Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

In May of the first year of Yongle, as the death anniversary of Lao Zhu approached, both inside and outside the Ming Empire fell into a strange kind of tranquility.

It's hard to talk about internal and external troubles. After all, as long as you hold the handle of the knife in your hand, the world will always be peaceful.

However, those who are interested in calculating the timetable can clearly see that according to the rhythm of "the anniversary of the death of Taizu (no weapons can be used before this time) - the return of Cao Guogong - the ranking of the generals - the expedition to Annan", once a large number of the main forces of the Ming army are transferred from abroad, the situation will change. It's not so stable anymore.

However, this is an external plan that has been set on the surface, but the current internal situation of the Ming Dynasty is not stable. It can be said that the two contradictory lines, internal and external, are developing in parallel and influencing each other.

As the saying goes, great evil often lurks in a soft place, and a wise man must beware of the hidden needles. It didn't take long for him to be punished and killed.

"In the past, Confucius and Mencius had the ambition of Kuangji and lived among Qi, Lu, Song, and Wei, but they could not even try it for the rest of their lives. Zhou, Ercheng, Zhang, and Zhu were scholars who studied Confucius and Mencius, and occasionally ascended to the imperial court , had retreated within a few months. The national master met the Lord of Gods, was entrusted by Xin Zun, proclaimed the transformation of Taoism, and nourished the common people. Isn't it a great blessing in this world!

It is the virtue of a saint to combine all things into one body, and it is the talent of a saint to combine all things into one body and become one. Those who are talented and virtuous are the Zhou of Tao. Therefore, those who follow the Tao cannot be harmed by Heaven, nor killed by Earth, nor can the world be in chaos. Today, there are many police officers, but the talents are empty. The world is in an uproar and is afraid of sudden changes, but there is no way to save it. The only gentleman who thinks that this is not the case is simply because he has the right to be in a high position! "

"This compares me to a 'super saint' who surpasses Confucius, Mencius and the Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty. If there is a true saint in the world who is above everything else, 'heaven cannot harm, earth cannot kill, and the world cannot cause chaos', who can sleep with him?" Where is stability?"

Looking at the paper in front of him, Jiang Xinghuo, who was revising the "Trial Regulations on the Examination of the Entrance Examination of Ministries and Temples in Nanjing" in the President's Reform Affairs Office, rubbed his brows tiredly and passed it to his subordinates.

"Niang Xipi! You are going to put the imperial master on the fire pit to roast him! You are really vicious with your intentions!" Chai Che couldn't help but cursed.

"Alas..." Guo Jing sighed: "Public opinion can kill people. Even if we go to defend now, it will be useless. Instead, we feel that we are building momentum for the national master."

Zhuo Jing twirled his silver whiskers and shook the paper.

"Where did this thing first come from?"

"Imperial Imperial College."

There are tens of thousands of students in Nanjing Imperial College. This is the largest school and the largest gathering place of intellectuals in the world at present. Moreover, some of these imperial students will become officials in the future. Although they do not have a start like that of a Jinshi, the imperial students are still there. The early Ming Dynasty was also an important channel for class crossing.

Young scholars are full of the ideal of generously serving the country and the dream of embarking on an official career. It is natural that they will have some thoughts on current affairs. What's more, the former supervisors Kong Fu, Yang Dun, Zhang Wenming, Li Shixiu, Jiang Yanlu, Ou Yangui, He Qi, Liu Let's wait for the eight people who were directly promoted to supervisory censors because of their positive comments in support of the reform. There is a precedent for them to rise to the top in one step. How can we not make people excited?

Of course, since there are sincere or opportunistic people who support the reform, there are also people with dark intentions who oppose the reform, smear it, and even kill Jiang Xinghuo.

No need to ask, someone must be deliberately causing trouble, and it is just a prelude.

As public opinion becomes more fermented, and coupled with the previous Li Zhigang incident, I am afraid that on [Taizu Memorial Day], a major counterattack by conservatives on "the immutability of the laws of the ancestors" will begin.

Guo Jing and Chai Che looked at each other for a while, then said nothing more and looked at the president and vice president in silence.

The two of them had just put on a pair of green robes and became officials. Naturally, they didn't want to see anything happen to Jiang Xinghuo.

But there is a saying that goes well, Duke Zhou is afraid of the day of rumors. For such things as flattery and death, is it possible that you can really carve out your heart and soul and show it to others? Prove that you have nothing else on your mind?

Hmm. To tell you a joke from hell, if Jiang Xinghuo really dug out his heart, he would probably scare everyone in the world and quickly persuade him to stuff it back. ——We originally thought that you just wanted to be an emperor or a saint. It seems that the limitations of the times have limited the boundaries of our imagination!

