I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

In the blink of an eye, it was March of the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign.

Shen Nian served as Governor-General of Ji and Liao, and completed his three-year term.

Although the young Wanli Emperor had already issued an edict ordering him to continue as Governor-General of Ji and Liao, Shen Nian still prepared to submit a memorial, as was customary, outlining his achievements over the past three years.

In the past, Shen Nian always kept his political achievements under wraps when submitting memorials, because he needed to focus on his work.

However, he is now preparing to show his strength and let the world see that the new policies have not been abandoned and that the entire Liaodong region is still bathed in their light.

He continues to do what he has insisted on since the beginning of his official career: to ensure that everyone in the world has enough to eat!
Currently, Jibei Port and Dongfang Port have been officially put into use, and Winter City is expanding in an orderly manner.

From Quanzhou to northern Liaoning, all trade routes, including those to Ryukyu, Korea, and Japan, were opened up, and maritime trade has benefited all coastal cities of the Ming Dynasty.

The seeds that Shen Nian planted over the past three years are gradually blossoming and bearing fruit.

Gold and silver poured into the Ming Dynasty, and the people of the northern border transformed from relying solely on agriculture to developing agriculture and commerce in parallel.

As for the Mongol and Jurchen tribes.

The disobedient tribes were all driven away by Shen Nian to the cold Siberia, while the rest were like obedient cats, thinking all day about how to sell goods and make money.

Shen Nian had assumed that these tribes were not only united but also xenophobic. However, when ships carrying grain, silk, porcelain, tea, and other goods were transported to Dongfang Port, they all bowed to welcome the Ming Dynasty merchants.

The commercial development of Dongfang Port directly disrupted the Jurchen people's way of life.

Nowadays, it's not a clan leader who has the final say, but the rules of Winter City that matter.

Many Mongols and Jurchens, by abiding by the rules of Dongcheng, have become permanent residents of Dongcheng, that is, Dongcheng people certified by the Ming Dynasty.

Nurhaci went from being a part-time middleman to a professional middleman.

Because of his buying and selling, he learned the drinking etiquette of Ming Dynasty merchants, and he gained more than 20 pounds.

Nowadays, riding a horse is very strenuous, and business is conducted by carriage. When he met Shen Maoxue, he was as enthusiastic as a shopkeeper meeting his boss.

Furthermore, his tribe has been dispersed and replaced by a mercenary system.

With enough money, he could hire anyone, which undoubtedly made trade more convenient and provided a livelihood for many Jurchens.

At this moment, Shen Maoxue was no longer worried about how to develop commerce, but rather about how to improve the moral character of the Jurchen and Mongol people.

They dared not kill indiscriminately, but fights still frequently broke out when negotiating business deals.

To this end, Shen Nian devised a series of stringent economic sanctions, deterring them from taking any further action.

……

March 21st, afternoon.

Shen Nian's report on his duties arrived in the capital and was submitted to the Grand Secretariat by the Office of Transmission. The report covered multiple areas, including military and political affairs, commerce and trade, and people's livelihood, and also included a detailed chart of tax revenue growth.

Inside the Cabinet Office.

Shen Shixing, Yu Youding, Wang Jiaping, Xu Guo, and Shen Yiguan, the five Grand Secretaries, gathered together and solemnly read Shen Nian's report on his duties.

Compared to Shen Nian's achievements in Jiliao, they were simply occupying positions without doing any work.

As for the young Wanli Emperor, due to the matter of choosing an heir, he not only stopped attending court but also refused to participate in ritual activities such as worshipping Heaven and Earth and the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Since the Grand Secretary Shen Shixing met the young Wanli Emperor once through a screen at the end of last year, he has not seen him again.

The cabinet's draft proposals were entirely approved by Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jing.

These two officials suppressed officials who submitted memorials to offer advice by fining them, demoting them, and beating them in court, completely undermining the system of censors and remonstrating officials.

All the officials harbored resentment, but dared not speak out against it.

At the same time, the expenses of the forbidden palace continued to increase, and the silver and jewelry of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works were ordered to be transferred to the inner treasury.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Ming Dynasty was in complete chaos, on the eve of moral decay and popular rebellion.

