Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Jiang Xinghuo was busy arranging the military situation in the inner court with Zheng He, and arranging military craftsmen with Zhu Gaoxu to make manned hot air balloons.

Zhu Di was not idle here either. He first summoned his great penman Xie Jin in the Chengtian Palace and asked him to arrange for him to write a discussion about the 'natural principles of rain' in the most conspicuous position of "Di Bao".

Zhu Di was eager to catch him and said: "During this period, the president still needs to edit the "Records of Emperor Taizu Gao". Do you have the energy?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry. I will arrange this matter personally and there will be no mistakes." Xie Jin assured him, patting his chest.

Zhu Di hummed, pondered for a moment and then said: "I believe in your ability, and I hope you can bring me good news."

"I will live up to His Majesty's expectations."

"Also, if you encounter trouble, you can go to the Imperial Master to discuss it. I don't care." Zhu Di added.

Zhu Di's meaning was very clear. He said "I don't care." It didn't mean that he really didn't care, but it showed his attitude. This matter is related to the reform and is under the control of the returned master. Please be honest and write as instructed. When writing, don't do things that are not in the Spring and Autumn style of writing, otherwise you will be punished.

Xie Jin promised with a smile on his face, and then exited.

Zhu Di looked at Jie Jin disappearing at the entrance of the palace and suddenly snorted.

At first, when he decided to set up a cabinet, he really thought it was nothing - because the cabinet was just a tool to assist him in approving memorials. It only had the power to classify and classify memorials, but did not have the power to review memorials. The memorials are separated.

In other words, a dog under imperial authority.

How can a dog disobey its master?

The results of it? In the future predicted by the Imperial Master, the dog of the Cabinet somehow suddenly rides on its master's head!

"I'm not a phaser, but I'm photographing you."

However, as the emperor, Zhu Di's troubles obviously go beyond the cabinet that is still in its infancy.

Zhu Di also had some headaches regarding the issue of establishing a heir... He found that his sons seemed to be difficult to fool.

According to the results of Jin'ou's drawing of lots, Zhu Gaoxu was originally supposed to be sent to Beizhili.

But for now, we still have to wait for Jiang Xinghuo to teach literacy methods and build the framework of the tax soldiers and guards. After all, Zhu Di agreed to Zhu Gaoxu and let him command the tax soldiers and guards.

At the same time, the Tax Guard will also become a model unit for the new firearms army.

Therefore, Zhu Gaoxu still has to stay in Nanjing for a while.

Zhu Di also had some considerations about whether to let Zhu Gaoxu participate in the conquest of Annan.

Zhu Gaoxu now has ambitions and continues to grow. If this continues, sooner or later he will become a runaway horse.

But having said that, although Zhu Gaoxu's character is very similar to his own, he is more violent, which also means that he has weaknesses and is easy to check and balance.

But the eldest son Zhu Gaochi not only presided over the administration of the Northland during the Jingnan War, but also had great authority in the civil service system of the Northland. In the past few months of coordinating government affairs in the capital, Zhu Gaochi's qualifications have also become more and more profound.

In addition, Zhu Gaochi was very popular among the military ministers. Correspondingly, in order to fight against the military ministers, Zhu Gaochi's prestige among the civil servants increased. Now even the emperor Zhu Di felt that he was a little unable to control him in terms of governance.

After all, Zhu Di is not Zhu Yuanzhang; Zhu Gaochi is not Zhu Biao.

Zhu Di, who had just ascended the throne, enjoyed the supreme taste of imperial power, and was in his prime, could not be unwary of his sons.

"I hope these two boys will never turn against each other." Zhu Di murmured, with complicated emotions that were hard to describe.

Then Zhu Di sat on the dragon chair and fell into a brief silence.

There are still many things to do today, such as preparing to accept the audience of the military honors in the imperial court, including the old brothers of Yan Jun and many of the founding heroes of Hongwu.

In addition, he must also focus on the things entrusted to him by the queen and find a suitable husband for her sister Xu Miaojin.

Thinking of these trivial and troublesome things, Zhu Di sighed, opened his eyes with a complicated mood, raised his left hand, and rubbed his forehead.

Of course the world will not stop moving just because Zhu Di is in a bad mood.

This means that with Jiang Xinghuo released from prison and presiding over the reform, various forces and figures have their own plans. Things are obviously no longer proceeding in a single line, but have become increasingly complicated.

However, people are far and near, and things have priorities.

There are several flowers in bloom, let’s focus on the one in front of me first.

Zhu Di sent Xie Jin away and prepared to find something to do on his own before the evening banquet for the distinguished military ministers.

Well, Zhu Di now understands his father Zhu Yuanzhang more and more.

When a man reaches middle age, he really needs to have a decent thing to talk about so that this serious thing can fill his time.

As long as you do this, you can get rid of all kinds of trivial matters without distraction.

——The emperor's matter is to criticize the memorial.

This memorial was not approved by the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi and the cabinet members.

But close folding.

Zhu Di quietly tried out the secret folding system taught to him by Jiang Xinghuo, but the scope was not large. It was only a small-scale pilot project among senior officials in Nanjing City.

The officials who meet the rank of the secret system, among the civil servants, are the six ministers, ministers, and nine ministers; among the military ministers, they are the princes, nobles, and commanders with real power.

