Chapter 231: Mr. Zhang

Zhu Yijun stood before a folding screen. This screen was a gift left behind by Zhang Juzheng, similar to a screen of official ranks, but Zhang Juzheng had not finished it.

Because the Four Seas Survey, presided over by his uncle Zhu Zaiyu, was progressing rapidly, the students of the Imperial Academy's halls of mathematics, general studies, and logic were working their abacus beads until they were practically smoking. As a result, the map was becoming increasingly precise. On the screen before Zhu Yijun, just like the screen of official ranks, was a massive map of the world.

Marked upon this map was the drought.

Zhang Juzheng, while presiding over the compilation of the Collected Statutes of the Great Ming, had categorized the droughts and their areas of impact since the 29th year of the Jiajing reign, marking them year by year on the map. The depth of the color represented the severity of the drought, while another screen was marked with all the civil unrest since the 29th year of the Jiajing reign.

If one were to overlay the two types of maps, one would discover that the areas of impact for the droughts and the areas of impact for the civil unrest were almost exactly the same.

Before taking leave, Zhang Juzheng, using this map, had redefined civil unrest as "scrambling for food."

The reason this map was not yet finished was that Zhang Juzheng had not yet fully redefined everything; he intended to map out historical locust plagues, droughts, earthquakes, and so on in the same way to explain the fundamental logic behind the occurrence of civil unrest.

Everyone clearly knew that civil unrest had a direct relationship with natural disasters, but no one had specifically studied exactly what that relationship was. However, Zhang Juzheng, relying on his formidable ability to collect information and the tyrannical power he held while governing the nation, completed this synthesis.

When the common people are happy and content, and families are well-provided for, then even if there are external threats, the foundation of the state remains deep and solid, and one can naturally be without worry.

When the common people are sorrowful, bitter, and thinking of rebellion, and cannot make a living, then the barbarians and bandits rise up to take advantage of it.

In his interpretation of "the people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is solid, the state is peaceful," Zhang Juzheng defined "the people" as the common folk, not the gentry.

At Zhu Yijun's waist hung a key. This key was for the master register of the screen of official ranks in the Hall of Literary Brilliance; it was the key to the anonymous list of the draft rankings for the Method of Evaluation, the key to the register that called the names, representing the power to appoint and dismiss all officials under heaven.

When Zhang Juzheng entered the Grand Secretariat, he concurrently held the position of Minister of Personnel, but the specific department head was Wan Shihe. Zhang Juzheng's Method of Evaluation did not strip the promotion and appointment of officials from the Ministry of Personnel to be placed under the Grand Secretariat; instead, it was placed under the Hall of Literary Brilliance, under the Emperor himself.

At Zhu Yijun's side was a six-volume account book from the Ministry of Revenue, the main content of which was data on land surveys from various regions, primarily concentrated in the Capital Region, Henan, the fourteen prefectures of Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi. The surveying of land and reclamation of wasteland were unfolding in full swing, and would soon reach Shandong. The greatest dissatisfaction of the gentry, represented by the Restorationist faction, was precisely because the imperial court was conducting these surveys.

Whose land is it, after all? Is it the Emperor's? The imperial court's? The gentry's? Or the common people's?

Land after survey and return was prohibited from being transferred or sold; all land deeds were not allowed to be traded in any way. This was the current land system of the Great Ming Dynasty.

According to Zhang Juzheng's planning, these land plots surveyed and granted to the common people for reclamation could not be sold; this was merely an expedient measure, because the transfer of land would inevitably appear in different forms. How to increase land income and keep the common people on their land was what the Great Ming Dynasty should be doing.

Farming households should not be poor. This "not being poor" was built on the foundation that the imperial court's taxes were not so harsh, and that there were no local apportionments or so many harsh taxes and levies under various pretexts. As farming households possessing the means of production, becoming increasingly poor did not conform to basic laws. Therefore, how to increase the income of farming households was also within Zhang Juzheng's planning.

