Chapter 190

The New Policies were never about inviting guests to dinner.

Gui E, who submitted a memorial to verify farmland in the eighth year of Emperor Jiajing, was forced to resign from the Grand Secretariat that same year.

The founding ancestor who impeached the Grand Secretariat could not avoid being destroyed.

The restorer of a foreign nation who collected more than 70% of the taxes had his coffin covered with bills to prevent him from rising from the dead.

Any intervention in distribution by the central government is often accompanied by blood and storms.

Zhu Zhu Yijun, who had long been aware of this, now had no intention of saving face for anyone.

Celestial omens, celestial changes, the Senior Grand Secretary's retention—everything was laid out on the table.

At this moment, he was even conducting a soul-searching interrogation of Zhao Jin—was he opposing the Senior Grand Secretary's retention, or was he opposing the New Policies?

The anger of the Son of Heaven naturally had extraordinary momentum.

The entire altar, up and down, inside and out, was silent for a moment.

Only the biting wind remained, urging Zhao Jin to respond again and again.

After an unknown amount of time, this Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites finally made a move.

He sighed, slowly removed his official cap, bowed his head, and bowed again; after doing so repeatedly, he slowly moved toward the right ranks while bowing.

Zhao Jin was sixty-four this year, and his movements were very slow.

But in every move, there seemed to be an extraordinary infectious power.

Seeing this, Lu Lu Guangzu hesitated for a moment, then followed suit; after bowing to the Emperor three times, he removed his cap and knelt behind Zhao Jin.

Seeing the actions of these two, the remaining civil officials suddenly realized, and all of them shivered, their faces instantly turning pale.

A quiet clamor suddenly eroded the entire southern suburbs.

Shen Shen Sixiao and Ai Mu of the Ministry of Justice, Hai Yushi Tan Yao, and others all removed their caps and knelt on the right side.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten people had moved from left to right.

Meanwhile, the court officials who had been standing in the right ranks either removed their caps and knelt on the spot, or moved to the middle with terrified expressions, or changed to the left ranks with disdainful expressions.

Chen Yubi, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, looked at this scene blankly, kneeling on the ground at a loss.

"Do you see? This is the answer Vice Minister Zhao gives you and Me. Does Chen Qing still think this is merely about human ethics and moral principles?"

Hearing the voice, Chen Yubi subconsciously raised his head.

He saw the Emperor looking at him with a sincere expression.

Chen Yubi could not help but be stunned.

Whether he was thinking of the mutual understanding between him and the Emperor over the past three years, or remembering his father, Chen Chen Yiqin, who had served the late Emperor in the Grand Secretariat.

Chen Yubi only felt his brain was a mess: "Your Majesty..."

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said with a hint of pity: "Chen Qing, what you said just now was wrong. In the three years you have served as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, you have certainly been diligent and loyal. Not only have I and your colleagues seen it, but the innocent prisoners you have saved over these years have not tarnished your father's reputation."

Chen Yubi's heart was already filled with mixed feelings; hearing these words from the Emperor in person, he could no longer hold back.

His facial features instantly bunched together, and tears gushed out like a spring: "Your Majesty, even if there are those who use this as a cover, my heart in this matter is only to maintain moral principles, and I have absolutely no other intentions!"

After saying this, he wailed loudly, his voice hoarse.

This action almost vividly displayed the pain entangled between the Three Bonds and Five Constants and the grace of the sovereign and minister.

The assembled officials looked sideways one after another.

Zhang Han of the Ministry of Justice was the most moved by this sight.

He was stunned for a moment, then looked at the Emperor and Chen Yubi, gritted his teeth fiercely, and stepped forward.

Zhang Han covered his face and bowed: "Your Majesty, I did indeed collude with Minister Chen last night, but the words only involved the Senior Grand Secretary observing mourning, and I have absolutely no malice toward Your Majesty and the New Policies!"

"I ask Your Majesty to examine the facts!"

As soon as the words fell, countless strange gazes looked at Zhang Han—this Minister of Justice was an undisputed member of the Emperor's faction; no one expected that he would also be shaken after the celestial omens last night, and even secretly meet with Chen Yubi to criticize Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Han sighed in his heart; only he understood Chen Yubi's state of mind at this moment.

