I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 304 Imperial Decree for Dialogue! Feng Bao's Nemesis, Yin Zhengmao

In the afternoon, the sun was scorching.

Feng Bao arrived at Wenyuan Pavilion with great reluctance. Behind him, besides two junior eunuchs, was Shi Qing, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The stone blue slab was something Feng Bao had specifically requested from the young Wanli Emperor.

The reason given was to prevent Yin Zhengmao from resorting to violence if they disagreed.

In Feng Bao's eyes, Yin Zhengmao had always had violent tendencies. Although Feng Bao was nine years younger than him, neither of them could defeat Yin Zhengmao, so he took precautions in advance.

Just a few steps away from Yin Zhengmao's duty room, Yin Zhengmao came out to greet him with a smile.

"Eunuch Feng, please come in!"

Yin Zhengmao gestured for Feng Bao to enter, showing him considerable respect.

But in Feng Bao's eyes, it was like a wolf beckoning to a sheep.

Feng Bao ignored Yin Zhengmao and turned to Shi Qing, saying, "Commander Shi, if there are any unusual movements inside, you must rush in and save me immediately!"

"Yes, Eunuch Feng!" Shi Qing solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

Yin Zhengmao smiled helplessly and said, "Eunuch Feng, you're overthinking it! Whether we can reach an agreement or not, I won't take action!"

"Always be on guard against others!"

Feng Bao took a small wooden box from a junior eunuch and walked into the cabinet ministers' office with his head held high.

Now, it is Yin Zhengmao who needs his help.

He naturally wanted to put on airs and act tough.

at the same time.

Shi Qing and two young eunuchs stood guard at the door, as they were not to listen to the conversation between the two.

In the duty room.

A clerk served each of them a cup of cool tea and then quickly left the room.

Feng Bao walked to the tea table, opened the wooden box, and inside was an exquisite incense burner about the size of a fist, a short incense stick, and a tinderbox.

Feng Bao placed the incense burner on the tea table, then inserted the incense sticks into the burner and lit them with a tinderbox.

“I have been ordered to speak with Grand Secretary Yin for half an hour. This incense stick will burn out exactly half an hour. Grand Secretary Yin, please speak quickly. I will leave when the incense burns out!” Feng Bao said, and then sat down on a wooden chair.

at this time.

Feng Bao suddenly noticed a stack of finely bound books on a nearby table.

He glanced at it and knew it was a complete set of "Newly Engraved Illustrated Official Edition of Journey to the West in Large Characters," and it was even a reprinted version.

Feng Bao loved collecting books, especially rare editions, and his passion for books was no less than that of Shen Nian.

The surviving edition is much more exquisite and extremely rare than the versions currently circulating in the market. It is said that there are only sixty copies, and none of them have ever been circulated in the market.

Feng Bao knew that the young Wanli Emperor had a set of methods, as did Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and Shen Shixing.

He had looked through the set of Xiao Wanli's works and liked it very much. He had always wanted to collect a copy, but he had not yet found one.

"This Yin Zhengmao is quite sensible; he knows how to please people!" Feng Bao murmured to himself, his resistance to Yin Zhengmao immediately lessening a little.

Although Feng Bao's gaze only swept across "Journey to the West," it was still caught by Yin Zhengmao.

He placed the surviving copy of "Journey to the West" that Shen Nian had specially sent here to tempt Feng Bao and unsettle his mind.

Yin Zhengmao sat opposite Feng Bao, first taking a few sips of cold tea at a leisurely pace, and then slowly said, "Eunuch Feng, don't think that I'm here to ask you for a favor today. In fact, I'm here to help you get through this difficult time!"

Feng Bao smiled dismissively and didn't reply.

How could Yin Zhengmao, who strongly advocated that "eunuchs should not interfere in politics," possibly help him!

Yin Zhengmao continued, "First of all, let's talk about whether or not we should abolish the redundant officials and positions in the inner court?"

"During the Hongwu era, there were fewer than a hundred eunuchs in the inner court, but now there are probably more than fifty thousand!"

"The sheer size and completeness of the current eunuch system within the inner court is almost unprecedented. The outer court has the Grand Secretariat, and the inner court has the Directorate of Ceremonial; the outer court has the Hanlin Academy and the Office of Transmission, and the inner court has the Imperial Archives; the outer court has the Three Judicial Offices, and the inner court has the Imperial Security Bureau..."

"Besides the twelve directorates, four offices, and eight bureaus, the inner court also includes the Inner Spirit Platform, the Imperial Wine Chamber, the Water Clock Chamber, the Daoist Scripture Factory, and the Armor Factory, among others. All these affairs are handled by palace officials. The official positions involved include those of the Seal Keeper, the Supervisor, the Scribe, the Attendant, the General Manager, the Chief Scribe, the Assistant Scribe, the Supervisor of Works, and so on..."

"Eunuch Feng, you should know best how chaotic the official positions in the inner court are, how many people are embezzling and enriching themselves under His Majesty's name, and these shameful deeds may ultimately be attributed to you!"

