Chapter 109: Double It? Super Double!

"I asked the Grand Secretary to bring his father to the capital. Is there anything inappropriate about that?" Zhu Zhu Yijun didn't wait for the court officials to speak at all, taking the initiative to speak first, attributing the cause of this matter to himself.

The fact was indeed so. He had ordered Zhang Zhang Juzheng to bring his father, but Zhang Zhang Juzheng refused. Zhu Zhu Yijun forced the order, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng couldn't disobey the imperial decree, so he had to comply.

Wu Wu Zhongxing impeached Zhang Zhang Juzheng for moving his father to be cared for. After the little Emperor spoke, the nature of the event immediately changed into an act of blocking the imperial decree.

"Hou Hou Yuzhao submitted a memorial requesting that court officials and cabinet ministers not be isolated from the inside and outside, impeaching the Grand Secretary for intimidating the sovereign. The Grand Secretary requested to open court meetings and also requested that I meet with county magistrates, jail wardens, people with grievances, and village elders."

"Isn't this the 'not isolating the inside and outside' that the pure-stream officials requested? I have decreed for village elders to enter the capital. Is that not allowed? Village elders are elderly people with high moral character and are respected by others. Or does Wu Wu Zhongxing think that the Grand Secretary's father is not a village elder?"

"The Master (Confucius) valued filial piety. Throughout the ages, has it not been about governing the world with filial piety?"

"The Grand Secretary has personally accepted the late Emperor's entrustment, assisting me in my youth. The country is stable, and the world is at peace. This is the greatest loyalty, rarely seen since ancient times. Since ancient times, there has been no saying that loyalty and filial piety cannot be achieved together. I have decreed for the Grand Secretary's father to enter the capital to fulfill great filial piety."

"In the fourth year of Emperor Hongwu, the Prefect of Henan Prefecture, Xu Lin, and the Hundred-Household of the Southern Right Guard, Zhang Lun, cared for their parents. Emperor Taizu Gao issued a decree allowing them to care for their parents to fulfill both loyalty and filial piety. Encouraging filial piety, persuading honesty, and moving parents to be cared for—this is the established law of the ancestors."

"I just don't understand. Is such a beautiful thing that conforms to ritual law and the established law of the ancestors worth bringing up in a court discussion?" Zhu Zhu Yijun's tone was cold and stern, completely lacking his previous sunny and cheerful appearance, looking exactly like an Emperor of the Zhu family. It was all about two words: "virtue is shallow."

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Wan Shihe and asked coldly: "Minister Wan, is there a problem with what I said?"

"No! There is no problem at all!"

"Your Majesty's wisdom is gradually opening. Your understanding of ritual law and the established law of the ancestors is not wrong. Your Majesty is right!" Wan Wan Shihe was startled. It wasn't him who impeached Zhang Zhang Juzheng, so why ask him!

This long paragraph from the little Emperor didn't have the slightest bit of the little child's unclear logic!

Talking about it from the perspective of the Master valuing filial piety completely conformed to Confucian ritual law; even the sour scholars and corrupt scholars couldn't say a word. From the perspective of the established law of the ancestors, "encouraging filial piety, persuading honesty, and moving parents to be cared for" was a proper established law of the ancestors. From the perspective of the current situation, it was because the pure-stream officials requested that court officials and cabinet ministers not be isolated from the inside and outside that there was the matter of meeting village elders.

Shouting: "The Way of the Former Kings is not something our sovereign can practice; are they not traitors?"

During the Hongzhi period, the Empress Zhang's younger sister entered the palace. Emperor Xiaozong issued a decree saying he wanted to make Empress Zhang's younger sister a consort. The court discussion did not approve. Xie Qian said: "Shun married the two daughters of Yao. Your Majesty wants to make Empress Zhang's younger sister a consort; there is nothing that cannot be done."

Xie Qian's meaning was obviously saying: "Xiaozong, go take a piss and look at your own virtue. How dare you compare yourself to Yao and Shun? If you think you can compare to Shun, then make this younger sister a consort."

This is what Mencius said: "If you cannot call our sovereign a traitor, then shouting that the Way of the Former Kings is not something our sovereign can practice makes them national traitors."

