My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 152, "A Petition to Establish a Society for the Study of Architecture to Assist in Construction"

Su Ze's memorial was sent to the cabinet.

Grand Secretary Li Chunfang was absent from work.

Li Chunfang only gave Su Ze a small portion of Journey to the West. He hadn't expected the newspaper to serialize it so quickly; Su Ze was almost out of manuscripts.

Li, the chief minister, stayed at home writing for the entire first month of the lunar calendar before finally fulfilling his promise to Su Ze and delivering the second copy of Journey to the West to the newspaper office.

Even though Chief Minister Li diligently practiced internal alchemy, he felt completely drained this time. After he submitted a petition to recuperate, the emperor sent an imperial physician to inquire about his health. Upon hearing that Chief Minister Li was in poor health, the emperor quickly bestowed Korean ginseng upon him to help him recover and granted Li Chunfang a long leave of absence so that he could rest at home and recuperate.

Gao Gong is also not in the cabinet.

The capital inspection is in March, and Gao Gong has been preparing for it at the Ministry of Personnel.

Zhao Zhenji was also not in the cabinet. Su Ze and Zhao's wife's wedding was in ten days, and Zhao Zhenji asked for leave to go back and prepare for the wedding.

The cabinet consisted of only Zhang Juzheng.

With the Lunar New Year just over, the cabinet was piled high with work. Even a top politician like Zhang Juzheng, who was extremely self-disciplined and had superhuman energy, was exhausted every day.

Zhang Juzheng was starting to feel the strain. He even petitioned the emperor to add more cabinet ministers, but the Longqing Emperor seemed unwilling to add more people to the already balanced cabinet. He simply encouraged Zhang Juzheng to keep trying and hold on for a while longer.

Zhang Juzheng even changed his habits, arriving at the cabinet an hour early every day, but he still couldn't finish his work!
Zhang Juzheng pinched his long beard, thinking only of Su Ze!
Part of his current job is due to the problems caused by Su Ze's performance evaluation system!
The Examination and Assessment Law stipulated that the Six Ministries would supervise the Censorate, and the emperor would also supervise the Six Ministries and examine the examination reports submitted by them.

Before the Lunar New Year, Emperor Longqing still personally conducted the examinations with great interest. However, after the first month of the lunar calendar, the emperor's enthusiasm waned, and he delegated the responsibility of examining the six ministries to the Grand Secretariat.

After the cabinet's assessment, the matter is handed over to the Directorate of Ceremonial for approval; there's no need to trouble the emperor with such a thing.

As a result, in addition to handling routine drafting of imperial edicts, Zhang Juzheng also had the task of examining the performance of officials in the six ministries.

Just as Zhang Juzheng had finally finished dealing with the examinations for the six subjects last month, he heard Xia Wei, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, announce that Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, had arrived.

Zhang Juzheng had a bad feeling and quickly let Li Yiyuan in.

As expected, Li Yiyuan brought two troublesome memorials.

The first one is naturally Su Ze's.

After reading Su Ze's memorial, Zhang Juzheng shared the same thought as Li Yiyuan: many more government offices were about to suffer.

Zhang Juzheng took the paper and wrote down his opinion in favor of Su Ze's proposed vote.

Then he looked at another memorial.

"Li Yintai, what is the Ministry of War's opinion?"

Li Yiyuan said:
"Minister Huo seems to support General Qi, and Governor-General Wang Chonggu of Xuanda also submitted another memorial supporting General Qi."

Military affairs were Zhang Juzheng's weakness, but he asked from a logistical perspective:

"Can the military rations at Xuanda University last? Winter is over and spring is coming soon. Isn't this too risky?"

Li Yiyuan remained silent, knowing that Zhang Juzheng was not asking for his opinion, but rather asking and answering his own question.

However, after Zhang Juzheng finished speaking, Li Yiyuan said, "Grand Secretary Zhang can ask the Nine Ministers to discuss this matter."

Zhang Juzheng nodded. The Nine Ministers' Public Discussion was equivalent to an expanded meeting of the cabinet. The heads of the Nine Ministers' offices in the capital had to attend, and the speeches made in the public discussion had to be recorded and submitted to the emperor for final judgment.

