I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 128 Hai Rui vs. Fang Fengshi! You are Shanxi, I am the Ming Dynasty
February 6th, near noon.

When Fang Fengshi, the governor of Shanxi, arrived at the Datong prefectural government office, he immediately ordered Lin Qiao, the prefect of Datong, to summon Hai Rui to see him.

Fang Fengshi was a native of Jiayu, Huguang (present-day Hubei and Hunan provinces).

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 20th year of the Jiajing reign (1541), and is 56 years old this year, eight years younger than Hai Rui.

He supported Zhang Juzheng's new policies, advocated making peace with the Mongols, and at the same time reinforced the Great Wall to prevent Mongol cavalry from advancing south.

In Shanxi, the officials' reputation is still acceptable.

He can be considered a local governor who implemented the imperial court's policies very effectively.

He worked very well with Wang Chonggu, the Governor-General of Shanxi.

His greatest hobby is writing poetry, and he may stop to recite poems anytime and anywhere in his daily life.

Therefore, he possesses a touch of the refined and romantic temperament of a scholar.

……

Half an hour later.

Lin Qiao, the prefect of Datong Prefecture, appeared before Fang Fengshi.

"Governor Fang, it's really unfortunate. Vice Director Hai went to Yingzhou early yesterday morning to inspect commerce and the people's conditions. Yao Bin, the censor of the Ministry of Personnel who stayed at the post station, said that he would not be able to return for five days. Also..."

Before Lin Qiao could finish speaking...

Fang Fengshi frowned and said, "Five days? Yingzhou is only a little over a hundred li away from Datong Prefecture. Even if he takes a donkey cart, he can come back in two days. I will be leaving Datong the day after tomorrow afternoon. You should quickly send someone to tell him to hurry back immediately!"

Lin Qiao hesitated for a moment.

“Governor Fang, also… also… Vice Minister Hai Qian instructed that if you… if you come to Datong Prefecture and have urgent business to discuss with him, you can entrust the matter to Yao Bin, the Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel. I have already brought Yao Bin to the front hall. Would you like me to bring him here?”

"What good words can I possibly have with a mere censor?" Fang Fengshi said angrily. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Fine, bring him in. I order him to bring Hai Rui back!"

Fang Fengshi was not surprised that Hai Rui had guessed he might come to Datong Prefecture.

Hai Rui's fifteen bamboo baskets of documents shocked and terrified officials throughout Shanxi.

As the head of the three provincial administrations in Shanxi (Shanxi Provincial Administration Commission, Shanxi Provincial Surveillance Commission, and Shanxi Military Command), he would naturally seek out Hai Rui to learn about the situation.

"Subordinate to obey!"

Lin Qiao cupped his hands in greeting and then quickly walked out.

……

After a while.

Lin Qiao led Yao Bin, a censor from the Ministry of Personnel, to the back hall.

"Yao Bin, a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel, pays his respects to Governor Fang!" Yao Bin said, bowing.

Fang Fengshi glanced at Yao Bin and said in an unquestionable tone, "Yao, I order you to go to Yingzhou immediately and bring Hai Qianyuan back. I must see him before noon the day after tomorrow!"

Yao Bin cupped his hands in greeting once more.

"Reporting to Governor Fang, the Vice Commissioner of the Imperial Guard is inspecting Yingzhou. The mission is arduous, and he is expected to return in five days."

Fang Fengshi's eyes widened.

"What I mean is that he should suspend his inspection tour of Yingzhou and come back to see me first. Don't you understand? If Vice Director Hai is unwilling to use the imperial postal service, I will personally rent a carriage to pick him up!"

When Hai Rui arrived in Shanxi from the capital, he had no servants to attend to him, did not participate in banquets, and lived a frugal life in terms of clothing, food, and lodging, which greatly impressed the people of Shanxi.

However, this undoubtedly slapped the face of many local officials who traveled with extravagant entourages.

Fang Fengshi disliked Hai Rui's style of "relying on frugality to gain a reputation for integrity".

Hear this.

Yao Bin cupped his hands in greeting again and replied, "Governor Fang, I'm afraid the Vice Commissioner Hai will not suspend his inspection of Yingzhou and return to Datong Prefecture."

