The Prosperous Era of Longwan

Wei Guangde was living a meager life in Bengshan Castle. This did not mean that he was unfilial. After all, he came from a later generation, and some habits and consciousness from that time still occupied his thoughts, so he was quite disapproving of Ding You's matter.

Having these thoughts does not mean that he can speak out. He can only hold them in his heart and try to find something to do for himself to kill time.

Little did he know that his last allies in the capital had been cornered by Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng.

Now Gao Gong has become the real chief assistant of the cabinet. Li Chunfang's memorial was approved by Emperor Longqing last month, and he should still be on his way back to his hometown at this time.

In the order of succession, Zhang Juzheng became the second assistant, while Yin Shizhen remained the assistant minister.

Such a ranking was enough to suppress Yin Shizhen, causing him to lose all his voice in the cabinet.

In the beginning, he was able to influence the situation in the cabinet because Li Chunfang, the first assistant, was not very good at governing. He also had help from assistants Chen Yiqin and Wei Guangde, which naturally increased his voice in the cabinet. However, with the current changes, the huge gap made Yin Shizhen feel uncomfortable for a while. Come.

For this reason, his hatred for Gao Gong was even worse. During cabinet discussions, he often had disputes with Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng due to political disagreements.

Of course, he was still the loser in the end, but he didn't realize that his opinions were often opposed for the sake of opposition, but he seemed to find fun in finding ways to undermine Gao Gong.

He enjoyed it endlessly, but Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng's attitude towards him also changed drastically, and they wanted to get rid of him quickly.

Although Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng are not in harmony with each other, after all, they still act with public motives in mind, which is to relieve the country's worries.

Nowadays, most of Yin Shizhen's speeches in cabinet meetings are full of anger and controversy, which naturally makes them dissatisfied.

In fact, among these changes in the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng actually made a bad move.

If Wei Guangde were from his point of view, there is a high probability that except for the fundamental government affairs, he would stick to his own opinion and stand with Gao Gong. For some government affairs that are not that important or have little impact, maybe he would turn around and support Yin Shizhen.

The three people in the current cabinet actually represent the three forces. It is most beneficial to Zhang Juzheng to maintain this situation.

Only by dealing with it as a secondary assistant and playing both sides can you maximize your own interests.

But he didn't. Instead, he followed his true intention and invisibly increased the divisions in the cabinet until both he and Gao Gong could no longer sit still.

Of course, maybe Zhang Juzheng didn't understand this truth, but considering that Gao Gong has been self-centered since he became the chief minister, he cannot tolerate the slightest difference from others.

As the second assistant, Zhang Juzheng felt that Gao Gong's desire for power was too strong and it was difficult to work with him. He remained silent most of the time, knowing that Gao Gong was wrong but did not dare to point it out.

And his silence was regarded by Yin Shizhen as Zhang Juzheng's support for Gao Gong, which separated the two people who should have united at this time.

“The Ministry of Industry discussed the proposal to dig a new waterway in Shandong area to Li Guihe during the incident, and felt that it was feasible to dig a new river to connect the Jiao River and Lai River.

If the Jiaolai Canal is completed, when the Yellow River is flooded, canals can go out to sea in Huai'an, sail along the Jiaolai Canal along the coastline, avoid the Yellow River waterway, and enter the inland river from Tianjin to Tongzhou.

I have called everyone together today to talk about this matter. "

Gao Gong sat in the chief assistant position, looked at Zhang Juzheng next to him and Yin Shizhen, who was next to him, and explained the reason for this meeting.

"Let me express my opinion first. I strongly support Li Guihe's suggestion. The Yellow River has been flooding in recent years. The court has spent huge sums of money on maintenance, but the breach remains and water transportation is almost cut off.

According to the calculations of the Ministry of Industry, if it is completed in two years, it can ensure that Jiangnan Caoliang can reach Tongzhou safely before the Tongzhou granary runs out of stored grain.

This matter cannot be delayed. "

When Gao Gong said this, he actually made it clear that he had decided to dig a new river channel to avoid the Yellow River.

If I can’t afford to offend him, can I still afford to hide?

When Zhang Juzheng heard what Gao Gong said, he felt a little annoyed but couldn't express it clearly. Gao Gong watched eagerly from the side.

He remained silent this time, only nodding out of habit when Gao Gong finished his words.

However, the assistant minister Yin Shizhen frowned at this time. He had read Li Guihe's suggestion earlier and asked someone from the Ministry of Industry to consult on the feasibility.

The person in charge of the Ministry of Industry who was familiar with the water conditions told him that this proposal had actually been proposed in the Yuan Dynasty, but in the end the construction was not started because the officials sent to survey the rivers came back and said that the terrain of the waterways was complex and difficult to dig.

At the same time, the rivers in Shandong, whether it is the Jiaohe River or the Laihe River, have a small water volume and no external water. The project costs a lot of money. After completion, it may not be navigable because the water volume cannot be reached. It has little practical significance and wastes people and money.

With the Yuan Dynasty's lessons learned, Yin Shizhen naturally took it seriously.

