Chapter 311: Boomerangs Are Everywhere in the Great Ming

"The Great Ming Navy finally has work to do." Yu Dayou's expression became incomparably relaxed.

He had led three thousand troops to Songjiang Prefecture to establish the navy. Although it could not be said that they had achieved nothing, this navy, built at the cost of millions, had no eye-catching battle records before the sixth year of Wanli. Especially the formidable five-masted ocean-crossing ships; most of the time, they were merely conducting armed patrols, serving as a deterrent.

This made Yu Dayou very worried—worried that, just like the Great Ming Navy during the Yongle era, they would silently rot at their moorings and then drift with the tide.

The Great Ming Navy during the Yongle era was absolutely an invincible armada.

Yet this invincible fleet was left to rot at its moorings against the backdrop of promoting literature and suppressing martial arts, as well as the cessation of official ship trade. This was the most heartbreaking part. Those behemoths—even if they had sunk in towering waves, sunk in the fires of battles against indigenous peoples, or sunk under enemy cannons and rockets—would have been far better off than slowly rotting at their moorings.

Invincibility means destruction.

The Great Ming Navy being useless was the thing Yu Dayou worried about most. Yu Dayou was seventy-six years old. Throughout his life, the one thing he feared most was being useless. He was frequently impeached by the court's censors and dismissed from office, only to be reinstated time and again. Even though he was old, he remained one of the Great Ming's top fierce generals. As long as he was useful, the Great Ming court would eventually need to use him, and he would have a chance to make a comeback.

Being used meant having utility value. Yu Dayou feared the Great Ming Navy would have no work to do, eating nearly a million silver in military pay from the state every day while being utterly useless. Even if the Emperor valued opening the seas, as time passed, there would inevitably be people who would become slack and start grumbling endlessly.

Now, the Great Ming Navy had work!

Defending the Great Ming's maritime interests was a duty the Great Ming Navy could not shirk!

Competing with the Nanyang people, the Arabs, and the Red-Haired Barbarians for interests in the Nanyang, and protecting the safety of the Great Ming's maritime borders—the opportunity had arrived quietly.

"Your subject requests to go to Guangzhou Prefecture to oversee this matter as the Provincial Military Commander." Yu Dayou actively volunteered to the Emperor on the platform to go to Guangzhou Prefecture to oversee the physical collection of the overseas plantations.

Tan Lun's eyes lit up. If Yu Dayou could still go to the battlefield at seventy-six, wouldn't he, Tan Lun, have a chance?

"Commander Yu has just recovered from a serious illness; this is inappropriate. This matter need not be discussed further." Zhu Yijun rejected Yu Dayou's volunteering cleanly and without any hesitation. It was not that the Great Ming lacked talent in naval affairs; Yin Zhengwu, Deng Zilong, and Chen Lin were all excellent generals for naval warfare. Handing this matter to the Provincial Military Commander Zhengwu was very appropriate.

The light faded from Tan Lun's eyes.

"With Commander Yu sitting in the capital, the naval troops will have no worries." Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and added another sentence. Yu Dayou was old and had now retired to serve at the Maritime Academy and the Martial Arts Academy. But as long as the banner of Commander Yu remained planted in the capital, the naval troops could be at ease, and the political winds in the court would not change.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Yu Dayou could not use the excuse of "Lian Po is old, but can he still eat?" to persuade the Emperor to agree. He was truly old; a minor cold had nearly taken him away. The mosquitoes and insects in Guangzhou were numerous, and if he caught any other illness while being the main person in charge, he would be bedridden or even die—that would indeed be irresponsible.

Deng Zilong was appointed as the Barbarian Provincial Military Commander, presiding over the Great Ming Navy to collect payment. Even if these Red-Haired Barbarians burned all the plantations to the ground, the Great Ming Navy would still occupy the land. Even if the gods of the West came, it would still be Great Ming territory!