The Emperor treated him with deep affection, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng was also his patron, yet the laws of the ages, the moral principles, were above all else.

The pain in this was truly hard to tell others.

Zhang Han moved his sleeve slightly, just in time to meet the Emperor's disappointed gaze, and his heart panicked for no reason.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was naturally very disappointed.

Zhang Han's dissatisfaction with the retention matter was expected; his disappointment lay in the fact that nothing unexpected happened—was Confucian moral principle really so stubborn?

Zhu Zhu Yijun's gaze swept toward the sobbing Chen Yubi, the ashamed Zhang Han, the hesitant Chen Yubi, the hesitant Wang Wang Xijue...

He shook his head and said sincerely: "Good, since you have said so much, let's clarify it thoroughly today!"

"Then I will change the way I put it: today we will drop the matter of retention, and you all will take a stand for the New Policies!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Yubi was stunned: "Your Majesty wants to allow the Senior Grand Secretary to return home to observe mourning!?"

Not just him, the other civil officials all had different expressions on their faces.

Chen Yubi stopped crying.

Wang Wang Xijue, Zhang Han, and others looked on with concern.

Chen Younian could not help but tug on Xu Xu Fuyuan's sleeve.

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not respond to Chen Yubi's questioning, but turned to look at Shen Shen Shixing.

Seeing that Shen Shen Shixing was dozing off, he could not help but raise his voice: "Where is Shen Shen Shixing of the Ministry of Personnel?"

Shen Shen Shixing shivered and subconsciously walked to the Emperor: "I am here."

Zhu Zhu Yijun was expressionless: "Convey My imperial edict; the Secretariat will draft it, and you will draft the ticket for Me."

"The matter of Grand Secretary Zhang Zhang Juzheng's retention is dropped; he is permitted to return home with the coffin and observe mourning for three months according to the regulations!"

As soon as the words fell, the court officials who had just relaxed slightly frowned again.

What does it mean to observe mourning for three months according to the regulations?

Are they really treating the Senior Grand Secretary as a Vice Emperor?

Hai Yushi Tan Yao reminded loudly: "A child is in the arms of his parents for three years. Your Majesty, mourning should be for three years."

Zhu Zhu Yijun was unmoved.

Shen Shen Shixing understood, turned around, and said loudly: "Hai Yushi Tan may not know that before the sacrifice in the southern suburbs, the Ministry of Personnel posted the list of personnel who passed the examination for the Imperial Observatory this year."

The court officials looked at each other.

Tan Yao frowned: "What does this have to do with this matter?"

Shen Shen Shixing swept his gaze over the court officials and said earnestly: "Zhang Zhang Juzheng of Zhang Jiangling Prefecture is recorded as a Doctor of Clepsydra in the Imperial Observatory, Ninth Rank (Junior)."

The court officials finally reacted.

Chen Yubi and Zhang Han both saw surprise and helplessness in each other's eyes.

Chen Yubi shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly.

Lu Lu Guangzu was stunned and speechless.

Zhao Jin's eyelids jumped.

Shen Shen Shixing was dutiful and explained to the stunned Tan Yao: "According to the regulations of our dynasty, for any three-year mourning period, one must be dismissed to observe it, and those who conceal or shorten the mourning period are to be punished."

"Only for officials of the Imperial Observatory, in the 19th year of During Hongwu, the founding ancestor ordered that they do not need to observe mourning; the following year, they were permitted to rush home for the funeral for three months and then return to office."

"Therefore, the Senior Grand Secretary should observe mourning for three months!"

The court officials looked at Shen Shen Shixing talking eloquently, their hearts filled with a sense of absurdity.

The court officials naturally knew this ancestral law established by the founding ancestor.

It was just that the Senior Grand Secretary of the current dynasty passing the examination for the Imperial Observatory was something that exceeded everyone's expectations—the Imperial Observatory had always been hereditary, and now that they were recruiting officials through examinations, no one had reacted to it.

The court officials were either dazed, cold-toothed, or relieved.