From the perspective of ritual law, established law of the ancestors, and procedural systems, the little Emperor's decree allowing Zhang Zhang Juzheng's father to enter the capital had no problems at all. Wan Wan Shihe didn't want to be a national traitor, so naturally, he wouldn't refute the Emperor's words.

Emperor Taizu Gao could do it, so why couldn't Your Majesty?

"Oh, I thought I understood it wrong." Zhu Zhu Yijun said: "Commander, find Wu Wu Zhongxing. I want to ask him face to face!"

"Commander?"

Zhang Hong, who was by the Emperor's side, whispered: "Your Majesty, the Commander passed away the day before yesterday."

Zhu Zhu Yijun was slightly dazed. He took a deep breath of the cool morning air to wake himself up. He had just been muddled by anger. The new Commander had just been appointed, and the Ministry of Personnel hadn't finished the paperwork yet. Naturally, there was no Commander in the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

He said again: "Zhang Daban, go summon Wu Wu Zhongxing for an audience."

"This official receives the decree." Zhang Hong hurried away and, before long, announced Wu Wu Zhongxing from the Hanlin Academy to the hall.

Wu Wu Zhongxing was extremely uneasy when he went to the hall. After entering, he bowed five times and knocked his head three times, saying loudly: "Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live."

Zhu Zhu Yijun flipped through another memorial and said: "You submitted a memorial to speak about affairs, saying that the matter of the Prince Dingxiang Prince title is inappropriate."

"'It says: Right Commander Zhu Zhu Xixiao, citing the precedent of Duke of England Zhang Mao, begged to posthumously award his brother Zhu Zhu Xizhong the title of Prince. The posthumous award of Zhang Mao cannot be taken as a precedent. Although Zhu Xizhong served three dynasties, he only performed the duties of a minister and never achieved great wonders on the border or threw himself into the difficulties of war. His life was already rewarded enough, and discussing merit after death, it is difficult to exceptionally posthumously award the title of Prince. This is not what should be done.' You requested to strip it."

"This is your memorial, right?"

Wu Wu Zhongxing knelt on the ground. Hearing the Emperor recite his memorial word for word, he knelt on the ground and said loudly: "This official still believes that the merit of the Duke of Ding is not enough to be awarded the title of Prince!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun sneered, looked at Wu Wu Zhongxing, and asked: "In what capacity, what status, and what position are you opposing the posthumous award of the Prince Dingxiang Prince title? Asking me to strip the title that has already been posthumously awarded? Are you a cabinet minister or a censor? Do you have the authority to block imperial decrees?"

"You are just an editor in the Hanlin Academy, promoted one rank for editing history, only rank 6. The Commander cited old precedents to request the title, and after the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of War discussed it, it was sent to the court to discuss the merit and decide on the posthumous award. If I had acted arbitrarily, you could submit a memorial to speak, but is it possible that a matter decided by the court discussion cannot be carried out because of your words?"

"Posthumous honor, and you still pursue it so relentlessly—is this to gain a pure name, or for the sake of the country's system?!"

Wu Wu Zhongxing was caught off guard by the Emperor's questions one after another. He knelt on the ground and said: "This official is a minister of the Ming Dynasty."

Wu Wu Zhongxing was also quick-witted. When the Emperor asked what his status was, Wu Wu Zhongxing said he was a minister of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty even allowed gentry to submit memorials to speak about affairs. Although it was very difficult, the channel existed. For example, the gentry in the far south used the congratulatory memorial to scold Yin Yin Zhengmao for dismantling doors, and Xu Xu Jie used old acquaintances to let his students speak.

Precisely because he was a minister of the Ming Dynasty, he submitted the memorial.

"Then let's do this: you can just stay at rank 7. Don't be rank 6 anymore." Zhu Zhu Yijun said immediately.

When Wu Wu Zhongxing heard that his history-editing merit was going to be stripped and he was going to be demoted one rank, he was anxious. He argued urgently: "Ah? This official was promoted one rank for editing history. This, this, this, stripping it without cause—the thunder and rain are all the Emperor's grace. This official begs Your Majesty to pity this official's loyalty."

