Chapter 163: The Weight of Filial Piety and the Ladder of Promotion

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's father is seventy-two this year, and his body is riddled with chronic ailments; when he will pass away is no longer something that classical medicine can interfere with.

According to his historical lifespan, it is a matter of only three years from now.

Therefore, Zhu Zhu Yijun must plan ahead—how should he handle Zhang Zhang Juzheng's resignation for the mourning period when the time comes?

It certainly cannot be as simple as just issuing an imperial decree to retain him in office, as was done in history.

What was the situation back then?

His students blocked his door, cursing Zhang Zhang Juzheng for being unfilial.

The former subordinates he had recommended turned around and stabbed him in the back repeatedly.

Even the officials he considered like-minded kept silent, not daring to voice their support, and all of them requested to resign.

The world was in an uproar; scholars at the Imperial Academy mocked him in the literary circles, storytellers and actors ridiculed him in the streets and markets, and even merchants joined in, spreading posters.

Ma Ma Ziqiang, Shen Shen Sixiao, Ai Mu, Wu Wu Zhongxing, Zhang Han, Wang Wang Shizhen... the list goes on—unofficial histories even claim that the Senior Grand Secretary was driven to tears of frustration, drawing his sword to commit suicide to complain of his helplessness to the moralists who came to his door to insult him.

In short, with those harboring ulterior motives as the backbone, coercing moral crusaders, countless people trampled on Zhang Zhang Juzheng; the drama of a teacher and student turning against each other, embellished with unofficial history, instantly led the trend and directly cast Zhang Zhang Juzheng into the bottomless abyss of moral ruin.

A drama unique to feudal dynasties: the simplest and most effective way to topple someone is to ruin them morally.

Once a person is ruined, everything related to them is also ruined; their new policies, their propositions, and even those who wrote poems or spoke well of them, are all tainted.

Taking the incident of Zhang Zhang Juzheng's retention in office as a turning point, his prestige plummeted sharply, and some of his former like-minded allies either retired to their hometowns or simply became strangers.

Correspondingly, the cost of the Cabinet's governance climbed instantly and grew with each passing day—if the Senior Grand Secretary's morality is ruined to this extent, what good new policies could he possibly produce?

Not to mention being of one mind, even maintaining a facade of harmony was difficult to achieve.

At the same time, Zhang Zhang Juzheng's mindset and way of acting also underwent drastic changes after encountering this incident—since his retention in office, he became increasingly arbitrary.

After each side headed toward the extreme, how could state affairs possibly continue to proceed in an orderly fashion?

Observing mourning, ah, observing mourning.

Even Zhu Zhu Yijun, as the Emperor, felt it was extremely thorny.

Did the Emperor Wanli Emperor not support Zhang Zhang Juzheng's retention in office in history?

With one sentence saying, "Now you should think of me, suppress your grief, and fulfill your great filial duty," and another saying, "The Senior Grand Secretary is someone I rely on deeply; how can I be without him for a single day? While the mourning for a father must be observed, the duty to the sovereign and father is even weightier," was that not enough?

It was useless.

Where is the Emperor greater than the rites and laws? You have blades and court beatings, but I also have the clear records of history.

Was there no precedent in the dynasty? There were far too many Grand Secretaries who were recalled to office.

In the sixth year of Yongle, in the sixth month, Yang Rong observed mourning for his father, and in the tenth month, he was recalled; in the first year of Emperor Xuande, in the first month, Jin Li Youzi observed mourning, and was immediately recalled; in the fourth year of Jingtai, in the fifth month, Wang Wen observed mourning, and in the ninth month, he was recalled; in the second year of Chenghua, in the third month, Li Prince Xian observed mourning, and in the fifth month, he was recalled—examples abound.

It was still useless.

The ancestral laws were not effective at this time; one still had to look at the fundamentalism of the "Book of Rites."

Therefore, Zhu Zhu Yijun must take precautions.

And the groundwork for this matter must be done silently, starting from minor officials, with the old saying that there is no avoidance of duty in times of crisis; if one is recalled to serve, one can return to work after observing mourning for a hundred days.

