My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 367 Joint Deliberation by Officials
The efficiency of Gao Gong's cabinet was far higher than Su Ze had imagined.

Su Ze submitted his memorial on October 21, and the emperor approved it on the 22nd. Guo Zhun, a secretary in the Secretariat who was close to Gao Gong, came to inform Su Ze to participate in the cabinet meeting on the 25th.

"Guo Sheren, have the news from Shaanxi and Gansu already been sent back?"

Su Ze asked, puzzled.

He suggested asking Shaanxi and Gansu to collect information on the situation of the Firemen and the underground sects in the Shaanxi and Gansu region. Unexpectedly, the information was collected so quickly.

The post station system of the Ming Dynasty wasn't that efficient, was it?

Guo Zhun said with a smile:

"The news from Shaanxi and Gansu hasn't come back yet, but Chief Minister Gao has compiled the reports from Shaanxi and Gansu over the years, which has clarified the situation."

Su Ze immediately understood.

This demonstrates the importance of a powerful administrative system to a dynasty.

The civil service system of the Ming Dynasty was actually not outdated even by later standards.

In particular, this document-based administrative system.

In the original timeline, everything would move towards a document-based administrative system.

The advantage of this system is that a large amount of textual data is preserved, which can provide decision-makers with various bases of information.

For example, when Su Ze submitted a memorial discussing the matter of the Fire People, the cabinet issued an order, and relevant memorials and materials from various regions were collected.

This is the role of a system.

Guo Zhun then pulled out a set of documents and said:
"These are materials about the Fire People and the underground sects in Shaanxi and Gansu. Please take a look now, Mr. Su. I will take them back with me after you have finished reading them."

Su Ze nodded repeatedly.

After becoming Grand Secretary, Gao Gong's first reform was of the administrative system.

In addition to the cabinet's rules of procedure, Gao Gong also clarified the rules for joint deliberation by the cabinet and ministers.

For example, this time it was a meeting of ministers. These ministers were not all the ministers, but rather the cabinet led the meeting and convened the relevant ministers to discuss the matter.

Gao Gong also requested that the Secretariat copy down all relevant materials for this meeting and then submit them to the relevant ministers for review before the meeting.

The premise of discussion is that everyone has a basic understanding of the matter.

The advantage of this is that the cabinet prepares background information in advance, which also saves senators time in collecting information themselves.

At the same time, such discussions among the ministers would eventually lead to several sets of opinions submitted to the emperor under the coordination of the cabinet.

The majority opinion of the attending officials will be listed first, and the attending officials will sign their support.

Those who disagreed listed their objections separately and signed their names.

If a majority opinion cannot be reached, then this joint discussion among the ministers will fail, and everyone will go back to draft their own memorials.

Su Ze had to admit that Gao Gong, the Minister of Personnel, was a master of management, and that this method of deliberation was indeed more efficient and made it easier for the emperor to make decisions.

This time, the Imperial Secretariat collected memorials from local officials in Shaanxi and Gansu, imperial inspectors, and the Prince Su's residence in Lanzhou regarding the people's conditions.

In addition to military intelligence from various garrisons and reports on the fire-fighting issue at Jiayuguan, a set of materials was finally compiled.

The more Su Ze looked, the more his brows furrowed.

After reviewing the materials twice, he returned them to Guo Zhun.

"Please ask Hanlin Su to attend the Honglu Temple meeting on time tomorrow."

Su Ze nodded and accepted the cabinet's council notice.
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The next day, Su Ze arrived at the Honglu Temple.

Su Ze then realized that he had never been to the Honglu Temple before.

Since Wang Shizhen's mission to the grasslands, the status of the Court of State Ceremonies has risen, just like that of the Office of Transmission. Now it has been ranked among the top of the Nine Minor Ministers' Offices, and some officials have even listed it as one of the Nine Major Ministers' Offices.

The Honglu Temple was located on the west bank of the Yuhe River outside the right gate of Chang'an. Su Ze connected the location of the Forbidden City. This place was probably the site of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in later generations.
The area of ​​Honglu Temple is quite large, as it is bordered by the Yingbin Hotel to the east and Wuman City to the west.

