Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 305 The Formation of the Three Great Leaders of the Outer Court
"father!!"

"Your father isn't here!"

"Good! Good! Elder Yan..."

Yan Shifan came up behind Yan Song, and together they looked towards the Wenhua Hall, eagerly anticipating what was to come.

Compared to the hardships he faced when he returned to the capital, the young Grand Secretary had now become quite swelled up.

If it weren't for the month-long vegetarian diet during the Empress Dowager's mourning period, she would have swollen even more.

Now, standing next to Yan Song, the contrast between them is striking – one tall, one short; one fat, one thin.

The other officials, including Xia Yan, couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

How come there's such a big difference between this father and son who live together?

Yan Shifan was quite at ease with such gazes, and even somewhat enjoyed them.

His father was cautious his whole life, and even after becoming the Grand Secretary, he sometimes had to be humble and subservient.

In comparison, he has been living a very comfortable life since returning to Beijing.

He can take down anyone he doesn't like, since his father, the Grand Secretary, can always smooth things over.

They had a tacit understanding.

However, the situation now seems to have changed again.

The emperor no longer holds court.

As a result, the prime minister undoubtedly bears the greatest pressure.

Of course, there are also opportunities.

If His Majesty were to truly not see the officials of the outer court, but only the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet, the power of the Grand Secretary would be completely different.

The power characteristics of the chief minister are actually clearly defined.

During the Yongle and Zhengtong reigns, the Grand Secretary was essentially an advisor with no additional real power. This was true even for the Three Yangs; their power primarily stemmed from their original official positions and prestige, with the Grand Secretary merely adding to their prestige.

From the Chenghua to the Zhengde period, the Grand Secretariat was suppressed by eunuchs, and its power fluctuated. For example, Yang Tinghe, the Grand Secretary during the Zhengde period, was basically a figurehead who only cared about protecting himself.

It wasn't until the early years of the Jiajing and Wanli reigns that the Grand Secretary became the de facto prime minister, controlling the Six Ministries and wielding great power, such as Zhang Cong, Xia Yan, Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng.

During the mid-to-late Wanli period, its power declined again, and similar positions were not available again until the Grand Council of the Qing Dynasty.

Throughout history, the power of the Grand Secretary actually saw a significant rise during the Jiajing reign, surpassing the Six Ministries in rank, monopolizing the power of drafting proposals, controlling personnel, and infiltrating military power, thus forming a "nominal but real" power.

Although Yan Shifan was unaware of these specific developments, he gradually realized that the power of the Yan faction was growing day by day.

The predecessor, Zhang Cong, appeared powerful and domineering on the surface, but in reality, apart from the Great Rites Controversy group he followed, he faced numerous opponents in the court and his new policies were ineffective outside the capital, which forced him to focus all his efforts on reforming the bureaucracy.

While Yan Song may not have been as powerful as Zhang Cong, he used the performance evaluation system to promote batches of his protégés and former officials to key positions. This involved not only the strategy of conquering the Hetao region in the northwest, but also various prefectures and counties throughout the country, thus making his foundation more and more solid.

But Yan Shifan also had his worries.

The return of the Hetao region went too smoothly, and his father's prestige was a bit too high.

The efforts of previous emperors, which took decades, were accomplished in a few years under his rule, making him somewhat of a threat to the emperor's authority.

In this situation, it might not be a good thing for the emperor to neglect his duties; what if he takes care of Yan Song before stepping down?

It's unlikely, but we still need to be cautious!
Just as Yan Shifan's eyes were flashing wildly, he saw that familiar figure.

Amidst the vermilion pillars of the Forbidden City, Haiyue slowly walked towards the city, bathed in dappled sunlight.

The hem of the official's robe swept across the jade steps, seemingly carrying a strange and imposing aura—

That is the sharpness that has been honed over the years, like an ancient sword in its sheath finally revealing its cold light!

“Mingwei…”

Yan Shifan suddenly had a feeling.

