Chapter 240: The Three Matters of Heaven, Earth, and Man

As a "former senior internet beast of burden," how could Zhu Youjian possibly not prepare contingency plans?

It's no different from launching a massive promotional campaign without readying backup servers!

If it crashes, in later ages you could sacrifice a few programmers to the heavens. Here in Northern Zhili, who can you sacrifice?

But there was no help for it — the things demanding his attention lately were simply too many.

On one hand, the window of time was limited.

By Great Ming statute, the summer tax opens its granaries in the fifth month and must be collected in full by the seventh; the autumn tax opens in the tenth month and must be collected in full by the twelfth.

For these county magistrates of Northern Zhili to enter the capital at this point already consumes a third of the autumn tax collection period — there is absolutely no possibility of further delay.

Therefore, all evaluation and training work must be fully completed before the end of the eleventh month.

Then these hundred-odd local officials produced by the evaluation and training will be sent back to their posts across Northern Zhili, letting them use the autumn tax collection to first take the measure of local conditions.

To put it even more ruthlessly —

If a local official cannot collect the taxes in full by the twelfth month, then no matter how well he performed in the preceding evaluation and training, a deep question mark will likely have to be placed against his execution ability and attitude.

This autumn tax was, from the start, a new round of assessment.

On the other hand, there was the restless anxiety in Zhu Youjian's heart.

The entire era was changing beyond recognition with every passing day.

And the more loyal his ministers appeared, the more the court situation seemed to be gradually improving, the more flustered he grew inside, always feeling there was something he still had not thought of.

And so he pressed the entire New Policies team to work all the harder.

Did he really not understand the veiled remonstrances his ministers offered during the Zhang Juzheng study sessions?

He was merely pretending not to understand.

Lately he had even begun to suffer faint insomnia; in the deep stillness of night, he would often stare blankly out at the empty palace halls.

Most fortunately, his beloved Changqiu was warm and gentle as jade, cool in summer and warm in winter to hold, soft as if boneless, soothing his wandering soul to no small degree.

But no matter what!

By now, the several dozen empty rooms for the interviews had been swept spotlessly clean by the inner attendants, and all the desks, chairs, brushes, ink, and tea had been properly arranged.

The collation and filing of the native places and career records of all officials in the capital — completed.

The roster assigning groups for the cross-review of the summary reports soon to be submitted — sorted and finished.

The scheduling and notifications for the hundreds of officials in the interview segment had also been posted.

Even the small-scale supplementary recruitment examination prepared for those juren who failed selection had been arranged at the same time.

Matter upon matter, piece upon piece, tangled like hemp, a thousand threads and ten thousand loose ends.

Yet no matter how hurried, how chaotic the process, this first wave of preparations had, in the end, been brute-forced through by the New Policies team.

A great part of the work pressure to follow would now shift from Zhu Youjian and his core makeshift crew onto the entire bureaucratic body of the capital — onto those officials about to serve as evaluators and interviewers.

The New Policies team would now mostly bear only the secretarial work of coordination, record-keeping, and summarization.

Thus, these beasts of burden, squeezed at high intensity for over a month, could at last move on to the next wave of busyness.

This time, however, the contingency planning work was not so urgent as the Northern Zhili evaluation, with the fire singeing the eyebrows and every hour counting.

The timeline could be relaxed a little; completing it before the first year of Yongchang would suffice.

Ah, such is the fundamental character of the great sage sovereign Zhu Youjian — so very benevolent!

Zhu Youjian settled back into his imperial desk, a smile on his face, and continued.

"If nothing unexpected occurs, by the twelfth month of next year, the first phase of the New Policies we have designed for Northern Zhili will be formally concluded."

"At that time, the bonus payouts We have promised, and that one-million-tael bounty, must all be disbursed in full."

"However —"

Zhu Youjian paused deliberately, letting his gaze slowly sweep across every person before him.

"In any campaign, one does not contemplate victory without first contemplating defeat."

"Since we are treating the New Policies as an unprecedented great campaign, we ought all the more to regard it according to the specifications of war."

"Before now, we have been discussing how this war should be fought. Now, it is time to supplement that with contingency plans for all manner of unexpected situations."

"Today We shall first raise a few points, then assign tasks. In between, any of you may supplement at will, or take the initiative to claim a task. If any task goes unclaimed, We shall call upon someone by name."

At this, Zhu Youjian looked around at everyone, carefully observing the expressions on their faces.

The various ministers wore grave looks; only Liu Zongzhou, for some unknown reason, had reddened eyes, as though he had just been weeping.

