Yes, yes!
Li Chunfang and Zhao Zhenji chimed in agreement.
Among those present, Wu Peng and Lu Ben were seasoned Shangshu. Lu Ben was already a Grand Scholar of the Wuying Hall, and though Wu Peng was not, he held the esteemed position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, carrying significant weight. The reason these two were summoned today was to discuss personnel matters. However, they were both close friends of Yan Song and therefore found it inappropriate to speak at this juncture.
The first release -: - Ta Du Novel @
After only a few words were exchanged, the two sides immediately began to argue. Prince Yu felt a sense of helplessness and, despite his repeated attempts to interject, remembered Lady Li's advice and remained silent.
Yan Song observed this, initially intending to prompt Prince Yu to speak so he could ensnare him. But since Prince Yu remained silent, there was no way to force him. Yan Song then smiled and said,
"Young Hu, the ritual of honoring the Master must still be performed. With the Crown Prince presiding over state affairs, how can there be no ceremony? Furthermore, since the reforms, while the results are evident, the people's hearts have been considerably stirred. Three years of presiding over state affairs without a clear leader will not do... I believe the Grand Secretariat should offer a response. Grand Scholar Xu, what do you say?"
This?
Xu Jie had not anticipated that he and his son would launch such a forceful attack right from the outset. Grand Scholar Yan had directly invoked the Grand Secretariat, leaving nothing more to be said. After all, he was the Senior Grand Secretary. The Crown Prince was presiding over state affairs, and the Emperor had not dismissed the Grand Secretariat. Moreover, this platform for summoned officials was implicitly a Grand Secretariat deliberation. Prince Yu's imperial decree for presiding over state affairs had been issued without prior consultation, a purely wishful thought, and the Yan family had immediately seized upon this loophole. This indeed made matters troublesome. Grand Scholar Yan, in the end, was overbearing, launching an attack akin to that of Yang Tinghe and his son right from the start!
He sighed inwardly and simply remained silent.
In reality,
Yan Song and Yan Shifan had not thought that deeply beforehand. It was only after seeing Prince Yu's imperial decree for presiding over state affairs that they realized this collective summoning of officials presented an unparalleled opportunity. Prince Yu lacked the capability and authority of Jiajing. Thus, this effectively became a miniature imperial court, and with Yan Song as the Senior Grand Secretary, merely by asserting his status, he could essentially control this miniature court. How would Xu Jie and the others dare to voice strong objections? Consequently, Yan Shifan, understanding the unspoken intent, immediately used the ways of the sages to ensnare Prince Yu, and Yan Song, at the opportune moment, asserted his position as Senior Grand Secretary...
As for Prince Yu,
He had conceived this idea after listening to Lady Li. Upon discovering the numerous flaws, his head began to ache—
Reader ID - 563743675
Today's summons deliberately included two senior Shangshu among the Grand Secretaries to dilute the Grand Secretariat's influence. However, Grand Scholar Yan directly spoke as the Senior Grand Secretary, causing the summons to immediately lose its purpose... completely slipping out of his control.
He could no longer remain silent and thus said,
"This summoning is not a deliberation of the Grand Secretariat... otherwise, I should not be participating in it... Moreover, if it were a Grand Secretariat deliberation, the Directorate of Ceremonial would also need to send representatives... Grand Scholar Yan, I believe your proposal is sound, but there is no need to make it overly grand at present. Diligent governance is fundamental... Let us simply hold a modest ceremony at the Imperial Academy!"
He had originally thought he had made a significant compromise, his tone almost that of negotiation. However, Yan Shifan's subsequent words almost made him lose his breath!
Yan Shifan said,
"Your Highness! This is absolutely impermissible! All dynasties have adhered to the ways of the sages. How can the ceremony for the Crown Prince presiding over state affairs be handled so perfunctorily? How solemn are the ways of the sages? How can they be treated as child's play? Your Highness, I believe that even if it is not grand, the world should be clearly informed that the Crown Prince has led the officials in honoring the ancestral master. Otherwise, the people's hearts may not be at ease!"
This?!
Damn it...
Prince Yu was genuinely choked on the spot!
He glanced at Xu Jie and then at Li Chunfang, both of whom were bowing their heads as if they hadn't heard anything, filling him with exasperation! Just as he was about to fly into a rage, a thought flashed through his mind—
Ta Du
No wonder his imperial father had the Great Rites Controversy when he first ascended the throne. It turns out these officials were always thinking of putting a noose around the Emperor's neck... If I yield now, the ways of the sages will become a whip to lash me, and eventually, I will be forced to obey them... But if I reject it, won't these officials attack me for not respecting the ways of the sages?
He suddenly regretted not protecting Yan Song back then and should have let Zhu Mo investigate further, starting with the grain transport, and expose that entire faction...
