I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 332 New Year, New Look! Three Ministers Replaced in One Day, Grand Secretary Shen Joins the Ministry of War

The second and third days of the Lunar New Year.

After spending two days dealing with all the social obligations, Shen Nian began to devote herself entirely to her family.

He first accompanied his family to Yuquan Mountain to admire the plum blossoms, to Baiyun Temple to pray for blessings, and to watch a puppet show. Afterwards, he went to the theater to listen to Kunqu Opera and ate vegetarian food, medicinal cuisine, mutton hot pot, and roasted venison in the city.

Every day I experience new things and the authentic New Year's atmosphere of Beijing.

Having stopped thinking about any political affairs, he became noticeably plumper in less than five days.

The ninth day of the first lunar month.

Shen Nian's family was also taken by the young Wanli to a hunting ground in the suburbs of Beijing to experience hunting, and they ate a big meal with a group of students from the Jingwu Academy.

……

The fourteenth day of the first lunar month, in the afternoon.

Emperor Wanli ordered the eunuch Fang Ping of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs to deliver a full carriageload of gifts to the Shen residence.

These gifts were not for Shen Nian, but for Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing.

Emperor Wanli knew that they would be leaving the capital on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, so he sent them gifts to mark their return home, in recognition of their great contributions to trade in the north.

……

It was the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, near noon.

Cabinet value.

Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Personnel, appeared before Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng stroked his long beard and said, "The other day, I visited Minister Li of the Ministry of Works. His health is indeed failing, so I agreed to his retirement!"

Wang Guoguang nodded.

In the capital, the promotion, demotion, dismissal, and retirement of officials of the fifth rank and above generally required the decision of two people.

“Then… the position of Minister of Works… should be handed over to…” Wang Guoguang hesitated before speaking.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Wang Guoguang and asked in return, "What do you think?"

A smile appeared on Wang Guoguang's face.

"Let Zeng Shengwu take charge! Grand Secretary Shen should be in charge of the Ministry of War, which should also be what His Majesty expects."

Zhang Juzheng nodded in approval.

The young Wanli Emperor's desire to appoint Shen Nian as Minister of War was already quite clear.

Few civil officials are invited to the hunting grounds on the outskirts of Beijing, but Shen Nian is an exception.

In addition, Shen Nian is the deputy chief instructor of Jingwu Academy. Emperor Wanli wanted to let Shen Nian take control of the Ministry of War first, and then arrange the positions of the students of Jingwu Academy.

In this way, he can better control the military.

The young Wanli Emperor has begun preparations for assuming personal rule.

Zhang Juzheng approved Shen Nian's concurrent appointment as Minister of War because he believed that Shen Nian would not blindly obey Emperor Wanli's orders.

If he retires, the only person who can restrain the young Wanli Emperor will be Shen Nian.

"Once the court resumes, these job transfers should be processed as soon as possible. A new year brings a new atmosphere, and it's time to promote some more talented young people!"

“No problem!” Wang Guoguang said.

……

The seventeenth day of the first lunar month, early morning.

Mr. Shen, Ms. Shen, and Mr. Shen Nian's father-in-law boarded a large ship bound for Qiantang, Zhejiang.

Shen Nian and Gu Yue'er, along with Shen Yanche and Shen Zhiyi, saw them off.

Shen Yanche cried his heart out until Shen Nian promised to send him back to Qiantang at the end of the year if he did well in his studies this year. Only then did he stop crying.

……

On the twenty-first day of the first lunar month, at the fourth watch of the day, there will always be a court meeting.

All the officials were present, and none of them asked for leave.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) got straight to the point: "My lords, from the end of last year to the beginning of this year, several ministerial officials retired due to old age and illness. After discussing with the Grand Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel, I have decided to allow the retirement of several officials and appoint several new ones. Ministry of Personnel, please read this out!"

Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Personnel, strode out and opened the document in his hand.

"Today, the Minister of Works, Li Youzi, the Minister of War, Fang Fengshi, and the Minister of Rites, Pan Sheng, are hereby granted permission to retire!"

