My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 331 The Crown Prince's First Political Memorial

In April, the change of prime minister in the capital finally came to an end.

Yin Shidan joined the cabinet as Minister of Education, adding another member to the cabinet and taking charge of educational affairs throughout the Ming Dynasty.

The positions of Minister of Rites and Vice Minister of Rites are temporarily vacant, but in order to promote educational affairs, the court has no immediate plans to fill the vacancies.

Yang Sizhong was transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel, and the Ministry of Personnel immediately recommended candidates for the position of Commissioner of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Former Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review and current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Li Yiyuan, was prominently featured on the list, which was praised by the ministers.

The functions of the Office of Transmission are now extraordinary and cannot be left vacant for long.

The Ministry of Justice was facing a shortage of talented young officials, and everyone was watching to see who Yang Sizhong would choose as his successor.

However, when Li Yiyuan's name appeared on the list, the court officials were all delighted, deeming him a very suitable candidate.

Li Yiyuan was the former Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review and was familiar with the affairs of the Court of Judicial Review.

He performed very well in his position as Vice Minister of Justice, which shows that he is a capable minister who can adapt to new jobs.

The list was quickly approved by the cabinet and then sent to the emperor.

As expected, the emperor drew Li Yiyuan's name with his vermilion brush, and the new Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review was thus appointed.

Thus, Yang Sizhong, the newly appointed Grand Chancellor, solidified his reputation as a "knowledgeable and capable person" by making a perfect personnel appointment, and the entire Ministry of Personnel held this new Minister in high esteem.

Su Ze also saw the system's settlement report.

The "Proposal on Elementary Education" was passed, and Yin Shidan, the former Minister of Rites, became the first Minister in charge of Education.

Yin Shidan, the first Minister of Education, established the foundation for the three-tiered education system of primary, secondary, and higher education in the Ming Dynasty, becoming the source of the new era's education system.

This system was adopted by other countries and marked the beginning of modern education for the common people.

[National fortune +1.]

[Prestige +500.]

[Remaining Prestige: 1410]

Investing 200 reputation points and getting a return of 500, earning 300 reputation points is still a good deal.
-
Shen Yiguan walked in with a smile on his face at the newspaper office.

Feng Bao became the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Shen Yiguan made a small profit. He had just received his winnings today and was preparing to share them with Su Zeluo Wanhua.

Shen Yiguan arrived empty-handed today. After Luo Wanhua took the money bag, he said:

"Brother Zilin has gone to the East Palace."

Shen Yiguan asked in confusion, "Didn't Brother Zilin have no classes today?"

Luo Wanhua nodded and said, "Yes, but early this morning, the Crown Prince sent someone to urgently summon Brother Zilin to the Eastern Palace."

"Then I'll trouble Brother Yifu to give this bag of money to Brother Zilin."

"Brother Jianwu, won't you give it to Brother Zilin yourself?"

"Alas, I must leave the capital with the Grand Herald."

“The construction of the Jeju Island naval port is about to begin. The cabinet will send the Grand Herald to Korea to sign the treaty, and then go to Jeju Island to visit and comfort the Ming Dynasty's naval forces stationed there.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanhua could only express his sympathy for Shen Yiguan.

That's what the Court of State Ceremonial was all about.

East Palace.

"Master Su, is this person real?"

Su Ze looked at the letter in his hand, carefully compared the handwriting, and nodded, saying:

“Your Highness, this is a letter written by Zhu Juntang, a student of the Imperial Academy. He is my disciple, and I recognize his handwriting.”

The Crown Prince said, "This was sent by my uncle. This Zhu Juntang came to Tainan Port with a Japanese merchant ship disguised as a Southeast Asian ship. My uncle found something wrong with the ship and ordered it to be detained. This Zhu Juntang asked someone to deliver the letter to my uncle."

Su Ze nodded and said, "I have also inquired at the Imperial Academy. Huang Wenbin, a doctor at the Imperial Academy, and Zhu Juntang, a student at the Imperial Academy, left the capital before the new year, saying that they were going to Penghu for vacation, or that they encountered a storm and ended up in Japan."

