Chapter 803 892 Impeachment

Wei Guangde was living a meager life in Bengshan Castle. This did not mean that he was unfilial. After all, he came from a later generation, and some habits and consciousness from that time still occupied his thoughts, so he was quite disapproving of Ding You's matter.

Having these thoughts does not mean that he can speak out. He can only hold them in his heart and try to find something to do for himself to kill time.

Little did he know that his last allies in the capital had been cornered by Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng.

Now Gao Gong has become the real chief assistant of the cabinet. Li Chunfang's memorial was approved by Emperor Longqing last month, and he should still be on his way back to his hometown at this time.

In the order of succession, Zhang Juzheng became the second assistant, while Yin Shizhen remained the assistant minister.

Such a ranking was enough to suppress Yin Shizhen, causing him to lose all his voice in the cabinet.

In the beginning, he was able to influence the situation in the cabinet because Li Chunfang, the first assistant, was not very good at governing. He also had help from assistants Chen Yiqin and Wei Guangde, which naturally increased his voice in the cabinet. However, with the current changes, the huge gap made Yin Shizhen feel uncomfortable for a while. Come.

For this reason, his hatred for Gao Gong was even worse. During cabinet discussions, he often had disputes with Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng due to political disagreements.

Of course, he was still the loser in the end, but he didn't realize that his opinions were often opposed for the sake of opposition, but he seemed to find fun in finding ways to undermine Gao Gong.

He enjoyed it endlessly, but Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng's attitude towards him also changed dramatically, and they wanted to get rid of him quickly.

Although Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng are not in harmony with each other, after all, they still act with public motives in mind, which is to relieve the country's worries.

Nowadays, most of Yin Shizhen's speeches in cabinet meetings are full of anger and controversy, which naturally makes them dissatisfied.

In fact, among these changes in the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng actually made a bad move.

If Wei Guangde were from his point of view, there is a high probability that except for the fundamental government affairs, he would stick to his own opinion and stand with Gao Gong. For some government affairs that are not so important or have little impact, maybe he would turn around and support Yin Shizhen.

The three people in the current cabinet actually represent the three forces. It is most beneficial to Zhang Juzheng to maintain this situation.

Only by dealing with it as a secondary assistant and playing both sides can you maximize your own interests.

But he didn't. Instead, he followed his true intention and invisibly increased the divisions in the cabinet until both he and Gao Gong could no longer sit still.

Of course, maybe Zhang Juzheng didn't understand this truth, but considering that Gao Gong has been self-centered since he became the chief minister, he cannot tolerate the slightest difference from others.

As the second assistant, Zhang Juzheng felt that Gao Gong's desire for power was too strong and it was difficult to work with him. He remained silent most of the time, knowing that Gao Gong was wrong but did not dare to point it out.

And his silence was regarded by Yin Shizhen as Zhang Juzheng's support for Gao Gong, which separated the two people who should have united at this time.

“The Ministry of Industry discussed the proposal to dig a new waterway in Shandong area to Li Guihe during the incident, and felt that it was feasible to dig a new river to connect the Jiao River and Lai River.

If the Jiaolai Canal is completed, when the Yellow River is flooded, canals can go out to sea in Huai'an, sail along the coastline through the Jiaolai Canal, avoid the Yellow River waterway, and enter the inland river from Tianjin to Tongzhou.

I have called everyone together today to talk about this matter. "

Gao Gong sat in the position of chief assistant, looked at Zhang Juzheng next to him and Yin Shizhen, who was next to him, and explained the reason for this meeting.

"Let me express my opinion first. I strongly support Li Guihe's suggestion. The Yellow River has been flooding in recent years. The court has spent huge sums of money on maintenance, but the breach remains and water transportation is almost cut off.

According to the calculations of the Ministry of Industry, if it is completed in two years, it can ensure that Jiangnan Caoliang can reach Tongzhou safely before the Tongzhou granary runs out of stored grain.

This matter cannot be delayed. "

When Gao Gong said this, he actually made it clear that he had decided to dig a new river channel to avoid the Yellow River.

If I can’t afford to offend him, can I still afford to hide?

When Zhang Juzheng heard what Gao Gong said, he felt a little annoyed but couldn't express it clearly. Gao Gong watched eagerly from the side.

He remained silent this time, only nodding out of habit when Gao Gong finished his words.

However, the assistant minister Yin Shizhen frowned at this time. He had read Li Guihe's suggestion earlier and asked someone from the Ministry of Industry to consult on the feasibility.

The person in charge of the Ministry of Industry who was familiar with the water conditions told him that this proposal had actually been proposed in the Yuan Dynasty, but in the end the construction was not started because the officials sent to survey the river channel came back and said that the water channel terrain was complex and difficult to dig.

At the same time, the rivers in Shandong, whether it is the Jiaohe River or the Laihe River, have a small water volume and no external water. The project costs a lot of money. After completion, it may not be navigable because the water volume cannot be reached. It has little practical significance and wastes people and money.

