Chapter 360: Scholars Are Most Skilled at Killing Without Blood

Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at the Emperor on the moon terrace and saw in him gentleness.

In truth, Zhang Zhang Juzheng deeply disliked Wang Wang Chonggu, for Wang had indeed committed the crime of overstepping his authority—by establishing the Goa Governor's Office at the Strait of Malacca, he had once angered the Emperor; the Emperor had already marked Meneses for death, yet Wang Wang Chonggu's earlier use of golden script in his daughter's imperial commendation was an unforgivable act of usurpation, and to this day, the Emperor has neither punished Yang Bo nor mentioned the matter at all.

Yao Xu Guangqi is a son-in-law, not a morganatic husband; he does not live under his wife's roof but maintains his own household—this is the scope of Wang Wang Chonggu's conduct; in this world of comings and goings, no family can permanently occupy the position of court minister in the Zhao Wenhua Hall; leaving behind goodwill, placing bets on multiple sides—this is merely the common practice among great clans.

Yet had the Emperor wished to prevent this, he could have stopped it—but he did nothing at all; instead, he specially summoned Yao Xu Guangqi and even praised Wang Wang Chonggu for finding a nephew-in-law who understood the greater good.

This is the Emperor's gentleness.

Before Zhang Zhang Juzheng's eyes, several names flashed briefly: Zhou Zhou Liangyin, Yao Xu Guangqi, Gao Zhu Qiyu, Wang Wang Chonggu—he understood the Emperor's logic: the Emperor permits mistakes, is willing to grant second chances, and does not wish to see fierce internal conflicts that might cause Great Ming to miss its critical moment of revival.

But there is only one and two, never a third; the Emperor may forgive once or twice, but the third time, he will surely act with thunderous severity.

"The matter of the Jiujiang Laos Laos Xuanweisi still awaits news from Lu Song, Your Majesty; walking on one leg will never take you far." Zhang Zhang Juzheng rose and stepped before the map, his hand sliding along the other side of the Ten Thousand Li Sea Wall: "The Thirteen Commands of Jiaozhi."

"The Lord of Annan harbors no disloyal intent; I have heard that those who follow virtue prosper, and those who defy it perish. An army without just cause cannot succeed," Ma Ma Ziqiang said hesitantly; this was an unjust war—Great Ming had fought Annan before, three times: twice during Yongle's reign, once during Emperor Jiajing's when troops were stationed at Zhennan Pass; both times ended in failure.

"We can have just cause," Wan Shihé immediately said; finding an excuse is not the Ministry of Rites' duty? Annan's usurper calls himself emperor within his own borders—that alone is worthy of death.

"The problem is public sentiment," Ma Ma Ziqiang replied at once; it's not enough to merely find an excuse. As soon as Ma Ma Ziqiang spoke, all court ministers fell silent—even the most radical Tan Lun hesitated, lips parted but words unspoken.

Ma Ma Ziqiang spoke with great reason.

In the eighth year of Emperor Jiajing, Annan experienced rebellion; its lord, Li Weining, sent envoys to Great Ming, claiming that the corrupt minister Mo Mo Dengyong had usurped the throne.

The Dao Master rejoiced greatly and immediately dispatched Qiu Luan and Mao Bowen to station troops at Zhennan Pass—this was a just cause. Yet Mo Mo Dengyong and dozens of ministers bound themselves and surrendered at Zhennan Pass, denying Great Ming any pretext for military intervention.

To prevent Great Ming from reasserting rule over the Thirteen Commands of Jiaozhi, to prevent Great Ming's military intervention, Mo Mo Dengyong—who had effectively declared himself emperor—preferred to bind himself and surrender rather than face the Southern Expeditionary Army of the Ming; clearly, opposition to Ming military intervention was a universal consensus within Annan.

This is the most troublesome point: Annan, from top to bottom, rejects Great Ming; Great Ming gains neither its people nor its heart; to remake Annan in Great Ming's image is as difficult as climbing to heaven.

