Chapter 713: The World Is an Exquisite Shade of Gray

Zhu Yijun planned to send Hou Yuzhao to Zhejiang to share some pressure for Shen Shixing. This appointment would be made after the war to aid Joseon ended. Liaodong was not suitable for major personnel appointments at this time. As the rear area for Great Ming's entry into Joseon to fight, Liaodong needed extreme stability at this time.

Any destabilizing factors must be eliminated.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhang Juzheng did not blindly reject the Emperor's edict, and in most cases, Zhang Juzheng agreed.

"I heard that the Teacher has recently tightened the conditions for founding miscellaneous newspapers and re-examined the miscellaneous newspapers that have already been created?" Zhu Yijun asked about the first government decree of the Senior Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng after the New Year. The cabinet, together with the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice, conducted a comprehensive examination of various miscellaneous newspapers, closed down eleven miscellaneous newspapers, and almost all miscellaneous newspapers were required to be rectified.

And it was required that the signature of the miscellaneous newspaper could not be a pen name, but must be the real-name signature of the editor of the miscellaneous newspaper. People must be responsible for what they say, even the Great Ming Emperor keeps his promises.

This government decree was regarded as ironclad evidence of Zhang Juzheng blocking the path of speech and blinding the Emperor's hearing. Even though the Great Ming court officials had already confirmed that the Emperor and the Senior Grand Secretary were wearing the same pair of pants, some remonstrating officials still submitted memorials, criticizing Zhang Juzheng's government decree as being somewhat too domineering.

"Your Majesty, the remarks of some miscellaneous newspapers have affected public order and good customs. The control of public opinion is very necessary." Zhang Juzheng said very firmly. He would not change his mind because of the Emperor's inquiry. Necessary public opinion control is conducive to public order and good customs.

Zhang Juzheng is a minister. In his view, these miscellaneous newspapers, one by one, are all rebels, all holding the people to threaten the government, all forcing the palace, and all plotting rebellion. Therefore, he tightened the conditions for founding miscellaneous newspapers, requiring the recommendation of two miscellaneous newspapers qualified to publish, and any problems would be subject to horizontal and vertical joint liability.

Horizontal joint liability means that the two miscellaneous newspaper offices that recommended it will be jointly punished, and vertical joint liability is mainly to investigate and punish all past articles of the three miscellaneous newspapers.

Feudal imperial rule always has its own limitations.

"Your Majesty, this time in Liaodong, Li Chengliang was almost forced to a dead end by a rumor." Zhang Juzheng talked about the danger Li Chengliang encountered. This time, it was the Emperor who anticipated the madness of the lowly scholars, so the lowly scholars didn't succeed, but what about next time? The Emperor cannot anticipate everything.

The trust crisis is a vicious cycle. As long as there is a slight carelessness, it will be a total loss. This time it was Li Chengliang, next time it could be Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang is going to lead the Beijing Camp to enter Joseon to fight, which is a very good breakthrough.

Zhang Juzheng cannot sit idly by. He chose not to forgive.

"Hmm, what the Teacher said is reasonable. Just follow what the Teacher said." Zhu Yijun was silent for a moment, looking at Qi Jiguang's motionless appearance, and agreed with Zhang Juzheng's approach. Between Qi Jiguang and the lowly scholars, Zhu Yijun would rather kill all the lowly scholars.

At this moment, Zhu Yijun also reflected on himself. It was he, the Emperor, who gave too much freedom.

This excess is being corrected by Zhang Juzheng.

When Li Rusong led the Great Ming cavalry battalion to Liaodong, there were seven miscellaneous newspapers in the North Yamen that questioned the Great Ming army's expedition. Just like the hats taken out by Lin Fucheng, everyone stood in their own positions and analyzed the pros and cons.

These pros and cons were analyzed very well, and most of the editors of the miscellaneous newspapers believed that the gains did not outweigh the losses.

This battle, even with the most stingy budget, requires a budget of 7 million silver. If you add grain, manpower, material resources, etc., Great Ming must pay at least 10 million silver for this, and this is still calculated based on a quick victory. If it really takes three to five years to fight, and if it really goes to Japan to exterminate the Japanese, it will be another terrifying expenditure.