Zhuo Jing said: "You still have to fight back. If you praise and kill without explanation, it will become acquiescence."

Of course we have to fight back, but the question is, how?

Chai Che was silent for a moment and said: "My subordinates suggest that we should wait a little longer and not rush back. There is always a better way to wait."

Looking at Jiang Xinghuo's exhausted expression after staying up for two more days and nights, Zhuo Jing took a deep breath and suddenly felt that his chest was so depressed, as if the air had been sucked out by something, leaving him breathless. He closed his eyes and suppressed the turbulent emotions in his mind.

No matter whether there is any result or not, he must do his best. After all, this kind of temple struggle is cruel, and if you are not careful, you will be doomed.

But today, as the situation intensified, he was finally convinced and wiped out the last trace of doubt. Everything that happened before was not accidental. It was not to deal with Li Zhigang, but it was for the reform. Jiang Xinghuo encountered An unprecedented crisis.

"National Master, do you want me to find someone to present a memorial to?"

Old Man Zhuo has been in high and low officialdom for many years. After all, he is a high-ranking official at the level of a minister. If he needs to fight back, he can still find someone to act as a gunman.

"Need not."

Jiang Xinghuo raised his head. His face was pale and haggard, but he still couldn't hide the sharp and decisive look in his brows. His eyes were hot and determined. He said, "In this period, the more chaotic the better."

Zhuo Jing was stunned for a long time, then smiled bitterly and said: "National Master, chaos is not good for us."

"It doesn't matter."

Jiang Xinghuo shook his head and said, "When I write an article, won't they have to stir up chaos to get something out of the fire? Then I'll add fuel to their fire!"

Having said that, he didn't care about the people around him, as his literary thoughts came to him, and he just picked up his pen and started writing.

Zhuo Jing could see clearly from the side.

"Learn from the Ancient Saints"

“Not only what the ancestors wanted to do, but what they have already done is inherited by them; even if they were unable to do and could not do it, they are also inherited by them.

The teachers and ancestors not only did what they could not do, but also did what they could not do. Although they have already done what they have done, sometimes they are not suitable for the current situation, but they also do it and adapt to it. "

Guo Jing and Chai Che were also attentive. It can be seen from the two sentences at the beginning that the so-called "the times are changing, and it is necessary to adapt to the changing situation." This was the first formal, horn-blowing article since the launch of the reform.

Jiang Xinghuo's writing continues.

"The laws of heaven do not change the human heart, and as long as the human heart is fair, the laws of nature are fair; the laws of heaven are nothing more than human feelings, and the situation in the world changes from time to time.

Therefore, if things change according to their position, it will be easy for them to take their place; if the law changes with the times, then the law will change with the times.

However, the sage regards the relationship between people who are close to others as the law of heaven, and the Confucian scholars regard the relationship between people who are far away as the law of heaven. Isn't it wrong? "

The so-called "people's hearts are fair" are naturally what Jiang Xinghuo talked about yesterday, and the so-called "human feelings" refer to changes in the situation and form of the world. If the situation of things changes, naturally we can't resort to it all, so we have to "easy things to be in place" , update the law to keep up with the times." In other words, the reform must be changed, and the understanding of the sages is not the understanding of the post-Confucian people. Most of the understandings of the later Confucian people are absurd and wrong.

Zhuo Jing let out a long breath and said with deep understanding: "We should stick to the old system and live in comfort. We can get away with it for a while, but we can't do it for a long time. The master's pen is sharp and it is a masterpiece that will shock the world!"

Jiang Xinghuo paused the tip of his pen, and a drop of ink fell on the paper, smearing slightly.

The sharp one is yet to come.

“The scholars of the Song Dynasty were poor in management and strong in exploration, so they could not help but think they knew what they didn’t know.

Among the post-Confucian believers, none could be better than Yi Chuan (Cheng Yi).

However, everything in Yichuan is hard to say and hard to do, so it is impossible to achieve harmony with the saints. Notes on "Spring and Autumn", although there is a lot of effort, but too much effort will lead to failure.

The so-called scholar must be humble and calm in order to obtain the subtle purpose. If he wants to pursue it deeply, he will definitely persevere.

If it is strong enough to penetrate it, it will inevitably lead to unity; if it is too strong to analyze, it will inevitably break. Because those who are late come to understand it, the more recent it is. "

What does this passage mean? A simple translation means that the Confucian scholars in the Song Dynasty were all stitching monsters. They forced themselves to interpret the meaning and over-interpreted and analyzed the words. If you want to explore the truth carefully, you should be calm and step-by-step, so as to gain subtle insights. The profound meaning is that if you have to shoot the arrow first and then draw the target, then what you get must be what you want. The logical result you get is inherently wrong. Then the later Confucians (Ming Confucians) can inherit and understand the Confucianism of Song Dynasty. Naturally there are even fewer truths.

