Chapter 624: Because, the Senior Grand Secretary is kind!

"The matter of the notarized mutual market contracts handled by Shen Shen Yiguan, the Viceroy of the Three Frontiers of Shaanxi, is not free at all. The imperial court's hand is reaching a bit too far." Lin Lin Fucheng expressed slight dissatisfaction regarding the notarized contracts for the Jiayu Pass mutual market. Lin Lin Fucheng was a member of the Liberal faction, and this clearly was not free.

"Oh? This cannot be said lightly." Zhu Zhu Yijun frowned and asked with suspicion, "Could it be that Master Lin has other profound insights on this matter?"

"It is nothing more than exorbitant taxes and levies under various pretexts." Lin Lin Fucheng took a sip of tea, shook his head, and said, "Young Master Huang is a noble from the Grand General's Mansion and may not understand how the people below do things. Regarding this mutual market notarization, if it doesn't involve money or goods, it's just collecting contracts, which is fine. But once it involves money or goods, whether it is the Hu merchants from the Western Regions or the merchants from the hinterland, they cannot get a single cent of silver or a penny's worth of goods from the Southern Yamen."

"The Southern Yamen is a Pixiu—a Pixiu that only takes in and never lets out."

"Young Master Huang, when the merchants pay the deposit, is it paid to the Hu merchants, or to the officials in charge of the mutual market?"

"To the officials in charge," Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a furrowed brow. "Because the Hu merchants have no fixed abode, if the deposit were given to them and they didn't come the following year, or simply died in the desert, what would happen? Therefore, after the price is set and the trade is completed, the deposit is then paid to the Hu merchants."

"Then, Young Master Huang, do you think these officials in charge will give the silver to the Hu merchants? The reverse is also true; will the officials in charge give the impounded goods to the merchants?" Lin Lin Fucheng shook his head and said, "A prefect who ruins families, a magistrate who exterminates clans, and Southern Yamen runners who ransack homes—once the 'killing-prestige' rod is brought out, one can only obediently accept the loss. For the people to sue officials is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

For the people to sue officials, according to the Great Ming Code, one must first receive twenty strokes of the 'killing-prestige' rod. If they don't hold back their strength, they might beat the person to death directly; what grievances would be left then?

During the Emperor Hongwu reign, the people could capture officials and bind them to the capital, but that was only until the 30th year of Emperor Hongwu. Afterward, the *Great Pronouncements* became a dormant legal provision. The ancestral laws cannot be changed, but one can choose not to execute them.

"Who is below the hall, daring to sue this official?" This is the second dilemma for the people suing officials. If you go to the magistrate's office to sue the magistrate, how could you possibly win?

What if you bypass the magistrate? The Great Ming Code stipulates that if soldiers or civilians have grievances, they may report them to the prefectural or county offices; they must not bypass levels to report. If they violate this, they receive fifty strokes.

Bypassing levels means reporting to a higher authority. Once soldiers or civilians bypass levels, they will be beaten with fifty strokes. Moreover, these fifty strokes are administered after being sent back to their original place of registration. Being beaten with fifty strokes by the very Southern Yamen level that was bypassed—striking with anger—there is basically no possibility of survival.

For the people to sue officials is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

As long as these goods and deposits enter the pockets of the Southern Yamen, they will be digested completely, without even a trace of residue left.

"Did Shen Shen Yiguan lie to His Majesty? In his report to the imperial court, he said that the notarization by the officials in charge is being executed very well, with responders like clouds, and almost all Hu merchants and merchants choose to have their contracts notarized by the officials in charge." Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Shaanxi and Gansu are not Shen Shen Yiguan's personal fiefdom. How many people are watching him? The investigating censors, the censors, and all kinds of people eyeing his position are waiting for him to make a mistake."

Lin Lin Fucheng pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Then I do not know."

Li Zhi said quite affirmatively, "I actually think that in the eyes of the Hu merchants and the merchants, it might be because compared to transactions without any guarantee, it is better to give the money to the officials in charge and pay taxes to the Southern Yamen in exchange for the smooth progress of the trade. Even if there is a breach of contract, it is better than feeding it to the other party. After all, one can still hope that the officials in charge have a conscience."

"This conscience is not the individual conscience of the official in charge, but the entire officialdom. For example, if the deposit or goods are embezzled, once it is known by the supervising Administration Commissioner, or the Governor, or the Viceroy, they will also be in big trouble."

