My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 327 A Petition for the Grace of Elderly Palace Women

Su Ze looked at Luo Wanhua with some surprise.

If Shen Yiguan had asked that question, Su Ze would probably have taken it for granted.

But it was Luo Wanhua who asked the question.

It should be noted that Luo Wanhua never cared about the overall situation of the court; all he cared about was running a newspaper.

Perhaps noticing Su Ze's surprise, Luo Wanhua said:
“Brother Zilin, if it weren’t for your efforts in handling that matter in Fangshan last time, the newspaper wouldn’t have been able to publish the article.”

"In this joint discussion among the officials, I was not of high enough rank to be granted the right to co-sign."

"Yesterday, while delivering the luggage to the Grand Secretary, Luo realized a truth."

Su Ze asked:

"What's the point?"

Luo Wanhua said:
"To run a good newspaper, it's not enough to just write good reports. You have to get all the articles published in the newspaper. That requires someone like Brother Zilin."

Su Ze understood what Luo Wanhua meant.

This top scholar wants to improve!

Su Ze hadn't expected that Luo Wanhua would be stimulated by two things and develop the idea of ​​making progress.

Is it to climb to a better position in order to realize one's original aspiration of running a newspaper?
Su Ze didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Politics is a cesspool; many people throw themselves into it with youthful ambitions, using promotion as a means to an end, but ultimately they all get lost in the vortex of power, turning power into their pursuit and completely losing their original aspirations.

How many people get more and more entangled in the game of power, only to find themselves powerless to change the status quo once they reach that position, and are ultimately corrupted by it?

Of course, it's understandable that Luo Wanhua wants a promotion. He was the top student in his undergraduate program, and it's normal for him to feel anxious about competing with his peers as Shen Yiguan gradually surpasses him.

Su Ze, being pretentious, said to Luo Wanhua:
"The matter of adding cabinet ministers depends on His Majesty's thoughts, and which important minister enters the cabinet will not have a significant impact on the political situation."

Su Ze said:

"The most important position is that of Minister of Personnel."

Luo Wanhua had just "come to his senses" and was preparing to enter politics, but he didn't yet possess Su Ze's insight. He humbly asked:
"Please enlighten me, Brother Zilin."

Su Ze said:

"Although the Grand Secretary has not yet been decided, there are only two possible outcomes: either he becomes the Grand Secretary or he does not."

Luo Wanhua nodded, Gao Gong was a popular candidate for Grand Secretary.

"With the Grand Secretary appointed and the Chief Minister concurrently serving as Minister of Personnel, how many people will be losing sleep?"

Luo Wanhua laughed along.

He understood what Su Ze meant.

Gao Gong has been in charge of the Ministry of Personnel for many years. It would have been fine if he hadn't been the Grand Secretary before, but if he had been both the Grand Secretary and the Minister of Personnel, then he wouldn't just be the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, but a true prime minister in history.

Whether it was the Ming Dynasty's system or to reassure the emperor and his officials, Gao Gong would resign from his position as Minister of Personnel after becoming Grand Secretary.

“If Shi Xiang is not up to the position of Grand Secretary, he must resign from the position of Minister of Personnel.”

"Why?"

“Nowadays, there is no one in the court who can match the Grand Secretary Li in terms of prestige and character. If anyone surpasses Grand Secretary Shi to become Grand Secretary, the cabinet will inevitably be in turmoil. Therefore, we must strip Grand Secretary Shi of his power.”

"Of course, I still think it's more likely that the Grand Secretary will become the chief minister."

That's it!

Luo Wanhua suddenly realized why Su Ze was always able to see through the situation – it was this analytical ability!
Su Ze continued:

"Whoever is elected Minister of Personnel will have a huge impact on the political situation."

Luo Wanhua asked again:

"Then why did Brother Zilin say that the new Grand Secretary is not important?"

Su Ze said:

"As the saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain. With the two ministers already having the Grand Secretary and Grand Secretary Zhang, can another one join them?"

Luo Wanhua remained silent.