Many officials were quite surprised to hear this.

They knew that Li Youzi and Fang Fengshi had retired, but they didn't expect that Pan Sheng, the Minister of Rites, would also retire.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Six Ministries were not surprised.

Pan Sheng retired not because of old age, illness, or unwillingness to serve, but because Zhang Juzheng felt he had not performed well enough, especially regarding the year-end sacrificial rites, which involved excessive spending and waste, thus incurring Zhang's dissatisfaction.

Saying that he voluntarily resigned is just to save face for him.

Wang Guoguang paused for a moment, then continued, "Promote Zeng Shengwu, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, to Minister of Works; promote Xu Xuemo, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, to Minister of Rites; order Liang Menglong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, to inspect maritime trade; and appoint Shen Nian, a cabinet minister, as Minister of War!"

Upon hearing this appointment, Li Youzi and Zeng Shengwu could not help but sigh helplessly. The Ministry of Works was weak and still failed to secure Shen Nian's services. Meanwhile, the officials of the Ministry of War were very excited, as they would finally have a cabinet minister to back them up.

"Do any of you have any objections?" the young Wanli asked, looking around at those below.

"Your Majesty is wise, we have no objection!" The ministers all bowed in unison.

On the first day of the new year, when all civil and military officials returned to their posts, the court directly replaced the ministers of three of the six ministries, a truly astonishing efficiency.

This also shows that the current rule is: disregarding seniority, the capable rise and the mediocre fall.

As for the new appointments of vice ministers, ministers, and assistant ministers, they will not be announced at court assemblies, but rather announced by the Ministry of Personnel through posting notices.

Then, Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Personnel, continued: "Your Majesty, this year is the year of the capital inspection held once every six years. According to custom, officials of the fourth rank and above are required to give a report on their performance of duties, which will be decided by Your Majesty!"

The young Wanli Emperor looked at the five Grand Secretaries standing at the very front.

"Let the capital inspection begin tomorrow. After the five cabinet ministers assume their duties to me, they will lead the Ministry of Personnel to oversee the capital inspection. The capital inspection is the court's method of rewarding the good and punishing the bad. I hope it will be stricter this year. Those in charge of this matter must not seek a reputation for leniency, go through the motions, or show favoritism to officials!"

"Your subject obeys!" Wang Guoguang said, bowing.

"Your Majesty, we obey!" Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and the other five Grand Secretaries bowed in unison.

In the past, the imperial examinations in the capital were merely a formality, with only a few people being dismissed each time. But this year, the young Wanli Emperor will be more stringent in his requirements.

Those mediocre officials who coast along and accumulate seniority are destined to be purged.

……

The 22nd day of the first lunar month.

The five Grand Secretaries—Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Shen Shixing, Shen Nian, and Wang Xijue—submitted memorials one after another to assume their duties.

The term "cabinet minister's performance of duties" refers to the presentation of the achievements made since joining the cabinet.

Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and Shen Shixing, having served as cabinet ministers for a long time, even suggested retiring to avoid hindering the promotion of more talented individuals.

This is not a genuine retirement, but rather going through the necessary formalities.

After seeing the memorial, the young Wanli Emperor replied with a long list of words, such as "You are loyal, diligent, and have made outstanding contributions. Now is the time to give you important responsibilities. You must focus on planning for the country and assist me in achieving great peace and order in the world. You should not delay any longer and ask to retire due to precedent."

To Shen Nian and Wang Xijue, the young Wanli Emperor replied with words urging the two to diligently assist him.

Afterwards, the memorials from the five Grand Secretaries and the replies from the young Wanli Emperor would be transmitted to the Ministry of Personnel, the Six Ministries, and the Censorate.

If none of the officials have impeached the five Grand Secretaries, it means that their positions are very secure this year.

This form of evaluation in the capital, which is aimed at the five Grand Secretaries, is actually a way of telling everyone that the positions of the five Grand Secretaries are very secure and that the court will neither add more nor reduce the number of them.

