Chapter 203: Coal Market Entrance Fire

On a day of heavy snow, Zhu Yijun specially went to the pagoda construction site to watch the fun. The Great Ming censors and writers were ramming earth in the soil on a snowy day. Fortunately, it was almost finished, otherwise, they wouldn't have a peaceful New Year.

Zhu Yijun noticed one thing, that is, even for the censors, this clear stream, their life was still extravagant, bringing a bunch of servants. The emperor issued an imperial decree to let the censors work. These servants who traveled with them could only wait outside.

More than forty censors brought more than one hundred and thirty servants, and this scene was extremely spectacular.

"At least one carriage for one censor, one carriage with a coachman waiting outside, and servants holding hand warmers, fearing that their master would freeze or get tired. And that's not all. There is a concubine in the carriage, waiting to warm the hands of our scholar-officials. If I hadn't come to see it today, I wouldn't have seen this scene. The life of Great Ming's scholar-officials is truly extravagant." Zhu Yijun stood outside the construction site of the Great Longxing Temple pagoda, looking at the servants gathered outside, and said with deep emotion.

Zhang Juzheng was particularly keen for the Emperor to have contact with his Grand Secretaries, court officials, and ministers. He was also willing for the young Emperor to move about more, rather than remaining secluded deep within the palace as had been the case in the later years of the Jiajing reign and throughout the Longqing reign.

So when the emperor said he wanted to go to the construction site to see the censors working in short clothes, he immediately followed the trend and came to the pagoda construction site. He did see the scene of working. The censors, who had no strength to truss a chicken, really didn't know how to work and were almost exhausted.

Zhang Juzheng let out a breath and said helplessly: "If they go out of the capital, the lineup is even bigger. A few days ago, the post station manager reported that a seventh-rank censor was going out of the capital to take up a post at Jiayu Pass. There were more than ten servants accompanying him. The post station only provided food for the censor alone. This censor was extremely dissatisfied and wanted to beat the post station manager. The post station manager had seven post soldiers under him, and they almost fought. The censor saw that the post station manager was fierce, so he didn't say much, but presented a memorial to impeach, wanting to abolish the post station."

The reason the post station manager dared to only provide water and food for the censor alone was because this censor was demoted, but if this censor was normally appointed, he would probably have to let the post station support all these people. That is, the water and food for more than ten people was a considerable expense for the post station.

"It must be the former Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, Shi Yingyue. I remember he impeached Hou Yuzhao and was demoted by me to the Northwest. It seems he hasn't changed his nature." Zhu Yijun calculated a little and locked onto who this censor was.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhang Juzheng nodded. It was indeed Shi Yingyue. After this person was demoted, there were too many accompanying servants, causing complaints in the post station, and Shi Yingyue therefore remonstrated to abolish the post station.

Zhang Juzheng only felt that Shi Yingyue was crazy.

The post road of Great Ming is the extension of the emperor's imperial power. Wherever the post road extends, the imperial power extends. No matter how expensive, the post soldiers must be supported. During the Longqing reign, because of insufficient national funds, public opinion repeatedly required the abolition of some post stations in the name of repair and saving, but they were all rejected. Now that Shi Yingyue is talking about this matter again, Zhang Juzheng knows for sure that Shi Yingyue is crazy.

Confucian scholars like Zhou Liangyin who have suddenly awakened are very few.

"He is not asking me to abolish the post station; he is clearly asking me to be a monarch of a fallen country." Zhu Yijun was very dissatisfied with this remonstrance. Emperor Chongzhen, because of the huge deficit in national funds, abolished the post stations under the public opinion manufactured by the censors, resulting in a Li Zicheng.

In the fourth year of Wanli, the situation of Great Ming was naturally better than in the Chongzhen years, but it was only better to a limited extent. If the post stations were really abolished, civil unrest would inevitably arise everywhere.

And the reason Shi Yingyue requested the abolition of the post station was only because the post station neglected him.

"Not only not abolish, but since the revitalization of profit, this post road must be expanded, and this post road must be renovated. Great Ming's department store thoroughfare, water and horse stations are the top priority." Zhu Yijun said very solemnly.

"I remember the Senior Grand Secretary talking about history, mentioning the Minister of Revenue Xia Yuanji of the Yongle reign. Once, Xia Yuanji's younger brother came to the capital to visit relatives. Finally, when he left, Xia Yuanji gave his brother two shi of rice to go home. Even for this, he was impeached by censors for extravagance." The little emperor and the Great Ming Senior Grand Secretary looked at the servants outside the pagoda construction site, and for a time felt deeply touched.

