Chapter 69 Partisanship! The Emperor Must Not Be Allowed to Control the Army!

Wenyuan Pavilion!

This is the building in the east of the Forbidden City.

It seems to be the most inconspicuous house in the Forbidden City, but it is far less famous than other palaces.

But the problem is that the little-known Wenyuan Pavilion has now become the government decision-making body of the Ming Dynasty!

In fact, Emperor Yongle, who established the cabinet, only wanted an "assistant" organization.

Although Emperor Yongle had the ambition and strength to monopolize power like Emperor Hongwu, his expedition after expedition prevented him from truly taking charge of political affairs.

So the cabinet came into being and became an "assistant" organization to help the emperor.

But no one thought, not even the wise and powerful Emperor Yongle, that it was this so-called "assistant" organization that developed into a behemoth in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, and could even resist the imperial power!

At this moment, Tang Hao was standing in front of Wenyuan Pavilion, holding a whistle stick in his hand, which he asked Guo Xun for.

At the entrance of Wenyuan Pavilion, stood two soldiers on duty, belonging to the Ministry of War.

Tang Hao walked forward carelessly, but was stopped by the soldier on duty as expected.

"Whoever is coming, please tell me your name!"

"This is an important area of ​​the cabinet, no trespassing is allowed!"

The cabinet!

Today’s political center!

The three cabinet ministers inside are all serious and important ministers of the court. Each of them is surrounded by a large number of court officials. They can be called the giants of the Ming Dynasty.

With such an identity and status, it is natural to have guards to protect you so as not to be surprised and injured by the young people.

"A certain Tang Ritian is here to meet Lord Yuanfu, please give way quickly!"

Tang Ritian?

See Mr. Gensuke?

What kind of character is this?

We haven't heard of this arrangement either!

The two guards looked at each other, then looked at each other.

One of them was about to go and ask, but Tang Hao didn't give him this chance, so he just hit him with a stick.

A harsh sound broke through the air, and the expressions of the two guards changed drastically, and then they let out a shrill wail.

Tang Hao hit him with a stick, knocking one of the guards unconscious. The other guard looked at him with horror on his face, so scared that he even spoke incoherently.

"Either give way, or I will give you a stick!"

The guard swallowed, made an extremely wise choice, and decisively passed out as soon as his vision went dark.

Tang Hao chuckled when he saw this, and then walked into the cabinet with a carefree whistle.

At the same time, Li Dongyang, the bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, was discussing matters with Liu Daxia, the Minister of War.

Liu Daxia and Li Dongyang were from the same hometown in Hunan, and because Tianguan Ma Wensheng was unkind when he was in charge of the civil service, Li Dongyang's power was severely damaged. Therefore, there were often some open and covert fights between the two.

For example, Liu Yu, the current censor of Youdu, was originally Liu Jian's chief assistant in the cabinet, but Ma Wen did not shy away from promoting talents. Seeing that Liu Yu was steady and talented, he recommended him as governor of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi military affairs during the Hongzhi period.

As a result, Liu Daxia knew that Emperor Hongzhi had a bad opinion of this person, so he repeatedly cited his faults in the court, which of course also implicated the recommender. Therefore, Ma Wensheng was disliked by Emperor Hongzhi for a time, and Liu Yu was not allowed to be promoted during the Hongzhi period until Only when Zhengde was changed to Yuan Dynasty did he get what he wanted.

Wang Yan, the left minister of household affairs, was Liu Daxia's in-law, but because of the fight between Ma Wensheng and Li Dongyang, Wang Yan was never promoted in the Hongzhi Dynasty. This was naturally Ma Wensheng's handiwork.

Wherever there are people, there will naturally be fights.

Naturally, civil servants and gentry are not monolithic, and secret fights have always existed.

Especially as the power of the cabinet expands day by day, there is a gradual tendency to override the six ministries.

Emperor Hongzhi was fooled by civil servants and gentry all his life, but he was not a fool after all. After seeing the situation in the court clearly in his later years, he decisively took action to suppress the power of the cabinet.

It's a pity that the smoothed-out Emperor Hongzhi had no energy or spirit. He couldn't bear to fall ill and passed away suddenly.

In the end, he could only hold the hand of Tianguan Ma Wensheng on the hospital bed and told him not to let the cabinet continue to expand.