"Snapped!"

Shen Shixing slammed his hand on the table and said, "The Ming Dynasty cannot continue like this, and His Majesty cannot continue to neglect his duties. The Ming Dynasty is on the verge of collapse, and the only one who can save it is Ziheng. We should plead with His Majesty to allow Ziheng to return to court. I am willing to give up the position of Grand Secretary to Ziheng!"

The other four cabinet ministers were taken aback, not expecting that Shen Shixing, who was best at smoothing things over, could say such tough words.

"I second that! We should jointly submit a memorial to the throne, earnestly requesting Minister Shen to return to court!" Wang Jiaping spoke first, as he had long been disgusted with the stagnant state of the current government.

"I second that!" Yu Youding and Xu Guo said almost simultaneously.

At this moment, Shen Yiguan raised an eyebrow and said, "Gentlemen, His Majesty just issued an edict at the end of last year, ordering Minister Shen to continue to govern Ji and Liao. If we go against His Majesty's wishes at this time, I'm afraid it would be inappropriate. His Majesty would not agree to it!"

“If Your Majesty does not agree, we will all resign!” Wang Jiaping said, glaring.

“Uncle Zhong, don’t act rashly. If we really resign, His Majesty will be furious. If he really agrees, the world will be even more chaotic!” Yu Youding said.

Given the current style of Wanli Emperor, it's not that he wouldn't dare to replace a group of cabinet ministers.

In the eyes of the young Wanli Emperor, the sharp decline in tax revenue and the constant unrest among the people were not his fault, but rather the fault of the five Grand Secretaries' incompetence.

He followed his father's example of ruling by doing nothing, but he never expected that the five cabinet ministers would be so incompetent.

The room fell silent once again.

The biggest problem with Grand Secretary Shen Shixing was that he dared not take responsibility and dared not make decisions.

Such silences often occurred during meetings of the five cabinet ministers. After the silence, Shen Shixing would order everyone to go back and think about it again, and the matter would be put on hold.

The more he tries to consider the bigger picture, the worse the situation becomes.

Just then, Shen Nian's memorial was leaked from the Office of Transmission.

Almost all the officials' first reaction upon seeing this memorial was: Please ask Shen Nian to return to the capital and take charge of the overall situation.

However, officials in the censorate dared not speak out, officials in the Hanlin Academy dared not speak out, and officials in the Six Ministries dared not speak out either.

They once risked their lives to remonstrate with the emperor because they knew they were right and had a valid reason, and would not be punished. But now, Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jing are truly capable of killing.

Just then, a group of people stepped forward, much to everyone's surprise.

More than 300 Jinshi graduates from the Bingxu year of the imperial examination, led by a group of Hanlin Academy probationaries, knelt before the Meridian Gate and shouted: "We beg Your Majesty to summon Minister Shen back to the capital!"
These young people still have guts.

They knew that only Shen Nian could change the current state of the Ming Dynasty.

……

Soon, the five cabinet ministers, who were still in a meeting, learned of the news.

"Gentlemen, what are we waiting for? These more than three hundred newly appointed scholars represent the will of the people, and we should respond to them immediately!" Wang Jiaping said excitedly, clenching his fist.

The fact that these young people dared to speak frankly shows that there is still hope for the Ming Dynasty.

Shen Shixing shook his head slightly and said, "Let's not rush. Let's see His Majesty's reaction first. If His Majesty compromises, we will support them. If His Majesty is furious and wants to punish these people, we will try to persuade him."

Shen Shixing felt that the cabinet's memorial at this moment would only add fuel to the fire.

Immediately, the five cabinet ministers sat in the front hall, drinking tea and waiting for news.

……

In front of the Meridian Gate, more than three hundred scholars knelt on the ground, shouting in unison, "We implore Your Majesty to summon Grand Secretary Shen back to the capital!"

Just then.

Zhang Jing, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently in charge of the Eastern Depot, led a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards out of the Meridian Gate.

The scholars immediately stopped shouting and all looked at him.

Zhang Jing said expressionlessly, "By imperial decree, His Majesty has his own plans regarding when Minister Shen will return to the capital. You may all leave immediately!"

