Chapter 328: The high cannons fire!
When the grandfather and grandson of the Yan family walked to the Wanshou Palace.

After the grandfather and grandson arrived, sedan chairs came out from behind and stopped in front of the palace gate.

Looking at the sedan chairs that had obviously arrived earlier but were still following behind, Yan Shaoting smiled slightly.

No matter what the current struggles in the court are, there are still the necessary rules.

It is far from comparable to the court struggles that will follow.

It's only after this that things really start to fall out and the rules are broken.

Yan Shaoting looked at the crowd.

The first person that caught his eye was Xu Jie, who was walking in the front, as well as the Minister of Rites Yan Ne and the Minister of War Yang Bo.

After that came Gao Gong and Yuan Wei, along with the Minister of Personnel Guo Pu and the Minister of Revenue Gao Yao.

The Minister of Works Lei Li and Hu Zongxian gathered together, followed by Ouyang Bijin, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Hu Ruolin, the Minister of Public Security, and officials from the five temples and three courts.

These people in the court are collectively called the Nine Ministers, who are the people who truly hold the highest power center in the country.

According to the rules, all new cabinet members, except those summoned to the cabinet by direct imperial decree from the emperor, need to be discussed in the imperial court by the nine ministers.

In front of the palace gate.

Lu Fang had also been waiting here early.

I saw that all the ministers and chancellors had arrived.

Lv Fang smiled, took quick steps forward, and raised his fists: "Thank you for your hard work."

Said something to everyone.

Lu Fang walked up to Yan Song and Yan Shaoting, grandfather and grandson.

"Lord Yan is looking better and better now. It seems that your majesty's wish to have a harmonious relationship with him and his subjects will be realized."

This is a reaffirmation of certain rules that have already been established.

As long as the emperor was in power, and as long as Yan Song and his family did not commit treason, no one could shake Yan Song's position as prime minister.

But when it is said again by Lu Fang on this day, it becomes thought-provoking.

For example.

Xu Jie, who was following behind at the moment, had his eyes flash when he heard this.

What does this mean?
Is this the emperor's warning to himself?

Yan Song, however, smiled and glanced sideways at his eldest grandson beside him.

Yan Shaoting smiled and said to Lu Fang, "Your Majesty has shown great favor and wants to maintain harmony between the monarch and his subjects. If not, according to the rules, my grandfather has been in the cabinet for twenty years and the Prime Minister for eighteen years. After resigning last time, he should have asked for his third resignation. But my grandfather did not want to disappoint Your Majesty's trust, so he continued to stay in the cabinet. It's just that every generation has talented people, just like today's discussion of the new cabinet candidates in the Holy Court. Only in this way can our Ming Dynasty be stable and the court inheritance be orderly."

This is official language.

First, he explained that the reason why Old Yan was still the Prime Minister of the Cabinet was not because he was greedy for power, but because the emperor wanted to gain a reputation for harmony between the monarch and his subjects, so he continued to stay in the cabinet.

Secondly, the Yan family will not have any objection to the entry of people into the cabinet, and the court also needs this.

Summarize it in one sentence.

Mr. Yan is loyal to his country.

Lu Fang, however, was all smiles as he looked at Yan Song and said, "Lord Yan, you have taught your grandson well. Guest Yan is now getting more and more stable in the court. Who knows, maybe in the future, as Guest Yan just said, there will always be talented people in every generation. One day, Guest Yan will be able to inherit your legacy, enter the cabinet, and serve our Ming Dynasty."

Yan Song shook his head and waved his hands: "This kid is still young and frivolous. How can he deserve such high praise from Eunuch Lu, let alone the position of assistant minister in the cabinet? Even if he has done so much, it is still far from enough now."

Lu Fang, however, smiled and said, "Your Majesty trusts me, the heir is open-hearted, and Yan Binke is loyal to the country, caring for the poor and weak, and his ability is also outstanding. Elder, please do not be modest."

Yan Song declined again.

But Xu Jie, who was watching from behind, felt uncomfortable.

What's going on.

Has the cabinet now become a place that the Yan family can enter whenever they want?

I have put a lot of effort into today's court meeting to select new cabinet members, but for the Yan family, it's just a matter of time?
Looking at Yan Shaoting who was full of vigor and vitality in front of him, Xu Jie felt a sudden pain in his heart for no reason.

Yan Song declined for a while, then looked up at the Wanshou Palace and said with a smile, "Eunuch Lu, let's go into the palace to discuss the matter. Don't keep His Majesty waiting for too long."

Lu Fang nodded repeatedly: "What the elder said is right."

Only then did the crowd continue to move forward towards the Wanshou Palace Hall.

To the hall.

It seemed like there was someone ahead delivering messages at any time.

When Yan Song and others walked into the main hall, Jiajing walked out from the back hall.

Yan Shaoting raised his head and glanced over.

Today, the old Taoist priest did not mutter any opening poem. He just walked out with a relaxed look, waved his sleeves and sat on the throne.

After sitting down.

Jiajing looked at the people in front of him who had already stood still, and he smiled slightly.

