[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties":3,"chapter-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-982":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Really Am Not Neglecting My Duties",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2364251,4622,"Chapter 982","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-982",982,"\u003Cp>Ling Yunyi’s face was grim; he stood before the side hall of Wenhua Palace, watching four eunuchs carry a palanquin through Zuoshun Gate, his lips twitching slightly as he said, “Grand Secretary truly has great prestige—your disciples now ride palanquins to court!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even Cao Cao, who wielded the emperor as a puppet to command the lords, only dared enter the palace with sword and boots, without hastening his steps or being named in court salutes—three honors granted to ministers—and yet you dare enter the palace in a palanquin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riding a carriage into the palace was not without precedent; in ancient times, Gongsun Ba, old and frail, rode a carriage to meet Duke Ling of Wei; in the Northern Song, Wen Yanbo and Sima Guang, both aged and weak, were specially permitted by the emperor to enter the palace in palanquins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the Song, which shared rule with scholar-officials, only these two received such privilege—and only when they were too old and feeble to walk, for the journey to court was indeed long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Great Ming, no such precedent existed. Rumor says Marshal Xu Da was granted by Zhu Yuanzhang the honor of riding a court horse to court; whether true or not, Xu Da certainly never used it—had he done so, the Great Ming would not have had only two dukes named Xu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Yunyi’s words carried anger: at the start of the year, Wang Chonggu died; Ling Yunyi marched his three thousand mercenary troops straight to Tianjin Prefecture, only disarming them after personally meeting His Majesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, Ling Yunyi believed Zhang Juzheng intended to usurp the throne; he returned to the capital resolved to die in the emperor’s service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, Ling Yunyi believes Zhang Juzheng’s regency was an act of overreach—had General Qi Jiguang not refused to support him, Zhang would have seized the throne; otherwise, Gao Qiyu’s composition “Shun Also Bestowed the Mandate on Yu” was clearly preparing the ground for usurpation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially with His Majesty, born of noble destiny, so frugal—it makes Ling Yunyi all the more uneasy about Zhang Juzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Ling Yunyi’s words, Zhang Juzheng sharply flicked his sleeves twice and raised his voice: “Vice Grand Secretary Ling! The emperor’s favor to Shen Shixing is not for me—it is not I who rode a palanquin into the palace! It is Shen Shixing, not me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng had long reached the state of impassivity, neither showing joy nor anger—but whenever he discussed ritual propriety with Ling Yunyi, especially when it concerned His Majesty, Zhang would lose his composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Yunyi was nothing like Wang Chonggu; he was no traitor, but a loyal minister—he thanked the emperor for giving him the stage to realize his ambitions, in Guangdong, Shandong, Henan; to ensure the successful land survey in Henan, the emperor even brought the princely families to the Ten Princes’ City in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Ling Yunyi remained loyal to His Majesty, Zhang Juzheng would never oppose him—but this Vice Grand Secretary speaks far too harshly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How is it I who overstepped? The one who overstepped is Shen Shixing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing could no longer smile; upon hearing Gao Qiyu was ill in the morning, he had been radiant—but now, seated in a palanquin entering the palace, he felt the stares of court ministers like thorns in his back, and broke into a cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll walk myself,” Shen Shixing stepped down from the palanquin, refusing to let the Embroidered Uniform Guards under Zhao Meng’s command assist him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to take a step—but a sharp pain seized him, halting him instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meng, seeing Shen Shixing’s face twisted in agony, lips pale, immediately lifted him up: “Vice Minister Shen, don’t make this difficult for us—let us support you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could I have a cane?” Shen Shixing knew he could not walk; if he insisted, his legs would be ruined—he settled for a cane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meng brought a cane; Shen Shixing tried it—still impossible. If this continued, the ligaments would tear completely, requiring surgery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meng handed back the cane and whispered, “Vice Minister Shen, don’t make us suffer—we have the imperial decree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would Shen Shixing really become a cripple over a few steps, over ritual formalities? Zhao