"Rewards and punishments—how can they be such a child's play?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun said as a matter of course: "That's right, how can rewards and punishments be such a child's play? You have the merit of editing history, so you need to be promoted. Why can't the Prince Dingxiang Prince be posthumously awarded after death?"

"The Duke of the Ming Dynasty is not necessarily posthumously awarded the title of Prince after death. It depends on merit. The Duke is extremely noble, and the next step is Prince. Living people cannot be made Princes. When the Duke passes away, the merits are gathered together to calculate whether a Prince title can be posthumously awarded."

"More clearly, this is a posthumous honor and respect. You are entangled in such matters, so naturally, I have to scold you."

"Fine, I will follow your words. Then strip the Prince Dingxiang Prince title, and you will also have your history-editing merit stripped and be demoted one rank. How about that?" Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Wu Wu Zhongxing and stated his method of handling it.

If Wu Wu Zhongxing dared to agree, Zhu Zhu Yijun would issue the decree immediately!

However, by then, Wu Wu Zhongxing's and Zhu Zhu Xizhong's history-editing merits would be stripped, and everyone from Zhang Zhang Juzheng to the Grand Honglu Temple attendants who edited history would have to submit memorials to strip their own history-editing merits.

The court officials knew this "double it" method, so couldn't Zhu Zhu Yijun do it too?

Not only would he double it, he would super double it!

"Absolutely not. This official is guilty." Wu Wu Zhongxing chose to admit defeat. He could deny everything else, but if he denied the history-editing merit, wouldn't he offend everyone in the court who edited history?

The list of meritorious officials who edited history was a long one, and there were people everywhere. Wu Wu Zhongxing wouldn't deny this merit even if his brain was missing a string. This was a rare and scarce political capital.

Zhang Zhang Siwei had calculated this great merit, and he was so calculating that he would even eat Gao Gong's leftovers in Xin Zheng to get it!

Wu Wu Zhongxing was just trying to gain a pure name! The Emperor stripping his history-editing merit was going to kill him! How many people would he offend?

The memorials were submitted not only by Wu Wu Zhongxing but also by Censor Liu Buxi, Bingke Right Giving-Attendant Chen Wu De, Censor Yang Xiang, Nanjing Guangdong Circuit Censor Jiang Ke, etc. This was a series of public opinion winds, all to gain a pure name of not fearing the powerful.

It was just that Wu Wu Zhongxing was relatively typical and was singled out by Zhu Zhu Yijun.

Zhu Zhu Yijun picked up Wu Wu Zhongxing's memorial and gave it to Zhang Hong, saying: "I have rejected your memorial, but you still submitted it. Now I have solved it for you face to face. Do you have any questions? If not, take the memorial back."

"This official thanks Your Majesty for your great grace." Wu Wu Zhongxing picked up the memorial and put it into his sleeve.

"Discussing the affairs submitted daily, so that all officials can express their full thoughts and report in detail"—this was the original words Hou Hou Yuzhao had clearly stated when he submitted his memorial!

This was the sincere request of the Censorate and pure-stream officials. So Wu Wu Zhongxing submitted a memorial to speak, and Zhu Zhu Yijun summoned him for an audience—it was their sincere request!

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was unsmiling and serious, but Tan Lun really couldn't hold back.

Hou Hou Yuzhao's memorial not only said that Zhang Zhang Juzheng was isolating the inside and outside, but even brought the court officials into it. He insisted on bringing the little Emperor out. Now that he was brought out, was he satisfied?

Court officials and cabinet ministers isolating the inside and outside was for the sake of the Censorate officials!

Zhu Zhu Yijun picked up Wu Wu Zhongxing's memorial impeaching Zhang Zhang Juzheng again and said: "Let's talk about the second matter: the Grand Secretary bringing his father to be cared for."

"I am not favoring the Grand Secretary privately. Censor-in-Chief Ge also often impeaches the Grand Secretary, and what he says is reasonable and well-founded. Take the Gao Zhu Qiyu case, for example. I clearly favored the Grand Secretary, but the Grand Secretary punished himself first, returned the honor of the rank 1 salary, stripped Gao Zhu Qiyu's waist plate, and submitted a memorial to let Gao Zhu Qiyu visit the West to see the customs.