In the fifth year of Yongle, Great Ming intervened militarily; at that time, Annan had only recently broken away, sharing language, culture, and festivals with the Ming heartland, and its soldiers and civilians held deep loyalty to the Ming. But now, since its de facto independence in the Emperor Xuande era, Annan has been independent for over one hundred and seventy years; though it still calls its ruler "king" during tribute missions, within its borders, all call themselves emperor.

"The Thirteen Commands of Jiaozhi," "the Kingdom of Annan," and "the Annan Laos Laos Xuanweisi" are all names for that land; in the eighth year of Emperor Jiajing, after Great Ming's army stationed at Zhennan Pass and Mo Mo Dengyong surrendered, the Kingdom of Annan was abolished, its thirteen circuits transformed into thirteen Pacification Commissions, each with a Pacification Commissioner, Vice Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Assistant Commissioner, all subordinate to the Pacification Commander—Annans were nominally Ming territory.

Yet Ming's military, political, and cultural control over Annan remained extremely weak, unchanged from before; even these official posts, the Ming court could not appoint.

This is neither territory nor vassal land—it is merely a compromise.

Wan Shihé sighed heavily: "Alas, it is too late now. During the During Chenghua era, the Director of the Western Depot, Wang Zhi, proposed exploiting Annan's defeat by the Lao Laos Laos Xuanweisi to seize the opportunity. He presented this to Emperor Xianzong, who dispatched eunuchs to the Ministry of War to retrieve the old case files from Yongle's campaign against Annan; Liu Liu Daxia hid them, and together with Minister of War Yu Zijun, he submitted a memorial: 'Once war breaks out, the southwest will collapse utterly.' Thus, the plan failed."

"What can be done? What can be done?"

Wan Shihé repeated "What can be done?" twice; his words plunged the court ministers into silence once more.

Great Ming did have an opportunity for military intervention: during the During Chenghua era, Annan's lord, Li Shen Sicheng, grew old, indulged in women, grew weary of governance, his state decayed, even being humiliated by the Lao Laos Laos Xuanweisi; the people suffered terribly—this was the perfect moment to deliver justice and rescue the suffering.

Yet at that time, the court's prevailing trend favored literature and suppressed martial affairs; Wang Zhi was indeed a capable general, but he was a eunuch, and Emperor Xianzong had no trusted or relied-upon military commanders; ultimately, the plan failed—a great regret.

At that time, Annan had only recently broken away and was in constant conflict with Great Ming—the ideal moment for attack.

"Liu Liu Daxia hid not only the old case files of the Three Treasures Eunuch, but also the old case files of Yongle's campaign against Annan?!" Zhu Zhu Yijun blinked, frowning.

"Yes," Wan Shihé hurriedly bowed: "From the Veritable Records of Emperor Xianzong and the 'Comprehensive Records of Distant Lands.' Would Your Majesty care to see them?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun quickly reviewed the documents Wan Shihé listed; the Veritable Records of Emperor Xianzong were more accurate: Wang Zhi, as a eunuch leading troops, faced fierce opposition from court officials who repeatedly impeached him; amid the prevailing trend favoring literature and suppressing martial affairs, civil officials and eunuchs were naturally opposed; Wang Zhi's proposal was never approved.

Feng Bao, watching the Veritable Records of Ming Xianzong, grew angry and sneered: "These ministers truly have no loyalty at all! Is Wang Zhi even a corrupt minister? He won battles, yet was still cursed; unable to bear it, he went on patrol the borders—fewer provocations, more border pacification."

"He was gone five years, yet the ministers still wouldn't let him be; finally, they slandered him into dismissal, loss of salary, and banishment to Fengyang to farm. And even that wasn't enough—look at what these scholars say: 'Did Wang Zhi die a good death?! Doesn't Wang Zhi deserve a better end?'"

"If Wang Zhi doesn't deserve a good end, then Liu Liu Daxia should be torn apart limb by limb, his body poured with resin to be remembered for ten thousand generations!"

"Hmph! Loyal ministers who secure the state are not rewarded; court ministers act without restraint! When Emperor Xianzong requested the old case files, Liu Liu Daxia dared to hide them! It is nothing short of defying heaven!!"

"None of you speak up, hmph!"

One strikes, and none dare respond; their specialty is surrendering to decay. No matter how furious Feng Bao is, no matter how much he curses, if no one retorts, even a solo act cannot last long.