As the Minister of Revenue of the Yongle reign, as Zhu Di's iron-clad confidant, if Xia Yuanji wanted to take bribes, the two shi of rice given to his brother would definitely not be the only thing. But Xia Yuanji just didn't have extra assets to give his brother.

In the twentieth year of the Yongle reign, Xia Yuanji had vehemently opposed Zhu Di's continued northern expeditions. After so many years of fighting, the national treasury was indeed empty. Furthermore, Xia Yuanji's greatest reason for opposing Zhu Di's personal campaign was that Zhu Di was no longer young; having campaigned for many years, Zhu Di had many old wounds and ought to have rested well. Even if a campaign were necessary, he could have let the Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu, do it on his behalf.

But the contempt and rash advance of the first meritorious minister of the Jingnan campaign, the Duke of Qi, Qiu Fu, led to his death, making Zhu Di feel uneasy if he didn't go on a personal expedition.

Finally, Zhu Di also died on the road of his fifth northern expedition.

Xia Yuanji himself was not a corrupt official. Two shi of rice couldn't even support one servant. When the Prince of Han rebelled, Xia Yuanji insisted on a personal expedition to prevent accidents. After all, it was an uncle fighting his nephew.

Zhang Juzheng's life was very extravagant. The basic expenses of the Quanchu Guild Hall were 1,000 taels a year. But Zhang Juzheng is the Senior Grand Secretary of the country and the emperor's teacher.

What is the status of the censors, and what is their contribution? They are actually so extravagant!

"Your Majesty, preparing the Western Hills Coal Bureau will definitely have trouble soon." Zhang Juzheng gave the little emperor a preventive shot, telling His Majesty that this matter would absolutely not end so easily.

Zhu Yijun said quite calmly: "Then let it come."

"Minister of Justice, you don't have a submissive heart." Zhu Yijun said to Wang Chonggu.

"I am terrified." Wang Chonggu was stunned. How did he not have a submissive heart? The work was going well, and he cut open his stomach to prove he didn't cut corners. How did he get labeled as not having a submissive heart?

Zhu Yijun looked at the people coming and going at the construction site and said helplessly: "Minister of Justice, you clearly understood what I said. Filling the pit is deliberately making things difficult for the censors. But you didn't make things difficult for them. You actually finished the construction period before the New Year. You should have dug it open and filled it, filled it and dug it open, digging it open and filling it, circulating repeatedly. These censors would have suffered enough. Next time they speak, they would know to investigate based on actual practice and investigate carefully before speaking."

"Correcting the style of high-talk and empty talk in the court, and the style of talking about nature and mind with hands in sleeves, is more important than the construction period of the pagoda."

Wang Chonggu completely understood. To catch up with the construction period, he arranged for many commoners to work together. Most of these censors were lazy, and the ones working were the commoners. He just wanted to finish the pagoda quickly, while His Majesty cared more about public opinion.

"Just working for a few days, they can scold for decades. If they were made to work for a few months, wouldn't they scold for generations?" Wang Chonggu expressed his worries.

Working for a few days and being able to scold for decades—this statement by Wang Chonggu is based on actual practice. Exiling high-ranking officials to the border, even if their families were pardoned later, after their families returned to their hometowns, they started writing small essays, and they wrote for decades.

Wang Chonggu already had enough bad reputation, so he didn't blame them too much.

"Let's dig it ten times first. Once it's filled, let them dig it again. Repeat it ten times. I said it. If I'm not satisfied with the work done by the censors, and they are lazy and slippery, then it's decided." Zhu Yijun saw that Wang Chonggu didn't want to bear this bad reputation, so he came personally.

"Great Ming's national law: false accusation leads to counter-punishment. Since they said the Minister of Justice cut corners, I can also say they are lazy and slippery. This is not too much, right? It's just digging it open ten times and filling it back ten times. It's not like I'm not giving them food."

He is young and his virtue is cool and immature.

"I obey the decree." Wang Chonggu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at the censors working. He was full of sympathy. His Majesty's eyeballs turned, and it was a bad idea to torture people, and the reason was very sufficient: lazy and slippery.

"Let's go." Zhu Yijun left the pagoda construction site with his hands behind his back.

"Respectfully send off Your Majesty." Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu bowed respectfully again.

