Chapter 163: Killing the Competition with One Sentence

"Earl of Marquis Ningyuan, I invited Li Shuai here today because there are some questions that need Li Shuai's answers," Zhang Zhang Juzheng signaled Li Li Chengliang to sit and waved his hand to let You Qi check if there were ears on the wall.

Xu Jue would not leave; he was a witness. Today was not a conspiracy between the Grand Secretary and a border general, but a dialogue between the court and the locality under the supervision of the Emperor's lackey, the eunuch.

The Great Ming had always been cautious in its handling of Liaodong. The government offices were too serious, and the Quanchu Guild Hall was too private, raising suspicions of collusion.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng always felt that eunuchs were an important supervisory force. If the Directorate of Ceremonial had truly been overthrown, this situation today would never have been set up. Everyone would only be guarding against each other, and there wouldn't even be a place to talk.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng asking Li Li Chengliang about Liaodong matters—if it were in a solemn government office, it would have the meaning of an interrogation; if it were at the Quanchu Guild Hall, it would be collusion with a border general.

No matter how he did it, for both Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Li Li Chengliang, it was a dilemma. It was better not to do it, and having Xu Jue at his side, watched by the Emperor's house slave, was good for everyone.

Therefore, Zhang Zhang Juzheng opposed knocking down the Directorate of Ceremonial. This was also where Zhang Zhang Juzheng's political views differed from Gao Gong's.

"Grand Secretary, please speak freely." Li Li Chengliang was naturally not here to drink flower wine. Hearing Zhang Zhang Juzheng talk about business, he sat upright. Informal talks are sometimes more important than formal ones, determining the direction of many major events.

"Is there really black soil near Jilin, and black soil spreading for a million *qing*?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng first asked the question he was most concerned about. This was something he didn't understand, and he had already checked the documents from the Yongle and Emperor Xuande years but hadn't seen much record of it.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng naturally understood the value of black soil, so he had to be sure.

"Only more, not less. A million *qing*—and that's me saying it conservatively," Li Li Chengliang said very solemnly. "If there is any falsehood, it is the crime of deceiving the Emperor. Since I am already a Great Ming military noble, I naturally cannot lie about military intelligence. Lying is punishable by beheading. There are reports from night scouts and distant signal towers as proof, and I have also seen it myself."

"According to the reports from the night scouts in Liaodong, the black soil stretches endlessly and cannot be seen to the end. The explored area is already a million *qing*. Although there are some swamps, in the face of land, swamps are not a problem for the Great Ming, are they?"

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was slightly stunned and asked in surprise: "Swamps?"

"Yes, there are many swamps," Li Li Chengliang nodded quite affirmatively. For the Great Ming, which lacks arable land, those swamps are not a big deal at all. Looking back, Huguang, Jiangxi, and parts of the Southern Capital were all great marshes, and aren't they now fertile land of a million *qing*?

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's brows relaxed, and he said: "That proves the rainfall is relatively sufficient. Three feet of humus layer, over one foot and two inches of rainfall—a land of fat and richness."

If the grasslands could be opened up for farming, would there still be things like the Northern Barbarians?

"My second doubt is, Li Shuai, standing from the position of the Regional Commander of Liaodong, do you think we should recover Daning Wei?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked the second question. Should Daning Wei be recovered or not?

"The Northern Barbarians have three routes for invasion. The first is to attack Pinglu Fortress, the second is to attack Guangning Wei, and the third is to attack Xifengkou. If the main army occupies Daning Wei, unless they take Daning Wei, the Northern Barbarians won't even think about invading the south," Li Li Chengliang said, dipping his finger in tea to draw. "If they invade from Pinglu Fortress, Daning Wei can strike their rear."

"Even a stupid roe deer knows not to expose its back to the enemy. As long as the Northern Barbarians invade from Pinglu Fortress, they will be attacked from both front and rear."

"And the defense of Daning Wei—if managed according to Qi Qi Jiguang's defensive strategy, even if the Northern Barbarians grew wings, they wouldn't be able to take it."

