I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 143: First courtesy, then force; reconciliation is paramount, but violence will never be abandoned.

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

Zhang Juzheng held Hai Rui's "Memorial on the Corruption of Officials and Merchants" in his hand and fell into deep thought.

Little Wanli looked serious.

He gripped the hem of his clothes with one hand, while rubbing his index finger and thumb back and forth with the other, occasionally glancing up at Zhang Juzheng.

Such crucial matters, which could shake the very foundations of the Ming Dynasty, could only be entrusted to Zhang Juzheng for the time being.

Because no one understood the military and political affairs of the Ming Dynasty better than Zhang Juzheng, and no one was better able to weigh the pros and cons and handle the matter at the lowest possible cost.

Lean slightly.

The young Wanli Emperor wanted Zhang Juzheng to know everything.

He also instructed Yao Bin to recount in detail the problems Hai Rui discovered during his inspection tour of Shanxi, and to hand over the "Memorial on the Disorder of Officials and Merchants in Shanxi Province" to Zhang Juzheng.

After learning the whole story, Zhang Juzheng raised his left hand and very slowly stroked his long beard.

again and again.

This is a habitual action he takes when he is thinking.

The more difficult the problem, the slower he stroked his beard; and now, it had slowed to an extreme.

This matter is complicated because it involves a wide range of people.

The rise and fall of the Zhang and Wang families were not only closely related to the military, political, commercial, and civil affairs of Shanxi, but also affected the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols.

Also.

Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu also had a group of followers in the court.

Even if the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng joined forces, without sufficient evidence, they could not be dismissed from their posts and their families, and the Zhang and Wang clans could not be severely punished.

……

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea has passed.

Zhang Juzheng quickly stroked his long beard three times with both hands to tidy it up, then straightened his chest and looked at the young Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, Shanxi, nestled along the Great Wall and straddling the Yellow River, is a vital hub of the nine border regions, the throat of the Grand Canal, and a major producer of salt and iron in the north. The Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei families of Puzhou are colluding with each other as officials and merchants, suspected of having secret dealings with foreign invaders and controlling Shanxi's politics, military, and commerce. Whether this is just the beginning or has already become a major force, they must be eliminated immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

He thought so too.

The official and business circles in Shanxi have become distorted and must be corrected immediately.

Otherwise, it will surely become a major problem in the future.

Zhang Juzheng continued, "I suggest that we keep this memorial in the palace for the time being and not send it out, so as to lower the other party's vigilance."

"Then, use the 'Memorial on the Disorderly Conduct of Officials and Merchants in Shanxi Province' as bait to make it public in the court. After this memorial is made public, Zhang Siwei will surely submit a memorial requesting to resign. Your Majesty can temporarily remove him from his position as a cabinet minister and order him to return home to await investigation. Afterward, under the pretext of 'discussing border policies in court and summoning him for consultation,' immediately summon Wang Chonggu, the Minister of Justice and Governor-General of Shanxi, back to the capital."

"At the same time, the Imperial Guard was dispatched to Shanxi to work with the Imperial Household Agency to verify the evidence of crimes reflected in the memorial, forming irrefutable proof."

"After Wang Chonggu returns to the capital, I am willing to speak with the two men on behalf of Your Majesty, presenting them with this irrefutable evidence."

At present, both Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei are innocent.

Even if the evidence presented in the memorial is conclusive, it only pertains to the crimes of the Zhang and Wang families.

There's a designated scapegoat.

Zhang Siwei has rendered meritorious service to the court, and Wang Chonggu has rendered meritorious service to the border administration. They should not be imprisoned, much less dismissed from their posts.

Zhang Juzheng paused for a moment, then said, "My idea is to discuss this with the two men and have them choose between an official career and a business career."

"If Zhang and Wang choose to pursue official careers, Zhang Siwei can remain as a cabinet minister, while Wang Chonggu can be relieved of his post as governor of Shanxi, allowing him to stay in the capital and receive additional honorary titles. However, the prerequisite is that both of them must reduce the influence of their families, cease all business within a year, and promise not to engage in commerce again. The business will be taken over by merchants designated by the court. The current wealth of the two families is enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives!"

"If Zhang and Wang choose the path of commerce, then Zhang Siwei should be dismissed from his position as a cabinet minister, and Wang Chonggu should be forced to retire and live out his days in the capital or Nanjing. Once the Zhang and Wang families have lost these two major supporters in the officialdom, the local government can gradually reduce their influence and hand over the business of Shanxi to more merchants, so that the Zhang and Wang families can be transformed from powerful merchant families into ordinary merchant families."

"Of course, I prefer that the two of them choose a career in government."

"Based on my understanding of the two men, they are unlikely to compromise as I wish. If they truly oppose the court to the end, then the court must completely eliminate this internal threat, even at the cost of chaos in Shanxi!"

……

Zhang Juzheng's strategy was very clear.

High-ranking officials are not allowed to be merchants, and high-ranking merchants are not allowed to be officials. If someone wants to be both a high-ranking official and a high-ranking merchant, the court will make them lose both.

