Chapter 236: Uneven Distribution of Spoils, Unclear Rewards and Punishments

Zhu Yijun knew clearly what Wan Shihe was talking about. He was speaking of the problems within the basic officialdom system of the Great Ming—the fragmentation between the upper and lower levels.

Apportionment and the fabrication of reports were inevitable phenomena in the Great Ming's new fiscal and administrative reforms. Wang Guoguang had noticed this, and Minister of Personnel Wan Shihe proposed an improvement: holding the person in charge accountable.

It is worth noting that Wang Guoguang and Wan Shihe did not completely negate apportionment and report fabrication; they even affirmed that they possessed some positive significance.

Because for the Great Ming, the predicament of apportionment and report fabrication was caused by the reforms themselves; this was an inherent bump in the road of reform. Before this trend could fully spread and become the norm, the Great Ming's court discussions had already noticed this unhealthy atmosphere and intended to seek a solution.

For example, report fabrication: the "Six Registers and One Account" were the reports the court required and the core of fiscal taxation. Without making these clear, the Great Ming could never complete its fiscal reform. The Great Ming did not know how much farmland or how many people it had, and even tax collection was muddled. Successfully completing the "Six Registers and One Account" was the key to fixing the Great Ming's fiscal mess.

Report fabrication was entirely necessary and could even improve efficiency. But was it the Great Ming court's requirement to turn the "Six Registers and One Account" into dozens of reports? No, it was merely a means for officials at all levels to apportion responsibility downward.

Apportionment also had certain benefits. For instance, when Jiangxi suffered a locust plague that reached the point where the good-natured Pan Jixun wanted to kill people, the court had Huguang, Nanya, Zhejiang, Fujian, and the two Guangs support Jiangxi to raise grain and fodder. This was also a form of apportionment, injecting powerful momentum into the disaster area.

But this apportionment only distributed responsibility without distributing power. Wasn't this making things difficult for those doing the work?

The court let Hou Yuzhao go to Liaodong to garrison and farm; Hou Yuzhao could do it well, but if the court gave Hou Yuzhao not a shred of power, then what was the point of Hou Yuzhao doing anything? Previously, Hou Yuzhao had submitted a memorial on garrison farming; this time, following the army on an expedition, it was surely the court granting Hou Yuzhao administrative authority.

When the court let Governor Yin Zhengmao go to pacify the red-haired barbarians in Lu Song, the court at that time was destitute. Let alone five-masted ocean-crossing ships, there weren't even a few four-hundred-liao warships. The court couldn't provide material support, so it provided policy support and gave Governor Yin Zhengmao administrative authority. Governor Yin Zhengmao recruited Lin Afeng, launched a surprise attack on Ma Nila, and by now had become a "Koxinga" figure.

Back then, when the court let Governor Yin Zhengmao go to the two Guangs as Viceroy to pacify the Japanese pirates, it also granted administrative authority. When Zhang Juzheng spoke of strengthening the army, he also said that military generals should be given some administrative authority.

It is worth noting that just by giving a little administrative authority, people like Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, Li Chengliang, Liu Xian, and Zhang Yuanxun were already filled with gratitude. They didn't ask for more; as long as they were allowed to fight, it was a good court...

Wan Shihe's method was to use official hats and heads to force the masters soaking in the gentle embrace of brothels to devolve the power in their hands to those who actually did the work.

Wan Shihe hesitated repeatedly, looking at the Emperor's young face, and bowed his head again, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

"In court discussions, one should naturally say everything one knows and say it without reservation." Zhu Yijun extended a hand, inviting Wan Shihe, Grand Minister Wan, to continue explaining his administrative methods to everyone, to continue his performance.

Wan Shihe's hand reached toward the official position screen, and he said very solemnly, "Your Majesty, those who talk about 'mind and nature' with folded hands are never the ones who solve problems. Those who engage in high-flown talk are often in the capital, not in the localities. More precisely, it is the main officials of the court who are hollow, not the local clerks. They are the most hardworking and weary, yet Your Majesty cannot see them. Even this official position screen will not record them."