"Senior Grand Secretary, you must persuade His Majesty to be benevolent. The officials of Great Ming all rely on you, Senior Grand Secretary." Wang Chonggu looked at the little emperor's back. This is not a child; this is clearly a monster.

"I am also a bit unsupported alone. I asked the Minister of Justice to enter the cabinet, but he refused." Zhang Juzheng's tone carried strong emotion.

"This matter still needs you, Senior Grand Secretary. You are the emperor's teacher." Wang Chonggu found it hard to imagine what kind of catastrophe these censors would encounter after His Majesty personally took charge of the government.

That night, the goose-feather snow that had been fluttering for three days finally stopped. The sky finally cleared, and the long-lost bright moon hung high in the heavenly palace, sprinkling a piece of silver white on the earth. Inside and outside the capital, it was covered in silver. On days of heavy snow, people rarely went out, so the streets became colder and colder. The night watchmen in the watchtower were still knocking on gongs and clappers in the streets and alleys, shouting: "The sky is dry and things are dry, be careful with fire."

"Fire! Fire!" A loud shout. The night watchman's face changed drastically when he heard the words, looked toward the Northwest, and began to beat the gong non-stop, telling people that there was a fire.

Great Ming is cautious, cautious, and cautious about setting off fireworks every New Year, because the capital is all wooden structures. As long as a fire starts, it burns in patches. The night watchmen beat gongs and drums to remind everyone to leave their houses quickly and come out to fight the fire together, preventing it from burning to their own homes.

The watchtower spotted the fire and immediately set out, heading toward the fire scene. The location of the fire was at the Coal Market Entrance.

Great Ming's capital, the inner city and the outer city, have two Coal Market Entrances in total. One is at Xizhimen, and one is inside Guangningmen. The one burning is the largest Coal Market Entrance inside Guangningmen.

The coal transported into the city from the coal kilns in Mentougou, west of the capital, by porters is piled up and sold here in a considerable part, hence the name. And the waterway connecting the Jinshui River and the moat, which has a stone bridge on it, is called the Coal Market Bridge.

A street at the Coal Market Entrance is all doing the business of distributing coal.

When this burns, the fire lights up the sky, smoke rolls, and people are running everywhere to fight the fire. The night watchman wanders on the street. When the fire started, the night watchmen were already hammering on the doors non-stop, but it was still inevitable that some people were sleeping soundly, felt the heat, and lost their lives in the fire.

Zhu Yijun heard the noise in the middle of the night, sat up abruptly, put on a cloak, and walked out of his bedroom. He had already seen Wang Yaozhuo waiting at the door, looking extremely anxious.

"Did the Baoqi Department burn?" Zhu Yijun's face was still calm. A fire at the beginning of the fourth year of Wanli, and another fire at the end of the year. His face was complex. Am I that hateful? But Wang Chonggu has said many times that the more prosperous and revitalized Great Ming is, the more wealth the meat-eaters have. This is a mutually reinforcing result.

It's not that the powerful and influential families were confiscated and the wealth was concentrated in the court, which is revitalization.

Zhu Yijun couldn't understand why he, Zhang Juzheng, Wang Chonggu, Tan Lun, and Wang Guoguang were so hateful. Is it that they must be killed to be finished? Zhang Siwen's arson of the palace, the major case had just ended, and before he could catch his breath, it came again.

"No, the news from outside the palace is that the Coal Market Entrance is burning." Wang Yaozhuo hurried to answer. If the Baoqi Department had burned, Wang Yaozhuo would have long ago disregarded etiquette, righteousness, and shame, broken into the bedroom, and shaken the little emperor awake.

Wang Yaozhuo slept very lightly, which had to do with her having lived a life of morning and evening uncertainty. She would wake up with a little movement. After the Coal Market Entrance burned, Wang Yaozhuo heard the sound and got up. It wasn't the Baoqi Department on fire, so she waited at the door. If His Majesty woke up, she would serve him. If His Majesty didn't wake up, she would wait.

"Oh, it's not the Baoqi Department on fire, it's the Coal Market Entrance... Coal Market Entrance!" Zhu Yijun immediately woke up. The Coal Market Entrance is burning!

Zhu Yijun immediately climbed the Wenhua Tower, looking at the Coal Market Entrance Street in the due south direction. The fire had already burned half the sky red. He frowned and looked at the horizon, tightening his cloak.

The next morning, the court deliberation was held as usual, and the Coal Market Entrance fire case became a major case.

