I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 146 Zhang Siwei vs. Shen Ziheng! Who is loyal and who is treacherous? (Seeking monthly votes)
April 12th, afternoon.

Cabinet minister Zhang Siwei was summoned to the palace for an audience and arrived at the Wenhua Hall.

The palace attendants all came out and closed the palace doors.

"Your subject Zhang Siwei greets Your Majesty!" Zhang Siwei bowed and knelt, but when he caught a glimpse of Shen Nian standing to the side, he was taken aback.

He had assumed that the young Wanli Emperor was meeting with him alone.

I never expected Shen Nian to be here too.

Judging from Shen Nian's position, she is not here as a recorder of daily life.

They seemed more like there to listen in.

Zhang Siwei was not surprised that Shen Nian knew everything that was happening.

After all, he was a favorite of the young Wanli Emperor.

Zhang Siwei even thought that the reason why the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng were so ruthless towards the Zhang and Wang families after seeing Hai Rui's memorial might be because of Shen Nian.

Shen Nian's consistent stance is that civil affairs are of paramount importance, and he advocates severely punishing officials and wealthy merchants who compete with the people for profit.

He naturally had no goodwill towards the Zhang and Wang families, who represented the interests of many officials and businessmen.

This stance.

This earned Shen Nian a very good reputation among the people, but it also offended many officials.

Just like Zhang Juzheng.

Once they lose power, they will definitely be besieged and their fate will be extremely tragic.

This was not Zhang Siwei's pursuit as an official.

Zhang Siwei frowned slightly.

With Shen Nian present, the young Wanli Emperor was not so easily fooled.

"Grand Secretary Zhang, stand up and speak!" The young Wanli Emperor's tone was indifferent, clearly showing his dissatisfaction with Zhang Siwei at the moment.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Wanli glanced at Shen Nian, who was standing below.

“I summoned Shen Shijiang specifically. He has already read the ‘Memorial on the Corruption of Officials and Merchants’. There are some questions that I may not be able to answer, but Shen Shijiang can. Grand Secretary Zhang need not hold back. Say whatever you need to say.”

As an emperor, one must always keep one's word.

Knowing he might not be able to argue with the old fox Zhang Siwei, Emperor Wanli ordered Shen Nian to stand aside.

Once he is speechless, Shen Nian can speak.

This morning.

Feng Bao reported to the young Wanli Emperor about "Wang Chonggu's private meeting with Zhang Siwei last night".

The young Wanli Emperor also wanted to find out from Zhang Siwei's next words what gave them the confidence to confront the court.

As Xiao Wanli finished speaking, Shen Nian bowed slightly to Zhang Siwei.

"Your subject obeys!" Zhang Siwei said, cupping his hands in greeting.

What else could Xiao Wanli say? He had no reason to make Shen Nian leave.

this moment.

Zhang Siwei thought to himself: Once I get over this hurdle, if I want to purge the court of corrupt officials, the first one I must remove is this Shen Nian.

Zhang Siwei paused for a moment.

"Your Majesty, as I stated in my memorial, although there are corrupt officials and unscrupulous merchants in our Zhang and Wang families, they are only a minority. Minister Wang and I are absolutely loyal to the court."

"The so-called embezzlement of military funds and fertile land, extortion of tribute from vassal states, and private trade of grain and iron with the Mongols were actually the work of a few individuals in secret. The court severely punished them, even taking their heads, and I have nothing to say about that. However, to destroy the Zhang and Wang families for this is extremely unjust!"

"The 'Memorial on the Misconduct of Officials and Merchants' by the Haiqian Academy claims: 'Jin is not the Jin of the Ming Dynasty, but the Jin of Zhang and Wang. Zhang and Wang are not the Zhang and Wang of the Ming Dynasty, but the Zhang and Wang of the Mongol Jurchens.' This statement is completely baseless and is nothing but a smear campaign against the Zhang and Wang families!"

