Chapter 80

I truly don't attend to my proper duties, main text volume, Chapter 80: Greedy for the merit of heaven, different generations share the same indignation. Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at the Minister of Rites below the platform. Wan Wan Shihe and Lu Lu Shusheng were the same kind of people. Such a Minister of Rites was truly like mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall. They couldn't always be chased and scolded by eunuchs, could they?

Being chased and scolded by eunuchs was truly losing all the face of a scholar.

"If you don't understand, you can ask the Grand Secretary. The Grand Secretary is the chief editor of the 'Veritable Records of the Emperor Shizong.' If you don't understand, you can ask, instead of wagging your tongue and talking nonsense here." Zhu Zhu Yijun tapped the table and made the final summary.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng said helplessly, "Minister Wan, there is indeed such an ancestral law. If you don't believe it and feel that I am colluding with the eunuch to deceive you, then ask the scholars Wang Wang Xijue, Wang Wang Jiaping, Fan Fan Yingqi, and others; they are also responsible for the compilation."

Wang Wang Xijue nodded, revealing an expression of being unable to help, confirming that there was indeed such an ancestral law, and also affirming that Feng Bao knew more about the rituals and laws than Wan Wan Shihe, this Minister of Rites, and read more books.

Wan Wan Shihe knelt down again helplessly, full of shame, and said, "I am not skilled in my studies and have made a fool of myself. I am guilty and beg to retire and return to my hometown to live in leisure."

Zhu Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "You just became Minister of Rites yesterday, and today you want to retire and return to your hometown? If this gets out, wouldn't it make me look cold and ungrateful, and the court's use of people look like child's play? You are not ashamed enough of yourself, and you have to drag me and the court down to be ashamed with you?"

Wan Wan Shihe knelt on the ground, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

The ten-year-old sovereign—how could he say such cold words with such a sunny appearance!

Feng Bao discovered that the young Emperor's mouth was truly formidable! It was truly the kind that would kill you without you even knowing it. In terms of angering people, Feng Bao still needed to learn a lot from His Majesty the Emperor.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng knew that His Majesty the Emperor had always been quick-witted and scolded people by poking their lungs. He never expected that when he really scolded someone, he could be so sharp-tongued.

Zhu Zhu Yijun stretched out his small hand and said impatiently, "Alright, stop kneeling. Study hard in the future and read more books. Penalty of half a year's salary as a warning. Proceed with the court conference; it's a waste of time."

Wasting the time of the Great Ming Emperor to read books, wasting the time of the Great Ming court ministers for the court conference—the young Emperor was sharp-tongued and gave Wan Wan Shihe another fierce blow, scolding him until he was covered in blood.

This was considered another pursuit. Wan Wan Shihe had no way out. If he sought death, it would be even more shameful.

After Wan Wan Shihe sat down, looking gray-faced, Zhang Zhang Juzheng opened his mouth and said, "The ancient sage kings all took encouraging agriculture as their primary task. Last year, Luo Luo Gongchen offered auspicious omens before the throne. His Majesty took the ancient kings as his teacher, prioritizing agriculture as the foundation, which is the great outline of the country. 'Those who seek the length of a tree must secure its roots; those who seek the distance of a stream must dredge its source.'"

The ancient sage kings and the former kings were all sage kings who followed the laws of the Three Dynasties.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng continued, "His Majesty has personally engaged in farming and sericulture at the Baoqi Palace. Half a year has passed since then. Three days ago, the harvest was completed. He obtained the methods for seed transmission, seasonal timing, soil suitability, cultivation, planting, vine pruning and topping, harvesting, and consumption. This is a pioneering endeavor, the first of its kind in miscellaneous planting, and the first meaning of saving from famine."

"'His Majesty leads the world to abundance in clothing and food, ending famine and moving toward supreme governance. This is a great fortune for the country. Transmit the decree to the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion: 'Hearing of products from other places that can benefit the people, I have often wanted to obtain and cultivate them, but I have never known the methods or heard of them, which I find regrettable. Therefore, I hereby issue a decree to establish the Baoqi Office, under the Ministry of Revenue, located on Qionghua Island in the Western Garden.'"

"'Xu Xu Zhenming is modest and does not compete with others. He assisted in planting sweet potatoes to plan for years of famine when the people lack food. I recommend him as the Director of the Baoqi Office, to select scholars who are knowledgeable in agriculture, pay attention to practical affairs, investigate the water and soil of the world, and promote it so that all the common people of the world know the benefits of planting potatoes and plant more.'"

