I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 157 Scorching Summer Heat! Labor Riot on the Tongzhou Section of the Caohe River

End of June.

Under the direction of Feng Bao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Zhang Hong, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat, the twenty-four departments of the inner court launched a self-examination and self-correction campaign.

Feng Bao and Zhang Hong instructed the eunuchs to expose and denounce each other.

Any eunuch who violates the interests of the royal family and the laws of the Ming Dynasty, such as leaking royal secrets, reselling forbidden items, accepting bribes from officials, or using his position in the palace for business, will be severely punished without exception.

Within days, hundreds of eunuchs were punished.

This move was Feng Bao's attempt to save himself.

Eunuchs are like the emperor's arms.

Their status depended entirely on the emperor's trust; once they were disliked by the young Wanli Emperor, their downfall was not far off.

Even if a civil official loses power, he can still return to his hometown to retire. With the help of his former students and friends, his later years are generally not too bad.

But like Feng Bao.

If Feng Bao is expelled from the palace for making a mistake, his "adopted sons" who are implicated by him will make him suffer greatly.

In the corrupt and inhumane environment of the Forbidden City, eunuchs with both loyalty and integrity were extremely rare.

Many eunuchs only had power and wealth in their eyes. In their distorted lives, their favorite thing to do was to kick someone when they were down and to gain pleasure by stepping on others.

……

On the fifth day of the seventh lunar month, around noon, the weather was extremely hot.

In the government offices of the capital, ice chests were placed everywhere.

Officials in some government offices who were not qualified to receive ice from the imperial court purchased ice at their own expense to cool off.

Recently.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) repeatedly bestowed ice and loquat fruit upon civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital, as well as daily lecturers.

Loquat fruit was a tribute item produced in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and it has the effects of soothing the stomach, regulating qi, clearing heat, and relieving summer heat.

Restaurants, teahouses, and street vendors in the capital city have all launched a variety of cold drinks.

There are many buyers.

许多在露天搬运扛抬重物的劳工们，在午时(11:00-12:59)、未时（13:00-14:59）都选择在树荫、木棚等阴凉处下休息。

this time period.

Let alone working, just standing in the sun for a short time will make you sweat profusely, feel dizzy, and even have the possibility of sudden death.

……

this moment.

In the Wenhua Hall, two ice chests are placed on either side of the emperor's desk.

Shen Nian stood to the right of Xiao Wanli, less than five feet away from one of the ice chests.

My whole body felt very cool.

Zhang Juzheng stood below, discussing the collection of this year's grain tribute with the young Wanli Emperor.

at this time.

A young eunuch carrying a memorial walked quickly into the hall.

He dared not interrupt the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng's discussion of politics unless it was something urgent.

Zhang Juzheng immediately stopped and looked at the eunuch.

The young eunuch held up the memorial with both hands as if presenting it, and then said, "Your Majesty, Meng Dong, the official on duty at the Office of Transmission, received an urgent report from Wang Yi, the prefect of Tongzhou, stating that a labor riot had broken out at the Matouji ferry crossing in Tongzhou on the North Canal, and that several canal transport officials had been taken hostage!"

"What?" The young Wanli Emperor stood up instantly.

Feng Bao, who was standing nearby, quickly took the memorial and presented it to the young Wanli Emperor.

The young Wanli Emperor opened the memorial and began to read it carefully, while the young eunuch quickly withdrew from the hall.

now.

A hint of unease appeared on the faces of Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian.

Tongzhou, under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture in Beizhili, was less than 60 li (approximately 30 kilometers) from the capital.

Right now, it's the busiest time for grain transport along the Grand Canal.

The capital's grain transport system relied on the Grand Canal as its main route. The northern section of the canal refers to the section from Tianjin to Tongzhou. After Tongzhou, the final section, the Tonghui Canal, runs from Tongzhou to Beijing.

The Tonghui River has a low water volume.

Large canal ships often docked at the Tongzhou ferry crossing, and then transported the grain and other tribute goods to the capital by small boats or overland.

Tongzhou also had granaries and served as a crucial hub connecting the canal and land transport routes for grain shipments.