Wan Shihe said: Barbarian Provincial Military Commander was a position that had not been appointed for over 150 years. It was the Regional Commander for the Great Ming Navy's overseas operations, the military commander during the Great Ming's seven voyages to the Western Oceans. Now, this dormant official title had been reactivated.

Look, this was once again the ancestral law.

Even those lowly scholars who loved to talk about restoring the ancient ways and ancestral laws could only bite the bullet and accept it. The sycophant Wan Shihe was truly detestable. Whatever the Emperor wanted to do, Wan Shihe would repeatedly find justifications for it, and they were all reasonable and well-founded. Since he could whitewash things so cleanly, why wasn't he the Minister of Rites!

"Nanyang immigration." Grand Secretary Wang Guoguang sat up straight and said very firmly: "As the Great Ming Navy continuously recovers plantations, we must find ways to relocate people. Even if we are cursed to the point of being covered in blood, we must find a way to do it."

From the third year of Hongwu until the fifteenth year of Yongle, immigration, supported by travel expenses, relocated over a million people. The Great Ming originally relocated wealthy households to enrich the north, but ordinary people were also relocated; this was viewed as a form of tyranny.

For example, the term "Jieshou" (relieving hands) is said to come from the Hongwu relocations; to prevent people from escaping, they needed to be tied with ropes while walking, and when they needed to use the toilet, the ropes on their hands had to be untied. Even so, there were still large numbers of fugitives.

But in fact, this term was the standard practice of the Hu Yuan (Yuan Dynasty) when conscripting people for massive construction projects and forced labor—tying people up and dragging them to places to perform labor.

Yet, after being adapted by some people with ulterior motives, it was finally pinned on Zhu Yuanzhang.

For the relocation of people from the third year of Hongwu to the fifteenth year of Yongle, they were issued cotton clothing, provided with travel expenses (road fees), given resettlement assistance, and silver to purchase farm tools. Every ten households were given oxen and seeds. Upon arriving at their destination, they could settle and farm as they pleased, and were exempt from taxes for three years. It was divided into several methods: garrison farming, military farming, merchant farming, and civilian farming. Except for a period during the Jianwen era, a total of eighteen relocations were carried out.

Relocating people was to enrich the regions, not to drive them to those places to die.

If not a single cent had been given, the Great Ming would have perished in the early Ming period. How would it have been Zhu Yijun's turn to shout and act perversely on the platform?

Relocation had a compulsory nature. Zhu Yijun relocating wealthy households to enrich the capital had a strong compulsory color, and the early Ming relocations also had a partially compulsory nature. People are attached to their land and reluctant to move; leaving home to pioneer in unknown places—most people were unwilling. A family of four leaving one, a family of six leaving two, a family of eight leaving three—that was compulsion.

"Must we relocate them?" Hence Hai Rui actually did not quite agree with this point. He looked at Wang Guoguang and said: "Our Great Ming has countless barren lands. Take Qiongzhou in Hainan, for example; there are fertile fields that have never been cultivated. If we can't even farm our own fields well, why relocate to the outside?"

"If a man has no long-term worries, he will have near-term troubles." Wang Chonggu looked at Hence Hai Rui and said: "Grand Censor Hai, our vision must be long-term. Our Great Ming people will become more and more numerous, and descendants will be endless. There will always be a time when arable land is not enough. With these cultivated plantations, there is a place to settle. Our Great Ming people are all very hardworking; naturally, the more suitable land, the better."

"As for fields, how can there ever be enough?"

"People are like the branches of a big tree. Originally, these powerful families who annexed land would prune these branches. Now the court does not allow annexation, wants the people to be the foundation of the state, wants to treat the poor and laborers well, and wants the powerful and wealthy to suffer a bit. So how are these branches to be pruned? Naturally, the court must do it itself."

Hence Hai Rui looked at Wang Chonggu, and the more he looked, the more uncomfortable he felt. He slapped the table and said: "Nonsense! Sophistry! People are people; how can they be branches? Where does this talk of pruning come from! Naturally, the more people, the better. Only when the branches are lush and the leaves are thick can the roots be deep and firm!"

