Zhang Yanling only learned about what happened in the court at noon. He was shocked for a long time at first, and then laughed out loud.
Liu Jin and others arranged this court meeting carefully and took great pains. However, the result was nothing. The emperor decided the matter without giving Liu Jin and others any room. It can be said that the final decision was made and the plot of Liu Jin and others was shattered. This matter
Things were so dramatic.
Zhang Yanling didn't know why Zhu Houzhao was so decisive. This time he actually took the decision on this important matter. Maybe the emperor has understood that the power within the Ming court must be balanced and the inner court cannot be allowed to have exclusive power. If this is the case, it means that the emperor
Now that I have really grown up, I have understood the art of balancing power among my subordinates, and I know how to use this method to balance the distribution of power in the court.
To be honest, Zhang Yanling did not expect Yang Tinghe to assume the position of chief assistant of the cabinet. Regardless of his qualifications or ability, Yang Tinghe is unlikely to be promoted to the position of chief assistant.
Zhang Yanling thought about this issue two days ago. At that time, he himself thought that Yang Tinghe's chance of becoming the chief assistant was very slim. This time, maybe Jiao Fang had a chance. With Liu Jin's support and Jiao Fang's own qualifications,
, Jiao Fang is likely to be appointed as the first assistant.
Zhang Yanling thought briefly at that time and felt that the only thing the outer court could do was to make a fuss about the replacement candidates. Even if the chief minister was lost, the numerical advantage of other ministers in the cabinet must be ensured. The best plan is to replace two
or above were elected to the cabinet, forming an overwhelming numerical advantage to contain Jiao Fang, who was likely to become the chief minister.
Although it is said that the power of the chief minister in the cabinet is absolutely higher than that of other ministers, the chief minister can decide certain things against all opinions. But the principle of the cabinet is that the ministers work together to assist the emperor in making decisions. One thing is formed
The unified opinion on the draft is submitted to the emperor for approval. In principle, it requires the joint signature and approval of all cabinet ministers.
At the very least, it is necessary to obtain the approval of the majority of the cabinet members to form a majority opinion. If the chief minister forcibly decides on something every time, and the other ministers object and are unwilling to sign the proposal, once or twice or
Yes, it will definitely not work if it takes a long time.
Emperor Hongwu abolished the post of prime minister in order to prevent someone in the court from monopolizing power and controlling too much power. At that time, Emperor Taizu Hongwu was ruthless. In the case of Prime Minister Hu Weiyong, more than 30,000 Hu Party members and those involved were killed, which completely
The abolition of the prime minister system was to use Hu Weiyong's autocratic behavior to clear the way for future generations to eliminate the obstacles to the autocratic power of ministers and the decline of imperial power.
After that, the cabinet was actually a department that assisted the emperor in handling government affairs. The reason why the cabinet was drafted jointly was to eliminate the means of autocratic power. In recent years, although the power of the chief minister of the cabinet is similar to that of the prime minister, and there are signs of growing power, the imperial court
The superiors and subordinates are still extremely wary of authoritarian behavior. If Jiao Fang really dares to ignore the opinions of other cabinet ministers and act arbitrarily, then his death will not be far away. The rules set by Emperor Taizu with more than 30,000 heads back then,
Who dares to violate it easily?
However, the emperor's actions made Zhang Yanling worry too much.
Yang Tinghe was the first assistant, Liang Chu added additional ministers, the cabinet did not fall into the hands of Liu Jin, and the outer court once again survived the crisis of overthrow. It was really a miracle.
As for why the emperor decided to appoint Yang Tinghe as the chief assistant, Zhang Yanling believes that there may also be emotional factors involved.
It is said that before Li Dongyang died, the emperor went to visit him. The two talked for a long time in Li Dongyang's room. When the emperor left, his eyes were red, and he had obviously shed tears. So he was probably thinking of Li Dongyang's many years of merit and hard work.
, I feel something in my heart.
Before Li Dongyang died, he probably made some arrangements and said some heart-felt words to the emperor. He should also have said something sincerely about Yang Tinghe and the situation of the entire court. Yang Tinghe was his student, and he tried his best to protect Yang Tinghe.
How could he not pray to the emperor for a bright future for him when he was recommended to the cabinet?
Moreover, Yang Tinghe once served as a lecturer in the East Palace and accompanied Zhu Houzhao for many years. Although it was not something Zhu Houzhao liked, and Yang Tinghe was also very strict with Zhu Houzhao, it was considered a master-disciple relationship after all. Zhu Houzhao must also have some feelings for Yang Tinghe.
