The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"It should be completed by the Ministry of Industry within a time limit. I'm afraid Ouyang Shangshu will not be around for long."

Xu Jie just responded to Gao Gong's question lightly, and Gao Gong just nodded slightly.

Gao Gong didn't care whether Ouyang Bijin stayed or went. He didn't want to compete for the position of Minister of the Ministry of Industry. He only cared about when Prince Jing's mansion would be completed so that he could find a way to get Prince Jing to leave the capital as soon as possible.

Xu Jie dared to say this, so he was naturally not afraid of Gao Gong repeating it.

Each of the six ministers is in charge of one. Even if Emperor Jiajing approves the proposal according to Xu Jie's vote, the Ministry of Industry can still do the work without putting in any effort. This all depends on the coordination and supervision of the cabinet.

There are currently three people in the cabinet, Yan Song and Gao Gong, who cannot be counted on. Lu Ben has been doing nothing for many years, so naturally he has no hope, and now it is Xu Jie.

"It's all thanks to you, Mr. Ge."

Gao Gong just solemnly cupped his fists towards Xu Jie.

Xu Jie waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's all as it should be. By the way, I bought some Qiulubai in Tianfu a few days ago. After drinking it, it tastes sweet, pure and sweet, and has endless aftertaste. It can be called the top grade wine. ,hehe."

Having said this, Xu Jie looked at Zhang Juzheng beside him and said, "Uncle, go to the back and ask them to bring the wine."

"yes."

Zhang Juzheng stood up and wanted to salute the two of them, then turned around and left the house to find someone to bring the wine. Xu Jie and Gao Gong were the only ones left in the house.

"Now in Prince Yu's Mansion, since Su Qing left, only Yifu and Zhengfu are left as assistants. At this time, nothing can happen. I want Uncle to go to the Prince's Mansion to serve as an official. I don't know what Su Qing thinks. ?”

In fact, when he left Zhang Juzheng from Xu Jie, Gao Gong guessed that he must have something to say to him. Now that he heard Xu Jie tell him his plan, he naturally couldn't refuse.

"You and my uncle stayed in the Imperial College, so you probably have some idea of ​​his talents."

Just when Gao Gong was debating whether to agree or make some more requests, since it was all an exchange anyway, Xu Jie continued to talk about his work with Zhang Juzheng in the Imperial College.

Gao Gong naturally has no doubts about Zhang Juzheng's ability, and he and Zhang Juzheng not only have a tacit understanding in handling official affairs, but also have very similar views on the current situation. Although Zhang Juzheng is Xu Jie's student, even if Xu Jie retires in the future, It seems that Zhang Juzheng can also be his assistant.

Thinking of this, Gao Gong nodded and did not think about whether there were any conditions for trading with Xu Jie. Anyway, he would not refuse if he came to Xu Jie when he needed it.

"Yes, my uncle's talents can serve as an official in the palace, but"

However, Gao Gong soon realized that Zhang Juzheng's current position in the Hanlin Academy was still low.

"I will talk to Wu Shangshu and Yin Zhangyuan, and I also ask Su Qing to go and tell me. Now Li Chunfang, Yuan Wei, Yan Ne and you have all been appointed as ministers. The ministers and lecturers of Hanlin Academy will soon be appointed. It’s vacant.”

Xu Jie said seemingly casually.

Gao Gong's eyes froze when he heard this. The four people mentioned in Xu Jie's words are all the most promising people in the court now, and they have all been promoted to Ministers of the Ministry in the past year. They are all obviously heading for the cabinet. .

To say who among the four is most likely to enter the cabinet first and replace Lu Ben, it is naturally him and Li Chunfang.

Li Chunfang was the latest among the four to pass the imperial examination. Yuan Wei was the top scholar in the 17th year of Jiajing. He and Yan Na were the Jinshi in the 20th year of Jiajing. However, Li Chunfang was the top scholar in the 26th year of Jiajing.

Li Chunfang's articles were naturally excellent, and he also wrote good Qingci. He quickly rose to prominence, while the three of them were still waiting for the opportunity in the Hanlin Academy until they were valued by Emperor Jiajing because of Qingci.

After that, Gao Gong was sent to Prince Yu's Mansion as an errand, responsible for teaching Prince Yu, while Yuan Wei and Yan Na were still in the Hanlin Academy, but they were doing some foreign work, mostly at Taichang Temple.

Xu Jie's mention of this matter at this time was certainly not without purpose.

"Mr. Lu Ge."

Gao Gong asked tentatively.

But Xu Jie didn't speak, he just blinked at him, and he didn't seem to say anything.

Emperor Jiajing was also patient enough. Over the years, Lu Ben's several resignations and official appointments were rejected. In fact, he wanted him to occupy a position in the cabinet.

According to Xu Jie's words, this situation is about to change, a new member will be added to the cabinet, or it will change within this year.

