[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-362":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},2322184,4542,"Chapter 362: Probing the Hidden, Marring the Fine Brocade","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-362",362,"\u003Cp>\"Criminal minister Zhang Guoxi, pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü stood stiffly on the left bank of the overflow dam, watching a group descend from the embankment—among them he recognized Pan Jixun, Director of the River Conservancy, and Wan Gong, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, along with unfamiliar Secretaries of the Imperial Secretariat and eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a throng clustering around a young man in armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately stepped forward and prostrated himself in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor and his ministers returned to the path atop the protective dam; Zhu Yijun removed his willow-leaf helmet and tucked it at his waist, his expression showing mild surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is my light armor really that recognizable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s walk and talk.\" He didn’t care whether Zhang Junlü had guessed from the procession or remembered him from the imperial examination six years prior; he merely waved his hand, signaling the man to follow. \"A Son of Heaven’s student, how did you end up in this state? I hear you’ve been accused of numerous crimes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü had bathed and changed clothes before coming, but the listlessness of having just been pulled from prison was hard to shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was thirty-seven, with a slightly sunken nose bridge and a slight hunch—no wonder he’d only been granted the rank of Tong Jinshi; lacking in appearance, candidates like him usually slipped to the third rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the word “fabricated,” Zhang Junlü’s expression grew strangely distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the emperor walk far down the dam, he snapped back to himself, staggered to his feet, and hurried after: \"I have brought shame upon Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since my appointment as Director of River Management in the Xuzhou Branch of the River Conservancy, censors, river officials, and prefectural offices have jointly impeached me for over a dozen major offenses and countless minor ones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This year, the Three Judicial Departments finally reached a verdict, convicting me of four crimes: violation of engineering regulations under the Penal Code for Public Works, negligence in official duties under the Penal Code for Official Conduct, unauthorized establishment of officials under the Penal Code for Official Structure, and forming a faction under the Penal Code for Official Structure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhu Yijun let out a light chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s even formed a faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s exactly like: “You may oppose the court, but if you oppose me, you’re opposing the court—and that’s treason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor and his ministers walked slowly along the path atop the dam, while hundreds of imperial guards were stationed around the protective embankment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun walked ahead, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the Yellow River two li away: \"I understand the charges of ‘engineering not in accordance with regulations’ and ‘negligence in official duties.’\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The River Conservancy Branch has submitted reports accusing you of building shoddy projects that collapse every time you finish one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Over the years, the structures you built—four at Fangcun, two at Huayangpu, four at Niushikou, including this one—total over a dozen small and auxiliary embankments, all of which have been flooded and destroyed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you have to say for yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second year of Longqing, the Yellow River breached the Zhuo River and changed course to Chacheng (today’s Chacheng Village), intersecting with the Grand Canal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Xuzhou, the Yellow River and the Canal run parallel; every so often, sluices and dams are erected—starting at Chacheng, ten li to Moshí, twenty li to Qinliang Hong,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>twenty li to Lüliang Hong, ten li to Fangcun, twenty li to Shuanggou, twenty li to Pizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Director of River Management, Zhang Junlü was responsible for the three sluices between Lüliang Hong and Shuanggou, as well as the construction projects between these river segments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Engineering not in accordance with regulations” meant construction failed to meet standards; “negligence in official duties” meant carelessness that hindered public works and caused severe consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were essentially dereliction of duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü was a Tong Jinshi graduate; being stripped of his robes and thrown into prison couldn’t have been done on mere accusations alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only after the Censorate verified the River Conservancy’s reports and confirmed that Zhang Junlü’s embankments were widely collapsing that they agreed to Xuzhou’s request to arrest and interrogate him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the truth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü followed closely behind the emperor, his eyes slowly reddening—whether from grievance or hatred, he could not tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath, barely holding back his composure: \"Your Majesty, allow me to explain! Every time I attempt to repair the canal, I face obstruction and covert sabotage from all sides.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As Your Majesty just asked, why do my embankments collapse every time I build them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because the River Conservancy assigned me exclusively to construct lü di!