Yuan Chonghuan got up early in the morning, washed and cleaned, and prepared to enter the palace.
Because he already had an official position before he came to Beijing, he did not live in the Guangdong Guild Hall, but chose Xila Hutong, which is where most officials coming to Beijing would choose.
The Guangdong Guild Hall is the residence for people coming to Beijing.
Before ordinary officials return to Beijing, they will first be granted an official position by imperial edict.
After receiving the imperial edict in his hometown, Yuan Chonghuan first resumed his duties as the censor of Zuodu of the Procuratorate and the left minister of the Ministry of War.
He also hinted at letting him supervise Ji Liao.
Xila Hutong is full of high-end inns, specially prepared for officials coming to Beijing from other places. The main reason is that it is in a good location, just outside Dong'an Gate and less than a mile away from the Imperial City.
It is very convenient to enter the Forbidden City.
Even if it's an early morning morning, you don't have to get up in the middle of the night, and you don't have to suffer too much.
Today is the day when the platform calls for the right person, which is no small matter.
Yuan Chonghuan carefully went over what he was going to say in his mind and made sufficient preparations.
Chongzhen has never met Yuan Chonghuan. For such an important position, the emperor will definitely interview him in person. Success or failure will depend on today.
Yuan Chonghuan verified his documents at Dong'an Gate, walked another mile to Donghua Gate, and entered the Forbidden City under the leadership of the eunuch.
This was also his first time entering this splendid palace, and he felt quite stressed.
The pressure from the palace was on the one hand, but mainly the pressure from within Donglin was too great.
The platform calls the right people, what a great name.
There have been kings and ministers in all dynasties, and historians will record them.
However, calling the right person on the platform was not so sacred in the Ming Dynasty.
In fact, during the period when the emperor came to court unofficially, the academicians and cabinet members, as well as those related to the important matters that the emperor needed to decide on at that time, were anxious to hold a meeting.
It is equivalent to a royal meeting.
Most of the time they are temporary in nature and arranged based on emergency needs.
As for this platform, where is it located in the Forbidden City?
In fact, it is at the back door on the east side of the Baohe Hall of the Forbidden City today.
According to historical records, the platform: Jianji Hall (Baohe Hall) is in the middle and toward the back, high above the Sanlin white jade railing and opposite to Qianqing Gate, also known as Yuntai Gate.
On both sides facing the latter, the east is called the back left gate, and the west is called the back right gate, which are the left and right gates of Yuntai, also known as "platform".
When summoning cabinet ministers and other officials, it is on the platform, which is the back left gate (it is still called this name on the map of the Forbidden City today).
This place is not on the three steps of the three main halls, but on the flat ground on the east side of Baohe Hall, which was called the left gate of Yuntai in the past.
Open the left door of this Yuntai, and behind it is the square between the front three palaces and the back three palaces.
Anyone who has been to the Forbidden City knows the location.
Looking to the north, you can see the Yuqing Palace Gate, Qianqing Gate and the bungalows at the military aircraft office.
Moreover, this platform was not opened for one person alone. Yuan Chonghuan did not have such a great reputation that the emperor could summon him alone.
Today's meeting is a bit like a big leadership office meeting in later generations.
A bunch of people are waiting for the meeting with what they want to report. When it comes to you, you will naturally be asked to go in and report your work, and then the boss will give instructions.
If you agree, leave the meeting. If you don't agree, either give up or go back and revise it and come back to the next meeting.
Nine Thousand Years Old is finished, and Donglin is bound to rise again. This opportunity is very important.
In China, personnel has always been politics, and the direction of political trends depends on changes in personnel.
Therefore, it is very important to choose a breakthrough point and what kind of person you choose.
First, this candidate must be a direct descendant of Donglin, with upright roots and Miaohong. Only then can he wholeheartedly seek benefits for Donglin and open the ice for Donglin's overall comeback.
Second, the candidate must be approved by the emperor. He must have certain abilities and past political achievements.
