My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 155 Nine Ministers Discuss
Su Ze had already changed into his official robes. He followed Guo Zhun into the carriage and headed towards the Ministry of War.

Inside the carriage, Guo Zhun said:

"Su Hanlin, Grand Secretary Gao said he would agree with Governor Wang's proposal."

Su Ze breathed a slight sigh of relief. He had visited Gao Gong the day before yesterday and explained his intentions in detail, but Gao Gong did not immediately agree to cooperate with him.

It seems that Wang Chonggu and Qi Jiguang jointly submitted a memorial, which led Gao Gong to make the decision.

Besides Gao Gong, Su Ze also sent Xu Wei to visit Zhao Zhenji under the pretext of preparing for the wedding, and he has already persuaded Zhao Zhenji to support him.

Of course, Zhao Zhenji himself was quite radical in military matters in the Northwest, so persuading him did not take much effort.

Now, let's see what the Nine Ministers decide in this meeting.

Because of this joint discussion by the Nine Ministers, the Ministry of War had already dispatched soldiers to clear the area in advance to prevent traffic congestion.

Therefore, Su Ze did not witness the same grand scene of "running around to various departments" as last time.

But the front of the military department was already packed with officials and dignitaries.

The nine ministers held a joint discussion, and the number of attendees was large.

The Grand Ministers (Da Jiu Qing) were the heads of the Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Court of Judicial Review.
The Nine Minor Ministers are the Minister of Taichang Temple, the Minister of Taipu Temple, the Minister of Guanglu Temple, the Chancellor, the Hanlin Academician, the Minister of Honglu Temple, the Chief Academician of the Imperial College, the Minister of Yuanma Temple, and the Minister of Shangbaosi.

In addition, the Six Vice Ministers, who were also the principal officials of the Six Ministries, were also eligible to attend.

Of course, there were also cases of concurrent positions. For example, Gao Gong was both Grand Secretary and Minister of Personnel, while Zhang Juzheng was Grand Secretary and concurrently served as a member of the Hanlin Academy, and Zhao Zhenji concurrently served as the Grand Secretary of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

In addition, there are some vacant positions.

However, the actual number of attendees far exceeded the number of people in the cabinet meeting.

In addition, the emperor also dispatched two scribes from the Directorate of Ceremonial, Feng Bao and Chen Hong, to record the speeches of the Nine Ministers.

The Ministry of War treated them with utmost care, and the participants in the meeting, which was attended by the Nine Ministers, were among the most powerful figures in the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, the "power" of the Nine Ministers' offices varied.

There were powerful government offices like the Six Ministries, and high-ranking officials who managed hundreds of officials.

There were also officials like Li Yiyuan, whose main duty was to run errands.

This time, Su Ze entered the Ministry of War discreetly and, under Guo Zhun's guidance, identified the nine ministers, both high and low, who were attending the meeting.

Guo Zhun pointed to a kind-looking, round-faced old man and said, "That is Dai Cai, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

The Court of Judicial Review was one of the Three Judicial Offices. However, unlike the Court of Judicial Review in the Tang and Song Dynasties, the Court of Judicial Review in the Ming Dynasty had become an affiliated office of the Ministry of Justice, and its authority was probably even less than that of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Su Ze knew Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, but when Li Yiyuan saw Su Ze, he acted as if he were avoiding a plague god, pulling a short old man beside him and quickly leaving.

Guo Zhun pointed to the old man that Li Yiyuan was holding and said:
“That is Grand Censor Wang Ting.”

Su Ze awkwardly touched his nose. The Office of Transmission and the Censorate were the most direct victims of his actions, so it was normal for them to dislike him.

The Minister of Ceremonies, Chen Qing; the Minister of the Imperial Household, Huang Hua; the Minister of the Imperial Stud, Zhu Daqi; and the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, Xiao Lan—these are just brief introductions; these individuals are essentially figureheads among the Nine Ministers.

Of course, these positions are just for show, but that doesn't mean their importance is unimportant.

The Nine Ministers were the candidate list for Grand Secretaries. If the emperor wanted to add more Grand Secretaries, he would basically choose from this list.