Zhang Juzheng also took out a sheet of paper, wrote down his proposed opinions for public discussion among the Nine Ministers, and handed the two memorials to Li Yiyuan, saying:
"I'll trouble you, Grand Secretary, to personally deliver it to the Directorate of Ceremonial."

Li Yiyuan said solemnly:
"Please rest assured, Grand Secretary Zhang."

Li Yiyuan personally delivered the memorial to the Directorate of Ceremonial. Chen Hong, the chief scribe of the Directorate of Ceremonial, saw both memorials but dared not approve them without authorization. He sent them directly to the emperor's study.

Chen Hong carried the memorial, which concerned military affairs on the border and was naturally intended for the emperor's perusal.

But when did the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs stop approving Hong Suze's memorials?

For ordinary officials, memorials to the emperor were generally approved by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs; some matters did not even need to be reported to the emperor.

Unbeknownst to many, Su Ze's memorials, like those of high-ranking cabinet ministers, were delivered directly to the emperor's desk every time they entered the palace, and in the most prominent position on the desk.

As Chen Hong walked, he arrived at the Imperial Study and placed the two memorials on Emperor Longqing's desk.

"Minister Su, you've waited until today to submit your memorial? Let me see what you've proposed this time?"

Emperor Longqing chose Su Ze's memorial first from the two memorials.

"Please establish a Society for the Study of Architecture to assist in the construction of buildings."

Su Ze began by echoing Lei Li's memorial, writing:
"I have heard that a wise king who governs the world must first establish public works to solidify the foundation of the country. Although the 'Building Standards' still exists, its true meaning has been lost. Craftsmen's work is not standardized, resulting in the waste of materials. Auditing is inadequate, leading to rampant corruption."

"Now that the 'Yingzao Fashi' is about to be deciphered, if the Nine Chapters of the Daoist Canon are only used by the Ministry of Works, then the auditing of money and grain will remain shrouded in mystery."

"I request that a Society for the Study of Architecture be established to oversee the development of engineering and design and to study the methods of mathematics."

Then Su Ze began calling out names:
"The Ministry of Works is in charge of construction and calculation, the Six Ministries are in charge of money and grain accounting, and the Ministry of Revenue and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs are in charge of the allocation of internal and external funds. The two ministries, the directorate, and the department each have their own duties, and all of them need to be well-versed in mathematics."

"However, the accountants of the Ministry of Works are not familiar with auditing, the censors and officials are unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and the eunuchs who supervise the construction are often deceived. We should summon the best and brightest from the two ministries, the supervisory commissioner and the censors to join the society and teach them the techniques of difference, equation and square root, so that the construction budget, material reimbursement and construction period verification can all be done in a consistent manner."

Then, Su Ze thoughtfully thought of a teacher.

He also wrote:

"I believe that the art of calculation is not the way of craftsmen, but the way of divination is close to the way of mathematics. In our Great Ming Dynasty, no one is more proficient in divination than the Imperial Observatory. We should select scholars from the Imperial Observatory who are proficient in mathematics to serve as professors."

“Then select those who excel in mathematics and are capable of imparting the essence of mathematics from the Hanlin Academy to serve as instructors.”

"After completing their studies and passing the examination, the officials of the academy will be appointed as material review officers."

"In this way, the engineering methods of the Ming Dynasty can be established."

After reading Su Ze's memorial, the Longqing Emperor looked at Chen Hong and said:
"Su Zilin's memorial concerns the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. What's your opinion?"

Chen Hong quickly said:

"Your servant naturally agrees."

This answer is very much like Chen Hong's.

Li Fang is not here today. The mulberry-growth ceremony will be held next month at the Xiancan Altar outside the city. Li Fang and Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi have gone to inspect the preparations for the ceremony.

Feng Bao was sent by the emperor to the Eastern Palace to inquire about the Crown Prince's studies.

If that were the case, the two chief eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial would probably have said something, but Chen Hong only nodded in agreement with everything.

