I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

February 17th, near dusk.

The memorials of apology submitted by Yang Bing, the Earl of Zhangwu, and Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, were delivered to the palace.

Both men confessed to their crimes, claiming that they got into a verbal argument due to impulsiveness, which then escalated into a physical altercation. The officials from both ministries who participated later did so to try and break up the fight, and there was pushing and shoving involved. It was not, as rumored, a brawl involving nearly fifty officials from both ministries at the Ministry of War, with everyone bleeding.

Early the next morning.

The Duke of Yingguo, the Duke of Dingguo, and Zhang Juzheng also submitted memorials recounting the scene at the time, which were not much different from what the two men had said.

Emperor Wanli, in a spirit of minimizing the seriousness of the matter, fined Earl Yang Bing of Zhangwu and Vice Minister of War Wang Yi'e one month's salary each. In addition, he punished all the officials involved in the pushing and shoving by making them copy the "Great Ming Code - Etiquette and Ceremonial System" twenty times.

Punishing officials for copying laws was Wanli Emperor's favorite method.

As for the rumors circulating among the public about "bloodshed in a brawl," these were gradually suppressed by official announcements.

at the same time.

The cabinet's memorial recommending that Yang Bing, the Earl of Zhangwu, and Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, be appointed as the chief instructor and deputy chief instructor of the firearms battalion, respectively, was also approved by the young Wanli Emperor.

As for the future transfer of the firearms battalion to the Jingwu Academy, Shen Nian reported this to Xiao Wanli, who was very excited and immediately nodded in agreement.

Jingwu Academy was his direct subordinate force, and he was most pleased that it was becoming stronger and stronger.

……

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of February.

The various government offices in the capital were still busy with the "Capital Inspection" matter. In the past, the Capital Inspection would last at least six months. However, this time, because the decree to reduce redundant officials and military posts had just been implemented last year, the cabinet decided to completely end the Capital Inspection before April so that officials in the capital could devote more energy to handling government affairs.

Although the inspection period in Beijing was shortened, the intensity of the inspection was not diminished at all.

On the last day of February, with the consent of the young Wanli Emperor, the Ministry of Personnel and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices issued a proclamation dismissing all instructors and assistant directors of the Four Barbarian Institutions under the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The Siyiguan (四夷馆) was a government office in the capital responsible for translation and teaching the languages ​​of ethnic minorities and foreign countries.

It mainly housed instructors who were proficient in Tatar, Jurchen, and other languages.

With the implementation of the order to open the seas and introduce silver, the Siyiguan (Foreigners' Institute) gradually took on a greater responsibility, undertaking the task of training more language translators.

However, the current instructors were of average ability and limited skill, and their efficiency in completing tasks was very low. Therefore, Zhang Juzheng was furious and dismissed them all, replacing them with a group of more capable newcomers.

……

On the fifth day of March, near dusk.

The weather is still very cold.

After leaving the Ministry of War, Shen Nian walked out and took a carriage home.

In the past few days, he has been reading through the documents of the Ministry of War every day, learning a lot of military concepts and war cases. Shen Nian also wrote them into teaching materials and shared them with Xiao Wanli and the students of Jingwu Academy.

Shen Nian returned home not long ago.

Then Aji walked up to him with a red invitation card in his hand.

"Young Master, Zhao Shizhen, the Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial, requests an audience. He claims to be from your hometown and has important items related to the Firearms Battalion to give you!"

At this point, Aji had married and had children, and had gone from being a page to the steward of the Shen residence.

However, he still habitually drove the carriage for Shen Nian and addressed Shen Nian as "Young Master".

At present, Shen Nian holds a high position and great power. Many officials present him with visiting cards, most of which are selected by Aji. Aji generally politely declines visiting cards that involve eating and drinking to please him.

Shen Nian looked puzzled.

"Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial? Firearms Battalion? These are completely unrelated!"

“I originally intended to refuse him directly, but he drew several firearms on his visiting card and confidently claimed that you would definitely invite him to join your family after seeing it, so I brought the visiting card in.”

