I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 193 The Little Grand Secretary's Pen! With fame comes trouble; the Shen family of Qiantang dominates the market.

The twenty-first day of the first lunar month.

With the end of the annual leave for officials, various government offices in the capital gradually returned to normal.

Since the Lantern Festival, discussions about the "Three Policies to Suppress Land Conquest" collected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard have been circulating in the capital.

Emperor Wanli ordered the Office of Transmission to compile the document and send it to various government offices for review.

There were voices of approval and voices of opposition.

Those who supported the movement were mainly scholars and common people from the lower classes; those who opposed it were mainly gentry, landlords, and local powerful figures.

This was entirely within the expectations of the young Wanli Emperor and his cabinet.

To their surprise, a number of officials in Nanjing submitted memorials supporting the three policies to curb land annexation.

Emperor Wanli initially thought that these officials' silence was a form of support, and even dispatched imperial guards to monitor them to prevent any underhanded tactics. However, he was surprised to find that these officials, who owned numerous annexed plots of land, were so obedient.

Furthermore, none of the local feudal lords voiced any complaints.

This was thanks to the young Wanli Emperor's ruthlessness towards the Earl of Wuqing and his attitude towards the Henan princes last year.

The other opponents offered a variety of reasons.

Some officials have stated that the soil is uneven in fertility and difficult to measure, and some local officials, in order to assess their performance, include field ridges and ditches in the cultivated land area, which is a disguised way of increasing taxes on the people.

A border general said: Border fields are complex, and measuring them could easily provoke border troubles. He suggested that special treatment be given to the barren fields on the border.

There were also powerful landlords who deceived the people, claiming that "every time the land is measured, the people will go bankrupt; every inch of land will be taxed, and everyone will be taxed more," which caused many people to riot in government offices, generating public resentment and vilifying this policy as an oppressive government.

……

In this regard.

Emperor Wanli ordered his cabinet to record all the objections and address them one by one.

The explanations are provided, the sentencing is determined, and the supplementary regulations are added, all in an effort to nip any potential problems in the bud.

Those merchants and powerful figures who deceive and incite the people will be punished.

……

On the 25th day of the first month, under the arrangement of the Ministry of Personnel.

The 305 successful candidates in the imperial examinations, including 12 junior scholars, were all sent to serve in prefectures and counties, either as prefects, magistrates, or assistant magistrates and registrars.

These people, though inexperienced, are full of enthusiasm. In addition, they were influenced by the various new policies and reforms of the court during their observation of the government last year, and they are very clear about what they need to do.

They will undoubtedly be a tremendous force at the forefront of the "National Land Measurement and Single Whip Law" policy.

Among the common people.

Feng Mengzhen, Tang Xianzu, and Lü Xingzhou, three officials who were fully capable of staying at the Imperial Academy, all applied for transfers to other posts and volunteered to go to impoverished and remote areas.

This deeply moved the young Wanli Emperor.

He immediately wrote a large character that read, "An official who cares for the people is a pillar of the nation," and sent it to the Hanlin Academy's General Affairs Office.

The actions of these newly appointed officials will influence many students who will subsequently participate in the imperial examinations.

Emperor Wanli directly ordered the Ministry of Personnel to state that: "Only those with talent will be promoted, regardless of seniority. Anyone with outstanding achievements can be promoted on a special basis, without regard to seniority."

……

The 28th day of the first lunar month.

Emperor Wanli ordered the cabinet and Hanlin Academy officials to further refine Shen Nian's three policies for suppressing land annexation.

This move signifies that the nationwide land survey and the three policies of curbing land annexation are inevitable measures to be implemented at the beginning of the year, and no one can stop them.

at this time.

More and more people are praising Shen Nian.

When discussing Shen Nian, many scholars and intellectuals directly referred to him as "Little Grand Secretary".

In the past, some people called Shen Nian "Little Grand Secretary," which was just a joke.

Now, many people feel that it is only a matter of time before Shen Nian enters the cabinet.