Zhu Yijun said sincerely, "So, starting from the first year of Wanli, the Master let me emulate the ancestral laws: meeting local officials, meeting assistant magistrates, meeting village elders, and meeting the common people?"

Wan Shihe bowed his head very respectfully and said, "That is correct. This is the reason why I believe Master Jiangling never truly 'awed the sovereign'."

Regarding whether Zhang Juzheng had "awed the sovereign" during his years in power, Wan Shihe had to use this matter to provide a definition; otherwise, voices obstructing the Great Ming's resurgence would appear. These voices easily confused the public, and various miscellaneous gazettes were sniffing out the wind in the court, testing whether they could "restore order." Wan Shihe hoped to use the problems and contradictions arising from the "Six Registers and One Account" and the "Evaluation Method" mentioned by Wang Guoguang to solidify Zhang Juzheng's reputation.

"The Great Ming is fortunate," Zhu Yijun said sincerely.

Yu Qian was beheaded and displayed; Zhang Juzheng was almost dragged from his coffin to be whipped; over a dozen of his family members were driven to their deaths, torn apart by wild dogs. Seeing the ends of these two key masters of key periods in the Great Ming, and the ends of people like Zhu Wan and Hu Zongxian, was chilling.

And then there was Qi Jiguang. Qi Jiguang drifted in his later years because he knew he would be liquidated, fearing it would implicate his wife's family. In the end, he handed all his family wealth to his wife and divorced her. A pure warrior like this, a General Qi who fought to report to the Son of Heaven and save the common people, ended up like this.

It would be strange if the Great Ming didn't perish.

It is people who do the work. With such coldness and lack of grace, seeking glory only to receive humiliation, the loss of centripetal force is imaginable.

The construction of legal legitimacy is actually the construction of centripetal force. The loss of centripetal force in military, political, economic, and cultural fields—during the Wanli era, the Wanli Emperor stood up and slammed the accelerator into the fuel tank.

"Such a simple method, why has no one mentioned it before?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Shihe and said with a smile.

Wan Shihe said very earnestly, "Master Zhang said the timing wasn't right, so there was no need to mention it. If the timing were right, everyone would mention it."

Zhu Yijun said with great satisfaction, "That is indeed so. Ministry of Personnel, draft a charter for this matter of holding main officials accountable and submit it to the Cabinet for report."

"I obey the decree."

On the first day Zhang Juzheng left the court, not only did the court officials miss him, but the Emperor missed him too.

Zhang Juzheng's first step in grasping administrative discipline was to break the habit of indulgence. Promotions depended entirely on human relationships. This corrupted the personnel appointment power in the Great Ming's administration. Only by shifting the standard of promotion from human relationships to merit could enough talent be selected to do work. Finding these people who were willing and able to work was the only way to further promote administrative discipline. To break indulgence, besides setting time limits, Zhang Juzheng also used "draft lists with names covered" and "filling in names on base registers."

And only after breaking indulgence could administrative discipline be further promoted.

This was what Zhang Juzheng always highly praised: gradual progress, not achieving success overnight, not using the Emperor's power of reward and punishment to mess around, but pushing for the Great Ming's resurgence one step at a time.

Lu Diaoyang took out another memorial and said, "Viceroy of Granaries and Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Yingshi, reports: The actual amount of silver in the Taicang Treasury is over 6,984,160 taels. It should have been over 5 million. The official factories handed over 620,000 taels in profit, and the Tax Inspection Office and the Maritime Trade Office contributed over 1 million taels. Thus, national expenditures are abundant."

Tan Lun said blankly, "There is still so much this year?"

Last year, it was because the Tax Inspection Office pursued arrears and made over 1 million taels in extra income that the national treasury had a surplus of over 4 million taels. This year, the stored silver went directly to nearly 7 million taels.

"Grand Marshal, my report is true; the Great Ming is now wealthy, I am not talking nonsense," Wang Guoguang said with a smile. "And this is with high spending this year, because we had to make up for the arrears of the Nine Frontiers. Building the imperial palace, pagodas, the Academy of Physical Sciences, and the Military Lecture Hall—only then is there 6.98 million taels of silver."