"Qi Qi Jiguang is a born commander."

"For Liaodong, Daning Wei's existence is a great benefit to the Northeast."

Li Li Chengliang did not fool the Tuman Khan's eldest son, Buyan. He was unwilling to be an enemy of Qi Qi Jiguang. This man, Qi Qi Jiguang, was truly too terrifying. It was hard to imagine that a person could go decades without the slightest arrogance, winning battle after battle. Now that he had the support of imperial power, he still had no arrogance.

Is this still a person?

Fortunately, at this time, Qi Qi Jiguang was a friendly force.

Even if he, Li Li Chengliang, were a disloyal and unfilial traitor, Qi Qi Jiguang led the Capital Battalion. Li Li Chengliang truly did not want to become Qi Qi Jiguang's opponent. It was not that Li Li Chengliang was timid, but Qi Qi Jiguang held the righteous name of the court. Using the court to fight the locality—that was a sure win.

"I see." Zhang Zhang Juzheng nodded. As a military town, Daning Wei was of great significance.

"And the one problem I worry about most is the collusion between the Northern Barbarians and the Jianzhou Jurchens," Li Li Chengliang talked about the alliance between the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Northern Barbarians for the first time.

"The Jianzhou Jurchens and the Northern Barbarians also fight each other, but they also have marriage ties. This is something that must be guarded against at all times, otherwise, the Great Ming will suffer a great loss."

Would the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Northern Barbarians, amidst struggles and contradictions, gradually become a whole and form a combined force?

In Li Li Chengliang's view, it was only a matter of time.

And if the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Northern Barbarian tribes occupying the east of the Great Xianbei Mountain merged into a combined force, they would become a heart-and-belly disease for the Great Ming.

Once Jizhou fell and the Northern Barbarians invaded from Xifengkou, it would become a norm. The capital region would become increasingly decayed under the trampling of iron hooves, leading to an even more terrifying problem: food.

The common people have all fled, and there is no one to farm in the capital region. The Northern Capital, which was already highly dependent on the Southern Capital for food supply, would face a crisis of collapse if the food supply had problems.

This was the only crisis of collapse for the Great Ming that Li Li Chengliang could think of in Liaodong.

"And Daning Wei is a nail, like a bridle and a noose. Once the Northern Barbarians and Eastern Barbarians show signs of merging, whether it is using the contradictions between the Northern Barbarians and the Jianzhou Jurchens, or ordering the Northern Barbarians not to merge with the Jianzhou Jurchens, Daning Wei is the means. Without Daning Wei, the Great Ming has no means."

"Of course, if we can completely drive the Northern Barbarians out of Liaodong, we can completely divide the Northern Barbarians and Eastern Barbarians. For decades, the Northeast will be worry-free." Li Li Chengliang stated his various thoughts on stabilizing the border. Li Li Chengliang possessed extremely high military talent.

"Does Li Shuai also read 'The Theory of Contradictions'?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng listened, feeling that the flavor was not right. This flavor was too familiar, making Zhang Zhang Juzheng feel like he was looking in a mirror. He thought the same way! This kind of sowing discord—was it Zhang Zhang Juzheng who started it, or the little Emperor? After Zhang Zhang Juzheng thought about it carefully, he discovered it was when he was dealing with the Jin Party and Yang Bo retired.

Ge Ge Shouli was appointed party leader to divide the Jin Party. Zhang Zhang Juzheng was the one who started the sowing of discord, and the Emperor learned it all. It felt like the blue coming out of the blue and surpassing the blue.

Li Li Chengliang nodded and said: "I am also a student. It's just that I didn't pass the provincial examination. Compared to passing the provincial examination, I have some talent in military affairs, so I read 'The Theory of Contradictions', and it's the palace-printed version. The Grand Secretary teaches well."

Li Li Chengliang believed that this kind of trick of sowing discord was very suitable for the situation in the Northeast, and he had to use and deepen the contradictions between the Northern Barbarians and the Eastern Barbarians. They must absolutely not be allowed to become a whole, otherwise, the Great Ming would be in danger.

