My father is Jiajing

Chapter 480 The Happy Emperor Jiajing
When Xu Jie heard Zhang Juzheng's nervous and flustered words, he couldn't help but reveal an expression of dissatisfaction.

"Being upright, calm and composed, and having the determination to remain calm even when facing a collapse of Mount Tai is the long-term solution."

After being taught a lesson by Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng quickly calmed down his nervous expression and bowed respectfully to Xu Jie, "Your Excellency's teaching is correct. I have learned the lesson."

Seeing that Zhang Juzheng had regained his usual calmness, Xu Jie nodded with satisfaction. He felt that he had taught this student very well and was very satisfied.

"Tell me, what happened that made you so panicked?"

Xu Jie glanced at Zhang Juzheng, and his eyes fell on the Qingci he had just written. He was still pondering the words and sentences in this Qingci to see if there was any possibility of further improvement.

When Zhang Juzheng heard Xu Jie say this again, a hint of anxiety appeared on his face.

Zhang Juzheng said, "Sir, the prince summoned me today and said some harsh words to me."

Xu Jie chuckled, "It's normal for Prince Yu to have a temper as he gets older. What did he say?"

Xu Jie still didn't care, thinking that Zhu Zaigui's harsh words were just a manifestation of his youthful vigor.

But Zhang Juzheng seemed to be hesitant to speak, and he chose his words carefully and said, "What the prince said is about you, the elder."

The smile on Xu Jie's face froze in an instant, and the pen in his hand hung in the air. He never dreamed that Prince Yu would speak such harsh words to him.

Xu Jie asked in disbelief, "What did Prince Yu say? What made you so nervous?"

Zhang Juzheng carefully watched Xu Jie's changing expression, and finally said softly: "Prince Yu said that you said you were a follower of the cabinet. You only follow the steps of the cabinet elder Yan without any opinion of your own, and you didn't even dare to recommend the new candidate for the Minister of Personnel that His Majesty wanted all officials to recommend this time."

After hearing this, Xu Jie dropped the poem in his hand onto the desk with a snap. The poem, which he thought was exquisite, was suddenly stained with a large stain of ink, which looked extremely glaring.

Xu Jie's expression finally revealed an unprecedented panic. He walked out from behind the desk quickly and asked anxiously, "Did the prince really say that to me?"

Zhang Juzheng looked at Xu Jie who had lost his composure and hummed awkwardly without answering him.

When Xu Jie saw Zhang Juzheng like this, his heart skipped a beat. He never expected that after being cautious for so many years, he would be treated like this by Prince Yu.

Xu Jie believed that he had been in the cabinet for many years and had always been working for the overall situation and tolerant for the sake of the country, so he had never openly competed with Yan Song.

For a moment, Xu Jie was full of grievances and felt that he was not understood.

Xu Jie said in panic, "How could I ever be a follower of the cabinet? For all these years, I have been in the cabinet for the sake of the overall situation and the Ming Dynasty. I have been enduring for the sake of the country. Why doesn't Prince Yu understand me?"

Zhang Juzheng listened to Xu Jie's self-defense and he sighed in his heart. Lord Xu had indeed been too cowardly over the years.

In the past, the Ming Dynasty was in financial difficulties and was troubled by the Japanese invaders in the north and the south. But now, the threat from the Japanese invaders in the north and the south is no longer a sword hanging over the head of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, due to the Ming Dynasty's Federal Reserve, the financial situation has gradually improved in recent years. There is room for maneuver and it is no longer as tight and difficult as in the early years.

However, Xu Jie was as cautious as ever. He never dared to express his own opinions and views in the cabinet. He always followed Yan Song's lead. Even if there were some differences, he only responded after Emperor Jiajing gave additional instructions.

It would be strange if such a minister was not called a "follower minister".

Now this layer of window paper was finally ruthlessly broken by Zhu Zaigui, and Xu Jie could no longer save face.

He felt aggrieved like a child and argued feebly in front of Zhang Juzheng.

However, after listening to his arguments, Zhang Juzheng would not think that he was right.

After all, this is how things are. Xu Jie has indeed not done anything inspiring over the years. His only role may be that he has more seniority and a higher official position, which makes him a leader in the eyes of a group of people who believe in faith and justice.

But if this leader has always been like this, coupled with Prince Yu's evaluation of him as a "follower cabinet minister", he might really be useless.