This thought flashed by, and he mused again: The ways of the sages are naturally correct, but why do they feel so wrong when it comes down to it?
At a loss, he immediately considered replacing the Senior Grand Secretary and letting Xu Jie take over. But then he thought again: The Yan family has so many followers, filling the entire court. How can they be replaced? With a single imperial decree, those people would come to force his hand...
"It seems this matter should be shelved for now, and I should consult the Crown Princess and Yin Shidan when I return?"
"Or, should I return to the Yuxi Palace and kneel to request the Emperor to make the decision?"
"Or, should I find someone to discreetly inquire about Xu Jie's opinion?"
"..."
Several thoughts flashed through his mind, but he found them all unsuitable. He could only say,
"Since this matter is undecided, let us first discuss the reforms in Jiangnan... I believe the reforms should continue. Uh, Grand Scholar Yan, what did you mean yesterday by revising the institutions?"
Original text ^. @ From Ta Du Novel.
Yan Song respectfully replied,
"I believe that this reform, all matters stemmed from disaster relief... The officials were quite astonished at the time, and there was some unrest in Jiangnan. Later, the court dispatched Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, who stabilized the situation... However, although Zhang Juzheng supported the reforms, his title was quite disproportionate. Uh, he was merely the manager of the state-run Jiangnan Bank, holding only a nominal position but handling numerous affairs, sometimes using the seal of a Minister of War, and other times the seal of a Provincial Governor... While effective, the disparity between title and reality made it difficult for other provinces to emulate him! Therefore, I believe we must revise the institutions, rectifying both title and reality, so that it can be implemented across the realm within three years..."
Prince Yu felt a hint of stratagem in his words and immediately looked at Xu Jie. Xu Jie cleared his throat and said,
"Grand Scholar Yan, how should the institutions be revised? Should the Six Ministries and Three Judicial Offices be affected?"
Mmm,
Li Chunfang also said,
"The Six Ministries and Three Judicial Offices are major policies of all dynasties. How should the institutions be revised? I really don't know how to proceed!"
Yan Shifan chuckled and said,
"Two Grand Scholars, it is precisely because we do not know how to proceed that we have brought this here for discussion! Do you two Grand Scholars have any insights you can share!"
This?!
Kou Kou 563743675
Li Chunfang felt displeased—
This Yan family was too overbearing!
How could they propose an idea without offering a concrete plan?
He immediately cleared his throat, put on a stern face, and remained silent.
Prince Yu also felt the awkward atmosphere and, steeling himself, said, "Grand Scholar Yan, have you yourselves considered how to revise the institutions?"
Yan Song cleared his throat and replied,
"Replying to Your Highness, your humble servant has discussed this with a few individuals. Historically, reforms, especially important ones, require clear lines of authority. Otherwise, unexpected problems will arise, making prevention impossible... Uh, your humble servant has also just thought of an idea and wishes to share it with everyone for consideration...
Uh, your humble servant believes that the institution responsible for presiding over reforms should still be the Grand Secretariat... The Grand Secretariat should dispatch ministers to take charge in various regions. Minor matters can be handled autonomously, but major ones must be reported to the Grand Secretariat. After we deliberate and draft proposals, they will be submitted through imperial court sessions and summonings to Your Highness, the Crown Prince, for his decision... In this way, all authority will be unified under the Crown Prince. Since the Crown Prince is presiding over state affairs, everything will proceed smoothly, and any mistakes made can be quickly corrected..."
Hiss!
Xu Jie listened with trepidation—
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The Emperor has only been neglecting his duties for two days, and the Yan family is already like this!
If this proposal were to be implemented, it would mean that the power of reform would entirely rest in Yan Song's hands! He was the Senior Grand Secretary, and the Grand Secretariat was under his control. In such a situation, how could Prince Yu possibly suppress him, especially in a summoning like today's? Even if he managed to suppress him, if Yan Song caused some trouble behind the scenes, wouldn't that make Prince Yu appear incompetent?
One must understand,
Although these elder officials were young forty years ago, they had heard of the Great Rites Controversy. Yan Song, being older, had even followed his fellow villager and prominent figure Gui E in supporting Jiajing. How could they not know the root cause of the Great Ming Dynasty's problems? If the Emperor were not strong, he would be like Hongzhi, completely subservient to the officials. If he were strong, he would be like Zhengde, completely opposing the officials. Finding a middle path was exceedingly difficult. Prince Yu, with his average disposition, how could he possibly manage such a complex situation?
Thinking of this,
Xu Jie immediately felt a sense of powerlessness, suddenly feeling that the Great Ming Dynasty was truly in peril. Prince Yu, in such circumstances, was prone to making grave mistakes, which would then lead to immense trouble.