Swish!Swish!Swish!
The scholars all looked at Zhang Jing with sharp eyes.

Zhang Jing is now a nightmare for all officials in the capital. In the past three years, he has killed more than a hundred scholars.

After about three breaths, no one moved an inch. Then, Yuan Zongdao, the second-ranked candidate in the second class, who was kneeling at the front, shouted: "Your Majesty, I implore you to summon Grand Secretary Shen back to the capital."

"We implore Your Majesty to summon Grand Secretary Shen back to the capital! We implore Your Majesty to summon Grand Secretary Shen back to the capital..."

The other scholars who had passed the imperial examinations joined in the chanting; in their eyes, Shen Nian had always been Grand Secretary Shen.

Zhang Jing was surprised that these scholars ignored him so blatantly. He immediately waved his hand and said to the guards standing nearby, "To avoid disturbing His Majesty's peace, send them away!"

Instantly.

Hundreds of guards, armed with long sticks and swords, began to drive away the scholars.

The scholars did not retreat, so they took action directly.

At Zhang Jing's behest, these imperial guards acted with extreme ruthlessness.

Yuan Zongdao, who was standing at the front, was hit directly on the head with a stick, and blood was flowing continuously from his forehead.

When the guards saw that he still wouldn't back down, they grabbed him by the collar and dragged him backward. Anyone who dared to stop them was beaten with sticks.

Before long, a chorus of wails and cries filled the air below the Meridian Gate.

Upon hearing that the Imperial Guards had brutally beaten the newly appointed scholars, Shen Shixing and the other five cabinet ministers rushed to the Meridian Gate.

“Eunuch Zhang, stop immediately! Stop immediately! These are newly appointed scholars! Damaging them is a loss to the entire Ming Dynasty! Damaging them will enrage all scholars in the land!” Shen Shixing said.

snort!
Zhang Jing snorted coldly.

"It's all because the cabinet is incompetent, otherwise how could such a thing have happened?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Shixing was speechless, while Wang Jiaping, who was standing to the side, could no longer hold back.

Snapped!
He slapped Zhang Jing across the face and shouted, "Tell them to stop immediately!"

"You...you dare to hit my family! I'll sue you before His Majesty!" Zhang Jing said angrily.

Wang Jiaping clenched his fists and said, "You bastard! Don't you know you can't hit newly appointed scholars? If you keep hitting me, I'll risk my life to get His Majesty to kill you!"

Wang Jiaping's eyes were sharp enough to kill.

Zhang Jing didn't dare to damage all the newly appointed scholars, since Emperor Wanli hadn't ordered him to do so.

He thought for a moment, looked at Shen Shixing, and said, "We can stop, but the cabinet must guarantee that all these people will be driven away within one hour!"

“No problem! No problem!” Shen Shixing nodded.

Immediately, Zhang Jing waved his hand and led a group of guards into the Meridian Gate.

Last year's chief examiner, Yu Youding, looked at the group of candidates who had been beaten black and blue and said, "Those who are injured should go and get treatment immediately. Whether the court needs Minister Shen to return to the capital is His Majesty's decision. What are you meddling in for!"

The scholars remained motionless when their mentor drove them away, their eyes filled with anger.

“Five Grand Secretaries, don’t you know what the court is like now, what the Ming Dynasty is like now? If you don’t invite Grand Secretary Shen back to court, the Ming Dynasty… the Ming Dynasty will perish!” A scholar who had been beaten black and blue said with tears in his eyes.

The group of scholars looked at the five Grand Secretaries, hoping that they would step forward.

Yu Youding, Xu Guo, and Wang Jiaping all looked at Shen Shixing, while Shen Yiguan thought the Jinshi's behavior was very foolish and he did not want Shen Nian to return to court.

Shen Shixing paused for a moment and said, "You all go back first. I assure you, I will draft a memorial today to invite Minister Shen back to court!"

“Leave the rest to us, everyone go back now, it’s not worth dying here!” Yu Youding added.

Immediately, the scholars stood up and helped each other leave the Meridian Gate.

……

A moment later, inside the Cabinet Office.

