Chapter 222 Cold-Hearted
Huang Xizhai.
He passed the imperial examination in the 14th year of Chenghua, was selected as a scholar, and was appointed as an editor of the Hanlin Academy.
During the Hongzhi period, he was transferred to the Hanlin Academy, served as a deputy official in Jiangxi and an academic official in Guangxi, and later became a tutor in Nanjing Hanlin Academy. He was promoted to Nanjing Imperial College Jijiu, and then Shao Zhanshi, and finally promoted to Hanlin Bachelor.
This is a famous scholar, especially after being promoted to Hanlin Bachelor, he is a well-deserved literary master.
In order to select the best from the best, the Ming court established the system of scholars, called Xuanguan. Among the new scholars of the year, those who ranked high, had potential, were young and talented, and took the second exam to select the best.
The specific process is that the newly-appointed Jinshi first study in the Hanlin Academy for three years, during which they are taught by experienced people in the Hanlin Academy and taught various knowledge. Then they take the exam again. Those who pass the exam will stay, known as the "Liuguan", and work in the Hanlin Academy or walk in various government offices. They have the responsibility of explaining classics to the emperor, and are known as "reserve ministers", which is one of the important sources of assistant ministers in the Ming Dynasty cabinet.
The remaining unqualified ones are sent out as local officials. Generally speaking, their ranks are not too low, and prefects or slightly lower ranks are more common. Therefore, after the establishment of the Shujishi system, whether or not a Jinshi stays in the academy after passing the exam has become a very honorable experience.
Some Hanlin can enter the Wenyuan Pavilion, cooperate with the cabinet, enter the administrative center, participate in the affairs of the government, advise the government, and prepare for the emperor's consultation.
For example, the former Cabinet Prime Minister Liu Jian and the current Cabinet Prime Minister Li Dongyang both took this path. They entered the Hanlin Academy through the imperial examination, and then were selected from the best to enter the Wenyuan Pavilion to assist the cabinet in handling government affairs. By the way, they entered the Eastern Palace as a close minister to the crown prince. After Emperor Hongzhi ascended the throne, they could immediately change from a deputy to a full-time position, and officially enter the cabinet as a university scholar, enter the administrative center, participate in the affairs, and advise the court.
Especially Liu Jian, the Eastern Palace imperial tutor, from the moment he became the imperial tutor, his administrative route had been forcibly planned, and the highest position was the Cabinet Prime Minister, just like Yang Tinghe who has just entered the cabinet.
Therefore, although Hanlin is an idle civil servant with no administrative power, the eldest Hanlin scholar is only a fifth-rank official, responsible for compiling books and writing history, drafting edicts, reading for royal family members or serving as a literary attendant to the emperor, serving as an imperial examination examiner, etc.
However, Hanlin scholars are close to the emperor and are close ministers at the center of power. They can quickly become high-ranking officials and even enter the cabinet. Their status is extremely noble. Moreover, those who can enter the Hanlin Academy are all talented scholars who are well-read in poetry and books, and they are mainly selected through the imperial examinations. Therefore, the Hanlin Academy is respected and regarded as the center of the literati.
Although the power of Hanlin scholars has been seized by the cabinet, their status and position are still there, and no one dares to despise them.
As soon as Huang Xizhai made a statement, he wanted to split the power of Li Dongyang, the chief minister of the cabinet.
Li Dongyang was only a university scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion before, but because he was in charge of Hanlin Academy and relied on his status as a leader in the literary world, even Zhu Houzhao did not dare to dismiss him directly.
In fact, academic officials such as Hanlin scholars basically do not participate in court struggles.
They are also suppressed by the cabinet university scholars, and they themselves have no administrative power, so there is no need for any struggle.
The only possible struggle may be the struggle among the people in the Hanlin Academy, for the sake of choosing a good future, for entering the Eastern Palace, etc., but they really have no say in the court.
However, Li Dongyang, who colluded with eunuchs, must not be in charge of the Hanlin Academy.
Huang Xizhai couldn't afford to lose face, and all the noble Hanlin in the Hanlin Academy couldn't tolerate such a thing!
So Huang Xizhai had to speak up, even if Li Dongyang is now the chief minister of the cabinet, but so what?
Since you dare to do it, are you afraid of others' criticism?
What's more, Huang Xizhai's is not an attack!
He just goes with the flow.
The great scholar spoke up, and naturally others couldn't sit still.
Xie Qian, the Grand Secretary of Jinshen Palace, also said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, what Huang Xueshi said is true."
"Since Li Xueshi has been ill for a long time and the cabinet affairs are quite busy, it is indeed not appropriate for him to continue to take charge of the cabinet affairs."
