In fact, the Ming Dynasty's science and education officials were extremely special existences in the officialdom.
They are young, hardworking, have not been in the officialdom for a long time, their official positions are not high, and they have not been exposed to many real political struggles. The compromises, interests, connections, and understanding of high-level struggles are not enough. These factors are the biggest
maintain their idealism to a certain extent.
Coupled with the institutional power of Kedao to punish hundreds of officials and the Ming Dynasty's tradition of arrogant speech, various factors gave them a kind of stupid character, or, to put it another way, it can also be called direct remonstrance.
Lin Cong is a typical representative among them.
Kedao officials are actually responsible for many matters. Regarding matters related to the Tianjia, most of their sources of information come from information published in the court.
Unlike many participants and high-level bosses, he was unaware of the many secrets of the Tian family and the many secret confrontations.
Therefore, for him, or for many middle and low-level officials, the scene he saw was that the emperor was the Holy Son of Heaven, the Supreme Emperor sincerely repented, the heavenly family was harmonious, and brothers, friends and brothers respected each other.
Now, Shu Liang has boldly forced the Supreme Emperor, causing the Supreme Emperor to patrol the Xuan Mansion without returning. Naturally, he is destroying the relationship between the Tian family and disturbing the court.
Of course they knew that Shu Liang had the emperor's instructions.
However, the Emperor is a sage and wise majesty. If he really instructed Shu Liang to do this, then there must be some treacherous people around him to instigate and deceive him.
This concept is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people throughout the Ming Dynasty, both in the government and in the public.
At the imperial court, the officials attributed all the blame for the Battle of Tumubao to Wang Zhen, which is proof of this.
The same is true even among the people.
The common people are tortured by the local subordinates. They will believe that the county magistrate will make the decision for them. The county magistrate is a corrupt official. They will believe that the magistrate is deceived, so they will appeal.
They would only scold officials for various excessive local taxes and miscellaneous taxes, but not the emperor.
They always thought that the emperor was a sage and benevolent person, but there were treacherous ministers under him who wielded power, so their lives were miserable.
This is true both in the government and in the public sector.
From a governance perspective, there is no doubt that this is of great benefit to national stability.
However, when it comes to individual officials, whether they can get rid of this so-called "blue sky thinking" is one of the most important criteria for whether they can enter the senior management.
More than 90% of the people in the court cannot break away from this concept that they have accepted since childhood and analyze it calmly from the perspective of pros and cons.
Therefore, they can only continue to fight in the officialdom. Only when they realize this truth can they truly have a chance to become decision-makers.
But it is obvious that most officials, especially those who are very concerned about science and education, cannot understand it.
They consciously uphold the public spirit. Although they are earning fame for themselves, it is also their duty to advise the country and the country.
In other words, they were getting rid of evil spirits and leading the emperor back to the "right path". Therefore, they felt confident and did not regret at all even if they were reprimanded and relegated.
Lin Cong actually disagreed with Shu Liang's excuse from the bottom of his heart.
However, even he had to admit that this Quan Huan did find a good reason.
The difference between blockade and protection lies in whether to isolate the inside and outside.
However, what happened outside Datong City is indeed unexplainable. If the Supreme Emperor was nearby, it can be said that he did not issue such an order.
But now, the Supreme Emperor is far away in Xuan Mansion, and even if Shu Liang's reason is untenable, no one can refute it.
So, after a moment's hesitation, Lin Cong decided not to dwell on this point, but asked directly.
"Even if the palace needs to be strictly guarded, what is the purpose of Eunuch Shu leading people to break into the palace? Is it possible that you really want to tell me that you are leaving to deliver charcoal?"
There was a burst of sneers in the hall, obviously mocking Shu Liang without even finding a reason.
Lin Cong did not laugh, but spoke very seriously.
"According to the court's protocol, the Supreme Emperor will stay in the Xuan Mansion for two days before setting off for Juyongguan. Even if there is a memorial ceremony, it will be delayed by one day at most. You brought hundreds of people in, and the charcoal fire you brought is enough for a month.
If it’s not to hide people’s ears and eyes, what’s the purpose?”
"Besides, if you want to send charcoal fire, you can just go to the backyard. Why do you bring so many people to the inner courtyard where the Supreme Emperor lives? This move is not to force the Supreme Emperor to Ling, so why?"
It should be said that although Lin Cong hated eunuchs, he did not despise Shu Liang, a powerful minister.
What he said just now is enough to prove that Shu Liang is not as domineering and flamboyant as the rumors say. He can use the Datong incident as a shield, which shows that there is a careful thought hidden under his domineering attitude.
Therefore, Lin Cong realized that it would not be easy to defeat this traitor today.
Shu Liang was as calm as ever, saying.
"Since Mr. Lin has asked, our family has to answer. Indeed, our family brings people into the mansion not just to send charcoal fire, but more importantly, because our family has brought the emperor's will to escort those who have left their posts without permission.
