Ming Dynasty: The Jingnan Rebellion has just been successful, and Zhu Yuanzhang has been resurrected

Chapter 121 The Prime Minister's Position Moves People's Hearts

"Ah? Gentry also have to pay taxes and tribute? Fang Xiaoru, what nonsense is he talking about!"

"Oh no! Fang Xiaoru has become your Majesty's running dog!"

"Damn it! How could this happen? Fang Xiaoru, how could he say such a thing? I really misjudged him."

"Oh no, oh no! Something is wrong. What's going on with Fang Xiaoru? Has he forgotten that he is the leader of the world's scholars? How could he disregard the interests of the world's scholars?"

"What is going on? I know Fang Xiaoru well. He is not a coward, nor is he a flatterer. But why is he suddenly trying to curry favor with Your Majesty?"

"What a traitor Fang Xiaoru! I really misjudged him. How could he be like this? How could he be like this? He is a traitor, a traitor!"

"."

The ministers were originally expecting Fang Xiaoru to speak and lead the charge, but Fang Xiaoru came up and made a sliding tackle, which stunned all of them.

"Fang Xiaoru, something is wrong!" Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi exchanged glances with each other, all of them extremely confused.

They had originally planned to wait until Fang Xiaoru came up with a plan before stepping in to save the situation. However, Fang Xiaoru did not make any move, but surrendered on his own initiative, which made them a little at a loss.

"No, Fang Xiaoru is aiming for the position of Prime Minister!" Suddenly, an idea popped up in Xia Yuanji's mind.

In an instant, he became a little restless.

He also wanted to sit on the position of Prime Minister, second only to the emperor, and had been eyeing it.

Who is Fang Xiaoru?
A mere old minister of Zhu Yunwen is actually worthy of competing with him, a new upstart!

Theoretically speaking.

In the current Ming Dynasty, there is no place for Fang Xiaoru.

However, after Zhu Yunhuan ascended the throne, he did not massacre the former court officials. This was a good thing, but also a bad thing.

The advantage is that it can stabilize the court in the shortest possible time.

The disadvantage is that it provided a breeding ground for the remnants of Zhu Yunwen at that time.

Although he was also a remnant of Zhu Yunwen's army, when he followed Zhu Yunwen, he was just an ordinary official and was not valued by Zhu Yunwen at all.

After Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, he valued himself very much. Therefore, he directly regarded himself as a new upstart and separated himself from people like Fang Xiaoru who had been very powerful under Zhu Yunwen.

Since ancient times.

Wen has no first, Wu has no second.

The current situation illustrates this point very well. Among the civil officials, there will never be someone who can make everyone submit to him, no matter how outstanding this person is.

It’s just like Fang Xiaoru and Xia Yuanji, both of them are civil officials, but they also fight with each other.

Now, in order to win the favor of Zhu Yunhuan, Fang Xiaoru directly sold out the interests of scholars all over the world. Others have already taken the initiative, but he is still hesitating and considering the interests of the gentry.

"I'm such an idiot!" Xia Yuanji cursed himself in his heart.

Then, he stepped out of the line and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Fang is right. We cannot have a privileged class in the Ming Dynasty. Everyone must pay taxes and tribute!"

"What's going on?" The court officials were stunned again when they saw Xia Yuanji also stand up.

No, you are all civil officials?
Why are they all rushing to stab themselves?

What's the situation?
"Your Majesty, I second the motion!" Xie Jin followed closely behind.

Although he didn't know the specific situation, since Xia Yuanji had already rushed forward, he naturally couldn't remain silent. Otherwise, wouldn't Xia Yuanji lose a step in Zhu Yunhuan's heart?
He is determined to get the position of Prime Minister and must not let Xia Yuanji steal the limelight!

"Your Majesty, the preferential treatment for gentry has too many flaws. Although it's nothing at the moment, as time goes on, someone will inevitably take advantage of the loopholes and find ways to use the preferential treatment for gentry to avoid paying taxes and grain to the court." Yang Shiqi thought about it and spoke.

