Wanli Youming

Chapter 283 Listed auxiliary portraits in Wenyuan Pavilion, and added cabinet bachelors

Chapter 283 Listed auxiliary portraits in Wenyuan Pavilion, and added cabinet bachelors

In the bright winter sun, Zhu Yijun sat on the rocking chair beside the agarwood burning wintersweet tree, squinting his eyes, listening to the sound of Concubine Liu strumming the strings, falling asleep.

And after Zhang Jing came to report the results of the court discussion, Zhu Yijun raised his mouth slightly, feeling very satisfied.

The result of the bureaucratic group's court discussion is undoubtedly consistent with the emperor's holy will.

This made Zhu Yijun feel like the bureaucratic scholar-officials of the Ming Dynasty had returned to the ten years before Wanli.

That is to say, he doesn't have to kill people and shed blood, and he doesn't have to be authoritarian to oppress, so that the bureaucratic group can keep pace with himself.

It's even better.

After all, there is no Zhang Juzheng, the Minister of Gu Ming who was appointed as the emperor's tutor and Longqing's last edict, to supervise him at all times. He is indeed more free-spirited, and he can listen to silk, bamboo and wind music, which is pleasant and nourishing.

Of course, the fact that the bureaucracy was able to agree with him again was that Zhang Siwei was emptied out, and other cabinet ministers and reformist civil servants left behind by Zhang Juzheng acted again.

Because these reformist civil servants were protected by Zhu Yijun, they were not kicked out of the court one by one by the officials, so they still occupied important positions everywhere, so that the power of the empire was still in the hands of the reformers.

Even the first assistant Zhang Siwei is a seemingly incongruous person.

As long as other ministers are willing to follow Zhang Juzheng's route, Zhang Siwei can be emptied.

prior to.

It was only because these reformist civil servants were in a leaderless stage after Zhang Juzheng's death, and they did not know the emperor's intentions, and because they were also cowardly and wanted to retreat because they were also landlords, they did not confront Zhang Siwei.

Now, once they realize that there is no way for them to retreat, and that they can only be safe if they take Zhang Juzheng's reform thoughts as the standard, they will naturally show their aggressive side without Zhu Yijun forcing them.

Zhu Yijun didn't mind if they praised Zhang Juzheng next.

After all, Zhang Juzheng has passed away, and no matter how high he is praised, it will not have much impact on his power.

What's more, Zhu Yijun is still taking the initiative to praise Zhang Juzheng for the reason that the ruling class in this land is no longer conservative, and would rather be self-styled than reform, or even take the initiative to weaken himself.

Unlike Hai Rui, who was extolled into the altar while alive, if Zhu Yijun was not willing to benefit the people, Zhang Juzheng's reforms would also benefit the national economy and the people's livelihood, and he would have become the most troublesome figure for the emperor and his officials.

The decision of the court council not to abolish the Kaocheng method also proves that the overall opinions of the bureaucratic literati are still based on strengthening the powers of the cabinet, controlling speech, and strengthening centralization.

This also means that strengthening the centralization of power is still the trend of the entire ruling group, and the emperor is still following the trend, rather than going against the trend alone.

In history, after the death of Zhang Juzheng, the officials became bigger, even to the point of affecting the military and state plans, which may have something to do with the emperor's own connivance.

However, the general trend of the entire China is still suitable for the strengthening of imperial power.

"Since this is the case in the court's discussion, we should reject the courtiers' performances and not abolish the examination results, especially the cabinet's right to pass the six subjects."

"In addition, an edict is issued to change the five ranks to follow the first rank, and the cabinet's grand scholars will be in power for the country!"

"The post of cabinet bachelor will be added, and it will be set as the second grade. As a senior scholar officer, he will be responsible for cabinet affairs. Each bachelor will be assigned a cabinet bachelor, and the court will recommend several cabinet bachelors as future transfer ministers and cabinet bachelors. Waiting for the minister's choice."

"And ordered the Ministry of Industry to build three roll tents in the north of Wenyuan Pavilion, as a centralized office, rest and storage place for cabinet bachelors."

"Also, in the Wenyuan Pavilion, there is a statue of Mr. Gao Gong, Zhao Zhenji and other famous assistants of the dynasty on the side of the statue of Confucius. Anyone who enters the pavilion should not only remember the teachings of the ancient teachers, but also think about it. Today, the virtuous and virtuous are together."

"As for other famous assistants besides Mr. Gao Gong and Zhao Zhenji, who should be listed in the Central Committee's confidentiality, and flaunted by future generations who join the cabinet, let them go to the court for discussion!"

"Let those Qingliu from the Imperial Academy, the Imperial Academy, the Ministry of Rites, and the six subjects to quarrel with Shizhong and the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Anyway, they like to quarrel, so they don't have to keep staring at the matter of passing the exam."