Third, the emperor must have a realistic need to promote this person. That is, a person must be arranged to do something. And this person cannot be one person. It must be a number of people recommended by various political factions, and one of them must be selected.
After comprehensive consideration, Donglin chose Yuan Chonghuan. He was a student of Sun Chengzong, who was the master of Emperor Tianqi.
Sun Chengzong cleaned up the severe situation and chaos caused by the fall of Liaodong due to the fierce fight between Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen, re-established the Guanning-Jin defense line, and pushed the front from Shanhaiguan back to the Daling River in Jinzhou.
As his student, Yuan Chonghuan was the direct executor of Sun Chengzong's policies. He stabilized the refugees, restored production, and successively won the Ningyuan Victory, Ningjin Victory, and the bombardment of Nurhaci.
Yuan Chonghuan had military exploits in Liaodong, and was one of the rare talents who was born in the second rank of Jinshi and was familiar with military affairs. It was in line with the Ming Dynasty's national policy of using culture to control military affairs, and at the same time, it prevented laymen from leading experts.
At present, the emperor is most concerned about the war situation in Liaodong. Liaodong also urgently needs a minister to coordinate everything. Yuan Chonghuan is familiar with the situation and has successful cases in the past. More importantly, he has been persecuted by the eunuch party, which can be easily accepted by the emperor.
Yuan Chonghuan himself also thought clearly about these powerful relationships. He arrogantly believed that there were really not many candidates with abilities and qualifications that exceeded his own, and the emperor did not have many choices.
Today, the supervisor Ji Liao should be able to hold the snail with ten fingers, and he is sure of it.
While he was waiting outside the platform, a meeting was taking place inside.
The rules of the platform call are that the ministers stand in awe on both sides of the court, civil and military, and the emperor sits on a temporarily moved throne in the middle, with a large carved case in front of him.
When you encounter a problem, just call on the official's name. The official will kneel down and answer the question. When the emperor expresses sympathy for his senior officials and gives special treatment, he can also stand there and speak.
After a while, Wang Chengen came out, cupped his hands and said: "But Mr. Yuan, the left minister of the Ministry of War."
Yuan Chonghuan immediately bowed his hands respectfully and said, "You are the official, thank you for your service, father-in-law."
"Master Yuan, please come in with me. They are talking about the important matters accumulated in various places during this period. After they are dealt with in a while, His Majesty will summon Master Yuan."
After saying that, he took Yuan Chonghuan into the platform and arranged his station position.
Yuan Chonghuan has been working in the local area. Although he has also served as the director of the Ministry of War, he is not qualified to participate in such a high-level meeting held by the platform.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Immediately pricked up your ears and listened carefully.
This is a unique learning opportunity and an on-site observation to understand the operation of the central nervous system.
He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the emperor sitting on the throne, meticulous and serious.
The emperor was so young, he still had the childishness of an eighteen-year-old. But he tried hard to pretend to be serious, as if he was afraid that the officials would look down on him when they saw that he was young.
Young people are more passionate and emotional.
He is anxious to do things, eager for success, and lacks patience.
I gradually gained some confidence in my heart.
He pricked up his ears and listened correctly.
Chongzhen asked Zhejiang officials: What happened to the pirate intrusion?
He replied that he had trouble last fall and left after five days.
Ask Jiangxi officials: Why are the funds allocated to the royal family not given?
The answer is: Jiangxi is poor. It has many mountains and few fields, and is very barren. The relevant departments are not yet able to solve the problem.
When Yuan Chonghuan heard that Jiangxi officials and the emperor were crying about poverty, he immediately pricked up his ears to see how the emperor would deal with it.
Chongzhen frowned and thought for a moment.
No further questions were asked.
Ask Huguang officials: People in Hubei caused riots last summer. What’s happening now?
He replied: It's okay now. After the turmoil, I feel more stable.
Ask Fujian officials: What happened to the pirates?