These silvers, whether used for opening the sea or reopening the Western Regions, are fruitful.

Some even believe that Oda Nobunaga's conditions can be accepted. As long as Japan only occupies Hancheng and does not continue to attack, and Great Ming occupies Incheon and the Yamatai military port, the situation in Joseon is controllable.

But the extreme conservative faction in the court reached a high consensus on this matter: no matter what, even if it is bitter, we must not let the Japanese pirates land.

Because if the Japanese pirates really land and gain a firm foothold, it will be a permanent heart-and-mind disaster for Great Ming in the northeast direction.

Moreover, Great Ming also has an example, which is the lesson of the Spanish Empire on which the sun never sets. Philip didn't watch it for a while, letting the sea pirates of England land in the Netherlands. Look at Philip's current embarrassment of being constrained on the left and right. Great Ming should absorb the experience and lessons.

Not letting the Japanese pirates land is the basic consensus.

"Your Majesty, your minister does not want the Great Ming of the future to take ugliness as beauty, stupidity as wisdom, shamelessness as etiquette, and depravity as virtue. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust are the minimum moral standards for a person, and they are also the public order and good customs of the Great Ming country. Your minister really does not want Great Ming to become a barbarian like the West. Otherwise, your minister's reform will be a sinner in history." Zhang Juzheng knew very well that the Emperor was willing to let people speak and liked to participate in various gatherings personally.

So Zhang Juzheng hoped to explain clearly that his move was not to show off his status in Great Ming or to have the strength to offend the Emperor.

"I know. When conservative, be more radical; when radical, be more conservative. This way of doing things is contradictory." Zhu Yijun said with a smile. This is not a difference in political views, not a difference in lines. Just explain it clearly.

Zhu Yijun looked at the Yellow Register in his hand. Great Ming's Emperor had lost these two treasures for governing the country for 170 years. Now, they finally returned to the Emperor's hands.

Zhang Juzheng found in practice that the population in the county was rising, and the population in the prefecture was rising, but only the population in the province was not rising, because the Provincial Administration Commission did not need to collect the four-difference silver and was too lazy to manage it. Great Ming officials were all account-balancing immortals, all fooling the Emperor. In fact, this Yellow Register, even if the province updated it all, when it reached the Ministry of Revenue and the cabinet, the ministers were unwilling to update it, and they could continue to fool the Emperor.

Zhang Juzheng used the Yellow Register to exchange for limited gagging of the lowly scholars. This is not holding merit to threaten the government. Even if Zhang Juzheng wanted more, such as killing all the lowly scholars, Zhu Yijun didn't think the request was excessive. Moreover, Zhang Juzheng's words were reasonable and not aimless.

"Your Majesty, the imperial edict of Great Ming depriving the King of Joseon, Li Yan, of his throne has sunk into the sea." Zhang Juzheng frowned and said: "Li Shunchen followed Li Rusong to Liaodong, preparing to enter Joseon to fight, while Li Houbai stayed in the capital. Great Ming sent envoys to Joseon to deliver the edict to Pyongyang, but did not receive any reply. Li Houbai used the New Year as an excuse to prevaricate."

"Your Majesty, we should warn the soldiers entering Joseon to be vigilant against the Joseon royal family and ministers colluding with the Japanese pirates, snakes and rats in the same nest."

In order to keep his throne, this King of Joseon might do anything. Great Ming should maintain sufficient vigilance to prevent being deceived and suffering losses.

It is not that Zhang Juzheng is suspicious and grass-and-wood-like. Zhang Juzheng's military talent and the Emperor's are about the same. They don't have enough understanding of war. Zhang Juzheng feels that if Great Ming doesn't have enough vigilance, this group of vermin in Joseon will sell the Great Ming army's marching route to the Japanese pirates, and the Great Ming soldiers will suffer heavy casualties.

"I have already told Li Rusong, and General Qi must also be careful. If it is not necessary to let Joseon know our actions, it is not necessary to let them know. If it is necessary for them to cooperate, we must also be vigilant." Zhu Yijun said very firmly to Qi Jiguang.

