At this thought, Xu Jie decided to confront Yan Song directly. He immediately said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, Esteemed Grand Secretary Yan, I believe that since reform is an extraordinary undertaking, we cannot adhere to convention. Otherwise, what's the point of reform? Ministers of reform should directly obey the supervising Crown Prince, so that we can respond to changes in a timely manner! Shang Yang with Duke Xiao of Qin, Li Deyu with Emperor Wuzong of Tang, and even Wang Anshi with Emperor Shenzong of Song, weren't they all like this?
I believe it would be most appropriate to have Zhang Juzheng, who is well-versed in matters of reform, continue to preside over it. He can present all matters to the Crown Prince, who can then inform the Grand Secretariat. If there are any difficult major issues, we can discuss them then! Only in this way can we achieve a unified command."
"Hmph," Yan Shifan snorted disdainfully and said coldly, "The Grand Secretariat governs on behalf of Heaven, and this is the foundation of the Great Ming! How can it be disrupted? All important military and state affairs must be drafted by the assisting ministers and then approved. This is the linchpin of national security. How can it be abolished just like that? Xu Jie, have you forgotten what happened during the Zhengde era? Are you trying to plunge the Crown Prince into the situation of a foolish emperor like Zhengde? Hmph!" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
What?! A foolish emperor like Zhengde?
This? Xu Jie was both shocked and fearful, and blurted out, "Yan Shifan! What are you saying?! Who is a treacherous minister and who is a loyal minister, the world has its own judgment!"
Hahaha, Yan Shifan burst into laughter, then his expression changed and he said, "Xu Jie! Do not disrupt the court! The state supports scholars for the purpose of practicing the way of the sage! Those who study well enter officialdom, and those who are good in officialdom become assistants. Only then can the world be at peace. Today, you dare to speak nonsense and instigate the Crown Prince to disregard the way of the sage. What are your intentions?!"
He finished speaking, then turned to Prince Yu and said loudly, "Crown Prince! A treacherous minister is right before your eyes! Your Highness the Crown Prince, you must hold firm! Do not be misled by treacherous ministers, otherwise, the world will fall into chaos!"
Wow!
Hiss!
Hiss!
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Everyone was stunned.
Prince Yu's head buzzed.
If it were in the past, he would never have understood the reason. But just yesterday, he had understood the crux of the Great Ming. The reason Yan Shifan was so reckless and shouting, and even being so aggressive, was because things had indeed reached this point. Xu Jie had probably forgotten, or carelessly, forgotten the system of the Grand Secretariat's proposal approval? This was, naturally, the foundation of the Great Ming. When Yan Shifan mentioned a foolish emperor like Zhengde, he was referring to Zhengde's frequent disregard for the Grand Secretariat's authority and his arbitrary decisions.
And the Yan Song and Yan Shifan father and son clinging to him, insisting he release the ancestral rites, and constantly quoting the way of the sage, was like Yang Tinghe and his son when the Emperor ascended the throne. They wanted the ruler to obey the Grand Secretariat. Otherwise, they would call him a foolish emperor, and the Great Ming would never have a moment of peace...
Thinking of this, a strange restlessness welled up in his heart. Seeing Yan Shifan's arrogant and overbearing demeanor, he suddenly felt an extreme aversion, as well as a deep fear, and naturally, a sense of confusion...
"It definitely wasn't like this in the time of Taizu..."
"Even the Yongle dynasty wasn't like this..."
"How did it become like this..."
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Know this, this was a fundamental problem of the Great Ming. Countless Grand Secretaries could not understand the reason, let alone Prince Yu, who rarely read books after coming of age. But even if he didn't understand the cause and effect, as the supervising Crown Prince, his feelings were clearer than anyone's—the Emperor of the Great Ming had no power! Something great must have happened in the Great Ming, and the emperor's power had been usurped.
Or, was there a problem with Taizu's founding principles?
These thoughts flashed by in an instant, feeling particularly real, particularly sharp, and making him particularly clear-headed. It even ignited the fighting spirit deep within him, making him secretly resolve: he absolutely must not become a ruler of a lost kingdom, and he must suppress all the ministers...
He did not know, that when his father, Jiajing, first ascended the throne, he felt exactly the same as he did now. He thought that being an emperor would be as the books said, with all ministers obeying him. But the situation was the complete opposite. Yang Tinghe and his son desperately tried to suppress Jiajing, wanting the emperor to obey the Grand Secretariat.
