My father is Jiajing

Xu Jie said coldly, "Minister Gao, please go back first. After the cabinet has discussed it, we will report to the prince and His Majesty."

Gao Gong stood still, showing no intention of leaving. He even looked at Xu Jie with a hint of provocation, "What are you talking about, Lord? Wasn't what I just said clear enough? The prince ordered me to discuss this with the cabinet. Do you think that as the head of the six ministries, the Ministry of Rites, which is in charge of the world's etiquette and national sacrifices, is not qualified to participate in this matter?"

Li Chunfang and Yan Ne on the side looked at Xu Jie and then at Gao Gong.

If the two of them could show the shock in their hearts through their expressions at this moment, they would definitely be stunned, with their eyeballs about to pop out!

Although, Li Chunfang also thought about confronting Xu Jie in this way to strengthen his own weight in the cabinet.

However, Li Chunfang's temperament and courage were not as hot-tempered as Gao Gong's, and he was well aware of his position in Zhu Zaigui's mind, which was not enough to make him so unscrupulous.

Therefore, many times when Li Chunfang wanted to accomplish what he wanted in the cabinet by bypassing Xu Jie, he could only rely on the joint efforts of other cabinet members and political allies in the six ministries to have the opportunity to do so.

Otherwise, if he really wanted to be like Gao Gong and not give any face at all and just confront him head-on, Li Chunfang would never be able to do it.

Xu Jie's face turned pale. He didn't expect Gao Gong to be so presumptuous. He hadn't even entered the cabinet yet, but it was already like this. If he really entered the cabinet, wouldn't there be chaos?
"In that case, I would also like to hear what Mr. Gao has to say."

Xu Jie got angry. Although he wanted to kick the arrogant Gao Gong out of the cabinet hall, Gao Gong was so reasonable and well-founded at the moment that people could only hate him to the core, but there was nothing they could do to him.

So at this time, Xu Jie felt a surge of envy in his heart. Why couldn't he be like Yan Song, who had been in the emperor's favor for more than ten years, was in charge of the cabinet alone, and no one dared to refute him?

Maybe this is life.

Li Chunfang, who had been expecting Xu Jie to stand up and fight Gao Gong, couldn't help but sigh when he saw Xu Jie actually gave in like this.

Could it be that Xu Jie, who had been the Second Prime Minister for more than a decade, had really turned himself into a concubine?

Just because Gao Gong's voice was a little loud, he didn't dare to uphold the authority of the Prime Minister?

What's the point of having such a prime minister?

Li Chunfang glanced at Xu Jie with a look of "disappointment", and at the same time he also glanced at Gao Gong.

With Gao Gong's performance and attitude, Li Chunfang became even more determined to bring Gao Gong to Nanjing.

Otherwise, if Xu Jie really waited until he left office, wouldn't he have gone into a head-on war with Gao Gong?
If Prince Yu takes sides again, his situation will be even worse than Xu Jie's current one?
Therefore, after witnessing Gao Gong's tyranny and Xu Jie's frustration with his own eyes.

Will Li Chunfang let such a fate happen to herself again?
Xu Jie felt the glance from Li Chunfang. Although it was a light one, as a veteran who had been in the cabinet for more than ten years, as a "young wife" who had been cautious in front of Yan Song for more than ten years, and as a veteran who had been silently currying favor with Emperor Jiajing for ten or twenty years.

Xu Jie could naturally notice the changes in Li Chunfang's eyes and mentality.

At this time, Xu Jie couldn't help but vaguely recall the scene where Li Chunfang recommended Gao Gong to go to Nanjing after him.

Xu Jie sighed silently in his heart. In fact, it would be better to get rid of Gao Gong first, and when there is a suitable opportunity in the future, recommend Zhang Juzheng to the cabinet.

Otherwise, if Gao Gong were to remain in the capital and be allowed into the cabinet, he would rely on his merits over the years and his influence on Prince Yu's side, and compete with me every day in the cabinet to see who is the greater prince. How would I be able to live like this?
Therefore, Xu Jie also silently gave Li Chunfang a look, and it seemed that after a glance, Xu Jie and Li Chunfang reached a temporary political alliance in silence. Their goal was to send Gao Gong away from Beijing!
Gao Gong sat on a chair in the cabinet lobby. At this moment, he had already entered the state and started his work experience in the cabinet.

Seeing this, Yan Ne turned to the secretary who was hiding in the back and acting as a bystander, and said to him, "Go prepare tea for Gao Bu Tang!"