"Your minister obeys the edict." Qi Jiguang bowed and accepted the order.

Zhu Yijun suddenly had a deeper understanding of what Wan Shihe said: "Barbarians are wolf-faced and beast-hearted, fearing power but not cherishing virtue."

"Feng Bao, issue an order to the Ministry of Justice to exile all the lowly scholars arrested by Prince Lu to Luzon." Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao and made a decision.

Zhu Yijun originally intended to release them, but now he changed his mind. He said very firmly: "When the price of a mistake does not need to be borne by oneself, making a mistake has no cost, so this person who made a mistake will keep making mistakes and firmly believe that he is correct, because he has never been punished."

"It's the same for anyone, including the Emperor."

"The war is imminent, and we cannot let the lowly scholars disturb the hearts of the people."

"Your minister obeys the edict." Feng Bao bowed and accepted the order. From Feng Bao's standpoint, killing all these lowly scholars, these lowly scholars would have to kowtow to thank the imperial grace!

Because the Emperor didn't wipe out their nine clans, talking nonsense, pointing at deer and calling them horses, wagging tongues and drumming lips to disturb the hearts of the people, and even daring to point at the imperial carriage—in previous dynasties, they would have been executed long ago.

The Emperor originally intended to release them, but now it is only exile. The Emperor is really too kind!

"Your Majesty, your minister thinks that this entry into Joseon to fight has several key places: Yizhou, Pyongyang, Incheon, Hancheng, and Busan. As long as Yizhou is successfully taken this time, Great Ming will have won half the battle. If we can take Hancheng, the Japanese pirates will only have the fate of being driven into the sea." Qi Jiguang was radiant, his eyes shining, as if he couldn't wait to fly to Joseon immediately.

Nothing else, he could finally kill Japanese pirates again!

When Qi Jiguang explained the situation in Joseon to the Emperor, there was light in his eyes. Zhu Yijun looked at Qi Jiguang in this state and very much doubted whether Li Rusong could beat this 58-year-old old man.

Qi Jiguang, who was already 58 years old, hung his commander's seal and set off again. He had a poem: "Enfeoffment is not my intention, I only hope the sea waves will be calm." These poems of the backbone, half of the success is naturally in the wording, and the other half, these backbones always use their lives to make footnotes for their poems.

Poetry expresses ambition, but words are just words after all. Using life as a footnote is a kind of romance, a very unique romance.

Qi Jiguang's excitement was visible to the naked eye, much more than when he was enfeoffed as the Duke of Fengguo.

When he was enfeoffed as the Duke of Fengguo, Qi Jiguang was naturally happy, but many times it was out of the Emperor's needs and the empire's needs. But now, being able to kill Japanese pirates after being the Duke of Fengguo is even happier!

The Great Ming Emperor fulfilled his promise again. When Qi Jiguang was enfeoffed as a Duke, he actually felt that he had no possibility of leading troops to fight again. High merit shaking the master is also a historical lesson. At that time, the Emperor said to exterminate the Japanese and reopen the Western Regions. Now Qi Jiguang is leading troops to enter Joseon.

In Qi Jiguang's view, taking Yizhou means Great Ming has won half the battle. Taking Pyongyang and Hancheng means the Japanese pirates will definitely lose. This is the judgment of a military strategist. The depth of Joseon and Japan is not deep. Shallow depth is really very easy to fight.

After Qi Jiguang left, Zhu Yijun looked at Qi Jiguang's back and suddenly asked Zhang Juzheng: "Teacher, you say, what is the chance of winning this battle?"

"Uh, your minister thinks that in terms of military talent, all the daimyo of Japan, including Oda Nobunaga, are not Li Rusong's opponents, and Li Rusong is slightly inferior to General Qi, mainly because sometimes Li Rusong cannot control his temper and is prone to making some dangerous and radical decisions." Zhang Juzheng made a very objective evaluation. Li Rusong is very strong, but as long as he cannot restrain his impulsive personality for one day, he will eventually have a gap with Qi Jiguang, and he is still some distance away from being the pillar of the country.

