I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 27 Zhang Juzheng: As long as I am here, the world will not be in chaos!
It's almost dusk.

The news that Hanlin Reviewer Shen Nian impeached and scolded Duke Yansheng Kong Shangxian for using the public post station for personal purposes was circulated in various government offices in a small circle.

This is not an insult to Duke Yansheng.

It is clear that all the officials who used public post offices for personal gain were being scolded!

It also ridiculed those officials who advocated the abolition of the "Regulations on Post Offices", who forgot the rules and regulations for their own selfish interests and brought disapproval to the emperor.

Some people think that Shen Nian pretends to be sober while everyone else is drunk in order to gain a reputation.

Some people think that Shen Nian is just a foolish scholar and is completely courting death.

After all, in the officialdom.

If a person disagrees with a group of people, whatever he does is his fault, unless he is extremely powerful.

of course.

Some people also admire Shen Nian.

Under such circumstances, he dared to lift the fig leaf of a large group of people, giving people the feeling that Hai Gangfeng had returned to Beijing.

However, no one submitted a memorial to impeach Shen Nian.

On the one hand, the "Regulations on Post Offices" has not been abolished yet. If what Shen Nian said is brought to the table and examined in detail, there is nothing wrong with it.

On the other hand, the bigger the incident becomes, the harder it will be to resolve. If you speak rashly, you may easily get yourself into trouble.

Any cunning official who has served in the capital for more than two years.

Most people believe that the most important quality for an official is to be able to remain silent.

Silence is gold.

It is easier to be promoted than those qualities such as "working day and night for the public, fulfilling one's duties, working hard, and forgetting food and sleep".

……

at the same time.

Kong Shangxian ran to the palace angrily, and then quickly returned to the mansion dejectedly.

Feng Bao told him: Because of the "Regulations on Postal Provision", Prime Minister Zhang resigned in anger, and the wind direction may be changing.

After hearing this, Kong Shangxian looked depressed and regretted that he had submitted the "Letter of Thanks" too hastily.

The Kong family’s philosophy of managing the family is: follow the will of heaven and the will of people.

The "heaven" here refers to the dynasty; the "man" here refers to the emperor.

He thought that if the "Regulations on Post Offices" continued to be implemented, he would have to quickly give up all his private business of using public post offices, and he might even have to write a letter "Praise for the Regulations on Post Offices".

……

In the study room of Prime Minister Zhang’s mansion.

Zhang Juzheng, with a pale face, sat on a big chair, and his mental state was better than yesterday.

Lu Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei sat on either side, looking worried.

"Uncle, I have never thought that there is anything wrong with the Regulations on Postal Services, but we must consider the overall situation. The negative impact it has now caused is too great. Hundreds of local officials have violated this regulation, which has aroused public anger. Foreign enemies on the border have been eyeing the territory of our Ming Dynasty. If this regulation leads to local chaos and wars on the border, the loss will outweigh the gain. We must take it slow!" said Lu Diaoyang.

aside.

Zhang Siwei added, "Lord, His Majesty and the court officials are worried about causing chaos, so they advocate for a lenient punishment. I suggest that you return to the cabinet tomorrow and simply acknowledge that the punishment in the Postal Regulations is too severe. Lord Lu and I will handle the rest."

Zhang Juzheng slowed down and stroked his long beard carefully.

"I have already resigned. If Your Majesty does not approve it today, I will continue to write my resignation letter. If you still do not approve it, I will continue to write. The affairs of the court depend entirely on you two to take care of them!" Zhang Juzheng said expressionlessly.

"Uncle, Ming can't live without you! You're too radical. Why can't you consider the overall situation?
"How will going against the majority of officials benefit the court? How will it benefit Your Majesty? If this 'Regulations on Post Offices' causes widespread resentment among officials, how will the performance appraisal system be implemented? You... why won't you listen to my advice?"

At the current court, the only one who could rebuke Zhang Juzheng in this way was Lu Diaoyang.

Zhang Juzheng sat up straight, with an unhappy look on his face, and stroked his long beard again.

Stroking his beard is his habitual action when he is thinking or preparing to make a long speech.

