During China's feudal society, the world was basically an autocratic monarchy, but the strange thing is that on the surface, all monarchs have to advertise that they are broad-minded and not arbitrary.
Taizu of the Ming Dynasty emphasized in Wuwu, the fifth month of the ninth year of Hongwu, that the emperor and his ministers must adopt talented people when discussing matters: "Since ancient times, there has never been a country without talented people who can manage alone."
Because there is a noun for it - Dufu.
Who are the independent husbands in history? King Zhou Li, Xiang Yu, Emperor Yang of Sui...
None of them are good people.
Therefore, although the monarchs of the Ming Dynasty became extremely autocratic after the abolition of the prime minister system, the more they lacked something, the more they had to promote something, ostensibly to maintain the charter of monarch and ministers discussing state affairs together.
For example, if Wen Yanbo dared to speak in the Ming Dynasty, your Majesty would share the world with the scholar-bureaucrats, not the common people, and at the very least he would be beaten and imprisoned.
In this way, the monarch is superior, and in his eyes, the civil and military officials and ordinary people have no distinction between high and low.
You little lamb, how dare you steal the power of the farmer, have you rebelled against me?
Of course, it was precisely because of this that the monarch had very little help. The Ming Dynasty could only rely on eunuchs, while the Qing Dynasty relied on domestic slaves (nobles of the Eight Banners).
Therefore, in power, the most taboo thing is for the monarch to personally play the game.
The detached position is the foundation for the monarch to maintain his dictatorship.
As long as the emperor does not end up in trouble, it will always be the feathers that are hurt, not his body.
For example, this time, the emperor personally arranged for the governor of Beihai.
If the task is completed well, the emperor's face will be bright, but it is just the icing on the cake.
And if the person is corrupt or incompetent, it will disgrace the emperor and undermine his own prestige.
If something goes wrong, it's the cabinet's fault; to gain glory is the emperor's method.
This is why, for hundreds of years in the Ming Dynasty, the cabinet issued votes to draw up regulations. If the emperor was dissatisfied, he would either stay in the draft or reject it, and would never personally change it.
Once he ends up in person, it means that the emperor is dissatisfied with him and something big will happen.
For example, in the third year of Jiajing's reign, Jiajing personally dismissed Yang Tinghe from his official position and honored his father as emperor. Yang Shen and other ministers cried in the palace, and twenty-seven people were killed on the spot, and more than a hundred people were imprisoned.
Or maybe Zhu Yuanzhang in the early Ming Dynasty, in order to depose Zhongshu Sheng, held a court meeting, listed Hu Weiyong's major crimes, and stated the reasons for deposing Zhongshu Sheng, and then all the ministers bowed down and agreed.
This is public discussion.
Even if Zhu Yixi had a candidate in mind for the Governor of Beihai, he would have to let the cabinet ministers propose it before he would approve it.
On the surface, the emperor listened to public opinion, but on the inside, he had his own ideas.
If you are not satisfied, then try again.
Hints, reminders, speculations, the list goes on.
However, in the Ming Dynasty, there were three types of public consultations, Chaoyi (Chaoyi) and Tingyi (cabinet, six ministries, the Metropolitan Procuratorate and other important ministers).
and cabinet deliberations.
To put it simply, it is a meeting between the emperor and the cabinet ministers.
Scale from large to small.
Likewise, as in later generations, the big talk talks about small things, and the small talk about big things.
This cabinet meeting was held quietly.
Qianqing Palace.
The first one to enter was the chief assistant Zhu Mou. He held his head high and was full of confidence.
Then came Feng Xianzong, the second assistant. He was dressed in a slender scarlet robe, showing a somewhat shrewd and capable appearance.
Du Yinxi and Yan Yingyuan entered almost in parallel, but Yan Yingyuan was half a step behind and crossed the threshold closely behind.
"Creak——"
The door was immediately closed, the curtains were pulled down one by one, and candles were lit.
The whale candles mixed with spices stood in a pile, almost as thick as an adult's arm and more than three feet long. There was a pool of candle wax piled on the wax table.
At the same time, an incense burner was also lit, emitting wisps of green smoke to remove moisture and insects.
Four people sit opposite each other, Zhu Mou is on the upper left, Feng Xianzong is on the upper right, Du Yinxi is on the lower left, and Yan Yingyuan is on the lower right.
Although the eunuchs brought tea, they all closed their eyes and meditated without saying a word.
Suddenly, a eunuch shouted: "Your Majesty has arrived——"
"I respectfully welcome your Majesty——"
Several people said in unison, and then knelt down together.
"Get flat!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Yixi sat on a soft couch inlaid with gold and jade, and unconsciously fiddled with the jade Ruyi in her hands: "I'm calling you here mainly to discuss these matters."
"Do you have any regulations regarding Mobei and Beihai?"
"The veteran believes that the Beihai is vast and is not suitable for a vassal state. Instead, the Beihai Governor's Palace or the General's Palace can be established."
Zhu Mou said softly: "This is also the consensus of the cabinet."
"Yes." Zhu Yixi nodded: "Then we will set up the Beihai Governor's Palace, just like the old affairs of Chahar, to serve as the prime minister of the local military and government."
