Chapter 37: Entering the Cabinet
As the imperial examination approached, the situation in the capital suddenly became tense again. There are no secrets in the Western Garden, not to mention that this earth-shaking change broke out right under the noses of hundreds of nobles and old ministers - within a short hour, the eunuchs of the East Factory went out in full force twice, and went to the residences of the two cabinet ministers with great fanfare to "invite" people, which instantly attracted the attention of the Qingliu and Yan Party. Judging from the scattered rumors, the two ministers who were invited to ride in the sedan chair by the East Factory had almost fallen into a semi-comatose state, which aroused infinite fear and suspicion.
But there is no basis for this guess. After the two cabinet ministers were sent to the Western Garden, the emperor quickly issued an edict, ordering them to "stay on guard duty". They moved into the cabinet duty room and there was no news from them again. Even their family members were not allowed to send them clothes and food, which was basically equivalent to house arrest.
The leaders of the Qingliu Party and the Yan Party were placed under house arrest at the same time. This shock was probably even greater than the Great Ceremony Debate of the past. For a time, rumors spread uncontrollably, and some even spread wildly that the two ministers had some secret affairs with the emperor that had to be told, so that Master Feixuan and Emperor Wanshou could not tolerate it but could not bear to sentence them to death, so they simply imprisoned them in the palace.
This rumor was insidious and vicious, but it subtly hit the hearts of most people - first, it was wild enough; second, it was despicable enough (imprisonment! Contrast! How exciting!); third, even the person who spread the rumor knew that it was absolutely abnormal to imprison two important officials in the palace for no reason, and it would trigger unpredictable political turmoil. To force Master Feixuan to take such a risk and boldly do such a thing, the reason behind it must be extremely serious. Since it is so important, we must find out.
The so-called using rumors to force facts out. As long as the rumors were numerous and severe enough, the emperor living in the Western Garden would inevitably be unable to tolerate it and would have to come forward to explain something. With an explanation, one can deduce the cause. This has been a tried and tested tactic for hundreds of years. Except for those emperors who did not dare to seek death in front of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong, other emperors basically could not withstand these three axes of prejudice.
But now it is surprising. After the elder was placed under house arrest for more than a few days, the rumors on the streets have become more and more varied, and have basically begun to run in the direction of "X Ping Mei"; but the central figure of the rumors, Fei Xuan Zhenjun, has remained indifferent, and apart from searching the Yan Mansion and Xu Mansion, he has not made any extra moves.
Seeing that the storm did not seem as serious as imagined, officials from both parties, who had been keeping silent, gradually began to take action. Five days later in the afternoon, the distraught young minister quietly entered the back door of the Duke's Mansion. When he saw the prince, he immediately knelt down and begged:
"Please Brother Mu, please save our Yan family!"
The prince immediately helped him up, saying earnestly:
"Brother Yan, why do you have to do this? I wonder how the mansion is doing now?"
I have been running around seeking help these days, and I don’t know how many cold stares I have encountered. Hearing this earnest question, Yan Donglou felt so warmed in his heart that he almost couldn't hold back his tears. He forced himself to hold back and quickly explained to the prince:
"Everything is fine at home. The guards didn't make things difficult for us. But all of my father's manuscripts and writings were confiscated by the people from the Imperial City Bureau. The servants were also taken away one by one for questioning, and many new faces were replaced to serve..."
Master Feixuan is not a show-off and always leaves room for major events. As long as the officials are not guilty of treason and are not completely irreconcilable, the emperor will save the face of the officials he promotes; he will never do such a tragic thing as confiscating the property of the family and killing the entire family. Although the Yan family was in a state of panic all day long, they had no shortage of food and clothing. They just watched closely when they came in and out. Now that the people in the Imperial City Bureau have slackened off, Yan Donglou dared to come and ask for help.
He sobbed, "It's okay for my family, but my father is still on duty in the West Garden, and I can't hear any news from him. Everyone is really worried!"
Mu Qi hesitated for a moment, but decided to reveal some details:
"Judging from the current situation, the two elders should be fine..."