Li Li Chengliang continued: "Besides its military significance, Daning Wei can actually be used for sheep herding. The Great Ming lacks wool, and the Great Ming also lacks bentonite. Doesn't this solve an urgent need?"

Zhang Zhang Juzheng nodded in great agreement and said: "Counting the days, in a few days, it will be the time for the first batch of bentonite to arrive in the capital."

"My third matter is to inquire about the defense of Liaodong," Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked quite calmly. "To completely take down the black soil, how many people are needed?"

"Five hundred thousand, and three years of grain and fodder for the expedition," Li Li Chengliang stretched out a hand and said very firmly: "If the court has the ability to mobilize five hundred thousand troops for three years, we can completely occupy the north of Liaodong."

"Five hundred thousand is too many." Zhang Zhang Juzheng shook his head upon hearing this number. If anyone else heard this number, they would think Li Li Chengliang was crazy. A group of Jianzhou Jurchens and Haixi Jurchens, no different from wild people—and he needed five hundred thousand for an expedition?

"But the Northeast has many deep mountains and old forests. Without five hundred thousand people, we can break through but cannot hold, and if we cannot hold, we cannot farm. Then the expedition has no meaning at all, and instead, it will be like the Jilin Shipyard, repeating itself." Li Li Chengliang stated his reasons.

As long as the Great Ming recovers the ability to mobilize five hundred thousand troops and the grain and fodder for three years of expedition, the Northeast will be nothing.

"It's too difficult." Zhang Zhang Juzheng was a bit numb. He found that he seemed to be climbing a mountain, and a mountain that could not be crossed was waiting for him ahead.

"For the Grand Secretary, this shouldn't be a difficult matter, right?" Li Li Chengliang looked at Zhang Zhang Juzheng, who was about the same age as him. Zhang Zhang Juzheng had an excellent relationship with the little Emperor. As long as Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not lose the Emperor's favor, he could steadily work for twenty or thirty years. What couldn't be done?

"Is it not difficult?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng still wanted to return power and retire to study mathematics and look up at the stars, but those comfortable days seemed to be getting further and further away from him, and he lacked confidence in himself.

Li Li Chengliang smiled and said: "I believe the Grand Secretary can do it. The Grand Secretary has this ability and this perseverance."

Li Li Chengliang did not fear Qi Qi Jiguang. If he couldn't afford to offend him, he could hide. As long as he didn't rebel and didn't become Qi Qi Jiguang's opponent, he wouldn't face Qi Qi Jiguang directly. If it really didn't work, he would fight first and see.

But Li Li Chengliang was somewhat afraid of Zhang Zhang Juzheng. This scholar was truly too sinister. How fierce was the Jin Party in the Northwest? Even the Directorate of Ceremonial was about to be knocked down! And now? Under Zhang Zhang Juzheng's sowing of discord, the Jin Party had become as gentle as sheep, and Wang Wang Chonggu was about to become a pillar of the state.

For Zhang Zhang Juzheng, these were not matters at all. Li Li Chengliang believed in Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Li Li Chengliang talked for a long time. They didn't eat the meal, didn't drink the wine, but drank several pots of tea.

In the twelfth month of the third year of Emperor Wanli, the New Year was destined not to be peaceful.

Since the succession of Emperor Renzong, a wind of "I must win" land calculation had been spreading in the Great Ming. Great Ming court officials would always use "this land won't break even if we take it back, so it's better not to fight" to comfort themselves, to prove that the Great Ming's strategic contraction was reasonable. Every strategic contraction was a win for the Great Ming!

Land lost is lost, but money is saved.

That's why there was the abandonment of the Jilin Shipyard during the Renzong years; that's why Daning Wei became a pasture for the Uriankhai after the death of Emperor Emperor Jingtai; that's why there was the controversy over recovering the Hetao region during the Emperor Jiajing years; that's why the Jiaozhi Regional Military Commission was lost; that's why the Red-Haired Barbarians captured the Malacca Strait and the Philippines lost its country.

