[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-344":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},2322166,4542,"Chapter 344: Heaven Delights in Humanity, Departing at the Autumn Sacrifice","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-344",344,"\u003Cp>Called regional discrimination in speech, but written as local protectionism—merely because the former sounds slightly more euphemistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even though the Emperor had chosen his words with such care, the court ministers’ faces flushed crimson and pale in turns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who is this meant to chastise?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it Xu Guo, the Left Vice Minister of Justice from She County, Huizhou Prefecture, or Yin Zhengmao, the Minister of War?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or is it Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue, the leaders of the southern faction at court?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or is it meant to provoke something else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two matters are not trivial, yet if taken to their extreme, they are truly monumental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The infighting within Huizhou Prefecture began in the Jiajing era—from commercial taxes, to silk-pawn taxes, to today’s land surveys and disputes over boundaries—old grudges and new resentments, as if two nations were at war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The north-south divide is an even older historical legacy since the founding of the dynasty—from the Northern-Southern Examination Scandals, to disputes over the Salt and Grain System, to the very existence of the two capitals—all outward manifestations of this problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regional discrimination is unacceptable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why not ask Chen Wude why the position of Chief Censor of the Censorate remains vacant, and why he, as Deputy Chief Censor, doesn’t even have the qualification to serve in an interim capacity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he, like the Chief Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, is a southerner!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unwritten convention of the dynasty holds that the heads of the Grand Secretariat and the Censorate, if drawn from the thirteen provinces, must not both be northerners or both southerners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the court operates this way, how much more so in the people’s realm—even the Emperor himself considers regional origins when selecting imperial consorts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cautious ministers still turned the matter over and over in their minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guo, the first to be targeted, reacted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, I am from Huizhou Prefecture—I humbly request to recuse myself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost as soon as the Emperor finished speaking, Xu Guo seized upon “Huizhou Prefecture” and pinned it to his own forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Zhengmao, half a beat behind, followed suit: “I too am a native of Huizhou Prefecture—I ought to recuse myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men were not merely from Huizhou Prefecture, but from the same county.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But trying to slip away now was clearly not so easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun frowned: “If we follow that logic, then when I just mentioned the north-south divide, does that mean every minister here—including myself—must all recuse ourselves?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t a criminal case—why avoid kinship?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After rebuking them, Zhu Yijun added soothingly: “Precisely because you two are intimately familiar with Huizhou’s folk conditions, I need you to answer my questions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guo, who had moments ago been smugly satisfied, now felt once again as if walking on thin ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stammered: “Your Majesty, I have been away from home for years—I am not well-informed…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun merely smiled faintly, watching Xu Guo silently—until Xu Guo’s scalp prickled and he fell silent mid-sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the Emperor did not press Xu the Vice Minister further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun turned to Yu Maoxue, the Left Remonstrator of the Household Department, who had remained silent in his place, and asked curiously: “Yu Qing, you are from Wuyuan County in Huizhou Prefecture—why say nothing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huizhou Prefecture’s internal strife began in the Jiajing era, surfaced openly in the Longqing third year, and persisted until the Wanli eighth year—why has it remained unresolved for so long?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Huizhou Prefecture has produced too many high-ranking officials—over forty of them qualify for the Annals of Famous Ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She County certainly has Xu Guo, Yin Zhengmao, and Wang Daoqun—but the other five counties are no less endowed: Hu Zongxian, descendants of Zhu Xi, this censor, that remonstrator—even Cheng Dawei of the Qiushi Academy once had Xu Jie submit a petition on his behalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue, this Left Remonstrator of the Household Department, is one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly had prepared his response; as soon as the Emperor asked, he stood tall and straight: “Your Majesty, I have long held a deep grievance on this matter, and I intend to voice it—I will not recuse myself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he cast a condescending glare at Xu Guo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu the Left Remonstrator’s attitude drew sharp glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If everyone held this