When Gao Gong heard Yan Ne's voice, he couldn't help but look up. Although he also looked down on Yan Ne, a Grand Secretary who made his living by writing flattering poems for Emperor Jiajing, since the other person had given him face, Gao Gong had to smile at him even if he was arrogant. Otherwise, if he really entered the cabinet in the future and had no one to help him, how could he fight for the initiative in the cabinet?
Gao Gong thanked Yan Ne and said, "Thank you, Lord Yan."

Yan Ne tried to smooth things over with a chuckle, "We are all doing this for Lord Yuan. Lord Yuan worked so hard for the court for so many years, and finally died on his way home. Whether we are his former colleagues or we are following the king's orders, we must give him a decent funeral out of both emotion and reason."

Li Chunfang also took the opportunity to add his voice, "Yes, yes, it's all about the affairs of Lord Yuan. Both our cabinet and the Ministry of Rites have the right to make suggestions. Since the prince asked Brother Suqing to come to the cabinet to discuss with us, he must have taken into account Brother Suqing's status as the Minister of Rites."

Xu Jie and Gao Gong listened to Yan Ne and Li Chunfang's words of reconciliation, and they indeed put away a lot of their sharpness towards each other.

Gao Gong also tried to turn around and bowed to Xu Jie, "Please forgive me, sir. I have an impatient temper and sometimes I speak hastily. I hope you don't take it to heart."

After Xu Jie saw the steps Gao Gong gave him, a warm smile like spring breeze suddenly appeared on his face, "What are you talking about, Su Qing? You are also following the order of the prince. It was me who did not ask clearly in advance. Now that everything is out, let's get down to business."

Xu Jie turned a passive situation into an active one and once again took the initiative in cabinet meetings.

Regarding such subtle changes, neither Li Chunfang nor Gao Gong, who had just left in a high-profile manner, tried to make trouble at this moment. After all, the cabinet also needed harmony and face.

Moreover, discussing Yuan Wei's posthumous title is not a major matter that requires a fight for interests. It can even be said that it is just a matter of going through the motions. There is really no need to get on edge over the matter and refuse to give in to either side.

After all, we don't want to give Yuan Wei a top-level posthumous title like "Wenzheng".

Li Chunfang and Yan Ne saw that the atmosphere in the cabinet had finally returned to normal.

Li Chunfang took the initiative to ask Gao Gong: "Brother Suqing, you came from the prince's place. Regarding the affairs of Yuan Gelao after his death, does the prince have any clear requirements?"

At this moment, the Zhongshu Sheren who went to serve tea to Gao Gong also brought the tea to Gao Gong. Gao Gong just glanced at it instinctively and did not pick up the teacup to drink. He retracted his gaze and looked at Li Chunfang who asked the question and said, "The prince has not made any clear request. The meaning of the emperor's will conveyed by Eunuch Chen to the prince is to posthumously confer an honor on Yuan Ge Lao and give his son a posthumous official position as a token of favor."

When Li Chunfang heard this, he also said "Oh" in sudden realization.

Xu Jie and Yan Ne also looked at each other. These demands did not go beyond the scope of what they had just discussed.

Li Chunfang then said to Gao Gong: "In your opinion, Brother Suqing, what kind of posthumous title should be given to Lord Yuan?" Li Chunfang's words were not meant to set a trap for Gao Gong, nor to give Gao Gong a ladder, but because the three people in their cabinet had already discussed the matter almost completely, there was no need to repeat the discussion, so he asked Gao Gong's opinion first.

Gao Gong thought for a while and replied, "I have never thought about this matter in detail. Besides, I have not interacted with Yuan Ge Lao very much, and my understanding of his behavior is superficial. Brother Zishi and Brother Minqing have known Yuan Ge Lao for a long time. I wonder what you think of him?"

Li Chunfang and Yan Ne looked at each other again, then they looked at Xu Jie and then at Gao Gong.

Yan Ne said, "The law of posthumous titles says: 'The great favor and wealth is called 'Rong'. Since Yuan Ge Lao retired, Your Majesty has been honored and favored continuously. He was successively promoted to Junior Tutor and Prince Tai Tutor, and Jianji Palace Grand Secretary. You sent envoys to give him sheep, wine, and precious silver, and granted him the title of Pillar of the State. He was granted titles for three generations. It can be said that he was promoted to the first rank and was greatly favored and blessed! Therefore, I think if we are to propose a posthumous title for Yuan Ge Lao, we should use 'Wen Rong'."

Listening to Yan Ne's words, Gao Gong looked at Xu Jie and Li Chunfang, and the three of them nodded slightly, feeling that the posthumous title "Rong" seemed quite appropriate for Yuan Wei.

