I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 208 Halfway to the Pavilion Realm! Shen Shixing's Godlike Moment
June 13th, early morning.

Exempt from regular court sessions.

Emperor Wanli summoned the two Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the officials of the Six Ministries in Beijing, and a group of officials responsible for drafting and reviewing proposals to the Wenhua Hall.

In recent days.

Rumors of impending war in the north, the impeachment of Li Chengliang, the general of Liaodong, the bedridden illness of Lü Tiaoyang, the second-ranking official of the cabinet, and the fact that Zhang Juzheng's father had annexed 80,000 mu of land before his death all left the young Wanli Emperor in a state of utter chaos.

Although the generals and commanders of the North had already reported the situation, he still felt that war might break out in the North and that he needed to be on guard in advance.

In the past two days, officials have been submitting their memorials to the throne.

An official said: "An envoy should be sent to the border immediately to sign a supplementary agreement with Anda, the leader of the Tumed tribe, to confirm that Anda will not wage war against the Ming Dynasty. As long as the Tumed tribe does not provoke war, the Ming Dynasty will not fear other tribes."

An official stated that Li Chengliang, the general of Liaodong, has become a destabilizing factor in Liaodong and should be transferred immediately to prevent a mutiny in Liaodong.

Some officials also said that the current second-ranking minister, Lü Diaoyang, is often ill, and the cabinet should add another minister. They suggested that Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing who is familiar with border affairs, should be sent back to Beijing to take charge of the overall border defense.

……

On the throne.

The young Wanli Emperor looked around and said, "Recently, there have been many complicated affairs in the court, and many ministers have submitted memorials with differing opinions, making it difficult for me to make a decision. Grand Secretaries, please share your thoughts first!"

Immediately, Ma Ziqiang was the first to step forward.

“Your Majesty, whether the rumors of war in the north are true or false, we should take precautions in advance. Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing, is knowledgeable about border affairs and has a good understanding of the situation of the various Tatar tribes. I believe that we should send him as an envoy to the north to understand the situation and, at the same time, consolidate our relationship with the Tumet tribe.”

"The impeachment of Li Chengliang, the General of Liaodong, is more absurd than factual; a light punishment and admonishment will suffice."

"As for the matter of Grand Secretary Zhang's father annexing land, it happened before the national land survey. Grand Secretary Zhang was unaware of this matter, and since he has already paid the back taxes, it is not a crime. This matter can be left at that point."

After Ma Ziqiang finished speaking, Yin Zhengmao stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has no objection to Grand Secretary Ma's handling of the impeachment of General Li Chengliang of Liaodong and the matter of Grand Secretary Zhang's father's land annexation. However, I have different opinions on the handling of the northern border!"

"At present, before any war has been confirmed, our haste to send envoys for peace talks is truly damaging to the prestige of a great power. Moreover, if we take such action, it will only make the various Tatar tribes think that there are many rebels throughout the country due to the land survey, which may cause them, who are not willing to fight, to quickly launch a war!"

"If war breaks out, we will fight. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, we have always used war to stop war, not peace to stop war. Even if war breaks out, affects the new policies, and depletes the national treasury, we will never bow down and beg for peace!"

……

"What Grand Secretary Yin said makes a lot of sense, and I agree with it!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

Several officials came forward to agree with Yin Zhengmao's statement, including Shen Nian, who also expressed his support for Yin Zhengmao.

Since its founding, the Ming Dynasty has never feared war, nor has it ever bowed its head or lowered its back to foreign invaders.

At this time.

Chen Kai, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I agree with Grand Secretary Yin's attitude toward the war in the north, but I cannot agree with the way the two Grand Secretaries handled the matter of General Li Chengliang of Liaodong and Grand Secretary Zhang's father's land consolidation!"

"The three major charges against Li Chengliang, the General of Liaodong, are known throughout the court to be true and not unfounded. Just now, Grand Secretary Ma stated that the charges were more exaggerated than factual, indicating that General Li does indeed have problems. I believe that we cannot let him off lightly after his self-defense. No one's power can be higher than the Great Ming Code. I suggest that we send censors and secret police to investigate him again, and make the investigation results public. He should be punished according to the appropriate punishment. If Liaodong falls into chaos without this General, then the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Grand Secretariat should bear the main responsibility!"