Both Yan and Xu are in their fifties or sixties, how could they withstand any hardship? Even if Lao Deng really wanted to be ruthless, he had to see if the old men had the stamina to do so; if he was a little ruthless, the place would probably get two more businesses immediately. Besides, these two are key figures who have influenced the turning point of history. If something big had happened, the system should have tried to warn them long ago.
Yan Donglou felt relieved and said with tears in his eyes:
"Everything else is fine, but this storm came so suddenly, I really don't know where it came from! My whole family is in a state of panic, I really don't know how we offended the majesty of heaven and suffered such a catastrophic disaster. Our crimes are unforgivable, I just hope to be a clear-headed ghost before I die."
The young cabinet minister was very sensible and knew that even the prince of the Duke would find it difficult to rescue someone from under the emperor's nose. So he risked his reputation and only asked the prince to find out some inside information so that he could plan a response.
Mu Qi pondered for a moment. He had no good feelings towards the Yan Party and the Qingliu, but now that there were just some signs of progress in coastal defense and foreign trade, it was indeed not suitable for large-scale political turmoil. Helping others at the right time is also a last resort under the pressure of reality:
"Does the young minister know about the recent changes in the cabinet?"
Yan Donglou said: "I have been sitting at home these days, so how could I know about the changes in the government."
"Since the two ministers Yan and Xu were invited to the West Garden, the country's affairs have been all placed on Prime Minister Xia and Minister Li Jurong." Mu Qi said: "The emperor also ordered them to move into the palace and take turns to handle affairs. But the imperial examination is approaching, and state affairs are complicated. It is really difficult for one person to handle it..."
In fact, the current situation is no longer a matter of "one person cannot support the whole thing". Prime Minister Xia was already old and weak, and had been thinking about retiring every day. Now he was summoned into the palace by Master Feixuan and was exploited to death. Within a few days, he was bedridden and dying, and was about to pass out. It didn't matter that Prime Minister Xia fell, all official duties fell on Li Jurong. Not to mention that Li Jurong was over fifty years old, even the strongest donkey in the production team might not be able to withstand such an intensity of work.
"State affairs cannot be delayed for a moment. Your Majesty must add people to the cabinet, even if it's just to do odd jobs." Mu Qi comforted the young cabinet elder: "As long as you choose people, you will be able to see the wind direction. If you see the wind direction, you can roughly figure out your majesty's thoughts. Now I am walking around the inner court, so it is very convenient for me to inquire about the wind. Brother Yan, please be patient, as long as there is news, I will inform you in time."
This is the only way now. The young cabinet minister was filled with gratitude and thanked him repeatedly. Then, not daring to delay, he immediately went out through the corner gate.
·
The Prince of Mu was right in his guess. Three of the four people in the cabinet had fallen, and it was impossible for Li Jurong to decide everything alone. Although the emperor was in seclusion and did not see outsiders, he still issued an edict, ordering the court to recommend good officials to assist the cabinet in matters of confidentiality.
At such a tense and delicate moment, how could the officials in the court dare to speak out casually? Now that the Qingliu and Yan Party have all collapsed and the political balance is on the verge of breaking, the only ones who can influence the selection of cabinet members are the East Factory and the Imperial Household Department. The power of the eunuchs in the past seems to be rising again.
This was certainly great news for eunuchs such as Li Zaifang, the chief eunuch of the inner court, and Huang Shanggang, the governor of the Eastern Depot. The power of the central government changed with the emperor's preferences. After the previous Emperor Wuzong disappeared into the lake, Master Feixuan was not very clear about eunuchs, and the power of eunuchs was attacked by both internal and external forces, and their influence became weaker every year. Back then, Liu Jin and Zhang Yong were so arrogant that even the cabinet had to give in. They were called the Cotton Cabinet at the time. But among Xia Yan, Yan Fenyi and Xu Shaohu, which one of them is the easier to deal with in the cabinet now?
It is said that when a wise ruler is in power, the court is full of brave ministers. Even when Fei Xuan Zhenjun works with the cabinet, he sometimes has to be wary of them, let alone a mere household servant!