In the ninth month, the Great Ming Capital Garrison would once again depart from the capital to head for the Daning Guard. Driving the Tuman Khan out of Liaodong was the Great Ming's long-term strategic plan and the foundation for the "Return to the Loop." Strengthening the military and invigorating martial arts was an important link in Zhang Juzheng's plan to enrich the country and strengthen the military. Qi Jiguang, Li Chengliang, Zhang Yuanxun, and others also used one victory after another to repay Zhang Juzheng's grace in slightly granting military commanders authority.

The Great Ming was flourishing, recovering its vitality at an unprecedented speed. This was the Great Ming Dynasty in the early years of the Wanli reign.

Zhu Yijun believed that if the current imperial court were to lose Zhang Juzheng, all of this would very likely come to an abrupt halt. If he, a little emperor who hadn't even grown a beard, could no longer borrow the tiger's might, could he really deter those monsters and demons?

Just with the survey and return of land, those local bureaucrats, gentry, and merchants—those three-in-one fellows who were bold enough to defy the heavens—would teach the little emperor a lesson.

Whenever the imperial court harshly punished or exploited the powerful gentry, the gentry and powerful would apply these harsh punishments a hundred or a thousand times over to the common people. This was an inevitable occurrence.

"Mr. Zhang hasn't even finished his work, the great cause is not yet achieved, and he intends to leave the court? Hmph, no way!" Zhu Yijun flicked his hands in anger, looking at the pile of unfinished business Zhang Juzheng had left behind.

"Zhang Hong, go and transmit the decree." This time, Zhu Yijun issued an imperial decree to "retain him in office despite mourning."

Zhang Hong took the imperial decree and arrived at the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan. He did not wait for Zhang Juzheng to come out, but went directly into the inner courtyard to proclaim the decree.

"A handwritten decree from His Majesty."

"The Grand Secretary has received the entrustment of my late father, assisting me in my youth and stabilizing the state. I rely on you deeply; how can I be without you for even a day? You are permitted to pass the forty-nine days of mourning, but you need not follow the court. You shall immediately issue an order to your department that you need not resign, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites shall go to the Western Hills in the near future to select a burial site."

"As the teacher of the Emperor and the Grand Secretary of the state, your merit lies in the state. The grace for the funeral of the teacher's father should be generous. You shall follow the precedent for sacrificial burial, and add five more altars of sacrifice, with officials sent to perform the rites, to show my favor."

"Respect this."

This imperial decree not only forbade Zhang Juzheng from resigning, but also forbade him from returning to his roots, forbade Zhang Wenming's soul from returning to his hometown, and ordered Zhang Wenming to be buried in the Western Hills.

This was a card Zhu Yijun had planned long ago. From the moment he brought Zhang Wenming to the capital under the name of "seeing the elder," he had already planned for him to be buried in the Western Hills, cutting off Zhang Juzheng's reason for returning to his hometown.

After Zhang Juzheng received the imperial decree, he submitted another memorial requesting to resign and leave the court, saying that even if he were buried in the Western Hills, he could build a hut in the Western Hills to observe mourning for his father.

After Zhu Yijun saw this memorial, he issued another decree, this time adding nine more altars of sacrifice, still forbidding him from observing the mourning period. This time, the card Zhu Yijun played was "no avoidance for gold and leather." Currently, the Great Ming was about to mobilize troops in Liaodong. As the person who planned the court's strategy, you, Zhang Juzheng, are about to go to war; do you have the heart to desert before the battle?

With Marquis of Sishui and State Surname Zheng Mao in Luzon, and Marquis of Ningyuan Li Chengliang in Liaodong, there is a fear that they might become too powerful to control. With Xu Wei and Sun Keyi in Nagasaki, the Great Ming is wielding force everywhere. Entrusting all of this to a fifteen-year-old child—isn't that a bit irresponsible?

"No avoidance for gold and leather" was a situation in the mourning system. There was a war, and this war was planned by you. Yet you want to leave. Who is the Emperor supposed to find to continue this?

Zhang Juzheng submitted another memorial, saying that with Tan Lun in the court, there would be no trouble with matters of "gold and leather."

After Zhu Yijun received this memorial, he was so angry he slammed the table. Zhang Juzheng's second request to observe mourning was actually quite reasonable. Tan Lun's health was improving, and his handling of military affairs had never had any errors. As long as Tan Lun was there, Li Chengliang wouldn't dare do anything, and everything would continue as usual.