"Although the matter of Grand Secretary Zhang's father's private land annexation occurred before the nationwide land survey and Grand Secretary Zhang has already paid the back taxes, our dynasty has always taken a strict approach to those who annex land, punishing them severely. I believe that in addition to ordering the local officials of Huguang and Jingzhou to publicize this matter, Your Majesty should also issue an edict to reprimand Grand Secretary Zhang, thereby demonstrating the importance attached to the nationwide land survey and highlighting the strictness of the new policies!"

……

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

……

Several officials, including Liu Yingjie, Minister of Justice, and Lu Guangzu, Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, expressed their seconding of the motion.

At this moment, the Wenhua Hall suddenly fell silent.

Shen Nian couldn't help but look at Ma Ziqiang and Yin Zhengmao.

All three strategies proposed by Ma Ziqiang were refuted, and all two strategies supported by Yin Zhengmao were also refuted.

This is the first time this dynasty has done so.

With Lü Diaoyang on sick leave, Ma Ziqiang and Yin Zhengmao controlled the cabinet's decision-making power.

Their ideas basically represented the court's ideas, and were rarely rejected by other officials.

This fully demonstrates that the two Grand Secretaries lacked control over the court, lacked sufficient authority among the officials, and were inadequate in their ability to win them over.

If Zhang Juzheng were to handle this matter...

He would definitely anticipate what the officials were thinking, and then give reasons that no one could refute.

At this time.

Chen Jingbang, a reader in the Hanlin Academy, stepped forward.

"I agree with the two Grand Secretaries' handling of the impeachment of Li Chengliang, the General of Liaodong, and the land annexation by Grand Secretary Zhang's father."

"The imperial court has always treated border generals well. At present, the importance of border defense is greater than that of official conduct. Even if General Li has flaws in his private conduct, he should be punished lightly, because Liaodong cannot do without him at present."

"You keep saying that the laws of the Ming Dynasty are above all else, but have you ever thought about what would happen if severely punishing General Li now caused a mutiny in the army? What if it caused the collapse of the Liaodong defense system, leading to an attack by the Tuman tribes and an uprising by the Jurchen tribes in the Northeast? The affairs of the court must take the overall situation into consideration!"

"The same applies to the matter of the father of the Grand Secretary Zhang's land annexation. Since taxes have already been paid, there should be no further punishment, otherwise it will not benefit the new policies!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

……

After Chen Jingbang finished speaking, several officials immediately stood up and seconded his opinion, but as soon as they finished, other officials stood up to object.

"Your Majesty, I object. Chen Shidu actually claimed that border defense is more important than official administration, and even said that the law of the Ming Dynasty can be ignored for the sake of the overall situation. I cannot agree with this!"

"Your Majesty, I believe that Li Chengliang's three major crimes must be severely punished without any favoritism. Otherwise, Liaodong will become Li Chengliang's Liaodong instead of Liaodong belonging to our Great Ming!"

"Nonsense! The achievements of Li Chengliang, the General of Liaodong, in Liaodong are known throughout the land. Who else can keep Liaodong at peace besides him? This is just a minor rumor with no real evidence. You believe everything you hear. Aren't you deliberately trying to cause turmoil in Liaodong?"

……

The different strategies employed by officials in dealing with Li Chengliang's impeachment actually stemmed from Zhang Juzheng's appeasement policy towards the generals and commanders of the Nine Garrisons.

Zhang Juzheng was a pragmatist.

As long as the generals and commanders of the nine border regions could win battles, he would be lenient on some of their other crimes.

For example, corruption would be used as a reward for soldiers; false credit would be considered a statistical error; and many minor mistakes would be deemed as lacking any evidence during the investigation.

Of course, if the crime endangered the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Juzheng would not be so lenient.

Shen Nian disliked this management style.

However, this practice is already deeply ingrained at the border and its drawbacks are difficult to eradicate in a short time.

……

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

The officials argued heatedly, each with their own reasons.