At the age of twenty-eight, he was appointed as a fifth-rank Hanlin Academician, making his appointment as a ministerial official a certainty, and his chances of entering the Grand Secretariat were more than 80%.

Some literati in local tabloids referred to Shen Nian as: "Although he does not hold the official position of Grand Secretary, he has the power of one."

If an ordinary official were given such a title, he would be terrified and would quickly submit a memorial to plead guilty in order to clear himself of any suspicion of overstepping his authority.

But Shen Nian completely ignored it.

He could sense that someone was secretly trying to ruin him by praising him.

These people have promoted Shen Nian because of the "three policies to suppress mergers and acquisitions." If these policies go wrong in the future, Shen Nian will be the primary culprit.

In addition, Shen Nian felt that some officials supported this policy because they did not want Zhang Juzheng to return to court prematurely.

Shen Nian was unfazed by these rumors.

At present, he only adheres to two principles in his official duties.

Firstly: Be humble in your personal life, but ambitious in your work; secondly, it's better to make things difficult for officials than for ordinary people.

……

Early morning, the first day of the second lunar month.

The court assembly at Huangji Gate.

Emperor Wanli issued an edict to the world: "The nationwide land survey, in accordance with the three policies for curbing land annexation proposed by Shen Nian, shall be formally implemented within two years."

Based on the land survey period in Henan, Jiangxi and other places, after discussion, the officials all agreed that one year was too short and three years was too long. Without a time limit, some officials would delay indefinitely. Therefore, they set a time limit of two years.

Upon the issuance of this decree, the people of the farms outside the capital were overjoyed.

The fields surrounding the capital were the most frequently annexed.

Many people were forced to become tenant farmers, earning not enough to eat or wear. If they could buy land at a fair price, they would soon be able to live a better life.

On the second day of the second lunar month, at dawn.

Three hundred and five Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who were to be transferred to other posts left the capital together and embarked on their journeys to their new posts.

On the day.

Emperor Wanli also announced that the eldest daughter of Wang Wei, the Vice Commander-in-Chief, would be made Empress, and dispatched Zhang Rong, Duke of Yingguo, and Lü Tiaoyang, the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, to carry out the betrothal and name-asking ceremonies.

"Nacai Wenming" means to send betrothal gifts and ask the woman's name.

With the intervention of the cabinet, the betrothal gifts of the young Wanli Emperor were no longer considered excessively extravagant, but they were still vastly different from those of ordinary families (the betrothal gifts are as follows).

This is the first step in the grand wedding of the young Wanli Emperor.

The royal wedding ceremony was extremely complicated, requiring sacrifices to Heaven and the ancestral temples, reading the betrothal document, and holding a banquet.

After the betrothal and name-asking ceremony, the next step is the announcement of the auspicious wedding day, followed by the reading of the edict appointing the empress, the nuptial ceremony, and the thanksgiving ceremony.

The entire process takes about a month.

During this period, the busiest departments were the Inner Court, the Grand Secretariat, and the Court of State Ceremonies.

……

On the eighth day of the second lunar month, the weather was particularly cold in the early morning.

Inside the drafting office, the charcoal fire glowed red, providing warmth, as Shen Nian held a pen and drafted the drafts.

The beginning of the new year is often the time when officials submit the most memorials to the emperor, and with the implementation of the nationwide land survey policy, there are many regulations that need to be drafted.

All the prosecutors who drafted the bills were very busy.

Meanwhile, in the streets of the capital, a tabloid titled "The Prestige of the Junior Grand Secretary: The Shen Family of Hangzhou's Qiantang Market Dominates" was circulating wildly among the people.

The news quickly reached the government offices.

This tabloid claimed that the Shen family of Qiantang (also known as the Shen family of Shen Nian) relied on Shen Nian's influence, and their family business, Juwentang, engaged in bullying and monopolistic practices, making huge profits, which caused all the shops in Qiantang that sold writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones and books to have no business.

In addition, Juwentang openly named its own pens "Little Grand Secretary Pens" and sold more than a thousand of them for three taels of silver each, even though their actual value was no more than fifty coins.