With the Yuan Dynasty's lessons learned, Yin Shizhen naturally took it seriously.

In fact, when it comes to shipping, the Yuan Dynasty was indeed much smarter than the Ming Dynasty. At the very least, the Yuan Dynasty focused on developing maritime transportation instead of using canals. Although there were losses caused by shipwrecks every year, they were almost the same as those caused by using rivers. It was considered acceptable. Accept the loss.

But in the Ming Dynasty, it was unwise to emphasize that shipping by sea was unsafe without realizing that there was still a risk of shipwrecks through the canal.

Yin Shizhen thought he had the news, so after Gao Gong expressed his stance, he immediately raised objections.

"Sir Prime Minister, I also know Li Guihe's suggestion. Let's not talk about the huge amount of money needed to dig a new river. Can the court afford it now? Let's talk about the water in the canal. However, the water volume of Jiaohe River and Laihe River may not be enough to ensure the water volume of the canal.

At that time, it is bound to dig a water diversion channel to introduce water from the surrounding rivers. Wouldn't this connect the new river with the Yellow River again?

When the Yellow River floods, I am afraid that the yellow sand will block the new river again.

I think this matter is actually a waste of money and labor, so it is better not to do it."

Yin Shizeng directly denied Gao Gong's opinion, which naturally made Gao Gong unhappy.

In fact, there was controversy about the water volume of the river when the Ministry of Works studied it. Some people thought that the suggestion was very good and the water volume should be enough. The reason why the Yuan Dynasty did not build it was because the Yuan Dynasty court was corrupt at that time and the government had no money to do it.

Digging a new river, especially in a place with complex terrain, requires huge investment. If it is left unfinished due to lack of money, the loss will be heartbreaking.

Moreover, when the Yuan Dynasty considered this matter, it was actually the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Because of the impact of the Yellow River flood, the people rose up one after another.

This expensive project was proposed and shelved in just a few months. The Yuan Dynasty court did not send people to repeatedly and seriously survey the terrain, because the finances at that time had turned to military expenses for suppressing rebellions, and there was no money to deal with this matter.

The person who talked to Gao Gong, of course, just happened to disagree with the person in charge of Yin Shizhen's consultation.

One person believed that the amount of water was not a problem, and the most important factor affecting the effect was whether the court had sufficient finances to ensure the timely completion of the digging of the new river project, while the other person not only believed that the court had no money to complete the digging of the new river, but also firmly opposed this project because there might be insufficient water after the digging, making it difficult to sail.

Because the two people consulted the Ministry of Works with different opinions, although they also mentioned the debate within the Ministry of Works when reporting the matter, they only mentioned it in a few words because of their own positions, so naturally Gao Gong and Yin Shizeng did not pay attention to it. They just knew that there was such a thing.

Zhang Juzheng's situation was similar to theirs. He also heard about the debate in the Ministry of Works, and also knew that Zhu Heng had sent people to Shandong to survey the terrain for this purpose. In fact, the Ministry of Works did not have a ministerial discussion on this matter.

As for Gao Gong's statement that the Ministry of Works believed that digging a new river was feasible, it was actually because most of the officials who participated in the discussion in the Ministry of Works chose to support the digging of a new river.

However, because Zhu Heng did not report this, in fact, this was Gao Gong's lack of rigor in doing things. He only knew that the grain transport had become the top priority facing the court. Now that he knew that there was a way to bypass the hidden danger of the Yellow River and ensure the smooth flow of grain transport, he naturally expressed his support immediately.

For the Ming Dynasty, is there anything more important than grain transport?

No, unless there is another war in the north and the Tartars run to the capital area.

Zhang Juzheng was about to wait for Hu Guan, who was sent by the Ministry of Works, to come back and see what he said before making a decision, but Gao Gong had already spoken.

"What do you mean by wasting money and labor? I am looking for a solution to the court's problem. Everyone is here to discuss. You can just express your support directly. If you say anything, I will waste money and labor."

Gao Gong retorted to Yin Shizeng indignantly. Yin Shizeng was naturally not afraid and directly retorted: "Knowing that it is impossible, you want to push this matter for the sake of shitty political achievements. It is not a waste of money and labor.

It is feasible to discuss it in the Ministry of Works. As far as I know, the Ministry of Works has not discussed it at all."

In Gao Gong's duty room, the two started arguing directly and finally parted unhappily.

After Zhang Juzheng and Yin Shizeng left the duty room, Gao Gong directly picked up a pen and wrote a note and sent someone to send it to the Ministry of Works.

Naturally, this note was to urge the Ministry of Works to confirm the Laiwu Canal as soon as possible. Gao Gong did not intend to continue discussing it in the cabinet, nor did he want the matter to be delayed for a long time. He wanted to directly urge the Ministry of Works to take action.

Zhu Heng was still confused when he received the note from the cabinet. He had already sent the chief Hu Guan to Shandong for an on-site inspection.

The reason for sending him was that Hu Guan was still a student of Gao Gong, and the results of his on-site inspection should be recognized by Gao Gong.

