My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 166 "Memorial Requesting the Opening of a Directly Accessible Port"

"The Marquis of Wuqing was furious and wanted to recall his son. The Imperial Concubine also heard that this matter was related to the Crown Prince, so she summoned the Crown Prince to the palace and put him under house arrest!"

Su Ze's expression turned serious.

Li Wenquan's impeachment was actually not a big deal.

As a relative of the emperor, who doesn't get impeached several times a year?
However, Consort Li was far too "wise," to the point that she was so alarmed that she wanted to punish the Crown Prince over such a trivial matter. Wasn't this giving the officials of the outer court an opportunity to attack her?

This teammate is such a liability, I can't carry them.

With the Imperial Concubine kneeling like that, the outer court would naturally know that you were afraid. Next, the attacks from the censors might expand from Li Wenquan to whaling, and even to the entire policy of opening ports in Dengzhou and Laizhou.

Don't ask Su Ze how he knew; politics has always been played this way, both in ancient and modern times, in China and abroad.

Moreover, the impeachment of Li Wenquan was not based on hearsay; the fact that he presented ambergris was true.

Su Ze hadn't expected that the performance evaluation system, which had only bound the Six Ministries and the Censorate for a few months, would lead to these officials coming up with new methods.

Moreover, they attacked the weakest point right from the start, and a single memorial broke through Consort Li's defenses.

The Li family's maternal relatives have always kept a low profile, and Zhu Yijun's position as heir apparent is secure. With a little thought, Su Ze understood who the target of the attack was.

Someone must be using this to attack the opening of the port of Denpa-Lai!
Many merchant ships now heading to Korea and Japan stop directly at Dengzhou and Laizhou ports, and the opening of these ports has impacted the interests of Southeast Asia.

Beyond the interests of the Southeast Maritime Trade, the silver coins issued by the Dengzhou-Laiwu Mint were also weakening the economic control of these originally wealthy regions.

Minting new coins is essentially using national credit to collect taxes from silver holders using silver, which has a lower actual value.

The core of the economic hegemony of a certain superpower in later generations was the seigniorage it levied on the world.

Although the gentry in the southeast did not subjectively understand the principles of economics, with the issuance of silver coins by the imperial court and their further acceptance by the people through coastal trade, the silver of varying purity in their hands became increasingly worthless and difficult to circulate. "Knowledgeable people" must have noticed this.

Even this counterattack was much slower than Su Ze had anticipated.

There's no way around it; the interest groups of the feudal era were simply too backward.

There was no program, no slogan, and even the so-called interest groups did not have a unified interest demand. Not all the gentry in the southeast were engaged in maritime trade; most were large landowners who were keen on annexing land.

They lacked an organization bound together by common interests, leaders who could represent them, political theories that underpinned their common interests, and public opinion tools capable of mobilizing their interests.

The gentry of the southeastern Ming Dynasty were not even as powerful as the African warlords before Su Ze's time travel.

At least these warlords could spout some slogans and organize some fraternity-like groups.

However, this was during the Longqing period. As society further developed, loose political groups centered around academies formed in the southeast region. When that time came, real factional struggles took center stage.

For example, his good brother Shen Yiguan, in the history before he traveled through time, became a notorious traitor in the late Ming Dynasty amidst the verbal attacks and written criticisms of the Donglin Party members.

Su Ze asked:

"Who submitted the memorial impeaching the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing?"

Shen Yiguan immediately said:
"Fang Xuemin, Supervising Censor of Shandong Circuit".

Su Ze had never heard of this name before, so Shen Yiguan continued:
"This Fang Xuemin was a senior censor in Shandong Province and a close friend of Luo Zun, who was demoted in the same year."

Shen Yiguan added:

"The last official document that Shen Sixiao personally accompanied was also signed by this Fang Xuemin, for which he was fined three months' salary."

It turned out to be the case.

Su Ze picked up the memorial, and Shen Yiguan said:
"Brother Zilin, are you going to submit a petition to save the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing? I want to submit a petition too!"

Luo Wanhua nodded and said:

"I also want!"

