Chapter 844 933 Go to Gaogong Era

Shandong Governor Liang Menglong's memorial regarding shipping grain was in the cabinet, and the final vote was to "discuss it under the Ministry of Household Affairs". After the memorial was entered into the palace, the Supervisor of Ceremonies also approved it under the vote.

As for the Household Department, Wei Guangde had always believed that although this yamen was in charge of money and food in all yamen in the Ming Dynasty and had a lot of money, it also had the most troubles, so he had not paid attention to it in the past.

As a result, his influence on this yamen is also very limited.

When Wei Guangde was still in the Ministry of Household Affairs in the same year, his current official position was no more than Langzhong or Yuanwailang, and he had no say at all.

Because of this, Wei Guangde gave up his plan to put pressure on the Ministry of Household Affairs to increase the amount of grain transported by sea. It would be difficult.

What's more, Zhang Juzheng can also apply pressure himself.

As far as his and Zhang Juzheng's influence on the various yamen in the court are concerned, Zhang Juzheng clearly has the upper hand, and there is no need to humiliate himself.

Wei Guangde only strongly promoted the customization of grain shipping. That is to say, regardless of the canal, the grain transportation yamen must transport at least 120,000 tons of grain to Beijing by sea every year, and there are no other requirements.

Sea transportation is cheaper than water transportation, but it does have a great impact on the livelihood of river workers. If water transportation is directly cut off, the livelihood of river workers on both sides of the river will indeed be in big trouble.

It is worth mentioning that due to floods in the Yellow River in recent years, the number of goods traveling from south to north in Ming Dynasty has also dropped sharply.

After all, compared with land transportation, the cost advantage of water transportation is still very obvious.

However, even if some businessmen want to try sea transportation, which has a more obvious cost advantage, there is great resistance.

The reason is that the interest groups in water transportation not only include big businessmen, but also involve the interests of a large number of bureaucrats.

Wei Guangde is not in a hurry, and takes his time. He has increasingly realized the wonderful meaning of the sentence in the Tao Te Ching, "Governing a big country is like cooking small delicacies."

Governing a big country is like cooking a small delicacy. This quote comes from Chapter 60 of the Tao Te Ching, and has been interpreted in many ways by later generations.

The first saying is that governing a big country is like cooking small fish. The oil, salt, sauce and vinegar should be just right, neither too much nor too little.

The second argument is that governing a big country should be as difficult as cooking, and should be as meticulous as cooking. Both must control the heat and pay attention to the seasonings.

There is also a third saying, "Xiao Xian" is like a small fish, or a small piece of meat, which means that governing a big country should be like cooking a small fish. When cooking small fish, don't stir it too much. If you stir it too much, it will rot easily. This is a metaphor for running a big country by doing nothing.

In fact, in Wei Guangde's view, there are all three, and one statement cannot be adopted alone, nor can one statement be denied.

Well, this is what Wei Guangde understands as "gold mean".

"Golden mean" is the basic methodological principle and moral practice principle advocated by Confucius.

Confucius said: "The Doctrine of the Mean is a virtue, and it has reached its peak! The people have been around for a long time." The Doctrine of the Mean is regarded as the highest moral realm.

Confucius discussed the golden mean many times. For example, the "Guanyong" chapter in the Book of Songs praised "joy but not obscenity, sadness but not sadness", which is the most appropriate expression of thoughts and feelings.

He also talks about a person’s character and demeanor, “If quality is better than literature, then you will be wild; if literature is better than quality, you will be history. If literature is better than quality, then you will be a gentleman.” The golden mean requires everything to be moderate and just right.

"The Book of Rites: Doctrine of the Mean" is a work that develops Confucius's idea of ​​the Doctrine of the Mean. Zhu Xi quoted Cheng Zi in a chapter: "What is impartial is called the mean, and what is not easy is called the mean. The mean is the right way of the world, and the mean is the rule of the world."