Shen Shixing wrote a memorial earnestly requesting Shen Nian to return to the capital. Xu Guo, Yu Youding, and Wang Jiaping all signed their names, while Shen Yiguan refused to second the memorial, arguing that "if Shen Nian returns to the court, the court will surely be in chaos."

Therefore, Shen Shixing handed the memorials of the four men directly to Fang Ping, the eunuch who was currently in charge of the document room.

……

It was near dusk inside the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Wanli didn't bother reading Shen Shixing's memorial. After listening to Zhang Cheng, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, dictate it to him, he thought for a moment and said, "Tell Grand Secretary Shen to announce that I miss Minister Shen very much, but the Ji-Liao region needs Minister Shen at the moment, and Minister Shen cannot return to court for the time being. Also, inform Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang to each contribute 200,000 taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury. The development of Jibei Port and Dongfang Port to their current scale is inseparable from my full support!"

"Yes!" Zhang Cheng replied, cupping his hands in greeting.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor had no intention of returning to court.

He felt guilty towards Shen Nian because he thought that the development of the Ming Dynasty would be smoother after Shen Nian left the court. He never expected that the five Grand Secretaries were all incompetent.

He failed to prove himself and was unwilling to let Shen Nian return to court to offer him advice.

Then, after thinking for a moment, the young Wanli Emperor added, "Furthermore, Wang Jiaping will be fined three months' salary. What right does he have to hit Zhang Jing!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jing was very happy.

……

Soon, the imperial edict from the young Wanli Emperor reached the ears of the five Grand Secretaries.

Shen Shixing was very helpless, but he had no choice but to comply.

On that day, Shen Shixing announced to the public: His Majesty misses Shen Nian very much, but because Ji Liao needs Shen Nian, Shen Nian cannot return to the court.

Such a casual remark naturally failed to satisfy the group of scholars.

After the scholars realized that their advice to the emperor was ineffective, they launched a campaign among the people to "return Grand Secretary Shen to the capital to take charge of the overall situation."

In an instant, the anger of scholars and literati in the countryside was ignited.

What was the Ming Dynasty like during the eighth to tenth years of the Wanli Emperor's reign? What is the Ming Dynasty like now? What were the emperors like then? What are they like now? Everyone knows the answer.

In addition, Shen Nian managed the Jiliao region so well that he transformed this once barren land into the second Jiangnan region of the Ming Dynasty.

This makes countless people yearn for it.

As a result, the public began to hotly discuss the matter of "inviting Grand Secretary Shen back to court to take charge of the overall situation".

In less than half a month, the news spread from the capital to Nanjing, and then to the entire Jiangnan region.

After retiring from his official post, Wang Xijue returned to his hometown of Suzhou and became a schoolteacher.

After learning that many scholars and officials had earnestly requested Shen Nian to return to the capital, he led his students to speak among the common people about Shen Nian's achievements in Ji and Liao, and then shouted, "Please, Grand Secretary Shen, return to the capital to preside over the overall situation!"

The public outcry was quite intense, but Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jing did not relay the matter to Emperor Wanli.

They felt that if the scholars and intellectuals continued to raise their voices for a month or two without receiving any response from the imperial court, they would stop.

Little did they know that the beating of a group of scholars by the imperial guards in front of the Meridian Gate had already chilled the hearts of scholars across the land. If Shen Nian were to return, the two would surely die.

……

One month later, in Liaodong, Liaoyang City.

Shen Nian gradually learned that scholars and intellectuals from all over the country were pleading with him to return to the capital to take charge of the overall situation.

He was in no hurry.

He needs officials and the people to be completely disappointed in the young Wanli Emperor, and he has already begun to make plans to return to court by the end of the year.

Inside the study.

Shen Nian picked up his brush and wrote eight characters on the rice paper: rule of man, rule of law, monarchical power, and people's rights.

Then, Shen Nian crossed out the words "rule by man" and "monarchical power," looked out the window towards the capital, and murmured, "It's time for the rule of law to replace the rule of man, and for the people's rights to restrain the monarch's power. The Ming Dynasty should not be the Ming Dynasty of the Zhu family, but the Ming Dynasty of all the people!" (End of this chapter)