In fact, when it comes to shipping, the Yuan Dynasty is indeed much smarter than the Ming Dynasty. At the very least, the Yuan Dynasty focused on developing maritime transportation instead of using canals. Although there are losses caused by shipwrecks every year, they are similar to those caused by rivers, which is considered acceptable. Accept the loss.

But in the Ming Dynasty, it was unwise to emphasize that shipping by sea was unsafe without realizing that there was still a risk of shipwrecks through the canal.

Yin Shizhen thought he had the news, so after Gao Gong expressed his stance, he immediately raised objections.

"Master Chief Assistant, I also know Li Guihe's suggestion. Let's not talk about the huge amount of money needed to dig the new river. Whether the court can afford it now, just talk about the water of the canal, but the water volume of the Jiao River and Lai River, I am afraid that the water volume of the canal cannot be guaranteed for shipping.

By then, aqueducts will inevitably be dug to introduce water from the surrounding rivers. Wouldn't this connect the Xinhe River to the Yellow River?

When the Yellow River overflows, it is feared that the yellow sand will block the new river channel.

I think this matter is actually a waste of people and money, so it's better not to do it. "

Yin Shizhen directly rejected Gao Gong's opinion, which naturally made Gao Gong unhappy.

In fact, there was controversy about the water volume of the river when the Ministry of Industry was studying it. Some people thought that the suggestion was good and the water volume should actually be enough. The reason why it was not built in the Yuan Dynasty was because the Yuan Dynasty was corrupt and the government had no money to complete it. This matter.

Digging a new river channel, especially in a place with complex terrain, requires a huge investment. If the project ends because there is no money to continue, the loss will be heartbreaking.

Moreover, when the Yuan Dynasty considered this matter, it was actually already the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Due to the impact of the Yellow River floods, the people revolted one after another.

It only took a few months for this hugely expensive project to be shelved. The Yuan Dynasty did not send people to repeatedly and carefully survey the terrain, because at that time, the finances had turned to military expenditures to counter the rebellion, and there was no money to deal with the matter. .

Of course, the person talking to Gao Gong happened to have a different opinion than the person in charge of Yin Shizhen's consultation.

One person believes that the amount of water is not a problem, and the most important factor affecting the effect is whether the court has sufficient finances to ensure the timely completion of the new river excavation project, while the other person not only believes that the court does not have the money to complete the excavation of the new river, but also because the amount of water may exist after the excavation. There is no reason why it is difficult to sail the boat, so they firmly oppose this project.

Because the two people consulted the head of the Ministry of Industry for different opinions, although they also mentioned the internal disputes within the Ministry of Industry when reporting the matter, they easily explained it in a few words because of their own positions, and naturally did not cause any high-profile discussions. He Yin Shizhen's attention was just because he knew there was such a thing.

Zhang Juzheng's situation was similar to theirs. He also heard about the controversy at the Ministry of Works, and also knew that Zhu Heng had sent people to Shandong to survey the terrain. In fact, the Ministry of Works had not discussed the matter.

As for the fact that the Ministry of Industry of China at Gaogongkou believes that it is feasible to dig a new river channel, it is actually just because most of the officials from the Ministry of Industry who participated in the deliberations chose to support the digging of a new river.

But because Zhu Heng did not report this, in fact, this is because Gao Gong is not rigorous in his work. He only knows that water transportation has become the top priority facing the court. Now that he knows that there is a way to bypass the hidden danger of the Yellow River and ensure the smooth flow of water transportation, he will naturally express his support immediately. .

For Ming Dynasty, is there anything more important than water transportation?

No more, unless there is another war in the north and the Tatars come to the Gyeonggi area.

Zhang Juzheng originally wanted to wait until Hu Guo, who was sent by the Ministry of Industry, came back to investigate and see what he had to say before making a decision, but Gao Gong had already spoken.

"What about wasting people and wasting money? I am looking for a solution to the court's problem. Everyone is here to discuss it. If you support it, you can just express your position. No matter what, I am wasting people and wasting money."

Gao Gong replied unhappily to Yin Shizhen, but Yin Shizhen was naturally not afraid and directly retorted: "Knowing that you can't do anything, you have to push this matter for the sake of bullshit political achievements. It's nothing if not a waste of people and money.

It is feasible to discuss it with the Ministry of Industry, but as far as I know, the Ministry of Industry does not have a ministry discussion at all.”

In the high-gong room, the two began to quarrel, and finally broke up.

After Zhang Juzheng and Yin Shizhen left the check-in room, Gao Gong wrote a note and sent it to the Ministry of Works.

Naturally, this plan is to urge the Ministry of Industry to confirm the Laiwu Canal as soon as possible. Gao Gong does not intend to continue discussing it in the cabinet, nor does he want the matter to be delayed for a long time. He wants to directly urge the Ministry of Industry to take action.

Zhu Heng was still confused when he received the note from the cabinet. He had already sent his chief Hu Guo to Shandong for on-the-spot investigation.

