I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 217 The Battle Between Ruler and Minister! The Capital Cannot Be Without Shen Ziheng for a Single Day

On July 25th, near midnight, the imperial edict of the young Wanli Emperor was delivered to Qufu County, Yanzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province.

Just as Shen Nian had predicted.

Emperor Wanli demanded that Shen Nian and others first find evidence that the Zhongxin Society's register was hidden in the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple, and only after the Confucius family presided over the sacrificial ceremony could the statue of the sage be moved.

Early the next morning.

Shen Nian, Shi Qing, Zhao Xian, and Tang Xianzu then sat together and began to draft a memorial to plead guilty.

The four have reached a consensus.

The removal of the statue of the sage before the imperial decree was issued was due to the will of the people of Qufu County; the people's wishes compelled them to do so.

Then, in terms of execution.

Shen Nian issued orders and took overall command; Zhao Xian was in charge of the sacrifice and personally wrote the sacrificial text; Shi Qing organized people to move the statue and drugged the Kong family; Tang Xianzu organized the yamen runners and the people to participate in the sacrifice.

This was a conspiracy among the four, and they confessed their guilt very sincerely.

Thanks to finding the Chung Shin Society directory.

The four men's crimes will certainly be mitigated considerably; as for how to sentence them, that will depend on the decision of the young Wanli Emperor.

After the four men finished writing their confessions, they began processing the list of members of the Chung Hsin Society.

The list includes names of people who are heinous criminals who colluded with Xue Zheng; others who were framed and have not committed any heinous acts, but whose moral character is flawed.

Officials below the third rank within Shandong Province were all subject to criminal charges determined by Zhao Xian, the Shandong Governor, in accordance with the law.

Officials of the third rank or above from Shandong, as well as officials and eunuchs in the capital, including the Duke of Yansheng and the Marquis of Yangwu, had their cases compiled into dossiers by Shen Nian and Shi Qing and submitted to the capital for processing by the Grand Secretariat.

at the same time.

Tang Xianzu set up the court in front of the Confucius Temple and punished a large number of local tyrants who had bullied and monopolized the market and disregarded human life by taking advantage of the Xue family's power, which won praise from the people of Qufu.

As a Hanlin scholar and a reviewer in the Drafting Office, Shen Nian had a broader vision and a more far-reaching perspective.

Such tactics of "forming cliques for personal gain" as Xue Zheng's must also exist in other places, especially in counties and townships.

Such "gang forces" can, at best, disrupt a county or prefecture, and at worst, disrupt the entire country.

Furthermore, the existence of such forces will cause a rebound in the trend of land annexation. After the imperial court completes the survey, they will soon be able to use their power to annex land again.

Therefore, Shen Nian made two suggestions to the imperial court.

First, it ordered all provinces and prefectures to strengthen their management of county and township governance and to rectify any form of monopoly of interests.

Secondly, it is suggested that local magistrates should have the privilege of reporting directly to the imperial court twice a year, bypassing the prefecture and province, on the progress of government affairs, especially on new policies and the development of people's livelihood, so as to ensure that the imperial court's laws and policies can be implemented and will not be loosened or resisted.

……

July 30th.

The imperial edict issued by the young Wanli Emperor reached Shen Nian and others.

It mainly involves two aspects.

Firstly, regarding the list of members of the Chung Shin Society.

The imperial court will order the three judicial departments to review the crimes of all members listed in the Zhongxin Society's register, and then punish them according to law.

Since the evidence against Kong Shangxian and Xue Zheng was conclusive, Emperor Wanli decided to strip Kong Shangxian of all his titles and honors and order the descendants of Kong to re-elect the Duke Yansheng.

Marquis Yangwu, Xue Bian, was demoted to a commoner, and all of the Xue family's businesses and real estate were confiscated.

Emperor Wanli approved both of Shen Nian's suggestions and ordered a thorough investigation of all cults and sects in the country, with those who formed cliques, engaged in corrupt practices, or disrupted local order to be severely punished.

Secondly, the matter of officials moving statues of saints without authorization.

Shen Nian was fined one year's salary, Zhao Xian was fined one year's salary but remained on probation, Shi Qing was fined half a year's salary, and Tang Xianzu's merits and demerits canceled each other out, so he was neither punished nor rewarded.

