Chapter 87

The Emperor is truly not attending to his proper duties. Chapter 87: When those who govern the state achieve their ends through bribery, officials drain the people's fat and blood to fawn upon the powerful. Regardless of how one looks at it, Zhang Juzheng has done his utmost; Xu Jie must return this land, whether he wants to or not.

Xu Jie lowered his hands, feeling somewhat dejected. The letter slid from his grasp, and he bent down to pick it up. For the imperial court to demand his land was the same as demanding his life!

"This is bullying! This is bullying! In the end, I have actually fallen into the hands of my own student!"

"Zhang Juzheng, all my efforts in teaching and guiding you were in vain, and my help in getting you into the Prince Yu's mansion was for nothing. To think you would treat me like this!"

"Gao Gong's attempts to hunt me down were not even as vicious as you! He conjured up those charges just to force me not to return to court, but the battle array you have set up is meant to kill me! You want to kill me!" Xu Jie gripped the letter, his expression becoming exceptionally ruthless.

The land was his life. Without the land, he, Xu Jie, would no longer be Duke Xu. Let alone in the Great Ming, even in Songjiang Prefecture, no one would listen to a word he said!

He had to protect his land; no one could lay a finger on it!

Xu Jie picked up his brush, intending to write a letter to the capital. His eldest son, Xu Fan, began to grind ink at his side, but Xu Jie held the brush, remained silent for a long time, and then put it down.

"Father?" Xu Fan looked at his father's hesitant expression and said with a grave face, "Father, why do you stop? This is a matter of life and death for our family!"

"Who can I write to?" Xu Jie looked at Xu Fan, who was half-stretching his head forward, and said with lifeless eyes, "Should I write to Zhang Juzheng? Hence Hai Rui returned to court and brought up the matter of returning the land, and everything since then has been presided over by Zhang Juzheng. He first drove Lu Shusheng out of the court, and then had Chen Tang impeach Dong Chuance. This was to tell all my students and former subordinates that they must not participate in this matter."

"Otherwise, Dong Chuance's fate will be theirs. Corruption? Corruption was still a crime during the Hongwu era, but in this day and age, can it even be considered a crime?"

"Since the Jiajing era, those who govern the state achieve their ends through bribery, and officials drain the people's fat and blood to fawn upon the powerful!"

"All government decrees are achieved through bribery; nothing can be done without corruption. Qi Jiguang is capable, and Yu Dayou is capable, but don't they still have to obediently offer their tributes? Where does the money come from? Officials and local authorities all drain the people's fat and blood to curry favor with the powerful!"

"And those who succeed in holding the reins of government pursue a policy of appeasement, creating a den for debt-dodgers. The situation is so grave that it is hard to reverse. The world has become a place of private annexation; private families grow richer by the day, while the public treasury grows poorer. The state is impoverished and the people are destitute—the root of the illness lies right here!"

"Do I not know this? Who in the world is not corrupt! Zhang Juzheng himself is insatiably greedy; does he not accept tributes!"

Xu Fan was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Hence Hai Rui?"

"Hence Hai Rui is indeed not corrupt." Xu Jie seemed to be choked up. In this world, there are indeed officials who are not corrupt. Hence Hai Rui, Hai Gangfeng, is truly an incorruptible official, so incorruptible that everyone finds him disagreeable. With Hence Hai Rui at court, everyone feels ill at ease.

Xu Jie's sullen expression turned fierce once again, and he said sternly, "My son, this matter of corruption is actually easy to govern. If we bring out the ancestral laws, anyone who takes fifty taels of silver would be skinned and stuffed with straw, and displayed at the Earth Temple for the people to applaud—who would still dare to be corrupt? But this corruption has been the prevailing custom for over a hundred years."

"Do you know what the biggest problem with this corruption is?"

Xu Fan frowned. This bribery-based politics had already destroyed the Great Ming's civil service; could there be anything more terrifying than this? He asked suspiciously, "What is it?"

Xu Jie sneered and said, "The evils of bribery-based politics are easy to govern, but the evils of appeasement are hard to stop. Why is that?"

"Bribery-based politics can be punished by power and penalties."

