Chapter 44 Recommending Talents
"Of course, we need someone to play along with Your Majesty." Zhu Yuhuan saw his eager expression and said with a smile, "These ministers are not united. Even if a few in the cabinet are unwilling, the people below may not fully support the cabinet's decision. We just need to find someone who can stand with Your Majesty."
"Find someone?" Zhu Qizhen returned to his seat and muttered, "Who should I find to stand with me? Minister of War Wang Ji didn't even say a word..."
Previously, Wang Ji had a glorious time in the frontier, and was closely related to Zhu Qizhen's deployment. Later, he was greatly rewarded by Zhu Qizhen. In any case, he should stand with Zhu Qizhen, but anyone with a discerning eye knew that he should not easily express his opinion on such matters. Wang Ji was not a fool. No matter how sweet the radish on the fishing rod was, he could not really become a donkey.
Wang Ji could not afford to offend the emperor or his colleagues, so he would rather play dumb and be reported by the censor and reprimanded by Zhu Qizhen than rashly take sides and offend anyone.
Zhu Yuhuan waved his hand and said, "For civil servants who came from the imperial examination system, the higher their position, the more they focus on consolidating their existing position, rather than striving for further advancement."
For a civil servant, reaching the cabinet was a remarkable achievement. Having the good fortune to be the mentor of the next emperor, receive a posthumous title bestowed by the emperor, and secure official positions for their children was already a winner in life. Could one even be granted a title of nobility? It goes without saying that the higher the position, the harder the fall.
Safety, safety is the most important thing.
"Are you talking about those low-ranking officials?" Zhu Qizhen frowned and said, "They're still hoping for promotions in the six ministries. Who dares to casually refute those people in the cabinet?"
"That's not necessarily true," Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that some of the officials posted abroad might want to return to the capital? As long as Your Majesty grants them the favor, wouldn't it be easy for them to return? Furthermore, with Wang Ji's promotion already in the past, how could anyone remain unmoved?"
After Zhu Qizhen heard what she said, he pondered it in his heart and it seemed to make sense. He couldn't help but sigh, "Sure enough, my elder sister is more reliable. Mr. Wang had never thought of this before."
"The ministers look down on Eunuch Wang, and Eunuch Wang may not look down on the ministers either. Naturally, they don't consider their concerns and considerations." Zhu Yuhuan said this and then said, "It's no fun to set up the stage and have two people perform."
Zhu Qizhen no longer had the doubts he had at the beginning. Now he just sat obediently on the chair and listened to the instructions. He even took a piece of dessert to try something new, looking like a well-behaved and obedient child.
Zhu Yuhuan sneered in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He just touched his chin and said, "While the martial arts exam is good, there is one thing that is indeed a bit flawed."
Zhu Qizhen uttered a confused "Ah!" and could not help but ask, "Mistakes? What mistakes? I have also read the document written by elder sister, and I don't see any mistakes."
Zhu Yuhuan narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly and said with a smile, "Everyone makes mistakes. I didn't think of it at first, but today, seeing Your Majesty return in disappointment, and just now mentioning the matter of Jiajia and the Prince Consort, I thought of this." She took a sip of tea from the table, moistening her throat, and then continued, "Then the question is how to accommodate the children of military meritorious service."
Princess Changde Zhu Hanjia's husband Xue Huan was a descendant of a military family. His father was Xue Lu, Marquis of Yangwu, who was highly valued by Zhu Zhanji. As Xue Lu's second son, he had no qualifications to inherit the title, so naturally he had no official position to his credit.
But after all, Xue Huan was born into a family of military merit, so Empress Dowager Sun married her daughter to him.
"Your Majesty, should you treat the military and civil examinations the same way, holding joint and palace examinations in the capital every three years? While this is for the benefit of the border, the court, and the nation, it would be like taking meat from the mouths of those who have won military honors." Zhu Yuhuan's smile cooled a little as he said, "Although this meat was given to us by our ancestors, everyone needs to protect their food..."
Zhu Qizhen immediately understood and couldn't help but slap his forehead, saying: "I don't usually use these people, I almost forgot about them..."
The country has not carried out a large-scale expedition for many years. These descendants of military honors who should have inherited the positions of their ancestors and fathers have long since degenerated. They are not even as good as the civil servants they despise who can only spit with a pen. Otherwise, Zhu Qizhen would not have sent Wang Ji to the border.
Because of this, Zhu Qizhen, who had no use for them, naturally would not take them into consideration. It would be better to say that in Zhu Qizhen's eyes, this group of people were just parasites, and they could just find a corner and fend for themselves. If they dared to come out and make trouble, he would definitely be furious.
