Chapter 10 The king goes straight to the cabinet

Before Huang Huaizhishi, he was the first assistant of the cabinet. If he is reset, then where will Yang Shiqi be placed?

Therefore, Huang Huai went to Beijing three times, namely eight years of Xuande, nine years of Xuande, and ten years of Xuande. That is, after Xuanzong's death, Huang Huai also traveled thousands of miles to worship.

It's just that there were so many people worshipping at that time, and Zhu Qizhen didn't have an impression.

Huang Huai frequently entered Beijing, so he naturally thought of refuge.

It's just that all this ended with the death of Emperor Xuanzong.

First, Huang Huai and Yang Shiqi are about the same age. Exhausted. Second, he also saw that the Empress Dowager's handling of the political situation would never make a decision to make the government and the opposition turbulent at this time. Although Huang Huai has some connections in the court, he can't match Yang Shiqi's.

So Huang Huai went home to recuperate.

Yang Shiqi actually understands very well that Huang Huai has long been interested in politics, and even Yang Shiqi has the intention of returning to his hometown.

Huang Huai has no ability to follow this stall, after all, Huang Huai has left the center of the Ming Dynasty for more than ten years, and his original influence has long since disappeared.

But Yang Shiqi also had to admit that the emperor pointed out Huang Huai, and this hand was actually a little threatening to him.

However, Zhu Qizhen naturally didn't use Huang Huai, Huang Huai was too old.

How old is it?

Zhu Qizhen was noticed by Zhu Qizhen after the death of Huang Fu and Yang Rong, when the Ministry of Officials sorted out the list of old ministers, and I don't know how many low-level officials probably even forgot this name.

However, Zhu Qizhen took Huang Huai out, not to revive Huang Huai, but for another person, that is, Wang Zhi.

Because Wang Zhinai is a student of Huang Huai, Wang Zhinai is a jinshi in the second year of Yongle. It was Huang Huai's protégé.

Zhu Qizhen said: "In recent years, the old ministers have withered, and I also asked Mr. to send someone to visit the old ministers since Yongle to show that the court does not forget the merits, and if there is a problem of heirs, it must be solved." ”

Yang Shiqi said: "Your Majesty is benevolent. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "However, this cabinet has been replenished, let it go first, I want to know how many people are in this cabinet?" ”

Yang Shiqi said: "Taizong followed the example of Emperor Taizu and set up four officials, but the cabinet did not have a fixed membership. ”

Although it is said that the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty was founded in the Taizong period. But in fact, there was a prototype in the Taizu period, and Emperor Taizong had just set up six members.

After that, although there were increases and decreases, there was no quota, generally four or five to seven people.

Zhu Qizhen said: "I think the Ming Cabinet is the center, so I should choose a few more people. But it shouldn't be too many, there should be seven people who are the most suitable. What does the gentleman think? ”

Yang Shiqi paused slightly, and his heart had already analyzed.

Yang Shiqi also felt that this number was more appropriate.

In a structure like a cabinet, the number of people should be odd. Three, five, seven, nine. There are too few people to deal with it.

Five people are actually fine. It's just that in the current cabinet, Zhang Fu and Hu Hu, whether they don't exclude or do their own reasons, they don't interfere in many government affairs.

Before, only Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Yang Pu were able to work.

For the younger Yang Shiqi, although it is a little difficult, he can still persevere. After all, all outstanding politicians throughout the ages have a unified characteristic, that is, they are energetic and different from ordinary people.

But now, Yang Shiqi can't hold it anymore.

This is one of the reasons why Yang Shiqi added two more.

Now Zhu Qi Town wants to add one more person. Yang Shiqi also has no reason to refuse.

After all, although Yang Shiqi has more power, he has never refused to retract power in Zhu Qizhen, and now Zhu Qizhen wants to install someone in the cabinet.

Yang Shiqi did not have the intention of refusing in his heart. said: "What Your Majesty said is extremely true. ”

Zhu Qizhen said next: "Then how about Wang Zhi? ”

Yang Shiqi was stunned in his heart, and said secretly: "Old, old." I couldn't react. He felt that he should think that there were not many people who could be used by the little emperor, and Wang Zhi was one of them.

Yang Shiqi can accept other people into the cabinet, but he doesn't want this person to be Wang Zhi. It's not that Wang Zhi is bad. It's that Wang Zhi is too good.

