Chapter 121: The Great Ming

To say the young Emperor was young, Hence Hai Rui agreed; but to say the young Emperor was foolish, Hence Hai Rui would disagree ten thousand times over.

Since returning to the capital, Hence Hai Rui's greatest amusement was watching the Southern Yamen's land-return affairs proceed in an orderly fashion. Two million *qing* of land had already been initially settled, and another five million *qing* remained. Nationwide, the clearing and returning of land had exceeded eight million *qing*. Beyond this amusement, his other joy included watching Zhang Juzheng being rendered speechless by the young Emperor's inquiries.

Hence Hai Rui had presided over the land clearing in the Southern Yamen, eventually leading to his own retirement and return to his hometown. Zhang Juzheng had dispatched Song Yiwang, Wang Daokun, and others, who handled it with great flair, order, and steady progress, accelerating the Southern Yamen's land-return affairs bit by bit.

Regarding the land-return affairs, Hence Hai Rui knew he was inferior to Zhang Juzheng. People always compare; he hadn't succeeded, but Zhang Juzheng had. In terms of ability, Zhang Juzheng was simply stronger. The sense of powerlessness that the omnipotent Zhang Juzheng often displayed when facing the young Emperor's inquiries was Hence Hai Rui's second greatest source of happiness.

The young Emperor had pulled off this tax receipt stunt; to say there was no follow-up plan—who was he trying to fool?!

"Does the Chief Censor mean there is a follow-up to this matter?" Ge Shouli said with a relaxed expression: "That is also a headache for the Senior Grand Secretary. The Senior Grand Secretary taught His Majesty; when the time comes, court officials will not dare to speak of the monarch and father's faults, so they can only curse the treacherous ministers in power, claiming they taught the Emperor to become like this."

Hence Hai Rui thought about it, and it was true. In any case, they weren't the ones being cursed, so they might as well watch the spectacle.

The Censorate and the Hanlin Academy were extremely prestigious and pure departments. These two terms meant that the yamen of these two administrative departments simply could not control what the subordinate censors and remonstrating officials would say.

"You Jin Party censors, why are you so tactless? Why must you sail against the wind? Impeaching Zhang Xueyan—he has just won a great victory, how can you impeach him?" Hence Hai Rui brought up the case discussed by the Censorate. The Liaodong Governor Zhang Xueyan had been impeached on the grounds of secretly colluding with the Hu. Zhang Xueyan's son had recently taken a concubine, and this concubine came from the Liaodong Jilin Wild Duck River Sunshine Tribe. This tribe had another name: the Yehenara clan.

This alone could not substantiate the charge of Zhang Xueyan secretly colluding with the Hu. This concubine was a commoner who had returned to the south, and Zhang Xueyan's son was in the capital, not in Liaodong. It was somewhat far-fetched. As long as Zhang Xueyan's son handed this concubine over to the Northern Suppressing Faction, how could Zhang Xueyan possibly fall?

Moreover, impeachment was just impeachment; whether it could form an investigation depended on the court's decision. Zhang Xueyan was the Liaodong Governor, a third-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of War; even if he were guilty, it would have to be judged according to his noble rank.

"How would I know what they are thinking? Can his son's concubine really impeach him? Even if Zhang Xueyan himself married her, so what? It's truly strange." Ge Shouli finished reading the memorial in his hand. According to the Great Ming's procedures, Ge Shouli could not intercept the memorial. If someone's memorial was intercepted and not presented to the Emperor, people would die—and a whole lot of them.

Why did the Ming Taizu abolish the Secretariat during the Hongwu era? Wasn't it because Hu Weiyong felt he was the Zhang Yuanfu and intercepted memorials unfavorable to himself? Such things would be exposed after a long time.

Ge Shouli could not intercept the memorial; he could only watch this group of people act foolishly.

"Why does this group always aim for the gutter? Isn't it filthy?" Hence Hai Rui threw another memorial aside. They were all sent to the Wenyuan Pavilion. He didn't know how the Senior Grand Secretary and the Emperor felt looking at these memorials all day long.