The Emperor issued another edict to retain him. This time, the card Zhu Yijun played was the late Emperor. The core content was: "The mourning for a father must be observed, but the mourning for a sovereign father is even more important. In order to shoulder the heavy entrustment of my late father, you must not stubbornly refuse."

The late Emperor had shown Zhang Juzheng great favor. Zhang Juzheng's rise from the Prince of Yu's mansion to become the Grand Secretary of the Empire was all due to the late Emperor's grace. The mourning for a father is of course important, but is the command of the sovereign father not important?

Zhang Juzheng's reason for rebuttal was again well-founded and very sufficient: "How would I dare not think of how to embody the Emperor's will and weigh its lightness and heaviness? But I think that I am only fifty-three years old. The ancients began to serve in government at fifty, and the mourning period of this dynasty is only twenty-seven months. By the time I finish my mourning, I will only be fifty-six years old."

Zhang Juzheng meant that he was only fifty-three, and after twenty-seven months of mourning, he would only be fifty-six, and could return to the court to continue serving the Emperor.

Zhu Yijun discovered that Zhang Juzheng was truly skilled at debating; what he said had no flaws at all.

Even though both Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng were very clear that his successor could not possibly give up the position of Grand Secretary to return to him, Zhang Juzheng, once he left, could never return. But as a scholar, Zhang Juzheng still shamelessly said that he was very young and could return.

Zhu Yijun patted the memorial in his hand, his brows furrowed as he thought about his own cards. He played an emotional card: "Everything you have said in the past, I have followed without exception. Today, in this matter, I hope you will follow me. Do not submit any more memorials. The forty-nine days are already considered far away."

Zhang Juzheng's memorial was sent into the palace again and delivered to Zhu Yijun. The card he played was also an emotional one: "I still have an elderly mother, who is seventy-two years old and has always been in poor health. My mother's wish is for me to return home early."

Zhang Juzheng's parents were both alive. Zhang Wenming's death had caused Zhang Juzheng's mother extreme grief. Zhang Juzheng meant that his mother hoped he could return to his hometown.

Zhu Yijun had met the old lady. Although she was old, she was not confused. Which was more important, state affairs or family affairs? The old lady would absolutely not disregard the major affairs of the imperial court just because she was a person of the fields.

"Mr. Zhang has his own position." Zhang Hong advised His Majesty not to be too angry. This was a return of power sooner or later, and this was a good opportunity. Zhang Juzheng did not want to be the "Ming Regent," so he insisted on leaving.

In history, Zhang Juzheng wanted to be the "Ming Regent" because once he left, the New Policies could not be maintained.

Now he insisted on leaving because he knew that if he left, the New Policies would continue.

Under different historical backgrounds and environments, Zhang Juzheng made completely different choices. Even the Zhang Juzheng in the original historical line had never threatened the imperial power and position of the Wanli Emperor. This was extremely rare among powerful ministers.

So much so that the crimes later generations found for Zhang Juzheng were that he restrained the Emperor too strictly, had problems with his lifestyle, and so on. But as long as Zhang Juzheng had even the slightest problem, he would be labeled with the crime of disloyalty, casting Zhang Juzheng into an abyss from which he could never recover.

This kind of crime that confused public and private matters was only because they couldn't pick out many faults in his public crimes, so they could only pin private feelings on Zhang Juzheng's forehead. Zhang Juzheng was already dead; how could he distinguish them?

Just as Zhu Yijun was thinking about how to continue to persuade him to stay, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhao Mengyou, walked into the Baoqi Department in a rush. He had successfully captured Wang Chonggu and his son and sent them to the prison of the Northern Suppressing and Fostering Division to be well taken care of.

It was indeed "well taken care of," because Zhao Mengyou knew very clearly that His Majesty still had use for Wang Chonggu.

Wang Chonggu's escape this time was merely to show his determination—that he did not want to be an official, and he was unwilling to stand in opposition to imperial power.