In the narrative system of the Great Ming, all tributary states belong to the territory of the Great Ming, or at least the scope of the tributary system. Even the royal family of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) far away in the Indian Ocean was bestowed with five-chapter imperial robes by the Great Ming.

But in the two hundred years of the Great Ming, it had indeed been constantly carrying out calculated strategic contraction. This wind of calculation was extremely noisy.

For example, this time with Daning Wei, there was such a wind of public opinion in the court, and it was becoming increasingly fierce. Regarding the question of whether to abandon or keep Daning Wei, in the middle of the twelfth month of the third year of Emperor Wanli, a great debate that spread throughout the entire court began.

And Zhang Zhang Juzheng was still steadily promoting the defense of Daning Wei. The Yongping Town troops would be mobilized after the spring, all preparations were ready, the Ministry of War's seven fortresses to guard Daning Wei were approved, and two hundred thousand *dan* of grain and a large amount of military equipment were allocated to the Daning Wei army.

By the time the court finished arguing, the Tuman Khan would probably have launched a counterattack. If the defense was not prepared, then even if the argument was won, Daning Wei would not be in their hands.

Arguing can be done slowly, but the work must be done quickly. Zhang Zhang Juzheng was the Grand Secretary and the most respected honest official. Arguing can be lost, but the work must be done well.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's insistence on promoting government decrees met with further opposition from court officials, and memorials piled higher and higher.

And today, Minister of Justice Wang Wang Chonggu appeared again in the Northern Tucheng. The last time he came to the Northern Tucheng, he was the Junior Preceptor of the Crown Prince and was supervising the Capital Battalion. This time, Wang Wang Chonggu came to receive the bentonite. The first batch of three thousand bags of bentonite had successfully arrived at the Northern Tucheng and needed to be signed for by the Yongding Woolen Factory.

This was no small matter. Three thousand bags of bentonite was the annual output provided by the Altan Khan.

The Altan Khan absolutely did not want to see the expansion of the Great Ming's wool and woolen factory. The grassland was full of sheep. In the second year, the Great Ming army could push war chariots and bombard the Altan Khan's Golden Tent!

"Good, good, good!" Wang Wang Chonggu opened a bag, grabbed a handful of white soil, twisted it, and kept calling it good. He said in great surprise: "Passed through a fine sieve three times?"

Chen Chen Dacheng said with a smile: "Anyway, it's all prisoners doing the work. Can't let them be idle, so we passed it through a sieve three times. Is the Minister of Justice satisfied? If not, we can pass it through a few more times."

"Satisfied, satisfied, satisfied!" Wang Wang Chonggu ordered people to start checking. Five bags were randomly sampled for every hundred bags, and the quality of every bag was the best of the best.

"Three thousand bags, seven taels of silver per bag, totaling twenty-one thousand taels. We are settled, no arrears," Wang Wang Chonggu said after checking the goods, ordering people to lift up several boxes of silver, and said with a smile: "It's almost New Year. I'm afraid this is the last silver trade. After this, it will all be Great Ming silver coins."

"Is the court going to cast money?" Chen Chen Dacheng had people check the silver. It is worth noting that this silver was from the Taotu White Soil Factory, not the Capital Battalion. Because the factory did not have an accounting room, it was currently managed by the Capital Battalion, and all had to be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue for auditing.

This was the application of the receipts and payments accounting method.

"Not casting money, but rolling money. As for the specific matters, I don't know either. Alas, this greedy Altan Khan—one day he will eat his own bitter fruit!" Wang Wang Chonggu cursed the Altan Khan. Relying on the exclusive business of white soil, he had blackmailed Wang Wang Chonggu.

"Commander Chen, stay. I still have to go to the woolen factory to take a look."

