The King of Han thought it was easy to find faults with the prince through a magnifying glass, but he soon discovered that it was not that simple.
As I mentioned before, the suspicious Emperor Gaozu wanted the Crown Prince, who was still the Prince of Yan, to handle government affairs and review memorials in order to test Zhu Gaochi's ambition and ability.
Zhu Gaochi "only selected the most important issues that benefited the army and the people" and "selected those that were generally feasible to report to the emperor". He ignored any errors in the text of the memorial. He focused on the major issues and let go of the minor ones, which not only demonstrated his ability, but also made Emperor Gaozu let go of his vigilance against him.
The fat prince had walked on a tightrope before, so he was experienced and very cautious. He knew that the emperor was most afraid of overstepping his authority, so this time he was the regent, and all the national affairs involving military and national affairs, appointments and dismissals of important ministers, and diplomacy were selected by the cabinet first and sent to Emperor Yongle urgently, waiting for approval.
The prince acted strictly in accordance with the powers and responsibilities assigned by Emperor Yongle. He did not overstep his authority, cause trouble, or avoid trouble.
If the King of Han is a fly, then the Crown Prince is a seamless egg.
The King of Han rubbed his hands like a fly, his stomach rumbling with hunger. He flew around the prince's round egg for a long time but had no place to start.
what to do
Just as he was sleepy, he found a pillow. Ji Gang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who stayed in the capital, had been looking for an opportunity to hand a pillow to the King of Han, who was rubbing his hands like a fly.
The two had a secret meeting in a painted boat on the Qinhuai River.
Ji Gang said: "The King of Han frowned, as if he was worried."
The King of Han refused to admit it. "I am worried about the emperor's personal expedition and the war in the north. I wanted to go with the emperor, but the emperor refused and insisted on keeping me here to protect the capital. As long as the border is guarded, what major danger can the capital be in? I train soldiers every day in the suburbs of the capital, just like a knife. No matter how sharp it is, it is useless if you don't go to the battlefield to fight."
Ji Gang did not expose the truth, but patiently said, "Your Highness, do not underestimate yourself. Only when the capital is well protected, the Emperor can go to war with confidence."
The two foxes were testing each other. The King of Han had something on his mind and raised his eyebrows. "Lord Ji, you took the time out of your busy schedule to ask me to meet you. It's not just for a drink."
Ji Gang smiled and said, "I am very busy with official duties, so I have a day off to have a drink with Your Highness and talk about the recent situation of the Crown Prince as regent. The Crown Prince is diligent and pragmatic, and his reputation is rising rapidly. Everyone should ignore the Crown Prince's foot disease."
Upon hearing this, the prince suddenly felt that he was not drinking wine, but a cup of vinegar, sour and stale. "The prince's performance is indeed unexpected."
It was unexpectedly good, whether it was the complicated sacrificial activities in the early days or the handling of government affairs now, it was impeccable.
Ji Gang praised, "Not only that, the prince is also very clear about right and wrong, and does not care about personal feelings. The father-in-law of Li Zhigang, the Minister of Rites and the Eastern Palace Zuo Chunfang scholar, committed a crime. He went to offer gifts to intercede for his father-in-law, and finally the verdict came down, with some compensation, and Lord Li's father-in-law was acquitted. The victim was dissatisfied and beat the drum to protest his grievances. How could a mere commoner be a match for Lord Shangshu of the First Rank? He was suppressed by Lord Shangshu, but a small censor at the Censorate submitted a memorial to impeach Lord Shangshu."
"When the Crown Prince saw the memorial, he immediately called Minister Li over, not caring that he was his teacher, and gave him a good scolding, making him lose face. However, the Minister of Rites was an important official of the court, and the Crown Prince was the regent, so he could not punish them. He had to seal the memorial and send it to the north for the Emperor to deal with."
The scholars of the Left and Right Spring Offices of the Eastern Palace were all teachers of the crown prince. This teacher status was only a part-time job. They all had their main jobs. For example, Xie Jin, a scholar of the Right Spring Office of the Eastern Palace, was the first secretary of the cabinet and the head of Emperor Yongle's think tank. Li Zhigang was the Minister of Rites and also a scholar of the Left Spring Office of the Eastern Palace.
The King of Han was overjoyed when he heard this, "When did this happen?"
Ji Gang: "In the morning."
The King of Han asked again: "Did Minister Li's father-in-law really commit a crime?"
Ji Gang smiled, "Minister Li has already arranged everything. Your Highness, do you think there is any evidence left in this case?"
To become the Minister of six ministries, a first-rank official, he must have become a shrewd person, with nothing clean in his hands. As long as it is not a shocking case, Li Zhigang's position as Minister is very stable, and he will not lose his position because of a mere impeachment by an imperial censor.
Therefore, this case cannot be overturned because the key evidence is long gone.