Zhang Zhang Juzheng defined the establishment of the Baoqi Office as an imperial edict, attributing this merit and good name to His Majesty. Of course, Xu Xu Zhenming, who was specifically responsible for doing the work, was not left out. Zhang Zhang Juzheng recommended him as the first Director of the Baoqi Office.

This was a pioneering minister. If the benefits of sweet potatoes were known to all the world in the future, Xu Xu Zhenming's official career might not necessarily be smooth, but he would definitely have living shrines in the folk to commemorate him.

Xu Xu Zhenming did not understand the memorial he wrote under the instruction of His Majesty the Emperor. He thought that since the Emperor let him write it, he could write it. But Xu Xu Zhenming was greedy for the merit of heaven. Zhang Zhang Juzheng took that memorial and modified it slightly so that Xu Xu Zhenming would not suffer a loss of reputation and could continue to do things.

And Ge Ge Shouli's support for the young Emperor's refusal to allow Zhang Zhang Siwei to return to court was very much in line with the principle of respecting the Emperor's authority—that was the Emperor's will!

"Does Minister Wan have any objections?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked.

Zhu Zhu Yijun intended to compromise in the palace, establishing a Baoqi Office both inside and outside, but Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not want to compromise. He only established one Baoqi Office in the Western Garden, so that all merit and good names would belong to His Majesty.

The young Emperor needed prestige and strength to personally govern, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng also hoped that the young Emperor could let the policies continue even after he was gone.

"I have no objections." Wan Wan Shihe finally understood where he had offended the Grand Secretary. It turned out to be the selection of the Baoqi Office's site.

The memorial in Zhang Zhang Juzheng's hand was written by himself. He had originally prepared to use the matter of the three thousand two hundred castrated men to warn Wan Wan Shihe not to talk nonsense if he didn't understand, and he had also prepared a discussion on the great righteousness of the sovereign and minister, using Wan Wan Shihe's lack of submissiveness as an entry point to refute Wan Wan Shihe's words about the Western Garden's site selection. As a result, he hadn't even attacked yet, and His Majesty had already scolded Wan Wan Shihe.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Wan Wan Shihe directly gave in.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng tapped the table, looked at Wan Wan Shihe, and admonished, "The righteousness between sovereign and minister is the priority of the teachings of names. This is the great constant of the filial piety of the young and the old, the noble and the lowly. Officials should clarify the great integrity of the time and establish a clean wind for those who come after. Being greedy for the merit of heaven is a disaster for the people, a poison for the country, which gods and men hate, and different generations share the same indignation."

"What does Minister Wan think?"

Wan Wan Shihe hurriedly said, "What the Grand Secretary says is reasonable."

The issue of the Baoqi Office's site selection was, in essence, Wan Wan Shihe wanting to be greedy for the merit of heaven.

Ge Ge Shouli asked suspiciously, "Xu Xu Zhenming is an external official, how can he reside in the Baoqi Office to take up his post?"

Zhang Zhang Juzheng said with a smile, "This is the common practice of the Western Garden. At that time, Yan Song and Xu Xu Jie were in power, and they worked in the Chengguang Palace outside the Taiye Bridge, just as the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion is inside the Forbidden City. The Grand Secretaries, Junior Grand Secretaries, and Cabinet Ministers all gathered in the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion to handle affairs."

"'The founding Emperor Taizu established the palace in the Southern Capital, and built the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion to the east of the Fengtian Gate, storing all ancient and modern books. Several Grand Secretaries were appointed, and all the officials of the Hanlin Academy gathered there.'"

"'The Emperor Emperor Chengzu founded the capital in Beijing, opened the pavilion to the south of the eastern corridor, built several rooms, high, bright, clear, strict, and deep, and still named it Zhang Wenyuan.'"

"'The Cabinet Ministers handle government affairs within the corner of the palace city, following the old system. This is the ancestral law.'"

"In this way, I have no doubts." Ge Ge Shouli nodded, finally understanding why this Baoqi Office could be in the Western Garden.

The Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion was inside the Left Shun Gate, directly opposite the Zhao Wenhua Hall, less than fifty steps from the Inner Golden Water River, inside the Forbidden City. The Baoqi Office was just in the garden, which was not considered a violation of ancestral laws.