Ge Shouli thought for a moment and said quite definitively: "If they can't find another way, they aim for the gutter. Just like the Tan Sima—a civil *jinshi* who fought on the battlefield, personally leading death squads to fight the Japanese pirates, ending up covered in injuries and illnesses. Upon arriving in the capital, he was honored as the Tan Sima, yet he was still feinted by Fang Fengshi with false intelligence, eventually leaving behind chronic illnesses. Even the governorship of military affairs, His Majesty won't let the Tan Sima go."

"But these censors always say the Tan Sima takes potent medicine, or that he keeps three hundred singing girls, and that Qi Jiguang captured Persian twin beauties and sent them to Senior Grand Secretary Zhang. Tsk tsk, they speak as if they have noses and eyes. Could it be that they are on duty in the private residences of the Tan Sima and the Senior Grand Secretary and witnessed it with their own eyes?"

"The more details there are, the less credible it is. Spreading rumors and making trouble is the most detestable."

Accumulated feathers sink a boat; many light things break an axle; public opinion can melt metal.

The unanimous opinion of the crowd is enough to melt metal. It is a metaphor for the power of public opinion, which is sufficient to confuse right and wrong, truth and falsehood.

For instance, the case of the execution of the ten clans of Fang Xiaoru, which was never recorded in the official national history, has become a specialized field of study, as if Emperor Chengzu Wen were a ruthless, murderous demon. Yet, if one thoroughly examines the national history, where is there any record of a "ten clans" case? When Emperor Chengzu first entered Nanjing, he did so under the banner of "clearing the emperor's side," and killing was inevitable; however, the claim of "ten clans," much like the "tiger-wolf medicine" of Grand Marshal Tan Lun or the "Persian concubine" of Zhang Juzheng, is a detail that becomes less credible the more elaborate it is.

Hence Hai Rui picked up another memorial, opened it, read a few lines, and said with a smile: "They and their books should be thrown into a manure pit. There is a memorial impeaching Liang Menglong and Zhao Mengyou."

The wind of public opinion in the court was mainly concentrated on the matter of "retaining office during mourning." This matter was a bit strange. The young Emperor, who was usually long-winded, suddenly stopped summoning these censors. This was a very strange signal, like a tiger suddenly dozing off. Therefore, the court officials only submitted remonstrances and did not "face the heavenly gate," running to the Huangji Gate to kowtow.

Yes, Zhu Yijun had already sharpened his butcher's knife. He wanted to make the retention of office for Liang Menglong and Zhao Mengyou thorough and extreme. If the censors pushed their luck, Zhu Yijun would bring out the great killing weapon of the court beating, solidly beating a dozen censors to death. After that, no one would dare to nag about the retention of office again.

Ge Shouli was also amused and said with a smile: "They finally know fear. They impeached Zhao Mengyou, and now Zhao Mengyou is the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They impeached the Commander for not returning home to observe mourning. When the Commander uses the court beating, he really will beat them to death. The Embroidered Uniform Guard's sticks are well-used; a hundred sticks, and resting for two or three days is just a gesture. If it's not hit right, one stick can beat a person to death."

When the young Emperor and Luo Sigong sparred, a wooden sword could kill, and that was only a five-foot wooden sword. The Embroidered Uniform Guard's killing sticks were not to be trifled with. They could control the force freely. If they didn't want to beat someone to death, no matter how they hit, there would only be noise and no death. But if they wanted to kill, one stick was one life.

For the censors, the trouble with this matter was that if it were just Liang Menglong, it would be fine; they impeached him, so be it. Now that Zhao Mengyou was added, wouldn't "facing the heavenly gate" be equivalent to throwing themselves into a net?

The censors were bad, not stupid.

"Bullying the soft and fearing the hard." Hence Hai Rui sneered and continued to handle the affairs of the Censorate.

Hence Hai Rui and Ge Shouli got along quite well because Hence Hai Rui was not greedy for power, did not form cliques, and was dedicated to the affairs of the Censorate, recognizing only right and wrong—right was right, and wrong was wrong. As the leader of the Jin Party, Ge Shouli inevitably had some power-seeking matters, but Hence Hai Rui occasionally knew how to be flexible. Face was given to each other. Hence Hai Rui would identify the popular censors to see if they had the backbone and integrity of a loyal official.