The merchants can do nothing about Hu merchants who like to break contracts, and the Hu merchants can do nothing about cunning merchants. After thinking it over, everyone feels it is better to rely on the error-correction power of the Great Ming imperial court and officialdom. After all, if the officials in charge really give nothing, that would destroy the business environment and run counter to the Great Ming's strategy of reopening the Western Regions.

Any order, no matter how poor, is better than no order at all. This is the reason why mutual market notarization can receive universal support.

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded. Li Zhi had practical experience; clearly, Li Zhi understood the various rules of officialdom better than Lin Lin Fucheng. Being an official is not about doing whatever one wants; even the Emperor cannot do whatever he wants.

"Hu merchants and merchants do not trust each other, which is why there is mutual market notarization. Then, is the distrust between the producers of Great Ming and the 'meat-eaters' (the ruling class) also to this extent?" Zhu Zhu Yijun thought of the first problem of this governance: the issue of trust. Mutual market notarization could succeed because there was absolutely no trust to speak of.

Li Zhi said very firmly, "It has already reached the point of mutual distrust where imperial court intervention is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, craftsmen wouldn't need to pull strings, find connections, and spend silver just to enter the official factories. Now, even if one wants to enter the Xishan Coal Bureau to be a kiln worker, it costs at least nine taels of silver."

The official factories and the private workshops have already formed a control group. The harder it is to enter an official factory, the more serious the labor-capital contradiction between the 'meat-eaters' and the producers. When official factories across Great Ming recruit new workers, the responders are like clouds, which explains the problem well.

"Makes sense." Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded. The standard Li Zhi mentioned was very reasonable.

Li Zhi continued, "In the process of alleviating this contradiction, one must not rely solely on top-down constraints; when rights tend toward equality, power becomes the key to determining the outcome."

"And the 'meat-eaters' often possess stronger economic strength; the 'meat-eaters' can often afford to wait, while the poor people and laborers don't know what they will eat or drink the next day if they don't work for one day. The 'meat-eaters' often possess stronger political influence; they maintain close ties with local Southern Yamen and even the hundred officials in the capital, and sometimes they are officials themselves. The 'meat-eaters' often possess more abundant material conditions to bribe witnesses and manufacture evidence."

Li Zhi stopped here. Knowing the premise that the person was the Emperor, there were some things he could not say.

"Speak your mind. It's just idle chatter. Only when I understand clearly can I explain it clearly to the Grand General, and only then can the Grand General explain it clearly to His Majesty, right?" Zhu Zhu Yijun saw that Li Zhi had things he dared not say and reminded him that he was currently Young Master Huang, so he should speak his mind.

"Young Master Huang, what is the Emperor Wanli Reform?" After receiving the Emperor's promise that he would not be blamed, Li Zhi remained cautious, making his words less harsh.

"An incomplete reformist political struggle aimed at letting the Great Ming imperial court rise from the ashes and shine again, rather than changing the Great Ming's foundation and state completely. Therefore, in the process of clarifying contradictions, the exposition of contradictions is extremely important. Only by clarifying the contradictions can we alleviate them or attempt to solve them." Zhu Zhu Yijun clearly told Li Zhi the nature of the Emperor Wanli Reform.

The Emperor Wanli Reform was not a revolution that completely changed the Great Ming's foundation and state, but a reformist political struggle that allowed Great Ming, or rather China, to be in a competitive advantage and protect the interests of all citizens under conditions of insufficient material wealth and low productivity.

Clarifying contradictions is crucial.

"I have observed that the contradiction between the 'meat-eaters' and the producers is the root of all turmoil, the hotbed of brewing great changes, and an important source of the state's crisis. It might even subvert the state." Li Zhi spoke very carefully, making his words less violent and direct.

"You are right. It is not just workshop production, but also farmland. Master Li, don't beat around the bush; why not speak more clearly?" Zhu Zhu Yijun didn't quite understand what Li Zhi wanted to express; his expression was too obscure.

Only then did Li Zhi hesitate and say, "After the imperial court issued the decree to abolish the lowly slave status, the Jiangnan slave revolt occurred immediately. The lowly slaves gathered in the forests and mountains, wielding weapons to demand contracts. It was these two forces that finally forced the gentry and powerful families, who held the deeds of sale, to choose compromise."

