I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 250 The Young Wanli Emperor's Incognito Inspection Tour of the Government Office: The Plan to Command an Army Inside the Capital is About to Be Implemented

March 8th, afternoon.

The young Wanli Emperor, dressed in a moon-white robe adorned with kylin patterns, arrived at the cabinet office (i.e., Wenyuan Pavilion) with Feng Bao, who was dressed in plain clothes, and several junior eunuchs.

The three cabinet ministers, Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and Shen Shixing, were all quite surprised and quickly got up to greet them.

Although the distance between Wenyuan Pavilion and Wenhua Hall is only a few hundred steps, this was the first time that the young Wanli Emperor had stepped into Wenyuan Pavilion.

Zhang Juzheng and the other two mistakenly thought that something urgent had happened. They were relieved when they learned from Feng Bao that the young Wanli Emperor had only come to visit them.

……

A moment later, in a hall.

The young Wanli Emperor sat at the very top, with Feng Bao standing to one side, and Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and Shen Shixing standing below.

Three very exquisite food boxes were placed on the table next to it.

Emperor Wanli smiled and said, "Grand Secretary, Grand Secretary Yin, Grand Secretary Shen, I have just recovered from my rash and I was feeling really bored in the inner palace, so I thought I'd come out for a walk. These are walnut pastries that the Imperial Kitchen just made. Please try them. If you like them, I'll have the Imperial Kitchen send over more."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!" Zhang Juzheng and the other two bowed in unison.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with his ministers, the young Wanli Emperor looked at the three of them.

"Next, I wish to conceal my identity and travel in plain clothes, occasionally visiting various government offices within the inner city of the capital to observe and understand their administration. This will also make up for my lack of knowledge about the specific affairs of the outer court government offices. What do the three Grand Secretaries think?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng and the other two were taken aback.

When the young Wanli Emperor came to the cabinet, it was to offer condolences or visit, but if he concealed his identity and went to other government offices, it would be to inspect and find fault.

As emperor, the daily life of the young Wanli Emperor was always arranged by Empress Dowager Li and Zhang Juzheng.

His personal visit to the outer court was somewhat against protocol, but Zhang Juzheng showed a gratified expression.

"Your Majesty, although this action does not conform to the royal etiquette, I believe that simply inspecting the inner city government offices will help to identify and address any shortcomings in the outer court government offices, thereby encouraging all officials to be diligent. I have no objection!"

“Your Majesty, I have no objection!” Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing echoed.

Emperor Wanli was surprised by how smoothly things went, and a bright smile immediately appeared on his face.

"I have decided to disguise myself as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or a clerk of a government office to patrol. I may enter with the head of a government office or go on my own. I will not reveal my identity in public no matter what happens. If I find any problems, I will discuss them with the three Grand Secretaries. If I have any insights, I will write a policy essay as homework and submit it to the Grand Secretary for review."

"Rest assured, Your Excellencies, I will absolutely not let this matter delay my daily lectures."

These words from the young Wanli Emperor pleased Zhang Juzheng and the other two greatly, as they admired such a diligent, sensible, and obedient emperor.

Zhang Juzheng immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, we will also keep this a secret, so that the officials will not know that Your Majesty has personally visited."

……

A moment later, the young Wanli Emperor left the cabinet office.

Yin Zhengmao looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Grand Secretary Zhang, I feel that His Majesty seems to be considering ruling in his own right!"

The young Wanli Emperor did just that.

Clearly, this was to increase his sense of involvement in politics and thus strengthen imperial power.

The three Grand Secretaries could all vaguely guess his purpose.

Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard lightly.

"It's a good thing that Your Majesty is ambitious. When Your Majesty truly has the ability to rule in your own right, we can all take a break!"

Zhang Juzheng spoke with great confidence.

When the young Wanli Emperor could assume personal rule depended on when he returned power to Zhang Juzheng, but at present, the young Wanli Emperor's abilities clearly did not meet Zhang Juzheng's requirements.

If the young Wanli Emperor had been as capable and diligent as the newly enthroned Jiajing Emperor, Zhang Juzheng might have considered retiring.

Zhang Juzheng, who had served as Grand Secretary for several years, actually wanted to retire, but the current new policies did not allow him to do so.

Shen Shixing smiled and said, "Grand Secretary Zhang, I didn't expect you to agree to His Majesty's request to do something that violates the rules of etiquette."

Zhang Juzheng smiled slightly.

"Ziheng said that His Majesty is currently in a period of high energy, and we should not suppress him too much."

"His Majesty is restless, so let him disguise himself as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or a clerk and wander around the various government offices. If he doesn't find any problems, it means we've done a good job. If he does find any problems, we can rectify them in time. His Majesty's inspection might be more effective at finding problems than the clerks who regularly conduct inspections!"

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing both nodded in agreement.

They also hoped that the young Wanli Emperor would grow up quickly and be able to rule in his own right, so that their pressure would not be so great.

If the three men had known that the young Wanli Emperor's inspection of various government offices had ulterior motives, they would never have agreed to his willful actions.

