In the Ming Dynasty, the emperor required a complete set of procedures to issue imperial edicts.
First, the Imperial Academy drafted the edict, and then handed it over to the emperor for review. If there were any unreasonable parts, he would revise it appropriately and polish it. After the final draft, it was submitted to the cabinet for approval.
The so-called vote is a vote by several bachelors to discuss whether it is passed.
This is also the difference between the cabinet and the prime minister. The prime minister has the final say alone, while the cabinet makes decisions through collective voting.
Moreover, the literati of the Ming Dynasty were extremely particular about their character. Except for Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, who liked to kill people, these people seemed to suddenly stand up. They seemed to be embarrassed to say that they were scholars unless they had some trouble with the emperor.
If the cabinet vote is passed, and then the Chief of Ceremonies stamps the royal seal, the edict will be considered legal and can be announced to the world.
However, there is another result of the cabinet vote, which is... to return it!
The seal is to tell the emperor that our cabinet does not agree with this imperial edict and cannot issue it.
The cabinet represents the officials. If the cabinet does not agree, it means that the officials do not agree.
As for the reason, I can talk to you for three days and three nights. After one person has finished talking, the other person can continue talking until you collapse.
Zhu Qizhen issued two imperial edicts. The first one, Zheng He and other heroes of the Western expedition, entered the Martyrs' Shrine, and the cabinet vote was to be approved.
The second way is to establish the Ming Dynasty Navigation Academy and directly return it.
It's not that Cao Nai and others want to go against the emperor, it's just that the protest from the officials was too loud and there was really no way to pass.
As soon as the news spread, the officials were filled with indignation and ran to kneel in front of Fengtian Hall.
Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Zhu Qizhen did not panic and ordered Jin Ying to pass down an oral order and hold a court meeting tomorrow morning to discuss this matter.
After receiving the oral instructions, the ministers immediately understood that the emperor was preparing to confront everyone head-on.
However, these people are more excited.
You must know that those who can serve as officials in the court are the best among the best.
They read a lot of poetry and books on weekdays, and they are best at quoting scriptures, arguing with arguments, and even if they say something ugly, they can still argue three points even if it doesn't make sense. What's more, you, the emperor, are the first to violate the ancestral system.
When it comes to eloquence, these scholars really have never been afraid of anyone, even if you are the emperor.
As long as you don't use the knife, even if the King of Heaven comes, I can still spit a bloody mess on you!
The officials who besieged Fengtian Palace dispersed, and Zhu Qizhen quietly walked toward Qintian Prison like a thief.
Fan Zhong followed closely and asked puzzledly: "Why did the emperor go to Qintian Prison in secret?"
"Shh!"
Zhu Qizhen made a silent gesture towards him and said nervously: "Don't let those Qingliu people see it!"
Fan Zhong didn't understand, so he nodded dully.
When they arrived at the Qintian Prison, the guard was about to stop him for questioning, but when he saw Fan Zhong showing his badge, he immediately lowered his head.
Zhu Qizhen walked towards the public house and shouted: "Beilin, Beilin!"
A man walked out of it and when he saw Zhu Qizhen, he was stunned for a moment and then hurriedly saluted.
"Your Majesty, Peng Qing, comes to see the Emperor!"
"No gifts!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and asked: "Where is Beilin?"
Peng Qing said: "Back to the emperor, Beilin was observing the astronomical phenomena at the observatory and has not been back for several days."
"Oh!"
Zhu Qizhen sat down by himself, looked at the messy manuscripts on the table, and asked, "What are the Qing family busy with recently?"
Peng Qing was the former Deputy Chief of the Qintian Prison. He was imprisoned because of Wang Zhenyu. In fact, he had no interest in anything with Wang Zhen. He was just implicated by Wuwu. Later, because of Beilin's recommendation, the emperor ordered him to be reinstated. From then on, he
Deeply grateful for your kindness, I devoted myself wholeheartedly to the study of astronomy and calendar.
"The minister and Beilin made a bronze instrument and simultaneously tested the degree of the North Pole and the sun's sunrise and sunset times in the capital. They changed the sunrise and sunset times of the two solstices in the T&T calendar from the original values of Nanjing to the newly measured values of Beijing.
When the time comes, I call it the orthodox Jiji Calendar. Next year it can be promoted to the world, and the people can farm according to the seasons without missing the farming season."
"Well done!"
Zhu Qizhen nodded as if he understood. He only knew that the earth was round and revolved around the sun. As for how the astronomical calendar was measured, he had no idea at all.
"I came here today to see the Qing family, oh, and Beilin. I have something to discuss with the two Qing families."
