The Prosperous Era of Longwan

The news that Zhang Juzheng recommended Ge Shouli reached the ears of Chen Yiqin and Yin Shizhen at noon. Both of them were silent for a long time.

They thought it would be difficult to reject the candidate recommended by Zhang Juzheng. After all, if they had to choose between Liu Ziqiang and Ge Shouli, they would definitely support Ge Shouli.

As the saying goes, he deserves to be an "upright gentleman".

When Yan Song was in power, Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites was a strong contender for the title of Minister of Rites, but he was sent to Nanjing to take charge of the Ministry of Rites because he did not like Yan Song.

At the beginning of Longqing's reign, he returned to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. He also complained about the excessive emphasis on subjects, uneven recruitment and tax collection, and other shortcomings in the collection of taxes and silver. He requested that the old tax collection system be restored, and he rejected the whip method. He was jointly ostracized by the officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Finally, because of the Emperor Longqing was also displeased with Gao Gong's affairs and asked him to leave his post.

Ability aside, character is indeed recognized.

The most important thing is that even Gao Gong would have to pinch his nose to recognize such a person as the Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. After all, he had blocked a knife for him.

When Chen Yiqin and others were struggling with the candidates, Zhang Juzheng finally wanted to understand the reason why "Yan Shifan once boasted that "it is said that there are only three talents in the world, but I, Lu Bing, and Yang Bo".

It has to be said that Yan Shifan's eyes are also very bright, and he has already seen Yang Bo's ability and ambition so early.

The so-called "Three Talents" actually means that all three of them are of the same type, ambitious and capable, and sooner or later they will be able to succeed in the court.

It's just that Yan Shifan missed the cunning Xu Jie and suppressed Yang Bo by means, leaving him speechless.

At this time, Huo Ji, the minister of the Ministry of War, and Xu Gang, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry, also heard the news that they had been impeached. They were angry and could only write down Yang Rong's name in a small notebook.

Huo Yi was even better informed. Although Yang Bo had left the court, he and Zhang Juzheng still maintained a cooperative relationship.

It's about collaboration, not subordination.

Zhang Juzheng got the news from Wei Guangde and sent someone to hand Huo Yi a note after knowing that it was not Chen Yiqin who had taken action against him.

As long as he wasn't someone wanted by Emperor Longqing's gang, he knew that under the current situation, Huo Yi would be fine with the emperor.

Xu Gang did not have such luck. Although he immediately went to see Zhu Heng, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, he thought the same as most people who knew the news at this time, that is, judging from Yang Rong's place of origin, he thought that this time It was Chen Yiqin, the Second Assistant to the Cabinet, who took action against him.

Anyone who has the ability to serve at the level of a minister is naturally not a fool, nor is he someone who keeps the news secret.

In the cabinet, Chen Yiqin was allied with Yin Shizhen and Wei Guangde, and he often maintained one voice in cabinet discussions.

Although his own Zhu Shangshu was not familiar with Chen Yiqin, he and Wei Guangde were fellow villagers and their relationship was close.

During ministry meetings, Zhu Shangshu's attitude towards matters was also very clear, and he usually chose to support Wei Guangde, the cabinet minister.

Well, the relationship is so twists and turns, isn't it possible to hook up with Chen Yiqin?

He wanted to rely on his "close" relationship with Zhu Shangshu to ask Zhu Shangshu to come forward and find Wei Guangde to help him calm down the incident.

However, Zhu Shangshu had already heard from Wei Guangde that the people in the Sixth Section were dissatisfied with the Ministry of Works' water control and planned to impeach him, the Minister of Works, so he hurriedly sought compensation after Wei Guangde's reminder.

Arrangements were made to contact Pan Jixun and use his method to control the water again, in order to reveal to the outside world that he, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, was not an ignorant and incompetent person, but also a person who spoke widely, worked together, and had an open mind.

This set of actions was very effective, and with the deliberate spreading of the news among the six subjects, Zhu Heng's reputation has improved.

The improvement in public opinion does not mean that the Sixth Section's evaluation of the Ministry of Industry has changed, but it only allows them to turn their guns and look for impeachment targets again.

In fact, there may be some awareness of current affairs behind this.

Zhu Heng was supported by Wei Guangde. If Zhu Heng was impeached, it would not be worthwhile to offend a person who had a strong voice in front of the emperor, regardless of whether there would be any results.

People in the Sixth Section are not fools and can naturally tell the difference.

In such an environment, their eyes naturally fell on the second-in-command of the Ministry of Industry, Zuo Shilang Xu Gang.

Wei Guangde was naturally happy to see the target successfully diverted and diverted the trouble to the east, and of course he would not stand in the way again.

Even though the relationship between Xu Gang and Zhu Heng was not bad and he knew how to be an official, at this juncture, he could only be thrown out as the scapegoat of the Ministry of Works to appease the official's dissatisfaction.

