My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 214 The Stabilizing Force: Su Ze
Zhao Zhenji's question is very direct: the system in the early Ming Dynasty was a choice made under the social circumstances at that time.

If more officials are added, these officials also need to eat.

The most important question is who will pay for it.

In the county government of the Ming Dynasty, the clerks received a salary.

However, apart from the clerks, neither the scribes nor the yamen runners received a fixed salary.

Some local officials would find ways to pay their salaries by taking money from the county government's treasury, while others simply didn't pay, leaving the clerks and runners to "raise the money themselves."

If the issue of the treatment of these new officials is not resolved, they will also become corrupt officials who exploit the people.

Su Ze said, "The salary is paid by the Ministry of Revenue, and the title is given by the Ministry of Personnel."

Zhao Zhenji stared at Su Ze, then asked:

"How sure are you?"

Zhao Zhenji finally understood why Su Ze had come to visit him.

The memorial requesting the publication of the provincial examination answers to clarify the facts and enforce the regulations was merely a prelude; what Su Ze truly wanted to address was the civil service examination.

Further internal reforms require a bureaucracy capable of implementing policies down to the lowest levels.

Su Ze hoped to pilot the reforms in Shuntian Prefecture, the region with the most scholars, by recruiting a new batch of officials to fill government positions, so that more grassroots reforms could be carried out.

In addition, this was also an attempt by Su Ze.

The civil service examination involved three departments. The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for allocating positions and recognizing the establishment of these new civil servants, just like the Clerk.

The Ministry of Revenue needs to allocate a budget to pay the salaries of these officials.

The Ministry of Rites would organize examinations and train the officials who passed them to familiarize them with government affairs.

Currently, the only person in the imperial court capable of uniting the three ministries to work together is Su Ze, who possesses the system.

Finding something for the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Rites would also "find something for the three Grand Secretaries to do."

With concrete tasks to do, people won't be thinking about internal strife all the time.

Su Ze said, "I can only say that I will do my best."

"You submitted a memorial, and the cabinet will discuss it. Have you gone to see your tutor yet?"

Su Ze immediately said:

"I haven't gone to see the Prime Minister yet, so I thought I should let you know first."

Hearing Su Ze say that, Zhao Zhenji stroked his beard, seemingly feeling a little better.

He then said:
"You and Third Sister are already married, so are you changing your address now?"

Su Ze hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly called out:

"granduncle."

Zhao Zhenji gave a perfunctory response, and Su Ze deeply suspected that Zhao Zhenji was trying to take advantage of Gao Gong.

The matter of the civil service examination was crucial to the personnel selection strategy, and Su Ze only reached a simple consensus with Zhao Zhenji.

If this matter is to be pushed forward, Su Ze will need to persuade Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng.

After seeing Su Ze off, Zhao Zhenji couldn't help but wonder, when did Su Ze become the pillar of the court?
-
The next day, Zhao Zhenji arrived at the cabinet early, followed by Yang Sizhong, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, who brought Su Ze's memorial to the cabinet.

"Lord Yang, has Su Zilin's memorial arrived?"

Yang Sizhong was prepared. He picked up a memorial from the top and handed it to Zhao Zhenji.

Zhao Zhenji read the memorial again and confirmed that it was the same as the copy Su Ze had shown him yesterday.

He first picked up his pen and wrote down his opinion in favor of the proposed vote.

After finishing writing, Zhao Zhenji glanced at Zhang Juzheng's position.

He still looked down on Zhang Juzheng in this matter.

Back then, his younger brother passed the imperial examination with him, but to avoid suspicion, his brother gave up the palace examination, which became a well-known story in official circles.

To avoid any potential conflicts of interest, many cabinet ministers had their children forgo the imperial examinations while in office.

However, Zhang Juzheng's son happened to participate in the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination and even became the top scholar.

Although Jo Jung-gil believed that Shin Si-haeng would not cheat in this matter, how will future generations evaluate this incident?