Ge Shouli was also very supportive of Hence Hai Rui's identification work. These censors were lazy and used to talking nonsense. If they weren't properly identified and caused trouble, Ge Shouli would also be implicated when the lightning struck.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival. On the fourteenth, the Aoshan fireworks began. The Aoshan fireworks were a giant lantern and firework landscape built by the Great Ming royal family in the palace city every year during the Lantern Festival. Because its shape resembled an Ao turtle, it was named Aoshan fireworks, or the Aoshan Lantern Festival.

During the Chenghua era, Emperor Xianzong issued an edict for subjects to go to the Wumen to watch the Aoshan for three days, moving the Aoshan from the palace to the Wumen, so that the monarch, ministers, and subjects could enjoy it together. As it developed, the Aoshan grew taller year by year, stacking various uniquely designed exotic flower fireworks layer by layer onto the Aoshan, usually stacking thirteen layers, several *zhang* high!

The projects also became more and more numerous, from the initial watching of the Aoshan to later slowly becoming a stage for the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Bell and Drum Tower, as well as various folk arts performing on stage.

This was also the source of the imperial rewards. Once the Emperor spoke, it was a reward. Every year, more than a hundred thousand in rewards were given out. The palace couldn't support it, and the court couldn't support it either.

During the Jiajing era, public and private were clearly distinguished, so Jiajing didn't like to hold these Aoshan fireworks. By the Longqing era, all rewards came from the national treasury, and the Ministry of Revenue didn't want to hold them either. When the young Emperor said not to hold them, the Ministry of Revenue was the first to agree. When the Ministry of Rites said they didn't want rewards, the Ministry of Revenue agreed to hold them again.

By the day of the Lantern Festival, on the huge Aoshan, colorful lanterns of various shapes flickered, brilliant fireworks were set off continuously, and amidst the beautiful music of the Bell and Drum Tower, palace maids danced gracefully. It was simply an audiovisual feast, worthy of being called the Ming Dynasty version of the Spring Festival Gala.

When Tang Bohu entered the capital, after witnessing this holy scene, he wrote: "The immortal palace deep in the rocks is called Taixia, precious lanterns high and low adorn the spirit raft. Aloeswood and twin trees are three-pearl trees, colorful knots line up like four-shining flowers. Water splashes at Gebei where the dragon turns into a staff, the moon shines on Gouling where the phoenix follows the carriage."

This Spring Festival Gala had been suspended for two years; could the Ministry of Rites not be anxious?

The New Year in the capital was very lively. Amidst the sound of firecrackers, every household pasted Spring Festival couplets and hung lanterns. Some commoners even hung colorful paper tassels and small flags made of colorful paper, strung together with thread. Children played together, wearing new clothes, setting off fireworks and firecrackers everywhere in the street, especially the act of throwing firecrackers into manure pits, which always drew scoldings from their mothers.

During the New Year, children loved to steal food because the most delicious food was made during the New Year. When a child was caught red-handed by their father, the father would put on a straight face and patiently educate the child to be diligent and thrifty, saying that every grain in the bowl is hard-earned.

The markets were prosperous. The Great Ming had two major markets during the New Year. The first market started on the first day of the first lunar month and lasted until the seventh day at the Chenghuangmiao. The City God of the capital was Tie Xuan, who almost killed Emperor Yongle with a thousand-catty gate in Jinan Prefecture back then. The Chenghuangmiao fair was unprecedented in scale. From the opening of the market in the morning, various goods and stalls were lined up, and every year they could occupy the entire street of the Ministry of Justice yamen.

The second major market was the Lantern Festival market. During the three days of the Lantern Festival, the curfew would be lifted. The Lantern Festival market gathered exotic goods from all over the country every year, and there were even Western items imported from the West. For example, during these three days, the capital would sell pastries from Shou'an Square in Hangzhou Prefecture.

Firecrackers were noisy, and people paying New Year calls were in an endless stream. When acquaintances met, they would ask how they were, bow and perform courtesies, nothing was missing. A bowl of Lantern Festival soup for guests blended simplicity and warmth.

