I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 163 Grand Secretary Zhang's Leave Request Fails! Young Wanli Emperor: The Court Cannot Be Without a Teacher for a Single Day
July 13th, near dusk.

After the court was dismissed.

Shen Nian changed into a brand-new silk robe, carefully tidied her appearance, and then boarded the carriage that had been waiting outside for a long time, heading towards Zhang Juzheng's residence.

When the Grand Secretary hosts a banquet, his attire naturally cannot be too casual.

Not long after.

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian arrived at Zhang Juzheng's residence at almost the same time.

Led by the steward, the two entered through the main gate, passed through the front hall, and arrived at the inner garden.

This garden is lush with greenery, and has pavilions, terraces, ponds, and a stage. Its size is comparable to the courtyard house that Shen Nian rented in Masheng Hutong.

Zhang Juzheng disliked holding private banquets.

Very few people were invited here by him.

As far as Shen Nian knew, apart from the current cabinet ministers, only Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang had visited this place when they returned to the capital to report on their duties.

now.

Zhang Juzheng, Lü Diaoyang, and Ma Ziqiang were already seated in the flower hall.

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian quickly stepped forward and bowed.

After chatting for a while, the five people took their seats.

If an ordinary young official were to sit with the four cabinet ministers, he would have been so frightened that he would have been at a loss for words and would have had to stand up and bow before daring to speak.

But Shen Nian was too familiar with these four people; they had dealt with them far too many times!

In addition, Zhang Juzheng was Shen Nian's mentor (i.e., chief examiner) when he took the imperial examination, Lü Diaoyang was Shen Nian's chief instructor when he entered the Hanlin Academy as a probationary official, Ma Ziqiang was Shen Nian's chief official in the Hanlin Academy, and Yin Zhengmao was a close friend of Shen Nian who shared hardships with him despite their age difference.

Shen Nian remained composed and dignified, speaking and laughing as he pleased, seamlessly blending into the conversation among the four elders.

After a while.

The meal was served, and it was extremely lavish.

Appetizers include braised sea bass, pickled goose feet, and honey-glazed lotus root.

Hot dishes include roast goose, steamed three kinds of dishes from Mianyang, lychee kidney, crab roe tofu, shiitake mushroom and bok choy, and astragalus stewed black-boned chicken.

Pastries include Ding Sheng Gao (a type of sweet rice cake), walnut cream, and almond shortbread.

The wine was a tribute wine from the Western Regions, which was given to Zhang Juzheng by the young Wanli Emperor.

The tableware consisted of gold and silver tableware, plus porcelain from the Jingdezhen imperial kilns.

These were all gifts from the young Wanli Emperor; the other three cabinet ministers also had similar items in their homes.

The Ming Dynasty at present.

Banquets were all about extravagance, and this meal was practically the standard menu for a scholar-official's banquet.

Popular legend:

Zhang Juzheng's favorite food was chicken tongue soup made by killing hundreds of chickens and taking their tongues. His daily meals consisted of bird's nest, shark fin, deer antler, and ginseng.

In reality, it's all an imagination of the powerful and wealthy, not the truth.

of course.

Luxury dishes such as steamed bear paw and stewed deer penis with wolfberries were still frequently eaten by officials.

As for whether Zhang Juzheng frequently ate aphrodisiac foods like sea dog kidneys, Shen Nian had no way of knowing.

This is a matter of personal privacy and will never be disclosed.

The five people ate and chatted.

Before long, the conversation turned to today's "General Policy for Relief of the People and Support of Workers".

Amidst laughter and conversation, Zhang Juzheng, Lü Diaoyang, and Ma Ziqiang rose to offer a toast to Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian.

How could Shen Nian allow the three of them to offer her a toast?

He immediately took the wine jug and walked around, making the four old men very happy.

……

About an hour later, the banquet ended.

Zhang Juzheng stood up, stroked his beard, and said, "Change the scene!"

Shen Nian was taken aback, thinking to herself: There's another program?