Meng could not face His Majesty with such an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if His Majesty asks: “You, a Commander of the Embroidered Uniforms, cannot even support a scholar too weak to hold his own weight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander Zhao, you’ve seen it—court ministers regard me as an enemy. Can you do anything?” Shen Shixing still refused to be carried in; to do so would make him the target of all, and Ling Yunyi’s gaze was already hostile—he was the most extreme among the most radical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the emperor’s decree, Ling Yunyi would dare lead troops to massacre the capital—that was the meaning of his return to Beijing after Wang Chonggu’s death: to intimidate the wicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have a way, Vice Minister Shen—forgive me!” Zhao Meng’s eyes darted, then he seized Shen Shixing, slung him over his shoulder, and strode toward Wenhua Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing, lifted into the air and carried on the commander’s shoulder, was utterly dazed—his dignity and face were now severed from him; this single act would make him the greatest joke of the Great Ming’s two hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it still possible to kill himself? Shen Shixing quickly judged: the deed was done, too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh! Shen Shixing is so obedient? Grand Secretary truly has excellent discipline—excellent discipline—I am truly inferior to Grand Secretary,” Ling Yunyi said, astonished as he watched Shen Shixing try to walk, try the cane, then be carried into Wenhua Palace by the commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Yunyi was not being sarcastic—he was skilled at killing, not at veiled insults. Scholars prized face above all; he was a scholar too, and understood well: Shen Shixing paid a price scholars could not bear for his overreach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Jiguang, witnessing this, said gravely: “Managing affairs is like warfare: first strike with full force, second loses momentum, third exhausts entirely. Changing commanders mid-campaign in the reform of the body-share system and land restitution is a grave military error. Vice Minister Shen truly is loyal to the throne and devoted to the state.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Prince Qi Jiguang, seeing this, had to admit: Shen Shixing indeed possessed profound deference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah,” Zhang Juzheng sighed, watching Shen Shixing’s disgrace, saying nothing more. Riding a palanquin into the palace was the emperor’s grace and special favor—but\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this grace could only be granted in such disgrace, or accusations of overreach would follow in waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing entered the hall, placed his feet on a stool, felt dizzy, then cleared his mind; in moments, he steadied himself—mocked by others? It wouldn’t cost him a single ounce of flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander’s method was perfect: now everyone saw it as a joke, not a crime of overreach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely a little wind and frost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun had reached the rear hall of Wenhua Palace, seated on a yellow rush mat, awaiting court. In the rear hall lay a massive jade stone, weighing ten thousand catties—a deep green jade found by Li Chengliang in the Western Regions, presented last year as a birthday tribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the palace artisans designed and carved it, this became the Great Ming’s largest jade sculpture: greatest in material, longest in transport, most exquisite in carving, largest in form, grandest in spirit—depicting Yu the Great taming the floods, laborers toiling to open mountains and divert rivers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This jade mountain was Zhu Yijun’s most precious carving in his private treasury—without equal. Its value? Priceless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun loved this carving so much he placed it in the rear hall of Wenhua Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuchs faithfully reported the events before the hall to His Majesty; Zhu Yijun, hearing Shen Shixing had been carried into the hall, was startled—had it been those old Confucians, they would have screamed that culture was ruined, face lost, and demanded death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun whispered a few instructions to Feng Bao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three lashes of the ceremonial whip sounded; ministers entered from the side hall. Zhu Yijun waited until all were seated before stepping from the rear hall to the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your subjects pay homage to His Majesty—may His Majesty’s health be well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rise,” Zhu Yijun said, spotting Shen Shixing: “Vice Minister Shen is a man of steadfast virtue—how could I treat him lightly? Bestow a gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao brought forth a purple-purple star of the Supreme Assistant, opened it for all to see, then placed it before Shen Shixing—a palm-sized piece, weighing over a catty, equal in rank to Gao Qiyu’s reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant kowtows to thank His Majesty’s boundless grace,” Shen Shixing, utterly unprepared, realized this gift could sustain his family for generations—sell a little, and his fortune would last a lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was already prepared—I granted it early to Vice Minister Shen. Do well for the state and the people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a scholar-official, Shen Shixing could have forced a sick leave to preserve his reputation—but such leave, as Qi Jiguang said, would be changing commanders mid-campaign, a grave military error, bringing endless complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor denied sick leave; Shen Shixing preferred to lose face rather than fail the task—this conduct was beyond what a corrupt or base Confucian could achieve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Change the palanquin to a shoulder litter,” Zhu Yijun ordered. A shoulder litter differed from a palanquin: a chair with poles tied to each side, carried by men—it was a compromise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if both were carried into the palace, a palanquin was a palanquin—a grave act of overreach; a shoulder litter was a shoulder litter—an imperial favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was, in truth, exploiting a loophole in ritual law: ritual law forbade palanquins as overreach, but said nothing about shoulder litters. To accuse Shen Shixing, one must first determine whether the emperor’s bestowed shoulder litter constituted overreach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the emperor’s bestowed shoulder litter was overreach, then was His Majesty himself wrong? With the emperor’s current authority, no base scholar would dare say so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor glanced around, then asked curiously: “Vice Minister Shen’s health is robust—he traveled far to the Western Regions without illness, yet now suddenly catches a cold?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Yunyi’s expression was odd: “Vice Minister Shen loves cold drinks; yesterday he ate an extra bowl of wild ice cream and caught a chill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bowl of wild ice cream felled Gao Qiyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given Gao Qiyu’s constitution—he had braved storms to journey to the Western Regions and returned unharmed—he should not have been brought down by a single bowl of ice cream. Yet he was ill. The imperial physician confirmed: two or three days, and he would recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiyu had just become Yan Shixuan’s superior—and now he was down. The issues were minor, but Shen Shixing and Gao Qiyu’s consecutive misfortunes made people suspect deeper designs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summon Yao Guang and Yan Shixuan,” Zhu Yijun began today’s court deliberation, calling in the two directors of the Board of Affairs. Yao Guang was chief, Yan Shixuan deputy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, Yao Guang was only a judge of Songjiang Prefecture, while Yan Shixuan was prefect of Hangzhou—Yan should have been chief. But Songjiang Prefecture held special status; its officials naturally ranked one level higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Songjiang Prefecture housed the Huangpu Imperial Palace, built to the same standard as Tonghe Palace, even containing six ministries. Once the highway from Jinan to Yangzhou is complete, His Majesty may travel south at any time to oversee maritime affairs—thus Songjiang Prefecture is an undeclared secondary capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief and deputy directors were not strictly superior-subordinate; both held the rank of Fifth-Rank Director of Rites, reporting directly to Vice Minister of Rites Gao Qiyu, each authorized to report on the affairs of the Pacific Trade Alliance, supervising and cooperating on Board of Affairs matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The court places utmost importance on the Pacific Trade Alliance—this matter is of immense consequence,” Zhu Yijun began his address after the two ministers paid homage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor spoke at length for two full quarters before pausing, covering the Great Ming’s silver shortage, inflow of silver, overseas profits, insufficient economic growth along the coast, promotion of mechanized workshops, transformation of commodity economy, significance of opening the seas, and the role of Jinshan State—fully revealing His Majesty’s ambitions for the Pacific Trade Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ministers Yao and Yan, the Pacific Trade Alliance is the cornerstone of opening the seas, the lifeline of the Great Ming's silver economy, the pulse of our maritime frontier. You must unite in effort, uphold justice, harmonize all merchants, expand profits in all directions. This is not the affair of one prefecture or province—it is a grand plan for the state's eternity. Do not betray my trust, do not disgrace your mission—forge together a glorious maritime future!