"Vice Grand Secretary Wang, others may fear you, but I do not! Stop spreading demonic words before the Emperor! Yes, you, Vice Grand Secretary Wang, are indeed from a wealthy and powerful family, but this is where the divine vessels are located. Holding public office, how can you allow private words!"

"Grand Censor Hai, calm your anger; it was a metaphor, a metaphor!" Wang Chonggu slapped his forehead. Why did he answer that! This guy Hence Hai Rui looked at him as if he were a treacherous official. Answering casually like this wasn't that just asking to be scolded?

Hence Hai Rui looked at Wang Chonggu as if he were a sycophant. His nose wasn't a nose, his eyes weren't eyes, and everything he said had to be over-interpreted to prevent the Emperor from being blinded by demonic words.

If they really fought, Wang Chonggu would not fear Hence Hai Rui. With Hence Hai Rui's personality, if he dug a hole, Hence Hai Rui would definitely jump into it. If they really fought and the Emperor didn't favor one side, Hence Hai Rui would still thank him, Wang Chonggu, even if he died.

But wasn't the Emperor definitely going to favor one side? To make up for Hai Gangfeng's shortcomings, the Emperor even arranged for Wang Qian to be under Hence Hai Rui.

If the Emperor had to choose between him, Wang Chonggu, and Hence Hai Rui, Wang Chonggu dared to bet his head that the Emperor would definitely choose Hence Hai Rui!

In Hence Hai Rui's view, Wang Chonggu was speaking from the standpoint of the powerful and wealthy, advocating for them and providing a platform for annexation; it was the behavior of a sycophant.

Who would dislike having too much land? It was indeed a fact. The Great Ming had been measuring and returning fields for six years, but weren't the powerful families, local gentry, and scholars in the Southern Yamen still secretly annexing land?

Wang Chonggu's words actually pointed out some "positive" effects. The inhibitory effect of annexation on population growth, besides the constraints of natural endowment and productivity, was the pruning effect brought about by annexation. If there were too many poor people, civil unrest would inevitably break out. If civil unrest broke out, it could threaten the stability of imperial power.

Against the backdrop of no dynastic change or war, population growth stagnated or even regressed. No matter how many reasons were given, the core problem was actually two words: annexation.

The Great Ming's current political wind was to treat the common people well. The inhibitory effect of annexation on population growth was weakening, and population growth was predictable. However, the Great Ming's farmland was limited, and the north was getting colder, with land output gradually decreasing. How to deal with the potential food crisis had become a problem the Great Ming had to face.

Tan Lun looked and said: "Grand Censor Hai, I actually think what Vice Grand Secretary Wang said is not without reason."

"Oh?" Hence Hai Rui looked at Tan Lun, his face showing confusion.

Tan Lun said solemnly: "The fields that are easy to farm have all been cultivated. What remains are all hard bones. Great Ming people have farmed land into the hills and deserts. The hills and deserts don't produce much. And from the information gathered from merchant ships and official ships, overseas, the sky is high and the sea is wide, with countless fertile fields. If we don't take them, are we going to let the Red-Haired Barbarians take them?"

"Moreover, it can increase strategic buffer. In case the Hu barbarians enter the Central Plains again, the common people will have a place to escape. The fall of Yashan was the sorrow of a perished nation."

Strategic buffer was the reason Tan Lun supported Wang Guoguang's idea of relocating people overseas. The Central Plains sank, and Lu Xiufu carried the eight-year-old young Emperor into the sea.

This was an untouchable scar.

"Hmm! What the Minister of War said is reasonable!" Hence Hai Rui thought it over and agreed with Tan Lun's point of view.

Wang Chonggu, this Minister of Justice, was furious. He and Tan Lun had the same meaning, so why didn't Hence Hai Rui scold Tan Lun, but only scold him, Wang Chonggu? This was a typical double standard.