Yang Shiqi has cultivated Wang Zhi, Wang Zhi has today's status, and he has been cultivated by Yang Shiqi. However, Yang Shiqi's cultivation of Wang Zhi can tolerate Wang Zhi's position as the secretary of the ministry, and even become the first assistant of the cabinet in the future, but he cannot tolerate Wang Zhi entering the cabinet, which is not only not allowed by Yang Shiqi, but also by Yang Pu.

Because the crown prince is only the crown prince, if the crown prince's power is too strong, it is not good for the emperor. Similarly, the political heir, rising too much will also threaten Yang Shiqi.

Although Yang Shiqi also participated in Wang Zhi's subject, Wang Zhi also called him a teacher. But Wang Zhi's real teacher is Huang Huai.

Wang Zhi's entry into the cabinet could even break the tacit understanding between Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu.

Why?

Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu picked these two people.

The qualifications are very shallow.

Now the Jinshi in the Yongle period still grabbed a lot of them, like Chen Xun, there were a lot, but Yang Shiqi pulled the two champions in the Xuande period.

It's because they have shallow qualifications and are easy to suppress.

Yang Shiqi will slowly transfer power to Yang Pu's hands, after all, Yang Pu is several years younger than Yang Shiqi, and Yang Shiqi himself will say goodbye to old age.

After Yang Pu retires, one of Cao Nai and Ma Yu will take over as the first assistant of the cabinet. This order, whether it is Cao Nai or Ma Yu, has no ability to break it.

But for Wang Zhi, he has this ability, especially after Yang Shiqi retreated, Yang Shiqi's political legacy was directly accepted by Wang, even if it was only a part, it was enough for him to argue with Yang Pu.

Yang Shiqi said: "Your Majesty, Wang Zhi has already been reused, and it seems that it is not good to join the cabinet again. ”

Zhu Qizhen said; "What do you mean, sir?"

Yang Shiqi said: "Taizong's intention, the six ministries and the cabinet contain each other, and the officials of the Ministry of Heavenly Affairs are the heads of the six ministries. It must be the important ministers, and if the king goes straight, I am afraid that the authority of the cabinet will be great. Regard the six departments as servants. It is not in accordance with the law of the ancestors. ”

Zhu Qizhen sighed in his heart and said secretly; "Listening to what Yang Shiqi said, it seems that he doesn't regard the six departments as subordinates." It's just that Zhu Qizhen thought so in his heart. But I have to admit that what Yang Shiqi said has some truth.

Because the establishment of the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty has always been quite an embarrassing thing.

In the Ming Dynasty, the highest official of the statutory civil service was the sixth department. And not in the cabinet. Although the cabinet acted according to its will and acted with imperial power, it in fact overwhelmed the six ministries.

But in reality, there is no absolute authority to suppress the six parts.

That is to say, the relationship between the cabinet and the six ministries has always been dynamic, depending on the ability of each official, Yang Shiqi can be in the position of the first assistant of the cabinet, subduing up and down, that is Yang Shiqi's ability, not the first assistant of the cabinet.

Even in the late Ming Dynasty, there were people who were in the position of the secretary of the ministry, and they forced the cabinet, made the cabinet lose their temper, and did not give a scholar.

This is the institutional knot.

Although such a system caused internal friction in the administration, it gave the emperor a lot of room to intervene. In the system, the courtiers are opposite to each other, and the emperor can have a basis for that side.

It's just a pity that some emperors can't use this ability proficiently, and there is room for eunuchs to do it.

The great eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty used this power to be able to tilt all the government and the opposition.

Therefore, it is not wrong to maintain a balance between the cabinet and the six ministries.

It's just that people are like this, and they have to emphasize system construction for their successors, but they feel different from themselves.

The same is true for Zhu Qizhen. For the sake of the Ming court, Zhu Qizhen did not feel that it was a good choice not to be a prime minister. But for himself, there is no strong prime minister who points fingers. For Zhu Qizhen, it is also a great benefit.

Zhu Qizhen is rich in spring and autumn, and he feels that the court can be controlled by himself, so he doesn't care about any checks and balances, and he even feels that the government and the opposition are united in order to make him do things well.

He is ready to do a lot of things, and this kind of internal friction in the court actually affects Zhu Qizhen's governance. said: "Sir is too worried. Could it be that if the king goes straight to the cabinet, he will be able to make the government and the opposition unbalanced and cause a big mess? ”

"But just choose a minister to guard the ministry." Zhu Qizhen said: "What does Mr. think? ”