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servants will never betray Your Majesty's trust—we will do our utmost,\" Yao Guang and Yan Shixuan bowed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Yao, Songjiang Prefecture’s extravagance—do you have a solution?” Zhu Yijun asked his most pressing concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant is dull—no solution,” Yao Guang, handsome but marred by facial scars, thought long before answering honestly—he had no answer for the extravagance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang did not offer empty Confucian platitudes—promoting literature, cultivating virtue, the ruler as moral exemplar—words that sounded wise but achieved nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor was indeed the moral exemplar; his frugality was known even to Western barbarians—yet it changed nothing in Songjiang’s decadence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang did have a solution: close the borders, ban all ships from sailing—Songjiang would instantly lose its maritime supremacy, and extravagance would vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Great Ming court could not bear that pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang’s face darkened: “I am not worried about the powerful and wealthy indulging in luxury—their wealth is immense; their daily spending is less than their earnings; even if they squandered, their fortune would last generations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I fear the poor laborers—poor before they are rich—spending beyond their means for face, for conformity, for belonging, buying goods they cannot afford, just for fleeting pleasure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Shanghai County, West City, there is an old woman, sixty-five, who rises each morning to carry cotton yarn to market, trades it for cotton, spins all day without rest, sleeps little, earns only thirty cash a day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She has a wicked grandson, sixteen, whom the whole family supports to study. Strapped for cash, the grandson demanded silver for an inkstone. When she refused, he murdered her and stole all her money to buy the inkstone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang recounted a case: in Shanghai County’s West City, an old woman who spun cotton earned thirty cash daily; her grandson, studying with family sacrifice, demanded silver for an inkstone, killed her when refused, stole her money, and bought the inkstone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The case was horrifying; Yao Guang, having become a revered Great Meritorious Official in the Headless Case, immediately issued a nationwide manhunt and executed the grandson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the old woman was dead; the boy’s parents protected him and refused to press charges—yet since no one reported the murder, the yamen still intervened, and Yao Guang had the boy beheaded publicly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Poverty before wealth is the greatest evil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang’s face was bewildered: “Foreign goods, furs, silk, clothing, gold, jade, pearls, medicine, theaters, pleasure boats, taverns, teahouses—like mountains, like forests. One stands among them and cannot help but feel dazed, yearning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang truly did not know how to stop Songjiang’s extravagance. In Shanghai, the glittering wealth blinded the eyes, corrupted the heart, drowned men in seas of gold and silver—how could anyone resist such temptation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone chases profit first, everyone seeks quick gains, everyone indulges in luxury and desire—the people’s simple virtue is gone. I am dull—I only feel they are all mad,” Yao Guang sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a steadfast scholar—he carried the people in his heart, possessed great resolve—he could endure it. But how many steadfast scholars were there? In the end, he could only turn his observations into sighs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, court ministers felt the Shanghai county magistrate and Songjiang judge’s helplessness—even despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang had once considered another solution: divide people into ranks, let the first wealthy indulge extravagantly—let a thousand indulge, and a million will find livelihoods; let the rich, through their luxury, lift all to wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried it for a time—then realized it was impossible. An invisible hand, through intricate designs, kept the poor laborers exhausted, never allowing them to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Guang also tried a one-month ban on luxury in Shanghai County—banning excess goods—but soon retracted it, realizing it was unrealistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thousand indulging, a million livelihoods—he had enough prestige in Shanghai County for the ban to be widely obeyed; defying the Great Meritorious Official meant losing his protection, inviting countless calamities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the ban, tens of thousands of poor laborers had no work—and Yao Guang was powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all attempts, the only effective measures against luxury remained: raise high luxury taxes, ban gambling dens, crush prostitution. All other efforts failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Book learning is shallow,” Zhu Yijun said. “I knew of your difficulties from memorials, but I never imagined extravagance was this hard.” He offered no advice—without sufficient basis or understanding, rash decisions were the delusions of the meat-eaters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moving a machine gun ten meters? Impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Songjiang’s extravagance was not a severe problem—where silver pooled, such decadence always arose. When Shen Shixing served as governor of Songjiang, he wrote a poem titled “Reflections on Songjiang’s Material Desires.