Shen Nian accepted the visiting card, and when she saw the firearms inside, she was stunned for a moment, and then stood up.

Shen Nian's understanding of firearms is improving.

He could tell that these firearms drawings were completely different from the firearms of today and were drawn according to the principles of firearms manufacturing.

This person must be an expert who knows the structure of firearms.

"Let him in!" Shen Nian said.

……

After a while.

A man dressed in a blue robe walked into the reception room of the Shen residence.

He was about thirty years old, tall and slender, with dark skin, but his eyes were very bright, giving him the appearance of an energetic official.

"Your humble servant, Zhao Shizhen, Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial, pays his respects to Grand Secretary Shen!"

The Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial was an eighth-rank official, primarily responsible for the management of documents, seals, personnel, finances, and supplies within the Court of State Ceremonial.

Compared to Shen Nian, he was a minor official, nothing more.

Shen Nian looked at him.

"Did you draw all these firearm diagrams? How could a mere registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial be able to draw firearm diagrams? Have you had any experience with firearms before?" Shen Nian asked.

Zhao Shizhen cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, I was originally a student of the Imperial Academy, and later, because of my skill in calligraphy, His Majesty specially promoted me to the position of Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial. Although I have never handled firearms before, I am very fond of studying them and have read many books on their development. The few simple diagrams in this letter are my proposed new type of firearm, which I have named the Swift Thunder Gun. This gun has five barrels, a shield at the front, and a small axe in the middle as a support, making it both offensive and defensive..."

Shen Nian listened very attentively and became increasingly convinced that this person knew about firearms and was an expert. The "Thunderbolt Gun" he mentioned could definitely be manufactured.

"What is your courtesy name?" Shen Nian suddenly asked.

"My courtesy name is Changji, and my pen name is Houhu," Zhao Shizhen answered truthfully. "You...you are the Zhao Changji whose calligraphy is praised as 'soaring and graceful, renowned throughout the world,' and whose poems on fans sell like hotcakes in the capital? His Majesty once showed me your poem fan and said that your calligraphy was better than mine!"

Shen Nian suddenly remembered this person.

"Calligraphy is merely a minor skill; how could I possibly compare to Your Excellency!" Zhao Shizhen quickly bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.

"What brings you here today? Just say it directly. I don't like beating around the bush!" Shen Nian looked at him.

Zhao Shizhen bowed again.

"Your Excellency, my performance as the Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial is mediocre. With the recent inspection in the capital, I will inevitably be dismissed. I am also unhappy in the Court of State Ceremonial. Therefore, I would like to present my drawings of firearms and earnestly request Your Excellency to transfer me to the Ministry of War. I am fond of studying firearms and am sure I can develop more powerful firearms for the court."

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian frowned.

If he wanted to take up a post in the firearms battalion, he could apply to the Ministry of War, but seeking special treatment for himself privately was a clear violation of the law.

After saying this, Zhao Shizhen took out a thin cloth bundle from his bosom and presented it to the front with both hands.

"This is a copy of the Collected Works of Du Fu, printed by the Taizhou Envoy's Treasury in the eighth year of Chunxi in the Southern Song Dynasty. I know that Your Excellency likes Song Dynasty editions, so I present it to you."

"boom!"

Shen Nian suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her expression becoming very serious.

"Zhao Shizhen, by doing this, I can classify it as bribery and have the Ministry of Justice arrest you!"

Pfft!
Zhao Shizhen knelt on the ground and said, "Your Excellency, a scholar... sending books... isn't considered bribery, is it? A colleague told me that only by sending books to you can you accept them! And there are many precedents for this, otherwise... otherwise I would never dare to send them!"

Shen Nian looked at him and asked, "What is your relationship with this colleague you just mentioned?"

“Just...nodding acquaintances!” Zhao Shizhen said, his forehead already covered in cold sweat.

Shen Nian asked again, "This...this is the first time you've given a gift, right?"

Zhao Shizhen was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes!"

Shen Nian paused for a moment, then sat back down in her seat.

