Chapter 347: Seizing Opportunity, Maneuvering Across the Realm

As his words fell, the study fell silent for an instant.

Then, both men threw back their heads and burst into roaring laughter.

After a moment, Qi Biaojia composed himself and looked at Zhang Dai with a serious expression.

"Zongzi, with the world turned upside down like this, do you still not intend to take office?"

"His Majesty is abolishing the old and establishing the new — the realm already has a completely fresh look. Rather than spending your days indulging in scenery and burying yourself in history books, why not come out and truly accomplish something of substance?"

"Even if you detest the eight-legged essay, what of it? Pass the exams and then cast it aside."

Qi Biaojia had already prepared his arguments before arriving.

Seizing this opening, he fired them off in rapid succession, speaking at a breakneck pace:

"What's more, His Majesty has already decreed that in three years' time, out of the five questions in the current affairs policy essay section, the old current affairs policy essay will be abolished and entirely replaced by statecraft official documents."

"Is that not plainly a move to abolish classical studies and emphasize practical discourse?"

"In a moment of such great transformation, Zongzi! I truly fear that if you miss it, you will regret it for the rest of your life!"

"You once spoke of compiling the 'Stone Casket History' to fill the gaps in the Great Ming's historical record."

"But now, rather than sitting and compiling history, why not step personally into the fray and, upon the pages of that very history, write down your own achievements, Zhang Dai?!" "And furthermore, further—"

Qi Biaojia unleashed a torrent of ferocious output, bombarding Zhang Dai until he waved his hands repeatedly, unable to get a word in edgewise.

This was the fundamental reason Qi Biaojia had come to visit his old friend today.

He simply could not bear to see Zhang Dai, with all his talent, continue to waste away like this, and so he would urge him as best he could.

Zhang Dai, his face full of exasperation, raised both hands and repeatedly pressed them downward in a calming gesture, barely managing to make Qi Biaojia stop talking.

"Youwen! Youwen! Catch your breath and listen to me for a moment!"

Qi Biaojia's eyes widened, his lips parted slightly, looking ready to continue speaking.

Zhang Dai hurriedly cut him off:

"Yibo wrote to me just last month. In his letter, he spoke at length of the surging tide of the New Policies and strongly urged me to come to the capital and see for myself."

"Ruyu, ever since the New Policies began, has been writing me every two months, constantly urging me to revive my determination for the examinations."

"With so many good friends earnestly advising me like this, how could my heart remain completely unmoved?"

"To tell you the truth, if you hadn't suddenly sent word of your visit, I was planning to set out northward in a few days anyway."

Upon hearing this, Qi Biaojia finally let him off the hook.

Ruyu, that is, Ni Yuanlu — the three of them were all from Shaoxing Prefecture, naturally making them fellow townsmen and close friends.

Yibo was Zhou Fengxiang, whose connection was even closer than Ni Yuanlu's, being a fellow townsman from Shanyin County. In this year's spring metropolitan examination, he had just passed with high distinction as a second-rank jinshi, riding the crest of success.

"Yibo wrote to you?" Qi Biaojia stroked his beard and immediately caught on. "I haven't received any letter from Yibo. Perhaps he sent it to Fujian?"

He immediately asked with concern, "How did his Hanlin selection go? Did he pass and become a Hanlin Bachelor?"

According to the Great Ming's regulations, after the new jinshi passed the palace examination, they were first assigned to various ministries for administrative observation and training.

Afterward, those who were interested would register to participate in the "Hanlin selection."

The so-called "Hanlin" referred to the Hanlin Academy.

Those who passed the Hanlin selection could enter the Hanlin Academy for advanced study and work as "Hanlin Bachelors."

This was the necessary path to entering the Grand Secretariat and becoming a Grand Secretary in the future — equivalent to the most elite "management trainees" in the past Great Ming bureaucracy.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Dai shook his head and said with an odd expression:

"At first, it did follow the old precedent — they were sent out to various places for administrative observation. But by mid-April, when the Hanlin selection should have opened, the court suddenly changed the regulations. This cohort — there is no Hanlin selection."