Zhu Yijun heard this and suddenly thought of a term: the Lanfang Republic. This was a country established by overseas Chinese in Borneo, established in the 41st year of Qianlong. Facing the brutal Dutch, the head of Lanfang sent envoys to the capital several times, hoping to become a tributary state of the Qing Dynasty and obtain the protection of the Qing court.

But it never received the recognition of the Qing court and finally perished under the Dutch cannons.

There were similar encounters, such as the Daiyan Kingdom.

The Great Ming carried out extensive development of the Nanyang, especially in the early Ming period, attacking Luchuan several times and even directly occupying Annan, infiltrating the Nanyang. How exactly did the Central Plains dynasty lose the Nanyang?

The Nanyang countries during the Wanli era did not speak the Hu language, much less build various churches everywhere.

If the Qing court were to see a Han regime, they would likely be scared awake even in their dreams.

Strategic buffer was Tan Lun's unique vision as Minister of War.

How many people to relocate and where to relocate them from were all questions that needed specific discussion. Wang Guoguang did not give a specific plan because the Great Ming had not really taken these plantations yet. How many people these plantations could accommodate was still an unknown, so they could only do some preparatory work. Specifically, it still depended on the Provincial Military Commander Zhengwu and Deng Zilong in Luzon.

Lu Diaoyang took out a memorial and said with a calm expression: "The Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, Chen Sanmo, and others have submitted a memorial, requesting to urge the Grand Tutor to return to the court as soon as possible. The wording is extremely earnest, stating many of the Grand Tutor's merits, and earnestly requesting the Emperor to waive the mourning period and reinstate him."

"Hmm?" Zhu Yijun was stunned. He shook his sleeves, took out a small booklet, and flipped through it. He found the name Chen Sanmo and looked at it for a long time before saying: "This Chen Sanmo, when he first knelt before the palace, he was there. When the Master was in the court, he repeatedly submitted memorials impeaching the Master for usurping the Emperor's authority. Last year, when the Master was in mourning, I issued a decree to waive the mourning period, and this Chen Sanmo even said that if the Master agreed, he would be a beast who was not a human son."

"The Master is already in mourning; why is this Chen Sanmo saying this now?"

Chen Sanmo was a lowly scholar and had repeatedly impeached Zhang Juzheng. If Zhang Juzheng hadn't stopped him back then, Zhu Yijun would have let this Chen Sanmo know why flowers are so red! Some people were repairing and patching, so he should just be happy; the person who insisted on tearing down the parts that were finally repaired was extremely detestable, and this Chen Sanmo was just a lowly scholar.

Lu Diaoyang, Wang Chonggu, Tan Lun, Wang Guoguang, Ma Ziqiang, Wan Shihe, Hence Hai Rui, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, Li Youzi, Ceng Shengwu, and a group of court officials stared dumbfounded at the small booklet the Emperor shook out of his sleeve, terrified. What was that thing!

What was written on that thick book?

Zhu Yijun liked to write people down in his small booklet. Zhang Juzheng was on the "Memorial on the Common Diseases of Scholars," so Zhu Yijun naturally had to categorize the court officials according to this common disease memorial. This Chen Sanmo met all the characteristics of a lowly scholar!

"What's wrong?" Zhu Yijun asked suspiciously.

Feng Bao was anxious. He kept winking at Zhang Hong, who was standing on the platform. The Prince of Lu, Zhu Xuanying, who was listening to the government, was full of curiosity. The expressions of the court officials were so strange; what happened?

Zhang Hong immediately realized something. He moved half a step and blocked the small booklet in the Emperor's hand.

Zhu Yijun immediately knew what the court officials were looking at. He put away the small booklet, coughed lightly, and said: "This... this, the Master said! A good memory is not as good as a bad pen! When I study, I must work hard with the pen. The Master also said, also said, I reflect on myself three times a day!"