"The fire burned to death one hundred and twenty-seven people, including three firemen who died while saving lives. I think it is appropriate to build a Loyalty and Bravery Shrine to commemorate them." Minister of War Tan Lun first sought posthumous fame for the firemen. The construction standard of the Loyalty and Bravery Shrine is: if this soldier died for saving the commoners, then build a Loyalty and Bravery Shrine to commemorate and record his merits.

The Loyalty and Bravery Shrine is not large. There is a stele in an octagonal pavilion, engraved with the details of the soldiers' heroic sacrifice to save the commoners.

People might forget their contribution, just like Chen Youren slandered the Southern Army led by Qi Jiguang who pacified the Japanese pirates, but the stones will remember.

"Approved." Zhu Yijun nodded immediately and said.

There was no objection to this. The firemen belonged to the soldiers and were served by the soldiers of the Five Cities Military Commission. The firemen knew the ruthlessness of water and fire better than ordinary people, but they still died while saving lives. They deserve this honor.

"Have you found out the cause of the fire?" Zhu Yijun asked eagerly.

Wang Chonggu's brows were twisted into a knot, and he shook his head: "No, the fire burned everything clean."

Arson is the most difficult major case to investigate. Zhang Siwen dared to burn the palace because he was sure that such a case could not be investigated at all. But there were reporting boxes all over the palace. Before the fire started, someone had already reported that there might be a fire. Only then was it determined to be man-made rather than a natural disaster, and only then could they investigate along this line.

The fire at the Coal Market Entrance had no prior intelligence at all, and there was no way to investigate. Even if they investigated, clues and intelligence were difficult to distinguish between true and false.

"Actually, it can be investigated." Wang Chonggu held his hands and said: "Your Majesty, just look at who has been releasing a large amount of coal recently."

"If it is really man-made, it must be that some people transferred their own coal in advance. The snow blocked the road, and the Coal Market Entrance was set on fire. The price of coal will inevitably soar to the sky. At that time, just see who releases a large amount of coal, and you can follow the vine to find the culprit."

"The fire did burn all the evidence clean. If it is man-made, it must be for profit. Just find the person who hoarded and transferred coal in advance."

Wang Chonggu provided another angle to investigate the case.

Great Ming's imperial palace was originally like a sieve, leaking wind everywhere. The content of the court deliberation, before the deliberation was over, the outer court already knew it clearly. With the constant increase of Feng Bao's reporting boxes, plus Zhang Siwen's arson case, Empress Dowager Li was like crazy cleaning the palace. Now, the news coming out of the palace was also difficult to distinguish between true and false.

Therefore, as long as there were no traitors among the court officials, this case indeed had the possibility of being investigated clearly.

Zhu Yijun was very approving of Wang Chonggu's suggestion. He thought for a while and said: "Stop the imperial palace construction for a while. Let the commoners go to the Western Hills official kilns to push coal. In the future, don't put all your eggs in one basket."

The imperial palace construction was preparing for the holiday before the New Year. Zhu Yijun planned to let the craftsmen who repaired the imperial palace work a little harder. The median wage for craftsmen given by Wang Chonggu was eleven taels of silver per person per year. This was the wage for catching up with the construction period.

Great Ming's craftsmen actually didn't have high requirements. If you pay them on time, if you let them work more, give them a little more money, even if you don't give them more money, give them some meat, and if there is two taels of wine, the craftsmen are willing to do it, and they are happy.

Looking closely, craftsmen are actually very similar to border soldiers. Give them half a ration and they will be safe and sound. Filling their stomachs is enough to repel the invading enemy.

What they are afraid of is not even giving them half a ration or a full meal. There is absolutely no enthusiasm for production.

Wang Chonggu gave enough wages to the craftsmen, completely because he was afraid that the imperial palace construction would delay His Majesty's wedding, which would be a death sentence.

Therefore, letting the craftsmen carry coal to ensure coal supply is something the craftsmen are willing to do. After all, insufficient coal supply will really freeze people to death, and freeze many people to death.

"The wine and meat rot in the vermilion gates, while on the road there are frozen bones."

After Wang Chonggu accepted the order, he left the Wenhua Palace directly, not even participating in the court deliberation, and focused on supervising this matter.

"The Governor of Luzon, Guo Xingzhengmao, sent a memorial. In the memorial, Minister Yin discussed Great Ming's water transport." Zhang Juzheng took out a memorial, his face somewhat strange. Yin Zhengmao seemed to have not yet correctly realized that he was already a warlord, and still regarded himself as a Great Ming minister, actively participating in the discussion of Great Ming's national affairs.