"It requires top-down granting of equal rights, and it also requires bottom-up error-correction power."

Wang Qian looked at Li Zhi. This Li Zhi was worthy of being a madman of the Liberal faction; he was indeed very bold. These words were still very tactful.

In the top-tier private room, a long silence fell. For the imperial Great Ming, letting the proletariat unite—the uncertainty and violence of such a movement would be displayed vividly. Can imperial power really remain unscathed in the torrent of this movement?

"It is already seven in the evening; it is getting late. Let's stop here for today and discuss this matter another day. Young Master Huang is from the Grand General's Mansion, and the Grand General is cautious in the court. If we go back after the curfew, I'm afraid the Grand General will be accused by the lowly Confucian scholars." Seeing that the atmosphere was too heavy, Wang Qian immediately announced that the gathering would end for the day.

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought what Li Zhi said made a lot of sense. Relying solely on top-down regulation could only make rights tend toward equality in law. The vigorous decree to abolish lowly slave status had already been promoted throughout Great Ming, and the legal basis for lowly slave status had been abolished in law, but lowly slave status still existed widely because in the struggle between producers and 'meat-eaters', the power of the 'meat-eaters' was stronger.

This requires the proletariat to unite to confront the 'meat-eaters'.

"Your ideas are correct, but I think we shouldn't be too hasty. Even the confirmation of rights hasn't been established yet. If we rush to take the next step, it's easy to pull a muscle—a crude saying but a true one. The Great Ming state must first popularize labor contracts and clearly define the rights and obligations of both parties before we can talk about the next step."

"It's like measuring land; if you haven't even figured out the land register, you can't do anything." Zhu Zhu Yijun did not follow the slope to get off the donkey but responded directly.

Can the proletariat unite? The answer is yes. But as the Emperor, as the person directly responsible for the decrees, Zhu Zhu Yijun could not talk in generalities like Lin Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi; he had to walk step by step, down-to-earth.

But letting the proletariat unite will definitely threaten imperial power; this is inevitable, which is why Li Zhi was so cautious.

How to unite effectively and efficiently is a more severe practical test, and the premise of all this is to establish labor relations and ensure from the law that laborers receive fair labor remuneration. This is the task at hand.

"Young Master Huang has extraordinary insight; why not take the imperial examinations and serve the country?" Lin Lin Fucheng highly approved of Young Master Huang's talent. In Lin Lin Fucheng's view, Young Master Huang had more talent than the playboy Young Master Wang beside him. Wang Qian was an official of the imperial court, but Young Master Huang had no intention of pursuing an official career, which was truly a pity.

"The Grand General needs to avoid suspicion." Zhu Zhu Yijun explained this problem with a smile. As a person from the Grand General's Mansion, if Young Master Huang took the imperial examinations, it would mean the Grand General wanted to reach into the civil official system, which was a great taboo.

Zhu Zhu Yijun didn't need to take the imperial examinations; he was the Emperor. Serve himself?

In the late Northern Song Dynasty, in the eighth year of Zhenghe, the third son of Emperor Emperor Huizong, Prince Yun Zhao Kai, used a pseudonym to participate in the imperial examinations and won the top spot, becoming the top scholar. Emperor Emperor Huizong was very happy after knowing this, thinking that his third son had talent and could achieve great things, and he looked down even more on the Crown Prince, who was the later Emperor Emperor Qinzong, Zhao Huo Huan.

But in fact, this top scholar had a lot of "water" (was rigged). Even though it was a pseudonym, who among the chief examiners didn't know this was the third imperial prince? It was simply a rigged essay. All the imperial examination activities in the eighth year of Zhenghe were centered around letting the third imperial prince win. The ultimate goal was to let Emperor Emperor Huizong make up his mind to depose Crown Prince Zhao Huo Huan, so that Zhao Kai could smoothly seize the throne.

When the Jin people went south, the infighting in Kaifeng was extremely complex. No one expected that the Jingkang Incident would happen. Emperor Emperor Huizong and his sons were all wiped out in one pot, leaving only the ninth imperial prince, Zhao Gou, as the sole survivor. In the end, Zhao Gou became the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty.