Su Ze said:

"Even Grand Secretary Lei doesn't have much say in matters of national policy, let alone the newly appointed cabinet ministers?"

"In comparison, the Minister of Personnel, who is in charge of selecting and appointing officials, actually has more real power."

Luo Wanhua now understood that the important thing was not the replacement of cabinet ministers, but rather that Gao Gong's promotion to Grand Secretary and the resulting vacancy in the position of Minister of Personnel were the real focus of the power struggle among various factions.

So what if he gets promoted to the cabinet now?
Gao Gong was not yet sixty, which was considered a prime age for a senior minister.

Zhang Juzheng was ten years younger than Gao Gong, which was the prime age for an official.

Newly appointed cabinet ministers still have two clouds hanging over their heads; even after joining the cabinet, they can only nod and agree.

The Minister of Personnel is in charge of the promotion and appointment of officials, and also has the power of the capital inspection. Isn't this better than becoming a paper-thin Grand Secretary?

"Brother Zilin, who do you think is suitable for the position of Minister of Personnel?"

Su Ze thought for a moment and said:
"If I were to choose, none of our dynasty's talent in employing people surpasses that of Yang Dayintai."

"Da Yintai? That's certainly a good choice."

Even Luo Wanhua, who didn't know much about the higher-ups, nodded in agreement.

Yang Sizhong, the head of the financial department, was known for his skill in employing people.

The several chief officials of the Office of Transmission he promoted were all talented individuals.

Needless to say, there's Feng Xueyan, the chief official of the Joseon State Administration. This chief official was like a "Ming Dynasty enchantress," captivating the entire Joseon court and people to the point of obsession. Even the Joseon king considered it an honor to have Feng Xueyan attend his banquets.

It was Feng Xueyan who pushed through the Jeju Island incident, which dispelled the doubts of the Joseon court, leading them to petition the Ming Dynasty to station its navy there. Joseon also agreed to cover the port maintenance costs, earning unanimous praise from the Ming court.

Zhang Xuan, the chief of the Nanyang Administration Bureau, facilitated the tribute mission from the Kingdom of Luzon in Manila. Now, upon hearing that Jeju Island was to establish a Ming Dynasty naval port, the Kingdom of Luzon in Manila has also petitioned for the Ming Dynasty navy to station troops in Manila.

Manila has become an important foothold for the Ming Dynasty in Southeast Asia, and all forces in Southeast Asia have to take Zhang Xuan, the director of the Office of Transmission and Administration, into account.

Wu Shaozu, the chief administrator of the Ryukyu Administration Office, skillfully maneuvered in Ryukyu and successfully drove out the Japanese pirates who had infiltrated Ryukyu for decades.

Ryukyu had become an important node in the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade and a free port for East Asian maritime trade.

In addition, there was Hu Zhen from the Penghu Office, who was also a top talent and facilitated the flow of information in Penghu.

Luo Wanhua sighed:

"Yang Dayintai not only knows how to recognize and appoint people, but he is also willing to sacrifice for the development of his subordinates. This magnanimity is truly extraordinary."

Su Ze nodded in agreement.

The officials that Yang Sizhong sent abroad were all his capable assistants.

Many officials are reluctant to promote their trusted deputies.

However, Yang Sizhong would never do that; whenever he encountered such a talented subordinate, he would recommend him to the imperial court.

So much so that now everyone in the capital says that Yang Sizhong, the Grand Secretary, has sent out all the talented people in the Ministry of Personnel, leaving only mediocre ones. Thinking about it this way, Luo Wanhua also felt that this Grand Secretary was indeed the best candidate to serve as Minister of Personnel.

With such a person in the Ministry of Personnel, how can we worry that talented people in the Ming Dynasty will not have a chance to rise to prominence?
"So, Brother Zilin, are you planning to speak with Grand Secretary Gao?"

Su Ze nodded and said, "I have already spoken to the Prime Minister, but the selection of the Minister of Personnel is not something the Prime Minister can decide; it depends on His Majesty's decision."