Zhu Yijun, as the Emperor, also appeared on the Wufeng Tower above the Huangji Gate, and the Aoshan was right at his feet. When the moon rose, the Aoshan fireworks officially began. Feng Bao did not guard the Emperor's side but stared at the Aoshan lantern frame beside it. If anything went wrong, Feng Bao wouldn't be able to keep his head ten thousand times over.

The fireworks on Aoshan were funded by the court this year, and ten thousand taels of silver were all spent on these Aoshan fireworks.

After watching the Aoshan fireworks, Zhu Yijun got up and left the scene directly. There was no political purpose, just two words: save money.

As the Emperor, if he didn't watch, there would be no need for imperial rewards. It was very logical.

This was not a method devised by the Ministry of Rites; it was Zhu Yijun's own decision. Moreover, with Zhu Yijun present as the Emperor, the ministers couldn't let go. It was like going out for team building; when the leader is present, it is always inexplicably awkward. Some strange political offerings made Zhu Yijun feel awkward, and the performers felt awkward too.

When Zhu Yijun returned to the Qianqing Palace, even Empress Dowager Chen in the Qianqing Palace was extremely surprised.

"Emperor, you weren't watching the fun in the front, why did you come back?" Empress Dowager Chen said with a furrowed brow: "Was it those ministers who made some trouble again? Did they anger the Emperor and make him come back?"

Empress Dowager Chen and Empress Dowager Li's expressions changed instantly. Someone had bullied the Emperor.

In the second year of Longqing, the late Emperor held these Aoshan fireworks on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, and when he returned to the palace, he burned the table because a censor had contradicted Emperor Longqing, saying that Emperor Longqing was too extravagant and should not waste the country's savings like this.

This censor didn't receive any punishment because what he said made sense. At that time, the national treasury was empty, and the inner treasury was also struggling to beg for food from the outer court.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "That's not it. It's good enough that I don't give them trouble; how would they dare to give me trouble? They didn't even dare to run to the Huangji Gate to kowtow about Zhao Tishuai's retention of office, for fear of really being beaten to death."

"I just didn't want to watch."

Empress Dowager Li saw that the young Emperor's mood was a bit low. Such a lively event, yet the young Emperor seemed indifferent. She asked with concern: "What's wrong?"

Zhu Yijun hesitated for a moment before saying: "During the New Year this year, the Master said that I should see outer officials, see assistant county magistrates, see village elders, and see the commoners."

"I saw Feng Mingguo, the Right Administration Commissioner of Henan. Feng Mingguo is of the Jin Party, and his teacher is Yang Bo. I asked him if there were any grievances or disasters. Feng Mingguo replied: 'There is only man-made disaster, heaven's anger and people's resentment, and shared indignation across generations.'"

"I asked again: 'What kind of grievance?'"

"The assistant county magistrate of Shanzhou, Henan Prefecture, in western Henan, reported that there was a farmer named Wang Hangsan in Jiaocun, Lingbao Town, known as Wang Laosan. Wang Laosan had a daughter, just that one daughter, whom he loved extremely dearly."

"The Wang family had twenty-four *mu* of regular fields, which was enough for the family to live on. But there was a locust plague the year before last, and the court exempted the local straw tax, but the local township officials demanded too much privately, so he had to sell his fields. In a disaster year, fields couldn't be sold for a good price, so he borrowed green rice money. The interest on green rice money was high, and Wang Laosan couldn't pay it back."

"During the New Year last year, Wang Laosan went out to avoid debt and only returned during the New Year, only to be blocked at home by debt collectors."

"The wealthy Lu family of Shanzhou saw that Wang Laosan's daughter was pretty and forcibly took her to pay off the debt. Wang Laosan refused and beat one of the Lu family's servants to death. They were called servants, but they were actually slaves, just to avoid the Great Ming law prohibiting commoners from keeping slaves."

"Wang Laosan killed someone, so the court naturally had to pursue him. Wang Laosan had nowhere to go, so he had to surrender, only asking the court to give his daughter a way to live."

"The person is dead, but the debt remains. The assistant county magistrate tried to mediate in every possible way, but the Lu family only wanted the person, not the money. This year, the Left Administration Commissioner came to the capital to report on his duties, and the assistant county magistrate followed."