As for what follows? The Great Ming Dynasty has internal troubles and external threats; is there any fear of a lack of foreign enemies?

The inertia of the human heart has infinite power, and Zhu Zhu Yijun naturally wants to make good use of it.

After retaining him in office for a few years, everyone will have developed a habit, and when Zhang Zhang Juzheng is retained in office again, it will be possible to block the mouths of the moralists.

As for the remaining people with ulterior motives, if they cannot coerce the feudal moralists, how much influence can they still have?

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled confidently.

However...

Despite all his calculations, he did not expect Zhang Zhang Juzheng to shake his head: "Your Majesty has also said that a gentleman does not deprive others of their kin, and one should not deprive one's own kin either."

"My father raised me with great toil; now that I am far from home and cannot be by his side, how can I calculate even his funeral arrangements?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Zhang Juzheng in astonishment.

Eh?

What is going on?

This old man did not have this attitude in history.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at the Emperor and smiled with relief: "As for the new policies... Your Majesty will be able to handle them yourself when the time comes. If you still have the heart to recall me, I will then exhaust my humble efforts for Your Majesty."

Zhu Zhu Yijun silently took a cold breath.

Bad news.

It seems that making people too reassured is not a good thing either.

He shook his head straight away.

"Sir, do not speak in jest. Now, in the Cabinet, Mr. Gao is frail and sickly, unable to bear the toil; Mr. Lu has a weak character and cannot stand alone; Wang Wang Chonggu is proficient in military affairs but is too self-interested."

"It is precisely because you are here, Sir, that the Cabinet can oversee the Six Ministries, the Five Chief Military Commissions, and the Nine Frontiers and Thirteen Provinces on my behalf, and push forward the Single Whip Law and plan the land survey. This is not something that can be done without you, Sir. Once you leave, the Six Ministries will be in chaos, and the internal situation may not be suppressed; I, too, will be unable to act alone."

"Don't talk about three years; even one year, I cannot do without you, Sir."

"State affairs are the greatest filial piety!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun grabbed Zhang Zhang Juzheng's wrist and poured out a long string of words in an instant.

Hearing the Emperor bring up the hidden dangers of the conflict between the Cabinet and the Ministries, Zhang Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but glance at the Emperor—so you knew that the duties of the Cabinet and the Six Ministries were unclear; why didn't I hear a word of it before? Now it has become the Emperor's excuse.

He shook his head: "Your Majesty, it is not that I intend to entangle with Your Majesty, but I also ask Your Majesty to understand the feelings between father and son."

Seeing that Zhang Zhang Juzheng's words came from the heart, Zhu Zhu Yijun couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

In history, the Senior Grand Secretary had this very argument: I will go back to observe mourning first, and when it is finished, I will come back—"It is for me to repay my father with twenty-seven months, and to finish my service to the Emperor."

Although he was later retained in office, he still requested to bring his mother to the capital to be cared for at the first opportunity.

The affection was clearly not superficial.

If loyalty and filial piety can both be fulfilled, no one wants to let their loved ones die in loneliness.

Zhu Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and sincerely advised: "Sir, rather than crying by the grave for three years, why not bring your parents to the capital to be cared for in advance? When the time comes to carry the coffin back to your hometown and observe mourning for a hundred days, wouldn't that better fulfill your family affection, Sir?"

After these words were spoken, Zhang Zhang Juzheng smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty's words are reasonable, but you clearly do not understand the people of the countryside."

"I have brought my parents to the capital several times before, but they either worry about the chickens and ducks at home with no one to feed them, or complain that they don't know anyone in the city and are bored to death. They wouldn't stay for half a month before clamoring to go back."

"I have no way to fulfill my filial piety at all."

Climate and money are secondary; it is not difficult for Zhang Zhang Juzheng's family to get a manor that is warm in winter and cool in summer, but the main thing is that the older generation cannot stay put.

Zhu Zhu Yijun scratched his head.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's description had a strangely strong sense of déjà vu.

However, the meaning in his words clearly showed some loosening.

If his parents could be brought to the capital, the matter of observing mourning was not impossible to discuss—the main thing was to fulfill filial piety for his parents so that the hurdle in his heart could be crossed; as for the form, it was secondary.

