Chapter 1249 Where Are We Going, Dad?

The scent of sandalwood wafts through the study.

Zhang Juzheng took a sip of the refreshing tea and sighed, "There is another reason. Elder Gao will soon launch an investigation into the Ministry of Rites, so we have to keep Yuanfu for a few more months. By then, there will inevitably be another bloody storm..."

Because only the Minister of Personnel has the power to inspect the Ministry of Personnel. If Li Chunfang leaves at this time, Gao Gong will take over as the Prime Minister. Naturally, he will worry about giving up the position of Minister of Personnel, and it will not be so convenient to take action...

"Yes, it's only been four years since the last imperial inspection. It should be another two years before we can discuss it again." Zhao Hao nodded and said, "Lord Gao's inspection is an extraordinary one, and it targets the censors. It will definitely cause an uproar. Lord Zhao will be the first one to disagree."

When the Kedao are inspected, the Censorate will also participate. It is hard to imagine what kind of fight the two will have.

"Alas, Lord Zhao has a strong character and would rather break than bend. He will most likely break this time." Zhang Juzheng looked at the words on the wall with great worry, wondering whether he should add "dry your temper and lie down and let yourself be rubbed" to "be moderate in desire and anger, be casual and natural".

"Once the Prime Minister leaves in the spring, there will only be me and Elder Gao left in the cabinet. Life will be hard..."

When Li Chunfang and Zhao Zhenji were around, Gao Gong naturally wanted to bring him along in order to avoid being isolated. Once these two were gone, I'm afraid his brother Su Qing would no longer have to consider his uncle's feelings.

The usually respectable Mr. Zhang felt suffocated when he thought that no one would be Gao Huzi's punching bag in the future, and all the saliva, dirty words and damn things would be directed at him.

Seeing his father-in-law's worried look, Mr. Zhao couldn't help but not tell him that Gao Gong would still serve as the Minister of Personnel after becoming the Prime Minister, completely covering the sky with one hand. By then, his father-in-law's life would be even more difficult than he imagined... Don't make things worse for his father-in-law during the New Year.

"Oh, that's all. I'm just following in my teacher's footsteps." Zhang Juzheng was just venting his grievances to him. After all, he couldn't tell anyone about these things, except to his half-son. "I just want to learn from how Master Cun Zhai endured the punishment of Yan Fenyi. At least Gao Huzi doesn't have a son, so he doesn't have to be ordered around by a little cabinet minister all day long..."

"..." Zhao Hao was speechless. He couldn't say, it's no big deal, just bear with it for a year or two, and his father-in-law will be able to turn things around. Not only will he become the regent of the Ming Dynasty, but he can also sit on the dragon bed...

"By the way, this year...your father will be in office for three years." Zhang Juzheng was not someone who would be crushed by depression. He quickly adjusted his mood and said to Zhao Hao, "Bugu has seen the evaluation of the Ministry of Examination. Among the 1,400 county magistrates in the country, he has ranked first for three consecutive years."

"Really?" Young Master Zhao couldn't help but be surprised and said, "I thought this year's No. 1 would be someone from Elder Gao's family."

"First, Gao's students have already passed the level of county magistrate. Second, no matter what kind of person he is, he is fair and fair in dealing with things, and rewards and punishments are clear, which is beyond doubt." Zhang Juzheng picked up the cigar in the cigar box and sniffed it. This thing was naturally Zhao Hao's gift to him, but Zhang Xianggong couldn't inhale it because he felt it was too choking. But he liked the taste of the cigar itself, which felt quite refreshing.

"Third, your father's contributions are truly astonishing. Who dares to surpass him?"

"Father-in-law, you are too kind." Zhao Hao smiled modestly and said, "My father only did some insignificant work."

"During his three years in office, he built dikes to prevent floods, developed water conservancy projects, and eradicated schistosomiasis. He turned Kunshan, a poor place with poor people, into a land of fish and rice where the people live and work in peace and contentment. The population doubled, and the tax collection was the highest in the country! Isn't this the best example of a wise and capable minister in ancient times?" Zhang Juzheng smiled and pointed at him, saying, "Don't look at his achievements in a wrong way just because he is your father."

"Maybe it's because my father is too kind..." Zhao Hao couldn't help but say, "I always feel like he's nothing special."

"If he is not that great, then all the 1,400 county magistrates in the country should pack up and go home." Zhang Juzheng laughed and said, "Lord Gao praised your father highly and wanted to have a good chat with him when he came to the court, and then entrust him with an important task, but..."

According to the ancestral system, officials outside the capital would report to the emperor or the Ministry of Personnel once every three years, and then decide whether to stay in office, transfer, promote, or dismiss for the next three years... Of course, after two hundred years, not many ancestral systems have been able to persist. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for many local officials to work for three years and three years and still not get to see the emperor to report on their work.

After a pause, Zhang Juzheng put down his cigar and said with a strange look on his face, "Your Majesty means that your father is not allowed to come to the court, and even if you want to promote him, he cannot be an official in the capital. The farther away the better, it would be best if he were sent to Qiongzhou to be an official..."

"Ah?" Zhao Hao was surprised and said, "We can't go there, there are bald men..." Then he realized that he had made a mistake and stopped talking.

"Don't worry. Your Majesty has been persuaded by my father and Mr. Gao that Qiongzhou is a place where officials are demoted. Your father is a top scholar and has been ranked first in the examinations for three consecutive years. If he is exiled to Qiongzhou, it would be equivalent to publicly executing him." Zhang Juzheng said with a bitter smile, "After much persuasion, Your Majesty finally gave up the idea... Alas, I really don't know what Your Majesty is thinking. If you say you hate your father, he was the first top scholar of the new dynasty selected by him. Besides, he loves you very much."