"I asked: 'Where is the daughter?'"

"The assistant county magistrate brought the daughter to the capital, hoping to find a family to adopt her. After searching several times, he didn't find one. I kept the daughter in the palace, and Feng Bao sent her to the Inner Study to study."

Wang Laosan's tragedy was a microcosm of the bankrupt commoners in the Central Plains. Such commoners in the Great Ming were increasing year by year. An undercurrent hidden beneath the surface was surging, brewing like the "stone man with one eye" back then. When one day this accumulated anger erupted, it would burn the entire world clean.

The Wang girl went to the Inner Study, which was a study room under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Ceremonial of the Great Ming. Palace maids and young eunuchs all studied there. Feng Bao studied so well because he had climbed up bit by bit in the Inner Study based on his strength.

The palace maids and young eunuchs who could be selected to study inside were also those who had climbed in, and their status was extremely high. Whenever they passed by, the eunuchs in the palace would stop, lower their heads, and bow, because who knew which one of them would become a "Great Ancestor" in the future.

The Wang girl was not lucky; she was indeed clever and quick-witted.

Zhang Hong suffered from this; he hadn't studied in the Inner Study, so he had been making up for it.

"How does the Emperor plan to handle this case?" Empress Dowager Li came from a humble background and couldn't bear to hear about commoners suffering. No wonder she saw the young Emperor was unhappy during the New Year; it turned out he had something on his mind. She asked how the Emperor would handle it.

Zhu Yijun's expression was extremely calm, but his tone sounded a bit cold: "Feng Mingguo, the Right Administration Commissioner of Henan, reported that this Lu family of Shanzhou took advantage of the locust plague and harmed many commoners. Wang Laosan was just one family, and the tragedy of the Wang girl was not just one family. They harmed these pretty daughters and sold them to the Southern Yamen to become 'thin horses'."

"Thin horses" were singing girls and talented women specially cultivated to entertain with their beauty, belonging to the top tier of prostitutes. The famous Qian Qianyi, who had "itchy scalp" and "water is too cold," had a concubine who was a singing girl and talented woman.

Zhu Yijun continued: "I asked the Master, was this specifically arranged by the Master? The Master said: He only knew about it when the Left Administration Commissioner and the assistant county magistrate returned to the capital to report on their duties. 'Those who are upright do not govern uprightly; I ask the Emperor to use imperial power to punish, to rectify the atmosphere. If the atmosphere is clear and the world is peaceful, then evil conduct will have nowhere to hide.'"

"I ordered the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to appoint two thousand-household officials of the judicial department, leading fifty Embroidered Uniform Guards, to specifically handle this case."

"The Senior Grand Secretary asked His Majesty to use rewards and punishments?" Empress Dowager Li felt much more relaxed after hearing the handling. She said with a smile: "Recently, court officials have been submitting memorials saying that the Senior Grand Secretary is isolating the inner and outer courts. Mother hasn't seen any intention of the Senior Grand Secretary to isolate the inner and outer courts."

"When the Marquis of Qian'an and the Marquis of Ningyuan won a battle, the Emperor wanted to grant military honors, and the Senior Grand Secretary let the Emperor handle the rewards. When the court officials said the wrong things, the Emperor wanted to reprimand them. When something happened in western Henan, the Senior Grand Secretary also asked the Emperor to use punishment. When this group of censors spoke in unison, calling good people bad, they were eloquent. If they were so capable, why didn't they go to the north of the border and talk the Altan Khan to death!"

"It's just hard on the Emperor, being so young and working so hard."

"Feng Da, go call that Wang girl over. I want to see her myself."

Soon, the Wang girl was called over. Empress Dowager Li and Empress Dowager Chen looked at each other. She was indeed a beauty. Her features were not outstanding individually, but they were surprisingly coordinated and consistent when put together.

Empress Dowager Li asked: "What is your name? How old are you? Have you studied? Do you have any other relatives at home? With the court handling it, your family's grievance, now that the court knows, cannot be left unredressed."

