What was Gao Gong angry about? Yang Bo knew the whole story.

It was simply that Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin brought Zhao Zhenji into the cabinet in order to restrain him.

Moreover, Zhao Zhenji was a Jinshi in the 14th year of Jiajing, two years earlier than Gao Gong. According to the unwritten rules, when the two entered the cabinet at the same time, Zhao Zhenji ranked ahead of Gao Gong.

Therefore, after Gao Gong entered the cabinet, he was not ranked fourth, but fifth. According to the bad habits of the cabinet, the Grand Secretary at the bottom of the ranking should take the initiative to serve the Grand Secretary at the top. Although he was a Grand Secretary, he did not have to serve tea or water, but he had to do small things like opening the curtain for the Prime Minister to get off the sedan chair and holding the memorial tablet.

It's also a kind of rule-making.

"Don't worry, I won't let them take advantage of me!" Gao Gong snorted coldly, "Just wait and see!"

~~

After parting with Yang Bo, Gao Gong continued his journey to Beijing. It took him only four days to walk the 500-600-li distance from Zhending Prefecture to Beijing.

"What, we're here already?"

In the cabinet, Li Chunfang heard that Gao Gong had arrived in the suburbs of Beijing. He couldn't help but glance at the almanac hanging on the wall. Today was only the 15th. The Prime Minister was shocked and asked, "It's only been a few days? Did he fly here?"

It was 1,300 to 1,400 li from Xinzheng to the capital. The decree was issued on the first day of July, and it would take three days to reach Xinzheng even if the express route was 600 li. Even if Gao Gong set out on the road the next day after receiving the decree, he would only have ten days to travel.

Even the Tartars are not that fast?

"Yeah, I find it strange too." Chen Yiqin spread his hands and said, "But this morning, his students Han Ji, Luo Zun, Lu Shude and others called nearly a hundred officials to go out of the city twenty miles to welcome him. With such a large array, it's impossible that the real master hasn't arrived, right?"

"We're here. This morning, we saw Eunuch Feng leading the Han general out of the palace with His Majesty's ceremonial guard." Zhao Zhenji, who had just entered the cabinet, said quietly.

"This treatment is just short of His Majesty going to welcome him in person." Chen Yiqin said sourly, then glanced at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Taiyue, why don't you go and receive him?"

Zhang Juzheng rolled his eyes and ignored him. Actually, Bu Gu had originally planned to go and greet them, but that incident had made him feel a lot colder, so he didn't want to show too much enthusiasm.

"Speaking of which, we should also hold a banquet to welcome Prime Minister Gao." After all, Li Chunfang has been a professional in smoothing things over for twenty years, and habitually wanted to stir things up, saying, "We were colleagues at the beginning. He has returned after two years, so we should hold a banquet to welcome him back."

Then he smiled at Zhao Zhenji and said, "I haven't had time to welcome Prime Minister Zhao, so why not have a feast to congratulate both of them?"

"Then I'll just take advantage of Prime Minister Gao." Zhao Zhenji was considered to be a person in Li Chunfang's line, so of course he wouldn't care.

"Okay, where are you?" Chen Yiqin asked, "I don't have many holidays recently."

"I think we should hold it in the Cabinet cafeteria." Li Chunfang said with a smile, "Just move the date of the dinner forward. What we eat is not important. The key is to keep in touch with each other."

"Just follow Yuan Fu's advice." Chen Yiqin expressed his agreement.

Zhang Juzheng nodded and said nothing.

"Then I'll go and give the order." Zhao Zhenji was currently the last newcomer, so these trivial matters were naturally his responsibility. He thought to himself that it was not bad, and that he would hand over these tasks to Gao Gong tomorrow.

"Forget it, let me do it." Zhang Juzheng stood up and said, "This is also to congratulate Dazhou. There is no reason for you to do it yourself."

"It's mainly to welcome Prime Minister Gao, it's not a big deal for me." Zhao Zhenji declined and finally went out with Zhang Juzheng.

After the two of them left, Li Chunfang said to Chen Yiqin, "It seems like you only said half of what you were going to say just now?"

"That's right." Chen Yiqin said gloomily, "Gong Xianggong's disciples, tell those who have offended him that the past is over. He is not a grudge holder, and will not take revenge on private people. As long as everyone works hard in the future and does not mess around, he will still use them."

"Oh?" Li Chunfang was surprised and asked, "Where did the sun come out from? Has Gao Xinzheng changed his personality?"

"It's easy to change a country, but hard to change one's nature. It's all pretending." Chen Yiqin said gloomily, "But this trick is really useful, otherwise how could there be more than a hundred people to welcome him today?"

He whispered, "Before entering the capital, he has already started to win people's hearts. He is just playing the game of 'the prime minister has a big heart'."

"..." Li Chunfang stopped talking. Apparently the word "Prime Minister" hurt him.

"Yuan Fu, do you think Zhao Mengjing can withstand him?" Gao Gong, who began to use his scheming mind, obviously put great pressure on Chen Yiqin.

"I don't know." Li Chunfang was also in a state of panic. He picked up the already cold teacup, took a sip and said, "Let's wait and see."

"Alas..." Chen Yiqin despised Li Chunfang in his heart. He was the Prime Minister, but he never had a correct idea. He only knew how to slow down, watch and approve. The only time he made a decision, he offended the Jiangnan Gang, and in the end, Gao Huzi was released.

No wonder he doesn't dare to make a move, it turns out he always plays bad chess...