All of Zhang Juzheng's New Policies had His Majesty's full support. Which of Zhang Juzheng's New Policies was not extremely costly? Just take the strengthening of the military; His Majesty was transferring silver from the inner treasury all day long to strengthen the military. That was true, full support with real gold and silver.

Opposing Zhang Juzheng and opposing Zhang Juzheng's New Policies—if it wasn't opposing the Emperor, then what was it?

Therefore, even if Wang Chonggu didn't want to be an official, he didn't want to become the Emperor's enemy. Becoming Zhang Juzheng's enemy was already a very terrifying thing; becoming the Emperor's enemy was too stupid.

Wang Chonggu, in the Hall of Literary Brilliance, clearly knew the little Emperor's power.

"Commander, arrest all the capital officials on this list, send them to the Northern Suppressing and Fostering Division. If the prison isn't big enough, send them to the Ministry of Justice prison." Zhu Yijun shook a list out of his sleeve.

On this list was a long string of names.

When Zhao Mengyou got the list, his hands were shaking. Just this list alone had dozens of people, from the Vice Ministers and Directors of the Six Ministries, to the Investigating Censors of the Censorate, to the Supervising Secretaries of the Six Offices—all were included, and he even had to arrest their family members.

The prison of the Northern Suppressing and Fostering Division was indeed not big enough; they would have to be detained in the Ministry of Justice prison together.

His Majesty had planned to take heavy action to rectify the imperial court. These people on the list were the censorate officials who had been attacking the Zhang faction recently.

The name of Wang Chonggu was crossed out at the very top. It was obvious that at the beginning, the Emperor had even listed Wang Chonggu as a target. Although Wang Chonggu was now in the prison, they were all arrests, but the charges for the arrests were different, and the results would be completely different.

Wang Chonggu was truly too skilled at self-preservation.

When the wave of opposition to the New Policies arose in the court, Zhu Yijun suspected Wang Chonggu at the first opportunity. This was Zhu Yijun; he had very, very little trust in external officials. Even if he showed great favor to Wang Chonggu, that did not mean Zhu Yijun trusted him.

"I obey the decree!" Zhao Mengyou took the list and immediately went to make the arrests. He was afraid he didn't have enough manpower, so he even mobilized His Majesty's sparring partners—those guards—to go and make the arrests together.

The imperial court was bound to have a major earthquake.

Zhu Yijun didn't grind his teeth with Zhang Juzheng anymore. Zhu Yijun couldn't debate with Zhang Juzheng's sharp tongue, so he changed his tactics. He didn't persuade him anymore; he let the capital officials persuade him.

He also let the court officials know a little bit about Zhang Juzheng's role as a mediator in the court. If it weren't for Zhang Juzheng mediating in the middle, Zhu Yijun, this little child who didn't know his own strength, would have long ago ruined the entire Great Ming.

Zhu Yijun also had the eunuch Li Yougong of the Directorate of Ceremonial summoned, and handed a handwritten imperial decree to Li Yougong, ordering him to go to the Southern Yamen to transmit the decree to Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang, the father of Luo Sigong, the Tax Inspection Battalion Commander.

From the moment the imperial decree arrived, Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang was promoted to Tax Inspection Commissioner, in charge of the Nanjing Suppressing and Fostering Division. Following the old precedent of the Police Inspection Office, he was allowed to recruit a number of tax inspection officials. The tax inspection officials would not be asked about their origins or backgrounds. After verifying the tax tickets and completing the tax payment, they could receive two and a half percent of the tax money as a reward.

From the moment the imperial decree arrived, the Tax Inspection Office was reorganized into the Tax Inspection Institute, with no head of the institute to be appointed for the time being.

Zhu Yijun broke his word. According to the original agreement between Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng, the head of the Tax Inspection Institute was to be filled by a civil official. In this way, it would be a situation of tripartite checks and balances between the Tax Inspection Commissioner, the Tax Supervision Eunuch, and the Head of the Institute. But now, the Emperor issued a decree to reorganize the Tax Inspection Institute, but specifically did not set up a Head of the Institute, making it clear that tax inspection matters would no longer have any connection with the external court.

