I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 147 Closed-Door Court Meeting: Officials Take Sides! The Impetuous Yin Zhengmao
April 13th, around 4 AM.

Before the Meridian Gate, the bells and drums sounded, and civil and military officials walked from the left and right side gates toward the Dan Chi (red steps) below the Huangji Gate.

at this time.

The gates of the Imperial Palace in front slowly opened.

The officials on duty at the Court of State Ceremonial, along with the officers on either side, guided the officials into the main hall.

This move left many officials looking puzzled.

As usual.

Only major celebrations such as New Year's Day, Winter Solstice, and the Emperor's birthday would be celebrated with court assemblies held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The regular court assemblies were all held at the Huangji Gate.

At this time.

Feng Bao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, stood beneath the Gate of Supreme Harmony and announced loudly, "His Majesty has decreed that today's court session will be held indoors due to its extended duration and the increasingly hot weather!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" the officials said in unison, bowing their hands in gratitude.

At present, the weather in the capital is not considered hot, but if the morning court session continues until the sun is high in the sky, it is indeed very hot on the face.

The officials had all guessed that today's court session would definitely focus on the collusion between Shanxi officials and merchants.

Because Hai Rui's "Memorial on the Disorder of Officials and Merchants in Shanxi Province" had already spread widely among the people, Zhang Siwei, who was suspended from his post pending investigation, and Wang Chonggu, who had just arrived in the capital, came to the Forbidden City early on.

Not long after.

The officials filed in and all entered the hall.

Immediately afterwards, the young Wanli Emperor arrived before the throne.

Feng Bao stood to his west, and Wang Jiaping, the Hanlin Compiler who was on duty recording the daily life of the emperor, stood to his southeast.

Behind the throne, there is still a curtain reserved for Empress Dowager Li, but she has hardly participated in the recent regular court assemblies.

She was busy in the harem choosing a "virtuous" empress like herself for the young Wanli Emperor.

As for Shen Nian, he served as a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy and stood behind Shen Shixing, a scholar in the Hanlin Academy.

Immediately afterwards, the officials bowed in greeting.

The ceremony is over.

The young Wanli Emperor looked around and then shouted, "Close the door!"

The Imperial Guards on either side of the main gate of the Hall of Supreme Harmony quickly closed the two huge vermilion wooden doors.

The officials all looked puzzled, wondering what the purpose of this move was.

Meeting in the past.

Even in the dead of winter, when water freezes instantly and the north wind howls, these two doors have never been closed.

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment and said, "My lords, today we will hold a closed-door court session. As for why it will be closed, you will all know later."

Zhang Juzheng, Lü Diaoyang, and Shen Nian were all unaware of the "closing the door" action.

But upon learning this, I felt very gratified.

The young Wanli Emperor's holding of closed-door court sessions was truly a benevolent act.

He still hoped that Hai Rui's "Memorial on the Corruption of Officials and Merchants" would only circulate within this hall, and that Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu would compromise and reduce the power of their clans.

The closed-door court meeting was not for Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

It was for the people of Shanxi, for peace on the border, and for the dignity of the imperial court.

If this had happened during the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu...

I'm afraid the Zhang and Wang clans were wiped out long ago, and the grass on their graves is already taller than a person.

But the young Wanli Emperor, Zhang Juzheng, and Shen Nian all knew about it.

If Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu were killed directly, and their clans were wiped out, Shanxi would be thrown into chaos, the border would be in danger, and in the end, it would be the common people who would suffer.

Therefore, they still hoped that this matter could be resolved in a way that would cause the least harm to the Ming Dynasty.

There is another point.

Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu had also made contributions to the Ming Dynasty, and the young Wanli Emperor did not want to be remembered as an "unrighteous ruler."

this moment.

Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu both understood the intention behind the young Wanli Emperor's actions, but what they both thought was that the young Wanli Emperor had become fearful and was willing to compromise.

They hoped that the matter would end with a prepared scapegoat taking the blame, and that Hai Rui would exaggerate and use his honesty to gain fame.

They believed that many officials would protect them.

Because the imperial court could not convict a minister simply because it suspected him of treason, at the cost of internal strife in Shanxi and danger on the border.

……

Followed by.

Emperor Wanli said loudly, "Besides the memorial on the disorder of officials and merchants in Shanxi Province, the Imperial Academy also has a memorial on the corruption of officials and merchants. I have ordered Yao Bin, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, to present it to me. All of you should listen to it first, and then discuss this matter publicly."

Yao Bin, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, strode out and began reading Hai Rui's "On the Corruption Between Officials and Merchants in the Country".