attitude, it’s no wonder the six counties of Huizhou nearly raised armies to fight each other—it’s entirely understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun couldn’t help shaking his head: “Then let each of you speak—what is the true origin of this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memorials had been read, but their perspectives must still be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guo and Yin Zhengmao exchanged a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others might not know the hidden truths behind Huizhou’s infighting, but they knew them perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, it was not Huizhou Prefecture as a whole that fought—it was She County alone fighting the other five counties of Huizhou—don’t ask why one county held its own against five; these two outstanding men from She County are the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xu Guo avoid his gaze, Yin Zhengmao sighed and stepped forward slowly: “Your Majesty, the current state of Huizhou Prefecture stems from a complex web of causes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is not the result of one or two isolated incidents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, even as a child, Yin Zhengmao was raised with hatred toward the neighboring county instilled in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of it, he sighed and cut to the chase: “The matter began in the early Jiajing era, during the compilation of the prefectural gazetteer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The compilers wrote: ‘Though Huizhou’s merchants possess great wealth, they rarely own land; land is held by farmers, who suffer heavy taxes and corvée. Merchants who pay grain taxes can still bear it—but the farmers are in torment…’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huizhou Prefecture’s taxes were far heavier than those of other prefectures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Huizhou had so many great merchants, making it appear wealthy, tempting the court to extract more taxes—yet the merchants owned no land, so the burden naturally fell upon the farmers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So which two counties had the most merchants?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, Xiuning County and She County!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not merely the compilers’ opinion—it was also the long-standing consensus in Huizhou: inheriting the commercial traditions of the Song and Yuan, the people of these two counties had never ceased traveling to trade—this was the foundation of Huizhou merchants’ prosperity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ideas often give rise to actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Thus, in the seventeenth year of Jiajing, the magistrate of Xiuning County, Fu Can, wrote to the Provincial Governor, Ouyang Duo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He proposed: since these two counties are wealthy and own no land, why not increase their corvée taxes? Raise the per capita tax in Xiuning and She Counties by sixty percent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Zhengmao’s face flushed slightly—he clearly grew angry just recalling this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You, a magistrate of Xiuning County, mind your own affairs—why drag She County into this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She County’s people, unjustly burdened with higher per capita taxes, naturally despised Magistrate Fu Can—even if the court praised him and his peers commended him, in the streets he was still mocked as a man who bore children without an anus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This resentment extended to the other four counties that had supported this “neighbor-as-ditch” mentality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Subsequently, the people of the two counties, led by Wang DaoHong, petitioned the imperial court…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Yin Zhengmao suddenly knelt and did not rise, his voice trembling as he recited: “The six counties are one county; the people of the six counties are one people. To burden two counties because they are merchant-heavy—yet are all the people of these two counties merchants?...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This display left the ministers puzzled and frowning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xu Guo, beside him, was visibly moved—this was a famous essay every She County scholar memorized from childhood; no school omitted it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Zi said: “It is wrong for a father to exploit his son”; Confucius said: “We fear inequality more than scarcity”—is this not precisely the point?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could anyone still ask where She County’s resentment came from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reciting, Yin Zhengmao swept up his robe, roughly wiped his face, and raised his head sharply: “Your Majesty, ‘The six counties are one county; the people of the six counties are one people’—this statement is precisely what all Huizhou counties now deny!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The people of She County dare not refuse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I cried that we are all one family, no one listened—then fine, let us no longer pretend to be one family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Yin Zhengmao’s furious demeanor, Zhu Yijun tapped his fingers on the table, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see at a glance how unreasonable Magistrate Fu Can’s proposal was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are all people in She County merchants? Are there no merchants in the other four counties? Why should farmers pay higher per capita taxes simply because merchants are wealthy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Fu Can—if he had even a shred of decency—would have designed a tax system targeting wealthy merchants, not this blunt, indiscriminate approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was purely for revenue-grabbing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t ask what the Jiajing Emperor was doing—when it came to revenue, he was delighted; he simply dismissed the petition with “Submitted, no response.