The Wang girl knelt on the ground and listened carefully before answering: "My name is Wang Yaozhuo. I am twelve this year. I have studied the *Three Character Classic*, the *Hundred Family Surnames*, the *Thousand Character Classic*, and *Idiom Examination*. I have learned a little arithmetic. My mother died in childbirth when giving birth to me. My father never remarried. I have no other family. This commoner kowtows to thank the imperial grace. I will surely repay this kindness in this life."

Wang Yaozhuo kowtowed heavily, and there was a crying tone in her voice.

Empress Dowager Li noticed something and asked again: "Do you have no uncles?"

Although Wang Yaozhuo's tears had already fallen, her thinking was clear and her words were smooth: "After my father died, the family was 'eaten out'. Assistant County Magistrate Zhao knew my father's grievance, but the national law is ruthless, so he took good care of me. If you ask about relatives, I probably only have Assistant County Magistrate Zhao as my foster father."

When people are extremely excited, they are prone to losing their words, but some people's thinking becomes agile, and their speech becomes more fluent.

Wang Yaozhuo had lived a stable life for eleven years, then her father's mountain-like spine suddenly collapsed, and then disasters followed one after another. Her father killed someone to protect her, and then went to prison. The evidence was as solid as a mountain, and there was no room for sophistry. After the immediate execution, Assistant County Magistrate Zhao mediated for a long time. This time, just as the Left Administration Commissioner was going to the capital to report on his duties, he took a gamble and brought the girl to the capital.

"Eating out the family, it's extremely hateful." Empress Dowager Li sighed heavily after hearing this: "Study well in the Inner Study, and come to the Qianqing Palace every five days so I can know how your studies are going."

"Yes." Wang Yaozhuo didn't really understand what Empress Dowager Li meant, what it meant in the palace. This was a leap to the sky.

Zhu Yijun saw that Empress Dowager Li had finished asking questions and immediately said: "Mother, how does the backbone and integrity dissipate? How can the atmosphere of the world be so turbid?"

"Assistant County Magistrate Zhao was just protecting the Wang girl, and he was made difficult by the Lu family in every possible way. They wouldn't forgive or tolerate, using coercion and inducement, using every possible means. They wanted the Wang girl, and they also wanted people like Assistant County Magistrate Zhao to bow their heads. Only by breaking the spines of people like Assistant County Magistrate Zhao could they collect taxes arbitrarily and act recklessly."

"Little did they know, by breaking the spines of these people who support the country, they were hollowing out the pillars of this country bit by bit. Once hollowed out and unable to support it, the day of heaven collapsing and earth cracking, the day of 'when will this time end, I will perish with you' will arrive!"

"The Master has always said: Power and new policies must be from top to bottom, and also from bottom to top. Top to bottom means starting from the Master's teacher Xu Jie, to stop the malpractice of indulgence. Bottom to top means starting from the grievances of various places, redressing grievances, using cases to implement policies, and correcting those who are not upright. This is bottom to top."

"The Examination Law breaks..."

"Enough!" Empress Dowager Li immediately reached out, signaling the long-winded Emperor not to continue. Empress Dowager Li said with slight helplessness: "Emperor, Your Majesty! Stop. The country has the Senior Grand Secretary, and the Emperor's wisdom is gradually opening. Mother is not saying she doesn't listen to these principles, but when you tell Mother these things, Mother doesn't quite understand. Why don't you go to the front and watch the fireworks and the arts? Why make things difficult for Mother? Go make things difficult for the court officials!"

Empress Dowager Li couldn't be said to hate learning, but the young Emperor and the Senior Grand Secretary were talking deeper and deeper, and many ideas were based on the opposition and unity of Yin and Yang. It was too difficult to understand.

Zhu Yijun realized it was bad! Empress Dowager Li had already fallen into the cycle of a poor student. If she didn't understand, she didn't want to listen. The less she wanted to listen, the less she liked to listen. In this cycle, she couldn't keep up with the course progress.

Zhu Yijun returned to study the agricultural book written by Xu Zhenming and the arithmetic learned from his uncle Zhu Zaiyu. His uncle's arithmetic was like a heavenly book. It was mainly that some places that should be simplified were all written in Chinese characters, and they were standard characters, which was too troublesome to handle. Arithmetic was already difficult, and after doing this, it was even more difficult.