"As for the policy of appeasement, they rely on the law for private gain, cutting from the top to fatten themselves. The high officials appease the capital officials, the capital officials appease the local officials, the local officials appease the clerks and wealthy merchants, and the clerks appease the gentry. The Emperor uses the 'Eight Deliberations' to protect the nobility, and the nobility colludes with officials to harbor petty people and wealthy merchants!"

"When the top is damaged, the bottom benefits. Private families grow richer by the day, while the public treasury grows poorer. When private gates are strong, the public treasury is weak. The state is impoverished and the people are destitute—this is the great evil of the world. Marital ties, teachers, fellow villagers, and classmates are nothing more than interests coming and going."

"Do I not know? Of course I know, but how can this great evil of the world be eradicated? You have me in you, and I have you in me; it is simply impossible to deal with!"

"If the evils of appeasement are not removed, how can the evils of bribery-based politics be governed?"

"In this world, rulers are rulers, ministers are ministers, fathers are fathers, and sons are sons; human relationships are intricate and complex. How can a fish leave the water it lives in? All the officials in the world are caught in the game; how can they jump out of the Five Elements? How can this evil of appeasement be removed? If it could be removed, could I leave this heaven-shaking merit to Zhang Juzheng?"

Xu Fan was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Zhang Juzheng?"

"Ah? It seems so..." Xu Jie was choked up again, his expression somewhat lonely.

The letter in his hand was a letter from his student asking him to return the land. The wording was so intense that if Xu Jie did not agree or tried to stir up trouble, Zhang Juzheng would certainly not be soft-hearted.

This posture, to remove the evils of appeasement, starts with him, Xu Jie...

Xu Jie's mouth twitched twice. Was his son here to anger him or to help him come up with ideas?

Xu Jie's expression changed again, his eyes becoming dark and unclear, and he said with a grave face, "It's just a government decree; it's easy to break. My son, do you know how to break this government decree?"

Xu Fan looked at the letter again, shook his head, and said, "I don't know. I ask Father to clarify."

Xu Jie stood up abruptly and said with some certainty, "If the demands are too urgent, the people will flee and rebel!"

"Those who flee and cause chaos in the country do so because corrupt officials drain the people from below, while those above offer no relief; the powerful annex land, and the people lose their land and become vagrants. Today, those who encroach and occupy land are the powerful and wealthy, not the common people."

"What does that mean?"

"The people flee and gather to rebel because corrupt officials appease the gentry in their exploitation from below, while those above offer no relief. The powerful annex land, and the people lose their land and become vagrants. Today, those who encroach and occupy land are the powerful and wealthy—they have power, influence, and money, not the common people."

"Isn't Zhang Juzheng going to take my land? I will return it!"

"Not only will I return it myself, but I will also gather all the powerful and wealthy in the Southern Yamen to return it together! At that time, public opinion will boil, rumors will fly everywhere, and this 'Land Return Law' will be hyped up as the 'Well-Field System.' Then we'll see who dares to execute the decree to return the land!"

"I don't believe that anyone can handle this tactic."

Xu Fan pondered for a moment before feeling that his father was indeed his father; he couldn't find anyone who could break this move.

This is executing it with double the intensity!

Xu Jie had already made up his mind; he would return the land, returning it all to the government offices.

Then he would blow wind everywhere, letting all the powerful and wealthy in the Southern Yamen see their own miserable state, making them feel a sense of shared sorrow, and then stir up noise everywhere, saying that the imperial court took Xu Jie's land, and tomorrow it would take the land of all the powerful and wealthy in the Southern Yamen!

When they form a combined force and stir up noise, then Wang Daokun—however he took the land, he would have to return it!

Xu Fan was about to speak when the gatekeeper ran in, panicked, pointing outside, and said breathlessly, "Master, the Yellow-Clad Messenger has arrived. He is almost here and says there is an imperial decree!"

Yu Dayou's Southern Army had already arrived. He led three thousand Southern soldiers, escorting the imperial decree to the front of the tall Grand Tutor's Tower.

