Chapter 100: The Grand Secretary does not have such an incompetent student!

Hence Hai Rui never followed the censors to impeach Zhang Juzheng. This was a point that made the censors in the court extremely disappointed. Of course, this had a great deal to do with the fact that Zhang Juzheng had never truly usurped the power of the sovereign. Zhang Juzheng did not take advantage of the Emperor's young age to bully orphans and widows.

And that screen placed in the Zhao Wenhua Hall was the most powerful evidence.

Hence Hai Rui rarely expressed his position on other matters, but he would definitely support the 'land return' matter. After he received the imperial edict and returned to the capital, he only wanted to handle one thing, and that was to make Xu Jie return the land. Now, it was to make that group of gentry in the Southern Yamen return the land.

"What are the specific regulations?" Hence Hai Rui supported the 'land return' decree, but how to return the land specifically was very worth discussing.

Zhang Juzheng said quite solemnly: "After the powerful and wealthy in the Southern Yamen hand over their armor and crossbows, we will begin the matter of returning the land. Confucius said in governing: 'First, ensure sufficient food.' Guanzi, in assisting the hegemon, also said: 'Ritual and righteousness are born from prosperity.'"

"The Southern Yamen has long suffered from accumulated evils. If we force them to return the land, it will be too hasty. If we forcibly confiscate it, it will be like Jia Sidao's 'Public Land Law'—confiscating it all, leading to complaints everywhere and boiling resentment. This is not a long-term plan."

In the late Southern Song Dynasty, Jia Sidao created a 'Public Land Law' with the purpose of saving the late Southern Song Dynasty's financial crisis. He basically confiscated all the land. As a result, before this policy could be implemented, Jia Sidao was crowned with the name of a treacherous minister. Later, when Jia Sidao fell, the public land confiscated by the Public Land Law all became land for Kublai Khan's military provisions, canal grain, and rewards for meritorious officials.

"If we really buy the land that exceeds the limit from the big households, it seems not impossible," Wang Guoguang said with deep emotion: "But the Imperial Court's treasury is empty; how can we afford to buy it?"

During the Jingding period, Jia Sidao did not directly confiscate it, but bought it with 'huizi', which is paper money. The paper money of the late Southern Song Dynasty was just like the Great Ming's 'Treasure Notes'—it was too thin even to wipe one's butt.

If Jia Sidao had really smashed down real gold and silver to buy the land back, he wouldn't have invited so much resentment.

This is the biggest matter in the court this year. This matter must be done and done well; otherwise, the New Deal will be empty talk, and enriching the country and strengthening the army will be flowers in the mirror and the moon in the water.

The atmosphere was a bit heavy. Everyone looked at Zhang Juzheng, waiting for Zhang Juzheng's disposal.

In the late Southern Song Dynasty, Jia Sidao made things boil with resentment. If we change it to the Great Ming, if the land return in the Southern Yamen is handled poorly, it will inevitably lead to boiling resentment from the gentry of the world. At that time, I'm afraid even Zhang Juzheng won't be able to clean up this scene.

"It is indeed so," Zhang Juzheng nodded in agreement: "This is it. The evils have accumulated for a long time, and ancestral property has been accumulated for generations. The Imperial Court issues a decree saying it's confiscated, and it's confiscated. This invites resentment. If we are too hasty and force them to return it, this is what treacherous people use to shake the superiors. It can confuse the foolish and dark, but it cannot deceive the bright and wise."

Tan Lun spread his hands and said: "If you ask me, just raid their homes! Whoever doesn't return the land, raid their home!"

"If they have the ability, let them rebel, and then the Imperial Court will go to suppress the rebellion. Anyway, Commander Yu is in the Southern Yamen in Songjiang Prefecture, and Commander Qi is in the Northern Yamen. I don't believe they can turn the world upside down? Just order them to return the land forcibly. If they don't agree, raid their homes. With a strong army in hand, why fear them not respecting the order?"

"Then let's follow the Grand Tan Sima's words and force them to return the land," Zhang Juzheng seemed to agree quite a bit.