The noisy Baoqi Office finally came to an end.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng took out another memorial and said, "The Viceroy of Xuan-Da, Wang Wang Chonggu, has already returned to Xuanfu and is responsible for disposing of the vacancies in the inspection. Today, the Regional Commander of the Beijing Camp, following the old system, is led by the Tan Sima concurrently holding the title of Wang Shaobao of the Heir Apparent."

Tan Lun entered as Wang Shaobao of the Heir Apparent, which was considered officially becoming the Great Tan Sima. This matter was something everyone had expected long ago, and no one questioned it.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng had written the floating vote, but did not present it to the throne, but took out another blood-stained memorial and said, "The Duke of Cheng is seriously ill and has been for three days, and medicine cannot cure him. The Duke of Cheng submitted a memorial saying that the Regional Commander of the Beijing Camp should be appointed, recommending Qi Qi Jiguang for the position of Regional Commander of the Beijing Camp."

"Ma Fang and Yang Wen as Assistant Regional Commander Commanders, Ma Gui and Wu Wu Weizhong as Assistant Commanders, Chen Chen Dacheng, Wang Wang Rulong, Tong Tong Ziming, and others as General Commanders of Jizhou, Yongping, Jia Shanhai, and other places."

Ge Ge Shouli immediately shook his head and said, "The Regional Commander and Viceroy of the Beijing Camp are both of the Zhe faction. I think this is inappropriate. The Tan Sima once used the excuse that Wang Wang Chonggu's list of military talents were all of the Jin faction and firmly refused to approve it. Now that it is the Zhe faction's turn, how can it be so sloppy? How can one allow others to sleep soundly on the side of one's bed?"

"What the Chief Censor Ge says is reasonable." Hai Rui, as the Right Censor-in-Chief, agreed with Ge Ge Shouli's opinion.

Tan Lun was an extremely broad-minded person. He smiled and said, "What the two of you say is very true. Then I won't do this Wang Shaobao of the Heir Apparent and Viceroy of Military Affairs, so as to avoid the censors chattering endlessly."

Tan Lun knew Qi Qi Jiguang's talent very well. Training troops was him, and leading troops to fight was also him. Tan Lun didn't want to go and be disliked.

This memorial from the Duke of Cheng recommending Qi Qi Jiguang to return to the capital actually squeezed out Tan Lun's position as Wang Shaobao of the Heir Apparent and Viceroy of Military Affairs of the Beijing Camp, but Tan Lun didn't care at all.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was also in a bit of a dilemma. The Zhe faction had just been established, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng also intended to cultivate the Zhe faction, but this leader of the Zhe faction didn't even fight for it and directly gave up the position.

Fight for it a little!

Even if it was just for show, taking such an attitude of "being indifferent to fame and wealth, and being quiet to reach far"—didn't this make Zhang Zhang Siwei, Wang Wang Chonggu, and the others look even uglier?

In the conflicts with the Tatars and Japanese pirates, a group of loyal ministers and good generals represented by Tan Lun, Qi Qi Jiguang, and Wang Wang Guoguang gradually emerged. This was the greatest confidence Zhang Zhang Juzheng had in pushing forward the new policies.

"Then let's temporarily not establish the Viceroy of Military Affairs of the Beijing Camp. The Beijing Camp's military equipment is not for fighting. Qi Qi Jiguang's return to the capital is also for training troops. Let the position be vacant for now." Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at Tan Lun and asked for the Ministry of War's opinion.

Tan Lun did not fight or grab, but Zhang Zhang Juzheng kept the position for now.

Tan Lun thought for a moment and said, "That would be very good, very good. The Grand Secretary has said many times that one should slightly borrow power to allow for unfolding. Since there is no war for now, it is appropriate to make temporary assignments when war comes."

The Minister of Rites, Wan Wan Shihe, finally reacted and was greatly shocked, saying, "This Viceroy of Military Affairs of the Beijing Camp—wouldn't it become a temporary assignment? With arrogant soldiers and fierce generals, how can they be restrained?"

Wang Wang Xijue looked at Wan Wan Shihe, this Minister of Rites, and finally said impatiently, "In the 29th year of Emperor Jiajing, the Emperor issued a decree to abolish the Group Camp and the two official offices, restored the old system of the three great camps of the Yongle era, changed the Three Thousand Camp to the Divine Pivot Camp, abolished all the names of the three camps and the various eunuchs, and used one great general to command, called the 'Commissioner of Beijing Camp Military Affairs'; and used one civil official to assist, called the 'Assistant of Beijing Camp Military Affairs.'"