The tabloid also made speculations.

It is said that Shen Nian's father does business in the north, claiming that he "does not seek personal gain, but only to revitalize northern commerce." In reality, he uses the name of the north to make money in his hometown of Qiantang, thus achieving both fame and fortune.

This tabloid report immediately convicted the Shen family of three crimes.

First, they bully and monopolize the market; second, they overstep their authority; third, they use their official power to seek personal gain.

recently.

Shen Nian's reputation as "Little Grand Secretary" was already widely known in the capital, and now the appearance of the high-priced Little Grand Secretary brush has undoubtedly attracted the attention of countless people.

In Ming Dynasty.

It is common for officials who consider themselves "pure and upright" to have their reputations ruined.

Many people, seeing the detailed accounts in the tabloids and hearing from those who had done business in Qiantang about the unique status of "Shen Family Juwentang" in Qiantang and even Hangzhou, felt that Shen Nian's shop must have been used to seek personal gain by relying on official power.

"A bamboo writing brush only costs five or six coins, and a medium-quality wolf and sheep hair brush costs no more than fifty coins. The Shen family dares to sell it for three taels of silver just by changing their name. They're crazy! It's really lucrative to be an official!"

“How can someone from a merchant family be devoted to public service? He’s after power and fame. He’s trying to gain fame in the north and make money in the south. He’s not even a Grand Secretary yet, and he dares to overstep his bounds like this. If he really enters the Grand Secretariat, I’m afraid the Shen family will become the largest family in our Great Ming Dynasty!”

"I don't believe it! Someone must be slandering Academician Shen; he must have been wronged!"

“Even if he was unaware, Juwentang is indeed a property of the Shen family, and it was used to make huge profits under the name of the Junior Grand Secretary. He must bear the responsibility!”

"Ladies and gentlemen, you may not know this, but the Shen family owns five Juwentang stores in Qiantang. Half of the books, writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones needed by the people of Qiantang come from the Shen family. In Hangzhou Prefecture, the Shen family also owns three Juwentang stores, which account for half of the literary and writing business in Hangzhou. These are not just Juwentang stores, they are clearly treasure troves. After he was given the title of Junior Grand Secretary, who wouldn't curry favor with him? The Shen family is rich, which is why they claim to the outside world that they don't love money and don't care about making money!"

……

soon.

Shen Shixing held the tabloid in front of Shen Nian, then sighed, "Alas, Ziheng, fame brings trouble!"

After reading the tabloid, Shen Nian was both amused and exasperated.

"The Little Grand Secretary's pen? Who came up with this terrible idea? Isn't this ruining me?"

aside.

Shen Shixing said, "Ziheng, your father is in the north, and the family business relies entirely on hired people to run it. Is it because these people want to make money that they came up with such a bad idea!"

"I...I'm not very clear about the family business situation. I only know that my family has eight Juwentang stores, five in Qiantang and three in Hangzhou Prefecture!"

"However, my father has a rule that Juwentang will never sell anything at a premium!"

"For example, when it comes to calligraphy brushes, my father disliked those with ivory and sandalwood handles inlaid with jade and gold. Our family's business owners were all old hands; they would never sell brushes for three taels of silver each, let alone name them 'Little Grand Secretary Brush'—what a vulgar name!"

"This must be someone impersonating my family to deliberately slander and frame us!" Shen Nian said with certainty.

Shen Shixing frowned slightly.

"Even if it's slander, you'll probably have to immediately submit a memorial requesting your suspension and for the court to investigate. Right now, you're no longer an unknown Hanlin Compiler!"

Shen Nian frowned slightly.

At present, he has been set up as a benchmark for all officials, and everyone pays attention to his words and deeds.

Once a mistake is made.

According to custom, he had to submit a memorial requesting suspension from his post and await an investigation by the imperial court.

Shen Nian thought about it.

"Scholar Shen, after I leave the office today, I will consult with my mother before deciding whether to submit a petition to request a suspension from my post."