"The talents of our dynasty are constantly evolving. This time, Lord Xu is requesting new cabinet members. This is a matter of state and is also needed by the current government. I have no objection. You can recommend cabinet members and we will decide together."

There are now four ministers in the Ming Dynasty cabinet.

The first assistant was Yan Song, the second assistant was Xu Jie, and the assistant ministers were Gao Gong and Yuan Wei.

As a rule, the cabinet prefers an odd number most of the time.

Objectively speaking, this is conducive to reaching a consensus and will not lead to a stalemate on a certain issue due to an even number.

However, this is only an objective theoretical thing.

But once there is a strong prime minister, things will not be like this.

A strong prime minister can make the final decision in the cabinet.

For example, Yan Song, the prime minister in the past decade.

And this moment.

The Prime Minister, who had been powerful for more than a decade, was sitting upright on the soft stool. While the emperor was speaking, his back relaxed and he lowered his head as if he had fallen asleep again.

then.

Xu Jie walked out with his hands clasped.

"Your Majesty, according to past practice, there are three people on the list of new cabinet members, namely, Minister of Rites Yan Ne..."

Yan Shaoting raised his eyebrows. Just as Old Yan had guessed, Xu Jie would push for the Minister of Rites Yan Ne to join the cabinet today.

Because according to convention, the first person ranked is actually the most preferred candidate, and the other two people behind are just for the sake of fairness.

Xu Jie continued: "The Minister of Works Lei Li and the Left Vice Minister of Personnel Li Chunfang."

When the names of the last two people came out of Xu Jie's mouth.

Everyone in the hall was suddenly surprised.

The Minister of Works Lei Li has served in the court for many years. He is always diligent and has the emperor's trust. He is fully qualified to join the cabinet.

But he happened to be the last person recommended by Xu Jie.

Li Chunfang, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Logically speaking, although Li Chunfang was qualified, he was not fully qualified to join the cabinet.

Yan Shaoting couldn't help but glance sideways at Xu Jie.

What does the old dog want to do?
If the purpose was to run as a runner-up for Yan Ne, even writing the name of the Minister of War Yang Bo would be far more appropriate than Li Chunfang.

It was just a fleeting thought.

Yan Shaoting roughly guessed what Lao Gou was thinking.

If Yan Ne succeeds in entering the cabinet today, the position of Minister of Rites will be vacant.

At this time, Li Chunfang, who had lost to Guo Pu in the last competition for the position of Minister of Personnel, could take the opportunity to be recommended by Xu Jie and be promoted to the position of Minister of Rites vacated by Yan Ne who entered the cabinet.

in this way.

After the Minister of Justice Pan En was dismissed, Xu Jie was able to gain an extra helper in the cabinet through this move, and once again control two of the six ministries through Yang Bo and Li Chunfang, and continue to be in charge of the Ministry of Personnel through his position as the second assistant of the cabinet.

in this case.

If he had one person to help him in Xu Jie's cabinet, he could occupy three of the six ministries.

What a plan!

After figuring it out, Yan Shaoting couldn't help but look at Xu Jie again.

The old dog is really a wise old man, and he is really shrewd. Then what about Lei Li, the Minister of Industry who was also nominated to join the cabinet today?

According to past rules, it was easier for the Minister of Rites to enter the cabinet, such as Lao Yantou.

Personally speaking, Lei Li's personality is not suitable for working in the cabinet.

He is a person who concentrates on the work of the Ministry of Industry.

really.

Just as Yan Shaoting thought.

Just after Xu Jie finished mentioning three candidates.

Lei Li stood up.

Under the gaze of everyone.

Lei Li spoke first: "Your Majesty, Lord Xu recommended me to join the cabinet, and I am terrified. Although I have been an official in the court for many years, I know that my ability is limited. Therefore, I have tried my best and worked hard in the Ministry of Works, fearing that I would fail and bring disaster to the court. If I were allowed to join the cabinet, I am afraid that my energy is limited, and I would be unable to do anything in the cabinet, which would bring harm to the country."

As Lei Li took the initiative to decline the opportunity to join the cabinet.

Everyone's eyes once again turned to the emperor above.

Jiajing's eyes flickered and were somewhat unpredictable.

In fact, among the three people recommended by Xu Jie, he could agree with both Yan Ne and Lei Li to join the cabinet.

Lei Li, in particular, has been working diligently in the past two years. Last year, he personally supervised the reconstruction of the current Wanshou Palace. He worked hard and did a very good job.

However, Lei Li took the initiative to decline the opportunity to join the cabinet, which made him somewhat anxious.

However, seeing Lei Li's sincere face, Jiajing was unwilling to force him.

Think about it for a moment.

Jiajing said, "The Minister of Works is diligent and dedicated to his work. He has made great contributions. Although he declined to join the cabinet today, his loyalty is commendable. I would like to confer him the title of Junior Tutor."

Last year, after Lei Li supervised the renovation of Wanshou Palace, he was conferred the title of Shao Bao.

And according to an unwritten order.

