In Beijing, autumn is getting stronger.

After the news came that 60,000 Mongolian troops had invaded Shanxi, the people in the capital were also restless. With such a large army approaching, who knows how devastated Shanxi was, and whether the Tatars would invade the capital again from Shanxi.

Not only did the people in the capital dare not go out, but the wealthy people in the capital moved to Beijing to avoid disaster. The people in the capital were also preparing plans to deal with the Tatar attack.

Just like a certain coronavirus in later generations, even if an epidemic occurs thousands of miles away in Guangdong, people all over the country will rush to get vaccinated. What's more, this time there is a military disaster in Shanxi, which is close to Beizhili.

The court was relatively calm. Firstly, they were better informed. Secondly, they knew that the Tatars were mainly robbing supplies, and the 60,000-strong Mongolian cavalry was not able to take down this heavily guarded castle.

Imperial Capital.

Just like this, although the fighting was in full swing in Shanxi, the struggle in the court did not stop, and the party struggle headed by Gao Gong and Xu Jie was in full swing.

Xu Jie took the lead in accusing Gao Gong's party of being partisan and nepotistic, but Gao Gong also fought back and accused Xu Jie, the five-year chief minister, of being a vegetarian. The relationship between the two parties has reached the point of becoming tense.

The morning in late June was a bit chilly, but both sides, as if they were holding back a fire, arrived at the Jinluan Palace on time, and they were already going to start a quarrel in the palace again.

With the sound of "The Emperor has arrived," the officials led by Xu Jie immediately knelt down to welcome him and said: "I will pay my respects to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Emperor Longqing appeared wearing a dragon robe, but in addition to being naturally dazed, he also looked listless. The thirty-year-old man gave people the illusion of being middle-aged.

Long Qing's laziness in politics has long been an open secret. However, in order to maintain his own image and leave a better reputation in the history of the Qing Dynasty, Long Qing insisted on coming to the morning court every day.

It's just that most of the time, he acted as a "Buddha statue". He neither had the courage to quit the government nor the courage to control the ministers. He was already an emperor who was willing to be a decoration.

Long Qing sat down on the dragon chair listlessly, and then asked the ministers to stand down. Everything was carried out according to the established regulations.

As usual, the two factions in the palace soon had a dispute, and the trigger was the vacancy of Governor Yingtian again. Now the two sides have serious differences surrounding this candidate.

Among the many governors, in terms of oil and water alone, Governor Yingtian ranks first. Governor Yingtian is responsible for inspecting Yingtian, Suzhou Prefecture, Songzhou Prefecture, Zhenzhou Prefecture and Anqing Prefecture in Southern Zhili.

The southern region of Nanzhili can be said to be an important tax area responsible for the national grain tax.

The reason why Xu Jie cares so much about the candidate for governor Yingtian is because of the power struggle between the parties, and also because he is worried that Gao Gong will take the opportunity to seize his family fortune.

After all, this is no longer the Jiajing period when one hand covered the sky. If the new governor really takes this opportunity to target him, he will probably fall because of it.

The Yan family collapsed precisely because of Lin Run's words, "The imperial court would be as rich as without me." However, it was difficult to guarantee that others would follow suit. After all, his wealth was stronger than that of the Yan family.

Because of this, Xu Jie was also determined to stop Chen Yan, the governor of Sichuan recommended by Gao Gong, and instead promoted Lin Run, the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple who he had personally supported, to the position of governor of Yingtian.

"Since I have been serving as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, I have made impartial decisions in all matters and appointed people with talents. It is not like someone who is always two-faced and does one thing openly and another behind the scenes!" Gao Gong's temper rose and he also pointed the finger at Xu Jiedao.

.

As soon as these words came out, the officials in the palace couldn't help but look at each other.

Gao Gong was indeed the most straightforward northern man. He was almost pointing at Xu Jie's nose and scolding him, but he actually said it directly in the Jinluan Palace.

Well……

Long Qing seemed to have been accustomed to this for a long time. Even though the dispute in the palace had obviously heated up, he still yawned widely and adjusted his sitting posture to continue sitting idle.

No matter how good Xu Jie is at forbearing, there is still a limit. He said with a sullen face: "Gao Xinzheng, don't make any insinuations here. If you are a gentleman, just tell him in public who is a duplicitous person!"

cough!

