Chapter 236: The Superior Man, Seeing the First Signs, Acts at Once; He Does Not Wait the Whole Day Through (With thanks to Alliance

As Zhu Youjian's words fell, two figures stepped forward almost simultaneously.

The one on the left, his hair and beard touched with frost, his face gaunt and spare — it was Sun Shenxing.

The one on the right, his frame slightly lean, yet his spine ramrod straight — it was Liu Zongzhou.

The moment the two emerged, every gaze in the hall instantly converged upon them.

The assembled ministers exchanged glances, their expressions varied; in the eyes of some, a trace of anticipation could faintly be discerned.

These looks came mostly from those officials who inclined toward the old policies or had only recently been recalled to office.

Yet what was truly intriguing was that even within the new-policy ranks — such seasoned and prudent ministers as Chief Grand Secretary Huang Liji, Second Grand Secretary Li Guopu, and even Hanlin Academician Cheng Jiming and the Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian — their eyes also held a measure of anticipation.

Only the young officials of the Secretariat, along with the new-policy upstarts like Yang Jingchen, Huo Weihua, and Xue Guoguan, furrowed their brows in unison. A true clash had yet to begin, yet already the hall presented a spectacle of sharply drawn lines and every shade of human countenance.

In this world, there has never been a stance without cause; every conflict has its root.

Advantage and disadvantage shift into one another; every contradiction has two faces.

Since the new sovereign ascended the throne, he has acted with thunderous resolve, raising the banner of the "New Policies" and wielding the axe boldly — this has indeed stirred men's hearts and rallied a cohort of capable ministers eager to press forward.

The work of the New Policies has rolled onward almost without impediment.

But the other face of the contradiction is that the "old-policy" officials are being helplessly marginalized, reduced to an excruciatingly awkward role. In the daily coordination meetings, they have no seat.

The red-and-green rewards and punishments that symbolize honor and achievement — they have no share in them.

The various new-policy regulations proclaimed at the grand court assemblies — they are mere listeners.

Even such tangible benefits as salary increases pass them by.

Most infuriating of all is the leave system.

New-policy officials get three days off a month, while they are granted only one.

This is naked discrimination!

If this can be endured, what cannot?

As the quotas for the New Policies gradually narrowed across the various government offices,

many officials who had slowly come to realize they would not be "converted to full status" this year chose, in part, to lie flat and give up; the rest began to huddle together for warmth, attempting to make their voices heard.

The manifold problems arising from this, though not yet fully exposed, had already been comprehensively captured by Zhu Youjian through every channel at his disposal. With his nature of nipping things in the bud — one might even call him a "denizen of the Dao of Caution," conservative to the extreme — he would certainly not wait until this tide truly swept in and reached a completely unmanageable state before belatedly reacting.

Regarding this journey of transmigration, for which there was no turning back and no strategy guide, the depths of Zhu Youjian's heart were constantly gripped by a vast, unresolved dread.

In his fragmentary historical knowledge, the late Ming was a heaven-collapsing opening.

Yet wherever he looked, everything seemed almost too good to be true.

The situation in Shaanxi seemed tolerable; even if the great drought were to begin next year, with the existing reserves and mobilization capacity, they might be able to hold out for a while. He need only wait until the Shaanxi group finished their policy papers, carefully select Shaanxi's governance team, and grant them the authorization to take action against the princely estates — this group of civil officials would likely be more than happy to strip the princes to fatten the people.

In any case, Shaanxi, having enjoyed two years of favorable weather, must have grain reserves now; the only question was in whose hands those reserves lay.

And the threat from Hong Taiji of the Later Jin had, because of a battle at Qingcheng against the Mongols, been layered with a substantial buffer, so that it would not, as in history, suddenly descend upon the capital two years hence.

The prestige of the central government, and the prestige of the Emperor, seemed still at their zenith.

The officials he encountered were far from the irredeemably stupid, greedy, and miserly figures depicted in the history books.

In the floating ledgers, there was seasoned experience in governance; in the official documents, there were genuine, original insights; in the interviews, those who displayed notable ability were beyond counting.

So... how exactly did the Ming fall? It was precisely because the opening was so heaven-sent, so smooth, so utterly calm, that the terror of the abyss ahead loomed ever more starkly!