Flags were fluttering, and people were moving. Everyone carried hook-sickle spears, waist sabers, and carried firelocks and second-class bows on their backs. Their armor was on the carts, ready to be donned for battle at any time. These Southern soldiers were Qi Jiguang's direct subordinates. This time, half of them were directly withdrawn from the Jizhen to stabilize Songjiang Prefecture for Yu Dayou. Qi Jiguang did not hesitate at all and let the Southern Army head to Songjiang Prefecture.

The soldiers Qi Jiguang trained were always the soldiers of the Great Ming.

"The imperial decree is here!" Two young eunuchs pulled open the two-zhang-long imperial decree and shouted loudly, "Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Xu Jie, receive the decree."

Xu Jie, leading Xu Fan and his entire family, was shocked when he saw this formation. He knew Yu Dayou was heading south, but he didn't know Yu Dayou had brought so many troops!

Three thousand elite soldiers could plow through the Japanese pirates from Songjiang Prefecture to Guangzhou Prefecture again!

This was clearly a plan: if Xu Jie didn't return the land, they would kill his whole family!

"Your subject receives the decree." Xu Jie knelt on the ground with his whole family.

Zhang Cheng took a step forward and shouted loudly, "By the order of the Emperor, the decree says:"

"I have heard that in Huating there is Duke Xu, whose temperament is firm and bright, whose talent is excellent and knowledge is broad, who is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and whose reputation is flourishing. At that time, when the treacherous Yan Party was at court, it was a day when the country's path was in danger. You were able to exhaust your heart and strength to protect the country, and both inside and outside the country relied on you for peace, and the hearts of the people were at ease."

"However, the public officials at court all say that Hu Xiangmao died in prison, and the court discussions are boiling, and all the gentlemen are running around for it."

"At that time, the country was swaying, the Northern Hu were knocking at the gates in the northwest, and the Japanese pirates were setting fires for thousands of miles in the southeast. The country was on the verge of shattering, and heaven and earth were in danger of collapsing. Xiangmao was loyal to the country, fought the Japanese pirates effectively, and had the merit of pacifying the bandits and stabilizing the country. He was the pillar of the southeast, stopping the collapse of the southeast. You, Duke, publicly discussed Xiangmao's merits and faults, and he was able to be vindicated, restored as Junior Guardian, granted an official burial and sacrifice, and posthumously titled Xiangmao."

"Duke Xu has the merit of supporting the Emperor, and Xiangmao has the merit of pacifying the bandits and stabilizing the country."

"I am in a great dilemma."

"The Grand Secretary has decided on a strategy for Duke Xu to return the land to stop the non-discussion at court. The imperial court has the virtue of honoring the old and providing for them, and the ancestors have the law of exempting scholars. Duke Xu is retired as Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, promoted one rank in official grade, and is honored as a first-rank official to be provided for, keeping ten thousand mu of fertile land, to show the imperial court's grace and honor."

"Once the decree arrives, the relevant departments shall execute it."

"Announce it to the world, so that all may hear and know."

"Respect this."

Zhang Cheng finished reading the imperial decree. Xu Jie understood the meaning of the decree, and his face turned ashen.

The decree first contained a flurry of praise, and then brought up the matter of vindicating Hu Zongxian. If Hu Zongxian was vindicated and Hu Zongxian was wronged, then those who created the miscarriage of justice and caused Hu Zongxian's death—Xu Jie—must be investigated.

Ge Shouli said to Wu Dui that Wu Dui's treatment in the Heavenly Prison was very good, with good food and drink, and not even a snake or insect, but he did not agree with Xu Jie's approach. At least Gao Gong did not throw Xu Jie into prison to starve to death, Personnel Yang Bo did not throw his political enemies into prison, and Zhang Juzheng did not excessively pursue Gao Gong in the case of the assassination attempt on the Emperor.

Ge Shouli looked down on Xu Jie. When Hu Zongxian was wronged and died, the young cabinet minister Yan Shifan had already been beheaded, Yan Song had left the capital, and Hu Zongxian had been home for more than two years and never thought of rising again. In a sense, before Hu Zongxian was wronged and died, he was already politically dead and was a harmless character.

Xu Jie's pursuit was not approved by Ge Shouli, and most of the court officials did not approve of it either.

