I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 274 Wishes Fulfilled! With the people witnessing the execution, Southern Zhili can be as secure as Chang'an.
September 19th, near noon.

Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing, was taken to the Nanjing Garrison by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

When Zhang Siwei heard the imperial envoy summon him, he realized that he might be implicated, and he spent the whole journey thinking about how to save himself.

In the front hall.

Shen Shixing, Hai Rui, Shen Nian, and Feng Bao sat at the top, with two clerks from the criminal investigation department on either side responsible for recording their confessions. A chair was prepared for Zhang Siwei directly below.

This place was clearly used as an interrogation hall.

"What is the meaning of this, four imperial envoys?" Zhang Siwei asked with a gloomy expression.

Immediately, a member of the Imperial Guard handed him a document listing two charges against Zhang Siwei.

First, it involves schemes to harm the people.

The testimonies of Sun Long, Wang Yue, and Xu Bangrui, the Duke of Wei, all pointed to Zhang Siwei as the mastermind behind the scheme to "deceive the court, swindle disaster relief funds, and misappropriate disaster relief funds for royal textile affairs."

Secondly, he ordered people to spread rumors to slander the new policies and the then-Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng.

Hai Rui traced the source of the rumors and discovered that it was Zhang Siwei's steward who arranged them, which made it impossible for Zhang Siwei to escape responsibility.

“It’s all a frame-up, a complete fabrication, without any evidence!” Zhang Siwei threw the documents on the ground.

Shen Shixing looked at him.

"Lord Fengpan, whether you've been framed or not, you should at least explain yourself. If His Majesty hears this, he probably won't believe you're innocent!"

Shen Shixing's words were not as forceful as Hai Rui's, but they resonated with Zhang Siwei, who was most concerned about the young Wanli Emperor's reaction.

Zhang Siwei paused for a moment, then slowly sat down in the chair.

Sitting in the chair made him look less like a criminal being interrogated, which was something Shen Shixing had specifically arranged.

After all, the former was also someone who had made great contributions to the imperial court.

"Since leaving the cabinet, I have held a sinecure in Nanjing and have had no private dealings with Sun Long, Wang Yue, and the Duke of Wei. Furthermore, plotting such a harmful plan would not benefit me at all. These three hold real power and are not under my control. I have no right to order them to carry out this plan. After the flood, I devoted myself to disaster relief, which is known to all the people of Yingtian Prefecture. How could I possibly save people while harming them at the same time..."

"As for spreading rumors that slander the new policies and Grand Secretary Zhang, it is even more impossible for me to have any connection with them! When I was in the capital, I always supported the new policies and followed Grand Secretary Zhang's lead. What benefit would I gain from slandering the new policies and Grand Secretary Zhang? Don't tell me that I want to bring down Grand Secretary Zhang and return to the cabinet. Even if Grand Secretary Zhang retires now, I'm afraid the cabinet ministers will be chosen from among Wang Xijue, Wang Jiaping, and even you, Shen Nian..."

Zhang Siwei looked up and glanced at Shen Nian.

Shen Nian smiled faintly. The other party claimed that he could no longer join the cabinet, but he definitely still wanted to join the cabinet in his heart.

This is also his biggest motivation for doing these bad things.

Zhang Siwei further explained: "Wang Yue, Sun Long and others are trying to drag me into this mess to confuse the public and reduce their own punishment. As for the rumors that slander the new policies and Grand Secretary Zhang, they are clearly the words of those who oppose the new policies. There are people in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty who oppose the new policies and hate Grand Secretary Zhang. Are they all my people?"

……

Zhang Siwei's thinking was very clear, focusing on one thing: stubbornly refusing to admit anything.

At this moment, Shen Shixing looked at Hai Rui.

Hai Rui said slowly, "Lord Fengpan, our investigation of you is over. We will present your words today to His Majesty without missing a single one. Of course, if you feel that we might have embellished the story, you can write another memorial to explain to His Majesty. Please leave now!"