Next came the five Grand Secretaries' inspection of the court officials in the capital. ...

January 25th, morning.

Shen Nian moved from the office of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue to the office of the Minister of War.

In recent years, the heads of various ministries in the Ming Dynasty have been replaced very frequently. In addition, although Shen Nian left the Ministry of Revenue, as a cabinet minister, he still has the power to control the Ministry of Revenue.

Therefore, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue did not feel that they had lost Shen Nian. On the contrary, they felt that Shen Nian was the best candidate for Minister of War at present.

Unlike the Ministry of Revenue, which had thirteen administrative offices, the Ministry of War had four administrative offices.

These are: the Military Selection Bureau, the Administration Bureau, the Carriage and Cavalry Bureau, and the Armory Bureau.

Each department is headed by one secretary, one assistant secretary, and one clerk.

Among them, the Military Selection Office was responsible for the selection, promotion, transfer, merit reward, and succession of military officers; the Administration Office was responsible for map and city management, military examinations, and the establishment of military systems and regulations; the Carriage Office was responsible for ceremonial guards, post stations, and stables; and the Armory Office was responsible for weapons, tallies, military academies, and salaries.

The responsibilities were clearly defined, with the Minister and the Left and Right Vice Ministers in charge of coordinating everything.

Inside the front hall of the Ministry of War.

Liang Menglong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, brought all the senior officials, assistant senior officials, and principal officials from the four departments to Shen Nian and introduced them one by one.

Liang Menglong will leave Beijing on the second day of the second lunar month to inspect maritime trade. Before leaving, he must make sure to explain all the affairs of the Ministry of War to Shen Nian.

The two were very excited, feeling that with Shen Nian, the Ministry of War now had a pillar of support.

Most of the officials in the Ministry of War in the hall were older than Shen Nian.

Shen Nian appeared very relaxed and easygoing, and even talked about some war theories and the essence of the literature course at the Jingwu Academy that he had told Xiao Wanli.

All the officials in the Ministry of War felt that they had benefited greatly.

Just as the meeting was about to end, Shen Nian took out a document from her bosom and looked at Liang Menglong.

"Minister Liang, the cabinet has no objection to your application to the court at the end of last year regarding the preparation of the firearms battalion, and His Majesty has also agreed. Before I left the Ministry of Revenue, I was exercising my duties as the Right Vice Minister of Revenue for the last time, and I agreed to allocate funds for the preparation of the firearms battalion. If nothing unexpected happens, I will be able to collect the funds in three days at most!"

Upon hearing this, the officials of the Ministry of War were taken aback at first, and then they all stood up and bowed to Shen Nian.

The Ministry of War began applying to establish a firearms battalion two years ago, but the court has not yet responded due to the large amount of funds required for preparation.

Shen Nian easily solved this problem as soon as she took office.

"The Ministry of Revenue will be able to allocate the silver within three days at most."

This level of efficiency is probably only something Shen Nian could achieve.

If it were Liang Menglong or Wang Yi'e who made the application, even if the young Wanli Emperor and the cabinet agreed, the Ministry of Revenue's allocation of funds might be delayed from the beginning of the year to the end.

It wasn't that Yin Zhengmao refused to approve it, but rather that the imperial court needed to allocate funds to many government departments, and there had to be a hierarchy of priorities.

Shen Nian humbly replied, "The court's swift approval is not solely due to my influence, but because we urgently need to invent and manufacture more lethal firearms. Only they can protect the achievements of our new reforms!"

"Your humble servant understands!" Liang Menglong said earnestly, "From this day forward, all officials of the Ministry of War shall be at the command of Grand Secretary Shen!"

"We will all obey Grand Secretary Shen's orders!" the officials of the Ministry of War said in unison.

……

At dusk that day.

Liu Sijie, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, led a group of officials from the Ministry of Revenue to deliver the first batch of funds for the preparation of the firearms battalion to the Ministry of War.

At the same time, the imperial edict from the young Wanli Emperor also arrived at the Ministry of War.