Luo Wanhua thought about it and agreed. For such an important position, in addition to ability, political influence should also be considered.

Yang Sizhong and Gao Gong had a good relationship, but they weren't exactly on the same side.

Of course, none of Gao Gong's disciples were qualified to serve as Minister of Personnel.

Whether Yang Sizhong would accept Gao Gong's offer and succeed him as Minister of Personnel remains to be seen.

However, even a glimpse into the political dynamics at the highest levels made Luo Wanhua slightly excited.

So, in Su Zilin's eyes, the dazzling and confusing political situation was actually so simple?
No wonder he always managed to get people to support his memorials and do so many incredible things.
-
On March 21, Gao Gong resigned from his position as Minister of Personnel.

After Gao Gong declined the position three times, the emperor approved his resignation and immediately ordered the Ministry of Personnel to recommend a candidate for Grand Secretary.

At this point, the Ming Dynasty's officialdom knew that Gao Gong's appointment as Grand Secretary was a done deal.

The Grand Secretary needs the Ministry of Personnel to organize a court recommendation process.

During the court recommendation process, candidates were jointly recommended by officials of the third rank or above, as well as the Nine Ministers, the Six Departments of Supervising Secretaries, and the Thirteen Circuit Censors. The appointments were made after the emperor's approval.

For Gao Gong to become the Grand Secretary, he would have to go through the process of being recommended by the court.

As the Minister of Personnel, Gao Gong could not recommend himself in court.

Therefore, Gao Gong's resignation as Minister of Personnel indicates that the emperor was already planning to appoint him as the Grand Secretary.

Sure enough, the Ministry of Personnel drafted a list, in which, apart from Gao Gong, the rest were just there to make up the numbers.

The emperor quickly selected Gao Gong's name from the list, and Gao Gong officially became the third Grand Secretary of the Longqing reign.

As an official of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Su Ze also attended Gao Gong's ceremony for the appointment and removal of the Grand Secretary.

Li Fang, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, unfurled the yellow silk edict, which bore the inscription "Imperial Edict Seal," the seal used by the emperor when appointing empresses and crown princes.

From this perspective, since the mid-Ming Dynasty, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet did indeed hold the status of a prime minister.

Gao Gong, dressed in a bright red official robe, touched the ground three times when receiving the imperial decree; this was a simplified version of the "three refusals and three concessions" ceremony.

Then Li Fang brought out the token of the Grand Secretary bestowed by the Emperor.

A gilded bronze token is a pass for entering and leaving the palace. However, the Grand Secretary's token is a special type of bronze token, which allows him to forcibly enter the inner palace area in an emergency.

The jade square is a paperweight used to press down draft proposals, representing the power granted to the cabinet to draft proposals.

Finally, there was a dragon-patterned imperial edict box, where the Grand Secretary could write secret memorials, seal them inside the box, and send them directly to the Emperor without going through the Directorate of Ceremonial.

This was a private memorial between the emperor and the chief minister, representing their special and close relationship.

The three tokens respectively represent the Grand Secretary's "head of the inner court officials," "power to draft proposals," and "power to submit secret memorials," which were also the special powers of the Grand Secretary in the Ming Dynasty.

Su Ze looked at Gao Gong, then at Zhang Juzheng, and a sense of unease began to grow within him.

Zhang Juzheng's name was not included in the list of Grand Secretaries recommended by the Ministry of Personnel.

Su Ze understood, of course, that this was why the Ministry of Personnel had not listed Zhang Juzheng's name in order to be absolutely certain.

But doing so is really insulting.

Su Ze secretly glanced at Zhang Juzheng. Although Zhang Juzheng's expression remained normal, Su Ze noticed a hint of stiffness in his final bow to Gao Gong.

With a sigh, I realized that this was how conflicts accumulated over time. With Gao Gong's promotion to Grand Secretary, the harmonious atmosphere within the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was likely to vanish with Li Chunfang's departure.

After attending Gao Gong's inauguration ceremony, Gao Gong's first memorial as Grand Secretary was to request the Emperor to recommend him for the position of Minister of Personnel.