Zhang Siwei was taken aback when Hai Rui said this.

He still had more than ten fabricated answers in his mind to deal with the four men's questions!
His sudden cessation of questioning made him feel a little strange.

Zhang Siwei quickly realized what was happening.

These four people probably already believed the two charges against them to be true, but finding direct evidence was impossible.

Furthermore, he did not profit from the misappropriation of disaster relief funds; at most, he was merely a strategist and could not be convicted of any serious crime.

Therefore, the four planned to hand over these charges directly to the young Wanli Emperor for his decision.

Once these charges and confessions are delivered to the capital, whether or not a serious crime can be committed becomes irrelevant.

Importantly, with Zhang Juzheng's involvement, Zhang Siwei's official career was bound to come to a complete end.

Conversely, if a thorough investigation is conducted, Zhang Siwei's crimes should be definitively proven.

It's possible that some officials in the court will see this as a partisan struggle and plead for Zhang Siwei.

Zhang Siwei suddenly panicked.

At this moment, Shen Shixing, Hai Rui, and Shen Nian left the front hall one after another.

Feng Bao glanced at Zhang Siwei.

“Feng Pan Gong, I suggest you resign voluntarily, otherwise…” Feng Bao hesitated.

Zhang Siwei immediately became anxious.

"Eunuch Feng, they're framing me! You...you can..."

"You should submit a memorial to His Majesty to explain!"

After saying that, Feng Bao also left quickly. If it weren't for Zhang Siwei's suggestion, Sun Long might not have been in any trouble. Feng Bao harbored some resentment towards Zhang Siwei.

At this moment, Feng Bao was thinking about immediately writing a private letter to Emperor Wanli, stating that Sun Long had misappropriated disaster relief funds entirely for the sake of the emperor's orders. He also requested that even if Sun Long and Wang Yue were to be executed, the executions should be carried out in the capital. Otherwise, once such a scandal broke out, all the eunuchs in the provinces would become rats in the street, and it might even lead Emperor Wanli to reduce the power of the eunuchs.

……

Near dusk.

The four imperial envoys completed the compilation of the memorials regarding Zhang Siwei's interrogation and quickly sent them to the capital.

……

The next morning.

Two notices were posted outside the Nanjing Garrison Command.

The first document announced the mastermind behind the misappropriation of disaster relief funds and the specific details of the misappropriation.

The second document announced the mastermind behind the assassination of Cao Zheng, the Imperial Inspector of Nanjing.

The people have the right to know these things.

Last time, the announcement only mentioned the misappropriation of grain reserves from the Ever-Normal Granary, but this time all the details have been revealed. As for how to punish them, we will have to wait for the court's reply.

Neither of the two notices mentioned Zhang Siwei.

Because he only offered advice and had no decision-making power, exposing his actions could cause chaos in Southern Zhili. After all, many officials in Southern Zhili strongly supported him, and some officials would interpret this as a factional struggle, causing even more chaos in the already unstable Southern Zhili.

The fact that he wasn't mentioned doesn't mean he won't be punished.

Shen Nian believed that even if the young Wanli Emperor did not want to pursue Zhang Siwei's mistakes, Zhang Juzheng would definitely do so.

Zhang Juzheng was not afraid of others' slander against him, but he would never allow anyone to slander or undermine the new policies.

The posting of these two announcements naturally caused a huge uproar among the public.

The reputation of eunuchs plummeted once again.

Many people hope that these masterminds will all be severely punished and brought to justice.

Based on the current speed of the postal messengers, the earliest the reply from the capital would reach Nanjing would be September 27th.

……

At noon that day, which was noon on September 20th.

Shen Shixing, Shen Nian, and Hai Rui left Nanjing City from three different directions. They planned to inspect the countryside, first ensuring the smooth progress of disaster relief efforts, and then establishing open-air inspection halls to address the problems raised by the people.

As for Feng Bao, he went to the Suzhou-Hangzhou Manufacturing Bureau, which had already ceased operations.