Tan Lun smiled magnanimously and said: "Grand Secretary, you are anxious again. I was just saying that. Grand Secretary, you handle it. I just saw that your expressions were nervous, so I relaxed a bit. Continue the court discussion, continue the court discussion. Pretend I didn't say anything."

With Tan Lun's interruption, everyone's expressions relaxed a lot. Tan Lun knew he was an impatient person, so he just said it like that.

The fundamental existence of the Imperial Court is to reconcile the contradictions between various classes. If everything goes directly towards a situation of struggle and breaking, the world will not be at peace, and the New Law would be better not implemented.

Zhang Juzheng then said: "Last time, Xu Fan proposed at the Kunshan Poetry Gathering to trade land for shipping permits. I think this idea is very good. The Songjiang Maritime Trade Office has just been established. The Regional Governor of Fujian and the Regional Governor of Yingtian reported that a three-masted shipping permit costs more than 100,000 taels of silver in the Southern Yamen, and if the market is slightly better, it will rise even more."

"One shipping permit for 10,000 mu of fertile land, lower-grade land is calculated at one-fourth, middle-grade land at one-half. They trade and buy among themselves to make up the total, and then exchange it for a shipping permit at the Imperial Court."

"This Songjiang Maritime Trade Office has just been established, so let's set the upper limit at two hundred shipping permits."

Shipping permits need 'kanhe' (matching documents). These two pieces of paper are one piece of paper torn randomly, and then the neat parts are aligned, and the seal is written across the seam. The seal across the seam is a rule left over from the 'Blank Seal Case' of the Hongwu period. A piece of paper cannot be torn into identical dog teeth, and writing across the seam and stamping it is also extremely difficult to forge.

Two hundred shipping permits must be re-applied for every year.

The scale of land return in the first year is 20,000 qing. First come, first served; latecomers get nothing.

"People don't worry about scarcity, but about inequality." Hence Hai Rui, hearing Zhang Juzheng's method of limiting the quantity, immediately understood the key.

Without a shipping permit, you are a Japanese pirate on the sea. If you want to trade and do business, you have to be fearful. From the beginning of shipbuilding to the end of trade, such a long chain of links must not have a single mistake. Otherwise, if the matter is exposed, it is a violation of the ban. Fines are a small matter; beheading is a big matter.

Limiting the quantity in the first year—whoever returns the land early gets a shipping permit and can legally go to sea to trade.

This is playing with division. Zhang Juzheng is a master of playing with people's hearts.

A mature politician must not only move himself but also let the other party exert their subjective initiative, move themselves, and cooperate well with the policy. Obviously, this is where Zhang Juzheng is sinister and cunning.

Zhang Juzheng has always lost in some peripheral areas, but in the two areas of enriching the country and strengthening the army, he can be called ever-victorious.

So, in those few battles Zhang Juzheng lost, did he lose, or did he never intend to win at all?

"Then let's try it for now?" Ge Shouli was silent for a moment and said: "If it works, it works; if it doesn't work, we'll think of another way."

"Is there anyone else who opposes?" Zhang Juzheng looked at everyone.

The Imperial Court doesn't take it for nothing; they can trade land for shipping permits. There are only 110 shipping permits in Yuegang, and they are hard to get. But there are more than two hundred shipping permits in the Songjiang Maritime Trade Office. The price of shipping permits will be impacted by the additional issuance, and the price will inevitably fall, but it will still stabilize at a level where you won't lose money.

This court discussion didn't last long. After all, the metropolitan examination is the big event in the capital right now.

Zhang Juzheng was packing his things, intending to lecture, while Zhu Yijun thought about it again and again before asking: "Grand Secretary, was it intentional?"

"I don't understand." Zhang Juzheng bowed and said. What was the little emperor talking about?

Zhu Yijun said: "Grand Secretary, your two 'kirin sons' entering the metropolitan examination—was it to attract the attention of the censors so as to lower the resistance to pushing the land return decree?"

"This..." Zhang Juzheng rarely didn't answer immediately, but his stammering was enough to explain the problem. Zhang Juzheng was indeed deliberately throwing his two sons out to attract fire!

"Grand Secretary, you are really unscrupulous!" Zhu Yijun was truly amazed.

