Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

Every month, there are eight rituals and regular court visits?

Wan An, Liu Ji and other officials exchanged silent glances, and Zhu Youtang finally took action against Zao Chao.

It's just that they also know in their hearts that the so-called thousands of officials listening to the government have little effect at all. Although Taizu's starting point was good, and all middle- and lower-level officials could learn in advance how the court handled government affairs, how many middle- and lower-level officials thought they would be able to participate in national affairs in the future?

Especially now that it has become a consensus that non-Hanlin officials should not join the cabinet. No matter how hard they work, middle- and lower-level officials will never have the opportunity to participate in national decision-making, so they have no enthusiasm for learning.

Emperors who really wanted to do things were not afraid of being called "lazy in government". For example, Emperor Chenghua reduced the number of early dynasties to free up more energy to deal with government affairs.

Now that Zhu Youtang made such a statement at the beginning of the New Yuan Dynasty, he already wanted to do a great cause and be a truly accomplished emperor, rather than a virtuous king who ruled from the top.

Xu Qiong almost didn't even think about it, and immediately expressed her position loudly: "Your Majesty is wise!"

After this Spring Festival, he will be one year older. As a sixty-three-year-old third-grade official, if he doesn't work hard, he will have no choice but to go home and retire.

"Your Majesty, your Majesty!" Liu Ji and Wan An exchanged glances and expressed their stance together.

Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and others naturally have no objections. In fact, even if the morning court is stopped, it will not have any impact on them. Even they themselves hate the formal morning court. What's more, everyone here is actually a beneficiary of the change. .

The vast majority of officials in the capital would probably agree that it is hard work to get up early every day to attend the morning court, otherwise there would not be so many officials absent every time.

Zhu Youtang knew that he could not just ask officials to do something for him. Occasionally, he had to reward them with a sweet date. He came up with a plan and said: "This dynasty's Zhengdan, Lantern Festival, and Winter Solstice have a total of 18 holidays. I think The holiday is still too short! My birthday is on the third day of July. Since the beginning of my reform of the Yuan Dynasty, the Wanshou Festival holiday has been set from the first to the tenth day of July, a total of ten days of holiday. What do you think?"

Because Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang worked hard to govern, he abolished the ten-day holiday system since the Tang and Song Dynasties. Only common people enjoyed "five days and one holiday for bathing". Other officials did not have such treatment, and only retained the New Year's Day and Winter Solstice festivals.

During the Yongle period, Zhu Di added a ten-day holiday for the Lantern Festival, and then a three-day holiday for the Wanshou Festival, making a total of 21 days of holiday.

Although Zhu Youtang agreed to take fewer holidays, he felt that this holiday was indeed too little, so he wanted to make a fuss about his Wanshou Festival by extending the originally scheduled three-day period to ten days.

"Your Majesty, is the ten-day holiday for Wanshou Festival too long?" Li Si, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was stunned for a moment, but he still bravely expressed his stance.

Wan An and others did not speak, but they all raised their heads and looked at Zhu Youtang. They actually had the same thought as Li Si.

There is nothing wrong with giving a lie to hundreds of officials, but if you throw it out for ten days at a time, this pie can completely knock out a large number of officials, and it is already a Lantern Festival holiday.

"Since I am benevolent to all officials, I must be more sincere! I will not care how my descendants plan their Wanshou Festival holidays in the future, but the Wanshou Festival during my reign will be based on me. I don't know, it will only be two or three. It's a matter of years!" Zhu Youtang had economic considerations in mind, so he insisted on his position.

Judging from the 70 million taels of silver Li Zicheng copied from Beijing, the largest consumer market in this era is probably not wealthy businessmen, but these civil servants and the Wuxun Group.

Instead of letting them stay in the court every day to plot against each other, it is better to find an excuse to give them more holidays to have fun, which can also drive consumption in the capital.

My birthday happens to be in the middle of the year, so it's actually quite appropriate to have such a holiday.

Two or three years ago?

The corners of the mouths of the ministers present twitched slightly, looking at the young emperor with complicated eyes.

Many people said that their important minister was an old fox, but little did they know that the young emperor in front of him was simply the incarnation of a thousand-year-old fox, and he always liked to portray himself as the weak one.

Earlier, Zhu Youtang had portrayed himself as the target of being captured, but in the end, he backhandedly seized the military power of the 12th Battalion, causing a bloody storm.

Now the young man is only eighteen years old, but something happened "two or three years ago". Anyone who dares to disobey this "short-lived" emperor is being disloyal and unfilial.

An eighteen-year-old emperor has such a method. Does this allow his ministers to live?