"'Only' then?!" Tan Lun shook his head, let out a turbid breath, and said, "I don't know who it was in the first year of Wanli who was frantic over the 110,000 taels of construction costs missing for the late Emperor's mausoleum."

"At that time... sigh." Wang Guoguang didn't finish his sentence, and everyone remained silent. Back then, national expenditures were in a huge deficit; even the money owed for the late Emperor's mausoleum wasn't cleared until December of the first year of Wanli.

A massive fiscal deficit is a result and a concrete manifestation of the Great Ming's national affairs falling into ruin.

A massive fiscal deficit often represents loopholes in military, political, economic, and cultural affairs. For example, military defeats, political corruption, unbridled economic growth, and the pursuit of luxury in culture—a massive fiscal deficit is merely a manifestation of the national decline.

Wang Chonggu said with a hint of emotion, "It seems I still need to work harder. Last year, I only handed over 600,000 taels in profit; I truly feel ashamed of Your Majesty's trust."

Most of the profits from the wool official factories were taken for expansion, but even so, nearly 600,000 taels in profit were handed over to the national treasury. This year, with the slowing pace of expansion and the soaring prices of worsted wool, profits would see a significant increase.

"Grand Secretary Wang, I do not advocate for profit-seeking above all else." Zhu Yijun began to emphasize that official factories were not administrative units led solely by profit. Official factories grasped the lifeblood of the common people—fuel, rice, oil, and salt. It was inevitable for official factories to seek profit, but if they sought profit above all else, then these official factories might as well not exist.

During the two Song dynasties, salt, iron, coal, alum, and wine were all monopolies. During the time of Emperor Huizong of Song, the price of a catty of coal was sold for two hundred wen—that was a concrete manifestation of seeking profit above all else. In those large cities with millions of people, not a single blade of grass would grow in the surroundings; it was all firewood.

The two Song dynasties' finances were considered healthy until Jia Sidao came to power, even healthier than the Great Ming's fiscal taxation. The two Song dynasties' annual tribute, starting from Emperor Zhenzong of Song, was 300,000 taels of silver per year, not counting cloth and silk. Later, it kept increasing. One must know that at that time, silver had not yet flowed into China in large quantities; China was poor in silver. The money the two Song dynasties paid out in one year was the cost of one Emperor Longqing's mausoleum.

The two Song dynasties' fiscal health was based on extreme state-run monopolies seeking exorbitant profits, while the Great Ming's fiscal unhealthiness was due to devolving this power into the hands of the gentry. Now, the court was gradually reclaiming this power. If the gentry had given the common people a sip of soup, the court wouldn't have gone to such lengths to clear and return land.

Zhu Yijun reminded Wang Chonggu that his political vision for entering the Cabinet was to build a new class of craftsmen, not to accumulate wealth for the court.

"It is truly that human greed is insatiable. Yesterday, the reported price of worsted wool reached 17 taels and 4 qian of silver per foot." Wang Chonggu naturally remembered the fundamental reason he survived; he concisely explained the main growth point of the profits.

Zhu Yijun and Wang Chonggu looked at each other, both revealing a smile that said "those who know, know." Zhu Yijun said as if suddenly enlightened, "Is that so? Then it's fine."

Worsted wool was a huge scam, a high-stakes gamble between Wang Chonggu and the powerful gentry. The powerful gentry were desperately driving up the price of worsted wool to a point where its use value was completely negligible, while Wang Chonggu was working overtime to expand production.

The critical moment would be the day the powerful gentry hyped up the myth of getting rich to the common people and turned a piece of cloth into dozens of tickets to sell to the common people—that would be the moment Wang Chonggu crashed the market.

Wang Chonggu had already hoarded a large amount of worsted wool and was systematically harvesting the silver of the powerful gentry. This was an economic war lasting at least three years.