At this moment, there must still be many problems within the Bureau of Textiles, and he must clean them up as soon as possible to improve the reputation of the eunuch group.

……

September 21st, afternoon.

The case concerning the embezzlement of disaster relief funds and the assassination of the imperial inspector was reported to the capital and then to the Wenhua Hall.

After reading the contents of the case file, the young Wanli Emperor turned pale with anger.

He never expected that, in the end, the person primarily guilty would be Sun Long, the eunuch in charge of textile production in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

In order to provide winter clothing for the instructors and students of Jingwu Academy, Sun Long forcibly demanded 80,000 taels of disaster relief funds, which led to the complete failure of the disaster relief efforts.

This result was tantamount to slapping the young Wanli Emperor in the face.

"How could the Grand Eunuch have done such a thing? He actually... actually made me the mastermind behind the failure of the disaster relief!" the young Wanli Emperor said angrily.

at this time.

A junior eunuch reported: Cabinet ministers Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao requested an audience.

Knowing that the two men must have come because of this case, the young Wanli Emperor said with a hint of helplessness, "Please come in, Your Excellencies!"

Soon, Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao strode into the Wenhua Hall.

"Your Majesty, you must have read the memorials and case files submitted by Grand Secretary Shen and others. I wonder if Your Majesty agrees with their decision to punish them?" Zhang Juzheng asked bluntly.

Little Wanli thought about it.

“Sun Long, Wang Yue, and the Duke of Wei are guilty of heinous crimes and should be sentenced to death by beheading. However, Sun Long and Wang Yue are from the inner court. I suggest that they be brought to the capital and handed over to the imperial prison for execution!”

At this moment, Feng Bao's private letter requesting that Sun Long and Wang Yue be escorted to the capital had not yet reached the capital.

However, Emperor Wanli knew that beheading the two men outside the city gates of Nanjing would be a disgrace to the imperial family, so he wanted to send them to the capital for punishment.

The reason Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao arrived in such a hurry was precisely to oppose sending the two men to the capital for execution.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is unacceptable! Sun Long and Wang Yue are both masterminds, and their crimes far exceed those of the Duke of Wei and the prefects of the three disaster-stricken prefectures. Sending them to the capital for execution, even if it results in death, will likely fail to appease the people and quell the anger of the disaster victims. I suggest that we agree to Grand Secretary Shen's request to execute them outside Nanjing City in front of the people!"

"I second that proposal!" Yin Zhengmao said, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect.

Little Wanli frowned slightly.

“Prime Minister, you know Sun Long’s character. He loves reading and is always gentle and refined in his speech and actions. Although his methods were wrong, he was doing this to complete my mission. I do not want him to die such a miserable death. Furthermore, beheading the two outside Nanjing would damage the face of the royal family, which I cannot accept!”

The young Wanli Emperor bluntly and decisively expressed what was on his mind.

Zhang Juzheng took a step forward and bowed slightly.

“Your Majesty, Sun Long may appear as a good man to you, but to the common people, he may be nothing more than an executioner.”

"The problem with eunuchs interfering in politics is that they only have Your Majesty in their hearts, but no regard for the country, the people, or the nation. In Your Majesty's eyes, they are quick and efficient, and extremely loyal. But does Your Majesty know that they are abusing royal privileges without any scruples? Your Majesty is comfortable using them, but they are gradually destroying Your Majesty's reputation!"

"Your Majesty, Jiangnan is prosperous, and its taxes are of great importance. If Your Majesty brings Sun Long and Wang Yue to the capital to be punished, it will hurt the people's hearts. If the displaced people gather and rebel, I'm afraid... it won't just be a loss of face for the royal family, but war will break out, and the achievements of the new policies will be destroyed!"