Little Fatty Jun stood up excitedly.

A month ago, Li Wenquan, who was colonizing Tainan, seized a Japanese merchant ship disguised as a Southeast Asian ship. Zhu Juntang, who was on board, sent someone to deliver a message.

Zhu Juntang explained how he and Huang Wenbin ended up in Japan, then briefly recounted the affairs of the Shimazu family, and asked Li Wenquan for help.

The detention of an official and a student of the Imperial Academy by Japanese pirates was a major incident.

While informing Zhang Chun, the Penghu school administrator, to come to Tainan to confirm Zhu Juntang's identity, Li Wenquan also dispatched a clipper boat to Zhigu to report to the Crown Prince first.

"Master Su, what do you think we should do? I request that Your Majesty dispatch the Ming Dynasty's navy to Japan to rescue Huang Wenbin."

Su Ze immediately shook his head and said, "Your Highness, you mustn't."

"Why?"

Su Ze said, "The art of war says that anticipating the enemy is the first priority. At present, our Great Ming does not know much about the Japanese pirates' homeland, but the Japanese pirates are constantly spying on our Great Ming."

"Our Ming Dynasty knows nothing about the Shimazu clan's military deployment, weapons, and ships, nor is it clear about the weather and navigation routes of the Japanese islands. A rash expedition may repeat the mistakes of the Yuan Dynasty."

Little Fatty Jun nodded. He had acted impulsively, but after being persuaded by Su Ze, he gave up the idea.

"Then, Master Su, what about Huang Wenbin?"

Su Ze said, "Your Highness wants to conquer the Japanese, and I support that."

"what?"

Little Fatty Jun looked at Su Ze with some surprise.

From childhood, the scholars and officials around me taught me not to resort to violence recklessly.

Su Ze said, "Your Highness, the Japanese pirates have wreaked havoc in the southeast and harmed the people of our Great Ming. How can such a blood feud be settled by killing a few Japanese pirates?"

"The reason why the late emperor withdrew his troops after the pacification of the Japanese pirates was because the Ming Dynasty's navy was exhausted and unable to conquer the Japanese pirates' homeland."

"Now that Your Majesty is building up the navy, when the time is right, we can conquer the Japanese pirates and avenge our grievances!"

These words made Xiao Pangjun's blood boil. So that's what his grandfather and father meant.

Su Ze continued, "As I said, to conquer the Japanese, we need to first gather intelligence on them, survey the waterways, climate, and wind direction of their ports. Only then can our fleet succeed in conquering them."

Little Fatty Jun nodded repeatedly, and Su Ze said:

"I believe that the emperor's brother-in-law should release the Japanese merchant ships and sell them the saltpeter they need."

"Master Su, are you colluding with the Japanese?!"

Su Ze smiled and said, "Zhu Juntang said in his letter that the Shimazu family lacked saltpeter, so I believed him and asked him to come to Penghu to buy saltpeter."

“If the emperor’s brother-in-law sells them saltpeter, the Japanese will believe that they are really capable, and they will give them more freedom.”

"One of these two is a member of the Ming imperial family and a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) of the Imperial Academy, while the other is a Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination) of the Ming Dynasty and a proper official of the Ming Dynasty. They are both loyal to the Ming Dynasty."

"Have the emperor's brother-in-law give them saltpeter, and then tell Zhu Juntang to gather intelligence on the Japanese pirates in Japan. This way, His Majesty will have intelligence to use when he wants to conquer the Japanese in the future."

"Your Highness, the war against Japan is a national war, which requires not only military battles but also intelligence warfare."

"I even believe that the Ming Dynasty's national strength far surpasses that of Japan, so intelligence warfare is even more important. As long as we win the intelligence war, we will naturally win the war of arms!"

Little Fatty Jun said excitedly, "Master Su's idea is great! I'll write a letter to my uncle right away!"