Both impartial and unbiased, the golden mean has become the Confucian principle of dealing with others.

Mao Zedong once believed that the concept of the golden mean "is a major discovery and achievement of Confucius. It is an important category of philosophy and deserves a good explanation."

There are several interpretations of the original meaning of the word "中": like the shape of an arrow hitting a target; like the shape of a standing tree measuring the sun's shadow; like a flag, where the clan leaders set up flags in the middle to gather people from all directions. "Shuowen": "Zhong means inside. From the mouth, ∣, it connects up and down.

"The word "中" means "inside" relative to "outside"; in terms of orientation, it is the "center" equidistant from the surrounding areas; in terms of degree, it refers to the "center" relative to the upper and lower levels. In the process, it is "half" relative to the whole process; and relative to "bias", it is "positive" and impartial.

Wei Guangde's literal understanding means that it refers to the standard of being moderate, proper, just right, impartial, and perfect.

There are also different opinions on the original meaning of the word "Yong". Some people say it is a big bell, which is connected with "Yong"; some people say it is a city, which is connected with "Yong"; some people say it is labor righteousness, which is connected with "maid"; some people say it is meritorious service, which is connected with "maid". Zhong Ji Gong et al.

Later generations understood "yong" to have roughly three meanings: first, He Yan said it was "constant", and Cheng Zi said "what is not easy is called Yong", that is, the principle of permanence but not change, the principle of not changing despite changes;

Second, Zhu Xi talks about "ordinary", that is, ordinary and ordinary virtues, while Xu Fuguan talks about "ordinary" behavior that everyone should practice and achieve;

Third, "Shuowen": "Yong means use." It means application.

Zheng Xuan, a Confucian scholar and Confucian scholar in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, also believed that the article "The Doctrine of the Mean" was used to record the principles of harmony.

Wei Guangde's understanding of the "yong" of "doctrine of the mean" favors the third view, which is "yong means use."

In Wei Guangde's view, the original meaning of "doctrine of the mean" may be to choose the appropriate usage with the right thoughts, that is, "pragmatism".

In order to satisfy "pragmatism", it is natural to repeatedly jump among countless methods, constantly change, and combine them. This is the so-called "the sea is open to all rivers, and tolerance is great."

Choosing the most practical is the true meaning of moderation.

So for grain transportation, whether it is by land, canal, or sea transport, there is always a method that suits you.

In later generations, there was a folk joke that "we are all adults, so of course we have to choose everything." In Wei Guangde's view, it is actually in line with the idea of ​​​​the golden mean.

"Shandai, please read this memorial."

Wei Guangde's duty room welcomed a guest today, Zhu Heng, Minister of Industry.

Taking the memorial from Zhu Heng and reading it, Wei Guangde soon frowned slightly, his heart sank, and he couldn't help but ask: "Has the Ministry of Industry completely lost confidence in controlling the river?"

The theme of this memorial is very simple, which is to modify the time rules of water transportation.

In Zhu Heng's memorial, he requested that warehouses be opened in October of each year, and the people would lose millet; after the redemption was completed in November, the soldiers would receive millet; ships would be sent to Kaifeng in December, the Huaihe River would be crossed in February, and floods would be passed in March. When I arrive in Zhangjiawan in the next month, it will be a permanent rule to report to you forever.

That is to say, the time for water transportation to set sail is advanced to avoid the flood-prone areas of the Huanghuai River and to minimize the impact of floods on water transportation.

Of course, the fact that we did not do this before was not because the ancients were not wise, but they chose this time to transport grain. In fact, there were many problems, mainly the problem of canal water sources.

The canal mainly replenishes water sources through the rivers along the route. According to Zhu Heng, water ships are mainly launched at the beginning of the year, which happens to be the dry season.

In fact, even if grain transportation is carried out in advance according to Zhu Heng's suggestion, a large number of water ships will not be able to quickly pass through the canal and transport grain to the capital due to the water level.

