Chapter 805 894 Aftermath

The cabinet had a major incident where a minister beat the chief minister, so the meeting could not go on.

Zhang Juzheng desperately held Yin Shizhan to prevent him from rushing to Gao Gong, but it was very difficult.

At this moment, Gao Gong's official hat was grabbed off, and he was punched by Yin Shizhan. His neat official uniform was loose at this time, and he looked as embarrassed as he could be.

It is true that a young man is better than a strong man.

Gao Gong could usually act arrogantly and show off his official power, but if he really met a strong man, his sixty-year-old body would not be able to bear it.

Fortunately, under Zhang Juzheng's shouting, the six departments of the imperial secretaries also woke up at this time and finally rushed up to separate the two.

Some people protected Gao Gong and went out of the hall to the chief minister's duty room, while another group of people surrounded Yin Shizhan and asked him to calm down. The scene was in chaos.

At this time, only Han Ji, the attendant who was taught a lesson by Yin Shizun, stood there blankly, motionless, as if he had lost his parents.

This matter was actually the grudge between Yin Shizun and Gao Gong, but it started from him after all. It can be imagined that no matter how the emperor dealt with the parties involved, he would be hated by the emperor, and his career would be ruined.

At this time, a young eunuch had hurried to the Qianqing Palace to report what happened in the cabinet.

It hadn't happened for many years that such a bad thing happened in the imperial city.

No matter how the emperor dealt with it, as a eunuch serving in the cabinet, it would definitely not be wrong to pass on the news as soon as possible. If it was late, it would be a mistake and he would be punished.

In the Imperial Household Department, Meng Chong was sitting behind the desk, stamping the memorial approved by the emperor yesterday. When he heard the young eunuch running in breathlessly from outside report that the cabinet was in the state of Yin Ge Lao beating Gao Shoufu, he was happy at first, but when he found out that he didn't beat him and was stopped by Zhang Juzheng and a group of officials, he was still a little disappointed.

"Hey, how could he be beaten to death?"

Of course, this was just what Meng Chong thought in his mind, but he would never say it out loud.

"Okay, don't leave, follow me to the Qianqing Palace to report to the emperor."

The palace has its own rules. Although the young eunuch ran to the Qianqing Palace in a hurry at first, he realized halfway that he had to go to the Imperial Household Department to report to the eunuch first.

Otherwise, if he reported the news to the emperor, he might not get any benefits, and he would offend the real person in charge of the palace.

When Emperor Longqing got the news in the Qianqing Palace, he could do nothing but be stunned.

At this moment, the two cabinet elders, Gao Shoufu and Yin Ge Lao, had already left the cabinet angrily and went home to wait for the emperor's disposal.

Zhang Juzheng was the only one left in the cabinet to handle cabinet affairs, and he was trying to set up the emperor.

Gao Gong naturally hoped that Emperor Longqing would severely punish Yin Shizan, and finally dismiss him from office and drive him out of the capital.

Yin Shizan calmed down and knew that his matter had become a big deal, so he simply went home to wait for punishment.

However, the moment he walked out of the cabinet, he had already planned to retire and return home.

He knew that he was not right about what happened in the cabinet today.

Let alone other things, although Gao Gong expelled Chen Yiqin and Li Chunfang, they were all secretly stumbling. Everyone knew it, but they could not find any evidence.

But he waved his fist directly in Wenyuan Pavilion and was seen by people from the six departments, so he lost the argument first.

Although he knew that this matter was not going to be handled well, Yin Shizhan still felt much better. At least he vented the depression in his chest, which was very refreshing.

And Zhang Juzheng, the second assistant who stayed in the cabinet, was actually the biggest unlucky person in this fight, and was definitely not the beneficiary.

At present, all the government affairs in the cabinet fell on him alone, and things still had to be dealt with.

But what about later?

Gao Gong would be back in a few days, and he could not become the first assistant, and was still controlled by Gao Gong.

And what about Yin Shizhan?

Because of what happened today, I am afraid it will be difficult for him to gain a foothold in the court in the future.

Without Yin Shizhan, a cabinet minister who shared the firepower, he would face Gao Gong directly in the future, which was not a good thing.

Moreover, there were only two people left in the cabinet, and Emperor Longqing would add people sooner or later. Zhang Juzheng did not think that he had more face than Gao Gong, and the cabinet ministers he recommended could have an advantage over Gao Gong.

Moreover, although he told Yang Bo that he would recommend him to the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng was actually reluctant.

Thinking of his master Xu Jie, he was always very wary of Yang Bo. No matter how good the relationship was, he never pulled him into the cabinet.

Zhang Juzheng could make a promise, but he was also worried about actually doing it. He must not let the wolf into the house.

Thinking too much, Zhang Juzheng had no mood to work at this moment, and sat alone in the duty room in a daze.

