I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 290 The Ceremony of Plowing the Imperial Grave and the Ceremony of Visiting the Imperial Mausoleum! The Cabinet is About to Expand.

On the 26th day of the first lunar month, at dawn, at the Huangji Gate.

Regular meetings.

After reading a series of official documents from the past two days, the official on duty at the Office of Transmission took out the "Letter of Return of Yaodong Merchant Guild" written by Shen Nian's father and father-in-law and read it aloud.

The officials were all hearing this for the first time and were quite surprised.

Yaodong Trading Company is now a commercial giant in the north. Even if it distributes its profits to the people, it is still a gold mine that can continuously generate huge wealth.

To donate it to the imperial court without taking a penny is something that not everyone can do.

This move is like sending charcoal in snowy weather for the imperial court, which needs to spend a lot this year.

Of course, some officials who disliked Shen Nian believed that this was just the Shen family putting on a show.

The transfer of control of Yaodong Trading Company to the public sphere is essentially a transfer of control to the Ministry of Revenue. Since Shen Nian is a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue, this means that control of Yaodong Trading Company has been handed back to Shen Nian, which will also earn him a good reputation and help him enter the cabinet.

In the eyes of some people with dark hearts, anyone who does good deeds that do not benefit themselves must have ulterior motives.

Shen Nian was unaware of the contents of the letter beforehand, but she knew of her father and father-in-law's intention to bring Yaodong Trading Company under public control.

After expanding Yaodong Trading Company, the two men considered turning it over to the public and hoping to rely on the power of the imperial court to rectify the commercial market and allow the world's commerce to develop in a healthy and orderly manner.

Shen Nian strongly supported this idea.

When a businessman becomes wealthy enough and his business develops to a certain scale, his wealth belongs to the people.

After reading the letter, the young Wanli looked down.

"The actions of merchants Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing have moved me deeply. These are truly great merchants who have the country at heart. After Yaodong Trading Company is brought under public control, the court will not alter its business operations and will allow it to continue to develop as usual..."

After saying that, the young Wanli looked at Shen Nian.

"The rewards for Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing will be discussed after they return to the capital. I intend to reward their families first."

Swish!
Everyone looked at Shen Nian.

This is the first time in the current dynasty that an official's family member has performed a great service and the official has been rewarded as a result.

Emperor Wanli smiled slightly and said, "Minister Shen is a third-rank official, and the Shen and Gu families are well-off in Jiangnan. However, Minister Shen still rents a single-courtyard house, which is too austere and his personal safety is not guaranteed. The imperial family has a three-courtyard house in Chengqingfang outside Donghua Gate. I plan to bestow it upon Scholar Shen. The renovation will also be funded by the imperial treasury, and we will strive to have the Shen family move in before May."

The bestowal of a residence at the imperial court assembly was the first grand reward given by the young Wanli Emperor since his ascension to the throne.

This three-courtyard house in this location is worth at least two thousand taels of silver, equivalent to two years' salary of a first-rank official, not including renovation costs.

Over the years, among all the civil and military officials, only Zhang Juzheng received the honor of being bestowed a large sum of money by the emperor when he built his ancestral home in Jiangling.

Before Shen Nian could even step forward...

Emperor Wanli then said, "Minister Shen, this reward cannot be refused. Refusing it would make me appear heartless and show that the court is taking too much advantage of your family!"

Shen Nian smiled helplessly, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not accept such kindness! I thank Your Majesty for your great favor!"

The courtiers all looked at Shen Nian with envy.

This is the treatment of a favored minister, but since his whole family has served the country, it is understandable that he became a favored minister.

……

After the court assembly, news spread that the young Wanli Emperor had been granted a residence during his regular court sessions and that the Yaodong Trading Company had been brought under public control.

The people of the capital praised it highly, and their compliments were endless.

……

Over the next two days, all the government offices in the capital were busy.

The imperial examination (Gengchen year) was scheduled for the 9th, 12th and 15th of the second month, with a total of three sessions.

Cabinet minister Zhang Juzheng avoided suspicion of impropriety because his eldest son Zhang Jingxiu and third son Zhang Maoxiu participated in the imperial examinations.