Gansu garrison eunuch Liu Yongcheng returns to Beijing."
"Liu Yongcheng is brave and good at fighting, skilled in bow and horse, and has many guards around him. If our family wants to arrest him, we will naturally have to bring more people."
Lin Cong really didn't expect that Shu Liang would change the subject so neatly.
After pondering for a moment, he continued to ask.
"Eunuch Shu, this is not consistent with what you just said. Can you explain why you said it inconsistently? Is it possible that you were deceiving me just now?"
Shu Liang was also a little surprised.
For the first time since entering the palace, he raised his head and looked at Lin Cong seriously, as if he wanted to imprint his appearance in his mind.
You know, what Shu Liang said just now deliberately left a loophole, that is, why did it take so many people to arrest Liu Yongcheng? Could it be that Liu Yongcheng dared to rebel?
Shu Liang had already prepared the answer.
Still the emperor!
Although the possibility of Liu Yongcheng's resistance is minimal, he is with the Supreme Emperor after all. If he has bad intentions, he may hurt the Supreme Emperor.
That's why he brought so many people there to prevent any eventuality.
It can be said that as long as Lin Cong followed his words and asked, he would naturally be freed from this crime.
However, Lin Cong did not ask.
This keen intuition alone is enough for Shu Liang to pay attention to him.
The light in his eyes flashed away, and Shu Liang returned to his fake smile and said.
"Sir Lin, you don't dare to put such a big label on our family. We have already informed your Majesty of all the circumstances before you asked. There is no deception."
"As for the inconsistency, it is naturally because some things are not convenient to say in front of the elders. However, since Mr. Lin and Zhou Shilang are asking questions according to the order, then if you want to know, we must answer truthfully.
.”
This is a clear threat.
If you ask, I can give you the answer.
However, you have to weigh it yourself whether you can afford the consequences!
Lin Cong naturally understood. He was just young and upright, but he was definitely not without scheming.
Now, Shu Liang was obviously prepared, and he was a little hesitant as to whether to continue asking.
However, before he could speak.
The officials below became commotion, and after a while, two or three censors came out and shouted.
"A gentleman is an upright man, what should he not say to others?"
"Shu Liang, I see that you are obviously stalling for time and are not pleading guilty quickly."
"How presumptuous. Since you know that Mr. Lin and Zhou Shilang are asking questions under orders, you still dare to be so secretive. Do you think the emperor is in your eyes?"
As a result, more and more censors came forward and accused Shu Liang of being eloquent and afraid to face questioning directly.
The situation seemed a bit chaotic again, and Lin Cong couldn't help but sigh.
After all, his prestige is not enough, he was just temporarily pushed out for questioning, so some things are actually not up to him...
However, when Zhu Qiyu saw this scene, it was a different scene.
During the inspection in Beijing a few days ago, the Ministry of Personnel sent all the resumes of officials in Beijing to the imperial court for review. With the information collected by Jin Yiwei, Zhu Qiyu easily matched the name with the person.
The three people who just jumped out to incite the atmosphere are Liang Cheng, the censor of Shanxi Province, Liu Yan, the censor of Hebei Province, and Liu Xin, the censor of Zhejiang Province.
The three of them are all fellow townsmen of Cabinet Minister Zhang Min.
It seems that the cabinet has indeed put in all its efforts this time.
You must know that there are currently four people in the cabinet. During this court meeting, Yu Shiyue personally stepped in to stabilize order. Jiang Yuan secretly persuaded Zhou Xuan to help, and Zhang Min also mobilized connections to guide public opinion within Kedao.
Although it is said that it has not achieved the effect Zhu Qiyu wanted, he has finally made an effort.
Under this situation, even though Lin Cong knew that there might be a trap ahead, he still had to ask.
"Eunuch Shu, since you know that I and Zhou Shilang are asking questions according to the order, you don't have to say anything. Please also ask Eunuch Shu to explain why what you said is inconsistent. It's not convenient to say what you said.
If so, what exactly is it?"
Sure enough, the next moment, he saw a proud smile on Shu Liang's face, and immediately the latter spoke.
"If that's the case, then our family will report it truthfully."
"As we said just now, the reason why we brought people into the mansion was to arrest Liu Yongcheng. This matter is an imperial edict from the Emperor. We have in our hands the imperial edict written by His Majesty himself. If Mr. Lin wants to, he can go to the inner court
Check the copy."
"But the problem is that when we entered Xuanfu City, our family asked Liu Yongcheng. He claimed that he left Gansu and rushed to Xuanfu to 'protect' the Supreme Emperor on orders from the Supreme Emperor."
"Our family doesn't believe what he said. Gansu is an important border town, and the guarding eunuchs hold great power. If they want to leave the station, they must get an order from the court, permission from the emperor, and only after handing over their military affairs. How could the emperor not know this?
?”