Zhu Heng knew Xu Gang's purpose of coming to him, and of course it was to comfort him. Although Wei Guangde did not inform him of many things, he could still roughly guess some things.

At this time, Xu Gang was already the target of the Sixth Section. Of course, he couldn't get up on the pole and let the Sixth Section shift the target to him again.

So while asking Xu Gang to go home and write a petition, he pretended that he would ask about the situation and make peace with him if possible.

In Wei Guangde's mansion, he had already asked Zhu Shangshu to come in and brought him into the study.

"Xu Gang's matter can only be left to its own devices and depends on how His Majesty handles it."

After Zhu Heng told him the purpose of his visit, Wei Guangde looked at him with a half-smile but said after a while: "If your Majesty is not angry, I will transfer him to the Nanjing Ministry of Industry, which will give an explanation to the Sixth Section.

If His Majesty wants to vent his dissatisfaction with the failure of the river project, then just do whatever you want, and don't worry about getting burned.

When that time comes, I will say hello to Yu Jujing from the Ministry of Justice. I guess Xu Gang is not a fool and knows what to say and what not to say.

As far as river engineering is concerned, no matter how big it is, it won't make you lose your head. "

"Shan Loan, I entrust you to take care of this matter."

Zhu Heng stood up and cupped his hands to Wei Guangde.

"It's just you and me here, no need to be formal."

Wei Guangde waved his hand and said with a smile, "What did Pan Jixun say? Can you reply?"

I asked Zhu Heng to handle this matter before, but never got a result, so I just asked now.

"Weiliang has replied to the letter a few days ago. He has rushed from his hometown to Huai'an to check the water conditions on the spot."

As soon as Zhu Heng said this, Wei Guangde interrupted and asked, "Did he agree?"

"No, the conditions of the Huanghuai River are ever-changing, and times have changed. He didn't dare to agree to it without seeing the real situation.

It is estimated that there should be news within two months of boarding. "

Zhu Heng replied.

Wei Guangde also knows this truth about these people who are doing things.

Controlling floods is not a trivial matter. If you don't see the real situation and take over everything, you really can't use people like this, because they are too careless and can easily get into trouble.

River workers are no better than others. When the floods are over, the news cannot be sealed. It is impossible to cover the lid.

"That makes sense."

Wei Guangde nodded, "Then if there is news about this matter, let me know as soon as possible."

Within two days, the Palace of Qianqing sent a reply. Although Huo Yi and Xu Gang had painstakingly written down their petitions, they had to express their diligence and grievances in front of the emperor while also admitting their mistakes. To be honest, it was still a test. Of writing.

It's just that after the two articles were published, Emperor Longqing's instructions were completely different.

After Huo Yi's self-report, Emperor Longqing personally approved "Ji Qinqin will be careful and keep the fresh food," but after Xu Gang's self-report, the emperor's official approval was "Although Gang is diligent, the traffic is cut off by the common water. It’s advisable to relocate.”

The two paragraphs of instructions represent two meanings.

Huo Yi was diligent and prudent and made few mistakes, so he continued to stay in office. However, Xu Gang was not so lucky and the emperor wanted to touch him.

Although it is not a punishment, it is just to change his position, and the position is not mentioned. This is just waiting for the cabinet to give its opinion.

After Wei Guangde learned about this directive, he immediately prepared a vote after the memorial to "adjust it to Nanjing."

This is also the unspoken rule for the cabinet to handle such matters. It is similar to grading examination papers in the imperial examination. As long as the first person gives an evaluation, the following people will generally not have much disagreement after seeing it, and will only agree on the top and bottom. Make a judgment in the file.

Wei Guangde first decided on the place where Xu Gang would be relocated, Nanjing, which meant that the Six Ministries of Nanjing could randomly arrange a position for the minister.

With his proposal, after the cabinet ministers see it, they will never make other arrangements and will only agree.

After all, the emperor had no intention of downgrading Xu Gang, so "leveling down" Nanjing with the third rank was considered a punishment.

What's more, Nanjing is a place used to house people like Xu Gang.

However, when the news reached Xu Gang's ears, he knew that he had been exiled. Although Nanjing was also a good place, his career was basically cut off.

Retirement.

At this time, Xu Gang only had this thought in his mind.

Xu Gang could only swallow this bitter pill, packed up his belongings and prepared to go south, while Huo Yi wrote another resignation letter in accordance with the rules. He believed that he was too talented and ignorant to hold the position, and asked the emperor for punishment, and he spoke sincerely.

Regarding this memorial, Emperor Longqing's criticism was more concise, "not allowed."

This matter is finally over.

At this moment, in the Suzhou Bingbei Road Yamen, Cai Guoxi was looking through some charges about the Xu family in Huating that he had obtained through connections from the governor's Yamen.

These charges are based on relatively sufficient evidence collected to prove the fact that the Xu family accepted donations from complainants. Although there are not many such accusations, if we really want to deal with them seriously, the charge of "accepting donations" cannot be escaped.