As the six departments dispersed, the things in the cabinet seemed to have grown little wings and quickly spread throughout the government offices in the capital.

When the Minister of Rites Pan Sheng heard the news, he was dumbfounded. He really couldn't imagine that such a thing would happen in the cabinet.

The Censorate and the Six Departments have the power to supervise, impeach and make suggestions, but the Ministry of Rites also has a responsibility for this matter, that is, to rectify the discipline of the court.

Obviously, Yin Shizhan was rude and should be punished.

But Pan Sheng didn't want to get involved in this matter from the bottom of his heart. He also saw Gao Gong's domineering behavior, but he dared not speak out.

In the lobby of the Ministry of Justice, Liu Ziqiang heard the news that his fellow villager Gao Gong was beaten, and his expression was similar to Pan Sheng's.

However, the one who beat him was Yin Shizhan, so he knew that this matter was not under the jurisdiction of his Ministry of Justice, and everything depended on the emperor's will.

Although the Three Judicial Departments were led by the Ministry of Justice, it was likely that Emperor Longqing would suppress this matter, and he would not send the two cabinet ministers to the lobby for interrogation and confrontation.

Can't afford to lose face to that person.

When Zhu Heng heard the news, he just smiled bitterly. His letter to Jiangxi was in vain. He didn't expect Yin Shizhan to have such a bad temper and dare to wave his fist in the cabinet.

The officials in the court who opposed and disliked Gao Gong's style were secretly cheering, but it was a pity that they were stopped and did not beat Gao Gong to half paralysis. It was a pity.

But no matter what, after this incident, Gao Gong lost face.

The officials who supported Gao Gong were filled with righteous indignation and had begun to prepare to impeach Yin Shizhan for being lawless and openly committing crimes in the cabinet.

But no matter how these people shouted in the yamen, they were not as lively as the Censorate.

Yes, the censors who supported Gao Gong and were neutral were all preparing to prepare a memorial to impeach Yin Shizhan.

In response, Ge Shouli, the head of the Censorate, was frowning and sitting in his room, and did not go out to suppress his censors.

He really had no reason to take action on this matter.

Other officials of other yamen could wait for the emperor's decision, but the Censorate could not. Although he had been dissatisfied with Gao Gong's arbitrary behavior during this period, he always sent notes to the six ministries in the name of the cabinet's discussion.

But he knew better that the cabinet did not reach a consensus on many issues.

For example, in the Datong Peace Talks, only Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng supported it in the cabinet, Yin Shizhen was firmly opposed, and many people in the court were dissatisfied, including him.

But Gao Gong persuaded Emperor Longqing to push this matter and even made a far-fetched connection with the result of the last court discussion, meaning that if the court supported it, there was no need to worry about it.

"Don't get involved."

Ge Shouli still made up his mind about this matter. What his subordinates wanted to do was their business, and he would not step in anyway.

At this time, Emperor Longqing in the Qianqing Palace was also in trouble with this matter. He thought he had appeased the two just now, but he didn't expect that they would beat each other in front of the officials the next day.

It is impossible to say that Emperor Longqing was not annoyed by Yin Shizan's behavior, and his own position was more inclined to the side of his teacher Gao Gong.

However, he also knew that he could not easily deal with the court officials, especially the cabinet ministers.

He knew that Gao Gong had some small actions, so he could understand Yin Shizan's resentment, but this was not a reason.

This matter had a very bad impact in the court.

But when it comes to how to deal with this matter, Emperor Longqing is actually very embarrassed.

Although Yin Shizan was wrong, he did not want to deal with him because of this, because the current triangular relationship in the cabinet was exactly what he wanted to create.

The three cabinet ministers represent three thoughts, and they collide with each other when dealing with government affairs. He only needs to refer to their opinions and make his own judgments.

He still remembers his father's advice to him before his death, that he is not an emperor who can open up, but can only maintain the status quo.

To maintain the status quo, he must listen to other people's opinions when dealing with affairs and choose the most favorable way to deal with them.

This is also the reason why he quickly expanded the cabinet to six ministers when he ascended the throne. Even if Gao Gong and Guo Pu left later, the cabinet would guarantee four ministers for a long time.

Letting Chen Yiqin leave was also to make room for Gao Gong.

After all, their small group occupied too many seats in the cabinet, which had affected his listening to the opinions of other parties.

But in a blink of an eye, this small group had only Yin Shizeng left in the cabinet, and how to deal with today's matter became the most difficult problem facing Emperor Longqing.

Of course, he didn't want to dismiss him, which would break the existing balance of the cabinet.

But such a big thing, if it was lightly passed over, it seemed inappropriate.

Whether it was applying for an imperial edict or deducting salary, it seemed to be meaningless.

Just when Emperor Longqing was still in a dilemma about how to calm the matter, Yin Shizeng returned to his mansion and sat in the study to write a memorial.

On the way home, Yin Shizeng had already considered the consequences, and it was not easy to do it.