"This memorial slanders my Zhang and Wang clans for three reasons: first, the harm of the collusion between officials and merchants; second, the harm of long-term monopoly; and third, the harm of smuggling and nurturing enemies."

"The so-called harm of collusion between officials and merchants is evident in the fact that the current scholar Ma (Ma Ziqiang, whose family are Henan merchants) and the Imperial Reader Shen also come from merchant families. Shouldn't their family members also immediately cease engaging in commerce?"

"The so-called harm of long-term monopolies is that in all parts of the Ming Dynasty, those who have made a fortune in business have all established a local monopoly. Shouldn't they all be severely punished?"

"The so-called harm of smuggling and nurturing the enemy, apart from some smugglers who smuggle grain and iron, most merchants are actually implementing the mutual trade policy of the Longqing Peace Treaty. Does doing so constitute collusion with the enemy and betrayal of the country?"

"As everyone knows, Vice Minister Hai has always hoped to restore the system established by Emperor Taizu. In his eyes, innocent and law-abiding citizens are like great saints who appear only once in a century! The members of the Zhang and Wang clans may not meet his requirements, but they are by no means suspected of treason as he claims! On the contrary, Vice Minister Hai is disrupting the court with this memorial, which is suspected of seeking fame and selling his integrity. Isn't this the same trick he used to rise from a mere candidate to his current position as a fourth-rank official?"

"Furthermore, the policy proposed by Chief Minister Zhang—either removing officials and retaining merchants or removing merchants and retaining officials—is based on the concern that the Zhang and Wang families are too powerful and may commit treason in the future. To eliminate the Zhang and Wang families, who have made great contributions to Shanxi, based on such unreasonable and unfounded suspicions is something that not only I, but also the people and soldiers of Shanxi will not agree to!"

"Your Majesty, if an official is to be severely punished simply because he is believed to have the ability to rebel, then the one who should be punished most severely right now is Chief Minister Zhang!"

"In the present Ming Dynasty, he issues all the orders. Almost all the civil and military officials in the court obey his every command. Li Chengliang, Qi Jiguang, Zhang Xueyan in the north, and Fang Fengshi, the current governor of Shanxi, are all Zhang Juzheng's confidants. If Your Majesty suspects me and Minister Wang because of this, please punish the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng first!"

"I even suspect that after I and Minister Wang are punished, the entire northern border of the Ming Dynasty will be filled with Zhang Juzheng's confidants. If all the officials in the court worship one person, then the Ming Dynasty will truly be in danger!"

"Your Majesty, the Great Ming Code has always treated everyone equally. If the Zhang and Wang families are guilty, I humbly request that all officials suspected of being guilty of the same crimes as the Zhang and Wang families be dismissed and investigated!"

……

Zhang Siwei truly lives up to his reputation as a cunning old fox.

He changed his strategy from yesterday's memorial, no longer arguing that the Zhang and Wang families were innocent, but instead dragged a group of officials into the suspicion that they were guilty of the same crime as the Zhang and Wang families.

Emperor Wanli opened his mouth, but suddenly realized that he was powerless to refute it.

He knew that Zhang Siwei was generalizing from limited evidence and that Zhang Siwei was engaging in sophistry, but he didn't know how to retaliate.

He couldn't help but look at Shen Nian.

Shen Nian nodded slightly and took a step forward.

He first bowed to the young Wanli Emperor, then turned to look at Zhang Siwei.

"Grand Secretary Zhang, the harm of the collusion between officials and merchants does not refer to officials being unable to engage in business, but rather to collusion between officials and merchants; the harm of long-term monopoly does not refer to being number one in the industry, but rather to monopolizing and monopolizing, leaving no way for the people to survive; the harm of smuggling and nurturing enemies does not refer to border trade, but rather to harming the country for profit and moral corruption."

"Whether Hai Qianyuan sought fame and sold his integrity is a matter for the people to judge, the court to investigate, and the historical records will also bear witness. Do you think you are a loyal minister or a treacherous minister in the eyes of the historians?"