Regarding his uncle's arithmetic, Zhu Yijun planned to simplify it. The simpler things were, the easier they were to promote.

"Feng Da, I tell you, the Master knows that this Tax Inspection Bureau is a heinous crime and will definitely be notorious. Why is he willing to agree? Let me tell you in detail the reason." Zhu Yijun returned to the bedroom, wanting to clarify this.

"Your Majesty, there is a stall of the Imperial Manor at the Lantern Festival. If I don't go watch it, I'm afraid they will be lazy again. I will take my leave." Feng Bao used the "matter escape" and fled.

Zhang Hong said without changing his expression: "Your Majesty, I am dull and have read few books."

Sincerity was indeed the greatest ultimate move. Zhang Hong directly admitted his dullness to stop the Emperor from chanting scriptures to him.

"Sigh." Zhu Yijun picked up the arithmetic and began to study it seriously.

At this time, the Lantern Festival market was indeed very lively, and Feng Bao didn't deceive the Emperor. He really came to watch the Imperial Manor's stall at the Lantern Festival. This was also the first time the Imperial Manor had set up a stall at the Lantern Festival. People came and went in front of the stall in an endless stream.

The best-selling item was books. The *Direct Explanation of the Four Books* annotated by the Senior Grand Secretary himself was prepared in three hundred copies, and not one was left; they were all sold out. The grandmaster chairs of the Imperial Hospital, although strange in shape, were snapped up as soon as they were in stock. Things brought by the Great Ming Senior Grand Secretary and the Tan Sima themselves were naturally snapped up.

The third best-selling item was colored glaze. Using the plasticity of colored glaze, it was molded into various shapes, each with its own theme.

For example, a tiger lying on a stone, ready to prey, the theme was "hidden tiger in the dark stone"; for example, the most popular beast-fighting chess game among the people, made of glass, crystal clear; for example, the evergreen pine of Nanshan, which symbolizes longevity, and so on.

These were indeed works of art, but they were all blown in molds. The bellows blew hot air to fill the colored glaze, then it was heated a second time and refined. There were no technical difficulties. These were all leftovers recycled from grinding lenses for His Majesty.

The Portuguese envoy Li Yashi saw these crystal-clear colored glaze products and couldn't move his feet. He almost bought all the colored glaze of the Imperial Manor. These things were made too exquisitely.

"How much is this?" Li Yashi pointed to a strange shape he had never seen before and asked.

The eunuch of the Imperial Manor saw what Li Yashi was pointing at and said with a smile: "Touch the Pixiu once, and your luck will flourish; touch the Pixiu again, and your wealth will roll in; touch the Pixiu a third time, and you will rise to the clouds. This is a Pixiu, attracting wealth and treasures. It is most suitable for businessmen to carry. This piece is five taels of silver, with a tax of three *qian* of silver."

Li Yashi asked in surprise: "Still need tax?"

"Yes." The eunuch shook his head when he heard this. This was His Majesty's edict. The Imperial Manor also had to pay taxes!

And the Imperial Manor had to write the tax receipt itself and temporarily send it to the Ministry of Revenue yamen to report the tax. The commercial tax was six percent of the value, and they filled in the amount sold themselves.

This Imperial Manor had existed since the Yongle era and became popular during the Chenghua era. The Imperial Manor had existed for so many years; which blind yamen dared to come to the Imperial Manor to collect taxes? Tired of living?

But His Majesty had a clear edict: report the tax yourself. If the outer court found out about tax evasion, you would have to bear it yourself.

"Oh, oh." Li Yashi took out five taels of silver and took out another five *qian* of broken silver, letting the eunuch cut three *qian*, which counted as paying the tax.

After the Lantern Festival, the Imperial Manor in the capital organized the tax receipts of these days and sent them to the Ministry of Revenue yamen. The two sums of silver were recorded separately, not missing a single bit. No one should look for trouble for anyone else. The Emperor's sharp claws and fangs, the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Feng Bao, was the "Great Ancestor" in the palace, not a big figure to be trifled with. The eunuchs had come to pay taxes for the first time in history. If the Ministry of Revenue still looked for trouble blindly, they would redecorate the Ministry of Revenue yamen from top to bottom and dismantle the Ministry of Revenue's door panels to carry them into the palace.

