Chapter 481: It

The powerful are crushed, the meritorious fall; the higher one climbs, the harder one falls. Thus, when Yang Bo saw the situation was hopeless, he immediately chose to withdraw with dignity—already a stroke of fortune to do so.

By normal logic, Zhang Zhang Juzheng should not have escaped this cycle, but the emperor's support freed Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Qi Qi Jiguang from it, making them unyielding pillars in history's river, impervious to the erosion of time and years—this was no longer aspiration, but reality.

If His Majesty truly intended to retaliate against Zhang Zhang Juzheng, his illness earlier was the perfect opportunity.

His Majesty is not a god; his protection extends to only a few. Wang Wang Chonggu admired Zhang Zhang Juzheng and longed to be like him, so he submitted the "Memorial on the Four Inflated Ailments" to curb the deeply entrenched bloat in the bureaucracy.

The secret memorial is a cure for all bureaucratic maladies—not just bloat—but compared to the open, righteous assault of the Examination System, secret memorials appear far darker.

In the first year of Emperor Wanli, a case arose involving Gu Gu Zhangzhi, who held dual posts as Director of the Nanjing Guanglu Temple and Prefect of Ying Ying Tianfu, embezzling 360,000 taels of silver meant for river dredging. In this case, Gu Gu Zhangzhi conscripted 10,200 laborers from thirty-four battalions; for dredging the Jiangnan stretch of the Grand Canal, 480,000 taels were allocated, but only 120,000 were actually disbursed.

"Then perhaps I should keep it? I'll revise it when I have time." Zhu Zhu Zaiyu, remembering he had taken one million taels from His Majesty, felt he ought to do something in return.

At this point, the matter should never have reached the Zhao Wenhua Hall; the secretary's nephew's fellow townsman, Zhao Zhao Dingjian, simply needed to find a way to repay the money.

My heart and conduct are as clear as a bright mirror; all I do is righteous.

"Don't see me off, Your Royal Highness. You must expose yourself to the sun for half an hour daily and move your body—that's what you promised me. The Crimson Cavalry will remind you. No need to escort me; I'm returning to the palace." Zhu Zhu Yijun told Zhu Zhu Zaiyu not to see him off, reminding him before leaving to pay attention to his health.

Zhu Zhu Yijun leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples: "The problem of land surveying in Henan isn't merely about the princely clans. I could issue an edict to build ten princely mansions—or even ten princely cities—in the Western Hills, relocating all princely houses across the realm to the capital. But even after moving the princes back to the capital, can we guarantee orderly land surveying in Henan and other provincial princedoms?"

But the local gentry, Southern Yamen runners, and brokers who recruited these laborers became the final responsible parties.

Local gentry, Southern Yamen runners, and brokers advanced two sheng of rice per day for the laborers' meals, after which those who had won the dredging contract went to the Nanjing Southern Yamen to demand reimbursement in silver.

Before the Examination System was implemented, even if the matter reached the Zhao Wenhua Hall, only Zhao Zhao Dingjian needed to be held accountable.

"Impressive." Zhu Zhu Yijun said sincerely; he never expected any result, yet Zhu Zhu Zaiyu seemed to be drawing ever closer to the answer.

"Your Majesty, didn't we say we'd consult the Prince of De about persuading the Prince of Zheng to come to the capital?" Feng Bao asked softly.

The population of Shuntian Prefecture was divided into urban wards, suburban districts, and rural areas; dwellings and markets beyond the Jiumen belonged to the suburban districts—that was the boundary. Inside were the urban wards; beyond that lay the countryside. Population registration followed the same division, and a new Yellow Register appeared on Zhu Zhu Yijun's desk.

Zhu Zhu Yijun wrote individual letters to each Provincial Governor and Viceroy in a sealed casket, sending them via the Nine Dragon Relay's official dispatches to every region.

"I too wish for peace, but peace is impossible. If we don't complete the land survey in Henan, the rest of the Ming will imitate it. No matter how difficult or prolonged, we must do it." Zhu Zhu Yijun sat upright, still rejecting Feng Bao's idea. Blending contradictions was easy; pausing when facing major resistance wasn't wrong—but not here.

Zhu Zhu Zaiyu said matter-of-factly: "Isn't it obvious? It's easy to find."