You don't have the ability to protect the honor of your family, and you still have the nerve to jump out and make trouble?
Thinking of this, Zhu Qizhen began to make some calculations. He said, "Although Xue Huan and his elder brother are the sons of Marquis Yangwu, they have no status in the court. Even if they say something, no one will care. We need to find someone of high moral character and prestige..." At this point, his eyes lit up and he said, "Duke Ying, Zhang Fu!"
Seeing that he had already thought of a candidate, Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, what you said makes perfect sense."
Zhu Yuhuan had already considered this when he wrote the document, but he deliberately did not write it in. He only said it out loud when Zhu Qizhen suffered a setback, so as to highlight the importance of "assisting in government".
——Otherwise, wouldn’t she become the same kind of person as Wang Zhen?
Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment and said, "But I asked them to speak up earlier, but Zhang Fu didn't say a word. From his expression, I know he doesn't want to get involved in these matters. Even if I give the order, he may not be willing to contribute."
Zhu Yuhuan sighed and said, "Although the Duke of Ying has fought for many years, he is old. In addition, there has been a long period of peace in recent years. There is no place for him to use his skills. He is inevitably discouraged." She saw that Zhu Qizhen seemed to be thinking about how to persuade Zhang Fu, and continued, "But there is one thing that the Duke of Ying cares about very much."
Zhu Qizhen's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"
Zhu Yuhuan raised the corner of his mouth and said softly, "Of course it's a title."
Zhang Zhong was half disabled, so it was indeed difficult for him to inherit the title. If it were before Zhu Qizhen ascended the throne, perhaps Zhang Fu would not have worried about his son's title. After all, he was a meritorious old minister, and the emperor would not interfere in such matters for the sake of his ancestors.
But Zhu Qizhen's every move is constantly verifying the meaning of the saying "he still has a childish temper", and Zhang Fu is not sure that he can outlast Zhu Qizhen. In this case, Zhang Fu naturally cannot offend Zhu Qizhen.
Zhu Qizhen immediately understood and said, "Big sister, are you trying to threaten Zhang Fu with Zhang Zhong's inheritance of the title?"
Zhu Yuhuan patted his hands and said, "How can this be called a threat? It's just to reassure this old minister. Besides, there's a saying that goes, 'Thunderbolts and raindrops are all the emperor's grace.' Your Majesty, aside from your thunderbolt tactics, doesn't he have a few sweet dates to fool you?"
Zhang Fu was anxious to get Zhang Zhong married, considering the difficulty Zhang Zhong would have in inheriting the title. However, if Zhang Zhong had a son, the title of Duke of Ying could be passed over to his grandson. However, Zhang Zhong had no son yet, and Zhang Fu watched Zhu Qizhen's turmoil grow, his uneasiness only growing. This was a good opportunity to gather his strength.
Zhu Qizhen finally understood and said, "I understand. Sister really understands them better. I have never thought of this."
Seeing his jubilant expression, Zhu Yuhuan continued, "If the Duke of Ying resolves the ministers' objections, Your Majesty, have you considered how to implement the contents of the document?"
Zhu Qizhen frowned slightly upon hearing this, and said hesitantly: "I believe the cabinet will naturally recommend officials to take over..." As he spoke, he lost confidence, and it was obvious that he had lost trust in this group of officials who secretly opposed him.
When the imperial edict was issued to various places to resettle refugees and compile household registrations, Empress Dowager Zhang was still alive. She was quite familiar with the officials in the court, so Emperor Zhu Qizhen naturally did not need to consider sending troops and generals. As long as the list selected by Empress Dowager Zhang was submitted to the cabinet, the cabinet would naturally arrange these officials to promote the implementation of the emperor's will.
Now that Empress Dowager Zhang is gone, Emperor Zhu Qizhen is somewhat familiar with those prominent officials, but these people are not completely trustworthy. If he wants to ensure that his will as the emperor is 100% implemented, he must select them from low-level officials. However, Zhu Qizhen's power of education has always been in the hands of the cabinet, and there are only a few young officials who have just entered the Hanlin Academy and have no experience and qualifications to take over such a job.
Thinking of this, Zhu Qizhen looked at Zhu Yuhuan with a hint of anticipation in his eyes and asked, "Does Big Sister have any recommendations?"
Unlike Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Yuhuan's lecturers at the time were mostly minor officials who had just entered the Hanlin Academy a few years ago. Most of them had spent some time with Zhu Yuhuan and knew him well.
Zhu Qizhen still had great trust in his elder sister's judgment of people. After all, Wang Zhen had no foundation now, and those who were willing to curry favor with him were all marginal characters. There were few people who were truly capable of getting things done. Zhu Qizhen certainly did not intend to let Wang Zhen recommend candidates.