"What goes around comes around. The reason why Grand Secretary Zhang said this is simply because the evidence from the Imperial Censorate has not yet been delivered, and the Zhang and Wang families have already found a scapegoat!"

"But can the Zhang and Wang families withstand an investigation? Just now, Grand Secretary Zhang said that my family is also a merchant family, but every penny we earn is clean and we dare to let the imperial court investigate. Do the Zhang and Wang families dare to do that? Do you, Grand Secretary Zhang, dare to do that?"

“Grand Secretary Zhang, the eyes of the people are discerning. You can take a stroll through the streets and alleys outside Zhengyang Gate where shops gather, and see how many merchants curse and hate Shanxi merchants. And do these cursed Shanxi merchants have any connection with the Zhang and Wang families? Do you really think the voices of the common people in Shanxi cannot reach His Majesty’s ears?”

"Grand Secretary Zhang, your explanations are useless. His Majesty has already decided that no matter the cost, the power of the Zhang and Wang families in Shanxi must be dismantled! Even if it means rebuilding Shanxi, even if it means triggering war!"

……

Shen Nian paused, her tone softening slightly.

"Grand Secretary Zhang, you and Minister Wang probably know the true situation of the Zhang and Wang families better than anyone else. Lying to His Majesty and feigning innocence now will be of no use. The two options offered by Grand Secretary Zhang are the best possible outcome for both the Zhang and Wang families."

"Admit it! His Majesty is merciful and will not severely punish you, nor will he allow Minister Wang to tarnish his reputation in his later years. As long as you voluntarily cease your own trade routes and distribute your wealth to the people, you will be meritorious officials of the court!"

Shen Nian's words were quite seductive.

If it were an ordinary official, he might have already knelt down and admitted his mistake.

But after hearing Shen Nian's words, Zhang Siwei suddenly clenched his four fingers hard into his palm.

Just now, he almost fell into Shen Nian's trap. If he had admitted his guilt, there would have been no way to undo the damage.

Zhang Siwei ignored Shen Nian.

He looked straight ahead, cupped his hands towards the young Wanli Emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, although there are scoundrels in the Zhang and Wang families, their merits outweigh their flaws. They are absolutely loyal to the court, and I have no fear of the court's investigation!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that tomorrow's court session convene to discuss Hai Rui's 'Memorial on the Corruption of Officials and Merchants,' allowing all officials to evaluate whether the Zhang and Wang families have rendered meritorious service to Shanxi or are sinners against Shanxi. We must also evaluate how the Zhang and Wang families, as well as myself, Zhang Siwei, should be punished!"

Say it.

Zhang Siwei knelt on the ground and kowtowed, his expression resolute.

At this moment, young Wanli panicked.

He did not expect that Zhang Siwei was not afraid of the court making the "Memorial on the Misconduct of Officials and Merchants" public.

The other party wanted to fight to the death, but the young Wanli Emperor did not; he truly dared not gamble with the survival of the Ming Dynasty.

And this moment.

Shen Nian gradually understood why Zhang Siwei was unafraid to publicly release the "Memorial on the Corruption Between Officials and Merchants".

The imperial court feared internal strife in Shanxi, worried about the outbreak of war, and considered the interests of the people of Shanxi. Zhang Siwei could use this incident to impeach Zhang Juzheng for his tyranny, Hai Rui for seeking fame and selling his integrity, and Shen Nian for being from a family that integrated official and business interests...

These are the reasons why Zhang Siwei is unafraid to publicly publish his "On the Corruption Between Officials and Merchants in the Country".

After the announcement was made public, a thorough investigation revealed major chaos.

Therefore, the imperial court will certainly try to downplay the matter and minimize its impact.

But these are not the core reasons.

The core reason was that Zhang Siwei believed that most of the officials in the court would support him.