This friend is different now.

As my father said, a deep pool holds water, remaining silent for ten years, but when it bursts its banks, it can cause a flood that stretches for thousands of miles.

This is the result of years of hard work and gradual accumulation.

But it came earlier and higher than his father had expected!
"They're here! They're here!" "Is that an imperial edict in Scholar Hai's hand?"

The waiting courtiers rushed forward, filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Your Majesty has a decree!"

As Haiyue's clear voice resonated like the clash of metal and stone, echoing across the hall, all the officials bowed down.

"The Empress Dowager's passing has broken my heart... I am temporarily unable to personally govern the country. All important military and state affairs shall be discussed and decided by the Grand Secretariat and other officials... Please prioritize the well-being of the nation and do not fail my trust..."

After hearing this, the ministers had different expressions, a mixture of joy and worry.

The good news is that after two months, His Majesty has finally given a clear answer to the repeated suspensions of court sessions.

All important military and national affairs shall be discussed and decided upon by the cabinet and all officials. With this decree, the backlog of memorials can be processed without having to wait anxiously for orders from the emperor.

The worry is that His Majesty's neglect of state affairs has cast a shadow over the country's previously thriving power.

Moreover, the cabinet was already clearly divided in terms of strength and weakness, with the Grand Secretary Yan Song's power and influence far exceeding that of the Second Grand Secretary Xia Yan.

When His Majesty was alive, Yan Song did not dare to act recklessly. Now that the cabinet is in charge of the government affairs, isn't Yan Song all-powerful?
Under the watchful eyes of the assembled officials, Haiyue presented the imperial edict with both hands and handed it to Yan Song.

However, just as Yan Song's fingers touched the scroll, Huang Jin, who was standing to the side, stepped forward with a smile and said in a gentle tone: "His Majesty's decree—during the suspension of court, lectures will continue. Tomorrow at the Wenhua Hall, Scholar Hai will still give a lecture."

The words fell.

Yan Song's fingertips trembled noticeably as he received the imperial edict, and the officials who were still kneeling changed color again.

Is today not an exception?

After that, His Majesty did not see any other officials, but only listened to this man's lecture?

Wouldn't he be a bridge for communication between the inside and outside?

And it's the only bridge!
But on second thought, it would be better to have Haiyue in this role than to have Grand Secretary Yan Song.

As a result, the expressions of the crowd changed from shock to weighing the options.

Huang Jin bowed and stepped back, a smile playing on his lips.

This was just the beginning.

Only when the imperial edict is issued will the court and the public truly understand what it means to be "favored by the emperor alone." He had an excellent impression of Haiyue and naturally hoped that this low-key and composed minister could receive this honor.

In contrast, the atmosphere in front of the hall became awkward after Huang Jin left.

Yan Song briefly lost his composure, but remained outwardly calm, maintaining the demeanor and authority of the Grand Secretary.

But the other one didn't have that kind of shrewdness.

Yan Shifan straightened up abruptly, a dangerous glint in his eyes, and grinned, "Brother Mingwei! I never expected that His Majesty would value you so highly. I have long seen that you are no ordinary person, and I hope you will give me more guidance in the future!"

Hai Yue said calmly, "Master Yan, you flatter me. I dare not accept such praise..."

"So formal?"

He was interrupted halfway through his sentence by Yan Shifan, whose face immediately darkened: "What, have you forgotten our friendship as classmates now that you've gained power?"

"what?"

The other officials looked on with amusement, and some even showed disdain.

You, a mere scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, are a spoiled brat who abuses your father's power and commits all sorts of evil deeds. How dare you compare yourself to someone who has achieved academic success in Sanya and spent eight years studying in the Hanlin Academy, a pillar of the nation?
That's just asking for humiliation!

As expected, Haiyue merely frowned slightly, shut her mouth, and stopped responding.

Under the piercing gazes of the crowd, Yan Shifan turned around fiercely, his face showing shame and anger, and spat out: "What's so smug about? You're nothing but..."

