Chapter 009: On Duty with Injuries
The will of Emperor Longqing indeed stated that Feng Bao and Zhang Juzheng should both serve as regents.
Regarding the matter of Zhao Zhengji's appointment to the cabinet, Mr. Zhang Yuanfu did not approve, and there are certainly reasons for his decision. Your Majesty, please forgive this old servant for being presumptuous; you may learn from Mr. Zhang Yuanfu's governance principles, but you should not have the intention to reject Mr. Zhang's proposal.
Zhu Yijun appointed as the first
Serve tea
Feng Bao fell silent for a moment after hearing this: "So, are you saying that His Majesty himself discerned this amidst the intricate and complex memorials?"
The old servant speaks a few more words; with the Emperor's wisdom, it is not necessary for anyone to mention it. Today, regarding Hai Rui, Mr. Yuanfu Zhang has already stated that there are no positions available for Hai Rui, yet the Emperor himself has brought up the matter of Liu Sijie, the Left Vice Minister of the Censorate, being in mourning.
Zhang Hong naturally did not dare to refuse Feng Bao's request to go to the Ceremonial Office, nor did he even dare to offer any advice, only responding with an acknowledgment.
Zhang Hong smiled slightly and said, "What you are worried about is quite understandable."
Zhu Yijun explained: "However, I am not in a hurry to make a decision based on the proposal drafted by Mr. Zhang, the Yuan advisor; it is precisely for the sake of caution"
Feng Bao replied
Feng Bao touched his face, which had been pulled painfully, and then he bit his teeth.
I know that you are a cautious and upright person, not one of those petty individuals who engage in slander
Although Zhu Yijun was very skeptical that this so-called will was altered by Feng Bao himself, his ascension to the throne of the Ming Dynasty was indeed based on this will. Naturally, he could not deny the legitimacy of the will, and thus could only reluctantly acknowledge that Feng Bao had the duty to assist and guide him as per the imperial decree.
Zhu Yijun saw Feng Bao still bandaged and the strong smell of medicinal wine was even more pungent, so he frowned and asked: "Daban, why are you not resting to recuperate from your injuries? Why have you come to see me?"
Feng Bao, while speaking, picked up the memorial regarding the suggestion for Zhao Zhenji's reinstatement into the cabinet that Zhu Yijun had just reviewed, and asked Zhu Yijun: "Therefore, Your Majesty, should this memorial be directly approved by the Grand Council?"
After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yijun continued to diligently review the memorials that had already been drafted by the cabinet.
By exploiting the loopholes in Zhang Juzheng's drafts, he compelled the prominent figure Zhang Juzheng to fulfill his own edict, and thus he experienced the thrill of manipulating power for the first time. This newfound sensation sparked a significant interest in reviewing official documents, leading him to become increasingly diligent in his pursuits.
Feng Bao, with a subtle yet pointed tone, said: "Your Majesty, please consider this carefully. If this continues, will it not lead to discord both internally and externally? The *Tu* book will also cause the people of the world to look down upon Your Majesty, believing that Your Majesty is not sufficiently upright and cautious, and thus unworthy of being a sage ruler and wise monarch"
Then, Feng Bao called out again
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun asked: "Why? I have doubts about this matter. Shouldn't I first consult with the Prime Minister, Mr. Zhang, before making a decision?"
Zhu Yijun did not expect Feng Bao to come so quickly to actively fulfill his entrusted duties, even though his face was still swollen and he had to grin whenever he spoke
It is evident that Feng Bao must have already known about this matter and is eager to return to his position to prevent the emperor from exercising power behind his back against his and Zhang Juzheng's wishes
Zhang Hong bowed and replied, "Naturally, I have come to pay my respects to you. Furthermore, to avoid any misunderstanding, I specifically wanted to clarify that today, His Majesty suddenly mentioned Xu Fan, Xu Kun, and Hai Rui to Mr. Zhang, the Prime Minister. His Majesty instructed Xu Fan and Xu Kun to remain at home to fulfill their filial duties and not to return to their positions, stating that fulfilling filial piety is rare and serving the country is not too late. He ordered Hai Rui to be reinstated as the Vice President of the Censorate, in order to utilize his candidness and to demonstrate the new dynasty's commitment to governance and the pursuit of talent. Mr. Zhang, the Prime Minister, found it difficult to refute this and could only agree.
