I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 263 The Barking Dog! Use words against military generals, and take action against censors.
Almost in a single day.

Shen Nian's words, "A soldier who doesn't want to become a general is not a good soldier" and "The support of the people is the strongest force to protect the Ming Dynasty," spread throughout all the government offices in the capital.

These two sentences, though seemingly simple and straightforward, resonate with the psychology of soldiers at the grassroots level and have the effect of uniting the people.

The fact that it spread so quickly was clearly at the behest of the young Wanli Emperor.

The previous sentence was interpreted by civil and military officials as a message from a young Wanli Emperor to the world: the general rule that "the sons of generals will become generals and the sons of soldiers will become soldiers" will be overturned, and only those with talent in the army will be selected.

The latter statement has always been the main theme of the current new policies: He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.

Not only did the young Wanli Emperor spread Shen Nian's two sentences, but he also ordered the Ministry of War to send Shen Nian's lecture notes from the Jingwu Academy to the important border towns.

On the one hand, he wanted to prove to the officials that his leadership in establishing the "Jingwu Academy" was a correct action with far-reaching influence and could effectively improve the military strength of the Ming Dynasty.

On the other hand, he wanted to demonstrate imperial power and had expressed his idea of ​​taking control of the military power of the country.

……

Cabinet value.

Zhang Juzheng also read Shen Nian's lecture notes.

“Ziheng is truly wise! With Ziheng around, the nine hundred soldiers will certainly not be His Majesty’s private army in the future!” Zhang Juzheng said, stroking his long beard.

Others might not have noticed anything special about Shen Nianwenxun's speech, but Zhang Juzheng saw it at a glance.

Shen Nian kept emphasizing that the purpose of the nine hundred soldiers was to protect the entire Ming Dynasty, and that they were instilled with the idea of ​​defending the country and protecting the people, rather than being made into the private army of the young Wanli Emperor.

In this way, these nine hundred soldiers, once they have become capable, can achieve great things, instead of blindly obeying the young Wanli Emperor.

This also aligns with Shen Nian's long-held belief that "the people are the most important."

Zhang Juzheng was able to think of this because, in the past two years, the young Wanli Emperor had valued the imperial treasury's wealth more than the treasury's.

A wise ruler must never prioritize the interests of the royal family over those of the public.

The young Wanli Emperor had a very low level of awareness in this regard and still needs to be educated.

As for the young Wanli Emperor, he would never have thought of this.

Because in his eyes, the Ming Dynasty was the emperor, and Shen Nian's words about protecting the Ming Dynasty meant protecting him.

……

In the blink of an eye, it was July, and the second issue of "Wanli Minjian," the summer edition, was officially published.

Once this publication was released, it prompted many tabloids in the capital and local areas to take action.

Therefore, the publication contains truthful content, few official articles praising the government, and focuses on people's livelihood and folk arts, making it highly popular among the people.

Many literate people even copied it down and kept it at home, looking at it from time to time.

This resulted in any tabloid article containing content related to this publication, and any interpretation of that content, becoming a bestseller.

Many impoverished scholars who couldn't even pass the imperial examinations could earn a fortune by writing articles interpreting such matters and receiving royalties.

The imperial court did not interfere with the diverse interpretations of the people on the streets, or even with the criticism of some policies.

Because these are all real sounds.

It's much better than those rumors like "Shen Nian is Zhang Juzheng's illegitimate son, and Empress Dowager Li has an unclear relationship with Zhang Juzheng."

The current imperial court is gradually beginning to allow scholars and intellectuals to speak freely, and the scope of such freedom is becoming increasingly broad.

But it must be a genuine voice.

Those who spread rumors are still within the scope of the factory's strict crackdown.

……

July 14th, near noon.

A message spread throughout the various government offices in the capital.

Fang Fengshi, Minister of War and concurrently Governor of Shanxi, submitted a memorial requesting that Li Chengliang, General of Liaodong, be granted a noble title, citing the reasons that "more than 10,000 heads were taken and the territory expanded by 700 li, and the military achievements of the border generals were unprecedented in the past two hundred years."

This news immediately became a hot topic of discussion in various government offices in the capital.

During the Ming Dynasty, the conditions for bestowing titles upon military officers were extremely stringent.

