The Imperial Palace, next to the Mandarin Palace.

A new "Shangting Office" yamen was established here, which was not next to the main yamen in Beijing around the Daming Gate outside the palace, but was directly located in the palace, benchmarking the cabinet, and even closer to the Qianqing Palace than the cabinet.

The listing ceremony of the Shangting Office was presided over by Li Rong, he was a member of the Shangting Office, and at the same time, the emperor was in charge, and invited cabinet ministers Li Dongyang and Xie Qian, Liu Jian was also invited, but Liu Jian wanted face in the end, and did not go under the pretext of being unwell.

In addition, another member of the Listening Office, Zhang Mao, did not come.

led to this listing, except for Li Rong, Li Dongyang and Xie Qian, the three who handled the affairs of the court, the rest were only the eunuchs and brocade guards who worked in the palace.

"This place ......"

Xie Qian stood at the door of the listening office, looked into the door, and couldn't help frowning and glanced at Li Dongyang on the side.

Li Rong said with a smile: "In the future, if there is a major military matter, the two elders may have to move here." ”

"Don't." Xie Qian said, "It's nothing to do with me." ”

The implication is that I am not a member of the Listening Office, and the person who is on duty in our cabinet is obviously Li Binzhi, so don't look for me if you have something to look for him.

Li Dongyang asked: "Is this a preparation for Cai Guogong's return to Beijing?" ”

Li Rong said: "It was arranged by His Majesty, and our family doesn't know what the specific intention is." There are a few sets of tables prepared inside, the place is not spacious, and His Majesty said that a few new houses will be built next to it after the spring of the next year......"

Li Dongyang glanced at the Wenhua Hall not far away and said, "Why did you choose here?" Does it affect the prince's usual teaching? ”

"Huh." Li Rong said with a smile, "Actually, Your Majesty also wants the prince to start getting in touch with the affairs of the court and politics as soon as possible, and if it is set up here, can't it be that the prince has the time to come over and learn more ****, and he wants his son to become a dragon." ”

Xie Qian smiled.

He wanted to say.

As the crown prince, it was originally a dragon, and at most it was a young dragon.

"Hmm." Li Dongyang nodded.

In fact, he also understood that the emperor just wanted Zhang Zhou to participate in the affairs of the imperial court while giving lessons to the crown prince, and he could go to the Qianqing Palace as an adviser at any time, otherwise why would Zhang Zhou's "office" be set up in such a "wonderful" position?

Li Rong then personally unveiled the sign, but saw that it was the three words "Listening Office" hanging vertically, or it may be that there was no place to hang the plaque in the palace.

"Two elders, please come inside."

Li Rong was very enthusiastic and invited the two of them in.

Originally, Xie Qian didn't want to go in, but seeing this strange layout, he couldn't help but be curious and wanted to go in and have a look.

After entering the house, I found that it was actually a separate house, not even divided into inside and outside, and the place was not as big as the cabinet room, but because it was set up temporarily, the location here was closer to the inner garden of the palace, so it seemed that the place was more noble, a little small and lean.

"Over there?" Xie Qian pointed to a piece of stuff wrapped in yellow cloth that looked like a chair near the center.

Li Rong said: "It's the throne." Your Majesty comes to the Hearing Quarters once in a while, and there must be a place to rest. ”

"Tsk, you're well prepared." Xie Qian did not change his poisonous tongue.

Li Dongyang asked, "How many days will it be worth here?" ”

Li Rong said with a smile: "This is not known to our family, but it is expected that the people who are on duty must have their own errands, it is said that His Majesty will discuss a new candidate for the duty to listen to the office in the next two days, haven't the two elders received the news?" ”

There are a lot of rumors, and what is heard everywhere is originally used to oppose the cabinet, and it is strange that the three members of the cabinet would care about this kind of rumor.

Li Rong was also quite embarrassed when he saw that the two of them did not answer, and said: "In the future, there will always be five or six people in the listening office, if our family is not talented, we will also become one of them, and I hope to be taken care of by the two elders." ”

"Don't dare." Li Dongyang arched his hand and said, "I also hope that Father-in-law Li will give more support." ”

……

……

The site of the listening office is done, and it is in the palace.

Probably directly responsible for the emperor alone.

And the candidates for the listening office must also be re-selected, and the members who have been on duty in the listening office before, except for Zhang Zhou, who will inevitably be left behind, whether others can enter or not, are two words.

The day after Zhu Youzhu officially set up the Shangting Office, he mentioned this matter to the ministers in the court.

Fengtian Temple.