Officials concerned with the overall situation were unwilling to see internal strife in Shanxi or war break out in the north; officials who feared investigation for moral failings, corruption, or seeking personal gain worried that Hai Rui's memorial would bring down their own reputations; some officials who disliked Zhang Juzheng would likely use opposition to his autocracy as a pretext to join Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu in suppressing him, potentially leading to factional strife; and Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei enjoyed a better reputation in the court than Zhang Juzheng…

Tomorrow, even if 30% of the officials support Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu and believe that the Zhang and Wang families should not be destroyed, the officials will still be arguing and unable to reach a conclusion.

At that time, the government will be the most affected.

Even if the young Wanli Emperor only gave them lenient punishments, as long as Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu remained in the court, the cabinet would be in great chaos in the future.

Although the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng wielded great power, they might be powerless to stop some officials from arguing recklessly.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor was furious.

"Since you are willing to hold a court meeting tomorrow, then let it be a court meeting. You may leave now!"

"Open the door!" the young Wanli Emperor shouted.

Soon, the palace doors swung open.

"Your subject takes his leave!" Zhang Siwei strode out of the Wenhua Hall.

At this time.

Emperor Wanli looked at Shen Nian and said, "Do we really want to fight to the death? This is the last thing I want to see."

Shen Nian thought about it.

He reported to the young Wanli Emperor what he believed were the reasons why Zhang Siwei dared to make this memorial public.

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment and said, "Minister Shen, you must quickly go and consult with the Grand Secretary on a solution. The internal strife in Shanxi is a terrible idea, and the court must not be thrown into chaos at this moment!"

"I obey!"

Shen Nian left the Wenhua Hall and walked quickly toward the Cabinet Office.

……

Half an hour later.

Shen Nian walked to the east side of Wenhua Hall, into a narrow passage paved with blue bricks and flanked by low vermilion walls.

After two more turns, you will reach the Cabinet Office.

at this time.

Shen Nian looked up and suddenly saw Zhang Siwei standing in the middle of the road, wearing a scarlet robe embroidered with cranes.

Zhang Siwei looked at Shen Nian with a livid face.

They were obviously waiting for him here.

Shen Nian strode towards Zhang Siwei, and when she was about seven or eight steps away from him...

Zhang Siwei pointed at Shen Nian.

"Go ahead and stir things up! Shen Nian, go ahead and stir things up! Once you've stirred up Shanxi's commerce into chaos, made everyone in the court feel insecure, caused war to break out in the northern border, and brought the Ming Dynasty to its complete end, you'll all be happy! Do the Zhang and Wang families have a grudge against you? Why do you have to put them to death!"

"Do you think that by kicking me out of the cabinet, you can get a seat in it sooner? No one's career is always smooth sailing. Have some self-respect!"

Shen Nian straightened his chest.

"Grand Secretary Zhang, no matter what, a family that may betray the country and has the power to do so must never appear on the borders of the Ming Dynasty! The Zhang and Wang families have already broken the taboo by smuggling and trading grain and iron for money. Shouldn't they be eradicated?"

“Even now, you remain stubborn and refuse to believe that your family has committed heinous crimes and that your career is over. Just wait to be infamous for eternity! If I were to write a biography of you as a treacherous official in the future, I would certainly include your words today in the history books!”

Zhang Siwei waited for Shen Nian here, intending to vent his anger by insulting her, but unexpectedly, Shen Nian's rebuttal only made him angrier.

He raised his voice and pointed at Shen Nian.

"Nonsense! Utter nonsense! What the court should get rid of are officials like you who claim to be for the people but are actually only after climbing the ranks. Now, the two great traitors of the Ming Dynasty have emerged: you and Zhang Juzheng. Tomorrow at court, I will purge the court of these corrupt officials!"

After scolding Shen Nian, Zhang Siwei didn't want to hear Shen Nian's rebuttal and immediately strode away.

At this time.

Shen Nian said leisurely, "Whoever is anxious or angry has already lost!"

The voice was not loud.

But it still reached Zhang Siwei's ears completely, even though his hearing was excellent.

He grew increasingly furious, whipping his official robes so hard they seemed to whistle through the air, and quickly disappeared around the corner.

(End of this chapter)