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven and earth are a great kiln; material desires dance in the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Superficial splendor refines true nature; true gold never fades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven and earth are a single furnace; desires dance in the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frivolous splendor refines the true nature; true gold never withers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven and earth are a vast furnace filled with trials; desires such as mountains of gold and seas of silver serve as the finest fuel—only after being burned in the fire and stripped of all pretense can one’s true nature, original heart, conscience, steadfastness, and resolve be forged; even true gold, repeatedly refined in this furnace, will not perish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, it shines ever brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court is not omnipotent; it cannot control or eradicate the extravagance of the age. All it can do is guide the formation of societal consensus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun further questioned Yan Shixuan on the consolidation of land restitution in Zhejiang, primarily targeting the returnee gangs, and secondarily ensuring land deeds would no longer be absorbed by powerful families—after restitution, land deeds were to be forbidden from sale or transfer. Many intricate details required direct handling by Hou Yuzhao, such as how to deal with estates without heirs, the practice of devouring orphaned households, and long-term leases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All matters in Zhejiang rely on Governor Hou’s diligent efforts,” Zhu Yijun affirmed Hou Yuzhao’s work. Though Old Zhao enjoyed going against the grain, he always acted with integrity; upon returning to court, he could be called a pillar of the Great Ming government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servants take our leave,” Yao Guang and Yan Shixuan said after concluding their official business, choosing to depart from court. They would remain in the capital for seven more days to visit dignitaries, communicate with the Ministry of Rites and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, and meanwhile seek out additional clerks to assume their posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summon the Deputy Prefect of Shuntian, Yang Junmin, to the palace,” Zhu Yijun sat upright and called for another minister—Yang Junmin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Junmin’s career had been fraught with setbacks; since the Jin Party began to fracture, he had failed for years to cross the critical threshold from Prefect to Provincial Administration Commissioner or Provincial Governor. The post of Deputy Prefect of Shuntian had become his furnace—he had not been as fortunate as Shen Yiguan, Wang Yie, or Wang Xiyuan, and had not endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past days, the censors’ accusations had left him utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Criminal Yang Junmin bows before Your Majesty,” Yang Junmin performed the full five prostrations and three kowtows, his tone weary. “I have betrayed Your Majesty’s grace; I humbly beg Your Majesty’s pardon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father, Minister of Personnel Yang Bo, had held high expectations for him, and Yang Junmin had once believed himself gifted enough. But the affairs of the capital were labyrinthine, and his official path had ultimately reached its end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rise,” Zhu Yijun said, smiling at Yang Junmin. “You’ve grown thin since returning to the capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yang Junmin served as Prefect of Songjiang, he had been robust. But the post of Deputy Prefect of Shuntian had worn him down: dark circles under his eyes, sunken cheeks, dull gaze, and even white hairs streaking his temples—he had aged prematurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant is ashamed,” Yang Junmin bowed again, weakly. “The censors’ charges are entirely true—I am guilty of all eight offenses. I failed to discipline my subordinates and merely occupied my post without merit. But Your Majesty, I am indeed incompetent, yet the six divisions of the Shuntian Prefecture are all henchmen of the powerful. I am truly powerless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering the palace, Yang Junmin had immediately admitted the censors’ accusations—but he still offered one defense: this post of Deputy Prefect was simply too difficult!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prefect of Shuntian was rotated among the Six Ministries’ Ministers, but whenever “rotation” was involved, no one took clear responsibility. When Yang Junmin handled urgent matters, he had no one to rely on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Chonggu was still in office, Yang Junmin could still seek aid at Wang Chonggu’s door. After Wang Chonggu left, Yang Junmin was truly at his wit’s end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know,” Zhu Yijun said. “A few days ago, I discussed this issue with Master Zhang. I understand your difficulties, Minister Yang. The censors’ accusations are not your fault. Master Zhang has submitted ‘Memorial on Residing Artisans, Clerks, and Clerk Candidates.’ Read it, Minister Yang, and offer your thoughts.” Zhu Yijun handed Zhang Juzheng’s memorial to Feng Bao, instructing Yang Junmin, as the chief official, to voice his opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant thanks Your Majesty’s boundless grace,” Yang Junmin clearly heard the emperor’s leniency. He dared not delay, read Zhang Juzheng’s memorial, and a pathway appeared before him: residing artisans and clerks, clerk candidates entering the Imperial University, official status, head of the six divisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To transition from artisan to clerk, one must: reside and work for eight years, hold five levels of shareholding, be agile and quick-witted, skilled in scholarship and abacus calculation, and be under thirty-five years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each artisan seeking transfer must undergo examination by the Ministry of Personnel and review, primarily concerning family purity. After approval, transfer is permitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant kowtows in thanks for Your Majesty’s boundless grace!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhang’s words are pearls of wisdom. I also thank Master Zhang for my rebirth,” Yang Junmin had never expected Zhang Juzheng would reach out to him at this critical moment—with a rescue that felt like resurrection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wanli Year One, his father Yang Bo had blocked the Evaluation System. Yang Junmin had personally witnessed the conflict between his father and Zhang Juzheng. Back then, Zhang Juzheng had already shown restraint; otherwise, by seizing the case of Wang Jinglong, he could have implicated Yang Bo’s entire family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This idea came from Commander Qi,” Zhang Juzheng nodded slightly, refusing to take all the credit. “The emperor approved it. I merely added minor refinements. Thank the emperor—he is the one who sought to solve the problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Junmin was a jinshi graduate, a sharp man. After reading the memorial, in a flash of insight, he knew it was absolutely feasible—because the official workshops were a force he could rely on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquisate of Wuding was a hereditary title from the early Ming, and a street in Xicheng was named Marquis Wuding Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquisate of Wuding originally controlled the coal trade at Meishi Kou. In Wanli Year Four, the Marquisate insulted the artisan Hou San of the Xishan Coal Bureau. Wang Chonggu ordered that no coal be supplied to any shop tied to the Marquisate. The Marquis, displeased, appealed to Wang Chonggu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chonggu then issued another order: no coal whatsoever to any business connected to the Marquisate of Wuding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis was even more furious and petitioned the emperor for intervention. The emperor’s vermilion annotation ordered the Marquisate’s household to apologize to the Xishan Coal Bureau—or the official workshops would be in the right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquisate was in the wrong. The household member who had insulted Hou San brought gifts to Wang Chonggu’s residence to apologize—but Wang Chonggu refused to open his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor’s subsequent decree specified that the apology must be made to Hou San, not to Wang Chonggu. To continue business, the Marquisate had no choice but to apologize at the Xishan Coal Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wanli Year Four, when the official workshops had just begun, they already wielded such authority. By Wanli Year Nineteen, the official workshops had become a colossus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The salaries of all officials in the capital were earned by the artisans of the official workshops!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What held true in the capital held true in the provinces as well. The system of official workshops—a fusion of Hongwu’s military colonies and Yongle’s resident artisans—was now revealing its edge, extending its reach, penetrating every corner of the Great Ming, bringing profound change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I humbly beg Your Majesty to allow me to redeem myself through service!” Yang Junmin, once resigned to despair, suddenly felt a surge of determination—he wanted to try once more.\u003C\u002Fp>",4200,"2026-06-21T07:56:02.219Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","58b4960748a720888d0448a646a45c928fa130dc33b4fe0494b2feb04452e80a","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-983","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-981",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-cover.jpg"]