Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 186 Yan Song Enters the Cabinet
"Sun Liu has disappeared."

A few days later, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) brought some bad news that was expected.

By searching through the case files, they finally found Sun Liu's original home address, which was in a relatively remote alley outside the capital. However, when they arrived there, the place was already deserted.

The Imperial Guards could not give up so easily. Through the testimonies of the neighbors, they determined that the family's child was seriously ill and had reportedly gone to Jiangling for medical treatment. They quickly sent people south to arrest him.

Undoubtedly, the difficulty of apprehending the suspect increased dramatically, and time was often so precious for solving cases. However, due to the serious dereliction of duty by Commander Xiao Zhen, many obstacles were added to solving the case.

Compared to this unknown matter, another major event shocked the court and the public.

Yan Song was promoted to Minister of Personnel and concurrently Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, and entered the cabinet to participate in confidential matters.

The Ming Dynasty had four halls and two pavilions. The hall and pavilion titles of the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet, from highest to lowest, were: Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory, Grand Secretary of the Hall of Prudence, Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory, Grand Secretary of the Hall of Military Prowess, Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, and Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion.

Upon entering the cabinet, one is usually first appointed as a Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion or the Wenyuan Pavilion, and then transferred to a higher-level cabinet based on seniority.

When Zhang Juzheng first entered the cabinet, he was a Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion. He was later promoted to Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall and finally became a Grand Secretary of the Zhongji (Huagai) Hall.

Now that Yan Song has just entered the cabinet, he has become a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, which is obviously due to the Emperor's honor and greater trust in him.

Not to mention, he was promoted from Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel to Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

During the early and middle periods of the Jiajing reign, Zhu Houcong (Emperor Jiajing) favored using rituals to enhance the legitimacy of his rule. Among the six ministries in the central government, the Minister of Rites received the most imperial favor, and Zhang Cong remains the Minister of Rites to this day.

However, it is undeniable that the Ministry of Personnel held the power to appoint officials, and it held a pivotal position at every stage. As a result, the Minister of Personnel was also known as the "Heavenly Official".

Therefore, the previous position was held by Fang Xianfu, a key figure among the newly emerging elites of the Great Rites Controversy.

Fang Xianfu was gentle and good at resolving conflicts between various parties, making him suitable for the position. However, his presence also certainly secured many key positions for the Daliyi Group.

Now that Fang Xianfu has stepped down, Yan Song has been promoted to Minister of Personnel, and can be called Yan Tianguan or Yan Gelao.

Both the government and the public realized that after the new elites of the Great Rites Controversy monopolized the government, a new faction leader had risen.

Moreover, compared to the newly rich during the Great Rites Controversy, who were described by scholars as "opportunistic, sycophantic, and petty," Yan Song was not only a moral exemplar but also had an impeccable resume.

He possessed an unyielding reputation for resisting the eunuch faction, ten years of arduous self-cultivation in seclusion, and the power to persuade the emperor to pardon unjust officials.

Now that he has entered the cabinet, his cultivation is complete, and his promotion to leader of the Qingliu faction is only natural!

Against this backdrop, Yan Shifan's gait became somewhat unrecognizable, as if he no longer recognized his own family.

Before leaving the Imperial College, countless classmates greeted him, as if he had returned to the early days of the Yixin Society, when everyone tried their best to curry favor with him.

At that time, it was the Emperor who bestowed the calligraphy, and it was the aura of the Emperor's handwriting.

Now it belongs to one person's glory.

The glory of the young Grand Secretary!

Before returning to the Yan residence, the young Grand Secretary raised his sleeve, sniffed his body to make sure the fragrance from the outer residence had dissipated, and then entered.

Just then, Xia Yan came out.

"Hey! Scholar Xia!"

The young Grand Secretary stepped forward and gracefully bowed.

Xia Yan was also quickly promoted, first becoming a fifth-rank Hanlin Academician, in charge of the Hanlin Academy, and then serving as the Junior Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, continuing to lecture His Majesty on classics and history.

Well, it's alright.
Xia Yan, maintaining the courtesy due to an equal, spoke in a noticeably more intimate tone than before: "East Tower!"

Here's a little-known fact: Yan Song was also one of Xia Yan's examiners in the provincial examination. The two had a teacher-student relationship, which may explain why Xia Yan held Yan Song in such contempt in history. Seeing a teacher bowing and scraping before a student, it was indeed hard not to feel contempt. In the end, Xia Yan died at Yan Song's hands.

The relationship between the two has now returned to normal. Xia Yan came here as a student to pay respects to his mentor Yan Song, and thus treats Yan Shifan as an equal.

The young Grand Secretary was quite satisfied with this attitude, and walked into the main hall with an even more proud and powerful stride.

He was met with his father's displeased gaze, and the young Grand Secretary shrank back, transforming back into Yan Shifan, and obediently stepped forward to bow: "Father!"

Yan Song said coldly, "What are you doing back here again?"

Yan Shifan smiled and said, "These days, I have been studying at the Imperial Academy and preparing for the imperial examination. I really missed my parents, so I came back to pay my respects. I just saw Xia Yan, who also came to pay his respects."

Yan Song did not expose the claim that his son was studying diligently at the Imperial Academy. Zhao Wenhua reported his son's daily activities in detail. However, he was very displeased with the second half of the sentence: "How dare you call Xia Yan? He is only two years younger than me. In terms of age, he is your elder. How can you be so disrespectful? At least you should address people by their proper titles at home!"