Even Wang Jiaping and Zhang Wei stood up and asked to co-sign.

Looking at his group of friends, Su Ze felt a warmth rise in his heart and nodded, saying:

"After I finish writing the memorial, I will ask my fellow graduates to sign it!"
-
Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, never expected that he would encounter another political storm before leaving office.

The list of candidates recommended by the Nine Ministers for the position of Vice Minister of Justice has been sent to the Emperor. He is just waiting for the Emperor's approval so that he can be relieved of the fiery position of Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review.

Unexpectedly, Fang Xuemin's memorial to the throne once again triggered a storm in the censorate, and a large number of censors began to submit memorials impeaching the heir of the Earl of Wuqing.

Li Yiyuan, with his keen political sense, quickly realized that the center of this storm was not the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing, who was related to the imperial family.

As expected, after the holiday in early April, the court's stance began to shift towards the opening of ports in Dengzhou and Laizhou, and many officials began to submit memorials criticizing the opening of ports in Dengzhou and Laizhou.

Some officials said that Dengzhou and Laizhou were too close to the capital, and opening the port would attract Japanese pirates, repeating the Wokou raids that occurred during the reign of King Sejong.

Some officials said that the imperial court's opening of ports in Dengzhou and Laizhou disrupted the social atmosphere in Shandong, causing people to rush to sea instead of farming, which affected the foundation of the country.

Others bring up whales, believing that hunting whales is an ominous sign and will surely bring divine retribution in the future.

The political turmoil escalated, with Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, the cabinet's strongest supporters of opening the port of Dengzhou and Laizhou, even personally refuting the ministers. However, the outcry from the outer court grew louder, and the cabinet's tough stance only led to more ministers submitting memorials.

An article in the tabloid "Xin Yuefu Bao" was also circulating wildly among the people of Beijing.

The Xin Yuefu Daily published the story of Emperor Jiajing's search for ambergris.

Emperor Shizong was obsessed with ambergris and sent people to search for it many times, ordering the Ministry of Revenue to search along the coast.

In particular, a fire in the palace in the 41st year of the Jiajing reign destroyed the spices stored by the Jiajing Emperor, and Jiajing ordered the Ministry of Revenue to search for them.

At that time, Gao Yao, the Minister of Revenue, presented eight taels of ambergris. Emperor Jiajing was overjoyed and bestowed upon Gao Yao seven hundred and sixty taels. At the same time, the emperor also promoted Gao Yao to Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent as a reward.

Gao Yao was a henchman of Yan Song. After Yan Song's party fell from power, it was discovered that the eight ounces of ambergris were actually a palace collection. It was stolen by palace servants during a palace fire and then presented to them by Gao Yao.

Gao Yao's promotion to Minister of Revenue was achieved in exchange for him offering eight separate residences to Yan Shifan.

Besides this incident, the tabloid also mentioned the Guangzhou Coastal Defense Office, which, because the Jiajing Emperor urgently needed ambergris, purchased incense from the Portuguese. The Portuguese, under the pretext of selling incense, then secretly settled on Macau Island.

These Portuguese not only secretly conducted business, but also plotted to spread cults.

As this article went viral, public opinion shifted away from the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing.

Fang Xuemin, the censor of Shandong Circuit, submitted another memorial impeaching Tu Zemin, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, accusing him of associating with foreign captains, secretly forming alliances with foreigners, and even joining a foreign cult.

Fang Xuemin also used the foreign books that Tu Zemin ordered to be translated as evidence.

The story of Gao Yao, the Minister of Revenue under Emperor Shizong, has begun to point to several important officials who supported the opening of ports in Dengzhou and Laizhou. They are believed to have conspired with Gao Yao to have the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing present ambergris in order to curry favor with the emperor.

Some people even manipulated narrative techniques, claiming that the missing merchant ships of the Maritime Trade Office were discovered after the discovery of ambergris, directly reversing the truth and saying that the ships of the Maritime Trade Office disappeared while chasing whales, and even turning whale hunting into "The Snake Catcher's Tale".

The Dengzhou-Laizhou Maritime Trade Office was not spared either, and the court officials requested the emperor to withdraw the office.