The chief examiner was Shen Shixing, a cabinet minister, and the deputy chief examiner was Wang Xijue, a Hanlin academician. The co-examiners (i.e., graders) were Shen Nian, Yu Youding, Sun Jimu, Zhao Pengcheng, and Yu Menglin, all Hanlin lecturers, and the palace examination was scheduled for mid-March.

Early morning, the first day of the second lunar month.

Emperor Wanli issued an edict announcing the implementation of the Single Whip Law nationwide, abolishing all additional taxes in addition to the regular tax.

at the same time.

With the opening of the seas and the introduction of silver, the imperial court successively dispatched numerous civil and military officials to the four major commercial ports.

At Zhang Juzheng's suggestion, the imperial court appointed Li Rusong, the eldest son of Li Chengliang, the General of Liaodong and the Earl of Ningyuan, as the Vice Commander of the Left Guard of Guangzhou, in charge of the security of Guangzhou Port's commerce.

Guangzhou Port will also become the most important port for the imperial court to operate overseas trade this year through a combination of official and commercial activities, exchanging Ming Dynasty silk, porcelain, tea and other goods for huge amounts of silver to meet the needs of the people for tax payments.

……

February 5th.

Xiao Yan, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Rites, submitted a memorial requesting the emperor to perform the rites of plowing and visiting the imperial tombs.

As soon as this memorial was published, all the government offices in the capital became bustling with activity.

At the beginning of last year, Emperor Wanli was unable to perform the Gengji ceremony due to a rash. Zhang Juzheng proposed that it be held this year, which is a normal ceremony.

However, the significance of performing the tomb-visiting ceremony after the plowing ceremony is completely different.

The Gengji ceremony, in which the emperor personally plows the fields, represents the emperor's emphasis on agriculture.

The Imperial Mausoleum Ceremony was a ritual in which the emperor would travel to Tianshou Mountain, north of the capital, to pay homage to his ancestors.

This move reflects the importance attached to the ancestral system of "ruling the world with filial piety" and the consolidation of the emperor's image. This was the first time that the young Wanli Emperor had performed the ritual of visiting the imperial tomb after ascending the throne, and it also marked that the eighteen-year-old Wanli Emperor had the conditions to independently govern the country.

In short: After the ceremony at the imperial tomb, the young Wanli Emperor could assume power at any time, and no one had any reason to stop him.

After the contents of this memorial circulated in various government offices, officials discussed it extensively. Some officials excitedly submitted their second memorials, believing that only after the emperor assumed personal rule would they be spared suppression by Zhang Juzheng and would be able to advance in their careers.

Some officials looked around, waiting for a majority of officials to second their opinions before submitting a memorial to express their stance.

Some officials felt that the emperor's personal rule at this time was not a good thing for the Ming Dynasty.

The established rule is that when the emperor assumes personal rule, the regents must resign; otherwise, the emperor's authority cannot be demonstrated and power cannot be effectively controlled.

However, without Zhang Juzheng, the Ming Dynasty would face many unexpected and intractable problems.

……

The three cabinet ministers gathered in the cabinet office.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing and said, "Gentlemen, as a subject, one cannot hold a high position for long, nor can one hold great power for long. I have been assisting in the government for nine years, and the accumulated fatigue and worries have prematurely aged my blood and my beard has turned white. It is time for Your Majesty to take charge of the government!"

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing frowned slightly.

They knew that Zhang Juzheng was telling the truth, as he had repeatedly told them that once the Single Whip Law was implemented nationwide, he would be able to retire and return to his hometown.

However, Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing were unwilling.

They knew that once Zhang Juzheng retired, various problems would immediately arise in the court.

"Your Excellency, now is not the time to retire. If you retire, then... then I won't do it either!" Yin Zhengmao said angrily.

"Nonsense! Your health is much better than mine, and besides, you're the only one who can really control the imperial treasury right now!"

Yin Zhengmao's greatest ability as Minister of Revenue was to control the imperial treasury, and now was the time for this treasury to be spending money, so he had to control the amount.

Shen Shixing paused for a moment, then looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Grand Secretary Zhang, if you were to retire, the cabinet would probably... I'm afraid..."