First try diplomacy, then resort to force; reconciliation is the best course of action.

Zhang Juzheng's choice of this "soft yet firm" approach was precisely because he fully considered the influence of the Zhang and Wang families in Shanxi and the influence of Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu in the imperial court.

Reaching a private settlement is far better than causing internal strife in Shanxi.

The young Wanli Emperor nodded in approval.

National affairs are not about fighting and killing, nor can the problem be completely solved by eliminating two high-ranking officials.

Instead, we must consider the interests of the imperial court and the interests of the majority of the people.

Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu did not do anything wrong; it was their family's position that was wrong, and their family was too greedy!
If the two families had listened to the advice and pulled back from the brink, the imperial court would not have allowed the bloodshed to occur.

"I have no objection. We may proceed as the Grand Secretary has suggested."

After saying this, the young Wanli Emperor looked at Shen Nian, and Zhang Juzheng also looked at Shen Nian.

What Yao Bin and the eunuch Zhang Jing were thinking was of no concern to the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng.

But they care about Shen Nian's opinion.

Shen Nian quickly cupped his hands and said, "I have no objection either."

Shen Nian agreed with Zhang Juzheng's strategy of "courtesy first, then force".

The current situation has become a matter of responding to each move as it comes.

The worst outcome would be nothing more than violently eliminating the power of the Zhang and Wang families at the cost of unrest in Shanxi.

Currently.

Zhang Juzheng dared to do this, and the young Wanli Emperor also dared to agree to do it.

This is exactly what Shen Nian is happy to see.

Zhang Juzheng continued, "This matter will be kept secret for now. Later, I will tell Grand Secretary Lü and discuss this matter with him. I will also inform Minister Zhang and discuss with him in advance the selection of new officials to be sent to Shanxi. As for the others, they do not need to know."

"There's no need to inform Scholar Ma (Ma Ziqiang). Although he and Zhang Siwei don't get along, they are related by marriage after all, and he should recuse himself from this matter!"

"Yes!" Shen Nian, Yao Bin, and Zhang Jing bowed in unison.

……

More than half an hour later.

Hai Rui's "Memorial on the Disorder of Officials and Merchants in Shanxi Province" was copied and distributed by the Six Ministries and the Office of Transmission, and gradually spread to various government offices in the capital.

In the eyes of many officials.

The feedback from this memorial was quite astonishing and largely met their expectations of Hai Rui.

Such a memorial was enough to cause a major upheaval in Shanxi's official and business circles.

Some officials who wanted to see Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu suffer were somewhat disappointed.

This memorial was enough to cripple the Zhang and Wang families, but for Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu, it was merely a scratch.

Rao is so.

Some officials, not forgetting to add fuel to the fire, submitted memorials to impeach Zhang Siwei or Wang Chonggu.

Meanwhile, some officials who were close to Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu and whose current positions were secured by the two men breathed a sigh of relief.

The more stable Zhang and Wang's official positions are, the more stable their official positions will be.

At present, more than 70% of the officials in the capital believe that Zhang Siwei will be the next Grand Secretary after Zhang Juzheng.

Therefore, many officials were unwilling to offend Zhang Siwei for the sake of their future.

……

The contents of this memorial quickly spread to the streets and communities.

Scholars and intellectuals worshipped Hai Rui, almost blindly so, and were extremely excited about a memorial from him that could punish hundreds of officials.

Before they saw the "Memorial on the Corruption of Officials and Merchants".

I thought the worst-case scenario of collusion between officials and merchants in Shanxi was as described in the "Memorial on the Disorderly Conduct of Officials and Merchants in Shanxi Province." Almost overnight...

Hai Rui's memorial became a model for many scholars to memorize.

Every scholar hopes that after entering officialdom, he can write an article that can bring down hundreds of officials with a single word.

……

The next day, it was dawn.

Zhang Siwei's resignation memorial was then presented to the young Wanli Emperor.

Zhang Siwei claimed that he had not disciplined or supervised the younger members of his clan strictly enough, which resulted in the emergence of bad people, scoundrels, and troublemakers within the family.

He is guilty and wishes to resign and apologize.

Furthermore, we earnestly request the court to severely punish any clan officials or merchants who have violated the law.

He appears to be confessing.

In fact, every sentence is pointing out the faults of others while trying to absolve himself of responsibility.

this moment.

He also had a more emotional, sincere, and longer resignation letter in his hand.

He planned to submit this resignation memorial only after the previous memorial had been returned by the young Wanli Emperor.

As usual.

If the emperor still refuses to grant his resignation after two attempts, he can then proceed with his official duties as usual.

This way, the censors wouldn't be able to exploit any loopholes, and he could clear himself of suspicion and crimes.

……

afternoon.

Zhang Siwei had just woken up from his afternoon nap when he saw Lü Diaoyang standing in front of him.

"Grand Secretary Lü!" Zhang Siwei quickly stood up and bowed.

He still had to be very respectful to the Second Grand Secretary, especially since Lü Diaoyang was much more senior than him.

