Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 11 The Ming Dynasty has fallen

The outer court was finally bustling with activity. The contents of the imperial edict were shown to various departments, together with the oral decree issued on March 25th.

In the Ministry of Justice's official office, the Minister of Justice Xiao Daheng called Xie Tingzan.

"Have you understood what Your Majesty said in the imperial edict?"

Xie Tingzan's courtesy name is Ke. To be able to use such a courtesy name, Xie Tingzan must be a very spirited person.

The censors are known for their pride and righteousness.

Be it arrogance or righteousness, Xie Tingzan just stiffened his neck and snorted after hearing his superior's words: "Your Majesty treats me as a beast for my honest advice, and history will have its own judgment!"

There was clearly some smugness in his eyes.

After all, it was obviously Xie Tingzan's contribution that this oral order came down.

Who doesn't know the emperor's temperament?

It was said that it was because of that noisy beast Xie Tingzan that the delay lasted some time, but the oral order was finally issued.

Xiao Daheng frowned, "Mr. Shen specifically told me to warn you. Now that the decree has been issued, don't make any more trouble, so as to avoid the same situation as the 19th year of Wanli."

"The Grand Minister of Justice is wrong!" Xie Tingzan said immediately, "Now is the time to seize the opportunity to pursue the victory. Your Majesty is delaying the matter by moving away first. Do you think that the loyal ministers in the court will no longer make requests and the three rituals can be carried out with an imperial decree? The eldest prince is already twenty years old, and the third prince is already sixteen. The older princes are all living in the harem. How can this be? This dispute over the foundation of the country should also have a result!"

Xiao Daheng looked at him sullenly.

This fellow passed the imperial examination two years ago when he was forty years old. After that, before he was even appointed as an official, he dared to write a memorial to talk about the harms of mining taxes.

Now, a mere sixth-rank official has to use extreme words and lead by example in order to gain a name for himself in the struggle for the country's foundation.

There were so many people who requested the Three Rites, why was he the only one who was evaluated as a "beast"?

He is just talking nonsense and has no idea of ​​the overall situation!
Right now he's still not interested!
"Since there is an imperial decree, the grand ceremony will be held after we move to Ciqing Palace. Don't you even have the time to wait?" Xiao Daheng said in a bad tone, "If you miss the important event, you will only have a bad name in history! The imperial decree says, 'If you can't succeed, you will come to blaspheme again'. Now that you say this, it really seems like you are disobeying the imperial decree!"

Xie Tingzan did not show any sign of weakness. He stared at Xiao Daheng and said, "Could it be that the elders and officials of the various ministries still want to be soft and cowardly? Everyone knows that moving to Ciqing Palace is just a delaying tactic?"

"Seize the opportunity to pursue the victory... a delaying tactic..." Xiao Daheng became angry, "Your Majesty and I, your ministers, are monarchs and subjects, not enemies. Your remarks are truly treasonous!"

"If the Grand Secretary of Justice wants to convict me for my words, I will surrender!" Xie Tingzan snorted, "The public will judge the right and wrong, and my loyalty to the country will be known to the world!"

"Stubborn!" Xiao Daheng was so angry that he got a headache.

In the court, Shen Yikuan is now the head of the cabinet.

The group of people around Shen Yikuan were privately called the Zhejiang Party.

Xiao Daheng, who was recommended by Shen Yikuan and the cabinet minister Zhang Wei as the Minister of Punishments, had to rely more closely on Shen Yikuan after Zhang Wei was dismissed by the emperor because of the Korean War.

All the civil and military officials in the court were discussing privately that Xiao Daheng was a general of the Zhejiang Party.

Now the conflict of the dispute over the national foundation has fallen on Shen Yikuan. Judging from past experience, if things go wrong, Shen Yikuan may be dismissed from his post.

Are the public's enthusiastic requests for the establishment of a crown prince really all motivated by public interest?
I don’t know how much party struggle for power is hidden in it.

"I'm trying to persuade you with good words. If you want to make mistakes, don't blame me for not telling you in advance." Xiao Daheng waved his hand. "That's all I have to say. You are doing your job, and I will pay attention to it."

Xie Tingzan bowed and saluted: "There are many official duties, and there are vacancies that cannot be filled. Although I have tried my best to handle it, I will also report the vacancies that need to be filled!"

The corners of Xiao Daheng's eyes twitched.

You can't say he's too rebellious. Nowadays, the various ministries and yamen are indeed short of staff, and it's useless to use whether he completes his job well to pressure him.

Because of the lack of people, things are difficult to handle, and in the end it is still the emperor's fault.

Sometimes think more about your own reasons!
Have the vacancies been filled over the years? Have the government affairs been handled seriously?

For so many years, only a few people have been doing so many tasks, and the number of people is decreasing. I'm going crazy!

Xiao Daheng rubbed his temples, feeling very worried.

It's a blessing, not a curse, but it's a curse that cannot be avoided.

Facts over the years have proven that when it comes to the dispute over the foundation of the country, if the censors and ministers cannot persuade the emperor, they will go to the cabinet.

Now the pressure is on Zhao Zhigao and Shen Yikuan.

Shen Yikuan came to visit Zhao Zhigao at his home.

In the 23rd year of Wanli's reign, he supported the Minister of War Shi Xing in negotiating peace with Japan. After the tribute failed and the Korean War broke out again, Shi Xing was imprisoned and sentenced to death for deceiving the emperor, and died in prison last year.

After the blow that year, the old Prime Minister Zhao Zhigao became "paralyzed at home" and kept asking for resignation.

He had repeatedly submitted petitions to resign, but the emperor had repeatedly refused. Now Shen Yikuan had to come in person to discuss state affairs with him, and it was legitimate.