The meaning of the imperial decree was that the imperial court was also in a difficult position; both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh, so naturally, it was a great dilemma.

In order to quell the non-discussion at court, correcting the small, slightly biased mistake that Xu Jie made back then could be considered as quelling public anger.

Wealth is an external thing; you don't bring it when you are born, and you don't take it when you die. Confucian scholars are high-minded and are ashamed to talk about profit. A little floating wealth can be considered as spending money to avoid disaster!

The words were all pleasant, but in the end, it was two words: return the land.

Xu Jie's plan failed again. The imperial court asked him to return the land, promoted his official rank by one grade, and left him ten thousand mu of fertile land to support his family. He had ten thousand mu of fertile land at home; he had to make the powerful and wealthy believe that the Emperor wanted to implement the Well-Field System and confiscate everyone's land.

Zhang Juzheng's perfect combination of punches hit Xu Jie so hard he didn't even have a chance to fight back. Surrendering now would still leave him ten thousand mu of fertile land, which was definitely enough for Xu Jie's family.

If Xu Jie refused to return the land, then things would definitely not be so simple. Zhang Juzheng agreed to let Yu Dayou come to Songjiang Prefecture because he had already made up his mind to kill. If he didn't return the land, he would start a massacre, because there were still seven thousand qing of encroached land behind that needed to be dealt with. If Xu Jie didn't return the land, the entire Southern Yamen wouldn't return the land!

Wang Daokun, who had a grudge against Xu Jie and had cursed Xu Jie as Qin Gui, was right in front of him.

Xu Jie felt a last glimmer of hope in his heart, hoping that Wang Daokun still remembered the hatred and resentment of those years, and when enforcing the law, he could take away his ten thousand mu of land together!

In this way, pinning the charge of excessive law enforcement on Wang Daokun and stirring up public opinion might not be impossible.

Executing it with double the intensity didn't necessarily have to be done by Xu Jie himself; Wang Daokun, who was enforcing the decree, could also execute it with double the intensity!

Wang Daokun saw Xu Jie's family standing up, and he walked up with a smile on his face, bowing respectfully, and said with a smile, "Duke Xu, long time no see. I still remember Duke Xu's high spirits when he governed the state. Seeing you again today, Duke Xu's treasure sword is not old, and your style is no less than it was back then!"

"Duke Xu, look at our soldiers who have traveled a long distance. Should we arrange a place for them to stay for the time being?"

Xu Jie said desperately, "Easy to say, easy to say."

Wang Daokun had made up his mind: twenty-four thousand mu of encroached land, not one mu more, not one mu less, just twenty-three thousand mu; he didn't intend to double it at all.

Wang Daokun had a grudge against Xu Jie, and he really desperately hoped to see Xu Jie have bad luck.

Wang Daokun had been running around for Hu Zongxian for several years. Now that Hu Zongxian could be vindicated and his merits and faults could be discussed, Wang Daokun was dead drunk that night, crying his eyes out, hugging a pillar as if it were Hu Zongxian, and telling him about the grievances in his heart over the years.

Hu Zongxian was Wang Daokun's comrade-in-arms and fellow villager who fought back-to-back. They had been running around for twelve years to pacify the Japanese pirates, working together. The Japanese pirates were pacified, but Hu Zongxian was wronged and died in prison. Wang Daokun hated it in his heart; he wished he could eat Xu Jie, dig out Xu Jie's heart, and drink Xu Jie's blood!

But the reality was that it was already very difficult to vindicate Hu Zongxian. Wang Daokun clearly knew that the person to be investigated in this land return was the former Senior Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

If Wang Daokun pursued it excessively, it was really possible that the decree could not be pushed forward because the demands were too urgent.

Xu Jie, this old fox in the officialdom, had used twenty years of forbearance to completely destroy the Yan Party's insidious villain. Wang Daokun knew very well that he was not Xu Jie's opponent at all.

This kind of person still had to be dealt with by the Grand Secretary.

The Grand Secretary had already made comprehensive arrangements, and Wang Daokun did not intend to mess around and cause this land return to fail.

