I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 253 Zhang Taiyue Angrily Rebukes the Young Wanli Emperor! The Young Emperor Sheds Tears at the Huangji Gate

Disciple of Huangji.

Duke Zhang Rong of England knelt directly in front and said loudly, "The lax training of the Five Military Commands is jeopardizing the safety of the nation, and this is truly our fault. Now, Your Majesty has devised a good plan to establish an inner military force, restore military discipline, and set an example for soldiers throughout the land. We are willing to give our full support!"

In the imperial court, the opinion of the first person to express their views is often very important.

Because it most likely represents divine will.

"We are willing to give our full support!" All the chief officials of the Five Military Commands bowed in unison.

this moment.

Almost all the officials attending the regular court session could tell that Zhang Rong and his group had been instructed in advance by the young Wanli Emperor. They created this atmosphere just to wait for the other officials to shout in unison: "Your Majesty, I second your opinion."

Zhang Juzheng's face darkened.

Anyone with eyes can see that the young Wanli Emperor's plan to establish the Imperial Guard and his claim to "reshape military discipline and set an example for all soldiers" was utter nonsense.

Even if three thousand young eunuchs risked their lives to train, they would not amount to much, much less represent the military bearing, discipline, and combat effectiveness of the Ming Dynasty's capital garrison.

The young Wanli Emperor's move was aimed at increasing imperial power, suppressing the power of his ministers, and giving himself more say.

The officials could all see what this meant, but they couldn't say it outright.

Because it was only natural and justified for the young Wanli Emperor to want to increase his power, since the empire originally belonged to the Zhu family, who could criticize him? And who would dare to criticize him?
"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

……

Immediately, officials stepped forward one after another to express their support for the implementation of the "Preparatory Plan for Prohibiting Military Training in the Inner Palace".

These officials were either opportunists or officials who hoped that the young Wanli Emperor would assume personal rule as soon as possible and relinquish the power of the cabinet.

The reason why such unbelievable things as calling a deer a horse always happened in the courts of successive dynasties was that right and wrong were not important; what mattered was choosing sides.

These officials undoubtedly hoped that the young Wanli Emperor would assume personal rule as soon as possible.

Before long, more than ten officials stood up to second the motion, while the other officials looked to the three cabinet ministers for their opinions.

Zhang Juzheng remained silent, which in fact made his stance clear.

Just then, Wang Bei, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I oppose this policy!"

“Drilling soldiers in the Forbidden City will inevitably increase the power of the eunuchs in the inner court, making it easy to trigger a palace coup. In addition, this move is extremely costly and will increase the financial burden on the court. I think it is very inappropriate!”

As soon as Wang Bei finished speaking, Zhao Yuda, the Director of the Department of Military Affairs of the Ministry of War, also stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the Beijing Garrison is plagued by rampant corruption and lax discipline among its soldiers. The only way to eradicate this problem is to reform the Beijing Garrison system. What good can training three thousand eunuchs do? Can these rootless half-humans really be more effective in combat than the soldiers selected from the Beijing Garrison after training?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Bao's face turned green with anger.

What he detested most were these civil officials who spoke out against the disabled eunuchs.

However, during regular court sessions, the young Wanli Emperor forbade him to speak; he was absolutely forbidden from expressing his opinions.

He silently memorized the names of Wang Bei and Zhao Yuda, preparing to find an opportunity to make things difficult for them in the future.

At this point, Duke Zhang Rong of England explained: "The reason for choosing eunuchs to train soldiers in the palace is to follow the ancestral rules. The eunuchs in the inner court are all royal servants and have almost no contact with the outside world. The possibility of them causing a palace coup is extremely small. As for the huge cost, if it can serve as a model for soldiers throughout the country, it is absolutely worthwhile."

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

……

No sooner had the British official finished speaking than several military officers expressed their agreement with him.

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment and said, "I think the Duke of Yingguo is right. Some things can only be known whether they are feasible after trying them!"

As soon as these words fell.

If the dissenting officials spoke up again, they would be going against the young Wanli Emperor; they could only look to the three Grand Secretaries in front of them.