After returning to the palace, Zhu Zhu Yijun wrote an imperial decree and handed it to the Grand Secretariat, instructing the Grand Secretariat to deliberate on the notarization of the Jiayu Pass mutual market and draft the notarization of labor contracts.

"Eh? Senior Grand Secretary Wang is quietly doing big things!" After writing the imperial decree, Zhu Zhu Yijun suddenly remembered something in the Great Construction of the Grand Works.

All the projects of the Great Construction of the Grand Works that Wang Wang Chonggu was responsible for were completed on time, with quality and quantity guaranteed. Regarding the construction quality of the palace's central axis, Zhu Zhu Yijun highly doubted that even if Great Ming perished, it wouldn't collapse!

And in order to ensure that the conscripted laborers and recruited craftsmen could receive their labor remuneration, Wang Wang Chonggu specifically left six months of labor remuneration and handed it over to the Ministry of Revenue for management. Even if he had an accident, the recruited craftsmen could still receive six months of labor remuneration.

This was earmarked for specific purposes. Approving the release of these labor remunerations required Wang Wang Chonggu's personal signature. He was the first person responsible for the Great Construction of the Grand Works; while possessing power, he also bore the responsibility.

"In the Great Construction of the Grand Works that Senior Grand Secretary Wang is responsible for, have there been any incidents of craftsmen rioting for pay?" Zhu Zhu Yijun sat up straight and looked at Feng Bao.

Feng Bao took out his thick memo from his sleeve, found the label for "black material," flipped to Wang Wang Chonggu's page, looked for a long time, shook his head, and said, "There have been no incidents of rioting for pay."

Rioting for pay is also one of the characteristic movements of Great Ming—that is, not receiving grain and pay, gathering to cause trouble. It is different from demanding rewards; demanding rewards is asking for promised bonus money, while rioting for pay is to receive the military pay that should have been received. It is common in places like military colonies and guard stations. The nature of the engineering corps and official factory groups is highly similar to that of military soldiers.

"Senior Grand Secretary Wang really has some unique methods!" Zhu Zhu Yijun remembered when Wang Wang Chonggu told the Emperor that whether a construction site could succeed depended on whether there were many peddlers in front of the door and whether there were "hard dishes" (meat dishes); then one would know whether the project was progressing smoothly and whether the quality was solid.

Wang Wang Chonggu indeed had some strange methods. It was not without reason that he attracted hatred.

"Let me see this memo of yours; what exactly is written on it?" Zhu Zhu Yijun reached out to ask for Feng Bao's memo. Feng Bao had taken it out many times, and Zhu Zhu Yijun had resisted his curiosity, but now he was too curious. What else was written on it?

"Better not look at it. Many are unconfirmed news, plausible but false, affecting the holy hearing." Feng Bao didn't really want to show it to His Majesty.

"Bring it here." Zhu Zhu Yijun reached out and took the memo. He flipped through it and looked at Zhang Hong. The memo contained extremely detailed observations of Zhang Hong, with baskets upon baskets of black material, but in the end, they were all proven false and crossed out by Feng Bao.

Feng Bao had actually always been extremely wary of Zhang Hong and watched him very closely.

Zhu Zhu Yijun believed that Zhang Hong also had such a memo in his hand, specifically collecting all kinds of plausible but false news about Feng Bao. Contradictions are everywhere, so struggle is everywhere.

"Wang Wang Chonggu has 172 concubines. After verification, it is baseless. What a pity. I thought I would see a bunch of illegitimate children jumping out to fight Wang Qian for the family property after Senior Grand Secretary Wang left. I can't see this excitement." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked through Wang Wang Chonggu's section. If Wang Wang Chonggu had a few illegitimate children, Wang Qian wouldn't dare to be so arrogant!

He should give Wang Qian some intensity. This guy spent money like water at the Taibai Tower; one wave of his hand was 11,000 silver!

The next morning, the Emperor of Great Ming rode his "land duck" (a nickname for his carriage) and arrived at the Zhao Wenhua Hall for the imperial audience. After the etiquette, which had been simplified several times, the process of the Zhao Wenhua Hall imperial audience had been simplified a lot, making administration more efficient.

"We ministers pay our respects to Your Majesty. Long live, long live, long live Your Majesty."