The court discussion continued. Viceroy of the two Guangs Governor Ling Yunyi submitted a memorial on the progress and further actions regarding the aftermath of the Luopang Mountain rebellion. The Ministry of War, Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of Revenue all provided reviews, especially the Ministry of Revenue, which decided to provide 370,000 taels of silver for Governor Ling Yunyi's aftermath expenditures in the locality.

Governor Ling Yunyi was reported against every day. Recently, he was calculating how to kill people, aiming to relocate commoners to Luopang Mountain to dilute the number of Yao people, in hopes of long-term peace and stability. But these Han commoners to be relocated didn't just fall from the sky. Governor Ling Yunyi set his sights on the collective of tenant farmers.

But the tenant farmers were all controlled by the local gentry and powerful families. Governor Ling Yunyi wanted to relocate people, but didn't have any? Based on the basic logic of asking whoever had them, Governor Ling Yunyi drew his blade.

To give or not to give—this was not a question. The powerful families of the two Guangs, having been repeatedly tamed by Governor Yin Zhengmao and Governor Ling Yunyi, were truly afraid of this fellow. They sent people to the capital all day long, wanting to find someone to manage Governor Ling Yunyi.

Now, the powerful families of the two Guangs didn't ask for anything else; they just wanted the Viceroy of the two Guangs to know that the powerful families had surrendered, that government decrees were government decrees, and that the powerful families would actively cooperate. There was no need for fighting and killing; it was truly disgraceful!

It was even worse than Governor Yin Zhengmao!

When Minister Yin was in the two Guangs, he at most dismantled a door or moved a bed. This Viceroy Ling was truly too murderous.

Prefect of Fengyang Zhao Tijing was promoted to Right Administration Commissioner of Sichuan; he had done an excellent job in clearing land and garrison farming, and went to Sichuan to be a high official. Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Yuan Hongde was made Right Counselor of Shaanxi—this was a demotion out of the capital, a victim of the Evaluation Method.

Afterward, the court discussion determined that the selection of *shujishi* (bachelors) for the Hanlin Academy would be held every fifteen days. The list of selected *shujishi* was confirmed: Shen Zibin, Gu Shaofang, Yang Qiyuan, Ao Wenzhen, Yao Yuexiang, Feng Mengzhen, and over a dozen others, plus first-rank *jinshi* Shen Maoxue and others, were sent to the Hanlin Academy to study.

Senior Grand Secretary Lu Diaoyang specifically asked if the top scholar Jiao Hong and Zhang Siwen wanted to participate in this selection. Zhu Yijun actually wanted both of them to go, but both expressed that the Imperial Academy of Physical Sciences was truly excellent, so the Emperor didn't need to ask again.

Since they had entered the Academy of Physical Sciences directly after the palace examination, they had already made their choice. Once the move is made, there is no regret.

"Censor Wang Qian is at the top of the list, why is he not on the list of *shujishi*?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and asked with slight confusion.

The only son of the Great Ming's new Grand Secretary Wang Chonggu had tested at the top, yet there was no *shujishi* quota for Wang Qian. How was this handled?

"Your Majesty, please allow me to report: my unworthy son has already been appointed as a Supervising Censor in the Censorate, so he cannot go to the Hanlin Academy to study," Wang Chonggu said very solemnly.

Zhu Yijun suddenly realized—they were waiting for him here!

It turned out that when Wang Chonggu requested an official position for his son and pointed to Sun Jigao, the purpose was self-preservation!

This intense desire to survive—before the Emperor had even struck a blow, Wang Chonggu had already used a "Flash"!

The Ministry of Rites decided that on the thirteenth day of the fifth month, the Emperor would go outside the Meridian Gate to announce the victory at Luopang. This ritual would take an entire morning and was very tedious, but Zhu Yijun agreed very readily. For matters like victory reports, if the rituals were tedious, so be it; after all, he had to issue decrees to reward the meritorious soldiers.

Governor Ling Yunyi was promoted to Right Censor-in-Chief and concurrently Viceroy of the two Guangs, with one son granted the rank of Vice Battalion Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rewarded with silver and a flying fish robe.