But immediately, Gao Gong felt something was wrong, "Where is Mr. Guo, the Minister of Staff?"

The person he asked was naturally Guo Pu. It was said that he was a Jinshi in the 14th year of Jiajing and had more seniority. However, Xu Jie did not mention his name at all in the conversation just now, which was really strange.

"The hostage should be replacing Wu Peng's position as minister, so he should not be included in the list."

Xu Jie answered Gao Gong's questions in an understatement, and even told Guo Pu's next official position.

Wu Peng became an official, and Ouyang Bijin also resigned one after another. It can be said that Yan Song's power in the court was basically eliminated, and the rest was nothing.

After coming out of the Xu Mansion, Gao Gong sat in the carriage and was still thinking about the meaning revealed in Gao Gong's words. Lu Ben was leaving, leaving a cabinet position vacant, but the most important thing was actually the possibility of Wu Peng and Ouyang Bijin. leave.

Is Yan Song about to fall?

But Xu Jie just shook his head and said nothing in response to his previous temptation. What does this mean?

Gao Gong couldn't understand Xu Jie's plan, so he had to ignore it. What he needed to consider most now was how to win favor, so that he could join the cabinet before Li Chunfang.

After all, the number one scholar will have a huge advantage over a second-class scholar like him.

Wei Guangde still knew nothing about the violent turmoil that was about to occur in the court, but it was just a fight between gods and had nothing to do with him.

Wei Guangde was also standing at the door of his home at this time, seeing off a group of people of the same age.

Everyone is not of a high level now, and this is the time when we need to huddle together for warmth the most.

Most of those who were valued by the nobles had already entered their respective circles at this time, and those who still came here either planned to join Wei Guangde, or they came here because they really couldn't find a good place to go.

Wei Guangde watched everyone go away, sighed, and went straight back to his home. The door slowly closed. His social activities were over for the day. In Beijing, such activities are still going on.

Zhang Juzheng, who left with Gao Gong, got on the carriage. After leaving the gate of Xu Mansion, he turned into an alley not far away. Not long after, the carriage stopped outside a small door.

Zhang Juzheng got off the carriage and came to the door. After tapping twice, the wooden door opened. When a boy inside saw it was Zhang Juzheng, he saluted and said, "The prime minister is waiting in the flower hall behind."

"Lead the way."

Zhang Juzheng just said something casually and followed the boy into the yard, and then the wooden door was closed again.

"What do you think of Gao Gong? Can we get along with him?"

In a flower hall in the Xu Mansion, Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng were sitting opposite each other. The tea cups in front of them were filled with smoke, exuding a refreshing fragrance of tea. Several carbon basins were placed around them to radiate heat into the room, dispersing it. The coldness of early winter makes the whole house feel warm.

"Gao Gong is talented, sees things sharply and penetratingly, and has a strong character. However, he is cautious and cautious in doing things, and he is very good at playing both sides. His ability is really impressive."

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and then spoke, while Xu Jie opposite him couldn't help but nod.

Gao Gong entered Prince Yu's Mansion immediately after leaving the Imperial Academy, and the relationship between Prince Yu and Prince Jing destined him to have a natural hostile relationship with Prince Jing's supporters. However, in fact, the relationship between Gao Gong and the Yan family was not bad, even if When facing Yan Shifan, the two often called themselves brothers, eating, drinking and having fun together.

"but."

When Zhang Juzheng said this, he was suddenly stuck. He didn't know whether he was right or wrong.

Xu Jie raised his head and glanced at him, raised his eyebrows and said, "Go on, don't have any scruples here."

"is teacher."

Zhang Juzheng agreed, then lowered his head and thought about it before continuing: "What I said before are all my previous views on him.

Now, based on my understanding of Gao Gong, this person seems to be a bit strict and harsh in nature, and he is also arbitrary in dealing with others, and even excludes dissidents.

For such people, you can cooperate in the short term, but it is difficult to maintain a long-term relationship.

As for why I couldn't see it before, I also thought that maybe it had something to do with the status of Prince Yu's Palace in the past.

At that time, Prince Yu's Mansion was not very strong in the capital. Although he was the eldest son of His Majesty, he did not receive the courtesy he deserved as a prince. Therefore, he restrained himself in all aspects. His original nature was completely covered up, making people feel uncomfortable. can not tell.

But now that King Yu's status has been confirmed, Gao Gong seems to be a villain. "

Zhang Juzheng said this and looked up at Xu Jie. Seeing the satisfied expression on Xu Jie's face, he continued: "Although King Yu's status has been confirmed now, he has not established a prince after all, so there are still variables. At this time, it should be continued While uniting a group of officials in Prince Yu's palace, Gao Gong began to exclude Wei Guangde."

After saying this, Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a moment, "Teacher, Wei Guangde probably doesn't have a high status in Prince Yu's Mansion. I still don't understand why Gao Gong chose to attack Wei Guangde first."

