Zhang Heling, together with Lu Wan, was transferred to Liaodong.

Empress Zhang found that she had suddenly become a loner, and how she had fallen to this step, she still didn't understand it.

Is Zhang Zhou cheating on her?

Obviously, Zhang Zhou is helping her with everything, and he is still helping the Zhang family brothers, not to say that Zhang Zhou has something to do with this matter, it can only be said that Zhang Zhou's appearance makes the emperor no longer at the mercy of her alone, many things seem to be accidental but seem to be inevitable.

It was past noon.

Xie Qian was recruited by the emperor and followed Xiao Jing to the Qianqing Palace, what the emperor asked him to do, he didn't understand, and he was also curious why the emperor only recruited him this time and did not look for Liu Jian and Li Dongyang.

"Father-in-law Xiao, it shouldn't be too important, right?"

Along the way, Xie Qiandu seemed to be a chatterbox, trying his best to listen to Xiao Jing's mouth to prepare himself.

But Xiao Jing doesn't seem to know much about this.

The two arrived in front of the Qianqing Palace together, but saw that Zhang Mao was already standing there.

"British duke? What a coincidence. Xie Qian smiled.

Zhang Mao and Xie Qian exchanged simple greetings, and then they both looked at Xiao Jing, and Zhang Mao asked, "Do you want to go in and pass the word?" ”

Xiao Jing said: "I have to wait for one person." ”

"Who?"

Xie Qian asked, and found that it was redundant.

Because he had already seen Zhang Zhou coming over with the little eunuch in the celebrant study's room, he beckoned to them from afar.

When Zhang Zhou arrived, Xie Qian frowned and looked at Zhang Zhou: "You are actually there?" ”

In other words, should you go to Liaodong? Or is it going on some big secret mission? Even if you don't go to either of them, then you should be recuperating at home, right?

Zhang Zhou sighed: "Thank you for the relationship with the elder pavilion, my illness has improved a lot, this is nothing, and I also entered the palace to help with the details." ”

"Huh."

Zhang Mao was laughing.

Xie Qian secretly wondered in his heart, you kid is really self-inflicted, who cares about you?

If you have to care, you also care about how you haven't died of illness yet!

……

……

Inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youzhu sat there, his face was quite good, Zhang Zhou's illness was cured, and his illness was cured.

The four of them came in, Xie Qian found that the biggest difference from the past was that Xiao Jing did not come in to pass the word, but seemed to have been summoned, and the little eunuch who had sent them in then left, leaving only the four of them in the Qianqing Palace at this time.

This structure ......

So Xie Qian didn't understand it a little.

"Sit." Zhu Youzhu said.

Chairs had been prepared for them earlier, and there was a table in front of them, but there were only three sets of tables and chairs, and Xiao Jing was more like a servant who had been summoned in front of them.

After Zhang Mao, Zhang Zhou, and Xie Qian took their seats, Zhu Youzhu asked Xiao Jing to present the three transcribed battle reports in front of them.

"This is just obtained, the battle situation north of Jiliao, the little prince of Tatar with 50,000 vanguard soldiers and horses, attacked the Taining Wei stationed in Wuning, in order to detour to the south, and gradually forced the Duoyan Sanwei to the north...... Duoyan Sanwei gathered men and horses to fight with the little prince of Tatar, the location of the battlefield is unknown, and the results of the battle are unknown, but then Duoyan Sanwei went south and approached in the direction of Shenyang Zhongwei, which was more than 620 miles away from Shenyang Zhongwei at this time......"

Xie Qian was listening to Xiao Jing's explanation.

While reading the battle report at hand, I probably understood that this was a summary meeting about the war situation in the north.

But he looked at the time of the report, and guessed that the news was likely to have reached the Jingshi in advance, and it was not temporary, since it came in advance, it should be said in the court, but the emperor did not do this, but summoned them to the inner court to discuss.

But he didn't look for Liu Jian, Ma Wensheng, or Li Dongyang, a recognized wise minister.

This made Xie Qian puzzled.

Zhang Mao said: "Your Majesty, in the opinion of the old ministers, or the war between Duoyan Sanwei and the little Tatar prince has been concluded, Duoyan Sanwei did not even hold his own fiefdom, basically lost, and the estimated number of people who moved south is not much, or they can send envoys to collect it." ”

Since the emperor asked them to come to the inner court and mentioned this matter, Zhang Mao put forward his views and suggestions there.

Xie Qian glanced at Zhang Mao, and said in his heart that Zhang Banxian, who can pinch and calculate, hasn't spoken yet, what are you doing here?