Feng Bao had cursed enough; seeing the ministers pretend ignorance, eyes fixed on nose, nose on heart, he could say no more.

Wang Zhi's military merits deserve recognition; he never committed great evil in his life. Liu Jin had the nickname "the Erect Emperor"; Wang Zhi, like Zheng He and Liu Liu Yongcheng, committed no personal wrongdoing—there is no defense possible.

Under the prevailing public opinion of "Action lies in sincerity alone," Wang Zhi had military merit and committed no evil; to quarrel with Feng Bao over this matter is to invite humiliation upon oneself.

The Office of Attendants is a ferocious dog of the Ming Emperor; eunuchs entering the grand court only became possible after Emperor Jiajing's twenty-first year, when the Office of Attendants began attending meetings in the Zhao Wenhua Hall, establishing the precedent.

Before Emperor Jiajing's twenty-first year, the ancestral law forbidding eunuchs from interfering in state affairs, though nominally obsolete, still meant that neither the Office of Attendants nor the Imperial Stable Supervision could participate in state decision-making or discussion.

In June of Emperor Longqing's sixth year, Gao Gong submitted the "Five Points Memorial," seeking to dismantle the Office of Attendants—the Emperor's fangs extending from inner court to outer court. Empress Dowager Li went mad, bypassing the Grand Secretariat to issue an imperial decree directly, dismissing Gao Gong and ordering him to leave the capital immediately, never to linger.

"All we can do is curse a little to vent our anger; we eunuchs are but petty men, incapable of becoming noble rulers; sitting here, we can only curse. We eunuchs serve the Emperor—what else can we do? State affairs must be handled by upright, loyal ministers; we eunuchs can do little." Feng Bao sighed; eunuchs have their own limitations.

Even eunuchs with military talent like Zheng He, Liu Liu Yongcheng, and Wang Zhi could not gain universal recognition; the titles of marquis held by Zheng He and Liu Liu Yongcheng are now unknown.

Feng Bao understood clearly: even if eunuchs entered the grand court and lived within the palace walls, how much influence could they truly exert on the state's fate? In the end, it always came down to these deeply entrenched civil officials.

Feng Bao suddenly recalled the Southern Han of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms; its last ruler, Liu Jixing, decreed that no official could serve unless he had been castrated; as a result, twenty thousand scholar-officials in Southern Han promptly cut themselves off and continued serving as eunuchs.

This might not be a bad solution: if you cannot gain widespread recognition, make everyone a eunuch—wouldn't that solve it?

Then blame it all on Feng Bao's slander.

Since Emperor Jiajing's twenty-first year, imperial power had been firmly confined within the palace walls; did the Dao Master's later life and the six years of Emperor Longqing's reign grant the Emperor real authority? The answer is no—even if the Office of Attendants bit and snarled everywhere, it was useless.

The core of Zhang Zhang Juzheng's new policies was: uphold imperial authority, enforce official accountability, ensure rewards and punishments are credible, and unify all orders; the Ming Emperor lacked power, hence the need to uphold the sovereign's authority to bestow favor and inflict punishment; Ming bureaucracy was rotten, hence the need for the Examination System to enforce official conduct; Ming rewards and punishments were unclear, loyal and righteous men unrewarded, corrupt ministers in power, hence the need to ensure credible rewards and punishments; Ming governance was fragmented, its decrees chaotic, hence the need to unify all orders.

Irony: it was Zhang Zhang Juzheng who liberated imperial power from the palace walls—only then did the Emperor Wanli Emperor gain the power to purge Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

After reading the documents presented by Wan Shihé, Zhu Zhu Yijun realized Great Ming had lost its best chance to intervene in Annan; now, Annan was nominally Ming territory, leaving no opportunity to act.

"Master, do you have a good solution?" Zhu Zhu Yijun picked up his teacup, drank a sip of boiled water; though he often stayed up late, he disliked tea and drank only boiled water—he wanted to hear Zhang Zhang Juzheng's plan for Annan.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng smiled; the Emperor was easy to read: whenever he asked this, it meant his own thoughts were already mature—he merely sought the Grand Tutor's opinion to test its merit.

