I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 310 Night Visit! The Rogue Grand Secretary Shen Ziheng, the Humble Grand Secretary Shen Ziheng
It's almost 9 PM.

The welcome banquet ended amidst laughter and joy.

Ling Yunyi, Li Yangong, Guo Xiao and others watched Shen Nian leave for the Nanjing Meeting Hall.

Immediately afterwards, just as everyone was preparing to return home to rest.

Several officials' attendants reported that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had issued orders to their respective residences, requiring them to arrive at the Nanjing Garrison Office before 06:00 AM the next day. They were not allowed to ask for leave in any form. Those who had mobility issues could inform Qi Hu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in advance, and he would send a carriage to pick them up.

"This Elder Shen doesn't seem to trust us very much!" Ling Yunyi said with a sneer.

Shen Nian could have handed the matter over to Ling Yunyi after the banquet, but instead chose to have the Embroidered Uniform Guard formally notify each household, clearly indicating that he would personally oversee and supervise the work of eliminating redundant officials and positions in Nanjing.

"Perhaps they're unhappy about Minister Zhao's absence today!" Guo Xiao said with a smile.

Li Yangong said from the side, "Who cares! We only have one goal: to let the snipe and the clam fight, and then we can reap the benefits."

Ling Yunyi and Guo Xiaoyi nodded in agreement, both with smiles on their faces.

……

Half an hour later, at the Nanjing Huitong Hall.

lobby.

Qi Hu, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, said to Shen Nian, "Your Excellency, our people have been replaced both inside and outside the palace, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards who were collecting public opinion have also set off!"

Shen Nian nodded.

There were many officials in Southern Zhili. Although Shen Nian had reviewed two large baskets of performance evaluation documents, there were bound to be inaccuracies in the documents. Therefore, he needed to verify them multiple times to determine whether the list of redundant officials and positions to be dismissed in Nanjing was true.

At this time.

Wang Jia, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, handed a document to Shen Nian.

"According to investigations, the canal transport army in the Huai'an Prefecture section did indeed forcibly conscript people from both banks as laborers, and the exploitation was very serious. The mastermind behind it was Minister Ling. The people called it corvée labor, but the canal transport officials claimed it was to help people increase their income during the off-season."

"Hmph! They certainly know how to come up with clever pretexts!"

"Bring me paper and pen. I'll write a letter to Minister Pan, asking him to investigate this matter thoroughly and then hand it over to the imperial court!" With that, Shen Nian rolled up his sleeves, preparing to finish writing the letter before going to sleep.

The clerk beside him quickly fetched paper and pen.

at this time.

Wang Jia cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, the correct procedure for this matter should be to report it to the court, and then His Majesty should order Minister Pan to conduct a thorough investigation. Private correspondence with the Minister of State is strictly prohibited!"

After saying that, Wang Jia quickly added, "Grand Secretary Zhang instructed that using private letters to govern is a bad practice, and cabinet ministers should try not to use it."

Shen Nian was taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "Good, good, that's a good reminder. I'll report to the court first."

During the reign of Emperor Zhang Juzheng, the most skilled administrator in governing through private correspondence was none other than Zhang Juzheng.

Because it's efficient, and because some things shouldn't be said publicly.

However, Zhang Juzheng was frequently impeached for his private correspondence on governance, and now he avoids using it whenever possible to avoid giving others cause for criticism.

Wang Jia is mature and prudent, and has the responsibility to help Shen Nian secure his position as Grand Secretary. Therefore, he will correct some of Shen Nian's choices to prevent him from being impeached by censors.

……

Less than half an hour later.

After finishing writing the memorial, Shen Nian washed up and lay in bed, recalling some details of the banquet that evening.

He could sense that many officials at the banquet today were intentionally or unintentionally trying to make Shen Nian feel disgusted with Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing.

Before Shen Nian came, he had a basic understanding of the progress of Nanjing's policy to reduce redundant officials and positions.

Progress is slow, and the reason for the slowness is that Zhao Jin is pushing things too slowly.