Peng Qing hurriedly said: "I will send someone right away..."
"No, no need!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "I told you the same thing, just tell him later."
Peng Qing nodded and said: "Your Majesty, please give me your instructions!"
"Don't be so nervous..."
Zhu Qizhen smiled meaningfully and said, "I ask you, have you noticed anything while observing the sky at night recently?"
Peng Qing asked with a questioning look on his face: "What's the point...?"
"Just...for example..."
Zhu Qizhen didn’t know how to describe it properly. Watching the sky at night... I don’t understand!
"This south, the east...what stars are bright, what stars are dark, are there any disasters..."
Peng Qing was even more confused and asked: "I am stupid, I have not seen any signs of disaster recently."
"How could it not be?"
Zhu Qizhen was unwilling and asked: "Japanese pirates frequently attack and harass the people along the coast. Isn't this considered a disaster?"
Peng Qing suddenly knelt down and said with guilt on his face: "I failed to warn you from the celestial phenomena, please punish me!"
"You get up first, that's not what I meant..."
Zhu Qizhen thought for a while and simply said bluntly: "Can't you just find an excuse and say that when you look at the sky at night, you see frequent disasters in the east?"
"But... I haven't seen it yet..."
"Did I not make it clear enough?"
Zhu Qizhen couldn't bear it anymore, stood up and said angrily: "Peng Qing, please listen to me. Tomorrow morning, you and Beilin will give me advice, just say that when you watch the sky at night, there must be something going on in the east."
It’s going to happen, do you understand?”
Peng Qing scratched his head and asked weakly: "The emperor is talking about... about opening the sea?"
Phew!
Zhu Qizhen finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that this guy is not beyond hope yet.
"Exactly!"
"Your Majesty, you should have told me earlier!"
Peng Qing said with a clear conscience: "I thought something had happened, and I was so flustered that I didn't know what to do."
"Do you understand what I mean now?"
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I am good at this kind of thing!"
Isn't it just deceiving people? If you had told me earlier, I would have understood. Such a thing must be kept in a fog...
Imagine
"And..."
Zhu Qizhen suddenly remembered something and said cautiously: "Don't let anyone know that I have been here!"
Peng Qing nodded vigorously and said, "I can guarantee that no one will know what happened today!"
Zhu Qizhen was very satisfied and sneaked back to Qianqing Palace.
…………
On September 1, the 15th year of the Zhengtong year of the Ming Dynasty, it is advisable to take a bath and avoid traveling far away.
Today is the Great Court Meeting, and all officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital must participate.
The topic discussed today is about the emperor’s imperial edict to open the sea!
At the fourth watch, it was still dark outside, but Tang Xinggu had already gotten up.
For him, today will be an extremely important day!
He is the censor, and the job of the censor is to impeach anyone. Even the emperor will not let go.
Once, he tried to contradict the emperor in front of hundreds of officials to gain fame.
The only fly in the ointment is that the result of that time shocked everyone...
Next, he learned from the pain, and after reflecting for a few days, he finally understood one thing: Times have changed!
So, he took the initiative to ask Ying to go to Mobei, and showed his face in a glorious way as a chaperone of Hanlin.
Today, he specially put on a brand new official uniform, and even the official hat was made recently.
Even the concubine on the bed could feel that the master seemed to be a little different from usual, and his expression looked particularly dignified and solemn.
"Master, is there anything important today?"
A confident smile appeared on Tang Xinggu's face: "Master, I am going to be prosperous!"
After finishing speaking, he waved his sleeves with satisfaction, walked out the door with his head held high, and got on the sedan.
Along the way, he didn't dare to rest. He kept thinking about the situation he was about to face and the various situations that might arise. He considered the matter from beginning to end. A voice calling for someone to follow him came from outside the car.<
/p>
"Master, we have arrived in front of the palace gate."
Tang Xinggu opened his eyes, stretched out his hand to lift the sedan curtain, and walked out of the sedan door with the help of his personal attendants. Then he walked into the group of officials in front of the palace gate with a smile on his face, and gestured to the colleagues around him.
These officials who attended the court meeting also smiled and returned the greetings, looking harmonious and friendly.
In their eyes, censors like Tang Xinggu would definitely become the main force against the emperor.
There is a tense situation in the court this morning. There is a chance that the emperor will behead someone. It is better to let the censor go first. Even if he is beheaded, he can still leave a good reputation, right?
In short, everyone has the mentality of being a dead Taoist friend rather than a poor Taoist. If you have something to do, you go first!
Immediately afterwards, Zhu Qiyu also arrived, and all the officials came forward to pay tribute.