In this case, the local gentry accused Zhao Zhao Dingjian of refusing to repay his debt; the Shuntian Prefecture court ruled Zhao Zhao Dingjian must repay within a deadline.

The Ming emperor was overwhelmed with affairs. When the Ministry of Rites received the imperial decree, their first reaction was opposition: establishing princely fiefs was ancestral law. Though the practice had long since become more harmful than beneficial—indeed, utterly detrimental—it amounted to slashing at the ancestral laws of Emperor Hongwu's era, equivalent to the emperor digging his own grave.

"Previously, calculating the secret ratio required the method of inscribing polygons. I wondered if I could distill it into a formula for easier calculation. Last year, I did derive a formula—but it required 200,000 calculations to reach six decimal places, even less convenient than the polygon method. Today, I've finally refined a new formula!"

"What's become?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked curiously.

After Dorgon defeated Li Li Zicheng at Jia Shanhai Pass and entered the pass, he issued an edict: "All Zhu princes who submit shall retain their princely titles. The estates and lands granted by the former Ming to meritorious nobles and relatives shall remain untouched—this is a special grace of the court. Officials must not encroach, nor local bullies seize land. All noble retainers must likewise respect this and refrain from disturbing the people."

Destroying the slave contracts of 140,000 people was no small matter. To ensure smooth execution, Wang Wang Yie requested the Ministry of Rites to draft a formal ceremony and invited His Majesty to attend in person.

After reviewing the troops, Zhu Zhu Yijun rode in the grand jade carriage, but instead of entering the Tonghemen Palace, he turned toward the Imperial Academy of Natural Philosophy. The first floor of its Scripture Pavilion was the study of Prince of Zheng's heir and Prince of De Zhu Zhu Zaiyu.

Wang Wang Chonggu was using the Examination System—how brilliantly effective!

This was the century-old dilemma of Henan's land survey and land restitution.

The reduction of princely fiefs had already sparked the Jingnan Rebellion. What terrifying decree would this eradication of princedoms be?

Zhu Zhu Zaiyu demonstrated his findings using three methods: the polygon method, the old formula, and the new formula. The new formula was simple and clear; even when greater precision was needed, it could be expanded further and verified against the polygon method—with identical results.

Conducting a land survey without a deadline is equivalent to not conducting it at all.

Wan Shihé surrendered. After meeting His Majesty in person, he advised postponing the proposal until General Qi returned to the capital.

The secret ratio is pi; the deficit number and surplus number are between 3.141592 and 3.141593.

Write to the Prince of Zheng, Zhu Zhu Zaiyu's father, urging him to set an example by bringing his princely household to the capital. This task is difficult, for the Prince of Zheng's household isn't merely the princely mansion—it includes countless commandery princes, all requiring careful consultation. This is a major matter.

Every second of Zhu Zhu Zaiyu's time was precious—for him, and for the Ming. Irrelevant matters must be kept outside the gates of the Academy of Natural Philosophy.

That was the emperor's own problem.

Not even the Henan local officials dared act; even Zhang Zhang Juzheng hesitated. Zhu Zhu Yijun's head ached just looking at it; even the Tartar Qing would scratch theirs.

The process of demanding reimbursement was fraught with difficulty; a commoner suing an official was inherently perilous. The gentry who had advanced the laborers' wages hired a lawyer to sue Zhao Zhao Dingjian, the secretary's fellow townsman—daring not confront the officials directly, they targeted Zhao Zhao Dingjian alone.

Feng Bao, aware of the complexity of Henan's land survey, said softly: "Let it be this way. It's not that Henan won't be surveyed—it's just that surveying will continue indefinitely."

Tian Tian Wenjing, as Viceroy of Henan and Shandong and a trusted minister of Yongzheng, implemented the "Land Tax Merged with Landholding" policy in Henan, enduring endless lawsuits over land records, for even by Yongzheng's reign, Henan's land titles remained unclarified.

"I obey the decree." Feng Bao bowed to receive the order. This was merely clarifying land titles; behind it loomed an even greater mountain: land restitution.

"Your Majesty, may Your Majesty's health be well." Zhu Zhu Zaiyu finally noticed three others in the room: the emperor, Feng Bao, and Zhao Meng. The study was in utter disarray; papers lay scattered on the floor, their usefulness unknown. All three could only tiptoe carefully around them.