"How dare you! Is it more important to see Governor Fang or to inspect Yingzhou? How can a subordinate order a superior to wait? If the Vice Commissioner of the Sea does not return soon, I will immediately write a memorial to impeach him!" Lin Qiao angrily rebuked Yao Bin.

Yao Bin was not afraid at all. He straightened his chest and looked directly at Lin Qiao, the prefect of Datong Prefecture.

"Of course, inspecting Yingzhou is more important!"

"The Imperial Censor was ordered by the Emperor to inspect Shanxi. Inspecting Yingzhou was also an imperial order. Which is more important, the imperial order or the order of the local governor?"

"Furthermore, according to the laws of our dynasty, the actions of local governors and censors are not subordinate to each other. Censors have the responsibility to supervise local governors, but local governors have no power to control censors. If the Vice Commissioner of the Coast Guard obeys Governor Fang's order to suspend his inspection and return, wouldn't that be disobeying the imperial decree!"

These words left Fang Fengshi and Lin Qiao speechless.

Although Fang Fengshi was a second-rank official, he could not order the censors to do things. Even the seventh-rank supervising censors were not in a superior-subordinate relationship with him.

Fang Fengshi was used to having complete control over everything in Shanxi, and all the previous imperial inspectors had given him too much face!

Yao Bin's words.

There was not a single mistake or oversight in terms of law or etiquette.

at this time.

Yao Bin continued, "Governor Fang, Vice Commissioner Hai also instructed me that if I were to meet Governor Fang, I must inform him that I would trouble Governor Fang to order the three major government offices of Shanxi Province—the Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Provincial Military Command—to compile a report on Shanxi's salt and grain, commercial taxes, criminal cases, and military reserves over the past three years, and to have it delivered to Vice Commissioner Hai by post before the end of this month!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Fengshi's face turned ashen, and his fists clenched.

He came here intending to teach Hai Rui a lesson, but unexpectedly, not only did he not see Hai Rui, he was also assigned tasks by Hai Rui.

However, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

Since Hai Rui made this request, Fang Fengshi had an obligation to fully cooperate.

If any documents delivered on Fang Fengshi's orders are false or contain errors, Fang Fengshi will also be held jointly liable.

At this moment, Fang Fengshi deeply regretted coming to Datong Prefecture.

He thought for a moment and said, "I have the responsibility to assist the Imperial Guard in inspecting Shanxi. I will make arrangements for this matter later."

"Thank you very much, Governor Fang!" Yao Bin bowed deeply.

These words were taught to Yao Bin by Hai Rui. He never imagined that one day he would be able to command a governor of the second rank.

"That's all, you may leave!" Fang Fengshi said.

At this moment, he didn't want to see Yao Bin at all, fearing that the latter would give him more tasks.

"Yes." Yao Bin bowed to the two men and then withdrew.

……

After a while.

Fang Fengshi personally wrote a letter instructing the three major government offices of Shanxi Province—the Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Provincial Military Commission—to prepare the documents required by Hai Rui.

Even if he didn't confess, Hai Rui could still obtain these documents and impeach him for dereliction of duty.

After Fang Fengshi finished writing, he paused for a moment and looked at Lin Qiao, the prefect of Datong Prefecture.

"Prefect Lin, I cannot wait here for five days. Arrange a carriage immediately, I must go to Yingzhou to see Hai Rui!"

"Your humble servant obeys!" Lin Qiao replied.

……

Half an hour later.

Fang Fengshi boarded a carriage and, under the protection of more than ten guards, headed towards Yingzhou, which was more than a hundred miles away.

He planned to travel through the night, hoping to see Hai Rui by the afternoon of the next day.

At this moment, Fang Fengshi was filled with questions for Hai Rui.

Not vomiting, not happy.

He hoped that through his persuasion, he could make Hai Rui understand what it meant to prioritize national affairs as an official, and what it meant that in matters of national importance, there was no right or wrong, only advantages and disadvantages.

Only after Hai Rui left Shanxi could Shanxi return to its former normal state.

He came to resolve this matter personally to give an explanation to Wang Chonggu, the Governor-General of Shanxi. Otherwise, if the official and business circles in Shanxi were in chaos, war might break out on the border.

...On the seventh day of the second lunar month, near dusk.

The sun sets in the west.

Fang Fengshi caught up with Hai Rui, who was traveling in plain clothes, on a country road in Yingzhou.