As for the members of the Secretariat, each and every one was listening with focused attention, pen tips poised above paper, ready to take notes at any moment.

Some of the newly selected young secretaries, attending a meeting of this level for the first time, even leaned slightly forward, their faces bearing a trace of pilgrim-like reverence.

Not bad, not bad — morale is serviceable.

From the look of things so far, this herd of beasts of burden had not yet suffered a collapse of spirit; under high pressure, there was even a hint of exhilaration.

Perhaps this was the merit of the one-rest-day-per-three work cycle? And if so, then the merit ultimately belongs to Us.

Having made this simple assessment of the various beasts' mental endurance, Zhu Youjian dispensed with further preamble and spoke directly.

"Matters will never proceed entirely according to our most perfect preconceptions. To count on everything going smoothly is unrealistic."

As was his custom, he opened with an example.

"In former times, when Confucius served as minister in Lu, he wished to raze the three ducal citadels in order to strengthen the ducal house and weaken the private clans. This was a policy to make the state strong. Yet before it was half done, enemies from within and without arrived together. Outside, mighty Qi massed its troops at the border; inside, the Three Huan clans pulled at his elbows. In the end, success was within reach yet the effort failed. Confucius departed Lu and wandered through the various states."

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept across the assembly, his voice sinking low.

"Gentlemen, the Sage Confucius's reform was not ill-conceived. It was too well-conceived — it moved the very foundations of men's power. To the outside, it became a tiger crouching at the bedside of a neighboring state; to the inside, it severed the hereditary roots of the great officers. With inner and outer forces joining to strangle it, how could it not fail?"

"Our New Policies now seem calm and untroubled on the surface. Yet once they begin to show real effect — who will be today's Qi, today's Three Huan?"

"Therefore, having finished laying out the New Policies framework and dealing with the abuses of the old policies, it is precisely time to discuss contingency plans for the New Policies' implementation, so as to avoid repeating the story of Confucius."

"Today We shall make a start, first setting the framework of tasks. Afterward, each person will take up a task, refine and perfect the plan, and we shall choose another day for formal discussion."

Zhu Youjian pondered in silence for a moment, then extended one finger.

"The first issue I can think of is the timing of the heavens."

"The North China plain has always seen little rain, and what rain comes is irregular. Drought and flood disasters are extremely common."

"If the new policies are to be implemented, we must make every preparation. Should the coming year bring a great drought to Northern Zhili, or a great flood, what are we to do?"

"Let us begin our deliberations with this matter. All my ministers may speak freely."

A brief pause fell over the hall.

Xue Guoguan, the Prefect of Shuntian, was the first to rise.

"This subject believes that while drought and flood are matters of heavenly timing, they also stem from human affairs. By human affairs, I mean the neglect of water conservancy."

"In the lands of Northern Zhili, ever since the Hongzhi reign, local governance has gradually slackened and waterworks have fallen into disrepair. As a result, river channels have silted up and dikes have collapsed. Thus we often suffer the affliction where a light rain brings flooding, while a prolonged dry spell brings drought."

"This subject believes that the construction of water conservancy works could be made a key item in performance evaluations, to supervise each county. The labor can be levied during the agricultural off-season; the funds can be solicited through contributions from the local gentry and great households."

The moment his voice fell, Xue Fengxiang, the Minister of Works, rose immediately after.

"Including water conservancy in performance evaluations is indeed excellent."

"However, the rivers of Northern Zhili — such as the Yongding and the Chaobai — often span several prefectures and counties. If the authority for surveying and planning is devolved to each county, I fear the measurements will be inconsistent, authority and responsibility will be unclear, and the opposite effect will arise: the evil of buck-passing. This would be inconvenient for the work."

He paused briefly, glanced at the Emperor, and then continued.

"This subject requests that the Ministry of Works take overall charge of surveying, grasp the entire picture, formulate the strategy, and then assign the projects to the counties along the route for implementation."

As these words were spoken, they carried a faint hint of a power grab.

But the assembled ministers all shared an unspoken understanding: since this was the stage for expressing views, each would state his own case. This was not yet the time for debate.

At this point, another person rose, which slightly surprised everyone — it was Li Biao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

"This subject believes that water conservancy works — whether building dikes, constructing sluice gates, or digging canals — all entail considerable expense."

"Yet if we speak of combating drought and relieving the people, the simplest and most easily implemented method is none other than well-digging."