"I think that Yang Tinghe, the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, has just entered the cabinet and is not familiar with the cabinet affairs. He can take charge of the Hanlin Academy affairs to cultivate his ability to govern."
Xie Qian's words were naturally not to seize power for himself.
He himself is not a person who covets power, otherwise he would not have resigned in anger before.
Mr. Mu Zhai has always hated evil, and Li Dongyang's collusion with eunuchs is obvious. Naturally, he is more dissatisfied with him. When he thinks of the old man Liu Jian's exhortation, Li Dongyang must not be allowed to dominate the cabinet. So at this moment, Huang Xizhai proposed to strip Li Dongyang of his power. Xie Qian was naturally happy to do so. He seized the opportunity to give the Hanlin Academy to Yang Tinghe first!
After all, there are only three Grand Secretaries in the Cabinet. Xie Qian took the initiative to propose Yang Tinghe. Do you, Li Dongyang, dare to interfere?
The wonderful thing about Xie Qian's proposal is Yang Tinghe's identity.
Why?
Because Yang Tinghe is the Emperor Zhengde's teacher!
Because he is the Emperor's teacher, Yang Tinghe's career path will be the same as Liu Jian's, from the Hanlin Academy to the East Palace and then to the Cabinet, and finally promoted to the Cabinet's Chief Minister!
So, letting Yang Tinghe take charge of the Hanlin Academy is naturally a very beneficial thing for His Majesty the Emperor!
His Majesty the Emperor will definitely agree, and the other civil officials and scholars will naturally be able to accept it.
They originally wanted Xie Qian to take charge of the Hanlin Academy, but considering Xie Qian's hatred of evil, they were still a little scared. Besides, Xie Qian himself recommended Yang Tinghe, so there was nothing to say.
As long as Yang Tinghe did not make any political mistakes, he would be promoted to the chief minister of the cabinet sooner or later. In this case, why bother to make enemies with him because of this trivial matter?
It is better to make a good relationship!
Therefore, Wang Ao, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Han Wen, the minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Sheng, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, Yang Yiqing, the minister of the Ministry of War, Min Gui, the minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and Li Shan, the minister of the Ministry of Works, and other important officials of the court all spoke up to second the motion, requesting His Majesty the Emperor to appoint Yang Tinghe to concurrently manage the Hanlin Academy and deprive the chief minister of the cabinet, Li Dongyang, of his authority.
Li Dongyang saw this scene and bit his lips tightly, but did not dare to say any words of rebuttal.
In fact, he had nothing to say.
A minister should not be in charge of two things, this is the usual rule of the country.
If Li Dongyang dares to refute now, he will lose the support of the people and arouse public anger!
To be honest, the key issue is the bad reputation of "Eunuch Party"!
Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao deliberately sounded the drum to make the recent turmoil in the capital public, just to give him Li Dongyang the bad reputation of "Eunuch Party", making him Li Dongyang lose the support of the people and be rejected by the scholar-official group!
This is the fierce counterattack of Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao!
However, even if Li Dongyang figured it out, he could not do anything.
The civil and military officials in the court are not fools. Those who can stand in this hall to attend court are all old foxes who have been ups and downs in the officialdom for decades.
Even if Tang Hao can't produce any evidence, how can Li Dongyang and Liu Jin's actions be hidden from these old foxes?
If you do it, you do it, and if you don't do it, you don't do it. It's clear at a glance!
Liu Jin still instructed Song Yu to get Li Dongyang's son Li Zhaofan out of the imperial prison, and then planned this drama with Li Dongyang. The ministers were not blind or deaf. Combined with the matter of Tang Shaozong, they naturally understood what Liu Jin and Li Dongyang did!
It doesn't matter whether Tang Shaozong was killed by Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao or really committed suicide!
The important thing is that Tang Shaozong's death is indeed related to Li Dongyang!
Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao wanted to use Tang Shaozong's life to make the secret collusion between Liu Jin and Li Dongyang public, and to label Li Dongyang as a "eunuch party"!
Is it illegal to collude with eunuchs?
Of course it is not illegal, so it can't bring down Li Dongyang, the chief minister of the cabinet.
But this is immoral!
At least in the eyes of civil officials and scholars, this is a capital crime that deserves to be cut into pieces!
Not to mention that the person Li Dongyang colluded with was the damned Liu Jin, who had just used the "Imperial Road Letter Case" to humiliate the civil officials and gentry, causing the official Ma Wensheng to become seriously ill due to sun exposure, and causing three old officials to die from sun exposure!
Such a crazy eunuch who messed up the country, you Li Dongyang dared to collude with him, what on earth did you have in mind?