"Haha. It's normal that you don't know. When Wei Guangde took refuge with Prince Yu, it was the most difficult time for Prince Yu's palace. The so-called providing help in the snow is nothing more than this.

Therefore, Wei Guangde's status in King Yu's heart was raised very high. Of course, he was still far from Gao Gong. After that, some things happened one after another, in which Wei Guangde was involved, but many of them were not open to outsiders.

Wei Guangde, please ignore him for now and continue talking about Gao Gong. "Xu Jie chuckled.

After listening to Xu Jie's words, Zhang Juzheng realized a little bit later and understood why Gao Gong quickly decided to send Wei Guangde out of the capital after Xu Jie raised his head.

It seems that Gao Gong is worried that Wei Guangde's status in King Yu's heart will continue to improve. Although it will not threaten him, it is good to have one less opponent.

"Actually, Gao Gong, as you can see from his attitude towards the people around him, is not something to be afraid of at all. But as the teacher said before, King Yu relies too much on him, so...

Therefore, in the future, if King Yu ascends the throne, Yan Song's position will probably be held by him. "

Zhang Juzheng did not mention his teacher Xu Jie, and Xu Jie also understood what Zhang Juzheng meant. He was afraid that he would not be able to defeat Gao Gong, and it was not a matter of means.

The most important thing for the chief minister of the cabinet is the emperor's trust. Without the emperor's support, let alone the chief minister, even the ministers cannot sit firmly, unless they are arranged by the emperor to join the cabinet to restrain someone.

After King Yu came to the throne, Xu Jie would not be killed because of his love for him over the years, but he would definitely suffer a lot in a fight with Gao Gong.

"I am old after all, how many more years can I do?"

Xu Jie said something as if he didn't care, and then said: "For so many years, I have been following Yan Song step by step, and I didn't dare to disobey him in the slightest. I didn't expect that when I get old, I still have to look at Gao Gong's face? "

"What the teacher means, it depends on King Yu."

Zhang Juzheng wasn't quite sure what Xu Jie meant, but he could still make a rough guess.

Since you don't like Gao Gong as a person, you can only replace him.

The people around King Yu, in addition to Gao Gong, also include Chen Yiqin, Yin Shizhen, etc. These people have been following King Yu for a long time, but I don't know if they can challenge Gao Gong's position in King Yu's heart.

"If one doesn't work, tie up two. If two don't work, tie up three. You and Li Fang should move around more these days.

When King Yu comes to power, his position will also rise. He may be the next Huang Jin. If you can make friends with such a person, try to make friends with him, but you must not become an enemy. "

Zhang Juzheng stood up, bowed to Xu Jieshen, and said, "The students have been taught."

"Sit down, you and I don't need to be so polite."

Although Xu Jie was very satisfied with Zhang Juzheng's attitude, he still pretended to be close and said: "In addition, when you enter Prince Yu's Mansion, you have to pay more attention. It is not as early as when you entered Prince Yu's Mansion now.

You must show humility in front of King Yu, and you must also show more of your talents. If you want to compete with Gao Gong, it will definitely be too late, so try not to show any threat to Gao Gong, you understand. "

“Students understand.”

Zhang Juzheng nodded and said.

"Prince Yu is gone, but I heard that there are many beauties in Prince Yu's harem. I think there should be a new crown prince soon. Unlike Prince Jing, there hasn't been any sound over there for so many years.

If Prince Yu is still here, hey, there is no point in saying this. Anyway, remember, I still hope that you can take over the job of Prince Yu’s teacher in the future.

We are already one step too late with Prince Yu, but we must not slow down with Prince Yu. "

Having said this, Xu Jie glanced at Zhang Juzheng and said meaningfully: "You are still young and you still have a chance."

Zhang Juzheng looked at his teacher Xu Jie and took a deep breath for a while.

“Students understand.”

The two chatted for a few more words, and Xu Jie unconsciously yawned.

"Teacher, please leave now. It's really my fault for delaying the teacher's rest."

Zhang Juzheng saw that Xu Jie looked tired and stood up hurriedly and said.

"Haha, it doesn't matter."

Xu Jie smiled.

Just when Zhang Juzheng was about to turn around, he suddenly turned back.

"Anything else?"

Seeing Zhang Juzheng's actions, Xu Jie asked strangely.

"Teacher, regarding Wei Guangde, do you really want to follow Gao Gong's wishes and let him go?"

Zhang Juzheng asked.

"It's still too early to consider his affairs. Even if you go to Fujian to serve as a censor, it doesn't mean that you can only take the road of governor. Don't forget, you can also take the road of Fujian's inspector general. This is not the case for Hanlin officials. What impact.

Besides, with that boy's holy family, it's hard to say whether he will stay in Fujian for a long time. "

Xu Jie smiled.