"Can you find something useful to impeach him with? Everyone is very busy. I am busy from morning till night, and the ministers are also very busy. The country is drifting, pressing the gourd and the ladle floats. Can you not waste everyone's time?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun gave Zhang Zhang Juzheng the rank 1 salary. This was a signal. In the little Emperor's plan, after the Examination Law was completed, he would bestow the title of Grand Tutor.

Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Guardian were the Three Dukes, rank 1, honorary titles, with no fixed number and no special appointment.

Xu Xu Jie's bullshit Grand Tutor title was Crown Prince Grand Tutor, an auxiliary official of the Grand Tutor, not even counting as one of the Three Dukes or Three Guardians.

In the Gao Zhu Qiyu case, under the Emperor's hundred-fold leniency, Zhang Zhang Juzheng still returned his rank 1 salary to the Emperor. This self-punishment was something even Ge Ge Shouli and Hence Hai Rui couldn't find fault with.

The signal released by the Emperor was so obvious: he was going to give the living person the official title of Grand Tutor. As a result, Zhang Zhang Juzheng cut off his own path to this honor.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Wan Shihe and said: "Minister Wan, why don't you explain the ritual law and established law of the ancestors in this?"

Wan Wan Shihe bowed and received the order, saying: "The Master said: 'While parents are alive, do not travel far. If you travel, you must have a destination.'"

Wan Wan Shihe started from ritual law, then talked about the established law of the ancestors, and after finishing that, talked about the established law of the ancestors and the practical significance of the Emperor meeting with outside officials, village elders, and people with grievances regarding the "isolating inside and outside" in Hou Hou Yuzhao's memorial.

"Editor Wu, do you understand? Do you have any more doubts?" Wan Wan Shihe didn't make it too complicated; he talked about it from three aspects based on the Emperor's train of thought.

"No more." Wu Wu Zhongxing was sweating profusely.

Zhu Zhu Yijun drew an 'X' on the memorial and asked: "If you think you are right, say it now. The court officials are all here—the leaders of the Zhejiang Party, Jin Party, and Chu Party are all here, and I am here too. You can state your reasoning. It's not that I won't let you speak."

"If you don't speak now, and go back to gather the censors to impeach again, or even gather the censors to 'knock on the heavenly gate,' then don't blame me."

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Wu Wu Zhongxing knelt on the ground, trembling, and said: "No."

"Fine, take the memorial back to the office and sit at your desk." Zhu Zhu Yijun gave it to Zhang Hong, who returned it.

"This official withdraws." Wu Wu Zhongxing bowed and left the Zhao Wenhua Hall. When he walked out, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Who did the Emperor learn this "always right" style from? His tongue was truly sharp, his logic was meticulous, his thinking was complete, and it was simply flawless.

The "always right" little Emperor was truly terrifying.

"Haha." Tan Lun looked at Wu Wu Zhongxing's departing back and finally laughed out loud.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng reminded him carefully: "Grand Marshal, the Zhao Wenhua Hall is a solemn place!"

"Yes, yes, yes, the Grand Secretary is right." Tan Lun hurriedly stopped laughing and said: "I shouldn't have laughed. It's a loss of decorum and respect. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

All the court officials looked at the moon platform. The little Emperor's tongue was sharper every day. Did he practice with a "tongue-sharpening scripture" from Feng Bao? Today, Wu Wu Zhongxing suffered.

Zhu Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said: "Grand Marshal, you are too serious. Everyone, stop looking at me and continue the court discussion."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng took out the second memorial, opened it, frowned, and said: "It's still Wu Wu Zhongxing's memorial, impeaching Hou Hou Yuzhao for bewitching the country, requesting to stop the court meeting on the third day of the month for detailed reporting, the reason being: the Emperor is young, afraid... of tiring the Emperor."

After a brief silence, Tan Lun burst into laughter!

When he laughed, the court officials laughed, and even the professionally trained ritual officials were laughing.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng waited for a while before saying: "The Zhao Wenhua Hall is a solemn place, the location of the divine artifacts. Silence!"