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun halted, his expression puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made no effort to hide his ignorance: \"What is a lü di? Is it easily washed away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many ministers followed behind the emperor on the overflow dam path, but among them, only Pan Jixun and Wan Gong were hydraulic experts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two experts exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Jixun spoke first: \"Your Majesty, there are over a dozen types of river embankments; our dynasty currently uses four: lü di, yao di, ge di, and yue di.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The lü di lies closest to the main river channel, resembling fine threads—hence its name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this clearly underestimated the emperor’s ignorance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Pan Jixun stop after one sentence, Wan Gong quickly took over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the beach below the dam and the river two li away, then carefully explained to the emperor: \"Your Majesty, observe this river section—it has all four types of embankments.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That crescent-shaped embankment is the yue di, typically built on vulnerable or thin sections, added both inside and outside the main embankment to deflect violent floodwaters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those vertical embankments are the ge di, spaced every one to three li, dividing the floodplain into grid-like sections to prevent floodwaters from spreading if one segment collapses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The embankment beneath our feet is the yao di—the main embankment—situated farther from the river, one li or more, even two or three li away; during the summer floods, it confines the water to its channel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The lü di is the opposite of the yao di—it is the innermost embankment, closest to the river. Your Majesty, look at the embankment nearest the river—that is the lü di; it narrows the river channel before the autumn floods, accelerating water flow to carry away silt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded in understanding after Wan Gong’s explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though an outsider, he grasped things instantly when explained with real objects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simply the river, small embankments, beach, and main embankment arranged in sequence, with ge di cutting the floodplain into grids and yue di reinforcing weak sections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, several young eunuchs ran back from the riverbank, each carrying a bucket of water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun waved them over, signaling them to climb onto the overflow dam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his gaze back to Zhang Junlü: \"So the lü di narrows the river, intensifies water flow—and is naturally the most easily washed away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The River Conservancy assigned you exclusively to build lü di, and over time, you were branded negligent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the emperor discern right from wrong, Zhang Junlü choked up: \"Your Majesty is wise!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Pan Jixun frowned and interjected: \"In the sixth year of Wanli, the Office of the Grand Coordinator of Rivers issued an official order: abandon lü di and preserve yao di from Fangcun to Shuanggou.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why did you ignore this directive and continue building lü di?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>River management requires accumulated experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Jixun was no exception—he constantly refined his methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"constricting water to attack silt\" strategy of Wanli’s second year was only a broad outline; only upon implementation did the engineering difficulties become clear, especially the futility of lü di.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its water-constricting effect was too strong!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With current construction quality, lü di simply could not withstand the Yellow River’s rapid flow—its collapse was inevitable—\"The lü di lies too close to the riverbank; when water is constricted too tightly, it always breaks during summer floods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Pan Jixun repeatedly issued orders: \"From Gucheng to Qinghe, construct a yao di and abandon lü di entirely\"; \"The lü di at Fangcun wastes resources—do not build it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even advocated deliberately breaching embankments to widen the river—\"At Chacheng, assess the terrain and open gaps in the lü di to allow water to flow inward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was known as \"retreating from lü di to preserve yao di.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such explicit orders, how could lü di still be constructed along the Xuzhou river section?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the officials’ eyes turned to Zhang Junlü, who felt immense pressure and replied weakly: \"I have questioned the Xuzhou River Conservancy on this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Li Minqing replied that your order was issued in the sixth year of Wanli, but the lü di projects built in recent years were approved by the Ministry of Works long before that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ministry of Personnel’s performance evaluations, the Ministry of Works’ materials, the Ministry of Revenue’s funds and grain, the prefectures’ laborers—all were allocated based on those earlier approvals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The ship is too big to turn around; we had to finish what was already planned, since it didn’t interfere with other river projects.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü paused: \"I’ve been lucky—rumors among clerks say that in Xiaoxian, no materials or laborers were ever allocated for lü di; the lü di exists only on paper.