Chapter 156: Cabinet power reshuffle, is Yan Shifan going to reform?
Inside Yuxi Palace.
Jiajing sat upright on the highest throne.
On the left and right sides below, Prince Yu and Prince Jing were sitting upright, while Yan Song was still sitting on his small stool.
On both sides of the long table stood the Cabinet and the Imperial Household Department.
"Let's talk," Jiajing looked at the people below and raised his finger slightly, "Who will go first?"
Hearing this, Si Li Jian, Chen Hong and others put their hands in their sleeves, looking at their noses and their hearts, looking calm and composed. This kind of government affairs has nothing to do with them, it is the cabinet's job anyway.
Looking at the cabinet, Xu Jie stood in the front row, followed by Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Yan Shifan and Zhao Zhenji.
After hearing Jiajing's words, the first and second ministers naturally would not speak first. Gao Gong looked at Zhang Juzheng beside him, Zhang Juzheng looked at Yan Shifan beside him, and Zhao Zhenji also looked over.
Everyone present knew about Duke Yansheng's "Exhortation to Punish Yan". In their opinion, Yan Shifan would definitely not give up, so they were all waiting for Yan Shifan to make the first move, and then they would act accordingly.
However, when faced with the gazes of the Qingliu crowd, the young cabinet minister Yan Shifan said nothing and remained indifferent.
Well, it has a bit of Yan Song's style.
"Since everyone is looking at Yan Shifan, then Yan Shifan, you tell us." Jiajing naturally noticed the subtle atmosphere between the few people, and as for the reason, he knew it very well.
To be honest, if the Kong family hadn't stepped in this time, he would have forgotten about it.
The Kong family represents the entire Confucian school. Since the Ming Dynasty wants to develop a fairyland, it must complete the optimization in all aspects. It is time to change the status of Confucianism.
If one wants to attack Confucianism, then one cannot avoid the Kong family. And the person holding the knife is undoubtedly Yan Shifan.
"Yes," Yan Shifan solemnly stepped forward upon hearing the emperor's name being called, bowed and said, "The arrangements for Yingzhou Prefecture have been completed. It is expected that all wastelands will be reclaimed within one or two years, and then the military households can be arranged to be resettled on the island."
"I believe that within three years, Yingzhou Prefecture will be..." Yan Shifan paused, "It will be the place where the largest spiritual resources of our Ming Dynasty are nurtured!"
"It will provide the emperor and the court with an endless supply of spiritual resources, allowing me to achieve my great cause of the Imperial Immortal Path with unlimited ambitions!"
When everyone heard Yan Shifan speak and found that he didn't target the Kong family, they were all stunned and cast surprised looks at him.
However, everyone soon formed a judgment in their hearts and realized that Yan Shifan was planning something bad.
Who is Yan Shifan?
He is vindictive and narrow-minded. He has always bullied others and never seen others bully him. He has suffered such a great injustice this time. Can he endure it? Humph, if he can endure it, something terrible will happen!
"In addition," Yan Shifan reported to Jiajing solemnly, "The recovery of Yingzhou Prefecture this time was all due to the selfless efforts of our Ming soldiers. The commanders, such as Hu Zongxian and Tang Shunzhi, were excellent leaders and strategists. I think we should reward these meritorious officials."
After saying this, Yan Shifan bowed to indicate that he had finished speaking.
However, he finished speaking, but this was not what everyone wanted to hear. They were all waiting for you, Yan Shifan, to open fire. Why are you so calm? This is not in line with your style, Yan Shifan!
Among them, the most anxious was Yan Shifan's old rival Gao Gong. He had even prepared to block Yan Shifan's attack after he opened fire on the Kong family, but the other side failed to fire.
How is this possible?
At this moment, Gao Gong suddenly felt like he had an arrow ready to shoot, but suddenly lost his target, leaving him with no idea where to shoot. It was really uncomfortable.
"It is indeed necessary to reward him," Jiajing nodded slightly, then looked at Yan Song and said, "Lord Yan, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty, I think what Yan Shifan said makes sense," Yan Song bowed slightly, speaking in a submissive tone, "Now the second phase of land reform is progressing smoothly, and even faster than expected."
"I'm afraid it will be all done in two years, and by then our Ming Dynasty will enter a brand new future. In addition, in the future our Ming Dynasty's territory will also expand, and the territory will be vast..."
"So, I think the number of people in the cabinet should be expanded," Yan Song said, glancing back at Xu Jie and others, and then said, "The third and fourth stages of land reform will be closely related to the military. If there are capable military officials in the cabinet, it will be convenient to discuss countermeasures."
Hearing this, an inexplicable look flashed across Xu Jie's eyes, but in his heart, he did not accept Yan Song's proposal at all.