"Wait, Your Highness, this matter should be reported to the court in secret."

“Master Su is right, but I don’t know how to write memorials.” “It’s alright, Your Highness is of age and can participate in state affairs. Let me teach you how to write memorials. Let’s start with this.”

Little Fatty Jun got even more excited when he heard this.

Little Fatty Jun was tired of the same old businesses.

Little Fatty Jun's only pleasure was sending people to audit the accounts and find the scoundrels in the Eastern Palace shops.

After playing the naval battle simulation for a while, Xiao Pangjun gradually lost interest.

The Ottomans and Portuguese in Malacca are both incredibly patient; despite having assembled fleets, they haven't fought a single battle. Their so-called naval warfare consists mainly of robbing each other's merchant ships.

Zhu Juntang's letter made Xiaopang Jun imagine a wonderful undercover intelligence war. And Su Ze asked him to write the letter himself, wasn't that to make him take the lead in this intelligence war?

Xiao Pangjun immediately ordered Zhang Hong, the eunuch beside him, to bring a blank memorial.

As the crown prince, Xiao Pangjun was also required to present a memorial to the emperor during national ceremonies such as the emperor's birthday.

However, this is the first memorial concerning government affairs!
The Crown Prince was excited by his enthusiasm for personally participating in politics, and Su Ze then began to teach him how to write memorials.

"Your Highness must first explain the necessity of spying on the Japanese pirates."

Su Ze watched as Xiao Pangjun picked up his pen, and a neat and orderly handwriting appeared on the paper.

Royal education is quite strict. Little Fatty Jun's handwriting isn't particularly special, but it's still not bad.

"The Japanese pirates have repeatedly invaded our coastal borders, ravaging our people; their crimes are unforgivable. The late Emperor withdrew his troops because the navy was exhausted; now Your Majesty is strengthening your military preparedness, intending to launch a distant expedition. You must first understand their strengths and weaknesses."

Su Ze watched as Xiao Pangjun finished writing, nodded in satisfaction, and continued:

"Your Highness, if you want someone to do something, you must give them a corresponding title and position. As the saying goes, if the name is not correct, the words will not be correct."

"Zhu and Huang are loyal to the country, but we must reassure them so that they can properly gather intelligence on the Japanese pirates and maintain normal communication with the government."

"Therefore, Your Highness may petition His Majesty to establish a nominal Japanese Office of General Affairs, with Huang Wenbin as the chief and Zhu Juntang as the deputy, so that they can liaise with the government in the name of the Office of General Affairs and recruit manpower in the name of the Office of General Affairs."

Little Fatty Jun immediately said, "Master Su's idea is great!"

He wrote in his memorial:
"Huang Wenbin, a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, and Zhu Juntang, a student of the Imperial Academy, are currently trapped in Japan, but their loyalty is admirable and they are capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities."

"I humbly request Your Majesty to establish the Japanese Office of General Affairs, appoint Huang Wenbin as its chief official and Zhu Juntang as its deputy envoy, and allow them to contact the court and recruit loyalists in the name of the official office. In this way, their status will be legitimate, and the two can conduct espionage with peace of mind, and the Japanese pirates will have little reason to suspect them."

Su Ze continued, "Finally, I suggested to the court that Zhu Juntang be allowed to purchase saltpeter to gain the trust of the Japanese pirates, and then the court's appointment be announced, allowing the two to patiently gather intelligence in Japan."

Little Fatty Jun quickly finished writing the memorial. After Su Ze read it, he helped him revise a few points and then said:
"Your Highness may send it to the Ministry of Justice."

"Master Su, will this memorial be approved?"

Su Ze thought for a moment and then said, "If Your Highness is not at ease, I can sign this petition."

"Master Su, you absolutely must sign this!"

"Please allow me to make a copy, Your Highness."

Ministers in the Ming Dynasty would archive their memorials and compile them into a collection after retirement.

This is mainly done to leave a record of work, which is a good official document practice.