For example, in this memorial discussing water transport, Yin Zhengmao, who was far away in Luzon, was still very concerned about Great Ming's sea transport, and was a firm supporter of sea transport of grain.

Zhang Juzheng circulated Yin Zhengmao's memorial and explained: "Minister Yin said that if the Great Ming court does not transport grain by sea, then Luzon will have no taxes to collect. Places where taxes cannot be collected are not Great Ming territory. After all, from Luzon to Great Ming, it can only be transported by sea. So he supports sea transport of grain, and Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue Liu Lu, Assistant Minister of Grain Storage Yang Yikui, and Minister of War of Nanjing Liu Guangji and others echoed one after another, requesting to firmly carry out sea transport."

Hai Rui looked at the memorial and read: "We, the overseas ministers of Luzon, our loyalty can be seen by heaven and earth. How can Your Majesty lightly abandon us and ignore us?"

In the memorial, Yin Zhengmao directly raised it to the level of principle: sea transport must be done, and it must be continued. Solve the technical problems, then solve the administrative problems. If there is no sea transport, the Great Ming court does not want Luzon! This is abandoning the land!

Whoever opposes sea transport is a treacherous minister and thief who abandons the land! Whoever is a traitor to the country!

The key is that Yin Zhengmao's logic is not forcibly raising it to the level of principle; it is simply impossible to refute. Luzon has the yellow copper, gold, tung oil, fish oil, rock sugar, and maritime security that Great Ming needs. The Luzon Governor District is the front line of Great Ming's struggle against the Red-Haired Barbarians. If we don't fight in Luzon, do we have to fight on Great Ming's coastline?

"Isn't this like a hemp pole hitting a wolf, both sides are afraid?" Wan Shihe smiled and said: "The court is worried about Luzon's secession, and Luzon is worried about the court abandoning it. The Duke of Guo in Luzon still has to rely on Great Ming. Emperor Taizu Gao is wise and martial."

The Duke of Guo in Luzon is actually copying the Mu Prince's Mansion in Yunnan. One is on the border, one is overseas, and both have successful experience.

"I quite agree with what Minister Yin said. Abandoning sea transport is equivalent to abandoning Luzon, which is the crime of abandoning the land. Anyone who discusses this matter must be a traitor to the country." Tan Lun agreed with Yin Zhengmao's proposal. The trick of raising it to the level of principle is not only played by cheap Confucians, but also by ministers.

"Isn't this like the wolf and the pole—both sides afraid?" Wan Shihe said with a smile: "The imperial court worries about Luzon's separatism, while Luzon worries about the court abandoning them. Koxinga still has to rely on the Great Ming in Luzon. The Zhao Zhao Dingjian Emperor was truly wise and martial."

The canal is not abandoned. On the contrary, Great Ming is still maintaining the canal. If sea transport can really become a long-term national policy, then the Grand Canal, this great artery of the empire, will burst into stronger vitality because transport capacity is no longer delayed.

Grain transport to the capital is a political task. This thing has almost become a burden that wastes national strength. But sea transport requires technology, and sea transport grain ships are indeed easy to capsize.

"Minister Yin said that they hunted a giant whale near Mindanao and contributed 127 catties of ambergris, three hundred catties of shark oil, and ten thousand catties of fish oil." Wang Guoguang finished reading Yin Zhengmao's memorial.

The naval battle in Mindanao has entered a boring and tasteless confrontation time. The Luzon Governor Yin Zhengmao cannot help the Red-Haired Barbarians who are hiding in the strong city, and the Red-Haired Barbarians cannot win in the naval battle. During this garbage time, a large ship captured a giant whale.

One tael of ambergris is priced at 80 taels of silver. This 127-catty piece of ambergris is priced at over 160,000 silver in the Southern Yamen. Ambergris is a top-grade spice, and shark oil is a top-grade lighting fish oil, which burns cleaner, with bright and stable flames.

Fishing and refining oil has become a pillar industry in Manila. This kind of sea giant beast is indeed invincible in the sea, but humans are at the top of the food chain.

According to Zhu Yijun's temperament, ambergris will be sold in the imperial estate for cash, rather than used as a luxury item for self-use.

If it can be sold for money, sell it for money.

"The Governor of Guizhou, Jiang Yilin, impeached the Miao thief Ye for 270,000 mu of official land, to build a new county, Changning, to plan for long-term peace and stability." Zhang Juzheng mentioned the latest progress of the "changing the native land into the official land" promoted by the Ministry of Personnel recently.

