[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-340":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wanli, the Enlightened Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322162,4542,"Chapter 340: Respect the End, Guard the Beginning; Order Is Restored","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-340",340,"\u003Cp>Whether the Lotus Case can withstand historical scrutiny is still uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as far as the situation in the Wenhua Hall is concerned, it is already barely holding up under the Chief Minister’s test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Zhang Juzheng returned to the capital, he prowled the Wenhua Hall like a hawk and wolf, intimidating his colleagues—hardly the demeanor of a loyal minister; of course, only Wang Sanxi, the Minister of Justice, dared harbor such thoughts inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his face, however, Wang Sanxi still spoke politely in defense: “Chief Minister, to call the Lotus Case a miscarriage of justice is inappropriate, and to demand the execution of Minister Weng and General Zhang is sheer nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was rare for someone to stand up and oppose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should have been a heated debate was now a scene where court ministers mostly stared at their noses, then at their hearts, feigning utter disinterest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, since the real culprit was captured two months ago, has the case still not been overturned?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some do not want the case reopened; some fear offending colleagues; some are truly unqualified to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, questions of right and wrong have never ranked first in the Wenhua Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not be fooled by Zhang Juzheng’s current posture—as if acting on the Emperor’s orders, roaring for blood and vengeance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But anyone who has ever stood in the Wenhua Hall can guess that the true aim of this Emperor and his minister extends far beyond the case itself—it lies hidden behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, why not bring up the miscarriage of justice in Hangzhou this past winter? Was it not because the stakes were smaller than in the Lotus Case?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few court ministers dare step forward without first carefully observing the currents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng turned and studied Wang Sanxi’s position: “It has been months since we last met; Minister Wang has already been promoted to Chief Justice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he returned to his hometown, the Minister of Justice was still Chen Yubi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Sanxi immediately bowed low and respectfully explained: “Minister Chen, moved by his father’s advanced age and deeply aware that moral order cannot be compromised, resigned and returned home to care for his father at the beginning of the year; I assumed the post then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was deferential, yet his words carried hidden barbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deeply aware that moral order cannot be compromised? Who has compromised it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers exchanged strange glances at Wang Sanxi, unsure whether he intended it or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng seemed not to have heard a word; he lowered his gaze, expressionless, and returned to the matter at hand: “Chief Justice Wang, you say the Lotus Case may not be a miscarriage of justice—what do you mean? Are you suggesting the evidence seized from the bandit Zhu Guochen’s home is invalid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely why the Lotus Case became widely believed as a miscarriage of justice among the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They claimed the maid was having an affair and conspired with her lover to murder her master—then where did the stolen wealth go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, all three suspects’ homes were ransacked from top to bottom, yet not a trace was found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was, of course, an unavoidable issue, yet it did not prevent the Minister of Justice from exercising his professional judgment: “Chief Minister, my point is that while the maid then lacked physical evidence, she confessed; now, Zhu Guochen has physical evidence, yet refuses to confess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One side offers testimony, the other physical proof—the truth remains uncertain; how can we definitively declare the earlier verdict a miscarriage of justice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since entering officialdom, Wang Sanxi had risen from a Clerk in the Ministry of Justice, to Director of the Ministry of Justice, then to Deputy Minister of Justice, and now Minister of Justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a professional, when speaking of adjudication, he naturally had his own logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck your mother’s dog shit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned to see—it was the crude Yin Zhengmao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, Minister Yin sneered: “Do you think I don’t know which matters more—testimony or physical evidence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soldiers’ barracks often breed strange speech habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Emperor was present, he would restrain himself; but now, with the Emperor absent from court for a month, he had reverted to his old ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Sanxi remained calm: “Grand Marshal, stick to the facts—do not disgrace the court every time His Majesty is absent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if this case has minor doubts, the three suspects still failed to prove their innocence; the legal procedures were clear, the confessions consistent, the investigations rigorous, and the records complete—all lawful. It should not be declared a miscarriage of justice merely because of some trinkets this bandit bought from who knows where.