I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 164 Rule of Law vs. Rule of Man! Zhang Juzheng vs. Empress Dowager Li

August 23rd, after the regular court session.

Cabinet value.

Yin Zhengmao, who had been temporarily suspended from participating in cabinet affairs, returned to his post in the Ministry of Revenue as a cabinet minister.

Zhang Juzheng, Lü Diaoyang, and Ma Ziqiang were busy in their respective duty rooms.

The three had a very clear division of labor.

Zhang Juzheng was in charge of the New Policies reforms, controlled the highest decision-making power in the court, and was responsible for coordinating the inner court.

Lü Diaoyang was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel's performance evaluation and border defense, and coordinated the six ministries; Ma Ziqiang was mainly responsible for etiquette education and various cultural affairs.

Although Yin Zhengmao was not in the cabinet, he was still in charge of the nation's taxes and commerce.

While Zhang Juzheng and the other two were busy.

Sun Desheng, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, suddenly arrived at the Grand Secretariat, claiming to have come to convey an oral edict from Empress Dowager Li.

Zhang Juzheng and his two companions, looking puzzled, hurried to the front hall of the cabinet.

You need to know.

Empress Dowager Li has paid little attention to court affairs in the past year, but her oral edicts to the cabinet are clearly related to politics.

Sun Desheng was an old eunuch in his fifties.

He served in the Imperial Archives.

Its main responsibility was to draft the imperial edicts of the two empress dowagers and to convey their oral instructions.

After Zhang Juzheng and the other two bowed,

Sun Desheng drawled, “By order of the Holy Mother, who has decreed that this year is a year of great joy, the Cabinet has been instructed to draft an edict to temporarily suspend the executions in the third memorial submitted by the Ministry of Justice.”

This memorial caused all three cabinet ministers to frown.

However, faced with the Empress Dowager's decree, they still had no choice but to bow and shout, "Your subject obeys!"

Immediately afterward, Sun Desheng left quickly.

The so-called "three reviews of the criminal case".

That is, criminals who were sentenced to death by the three judicial departments had to be reviewed three times by the censors of the Ministry of Justice, and finally the emperor would sign their names and sentence them to death, in order to show the court’s caution in executing death row criminals.

As the saying goes: Spring and summer are the seasons of life, while autumn and winter are the seasons of death.

All death row inmates in the Ming Dynasty who were not convicted of treason were executed after the emperor had marked their names on the list, in a concentrated manner between the time of Frost's Descent and the time of Winter Solstice.

The time has come for the emperor to sign off on the names of those to be included.

This action is to follow the will of Heaven and execute the guilty party in the autumn.

To put it bluntly, the Empress Dowager's edict meant that the young Wanli Emperor was about to get married, and the autumn executions for this year were cancelled, with no one to be killed.

This move clearly runs counter to Zhang Juzheng's rule of law stance of governing the country with an iron fist.

Zhang Juzheng could not accept it, nor could Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang, but the three of them could not directly refute Empress Dowager Li's edict.

after all.

Emperor Wanli had not yet assumed personal rule, and Empress Dowager Li still held the power to assist in governing.

Her imperial edict was almost equivalent to that of the young Wanli Emperor, making it extremely difficult to get her to retract it.

At this time.

Lu Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang looked at Zhang Juzheng almost simultaneously, then cupped their hands and said, "We'll leave this matter to you, Uncle!"

Zhang Ju looked helpless and let out a long sigh.

In the capital of the Ming Dynasty, there was one official whom no one wanted to offend, whether he was a minister in the Six Ministries or a censor in the Censorate. Even if he made a mistake, no one wanted to speak out.

This person was Empress Dowager Li.

The censors seemed to dare to remonstrate on anything, but few dared to offend Empress Dowager Li.

This was not only because Empress Dowager Li was the biological mother of the young Wanli Emperor, but also because Empress Dowager Li was able to instruct Feng Bao to "openly and legitimately" trip up some officials.

Feng Baotong was in charge of the factory's security.

Any official who dared to offend Empress Dowager Li would be watched by the Imperial Guard.

Even if one is innocent, being constantly watched by several Imperial Guards would make one feel uneasy and afraid.

In addition, Empress Dowager Li possessed a unique skill of combining "orphan and widow, tearful, and refusing to listen," which made officials unwilling to provoke her.

Zhang Juzheng was the only official in Beijing who could "get along" with Empress Dowager Li.

Empress Dowager Li conveyed this edict because of her fervent devotion to Buddhism.

In recent years, she not only built many temples in the capital, but also commissioned the compilation and printing of many Buddhist scriptures.

Because Buddhism does not advocate killing, she repeatedly violated the law due to her "womanly compassion".

In her eyes.

This imperial decree signifies that the royal family is practicing benevolent governance, and that she is a living bodhisattva among the people.

But in Zhang Juzheng's eyes...

This decree contradicts national laws and regulations. Furthermore, this year is a crucial time for rectifying official conduct through the performance evaluation system, and the law must not be superseded by expediency.

now.

Zhang Juzheng was not confident that he could persuade Empress Dowager Li to retract her edict.

He was a man who liked to preach grand principles, but Empress Dowager Li was a man who didn't like to listen to grand principles.

Faced with the Empress Dowager's edict, the cabinet had the right to advise, but not the right to withdraw it. Zhang Juzheng first reviewed the list of death row inmates provided by the Ministry of Justice and found that most of them were heinous criminals who could not be pardoned. He immediately decided to submit a memorial to the throne to advise the young Wanli Emperor, and then have the young Wanli Emperor persuade the Empress Dowager Li.