Empress Dowager Chen smiled and said, "The Earl of Qian'an is a subordinate of the Minister, but Wang Wang Chonggu is the hub of the clan party. If Wang Wang Chonggu can be used, the Earl of Qian'an can naturally be used."

In Empress Dowager Chen's view, Empress Dowager Li had been frightened by the "Five Matters Memorial" brought out by Gao Gong, losing trust in everyone, worrying about gains and losses, and becoming confused due to concern.

Regardless of Qi Qi Jiguang and Zhang Zhang Juzheng's loyalty, if one were to talk about hearts, one couldn't exactly cut open Qi Qi Jiguang and Zhang Zhang Juzheng's hearts to take a look.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's "Single Whip Law" was met with curses, and the bureaucrats wished they could eat Zhang Zhang Juzheng alive. Qi Qi Jiguang was even cursed as a "wart." No matter how one looked at it, they didn't possess the prerequisites to usurp the throne.

"Ma Fang and Yang Wen will serve as Deputy Regional Commanders, while Ma Gui and Wu Wu Weizhong will serve as Assistant Regional Commanders of the Divine Engine Division. This is the Minister's opinion." Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "What does Mother think?"

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The Minister is a great talent and possesses a sense of submissiveness. If all the Chief Ministers of our Great Ming were ministers like Zhang Zhang Juzheng, then whether I live in the Qianqing Palace or not would be of no consequence."

"Mother, you are being greedy. Great talents like the Minister are very hard to find." Zhu Zhu Yijun only smiled upon hearing this. Empress Dowager Li was too greedy; ministers like Zhang Zhang Juzheng were rare in the entire history of the Central Plains dynasties.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng had proven his sense of submissiveness time and time again. He only wanted his aspirations to be realized. Zhang Zhang Juzheng had only one political successor, and that was the young Emperor.

"Your son is going back to read." Seeing that the two Empress Dowagers did not punish him for returning home right on time, Zhu Zhu Yijun hugged his agricultural books and continued to gnaw away at them.

The Baoqi Office had only completed the planting. How to divide the planting areas across the country, what kind of good seeds should be used in different places, how to solve the problem of declining yields over generations, how to promote the planting of sweet potatoes, and how to increase sweet potato production—all required further practice and would be the key work of the Baoqi Office later on.

The young Emperor loved agricultural books very much and would hug them to read whenever he had free time, annotating and translating without stopping for a single day.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's guess was very, very accurate. Zhang Zhang Siwei really did seek help at the All-Chu Guild Hall. He brought many things and a lot of silver, arriving before the gate of the All-Chu Guild Hall to request Zhang Zhang Juzheng's help, especially regarding the matter of returning to court—what exactly did he have to do to return?

Wang Wang Chonggu was no longer in the Hall of Literary Brilliance, and Zhang Zhang Siwei had absolutely no idea what he had to do to return to court.

This was an information gap.

It wasn't that Ge Ge Shouli wouldn't tell Zhang Zhang Siwei; he really didn't know. The ten-year-old master had directly found a reason that was very difficult to argue against. Aesthetics were a matter of personal opinion. The Emperor said you were ugly and blocked the floating ticket of the Chief Minister. He didn't say it was impossible, and he did give a response, but he just didn't tell everyone what Zhang Zhang Siwei had to do to return to court.

Zhu Zhu Yijun had clearly told Zhang Zhang Juzheng that Wang Wang Chonggu had to plug the hole in the Great Wall construction.

You Qi accepted the silver, took the gifts, and invited Zhang Zhang Siwei into the All-Chu Guild Hall and into the Zhao Wenchang Pavilion.

After the two exchanged some nonsense about the bright sunshine that night, Zhang Zhang Siwei cut to the chase and said quite anxiously, "Minister, why has the memorial requesting my return to court been left pending?"

Zhang Zhang Juzheng held a cup of plain water, took a sip, and asked without even raising his eyes, "What do you mean? The resolution passed in the court debate was to let Li Le take people to inspect the Great Wall construction. You sent people to coerce and bribe, and now you ask me what the court means?"

The resolution had already been passed in the court debate. If they wanted to oppose it, they should have opposed it in the Hall of Literary Brilliance. Since they didn't dare to make a sound in the Hall of Literary Brilliance and played such dirty tricks, Zhang Zhang Juzheng naturally had to ask Zhang Zhang Siwei what exactly he meant.