Are you still a person, Li Dongyang, and do you still have face?
Based on the hatred for the eunuch Liu Jin, the civil and military officials in the court also hated this Li Dongyang!
If it weren't for the fact that Li Dongyang hadn't been the chief minister of the cabinet for a few months, the ministers would have wanted to pull him down directly!
However, crazy attacks and impeachments are definitely inevitable, at least Li Dongyang can't be allowed to be the chief minister of the cabinet safely!
Liu Jian is an old official who can only smooth things over. The civil officials and gentry all want to drive him out of the court when they get the chance. Why do you, Li Dongyang, a eunuch party who colludes with eunuchs, want to sit in the position of the chief minister of the cabinet?
In fact, the best solution is that Li Dongyang should be more sensible and take the initiative to submit his resignation after leaving the court, and then retire and return home, so that both sides can leave some dignity.
But will Li Dongyang do it?
Is he willing?
Of course he is not willing!
He has been ups and downs in the officialdom for decades, dragging his sick body to survive, just hoping that one day he can succeed Liu Jian as the chief minister of the cabinet so as to realize his political ambitions.
As a result, he has become the chief minister of the cabinet, but he has not even sat on the seat for a long time, and he is asked to resign and retire on his own initiative. How is this possible?
Besides, based on what Li Dongyang has done over the years, plus the deadly enemy of Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao, once he resigns and retires, his end may be miserable!
Therefore, Li Dongyang could only look at the scene in front of him with a pale face, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing.
If an official reaches the position of the Prime Minister of the Cabinet and the Nine Ministers, as long as he does not take the initiative to resign, even His Majesty the Emperor will not be able to dismiss him live.
For example, the Minister of War Liu Daxia could not withstand the pressure, so he took the initiative to resign, and then was dismissed by His Majesty the Emperor.
As long as Li Dongyang does not speak, he can continue to sit on the Prime Minister of the Cabinet!
Zhu Houzhao glanced at Li Dongyang with cold eyes, but it was a pity that this old guy was very ignorant!
Obviously you have been ill for a long time, and you have been the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, why don’t you know how to let go, kneel down and resign, and leave everyone with dignity?
Do I have to force you to resign and get out?
After a long look, Li Dongyang still did not speak, and Zhu Houzhao’s eyes began to become colder.
Good!
Very good!
That's really good!
You are a shameless person!
You really think I can't do anything to you, right?
Zhu Houzhao instantly turned his head to look at Tang Hao, his eyes full of anger.
Tang Hao met Zhu Houzhao's gaze and roughly understood the emperor's intentions.
In this case, let's add another fire!
Tang Hao knelt down directly on the ground and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, I was assassinated first and suffered unjust injustice. Please make the decision for me!"
"If I can't prove my innocence today, then I won't be alive. I might as well just hit my head on this pillar and die..."
Just as he was talking, Tang Hao stood up and wanted to hit the pillar, but fortunately, Mou Bin stopped him in time.
"No!"
"Zhongshan Hou! Absolutely not!"
Mou Bin hurriedly comforted him: "The Marquis of Zhongshan is like this, doesn't he just fulfill the traitor's wishes?"
"Then how do you want me to live?" Tang Hao was full of grief and anger, "You actually falsely accused me of being a barbarian, expelled me from my clan, and forced me, a descendant of the Tang family, to commit suicide to apologize. Doesn't this great Ming Dynasty have no justice? Is it okay?”
"The sun is shining brightly!"
"The sky is shining brightly!"
Looking at Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao who was "dead or alive", Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
This damn savage's acting is too poor.
If you really want to "hit the wall", with your endless energy, Mou Bin can still stop you!
Let's talk about it, let's talk about it, don't make fun of Ming Dynasty laws and regulations!
Zhu Houzhao immediately became "livid" and started clapping the case.
"Scholar Li, don't you have anything to say?"
When Li Dongyang heard this, he knelt down on the ground with a pale face.
Didn't he know that this was His Majesty the Emperor's message to him, and he would be wise enough to take the opportunity to resign and become an official. The matter ended here, the Marquis of Zhongshan was appeased, and the matter was over.
But the problem is that Li Dongyang does not dare to become an official, and he is not willing to do so!
So Li Dongyang gritted his teeth and spoke bravely.
"Your Majesty, I have nothing to say!"
"If you want to accuse someone, why bother?"
As soon as these words came out, the whole place was in an uproar!
No one expected that things had reached this point, and that Li Dongyang was still unwilling to take the initiative to resign, and wanted to continue to be the chief assistant of his cabinet!
You are so heartbroken!