Looking ahead, the young Wanli Emperor continued, "This policy is the first reform I have conceived since ascending the throne, and it can be considered part of the new policies. I hope that all of you can understand my good intentions. Whether it will be effective or not, we will only see the truth after a year of implementation!"

When the young Wanli Emperor said this, it was clearly intentional for Zhang Juzheng to hear it.

He was pressuring Zhang Juzheng to agree to this plan.

After saying this, the young Wanli Emperor looked at Zhang Juzheng and asked, "What does the Grand Secretary think? Does this policy need to be adjusted?"

At that moment, all the officials looked at Zhang Juzheng.

If Zhang Juzheng agrees to this, then the implementation of this policy is almost a certainty.

Zhang Juzheng slowly stepped forward.

He didn't actually mind that the young Wanli wanted to increase imperial power, but he disliked the young Wanli's reckless behavior.

If the young Wanli Emperor had informed Zhang Juzheng of this plan beforehand, Zhang Juzheng might have agreed. However, the young Wanli Emperor was now trying to use the excuse that "the emperor should not lose face during court sessions" to force Zhang Juzheng to agree.

If Zhang Juzheng had opposed it, it would have been tantamount to criticizing the young Wanli Emperor in court, which would have raised suspicions of "deceiving the emperor because he was young and seizing power." After the court session, many officials would have impeached him, and his reputation in history would have been even worse.

Emperor Wanli believed that Zhang Juzheng, for the sake of the overall situation and to save face, would tolerate his willful act this time.

At this moment, Shen Nian also looked at Zhang Juzheng.

He disagreed with the young Wanli Emperor's idea; he felt that Zhang Juzheng would definitely oppose it.

Because the young Wanli Emperor acted too unilaterally and ruthlessly this time, it seriously affected the normal progress of the new policies.

Zhang Juzheng was not afraid of retiring from office, nor was he afraid of being insulted by the world. He would definitely stop the young Wanli Emperor from doing this.

At this moment, in Shen Nian's arms, there was also a plan to reorganize the Beijing Garrison. As long as Zhang Juzheng could get the young Wanli Emperor to compromise, Shen Nian could come up with this plan and get all the officials in the court to compromise and accept it.

If Zhang Juzheng agrees to establish the Inner Army, no matter how brilliant Shen Nian's plan is, he can't fight city hall and can only compromise for the time being.

tread!tread!tread!
Zhang Juzheng walked to the front, and just when the officials thought he was about to speak, he suddenly knelt on the ground.

Emperor Wanli and his ministers were all greatly alarmed.

At present, officials of the fifth rank and above are exempt from kneeling when speaking at court.

Zhang Juzheng held a higher position, and during audiences at the Wenhua Hall, he almost always spoke while seated.

Shen Nian frowned slightly. He was waiting for Zhang Juzheng to criticize the young Wanli Emperor. If Zhang Juzheng resigned directly, the matter would be difficult to handle.

After kneeling on the ground, Zhang Juzheng solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, disguised as a commoner, has toured the government offices in recent days to investigate official corruption. He has discovered numerous problems and personally drafted sound solutions, which I have submitted to the Grand Secretariat. I am deeply moved. Your Majesty's actions truly demonstrate the qualities of a wise ruler." ...

"Afterwards, Your Majesty inspected the Five City Garrison Commands and the Five Military Commands and found that the soldiers were lazy, their training was lax, their ranks were fabricated, and their command was chaotic. The troops of the Beijing Garrison were no longer sufficient to guard the Forbidden City. I feel very ashamed. This is because I have failed in my duty to assist in governing the country."

"During the morning court session, Your Majesty presented the 'Plan for the Preparation of the Imperial Guard,' intending to establish an Imperial Guard and personally train and protect you. I am deeply moved by this ambition. Your Majesty's intention is truly a blessing for all the people of the world."