“I know you might say that eunuchs are the emperor’s eyes and ears, and that Your Majesty is about to assume personal rule and will need eunuchs to check and balance the civil and military officials. But what Your Majesty needs is not a bloated inner court, not an inner court that is rotten from the inside. Taking this opportunity, the inner court should be rectified, and it is time to abolish or merge some of the idle inner court offices!”

After hearing this, Feng Bao took a sip of his cold tea with a blank expression.

This theory did not sway Feng Bao. Feng Bao could have privately cleaned up the bureaucracy in the inner court instead of streamlining government offices and eliminating redundant officials and positions.

"I've finished explaining the most important reason. Now, I'll analyze the pros and cons for you!"

"Eunuch Feng, have you noticed that you're getting old and can no longer do many of the tasks, while His Majesty increasingly prefers to order around young eunuchs?"

"Could His Majesty's move be a test to see if you are of one mind with him? If you think differently from His Majesty, he might just replace the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. In the past, the Empress Dowager would protect you, but now she rarely participates in court affairs, and you are not as needed as before!"

These words struck a chord with Feng Bao.

Although Feng Bao currently holds great power in the inner court, his status has always been that of a royal servant. Once he is no longer needed by the young Wanli Emperor, he will fall from grace in the blink of an eye.

"The safest and most reliable way to deal with this test is for you to stand with the five Grand Secretaries and agree to abolish the inner court officials! If you oppose abolishing the inner court officials today, but His Majesty intends to, then you will have offended both His Majesty and the five Grand Secretaries!"

"Let me take a step back. If you oppose the dismissal of the inner court officials today, Grand Secretary Zhang and I will not force His Majesty to agree by submitting a formal petition. Instead, we will settle for the next best thing and earnestly request the dismissal of all civil and military officials in the country!"

"Just imagine, when all the civil and military officials are dismissed, will those censors who can't tolerate even a speck of dust allow the inner court officials to continue like this? I'm afraid that next, there will be a deluge of memorials impeaching you!"

……

After saying that, Yin Zhengmao took a sip of tea, paused for a moment, and continued, "Eunuch Feng, you and I have no great enmity. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been me jumping into the Jinshui River that time, but you who was pushed into it. Among all the Grand Eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, you are actually not bad. At least you can think about His Majesty instead of persecuting virtuous officials and only thinking about accumulating wealth."

"I have a piece of advice for you: don't think about continuing to elevate the status of the Directorate of Ceremonial after His Majesty assumes personal rule. Most powerful eunuchs meet tragic ends. The chances of being ennobled and remembered in history are far less than the chances of having your property confiscated, being beheaded, guarding the imperial tombs in Nanjing, or working as a night watchman in the South China Sea. Once His Majesty assumes personal rule, I suggest you retire as soon as possible. Having a house and money and enjoying your old age is the right path. The higher you climb, the colder it gets!"

……

Feng Bao's expression turned serious; Yin Zhengmao's words had deeply moved him.

He did indeed want to become a powerful eunuch and leave his mark on history.

But he was also aware of the difficulties involved.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs wielded excessive power, appearing prestigious but in reality serving as a scapegoat for the emperor. Once it incurred the wrath of the officials, the emperor, in order to quell his anger, would inevitably severely punish the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs.

Feng Bao already had a vague feeling that his days were numbered, but Yin Zhengmao directly shattered his illusions.

At this moment, Feng Bao was still struggling with his decision.

He was still afraid of siding with the wrong party. Just when he thought Yin Zhengmao would continue to persuade him, Yin Zhengmao suddenly stood up. "Eunuch Feng, I have said what I needed to say. If you want to continue to strengthen the inner court, then continue. I will report to His Majesty later that we have not reached an agreement, and then the cabinet will no longer discuss the matter of abolishing the inner court officials!"

"what?"

Feng Bao was dumbfounded.

If the talks break down and the cabinet continues to argue its case and demand the dismissal of inner court officials, Feng Bao will not be afraid. According to the young Wanli Emperor's personality, the more the outer court officials oppose, the more he will protect the inner court and his own informants.

However, once the five cabinet ministers stop mentioning the inner court, the officials of the Censorate and the other officials of the Six Ministries will inevitably turn their attention to the Directorate of Ceremonial and launch a frenzied impeachment against it.

The most serious problem right now is the redundant officials and positions in the inner court. There are even cases of one person holding two sinecure positions and receiving salaries without actually working.

If a huge hole is created, Feng Bao will have to bear the entire responsibility.

Yin Zhengmao glanced at the half-burnt incense stick and said, "Eunuch Feng, since you oppose the abolition of the inner court officials, let's stop here for now. Please!"

Yin Zhengmao was well aware of Feng Bao's cautious nature.

The less you ask him for help, the more seriously he will ponder Yin Zhengmao's words.

Feng Bao stood up with a conflicted expression. He glanced at the book "Journey to the West" at first, but then his feet wouldn't move.

After thinking for a moment, he sat down again.