As Zhao Zhenji pondered this, Gao Gong stepped into the cabinet.

Zhao Zhenji handed Su Ze's memorial to Gao Gong. After reading the title of the memorial, Gao Gong roughly understood what Su Ze wanted to request.

Upon opening it, the contents were almost exactly as I had guessed.

Gao Gong was conflicted.

According to Zhang Siwei's report, Gao Gong sent people to investigate and found out that the incident of crying at the temple was indeed planned by his disciple, Ding Jingxuan, a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue.

Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades, Gao Gong quickly grasped Ding Jingxuan's intentions.

But as much as he understood, this provincial examination in Shuntian Prefecture was indeed a golden opportunity to attack Zhang Juzheng.

In this matter, Gao Gong's faction has already seized the initiative.

They could continue impeaching him, stirring up court debate. Even if they couldn't get Zhang Juzheng dismissed, they could still damage his reputation in the emperor's eyes and among the literati.

We can remain calm and observe how Zhang Juzheng responds.

However, Su Ze's memorial led Gao Gong to give up this opportunity.

Gao Gong took the memorial back to his seat, thought about it carefully for a while, and finally wrote down his approval.

I, Gao Suqing, disdain to use such methods!

Gao Gong simply disliked these conspiracies and intrigues; otherwise, he wouldn't have been dismissed from office by Xu Jie shortly after Emperor Longqing ascended the throne.

To defeat Zhang Juzheng, one must overpower him in official matters, rather than using framing to bring down a political enemy.

Gao Gong experienced the intense political struggles of the late Jiajing era and witnessed how Yan Song and his son used power tactics. Former Grand Secretary Xu Jie was also a master of this art.

However, Gao Gong's pride prevented him from using these methods.

As Su Ze said, publishing the answers will allow scholars to have their own opinions.

With the emperor personally presiding over the re-examination, the results would naturally be convincing to the public.

If Zhang Juzheng really colluded with his disciples to cheat on the imperial examination for his own son, His Majesty would see through it immediately.

Conversely, if Zhang Juzheng had not cheated, Gao Gong would not have bothered to frame him.

The last to arrive at the cabinet was Grand Secretary Li Chunfang.

Grand Secretary Li had a bad feeling a few days ago and wanted to use the "feigning illness" technique, but he had to take charge of the overall situation because of the war in Dongshengwei.

But just after dealing with the situation in northern Xinjiang, he was caught up in this temple-crying incident.

After Zhang Juzheng requested leave, Li Chunfang had no choice but to take over the government affairs he was handling, but she was overwhelmed after only two days.

Li Chunfang was not good at official duties. He had always seen Zhang Juzheng sitting there handling official business, and he never imagined that the Ministry of Revenue's work was so heavy.

So after reading Su Ze's memorial, Li Chunfang immediately drafted a resolution in favor of it, and then the Imperial Secretary sent it to the palace.

The Longqing Emperor naturally approved the memorial, and Su Ze's memorial was sent to the Six Ministries, temporarily suppressing the turmoil.
-
Having received the emperor's decree, Su Ze immediately took action, obtaining the answer sheets for the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination from the Ministry of Rites. He then typeset the papers of the twenty candidates and published them in the supplement on October 17th.

The "Compilation of Examinations in Shuntian Prefecture" quickly sold out after its publication.

After reading Zhang Jingxiu's article, the scholars in the capital also acknowledged that his level of expertise was indeed quite good, and the controversy among the literati decreased considerably.

Immediately afterwards, the emperor announced that he would personally preside over the re-examination of the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination on October 19th.

All twenty candidates who were candidates for the imperial examinations participated. The emperor himself set the questions, and the Hanlin officials graded them on the spot. The results of the re-examination were announced on the same day.