“…… Ladies and gentlemen, the upper listening office is a yamen set up by me, although it can be permanent, but the people inside are not always there, and the person chosen must be the one who has the ability to assist me in the military and political affairs of the north. ”

"In the past, I was appointed by Bingkuan, the British Prince, the Cabinet Elder and others, all of which were temporary, but now it is time to officially select personnel, because of their errands or contrary to their own errands, I mean that the person selected to go to the listening office does not need to have much official character as support, even if it is a new science and technology scholar, he can also be included in the listening office."

Zhu Youji's meaning is very clear.

Previously, it was all cabinet elders, celebrant eunuchs, Shangshu, Guogong, etc., who served as ministers of the Upper Hearing Department, which seemed too formal.

It goes against the original intention of this group of people to be my advisors.

Therefore, what I mean is that I choose some people who do not have many official positions in the court, but who can specialize in their work, and this is my original intention.

It was said by the emperor......

Liu Jian and the others felt a little more down-to-earth in their hearts, if they were all selected as before, they would obviously be arguing with the cabinet, but if they were replaced by a group of little-known middle and lower-level officials, no matter how influential the upper hearing office was, at best it would only be an adviser to the emperor, and would not form a head-on confrontation with the cabinet.

But then they think about it, wasn't this how the original cabinet was raised?

The members of the cabinet, although they are basically from Hanlin, but before entering the cabinet, they may just be a waiter and a lecturer, and it is rare to enter the cabinet with a bachelor, but it is only in Hongzhi that the origin and qualifications of the ministers who enter the cabinet are higher.

Zhu Youzhu said: "In this way, the six ministries will each recommend two people in these two days, and all of them must be below the squire, and those who have the ability to govern the army can also be promoted." You don't have to choose in the Governor's Palace! ”

Zhang Mao walked out and said, "Your Majesty, the old ministers and others also want to contribute to the imperial court." ”

For Zhang Mao, he finally got the opportunity to participate in decision-making as a martial artist, and just canceled the power of our governor's office to interfere in politics?

Zhu Youzhu said coldly: "British Duke, haven't you always been in bad health recently?" Wouldn't it be too difficult for you to even be able to hold the court and discuss it, so you are on duty every day? Each of the five temples also elects one person, all of whom are elected below the Shaoqing, and then those who have experience in the military in the northwest can also be selected to enter. The preliminary candidates will be decided within two days, so let's do it first. ”

……

……

The emperor opened the topic, but did not say too much about the topic.

There is probably a kind of meaning that I am just the beginning, and as for how things develop, we have to take one step at a time.

After the court meeting ended, when he walked out, Xie Qian said bluntly: "I'm afraid that everyone who is not elected is just a pretense, Your Majesty has already had a candidate in his heart." ”

Pretending to listen to a wide range of opinions, but in fact, the decision has already been made.

This is somewhat disrespectful.

Li Dongyang corrected: "How can Your Majesty not have a preliminary candidate in his heart? ”

It's almost like saying Zhang Zhou's name, or the person recommended by Zhang Zhou.

Ma Wensheng, the newly appointed secretary of the ministry, smiled: "It seems that who can enter the listening office in the future must have the appreciation of His Majesty, and must have a higher insight above the military and politics, but I don't know if he has the authority to vote?" ”

This is a bit of a brick in the face of the cabinet.

Xie Qian glared at him and said: "Ma Butang, you don't want to say that in the future, the votes involving the military and politics will belong to the upper hearing, and those involving the people's livelihood will belong to our cabinet, right?" ”

Ma Wensheng smiled and said nothing.

Liu Jian saw that Xie Qian and Ma Wensheng were arguing first, and others were watching the excitement like the people eating melons, so he couldn't help but say coldly: "Until now, I haven't even determined what the specific responsibilities of the listening office are, what's the point of talking about this?" Since the original intention of the establishment of the Upper Listening Office was for the affairs of military and political affairs, let people who understand military and political affairs first fill it, do you have any opinions? ”

To say it is to say nothing.

But Liu Jian's final word is still effective, at least others don't talk about it casually anymore.

……

……

Within two days, each yamen submitted the members of the listening office that they wanted to recommend in their yamen and handed them over to Zhu Youji.

This time, Xiao Jing personally presented this recital.

"Your Majesty, two people from each of the six departments, one person from each of the five temples, plus one person recommended by the Metropolitan Procuratorate, a total of eighteen people. I don't know if I want to add candidates from the six subjects? Xiao Jing asked cautiously.

Zhu Youzhu opened it, looked at it casually, and couldn't help frowning and said: "I said that the new science and technology jinshi can be filled, but with the Guanzheng Jinshi as a recommendation, what does this mean?" Could it be that among these two political scholars, they also have the ability to participate in the affairs of the imperial court? ”

Xiao Jing was puzzled: "Probably...... Most of the officials in the six ministries have to do their own duties, and there is no time for distraction. ”

In fact, Xiao Jing is also very clear.

