Tongzhou Palace, the small courtyard where Mao Cheng lived in the Ministry of Rites, and the hall room of the back house.

In the history of the Ming Dynasty, several ministers in the early years of the Jiajing Dynasty were extremely strong temperaments and extremely stubborn people. Yang Tinghe, Yang Shen, Zhao Jian, Zhai Jian, Mao Cheng, and even the old Jiang Mian who looked like he was asleep all day. Among them, especially Mao Cheng, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, is the most.

This old man is the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, the Department of Ceremonial Officials, in charge of the ceremony, military ceremony, and management of academic affairs and imperial examinations; The priest of the ancestral sacrifice is in charge of auspicious and murderous affairs; The host and guest clearance department, in charge of the guest ceremony and the reception of foreign guests; The fine food and cleaning officials are in charge of the affairs of the feast and the sacrifice prison. After a lifetime of wallowing in etiquette, the whole thing has been trained into a moral machine. In his eyes, there is only right and wrong, black and white, and there is no room for compromise.

Hearing Sun Dan say what he did after seeing Yang Tinghe, Mao Cheng said it clearly. In fact, in the early days of the Great Ritual Political Dispute, although Yang Tinghe was the leader of the ministers of the DPRK and China, because he was an auxiliary, everything was about state affairs. The attitude towards this matter is also objective and much fairer. As the so-called, the main responsibility of the post of prime minister is to reconcile yin and yang, and when something happens, more means of reconciliation are used.

But Mao Cheng has a straightforward personality, but he doesn't have so many concerns.

When Sun Dan said that he had said that he had moved Yang Tinghe to offer the honorific title of the king to the emperor's father, Mao Cheng immediately sank his face.

shouted: "Sun Dan." ”

"The lower official is here." Sun Dan looked at Mao Shangshu calmly.

Mao Cheng: "Sun Dan, who gave you the power to say that you moved, and what position do you stand on?" ”

Mao Cheng is a serious person, and this anger is even more erect, and the white beard is windless and automatic, which looks quite majestic.

Sun Dan replied without humility or arrogance: "Pregnant Dan is an official of the Ming Dynasty, so he naturally stands on the position of the imperial court and the people of the world. ”

"The position of the imperial court, the position of the people of the world. What is the position of the people of the world, can't you Sun Dan see it? Loyalty, filial piety, loyalty, righteousness, and shame are the foundation of our Ming Dynasty. ”

Sun Dan: "Chop Dan naturally knows this. ”

Mao Cheng sneered: "Really? ”

Seeing that the two of them were holding up the bull, several officials of the Ministry of Rites looked at each other, that is, they did not dare to persuade or answer.

Mao Cheng glared at everyone: "What are you doing here, go and go, go out." ”

Only then did everyone leave with a wry smile.

Waiting for his subordinates to leave, Mao Cheng made again: "Lord Sun Dansun, what year are you a jinshi?" ”

Mao Shangshu asked knowingly, but Sun Dan had to answer: "Sun Danji is the champion and first in Jiajing's one-year jinshi." ”

"What a champion, what a famous jinshi. Ten years of cold window, success and fame, but don't you feel that you have failed the teachings of the saint? ～

Although Sun Dan was a little unhappy in his heart, he still remained silent: "Please also ask Lord Shangshu to speak clearly." ”

Mao Cheng continued: "I won't tell you Confucius or Meng Shengren today, I heard that you are dictatorship. Okay, today I, Mao Cheng, will tell you about this book written by Zisi. Sun Dan, you are the champion of the Gong, on the imperial examination field, even the middle three yuan, should be an example for the world's scholars. Youyun: Therefore, the gentleman moves and the world is the way of the world, the world is hungry for the world, and the world is the world.