Just then, a burst of intermittent laughter sounded.

It was Liu Tai, who had not yet left.

His face was foolish and dull, and from time to time, he let out a burst of idiotic laughter.

He finally realized at this moment.

How well-prepared the Emperor was for Zhang Zhang Juzheng's retention.

And he realized even more how ridiculous his earlier appearance, holding his cap and walking with his head held high, had been.

Retention, three months of mourning, no avoidance of military duty—the Emperor had prepared layer after layer, and in the end, he had even calculated the ancestral laws of the Imperial Observatory!

The Emperor had probably started making preparations long before he took personal control of the government!

The founding ancestor's regulations... the ancestral laws... were actually played to this extent by the Emperor.

He, Liu Tai, had truly and genuinely become a joke.

Liu Tai's smile was idiotic, his hands scratched randomly, and from time to time he leaned back and forth, looking insane.

The surrounding colleagues hurriedly moved away.

Immediately, the Embroidered Uniform Guards stepped forward, grabbed his arms, and dragged him away.

And Tan Yao finally regained his senses at this time.

He was still unconvinced and shouted angrily at Shen Shen Shixing: "How can a Grand Secretary be an official of the Imperial Observatory!?"

Shen Shen Shixing had been a mediator for many years and took the anger of his subordinates in stride.

He replied with a gentle expression: "The original position of a Grand Secretary is only Fifth Rank, and holding concurrent positions is also a common practice. In the past, they often held concurrent positions as Ministers or Vice Ministers of the Six Ministries. Why is it not acceptable to hold a concurrent position as an official of the Imperial Observatory now?"

"Furthermore, the examination for the Imperial Observatory is limited to knowledge, not to the original position. If Hai Yushi Tan has any objections, we can discuss it again next year, but the results of this year cannot be changed under any circumstances."

Ai Mu, who had been kneeling on the ground without his cap, could not help but raise his head and look at Shen Shen Shixing's villainous face in disbelief.

He said in a mocking tone: "Shen Grand Secretary Zhang, for the sake of this matter, does not hesitate to treat the examinations opened by His Majesty as child's play, and privately transfers the quotas. What else can we say?"

Shen Shen Shixing's temper was truly good.

Facing such accusations, he remained patient and smiled: "Ai Zhushi may have forgotten that the chief examiner for these three sessions of the numerical examinations was Hai Rui, the Grand Coordinator of Sichuan, when he returned to the capital to report on his duties."

"If Ai Zhushi does not trust the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Personnel, the Censorate, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Imperial Observatory, that is fine, but the reputation of Grand Coordinator Hai should be trusted."

Upon hearing this, Ai Mu was speechless.

Tan Yao, on the side, became angrier the more he thought about it, and was about to continue making things difficult: "Even so..."

"Enough!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun's shout regained everyone's attention.

He intended to deal with Tan Yao last, so he simply bypassed him and looked at Chen Yubi before him: "The Senior Grand Secretary is observing mourning in this way; does Minister Chen acknowledge it or not?"

Chen Yubi, who had just been wailing loudly, wiped his face with his sleeves and nodded fiercely: "The rules, the human ethics, and moral principles are all in it! How can I not acknowledge it!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded and looked at Chen Yubi: "Chen Xiantai, do you acknowledge it or not?"

Chen Yubi seemed to have finally unloaded his burden and smiled freely: "It conforms to the rites and laws, and fulfills the virtue of a minister."

Zhu Zhu Yijun's gaze swept over Zhang Han, Wang Wang Xijue, Chen Younian, and others, all the way to the end of the two ranks, taking all the court officials into his eyes, and asked earnestly: "What about you?"

Zhang Han and Wang Wang Xijue bowed and agreed.

Chen Younian pushed away Xu Xu Fuyuan's hand and said loudly: "Regarding the Senior Grand Secretary's retention, I was completely opposed; now that he is observing mourning according to the regulations, I am convinced!"

The remaining half remained silent, and half bowed.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhu Yijun did not have a very joyful expression on his face.

He finally cast his gaze on Tan Yao: "It has come to this point, Hai Yushi Tan, and you were still trying to coerce others just now. How much do you hate the New Policies?"