Zhu Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and immediately had an idea. He mused: "I hear that you often take great medicine, Sir, and are full of vigor; why not have another child?"

"Just say that you are busier with state affairs than before, and let them come to the capital to look after their grandchildren for a while..."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's youngest son, Zhang Yunxiu, is only seven years old; it is very normal to have more younger brothers and sisters.

Zhu Zhu Yijun met Zhang Zhang Juzheng's astonished gaze and said righteously: "Just listen to my method; I guarantee it will work. In this way, you can care for your parents in the capital, Sir, and fulfill both loyalty and filial piety."

Whether it works or not is another matter.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng felt relieved in his heart to encounter an Emperor who tried so hard to keep him.

Thinking of this, Zhang Zhang Juzheng's attitude loosened.

He hesitated for a moment: "I... will go back and try, go back and try."

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled approvingly: "This year, I will first give your parents a slight reward, Sir, and let them come to the capital to receive the decree and stay for a while."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng nodded helplessly.

The two then discussed in detail the matter of recalling officials to office in times of crisis.

They selected some officials to be recalled one after another to Jizhou and Liaodong, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, the various foreign embassies, and the Beijing garrisons after the hundred-day mourning period.

Changing customs and habits always requires a process.

The sun gradually rose to its zenith.

It added a touch of warmth inside and outside the Huangji Gate in early spring.

Qi Qi Jiguang stood in order with a group of officials from outside the capital, bathing in the sunlight, and felt that after the winter had passed, his waist and legs, which had suffered many hidden injuries from years of fighting, felt much more comfortable.

Of course, it was certainly not as comfortable as kneeling and waiting while wearing knee pads.

It is a pity that the Emperor granted a special favor this time, so there was no need to kneel—according to the regulations, when a Mobile Corps Commander meets the court, those in the Beijing garrisons do not need to kneel, while those outside do.

Qi Qi Jiguang was used to kneeling every time he entered the capital to see the Emperor, so he felt a bit uncomfortable when he was suddenly not allowed to kneel.

This time, the central government summoned him to the capital alone but neglected the Viceroy Liu Liu Yingjie, which made Qi Qi Jiguang inevitably quite worried.

He actually didn't care about these extra rewards or vanity.

What Qi Qi Jiguang valued more was whether this military operation could go smoothly and whether he could land a punch on the Jizhou and Liaodong borders.

In the twelfth month of the second year of Emperor Longqing, Dong Dong Huli combined thirty thousand troops to invade Qingshan Pass and Iron Gate Pass.

In the fourth year of Emperor Longqing, he combined another ten thousand troops to invade Yumu Peak.

In the second month of last year, he led more than a thousand cavalry to invade Nazigu.

In the fourth month, driven by the Tumut Khan, he invaded Jieling Pass.

In the sixth month, he led more than a hundred cavalry to invade Kulongtai and other places.

In the ninth month, he deployed troops at Proprietor Pass, showing off his power.

It was not until the weather turned cold that he restrained himself; now that the snow has melted, he is probably going to cause trouble again.

Whether this kind of heart-and-gut trouble can be wiped out in one fell swoop is far more important than Qi Qi Jiguang's personal honor or disgrace.

If he gained some insignificant benefits in the officialdom, it would instead affect Liu Liu Yingjie's attitude and ruin the big event, which would be truly heartbreaking.

Seeking nobility is not my intention; I only wish for the seas to be calm.

It was like this when facing the Japanese pirates in the southeast, and it was the same attitude when facing the Tatars in Jizhou and Liaodong.

People of the time said he was young and spirited, speaking casually, not knowing that this was the essence of his philosophy of mind.

When he was in Jizhou and Liaodong, he was moved and said, "We should always make our toil and achievements exceed our fame. It is better to develop late and suffer more setbacks; even if it is not used on oneself, it must be used for one's descendants. If others have achievements, praise them; if others want to take my achievements, let them."

This was not only a gesture of concession to Liu Liu Yingjie, but also his true words.

Influencing the big picture for temporary benefits is an unwise move.

He often taught his subordinates, "Achievements have their limits; heaven and earth most avoid taking too much." Isn't this the truth?