If it is far away, it is promising, and if it is near, it will not get tired. It means that a gentleman's demeanor can become the forerunner of the world from generation to generation, his behavior can become the law of the world from generation to generation, and language can become the standard of the world from generation to generation. On the major issue of right and wrong in the imperial examination, you can't stand firmly, how can you be a model for scholars? ”

He actually talked about Sun Dan, the champion, and Sun Dan was helpless when he heard it, so he had to say: "Lord Mao, it's not a way for the ministers and Your Majesty to make trouble like this, they have to take a step back, it can't always be so deadlocked, right?" Don't be angry, Master Fu also means this, Sun Dan just put forward his own opinion, and it was Yang Fu who made the final decision. ”

Mao Cheng then remembered that he had no reason for Sun Danhuo. Sun Dan is still young and doesn't know what the great etiquette means. The struggle between imperial power and relative power is not humane, and ordinary officials have to immerse themselves in officialdom for more than ten years before they can understand this kind of thing. I have made morality all my life, and this kind of power and magic thing really can't be said clearly in front of the younger generation.

Well, maybe I'm wrong.

This Sun Jingyuan is really simple, and he doesn't know the danger of officialdom. However, isn't such a pure human being exactly what the country needs?

Thinking of this, Mao Cheng's mood calmed down, and he shook his head helplessly: "Lord Zhao Jian Zhao is your mentor, right?" ”

Sun Dan: "Is Lord Zhao, the Shangshu of the Criminal Department, Sun Dan's teacher, why do you ask such a question?" ”

Mao Cheng smiled bitterly: "There are some things, you should go and discuss with your teacher, hey. Actually, I don't blame you for this. Sometimes, it's because we don't do things properly enough. ”

Mao Shangshu's words made Sun Dan admire him a little, although Mao Cheng had a bad temper, he was worthy of the word gentleman.

Although Sun Dan's mind was flexible, he was embarrassed to deal with this kind of honest gentleman, so he had to respectfully surrender his hand: "Lord Mao taught me to be, Sun Dan is rash in doing things." ”

"That's it, it's okay to add a Xing character to His Majesty's biological father's honorific name, but it is also reasonable from the etiquette." Mao Cheng comforted Sun Danlai: "The imperial court has invested too much energy in this imperial examination, and it is time to make a decision." Now, the new monarch has been on the throne for less than a year. The treasury is so empty that it can run away. Whether it is tax reform or reforming the administration of officials, we must start as soon as possible. If it is delayed any longer, the family foundation of the imperial court will be completely rotten. kept doing this, and if this matter was discussed again, it gave Huang Jin the opportunity to gain power, and to give villains like Zhang Daughter-in-law and Huo Tao the opportunity to seek glory and wealth. ”

Sun Dan breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, this Mao Shangshu could see it clearly. But......

Sun Dan suddenly remembered one thing, didn't that Huang Jin relentlessly want to add an imperial character after the word Xing, like this, would Mao Cheng agree?

Ha, it's lively now, and I don't know what kind of scene Huang Jin and Mao Cheng will be like.

At this time, an official from the Ministry of Rites came to report: "Lord Yushangshu, the eunuch Huang Jin, the eunuch of the master of ceremonies, is coming to visit, do you want to open the door to greet you?" ”

Mao Shang: "I'm a serious second-grade Shangshu, how can I go to meet a thief, he wants to come to see it, and he will come in by himself." ”

Sun Dan was shocked in his heart: Huang Jin really came. ］},e}}

Sun Dan stood up: "Master Mao, Huang Jin is coming to find an adult, there must be something important, I should avoid it." ”

"What are you avoiding, are you the deputy envoy?"

Sun Dan smiled bitterly: "My lord, Huang Jin's personal visit" must have something important, it is not appropriate for me to listen to it here, it is better to avoid it. ”

Mao Cheng also felt that Sun Dan was reasonable: "It's not appropriate, I know that you and Huang Jin are a little unhappy." ”

Before he finished speaking, Huang Jin's sharp duck voice came from outside: "Master Mao Mao Shangshu, you are so big!" ”

It was no longer appropriate for Sun Dan to go out at this time, so he had to step behind the screen in one step.

Mao Cheng saw that Sun Dan was hiding behind, so he also went. He is a true gentleman, and he is not afraid of being heard and seen in what he says and does.