I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 301 The Five Grand Secretaries' Draft! Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao's Little Bet
June 20th, afternoon, the weather was hot and dry.

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

Four large ice chests, emitting cool air, stood in the four corners. Inside, the ice blocks were white and bright, and two large watermelons were chilled.

The young Wanli Emperor was in a good mood as he flipped through the memorials on his desk, occasionally taking a sip of freshly squeezed chilled watermelon juice, quite content.

In recent days.

Many provincial officials, prefectural officials, and censors in the region submitted memorials, expressing their willingness to actively respond to the imperial court's decision of "prioritizing the people, then officials, and finally government officials."

This allowed the young Wanli Emperor to gradually emerge from the shadow of "conducting illicit activities at the ancestral tombs."

He gained the hearts of the people and the support of the officials, which made him feel very accomplished.

Although he knew that the local officials had no choice but to do so, otherwise the Embroidered Uniform Guard would soon come after them and thoroughly investigate their past practices.

Few officials today can withstand close scrutiny.

At this time.

The young Wanli Emperor closed a memorial, took a sip of watermelon juice, and looked out of the palace.

"Big companion!"

“This old servant is here!” Feng Bao, who was on duty in the corner, quickly walked to the side of young Wanli.

"The weather is hot and the officials are working hard; let's bestow upon them melons!"

"Give the Grand Secretary ten watermelons, the other four cabinet ministers eight each, and the rest of the officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital, as well as the lecturers, you may decide according to their rank. In addition, the students of the Jingwu Academy, who have trained hard, will each be given half a watermelon."

"This old servant obeys!" Feng Bao bowed deeply.

June is the month when watermelons ripen, and the two empress dowagers and Emperor Wanli had already tasted the first batch of watermelons five days earlier.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) was very fond of bestowing rewards upon his officials.

However, the items bestowed as rewards are usually not very valuable. For example, if Shen Nian were to be rewarded with a large mansion, it would have to be based on the premise that he had made great contributions.

Currently, a high-quality watermelon costs about 500 coins.

Most ordinary people couldn't afford watermelons, but high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital were eating them as a staple food.

However, the emperor's reward was of extraordinary significance.

Even a simple egg as a reward would make officials feel as if their ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke.

The fact that the students of Jingwu Academy received extra rewards shows how much Emperor Wanli valued them.

The young Wanli Emperor intended to train these people into his own private army, which would then be dispersed to different places, allowing him to bypass the Ministry of War and seize military power.

Only by possessing sufficient military power can one become an emperor who holds absolute power over the court.

……

These past few days, Shen Nian, who was on duty in the cabinet, would sneeze from time to time.

He guessed that it was highly likely that some local officials were secretly criticizing him.

Local finances have always been a case of "seven lids to cover eight jars," and Shen Nian's advocacy of "first the people, then the officials, and finally the bureaucrats" undoubtedly caused them huge losses.

But in order to advance their careers, or even to save their lives, they had to pay out of their own pockets to relinquish some of the established practices they had swallowed, in order to maintain stability in the countryside.

While local officials were vehemently criticizing Shen Nian for being an enemy of all officials, some Confucian scholars and common people affectionately called Shen Nian "the common people's Grand Secretary".

……

June 23rd, near noon.

Shen Nian had just returned to his office in the Grand Secretariat from the Ministry of Revenue when he saw Wang Jia, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, placing a stack of memorials in front of him.

At the same time, a stack of blank tickets was to be placed aside.

"Grand Secretary Shen, the two memorials at the top are quite urgent. Grand Secretary Zhang has ordered me to deliver these two memorials, along with your draft, to him before noon."

"No problem," Shen Nian replied readily.

Some political matters were quite urgent and required the cabinet ministers to draft proposals immediately, but there was still a little over half an hour before noon.

Drafting two memorials within half an hour was a piece of cake for Shen Nian.

Cabinet ministers draft proposals, which are essentially decisions made on behalf of the emperor.

