A storm is brewing.
Zhu Youtang was involved, so it was impossible for him to know nothing about this matter, especially since the contacts between civil servants were obvious. However, Zhu Youtang did not know yet that this storm could To what extent.
On the day Zhang Zhou returned to the court, everything was calm in the morning. Because Zhang Zhou had not returned yet, a campaign against Zhang Zhou had not been launched.
After the court meeting, Zhu Youtang summoned Lin Han alone in the Qianqing Palace. This was the one with the closest relationship to Zhang Zhou in the replacement of Shangshu-level officials in the emperor's mind.
"Lin Qing's family, Xu Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites asked me to resign many times, and I also promised him that he could live in peace until autumn. I am interested in the position he left as Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites. I'll let you take the responsibility." Zhu Youtang made it clear without making any polite remarks.
The three people next to them, Xiao Jing, Wei Bin and Chen Kuan, were also smiling, as if they were blessing Lin Han.
Lin Han hurriedly raised his hands and said, "I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to take on this responsibility."
Zhu Youtang said, "You have been in court for a long time, you are competent in many court affairs, and you have enough fame. It can be said that you are The perfect choice. But I still have something to worry about, and I may need you." "Your Majesty, please tell me." Lin Han saw that the emperor seemed to be in a dilemma.
"It's about Bingkuan." Zhu Youtang raised his head and looked towards the past and said, "Bingkuan will probably be under a lot of pressure when he returns to the court this time, whether it's what he did before or what he did. What I am about to do will offend a group of powerful people in the court, and I am afraid that he will be unable to handle it alone. Sometimes it is not convenient for me to say it out loud, and I cannot tell Bingkuan clearly, so I need you to explain it to me."
Lin Han understood it as soon as he heard it.
Being the Minister of Rites is also conditional.
To put it bluntly, the emperor wanted to use him as a spearman. What was the emperor's intention at the critical moment, especially when it involved Zhang Zhou? If it was not convenient for the emperor and Zhang Zhou to propose it, he had to ask Lin Han This seemingly neutral and impartial person came to propose.
“It may be a little difficult for you, Lin Qing’s family, but this is what I can rely on. You and Bingkuan, I also understand that no matter what is implemented in this court, it will be done. There was a lot of resistance."
Zhu Youtang lamented.
It feels a bit like a loner.
Lin Han cupped his hands and said, "I don't have much time in the court, so I don't care about the rumors. Your Majesty, just tell me what you have to say. I will do my best."
"Okay." Zhu Youtang showed a trusting look and said, "Lin Qing's family really lives up to their reputation as Confucian scholars. There will be many changes in the central court this year. In the morning of these two days, I will settle your matter. You don't have to I have declined and I have left this position to you. As for Bingkuan, I haven’t decided on his position yet. I will decide on it after he comes back.”
Lin Hanben. He thought that the emperor would tell him his "request" directly, that is, send him an errand directly and ask him to do something.
Who would have thought that the emperor just said something innocuous and meant to win over him?, but he didn't say it clearly, which made Lin Han a little confused.
When leaving the palace, he was personally accompanied by Xiao Jing.
"Mr. Lin, you should understand what His Majesty said, right?" Xiao Jing asked with a smile.
Lin Han said, "Yes. From now on, I will do my best to serve the court."
Xiao Jing smiled and asked, "What about Duke Lai?"
Lin Han He shook his head and said, "I listened to the wishes of the Holy One. Duke Lai Guo and I are just ministers in the same palace. In the future, we will help and accompany him more. He is no different from other officials in the government. He will not be related to me because of marriage." The relationship is different."
This is very formal.
Xiao Jing was startled at first, and his steps slowed down. When he looked back, he thought, you old man Lin is such a serious person, I almost got deceived by you.
Xiao Jing sighed, "Your Majesty has been worried about some things about Duke Lai recently. For example, your Majesty wants to rely on Duke Lai to do things, but the public criticism of him has increased. His Majesty wants to respect Duke Lai, but he also wants to rely on Duke Lai. I am afraid that people will criticize me for nepotism, and some civil servants and Wu Xun who are close to Duke Lai have made rapid progress in their positions in the past two years."
Lin Han heard the following and raised his hand to interrupt Xiao Jing's words. "Eunuch Xiao, does he want to say that I am also one of them?"
"That's not what he meant." Xiao Jing said hurriedly, "Mr. Lin is still highly respected in the court. You are highly respected and highly respected, and you are promoted this time." Being the Minister of Rites, it can also be said that he is well-received by the public."
Lin Han didn't think Xiao Jing was telling the truth.
