Chapter 67: This Is Only the Beginning

Zhu Yijun had been reading, and Zhang Juzheng had been on the offensive. The Jin Party was beaten until they had no power to fight back and could only admit defeat.

In the first wave, Zhang Juzheng knocked away Wang Chonggu's golden imperial mandate; this was Wang Chonggu's protective talisman, and he plucked Yang Bo out of the fray.

In the second wave, Zhang Juzheng knocked away the Regional Commander of Datong, Ma Fang, ordering him to return to his ancestral home to live in leisure and wait for orders at any time.

In the third wave, Zhang Juzheng knocked away the Assistant Regional Commanders of Xuanfu and Datong, Ma Gui and Ma Jin, along with eight Company Commanders.

The problem in Xuanfu and Datong was a classic case of "rites, music, and military expeditions originating from the feudal lords."

The Regional Commander of Datong was Ma Fang. He was a man from Xuanfu, but he had been abducted to the north in his youth and later escaped back to the Great Ming. The imperial court had always used Ma Fang as a "Tatar official." Meanwhile, the Regional Commander of Xuanfu, Guo Hu, was a man from Shaanxi with ancestral roots in Fujian. Neither of these two Regional Commanders belonged to the Shanxi Party.

However, the Ma Gui, Ma Jin, and the eight Company Commanders listed by Zhang Juzheng were all men from Shanxi. After marginalizing the Regional Commanders, they did whatever they pleased.

Since he was going to strike, he had to aim for the vitals. By dismissing these military officers who held the Jin Party's military power all at once, Zhu Yijun keenly noticed that the ten military officers dismissed this time were all on the list of Beijing Camp military talents previously recommended by Wang Chonggu.

If Tan Lun had approved that list, Wang Chonggu could have transferred all his confidants into the Beijing Camp. Although the Beijing Camp was full of the old, weak, sick, and disabled, it was closer to the Emperor.

As for the dismissal of Datong Regional Commander Ma Fang, he was replaced by General Qi Jiguang Jiguang's deputy, Assistant Regional Commander Yang Li. Yang Li was a man from Shuntian Prefecture in the capital region. His background was as a Company Commander of the Beijing Camp's Divine Machine Division, and he was a military meritocrat. In the second year of Longqing, after General Qi Jiguang Jiguang returned to the capital, Yang Li was transferred to Jizhou as an Assistant Regional Commander, where he had made many achievements while stationed at Malan Valley.

Zhang Juzheng brought out the fourth memorial. This one was from Yin Jin, a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, impeaching Wang Chonggu himself. Zhang Juzheng opened the memorial, looked at Wang Chonggu, and said, "The Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice impeaches Wang Chonggu for 'nurturing bandits to maintain his own importance' and 'slackening defenses to favor the enemy.' He says: 'Chonggu willingly fawns upon the Tatars, deceives the imperial court, and greedily takes titles and rewards. When the matter was about to be exposed, he relied on the "God of Money" to remain unperturbed. Chonggu must absolutely not be employed!'"

Ge Shouli, the Chief Censor of the Censorate, had a memorial pressed under his hand; it was the memorial by Censor Gao Weisong impeaching Wang Chonggu, and the reason was also "nurturing bandits to maintain his own importance" and "slackening defenses to favor the enemy."

And Feng Bao, in Zhang Juzheng's third wave of attacks, also scolded Wang Chonggu with this same charge.

This round of offensives came extremely swiftly. Even if Ge Shouli did not bring out the memorial, Wang Chonggu would still have a splitting headache.

Wang Chonggu pondered for a long time, flicked his sleeves, knelt on the ground, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the matter of the Altan Khan's tribute and trade was entirely the result of the late Emperor's decisive wisdom and the strategic planning of his advisors. I merely carried out the orders and made some modest arrangements."

"By using 'horse-price silver' to stop the fighting and give the people rest, the northern barbarians often harass us. We repair the Great Wall for defending against the barbarians, but it is done intermittently. Now there are evil ministers hoping for border conflicts to arise again, spreading slanderous words, as if once I am brought down, we can go to war with the northern barbarians."

"I am not worried about myself; I only worry that those who serve in Xuanfu and Datong in the future, seeing my fate, will not consider the nation's troubles. This will cause the late Emperor's remaining grace of 'gentleness toward those afar' and the court's grand strategy of 'controlling the barbarians' to be ruined. I beg Your Majesty to see clearly!"

Zhu Yijun understood. Wang Chonggu spoke of the late Emperor's remaining grace and the court's grand strategy; this was showing off his seniority.

As for where the mountain passes went, Wang Chonggu also answered: the "horse-price silver" to stop fighting and give the people rest was not enough to be gentle to those afar. Clearly, the money for repairing the passes had been diverted to other uses, and the construction of the Great Wall could only be done intermittently.