Some say: The supply of provisions in Tongzhou is the fate of the capital.

The grain transport in Tongzhou was vital to the daily lives of everyone in the capital, and it could not be stopped for even a day.

After reading the memorial, the young Wanli Emperor's face darkened, and he ordered Feng Bao to hand it over to Zhang Juzheng.

Judging from Wanli's expression, Shen Nian believed that the riot was very serious.

Zhang Juzheng quickly skimmed through the memorial and then handed it directly to Feng Bao.

After looking at it, Feng Bao handed it to Shen Nian.

This was the current practice of Emperor Wanli when reviewing memorials; Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao, and Shen Nian were the three people most capable of giving him advice.

When he was hesitant about important matters, he would always seek the opinions of the three people.

After reading the memorial, Shen Nian couldn't help but show surprise.

Wang Yi, the prefect of Tongzhou, submitted a memorial stating—

Due to the recent excessively hot weather and the heavy workload at the Matouji ferry crossing, more than ten laborers have died of heatstroke.

Ding Yuanzhi, the prefectural judge of Tongzhou and the prefectural judge in charge of the Tongzhou section of the canal, proposed to the canal officials to reduce the transport tasks, but the canal officials had already set the task quotas and directly rejected his proposal, and even reprimanded him.

Subsequently, Ding Yuanzhi instigated a strike by thousands of laborers on the canal (both civilians and soldiers on the canal), and then arrested the four main officials in charge of the Tongzhou canal transport: Duan Shutang, the secretary of the Grain Office of the Ministry of Revenue; Peng Jiushan, the secretary of the Tonghui Canal of the Ministry of Works; Qin Cheng, the inspector of the Tongzhou canal; and Gao Jin, the eunuch of the Tongzhou granary, and put them all on the canal boats.

Ding Yuanzhi informed Wang Yi, the prefect of Tongzhou, who was rushing to the ferry.

He ordered the court to send cabinet ministers to the Matouji ferry crossing to negotiate with him, otherwise he would not only kill all the canal officials in charge of transporting grain, but also burn all thirty large ships carrying grain at the ferry crossing.

simply put:
Ding Yuanzhi, the official in charge of the Tongzhou canal, had all the other officials in charge of the canal in Tongzhou tied up, and then demanded that the imperial court send a cabinet minister to negotiate with him.

Regardless of Ding Yuanzhi's reasons, he has already committed a capital offense.

An official must never incite a popular uprising, nor coerce his superiors, and certainly not threaten to burn grain shipments.

not to mention.

The arrests of four officials, including Duan Shutang, the Director of the Grain Office of the Ministry of Revenue (who oversaw the acceptance, transfer, and storage of grain in Tongzhou and was also in charge of the cashier and labor dispatch of the Tongji Warehouse), Peng Jiushan, the Director of the Tonghui Canal of the Ministry of Works (who was in charge of the Tongzhou-Tianjin section of the canal project, including the repair of sluice gates and dams, dredging of the canal, and regulation of water sources), Qin Cheng, the Imperial Censor in charge of the grain transport, and Gao Jin, the eunuch of the Tongzhou granary (who was in charge of supervising the transfer and storage of grain), were compounded by Ding Yuanzhi's uprising.

There was no official in charge of the canal transport on the North Canal!
Currently, we are in the busiest period of the canal transport.

The imperial court stipulated that all grain transport boats must complete their return journey after August, because if the water flow in the northern waterways dried up and the northern waterways froze, it would delay the grain transport mission for the following year.

Ding Yuanzhi's actions immediately disrupted the entire canal transport process.

If some of the grain transported by the canal cannot arrive in the capital and be delivered to the granaries on time, it may even affect the military grain supply in the northern border region.

This matter cannot be delayed even for a day.

The current Grand Canal Transport Commissioner is Wu Guifang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, but he is currently cleaning the Yellow River channel and will be unable to return to Tongzhou in the short term.

"He instigated a riot involving thousands of laborers, took his colleagues hostage, and even appointed a cabinet minister to speak with him personally. Who exactly is this Ding Yuanzhi? How can such an official, who doesn't know the importance of things, be appointed as the prefect of a prefecture!" The young Wanli Emperor was furious.

