I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 313 Nanjing Officials, Please Choose Sides! A Powerful Showdown: The Overbearing Grand Secretary Shen

The front hall of the Nanjing Garrison Command was tightly closed.

Inside the door, the noise was deafening, rising and falling, almost enough to lift the roof off.

Qi Hu, a commander of the Imperial Guard, stood outside the door, his ears perked up.

He doesn't care about arguments, but if there's any sound of fighting inside, he'll immediately rush in to protect Shen Nian.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was common for officials to fight over a single disagreement.

Qi Hu absolutely cannot let Shen Nian get hurt, otherwise his career will be completely over.

In the hall.

Nanjing officials were particularly agitated as they fiercely criticized Zhao Jin's proposed policies to reduce redundant officials and positions in Nanjing.

Shen Nian and Zhao Jin listened expressionlessly, without immediately refuting.

Both of them had experienced this kind of "outnumbered" situation. The correct approach is to listen carefully first, extract the other party's viewpoints, and then refute them one by one after the other party has finished venting.

Otherwise, it could easily escalate into a full-blown brawl.

About fifteen minutes later, the voices of the heads of various government offices in Nanjing gradually faded away.

Zhao Jin looked at Shen Nian, and Shen Nian nodded slightly to him.

A nod signifies Shen Nian's approval of his proposed policy to reduce redundant officials and positions.

Immediately, Zhao Jin straightened his chest and looked at the officials around him.

"Gentlemen, I have listened for a long time, but I have not heard you give a single reason that I can refute!"

"This strategy is for the public good, not for personal gain, but you all only have your own selfish interests on your minds. Why don't you change your perspective and think about the reasons from the angle of being loyal to the country, serving the emperor, and sharing his burdens?"

This was one of the Four Censors of Yuezhong who had impeached Yan Song and was imprisoned and interrogated more than forty times.

One word from him and he can shut others up.

The phrase "private schemes" aptly summarizes the reasons for this group's opposition.

The hall fell silent instantly.

The Nanjing officials lacked confidence because they were not that important to the imperial court.

At present, the government offices in Nanjing that overlap with those in the capital have more symbolic than practical significance and are becoming increasingly marginalized. Their influence on the court's decision-making is negligible, and their main function is to assist the court in managing the Southern Zhili region.

The official positions that Zhao Jin advocated abolishing were indeed dispensable.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat awkward.

At this time.

Ling Yunyi, Minister of War and Chief of Staff of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, looked at Shen Nian and said, "I wonder what Minister Shen thinks of Minister Zhao's proposal to reduce redundant officials and positions?"

Swish!
The officials all turned to look at Shen Nian.

As long as Shen Nian doesn't fully support Zhao Jin, they dare to make a huge scene.

They either forced Zhao Jin to draft a new plan, or they removed him from his position as Minister of Personnel in Nanjing.

Shen Nian looked ahead and said loudly, "I think it's excellent!"

When she said the word "very good", Shen Nian deliberately raised her voice.

Upon hearing this, many officials' faces darkened.

If this policy is implemented, the various government offices in Nanjing will become even less influential, and their protégés, old friends, and confidants will all be affected.

Nanjing will no longer be their Nanjing.

Shen Nian looked around and continued, "No official in Nanjing understands the current state of the Nanjing bureaucracy better than Minister Zhao. This cabinet will not change a single word of Minister Zhao's policy and will fully support it!"

"If any of you have objections, there is no need to argue with me. You may submit your memorials directly to the capital. However, you must come up with good reasons, otherwise opposing this policy is tantamount to opposing the new policies of the court!"

Shen Nian suddenly labeled the opponents with a big accusation.

Ling Yunyi looked at Shen Nian with displeasure.

"Grand Secretary Shen, those words seem to carry a threat. You look down on the officials of Nanjing!"

Swish!
Ling Yunyi, who was about five or six steps away from Shen Nian, took a big step toward Shen Nian.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
All the Nanjing officials in the hall, except for Zhao Jin, stepped forward in unison.

Shen Nian remained calm, not only not retreating, but also walking forward to Ling Yunyi, looking directly at him, and said, "This is not a threat, but a warning!"

"Next, you can incite the officials below to oppose this policy, you can unite hundreds of Nanjing officials to sign an impeachment against this cabinet, and you can fabricate any reasons to oppose this policy and submit them to the court!"

"However, before you do these things, I suggest you think of your reasons, otherwise His Majesty and the Cabinet will surely believe me, not you!"

Shen Nian adopted the demeanor of an emperor's favorite minister.

As a favored minister in the capital, a cabinet minister, and an imperial envoy, he felt a great sense of superiority compared to these officials.

Say it.

Shen Nian ignored Ling Yunyi beside her and strode up to the officials.

"Gentlemen, I have always preferred to get straight to the point. I want to make it clear to everyone that the policy of eliminating redundant officials and positions throughout the country is imperative, and I fully agree with Minister Zhao's implementation plan. If you cooperate with this policy, we can accomplish this task smoothly. After it is done, I will petition His Majesty for a reward for the entire Nanjing government, so that the world can see the magnanimity and spirit of the officials in Nanjing. I will be happy, and everyone will be happy!"