Today, the cabinet is in a slump, and the central power is empty; the eunuchs who have been suppressed for decades feel a great sense of pride. However, Li Zaifang, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, acted extremely cautiously. He knew that his family's foundation was not stable after all, so he did not dare to take charge of such an important matter as the cabinet's recruitment. He reported the news to the Eastern Depot, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and several old ministers who were unemployed at home in the capital. He also sent someone to say hello, saying that this time the selection must be fair and appropriate, and that everyone should drink tea and talk about things without losing their dignity.
The selection led by the Imperial Household Department must of course take into account the long-term interests of the eunuchs. In recent years, the cabinet has been too powerful and has suppressed the Imperial Household Department very hard, so the main purpose of this selection is to insert sand into the cabinet and place hidden spies in order to try to weaken the cabinet's combat effectiveness. It was not easy to achieve this goal. After discussion, several eunuchs decided to change the previous strategy and try to put more nobles in the cabinet.
Compared with the civil servants who emerged from the sea of blood and corpses, the fighting power of the nobles is of course much weaker; if the eunuchs and the nobles join forces, it will be helpful to deal with future counterattacks. However, it is difficult to select such a candidate. Li Zaifang discussed with several subordinates for half a day and only came up with a few principles.
"The emperor has said that the cabinet has a heavy burden. We should arrange for a few young and capable people to do the odd jobs this time." Eunuch Li seemed to be thinking, "There are not many young nobles in the capital! You can all speak up."
"It's okay to be young, but young people are hot-tempered. It would be bad if they messed up the government." Eunuch Huang took the lead and said, "In my opinion, we should choose a noble relative who is happy to cooperate with us and is recognized as being favored by the emperor."
As if reminded by Eunuch Huang's words, several eunuchs also spoke up, one after another, adding:
"The political situation is at a critical stage now. We need someone who has little experience - I mean someone who has no prejudices, who knows how to respect our suggestions and will not be self-willed..."
"He also has to have an odd personality - aloof and a special person who is well-known in the court and the public, so as not to get mixed up with the civil servants and waste all his efforts..."
"It's best if they are unreasonable and difficult to win over."
“It’s not easy to communicate, at least not with the civil servants.”
"His stance is so strange and his behavior is so bizarre that even Li Jurong, the old man from Gancao Pavilion, can't make peace with him—"
"He is generally considered crazy - I mean inexplicably crazy, and difficult to provoke. The civil servants cannot afford to offend him easily -"
After we discussed all the needs, we suddenly fell into a strange silence.
The eunuchs looked at each other for a moment, and then suddenly burst into loud laughter!
Eunuch Li, who was sitting at the top, laughed so hard that his face was covered with tears. He coughed and gasped, and finally he caught his breath. He shook his head repeatedly:
"Impossible, impossible - what nonsense are you talking about! How can such a person enter the cabinet!"
Eunuch Huang was also laughing so hard that he was out of breath and felt pain in his stomach, but he still managed to ask:
"W-why?"
"What kind of place is the Cabinet that allows a greenhorn like this to enter?"
"Your Majesty said that he wanted young people who were brave enough to take on responsibilities!" Eunuch Huang replied, "Besides, according to the Majesty's order, the person selected is only a temporary 'odd job' and no official title is given!"
The cabinet ministers are all second-rank grand secretaries, and their positions are extremely important, so of course they cannot be appointed arbitrarily. But just hiring two odd jobs in there doesn't necessarily mean that the requirements are very high. There is a huge difference between having a system and not having one, and they cannot be generalized. During the time of Emperor Wuzong of the previous dynasty, didn’t he also let his young and handsome adopted son temporarily “co-organize” the affairs of the cabinet?
Of course, how a handyman can play his role after entering the job depends on his own abilities. This kind of temporary power is quite subtle. A smart one can plan and maybe get some power to participate in politics, but a stupid one can only be a high-level laborer who moves books and looks up information. In this regard, the candidate that the eunuchs are talking about has a great advantage - this person may not be very smart, but he is definitely not someone who can be easily manipulated by others. As long as he is put in, he will definitely be able to shake up the cabinet and leave an indelible impression on the elders.