Wang Daokun already knew what he was coming to Songjiang Prefecture to do! The Songjiang Prefecture Shipping Department was the country's long-term strategy, and he would not destroy the imperial court's national strategy for his own selfish interests.

Therefore, as soon as Wang Daokun appeared, he was all smiles, putting on an act, taking on an attitude that he didn't want to either, but the Emperor had an imperial decree, the imperial court had public opinion, and he, Wang Daokun, had no choice but to execute it.

Hating to death in his heart, but laughing on the surface—this is the basic quality of an administrative official.

Xu Jie's servants began to pack their things. This Jin Zeyuan villa was also among the encroached land to be cleared, and Xu Jie could no longer live here.

Yu Dayou, Wang Daokun, and Zhang Cheng were all very polite, doing the most ruthless things, watching the servants take away all of Xu Jie's belongings in the Jin Zeyuan villa, leaving nothing behind.

Xu Jie stood in front of the Grand Tutor's Tower, incomparably sorrowful. Zhang Juzheng knew all his tactics! Zhang Juzheng was the student he, Xu Jie, had brought up hand-in-hand!

Zhang Juzheng wanted to deal with Xu Jie, and Xu Jie didn't have any room to fight back.

Right now, Zhang Juzheng was governing the state, and the power was in Zhang Juzheng's hands. Dealing with him, Xu Jie, was still so cautious—how could Xu Jie respond!

Xu Fan looked at Wang Daokun's appearance and said after a long silence, "Father, you said just now, who can handle this tactic of doubling it? Look, there is an imperial decree..."

"Whose side are you on! Whose side are you on?! Are you trying to anger me on purpose! Are you!" Xu Jie was furious, picked up his cane, and was about to hit Xu Fan. Xu Fan turned and dodged. The father and son chased each other for a while before finally calming down.

"Father, it's useless for you to hit me. That Wang Daokun is Father's enemy. At that time, Father was governing the state, and he submitted a memorial, the wording was so intense, he wished he could eat us father and son. His appearance today must have been hinted at by the Grand Secretary when he let him come. The pros and cons were all explained. We can't fight Gao Gong, let alone Zhang Juzheng."

"Father, let's surrender." Xu Fan leaned on the table and looked at Xu Jie, persuading him to surrender.

Xu Fan saw Xu Jie's expression loosen and continued, "Submit a letter of gratitude. The court will know that we have a submissive heart, and maybe they will give us some benefits. After all, that Yingtian Governor Song Yangshan still has to investigate the matter of clearing the encroachment, and he still needs us to appease the gentry in the Southern Yamen."

"He wants my life, and I still have to stretch my neck over?!" Xu Jie was still very stubborn and said, "This is not land; this is my life!"

Xu Fan was silent for a moment and said, "But Father, didn't Zhang Juzheng leave us ten thousand mu of fertile land?"

Zhang Juzheng had really done his utmost. With the general trend of the court and the wind of vindicating Hu Zongxian and granting him a posthumous title, Zhang Juzheng could preserve Xu Jie's remaining reputation and ten thousand mu of fertile land—this was already extremely benevolent. With Zhang Juzheng's vengeful nature, if he refused to listen, would Zhang Juzheng be so gentle if he made another move?

Xu Jie clearly knew he wouldn't.

Facing the doubling, only by speaking with facts, seeking truth from facts, and cooperating with strict laws and harsh punishments could one cope with it a little.

"This student of mine is stronger than me." Xu Jie sighed. When he was at court, Xu Jie couldn't play against Gao Gong, let alone Zhang Juzheng.

Xu Jie hunted down the remnants of Yan Song and his son, and in the miscarriage of justice of Hu Zongxian, he hurt the good people, and immediately fell into a passive position. He was caught by Gao Gong, who seized the opportunity to pursue him relentlessly, and finally, Xu Jie had to submit nine memorials to retire and return to his hometown.

And now Zhang Juzheng was also cleaning up the remnants of Gao Gong and the Xinzheng Party, such as the Jin Party. Was Zhang Juzheng's move not vicious enough? But from beginning to end, Zhang Juzheng did not cause the kind of alienation of people's hearts like the Hu Zongxian miscarriage of justice, which would have put him in an absolutely passive position.