Only then did everyone quiet down.

"Then this matter has been discussed twice, so there is no need to discuss it again. Just reject it directly. Does anyone have any objections?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked, holding Wu Wu Zhongxing's memorial.

No court official had any objections. This memorial was rejected, and the third day of the month—the court officials' day of suffering—continued in an orderly manner.

Zhu Zhu Yijun stamped it, but suddenly realized a very serious problem and said: "The Grand Secretary has great talent, and Hou Hou Yuzhao is a pillar of the country."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng bowed and said: "Your Majesty praises me too much. This official only realized it recently."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng also realized the significance of meeting with court officials.

Censors had a killer move called "knocking on the heavenly gate," which involved crying, making a scene, and hanging themselves. If they encountered something they couldn't decide, they would knock their heads. The Censorate officials played this move to perfection. The rules of the game were that the law didn't punish the masses. Hurting the eyes and ears of the monarch was hurting the bones and upright spirit, and hurting the supervision of the world.

The young Emperor Jiajing Emperor fell for this trick and fell into a passive position.

The imperial court needed Censorate officials to perform their duties as eyes and ears and impeach the lawless.

But the Emperor meeting with court officials on the third day of every month, with the Emperor answering the memorials himself—if there was anything to say, it could be said face to face—could effectively avoid the shameless trick of the Censorate officials "knocking on the heavenly gate."

If you have an opinion, the Emperor will answer it himself and state the reasons. If you oppose it, say it face to face. If you gather privately again, that is unreasonable, unloyal, unfilial, and intolerable by heaven.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng adopted Hou Hou Yuzhao's memorial without thinking that it would have such an effect. At first, he just felt that the little Emperor was increasingly showing the style of an Emperor and could be brought out to be seen, consolidating the Emperor's authority and responding to the wind of public opinion about isolating the inside and outside.

Today, when Wu Wu Zhongxing came, Zhang Zhang Juzheng realized the subtlety of it.

The court meeting on the third day of the month not only had to be held but also had to be held continuously. It had practical significance.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng took out the third memorial and said: "The third matter of the court discussion: border farming. The Baoqi Office requests to select farmers to work in the Baoqi Office to facilitate working in all directions. The soil and water in all directions are different, so farming is also different. Sweet potatoes are the best way to save from famine, but they still need to be promoted cautiously, and taxes should not be folded for the time being."

The court discussion proceeded noisily, and the government affairs of the Ming Dynasty were pushed forward in an orderly manner. Besides finding himself the job of annotating history books for the Emperor, Zhang Zhang Siwei also submitted a memorial to continue proofreading the "Yongle Li Dadian" and requested to carve blocks to record it to pass on the merit of ten thousand generations.

Don't say, really don't say, this was really a big job.

After the "Yongle Li Dadian" was completed, although there were copies, it had never been carved and printed. Zhang Zhang Siwei wasn't making something out of nothing; he really found a place to achieve merit.

The court discussion passed it, and the carving and printing of the "Yongle Li Dadian" was put on the agenda.

The court discussions proceeded in a noisy manner, while the Great Ming's administrative affairs were being pushed forward in an orderly fashion. Besides finding himself the job of annotating historical books for the Emperor, Zhang Zhang Siwei also submitted a memorial requesting to continue the collation of the "Yongle Li Dadian" and petitioned for the woodblock carving and printing of it to pass down the merit of ten thousand generations.

And don't even mention it, really don't even mention it, this is truly a massive undertaking.

After the "Yongle Li Dadian" was completed, although there were handwritten copies, it had never been carved and printed. Zhang Zhang Siwei was not creating a pretext out of thin air; he had truly found a place to establish merit.

The court discussion passed, and the woodblock carving and printing of the "Yongle Li Dadian" were put on the agenda.