Hai Rui inspected the local areas.

The traditional approach has always been to first question the people, then the officials, and finally the government officials.

No matter how powerful the officials in Shanxi were, they couldn't silence all the people. Therefore, no one but Hai Rui knew exactly how much evidence Hai Rui uncovered of Shanxi officials violating the law and colluding with businessmen.

"Your humble servant Hai Rui greets Governor Fang!" Hai Rui said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Looking at the dark-skinned, thin, dusty, and righteous old man, Fang Fengshi's urge to berate Hai Rui suddenly vanished.

In private, he would belittle Hai Rui by saying that he was "seeking fame and reputation" or "seeking honesty and honor," but he dared not say these things to Hai Rui's face.

Because he had to admit it.

Hai Rui was the most upright official of the Ming Dynasty, and he would remain so for life, his name forever etched in history.

The price he was willing to pay was one that no official in the Ming Dynasty at the time could afford to pay.

A faint smile appeared on Fang Fengshi's face.

“Brother Gangfeng, this is not an official residence, there’s no need for formalities. Let’s sit down, have a cup of tea, and have a chat!”

Hai Rui naturally knew what Fang Fengshi wanted to say, and immediately nodded.

soon.

Fang Fengshi's entourage unloaded a table, two chairs, a newly lit charcoal stove, a teapot, several bags of spring water, two teacups, tea leaves, and snacks from the carriage.

This is the standard equipment for Fang Fengshi to go out.

Wherever he is, he can quickly have hot tea and snacks, and then recite a poem as he pleases.

In his eyes, this was simply a matter of personal interest and did not involve any transgression.

In no time, the water in the kettle boiled.

The tea master quickly prepared tea for the two of them.

in a blink.

Two cups of hot tea and four plates of delicate pastries were placed on the small table, complementing the twilight and the verdant trees along the roadside, creating a unique and elegant atmosphere.

This was exactly the atmosphere Fang Fengshi liked best.

Fang Fengshi waved his hand, and his subordinates all left, while the Imperial Guards protecting Hai Rui also stood some distance away.

"Brother Gangfeng, what exactly are you doing in Shanxi? Are you here to save Shanxi, or to destroy it?"

Hai Rui remained calm.

"Hai Rui is of limited talent and has neither the ability to save Shanxi nor the ability to destroy it. I am merely following the imperial decree to thoroughly investigate the collusion between officials and merchants in Shanxi!"

Fang Fengshi picked up the tea and took a small sip.

“Brother Gangfeng, you’re too stubborn! There’s no collusion between officials and businessmen in Shanxi, only mutual benefit. Officials can’t do without businessmen, and businessmen can’t do without officials. Since I took office as governor, although there have been flaws in Shanxi’s officialdom and business circles, they don’t outweigh the merits.”

“Your fifteen baskets of documents may not destroy the Zhang and Wang families, but they will completely disrupt the official and commercial order in Shanxi, harming officials, merchants, and the people. I will not allow you to do this.”

What Fang Fengshi feared most was that Hai Rui would destroy Shanxi in the name of justice.

He continued, “Since the Longqing Peace Treaty, Minister Wang (Wang Chonggu) and I have done three things in Shanxi: first, to establish a system of tribute and trade; second, to strengthen border defenses; and third, to implement new policies and reforms.”

"The Zhang and Wang families made great contributions to the salt administration and the tribute trade in Shanxi."

"The reinforcement of border defenses and the implementation of the new policies owe much to Grand Secretary Zhang, Minister Wang, and all the local officials in Shanxi. I dare not say that Shanxi is currently the province that best implements the new policies, but it is certainly among the top five in the country. I believe Your Majesty and the Cabinet are well aware of this!"

"In matters of the world, advantages and disadvantages are more important than right and wrong. Now, you are inspecting Shanxi and strictly investigating collusion between officials and merchants. If we follow the laws of the Ming Dynasty to the letter, officials of the middle and lower ranks will be dismissed, and merchants of all ranks will be dismissed. What benefit will that bring to the court? What benefit will it bring to Shanxi?"

"Even if you severely punish these people for your narrow sense of justice and right and wrong, Shanxi will still support another group of such officials and businessmen for the sake of development. Why bother?"