Tonight, these people, on the one hand, showed great interest in and support for the policy of eliminating redundant officials and positions, and on the other hand, they wanted Shen Nian to drag Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel, down.

Shen Nian felt that these people were worried that he would give Zhao Jin an important position, which would lead the latter to thoroughly reorganize and reform the officialdom of Southern Zhili without any selfish motives.

Based solely on the fact that Ling Yunyi ordered the canal transport soldiers to oppress the people for the sake of political achievements, Shen Nian would never allow him to take the lead in this matter.

present.

Shen Nian's most urgent task is to find an official of the third rank or above who has a deep understanding of the officialdom in Southern Zhili and can carry out this policy with a pure heart.

Both conditions are indispensable.

At present, the most suitable candidate is Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing, but Zhao Jin has a more serious problem: he is resistant to the new policies.

As for the reasons for rejection...

Besides Zhang Juzheng's excessive power, it was probably because the new policies were too oppressive to officials.

"Let's talk about it when we meet tomorrow. If we can use them, we will. If they are too stubborn, we'll look for someone else!" Shen Nian murmured, then closed her eyes.

……

The next day, the sky was slightly bright.

Shen Nian, accompanied by Wang Jia, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, and Qi Hu, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, arrived at the Nanjing Garrison Headquarters.

In the side hall.

Li Yangong had already ordered people to prepare tea and snacks.

"Grand Secretary Shen, it has been more than half a month since the decree to reduce redundant officials and the standards for dismissing officials were issued to Nanjing. At present, the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing is in the stage of sorting out the performance evaluation documents. No department has started to dismiss officials yet. However, the eunuch departments in Nanjing have begun to dismiss officials in accordance with the dismissal regulations of the inner court in the capital. Some of the lists have been handed over to the capital."

The implication of this statement is that Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing, has extremely poor execution capabilities.

Following Li Yangong's words, Shen Nian asked, "Lord Li, has Minister Zhao arrived?"

"They're here! They're here!" Li Yangong exclaimed.

Just then, Wang Jia, a scribe in the Imperial Secretariat, said to Shen Nian, "Your Excellency, everyone has arrived!"

"it is good!"

Shen Nian stood up and strode towards the front hall, with Li Yangong following closely behind.

……

The garrison hall, the front hall.

All the chief officials of various government offices in Nanjing were present, all of whom were officials of the fifth rank or above, totaling more than twenty people.

Currently, Shen Nian has not yet been granted an additional title, and his official rank is actually lower than that of the Minister of the Six Ministries in Nanjing.

But as a cabinet minister and an imperial envoy dispatched to the capital, all officials in Nanjing had to bow and clasp their hands in respect when they saw him, addressing him as "Grand Secretary Shen".

"Greetings, Grand Secretary Shen!" the officials of Nanjing shouted in unison, bowing with their hands clasped.

"No need for formalities, everyone, please take your seats!" Shen Nian said with a smile, and then took the lead in sitting in the main seat.

Li Yangong, as the garrison commander of Nanjing, sat next to Shen Nian, while the others sat below him.

Shen Nian had never met Zhao Jin, but he had met the ministers of the other five ministries. Therefore, he immediately guessed from the seating arrangement that the person sitting behind Ling Yunyi was Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing.

Zhao Jin, who is over sixty years old, looks younger than his actual age, most likely because he has been unemployed for more than ten years and has been holding a sinecure in Nanjing.

Shen Nian looked down.

"Gentlemen, I have come to Nanjing for only one purpose: to oversee the implementation of the policy to reduce redundant officials and positions in Nanjing. If you have done an excellent job and there is nothing to criticize, then I will listen to your sharing of experiences before returning to the capital to recommend you for commendation!"

Upon hearing this, the officials below all wore their standard smiles.

Hearing such words, one must respond with a smile; this is the rule of officialdom. However, Zhao Jin simply lowered his head even further.

Then, Shen Nian looked at Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing.

"Minister Zhao, as the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing, I'm sure no one knows the affairs of the Southern Zhili better than you. Now, please explain in detail how you plan to lead the officials in Nanjing!"

Zhao Jin slowly stood up.

"Grand Secretary Shen, the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel has no specific implementation plan at the moment. The current momentum of eliminating redundant officials and positions is too strong. I believe that the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel will not be able to complete the task of eliminating officials before the end of this year!"

Upon hearing this, the officials all looked at Shen Nian to see if his face had darkened.

The task of eliminating redundant officials and positions in both capitals by the end of the year was a strict order from the imperial court, yet Zhao Jin immediately reneged on his promise. Ling Yunyi glared and said, "Minister Zhao, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to shirk your responsibilities?"

“I am indeed not up to the task!” Zhao Jin said, then suddenly took out a memorial from his robes.

"Grand Secretary Shen, I have repeatedly requested to resign, but His Majesty has refused each time. I humbly request that you deliver this resignation memorial to the Grand Secretariat on my behalf. I am old and truly unable to complete such a difficult task. I beg the court to select another capable minister!"

After saying this, Zhao Jin placed his resignation memorial on a table to the side, flicked his long sleeves, and strode away from the front hall.

He walked with a brisk pace, his back straight as a bamboo, showing no signs of old age or frailty.

this moment.

Ling Yunyi, Li Yangong, Guo Xiao, and the others barely managed to suppress their laughter.

They had intended to sow discord between Shen Nian and Zhao Jin in today's council meeting.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jin directly announced his resignation, a move that suited their needs perfectly.

His statement at the first meeting held after Shen Nian arrived in Nanjing was like a resounding slap in the face to Shen Nian.

Shen Nian was somewhat stunned.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jin was even more stubborn than he had imagined. Perhaps his views were more radical than Zhang Juzheng's, which is why Zhao Jin disliked him.

Ling Yunyi quickly stood up and said, "Grand Secretary Shen, Minister Zhao is just like that, please don't take offense. His words just now only represent himself. Our Nanjing Garrison is confident that we will complete the task of eliminating redundant officials and positions in Southern Zhili by the end of the year!"

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

"No problem! No problem! Next, let Minister Ling talk about the redundant officials and positions in the Nanjing Ministry of War!"

……

An hour later, the heads of each government office gave speeches on the need to eliminate redundant officials and positions.

All just nice words.

After hearing this, Shen Nian felt even more that this group of people were unreliable.

If they were to implement policies to reduce redundant officials and positions, it would absolutely turn into an action to eliminate dissidents.

Just when the officials thought Shen Nian would find a suitable person to temporarily replace Zhao Jin, Shen Nian said, "Let's leave it at that for today, and discuss it another day."

……

In the afternoon, Shen Nian left the Huitong Hall and went out incognito to stroll around Nanjing.

Public opinion and voices are often found in teahouses, taverns, and even brothels.

It will not be found in the documents collecting public opinion and sentiments by officials.

If Zhao Jin had resigned today, any other cabinet minister would have been furious. They would not only have sent his resignation memorial to the capital, but they would have also submitted an impeachment memorial.

However, Shen Nian did not do that.

An official who dares to impeach Yan Song, even at the cost of his official position and his life, is definitely an upright person.

There must be a reason why an upright person so averse to the new policies, and Shen Nian really wanted to talk to him about it.

……

into the night.

After returning to the Nanjing meeting hall, Shen Nian immediately said to Qi Hu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, "Qi Hu, prepare a carriage at the back gate. I plan to visit Minister Zhao after dark!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jia was taken aback.

"Your Excellency, this...this is rather inappropriate! A formal letter of invitation should be sent at least one day in advance. If it is official business, it would be best to summon Minister Zhao to the Nanjing Garrison Office. You are an imperial envoy, a Your Excellency; there is no reason for you to visit him!"

"Furthermore, Minister Zhao's attitude today clearly shows that he is resisting the new policies and is determined to resign. If he refuses to see you, wouldn't you lose face, Your Excellency?"

“What’s a few taels of silver worth in face! If he refuses to see me, I’ll climb over the wall and stay in his front hall. I don’t believe he can get his servants to drive me away. At the very least, he should provide me with a meal!” Shen Nian said with certainty.

Wang Jia smiled helplessly.

If it were any of the other four Grand Secretaries, and an official had publicly abandoned his post and stormed off, they would never have humbly gone to pay their respects, much less have considered scaling a wall just to see him.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a "humble and eager Grand Secretary".

……

A quarter of an hour later.

Wearing a moon-white cloth shirt, Shen Nian, along with Wang Jia and Qi Hu, quietly made their way to the residence of Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing.

"Take the back door!"

Shen Nian spoke to the plainclothes Imperial Guards driving the carriage ahead.

Wang Jia and Qi Hu both smiled helplessly; they had never seen a cabinet minister so keen on using back channels when visiting others.

This is a rude act.

If the officials of the Sixth Department found out, they would definitely impeach Shen Nian for his inappropriate behavior, and at the very least, he would be fined one month's salary.

Shen Nian's goal was to keep it a secret from others.

Ling Yunyi and the others had been keeping an eye on Shen Nian, but they relaxed their vigilance after Shen Nian returned to the Huitong Hall.

At this moment, they imagined that Shen Nian was inside the house, angrily drafting a memorial to impeach Zhao Jin.

……

Half an hour later, the night was deep.

The carriage arrived at the back gate of the Zhao residence.

Wang Jia quickly handed the pre-prepared visiting card to a middle-aged doorman at the Zhao residence.

The middle-aged gatekeeper was taken aback when he saw the signature and seal on it.

"Grand Secretary Shen...Grand Secretary Shen has come to visit my...my master? And...and he even went through the back door? Is this for real?" the doorman said, his voice trembling.

"Let your master take a look at this visiting card, and he'll know if it's genuine or not!" Wang Jia said in a deep voice, his hands behind his back.

Immediately, Namenzi ran into the courtyard.

Shen Nian looked at the high wall in front of her and said with a sneer, "If he refuses to see me, it's probably not realistic for him to climb over the wall, but he can stay in front of the door and not leave."

“With the Grand Secretary lowering himself to visit him so sincerely, he would absolutely not dare to refuse!” Wang Jia said with certainty.

And this moment.

Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing, reviewed Shen Nian's visiting card. After confirming its authenticity, he pondered for a moment and then said, "I cannot allow him to succeed in his attempt to gain fame!"

In Zhao Jin's eyes, Shen Nian loved to seek fame and always used the banner of "the people are the most important" to gain prestige.

Zhao Jin thought for a moment and said, "Tell Grand Secretary Shen outside that I have already gone to sleep. Also, give him this message: Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together!"

Zhao Jin was already waiting to retire.

The doorman glanced at the neatly dressed Zhao Jin, paused for a moment, and then said, "Yes, sir!"

……

A moment later, the middle-aged doorman arrived at the door, cupped his hands in greeting to Wang Jia, and said, "Excuse me! My master has already gone to bed. Also, my master has a piece of advice for Minister Shen: 'Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.' Please go back, Minister Shen!"

The middle-aged doorman bowed deeply, as if afraid that Wang Jia would beat him.

Inside the carriage, Shen Nian was even more excited upon hearing this. The more the other party rejected him, the more he wanted to debate with them.

Swish!
Shen Nian lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage.

"Tell your master that I must see him tonight, or he'll be waiting here! Also, tell him to prepare dinner; we haven't eaten yet!"

The middle-aged gatekeeper had never seen such a shameless and arrogant Grand Secretary who didn't treat him like an outsider. He immediately cupped his hands in greeting and hurriedly ran back inside to report.

Wang Jia and Qi Hu exchanged a smile.

Although this Grand Secretary acted differently from ordinary people and was a bit shameless, at least he could ensure that they wouldn't go hungry.

(End of this chapter)