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When autumn floods come, they report the lü di has collapsed, and the funds and labor costs are pocketed by local officials.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elsewhere, the four types of embankments are built together, and lü di construction changes hands frequently; the number of collapses is spread thin, making it seem unremarkable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a perfectly reasonable explanation—so reasonable that everyone fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor had asked them to hear how the Xuzhou river and canal had been ruined; now, at least, the outline was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun had already anticipated this; he showed no surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>★￠O\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked over to the wooden buckets brought by the eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the buckets sat on the ground, the water inside still sloshed, thick with silt and murky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun squatted down, rolled up his sleeves, and plunged his hands into each bucket, stirring and feeling the sediment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After staring for a moment, he stood up, his expression grave—the Yellow River had become significantly clearer after passing the Three Rapids!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not a good sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clear water meant vast quantities of silt were being blocked by the Three Rapids’ rubble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such massive sediment accumulating in Xuzhou would clog the riverbed, raise the river floor, accelerate water flow, and inevitably cause flooding across Xuzhou—it was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder, historically, in the seventeenth year of Wanli, the court had to dig the Jia River to divert the canal around the Xuzhou section and separate it from the Yellow River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun felt deep concern; he already had a vague idea forming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he showed nothing, merely waving to Luo Sigong, Li Rusong, and others stationed along the protective embankment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Sigong, clearly already instructed, immediately responded and began gathering the imperial guards along the dam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun stamped twice on the compacted yao di overflow dam, tossed the crushed sand and gravel onto the beach, then turned to Zhang Junlü, newly joined in the group: \"Zhang Qing, can you ride?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü, sensing the emperor was about to begin inspecting the next river segment, straightened his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A Son of Heaven’s student dare not forget the Six Arts of the Gentleman!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this dynasty, jinshi graduates were not merely versed in the Eight-Legged Essay; they studied astronomy, mathematics, horsemanship, archery, and law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded with approval: \"I will inspect toward Niushikou; I rely on you to lead the way, Zhang Qing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honor shone on Zhang Junlü’s face; he eagerly accepted the command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the space of a question and answer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away, Luo Sigong had already led two hundred imperial guards, marching in perfect unison toward Niushikou in light gear—clearly, they had been sent ahead to clear the path and set defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rusong led the remaining dozens of guards, bringing horses and donkeys to wait outside the path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun took his mount, donned his helmet, and mounted first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The younger officers rode horses, the elderly rode donkeys, and the young eunuchs shared mounts with the guards, quickly forming a line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In no time, a large, bustling group of men and horses rode slowly along the riverbank, like a winter procession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paths along both banks of Xuzhou were not wide enough to accommodate more than three riders abreast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than thirty riders made considerable noise; pedestrians had long since cleared the road, fearing trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun pulled his reins, swaying slightly in the saddle, and resumed his earlier question: “—Did that Zhang Qing truly claim the charges of unauthorized appointment of officials and factional collusion were fabricated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unauthorized appointment of officials meant illegal recruitment—not mere private advisors—but the unilateral appointment of clerks and local militia without imperial approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for factional collusion, it simply meant forming cliques and disrupting state governance; for a departmental official dispatched by the Ministry of Works, it amounted to destroying the local political ecology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it was a frame-up, it was also my own path to death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü led the way ahead; hearing the Emperor’s question, he reined in his horse to allow the Emperor behind him to hear more clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of this charge, his tone grew reflective: “Everyone knows I have long held deep grievances against Wu Zhipeng, the Prefect of Xuzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The corvée laborers conscripted from the countryside have always been a mix of the capable and the weak; under Wu Zhipeng’s arrangements, every laborer assigned to my stretch of the river was elderly, infirm, or sick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet this has been a chronic local problem since antiquity—the prefectural office’s labor dispatch orders were flawless; even when delays crippled the project, I could find no fault in Wu Zhipeng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But with the autumn floods imminent, I had no choice but to recruit able-bodied men myself, assign them duties, and supply them with pay and grain—among them, not only sons of respectable families, but also outlaws and fugitives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After hearing rumors, the Censor Li Shidi impeached me for courting popular favor, recruiting the strong, harboring outlaws, and illegally appointing officials.