"Minister of Justice, go slowly, I won't see you off." Chen Chen Dacheng saw Wang Wang Chonggu off, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. When Qi Qi Jiguang led Yang Wen, Chen Chen Dacheng, and others to the Northern Capital, they were all prepared, ready to march west to pacify the Jin Party rebellion at any time.

And the key figure of the Jin Party had become a capable Minister of Justice of the Great Ming, which made it hard for Chen Chen Dacheng to accept for a while.

Wang Wang Chonggu chose to go down the path of making money and never look back. But thinking about it, it was quite reasonable. The foundation of the Jin Party was to rely on the monopoly trade of special privileges to seek profit. Making money was indeed Wang Wang Chonggu's original intention. The woolen factory seemed to be a kind of monopoly economy of special privileges.

Chen Chen Dacheng stopped thinking about such complex problems and quietly waited for the last great court session before the New Year.

On the 27th day of the twelfth month, Zhu Zhu Yijun convened the last great court session of the third year of Emperor Wanli. After meeting the hundred officials, the capital officials began their holiday, taking turns on duty.

And the atmosphere of this great court session was extremely oppressive and solemn from the beginning, because this great court session was different from the past. They had to argue out a result on whether to abandon Daning Wei. They had been arguing for half a month, and the Emperor had been very patient in approving memorials, but the court officials didn't have that patience.

Before the New Year, a resolution had to be formed on this matter.

"Your subjects pay respects. Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long live, long live." The group of officials paid their respects.

"No need for formalities," Zhu Zhu Yijun said calmly, waving his hand.

"If there is anything to report, report it; if not, retire from court." Feng Bao flicked his whisk and opened the scene. Today there was something, a big thing. The festive atmosphere of the New Year could not dilute the solemnity of the court at all.

According to the Great Ming's conventional rules, during the half-month before and after the New Year, everyone would whitewash peace, leaving those not-so-urgent troublesome matters for after the New Year, so that everyone could have a good New Year.

Obviously, this time, the court officials broke this convention and chose not to let the little Emperor have a good New Year, adding trouble to the little Emperor even during the New Year!

"Your subject has a memorial to report," Minister of Personnel Zhang Han took the lead and bowed, saying: "I request to discuss the abandonment of Daning Wei, to make peace with the distant people, and return peace to the Great Ming."

"Minister Zhang, you are stealing the work of my Ministry of Rites. My Ministry of Rites hasn't even spoken about pacifying the distant people, and you are already singing the play of the Ministry of Rites?" Wan Wan Shihe immediately retorted as soon as he heard this, choking Zhang Han with one sentence so he couldn't speak.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was happy when he heard this. This Zhang Han had an unfavorable start and was blocked by Minister of Rites Wan Wan Shihe.

The person who blocked Zhang Han was someone Zhu Zhu Yijun had never expected. Wan Wan Shihe was ordered to sit on the fence, not ordered to charge into battle. The wind of public opinion in the court was not yet clear, and Wan Wan Shihe had already jumped out.

Zhang Han had overstepped his bounds. Pacifying the distant people was something the Ministry of Rites should talk about. Zhang Han, the Minister of Personnel, had stretched his hand to the Ministry of Rites. If Wan Wan Shihe didn't speak, would he still be the Grand Minister? He might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes!

Zhang Han bowed again and said: "The trouble of the Northern Barbarians has lasted a long time. Now, in the name of expedition, I have doubts: First, is the expedition famous? Second, does the army have enough strength? Third, is there enough grain? Fourth, is success guaranteed? Fifth, if the strong barbarians take the opportunity to invade the south, can we respond?"

"The barbarians have been a trouble for a long time. Could the power of the ancestors not take them? The reason they didn't recover them is because there was a deep meaning. Today, the military strength is far from that of the ancestors, and the treasury is exhausted. A nameless army provocatively provoking the strong barbarians will inevitably lead to a southern invasion. Previously, Qi Qi Jiguang and Li Li Chengliang discussed merit and rewards, and the subjects below have dissatisfaction. I only fear that the common people will suffer innocent slaughter, compared to the lives of a few families and people!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun understood.

