manynovel Chapter 172 Cabinet's Reaction
Chapter 172 Cabinet's Reaction
Similar dialogues also took place in the cabinet.
Grand Secretary You took out the third and fourth issues of the Beijing Gazette and placed them on the table, saying, "Have any of you paid attention to the last two issues of the Beijing Gazette?"
"It's not just about paying attention; I've even arranged for someone to make a deal with the bookstore to deliver a copy to your residence every time a new issue of the Beijing Gazette is published. Although the Beijing Gazette is for the common people, officials can also read the contents published in it. I've read all four issues. The editor of the Beijing Gazette is a capable person, and the content of the Beijing Gazette is excellent. It can both educate the people about the law and allow them to understand the affairs of the court in a reasonable way. It's very good, truly excellent."
Zuo Weifeng looked at Grand Secretary You: "Grand Secretary You must have a different opinion, right?"
Previously, Grand Secretary You had been dissatisfied with the Beijing Gazette Office because he had misunderstood that it was competing with the people for profit. Although the Crown Prince explained and cleared up the misunderstanding, Grand Secretary You, who had once served as Minister of Revenue, was very sensitive to the fact that among the many government agencies, it was one of the few that could be self-sufficient and also seek to make a profit.
He has been keeping an eye on the Beijing News!
Grand Secretary You said, "I don't know if you all have noticed. The third issue of the Beijing Daily published an article by a poor scholar in the 'Recommendations of Great Confucian Scholars' section, and Yuan Tianxi personally wrote a commentary on the article. With the publication of the third issue of the Beijing Daily, this person quickly became famous in the capital. Many people went to see him, and many shops offered high prices for his calligraphy. It can be said that just one issue of the Beijing Daily changed this person's fate."
"In the fourth issue of the Beijing Gazette, besides the usual layout, the 'Recommended by Great Confucian Scholars' section included a story at the end that clearly revealed someone had bribed a minor official in the Gazette's office in an attempt to manipulate things behind the scenes. After this issue was published, those few people who tried to manipulate things behind the scenes were like rats in the street, hated by everyone in the capital. Even the fact that one of them was Chief Steward Zhou's nephew could not suppress the people's anger."
Grand Secretary You's expression turned grave: "Gentlemen, we have all underestimated the Beijing Daily!"
Everyone present was intelligent, and they understood what Grand Secretary You meant as soon as he finished speaking.
Zuo Weifeng glanced at the silent Crown Prince and asked, "Grand Secretary You, what do you think was the purpose of the Emperor and the Crown Prince establishing the Capital Gazette Bureau in the first place?"
This was exactly the effect that Emperor Shun'an and the Crown Prince wanted.
Otherwise, why would they go to such great lengths to establish a new government office?
Is it to make money?
Stop joking!
Grand Secretary You said, "I understand. I'm not saying that the Beijing Gazette shouldn't exist, but its influence has grown too fast. The Beijing Gazette Bureau is no longer suitable for a young man who has just passed the imperial examination. It needs to be managed by a mature and prudent person to avoid mistakes that could damage the court's reputation."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince looked up and asked, "Does Grand Secretary You mean that Wen Zongji has gone to great lengths to make the Beijing Gazette famous, and now the court wants to take that achievement away from him?"
Grand Secretary You shook his head: "Your Highness, this old minister did not mean that. His Majesty has always been fair in rewarding and punishing. Chief Wen has made meritorious contributions in managing the Capital Gazette Bureau, and should naturally be rewarded. Appointing another steady person to manage the Capital Gazette Bureau will also make it easier to review the contents of the Capital Gazette. Many of the officials in the Capital Gazette Bureau are young people, and they are bound to be clumsy in their work. If there is no trustworthy person in charge, I'm afraid trouble will arise sooner or later."