Guo Pu was well aware of Gao Gong's strong temper, so he coughed and shook his head vigorously at Gao Gong.

Although everyone knew that Xu Jie was insidious and indeed a double-dealing person, if Gao Gong said it in public, not only would he completely break up with Xu Jie, but he would also get the bad name of "disrespecting the superior".

Today's Longqing Dynasty is completely different from the Jiajing Dynasty. In the Jiajing Dynasty, just having the support of Jiajing could be invincible, but in the Longqing Dynasty, a certain "group foundation" was already needed.

But I have to admit that compared to Lin Haoran's rhetoric that makes people ashamed to death without leaving any trace, Gao Gong's straightforwardness is too reckless and dangerous.

Gao Gong had long disliked Xu Jie, who was eating nothing but corpses, and now naturally he didn't mind completely breaking up with Xu Jie. He just noticed the look in Guo Pu's eyes, swallowed back the words that came to his mouth, and said with a strong wave:

"Stop talking about it, lest someone's lackey go to court again to impeach me!"

this……

Li Chunfang and other officials couldn't help but be slightly dumbfounded. They thought Gao Gong was trying to calm things down, but unexpectedly he still had such a bad attitude and pointed the finger at the group of Ke Dao officials who followed Xu Jie.

When Wu Shilai and other officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology heard this argument, they knew that Gao Gong was roundabout and calling them Xu Jie's lackeys. However, they did not mention them by name, and Gao Gong was now in the limelight, so were they.

He could only give Gao Gong a fierce look.

Xu Jie noticed Guo Pu's behavior and thought that Gao Gong had given in, but he didn't want to keep making such insinuations, so he said sullenly: "Gao Xinzheng, what kind of gentleman are you hiding your head and showing off your tail? If you have any dissatisfaction with me, why don't you do it?"

Speak directly in front of the emperor and all the civil and military officials! If what you say is reasonable, then I will be open-minded and accept the teachings, and may even resign and return to the field; if you are making things up, then you, Gao Xinzheng, are just a shameless villain!"

this……

Li Chunfang and other officials looked at Xu Jie's statement and knew that the usually mild-tempered chief minister was really angry. They couldn't help but turn their heads to look at Gao Gong's reaction curiously.

Gao Gong, however, couldn't bear to be provoked, especially since he hated villains the most in his life, not to mention that he might ask Xu Jie to resign and go home in one fell swoop. He directly accused him and said: "Okay, this is what you said! You wrote it when the late emperor

Qingci flattered the late emperor, but you betrayed him not long after the late emperor had a banquet. Now, in order to vindicate your cronies, you have repeatedly arranged the right and wrong of the late emperor. What is this if it is not double-dealing?"

Since Lin Haoran's Jiajing posthumous edict was revised, there were no officials who were convicted of the Jiajing imperial edict without any reason. In order to rehabilitate Wu Shilai and other party members, Xu Jie often blamed Jiajing's religious practice.

, and nailed Yan Song to the pillar of shame again and again.

Now, Gao Gong caught this matter and attacked, which can be said to have directly hit Xu Jie's weakness, and directly tore off Xu Jie's hypocritical mask.

this……

When Li Chunfang and other officials heard this argument, although they felt that Gao Gong really dared to lift any lid, Xu Jie was indeed duplicitous in this matter, but they could not help but look at Xu Jie with worry or gloating.

Chen Hong, who was standing in the hall, saw Gao Gong actually lifting the cover of Qing Ci, and couldn't help but look at Gao Gong with complicated eyes. In order to attack Xu Jie, Gao Gong did not hesitate to take the initiative to bear the stigma of "Qing Ci fawning over the late emperor".

"How can we, as ministers, disobey the order of the late emperor? I, Xu Jie, wrote Qingci for the late emperor, just to fulfill my duties as a minister, and for no other purpose!" Xu Jie explained first, and then changed the subject and said: "Old Gaoge

, when you were the Minister of Rites, you submitted a petition to the late emperor to help write Qingci, but you don’t know what your original intention was? But to curry favor with the late emperor in exchange for glory and wealth?"

this……

When Li Chunfang and other officials heard this shocking gossip, their eyes could not help but widen slightly, but they could not help but turn their heads to look at Gao Gong.