The three young masters in the court are ranked as Junior Tutor, Junior Preceptor, and Junior Protector.

This was an honor given by the emperor to Lei Li after he declined to join the cabinet.

However, Lei Li immediately sighed and bowed, saying, "It is my duty to handle state affairs, and the emperor has placed great trust in me. However, my ability is limited, and the emperor's grace is so great that I dare not accept it again. I ask the emperor to understand and withdraw the order."

This is the current Minister of Works, Lei Li.

Among the nine ministers in the court, he is the least competitive.

But this time, Jiajing did not agree to Lei Li's request.

He immediately waved his hand and said, "I have made up my mind! Mr. Lei is in charge of the task, saves money, and works hard. I know that Mr. Lei is loyal. I have always been clear about rewards and punishments. Today, I will give you the title of Junior Tutor, and I will not allow you to resign."

Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind.

Lei Li could only bow deeply.

"Thank you, old minister."

Seeing that Lei Li finally accepted the promotion, Jiajing smiled.

He then smiled and looked at everyone.

"Since the Ministry of Works declined, the only candidates for the cabinet today are the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Personnel. You may have any suggestions."

In fact, until now.

After Lei Li voluntarily withdrew from the competition for cabinet membership, the balance had already tilted towards Yan Ne.

Yan Ne also held his breath.

This is the last step.

As long as I enter the cabinet today, I may be able to enjoy the position that is second only to the emperor and above everyone else in the future.

Xu Jie was concentrating and looking at the grandfather and grandson who were standing and sitting respectively from time to time.

As long as this grandfather and grandson don't speak.

Then my plan will be successful.

Yan Ne was promoted to the cabinet, and Li Chunfang was promoted to the Ministry of Rites.

This chess game of mine has been successfully played.

In the court, I will have more confidence.

But that was at this time.

Just as Yan Ne was looking forward to the final confirmation and the announcement of his entry into the cabinet.

Just when Xu Jie was concentrating on the grandfather and grandson of the Yan family.

Gao Gong stood up quietly.

His footsteps were not too loud.

But Xu Jie, who was concentrating at the moment, immediately turned his head, with surprise and astonishment flashing in his eyes, as he looked at Gao Gong who stood up.

Gao Gong, however, looked straight at the emperor above him without any deviation.

He completely ignored Xu Jie's gaze.

Looking at Yan Shaoting standing out from Gao Gong, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he couldn't help but look down at old Yan who was still drowsy and dozing.

really.

It was just as Old Yan had guessed.

Even without the Yan family stepping in today, someone will step in to interfere in the affairs of the new cabinet members.

This person is Gao Gong, the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion of the Ming Dynasty, the Minister of the Cabinet, and the Chief Academician of the Imperial College!

Gao Gong stepped out of the class and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the court affairs are complicated at present. In the southeastern provinces alone, there are issues such as increasing silk production for overseas sales, suppressing the Japanese in the five provinces, and opening up the sea for trade in the various Maritime Customs Offices. Not to mention the increasingly heavy military affairs in the nine border areas. Since last year, the two towns of Xuanda have frequently made reports, and the Anda tribe outside the Great Wall is ready to make a move. And the deputy general of Liaoyang, Heichun, even sacrificed his life for the country, and the chieftains in the southwest have repeatedly rebelled. The court is now like a raging fire boiling oil. If you are not careful, it will cause chaos, and the nine states and four regions of the world will immediately be in turmoil."

This is the Ming Dynasty today.

Looking at the clusters of flowers, there is constant unrest. There is no peace anywhere in the world.

Gao Gong then said: "Now, we, the ministers, are discussing the new members of the cabinet in order to share the responsibility of state affairs and pacify the four regions. There are countless talents in the court, but the current cabinet needs people with more energy to take on important tasks, so that they can work day and night on state affairs and stabilize the country."

As soon as these words came out.

Gao Gong's meaning was already clear.

Just when many people in the hall believed that Yan Ne's entry into the cabinet was a foregone conclusion, Gao Gong said that the cabinet needed someone more energetic.

Then.

When Lei Li left, only Yan Ne and Li Chunfang were left.

undoubtedly.

The younger Li Chunfang is more in line with what Gao Gong said.

really.

After the analysis.

Gao Gong finally spoke up: "The three people that Lord Xu advised are all capable ministers in the court. If anyone had entered the cabinet in the past, it would have been suitable. But at this moment, as I said, Li Chunfang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, may be more suitable."

As for Li Chunfang's advantages, Gao Gong no longer mentioned them.

But everyone knows it.

Li Chunfang is younger than Yan Ne.

After Gao Gong finished speaking.

Yan Shaoting frowned.

I'm afraid Xu Jie would never have thought that Gao Gong, this big shot, would actually fire a heavy shot at him in today's incident.

Moreover, Gao Dapao's entry point is so reasonable.

No matter how talented you are, Yan Ne, there are so many things going on in the court right now. Can an old man like you have more energy than a young man like Li Chunfang?

This shot.

It can be said that Xu Jie's plot and Yan Ne's ambition were severely shattered!

…………

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(End of this chapter)