Duke Cheng, Zhu Xizhong, had been waiting for the right people. He waited for Xia Yan, Yan Song, Xu Jie, and Gao Gong, and finally waited for Zhang Juzheng, who had the Emperor's support, but he passed away. This was the reason why Duke Cheng wanted to recommend Qi Jiguang at the last moment.

Duke Cheng knew he had waited for the right people.

Xu Fan read the imperial decree again, and the more he read it, the more wrong it felt. He hurriedly leaned over and said, "Father, there is the Emperor's own handwriting on this imperial decree. Look here: 'Once the decree arrives, the relevant departments shall execute it.' This sentence was clearly written by a ten-year-old child..."

A child's handwriting, because of the problem of writing experience, can actually be seen at a glance. Most of the content of the imperial decree was clearly drafted by Zhang Juzheng, except for the last sentence—once the decree arrives, the relevant departments shall execute it immediately—the handwriting was completely different.

The Ceremonial Secretariat can change the imperial decree drafted by the Grand Secretariat at its discretion and then send it back to the Grand Secretariat to be redrafted, but only the Emperor himself can write on the finished imperial decree.

"Hmm? Sigh." Xu Jie looked at it, finally sighed, waved his hand, and said, "Forget it, forget it."

With the imperial power supporting the imperial power, what could Xu Jie fight with?

Xu Jie signaled his son to follow Wang Daokun and deal with the land return bit by bit.

He stood at the gate of the Jin Zeyuan villa, took one last look at his home, and chose to leave. Even if he was unwilling, there was no way.

"Commander Yu, what do you think Xu Jie is thinking right now?" Wang Daokun stood on the second floor of the Grand Tutor's Tower, watching the Xu family's moving carts leave, and said with a frown.

Yu Dayou shook his head and said, "In any case, it's not repentance. Xu Jie is a person who clearly knows where the Great Ming's great evils lie, but he knowingly commits them. He clearly knows that doing this is wrong, but he is doing it."

"We have taken one city for now. Just watch, Xu Jie will definitely stir up trouble to hinder the Southern Yamen's clearing of the encroachment. He is not reconciled. Look at his reluctant expression; he is not reconciled. Looking at the Grand Tutor's Tower, how could he be reconciled?"

"It's okay, I still have a few years to live. I'll wait for him."

Yu Dayou gripped the Son of Heaven's sword in his hand tightly. The little Emperor sincerely hoped that he, Yu Dayou, this Yu Dragon, could support a piece of the sky in the southeast.

Yu Dayou would use the sword in his hand to support a piece of the sky for His Majesty!

Wang Daokun said with a smile, "That's true. It's hard work for Commander Yu to recruit vagrants and tenant farmers into the military garrison, which is really a bit troublesome."

"It's hard for you scholars to deal with the common people, but it's not the same for us Southern soldiers." Yu Dayou said with a smile, "When pacifying the Japanese pirates, we wanted to know where the Japanese pirates were. We asked the scouts, and the scouts didn't necessarily know, but the common people knew very clearly."

"It's not troublesome. We just need to spread the news that I, Yu Dayou, am recruiting soldiers in Songjiang Prefecture to pacify the sea, and in a few days, we will have recruited them all."

Yu Dayou wanted to recruit vagrants and tenant farmers to become soldiers in the military garrison. This was a job that required practical implementation, but Yu Dayou's golden signboard of pacifying Japanese pirates for many years was right there. Yu Dragon arrived in Songjiang Prefecture to stir up the river and sea—would he be short of vagrants and tenant farmers?

Isn't this the reason why the Emperor sent him, Yu Dayou, here?

A few days later, the commander ran hurriedly into the Jin Zeyuan villa, found Yu Dayou, handed over a report, and bowed his head, saying, "Commander Yu! Twelve groups of bandits and two groups of Japanese pirates have been discovered in Songjiang Prefecture!"

"Send out scouts to investigate, find out clearly, and prepare to suppress the bandits and pacify the Japanese pirates!" Yu Dayou stood up after reading the report.