This year, the grain transport boats also have a side job: transporting some items needed for the young Emperor Wanli's wedding.

If the canal gets into chaos, it might even affect his wedding.

Zhang Juzheng took a step forward, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please do not worry. As long as the problem is solved today and the canal transport is restored, it will not be a big problem."

"I suggest that it is most appropriate to immediately summon Grand Secretary Yin and order him to Tongzhou."

Little Wanli nodded.

Yin Zhengmao was skilled in both civil and military affairs, and as the Minister of Revenue, he was quite knowledgeable about matters related to the Grand Canal transport.

"Summon Grand Secretary Yin immediately!" the young Wanli Emperor shouted. A young eunuch, pulling up his trousers, quickly ran out of the hall.

At this time.

The young Wanli Emperor then asked, "What is this Ding Yuanzhi doing? Does the Grand Secretary know anything about him?"

Zhang Juzheng frowned slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I seem to have heard this name before, but I don't have any specific recollection of it."

Although Zhang Juzheng had an exceptional memory, he handled many matters daily, so it was perfectly reasonable that he had no recollection of a minor prefectural judge.

Immediately, the young Wanli looked at Shen Nian.

Shen Nian's memory is among the best in the entire Hanlin Academy.

Shen Nian immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Zhang has seen too many people; he may have forgotten about him!"

"Ding Yuanzhi was a native of Changzhou County, Suzhou Prefecture, Southern Zhili. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the fifth year of the Longqing reign. He had previously served as a county magistrate in Shandong. Two years ago, due to his outstanding performance and expertise in river management, he was promoted to the position of Prefectural Judge of Tongzhou and Prefectural Judge in charge of the Tongzhou section of the river."

"So he was a classmate of Shen Shijiang. What kind of person is he?"

"I had contact with him during the imperial examination. At that time, he was upright and liked to talk about strategies for strengthening the country and enriching the people. He was very ambitious. I never expected him to do such an extreme thing today!"

For officials of the Ming Dynasty, the primary duty was to be loyal to the court.

Regardless of the hidden reasons, Ding Yuanzhi's use of such extreme methods is a capital offense.

A moment later, Yin Zhengmao strode into the Wenhua Hall.

"Your subject, Yin Zhengmao, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities, Grand Secretary Yin, please take a look at this memorial first!" said the young Wanli Emperor.

The moment the young Wanli finished speaking, Feng Bao had already placed the memorial in Yin Zhengmao's hands.

After quickly reading it, Yin Zhengmao immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to go to the Matouji ferry in Tongzhou immediately. I guarantee that I can quell the riot today!"

Yin Zhengmao had a wide variety of methods, both firm and gentle. He had eliminated bandits and quelled Japanese pirates, and was most adept at handling such riots.

Little Wanli nodded slightly.

"Grand Secretary Yin, there is no time to lose. You should set off immediately. I will order the Tongzhou Garrison to be completely under your command. The matter of the Grand Canal transport must not be delayed for even a moment. I grant you permission to act as you see fit!"

"I obey!"

After saying that, Yin Zhengmao strode away.

At this time.

Feng Bao reminded the young Wanli Emperor, "Your Majesty, according to custom, another eunuch should be sent to accompany you."

Little Wanli curled his lips slightly.

"I hereby order Shi Qing, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to go!" The young Wanli Emperor was still angry with Feng Bao because of what had happened a few days ago.

At present, he must ignore Feng Bao for a period of time to make him understand the supreme power of the emperor.

This is the art of emperors, which Empress Dowager Li specifically taught him.

Helpless, Feng Bao bowed and stepped aside.

Just then, the young Wanli hesitated for a moment and looked at Zhang Juzheng.

"Prime Minister, Grand Secretary Yin has a violent temper. I'm worried he might just behead Ding Yuanzhi. I'm afraid Shi Qing won't be able to stop him!"

When Yin Zhengmao was suppressing Japanese pirates and bandits in the southwest, he not only killed enemy soldiers, but also cleaved some disobedient officials in two with his broadsword.

Emperor Wanli was not heartbroken that Ding Yuanzhi had been killed, but rather worried that immediately killing Ding Yuanzhi might affect the progress of the grain transport in Tongzhou.

