The Ming Dynasty's Spokesperson

If we talk about Zheng Guotai, we must first talk about his sister Zheng Guifei, who was the most favored concubine of Emperor Wanli.

Moreover, in history, Concubine Zheng had been with Emperor Wanli for thirty-eight years, and she had always maintained her favor. She did not have the title and etiquette of a queen, but she had the status of a queen in the harem.

For the third son of the emperor, who was born to Concubine Zheng, Emperor Wanli was able to fight with his ministers for twenty or thirty years, making him the fourth most affectionate person in the Ming Dynasty.

The first is Emperor Taizu Gao versus Empress Ma, the second is Emperor Xianzong versus Concubine Wan Gui, the third is Emperor Xiaozong versus Empress Zhang, and the fourth is Emperor Wanli versus Concubine Zheng.

Concubine Zheng, who often played the role of the villain in later novels, movies and TV shows, was not actually a vicious person, but she was also a concubine who was quite capable of making things difficult. Many of the "strange cases" in the Ming Palace that were talked about were similar to those of Concubine Zheng. Concubine Zheng is related.

Zheng Guotai, who signed up for the Jinke martial arts test, was Concubine Zheng's only biological brother and the backbone of the Zheng family.

Thinking of this, Lin Daguan felt that he might have been affected by the "butterfly effect".

Historically, Zheng Guotai definitely did not participate in the martial arts examination, just as there was definitely no martial arts champion in the 14th year of Wanli.

Could it be that he attracted Zheng Guotai after he pulled off the stunt of becoming the number one martial artist in the Ming Dynasty?

The relatives of the Zheng family certainly did not lack the emperor's care and were often criticized by ministers for excessive rewards. However, what the Zheng family lacked was a legitimate reason to receive special grace and something that could bring honor to the family.

Seeing that Lin Tailai's performance was extremely abnormal, Shen Shixing reminded him: "Are you sure you still want to win the top prize in martial arts? In fact, this top prize in martial arts is not that important."

Another important reason why martial arts is not taken seriously is that there are only so many ways out.

Unlike the liberal arts, where a Jinshi scholar is a clear stream, Sandingjia enters the Imperial Academy directly and is known as the "celestial being in heaven" in the official circles.

Wu Jinshi did not have these honors. During the Zheng and Hong years after the martial arts examination system was formally established, military attachés who were awarded Wu Jinshi were promoted one level from their original officials. Ordinary people who were awarded Wu Jinshi were awarded experience, governor, and inspection status. Wait for low-level official positions.

Even if you get the first place in the martial arts test, the military attache's salary will be raised by two levels, and ordinary people will be awarded the fifth rank and a thousand households.

It was not until the chaos broke out in the north and south of Jiajing that Wu Jinshi's salary became slightly better. Ordinary people and low-level flag schools also had positions such as Fangzhen staff, battalion leader, castle garrison, and camp coach to choose from.

In the eyes of Chief Assistant Shen Shixing, Lin Daguan is so talented and has many opportunities, so he really doesn't have to stick to martial arts.

If the chief assistant tried his best and braved the pressure of being scolded, and Bao Lintai came up with a liberal arts education, it would not be a big problem.

Therefore, there is really no need to compete with martial arts. Even if you have a liberal arts background, it will not affect your hobby of using guns and sticks to kill enemies.

Of course, it's not that the first assistant is afraid of Zheng Guotai. Under the Ming Dynasty's system of suppressing the power of relatives, it would be a joke if the first assistant couldn't even suppress his relatives.

In the final analysis, it is still a question of cost-effectiveness. When Shen Shoufu calculates the profit and loss, the most important thing he likes to pay attention to is cost-effectiveness.

I feel that it is not very cost-effective to fight against the favored Zheng family for a useless martial arts champion.

Lin Tailai replied: "Originally, it doesn't matter if I don't win the top prize in martial arts, but when I see Zheng Guotai also coveting it, I have to fight for it!"