Let the gentry of the world persuade him; Zhu Yijun would no longer persuade Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Yijun wanted to see what kind of reaction the "meat-eaters" of the Great Ming would have.

The court officials and gentry had tacitly assumed that the Tax Inspection Office and the Dissection Institute were established by Zhang Juzheng, but now that these two decrees were issued, one could roughly see the true purpose.

After Wan Shihe heard the news, he jumped up directly in the Ministry of Rites, rushed out of the Ministry of Rites, and visited the prominent officials in the court one by one. In the evening, responding to the Emperor's imperial decree, Wan Shihe organized a gathering, calling several prominent officials together to persuade Zhang Juzheng to stay.

Wan Shihe knew very clearly that with Zhang Juzheng there, the officials could still catch their breath; without Zhang Juzheng, the officials would probably only be able to catch their breath in the underworld.

The people Wan Shihe invited were the leader of the Zhe faction, Tan Lun, the leader of the Jin faction, Ge Shouli, the leader of the "Clear Stream," Hence Hai Rui, and the Grand Secretary Lu Diaoyang.

Actually, Wan Shihe had suspected whether the Grand Secretary Lu Diaoyang was behind the public opinion attacking Zhang, so he tentatively invited Lu Diaoyang to persuade Zhang Juzheng to stay, to test Lu Diaoyang's intentions.

Wan Shihe did not manage to invite Lu Diaoyang, because Lu Diaoyang had already arrived at the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan.

Lu Diaoyang was in the Hall of Literary Brilliance and received the news much faster than Wan Shihe. Moreover, Lu Diaoyang was a die-hard member of the Zhang faction, so when the Emperor wanted to arrest the censorate officials who were attacking the Zhang faction, Lu Diaoyang immediately rushed to the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan to persuade Zhang Juzheng to stay.

"Grand Secretary, look, you are still in the capital, and you haven't even resigned from your position as Grand Tutor, yet His Majesty has already started arresting people. It would be better for you to stay in the court. They are all attacking your subordinates. His Majesty wants to persist with the New Policies, so he must take lethal action against them. If you leave, who in this entire court of civil and military officials would dare to speak up for these censorate officials?" Lu Diaoyang was extremely puzzled by Zhang Juzheng's insistence on leaving.

If it were just a show, His Majesty had already issued so many edicts; the show was already complete and could almost be brought to an end.

Attacking Zhang Juzheng's subordinates was only the first step. Actually, what these Restorationists really wanted to attack was Zhang Juzheng and his New Policies. His Majesty either had to follow the Restorationists' wishes and liquidate the Zhang faction, or he could only use such bloody and brutal means to force the court officials not to discuss it anymore.

In the past few days, the Restorationists hadn't reacted yet. If they were to attack Zhang Juzheng for "retaining office despite mourning" and violate the great ethics of father and son, the Emperor would probably use the "extermination of three clans" again. The Emperor was capable of taking action. Zhang Siwei and his twenty-four fellow scholars, as well as more than seven hundred family members of his faction, had been exterminated not long ago.

Wan Shihe, Tan Lun, Ge Shouli, Hence Hai Rui, and Lu Diaoyang came to the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan not only to pay their respects but also to persuade Zhang Juzheng not to resign.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said, "My mind is made up; there is no need to say more."

"There is no need to worry about the public opinion in the court. Previously, Yang Tinghe returned to his hometown to observe mourning. The Great Ming of that time and the Great Ming of today are already very different." Wan Shihe gave his promise: whoever dared to chatter endlessly would be made to shut up forever. This was the Emperor's will, and it was already being done.

Regarding public opinion, Wan Shihe had confidence. In fact, currently, the attacks hadn't reached Zhang Juzheng yet; most were attacking Zhang Juzheng's subordinates to test the Emperor's attitude. But this "testing" led to "death." The Emperor directly ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the inner eunuchs to make arrests. In the past few days, even those teahouses felt the tense atmosphere and closed their doors to guests.

A terrifying storm was brewing. The Emperor's attitude in making arrests was expressed very clearly: whoever dared to oppose the New Policies would die. He was using the most brutal and fundamental way, disregarding the evil consequences of the fierce escalation of contradictions, to carry out iron-blooded suppression.