"All beloved ministers, rise. Senior Grand Secretary Wang has returned to the court; my heart is greatly comforted. Reward him accordingly." Zhu Zhu Yijun saw Wang Wang Chonggu smiling and rewarded all the court officials again. Whether it was impulse or courage, judge by the actions, not the heart. Wang Wang Chonggu returning to continue working was the result.

"We ministers thank you for your holy grace." The group of officials saluted again, then took their seats, and the imperial audience of the day began.

"The Joseon envoy Li Li Houbai is still in the capital. Yun Yin Genshou returned to Joseon to report. The Joseon King Li Yan submitted a plea of guilt. Although I don't know why he offended the superior dynasty, the monarch says there is guilt, so there is guilt. I implore the Emperor to punish him." Wan Wan Shihe said with some helplessness, "After Yun Yin Genshou returned to his country, he was killed in front of the Sungkyunkwan gate."

"Some people think it is because Li Li Houbai and Yun Yin Genshou did something they shouldn't have done in the capital and said things they shouldn't have said, which provoked the wrath of heaven."

Someone always has to take responsibility, and Yun Yin Genshou, who returned to Joseon, was the only candidate, while Li Li Houbai dared not return to Joseon no matter what.

Zhu Zhu Yijun flipped through Li Yan's plea of guilt for a long time, picked it up, and said, "It is written eloquently here, nearly 1,500 words. In these 1,500 words, is there a single sentence written by Li Yan himself? Is there even a single character? Fortunately, I have read some books, otherwise, I wouldn't even recognize these obscure characters."

The Joseon King's plea of guilt was eloquent, flowing like clouds and water, citing classics, and written very well, but the monarch himself didn't write a single character. This was lack of sincerity. Clearly, the Joseon King did not execute the "serving the great and dealing with neighbors" in the ancestral laws.

"No." Wan Wan Shihe hurriedly bowed his head and said, "At a glance, this was written by a Ming Jinshi of the Sungkyunkwan. The Joseon King just stamped it."

Although Li Yan also studied Confucianism, everyone had seen what the reading of a born noble looked like. This plea of guilt looked like a plea, but it was not his original intention at all.

Zhu Zhu Yijun held the plea of guilt and said to the court officials, "So, Li Yan means: although we Joseon took advantage, I have bowed and apologized, what else does Great Ming want!"

"I looked and looked, and only saw this meaning. If he really felt he was wrong, why didn't he come to the capital to face the holy presence and plead guilty in person? Is Joseon very far from Great Ming? He can take a boat to Tianjin Guard now; it won't even take a day."

"I am not satisfied with his plea of guilt."

What would satisfy Great Ming? No matter what, it would not be satisfied.

The Great Ming tribute trade loses money; a bit of junk can be exchanged for generous rewards. But the trade derived from the tribute trade—the accompanying merchant ship trade—Great Ming makes money. The accompanying merchant ships are merchant teams other than the tribute ships. Zhu Zhu Yijun stopped the tribute trade, but he didn't stop the tally of Joseon ships, which means the derivative merchant ship trade would not be affected.

"Reply to him like this: let the Joseon King come to the capital to plead guilty." Zhu Zhu Yijun narrowed his eyes and threw Li Yan's plea of guilt into the trash can.

"What if he really comes?" Wan Wan Shihe said with some worry. He wasn't afraid that the Joseon King wouldn't come; he was afraid that he would really be bold enough to come to Great Ming to plead guilty. At that time, Great Ming could only "raise high and put down gently." Not only could they not keep the Joseon King Li Yan, but they also had to send him out of the country politely. After all, Great Ming really cared about face.

"He can't possibly come." Zhang Zhang Juzheng said very affirmatively, "Since the Yongle reign, there has been a precedent: Joseon royal relatives must study at Great Ming's Imperial Academy until they come of age, and return to Joseon after completing their studies. For example, the Joseon King Shouyang-gun Li Ru studied at the Imperial Academy for seven years."

"Since the Tumu Crisis in the During Zhengtong reign, Joseon has banned this. In the second year of Emperor Wanli, His Majesty issued a decree to restore the ancestral laws and ordered the Joseon Crown Prince to come to Great Ming to study. The Joseon King made all kinds of excuses, and in the end, it was left unsettled."

"Grand Minister of Rites, he really doesn't dare to come."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng mentioned an old matter. The failure to restore the ancestral laws in the second year of Emperor Wanli was said to be the Emperor's decree, but it was actually Zhang Zhang Juzheng who was worried about the situation in the Northeast and hoped to strengthen Great Ming's control over Joseon. Zhang Zhang Juzheng had used similar measures on Annan, but they did not work.