Everyone originally thought that the reason why Gao Gong successfully entered the cabinet was because Gao Gong was King Yu's most valued teacher, or because Gao Gong's Qingci was outstanding, but they did not expect that it was because Gao Gong took the initiative to "seek for an official position."

Although "seeking an official position" has long been an open secret in the officialdom, everyone strictly guards this secret. It can be said that Xu Jie, Li Chunfang and others wrote Qingci out of loyalty, but Gao Gong's move was to actively seek an official position, but it was

Disdainful to the world.

Just like this, everyone's eyes looked at Gao Gong with confusion, but they didn't know whether this thing was true.

"Mr. Xu Ge, please don't say hurtful words here!" Gao Gong's brows furrowed, but he was trying to deny it.

It is true that he went to the secret court to write Qing Ci to Jiajing, but it was just that Xu Jie should not know about the close communication between ministers and the emperor, let alone obtain the memorial.

When Li Chunfang and other officials heard Gao Gong's answer, they all looked at Xu Jie curiously.

Well……

Long Qing couldn't help but yawned loudly again. He also noticed the dispute in the palace and looked at Xu Jie curiously.

Xu Jie met Gao Gong's gaze, but he was confident of winning and said: "Bad words hurt others? If you want others to know, you have to do it yourself! The late emperor once sent me a secret message because of your memorial, asking if you can be admitted to the cabinet. This secret

Zha still exists, if it weren’t for you, would you still deny it?”

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the palace was shocked.

When Xu Jie mentioned the secret letter and looked at Gao Gong's reaction, the officials also had a clear judgment, but they all looked at Gao Gong who was still aggressive just now with complicated expressions.

When Gao Gong heard Xu Jie's remarks and looked at Xu Jie's confident eyes, he knew that he had shot himself in the foot this time.

Not only did he not expect that Jiajing would use the secret letter to ask Xu Jie, but he also did not expect that Xu Jie would keep the secret letter, making his "seeking for an official" matter confirmed in one fell swoop.

Wu Shilai had experienced a lot in his career as a soldier in Guangxi, and now his ambitions seemed even greater. He immediately stood up and said: "Old Gaoge, I thought you were an upright gentleman, but I didn't expect you to be a duplicitous person.

ah!"

"Wu Shilai, don't insult my teacher! The miasma in Guangxi can't teach you to shut up, so how dare you bark here?" Gao Gong's disciple Qi Kang immediately jumped out and said tit for tat.

Just when the situation was tense, a palace official came to the palace in a hurry. After Chen Hong received a letter, he immediately turned around and forwarded the letter to Long Qing.

All the officials in the palace also noticed this strange behavior and couldn't help but pay attention to it, but they didn't know what big thing happened.

Long Qing didn't seem to have any sense of city government. He showed his happiness on his face when he read the letter, and then said with great joy: "The military report just came from Shanxi: the crisis in Shanxi has been resolved! I was hit hard in Dawu Town, only

He led more than 3,000 remaining troops to flee, and now the troops are leading their troops to kill me!"

"Ah? The crisis in Shanxi has been resolved?"

"Ida was severely beaten in Dawu Town, and only led more than 3,000 people!"

"The armies led their troops with the intention of killing Anda. Are they trying to kill Anda?"

…

After hearing this military report, the officials in the palace opened their mouths and stared in disbelief, but they never expected that things would turn out like this.

An army of 60,000 is pressing towards Shanxi. The victory at Shizhou City and Huangluling Pass is scary enough, but now it has defeated the main force of Anda. Is this still their Ming army?

"Great victory in Shanxi, long live our emperor!" Wang Bai was the first to react, kneeling down and saying loudly.

Xu Jie, Gao Gong and others were already at war with each other, but now faced with the sudden news of Shanxi's victory, they could only kneel down and echo.

The stone hanging on Long Qing's heart also fell, and the general's report was handed over to Chen Gong beside him. He looked very happy and raised his hands and said: "Everyone, I love you!"

After the impact of the good news from Shanxi, the civil and military officials in the palace immediately had a different view of the dispute between Xu Jie and Gao Gong. No matter how these two people beautified themselves, it seems that the only one who has really done anything in these years is the enterprising elder Lin Ge.

.
To be continued...