In fact, Chen Yiqin himself didn't realize it. He was the one with the worst mental breakdown. Before Gao Gong left, he was the second assistant. This time he came back, the second assistant position had been occupied by him. It is conceivable that Gao Huzi must regard him as a thorn in his side.

But no matter how he resisted, Gao Huzi would not stop marching to Beijing.

Outside Yongding Gate in the south of the city, Ershilipu is bustling with activity along the wide and straight official road.

Under the shade of the tree next to the reception pavilion, a large general holding an axe, ceremonial guard, a flag, and a fan stood solemnly. There was also a palace band led by the assistant music officer of the Taichang Temple, all of which were waiting there with all their equipment.

The reception pavilion was filled with officials craning their necks, including some high-ranking officials wearing scarlet robes and gold belts.

But standing in the most eye-catching position in the front was a group of sixth and seventh-rank officials wearing green robes. They were in high spirits and cheerful, talking and laughing as if no one was around.

Because they have a common identity - they were Jinshi in the Yichou year of the 44th year of the Jiajing reign.

That year, Gao Gong was the chief examiner of the imperial examination, and they were all his students.

The most solid relationship in the Ming officialdom is the relationship between the master and the disciple. Once this teacher-student relationship is established, it cannot be betrayed for life, otherwise it would be a betrayal of the master and the ancestors.

Don't feel guilty, I'm not talking about you.

Gao Gong had a particularly close relationship with his students. One reason might be that he had no sons, so he treated his students like his own sons. The other reason was that he had a strong personality. As long as people could sit down with him and have a deep chat, they would be impressed by his knowledge, generosity, and sincerity.

Basically, all the Jinshi of the Yichou class admired their master. So during the cabinet crisis, they all rushed to the front for Gao Gong, which prevented Gao Gong, who had no foundation, from losing too badly.

Of course, they have also paid a heavy price in the past two years... Almost no one has been promoted, and most have been transferred to remote and poor places to serve as officials. Even those in Beijing mostly sit on the bench in low-income government offices, letting their years pass by.

These officials, who have been in office for less than five years but have suffered a lot of hardships in their careers because of their host, have finally made it through!

My mentor is also the Minister of Personnel, he will definitely help them get back their money!

But the officials standing behind felt completely different.

Most of them had impeached Gao Gong before, so they dared not not come this time, but they were also afraid that they would become the target of Gao Gong's power. They stood there in anxiety and fear, and felt very tormented.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" someone suddenly cheered.

The assistant musician jumped out of the pavilion and saw, as expected, a team of Jinyiwei were coming in a dusty manner. The one riding in the front was carrying a yellow flag, and it was obvious that they were the emperor's envoys.

The Jinyiwei who followed behind held a red flag with the words "Gao, the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace" written on it.

It is not written wrong, it is indeed not "Minister of Personnel", because he left in a hurry and did not have time to make a new flag. This flag is Gao Gong's original one.

Xielülang waved his hands vigorously, and immediately the bells and drums on the roadside rang, playing the "Yinfengdiao" to welcome the saint.

Feng Bao also asked the eunuchs who were accompanying him to light thousands of firecrackers, which made a crackling and banging sound, creating a very lively atmosphere.

Han Ji, Lu Shude and other disciples rushed out of the reception pavilion, knelt on the official road, and cried and laughed to welcome their teacher back to Beijing.

Gao Gong, riding on his horse, showed a gratified smile and gently asked them to stand up. Then his eyes fell on the group of officials who were following timidly behind.

"We welcome the elder." They quickly knelt down and leaned on the dusty official road, waiting for the decision of fate.

There is nothing wrong with officials kneeling and bowing when they meet the Minister of Personnel.

Gao Gong paused for a long while, carefully admiring this group of officials who looked like fallen wheat fields.

These people used to be so arrogant and vicious, but now they are all kneeling at his feet.

It's so refreshing! What a pity that I can't humiliate myself properly...

After a long while, he finally dismounted, helped up Xu Yangzheng, who had the highest rank, and said to everyone with a smile: "Everyone, please stand up quickly. Don't worry, I, Gao, will keep my word and forgive the past. In the future, as long as you work sincerely, I, Gao, will still be promoted and reused by the emperor, and will never take revenge on you!"

After seeing Gao Gong announce it again in public, the officials breathed a sigh of relief and burst into tears of gratitude.

Many people even shouted shameless words like "Gao Ge Lao is as kind to us as parents" on the spot.

The sarcasm on Gao Gong's face flashed away, and then, with Feng Bao's respectful welcome, he sat on the sedan chair with sixteen people prepared for him by the emperor.

"Lift the sedan!" Feng Bao sang loudly.

Amid the sound of bells and drums, the Han general, with a magnificent ceremonial guard, led the sedan chair towards the capital.

~~

Zhaojia Hutong, Zhaojia House.

The head maid Han Tao was fanning the old master tremblingly.

"Before entering Beijing, Gao Huzi has already fought a brilliant battle." Zhao Liben said with jealousy and admiration: "In the 200 years of the Guo Dynasty, we have never seen such a method of winning people's hearts."

"Yeah, just like grandpa, an old PUA." Zhao Hao, who had just returned to Beijing two days ago, answered without thinking while carefully reviewing the details of the draft agreement with the Ministry of Households.

"What do you mean by 'Piyou'?" Zhao Liben was stunned.

"It's okay, it's okay." Zhao Hao didn't want to get into trouble, so he quickly shook his head and started to think over his terms.

To him, it didn't matter what Gao Gong did; the contract with the Ministry of Revenue was the most important.

ps. Third update, please give me your monthly vote!