I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 218 It's gotten out of hand! The cabinet is shut down, and the Ministry of Revenue is on strike.
On the third day of the eighth lunar month, at dawn, the sun was just rising and the summer heat was intense.

At the foot of Mount Tai, everything is lush and green.

Shen Nian, Shi Qing, and the others rode the fast horses they had just changed at the post station, galloping north towards the capital.

He walked.

He recalled a series of events that occurred in the court after Zhang Juzheng returned to his hometown to observe mourning for his parents.

From last winter's black-hearted cotton-padded clothes and Qi Jiguang's complaint, to this year's Shen family being framed, the annexation of the Terada estate, Zhang Siwei's failed attempt to be reinstated, rumors of war in the northern border, and repeated challenges to the cabinet's power, and now the young Wanli Emperor's plan to replenish the imperial treasury with funds for his own use.

If Zhang Juzheng had been in power, some things might not have happened, and some things might have had simpler and more efficient solutions.

However, with Zhang Juzheng's departure from the court, the power of the young Wanli Emperor expanded; with Zhang Juzheng's departure from the court, the power of the cabinet ministers weakened, and they were unable to restrain the officials.

This has led to various problems.

Although Shen Nian offered solutions to the problems on numerous occasions.

However, given his low official rank, he could only deal with problems as they arose, and it was difficult to solve the problem at its root.

Currently, the biggest problem facing the Ming Dynasty court is the lack of a leader who can shoulder the responsibility.

The young Wanli Emperor lacked experience and ability, and Shen Nian's official rank was too low.

The three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were originally appointed to take on the main responsibilities, but Lu Diaoyang was sickly, Ma Ziqiang was conservative, and Yin Zhengmao had too many enemies, making them all unsuitable for the job.

Shen Nian pondered how to persuade Zhang Juzheng to return to court ahead of schedule.

With Zhang Juzheng's return, many problems will be easily solved, and Shen Nian will have the energy to do more valuable things.

……

August 7th, afternoon.

Shen Nian and his group hurriedly returned to the capital.

During the journey, Shen Nian had already completed the memorial to the throne regarding the conclusion of the Zhongxin Society case in Qufu County. Next, this matter would be handed over to Shi Qinghui for reporting, along with coordination with the three judicial departments.

Shen Nian quickly washed up, changed into his official robes, and headed straight for the Forbidden City.

When they arrived at the Meridian Gate.

Shen Nian saw Yin Zhengmao, who was leading a group of Ministry of Revenue officials in kneeling protest.

Yin Zhengmao and the other officials from the Ministry of Revenue were clever; since it was too hot to kneel in the middle of the Meridian Gate, they chose to kneel in the shade near the Right Side Gate.

Despite the protests, none of them are taking it out on their own bodies.

He would not choose to commit suicide like Shi Yingyue, a censor in the Ministry of Revenue.

Yin Zhengmao explained it to the public as follows:

"Those who die for the Ming Dynasty are certainly admirable, but those who endure humiliation and hardship for the Ming Dynasty are even more worthy of admiration!"

The Ministry of Revenue's move was a thorn in the side for the young Wanli Emperor, but he was unwilling to escalate the situation too much.

Yin Zhengmao was very excited when he saw Shen Nian.

Shen Nian bowed to Yin Zhengmao and the others, then strode towards the Wenhua Hall.

……

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

The young Wanli Emperor sat high on his throne, with only two eunuchs he frequently served beside him.

"Your subject Shen Nian greets Your Majesty!"

"Minister Shen, there's no need for such formalities!" The young Wanli Emperor looked at Shen Nian and said, "Minister Shen, you should have seen it when you passed through the Meridian Gate. Grand Secretary Yin and those officials from the Ministry of Revenue were too stubborn. I ordered Grand Secretary Lü and Grand Secretary Ma to persuade them, but to no avail."

"Now, they are putting me in a very difficult position! My decree to supplement the funds for purchasing officials, horses, and fodder was for the sake of the harem and the safety of the inner court; it was a perfectly normal expenditure. They... they are using the old ancestral system to bully me in order to gain a reputation for loyalty and integrity. And that Shi Yingyue, the supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue... he... took advantage of my youth, comparing me to the tyrants of Xia and Shang... claiming that I am extravagant and despise the people's wealth... I only punished him slightly, but who would have thought that he would ruin my reputation with his death..."