Shen's mother was quite familiar with the family's business in Qiantang.

Shen Shixing nodded.

……

afternoon.

Lin Jing, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and Pei Zhi, an imperial censor, submitted a memorial to the throne, reporting on the Shen family's monopolistic practices in the market and the misuse of the pens of the junior Grand Secretary, and suggesting that Shen Nian be dismissed from his post and cooperate with the court's investigation.

The two men's actions were within the duties of the censors, so Shen Nian was not angry.

What frustrated him was that, regardless of whether the matter was true or false, he would be suspended from his post for at least two months, and even Shen Nian's father would have to go back to be investigated.

It's quite troublesome.

……

Cabinet value.

The three cabinet ministers, Lü Diaoyang, Ma Ziqiang, and Yin Zhengmao, gathered together, all looking constipated.

Yin Zhengmao paused for a moment and said, "Gentlemen, I think someone must be framing Ziheng. We absolutely cannot suspend Ziheng from his duties. Otherwise, if this case is investigated, Ziheng will be suspended for at least two months, which will greatly affect the new policy!"

Currently, the three cabinet ministers have even regarded Shen Nian as their patron.

Without Shen Nian, they would hesitate on many decisions.

Ma Ziqiang shook his head slightly.

“I think this matter is most likely a case of the Shen family using Ziheng’s name to seek personal gain. Once it is found out, Ziheng will definitely be punished. After the Wuqingbo incident, the three judicial departments will not be able to exonerate him. Even if we can ensure that he is not demoted and sent to a post outside the capital, we will not be able to let him continue to serve as the drafting and reviewing official and the daily lecturer.”

"No, he can't leave the Drafting Division! We must protect him. Regardless of whether the Shen family is guilty or not, we must ensure their innocence!" Yin Zhengmao said with absolute certainty.

Only Yin Zhengmao could say such a thing.

In his eyes, Shen Nian was more important than the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Even if the Shen family had committed serious crimes, they should be exonerated if it would implicate Shen Nian.

Because Shen Nian is too important to the new policy.

“Grand Secretary Yin, these are not words a cabinet minister should utter. You should retract them immediately!” Ma Ziqiang said with displeasure.

Just then, Lü Diaoyang's eyes darted around.

"Gentlemen, is it possible that this whole thing was a setup, but the target wasn't Ziheng, but us?"

"what?"

Both Ma Ziqiang and Yin Zhengmao looked puzzled.

"Currently, due to the matter of the Earl of Wuqing, both the Empress Dowager and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs dislike Ziheng."

“If something happens to the Shen family and it involves Ziheng, they will definitely not protect Ziheng. If they won’t protect him, then we will have to protect him. If we disregard the facts for the sake of the new policies and protect the Shen family’s innocence, we may be accused of favoritism or even forming a faction. If we can’t stay in the cabinet, who do you think will take over?”

"Zhang Siwei!" Ma Ziqiang and Yin Zhengmao exclaimed in unison.

"The reason I say this is because Fengpan Gong has many disciples and old friends in Jiangnan, and he likes to play this kind of trick of framing and slandering. If we step down for personal reasons, the probability of him entering the cabinet is far greater than that of Grand Secretary Zhang returning to the capital due to mourning."

Ever since Lü Diaoyang learned that Zhang Siwei had framed him years ago, he had hated Zhang Siwei to the core and had been keeping a close eye on Zhang Siwei's movements.

“It’s possible! It’s highly possible!” Ma Ziqiang said.

"So what should we do next?"

“I think we don’t need to do anything. Ziheng isn’t the kind of person who would let someone punch him without fighting back. Last time, when his father and father-in-law were framed, he didn’t ask to be suspended from his post. I believe he still has a plan this time. There might be a result at tomorrow’s court meeting!”

Ma Ziqiang and Yin Zhengmao nodded in agreement.

Relationships become chaotic.

The best approach for this type of problem is to let Shen Nian handle it herself.

(End of this chapter)