Wan An and others have gradually become accustomed to being played with in the midst of applause, so they expressed their stance together: "Your Majesty is in the prime of his life, and his family relationship will last forever, and he will respect your decree!"

When Zhu Youtang saw that his proposal to extend the Wanshou Festival holiday was passed, he looked at the important ministers in the palace and asked, "Do you have any instructions?"

Wan An made a thoughtful expression. Although he remembered that he had prepared a proposal, his mind was blank now and he could not remember what it was about.

"Your Majesty, I have a request that I don't know whether to say or not!" Jia Jun, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, saw that Wan An had not spoken for a long time, and immediately stood up and said, cupping his hands.

When He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, saw Jia Jun standing up, he immediately snorted in his heart. This time, there was such a delay in the supply of military supplies for the SHIELD camp. It was really shameless for this minister to have the nerve to stand up.

Zhu Youtang didn't have a good impression of Jia Jun, but he still seemed to be open-minded and said: "I have summoned you and other important officials here to discuss important matters of the country with you, but there is no harm in saying so!"

Liu Ji and others turned to look at Jia Jun curiously, but they didn't know what national policy Jia Jun wanted to contribute. However, they had the impression that this minister of the Ministry of Industry, who was born in Juren, was not a talented person in governing the country.

If he had any merit, it was that he was indeed a good hand in architecture. Otherwise, he would not have had the chance to become Minister of the Ministry of Industry as a candidate.

"I just heard what your Majesty said. From now on, this dynasty will focus on palace rituals but not on family rituals. Important matters of the country will be discussed here. But is that so?" Jia Jun was not in a hurry to put forward his proposal, but confirmed it first.

He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, looked at Jia Jun with hostility, but couldn't help but accuse: "Jia Shangshu, are you deaf? Your Majesty just said this. What is your intention in asking again?"

Zhu Youtang also didn't understand why Jia Jun mentioned this matter again, but he didn't know what trouble this minister was going to have, so he looked at Jia Jun calmly.

"Your Majesty, I just met several palace maids in the palace road, and I was very frightened. Therefore, I thought that it was inconvenient for me and others to come to the palace to discuss state affairs from time to time!" Jia Jun ignored He Cong and put his He hesitated to speak out.

Huh?

Wan An and others found that what Jia Jun said did make sense. It would indeed be inappropriate to frequent the palace in the future.

The maids of the Ming Palace should not be treated as ordinary maids, and the maids of the Qianqing Palace should avoid it. After all, the majesty in front of me was born from a palace maid, and Concubine Shao, who gave birth to three princes, was also a palace maid.

According to rumors, Hongzhi now invites three or five palace maids to play on the dragon bed every day before going to bed. It is said that he often bullies a palace maid named Jin Ling as soon as he gets up until he cries before going to court.

Now these seven important ministers often come in and out of the Qianqing Palace, and it is inevitable that they will meet the eyes of these maids who may be queens or concubines in the future. It would be a heinous crime to have bad thoughts.

Not to mention that Jia Jun's concerns are completely unreasonable, they are completely reasonable.

Without waiting for anyone else to react, Jia Jun came up with a plan and said: "Your Majesty, I have a bold idea! I heard that Your Majesty likes to ride horses in Xiyuan, and also wants to fish by the large liquid pond in summer, and Xiyuan is very suitable for summer. To escape the summer heat. I think that the Ministry of Industry can build a new palace near Xiyuan Gate to handle government affairs. In the future, ministers and others can go to the new palace to discuss important national affairs, so that your majesty can work and rest. The new palace is far away from the inner court, and it can also be used as a place to deal with government affairs. It is used as a place to nourish the heart. Mencius said: No good way to nourish the heart is to have few desires.”

Some unbearable rumors also reached Jia Jun's ears, so in order to show his loyalty, he thought of "a few desires".

ah?

He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, originally wanted to find fault with Jia Jun, and even stood up and stabbed Jia Jun in the back, but after hearing this, he couldn't help but look at Jia Jun in shock.

This is to force me to leave!

Wan An originally felt that the toady Xu Qiong was a threat to him, but now when he saw the proposal put forward by Jia Jun, he suddenly felt that it was better to be better than someone who was good at it.

Planning to build a new palace, and choosing it in the Xiyuan, His Majesty's favorite place, can be said to be a real choice.

How could His Majesty give up such a talent so easily?

Liu Ji and others turned to look at Jia Jun. They never expected that Jia Jun would think of building the Heart Cultivation Palace, but they knew that the sect had added another general.

Jia Jun felt the shocked gazes around him and couldn't help but feel secretly proud.

Are these bastards who want to see their downfall shocked? Since pretending to be pure cannot be reused, then he is naturally the most loyal minister in the world.