"I hope Li Rusong can make Me look at him with new eyes on the Joseon battlefield this time." Zhu Yijun said with a smile.

The Great Ming Emperor issued an imperial edict to exile the lowly scholars arrested by Prince Lu. For the editors of the miscellaneous newspapers, this result was like the sky falling. Even the Emperor, who had always supported limited freedom, had successively exiled Lin Fucheng and a group of opinionated people. This trend was already very obvious.

"Li Yashi, are you Westerners all so fond of breaking promises and not talking about morality?" Shah Mamaiti, the special envoy of the Mughal Empire, arrived at the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial, found Li Yashi who was on duty, sat down, and was a burst of sarcasm.

"Don't slander people's innocence for no reason!" Li Yashi said in a panic: "I was ordered by the monarch to go to the West. I am a Westerner, and I didn't stay in the West and not come back! How can I be ungrateful?"

"Look at this." Shah Mamaiti took out a miscellaneous newspaper, put it on the table, and said with amazement: "Is this the low-moral advantage you have always advocated?"

This miscellaneous newspaper came from Songjiang Prefecture and was called "Overseas Idle Talk," which specialized in recording various magical things heard from sailors, and it could be eaten with overseas barbarian country books to fully understand exotic customs.

Li Yashi opened the miscellaneous newspaper and looked at it for a long time, frowning and saying: "This, fabricated, right? Great Ming has the grace of rebirth to Portugal. How could Antonio do this?"

"This miscellaneous newspaper, 'Overseas Idle Talk,' has been reviewed by the Senior Grand Secretary and passed the test! This is a miscellaneous newspaper recognized by the imperial court. All the content published is the result of verification from multiple parties. For example, in this article, the editor of 'Overseas Idle Talk' obtained confirmation from the Great Ming Barbarian Regional Military Commissioner Liu Ji, so it is not fabricated." Shah Mamaiti pursed his lips and sneered.

The miscellaneous newspaper recorded one thing: Great Ming ocean-going merchant sailors would stay in Lisbon for fifteen days after getting off the ship, and these sailors who got off the ship became a way for some petty people in Lisbon to make a fortune, cheating and defrauding money through various means. Later, these sailors began to become cautious.

Later, the Ming people in Lisbon were cursed at as "Uradong," which means "miser," and it carried the unique trill of the Portuguese language. Because the first of the eight virtues of the Great Bright Sect was thrift, this "Uradong" took on another layer of meaning, referring in certain contexts to the Emperor of Ming.

Liu Ji, as the captain of the Great Ming ocean-going merchant fleet, had to attend some social wine parties when he arrived in Lisbon. Once, when Liu Ji attended a wine party, he heard this word and asked Antonio. Antonio explained it simply and didn't explain it very clearly.

Liu Ji instinctively felt something was wrong, so he sent sailors to inquire everywhere, and then he understood the specific meaning of this word. Liu Ji was extremely angry, because without Great Ming, Portugal would not be the Portugal of the Portuguese, but the Portugal of Philip. Without Great Ming, could Antonio sit firmly as this king?

And Antonio, knowing the ambiguity of this word, did not make any restrictions, but let it spread widely.

In fact, Antonio once talked about this problem with his first mate, Marcus. He felt it didn't matter, because Great Ming had very typical discriminatory remarks like "Red-haired Barbarian," and even the Emperor would say it. Antonio felt that restrictions were useless and would spread more widely.

Public opinion is like this, in bursts, and after this burst, no one will mention it.

Liu Ji made serious representations to the Portuguese Minister of State Xu Fan, demanding that Portugal completely ban this discriminatory term for Great Ming.

After Xu Fan discussed with the King, he could only ban this word from appearing in official documents, and there was no better way.

This is why Shah Mamaiti said that Westerners have a low-moral advantage. Although Antonio paid money, when Antonio was most embarrassed, it was Great Ming that provided war loans. This is a real kindness, but Antonio did not repay the kindness.