Tan Yao was speechless for a moment.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at him coldly.

If people like Chen Younian were worth his persuasion, then for people like Tan Yao, if they had a good ending, he, the Emperor, should be struck by lightning.

Historically, the Emperor Wanli Emperor encountered a great drought and also prayed to Heaven, and after confessing his faults, he added a piece of private goods: "Although it is caused by My lack of virtue, it is also because the officials of the world are greedy and corrupt, harming the people, and unwilling to comfort and love them, offending the harmony of Heaven."

Tan Yao immediately retorted: "Feng Jing told Shenzong: 'Your Majesty avoiding the palace and reducing meals is not enough to reverse the celestial changes; you should painfully blame yourself and seek good words widely.' How many bad policies were there in Xining? How many people in the world were brutally oppressed by the Green Sprout and Baojia laws? And when Feng Jing told the sovereign, he must first hope that he blames himself." — The Xining New Policies immediately had celestial changes. And after the Emperor Wanli New Policies, there was a three-year great drought. Should you, the Emperor, not "blame yourself"?

Even, he said: "Why was it compliant in the past, and why is it violating now?" The state affairs were fine before, how come they are not working in your hands? And you can blame the officials?

It is too ridiculous for such a person to talk about moral principles.

Especially now that Tan Yao had no intention of restraining himself, jumping up and down, not knowing whether he was living or dying.

Zhu Zhu Yijun continued to ask coldly: "Hai Yushi Tan keeps talking about human ethics and moral principles."

"Then when you distributed posters the day before yesterday, insulting Me as a lonely man, why didn't you think about the bond between sovereign and minister!?"

As soon as the Emperor said this, the court officials changed color one after another and looked at Tan Yao.

They saw the blood on his face fade away instantly, pale as paper.

His whole body was swaying.

After Tan Yao looked at the Embroidered Uniform Guard Xu Xu Wenbi, his lips moved for a long time, but he did not cry out for injustice.

He just argued with difficulty: "Your Majesty, setting aside the inappropriate language, I also have a sincere heart!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun was almost laughed at by anger.

He nodded: "Good, what a sincere heart. Since that is the case, you will go to the Imperial Academy to be a Doctor, responsible for teaching the bond between sovereign and minister!"

Immediately, he looked at He He Luowen, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy: "He Qing, carve Doctor Tan's actions in the school, and when the handwriting is weathered and blurred, let him resign."

After saying this, he ignored Tan Yao's brilliant expression and waved his hand to have the ceremonial official take him away.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked down and said in a condensed voice: "Retention, I have finished distinguishing."

"Behind human ethics and moral principles, there is no hiding place for your opposition to the New Policies."

"Now, why don't you give Me a definite answer."

"New Policies, who is in favor, who is against?"

As soon as the words fell, Zhao Jin suddenly raised his head: "Your Majesty, before I resign, I have some heartfelt words, I ask Your Majesty to show mercy."

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Zhao Jin and could not help but shake his head and smile: "Just say it. There are six hundred court officials here, I will let you agitate them. Even if only ten people remain, I will push the New Policies down!"

From the moment the Emperor forced the court officials to take a stand, it meant that this matter could not end well.

The Emperor must have wanted Zhao Jin and others to resign.

Zhao Jin naturally knew this, otherwise he would not have kept saying that he had something to say before resigning.

This is the tacit understanding of both sides.

It is also the focus of the struggle between the two sides, whether Zhao Jin and others can be directly expelled.

Zhao Jin relied on the overall situation—most of the court officials did not support the New Policies. Once the Emperor expelled them all, the two capitals and the nine borders and thirteen provinces would likely be paralyzed for the most part.

Therefore, the heartfelt words he had were naturally not for the Emperor, but for his colleagues present.

And the Emperor's confidence lies in... he does not have a robe that he cannot take off.

Just as he said, even if only ten people remain, it will not prevent him from boarding a boat on Taiye Pool to hold another meeting.

With righteousness, military power, and the national treasury, how could he be afraid of having no one?

With one sentence from each, the court officials could not help but have their thoughts surging.