Marquis of Yingyang and Regional Commander of Lu Song Zhang Yuanxun was granted a hereditary certificate, with an additional son granted the hereditary rank of Battalion Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Regional Commander of Guangxi Li Xi was officially appointed as Regional Military Commissioner, with one son granted the hereditary rank of Company Commander of the local guard, and all participating soldiers, civil and military, received rewards.

It is worth noting that even the Viceroy of Lu Song and Earl of Sishui, Governor Yin Zhengmao, was rewarded for the reality of lending troops and for his meritorious service in initiating the matter. Zhang Yuanxun was lent by Governor Yin Zhengmao to Governor Ling Yunyi; this was the merit of lending troops. "Meritorious service in initiating the matter" referred to Governor Yin Zhengmao's foundational merit. With the situation in the two Guangs improving, Governor Yin Zhengmao had merit.

Minister of War Tan Lun was promoted by one salary grade, and Vice Ministers Liang Menglong, Ceng Shengwu, and the directors of the relevant departments were promoted and rewarded accordingly.

"This is indeed comprehensive, everyone has rewards, but why are there no rewards for the Cabinet ministers? Are the Grand Secretaries not important? They should be rewarded." Zhu Yijun expressed some dissatisfaction with this list. Every time there were rewards for military merit, the Grand Secretaries' contributions were never discussed.

If this went on for a long time, wouldn't the Grand Secretaries grow resentful? As the empire's decision-making layer, if the Grand Secretaries grew dissatisfied, the frontier armies would be in big trouble.

Everyone had rewards, only the Grand Secretaries didn't. If the Grand Secretaries didn't receive rewards, how could others receive them?

Wang Chonggu replied with great certainty, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report: Master Jiangling discussed the frontier merits of Earl of Ningyuan Li Chengliang in the spring of the third year of Wanli. The Master has already received the decree that henceforth, frontier merits are not allowed to mention Cabinet ministers. How would we dare to violate this? I request to stop and sleep on it to settle the hierarchy."

Zhang Juzheng didn't take them, so Lu Diaoyang and Wang Chonggu couldn't take them either. Yang Tinghe returned home for mourning; if Zhang Juzheng didn't return home for mourning, he would become a beast.

Therefore, Zhang Juzheng had to take them.

"Was that a standing rule formed back then?" Zhu Yijun felt this wasn't right. He pondered for a moment and looked at Wan Shihe.

Wan Shihe received the signal and needed to provide feedback. He thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, frontier merits are not allowed to mention Cabinet ministers because Cabinet ministers are ministers of the 'original energy' who participate in national policy decisions. There is a suspicion of 'aweing the sovereign.' If they also have military merit, I fear there will be rumors and gossip, which is detrimental to the Grand Secretaries' reputations."

"As for retirement or leaving a name in history, there will naturally be discussions."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Zhu Yijun was just guiding Wan Shihe to say this conclusion. He had conferred a floating title of Earl of Yicheng on Zhang Juzheng. Court officials, constrained by the Emperor's prohibition, didn't dare to discuss it much, but that didn't mean they didn't have doubts in their hearts. Why?

What Wan Shihe said was the "why."

Frontier merits not mentioning Cabinet ministers was to prevent the occurrence of usurping the sovereign's power of reward and punishment. This was a compromise forced by reality, but it didn't mean frontier merits lacked the contributions of Cabinet ministers. Just as Qi Jiguang said, without Zhang Juzheng, he, Qi Jiguang, would probably be a fourth-rank military official in the Dengzhou Guard, like Xin Qiji, with his military talent unable to be displayed.

When Cabinet ministers leave office, they have to draw up a list to describe their merits. The court shouldn't be so stingy; it's just a floating title.

Not mentioning merits for the time being is a compromise; mentioning them together later is a reward.

Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Shihe, the more he looked, the more satisfied he was. Wan Shihe looked at the Emperor, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he was. Zhang Juzheng leaving the court was also a good thing for the Great Ming.

