The Ming Dynasty's Spokesperson

The first assistant, Zhao Zhigao, was feeling a little unhappy. It was his first time as the first assistant, and Lu Guangzu, the censor of Zuodu, came out to object fiercely.

The key is that the emperor also approved Lu Guangzu's proposal, which made him feel like he was slapped in the face by Lu Guangzu.

Although he is not a domineering person, he is too disrespectful to the new chief assistant, right?

What does it mean to be slapped in the face as soon as you get on stage?

So Zhao Shoufu asked his fellow countryman Hu Yinglin to visit Wang Shizhen, the Minister of Civil Affairs, to see if he could regain his position.

After all, no matter what, Ting Tui must be presided over by the Minister of Civil Affairs.

The most famous literary critic today, Hu Yinglin, who has completed the masterpiece of literary criticism "Shi Sou", suddenly found that he seemed to have new value outside the literary world?

As we all know, the political climate of the imperial court largely depends on the relationship between the chief minister and the minister of official affairs.

If civil servant politics is compared to a long drama, then the chief minister and the official minister are the two eternal protagonists who love and kill each other.

Due to their sensitive identities, in order to avoid suspicion, the chief minister and the minister of official affairs generally do not communicate publicly, and often rely on intermediaries to convey messages.

But now, he, Hu Yinglin, is the best communication bridge between the chief minister and the Tianguan!

He and his chief minister Zhao Zhigao were very close fellow villagers from the same county. He and Tianguan Wang Shizhen had been friends in the literary world for twenty years and were successors in the field of literary criticism.

Therefore, no one is more suitable than himself to act as the middle person to coordinate affairs between the chief minister and the heavenly official!

Unexpectedly, at the age of forty, I can still discover a new track in life. What the sage said is really true. Only today do I understand what it means to be at forty without confusion!

So after receiving Zhao Shoufu's instructions, Hu Yinglin, who was preparing for the exam, excitedly went to visit Tianguan Mansion.

About an hour later, Hu Yinglin returned to Zhao Mansion and reported to Zhao Shoufu:

"Senior Wang said that no one knows elections better than him. Please rest assured, Chief Minister. No matter whether Lin Jiuyuan is in the capital or not, he will try his best to cooperate."

The implication is that everyone was supported by Lin Jiuyuan, and they should look after each other.

Zhao Zhigao said with some worry: "In your opinion, can Wang Tianguan attack Lu Guangzu's arrogance at the court?"

The outcome of the court trial really didn't matter to Zhao Shoufu. He only cared about whether he could fight back Lu Guangzu's "provocation".

Hu Yinglin thought for a while and then replied: "This junior is not familiar with Lu Guangzu, but he knows Senior Wang very well.

I think Senior Wang has been leading the literary world for decades. In order to support literary figures, he has conducted countless elections during this period, so there are various "five son" combinations.

Therefore, in the field of elections, Senior Wang is absolutely experienced, and he is very experienced in manipulating procedures, setting issues, and balancing factions.

The imperial court's recommendation was probably in a similar way. As long as you don't meet someone with strong martial virtues like Lin Jiuyuan, the old leader Wang should be able to control the situation. "

After listening to Hu Yinglin's analysis, Zhao Zhigao felt a little relieved. This is indeed true. Wang Tianguan is definitely the leading expert in the field of elections.

However, he also felt that little brother Hu Yinglin was a little excited tonight, so he asked tentatively: "After you finish writing twenty volumes of "Shisou", do you have any new creative plans?"

Hu Yinglin shook his head and answered truthfully: "This junior just wants to get the honor first and has no other ideas for the time being."

Zhao Zhigao said sincerely: "Lin Jiuyuan taught at the internal meeting of Xinxinshe that the relationship between literature and politics is interactive. Literature will be affected by politics, and it can also have a certain influence on politics.

Lin Jiuyuan also pointed out at the literary conference that the reality of literature should be strengthened to reflect the characteristics of the times, highlight the style of the times, and reflect the essence of the times. "

Hu Yinglin's eyes were clear and confused. Senior, what do you mean by suddenly saying this?

Zhao Zhigao said angrily: "It seems that your "Shisou" was only published during the Jiajing Dynasty?

What I mean is, let you rewrite "Shi Sou" and add another volume.

As for the content of the new volume, it is dedicated to commenting on Lin Jiuyuan’s poetry! "

Hu Yinglin: "."

Is this "literature influenced by politics"? Is this "strengthening the reality of literature"?

He was also worried about his fellow countryman Zhao Zhigao, and said: "If you really want to get into politics in the future, it will be of great benefit to you to re-revise "Shi Sou" like this!

It is much more useful than writing in books such as "Spring River Flowers and Moonlight Night alone is the most popular in the Tang Dynasty", "Climbing high to the top of the Seven Rhymes of Ancient and Modern Times" and so on! "

Hu Yinglin: "."

