In the Wenhua Hall, low voices of discussion continued.
For all the ministers, today's court meeting was really an eye-opener.
Starting from the case of Dali Temple Minister Du Ningqizou's palace examination fraud, this court meeting successively involved three cabinet ministers, Hanlin bachelors, and six ministers. It also spread to the Ministry of Personnel and the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Wang Ao, the chief minister of the cabinet.
Ministers cheated, masters and apprentices turned against each other, cabinets fought with each other, and the swords and swords going back and forth between a group of important ministers made these ministers extremely frightened.
Who would have thought that such a simple fraud case would now affect most of the important officials in the court.
Nowadays, in the imperial court, apart from the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Rites, the only important minister left in the imperial court is Yu Shiyue, the second minister of the cabinet.
The situation is so changing that many ministers have already been confused by various complicated relationships and cannot keep up with the rhythm of a group of important ministers.
But it is obvious that with Zhu Jian coming forward to impeach Wang Ao, the general trend in the court has emerged.
Following Zhu Jian, Jiang Yuan also spoke.
"Your Majesty, the cabinet has been forming cliques for a long time. As the chief minister, Wang Ao is an expert in this. We ordinary cabinet ministers who fail to achieve their goals in the cabinet will be ignored and suppressed."
"If this were not the case, I would not dare to listen to his suggestion and encourage Xuexian Xiao to take such a big risk during the palace examination. The palace examination is fraudulent and I am guilty of a serious crime. However, Wang Ao, as the person behind the scenes, is the real trouble to the court. Your Majesty, Shengming Zhuzhao, please
Don’t be deceived by this traitor!”
Like Zhu Jian, Jiang Yuan's attitude and words were also very intense, even more so.
Wang Ao clenched his fists tightly, but his mood was extremely stable.
At this time, you need to stay calm!
Many years of official career told him that if he was controlled by his emotions at this time, his career would be terminated.
The current situation is obviously a political struggle specifically targeted at Chen Xun after long-term planning.
Now that things have happened, the original imperial examination fraud case is no longer important, or in other words, it has taken a back seat.
The reason why Du Ning started with this was probably because of this moment.
First, Jiang Yuan was forced into a desperate situation and made him go crazy. In order to get rid of the crime, he dragged Wang Ao into the water. Then Zhu Jian came forward and changed the topic from the fraud in the palace examination to Wang Ao's taking power in the cabinet.
It seems simple, but in reality, it is deadly at every step.
Wang Ao's own shortcoming is that he has been supervising military affairs at the border for a long time, so his time in the capital is too short. Even if he has been in the cabinet for two years, this time is not enough for an important minister like him to gain a firm foothold.
It's still not easy.
He has qualifications and merits, but what he lacks is the relationship and connections between the DPRK and China. However, the operation of the cabinet cannot be stopped. Therefore, he must use the fastest speed to establish authority in the cabinet, and then through the power of other cabinet ministers,
Let the cabinet play its due role.
During this process, he was indeed suspected of taking power in many things.
The cleverness of Chen Xun's move was that he connected many previous events with the imperial examination fraud case through Jiang Yuan.
Zhu Jian came forward to impeach Wang Ao for seizing power, which seemed to change the topic, but in fact, it did not, because in this situation, the imperial examination fraud case has become evidence and extension of Wang Ao's seizing power.
At this time, if Wang Ao only focused on the palace examination fraud case, he would appear to be evading the important and take the easy, which would be regarded as a sign of guilty conscience by the court ministers.
However, if he were to respond directly, there would be a lot of room for debate...
If this matter cannot be resolved today, Wang Ao will definitely become the center of the whirlpool after the next court.
At that time, the eyes of everyone in the court and Qingliu Kedao will be fixed on him alone. It is almost impossible for anyone to withstand such scrutiny.
Moreover, this kind of questioning will be a great impact on his authority.
Therefore, he must resolve the matter in court and must not delay it any longer. This is the main premise!
After confirming this, Wang Ao's mood did not feel relaxed at all, but instead became heavier.
Of course he has his own trump card, but the trump card can only be used when it is most critical. Otherwise, the outcome will be uncertain in the end.
His eyes fell heavily on Chen Xun. At this moment, Wang Ao forced himself into a state of absolute calm.
Although he was facing a "political opponent" who might have spent several months planning carefully to overthrow him, there was no resentment or dissatisfaction in Wang Ao's eyes, only a faint look!
His eyes were not sharp, but they seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, with an intimidating power. Such eyes made the ministers next to him feel faintly chilled.
