No longer dwelling on those two good-for-nothings from the Deqing Marquis's mansion, Chang Mao glanced at Zhu Yunying and felt that some things still needed to be said, and that they still needed to fight for the interests of the Wuxun Group. After all, he represented the interests of the Wuxun Group now, and it would be truly unreasonable to do nothing at this point.
The position of Grand Secretary was highly valued not only by the civil service but also by the military officials.
Although military officers held prestigious positions and wielded considerable power, their military authority had been diminished in recent years, and the Ministry of War could also impose some restrictions. The once all-powerful Grand Military Commission had been transformed into the Five Military Commissions, and the power of the military officer group had been visibly weakened.
Striving for more power is something Chang Mao should do. He's not worried about Zhu Yunying overthinking things. It's not a matter of trust; it's simply that with the current power structure of the Ming Dynasty, it's almost impossible for a general to carve out his own territory, and wanting to amass military power is practically suicide.
"Your Majesty, I believe it is a good thing that the Grand Secretaries of the Hall of Literary Glory are involved in political affairs," Chang Mao said earnestly to Zhu Yunying. "However, many of these political affairs are matters of great importance to the nation and the military. Those scholars are probably not knowledgeable about military matters."
Zhu Yunying looked at Chang Mao with a smile, this was an unexpected delight, "What you say makes sense, Uncle. We hadn't thought these things through before. So, Uncle, what do you think we should do?"
"We ministers will not interfere in political affairs, but when it comes to the military affairs of the Ming Dynasty, we still need military advisors and assistants." Chang Mao said seriously, "I know that the scholars of our Ming Dynasty are outstanding and talented, and their memorials are all exquisite articles. But I'm afraid they are not good at riding horses and fighting."
What does it mean to "put on a show of force"? Chang Mao is a typical example of this. Although he seems simple-minded, when Chang Mao does something bad, most people can't handle it.
In the Ming Dynasty court, everyone knew that the emperor disliked nothing more than empty memorials. If you wanted to showcase your talent or write a brilliant piece, don't do it in a memorial; otherwise, the Hongwu Emperor would punish you, and the Yingshi Emperor would certainly reprimand you.
Being both literate and skilled in martial arts is naturally ideal, and the pursuit and dream of countless people is to become a general or a prime minister. But to actually achieve this, especially in the imperial court, is extremely difficult.
To truly rise to a high-ranking position in the imperial court, it's not enough to just read a couple of books or know how to wield a sword; one must reach the very pinnacle.
Looking at Chang Mao, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "When we were selecting the ministers of the six ministries, we set a rule that if you want to become a minister, you must first be a people-friendly official. If you want to be a Grand Secretary, you should naturally have some experience first."
Historically, most Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet came from the Hanlin Academy, and many of them were indeed just good at empty talk. Some of their political ideas were indeed somewhat vague and impractical. Zhu Yunying would naturally not allow such a thing to happen.
Therefore, to become a Grand Secretary, one must serve as a local official and gain genuine grassroots experience. Simply waiting your way up in the Hanlin Academy, hoping to maintain a prestigious and prestigious position until reaching the highest ranks of officialdom, is just wishful thinking.
Hearing Zhu Yunying say this, Chang Mao seemed to understand a little. "Your Majesty's considerations are thorough; I am far from being able to match them."
Zhu Yunying didn't care much about such flattery, and simply said, "Let's think about what my uncle said. The Grand Secretaries of the Hall of Fame shouldn't all be scholars."
Chang Mao nodded repeatedly. This was exactly the effect he wanted. This was what he should do as the leader of the Ming Dynasty's military merits. This was his responsibility and obligation to fight for the interests that his group deserved. This was the most appropriate approach.
Now that everything that needed to be discussed had been discussed and everything that needed to be explained had been explained, there was no need for Chang Mao to stay in the Wuying Hall any longer. Zhu Yunying still had many memorials to read.
After Chang Mao took his leave, Zhu Yunying smiled and shook his head. He knew that Chang Mao would definitely mutter something at this moment, but there was really no need to care about so many details. Muttering was fine, it wasn't a big deal.
Chang Mao seemed a little slow to realize it, but he also felt that he was once again being led by the nose by the emperor, and that many things seemed to be entirely under the emperor's plan.
He merely mentioned Wu Xun's thoughts on the Grand Secretary, and His Majesty readily agreed, which speaks volumes.
That's right. Given His Majesty's demonstrated intelligence, it's impossible that he hadn't considered these matters. Moreover, the Emperor Emeritus was also aware of this matter, so it's impossible that he hadn't considered some things at all. The two who sat on the dragon throne one after the other were both wise and thoughtful.
However, these things were unimportant to Chang Mao; he only needed to do what he was supposed to do. As long as he fulfilled the emperor's instructions and secured some benefits for the military officers, that was enough for him.
Thinking about other things is not in Chang Mao's nature, and he doesn't need to think about such things.
Doing your own job well is enough, and these are indeed the most important things. Doing other things that are not in line with your status may not bring any benefits, and may even be some bad things. Saying or doing more is not necessarily a good performance.
Zhu Yunying is currently doing what he is supposed to do, such as reviewing memorials, which has always been his primary job, as this is the main job of an emperor.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has left the palace." Upon receiving the news, Wang Chengen immediately reported the situation to Zhu Yunying. "His Highness Prince Xu and the Minister of Rites have been favored by His Highness the Crown Prince and have been able to board the imperial carriage."
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