Chapter 50: Double It, Execute It Doubly

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's "Memorial on Five Matters" did not contain clauses restricting the Emperor from reviewing memorials. The Emperor listening to government affairs, the Emperor reviewing memorials, the Emperor summoning Grand Secretaries, state affairs requiring court discussion, and capital officials needing assessment—none of these were restricted.

Zhu Zhu Yijun directly gave Zhang Zhang Juzheng a big surprise. Without consulting the Chief Grand Secretary, he gave Qi Qi Jiguang a count title. Even though there was no hereditary certificate and it was only a flowing title, Zhu Zhu Yijun still did not consult with the court officials.

Feng Bao knew, because this imperial decree was drafted by the Grand Secretariat and then sent into the Imperial Palace. His Majesty added two sentences: "Discussing the merit of pacifying the Japanese and resisting the enemy, I confer upon you the title of Count of Qian'an, with an annual salary of eight hundred shi. Your loyalty, only Heaven can witness."

Empress Dowager Li originally wanted to oppose, but after thinking about it carefully, she still granted this title. The clan faction in the court was rampant, Gao Gong's "Memorial on Five Matters," the case of the assassination of the King, the recommendation of military talents for the Capital Battalions, the censors submitting memorials to impeach Tan Lun, the censors and supervising secretaries of the Censorate shouting at the Heavenly Palace, etc., made Empress Dowager Li extremely worried.

She was worried that the Jin Faction, this clan faction, would rebel.

Therefore, when the young Emperor said he wanted to give Qi Qi Jiguang a flowing title, Empress Dowager Li thought it was not impossible. It could both test the reaction of the Jin Faction and test Zhang Zhang Juzheng's reaction.

Qi Qi Jiguang was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's man. The Emperor conferring a title was clearly to dig into Qi Qi Jiguang's wall.

Did Zhang Zhang Juzheng not know?

He actually knew. Feng Bao had Xu Jue tell You Qi, You Qi knew, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng naturally knew too.

"I have long heard that Minister Yang is a minister of great virtue. Today, at the opening of the hall, since the Minister has something to say, speak freely." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Yang Bo with a full smile. He first put a high hat on Yang Bo, "minister of great virtue."

If Yang Bo's words were too biased, it would not befit the status of a "minister of great virtue."

Yang Bo was also startled when he heard this, his Adam's apple bobbed, and for a moment, he was speechless.

Should Qi Qi Jiguang be conferred a count title?

He should.

Qi Qi Jiguang himself inherited his ancestor's position, the fourth-rank Regional Commander of the Dengzhou Guard. The Great Ming had duke, marquis, and count titles. At the beginning of the founding of the country, there were still viscount and baron titles. For example, Wang Qing, Wang Fengxian, and eleven others were viscounts; Wang Kai, Sun Yan, and twenty-three others were barons.

Later, viscount and baron titles were left vacant for a long time, because hereditary thousand-house commanders and hundred-house commanders were essentially viscounts and barons of the Great Ming.

In those years, the Great Ming's maritime borders were filled with smoke, and the country was shocked, but there was no good plan. Qi Qi Jiguang pacified the Japanese pirates in the south and resisted the Hu captives in the north, with brilliant military exploits. Should he not be conferred a title for his merits?

He should, he really should.

But it should not have been, it should not have been that Qi Qi Jiguang became a disciple of Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

"Your subject thinks that Your Majesty conferring the title of Count of Qian'an on General Qi is slightly inappropriate." Yang Bo took a deep breath and finally spoke: "The day before yesterday, General Qi returned to the capital and had a verbal dispute with the hundred-house commander, platoon leaders, and soldiers of the Capital Battalions at North Earth City. Your subject heard that yesterday, this hundred-house commander, platoon leaders, and soldiers were beaten to death."

"A verbal dispute, how could it lead to the loss of human life? Your subject thinks that General Qi is biased, jealous, narrow-minded, easily satisfied, rigid, biased, and arrogant. He should be cautious."

Qi Qi Jiguang smiled when he heard this, but he did not care much. He bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, your subject's merits are shallow and virtue is thin, and I am not qualified for the heavy responsibility. I ask Your Majesty to think twice."

"Conferring a marquis is not my intention, I only hope the sea waves will be calm."

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Qi Qi Jiguang. Qi Qi Jiguang had a dignified appearance, a broad forehead, eyes like torches, thick eyebrows and a high nose bridge, and an extremely sturdy physique, broad shoulders and a thick waist, and his voice was full of energy, giving people a feeling of steadiness and honesty.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's gaze looked at Wang Wang Chonggu, his eyes dark and unclear. With just a few simple sentences, the situation had become very clear and bright.