The Emperor had never hidden the fact that he was a brutal person.

Zhang Juzheng, however, said solemnly to Wan Shihe, "His Majesty will eventually grow up. I, Zhang Juzheng, have feared no one's criticism in my life. But to continue to hold office would be to fail myself. To be disloyal—His Majesty is already grown, and to continue to hold office would be to bind His Majesty's hands and feet, which is disloyalty. To not observe the great ethics of father and son, and to let my father return to his roots without being able to—to be an unworthy son is unfilial."

"It is time to go."

Ge Shouli slammed the table and said very angrily, "Zhang Juzheng! You, you, you, you cannot live too selfishly. You just leave like this, fulfilling your own loyalty and filial piety, but disregarding your subordinates, the court, the officials, and the common people of the world. Why on earth do you insist on leaving? You are too selfish!"

"If you really leave, all those people in the prison will be beheaded and displayed to the public!"

Tan Lun also said very firmly, "Grand Secretary, usually I am the most radical, but I also know that some things can be overdone. It is better to stay. If you stay, everything is on the right track. If you don't stay, I am afraid things will go off course."

"A great foundation, are you willing to let it be washed away?"

"His Majesty will do better." Zhang Juzheng picked up the teacup with its base. This meant he was serving tea to see the guests out. He had already made his decision and would not easily change it.

"Sigh!" Wan Shihe flicked his sleeves and left with the other prominent officials.

Wan Shihe stood in front of the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan, feeling somewhat lost. He thought for a moment and headed toward the Northern Suppressing and Fostering Division. He planned to go to the prison to see Wang Chonggu.

Currently, the only prominent official left who could persuade Zhang Juzheng to stay was Wang Chonggu.

Wang Chonggu was living in a suite in the prison. To say it was a prison cell, it was actually a courtyard with a locked door, with all the furniture provided. It was called detention, but it was actually house arrest. His Majesty hadn't yet issued a decree to strip Wang Chonggu of his position as Junior Preceptor to the Crown Prince, so he was the "big boss" in the prison.

Wang Chonggu was humming a little tune while enjoying the moon. Wang Qian was sitting on the other side, boiling a kettle for his father. Enjoying the moon and drinking tea was actually quite leisurely.

"Son, this escape plan of yours is brilliant! It both washed away the suspicion and created a status of 'guilty person,' so I can't enter the Grand Secretariat. It's just that the Embroidered Uniform Guard ran too fast; we took the small path and were still caught." Wang Chonggu was very satisfied with the escape plan Wang Qian had formulated. The only flaw was that they didn't escape to their hometown.

Wang Qian also said very helplessly, "The dog noses of these imperial court hounds are too sharp. We took the small path at Zijing Pass, and we were still caught. Sigh."

If this escape had been successful, the father and son would have lost all their power, but they wouldn't have had to live in fear in the imperial court all day long.

"We are on someone else's turf, speak softly, walls have ears!" Wang Chonggu warned Wang Qian with a serious face.

What kind of talk is this? What kind of talk is this!

On the turf of someone else's Embroidered Uniform Guard, calling them hounds and dog noses—if this Commander heard it, wouldn't he put you through the five poisons of torture and let you taste the methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

You don't even understand the principle of "when under the eaves, one must bow one's head"!

"Censor Wang's words are not wrong. Since the founding by the Great Ancestor, my Embroidered Uniform Guard has been His Majesty's hounds, His Majesty's running dogs. If His Majesty is unwilling to use us running dogs, what use do we have?" A loud voice pushed the door open. The Commander Zhao Mengyou brought Wan Shihe in.

His Majesty had long expected that Wan Shihe would look for Wang Chonggu, and even gave Wang Chonggu the authority to leave the prison to go to the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan.

Zhao Mengyou, as the Commander, clearly knew that the Suppressing and Fostering Division, in fact, had never regained its past glory since Lu Bing died. The death of Lu Bing, the foster brother of the Jiajing Emperor, was the decline of the Great Ming's Embroidered Uniform Guard. For more than ten years, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had never been valued again.

