Capital city, Yan Mansion.
Wang Meng ordered his confidant to deliver the secret letter to Yan's residence, which was delivered to Yan Song on the morning of the third day. After receiving the secret letter, Yan Song attached great importance to it and immediately summoned Zhao Wenhua, Yan Maoqing, Wang Xueyi and other trusted confidants to circulate the secret letter.
In fact, Yan Song also sent someone to call Yan Shifan, but Yan Shifan was enjoying himself outside and was not in Yan's mansion.
"Regarding the secret memorial submitted by Zhu Ping'an, I would like to hear your opinions." Yan Song asked with narrowed eyes.
Zhao Wenhua and others are veterans in the officialdom, and they have seen more and deeper things than Xu Hai, Tan Lun and others.
They had almost analyzed the pros and cons of the secret memorial at once. Yan Song nodded repeatedly.
"Xu Hai and his men will be returning to the capital soon to report. The secret memorial will certainly be reported to His Majesty. His Majesty may ask for my opinion. In your opinion, what attitude should I take at that time? Support or oppose?"
Yan Song took a sip of tea to soothe his throat, opened his cloudy eyes, glanced at Zhao Wenhua and others, and asked.
"Lord, this little thief Zhu Ping'an has evil intentions. The contents of secret memorials are unknown to outsiders, which will certainly encourage impeachment and snitching. If this is implemented, it will probably encourage some cowards to submit secret memorials to impeach you. In the long run, it will probably shake your image and status in the heart of the emperor."
Yan Maoqing spoke first, expressing his opposition to the secret memorial, believing that if it were implemented, it would cause endless harm.
"Brother Jingqing, you worry too much. Only the emperor can read secret memorials. In addition to state affairs, the emperor also has to practice Taoism and make elixirs. He is already exhausted and does not have much energy to review secret memorials. Therefore, secret memorials will not be widely circulated. Only the ministers who are favored by the emperor can have this honor. The ministers who are deeply trusted by the emperor are mostly people of the same path as us. Secret memorials will become a powerful weapon in our hands."
After listening to Yan Maoqing's words, Zhao Wenhua shook his head slightly and put forward a different point of view.
"Meicun, you are in charge of the Tongzhengshisi, how can you say such a thing? If there is no secret memorial, all memorials from the world will come from the Tongzhengshisi, and no memorial can be concealed from the old man. Even if Wang Zongmao and other villains submit memorials to slander the old man, you will be left here for a few days to suppress them, which is enough time for us to respond. If the secret memorial is implemented, it will not go through the Tongzhengshisi and go directly to the emperor to be presented to the emperor for review. Wouldn't we be wasting our martial arts?!"
Yan Maoqing spoke again.
Upon hearing this, Yan Song could not help but nod slightly. Yan Maoqing's words hit the nail on the head.
"No, just as I said. The secret memorials will not be widely implemented. Those who do not have the power to submit secret memorials still have to go through the Tongzhengshisi if they want to submit them. In my opinion, due to the limited energy of the emperor, even if the secret memorials are implemented, the number of officials authorized will not exceed one hundred. Moreover, most of them are people of the same kind as me. As for those who are not of the same kind as me, they will be strictly monitored and they will not be able to cause any trouble."
Zhao Wenhua said slowly.
"It is better to eliminate uncontrollable factors as soon as possible. The current situation is good, so why take risks?"
Yan Maoqing shook his head and was not convinced by Zhao Wenhua.
"The current situation is good, but wouldn't it be better to go one step further? The content of the secret memorial is unlimited. This secret memorial is by no means as simple as a memorial. In my opinion, it combines several major positions such as the Imperial Censor, the Imperial Guard, the East Factory, and the Imperial Secretary. With a secret memorial in hand, we are equivalent to having many more identities such as the Imperial Censor, the Imperial Guard, the East Factory, and the Imperial Secretary. Its use is indescribable. Although Lord Lu of the Imperial Guard respects the old man and gets along with us happily, he is not one of us. He has many dirty deeds in private. Last year, he protected the traitor Shen Lian, which can be seen. Not to mention the East Factory. If we have a secret memorial in hand, we are equivalent to having countless more positions of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Censor, the East Factory, and the Imperial Secretary. It would be a pity to discard such a secret memorial. As long as we use it properly, it will be easy to go one step further. You must know that the official career is like sailing against the current. If you don't move forward, you will retreat. Please think twice, father."
Zhao Wenhua smiled slightly, analyzed the functions hidden behind the secret memorial, and highly praised the secret memorial.
Actually, besides these.
Zhao Wenhua still had selfish motives and ambitions. The secret memorial was sent directly to the emperor. He was very jealous of this weapon to get close to the emperor. The reason why he risked his life to offer the emperor Baihua wine last time was to get close to Emperor Jiajing! Unfortunately, he failed to achieve his goal and angered his adoptive father Yan Song. If it weren't for his adoptive mother's intercession, he would have been cut off by his adoptive father and kicked out.
Now that he has discovered the secret memorial as a powerful weapon, his hidden selfishness and ambition are stirring once again.
Secret memorial combines several important positions such as censor, imperial guard, East Factory, and secretary in one person... ...
After listening to Zhao Wenhua's analysis, Yan Song couldn't help but nodded again. The secret memorial really makes people love and hate it.
Yan Song remained expressionless, glancing at Wang Xueyi and others who had not spoken yet, "Xueyi, what do you think?"
After Wang Xueyi was called by Yan Song, he paused for two seconds before speaking, "Sir, in my opinion, this secret memorial is a double-edged sword. If used well, it can help us achieve success, but if used poorly, it can also hurt us..."
"You sly guy! What you said is the same as saying nothing?!" Yan Song glanced at him and scolded him.
What a bullshit double-edged sword, it seems to have a clear point of view, but in fact it is equivalent to saying nothing...
How could Wang Xueyi get away with such a deceitful behavior under the nose of Yan Song, who was like an old fox
Wang Xueyi shrank his neck in dismay.
Just then, Yan Shifan came back, reeking of alcohol and powder, having obviously crawled out from a crowd of women.
"You smell like powder and you're out fooling around again?!" Yan Song glared at Yan Shifan unhappily.
Yan Shifan went forward to fill Yan Song's tea cup and said with a smile, "Dad, I am working hard to expand our Yan family. How can I be said to be messing around?"
"Bullshit!" Yan Song cursed angrily, but of course he didn't really curse, and then threw Wang Meng's secret letter to Yan Shifan, "Look, this is a secret letter. If the emperor asks about it, what attitude should I take?"
After reading it once, Yan Shifan asked Zhao Wenhua, Yan Maoqing and others about their attitudes, and couldn't help laughing after hearing them.
"What are you laughing at?" Yan Song asked unhappily.
"Dad, you are just looking for fish in a tree. What attitude you should take depends on whether the secret memorial is beneficial or harmful to His Majesty. If the secret memorial is beneficial to His Majesty, you will naturally support it wholeheartedly; if the secret memorial is not beneficial to His Majesty, you will oppose it to the death." Yan Shifan said with a smile, his one eye gleaming with brilliance.
Upon hearing this, Yan Song suddenly understood as if he had been enlightened. He nodded in admiration at Yan Shifan, saying that he was indeed worthy of being called my talented son.
"This secret memorial is to encourage the ministers to inform on the secrets, so that all officials can be vigilant and restrain each other, guard against disloyalty and deception, and help Your Majesty to hold power alone, so that the emperor can be a better emperor and the ministers can be better ministers. This must be what Your Majesty wants." Yan Shifan knocked on the table and said confidently, "What we need to consider is how to use the secret memorial for our own benefit."