How Song Confucians took the meaning out of context has been mentioned by Jiang Xinghuo before when he talked about "Tai Chi" and "Gewu", "Jing" and "Jiyi", so I won't go into details here.

All in all, the spray was a bit harsh.

Guo Jing's head was buzzing, and he felt a little dizzy for a moment.

Chai Che supported him, and his mouth was also dry: "National Master, this is a bit too much."

The words behind Chai Che did not dare to be spoken. It should be known that although the Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty were not canonized, in the early Ming Dynasty, the Ming Confucian scholars who fully inherited their theoretical system regarded him as a saint, and even because of the version of The reason is that the Confucian scholars of this era did not have a profound understanding of Confucius' original Confucianism than the Neo-Confucianism stitched together by the Five Scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Jiang Xinghuo's words basically negated Cheng Yi's academic methodology.

Combined with the previous analysis of the sages, by the middle of Jiang Xinghuo's article, the main meaning is already clear.

——Togu's reform!

Don’t be too hasty to be disgusted with this term. In fact, the reason for denying Song Confucianism is because Neo-Confucianism is the biggest prison for Confucian thought today and the biggest theoretical obstacle to reform, so it must be denied. Moreover, Song Confucianism is indeed taken out of context. The theory is not yet impeccable.

Compared with Song Confucianism who left behind a large number of books and works, true Confucianism, that is, the group of "ancestors" of original Confucianism, could not speak, and what they left behind was extremely interpretable.

For example, you Song Confucians can interpret the word "human feelings" as being in opposition to "natural principles". Naturally, I can also interpret it as referring to human situations and situations. The sages did not leave a standard answer, so why do you think I am wrong? Debate is the big deal.

As for classic debate, when you fall into a vicious cycle of falsification, you have already lost, and there is really no way to prove that Jiang Xinghuo is wrong.

At the same time, Jiang Xinghuo can naturally hold on to the classics of original Confucianism and, like Song Confucianism, choose things that are beneficial to the reform to explain.

Why, you Song Ru did this out of context, but I, Jiang Xinghuo, can’t do it?

That doesn't make sense.

As long as the foundation of "Things change according to their position, it will be easy to change things in their place; laws will change with the times, and laws will change with the times" and solidified, the theoretical foundation of the reform will naturally be there.

Jiang Xinghuo's writing skills continued.

“Conversations are based on empty theories, which are thorough and restrictive, and convoluted explanations are based on exhaustive reasoning, which ultimately leads to nothingness.

If things go on like this, they will become nothing more than a castle in the air, and they will have nothing left in their body and mind.

It should be noted that Taoism and learning are respecting virtue, blogging is etiquette, and knowing goodness is sincerity.

However, if you don’t know something but don’t do it, then you can’t know it if you can’t do it. "

This is the danger of criticizing Song Confucian scholarship methodology, while promoting his own "unity of knowledge and action".

At the end of this article "Learning from the Dharma and the Sage", Jiang Xinghuo concluded.

"Saint Boda was flexible and flexible; times are different and things have changed.

The so-called "following the example of the sages" requires careful consideration of profits and losses, ensuring that it is reasonable and promoting expansion.

In this way, the brightness, up and down, closeness and distance, high and low are all harmonious, and it is nothing more than the meaning of admiring the body of the sage, which is said to be "good at inheriting the ambition of the sage and good at describing the things of the sage". "

In other words, the sages all know how to adapt. When we follow the example of the sages, we must also consider the pros and cons. We need to specifically analyze the principles of the words of the sages at that time, so that we can use them. Only by following this principle can the world be harmonious. comprehensive.

To truly learn from the sages is not to stick to the words of the sages, to pick out the words, or to stubbornly stick to the remarks that have been changed by the tide of the times, but to keep pace with the times. Only in this way can we inherit the teachings of the sages. Ambition and knowledge.

Well, in short, don't you want to praise me as a "super saint" who surpasses the Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty?

Okay, then I, Jiang Xinghuo, will never refuse. I am a "super saint" who cannot be harmed by heaven, cannot be killed by earth, and cannot be messed up in the world. I can simply call him the Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty. Isn't it too much?

Chai Che sighed and said: "National Master, this time, we really can't clean ourselves by jumping into the Yellow River."

"No need to wash."

Jiang Xinghuo said indifferently: "The more chaotic the better, the truth is unclear."

Old Man Zhuo coughed: "You two go ahead and do the examination. After the national master has finished the examination, we will start the comprehensive examination."