Guo Zhun added, "The positions of Minister of the Imperial Stables and Minister of the Imperial Treasury are vacant, and Wang Xilie, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, is on sick leave and staying at home."

The remaining people were all "old acquaintances" of Su Ze.

Lu Shusheng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, resigned and returned home. He was the elder brother of Lu Shude, who had been defeated by Su Ze.

Su Ze had met Zhang Shouzhi, the Vice Minister of Revenue, at the Ministry of Revenue; he was the old man who did the accounting for Zhang Juzheng.

The position of Vice Minister of Rites was concurrently held by Yin Shidan, Su Ze's superior.

Of the two vice ministers of the Ministry of Works, Pan Jixun, whom I recommended, had not yet taken office, and Wang Zhihuan had been tricked into taking office as the governor of Huai.

Hong Chaoxuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was recuperating at home. Of course, Hong Chaoxuan was not physically ill, but rather mentally ill because he was about to be dismissed.

I met Cao Bangfu, the Vice Minister of War, when he last visited the Ministry of War. There are also two other Vice Ministers of War: Tan Lun in Jiliao and Wang Chonggu in Xuanda.

Adding the six ministers, Su Ze suddenly realized that he had so many old acquaintances.
Su Ze recognized most of the people present!

Guo Zhun also looked at Su Ze with a strange expression.

He's only been in office for less than a year!

At this time, a normal junior scholar had not yet passed the selection process and was not yet a formal official!

However, Su Ze could already chat and laugh with the six ministers, and the six vice ministers had to treat him as an equal.

Just as Guo Zhun was thinking this, Lei Li, the Minister of Works, walked over.

"Su Zilin! The Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai is indeed an ancient building from the Tang Dynasty!"

Su Ze smiled and said to Lei Li:

"Grand Minister of Works, congratulations! It seems the revision of the 'Yingzao Fashi' is nearing completion!"

For many things, once the right direction is found, the progress depends on the amount of resources available.

When Liang Sicheng was surveying ancient buildings, he did not receive much support. At that time, the country was in turmoil due to war, and conditions were extremely difficult.

Lei Li, as the Minister of Works, had access to far more resources than Liang Sicheng, and since we are closer to the Tang and Song dynasties, many skills have not actually been lost.

Lei Li laughed heartily. If the revision of the "Yingzao Fashi" was completed, then he, Lei Li, would also be remembered in history.

Lei Li looked at Su Ze with even greater satisfaction and said:

"I've personally visited your wedding home. Although Fu Shun isn't the brightest, his talent in construction is unmatched. If there are any problems in the future, just ask him to fix them."

Does this mean they're offering free home renovation and after-sales service?
Su Ze knew that Lei Li was helping him; otherwise, why would a high-ranking official like Lei Li care about a house in the capital? He quickly thanked Lei Li.

Just then, Huo Ji, the host of the meeting and Minister of War, saw Su Ze. He walked over to Su Ze, pulled him aside, and asked:
"Grand Secretary Gao told me that he wants to support Wang Chonggu's proposal. This must have been your scheme. What exactly are you planning?!"

Guo Zhun overheard the two talking and wished he could go deaf. Why was he standing there?

Su Ze quickly whispered:

"Grand Marshal, you are wronging me! How could I, Su Ze, possibly decide matters concerning the Grand Secretary?"

Huo Ji looked at Su Ze with a puzzled expression.

Su Ze knew that Huo Ji was in Gao Gong's faction, but since Gao Gong had not told Huo Ji the inside story, it must be because he was more cautious about military affairs after the Datong incident. Therefore, he wanted Huo Ji to take a different stance from him and share the risks of decision-making.

Making wrong decisions requires taking responsibility.

Although it might not lead to immediate removal from office, it would damage his prestige. For example, after the Datong Mutiny, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng had less say in military matters than Zhao Zhenji.

Huo Ji probably understood this as well, so he didn't press the matter further and released Su Ze, saying:

“Wang Chonggu and Qi Jiguang’s memorials were too radical. The Hetao issue could have been addressed gradually.”