"Shut up!"

Yan Song, seemingly old and slow to react, finally changed color in anger, stopped his son, and apologized to Hai Yue: "I have failed in my duty to educate my son, and I hope Scholar Hai will forgive me!"

Compared to before entering the Wenhua Hall, this was the Grand Secretary entrusting his subordinates with important responsibilities.

The tone at this moment clearly indicated equal treatment.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency!"

Haiyue's voice was as clear and gentle as ever, and her demeanor remained humble, but there was a hint of distance: "This humble official still needs to prepare for tomorrow's lecture. I fear I will fail His Majesty's grace, so I will take my leave now."

"it is good!"

Yan Song nodded and stepped aside to make way.

Hai Yue's official robe fluttered slightly as she departed, leaving behind the lingering scent of Yan Song's robe.

The brief encounter left the observing officials with much to ponder.

Some of the officials' eyes flickered, and they moved their feet, actually chasing after them.

"father!!"

"Shut up--"

Yan Shifan's unwilling voice came from behind, and he was immediately rebuked by Yan Song again.

'Hey! What a good-for-nothing!'

'With this son dragging down Grand Secretary Yan, this is our opportunity!'

This commotion quickened their pace.

It's truly unacceptable for a former classmate to rise to a position of power comparable to his father, the Grand Secretary. It's something that arrogant and dissolute people like Yan Shifan simply cannot accept.

Yan Song, as the Grand Secretary, was unable to meet the Emperor and was instead suppressed by a Hanlin scholar, which severely damaged his prestige.

thus.

Those who supported Xia Yan were overjoyed.

This is clearly the best opportunity for Grand Secretary Xia to win over and jointly resist Yan's faction!

Those with strong initiative followed immediately.

In addition, there were court officials who were separate from the chief minister and the second chief minister.

Most officials in the capital had connections, but it's not accurate to say that they all sided with Yan Song and Xia Yan.

There are always those who disagree with both sides, and whose opinions differ greatly.

These officials, already struggling to survive, now followed suit, either by taking shortcuts or by testing the waters.

But they hadn't gone very far.

To their horror, they discovered that behind Haiyue's tall and straight back, there had been a group of young faces.

The first one is Wang Shenzhong, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the fifth year of the Jiajing reign, who was transferred from the position of Left Vice Minister of Henan to the position of Chancellor of the Imperial Academy before the new year.

The second person is Chen Shu, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the eighth year of the Jiajing reign (1549), who served as the Provincial Education Commissioner of Jiangxi and was later transferred to the position of Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The third is Xiong Guo, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the eighth year of the Jiajing reign, a Shujishi (junior compiler) in the Hanlin Academy, and currently serving as the Langzhong (section chief) of the Department of Sacrificial Rites in the Ministry of Rites.

Fourth, fifth, sixth...

In the blink of an eye, a dozen officials silently followed.

The official boots clattered as they stepped over the bricks and stones.

"Ishin-kai! That's it! This group of people all belong to Ishin-kai!"

"what is that?"

"Have you forgotten? Back then, His Majesty personally bestowed an imperial edict, and the head of the academy established within the Imperial Academy was none other than Scholar Hai... Hiss!"

The officials chasing behind gradually stopped and looked at each other in bewilderment.

They then realized with a start that the figure who had been forgotten in the Hanlin Academy for eight years had already silently woven a vast net.

The imperial edict sounded like a thunderclap, and the Yixin Society, which had been lying dormant for many years, emerged like a spring stream breaking through the ice, gathering into a flowing river without needing to be recruited.

Those once young scholars, now clad in scarlet robes and jade belts, have become a new force in the court.

The faction of Grand Secretary Yan Song.

The faction of Second Grand Secretary Xia Yan.

The younger generation of Haiyue's faction.

The power structure of the three leaders in the outer court.

This is how it came to be.

(End of this chapter)