This Miao thief, named Ye Kai, was a Miao leader who relied on danger to cause disaster, infringed on official land, and ran rampant. Jiang Yilin's method of dealing with this hereditary native official was the alienation strategy, eventually destroying Ye Kai's old nest, and presented a memorial to abolish the native official and change it to set up Changning County.

The construction cost of Changning County was sponsored by the dead Ye Kai.

The court deliberation was passed quickly, and Jiang Yilin was promoted to Censor-in-Chief and concurrently Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, still Governor of Guizhou, concurrently Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, which meant that the Ministry of Revenue had a vacancy, and Jiang Yilin was qualified to enter the capital to serve as Vice Minister.

This step is extremely difficult for outer officials.

Zhu Yijun was quite curious about how Jiang Yilin solved this Ye thief. This line of native officials of the Ye thief had been arrogant and domineering from the Song Dynasty to the fourth year of Wanli of Great Ming. It could be said to be deeply rooted. How could Jiang Yilin solve it as soon as he started?

After asking clearly about the reason, Zhu Yijun could only say that the scholar-officials' minds were really dirty.

Ye Kai was lustful. At the end of May of the fourth year of Wanli, Ye Kai robbed a beauty into the mountain. Lust is a knife. This beauty was Jiang Yilin's knife. The beauty was really beautiful. After less than two months, the beauty took advantage of Ye Kai's deep sleep and stabbed him to death.

The more beautiful the woman, the more she will deceive people. This beauty killed Ye Kai. The mountain stronghold had internal strife for the position. When the Great Ming army attacked, the mountain stronghold was destroyed. When the mountain stronghold was broken, the beauty was already dead. Jiang Yilin buried her thickly.

The Ministry of Works presented a memorial, saying that the timber in the Taichang Factory was lacking, and requested to go to Yizhen, Guazhou, and other places to buy wood. The price of wood in the Northern Yamen was expensive, and even buying wood from Yangzhou and transporting it to the capital was cheaper than buying it in the surrounding area.

Zhu Yijun had already issued an imperial decree to stop using golden nanmu to build the imperial palace, but the Taichang Factory had used up the accumulated wood.

No wood, and no firewood. This is the reason why the Northern Yamen is full of yellow sand every spring. Planting trees is also in vain.

"Junior Grand Secretary, concurrently Junior Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Minister of Rites, and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, Zhang Juzheng, nine-year performance review, top grade. I request the emperor to specially promote the Senior Grand Secretary to a high rank, the position of Grand Tutor." Wan Shihe presented a major event, taking advantage of the nine-year performance review results to request the position of Grand Tutor for Zhang Juzheng, specially promoting him to a high rank.

"Approved!" Zhu Yijun didn't hesitate either. He looked at Wan Shihe and found him more and more pleasing to the eye. Zhang Juzheng had declined promotion many times. Whether to promote or not is not up to you, Zhang Juzheng!

"I have a 'Memorial of Declining the Grace of Promotion'." Zhang Juzheng still wanted to decline.

He had long anticipated that the little emperor would promote him before the New Year, so he prepared four memorials of decline.

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 204 =====

Zhu Yijun had already issued an edict to stop using golden nanmu wood for the construction of the imperial palace, but the Taijichang depot had already used up the stockpiled timber.

Without timber, and even more so without firewood, this was the reason why the Northern Capital was filled with yellow sand as soon as spring arrived; planting trees was also in vain.

"The Grand Preceptor, concurrently Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince, Minister of Personnel, and Grand Secretary of the Hall of Central Polarity, Zhang Juzheng, has achieved a 'superior-superior' rating in his nine-year performance review. As the Senior Grand Secretary, I request that he be specially promoted to the exalted rank of Grand Preceptor." Wan Shihe memorialized a major matter, taking advantage of the nine-year performance review results to request the position of Grand Preceptor for Zhang Juzheng, with a special promotion in rank.

"Approved!" Zhu Yijun did not hesitate. He found Wan Shihe more and more pleasing to the eye. Zhang Juzheng had repeatedly declined promotions, but whether or not you get promoted, Zhang Juzheng, is not up to you!

"Your subject has a 'Memorial Declining the Imperial Favor of the Performance Review'." Zhang Juzheng still wanted to decline.

He had long anticipated that the young Emperor would promote him before the end of the year and had prepared four memorials of declination.

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(End of chapter)