……

afternoon.

Many officials in the capital had heard of Empress Dowager Li's edict.

Many officials disliked Empress Dowager Li's interference in the Ming Dynasty's judicial system using Buddhist ideas of compassion.

Some people even shouted in private: "Punishment, reward, and deprivation are all governed by the established laws and regulations of our ancestors!"
However, few dared to offer advice.

When faced with such a situation, officials would first look at how Zhang Juzheng handled it.

If Zhang Juzheng dared to stand up to them, they would follow suit. If Zhang Juzheng agreed with them, they would act as if nothing had ever happened.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Zhang Juzheng submitted a memorial to the emperor, entitled "Memorial on Upholding the Ancestral Laws and Imposing Severe Punishments".

"We humbly acknowledge the Holy Mother's compassionate mercy in sparing lives and the Emperor's benevolent intention to cherish life. How could we, your subjects, fail to respectfully comply and extend our virtuous intentions? However, according to the old system of our ancestors, when officials, soldiers, and civilians commit crimes deserving of death, there are cases that should be dealt with immediately, and cases that are investigated until autumn. Once the investigation is completed, all those who have been investigated will be executed in accordance with the law. There has never been a case of imprisonment for many years without being executed."

"Spring brings life and autumn brings death; this is how the way of Heaven operates. Rain, dew, snow, and frost allow all things to grow and develop. If, in a year, there is spring bringing life but no autumn bringing death, and rain and dew but no snow and frost, then the work of the year will not be accomplished and the natural order will be disrupted."

……

The core message of this memorial is: according to the old system of our ancestors, life is born in spring and death is in autumn; this is the principle of nature and should not be abandoned.

at the same time.

Zhang Juzheng ordered Zhao Zhigao, the lecturer on duty, to temporarily change the topic of the lecture and start lecturing on the "Kang Gao" chapter of the Book of Documents.

This article discusses the legal philosophy of "enlightened virtue and cautious punishment," emphasizing that the rule of man should not replace the law, and that violations of the law should be punished regardless of the emperor's opinion.

……

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

When the young Wanli Emperor saw Zhang Juzheng's memorial, he couldn't help but look at Shen Nian, who was serving as the official in charge of recording the emperor's daily activities.

“Shen Shijiang, today the Grand Secretary first instructed the lecturer to remind me of the “Kang Gao” in the Book of Documents that the country should be governed by law, and then used this memorial to remind me to respect the ancestral system. His intention is clearly to ask the Empress Dowager to withdraw her oral edict. However, the Empress Dowager has always been a devout Buddhist and dislikes killing. It just so happens to be my day of great joy. I feel that there is no problem with the Empress Dowager’s oral edict. However… the Grand Secretary’s request is also not a problem. What should I do?”

Shen Nian thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I also believe that the cycle of birth in spring and death in autumn is the way of Heaven and should not be abolished for any reason."

Shen Nian has always been a supporter of the rule of law.

Furthermore, he had long been dissatisfied with Empress Dowager Li's interference in politics using Buddhist ideas.

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment, then looked at Feng Bao and said, "Prepare the carriage for the Kunning Palace!"

Feng Bao glanced at Shen Nian, a pang of sadness rising in his heart.

He was once the man who could make the young Wanli Emperor make up his mind about something he was hesitant about with just a single sentence.

Now, that person is Shen Nian.

Shen Nian did not notice that Feng Bao glanced at him.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face. At that moment, the only person who could make Empress Dowager Li compromise was the young Wanli Emperor.

Not long after.

Zhang Juzheng, who was in the cabinet, was overjoyed to hear that the young Wanli Emperor had gone to Kunning Palace.

This action is sufficient to demonstrate that the young Wanli Emperor approved of him.

……

About half an hour later, the young Wanli Emperor returned to the Wenhua Hall looking dejected.

"Summon the Grand Tutor for an audience!"

Judging from his expression, Shen Nian knew that the young Wanli Emperor had failed to persuade Empress Dowager Li to retract her edict.

After a while.

Zhang Juzheng arrived at the Wenhua Hall.

“Prime Minister, I have told the Empress Dowager everything you said in your memorial and offered my advice, but I have not been able to persuade her.”

"The Empress Dowager said that when the Emperor (the Jiajing Emperor) performed rituals to honor the gods, he often issued decrees to temporarily suspend executions, or occasionally, he would draw lines from the Emperor's brush and decide on the appropriate punishment. This is also an ancestral rule. Today, on the occasion of my wedding, I should show mercy and not kill him!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng was so angry that his beard stood on end.

Although he admired the Jiajing Emperor.

However, he was dissatisfied with the Jiajing Emperor's later years of pursuing Taoism and metaphysics, and his leniency towards death row inmates.

He bowed with some anger and said, "Emperor Shizong's actions are a consequence of the recent years' appeasement policies, and are not in accordance with the established laws of our ancestors!"

"This...this...I dare not speak of this to my mother!" The young Wanli Emperor said helplessly. How could he speak ill of his grandfather in front of his mother?

The young Wanli Emperor frowned slightly and asked again, "Is there any other good plan to persuade the Empress Dowager to retract her order?"

this moment.

The young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng looked at Shen Nian almost simultaneously.

When the two of them have doubts about something, the first person they think of is Shen Nian.

Shen Nian thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have no good plan, but I do have a crooked idea. It just depends on whether Your Majesty dares to use it or not."

"Tell me quickly! Tell me quickly!" Little Wanli said excitedly.

Since Shen Nian started recording his daily life, she has never disappointed him.

(End of this chapter)