As long as the ministers are beaten half to death, they will not care about suppressing the eunuchs!
Eunuch Huang added, "Besides, the godfather of Duke Mu's mansion also knows about this. If we submit this list, the emperor will definitely approve it. Even if it is just a bonus, it shows that we respect the nobles and never act arrogantly."
Eunuch Li was slightly moved by what he said, but still hesitated: "This is too outrageous! I don't know what the civil officials will say about it."
"The sons of nobles are already qualified to attend the emperor's court, and some of the outstanding ones can be directly appointed to the central government. What are they talking about?" Eunuch Huang said, "Besides, over the past few hundred years, haven't the cabinet had more outrageous and inappropriate candidates than this?"
Eunuch Li nodded slowly, as if he agreed. But after thinking for a moment, he said in surprise:
"A more outrageous candidate...who?"
Which candidate could be more outrageous and inappropriate than Duke Mu’s Mansion?
Even as Prince Mu's most ardent supporter, Eunuch Huang was a little stuck. He thought hard for half a day and finally uttered:
"There will always be someone... Xu Youzhen?"
To be honest, this is a bit of a slander against Xu Youzhen back then. At least he was very good at building dams and developing water conservancy projects... However, the Coup d'Emancipation is an injustice that will be remembered forever. Since there is no way to condemn the emperor, the only thing left is for Xu Youzhen, Shi Heng and other accomplices to take the blame. Once this pot was taken, his reputation became extremely bad, almost on par with that of Qin Hui.
Eunuch Huang was so persistent that if we continued to refute him, it would not only hurt his face, but would also inevitably anger the Duke Mu's Mansion. Eunuch Li thought for a long time, then nodded and agreed:
"...Well, let's add him to the shortlist first. This list still needs to be sent to several important officials for review, we'll talk about it then."
Why offend people over this? The important ministers would pick him out anyway, so Eunuch Li would not rashly take the lead.
·
"——Prince Mu?!"
Li Jurong's eyes widened so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets. He looked up and down the list several times and finally confirmed that he was not in a trance due to overtime, but he really saw the name of Mu Qi, the son of Duke Mu, on the candidate list of cabinet co-organizers!
Damn it, did those damn eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department who drew up the list have their brains pulled out while they were going to the toilet? How dare you submit such a list!
Even if True Lord Feixuan attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven in broad daylight right in front of him, or Lord Yan and Lord Xu were in love and united in love forever, Lord Li would not be so shocked. As soon as the shock was over, there were immediately inexplicable doubts:
What does the Silijian do? What does the East Factory want to do? The person who sent me a list like this couldn't be really stupid, right?
When something is abnormal, there must be something wrong. When faced with such abnormal things, you have to think more. Think of danger, think of retreat, think of change; think twice before acting as an official and make plans accordingly. This is the secret of how Lord Li has been able to remain standing despite the ups and downs in his official career for decades and to get to where he is today.
As the political situation has been turbulent recently, Lord Li has to be more cautious. He thought for a long time and decided to do as he usually did - after all, Prime Minister Xia Yan was a man of integrity and would definitely reject the list, so why should he stand out?
He picked up the ink pen and drew a circle on the list - neither agreeing nor disapproving; no matter which opinion prevailed in the future, he would be able to explain it. The master's Tai Chi skills are so profound.
·
It should be said that there is no problem with Li Ge Lao's prediction. As the chief of all officials, Prime Minister Xia Yan was always tough and self-sufficient, and he certainly would not tolerate any small moves by the Imperial Household Department. Even if it meant embarrassing the Mu Mansion in public, he had to publicly reject the list. The proposal to send Prince Mu of Duke Mu into the cabinet would have never been passed. Just as Eunuch Huang said, it was just an extra thing for the civil servants to criticize.
...Unfortunately, when the list was sent, Prime Minister Xia was so ill that he couldn't even sign.
Therefore, the list was sent directly to the palace as it was.
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