No one will be granted a title unless their achievements are extraordinary.

The basic, hard requirements are: beheading more than two thousand enemies, or making great contributions to quelling internal rebellions or expanding the borders, in order to be eligible for a title.

At present, none of the nine border generals, including Qi Jiguang, held a noble title.

However, Li Chengliang fits the tradition of "granting titles upon those who expand the borders," so including him in the discussion of granting titles is not inappropriate.

The request made by Fang Fengshi, the Minister of War, was in accordance with regulations.

However, military merit is only one aspect; whether or not one can be granted a noble title depends mainly on the court's decision.

Some officials who opposed the memorial were worried that Zhang Juzheng, who had always supported Li Chengliang, would immediately draft a resolution to approve it. They even skipped lunch and wrote their own memorials to oppose it.

The intensity of the opposition was unbelievable even to Shen Nian.

The main gate of the Office of Transmission was broken by some impatient officials, and in less than two hours, nearly a hundred memorials opposing the verdict were received.

Apart from the officials of the Censorate, officials from the Six Ministries, the Hanlin Academy, the Court of Judicial Review, and other government departments all opposed Li Chengliang's granting of a title.

The reasons include: Li Chengliang repeatedly exaggerated his military achievements to gain credit, murdered innocent refugees and Jurchen civilians, and even exaggerated small-scale conflicts into major victories to claim undeserved rewards; many members of the Li family held important positions, embezzled military pay, and monopolized trade, causing the soldiers in Liaodong to know only the Li family and not the imperial court...

Because Li Chengliang relied entirely on his personal prestige in training troops and fighting battles, and appointed people based on nepotism, he was considered to have a very poor character by the civil officials in the capital.

However, some officials have ulterior motives.

Their criticism of Li Chengliang was entirely out of a desire to prevent military generals from becoming too powerful. Whenever a military general became too powerful, they would immediately step on him to make him understand that he had to be inferior to the civil officials.

Of course, there were also those who praised Li Chengliang, such as Liang Menglong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

He acknowledged Li Chengliang's achievements in expanding territory by 700 li, his military exploits that deterred the Mongol tribes from invading Liaodong, his effective governance of the Jurchen tribes to control them, and his contributions in building cities and fortresses to improve Liaodong's defense system and forge the Liaodong Iron Cavalry. Despite his character flaws, his achievements cannot be erased. Among the nine border generals, Li Chengliang undoubtedly deserves the title of the best.

After praising Li Chengliang, Liang Menglong couldn't help but criticize the opponents.

He stated that some civil officials who opposed Li Chengliang's bestowal of titles were not acting on behalf of the court, but rather deliberately suppressing the promotion of military officers. Some civil officials deliberately targeted military officers, excessively suppressing them, which forced some military officers to commit crimes of greed and lust immediately after establishing merit, lest they be impeached for having the tendency to seize power and disrupt the country.

He also stated that the current Five Military Commissions lacked any military spirit, which was due to excessive suppression. This also led to low military efficiency and a decline in military talent in the Ming Dynasty.

In the past, Liang Menglong would never have dared to say such a thing, because it would offend a group of civil officials.

However, at present, the young Wanli Emperor has a tendency to reorganize the military, and in order to prevent the military men from becoming decadent, it is necessary to raise the status of military generals.

These words stirred up a hornet's nest.

Many civil officials who opposed Li Chengliang's granting of a title turned their anger towards Liang Menglong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

……

It was near dusk in front of the Ministry of War.

More than ten officials from the Censorate presented a formal letter of invitation, intending to confront Liang Menglong.

For officials who are in charge of remonstrance, arguing is also part of official business.

Whether you win or lose an argument, it counts as a performance evaluation. Winning an argument can also bring you a good reputation and lead to an exceptional promotion, so everyone is eager to participate.

When Liang Menglong learned of this, he did not want to argue with them, but knowing that if they were not allowed into the Ministry of War, they would make an even bigger fuss outside the Ministry of War, he ordered his men to invite them to the front hall.

……

In the front hall of the Ministry of War, more than ten officials from the Censorate greeted Liang Menglong, who was sitting directly in front of them, with a slight bow before launching into their tirade.