The future rising elites of the Ming Dynasty would be people in the military, and everyone knew this. Yan Song had already started planning this before, so it was not surprising that he brought it up at this time.
"Why not let Hu Zongxian and Tang Shunzhi join the cabinet as a reward? As for the army..." Yan Song paused, glanced at Prince Yu and Prince Jing imperceptibly, and continued, "The old ones have to move out, so the new ones can come up."
"Haha," he said, smiling more kindly, "The generals under Hu and Tang, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, Wang Chonggu and Ma Fang, are all rare talents."
"It's time to move these people's positions."
"The generals below will also be promoted because of this. After all, the country won the war, and the court should give them promotions and titles." After saying this, Yan Song took a deep breath and said, "Besides, I am now responsible for raising a large army of spirit beasts for the court."
"But I am a civil servant after all, and I know very little about military affairs. We still need to find someone who can take the lead. Hu Zongxian or Tang Shunzhi are both pillars."
By saying this, I was telling Jiajing clearly that I was going to hand over power.
Previously, Jiajing granted the Yan family a sacred piece of land on the outskirts of the capital, specifically for the cultivation of spiritual beasts.
The army of spiritual beasts will be equipped to the Immortal Guard of the future Ming Dynasty. Yan Song knows the pros and cons of this, and he doesn't want to touch the military power at all. Bringing it up at this time is a show of loyalty.
Of course, Yan Song did not want military power, but he would not hand over military power, the future "upstarts" of the Ming Dynasty, to others.
Be it Tang Shunzhi or Hu Zongxian, it doesn't matter who he is handed over to. The former was promoted by himself and he has done him a favor, while the latter is his student. Both of them are considered strict party members in the eyes of the world.
After Yan Song finished speaking, except for Jiajing, everyone present had different expressions and different thoughts in their minds.
"Old fox!" Gao Gong looked at Yan Song's back and cursed in his heart, "Everyone knows that Tang Shunzhi and Hu Zongxian are both members of your Yan Party."
"Arrange these two people to be members of your Yan Party. In the final analysis, you still want to fight for more say in this cabinet!"
"No, we must not let this old villain Yan Song succeed!" Gao Gong clenched his fists again and again.
He felt that today was really a bad day for him.
Not only did he not appreciate the joke on Yan Shifan, but he also heard that the old thief Yan Song was openly engaging in corruption in the hall.
However, at this time, those who had gloomy eyes because of Yan Song's words were not only Gao Gong and others, but also Prince Yu and Prince Jing.
The two of them also wanted to cultivate their own people in the cabinet. Prince Yu won over Wang Chonggu and Ma Fang, Prince Jing won over Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou, and Yan Song directly let Tang Shunzhi and Hu Zongxian enter the cabinet, which naturally harmed the interests of the two princes.
However, Yan Song obviously knew this, but he didn't care.
After Yan Song finished speaking, he stopped talking and waited for Jiajing's decision.
Jiajing naturally understood Yan Song's thoughts, and he was very clear about Yan Song's intentions.
"What Elder Yan said is very much to my liking," Jiajing said with a slightly relaxed expression, "As the territory of our Ming Dynasty expands and its territories are boundless, the number of cabinet members should indeed be increased."
As he spoke, Jiajing's tone paused slightly, and then he said: "But since it is to expand the cabinet, it has something to do with everyone present."
When the others heard this, they were all moved. It seemed that the emperor wanted them to express their opinions.
"Tell us all," Jiajing said, flicking his sleeves lightly, and said comfortably: "Speak freely, the number of seats in this cabinet..."
As he spoke, Jiajing smiled, raised three fingers, and said, "Three!"
Three places! When they heard about three places, everyone's eyes sparkled, even Yan Song didn't expect it.
He thought that if he took the initiative to hand over the power of spirit beasts to the emperor and then put forward Hu Zongxian and Tang Shunzhi, the emperor would definitely choose one of the two with military honors to join the cabinet, and he guessed that the emperor would definitely choose Tang Shunzhi.
The reason is very simple. Hu Zongxian was his disciple, and the reason why Tang Shunzhi was assigned to his side was very complicated. He had his own intimidation and inducement, so it can be said that he was forced to join.
Although he did help him sincerely, over the years, Tang Shunzhi, under the name of Yan's party confidant, did realize many of his ambitions and ideals.
There is some friendship between them.
But in terms of closeness, he is ultimately not as good as Hu Zongxian.
If the emperor had to choose one of these two people, he would definitely choose Tang Shunzhi.
At that time, the spiritual land for cultivating spiritual beasts was in his hands, and his Yan family had no shortage of various spiritual resources and spiritual beast resources. These were what he wanted, and he did not value power.