When pacifying Japanese pirates, how to win the hearts of the people the fastest—Yu Dayou, Qi Jiguang, and the other Southern soldiers had a set of effective methods, which was to suppress bandits and pacify Japanese pirates.

These bandits and Japanese pirates gathered by petty people were the executioners who harmed the common people the most directly. Killing them could win the support of the common people. With the support of the common people, everything from retreat, food and pay, to reconnaissance, would be easy.

Yu Dayou was old, but let him do his old job, and he was still handy.

Thirteen days later, Yu Dayou's Southern Army set out. In just three days, they conquered fourteen bandit nests and four water villages, beheaded more than three hundred people, and captured more than two thousand three hundred people, shaking Songjiang Prefecture!

The entire Southern Yamen heard Yu Dayou's victory report. For a time, no one dared to act rashly. That Yu Dragon, who pacified the Japanese pirates in the southeast and fought so hard that the Japanese pirates dared not invade, was leading troops again!

As for those captives, they would all do hard labor; all the dirty and tiring work would belong to the captives.

"Father, let's not stir up trouble! Look at how fierce this Yu Dragon is. It only took him seventeen days to pull out the bandit nests and water villages that had been entrenched in Songjiang Prefecture for decades, leaving not a single hair! This is too fierce."

"If we insist on stirring up trouble, and one day Yu Dragon's axe falls on us, how can we survive?!" Xu Fan was really scared.

Xu Fan knew the severity of the bandits and Japanese pirates in Songjiang Prefecture. Yu Dayou arrived for seventeen days and cleaned up these rotten things, and the common people applauded.

Even if they used some cunning means to deal with Yu Dayou, the imperial court still had Qi Jiguang. On the day the Great Ming army went south, not one of Xu Jie's family could run away.

"Submit a letter of gratitude, thanking His Majesty for his imperial grace." Xu Jie waved his hand, signaling Xu Fan to write the letter of gratitude. Back then, Xu Fan also served in the court and even built the Yongshou Palace for the Jiajing Emperor. Xu Fan could still write a good letter of gratitude.

When Zhu Yijun received Xu Jie's letter of gratitude and Yu Dayou's victory report, he showed a knowing smile. Yu Dragon was indeed Yu Dragon.

"It's not that the Grand Secretary's methods are brilliant; this Xu Jie would definitely have stirred up trouble. Commander Yu is still capable." Zhu Yijun held the two memorials and said happily to Zhang Hong. Yu Dayou was very capable and did not disappoint him. Handing the water army of the newly built Songjiang Prefecture Shipping Department to Yu Dayou was indeed not a wrong move.

Zhang Hong bowed his head and said, "Yu Dragon and Qi Tiger are the two great fierce generals of our Great Ming in pacifying Japanese pirates. The affairs of the southeast rely heavily on them."

"The miscarriage of justice of Hu Zongxian can only be investigated up to here. I am very unhappy; I am very unhappy." Zhu Yijun stamped the two memorials. On Xu Jie's letter of gratitude, he wrote: "I know." On Yu Dayou's victory report, he wrote: "I am very happy."

Zhu Yijun said quite definitely, "Zhang Hong, just like the powerful and wealthy in Liyang County, Suzhou Prefecture, encroaching on farmland, help me make a note. I will handle this matter one day."

The little Emperor's heart was smaller than the tip of a needle.

Zhang Hong thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, how could Xu Jie not stir up trouble? Asking him to return the land is cutting his flesh and drinking his blood. He sees that the situation is not in his favor, so he returned the land. In a few days, he will still make trouble. Your subject thinks it won't be too long."

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "That would be best!"

Zhang Hong bowed his head and said, "The dark room Your Majesty wanted is ready."

"Tomorrow, then." Zhu Yijun waved his little hand and said, "Sleep early and wake up early to grow tall. I am tired. Sleep!"

Zhu Yijun had also been busy all day—court discussions, lectures, practicing martial arts, inspecting the capital camp, serving in the Baoqi Department, stamping memorials, reading agricultural books. He was really busy from morning till night. In half a year, his weight had dropped from 103 jin to 85 jin.