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether or not to raise taxes was ultimately the Jiajing Emperor’s wise decision—why blame the people of the other counties? Isn’t that shamelessly shifting blame?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All turned to look at the speaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood Yu Maoxue, head held high like a crowing rooster: “On the contrary, She County, acting out of private vengeance, incited litigious clerks to petition, attempting to shift its own per capita silk tax onto the other five counties—that is the height of hypocrisy and shamelessness!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers, rarely privy to others’ family quarrels, now leaned forward with keen interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun waved his hand urgently: “Yu Qing, explain clearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue, though low in rank, stepped forward several paces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at Xu Guo and Yin Zhengmao with no decorum, angrily declaring: “She County has a per capita tax of 8,780 bolts of raw silk, levied since the time when the Taizu was still King Wu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet from the Jiajing era until the fourth year of Longqing, every few years, litigious clerks would submit petitions to the Provincial Governor’s office, seeking to spread this per capita tax across the other five counties of Huizhou Prefecture!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, it was always about real silver and gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She County bore more per capita taxes and resented it; the other five counties, fearing they would now be forced to shoulder the silk tax, glared back in fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time it reached the brink of armed conflict, each side’s position had hardened beyond compromise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yin Zhengmao flew into a rage, instinctively gripping his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guo’s eyelid twitched; he quickly pressed down on Yin Zhengmao’s hand and replied hastily: “Lies! It is not per capita silk tax—it is summer tax silk! This tax has always been meant to be shared among all six counties!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You five counties have been dodging this burden for two hundred years—now you dare twist the truth?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhu Yijun gave Zhu Xizhong a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter understood, stepped forward, blocked Yu Maoxue, and forced him back to his place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xu Guo turned to the Emperor and bowed: “Your Majesty, in the first year of Wu, the Taizu converted the silk tax of all six counties into wheat payments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The next year, when the summer wheat harvest failed, it was converted into 8,780 bolts of per capita silk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this burden solely on She County?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Xu Guo had spoken, there was no turning back—even if it smacked of clan favoritism, he had to press on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face flushed with anger, his words poured forth: “If you speak of sharing the burden—did the other five counties all die? Why should only She County’s people bear it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, since the fourteenth year of Jiajing, the people have already petitioned the Provincial Governor’s office—how can you retaliate for an incident in the seventeenth year?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The records of Provincial Governors Chen Kezhai and Song Maoxi still exist—back then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the fourteenth year of Jiajing, the people of She County, Cheng Peng and Wang Xiang, had begun petitioning the Provincial Governor’s office over this issue, bypassing the local prefectural authorities entirely, hoping the tax would be shared equally among all six counties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the Regional Governor of Nanjing, Chen Kezhai, and the Surveillance Commissioner, Song Maoxi, followed routine procedure and ordered Huizhou Prefecture to investigate thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huizhou Prefecture nodded obediently, then delayed indefinitely until both the Regional Governor and Surveillance Commissioner were promoted and transferred away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She County continued petitioning; the newly appointed Regional Governor and Surveillance Commissioner, Ouyang Duo and You Ju Jing, likewise issued orders instructing Huizhou Prefecture to convene a joint meeting of the six counties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huizhou Prefecture nodded obediently again, then continued delaying—until both the Regional Governor and Surveillance Commissioner passed away, and even until the petitioners themselves died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, such matters always resurface eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third year of Longqing, new petitioners emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once again, Huizhou Prefecture managed to stall it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue was pushed back to the last position and had to raise his voice several notches: “You’re turning black into white! Unfilial wretches!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Huizhou Prefecture Annals record clearly: when the court discovered She County’s arrears in summer wheat, it ordered them to pay the ‘summer tax in raw silk’ to the Nanjing Transport Treasury—this is documented in official records! What does it have to do with the other five counties?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Originally, Cheng Peng and Wang Xiang, two troublemaking commoners from She County, petitioned the Regional Governor’s office; at that time, the Prefect of Huizhou, Feng Shi Yong, personally inspected the household registers and confirmed that She County alone paid this tax!