It can be said that he had already made this plan in his mind.
But what he didn't expect was that the emperor actually gave three places to join the cabinet. Yan Song began to think about it in his mind, secretly guessing the emperor's intention of giving three places.
Thinking about it, Yan Song glanced at the two kings and suddenly realized.
"Zhu Zai'e, Zhu Zaizhen," Jiajing mentioned the names of his two sons, "you also speak."
"Over the years, you two have helped me manage the cabinet, and I believe you both have your own opinions on state affairs."
"Yes, father." Prince Yu and Prince Jing stood up immediately.
"Third brother, please." Prince Jing raised his hand and was very polite. After such a long time, both of them had broken through to the first level of Qi training, but his training speed was always higher than that of Prince Yu.
I have been praised the most by my father!
"Well," Prince Yu nodded in response to Prince Jing's politeness, and said bluntly, "I recommend the former Ningxia governor, Ma Fang. He was originally a general stationed in Datong."
"He has resisted Altan Khan's army several times and made great contributions. He is also very skilled in military affairs."
"There is also the former Minister of War, Wang Chonggu. In terms of military ability, General Wang is not much inferior to Ma Fang. More importantly, he was also a hero in the battle of 'Burying Yinshan' in the 40th year of Jiajing."
"It can be said that she is more suitable to join the cabinet than Ma Fang!"
When Prince Yu mentioned the battle of "Burying Yinshan", he was naturally telling Jiajing that this person had already known about the immortals and hoped that this would increase the chances of recommending Wang Chonggu to join the cabinet.
The reason why Ma Fang is mentioned first and Wang Chonggu later is to use Ma Fang to highlight Wang Chonggu.
In fact, in terms of seniority, Wang Chonggu is more suitable after all.
"I have finished speaking." Prince Yu said and stood aside.
At this time, King Jing also said, "I recommend Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou." Then, King Jing also recounted the achievements and qualifications of Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou.
"Well, Prince Yu and Prince Jing have finished speaking. Lord Xu, do you have anyone you want to nominate?" Jiajing looked at Xu Jie.
Hearing this, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and Zhao Zhenji all looked at Xu Jie.
After all, Xu Jie was the leader of their Qingliu faction.
It would naturally not be appropriate for them to speak first before Xu Jie did.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Xu Jie first looked up at Jiajing above him, then stepped forward calmly and said, "Your Majesty, the person recommended by Lord Yan and the two princes is the one I want to recommend."
"These people are the pillars of the country," Xu Jie said, pausing slightly before continuing, "Except for these people, no one else is suitable. Only they are the most suitable."
"I have no one to recommend."
No one was nominated?! What does that mean? Is Xu Jie going to withdraw from the power struggle in the cabinet? Yan Shifan was stunned.
Of course, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were also surprised at this time. They couldn't understand why Lord Xu suddenly gave up.
They also have people from the Qingliu faction and the military honors who want to nominate candidates. Why should they give up at this time?
Lord Xu had told them long ago that in the future cabinet and court, military heroes would be the new elites of the Ming Dynasty.
At this time, instead of winning over military honors or building up one's own power, he chose to give up. What does this mean?
In addition, even Prince Yu and Prince Jing were extremely surprised.
"Is it possible that Xu Jie has lost his mind?" Among the people in the Imperial Household Department, Chen Hong raised his eyelids in surprise.
Such a good opportunity to win over the military honor, but he actually gave it up? I can't understand it. It's really hard to understand.
At this time, there were only three people in the cabinet and the Imperial Household Department, Lu Fang, Yan Song and Zhao Zhenji. Their eyes flashed and they understood Xu Jie's thoughts.
"This Xu Jie is a sensible man." Lu Fang glanced at Xu Jie, with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.
Yan Song still looked as if he was looking at his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose down, with his brows lowered, as if he didn't hear Xu Jie's answer.
He was not surprised by this answer.
Even in Yan Song's opinion, if Xu Jie recommended someone from the Qingliu faction to join the cabinet at this time, he would be out of his mind.
Zhao Zhenji, who was standing at the very end, had his eyes flashing as he looked at the furious Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng who didn't understand. He sighed in his heart and then walked out first.
"I think what Elder Yan and Elder Xu said makes sense. I don't have any candidate to recommend, so I ask the emperor to make the decision!"
Zhao Zhenji?! Seeing that Zhao Zhenji actually agreed with Xu Jie's approach, Gao Gong glared again.
Zhang Juzheng was stunned. He looked at Zhao Zhenji and then at Xu Jie, his eyes thoughtful. His intuition told him that Lord Xu was not a person who acted without purpose.