Nowadays, the president's reform affairs yamen has been set up, and all the officials who should be assigned have been appointed. Although Guo Jing and Chai Che have low positions, they are somewhat similar to Jiang Xinghuo's secretary/assistant role. In addition, the two are from He was brought out of the prison so that he could hear some secrets, but what he said next was inconvenient for the two of them to listen to.

Chai Che and Guo Jing nodded knowingly and left Jiang Xinghuo's room.

Zhuo Jing continued to tell Jiang Xinghuo: "Li Zhigang's case involves a lot of things. Now we can only stick to it and wait for news from Mr. Rong Guo."

Jiang Xinghuo copied the memorial on the white paper into the memorial in regular script. There was no "Guange style" at this time, so there was no problem for him to use the font he was used to: "The old monk is already investigating, and he is very good at this matter." Heart, all the spies and spies under my command have been leaked."

"However, I am worried that people in the DPRK and China who are watching will be seduced by certain people. Not only will they refuse to calm down, but they will fan the flames."

"It's a no-brainer."

Jiang Xinghuo burned the draft paper in his hand, then held the memorial and said calmly:

"I have no contact with many people. No matter who is responsible for this kind of thing, they will always try to gain something through it."

Zhuo Jing nodded: "Yes, no one is stupid, but we must take a gamble."

Jiang Xinghuo asked: "What are you betting on?"

Zhuo Jing said earnestly: "We bet that His Majesty will stand by and watch this incident."

Jiang Xinghuo paused, "I understand."

He and Zhuo Jing are both smart people, just point it out.

Now the historical line of this world has completely changed. The imperial power seems to have been quietly destroyed by Jiang Xinghuo from its foundation. However, the imperial power is still there, and it even seems to be stronger than ever before.

Whether it is praising Jiang Xinghuo as a "super saint" or Jiang Xinghuo backhanding the Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty, the attitude of the imperial power is crucial for matters involving Confucianism and even affecting the ruling order. At the very least, they must maintain sufficient determination.

At this point, Zhu Di has actually always done a good job, because he did not inherit the throne in a legitimate way, but usurped the country. As a destroyer of the ruling order advocated by Confucianism, Zhu Di naturally has anti-Confucian characteristics. .

If Zhu Di could not fight against Confucianism alone without Jiang Xinghuo, he might go to the other extreme. That is, he usurped the throne, so he paid more attention to orthodoxy, but this was undoubtedly denying himself.

But now that Jiang Xinghuo can stand up and challenge Confucianism, Zhu Di certainly doesn't have to give in to his own feelings. As long as he doesn't stand up and cause trouble for Jiang Xinghuo, he is already pulling the strings.

Because if it were any other time traveler, as long as they took this step to fight against Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism, the imperial power and the entire bureaucracy would inevitably be suppressed like Mount Tai.

Zhu Di did not dare to take drastic measures against Confucianism, but Jiang Xinghuo was able to suppress these academic factions unscrupulously and obtain the necessary conditions for carrying out reforms and reconciling thoughts, which could be said to kill two birds with one stone.

"On the upcoming [Anniversary of Taizu's death], the position of the Ministry of Rites is very critical."

"Is Li Zhigang completely finished?" Zhuo Jing twisted his beard and asked in surprise.

According to his judgment of the current situation, Li Zhigang would not have been completely ruined because of his lax discipline on his family and his father-in-law becoming a power broker in the temple.

"It's over, but not completely."

Jiang Xinghuo picked up the teapot, extinguished the embers in the brazier, and said slowly: "I heard His Majesty say that he deliberately asked Li Zhigang to go to Annan to redeem his sins. A lion fights a rabbit with all its strength, and Ming Dynasty can't do anything wrong in defeating Annan. It’s just a matter of how well it’s won.”

"After the Chief Envoy of Huanghuai, is this the fifteenth Chief Envoy of the Ming Dynasty?"

Jiang Xinghuo nodded: "Well, the Chief Envoy of Jiaozhi, Li Zhigang went to be the Chief Envoy. The place was a bit chaotic, but it was easy to achieve results, especially since this was the first dumping market obtained by the reform, and we didn't need our own people. On the contrary, I am worried that after what happened to Li Zhigang, he has no way out."

Zhuo Jing's heart skipped a beat: "What about the vacant Minister of Rites? Let Song Li come back from the south of the Yangtze River? But his qualifications are too junior, and he is still the right minister of the Ministry of Rites. There is no reason to be directly promoted to minister, bypassing Wang Jing, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites."

"you."

Jiang Xinghuo pointed at Old Man Zhuo.

