Chapter 328: Deep-Rooted Weakness, Habitual Compromise

Zhu Zhu Yijun exhibited unmistakable traits of a disciple of Qi General Qi Jiguang Jiguang: his waist saber was a six-foot-five-inch Qi-family waist saber, his sword technique was called the Xinxiu Sword Art, compiled by Qi General Qi Jiguang Jiguang in the thirty-ninth year of Emperor Jiajing and later refined after Qi's northern deployment in Emperor Longqing's second year; his spear technique, named the Twenty-Four Forms Six-Metal Spear Art, spanned two feet in length.

These traits were unmistakable; any martial practitioner needed only one glance to identify Zhu Zhu Yijun's origins, for each school's opening posture was distinct, as clear as a center-parted hairstyle or suspenders revealing one's identity.

Chen Chen Dazhuang chose Zhu Zhu Yijun's waist saber over beauty and silver because he truly believed in the Ming Emperor: when Ling Ling Yunyi had given him the chance to slay his family's killers, Chen chose to trust the Emperor to avoid further trouble for Ling, and the Emperor had chosen to execute Chen's enemies by dog's decree.

With a different emperor, Chen Chen Dazhuang might have chosen beauty or silver; he sensed the Emperor's unmistakable character and chose the saber to earn merit and glory.

"Bestow it!" Zhu Zhu Yijun was deeply satisfied with Chen's choice; as Emperor, he could not personally journey to Japan to slay the Japanese pirates, so let Chen wield his weapon and kill in his stead.

"Your servant thanks Your Majesty for this great grace." Chen Chen Dazhuang took the saber.

Zhu Zhu Yijun declared firmly: "Kill more Japanese pirates for me on the battlefield—I cannot go myself; I rely on you, Chen Dazhuang."

"Your servant obeys!" Chen Chen Dazhuang bowed again, then detailed the capture operation: Yamada Arinobu could not escape, for the net was all-encompassing—he would be dragged out even if he turned into a fish in the sea.

When the Ming Emperor's will demanded a specific man's death, that man, no matter how far he fled, would be found.

In this era, population mobility remained extremely low; a stranger's arrival was known throughout the village before the next day.

Chen Chen Dazhuang departed the Zhao Wenhua Hall with the Emperor's saber; he would remain in the capital three days, then return to Nagasaki bearing imperial edicts and rewards.

The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue began deliberating rewards: Chen Lin's enfeoffment as a marquis was certain—this campaign had been brilliantly executed; the Ming navy, having spent vast sums and trained rigorously, had delivered a stunning demonstration of Celestial Majesty to Japan.

Chen Lin was enfeoffed as Marquis of Shuri, the capital of Ryukyu, and granted a hereditary patent with perpetual succession.

The Nagasaki Governor's Office, the greatest beneficiary of this war, saw all its officials—from highest to lowest—receive imperial rewards; Xu Wei and Sun Sun Keyi were especially granted hereditary battalion commanderships.

With the Nagasaki Governor's jurisdiction suddenly expanded to its current scale, it now lacked talent; though the office offered generous pay, no qualified administrators were willing to go—a practical and objective problem.

The Ming's place of exile for powerful elites now stretched from Song Yingchang along the Daxianbei Mountain pass to Mindanao in Lu Song, adding Nagasaki Governor's Office.

Hai Rui, hailing from Qiongzhou in Hainan, reminded the Emperor of this: Ming exiles were mostly for civilizing purposes; Tang and Song dynasties persistently exiled to Qiongzhou, and under Emperor Zhu Zhu Qiyu's Jingtae second year, their efforts bore fruit.

Qiu Jun became a Ming Jinshi in Jingtae's second year, symbolizing the success of promoting literature and education.

The court was urgently drafting rewards; Minister of War Tan Lun was elated throughout; Tan, Qi General Qi Jiguang Jiguang, and Yu Yu Dayou—all rose through suppressing the Japanese pirates and wholeheartedly supported the campaign.

"Your Majesty, San Niangzi San Niang has submitted a memorial." Wang Wang Chonggu pulled a memorial from his sleeve and handed it to Feng Bao, who carried it to the imperial dais.

After reading it, Zhu Zhu Yijun exhaled sharply and said: "Good, good, good—San Niangzi San Niangzi Shunshun shows loyal submission; excellent."

Even the most obtuse courtier sensed the Emperor's genuine delight.

San Niangzi San Niang's memorial stated that during her next tribute mission, she would return a special group of captives to the Ming—these captives shared a common name: DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou Night Scout.

The Ming's DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou Night Scout were scouts who undertook perilous duties: infiltrating enemy camps, surveying hydrography and geography, setting autumn fires—all to monitor steppe tribal movements.

