In April, it is a rainy season.

The first rainstorm of early summer came, and the raindrops the size of soybeans hit the continuous blue brick houses in the city, falling on the criss-crossing streets, washing this antique imperial capital.

The torrential rain brought inconvenience to everyone in the capital, even the officials who came and went in and out in a sedan chair were affected by the rain, either working against the wind and rain, or honestly waiting for the rain to pass.

The court of the Ming Dynasty is already an undercurrent, and a big storm seems to come suddenly at any time.

With the departure of Yuan Wei, it has become imperative to fill the cabinet members, even if Xu Jie, the head of the court, does not want this "solitary" situation to last too long.

When Xu Jie took office three years ago, he put on a posture of "virtuous minister", if he was the only chief assistant in the cabinet, what was the difference between this and the dictatorial Yan Song in the past?

If this situation continues, he is afraid that he will become a "traitor" in the eyes of the Taoist officials like Yan Song back then. At that time, the Kedao Yanguan was no longer his weapon to attack fortifications, but an iron thorn that pierced his hand.

Filling in the cabinet members has become the consensus of all parties, and who will fill in the cabinet and fill in a few cabinet members this time has become the issue that the court is most concerned about at present.

Xu Jie knew that "being alone" could not be done, so he also took the initiative to dredge up: "Today, Yuan Wei has been in office for a few days, but no one in the cabinet can discuss with the ministers, and a few more honest and honest cabinet ministers can be prevented from being arbitrary and autocratic like Xia Yan and Yan Song, and the ministers implore the emperor to add cabinet ministers as soon as possible." ”

This note was not kept secret, Xu Jie asked people to copy a copy to the Five Science Gallery, and soon the content of this note was made public to the world through the Di Bao.

"Yuan Fu Xian Xiangya!"

"This move has the mind of a prime minister!"

"Yan Song's disciples are not as good as Xu Ge's elders!"

……

After learning that Emperor Xu Jie's request for cabinet increases, many officials gave Xu Jie's actions a thumbs up, but there was no shortage of flattering officials who said a word of praise from the flesh.

It's just that no matter what, Xu Jie's initiative to ask Jiajing to fill the cabinet has already won unanimous praise from the court.

Jiajing didn't seem to pay much attention to this matter, and retreated in the Wanshou Palace for several days to cultivate the mysteries, and it took several days before he called Xu Jie's to the Wanshou Palace to discuss.

"Minister Xu Jie, meet the emperor, long live my emperor, long live, long live!" Xu Jie came to the hall full of sandalwood and saluted respectfully to Jiajing, who he hadn't seen for a long time.

Jiajing has been unwell for the past few days, occasionally coughing a few times, and he has also obviously relaxed his attention to government affairs, so after Xu Jie's body is calm, he immediately said straight to the point: "Xu Aiqing, you proposed to add personnel to the cabinet, but I don't know how many people to add?" Who is the right person? ”

"The minister thinks that the affairs of the cabinet are of course the most important, but the six ministries also need to be able to manage the ministers, and the personnel should not be too turbulent. The minister thought that it was appropriate to supplement the cabinet members of the two, if it was honest and plain, then the first to recommend the household department secretary Yan Ne and the Ministry of rites Li Chunfang! Xu Jie pondered for a moment and immediately recommended these two humanitarians.

When Huang Jin heard the two recommended cabinet members, he couldn't help but turn his head and glance at Jiajing's reaction.

Yan Ne and Li Chunfang are both people from Nanzhili, if these two people enter the cabinet, then the three ministers of the cabinet are all fellow villagers of Nanzhili.

When Xu Jie threw out the candidates, he was actually carefully observing Jiajing's reaction.

Jiajing's brows furrowed slightly, and he asked Xu Jie, "Why can't Dong Fen?" ”

"As early as a few years ago, Yu Shi Geng targeted the impeachment of Dong Fen's favoritism to take care of the youngest son of Wu Peng, the former secretary of the ministry. The scholars in the capital have a lot of complaints about Dong Fen, and soon after the end of the current science and technology competition, the ministers thought that they were temporarily suspended from entering the cabinet, one was regarded as the emperor's beating of his behavior, and the other was that Dong Fen could preside over six ministries and one yamen to share the worries of His Majesty! Xu Jie looked loyal, and he seemed to be reasonable.

Among the four important ministers who rotated in Xiyuan, although Dong Fen had already hung the title of Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, his main position was the left servant of the Ministry of Officials, and he did not really hold the seal of the main hall.

But I have to admit that the reasons thrown by Xu Jie are very sufficient.

Jiajing pondered for a moment, but asked seriously: "Wu Yuejing and Dong Fen entered the cabinet together, is this really inappropriate?" ”

This......

When Huang Jin heard this, his eyes couldn't help but widen slightly.

Although he felt that it was inappropriate for the two fellow villagers of Nanzhili to enter together, he never expected that these two people were not the emperor's favorite people, and the cabinet ministers that the emperor wanted were Wu Shan and Dong Fen.

Xu Jie fell to his knees and immediately took the initiative to plead guilty: "The people recommended by the ministers are not the emperor's favorites, please ask the emperor to punish the ministers who do not notice the crime!" ”

"Xu Aiqing, you don't have to be so flustered, Yan Ne and Li Chunfang are also the optional people of the cabinet, you are not at fault!" Jiajing looked at Xu Jie's reaction with satisfaction, and looked generous.

Xu Jie's heart was slightly relieved, but he still knelt on the ground and said: "Thunder, rain and dew are all Jun's grace!" Who enters the cabinet is up to the emperor, but the cabinet and the six ministries are equally important, and the public opinion of the scholars should not be careless, and the emperor should consider it as appropriate! ”

Jiajing rubbed his eyebrows, the recent elixir made his brain hurt, and an inexplicable irritability surged in his heart: "Such mundane things make me upset, no wonder the cultivation path is always advancing and retreating!" ”

"If the emperor feels embarrassed, how about holding a court push?" Xu Jie's inspiration moved, and he immediately proposed the authenticity.

In the Great Etiquette Controversy, in order to divide the camp of civil officials, Jiajing vigorously supported the officials of the Protector faction at that time, and directly promoted many officials of the Protector faction.

Among them, the most typical is to directly give Zhang Zhang, who has only been a Hanlin official for only six years, to summon Zhang Xuan directly into the cabinet, breaking the practice of cabinet ministers being pushed into the cabinet from the court.

It was also at that time that the cabinet ministers were no longer promoted by the court, but directly appointed by the emperor, and the personnel power of the cabinet ministers was also firmly in Jiajing's hands.

Whether it is the current first assistant Xu Jie, or the second assistant Yuan Wei, who has just resigned, both of them entered the cabinet from the "middle purpose".

Jiajing's gaze fell on Xu Jie, and his face looked uncertain.

Seeing this, Huang Jin, who was standing on the side, couldn't help but look at Xu Jie worriedly, although he had the heart to remind Xu Jie, but he didn't dare to speak out at the moment.

Xu Jie, who was kneeling on the ground, seemed to have long eyes on his forehead, and added: "Of course, the results of this court push are for reference only, and it is up to the emperor to decide who can enter the cabinet!" ”