In the Ming Dynasty, officials always held private banquets behind closed doors, where all sorts of things could be done.

Changing venues for private parties often signifies the start of something more secretive and pleasurable.

Many of today's literati enjoy engaging in practices similar to "prostitutes and wine dine together."

Shen Nian glanced at Zhang Juzheng's smiling face and murmured to herself, "These three wouldn't be indulging in debauchery after the banquet, would they? Or perhaps they're testing my self-control?"

With a puzzled look on her face, Shen Nian followed the four Grand Secretaries to Zhang Juzheng's study.

Several clerks were also standing in the study.

Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and said, "We had a very pleasant chat tonight, so I thought I would refine the 'General Policy for Relief of the People and Support of Workers' into the 'Order for Relief of the People and Support of Workers,' and announce it to the whole country first, and then formulate laws to relieve the people's suffering for all walks of life!"

Immediately.

The clerk then handed over the already copied "General Policy on Relief for the People and Support for Workers" to Shen Nian and the others.

Turning a "policy" into an "order" requires refining many details.

Lu Diaoyang joked, "Uncle, you're quite the schemer. After eating at your house, we have no excuse to be lazy!"

"Haha...it helps with digestion, it helps with digestion!"

The five of them immediately got busy in the study.

Zhang Juzheng always had this attitude towards politics: whenever there was a political matter, he wanted to complete it as early as possible.

Shen Nian rubbed his nose helplessly. Tonight, he would definitely be the main force.

……

Near midnight, the first draft of the "Order for Relief of the People and Support of Workers," mainly written by Shen Nian, was completed.

Only then did everyone leave Zhang Juzheng's residence and return to their own homes.

Shen Nian returned home and went straight to sleep.

Both Shen's mother and Gu Yue'er looked puzzled. They were attending a banquet, so why did they look as tired as when they were busy with official business until late at night?

……

July 15th.

The imperial court issued the "Regulations on the Administration of the Grand Canal Transport Army," announcing the reduction of the 120,000 transport troops on the Grand Canal to 60,000, and a complete ban on transport boats carrying smuggled goods. Then, a combination of military and civilian transport was adopted, and a mercenary system was gradually replaced with corvée labor, with full wages paid without delay or arrears.

July 18th.

The imperial court issued the "Order for Relief and Support of the People and Workers," announcing that people from all walks of life who were employed by the court or participated in corvée labor would receive a series of relief policies. The specific details would be formulated by the local officials in charge of each industry, covering a variety of aspects such as salary, holidays, charcoal allowance, clothing allowance, and work-related injuries and deaths.

This decree caused an uproar throughout the entire nation.

Some people at the bottom of society never imagined that they too were entitled to paid leave, that they too were entitled to at least one day off per month, and that they too were entitled to decide their own working hours...

The imperial court stated that the enactment of this decree was due to the achievements of the new policies and hoped that the entire nation would support them.

Many scholars and intellectuals wrote articles praising the court's move.

The saying, "If officials are evaluated based on their performance and the people are treated with care, then a prosperous era can be expected," spread throughout the country in just a few days.

This is undoubtedly another series of policies advocating "putting the people first".

Some officials had complaints, but they had nothing to say, since even so, their lives were still far better than those of ordinary people.

at the same time.

Ding Yuanzhi, the former judge of Tongzhou, and Liu Bo, a canal worker, were buried at the Matouji ferry. The court did not punish Ding Yuanzhi because he represented the will of the people.

This won widespread praise from the people.

Followed by.

Regulations concerning compensation for laborers, miners, kiln workers, blacksmiths, lacquerers, and female textile workers have been successively introduced.

Some merchants also began to cater to the court's policies and started to provide relief to their workers, allowing them to live more like commoners than slaves.

People from all walks of life are full of energy and hope for the future.

The people's reaction illustrates a principle: a court that is willing to make concessions for the people will be followed wholeheartedly by the people.

of course.