"How can this be? Alas." Li Yashi also spread his hands helplessly and said: "Maybe it's powerless. Look, even Xu Fan is helpless."

This problem seems ordinary, but over time, this kind of discrimination will turn into hatred. Great Ming and Portugal are far apart, and drifting away seems to have become inevitable. If they could go on, there would be no such thing as Philip inheriting the King of Portugal.

"This matter, it's solved." Shah Mamaiti said with a smile: "My monarch, Akbar, brought news from afar. The Great Bright Religion has taken action. It is truly terrifying. Now only Great Ming can say the word 'Uradong.' Even the ports of the Mughal Empire have banned this discussion."

A wonder of the world, only Great Ming can say it.

The Great Bright Religion believes that the word "Uradong" insults the Prophet and misinterprets the doctrine. The saints of the Great Bright Religion issued a religious decree to conduct physical judgment on anyone who dares to insult the Prophet.

Now in Lisbon, no one dares to say this anymore. Not only in Lisbon, but wherever there is the Great Bright Religion, any questioning of the Prophet is not allowed. Even some ports in the Mughal Empire, to avoid trouble, have banned this discussion.

Sometimes, religion is unreasonable.

The structure of the Great Bright Religion is divided into secular and religious sects. The secular and religious sects are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other. The secular part includes the leader Xu Fan, the left and right Bright Protectors, and any envoy sent by the Prophet can automatically obtain the status of left and right protector, as well as the five-element battalion of the protection army, etc. The religious sect is composed of saints and the Bright Priests and sages of the House of Sages.

The saints were the twenty fanatical worshippers who first entered the capital to meet the Emperor, first stepped on the holy land, and first met the Prophet himself. And the Great Saint was their leader, Mary-Anne de Montmorency, because she mastered the doctrine most thoroughly and fully and was the most fanatical, so she was confirmed as the Great Saint.

"Is the Great Bright Religion developing so rapidly? Does it already have such influence?" Li Yashi said in a daze. In his view, the problem that was fundamentally unsolvable was solved so lightly, and even became a taboo existence.

Shah Mamaiti shook his head with lingering fear and said: "There is a proverb in the West: 'The darker the Roman Curia, the faster the Great Bright Religion develops; the more blood debts the Inquisition has, the more believers the Great Bright Religion has.'"

"The essence and core of this Great Bright Religion still benefit from the prosperity of the Great Voyage trade. The opening of the sea led by Great Ming determines that the speed of the spread of the Great Bright Religion is so amazing. After all, Great Ming is the largest producer and consumer in the world today."

The spread of the Great Bright Religion follows the sea route, spreading to every corner of the world with merchant ships. The more prosperous the maritime trade, the faster the spread. In the process of rapid spread, some factions were derived, but the faction led by the Great Saint Mary-Anne had the most supporters. After all, they had the advantage of meeting the Emperor.

"After staying in Great Ming for a long time, you will think that religion is just burning incense and worshipping Buddha. But in some barbaric lands and some tribes, burning incense and worshipping Buddha is also a kind of progress." Shah Mamaiti spread his hands and said: "Anyway, I have seen through the fact that you Westerners are ungrateful. Great Ming helped Antonio so much, but the result was this."

This matter will definitely aggravate the stereotypical impression of the Great Ming Emperor and ministers on the barbarians. Those who spread the word "Uradong" intentionally or unintentionally may just be following the trend and thinking it is fashionable and popular, but now, the Great Bright Religion has corrected the incorrect values.

The world has never been black and white, but an exquisite shade of gray. It has never been either a friend or an enemy. The enemy's enemy may also be an enemy.

"In fact, after staying in Great Ming for a long time, some things are taken for granted in Great Ming, such as anti-corruption and catching greed. I can hardly imagine the result of anti-corruption in the Mughal Empire. Can you anti-corruption in your West?" Shah Mamaiti talked about what he saw and heard in Great Ming.

"No." Li Yashi was stunned for a moment. He had been in Great Ming for a long time and felt that Hai Rui should anti-corruption and catch greed. If he didn't catch it, it wouldn't work. This divine sword was used like this because the Emperor knew how to use people. But when Shah Mamaiti mentioned it, Li Yashi realized that anti-corruption and catching greed were not the consensus of the world, but the consensus of Great Ming.