"Jia Qing, did you just think of this?" Zhu Youtang really didn't realize the beauty of building a new palace while he was there, so he couldn't help asking with interest.

He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, turned to look at Jia Jun, but he could hear the joy hidden in Zhu Youtang's tone, and he knew that he was already inferior to the Minister of Education.

Jia Jun met Zhu Youtang's eager gaze, but he replied honestly: "I dare not deceive Your Majesty! I have few talents and little knowledge, unlike the ministers present who are all top scholars. They can only make up for their lack of talent by thinking day and night." , I hope I can relieve you of your worries and repay your majesty for your extraordinary promotion! Now that I heard that your majesty intends to summon the ministers here for discussion, I remembered the wonderful idea of ​​building a new palace that I had conceived earlier, so I propose this plan to your majesty today. I hope I can share your Majesty’s worries!”

Wan An and others looked at each other. Jia Jun seemed to be complimenting them, but it didn't seem like it.

It's just that everyone knows in their hearts that Jia Jun is going to stand in the camp of the imperial party, and he is so aggressive that he might steal their honor in the future.

"Do you think it is appropriate for Jia Qing to build a new palace in Xiyuan?" Zhu Youtang was not in a hurry to finalize the proposal, but looked at the important ministers present.

Naturally, Li Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and others had no reason to object, and immediately expressed it together: "Your Majesty, it is wonderful to build the Yangxin Palace. I second my opinion!"

"Your Majesty, if the Yangxin Hall is built in Xiyuan, and if you handle government affairs in the Yangxin Hall in the future, will it be too far from Wenyuan Pavilion?" Wan An was worried when he thought that the cabinet was in a bad situation.

Huh?

Liu Ji also realized that the status of the cabinet was very close to that of the emperor. If they were too far away from His Majesty, they would inevitably lose the emperor's heart.

Once they lose the emperor's heart, their cabinet will undoubtedly be the biggest loser in the "move to the palace".

Jia Jun did not want his proposal to be rejected, so he immediately put forward a supplementary plan: "Nanzhai can be set up in the south of the main hall, which can be used as a residence for important ministers. In this way, the two pavilion elders can also be worthy of Nanzhai to accompany the king!"

Du Ming, the Minister of Justice, saw that Jia Jun could change so flexibly, and he had to look at this Minister of Juren with admiration.

"Mr. Wange, I am afraid that you will have to work with me in the new palace. I wonder if you are willing to go?" Zhu Youtang always felt that this setting seemed familiar, so he turned to Wan'an and asked.

How could Wan'an veto it, unless he really didn't want to do it anymore, and immediately expressed his position: "If I can get closer to your majesty, I will naturally wish for it, and I have no worries!"

"In this way, the Yangxin Palace has been decided, and Jia Qing will be responsible for this!" Zhu Youtang also felt a little yearning for the new palace, and looked at Jia Jundao with a smile.

It has to be said that people really cannot have too deep prejudices, nor can they lightly label a certain minister.

The minister of the Ministry of Industry in front of him is not a rebellious minister who is against him. He is clearly his caring little cotton-padded jacket, a loyal minister who sincerely shares his worries.

Although staying in Qianqing Palace is not bad, if you build Yangxin Palace in Xiyuan, you will have more space for activities, and you can even plan more important things.

Especially this Nan Zhai already has great magical effects.

"I accept the decree!" Jia Jun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately expressed his position in a hurry.

Judging from Hongzhi's expression, he finally got a slap on the horse's ass this time, and his hard work during the holiday was worth it. Not to mention whether it can be reused in the future, at least the black gauze hat on this head is saved for the time being.

He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, saw the development of the situation and felt very disappointed.

He originally thought that among the seven people present, the one farthest from the Sacred Heart was Jia Jun, the Minister of Education, but suddenly this guy flew up the branch. Now, as luck would have it, it was him, the left minister of the Ministry of War, who was behind the wheel, and the black gauze hat on his head became even more precarious.

"He Qing, please stay for a moment while the others leave!" Zhu Youtang noticed He Cong's disappointed expression and said calmly to the important ministers present.

Wan An and others didn't understand why Hongzhi left He Cong alone, but the Holy Heart was so unpredictable that they immediately bowed to Zhu Youtang respectfully and resigned.

He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, was secretly happy, and he cupped his hands to Zhu Youtang and said: "Please give me your Majesty's instructions. I am willing to go through fire and water for your Majesty without any hesitation!"

The sunshine outside was still bright, and at the beginning of the first year of Hongzhi, the important ministers of the Manchu Dynasty finally rolled up inadvertently.