There is also Zhao Zhenji. His last national policy of "gathering land and reducing clan power" has proved that he is not incompetent. He is even a person who does not like to show his intelligence and has ulterior motives.
Such a smart person has chosen Lord Xu, so why should I be so impatient? I should just keep calm!
Zhang Juzheng decided to trust Lord Xu, so he stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, please make your decision."
Seeing Zhang Juzheng say this, Gao Gong gritted his teeth. Although he was upright and had a hot temper, he was not the kind of person who would be swayed by emotions and lose his rationality in major events.
"I second the motion!" Gao Gong suppressed his unhappiness and bowed.
At this point, the factions in the cabinet have become clear: Prince Yu, Prince Jing, the Yan Party, and the Qingliu, four factions.
Prince Yu and Prince Jing intended to cultivate new confidants in the cabinet, and the Yan Party had similar ideas. The Qingliu chose to sit on the sidelines.
Although on the surface, the Yan Party supports Prince Jing and the Qingliu Party supports Prince Yu, they are two major factions, and ultimately it is a fight between the two princes.
But ever since Hai Rui tore open the window paper between them last time, the two kings and the forces under their command have had an irreparable rift.
The two kings want to support new and completely loyal forces. These are two forces, while the Yan Party wants to support its own people.
As for the Qingliu, there were only four people in the cabinet including Xu Jie. Each of these four people had his own ideas and ambitions for governing the country, but they can also be seen as a whole.
Because although these four people are Prince Yu’s teachers, the future situation is unpredictable and the situation has already changed.
If the emperor really takes a concubine and really gives birth to other princes, then these four people will split into four factions at any time.
But at least for now, the four factions are exercising checks and balances, and no one will or can break the balance.
"Because this is the balance that the emperor wants. I cannot break this balance. I have to pave the way for the emperor!" Xu Jie lowered his eyebrows and eyes, but said secretly in his heart.
The only people who saw the deeper meaning of this were Lü Fang, who had been with Jiajing for many years, Yan Song, who was shrewd and knew Jiajing very well, and Zhao Zhenji, who had always been an outsider and a bystander.
Both Lu Fang and Yan Song knew the emperor well and understood that only by doing so could Xu Jie cater to the emperor's wishes and not cause trouble for the emperor. Zhao Zhenji, on the other hand, had a very good political sense.
"In that case, let me make the final decision," Jiajing said, watching the cabinet split up. He changed to a comfortable sitting position and raised his finger slightly. "In that case, let's select three people..."
"Hu Zongxian, Wang Chonggu, and Yu Dayou."
When they heard the final three candidates for the cabinet, everyone was stunned. This was completely beyond their expectations.
Why was it Hu Zongxian instead of Tang Shunzhi who entered the cabinet?
As for Wang Chonggu and Ma Fang, there is no difference between them. Just as Prince Yu said, Wang Chonggu has experience that Ma Fang does not have, that is, Wang Chonggu once served as the Minister of War.
But Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou also puzzled many people.
Qi Jiguang was talented and young, well, not too old for them, but still too young. However, Yu Dayou was so old, but he was selected into the cabinet.
At this moment, Yan Song didn't understand why the emperor didn't choose Tang Shunzhi, a "cleaner" person, but chose his own faction.
Could it be that he wanted to take the initiative to cut ties with Hu Zongxian? He didn't want any of his factions in the army? But if that was the case, didn't Hu Zongxian sit in the southeast before, and was the pillar of himself and the Yan Party in disguise? Why did it happen suddenly?
Yan Song's brows furrowed deeply.
For a moment, Yan Song, who was calm and composed and always seemed to have everything under control, began to speculate again in his mind.
"Do you have any objections?" Jiajing asked.
"We (your sons) have no objection. Our emperor is wise!" Everyone expressed that they had no opinion.
At this point, the three cabinet members have been determined.
"Okay, let's all go," Jiajing waved his hand, indicating that everyone could go, and then said: "Lord Yan, please stay and have dinner with me."
Hearing what Jiajing said, all the thoughts in Yan Song's mind were finally dispelled at this moment, and he already had the answer.
Others were curious, but they could only bow and leave.
"Lu Fang, cook." Jiajing stood up and waved his hand, then walked towards the side hall, and Yan Song hurriedly followed.
At this time, the Lingtian courtyard had been transformed into a vegetable garden. In addition to spiritual rice, there were also some spiritual vegetables. Jiajing's daily diet was also under the management of Lv Fang. For this reason, Lv Fang deliberately learned a new cooking skill in order to better serve his master.
Of course, there are not only some vegetable spiritual objects, but also some spiritual chickens and ducks that Yan Song raised in the spiritual land outside the capital. These have been fed with spiritual springs since birth.