It was just like when Hu Shanwei piled up two mountains of silver and spent all his money to hand over the evidence of Fan Gongzheng's shipwreck to Bao Zhao, the Minister of Justice of the Jianwen Dynasty. Bao Zhao swore on his honor to solve the case, but the case was never resolved.
Justice, power and officialdom are not black or white, but a gray area.
The Minister of Rites Li Zhigang was talented and had once edited "Taizu Shilu" with Xie Jin. Otherwise, he would not have been selected as the scholar of the Zuochunfang in the Eastern Palace, to be the teacher of the prince and have a master-disciple relationship with the prince.
In an era that emphasizes respecting teachers, the prince's actions can be regarded as sacrificing personal interests for the sake of justice.
The King of Han's mind raced. "The Emperor has stipulated that when the Crown Prince summons ministers, they must come in pairs and go in and out together. They are not allowed to be summoned alone. Who was present when the Crown Prince reprimanded Minister Li?"
Ji Gang said: "The cabinet minister, the Right Spring Palace scholar Xie Jin, and the Left Vice-Chief Censor Liu Guan."
This shows that the prince was cautious and strictly followed the procedures. When summoning ministers, he required at least two people to be present. He would not just summon two people, but would often arrange a third person just in case.
Xie Jin was both a cabinet minister and a teacher in the East Palace. Liu Guan was the Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate, which was similar to the current Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and was responsible for supervising all officials, especially high-ranking officials.
The highest official in the Censorate was the Left Censor-in-Chief, similar to the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Liu Guan was the Left Deputy Censor-in-Chief, equivalent to the Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. So when the Crown Prince reprimanded Li Shangshu, it was most appropriate for Xie Jin and Liu Guan to be present.
Ji Gang "said it unintentionally", as if he was just chatting casually or gossiping, but the King of Han listened attentively. He observed it with a magnifying glass and felt as if there was a crack in the egg in front of him. He was so excited that he rubbed his hands together.
Xie Jin was a die-hard supporter of the Eastern Palace. His words "good holy grandson" made him the "culprit" for Zhu Gaochi being named the crown prince. He was also a thorn in the eyes of the King of Han.
But Liu Guan... Liu Guan himself is a tumbler who can get along with everyone, so you can try to win him over.
The King of Han came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone.
It is said that Emperor Yongle was handling state affairs while on his way to the battlefield, among which was the memorial impeaching the Minister of Rites Li Zhigang.
Emperor Yongle personally led the army to fight, and all the ministers in the court were carefully selected by him. As the water is too clear to have fish, it is impossible for all people to be pure and flawless, but they were all capable ministers who were especially good at getting things done.
Emperor Yongle was displeased when he saw the memorial and the appendix in which the crown prince reprimanded Li Zhigang. The crown prince did not have the authority to deal with the Minister of Rites, but he could give him a verbal warning and criticism. However, Emperor Yongle felt that the crown prince reprimanded Li Zhigang based on the censor's memorial without verifying the incident - and in front of Xie Jin and the Left Deputy Chief Censor Liu Guan, and felt that the crown prince was still a little impatient.
Emperor Yongle replied to the crown prince, highlighting the core values he had set for the crown prince:
"I have ordered you to supervise the country. You must be lenient and not impatient in all matters. All civil and military officials are under my orders. Even if they make minor mistakes, you do not need to humiliate them, and you must not listen to partiality and judge them by their likes and dislikes... The important affairs of the world must be carefully examined before they are carried out. If you are negligent, you will be punished for not being careful..."
The first thing is to be lenient, and the second is not to listen to one side only, and make a decision after review.
The prince was in a dilemma after receiving his father's reply. In fact, he understood it very well. He had recited the core values of the state regent set by his father a hundred times.
It sounds easy. Just be a good person, be lenient, and let Emperor Yongle handle any major incidents. Don't get involved yourself. The key is to find the right balance. It's too difficult to grasp.
In order to exonerate his father-in-law, Minister Li bent the law for personal gain, and the prince had no right to deal with it.
However, Minister Li was also a scholar of the Zuochunfang in the Eastern Palace and the prince's teacher. Based on this relationship, if the prince knew that his teacher was impeached by the censor for favoritism and abuse of power without saying anything and did not warn Minister Li, the consequences would be quite serious. The prince might even be dragged into this by Minister Li and slandered for shielding his teacher.
The prince's concerns were not groundless.
If the Crown Prince really kept silent about Minister Li's abuse of power and directly sent the memorial to Emperor Yongle, the King of Han would definitely mobilize his men to say that the Crown Prince had poor personal ethics and was shielding the scholars in the Eastern Palace.
The prince looked at his father's imperial comments and had to summon Xie Jin and Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Guan, who were present that day, to discuss how to respond to his father's suggestion. In addition, these two people were witnesses and could roughly repeat the words that the prince warned Li Zhigang that day to prove that he did not insult Minister Li and only gave a verbal reminder.
