Originally, everyone thought that today's Wenhuadian meeting would be very long and intense. But no one expected that the emperor would show his attitude at the beginning and deal with this matter quickly.

Zhu Youzhen sat in his position, looked at the group of officials with different thoughts below, thought for a while, and then spoke again: "I think that if the Ming Dynasty is compared to a person, then the cabinet is the human mind, the court is the body, and the officials in various places are siblings.

When the mind gives the command, the body and the siblings should act according to the command, not talk to themselves. If everyone wants to do their own thing, then what else do we need to do with the imperial system? ”

"Your Majesty said this, and the ministers were a little puzzled, if the cabinet issued the wrong order, should we also follow it?" Huang Daozhou finally couldn't help but step forward and said.

Zhu Youzhen looked at him and said, "What is the wrong order? Is it a mistake that you personally think is wrong, or is it a mistake that people in the world think? If it is your own personal mistake, you can reserve your opinion, but still carry out the orders of the cabinet.

If everyone in the world thinks that the Cabinet's orders are wrong, then the Cabinet will naturally correct them. But I will never allow anyone to incite others to oppose the orders of the Cabinet for their own selfish purposes, in order to achieve some ulterior secrets. ”

When Huang Daozhou was still about to continue debating with the emperor, Yuan Keli had already stopped before him and said to Chongzhen: "What Your Majesty said is very true, but the judgment between these two mistakes is difficult for most people to determine, and it will inevitably not become an excuse for the ruling government to crack down on officials with different political views. ”

Zhu Youzhen was silent for a while, then nodded at Yuan Keli and said, "What Yuan Shangshu said is not unreasonable, so I think it is better to set a few work disciplines for officials today."

Localities should obey the central government, subordinates should obey superiors, and the minority should obey the majority when deliberating. It is forbidden for superior officials to use their power to retaliate against those who disagree. ”

This is the first time that Chongzhen has expressed his views on the administrative institutions in the court, and it is also the first time that the Ming Emperor has a clear attitude to break some unwritten unspoken rules.

For the emperor, an ambiguous political attitude allowed them to have more choices and not have to take on more responsibility.

An emperor with an ambiguous attitude will naturally make those court officials guess his thoughts all day long, and eventually everything revolves around him, which can eliminate the appearance of powerful ministers to the greatest extent.

But behind this concentration of power means a massive waste of administrative resources and the incompetence of the bureaucracy. Because all officials must be accountable upwards, not downwards.

Chongzhen's proposition was harmed the most, but it was himself who benefited, and it was the cabinet and the entire Ming bureaucracy that benefited.

Most of the officials only thought about it for a while before they understood this truth. Naturally, they would not object to the emperor's practice of strengthening the central power of the imperial court.

And the reason why Chongzhen wants to be so distinct, expressing his ideas in front of everyone is also a helpless compromise.

Whether it was relief for the victims of the disaster or the ensuing war against Lin Dan Khan, he needed a bureaucratic system that was consistent and functioning.

If he ignores these lower-level officials to oppose the authority of the cabinet, although he can get the effect of restraining the excessive power of the cabinet, it will also make Huang Liji and other cabinet members look ahead and backward, and dare not deal with some unexpected situations decisively.

In the end, these indecisive matters will all be pushed in front of him, which is undoubtedly asking for trouble for himself.

After confirming the emperor's support for himself, Huang Liji reversed his forbearance a few days ago, and immediately recommended it vigorously at the meeting, and several officials from the north were going to inspect the style of study in the Jiangnan region as inspectors of the imperial history.

The two envoys to the Chahar and Ordos ministries were also confirmed at the meeting.

Although it has not been officially announced at this time, the news that Daming is going to fight against Lin Dan Khan, but the gossip in the capital has spread all over the city, and the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies is gathering soldiers, horses and military supplies, preparing to go to Datong to fight.

The gentleman tends to be auspicious and avoids evil, such a dangerous mission is obviously not suitable for them, the pillars of the court, to take risks.

Therefore, after only a little deliberation, everyone agreed to the two candidates proposed by the emperor. The envoy to the Ordos Department was Wu Ruzheng, the younger brother of Wu Ruyin, who was obedient to the Marquis.

Gongshun Hou Wu Ruyin was the Mongol who came to Shun during the Yongle period to return to Timur, and the Yongle Emperor gave the name Wu Yuncheng. He lived in the valley of Saiwaitagou in Gansu Province, and was an official in the Northern Yuan Dynasty to Pingzhang. After returning to Shun, he lived in Liangzhou for farming and herding, and guarded the border of Liangzhou for the Ming Dynasty.

When he arrived at Wu Ruyin, it had gone through seven generations, and there was basically no difference between him and the Han people. It was precisely because of the special status of the Marquis of Gongshun that Chongzhen intended to let him send an envoy to the Ordos Department to gain the trust of the Ordos Jinong Exuanchen.

However, Wu Ruyin was old and frail, and politely rejected the emperor's proposal, Chongzhen had to retreat to the next best thing, and chose Wu Ruyin's younger brother, the young and powerful Jinyi Wei commander Wu Ruzheng.

As for the envoy of the Chahar Ministry, this seemingly more dangerous task fell on Liu Jingting's head without dispute.