"This subject is a native of Zhending, and this method is quite common in the countryside there. In any village that digs wells, even in a drought year, they can still preserve a portion of their crops. Moreover, a single brick-lined well costs no more than a tael or so. If this were included in performance evaluations, with the number of wells determined according to local conditions, it would be most appropriate."

This argument for well-digging rather piqued Zhu Youjian's interest.

A single well actually cost only one tael?

And in times of drought, did groundwater still exist?

The city bumpkin Zhu Youjian knew absolutely nothing about these matters, but he was already planning that when the detailed policy papers were submitted later, he would summon some craftsmen well-versed in well-digging to the palace for a face-to-face meeting.

Next, Su Maoxiang, the Governor-General of the Granaries and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, also rose and set forth two matters.

"First, I request a thorough inspection of all granaries in the capital, to clarify the stockpiles and prepare for allocation."

"Second, I request that the establishment of Ever-Normal Granaries be incorporated into performance evaluations. At this moment, as the autumn tax grain enters the storehouses, grain prices are low. The government can take this opportunity to purchase and stockpile grain, to fill the granaries and prepare for famine years."

After that, several more people spoke.

For instance, Grand Secretary Huang Liji memorialized that this year's minor drought made it necessary to guard against locusts the following year. He proposed ordering the lijia units, during the agricultural off-season, to search every hillside and gully, and wherever locust eggs were found, to destroy them at once.

And Xu Guangqi, for his part, once again expounded the benefits of the sweet potato.

"The sweet potato is a drought-resistant crop. Although it cannot serve as a staple grain, if the people are made to plant it along the footpaths between fields, or on hillsides with thin soil, then should a year of great drought and crop failure come, it can still serve as the basis for famine relief."

Yes, although this old gentleman had been blasted head-on by the Emperor a few days ago and had been utterly dejected for a dozen days or so,

for some unknown reason, these past few days he had suddenly rallied his spirits and once again begun ceaselessly submitting memorials to the palace.

Zhu Youjian did not understand what marvelous change had occurred in his belief system, but so long as he was willing to work, Zhu Youjian would certainly not refuse him.

Thus, Comrade Old Xu now also held a seat in the new policy team.

By the time this round of speeches was over, the secretaries in charge of recording had already densely written down over a dozen points of view.

Seeing that no one else was rising of their own accord, Zhu Youjian then turned his gaze toward Qi Xinxiao.

Qi Xinxiao, the head of the Northern Zhili New Policy Group, immediately took the hint. He stood, clasped his hands toward the assembly, and said, "Sirs, your views have all been recorded by us. Tomorrow, I shall consult with the various Grand Secretaries, make a rough division of the various tasks, and once formal documents are drawn up, I will convene the relevant personnel item by item to hold meetings for detailed discussion."

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, motioned for him to sit, and spoke again.

"Let us set aside the matter of heavenly timing for now. Next, we shall discuss the advantage of terrain."

"Beyond Northern Zhili, the border threats are none other than the Mongols and the Jurchen on two fronts."

"After the battle of Qingcheng, what are the intentions of the Tumed, Kharachin, and other tribes? Will the Chahar tribe's Khutugtu Khan submit because of this, or will he harbor resentment, and even secretly contact the Jurchen?"

"As for the Jurchen, they have always sent men to the capital to secretly purchase the Capital Gazette. They will have heard something of our dynasty's new policies. Will they sit idly by and wait for death? If they intend to move, where will they seek to exploit a gap?"

"These matters must all be examined. My ministers, let us discuss them as well."

As the Son of Heaven's voice fell, one could hear a pin drop in the hall.

The eagerness with which the matter of "heavenly timing" had been discussed a moment ago vanished in an instant.

War is a matter of life and death, a path to survival or ruin.

Discussing military affairs at the new policy conference required the utmost caution.

Everyone was well aware that this young new monarch was no longer the complete layman ignorant of military affairs that he had been when he first ascended the throne.

He went to the Valiant Guard Camp every single day, frequently summoned frontier garrison generals for in-depth talks, and his insight into military affairs at least surpassed that of many civil officials.

If anyone dared, at this moment, to spout grandiose talk based merely on historical records and hearsay without solid evidence, what awaited them would be an immediate and merciless public rebuke.

Silence is the hardest to endure, and the atmosphere in the hall grew somewhat suffocating.

At last, after repeatedly turning a draft over in his mind, Huo Weihua, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, was the first to stand and break the silence.

He straightened his official robes and spoke in a deep voice: "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject believes that the matter of border threats can be addressed in three steps."