Infiltrating enemy camps was perilous, often deadly.

Altan Khan held seventeen DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou, just as the Xiongnu Chanyu once tried to coerce Su Wu into surrender; Altan Khan persistently pressured these scouts to defect, hoping to prove his greater virtue—the longest captivity exceeded thirteen years.

Altan Khan failed: all seventeen DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou refused to become his hounds or lackeys.

San Niangzi San Niang planned to send these captives to the Ming next year during tribute, fulfilling the spirit of the Yinchang treaty clause: "Han affairs to be handled by Han."

San Niangzi San Niang controlled politics and finance, but never military power; Altan Khan retained sole command of the army, and with it, the power to overturn the table—the Ming army was the empire's keystone, and so too was the steppe.

A great ship without a keel would capsize, but a keel alone could not propel it forward.

San Niangzi San Niang paid little cost: she persuaded Altan Khan to release the captives, for she needed a gift that would move the Ming Emperor and court.

Altan Khan had previously sent two ten-thousand-man forces to attack Song Yingchang, plunging Ming–Jin relations into ice; he needed a carefully prepared gift to satisfy the Ming.

Clearly, these seventeen tormented DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou were perfect.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng finished reading the memorial, frowned slightly, then relaxed, smiling: "The Minister of Justice has thought deeply."

"Oh?" Zhu Zhu Yijun turned to Wang Wang Chonggu; Zhang Zhang Juzheng never spoke without reason.

Wang Wang Chonggu looked at Zhang Zhang Juzheng with faint exasperation: the living Zhang Zhang Juzheng saw through everything; the memorial mentioned not a word of Wang, yet Zhang had discerned it all. He bowed: "San Niangzi San Niang wrote asking my advice on what gift to offer; I offered counsel."

"How did you deduce that?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked, astonished.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng smiled: "San Niangzi San Niang is regent of Jin; those who eat meat do not see those who eat grass. She could not have imagined how much the Emperor values these DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou."

Even if San Niangzi San Niang spent three months in the Emperor's bedchamber, she would never conceive that he cared for such insignificant figures—remote frontier scouts held such weight in his heart.

Someone must have advised her—naturally, it was Wang Wang Chonggu, who submitted the memorial.

"Master is formidable," Zhu Zhu Yijun said sincerely; the Emperor realized Zhang Zhang Juzheng's greatest strength was perspective-switching—placing himself in another's shoes to understand.

This terrifying talent gave Zhang Zhang Juzheng uncanny clarity on court affairs, like Li Li Tianwang's Mirror of the Demons, exposing all demons and goblins.

Empathizing, switching perspectives—easy to say, impossibly hard to do.

"Can San Niangzi San Niang come earlier? No matter—just send the DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou. Wang Wang Cifu, what price must we pay for these scouts' return?"

This contrasted sharply with Zhu Zhu Yijun's past demeanor; he had always been paternalistic—what he gave, you took; what he withheld, you dared not ask. Now, negotiation and compromise were possible.

"Smooth wool trade," Wang Wang Chonggu said without preamble; wool trade was her financial leverage and best means of controlling the tribes, and she sought its stability.

Wang Wang Chonggu added: "San Niangzi San Niang says that for steppe people, raising more sheep is Heaven's blessing—children survive winter because of them; Your Majesty is Heaven's earthly emissary, bringing hope and survival to the steppe."

The steppe was harsh; more sheep meant greater winter resilience, yet they must also raise horses—or risk conquest and loss of livelihood.

"Good. Altan Khan is fortunate," Zhu Zhu Yijun sighed; with such a wife, both Ming and northern barbarian commoners could breathe, live well, and not die for their leaders' ambitions in forgotten corners.

"I have 520,000 taels in my private treasury—expand the Woolen Factory. This matter remains under Wang Wang Cifu's supervision."

Wang Wang Chonggu replied gently: "Your Majesty, the Woolen Factory still has ample funds."

In the story of fine wool cloth and bizi currency, steppe grasslands were limited, so wool supply was finite; bizi could not be arbitrarily overissued—though the court wished to, the steppe had no more sheep, so bizi value remained dynamically stable with silver inflow.

The Woolen Factory's expansion was always constrained by wool supply; output adjusted strictly according to availability.

Even if the Emperor gave one and a half million taels, without sufficient wool, it would be useless.

"Then inform San Niangzi San Niangzi Shunshun," Zhu Zhu Yijun said thoughtfully, "that I deeply care for the DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou's return. Let the Minister of War oversee the resettlement of their families at Nanhaizi; repair their quarters, bring all Night Scout families to the southern city; Minister of Rites, establish more schools and academies there."