Regarding Yin Yin Zhengmao's attack on Luzon in mid-August, Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not bring it to a court discussion. In fact, all the imperial court could provide for this matter was policy support; as for anything else, it could not help much.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng took out a memorial and said solemnly, "Song Yangshan, the Governor of Yingtian; Zhang Jin, the Eunuch in charge of Nanjing's military preparedness; Wang Daokun, the Governor of Songjiang; Yu Yu Dayou, the Regional Commander of Songjiang; and Zhang Cheng, the internal official serving as the Provincial Military Commander of Songjiang, have jointly submitted a memorial: requesting two things. The first is to request an order for land measurement. In addition to the central areas such as Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, and Huzhou, the relatively remote areas like Chuzhou, Hezhou, and Chizhou should also begin to implement the Single Whip Law."

The seven million *qing* of land represented the encroachment in the five most prosperous areas of the Southern Metropolitan Region, and the entire Southern Metropolitan Region, including Chuzhou, Hezhou, and Chizhou, was now included in the sequence of implementing the Single Whip Law.

Upon hearing this, Wang Wang Guoguang immediately said, "And what we must do with this implementation of the Single Whip Law is: identify land by the person, calculate fields by the land, and calculate grain by the fields."

"Since Gui E initiated the Single Whip Law, a problem we have never been able to avoid is: the government decree says it is to measure the land hidden by the powerful and wealthy, but who is actually being measured? It is all the land of the common people. The true land measurement is always carried out on the heads of the common people who have no power."

"If we do it this way, it runs counter to our original intention. The world is plagued by land annexation, and the more our court's decrees measure the land, the more it intensifies annexation. That would be failing to practice benevolence and righteousness, and losing the way of the world."

"And if we do not measure the land, these powerful and wealthy people will become even more fierce, even more lawless, and will hold the power of life and death, and the world will also be in chaos."

"Difficult, a dilemma; chaotic, a disaster."

This is the state of the Great Ming; there are dilemmas everywhere. Trying to find a way to resolve these dilemmas is even harder than ascending to heaven. Doing it is wrong, and not doing it is even more wrong; one can only try every possible way to move forward.

Wang Wang Guoguang further said, "Facing this kind of dilemma, we often find that we are trapped in a vicious circle from which we cannot escape. Measuring the land is wrong, and not measuring the land is also wrong. Once the administration of officials slackens, measuring the land and clearing up encroachments are all futile efforts. The effort put in seems to be in vain."

"Naturally, a kind of pessimism arises: just let it be, forget it, it's about the same, doing it or not doing it makes no difference, why do it? Doing more leads to more mistakes, doing less leads to fewer mistakes, and doing nothing leads to no mistakes. Maintaining the status quo is enough."

"Others can be like this, engaging in empty talk and boasting, but fiscal and tax matters cannot. The state treasury and the inner treasury are empty. Moving even a little requires silver. Even the Aoshan fireworks for the Lantern Festival have been stopped. Everywhere I am asked for silver, so I have thought of a way."

"Identify land by the person, calculate fields by the land, and calculate grain by the fields. Simplify the complex, collect only land tax, and whoever holds the land is asked to pay the tax."

Starting from the first year of the During Zhengtong reign, the Great Ming had been implementing the 'Bai Yin Collection Law' in the Jiangnan region, which was to convert a portion of the regular tax into silver and transport it to the capital. Every year, about one hundred thousand taels of silver in cash entered the capital. Zhejiang and Liangguang partially implemented the 'Equalization Bai Yin Law', Fujian saw the 'Gang Bai Yin Law', and the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan regions in the southeast of the Great Ming had the 'Ten-Section Brocade Book Law'.

Eventually, it developed into the Single Whip Law.

And the true significance of the Single Whip Law: it is the merging of taxes and labor services, merging land tax and all kinds of messy, cleverly named labor services into one collection. It is a simplification of the tax and labor service system, and it is also a way to consolidate the tax base. It is a monetary tax based on land acreage.

And to truly realize it, the Great Ming needs silver, a massive amount of silver.

Wang Wang Guoguang continued, "I recommend Pan Pan Jixun, who has achieved effective results in trial implementation in Guangdong, to serve as the Governor of Jiangxi, and grant him concurrent authority over military affairs and full responsibility for managing civilian land, official land, and military colony land. I recommend Pang Pang Shangpeng, the originator of the Single Whip Law, to serve as the Governor of Fujian."