"Minister Liang, back then, Emperor Taizu abolished the Grand Military Commission and the tradition of meritorious nobles, emphasizing military generals leading troops and civil officials supervising the army. You must know why, right?"

"Minister Liang, the Emperor Taizu once said that military officers who do not cultivate literature and are ignorant of governance will ultimately not be good generals. Is Li Chengliang of Liaodong, such a crude, greedy, and power-hungry man, a good general?" ...

The officials of the censorate immediately used the name of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang to suppress Liang Menglong.

Liang Menglong tried to explain, but the people were talking so fast that he couldn't get a word in edgewise.

After the ancestral rules were temporarily suspended, the officials of the censorate began to talk about the harm caused by Li Chengliang's conferment of a title.

"If General Li is granted a title, what will the other military commanders of the Nine Garrisons think? They will surely be thinking about fighting, increasing the number of heads taken, and expanding the borders. If this leads to a major war, how should the current new policies be implemented, and how long can the national treasury support them?"

"Minister Liang, civil administration is the foundation of our dynasty's long-term stability and security. Military prowess is merely an auxiliary technique. If we treat military generals too well, they will inevitably harbor rebellious intentions. Only by constantly suppressing them can we maintain peace on the nine borders!"

"If he is granted a title, his family will surely prosper for three generations, and the Li family's power will be even greater. Has Minister Liang forgotten the chaos caused by the regional military governors? How did the Tang Dynasty fall into decline? How did Zhao Kuangyin, the Song general, seize the throne? Does Minister Liang not know this?"

……

The officials of the censors spat as they spoke, some of their spittle even hitting Liang Menglong directly in the face.

Liang Menglong began to explain.

These people didn't listen at all; they were only immersed in their own opinions and wanted to denounce Liang Menglong. The more they said, the more they wrote on their performance evaluations, and the greater their merits would be.

Liang Menglong was immediately annoyed.

He glanced at the guards at the door, suddenly pushed aside several officials in front of him, and snatched the spear from the guards' hands.

Although Liang Menglong was over fifty years old, he was physically strong and practiced martial arts regularly. He had even become famous for suppressing bandits and thieves, and he had some kung fu skills.

Swish!
He pointed his spear at the group of censors and officials, and once they quieted down, he shouted, "You bunch of long-tongued barking dogs who are just trying to gain fame, can't you listen to what I'm saying?"

At this moment, the leading official of the Censorate, looking excited, said, "Minister Liang, as an official responsible for remonstrance, I have the right to speak at any time and in any place, as His Majesty has granted. You actually want to resort to violence? Have our words already made you so ashamed that you have no words to say?"

For these officials in charge of divination and prophecy, suffering physical harm for speaking out was considered a great achievement.

Liang Menglong was usually good-tempered, but at this moment he was unwilling to communicate with these officials. He turned his spear around, held the spearhead, and swept the wooden shaft forward.

boom! boom! boom!
The long spear shafts struck these officials squarely on the ground.

"I am willing to bear the blame for beating you all!" Liang Menglong swung his spear wildly.

Immediately, the officials in charge of criticism retreated.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers outside rushed over, ready to capture all of them at Liang Menglong's command.

"All of you step back!" Liang Menglong shouted.

He could bear the crime of assaulting an official who dared to speak out, but these soldiers could not.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Liang Menglong brandished his spear and soon drove more than ten officials out of the Ministry of War.

Having served in the Ministry of War for several years, he understood one principle: to avoid being taken advantage of, one must use words against military officers and take action against censors.

After Liang Menglong drove them out, he thought they would leave.

Unexpectedly, they shouted even louder outside the Ministry of War.

He also claimed that Liang Menglong, the Left Vice Minister of War, was currying favor with Fang Fengshi, the Minister of War, and that in a fit of rage, he beat up a group of officials who questioned him.

Just as Liang Menglong was about to give them another beating, Cabinet Minister Yin Zhengmao happened to pass by the Ministry of War.

"What's going on? Making such a fuss in front of the Ministry of War!" Yin Zhengmao shouted after getting out of his sedan chair.

Upon seeing the two parties, Yin Zhengmao immediately knew the reason for their conflict.

Just as a censor whose forehead was swollen and red was about to complain to Yin Zhengmao about Liang Menglong's mistakes, Yin Zhengmao glared at him and said, "All of you shut up first. I'll listen to what Minister Liang has to say!"