When the six departments recommend what members of the Shangting Office, anyone who has an opinion on this matter will recommend some inconspicuous people, and the lower the status of the recommended person, the more it shows that the Shangting Office has no right to speak in Daming.

This little bit of careful thinking, the emperor can still understand it.

Xiao Jing saw that the emperor was still looking at the list, and couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty, how many people do you want to select from among them?" ”

"No, it won't." Zhu Youzhu said, "If you are a listening office, you must at least have the qualifications of a squire or above, and I will make a consideration, or you are born in Yanwutang and have made political achievements in local military and politics, such as the current Liaodong governor Lu Wan." ”

"Huh?"

Xiao Jing was still somewhat taken aback.

It turned out that what the emperor told the minister to choose was a disguise for what squire and Shaoqing or below to choose.

Deliberately testing the attitude of those ministers?

Xiao Jing inevitably wondered, is this necessary? Anyway, those ministers all knew that His Majesty had set up the Shangting Office to confront the main civil and military forces in the DPRK and China, so what were they doing with all this mystery?

As for Lu Wan......

Xiao Jing was also thinking that there were even specific candidates, and choosing and choosing was just making a fool of the noise.

Zhu Youzhu said: "Actually, I don't have more finalities for the selection of the Listening Office, this time I mentioned it in the court, but also to see the reaction of the ministers, it seems that they don't have much confidence in the Listening Office, thinking that I am just a whim, right?" ”

Xiao Jing said: "Your Majesty has misunderstood, the ministers in the court and the central government are all bent on sharing worries for Your Majesty. ”

"Really?" Zhu Youzhu said, "I think only Bingkuan is more dedicated." Lu Wan and Wang Qiong were preliminarily decided first, Bingkuan did not need to mention it, and the remaining three would consider it as appropriate. ”

Xiao Jing saw that the emperor had a good plan for the total number of members in the listening office.

Six people.

The three of them have even been decided, they are Zhang Zhou, who is about to take up the post of the secretary of the military department, and Wang Qiong, the left servant of the household department, only one Lu Wan was withdrawn from the governor of Liaodong, but it is still difficult to say what official position Lu Wan will do after returning to the court.

Half of the seats have already been decided, is this still called undecided?

Xiao Jing said: "Your Majesty, but you want to let the governor of Liaodong come back?" If so, I'm afraid it will be as soon as possible, since last year, Liaodong has been working hard for Ping Jiannu and other things, the previous Xinjian Bo has been transferred to Xuanda, and now if the governor of Lu comes back, I am afraid that no one in Liaodong can preside over the overall situation. ”

Zhu Youzhu was not worried at all and said, "Isn't there still Tang Yin?" ”

"Huh?"

Xiao Jing didn't react for a while, he reminded, "Your Majesty, Tang Yin is now the governor of Bohai and is in Jiangnan. ”

Zhu Youzhu said: "Someone needs to be responsible for the matter of going to sea, but the matter of raising shipbuilding and other things actually has an eyebrow, so it is not much different whether Tang Yin will preside over it, I heard that Xu Jing is very diligent by Bingkuan's side, and he can leave Xu Jing and give Wei Guogong a start." Could it be that for the sake of a shipyard that has not yet become a climate, I want to release two important ministers of the country at once? ”

Xiao Jing was stunned again.

Two "important ministers of the country"?

It's Xu Li and Tang Yin who won't talk about it, right?

Xu Li is one at all, and Tang Yin is ...... Think about Tang Yin's subversion of the Korean royal power in the past, saying that he is an important minister of the country, and he is barely counted.

"But Tang Yin, it's hard to say whether he can fight or not. In the case of Hanyang City in North Korea, although he personally led the troops, he had to be cornered, but Liaodong is now a defensive situation, and I have to wait for Bingkuan to come back and discuss it with Bingkuan. That Lu Wan...... The location will be reserved for the first time. ”

Zhu Youzhi didn't seem to be reluctant to let Tang Yin take the lead.

Xiao Jing said: "Wang Xian, the governor of Jizhou, seems to have made certain achievements in military and political affairs. ”

"Hmm." Zhu Youzhu nodded, "The person was also recommended by Bingkuan, but I am not very satisfied with his attitude." ”

In one sentence, Xiao Jing understood that the so-called listening office, in the end, I am afraid that no matter how many people are put in, it will be Zhang Zhou's people, even if there are one or two people who are not Zhang Zhou's faction, it will only be the kind of neutral faction, or put it in to make soy sauce, or to hide people's ears.