Upon seeing Shen Nian, the young Wanli Emperor seemed to have found an outlet for his pent-up emotions, and he spoke for over a quarter of an hour, pouring out all his grievances.

After listening calmly, Shen Nian paused for a moment before asking, "Your Majesty, if Grand Secretary Zhang were in court, how would you handle this matter?"

Upon hearing this, the young Wanli Emperor was taken aback.

Zhang Juzheng always advocated frugality for the younger Wanli Emperor. Even if the inner court took an extra 270,000 taels of silver from the imperial treasury each year, Zhang Juzheng might not have agreed.

"The Grand Secretary... the Grand Secretary... may consider it, but... but he will never embarrass me or make me lose face!" the young Wanli Emperor replied.

In the eyes of the young Wanli Emperor, although Zhang Juzheng was strict with him, he still had his best interests at heart in many things.

A smile appeared on Shen Nian's face.

"Based on my understanding of Grand Secretary Zhang, after His Majesty's wedding, he intended to increase the funds for the purchase of supplies for the inner palace. The additional funds for purchasing horses and fodder to ensure the safety of the inner court are reasonable and justifiable, and do not violate ancestral rules or constitute excessive extravagance!"

Upon hearing this, a smile gradually appeared on the face of the young Wanli Emperor.

He loves hearing those kinds of words.

"However, the annual quota of 270,000 taels of silver is somewhat excessive for the Imperial Treasury. Grand Secretary Zhang would probably suggest that an increase of 100,000 taels of silver for purchasing goods would be more appropriate. If the silver reserves in the Imperial Treasury increase significantly in the future or a prince is born in the harem, it can be increased further. However, in the event of a famine, Your Majesty should take the lead in stopping the purchase of silver, advocating that national affairs take precedence over private royal matters, and also preventing the Imperial Treasury from being depleted!"

"As for the 70,000 taels of silver for purchasing horses and fodder, Grand Secretary Zhang will probably advocate that the supplies be provided by the Beijing Garrison instead of going through the Imperial Treasury!"

"As for Shi Yingyue, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, Grand Secretary Zhang would suggest that His Majesty give him a grand funeral and provide compensation to his family, since the dead should be respected. Then he would warn all officials not to emulate this man's act of submitting remonstrances in the future."

After saying this.

Shen Nian cupped his hands towards the young Wanli Emperor and asked, "If Grand Secretary Zhang makes this arrangement, will Your Majesty agree?"

Shen Nian's words directly reduced the budget of 270,000 taels of silver to 100,000 taels, and this 100,000 taels would be cancelled in years of disaster or war.

As for the 70,000 taels of silver for purchasing horses and fodder, if it were supplied by the Beijing Garrison instead of the Imperial Treasury, it might not even cost 20,000 taels, and it would also prevent the eunuchs in the inner court from becoming too powerful.

The young Wanli Emperor naturally understood the deeper meaning behind this.

The young Wanli Emperor hesitated for a moment.

"If that's the case, I...I have no objection!"

The young Wanli Emperor was actually very clever. He knew that he was not in the right. In addition, the death of Shi Yingyue and the kneeling protest of Yin Zhengmao and other officials of the Ministry of Revenue at the Meridian Gate greatly damaged his imperial prestige.

If this can be resolved, his imperial authority can be preserved, and he can gain an additional 100,000 taels of silver, with the possibility of further increases in the future.

He also knows that if it's good, then it's good.

The young Wanli Emperor continued, "However... however, the Grand Secretary is not currently in court. I'm afraid that if Grand Secretary Lü and Grand Secretary Ma propose this idea, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue and some of the censors will not agree!"

Currently, Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang have very low prestige.

Not to mention that Yin Zhengmao disobeyed the orders of the two, the drafting inspectors of the Drafting Office also had many grievances against the two.

For example, there was the incident where Yin Zhengmao led officials from the Ministry of Revenue to kneel down in protest.

If Zhang Juzheng were in power, he would never have allowed these people to kneel in front of the Meridian Gate for so long, but the two Grand Secretaries, Lü and Ma, were powerless to do anything about it.

"Grand Secretary Lü and Grand Secretary Ma certainly cannot command the officials, but Grand Secretary Zhang can."