"I have a plan: just one phrase—drain their grain, suck dry their lives, then deliver justice and rescue the suffering." Zhang Zhang Juzheng bowed.

At Zhang Zhang Juzheng's words, court ministers stared at him in horror; even Prince Lu Zhu Ma Yilong, who had been daydreaming on the moon terrace, gaped, instinctively stepped back, then took several deep breaths to calm himself.

These scholars are truly terrifying!

"How do we drain their grain?" Tan Lun's eyes lit up immediately.

"Grand Minister of War, Annan is certainly not a solid block; neither is Great Ming. Why should Annan be?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng said calmly.

Tan Lun nodded vigorously: "Naturally. Within Annan's usurping court, several great families fight to the death—Li, Mo, Consort Ruan—they take turns on the throne; in the provinces, local chieftains abound, none submitting to another; court orders are rarely enforced. As I know, many wealthy households from Nan Ya, Fujian, and especially Guangdong and Guangxi own vast lands in Annan."

"Exactly. To drain their grain is to buy grain there; Great Ming lacks grain, Annan's grain is cheap, the north's grain is expensive." Zhang Zhang Juzheng finally spoke.

Tan Lun frowned, puzzled: "Why would Annan's wealthy households sell to us? Can't the usurping court simply forbid it?"

Draining grain was understandable—food is life; without grain, Annan will collapse, giving Great Ming the chance to deliver justice and rescue the suffering. But if you want to buy, will the usurping court allow it?

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Tan Lun and said: "It is simply free trade."

"Ah!" Tan Lun leapt to his feet, blinked, then exclaimed: "Yes! Yes! Exactly!"

Everything made sense now.

The interests of Annan's local elites did not fully align with those of the usurping court; if local elites wanted to sell and the court forbade it, they would need a pretext to oppose court orders—free trade was an excellent one. Great Ming had its own public opinion; did Annan not? With proper guidance, under the drive of profit, free trade was unquestionably a mighty banner!

"Once we drain their grain, they will drain their own lives. Master, your brilliance!" Tan Lun exclaimed with excitement.

This was a viable strategy; though it would take time, it was certainly achievable. One must admit: Zhang Zhang Juzheng's heart was truly cruel.

Zhang Hong reached out both hands, gripping the hands of the Secretaries of the Secretariat: "Listen, but don't write a single word in the Daily Records; if you scribble carelessly, you'll offend Zhang Zhang Juzheng—and Zhang Zhang Juzheng won't punish you, but others will, like the Emperor, who never hesitates to act in such matters."

The two Secretaries were stunned; their revered Grand Tutor truly was as rumored—ruthless and cruel.

Thinking further of the Grain Transport Boxes, which Zhang Zhang Juzheng had devised, they shuddered—it was premeditated, long-planned, obsessively thought of night and day; the Secretaries broke into cold sweat.

Indeed, Zhang Zhang Juzheng—nothing he does is superfluous.

"Master, isn't this too extreme?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked, hands clasped. The Ming Emperor had just received a boomerang—he had once pulled the Emperor back from extremism; now Zhu Zhu Yijun was pulling Zhang Zhang Juzheng back.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng had forged a new path in urging the Emperor not to be extreme: by being more extreme than the Emperor, the Emperor would naturally compromise.

This boomerang struck true and hard; as soon as Zhu Zhu Yijun spoke, he stunned himself—Zhang Zhang Juzheng was indeed Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

"What does Your Majesty propose?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng bowed.

"I plan to support Laos and Siam, to threaten Annan; in military conflict, they will inevitably seek Great Ming's aid—just as King Shang Jiu of Ryukyu fled to Great Ming to escape war. Use Ryukyu as a model." Zhu Zhu Yijun said.

The "Monarch Offline" system was Zhu Zhu Yijun's idea.

Great Ming resolved the Ryukyu issue during the Japanese pirate raids; Great Ming delivered justice and dispatched its navy; whether by deception or Shang Jiu's own initiative, he came to Great Ming and never returned—Zhu Zhu Yijun gave him fifty thousand taels a year to indulge in pleasure, and Shang Jiu was so delighted he forgot Ryukyu entirely.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's method was gentler.