This was the key to restoring the court's credibility. If the Ming court kept its word during the Emperor Wanli Reforms, its credibility could rapidly recover. Even if future cycles of regression occurred, they would not be total rejection or wholesale negation—this was vital for the Ming's future.

Relocating the princely houses to the capital is the "Moving the Log to Establish Trust" of Shang Yang's reforms!

"Your Majesty, perhaps we should just leave Henan as it is," Feng Bao said helplessly, staring at the reports from Henan's local officials. No one was suitable to send—confronting the Zhu family's princely clans meant inevitable retribution later. It was inevitable.

"If possible, I shall relocate all princely houses to the capital—even if some princes rebel, I will not hesitate."

After the Examination System was implemented, Gu Gu Zhangzhi, the secretary, the secretary's nephew, the vice-prefect, the assistant-prefect, the clerk, the auditor, the revenue office, Zhao Zhao Dingjian, and even the husband of Gu Gu Zhangzhi's maid—all were arrested and brought to Beijing for interrogation. The full 360,000 taels were recovered. This was the Examination System's "vine-and-root" accountability—or layered responsibility.

"To calculate planetary orbits, we must first complete the orbit calculations to determine the speed of light." Zhu Zhu Zaiyu returned to reality, stating his goal: calculating orbits to then calculate the speed of light.

"I came to have Your Royal Highness review the mathematics textbook. But after careful thought, I won't trouble you with such mundane matters." Zhu Zhu Yijun had indeed come for a reason: the mathematics textbooks for the three-tier academies were easy to define for elementary and preparatory levels, but the scope and content of the classical studies section required Zhu Zhu Zaiyu's confirmation.

Who was wronged? Zhao Zhao Dingjian was greedy—he took the gentry's silver and did nothing. Now the silver is gone; Zhao Zhao Dingjian must pay with his life.

Immersed in the ocean of science, one forgets time—but if the body gives out, the Ming loses a great treasure.

The emperor's visit to the Imperial Academy of Natural Philosophy was never merely about textbooks—it was about relocating the princely houses. He needed to first gain the princes' agreement before acting, ideally with someone setting an example.

The secretary consulted Gu Gu Zhangzhi, who fabricated a charge and arrested the gentry and the lawyer, instantly escalating the matter to the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

This is no longer reduction of princedoms—it is eradication.

Thus, in Jiangxi, over 240 officials were dismissed en masse, stripped of their official status and scholarly titles.

But soon, Wan Shihé understood why the emperor undertook such a thankless task: tax revenue was not the point; the new policies were. His Majesty's move was primarily to ensure the thorough implementation of the new policies.

Dorgon, to unite the former Ming nobility and princely houses, not only refrained from seizing land but sought to return land others had seized.

The Ming emperor had created special sealed caskets for the Viceroys, Provincial Governors, and Regional Commanders of the Two Capitals and Fourteen Provinces, and the Four Overseas Governorates.

These years, Zhu Zhu Zaiyu felt he had done little, yet took so much silver—it weighed on his conscience. The capital army's annual expenditure was only two million taels; he had asked for one million.

Land surveying was state policy, so it must be universally enforced—but when it would be completed was debatable. At this point, it was time to pretend ignorance. If everyone pretended ignorance, the matter could be swept under the rug.

"Issue a decree to the Ministry of Rites to study the relocation of Henan's princely houses to the capital." Zhu Zhu Yijun decided to start with the first step: relocating Henan's princely houses. Once that was settled, land surveying in Henan would be inevitable.

The output of the Imperial Academy of Natural Philosophy directly advanced the Ming's productive forces. To exchange silver for such technological progress—Zhu Zhu Yijun and his Ming had struck gold!

"How do you prove your formula is valid?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked curiously.

Zhu Zhu Yijun would never allow the new policies to be a fleeting bloom. He would rather die than let them be overturned.

Zhu Zhu Yijun had made countless deals in his life—some losses, some gains, mostly gains—but the most successful was not the Maritime Trade Bureau, nor the national liquor distillery—it was his investment in Zhu Zhu Zaiyu.