"Originally during the Jianwen Dynasty, you were the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and His Majesty also admired you. Last time Dong Lun, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, became an official, he intended for you to take over the position of left minister. It was the old monk who stopped him. Now he is the president. Vice President of the Yamen for Reform Affairs, many of the details of the examination were finalized in your hands, and no one can say anything if you are promoted to Minister."

"As for Song Li, after Xia Yuanji has done a good job of assisting you and has finished all the things like water control and running events, he will come back to take your place and practice for a while."

While the two were talking, Wang Bin suddenly came to knock on the door and announced: "National Master, Shidu Jie came to the side door in casual clothes to ask for an audience!"

"Jie Jin? What is he here for? Why did he take the side door?"

Jiang Xinghuo was slightly startled. He was not familiar with Xie Jin. Strictly speaking, he heard that Xie Jin seemed to be somewhat dissatisfied with him in the past, both covertly and overtly.

"Perhaps you're here to pay your respects to the pier?"

Old Man Zhuo had experienced the ups and downs between Hongwu and Jianwen, so he naturally knew some inside information.

"In the first year of Jianwen, Xie Jin was recommended by Dong Lun (the former Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites mentioned above) before returning to the capital to serve as an Imperial Examiner. In the second year of Jianwen, Xie Jin was able to serve as the examiner of the palace examination. It was also Dong Lun. Senior people have made great efforts.”

"Don't look at Dong Lun as a minister. He is just too old to be promoted. His authority is no less than that of an ordinary minister. But now that Dong Lun has become an official, Xie Jin has no one to rely on in the middle and high-level officials of the court. Although he has a great reputation and is favored by the Holy Family, Although he is prosperous and has great power, in the end he does not work hard from top to bottom. He has a very bad relationship with his colleagues, and most officials avoid him, either jealous of his talent or disgusted with his arrogance and self-admiration."

"Is there still such a relationship?"

An old man in a humane family is like a treasure. Jiang Xinghuo's family is full of old men, and they can hear enough old stories and gossip. He really never thought that Dong Lun, a deaf old man who had not had a deep impression before, turned out to be the solution to the problem. Jin is the backer of the court.

"No matter what the purpose is, there is no reason to turn him away. Let Xie Jin come in."

A moment later, a thin man wearing a blue round-collar robe slowly stepped into the courtyard. This man looked about thirty years old, with regular and elegant features, sharp eyes but a hint of fatigue, as if he had been completely exhausted. It seems like I am overwhelmed by life.

"I've met the Imperial Master."

Xie Jin bowed and saluted.

"No need to be polite. Please sit down, Mr. Jie."

Jiang Xinghuo raised his hand and pressed it softly, indicating to Xie Jin to find a chair and sit down.

"Thank you, Imperial Master, for giving me a seat."

Xie Jin cupped his hands and thanked him again, then sat down immediately.

This style of painting is wrong, right?

Jiang Xinghuo looked at Jin Jin carefully. From the expression and posture on his face, he couldn't see anything unusual. Even the movements he made just now when he bowed and thanked him didn't have any big flaws. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have seen it with his own eyes. We even have to wonder if I have remembered something incorrectly. Xie Jin does not have any arrogant or aloof character at all. Instead, he appears to be as gentle as jade, humble and polite.

Of course, this is just Jie Jin's appearance.

Nowadays, people have to bow their heads under the eaves, and once people like Xie Jin gain power and their arrogance breaks out, it will definitely catch people off guard and make them unbearable, because they don't need to pretend, they are arrogant in their bones.

"Master Jie, is there anything important to do with this visit?"

Jiang Xinghuo asked with a smile, his tone was nothing special, but everyone could hear that there was a hint of warning in his words. If there is nothing important, don't waste everyone's time.

Jiang Xinghuo is certainly qualified to speak like this. The Ming Dynasty's reforms are in his hands. He is His Majesty the Emperor's most trusted confidant. His status is comparable to that of the prime ministers in the past. It can be said that, except for the current Queen and His Royal Highness, he is considered to be at the pinnacle of power. People, let alone just Jie Jin, can speak so rudely if he is willing, even when facing high-ranking officials such as the Six Ministers and the Duke of the State.

What's more, in this huge Ming Dynasty, there is probably no one who dares to be on an equal footing with him and can control him. Not even the emperor can do this. Jiang Xinghuo and Zhu Di each get what they need. In a cooperative relationship, Zhu Di needs him to reform and strengthen the country to achieve his goal of becoming an emperor through the ages, while Jiang Xinghuo needs Zhu Di's power to realize his ideals.

Therefore, in the first round when the two sides met, Jiang Xinghuo was extremely tough, or in other words, extremely confident to put pressure on Xie Jin in this way.