"The nobles and officials of the Five Military Commands all agree with Your Majesty's policy, and I should not have any objections. However, since this matter concerns the military and political affairs of the court, I dare not be careless. I have three questions for Your Majesty. I wonder if Your Majesty could answer them for me first?"

These words made the hairs on the young Wanli Emperor's arms stand on end, and he suddenly became tense.

This is similar to how Zhang Juzheng would give him a test after a regular lecture to see if he had learned anything.

He could never answer these kinds of questions.

After thinking for a moment, the young Wanli Emperor had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Please speak, Grand Secretary!"

Zhang Juzheng cupped his hands and said, "My first question is: Your Majesty wishes to personally train the Imperial Guards and reform the laxity of the Beijing Garrison. I would like to ask Your Majesty, do you understand how to train troops? Do you know how many hours are spent training troops each day? Do you know how to test the combat effectiveness of troops who have never been in actual combat?"

The young Wanli Emperor was momentarily speechless. After a moment, he quoted a few sentences from the "Preparation Plan for Military Training within the Forbidden City" and replied, "I only need to follow the 'Preparation Plan for Military Training within the Forbidden City,' conduct drills at dawn, practice firearms at noon, and practice capture techniques at dusk. Furthermore, I will equip the area with three thousand Ferghana horses and three thousand hand cannons and firearms, and train them daily. Surely, we will achieve something."

Zhang Juzheng shook his head slightly.

"Your Majesty, you are oversimplifying the war. I suggest that Your Majesty should have a military instructor on your daily lectures from now on!"

Adding 3,000 cavalry would be extremely expensive, equivalent to supporting nearly 30,000 infantry.

These words left the young Wanli Emperor speechless.

His understanding of military and political affairs was only superficial; how could he possibly give a satisfactory answer to Zhang Juzheng, the Grand Secretary who came from a military family?

Zhang Juzheng continued, "My second question is that after Your Majesty inspected the various government offices, you gave instructions to the cabinet. However, when you inspected the Five City Garrison Command and the Five Military Commands, you informed Vice Minister Shen of the Ministry of Revenue and even the Duke of Yingguo, but you did not inform the cabinet. Does Your Majesty feel that the cabinet has too much power and that you do not believe that the cabinet can resolve this matter? As a regent, am I no longer capable of assisting Your Majesty?"

Zhang Juzheng's question was quite sharp.

Emperor Wanli ordered Shen Nian of the Ministry of Revenue to draft this policy, and informed the Duke of England of it in advance, but did not inform the cabinet that was assisting in the administration. This move was indeed inappropriate and disappointed the cabinet.

This is a lack of trust in the cabinet.

Next, it would be reasonable for the three Grand Secretaries to submit their retirement documents, and the young Wanli Emperor would have to give an explanation.

"Prime Minister, I...I...absolutely do not believe that the cabinet ministers have too much power, I...I..." The young Wanli Emperor suddenly became a little anxious; he just wanted to make himself more comfortable.

Zhang Juzheng did not press the young Wanli Emperor further, but instead raised a third question.

"Your Majesty, my third question is that I believe the establishment of an inner military force is not a fundamental solution to the declining capabilities of the capital garrison. Is Your Majesty's move due to our excessive pressure on you? Is Your Majesty's desire to personally train troops merely to satisfy your own interests and lust for power?"

Zhang Juzheng's third question was even more incisive.

If the young Wanli Emperor nodded, it would be tantamount to admitting that he was fooling around and indulging his own selfish desires.

"Cough cough..."

Standing to the side, Feng Bao coughed immediately, hoping that the young Wanli Emperor would immediately announce the suspension of court and leave the Huangji Gate.

However, Yin Zhengmao strode forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I suggest that this matter must be resolved at today's court meeting. Otherwise, if this matter is widely discussed by officials, it will easily cause a rift between the emperor and his ministers and affect the administration of the court!"

Zhang Juzheng's eyes were fixed on the young Wanli Emperor.

This time, he did not compromise for the sake of the overall situation, nor did he try to save face for the young Wanli Emperor.

The three questions he raised were actually accusations against the young Wanli Emperor for lacking the ability to train troops, distrusting the cabinet, and wanting to train troops in the Forbidden City to satisfy his personal desires.

