, like a chariot being crushed. If you only think of retreating and taking risks, you will still be ruthlessly crushed!"

Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Justice, also nodded and said, "Since Yu Qian defended the capital, our civil servants have risen rapidly, and we have the current situation. If we just give up like this."

"Are we going to become the imperial court writers for the royal entertainment, writing poems, singing, drinking and entertaining, and offering texts as our main occupation?" "If that's the case, then let's try it again." Tian Weijia, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, said in a low voice: "Let people write notes, talk, and compose songs, and let people build momentum."

"I just don't believe that Your Majesty really doesn't want this face at all."

After the Chenghua period, the imperial power no longer had the control it had over scholars and popular opinion as it did in the early Ming Dynasty. Literary prohibitions were relaxed, the publishing industry was highly developed, and the literati and scholars had an additional means in their hands.

That is to write various notes, novels, and miscellaneous talks to frame the emperor and create a broader and more powerful public opinion to force the emperor.

"Okay, let's do it!"

Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Justice, suddenly asked, "How do we deal with those treacherous people who have returned from various departments?"

"Of course they are dismissed!" Tian Weijia, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, said grimly, "Why keep such people who have no master or father?"

Although Sun Chengzong entered the cabinet and was appointed as the Minister of Personnel by the emperor, this incident broke out before he even stepped into the door of the Ministry of Personnel.

The Ministry of Personnel has the right to make recommendations on senior officials, the emperor has the right to make decisions, and the Minister of Personnel has absolute authority over the appointment and dismissal of middle and lower-level officials.

Zhang Sizhi, the right vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was among these people, along with him, the left vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

What's more, among the six ministries, the Left is the most respected, and the Shangshu has not yet taken office, so he is the biggest.

It immediately set the tone.

Even if we cannot completely eliminate them, we must eliminate some of them and kill the trend of "traitors". Otherwise, wouldn't the six departments be filled with people without a master or father in the future?
……

In the afternoon, Zhu Changgan, led by Wang Chengen, went to Chenghua Palace to appreciate the flowers.

Chenghua Palace, where the recently selected Concubine Chen is located, is far away from the harem and lives in the area attached to the East Palace.

Zhu Changgan walked halfway and suddenly stopped, his eyes suddenly brightened, "Tsk, this place is quite close!"

Since Chenghua Palace is only separated from Ciqing Palace by a wall?
Ciqing Palace is where Empress Yi'an and Zhang Yan lived.

His heart was filled with ecstasy, but he still coughed and entered Chenghua Palace.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" A tall and plump woman hurriedly saluted the emperor.

Her words are like pearls, her voice is soft yet crisp and extremely pleasant to the ear.

"Get up and look up so I can see."

Concubine Chen slowly raised her head. Her skin was whiter than snow and her eyes were like a pool of clear water. When she looked around, she had an air of elegance and transcendence. Her rosy cheeks were smiling and she was saying nothing.

Not ostentatious, not artificial, not deliberate, but casual and free, like a clear stream, refreshing the heart.

Zhu Changgan's eyes froze involuntarily, and he swallowed his saliva. The key point was that she had a good figure, like a flower tree piled in snow, with a charming and graceful posture.

"I still admire the Queen's vision."

"What will you order?"

"Your Majesty, I know a little about music, chess, poetry and painting." When Concubine Chen said this, two pomegranate petals suddenly flew to her cheeks, making her cheeks even redder.

Zhu Changgan took the tea and took a sip, "Then play a song for me."

……

After the song ended, Zhu Changgan was still feeling unsatisfied. He glanced at Wang Chengen and was about to say, "Why are you still standing there? Take your people out."

A eunuch came in from outside and said, "Your Majesty, Jinyiwei Commander Li Ruolian is here to see you."

"What is he here for?" Zhu Changgan frowned, but still waved his hand to let Concubine Chen leave.

Li Ruo Lian came in and knelt down to pay his respects. "Your Majesty, rumors were rife this afternoon, and all the words said were slandering Your Majesty..."

"Oh, what did you say about me? To be honest, I don't blame you for being disrespectful."

"Yes, in the afternoon, there were suddenly many more storytellers and opera singers. The bloodshed at the palace gate that morning was included in the scripts, and Your Majesty was described as a foolish and bloodthirsty monarch who slaughtered ministers..." Li Ruolian said as he looked up at the emperor.

Zhu Changgan's eyes were cold, "Are you not willing to give up?!"

"Okay, tell the East Factory, the Yongwei Battalion, and the Beijing Battalion that all entrances and exits of the capital should be blocked during this period of time. All letters can only enter but not leave."

The reason why all the intersections in the capital were blocked was that the East Factory, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Beijing Camp were currently under his control, but the six ministries, especially the Ministry of War, and local officials were still in the hands of the civil service group.

What he was going to do next would inevitably affect the core interests of the civil servants.

The situation must be controlled within the capital, and they must not be allowed to pass the information out and cause local unrest.

By then, the rebels in the mainland and the Qing Dynasty would take advantage of the situation and cause a chain reaction, which would not be worth the loss.

"Li Ruolian, how many of those hooligans in the Jinyiwei who were testing the muskets are still alive and well?"

Li Ruo Lian was shocked, "Your Majesty, there are less than 7 people available."

Zhu Changgan: "Notify them all. I have something for them to do tonight. Let them be on standby at Jinyiwei these few days. Those who complete the task will be rewarded. Those who fail to complete the task will return to Jinyiwei to test fire their muskets."

(End of this chapter)