And the one who went to the Ministry of Revenue to pay taxes was Feng Bao's trusted aide, Xu Jue.

"What wind blew Xu Da-dang here?" Wang Guoguang was confused when he heard that Xu Jue had come to pay taxes. What kind of tax was this? He had never heard of eunuchs paying taxes!

Xu Jue was furious when he mentioned this. He slapped the table and said: "I don't know what kind of ecstasy soup you ministers in the outer court gave His Majesty! You moved His Majesty to let the Imperial Manor pay taxes. Well, in the 209 years of the Great Ming, this is the first time I've heard of the palace paying taxes to the outer court. I've also opened my eyes. In our Wanli era, you are so bold that you even dare to collect taxes from the palace!"

"This is the tax receipt for the Imperial Manor in the capital for the first month of the third year of Wanli. Great Minister, keep it well. In the future, if the national treasury goes to the inner treasury to beg for food, don't expect to be entertained!"

"Issue a receipt for me!"

Wang Guoguang, who already felt something was wrong, finally figured out the feeling of "mountain rain coming and wind filling the building." The young Emperor's tax receipt stunt was not a child's play, nor was it a joke. Even the Imperial Manor was included in the scope of integrated taxation. What signal was this? What kind of resolute determination did this represent behind it?

The young Emperor definitely had something big brewing!

Wang Guoguang was full of worry. Wang Guoguang, who had always been independent, rarely came to the Quanchu Huiguan, handed in his visiting card at the side door, and wanted to see Zhang Juzheng.

Under the leadership of the vanguard Ge Shouli, the Quanchu Huiguan also began to open in all directions. The interior of the hall was indeed renovated, divided into two, including the Wenchang Pavilion, which was divided into private residences, and the rest were all public areas. Zhang Juzheng also built a family school and banned the kneeling ceremony of the Zhang Party.

"Senior Grand Secretary, this is the tax receipt from the Imperial Manor, totaling six hundred taels." Wang Guoguang looked at the tax receipt, swallowed his throat, and said in horror: "If the Senior Grand Secretary doesn't explain it clearly, this tax receipt is a life-shortening talisman. What exactly is His Majesty doing?"

"It must be explained clearly! Otherwise, my heart will be hairy, and I won't even be able to sleep peacefully! In the five thousand years of the Central Plains, when has the court ever taxed the Emperor? If the Senior Grand Secretary doesn't like me, I can retire. How can there be such a means of exterminating the nine clans? How can I, Wang Guoguang, afford to be dealt with by the Senior Grand Secretary like this?"

Zhang Juzheng looked at the Great Ming's first tax receipt and said distractedly: "At first, His Majesty had his own views on 'why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken,' and I didn't pay attention; later, His Majesty asked if Minister Yang was a gentleman or a villain, and I thought His Majesty's wisdom was gradually opening; later, His Majesty asked what is public and what is private, and I didn't pay attention either."

"What is His Majesty doing? His Majesty wants to revive the Great Ming and reshape the glory of the Great Ming amidst all difficulties."

"What is His Majesty doing? His Majesty wants to unswervingly implement the new policies, no matter the cost."

"What is His Majesty doing? His Majesty wants to put an end to the malpractice of indulgence in the world, starting with His Majesty himself."

"Great Minister, my methods are ruthless, but since I have been in power, have I ever wronged anyone? You should worry about your nine clans; I also have to worry about my nine clans."

The young Emperor had truly given Zhang Juzheng a big task!

When writing to this point, I suddenly thought of Tan Sitong's words: "Every country's reform is achieved through bloodshed. Now in China, I have never heard of bloodshed due to reform. This is why the country is not prosperous; if there is, please start with Sitong." Thanks to "Little Flying Carpet" for the reward, thanks to "Yi Shi Gong" for the 1500-point reward, thanks for the support, thanks for the recognition, scatter flowers, ask for monthly tickets, Aowu!!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 122 =====