Zhu Yijun also began to learn from Shen Shihang, and used the method of creating new hot spots to shift old hot spots, thereby achieving the purpose of shifting conflicts.

However, Zhu Yijun's decree to increase the post of bachelor in the cabinet and expand the cabinet, and listed the auxiliary statue next to the statue of Confucius, was not a whim, but something he had long wanted to do after careful consideration.

It's just that he deliberately decided to order it after the entire bureaucracy started to move in step with him, so as not to cause greater confusion by doing so when they were out of step.

Zhu Yijun himself knew that the Ming Dynasty was an empire in the form of a small court.

The founder, Zhu Yuanzhang, did not trust the bureaucrats themselves and deliberately allowed the empire to keep only a small number of officials in operation, so that fiscal expenditures and taxes were as little as possible, so that the people would not be exploited to a great extent.

However, Ming Dynasty was a big empire. With the large increase in population and the prosperity of business in later generations, it was determined that the empire could not be managed by tens of thousands of bureaucrats from all over the country.

The first is to cause a large number of places to become irrelevant, especially some emerging towns.

For example, Foshan, Guangdong has become a large town with a household registration of tens of thousands in this era, which is not inferior to many state capitals. However, there is only one inspection department in the government office here, which naturally leads to the fact that although the industry and commerce in the town are becoming more and more prosperous, the industrial and commercial taxes However, it has not increased, and public security has not been effectively managed, and it has become a hiding place for many thieves.

Even in the suburbs of Beijing, because many villages have developed into market towns, and the size of the market towns has developed into a county-level scale, and these market towns have all arisen due to the prosperity of commerce, so many of them are located at the transportation hubs at the junction of counties. This resulted in the phenomenon of "three neglects", which led to the breeding of many thieves and cults in the suburbs of Beijing, which also had a great impact on the public security of the capital.

The problem of thieves in the capital area of ​​the Ming Dynasty has always been a big problem. It is mostly seen in the memoirs and memorials of officials, because of the lack of effective government management.

Therefore, Daming needs to increase a large number of bureaucrats.

After all, such a huge empire, especially after the prosperity of commerce and population increase in the middle and later stages, decided that its trend was to centralize power and have a larger bureaucracy in order to avoid chaos.

Because whenever the power of the imperial court is weak, thieves and thieves are rampant, the people are even more miserable, and there will even be large-scale fighting caused by local forces fighting for territory.

Of course, too large a bureaucratic group and too centralization of power are not good, and they will eventually perish due to financial collapse and increased corruption.

There are times when systems are out of date, as Luo Guanzhong said, the general trend of the world, long-term unity must be divided, and long-term division must be united.

What Ming needs now is cooperation, increasing bureaucracy, and strengthening the rule.

Wang Guoguang also held the same view as Zhu Yijun, which made Zhu Yijun more determined to increase bureaucracy.

To increase the number of bureaucrats, he decided to start with the increase of cabinet officials, first to strengthen the capabilities of the central cabinet, and then to the ministries and localities.

Because Zhu Yijun can most directly control the central cabinet, and the most guaranteed thing is to make the cabinet members reliable.

"Let Gao Gong and Zhao Zhenji also deserve to enjoy the Taimiao, on the grounds of their achievements in opening the sea and paying tribute!"

After Zhu Yijun gave this order, he gave another order.

Zhang Jing bowed his hands and said yes.

It didn't take long for the decree to reach the cabinet.

Shen Shixing personally obtained the imperial decree from the Department of Attendants, and came to the cabinet with Pan Sheng to speak to Yu Youding.

Yu Youding sighed after hearing this: "The emperor's kindness is mighty! Now you don't have to stay up all night!"

"Yes!"

Pan Sheng also echoed with a smile.

Then, the three of them all looked at the statue of Confucius in the Wenyuan Pavilion in unison, thinking that if the statue can be hung on it in the future, wouldn't it be a bright future and an enduring glory?

After all, anyone who joins the cabinet can see his own portrait.

"Sacred Grace has come to this point, don't slack off, continue to pass the exam, and hurry up to arrange the court push by the way!"

Shen Shixing said with a serious face first.

Then, the three cabinet ministers continued to pass the exams in six subjects with great enthusiasm.

In addition, during the break, Pan Sheng also took the initiative to say: "It can't just be Xiao Gui and Cao Sui. From the perspective of Gao Xinzheng, Zhao Neijiang's opening of the sea, Jiangling's examination success and cancellation of preferential exemptions and recruitment of Japanese, the next step The government must have achievements that can be brought out!"

"That's right! Find a chance and let's sort it out together."

Shen Shixing nodded and said.

Yu Youding also nodded.

(End of this chapter)