"First, 'knowing.' We must plant spies beyond the borders to foresee the enemy's movements."

"Second, 'preparing.' If the enemy comes to invade, which route will they take, how many troops will they raise — we must have thorough contingency plans so that we are not thrown into confusion when battle comes."

"Third, 'fighting.' Once the contingency plans are in place, we must have elite troops that can be dispatched and maneuvered, to mobilize and meet them."

"If these three are all prepared, supplemented by the swiftness of the radio, then across the thousand li of Northern Zhili, troops can be assembled within a single day. Even if the Mongols and the Jurchen each raise fifty thousand men, this subject believes —"

Huo Weihua paused briefly at this point, once again carefully weighing his words, before continuing: "— we might perhaps keep the new policies undisturbed by them."

Huo Weihua finished speaking and sat down, but for a moment no one else rose.

Matters of weather and season — even if there are oversights, they can still be attributed to natural calamity. One can proceed step by step, building waterworks and granaries, and there remains room to maneuver when the performance audits come.

But in military affairs, every word and every deed bears upon the fate of the realm. No one dares lightly chime in and second a proposal.

That Huo Weihua dared to be the first to stand and set up a framework — that was already an immense act of shouldering responsibility.

Another stretch of awkward silence followed.

At last, Hong Chengchou, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs, after weighing the matter back and forth repeatedly, also rose to his feet.

A few days earlier, at the Court of Colonial Affairs' first briefing, he had recklessly made promises about the pacification timetable for the various Mongol tribes and been furiously rebuked by the new sovereign for "treating the Nine Frontiers as child's play." Now he was exceptionally cautious.

"What Vice Minister Huo has said is entirely correct. On this matter of 'knowing,' my Court of Colonial Affairs may perhaps be able to shoulder a portion."

"Next month is His Majesty's Longevity Festival. All the Mongol tribes must send envoys to the capital to offer tribute."

"This subject believes we can take that occasion to also invite Ligdan Khan to come. When the time comes, observing his reaction will give us a rough sense of where his heart truly lies."

"Beyond that, dividing and winning over the various Mongol tribes is also a proper task for the Court of Colonial Affairs."

At this point, he shifted his tone and layered on some armor of his own.

"That said, this subject has, after all, only just taken charge of the Court of Colonial Affairs. All matters are still being sorted out. Whether I can truly bend the tribes to my use, I dare not rashly make any definite claim."

"This matter, perhaps, must still wait until Military Commissioner Xiangru returns to the capital, and then be discussed in detail."

This speech was flawlessly watertight — it both accepted responsibility and left nothing nailed down.

Running one's mouth was not permitted, but in this new sovereign's eyes, refusing to shoulder responsibility was an even graver offense.

Hong Chengchou had clearly grasped the inner logic of it.

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, his face expressionless, neither approving nor disapproving. His gaze continued to sweep across the hall, waiting in silence.

A moment later, Ma Shilong, who had just returned to the capital from Datong, finally rose as well.

"Your Majesty, on the matter of 'knowing,' Liaodong will also bear its share." His voice was steady, each word ringing like metal on stone. "When this subject returns to Liaodong this time, I shall send out scouts far and wide and rebuild the beacon-tower relay network. While auditing military pay, I shall also ensure that fighting strength does not decline and the defense line does not crumble."

Zhu Youjian waited another moment, but no fourth person rose.

This stood in stark contrast to the lively fervor when they had been discussing the people's livelihood just before.

Yet he was not angry, for this situation was, in a sense, something he had deliberately steered into being.

In matters of civil governance and the people's condition, one must listen widely to become enlightened and encourage the many to speak.

But on the military side — if you are not an insider, then do not casually pop up and squawk.

In particular, certain men from the Hanlin Academy who had never set foot in Liaodong or the Nine Frontiers, who had merely read some old memorials and essays and then spouted grand pronouncements at whim — all of them had been harshly rebuked by him.

It was just that — looking at it today, the bowstring seemed to have been drawn a little too taut. Later on, it would still need to be loosened somewhat.

Governing a great realm and ordering its administration is, in the end, about seeking that optimal point of balance between leniency and severity.

Seeing that no one else was rising, Zhu Youjian ceased waiting and began directly assigning tasks.

"Vice Minister Huo's framework is excellent. We shall take it as a foundation and break it down a little further."

"First: 'knowing' the enemy. The Mongol front shall be the primary responsibility of the Court of Colonial Affairs. The Liaodong front shall be the primary responsibility of Sun Chengzong and Ma Shilong."