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and said, holding his hands: "Children grow up and don't listen to their fathers. They have been provincial graduates for a long time. If I don't let them take the exam, they will chatter endlessly. It's better to let them take the exam and know that there is a heaven beyond heaven and mountains beyond mountains."

"What if they pass?" Zhu Yijun asked with a smile.

Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment and said: "They won't pass."

"Let's lecture." Zhu Yijun didn't dwell too much on this question but signaled that the Grand Secretary could begin the lecture.

"One must study and then be happy; one must review the old and then know the new. We have carefully reviewed the lecture notes submitted last year. Those that were not clear were added with a few words, and those that were rambling and not to the point were deleted. Thus, we have compiled one volume of 'The Great Learning', one volume of 'The Book of Yu', and four volumes of 'Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance' to be presented."

"I hope that when Your Majesty has leisure time, you will review them so that you will not forget the old and know the new, and your holy body will be increasingly enlightened. It will be of help." Zhang Juzheng presented the annotated 'Mencius', 'The Great Learning', and other books.

One volume of 'The Analects' was lectured for a whole year. This was not because Zhang Juzheng lectured poorly, nor because the little emperor learned slowly, but because the Emperor asked too specifically, and the Emperor had just started reading, so some principles needed to be explained word by word. The following content would not be so complicated.

Zhang Juzheng bowed and said: "Starting today, we will lecture on 'Mencius'."

"'Mencius met Liang Huiwang.' Liang Huiwang was originally the Marquis of Wei, who usurped the title of King. Mencius valued the Way and did not meet the feudal lords. It just so happened that Liang Huiwang used humble gifts to recruit the virtuous, so it was an opportunity to practice the Way, and Mencius went to see him."

"As soon as Liang Huiwang saw Mencius, he asked: 'Sir, you have come from a thousand miles away, what strategy do you have to benefit my country?'"

"Mencius said: 'The reason I say the King should not speak of profit is because the King is the master of a country, a model for others.'"

"'If the King only seeks profit and says 'How can I benefit my country?', then once this trend is started, everyone will follow suit. If the high officials calculate 'How can I benefit my family?', and the scholars and commoners calculate 'How can I benefit myself?', the superiors will take profit from the inferiors, and the inferiors will take profit from the superiors. When superiors and inferiors compete for profit, the disaster of regicide will arise, and the country will be in danger from then on.'"

"'This is what is called: In a large state of ten thousand chariots, the murderer of the ruler will be a family of a thousand chariots; in a state of a thousand chariots, the murderer of the ruler will be a family of a hundred chariots. To have a thousand out of ten thousand, and a hundred out of a thousand—is that not a lot?'"

Zhang Juzheng lectured on 'Mencius', which happened to correspond to today's land return matter. If the ruler of a country only seeks profit, the disaster of regicide will inevitably arise.

Tan Lun was a successful candidate, so he naturally understood this principle. He said 'raid their homes' just to adjust the atmosphere. When talking about returning land, the atmosphere was too tense, as if they couldn't breathe. This matter was of great importance.

Zhu Yijun agreed quite a bit and said: "If you only seek profit, the disaster of regicide will arise. Ten thousand chariots killing ten thousand chariots, a hundred chariots killing a thousand chariots—it will immediately become 'the rites, music, and military expeditions come from the feudal lords and family ministers', and the world will be without the Way."

"However, should the ruler of a country not speak of profit?"

Zhang Juzheng immediately denied: "Of course not."

"'Mencius said: 'King, why must you speak of profit? There is only benevolence and righteousness.' Benevolence is the virtue of the heart, the principle of love; righteousness is the restraint of the heart, the appropriateness of things.'"

"'Here it means 'there is also', there is also. Mencius said that it is not that the ruler should not speak of profit, but that he cannot only speak of utility; he should also value benevolence and righteousness.'"

Just like 'unity of knowledge and action', just like Confucius's 'pure white quality of the innocent heart', in the long river of history, after constant interpretation and re-interpretation, it slowly lost its original meaning. When you open these classics and understand them according to their original meaning, you find that the Way of Confucius and Mencius is not that it doesn't speak of profit, but that it values benevolence and righteousness more by comparison.