Su Ze said:
"Grand Marshal, General Qi must feel that the time is not right for us." Huo Ji remained silent.

Qi Jiguang is 42 years old this year, which is considered the golden age for a general.

However, Qi Jiguang fought in the southeast for many years, leaving him with many wounds that caused him excruciating pain every winter.

Besides the physical condition of the generals themselves, an army also has its own laws of rise and fall.

When an army is first established, it is weak and needs to be tempered and grown through repeated defeats and victories.

By the time an army matures, its core veterans also begin to age.

Furthermore, without real combat experience, even the most elite troops will become corrupt and incompetent, ultimately rendering them unfit for battle.

There are far too many examples like this.

A military general like Qi Jiguang probably thought the same way: take advantage of his good condition and solve the problem as quickly as possible.

If we don't get vaccinated during lambing season this year, we'll have to wait until next year, year after year, and who knows when that will be?
Huo Ji understood this principle as well, and he sighed and said:
"It seems that the Nine Ministers will find it difficult to reach a consensus on this matter; it is up to His Majesty's decision."

Just then, a voice announced from outside the door that the three Grand Secretaries, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Zhao Zhenji, had arrived.

Once everyone had arrived, Huo Ji walked to the front of the group and led them into the Ministry of War's main hall.

Jietang was the largest public hall within the Ministry of War.

It was here that Yu Qian, the Minister of War at the time, organized the defense of the capital.

The group sat down according to their official rank, with Su Ze in the far corner, opposite Feng Bao and Chen Hong, who were in charge of taking notes.

Both chief eunuchs smiled slightly at Su Ze, who quickly returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute. Then, the Vice Grand Secretary Gao Gong, who was presiding over the meeting, coughed and said:
"Yesterday, Wang Chonggu, the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong, and Qi Jiguang, the General of Datong, submitted a memorial. Your Majesty first summoned the Nine Ministers to discuss it together."

"The military situation is urgent, and the detailed memorial has not yet been issued. I will read this memorial first."

Gao Gong, speaking with a Henan accent, read the memorial aloud. When he read:
"In the past, Emperor Taizu ordered generals to guard Dongsheng, and Emperor Chengzu went out to the northern desert five times, all of which relied on the support of the garrison troops."

"Your Majesty has made a wise decision to abolish the feudal domains and clear out the estates, which is exactly what we should do to restore the good practices of our ancestors. I humbly request that the Ministry of War be ordered to work with the governors and viceroys to thoroughly survey the sites of the garrisons, transfer the elite troops of the Southern Army to guard them, and re-establish the Dongsheng Garrison. In three to five years, the Hetao region can be restored as a bulwark, and the nine border regions can rest easy."

Upon hearing this, the assembled high-ranking officials and ministers were in an uproar!

Dongshengwei was a garrison established in the Donghetao region in the early Ming Dynasty, probably near the present-day Tuoketuo County in Inner Mongolia.

Back then, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sent General Xu Da to water his horses here, and Xu Da named it Dongsheng Prefecture after "Dongsheng Shenzhou".

Initially, it was a tributary state, but later the Dongsheng Guard was established to garrison and control the Dongtao region.

Dongshengwei is located west of Datongwei, making its geographical location extremely important.

However, during the reigns of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, when martial spirit was abundant, these garrisons served as the front lines.

Zhu Di led several expeditions to the desert, straining the national treasury. This is why Dongshengwei was abolished and its soldiers and civilians were relocated inland.

During the Chenghua era, Dongsheng Guard was re-established, but it was abandoned again due to supply difficulties.

Now Qi Jiguang no longer mentioned the search for lambs, but directly proposed to re-establish the Dongsheng Guard. The Nine Ministers who had not yet seen the specific memorial were naturally shocked!
Of course, Su Ze didn't think that these people at the top of the Ming Dynasty's power pyramid were really unaware of this.

Su Ze glanced at Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review. Putting aside everything else, all memorials had to go through Li Yiyuan. The emperor was so anxious to have the nine ministers discuss it together, so why didn't they ask Li Yiyuan for information?
So the shock was probably fake, but the expression of opposition through shock was likely real.