As soon as Ma Ziqiang and Yin Zhengmao opened their mouths, they were besieged by some officials, which made them so angry that they didn't want to speak anymore.

This is the drawback of the imperial court not having Zhang Juzheng; the cabinet simply cannot control the officials.

The young Wanli Emperor looked down but did not call a halt.

Shen Nian once taught him a trick.

When officials get caught up in heated arguments, they tend to stick to their own conclusions and stop listening to others. A sudden interruption will only make them more extreme and may even fuel their desire to debate more intensely.

The best approach is to stop them when they are exhausted from arguing and unable to come up with any new arguments. Only then will they open their ears.

now.

Shen Nian didn't participate in the argument; he was thinking of a plan.

He felt that dealing with Li Chengliang and Zhang Juzheng's father should be done officially, and he believed Zhang Juzheng wouldn't care about the matter. But whether Li Chengliang had a rebellious streak was hard to say.

The most pressing issue at present is ensuring peace in the northern border region and that there will be no war in Liaodong even without Li Chengliang.

Therefore, there will be no problem in punishing Li Chengliang according to the law.

Shen Nian was not afraid of battle.

If the Tatars dare to invade the border, he would absolutely support the court in exhausting the national treasury to beat them to a pulp.

But he doesn't want war, especially not war.

Because war will kill many people, and it is the ordinary people who will suffer. Now is not the best time to go to war.

……

About fifteen minutes later, the debate subsided.

boom! boom! boom!
The young Wanli Emperor slammed his hand on the imperial desk three times and shouted, "Quiet down, everyone! Listen to me!"

The Wenhua Hall immediately fell silent.

The young Wanli Emperor paused for a moment and said, "Let's first talk about the matter of the Grand Secretary's father annexing land. The Grand Secretary's father has passed away, and the Grand Secretary was unaware of this matter and has already paid the taxes. I will not pursue it. If anyone in the Ming Dynasty annexes land in the same way, I will not pursue it. This decision can be drafted and announced to the local authorities!"

After saying this, the young Wanli Emperor looked around.

None of the officials spoke.

This is a case of locking the barn door after the horse has bolted, and even if he were severely punished, at most Zhang Juzheng would be reprimanded and his reputation among the people would be tarnished.

Zhang Juzheng was in mourning, and the young Wanli Emperor couldn't bear to scold him.

"Alright, this matter is settled, and there is no further discussion!"

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment, then continued, “I know that the court is currently too lenient with the generals of the nine border regions, and for many years minor mistakes have been overlooked as long as they can win battles. However, this approach is not wrong. If Liaodong is lost, all the silver that the court has accumulated in recent years through the new policies will be used for military expenses, and it may not even be enough!”

"As for whether to send envoys to the northern border to consolidate relations with the Tatars, I am also very conflicted. Who can come up with a strategy to ensure no war in the north without damaging the national dignity? In this way, I can not forgive Li Chengliang's matter and handle official business impartially, so that the generals of the nine border regions will not dare to put personal interests before public duty, and will not dare to be arrogant and make mistakes because of their military achievements!"

With these words, the young Wanli Emperor shifted the blame onto everyone else.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
At this moment, all the officials looked at Shen Nian.

They felt that only Shen Nian could have come up with such a perfect "strategy".

Upon feeling the gazes of the officials, Shen Nian immediately lowered her head.

At that moment, he was at a loss.

Even if he had a plan, he wouldn't tell.

If officials rely on you so often, they will gradually lose the ability to think about national policies. Shen Nian will become increasingly tired amidst everyone's constant expectations, and will most likely die young.

at this time.

Shen Shixing, who was in charge of the Hanlin Academy and served as a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan!"

Swish!
The young Wanli Emperor and all the officials looked at Shen Shixing.

Shen Shixing straightened his chest and said loudly, "Your Majesty, sending envoys to negotiate peace would be detrimental to the dignity of the nation, but sending envoys to conduct trade would enhance the prestige of our country!"

"At present, trade in the north is booming. I suggest that the court appoint new trade envoys to go to Tatars and discuss with the various Tatar tribes strategies for trade cooperation and to open more trade ports on the border."