"Your Majesty, you feel that severely punishing the two in front of the people would damage the royal family's reputation, because you believe that the eunuchs can represent you and the imperial power. But what this old minister wants to say is that Your Majesty is Your Majesty, and the Directorate of Ceremonial is the Directorate of Ceremonial. The Directorate of Ceremonial is one of Your Majesty's hands, as are the Grand Secretariat and the Six Ministries. If Your Majesty treats the eunuchs in the inner court as family members and the officials in the outer court as outsiders, then... then the relationship between the emperor and his ministers in the court will surely be chaotic. How can we create a prosperous era?"

……

Zhang Juzheng had a serious expression, exuding an air of unquestionable authority.

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment, looked at Shen Shixing's memorial, and said, "I grant it!"

Just then, Yin Zhengmao stepped forward, about to speak.

Zhang Juzheng suddenly moved, blocking Yin Zhengmao's path, and continued, "Your Majesty, regarding the two charges against Zhang Siwei, although we haven't seen his testimony yet, they are likely true. Fengpan Gong has rendered meritorious service to the court. I suggest that we temporarily not implicate him in this matter. If he is aware of his mistakes, he will voluntarily retire; if not, I suggest dismissing him. Otherwise, given his influence, the various government offices in Nanjing will surely descend into chaos. Furthermore, I suggest that all officials in Nanjing attend the execution..."

"Approved!" said the young Wanli Emperor.

At this moment, he knew that Zhang Juzheng's words were most beneficial to the stability of the country, so he could only listen to Zhang Juzheng's words.

At this moment, Yin Zhengmao wanted to speak again, but Zhang Juzheng reached his lower back and waved at Yin Zhengmao, so Yin Zhengmao had to give up.

……

After a while.

Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao left the Wenhua Hall.

Yin Zhengmao said with great anger, "Grand Secretary Zhang, why...why are you stopping me from speaking?"

"Are you trying to plead with His Majesty to order all eunuchs in the realm to return to the palace and be forbidden from interfering in politics in the future?"

"That's right! Sun Long and Wang Yue have committed such heinous crimes, which are clearly caused by their excessive power and lawlessness. Now is the best opportunity to strike while the iron is hot!"

Zhang Juzheng shook his head slightly.

"If His Majesty had already assumed personal rule, he might have agreed to prohibit eunuchs from interfering in politics. But to prohibit eunuchs from interfering in politics now would be like blinding His Majesty and cutting off the inner court's source of revenue. He would absolutely never agree to it!"

“We strongly recommend it! The three cabinet members, plus Hai Qianyuan and Ziheng, are enough to make His Majesty compromise!”

Zhang Juzheng glanced at Yin Zhengmao, but did not reply. He strode forward.

Yin Zhengmao was taken aback at first, then murmured, "We really can't do it this way. If His Majesty backs down, things will get out of hand!"

……

September 27th, around 4 AM, before dawn.

The backyard of the Nanjing Garrison Command.

Feeling that the imperial reply was about to arrive, Shen Nian, who was wide awake, had just walked to the pavilion in front of him when he found Shen Shixing and Hai Rui sitting there.

The three of them exchanged a smile, all knowing why the other was not sleepy.

They returned to Nanjing from the disaster area this afternoon to await approval.

Shen Shixing smiled and said, "Shi Qing has already ordered people to wait at the door. As soon as a messenger from the capital arrives, the letter will be delivered immediately."

At this moment, the three of them felt somewhat uneasy.

They worried that they could not execute Sun Long and Wang Yue in front of the people.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Shi Qing rushed to the three men like a gust of wind and said, "Your Majesty's reply has arrived!"

Immediately, Shi Qing presented the letter to Shen Shixing.

Shen Shixing quickly opened the package, and upon seeing the approval inside, exclaimed excitedly, "Just as we wished! Just as we wished!"

Hai Rui and Shen Nian took the letter, read it carefully, and were quite excited.

"Haha, it must have been Grand Secretary Zhang who suggested that all the officials in Nanjing observe the execution. With such a deterrent effect, Southern Zhili can be as secure as Chang'an!" Shen Nian said.

Hai Rui stroked his beard and said, "Announce this to the whole city today, and the execution can be carried out outside the city tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)