This was the capital, under the feet of the Son of Heaven, the most virtuous place in the world!

Put away that arrogance of throwing one's weight around in Xuan-Da. If others saw the political infighting of the Great Ming being so base, it would simply be a joke!

For the Great Ming's public officials to live like this—Zhang Zhang Siwei didn't feel ashamed, but Zhang Zhang Juzheng felt embarrassed. Political infighting was political infighting, but engaging in such ghostly tricks was truly shameful and lost the face of scholars.

"Altan Khan is insatiable, and we had no choice, did we? We could only divert the money for the Great Wall construction for other uses to pacify the troops and settle the people, which is why the Great Wall construction ended up in this state." Zhang Zhang Siwei said seemingly helplessly, "Sigh, the Minister also knows that the Tatars are fierce. It was not easy to finally have some peace, and we didn't want to create more trouble."

Altan Khan was a frame; anything could be stuffed into it. All charges, as long as they involved Altan Khan, became logical.

This was the typical "raising bandits to maintain one's own importance," holding onto the matter of Altan Khan's tribute to make the court afraid to act.

"You said it yourself: the key to the Great Wall construction lies here. Your uncle is lingering in the Hall of Literary Brilliance and refuses to leave, so don't blame me for not fulfilling my advice." Zhang Zhang Juzheng said this while looking at Zhang Zhang Siwei with cold eyes.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was attracting fire, or rather, he was gathering all of Zhang Zhang Siwei's hatred onto himself.

He started by asking about the Li Le incident, not because he was really investigating the past, but to use the Li Le incident as a lead to take the blame for why Zhang Zhang Siwei couldn't return to court upon himself.

This was very reasonable. What exactly was written on the floating ticket of the Great Ming's Chief Minister Zhang Zhang Juzheng was known only to Zhang Zhang Juzheng and the young Emperor. The ten-year-old master saying such harsh words sounded more like something Zhang Zhang Juzheng had written on the floating ticket, with the goal of using Zhang Zhang Siwei's return to court to force Wang Wang Chonggu to fill the hole.

Everything became reasonable.

The person who chased Zhang Zhang Siwei out of the court and impeached Wang Wang Chonggu was Zhang Chucheng of the Chu Party; the one who launched the ministers in the Hall of Literary Brilliance to drive out Wang Wang Chonggu was Zhang Zhang Juzheng; the one who wrote on the floating ticket that Zhang Zhang Siwei was ugly and unsuitable to return to court was Zhang Zhang Juzheng. Everything was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's fault, and the young Emperor had been deceived by Zhang Zhang Juzheng!

All this humiliation was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's doing!

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was indeed a suitable frame; anything could be stuffed into it.

The ten-year-old master was truly too young. Even with Zhang Zhang Juzheng in the outer court, Feng Bao in the inner court, and Empress Dowager Li in the Qianqing Palace, they still couldn't protect the Emperor's safety, and the Wang Wang Jinglong assassination attempt still occurred. Zhang Zhang Juzheng took all the blame upon himself, just like in the Dissection Institute.

Taking on more infamy was not a bad thing for a powerful minister like Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

"So, as long as the hole in the Great Wall construction is plugged, will that be enough?" Zhang Zhang Siwei's hatred was like the surging water of a great river, but he still had to maintain a superficial smile and submissiveness.

Wang Wang Chonggu had already left the capital, and the Shanxi Party leader Ge Ge Shouli and Zhang Zhang Siwei were competitors. Zhang Zhang Siwei had fallen into a disadvantage in the party infighting, and if Zhang Zhang Siwei didn't beg Zhang Zhang Juzheng, who else could he beg? No matter how much he hated him, he still had to smile and find a way to return to court first.

"Shouldn't it be? The grain and pay provided by the court were for specific purposes, and the silver given to Altan Khan was horse-price silver. If Altan Khan wanted more, Wang Wang Chonggu could have memorialized the court to see the court's resolution. But diverting the silver for other uses led to the decay of the Great Wall construction. You say you gave it to Altan Khan? The day for Altan Khan's tribute is approaching. Shall we summon Altan Khan's envoys to the capital and reconcile the accounts?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at Zhang Zhang Siwei's unwillingness and asked with his hands spread.

One is one, and two is two. By speaking with facts, Zhang Zhang Juzheng was invincible. No matter how much sophistry one used, once the accounts were reconciled, no one could escape.