At this time, the Left Deputy Censor Liu Guan had already received hints and benefits from the King of Han. They were all old foxes. Seeing that Emperor Yongle did not immediately respond to the memorial impeaching Li Zhigang, Liu Guan asked the Censorate to investigate Li Shangshu, but instead reminded the prince that "even if there are minor faults, there is no need to humiliate him, and you should not listen to one side and judge his likes and dislikes."
Therefore, the emperor's intention was to let Minister Li go, turn a blind eye, and not want to hold court ministers accountable during the expedition, in order to maintain the stability of the court.
If this is what the emperor means, then why not do a favor to the King of Han and Minister Li
The prince is in poor health. I heard that diabetes is incurable and that his life span is limited. Some people may even die suddenly...
Liu Guan weighed the pros and cons and decided to cooperate with the prince in putting on a show.
When the crown prince summoned someone, according to the rules, two or more ministers had to go in and out together. Xie Jin arrived first and waited for Liu Guan at the door. Liu Guan came late and explained, "Sorry, I just went to change my clothes."
People have three urgent needs, which is understandable. Xie Jin said, "It's okay, Lord Liu, please."
The two entered the hall together. Halfway through, Liu Guan suddenly turned pale and covered his stomach. "No, I need to change clothes again. Please wait for me, Master Jie."
After a while, a young eunuch came and said, "Master Jie, Master Liu has finished changing his clothes and went to the Crown Prince. You should not wait here and go over immediately."
Xie Jin did not think too much about it, thinking that the prince was supervised by officials from four departments, including the Censor-in-Chief and the Honglu Temple officials. So Liu Guan did not wait for him and went directly to find the prince.
Xie Jin hurried to the prince's study and took a look. There was no Liu Guan there, only the prince and the eunuchs serving him.
Xie Jin stepped back quickly, and Liu Guan ran over, holding his stomach, "Sorry, I just went to change clothes again."
The two of them then went in together.
The Crown Prince and Xie Jin never imagined that Xie Jin would suffer disaster just by taking one more look.
The Prince of Han secretly reported to Emperor Yongle that Xie Jin had a secret meeting with the Crown Prince.
Emperor Yongle was half-believing and half-doubting. At this time, the spy who stayed in the capital, Jinyiwei commander Ji Gang, also secretly wrote a letter saying that Xie Jin and the prince had a brief meeting without supervision.
It was very short, but I have seen it. I don't know what they talked about.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards were the eyes and ears of the spies, so Emperor Yongle now believed what the King of Han said.
Xie Jin's work as a scholar in the Youchunfang of the Eastern Palace was only a part-time job; his main job was the first confidential secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat of Emperor Yongle.
Dear readers, do you still remember how Song Lian, one of the four great men of the early Ming Dynasty, was the Prince's Junior Tutor and three generations of the Song family served as officials in the palace, but was almost wiped out by Emperor Gaozu, who also killed Song Lian's son and grandson. Finally, Empress Xiaoci pleaded for him and Song Lian was spared from death and exiled to Baidi City
At that time, three generations of the Song family were all members of the secretarial group of Emperor Gaozu. As an emperor, he was most afraid of his confidants having private relationships with foreign officials or other sons. No matter what they said, it was almost unforgivable.
Xie Jin committed a big taboo this time.
Emperor Yongle issued a transfer order, saying that the southwestern Jiaozhi province had just been established and that talented people were urgently needed to govern Jiaozhi, so he transferred Xie Jin from the cabinet to Jiaozhi.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it is a disparagement.
Xie Jin knew that he had been tricked. It was ultimately his own carelessness. If he did not admit his mistake and defend himself, he would only drag the crown prince into trouble. So he had no choice but to pack up his luggage and travel thousands of miles to take up the certificate issued by the Ministry of Revenue.
Although Jiaozhi is remote, as long as I can achieve political achievements, I will have the opportunity to return to Beijing in the future.
The Crown Prince Regent had no right to interfere in the appointment and dismissal of court ministers. The Crown Prince was very clear that Xie Jin was schemed against by Liu Guan and others, and he also knew who was behind Liu Guan, but he could not say anything. He could not even send Xie Jin off.
The prince that my father wanted was a horse that could run without eating grass. He was a capable puppet.
Xie Jin was demoted just to serve as an example to others. My father wanted all the ministers to know that although he personally led the expedition against the Tatars and would not return for at least one or two years, he was still the only master of the Ming Empire. Even the crown prince was just working for him.
The imperial power lies only in the hands of my father.
The author has something to say: Life is like countless exams. I wish all candidates good luck in the exams and get ideal results. I will continue to send 100 red envelopes tonight. Thank you to the little angels who cast the tyrant votes or irrigated the nutrient solution for me.
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
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Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!