Seeing Qi Biaojia's astonished expression, Zhang Dai added:

"To be precise, it's not that there's no Hanlin selection — it's just that the current Hanlin selection and the old Hanlin selection are completely different things."

"This cohort, His Majesty personally changed the rules."

"All new jinshi, whether you came from the lowest rank or were among the top three in the palace examination, are first assigned to the various ministries in the capital for administrative observation and work without exception."

"After completing one month, everyone is broken up and dispersed, following a lead secretary, and dispatched to the various counties and departments of Northern Zhili to investigate and survey local conditions and the people's livelihood."

"Each group handles one specific matter, each different from the others."

"Some go into the fields to inquire about farming, some go to the river channels to observe water conservancy, some investigate the petty officials, some understand the annexations of powerful families, and some go to the guard stations to inspect the military guards." "As for Yibo's group, the assignment they received was to investigate and clearly ascertain the actual tax burdens and actual incomes of the four categories of farmland — imperial fields, private fields, official fields, and military fields."

Zhang Dai, at this point, could not help but smile slightly:

"He said in his letter that during those two months of investigation, he ran through the fields and along the paths under the scorching sun. It's said that he wore through several pairs of shoe soles, and the skin on his thighs was rubbed raw from riding horses. His whole person became dark and thin, only then did he submit a satisfactory report."

"It was precisely after finishing this task that he had the time to write and strongly urge me to come to the capital and see for myself. He spoke at length of how the New Policies differ from the dynasty's past practices, and even more so from the reforms of any previous dynasty!"

When Qi Biaojia heard this, far from sympathizing with those suffering new jinshi, he instead slapped his thigh fiercely and sighed with deep emotion:

"What an excellent local investigation! Truly a brilliant measure!"

"This is equivalent to the court suddenly gaining four hundred censors from the imperial examination ranks!"

"In this way, the actual situation across all of Northern Zhili — where the obstacles to implementing the New Policies lie, where the common people's difficulties are, whether those county magistrates and local officials are wise or foolish, urgent or lax, and where the next step of the New Policies should exert force — all becomes crystal clear."

"Basing everything on facts, on local conditions — is that not infinitely superior to all those eminent gentlemen in the past, pointing and opining emptily in the court?"

"With such pragmatic investigations, why worry that Northern Zhili cannot be brought to great order?!"

Zhang Dai nodded in deep agreement and continued:

"As for the Hanlin selection, it is still to be done, only postponed from June to July."

"And the rules of the Hanlin selection are no longer about testing essays."

"When the various jinshi left the capital for investigations, they were all led by secretaries from His Majesty's side. Naturally, there is a rigorous scoring system evaluating each person's practical ability in handling affairs on a daily basis."

"After returning to the capital, each group will, based on what they learned in their investigations, collate and compile statecraft official documents, and finally present a public report at Wenhua Hall."

"The court will then determine assignments based on each person's performance throughout."

"Those who receive the highest evaluations may enter the Secretariat directly!"

"As for the rest, they will be distributed to the Six Ministries or sent to serve as chief officials in the pilot New Policies counties across various provinces based on their results."

Qi Biaojia listened, leaned back in his chair, and remained silent for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh:

"This single change is even more ruthless than that earlier demand about the thirteen provincial governors."

"Last time, they at least left the Hanlin purists a path through local surveillance."

"This time, starting directly with the new examination cohort, they have simply nailed shut the Hanlin purists' road to high office."

"A change like this... is indeed rather drastic. Had it not been paved step by step, I fear it would have drawn a storm of criticism."

Zhang Dai, hearing this, shook his head, clearly disagreeing.

He turned to the bookcase behind him, rummaged for a moment, and pulled out a slim volume.

"My compilation of the *Stone Casket History* is still gathering historical materials, but I have already drafted a few short essays."

"This one is the preface I wrote for the 'Treatise on Examinations.' Let me read it to you!"

With that, Zhang Dai opened the volume and began reading aloud directly.