"Why not select some heinous officials and merchants, and without jeopardizing the stability of Shanxi's official and business circles, report back to the court? You will still be Hai Qingtian of the Ming Dynasty, and Shanxi will still be Shanxi as it is today!"

……

In Fang Fengshi's eyes, Hai Rui's inspection tour was entirely harmful to Shanxi and of no benefit to the province.

Hai Rui stroked his white beard and looked at Fang Fengshi.

“Governor Fang, my purpose is not to throw Shanxi into chaos, nor to purge all the low- and middle-level officials and merchants in Shanxi. I know that the overall situation is more important. My inspection tour of Shanxi is to make Shanxi a part of the Ming Dynasty, not a part of the Zhang and Wang families. I want to ensure that there are no more families in the Ming Dynasty where high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants are one family!”

"Would the cabinet be in chaos without Grand Secretary Zhang (Zhang Siwei)? Would the border be in chaos without Minister Wang? Would Shanxi be in chaos without the Zhang and Wang families?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Hai Rui answered himself.

"If the ministers of the Six Ministries can replace Grand Secretary Zhang, you can completely replace Minister Wang, and the many small merchants in Shanxi, if they unite, can also replace the Zhang and Wang families..."

"This is what I wanted to do when I came to Shanxi!" Hai Rui said calmly.

The Hai Rui of today has lost the sharp edge of his former self, but if he were to persist in doing something now, he would certainly dedicate the rest of his life to it.

Fang Fengshi was stunned.

"You...you not only want to destroy the Zhang and Wang families, but also Grand Secretary Zhang and Minister Wang! You're insane! This is impossible!"

“Nothing is impossible! The fifteen baskets of documents in my hand are evidence. They record how many merchants and officials the Zhang and Wang families control, how many officials they can make scapegoats, and how many cases of collusion between officials and merchants they can manipulate. Their power is too great. They have almost disregarded the imperial court. This is not a normal Shanxi. This is not what the Shanxi Provincial Administration Commission of the Ming Dynasty should look like!”

"Governor Fang, you have Shanxi in your heart, but not the Ming Dynasty!"

this moment.

Fang Fengshi finally understood Hai Rui's thoughts.

Hai Rui's targets were Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu. By bringing these two down, the Zhang and Wang families would decline, and Shanxi would not descend into chaos.

"Hai Rui, you can't possibly bring down Grand Secretary Zhang and Minister Wang. Aren't you afraid of war breaking out on the border?"

Fang Fengshi was well aware that the Zhang and Wang families had particularly frequent trade with the Mongols.

Once Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu are attacked and the Zhang and Wang families lose power, the Mongols, for their own benefit, are likely to instigate war and exert pressure to allow the Zhang and Wang families to regain power.

After all, Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu were both advocates of peace, and if they fell, the situation on the border might change drastically.

Hai Rui smiled faintly.

"If there is to be a war, then let it be a war! Internal troubles are more terrible than external chaos, and they must be eliminated first."

"Hai Rui, you are simply delusional. You are outnumbered and outmatched, and you cannot possibly succeed. His Majesty and the Cabinet will absolutely not do as you say! Grand Secretary Zhang and Minister Wang are both meritorious officials who have secured the borders of the Ming Dynasty. The court will not punish them severely simply because it suspects them of being too powerful!"

Hai Rui stood up and looked towards the capital.

"I am not alone. There are many officials in the capital who are concerned about the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty. They will definitely make this a reality!"

this moment.

The first official that came to mind for Hai Rui was Shen Nian, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy.

At this moment, Fang Fengshi also stood up.

The two held differing views, and further discussion was pointless. The final outcome of this matter would depend on the imperial decree.

"Let's go!" Fang Fengshi strode towards the carriage.

His attendants hurriedly cleared away the tea table and teaware, but Hai Rui did not touch the tea or snacks on the table.

Hai Rui watched Fang Fengshi's retreating figure and suddenly said, "Governor Fang, please tell Governor Wang one thing: it's time to retire!"

It's time to cancel!
These three words carry immense weight.

If Wang Chonggu were willing to retire, the matter would become much simpler.

Hai Rui was not afraid that Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu would know his thoughts.

His greatest goal for the rest of his life was to ensure that politics and business could not be intertwined, and that high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen could not live in the same family.

He believed that the imperial court would make a wise decision that would cause the least harm to the Ming Dynasty and Shanxi.

(End of this chapter)