They are usually less than 100 words, rarely exceeding 300 words, and some drafts are only a few words long.

For example, when an official requests to resign, the draft resolution usually reads: "You have done your duty diligently, and the court is aware of this. Your resignation is not permitted, and the relevant department is aware of this."

For example, when a certain place requested funds to repair a dike, the draft proposals were mostly: "The Ministry of Works reviewed them and said, 'So be it.'"

For example, when local governments report floods, the draft proposals are usually as follows: "Regarding local disasters and injuries, the Ministry of Revenue shall immediately issue a document to the Imperial Inspector to verify the extent of the disaster, determine the appropriate reduction or exemption of taxes and levies, and provide relief, all in accordance with the proposals and submit a report to the emperor promptly, so as not to cause any loss of livelihood, and the Ministry shall be aware of this."

……

Of course, some memorials that require decision-making have longer draft texts.

Swish!
Shen Nian was the first to open the urgent memorial.

This memorial came from Guo Tingwu, the censor of Guangdong Circuit. He said that at the end of March, there were incidents of pirates robbing merchant ships in the waters near Guangzhou Port. The pirates were all local fishermen. Because the merchant ships had many guards, the pirates failed to rob the ships and fled to a nearby island.

Afterwards, Li Rusong, son of Li Chengliang, the Earl of Ningyuan and the commander of the Guangzhou Left Guard who was in charge of the security of Guangzhou Port's trade, led his troops to capture the pirates. Even though the eighteen pirates (fishermen) who participated in the looting had already knelt down and surrendered, he still beheaded them on the spot and hung their bodies on the Guangzhou Port dock for public display for three days.

This move angered many fishermen near Guangzhou Port, and they even brought the matter to the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Office.

They called Li Rusong too cruel.

Among the eighteen pirates were five elderly men nearing seventy. They resorted to plundering simply because they were poor. Li Rusong went too far and used cruel methods, treating the people of the Ming Dynasty like the Tartars. We earnestly request the government to severely punish Li Rusong and dismiss Yang Weidong, the Guangzhou coastal defense officer who carried out the execution, in order to appease the people.

The opinions of the Guangdong Provincial Administration Commissioner and the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Commissioner differed. The former believed that Li Rusong was carrying out the order to open the sea to silver, and that the imperial court stipulated that pirates could be executed directly, so there was no wrongdoing on his part. The latter, however, believed that this action was too cruel and would affect local stability, and earnestly requested that Li Rusong be punished.

With the two sides at a stalemate, and given that Li Rusong was a naval commander personally appointed by the young Wanli Emperor, the Guangdong Provincial Administration Commission ordered Li Rusong to go ashore and suspend his duties, awaiting an imperial decree.

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

“Once this loophole is opened, it will only cause the number of pirates to surge!” Shen Nian said, and then began to write on the blank draft.

He had absolutely no tolerance for such acts of piracy; even if an eighty-year-old man stole a ship, Shen Nian believed he should be killed.

Because the imperial court had repeatedly declared along the coast that anyone who plundered merchant ships would be sentenced to death.

Some eighty-year-old men at sea are very skilled at sailing and have a great ability to stir up waves.

They even went so far as to kill entire ships of workers at sea in the struggle to seize goods.

If this trend is not stopped, there will be more and more pirates. In addition, maritime trade is just beginning, so we must crack down on plunderers to prevent the resurgence of the Japanese pirates.

After finishing the first draft, Shen Nian opened the second memorial.

Upon seeing the contents, Shen Nian couldn't help but laugh.

The second memorial also concerned maritime trade.

Zhu Mengwen, a member of the Ming imperial family and a military officer of the Fengguo Army, wanted to go to sea to do business. He petitioned the court for permission, but the local officials were unsure whether to agree. Therefore, they asked the court to make a decision.

"Haha... They've even forced members of the imperial family to seek a living overseas. This is a good omen; the Ming Dynasty is showing signs of becoming a golden age!"