Shen Nian and the others were quite satisfied with the result. Shen Nian even felt that the crime was too light.

Shandong Governor Zhao Xian was overjoyed.

If he had opposed moving the statue of the saint that day and stormed off, he would most likely have been dismissed from his post and his official career would have ended after being impeached by Shen Nian and Shi Qing.

However, by following Shen Nianzhi's strategy, he managed to retain his official position.

……

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

Shen Nian, Shi Qing, and others began their return to Beijing.

The weather was still hot, so the group wasn't in a hurry to continue their journey. They planned to stay another night at an inn near Mount Tai, enjoy the surrounding scenery, observe the local land surveying, and even check on the current river management efforts when they passed the Yellow River. Their goal was to return to the capital within ten days.

The following afternoon, Shen Nian and the others arrived at the foot of Mount Tai.

Although the Fengshan ceremony is no longer performed at Mount Tai today, it remains a sacred site for imperial sacrifices.

Every year in spring and autumn, the imperial court would order local officials to preside over sacrificial rites, namely praying for a bountiful harvest in spring and reporting divine merits in autumn.

Because private ownership of land, forests, and minerals within a ten-mile radius of Mount Tai is strictly prohibited, Mount Tai is currently covered with lush, verdant trees, has fresh air, and boasts beautiful scenery.

Shen Nian and Shi Qing planned to stay for a day and climb Mount Tai the next morning to relieve their recent fatigue.

The mountain air is fresh and there is no deceit or treachery, making it the best place to relax and unwind.

That night.

After dinner, Shen Nian lay down in his room at the post station. He needed to conserve his energy for climbing Mount Tai the next day so that he wouldn't fall behind Shi Qing and the other Imperial Guards.

……

It was nearly midnight.

Just as Shen Nian was sleeping soundly, there was a sudden, noisy knocking at the door.

Startled awake, Shen Nian put on her clothes and opened the door.

Outside the door stood Shi Qing, a commander of the Imperial Guard, and another Imperial Guard who was soaked in sweat and whom Shen Nian had never seen before.

Shi Qing said to Shen Nian, "Scholar Shen, His Majesty has a secret letter for you!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian's expression turned serious.

After the Imperial Guard took out an envelope from his bamboo tube, Shen Nian quickly reached out and took it.

The Imperial Guard said, "Scholar Shen, His Majesty orders you two to return to the capital immediately!"

Having said that, the Imperial Guard quickly left.

Shen Nian opened the envelope and read it carefully, while Shi Qing stood at the door. If Shen Nian requested to leave immediately, they would need to pack their luggage and depart quickly.

Shen Nian frowned deeply as she looked at the secret letter.

After reading the secret letter, he paced back and forth in the room. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the dark sky outside and said to Shi Qing, "This matter is not urgent. Traveling at night is too dangerous. We will continue our journey after breakfast tomorrow, when it is fully light!"

"it is good!"

Just as Shi Qing was about to go back to his room to rest, a member of the Imperial Guard led a courier covered in sweat and walked over quickly.

"This is Academician Shen, a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy!" the Imperial Guard introduced to the courier.

The courier took out a letter from his pocket, cupped his hands towards Shen Nian, and said, "Scholar Shen, this is a secret letter from Grand Secretary Yin of the Cabinet!" Shen Nian smiled helplessly and accepted the secret letter.

As he opened it, Shi Qing waved for the Imperial Guard and the courier to leave.

At this moment, Shi Qing was very curious about the contents of the secret letter.

The young Wanli Emperor and a cabinet minister wrote such urgent secret letters to Shen Nian almost simultaneously, clearly indicating that something big had happened in the capital.

After a while.

Shen Nian then read through the secret letter sent by Yin Zhengmao, and a look of utter despair appeared on her face.

Shi Qing looked at Shen Nian expectantly, hoping that Shen Nian could reveal some information to him.

Shen Nian looked up at Shi Qing and said, "Commander Shi, come, take a look at these two secret letters. I want to hear your thoughts."