But in front of the hospital bed, the two cabinet ministers felt complicated.

"You are the Prime Minister. In this extraordinary time, you are the only one who has the prestige to restrain the ministers. Don't make things worse." Shen Yikuan said earnestly.

Zhao Zhigao lay on the bed and opened his mouth with difficulty, as if speaking was already very difficult. His voice was intermittent and very small.

His son stood by and listened carefully for a long time before bending over and beginning to retell the story.

"My father said that he is so ill that he can no longer assist Your Majesty in handling state affairs. He does not understand foreign affairs, advocates peace talks, and is incapable of governing the country. He has no achievements in setting up reserves, abolishing mining taxes, and is powerless. He has no talent, no knowledge, no measure, and no vision. It is true, and I am ashamed of it."

Shen Yi Guan's scalp tingled. Lao Zhao, stop wasting your time!

"There is no prestige, let alone restraint. I hope that the Lord will see in person today that my father is so seriously ill, and pity my father's old age and illness, and ask Your Majesty to allow my father to resign." Zhao Zhigao's son bowed and kicked the ball back.

Shen Yi was always worried.

Just that mumbling just now, is there so much content?

He sighed and spoke sincerely.

"Lord Biyang, in the past I also deeply agreed that peace with the Korean barbarians should be negotiated through tribute. If you say I don't understand the barbarian affairs, I am the same. The Japanese pirates are so ambitious that they are bent on interfering in China. This is beyond your and my prediction. There is no way to change their mind. Lord Biyang can't change his mind. I am only advocating war with Lord Hongyang for the sake of the country."

After talking about the past with Zhao Zhigao and Zhang Rang, Shen Yiguan smiled bitterly and said, "It's not easy to be a cabinet minister. Only we know this."

Zhao Zhigao, who was lying on the hospital bed, also gave a wry smile and shook his head with all his strength, as if to say that there was no need to mention this anymore.

Shen Yikuan sighed again.

Before that, he had agreed with Zhao Zhigao, but later he jumped to the side of the second assistant Zhang Wei.

After the Battle of Ulsan, Zhang Wei angered the emperor by making extreme remarks and refusing to plead guilty on the issue of appointing important officials to the front line to defend against the Japanese.

Shen Yikuan took the initiative to admit his mistakes with a sincere attitude.

The final result was that Zhang Wei was dismissed and Shen Yikuan was retained.

After all the ups and downs in the past few years, Shen Yi has been able to judge the situation and his position has become increasingly stable.

Zhao Zhigao, who was ridiculed by both the government and the public, actually did persist, but he was indeed discouraged.

Shen Yiguan tactfully expressed his helplessness in "betraying" Zhao Zhigao that year, and then he could only appeal to his emotions: "This time is different. Duke Binyang, Eunuch Tian has a message when he arrives at Wenyuan Pavilion: The Queen Mother, Your Majesty, and Your Highness are all waiting for everything to go smoothly!"

Zhao Zhigao's expression froze on the hospital bed, but he didn't say a word.

Shen Yikuan continued, "The eldest prince is almost twenty years old! We have been in the cabinet for so many years, and the three ceremonies have not been completed. In the future, when you and I unload our burdens and return home, won't we be ashamed? Now the Empress Dowager also hopes that the country will be settled soon, and Your Highness is waiting anxiously. As long as the ministers trust Your Majesty once more, maybe everything will really go smoothly! Duke of Binyang, what do you think?"

He held Zhao Zhigao's hand, his voice full of earnestness.

Zhao Zhigao smiled bitterly, shook his head again, and then muttered softly.

His son listened attentively, and spoke after a while: "My father said that he has been ill for many years, and it was all Elder Shen's hard work. Now that the crown prince is in sight, we can only trouble Elder Shen to take responsibility. All my father can do is not to offend Your Majesty with memorials. During this period, no resignation will be made, and no reports will be made. My father is willing to set an example, and Elder Shen can let all officials know."

Zhao Zhigao's dim eyes were full of support and encouragement, and Shen Yiquan was at a loss.

He knew that Zhao Zhigao only wanted to protect himself and was unwilling to face this situation with him.

Even more, if Zhao Zhigao continued to "obey the emperor" instead of striving hard for his position as the prime minister, he would be impeached by some of his colleagues, who would give him the opportunity to resign and leave.

You, Shen Yikuan, have to face this turbulent political situation on your own!
Shen Yikuan failed to achieve his goal of asking Zhao Zhigao to "rehabilitate" and come forward to restrain the ministers and try his best to get the matter done, so he could only say goodbye and leave with a heavy heart.

It seems that even if there is such a saying, Zhao Zhigao is not optimistic that this dispute over the national foundation will have a conclusion.

In that case, I should reconsider what to do.

In the Zhao Mansion, the "paralyzed" Zhao Zhigao stood up miraculously and sat down on a chair tremblingly with the help of his son.

He looked out the window with a hint of sarcasm and helplessness.

"If you can return home alive, that's fine. If my father dies here, you will carry his coffin back for burial. And then, no matter what the political situation is like, neither you nor the younger generation in your family will serve as an official again."

Although Zhao Zhigao's voice sounded old, it did not sound like he was critically ill or dying.

"Father……"

Zhao Zhigao turned his head and looked at his son who was hesitant to speak, his eyes still had the fierce aura that could lead him to the position of Prime Minister.

"These words come from my father's mouth, but they only reach your ears!" Zhao Zhigao's voice was very soft, but he was firm, "The Ming Dynasty will be destroyed one day. The Zhao family should stay away from troubles, so that they can survive!"

(End of this chapter)