Pan Pan Jixun was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's man. At the end of the fifth year of the Emperor Longqing reign, when Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong were fighting most fiercely, Pan Pan Jixun was impeached by the Jin Party's Luo Zun regarding the sinking of grain transport ships. Pan Pan Jixun returned to his hometown to live in leisure. It was that same Luo Zun, who impeached Tan Lun for improper conduct while Tan Lun was coughing at the Altar of the Sun, who impeached Pan Pan Jixun and brought him down.

Pang Pang Shangpeng was a member of the Jin Party. When Gao Yongchun and Zhang Chucheng, who were inspecting salt in Hedong, impeached Zhang Zhang Siwei over the Hedong Salt Law, Pang Pang Shangpeng was implicated and also retired to his hometown.

And originally, the Governor of Jiangxi, Ling Ling Yunyi, was transferred to Liangguang to serve as the Governor of Guangxi, under Yin Yin Zhengmao.

Once Yin Yin Zhengmao's expedition to Luzon proved unsuccessful, it would truly be a case of settling new and old scores together. Even if Yin Yin Zhengmao could luckily pass the test, he would have to go to Nanjing to be a leisurely official, rather than being in charge of a region.

This was a series of personnel appointments; generally, it was a one-for-one swap between the Jin Party and the Zhang Dang, with each side reinstating one person.

"I agree with what the Grand Minister of Finance said." Zhang Zhang Juzheng was the first to express his stance, and he said very clearly, "Pang Pang Shangpeng is a member of the Jin Party, but appointing people to office should not be based on party affiliation. I agree with Pang Pang Shangpeng going to Fujian to take office."

Ge Ge Shouli was extremely surprised. Regarding Pang Pang Shangpeng's appointment, Yang Bo and Zhang Zhang Juzheng had communicated many times in the past, but Zhang Zhang Juzheng had never relented. Now, he was finally willing to relent.

"Good, good, good." Ge Ge Shouli said with deep emotion, "During the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions, the capable ministers of the state were dismissed as commoners; this was a loss for the imperial dynasty. Reinstating them today is very good, very good."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was a pragmatic official; he let whoever was capable do the work. Pang Pang Shangpeng was clearly a capable official. Since he could handle the work, let him go.

No one objected. Zhang Zhang Juzheng first wrote the first floating vote, and then Zhang Zhang Juzheng said, "The officials of the Southern Metropolitan Region mentioned a second matter, which is to establish a Maritime Academy, specifically to train maritime military talents, junior officers, interpreters, naval forces, and shipbuilders."

"The 'Book of Rites' says: Only when the teacher is respected will the Way be honored, and only when the Way is honored will the people know to respect learning."

"The foundation of nurturing scholars lies in schools; the uprightness of teaching and standards lies in the officials overseeing education. Since the time of my ancestors, this selection has been valued most. Those who are not well-versed in the classics and of upright conduct are not lightly entrusted; if someone is found unsuitable, it is better to reassign them to another post than to let them fill the position indiscriminately."

"Officials in the provinces use the censors of the Surveillance Commission and the eyes and ears of the Ministry of Personnel to gain fame for a moment, preferring to resist the clear edicts of the imperial court rather than face the slander of vulgar customs; preferring to ruin the laws and discipline of the public office rather than violate the requests of private factions."

"Today, maritime affairs are neglected and decadent, and the accumulated abuses are difficult to rectify; it is hard to implement strict measures, and empty talk is to be feared."

"The top priority is to widely recommend those who are capable of handling affairs. Officials and gentry in coastal areas such as Shandong, the Southern Metropolitan Region, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangzhou can recommend capable people."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng spoke about the proposal by the officials of the Southern Metropolitan Region to establish a Maritime Academy, and in passing, he also scolded Wu Wu Zhongxing and the others.

Zhu Zhu Yijun also raised his head and noted down this sentence of Zhang Zhang Juzheng: "Officials who serve as eyes and ears, in order to gain fame for a moment, prefer to resist the clear edicts of the imperial court rather than face the slander of vulgar customs; they prefer to ruin the laws and discipline of the public office rather than violate the requests of private factions."

These words were incisive, portraying the face of the censors and remonstrating officials in the late Great Ming with vivid realism. Those who disobeyed edicts rose rapidly, while those who violated private requests were ruined.