Commissioner Li Yiyuan spent his days traveling between the palace and the cabinet, sending back and forth mountain-like memorials.

But to this day, Su Ze still hasn't submitted a memorial, which makes Li Yiyuan even more uneasy.

It wasn't until April 26th that Su Ze's memorial was delivered to the Ministry of Justice.

Li Yiyuan, on the contrary, felt a sense of relief.

What is coming will come!

Li Yiyuan felt as if he had been tamed. He used to be afraid of seeing Su Ze's memorials, but now he felt at ease after seeing them.

But upon seeing the name on the memorial, Li Yiyuan felt a wave of dizziness.

"A petition to open the port of Zhigu"?
No, the opening of the port of Dengzhou and Laizhou is still being besieged by the ministers, and you want to open a port directly to the outside world?
Opening the memorial, the first half of Su Ze's memorial still spoke in favor of Li Wenquan, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Wuqing. He began by writing:
"I have heard that the rule of a sage king is based on adapting to circumstances and guiding the people's livelihoods according to their needs. Now, Li Wenquan, the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing, while whaling in Laizhou, happened to obtain ambergris and presented it to the emperor. This was originally an act that would benefit the country and its people, but the court is divided on this matter. Some say it is an auspicious omen, while others condemn it as harmful to nature and the people." Su Ze then went on to talk about other products of the whaling industry:

“Whale oil can be used to make soap for washing clothes. It is inexpensive and effective. The workshops in Laizhou have already tried to produce whale soap. Its use is comparable to cottonseed soap. It can not only meet the washing needs of the people, but also increase the profits of the shipping industry. Moreover, whale brain oil burns as brightly as day. If it is used in port lighthouses, it can guide thousands of sails back at night. The maritime trade can be expected to flourish.”

However, Suze also expressed his opposition to unregulated whaling:

“According to the Zhou Li, fishermen are in charge of the taxes from rivers and lakes, and the emperor’s hunting in the four seasons is always conducted with moderation. Today, whaling is not about draining the lakes to catch fish, but about taking what nature provides.”

"We request the imperial court to formulate detailed regulations for whaling, strictly limiting the timing and quantity of fishing to ensure orderly catches."

Finally, Su Ze added, "The invention of boats and carts originated from the need to cross rivers; the advantage of firearms stemmed from the urgent need to defend against foreign aggression."

The entire memorial only included a final paragraph requesting the court to build the Dagu Fortress, restore the important position of Zhigu at the confluence of the Haihe River during the Yuan Dynasty, and open a port at Zhigu.

After reading Su Ze's memorial, Li Yiyuan could only marvel at his bravery.

To submit a memorial at this time to open up ports and direct trade is to go against the advice of the court officials.
Li Yiyuan dared not delay and went directly to the cabinet with the memorial in his hand.
-
This memorial was actually revised by Su Ze once.

Su Ze's original memorial was titled "Memorial on the Benefit of the Country by Chen's Whale Hunting and Fragrance Collection".

——[Simulation Start]——

A day later, Chen's memorial on "Chen's Hunting of Whales and Collecting Fragrances for the Benefit of the Country" was sent to the Cabinet, which then sent it to the Imperial Palace.

The Longqing Emperor was annoyed by the attacks from foreign powers. Your memorial gave the emperor a way out, and he approved it.

The emperor then secretly ordered the Dengzhou-Laizhou Maritime Trade Office to collect ambergris and present it as tribute.

——[Simulation End]——

[This simulation passed directly; simulation count -1]

The memorial was approved directly?
That's true. In fact, the Longqing Emperor was very supportive of opening the sea route to Dengzhou and Laizhou.

The emperor was also very pleased with the ambergris presented by Li Wenquan.

Yes, besides its unique fragrance, the reason why ambergris was so sought after by royalty was because people at that time believed it to be the most potent aphrodisiac.

The reason for this passive situation is that Consort Li reacted too strongly, which gave the officials outside the court a pretext to criticize her.

So much so that now the emperor has no way to step down.