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A river wind, thick with the stench of mud, swept across the Emperor’s startled face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shidi must have wanted to destroy him completely—harboring outlaws and illegally appointing officials were the hallmarks of treason!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corvée labor for river and canal maintenance was a heavy duty; theoretically, it should have been levied upon households of the upper and middle classes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in our dynasty, officials and powerful families have long colluded, exempting the rich and burdening the poor; the able-bodied from upper and middle households refused service, so poor riverside peasants were hired as substitutes—naturally, the elderly, weak, and sick were included.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhipeng bundled them all and shipped them to Zhang Junlü’s section—his logistical skill was, in its own way, impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coupled with Li Minqing’s pressure to accelerate progress and the urgent Yellow River floods, Zhang Junlü, though aware it was wrong, still plunged headlong into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shidi’s denunciation, accusing him of harboring outlaws and illegally appointing officials, left him with no defense whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Zhang Junlü claimed he was obstructed at every turn and targeted by conspiracies—the Ministry of Waterworks, prefectural and county offices, and censors were all in perfect tacit agreement!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun’s thoughts churned, and he asked a more obscure question: “Beyond corvée laborers, you recruited additional laborers—how could the River Management Office afford such lavish pay and grain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve read past memorials from the Ministry of Waterworks, always claiming the river funds were stretched thin, barely sustaining operations, with laborers barely fed and struggling to survive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question left Zhang Junlü stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly recovered, his tone oddly matter-of-fact: “As long as one doesn’t pocket it for oneself, the funds and grain allocated by the Ministry always leave a surplus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The implication was unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun inwardly confirmed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head with a faint sneer: “Fine, the silver is one thing—but how were the construction materials and wheat grain handled?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü understood the subtext.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To sell illicit goods, one needed channels—the Emperor was asking about collusion between Xuzhou officials and merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such behind-the-scenes dealings were beyond the knowledge of a peripheral figure like Zhang Junlü.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s hesitation, he replied cautiously: “It must be among the local gentry and wealthy merchants, trading and colluding among themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For instance, the Niu family’s Ox Market Trading House, founded by Niu Ji, Jinshi of the Zhengtong Fourth Year; the Sun family of Sun Heng, Jinshi of the Chenghua Fourteenth Year; the Zhu family of Zhu Qianheng, Jinshi of the Jiajing Twentieth Year; and the Li family, who migrated from Shanxi to Xuzhou thirty years ago—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All are close to the prefecture and county offices, handling trade and commerce, their influence rising like the Yellow River’s floodwaters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Junlü, having suffered in the local system, spoke of these powerful families as if reciting family trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Zhu Yijun heard familiar names and frowned: “Wasn’t Zhang Heming only promoted to Jinshi in the fifth year of Wanli?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In just three years and eight months as a seventh-rank censor, he’s already built a prominent family!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the expansion of the imperial examinations, since the Jinshi cohort of Gu Assistant County Magistrate and Li Sancai in the second year of Wanli, each subsequent examination’s graduates had been promoted earlier than in historical records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhipeng and Zhang Junlü, who should have passed in the fifth year of Wanli, advanced to the second year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Heming was the same—he should have passed in the eighth year of Wanli, but benefited from the expansion and advanced to the fifth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how early he passed, historically Zhang Heming was a minor figure—not the Zhang Heming of Yingzhou, courtesy name Yuanping, who rose to Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince—but the Xuzhou native, courtesy name Fuyu, who never rose beyond fifth rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just three years, this minor official had elevated his family into a local magnate—how swiftly he had sunk into corruption!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Gong, riding beside the Emperor, opened his mouth but held back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, he volunteered, speaking gently: “Your Majesty, at the dawn of the new reforms, the Grand Secretariat intended to gradually implement the policy of requiring scholar-gentry to pay grain taxes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thus came the quota allowing retired officials exemption from corvée—old cases handled by old rules, new cases by new rules, tightening gradually.