After the meeting, Chongzhen asked people to leave Yuan Keli and Huang Daozhou, Huang Liji was slightly surprised, but he hid his mood well and left the Wenhua Palace.

What Yuan Keli has been doing since he took office is to sort out the Da Ming Law, and he seems to want to revise and add a more complete and detailed law in his lifetime.

This also made the Donglin Party who recommended him to the position quite disappointed, they originally expected that after Yuan Keli took the position, he could contain the ruling of this cabinet, and it would be more perfect if he could pull down a few non-Donglin Party leaders or cabinet members.

However, Yuan Keli immersed himself in studying the provisions of the law, and did not do much except to recommend a few Donglin Party members to serve in the Criminal Department.

Yuan Keli turned a blind eye to the dissatisfaction of the Donglin Party members with him, and tried his best to restrain the actions of Huang Daozhou, who was considered his disciple.

His move finally won Chongzhen's approval, so today Zhu Youzhen wanted to test and let the officials of the Criminal Department under the leadership of Yuan Keli do something.

When all the officials in the hall left and the door of the main hall was closed again, Zhu Youzhen said to Yuan Keli in a relaxed tone: "Dasi Kou, I left you here to discuss things with you, mainly related to the work of the Criminal Department. ”

Yuan Keli waited for Chongzhen to arch his hand, and said calmly: "Please also ask Your Majesty to make it clear." ”

Zhu Youzhen said: "I think I have heard some rumors that my Ming Dynasty is going to unite with the Mongolian right-wing tribes and fight a battle with the left-wing tribes led by Lin Dan Khan to prevent him from annexing the Mongolian right-wing tribes and disturbing the stability of the Hetao region. ”

Yuan Keli nodded at Chongzhen and said, "If Your Majesty asks the old minister whether this battle should be fought, then the old minister will say that it should be fought."

Right-wing Mongolia has been friendly with our Ming Dynasty for decades, and we know the roots of our relationship with the right-wing Mongolian tribes. Even if there is anyone in the right-wing Mongolian tribes who can't think of it and wants to start a war with our Daming, there will always be other tribes who secretly inform us.

However, the left-wing Mongol tribes led by Lin Dan Khan were different, although I also had trade contacts with them, but in the past, after all, they were far apart and did not understand each other. If Lin Dan Khan's clan wants to attack my Daming, it is estimated that there will not even be a single one who will report to my Daming.

What's more, the right-wing Mongol tribes scattered by Lin Dan Khan, under the condition that no one restrains them, will definitely harass our northwest frontier region, the defense line of thousands of miles in the northwest, how can we defend it? ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded in agreement and said: "What Mr. Yuan said is indeed true, but this time our Ming Dynasty sent troops, in addition to assisting the right-wing Mongolian tribes to resist Lin Dan Khan's annexation war, I also plan to take this opportunity to strengthen the control of the right-wing Mongolian tribes, lest they communicate with Jiannu'an and reveal the truth of our Ming Northwest Frontier." ”

Yuan Keli nodded in agreement, "Your Majesty Shengming, taking advantage of the pressure of Lin Dan Khan's outside, my Daming can indeed subdue a few Mongolian tribes and serve as a barrier to the western border fortress." So Your Majesty, what do you want the minister to do with the Criminal Department? ”

Zhu Youzhen leaned towards Yuan Keli before he said with a serious face: "If you want to recover the hearts of the Mongolian tribes, it is definitely not enough to rely on some material rewards. And the current city reward is at most to benefit the noble leaders of the tribes, and the herdsmen at the bottom of the tribe have little or no favors from my Ming Dynasty.

The leaders and nobles of those Mongolian tribes, even if they received the city reward from my Daming, regarded it as their reward for threatening the Ming Dynasty by force, and few of them were grateful to my Daming. If there is no market reward one day, it is estimated that their enemies who fall to the Ming Dynasty will not hesitate.

Therefore, I intend to extend the kindness of my Ming to the people of every tribe this time. In addition to establishing close economic ties with these tribes, I am also prepared to import the culture and politics of my Ming Dynasty into each tribe as well.

What the Criminal Department had to do was to send people to negotiate with the leaders of these tribes what laws should be used to punish the Ming and Mongol people when there was a conflict; What punishment should the Mongols punish if they broke the law in the territory of the Ming Dynasty; The Ming people have violated the law in the Mongolian tribes, how should they be punished..."

After listening to it for a long time, Yuan Keli came back to his senses and said, "Your Majesty means that you want to formulate a set of laws for the Mongolian ministries?" ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded and said: "That's pretty much it, of course, now the Ming Dynasty doesn't have such a great influence on the Mongolian ministries, so it's just a few enforceable legal provisions."

I only ask for a few points: first, when formulating the provisions of the law, we must respect the living habits of the other party, but we must not sacrifice the interests of our people;

2. When formulating the provisions of the law, it is necessary to consult one tribe and one tribe, and not to bring all tribes together for consultation;

3. Tribes who are willing to abide by the laws of our Ming Dynasty must demarcate fixed pastures for them, and try to limit their population to no more than 1,000 households;

Fourth, for the tribes that are willing to submit to our Ming Dynasty, in addition to demarcating the pastures, some children and young people should also be selected to study in Beijing, and in the future, they will serve as judges for the implementation of laws in the tribes. ”