This kind of reform cannot be accomplished overnight, nor will it be perfect. Some problems will inevitably arise along the way. For example, some officials will only go through the motions, some clerks will still risk seizing the interests of ordinary people, and some unscrupulous merchants will still take pleasure in exploiting ordinary people.

This requires the imperial court to identify and address shortcomings, continuously make corrections, and for the majority of people to uphold this social ethos that gives people dignity.

After this incident, more and more officials and ordinary people supported the new policies, which greatly motivated Zhang Juzheng and others.

Once the land survey is completed nationwide and the time is ripe, the Single Whip Law, which will relieve the people of the country of their burdens of taxes and corvée labor, can be implemented throughout the land.

The Ming Dynasty will become increasingly wealthy and powerful.

……

On the first day of the eighth lunar month, the period of intense heat gradually passed.

Suddenly, Emperor Wanli, citing the excuse that he had forgotten to celebrate the first birthday of Shen Nian's son, Shen Yanche, bestowed upon Shen Nian a gift of one hundred taels of silver, four pieces of colored brocade, a set of official porcelain, and four cakes of tea.

Xiao Yanche's first birthday is at the end of July.

The young Emperor Wanli's generous reward was clearly compensation for Shen Nian's six-month salary deduction.

All the officials in the court could see the reason for the reward.

But this reason is perfectly valid, and no one has any reason to object, since the name of Shen Nian's son was bestowed by the royal family.

The young Wanli Emperor also wanted to tell all officials—

He knew perfectly well who was working for the court and who was only thinking about their own career advancement.

……

August 5th, afternoon, inside the Wenhua Hall.

The young Wanli Emperor was practicing calligraphy, with only Feng Bao attending to him.

At this time.

Empress Dowager Li rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, you must not allow Grand Secretary Zhang to return to his hometown to visit his relatives!"

The young Wanli Emperor stood up.

"Your Majesty, I have not given permission. The court cannot be without a prime minister for even a day. I am currently pondering how to appease him."

More than an hour ago.

Zhang Juzheng submitted a memorial stating that his 74-year-old father, Zhang Wenming, was ill and he wished to request a month's leave to return to his hometown to visit him.

When Empress Dowager Li found out, she immediately became anxious.

present.

Zhang Juzheng was indispensable in handling all the affairs of the imperial court, and he also had to take care of the preparations for the young Wanli Emperor's wedding.

Empress Dowager Li regarded Zhang Juzheng as a royal servant and would never allow him to ask for a single day of leave.

Empress Dowager Li paused for a moment and looked at the young Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, next we will each bestow rewards upon the Zhang family in Jiangling, Jingzhou. Afterwards, Your Majesty will write a handwritten edict and give it to Elder Zhang in Jingzhou to show the court's care for the Zhang family. Elder Zhang will be grateful for the Emperor's grace and will certainly not leave the capital."

The young Wanli Emperor nodded in approval.

Although he can make decisions on many matters of state, he mostly relies on Zhang Juzheng's management and execution.

Without Zhang Juzheng, the court officials would definitely be in complete chaos.

He had a strong dependence on Zhang Juzheng, and the cabinet and the six ministries also had a strong dependence on Zhang Juzheng.

If Zhang Juzheng were to take a day off, trouble might break out in the court.

On the day.

Empress Dowager Li issued an imperial edict, Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) relayed the oral message, and ordered that gifts in two large carriages be prepared and sent to the Zhang family residence in Jiangling, Jingzhou.

Upon learning of this, Zhang Juzheng immediately submitted a memorial to the emperor, expressing his gratitude for the emperor's grace and no longer mentioning the matter of returning to his hometown to visit relatives, but he was still uneasy.

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian frowned.

He knew that the old man Zhang from Jiangling, Jingzhou, was nearing his end, and that a storm of "ousting Zhang" was likely to break out in the imperial court.

The tenth day of August.

Zhang Juzheng's relatives from Jingzhou came to the capital and informed him that his grandfather was eating well and was in good health.

"Grandfather" refers to Zhang Wenming.

This put Zhang Juzheng at ease, allowing him to focus on state affairs.

