There had always been an undercurrent of opposition to Zhang in the Daming Dynasty. Of course, no matter who was the Grand Secretary, there would always be an undercurrent of opposition, and it wouldn't stop.
Which official in the officialdom didn't want to be the Grand Secretary?
As the ultimate goal of a civil official, the Grand Secretary was naturally the target of everyone's attention.
There were those who wanted to gain prestige, those with ulterior motives, and those who wanted to get rid of the other party for their own promotion.
Whenever there was a slight change in the upper echelons, these undercurrents would brew and then surge upward.
Zhang Juzheng had been the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet for five years, and his position was very stable. From the looks of it, he wouldn't be able to go down anytime soon.
Coupled with the reforms that Zhang Juzheng wanted to promote, the trend of opposition to Zhang naturally couldn't be suppressed.
However, no one expected that the person who fired the first shot in this trend of opposition to Zhang was none other than Zhang Juzheng's student.
In the group of civil officials, there were a few kinds of interests that were very stable, such as the hometown party, the same year, and the teacher-student relationship. There was no need to mention the hometown party. Everyone was from the same hometown, and even people who studied together. Everyone was from the same hometown, so it was normal for them to form a group after they went out.
Being the same year, this was equivalent to being classmates in the future. This kind of relationship was naturally very close, and it was natural for them to form a group when they went into the officialdom.
The last kind was the teacher-student relationship. As the saying went, heaven, earth, and the teacher were related to the teacher, so the teacher's status was naturally high. Coupled with so many years of management, the relationship between the teacher and the student naturally became more stable.
In the officialdom, the teacher would protect the student, and the student would support the teacher. This was also how it should be.
In the TV series "In the Name of the People" in the future, there was also the Han Gang, not to mention the Daming Dynasty that could operate openly.
Although Zhang Juzheng was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, he couldn't become an isolated official. Being an official wasn't the same as being an emperor.
Zhang Juzheng's henchmen naturally belonged to these three kinds of people. The hometown party and the same year might not be reliable sometimes, but the students were reliable.
In this era, regardless of the reason, a student betraying a teacher would definitely be despised by the mainstream. No one would wish for a student they trusted to betray them. This kind of example should not be set.
Zhu Yijun put down the booklet in his hand. This booklet was written by Station Liu. It was well written, and the content of the impeachment was just right. There was a phrase in it that left a deep impression on Zhu Yijun. That was, "Being in the right position, using your authority for your own benefit." This phrase was quite ironic to Zhu Yijun.
Back then, when Gao Gong was demoted and sent home, he was accused of "usurping authority for his own benefit". Now, the same accusation was directly used on Zhang Juzheng.
This memorial was well written. It started from the ancestral etiquette. Zhu Yijun flipped open the memorial again and read it from the beginning.
"Emperor Gao, in recognition of the mistakes of the previous generation, did not appoint a Prime Minister. Instead, all matters were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Ministers. Their powers were not in conflict with each other, and their positions were changed."
"Emperor Wen set up a cabinet to participate in military affairs.
At that time, the official rank was not high, and there was no arrogance.
For two hundred years, there were those who used their authority for their own benefit, but they still avoided the title of Prime Minister and did not dare to assume it. This was because of the ancestral etiquette.
It was the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng who treated himself as such. Since Gao Gong was banished, he used his authority for three to four years. "
"The remonstrant would always say," I will abide by the ancestral etiquette. "This official would then follow the ancestral etiquette."
Zhu Yijun sighed. A big mouth would cause trouble. Gao Gong shouted, "Ten years old, how can the emperor rule the world!"
With just one sentence, Feng Bao caught him by the tail and sent him straight home.
Although Zhang Juzheng had not said the phrase, "I am not the prime minister, but the Prime Minister!".
But there were already signs of it.
Furthermore, wasn't it better to keep a low profile?
Zhang Juzheng's flamboyance also caused a lot of trouble. Wasn't it better to use a different method to display his power?
Let's not talk about the thirty-two sedan chairs. Being so flamboyant was not the way of an official!
Didn't the Confucians emphasize the golden mean?
Didn't they say that the rafter that sticks out rot first? If you were to be so flamboyant, it would be too easy for others to catch you.
Liu Tai mentioned this problem in his memorial. He said that Zhang Juzheng used his authority as the Prime Minister and seized power for his own benefit. His crime was the same as Gao Gong's!
"In the imperial court, there is not a single official who does not sigh in anger. Those who do not dare to speak out for His Majesty are the calamities of accumulating power."
"This official holds the title of Grand Secretary.
This official holds the title of Minister Cao. This official holds the title of Imperial Censor.
This official has received great kindness from the Emperor. Today, those who dare to speak out against him, the relationship between the Emperor and his official is heavy. Personal kindness cannot be taken into account.
May His Majesty examine this official's foolishness and restrain the Prime Minister's authority. This official's death will not affect the country. "
Reading to the end, Zhu Yijun sighed. This stab in the back was a little too vicious!
Ever since Zhang Juzheng came to power, grasping power was the main theme. He naturally could not let go of a supervisory organization like the Imperial Censorate.
In the past few years, he had stuffed many of his own people into the Imperial Censorate. It was obvious that this Liu Tai was one of them.
Zhang Juzheng was Liu Tai's teacher. He must have thought highly of him. Otherwise, he would not have sent him to the Imperial Censorate to be an imperial censor.
However, even if Zhang Juzheng was beaten to death, he would never have thought that the student he had high hopes for would stab him in the back. Furthermore, the stab was so accurate and vicious.
Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Jing had fallen out. The Emperor had also come of age. To put such a label on Zhang Juzheng at this time, it was a sign that Zhang Juzheng was done for.
The last paragraph clearly pointed out his relationship with Zhang Juzheng. It made it seem like he was upright and righteous. He was dedicated to the country. However, even if he didn't say it, it was impossible for others not to know. Therefore, it was not trustworthy.
Zhu Yijun knocked on the table and put down the memorial expressionlessly. He said indifferently, "This is not enough!"
Liu Tai was done for. This was the first thought that came to Zhu Yijun's mind when he saw the memorial. As long as Zhang Juzheng did not fall, Liu Tai's fate would definitely be tragic.
He was stabbed in the back by his own student. If Zhang Juzheng did not act harshly, he would not be able to intimidate his other henchmen and enemies.
If he wanted to protect Zhang Juzheng, Liu Tai would definitely act harshly. Even if he did not act harshly, Zhang Juzheng would not let him off.
Did he think that he could wait until he took over the government?
In the Great Ming Dynasty, there were too many people and things that the civil officials yelled and shouted to increase their reputation to get by. To speak up for the new emperor before he ascended to the throne was a meritorious service, just like when his father did it.
Now, there were probably countless people thinking the same thing. He was an adult.
If he could not get rid of Zhang Juzheng immediately, it did not matter if he was demoted. When the new Emperor ascended to the throne, he would naturally think of him. At that time, he would naturally rise to the top.
There were too many people who used this method to get to the top. This could be considered a special culture in the Daming Dynasty.
Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhang Jing who was behind him and said, "Let the Department of Rites draft a decree. You go to the Zhang Mansion."