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tensions ran high; fists and feet were about to fly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rhythmic tapping echoed upon the imperial desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers instinctively composed themselves and stood at attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Zhengmao, Xu Gu, and Yu Maoxue all knelt and begged forgiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun placed his right palm on the desk, raised his index finger, and struck it firmly once more: “I recall this matter—Huizhou Prefecture has been in uproar over the silk-and-silk-tax since the Jiajing era through Longqing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Longqing four, they even petitioned Hai Rui—yet nothing came of it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hai Rui was promoted to County Magistrate of Chun’an, he was already famed for staunchly resisting extra levies, eliminating surplus taxes and corvée whenever possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he intervened, Huizhou Prefecture would not have dared to continue delaying. Yu Maoxue calmed himself and bowed: “Your Majesty, the timing was unfortunate—Hai Gangfeng at the time replied, ‘Await the Prefecture’s investigation and report,’ but less than half a month later, he was dismissed from his post as Regional Governor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it truly was unfortunate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun pondered when Hai Rui would arrive in the capital, then asked casually: “What is this dispute now that it’s escalated to the brink of war?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Hai Rui’s transfer from Nanjing, the silk-tax case had lain dormant for nine years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it had flared up again—there must have been a catalyst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Zhengmao bowed deeply and replied gloomily: “Your Majesty, the dispute arises from land boundary surveys at county borders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Matters of demarcation are simple enough when overseen by a fair arbiter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Huizhou Prefecture’s condition is clearly unsuitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She County’s yamen runners will inevitably favor She County; officials from the other five counties stand firmly on their own counties’ behalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Huizhou Prefecture’s land survey, due to Sun Piyang’s negligence, was outsourced to gentry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Xiuning County: all 310 tu-zheng, 4 yu-zheng, and 33 du-zheng were local gentry and elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When disputes arose, if these gentry were willing to mediate, they might even pay out of their own pockets—“If land is contested, and the disputed plot equals one owned by Zhong Gong, they donate their own land to resolve it; if the value is contested, they pay compensation to settle it. The total resolved amounted to a thousand taels, yet not a single case reached the officials.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for those unwilling to mediate, they naturally spent their wealth on brawls and vendettas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between She County and the five counties, neither side would yield; officials and gentry held grudges over every slight, and commoners fought over every inch of land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even disputes over water sources could spark knife fights within the same village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it’s land we’re talking about…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder they say Huizhou Prefecture is on the brink of civil war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not just the land survey disputes—some local factions have been promoted and are now abusing public office to champion their hometowns.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue added this with a sarcastic tone, his eyes never leaving Yin Zhengmao and Xu Gu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the ministers all frowned involuntarily—“local faction” was no benign term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially now that the Emperor had declared his intent to crush regional cliques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone expected Yin Zhengmao and Xu Gu to fly into a rage and vehemently deny it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after a long wait, they remained utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They actually accepted the accusation without a word!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue continued: “At the beginning of this year, Sun Piyang issued a decree to Huizhou Prefecture, forcibly ordering all six counties to hold joint deliberations…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if some inexplicable wind had blown down from the center—Sun Piyang, as if wound up, issued fierce orders demanding Huizhou Prefecture convene a joint meeting of the six counties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Huizhou Prefecture truly nodded obediently; the matter was finally brought to the table, and the six counties held their joint deliberation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“During this deliberation, She County submitted a formal petition first, stating that the Great Ming Compendium records Huizhou Prefecture’s obligation to deliver 8,780 bolts of ‘person-tax silk,’ never once specifying that She County alone must pay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The term ‘person-tax silk’ had been altered to ‘summer tax in raw silk,’ causing the tax burden of the five counties to fall entirely on She County.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This petition bore the signatures of countless local faction members.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister of War Yin Zhengmao, Vice Minister of Justice Xu Gu, Regional Governor of Zhejiang Wang Daoqun, Vice Minister of Revenue in Nanjing Fang Hongjing, Right Assistant Commissioner of Jiangxi Cao Lou, former Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate Wang Shangning, former Left Provincial Administrator of Guizhou Jiang Zhen, former Surveillance Commissioner of Guizhou Cheng Dabin…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue took over a dozen breaths before finishing the long list of high-ranking signatories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zhu Yijun could not help glancing repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a display was no wonder Sun Piyang had bowed his head in submission!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue sneered: “They believed that regional officials and central ministers, once united in a local faction, could crush the commoners of the five counties—but they did not realize the five counties stand united in righteous spirit! Under such coercion, they have instead provoked a popular uprising!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This argument effectively pinned all blame on the She County officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Gu did not turn his head; his tone was icy: “My hometown raised and nurtured me. Even if this invites accusations of factionalism, I must fight for She County’s justice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue immediately prepared to counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words were on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rhythmic tapping on the imperial desk came again, as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. Let me speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though his blood was boiling, Yu Maoxue dared not defy the Emperor: “Your servant begs death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Zhengmao and Xu Gu both knelt again: “We have been improperly behaved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first turned his gaze to Yin Zhengmao and Xu Gu: “Yin Qing, Xu Qing, do not so readily collude with colleagues or interfere with state law.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a heavy rebuke, yet still lighter than outright condemnation for factionalism that would end their political careers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men remained prostrate, confessing guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun turned to Yu Maoxue: “Commoners Cheng Wenchang and Hu Wensheng, along with village elders and residents, gathered in the streets to submit petitions—public anger surged, protests erupted. Was this instigated by you, Yu Qing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue’s face changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, he bowed deeply: “Your Majesty, before I intervened, the five counties had already gathered tens of thousands, sounded gongs to rally factions, raised banners to form alliances, and demanded redress—roads were blocked, official correspondence severed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I merely wrote to urge them to gather outside the Prefecture office, thinking it better to channel than to block.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had, in effect, admitted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun shook his head—this alone revealed how far Huizhou Prefecture had descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one side, over a dozen red-robed officials colluded to pressure the Regional Governor of Nanjing; on the other, tens of thousands of commoners raised banners, formed alliances, and blocked roads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simply horrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun waved his hand: “Rise, all of you. This is not your fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides hesitated, then cautiously rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun surveyed the ministers and sighed: “When children quarrel, it is usually because the elders lack virtue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers in the hall froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who, in the Emperor’s words, was the “elder” behind this decades-long feud that began in Jiajing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brush of the Secretary of the Secretariat, Yao Sanrang, froze mid-air—he did not know how to bend the record.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the Emperor stopped short—did not directly name the former Emperor Shizong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun’s gaze was compassionate, his words earnest: “I am called ‘Father-King’ by the people of the realm—I am, in some measure, the elder of this household.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I shall humbly mediate on behalf of the five counties. If you three ministers deem this fair, will you step forward and persuade your fellow townsfolk on my behalf?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng opened his mouth to speak, then closed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew far more about this matter than the Emperor imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As early as Longqing four, a man from She County named Shuai Jiamo had submitted a memorial stating: “She County has long borne an unfair tax burden; the people are in dire distress. Now that benevolent and enlightened rule prevails, I humbly lay out our plight and beg for equitable relief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This memorial was no mere formality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did “beg for equitable relief” mean? The slogan of the Single Whip Reform was precisely “equitable tax and corvée, relief for the people’s suffering.