Rather than waiting for Gao Gong to mobilize a group of followers to impeach him, it is better to directly submit a petition to resign to save some dignity.

Whether to be impeached and dismissed or to resign voluntarily, Yin Shizan chose the latter.

He did not have the considerations of Wei Guangde. He vaguely realized that Emperor Longqing was trying to balance the forces of all parties in the court. Now he just wanted to save face.

Since he was destined to be punished, he might as well take the initiative.

Yin Shizan wrote a petition to resign in the mansion. Gao Gong returned to the mansion angrily and immediately sent his men to summon his students and old friends in the Censorate and the Six Departments. He wanted to mobilize all the forces he could mobilize and was bound to impeach Yin Shizan to death.

He lost so much face this time. Although he could not take Yin Shizan's life, he had sufficient reasons to expel him, and he would never give up.

This opportunity was not easy to come by, and it was enough for him to achieve his wish.

As for Emperor Longqing, he knew that he might still be reluctant to hold Yin Shizeng accountable for their friendship with Yu Ju, but as long as Yin Shizeng was driven out of the court, there would only be him and Zhang Juzheng left in the cabinet, and at least the cabinet would have to be filled.

Filling people is very important. He had always been troubled by the lack of capable subordinates in the cabinet, and had always wanted to add his own people to the cabinet to strengthen his voice.

It is impossible for him, the chief minister, to personally confront everything.

Among the candidates for the cabinet, Gao Gong does not have many subordinates he can use now, mainly because there are too few people from the Hanlin Academy. After thinking about it, only Zhang Siwei meets the requirements. Unfortunately, Zhang Siwei has only been in the Ministry of Personnel and lacks experience in the Ministry of Rites.

For this reason, he is also a little entangled and needs to spend some time to hone his skills.

Gao Gong made up his mind. He was already thinking about the position of the officials in the Ministry of Rites and how to adjust it so that Zhang Siwei could be sent to the Ministry of Rites and fill his resume.

Yin Shizeng had already written a resignation letter and sent someone to deliver it to the palace that afternoon without waiting for tomorrow.

Yin Shizeng was determined to leave. He knew that it was very dangerous to continue staying in the court. Gao Gong and his followers would never easily reveal this matter.

Even if the emperor wanted to give him a lighter sentence, he might frame him at any time.

It was better to leave the court. Although he was very unwilling in his heart, he was not a blindly loyal person and knew to seek benefits and avoid harm.

Yin Shizeng, who returned home, was now smart and knew that staying in the capital was a way to disaster.

Yin Shizhan's talent and learning were actually first-class in his time. He was called "Mr. Tangchuan" among the people. He was a famous poet in the Jiajing and Longqing dynasties. He was known as the "Four Talents of Bian, Li, Yin and Xu" together with Bian Gong, Li Panlong and Xu Bangcai.

This is much more famous than the "Four Talents of Jiangnan" in the Hongzhi Dynasty, which included Tang Bohu, Zhu Zhishan and others.

Although Tang Bohu's reputation was many times greater than Yin Shizhan's in later generations, at that time, the easiest way to spread reputation was actually identity.

Yin Shizhan was a Jinshi in the two lists and a cabinet minister. No matter how you look at it, he was far superior to Tang Bohu, a layman.

To put it bluntly, Tang Bohu was indeed talented, but there were so many talented people in the world. His fame was probably similar to that of Liu Yong. In addition to the famous works handed down from generation to generation, it was the legendary stories in the romantic field.

Romantic stories are the most talked about by the public, so they are naturally widely spread.

Yes, Yin Shizan has made up his mind to leave the court and indulge in the mountains and rivers, and write poems and fu with his friends. Isn't it beautiful and carefree?

Yin Shizan had heard Wei Guangde mention the beauty of the gardens in Suzhou and Hangzhou before, and he envied them very much, so he planned to return to his hometown in Shandong and build a garden in the north as his living place.

As for whether Yin Shizan would continue to be targeted by Gao Gong after leaving the court, Yin Shizan actually saw clearly that Gao Gong would not do this.

Because he beat Gao Gong in the court, if he got into trouble in the future, it would most likely be related to Gao Gong.

These days, officials all like reputation, and Gao Gong would not do such a thing.

As for whether Gao Gong's followers would avenge him, in fact, for those who followed Gao Gong, they were more concerned about the position under Yin Shizan's buttocks.

Since the place has been given up, what's the point of continuing to pursue it? In the end, nothing will be gained and the scholars will sneer.

Moreover, the person Gao Gong really wanted to retaliate against might not be him, but the one far away in Huating, Nanzhili, which would give Zhang Juzheng a headache.

"Come here, pack up your things at home, we are going to return home."

After sending someone to deliver the resignation letter to the palace, Yin Shizhen directly ordered his family to pack their luggage and prepare to return home.