Yan Shifan thought to himself, what's the big deal? Xia Yan is just a young man who failed the imperial examinations and rose to power purely because of his good looks. But he still obediently agreed, "Yes!" Yan Song secretly shook his head. In fact, he was the one who invited Xia Yan to be his guest. Xia Yan's wife had given birth to four sons and one daughter. All four sons died young, and now he only had one daughter who was not yet married. He had taken a liking to Xia Yan's daughter and wanted to find a wife for him.

Xia Yan is exceptionally handsome, the most dashing among all the officials. His daughter will surely be beautiful as well. Moreover, he is still very much favored by the emperor. If they could become related by marriage, he could be a great asset to the court in the future.

However, Xia Yan had almost made it clear that he was unwilling, but he changed the subject and said something else. Yan Song would not force him, but he was also somewhat displeased. Seeing his son return at this time, he was naturally very unhappy.

Yan Shifan was given another stern lecture and slunk back to the Imperial Academy. Yan Song snorted a few times, returned to his inner quarters, and told his wife about Xia Yan's reaction.

Upon hearing this, Madam Ouyang revealed an indignant expression: "This man is so ungrateful! What is it about our Qing'er that makes him unworthy of his daughter?"

That's hard to say. Yan Song calmed down, thought for a moment, and slowly said, "Xia Yan's refusal is not necessarily a bad thing. There are some taboos about marrying into a family with a minister who is also favored by the emperor. His refusal is also due to his concerns. It is I who have been presumptuous..."

Madam Ouyang was a virtuous and capable wife who understood immediately: "Now that my husband has entered the cabinet, if we were to choose another prominent family for marriage, it might backfire and disrupt the balance. It would be better to choose a family of upright officials, which would be a more sustainable plan."

Yan Song smiled and said, "Pride goes before a fall, humility brings benefit. My wife knows me well."

Ouyang's next words revealed her shrewdness: "No matter what, let's keep that vixen outside under control first. We can't let her have a baby and cause trouble in the inner quarters!"

Keeping a mistress as a concubine is one thing, but it's best if the eldest son is born to the legal wife. Otherwise, conflicts will inevitably arise later. Moreover, Yan Shifan is an unpredictable man, something that his parents are well aware of.

Therefore, Madam Ouyang concluded: "Get married as soon as possible so that Qing'er can feel more at ease. There is no major problem now, but once he enters officialdom, it will become a handle for him to attack. We must not let this go unchecked!"

Yan Song agreed: "This matter still needs to be arranged by the wife. When choosing a wife, look for someone virtuous, from a respectable family, and skilled in managing the household!"

……

"Master, Brother Donglou is getting married, and matchmakers are coming and going, all trying to find him a good wife!"

Inside Yixintang, Zhao Wenhua quietly approached Haiyue's side and began to report.

He has now found his place, is very skilled at tipping people off, and moves between various parties.

After all, the incident involving Baihua Wine was like a sword hanging over their heads, ready to fall at any moment. At best, they would be banished from the capital and exiled far away; at worst, their lives would be in danger.

Only by playing an irreplaceable role can the position of the Yixin Society become more and more secure. Even if they want to discard such a useful spy, they will have to hesitate and consider whether to give up such a good spies.

To be honest, for someone who had passed the imperial examination and was an official in one of the six ministries, such a posture was indeed very humble.

Seeing this, Haiyue felt that although this person lacked real talent, at least he was humble enough to lower himself, and nodded slightly.

Zhao Wenhua was immediately encouraged and continued, "There's nothing going on at Dashiqiao Hutong..."

Dashiqiao Hutong was the place where Yan Shifan's outer residence was located.

Yun Shao and Chu Rou now live there. They have hired two maids, and according to Zhao Wenhua, they manage the place very well and it is quite cozy. The two women live a secluded life, do not make a fuss, and seem to be well-behaved.

Haiyue listened silently.

There are more than just one group of people watching that place now. People like Zhao Wenhua won't know the truth. They just think they're watching the outer residence, which can lull some people into a false sense of security.

After all, it's perfectly normal for someone interested to pay attention to the fact that the son of a high-ranking official is keeping a mistress outside the palace; it would be strange if no one cared.

After reporting on Yan Shifan's situation, Zhao Wenhua continued talking, "Mo Guangqi, the son of the Annamese traitor, was abandoned by Brother Zisheng at the post station of the Court of State Ceremonial, and he is still petitioning to enjoy the treatment of an envoy!"

Haiyue spoke up: "He's dreaming. Does Mo thief even want to sit at the table?"

Xu Jie is currently serving as the Chief Clerk in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for diplomatic matters, and is receiving guests from the Mo family in Annam.

They are indeed visitors, but the court has not yet acknowledged them as envoys, because that would mean acknowledging the legitimacy of Mo Zhengyong's regime.

The Ming Dynasty did not recognize Mo Zhengyong's position as the Prince of Annam, a powerful minister who had murdered his master to seize power. Since he was not the Prince of Annam, he was not qualified to send envoys. Mo Zhengyong's son, Mo Guangqi, led only a delegation of visitors, who were not even allowed to enter the reception hall.

However, since the other party came to Beijing, he has inevitably attracted attention from all sides, and Li Yuying has written to discuss it.

Haiyue's advice to her was to ignore it and not even give the other party a chance to argue.

The pressure from all sides of the court will naturally force the other side to reveal its bottom line, thereby assessing Mo Dengyong's true intentions.

Skillful.

Both Grand Secretary Zhang Cong and newly appointed Grand Secretary Yan Song advocated war against the Annamite rebels.

If we cannot establish our authority by defeating this foreign vassal, how can the two Grand Secretaries, who are silently competing, demonstrate their absolute authority?
(End of this chapter)