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Sanxi knew perfectly well which mattered more—testimony or physical evidence. He only needed a plausible excuse; the actual handling of the case still rested with the Ministry of Justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you insist on asking which matters more?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, it was Vice Minister Weng Dali of the Ministry of Justice who decided; now, it is I, the Minister of Justice, who decides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether anyone in the Wenhua Hall believes this argument is irrelevant; what matters is whether it can quell public outcry and perhaps the Emperor’s displeasure—that is what colleagues will consider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Assistant Censor-in-Chief Xu Yizhong stepped forward, bowing to all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Minister, Grand Marshal, Chief Justice, fellow ministers—could this case be a conspiracy? For instance, Zhu Guochen committed theft and assault, and the maid Lotus, taking advantage of her master’s injury, murdered him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He adopted a neutral, conciliatory tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In my view, since Zhu Guochen has been caught, merge him into the case and execute him by slow slicing; as for the maid Lotus, the old servant Wang Kui, and the neighbor Lu Jin, since they have already been executed, let the past remain past.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compromise and mediation have always been the hidden reserve energy when disputes reach an impasse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, the deceased Zhou Shichen was an imperial relative; letting the real killer escape justice would surely anger the Emperor, and the common people would gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then let them all go join Zhou Shichen—give the Emperor and the people their due satisfaction, and close the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This argument was indeed persuasive to elderly officials who wished to avoid further turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least Senior Vice Minister of Personnel Yao Hongmo and Minister of Rites Wang Zongyi were now lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned unconsciously toward Zhang Juzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alas, nothing decided in the Wenhua Hall could ever be this simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng faced the court and merely shook his head slightly: “Wang Sanxi, Xu Yizhong, I personally reviewed the case files this morning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chief Minister did not waste time debating whether testimony or physical evidence held more weight—politics was too dignified for such trivial disputes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Wang Sanxi and Xu Yizhong’s faces changed repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Addressing them by name was no different from pointing a finger and cursing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the information in his words left them no time to dwell on the insult; both turned stiffly, simultaneously, toward Pan Cheng and Xu Guo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All they saw were the two men turned away, whispering to each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng noticed their small gestures but ignored them, continuing calmly: “When this case was submitted to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry’s Director Pan Zhiyi rejected the Five City Military Command’s verdict and ordered Zhang Guowei to re-investigate, citing three reasons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng paused, then recited the case file verbatim in the Wenhua Hall: “First, the Military Command claimed Shichen’s servant Wang Kui and his maid Lotus were lovers and resented their master; but the Ministry’s review confirmed Lotus remained a virgin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second, the Military Command claimed the three murdered Shichen and stole his wealth; yet the stolen goods were never found.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third, although confessions exist, the suspects’ statements contradict each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Therefore, this office returned the case for re-investigation, as recorded by Ministry of Justice official Pan Zhiyi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Sanxi and Xu Yizhong exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The points Zhang Juzheng recited matched the case file word for word!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This treacherous minister had truly turned the case file upside down!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng’s chilling voice continued to pound into their ears, leaving them shaken: “Subsequently, Zhang Guowei of the Military Command submitted the case again to the Ministry of Justice without changing a word, bypassing Pan Zhiyi and delivering it directly to Vice Minister Weng Dali.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, Vice Minister Weng, deeming the facts clear, ordered Pan Zhiyi to conclude the case swiftly; Pan refused. Thus, Vice Minister Weng assigned Director Wang Sanxi and Director Xu Yizhong to jointly re-examine it with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The three Ministry officials reviewed the case, two against one, and sentenced Wang Kui, Lotus, and Lu Jin to slow slicing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng turned and stared silently at the two: “Wang Sanxi, Xu Yizhong—you two, like Weng Dali, were the original lead officials in this case. The bandit Zhu Guochen has been captured for over two months, yet you have repeatedly obstructed reopening the case. Do you not know to recuse yourselves?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chief Minister, after half a year’s recuperation, returned with his intimidating presence undiminished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the issue was framed as a matter of political protocol, it became the Chief Minister’s domain; Wang Sanxi and Xu Yizhong stammered, speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court ministers no longer focused on them; instead, they frowned slightly, their glances subtly sweeping over Minister of Justice Pan Cheng and Vice Minister Xu Guo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Wang Sanxi had directly defied the Emperor, insisting that criminal law was a specialized domain and that the Ministry of Justice deemed the case properly resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, everyone assumed he was protecting his former superior, Weng Dali; no one expected Wang Sanxi himself was on the same rope as Weng. But if so, why had the Ministry of Justice not exposed this veil?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although judicial records were not easily shown—even court ministers requesting them were gently rebuffed—the Ministry of Justice could freely access them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the Ministry of Justice exposed this earlier, where would Wang Sanxi and Xu Yizhong have found room to scramble about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Concealing it was one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But two months have passed, and the case is nearly sinking into oblivion—how, then, did Zhang Juzheng so easily gain access to the files? What happened to the Ministry’s old trick of “losing” documents?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly are the minds of these two Ministry officials?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Cheng was arguing with Xu Guo, back turned, when he suddenly felt a burning sensation on his back—he instantly knew countless eyes were fixed upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed inwardly and turned with difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Cheng’s gaze swept over Wang Sanxi and Xu Yizhong’s pale faces, met the skeptical stares of his colleagues, and finally settled on the impassive Zhang Juzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pursed his lips and spoke slowly: “Chief Minister, Minister Weng has rendered great service to the state; many officials in our ministry feel sympathy for him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Minister Pan spoke, everyone understood his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng remained expressionless, watching Pan Cheng silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Cheng no longer concealed his intent: “Since entering service in the Jiajing seventeenth year, Minister Weng has served as Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shandong and Provincial Governor of Nanjing, enforcing strict laws that drove bandits into hiding—truly a virtue that brought peace to the people!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, in the early Longqing reign, when the Yellow River burst and the Huai River flooded, Minister Weng tirelessly managed the canals, dredged the Huai River, saved a thousand hectares of farmland and ten thousand lives—truly a merit in water control!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can a pillar of the state be condemned to the ultimate punishment for a minor error?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed to Zhang Juzheng, then turned and knelt toward the throne: “The Ministry of Justice believes the Lotus Case may be reopened, but Weng Dali must not be punished. These are our heartfelt words; we humbly beg Your Majesty to reconsider.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans are not grass or trees—they cannot be without feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Pan Cheng was appointed Hanlin Compiler in Jiajing twenty, assisting in compiling the Great Ming Compendium, he shared a room with Weng Dali, who had entered service one cohort earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Pan Cheng’s eyes, Weng Dali had labored for decades for the state, achieving great merit with few major flaws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside his water control achievements, though Weng Dali’s punishments were harsh, they severely curbed lawlessness and restored moral order—his merit was immense. How could one single mistake justify the Emperor’s cry for his execution?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because the Emperor showed no mercy, the Ministry of Justice stood united in secretly shielding Weng Dali.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why must it come to this? Could they not impose a light punishment and give a meritorious minister a chance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing watched this scene, rubbing his temples in exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason this minor case remained unresolved so long was, of course, multifaceted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expressions of the court ministers revealed many sympathized with Weng Dali—mostly veteran officials from the Jiajing era, inevitably moved by the fear of being next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since Weng Dali had served the state for so many years—surely his toil deserved to outweigh one death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young Emperor was impetuous; the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Justice obstructed him; indifferent court ministers watched in silent accord; the Grand Secretariat had been trapped in an impossible dilemma for two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned their eyes toward Zhang Juzheng, at the head of the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Pan Cheng kneeling before him, disappointed: “The Ministry of Justice pities its old superior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless gazes settled on Pan Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Cheng’s face wore an expression of sorrow and worry, yet not a hint of guilt; he held his tablet firmly in both hands and bowed again, unshaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guo, Vice Minister of Justice, stared at the ceiling, calculating whether his secret move to retrieve the case files behind Pan Cheng’s back had been wise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng turned to Wang Sanxi, his face filled with revulsion: “Back then, the Ministry of Justice oversaw the Dalisi .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His venomous gaze pierced Wang Sanxi; the latter clenched his teeth so hard the whiskers on the mole beneath his jaw seemed to strain, three or five of them standing straight up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But under the weight of all those watching eyes, Wang Sanxi finally cracked, guiltily turning his head away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, his gaze landed on Xu Yizhong, his expression unreadable: “Even the Censorate has fallen into silent complicity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five Cities Military Command, though nominally under the Ministry of War, was operationally led by the Censorate’s touring inspectors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Censor-in-Chief Chen Wude glared angrily at Assistant Censor-in-Chief Xu Yizhong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did he realize why Xu Yizhong had volunteered to personally investigate the Lotus Case at the Military Command—Xu Yizhong stepped forward, face twisted in bitterness, and knelt in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire body was hunched in the hall, his official robes trembling—not sure if it was the atmosphere shaking or his body quaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After naming each man, Zhang Juzheng solemnly composed himself: “No wonder, even after the true culprit of the Lotus Case was caught, the verdict could not be overturned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder, even if the victim of the Hangzhou case had risen from the dead, they could still dismiss it with ‘the deceased erred, but the killer is correct.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder, despite so many Ministers of Justice—Liu Ziqiang, Wang Zhihao, Zhang Han, now Pan Cheng—the judicial system has shown not the slightest improvement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It turns out… not even a needle can pierce it; not a drop of water can seep through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight chilling words!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers in the hall turned pale, stunned by Zhang Juzheng’s ferocious words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Cheng and others trembled as they protested: “Grand Secretary! We are not a faction!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng ignored them, sighing deeply: “I wondered why His Majesty entrusted me with such a trivial case—I thought he was overreacting. But it was my vision that was narrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty did not send me here to deliberate on the Lotus Case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Zhang Juzheng’s demeanor shifted abruptly—he clenched his teeth, and a chilling tone swept through the hall: “His Majesty sent me here to level your mountain strongholds!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court deliberation at Wenhua Palace raged on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Secretary flew into a rage and canceled lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor’s afternoon nap in Wanshou Palace was still unfinished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dressed and ready, the Emperor shuffled sleepily into the main hall of Wanshou Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Secretaries of the Imperial Secretariat had already changed shifts and waited inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun yawned repeatedly, glancing at Wang Yingxuan: “Wang Qing is back? Is the court dismissed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t bothered to remember which Secretary was on duty that day, but during lunch, Wei Chao had casually mentioned that Little Wang had been scolded by Big Wang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, whenever Zhu Yijun saw Wang Yingxuan, he found it amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could you, one of the Four of the Yan Gate, sneak off to Huguang to privately report central affairs to the Grand Secretary during a family visit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbecoming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan, unaware the Emperor was silently criticizing him, replied with visible annoyance: “Not yet. The Grand Secretary says he’ll deliberate all day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only just now, when the ministers were starving, the Grand Secretary allowed them to take their meals first. I seized the chance to switch shifts with Yao Sanrang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun drew in a sharp breath—what a workaholic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew full well his assigned matter couldn’t be resolved in a single day—otherwise he wouldn’t have issued an oral decree ordering Zhang Juzheng to report back the day after tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he never expected Master Zhang would, upon returning to court, immediately abandon sleep and meals, working overtime without pause!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was humbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun resolved never to complain of fatigue again for three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor drew brief strength from this example, yet still asked after the matter: “How is the deliberation going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan answered smoothly: “This morning, the Grand Secretary presided over the court inquiry: first, he overturned the Lotus Case, then sent back several recent controversial cases to the Ministry of Justice, ordering Vice Minister Xu Guo to re-examine them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other old cases were one thing, but the Lotus Case—technically, he, as Emperor, bore responsibility; death sentences required his vermilion approval, and he had personally signed off on the Lotus Case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Emperor, secluded deep in the palace, could not possibly read every case file, every accused, every piece of evidence—so-called review had long become a formality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this case was not as famous as the White Poplar Case; he had no clear memory of it—though he did not know that historically, the Lotus Case was overturned not because the Three Judicial Offices had a change of conscience, but because “the people of the capital cried out that Lotus was wronged, and the rumor reached the palace; the Emperor flew into a rage,” for it was overturned by the Wanli Emperor’s simple sense of justice, and thus never celebrated by the literati.