Feng Bao saw that Zhang Zhang Juzheng had finished speaking and said, "The Maritime Academy involves maritime trade. Let me put it more clearly: this is a big piece of fat meat. In the future, students and old acquaintances will all rely on it."

"Now the Senior Grand Secretary is letting everyone make recommendations; this is not eating alone. Everyone should recommend people who can handle affairs. It is best if they are truly pragmatic officials who can get things done. If they can't get things done, and the people recommended can't handle affairs, then when the Senior Grand Secretary eats alone, each family and faction should not cry and entangle him again."

Feng Bao was responsible for translating words into language that everyone could understand, making things clear and increasing the efficiency of the discussion, rather than playing a guessing game through a layer of window paper.

The Great Ming's public officials are children, still guessing!

And Feng Bao's meaning was very clear: this big piece of fat meat was being brought out by Zhang Zhang Juzheng to be shared. If, after searching everywhere for worthy people, the people recommended could not handle affairs well, then Zhang Zhang Juzheng would have no choice but to eat alone.

"What do you all think?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at everyone.

"Doesn't this mean our Zhejiang Party is going to take a huge advantage?" Tan Lun said happily upon hearing this.

Both the Jin Party and the Zhang Dang, due to geographical reasons, did not have available talents in maritime affairs in the short term. As the leader of the Zhejiang Party, Tan Lun was naturally the biggest beneficiary. Everyone was making a fortune in silence, but Tan Lun's open-minded nature was all about getting the advantage and then talking about it.

Tan Lun really had a candidate. Zhao Li Shizhen, the son of Zhao Jin, the Minister of Justice in Nanjing, was a genius with firearms.

"I only seek success." Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked around. With Ge Ge Shouli and Hence Hai Rui not objecting, and the Minister of Rites Wan Shi and the Minister of Works Zhu Heng extremely supportive, the matter of establishing the Maritime Academy was considered to have a plan.

Wan Shi hesitated and said, "Should we invite some Franks to handle affairs?"

"Initially, it is better to use Ming people. After things are stable, it would not be a bad idea to hire Franks as instructors." Zhang Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and partially agreed with Wan Shi's idea. If one's skills are not as good as others, they are not as good. The red-haired barbarians were indeed stronger than the Great Ming in maritime trade; there was nothing shameful about that.

The Great Ming also had Tatar officials, which meant Tatars who defected to the Great Ming to serve as officials.

Cooperation and confrontation, just like knowledge and action, or contradictions, are mutually opposed yet unified.

It was clearly not feasible to use red-haired barbarians at the beginning, but once things were stable, they could be used.

"The ocean accepts all rivers, and it is great because it is tolerant; learn from others' strengths to make up for one's own weaknesses, and discard the dross to keep the essence." This was the general guideline for external exchanges proposed by His Majesty.

The court discussion ended in a noisy manner. Zhu Zhu Yijun did not let the readers and lecturers enter the hall, but instead said with some worry, "What does the teacher think? Regarding Yin Yin Zhengmao's attack on Luzon, what will the result be? Will he win or lose?"

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was silent for a long time before saying, "Victory or defeat is a common occurrence for military strategists. I have also read the report, and it should be very, very difficult. The timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony are all absent. Speaking of victory is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought for a moment but shook his head and said, "I think Yin Yin Zhengmao can win. If he wins, how about sending him to Luzon to be the Viceroy?"

Yin Yin Zhengmao was already becoming a local emperor in the far south. Luzon was isolated overseas. If Yin Yin Zhengmao went to Luzon to be the Viceroy, wouldn't that be a de facto secession and enfeoffment? Inside the Great Ming, he would be a Great Ming Viceroy; outside the Great Ming, he would be the Great King of Luzon.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's way of using people was highlighted by one thing: trust those you use, and don't use those you doubt. If they are capable, let them keep working. Human hearts are the firmest yet also the most fragile, and they are the least able to withstand tests.

I have no stock of chapters, so every day's update is newly written. I got up late today, so there should be another update in the evening. Please vote for the monthly ticket, Awoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter)