The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 559: The Fall of the Zhejiang Party
Shen Yiquan's mind is indeed firm.

The tortures in the imperial prison were powerless against him.

However, other members of the Zhejiang Party are not as capable as he is.

Under the torture in the imperial prison, most people confessed.

Although they did not make as much as Shen Yi Guan, they made more than the average corrupt officials.

Each of these guys has at least hundreds of thousands of taels, and some even have millions of taels.

Although Wanli did not recover all the money that the Ministry of Revenue had embezzled, the Zhejiang Party alone seized tens of millions of taels of silver, and the inner treasury gradually began to fill up.

When the Jinyiwei were searching the house, Wang Xianggan also brought his old father to the capital.

Early in the morning at about noon that day, Wanli had just arrived at the imperial study when he brought his old father to meet the emperor.

Wang Zhiyuan was so excited that he even kowtowed on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. The Wang family swears to follow you till death, loyally serving our country, and going through fire and water."

It seems that you are not that kind of pedantic official.

Very good, very good, this resonates with me deeply.

Wanli pretended to hold little Zhu Changxun in his arms and stood up, saying, "No need to be polite, no need to be polite, get up quickly, get up quickly, there is no need for such a grand ceremony."

Originally, he should have pretended to help the man, after all, he was in his seventies.

However, he just stood up and pretended to help without going to help.

He just wanted to see whether the old man was really in good health.

Wang Zhiyuan swiftly got up from the ground, bowed repeatedly and said, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I dare not trouble you to get up."

His body is really strong, and his hands are different from those of other civil servants.

The hands of other civil servants were basically smooth, with a few wrinkles at most, but his hands were covered with calluses.

As for clothes, civil servants who could usually hold the position of Vice Minister of the Six Ministries would feel embarrassed to go out if they didn't wear clothes made of silk and satin.

He was wearing ordinary cotton clothes, which looked like he had worn them for a long time, but there was no sign of damage.

Wanli sat down slowly, nodded with satisfaction and said, "Ershi, it's not easy for you to be so healthy at your age."

This is all done by doing farm work. Farm work is not without its benefits. At least it keeps you healthy.

However, this sounds a bit like self-boasting, and His Majesty will definitely not like to hear it.

This time, they are giving the Wang family a good opportunity to bring honor to their ancestors. Even if he has to sacrifice his reputation, he must make the Emperor happy.

Wang Zhiyuan nodded repeatedly and said, "I heard that His Majesty still wants me to help you. I dare not let my body be weak."

That's what I said.

Who says honest officials won’t flatter?

Wanli nodded slightly, then said bluntly: "I want you to join the cabinet to assist in the administration.

Many officials nowadays don’t know what loyalty to the emperor means, let alone what diligence means. They all claim to be working for the country and the people, but all they see is money and interests.

With more officials fighting for power, the court becomes chaotic and full of smoke and dust.

I just hope that your fresh breeze can blow away the foul atmosphere in the court."

what?
Join the cabinet to assist in government affairs!

Wang Zhiyuan was stunned.

He is not from the Hanlin Academy, so according to the rules of officialdom he cannot enter the cabinet to assist in government affairs.

Should we remind His Majesty about this?
He thought for a moment and then said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I am not a Hanlin scholar. If I join the cabinet to assist in government affairs, I may cause controversy."

This is another lousy rule set by the civil servants.

Wanli said calmly: "Doesn't the Ming Dynasty law stipulate that those who are not from the Hanlin Academy cannot serve in the cabinet to assist in government?

Some officials not only fail to abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty themselves, but also set a bunch of bad rules for others. Their intentions are despicable.

The cabinet was originally chosen by me to assist in governing the country. If I say it's okay, it's okay. Don't be afraid of any criticism. I will deal with anyone who dares to criticize me."

The current emperor is indeed extraordinary.

Wang Zhiyuan bowed repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I am the humble servant who has spoken too much. I will obey Your Majesty's orders."

Well, not bad, not bad.