That devastating drought — would it begin specifically next year? Or the year after? And at what point would it erupt in full force, sweeping across the entire north? Zhu Youjian had not brought an encyclopedia with him; these critical details, he knew none of them!

And so, this unresolved dread, like an invisible hand, kept a constant, faint grip on his heart, robbing him of sleep and appetite. It was for this reason that he drove all the new-policy personnel like a madman, whipping each of them until they spun like tops.

By methods approaching outright extortion, he had, in a mere few months, restructured the working methods of the central government and produced a complete set of new-policy plans so detailed as to be staggering.

The superior man, seeing the first faint signs, acts at once; he does not wait the whole day through.

Zhu Youjian did not know when or in what guise the all-devouring calamity would appear, so he could only crush every possible hidden peril in its infancy, smashing it to pieces with the force of a thunderbolt!

It was for this reason that he had thrown a full third of the court's strength into the mere preparatory work for the New Policies in a single Northern Zhili.

And he had prepared more than double the number of local officials to serve as supervisors, policy formulators, and managers of performance-assessment tasks.

But in the eyes of many ministers, this was simply too excessive.

How could His Majesty go to such lengths!

Too hasty, too urgent, too excessive!

How could His Majesty distrust the realm to this degree?

In their view, with a sage sovereign presiding over the court, the national situation was steadily improving; so long as the sage sovereign sat firmly at the center, proceeding step by step and advancing gradually, everything would turn out well. Governing a great state is like cooking a small fish.

Even if the conflict between population and land truly existed, once the problem was discovered and brought into the open, everything became manageable.

So long as the sage sovereign did not suddenly change course to pursue immortality, then by handling matters slowly, success was surely attainable.

What need was there to slice things up like this within two months?

What need was there to speak of pacifying the Liao in ten years and restoring vitality in twenty, while the actual actions surged forward in such a wild, headlong rush?

The joys and sorrows of one man cannot be shared by another.

The Emperor, who knew the truth of the coming apocalypse, and the ministers, who rejoiced at the advent of a sage sovereign, could find no resonance whatsoever.

The entire court had thus imperceptibly formed a tide of opposition to haste and impetuosity.

This tide was not opposed to the New Policies, nor did it say there should be no reform; it merely hoped for things to be slower, gentler, more unhurried.

Governing a great state is like cooking a small fish. This was the supreme truth they held in faith.

Therefore, this "Critical Study Daily Lecture on Zhang Juzheng's New Policies," organized by the Hanlin Academy under Cheng Jiming's leadership, was not only the Emperor's wish but the urgent desire of the assembled ministers!

The last time Cheng Jiming reported, he had said the Hanlin Academy was still sorting through historical materials and memorials and would need at least half a month before the first Daily Lecture could be held.

The assembled ministers said in public, "Very well, very well, no hurry, no hurry."

As a result, within three days, he was visited in turn by the Chief Grand Secretary, the Second Grand Secretary, and the Ministers of each board, all "inquiring about his progress."

That onslaught forced Cheng Jiming, in great haste, to spend a mere ten days whipping the entire Hanlin Academy into sorting through a rough set of materials, thus convening this first Daily Lecture.

The Secretariat, all members of the various committees, and the Eternal Prosperity Emperor attended together. Any interested official from the various ministries and bureaus was permitted to participate. The vast Wenhua Hall was packed solid with over two hundred people.

The meeting began. The officials of the Hanlin Academy cited classics and precedents, sharing case after case from the Wanli era.

The civil officials attending the conference, some openly and some obliquely, kept trying to steer the young monarch upon the throne.

"Your Majesty, regarding the Wanli land surveys, the so-called resistance and opposition amounted to nothing more than civil officials attacking Lord Jiangling. If Your Majesty now sincerely resolves the nature of the matter, such petty tactics can hardly be called resistance."

"Your Majesty, when the fields were surveyed during the Wanli era, although there were murmurs in the localities, the process was ultimately smooth — which shows that local resistance is not so fearsome after all." "Your Majesty, this matter touches the foundation of the state, and there is no harm in waiting a moment. We could attempt it when the summer tax is due next year; that would not be too late."

"Your Majesty, for the single region of Northern Zhili, why must we mobilize on such a scale? Simply assigning a few capable and resolute officials would be enough to accomplish the task." Of course, just who these "capable and resolute officials" might be — that would naturally require further earnest discussion.

Yet Zhu Youjian, upon the throne, let all these veiled and open remonstrances go in one ear and out the other.

He simply listened in silence, his entire mind absorbed in the details of those case studies.

At last, after Junior Compiler Fu Guan of the Hanlin Academy finished presenting a case in which "local worthies assisted the survey, governance was harmonious and the people compliant," the Emperor spoke. This was the Emperor's first question.

"Junior Compiler Fu, you just stated that the success of the Wanli new policies largely depended on localities nominating men of 'high virtue and great prestige' to take charge and supervise. In that case, what is meant by 'high virtue and great prestige'? Who defines it? And how can we guarantee that those nominated are truly men of high virtue and great prestige, and not local strongmen, relying on rogue underlings and clerks, using the opportunity to push forward puppets who will monopolize the new policy's field-survey work?"

This rapid string of questions instantly beaded Fu Guan's forehead with fine sweat — the same Fu Guan who had just moments ago been speaking eloquently.

He opened his mouth, mumbled for a long moment, and in the end could only bow and say: "This subject… this subject is dull-witted. After the session, I shall consult in detail with colleagues who have experience serving in local posts to supplement this information."

The Emperor nodded, showed no anger, and continued listening to the lecture.

They had just finished hearing the eight articles of the Wanli land survey when the Emperor's second question came.

"Junior Compiler Hua, the core of the Wanli survey's eight articles lies in 'survey where the quota is deficient; exempt where it is whole.'"

"Its essence was to restore the original fixed quotas of land taxes."

"But now our Great Ming's population has multiplied, far exceeding the early years of the dynasty. To use the wealth of sixty million people to sustain a realm of one hundred and fifty million people — is that feasible?"

Junior Compiler Hua Qifang of the Hanlin Academy stood frozen on the spot, speechless, and could only cast a helpless glance toward his immediate superior, Cheng Jiming. The Emperor's third question, however, had already settled its gaze upon Cheng Jiming.

"So, the Wanli new policies sought only to recover the former quotas."

"But what we intend to carry out now is a thorough survey — to levy the taxes of one hundred and fifty million people upon those one hundred and fifty million people! The interests that must be seized from powerful magnates, corrupt clerks, and the gentry in this process — how can they compare to those in the Wanli new policies?"

"The level and scale of resistance that such a thorough survey can provoke — how could it possibly be identical to that under the Wanli new policies?"

"Therefore, in the Wanli surveys, the localities saw only half-hearted and incomplete surveying, never outright resistance to the survey itself. Can such case studies truly serve as references for today?"

Cheng Jiming's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. He looked helplessly toward Chief Grand Secretary Huang Liji, but only received in return Huang Liji's lowered eyelids, sitting upright as a pine, as if he saw nothing.

The Emperor still did not grow angry, only continuing to press for the details that concerned him.

"Junior Compiler Hua, in the fifth article of the Wanli survey's eight articles — 'Strictly enforce the law against concealment and deception' — it states that those who voluntarily confess shall be exempted from punishment, while powerful families who conceal and usurp land shall be banished and severely punished. We wish to know: in actual practice, did powerful families truly come forward to declare voluntarily? Are there actual instances of those who did not declare being banished?"

"Were such cases many or few? What proportion did they constitute?"

This question was relatively simple. The pitiable Hua Qifang steadied himself and replied respectfully: "In reply to Your Majesty, after this session, this subject shall immediately go to the Ministry of Justice and consult the Wanli-era memorials to search for past cases."

This was not the end.

The Emperor's fourth question, the Emperor's fifth question, the Emperor's sixth question… the Emperor's forty-second question!

One question after another, each faster than the last, each striking more directly at the heart and hitting closer to the vital point than the one before!

Throughout Wenhua Hall, the harmonious atmosphere of tactful remonstrance from the beginning gradually transformed into rapt, fully concentrated listening.

Toward the end, some ministers could no longer restrain themselves. Having obtained His Majesty's permission, they rose to speak, debating a certain issue with other ministers on the spot. Everyone forgot the original purpose of convening this meeting and became utterly immersed in this policy deliberation of the highest standard and deepest level — unprecedented since the founding of the Great Ming.

One historical source after another was relentlessly cross-examined; one memorial after another was reinterpreted. Officials hailing from various regions stood up to offer testimony from their own personal experience.

The most wretched were, on the contrary, the officials of the Hanlin Academy who had organized the affair. Each was questioned until drenched in sweat, faces pale, nearly collapsing to the ground. The Hanlin Academician had said at the start: just prepare a simple first draft. He never said it would be to such a standard!

Yet when the Daily Lecture finally concluded, and everyone assumed the Emperor would be thunderously enraged, rebuking the Hanlin Academy for inadequate preparation —

Zhu Youjian, upon the throne, suddenly clapped his hands and let out a hearty laugh.

"Learning, inquiry — learning through inquiry, inquiring through learning. This is precisely it!"

"The questions We posed today were not meant to find fault with you, our ministers. When you know a thing, to know that you know it; when you do not know, to know that you do not know."

"Those who know answer; those who answer then debate. This is true scholarship; this is truly planning affairs for the state!"

"Only today have We truly beheld the genuine brilliance of you, our masters!"

With these words, this young Son of Heaven, facing the assembled officials filling the hall, performed a slight bow — the barest gesture of the ritual between teacher and student.

It was this single gesture that instantly reddened the eyes of several senior Junior Compilers of the Hanlin Academy, nearly bringing them to tears on the spot.

The majesty of Heaven is unfathomable; the grace of Heaven is boundless!

In the end, the sagacious and enlightened Eternal Prosperity Sovereign not only showed no anger but granted the members of the Hanlin Academy a day's leave and rewarded each with ten taels of silver.

Of course, accompanying all these rewards came new task deadlines…

First: in fifteen days, a second study session shall be convened.

Second: after the discussions are compiled, a third study session shall be convened, timed to fit into the training schedule for local officials of Northern Zhili, so that the officials about to assume their posts may attend as observers.

In short, after this round of kneading and molding, of carrots and sticks, it was only when those conservative ministers among the new policies stepped out of Wenhua Hall and were struck by the cold wind outside that they abruptly realized:

Their plan to change the new sovereign's mind this time… had apparently failed again.

It was precisely because of these many reasons that the various figures in the hall today held their myriad positions.

The gazes of men like Huang Liji and Li Guopu drifted involuntarily toward the two figures still standing in the hall, who had yet to speak. Now, the sole remaining hope rested upon these veteran Donglin ministers, renowned in the past for their moral integrity and unbending remonstrance.

Perhaps only they could make this galloping His Majesty slow his pace a little, steady himself a little.

After all, a sage sovereign presides over the court, the fortunes of the state are gradually improving — why must there be such urgency?

Back then, the various new policies of the Wanli Emperor, in the final analysis, needed only a single capable minister to carry them out.

Why must it now come to this — rolling up a full third of the entire court's strength and hurling it wholesale into a single, trifling Northern Zhili?

At such a scale, if the landlords, magnates, bandits, and corrupt clerks of Northern Zhili heard of it, they would likely pack their bags, grab their bundles, and flee the capital region overnight.

But let us not dwell on past matters.

And now, within Wuying Hall.

Those two figures, bearing the final hopes of many "new-policy conservatives," at last stirred.

Liu Zongzhou and Sun Shenxing exchanged a glance. The former gave a slight salute with clasped hands, stepped back half a pace, and sat down first, signaling that Sun Shenxing should speak first. Sun Shenxing drew a deep breath; upon his aged, gaunt face was the grim resolve of a man who has burned his boats.

Facing the throne, he spoke in a clear, ringing voice.

"What this subject memorializes today may be somewhat perverse, and may even offend the sovereign. Yet these are all words from this subject's heart and lungs, suppressed for a long time — I cannot but speak them!"

"Your Majesty! This realm is not beyond reform — it is precisely... that reform has come far too late!"

At these words, a faint stir of murmuring rippled through the hall. Everyone thought they had misheard.

Were you not here to counsel a more measured pace? Why do you sound so urgent?

But what Sun Shenxing said next was even more earth-shattering.

"And yet, to reform — it must not be done in this manner! This system of New Governance and Old Governance is a great fallacy! Truly, it is the beginning of calamity for the realm!"

As his voice fell, a deathly silence descended upon the hall. One by one, the officials raised their eyes and stole cautious glances toward Zhu Youjian upon the throne.

Yet on the young Son of Heaven's face, his expression did not change in the slightest. He even maintained a mild smile.

He raised a hand slightly toward Sun Shenxing and said in a gentle voice:

"Minister Sun, please speak freely and to your heart's content."

"We are all ears."