Su Ze secretly observed that most of the Nine Ministers present did not support the idea.

This was something Su Ze had expected.

Dongshengwei was abolished and re-established once during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang.

Emperor Chengzu (Zhu Di) abolished it, but it was reinstated and abolished again during the Chenghua era.

The idea of ​​reinstating the system was even discussed once during the Jiajing era, but the opposition from the officials was too strong and it could not be implemented.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, Gao Gong shouted:

"quiet!"

“Speak one by one, I will start.”

With the Grand Secretary taking leave, the Second Grand Secretary, who held the highest position present, and Gao Gong, being the Minister of Personnel, immediately quelled the situation.

He said:
"I agree with Wang Qi's memorial. Indeed, the enemy is garrisoned in Bansheng City, and the Tuolu and Anda are allied in the east. Every autumn, they join forces to invade, causing turmoil in the nine border regions. This is truly a threat to our heartland. Establishing Dongsheng Guard again can block the enemy from the outside."

“Re-establishing Dongsheng is also a return to the old system of our ancestors.”

Gao Gong made a political statement and brought up the ancestral methods, which can be considered as setting the tone.

Next, Zhang Juzheng, the Grand Secretary, will speak.

He said:
"The cost of re-establishing Dongsheng was not mentioned in the memorials of Wang and Qi. We need to ask the Ministry of War to conduct a detailed investigation and discuss it with the Ministry of Revenue."

Zhang Juzheng's attitude was neutral, meaning he considered the costs; if the costs were too high, he would not support it, but if the costs were feasible, the Ministry of Revenue would have no objection.

Su Ze nodded slightly. It seemed that after the lesson learned last time, Zhang Juzheng was much more cautious about military affairs this time.

Then it was Zhao Zhenji's turn to speak.

He analyzed it from a military perspective:
"There are two routes for Anda to invade: one is to attack Datong from the Yuhe River, and the other is to enter Tumaochuan from the Dongtao River."

"During the Gengxu Incident in the reign of Emperor Shizong, Anda launched a two-pronged attack, breaking into Datong Right Guard from Tu Mao Chuan and finally galloping to the capital city."

"Emperor Taizu established Dongshengwei to guard Tumaochuan. If Dongshengwei is re-established, the capital region will no longer be in danger of invasion."

Su Ze secretly gave Zhao Zhenji a thumbs up. Grand Secretary Zhao was indeed a professional; his military reasons were very convincing!

After the three Grand Secretaries expressed their opinions, the six Ministers of the various ministries followed suit.

However, the ministers were much more conservative. They mainly discussed the feasibility and maintenance costs of Dongshengwei, as well as the possibility of provoking Anda and triggering border conflicts.

Then came the speeches from the Six Ministries Vice Ministers and the Nine Ministers, most of whom were opposed.

At this point, the rhetoric was mostly negative, with complaints that re-establishing Dongshengwei would be a waste of resources and manpower, that occupying the Dongtao land would be pointless, and that military supplies would have to be transported from Shanxi.

They also labeled Wang Chonggu and Qi Jiguang with accusations such as "provoking trouble on the border for personal gain".

As Su Ze had predicted, the situation spiraled further out of control. The Nine Ministers were talking amongst themselves, causing great distress to the two chief scribes of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Feng Bao and Chen Hong wrote with great speed and fluency, their pens and paper practically smoking from the effort.

Seeing that the meeting could not reach a consensus, Gao Gong had no choice but to step down and end the meeting.

Seeing everyone's exhaustion, Su Ze finally understood why a small meeting was held to decide important matters.

If anything is turned into a large-scale event, it will eventually turn out like this.

Feng Bao and Chen Hong were the first to leave, as they were going to report the results of the meeting to the emperor.

The Grand Secretaries and Ministers also left one by one. After everyone left, Su Ze smiled slightly.

The next day, Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, had just arrived at the yamen when he saw Su Ze's memorial. Only then did he remember that Su Ze had just submitted a memorial that month.

Li Yiyuan clenched his fist. "Aren't you getting married soon?"
Huh? "Please Accept the Search for the Scripture"?
(End of this chapter)