Wanli nodded slightly, thought about it carefully, and then asked: "Ershi, have you ever thought about how to teach people the way of loyalty and diligence?"

After he showed such favor to Wang Chongguang, it was just to set an example. He also had to let the Wang family spread the doctrine of loyalty and diligence.

This is the most important thing. Otherwise, his temporary favor will only last for three minutes, and the civil servants in the court will probably just watch the fun.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiyuan nodded repeatedly and said, "I have considered this.

I originally wanted to write a book called "On Loyalty and Diligence" to use the loyal and diligent officials of the Ming Dynasty as examples to teach future generations to always remember the words loyalty and diligence.

However, if I were to publish this book on my own initiative, it would be suspected of bragging about my father's achievements. I have been considering whether to publish it or not.

Now that His Majesty needs it, that's different. I, a humble official, have been ordered to publish a book to teach people the ways of loyalty and diligence. This is only natural and right."

"On Loyalty and Diligence"?
Not bad.

This is a good idea.

Wanli nodded in approval and said, "Very good. Please work hard and quickly compile "On Loyalty and Diligence". I will then give a copy to each official."

Give one copy to every official!
This really brings honor to the family.

Wang Zhiyuan bowed repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I believe that teaching people the way to be loyal and diligent is only one aspect. There is also the assessment and promotion of officials, which can serve as a reference."

Well, it is false to say that loyalty and diligence have no benefits. Officials who are truly loyal and diligent should be promoted and given important positions. Only in this way can the way of loyalty and diligence be carried forward.

Wanli looked at Wang Xiangqian standing beside him and pondered, "Then let Zikuo take over as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He will be responsible for assessing the loyalty and diligence of officials. We will promote and employ any truly loyal and diligent official."

Was he promoted to the Vice Minister of Six Ministries right away?

And he is the Minister of Personnel!

Wang Xiangqian bowed repeatedly and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

This time, Wanli did not just promote the Wang brothers to the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Ershi, the Imperial College also teaches loyalty and diligence. Who among the professors' children do you think has the best potential for teaching and educating people?"

This means that a member of the Wang family will be promoted to be the chief academic officer of the Imperial College!

Nine out of ten people who graduated from the Imperial College were Jinshi. Even if they were not Jinshi, they had a very deep background, which was at least the third rank!
If a member of the Wang family serves as the chief academic officer of the Imperial College, he will be the mentor of these people.

His Majesty's favor to the Wang family is truly beyond words.

This cannot be recommended to His Majesty casually.

Wang Zhiyuan thought about it carefully, and then said carefully: "Your Majesty, if we talk about the potential of teaching and educating people, I think Xiangjie is the best.

I believe that to teach and educate people, one must first be good at books and diligent in learning. After passing the imperial examination, Xiangjie took the examination for Shujishi and ranked first. After three years of diligent study, he took the cabinet examination again and ranked first again.

This proves that Xiangjie himself is diligent in learning and knows how to learn well. I think this is particularly important.

However, Xiangjie is a Jinshi from the Renchen year, so his qualifications are a bit shallow, and he is currently just a reviewer in the Hanlin Academy."

After passing the Jinshi exam, if one were to take the Shujishi exam, then he would not only be ranked in the top three of the first class, but if a Jinshi from the second or third class could obtain a formal position in the Hanlin Academy within three years, then his talent must be extraordinary.

Because generally, after the second or third class Jinshi pass the examination and become Shujishi, they can only study in the Hanlin Academy as Shujishi, and it is difficult to be granted an official position in the Hanlin Academy.

Shujishi was just an honorary title and had no authority. It was equivalent to a student of the Hanlin Academy. After completing their studies, they would generally be transferred to the Six Ministries.

It was not easy for Wang Xiangjie to stay in the Hanlin Academy with an official position like the top three in his family.

Upon hearing this, Wanli nodded without hesitation and said, "Okay, let's do it like a festival."

The Wang family was lucky. They suddenly received the favor of Emperor Wanli. Not only were they granted titles and noble rank, but they also obtained three very important positions: Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Chief Academician of the Imperial College.