August 16th.

Zhang Wenming's reply to Zhang Juzheng was delivered to Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang's father reprimanded Zhang Juzheng.

He said: "Those who shoulder great responsibilities cannot be measured by the standards of merit, and those who receive great favors cannot be repaid in ordinary terms. Fortunately, the old man is not yet old, so I have no reason to worry too much about the other side. To think too much about the old man would only make him not devote himself to serving the country."

To put it simply—

“Your father is in very good health. You cannot let taking care of your father distract you from your loyalty to the country.”

This letter.

It was not only intended for Zhang Juzheng to see, but also for Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor to see.

Upon seeing this letter, Zhang Juzheng finally felt relieved and began to devote all his energy to the new policies.

……

August 20th, near noon.

Shandong Provincial Administration Commission, Qingzhou Prefecture, Anqiu County.

Inside a small restaurant.

Shen Nian's father, Shen Yaoshan, and his father-in-law, Gu Dongyi, along with members of the caravan, are enjoying a local specialty: Zhipan roasted pork.

At the beginning of the year, after the two led their caravan out of the capital, they established the Yaodong Trading Company with the aim of revitalizing trade in the northern border region.

Following the business principle of "transporting goods to the north and benefiting the people," the two went to the nine border regions of the north, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces to transport various goods and support local small merchants.

After nearly eight months of operation, Yaodong Trading Company has already gained a good reputation.

The two insisted that Yaodong Trading Company's goods must be the best quality in their price range, and that they would bear all losses themselves.

The two proposed a profit-sharing arrangement, with the owners and managers of Yaodong Trading Company's head office and branches receiving only 10% of the profits, and the remainder distributed equally among the lower-level workers.

Of course, Yaodong Trading Company was extremely selective in choosing its workers; it was simply impossible for an ordinary person to become a clerk in Yaodong Trading Company.

Upon witnessing the decline of the Zhang and Wang clans in Shanxi, Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi immediately decided that all the profits earned by Yaodong Trading Company would be returned to the people and the imperial court.

The money the two had stored in Hangzhou was enough to support the Shen and Gu families in their old age.

Their goal in doing business was not to become the richest man in the Ming Dynasty.

Instead, it aims to revitalize commerce north of the Yangtze River, reduce the dependence of northern people on land, and provide them with more opportunities and methods to make money.

Thus, after the Single Whip Law was fully implemented in the Ming Dynasty, the people in the north also benefited.

now.

The two were reading the "Decree on Relief for the People and Support for Workers" recently issued by the imperial court, word by word.

They knew Shen Nian's writing style and could tell at a glance that the decree was written by Shen Nian.

Shen Yaoshan smiled and said, "Brother Gu, we should also respond to the imperial court's call and let the workers live with more dignity!"

Gu Dongyi straightened his chest.

“We must do better than the regulations in this law. The court aims to prevent exploitation and the treatment of the people as livestock, but we must treat the workers as friends and family!”

"Makes sense!"

present.

Their goal was to restructure the commercial order in the north.

Let's stir up the filthy business environment in the North, making the sewage clear and the muddy water bright.

The two men were not after money; they only wanted to leave a good reputation in the Ming Dynasty's trade industry.

This is the meaning of their lives in the second half.

of course.

If they could help Shen Nian become the Grand Secretary, and then become the Grand Secretary's father and father-in-law a few years later, that would be wonderful.

Since I left home to do business.

The two never told anyone about their relationship with Shen Nian.

What the two were unaware of was that their current success was due in part to their genuine talent in commerce, and in part to the secret assistance provided by the Embroidered Uniform Guard under the arrangement of the young Wanli Emperor.

Emperor Wanli initially sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to accompany them out of the capital simply to protect their personal safety.

After all, the two of them had done things for the young Wanli Emperor.

But after hearing about what they were planning to do, the young Wanli Emperor became increasingly interested and wanted to know more, so he ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to help them as much as possible without revealing their identities.

(End of this chapter)