Among the six ministries, the Ministry of Personnel is undoubtedly the most powerful. It is in charge of the selection, examination, and knighthood of civil servants across the country. Military attachés belong to the Ministry of War.

Except for the cabinet bachelor and the official minister who are recommended by the court or by special decree, all internal and external officials are recommended by the official staff together with other senior officials or selected by themselves.

The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is known as the "Heavenly Official", which shows the importance of his authority and the respect of his status!

If we say that the most promising person to restrain the power of the cabinet is, apart from the ceremonial supervisor supported by the emperor, the only one left is the minister of civil affairs.

It's a pity that Ma Wensheng is now an octogenarian and dying.

However, this is great news for the cabinet!

"Ma Shuitu won't live for more than a year or two!"

"He will become official just in the blink of an eye, either this year or next year!"

Li Dongyang said breathlessly, looking a little overwhelmed.

In fact, Li Dongyang is a sick man. Since he contracted hemorrhoids in the twelfth year of Hongzhi's reign, his health has been deteriorating, and he often even falls to the ground due to dizziness.

Li Dongyang requested to become an official many times due to illness, but Emperor Hongzhi refused, so he could only continue to be a bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion.

"Xiya, you are so sick..."

"I won't live for a few more years!" Li Dongyang smiled bitterly.

He knows his own body. How many more years can he, Li Dongyang, live?

It's very likely that he can't compare to Ma Wensheng!

It is estimated that when Ma Wen was promoted to official position, Li Dongyang would have resigned and returned home.

When Liu Daxia heard this, his expression darkened. Li Dongyang was not only his fellow countryman, but also a rare political ally.

If Li Dongyang returned to his hometown as an official, or died of illness and took office directly, it would be a fatal blow to him and the civil servants and gentry of his lineage!

"Tell me about that Tang Hao!"

Li Dongyang took the initiative to change the topic and mentioned Tang Hao, the Marquis of Zhongshan.

When Liu Daxia heard this name, his face was full of disgust.

"Then Tang Hao, relying on His Majesty the Emperor's favor, is becoming more and more unscrupulous!"

"I originally thought that Xu Ji would be promoted to the Minister of War, and his abilities would be outstanding. In terms of qualifications and prestige, he would be able to overpower that Tang Hao!"

"But no one expected that Tang Hao would dare to hurt people due to his unpredictable and tough style. Instead, he would take the opportunity to establish his authority among the new army and succeed!"

Having said this, Liu Daxia couldn't help but sigh.

"Now that Tang Hao has repeatedly forced Ji Sheng to ask for money, food and soldiers, Ji Sheng may be in trouble!"

"It's hard to handle, but it can't be done!" Li Dongyang sneered: "The Beijing camp has been suffering from long-term disadvantages, and anyone with a discerning eye can see it, so why has no one ever spoken out?"

"Even if someone makes suggestions, even if the emperor intends to organize the camp, what will be the final result? It's not like that!"

"The civil and military forces of the entire dynasty can be ranked above the imperial court. They are all out-and-out human beings and old foxes. How could they not know the dangers of corruption in the Beijing army?"

Liu Daxia had been silent and did not dare to speak up to take up the topic.

"They all know it, but they all choose to ignore it!"

"Why? Because the emperor cannot be allowed to control the army!"

"The emperor is in charge of the army, and the warriors are in charge of the country. There is a Hongwu Dynasty and a Yongle Dynasty. The civil servants and gentry do not even have the right to speak. They are suppressed by those military officers and nobles to the point where they cannot hold their heads up!"

"So, no matter what, the emperor cannot be allowed to control the army, let alone the warriors to rule the country!"

After Li Dongyang said these words, he coughed violently again.

Upon seeing this, Liu Daxia sighed and advised: "Xi Ya, don't get excited. I naturally understand the reason behind this."

Li Dongyang waved his hand and spoke with difficulty.

"No! You don't understand!"

"It is enough for the emperor to have four guards to protect his safety. There must never be another elite division that can influence the situation in the court!"

Liu Daxia was startled when he heard this, and was about to speak, but a strange voice sounded outside the door.

"good!"

"That's really well said!"

"Grand Scholar Li is truly a loyal and loyal person to His Majesty the Emperor!"

The first update today. There are many events during the Spring Festival, so the update is slow, but Lao Gu will insist on updating. I hope readers and friends will vote for it. Thank you very much!