"Your Majesty, the preferential treatment for gentry must be abolished, otherwise, our Ming Dynasty may suffer great unrest in the future!" Hu Yi also stood up.

Like Xie Jin, he did not know what the current situation was, but he knew Zhu Yunhuan was determined to abolish the preferential treatment for gentry, so he simply exaggerated the matter.

He doesn't know the reason, but the gimmick must be enough!
"No, what's going on? Aren't these people all civil officials? The military generals haven't said anything yet, why are they all jumping out one by one?"

"Oh no, this is troublesome. Can anyone tell me what is going on?"

"Prime Minister, these people must be after the position of Prime Minister. Damn it, is all this part of your majesty's plan?"

"Fang Xiaoru, oh Fang Xiaoru, if the preferential treatment for gentry is really abolished, I wonder how you will explain yourself to the students of the world, you traitor among the scholars!"

"."

All the civil officials were dumbfounded by the situation before them. They had agreed to unanimously oppose Zhu Yunhuan's abolition of preferential treatment for gentry. Even if they could not stop it in the end, they would still strive for the greatest benefit.

As a result, they didn't get anything and didn't even have the chance to speak.

There are bad guys in the team!
A group of civil officials looked at Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi with eyes full of resentment. At this moment, they wished they could rush up together and beat up the five of them.

We are all civil officials, so you five are the only ones who stand out, right?
"What's going on?" Fang Xiaoru was also a little confused.

In order to prevent innocent students from being harmed, he stood up with the determination to ruin his reputation. Unexpectedly, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi and Yang Shiqi responded to him at the first time.

"Could it be that the preferential treatment of gentry really has serious problems?" He was a little confused.

He has some understanding of Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi. Each of them has very good abilities and is now deeply favored by Zhu Yunhuan.

Let’s put it this way, as long as Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi proceed steadily and cautiously, their future official career will definitely be smooth.

They shouldn't have stood up.

Abolishing the preferential treatment for gentry would offend the civil service group, and no matter who did it, they would most likely be criticized.

There is no best in literature!
As the leader of the scholars, he was very clear about the fact that scholars looked down on each other.

"Wow, there is an unexpected surprise. We should be safe now." Li Jinglong was also a little surprised.

On the Dragon Throne.

Zhu Yunhuan looked at Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi with a look of surprise. He said, "My five beloved ministers, you are right. In our Ming Dynasty, no one can avoid paying taxes or grain. I hereby declare that the preferential treatment for gentry will be abolished from now on."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi said respectfully.

The five voices spoke almost simultaneously, without any particular order.

"You five are real dogs!" The other civil officials gritted their teeth and looked at the five people with resentful eyes.

Selling out everyone's interests for one's own future.

Okay, okay, it’s really fun!

"Oh right, I suddenly thought of something. Now is the perfect time, so I might as well tell you all at once."

"I intend to change the palace into a cabinet, and now I will select a few cabinet members."

Zhu Yunxi said.

Before, he planned to wait and wait for the right time to launch the cabinet.

However, he was very satisfied with the performance of Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi and Yang Shiqi, so he simply launched them.

"Cabinet? What's going on?"

"Oh no! How come we didn't receive any news before? These five people must have known the news in advance!"

"No, it's fine if Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, Yang Shiqi and others knew the news in advance, but what right did Fang Xiaoru have?"

"What a decisive Fang Xiaoru! He sold out all the students in the country and clung to the new emperor's influence. He's quite something!"

"."

When the ministers heard Zhu Yunhuan's words, they were stunned for a moment, and then their faces were filled with bitterness.

At today's court meeting, they felt like outsiders, knowing nothing, and just watched Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji and the other five and Zhu Yunhuan perform against each other.

The emperor abolished the preferential treatment for the gentry and achieved his goal.

Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi and Yang Shiqi were given seats in the cabinet and became new officials in the court.

Both sides win.

They were the only ones who served as spectators.

"Let me make one thing clear first. The cabinet is just an empty title and has only one function: you can enter the palace to meet the emperor at any time." Zhu Yunhuan said.