The Great Wall passes becoming "unfinished projects" was not Wang Chonggu's original intention; it was because there was no money!

The northern barbarian Altan Khan was truly a basket; everything could be stuffed inside him.

Finally, there was a veiled threat. Wang Chonggu ostensibly said he didn't care about himself, but he feared that the future Viceroys serving in Xuanfu and Datong, seeing Wang Chonggu "seeking glory only to receive humiliation," would no longer worry about the nation's great troubles and would collude with the northern barbarians. What then?

Wang Chonggu's words were just to fool a child; the court officials saw it as clearly as a mirror.

Who exactly was colluding with the northern barbarians? Was it the newcomers, or this group of Jin Party members like Wang Chonggu?

The impeachment of Wang Chonggu for "nurturing bandits to maintain his own importance" and "slackening defenses to favor the enemy" had existed for a long time. Since the Longqing peace talks, such voices had never ceased. Clearly, Zhang Juzheng's fourth wave of offensive was not intended to achieve success, but merely to probe further.

The battle results were already rich enough; one should stop while ahead. Too much is as bad as too little.

Feng Bao heard Wang Chonggu using the late Emperor's name to suppress the young Emperor's prestige and showing off his seniority in the Zhao Wenhua Hall. Although there was no explicit threat, the words implied that the situation in Xuanfu and Datong could not be stable without him. Feng Bao sneered and said, "Confucius said of the Ji family: 'They have eight rows of dancers in their hall. If this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated!'"

Ge Shouli laughed directly; the Director of Ceremonial was using the big stick of the *Analects* to lecture people again. This thing was invincible within the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

"This means that the Ji family of the State of Lu used the dance formation of sixty-four people, reserved for the Son of Heaven, in their ancestral temple. The Master said: 'The Ji family, being mere ministers, usurped the music of the Son of Heaven. If they dare to do this, what is there that they dare not do!'"

Feng Bao looked at Wang Xilie, a Grand Secretary of the Left Spring Office, and asked, "Grand Secretary Wang, is my interpretation of this sentence correct?"

"Correct. There is another interpretation for this sentence." Wang Xilie really did not want to participate in the infighting between the Zhang Dang and the Jin Party; both were behemoths. Why would he meddle in this? But since Feng Bao asked for an interpretation, Wang Xilie, as a Grand Secretary, had to answer.

"Oh? There is another interpretation? What is it?" Feng Bao asked, knowing the answer.

Wang Xilie said helplessly, "It means that if the Ji family usurped the music of the Son of Heaven as mere ministers, and this can be tolerated, then what else cannot be tolerated?"

"Grand Secretary Wang, I have read few books. If this usurpation of the Son of Heaven's music can be tolerated, does it mean that if the Ji family wanted to usurp the throne of the Son of Heaven, it could also be tolerated?!"

"Therefore, such acts of usurpation cannot be tolerated. Once this precedent is opened, the rites will collapse and music will be ruined." Wang Xilie bit the bullet and explained the words clearly and plainly.

The Ji family usurping the music of the Son of Heaven as mere ministers was something that absolutely could not be tolerated.

Feng Bao suddenly realized and said, "Oh, so that's it. Usurping the music of the Son of Heaven as ministers cannot be tolerated. Grand Guardian Wang, what do you say?"

Rites, music, and military expeditions should originate from the Son of Heaven. Wang Chonggu used the military affairs of Xuanfu and Datong to coerce his master. The ministers could tolerate this, but Feng Bao absolutely could not. Even if this was an established fact, the principle had to be clarified. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. This behavior is wrong, so it is wrong. Although the status quo is difficult to change, black and white absolutely cannot be reversed!

Otherwise, he, as the Director of Ceremonial, might as well quit!

Yang Bo looked at Feng Bao with extra surprise. He now looked at Feng Bao with three parts more respect. Since the assassination attempt, Feng Bao had not spoken much in the court, but every sentence was cited from the classics, and his strikes were quite methodical. He was more like a scholar than a scholar!

Wang Chonggu was silent for a long time, discovering that Feng Bao was much more difficult to deal with than before. Kneeling on the ground, he could only say, "I am ashamed."

The disadvantage of Feng Bao being a palace official appeared: he was only a Director of Ceremonial. Wang Chonggu used the "I have no shame" tactic, and Feng Bao, as a palace official, really had no way to deal with it. He had won the war of words and scolded him to his heart's content, but it was difficult to do anything more.

Feng Bao wanted to do more; he wanted to control more power. With the lessons of eunuchs deposing emperors in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty before him, Feng Bao could not demand more power.

Fortunately, there was Zhang Juzheng in the outer court.

Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I believe the matter of Altan Khan's tribute and trade is not a case of 'willingly fawning upon the barbarians.' I believe this impeachment is untrue. I beg Your Majesty to see clearly."

Zhu Yijun raised his head to look at Zhang Juzheng. They had agreed on "listening to government," but as soon as something happened, he was left to make the decision as a ten-year-old child. Could he ever study properly!

The young Emperor deliberated on his wording for a moment before saying, "I have always heard that Grand Guardian Wang has meritorious service and has devoted his heart to military strategy and border trifles, stopping the beacon fires and smoke at the border. I dare not violate the late Emperor's remaining grace of 'gentleness toward those afar,' nor can I arbitrarily move the court's grand strategy of 'controlling the barbarians.' It is appropriate to order the censors not to discuss it further."

"What does Grand Secretary Yuanfu think?"

Zhang Juzheng bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

"What does Grand Preceptor Yang think?"

"Your Majesty is sagacious." Yang Bo bowed deeply and said.

Zhang Juzheng was unwilling to continue the pursuit for two reasons.

The first reason was that the court was full of Zhang Dang members, and the palace would be restless. Therefore, he could not wipe out the Jin Party completely. When the master is young and the nation is suspicious, Zhang Juzheng being able to do this much was already the limit of his capacity as the Chief Grand Secretary. Zhang Juzheng had already been an extremely qualified Chief Grand Secretary.

The second reason was that military preparedness was slack and the Beijing Camp was rotten. Wang Chonggu could not be moved yet. If he wanted to move Wang Chonggu, the Beijing Camp had to stand up and restore its ability to conduct military expeditions. Otherwise, if the border armies grew too powerful, pursuing Wang Chonggu would be of no help.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace." Wang Chonggu kowtowed again to thank him. The young Emperor's statement could be considered as having dodged a disaster.

"Get up, continue the court discussion." Zhu Yijun waved his small hand, signaling everyone to continue the court discussion. Not seeing blood flow like a river still made Zhu Yijun feel a bit disappointed.

Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang opened his mouth and gave the Jin Party another backstab.

Beijing Camp Viceroy Wang Chonggu and others submitted a memorial requesting funds for border repairs. The repeated wall repairs in Xuanfu and the construction of beacon towers at Ningyuan and other passes in the northern route totaled 23,006 units of grain and 30,993 taels of silver. The Ministry of Revenue calculated the accounts: there were still 20,000 units of rice and 30,000 taels of silver remaining from the previous year, so they were only willing to give 3,006 units and 993 taels.

The Great Ming's account for border repairs was 70% from the Ministry of Revenue and 30% from the Ministry of War, divided by regulation. That is to say, for these 3,006 *shi* of rice and 993 *taels* of silver, the Ministry of Revenue would pay 70% and the Ministry of War would pay 30%.

With so many government offices, there was one more procedure. With just this little bit, there was more rigidity and more buck-passing. Wang Chonggu had to run to two government offices for this bit of rice and silver. This was not intentional harassment, but Wang Guoguang, leading the Ministry of Revenue, could no longer let the Jin Party suck the blood of the imperial court.

To enrich the nation, one must open sources and reduce expenditures. Now that opening sources was undecided, Wang Guoguang was doing a good job on reducing expenditures.

The court discussion ended in noise. The group of ministers paid their respects and left the court, and Zhu Yijun also stopped his brush.

"I am incompetent." Zhang Juzheng wanted to kneel and salute, but the Emperor had said beforehand that kneeling was not required for memorials and responses, so he could only bow his head and say these words.

Not having completely finished the pursuit of Wang Chonggu, Zhang Juzheng considered it a kind of incompetence. But Zhu Yijun did not think so. His expression was strange. Could Zhang Juzheng be considered incompetent?

Who are you trying to belittle!

"I believe Grand Secretary Yuanfu can handle it well." Zhu Yijun clearly knew what kind of person Zhang Juzheng was. Since he had launched an offensive against Wang Chonggu, if he didn't drive Wang Chonggu out this time, he definitely would next time.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for trusting me! I... am deeply grateful." Zhang Juzheng bowed his head again, his fists clenched very, very tightly.

This was the second time he had said he was incompetent. He would never allow a third time. With the Emperor's trust and the support of imperial power, if Zhang Juzheng were to say the words "I am incompetent" again, he would truly be incompetent.

Once, twice, but no third time. The Emperor was like this, and Zhang Juzheng was also like this.

This was already the third time the Jin Party had offended him. The first time was the assassination attempt, trying to pin the blame on General Qi Jiguang Jiguang. The second time was turning Lu Shusheng, the Minister of Rites, into a Jin Party member. The third time was the Li Le affair. Zhang Juzheng would not stop here.

This continuous offensive was just the beginning of completely dismantling the Jin Party. ===== CHAPTER 68 =====