Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty One: Great Appetite
The Ming Dynasty had a night ban system. It was forbidden to walk on the dusk drum at the third quarter of the first watch, and the ban was lifted at the third quarter of the morning bell at the fifth watch.
During this period of time, the government officials from the Military and Horse Department of the Five Cities and the censors patrolling the city were responsible for picketing.
During the night ban, except for emergencies, deliveries, and funerals, civilians are not allowed to wander on the streets. If caught, they will be punished with forty canes.
This system is mainly designed to allow people to stay at home, sleep and have children peacefully at night.
For the feudal dynasty, the main sources of income were land tax and capitation tax.
The larger the population, the higher the capita tax. If people do not run around at night, they can not only ensure public security, but also ensure that they have enough energy to work during the day.
Of course, this does not mean that the entertainment industry in Beijing is not prosperous.
At night, every liquor store and brothel is overcrowded.
If you are an ordinary gentry or wealthy family who cannot return home during the night, you will simply live in these places.
As for those with official status, especially those with qualifications to go to court, they are not subject to the night ban.
After all, when the elders went out for the morning pilgrimage, the night ban was not over yet.
It is common for the yamen in the capital, especially the senior officials of the Six Ministries, to be busy working until midnight when government affairs are busy.
Therefore, for officials, there is also a night ban, but it is not that strict, it is just that they are not allowed to go out of the city gate.
If you are in the city and are encountered by people from the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division, you will not be punished.
On the contrary, if the officials of the Wucheng Army and Horses Division encounter an official's sedan chair, as long as there is a legitimate reason, the Wucheng Army and Horse Division will still have the responsibility to escort him back to his home.
Therefore, every day of rest, the mansions and restaurants in the capital are always brightly lit.
The imperial court explicitly prohibited officials from having prostitutes, and the previous emperor even abolished official prostitutes in various places. However, there were policies from above and countermeasures from below.
The brothels in the capital are inconvenient to go to, so powerful officials keep prostitutes in their homes.
In short, when the late emperor was in power, this trend was suppressed, but after the late emperor passed away, it rebounded.
This banquet was organized by the deputy minister of the cabinet to welcome the chief minister of the cabinet, so naturally it couldn't be shabby.
Not only were delicious delicacies served one after another, but there was also a whole team of musicians playing instruments and playing leisurely music, matching the dancing of the dancers in the courtyard, which was pleasing to the eye.
Wang Ao sat at the top, raised his eyes and scanned the officials in the field, and basically they all corresponded to the same situation.
Those with the highest official positions are naturally Wang Yining, the Minister of Rites, Jiang Yuan, the Minister of Punishments, Yu Gang, the Minister of Taichang Temple, and then Xu Bin, the Minister of Taichang Temple.
These three people were all ministerial officials sent from the Hanlin Academy.
In addition to them, there were also Shang Ren, Peng Shi, Du Ning, Pei Lun, and Xu Jue in the Hanlin Academy.
Among these people, except for Xu Jue, the remaining four were all born in the first class, and the last one was also in the top class.
Of course, all of them entered the Hanlin Academy directly after taking the imperial examination.
In other words, they are all students of Chen Xun and Gao Gu.
On the Kedao side, Lu Qin, Meng Jian, and Liang Heng were senior censors, while Qian Shu, Wang Xuan, and Zhu Hou were newly promoted.
Although the former has no direct relationship with Chen Xun and others, he was the same year as Shang Ren, Xu Jue and others, while the latter was recommended to the court by Chen Xun and Gao Gu.
Wei Wei, Chen Xun and Gao Gu were not closely involved. They should be regarded as Zhang Gu from the official department and Lin Cong from the criminal department.
But the two of them also have good personal relationships with the three people mentioned at the beginning, including Wang Yining.
After quietly reviewing the involvement of these people in his mind, Wang Ao probably had some concerns about the purpose of this banquet.
The people present were either old students of Chen Xun, or had close personal relationships with his students.
This is not just trying to cleanse him of his troubles, it is clearly promoting his own power!
After three rounds of drinking and a short break from singing and dancing, a group of young officials below took advantage of the good atmosphere and played a game of drumming and passing flowers.