After all, who is the overall situation?

Zhao Jin raised his head, stared at the Emperor's expression for a long time, and suddenly sighed faintly: "Your Majesty, I dreamed last night that the Great Ming Dynasty only had fifty years of national destiny, the Jin people went south, the royal family went south, and the clothes and crowns were all buried at Yashan."

Zhu Zhu Yijun was stunned.

He looked at Zhao Jin suspiciously.

What is the situation?

Only hearing Zhao Jin continue to say: "Later, in a trance, I remembered that this is the story of my ancestors."

"I am the twenty-first generation grandson of Emperor Taizu of Song. My ancestors went south to Zhejiang in the second year of Jingkang, and it has been more than four hundred and fifty years."

Hearing this, Zhu Zhu Yijun suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, almost being bluffed by this guy.

He opened his mouth with a cover: "Zhao Qing is also a magnanimous gentleman, why borrow from the prophecy."

Zhao Jin shook his head and continued: "It is not a prophecy, but the Song people did not have time to mourn themselves, and I, a descendant, came to mourn it, so that Your Majesty can examine it."

"People at the time said that the two sages lost the country, but..."

"In my humble opinion, the fall of the former Song probably started with the Xining New Policies!"

"After Wang Wang Anshi's New Policies, the struggle between the new and old parties became rampant, the court situation was turbulent, the situation was chaotic, the people were complaining about competing for profit, and the local and central governments were confronting each other!"

"In just sixty years, foreign races drove straight in and broke the imperial city!"

"Your Majesty, since the first year of Emperor Wanli, isn't our dynasty going to this abyss and not returning?"

"Today's Zhang Zhang Juzheng is exactly like Wang Wang Anshi of that day."

"Today's New Policies are exactly like the Xining New Policies."

"Measuring farmland and checking the population, it is even worse than the original exemption, green sprout, and market trade laws in competing for profit with the people!"

"Since Zhang Zhang Juzheng governed the Grand Secretariat, his actions have been more cruel than Wang Wang Anshi! Nanzhili, Huguang, Sichuan, Shandong, Fujian... complaints are everywhere!"

"Since the New Policies, the party struggle in the central government has reached the point where Your Majesty wants us to take sides, the local gentry and native officials are fighting back more and more fiercely, the national treasury is full but the people are more distressed, and the Tu Man Khan in the north has been eyeing us since the establishment two years ago."

"Your Majesty, how similar are the two!?"

"If you don't pull back from the cliff, I fear that the sixty-year period is not enough!"

After Zhao Jin finished speaking, the southern suburbs were silent again, leaving only the sound of his kowtowing.

Even the court officials who had thought he was pretending were now lost in thought.

They looked at the Emperor one after another.

But they saw the Emperor wandering outside the sky, having no intention of debating with him.

Seeing that Zhao Jin had no movement, Zhu Zhu Yijun turned his head: "Zhao Qing finished speaking?"

The Emperor's reaction was unexpected, and Zhao Jin was stunned.

And then he reluctantly replied: "I risked my death to speak, I ask Your Majesty to examine the facts!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded: "Since that is the case, then you all take a stand."

Zhao Jin wanted to speak but stopped.

Zhu Zhu Yijun saw his appearance and finally laughed: "Zhao Qing doesn't think I want to debate, right?"

Seeing the Emperor say this, Shen Shen Shixing could not help but secretly roll his eyes at the Emperor.

The Emperor's nature of loving debate, it is rare not to go down and reason, otherwise, how did he think the evaluation of "wisdom is sufficient to reject remonstrance" came from?

Now he is pretending to be introverted.

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not know that someone was complaining, just put his hands behind his back and sighed: "In these eight years, the principles I have said, if not a thousand, there are eight hundred, and the people I have debated with are countless."

"Debating with Ding'an Bo before and after ascending the throne, debating with Xu Xu Shaoshi about salt administration, debating with major masters about the Taoist tradition, debating with the officials who report based on hearsay after taking personal control..."

"My mouth is dry, and I have said everything."