Shi Qing shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

"Scholar Shen, these are secret letters and private correspondence sent to you by His Majesty and Grand Secretary Yin. How could I be qualified to read them? Some things are better left unknown than known!" With that, Shi Qing turned to leave.

"It's not exactly a secret, but it's very difficult to handle. I urgently need to hear your thoughts!"

"Come here!" Shen Nian held up the two letters to Shi Qing.

Shi Qing was indeed curious, so he gritted his teeth, went inside, and carefully read the two secret letters.

His facial expressions were quite varied.

There was surprise, sighs, doubts, and helplessness.

After reading it, he first bowed solemnly to Shen Nian, and then said, "Scholar Shen, this... this kind of thing, I... I... have no idea, and... I don't know what to do. I used to envy civil officials, but now I think it's better to be a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

After saying that, Shi Qing took off running, as fast as a rabbit.

Shen Nian sat at the table, looking helpless, and muttered, "How about I pretend to be sick and stay at the foot of Mount Tai for ten or fifteen days, and let those people in the capital make a scene!"

The two secret letters that Shen Nian received were about the same thing.

Eight days ago.

Emperor Wanli ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate an additional 50,000 taels of silver each quarter for purchasing purposes, in addition to the annual quota of one million taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury. This meant that the Imperial Treasury would need to allocate an additional 200,000 taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury each year.

In addition, he also needed to purchase 3,000 inner-training horses (horses used for training in the Forbidden City) annually, costing approximately 70,000 taels of silver for the purchase of horses and fodder, which also required funds from the Imperial Treasury.

The additional 200,000 taels of silver for purchasing goods was because he believed that the expenses of the harem would gradually increase after the wedding, and that some funds would be needed; the additional silver for purchasing horses and fodder was to strengthen the guard of the palace and ensure the safety of the royal family members.

The reasons are quite valid.

The so-called "golden flower silver" refers to the collection of a portion of grain in silver, which was mainly high-grade silver used by the imperial court.

Since the reign of Emperor Taizu, the imperial treasury has received one million taels of silver annually.

Of the one million taels of silver, nearly one hundred thousand taels were used for military officers' salaries, and the rest was royal private property, which Emperor Wanli could use freely without the interference of officials.

This is a custom order.

At that time, Emperor Wanli felt that the money was not enough, so he ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate an additional 270,000 taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury every year.

After the young Wanli Emperor issued the decree.

Shi Yingyue, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, reacted strongly, submitting three memorials in one day, denouncing the young Wanli Emperor for violating ancestral rules, indulging in extravagance, and treating the people's wealth as dirt, comparing him to Jie of Xia, Zhou of Shang, and the last emperor of the Southern Chen Dynasty...

He used extremely offensive language.

Enraged, the young Wanli Emperor immediately ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to give him forty strokes of the cane.

The Imperial Guards did not intend to kill Shi Yingyue with the forty strokes of the cane, but Shi Yingyue felt greatly insulted. In a fit of anger, he smashed his head against a stone tablet in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and died despite attempts to save him.

Yin Zhengmao also did not support increasing the silver reserves for the Imperial Treasury and originally intended to privately advise the other two Grand Secretaries against it.

But after Shi Yingyue died, in order to prove himself right, the young Wanli Emperor directly ordered Feng Bao to take away 270,000 taels of silver from the Ministry of Revenue this year.

Under imperial authority, no one dared to obstruct it.

Yin Zhengmao was furious and immediately submitted a memorial to the throne, demanding that the young Wanli Emperor return the silver from the imperial treasury and that the matters concerning the silver for purchasing agents, horses, and fodder be discussed again.

Then officials impeached Yin Zhengmao for using the silver in the imperial treasury as his own private silver and for taking advantage of the emperor's youth.

When an official spoke up for the young Wanli Emperor, he declared the matter settled and ordered all officials to cease further discussion.

This further enraged Yin Zhengmao, who was known for his fiery temper. He then led a group of Ministry of Revenue officials in submitting a joint memorial to the throne. Every afternoon, he would kneel in front of the Meridian Gate to protest, leaving at dusk.

The reason for kneeling in protest only in the afternoon was that the Ministry of Revenue was extremely busy at the moment, as it needed to oversee the land surveying across the country.