Taken for granted means a broad consensus. Even the officials who were caught didn't feel they were right, they just couldn't help but reach out. This broad consensus and the process of formation are very worthy of exploration.

Li Yashi frowned and said: "Law is the bottom line, morality is the criterion, and the foundation of law is morality. Without corresponding morality, there is no corresponding law, and the root of morality is culture."

"Anti-corruption and religious harmlessness are unique products of the advanced stage of social moral development. This is the advantage of high morality."

Li Yashi likes to say that Great Ming has a competitive disadvantage in opening the sea, and its morality is too high to win in competition. But now he understands that the two sides and contradictions of high morality are very obvious, that is, maintaining internal stability.

"There is also integrity and loyalty." Shah Mamaiti stood up and said with a smile: "My Highness Akbar has sent his sons to Great Ming to study. I came to the Ministry of Rites today to handle this matter. I don't ask Akbar's children to learn any real skills. They just need to live here. In their growth, those things that are taken for granted are enough for our Mughal Empire to use."

"Are you not afraid that Great Ming will take down Toungoo and continue to attack the Mughal Empire?"

Shah Mamaiti shook his head repeatedly and said: "Great Ming has never had such a big appetite. If Toungoo doesn't make a fool of itself, Great Ming is too lazy to care about that idiot Mang Yingli. You know, the Wood-Bang Prefecture, Great Ming's civil and military officials don't want it, because if they want it, they have to bear the responsibility of royal transformation, so they have been shirking."

Shah Mamaiti was not worried about this at all. He knew very well that the Mughal Empire was a cesspool, a cesspool that even Akbar often scolded. As long as it was rotten enough, Great Ming would not be interested. At most, it would be to ask the Mughal Empire to pay tribute. Isn't the current cotton trade tribute?

Shah Mamaiti shook his head and left the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial. The matter of the Mughal Empire's princes coming to Great Ming to study had been submitted to the cabinet.

When Zhu Yijun received the memorial, he was also stunned for a moment before saying to Feng Bao: "No, Akbar's meaning is that in the future, their royal family will be handed over to Great Ming for cultivation?"

It's not that Akbar's children are coming to Great Ming. This is a long-term commission agreement. In exchange for Great Ming's cultivation of the Mughal royal family with more cotton supply and reduced cotton supply prices, it is long-term. As long as Great Ming continues to exist, they will always be sent.

"Yes, Akbar believes that the long national fortune of the Central Plains dynasties throughout history is because of good education." Feng Bao nodded solemnly.

"In fact, there are many muddled monarchs in Central Plains history, most of them are mediocre. Akbar is probably going to be disappointed." Zhu Yijun still approved this memorial. Akbar promised in the state letter that he could give up 3% to supply cotton. This concession is directly reflected in the price of cotton, but Akbar's expectation is probably going to fall through.

Great Ming's education does not have the power to turn decay into magic.

"Your Majesty, this mediocrity is already considered a wise monarch there." Feng Bao frowned and said: "The reason that prompted Akbar to send his princes to Great Ming to study is that he heard a story."

"Three hundred and fifty years ago, the Song and Mongol armies surrounded Cai Zhou, and the last monarch of the Jin Dynasty, Emperor Aizong of Jin, was exhausted in Cai Zhou. Knowing that the day of the country's demise was near, Emperor Aizong of Jin issued an edict to abdicate to the clan member Wanyan Chenglin, and then hanged himself in Youlan Pavilion. And the clan member Wanyan Chenglin also led troops to fight bloody battles and died in the military formation."

"If it is destined to end, dying standing up is not a perfect ending."

Feng Bao quoted a sentence from the state letter of Akbar. This is Great Ming's translation. The situation in the Mughal Empire is actually not stable. Akbar is almost equivalent to the founding monarch of the Mughal Empire. As a monarch, he hopes for a long national fortune. As a father, he just hopes that his sons will become brave people. ===== CHAPTER 714 =====