Every word was like a slap in the face to the young Wanli Emperor.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor's eyes reddened.

He never expected that even though he was already seventeen years old and had learned to use stratagems to fight for his rights, Zhang Juzheng would still treat him like a child, showing him no respect whatsoever and directly revealing his true intentions.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor felt that if he compromised, he would become a puppet of the entire court.

He decided to rebel.

The young Wanli Emperor stood up and looked directly into Zhang Juzheng's eyes.

“Prime Minister, I have no talent for training troops, but I can learn. I want to become an emperor like the Taizu and Chengzu, who can govern the country on horseback or on foot. Am I wrong?”

"It's not that I distrust the cabinet, but rather that I have been on the throne for nearly seven years, and I also want to contribute to the new policies and realize the wish that all the people of the Ming Dynasty can fill their stomachs as soon as possible. Am I wrong?"

“I train troops in the palace out of interest, but I am also preparing to rule in my own right, so that when I am thirty I will not still be deceived by some sycophantic ministers and still be unable to achieve anything. Am I wrong?”

Young Wanli, being young, immediately expressed his true thoughts.

His eyes were red-rimmed, and two streams of tears flowed down his face. His tone also carried dissatisfaction with his current life.

In short: I intend to implement this policy in order to increase my imperial power and prepare for ruling in my own right. What is wrong with that?
At this moment, the Huangji Gate was as quiet as if all the air had been sucked out.

Everyone held their breath.

This was the first argument between Zhang Juzheng and the young Wanli Emperor during a regular court session.

Zhang Juzheng looked at the young Wanli Emperor and suddenly smiled.

"Your Majesty, I am pleased that you have the idea of ​​preparing for your personal rule in advance. If you have this idea, you should have expressed it earlier. This is something that we have been looking forward to every day."

"Your Majesty is not wrong in this strategy, but the method you used was wrong!"

“Military and political affairs are of utmost importance and not child’s play. A single ‘Plan for Preparing Military Training within the Forbidden City’ is insufficient to increase Your Majesty’s power, to enable Your Majesty to assume personal rule as soon as possible, or to make Your Majesty both a scholar and a warrior. On the contrary, it may create a rift between Your Majesty and the officials of the court. I believe that this matter should be considered at a longer time. We are willing to devise a new plan for Your Majesty that will surely satisfy you!”

Upon hearing Zhang Juzheng's words, many officials looked puzzled, as this was completely different from the Zhang Juzheng they had imagined.

Some even felt that this was a hypocritical expression on his part.

Shen Nian was amused.

After Zhang Juzheng went into mourning for his father, he actually intended to retire.

It was only because the young Wanli Emperor was not yet capable of ruling in his own right that Zhang Juzheng persisted. Now that the young Wanli Emperor had taken the initiative to express his desire to rule in his own right, Zhang Juzheng was thinking of tailoring more training strategies for him so that he could rule in his own right sooner.

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing, who were standing to the side, also smiled.

Just now, when Zhang Juzheng raised those three questions, and when the young Wanli Emperor asked those three rhetorical questions, "Am I wrong?", both of them thought that the young Wanli Emperor might just quit his post, and Zhang Juzheng might just apply for retirement.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Juzheng gave such a reply, and the tense atmosphere instantly transformed into one of loyalty between the emperor and his ministers.

The young Wanli licked his lips, suddenly at a loss for words.

He realized his own willfulness, and at the same time realized that Zhang Juzheng had no desire to suppress imperial power indefinitely.

His inability to govern personally, constantly constrained by officials outside the court, was entirely due to his lack of governing ability.

Feng Baowang looked at the young Wanli Emperor with a guilty and tearful expression, and murmured to himself: Alas! His Majesty is still young and has been deceived again!

Just as silence fell over the Huangji Gate and some officials questioned whether Zhang Juzheng's words were just empty promises, Shen Nian strode forward and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty, I have a plan to strengthen the army to present!"

(End of this chapter)