Although Lin Han was mostly an official in academia before and was not considered a politician in the orthodox sense, he still had a lot of experience in dealing with people.
Lin Han said, "Nowadays, both the government and the public are criticizing Lai Guogong one after another, and some people even hate him. Eunuch Xiao, an old minister, can actually do very little, and he is so gentle to people in the court. ."
Xiao Jing smiled.
It’s a little bit like a chicken talking to a duck.
Xiao Jing wanted to convey a message to win over Lin Han, but Lin Han was very defensive about Xiao Jing.
"Lai Guogong will arrive in the capital today. Mr. Lin, you should prepare to greet him early." Xiao Jing sent Lin Han to the Meridian Gate, and after bowing his hands and saluting, he meant that he was going to the road ahead. You go alone, I can only send you here.
Lin Han was very respectful when he returned the gift, "Thank you."
Lin Han came out of the palace, and there was a sedan specially prepared for him waiting here.
In the past, Lin Han mostly traveled around in carriages, but when he was the Imperial College minister, even if his official position was sufficient, he usually did not ride in a sedan, because he did not need to attend court, and even carriages were not always available. Yes, I will use the carriage of the Imperial College only if necessary.
Now the situation suddenly changed, and he was riding in a sedan carried by four people. Even Lin Han was a little uncomfortable with it.
When he arrived at the door of the Rites Yamen, someone led him in and saw Xu Qiong who was packing some things.
“Come Hengda and show you your future position.”
Xu Qiong was very enthusiastic about Lin Han, so she asked Lin Han to walk around the palace of the Ministry of Rites first.
Lin Han also felt a little ashamed and said, “We haven’t discussed it yet, there are some things to do.” Not accurate. "
Xu Qiong smiled and said, "No matter the civil servants or His Majesty, they have no objections to your promotion to the Minister of Rites. The only variable will be your son-in-law, haha. This is to let you familiarize yourself with the environment in advance. "
"Ashamed. "Lin Han's old face was a little worried.
Xu Qiongping stepped away from the others, asked Lin Han to sit down, and asked, "Did your Majesty say anything to you when you meet the Holy Spirit today?"
Lin Han He shook his head and said, "It's mostly words of entrustment with high hopes. ”
“Yeah. "Xu Qiong nodded and asked, "Has anyone approached you recently? I mean, has anyone mentioned to you that someone recently wanted to jointly impeach Bingkuan?"
Lin Han's face looked a bit gloomy. , still nodded, indicating that it did happen.
"Sure enough, they are trying to target Bingkuan, and they don't even want to avoid you, or they still want you to kill your relatives. "Xu Qiong sighed with a smile.
Lin Han said, "I don't want to be involved in such disputes between the DPRK and China. Today, His Majesty also seems to have high hopes for the Duke of Lai. "
It seemed like just a casual chat, but the information Lin Han revealed to Xu Qiong allowed Xu Qiong to hear that the emperor must try to protect Zhang Zhou.
Xu Qiong asked "Then do you think, if Bingkuan ends his career or is removed from his position, others will turn on you again?"
Lin Han was noncommittal.
Xu Qiong said, "I have been an official in the court for so many years, and you and I are both old guys. I am seventy-five, and if I remember correctly, you are also sixty-six. I will retire now. I am afraid that you will not have a few more years in the court." . It is really tiring to be involved in so many disputes over interests before he is buried. ”
Lin Hanxin said, because you, Mr. Xu, are not the core force in the traditional civil service, and you even rely on nepotism when you are in the position, you feel that others are targeting you, and you feel tired.< /p>
It’s like I don’t have any expectations, so naturally I won’t feel too tired.
Xu Qiong sighed, “I think we still can’t take advantage of some people’s wishes. "
"Oh" Lin Han asked, "What does Mr. Xu mean?"
Xu Qiong stepped forward and whispered, "Bingkuan is young and promising, short-term." In just two years, he has made so many contributions to the Ming Dynasty. Even the private affairs of His Majesty's concubine, which others could not get into, he was able to facilitate. ”
“Yeah. "Lin Han also admires Zhang Zhou's ability.
"If just because of his promotion, the seniority ranking in the civil servant system is broken, others will call him a treacherous person. Then in the future, the Ming Dynasty Should the imperial court adhere to the Doctrine of the Mean, and should all be governed by inaction? The imperial court of the Ming Dynasty is not a pool of stagnant water."
As Xu Qiong spoke, she seemed to be very supportive of Zhang Zhou. .