The custom of gift-giving remains prevalent in the capital.

Many officials still feel that giving gifts may not necessarily get things done, but not giving gifts will definitely lead to being targeted, so they give gifts to put their minds at ease.

Shen Nian pointed out that this was Zhao Shizhen's first time giving a gift because no official who had ever given a gift before had ever done something as foolish as Zhao Shizhen.

Who goes to someone's house to beg for help and then gives them gifts?
Gifts are always given in advance, delivered in various ways, and exchanged between the subordinates and confidants of both parties.

His impulsive and straightforward way of giving gifts.

Let alone Shen Nian, even the most greedy official would absolutely not dare to accept it.

Because of this practice of accepting gifts, if someone were to deliberately frame someone, the officials in charge of the censorate could submit an impeachment memorial to the palace the following morning.

Zhao Shizhen's colleague was clearly lying to him.

Shen Nian looked at him and continued, "Don't you usually have many friends? Do you go home to study firearms as soon as you finish your duties?"

"Hmm?" Zhao Shizhen was taken aback and said, "Grand Secretary, how do you know me so well?"

Shen Nian stood up and took the Song Dynasty edition book.

"This Song Dynasty edition was officially printed and proofread, and every inch of paper was worth its weight in gold. This book was still in Qin Xiucai's bookstore in the west of the city during the first month of the lunar calendar. The shopkeeper said he wouldn't sell it for less than fifteen taels of silver. Since there was only one copy (out of six), it wasn't easy to sell. How much silver did you spend to buy it?"

Zhao Shizhen raised his head, his face filled with shock.

"Your Excellency, how do you know everything? I bought this book for eighteen taels of silver, and even pawned the jade pendant my father left me!"

"I visited Qin Xiucai's bookstore last month."

Shen Nian put the book aside and said, "This is not how you give gifts. But if you really knew how to give gifts and still dared to give gifts to this pavilion, you would definitely be in the Ministry of Justice prison by now!"

"Take this book back with you! After you are dismissed from your post, compile your firearm drawings and your summarized ideas on firearm casting into a book and submit it to the Ministry of War. If you have the ability to stay in the firearm battalion, you can stay! If not, don't even mention giving a book, not even giving a mountain of gold will work!"

After saying that, Shen Nian left the living room.

Aji wrapped up the Song Dynasty edition book and handed it to Zhao Shizhen.

"How dare you send gifts to the Grand Secretary! Do you have a death wish? You'd better not associate with that colleague of yours; he's ruining you!" With that, Aji ushered Zhao Shizhen out.

Shen Nian did not blame him because she saw that he was an honest official who did not understand the ways of officialdom but had no choice but to go with the flow.

He was also forced into this situation by the current atmosphere in officialdom.

If he first slipped money to Aji, then claimed to be a fellow townsman of Shen Nian, and knew a relative or old friend of Shen Nian from Qiantang, and then secretly handed the book to Aji among a pile of documents, then Shen Nian would have the Ministry of Justice arrest him directly.

This incident also made Shen Nian realize that although the situation of "accepting and soliciting bribes" among officials of the fourth rank and above in the court has improved a lot, it is still serious at the lower levels, and many officials still believe that: things cannot be done without giving gifts.

A moment later, in the back hall of the Shen residence.

Shen Nian said to Aji, "Send someone to keep an eye on him. I feel he'll go to Qin Xiucai's bookstore to return the book, but the shopkeeper probably won't, or he'll raise the price. If he can't return the book and can't redeem the jade pendant his father left him, help him, or just buy the book yourself!"

Shen Nian really liked that book, but she couldn't bring herself to buy it at the time, but now she has the idea of ​​collecting it.

The reason he helped Zhao Shizhen was...

On the one hand, the other person seemed like an honest person.

On the other hand, the boots Zhao Shizhen was wearing today were very worn, at least two years old, while he would definitely wear the best boots when he visited Shen Nian.

This is enough to show that he was a poor and strapped official; he only resorted to bribery because he had no other choice. (End of Chapter)