The Engineer Corps, dedicated to construction, had the most tangled, messy accounts—and under layered responsibility, it didn't matter if you manipulated things below; once exposed, it was always vine-and-root accountability: no one escaped, even if they had resigned or died, pursuit continued to the end.

The mathematics textbooks for classical studies and the Imperial Academy were already incomprehensible to Ming Confucian scholars.

"Land Tax Merged with Landholding" required absolute clarity of land titles. Tian Tian Wenjing took ruthless measures to finally resolve Henan's long-standing land survey problem.

Shuntian Prefecture, the capital region, had a population of 1.28 million, including dwellings and markets beyond the Jiumen. The nineteen prefectures and counties outside the capital totaled 1.32 million. The entire capital region had 2.6 million people, of whom 140,000 were registered as Zhu Jianji.

After the late Ming peasant uprisings, the Ming-Qing wars, the Tartar Qing's entry, the Tartar Qing's betrayal and systematic execution of Ming princely houses, the deaths and flight of princely henchmen, the Tartar Qing's establishment of a history-free regime, the Eight Banners as colonizers showing no mercy to local bullies, and the decapitation of gentry—all these favorable conditions allowed the Tartar Qing to fully clarify land titles only by Yongzheng's reign.

Zhu Zhu Zaiyu was utterly immersed in his world of genius, soaring through an ocean of knowledge. Mathematical symbols floated around him, transforming into formulas that flowed from his pen onto paper.

Who was more loyal? Shuntian Prefecture believed those who completed the task swiftly were more loyal.

Ming laborers must receive two sheng of rice daily for meals; otherwise, they would starve to death and could not dredge rivers. If laborers were mismanaged, it would be like the stone man opening one eye and stirring the Yellow River to rebellion.

Shuntian Prefecture had already abolished the Zhu Jianji, leading all other prefectures and counties of the Ming.

This provoked resistance from Henan's local gentry. Li Li Zicheng only demanded money and grain; you Tartar Qing helped us expel Li Li Zicheng, yet now you want our land?

Various factions waged prolonged battles over land. Henan's land survey remained unresolved even into Yongzheng's reign, still relying on the Emperor Wanli 15th year fish-scale register—which was itself an old register from the Emperor Hongwu era.

Leaving the Scripture Pavilion, Zhu Zhu Yijun finally exhaled. What Zhu Zhu Zaiyu was now working on, Zhu Zhu Yijun could barely comprehend.

Gu Gu Zhangzhi entrusted the task to his secretary, who found his nephew, who found his fellow townsman Zhao Zhao Dingjian, who then subcontracted the entire Grand Canal dredging project to local gentry, Southern Yamen runners, and brokers.

The Grand Secretariat supported such memorials for a simple reason: the emperor's vermilion comments on secret memorials could not be used as imperial edicts—they were merely channels for conveying imperial intent, not tools to usurp the authority of the Six Ministries or the Grand Secretariat.

This was the bottom-up accountability of bureaucratic hierarchy: the officials making decisions would never be touched—not even named. That was governance. Corruption charges would not fall on Gu Gu Zhangzhi; only Zhao Zhao Dingjian was at fault.

"Land survey, land restitution—stumbling forward." Zhu Zhu Yijun held the memorial from Henan's Provincial Administration Commissioner. The difficulty of Henan's land survey stemmed primarily from the sheer number of princely mansions.

Originally, Zhu Zhu Yijun had casually asked whether light had speed, and what that speed might be. Zhu Zhu Zaiyu had stumbled forward on this path—and now drew ever closer to the shore.

"Your Majesty, it's simple. Let me verify it for you." Zhu Zhu Zaiyu refused to give up.

In this case, was Gu Gu Zhangzhi's embezzlement of 360,000 taels solely his own? Of course not—no one from top to bottom was clean.

This matter must wait until Qi Qi Jiguang returns with the capital army. For now, letting the wind blow is harmless—but to act, we need the most direct violence to stabilize the empire.

This is the principle of unwavering commitment: once decided, one must see it through—either victory or death on the road. There is no turning back.

The Ming did establish princely restrictions: a prince leaving his domain without imperial permission was a grave offense. But what of commandery princes, generals of the guard, and middle officers? With so many, could such restrictions truly hold?