Feng Baoyan said: "Your Majesty's actions are undoubtedly correct, but the people of the world will not understand the Emperor because of this. Since ancient times, wise rulers and virtuous monarchs have all advocated for non-interference; the foremost principle for good governance lies in trusting those in positions of authority. Unless the Emperor does not wish for Yuanfu Zhang to assist him, he cannot allow misunderstandings between Yuanfu Zhang and the people of the world to arise either"
Feng Baopi spoke with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
However, what Zhu Yijun did not expect was that Feng Bao came to see him while he was reviewing the memorials.
Zhang Hong stood up and replied, "How could this old servant dare to sharpen his teeth like that"
Let him in
Although I am still injured, I cannot neglect my duty, as I recall the late Emperor's trust in me to assist and support Your Majesty. Therefore, even with my injuries, I must accompany and aid Your Majesty. I kindly ask for Your Majesty's understanding, allowing me to repay the late Emperor's kindness and fulfill Your Majesty's expectations.
Although Feng Bao's dissatisfaction with Zhang Hong has diminished significantly, upon realizing that the Son of Heaven, Zhu Yijun, may not be as simple as he had imagined, he remains uneasy about allowing Zhang Hong to take sole control of the Office of Ceremonial Affairs. Consequently, he is eager to return to duty despite his injuries
Feng Bao could not help but exclaim, but then he smiled and explained: "What we mean is, how can we, as old servants, properly serve such a precocious young emperor?"
At this point, Feng Bao continued to inquire: "So, Your Majesty, you are aware that He Tushuhai Rui, Xu Fan, and Xu Kun are not the ones you mentioned?"
Your Majesty, please allow me to express that Mr. Zhang, the Prime Minister, is a seasoned statesman who is naturally more knowledgeable about state affairs than anyone else. Both Empress Dowagers have stated this, and the late Emperor also valued him highly; otherwise, he would not have entrusted Mr. Zhang to assist Your Majesty.
At the moment when Zhu Yijun saw that the governor had recommended Zhao Zhengji for the position of a cabinet minister, but Zhang Juzheng had disapproved of it and intended to record it in the imperial edict, Feng Bao interjected at that time
Zhang Hong replied
At the moment when Feng Bao was extremely angry, someone suddenly came to report from outside: "Old Master Zhang Hong requests an audience!"
Zhang Hong points the way
Therefore, regarding mundane affairs, in the humble opinion of this old servant, His Majesty should allow Mr. Zhang, the Prime Minister, to handle everything. Otherwise, it may lead the people of the world to mistakenly believe that Your Majesty does not trust Mr. Zhang. Especially the two Empress Dowagers may also be dissatisfied with this, thinking that Your Majesty is being frivolous in governance. Furthermore, Mr. Zhang, the Prime Minister, might also resign due to Your Majesty's inability to employ people without suspicion.
It should be.
Of course, Zhu Yijun was also aware that this was undoubtedly related to his earlier request in front of Zhang Juzheng to reinstate Hai Rui, as well as the reasons why Xu Fan and Xu Kun were not able to be reinstated.
Before long, Zhang Hong arrived in front of Feng Bao
Zhang Hongjian felt a sense of relief in his heart as he looked at the picture and the book
"Master Zhang, why have you come to our home instead of attending to your duties at the Imperial Ceremonial Office?"
What should be done about this
Regardless, it is a good thing that the Emperor is intelligent, diligent in governance, and dedicated to learning. In the future, when we grow old, we need not worry about facing the late Emperor with shame! However, with the Emperor being so diligent in governance, wise, and discerning, we, as servants, must not be negligent and should serve with utmost dedication. How about this: let us return to the Imperial Ritual Office, but for now, we must trouble the eunuch to accompany the Emperor in reading and attending to the foreign ministers.
After all, Zhang Hong is theoretically of similar seniority to Feng Bao, a high-ranking eunuch, and is also a person of great importance to Empress Dowager Li
Feng Bao smiled and said, then asked: "But, Your Majesty, how did you come to know about these three individuals? I have never mentioned them in your ear, especially the relationship between Xu Fan, Xu Kun, and the old gentleman Xu!"
Feng Bao saw Zhang Hong come to report voluntarily, and the fire in his heart diminished significantly, so he smiled and said: "Please have a seat"
Now, Zhang Hong personally came to his residence to report today’s matter, which already indicated that he had no intention of replacing Feng Bao. Naturally, Feng Bao felt much more at ease, knowing that this matter had nothing to do with Zhang Hong, and thus treated Zhang Hong with a bit more courtesy.