"The power of heaven is unpredictable. My father and I have no complaints at all." Young Master Zhao said sincerely. He thought to himself that he was not only not complaining, but was actually grateful to His Majesty the Emperor for not eunuchizing me. Buzz Buzz was really too kind...

"Really?" Zhang Juzheng glanced at Zhao Hao and found that he did not seem to be faking it.

"Really, thunder and lightning, rain and dew, are all grace from the emperor." Young Master Zhao laughed and said, "If the emperor really ordered my father to go to Qiongzhou, he would not have any complaints."

As for whether his lover had any complaints, Mr. Zhao couldn't guarantee it...

"Well, Mr. Zhao is a kind-hearted elder. It's better not to return to Beijing in the next few years, so as not to be involved in the whirlpool early. It's better to gain more experience and accumulate some achievements first." Zhang Juzheng's evaluation of his relative-in-law was even higher. He thought to himself, I really don't know how such a gentleman could give birth to such a cunning thing?

Oh, yes, follow grandpa...

"Gao told Bu Gu that he would relocate your father after the new year. With your father's family background and achievements, he would be promoted to Yuanwailang if he were to serve in the capital. If he were to stay in the countryside, he would be promoted three levels, from the sixth rank to the fifth rank, and no one would have any objection."

"Isn't it too fast to be promoted three levels?" Zhao Hao asked softly.

"Fast? Bu Gu has even been promoted seven levels." Zhang Juzheng smiled faintly and said, "Besides, my father-in-law is not young anymore. If he is promoted step by step, he will not be able to catch up with the young people even if he grows old."

Facing his father-in-law who could be described as the King of Versailles, Zhao Hao smacked his lips and could only smile bitterly.

In fact, the average age of passing the imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty was 32 years old, so it was not too late for Mr. Zhao to pass the imperial examination at the age of 38. It was just that my father-in-law was surrounded by beasts who passed the imperial examination in their early twenties, so he thought Mr. Zhao was too old...

"When Master Cun Zhai was promoted to father, many people were dissatisfied. But Bu Gu was so outstanding that he quickly silenced everyone with his outstanding performance." Zhang Juzheng continued calmly, "Besides, your father was only promoted to a small fifth rank, so there won't be much criticism. Even if there is, I believe that with your father's extraordinary ability, he will soon be able to produce results that are convincing enough."

"Ah, yes..." Zhao Hao picked up the teacup and drank it all. Damn, chatting with a genius who can see through all the mountains really requires nerves as strong as steel. Otherwise, you will definitely doubt your life.

"Lord Gao has provided three choices. Please write to your father and ask him which one he likes." Zhang Juzheng held up three fingers and said, "One is the Right Counselor of the Nanjing Tongzhengsi, one is the Assistant Censor of the Guangxi Provincial Surveillance Department, and the other is the Deputy Magistrate of Chaozhou Prefecture in Guangdong... But I tell you, if your father chooses the first one, Lord Gao will be very disappointed. It's better not to mess with his bad temper."

"Then you have to choose one between Guangdong and Guangxi." Master Zhao said with a wry smile.

"You must tell your father that it is not that Lord Gao is suppressing him, but that he has always been particular about using the best steel on the blade. Aren't the capable generals he relies on the most in Guangdong and Guangxi and the nine frontiers?" Zhang Juzheng said earnestly:

"After Altan negotiated peace, the nine frontiers should be at least peaceful for a few years. The most chaotic areas in Ming Dynasty are Guangdong and Guangxi, which are naturally the easiest places to establish achievements. Your father has already proved himself in civil affairs. If he can successfully quell the chaos, his next step in official career will be much easier."

"Yes." Zhao Hao nodded. It wasn't him who had to do it anyway. "I wonder what my father-in-law thinks my father should do?"

"It's hard to say." Zhang Juzheng shook his head slowly and said, "Yin Zhengmao is in charge in Guangxi. He is from the same hometown as your father. Not to mention Lin Run in Guangdong, so you don't have to worry too much about going to either place. If you insist, your father suggests going to Guangxi. Although Wei Yinbao surrendered and rebelled again, if Yin Zhongcheng can catch him once, he can catch him a second time. So as long as you have a good relationship with him, you will have no worries about not having opportunities to make merit."

This was said implicitly, because everyone in the court knew that Yin Zhengmao loved money, and Mr. Zhao Erye was known as the God of Wealth, so Bu Gu felt that they would definitely get along well.

"As for Guangdong, the situation is much more complicated." Zhang Juzheng added: "There are countless pirates on the sea, and there are also rebellious people in the mountains. There are Zeng Yiben, Lin Daoqian, Lin Feng, Lan Yiqing, Lai Yuanjue, Huang Mintai, Zhu Liangbao... There are too many to count, and it is impossible to suppress them. Moreover, there is a certain danger."

"Is that so?" Young Master Zhao looked worried when he heard this. "Given my father's warm-heartedness, I'm afraid he won't just sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. Instead, he wants to go to the most dangerous place to serve the country..."

"Zhao Zhuangyuan is really a loyal and brave man! When your father is able to come to Beijing in the future, I will definitely drink with him and make friends with him!" Zhang Juzheng clapped his hands and praised him, respecting Zhao Zhuangyuan even more. "But you should write a letter to ask your father first. After all, he is the one who makes the decision, and it is not your turn as a son to interfere."

"Yes, yes." Zhao Hao agreed humbly. He had committed the mistake of a feudal patriarch again and always wanted to make decisions for his father.

But that is Chaozhou Prefecture, which is roughly equivalent to the Chaoshan area in later generations! When Mr. Zhao goes south next, there is no better foothold than this!

So we should adjust our thinking, be democratic parents, and let Mr. Zhao choose Chaozhou Prefecture himself...

(End of this chapter)