The scholars and essays of all twenty candidates met the standards for becoming successful candidates in the provincial examinations. The emperor concluded that there had been no corruption in this provincial examination, and the *Yuefu Xinbao* (a local newspaper) published the emperor's judgment on its front page. Thus, the incident of crying at the temple came to an end.

Zhang Mansion.

Zhang Juzheng looked at his young son, Zhang Jingxiu, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "Are you going to give up the imperial examination?"

Zhang Jingxiu cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Father."

Zhang Juzheng looked at his son and asked:
"You defied my order to participate in the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination, and now that you've passed with top honors, you want to give up the imperial examinations?"

Zhang Jingxiu looked at his father.

Zhang Jingxiu always acted with extreme caution in the face of his powerful father, Zhang Juzheng.

He was the eldest son, with a younger brother, and was taught from a young age to be a role model for the family.

Therefore, whether it was studying or other things, Zhang Jingxiu put in more effort than others.

This time, Zhang Jingxiu had also been thinking about it for a long time.

Studying for the imperial examinations was a burden placed on him by his family and father. Zhang Jingxiu participated in the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination to prove himself and meet the expectations of his father and family.

Little did she expect that the trouble she had stirred up would almost implicate her father.

Zhang Jingxiu met his father's gaze and said:

“Father, I want to go to Dengzhou and Laizhou to visit the Maritime Training Institute of the Maritime Trade Office.”

Maritime Training Institute of the Maritime Trade Office?

Zhang Juzheng remembered this institution, a school that Su Ze had requested to establish, specifically for training navigation and naval personnel.

"You're going out to sea?"

Zhang Juzheng did not quite understand his son's choice.

Zhang Jingxiu said:
“Father, I can never catch up with you in terms of studying, taking the imperial examinations, and becoming an official.”

Zhang Juzheng paused for a moment, then said, "The Ming Dynasty has never had a father and son who both served as Grand Secretaries."

Although Yan Shifan was called a junior Grand Secretary, he did not actually enter the Grand Secretariat.

Zhang Jingxiu is right. Becoming a Grand Secretary is not something that can be achieved simply by studying. Ability and opportunity are both indispensable. The path to becoming a Grand Secretary is unique for each one. It is not something that can be accomplished just by being good at studying.

If being good at studying could get you into the cabinet, wouldn't every top scholar in the imperial examinations be able to get in?
In reality, there weren't many top scholars and high-ranking officials in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Jingxiu said:
“My son was reading the Yuefu Xinbao newspaper when he saw that it said there were thousands of countries beyond our Great Ming Dynasty, so he wanted to go and see them.”

Zhang Juzheng paused for a moment. He was always strict in managing his family and had high expectations for his eldest son.

Zhang Jingxiu studied diligently and did not disappoint Zhang Juzheng's expectations. At the age of seventeen, he passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations).

However, seeing his son standing before him and expressing his thoughts instead of being submissive as before, Zhang Juzheng felt much more at ease.

"If you want to go, then go."

"You are a Juren (successful candidate in the imperial examination), and you can be directly admitted to the Maritime Training Institute of the Maritime Trade Office. If you fail to pass the three-year examination, you should return to your hometown of Jingzhou to serve your grandfather."

Zhang Jingxiu immediately knelt down and kowtowed to his father before returning to his room to pack his belongings.

After his son left, Zhang Juzheng looked at a piece of paper under the lamplight.

Ding Jingxuan, a secretary in the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Revenue, and Ding Jinghai, a student of the Imperial Academy.

Upon seeing the two names, Zhang Juzheng's eyes lit up.

If you dare to scheme against the Grand Secretary, then you should be prepared for his retaliation.
-
On October 21st, after the mid-month break, Su Ze entered the East Palace.

The Left Vice-Minister already has his own independent public room, and no longer needs to squeeze into the same public room as the other lecturers of the Eastern Palace.

Moreover, the public housing in the Eastern Palace had just been renovated, reportedly at the Crown Prince's own expense.

