Every time Zhang Juzheng went out, he was surrounded by people and had eight guests at his disposal. What do you think Emperor Wanli would think?
You deprive me of my power, and you don't let me spend money. But you exercise my power and spend my money?
If I could beat you, I would have killed you long ago!
This situation has become more and more serious over time. At this time, basically these officials live a simple life on the surface but a luxurious life in private.
In particular, some Donglin Party officials from Jiangnan, when they were in the capital, shouted to the emperor that he must be frugal, but they themselves did not live a frugal life at all.
Every year they receive gifts: ice in the summer, charcoal in the winter; and even when they have nothing else to do, people come looking for a piece of calligraphy and offer a fee. Even if they do nothing, they still earn a large sum of money every year.
What's more, although they appear to be very honest on the surface, in their hometowns, their families rely on their power to make money in various ways, doing business, opening shops, lending money at high interest rates, annexing land, and doing everything.
Because of the protection provided by high-ranking officials like these, local authorities dare not intervene.
On the surface, they appear to be honest and not greedy, but in fact, their families send a large amount of silver every year. A typical example is Xu Jie, the chief minister of the cabinet during the Jiajing period.
Who would have thought that such a famous official would be richer than the treacherous official Yan Song?
Now that Zhang Yu said this, it was obvious that he was mocking Feng Congwu.
The reason is very simple. The young man has not yet entered the officialdom and has not been influenced and baptized by such an atmosphere. He still has a patriotic heart, so he can't stand it. In addition, there is a hint of mischief in his character, so Zhang Yu said this.
Song Yingsheng glared at him and said, "Talking about others' faults behind their backs is not what a gentleman does. If you want to know, you can ask Lord Feng directly when he arrives."
Zhang Yu glanced at Song Yingsheng and sighed helplessly.
How did you become friends with them?
You have to know that this is the first time I met Feng Congwu. We didn’t talk about anything. I first asked Feng Congwu how he got the house?
Do you believe that Feng Congwu will have someone kick you out?
"Sorry to have kept you waiting." At this time, Feng Congwu walked in with a smile on his face and spoke in a gentle tone.
At the same time, he bowed to Song Yingsheng and the other two without any airs.
Song Yingsheng and the other two quickly stood up from their chairs and bowed to the ground.
You have to know that Feng Congwu is an old senior, and they must be given the respect they deserve. Therefore, Song Yingsheng and the other two's etiquette was flawless.
"No need to be so polite. Sit down, sit down." Feng Congwu said with a smile, and stretched out his hand to make a gesture of invitation to Song Yingsheng and the other two.
After sitting down, neither side spoke first, but looked at each other.
In particular, Feng Congwu was looking carefully at the three people in front of him. In fact, he had already sent people to inquire about them.
These three people are now quite famous in the circle, especially Song Yingxing's rebuttal to Wei Dazhong.
Now that these three people came to him, Feng Congwu was somewhat happy in his heart, because this reflected his status.
However, Feng Congwu had no idea what the three of them wanted to see him about.
Song Yingsheng and the other two were also looking at Feng Congwu.
Feng Congwu was in his fifties, with no trace of malice on his face, and instead exuded a refined air of refinement. He was, after all, a handsome old man, seemingly free of any ill effects, and quite kind in his dealings with others.
"I was just writing my homework, so I didn't want to interrupt you. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Feng Congwu explained his tardiness and then said, "I hope you don't mind."
"We dare not." Song Yingsheng and the other two responded quickly.
At this time, Zhang Yu said, "May I ask Mr. Feng about the matter of Xunzi replacing Mencius in the court?"
No one expected Zhang Yu to ask this question so directly, and the atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment.
The smile on Feng Congwu's face slowly faded, because this question was not particularly easy to answer, and it was not a question that Zhang Yu and the others should ask.
Glancing at Zhang Yu, Feng Congwu nodded and said, "Yes. As the saying goes, there is nothing to hide from others. I have nothing to hide from Your Majesty, and I wrote this about this very matter. No one in the court objects, which will make Your Majesty think that everyone agrees. They are doing nothing, but I cannot turn a blind eye."
Zhang Yu nodded and said, "But I don't think this is appropriate."
Feng Congwu glanced at Zhang Yu and said gravely, "When a minister makes a mistake, he must report it to the emperor; when Your Majesty makes a mistake, you must give him direct criticism. What's wrong with that?"
Feng Congwu's expression had already turned unhappy when he said this. He had clearly begun to doubt these three people, and he asked this question directly.
If Zhang Yu couldn't give him a satisfactory answer, he would definitely have to leave.
"Because I think this approach will do nothing except anger Your Majesty." Zhang Yu said with a smile, "Let me ask you another question that may not be appropriate. Your question is quite harsh, isn't it?"
"It cannot be awakened without being intense," said Feng Congwu.
However, Zhang Yu was able to guess this, which made Feng Congwu look at him with some respect.
Feng Congwu then asked, "Is there anything inappropriate? Even if it angers His Majesty, we, as ministers, should still advise him. How can we back down just because we're afraid of angering His Majesty?"
"As ministers, we should advise His Majesty. But you must understand, sir, that this will not help." Zhang Yu continued, "Are we trying to provoke His Majesty? Or are we hoping that His Majesty will reverse his decision? Or are we hoping that His Majesty will restore order?"
"Only after clarifying your purpose can you proceed. If you want to anger His Majesty and gain fame through directness, then there's nothing wrong with doing so. In fact, the more vehement your words are, the more likely you are to achieve your goal. It would be best if you were to be caned by His Majesty, or even be imprisoned by the Imperial Guards. Only then can you preserve your reputation."
Hearing Zhang Yu's words, Feng Congwu frowned and said nothing.
But judging from his expression, Feng Congwu was really angry.
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