"If you do not cooperate, then I'm sorry, but I will fight you to the death and treat all the government offices in Nanjing as a negative example. Anyone who obstructs the implementation of this policy will be among those dismissed!"

Shen Nian stood with her hands behind her back, exuding a very tough aura.

None of the officials in front of him dared to look him in the eye.

He knew it was useless to talk to these seasoned officials about "loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, sacrificing one's family for the greater good," so he directly laid his cards on the table.

Compromise and cooperation bring a good reputation; resistance to the end leads to certain death.

Beside him, Zhao Jin stood up straight with an excited expression.

He really liked Shen Nian's way of handling things—simple, efficient, and without any hesitation or fear of offending anyone.

Furthermore, Shen Nian's assertiveness led many officials in Nanjing to believe that when he left the capital, Emperor Wanli and Zhang Juzheng had specifically instructed him to severely punish the Nanjing officialdom.

Ling Yunyi clenched his fists, his heart filled with rage, muttering to himself: "If I were... if I were the Minister of War in the capital, even if he were a Grand Secretary and Imperial Envoy, he wouldn't dare speak to me in such a tone!"

The officials in some of the lower-level government offices were thinking: When your career falls apart, we will show you what it means to be pushed around when you're down on your luck.

Li Yangong, the Marquis of Linhuai and the Nanjing Garrison Commander, and Guo Xiao, the eunuch and garrison commander of Nanjing, remained silent.

They were stunned by Shen Nian's aura, their minds completely blank.

Shen Nian paused for a moment, then continued, "This cabinet will submit Minister Zhao's proposed reforms to the capital tomorrow evening. Before sunset tomorrow, anyone who seconds the proposal can submit a document to Wang Jia, the Secretary of the Secretariat. Seconding the proposal means taking the initiative to persuade subordinate officials, and this cabinet will sign it on the memorial. Anyone who does not submit a document will be considered to be opposing it, and those who oppose it can draft their own opposition memorial and send it to the capital!"

After saying that, Shen Nian strode towards the hall door.

Wang Jia quickly opened the door and walked out with Shen Nian.

Zhao Jin looked around, then cupped his hands in greeting to the officials and said, "Gentlemen, the atmosphere in officialdom has changed!"

"Those officials who scheme and curry favor without merit should be eliminated! Don't go against the tide, don't cause trouble for the court. If the Nanjing government becomes a negative example of the court's efforts to eliminate redundant officials and positions throughout the country, I'm afraid that the days will not be easy for any government office in Nanjing in the future, and everyone's career path will become even more difficult!!"

After saying this, Zhao Jin strode out of the hall.

Once Zhao Jin's figure had completely disappeared, Ling Yunyi, who always had a bad temper, picked up a teacup and smashed it on the ground.

Bang!
After the teacup shattered, Ling Yunyi said to the two clerks at the door, "Close the door!"

Immediately, the hall doors were closed again.

Ling Yunyi looked at the heads of the various government offices and said, "If we second this compromise, no one will respect us Nanjing officials anymore. I suggest that we jointly submit a memorial to impeach Shen Nian and Zhao Jin, so that His Majesty can save face for the Nanjing government offices!" After Ling Yunyi finished speaking, he was stunned because no one agreed with him.

"What? You're all backing down now? You've been bullied like this, and you still don't dare to fight back?"

At this moment, Tu Yiying, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in Nanjing, spoke up: "I want to resist!"

“I…I will also rebel!” Song Yiwang, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in Nanjing, followed closely.

“I will also resist!” said He Kuan, Minister of Justice in Nanjing.

……

Those who resisted were mostly officials who had many former students and associates, and who had suffered huge losses due to the reforms.

Soon, six of the twenty-odd people in the hall decided to resist.

But this is far from enough.

Ling Yunyi focused his attention on Li Yangong, the Marquis of Linhuai, the garrison commander of Nanjing, and Guo Xiao, the eunuch garrison commander of Nanjing. Their opinions were of great importance.

Li Yangong's eyes darted around, and he said, "Minister Ling, let me think about this carefully. We meritorious officials are not like you. If we say something wrong, the punishment will be much heavier than yours!"

Guo Xiao followed up, saying, "Minister Ling, this is a matter of great importance. Let everyone think it over before making a decision!"

Ling Yunyi said coldly, "Anyone who dares to submit documents to Shen Nian will face consequences in Nanjing from now on, with me or them!"

This harsh statement left the officials, who were already in a dilemma, feeling utterly helpless.

A moment later, the officials all returned to their respective offices.

Some officials couldn't help but tell their subordinates about this plan, while others went back to their offices and began writing their second opinions. After writing them, they kept them close to their bodies and decided the next day whether or not to submit them to Shen Nian.

……

After returning to the Huitong Hall, Shen Nian took a nap and then went to the streets of Nanjing to find delicious food.