Tang Hao stopped pretending and didn't bother to act anymore. He patted Mu Bin's hand to signal him to let go, and then knelt down on the ground again.
"Your Majesty, please re-capture Li Zhaofan and other officials involved in the case, and strictly investigate the assassination case of the Japanese deputy envoy!"
"Since Li Xueshi has repeatedly emphasized that he had no knowledge of this matter, I have reason to suspect that these are all the actions of his son Li Zhaofan. Please send him to prison and torture him!"
Hearing this, Li Dongyang suddenly raised his head and stared at Tang Hao with blood-red eyes!
If looks could kill, he would have wanted to cut the Marquis of Zhongshan into pieces with a thousand knives!
Tang Hao's words seemed to be defending Li Dongyang, but in fact they were extremely vicious!
Tang Hao took the initiative to put all the blame on Li Zhaofan, and wanted to use Li Zhaofan, Li Dongyang's stepson, to take the blame!
If he, Li Dongyang, had not spoken, then Li Zhaofan would have been tortured to death by the Jin Yiwei. How would the world view him, Li Dongyang?
It was obviously you who colluded with the eunuch Liu Jin to do the good deeds, but you asked your son Li Zhaofan to take the blame and die for you. Why is it so cold-blooded?
Even if your stepson, Li Dongyang, is not your biological son, he is still your nephew anyway. Plus, he has been serving you as a sick man all these years. Doesn't he have no emotion at all?
Nature has emotions.
Li Dongyang attaches great importance to Li Zhaofan and has long regarded him as his own flesh and blood to train and teach.
However, Li Zhaofan had no intention of pursuing an official career, so he did not take the scientific examination, just because he was granted some false positions.
The relatives around Li Dongyang died of illness one by one, including his nephew. Now only Li Zhaofan is left!
If Li Zhaofan was tortured to death because of this incident, not only would he, Li Dongyang, be blamed by thousands of people, but the old Li family would also be cut off from the line of succession!
Li Dongyang stared at Tang Hao with blood-red eyes. There was a battle between heaven and man in his mind, and even his lips were bitten with blood!
He was unwilling to resign and become an official. He was even more worried that he would suffer bloody revenge from Tang Hao, the Marquis of Zhongshan!
However, if he doesn't speak now, then the Marquis of Zhongshan will torture his only son to death!
This choice is too difficult!
All civil and military officials in the court were staring at Li Dongyang, waiting for his decision.
In fact, many officials were already shaking their heads secretly, completely disappointed with Li Dongyang.
How greedy are you for power that you hesitate at this moment?
Hesitating for one more second would be disrespectful to Li Zhaofan’s life!
He is the only adult direct male in your old Li family, and he has served you for so many years. How can you bear to have him take the blame for you for no reason, and then be tortured to death in prison?
This Li Dongyang's cold nature is really eye-catching!
In other words, you must not offend this kind of person, otherwise you won’t even know how he was tricked to death!
But since he has offended him, he must go to death to offend him and drive him out of the court directly to avoid retaliation afterwards!
Li Dongyang still gritted his teeth and refused to speak, and all the ministers could not sit still.
The General Constitutional Officer of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Zhang Fuhua, added fuel to the fire and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Censor of Huguang Road of the Metropolitan Procuratorate has recently petitioned for impeachment. The Chaling Li family has occupied an excessive amount of land, resulting in a large number of people becoming homeless and homeless. Rely on, I ask your Majesty to order a strict investigation into this matter!"
The Chaling Li family is naturally the clan behind Li Dongyang.
During the Hongzhi period, due to the inaction of Emperor Hongzhi, the Huguang Township Party rose up day by day and annexed land to seize the people's interests. Li Dongyang, the cabinet minister, and Liu Daxia, the minister of the Ministry of War, should bear full responsibility for this!
Zhang Fuhua stabbed Li Dongyang in the heart as soon as he opened his mouth!
Which gentry in the world does not annex land, and which does not farm and study to pass on the family?
Why do you have to target my Chaling Li family in public?
Li Dongyang could no longer bear it, and suddenly spit out a mouthful of old blood, and his eyes went black and he fainted.
Now, everyone was done for.
What a cold-hearted person!
He, Li Dongyang, did not resign after all!
He also used this drama of vomiting blood and fainting to try to get away with it!
But the person fainted, and he was nominally the cabinet chief minister, so His Majesty the Emperor would have to be concerned about it.
So Li Dongyang was immediately sent to the Imperial Hospital for treatment, but he was fine, but his family and his clan would suffer because of it!
"Investigate!"
"Throw Li Zhaofan into the imperial prison and torture him!"
"Send the imperial censor to Chaling to investigate the Li family's occupation of farmland!"