He looked at Yin Zhengmao and lowered his voice, saying, "Grand Secretary Yin, I can agree, but you must agree to one condition."

Yin Zhengmao looked at Feng Bao.

"Before I retire, the cabinet must not again discuss the prohibition of eunuchs from participating in politics!"

"Ah!"

Yin Zhengmao chuckled and snorted, saying, "I can only guarantee that before I retire, I will not again advocate banning eunuchs from participating in politics. As for the thoughts of other cabinet ministers, I have no right to interfere, nor can they be used as bargaining chips in this conversation!"

Yin Zhengmao knew very well that it was simply impossible to ban eunuchs from participating in politics at present.

Only when the young Wanli Emperor personally took power and felt the security that power brought him would he be able to withdraw these spies and informants. By then, he would have already retired.

Feng Bao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, I agree!"

Feng Bao's main reason for opposing the reform was that dismissing the eunuchs in the inner court would lead to a loss of his own power. However, in order to prevent the young Wanli Emperor from removing him, he chose the safest approach and stood with the five Grand Secretaries.

Among the five Grand Secretaries, Zhang Juzheng was one of them, and the young Wanli Emperor would most likely have to obey him.

"Those who know when to yield are the heroes!" Yin Zhengmao said with a smile.

After saying that, Yin Zhengmao lifted his foot and walked out, intending to lead Feng Bao out. However, after taking two steps, he found that Feng Bao was frozen in place, his feet not moving at all.

Yin Zhengmao turned his face away.

"Eunuch Feng, what's wrong? Are your legs numb?"

Feng Bao glanced at the surviving copy of "Journey to the West" next to him.

As is customary, once the two reached an agreement, Yin Zhengmao should have gifted him the copy of "Journey to the West".

Yin Zhengmao could easily see through Feng Bao's meaning, but he pretended not to know and said, "Is...is your eye blinded?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Bao wished he could throw Yin Zhengmao into the Jinshui River.

It would be uncivilized for him to ask.

After thinking for a moment, Feng Bao decided to be shameless and immediately turned around, picked up "Journey to the West," and prepared to walk out.

Yin Zhengmao quickly stopped him.

"Eunuch Feng, what are you doing?"

Seeing that he was pretending to be confused when he knew the truth, Feng Bao said angrily, "How can such a trivial book be placed in the important place of the cabinet? Did you put this book here to give to me after the negotiations are successful?"

"No! I want to see it myself, is that not allowed?"

Feng Bao was so angry that his face turned ashen.

Over the years, he had never taken advantage of Yin Zhengmao, but today he was determined to do so.

He placed "Journey to the West" on the tea table, then suddenly stretched out a fist and pressed it against his cheek.

"Give it to me or not? If you don't, I'll punch myself in the face, then call for help and make a scene all the way to His Majesty. Do you think His Majesty will believe me or you?"

"You...aren't you a scoundrel?"

Yin Zhengmao almost burst out laughing when he saw Feng Bao, who usually acted refined but was now furiously throwing away a scoundrel.

"The only way to deal with a scoundrel is to be a scoundrel yourself!" Feng Bao glared and said.

Yin Zhengmao laughed and said, "Eunuch Feng, just kidding, just kidding. This book was originally a gift for you, but you can't take it now, otherwise people will think I'm bribing you. After the court session ends today, I'll have someone send it to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, how about that?"

"I'm not kidding you, this is exactly what I prepared for you. I guarantee you'll see this book tonight!" Yin Zhengmao continued to explain.

Feng Bao thought about it and also felt that it was inappropriate to carry it out like that, so he put "Journey to the West" down and strode outside.

Just then, Yin Zhengmao's muttering voice came from behind.

"His temperament is somewhat similar to mine. I wonder how he serves His Majesty!"

These words happened to reach Feng Bao's ears.

He wanted to turn around and argue, but he felt that the more he argued, the more he would resemble Yin Zhengmao, that scoundrel.

He had no choice but to storm out of the cabinet office in a huff.

Shi Qing, a commander of the Imperial Guards outside the door, saw Feng Bao walk out of the duty room with his fists clenched, while Yin Zhengmao walked out with a big smile on his face. He wondered whether the deal had been made or had fallen apart.

After taking two steps forward, Feng Bao shouted to the two eunuchs beside him, "Later, withdraw all the soldiers patrolling the banks of the Jinshui River. If any foolish official falls in and drowns, it's entirely his own fault!"

After saying this, Feng Bao strode towards the Wenhua Hall.

This discussion should have been about Yin Zhengmao asking him for a favor and wanting to give him a gift, but instead, Feng Bao was furious.

At this time.

The other four Grand Secretaries all came out of their offices and bowed to Yin Zhengmao.

Yin Zhengmao smiled broadly, then stretched out his right hand and grabbed at the air, signifying that everything was under his control.

He has dealt with the inner court; now it's up to Shen Nian to deal with the officials in the Ministry of Revenue.

It's easy to solve problems by force, but only when officials are willing to comply can the problems be considered truly solved.

(End of this chapter)