The young Wanli Emperor stated that the selection of sites and personnel for the preparation of the firearms battalion would be determined by the Ministry of War, with progress reported every three months. Any improved firearms or weapons would be sent to the Jingwu Academy for trial use by the Jingwu Guards.

This efficiency surprised even Shen Nian.

This is due to his personal charisma.

Emperor Wanli hoped that Shen Nian could quickly establish himself in the Ministry of War and take control of the government. The cabinet and the head of the Ministry of Revenue also hoped that Shen Nian could do well in the Ministry of War. Under their urging, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue did not even have time to eat lunch before preparing the funds for the Ministry of War's firearms battalion.

After the court was dismissed.

The officials from the Ministry of War walked outside, all standing tall and proud.

Zeng Shengwu, the newly appointed Minister of Works, was so envious that he shed tears, regretting that he hadn't worked hard enough to recruit Shen Nian to the Ministry of Works.

……

On the second day of the second lunar month, at the fourth watch of the night.

The front courtyard of the Ministry of War was brightly lit.

Liang Menglong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, looked at Shen Nian in front of him and said, "Grand Secretary Shen, there's no need to see me off! This trip to inspect maritime trade will take at least one year and at most two years. I will definitely assist maritime officials and merchants in expanding trade, bringing more silver and more overseas specialties into the country, while also spreading the culture and customs of our Great Ming Dynasty!"

In the past few days, while Liang Menglong was telling Shen Nian about the situation of the Ministry of War, the two also talked about many things related to maritime trade.

Back when the Longqing Emperor opened the ports, Liang Menglong was the main force in implementing the plan. He considered himself very knowledgeable about maritime trade, but he was amazed by many of Shen Nian's strategies.

Maritime trade was not merely maritime trade; it was a cultural war that determined the future prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

"I believe you!" Shen Nian nodded earnestly.

Liang Menglong looked at the group of Ministry of War officials behind him, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Take care, everyone!"

All the officials of the Ministry of War bowed in unison.

Immediately afterward, Liang Menglong strode away from the Ministry of War.

He was extremely excited at this moment, feeling that his career was about to begin a new chapter, a chapter that could very well make him famous throughout history.

……

February 3rd.

Emperor Wanli ordered Wang Xijue, a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy and a cabinet minister, to go to the Confucian Temple to offer sacrifices to the Sage and Teacher Confucius.

February 4th.

Emperor Wanli personally offered sacrifices to the gods of the land and grain, accompanied by the five Grand Secretaries.

February 5th.

As more and more officials of the fourth rank or above began to submit memorials to report on their duties, Zhang Juzheng and his four associates saw their workload increase dramatically. However, all five of them were very diligent and conducted their assessments of the officials in accordance with the regulations for the capital's inspection.

at the same time.

Outside of the two capitals, provinces and prefectures have also begun to implement the decree to reduce redundant officials and positions. All provinces must complete this decree this year.

……

On the tenth day of the second month, Hai Rui, who had been traveling for a long time, returned to the capital to report his mission and was granted the honor of retiring.

At this moment, Hai Rui's hair and beard were white, and he needed a cane to walk long distances, but his complexion was ruddy, and he still spoke with an upright and dignified air, exuding authority without anger.

After summoning him, the young Wanli Emperor intended to buy him a small courtyard near the Shen residence for his retirement and to facilitate his teaching of Shen Yanche.

However, Hai Rui politely declined.

He stated that his current salary was sufficient for rent and daily expenses, and that he did not need the court to make special exceptions for him.

Emperor Wanli had no choice but to give up.

He couldn't help but sigh: an official who is honest and upright for a short time may be seeking fame and reputation, but if he is like that for his whole life, then he has to admire him.

People like Hai Rui are destined to be remembered in history.

After handing over all the official tokens to the Ministry of Personnel, Hai Rui, dressed in a faded cloth robe, entered the Shen residence and began his teaching career in his later years.

Next, Shen Yanche's life will get back on track.

(End of this chapter)