"Chen Hong always obeyed orders," was the assessment of this third-in-command of the Directorate of Ceremonial in the outer court.

Of course, this doesn't mean Chen Hong is easy to talk to; it's just that he's cautious in his words and actions because he has two revered gods above him.

Emperor Longqing knew that asking him would be pointless. Just then, Feng Bao returned to the Imperial Study from the Eastern Palace.

As Feng Bao entered, the Longqing Emperor said:
"Supervisor Feng, please also come and see Su Ze's memorial."

Feng Bao had actually heard from the eunuch's report that Su Ze had submitted a memorial, which is why he ran back.

Each of Su Ze's memorials to the throne caused tremendous changes in the court and among the people, which involved a great deal of redistribution of interests.

Feng Bao glared at Chen Hong. Chen Hong's decision to send Su Ze's memorial at this time was clearly an attempt to bypass Li Fang and himself.

Chen Hong still maintained a submissive demeanor.

Feng Bao took the memorial and read it carefully.

After reading it, Feng Bao was somewhat conflicted. He had to admit that Su Ze's thinking was indeed more profound than that of most of the ministers.

This memorial was in response to the memorial submitted by Lei Li, the Minister of Works.

Revising the "Yingzao Fashi" (Building Standards) was the Ministry of Works' responsibility, but as Su Ze said, even with new standards, there needed to be people who could use them.

The Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the Six Ministries all needed officials who were proficient in mathematics and could use the "Building Standards" to calculate the quantities of engineering work.

While finalizing the "Yingzao Fashi" (Building Standards), it was also a proactive measure to cultivate relevant mathematical talents.

In this way, once the "Yingzao Fashi" (Building Standards) is finalized, the imperial court can use it immediately.

Feng Bao also saw the potential profits involved.

Since the project will be assessed using the "Building Standards," whoever masters the calculation methods in the "Building Standards" will be the de facto head of the Imperial Construction Bureau.

Therefore, the eunuchs recommended by the Directorate of Ceremonial to enter the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture would later be in charge of auditing palace construction projects, and everyone knew that this was one of the most important positions in the palace.

Feng Bao glanced at Chen Hong, who clearly wanted to put his own people into the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture.

Feng Bao wanted to support Su Ze, but the words "Imperial Observatory" gave him a headache.

If Su Ze hadn't written about the Imperial Observatory, the emperor would never have hesitated to submit this memorial.

The Imperial Observatory was the institution responsible for astronomy and calendar systems.

This institution holds a very special position; it does not belong to the outer court but is a special institution directly under the royal family.

Simply put, the Imperial Observatory was not even considered a court official, but rather a private retainer similar to the Ming imperial family.

The Imperial Observatory was a hereditary system, with fathers succeeding sons, just like military households. Generations of people studied astronomy and mathematics.

The Imperial Observatory of the Ming Dynasty, personally designed by Zhu Yuanzhang, drew on the experience of previous dynasties and firmly grasped the power to interpret celestial phenomena in the hands of the imperial family.

Zhu Yuanzhang also established laws that prohibited people from privately studying astrology from being executed.

Since the Han Dynasty Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu proposed the theory of "interaction between Heaven and man," "Heaven" has become the legal basis for the outer court to suppress imperial power.

Strange celestial phenomena indicate that the emperor is tyrannical.

The Imperial Observatory, which held the power to interpret astronomical phenomena, was firmly controlled by the imperial family in order to prevent such a situation from occurring.

But Su Ze is also right.

The most skilled astronomical experts in the Ming Dynasty were in the Imperial Observatory.

Feng Bao was somewhat puzzled. Was Su Ze doing this intentionally or unintentionally?

However, Su Ze's scheme was subtle and foreshadowing, leading Feng Bao to believe that Su Ze might have deliberately implicated the Imperial Observatory.

But what is the point of involving the Imperial Observatory?
Feng Bao didn't understand, but he decided to help Su Ze this once.

He also wanted to recruit people into this architectural society.

Facing the Longqing Emperor, Feng Bao honestly said:
"I believe that what Hanlin Su said is very feasible."