Winter had come, and the cold wind was like a knife scraping across the land of the capital, rolling up the sky full of yellow earth. Dust was flying, and it was already near the winter solstice. The weather was getting colder. Zhu Yijun specially issued an imperial decree to open the side hall of the Wenhua Hall, allowing the Great Ming officials to wait for the court discussion in the side hall, so as not to freeze outside.

"Your subjects pay respects to Your Majesty. Is Your Majesty's holy body at peace?" The officials paid their respects.

"Rise. My body is at peace, and my mood is extremely good. Within three days of Commander Yu arriving in Songjiang Prefecture, he conquered eighteen strongholds, and the bandits and Japanese pirates in Songjiang were swept away. I am very happy to hear this. Grand Secretary, follow the regulations to issue a decree to praise his merits." Zhu Yijun waved his little hand and said with great pleasure.

Is there anything more beautiful in the world than winning a battle?

"Your subject obeys the decree." Zhang Juzheng received the decree. He had also received the report yesterday and had already drafted the imperial decree, just waiting for the Emperor to stamp it.

Drafting edicts for the Emperor was the original job of the Wenyuange, which was to act as the Emperor's secretary and be responsible for daily document work. The Senior Grand Secretary of the Wenyuange gradually grew in power because it was at the peak of ministerial power. From the day the Grand Secretaries of the Wenyuange could stick floating notes on memorials, it was decided that it would inevitably become what it is today.

Because the floating note is a partial decision-making power.

Zhang Hong brought the edict drafted by Lu Diaoyang to the desk. Zhu Yijun read it carefully and picked up the Wanli Treasure to stamp it.

This edict was official jargon.

The general idea was: Yu Dayou's eighteen victories in Songjiang Prefecture greatly deterred the powerful and wealthy in the Southern Yamen who were restless because of Xu Jie's land return, completely destroying the unrealistic fantasy of local gentry colluding with bandits and Japanese pirates to resist the imperial order, laying a solid foundation for the Great Ming to clear encroached farmland in the Southern Yamen, and fundamentally improving the sense of security of the people of Songjiang Prefecture. The imperial court was very gratified, and the little Emperor specially issued a decree to reward him.

"Start the court discussion. I want to read!" Zhu Yijun waved his little hand, signaling that the court officials could start arguing!

"Chief Censor Hai, Duke Xu has already returned the land. Is this matter temporarily over? If he stirs up trouble again, should we continue to investigate?" Zhang Juzheng first brought up the matter of Xu Jie returning the land, settling this public case first.

Hence Hai Rui naturally knew that Xu Jie had returned the land and said with a smile, "If he doesn't stir up trouble, I have no grudge against him, so naturally I won't bite and not let go. If he stirs up trouble, then it's not a conflict with me, Hence Hai Rui, but a conflict with the Grand Secretary. At that time, it will naturally be up to the Grand Secretary to deal with him; it won't be my turn."

The beauty of this matter lies here: all the means to make Xu Jie return the land were handled by Zhang Juzheng. If Xu Jie refused to return the land, or if he stirred up trouble after returning it, that would be offending the Senior Grand Secretary of the current dynasty, and naturally, Zhang Juzheng would come forward to deal with him properly.

Hence Hai Rui found that Zhang Juzheng's personality was typical: either don't do it and be evasive, or if you do it, do it thoroughly and to the end.

There were still seven thousand qing of land in the Southern Yamen, which was seven million mu of land waiting to be cleared of encroachment. This great drama had just begun.

Zhang Juzheng nodded and said, "Indeed."

"Luo Gongchen submitted a memorial to reconsider the matter of taxing foreign ships. Foreign ships come from across the ocean and carry a lot of silver. The country has the Single Whip Law, which requires a lot of silver. If foreign ships are not taxed, private families grow richer by the day, while the public treasury grows poorer."

"Let me first talk about my views."

The matter of clearing the encroachment and returning the land in the Southern Yamen continued until the sixth year of Wanli, when it was completely finished, including the land of Xu Jie and his in-laws. In the tenth year of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng passed away amidst the expectations of the people, and that land returned to the hands of the encroaching powerful and wealthy. A long sigh.