"I have worked hard until now, personally controlling the 100,000-strong army of the capital, the Tai Cang Treasury and the Inner Treasury combined have tens of millions of silver, the Governor of the Nine Borders is My liver and gallbladder, and the Governors of the thirteen provinces are all My confidants. If I am still bitter and earnest, I am afraid that it will be the trust of the loyal ministers that will be chilled."

"I have nothing to say today, just force you all to take a stand!"

"I want to rebuild the Great Ming Dynasty, will you follow, or not!"

By the end, he was already stern, and the court officials were terrified.

Zhu Zhu Yijun sneered and simply turned around, too lazy to look again.

The Emperor forced them to this point, and the court officials finally had no room left.

Except for Ma Ma Ziqiang leading the ranks on the right, Shen Shen Shixing, Wen Chun, Wang Guoguang, Zhu Heng, and others stood silently in the left ranks.

In their calm expressions, there was an unshakable will.

Wang Wang Xijue came from behind, pushed away Wen Chun, and stood behind Shen Shen Shixing with his head held high.

Zhang Han and Chen Yubi looked at each other and stood silently behind them.

Chen Kai, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, sighed, went the opposite way, removed his cap, and knelt in the right ranks: "Your Majesty, the Great Ming Dynasty is long ill, and a dose of tiger and wolf medicine will likely have the opposite effect!"

"I hope Your Majesty thinks three times!"

After saying this, he removed his cap and knelt to resign.

After Chen Kai took the lead, several people immediately stood in the right ranks.

Shi Shi Yaochen, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, lagged behind and also knelt without his cap: "My talent is no more than average, and I am unable to distinguish right from wrong. I ask to resign and return home."

Lin Lu, Governor of the Granary, followed closely, but said nothing, silently kneeling without his cap.

Another ten or so people stood over.

Jin Jin Lijing, Mayor of Shuntian Prefecture, choked: "Your Majesty is a hero of a generation, and I am deeply impressed."

"It is just that in the official sea, there are many students, old officials, and relatives, and things are often involuntary."

"I resign from now on and be a leisurely poet, which can be considered as removing a great hero for Your Majesty."

Zhu Zhu Yijun was originally facing away, but hearing this, he could not help but be moved.

He turned around slowly and blessed with regret: "Your official career is not smooth, you will surely have a fountain of talent."

Jin Jin Lijing kowtowed again and said nothing more.

With these high-ranking officials taking the lead, both sides were no longer restrained and stood in line left and right.

The two ranks of civil officials moved from left to right, from right to left.

The sound of clothing friction and removing caps was rustling, making the southern suburbs exceptionally quiet.

After a while.

The entire southern suburbs were clearly divided left and right.

On the right, from Zhao Jin down, Lu Lu Guangzu, Chen Kai, Lin Lu, Jin Jin Lijing, Shi Shi Yaochen... more than 190 people, knelt without caps.

On the left, from Shen Shen Shixing down, Wang Wang Xijue, Wang Guoguang, Zhu Heng, Wen Chun, Zhang Han, Chen Yubi... more than 410 people, stood bowing.

The dust settled.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards, who had been holding the sword handle the whole time, finally put down their weapons.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at the bitter-smiling Zhao Jin, wanting to say something, but suddenly felt listless.

The Emperor's gaze swept over the crowd and sighed: "I have worked with you for several years, and it is a pity that we have different political views today."

"Finally, follow Me to sacrifice to Heaven, fulfill the last fate between you and Me as sovereign and minister, and then go our separate ways!"

Zhao Jin instantly lost his spirit and knelt with difficulty.

Shen Shen Shixing and others watched coldly.

It was noon, and the blue sky was dotted with clouds.

The sun passed over the head, appearing timid in this winter, and the light cautiously passed through the clouds.

Sprinkled on the left and right of the southern suburbs.

Wang Wang Shizhen looked at the Emperor with a stern demeanor and was deeply moved.

After thinking for a moment and making some modifications, he wrote: "... more than 190 people including the officials who offended the harmony of Heaven, prayed to Heaven, and then the light of Heaven broke, dividing Yin and Yang."

"The comet dragged its tail, the stars hung in the purple pole, and the omen said, seeking governance in chaos."

(End of chapter)