"Your servants obey." Tan Lun and Ma Ma Ziqiang bowed.

Resettling DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou families at Nanhaizi in Daxing County began in Jingtae's second year; time passed, and under the prevailing trend of promoting literature and suppressing military affairs, the site had become overgrown with weeds. Since Emperor Wanli's era of enriching the state and strengthening the military, the southern city had been revived; this expansion was funded by the Emperor's own treasury, using a budget originally allocated for a former emperor's mausoleum.

The 520,000 taels were the Ming Emperor's private funds, drawn from the inner treasury.

"I have concerns," Wang Wang Chonggu said, visibly uneasy: "I fear rumors."

"Minister of Justice overthinks," Wan Shihé waved dismissively: "No need to worry—mere petty Confucians."

"What are petty Confucians? They are dissatisfied with the present, powerless to change it, terrified of change—any alteration fills them with dread."

"They oppose authority yet crave a sage to devise a flawless solution to all contradictions, then vanish quietly, renouncing fame and gain."

"They shun the hardship of reform yet covet its fruits; they loathe the nobles above them yet despise the commoners below."

"They see clearly the faces of the powerful around them, eager to destroy them, yet cling to unrealistic fantasies of past nobles."

"The only thing petty Confucians ever achieve is eating others' chewed buns—too weak to bite through, forever noble-sounding, forever lofty, forever seeking to reap without sowing, forever pointing fingers from above, blind to themselves."

"Their bones are soft—deep-rooted weakness, habitual compromise. Why fear such petty Confucians?"

Wan Shihé's tone rose, growing fiercer; he spoke without pause until finished, then lifted his teacup, drank, still scowling.

"Minister Wan, stop—stop! The more you speak, the more it sounds like a mirror." Ma Ma Ziqiang refilled Wan's cup; among the six ministers, only Ma felt uneasy—each word felt like a direct rebuke.

Some laughed; some saw themselves.

Ma Ma Ziqiang became Minister of Rites partly for engraving the Emperor's "Direct Explanations of the Four Books" and "Illustrated Mirror for Imperial Governance"; though co-authored with Zhang Zhang Juzheng, Ma knew he merely lent his name to the printing.

Now, much of the Ministry of Rites' work relied on Wan Shihé—wasn't that eating others' chewed buns?

"Minister of Rites is too self-deprecating," Wan Shihé said; Ma Ma Ziqiang was no petty Confucian—he merely lacked Wan's audacity.

Wan was saying these petty Confucians were harmless, incapable of stirring waves; as the guardian of rites and law, if no one tilted the scales, he would never lose public opinion to them.

"Then it's yours, Minister Wan," Wang Wang Chonggu said, handing the matter to Wan.

The Ming's petty Confucians now hated Wan Shihé so fiercely they ground their molars—but were powerless.

Zhu Zhu Yijun cared deeply; he ordered Tan Lun to Xuanfu to welcome the returning DunTai Jin Lian Yuanhou.

"Assistant Censor Chen Kai impeached Inspector Zhao Zhao Youyuan: after completing his term and departing his post, he suddenly feigned illness to resign, evading duty—grossly violating inspection protocol; he must be dismissed as a warning against deceit." Zhang Zhang Juzheng handed the memorial to all court ministers.

"Completing term and departing" meant provincial governors and inspectors, after nine years, returned to the capital for evaluation—this was called "departing." But Zhao Zhao Youyuan, halfway there, claimed illness and sought retirement—no traveler would do that; a mere stopover? Wasn't he supposed to return to the capital? Wasn't his work supposed to be handed over?

Zhao Zhao Youyuan merely feigned illness; his real intent, as Chen Kai noted, was evasion—grossly violating protocol.

This phenomenon—feigning illness upon term completion—was common in Ming officialdom.

Wealth without returning home is like walking in silk at night.

When Ming officials completed their terms, they returned to their hometowns during their journey to the capital, with grand processions, immense pomp. Local officials met and saw them off; many used the occasion to curry favor.

Zhao Zhao Youyuan did exactly that: before returning to the capital, he went home in glory—hence, Assistant Censor Chen Kai impeached him.

"There are state laws and family rules—why is this brought to the Zhao Wenhua Hall?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked Hai Rui, puzzled; if it violated protocol, simply dismiss him through procedure.

Hai Rui explained: "Zhao Zhao Youyuan and Zhao Zhao Nanxing, who was sent to Lu Song, are fellow townspeople; they once plotted to overthrow Zhang. Zhao Zhao Youyuan's illness is real—it's a psychological ailment. He fears becoming like Zhao Zhao Nanxing and Zou Zou Yuanbiao, exiled to the frontier, so he simply refused to return."