At this time, they remembered that Wang Ao was not a weak scholar with no strength. He had once defended the city with a sword and killed the enemy on horseback. However, he never showed it on weekdays, but when he mentioned this momentum,
, which is naturally frightening.
However, Chen Xun was obviously a man who had experienced many storms. Facing Wang Ao's imposing gaze, he not only showed no intention of flinching, but instead looked at him calmly with a faint smile.
This look was as if everything now had nothing to do with him.
The best is like water, using softness to overcome hardness. Wang Ao's momentum is fierce, but Chen Xun is neither humble nor arrogant, and can be dissolved invisibly like the spring breeze turning into rain.
The brief confrontation ended in a flash. After all, this was above the imperial court. Even if Wang Ao was the chief minister of the cabinet, it was impossible to leave him much time to react.
In fact, with Zhu Jian's appearance, many imperial officials in the distance have begun to make moves. If Wang Ao does not respond again, I am afraid that this matter will become increasingly difficult to control.
Taking a deep breath, Wang Ao stepped forward and cupped his hands.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, as the chief minister, I have received the favor of Your Majesty and have the power to divide the votes. I work hard day and night, not daring to slack off in the slightest. The ministers have different paths of promotion, different expertise, and different responsibilities. When it comes to dividing the votes,
, there should be some differences.”
"This move is not for suppression, but is actually out of consideration for smooth government affairs. However, how to use the initial power of the cabinet to hold votes is still being explored. Since the cabinet ministers feel that this move is inappropriate, I should also improve it. From now on,
The government affairs handled by the cabinet can be held for three months, and the administration can be rotated to avoid the suspicion of sidelining and suppressing cabinet ministers."
Everyone's eyes were focused on Wang Ao, but when the old man really spoke, he was still calm and slow.
"As for the matters of cabinet discussion, the cabinet is different from the ministers and temple supervisors. It is a department to assist His Majesty in handling government affairs. When encountering complicated and complex government affairs, the cabinet ministers can discuss together and vote carefully. It is also
This is so that when the cabinet submits the matter to His Majesty, all the ministers can pool their wisdom and prepare for His Majesty's consultation."
"As Mr. Zhu Ge said just now, all the ministers in the cabinet have the right to vote, and they can go to the palace at any time to meet with the emperor. The cabinet discussion is just for discussion. If the ministers have different opinions, they will be listed behind them for your majesty's preparation.
The ruling is not a one-word decision that unifies the opinions of all ministers."
After saying these words, the eyes of several ministers on the side suddenly flashed, looking thoughtful.
If you observe carefully, you can even find that they look at Wang Ao with inexplicably more attention.
At the same time, Wang Ao has not stopped yet.
There were many questions raised by Zhu Jian just now, and now, he must respond to them one by one.
"Just now Mr. Zhu Ge said that I had a conflict with Chen Shangshu and Gao Shangshu who were in the cabinet. This is true. However, it was just a dispute over political opinions and did not involve personal grudges. It was even more impossible to manipulate power and criticize each other.
Believe this, Chen Shangshu should also feel the same way?"
At this point, Wang Ao stopped for a moment and cast his gaze on Chen Xun.
Seeing this situation, the officials on the side couldn't help but become nervous.
You know, although this seems to be a casual mention, this can be regarded as the first direct conversation between the two in this court meeting.
Just now, Chen Xun was very aggressive, accusing the reader, scolding Jiang Yuan, and even impeaching Wang Wen, but he never mentioned Wang Ao in one word.
Even now, everyone has vaguely guessed that Chen Xun borrowed the help of Du Ning, Jiang Yuan and others to target Wang Ao in this court meeting. However, speculation is still speculation after all.
But now, Wang Ao asked, putting the right to speak in the hands of Chen Xun. How would this Qingliu leader, the initiator of everything, respond?
Should he go back with disdain and ridicule? Or should he take this opportunity to fight back with righteous words?
Or is it a Tai Chi pusher who continues to hide behind the scenes?
In the midst of everyone's attention, Chen Xun remained calm and spoke.
"Your Majesty, the Chief Assistant, is right. There are only occasional political differences between me and the Chief Assistant, and they are not personal grudges."
Simply, after finishing speaking, Chen Xun stood in the distance and did not say more.
Seeing this situation, although many ministers had expected it, they still couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Originally, they thought they could see the two big guys colliding head-on, but now they see that people who have reached their stage are still very cautious about such a complete confrontation without leaving any room for maneuver.