It wasn't until His Majesty was assassinated that the Great Ming Emperor began to dance with swords and guns again, and even kept ten guards as sparring partners by his side, that the Embroidered Uniform Guard finally had a chance to catch its breath.

Therefore, when others said the Embroidered Uniform Guard were His Majesty's hounds and running dogs, the Embroidered Uniform Guard didn't consider it an insult when they heard it. Because for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the most terrifying thing was not being able to even be hounds or running dogs, having to kneel to everyone they saw, listening to whoever handed them a note, and even running to become the foster sons of eunuchs in the palace—things that hadn't happened before.

Now they only kneel to His Majesty and listen to His Majesty's orders.

To reuse the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Emperor had to work hard, because the six hundred guards of the Northern Suppressing and Fostering Division were selected from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was selected from the elite soldiers of the Capital Garrison, ensuring the loyalty of the Capital Garrison, which could ensure that the Embroidered Uniform Guard completely obeyed the Emperor.

For the sake of the loyalty of the military forces in the Capital Region, His Majesty practiced in the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer. Even though he had no talent for martial arts, he forced his martial arts progress to catch up to the level of a born general.

This was the fundamental reason why Zhang Juzheng could rest assured in leaving the court: His Majesty was a person of great perseverance.

Wan Shihe looked at Wang Chonggu sitting under the tree enjoying the moon, and he was so angry he couldn't help himself. He flicked his sleeves and sat to the side, saying angrily, "The Minister of Justice still has the heart to drink tea? The imperial court is in a mess, and you are here being pretentious? Didn't the mosquitoes bite you to death?"

"There is mosquito repellent incense." Wang Qian explained with a smile.

"Your son speaks so poisonously. He speaks like this, and you didn't beat him to death?" Wan Shihe was furious when he heard this, looking at Wang Chonggu, unable to believe what he was saying.

Wang Chonggu spread his hands and said, "I only have this one son."

"Both of you are people with sharp eyes and ears. These seven days, the drama of His Majesty retaining him and the Grand Secretary stubbornly refusing, you must know it in great detail. Give me a plan. If the Grand Secretary really leaves, there will be hundreds more lonely ghosts and wild spirits by the Tonghui River." Wan Shihe brought up the main business.

Once Zhang Juzheng leaves, those dozens of people locked in the prison will probably lose their heads.

This is a choice of route, not related to brutality. It is to use these heads to sacrifice the flag, to express his determination to persist with the New Policies. Only with such brutal means can he completely cut off the thoughts of those fools.

But in this way, the contradictions will immediately escalate to an irreconcilable level. The result is a river of blood? A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

"Grand Minister, what does Grand Secretary Zhang care about the most?" Wang Chonggu asked with a smile.

Wan Shihe was stunned and asked suspiciously, "What does he care about?"

"It seems to be the state, it seems to be the world, but actually, it is His Majesty." Wang Chonggu leaned back in his specially made armchair, adjusted to a comfortable position, and said, "Zhang Juzheng has entrusted everything to His Majesty."

"That Wang Jinglong who assassinated the Emperor is still in the Dissection Institute. Grand Minister, go to the Dissection Institute to take this prisoner, go to the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan, and remind Mr. Zhang what kind of storms His Majesty will face without him."

"Mr. Zhang will naturally stay."

Wang Jinglong wasn't dead yet because there were only so many experimental materials, so he had been tortured to the brink of death and back so many times that he was still living well in the Dissection Institute. Of course, it was just "living." In fact, he had long been tortured into madness. The Dissection Institute was hell on earth.

As long as Wan Shihe brought Wang Jinglong before Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Juzheng would abandon the idea of fulfilling his own loyalty and filial piety.

Wang Chonggu clearly knew Zhang Juzheng's Achilles' heel: it was His Majesty. He didn't even need to create any crisis.

A reader asked: Why does the little emperor want to kill people? Because if he doesn't kill people, he cannot show his determination to persist with the New Policies, and it will leave room for the Restorationists to have extravagant hopes. Therefore, as long as Zhang Juzheng leaves, heads will roll immediately. The route issue has no room for relaxation. Please vote for the monthly ticket, Awooooo!!!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 232 =====