Shen Shixing: "???"

What's your logic here, Lin Tailai? Why can't you understand it at all?

I have never heard of it before. You, Lin Tailai, have a grudge against the Zheng family. Why did you target Zheng Guotai like this?

Shen Shoufu asked again: "In addition to the top pick, there are also second and third picks, which are not much different."

"I'm already No. 1 in Suzhou and No. 1 in South Zhili. How can I give up being No. 1 in Beijing?" Lin Daguan said without hesitation.

Shen Shoufu can only understand Lin Tailai's mentality as a young man who is willful and does not think too much about gains and losses. What he wants is face.

After all, Lin Tailai had previously spread the word throughout the capital that he would take first place in the martial arts test this time and complete the great cause of three yuan in martial arts.

It would indeed be quite shameful if the first place was inexplicably snatched away by a relative who appeared out of nowhere.

Finally, Shen Shoufu said: "Since you want to be willful, then go ahead. Anyway, you still have a few days to think about it."

It's not a matter of life and death. Lin Tailai can do whatever he wants.

Lin Tailai said deeply: "It's not that I'm willful, it's that you are willful for the sake of Prime Minister Shen. When Prime Minister Shen understands what benevolence and righteousness is, he will come back and be willful with me."

Shen Shixing didn't want to continue talking nonsense with people who didn't speak human words, so he waved his hand and wanted to drive Lin Tailai away.

But Lin Tailai seemed to be unwilling to say: "It would be a bit of a fuss if we only target Zheng Guotai to cause trouble."

Shen Shixing asked in confusion: "What else do you want?"

Lin Tailai said thoughtfully: "I heard that the imperial court is going to elect a new Minister of Household Affairs recently. When competing with Zheng Guotai for the No. 1 Military Scholarship, how about hunting rabbits and getting a Minister of Household Affairs back?"

Is the Minister of the Ministry of Finance just a rabbit in your eyes? Shen Shoufu asked in shock:

"You compete with Zheng Guotai to win the title of Military Scholar, and you compete with the imperial court to elect the Minister of Household Affairs. Are these the same thing?"

Lin Tailai said confidently: "It can be the same thing."

But Shen Shixing did not intend to continue talking with Lin Tailai. He waved his hand and said, "Don't think too much, just prepare for your martial arts test with peace of mind!"

Shen Shoufu, who is cautious by nature, has three main considerations. First, when he controls the personnel department, the household department is not so attractive.

Second, Li Zhi's forces have just been expelled. If he is eager to directly intervene in the selection of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, it may cause a backlash from top to bottom.

Third, as a Suzhou native, it is best to avoid suspicion when it comes to selecting the Minister of Household Affairs. After all, there was an ancestral motto from the time of Emperor Taizu Gao that Suzhou people were not allowed to serve as officials in the Ministry of Household Affairs.

But Lin Daguan said very grandly: "Since I have no intention of applying for the Prime Minister, I will arrange the candidate for the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue myself!"

Shen Shixing couldn't help but laugh: "Do you think the affairs of the temple are like drinking at home? If you have the ability, just do it yourself!"

After coming out of Shen Shoufu's place, Lin Daguan, who had just finished his big words, was a little troubled. It was not that he had no solution, but that he lacked candidates.

Standing in the courtyard, Officer Lin couldn't help but look up to the sky and sigh. The foundation is still too weak. When faced with such a good opportunity, there are no reliable party members.

Among the officials in the court, apart from Shen Shixing, the only ones who had some contact with them were the Wang family in Shandong Xincheng.

Other than that, there was no one who could speak.

But thinking about the Wang family's attitude towards him, Lin Daguan felt a little unhappy.

But if attitude problems are excluded, the Xincheng Wang family is indeed a very good candidate for party membership, and can continuously provide Jinshi-level talents.

Apart from the Xincheng Wang family, which family can produce more than ten Jinshi in one generation? And the abilities are not too bad.