Just as Wan Wan Shihe said, the barbarians are wolf-hearted and beastly, fearing power but not cherishing virtue. Great Ming is always at a disadvantage in dealing with foreign relations because of high morality. Joseon dared to refuse because they were certain that Great Ming would not go to war over this "small matter."

"What if he comes?" Wan Wan Shihe said with some worry.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng said calmly, "If he really has the guts to come, he will suffer from water and soil incompatibility, fall seriously ill, and be unable to return for a long time. Being passive is passive, but the things that should be done must be done."

If the Joseon King really dared to come, Zhang Zhang Juzheng would dare to risk universal condemnation and keep him. This is a game for the brave. Whoever retreats first will lose both face and substance. Zhang Zhang Juzheng is not afraid of being scolded. In the first year of the Emperor Wanli Reform, he offended everyone who could be offended.

Zhang Hong looked at the two secretaries beside him. The secretaries did not record Zhang Zhang Juzheng's rebellious words.

What? The Senior Grand Secretary of the Empire is shameless and kept someone by force? There is no such thing! Clearly, the Joseon King himself was incompatible with the water and soil, and in order to prevent him from dying of sudden illness on the way back, he was kept in the capital for medical treatment. If the Joseon King really dared to come, this would be the only explanation, because, the Senior Grand Secretary is kind!

The court officials looked at Zhang Zhang Juzheng. This guy was still as ruthless as ever. How could a scholar close the door and blow out the lamp? How could he speak so directly about water and soil incompatibility?

"Then reply to the Joseon envoy and let him come to the capital to apologize." Wan Wan Shihe thought about it. Since someone was taking responsibility and the scolding, there was no problem.

"Your Majesty, we ministers immediately felt that this matter concerns the rise and fall of the state, so it should be handled with caution. I discussed it with the Junior Grand Secretary for a long time and believe that we should visit and inquire before making a decision." Zhang Zhang Juzheng spoke about the memorial that the Emperor sent into the Great Ming Grand Secretariat after nightfall yesterday.

Thanks to Wang Wang Chonggu returning to the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion to sit in the office, Zhang Zhang Juzheng finally had someone to discuss with. The situation of Zhang Zhang Juzheng fighting alone had completely ended. This matter was of great importance, so being cautious was not too much.

"Your Majesty, the method of the Great Construction of the Grand Works—advance savings, six months of labor remuneration waiting to be drawn—is only suitable for the Great Construction of the Grand Works. The imperial court's own business is not suitable for popularization. This savings, no matter how you say it, is public money, not private property."

"If the 'meat-eaters' are required to save six months of labor remuneration for every person they hire, on one hand, a large part of the small workshops cannot afford it; on the other hand, the decree will be universally opposed." Wang Wang Chonggu hurriedly clarified his method in the Great Construction of the Grand Works, which was only suitable for the imperial court's business.

His Majesty inquired in the imperial decree whether the advance savings method of the Great Construction of the Grand Works could be popularized, and Zhu Zhu Yijun noticed that the Xishan Coal Bureau and the Yongding Yongsheng Woolen Factory, all craftsmen, used this method—saving six months of labor remuneration to ensure the stability of production and ensure that craftsmen could receive labor remuneration.

The white silver was given to the poor for nothing; it was simply a sin!

"All official factories in Great Ming will retain six months of labor remuneration to prevent accidents. Official factories can do it, but private workshops can treat people as not people?" Hence Hai Rui immediately asked. Hence Hai Rui highly suspected that Wang Wang Chonggu was doing it on purpose, allowing official factories to maintain an advantage in the cruel market competition and maintain an advantage in attracting master craftsmen.

"Or to put it further, official factories in Great Ming must treat people as people, but private workshops can treat people as not people?" Shen Li, as the Minister of Rites, further elaborated on the doubts raised by Hence Hai Rui, making the doubts clearer.

Being questioned by the two major upright officials of the imperial court, Wang Wang Chonggu was under great pressure. He bit the bullet and said, "The two of you, consider the resistance to the promotion of the decree. Only when a decree can be universally observed is it effective." ===== CHAPTER 625 =====