But scholars, as they read, became ashamed to speak of profit and thought they shouldn't speak of profit.

Zhang Juzheng continued: "Mencius told Liang Huiwang that governing a country requires benevolence and righteousness because at that time the Kingly Way was not clear, people's hearts were trapped, and the wandering scholars of various countries were all using theories of utility to flatter the kings. It was all just opportunistic talk, and Mencius alone advocated benevolence and righteousness to curb the overflowing human desires and preserve the Heavenly Principle at a time when it was about to be destroyed. He had great merit."

"'In the seven chapters, there is nothing but this meaning. Readers should savor it in detail.'"

Mencius only spoke of benevolence and righteousness because in the environment Mencius was in, there were already enough theories of utility in the world, not because Mencius didn't speak of utility. If you only read 'Confucius' and 'Mencius' rigidly and dogmatically, and ignore the social situation at the time to understand the teachings of the sages, you will definitely not be able to understand the original meaning of the sages.

"Sir has great talent," Zhu Yijun said with deep emotion: "The Minister of Rites, Wan Shihe, previously defended the gentry of the Southern Yamen and once said a sentence: 'Only benevolence and righteousness are enough, why speak of profit, which will trigger the disaster of danger and destruction!'"

"'Only', that is, only. Wan Shihe said that only speaking of benevolence and righteousness is enough, and there is no need to speak of profit."

"Wan Shihe, the 58th place in the 20th year of Jiajing, reached the position of Vice Minister of Rites in the early years of Longqing. But even Minister Wan's reading seems not to be that proficient. He only knows how to quote rigidly and dogmatically, as if as long as he violates a little bit of the sage's teachings, it is an act against Heaven and the loss of Heavenly Principle, and the Great Ming will perish tomorrow."

Zhang Juzheng thought seriously and said: "Minister Wan's reading has already improved recently. Just like people living must eat, the Imperial Court must pacify the world, so naturally, it must speak of profit."

Hence Hai Rui killed Wan Shihe twice; Feng Bao quoted the words of Confucius and Mencius three times to scold Wan Shihe for not reading books and reading dead books; Zhu Yijun also admonished him twice. Wan Shihe's reading finally looked a bit like something. At least it was the reality of practice, and he even occasionally relied on the 'Theory of Contradictions' as a tool to analyze the teachings of the sages.

This is a good change.

Zhang Juzheng is a pragmatic official. A gentleman is ashamed to speak of profit—Zhang Juzheng won't. He proposed enriching the country and strengthening the army, which is all about speaking of profit, and even wants to intensify it.

The lecture ended, and Zhu Yijun bowed slightly, ending today's lecture.

Zhu Yijun didn't leave immediately but said: "Sir, the Chief Censor Hai said that you, Sir, are 'skilled in planning for the country but clumsy in planning for yourself'. The Chief Censor Hai is the head of the remonstrating officials of the world. Such an evaluation of you naturally has some truth. Letting your two sons bear such wind and public opinion—they haven't entered officialdom yet, and they may not be able to withstand it."

"Seeking extraordinary merit and doing extraordinary things, but if they haven't entered officialdom, then it is for private interest, which is not where the principle lies. The storms of the Imperial Court should not be borne by ordinary people."

Zhang Juzheng bowed and said: "The two children wanted to take the exam themselves, not entirely for public interest, but also for private interest."

"I see." Zhu Yijun left the Zhao Wenhua Hall with a steady pace.

"Respectfully send off His Majesty." Zhang Juzheng bowed to see the Emperor off. This little emperor is really clever. Actually, he played a trick of 'cicada shedding its shell', completely concentrating the attention and wind of the censors on the metropolitan examination of his two sons, while secretly pushing the land return decree in the Southern Yamen.

Zhang Juzheng understood the tricks of the civil officials. Isn't it just that if you can't solve the problem, you solve the person who raised the problem? Zhang Juzheng also knew how to do this.

So the censors would definitely aim at Zhang Juzheng manipulating the national imperial examination, so the wind and public opinion on the land return decree would be a little less, and it wouldn't be so difficult.