"Since ancient times, men have been selected by method: the Han by policy discourse, the Jin by ornate prose, the Tang by poetry, the Song by policy debate... down to our Ming, which has placed particular weight on the formal essay..."

"Of all literary forms, none is more difficult than the eight-legged essay. For it carves out the very entrails of the pedant, and is likewise used to wear away the heroic spirit..."

"Once a man practices the eight-legged essay, his mind cannot but grow narrow, his spirit cannot but grow base, his vision cannot but grow small, his taste cannot but grow sour, his bearing cannot but grow shabby, his heart cannot but grow rotten..."

"From the Hongwu reign till now, practiced for two hundred and eighty-two years, the Exalted Emperor used it to greatly mislead the examination candidates, and the candidates, emulating it and going further, used it to greatly mislead the nation... Therefore, so long as the eight-legged essay is not abolished, the realm shall not know peace for even a single day!"

Zhang Dai finished reading the entire piece and laughed with satisfaction.

"Reform! It should have been reformed long ago! What I feel now is not that the reform is too hasty, but that it is far too late! Far too slow!"

"If we are to reform, how can we only touch the policy debate session? The eight-legged essay and classics session is the crux of the matter!"

Qi Biaojia rolled his eyes, utterly speechless in his heart.

This friend of his had talent, to be sure, but his temperament was far too radical and fiery.

Qi Biaojia could not be bothered to argue with him.

After all, whatever he said, it was little more than hot air.

If the Emperor really did overhaul the civil examinations in one stroke, and the realm erupted in a clamor of criticism, this Sage Zhang would then be saying the Emperor was governing too hastily.

Criticizing current affairs, after all, has always been easy for those who bear no burden themselves.

"Enough, spare me your posturing," Qi Biaojia snorted coldly, cutting Zhang Dai off.

"His present Majesty, though he has not yet overhauled the formal essay on a grand scale, has shown through many actions that he truly seeks talent by practical learning and a sincere heart. Under such circumstances, you can hardly keep claiming that you simply had no heart for the examinations and that is why you never attained any degree."

Zhang Dai, struck in a sore spot, reddened for a rare moment.

"Go on, get out of here... I simply never exerted myself!"

"Now that His Majesty intends to undertake such a heaven-and-earth-shaking enterprise to restore the Great Ming, how can I, Zhang Zongzi, sit idly by and watch?"

He slammed the table forcefully and declared in a ringing voice:

"As soon as I return from my trip to the capital, I shall shut my door to visitors, study with all my might, and make certain to place high in the next examination!"

"What damned, dog-filth eight-legged essay — I'll just shut my eyes, endure it, and be done with it!"

"Once I place high, I'll burn every last one of those examination crib sheets and purge this foul resentment from my chest!"

Qi Biaojia, seeing his old friend's fighting spirit rekindled, breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

This friend of his, born of an official family and immensely wealthy, had always been the carefree, idle young master by nature, and he detested the fashionable eight-legged essay with a particular passion. In the benighted years of old, with factional strife raging endlessly, it would have been fine enough for him to stay out of officialdom and live as a rich idler.

But in the present magnificent and sweeping tide of events, if he did not urge his friend forward, Qi Biaojia would not be able to live with his own conscience.

Just as Qi Biaojia was quietly gratified, Zhang Dai suddenly shifted tack.

"By the way, in your earlier letter, you only said you had been ordered to the capital, but you never detailed your destination."

Zhang Dai raised an eyebrow and leaned in with a sly, teasing smirk.

"Well? Has your time as a Judge finally run its course? Is your career path about to brighten considerably?"

He deliberately drawled his words and teased: "I wonder, just where does this bright future of Qi Wenzheng lie?"

Wenzheng — that is a posthumous name.

In the words of the Grand Historian, it is the most beautiful of all posthumous names, beyond which none can surpass.

In over two hundred years of the Ming dynasty, those who have received the posthumous name Wenzheng number only two: Li Dongyang and Xie Qian.

And a man like Zhang Juzheng, who exerted himself so mightily for reform, in the end received no more than "Wenzhong."