Hearing this, Hong Chengchou and Ma Shilong immediately bowed in unison: "This subject obeys the imperial will!"

"Second: 'preparing' for war. Sun Chuanting of the Secretariat's military section shall take the lead, coordinating with the Bureau of Operations of the Ministry of War and those officers in the Valiant Guard Camp well-versed in the military affairs of the Nine Frontiers. Based on past military dispatches and intelligence, they shall sort out the enemy's possible lines of advance and force scales, and draft several sets of contingency response plans."

Sun Chuanting rose, cupped his hands, and accepted the order: "This subject obeys the imperial will!"

"Third: 'fighting' strength. The troops available to us, We divide into three parts."

"The first is the Capital Camps. Beginning this month, the Capital Camps shall be reorganized to serve as a centrally positioned reserve for support."

"The second is the border troops at the Ji Garrison, Miyun, Yongping, and other points. These form the front line of a thousand li of border defense. For now, no large-scale reorganization shall be undertaken, lest we cause disorder and give the enemy an opening to exploit."

"The third is western Liaodong. The Liaodong Military Commission has been in place for years; the cities and fortresses are stout. The Jurchen have just suffered a defeat and their edge has been blunted — this is precisely the moment suited for consolidation and drill."

"Let Ma Shilong, upon returning to his post, immediately draw out and train an elite force in the vicinity of Yu Pass. In ordinary times, they shall practice maneuvers and formations. Should the Ji Garrison raise an alarm, they shall march west to reinforce it; should Jinzhou send word of crisis, they shall shift north to look after it. This shall be a mobile corps."

When Zhu Youjian reached this point, his gaze settled upon Ma Shilong.

"The way of forging troops lies first in excellence, second in numbers."

"When the troops are ready, they shall enter the capital in batches, and We shall personally review them. If they are truly crack troops, rewards shall follow without a moment's delay. For one regiment of crack troops, We shall add one full rank of honor. For five regiments, We shall add five full ranks of honor."

Zhu Youjian fixed his eyes on Ma Shilong and asked in a deep voice: "Minister Ma, how many ranks of honor do you currently hold?"

Ma Shilong's heart tightened. Cupping his hands, he replied: "In reply to Your Majesty, this subject, for the Battle of Qingcheng, received His Majesty's gracious reward and was granted three full ranks and five fractional ranks of honor…"

"Good." Zhu Youjian nodded. "Then today, We shall not hesitate to speak even more plainly."

"The chronic maladies of the army in times past, We know them all too well. But what is past is past — We do not intend to pursue it."

"You already bear thirty-five fractional ranks of honor. If you can forge fifty thousand crack troops for Us, you shall be granted an additional five full ranks."

"At that point, choose a favorable moment, on a pre-selected battlefield, against a pre-selected enemy, and fight a fair and square battle against the true Jurchen chieftain himself!"

"This battle need not be a great victory. It need only be no defeat — or a small victory will suffice."

"If it can be accomplished, it will shatter the false myth that 'the true Jurchen are invincible.' Upon that achievement, We shall immediately add five full ranks of honor."

"Thus accumulated, it will be a hundred ranks of honor — a deed worthy of ennoblement."

Zhu Youjian leaned forward slightly, fixed his gaze on Ma Shilong, and asked, word by word: "Minister Ma, how about it? Do you have the confidence to become, since Our Great Ming's New Policies began, the first man ennobled for military merit?"

Ma Shilong drew a deep breath, striving to calm the surging emotion in his chest.

Fifty thousand crack troops! One battle without defeat! And directly, plainly, a count's title would be in his hands!

And yet —

If he, Ma Shilong, could truly seize this first merit of ennoblement, how could his whole life's achievement stop at a mere count's title!

One must know, this year he was only thirty-four!

Ma Shilong rose, intending to cup his hands and accept the order, but felt that was slightly insufficient. So he simply stepped away from his seat and prostrated himself.

After performing the full ceremony of obeisance, Ma Shilong raised his head, every word ringing like struck metal.

"This first noble title for military merit — this subject shall surely seize it!"

Zhu Youjian nodded, and did not put on any show of leaving his throne to help him up.

The closer it gets to the present, the higher the public fee he demands for playing along with the act.

As for the definition of what this ennoblement aims at.

Zhu Youjian does not even think the bar is too low — he thinks it is too high!

If not for protecting the prestige of the new system's titles, Zhu Youjian would be itching to hand out noble rewards right now.

After all, the posthumous ennoblements of the Jiajing and Wanli eras are simply too remote for the civil and military officials of today's Great Ming.