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Gong paused, choosing his words carefully: “Some Jinshi who entered service after the Wanli era’s commencement harbor deep resentment—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Zhu Yijun understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a bitter laugh: “So their methods of amassing wealth have grown even more brazen, haven’t they!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nearly laughed in rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing exists in isolation—every event, change, and development is linked to others in some way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court’s clever maneuver of “new rules for new entrants” did not mean officials would sit idle and submit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conscious and unconscious resistance and rebellion would inevitably rise and fall in cycles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every dynasty has its share of those who think: “I studied hard and suffered—now that I’ve passed, I’ll make my fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Zhang Heming: no retirement privilege? Fine—I’ll loot everything I can while I’m still in office!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Emperor’s anger, Zhang Junlü wisely cut the topic short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Keqian, who had been following behind the Emperor, suddenly spoke up: “Your Majesty, tonight at Niushikou there is a village feast—the local gentry, river officials, and prefectural officials are all present; you may meet them shortly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“9\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun blinked: “Village feast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had sat on the dragon throne for nearly nine years, he was not fully versed in state rituals, especially local customs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village feast was an ancient ritual of the spring and autumn village elders—he had only read of it in the Book of Rites; had our dynasty revived it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, Sun Jigao, promptly explained: “Your Majesty, those who served in their native region and brought benefits to the people are called ‘renowned officials’; those born there whose virtue, scholarship, and conduct are renowned are called ‘local worthies.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On the eighth day of the eighth month in the twelfth year of Hongwu, the High Emperor decreed that retired officials be exempt from corvée and established their social rank; since then, the Ministry of Rites has modeled our dynasty’s village feast rites upon this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The prefect, commandant, or county magistrate presides; one retired official of virtue is honored as guest; a senior, virtuous man is chosen as co-guest; then come the secondary guests, tertiary guests, and common guests—all gathered at the village school, treated with full ceremonial honors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun suddenly understood—it was public-funded feasting to curry favor with the gentry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The influence of official and gentry clans in their localities could not be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, after Li Huaxi retired, he frequently invited the county magistrate to his home to discuss local affairs; the magistrate would crawl in and out on his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever negative public sentiment arose against the Li family, the county office would raid the newspaper offices faster than hunting dogs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the petition “Accusation of Li Xuexue and Others for Oppressing the People and Poisoning the Villages”—the people’s own words—it was: “In daily life, we revere the gentry as parents; we treat them as heavenly deities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xuzhou leadership had vanished after ascending Mount Yunlong; the mid-level officials, uncertain of their fate, naturally sought to cultivate ties with the gentry and gather information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun asked casually: “Is today’s village feast hosted in honor of the Niu family, the local worthy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niushikou—the Ox Market Gate—was named after Niu Ji, the Jinshi of Zhengtong Fourth Year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun naturally assumed it was the Niu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Keqian shook his head: “Your Majesty, the Niu family has not been enshrined as a local worthy—they’ve shifted entirely to commerce. Today’s guest of honor is a member of the Sha family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li, Jinshi of the Hongzhi Third Year, served as Assistant Surveillance Commissioner of Guangxi, offended Liu Jin, was dismissed, and later enshrined as a local worthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sha family was a genuine lineage of local worthies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun murmured: “The Sha family? I’ve heard—they wield considerable influence over river and canal affairs, run several trading houses and gangs, collectively called the Sha Family Gang, and have stirred widespread resentment among the people along both banks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sha ancestors may have been decent officials, but their descendants rested on their laurels, exploiting others—even without official posts, they held titles like ‘chairman’ or ‘director,’ siphoning state assets and oppressing the people with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t ask how I know—I heard it passing through Peixian; from Xiaoxian to Xuzhou, my ears were worn raw—these people don’t just steal, they chew loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s systemic corruption—every vice present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What will our Great Ming become?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor sighed softly, uttering a heartfelt lament that left his ministers exchanging uneasy glances.\u003C\u002Fp>",3869,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7624289a54488bd7c8c6d0d0bdae915ca25b37491118fe5b3146f075565a0a0d","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-363","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-361",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]