With a smile, Lü Diaoyang placed the resignation memorial that Zhang Siwei had submitted that morning in front of him.

"Feng Pan, there is no need to write another memorial requesting resignation; His Majesty has already granted it!"

"A... agreed?"

Zhang Siwei, looking puzzled, opened the memorial and saw that it contained annotations in red ink: "Due to the disorderly conduct of officials and merchants in Shanxi, effective immediately, Cabinet Minister Zhang Siwei is suspended from his duties and will remain at home, but must be available upon summons."

Zhang Siwei was a little confused.

This was completely different from what he had planned.

How could we possibly agree to such a memorial?
The young Wanli Emperor's actions clearly showed a lack of trust in his performance; in fact, for a cabinet minister, this was almost an insult.

Two years ago, memorials impeaching Zhang Juzheng piled up on the emperor's desk. In addition, Zhang Juzheng repeatedly offered to resign, showing an extremely firm attitude, but Emperor Wanli did not allow him to be suspended from his post.

Last year, Lü Diaoyang repeatedly submitted memorials requesting retirement due to his advanced age, but Emperor Wanli not only refused but also continued to reward him.

It became a popular story in the imperial court.

Zhang Siwei, a cabinet minister, had just submitted his first memorial requesting resignation when he was unexpectedly suspended from his post.

This shows that whether he is in the cabinet or not makes little difference.

"Grand Secretary Lü, this...this...is His Majesty's action...is it because he was instigated by some villain? There are so many things to do in the cabinet; if I am suspended from my duties, who will do them?"

"Fengpan, don't think too much. Grand Secretary Zhang and I are in the cabinet. Go home and rest for a few days, and you might be back soon!"

After saying that, Lü Diaoyang left.

The word "maybe" gave him a feeling that he might not be able to come back.

Zhang Siwei looked at the bright spring sun outside the duty room and slightly pursed his lips.

Being suspended from his post means that he will not see any memorials from the court in the days to come, and it will be difficult to predict what will happen next.

This sense of the unknown made him feel somewhat uneasy.

Once you're pushed out of the cabinet, it's difficult to get back in.

……

Not long after.

The news of Zhang Siwei's suspension from duty and return home quickly reached the ears of officials in various government departments.

Zhang Siwei is fairly well-liked.

Many officials submitted memorials arguing that the Zhang family had contributed to border trade and that Zhang Siwei had made contributions to the government. They argued that the court should not suspend a cabinet minister without investigating the specific circumstances.

Of course, some officials felt that this was just a formality by the imperial court.

Hai Rui's memorial was not powerful enough to seriously affect Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

The imperial court needs Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu, and Shanxi needs the Zhang and Wang families. If these two families run into trouble, then Shanxi will face serious problems.

In recent days, officials have submitted memorials to the emperor.

There were those who pleaded for leniency, those who impeached, and those who exposed and reported.

However, no one submitted a memorial stating that the imperial court should strictly prohibit officials' families from engaging in business.

The reason this point was not mentioned is that many officials' families in the Ming Dynasty were engaged in business.

If it were to be prohibited, in everyone's eyes, it would be a suggestion to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and no one would be willing to follow it.

……

The next few days.

The discussions in the capital revolved around Hai Rui's memorials to the throne, and the merits and demerits of the Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu families in recent years.

And this moment.

Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Hanzheng, the Minister of Personnel, were discussing the best candidates for various local officials in Shanxi.

If internal strife or riots occur in Shanxi, replacing local officials in a timely manner is the best way to reduce the unrest.

Planning ahead is essential.

In recent days.

Zhang Siwei felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He could only wait and wait for the imperial court to give him an explanation.

……

April 3rd.

Wang Chonggu, the Governor-General of Shanxi, who was in Taiyuan Town, Shanxi, received a summons from the imperial court, ordering him to go to the capital immediately to discuss border policies and consult with the emperor.

Wang Chonggu looked puzzled.

Normally, the imperial court discusses border policies at the end of the year, but this time it was changed to April, which is almost unprecedented.

Although he found it strange, he dared not delay and began his return to the capital that very day.

him at the moment.

Having read Hai Rui's "Memorial on the Disorder of Officials and Merchants in Shanxi Province," I anticipate that more than thirty members of the Wang family will be severely punished.

But he didn't think the court would make things difficult for him.

Wang Chonggu exudes confidence in the present day.

This confidence is built upon his more than 30 years of successful experience in guarding the border.

He was convinced that Shanxi could not do without him, the people of Shanxi could not do without him, and the imperial court would not dare to let Shanxi leave him.

at the same time.

The imperial guards sent by the young Wanli Emperor had found Hai Rui and then headed directly to Puzhou, the stronghold of the Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei families.

Currently, Wang Chonggu is on his way to Beijing, and Zhang Siwei is suspended from his post and at home, so they have no time to worry about Shanxi.

Hai Rui had enough time and manpower to thoroughly investigate the matters that had not yet been clarified, and to expose more officials or businessmen who "embezzled state funds and exploited the people."

(End of this chapter)