Zhang Han said: The Northern Barbarians have been a trouble for a long time. Could the great power of the ancestors Taizu and Emperor Chengzu not take them? Can you, the little Emperor, do it today? How big is your face, compared to the ancestors! The ancestors didn't take Daning Wei because there was a deep meaning. Today, the military strength is not as good as the ancestors, and we are poor to the point of losing our pants. An army without a name is provoking the strong barbarians. When the time comes, the strong barbarians will definitely retaliate!

When the time comes, the common people will suffer innocent slaughter, and how many common people's lives will be harmed by the disaster of war? When the time comes, who will bear the responsibility? Li Li Chengliang, Qi Qi Jiguang, Zhang Zhang Juzheng, or Your Majesty?

Wan Wan Shihe looked at Zhang Han in disbelief and said: "Zhang Han, are you serious? Do you want to listen to what you are saying? Right now, it is our Great Ming that has won, won! Beaten the Tuman to the point of sending envoys to negotiate peace!"

Zhang Han immediately said: "Fighting is bound to perish. Is there a general in the world who always wins and never loses? Since there is no one who never loses, if we win for a while now, and lose later, won't it be the common people of our Great Ming who suffer?! Isn't that the truth?!"

"I am thinking for the common people of the Great Ming, thinking for the court of the Great Ming. Pacifying the distant people means soothing them so they don't invade the border. Now it has become like this, fighting outside the pass—the ancestors' established laws are above. Do you want to go against them?!"

Wan Wan Shihe flicked his sleeves and said angrily: "Nonsense! The nine classics of the state—pacifying the distant people is not that kind of principle. You are babbling!"

"It is precisely because we can't win that we must find ways to win!"

"If we don't even fight, and let the thieves invade, won't it be the common people of our Great Ming who suffer? The 29th year of Emperor Jiajing, the 1st year of Emperor Longqing—have you forgotten the shock to the capital and the instability of the state? If we can't win, we must find ways to win. Otherwise, how can we resist the enemy? This is a matter of course. What are you babbling about?"

"You are reversing cause and effect! From result to cause! You are simply sophistry!"

"Fine, let's follow your line of thinking. The Great Ming army is not invincible and will lose. Indeed, Daning Wei is now outside the pass. Fighting the enemy on their territory, we don't know them as well as they know us, and we might lose."

"But if we lose at Daning Wei, we still have Guangning, and we still have the Great Wall line to resist the enemy. Isn't this what we want—to protect our Great Ming common people from innocent slaughter? Just like 2 is greater than 1, two lines of defense are always better than one!"

Wan Wan Shihe fired on all cylinders, using facts to speak, explaining the cause and effect of Zhang Han's remarks clearly.

Li Li Chengliang stood in the court as the Earl of Marquis Ningyuan and listened to the decrees. He also knew why Qi Qi Jiguang used troops and why those people were cautious, not daring to have any slack. Every battle must be won. If they won, the civil officials would impeach them; if they lost, they would die on the battlefield, which was ten thousand times better than falling into the hands of these pedantic scholars.

Li Li Chengliang really wanted to kill Zhang Han with one blow. What is this!

The little bit of good feeling Li Li Chengliang had accumulated for civil officials because of Zhang Zhang Juzheng vanished instantly!

Zhu Zhu Yijun watched Wan Wan Shihe being angered into a daze and said with a smile: "Grand Minister, calm down. You don't know Zhang Han's purpose. He actually wants to kill the Grand Secretary by using the matter of Daning Wei."

"Kill the Grand Secretary?" Wan Wan Shihe leaned back, looked at His Majesty, and his eyes widened.

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded and said: "That is his intention."

The group of officials was stunned. Everyone looked at Zhang Han. Why did His Majesty say so? Almost everyone recalled an old event: Yan Song killing the Great Ming Grand Secretary Zi Xia Yan.

Zi Xia Yan said to recover the Hetao region, and the Altan Khan invaded the capital region. Yan Song said it was all because Zi Xia Yan wanted to recover the Hetao region that the strong barbarians invaded, so Zi Xia Yan was the root of the shame.