Well, no matter what, Zhu Heng now recognizes the situation of the court and plans to follow Gao Gong in the future to avoid making himself uncomfortable.

After sending someone to send the note away, Gao Gong sat in his seat and thought for a while. He could no longer tolerate Yin Shizan's arrogant attitude.

He wanted to take action and drive Yin Shizan out of the court.

So that night, Gao Gong summoned the censor Zhao Yinglong, the chief secretary Han Ji and others in the mansion.

After all, Gao Gong had been an official for so long, and of course he understood that if he wanted someone to get out of the court, he couldn't roll up his sleeves and go there himself. That was too reckless. It would be better to have confidants to work in the Censorate and the Six Departments.

Think about Wei Guangde. He planted Ouyang Yijing in the Ministry of Personnel. Whenever he wanted to take action against someone, the Ministry of Personnel would impeach him first. He could also rely on these people to build relationships on weekdays.

Zhao Yinglong, Han Ji and others who were summoned now were the nails he planted in these two yamen. He planned to let these people impeach Yin Shizhan.

After nitpicking about some things in the cabinet, these disciples naturally shared the same hatred.

"I have heard that in the cabinet, Chen Yiqin pulled Wei Guangde and Yin Shizhan into the cabinet to strengthen his voice and sidelined Li Shoufu.

Now Chen Yiqin has retired and Wei Guangde is in mourning. Yin Shizhan still doesn't know how to promote him. It's really hateful."

Han Ji shouted loudly after Gao Gong finished speaking.

For those of you here, he is considered a die-hard fan of Gao Gong. If it weren't for Gao Gong's appreciation, he doesn't know if he would be able to be in the court.

Han Ji, courtesy name Boji, was born in Puzhou, Shanxi Province. He was promoted to the imperial examination in the 31st year of Jiajing reign and Jinshi in the 44th year of Jiajing reign.

It took thirteen years to go from being promoted to being a Jinshi. You can imagine the experiences and pressures you have to endure during these years.

Especially after becoming a Juren, Han Ji failed in the first two public examinations. In order to take the exam, Han Ji decisively chose to abandon the "Book of Rites" and study the "Spring and Autumn". Naturally, he went there for the admission rate.

The Ming Dynasty imperial examination majored in the Five Classics, including the Book of Songs, Shangshu, Yi Jing, Book of Rites, and Spring and Autumn Period.

These five majors are either hot or cold. Relatively speaking, poetry, books, and Yi are considered popular, while etiquette and spring and autumn are unpopular. The unpopular majors have fewer candidates because they have fewer candidates.

The Book of Rites was originally unpopular, but the Spring and Autumn Period was even more unpopular.

There are few candidates for unpopular majors, but the admission rate is fixed, so Han Ji's plan is obvious.

Finally, after another setback, he finally made the list in the 44th Jiajing Examination. The examiner this year was Gao Gonggao, the first assistant.

It is worth mentioning that it was also in this year that the "Mr. Zhenchuan" whom Wei Guangde knew when he was looking at the rankings. Gui Youguang, who passed the exam in the ninth year of Jiajing and then failed eight times in a row, finally passed the exam this time. He was selected into the list and became a Jinshi. At this time, he was sixty years old and had just reached the retirement age.

No matter how you say it, Han Ji can be regarded as an authentic disciple of Gao Gong, which is different from those who submit to him and become his disciples.

"I have long disliked him. I heard that he and Wei Guangde were able to join the cabinet because of their relationship with Teng Xiang and the eunuch party."

Zhao Yinglong also answered and said, no matter how casually you talk nonsense, nothing will happen here.

"Is it Teng Xiang? I heard it's Chen Hong."

Someone else spoke.

"Anyway, you just rely on the eunuchs to get to power. That's what I heard people say."

Gao Gong was very satisfied with the knowledge and interest of these disciples, and it was natural for him to do so after hearing about the matter.

Let them go back immediately and do what they want to do.

Everyone still didn't know what their mentor meant. After they stood up and said goodbye, Han Ji discussed with several other people for a long time outside the gate of Gao's mansion, and then they got on the sedan and left.

Starting from the next day, the imperial censor Zhao Yinglong and Du Geshi Zhong Han Ji led a group of officials to uncover the story of Chen Zhizhi and rotten millet, and impeached Yin Shidan in turn.

Doing this really put Yin Shizhen into trouble.

Although these impeachments won't hurt him at all, they are disgusting.

The most important thing is that the continuous impeachments will more or less make Emperor Longqing think of him. It’s hard to say over time.

People's words are scary.

If Yin Shizhen didn't notice it at first, he also realized something was wrong after half a month.

However, after he analyzed the person who impeached him, because Han Ji was from Shanxi, Yin Shizhen mistakenly thought that the person who took action this time was Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Civil Affairs.

Previously, officials in the court had impeached Zhang Siwei's father for being uncorrupt. At that time, Gao Gong also approached him, thinking that he had sent someone to take action.

"Zhang Siwei, hum."