"Therefore, our family concludes that Liu Yongcheng is using the Emperor's will under the guise, but in fact he is trying to regain the Emperor's success. Now, our family is sent to arrest him under the order. If he gets angry out of humiliation and takes the Emperor hostage, it will be a big deal."
"So, for the safety of the Supreme Emperor, our family has to bring many people into the inner courtyard to prevent any unexpected events."
Shu Liang had a fake smile on his face and asked, "Is this explanation satisfactory to Mr. Lin?"
Lin Cong felt a burst of anger rising up.
Of course he is not satisfied!
What kind of ridiculous statement is this?
Is it possible that Liu Yongcheng is a fool?
For the so-called "effort to welcome the restoration", risking your head and running to Xuanfu?
Didn't he know that even if he went, he would only have the merit of having a guard at most. Compared with him leaving his post without authorization, this small "credit" would not be worth the gain at all.
This statement is false at first glance.
Not only is it fake, it's also perfunctory.
However, Lin Cong couldn't deny it.
Just like Shu Liang said just now, he mobilized troops to surround the mansion because he saw the guards outside Datong City and intercepted Li Xian, so he followed suit.
This behavior is very absurd to explain, but it cannot be refuted.
Although Shu Liang said he answered truthfully, he still kept the secret in the end, even though the secret was almost said openly.
The claim that Liu Yongcheng went to Xuanfu because he was greedy for power is a lie at first glance.
However, the price of exposing false claims is to reveal the truth.
What is the truth?
Of course, Liu Yongcheng was summoned by the Supreme Emperor, so he rushed from Gansu to Xuanfu.
As for Shu Liang, as the admiral of Dongchang, he held the emperor's decree and went to arrest Liu Yongcheng.
Then, an inevitable problem arises.
Should we follow the Emperor's will and let Liu Yongcheng stay in Xuanfu, or should we follow the Emperor's will and take him back to Beijing?
The so-called fear that Liu Yongcheng would "get angry out of shame" and "hijack the emperor" is nothing but nonsense. Where did Liu Yongcheng have the courage?
The real reason is that if Shu Liang did not bring all the men, Liu Yongcheng would definitely be detained by the Supreme Emperor.
At that time, the emperor's imperial edict has become a decoration, which is unacceptable to Shu Liang.
Therefore, hidden under the absurd appearance are irreconcilable contradictions.
The specific manifestation is that there is a conflict between the wills of the two parties and how to resolve it.
Shu Liang's solution is... to pretend that the Emperor's will does not exist.
I don’t know, I’ve never heard of it, how could the Supreme Emperor make such a decree?
This reason is absurd, but it is indeed a solution.
If Lin Cong broke through this appearance, it would be tantamount to putting this contradiction on the table before the Emperor arrived in Beijing.
So, Shu Liang said, he can tell the truth, but can you afford it?
This Eunuch Shu is a "major border town" and "holds great power". He needs "the imperial court's order", "the emperor's permission" and "handover of military affairs" to leave the station. He is determined to pin all charges on Liu Yongcheng.
On the body.
Obviously, Lin Cong did not have the courage to cause such a turmoil in the court.
He is still self-aware. It is the bosses of the Six Ministries and Seven Ministers who should worry about such a big matter. If they start such a debate in the court without permission, no matter what the outcome, he will be shattered to pieces.
Lin Cong's expression was gloomy and he did not speak for a long time. The atmosphere in the palace also quietly began to change.
The censors were originally very aggressive, but now they are much weaker...
So, after a moment of silence with no one speaking, one person from the group of big bosses who had been silent for a long time finally stood up.
Chief Minister of the Cabinet, Wang Ao!
The old man stepped out of the queue, came to the hall, and handed over his hands.
"I believe that the details of this matter have been revealed. It is certainly inappropriate for Shu Liang to mobilize troops to surround the palace and forcefully break into the palace. However, on the one hand, the Supreme Emperor has ordered to be responsible for the outer guard, and on the other hand, Liu Yongcheng is lurking in the threat. Although it is necessary to act in extraordinary circumstances,
However, Mr. Shu’s actions are indeed inappropriate and should be punished.”
"As for Liu Yongcheng, the eunuch in charge of Gansu Province, he left his post without permission without receiving the order from the court. He should be executed for his crime!"
"Tao Jin, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, and Geng Jiuchou, the admiral and minister, did not realize the actual situation and issued an edict to reprimand him. Please give your Majesty a clear warning."
The issue involving the limits of the power of the Emperor and the Supreme Emperor cannot be allowed to continue quarreling in the court. Therefore, it is appropriate for Wang Ao to come forward at this time.
At the same time, when he speaks, it also represents the final attitude of the cabinet.
There was still silence in the palace, and no one among the big bosses spoke out to object. Although the censors below were unwilling to give in, they also knew the appropriateness and had no choice but to suppress their dissatisfaction and remain silent.
As a result, the opinions above the court were barely unified, and what was left was the emperor's final decision.
Everyone held their breath and looked at the emperor on the throne...
This chapter has been completed!