Is this "literature can also have a certain impact on politics"? Is this "literature must reflect the characteristics of the times"?

"Do you understand what I mean?" Zhao Zhigao asked again.

Hu Yinglin sighed and replied: "Old seniors don't know something. 'Spring River Flowers and Moonlight Night alone is the most popular in the Tang Dynasty' and 'Deng Gao is the first of the seven ancient and modern rhymes' are not my original creation.

These formulations were pointed out to me by Lin Jiuyuan at the Suzhou Literary Forum six or seven years ago. It cannot be said that they are completely useless. "

Zhao Zhigao: "."

Suddenly it's hard to say. Is this an improvement or a degradation?

However, it is also understandable that when a person's close senior from the same county becomes the first assistant, and at the same time, a literary teacher whom he has known for twenty years becomes the minister of the Ministry of official affairs, how many people can not forget their original intention and insist on continuing to be a prodigal son in the literary world?

Two days later, the last year-end drama of the imperial court in the 19th year of Wanli was staged. The ministers of the foreign ministry were ordered to recommend ministers.

Still at the same place, Wang Tianguan came to the east room outside the Meridian Gate early and carefully asked the Jinyiwei Officer School to place more braziers.

Compared to reading boring personnel files in the Ministry of Personnel, Wang Tianguan found that he liked the court recommendation occasion more.

Looking at the Meridian Gate next to the East Court Room, Wang Tianguan secretly sighed that since he entered the court, he had never attended the morning court.

Although it was very painful to attend the morning court every day, it seemed that his life was a little incomplete if he didn't attend it once.

The ministers and assistant ministers of various ministries, the chief censor and deputy chief censor, the Dali Temple, and the Tongzhengshi arrived one after another.

Lu Guangzu also came early, his eyes swept back and forth in the crowd, and he repeatedly calculated the number of votes in his mind.

The iron votes of the Qingliu forces and the Shanxi and Shaanxi gangs included himself, the Left Chief Censor, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice Sun Piyang, the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Liu Yukui, the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Sun Yu and the Right Assistant Minister Yang Junmin, the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites Zhao Yongxian, and the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice Shao Bi, adding up to six or seven votes.

The iron votes of the remnants of the Lin Party and the Shen Party should include Wang Tianguan of the Ministry of Personnel, Ye Mengxiong, the Minister of War, Zhou Cai, the Minister of the Supreme Court, Xu Shen, the Minister of Public Administration, and possibly Zhan Yangbi, the Deputy Chief Censor, and Wang Yongji, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, adding up to five or six votes.

The others are essentially floating votes, but there are too many people who are dissatisfied with Lin Tailai, such as Li Chun, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Shi Xing, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Zhong Zhenji, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, who have all offended Lin Tailai.

As for the two factions of Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Revenue, and Chen Yubi, the Minister of Works, they would not be so naive as to support the Lin Party just because they had dealt with Lin Tailai, right?

So overall, the advantage is still on me!

Seeing that more than 20 ministers had arrived, Wang Tianguan stopped dawdling and stood in front of the crowd.

However, Wang Tianguan did not start the nomination process directly, but said: "Please ask the ministers of each department to come out and set a rule first!"

Then the nine ministers came out, and Wang Tianguan said to them separately: "You should all understand that the current situation of poets is actually a lack of successors, and there are very few people who are suitable to enter the cabinet."

Wang Tianguan's words seemed very abrupt and even derogatory, but no one could refute it because it was a fact visible to the naked eye.

As mentioned earlier, the cabinet ministers in recent years are very young. The average age of Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and Wang Jiaping is only 56 years old. When they first entered the cabinet, they were only in their 50s.

As for Zhao Zhigao, who is 68 years old, it is because he was very old when he passed the imperial examination. In terms of academic achievements, he is later than Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue.

And Cilin is a place that pays great attention to the relationship between seniors and juniors, with the unspoken rule that seniors give priority and juniors give way.

So where did the seniors who are older and more qualified than Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and Wang Jiaping go?

It can only be said that the past two or three decades have been an era of high-intensity political struggles in the cabinet, and they have been continuous and endless.

After the high-intensity struggles in the cabinet in the late Jiajing period, the Longqing period, the early Wanli period, the Zhang Juzheng period, and the post-Zhang Juzheng period, the poets who were closely related to the cabinet had long been consumed by the great waves.

Those who stood with Yan Song were liquidated by Xu Jie, those who stood with Xu Jie were liquidated by Gao Gong, those who stood with Gao Gong were liquidated by Zhang Juzheng, and those who stood with Zhang Juzheng were liquidated by Emperor Wanli.

How many poets can survive the major hurdles of Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng without falling?

Some people say that as long as you can stand in the officialdom, then the 20-year history from the end of the Jiajing period to the eleventh year of the Wanli period can slap the face of those who say this.

This is why a group of cabinet ministers in their fifties have appeared in recent years, because there are really no old people.