"I am ready!" Zhang Juzheng said, and handed a memorial to the two men.

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing were both taken aback after reading it.

Zhang Juzheng smiled and said, "An hour later, I will submit this memorial, and you will submit your own memorials in support. Once you submit yours, more officials will join in!"

The two nodded somewhat helplessly.

……

An hour later, at the Wenhua Hall.

The young Wanli Emperor looked at the stacks of memorials on his desk with a helpless expression.

He longed to take charge of the government as soon as possible, but he also felt that he wouldn't be able to manage the situation well after Zhang Juzheng retired.

Just as he was struggling with this decision, Feng Bao strode over, holding three memorials in his hands.

"Your Majesty, the three Grand Secretaries submitted their memorials almost simultaneously, all concerning the ceremonies of plowing and visiting the imperial tombs."

The young Wanli Emperor took the memorial and murmured, "I find it difficult to decide. Let's see what the three Grand Secretaries think!"

The young Wanli Emperor looked at the three memorials laid out in front of him, pondered for a moment, and then murmured, "Grand Secretary Yin will probably oppose the practice of visiting the imperial tombs on the grounds that the cost is too high."

Yin Zhengmao was Zhang Juzheng's number one supporter and had no interest in becoming the Grand Secretary. He also loved to speak frankly and truthfully, so it was normal for him to oppose the young Wanli Emperor's assumption of power at this time.

Swish!
When the young Wanli Emperor opened Yin Zhengmao's memorial and read its contents, he was taken aback.

To the astonishment of Emperor Wanli, Yin Zhengmao presented a memorial that seconded the motion.

Immediately, the young Wanli Emperor looked at Shen Shixing's memorial.

"Grand Secretary Shen likes to consider the big picture. His memorial will likely describe the heavy workload of current state affairs and hope that I will consider it carefully before making a decision."

Swish!
When the young Wanli Emperor opened Shen Shixing's memorial, he was taken aback.

He guessed wrong again!
Shen Shixing's request was also to second the memorial.

Seconding the proposal to perform the ceremonies of plowing and visiting the imperial tombs was tantamount to requesting the emperor to assume personal rule, and tantamount to agreeing to Zhang Juzheng's retirement.

Finally, the young Wanli Emperor looked at Zhang Juzheng's memorial.

"Given the Prime Minister's temperament, he can only second the proposal, not oppose it. However, for the sake of the current new policies, he will likely express in his words that the new policies are arduous and that I am still somewhat lacking in strength."

Swish!
Emperor Wanli opened Zhang Juzheng's memorial and read it carefully.

He guessed wrong again.

"It seems that the Grand Secretary... the Grand Secretary... really wants to retire!" the young Wanli Emperor exclaimed.

Zhang Juzheng's memorial did not mention the ceremonies of plowing the fields or visiting the imperial tombs. Instead, he stated that the affairs of the court were currently too heavy for him to handle due to his old age and frail health. He earnestly requested the court to recommend additional cabinet ministers.

The "court recommendation" process involves the Ministry of Personnel, together with the Nine Ministers, officials of the Censorate and the Imperial Academy, jointly recommending new cabinet ministers, who are then appointed by the emperor.

The young Wanli Emperor's eyes involuntarily welled up with tears.

Zhang Juzheng's move clearly not only supported the young Wanli Emperor's assumption of power, but also provided a way to remedy the situation after his retirement.

This proposal shows that Zhang Juzheng really wanted to retire and enjoy his old age.

At this moment, all the young Wanli Emperor needed to do was write "Approved" on Zhang Juzheng's memorial, and his assumption of power after the imperial tomb ceremony would be a foregone conclusion.

However, he was conflicted again.

Looking at the memorials laid out on the tables on both sides below him, he felt that after assuming power, the burden of the two capitals and thirteen provinces would immediately fall on his shoulders.

This burden was too heavy, so heavy that he was somewhat reluctant to take it on, but the freedom that would come with taking power was something he longed for immensely.

After pondering for a while, the young Wanli Emperor picked up his pen and wrote the words "ready to draft".

(End of this chapter)