"I will answer that if I were twenty years younger, I would definitely help Your Majesty kill those who should be killed and demote those who should be demoted. I would try my best to make the state affairs run by the state fund and the internal affairs run by the internal fund. But Your Majesty, I am too old and can't do anything about it."
Zhao Zhigao moved half of his buttocks away from the brocade and knelt on the ground with experience.
"Your Majesty, I am incompetent and can't help Your Majesty sort out the state affairs. Please, Your Majesty, dismiss me from the position of Prime Minister and let me go back to my hometown to enjoy my retirement!"
Zhao Zhigao's voice did not tremble at all. Zhu Yijun believed that he was speaking from the bottom of his heart.
Zhao Zhigao had completely lost control of the Cabinet and the state affairs. He was not even as good as Wang Xijue, let alone Zhang Juzheng.
The only people who could be compared to him were the three Cabinet Ministers in the Chenghua period. But they were just a mere figurehead. Emperor Xianzong was still in power and the state affairs were still under his control, but not now!
The imperial power was not what it used to be. Zhu Yijun could no longer control the state as he pleased. He was counting on the Cabinet to have a few cabinet ministers who were of the same mind as him. It was not easy to have Zhao Zhigao, but the other cabinet ministers made him a mere figurehead.
Zhao Zhigao was old and had no energy. Even someone as strong as Yan Song needed his son's support at this age. Zhao Zhigao was fighting alone without external help. The only thing that could support him was probably Zhu Yijun's attitude. But could Zhu Yijun change the corruption of the Daming dynasty with one word?
That was impossible …
As Zhao Zhigao lost control of the Cabinet, Zhu Yijun also had a premonition that his situation would get worse and worse. If he did not step up the cultivation of the eunuchs and the power of the Imperial Bodyguard, it was estimated that he would really be a mere figurehead, and the internal fund would be at the mercy of those bastards.
On one side, there were four or five million taels of silver, and these bastards actually said that it was not enough. Zhu Yijun could figure out how many tricks were going on here even if he used his toes.
However, he couldn't lose Zhao Zhigao right now. Even if Zhao Zhigao had lost control of the Cabinet, as long as he was still in the position of Prime Minister, those people couldn't do things without scruples. As long as Zhao Zhigao was still in this position, he could more or less use this position to do something.
Thus, Zhu Yijun stood up, walked to Zhao Zhigao's side, and helped him up personally.
"What are you talking about, Elder? I was just about to entrust this important matter to you, so how can you say you're going to retire and return to your hometown? The Cabinet of the Daming Dynasty still needs a person of virtue and prestige like you to be in charge. No one else is qualified. If you feel that the burden is too heavy, I will let the Cabinet add more ministers. "
Zhao Zhigao was startled at first, but then he immediately realized the Emperor's intentions.
The Emperor wanted to use the matter of adding more ministers to the Cabinet to divert the attention of the officials. He wanted the officials of the various factions to kill each other for a while so that he could have a chance to catch his breath. At the same time, he wanted to examine who among the people who were sent in as replacements was most in line with his intentions. Only then could he decide who would be the Prime Minister.
Zhao Zhigao remembered that he had once recommended Shen Li to the Emperor to be the Prime Minister because he knew that Shen Li was one of the few officials in the decision-making circle who still had a conscience.
This kind of official could more or less take care of the Emperor's thoughts, and perhaps even do some good things. However, Shen Yicheng was an absolute henchman, and who knew how much trouble he would cause while he was in the position.
Based on Shen Yicheng's character of appointing people through favoritism, he might even start a new wave of internal strife in the court. He might even set a very bad precedent. Thus, Zhao Zhigao felt that at the very least, he could not let Shen Yicheng be the Prime Minister. Otherwise, it would be like Zhang Siwei being the Prime Minister, and who knew how much trouble it would cause for the Daming Dynasty.
However, what the Emperor meant was that he would rather let this old man, who had one foot in the grave, continue to occupy the position of Prime Minister and do nothing than let Shen Li take the position. Even if he stepped down, it would not be Shen Li's turn.
Even the Vice Minister would not have a position for Shen Li. In order to make room for someone else, the Emperor might even cripple Shen Li.
Of course, Zhao Zhigao also knew the reason. It was nothing more than Shen Li exerting too much force during the struggle for the foundation of the country. Like Zhang Wei, he had hurt the Emperor's heart. The Emperor did not trust him and did not allow him to be the Prime Minister.
Zhang Wei's crimes had basically been reviewed, and he was only waiting for the Emperor's order. The best result was that he would be sent to a faraway place, and the normal way of execution was to be beheaded and his family exiled. Zhang Wei was finished. The interest group behind him had already given up on him, and they had begun to look for a new spokesperson.
If nothing unexpected happened, this time, the Jiangxi faction would also choose a new spokesperson during the struggle for the position of Cabinet and Cabinet, and then push him into the Cabinet. In any case, Jiangxi lacked many things, but it did not lack Hanlin and Jinshi.
This time, no one knew what the result would be. The officials had hurt the Emperor so much that the Emperor's rebellious mentality had broken through the sky. He would not use those who did not go his way, even if they still had a conscience. If they went his way, he would probably use them, even if it was Shen Yicheng.
When would this kind of conflict of personal feelings, which was common in the Daming court, end?
There was no room for personal feelings to fight over the affairs of the state!
"Your Majesty, I think it's time to choose the Vice Minister of the Cabinet, not to mention the matter of adding a new Cabinet Minister. Now, except for me, the other two Cabinet Ministers are not Vice Ministers. The position of Vice Minister is vacant, which is not conducive to the operation of the Cabinet. Even if Your Majesty wants to add a Cabinet Minister, it's best to wait until the Vice Minister is confirmed."
Of course, Zhu Yijun knew what Zhao Zhigao meant by saying this. He wanted to do his best to recommend Shen Li to the Emperor.
"In your opinion, among the two current Cabinet Ministers, who do you think can be the Vice Minister?"
Zhao Zhigao took a deep breath.
"Shen Li."
Zhu Yijun nodded. This answer was within his expectations. Although Zhao Zhigao said so, Zhu Yijun was more determined.
"Shen Li entered the Cabinet later than Shen Yicheng, but she became the Vice Minister before Shen Yicheng. Isn't this unreasonable?"
Hearing Zhu Yijun's words, Zhao Zhigao's heart sank. But even so, he had to fight for the last glimmer of hope.
"Shen Li has a reputation of being honest and upright in the outer court and has influence in the outer court. Compared to me, she is younger and stronger and has more courage to do practical things for the Daming. I hope Your Majesty doesn't care about the seniority of entering the Cabinet. During the Jiajing period, Zhang Ji, the Grand Secretary, could be the Grand Secretary even though he was only a top three Jinshi. Your Majesty has always respected Master Jiajing. Please think twice!"
This was Zhao Zhigao's last effort.
But in Zhu Yijun's view, it didn't matter at all.
Shen Li had a good reputation in the outer court and could unite the officials. Then what? What was the point of uniting the officials? Wouldn't they just fire at me? Shen Yi's reputation had never been good, and he didn't have a good relationship with the Imperial Censors. When he entered the Cabinet, he got rid of a few Imperial Censors, and it was at that time that he became enemies with Shen Li.
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