This is merely the Zhou princedom stationed in Kaifeng. There is also the Zhao princedom in Zhangde Prefecture, the Zheng princedom in Huaiqing, the Chong princedom in Runing. Henan's princely houses were the most numerous and arrogant. All these princely mansions, commandery princely mansions, imperial son-in-law mansions, general mansions, and middle officer mansions paid no taxes. How much land was concealed under their names?

Henan's local officials responded: "It's not that our ministers lack effort—it's that we are truly powerless."

The secret memorial system was meant to inform the emperor of the most urgent local matters and elicit his opinion, strengthening imperial authority. If the emperor used it merely for pleasure, squandering imperial power and self-destructing—then Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Wang Wang Chonggu could no longer intervene.

Only then did this uncontrolled expansion gradually slow.

In the second year of Tang Shunzhi, after Li Li Zicheng's defeat at Tongguan, Dorgon realized Li Li Zicheng could no longer threaten him and had lost. He began land surveying, issuing an edict: "All former Ming estates granted to meritorious nobles and relatives, as well as all unclaimed wastelands, shall be surrendered to the state and redistributed."

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not let servants disturb him; he walked straight in. The study was piled high with books, papers scattered on the floor. Afternoon sunlight streamed through transparent glass onto the desk. Zhu Zhu Zaiyu, bent over his desk amid the piles, scribbling and calculating, was completely absorbed and did not notice the emperor's arrival.

"I've obtained a more precise value of pi—twenty decimal places." Zhu Zhu Zaiyu answered, ecstatic: "The deficit and surplus numbers could only be precise to six decimal places, but now we've reached twenty!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head: "In the future, don't trouble Your Royal Highness with such mundane affairs—it's shameful to waste his time. Just write directly to the Prince of Zheng."

After Yongzheng's death, Emperor Qianlong ascended. Tian Tian Wenjing's tomb was leveled to the ground—evidence of how hated he was. Emperor Qianlong had to issue an edict to restore it.

The Examination System was the Zhengmian of officialdom; the secret memorial was its Beimian —the intrigue, the scheming. But after Zhang Zhang Juzheng revised it, it became a channel for the emperor to communicate major decisions and solicit local opinions, instantly becoming bright, even radiant.

To seize Henan's land and distribute it among the Eight Banners' princes, officers, and soldiers, the Tartar Qing began executing former Ming princely houses. Batch after batch of Ming princes were beheaded at the Execution Ground. Dorgon believed killing the landowners would make the land unclaimed—and thus his to take.

"What can be done? Twenty decimal places of pi." Zhu Zhu Yijun asked curiously. Since the adoption of angular notation, Zhu Zhu Zaiyu had become accustomed to representing pi with symbols and expressing calculations algebraically. Why suddenly seek such precision?

Confiscation has begun.

But Zhao Zhao Dingjian had no intention of paying, nor did he possess 360,000 taels of silver; he thus sought out Gu Gu Zhangzhi's private secretary. After deliberation, the secretary concluded that the embezzled 360,000 taels had already been distributed—how could they possibly repay it?

"Enough, Uncle, stop showing off your genius world!" Zhu Zhu Yijun interrupted Zhu Zhu Zaiyu's demonstration. It was unnecessary—truly unnecessary. Why must a genius repeatedly display their extraordinary world before ordinary people, as if to prove how transcendent and unique they were?

On the seventh day of the fourth month of the tenth year of Emperor Wanli, the loyal Shuntian Prefecture finally completed its census of household populations. This brought immense relief to Wang Wang Yie, the Shuntian Deputy Prefect; though he ranked second, it was sufficient to justify his efforts. After all, Songjiang Prefecture's population was highly mobile, making the census an inevitable task—and Songjiang had already completed it. Shuntian, lacking any prior foundation, had nonetheless revised the imperial register.

The study windows were tightly shut, filled with a faintly unpleasant odor. Feng Bao wished to warn Zhu Zhu Zaiyu, but Zhu Zhu Yijun raised his hand to silence him, instead finding a seat and waiting for Zhu Zhu Zaiyu to finish his work.

"Your Majesty, the old formula expresses…"

Zhu Zhu Yijun still didn't understand!

In that instant, Zhu Zhu Yijun understood the fear and unease Feng Bao and Zhang Hong had felt—when humans confront the unknown, fear is always the first reaction.