"However, Mobei will be set up as the Mobei General's Mansion to direct the military and government of the area, but it will be under the jurisdiction of the Mobei Governor."
After saying that, the emperor added: "Since Shao Wu, it has become a practice to divide vassals and establish a country.
In the past, the three Khalkha tribes and the Chechen Khan tribe were occupied by the Manchus, and there are still many tribes remaining in these areas. If left alone, they may be in serious trouble again in the future."
"Therefore, I intend to establish a vassal vassal in this land, and name it Fuguo. It just so happens that King Fu is benevolent and filial, and will leave the vassal to worship the Yan family incense."
There is naturally no objection to this kind of thing.
No one wants to go against the emperor.
"However, do you have a candidate for the Governor of Beihai?"
After talking about the prelude, the real drama begins.
Several people made eye contact, each with their own thoughts.
The cabinet is unified externally, but internally it is in disarray.
Zhu Mou, as the first assistant, stood up and said respectfully: "I believe that the position of Governor of Beihai requires the army and the government. Not only must he be able to resist the Manchu counterattack, but he must also govern Beihai and other areas.
I believe that Zhao Langxing, the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, is a cautious person, has served as prefect and governor, is skilled in civil affairs, and is knowledgeable in military affairs, so he can be appointed."
The emperor's expression remained unchanged and he looked at Feng Xianzong.
The latter did not dare to be careless, and stood up hurriedly and said: "I think that what the chief assistant said is true, and only the civil and military skills can suppress the group of Tatars. I think that Zhao Shilang is good, but there is still someone stronger than him, or in other words, the most powerful one."
suitable."
"Oh? Who?"
Zhu Yixi became interested.
"Wang Fuzhi, Minister of Justice."
Talking about him, Feng Xianzong can be said to be eloquent: "When he was a man, he was known as the Scarfaced Jinshi. He was an honest man, and he was rated as excellent in many evaluations. He served in various localities and courts. In the past, he served as a county magistrate and commanded a patrol battalion to suppress water bandits.
Makes the place peaceful..."
"I think that because of his courageous character and reputation for benevolence and filial piety, he is actually the best candidate."
Hearing his words, Zhu Mou secretly cried out.
Only then did he remember that the emperor once visited Wenyuan Pavilion at night and praised Wang Fuzhi as being much better than Zhao Langxing.
At this time, Du Yinxi stabbed him: "I also think Wang Fuzhi is very good."
When he arrived at Yan Yingyuan, he could only say: "I am ashamed, I have no candidate in mind."
Two to one.
Zhu Mou glanced at Yan Yingyuan angrily, hating him more than Feng Xianzong and Du Yinxi.
When Yan Yingyuan saw it from the corner of his eye, his heart tightened and he sighed secretly.
But he still pretended not to see it.
The emperor thought about the two of them, but seemed not to notice the eye contact between the four people below.
"It must be Wang Fuzhi!"
"Your Majesty, Holy Ming!"
Several people echoed.
Immediately, the candidate for General Mobei was discussed again.
In this regard, Feng Xianzong and others who had won a great victory did not argue too much. Xiong Yingjie, the Marquis of Luzhou recommended by Zhu Mou, became the general of Mobei.
Focusing on General Horqin, the emperor finally considered the effect of calming down and appeased, so he appointed Wang Chunqing, the commander-in-chief of Chahar.
Chahar could not live without a governor because of its proximity to the capital, so Du Yinxi recommended Jinbao, the former governor of Luzon and now the left minister of the Ministry of Rites.
In this way, the Ming Dynasty had two capitals, twenty-five provinces, four general mansions (Jilin, Heilongjiang, Mobei, and Horqin), and three governor-general mansions (Chahar, Luzon, and Beihai), totaling thirty-four
A provincial administrative unit.
At the same time, it should be noted that the Governor's Palace and the Governor are two different concepts.
The Governor's Mansion is basically located on the border and belongs to the military and government. It is the top local leader, has greater power and is relatively free. Generally, there is no governor.
The governor-general, such as the governor-general of Shaanxi and Gansu and the governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi, is mainly responsible for the military affairs of one or several provinces. He does not have leadership authority over the governors, chief envoys and other officials under his command and can only require their cooperation.
There is a big difference in the official titles of the two governors.
Border governors generally have the title of Duchayuan Youdu Censor, while inland governors often have the title of Minister of War or Minister.
The difference between the General's Mansion and the Governor-General's Mansion is that under the General's Mansion there are envoys, academic administrators and other officials, which can be said to be an enhanced version of the governor; while the Governor-General's Mansion is in charge of the military and administration, with only six departments in charge of government affairs, which belong to the Zuo Erguan and have the power
More concentrated.
The general can command the army on an emergency basis, suppress rebellions, and has supervisory power over subordinate officials, but does not have the power to appoint or remove officials.
In terms of independence, the Governor's Palace is larger than the General's Palace and larger than the Governor's Palace.
Financially speaking, it is 50/50 that is paid, and even 30/70 is paid due to taxes, which is larger than the retention in the mainland.