Immediately, he waved to Ma Sanbao who was standing beside him.

Ma Sanbao nodded, cleared his throat, and said, "Grand Secretary of Zhongji Palace Fang Xiaoru, Grand Secretary of Jianji Palace Xia Yuanji, Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace Xie Jin, Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace Hu Yi, Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion Yang Shiqi, and Grand Secretary of Dongke Palace Yao Guangxiao."

"Sure enough, these five people have entered the cabinet. They must have received the news in advance."

"Damn it! If I had known this would happen, I would have agreed with His Majesty to abolish the preferential treatment for the gentry. I regret it so much!" "Alright, forget it if you want to join the cabinet. Haven't you seen the status of these people? Besides, do you have their abilities? Do you really think that His Majesty will choose you to join the cabinet just by flattering him?"

"No, why are there no military officers in this cabinet? Does Your Majesty intend to use civil officials to control the military? If so, today's court meeting is a happy occasion worthy of celebration."

"Who is Yao Guangxiao? Do you know?"

"I don't know? I've never heard of this name before. Perhaps he's a favorite of His Majesty?"

"."

The ministers were talking about it. When they saw Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi and Yang Shiqi entering the cabinet one after another, they were really envious.

In addition, although Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji and the other five took the initiative to stand up and demand the abolition of preferential treatment for gentry, thus offending officials all over the world, but who can blame these five people for their different identities now? They have now transformed themselves into true ministers close to the emperor.

It would not be wise to still be hostile to these five people.

In this world, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

Some people with quick minds are already thinking about who to join.

There is no stupid person who can make it in the court. A stupid person cannot enter the court at all. Even if he enters, he will be driven away soon.

The imperial court is not about fighting and killing, it is about identity and background.

Everyone knows that Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yan, Yang Shiqi, plus Yao Guangxiao who has never been heard of, these six people will probably grow up quickly in a short time.

In addition, the prime minister who has been the subject of much controversy will also be chosen from among these six people.

At this time, isolating Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi? Wrong, absolutely wrong!
What they should do now is to run forward, kneel down, quickly find someone to hold onto, and make progress together!
"Your Majesty, we bow to thank you for your grace!"

Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi knelt down to express their gratitude. Although they had received clear instructions from Zhu Yunhuan before, when the title of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet was actually given to them, each of them could not help but feel excited.

From now on, it will be these people who will command the court of the Ming Dynasty.

Everything they have learned in their lives can be put into practice.

Of course, the most important point is that they got the key to challenge the position of Prime Minister.

Although Zhu Yunhuan never said it, they knew very well in their hearts that only by entering the cabinet would they have the opportunity to touch the position of prime minister.

"You guys should do your job well and don't let me down. The court is dismissed!" Zhu Yunhuan waved his hand.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

All the ministers knelt and said in unison.

After a while.

Zhu Yunhuan walked away.

All the ministers stood up, with smiles on their faces, and came forward to congratulate Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi and Yang Shiqi.

"Master Fang, congratulations!"

"Master Xia, if you have time, come to my house for a drink. I have two bottles of good wine hidden away."

"Master Yang, congratulations!"

"Lord Hu"

"Lord solution"

Everyone was very enthusiastic and had smiles on their faces.

Human nature is fully demonstrated at this moment.

When you stand up, you will be surrounded by good people!

Fang Xiaoru, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Yi, and Yang Shiqi looked at each other and smiled slightly. The next second, they made the same decision, said goodbye to everyone, and left the Fengtian Hall with firm steps.

In the small courtyard!
After the court meeting ended, Jiang Li came to the courtyard immediately and reported what happened in the court to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Fang Xiaoru took the initiative to propose abolishing the preferential treatment for gentry?" Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned.

"Yes!" Jiang Li nodded.

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned and asked, "How did Yunxun do it?"

Fang Xiaoru was a leader of students all over the world and had a very high prestige among civil officials. He was also famous for his willingness to die rather than surrender.

As a result, Fang Xiaoru now stood up and took the initiative to ask Zhu Yunhuan to abolish the preferential treatment for gentry?