Altan Khan was an old opponent of many years. Altan Khan's demand for silver wasn't very high; he mainly wanted salt, iron, and cloth. The tribute market objectively played a role in mutual supplementation, but where did the furs, sheep, cattle, and horses sold by Altan Khan in the tribute market go?

The court gave a large amount of horse-price silver every year, yet didn't get a single horse.

Summon Altan Khan's envoys to the capital and let everyone sit down and reconcile the accounts together. Especially after the thirty-second year of Emperor Jiajing, the deaths of some Regional Commanders and Assistant Regional Commanders in the border regions were particularly suspicious.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was threatening Zhang Zhang Siwei. If he refused to plug the hole and continued to play ghostly tricks, the Chief Minister of the Great Ming had plenty of ways to deal with the Shanxi Party.

"The Minister is right to scold me. I should indeed plug this hole. Thank you, Minister, for your instruction. I know what to do." Even if Zhang Zhang Siwei was ten thousand times unwilling, he could only agree. If he really learned from Shi Jingtang and worshipped a Hu barbarian from beyond the Great Wall as his foster father, raising the banner of rebellion, Qi Qi Jiguang's one hundred thousand border troops would immediately be able to pounce on Xuanfu and Datong.

Zhang Zhang Siwei didn't think he could win, nor did he think the border troops of Xuan-Da would be determined to go against the court with his uncle and nephew.

"By the way, Tan Lun's All-Zhejiang Guild Hall opened today. Are you going?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng's words were like a fierce slap, pulling Zhang Zhang Siwei to the left and then to the right, causing Zhang Zhang Siwei to lose all face.

This slap on the left was because the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall had opened, and Zhang Zhang Siwei had no official position, so he couldn't go. When the new leader of the All-Shanxi Guild Hall, Ge Ge Shouli, hosted a banquet, Zhang Zhang Siwei couldn't go either. The political activities in the capital had absolutely nothing to do with Zhang Zhang Siwei, who had no official position.

Even Ma Fang could go to the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall because Tan Lun, as the Tan Sima, had spoken up for Ma Fang, using his merit in the bribery case to absolve Ma Fang, allowing him to escape unscathed. Although he lost the position of Regional Commander of Datong, he would soon return to the capital.

As a benefactor, Ma Fang naturally had to go to Tan Lun's guild hall to thank him and kowtow.

But Zhang Zhang Siwei couldn't go; Zhang Zhang Siwei had no official position.

This slap on the right was even heavier, pulling the Shanxi Party away from its original role. The Zhejiang Party was condensing, and the rising power that could balance the Zhang Party meant that once the Zhejiang Party's power took root, the Shanxi Party would lose all its utility.

A person cannot be useless; if they have no use at all, they will eventually be eliminated.

"Thank you, Minister, for your guidance. I know the weight of things now. The hour is late, so I won't delay the Minister from heading to the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall." Zhang Zhang Siwei was slapped twice more. His hatred was surging, but he couldn't do anything, and still had to thank him.

"See the guest out." Zhang Zhang Juzheng didn't stand up, just letting the gatekeeper come over to lead Zhang Zhang Siwei out.

You Qi said with a strange expression, "Sir, did you let this thing come to the door just to take the blame for the 'ugly' insult upon yourself?"

"Partly. Mainly to scold him." Zhang Zhang Juzheng said, "He dared to touch my people—first slandering General Qi in the assassination attempt, then Lu Lu Shusheng, and then Li Le. I let him in mainly to humiliate him."

You Qi finally understood and said with a smile, "He brought silver to the door to be scolded, and after we scolded him, he still had to thank us."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng narrowed his eyes and said, "I also want to kill him."

This was the first time Zhang Zhang Juzheng had expressed his stance so clearly and explicitly: he wanted Zhang Zhang Siwei to die in humiliation and to completely remove the abscess that was the Shanxi Party!

It wasn't that Zhang Zhang Juzheng didn't have the ability to do it, but without the Emperor's support, he had to be cautious and guard against the palace suspecting him of doing things he shouldn't.

Now, the Emperor was supporting Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

As for the two Empress Dowagers in the palace, Zhang Zhang Juzheng didn't think too much about it. Since the young Emperor had stood up for him several times, he must have found a way to deal with the two Empress Dowagers.

Otherwise, after the young Emperor's behavior of returning home right on time today, Empress Dowager Li would have ordered Zhang Zhang Juzheng to write a self-reflection note for the Emperor long ago. But that hadn't happened yet, proving that in the palace, it was the young Emperor who was in charge, or rather, the Emperor was in the lead.