……

March 9th, afternoon.

The young Wanli Emperor, disguised as a gray-clad clerk from the Office of Transmission, arrived at the Hanlin Academy first, along with two other clerks arranged by Feng Bao, each carrying a stack of documents.

He is very busy every morning, while the afternoon is his free time.

This afternoon, the young Wanli Emperor's destination was the Hanlin Academy's Lecturer's Hall, which was Shen Nian's office.

He didn't want to see if Shen Nian was taking things seriously.

Instead, he wanted to see if Shen Nian, who was always by his side, could recognize him at a glance.

Because the three young Wanli, disguised as clerks, all possessed identification documents from the Office of Transmission and routinely delivered relevant documents to the Hanlin Academy's Lecturer's Office, they easily entered the Hanlin Academy.

Many officials in the Hanlin Academy knew the young Wanli Emperor.

All the examiners, editors, writers, readers, and lecturers recognized the young Wanli Emperor, but most of them were sitting inside the house.

And look at how young Wanli is dressed now.

If they couldn't see the young Wanli's face, they would never guess that he was the current emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, young Wanli was quite excited. This novel experience gave him an unprecedented thrill.

About a quarter of an hour later.

The young Wanli Emperor strolled around the front courtyard of the Hanlin Academy, chatted briefly with a scholar, and then entered the Hanlin Lecture Hall.

soon.

The young Wanli Emperor, along with two other clerks, arrived at Shen Nian's house, led by a clerk from the lecture hall.

At this moment, Shen Nian is reviewing the daily records of her recent activities.

Since he became the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank official, he has recorded the emperor's activities much less frequently. However, the records kept by other officials in charge of recording the emperor's activities still need to be reviewed by Shen Nian before they can be sealed and stored.

Shen Nian looked up and saw three clerks carrying stacks of documents to the door. They said, "Put them on that table over there!"

Because Shen Nian held multiple positions and read a lot of historical documents every day, his bookshelves and table were full of books.

Immediately, the young Wanli Emperor and two other clerks quickly entered the room and placed the documents they were carrying on the table.

When leaving.

The young Wanli deliberately walked around in front of Shen Nian before heading towards the door.

Shen Nian glanced at Xiao Wanli out of the corner of her eye, then suddenly looked at Xiao Wanli's back and said, "Stop!"

Having served as a teacher in two lifetimes, Shen Nian possesses an exceptionally keen memory for the appearances and physiques of those he has met.

He was certain that the person before him was the young Wanli Emperor.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wanli smiled. Shen Nian could recognize him just by looking at his back, which meant that Shen Nian had feelings for him.

This made the young Wanli Emperor very happy.

Young Wanli turned his face toward Shen Nian, then glanced at the clerk at the door. The moment Shen Nian saw Young Wanli, his first thought was that Young Wanli had gotten into trouble again, and he instantly understood what Young Wanli meant.

"You... stay here, everyone else go out first, and... close the door!" Shen Nian said.

soon.

Only Shen Nian and Xiao Wanli remained in the room.

Shen Nian quickly stood up, walked to the young Wanli Emperor, and was about to bow to him when the young Wanli Emperor waved his hand and said, "Minister Shen, I am traveling incognito, there is no need for formalities!"

After saying this, the young Wanli Emperor sat down on a tea chair to the side.

"Minister Shen, brew me a pot of tea, let's chat for a while!" Little Wanli touched the boiling water that had just been boiled on the tea table beside him.

"I obey!"

While brewing tea, Shen Nian said, "Your Majesty, after you finish your tea, I will secretly escort you back to the palace. If the Empress Dowager and the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet find out that Your Majesty disguised yourself as a clerk and came to the Hanlin Academy, I'm afraid Your Majesty will be punished again!"

The young Wanli Emperor looked at Shen Nian with a smile.

"Shen Qing, you truly are my man. If Wang Xijue were to see me dressed like this at the Hanlin Academy, his first thought would surely be to summon the Grand Secretary here, and then submit a memorial criticizing me!" The young Wanli leaned back in the soft seat of the tea chair, his posture not like that of an emperor, but like that of a mischievous boy who sat however he felt comfortable.

Shen Nian's eyes rolled.

"Your Majesty, if I am not mistaken, the three Grand Secretaries must have known about and agreed to your incognito travels!"

Shen Nian knew the young Wanli Emperor very well.

His behavior was so relaxed, casual, and even somewhat boastful that Zhang Juzheng must have approved it.

"Shen Qing understands me best!"

The young Wanli Emperor picked up the tea that Shen Nian had brought him, drank it all in one gulp, then stretched out his arms, leaned back in his chair, and exclaimed, "The feeling of taking off the dragon robe is so liberating, so comfortable!"

Shen Nian smiled slightly, without pointing out that Xiao Wanli had violated any taboo by saying those words.

He knew that the young Wanli Emperor had a difficult life, and if he continued to suppress him, he would eventually develop mental problems.

immediately.

