When Yunxi heard the news, he was unfazed on the surface and said, "I know, you can go down." Xia Yuanji resigned.
But privately, Yunxi was very excited: 'The policy towards North Korea decided a few years ago will finally be implemented.'
Yunxi returned to his seat calmly. Of course, the several assistant officers below also heard what Xia Yuanji said just now, but they were not distracted by it.
On the one hand, it is because they are not very concerned about this matter. The ministers of the Ming Dynasty are not very concerned about the movements in other places except for the movements on the grassland. Anyway, it will not affect anything in the country.
On the other hand, it is because Yunxi has always handled matters related to diplomacy by himself and does not rely on others. Moreover, this time it was mainly Li Fangyuan who formally requested to be crowned king, which was beyond the control of ministers.
Yunxi ordered the young eunuch to call Qin Song over. After a while, he pretended to pay respects and went to the side hall.
Qin Song was already waiting in the side hall. Yunxi explained the matter without waiting for him to salute, and then asked: "What do Qin Qing think?"
Qin Song thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, isn't it time to implement the three strategies against North Korea that we formulated before?"
"I don't know what is happening in North Korea right now, but judging from the news at the beginning of this year, Li Quanzhi (Li Chenggui) has always favored his youngest son. Although he has not officially enthroned the crown prince, it is unlikely that he will change his mind within half a year."
Yunxi said thoughtfully: "You mean, Li Fangyuan usurped Li Chenggui's position?"
Qin Song said: "I dare not say so."
Yunxi continued: "If this is the case, then we have more room for action. Li Fangyuan first took charge of a country, and Li Chenggui took over the country of Koryo not long ago. I am afraid that there are still people in the country who harbor Koryo. They are very likely to
Something happens."
"As soon as Li Fangyuan took over the country, he invited him to be crowned king. I'm afraid he also had the idea of relying on the prestige of the Ming Dynasty."
Qin Song said: "I still suggest that we only use the first two strategies discussed before. It is better to slow down our efforts towards North Korea."
Yunxi was right. In normal times, North Korea might not be willing to change his surname to Zhu. Now that there is great internal and external pressure, Li Fangyuan may be more willing to agree, but he may not be too willing. It is better not to add more pressure.
Yunxi asked: "Do you know who the North Korean envoy is?"
Qin Song said: "I just came here and I have already asked someone about him. His name is Mr. Jin Han, and he is the chief of Li Fangyuan's confidants."
Yunxi said: "Then it is necessary to talk to the North Korean envoy. As a close confidant of Li Fangyuan, he must know a lot of things."
Yunxi thought for a while and said: "Among the doctors in the Ministry of Rites, there is no one who is very considerate to me. Is there anyone from the Jinyi Guards in the Ministry of Rites or Honglu Temple?"
Qin Song smiled bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, the Jinyiwei was not popular in the last years of Hongwu. There are no Jinyiwei among the officials above the seventh rank in the imperial court."
Yunxi said, "What should we do? I can't go and talk to the North Korean envoy in person." How can the emperor talk about things in person?
Qin Song said: "Your Majesty, there is a man in Jinyiwei named Yang Ben, who was originally a student. In the 29th year of Hongwu's reign, he joined Jinyiwei as the governor. I think this person is good."
"Besides, being an Imperial High School student is considered to have a good background. He is not a military commander, so it would not be out of the ordinary for him to serve as a civil servant. It would be better to use him as a doctor in the Ministry of Rites."
Yunxi thought about it: all the trusted ministers in his hands were burdened with heavy responsibilities. Even Yunxi of the Ministry of Punishment had to let them be put in a state of herding sheep. It was really impossible to mobilize anyone.
So Yunxi said: "Well, I will immediately issue an order to make Yang Ben the chief guest of the Ministry of Rites. When you go back, explain the matter to Yang Ben and let him talk to the North Korean envoy."
Qin Song bowed and said, "My lord, I obey the order." Then seeing that nothing happened to Yunxi, he turned around and left.
Yunxi went back to continue processing the papers.
The afternoon was the same as usual. Negotiating with the North Koreans is not a matter of one or two days. Anyway, Yunxi is definitely not the one who is anxious, so he will wait for two days before talking.
However, Yunxi was thinking in his mind about how to make it easier for the Korean people to accept his conditions. He turned over the memorial in his hand absently, distributed the memorials casually, collected the memorials again, copied the opinions attached by the ministers on the memorials, and then
Let Wang Xi seal it.
At this time, Bao Zhao held up a paper and said, "Your Majesty, this is the paper for impeachment."
Yunxi said: "Oh, I made a mistake." Then he asked Xu Xiaohui to take the memorial from Bao Zhao.
Yunxi took the memorial absentmindedly, but when he opened it, he only saw a name, and his attention immediately focused again. Because this name was Jie Jin.
Xie Jin, one of the most famous talents in the Ming Dynasty, was called the three most knowledgeable people in the Ming Dynasty together with Yang Shen and Xu Wei.
Yunxi read the memorial attentively. The person who wrote the memorial was Wang Du, the censor of the capital, now the right minister of the Ming Dynasty. He was impeached by Xie Jin for being unfaithful and unfilial, and wanted to demote him to the position of guard of Hezhou.
It turned out that Xie Jin was a Jinshi in the 21st year of Hongwu, and was highly trusted and appreciated by Zhu Yuanzhang. However, Xie Jin later defended Li Shan, which angered Zhu Yuanzhang.