Of course, the three people with the highest status and seniority present, Wang Ao, Chen Xun, and Gao Gu, just watched and occasionally made comments.
Taking advantage of this moment, Chen Xun and Gao Gu came to Wang Ao, raised their cups and said.
"These days, the cabinet has a lot of things to do, and the emperor relies on it very much. I and Shi Yong are walking on thin ice in the cabinet. They are really busy, and they are worried that they will betray the country. This time, the first assistant has joined the cabinet, but it has greatly affected the two of us.
Now that the pressure has been relieved, the two of us would like to toast to you."
Wang Ao smiled heartily and said.
"Brother Chen, you are so polite. We are all serving you. It is my duty to share the worries of the country."
"In recent years, I have been mostly in the imperial court, and have been away from home to supervise and supervise the army. I have become unfamiliar with the general affairs of the imperial court. I need to seek more advice from Brother Chen. We can learn from each other."
"This cup is my toast to you two."
With that said, Wang Ao raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp, followed by Chen Xun and others.
This scene looked like the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves.
Putting down the cup, Chen Xun's face suddenly became worried, and he sighed leisurely and said.
"What the chief assistant said is true. This matter is also something that I and Shi Yong have been worried about."
"Nowadays, the imperial court is full of waste and is busy with government affairs. Your Majesty also wants to rely on you. Even if the three of us work together, we may not be able to catch up. What do you mean by the chief assistant?"
Glancing at Wang Yining and others who were discussing poetry below, Wang Ao understood.
Chen Xun and Gao Gu are planning to recruit new cabinet ministers.
Although Wang Ao had only recently returned to the capital, since he had taken over as the chief minister of the cabinet, he had naturally inquired about it in advance.
The emperor had already made it clear that the cabinet should consist of six people, but now, there were only three of him, Chen Xun, and Gao Gu.
In other words, there are still three cabinet ministers left.
If nothing else, Chen Xun and Gao Gu are interested in Wang Yining, Jiang Yuan and Xu Bin.
What a big appetite!
With the smile on his face, Wang Ao said calmly.
"Indeed, the cabinet is very busy, and I am afraid that the three of me will not be able to handle it. However, the selection of cabinet ministers should be based on superiors, so I am afraid that it will be inconvenient for us to intervene."
"What the First Assistant said is that His Majesty is busy with so many things, so how can he take care of everything? Of course, we still need to take the initiative to share His Majesty's worries."
Wang Ao was silent.
When it came to this, Chen Xun no longer concealed it and simply made it clear, saying.
"Chief Assistant, although your Majesty relies heavily on the cabinet now, it is still weak and weak compared to the six ministries. This is all due to the lack of personnel."
"If the cabinet has all six ministers, not only will government affairs run more smoothly, but the cabinet's status in the DPRK will also be improved."
"Therefore, I, He Shiyong, would like to attach my head to assist my tail and promote talents for the imperial court."
Above the court, whether in public or in private, there are many things that are inconvenient to say, but in fact there is no need to say them.
Just like today, Chen Xun didn't say who it was, but today's cabinet ministers must be at least third-rank officials or above before they can join the cabinet. It has already been tacitly accepted.
At this banquet, there were only three people, Wang Yining, Jiang Yuan, and Xu Bin, who were at the third level.
So it is naturally self-evident who Chen Xun's so-called "recruiting talents" are.
To put it bluntly, at this banquet, Chen Xun and Gao Gu were trying to use Wang Ao's reputation as chief minister to send these three people into the cabinet.
For Wang Ao, the advantage is that the cabinet is fully staffed. As the chief minister, Wang Ao's voice in the court will be greatly strengthened.
For Chen Xun and Gao Gu, Wang Yining and others are their students, and recruiting them into the cabinet can also strengthen their voice in the cabinet.
It seems like a win-win choice.
However, after pondering for a moment, Wang Ao still shook his head and said.
"In recent years, I have often been in various places to control officials. I don't have a deep understanding of the officials in the capital. If I recommend them rashly, I may be irresponsible to the court."
"In comparison, Ci Fu and Shi Yong have been in the capital for a long time and are familiar with the character and ethics of the officials in the capital. If you are willing to recommend them, you can go to me!"