Everyone is now very disappointed with the emperor's actions, and even subconsciously, they can't help but fantasize about what would happen if King Tan became emperor?
If Zhu Qizhen had seen the situation in front of the palace gate with his own eyes, he would definitely think that the Ming Dynasty had truly united as one, and all ministers were united.
It's a pity that all this is just an appearance. Hidden under this calmness are countless calculations and undercurrents...
Before long, the bell rang and the palace door opened.
The ministers lined up through the Meridian Gate and arrived at Fengtian Hall.
I saw Zhu Qizhen walking in wearing a black red gum robe.
The ministers shouted long live, and then the court meeting officially began.
Tang Xinggu was the first to stand up and spoke calmly in front of everyone.
"I heard that the imperial court wanted to open a navigation academy. However, in the past six months, the imperial court has spent huge amounts of money and the treasury has become increasingly empty. Building treasure ships and training crew members consumes a lot of money and food. I believe that the current treasury reserves are not enough to support the naval academy."<
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As soon as this statement came out, the ministers nodded secretly, using money and food as the starting point, it was also a clever plan.
No matter how nice you say it, if the court has no money, what else are you going to do?
Zhu Qizhen had just changed his attitude towards Tang Xinggu, but he didn't expect that this person was still ignorant and would go against him when he got the chance.
However, he knew in his heart that today's issue was the opening of the sea, and such a situation would have to be faced sooner or later.
Since you can't hide, you can only face it head on.
Thinking of this, he asked: "What good ideas does the Qing family have?"
Because Tang Xinggu only said that he had no money and did not say what the disadvantages of opening the sea would be, Zhu Qizhen directly pushed it away.
You said the imperial court has no money, right? Then tell me, how do you get money?
Tang Xinggu seemed to have been prepared for it, and continued: "Back to the emperor, I do have a solution, but...it's a little against the rules, I'm worried..."
Seeing him hesitating, Zhu Qizhen didn't know what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd, but he vaguely felt that things might be different from what he imagined.
Thinking of this, he said: "Let me tell you what the Qing family's countermeasures are. I won't blame you!"
Tang Xinggu hurriedly raised his hands and said yes, and then slowly said: "I think that if you want to fill the treasury, there are only two ways to go, to increase revenue or to reduce expenditure. But judging from the current situation of the court, reducing expenditure
It cannot be done unless our officials do not receive salaries and the weather is smooth throughout the year without any disasters."
The ministers immediately shook their heads, with angry looks in their eyes.
Are you kidding me? If we don’t get a salary, why don’t we drink the northwest wind?
As for the good weather, it is even more unrealistic. The Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, and it is impossible to have no disasters throughout the year.
Tang Xinggu seemed to have expected such a reaction from the ministers, and continued: "So in the eyes of the ministers, the only way to go is to increase taxes. However, it is impossible for the court to increase taxes, otherwise it will only
It is not the way of a benevolent king to cause suffering to the people..."
Many officials seemed a little impatient as they listened to his ramblings and repeated denials.
The first assistant, Cao Nai, couldn't help but interrupt: "Tang Yushi, if you have any ideas, just say it directly. Stop beating around the bush in front of the emperor!"
Tang Xinggu calmly cupped his hands, then his face changed, and he said something earth-shattering.
"I believe that today, if we want to quickly enrich the national treasury, we can only lift the maritime ban and support the people to go to sea. The court can also send merchant ships to trade with overseas countries!"
"What did you say?"
"Tang Yushi, what does this mean?"
"No, Your Majesty..."
The ministers almost exploded, reacting so violently that they couldn't even believe their own ears.
Didn’t everyone unite to oppose opening up the sea today?
Why haven’t the opponents come out yet, but those who support the opening of the sea have come out first!
Tang Xinggu's suggestion was like throwing a grenade around everyone, which made everyone's heads buzz.
But the shock was only temporary. Soon, a group of people stood up and loudly opposed it.
"Censor of the Tang Dynasty, please be careful what you say, this matter is not a joke."
"Your Majesty, the forbidden sea is the ancestral motto of our Ming Dynasty. We must not break the rules..."
"Tang Xinggu, have you lost your mind? How dare you speak nonsense in the court and say such unfounded words..."
Suddenly, there were voices of criticism, opposition, and admonishment, making the extremely solemn Fengtian Hall as noisy as a vegetable market.
Cao Nai and others were even more surprised, not knowing what to do.
Because Tang Xinggu's proposal was beyond everyone's expectations and was really hard to accept.
In the eyes of the ministers, what is the difference between this and betrayal?