Zuo Weifeng said, "It's a bit early to discuss merits and rewards now. Although the Beijing Gazette has already made a name for itself in the capital, the Beijing Gazette Bureau has only been established for two months, and many rules and regulations are not yet finalized. We have all read the article by Wen Zhanggao on the imperial examination, and no one knows better than him how to improve the rules and regulations of the Beijing Gazette Bureau. I think we can wait until the Beijing Gazette Bureau is fully on track and has a complete set of procedures for publishing the Beijing Gazette before we discuss merits and rewards Wen Zhanggao."
Grand Secretary You frowned: "After all, Wen Zhanggao is a young man. Even though he proposed the establishment of the Beijing Daily, he is still inexperienced. Now that the Beijing Daily is famous, any mistake he makes will spread throughout the capital in a short time, and we may not have time to make amends."
"Grand Secretary You, please don't be prejudiced against young people. We were all young once. I remember that you were just as steady and reliable when you were young. The late Emperor praised you many times. We are not young anymore. The future court needs young people. Let's have more confidence in them."
Grand Secretary You frowned: "How can this be the same? If someone makes a mistake elsewhere, no matter how serious, we are confident that we can block the news. But for the Beijing Daily, even if it's just a single misspelled word, it will spread throughout the capital. The impact is too great. Just thinking about such a powerful tool being controlled by a mere youth makes me tremble with fear."
However, he also saw that the Crown Prince had no intention of transferring Wen Zongji, so Grand Secretary You made a compromise: "Even if we don't change the person in charge of the Capital Gazette Office, we must send a reliable person to supervise it and ensure that the content published in each issue of the Capital Gazette will not have a negative impact on the court."
Hearing this, Zuo Weifeng didn't say anything more; he had already done what he needed to do.
Grand Secretary Wu Yangeng looked at the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, Grand Secretary You's concerns are not without merit. What is your opinion?"
The Crown Prince said calmly, "I'm afraid you Grand Secretaries have forgotten that the Capital Gazette Office belongs to the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the group were slightly taken aback.
In a strict sense, there is no difference between being subordinate to the Crown Prince and being subordinate to the imperial court, since both are officials appointed by the imperial court.
But the Crown Prince's nitpicking at this point was clearly an expression of his attitude—he did not want anyone to interfere with the arrangement of officials in the Capital Gazette Office.
Grand Master You's expression was grim. He hadn't expected the Crown Prince to be so stubborn. He had already clearly explained the pros and cons and made concessions, but the Crown Prince still wouldn't budge an inch.
Wu Yangeng gave the Crown Prince a deep look. This was the first time the Crown Prince had been so assertive in all the time he had been in power.
He chuckled lightly: "In that case, the affairs of the Imperial Gazette Bureau shall still be arranged by the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary You could only swallow his words.
Wu Yangeng is the Grand Secretary; he has already made the decision, so it wouldn't be good for him to object.
……
At lunchtime, the Crown Prince ate with Zuo Weifeng.
"Just now in the cabinet, I thank my maternal grandfather for speaking up for Wen Zongji."
This is the advantage of having connections in the cabinet.
No matter how young the Crown Prince is, he is still the heir apparent of the Great Chu. Moreover, Grand Secretary You is an old minister, so it is indeed not appropriate for the Crown Prince to argue with him too much. It is perfectly reasonable for Zuo Weifeng to step in.
Zuo Weifeng said, "Grand Secretary You is old-fashioned, but he is also wholeheartedly concerned for the court."
The crown prince nodded: "I understand."
Even though he understood, the Crown Prince couldn't possibly be completely unperturbed by Grand Secretary You's two consecutive attacks on the Imperial Gazette Office.
Zuo Weifeng could tell that the Crown Prince was not being sincere, but he didn't say anything. He had already said what he needed to say, and saying anything more would be overstepping his bounds.
"As the influence of the Beijing Gazette grows, the court will eventually have to change the person in charge of the Beijing Gazette Bureau."
Zuo Weifeng brought the topic back.
The Crown Prince said, "I understand. But when to replace him is up to me."
The crown prince disliked being forced to do things.
Zuo Weifeng laughed and said, "That's natural."