Jie Jin's eyes were calm. He naturally knew that Jiang Xinghuo was trying to intimidate him.

So Xie Jin gave up decisively.

Xie Jin stood up solemnly, and just when Jiang Xinghuo thought he was going to do something radical out of anger, Xie Jin bowed his head to the ground.

"——National Preceptor, save me!"

Jiang Xinghuo and Zhuo Jing were both silent.

"Could Shidu Jie be joking?"

"I don't dare."

Jie Jin quickly stood up and saluted: "I came here today just to ask the Imperial Master for a way out, and I hope that the Imperial Master will help!"

Jiang Xinghuo raised his eyebrows: "Looking for a way out?"

Xie Jin smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, I know a secret that I shouldn't know."

Well, you can always trust Xie Jin's integrity.

No, as soon as he turned around, he sold Wang Yan.

What do you say about Xie Jin? He has no moral integrity and only wants to be promoted quickly and gain power.

Will Jie Jin accept Jiang Xinghuo? Wen Wu is number one, so I don’t necessarily feel particularly convinced.

Nineteen-year-old Xie Jin would never be able to do such a thing.

But after so many years of wastage, Xie Jin has successfully realized the importance of power. It doesn't matter if he feels uncomfortable, the key is to be able to climb up.

Jie Jin has given up everything in order to climb up.

When he abandoned his friends who had promised to die for the country and was the first to kneel in front of Zhu Di's horse to pray for a position, dignity and so on were no longer important to Xie Jin.

It can only be said that Wang Yan was too naive in thinking about Jie Jin.

Xie Jin is not stupid. He complains about his official career, but he still understands how to climb up quickly.

How can I climb faster now? Of course it’s a reform!

With the emperor's support and Jiang Xinghuo standing in the way, the eldest prince was forced to express his stance. What was Xie Jin afraid of? He doesn't have to be the first person.

Xie Jin gradually learned about Wang Chen's plan through drinking, in order to sell Jiang Xinghuo at a good price. Wang Chen really thought that Xie Jin had taken the bait.

And after Jie Jin got some information and other contents of the plan, but Wang Hao refused to say anything about it, Wang Hao naturally lost his use value in Xie Jin's place.

The active skill [Selling Friends for Glory] is activated. Each time it is activated, a friend who has been released from Jin is consumed.

"It's a long story. I have a friend."

When Xie Jin finishes talking about what happened yesterday, anyone with any brains will know that this matter is by no means simple. Wang Chen will not do useless work. Since Wang Chen chose to do this, there must be a reason. The biggest reason is naturally Change the law and launch an attack.

"What on earth did he say to you?"

At this point, Xie Jin was unwilling to confess unconditionally.

"I heard that Vice President Zhuo. Ahem."

Xie Jin glanced at Zhuo Jing, and Jiang Xinghuo suddenly realized that Xie Jin had good news.

"I hope the National Preceptor can help me find a good job as the Vice President of the President's Reform Affairs Office."

Like the presidents in Xie Jin's "Records of Taizu" and "Yongle Dadian", whether they are presidents or vice-presidents, they are only dispatched, not permanent official positions. Therefore, there is no specific limit on the grade of the staff, but it is different from the ones who compile books. What's different about the project is that if you participate in presiding over the reform, you will obviously have much greater power. Once you make achievements, it will be very easy to be transferred and promoted. It can be said that this is the place where achievements are most likely to be made in Ming Dynasty.

Jie Jin's eyes were firm and his tone was sincere.

Obviously, this is Xie Jin's exchange condition.

When talking about business, you can't expose all your trump cards from the very beginning. There has to be some pull.

"Jie Jin is realistic, but by doing this transaction, I can rest assured that many people will want something, so that I can take advantage of it."

Jiang Xinghuo thought to himself, but there was an indifferent look on his face: "How do you think I should trust you?"

Xie Jin was silent for a long time and then whispered: "I can tell you a secret first, the Imperial Master. After you listen to it, you can decide whether to do this deal or not."

"Oh? What secret?" Jiang Xinghuo suddenly became interested and stared at Xie Jin with great interest.

Jie Jin said slowly: "I know who is behind all this."

As soon as he said these words, Jiang Xinghuo's expression finally changed slightly, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"You tell me first and listen to it. If there is solid evidence, of course it will be okay."

Jiang Xinghuo did not agree immediately. This matter involved many aspects, and if you were not careful, it might be self-defeating, and it would be easier for the enemy to take advantage of it.

Xie Jin hesitated for a moment, seeming to have some scruples: "This secret is of great importance and should not be allowed to be heard by others."

Zhuo Jing, however, didn't move at all. He sat beside him, twirling his beard and looking at Jie Jin with a smile.