Emperor Longqing nodded, but since it concerned the Imperial Observatory, he decided to leave it for later.

Feng Bao did not continue the topic, but instead reported on his work.

"This servant went to the Eastern Palace today, and Grand Tutor Yin praised the Crown Prince for his diligent studies and great progress."

The Longqing Emperor nodded repeatedly, and the Imperial Household Department praised his son for his diligent studies, which naturally pleased the father.

Feng Bao then said:
"Master Yin specifically said that the Crown Prince has made rapid progress in mathematics, which is largely due to the efforts of Huang Ji, the lecturer of the Eastern Palace."

"Arithmetic?"

The Longqing Emperor nodded, indicating that the imperial education system of the Ming Dynasty was indeed very comprehensive.

As an emperor, one must naturally be able to understand mathematics; otherwise, if one cannot understand the account books, wouldn't one be deceived?
Therefore, mathematics occupied a significant portion of the imperial education syllabus personally formulated by Zhu Yuanzhang and was a compulsory subject.

Emperor Longqing recalled that when he was Prince Yu, he also had a tutor who was proficient in mathematics.

Feng Bao and Chen Hong, holding the completed memorials, prepared to leave, but Emperor Longqing picked up Su Ze's memorial again.

Arithmetic?

Su Ze is right; revising the "Yingzao Fashi" (Building Standards) does indeed require someone proficient in mathematics.

The Directorate of Ceremonial, the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue all need to keep accounts.

Emperor Longqing recalled that when he was Prince Yu, his father had rebuilt the three main halls, and Yan Song and his faction had embezzled a great deal of profit from it.

The three main halls took so many years to build, but in the end, it was the Emperor who bore all the blame!

Thinking about this, Emperor Longqing felt aggrieved. As an emperor, he couldn't just leave his main hall burning down and not repair it, could he?

All of this is because there is no French method.

If, as Lei Li said, each department could produce a verifiable calculation and construct the project accordingly, then there would be far less controversy in the outer court.

Thinking of this, the Longqing Emperor said:
"and many more."

Feng Bao and Chen Hong stopped in their tracks, only to see the emperor pick up his imperial pen and approve Su Ze's memorial.

“Select talented individuals proficient in mathematics from the Imperial Observatory and the Hanlin Academy to teach at the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture.”

"Let the Academy of Architecture be established under the Grand Secretariat, next to the Six Ministries' corridor. The Directorate of Ceremonial, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue shall each recommend officials with a foundation in mathematics to participate in the Academy's courses."

"Once the 'Yingzao Fashi' is published, all officials within the academy will pass the examination and be appointed as material review officials."

"only!"

Feng Bao and Chen Hong both agreed, each calculating which eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial had mathematical talent.

After all, the Society for the Study of Architecture requires an exam. If the recommended candidate fails the exam, wouldn't that be a waste of the opportunity?
The Longqing Emperor then said:
"We can't let that bastard Su Ze be idle either. Let him serve as the preparatory commissioner of the academy and be in charge of preparing the academy."

"By the way, Huang Ji, the lecturer to the Crown Prince that Supervisor Feng just mentioned, is he also a Hanlin scholar?"

The positions in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices overlapped with those in the Hanlin Academy, and many held concurrent posts. Feng Bao immediately said:

"Huang Ji was also a member of the Hanlin Academy."

"Since he is so good at educating the Crown Prince, let him also serve as a lecturer at the Academy of Architecture."

"only."

Having dealt with Su Ze's memorial, the emperor, in one fell swoop, picked up Qi Jiguang's memorial as well.

The Longqing Emperor picked up his brush and agreed with Zhang Juzheng's draft proposal.

"Qi Jiguang proposed that the Nine Ministers be summoned for a joint discussion."

"By the way, wasn't Qi Jiguang also recommended by Su Ze?"

“Let him attend as well.”

After further consideration, the Longqing Emperor felt that Su Zebai should not be allowed to do the work, and gave the following instructions:

"Su Ze is getting married in a few days, right? Find a few houses near the capital and let him choose one."

(End of this chapter)