Currently, Yin Zhengmao has toned down his temper and has a very good overall perspective.

If he were to abandon his post, the national land survey would immediately fall into chaos. Therefore, he only protested, without resigning or doing anything else drastic.

Feng Bao was terrified.

Hundreds more guards were added to the banks of the Jinshui River, for fear that Yin Zhengmao would lead a group of Ministry of Revenue officials to jump into the river.

Emperor Wanli did not dare to push Yin Zhengmao too far, so the two sides reached a stalemate.

In his letter, the young Wanli Emperor stated that some officials in the Censorate and the Ministry of Revenue failed to understand his difficulties as emperor, especially Shi Yingyue, who died by crashing into a monument, directly proving his extravagance and disregard for the people's wealth. If he were to withdraw the decree at this time, it would be tantamount to admitting that he was a decadent ruler. He urged Shen Nian to return immediately to uphold justice for him.

In his letter, Yin Zhengmao stated that because Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian were not in court, the other lecturers were unable to restrain the young Wanli Emperor. Furthermore, interference from within the inner court had led the young Wanli Emperor to violate ancestral rules by transferring funds from the Imperial Treasury to the Imperial Treasury. He warned that this precedent would set a precedent for further extravagance and waste by the young Wanli Emperor once he assumed power. Yin Zhengmao stated that he would have retired if the Ministry of Revenue had not been so in need of him. He hoped Shen Nian could persuade the young Wanli Emperor to change his mind. He also informed Shen Nian that some officials had demanded severe punishment for Shen Nian's unauthorized removal of the statue of the emperor, but the young Wanli Emperor had defied the objections and leniently punished Shen Nian. He stressed that Shen Nian must not show favoritism towards the young Wanli Emperor because of this favor.

Shen Nian had a terrible headache.

I never expected that such a conflict would occur after I had been away from Beijing for more than half a month.

From the perspective of Emperor Wanli, after his marriage and the addition of his empress and concubines, his expenses did increase, and his desire to obtain more money from the imperial treasury could not be considered extravagant.

From Yin Zhengmao's perspective, the Imperial Treasury was the national treasury's silver, which could only be used for military and national expenses, while the Imperial Treasury's fixed quota of one million taels of silver was royal private property established by their ancestors. In the past, due to some unforeseen circumstances, it was normal for the Imperial Treasury and the Imperial Treasury to borrow from each other, but the young Wanli Emperor's decree clearly intended to make it a fixed practice, which is why Yin Zhengmao and others were not allowed to do so.

The biggest problem with this matter is that Shi Yingyue, a censor in the Ministry of Revenue, died after crashing into a stele in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

His death directly tarnished the reputation of the young Wanli Emperor. If the young Wanli Emperor had compromised, wouldn't he have been condemned by future generations for his actions?

Shen Nian looked sullen at that moment.

Both sides have their own reasons, making it extremely difficult to find a solution that satisfies both parties.

If he helps Yin Zhengmao oppose the young Wanli Emperor.

The young Wanli Emperor would feel that he had lost Shen Nian, the only confidant in the outer court who understood him, and that if she were to abandon her post, the court would become even more chaotic.

Shen Nianruo helped the young Wanli Emperor oppose Yin Zhengmao and others.

In a fit of anger, Yin Zhengmao might resign from his post and return to his hometown, or he might even sharpen his knife and kill the official who impeached him for treating the silver in the imperial treasury as private money. He was over sixty years old, and he felt he had lived long enough, but the Ministry of Revenue would be thrown into chaos.

"Alas! The main reason is that Grand Secretary Lü and Grand Secretary Ma are not as capable as Grand Secretary Zhang, which is one in a hundred. It's time to find a way to invite Grand Secretary Zhang back. Otherwise, if I have to solve these conflicts every day, I'm afraid I'll die young!"

Shen Nian lay in bed, wide awake.

At this moment, he really wanted to quit and head to Mount Tai the next morning to find a Taoist temple for ten or fifteen days of quiet meditation before returning to Beijing to see how this farce was going.

Unfortunately, he could only think about it.

He had the well-being of the people at heart, and in order to "ensure that all the people of the Ming Dynasty have enough to eat," he had to confront and solve the problems.

(End of this chapter)