Of course, this is also because Wang Ao actually laid a trap when he asked.
What he is talking about is "manipulating power and criticizing each other." In other words, the fight between them is not that Wang Ao is bent on suppressing Chen Xun, but that you come and go.
So, either hello, me, everyone, or just have a good discussion about the scripture banquet back then...
However, Chen Xun's attitude caused Jiang Yuan and Zhu Jian's expressions to change slightly at the same time. However, Jiang Yuan was worried, while Zhu Jian was just surprised.
Wang Ao himself, on the other hand, was not surprised at Chen Xun's behavior, as if everything was under his control.
Seeing that Chen Xun stopped talking, Wang Shoufu continued to speak unhurriedly and said.
"Dali Temple has concluded the case of fraud in the palace examination. I don't want to say more because Dali Temple has been investigating for a long time. The evidence and witnesses collected are more credible than the case of the imperial examination fraud. Jiang Yuan's words just now are...
But when I saw the matter was exposed, I just made a false accusation at will. I don't know the person clearly, so please forgive me."
"The root cause of this matter is that Jiang Yuan secretly plotted against the Hanlin Academy to frame Xiao Xueshi. He framed the minister for this reason. In this case, I am willing to resign and be in charge of the Hanlin Academy. Please ask your majesty
Select another virtuous minister to serve as a Hanlin scholar, and restore his innocence."
Faced with the accusations made by Zhu Jian and Jiang Yuan, Wang Ao remained calm and refuted them one by one, with clear logic and a calm attitude. It must be said that he was quite magnanimous.
These clear words also caused the wind in the court to quietly change.
You must know that these things about Zhu Jian's impeachment are still based on facts, but Wang Ao also explained them clearly one by one. As for what Jiang Yuan said, there is not even evidence. If it had been said earlier, maybe it would have been
Some people will believe it.
However, it is indeed not very credible to say this when he has reached a point where he cannot even protect himself.
As a result, many people looked at Wang Ao with a little more respect.
Under such circumstances, he was still able to remain calm and respond so quickly. As expected, no one who can become a big boss in the imperial court is simple.
Then, we have to see whether Chen Xun will continue to pursue and fight...
Although it is said that Chen Xun just came forward to "testify" to Wang Ao, it is not certain whether this means that Chen Shangshu has given up on dealing with Wang Ao.
Therefore, many people looked at Chen Xun silently.
What surprised them was that the instigator, at this time, was still standing there calmly and did not look like he wanted to continue speaking.
At the same time, the voice of the First Emperor also sounded.
However, what the ministers did not expect was that the emperor still did not express his attitude towards the accusations and excuses just now, but directly named the person and asked.
"Yu Cifu, you are in the cabinet and you should know the situation of the cabinet best. Please tell me, who are the truth and who are the lies of what the cabinet ministers just said?"
The emperor's tone was a little subtle in these last words, which made all the officials sweat.
It is said that the Holy Heart is difficult to predict, but who can not guess the emperor's intention when he is in the court?
This court meeting has developed so far that it has involved too many people. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a mess. Under such circumstances, it is the time when the emperor needs to come forward to make a ruling.
However, the emperor never expressed his attitude, and even at this moment, he ordered Yu Cifu to come out. What does it mean?
It is true that as a cabinet minister, Yu Shiyue is the person who knows the situation of the cabinet best, but at the same time, what is even more clear is that he is also the only person in the current cabinet who is not involved in this case.
There is no doubt that, whose side Yu Shiyue is on at this time, although it may not play a decisive role, it will increase the chances of winning a lot.
As for Yu Cifu's attitude, it is even harder to guess.
Everyone knew about his previous feud with Zhu Jian. When the dispute was at its worst, the two sides almost turned against each other. Even today, although the two are in the same cabinet, their relationship is still very bad, and it is unabashedly so.
Difference.
And Jiang Yuan, when he switched to Wang Ao, he took advantage of Yu Shiyue. Will he take the opportunity to retaliate? There is no telling!
But, on the other hand, one thing needs to be clearer.
Almost all the cabinet ministers have been involved in the palace examination case, and now, Chen Xunming is planning to take action against Wang Ao, and he has already planned it.
If this is the case, it means that Chen Shangshu is probably confident. If Yu Shiyue chooses to stand on the opposite side of Wang Ao at this time, then in the end Wang Ao will fall, and there is almost no doubt that he will go further.
of.
In this situation, it is hard to say who Yu Cifu will help.
This chapter has been completed!