That was enough.

"Let's go, to the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall." Zhang Zhang Juzheng stood up. Tan Lun's Zhejiang Party was a reflection of Zhang Zhang Juzheng's thinking on the administration of officials. As for whether it would be effective, he would have to wait and see.

The All-Zhejiang, All-Chu, and All-Shanxi Guild Halls were all in the same ward, just a few steps away. Zhang Zhang Juzheng was the last to arrive. He was the most important figure to arrive at the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall that night, so naturally, he arrived last.

Qi Qi Jiguang had already returned to the capital, and Tan Lun was opening the hall. Qi Qi Jiguang naturally had to come, though he wouldn't take a waist tag from the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall. The moment he saw Zhang Zhang Juzheng, the two smiled at each other, understanding without words.

Their friendship of over twenty years was by no means maintained by a waist tag. Losing that waist tag meant losing shackles for both Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Qi Qi Jiguang, making it even more convenient to get things done.

Qi Qi Jiguang and Yang Wen were talking; both were from Jizhou and had a superior-subordinate relationship.

The leader of the Shanxi Party, Ge Ge Shouli, brought Ma Fang to the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall. Ma Fang needed to thank Tan Lun for his righteous words in the Hall of Literary Brilliance. If not for that, Ma Fang would never have been able to escape the bribery case unscathed, nor would he have been able to return to the capital so quickly. Ge Ge Shouli came to uphold the Emperor's authority and make peace with the Zhejiang Party.

Ma Fang looked very burly, but he was already showing signs of age. Ma Fang was already fifty-five years old. Although he could still mount a horse and draw a bow, in terms of personal martial prowess, it was already very difficult for him to compete with Qi Qi Jiguang, who was eleven years his junior.

Wu Wu Baipeng had also returned to the capital for over three months due to the Beijing Garrison candidate selection. Once the selection was concluded, Wu Wu Baipeng would head to Xuan-Da to inspect the construction. This time, he was keeping an eye on Wang Wang Chonggu to ensure the hole was plugged.

The newly appointed Minister of Personnel, Zhang Han, was not of the Zhejiang Party. He was from Renhe County, Zhejiang. Although he wasn't very familiar with Tan Lun, Qi Qi Jiguang, Yang Wen, Wu Wu Baipeng, and the others, since it was called the Zhejiang Party, as a Zhejiang native, he naturally had to come and join the fun.

Zhang Han had no roots in the court; if he wanted to be active, he naturally had to be active.

The younger faction was led by Shen Shen Yiguan, and they were chatting among themselves. Shen Shen Yiguan was a Zhejiang native, a *Ming Jinshi* from the second year of Emperor Longqing, a *shujishi*, and a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Shen Shen Yiguan's father, Shen Shen Mingchen, had been a staff member for Hu Hai Zongxian. Shen Shen Yiguan was a good scholar, and it was Hu Hai Zongxian who had provided the money back then. For these years, Shen Shen Mingchen, Shen Shen Yiguan, and Wang Daokun had been running around for the injustice of Hu Hai Zongxian's case.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng noticed that Yu Yu Dayou hadn't come, and Hai Rui hadn't come either.

Tan Lun had initiated the public opinion on opening the seas and was also a promoter of the Emperor Longqing opening. Logically speaking, Hai Rui, who also supported opening the seas to increase revenue, should have come to recognize faces. After all, working in the capital required connections, but Hai Rui just refused to come.

Yu Yu Dayou had already checked into the North Tucheng, but Yu Yu Dayou hadn't come to the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall either, but instead went to the residence the court had rented for Hai Rui to thank Hai Rui for his recommendation.

Hai Rui was too poor. He rented a house to live in when he arrived in the capital, and it was only after the inner court specifically provided a relocation allowance that he was able to settle down.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng didn't stay long. He gave Tan Lun an ancient book and a long bow as a gift for the opening of the hall. After saying a few simple words, he turned and left the All-Zhejiang Guild Hall.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng opened the hall for Tan Lun to build up his momentum.

The All-Zhejiang Guild Hall was much smaller than the All-Chu and All-Shanxi Guild Halls, about ten *mu* in size, but it was enough.

On the fifth day of the ninth month of the first year of Emperor Wanli, it was auspicious for weddings, meeting friends, traveling, moving, accumulating wealth, and building livestock pens; it was taboo for funerals, installing roof beams, and committing suicide.