It can only be said that Zhu Heng chose the last resort.

"There was one flood in the past few years, but since the third year of Longqing there have been floods every year. The Ministry of Industry really has no good way to solve it."

Zhu Heng smiled bitterly and said, "This is all we can do now, to ensure that as much grain as possible is safely transported to the capital.

Originally, Liang Menglong's idea of ​​transporting grain by sea seemed feasible, but according to the news from the Ministry of Revenue, it seemed that he was only trying to ensure smooth waterways and would not transport grain by sea on a large scale. "

"Yes, Mr. Chief Assistant disagrees."

Wei Guangde smiled bitterly and said: "I have talked to him several times, but he always said the same thing. The greatest benefit lies in the river, and the most urgent danger lies in the sea. The sea route is unpredictable, so it is best to take this road to prepare."

I’m too lazy to find new excuses, haha.”

Wei Guangde could still laugh at this moment, but his laughter was full of helplessness.

"I can only strive to ensure the permanent positioning of sea transportation. At least, in the worst case, the court can still receive grain from the south."

As soon as Wei Guangde finished speaking, Zhu Heng frowned and said: 'The so-called permanent system just means that. In fact, whether it is practical or not is not a word from the first assistant.

If he, Uncle Zhang, really reverses Gao Gong's policy, even if it is made permanent today, it can be banned tomorrow. ’

"hiss"

Hearing what Zhu Heng said, Wei Guangde couldn't help but take a breath.

Zhu Heng was right, Yongzhi was just words, but in fact it was more like appeasing people.

In the past two years, the opposition to maritime transportation has gradually decreased. The main reason is due to the impact of floods. Beijing officials are also worried that grain cannot be transported and they will starve.

If we wait two years and the flooding subsides, we may be able to heal the scars and forget about the pain.

"Let's talk about it then. You can submit this memorial. Zhang Shuda probably won't object. At least it's a way to ensure the safety of the grain. It's just that the soldiers are suffering and can't celebrate the New Year at home."

Wei Guangde just sighed.

"Tan Zili should be arriving in the capital soon."

Zhu Heng did not continue this topic, but said.

"Yes, Lu Shusheng is coming soon, and there should be another big change in the court next."

Wei Guangde answered.

"Is Lu Tiaoyang confirmed to be in the cabinet?"

Zhu Heng asked.

Although there is no clear news, people around Wei Guangde naturally heard about some new personnel arrangements earlier.

But after all, in the past half month, it is not ruled out that there will be some changes.

"The cabinet memorial has been handed in, and the palace will issue an order when the time is right."

Wei Guangde said, "Tan Lun is in charge of the Ministry of War, Yang Bo is in charge of the Ministry of Officials, and Lu Shusheng is appointed as the Minister of Rites. The palace also agreed."

"Lu Shusheng didn't fall towards Uncle Zhang, did he?"

After all, Lu Shusheng was a fellow villager of Xu Jie, and Zhu Heng was not sure that he would not secretly contact Zhang Juzheng through Xu Jie's relationship.

"As far as I know, he should be a relatively independent person and not easily attached to others."

Wei Guangde thought about it before saying.

He still had some confidence in Lu Shusheng, otherwise he would not have agreed to recall this person in the first place.

Of course, Wei Guangde couldn't tell whether there was a private connection. He would have to wait until the person arrived in the capital to listen to his words and observe his actions.

"The one from the household department also wants to move?"

Suddenly, Zhu Heng asked again.

"Zhang Shangshu doesn't want to do this anymore. He wants to become an official before the end of the year."

Wei Guangde replied in a low voice.

The cabinet has discussed this matter, but the result is not very optimistic.

This time, the candidate for the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was obviously recommended by Yang Bo through entrustment to Zhang Juzheng.

However, Wei Guangde couldn't think of a suitable person for a while and pushed him out to compete with him in the ring.

"Has anyone chosen yet?"