The Longqing Emperor naturally approved it. Of the three names submitted by the Ministry of Personnel this time, the Emperor finally chose Yang Sizhong.

Thus, Yang Sizhong, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, took office as the Minister of Personnel, completing the leap from Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review to Minister of Personnel.

All of this was as Su Ze had predicted, but unexpectedly, the emperor did not agree to Li Fang leaving the palace to repair the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu.

Emperor Longqing sent a mid-level eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial to Nanjing to repair the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu, while still keeping Li Fang in the palace.

Su Ze remembered that he had been entrusted by Li Chunfang to help her leave the palace to live out her old age. Since that was the case, Su Ze decided to help her to the end.

He wrote another memorial.

A petition requesting permission to provide for the elderly palace women.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty did have a system in place for eunuchs to retire and live out their retirement years.

However, this was not a uniform system. Generally, the emperor would only issue an imperial decree allowing these old palace women to leave the palace to retire when there was a joyous occasion in the palace.

Su Ze's memorial this time was aimed at institutionalizing the system of allowing people to retire from the palace and enjoy old age.

Su Ze wrote in his memorial:

"When our great ancestor, Emperor Gao, first established his dynasty, he governed the inner court with benevolence and compassion, showing consideration for the hardships of the palace women and always keeping in mind his kindness and compassion. He is truly a model for all ages."

"Your Majesty has inherited the legacy of your predecessors, spreading your benevolence throughout the land and benefiting all people. However, within the palace, there are still loyal servants with white hair and graying temples, and maids who have served for many years, toiling and suffering. Some are too weak to handle the heavy workload, while others yearn for their homeland and wish to return to their hometown."

"I think that these elderly palace women entered the palace when they were young, served the inner palace and Your Majesty, and are still in the inner palace in their old age. Although they are grateful for the Emperor's favor, they are old and frail, their bodies are weak and tired, or they may be suffering from serious illnesses, and I fear that they will no longer be able to serve wholeheartedly."

"I earnestly request Your Majesty to extend your grace and broaden your mind. Those who are over fifty years old, or those who are under fifty but have chronic illnesses and are truly unable to serve, may, after investigation by the relevant officials, request to leave the palace voluntarily."

"The palace women who leave the palace are ordered to supervise the repair of the mausoleums and sacrificial sites of past dynasties, or to be assigned to other leisurely positions in the imperial estates, temples and monasteries, so that they may live out their remaining years in peace."

"Those who wish to return to their hometown will also be provided with travel expenses and travel permits to help them return home."

"Those who are of good character and have made outstanding contributions will be given extra rewards by the Imperial Household Department as a sign of commendation."

"Your Majesty's grace extends not only to officials outside the capital, but also to old servants in the inner palace. It allows white-haired eunuchs to be spared the service of serving until their old age, and relieves the sorrow of aging palace maids from their homesickness."

After Su Ze finished writing the memorial, he stuffed it into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Court" device.

——[Simulation Start]——

The petition requesting permission to provide for the elderly palace women was sent to the cabinet, which expressed its support and forwarded it to the palace.

After reading your memorial, Emperor Longqing was moved by Li Fang's hard work and finally allowed Li Fang to leave the palace to retire.

The emperor issued an edict allowing eunuchs and palace maids aged fifty and above to voluntarily leave the palace to retire, and established imperial estates outside the capital to provide for eunuchs and palace maids who had no home to return to.

Li Fang used your memorial to request resignation, and the Longqing Emperor graciously granted him permission to leave the palace to retire.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 970.]

This simulation has passed and does not need to be forced to run.

[Simulation passed. This simulation will not consume a monthly simulation attempt.]

It passed directly?
That's true. One of Emperor Longqing's strengths was that he was easily swayed. When I explained things frankly, he actually approved.

Su Ze didn't rush to submit a memorial. Instead, he opened a drawer and scattered a handful of fine rice grown on the table using the [Family Planting Mat].

A fat pigeon flew in through the window.

(End of this chapter)