Immediately, all the officials in charge of the censors had no choice but to shut up. Then, Yin Zhengmao listened to Liang Menglong recount the whole story.

After listening, Yin Zhengmao paused for a moment and looked at the assembled officials.

"You should all go back to your offices. If you have any problems, submit a memorial to the emperor instead of going to the Ministry of War to cause trouble!"

Upon hearing the words "nitpicking," the officials of the censorate immediately assumed that Yin Zhengmao was favoring Liang Menglong.

"Grand Secretary Yin, how are we picking a fight? We are debating state affairs. It was Minister Liang who claimed that civil officials exerted too much pressure on military officers, and that this statement violated ancestral rules. We are..."

Before the official could finish speaking, Yin Zhengmao suddenly snatched the spear from Liang Menglong's hand and swung it directly at them.

boom!
A stick struck the speaker on the shoulder, and as the speaker cried out in pain and clutched his shoulder, Yin Zhengmao kicked him, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Although Yin Zhengmao is over sixty years old, he has always been extremely ruthless.

Its imposing manner instantly frightened the officials in charge of the imperial examinations.

Furthermore, if Yin Zhengmao were to injure himself while beating them, it would still be their fault.

After all, this person is a Grand Secretary of the current dynasty.

Immediately, more than ten officials scattered and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Yin Zhengmao had many years of experience leading troops, and he agreed with Liang Menglong's statement. In addition, the imperial court was determined to reorganize the military and needed to boost the morale of the military officers.

His actions were not reckless, but rather an attempt to share the blame with Leung Mong Lung.

Once he takes action, the matter will most likely be dropped, and the young Wanli Emperor will not hold the two responsible for the fight.

……

An hour later.

News of Yin Zhengmao and Liang Menglong's fights with a group of censors and officials at the Ministry of War quickly spread throughout the various government offices.

One was over fifty years old, and the other was over sixty, both holding high positions. The fact that they took action was clearly due to the censor's vulgar language.

This was the reaction of almost all officials who heard about it.

These officials in the censorate did not dare to report the matter to the emperor. They accepted Liang Menglong's apology, but if Yin Zhengmao apologized to them, their careers would be over.

Upon learning of this, Shen Nian couldn't help but smile broadly.

The fact that the imperial court in the capital has two officials, Yin Zhengmao and Liang Menglong, who dare to support military generals and take action against those who speak out against dissent, is truly a blessing for the court.

Shen Nian felt that there was no problem with the current court granting Li Chengliang a title.

Conferring a title is merely an honorary reward.

Given Li Chengliang's current strength, he has no intention of rebelling or overthrowing the country.

Furthermore, Shen Nian also knew that without Li Chengliang, Liaodong would be even more chaotic, and the Jurchens would rise to power even faster.

There was no replacement for Li Chengliang. Granting him a title would make him even more dedicated to his duties. As for his other shortcomings, both Emperor Wanli and the cabinet were aware of them, and they were within the court's tolerance.

……

Early the next morning.

Zhang Juzheng promptly submitted the draft of Li Chengliang's memorial regarding the conferment of a noble title to the Forbidden City.

He was not influenced by dissenting officials, and the core idea of ​​the vote was: those who have made great contributions should be rewarded and should be granted titles.

"Gongmao Maoshang" means that great achievements should be rewarded handsomely.

When the young Wanli Emperor read through this memorial and saw the draft proposal, he nodded slightly.

He was more aware of Li Chengliang's shortcomings than many officials, but his merits outweighed his flaws. Liaodong at that time could not do without Li Chengliang, and the status of military generals should be appropriately elevated. The young Wanli Emperor also wanted to win the hearts of the army through this.

The young Wanli Emperor picked up his brush to write the words "ready to be drafted," but after thinking for a moment, he suddenly stopped.

"If I approve it immediately, Li Chengliang will only remember the favor of the Grand Secretary. If I allow the two sides to debate in the regular court session, and then personally speak up for Li Chengliang's merits, he will surely be grateful for my kindness!"

A smug smile appeared on the face of the young Wanli Emperor, who felt that he had mastered another trick of the art of emperorship.

(End of this chapter)