Shen Nian looked delighted.

soon.

Shen Nian completed the two drafts in less than a quarter of an hour, then handed the memorial and the drafts to Wang Jia, the Imperial Secretary, and said, "Send them over!"

After receiving the memorial and the draft, Wang Jia went straight to Zhang Juzheng's office.

……

And this moment.

In the adjacent cabinet ministers' office, Wang Xijue and Shen Shixing were both busy drafting memorials. The two memorials they were to draft were exactly the same as Shen Nian's, and Zhang Juzheng also required them to be completed before noon.

Wang Xijue was slower than Shen Nian.

But after Shen Nian had already submitted the memorial, he had also finished processing the first memorial.

Shen Shixing was much slower, still pondering how to handle the first memorial, picking up his pen several times but not putting pen to paper.

He is always cautious and thoughtful in his actions.

He was adept at handling memorials with specific regulations that did not require his advice.

In terms of details, he ranks first among the five Grand Secretaries.

……

Meanwhile, in Zhang Juzheng's duty room.

Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao were sitting in front of an ice chest, eating watermelons bestowed upon them by the young Wanli Emperor.

On the table to the side.

Two bills were placed on each side, and a money bag was placed on top of each bill.

These two money bags came from Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao respectively.

The memorials submitted by Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao regarding whether Li Rusong should be punished for killing pirates and the memorials by members of the imperial clan requesting to go to sea were sent to Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and Shen Nian by Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao.

The two men also drafted their own versions of the two memorials, and the content of their drafts was exactly the same.

Yin Zhengmao stated that Wang Xijue's draft proposal would be exactly the same as theirs, Shen Shixing's would be more conservative, and Shen Nian's draft proposal would be better than the other two.

Zhang Juzheng shared the same opinion as Yin Zhengmao regarding Wang Xijue and Shen Shixing's draft proposals, but did not believe that Shen Nian's draft proposal was better than his own.

Yin Zhengmao was a mindless fan of Shen Nian, while Zhang Juzheng was quite confident in himself.

So the two made a bet: whoever guessed correctly would get both money bags.

The two made this bet not only for fun, but also to try to get the five Grand Secretaries to agree on their ideas as much as possible.

Minor disagreements are acceptable, but when the five members are in unison on important matters, they can more efficiently fulfill the cabinet's mandate.

Before long, the three men's memorials and draft proposals were sent over one after another.

When Li Rusong submitted a memorial questioning whether he should be punished for killing pirates, both Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao believed that he should be punished according to the law.

When a member of the imperial clan submitted a memorial requesting to go to sea, both Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao thought: "Let him go to sea discreetly; we can allow him to go."

Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao looked at the three draft bills on the table.

They were the first to open Wang Xijue's draft.

"Same!" the two said at the same time with a smile, as Wang Xijue's core idea was the same as theirs.

Immediately, the two picked up Shen Shixing's memorial.

Both of them knew Shen Shixing.

Shen Shixing's proposed response to the memorial regarding whether Li Rusong should be punished for killing pirates was: even if the pirates deserved to die, they should be convicted and executed on land. Directly killing them would easily disturb the people's peace of mind. He suggested that Li Rusong be punished leniently to appease the fishermen of Guangzhou.

Shen Shixing's draft opinion on the memorial from a member of the imperial clan requesting to go to sea was: members of the imperial clan are of noble status and should not go to sea.

Yin Zhengmao shook his head slightly and said, "Ru Mo is too soft-hearted and her decision-making is too conservative!"

“Ru Mo is not good at this kind of decision-making memorial, but he does a pretty good job at other execution-related memorials!” Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard.

Wang Xijue and Shen Shixing both guessed what the other was thinking.

Who gets to take the two bags of loose silver depends on what kind of draft Shen Nian submits.

Just as the two were about to open Shen Nian's two drafts, Zhang Juzheng looked at Yin Zhengmao and said, "Brother Yangshi, in my eyes, Ziheng is indeed excellent, but he lacks training. Where do you get the confidence to think that Ziheng's draft is better than ours?"