"Your Majesty, since Grand Secretary Zhang returned home to observe mourning for his parents, problems have frequently arisen in the court, on the borders, and with the new policies. The performance evaluations of officials in the first half of this year are far worse than last year. I implore Your Majesty to stage a play with Grand Secretary Yin to force Grand Secretary Zhang to return to court during his mourning period!"

"Order the Grand Secretary to return to court?"

Although the young Wanli Emperor felt more free with Zhang Juzheng away from court, he could also see that various problems had arisen in the court after Zhang Juzheng's departure.

He was still the one being bullied, and he was even more exhausted now.

Although the Drafting Office could make up for some of the deficiencies, it was ultimately without the authority of Zhang Juzheng. Moreover, the seemingly capable Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang's indecisiveness and conservatism became immediately apparent after Zhang Juzheng was removed from the cabinet.

Considering the bigger picture, he felt that Zhang Juzheng should return to the capital.

"I also want the Grand Secretary to return to court as soon as possible, Minister Shen, please speak quickly!" The young Wanli Emperor became excited.

Immediately.

Shen Nian then reported all the strategies he had devised on the road to the young Wanli Emperor.

... Half an hour later, Shen Nian walked out of the Wenhua Hall.

Before leaving the palace, he had a smile on his face; after leaving the palace, he had a worried look on his face.

Afterwards, Shen Nian walked to the Meridian Gate and called Yin Zhengmao aside. After the two chatted privately for a while, Yin Zhengmao continued to kneel in front of the Meridian Gate to protest, while Shen Nian returned to the Hanlin Academy with a livid face.

Shen Nian and Yin Zhengmao's actions were, of course, an act for certain people to see.

And this moment.

Shen Nian's actions after leaving the palace all reached the ears of Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang.

Lü Diaoyang frowned slightly.

"It seems even Ziheng couldn't resolve the conflict between His Majesty and Yangshi! What should we do next? These people in the Ministry of Revenue are just too stubborn, a bunch of them are like stubborn mules!"

"Ugh!"

Ma Ziqiang sighed deeply and murmured, "This matter has put His Majesty in a very difficult position. After Shi Yingyue's death, His Majesty will certainly not compromise. We...we can only try to persuade these officials in the Ministry of Revenue again!"

When Ma Ziqiang joined the cabinet, he was full of ambition, but his health was failing.

He has been drafting proposals while ill recently. After Zhang Juzheng's death, he has lost his spirit and, like Lü Diaoyang, is thinking of retiring and going home to live out his old age.

……

Just as the two were discussing, a junior eunuch from the inner palace came to the cabinet.

"His Majesty has decreed that the two Grand Secretaries must persuade all officials of the Ministry of Revenue in front of the Meridian Gate to resign by tomorrow, and that Grand Secretary Yin must lead the officials of the Ministry of Revenue to submit a memorial of apology. Otherwise, the two Grand Secretaries will be dismissed from their posts!"

Having said that, the young eunuch, perhaps fearing a beating, immediately ran away like a rabbit.

Lu Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang's faces both turned ashen.

They simply couldn't persuade the officials of the Ministry of Revenue to resign.

On the one hand, these officials were backed by Yin Zhengmao, who was of the same rank as them; on the other hand, the national land survey was currently underway, and if the officials of the Ministry of Revenue were forced to abandon their posts, the national land survey would be in complete chaos.

"Let's go and try to persuade them!" Ma Ziqiang said, glaring at them.

Ugh!
Lu Diaoyang sighed, glanced at the stack of retirement petitions on the table, and followed Ma Ziqiang toward the Meridian Gate.

Unbeknownst to them, the main characters in Shen Nian's plan were actually them.

……

An hour later.

Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang returned to the cabinet office with dejected expressions.

"This Yin Zhengmao, who can't be moved even by ten oxen, is truly infuriating! Truly infuriating!" Ma Ziqiang trembled with anger.

Lu Diaoyang downed the bowl of cold tea on the table in one gulp, then said, "Tomorrow...tomorrow...let His Majesty spare us as well! Spare us!"

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Emperor Wanli's decree ordering the two Grand Secretaries to persuade all officials in the Ministry of Revenue to submit apology memorials within a day, or else to dismiss them, quickly spread throughout all government offices in the capital.

This matter has escalated again.

This imperial edict also signifies that the young Wanli Emperor was very dissatisfied with the current cabinet.