Qi Qi Jiguang's smooth reception of the reward was extremely smooth, but it did not mean that Qi Qi Jiguang would still be smooth after receiving the reward.

What kind of method was this of the Jin Faction? This was expansion.

If the Emperor wanted to enrich the country, they would expand the harm and exploitation;

If the Emperor wanted to strengthen the army, they would expand the separatist rule of the feudal towns;

If the Emperor wanted to promote potatoes and sweet potatoes, they would expand it to not planting rice, wheat, and beans;

If the Emperor wanted to assess officials with the Performance Assessment Law, they would expand it to being so harsh that officials could not make a living.

In short, this move was called "double it," and the civil officials played this move with great proficiency. They seemingly respectfully followed the imperial order, but they executed it doubly.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng requested an inquiry. Regardless of whether Qi Qi Jiguang chose to punish or let go of the hundred-house commander, platoon leaders, and soldiers who offended him, the six people were destined to have only one end.

Death.

Punishing a small mistake as a big mistake and beating people to death—even if Qi Qi Jiguang received any reward for returning to the capital this time, he would have to spit it all out. This was the method of "doubling it."

Yang Bo thought the young Emperor did not understand the twists and turns, after all, he was only a ten-year-old sovereign.

Yang Bo knew that even Feng Bao did not understand the tyranny of this method.

Wang Wang Chonggu did not tell Yang Bo when he did this. Yang Bo impeached Qi Qi Jiguang in the Fengtian Hall, and he was somewhat lacking in confidence.

"Was this six people beaten to death by General Qi himself?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng stood out, first bowed to His Majesty on the moon platform, and then turned to question Yang Bo.

Yang Bo shook his head and said: "It was not."

"Was this six people beaten to death at General Qi's instruction?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked again.

"No." Yang Bo shook his head again. Yesterday at the hostel, there were not only Wang Wang Chonggu, Zhu Zhu Xizhong, Qi Qi Jiguang, and Chen Chen Dacheng, but also one attendant from the Quanchu Guild Hall and several school officers who escorted the six people.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked calmly: "Then what does the Minister mean? These six people were disloyal and unfilial, offending their superiors, and were beaten to death by Wang Wang Chonggu, the Governor of Military Affairs of the Capital Battalions. May I ask Minister Yang, what does the death of these six people have to do with General Qi?"

Yang Bo frowned and said: "The Governor of the Capital Battalions and the Regional Commander personally went to apologize, but General Qi still refused. Naturally, they could only return to the camp for strict punishment, hence these words."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng smiled and shook his head, saying: "Minister Yang, be careful with your words. This is a heart-punishing remark. If this example is set, then there will be many things to discuss about the heart."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng learned a sentence from the young Emperor yesterday: "One is one, two is two." Zhang Zhang Juzheng dared not distinguish between monarch and father, but could he not distinguish between "discussing traces" and "discussing the heart"? He could not let this clan faction bully honest people.

Good people should not be pointed at by guns. The clan faction could not bully Qi Qi Jiguang like this. He was still Qi Qi Jiguang's teacher, so he had to stand up for Qi Qi Jiguang.

The Great Ming Chief Grand Secretary had been thinking about this sentence ever since he returned to the Wenyuange yesterday, but the more he wanted to forget, the clearer it became. Later, he simply did not want to forget it. And today's debate in the Fengtian Hall was a typical "you fight yours, I fight mine." You discuss the heart, I discuss the traces; you talk about human feelings, I talk about facts.

Speaking with facts clarified the matter and explained it clearly, forcing Yang Bo into a corner. Yang Bo was discussing the heart. If this kind of heart-punishing example was set, it would be endless, until death.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng let Yang Bo think carefully about what to do.

Yang Bo was silent for a moment. He had always known that Zhang Zhang Juzheng was difficult to deal with. This "needle against wheat awn" made this Zhang Bai Gui even more difficult to deal with.

"Your subject is ashamed." Yang Bo was silent for a moment, bowed to the Emperor on the moon platform, and withdrew his impeachment of Qi Qi Jiguang. He finally chose to admit defeat.

"This subject is ashamed." Yang Bo was silent for a moment. He bowed and saluted the Emperor on the moon terrace, withdrawing his impeachment of Qi Qi Jiguang. In the end, he chose to admit defeat.

Yang Bo was scolded by the Emperor in the fire room of the seedling nursery last time, and was questioned like that by a ten-year-old child. Yang Bo was really too ashamed to face anyone. This time, he was too lazy to argue anymore. Yang Bo's impeachment of Qi Qi Jiguang was also somewhat unsmooth, and his heart was uneasy.

"Report! Urgent report!" A Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed from the Nine Dragon Dan Steps to the front of the Fengtian Hall, standing in front of the hall, shouting loudly.

"Summon." Zhu Zhu Yijun leaned forward and said immediately.

"Altan Khan is moving south. The Regional Commander of Datong, Ma Fang, heard the news and led troops to resist. Before arriving, the northern captives broke through the Huyu Pass, plundered the two guards of Gao Shan and Tian Cheng, and returned north after plundering!" The Embroidered Uniform Guard held the report and said loudly.

"Altan Khan moved south. The Regional Commander of Datong, Ma Fang, heard the news and led troops to resist the enemy. Before he arrived, the Northern Barbarians broke through the Huyu Pass, plundered the Gao Shan and Tian Cheng Guards, and returned north after a full plunder!" The Embroidered Uniform Guard held the military report and said loudly.

The court officials in the Fengtian Hall heard the news and immediately began to discuss it. The northern captives had knocked on the gate!

"What is the loss?" Zhu Zhu Yijun stood up, his face cold and stern, his eyes carrying a bit of ruthlessness.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard hurriedly said: "The grain warehouses of the two guards were plundered, beacon fires were lit, and the people and commoners entered the camp fortresses, so there was no harm."

Zhu Yijun felt much more relaxed. After fighting for so many years, Altan Khan and the border troops of Datong and Xuanfu had a tacit understanding. Breaking the pass did not attack the camp fortresses, but chose to plunder the grain warehouses, and left after plundering. If they walked slowly and the reinforcements of the various guards arrived, it would be a fierce battle.

The tacit northern captives knocking on the gate, extremely familiar with "raising bandits to respect oneself."

When Yang Bo heard the news, he could not stand steadily. Thanks to Ge Ge Shouli supporting him, he did not lose his composure in public.

The pass was broken!

Zhu Zhu Yijun breathed a sigh of relief and sat down, saying: "The report is filed with the Ministry of War. Mobilize the grain reserves of the various guards to appease the hearts of the soldiers and people of the two guards, and question Ma Fang, the Regional Commander of Datong and Left Regional Commander, for lax border defense."

"Your subject requests that a censor be sent to Datong and Xuanfu to inspect the construction of the Great Wall. If one flaw makes a hundred strengths flawed, and if it is repaired every year and collapses every year, is it not a waste of effort?" Zhang Juzheng immediately seized the opportunity and inserted his hand into the core territory of the Jin Faction.

Inspecting the construction of the Great Wall meant checking the camp fortresses and the Great Wall of the Nine Borders, the border walls of the military towns, the armor and food, checking whether the military equipment was complete, whether the Great Wall needed repairs, etc.

At the end of the sixth year of Emperor Longqing, the Huyu Pass Great Wall had just been repaired. The Great Ming spent so much money and raised so many people in Xuanfu and Datong, where did they raise them to?

This Huyu Pass Great Wall had not been repaired for three months, and it was broken by thieves?

This Beigukou, General Tower, Sister Tower, and Xifengkou, Qi Qi Jiguang defeated the enemy in two battles; that Huyu Pass, like paper, was broken with one poke? It was looser than the waist belt of a brothel woman!

Let a censor go and check, and it would be clear.

Send a censor to investigate, and it will be clear.

Actually, at this time, Ge Ge Shouli, as the Chief Censor of the Censorate, should have stood up and arranged for his own people to investigate, such as the Director of the Armory Division Lin Lin Shaohuai, the Military Preparedness Assistant Wu Zhe, or the Inspecting Vice Minister Wu Wu Baipeng.

They were all their own people, so the matter would be easy to handle.

However, Ge Ge Shouli did not say a word. He just supported Yang Bo and did not open his mouth.

Previously, Jing Song impeached Tan Lun but did not impeach the impertinent Lu Lu Shusheng. Ge Ge Shouli was framed, and he needed the Jin Faction to speak up to give him a step down, but no one gave him a step down. Now it was his turn to speak up to maintain the interests of the Jin Faction, but he did not speak, letting Zhang Zhang Juzheng strike the heart.

Ge Ge Shouli did not blame Yang Bo. Yang Bo was the leader of the faction. Some things, Yang Bo could not help himself. Ge Ge Shouli had many grievances against the Jin Faction. After Yang Bo retired, Ge Ge Shouli did not intend to continue to be in the same boat as the Jin Faction.

Ge Ge Shouli actually did not know how to speak. The newly repaired city pass, did Altan Khan grow wings and fly? He actually broke the Huyu Pass directly! This matter really needed to be checked.

"Who does the Chief Censor think is suitable to go?" Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Ge Ge Shouli.

Want to hide?

No way. ===== CHAPTER 51 =====

No way.