Regarding this matter, all the officials praised the Crown Prince for respecting his teachers and valuing the Way, and the censors were also tactful enough not to spoil the mood.

The duties at the Imperial Household Department were actually quite easy; when they went to the office, everyone would quietly read and prepare lessons.

However, as soon as Su Ze arrived at the yamen today, an acquaintance stepped into his office.

"Brother Yunxiang (Huang Ji's courtesy name)?"

Huang Ji was thinner than the last time we met, but he was still in good spirits. Moreover, compared to his gloomy demeanor when he first entered the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Huang Ji, who was now in charge of the Bureau of Astronomy, was much more cheerful.

“Brother Zilin, I came to bid farewell to the Crown Prince. Seeing that you were also at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, I thought I’d drop by.”

"Farewell?"

Huang Ji said:

"The Four Seas Test is ready. The Bureau of Astronomy has sent a team to examine the star charts and sundials used in the previous test. I will also be setting off for Nanjing tomorrow."

"To Nanjing?"

Huang Ji said:

"His Majesty has approved the construction of an observatory near Shenlie Mountain. The reflecting telescope designed by Brother Zilin has been installed, and I am going to take a look."

"Shenlie Mountain?"

Su Ze looked at Huang Ji with a puzzled expression. He was also from Southern Zhili, so how come he had never heard of this mountain in Nanjing?

Huang Ji said:

"It's Zijin Mountain, the name changed by Emperor Shizong."

"Oh oh oh."

Su Ze suddenly realized that it was the Purple Mountain Observatory in the end. Could this be the automatic convergence of the historical line?

Su Ze was still somewhat reluctant to part with Huang Ji, and after instructing him to contact him using the fat pigeon, Huang Ji took out two more books.

"This is the 'Calculus' course taught by Brother Zilin. I have already compiled it. Please bear with Brother Zilin regarding the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture."

"This book, 'Geometry,' is a textbook written for the Maritime Affairs Instruction Institute of the Maritime Trade Office. I haven't had time to proofread it yet. Please, Brother Zilin, correct it and submit it to the imperial court."

As the time for parting drew near, Su Ze felt even more reluctant to leave. He told Huang Ji to take care of himself and then sent Huang Ji to say goodbye to Xiao Pang Jun.

A short while later, the sound of weeping came from inside the East Palace. When Su Ze stepped into the Minglun Hall, he saw Zhu Yijun reluctantly holding Huang Ji's hand.

Huang Ji was moved to tears. After the teacher and student said goodbye for a long time, Xiao Pangjun took out a bunch of his private treasures to reward Huang Ji, but Huang Ji refused them all.

After Huang Ji left, Little Fatty Jun sat there sullenly and said to Su Ze:

"Master Su and Master Huang have both gone to Nanjing, but I still cannot leave the Eastern Palace."

Su Ze glanced at Xiao Pangjun and strongly suspected that Zhu Yijun's crying just now was partly due to this reason.

However, Su Ze didn't dare to take Xiao Pangjun off on his own. The Ming Dynasty officials were keeping a close eye on him, and if anything went wrong, Su Ze wouldn't be able to bear the consequences, since the Longqing Emperor only had one son.

After Su Ze comforted him for a while, Zhu Yijun calmed down and took out a letter, saying:
“My uncle wrote a letter saying that the climate in Penghu is very suitable for growing sugarcane, and he has already cultivated a large amount of land.”

"So fast?"

Su Ze hadn't expected Li Wenquan to act so quickly.

It's important to understand that Penghu today is not a beautiful island, but a tropical island covered in thorns, which is why the Ming Dynasty allowed it to fall into disrepair.

Zhu Yijun chuckled and said:
"The Penghu plantation is progressing so smoothly, all thanks to me!"

Su Ze smiled and said:

"Then I will listen to Your Highness's wonderful plan."

Zhu Yijun said in a low voice:
"Master Su, didn't you mention the Portuguese in Langbaiao?"

(End of this chapter)