The listening place will actually be Zhang Zhouren's stage in the future.

Xiao Jing said: "Then Your Majesty, except for these few, the rest have to find the waiter and above, but I am afraid that the errand of the six departments will be slack." ”

Zhu Youzhu smiled and said: "Entering the listening office is not an errand that needs to be done every day, and it does not conflict with its responsibilities, as if there is a division of labor among the members of the listening office." If it is Wang Qiong, he is responsible for the dispatch of military grain and grass; Lu Wan is responsible for the selection of military generals in Yanwutang and the Governor's Mansion; Needless to say, Bingkuan coordinates everything...... Actually, I still want the prince to come over once in a while. ”

"Your Majesty......"

"I don't let him in often, but occasionally during breaks, let him go in and participate in the discussion of military affairs, even if it is only as an observer, it will be helpful for him to govern the country in the future."

Xiao Jing hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes." ”

"Okay, who to choose from the listening department, I still need to think again. Recently, many people have told me that they want to enter the Yanwu Hall...... The Future Yanwu Hall is also a passage to the listening office on the value. Zhu Youzhu said.

Xiao Jing reminded: "Your Majesty, after all, most of the Yanwutang are military positions in the Governor's Mansion. ”

"Who said that?" Zhu Youzhu said, "In the future, Wenchen will go to the northwest to lead the troops, if you don't understand the Shenwei cannon and flint gun, how can you win the battle?" In the future, in addition to the martial arts class, there will also be a Confucian class, which is all set up for the grassland, even if it is not for the grassland, in the future, it will be necessary to stabilize the four seas and conquer the barbarians. ”

Xiao Jing felt even more nervous when he heard this.

This roughly means that in the future, if you want to get a high position, you must come from the Yanwutang.

Yanwutang is equivalent to another "Hanlin Academy", if anyone does not have the qualifications of Yanwutang, even if he has a foothold in the DPRK in the future, he will still have no confidence.

And Zhang Zhou is likely to be the head of the Yanwu Hall, which is equivalent to the founder of the Hanlin Academy.

……

……

The positioning of Yanwutang, in the eyes of the ministers of the DPRK and China, is still very ordinary.

In addition to some people who have been used by the military and government of the Nine Sides, in the past year or so, because Zhang Zhou is not in Beijing and other reasons, the second phase of the Yanwu Hall has only been opened halfway, and the people have been transferred to various places in the Nine Sides, and the third phase is even more far away.

Originally, the minister was worried about the rise of the power of the Kenwutang, but now the worry has become the upper listening office.

But things are afraid of going in a "bad direction".

Under the circumstance that Zhang Zhou was about to return to the dynasty, the matter of "signing up for the examination" of the Yanwutang had become a trend among the nobles of the Beijing Division, headed by Zhang Heling, a member of the first golden graduating class, and headed by Cui Yuan, Zhou Jiao, Zhang Lun, and Liu Jing, Hou of Anyuan, and others, and there were as many as 50 or 60 applicants for the martial arts in Beijing.

If you add the generals who do not have knighthoods in various places, the number of applicants is close to the scale of 300 people.

This is only a military position served in the Governor's Palace, not a literary class that may be opened.

The person who signed up must first report his name to the Ministry of War, this is because Zhang Zhou returned to the Dynasty as the secretary of the Ministry of War, and the emperor's meaning is to first use the Ministry of War to concurrently serve as the commander of the Ministry of Martial Arts, of course, if Zhang Zhou becomes the secretary of the Ministry of Officials in the future, then the Secretary of the Ministry of Martial Arts will become the secretary of the Ministry of Officials.

It all depends on what Zhang Zhou does.

When the list appeared, Xiong Chong, the left attendant of the military department, felt that things were a bit big...... It seems that the entire Governor's Mansion is moving closer to Zhang Zhou alone, what is the Yanwutang, it is almost about to become a force to influence the situation, he hurriedly and secretly notified the matter to Ma Wensheng, the former secretary of the military department.

Then Ma Wensheng informed Xie Qian.

After Xie Qian read the list, he said indifferently: "Conformity, what is Yanwutang going to do?" How to fire a cannon after learning it? Or do you want to learn the art of war? Is it possible that the various departments of the Ministry of War will not be set up in the future? ”

Ma Wensheng said: "Yu Qiao, it's really not alarmist, I think that Yanwutang has developed according to the intentions of His Majesty and Zhang Bingkuan, so it really doesn't make a difference whether there is a military department in the DPRK or not in the future." Since the Song Dynasty, military and political affairs have to rely on the past of literati, and they are afraid that they will have to be changed. ”

(End of chapter)