The answer is that pirates are different from land thieves, so the policy of appeasement is the main one.
Question: Then why did you kill pirate Li Kuiqi again?
He replied: Li Kuiqi is different from Zheng Zhilong. Even if he is recruited, he cannot be used by the government. There are still people who are uncertain about surrendering, so I am not sure.
Question: What should I do?
The answer is that the best policy is to develop local armed forces in rural areas, increase the development of firearms and equipment, and use war as defense.
Ask Henan officials: The phenomenon of arbitrary charging is too serious in your country, and relevant personnel must be punished!
Answer: He has been dismissed from his post recently.
Ask Shandong officials: There is a difference of several hundred thousand between the wages you should give to Xuanhua and Datong towns. What’s going on?
He replied that it had been sent recently.
Chongzhen immediately asked: How much was given?
The answer was, 7,000 taels.
Chongzhen sighed, seemed to suppress his anger, and said patiently that it was too little. National defense is at the forefront, and soldier pay is not a trivial matter. Don't neglect your duties!
Ask Shanxi officials: In the spring of this year, many people in Shaanxi rebelled, and bandits were so rampant. Are they all from Shaanxi?
The answer is: These bandits are very mobile. Sometimes they are in Shanxi, and sometimes they go to Shaanxi. We need to intensify our efforts to exterminate them, but there are only a few soldiers and a small amount of pay.
Chongzhen asked a little strangely: Didn't you say that they were all wiped out a while ago? Why did it pop up again?
He replied that they came and went on the border between Shanxi and Shaanxi, and now they have also occupied the meander of the river.
Ask, how did you lose Hequ?
The answer is that there is internal response.
Question: Who is Neiying?
The answer is that they are basically hungry people.
Ask Shaanxi officials: Those rogue bandits and hungry people are responding to each other. What should the local government do?
He replied that these bandits would disperse when they met the officers and soldiers, and then gather again after the officers and soldiers retreated, which was difficult to handle.
Chongzhen said, the bandits are also my subjects. If you can appease them, please appease them!
Yuan Chonghuan nodded secretly when he heard this. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were tolerant to the people. They never implicated the nine tribes in rebellion and only killed those involved. His majesty's handling of this was considered to be kind.
The answer is that the policy of appeasement has been used recently. The most serious situations recently are in Yan'an and Yichuan.
Ask Guangdong officials: You are going to be governor of Nangan, where thieves are rampant. What are you going to do?
The answer is that it is mainly a mountainous area and borders four provinces. The best way is to implement the Baojia system and strengthen the local militia.
Chongzhen said that this needs to be implemented. In addition, what is the situation with thieves at sea?
The answer is that the pirates from Guangdong mainly come from Fujian, and there are many ships and large weapons, so the best way now is to guard the sea gate and prevent them from landing.
Next, there are Guangxi officials, Sichuan officials, Yunnan officials, and Guizhou officials, one by one.
Then, Chongzhen delivered a concluding speech, asking all senior officials to be self-disciplined and to care for the people. Good political performance will naturally be rewarded with promotions. Those who are corrupt and bend the law will have strict national laws and will never lend lightly.
Yuan Chonghuan did not expect that the emperor would be so diligent at such a young age and deal with so many problems in one day, and he was a little moved.
After all, Wanli's influence on everyone was too bad. Now that there is such a diligent emperor, I am still very excited.
Then another group of senior officials were summoned to emphasize the importance of the governor's work.
Chongzhen solemnly pointed out that if the governor is virtuous, all officials will be virtuous. At the same time, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of the work of the official department, pointing out that the assessment of officials and subordinates must not be relaxed, and those who find problems must not be lenient and condoned.
Finally, Chongzhen told the Minister of Civil Affairs that as long as you and your colleagues in the Civil Service work hard, "the world's affairs will not be difficult."
At this time, a young eunuch said softly: "Master Yuan, you will be here soon."