Zhu Yuhuan thought for a moment after hearing his question, and said, "As for candidates, I do know a few, but they are all serving outside now..."
When Zhu Qizhen heard the words "outside the capital", he was even happier and said, "Isn't that even better? Officials serving outside the capital have less ties to the capital, so they will be less constrained in their actions."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "Then let me mention a few names first. Your Majesty, listen and see if you can remember any of them."
Zhu Qizhen nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay."
"Xu Yun, Zeng Heling, Xue Xuan..." Zhu Yuhuan paused for a moment and said, "Yu Qian."
Zhu Qizhen had heard of Xu Yun and Zeng Heling, but had no impression of Xue Xuan and Yu Qian, so he asked, "What are their outstanding qualities?"
These four people were the candidates that Zhu Yuhuan had considered a long time ago, so Zhu Qizhen's question naturally hit the nail on the head.
"Your Majesty should remember that Xu Yun was an official selected by Ruan An during his overseas assignment. He helped Ruan An complete the river dredging project, and his abilities are commendable. Furthermore, Your Majesty promoted him to let others know that serving under eunuchs can also be valued by Your Majesty. As for Zeng Heling, he once lectured me on essays. He also presided over the imperial examinations in the third year of the Zhengtong era. He was fair and well-regarded. Although he has no achievements in martial arts, I believe he will be able to do no wrong in presiding over the martial arts examinations or managing the martial arts students at the Imperial College."
Zhu Yuhuan first briefly introduced the two people Zhu Qizhen was most familiar with, and then began to introduce Xue Xuan and Yu Qian.
"Both Xue Xuan and Yu Qian were Jinshi (Jinshi) graduates of the Yongle Emperor's 19th year, and were highly regarded by the late Emperor. Xue Xuan once served as a Shaoqing (Minister of Agriculture) at the Wunong Temple. He was a man of integrity, witty, and capable. Yu Qian, needless to say, was a man of integrity when the late Emperor suppressed the rebellion of the Han commoner Zhu Gaoxu. He rebuked Zhu Gaoxu on behalf of the late Emperor, his words eloquent and humiliating. He was later sent to inspect Shanxi, a testament to the late Emperor's trust in him."
After hearing Zhu Yuhuan's introduction, Zhu Qizhen thought about it in his mind. Except for Zeng Heling and Xue Xuan, the relationship between the remaining two and Zhu Yuhuan could not be said to be close. And according to what Zhu Yuhuan said, these four people are indeed outstanding in ability, and their relationship with the cabinet is not that close. They are indeed the best candidates.
Zhu Qizhen immediately responded cheerfully, saying, "I've taken note of what Big Sister said!" He was about to leave excitedly, but when he reached the door, he remembered something and turned back, saying, "After that, I'll also go to the Imperial Farm. I'll have someone bring my official business along. Dad told me that my great-grandfather used to take Dad with him when he went out to fight. They were both emperors, and they could do both. I'm sure I can do the same."
Zhu Yuhuan sighed and said, "If people outside knew about this..."
"Didn't Dad often go hunting when he was alive? Besides, even if I go to Changping with my brothers and sisters, it doesn't count as leaving the capital. What's there to worry about?" Zhu Qizhen puffed out his chest and said proudly, "I am the Son of Heaven, not a child. Big sister, do you want me to go with you secretly?"
Hearing his confidence, Zhu Yuhuan laughed and said, "How can the emperor travel in secret?"
"Big sister has promised me. I will go back to the palace first and have someone pass the message to the cabinet."
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but shake his head as he watched him and his men hurried out.
It was precisely because Zhu Qizhen had the temperament of a child that the people in the cabinet were unsure of his thoughts, and they were probably extremely troubled.
Han Guilan was a little worried and couldn't help asking, "Will this really work?"
Zhu Yuhuan sighed and said, "This can be considered as helping Zhong Ge'er. Otherwise, it would be too difficult for the Duke of Yingguo to try to have another son at his age."
After talking with Zhu Yuhuan, Zhu Qizhen was obviously determined to make a big fuss and insisted on issuing an order to the cabinet to carry out the order and to get results as soon as possible.
The court officials suddenly fell silent, staring at the cabinet, wanting to get a specific result, or more precisely, waiting for the cabinet to reject Zhu Qizhen on their behalf.
The previous war between Princess Shunde and Empress Dowager Sun ended in vain, which proved that as long as Zhu Qizhen didn't want to pay attention, even a hundred censors would be useless.
More importantly, these court officials also did not have the courage to break off relations.
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