"Yes, it was taught by the Master."

"The Grand Tutor did indeed teach these principles, but, but..." Lu Diaoyang's expression was complex. He definitely hadn't seen wrong; there really was a small booklet in the Emperor's hand.

Zhu Yijun immediately nodded and said: "I think what the Master said makes sense! Prime Minister, does what the Master said make sense?"

"What the Grand Tutor said is reasonable!" Lu Diaoyang said, biting the bullet.

The officials looked at each other. Was this business of writing people down in a small booklet really taught by Zhang Juzheng? Looking at the style, it did indeed look like Zhang Juzheng's handwriting.

But Zhang Juzheng never had the habit of settling old scores. One thing was not punished twice; once punished, he would not bring up old matters again. But the Emperor was so familiar with settling old scores; this small booklet had probably existed for a long time.

This small booklet had existed from the very beginning. Even the old scores of Feng Bao bullying the previous Wanli Emperor while pretending to be powerful were recorded clearly.

This was the important written evidence of Zhu Yijun, the Emperor, reflecting on himself three times a day. Every stroke on it was written by Zhu Yijun himself!

"Just now we were talking about this Chen Sanmo. I also want to invite the Master back. If the Master doesn't come back, what can I do? I will issue a decree to waive the mourning period now." Zhu Yijun changed the subject and returned to the discussion of government affairs: Zhang Juzheng returning to the court.

At this time, the Minister of Rites should have jumped out to oppose it, talking about the significance of mourning and the ancient ways.

But when it was time to cooperate with the performance, the court officials turned a blind eye and remained silent, because everyone knew that the Emperor wasn't joking; he really wanted Zhang Juzheng to come back. They couldn't have the Emperor running to the Yicheng Earl's mansion in the Western Hills to discuss urgent state affairs; what kind of situation would that be?

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Hong. Zhang Hong hurried down the platform, and before long, he took an imperial decree from the cabinet in the side hall. The imperial decree had already been stamped, the edict to waive the mourning period had already been prepared, and the great seal had already been stamped.

"Feng Da Ban, after the court discussion, please trouble yourself to go and proclaim the decree in person." Zhu Yijun saw that no one opposed it, so he immediately gave the order.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Feng Bao followed the trend. Such a big matter was passed unanimously just like that.

After this year, the lowly scholars also understood that Zhang Juzheng must be in the court and could not let the Emperor act recklessly. In the five years that Zhang Juzheng was there, the Great Ming Emperor only handled the case of Zhang Siwei. Even Wang Chonggu survived the Zhang Siwei rebellion case, which could be called moderate. Once Zhang Juzheng left, the Emperor began to kill. He was killing before the wedding, and just three months after the wedding, he wiped out the entire Kong family.

The court officials also hoped that Zhang Juzheng would come back quickly. It was about enough. Everyone had witnessed the Emperor's personal rule this year; he had the ability to handle state affairs independently. Zhang Juzheng had also returned to his status as a subject. Regarding the regency, the Emperor not only did not liquidate him but also greatly appreciated Zhang Juzheng's merits.

Zhu Yijun's own position could not be clearer.

It seemed that everything was ready, only the east wind was missing.

After the court discussion, Feng Bao hurried to the Yicheng Earl's mansion in the Western Hills. When the court officials heard that the Emperor had followed the suggestion of the Supervising Secretary to waive the mourning period for Zhang Juzheng, they were all jubilant. Master Zhang was back; at least he could stop the Emperor. They no longer hoped for benevolent government; if things continued like this, they feared it would become tyrannical.

After Zhang Juzheng left the court, imperial power and ministerial power were completely unbalanced. This was Zhang Juzheng's responsibility; he had gathered power to himself and then returned it all to the Emperor. This unbalanced situation was unfavorable for the court.

But soon, the court officials became disappointed.

Because Zhang Juzheng once again rejected the Emperor's edict to waive the mourning period and even formally expressed his intention to retire.