Zhao Zhao Nanxing and Zou Zou Yuanbiao, after Zhang Zhang Juzheng's return, insisted on toppling him; had Zou's master Hu Zhi not pleaded, Zou might have been executed as a traitor.

Zhao Zhao Youyuan and Zhao Zhao Nanxing were close; Zhao Zhao Nanxing had been exiled to Lu Song for opposing Zhang. Zhao Zhao Youyuan, imagining facing the Emperor and Zhang Zhang Juzheng, grew fearful and fled home instead.

"Your Majesty, Zhao Zhao Youyuan is Inspector of Huguang," Wan Shihé reminded; why he feared returning to the capital was now obvious.

Zhao Zhao Youyuan had offended Zhang Zhang Juzheng far beyond merely opposing him.

Zhu Zhu Yijun understood: Zhao Zhao Youyuan dared not return to the capital.

"Inspectors completing their terms must report to the capital on schedule. Recent feigned illnesses to evade duty are flagrant violations of law. Zhao Zhao Youyuan is dismissed and reduced to commoner status. Future offenders will be punished accordingly."

"If you don't want to be an official, don't be one—strip him of his rank and reduce him to commoner," Zhu Zhu Yijun decided.

If Zhao Zhao Youyuan returned, chaos would erupt; even if Zhang Zhang Juzheng ignored him, others would harass him—many were sycophants; Zhang's position required no action—Zhao would drown in trouble.

The blame for these sycophants' harassment would fall on Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang could not protect Zhao—you'd think him vengeful, and his image would collapse.

This was not what Zhu Zhu Yijun wanted. Zhang would be torn; since Zhao lacked courage to face Zhang, strip him of rank—let the court ignore him.

Of the "Three Who Opposed Zhang"—Zhao Zhao Nanxing, Zou Zou Yuanbiao, Zhao Zhao Youyuan—Zhao Zhao Youyuan received the harshest punishment: stripped of rank, no longer an official, barred from signing documents, using official post stations, or enjoying gentry privileges.

Zhao Zhao Nanxing went to Lu Song and Zou Zou Yuanbiao to Song Yingchang—both still held office.

All three perfectly embodied Wan Shihé's description of petty Confucians—his portrait was razor-sharp.

"Has Zou Zou Yuanbiao reached Song Yingchang?" Zhu Zhu Yijun inquired about Zou Zou Yuanbiao's whereabouts.

"Not yet." Wan Shihé immediately replied to His Majesty. He was also closely watching Zou Zou Yuanbiao; this man, like Zhao Zhao Youyuan, was feigning illness—Zou Zou Yuanbiao refused to assume his post, while Zhao Zhao Youyuan refused to return to the capital.

"Hm?" Zhu Zhu Yijun frowned, his murderous intent flaring again.

Wan Shihé hurriedly added: "Zou Zou Yuanbiao is stationed at Huingwei, studying land reclamation under Zhou Zhou Liangyin. Zou Zou Yuanbiao's hands have never touched the soil—he naturally doesn't know how to cultivate, so he must learn."

"Zhou Zhou Liangyin has already submitted a memorial to the Ministry of Personnel confirming Zou Zou Yuanbiao has learned a fair portion of land-reclamation skills."

"Then so be it." After hearing this, Zhu Zhu Yijun's expression eased slightly. Learning to till the land? That was harmless.

This was a form of submission—what mattered was willingness to act. Zhou Zhou Liangyin was a lowly Confucian scholar too; even after being posted to Danningwei, he had learned land-reclamation methods from Hou Hou Yuzhao, and now could be called loyal to the sovereign and devoted to the state—second only to Hou Hou Yuzhao as the nation's second greatest pioneer in land reclamation.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's own farming and land reclamation were no simple matter.

"Xitucheng…" Zhang Zhang Juzheng held a memorial, his face filled with distaste. He began speaking, but couldn't continue, and simply passed the memorial around for others to read.

Zhu Zhu Yijun flipped through the case files, shaking his head repeatedly: "Our Great Ming's realm, once the horses are turned loose on the southern hills and the scholars grow idle while the soldiers grow soft, regresses and decays in every aspect—so drastically, it's astonishing."

Zhu Zhu Yijun had read this memorial; his expression mirrored Zhang Zhang Juzheng's perfectly. In polite terms: the wealthy young masters of Xitucheng swaggered into Hu Ji brothels with laughter. In cruder terms: they were kindred degenerates who later murdered the women. The case became so infamous that someone reported it to the authorities—the Shuntian Prefecture office was immediately baffled.

