However, after listening to Hui Shiyang's explanation, Zhu Youzhen shook his head and said to him: "What Hui Shilang said is very reasonable, but I think that just relying on loyalty to someone and the belief in upholding heavenly principles and humanity is not enough to lead the criminal department of the Ming Dynasty. ”

Hui Shiyang's eyelids jumped suddenly, and he didn't know what was wrong with what he had just said, just when he wanted to say something, Zhu Youzhen seemed to sense his emotions and waved his hand at him to signal him to continue listening.

“… I don't know what you think of the Criminal Department, but in my opinion, the Criminal Department, as an organization of the imperial court, naturally has the need to protect its own interests, which is obviously a understandable thing.

As the leader of this organization, it is natural that you must first learn how to distinguish what the fundamental interests of the organization you lead.

A leader who is unable to defend the interests of the organization will inevitably be abandoned by the organization. A leader who is fooled by petty profits can bog the entire organization into a quagmire.

Therefore, the above two types of leaders are not the criminal department secretaries that I need. If I say that, will Hui Shilang be able to understand? ”

Hui Shiyang automatically ignored the series of new terms that came out of the emperor's mouth, he only remembered one core question, so he asked Chongzhen suspiciously: "What is the fundamental interest of the Criminal Department that Your Majesty said?" ”

Zhu Youzhen thought for a moment, and then replied: "The fundamental interest of the Criminal Department is naturally to maintain its own existence, but before that, we must understand that the Criminal Department is not an isolated entity, it is a part of the imperial court.

For example, the power of the Criminal Department to enforce the law comes from the grant of the imperial court; The resources and manpower needed to enforce the law also came from the allocation of the imperial court.

Therefore, the relationship between the criminal department and the imperial court is like the relationship between a baby and its mother. Without the upbringing of the mother of the imperial court, the Criminal Department would not be able to survive independently.

Therefore, if the Criminal Department wants to survive, it must first safeguard the interests of the imperial court. Whether it is loyal to me, or whether it is to maintain the principles of heaven and humanity, it is more important to protect the interests of the imperial court.

Because once we lose the imperial court, whether it is me or the criminal department, or the heavenly reason and humanity in your eyes, we will also lose the root of existence.

Therefore, in my view, the meaning of the existence of the Criminal Department is to implement the will of the imperial court, escort the various policies issued by the imperial court, and suppress those individuals and groups who attempt to resist the implementation of the imperial court's policies and attack the prestige of the imperial court. ”

After Hui Shiyang listened, he couldn't speak for a long time. It's not that he thinks what the emperor said is wrong, but that what the emperor said seems to be too profound, and it doesn't seem like a prince who has not been systematically educated since childhood can say it.

When Hui Shiyang was still thinking about whose teaching the emperor's words came from, looking at the silent Hui Shiyang, thinking that this servant of the criminal department might have been frightened by his words that were too advanced, Zhu Youzhen couldn't help but soften his tone and said to him.

Of course, these words are just a little shallow view of mine. Therefore, if Hui Shilang has any different opinions, he can also say it for my reference. I think that if you and I don't even have an exchange of ideas, I'm afraid it will be difficult to form a tacit understanding in politics. ”

Hui Shiyang hurriedly bowed his head and said, "No, Your Majesty." The minister thought that what His Majesty said was very right, if the Criminal Department could not safeguard the interests of the imperial court, the Criminal Department would naturally lose its significance to the imperial court and His Majesty.

The minister was still thinking too shallowly, His Majesty's eyes were like a torch, and the mention just now made the minister feel like an initiation, and the mouth was wide open..."

Looking at Hui Shiyang, who was extremely docile and flattering in front of him, if he hadn't read his information early in the morning, Zhu Youzhen would almost see him as a harmless minister.

This man who entered the palace alone after his father's death to persuade Wang An to take back the Apocalypse from Li Xuanzhi, thus allowing the Donglin Party to win the merit of supporting the country, is not a timid sycophant who is afraid of things.

Although this person was imprisoned in the prison with the gentlemen of Donglin at the height of the party struggle, he surprisingly survived. But according to Chongzhen's understanding, this person did not betray anyone in the prison, especially Zhang Po, who the eunuchs had always wanted him to bite out.

Although under the torture and pressure of the eunuchs, Hui Shiyang's attitude softened, making Wei Zhongxian and others think that they could subdue him, so they did not deal with him with other Donglin gentlemen.

With Chongzhen's ascension to the throne, Hui Shiyang was finally released from the prison and finally resumed his position. However, his experience in the prison made many Donglin people suspect that he had betrayed the gentlemen who were executed by the eunuchs, so they adopted an alienated attitude towards him.

And after returning to the court, he also changed his high-profile style in the past, and was silent for a long time in the position of the servant of the criminal department, but now he has revealed the intention of competing for the secretary of the criminal department, obviously his mind is not as docile as it seems on the outside.

However, Zhu Youzhen quickly reacted, a scheming and capable criminal department secretary is better than an obedient but incompetent favored minister.

As a national violence agency second only to the military, the Criminal Department will not be able to play its proper role if it continues to function poorly. This is not good news for the imperial court or for Chongzhen.

A criminal department that can escort the policies of the imperial court, and can set a bottom line for the internal officials of the imperial court and contain them, is the criminal department that the Ming Dynasty needs today.