"Your Majesty, Annan is not Ryukyu; Ryukyu has barely three hundred thousand people; in the fourth year of Emperor Wanli, Annan's fish-scale registers already exceeded nine million." Zhang Zhang Juzheng offered no strong opposition; the Emperor was indeed gentle, willing to grant chances—but only to those still salvageable, and only if they were Ming subjects. He believed the Emperor would understand his meaning.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng also refrained from strongly opposing the Emperor's gentle approach; if it worked, it would be excellent; if not, they could always fight again. Such a war of annihilation is never settled in one attempt—even the mighty Emperor Chengzu Emperor sent Duke Zhang Fu twice before finally securing stability.

The court ministers remained silent; the Secretaries of the Secretariat, unusually, vanished—they had gone to the toilet. Recording such matters would offend Zhang Zhang Juzheng or the Emperor; not recording violated their duty; better to simply "urinate and escape"—if you don't know, you don't have to record.

"What if we pursue both paths?" Zhu Zhu Yijun thought a moment and made his decision.

He did not choose gentleness—he chose a strategy even more extreme than Zhang Zhang Juzheng's.

Dual-track strategy: support Laos, Siam, and other states—this region has always been at war, always fighting each other; if Great Ming sells them arms, they will fight bloody battles; on one hand, increase the intensity and risk of Annan's war, drawing on Ryukyu's precedent; on the other, increase Annan's internal troubles—by draining grain and inciting free trade, suck dry their grain, suck dry their lives, then deliver justice and rescue the suffering.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's choice was correct; he and Zhang Zhang Juzheng were the same kind of people—ruthless and cruel.

"Your Majesty is wise," Zhang Zhang Juzheng bowed again.

Great Ming need not act too obviously; it could even remain invisible.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng sat down and began writing rapidly on the floating ticket, speaking as he wrote; the decrees included: changing the tributary schedule of Siam and Laos from once every three years to twice a year; lifting bans on certain military equipment; increasing grain purchases at the customs offices of Mizhou, Songjiang, Ningbo, Fujian, and Guangzhou; expanding output at the Songjiang shipyard's Grain Transport Box workshops, and so on.

Looking only at these decrees, one could not detect any targeting of Annan; under the broader context of opening the seas, they were entirely reasonable. Guangxi is mountainous and relies on Guangdong's grain; with the new policy of opening the seas, the population of Guangdong and Guangxi has grown significantly; increasing grain purchases is perfectly reasonable—so reasonable that no one could find fault.

Just achieving this level would leave Annan gasping; most would not even notice, only wondering why Annan, once thriving, suddenly seemed on the verge of collapse.

Scholars are most skilled at killing without blood.

Each decree is a small shadow of Great Ming's new policy of opening the seas; how many could connect these small matters and see their direction toward Annan?

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's methods are like spring rain—silent, subtle; only when the storm breaks do you realize the tide has turned. Gao Gong and Yang Bo were both slowly killed by Zhang Zhang Juzheng, invisibly, in their political lives.

Wang Wang Chonggu feared Zhang Zhang Juzheng; Ming court ministers feared Zhang Zhang Juzheng—not out of fear of power, but from the heart. To fight such a man is to hang oneself from the beard of an old man—do you not wish to live?

"Thank heaven Master is Great Ming's Grand Secretary!" Tan Lun said sincerely as the floating ticket was presented to the Emperor.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng shook his head: "Even if I defected to Altan Khan's camp, his land and people are too meager—anything I wished to do would be a fantasy."

He truly rescued Great Ming from collapse, but Great Ming also shaped him; it was a mutual process. Had I defected to Altan Khan, I would merely be another Zhao Quan—a traitor to the Han people, hunted by all, and eventually sent to Beijing to be beheaded by Altan Khan.

"Altan Khan? He's not even worthy!" Zhu Zhu Yijun stamped the imperial seal, blew on his vermilion annotation, and smiled broadly.

I am the one who deserves it!

Zhu Zhu Yijun silently added to himself: he felt he deserved it; his Master had said that assisting the Emperor was an honor, so Zhu Zhu Yijun truly merited his Master's support.