Only noble rewards that are tangible, happening right beside them, and seemingly within arm's reach can truly ignite a frenzy across the entire officialdom.

On the military merit side, Ma Shilong looks like the most promising candidate.

On the civil official side, he must also prop up an example — but who that person will be, he is not yet certain.

Zhu Youjian waved Ma Shilong back to his seat, spoke lightly, and pressed the conference forward.

"Having finished with the matter of terrain, what follows is the matter of men."

He swept his gaze around the room, straining to capture every expression.

"The many items of the new policies will inevitably encroach upon the interests of the ennobled merit families, imperial affines, local magnates, and palace eunuchs."

"The matter of the palace eunuchs, the matter of the imperial affines — We shall handle these Ourself."

"But how will the local magnates and the ennobled merit families react?"

"Will the old affairs of the Three Huan houses and the Tian clan of Qi replay themselves? We wish to hear your views."

With this question laid down, the assembled ministers could not help but look at one another in consternation; the atmosphere in the hall grew even more awkward than when they had discussed terrain and military affairs.

This new sovereign's estimation of men's hearts was simply too malicious.

And this malice, as his grip on power grew firmer by the day, was now ever less concealed.

At today's grand assembly, it was laid utterly bare, as he bluntly named the key groups one by one.

In this region of Northern Zhili, land annexation surpasses even that of the south, not falling short in the slightest.

And among its chief drivers — what so-called landlords and local magnates?

The culture of letters is weak in Northern Zhili; historically, many of those who passed the provincial examinations in Northern Zhili were even outsiders who had registered under false local residency.

Only during the Tianqi reign, when northerners raised their heads, was there a slight revival.

But the true landlord magnates of Northern Zhili cannot be counted among the examination-degree landlords.

First on the list is the Emperor himself: the imperial estates cover one hundred and seventy-odd thousand mu, roughly three percent of Northern Zhili's fifty-thousand-odd mu of tax-quota land.

Yet the bulk of this money never reaches the Emperor; it is skimmed off layer by layer to the estate managers and the palace eunuchs.

Next come the ennobled merit families and imperial affines, who have seized vast tracts of land through petitions for grants and outright annexation.

Only after them do you reach the examination-degree landlords of Northern Zhili — the former Grand Secretary Feng Quan, for instance, is a classic example: relying on corruption during his tenure, he built up an enormous estate in Zhuozhou.

Dead last are those so-called local magnates and the powerful officers of the guard-stations.

When the Emperor finished speaking, a few people unconsciously cast their eyes toward the two Grand Secretaries, Huang Liji and Li Guopu.

But far more people directed their gazes toward the ranks of the ennobled merit families.

For a moment, the atmosphere congealed.

Yet the question was not a difficult one to answer.

The Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, Huang Liji, was the first to rise and break the silence.

"Your Majesty, this matter is easily resolved."

A trace of composure graced his aged features; he had long since had a well-formed plan in mind.

"Your Majesty often speaks of self-cultivation, regulating the family, ordering the state, and pacifying the realm. Is it not the same for us officials in conducting our duties?"

"When Zhang Juzheng carried out the land survey during the Wanli reforms, he began by investigating and clearing his own family's holdings first. If Zhang Juzheng could do such a thing, why can we not?"

"Zhang Juzheng's descendant is right here. Why not invite him to offer Your Majesty a brief explanation?"

At this, he turned slightly and, facing the direction beside the Emperor, cupped his hands in salute.

The moment these words were spoken, every gaze shot in unison toward the small desk beside the Emperor.

Toward that blue-robed Senior Compiler, Zhang Maoxiu, who from the moment he entered the hall had only bowed his head in silent notation, never uttering a single word.

In an instant, Zhang Maoxiu became the center of the entire great hall.

He was silent for a moment, then gently laid down the brush in his hand and slowly rose to his feet.

His voice was very slow, straining to hold steady, yet a faint tremor ran through his words, barely perceptible.

"This matter — it is an old affair from the sixth year of Wanli. At that time, I was in the capital preparing for the civil examinations."

"My late father, wishing to initiate the land-survey method, once said, 'To set the realm's fields in order, one must first set one's own house in order.' He thereupon wrote a letter, ordering my elder brother to survey and clear our family lands."

"According to the regulations on official tax exemptions, my late father was entitled to a remission of over seventy piculs of grain tax. Yet after the survey was complete, it was found that over six hundred and forty piculs' worth of land had never been entered on the tax rolls. All of this was a case of fellow villagers and kinsmen borrowing my late father's name to practice fraudulent tax evasion."