Xie Jin's benefactor Dong Lun didn't dare to say this in front of him, but Xie Jin was really arrogant. Is there really any secret in this temple that Zhuo Jing couldn't hear?

"Don't worry, if you tell me and Mr. Zhuo, not a word of the conversation in this room will be leaked to the outside world!"

Jiang Xinghuo solemnly promised.

Hearing this, Xie Jin nodded and uttered two words.

"Bao Zhao."

Hearing this, Jiang Xinghuo's pupils suddenly shrank, and his face suddenly became gloomy.

It's him!

Bao Zhao, a native of Luzhou, was an upright and upright man. He was well-known for his thrift and frugality and was deeply respected by the people. During the Hongwu period, he served as an official of the Imperial Academy. In the 28th year of Hongwu, he was promoted to Zuo Duyu of the Imperial Procuratorate. In the 30th year of Hongwu's history, he was promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and he was promoted to minister in the following year.

In the first year of Jianwen, Bao Zhao served as an interviewer in Peiping. He learned that King Zhu Di of Yan was plotting a rebellion. He secretly reported to Emperor Jianwen and asked for preparations to be made in advance. Emperor Jianwen then sent Peking Mansion and surrounding generals and officials who were close to Zhu Di They were all transferred away, and the three guards of Yanshan were whittled down again and again, so that only a few hundred palace guards were left around Zhu Di.

It can be said that half of the pig shit that Zhu Di pretended to eat was stuffed by Bao Zhao.

In September of the same year, Zhu Di launched the Jingnan Campaign. Emperor Jianwen set up the Pingyan Chief Envoy in Zhending Mansion, and asked Bao Zhao to concurrently serve as Pingyan Chief Envoy with the title of Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment. He was in charge of raising troops and food for the Zhending camp. In all matters, Zhu Di continues to fight on the front line.

The Zhending Camp straddles the Jingxing Road from Shanxi to Hebei, which is naturally conducive to an invincible position. Moreover, the Hutuo River runs through Hebei, and the Zhending Camp is also upstream of it. It can cut off the Yan army's food route southward through the Hutuo River at any time. .

Objectively speaking, Bao Zhao, the chief envoy to Pingyan, did a very good job. Although the Zhending camp suffered repeated heavy losses, under Bao Zhao's careful deployment, logistical supplies shipped from Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and other places And the soldiers and civilians who have been recruited can always quickly recover their strength in a short period of time.

Bao Zhao from Zhending Camp in Hebei and Tie Xuan from Dezhou Camp in Shandong are the two people Zhu Di hates the most, even more than Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng.

No matter how many times Li Jinglong sent them, these two civil servants with MAX coordination ability could always make up for the losses quickly.

The Battle of Jingnan entered its fourth year. Zhu Di calculated that he had wiped out hundreds of thousands of Confederate troops on the battlefield, but the two camps were still stuck on both sides like pliers, with He Fu and Ping An stationed there. The Xuzhou camp formed a stable triangular pocket formation.

Of course, Zhu Di knew that he could not delay any longer. In the end, under Yao Guangxiao's plan, Zhu Di led the main force of 200,000 Yan troops to drive south in a desperate manner, exposing the flaws in his own retreat. At the same time, he stormed Huaidian, forcing Zhending and The two Texas camps caught up.

Relying on the Yan army's high mobility, Zhu Di turned around and counterattacked, forming a local battlefield strength advantage, defeating each southern army one by one, and defeated the main force of the southern army in one fell swoop in the decisive battle of Lingbi, and then crossed the river in a large scale.

Ping An and other armies were defeated, and Bao Zhao also followed the defeat from the front battlefield and returned to Nanjing. At the time when Li Jinglong opened the Jinchuan Gate and surrendered, unlike Jiang Xinghuo, who was lying in prison and waiting to die, he was unwilling to end his anti-Yan cause. Bao Zhao, however, managed to escape during the chaos of war.

Bao Zhao was the most senior official of the Jianwen Dynasty, and he had been on the frontline battlefield of Pingyan for four years. Zhu Di even commented that he was an extremely difficult opponent.

A person like Bao Zhao has a strong planning ability, a good vision, a firm belief, and a ruthless heart. Not to mention that there is a small group of elite soldiers brought all the way from the Zhending camp around him who are devoted to him, who can cause The harm is really immeasurable.

Xie Jin continued: "According to what Wang Chen said, Baozhao has been operating secretly for the past year, and has also attracted many forces in the court. This time it will be launched, not only in temples, but also in Shilin and There are also plans in the Imperial College and other offices. They believe that the reform will greatly harm the interests of the gentry, and the gentry originally wanted to establish a civil and false emperor. Once the contradictions intensify, they will take advantage of it."