When they grow to a certain size, they will be slaughtered and sent to the palace, and stored in Lu Fang's storage bag. After all, the storage bag also has the function of preserving freshness and keeping warm.
While Lu Fang was cooking, the cabinet members who had dispersed, especially Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and others headed by Xu Jie, all looked at Xu Jie with confusion, wanting a clear answer.
Then, Xu Jie told everyone all his considerations and the way out he could give the emperor.
"So that's it!" After listening to Xu Jie's considerations, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng suddenly understood.
At the same time, he began to admire Xu Jie more and more.
They only thought about gaining a say in the cabinet in the future, but they forgot that the emperor always wanted balance.
Now there is a rift between the two kings and them, and their relationship has changed from the original close relationship with common interests to a cooperative relationship.
Even if one day in the future the emperor has a new and more suitable prince, they will definitely choose someone else.
This is something that both of them are well aware of.
After all, the future is really long and they have a lot of time, and the great Ming Dynasty must have a more suitable person to help them realize their ambitions.
And this person must be the crown prince no matter what, but how to choose the crown prince can only be decided by the emperor himself.
If there are more princes in the future, then the candidate for the crown prince may not necessarily be one of Prince Yu and Prince Jing. As for the idea of appointing the eldest son instead of the most capable, it is completely unnecessary.
The current Ming Dynasty is no longer suitable to be used as a reference with any dynasty in history books.
In fact, there are only two main reasons for choosing the eldest son over the most capable one.
First, appointing the eldest son rather than the most capable one helps balance the interests of all parties and avoid divisions caused by disputes over inheritance rights.
At the same time, it can reduce the interference of officials in the selection of the crown prince and maintain the independence and authority of imperial power.
The second is to ensure the continuation of power.
The continuation of imperial power is the cornerstone of the court's stability and development. Choosing the eldest son over the most capable one helps ensure a smooth transition and long-term continuation of imperial power and avoids turmoil caused by the issue of the crown prince.
Finally, it is fairest to appoint the eldest son rather than the most capable one, but if you appoint the most capable one rather than the eldest son, how can you prove that you are the most wise?
There is only one way to prove it, and that is a bloody palace coup, such as in the Tang Dynasty or the Li family.
Li Shimin used his actions to tell Li Yuan that he was wiser than his elder brother Li Jiancheng, and this trend continued throughout the Tang Dynasty.
With this bloody historical lesson recorded in history books, emperors of later generations chose to appoint the eldest son rather than the most capable one. This was the safest way to prevent turmoil in the empire.
But this kind of turmoil is another matter for an immortal dynasty. The immortals have mysterious means and are immortal, so they have too much time to see who is most suitable to be the crown prince.
Even being a crown prince is not necessarily the best thing, but the title of crown prince can make many things easier.
None of Xu Jie and others are simple-minded, and they naturally see this clearly.
What is the purpose of cultivating immortality? To achieve immortality and ascend to heaven.
The reason they instigated Prince Yu and Prince Jing to fight for the position of Crown Prince was because the Crown Prince was the number one person under the Emperor, and the Crown Prince had the greatest power in the entire empire unless the Emperor interfered!
The prince can use the greatest power and obtain the most resources, and they, the ministers, will also gain certain benefits. As for the throne, they no longer thought about it after knowing that the emperor was practicing Taoism.
No one knows how long the emperor will sit on the throne. After all, the emperor can enjoy all the resources of the empire, and before he becomes an immortal, based on their understanding of the emperor, he is afraid that he will not give up the throne.
Therefore, the candidate for the crown prince is the person they will ultimately support and follow.
And all they need to do is to stick together as much as possible and build up their own network of connections in the court.
Let’s make sure that one day in the future, when the candidate for the crown prince really appears, the crown prince can only use them instead of other new confidants.
Of course, Xu Jie and others knew that the emperor thought so too.
Prince Yu and Prince Jing still did not wait for Xu Jie and others. After greeting everyone, they turned around and left.
Only Yan Shifan, looking at the dark clouds above his head, followed the crowd silently, not knowing what he was waiting for.
"Oh, young minister, are you waiting for minister Yan?" At this time, Gao Gong and others came out together, and seeing Yan Shifan waiting at the door, they couldn't help but speak, but there was a bit of mystery in their tone.
Gao Gong has not forgotten Yan Shifan's abnormal behavior today.
His intuition told him that Yan Shifan must be harboring evil intentions. After all, considering Yan Shifan's character, it was very unusual for him to remain calm after being so angry at Duke Yansheng.
As the saying goes, when something is out of the ordinary, there must be something wrong, so Gao Gong had to know Yan Shifan’s true thoughts so that he could respond as soon as possible.