Jiajing was shocked and felt that the Great Ming either had problems with its founding or had undergone some major upheaval... He spent several years reading all the Veritable Records from Taizu to Zhengde, and then compared them with the Ancestral Instructions and the memorials of famous ministers. Only then did he understand the cause and effect. He then refused to attend court, refused all the Grand Secretariat's methods of operation, and never uttered another word.
At the same time, Jiajing used eunuchs, the Imperial Guard, and the Eastern Depot to spread their eyes and ears, supporting a few of the ministers to become his confidants, and letting them fight against the troublemakers in the Grand Secretariat. Yan Song, realizing this back then, wholeheartedly served Jiajing, framed many of the Grand Secretariat ministers, and thus became the most powerful official in the Ming Dynasty...
Although Prince Yu was over forty, how could he understand this? It wasn't until the last two days that he realized that right and wrong were not as they seemed on the surface...
But at this moment, Prince Yu had no time to consider this. He waved his hand and said sternly, "Yan Shifan, this is a platform audience! You cannot shout! Grand Secretary Xu is a major minister of the realm, how can you insult him without reason?"
Yan Shifan still held a hateful expression, snorted, and then sat down.
Xu Jie's expression had become extremely unsightly. He said angrily, "If I am not allowed to speak, I will resign immediately!"
Wow!
Everyone felt uncomfortable. The Crown Prince's first audience as supervisor had been ruined like this by Yan Shifan. How would things proceed in the future? Was Yan Shifan's behavior considered swearing, and did he even mention treacherous and loyal ministers? How could anything be discussed?
Yan Song had to come forward to smooth things over and said sternly, "Yan Shifan! Hurry up and apologize to Grand Secretary Xu! This is a court audience! Not your own home! Do not be rude in the future!"
"Father!..."
"There is no father here! This is a court audience!"
Yan Song's face was filled with anger, and he immediately became short of breath. But everyone had seen this kind of thing too many times. The father and son switching between a stern and a gentle demeanor was just like in the Yuxi Palace, who were they trying to fool now? But no matter what, Prince Yu's first "court audience" was a failure.
Prince Yu, of course, knew in his heart that in the future governance, he would have to find suitable methods. If it continued like this, nothing could be accomplished... He finally waved his hand, his voice full of weariness,
"Disperse..."
Saying that, he turned and left, leaving a particularly lonely figure. The ministers watched him disappear at the end of the long corridor, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
...
That night, in Yuxi Palace.
Lu Fang finished his questioning and asked the three eunuchs to leave. Jiajing remained in the side hall behind the curtain, saying not a single word from beginning to end. Had the events of the past two days seemed longer than a year? Lu Fang shook his head, truly not knowing what was wrong with the Great Ming. A dignified Crown Prince supervising the state could not even implement policies, nor could he even appoint officials. What's more, he couldn't even hold a court session.
From the perspective of an expert like Lu Fang, the reason for this was naturally the lack of power. If the Emperor had abdicated at this moment, would Prince Yu be any better, or would it be the same? He couldn't be sure. In any case, being an emperor of the Great Ming was truly very difficult. Ever since he followed Jiajing from the Prince of Chu's mansion to the capital, he had deeply experienced it for forty years...
If this Emperor had not possessed extraordinary talent, forty years ago he would have been suppressed by overbearing ministers like Prince Yu is today. As long as one became the Emperor of the Great Ming, this hurdle must be overcome by oneself. If one could pass it, then one was the true Emperor, otherwise, it was hard to say...
Jiajing had also heard the details described by the eunuchs. In an instant, he remembered the events of forty years ago. At that time, he did not yield an inch. No matter how Yang Tinghe and his two to three hundred officials pressured him, he did not budge. The court affairs at that time were also in a stalemate for several months until he found Zhang Cong, which slightly changed the situation. Afterward, while allowing the ministers to freely discuss the grand ceremony, he quietly implemented policies, replacing everyone from within and without, and only then did he firmly secure his position...
And Prince Yu's situation was actually even worse than his own at the time. After all, Yan Song was much more formidable than Yang Tinghe, and even more unscrupulous. If Yang Tinghe could be considered a Confucian scholar, then Yan Song believed in nothing and was completely a powerful official. For Prince Yu to make the Yan Song father and son submit was not an easy task.
While he was immersed in thought, he suddenly heard Lu Fang say softly, "Your Majesty, should we help him? The court affairs are being delayed..."
"Hmph," Jiajing snorted and said indifferently, "Have you forgotten? I had no one to help me back then..."