"It's...it's possible!" Zhang Ju replied with a helpless expression.

The young Wanli Emperor's eyes darted around, and he suddenly glanced at Shen Nian.

"Prime Minister, let Shen Shijiang accompany Grand Secretary Yin on this trip. He doesn't listen to other people's advice, but he usually listens to Shen Shijiang. Besides, Ding Yuanzhi is a classmate of Shen Shijiang, so he might listen to Shen Shijiang."

Yin Zhengmao's entry into the cabinet was at least half due to Shen Nian's efforts, so he listened to what Shen Nian said.

Zhang Juzheng was taken aback, but immediately cupped his hands and said, "I think it is feasible."

According to custom, Shen Nian was a member of the Hanlin Academy, and even if he was sent on a mission outside the capital, it would not be related to the Grand Canal.

However, Tongzhou is only sixty li away from the capital, which can be reached in half a day, so Shen Nian is not considered to be on a business trip.

Of course, the young Wanli Emperor also had other intentions.

He was pushing Shen Nian toward the Ministry of Revenue. If Shen Nian made another great contribution one day, he might suddenly become a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhang Juzheng knew this, but he would never say it out loud. He also hoped that Shen Nian could take on more responsibilities for the court.

……

About half an hour later.

Yin Zhengmao, Shen Nian, and Shi Qing, along with a group of Imperial Guards, rode their horses towards Tongzhou, about sixty miles away.

He can still ride a horse at full gallop at the age of sixty-five.

Yin Zhengmao can be considered a unique figure among the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty.

……

Near dusk.

Yin Zhengmao and his entourage arrived at the Tongzhou Matouji Ferry on the North Canal.

now.

Wang Yi, the prefect of Tongzhou, and Sun Shiliang, the commander of the Tongzhou garrison, were waiting at the ferry with local officials and soldiers.

After changing into his official robes and learning some basic information, Yin Zhengmao walked towards a high place where he could see the entire ferry crossing.

At the ferry crossing ahead, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered.

There were local residents of Matouji, as well as porters, lockmen, sluice gatemen, and dikemen who made a living by transporting goods along the canal.

When they saw the high-ranking official dressed in crimson robes, they not only showed no welcome, but also gave him very unfriendly looks.

In front of the ferry crossing.

There were dozens of cargo boats connected to each other.

And on the middle of the front row of the canal boat.

The four most powerful officials in the Tongzhou grain transport sector—Duan Shutang, the Director of the Grain Office of the Ministry of Revenue; Peng Jiushan, the Director of the Tonghui Canal of the Ministry of Works; Qin Cheng, the Imperial Censor in Charge of Grain Transport; and Gao Jin, the Eunuch of the Tongzhou Granary—were suspended from a thick, horizontal log.

Because they were all wearing official robes and were hanging very high, they were very conspicuous.

Along the edge of the cargo ship stood many laborers dressed in coarse cloth, their faces expressionless as they stared intently at the people on the shore.

Yin Zhengmao straightened his official robes and walked towards the ferry crossing ahead.

The clerks and soldiers behind them quickly followed.

If anything happens to Yin Zhengmao, they will all be sentenced to death.

soon.

The people on the cargo ship noticed Yin Zhengmao, who was wearing a scarlet official robe with a golden pheasant embroidered on the chest.

Such decorations were reserved for high-ranking officials of the second rank in the court (although Yin Zhengmao was a cabinet minister at the time, he did not yet hold the honorary title of first rank, so he was still a second-rank official).

Suddenly.

The people on the cargo ship started shouting loudly.

"Sacrificing people is against all reason and morality! Sacrificing people is against all reason and morality! Sacrificing people is against all reason and morality!"

"A tyrannical government is more ferocious than a tiger! A tyrannical government is more ferocious than a tiger! A tyrannical government is more ferocious than a tiger! A tyrannical government is more ferocious than a tiger!"

……

Shen Nian heard such a shout.

Seeing that most of the laborers on the canal boats had expressions of fearlessness, he immediately felt that there must be many hidden stories behind this matter.

(End of this chapter)