"I didn't listen to advice? What was wrong with me? I, Zhang Juzheng, am dedicated to the public good. I work tirelessly for the Ming Dynasty, never daring to rest for a moment. I never thought that after just one day off, the court would be in chaos!" "Lord Lu, others don't understand me, Zhang Juzheng, but don't you understand me too?"

"Am I, Zhang Juzheng, a reckless man? When have I ever acted without considering the consequences? Did I implement the New Deal to monopolize power? To specifically oppose all officials? To let those useless people who take the court salary and do nothing to relieve the emperor's worries scold me?"

"When I wrote the 'Regulations on Postal Service,' did you think I didn't anticipate the widespread resentment this policy would cause among officials? Did you not consider how to deal with those royal relatives, provincial governors, and military commanders who violated the regulations? Everything is under my control. As long as I, Zhang Juzheng, send a letter, even if the son of Gansu Governor Hou Donglai is executed by the court, he won't dare to act recklessly!"

"As for the local officials, if they object, I will remove them and find a suitable replacement within three days. This regulation can save the court millions of taels of silver every year. We cannot compromise even a little bit!"

"As long as I am here, there will be no chaos in the region; as long as I am here, the generals on the border will not dare to complain; as long as I am here, the Ming Dynasty will not fall!"

……

Lu Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei were stunned when they heard Zhang Juzheng's decisive voice.

Zhang Juzheng has always been a man of his words.

He dared to say so.

He has thought through all the consequences and figured out how to solve them.

"Uncle, if you had planned everything well in advance, why didn't you tell us and His Majesty in advance? That way we wouldn't have too many worries!" Lu Diaoyang asked.

Zhang Juzheng curled his lips slightly.

"How can I say this? Even the imperial decree of Your Majesty cannot solve the problem. I, Zhang Juzheng, can do it. All the high officials and generals on the border obey my orders."

"If that's the case, Your Majesty, are you afraid? Are you afraid too? I'm afraid all the officials in the court will impeach me, Zhang Juzheng, for forming a clique, assigning important positions to my retainers and accomplices, and intending to steal the country!"

……

this moment.

Lu Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei understood Zhang Juzheng's difficulties.

To implement the new policies, the person giving the orders must be in power and must control the entire Ming Dynasty.

Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, the country may be in danger of collapse.

The disadvantage of this is that most people would call Zhang Juzheng a powerful official, a treacherous minister who bullied his young master and exercised hegemony and dictatorship.

Zhang Juzheng used all his power to carry the Ming Dynasty forward, but the people behind him were all dragging him down.

Even they did not speak for Zhang Juzheng, so how could he not feel disappointed?

Suddenly, Lu Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei's faces turned red and they were speechless.

"Ugh!"

Zhang Juzheng sighed deeply and said, "Forget it, forget it. It's come to this! The court has passed its resolution, and His Majesty has issued an edict to pardon Hou Donglai's son. Furthermore, Duke Yansheng praised the court's generosity, and many officials have expressed support for abolishing the 'Post Office Regulations.' How can we salvage this? We have no choice but to abolish this policy. It's time for me to retire and return home!"

"You two, Juzheng is very lonely!"

Zhang Juzheng said the last sentence with red eyes and tears in his eyes.

It was difficult enough to carry the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty forward day after day.

There is also a group of people pulling him back, scolding him, blaming him, and hating him. What else can he do?

Better go home! Better go home!
Lu Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei were both panicked when they heard Zhang Juzheng's decisive words.

At this time.

Lu Diaoyang's eyes suddenly lit up, and then he took out Shen Nian's memorial from his arms.

"Uncle, you're not alone. There are still officials in the court who support the 'Regulations on Postal Posts'! Besides, the imperial edict sent by His Majesty to Gansu has been intercepted. It's not too late to turn back now, not too late!"

Zhang Juzheng was stunned.

He couldn't imagine that there was anyone in the court who would dare to support the "Regulations on Postal Transport" under such circumstances. In order not to contradict the emperor, all the students and old friends he had trained had to remain silent.

He opened the memorial and felt a little warmed in his heart when he saw Shen Nian's impeachment of Duke Yansheng Kong Shangxian for using the public post station for personal purposes and the text that ridiculed some officials forgot the rules and regulations for personal gain.

Even someone as powerful as Zhang Juzheng needs to be understood.

(End of this chapter)