The Hu Ji in Great Ming were diverse: from Hailar on the steppe, from Korea as Goryeo girls, from Japan as geishas, from Lu Song as pearl divers, and from the sea as sea women. These Hu Ji, besides entertaining on pleasure boats, were also sold by human traffickers to major taverns, where they accompanied guests in eating, drinking, and amusement—emphasizing exotic foreign charm.

The wealthy young masters of Xitucheng, after meals with nothing to do, saw a beautiful Hu Ji on the street, played too roughly, and killed her. The madams demanded twenty taels of silver as compensation. The young masters had no shortage of money—but they couldn't bear the shame. A noble young master, playing in your brothel, was doing you a favor. Don't push your luck.

These three young masters flatly refused to pay. Another reason: in their southern prefectures' customs, if a girl died during entertainment, it was considered disturbing a noble guest—and the brothel had to apologize and compensate. But here in the capital, they'd accidentally killed a Hu Ji and still whined and complained endlessly.

The matter wasn't over. Local Beijing young masters could no longer tolerate it. Twenty taels? They won't even pay? Then what the hell are they doing out playing?

Arguments easily turned violent. Once fists flew, it became a full brawl. The young masters themselves were weak, but each brought retainers. In the end, they completely destroyed the madam's brothel.

The madam, fed up, finally reported it to the authorities.

"How do these Xitucheng aristocratic families raise their children? Three fifteen-year-old boys, cruel and heartless!" Ma Ma Ziqiang finished reading the memorial and couldn't bear to look. It was an utter disgrace to the aristocratic families.

Ma Ma Ziqiang came from a wealthy family in Shaanxi. Though not as prominent as Wang Wang Chonggu, he certainly qualified as an aristocrat. Though his childhood memories were hazy, he still vividly recalled his father's club, thicker than his thigh. In the universal belief that "the rod produces filial sons, while indulgence breeds disobedience," Ma Ma Ziqiang had been beaten often as a child. Only after passing the scholar exam did the club vanish.

These three Xitucheng youths, if they'd received two good beatings in their youth, would never have murdered someone in a brothel.

Such is the misfortune of a family.

"If we continue to indulge them like this, we'll eventually harm ourselves and others," Wan Shihé said with equal distaste.

The Shuntian Prefecture truly couldn't handle this case. On one side were Beijing's wealthy young masters; on the other, those who had migrated here. It left Deputy Prefect Wang Wang Yie in an agonizing bind—mainly because the public impact was so terrible.

"This case is complex. We should trace it from the beginning. First: is this murdered Hu Ji considered part of the low class?" Wang Wang Chonggu, as Minister of Justice, began analyzing the case. With the opening of the seas, Great Ming's legal system now faced new challenges.

Whether the murdered Hu Ji was considered low class was, in essence, a question of whether she was recognized as a subject of Great Ming.

If she was low class, then she was a low-class subject of Great Ming. If the Xitucheng youths killed a low-class subject, even with leniency, they deserved at least exile. To kill is to pay with one's life—this is natural justice.

If the Hu Ji was not low class, but a foreigner, then the Xitucheng youths should pay compensation. Twenty taels of silver was not excessive—they could easily afford it. In effect, treating the Hu Ji as property.

"Is she considered low class?" Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at all the court ministers.

The ministers offered little debate over whether the Hu Ji was low class, but at minimum, compensation was certain. The real dispute centered on whether this should be treated as murder.

"What does the Tang Code say?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked Wan Shihé, seeking the Tang Code's ruling.

Wan Shihé paused, then bowed: "For foreigners of the same group committing crimes against each other, apply their own customs. For foreigners of different groups committing crimes against each other, apply the Tang Code."

Wan Shihé had assisted Zhang Zhang Juzheng in compiling the Great Ming Code. Since Great Ming inherited Tang institutions, Wan Shihé had traced back to the Tang Liùdiǎn and Tang Lǜ Shūyì.

"Foreigners" meant non-Han peoples. Tang law stipulated: if members of the same group harmed each other, apply their own customs; if members of different groups harmed each other, apply Tang law.

Clearly, the three Xitucheng youths killed a Hu Ji—this was an intergroup crime. They should be judged under Great Ming law, and thus deserve exile.

Zhu Zhu Yijun noticed something interesting: throughout China's dynastic history, even with the distinction between Han and barbarians, the law still recognized foreigners as human beings—at least legally.

The newly appointed Confucius Sacrificial Official had once publicly rebuked lowly Confucians outside Xianmen: "A person is a person."

Great Ming law had similar provisions, but more explicit: legally, foreigners and Great Ming's low class held equal status.

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(End of Chapter)