And even this Wenzhong was, nine months later, stripped away by imperial decree amid the Wanli Emperor's purge, only to be restored at last by the Yongchang Emperor.

Qi Biaojia pointed at him in exasperation and laughed scoldingly:

"You, Zhang Zongzi — truly, you refuse to suffer the slightest loss."

"Just now I merely lectured you a few words, and here you are mocking me with the wild boasts of my youth."

After a bout of laughter, he shook his head, his expression turning serious.

"It is not that I would not explain clearly, but that even I myself do not know where I am bound."

"The newly appointed Governor of Fujian and the accompanying imperial commissioners, after taking office in the fourth month, opened their headquarters and summoned renowned local officials, government students, and select functionaries to serve in their administration."

"I was fortunate enough to catch the favorable eye of Governor Xiong, and was assigned to work on civil governance matters. I never expected that after less than two months, a transfer order would arrive from above."

Hearing this, the smile faded from Zhang Dai's face, and his brow furrowed slightly:

"Could it be that someone has been maneuvering behind the scenes?"

When local magnates and gentry deal with a zealous and enterprising local official, their methods, after all, boil down to only a few.

Pressuring through superiors, pressuring through the central government, pressuring through local public sentiment.

If these three great mountains cannot crush him, then exerting influence through connections to secure the official a promotion and transfer elsewhere is also an option.

Hai Rui, Gui Youguang, and a host of other local officials — some famous in the history books, some obscure — have all suffered this covert blow of being transferred away from their posts.

Of course, the prerequisite for all this is that the local gentry must possess sufficient skill and deep-rooted influence.

As for the gentry of a poor and remote backwater like Laoting County, they can only obediently endure it, and had best not try to imitate the methods of the great southern examination prefectures.

Zhang Dai had previously exchanged letters with Qi Biaojia and heard of his thunderous methods in dealing with the local strongmen of Putian (note: the seat of Xinghua Prefecture is Putian County) and investigating the petty officials, which was why he asked this question, suspecting his old friend had been jointly "escorted" out by the Fujian local powers.

Qi Biaojia, hearing this, shook his head repeatedly with a rueful laugh.

"These past two months I've been so busy my feet haven't touched the ground, with no time to write to you — which is why you would even ask such a thing."

He set down his teacup, a flicker of admiration passing through his eyes.

"If you had met the people in the field headquarters, you would not think so..."

"These imperial commissioners sent from the capital, from the Governor on down, work with fierce determination and drive, each one more formidable than the last! Mixed in among them, what do I even count for."

"If the gentry wanted to lay hands on someone and send them packing, I wouldn't even make the list..." Qi Biaojia's face held a smile, as if still immersed in the memory of those fiery, purposeful days of vigorous action.

"After these people arrived, just as reported in the Great Ming Times, they set up their screens, listed out their tasks, aligned their strategies, and then led the various people recruited into the headquarters, scattering to the coastal prefectures to investigate and make inquiries."

"The most remarkable thing was that among them, every single one could speak a passable, if non-standard, Southern Min dialect..."

Zhang Dai, hearing this, said in astonishment:

"This... isn't this just like what you did back then?"

Qi Biaojia stroked his beard and laughed heartily:

"Exactly!"

"Before leaving the capital, just as I did back then, they hired servants from Fujian in advance and learned the local dialect while traveling." "Thus, whether investigating, inquiring, or even holding court and handling cases, each of them could bypass the deceptions of the local petty officials and attend to matters personally."

At this point, he remembered something and seemed quite unable to suppress his amusement.

"Only... the time was short after all, and the accent always sounded rather peculiar."

"So within just two months of their arriving in the localities, every commoner knew that anyone with a strange accent was surely an imperial commissioner from the capital." "In every street and alley, everyone called them 'Heavenly Official Lords.'"

In Southern Min worship, people always like to address the various gods and spirits, great and small, as "Lords."

Zhang Dai, hearing this, also let out a hearty laugh.

