In his opinion, after Emperor Longqing succeeded to the throne, Gao Gong would soon become the first assistant of the cabinet. Vertex X23US But he didn't expect that Xu Jie would have such an ability, and through the layout of the edict, he created a situation that could compete with Emperor Longqing. And looking at it now, Xu Jie may suppress Emperor Longqing in the future, and even overthrow Emperor Longqing.

Of course, this has great difficulties, after all, in the cabinet is not Xu Jie's monolith, there are also high arches and Luo Xin.

However, now he is really disappointed with the high arch. Thinking about it carefully, after Emperor Longqing succeeded to the throne, Xu Jie created a new situation, and Gao Gong actually had no innovation in personal ability, and he did not get much favor on Emperor Longqing's side. It is this Shangzhu country, or Luo Xin fought for him.

But look at Luo Xin again.

In more than half a year after Emperor Longqing succeeded to the throne, he went from the Ministry of Rites to the Ministry of Rites and entered the cabinet. became a big member of the party, and there were indeed a group of officials gathered around, although those officials were still very weak. But it's also better than him.

Did you make the wrong choice?

If you didn't choose a high arch, but choose Luoxin?

Ma Fang's heart couldn't help but move, at this time, he suddenly realized that Luo Xin was not only a victorious general in the war, but also in the political struggle, he had never lost, even if he was forced to the precipice, but he was also safe and sound, and finally turned defeat into victory.

"Can I defect to Luo Xin now?"

This thought suddenly came out of Ma Fang's heart, with his friendship with Luo Xin, and even if he took refuge in Gao Gong, he had never done anything sorry for Luo Xin, he felt that Luo Xin would definitely accept him happily, after all, he was also a cabinet scholar, and his help to Luo Xin would not be small.

Now what I am thinking about is whether I want to change my court and defect to Luo Xin?

Ma Fang sat there completely distracted.

There was silence in the room, and no one spoke, because no one knew what to say.

In the end, Xu Jie, as the first assistant of the cabinet, couldn't help but speak, and his gaze swept over everyone:

"Today everyone goes back and thinks about it, and tomorrow everyone has to come up with a solution. Let's disperse. ”

Everyone got up and left, and everyone's faces were not good-looking. They all seem to be preoccupied.

Luo Xin returned to his room alone, sat on his chair, looked up at the empty chair opposite, and knew that Zhang Juzheng must have gone to Xu Jie's room, so he withdrew his gaze, and his face showed a solemn look.

He is also in a very bad mood now, and today's division of labor by Xu Jie, he feels the innate advantage of the first assistant of the cabinet. gave the Ministry of Work to Luo Xin, and directly and completely cut off the relationship between Luo Xin and the Ministry of Rites. He was assigned to the least valued ministry and the least empowered.

In fact, this ministry is the worst of the six.

returned to the mansion in the evening, and soon Zhang Xun, Tao Xingyan, Yun Zhiqiu and Haizheng came to the door. What happened at today's cabinet meeting was that the matter had spread all over the officialdom, and several people silently finished eating at Luo Xin's house, and then silently followed Luo Xin into the study, silently drinking tea with a teacup, and the atmosphere was very solemn.

Halfway through, Zhang Xun put down the teacup and said, "No, I think Xu Jie has made up his mind to squeeze you out of the capital." ”

Luo Xin raised his eyes and glanced at Zhang Xun, and said firmly: "As long as I am unwilling to leave the capital, even if he Xu Jiegui is the first assistant of the cabinet, he will not be able to drive me away from Beijing." ”

"Yes!" Zhang Xun nodded and said, "But Xu Jie can make you hang in the air and achieve nothing." I have no say in the cabinet, everything is not going well, and I am uncomfortable everywhere. If at this time, there is an opportunity to sit in the town, such as sitting in the south, or sitting in the north, do you go or not? ”

Yun Zhiqiu opened his mouth and said: "No, in fact, we all know that you have a deep grudge with Xu Jie, your purpose is to squeeze him out of the cabinet, and Xu Jie's original purpose is to dismiss you. If I can't do it now, I want to squeeze you out of the cabinet. The two of you can only stay in the cabinet with one of you. ”

"yes!" Haizheng also spoke: "It is this contradiction between you and Xu Jie that is publicized, which makes you vulnerable to Gao Gong. Because he can join forces with Xu Jie at any time, but you can't join forces with Xu Jie. He has a choice, you don't. This is also your weakness. Just like the last time Gao Gong and Xu Jie's tacit understanding joined forces, they cheated your ritual book. ”

Tao Xingyan sighed and said: "Xu Jie's layout began from the edict, and now Ge Shouli, Zhao Zhenji and other old ministers have been restored, and the general trend has been achieved. ”

"Not necessarily, right?" Yun Zhiqiu said: "As Luo Xin said in the cabinet, the reputation of Xu Dang and others is not good now, and he Xu Jie is a person who flatters the first emperor. In order to flatter the first emperor, he embezzled disaster relief funds and built Yuxi Palace for the first emperor, forcing wolf smoke everywhere. This Zhao Zhenji is definitely lifting a stone to shoot himself in the foot.

What's more, they still don't have a solution to the money shortage, which is a fatal crisis. Now the crisis of war between the North and the South is approaching. His position in the Xu Rank may not be stable. ”

"So how do we break the game?" Luo Xin asked softly.

The four of them were silent, half a sound, and Hai Zheng sighed: "One force will drop ten times, now that Xu Jie's general trend has been achieved, in the face of absolute strength, any strategy is useless." Anyway, I can't think of a way to break the game. ”

"Then I have to keep a low profile and dodge!" Yun Zhiqiu said with an ugly face: "Just be a clay sculpture bodhisattva in the cabinet." ”

"yes!" Tao Xingyan said: "Now Xu Jie's is nearly seventy, but he is less than thirty, and he will always fall Xu Jie." ”

"No way!" Luo Xin shook his head and said: "Yan Song has served as the first assistant of the cabinet until he is eighty-two years old, who knows if Xu Jie will be like this?" It's not impossible for me to wait for more than ten years. However, if Xu Jie is really given more than ten years, he will run the Ming officialdom like an iron bucket. At that time, even if he returns to his hometown, he must have put Zhang Juzheng in the position of the first assistant of the cabinet. And the iron bucket he runs will also be handed over to Zhang Juzheng, and I still don't have the slightest chance. ”

"Not bad!" Zhang Xun said: "We must squeeze Xu Jie out of the cabinet, instead of letting him retire and return to his hometown." Otherwise, we don't have a chance for the rest of our lives. ”

"However, the difference in strength between our two sides is too great." Haizheng sighed.

"Don't be discouraged." Zhang Xun stood up and said: "If we don't have confidence, even if we have a strategy, we will fail." But if we have faith, we will find a new way even if it is a dead end.

When His Majesty inherited the Great Treasure, everyone thought that Xu Jie had reached a dead end. But look at Xu Jie, he has created a new situation alive. If he can do it, why can't we? ”

*