In the Hall of Literary Brilliance, Zhang Zhang Juzheng flipped through a memorial and said, "The Ministry of Rites memorialized: 'Selecting 3,250 castrated men to be assigned to various directorates for service has caused the Emperor to be suspicious and furious. The strict decree was suddenly transmitted to the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion, catching the ministers off guard.'"

"'The Emperor asked: Where did these 3,250 castrated men come from? There have been no wars recently, let alone young captives. Since they are not official eunuchs, how can private castration and entry into the Forbidden City conform to ancestral law?'"

"'Minister Wan, you answer the Emperor.'" Zhang Zhang Juzheng's memorial was aimed at the newly appointed Minister of Rites, Wan Wan Shihe.

The reason Zhang Zhang Juzheng wanted to target Wan Wan Shihe was that the Baoqi Office the Emperor wanted to establish was located in the Wang Wang Xiyuan.

Wan Wan Shihe and the officials of the Ministry of Rites opposed establishing the Baoqi Office in the Wang Wang Xiyuan on the grounds that ancestral law had established regulations that should not be easily changed, and that the Baoqi Office should be established under the Ministry of Revenue, outside the palace walls.

Feng Bao, seeing that Zhang Zhang Juzheng had already opened fire, immediately said sternly, "Wan Wan Shihe, you ministers, insisting on reaching your hands into the Forbidden City—what is your intention! What is your purpose! If something happens in the palace, Wan Wan Shihe, can you bear the responsibility? Can your entire clan bear this responsibility!"

Feng Bao was responsible for biting people, bringing things out into the open. Since the peace talks in the second year of Emperor Longqing, there had been no large-scale wars in the court. No one but official eunuchs could enter the Forbidden City. Whose people were these three thousand castrated men?!

Wan Wan Shihe was terrified and hurriedly knelt down toward the platform, saying, "Your servant heard that the Emperor only had seven people serving him, which was truly a loss of dignity, so I memorialized it. During the Emperor Jiajing era, there were also private eunuchs entering the Forbidden City. Your servant is terrified."

During the Emperor Jiajing era, the Ministry of Rites did indeed select castrated men to enter the palace.

Feng Bao sneered and stood up, leaning forward, looking at Wan Wan Shihe with a tiger's gaze, and said sternly, "Wan Wan Shihe, do you think I don't read books? That's right, you just became a court minister, so you don't know much about me."

"In the twenty-first year of Emperor Jiajing, the Emperor suffered a palace maid incident and moved to the Wang Wang Xiyuan, seeking immortality day and night. Sacrifices were not attended, court lectures were abandoned, the Emperor did not meet with ministers, and only the assistants could see him at the time. All ministers selecting eunuchs and maids were forbidden from entering the Forbidden City."

"Wan Wan Shihe, I read books! Whose ancestral law are you talking about! Yours! As a Minister of Rites, do you not read as many books as a eunuch like me?!"

Feng Bao's biting was extremely fierce.

Ge Ge Shouli watched with great joy. Ever since he led the Shanxi Party to change their tactics, Feng Bao no longer bared his fangs at him like this. Now it was the Ministry of Rites' turn to suffer.

"Your Majesty, your servant truly did not know." Wan Wan Shihe's face changed upon hearing this, and he hurriedly shook his sleeves, knelt down, and said loudly.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's pen didn't stop, and he didn't even have the thought of looking up at Wan Wan Shihe, asking calmly, "Did not know what?"

"Did not know ancestral law? If you don't know, then study hard. Look at me—I listen to government affairs and read books. In the Hall of Literary Brilliance, if you don't read books, you will be scolded."

"Did not know that Eunuch Feng reads books? Eunuch Feng handles the affairs of the Directorate of Ceremonial and does them very well. You are the Minister of Rites, yet you don't know ancestral law, and you use ancestral law to wag your tongue?"

"Is it ignorance? Or is it knowing the law and breaking it?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun stopped his pen, his tone becoming severe.

The previous Minister of Rites, Lu Lu Shusheng, had been covering for the clan party. Following Yang Bo's departure, Lu Lu Shusheng left. The new Minister of Rites, Wan Wan Shihe, held onto ancestral law every day, saying the Emperor couldn't do this or that, always wanting to tie the Emperor tightly with the ropes of various rites and laws, not allowing him to move even a half-step.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was dissatisfied with both Ministers of Rites.

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