Decision-making level, when will it be your turn to be here for Wu Xun to be foolish?

Usually, Xie Qian is quite respectful to Zhang Mao, but when it comes to specific family and country affairs, the rivalry between Wenchen and Wuxun will not be eased in any way because of personal relations.

Zhu Youzhu said: "I also thought so at first, but after all, the specific results of the battle are still unknown, and the further movements of the little prince of Tatar are not known at present. If the Tatars also use the sword to guide them, the defense of the Ming Liaodong will suddenly be tense, and I will not be able to make a decision, so I will ask you. ”

It also sounded reasonable, but it was because the emperor was hesitant that he came to them to ask.

Xie Qian felt that there was something wrong with this...... The emperor has something to do, hasn't he always only looked for Zhang Zhouren to discuss? Why did you find three ministers and a celebrant and a eunuch at one time?

This will be as long as Dai Yi is also there, and Xie Qian will not think much about it.

"Do you have any opinions, but it doesn't hurt to say it." Zhu Youzhu seemed to be very polite to several people.

Xie Qian looked at Zhang Zhou first, and found that Zhang Zhou did not take the initiative to show his desires, and he was probably guessing, could it be that Zhang Zhou's prediction on some things did not conform to the trend of the war, and Zhang Bingkuan fell out of favor?

Xie Qian didn't have an answer in his heart, so he spoke first: "Your Majesty, such a major matter should still be discussed in the court of the DPRK and China. ”

Zhu Youzhu said: "Such a major military situation should also be known to everyone in the government and the opposition, and even let the ministers and workers negotiate privately?" ”

"This ......"

Xie Qian hesitated for a while, as if there was really no need to make a fuss about the matter in front of him.

Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "Yichen wants to come, what Xie Ge Lao means should be to invite Ma Shangshu, who has an understanding of the military situation, and Liu Ge Lao and Li Ge Lao, who have control over the overall situation, to discuss together. ”

Xie Qian frowned and looked at Zhang Zhou.

Does this mean that Zhang Zhou knows himself better?

No.

What Zhang Zhou said is just the most plain truth.

Zhu Youzhu nodded and said: "I should have done the same, but there are so many things in the government and the opposition, and I shouldn't worry about the war that didn't happen in the Ming Dynasty and didn't have a direct relationship with the Ming Dynasty, so that the Ming people should worry about it, after all, we still have to focus on court affairs." ”

When Xie Qian heard this, he thought in his heart, if even the little prince of Tatar wants to annex Duoyan Sanwei, it is not considered the court affairs of the Ming Dynasty, so what is it?

Zhu Youzhu continued: "In the past two years, the military affairs in the north may gradually increase, and if you often go to the inner court to discuss with the elders and ministers, it will also have an impact on the affairs of the court. ”

"And I can't always listen to Bingkuan alone, but also take the opinions of all the ministers, so I mean that in the next few years, when it comes to the affairs of the border towns, I will set up a special yamen, and select one or several people from the cabinet, the celebrant supervisor, the six ministers, the Yanwutang and the governor's mansion to participate in the mid-term."

Zhu Youzhu finally said the purpose of summoning a few people today.

Xie Qian immediately objected: "Your Majesty, such a major matter should not be decided rashly. ”

Not to say against it, but to say that the decision was too hasty.

When you set up such a yamen, you simply want to empty the cabinet and the six ministries, and you don't even have the patience to discuss with the ministers in doing so, how can you convince the ministers of the government and the opposition?

Zhang Mao on the side straightened his waist, and suddenly there was a feeling that running errands had become a mouth-moving, and he had become the core decision-maker.

Zhu Youzhu said: "This yamen does not set up any public offices in or outside the palace, but when there are border town affairs, I need to listen to opinions temporarily, and it does not involve the approval of any documents, and any affairs of the yamen in the court, including cabinet votes, six ministries and departments, etc., will not be affected. Do I need to get the consent of others even if I adopt your opinions? ”

Xie Qian frowned.

What the emperor said, to his ears, was quite reasonable.

Recently, the emperor has been very concerned about the affairs of the border towns, and even wants to use this to establish the cause of the flat grassland, raise military rations and materials in the northwest by himself, and even send people to pass through Liaodong.

In this case, the emperor had no major problem setting up a temporary "team of advisors".

Zhu Youzhu continued: "I didn't look for the first assistant of the cabinet, nor did I look for the six ministries and seven secretaries, in order not to interfere with the operation of the court, and I can't affect the national fortunes of the Ming Dynasty with my personal likes and dislikes. ”

Xie Qian said: "But Your Majesty, when it comes to the affairs of the border town, it is also closely related to the operation of the imperial court. ”

It doesn't matter, but how can it be okay?