With Hui Shiyang's ability, when he became the secretary of the Criminal Department, the status of the Criminal Department as a powerful organization should not be lower than that of Yuan Keli's reign.

Of course, with his ability, if he ascended to the position of the secretary of the Criminal Department, but tried to obstruct the reform process, it would also make Chongzhen feel a lot of trouble.

After thinking for a while, Zhu Youzhen looked at Hui Shiyang and couldn't help but smile and said: "Then Hui Shilang will take a look at this document first, this is the in-kind ration system that the Ministry of Household intends to implement from this year, and I hope you can give some advice on how to assist from the perspective of the Criminal Department." ”

Hui Shiyang took the document from the emperor's hand, and was about to look through it, but Zhu Youzhen stopped him and said: "You can take this document back and read it slowly, and when you come back from outside the gate, you can give your opinion to me."

However, I would like to warn you that the rationing system has not yet been released to the public, so I hope that the documents I have given you will not be circulated. As a servant of the Criminal Department, you should know what a secrecy system is, so I won't say more.

In addition, when you go to Guanwai this time, in addition to dealing with the Sun Degong case, you can also pay attention to the ongoing anti-rebellion case in western Liaoning.

The border town in western Liaoning is the most convenient passage for Houjin to enter the customs, so I hope that this purge can clean up scum like Sun Degong first, so that there will be no more traitors and scum like Sun Degong and Li Yongfang in my Ming border town..."

"The minister understands, the minister will definitely handle the things assigned by His Majesty when he goes out of the customs this time..."Hui Shiyang immediately got up and bowed to Chongzhen, and happily accepted the emperor's order.

After Hui Shiyang left, Wang Chengen cautiously said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this Hui Yuanru is secretive, he is not a gentleman with discipline like Yuan Shangshu, I am afraid that he may not be trusted by His Majesty." ”

Zhu Youzhen looked at Wang Chengen and smiled and said, "I don't trust him, but it's not really important. The important thing is, first of all, whether he has the ability to control the criminal department; Second, whether he was willing to support the reform of the imperial court.

Otherwise, even if I find someone I can trust to sit in the position of the secretary of the Criminal Department, there may not be a guarantee that the Criminal Department will be able to operate according to my wishes.

As long as he can hand in an answer that satisfies me, then I don't mind what is going on in his mind. And as long as he writes down the answer, it is tantamount to making a clear position in the DPRK and China, and drawing a clear line with those officials who oppose reform.

If he wants to curry favor with me first, and then wants to go back after he ascends to the Ministry of Punishment, it will be a bad reputation for himself. A two-faced and three-stabbed person, I'm afraid no one will treat him, and it won't be so difficult to take him down..."

On April 1, the third year of Chongzhen, in the early morning, on the east and west streets of Gongyuan near the stargazing platform in the east of the capital, it was already overcrowded.

Today is the day of the examination, and standing in front of the Gongyuan in the capital are either the scholars carrying the baked baskets, or the hawkers selling breakfast and the patrol officers maintaining order.

After the Enke examination in the first year of Chongzhen, according to the rules of the imperial examination, the second examination should start in the fourth year of Chongzhen. However, in the second and third years of Chongzhen, the emperor held a supplementary examination for the imperial examination in Beijing on the grounds that the imperial court eliminated the faint officials and mediocre officials, resulting in too large a shortage of officials.

The general examination, which was originally held once every three years, suddenly had two more imperial examinations. With the vast area of the Ming Dynasty and the low means of transportation, these two examinations were naturally more beneficial to the scholars in the north.

Because of the late notice of the examination in the second year of Chongzhen, only the scholars from several northern provinces and several provinces in the south of the Yangtze River rushed to the capital to take the examination, and the number of participants was about half of the number of people in the previous year's examination, but the number of admitted students still reached more than 200 people, slightly higher than the usual examination.

Therefore, in the third year of Chongzhen, there were obviously more scholars in Beijing to take the exam, and there were more than 3,000 scholars standing on the streets of Gongyuan. Many people were already waiting at the gate of the Gongyuan with lanterns before dawn, and they only wanted to enter early.

The examiners who were standing on the Mingyuan floor in the Gongyuan Courtyard and watching the situation outside the courtyard were now surrounded behind Zhou Yanru, the waiter of the main and deputy chief examination department, and Yuan Jixian, the servant of the official department.

After Yuan Jixian looked at the clock in the building, he arched his hand to Zhou Yanru and said, "Master Zhou, the time is almost up, is it okay to open the door?" ”

Zhou Yanru also glanced at the time, then nodded and said: "It's okay, the rules of the imperial examination have changed a lot this time, so let them come in first to familiarize themselves with the situation..."

When the candidates at the gate of the Gongyuan were checking the stationery they were carrying, they only heard a "squeak", and the vermilion lacquer gate of the Gongyuan suddenly opened.

A low-ranking official walked out of the door, stood on the steps and stood with his hands in his hands, then raised his head and shouted loudly to the candidates standing on the street in front of the door: "The three-year examination has officially begun, and the candidates who took the examination have lined up, and every five people enter the Gongyuan in groups. There shall be no noise, no quarrels, and no punishment for violators..."