Zhu Zhu Yijun stared at Zhang Zhang Juzheng's draft memo, lost in thought, and said: "The Great Ming has only made a slight move—can Annan withstand it?"

Annan truly cannot withstand it.

After the court deliberation, the two Secretaries of the Central Secretariat returned to the Zhao Wenhua Hall, faithfully recording its contents; some matters could be glossed over with euphemisms, since they hadn't heard them anyway.

After the deliberation, the court ministers began to leave the Zhao Wenhua Hall one by one, but Hai Rui called out to Zhang Zhang Juzheng, his expression filled with mixed emotions.

"I am from Qiongzhou. I support your actions—but what has Master taught the Emperor? Have all the lecture records been fully collected? Why has the Emperor become so cruel?" Hai Rui stood beneath the midday sun, his posture exceptionally upright.

Hai Rui's left hand endorsed Zhang Zhang Juzheng's actions, his right hand opposed the Emperor's ruthlessness—now the Emperor was too harsh; such policies were tyrannical, and in his decisions, there was not a trace of gentleness or benevolence.

Hai Rui could not help but wonder: was this truly good for the Great Ming?

Zhang Zhang Juzheng clasped his hands, gazing at Hai Rui. He respected Hai Rui—Hai Rui had never taken bribes, was an upright and incorruptible minister. Respect he had, yet he walked on, saying as he went: "I never liked you. From Emperor Longqing Sixth Year to Emperor Wanli's first year, so many petitioned for your return—I even sent men to persuade you, yet you refused to come back. Only when His Majesty personally decreed did the Grand Censor return to court."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng suddenly stopped, turned back, and looked at Hai Rui: "Hai Hai Gangfeng, just as morality cannot overcome nature, personal goodness cannot overcome the world's evil. I have seen with my own eyes how the pure stream is more hateful than Yan's corrupt tide. I hold this position—I must do what I must. Upon the Emperor's shoulders rests the Great Ming's Jiangshansheji."

"Those who walk in the light need not overly condemn those who walk in darkness. Our direction is the same—we merely give breath to those who cannot breathe. Different paths, same destination."

Hai Rui was once the image Zhang Zhang Juzheng admired and aspired to become. But over these years, Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not become Hai Rui—he became a ruthless, feared man who would stop at nothing to achieve his ends.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng waved his hand and left the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

Good? Bad? For the Emperor of the Great Ming, the standard of good and bad was only one: the interest of the Great Ming. This was the sovereign's natural duty.

The pure stream? Ridiculous. That was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's view of the pure stream—even though he had once been of it, even its pillar—he still found it ridiculous.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was not born vengeful, ruthless, or cunning beyond mortal comprehension. He once believed morality could save all, once wished to become a moral sage. But as he climbed step by step to the position of Chief Grand Secretary, it all changed.

Xu Xu Jie, as a member of the pure stream, toppled Yan Song—what did he do afterward? He pursued the Yan faction with relentless fury, even driving Hu Hai Zongxian to death in prison. The Yan family was stripped bare, yet neither the state treasury nor the imperial treasury so much as tasted a drop of broth. State affairs grew worse, while the pure stream seized the chance to amass wealth. The corrupt stream was rotten—but was the pure stream any better?

Pure stream? Corrupt stream? Raising a banner is merely raising a banner.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng respected Hai Rui because Hai Rui embodied unity of knowledge and action, a true moral exemplar, even a moral sage—but how many Hai Ruis were there in the world? As Chief Grand Secretary, Zhang Zhang Juzheng needed to lead the Great Ming toward revival amid a turbid age. No matter what resistance lay ahead, he would press forward. No matter his final fate, he would have no regrets.

As long as one breath remains, this resolve shall never waver.

As long as one breath remains, this resolve shall never waver—these words were Zhang Zhang Juzheng's own: "I am deeply moved, my chronic illness suddenly lifts. Nine favors unrepaid—how could I retreat to seek peace? As long as one breath remains, I will sacrifice myself without regret." He spoke these words, and he lived them. Fate mocks us—what can one do? What can one do? Requesting Moon Tickets! Awooooo!!! Awooooo!!!

(End of Chapter)