Zhu Youxian asked rhetorically: "Then Elder Xie Ge, do you think that in such matters, apart from summoning the court of the Chinese and martial arts ministers to discuss, there is another way?" I just want to ask for an opinion, and I need to work hard every time? ”

Xie Qian felt that he had just met a soldier this time, and he couldn't explain it clearly.

"Moreover, what I mean is that all the members of this yamen are not fixed, and there is no distinction between the chief and the last, regardless of seniority, even if it is just a new branch scholar or a promoter, or even a common person, his opinion will help the Ming Dynasty to use troops in the border town, and they can be recruited."

"I will never give him a special official position, as long as the original yamen is busy with official business, I can transfer him first, and if he is wrong, he can also be removed and dismissed, and who is temporarily recruited and supplemented depends on the ability of this person, and the seniority and prestige of the DPRK and China are not taken into account."

"I will not give him a rank outside the government and the opposition, nor will I give him power outside the government and the opposition, it will only be convenient for me to ask questions, and nothing else will be involved."

Zhu Youzhi once said all his ideas.

Of course, all this came from Zhang Zhou's suggestion.

Xie Qian glared at Zhang Zhou.

He seemed to understand why Zhang Zhou did this.

Didn't you civil officials say that I, Zhang, had become the emperor's close servant alone, influencing the changes of the dynasty, and even "causing chaos in the dynasty"?

You attack me, not because what I do is beneficial to the Ming Dynasty, but because what I do is "no precedent", isn't it? Then now turn this kind of unprecedented, into a precedent, and I, Zhang, will no longer give advice to the emperor as a single adviser, but let a group of people give advice.

Of course, the emperor listens to whomever and doesn't listen to whom...... It depends on whose opinion is better.

Once this kind of personal adviser to the emperor is customized, wouldn't it be the same as the cabinet, in addition to the draft vote, the emperor has an additional team of advisers on military affairs?

Now it is only an adviser to the military and the government, and what will be the adviser in the future...... Or which is more important, that's another matter.

The rise of any new yamen was created to ensure the centralization of imperial power, and in Zhang Zhou's view, it is true that the abolition of the prime minister and the emergence of the cabinet were a strengthening of the concentration of imperial power, but it was obviously not enough.

In order to further strengthen it, it is necessary to have a yamen that balances the cabinet and the celebrants...... This yamen should not be composed of Zhang Zhou alone, but should seem fair and just, and add a few more people, but for now, it is he Zhang Zhou who has the final say.

Xie Qian said: "Your Majesty, this matter should be discussed in the court. ”

Xie Qian is also out of line.

If Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and the six Shangshu of the DPRK and the Central Committee are all here now, they may be able to twist into a rope if they want to oppose it, but these four people in front of them ...... Except that Zhang Zhou is a nominal Wenchen, who will help him?

Xiao Jing and Zhang Mao seem to be eager for the emergence of such a new yamen to balance the power of the cabinet and the six ministries, right?

Zhu Youzhu shook his head and said: "Elder Xie Ge, I say it again, if I ask anyone's opinion, I need to ask for the opinion of others, then it doesn't seem to make much sense for me to be the king of the Ming Dynasty, and I don't need to ask about all the affairs of the court." So I don't need to take other people's opinions on this! ”

The emperor's attitude was extremely resolute.

"Alright." Zhu Youzhi no longer discussed, "If you can't think about it anymore, it should be that every time I go to the inner court, I choose a different person to ask for my opinion on military affairs, or you think that I can only ask Bingkuan alone, then I won't say anything more." ”

Xie Qian smiled bitterly.

Think about it too.

Now the emperor is quite polite, saying that he will summon different people to ask for advice.

If the emperor is a little more arbitrary, and only summons Zhang Zhou or Zhang Mao and others to ask in the future, what else will their Wenchen do not agree on this?

This is just that when the emperor encounters difficult affairs, he asks someone to ask for countermeasures, and they all say that there is no additional official position, everything seems reasonable, and the emperor does not seem to have destroyed the original system.

"I decided to temporarily call this yamen the Upper Listening Office. The so-called "Ascending to the Heavens" is nothing more than that. Zhu Youzhu said.

Xie Qian hesitated for a moment, and finally lowered his head.

Even if he wants to oppose it, he still seems to be weak with his personal strength today, so it is better to wait until he goes back to discuss with Liu Jian and Li Dongyang, and then secretly plots with the ministers of the DPRK and China, and then entangles the officials and others to oppose it.