Thinking more broadly, there are many officials from Shandong, but top bosses are very scarce, which is perfect for recruiting as party members.

Several years later in history, in addition to the Donglin Party, there were also the Qi Party, the Zhe Party, and the Chu Party in the imperial court. Among them, the Qi Party was a group of Shandong officials.

Other Zhejiang Party leaders were cabinet bosses like Shen Yiguan and Fang Congzhe, but the Qi Party leader only reached the rank of governor in the end.

Also on this night, Wang Zhiyuan Shao Situ, the head of the Wang family who was co-opted as a party member by the extremely bored official Lin, sneaked into the residence of Yang Wei, the Minister of Civil Affairs.

In fact, it was Yang Tianguan who invited Wang Shao Situ over because Wang Shao Situ had a thin skin and was not used to asking for help.

If Yang Tianguan hadn't invited him, Wang Zhiyuan might not have taken the initiative to visit him at this time.

Wang Shaositu was from Shandong, and Yang Tianguan was also from Shandong. There was a close friendship between them.

Yang Tianguan is seventy this year. He is a generous man and has mediocre achievements. He can be the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs only because of his seniority.

He is so senior that he has held many official positions. If he is not the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, there will be no position for him.

After all, Yang Tianguan was a Jinshi in the 26th year of Jiajing, also known as the famous golden generation. His peers were Zhang Juzheng, Li Chunfang, and Wang Shizhen in the same year.

In other eras, someone who could become the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs might have been a leader in the group of the same age.

But Yang Tianguan was so dazzling in the same year. There were only three bachelors, two of whom were chief assistants, making Yang Wei less famous.

Of course, Shen Shoufu still likes Yang Wei very much now, because Yang Wei is loyal and obedient and respects the authority of Shoufu very much.

Therefore, although Yang Wei, a living fossil, is over 70 years old, he is still supported by Shen Shoufu to become a Heavenly Official in the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Yang Tianguan invited Wang Shao Situ here, of course, for the imperial court to select a new Minister of Household Affairs.

Generally speaking, there are three sources for selecting ministers of the Ministry of Household Affairs. The first is to transfer lower-status ministers such as the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Work; the second is to transfer a minister from the six departments of Nanjing; the third is to promote a senior minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs to the position of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Shangshu.

Wang Shao Situ, as the senior left minister of the Ministry of household affairs and the governor of Taicang, is certainly qualified to be a candidate for minister of the Ministry of household affairs.

Yang Tianguan said: "Today I screened the list, and there are two most qualified people.

One is you, and the other is Song Hu, the Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing. The conditions of the others are not as good as yours. "

Wang Shao Situ smiled bitterly and said, "This opportunity is really rare."

Yang Tianguan said: “There is only one competitor, and it is indeed a very good opportunity, but it is also not easy.

Song Qi will definitely get the full support of Qingliu forces. He and Shen Li, the Minister of Rites, are both from Guide Prefecture in Henan Province, and Xin Zixiu, the censor of Zuodu, is also from Henan Province. One can imagine their strength. "

As the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Yang Tianguan knew the affairs of the imperial court very well, and he gave guidance:

"If you want to compete with the forces behind Song Qi, the only one is Shen Shoufu, but no one can say whether Shen Shoufu has someone else in mind.

I've already mentioned you to Shen Shoufu, but I can't do everything for you. You still need to go to see Shoufu yourself. "

Wang Zhiyuan said in embarrassment: "My family and the chief minister have never had a close relationship. If we seek help from the chief minister on such a big matter, do we think we have a close relationship?"

Yang Wei resented the indifference of iron and said: "It's time to sacrifice one's life to seek mercy, and you still think about whether it's a simple matter of friendship?

If it were those people without integrity, they would have been unable to beg for help. "

Wang Zhiyuan gritted his teeth and said, "Then I will go to the Shen Mansion tomorrow to ask for an audience."

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