Obviously, the topic of Zhu Heng's greatest interest is the candidate for Minister of Household Affairs.

"Zhang Juzheng recommended Wang Guoguang, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment of Nanjing, to take over the Ministry of Household Affairs. He earned money from the Minister of Hubu Ministry and was appointed as Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment of Nanjing. In fact, he was the back-up man arranged by Yang Bo to detour him for promotion.

Now that Zhang Shouzhi no longer wants to do it, it is only right to transfer Wang Guoguang back. "

Wei Guangde also revealed the news to Zhu Heng. After all, before Tan Lun took office in the Ministry of War, Zhu Heng was Wei Guangde's biggest helper in the court.

"Wang Xilie has no way to deal with the Ministry of Rites?"

Zhu Heng suddenly said again.

"Did he ask you?"

Wei Guangde did not answer, but asked back.

Zhu Heng was silent, but actually admitted it.

"Brother Shinan, I can help him fight for the position of Minister of Rites, but given the relationship between him and me, what do you think will happen in the future even if I stand up for him?

It's not that I don't help, but he is not a decent person, so I don't want to help.

We are all from the same hometown, and we should be united in the capital, but look at what Wang Xilie has done."

In fact, since the incident with Hu Yingjia and others, Wei Guangde has not only paid attention to potential political enemies, but also investigated the people around him.

Think about it, it's also true. If a few rebels emerge from the same year who thought they could help him, how can Wei Guangde not be careful?

Since then, Wei Guangde has monitored the people around him through the two lines of housekeeper Zhang Ji and clerk Lu Bu.

Zhang Ji was naturally the one he trusted the most, and the available people were both in Jiangxi and Beijing, so the personnel were relatively complicated.

As for Lu Bu, because he was a local snake, the personnel were even more complicated, and there were all kinds of people, and his identity was also extremely sensitive.

Well, it can be said that they complement each other.

Wang Xilie was dissatisfied with him, mainly because his rapid promotion speed made Wang Xilie, who thought he was an old predecessor, jealous.

It was jealousy.

Such a fellow villager, it is better not to have him.

So since Wei Guangde found out, he never promoted his career at all, letting him fend for himself. Not killing him was already a consideration for the fellow villager.

In the following days, the changes in the Ming Dynasty court came as expected.

The Minister of Rites Lu Diaoyang entered the cabinet. After receiving the imperial edict, Lu Diaoyang submitted a petition to resign, but was not allowed, and then entered the cabinet as an assistant minister.

After Tan Lun arrived in Beijing, he met with the young emperor and soon received an order to take charge of the Ministry of War. At the same time, the order was issued for Yang Bo, the Minister of War, to take charge of the Ministry of Personnel.

The same was true for Lu Shusheng after he arrived in Beijing. After meeting the young emperor, although Feng Bao tried to stop him, the order was finally issued, which made Feng Bao dissatisfied with Wei Guangde and Zhang Juzheng.

After Wei Guangde made Feng Bao drink heavily in his mansion, the relationship between the two was slightly restored to its original state.

Yang Bo officially took over the Ministry of Personnel. The first memorial he submitted after taking office was naturally to request the Beijing inspection and the removal of incompetent officials. The curtain of the Beijing inspection in the Gao Gong era was thus opened.

As the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, Wei Guangde, and Lu Diaoyang confessed their incompetence, saying that changing a beam was not as good as getting a house, and criticizing all the ministers was not as good as reducing the power, and begging for dismissal, the emperor refused, and hundreds of officials also submitted such memorials one after another.

Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng, Left Vice Minister Wang Xilie, and Right Vice Minister Zhu Dashou each made their own statements and were all ordered to continue their duties as usual.

This imperial inspection lasted for a month and was targeted, so it ended quickly and a large number of officials were dismissed.

For the top officials of the court, the changes caused by the imperial inspection were imperceptible. After all, most of Gao Gong's students and old friends had just entered the officialdom and held low positions.