"Officials wield public power to govern the people; merchants facilitate trade and make a living. When these two paths diverge, the government becomes more efficient and efficient..."

"The Zhang and Wang families used their official titles as weapons to exploit the wealth of the nation, and used the tricks of merchants to confuse the proper order of the court..."

"In Jinzhong there were 123 cases of selling official positions, and about 500 cases of seizing salt and grain, extorting taxes and corvée labor, and embezzlement by those in charge of official duties... There were also cases of embezzling military funds for military farms, extorting tribute from vassal states, and smuggling grain and iron to the Mongols and Jurchens..."

"Now, Jin is not the Jin of the Ming Dynasty, but the Jin of Zhang Wang. Zhang Wang is not the Zhang Wang of the Ming Dynasty, but the Zhang Wang of the Mongol Jurchens."

……

After this memorial was read aloud.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was completely silent, so quiet that one could almost hear the heartbeats of some officials.

Compared to "The Disorderly Conduct of Officials and Merchants in Jin Province," the difference between "The Disorderly Conduct of Officials and Merchants in Jin Province" and "The Corruption of the State by Officials and Merchants" is like the difference between "twenty strokes of the cane" and "skinning and stuffing with straw."

Hai Rui was still the same Hai Rui who could astound the entire court with a single memorial to the throne.

At this moment, the officials began to think seriously.

If Emperor Wanli had accepted the conclusions drawn from Hai Rui's memorial, he probably would have imprisoned Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu in the imperial prison long ago.

If they did not approve of it, they would not have made such a memorial, which was enough to bring down the families of two important ministers, public in the regular court.

This can only mean one thing.

Emperor Wanli was wary of internal strife in Shanxi and border conflicts, so he wanted to hear the opinions of all officials to handle the matter.

This court assembly was one that defined the nature of the collusion between officials and merchants in Shanxi.

After defining the nature of the problem.

Only then would the imperial court take measures against the Zhang and Wang families, and against Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

this moment.

Some officials immediately understood why the regular court sessions were being held behind closed doors this time.

Some things are different when discussed behind closed doors versus in front of an open door.

Wait until the court session ends.

Any official who dared to gossip would be sent to prison that very day.

After reading the memorial, Yao Bin, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, did not leave.

Instead, he cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the Maritime Commissioner has instructed me to report to Your Majesty on his behalf: The crimes mentioned in 'On the Corruption of Officials and Merchants' are all supported by evidence. The Zhang and Wang families, relying on the power of Grand Secretary Zhang Siwei and Minister of Justice Wang Chonggu, Governor-General of Shanxi, have committed numerous crimes, becoming a scourge to Shanxi and the Ming Dynasty. Merchants should be banned from the Zhang and Wang families, and Grand Secretary Zhang Siwei, Minister of Justice Wang Chonggu, Governor-General of Shanxi should be dismissed from their posts to prevent the borders of our Ming Dynasty from collapsing!"

In the Ming Dynasty, it was always the censors who first launched the impeachment of high-ranking officials.

Yao Bin directly stated the purpose of Hai Rui's impeachment: to prohibit the Zhang and Wang families from engaging in business and to dismiss Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

This punishment is quite severe.

Immediately, many officials looked at Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu, who were standing in front.

The petition in this memorial requests the destruction of the Zhang and Wang clans and the cessation of official careers for Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

The two of them would absolutely not refute each other.

At this moment, the officials did not think that Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu were doomed, or that the Zhang and Wang clans were doomed.

It was common for cabinet ministers and heads of the six ministries in the Ming Dynasty to be impeached.

Before the discussion of various schools of thought.

Memorials impeaching Zhang Juzheng for "usurping state power, deceiving the young emperor, and harming the country through reforms" appeared almost every month.

When an earthquake struck Jingzhou, Wang Shizhen, a leading figure in the Ming Dynasty's literary world, was able to submit a memorial attributing it to the excessive influence of the court officials and Zhang Juzheng's monopolization of power. This goes without saying that other impeachments were made regarding nepotism, servants abusing their power, and accepting bribes.

Some officials who spoke out against wrongdoing.

I have long been aware of the harm caused by the collusion between officials and merchants, the harm caused by long-term monopolies, and the harm caused by smuggling and fostering enemies among the Zhang and Wang families in Shanxi.

This idea had already begun to emerge during the Longqing reign.

But that's just how the official-merchant atmosphere was in the Ming Dynasty.

Having an official position brings power, and having power makes it easy to do business. After making a lot of money in business, the money is then used for career advancement, almost forming a closed loop.