Phrases like "easily proven, easily obtained" sounded perfectly natural coming from a genius's lips, yet Zhu Zhu Yijun could read the formula without understanding how it was derived—he knew what it was, but not why.

What if the Emperor himself broke the rules first, using secret memorials to ask regional officials to handle inconvenient matters—like finding beautiful women? The officials would have no choice but to comply, yet could not follow proper procedure—what then?

Each secret box was precisely sized to hold one memorial. Inside the box were engraved prohibitions: do not disclose or circulate; do not submit unless concerning state affairs; one box per person, one memorial per box; do not circulate the vermilion annotations. The box was locked, contained specially formulated sealing wax, and came with a set of official seals exclusively used for signing secret memorials and stamping the wax—preventing substitution. This set of seals was split in half; one half remained with the box, the other stored in the Palace Seal Supervision.

After nearly half an hour, Zhu Zhu Zaiyu suddenly stood up, exclaiming with great excitement: "Done! Done!"

Any prince who contemplated rebellion must first consider whether he could defeat Qi Qi Jiguang, the Duke of Duke Fengguo, who had campaigned tirelessly across the empire.

Abolishing the low-status registers was like forcing oxen to drink water. Wang Wang Yie, Deputy Prefect of Shuntian, had worked tirelessly to fully eliminate the low-status registers and indenture contracts. Wealthy households in Xitucheng, eastern city elites, outer-city gentry, and rural virtuous elders all "proactively" surrendered their indenture contracts to the Shuntian Prefectural Office, preparing for public destruction.

"The problem indeed lies in the banner of the princely houses, yet the root is not the imperial clan itself."

The secret memorial system relied entirely on the Emperor's wisdom—a fact Wang Wang Chonggu had explicitly stated when proposing this informant system.

In the eleventh year of Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang enfeoffed his fifth son, Zhu Su, as Prince of Zhou, stationed in Kaifeng. By the tenth year of Emperor Wanli, after 204 years, the Zhou princely line had produced one Prince of the Blood, sixty-six Commandery Princes, 464 Garrison Generals, 725 Garrison Middle Commanders, 185 Assistant Middle Commanders, one Zhou Prince's Mansion, forty Commandery Princes' Mansions, four Imperial Son-in-Law Mansions, and over four thousand General and Middle Commander residences—this still being after Emperor Jiajing's reign, when the Daoist Emperor, frugal with funds, halted construction of new princely mansions.

Zhu Zhu Yijun took a deep breath and said: "Then, Uncle, demonstrate it for me—begin your performance!"

Unlike regular memorials, those placed in the secret box went directly to the Emperor's desk, bypassing the Tongzheng Office, the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion, and the Directorate of Palace Affairs—opened only by His Majesty himself.

Ten years, twenty years—it must be done to clarify land boundaries and land registers. Only then can the continuity of the Great Ming's new policies be truly secured.

Zhu Zhu Yijun had already considered the consequences: wasn't it merely being exhumed after death? What of it? He planned to take resin-sealed documents with him to the imperial tomb, to give future generations a grand revelation.

Henan had many princely houses, and the imperial clan's arrogance was one reason; from Emperor Hongwu's reign onward, unclear land records were never entered into official registers, another reason; the resistance of local virtuous gentry, powerful clans, and influential elites, yet another.

Zhu Zhu Yijun decided to keep the textbooks for the three-tier academies—he was better suited to review them, given the great mathematician Zhu Zhu Zaiyu's involvement.

Wang Shihé, the opportunistic fence-sitter, also hesitated—not because he feared being exhumed and whipped after death; the dead cared nothing for graves—reputation mattered. Wang Shihé simply felt it wasn't worth it: exchanging Henan's land survey tax revenue for turmoil in the Great Ming's realm was not worth the cost.

Wang Wang Chonggu whistled a tune as he left Tonghemen; the next day, the Great Ming's secret memorial system began trial implementation.

But if the court showed appeasement on the Henan land survey issue, it would have to yield on every issue.

Abolishing indenture contracts was not merely a matter of a court decree.

"Issue an edict to Shuntian Prefecture. The day after tomorrow, I shall personally go there." Zhu Zhu Yijun gave Wang Wang Yie his support.

(End of Chapter)