If there are ten parts of reality, and achievements reach seven or eight parts, then one can accept them calmly, and there won't be too much trouble.

This is Qi Qi Jiguang's way of being an official—"Those who are generals may achieve merit without receiving rewards, or do good without being known by others."

Precisely because of this, he sought out his old superior Tan Lun and repeatedly requested to leave the gilded stepping stone of the Beijing garrison and go to the border.

It is also precisely because of this that every time he saw someone from the central government, whether it was a visiting Vice Minister, a patrolling Hai Yushi, or a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War, he was always careful.

He would flatter them however he could; if they said they wanted him to kneel, he would kneel directly.

Master Wang said it well: conscience is ready-made; if outsiders ridicule or disparage, it is just passing smoke.

Eh... Li Zhi's theory recently is also good; he does it for the progress of the Ming Dynasty's situation, it is just a small matter, and it is not important.

In short, what Qi Qi Jiguang cares about most is the military affairs at the border; all other grievances can be endured.

It is just a pity.

Some things are not easily refused just because he wants to.

The central government summoned him to the capital, and he couldn't just lick his face and ask the envoy to call Liu Liu Yingjie along.

Even yesterday, when he went to Zhang Zhang Juzheng's mansion to seek an audience, he was turned away, and he immediately read the meaning—the one who summoned him to the capital was not the convention, nor the Cabinet or the Ministry of War, but the Emperor.

This left even less room for Qi Qi Jiguang to act on his own.

The Emperor is still young, and Qi Qi Jiguang does not know why the Emperor suddenly restored the system of meeting foreign officials, nor does he know why the Emperor chose him, or what the Emperor is doing.

He can only think about how to explain the situation of the Tatars simply and clearly when he speaks to the Emperor; how to make the Emperor believe that this battle will surely be won; and how to push all the credit and ability to the Viceroy Liu Liu Yingjie, so as to ease and make up for his relationship with him.

While he was thinking.

A canopy slowly appeared above the Huangji Gate.

Inside the left and right side gates, the foreign officials standing in order immediately became solemn and did not look sideways.

Without the sound of bells and drums, eunuchs, secretaries, and Hanlin scholars followed the canopy out one after another.

Under the canopy, a young figure in bright yellow was surrounded by stars like the moon.

Qi Qi Jiguang glanced at it and didn't dare to look more, hurriedly lowering his head.

At this time, the ceremonial officials in front and behind the queue reminded them to look directly at the heavenly face.

Qi Qi Jiguang followed the crowd and looked up.

He saw the young Son of Heaven wearing imperial robes, not sitting down, but standing by the gate tower, as if to let the foreign officials see his face clearly.

"During the time of the Founding Emperor, whenever he met foreign officials coming to the capital to report, he would often summon them to grant food and inquire about the hardships of the people."

"Even if there were county assistants or registrars who were honest and loved the people, he would either reward them with edicts or grant them gold and silk."

"From the time of Xuanzong, Xianzong, and Xiaozong, this became a precedent; summoning foreign officials and flourishing in peace is truly due to this."

"Since I ascended the throne, I have looked up to the heart of Emperor Shun in consulting and nurturing the people, and admired the track of the ancestors in examining the administration of officials..."

The voice was clear but slightly hoarse.

Qi Qi Jiguang had forgotten that he was a young Son of Heaven because of the Emperor's mature demeanor and actions, and only then did he come to his senses when he heard the voice that had not yet fully changed.

As a Left Chief Military Commissioner of the Second Rank, his position was at the front, so he could see the Emperor's figure and face clearly.

Although the current Emperor is not old, his figure is particularly coordinated, with full and healthy arms and shoulders, not at all like the traces of the late Emperor being hollowed out by wine and lust.

Qi Qi Jiguang still remembers vividly how the late Emperor was forced by Gao Gong and Zhang Zhang Juzheng to leave the palace to review the troops, and he looked trembling when he clamped the horse with his legs.

On the contrary, this young Son of Heaven probably really didn't drop his riding and shooting studies.

Qi Qi Jiguang looked at the Emperor's arms and shoulders and nodded frequently.