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, She County had long sought to hitch its cause to Zhang Juzheng’s new policies—and Zhang Juzheng had noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Zhang Juzheng had indeed been tempted, but felt the timing was not ripe; he suppressed the matter, planning to revive it after outlasting Gao Gong, ascending as Chief Grand Secretary, and fully seizing control of the reforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, after the new Emperor’s ascension—with the Examination System, the land survey, and tax reform—all clearly mapped out—the idea of using Huizhou’s tax dispute as a vehicle was quietly shelved—historically, Zhang Juzheng would later, in Wanli three, send a subtle wind from the center to provoke Huizhou’s popular unrest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But gunpowder barrels never lack fuses: even if Zhang Juzheng did not blow the wind, the land survey would spark it, and Xu Gu and others would fan the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, Zhang Juzheng had closely followed Huizhou’s tax dispute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Emperor to satisfy both sides was no simple matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Longqing four, She County proposed two solutions: either divide the tax burden by headcount across all six counties, per the Great Ming Compendium; or divide it by land area, converting to grain, then to silver, then to silk, per the Huizhou Prefecture Annals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five counties naturally refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wanli four, the five counties proposed sharing the silk burden—but only if She County assumed the corvée labor of their able-bodied men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She County flatly refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wanli seven, Huizhou Prefecture proposed another solution: She County would continue paying the silk tax, but receive minor exemptions elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of the five counties saw this and refused to accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If causing trouble reduces taxes, then we’ll cause trouble too! We nearly had all six counties unite to storm the prefectural yamen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only when Sun Piyang intervened that the matter was quelled, with the Provincial Governor’s office promising to reconsider and decide carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sides have been locked in a standoff ever since; it won’t be like a schoolyard dispute, where a light tap on both sides lets the troublemaking students reluctantly shake hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever attempts mediation will immediately find blame falling on themselves if even one word sounds off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor is no different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the young Emperor’s words had already reached the ears of the ministers in the Wenhua Hall; even the Chief Grand Secretary has no authority to retract the Emperor’s promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a moment of hesitation, Yin Zhengmao and Xu Gu had already accepted the Emperor’s imperial decree: “We humbly beg Your Majesty to decide!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Maoxue followed immediately: “Your Majesty, please uphold justice for your subjects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though tempers ran high, thankfully they had not yet reached the point of rejecting judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded: “First, let us address the dispute over land surveying. This fault lies with Provincial Governor Sun Piyang, who delegated downward in layers, shirking responsibility, leaving the six counties of Huizhou Prefecture without any legal basis. Do you agree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When implementing policy, the arbiter cannot be absent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Piyang, however, simply outsourced everything to local gentry to act as they pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he later became Minister of Personnel and devised that absurd lottery system for promotions instead of evaluating and recommending officials—Zhu Yijun had thought this man was merely a clever one, preserving himself amid turbulent court politics, but now he saw he was truly without responsibility!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Piyang has been tested; the conclusion is he is unfit for major duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three men listened, pondered for a moment, then nodded in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have already dismissed Sun Piyang; no more need be said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Yao, draft the edict immediately: appoint Ye Mengxiong, Prefect of Anqing, as Prefect of Huizhou, to personally oversee the land survey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor had chosen Ye Mengxiong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Secretariat Secretary promptly responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three feuding officials of Huizhou Prefecture fell silent for a moment, then bowed deeply: “We trust Ye Mengxiong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Mengxiong, the only one who had stubbornly carried out the survey himself despite the province-wide outsourcing, was universally recognized as impartial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun slowly nodded and continued: “As for the dispute over poll tax and silk tax...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-sentence, the Emperor turned to look at Zhang Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood, and called out toward the door: “Bring the commoner, Shuai Jiamou, to present himself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers were bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the eunuchs at the door, hearing the old patriarch’s voice, chanted the name in layered echoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the ministers’ confusion, Xu Gu’s delight, and Yu Maoxue’s revulsion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A commoner in coarse hemp clothing, following closely behind the senior eunuch Wei Chao, stepped into the Wenhua Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4453,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c8d8aeefa00dd486dcb2517b9b55f9000a8918026eb9865bffec74101d196a6d","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-345","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-343",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]