"Once the matter was investigated and verified, my late father personally compiled the registers and delivered them all to the authorities, to be dealt with according to law, without the slightest favoritism."

He spoke extremely slowly; each word seemed laboriously excavated from the deepest recesses of memory.

But at the very end, he could not help himself after all, and unconsciously raised the wide sleeve of his official robe to brush lightly at the corner of his eye.

"This humble subject, at that time — was right there in the study, and saw with his own eyes my father write that letter. And now — it has been forty-nine years."

A sudden silence fell over the hall.

A strange and peculiar sensation rose in every heart.

The Wanli reforms of forty-nine years ago.

That era, which seemed to exist only in memorials and history books — its witness, its participant, was standing here, right now, in this very hall!

Only at this moment did some people suddenly grasp the true significance of the Emperor's placing a "blue-robed historian" of the Zhang family here to observe and record!

This was no simple act of carrying forward the past to open up the future!

This was, unmistakably, using the wind and thunder of a former age to forge the swords and spears of today; using the achievements of the past to spur the ambitions of the future!

Such methods, such breadth of vision — to be able to span nearly a full sexagenary cycle and link two eras of grand enterprise from afar!

Truly unfathomable, enough to make one shiver with dread!

A moment later, Zhang Maoxiu composed himself. He turned to the Emperor and bowed deeply in a grand salute.

"Your subject has lost composure before the throne. I beg Your Majesty to punish this offense."

Zhu Youjian shook his head and sighed, but said not a word. He merely waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit.

This performance was absolutely not one he had arranged.

Though he had been straining every nerve to learn all there was about the Ming dynasty, he had not yet delved into such minute details as Zhang Juzheng's household land survey.

Still less could he have foreseen that someone present back then would actually be on the scene for that letter.

This whole affair was nothing but a coincidence entirely beyond his expectations.

Be that as it may, one story is worth a thousand words.

With the unearthing of this past event, the atmosphere in the hall shifted at once.

Huang Liji was the first to speak out: "With Lord Zhang's example before us, how could we, your subjects, not think to emulate it! This subject is a native of Yuancheng County, Daming Prefecture, and is willing to send a letter home, ordering my household to sort out our acreage, and to give full support to the court in the coming land surveys!"

Li Yupu also rose at once: "This subject is a native of Gaoyang County, Baoding Prefecture, and likewise wishes to follow Lord Zhang's example!"

Huo Weihua rose: "This subject is a native of Dongguang County, Hejian Prefecture, and also wishes to do as Lord Zhang did!"

Immediately after, one official after another from the Northern Metropolitan Region rose in succession to make their pledges.

And yet, to think that would be all was to gravely underestimate the awareness and political instincts of the Ming bureaucracy.

What lay before their eyes was clearly another "road-repair donation drive," another "capital policy inquiry"!

Those who had participated before wished only to advance further; those who had missed out before were absolutely determined not to miss out again!

They saw Yang Jingchen, Minister of Personnel, rise with an imposing air, his voice resonant.

"Your Majesty! This subject is a native of Jinjiang County, Fujian!"

"If we follow the path of self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and world pacification, for the new policies to reach Fujian—would it take two years? Three years?"

"Since this subject has joined the new policy efforts, how could I allow my hometown's sons to delay reporting their acreage and evade taxes for so long? This subject also wishes to send a letter home at once, ordering them to rectify and sort out the matter!"

These words seemed to open up an entirely new realm!

In an instant, all the officials in the new policy inner circle caught on and rose one after another.

Lai Zongdao, Ni Yuanlu, Qi Xinxiao, Xue Youguan, Xue Fengxiang—

A host of grand ministers from outside the Northern Metropolitan Region rose in succession, making their land-survey pledges and declarations.

In the end, the crowd's words and pledges even mingled together, merging into a buzzing din.

Finally, it was Huang Liji who took the lead, raising his arm in a rallying cry. All the civil officials cupped their hands in unison, their voices shaking the palace hall.

"We, your subjects, wish to follow Lord Zhang's example!"

Zhu Youjian stood where he was, watching this scene of impassioned fervor. For a moment, he was quite dumbfounded.

He had raised the topic of "popular support" so that these ministers would offer plans, discuss countermeasures, and make preparations.

For instance, the Valiant Guard Camp's targeted strikes.

For instance, reporting and response mechanisms for local disturbances, and so on.