Moreover, this word is neither ostentatious nor conspicuous. It can't be said to be a top-notch posthumous title, but it's not far off. It's very suitable for an ordinary minister like Yuan Wei who has not achieved much but has not committed many evil deeds.

Xu Jie said, "Since everyone has no objection, then let's first draft the posthumous title. Then we can discuss what honor we should give to Yuan Ge Lao posthumously."

Li Chunfang said at this time: "Before, Your Majesty has already promoted Yuan Gelao as Shaofu. Shaofu, Shaoshi and Shaobao are all called the three orphans, but there is a sequence, and Shaoshi should be the first of the three orphans. Therefore, I suggest that Shaoshi should be given as a posthumous honor to Yuan Gelao to show Your Majesty's benevolence and love."

Li Chunfang's words were very well said. Although there are three dukes above the three orphans, Yuan Wei certainly cannot reach them with his achievements.

Moreover, according to the previous rules of the imperial court for posthumously awarding the Three Dukes, those who could be posthumously awarded the title of Three Dukes were almost all important officials who had made contributions to the country. Sometimes, even a Grand Secretary who had served as the chief minister of the cabinet might not be posthumously awarded the title of Three Dukes after he retired.

Besides, Yuan Wei didn't even qualify for the position of Second Assistant. Being able to be posthumously awarded the title of Junior Master was already the limit. Moreover, this was already a very prestigious honor, enough for his family to erect several memorial archways in their hometown to show off.

Therefore, Li Chunfang's proposal naturally received unanimous agreement from everyone.

The next thing was to give Yuan Wei's son a minor official position.

This appointment of officials through nepotism is actually a technical job and it is not something that can be done casually.

You should know that some official positions in the Ming Dynasty, even those that were not important and idle, could be inherited by the people.

However, any official position that can be inherited by the family is an extremely valuable subsidy and not something that every minister can get.

Therefore, when discussing this appointment of an official by inheritance, one must actually consider whether Yuan Wei's contributions to the court over the years are enough to exchange for a hereditary appointment of an official by inheritance.

Obviously, in the eyes of Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, Yan Ne, and Gao Gong, the merits of Yuan Wei were clearly not enough to earn their descendants a hereditary official position.

Therefore, at this time, Xu Jie and others had to consider those non-hereditary official positions and which ones would be suitable for Yuan Wei's sons to show off.

Finally, after some discussion and comparison, Xu Jie and others believed that the seventh-rank Zhongshu Sheren would be more suitable for Yuan Wei's son to be appointed as an official.

Of course, don’t think that the position of Zhongshu Sheren being given away in this way is lowly.

In fact, the official position of Zhongshu Sheren was still very important in the Ming Dynasty.

Generally, even if the sons of wealthy families have no ability, they can donate money to obtain the honor of being a Zhongshu Sheren, which makes them famous in the village.

However, this was just an ordinary Zhongshu Sheren without any other title. If one wanted to be a Zhongshu Sheren in a place like the Cabinet, it would be a scarce position that could only be awarded to one who was a Jinshi.

Therefore, even ordinary Zhongshu Sheren were divided into high and low ranks.

At this time, the position of Zhongshu Sheren, who could provide a position for Yuan Wei's son, was obviously of the lowest rank. It was only enough for his son to show off in the village. As for other rights, he could forget about them.

After discussing the posthumous honors, posthumous titles, and official positions to be bestowed upon Yuan Wei.

Xu Jie also asked the Secretariat in the cabinet to write down the results of their discussion in a reply to the emperor's order and then send it to the Wenhua Palace.

Zhu Zaigui, who was still dealing with court documents in the Wenhua Hall, looked at the memorial sent by the Cabinet's Secretary and just nodded lightly without giving a direct reply.

After all, the final decision on this matter still lies with Emperor Jiajing.

Sending it to Zhu Zaigui was nothing more than letting Zhu Zaigui take a look at it, take a look at the ins and outs, and understand the little thoughts of the cabinet ministers.

After Zhu Zaigui sent away the cabinet's secretary, he also took a look at the cabinet's proposal for posthumous honors and posthumous titles for Yuan Wei, as well as the appointment of his sons and nephews to official positions.

After seeing the contents which were all quite conventional and stingy with the honors and subsidies, Zhu Zaigui couldn't help but shake his head and smile slightly.

This is indeed the nature of literati.

Zhu Zaigui closed the memorial and handed it to the eunuch waiting beside him, "Send it to the West Garden and present it to Your Majesty for your review and judgment."

The young eunuch immediately took the memorial handed over by Zhu Zaigui with respect, and bowed his head and replied: "I obey your command."

Then the young eunuch hurriedly went to the West Garden with the memorial in his hands as fast as he could.

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