……

……

What the emperor asked next, and what he discussed with a few people, didn't seem to be a big deal.

It is nothing more than a matter of strengthening the defense of Liaodong.

They will not send people to recruit Duoyan Sanwei, and at the same time, they will not reach any agreement with the little prince of Tatar, and the state of war will not be contacted.

Xie Qian found that this time the emperor seemed to have come to ask them for their opinions, but in fact, he was to inform them of the establishment of the so-called "Shangting Office", and all he could do was to bring back the news of the establishment of the Shangting Office with great resentment, once again showing the estrangement between the monarch and the ministers.

When Xie Qian returned to the cabinet room, Zhang Zhou also went to the East Palace to see Zhu Houzhao, and Zhang Mao went out of the palace with Xiao Jing.

"Listening to the office?"

Liu Jian and Li Dongyang learned about this from Xie Qian's mouth, and they both frowned, and they seemed to feel that the order of the court was likely to be broken.

Xie Qian sighed: "Your Majesty insists on this, even people from the Governor's Mansion can participate in it, and he also said that he will not participate in it with the first assistant and the ministry, and it is no longer limited to whether he is from the pavilion or not." Although it is clearly stated that all the affairs asked about involve border affairs, it is difficult to guarantee that it will not involve the dispatch of money and grain, and even more so, even Yanwutang will find someone to ask for advice...... Alas! I don't know how to evaluate it. ”

Liu Jian's face was gloomy and said, "Could it be that Gonggong Xiao and Gonggong Ying have no opinion on this?" ”

Xie Qian said: "What can they say?" I guess they have expected this in their hearts for a long time. ”

"I don't think so." Li Dongyang on the side said, "This is obvious, Your Majesty wants to find a reasonable excuse for repeatedly asking Zhang Bingkuan alone, except for Zhang Bingkuan, the rest of the people involved are just a disguise, didn't the British Duke and others notice it?" ”

Xie Qian asked, "What if you notice it?" Now that they have the opportunity to discuss with Zhang Bingkuan in the inner court, will it be worse than before? ”

Immediately, Li Dongyang and Xie Qian both looked at Liu Jian.

It seems that this incident will have a greater impact on Liu Jian.

As the first assistant of the cabinet, Liu Jian himself is the existence of the emperor's adviser foreman, in the past, the emperor could not decide what to decide, and the court asked about things, which was basically decided by Liu Jian, and now there is the so-called upper hearing office, then Liu Jian only has the power to vote, and the presiding power of the court will be greatly weakened.

As for Li Dongyang and Xie Qian......

If either of the two enters the upper listening office, perhaps the power will be strengthened.

Liu Jian said: "I just don't understand, why is Zhang Bingkuan? His Majesty asked him one person, and he would ask more people than how many others, so that he would be more comfortable doing things? ”

In fact, Liu Jian didn't understand it.

The emperor wanted to ask Zhang Zhou's opinion alone, in fact, it was difficult for the minister to oppose it in this matter, at most he defined Zhang Zhou as a minister, but once the so-called Shangting Office was established, and Zhang Zhou still joined it, then Zhang Zhou could no longer be used as a close friend to attack him.

But the emperor also adopted the opinions of others because of this, which weakened Zhang Zhou's power, and Zhang Zhou was a bit of a pit and jumped by himself.

Li Dongyang asked: "So, from a certain point of view, this is also a good thing?" Right? ”

A new yamen was set up, which balanced the power of the cabinet and also balanced the power of Zhang Zhou, so that all affairs became traceable, and Zhang Zhou was also placed under the orthodox imperial court system...... Even if this system is just a newly established listening office......

Li Dongyang's meaning, we didn't lose, and Zhang Zhou didn't win either.

Everyone is just taking a step back!

Liu Jian shook his head and said: "I still can't sit back and watch this kind of thing happen, nominally, there is no fixed position in the listening office, and it is just a cover for the initial establishment, who can say exactly what will happen in the future?" If even ordinary people can participate in the decision-making of major affairs in the DPRK and China, then what else does the court need to do? Why do you want me to wait and be cautious? ”

"Hmm."

Li Dongyang and Xie Qian both nodded.

It will take more than ten years of hard work to mix a cabinet minister, and how many times after screening in the middle, if only the emperor's likes and dislikes can decide who will participate in the decision-making, then the system of selecting officials in the imperial court will be greatly reduced.

"To object." Li Dongyang set the tone for Liu Jian.

(End of chapter)