Of the three cabinet ministers, one opposed him, and the other two were incapable of resolving conflicts in the court.

In addition, today's lectures were also cancelled by the young Wanli Emperor.

……

The Hanlin Academy, the Hall of Lecturers.

Not long after Shen Nian sat down, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue came to her with anxious expressions.

They came on the orders of Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang, hoping that Shen Nian could persuade Yin Zhengmao.

"Ziheng, quickly come up with a plan to persuade Grand Secretary Yin and the officials of the Ministry of Revenue to admit their mistakes. Otherwise, all three Grand Secretaries and the officials of the Ministry of Revenue will be dismissed, and this matter will escalate!"

Shen Nian spread his hands.

"Gentlemen, do you think Grand Secretary Yin and the officials of the Ministry of Revenue have done anything wrong?"

These words left the two speechless.

They were actually against the young Wanli Emperor allowing the Imperial Treasury to deprive the Imperial Warehouse of its silver.

“Ziheng, let’s not discuss right or wrong for now. After Shi Yingyue committed suicide, it’s like putting His Majesty on the hot seat. If he withdraws the imperial edict, wouldn’t that mean he… Alas! We can only persuade Grand Secretary Yin now. You have the best relationship with him, so you should try to persuade him again to prevent this matter from escalating further!”

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

"Rest assured, both of you. I reached an agreement with Grand Secretary Yin yesterday. This afternoon, he and the officials of the Ministry of Revenue will not go to the Meridian Gate to protest!"

Upon hearing this, both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Nian added, "The reason we are not protesting in front of the Meridian Gate is that such a method is useless. Grand Secretary Yin has decided that the Ministry of Revenue will begin a strike starting this afternoon!"

"What? A strike?"

This is more serious than the daily afternoon protests in front of the Meridian Gate.

"Ziheng, our Great Ming... Great Ming... Great Ming won't... will it perish!" Shen Shixing was on the verge of tears.

Wang Xijue's eyes were lifeless as he muttered, "If Grand Secretary Yin leads the Ministry of Revenue in a strike, then... His Majesty might dismiss the other two Grand Secretaries in a fit of anger. In that case, the cabinet would be paralyzed, and the new policies... the new policies... how... how could they proceed?"

Seeing the two looking nervous, Shen Nian smiled and said, "Only in this way can you two turn the tide!"

Upon hearing this, the two looked bewildered.

Shen Nian smiled and closed the door, then began to explain his plan, in which these two were also indispensable key figures.

……

A quarter of an hour later.

Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue smiled, then quickly composed themselves and walked outside with serious expressions.

afternoon.

Yin Zhengmao and the officials of the Ministry of Revenue did not go to the Meridian Gate to protest on time, just when some officials thought that the two Grand Secretaries had persuaded them.

News came from the Ministry of Revenue—

Yin Zhengmao led the officials of the Ministry of Revenue in a strike until the emperor withdrew the newly established funds for purchasing official goods, horses, and fodder.

When this news reached the cabinet, it almost caused Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang to faint.

At dusk that day, just before the end of the day, the young Wanli Emperor issued two imperial edicts.

Firstly, Cabinet ministers Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang have failed in their duties as regents and have been ineffective in coordinating with the Ministry of Revenue. Therefore, they are hereby dismissed from their positions as cabinet ministers and ordered to reflect on their actions at home.

Secondly, the cabinet minister Yin Zhengmao and other officials of the Ministry of Revenue defied the emperor's will, delaying the new policies and thus manipulating the emperor's will. Those who caused trouble were all dismissed from their posts and confined to their offices.

These two imperial edicts directly brought the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue to a standstill.

The matter has escalated again!
Many officials couldn't help but recall the Great Rites Controversy during the Jiajing era, which was also a struggle between imperial power and ministerial power. If things had developed to this point, it was highly likely that bloodshed would follow!

Early the next morning, many officials began submitting memorials to plead for Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang, but all of them were rejected by the young Wanli Emperor.

Many officials went to the Ministry of Revenue to persuade Yin Zhengmao and his officials, but they were all scolded by Yin Zhengmao.

This struggle between the emperor and his minister gradually intensified.

All the civil and military officials felt that the court was about to descend into chaos, and that the young Wanli Emperor might be about to unleash a reign of terror.

(End of this chapter)