Zhang Juzheng bowed again to Xu Jie, who was feeling very aggrieved at the moment, and said, "Lord, it's not that Your Highness does not understand your difficulties, but the matter of recommending a new Minister of Personnel is of great importance. Your Highness has not seen a candidate who is different from the one recommended by Lord Yan, so it is inevitable that you are a little impatient and think that everyone in the court is mediocre, so you said such angry words."

Zhang Juzheng's comfort did not relieve Xu Jie's panic at all. He was still immersed in his own sadness and grievance, feeling as uncomfortable as a wronged young wife.

Xu Jie explained palely: "It's not that I'm not doing anything. It's that there is no suitable person in or outside the court for me to recommend. Don't I want to recommend talented people to the court?"

It was also the first time that Zhang Juzheng saw Xu Jie lose his composure so much and defend himself so feebly and palely. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and his admiration and respect for Xu Jie also quietly shattered.

They believed that Xu Jie was just an ordinary person, who did not have the so-called humility at all, and was just hypocritical and weak.

But even so, Zhang Juzheng still maintained the courtesy of a disciple, and continued to say respectfully to Xu Jie: "Sir, before I came here, the prince also recommended a candidate to me, and asked me to let you know."

When Xu Jie heard this, it was like he had grabbed a life-saving straw, "Tell me quickly, who is the candidate that the prince has nominated?"

Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath and said, "The candidate that the prince proposed is Gao Gong, the current chairman of the Ming Federal Reserve and the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

When Xu Jie heard Gao Gong's name, he was stunned for a moment.

"High arch?"

Xu Jie repeated Gao Gong's name again in disbelief.

Zhang Juzheng hummed and continued, "That's Gao Gong. Prince Yu meant Gao Gong." Xu Jie understood immediately. He understood Zhu Zaigui's intention, but he was always cautious and worried. "How could the prince recommend Gao Gong? What if this arouses the suspicion of His Majesty?"

Zhang Juzheng sighed and said, "You forgot, my Lord, that the prince is now the regent prince, not just an ordinary prince. He has been running his own palace for many years. If His Majesty did not trust the prince, why would he allow him to continue running his own palace and running the regent's affairs after confining him last time? I, your Lord, should understand the reasoning behind this."

Zhang Juzheng's reminder suddenly woke Xu Jie up.

Let Xu Jie understand that the future is really going to change. No matter how well the Qingci is written, it may become a thing of the past. Things in the future will definitely not be able to gain trust and favor with just an exquisite Qingci.

Xu Jie walked dazedly to a chair beside the study and sat down. He leaned against the back of the chair, the dazed look on his face still not gone away, as if Zhang Juzheng's words just now still made him feel unreal.

But soon Xu Jie also accepted this reality. He sighed and said, "A new emperor appoints new ministers. I am indeed old. If I cannot understand the prince's intentions, I will be expelled from the court along with Lord Yan in the future. What have I been doing all these years? In the end, I only get the comments of a follower of Lord Yan. It's really fate and time."

Zhang Juzheng looked at the depressed Xu Jie and encouraged him: "Please cheer up, Lord. The prince has no such intention. He just wants you to have your own opinions and ideas, and not to hide your strength and show weakness to others like before."

"The Yan Party today may seem flamboyant, but it is actually no longer as powerful as it once was. So now is the time for righteous people like us to rise up and restore order. I hope you can cheer up and set an example for the students."

After being encouraged by Zhang Juzheng again, Xu Jie's composure finally recovered a lot. He gradually came back to his senses and seemed to have figured out the problem.

Xu Jie said: "Gao Gong is a man of integrity, and his achievements over the years are obvious to all. From the initial establishment of the Beijing Special District to the current Ming Federal Reserve, his contributions cannot be ignored. Even if the prince hadn't mentioned it, we should have seen the advantages of Gao Gong."

"Moreover, according to the rules of the Ming Federal Reserve established by the prince, Gao Gong will soon be leaving office. He can no longer stay in the position of chairman of the Ming Federal Reserve. At the same time, he will no longer be able to change his concurrent position as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He should have the possibility to go further and become a role model for all officials in the world to learn from."

When Zhang Juzheng heard what Xu Jie said, he quickly agreed, "What the elder said is very true. Gao Gong's achievements over the years are obvious to all. He should indeed be a role model for all officials in the world to learn from. If we can recommend Gao Gong to be included in the list of candidates for the imperial court, even if he fails to gain unanimous approval in the end, it can also reflect our selfless heart in recommending people."