It can be said that the Governor's Mansion is the real official of the frontier.
It's impossible not to give power. In an era without telegraphs and telephones, if you ask for everything, the day lily will be cold, and arbitrary power is indispensable.
Therefore, generals are mostly military officers, while governors are civilians.
Then, they discussed the rewards for the Battle of Beihai.
As the commander-in-chief, Chen Dong overthrew the Fengjing Palace of the Qing Dynasty and captured Beihai. His achievements were so great that he was promoted to Duke.
The emperor thought for a moment and then said: "Just be Duke Ping!"
"The food town is for five thousand households (the annual salary is five thousand shi, five thousand yuan)."
The threshold for a duke is five thousand shi, and the highest is 10,000 shi.
Chen Dong's achievement of destroying the country is still a bit empty after all, so five thousand stones is very suitable.
"As for Zeng Ying, the Marquis of Dongchang, he has traveled thousands of miles to ensure logistical supplies and has made outstanding contributions. He should be promoted to Duke of Chang Kingdom!"
Naturally, no one dares to object to this.
After all, he is the father-in-law of the prince, and he has guarded the border for many years. Even if he has no merit, he still has hard work. Being a prince is not too much.
Immediately, they started talking about the Marquis again.
There were not many people who were promoted to marquis in this event, there was only one Shizhu Bo Ma Wannian.
Because the preparation time for this war was too long, and the end was too short, the Manchus and the Qing Dynasties fled very quickly. Basically, it was a battle to determine the outcome.
To be able to support two dukes is basically all kinds of favors, otherwise it would be difficult for either one.
"He is worthy of being the grandson of Mrs. Qin Liangyu. Ma Wannian is good, so he will be promoted to the title of Marquis of Zhangde, and he will live in a town with 4,000 households."
The next uncles, sons, men, and even the captains all belong to the Ministry of War for verification to prevent mistakes and omissions.
The cabinet will supervise, and the emperor only needs to stamp it.
Among the nobles, only an earl can let the emperor take a look, only a marquis can remember it in his heart, and only the duke can care about him.
We discussed some state affairs, promotions after promotions, filling vacancies after vacancies, carrots and holes in the officialdom, and the selection of officials above the fourth rank, which the emperor must pass.
It took almost an hour before it was over.
That's all, the emperor didn't invite them to a banquet, so they went their separate ways.
After returning to Wenyuan Pavilion, in just one morning, the general affairs envoy sent two large baskets of memorials.
There are all kinds of places, local and central.
The secretaries of the cabinet classified them according to their priorities and the departments that the cabinet elders were responsible for, without making the slightest mistake.
Zhu Mou looked at the hill in front of him and sneered: "The memorial is still the same, it's just that the old friend has changed it."
After saying this, he buried his head in it.
After Feng Xianzong and the others returned to Wenyuan Pavilion, they were speechless one after another.
Yan Yingyuan sighed, his face full of helplessness.
Along the way, he tried to get close to Zhu Shoufu several times, but was rejected many times. It was obvious that his friend was gone.
"Although I didn't express my position today, I didn't object either. I left a trace of dignity. Why?"
"If there were no me, Mr. Kui, you would be alone and unable to sing."
According to common sense, even if he betrayed, he should be confirmed, but this Zhu Chief Fu gave him a pass regardless.
Now he is forced to get closer to Feng Xianzong.
It's just an exchange of interests, I'm not your subordinate!
After leaving the government office, Zhu Mou returned to his mansion and was extremely angry.
He went into the study, polished it alone, spread out the rice paper, and just started writing...
When Yan Yingyuan returned to his residence, the crowd waiting in line at the door had already become a long queue of hundreds of paces.
He changed his clothes, and as soon as he came out, he saw the housekeeper and said, "Wang Fu, the Minister of Punishment, would like to see you."
According to common sense, the general rule is to send a greeting note first, saying when you will come to visit, and the host will be ready.
This kind of greeting comes unexpectedly, which is presumptuous and can easily offend people.
However, Yan Yingyuan was still magnanimous towards Wang Fuzhi.
"Wang Fuzhi thanks the middle hall."
Wang Fuzhi, who has a scar on his face, is only fifty years old, but he is full of energy and has a clear look.
"I am just raising talents for the country, and Nong, you are suitable for this position, but this is both an opportunity and a danger."
Yan Yingyuan taught: "You must always be cautious and never be careless."
Sichuan, Chengdu Prefecture.
The once magnificent Shu Palace was demolished and reduced to flat land, on which many mansions were built.
In the seventh year of Shaowu's reign, with the gradual increase in customs, the emperor fell in love with the former Shu king's farm, ordered everyone to return it to the original owner, and re-established the land deed.
As a result, the number of people benefiting has reached 50,000 households and nearly 100,000 hectares of land.
Almost half of the people in Chengdu Prefecture.
After years of recuperation, Sichuan's population continues to increase even though several prefectures in Chongqing were carved out as Chongqing Province.
By the end of Shaowu's 19th century, Sichuan's total population exceeded eight million and was approaching nine million.
As a result, Sichuan became prosperous and became a first-class place for officials.
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