Needless to say, the guesthouse was the place where envoys from all sides came to pay tribute.

Uman City was a place specifically for foreign tribute envoys to do business; for example, the Korean envoys sold paper here back then.

When Su Ze arrived at the entrance of the Court of State Ceremonial, he saw Shen Yiguan, who was welcoming the officials who were discussing the matter.

"Brother Zilin, several officials have already arrived. Please go in first; I still need to greet them outside."

"Oh, right, Brother Rumo is here too."

Shen Yiguan specially changed into a new set of official robes and said after greeting Su Ze.

Although this was a council of ministers of a lower rank than a council of cabinet ministers, the attendees were of a high caliber.

Within the cabinet, Minister of Education In Si-dam represented the cabinet at the meeting.

Of the six ministries, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War would also send officials of the rank of Langzhong to attend.

Mid-level officials from the Office of General Affairs and the Court of State Ceremonies also attended.

In addition, there was the initiator Su Ze. These were all officials in the Ming Dynasty who frequently engaged in practical affairs. Having them conduct discussions and report the results to the emperor and the cabinet would be more helpful in decision-making.

After Su Ze entered, he saw several familiar faces.

Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, entertained the guests at the Court of State Ceremonies.

Su Ze quickly understood why Zhang Siwei from the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department was present.

It was inappropriate for Gao Gong, as the Grand Secretary, to attend a meeting of this level, but Gao Gong needed to be aware of the situation at the meeting, so Zhang Siwei was the most suitable candidate.

On the Ministry of Revenue's side, the representative present was Fu Yuan from the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Personnel Administration. Su Ze had previously carried out horse administration reforms when he was in the Ministry of Revenue, and this Fu Yuan was the one in charge of horse administration at the Ministry of Revenue. The two had a history of acquaintance.

Su Ze then met Shen Shixing, the friend Shen Yiguan had just mentioned.

It was not surprising that Shen Shixing was present. The Grand Secretary Gao Gong sent Zhang Siwei, while the Second Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng sent his prized disciple Shen Shixing.

The fact that both civil and military officials were present clearly indicates the importance the cabinet placed on this meeting.

The physician from the Ministry of Rites, Su Ze, looked familiar, but I couldn't place his name.

The Ministry of Justice dispatched Xu Shuli, an official who had served two previous Commissioners of Justice.

At the Honglu Temple, it was Shen Yiguan who greeted guests at the entrance.

After entering, Su Ze first paid his respects to Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing walked towards him, and other officials followed the two to greet Su Ze.

Su Ze bowed to each person and exchanged a few pleasantries when he heard an announcement from outside the door that Yin Shidan had arrived.

When Education Minister Yin Shidan arrived, everyone bowed to him.

After glancing at Su Ze, Yin Shidan, accompanied by Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, entered the council hall prepared by the Court of State Ceremonies.

As with the previous consultation meeting, the Court of State Ceremonial also prepared nameplates for the officials in charge of the meeting.

After Su Ze sat down, Yin Shidan cleared his throat and said:

"When the Cabinet issued the decree yesterday, you all had already seen the relevant materials. Today, we will mainly discuss two matters: the tribute from the fire-bringer and the Shaanxi-Gansu religious incident."

"Since the Fire God has come to pay tribute, let the Grand Herald say a few words first."

Because it was a discussion, Wang Shizhen simply bowed and continued, picking up where Yin Shidan left off:
"As long as the leader of the Fire Clan, Ma Heima, is still the loyal and obedient King of my Great Ming, it is only natural for him to come and pay tribute."

Everyone nodded in agreement; Wang Shizhen was right. Since Ma Heima was still paying tribute as the Loyal and Obedient Prince of the Ming Dynasty, it meant he had not rebelled. Therefore, it was only natural for the Ming Dynasty to receive tribute from its own vassal state.

Once Wang Shizhen set the tone, the issue of accepting tribute from the Fire People no longer needed to be discussed.

While the legitimacy of the Fire People's tribute mission was not in question, the Fire People's tribute envoys were problematic.