He could withstand the attacks of the censors, but could Song Yangshan and Wang Daokun withstand them?

Song Yangshan still carried the unjust case of Hu Zongxian. That forged imperial edict almost knocked Song Yangshan down. Wang Daokun was Hu Zongxian's comrade-in-arms and close friend. Knowing that Song Yangshan still had this matter on him, could he still work together with Song Yangshan?

While Zhang Juzheng was dividing the powerful gentry of the Southern Yamen, the powerful gentry like Xu Jie were also dividing the officials handling the affairs.

Dividing from the inner and outer courts, for example, Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jin hitting the censor Wang Yi in the Southern Yamen was dividing;

Dividing by status: Wang Daokun was the Zhejiang faction, Song Yangshan was the Zhang faction, Yu Dayou was the Emperor's faction, and Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jin were the Eunuch faction;

Dividing by relatives and enemies: Song Yangshan and Wang Daokun, one was Hu Zongxian's enemy, the other was Hu Zongxian's relative and friend.

If Song Yangshan and Wang Daokun parted ways and the land return decree in the Southern Yamen was left unsettled, Zhang Juzheng didn't intend to make any compromises!

Grand Tan Sima Tan Lun said to order them to return the land forcibly, and if they didn't agree, raid their homes!

The two Regional Governors handling the affairs didn't withstand the pressure and chose to surrender or were divided. If the matter wasn't accomplished, Zhang Juzheng intended to enter the field himself, using force as a threat to confiscate the land encroached upon by the powerful!

Kill until the blood flows like a river.

The Imperial Court, from the beginning of its establishment, has been violence.

Zhang Juzheng clearly knew how difficult the path he chose was, so he tried his best and used every possible means to continue walking it.

The censors only knew they had been tricked by this sinister villain Zhang Juzheng when the metropolitan examination list was announced!

Among the three hundred successful candidates in the metropolitan examination, there were no names of Zhang Juzheng's two sons. That is to say, Zhang Juzheng's two sons, who were known for their talent, failed the exam!

That Zhang Maoxiu was clever since he was young. When he first learned to write essays, he knew the ropes, which was much better than the little emperor's reading. He could write essays at seven and became a provincial graduate at sixteen. His youthful talent was famous throughout the world.

As a result, he failed the exam!

"The Grand Secretary is truly... a scholar; he has deceived everyone!" Wang Jiaping, carrying a heavy sense of resentment, left the examination hall. After leaving, he had been preparing a memorial to impeach Zhang Juzheng, but this preparation turned out to be a dud.

The target disappeared.

In the All-Jin Guild Hall, Ge Shouli drank tea quite calmly and said: "They don't remember the pain after the wound heals. The Grand Secretary plays this 'crossing the sea in secret' trick to perfection. Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu both suffered this loss, but the censors don't have any memory."

"How many times have I emphasized it? How many times have I said it? Attacking the Grand Secretary, there is no sentence that is superfluous. You must have the reality of practice, and you must hold onto solid evidence. This time, Zhang Jingxiu and Zhang Maoxiu took the exam. I said, don't make a scene. Look, who is losing face now?"

"Shooting arrows without a target, inviting ridicule."

Fan Yingqi thought for a moment and said: "Ge Gong is still wise and righteous, seizing the handle of Gao Qiyu and catching the Grand Secretary off guard. Formidable!"

"Isn't it? The chief examiner is Lu Diaoyang, Zhang Juzheng's number one running dog, yet he didn't give the faction leader's two sons even a little bit of preferential treatment, letting both of them fail. Tsk tsk."

"If you aren't poisonous, you aren't a man. Zhang Juzheng is a ruthless person."

Ge Shouli said quite dissatisfied: "It's 'if you aren't generous, you aren't a man'. Those who don't have generosity aren't men. Don't talk nonsense. The literary atmosphere of the world is scattered and shapeless, and there are many misinterpretations. It's all caused by this kind of talk being passed around. The affairs of the world are ruined by this."

After Ge Shouli finished lecturing the two members of the Jin Party, he sat up straight, narrowed his eyes slightly, and looked at Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi, saying, "I previously warned you all not to accept silver from candidates to provide conveniences. Did you two listen? Did you provide any conveniences?"