Zhang Juzheng was too invincible. He forged ahead alone, never thinking about the future. For example, regarding this frontier merit, as top-level decision-makers, Cabinet ministers couldn't even drink a sip of soup. It was fine when Zhang Juzheng was there; he didn't care. But could future Cabinet ministers not care?

This court is a place for dividing spoils. If there is no share for the Grand Secretaries in the merits, which Grand Secretary would still support the military resurgence?

When Zhang Juzheng was there, no one dared to take the lead, but now that he had left the court, they could discuss changing it slightly. This uneven distribution of spoils easily leads to unclear rewards and punishments.

This is not Wan Shihe cleaning up a mess; this is the completion of Zhang Juzheng's New Policies, and this twenty-seven-month completion was something Zhang Juzheng fought for with all his might.

The law of development of things is always a spiral forward, rising and falling, rising and falling.

"We take our leave." After the court discussion, the officials bowed respectfully and prepared to leave.

Zhu Yijun still waited on the moon terrace according to custom. He flipped through the pile of memorials on the table and said very naturally, "Master..."

This was a habit. Every time, Zhang Juzheng would use the name of the lecture hall to explain every decree clearly: based on what background, why such a choice was made, what benefits such a choice would have and what hidden worries there might be, the impact brought about after such a decision, and how to correct and complete it in the future—based on his, Zhang Juzheng's, cognition and experience.

Zhu Yijun was also used to having food fed to his mouth. Suddenly, Zhang Juzheng had slipped away, and Zhu Yijun was truly a bit unaccustomed to it.

"Master went to the Western Hills to hide and enjoy leisure, right! I just won't let him. Send every volume of the Great Ming Collected Statutes to the Earl of Yicheng's mansion in the Western Hills for the Master to correct. Want to be lazy? This isn't government business; he can't hide from this." Zhu Yijun's eyes rolled, and he found a job for Zhang Juzheng: correcting the Great Ming Collected Statutes.

The Great Ming Collected Statutes were compiled at Zhang Juzheng's request. He had dropped the burden, and the editor-in-chief had become Shen Shixing. Shen Shixing was still a bit unsure about the characterization of several historical issues since the time of Emperor Xiaozong, and some still needed Zhang Juzheng to take a look.

"Your Majesty is wise," Zhang Hong said, suppressing a laugh, and bowed his head.

Actually, Lu Diaoyang, Wang Chonggu, and even Wan Shihe could do this. The Emperor just couldn't stand Zhang Juzheng hiding in the Western Hills enjoying leisure, so he deliberately found trouble. He was probably also a bit angry—the Emperor, as a disciple who had been "shut out," couldn't even go to pay respects. What kind of decorum was this?

Zhu Yijun began to process the daily memorials. The matters brought to the court discussion were all major events. The memorials presented to the imperial desk every day still needed the Emperor's vermilion approval.

These matters weren't worth bringing to court discussions or court meetings for decisions. For example, the Prince of Su requesting funds to build a book pavilion, the passing of former Nanjing Minister of Justice Lin Yuntong, the crying funeral case in Yi County, Shandong, etc. —these were all memorials that didn't need court discussion but required the Emperor's reply.

After Zhu Yijun finished processing them, he went to dine. After dining, he originally planned to go directly to the Beijing Camp, but was called away by Empress Dowager Li and Empress Dowager Chen.

Also called along was Wang Yaozhuo, who served before Zhu Yijun.

"The girl has been in the palace for three or four years. Being by Your Majesty's side in such an unclear manner is not the way. Calling the Emperor and the girl here today is to confirm this status. Emperor, regarding the grand wedding, one Empress and two Consorts, do you have any other thoughts?" Empress Dowager Li asked.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "Do not be extravagant and wasteful."

Empress Dowager Li choked on a mouthful of water. Empress Dowager Chen looked at the Emperor with a complex expression. The Emperor's grand wedding—it wasn't even the Crown Prince's grand wedding. For such a top-priority event, the Emperor rarely proposed his own thoughts, and the only thought was "do not be extravagant and wasteful."