The reason why he was sent was because Hu Gui was still Gao Gong's disciple, and the results of his on-the-spot investigation should be recognized by Gao Gong.

Well, no matter what, Zhu Heng now understands the situation in the court and plans to follow Gao Gong in the future to avoid making himself uncomfortable.

After sending someone to send the note away, Gao Gong sat in his seat and thought for a long time. He could no longer stand Yin Shizhen's arrogant attitude.

He wanted to take action and drive Yin Shizhen out of the court.

So that night, Gao Gong summoned the imperial censor Zhao Yinglong, Duji Shizhong Han Ji and others in his mansion.

After all, having been an official for such a long time, Gao Gong certainly understood that it would be too reckless to roll up his sleeves if he wanted to get people out of the court. It was better to have confidants working in the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Sixth Section.

Thinking about Wei Guangde, he installed Ouyang Yijing in Kedao. Whenever he wanted to take action against someone, Kedao would impeach him first. On weekdays, he could still rely on these people to build relationships.

The people Zhao Yinglong, Han Ji and others he summoned now were the nails he planted in these two yamen. He planned to let these people impeach Yin Shizhen.

After picking and talking about some cabinet matters, these disciples naturally shared the same hatred.

"I have long heard that in the original cabinet, in order to enhance his voice, Chen Yiqin brought Wei Guangde and Yin Shizhen into the cabinet, and sidelined Li Shoufu.

Now Chen Yiqin is in office, Wei Guangde and Ding You are worried. This Yin scholar still doesn't know how to commend him. It's really disgusting. "

After Han Ji finished speaking to Gao Gong, he immediately started yelling.

For those of you here, he is considered a die-hard fan of Gao Gong. If it weren't for Gao Gong's appreciation, he doesn't know if he would be able to be in the court.

Han Ji, courtesy name Boji, was born in Puzhou, Shanxi Province. He was promoted to the imperial examination in the 31st year of Jiajing reign and Jinshi in the 44th year of Jiajing reign.

It took thirteen years to go from being promoted to being a Jinshi. You can imagine the experiences and pressures you have to endure during these years.

Especially after becoming a Juren, Han Ji failed in the first two public examinations. In order to take the exam, Han Ji decisively chose to abandon the "Book of Rites" and study the "Spring and Autumn". Naturally, he went there for the admission rate.

The Ming Dynasty imperial examination majored in the Five Classics, including the Book of Songs, Shangshu, Yi Jing, Book of Rites, and Spring and Autumn Period.

These five majors are either hot or cold. Relatively speaking, poetry, books, and Yi are considered popular, while etiquette and spring and autumn are unpopular. The unpopular majors have fewer candidates because they have fewer candidates.

The Book of Rites was originally unpopular, but the Spring and Autumn Period was even more unpopular.

There are few candidates for unpopular majors, but the admission rate is fixed, so Han Ji's plan is obvious.

Finally, after another setback, he finally made the list in the 44th Jiajing Examination. The examiner this year was Gao Gonggao, the first assistant.

It is worth mentioning that it was also in this year that the "Mr. Zhenchuan" whom Wei Guangde knew when he was looking at the rankings. Gui Youguang, who passed the exam in the ninth year of Jiajing and then failed eight times in a row, finally passed the exam this time. He was selected into the list and became a Jinshi. At this time, he was sixty years old and had just reached the retirement age.

No matter how you say it, Han Ji can be regarded as an authentic disciple of Gao Gong, which is different from those who submit to him and become his disciples.

"I have long disliked him. I heard that he and Wei Guangde were able to join the cabinet because of their relationship with Teng Xiang and the eunuch party."

Zhao Yinglong also answered and said, no matter how casually you talk nonsense, nothing will happen here.

"Is it Teng Xiang? I heard it's Chen Hong."

Someone else spoke.

"Anyway, you just rely on the eunuchs to get to power. That's what I heard people say."

Gao Gong was very satisfied with the knowledge and knowledge of these disciples, and it was natural for him to do so after hearing the news.

Let them go back immediately and do what they want to do.

Everyone still didn't know what their mentor meant. After they stood up and said goodbye, Han Ji discussed with several other people for a long time outside the gate of Gao's mansion, and then they got on the sedan and left.

Starting from the next day, the imperial censor Zhao Yinglong and Du Geshi Zhong Han Ji led a group of officials to uncover the story of Chen Zhizhi and rotten millet, and impeached Yin Shidan in turn.

Doing this really put Yin Shizhen into trouble.

Although these impeachments won't hurt him at all, they are disgusting.

The most important thing is that the continuous impeachments will more or less make Emperor Longqing think of him. It’s hard to say over time.

People's words are scary.

If Yin Shizhen didn't notice it at first, he also realized something was wrong after half a month.

However, after he analyzed the person who impeached him, because Han Ji was from Shanxi, Yin Shizhen mistakenly thought that the person who took action this time was Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Civil Affairs.

Previously, officials in the court had impeached Zhang Siwei's father for being uncorrupt. At that time, Gao Gong also approached him, thinking that he had sent someone to take action.

"Zhang Siwei, hum."