Emperor Wanli appointed him as an imperial envoy to oversee the policy of reducing redundant officials in Nanjing. His aim was to make Shen Nian offend a number of officials in Nanjing, and Shen Nian has already succeeded.

If these officials choose to resist, Shen Nian will have enemies all over the Nanjing officialdom.

After returning to the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing, Zhao Jin began to formulate a plan to deal with redundant officials.

He believed that this policy would hardly affect the affairs of the Nanjing government, and would also save the court a lot of salary money. In addition, with Shen Nian's strong support, the court would have no reason to disagree.

He wasn't afraid of offending people.

On the contrary, the fact that he could deal with Nanjing officials so decisively and swiftly was something he had never experienced before since he entered officialdom.

……

into the night.

Shen Nian returned to the Huitong Hall and began to refine Zhao Jin's series of policies for reducing and abolishing official positions.

He believed that, given the discerning eyes of Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and others, they would definitely support this policy.

If Nanjing's policy of reducing redundant officials and positions cannot be properly implemented, then it will be even more difficult to complete the reduction of redundant officials and positions in other localities.

At this moment, Ling Yunyi was extremely busy.

He summoned all the officials who had been in the hall that morning, as well as some of his subordinates, and ordered them to do their utmost to compile a list of all the officials in Nanjing who opposed this policy, and then submit a joint memorial to the throne.

He felt he had a good chance of winning if he could get more than half the votes.

Shen Nian's domineering and forceful nature infuriated him.

"We must unite, otherwise the status of Nanjing officials will be even lower, they will have even less say, and our careers will be even more difficult!"

Then, Ling Yunyi looked at the Nanjing Ministry of War official standing to the side.

"Master Liu, send some soldiers from the yamen out, disguise them as commoners, and hide on the only road leading to the meeting hall. Stop any Nanjing officials or clerks who send documents to the yamen. Remember, be discreet!"

"understand!"

Late at night, almost all the officials who had a meeting at the Nanjing Garrison Headquarters early in the morning suffered from insomnia.

They are having a hard time making a decision.

They wanted to try opposing the government and see if they could get the court to come up with a more lenient policy to reduce redundant officials and positions, but they were afraid that if their opposition failed, the days ahead would be even more difficult.

These officials also sent their subordinates out to inquire, so as to go with the flow.

……

The next day, around noon.

Shen Nian sat calmly inside the meeting hall, waiting for the officials who would second the proposal to arrive.

However, after waiting for more than half an hour, they only received three seconding documents.

Shen Nian was not in a hurry; most officials prefer to make their statements at the last minute.

Shen Nian believed that at least half of the officials in charge of each department would second the motion.

Just then, Qi Hu walked over with two documents in his hand.

"Your Excellency, I have discovered that some soldiers are disguised as civilians and are stopping people outside the meeting hall. I wonder how to deal with these soldiers?" Qi Hu placed the document of seconding the motion on the table and then asked.

Shen Nian thought about it.

"Give him a beating first, then take him to the Ministry of Justice and hand him over to Minister He for his full authority!"

When saying "give him a beating," Shen Nian deliberately emphasized his tone; the heavier the tone, the harder the beating would be.

These people dared to use such despicable means to intercept documents, so Shen Nian naturally had to teach them a lesson.

As for who assigned it, Shen Nian didn't even need to think to know it was Ling Yunyi.

"Yes!"

Qi Hu strode excitedly outside; no matter how well these soldiers disguised themselves, they couldn't fool the eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

……

In the afternoon, while many officials were observing the situation...

Wang Jia and Qi Hu were overjoyed as they approached Shen Nian.

"Your Excellency, good news! Ling Yunyi, the Minister of War in Nanjing, has been taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard who came from the capital. His Majesty has ordered him to immediately go to the Caohe River in Huai'an Prefecture to investigate the illegal imposition of corvée labor on the canal and the use of civilians instead of soldiers!"

"Haha... I was entrusted by Mr. Wu with the intention of helping the people on the riverbank. I didn't expect that this action would also benefit us. With Ling Yunyi taken away, those opponents will definitely panic!"

The imperial court handled this matter with great efficiency.

Shen Nian thought for a moment and looked at the two of them.

"After spreading the news that Ling Yunyi had been taken away, another rumor was spread that the desk of Grand Secretary Shen of the Huitong Hall was overflowing with seconding documents, and that many officials, subordinates, and even ninth-rank officials from various government departments were secretly submitting their seconding documents!"

Upon hearing this, the two looked at the dozen or so supporting documents on the table in front of Shen Nian and were taken aback.

Shen Nian glared at the two of them, annoyed.

"The entire staff of Nanjing's government offices and departments fully support the policy of reducing redundant officials and positions. Wouldn't His Majesty feel pleased to hear this? Wouldn't it make us seem capable? Wouldn't this benefit the implementation of policies to reduce redundant officials and positions in local areas in the future?"

The two immediately understood each other and quickly walked outside.

Shen Nian added, "Remember, this is just a rumor. It would be embarrassing if others found out that we were the ones who spread it!"

(End of this chapter)