Little Fatty Jun knew this rule. After Su Ze finished copying the memorial and saw Su Ze sign it, he quickly had the eunuch send it to the Ministry of Justice.

Back in his room at the Imperial Household Department, Su Ze took out the [Portable Ming Dynasty Imperial Court] device.

——[Simulation Start]——

The memorial to establish the Japanese Office of General Affairs for intelligence gathering was met with opposition from the General Affairs Office.

The Office of Transmission (通政司) feared having another place to be sent on official assignments in the future, and opposed the establishment of the Office of Transmission in Japan.

Since the newly appointed Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, Li Yiyuan, had just taken office, the emperor, out of consideration for his prestige, shelved the memorial.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 1410.]

[To fully approve your memorial, you need to pay 200 prestige points. Do you wish to pay?]

When a good disciple participates in government affairs for the first time, he should be given a sense of accomplishment.

Su Ze hadn't expected that the Ministry of Justice would oppose this.

Given this, Su Ze chose "yes".

[Prestige points have been deducted, leaving 1210 prestige points. The memorial has been submitted in real life; please wait for it to take effect.]
-
Department of General Affairs.

The official, Xu Shuli, sat cautiously in the public room.

With the promotion of the former Grand Secretary and the arrival of the new Commissioner of the Court of Jurisdiction, the Court of Jurisdiction underwent tremendous changes.

With no available personnel left in the Ministry of Justice, Li Yiyuan ultimately retained Xu Shuli, allowing him to continue serving as an official under Li Yiyuan's command.

Xu Shuli is still adapting to his new leadership.

Although he wasn't very emotionally intelligent, he could tell that the new Grand Michelle was in a bad mood.

After taking office, Li Yiyuan pointed out some mistakes in the work of the Office of Transmission and reprimanded some officials.

Although Xu Shuli hadn't been reprimanded yet, he had a premonition that it would be soon.

Just then, the Crown Prince's Palace sent a memorial.

Upon hearing that it was a memorial from the Crown Prince, Xu Shuli dared not delay and hurriedly headed towards Li Yiyuan's residence.

Li Yiyuan sat in his office. He had been revising laws and compiling books in the Ministry of Justice, and after going around in circles, he ended up back in the Office of Transmission.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar public housing, Li Yiyuan suspected that Yang Sizhong was deliberately retaliating against him, but unfortunately he had no evidence.

So be it, I'll be the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs. The Court of State Affairs is one of the Nine Ministers, and as long as I'm in office, I'll always have a chance to enter the cabinet.

It's not too late to take revenge on Yang Sizhong after I've entered the cabinet!
A gentleman's revenge is never too late.

However, when Li Yiyuan arrived at the Office of General Affairs, he discovered that the prestigious Office of General Affairs did not even have a single competent person!

Yang Sizhong sent all the capable people to other posts!
The only redeeming quality of the official Xu Shuli who served by his side was his caution and prudence; his actual competence was truly lacking.

"Da Yintai, another important memorial has arrived!"

Upon hearing Xu Shuli's voice, Li Yiyuan felt a sudden surge of anger.

Li Yiyuan was also an important official, and he rarely reprimanded his subordinates directly. He first frowned and said:

"Didn't I say last time? Send me a memorial twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and I'll keep them all to review together."

"But!"

Seeing Xu Shuli's expression, Li Yiyuan could no longer hold back and said:

"But what! I need to go to the Ministry of Revenue to get back the money for repairing the post roads. I'll see this afternoon."

Seeing Li Yiyuan's unpleasant expression, Xu Shuli dared not say anything more and had no choice but to obediently retreat.

The funds for repairing the post road were also secured by Yang Sizhong during the previous joint discussion of the budget proposal.

This money is to be used to repair the post roads near the capital. Although Li Yiyuan and Yang Sizhong are at odds, he still values ​​the interests of the Office of Transmission.

When Li Yiyuan returned from the Ministry of Revenue, he met Zhang Hong, the eunuch who was waiting at the Office of Transmission.

(End of this chapter)