Now even these "young" cabinet ministers in their 50s have resigned. Wang Tianguan said that there is a "lack of successors" among the poets, and no one can find a reason to refute it.

Seeing that everyone agreed with his point of view, Wang Tianguan showed a standard smile and continued: "Therefore, I think that the candidates for this cabinet minister recommendation can be not limited to poets, but should be selected regardless of qualifications and rank."

Everyone knows that there is a saying that "only Hanlin can enter the cabinet", which clearly explains the qualification requirements for cabinet ministers.

Of course, there are some exceptions in reality, but they are just exceptions.

Everyone was secretly surprised. Wang Tianguan wanted to make an exception again this time by using the "lack of successors" as an excuse?

And then many people suddenly realized that Wang Tianguan wanted to make an exception for himself?

Although the actual power of the Minister of Personnel is super great, perhaps even greater than that of ordinary cabinet ministers, what if Wang Tianguan really has a "prime minister complex"?

No matter how ordinary the cabinet minister is, he can be honored as a "prime minister". No matter how powerful the Minister of Personnel is, he is only one of the six ministries.

Before most people could figure out Wang Tianguan's proposal of "regardless of qualifications", two ministers suddenly jumped out at the same time.

What was even more surprising was that the two ministers almost shouted in unison: "Agree!"

Then the two ministers looked at each other, and the scene suddenly became a little awkward, and then the two ministers retreated silently.

Everyone saw clearly that one was Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Revenue, who was the Minister of Rites three months ago; the other was Chen Yubei, the Minister of Works, who was the President of the Hanlin Academy three months ago.

Both of them were Jinshi in the second year of Longqing, and their resumes were extremely similar. They were selected as Shujishi in the Academy after they passed the imperial examination when they were young, and then they were promoted all the way in the system of poets.

Even their age was the same, both were 47 years old, which could be called the young and vigorous faction, and their official positions were also Shangshu.

If they were recommended according to the normal routine, the next wave of cabinet ministers would probably be these two people.

After all, there are not many old poets now, and there are too few poets who meet the requirements.

Even if we rank them by seniority, these two ministers who were born as poets have a very high priority.

Although they are young, they are the same age as the 68-year-old Prime Minister Zhao Zhigao.

Thinking of this, everyone suddenly realized again. No wonder the two ministers jumped out excitedly and loudly supported Wang Tianguan's proposal of "regardless of qualifications" to expand the scope of candidates.

Because these two young ministers don't want to join the cabinet at all, and they don't want to do it even if they are beaten to death!

Wouldn't it be nice to fish in the two yamens of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, which are not so politically sensitive? Why go to the cabinet to wade into muddy waters?

Three months ago, one ran from the Ministry of Rites to the Ministry of Revenue, and the other ran from the Hanlin Academy and the Zhanshi Mansion to the Ministry of Works.

They don't want to take up a noble position, and they don't hesitate to flatter Lin Tailai to go to the general affairs yamen. Doesn't it show that they want to stay away from disputes?

Several old bureaucrats over 60 sighed that the next generation of young people is really useless!

Either they escape or lie down, and they have no sense of responsibility and responsibility. They are really a lost generation!

But Lu Guangzu, the oldest, was a little panicked. The situation doesn't look good!

Originally, in his calculation, he did not count the two independent factions of Yu Shenxing of the Ministry of Revenue and Chen Yubei of the Ministry of Works as the Lin Party!

But he did not expect that the old man Wang Shizhen actually took advantage of the psychology of these two useless ministers who did not want to join the cabinet to pry their positions.

Isn't Wang Shizhen the most famous official in recent decades? Where does he get this ability to maneuver?

Others did not expect that it was just a small-scale preparatory meeting, and the confrontation had already begun inadvertently.

Ye Mengxiong, the Minister of War, also slowly stood up and said: "I agree with the proposal of not limiting qualifications."

Zhou Cai, the former governor of Jiangnan and the Minister of Dali Temple, and Xu Shen, the Tongzhengshi from Suzhou, also came out to second the proposal.

Because the Minister of Rites was vacant, there were actually only eight of the Nine Ministers who held the preparatory meeting.

Now there are six people who support the "not limiting qualifications" proposal, including the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of War, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Dali Temple, and the Tongzhengshi.

What does "not limited to qualifications" mean? It means that the qualifications are not limited to being a Hanlin poet, and the rank of the poet is not limited to the conventional third rank or above, which greatly expands the selection.

Left Censor-in-Chief Lu Guangzu and Minister of Justice Sun Piyang looked at each other helplessly.

There are many people on our side, but there are a lot of assistant ministers! There are too few high-end combat forces at the level of Nine Ministers.

It's all Lin Jiuyuan's fault. I don't know how much luck he has taken away!

They had a perfect plan that could not only push people into the cabinet, but also pull down Zhao Zhigao, the prime minister, in one fell swoop.

But from the current situation, there are many more variables.

I don't know how many competitors will increase, and they are more random and unpredictable.