Given this situation, Su Ze considered it for a moment and decided to abandon this memorial and instead write this "Memorial Requesting the Opening of the Port and Direct Sales".

——[Simulation Start]——

A day later, the memorial requesting the opening of the port and direct sales was sent to the cabinet, which then sent it to the palace.

The Longqing Emperor was fed up with the attacks from the foreign court. He used your memorial as a pretext to step down and forbade the foreign court from discussing the whaling in Dengzhou and Laizhou.

The emperor then secretly ordered the Dengzhou-Laizhou Maritime Trade Office to collect ambergris and present it as tribute.

However, the emperor did not approve your proposal to open a port directly to the market.

——[Simulation End]——

[Should we use 200 prestige points to ensure the memorial is fully executed?]

[Remaining Prestige: 312 points.]

Sure enough, since the emperor already supported the opening of ports in Dengzhou and Laizhou, it wouldn't be difficult for him to support the opening of ports in Zhigu, right?
With just 200 prestige points, Zhigu could be opened as a port, and Su Ze decisively chose to execute the order.

[Remaining Prestige Points: 112]
-
Royal study room.

During this period, the Longqing Emperor did not visit Yikun Palace.

He didn't distance himself from Consort Li because of Li Wenquan's affair, but rather because he found Consort Li's resentful and aggrieved demeanor utterly repulsive.

Emperor Longqing was originally very pleased with Li Wenquan's presentation of ambergris; otherwise, he would not have rewarded him.

However, a memorial from the outer court caused Consort Li to lose her composure, putting the emperor in a very passive position.

Li Fang entered the imperial study and said cautiously:
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has submitted another letter of apology."

The Longqing Emperor became even more troubled.

These days, Consort Li and her entire family keep submitting petitions to apologize, turning innocent things into guilty ones.

"Where is the prince?"

Li Fang said cautiously:
"The Crown Prince refused to apologize this time, and even said that Li Guojiu did the right thing. The Consort kept the Crown Prince in the palace to educate him."

The Longqing Emperor sighed.

As the emperor, he could certainly order Consort Li to release the crown prince.

However, as a husband, he sometimes had to remain silent when the concubines were educating their sons.

Moreover, what the foreign minister said actually makes sense.

The royal family's ulterior motives in pursuing ambergris could not be told to the seven-year-old crown prince.

Simply put, as a father, the Longqing Emperor was happy to receive ambergris as a gift, but he would probably be unhappy if his son did the same after he ascended the throne.

Therefore, he tacitly approved of Consort Li's education of the Crown Prince.

"Send someone to keep an eye on things, but don't punish them too harshly."

“Your servant understands.”

"Has Su Ze submitted a memorial?"

Li Fang quickly said:

"not yet."

"It's really strange. He was the one who first proposed opening the port of Dengzhou and Laizhou, yet Su Ershu managed to hold out until the end of the month without submitting a memorial?"

The emperor urgently needed Su Ze's memorial to resign, but Su Ze refused to submit it.

There was nothing they could do; the discussions among the court officials were too intense, and the cabinet couldn't suppress them.

Moreover, now that the outside world has brought out the weapon of "flattering the emperor," even Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong dare not act rashly.

Even cabinet ministers are afraid of bearing this infamy.

At this point, the only person the emperor could think of was Su Ze.

Just then, Chen Hong entered, holding up a memorial: "Your Majesty, Su Ze has submitted a memorial!"

Feng Bao, who was in charge of the Maritime Trade Office, also entered the Imperial Study and said:
"Your Majesty! The ships of the Dengzhou-Laizhou Maritime Trade Office have returned! They have also brought envoys from the Kuwu and Nurgan tribes, who have long been without tribute!"

"All the tribes admire the Emperor's grace and are currently at Laizhou Port requesting tribute from the Celestial Empire!"

Upon hearing this news, the Longqing Emperor stood up, but he asked, "Does the outer court know about the news from Dengzhou and Laizhou?"

Feng Bao immediately said, "The message was sent directly to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the outer court is unaware of it yet."

Feng Bao stole a glance at the emperor's expression and seemed to see the corners of the emperor's mouth slightly raised.

(End of this chapter)