Yin Zhengmao thought for a moment and said, "Because he is young, bold, and ambitious. Before him, would you or I dare to set a goal of a prosperous era where everyone in the world has enough to eat? Would you dare to say something like 'first the people, then the officials, then the bureaucrats,' which would offend all the powerful and influential people in the world?"

Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but laugh.

He suddenly realized that he had accepted the goal of "making sure everyone in the world has enough to eat" as if he had been forced into it.

Without Shen Nian, he could not have set such an impossible goal, let alone have the ambition he has now.

Immediately, the two of them opened Shen Nian's draft at the same time.

About five breaths later, the two looked at each other and smiled, then exchanged draft proposals.

Five breaths later, after the tickets were exchanged.

Zhang Juzheng pushed his money bag next to Yin Zhengmao's money bag and said, "You win!"

Regarding the memorial on whether Li Rusong should be punished for killing pirates, Shen Nian's draft proposal was that he should not only not be punished, but should also be generously rewarded. He suggested that the young Wanli Emperor bestow upon him a plaque inscribed with "The Sea Is Calm."

Regarding the memorial from a member of the imperial clan requesting to go to sea, Shen Nian's draft proposal essentially stated that the imperial clan's overseas expedition would greatly enhance the nation's prestige and should be commended and strongly supported.

Shen Nian's draft proposal was superior to those of Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao.

This is because Shen Nian always thinks one step ahead when making decisions, and is bold enough.

Regarding the memorial on whether Li Rusong should be punished for killing pirates, Shen Nian not only emphasized that he should not be punished, but also applied for a reward for him and suggested that he be awarded a plaque with the words "The sea is calm" written by Emperor Wanli himself.

This plaque is of great significance.

This will not only make all fishermen along the coast understand the imperial court's determination to eradicate maritime plunder, but also deter those people who do not obey the government's decisions.

If the emperor thinks this way, then any further resistance or unrest will be futile.

Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao's advocacy of "enforcing the law without punishment" could not solve the problem of fishermen causing trouble by the sea, but this plaque that reads "The sea is calm" could.

As for the issue of royal family members going overseas to do business.

Shen Shixing opposed going to sea because it was considered improper for members of the imperial family to engage in business, and if they had any rebellious intentions, it would threaten the Ming Dynasty.

His idea was actually somewhat of an overreaction; none of the Ming dynasty's imperial family members dared to rebel at the moment, nor did they have the ability to do so after going into business.

However, going out to sea to become an island lord and display royal power is certainly a feasible option.

Zhang Juzheng and Yin Zhengmao advocated "going to sea discreetly and being allowed to proceed," believing that members of the imperial family should be treated the same as ordinary people, and that they should be able to support themselves.

Shen Nian's idea was even bolder.

He believed that members of the royal family had an advantage when going overseas.

No matter how distant their relationship with the royal family may be, they are still members of the Zhu family.

Bullying them is tantamount to slapping the face of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family.

Using their status as members of the Zhu family would make doing business much smoother and more convenient, and would also encourage more members of the imperial clan who were no longer able to make a living off their family's wealth to participate in trade.

Having been a member of the imperial family for many years, possessing some wealth and having previously engaged in private business, going into business was a suitable option for him.

……

A moment later, Zhang Juzheng looked at the Imperial Secretary standing not far away.

"Make three copies of our five votes and send them to the other three Grand Secretaries!"

Zhang Juzheng's move was quite meaningful.

In addition to expressing their desire to learn from "Grand Secretary Shen",

The five cabinet ministers will likely be working together for the next three years. With so many people involved, it will be difficult to reach a consensus. Zhang Juzheng intended to use this method to allow everyone to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses and reach a consensus on many issues.

He also wanted to express that even though he was still the Grand Secretary, the other four cabinet ministers should not be "merely filling in the vain" as popular belief suggests.

(End of this chapter)