The Emperor said a few polite words and then went down the gate tower.

At the same time, the guiding officials led the group of foreign officials to go to the Huangji Hall to see the Emperor in batches.

Qi Qi Jiguang was assigned to the last batch, following some unfamiliar faces, and followed the guiding officials to the Huangji Hall step by step.

The Huangji Hall is where the Great Court Meeting is held, located on the central axis of the Forbidden City, facing the Wumen Gate, magnificent and atmospheric.

Qi Qi Jiguang had been there three times and was not unfamiliar, but he was still awed by its atmosphere, carefully following the guiding officials, fearing that he would make a mistake.

Entering the hall.

The guiding official took the lead and saluted: "The palace is deep and strict, and we are close to the heavenly face. Seeing Your Majesty's spirit is flourishing and your holy face is heaven-sent, how can we not worship?"

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to the ground.

As a Confucian general, Qi Qi Jiguang knew a little about these cumbersome rituals.

It was mainly because there were many small officials such as county magistrates and registrars among the foreign officials who had never seen the Emperor, so it was necessary for someone to set an example for them.

Several officials who entered the palace together followed suit, saluting the Emperor, repeating the words of the guiding official in a mixed manner.

Qi Qi Jiguang was mixed in among them and was not conspicuous.

The secretary held the diary, on the side of the imperial steps, taking the meaning of the ancient dragon head carrying the pen.

Zhu Zhu Yijun sat on the throne, looking at the few people entering the hall, and recognized their faces first.

He followed the list given by the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War and called people one by one: "Where is Chang Chang Chunqiao, the magistrate of Jiangyou County, Sichuan?"

As soon as the voice fell, an official in his late twenties came out, his expression uneasy: "Your Majesty, I... I am here!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled: "Don't be nervous, you have done very well this year."

Chang Chang Chunqiao wiped his sweat: "It is all my duty."

Zhu Zhu Yijun opened this person's resume and said: "Your predecessor, Zhao Zuo, bought and transported warehouse grain, deducting four points of foot silver per stone, totaling 2,244 taels of silver embezzled for himself; he added taxes, and the court set a quota of ten percent, but he only collected three percent, owing 31,450 taels of taxes."

"You recovered all of these in one year; do you have any insights?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun was amiable and gently led the magistrate to speak.

It is normal for predecessors to have holes—of course, Zhao Zuo has already been beheaded according to the case of embezzlement—but successors usually spread their hands and roll their eyes, calling it the remnant of the predecessor and none of my business.

It is truly rare for someone like Magistrate Chang to recover taxes for the court.

Chang Chang Chunqiao tried hard to control his accent and had to word his thoughts, which was truly hard: "Your Majesty, the silver owed by Zhao Zuo was hidden in his mansion, and I saw it as soon as I opened the cellar."

"There is nothing to say about the owed taxes; they were owed by several big families, and it was the Prefect He who shielded them. I cleared the accounts for Prefect He, and he left several big families for me to use as lambs, so the taxes were collected."

Zhu Zhu Yijun's expression moved, and he shook his head: "Magistrate Chang is actually filing a complaint against the Emperor."

He said this guy was so nervous, it turned out he was doing psychological construction for petitioning.

Chang Chang Chunqiao admitted frankly: "The Hai Yushi Sun Dai in Sichuan refused to accept it, so I had to tell Your Majesty."

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled: "I know."

After saying that, he made a gesture to Zheng Zheng Zongxue, asking him to inform the Censorate.

Then he turned to the next page: "Where is Wang Xuanshou, the registrar of Ruian?"

Immediately, a middle-aged minor official in his forties came out: "Your Majesty, I am here."

Except for the counties in the two capitals, which are one level higher, the county registrars elsewhere are all officials of the eighth rank.

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled gently as usual: "The Ministry of Personnel's assessment of you is that you have outstanding talent and noble character, and they plan to promote you to magistrate. What do you think?"

Wang Xuanshou was caught off guard by the sudden good news.

He looked up at the Emperor and tentatively declined: "My merits are not obvious, and I am afraid I am not worthy of this promotion."