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun shook his head: “What of the Ministry of Justice officials involved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan skipped the court inquiry details and summarized concisely: “From the case’s procedural review: Nanjing’s Minister of Justice, Weng Dali, and the Commander of the Five Cities Military Command, Zhang Guowei, knowingly concealed injustice; while the Chief of the Dalisi , Wang Sanxi, and Assistant Censor-in-Chief Xu Yizhong, catered to their superiors and fabricated the wrongful verdict.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Grand Secretary proposes executing Weng Dali and Zhang Guowei for murder, and exiling Wang Sanxi and Xu Yizhong for dereliction and lawbreaking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some elder ministers argue for leniency, and the Wenhua Palace is still debating this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun found this outcome acceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they couldn’t agree, then let them vote—then the Emperor could step in and make the decision, and all would go smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely why Zhang Juzheng was indispensable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue had entered the Grand Secretariat too recently; their prestige was insufficient, and they were often overruled by elders like Wang Zongyi and Pan Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Zhang Juzheng could suppress these old dinosaurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it’s not that the elders were wrong—only that their methods inevitably diverged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elders remembered Weng Dali’s service to the Great Ming, his blood shed for the Emperor; Zhu Yijun saw only this man’s deliberate fabrication of injustice, his destruction of the innocent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Service? Even with service, this man deserves the Flame Fist!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun shook his head: “Isn’t it nearly settled? What else does the Grand Secretary plan to deliberate this afternoon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could guess, but he couldn’t wait to confirm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan lowered his head: “The Grand Secretary used the Lotus Case as a pretext to launch a broadside against the Three Judicial Offices, then directly accused the court of being riddled with factional strongholds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He ordered the heads of all ministries and directorates to attend this afternoon’s meeting, to self-examine, self-correct, and mutually admonish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun exhaled deeply—what a master, what keen insight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was precisely his intention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Satisfied, Zhu Yijun leaned back slowly in his chair, a tinge of melancholy in his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Southern Altar sacrifice, which purged over a hundred court officials, every minister in the court—or rather, in Wenhua Palace—was a member of the New Faction supporting reform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But within the faction, there were no subgroups—only chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once external enemies were removed, internal flaws began to surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The New Faction’s core members who reached the level of ministry or directorate heads were no idle bureaucrats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the Emperor himself, these brilliant elites were all thinking and actively exploring the direction of the new policies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People could never be perfectly aligned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, differing viewpoints among these state leaders during exploration were normal—and unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key lay in how to handle such differences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the bureaucratic system’s instinctive resistance to dissent far outweighed the Emperor’s years of influence within the faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire system would naturally, inevitably, bypass the Emperor and impose its own agenda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first senior official to show signs of this was Wen Chun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To elevate his southwestern policy of replacing native chieftains with imperial officials into state policy, Wen Chun openly shielded Yang Yinglong in front of the Emperor and Shen Shixing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man, historically a murderer of his wife and mother-in-law, who brutally castrated his subjects and ordered his troops to massacre Qijiang City, was transformed by Wen Chun into a white lotus victim of native chieftains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And beside him, Shen Shixing remained unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Zhu Yijun not possessed divine sight, he might never have noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Wen Chun was a loyal minister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the struggle among native chieftains, sinicized natives, and imperial officials, allying with sinicized Yang clans to suppress non-sinicized chieftains was the century-tested state policy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historically, the Great Ming took the other path—pacifying native chieftains and suppressing sinicized ones—leading the non-sinicized chieftains to secretly unite, sparking the She-An Rebellion, which ravaged Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Guangxi, killing over a million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, when Wen Chun pushed this transgressive policy behind the Emperor’s back, Zhu Yijun did not expose him—instead, he reassigned Wen Chun to Guizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demotion was a warning, yet also an opportunity for Wen Chun to personally oversee the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wen Chun,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>on the provincial uprisings caused by land surveys, every single court official in Wenhua Palace unanimously overrode the Emperor’s will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone supported land measurement, but when faced with resistance, should they use gentle persuasion or brutal suppression?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the matter in Qufu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Li mobilized the Embroidered Uniform Guard to suppress Qufu, sparking fierce debate in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confucian scholars like Wang Zongyi, Wang Guoguang, and Zhu Heng displayed extraordinary compassion toward the people; memorials condemning Shen Li flooded the Western Garden—accusing him of brutality, ignoring public sentiment, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun could never allow Shen Li to become, as Hai Rui had been during the Longqing reign, a pawn sacrificed by his superiors; to protect Shen Li, he simply withheld the memorials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was naturally interpreted as the Emperor’s support for Shen Li’s actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the next day’s Wenhua Palace court deliberation, the ministers openly criticized Shen Li, defying the Emperor’s ambiguous stance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These ministers had always opposed the Emperor’s special appointment of Provincial Governors to handle cases directly—Zhu Yijun understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the instinctive resistance of bureaucratic hierarchy against oligarchic rule; anyone in their position would react similarly, and Zhu Yijun could not implant the Three Demons’ Brain Powder into every minister’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, by long-standing tacit agreement, these ministers should never have overridden the Emperor’s will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a brutal blow to Zhu Yijun, who had believed that after the Southern Altar sacrifice, he could now command the court as effortlessly as his own limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again and again sensing the spontaneous will of the bureaucratic system, Zhu Yijun grew increasingly vigilant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he began examining the affairs of court with attention, Zhu Yijun suddenly realized that this bureaucratic will was far more widespread and powerful than he had imagined!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most typical example was the three judicial offices banding together!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officials of the three judicial offices should, in theory, each have their own wills—but when real matters arose, he discovered these men unanimously rejected outsiders, as if anyone who meddled in criminal cases was an enemy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How simple had the Hangzhou case originally been?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dead man had returned, yet Hangzhou Prefecture still produced another skeleton; the Dalisi  and the Ministry of Justice jointly submitted a memorial stating that although the accused had not killed this man, he had killed another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It left the ministers in Wenhua Hall utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lotus Case was an even clearer injustice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he found shocked him: the officials who had fabricated the case were none other than the Minister of Justice of Nanjing or the President of the Dalisi ; the only one who had insisted on the doubts, Pan Zhiyi, had long ago been demoted to the Guangdong Surveillance Commission to guard reservoirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he, the Emperor, sought to overturn the case, he instead forced the three judicial offices into united hostility, summoning an indescribable collective will!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Zhu Yijun chose to target the three judicial offices as his entry point, entrusting Zhang Juzheng with the long-term task of leveling the peaks—Beijingcheng was a plain, and no peak should tower too high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, as if in deep contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike his earlier brief reflections, this meditation lasted an extremely long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So long that Wang Yingxuan began to wonder if the Emperor had fallen asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not know how much time had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, a sigh came from the imperial throne: “Wang Qing, draft an edict for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan hurriedly laid out paper and brush, sitting upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weeds must be cleared regularly, but the impenetrable walls of each ministry and bureau were not built overnight—otherwise, the decades-long struggle between the Grand Secretariat and the ministries would not have existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given this situation, even Zhang Juzheng acting alone may not be able to hold the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strong medicine is still needed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, Zhu Yijun rose slowly, speaking slowly and deliberately: “The Provincial Governor of Sichuan, Hai Rui, has maintained discipline, endured years of trial, and rendered meritorious service in land surveying; he is hereby promoted to Right Grand Censor and placed in charge of the Censorate. He is ordered to proceed immediately to Beijing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—(End of Chapter)—\u003C\u002Fp>",4582,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","63801937efe1f01e36a3ac757cf114b8e3d2888431ac01d22faf3761e84635c2","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-341","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-339",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]