The Zhejiang Party was in trouble. Not only were they thrown into the imperial prison and tortured, but all their relatives and friends were also arrested and their homes were searched.

This is not over yet.

After Wanli met with Wang Zhiyuan and Wang Xiangqian, father and son, he ordered people to call Lu Yi and Luo Sigong over.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, he asked Lu Yi, "How's the raid on the homes of the Zhejiang Party members going? When will it be finished?"

This is hard to say. The speed of the house search depends mainly on how much property the family has, and the property of each family is different.

Lu Yi thought for a moment, then said carefully, "Your Majesty, judging by the current progress, we should be able to finish copying it tomorrow, but it may take until the day after tomorrow."

Well, it will only take two days at most, no problem.

Wanli nodded slightly, then asked, "Have you ever calculated how many relatives and friends of the Zhejiang Party, including their families, have been arrested?"

This has naturally been calculated.

The two men exchanged a glance, and Lu Yi was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, over 300 people have been arrested in the capital, and the imperial prison is almost full."

Luo Sigong then said, "Your Majesty, there are even more people captured in the local area, more than 2,000 in total. If we bring them all to the capital, I'm afraid there won't be enough room to hold them."

This is a problem. Not only the place of detention is a problem, but also the place of exile is a problem.

It is not a big problem to confiscate the property of corrupt officials and send them directly to the Toyodusi.

Anyway, supplies are scarce there, and those in power are still dukes, nobles, and garrison officers. No matter how hard the corrupt officials try, they won't be able to make much money.

The relatives and friends of Zhejiang Party officials were different. These guys were collaborators with the enemy and had ulterior motives, and they even happened to be in secret contact with the Japanese pirates.

If these guys were exiled to the Toyo-dosi, they might even join forces with the Japanese pirates there to rebel.

Even exile to America is not an option because there are also many Japanese slaves there.

Wanli frowned and pondered for a while, then said decisively: "Don't bring those from the provinces back to the capital. Take them directly to Qiongzhou Prefecture. And arrange for the navy to take those from the capital to Qiongzhou Prefecture as well."

Now he can only pull these guys to the southernmost part. After Li Zhizao finishes exploring the islands in the southern part of the South China Sea, he plans to throw these guys onto an island tens of thousands of miles away, so that they will never come back.

After he finished explaining things to Lu Yi and Luo Sigong, he carried little Zhu Changxun to the Yangxin Palace nearby.

It seemed that Jiao Hong and others had almost finished the article, and they were sitting there carefully checking if there were any problems with it.

When they saw Wanli coming over with little Zhu Changxun in his arms, they quickly stood up and saluted.

Wanli raised his hand slightly to signal everyone to sit down with him, and then took the finished article and looked at it carefully.

Jiao Hong and his team were among the top three in the class, so naturally their articles were exceptionally good. Given the irrefutable evidence, it was extremely easy for them to write such articles.

After reading it, Wanli nodded slightly, then said solemnly: "Well, that's it. There is no problem with the article. You, the weak marquis, will go to the cabinet to assist in the administration tomorrow."

so fast?

Upon hearing this, Jiao Hong quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Wanli raised his hand slightly, motioning him to sit down, and then said solemnly: "Huifu, the Economic Bureau is now in your hands. Please quickly arrange for typeset printing for this issue, and publish it on time in three days."

Wu Daonan nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

After the court report was published, all the ugly deeds of the Zhejiang Party, such as collaborating with the enemy, selling out the country, secretly communicating with Japanese pirates, supporting pirates, plotting evil, and committing corruption and abuse of power, were exposed.

The two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty were filled with curses, and almost everyone in the world was cursing the Zhejiang Party, a group of traitors.

They were taken to the execution ground amidst the curses, and their entire family was beheaded!
The Zhejiang Party was destroyed since then
Although Wanli had not yet eradicated the entire party, after this round of killing and destroying the heart, no one would dare to form a clique in the name of the Zhejiang Party for personal gain.

(End of this chapter)