Of course, since the secret book system had just been put into effect on a trial basis, the senior officials had not yet figured out how to do it. The military ministers regarded writing secret books as fierce as a tiger, and the civil servants did not dare to talk nonsense, so the secret books handed over were not That’s too much.

Zhu Di easily reviewed it without spending much time.

"Huh?"

Zhu Di looked at the last secret book in his hand and raised his eyebrows.

This secret document was handed over by Song Li, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites.

In the Ministry of Rites, the chief officer was Shangshu Li Zhigang, and the assistant officers turned out to be two old men.

Dong Lun, the left minister, was the chief executive recorded in the previous "Emperor Taizu Gao". When Jing Qing was assassinated, he had already retired and returned to his hometown to serve as an official.

Wang Jing, the right servant, is somewhat similar to Zhuo Jing. He is sixty-six years old this year. He is a great writer. His articles are profound and powerful, and he has won the essence of the ancient literary school. In the early Ming Dynasty, he was praised as "the successor of Qu Song Dynasty, and the Pan Ma". .

The position of Dong Lun, the left minister, was not filled by Zhuo Jing, the original right minister of the household department, who was promoted by half a level as most officials expected. Instead, it was filled by Wang Jing, the right minister of the headquarters. As for the right minister vacated by Wang Jing , it was also digested internally. After competition between all parties, Zhu Di finally appointed Song Lilai, who had not long been a member of the Ministry of Punishment and a full-time member of the Ministry of Rites, as a member of the Ministry of Rites.

Song Li is forty-three years old. He is a capable bureaucrat, and he is also a bureaucrat who wants to secure his position as minister, or even go one step further.

He was also the first senior official to express his support for the reform to Zhu Di and his willingness to be a vanguard of the reform.

But the seal of the letter is a bit strange.

In Song Li's secret book, he first expressed his attitude, thanked the emperor for promoting him to be the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, and said that he absolutely supported the emperor's reform and restoration of the Ming Dynasty, but he had some small and immature suggestions, and hoped that the emperor would listen to them. .

Next, the main point of view cited by Song Li is the "Lonely and Angry Chapter" in "Han Feizi".

"When a person is good at doing important things, he can use them both externally and internally."

"Thus, if the princes do not follow the cause, things will not go according to plan, so the enemy country will sue; if the officials do not follow the cause, the career will not advance, so the ministers will use it; if the doctor does not follow the cause, he will not be able to get close to the master, so the left and right will hide him; If a bachelor does not do this, his salary will be poor and his courtesy will be low, so the bachelor will talk about it."

"These four helpers are the reason why evil ministers pretend to be themselves. The master cannot be loyal to the master and lead to his enemy. The master cannot surpass the four helpers and check his ministers. Therefore, the more evil the master is, the more important the ministers will be."

This is very interesting. Song Li wanted to hint to the emperor, that is, the reform is good, but you have to guard against "evil ministers" using the excuse of the reform to usurp your power!

Moreover, the best thing about Song Li's reference to the classics is that, except for the bachelor, every one of the so-called "four assistants" can be matched, but it is not stated clearly.

What does it mean that princes have to rely on evil ministers? Isn't this the second prince Zhu Gaoxu?

Where are the officials? Naturally, they are Rongguo Gong Yao Guangxiao, Hubu Shangshu Xia Yuanji and others.

Langzhong (originally refers to the palace corridor, and refers to the guards) refers to Zheng He.

And these are not the end of Song Li's operations. Song Li gave Zhu Di an idea. How can we ensure that the reform is carried out in the hands of loyal ministers and not in the hands of evil ministers?

Your Majesty, don't panic!

I am a loyal minister!

I am an absolutely trustworthy and loyal minister whom you single-handedly promoted!

I'll sneak into the reformist faction and work as an undercover agent for you!

Looking at Song Li's secret, Zhu Di couldn't laugh or cry.

Zhu Di knew about Song Li. He was intelligent and knowledgeable since childhood, studious and ambitious, agile and practiced, and was proficient in the study of rivers and water conservancy. He was a technical bureaucrat, and his character was very good and quite honest.

Compared with his immediate boss Li Zhigang, his name should actually be reversed.

But the problem is that when a person reaches a certain position, his mood and vision are destined to be different.

Now that you have become the right servant, you don’t want to go one step further and become the left servant? You have become Zuo Shilang, but don’t want to be Minister?

It was precisely because of Song Li's agility that he believed that the reform was indeed feasible, so he thought of using his talents in a higher position.

And following others will obviously not bring you any more benefits.

So Song Li simply proposed to the emperor "to work as an undercover agent in the reform sect".

At first glance, Zhu Di thought it was a bit ridiculous. This was not a war, but an undercover operation.

But at a certain moment, Zhu Di remembered what Jiang Xinghuo had just said, "Everything that should be included in a war is also included in a public opinion war."

Isn’t the debate between the reformers and the conservatives really a life-and-death war?

From the perspective of Zhu Di, the ruler, everything seems to have changed.

At this moment, Zhu Di was a little shaken.

Zhu Di knocked on the dragon case, and the third prince Zhu Gaosui came out of the shadows.

"Father."

Zhu Di pondered for a moment and then ordered: "Go and summon Song Li, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, remember, don't let too many people notice."

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhu Gaosui's eyes, but he still bowed.

"Yes, Father!"

PS: I still owe a chapter if I add the monthly subscription, and I will pay it back early next week.