But as soon as Zhang Maoxiu took the stage, within a very short time, the entire discussion had veered wildly off course.

It had gone from a policy discussion meeting to a political loyalty-pledging meeting.

If everyone is pledging loyalty, can it still be called pledging loyalty? Hadn't it become a loyalty-proclamation rally?

Zhu Youjian was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke.

"I have taken note of all your sentiments, my ministers."

He paused briefly, recovering somewhat from the shock, and found a long-lost sense of his award-winning actor's touch. He sighed with emotion.

"In former days, the realm had but one Zhang Jiangling. Yet now, our Great Ming has so many Zhang Jianglings! With such men, why should we worry that the new policies will fail, why should we worry that Great Ming will not prosper!"

"With so many worthies like you, what does Great Ming lack? What indeed does it lack!"

These were lies.

In his heart, Zhu Youjian's alarm bells were, in fact, ringing at full blare.

This familiar atmosphere made him feel as if he had been transported back to certain congresses of a later era.

Nothing but declarations of loyalty, nothing but hymns of praise—and not a single word of truth!

When the court is filled with upright ministers, that is the day flattery and sycophancy reign; where the singing is loudest, there the trap is often deepest.

If he truly believed in this sort of moral posturing, believed in this court full of upright ministers, he would not be far from death.

He must scrutinize the reported results of the new policies with a critical eye, and must be vigilant against all songs of praise and glory!

Zhu Youjian silently issued a warning to his half-a-year-later self in his mind, and nailed it down fast.

But in any case, although the whole affair had taken him greatly by surprise, by making the best of the situation, he could still make something of it.

Zhu Youjian slowly turned his gaze to the other side.

Turned it toward those equally dumbfounded, and even somewhat restless, nobles of merit.

—Now, it's your turn to make a statement, isn't it?

Sure enough, Zhang Weixian, the Duke of Ying, rose almost at once.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Ying's line has many branch families and numerous marriage ties. Among them there are bound to be those who have illegally annexed land and concealed or fraudulently registered holdings."

"This subject wishes to self-audit our acreage, and report all illegally held lands in full!"

How artfully this was phrased—lightly shifting the blame onto "in-laws" and "branch families," and in so doing, revealing the seasoned skill of a veteran official who had served five reigns.

The Duke of Ding followed suit, also rising to make his pledge.

Seeing this, how could the remaining nobles dare to stay seated? They scrambled to their feet, vying to make their pledges.

This, in turn, made those newly ennobled nobles look rather awkward.

They had only just been granted their titles, and their enfiefed lands had not yet been settled, let alone having purchased any estates in the capital.

Among them, many — like the Zhang family — had even fallen to the point of possessing only meager property.

For a moment, they found it awkward both to stand and to sit.

But the atmosphere in the hall was so dreadful that in the end they rose one after another, mingling into the ranks and mumbling vague words of assent.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian sighed once more: "We knew it would be so. Where are the worthy and capable? What great undertaking can prosper without them?"

He turned his head toward Qi Xinxiao, head of the New Policies Group in the Secretariat.

"Then let Minister Qi compile the matter. Record every commitment made by these ministers, one by one, in the files."

"When the Northern Zhili cadastral survey is complete, who is worthy and who is treacherous will be clear at a glance. It will also save us from having schemers and malefactors infiltrate the ranks of our New Policies cohort."

Qi Xinxiao cupped his hands and accepted the order.

The other officials felt a chill in their hearts, realizing that these words, spoken in jest, were certain to be carried out.

At this point, Zhu Youjian did not continue discussing that contingency plan for personnel.

In Northern Zhili, the strongest — the great imperial in-laws — had bowed their heads; the ennobled merit families had nodded; the examination-degree landlords had bowed their heads as well.

What waves could the remaining ordinary local strongmen possibly stir up?

Of course, when you take away some benefits, you must make up for them with other benefits.

The power and influence within the New Policies were one part of it, but tangible wealth and money had to follow as well.

That, however, could only be pondered slowly later on.

As for those who could not wait for the Emperor's new benefits to materialize before rebelling?

One could only say they failed to see the situation clearly, lacked foresight, and deserved to yield the seats beneath their posteriors to men of greater vision.

He, Zhu Youjian, was now at the height of his power, surrounded by a court full of upright ministers — and he still needed to find someone to kill as a warning to the rest.

After all, the batch of chickens unveiled at the great court assembly, though they numbered only a few dozen in total, had already been accumulated over two months by the Wanli Emperor's grandson — that was all the stock he had managed to save up.