Zhu Zhu Yijun never made things difficult for honest people. He comforted him: "Whether your merits are obvious or not, the Ministry of Personnel has records to check, and the reputation you have among the people has also been secretly visited by Censors and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. You don't have to decline."

"On the contrary, the Supervising Secretary Wang Wang Xilie argued that a scribe cannot be a magistrate. What do you think?"

Wang Wang Xilie was a Tong Jinshi in the fifth year of Emperor Longqing and was selected as a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel last year.

A magistrate is a hall official of a county, belonging to the regular official, commonly known as the number one person.

Wang Wang Xilie's meaning was also very clear.

A mere career-track official, not even having a student status at the Imperial Academy, should not be selected for the position of number one—no matter how good the scribe's performance is, his ceiling must be firmly welded.

Hearing this, Wang Xuanshou didn't know why, but suddenly straightened his chest: "Your Majesty, I think I can do a good job as a county official!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled with satisfaction: "Then you must continue to work hard when you go back."

After saying that, he waved his hand, signaling that he could leave with the internal officials.

Subsequently, Zhu Zhu Yijun pointed out a few more people one after another, all of whom just said a few words.

Some were encouraged, some were comforted, some were praised, and of course, some were criticized.

For example, Huang Xuehai, the Prefect of Ganzhou, was originally here to receive an award, but after entering the capital, he was discovered by the Hai Yushi Yan Ruan to have 9,000 taels of silver missing from the treasury, which was found to be embezzled by the treasury servant Yang Yu Guang and others.

Zhu Zhu Yijun naturally offset Huang Xuehai's merits and demerits and sent him back to cooperate with the investigation.

There were also promotions that exceeded the specifications.

For example, the magistrate of Fengcheng County, Nanchang Prefecture, was summoned to the capital to receive an award as a model for tax collection, but as soon as he left, on the night of the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, bandits crossed the city to rob the treasury.

According to the report of the Jiangxi Viceroy Ling Ling Yunyi, the county initially reported a loss of more than 2,700 taels of silver, which later increased to more than 6,000 taels, eight out of ten of which were caused by internal collusion with bandits.

Zhu Zhu Yijun promoted this magistrate to Prefect on the spot, telling him to go back immediately to clean up the mess, not to be afraid of such retaliation, to take revenge if there is revenge, and to continue to collect taxes well, saying he was optimistic about him.

Qi Qi Jiguang watched with great interest from the side.

He didn't know if the Emperor had rehearsed it in advance, but his speech and response were very methodical.

Not to mention whether it matched the rumors among the people, at least in Qi Qi Jiguang's eyes, he was truly wise and a heaven-sent talent.

Qi Qi Jiguang was not so much surprised as he was expectant.

Military affairs are ultimately national strength, involving food, administration, weapons, and systems in every aspect.

An Emperor who cares about state affairs naturally has incomparable help for military affairs.

He was high-spirited in his early years, and only gradually realized in recent years—whether the seas can be calm and whether the Tatars can be wiped out is not up to them, these border generals, but whether the one on the throne can act well.

Qi Qi Jiguang observed the Emperor silently, his thoughts flying.

The Emperor talked one by one, and before he knew it, Qi Qi Jiguang realized that he was the only one left in the hall.

Sure enough, the Emperor on the throne opened the last page and asked the hall: "Where is Qi Qi Jiguang, the Left Chief Military Commissioner and Regional Commander of Shanhai Pass, who oversees the training of troops in the four towns?"

Qi Qi Jiguang hurriedly came out, subconsciously wanting to kneel.

Then, remembering the instructions of the guiding official today, he changed to a deep bow: "I, Qi Qi Jiguang, pay my respects to Your Majesty."

After the salute, Qi Qi Jiguang saw from the corner of his eye that the Emperor stood up from the throne and slowly walked down the imperial steps.

Just as he was wondering, he suddenly felt his hands grabbed.

Qi Qi Jiguang was astonished to be helped up, only to see the Emperor smile at him: "General Qi, Tan Lun previously entrusted you to me with tears of blood, so I won't be distant with you."

"Come, I have 200,000 taels of silver, and I want to hand it to you personally as military pay."

(End of chapter)