"Brainless idiot!" However, as soon as Gao Gong opened his mouth and started talking, he was met with a cold mockery from Yan Shifan.
"Yan Shifan, you!" Yan Shifan scolded him mercilessly. Gao Gong was furious and was about to rush forward but was stopped by Zhang Juzheng. "Su Qing, calm down and don't lose your manners!"
"Why bother arguing with such a villain?"
"Villain?" Yan Shifan was already annoyed. He didn't understand why the emperor rejected Tang Shunzhi, who was offered to him by his own family, but only wanted Hu Zongxian, a "family member". When Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng provoked him again and again, he could not bear it anymore and started to curse!
"Zhang Juzheng, you know who the villain is!" Yan Shifan pointed at Zhang Juzheng and sneered, "You have done enough to be a whore and build a memorial archway for yourself, haven't you?"
"What are you talking about here, gentlemen and villains?"
"Do you dare to say that you, Zhang Juzheng, never thought of recommending your favorite candidate in the hall today?" Yan Shifan said, sneering repeatedly, "Your neck is about to break, right?"
"When you saw that Old Xu didn't stand up and push the man, your heart must have jumped out of your chest, right?" Yan Shifan turned his head and looked at Gao Gong.
Sometimes the truth really hurts.
Especially the person who said this, who was full of foul language and harsh words, and pointed out the truth directly.
For a moment, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, whose thoughts were touched, couldn't help but blush. Well, they were angry.
They admitted that what Yan Shifan said were their thoughts at the time.
Zhang Juzheng's face couldn't help but turn pale. He was indeed stiffening his neck and looking at Xu Jie.
Gao Gong had a hot temper and was straightforward. When he heard that Xu Jie had given up on pushing people to the cabinet, he was really anxious.
But I didn't expect that these subtle actions would fall into the eyes of the villain Yan Shifan, which is really hateful!
"You say we are fighting for power and greedy, but you are not?" Yan Shifan shouted, "When have you ever thought about the Ming Dynasty? You say I am a villain? I think you are all villains!"
"Yan Shifan, you, you..." After being scolded like this, Gao Gong became furious. He pushed Zhang Juzheng away and raised his fist to hit Yan Shifan.
"Su Qing, no!" Seeing this scene, Zhang Juzheng, who was pushed away, had not yet reacted when he heard Xu Jie's low shout, and Zhao Zhenji on the side also exclaimed.
No one expected that Gao Gong would choose to take direct action.
"Oh, you want to take action, right? Then come on!" The young cabinet minister was not one to swallow his anger. He did not back down and went straight to the front.
His muscles bulged and his temples began to throb. If Jiajing could see at this moment, he would definitely find that the blood and energy in Yan Shifan's body began to condense.
This is obviously a sign of practicing immortal martial arts!
That’s right, the Immortal Martial Arts. After the Immortal Martial Guards were made public, Yan Shifan once consulted Lu Bing. After all, a lot of spirit horses had been bred in recent days, and the Immortal Martial Guards had already started training.
The two parties inevitably came into contact, and Yan Shifan intentionally or unintentionally asked Lu Bing for advice. After consulting Jiajing, Lu Bing gave Yan Shifan a method of cultivation.
Of course, even if he gave the cultivation method to Yan Shifan, he would not dare to spread it out casually. Yan Shifan still knew the limits.
And Jiajing was not afraid that the Yan family would dare to station troops. The entire Ming Dynasty was in his hands, well, in the real sense of the word.
Wherever there is a rebellion, he can cause the mountains to collapse and the earth to split at any time, and stage another "Bury of Yinshan". No matter how strong the Xianwu Guards are, they are just mortals. These new troops are used to deal with various countries and future wars.
It is ineffective against me within the territory of the Ming Dynasty!
Therefore, it was nothing to be surprised about Yan Shifan's practice. However, Jiajing did not expect that Yan Shifan, with his status and position, would practice martial arts and become a vulgar warrior.
I can only say that this young cabinet minister has a lot of ideas.
Seeing that Gao Gong was actually going to compete with him, Yan Shifan, who had been holding a grudge against Kong's manifesto, immediately decided to give this barbarian Gao Gong a physical shock!
The young minister is no longer satisfied with verbal confrontation. He just wants to make these people feel the physical pain.
He wanted to let these pedantic people who liked to be whores and pretend to be virtuous know that if they didn't want to talk nicely, then I, Yan Shifan, also know a little bit about fighting.
As for the important ministers of the cabinet, Yan Shifan was not afraid of the consequences of an open fight outside Yuxi Palace!
At worst, I would be punished by the emperor. Could he kill me? Anyway, I would not be the one to be beaten or humiliated.