Lin Han was also wondering whether Xu Qiong felt that she had nothing left in the government after she retreated.Political resources, or in other words, Xu Qiong's party members will no longer have a backer, and they are afraid that they will not last long, so they will move closer to Zhang Zhou
Lin Han did not pick up the fight for a while.
Xu Qiong asked, "What does Bingkuan mean by this?"
Lin Han said, "Is it about other people's involvement in impeaching him? I don't know, and I haven't written to him recently." During his six months in Liaodong, I have never paid much attention to him."
Xu Qiong smiled and said, "Then he is doing his best and doesn't want to trouble you. Today you and I will go out of the city to welcome him. He has to make his words clear, and you and I must spare no effort to help him maintain his current position of power in the court, what do you think?"
Lin Han didn't answer again.
As he was talking, there was a report outside, "Zuo Tongzheng Shen Yintai has asked for an audience outside the Yamen."
"Let him come in and tell him not to go out to greet him." Xu Qiong smiled and said something to outsiders, then turned back and whispered to Lin Han, "Look at Shen Lu, he has a close relationship with the Zhang family, but in the past two years, the Zhang family's relatives have not been able to get His Majesty's favor. Everything has to be done." Referring to Bingkuan, he now wants to seek the position of minister before taking office, but he has to run around."
Lin Han has long known that Xu Qiong and Shen Lu have a close relationship.
We often went in and out together in the past, and outsiders didn’t think anything of it.
But now that Xu Qiong is telling Lin Han this, he is clearly saying that Shen Lu will be taken care of by you in the future, or that his life goal of being the Minister of the Sixth Division in this life depends on you and Bingkuan. Realized.
This is to use a point to illustrate a point, to use a Shen Lu to illustrate a truth. Xu Qiong wanted to keep the status of the group of people behind him in the court after retirement, so he moved closer to Zhang Zhou.
This is actually similar to the reason why civil servants Wu Xun opposed Zhang Zhou. They were afraid that Zhang Zhou would rise and steal their position.
But when Zhang Zhou came to power, he would have to use a lot of people to occupy the position of that group of people. This was a big vacancy. Xu Qiong knew that he himself was not accepted by orthodox civil servants, even if he was with him now. If the orthodox civil servants form an alliance, after he withdraws, his comrades will still be squeezed out one by one, so why not find a new way from the beginning and stand by Zhang Zhou
Everything in the world is for profit. .
After Shen Lu arrived at the Ministry of Rites, Xu Qiong stopped talking about the previous topic.
He did not need any confirmation from Lin Han. Perhaps Xu Qiong knew that Lin Han, as a person close to Zhang Zhou, still relied on Zhang Zhou to forward the compilation of the Ming Dynasty Code to Thanks to Lin Han's contribution, Lin Han was able to rise to the top.
Even if the traditional civil servants can now accept Lin Han as the Minister of Rites, Lin Han will not be in Beijing for long.
Either an official career is waiting for him, or an idle job in the Six Ministers of Nanjing is waiting for him.
This forced Lin Han, no matter how aloof and arrogant he was, to lean towards his son-in-law Zhang Zhou.
As a "scenery person", Xu Qiong is most focused on gains and losses. He will naturally judge others based on his own way of dealing with the world, and Lin Han himself is very interested in others.Yu was quite enthusiastic about becoming an official. Even Zhang Zhou, who had once looked down upon him, could become his son-in-law. Xu Qiong felt that there was nothing you, Lao Lin, couldn't do.
A group of people went out of the city to greet him.
A row of sedans stopped at Dongzhimen.
After Shen Lu got off the sedan, he looked around and said with emotion, "There are quite a few people here today, probably all here to see the Duke of Lai."
Lin Han He said, "Today the Lord of North Korea will also come together, and the people may be interested in watching the ceremony."
Why do you say that the people are here to see my son-in-law lively, but not the King of North Korea?< /p>
Xu Qiong smiled and said nothing. Immediately, representatives of the Hanlin Academy, Hanlin editor Liu Chun and editor of Lun Wenxu, as well as doctors and principals from the Ministry of War came over. At the same time, there was also Hong who was responsible for the reception. The officials of Lu Temple all need Xu Qiong to go over and give them guidance.
When Xu Qiong was about to withdraw from the court, officials from both the government and the public still respected him very much.
Although he came to power by virtue of his in-law relationship with the Zhang family, he was also criticized when he was in court. However, after he retired from the court, the number of praises for him increased, also because of his After retreating, his power in the court was preserved historically because of the emperor's protection.
This shows that Xu Qiong is a person who is very good at managing factions and party members.
I have a bad reputation in the government, but when I step down and people close to me come to power, won’t they help me make up for my reputation?