After carefully reading all the complaints and evidence, a smile finally appeared on Cai Guoxi's face, and the errand assigned by Gao Gong was finally completed.

With these things, it is enough to convict the Xu family and embarrass Xu Jie.

Of course, these things came from evil sources. Although he had the right to control them, Cai Guoxi was not willing to directly confront Xu Jie like Hai Rui did.

After all, he is the chief minister who has become an official. On the ground in Jiangnan, he can still be said to be a man with hands and eyes.

"The people in the governor's office have been staring at Zizhiyuan these days?"

Although this matter was directly ordered by Hai Rui, it still had to be carried out by the people below, so even if it was kept secret, it would not be able to withstand deliberate investigation by interested people.

"According to the news, Xu Fan and Xu Kun may be staying in Zizhi Garden, but for some unknown reason, the governor never signed the arrest document."

A man dressed as a master sat aside and whispered to Cai Guoxi.

"Hai Rui was right to break into the garden and arrest people without giving orders. After all, they are the Xu family. Even if they want to arrest them, they should report to the capital first and get approval before taking action. But this time comes one after another."

As Cai Guoxi said this, he was thinking about this matter in his heart.

Judging from the current situation, he didn't need to take action, he just needed to monitor Hai Rui.

As for monitoring Hai Rui, it was to prevent Hai Rui and Xu Jie from making peace in private.

Despite the uproar in Jiangnan now because Hai Rui wanted to investigate the Xu family, one thing he could still see clearly was that Hai Rui had not made up his mind to deal with the Xu family yet.

Everything was still a local struggle and did not go to court.

And this can be seen from the fact that Hai Rui did not report the Xu family's affairs and ask for arrest. He still hopes to resolve the dispute with the Xu family privately.

Maybe this is the incense love that Hai Rui Gu Nian has.

In Cai Guoxi's view, as long as Hai Rui keeps pursuing the matter, Xu Jie is unwilling to return the land to the people. The longer this matter is delayed, the better. It is Xu Jie who will suffer, and Hai Rui who will be trapped.

And as long as he chooses to report this matter at the right time, he can break the news and let the emperor punish Xu Jie, and he will make a lot of money with Gao Gong.

The longer it goes on, the more scandalous things will be exposed, and the more guilty the Xu family will be.

What a great thing.

"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman gets the benefit, hehe."

Thinking of this, Cai Guoxi couldn't help but smile.

When he stopped smiling, Cai Guoxi said to the master: "It's all thanks to your credit at this time. Please keep an eye on the governor's office and let me know if there is any trouble."

"Don't worry, Dong Weng."

The master said hurriedly.

In the capital, the capital inspection has ended. The official wailang has written down the results of the court examination and delivered them to the palace. They are just waiting for the emperor's approval. According to the results in the capital, those who should go, those who should stay, and those who should be promoted are waiting for the officials. Writing.

Zhang Juzheng was also in a hurry during this period. He kept visiting several cabinet ministers and recommended Ge Shouli to succeed Wang Ting.

Perhaps because of the support he received from Wei Guangde, the first person he visited was not Gao Gong but Chen Yiqin.

Since Wei Guangde chose to support Ge Shouli, Zhang Juzheng was most curious about whether Chen Yiqin and his small group would split as a result.

The memorial of Wang Ting begging for mercy is still in Qianqing Palace, and the emperor has not sent it back for the time being. This is actually a signal, and he is just waiting for a suitable time.

Now every two or three days, someone will inevitably file a petition to impeach Governor Yingtian Governor Hai Rui for not doing his job. In Zhang Juzheng's opinion, the little trust Hai Rui had in Emperor Longqing's heart was being eroded.

No matter how confident the emperor was in Hai Rui, he could not withstand the impeachment memorials that kept flying into his eyes.

Hai Rui was not like Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin, who had spent some time with Emperor Longqing. Emperor Longqing's knowledge of Hai Rui was mostly based on rumors and hearsay.

As long as he was impeached repeatedly, Emperor Longqing would eventually believe that Hai Rui was not qualified for the post of governor.

Finally, this day finally came for him.

Dai Fengxiang commented on the matter of official affairs: Ruigu has a reputation for disorderly law and is not familiar with official affairs. He opens the door every day and is sued, and moves thousands of papers. Anyone who has a well-dressed family and a warm and well-fed family listens to the evildoer asking for redemption. , so there is a rumor among the people that fertile fields are not as good as thin ones. As for the stragglers who rebel, the food and wages are not enough, and they take the food and work of the strong people. After the rent is paid, the poor cannot repay their debts. They are all so desolate that they cannot live in the same place for a day.

Perhaps because he was tired of being bombarded by these Tianke Taoist officials, Emperor Longqing did not continue the previous peacemaker's practice this time, but personally gave instructions: The Ministry of Civil Affairs would reconsider.