He, Yan Shifan, has never been afraid of or cared about the outside world's views. After practicing Taoism, except for people with the same status, everyone else is secular.
"Swish!" However, just when Yan Shifan was about to punch out and suppress several people present, a figure suddenly appeared like a ghost and raised his hand to stop Yan Shifan.
The sudden scene startled the few people who were chatting casually, and then they all regained their senses.
Everyone was looking at the purple-clad figure who was standing between Yan Shifan and Gao Gong, raising his hand to grab Yan Shifan's arm.
This is a little eunuch who looks only fifteen or sixteen years old.
"Young Lord, you must not take any action in front of Yuxi Palace." The young eunuch said as he let go of Yan Shifan's hand and bowed.
"This little eunuch's cultivation is at least at the second level of the acquired realm!" Looking at this little eunuch whom he had never seen before, Yan Shifan's heart tightened secretly. He could not resist the power just now.
The cultivation of Xianwu Fa by ordinary people depends on practicing moves, tempering blood and flesh, soaking in medicinal baths, practicing the routes of practice, and then eating and drinking well, accumulating various resources, and improving the realm.
But Yan Shifan was of noble status, so naturally he didn't know how to practice martial arts, nor did he suffer the torture of torturing his flesh and blood. He just relied on spiritual resources and medicinal baths, and good food and drink to accumulate his qi and blood, and reached the first level of acquired nature.
In his words, the road to becoming an immortal is long. He is now still at the stage of opening up the acupoints, but the effect on his body is limited.
However, those warriors are physically strong. If he practices the immortal martial arts, wouldn’t his prowess in bed become even more majestic in the future?
Well, he practiced immortal martial arts in order to have a strong physique and to increase his masculinity!
However, Yan Shifan, who practiced the immortal martial arts, did not continue after he reached the first level of the acquired realm.
After all, he had reached the second level of the acquired realm. Even if he didn't strengthen his body, he had no choice. Because of the requirements of the technique, in order to allow the efficacy of the medicine and the further transformation of his qi and blood, he had to strengthen his body.
Yan Shifan would naturally not suffer this punishment.
Who is he? How could he get himself injured? Isn't that lowering his status?
"I'll take my leave." Seeing that Yan Shifan didn't say anything, the little eunuch bowed to everyone and disappeared like a ghost.
Seeing this scene, everyone calmed down.
They had seen the strange movements of this little eunuch in Yingzhou Prefecture that day. They also heard about it later that those young children could have such speed.
I vaguely know that those children are Xianwu Guards. Could the little eunuch just now also be a Xianwu Guard? Even if not, I'm afraid he has practiced the same skills... This Xiyuan is becoming more and more unpredictable!
But soon, Xu Jie and others realized that this little eunuch was the powerful and mysterious Xianwu Guard.
Why did he come out to intercept Yan Shifan? Thinking of this, the eyes of everyone looking at Yan Shifan suddenly became dangerous.
The next moment, Zhao Zhenji and Zhang Juzheng hurriedly pulled Gao Gong and distanced themselves from Yan Shifan.
There was only one answer. Yan Shifan also practiced that kind of martial arts. Did he really want to attack Gao Gong just now? Was he crazy?!
The young eunuch had to step out to stop it because he was worried that Yan Shifan might cause trouble. After all, if it was just an ordinary fight, why would he need to step out specifically to stop it?
Although these weak scholars are not as strong as the generals in the army, they are not completely powerless.
Besides, if a fight between the strong Gao Gong and Yan Shifan were to happen, they might not be able to defeat him.
So the answer can only be that Yan Shifan is also an Immortal Guard?
"Humph!" Looking at the few people who were staring at him in horror, Yan Shifan sneered and clenched his fists, full of threat.
Of course, he would not really cripple Gao Gong. Otherwise, even though he said that the emperor would be fine, if it really happened, the emperor would not let him off easily!
But at this moment, the young minister suddenly felt as if a door was opened in his mind.
When dealing with these pedantic people, sometimes no matter how much you say, it is useless. Just get started, which is better than anything else.
It feels good to win when scolding someone, but the physical pain will probably make them remember it more deeply!
"Let's go!" Xu Jie shouted in a low voice, turned around and left. Zhang Juzheng also pulled Gao Gong, who was dazed and seemed to be frightened, away in a hurry.
However, what everyone didn't know was that this whole scene was reported to Jiajing by the little eunuch.
"Heh," Jiajing chuckled and looked at Yan Song, "Han Fei said that knights use force to break the law. Now it seems that this is absolutely true. When ordinary people have power, they will become confused."