The ritual system for the grand wedding involved the Emperor's majesty and must be handled on a grand scale. Zhu Yijun's request was simply not to be overly wasteful.

"If it is simplified, the outer court will surely protest. Just handle it according to the old system." Empress Dowager Chen chose to negate the Emperor's meaning. Whether it was extravagant or not, it wasn't up to the Emperor to decide. It wasn't like the national treasury was in a huge deficit back then and couldn't afford it.

That annoying Zhang Juzheng, who advocated for frugality and self-restraint all day, had also left the court. It should be handled properly.

Zhu Yijun smiled. If his own words didn't count, why ask him? Parents' orders, matchmaker's words—the wedding really wasn't under Zhu Yijun's control.

"Girl, there are many rules in the palace. The girl's parents both passed away early, and we cannot let the girl be bullied. The three letters and six etiquettes are naturally indispensable. Today, we give the betrothal gift to the girl. Someone, come." Empress Dowager Li clapped her hands.

This Wang Yaozhuo had entered the palace long ago, and her parents were both gone. If the common people were to wag their tongues, it would be truly unpleasant to hear. She, Empress Dowager Li, and Empress Dowager Chen were not the type of evil mothers-in-law, so this betrothal gift was exceptionally generous.

"I haven't read many books and am a vulgar person. This is 80,000 taels of silver and 3,000 taels of gold. Other jewelry and jade are not counted. People in the streets cannot say I am an evil mother-in-law." Empress Dowager Li waited until everyone had carried the betrothal gifts in and said directly.

80,000 taels of silver was 5,000 catties; 3,000 taels of gold was 187 catties. In the Great Ming, one catty is 596 grams. The silver was in silver coins, and the gold was in gold bars, one tael each, neatly arranged in over 3,000 bars.

Among the gold, silver, and jewelry, the most dazzling was that red coral, over a foot tall, and a large piece of ambergris. This was a precious treasure from overseas sent to the capital by Governor Yin Zhengmao to congratulate the Emperor on his grand wedding.

Zhu Yijun was directly blinded by the gold and silver. The two Empress Dowagers were truly too powerful!

He looked at the gold and silver, thought for a moment, and said, "This is the gold and silver the Ministry of Revenue sent into the palace in mid-April when the Master was still in court, right?"

"Yes, this is the betrothal gift for the Empress," Empress Dowager Li said with a smile. "The King has no private affairs. The Emperor's wedding is also a national affair. The national treasury naturally has to provide this money. This is also the rule. Even if Master Zhang wanted to stop it, he couldn't."

"But let's be clear: this is private money for the girl. The Emperor cannot take it to handle affairs." Empress Dowager Li saw the Emperor's eyes turning into the shape of gold and silver, and thinking of the Emperor's stingy nature, she immediately reminded him.

"Do I lack this little bit? In handling national affairs, what is this little bit of silver enough for?" Zhu Yijun shook his head and said.

Gold and silver are just numbers in an account book, but placed in front of one, 80,000 silver coins and 3,000 gold bars were still extremely impactful.

"Is this too much... I, I, I..." Wang Yaozhuo had never seen so much gold and silver in her life and was directly stunned. She said, stuttering slightly.

Every time she went to check the accounts, the money passing through her hands was also mountains of gold and silver, but those were numbers. Placed right in front of her, it was truly a bit terrifying.

She had originally thought that being able to avenge her parents was a blessing cultivated over eight lifetimes. The Emperor was handsome, and his martial arts practice gave him an heroic air. Being able to serve the Emperor for a lifetime was her repaying the Emperor's kindness. Suddenly, the Empress Dowager gave so much gold and silver, leaving Wang Yaozhuo at a loss.

Empress Dowager Li said very solemnly, "The Emperor wants to practice the Master's new reforms. This is a national affair. As a mother, I cannot manage it and shouldn't manage it. But the person by the Emperor's pillow cannot lose her head over these worldly goods. That would be my fault as a mother."

Why did Empress Dowager Li like Wang Yaozhuo?

Because Wang Yaozhuo was clean enough, with a clear background.

Requesting monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter)