Chapter 543: Dare not speak, roads filled with eyes

The Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division yamen were between the Inner Secretariat and the Outer Court. According to the original intention of establishing the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division yamen, the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division should be directly under the Emperor's command, but it was also in the Outer Court, and slowly it became a place for the descendants of non-military-commanding military nobility to eat for free.

The main source of the Embroidered Uniform Guards was the "merit guards." The merit guards had property, industries, and titles to inherit, so there was no need to risk their lives to offend the bureaucrats.

The authority to supervise and spy on officials gradually lost.

Since the 18th year of Yongle, the Inner Study and the Directorate of Ceremonial eunuchs were established, and the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Horse Directorate eunuchs were set up to lead them, the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division yamen had become very awkward, because the Emperor had shown obvious distrust in the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division and the Embroidered Uniform Guards, which were directly under the Emperor's command. Otherwise, why would the Eastern Depot appear?

A place that was completely under the Emperor's command was abandoned by the Emperor, which doomed the awkwardness of the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division yamen.

The Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division rose up during the Jiajing period, and even the great eunuchs in the palace had to bow their heads, because the hall official of the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division at that time was named Lu Bing, who was the "milk brother" of the Daoist Emperor.

It could not be blamed on the Great Ming emperors for not trusting the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division and having to set up an extra Eastern Depot, because since the Xiaozong period, the hall official of the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division, that is, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander, had to be recommended by the Ministry of War, and had to undergo civil selection, that is, the examination of the Four Books and Five Classics and the Great Ming Code.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Suppressing and Pacifying Division began to tend toward civil service. The hall officials, the appointment of the Suppressing and Pacifying Division officials, the ranking, and their candidates all had to rely on the recommendation of the Ministry of War.

Such a yamen controlled by the Outer Court yamen could no longer be considered the Emperor's claws. Later, the Embroidered Uniform Guards became more like a security law division closer to catching thieves and road management, that is, overlapping with the Five Cities Military and Horse Division and the yamen runners.

This was also why Emperor Wuzong had to use the eunuch Liu Jin—it was really because there was no one to use.

The Daoist Emperor was a side branch entering the Great Ancestral Lineage. The Xiaozong lineage was extinct, so the ancestral laws of Xiaozong did not need to be followed. Therefore, the Daoist Emperor's appointment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander all depended on the closeness of the relationship. First was Lu Bing, later was Zhu Xixiao, the younger brother of the Duke of Cheng. Zhu Xixiao also saved the Daoist Emperor in the fire at the Weihui Palace.

This gave Zhu Yijun convenience in appointing the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander. The children of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commanders of the Northern and Southern Suppressing and Pacifying Divisions had been practicing martial arts in the palace with the Emperor since they were young.

The Eastern Depot was an Inner Secretariat and had its limitations. As an Inner Secretariat, excessive interference in Outer Court affairs would be jointly blocked by the Outer Court. The most intuitive manifestation was the grievances between civil officials and eunuchs.

The appointment and removal of the Northern Suppressing and Pacifying Division Commander was the superstructure of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. The stubborn illness of this part was solved by the Daoist Emperor in an unreasonable way. The Great Rites Controversy was not only about whether he should call his own biological father "father," but also about the right to interpret the ancestral laws.

And the foundation problem of the Northern and Southern Suppressing and Pacifying Divisions was solved by Zhu Yijun.

The source of the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the Northern and Southern Beijing Suppressing and Pacifying Divisions was mainly the selection of distant commanders of beacon towers, coastal defense inspectors, and elite soldiers of the Capital Battalion.

All descendants of military nobility who did not serve in office were all registered under the Embroidered Uniform Guards and were not allowed to cause trouble in the Suppressing and Pacifying Division.

The establishment of the Northern and Southern Suppressing and Pacifying Divisions was 6,000 people, 3,000 in the north and south each. And these 3,000 people were the most elite part of the Great Ming army, the "Class Direct" guards. When the Emperor needed to perform surgery on certain places, the Suppressing and Pacifying Division was the most ferocious claw of the Great Ming Emperor in the Outer Court.

This was actually separating the Suppressing and Pacifying Division yamen from the Embroidered Uniform Guards. In this way, this yamen, which was famous for its ferocity during the Hongwu and Yongle periods, became active again.

The commoners did not know about this change. They could not even distinguish between the Suppressing and Pacifying Division and the Embroidered Uniform Guards, but they all knew the terror of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. In the eyes of the commoners, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were the sharp teeth and claws, specifically hooking into the curtains of people's houses, the "ox-headed and horse-faced" spirits that hooked souls and took lives.

This perception is also correct, because whenever the Embroidered Uniform Guard takes action, it means the Emperor is already extremely angry. The court's error-correction mechanism has completely failed, and it is necessary to take ruthless and deadly measures to rectify the situation.

Chen Mo stayed at the Yan mansion in Qizhou for about five days before waiting for Li Rusong's cavalry battalion. After a simple handover, the Yan mansion became the station for the Great Ming Capital Battalion's departure from the capital, just like Xu Jie's Jinze Garden was set up by Yu Dayou as the Great Ming Navy Yamen.

Chen Mo took all the criminals to the capital. The case files had already been reported to His Majesty.

A court meeting was being held in the Wenhua Hall, and the atmosphere was a bit heavy.

Everyone looked at the Wang Cifu and Minister of Justice, waiting for Wang Chonggu to give a summary of the progress of the case.

Minister of Justice Wang Chonggu flipped through the case files in his hands and opened his mouth: "Besides abusing private lynching, not respecting the imperial court's orders, and His Majesty's imperial edict, it has been verified that the Yan clan also committed 'wanton killing of life,' that is, using those who did not comply as compost; forcing good women into prostitution—in thirty years, the Yan clan trafficked 343 people; harboring bandits and adultery—there were four bandit dens in the Qizhou area, three of which were lackeys raised by the Yan clan. In Qizhou city, they were gangs, gathering to cause trouble. Furthermore, among the 1,500 yamen runners in Qizhou, 700 were lackeys under the Yan clan."

Under Yan Chongyi's instruction, Yan Zhixiao led a group of lackeys. Every summer and autumn when collecting grain, they would go door-to-door with the yamen runners of Qizhou and its two subordinate counties to urge rent. Anyone who could not pay the land rent would be forced to submit.

Even setting aside abusing private lynching, not respecting the imperial court's policies, and His Majesty's imperial edict—this was already setting aside the facts—just this alone, the sins of the Yan clan were too numerous to record. Even the case files were piled up in a thick plate. These sins were enough to behead them and show them to the public a hundred times.

His Majesty's definition of them as "sitting bandits" was extremely precise.

Zhu Yijun frowned and said: "What about Qizhou Prefect Li Anren? What was he doing when the Yan clan was causing trouble? The imperial court sent him to the local area to settle the people and herd them, it's a pity he is called Li Anren (Benevolent to the People)."

Total Censor of the Censorate Hence Hai Rui opened his mouth: "He was shielding and indulging them. The Yan clan was not so arrogant before the first year of Wanli, but by the second year of Wanli, after Li Anren was promoted to Qizhou Prefect, the situation further deteriorated. For eight years, Li Anren handed over all matters such as dredging ditches, repairing bridges, and building roads in the Qizhou area to Yan Chongyi."

"Someone sued the Yan clan, and Li Anren ordered not to ask. Assistant County Magistrate He Weishan confronted Li Anren, questioned Li Anren why he indulged and shielded the Yan clan, and wanted to impeach Li Anren. Yan Zhixiao beat Assistant County Magistrate He Weishan to death and buried him in the foundation of the Qizhou city wall. The Embroidered Uniform Guards have already dug up He Weishan's remains and have already buried him properly with official rites."

"After He Weishan died, Li Anren finally restrained himself a little."

It was not that the Great Ming did not have people with backbone, but these people with backbone were all jointly strangled by these executioners.

Grand Court of Justice Minister Lu Guangzu asked: "How did he restrain himself?"

Li Youzi shook his head and said: "To sue at the yamen, you need a petition. To write a petition, you need a lawyer. The Yan clan told the lawyers in the city that whoever dared to write the crimes of their family would be built into the wall! Since then, everyone in the Qizhou area dared not speak, roads filled with eyes."

Dragged away to be matched with servants, not listening would be used as compost, daring to sue would be built into the wall—this was what the Yan clan did in the local area.

The commoners with aspirations dared to be angry but dared not speak. No matter how much resentment they had in their hearts, when they met on the road, they did not dare to greet each other, only daring to look at the anger in each other's eyes.

Before Li Anren, the Yan family did not dare to be so arrogant. No matter how high the village walls were, they could not stop the Great Ming's cannons.

But Li Anren's arrival further deteriorated the situation.

"Why?" Hence Hai Rui frowned and said: "He spent half his life taking the imperial examinations, traveling thousands of miles to be an official just for money? Then wouldn't he have earned more by abandoning Confucianism and engaging in commerce?"

"If he abandoned Confucianism and engaged in commerce, he wouldn't have been able to earn so much money. The reason of 'for money' is already enough." Wang Chonggu shook his head and said: "In his nine years in office, besides grabbing money, he had no achievements. He is just a mediocre person, relying on the power in his hands to grab money."

Wang Jiaping's first reaction after reading "Leisurely Anecdotes" was not that Lin Fucheng was talking nonsense, but that he was convinced it was true. Similarly, Wang Jiaping immediately determined that the Qizhou local officials needed to be dealt with together, stripped of their official status, and exiled to Suiyuan, while those who shielded and indulged them should follow the Yan clan and be used as compost.

As a local Provincial Governor, Wang Jiaping saw the root of the problem at a glance. Someone must, definitely, absolutely be shielding and indulging them. The world was still the Great Ming's world, and it had not reached the point of complete disorder. Without the shielding of the official yamen, the Yan clan would definitely not dare to be so arrogant.

Wang Jiaping had gained a lot of practical experience in the local area, and his judgment was very accurate.

Of the 604 village master households, only the Yan family was so rampant. The He family of Gaoyang, who had their entire family wiped out by bandits, was the one that did not reduce rent during a disaster year, so someone opened the gate and let the bandits into their home.

"Then, everyone has no objection to using all the criminals as compost, right?" Zhu Yijun took a deep breath after hearing the report and made a clear decision. He thought for a moment and said: "I gave the order, I will bear this infamy."

Beheading and showing to the public was death, and composting was also death. For this case, Zhu Yijun could completely follow the normal process, beheading and showing to the public. There was no need to waste his reputation for such things that were not human. Being so violent would eventually lead to being scolded.

But if these scum were not used as compost, Zhu Yijun really had a breath of depression stuck in his chest, feeling very stifled. They were all going to die, but they could not be allowed to die comfortably.

"It is appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to pronounce the sentence before the imperial presence." Zhang Juzheng thought for a while and looked at Wang Chonggu.

Wang Chonggu stared at Zhang Juzheng with wide eyes, gnashing his teeth, but could not say a word! He could not say: His Majesty wants to bear the infamy, you Zhang Juzheng saying this is not doing something unnecessary? His Majesty's reputation needs to be protected, does he, Wang Chonggu, not need it?

Moreover, Zhang Juzheng's words made Wang Chonggu look like a villain from all sides, as if he, Wang Chonggu, did not share His Majesty's worries, was unwilling to bear the infamy, and cherished his own feathers and reputation! And now, sharing His Majesty's worries could not be exchanged for imperial favor.

The Emperor cannot be wrong, so only the ministers can be wrong. This is the rule of "ruler is ruler and minister is minister" for thousands of years, called "wise and flawless, achievements without loss."

Zhang Juzheng acted like a villain and launched a surprise attack. Wang Chonggu was unprepared and was dizzy from the attack.

Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu were political enemies, and the kind that would not stop until one died. In the early Wanli years, if it were not for considering that the Jin Party was deeply rooted and the Khan Tumen in the northwest was still active, Wang Chonggu would have been beaten to death by Zhang Juzheng. Finally, after weighing many factors, he exchanged for a chance to "atone for crimes with meritorious service."

It was just a surprise attack. Political struggles were life-and-death, using any means necessary. Wang Chonggu had recently gained a lot of imperial favor and needed to balance it.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice believes that it is appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to pronounce the sentence." Wang Chonggu picked up the memorial in his hand. This was the Ministry of Justice's discussion. The Ministry of Justice had never intended to let the Emperor bear the infamy! Before Zhang Juzheng mentioned it, the Ministry of Justice had already done so!

"The Zhang Yuanfu is the Emperor's teacher, ranking at the head of all officials, with many complicated affairs. It is normal to have some negligence in not carefully reading the Ministry of Justice's discussion." After Wang Chonggu showed the evidence, the spearhead pointed at Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng pretended to be suddenly enlightened and asked: "So there was already a decision? Why didn't you say so during the summary just now? Was it to let His Majesty owe you a favor?"

"You!" Wang Chonggu was so angry his eyes widened. This Zhang Juzheng was indeed a scholar of the Great Ming; his tongue was too sharp.

"Too lazy to argue with you." After a while, Wang Chonggu was no longer angry. He had not been able to fight Zhang Juzheng for a day or two. If he got angry about everything, he would have died of anger long ago.

This life was just like this. Anyway, he could not fight him. What was the point of fighting or not?

Zhu Yijun sat on the moon platform, looking like he was watching the fun and not thinking it was a big deal. He wished the Zhang Yuanfu and Wang Cifu would fight immediately, but it ended with Wang Chonggu admitting defeat.

Wang Chonggu was not "too lazy to argue." He was afraid that Zhang Juzheng would bury a pit for him. Last time, he was pitted in the "Return Land Memorial." Until now, the person in charge of the "Return Land Memorial" was him, Wang Chonggu. Wang Chonggu never agreed with the "Return Land Memorial," but he was executing it.

Wang Chonggu summarized his struggle experience: fighting with Zhang Juzheng like a dog meant avoiding his sharp edge. Do not respond to Zhang Juzheng's moves, and do not provoke him actively. Being a shrinking turtle was the safest.

Zhu Yijun could understand Zhang Juzheng's villainy. This was Zhang Juzheng's experience.

For the world, Yan Song was a treacherous official, attacking the anti-Japanese Grand Marshal Zhang Jing and Zhejiang Provincial Governor Li Tianchong just to arrange his own people to suppress the Japanese, using any means necessary for power. But for the Daoist Emperor, Yan Song was a loyal official. But later, Yan Shifan was so arrogant that he demanded bribes from the Prince of Yu's mansion, which completely disgusted the Daoist Emperor.

Zhang Juzheng saw these things with his own eyes. He was preventing Wang Chonggu from really becoming Yan Song, and Wang Qian from becoming Yan Shifan. If that were really the case, in the future Spring and Autumn judgments, Wang Chonggu would also be a treacherous official.

It was inappropriate for the Emperor to make this decision. There would always be court officials who would say, "It's just the commoners of one or two prefectures and counties. What the Emperor should have in his heart is the millions of people in the nine provinces. Such violent means are not governing the world with benevolence and righteousness." As for what exactly is benevolence and what is righteousness, it can be discussed again.

And Wang Chonggu himself was the "treacherous official" in the mouths of the court officials. It was most appropriate for him to bear this infamy.

"The matter of dismantling the village walls in Baoding Prefecture has already begun, led by the Baoding Provincial Governor Xin Zixiu and local officials of Baoding. Among them, 376 village masters arrived at Baoding Prefecture and, after meeting with the Provincial Governor, decided to dismantle the village walls." Zhang Juzheng reported the progress of dismantling the village walls.

After Xin Zixiu reported to the court, he immediately posted a notice requiring all village masters to report to Baoding Prefecture within ten days. They must come in person, otherwise, they will all be judged as rebels.

"What about the other 227?" When the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lu Shusheng, calculated this number—the He family of Gaoyang, the Wang family of Yaoshan, and the Yan family of Qizhou had already been arrested—there were still 227 of the 604 village master households. What was their opinion?

Zhang Juzheng flipped through the memorial and said, "These 227 have no opinion, because yesterday, Baoding Provincial Governor Xin Zixiu took the Baoding yamen runners and arrested all 227 of these village masters. To prevent anyone from escaping, Xin Zixiu asked the Criminal Investigation Battalion Commander Chen Mo for help."

Xin Zixiu naturally wanted to borrow strength. Who knew if these yamen runners would leak the news and let the "sitting bandits" escape?

"A Hongmen Banquet?" Lu Guangzu was stunned. In order to do things well, this Xin Zixiu really did not want any face at all!

Xin Zixiu called people to Baoding Prefecture and then ordered their arrest. Wasn't this setting up a Hongmen Banquet? What about the benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust of a scholar?

"To capture the bandits, first capture the king." Zhang Juzheng did not oppose Xin Zixiu's immoral method. What he valued most was getting things done. If you can get things done, you are a capable official; if you can't, you are trash.

Xin Zixiu really wanted to advance. This fleeting opportunity of Lin Fucheng was seized by Xin Zixiu.

Once these things were exposed, or even led to a popular uprising, he, Xin Zixiu, would be the first unlucky ghost.

The dismantling of village walls and the entrapment of local tyrants in Baoding Prefecture are proceeding steadily. The batch of heinous criminals has already been brought to justice, and all the heinous village masters have been arrested. Coupled with the elite soldiers of the Capital Battalion on the side, they cannot stir up any trouble.

On December 25th of the 20th year of Wanli, 43-year-old Li Rusong led his troops into Korea to resist the Japanese. Added to the 6,000 people led by Deputy Regional Commander Zu Chengxun who entered Korea earlier, the first dispatch of troops to resist the Japanese in the 20th year of Wanli was 44,000 people in total.

And this time, Li Rusong brought three cavalry battalions, six infantry battalions, and one chariot battalion, exactly one regiment battalion, 30,000 people. The people Li Rusong brought were enough to match the scale of resisting the Japanese in the 20th year of Wanli.

The elite soldiers of the Capital Battalion are the ballast in the matter of dismantling the village walls. To prevent any accidents, Grand General Qi Jiguang is stationed at the Capital Office, ready to go to Baoding Prefecture at any time to support Li Rusong.

"The Luzon currency system implemented in Luzon is not going smoothly." Cabinet Minister Wang Guoguang sighed heavily and said: "A total of 100,000 notes were issued, and not a single note flowed overseas. They all stayed in Songjiang Prefecture."

Early April was the fixed day for Luzon red copper to exchange for Great Ming goods. This time, the Ministry of Revenue tentatively issued 100,000 strings, with a face value of no more than 100 wen. As a result, not a single note flowed out, and they all stayed in Songjiang Prefecture.

Because there were no notes on the ships leaving Songjiang New Port for Luzon.

"So the Luzon currency system has essentially failed." Zhang Xueyan had no burden and made it clearer. He said with a face full of worry: "Our Ministry of Revenue also thought that there might be a backflow, but we never expected that it would not be able to flow out. It is truly that things in the world are impermanent."

Logically speaking, the Great Ming's attitude toward precious notes was extremely consistent, that is, Great Ming precious notes were not even as good as toilet paper.

But the result of this cautious trial was unexpected.

"Things are valued for their rarity. This time 100,000 notes were issued, and the wealthy households in Songjiang Prefecture all treated them as rare items for collection. Mainly because the quantity was too small. Back then, I said to issue one million, but the Ministry of Revenue felt that paper notes were debts, so it was better to issue less, which is why it became this scene." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "The Ministry of Revenue should not be stubborn with me. Let's compromise, 500,000 strings of notes."

On the issue of Luzon precious notes, the Ministry of Revenue and the Emperor had a huge disagreement. The Emperor requested one million strings, but the Ministry of Revenue felt that 100,000 strings should be tried first, and if there was trouble, it would not be a big problem. Zhu Yijun scolded the Ministry of Revenue, saying that 100,000 strings were not even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth, and with such small courage, why issue precious notes, why issue convertible currency.

The Ministry of Revenue was scolded, but still insisted on 100,000 strings.

As a result, the commoners bought these paper notes with banana hemp as collectibles. This was the first batch of precious notes since the Wanli Reform.

That batch of precious notes in Japan was an inconvertible currency from the beginning to exploit Japan. The Great Ming powerful local tyrants were not stupid. Having any relationship with Japan could lead to being labeled as "traitorous to Japan" and having their homes ransacked. But Luzon precious notes were not. The Luzon surname Zhengma was a relative of the imperial family!

Coupled with the anchoring of eleven large copper mines in Luzon, this Luzon precious note, as soon as the news spread, was targeted by countless people. As soon as it appeared, it immediately caused a frenzy of looting.

Luzon's large ships also wanted to take the precious notes away, but the ships were docked in Songjiang Prefecture. If they did not hand over the precious notes, they were not allowed to leave. Coupled with the fact that the price given was really appropriate, they were forced to buy and sell by the powerful local tyrants in Songjiang Prefecture. These wealthy households gave too much.

A precious note with a face value of 100 wen could actually be sold for two taels of silver. Converted into Wanli Tongbao, it could be exchanged for 1,400 wen.

"Then let's compromise, try 500,000 strings? It's just a painting ticket, what's so good about collecting it?" Wang Guoguang said with a complex expression.

"Try again. Do as I say. Although gold, stone, and antiques are niche, there are many people in the Great Ming. Why collect them? Because this batch of precious notes was made very well by the Hongwu Hongwu Baochao Bureau. The paper is rare and the ink is clear." Zhu Yijun took a paper note from his sleeve and said very confidently: "I also collected them, 10 wen, 20 wen, 50 wen, 100 wen."

In order to take back the right to mint coins, the Ministry of Revenue really put their heart into it. The new Luzon precious notes and the previous Japan precious notes were not in the same grade in terms of texture. This thing could already be called a work of art.

Just the dragon pattern printed exquisitely on the back was worth collecting.

Minister of War Ceng Shengwu took out a memorial and said with a face full of smiles: "Originally, the limit to Guangzhou Prefecture was 113 days, that is, the imperial court's official documents would take at most 113 days to reach Guangzhou Prefecture. Exceeding 113 days was a delay. The reason it took so long was because passing through Guilin required 84 water and horse stations, and passing through Nanchang to Guangzhou required 86 stations. And now the limit is 25 days."

"From 113 days to 25 days, it is because of the establishment and perfection of the Great Ming coastal defense inspectors. If it is not the freezing period of the Bohai Bay, this time can be shortened to about 15 days."

Guangzhou Prefecture was no longer the extreme south in terms of communication distance. The coastal defense inspectors took the water route and only needed about 13 to 23 days. The extra two days were redundant.

In terms of communication distance, the communication distance between Guangzhou Prefecture and the Southern Yamen was equal, because the limit to the Southern Yamen was also 15 days.

The extreme south of the Great Ming was now Java, with a limit of 113 days.

"The post stations have been losing money for years. Do we need to make up for the deficit this year?" Zhu Yijun smiled very happily, very brightly.

The two Guang provinces had gradually become a powerful horse in front of the Great Ming carriage, driving the Great Ming to transform from a small-scale peasant economy to a commodity economy. The reduction in communication distance meant that the Great Ming's control over the two Guang provinces was further strengthened.

Zhu Yijun now had a lot of silver in his hands. He wanted to explode it out. If he kept it in his hands and did not let it flow out, wouldn't he become a local gentry and powerful local tyrant who buried silver in a pigsty?

Ceng Shengwu bowed and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, in the four months since the beginning of this year, the post stations have not lost money. Thanks to the coal-silver convection and the development of acceptance and exchange business, just the three meeting hall post stations in Songjiang Prefecture, Southern Yamen, and Northern Yamen have an income of over 300,000 silver."

"Your Majesty, the post stations have already turned losses into profits."

"Okay, no need to make up for the deficit? Very good, very good." Zhu Yijun said with some gratification. The post stations turning losses into profits was good news, but Zhu Yijun's idea of wanting to explode gold coins fell through again.

"Wang Jiaping, Provincial Governor Wang, requested to set up a meeting hall post station in Guangzhou Prefecture to open acceptance and exchange business." Wang Chonggu took out Wang Jiaping's memorial. As the leader of the Jin Party, Wang Chonggu still met Wang Jiaping.

Wang Chonggu's feelings about Wang Jiaping were extremely complex. Originally, Wang Chonggu did not intend to meet him. When Fan Yingqi begged at his door, Wang Chonggu did not protect Fan Yingqi. These two were close friends and were both disciples of Ge Shouli, and they often sang against Wang Chonggu.

It was better not to meet if possible, to avoid embarrassment. But Wang Jiaping went to the All-Jin Meeting Hall for the second time. Wang Chonggu happened to be there, so he had no choice but to meet him.

Wang Jiaping asked Wang Chonggu to handle things. This time he entered the capital to report on his duties. Besides meeting the Emperor, there were two most important things.

The first was to change the time limit for official documents. Only when the time limit for the imperial court to reach the local area was changed could the local area change. In this way, administrative efficiency would be more efficient. The official documents had clearly arrived, but because the time limit had not yet arrived, the people below were dragging their feet in doing things.

The second thing was to seek to establish a meeting hall post station in Guangzhou Prefecture to open acceptance and exchange business.

The Great Ming imperial court's official documents could reach the Southern Yamen in 15 days, and could also reach Guangzhou in 15 days. The Southern Yamen had acceptance and exchange business, which greatly facilitated the circulation of commercial goods. Could the imperial court show mercy and build a meeting hall post station in Guangzhou too?

Acceptance and exchange, deposit and withdrawal once, would charge a 3% storage fee. This was a large sum of silver!

"What does the Ministry of Revenue think?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Guoguang and asked for the Ministry of Revenue's opinion.

"I think it should be established, and it should also be established in the Yuegang Shipping Department and the Mizhou Shipping Department." Wang Guoguang bowed and said. The Ministry of Revenue's opinion was not only to agree, but also to set up a few more.

"Then what about the Ningbo Shipping Department? Why was the Ningbo Shipping Department bypassed alone?" Shen Li asked with some surprise. Among the opinions given by the Ministry of Revenue, only the Ningbo Shipping Department was missing.

"Junior Minister, let's go back and talk." Wan Shihe hurriedly grabbed Shen Li, signaling everyone to continue the court meeting, as if Junior Minister Shen Li had never asked.

The reason was very simple. Zhejiang Provincial Governor Zhu Wan committed suicide by resisting the Japanese. In His Majesty's heart, there was a knot that could not be untied. Outside Ningbo, there were the Shuangyu Islands. Zhu Wan was forced to commit suicide because he broke the private market in Shuangyu. Since then, the Japanese pirates had poisoned the southeast.

Ningbo had no shipyards, no engineering corps, no official factory corps. There were only the Shipping Department and the Military Provisions Hall. The merchant ships in Zhejiang had to go to the Songjiang Prefecture Shipping Department for ship permits.

Just like when Emperor Chengzu Wen was almost killed by Tie Xuan with a thousand-catty gate in Jinan Prefecture, Emperor Chengzu Wen passed through Jinan Prefecture several times, but never stayed in Jinan Prefecture once.

"Approved the Ministry of Revenue's proposal." Zhu Yijun approved Wang Guoguang's memorial with a vermilion pen. ===== CHAPTER 544 =====