This matter of historical reputation , don’t care about the moment.
Zhang Zhou’s team, including North Korea’s King Li Yi of Jincheng, arrived outside Dongzhimen amid a huge welcoming team.
There was already a huge crowd of people watching. When they heard that someone was coming, the people even lined up to welcome him. This scene also made Lin Han, a bystander, deeply aware of the mentality of the people of the Ming Dynasty who loved to join in the fun.
"Master Zhang" there were people shouting loudly not far away.
The people shouted a lot for Zhang Zhou, and they probably felt like chasing stars.
There are so many officials in the Ming Dynasty, but there are too few people who have contact with ordinary people. It is difficult for the people to form a worship mentality. But only Zhang Zhou can know the ghosts and gods according to the will of heaven, and can call the wind and rain in the middle. Helping the court win the battle and allowing the people of Ming Dynasty to live and work in peace and contentment. For the people of Ming Dynasty, he was the best choice for an idol.
So even if there was no Zhu Houzhao seal to highlight Zhang Zhou's fame, Zhang Zhou's fame would have spread among the people and become known to everyone.
"The people's enthusiasm for Bingkuan is quite high." Xu Qiong looked at the envoy team from a distance and couldn't help but sigh.
Lin Han said nothing when he heard this.
Shen Lu smiled and said, "Mr. Xu, you don't know. Duke Lai once used vaccination to save the princess and spread vaccination to the market. The people benefited from it. Now, whether it's Jiangnan or Jiangbei, , most people have been vaccinated against acne. Guess there was no record of the spread of acne epidemics in the past year in the Ming Dynasty, which made the people praise themselves."
Lin Han glanced at Shen Lu and couldn't help but wonder. frown.
Is it because of the vaccination that the people respect their son-in-law so much?
Xu Qiong laughed and said, "This is just what Bingkuan has done in the past two years." "It's such a trivial thing."
At this moment, Lin Han seemed to suddenly understand why Xu Qiong and Shen Lu would move closer to Zhang Zhou instead of fawning over Liu Jian and Li Dongyang. .
It’s not that Xu Qiong felt that those people didn’t want to see her, but that the bright future of the Ming Dynasty must lie with Zhang Zhou.
It is not that the so-called traditional civil servants cannot see this. However, because traditional civil servants are bound by some stereotypes and bad habits, many of them actually have to stand in the position of maintaining official ethics.
To put it bluntly, many of those who opposed Zhang Zhou were coerced by public opinion and power and had no choice but to oppose him.
Could it be that even the common people could see Zhang Zhou’s contribution to the Ming Dynasty, but those civil servants and nobles could not?
Everyone could see it.
They all want to admit that Zhang Zhou is "not of my kind", and now they have the opportunity to criticize him in the name of Fang Shu, Jin Ren, etc. Both his superiors and colleagues did the same, replacing ordinary officials. , what’s the point of appreciating Zhang Zhou anymore, other than joining in the impeachment and opposition?
But Xu Qiong and Shen Lu are already in high positions, and they themselves are also influenced by traditional civil servants. If they reject Zhang Zhou, they will pay more attention to the surface and don't need so many twists and turns.
"Coming"
Xu Qiong pointed from a distance.
Many officials went over to greet him.
Zhang Zhou dismounted and came over to salute Xu Qiong, Lin Han and others first. Behind Zhang Zhou stood Tang Yin, Zhu Feng, Xu Jing and others.
"Mr. Lai Guogong, it's been a long time." Xu Qiong was very enthusiastic, "The Lord of Korea can pay you a visit first."
Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "Please."
A group of people walked towards Li Yi's carriage.
The driver had already informed Li Yi, and then the wooden door of the carriage opened and Li Yi got out.
Xu Qiong smiled and said, "You don't have to get out of the car, just say hello and go into the city together. He can understand what I'm saying, right?"
Xu Jing came over and said, "Okay , the monarchs and ministers in Korea are basically familiar with the Ming language, and communication is very convenient. The writing is based on the Ming Dynasty."
"That's good, let's leave it to the people of Honglu Temple. My lord, your Majesty has been mentioning you a lot recently. Today you have to go to the palace to meet the saint. Let’s go.” Xu Qiong reached out and grabbed Zhang Zhou’s sleeve, as if he was afraid that others would not know that he and Zhang Zhou were related. A group of people.
Such a direct move also surprised Zhang Zhou.
Sure enough, in the troubled times of the imperial court, on the eve of the change of officials, the matter of taking sides was directly exposed. Please remember to bookmark, the latest and fastest website is free to read without anti-theft