"Therefore, please make a clear decision on this matter as soon as possible and formally send Gao Gong to Your Majesty as the candidate for the new Minister of Personnel. When the official recommendation is made next year, Gao Gong can also be used as a banner to show the difference between us and the Yan Party."

Xu Jie nodded heavily, "You are right. We cannot be like Lord Yan and his people who appoint people based on personal connections. We must select people based on their talents. We will recommend whoever is capable. This time, I will actively recommend Gao Gong to Your Majesty. You can then select the candidate who best meets the needs of the court based on the actual situation."

Hearing Xu Jie's words, Zhang Juzheng breathed a sigh of relief. He finally comforted and encouraged Xu Jie. Otherwise, Xu Jie's mind would be disturbed all of a sudden, and what would happen to the clean stream in the future?

Zhang Juzheng bowed to Xu Jie again and said, "Take a good rest, sir. I have some important things to do, so I will take my leave now."

Xu Jie glanced at Zhang Juzheng, and for the first time ever, he escorted Zhang Juzheng out of the study.

You have to know that in the past, when Zhang Juzheng came to visit him, whether it was before or after, he sat as steady as a mountain, never standing up to greet him or to see him off.

But today's events gave Xu Jie a new understanding. He has clearly realized that he may have to rely more on Zhang Juzheng's help in the future.

Therefore, instead of waiting until Zhang Juzheng becomes truly independent before doing this, it would be better to show enough respect and expectations for him before Zhang Juzheng reaches that stage, in order to have a better future.

After leaving Xu's house, Zhang Juzheng did not feel too disappointed after seeing this side of Xu Jie. Instead, he thought that Gao Gong was about to become successful, so how long would his chance be?

So at this moment Zhang Juzheng was extremely excited. He wanted to follow the suggestions of Zhu Zaigui, whom he had waited for in Prince Yu's Mansion, to revise and polish his memorial on expanding Shuntian Prefecture and clarifying the powers and responsibilities of the Shuntian Prefecture Governor and Shuntian Governor.

If this memorial was approved by the court and recognized by Emperor Jiajing, then the next few years would be the time for Zhang Juzheng to truly demonstrate his personal talents and abilities.

If his ability and talent were recognized by Prince Yu or Emperor Jiajing.

So what Gao Gong has now, he will also have soon.

Moreover, compared with Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng was even more confident and high-spirited.

Because he is much younger than Gao Gong.

If Gao Gong had the opportunity to stay in the cabinet for ten or eight years, then he would have the opportunity to stay for seventeen or eighteen years, or even longer!

Even if it is the position of Prime Minister, one can still have ambitions.

Just after Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jie met, within a few days, a group of upright and patriotic people led by Xu Jie formally submitted a memorial recommending a candidate for the new Minister of Personnel and sent it to the Xiyuan Palace where Emperor Jiajing was staying.

Emperor Jiajing, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation in the temple, looked at the candidates recommended by the court in his left and right hands, and finally revealed a meaningful smile.

Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "Huang Jin, San'er's move is really extraordinary. He has Xu Jie firmly under his control in one go. It seems that the phrase 'follow the cabinet elder' really irritated Xu Jie."

Huang Jin, who was helping Emperor Jiajing clean up his residence, heard the Emperor Jiajing's voice and responded with a smile: "If I were to say, Prince Yu is really mean. If the words 'follower cabinet elder' get out, how will cabinet elder Xu live in the future? He has always been a leader of the court who is looked up to and admired by a group of people. Now that he has been called 'follower cabinet elder', I really don't dare to think about what he will do in the future."

Emperor Jiajing laughed again, "You know what, San'er's evaluation of Xu Jie, the 'follower cabinet minister', is really spot on. Over the years, I have always wanted him to stand out a little, so that he can compete with Yan Song and balance some of the power in the court. But he always hesitates and is unwilling to work hard, as if he is afraid that I will betray him."

"Now San'er doesn't buy his account and directly gives him the comment of 'follower cabinet minister'. It's really brilliant. Why didn't I think of these four words? If I had thought of it earlier, I might have given it to him a long time ago. Now that San'er has said it, I really feel a little regretful! Hahahaha."

The more the Emperor Jiajing spoke, the happier he became, and in the end he couldn't stop laughing. He really liked Zhu Zaigui's evaluation of Xu Jie as a "follower cabinet minister", which was really interesting.

It’s been many years since I’ve had such a happy and enjoyable experience. It’s really refreshing!

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Asking for monthly ticket

(End of this chapter)