"If this power is higher than the power of a warrior's cultivation, it would be even more dangerous," Jiajing raised his hand to suppress it, indicating that Yan Song did not need to stand up and apologize. "Even my cabinet ministers are like this. I think in the future, people in the army or ordinary people will cultivate immortality..."
"I'm afraid it will cause some trouble," Jiajing put down his chopsticks, took the handkerchief handed to him by Lu Fang, wiped it, and said, "It seems that the new Ming Dynasty law needs to be compiled in advance."
"Your Majesty is right." Yan Song quickly agreed.
"Well," Jiajing nodded and said, "You and Lu Fang eat slowly. I won't accompany you. Remember to finish your meal and don't waste food." After that, Jiajing waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to see them off. Instead, he walked forward, pushed open the door to the backyard, and arrived at the Lingtian courtyard.
Yan Song and Lu Fang looked at each other, then began to eat in silence.
After a while, after finishing their meal, Lu Fang escorted Yan Song out of Yuxi Palace, and Yan Shifan, who had been waiting for him, immediately came forward to greet him.
"Dad, what did the emperor tell you?" Yan Shifan asked anxiously, "What did the emperor mean?"
"The emperor chose Hu Zongxian. Is he hinting to my Yan family to take the initiative to sever our relationship with Hu Zongxian?"
"Come take a walk with me. You've eaten too much." After hearing his son's words, Yan Song looked up and glanced at him. Then he didn't get into the sedan chair, but walked forward. Yan Shifan could only support his father.
"The emperor knows that you just took action." Yan Song said gently.
Hearing this, Yan Shifan's heart suddenly tightened, and he didn't bother to ask about Hu Zongxian. He said, "Your Majesty, he..."
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal," Yan Song waved his hand, "but try to use less force in the future and keep your dignity in mind."
Hearing this, Yan Shifan knew that this was the emperor's intention and nodded immediately.
"Yes, son, I know. It was Gao Gong and his villains who went too far. I miss my father and I am angry, so when I saw Gao Gong was about to take action, I couldn't help it..."
"There won't be a next time!"
"Well," Yan Song nodded, "Don't worry about Ruzhen. The emperor invited me to dinner just to tell me not to think too much. If he really wanted to crack down on the Yan family, he wouldn't do this."
"What does the emperor mean?" Yan Shifan wondered.
"The emperor needs my Yan family to have certain connections in the army," Yan Song said in a submissive tone, "and what can my Yan family bring?"
Yan Song did not wait for Yan Shifan to answer and continued:
"That's because my Yan family can do it. Ruzhen has entered the cabinet and is a member of the Military Merit. The emperor wants me to support Ruzhen. Behind Ruzhen is the Yan family, and behind the Yan family is Ruzhen."
"If Ruzhen wants to gain a firm foothold in the army, he needs to give back tangible benefits to the army. In the future, in addition to Ruzhen, there will be three more branches in the Xian Dynasty, namely Wang Chonggu and Yu Dayou."
"These two are the ones that are in the open. They all support the Second King. The third army is led by Ru Zhen."
"To put it bluntly, the emperor still wants balance."
"In addition, the third branch will probably have a lot of dirty and tiring work to do in the future, just like my Yan family..."
Hearing this, Yan Shifan felt relieved.
As long as it is not targeting the Yan family, it will be fine. In this way, the emperor is asking the Yan family to help Hu Zongxian gain a foothold and balance the two kings.
"After all, the cabinet situation is being reshuffled, and one move will affect the entire body. Your Majesty must think carefully." As he spoke, Yan Song suddenly said, "Oh, there is one more thing..."
But this time, he stared at Yan Shifan and asked, "Kong, what are you going to do?"
That's right, Yan Song didn't know what Yan Shifan was going to do, but he knew what kind of person this son was. It was impossible for Yan Shifan to not take any action when Yan Shenggong was targeting him so much.
However, the Kong family represents Confucianism after all, so he must ask clearly and not let Yan Shifan act recklessly.
Facing his father's threatening look, Yan Shifan knew that he could not escape, so he spoke with a gloomy look.
“Innovation!”
These four words came out of his mouth, one by one, his eyes full of hatred.
"I want to start a reform in Ming Dynasty!"
"And this time, the reform is to completely dethrone this so-called representative of Confucianism!"
Reform? Upon hearing that Yan Shifan actually wanted to reform, Yan Song almost thought he had heard wrongly.
Yan Shifan's reform? The word "reform" seems to have nothing to do with these treacherous ministers in the eyes of the world, right?
"Shifan, you..." Yan Song was about to speak, but was interrupted by Yan Shifan, "Okay, Dad, I know my limits!"
"Just watch!"
"..."
I failed to reach 2. I will collect manuscripts tonight and try to reach tomorrow~
(End of this chapter)