“Those who take the initiative to befriend us will have more markets opened, while those who constantly provoke us will be refused trade. The main purpose of the barbarian tribes in the Liaodong region who keep invading Liaodong is to trade with us. Our tea, cloth, silk, porcelain, wine, and medicinal herbs are treasures in their eyes. We can use this method to isolate the tribes that harass our borders.”

"We can win wars, but at the cost of huge losses in manpower and resources. But in business, we are the ancestors of those Tatars. We can't do a losing business even with our eyes closed!"

……

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the young Wanli Emperor and the other officials lit up.

That's really a good idea.

The Ming Dynasty had the full capability to impose trade sanctions and isolate the various Tatar tribes.

Moreover, doing so would make the various Tatar tribes increasingly dependent on the Ming Dynasty. Over time, the Ming Dynasty could support whomever it wanted and make sure that whichever tribe went hungry was left to starve.

"A brilliant plan!" the young Wanli Emperor couldn't help but praise.

"Your subject has no objection!"

"Your subject has no objection!"

"Your subject has no objection!"

……

All the officials in the palace bowed and seconded the motion.

Wang Xijue looked at Shen Shixing in surprise and murmured, "This...this is not up to his usual standard. This Shen Shixing wants to join the cabinet!"

At present, given Shen Shixing's qualifications and official position, he is already standing outside the threshold of the cabinet.

This win-win solution is enough to give him one foot in the cabinet.

After his initial excitement, the young Wanli Emperor asked, "Then who should be appointed as the trade envoy?"

“Your Majesty, I recommend Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Among the officials of prestige at present, he is the one who understands the Tatars best!” an official said, bowing.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xijue was the first to step forward.

"Your Majesty, I object!"

"For matters of commerce, it is not advisable to send officials of too high a rank, nor is it advisable to send Fengpan Gong to discuss commerce. I suggest sending an official of around the fifth rank."

Little Wanli nodded.

“Indeed, if Lord Fengpan were to go to the northern border, the Tatars would subconsciously assume that he is there to negotiate peace, and that his official rank is too high and inappropriate!”

At this time.

Several officials turned to look at Shen Nian, who was a fifth-rank official.

Emperor Wanli was taken aback, then quickly said, "No, Shen Shijiang cannot leave the capital!"

Upon hearing this, the officials almost burst out laughing.

With Zhang Juzheng in mourning, Shen Nian was practically the backbone of the court, and it was impossible to let him leave.

Shen Nian smiled slightly; he also did not wish to leave the capital.

At this time.

Shen Nian's eyes lit up as she thought of a suitable candidate and stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I recommend last year's top scholar, Shen Maoxue, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy!"

“Ziheng, don’t joke around. Shen Xiuzhuan is good at compiling history and writing classics, but he knows nothing about business!” Shen Shixing said.

Shen Nian smiled and said, "When it comes to business, none of the court officials are as good as the merchants in the countryside. When it comes to business on the border, the main ones should be the accompanying merchants, while the trade envoys represent the face and demeanor of the court."

"I ask you all, when Shen Xiuzhuan went to the border and quoted classical texts to those Tatars, who wouldn't bow down in reverence? He may not be of high rank, but he can still demonstrate the might of our great nation. Furthermore, given his status as the top scholar in the imperial examinations, the Tatars wouldn't dare to harm him..."

Upon hearing Shen Nian's explanation, the officials immediately felt that Shen Maoxue was indeed capable.

Before Shen Maoxue became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he was already famous throughout the country and was known for his upright character.

Other officials might have been intimidated by the Tatars' barbaric force, but Shen Maoxue was not at all.

As the face of the Ming Dynasty to the outside world, he was indeed the best choice.

After Shen Nian explained, and the officials had no objections, Emperor Wanli immediately said, "Very well, the choice for the Trade Commissioner is now set as Shen Maoxue, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy!"

Immediately.

The impromptu court session ended in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Emperor Wanli was overjoyed, never expecting that so many thorny problems would be solved in just over an hour.

From this he drew a conclusion:
Morning meetings are the best way to solve problems; in the future, we should hold more morning meetings when problems arise.

(End of this chapter)