"I judge that the Grand Secretary is very likely to use his sons' failure to pass the exam to raise the banner of clearing up imperial examination malpractice and stop the wind of malpractice in the examination hall."

"If you did it, tell me now. Don't wait until the Grand Secretary strikes, and then come running over to wail."

Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi looked at each other and smiled. Wang Jiaping said, "I accepted the silver."

Fan Yingqi also echoed: "I also took the silver."

Just as Ge Shouli's expression changed drastically, Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi said in unison, "However, we didn't do anything for them."

"Ah?" Ge Shouli was sluggish for a moment and said: "Taking silver but not doing anything, who did you learn this from? This, this, this..."

"We learned it from Li Le, the Investigating Censor for the Ministry of War who inspects the border regions," Wang Jiaping said quite definitively. Li Le had played Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu for fools; after taking the benefits, he still lit the fuse regarding the construction of the Great Wall in Xuanfu and Datong. What could Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu do to Li Le?

Li Le is protected by the Grand Secretary. If Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu dared to use low-down means to retaliate, the Grand Secretary would let them know what means are called low-down.

"To put it bluntly, I learned it from the Grand Secretary," Fan Yingqi said with a strange face: "It seems like nothing. Taking silver but not doing anything, these failed provincial graduates still have to come and send gifts again, asking for guidance. It's not bad."

Ge Shouli, after hearing this, said with admiration: "You two have really done all the bad things."

"Since you took the silver and took the tuition, they are your disciples. You must guide these provincial graduates well, give them plenty of guidance, and don't hide anything. Otherwise, if they fail repeatedly, they will be resentful. If they pass the exam, don't you also have a reputation for virtue?"

"Only mutual benefit can lead to mutual reciprocity. We Jin faction members can't be as 'comrades and factions' as the Zhang faction. Since we are factions based on fellow townsmen, classmates, and teachers, don't do things too maliciously, inviting ridicule from later generations."

"Remember, if you do evil, you cannot live."

"We will strictly follow Master Ge's teachings," Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi said hurriedly.

Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi dared not disobey. Ge Shouli attended the court conferences and knew more information than they did, and he had a better understanding of the prominent officials in the court. This was an information gap. Often, because Ge Shouli stood high and saw far, a few words of guidance from him could save them from disaster.

Sure enough, the next day, Zhang Juzheng submitted a memorial to clear the wind and stop malpractice in the examination hall, summoning four thousand provincial graduates to begin a thorough investigation of imperial examination malpractice. The intensity was unprecedented.

Under this storm, the Ministry of Rites, the Censorate, the Hanlin Academy, the Five Cities Military and Horse Division, and even the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Northern Chief Military Commission had people exposed. The court was shaken.

Lu Diaoyang and Wang Xilie submitted memorials to resign, but the Emperor issued an edict not to allow it and not to discuss it.

The situation was much better than Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng had expected.

The wind of malpractice in the examination hall had been repeatedly banned since the Zhengton period of the Great Ming Emperor Yingzong. In the fourth year of Zhengton, Hanlin Academy scholar Pei Lun was the chief examiner. Imperial examination malpractice was prevalent. Pei Lun refused to attach himself to Yang Shiqi and refused to commit malpractice, not even willing to make things convenient for his own son-in-law. After Pei Lun presided over the metropolitan examination, he was directly dismissed.

Zhang Juzheng thought he would catch a chief examiner, such as Wang Xilie, or catch a co-examiner, such as Wang Jiaping or Fan Yingqi.

Almost every provincial graduate was carefully checked, not letting go of any clues. Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard had internal ghosts exposed. In the end, not a single fellow examiner was caught, let alone the chief examiner.

What were caught were all small fish and shrimp. Large-scale, systematic malpractice did not happen.

More clearly, the Great Ming Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng had 'empty air' but not completely 'empty air'. He didn't catch any fish, only shrimp.

Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi felt even more fearful; it was fortunate they had listened to their party leader and hadn't stirred up trouble. Otherwise, after this round, they feared they would be reporting to the Caishikou execution grounds tomorrow.