This has led to an increase in the number of official-business families, making those in power richer and those with more money more powerful.

How should this matter be classified?

It all depends on whether the imperial court wants to punish them and whether it is worthwhile to punish the Zhang and Wang families.

The so-called harm of smuggling and nurturing enemies.

In the eyes of some officials, it was insignificant and not even a crime.

Because the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols had already established trade relations, merchants pursued profits and sold whatever made money. This practice was not limited to the Zhang and Wang clans; anyone greedy for small gains did the same, and it was repeatedly prohibited but could not be stopped.

……

at this time.

Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu strode out and knelt on the ground together.

Zhang Siwei spoke first, saying, "Your Majesty, Minister Wang and I acknowledge that there are members of the Zhang and Wang clans who are suspected of violating the law. Such people should certainly be severely punished according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Minister Wang and I are also guilty of negligence."

"If Minister Wang and I are punished for this crime, even if we are sentenced to death, we will have no complaints!"

"However, we dare not bear the charges of smuggling, supporting enemies, or betraying the country for personal gain! As for claims such as 'Jin is the Jin of Zhang Wang, and Zhang Wang is the Zhang Wang of the Mongol Jurchens,' we believe they are pure slander!"

"As everyone knows, Hai Rui has always revered the restoration of the system established by Emperor Taizu. If he continues his investigation in this manner, the officialdom and business circles of the Ming Dynasty will likely be engulfed in a bloodbath. Hai Rui is disregarding reality and exaggerating his words. In order to gain a reputation for speaking frankly, he is willing to destroy the current officialdom. The court must not follow his wishes and undermine the stability of the court."

"I ask you, among all the civil and military officials present, how many could withstand such an investigation by Hai Rui, and how many could withstand such arbitrary accusations?"

Zhang Siwei turned his head and looked around.

He said this partly to defend himself.

On the other hand, it was to tell the officials in the court: if Hai Rui's impeachment succeeds today, then everyone in the palace will be in grave danger in the future.

Zhang Siwei wanted to win over officials who were afraid of being impeached by Hai Rui to his side. After he finished speaking, Wang Chonggu bowed deeply to the young Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Longqing Peace Treaty was personally approved by the late Emperor, and all officials had no objections. Since the treaty, our dynasty has traded with Altan Khan of Mongolia, ending a century of border troubles."

"After the trade agreement was established, the military expenditure of our dynasty's nine border regions decreased, saving 150 million taels of silver annually, which can be used to replenish the national treasury!"

"Furthermore, border trade is currently booming. Datong Town and Zhangjiakou, which were once barren and desolate and filled with displaced people, have become important commercial centers in the north. People are reclaiming wasteland and developing commerce. The population growth in one year is equivalent to that of the previous five years before the border trade. I have been working diligently to cooperate with the court's new policies and have begun to survey the land..."

“Trading with Mongolia is a national policy of our dynasty. However, just because some people violated the law and sold prohibited items, the Zhang and Wang families have been accused of treason. I cannot accept this. If Your Majesty truly believes this, I implore Your Majesty to grant this old minister death!”

……

Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu worked together very well.

Yan Hairui's memorial was a complete fabrication, a blatant attempt to gain fame and influence by pulling some officials into his camp.

One reason was to show off his achievements, to express the development of Shanxi after the trade, to highlight his civil and military accomplishments, and to make officials understand that Shanxi could not do without him.

After the two finished speaking, Guo Ting, the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, strode out.

"Your Majesty, last year I was ordered to inspect Shanxi. I believe that without the Longqing Peace Treaty, Shanxi would not be as peaceful as it is today; without the Zhang and Wang families transporting salt and grain to replenish the army's funds, the border would not be as stable as it is today; and without the contributions of Shanxi merchants in the border trade, there would be no prosperity in border commerce..."

"The Imperial Censor is making a mountain out of a molehill, ignoring the facts, and is only trying to gain a reputation for integrity! In this matter, it is enough to severely punish those who have violated the law. To ban the Zhang and Wang families from doing business and to dismiss Grand Secretary Zhang and Minister Wang is utterly absurd!"

After Guo Ting finished speaking, Sun Cheng, the Right Attendant of the Ministry of Rites, immediately stood up.

"Your Majesty, the evidence presented in this memorial is utterly insufficient to prove that the Zhang and Wang families committed treason and corruption. If the court accepts the guilty verdict based on doubt, it will be a disaster for the entire Shanxi province!"

"The Zhang and Wang families have an excellent reputation in Shanxi and are the leaders of Shanxi merchants. If trade is banned for the Zhang and Wang families, at least tens of thousands of people employed by Shanxi merchants will struggle to put food on their hands. Furthermore, banning trade for the Zhang and Wang families will inevitably affect foreign trade. If this leads to war, then... then... it will be even more of a loss!"

Severely punishing the Zhang and Wang clans without conclusive evidence would only lead to internal strife in Shanxi, border conflicts, and force many Shanxi people into becoming refugees or even rebels!

It's better to be praised by others than to praise yourself.

These two individuals were either instructed by Zhang Siwei or Wang Chonggu, or were their protégés or former associates.

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

……

After the two finished speaking, more than ten officials immediately stood up and shouted their second opinion.

Looking at the identities of these people.

There were officials from the Censorate, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Rites, and so on. Most of them were students and old friends of Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

Of course, there are also those who prioritize the overall situation.

The seconding of the motion was solely to prevent internal strife and war in Shanxi.

Many officials who have not yet expressed their opinions are not necessarily opposed, but are waiting for Zhang Juzheng and Lü Diaoyang to make their statements.

Once Zhang Juzheng also agrees to do so.

Whatever Hai Rui discovers next, it won't involve this matter too much.

now.

Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei were already very excited, their greatest reliance being the support of their ministers.

These officials were only acting in their own self-interest, and mostly for the sake of the overall situation, not for the sake of the two individuals.

Just then, Chen Zan, the Left Censor-in-Chief, came out.

As the most powerful official among the three judicial departments of the Ming Dynasty, his statement was of great importance.

"I second that opinion!" Chen Zan said firmly.

He said this naturally to consider the overall situation and prevent internal strife in Shanxi and war from breaking out on the border.

His support.

For Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu, it was a completely unexpected and delightful surprise.

At this moment, the scales of victory have tipped in their favor.

With so many officials supporting them and opposing Hai Rui, even if the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng were dissatisfied, they would have taken the officials' feelings into full consideration. Otherwise, after the court assembly, the young Wanli Emperor's desk would have been filled with a large number of memorials.

Followed by.

Minister of Rites Ma Ziqiang stepped forward.

Zhang Siwei's mood immediately became tense. Although Ma Ziqiang was his in-law, their relationship had never been good, and Ma Ziqiang had a lot of influence in the court. If he supported Hai Rui, he could suppress Chen Zan's words in an instant.

"Your Majesty, I believe that whatever the Imperial Censorate finds out, the Zhang and Wang families should be punished leniently, because Shanxi cannot do without them. After this matter, the court can simply send more censors and secret police to supervise them, instead of banning the Zhang and Wang families from doing business!"

Ma Ziqiang prefers to take a safe approach to things.

The solutions he comes up with are always the safest and most reliable.

After Ma Ziqiang finished speaking, Shen Shixing stepped forward.

"I second the proposal!"

Subsequently, officials such as Wang Xijue, Shen Yiguan, Xu Guo, Wang Zudi, and Zhao Zhigao stood up to second the motion.

These officials are all officials who "put the big picture first".

"My dear in-laws, you are truly my wonderful in-laws!"

Zhang Siwei, kneeling at the front, was almost laughing out loud. He never expected that Chen Zan, Ma Ziqiang, and others would support him.

Given the current overwhelming support, even if the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng support Hai Rui, they will still have to consider the opinions of the officials.

At this moment, Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu felt that victory was in sight.

They will deliver a heavy blow to Hai Rui, the most aggressive censor of the Ming Dynasty.

at this time.

Yin Zhengmao, the Minister of Revenue, stepped out from the queue.

Yin Zhengmao bowed slightly to the young Wanli Emperor, then glanced at the officials around him who had expressed their opinions.

"Your Majesty, now that the gates are closed, I think everyone should speak the truth."

"Grand Secretary Zhang held great power in the cabinet; Minister Wang guarded the border and had sole control of the military. The Zhang and Wang families prospered because of the salt permits issued by the imperial court and their influence as officials in the court, and became leaders of Shanxi merchants."

"How can the court not be wary of such a powerful, wealthy, and border family! Not to mention the numerous crimes the Zhang and Wang families have committed, even if they were innocent, the court should still be on guard against them."

"In my opinion, it is time for the Zhang and Wang families to make sacrifices for the court. Only by banning commerce by the Zhang and Wang families and forcing Grand Secretary Zhang and Minister Wang to retire can the court feel at ease. The stability of the Ming Dynasty is paramount!"

“At present, some of you oppose Hai Rui’s memorial because you fear his impeachment; some rely on Zhang and Wang as your backers; and a large part opposes Hai Rui to protect the overall situation and to avoid internal strife in Shanxi and war on the border.”

"In my opinion, the stability of the Ming Dynasty is the best course of action. Even if Shanxi suffers a disaster, the border threat posed by the Zhang and Wang clans should be completely eliminated!"

Yin Zhengmao immediately spoke the truth.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Jin, the Assistant Minister of Rites, stepped forward.

"Minister Yin, you are mistaken! How can the court destroy the Zhang and Wang families just because it suspects they might threaten the stability of the Ming Dynasty? This... isn't that throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Right now, the most powerful people in the court are not the Zhang and Wang families, nor Grand Secretary Zhang and Minister Wang, are they?"

He was referring to Zhang Juzheng, of course.

He believed that, based on the ranking of power, Zhang Juzheng was the official most likely to endanger the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

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

Wang Jin, an assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites, was his former subordinate. These words were given by him to prevent Zhang Juzheng from attacking him on the grounds that "the power of the Zhang and Wang families is too great and may overthrow the Ming Dynasty."

Because Zhang Juzheng wielded even greater power.

Zhang Siwei even prepared a memorial impeaching Zhang Juzheng for wielding too much power.

As long as the court uses this as a pretext to convict him, he will find officials to impeach Zhang Juzheng.

This threw the Ming Dynasty court into complete chaos.

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhengmao glared and said, "Are you blind or deaf? What has Chief Minister Zhang done for the court and the people? What have the Zhang and Wang families done for the court and the people? What qualifications do they have to be compared with Chief Minister Zhang?"

Only Yin Zhengmao, the Minister of Revenue, could speak like that in the imperial court.

Since he dealt with the imperial clansmen in Henan and brought in a large sum of money for the national treasury, Yin Zhengmao has already stepped one foot into the cabinet.

He has an incredibly strong back.

Yin Zhengmao glanced at Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

"Merit is merit, and fault is fault. You have already been rewarded for your merits. To think that past merits can offset today's faults is simply wishful thinking!" "Grand Secretary Zhang, what merits do you have? Haven't you always been following Grand Secretary Zhang around? Minister Wang, what military achievements do you have? The only thing you can boast about is that you facilitated the Longqing Peace Treaty."

Even if Zhang Juzheng had said this, Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu would have angrily refuted it.

But when these words came from Yin Zhengmao, the two were powerless to refute them.

In terms of political achievements, Yin Zhengmao's performance as Minister of Revenue was excellent, and he had recently made outstanding contributions in Henan. Therefore, he had every right to reprimand Zhang Siwei, who had made no significant contributions to the cabinet.

In terms of military achievements, Yin Zhengmao fought against Japanese pirates and bandits in the south, and won all of them. He was no less capable than Wang Chonggu.

Yin Zhengmao bowed deeply to the young Wanli Emperor and said loudly, "Your Majesty, for the sake of the court, it is time for the Zhang and Wang families to make sacrifices. If Grand Secretary Zhang and Minister Wang are unwilling to abandon their families' commerce, I implore them to be dismissed. I am willing to go to Shanxi to quell all internal strife!"

Yin Zhengmao's words caused all the officials who supported Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu to lower their heads, unable to refute him.

At this moment, both Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian couldn't help but laugh.

Before the two even had a chance to make their move, Yin Zhengmao had already turned the tide of the game single-handedly.

Wang Chonggu's face turned ashen.

“Your Majesty, Yin Zhengmao’s words are those of a brute, and I cannot agree with them. In the past, when he was suppressing bandits in the southwest, the amount of bribery and corruption he committed could fill ten bamboo baskets. Now he claims to have made great contributions, and he is truly a treacherous minister!”

After Wang Chonggu finished speaking, several officials immediately convened and began to reopen old wounds about Yin Zhengmao.

For a while.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was like a chessboard street teeming with vendors, filled with the sounds of arguing.

The young Wanli Emperor did not stop him.

He wanted to hear the opinions of every official and see the true face of the court.

The Imperial Guards on both sides of the main hall stared wide-eyed at the officials who were spitting as they spoke.

It's okay to argue.

If a fight breaks out, they must immediately try to break it up.

at the same time.

Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and looked ahead.

He waited until these officials, who loved to talk, got tired of talking before he spoke again.

Southeast side of the throne.

Wang Jiaping, who was in charge of recording the daily life events, frowned deeply.

Looking at the "lively" scene below and the closed gates of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he really didn't know how to write today's daily record. It was clear that he couldn't just fob him off with a simple "April 13th, the Emperor attended court."

But at this moment, this sentence seems to be the most appropriate.

(End of this chapter)