If it had been left to other people, the grass on the grave would have made it invisible, but Zhu Yuanzhang cherished Xie Jin's talent very much and called Xie Jin's father to take Xie Jin back, saying that Xie Jin would come back in ten years.
But just this year, less than eight years after Xie Jin took paid leave home, Zhu Yuanzhang passed away; and his mother had only passed away for a year at this time. However, Xie Jin was still very ambitious, so he came to the capital again.
.
As a result, not long after arriving in the capital, he was targeted by the censors. Wang Du and Yuan Tai were good friends. When Jie Jin impeached Yuan Tai, Yuan Tai lost his official position, and the two became enemies. However, Yuan Tai died a few years ago and could not personally
He came to take revenge, so Wang Du wrote a letter to impeach Xie Jin.
Wang Du impeached Xie Jin on two counts: he left home only a year after his mother passed away, and returned to the capital less than ten years later, and asked the emperor to demote him to the position of guard in Hezhou.
Just kidding, how could Yunxi do such a thing! Xie Jin is a famous literati and politician in the Ming Dynasty, who are you Wangdu? In fact, Yunxi originally remembered Xie Jin, and the one Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned when he just died was for Chen Xingshan
Although the deputy he was looking for didn’t say it clearly at the time, he just wanted to find Jie Jin (Chapter 195).
But then there were too many things and he forgot about it. Now that Yunxi has seen this name, he will not let him go again. However, Wang Du's reason for impeaching Xie Jin is still valid in this era, and Yunxi cannot directly
He refuted it, so he decided to keep the memorial.
Yunxi raised his head and said to Chen Xingshan: "Chen Qing, how is the compilation of "Records of Taizu" going?"
Chen Xingshan stood up and said: "Your Majesty, I relied on the "Notes on Living Life" and it was probably compiled more than 20 years ago in Hongwu."
Then he complained: "Your Majesty, I am currently incapable of doing anything else. Please choose someone else to serve as a virtuous person."
Yunxi said: "It just so happens that I have found a deputy for you. He will definitely be able to help you complete the "Records of Taizu". In the future, you will rewrite "History of the Yuan Dynasty" and compile the "Da Ming Dadian". You will be the editor-in-chief and this person will be your deputy."
It will definitely happen!”
Chen Xingshan asked: "Who is it that Your Majesty praises so highly?" This was the first time that Chen Xingshan saw Yunxi praise a civil servant so highly. Not only him, but also other people pricked up their ears.
Yunxi said: "This man's name is Xie Jin, you may have heard of him."
Of course, Chen Xingshan had heard of this person. Xie Jin was still very famous back then. But Chen Xingshan thought about it and said: "Your Majesty, I heard that Xie Jin's mother passed away last year and is not yet twenty-seven months old. So I am here now."
Is it inappropriate to use him?"
As expected, Yunxi encountered this problem again. Of course he was opposed to observing mourning for three years. Yunxi thought that maybe it might have been appropriate when this etiquette first appeared, but now it is just a ritual without much meaning, and it has nothing to do with it.
It doesn't matter whether you are filial or not.
And this is fine for ordinary farmers and craftsmen. They can't listen to music anyway, and they can't afford to wear good clothes. The only thing that delays them is getting married.
But for officials, the delay was too much. They had to observe mourning for twenty-seven months, plus the round trip, which was almost two and a half years. In the Manchu Qing Dynasty, there was an official who was an official when his grandfather died of illness and his father died of illness.
My biological mother passed away from illness, and my aunt passed away from illness, which delayed them for more than ten years.
This is not only a huge delay for the officials themselves, but also a loss for the country: if a talent is unavailable for several years, it may have delayed something major.
Yunxi has the idea of changing this situation, but it is not the time yet, it will take a few months.
Yunxi asked Chen Xingshan: "Chen Qing, what is the purpose of Confucius's three-year mourning?"
Chen Xingshan thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, Confucius said: 'A child is born for three years, and then he is free from the arms of his parents.' Confucius's original intention was that a child can walk alone after three years without being cuddled in the arms of his parents, so he should observe filial piety for three years.
Feel the nurturing grace of your parents.”
Yunxi said: "This does not conflict with being an official in the court? Doesn't it mean that as an official, you can't miss your parents' upbringing? As for those regulations, no wearing of rich clothes, no drinking and eating meat, no music is allowed, how can it be done in the court?
Can’t the officer comply?”
"Besides, if filial piety must be observed for twenty-seven months, then why can the emperor exchange the sun for the moon?"
Chen Xingshan said: "The great filial piety of a saint depends on his good succession. The importance of the central affairs and the military and state's Yin should be inherited without hesitation. The emperor should listen to the government for three days, be auspicious on the 13th, and be auspicious on the 25th.
, released on the 27th."
Yunxi continued: "Of course, then why can't officials? Doesn't the great filial piety of officials mean that they are loyal to the emperor and help the emperor manage the country well? And I am also in mourning now, so why should I hand over state affairs and hide behind closed doors in the palace without seeing the ministers?
Can’t do it?”
As a person who abides by ancient rituals, Chen Xing is not stupid, but he has never thought about why he must observe filial piety for three years, so he can't think of anything to say at the moment.
As for the other people present, Zhuo Jing actually thought of a rebuttal: There is also the theory of seizing love. Important officials in the imperial court can seize love by order from your majesty, but not all officials are important ministers and can return to their hometowns to observe filial piety.
But Zhuo Jing actually supports what Yun Xi said, so he won't say anything.