Therefore, Zhang Han's remarks this time were not about Daning Wei at all, but about Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng actually knew what Zhang Han wanted to do when he opened his mouth. The "Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong of Ming" were compiled by him, Zhang Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Han's little tricks were seen through by him at a glance; it was just using the matter of Daning Wei to create trouble.

Wan Wan Shihe wanted to argue with Zhang Han. The more the truth is argued, the clearer it becomes. Since Wan Wan Shihe was so capable of fighting and had such strong combat effectiveness, Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not stand out to refute Zhang Han. If Wan Wan Shihe could argue clearly, he would argue; if he couldn't, Zhang Zhang Juzheng would stand out to refute him later.

As a result, His Majesty killed the competition with one sentence, revealing Zhang Han's purpose.

The court officials understood His Majesty's words, and a layer of cold sweat rose on their backs. Their eyes turned to Zhang Zhang Juzheng again. It was not that Zhang Zhang Juzheng was not good at teaching disciples, but that he hadn't put his heart into it before. Look at what kind of monster Zhang Zhang Juzheng had taught!

The thoughts of people like Zhang Han were simply monsters and ghosts under the scorching sun, with nowhere to hide!

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Han coldly and said: "Zhang Han, since you asked, I will tell you."

"First, the expedition is famous. Daning Wei was the old residence of Prince Ning during the Emperor Hongwu years. This time it is a recovery, which is an old grudge; in the first year of Emperor Longqing, the Tuman Khan invaded and harassed the capital region, which is a new hatred."

"New hatred and old grudges—is this not enough? Are the ancestors' established laws of the Emperor Hongwu years not established laws? Zhang Han, answer me clearly."

"Is it enough or not, is it!"

"New hatred and old grudges are enough, and the Emperor Hongwu established laws are naturally established laws," Zhang Han answered truthfully, no matter how unwilling he was.

Zhu Zhu Yijun continued: "Second, the Capital Battalion has been trained for three years and is ready to go; third, the court has accumulated four million *dan* of grain, enough for three years of expedition; fourth, Daning Wei has already been recovered, and this expedition outside the pass is for Daning Wei; fifth, if the strong barbarians take the opportunity to invade the south, our Great Ming still has one hundred thousand troops in Jizhou and Jia Shanhai Pass to defend. This is the elite trained by General Qi, enough to deal with the enemy."

"Do you have any other doubts?"

Zhang Han asked five questions, and Zhu Zhu Yijun answered them all, and every one of them was practicing what one preaches. Zhang Han was debating with the Emperor. If he continued to pester, he would really be beaten to death by the little Emperor.

Zhang Han was not a censor and did not have the immunity of an official of the eyes and ears. Even if he were a censor, Zhu Zhu Yijun would have demoted, punished, beheaded, or sent him to the dissection institute.

"Your subject has no doubts." Zhang Han was unwilling, but his purpose had been exposed by the little Emperor.

"Then Zhang Han, how about you submit your memorial for retirement today? We are not on the same path, so we cannot conspire together. I am tired, and you are tired, aren't you?" Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Han and told him to get lost directly.

Even if the position of Minister of Personnel was vacant, it would be better than such a disgusting thing.

Since ancient times, court officials have submitted memorials requesting retirement, and the Emperor would kindly retain them. This Zhu Zhu Yijun directly told Zhang Han to write a memorial for retirement, which was actually a dismissal, just giving him face because he was the Minister of Personnel and a court official.

If it were just the little Emperor who was annoyed, it would be fine, but the court officials were actually a bit annoyed by Zhang Han. As the Minister of Personnel, he had reached the point of being hated by people and dogs, which was truly the first time in the Great Ming.

It is not easy to be the Minister of Personnel, but to be like Zhang Han was truly the first time in the Great Ming.

Something happened today, the update is a bit late, sorry. The word count is not missing, and I am righteously asking for monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 164 =====