Zhang Juzheng's reason was: My mother is old and sick; I am hesitant to advance or retreat. Please allow me to serve my mother and fulfill my filial piety.

Zhang Juzheng's mother was also over seventy years old. After fulfilling filial piety, he still had to observe the mourning period. This was a clear attitude that he refused to return to the court.

"Sigh." Zhu Yijun found that Zhang Juzheng was truly difficult to deal with. He actually wanted to run away. He started the Great Ming's new policies; did he think he could run away just because he wanted to?

After Zhu Yijun received Zhang Juzheng's memorial, he thought it over, took an examination paper from the bookshelf, handed it to Zhang Hong, and said: "Send it to the Ministry of Personnel; use this paper for the spring examination."

Zhang Juzheng absolutely could not run away. Zhu Yijun didn't need to do too much; he didn't even need to pressure Zhang Juzheng. Pressuring the court officials was enough; naturally, someone would go to persuade Zhang Juzheng for him.

Zhang Hong looked at Feng Bao, and Feng Bao showed a gloating expression.

This examination paper was not ordinary; it was an extremely difficult mathematics paper set by the Emperor. It was so difficult that even the Emperor had to think for a long time and couldn't even solve the questions. Even if it were taken to the Mingli Hall of the Imperial Academy or given to the doctors of the Academy of Things to solve, these doctors couldn't even score ninety points.

The spring examination was the examination for the scholars of the Hanlin Academy and the provincial graduates of the Imperial Academy to be appointed to office. Only by scoring ninety points in mathematics could they participate in the selection.

With such a large dose of a mathematics paper thrown down, the scholars and provincial graduates would probably be wailing everywhere.

Wan Shihe was the Minister of Personnel. When he got the mathematics paper for the spring examination, he was immediately dumbfounded. There was no need to worry about the questions being leaked; even if this thing were leaked, no one could score ninety points, right?!

Contradiction theory is harder than mathematics? That's because they hadn't seen this examination paper.

Wan Shihe immediately ordered a carriage to be prepared and went to the Yicheng Earl's mansion.

"Earl of Yicheng, Master Taiyue! This examination paper from the Emperor—let alone me, even if you, Master, were to do it, could you score ninety points? That's obviously impossible. Master, you are fighting with the Emperor, but you are hurting the innocent! Hurting the innocent!" Wan Shihe handed the spring examination paper bestowed by the Emperor to Zhang Juzheng, sweating profusely.

If not a single person passed, he, the Minister of Personnel, would definitely be scolded to death. Scolded was scolded; anyway, Wan Shihe was scolded every day and was used to it. But the appointments of the Ministry of Personnel had to be pushed forward. If there wasn't a single person, there would be a gap in the appointments of Great Ming officials, and he, the Minister of Personnel, wouldn't need to do his job anymore.

A few vacancies were fine, but with so many vacancies all at once, Wan Shihe naturally wouldn't agree.

Zhang Juzheng picked up the examination paper, opened it, looked at it slightly, let out a turbid breath, shook his head, and said: "The Emperor really hates these lowly scholars to the bone. This is using the pen as a knife; what is being killed is their spirit."

Wan Shihe asked with some confusion: "What concerns does the Earl of Yicheng have?"

"Actually, nothing. It's just that I suddenly stopped and didn't want to move forward anymore. I want to rest for a while. The Emperor is doing quite well." Zhang Juzheng leaned back in his chair and thought for a long time before saying: "Actually, it boils down to one word: lazy."

"Lazy?!" Wan Shihe looked at Zhang Juzheng in disbelief, asking with full suspicion.

Zhang Juzheng nodded and said: "Yes. I am actually very lazy. While I can still walk, I want to travel across the Great Ming. I heard that the snakes and insects in Lingnan are fierce, and I also heard that there are fierce tigers in the snow-capped mountains of Liaodong. I have only heard the names but have never seen them with my own eyes. It is truly a pity."