What the hell!
He knew very well that Fang Xiaoru stood up because Zhu Yunhuan must have done something, but he couldn't figure out what Zhu Yunhuan should do to make Fang Xiaoru agree.

"I don't know!" Jiang Li shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and said, "In the past two days, Emperor Yunhuan hasn't seen Fang Xiaoru. The problem may still be due to Emperor Yunhuan's sword-drawing incident."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "No, I know Fang Xiaoru. He is not afraid of death."

Before, Fang Xiaoru had dared to rebuke Zhu Yunhuan. Now he didn't believe that Fang Xiaoru was afraid of death.

However, if Fang Xiaoru was not afraid of death, the question would be, how did Zhu Yunhuan convince Fang Xiaoru to take the initiative to come forward and ask for the abolition of preferential treatment for gentry?
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and fell into deep thought.

After a long while, he came back to his senses and smiled bitterly: "This kid Yunxun always comes up with some incredible things from time to time."

He racked his brains but couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Perhaps the emperor's grandson Yunhu uses joining the cabinet as a condition?" Jiang Li hesitated.

"It's unlikely!" Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head. For the sake of a cabinet position, he would directly let himself bear the infamy. In his opinion, the exchange conditions were not valid.

After this incident, Fang Xiaoru's reputation among civil officials was definitely ruined, and students all over the world would certainly no longer recognize him.

The cabinet seems very strong, but it is still a little behind what Fang Xiaoru lost.

Unless Fang Xiaoru would become the Prime Minister later, but he felt that this possibility was unlikely.

Fang Xiaoru's status is there, becoming the Prime Minister? The probability is very, very low, almost impossible.

"By the way, I remember there was a monk next to the fourth brother, his name seemed to be Yao Guangxiao." Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly thought of something and spoke out.

Jiang Li nodded and said, "Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion appointed by Emperor Yunxun is none other than Yao Guangxiao, who serves beside Prince Yan. At the banquet last night, Your Majesty asked Prince Yan for this person."

"Good boy, you dare to use the people around the fourth brother so highly!" Zhu Yuanzhang looked astonished.

This is too heartfelt.

A wry smile appeared on his face: "Yunxun, are you really not worried at all?"

Jiang Li thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, based on my observation, Emperor Yunhuan is truly not worried at all. He seems to have a very strong confidence. Many things that seem incredible to others are very common to Emperor Yunhuan."

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, his face full of emotion, and said: "This kid Yunhu is full of miracles, he is much better than us."

"By the way, there is one more thing. The grandson of the Emperor Yunhu seems to be very interested in the land in the hands of the vassal kings. After the dinner last night, he kept the vassal kings here with the purpose of asking for the land in their hands." Jiang Lin thought of something and spoke out.

He was very confused about Zhu Yunhuan's request for land from the vassal kings and did not understand what it meant.

"Yunhuan and the princes are asking for land?" Zhu Yuanzhang was also a little confused when he heard this.

No, what do you need the land for?

If you pick any of the resources in the hands of the princes with your eyes closed, which one is not more valuable than land?
"It's a bit weird, but this kid must have his purpose for doing this. You should keep a close eye on him and see what he wants to do." Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jiang Li nodded.

Imperial Palace, Hall of Supreme Harmony!

After Zhu Yunhuan left the court meeting, he stretched and prepared to go to Tie Xuan and Fang Xiaoru to ask about the progress of the marriage.

The sooner you get married, the sooner you can have children for the Ming Dynasty, and the sooner you can reassure the people of the world and the civil and military officials in the court.

This matter cannot be delayed!

"Your Majesty!" Jingwei walked over.

"What's the matter?" Zhu Yunhuan asked.

After moving into the palace, for safety reasons, he took out a few summoning orders and summoned some people out.

These people are ordinary characters with mediocre abilities. Their only advantage is that they are loyal to him.

He handed these people over to Jingwei and had him placed in the palace.

"I recently discovered that the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jiang Li, seemed to be hiding something from Your Majesty." Jingwei said.

(End of this chapter)