Jiang Xinghuo knocked on the armrest of the chair and said, "Then why don't you join them?"

Jie Jin smiled bitterly: "The Imperial Master is joking, how could I take refuge in them? It's so powerful, but they are just maggots working in secret, but the remnants of Jianwen such as Bao Zhao do have a great influence in the court. They are not explicitly trying to restore Jianwen, but they are just attacking the reform. If so, it may be a hindrance to the national division's reform plan."

Jiang Xinghuo handed the blank paper that Guo Jing had brought from the Imperial Academy to Xie Jin and asked, "Is this one of their plans?"

Xie Jin was well-informed because Emperor Yongle admired him. However, Xie Jin actually had few connections among his colleagues and even students. Therefore, Xie Jin was not aware of the fresh information that Guo Jing brought back in a hurry.

"I really don't know about this. Wang Chen only told me what I need to do when launching an attack."

After careful observation, Jiang Xinghuo discovered that the shock on Xie Jin's face was not fake.

Therefore, Xie Jin should only know from Wang Chen that they had a plan to attack in an all-round way, but Wang Chen was very tight-lipped about how to do it. He did not tell him, only told Xie Jin what he wanted to do.

"Then what exactly are you going to do in their plan?"

"Send a letter."

Xie Jin said frankly: "On the [Anniversary of the Death of Taizu], they organized people to cry collectively in front of all the officials in the capital, and I will use my writing skills and identity to write a letter together to add fuel to the flames. No need. To criticize the reform, you only need to continue to mention my Jingtian system and Zhouli."

What does crying in the tomb mean?

It is to cry at the grave in front of the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Gao, the great ancestor of the Ming Dynasty!

This was a slap in the face of the reformists at the most important temple event in the first year of Yongle, watched by the whole world.

This is to tell the world that the laws of our ancestors are immutable!

At the same time, he secretly told the world again that Zhu Di's rise to power was inconsistent with the laws of his ancestors!

The reason why Wang Yan is sure that Xie Jin can participate is that what Xie Jin needs to publish is a low-risk matter.

Jie Jin clings to Zhou Li and Jing Tian Zhi every day, and everyone regards him as a fool in a certain sense, so if he repeats the same old tune, no one will associate him with any secret activities.

Moreover, Wang Chen was sure that after Dong Lun retired from office and returned to his hometown this year, Xie Jin had no backing in the court, so he must have been panicking, and Wang Chen could help him introduce a few big shots. Of course, these big shots did not necessarily follow Bao Zhao and Zhao colluded together, but the network of human relationships is very complicated.

There may be another question here. Can't Jie Jin change his family?

The answer is of course no.

Without a certificate of nomination and no introduction by an intermediary, who would dare to accept Jin?

It can be said that it was Jie Jin who made his own way, or in other words, made it through.

Yes, when there was no way out, Xie Jin realized that he actually still had a bright road.

You can be a little brother to anyone, so why not embrace the thickest thigh?

In this way, even if he is not the boss, he is still considered the boss 1.5.

In Wang Chen's imagination, he really never thought that Xie Jin had the option of "surrendering to the enemy".

Through long-term observation of Xie Jin and Xie Jin's heartfelt revelations, Wang Yan firmly believed that Xie Jin was extremely unconvinced and even jealous of Jiang Xinghuo.

With Jie Jin's arrogant heart, how could he bow to Jiang Xinghuo and join the reform sect?

You know, everyone knows that the reform may fail at any time. How short-sighted, or crazy about power, would someone join the reform faction at this time?

Unfortunately, Xie Jin had both.

After hearing everything Xie Jin knew, Jiang Xinghuo narrowed his eyes and said, "In that case, we have to do something big."

Zhuo Jing asked: "What big event?"

"Pre-emptive strike."

Zhuo Jing hesitated and said: "National Master, the risk of doing this is too great. Why don't we hold our troops for now and wait for the news from Duke Rong to come back before we make a decision."

Jiang Xinghuo shook his head and said decisively: "This should be done sooner rather than later. We have to take advantage of his illness to kill him."

"But."

Zhuo Jing was still a little hesitant, but Xie Jin instead handed over his hand and said, "I would like to serve as a pawn of the Imperial Guard, and I would like to ask for the Imperial Guard's orders."

"No rush, we have enough chips."

Jiang Xinghuo smiled slightly: "This rotten ship they sailed is already riddled with holes. As long as we can seize an opportunity, we can sink it in one fell swoop."

"Where is the opportunity?" Xie Jin's eyes lit up.

"Isn't it about the laws of the ancestors? To restore the old Hongwu system, we must first rectify the academic style of the Imperial College."