"Aren't people all like this? When they are not so urgent, they all get lazy."

"Then I'm afraid you can't be lazy." After Wan Shihe chewed it over repeatedly, he determined that Zhang Juzheng's reason for wanting to retire was really just wanting to travel around. Giving birth to such unrealistic fantasies could only be said to be the Emperor's grace being vast and the imperial favor being prosperous, which gave Zhang Juzheng an illusion.

Wan Shihe looked at Zhang Juzheng and shook his head, saying: "People like us, even if we die and are buried, are still inseparable from this court. You want to leave, but it is absolutely impossible. The political winds and public opinion will not change, the general trend will not change; if you want to leave, no one will agree."

"Prime Minister Wan sees things clearly." Zhang Juzheng agreed very much. Sitting in this court for a long time, one becomes a political creature. Personal color will gradually fade and become part of the background. Acting according to the times and following the trend becomes a standard of behavior.

A political creature leaving politics is like a fish leaving water; it will die immediately. Zhang Juzheng wanting to retire was simply an unrealistic luxury.

"Master, Emperor Xuan of Han once said: My Han family has its own system, originally using the way of the hegemon and the king mixed together. The one who disordered my family was the Crown Prince. Solitary yin does not grow, solitary yang does not produce. This is the content of your contradiction theory, Master—yin and yang complement each other, contradictions succeed each other." Wan Shihe began to persuade Zhang Juzheng again and threw a boomerang, which hit Zhang Juzheng hard.

Wan Shihe's attainments in contradiction theory were as profound as his attainments in rites and laws.

Zhang Juzheng's proud work was the contradiction theory, and the mixing of the way of the hegemon and the king was very similar to the contradiction theory. Emperor Yuan of Han, the son of Emperor Xuan of Han, was gentle and loved Confucianism, which finally verified Emperor Xuan's prophecy. It was indeed this Crown Prince who loved Confucianism that disordered the Han family's country.

The current Emperor was too overbearing and lacked the way of the king.

This yin and yang, solitary yin does not grow, solitary yang does not produce—the Emperor was too overbearing and would eventually have some problems. The Emperor had prepared the edict to waive the mourning period and took it out now. Obviously, the Emperor also realized that after the Kong family was just executed, he should relax a little. But the political role the Emperor himself played did not allow the Emperor to be too gentle, so he needed someone to come out and assist in moderation.

Zhang Juzheng was the only suitable candidate.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Wan Shihe with extreme surprise and said: "Is Prime Minister Wan so incisive when he speaks now?"

Wan Shihe only needed one sentence to whitewash things, and now he only needed one sentence to persuade people? This sentence went straight to the place where Zhang Juzheng was most hesitant and moved Zhang Juzheng directly. It could only be said that boomerangs were everywhere in the Great Ming. This boomerang of Wan Shihe was accurate and ruthless.

"The Earl of Yicheng praises me too much. Isn't this what I learned from the Emperor?" Wan Shihe said with a smile: "Our Emperor speaks concisely and doesn't like to be long-winded."

"I will go into the palace." Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and planned to see the Emperor.

"That's right! I will return to the capital first and prepare for your return to the court, Master." Wan Shihe stood up happily, left the Yicheng Earl's mansion with his hands behind his back, shaking his head. Zhang Juzheng returning to the court as Grand Tutor was a major event for the state, so there must be etiquette. Ma Ziqiang could naturally do it very well. Wan Shihe returning was naturally to discuss etiquette with Ma Ziqiang.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Wan Shihe. One should look at a scholar with new eyes after three days of separation. That Wan Shihe who knelt in the Wenhua Hall and was scolded to tears by the young Emperor had now become the etiquette itself, taking out ancestral laws at every turn to block the lowly scholars from speaking. Now, persuading people, one sentence was enough.

Boomerangs were about the concrete embodiment of contradiction theory. Please vote for monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 312 =====