, there must be emotional factors at play in making Yang Tinghe the first assistant.
In short, this matter ends with this result, which is what Zhang Yanling hopes to see.
Liu Jin's major defeat was decisive for the entire Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, once he took control of the cabinet, the Ming Dynasty's dual-track decision-making system would all fall into Liu Jin's control.
When the cabinet votes for preliminary decisions, the inner court's decision to wear red is the emperor's final approval. This internal and external dual-track decision-making system was originally a means of checking and balancing each other. As long as the cabinet does not lose, even if the power to wear red in the inner court is in Liu Jin's hands, he can delay or even veto it.
However, the cabinet can request the emperor's approval again and again. Every veto by the inner court requires a reason, so it does not dare to be abused too much, otherwise it will be held accountable by the court and requires a public explanation.
If the power of voting and Phi Hong is concentrated in the hands of Liu Jin, the decision-making of the entire government affairs will fall into the hands of Liu Jin. This will start the self-questioning and answering mode. Liu Jin can cover the sky with one hand, dominate the super program, and do whatever he wants.
Of course, this does not mean that Liu Jin has fallen out of favor. It does not mean that Zhu Houzhao has lost trust in Liu Jin. This cannot even be regarded as a slap or a warning.
Zhu Houzhao still needed Liu Jin to exercise power for him and balance the power of the foreign court. If Zhu Houzhao was afraid of Liu Jin's dictatorial power, he must also be more afraid of the dictatorial power of the foreign court. After all, the lessons from the past are not far away, and he should not have forgotten that the foreign court was overwhelmingly impeaching the Eight Tigers and forcing
He was probably more worried about the dictatorial power of the foreign court.
So this time is just a use of the balancing technique by him as an emperor. Why the world suddenly wakes up is unknown. The powerful outer court is a headache, and the dead outer court is also worrying. Only
The outer court is good if it is neither dead nor alive, can still function, and does not pose a threat to itself.
Although Zhang Yanling thought about it a lot, there was one thing that he never expected. Even the person involved, Zhu Houzhao, did not expect it himself.
After Zhu Houzhao made such a decision, he actually thought it was a clear and unemotional decision. But in fact, he did not realize at all that Li Dongyang had set a trap for him before he died, and he just stepped in.
.
That day, Zhu Houzhao asked Li Dongyang who was qualified for the position of chief minister of the cabinet. Li Dongyang said that Liang Chu was qualified. Zhu Houzhao mentioned Yang Tinghe and asked Yang Tinghe if he could do it. If Li Dongyang said yes, Zhu Houzhao would reject it without hesitation. Because in
In his opinion, it was Li Dongyang paving the way for his students. That meant that Li Dongyang had selfish motives.
However, Li Dongyang firmly stated that he was not useful and could not be the first assistant. It was this sentence that made Zhu Houzhao feel that Li Dongyang's words were sincere. On the contrary, Zhu Houzhao felt that Li Dongyang's words were words from the bottom of his heart and could be adopted.
But Zhu Houzhao was a person who did not follow the ordinary path. He had a long-term rebellious attitude towards the preaching of his father, the emperor, his mother and the foreign court. Even if Li Dongyang said his heartfelt words before his death, Zhu Houzhao would regard it as a kind of preaching and reprimand. He
He is also an arrogant person who thinks that he can become a wise king without the guidance of others.
So on the one hand, he felt that what Li Dongyang said made sense, but on the other hand, he didn't want to do exactly what Li Dongyang said. That would seem superficial. Li Dongyang said that Yang Tinghe was not qualified, but Zhu Houzhao wanted to give it a try.
Li Dongyang saw through the character of the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty, so he took advantage of this. Although Yang Tinghe's actions made him extremely angry, disdainful, and extremely disappointed, Li Dongyang knew that Yang Tinghe's unscrupulous way of doing things might be the right thing to do.
This is the hope for the revival of the outer court.
When he was alive, he couldn't see those things, but now that he was dying, he didn't have to worry about them anymore. He never doubted his ability as a student.
So, he laid a trap and waited for Zhu Houzhao to get in. This might be the last thing he did for his students as a teacher.
Li Dongyang, who failed to control Zhu Houzhao during his lifetime, completed his control of Zhu Houzhao after his death. He did not know that the outcome of this incident would have a huge impact in the future. He also did not know that Yang Tinghe would be in the Ming Dynasty in the future.