"Was Gao Qiyu's case a trap intentionally set by the Grand Secretary?" Wang Jiaping asked Ge Shouli with lingering fear.

Ever since the metropolitan examination, Wang Jiaping had been running to the All-Jin Guild Hall three times a day. He simply rented a study room there; it didn't matter if he didn't use it, the main thing was to be close to the party leader, which made it convenient to talk.

Wang Jiaping supported his party leader with practical actions.

Seeing Wang Jiaping's cowardly appearance, Ge Shouli was so angry he didn't know where to begin. Zhang Juzheng's sinister cunning and swift, decisive style had indeed intimidated Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi.

Ge Shouli knocked on the table and said: "Don't be suspicious. Even the Grand Secretary didn't know about Gao Qiyu's case. How difficult is it to get a waist tag for the All-Chu Guild Hall? This year's metropolitan examination only issued ten. If the Grand Secretary knew and arranged for Gao Qiyu to do evil, could he still be furious and withdraw Gao Qiyu's tag?"

"How much passivity did Gao Qiyu's case cause the Grand Secretary? If it weren't for His Majesty's all-out protection, clear words of leniency, and partiality, and even refusing to pursue Gao Qiyu, with Gao Qiyu's provincial examination topic, it would be difficult for the Grand Secretary to end it if he didn't resign."

"Where have you read your 'Theory of Contradictions'? For all things, we can only decide the beginning; we cannot decide the development process and the result."

"Don't be terrified by the wind and cranes. You can impeach if you want to impeach, as long as the facts are solid."

Fan Yingqi said with a confused face: "Ge Gong is still formidable. Several times he clashed with the Grand Secretary, and he returned with a great victory. It's better for us to follow Ge Gong's lead."

"Grand Minister Yang is formidable; he taught me everything." Ge Shouli didn't take credit. Everything he did followed the outline given by Yang Bo when he resigned.

"It is easy to speak of the unity of knowledge and action, but difficult to practice. Master Ge's ability to achieve the unity of knowledge and action is truly a model for our generation," Wang Jiaping immediately flattered him. Master Ge could settle matters, shoulder responsibilities, and get things done. A party leader like this could not be found even with a lantern.

Ge Shouli just smiled. Yang Bo spent his whole life using his own words and deeds to tell him that when you are surrounded by colorful flowers and clusters of flowers, it is the most dangerous moment. If you indulge in this flattery one after another, you will lose yourself, lose your original heart, and lose your direction.

If it weren't for the little emperor blocking Zhang Siwei's return to the court with his appearance, and Zhang Siwei mastering the military and financial affairs of the Jin faction, Ge Shouli, this faction leader, would be sitting on pins and needles.

The affairs of the world are nothing more than the two words 'fame and profit'.

At this time, the little emperor was on his way to the Baoqi Division. Spring had arrived, and spring plowing was about to begin. Zhu Yijun personally attended to agriculture. It didn't mean that everything was fine just because the Baoqi Division was built. In fact, regardless of wind or rain, he would go to the Baoqi Division every day to see how Xu Zhenming's agricultural book was being written and if there were better ways to raise seedlings.

Zhu Yijun walked out of the Xuanwu Gate and saw someone kneeling from afar—Gao Qiyu.

The little emperor walked over step by step and stopped three zhang away. Zhu Xixiao's hand moved towards his sword. Zhu Xixiao looked at Gao Qiyu as if he were looking at Wang Jinglong, wishing he could draw his sword immediately and chop Gao Qiyu down. Wang Jinglong was assassinating the king, and the matter Gao Qiyu caused was no less than that.

"I am guilty." Gao Qiyu saw His Majesty and kowtowed again to admit his guilt.

Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Qiyu and said with a smile: "You, I've already said that the matter is over. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Gao Qiyu said quite genuinely: "I ask His Majesty to punish me. I did evil as a student of the Grand Secretary. If there is a crime and no punishment, I fear it will cause a rift between you and the Grand Secretary. I am terrified, so I come to plead guilty."

Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Qiyu and said with a smile: "When you were doing things, if you could have thought of this point, could this kind of thing have happened? You think too highly of yourself. This little matter of yours cannot cause a rift between me and the Grand Secretary. The Grand Secretary has great ambition to make the Great Ming rise again. As long as this ambition of the Grand Secretary does not change, there will be no gap between the ruler and the minister."

What if he is a 'usurping ancestor'? As long as he can make the Great Ming rise again, it doesn't matter if Zhang Juzheng is given the title of 'usurping ancestor' after his death. A minister with great merit to the world and great grace to the ruler—Zhu Yijun can afford to give it, and Zhang Juzheng is indeed unwilling to want it, nor can he afford it.

Even the salary of a first-rank official, Zhang Juzheng ground his teeth three times.

Zhu Yijun looked left and right, looked for a long time, and suddenly realized: "I know what you are worried about. One crime, two punishments. If this crime is not punished now, it will inevitably become the skin that is peeled and the bones that are seen in the future, and it will inevitably be unfavorable to the Grand Secretary. Is it or is it not?"

"Yes." Gao Qiyu was sluggish for a moment. This little emperor is not big, but his mind is extremely clever. He knows exactly what he is thinking!

"Alright, you can still be considered a person, not an ungrateful white-eyed wolf. You know you caused trouble and didn't cause trouble for the Grand Secretary. Just this point is better than many people. Xinjian Bo (Wang Yangming) was upright all his life, but his students are all empty talkers, making Xinjian Bo unable to be worshipped in the Confucius Temple." Zhu Yijun nodded, affirming that Gao Qiyu was a person.

At least this Gao Qiyu can still be considered a person. He was willing to take responsibility for the trouble he caused. Last time, he submitted a memorial requesting to resign; this time, he knelt at the Xuanwu Gate waiting to see the Emperor. Gao Qiyu didn't think that just because the matter was over, it was naturally over, without caring about how Zhang Juzheng, who was implicated, would pass the test and whether it would be brought up again in the future.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said: "Since you want to be punished, then I will demote you to be the County Magistrate of Liyang, Suzhou Prefecture."

"Please, Your Majesty, clarify." Gao Qiyu, hearing that he was going to be demoted, finally relaxed his expression, but he didn't understand what he was going to do there. The County Magistrate of Suzhou Prefecture is a fat job. Going there, what exactly to do, the Emperor must have instructions.

Zhu Yijun said seriously: "After my agricultural teacher Xu Zhenming's teacher Ma Yilong resigned, he reclaimed 127,000 mu of wasteland! Not a single mu was left; it was all encroached upon! You go there, grab back these encroached fields, and if you handle this errand well, I will forgive you."

"I accept the edict." Gao Qiyu knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and accepted the errand.

Gao Qiyu finally knew why the little emperor wanted to personally issue an edict to find Hence Hai Rui back. Obviously, they were comrades on the same path, and Hence Hai Rui and His Majesty were extremely keen on the matter of returning land.

Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Qiyu and said: "If you are unable to do it, go find Wang Daokun, Song Yangshan, Commander Yu, Chen Lin, and others for help. If it still doesn't work, go find Commander Luo Bingliang and let him help you. If it still doesn't work, then you can just resign and go home to be a landlord."

"The Grand Secretary does not have such an incompetent student!"

"If you don't know the general situation, don't have a submissive heart, cause trouble, and implicate your teacher, that's one thing. If you don't even have the ability, why be an official? Go home and sell sweet potatoes!"

After Zhu Yijun finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and walked towards the Baoqi Division with a steady pace.

"I obey the edict, respectfully send off His Majesty." Gao Qiyu knelt on the ground until he couldn't hear the footsteps at all before standing up.

If he couldn't even handle this kind of errand, he probably wouldn't be able to sell sweet potatoes well either. He would just find a rope, hang himself, end this humiliating life, and leave behind the last bit of decency.

As the saying goes, the court discussion in the Zhao Wenhua Hall about returning land in the Southern Yamen, Zhang Juzheng's sinister 'cicada shedding its shell'. To know what happens next, listen to the next chapter. Slap! Thanks to "Yishigong" for the 1500-point reward, thanks for the support, thanks for the recognition. Please vote for monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter)

. ===== CHAPTER 101 =====