"In the past, among county officials doing their work, those who could learn the local dialect and apply themselves diligently were not one in ten. Now, with a contingent of several dozen men, every one of them speaking Southern Min, it naturally became sensational news across the whole province."

Halfway through his laughter, he suddenly thought of the imperial commissioner Governor here in Zhejiang, and his smile could not help but freeze.

But he still suppressed his emotions for the moment and pressed on with his questions:

"So, what exactly is the strategy for Fujian?"

"Land surveys? Opening the seas? Suppressing piracy? Adjusting taxes?"

Qi Biaojia stroked his beard and said thoughtfully:

"More or less those things, but matters have their order of urgency and importance, and policies have their sequence and mutual dependence."

"Broadly speaking, first co-opt and pacify the pirates, while simultaneously reorganizing the naval forces."

"Once the naval forces are usable, then link up Penghu and Dongfan, clearing the sea lanes."

"Once the sea lanes are open, then lift the maritime ban, recruit merchants to run trade routes, and then open the Maritime Trade Offices."

"Throughout this entire process, the quotas for opening the seas are gradually expanded. Determined by the progress of the naval forces, land surveys, and bandit suppression."

"In the later stages, the sea-opening quotas will also be linked to the taxes levied by the Maritime Trade Offices... the more tax paid, the more ships are permitted to sail..."

"That is, using the profits from opening the seas as bait, advancing step by step. In this process, uniting the hearts of the local gentry and commoners, working together to carry out the new policies."

Qi Biaojia paused and added:

"In this process, the gentry and strongmen of each prefecture are dealt with separately. Each pirate chieftain is dealt with separately. Even foreign barbarians such as the Japanese, the red barbarians, the Macao barbarians, and the like, are also dealt with separately."

"The field headquarters sits at the center holding the reins, the key point being to use the profits from opening the seas to execute a strategy of maneuvering and manipulation."

"Thus using profit to gather hearts, and also using profit to divide the various powers — this is the fundamental strategy for Fujian Province."

"Even elevating it one level higher, the same strategy applies over in Liangguang."

"Therefore, between provinces, there is in fact competition."

"In short, whether provinces, prefectures, or even the various barbarians in all directions, the sea bandits everywhere, the guard stations — whoever cooperates more with the new policies gets to divide this bowl of broth more and faster."

Although Qi Biaojia had only spoken in broad strokes, merely outlining the strategy, Zhang Dai was already utterly dazzled.

A scholar like him who had yet to take office could least resist such grand designs that treated the whole realm as a chessboard.

Just listening to someone recount it at his side was enough to set his blood boiling.

He rose to his feet again and paced rapidly about the room.

"To benefit the people by following what benefits them — is this not to bestow favor without expense!"

"Every single policy proceeds from profit, guided by circumstance, and then laid out openly with clear covenants and rewards!"

"This is indeed the handiwork of that Son of Heaven! And it must be the handiwork of that Son of Heaven!"

He paced back and forth in the garden, scarcely able to contain the surging emotion in his chest. It was a long while before he calmed his feelings, then turned his head to look at Qi Biaojia, his gaze burning. "Youwen! Tianru and the others have been sending out broad invitations these past months, gathering the literary societies from various places to hold a conference at Yinshan in Wujiang, to discuss the matter of reviving the ancient learning of the Masters!"

"But their ancient learning — how can it compare to the ancient learning of the Son of Heaven!"

"Ancient learning carried out by the hands of ministers and Confucian scholars — how can it compare to ancient learning carried out by the Son of Heaven's own hand?!"

Zhang Dai swept his wide sleeve, his eyes brimming with fervent spirit.

"The house of Han has its own institutions, rooted in a blending of the way of the hegemon and the way of the king!"

"So it is with statecraft official documents, so it is with the reform of the civil examinations, so it is with the many new policies, and even more so with the Fujian strategy you just described!" "This Son of Heaven... he is not a Son of Heaven who reads only the Cheng-Zhu school! He is not even a Son of Heaven of the Zhu family! He is a true Son of Heaven of Han!"