The young Wanli excitedly told Shen Nian about his plan to disguise himself as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or a minor official (such as a clerk, a secretary, a criminal officer, a granary official, a warehouse official, or a ritual official) and inspect all the government offices in the capital.

"I do this because I know that knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial. Only by understanding the operating rules of each government office, and knowing their value and difficulties, can I use them effectively and efficiently when I take charge of the government in the future!"

"Your Majesty is too kind. This is a blessing for all the officials and people of our Great Ming!" Shen Nian rarely flattered.

When he heard the young Wanli Emperor say this, he knew that the young Wanli Emperor already had the idea of ​​ruling in his own right and was thinking of working hard to achieve the ability to rule in his own right as soon as possible.

Shen Nian had no objection to this.

After all, it was inevitable that the young Wanli Emperor would assume personal rule.

However, Shen Nian was somewhat wary that if the young Wanli Emperor were to assume personal rule and become a hands-off manager, allowing the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial to increase further, it could be a disaster for the Ming Dynasty.

Although Feng Bao supported the new policies and reforms, he always put his own interests first.

In his mind, he could be good to the people, but only if it did not diminish his own interests.

This is completely different from Shen Nian's idea.

At this moment, Shen Nian felt that the young Wanli Emperor was too eager to achieve quick results and wanted to take control of the court as soon as possible.

However, Shen Nian felt that, given Wanli's current abilities, he could only make trouble for a few days at most, and there was absolutely no possibility of him taking personal control of the government within at least two years.

……

Then, Shen Nian started chatting with the young Wanli.

Shen Nian felt that this opportunity of the young Wanli Emperor's incognito inspection tour of the government offices could be used to help some government officials correct their bad habits.

So he began to tell the young Wanli about the interesting stories of various government offices in the capital.

For example, the officials and clerks of the Office of Transmission often had a habit of procrastinating and were always particularly busy at dusk.

For example, the ritual music performances and training of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were mostly conducted after the officials had finished their duties, and the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Court of Imperial Stud, who were not too busy, liked to go and enjoy them.

For example, the three judicial departments were openly and covertly at odds, and would often argue over the review of a case, citing the "Great Ming Code".

……

The young Wanli Emperor was very excited to hear this.

His biggest worry was that he would find nothing after inspecting the area, but Shen Nian's words provided him with a lot of material.

This move will make it easier for him to achieve his ultimate goal.

……

An hour later.

After Shen Nian promised to keep it a secret, the young Wanli Emperor left the Hanlin Academy.

The reason he sought out Shen Nian was not merely to check if Shen Nian could discover him, but because his plan to establish an internal military force required Shen Nian's participation.

These strategies were all taught to young Wanli by Feng Bao.

If Shen Nian agrees to certain things, the probability of the three Grand Elders agreeing will increase significantly. Even if the three Grand Elders disagree, Shen Nian has the ability to persuade them.

Feng Bao never really liked Shen Nian.

Because Shen Nian's belief in "the people are the most important" was too strong, and he did many things that went against him.

But he knew that Shen Nian would definitely become the young Wanli Emperor's right-hand man in the future, and that without Shen Nian's participation, the success rate of some things would be much lower.

……

The next few days.

The young Wanli Emperor began his joyful time of traveling incognito to inspect the government offices.

He first went to the Six Ministries, which were busy from morning till night, then visited the lifeless Censorate, the mysterious Imperial Observatory, and the Five Courts (Court of Judicial Review, Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Court of Imperial Banquets, Court of Imperial Stud, and Court of State Ceremonies), where clerks did the same things every day.

Afterwards, the young Wanli Emperor also visited the Xixin Division and the Zhonggu Division, two of the twenty-four departments of the inner court, and witnessed the daily lives of the lower-level eunuchs and clerks.

With the help of materials provided by Shen Nian, the young Wanli Emperor wrote eight articles exposing the shortcomings of various government departments.

In the past, when it came to writing articles, the young Wanli Emperor was always very passive.

Because after writing it, I faced criticism from more than ten Japanese lecturers, and someone could always find fault with it.

But this time, it was he who pointed out the mistake, and it was a real mistake that even Zhang Juzheng had to admit was due to the cabinet's lax discipline.

This made the young Wanli Emperor feel extremely comfortable and happy, and he felt the supreme authority of the emperor.

……

March 24th, near dusk.

After reviewing the situation with Feng Bao, Emperor Wanli realized that there were still two government offices left to visit.

One was the Five Cities Military Command, and the other was the Five Armies Command.

These two points are where Feng Bao designed the troublemakers for the young Wanli Emperor, and they will also be the fundamental reasons supporting the young Wanli Emperor in forming the inner army.

Emperor Wanli decided to set off the next afternoon, taking Shen Nian with him so that Shen Nian could also see the inadequacy of the Ming Dynasty's capital garrison's defenses.

in this way.

Only in this way can the young Wanli Emperor's goals of preparing an internal army, creating an elite model, strengthening the palace's defenses, and enhancing the emperor's authority and deterrent power be achieved.

(End of this chapter)