Wang Shizhen then said:

"However, this envoy from the Fire God was very arrogant. In addition to paying tribute, he also made two demands."

"First, they demanded that our Great Ming Dynasty issue an imperial edict to merchants of a certain religion, allowing them to enter Jiayuguan to do business."

"Secondly, we demand that Shaanxi and Gansu hand over the monks who escaped from the fire and return the monastic property they brought with them."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned.

Imperial edicts were trade documents issued by the Ming Dynasty to its vassal states.

The Fire People also possess imperial edicts from the Ming Dynasty, but most of these edicts are held by the Fire People's Buddhist temples.

Now that a certain religion has occupied the court of the Fire People, it naturally demands more power and is vying for the imperial edicts held by these monks.

But the second request was quite rude, Wang Shizhen said:

"As everyone saw yesterday, the monks and laypeople of the Fire Sect fled to Shaanxi and Gansu, all claiming that they had been persecuted by the sect. Whether or not to take in these monks and laypeople who fled with their property is a matter for our Great Ming Dynasty. The Fire Sect envoy's request is simply unreasonable!"

Everyone nodded in agreement; there was practically no need to discuss the second point anymore.

Now comes the first question.

Fu Yuan, a senior official in the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Revenue, then spoke, followed by Wang Shizhen:
“Since last year, the number of merchants coming to the Jiayuguan horse market has decreased by 40%, and the number of horses, camels, cattle and sheep traded has decreased by more than 50%, and cotton from the Western Regions has almost been cut off.”

"If we don't issue imperial edicts to merchants of a certain religion, the Jiayuguan horse market will become a mere shell of its former self."

Yin Shidan and Wang Shizhen both wore serious expressions.

Although the Silk Road had declined considerably since the Han and Tang dynasties, it remained an important window for foreign trade for the Ming dynasty, which lacked horses.

The horses imported from the Western Regions at the Jiayuguan Horse Market were of even higher quality than Mongolian horses and were the main source of horses for the Ming Dynasty's army.

In addition, the cotton trade in Jiayuguan was a source of raw materials for the cotton textile industry in the north, and cottonseed oil was also a raw material for the oil pressing and soap industry.

At this moment, the official in charge of sacrificial rites at the Ministry of Rites stood up and spoke.

Su Ze glanced at the nameplate on the table. The doctor's name was Wen Hui, a middle-aged official with a fair complexion and no beard.

Dr. Wen said:
"As you gentlemen have seen, a certain religion is rampant in the Shaanxi and Gansu regions, and there are memorials from all over the country about its spread. If we allow merchants of this religion to enter the pass, the consequences will be endless!"

The Ministry of Rites' Department of Sacrificial Rites was responsible for religious affairs, and this Dr. Wen naturally opposed it.

Doctor Wen said, "Not only that, the imperial court should also close Jiayuguan Pass and prohibit the fire-bringers from entering the Ming Dynasty!"

Su Ze frowned.

As expected, Zhang Siwei immediately objected.

"Doctor Wen is mistaken. Outside Jiayuguan is the vast Gobi Desert. Although it is called a pass, it is actually a fortified area."

Su Ze nodded. Zhang Siwei was right. Jiayuguan was not the Great Wall that separated the Ming Dynasty from the Huozhe. It was just a fortress in a strategic location.

Merchants stopped at Jiayuguan because it was an important supply point.

If the goal was truly to spread Christianity, the Ming Dynasty's manpower at Jiayuguan was simply insufficient to patrol the border and prevent the Fire People's merchants or missionaries from entering the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Siwei then said:

"Even if Jiayuguan is closed, the imperial court will lose the horse tax from the trade, but the missionaries of the Fire Clan can still cross the pass into the Shaanxi and Gansu regions."

Zhang Siwei's words received the support of everyone present.

"In my opinion, blocking is worse than combing. It would be better to issue imperial edicts to the merchants of the Firemen, but only allow them to trade in Jiayuguan and not to venture deep into the Ming Dynasty."

Zhang Siwei's opinion was echoed by everyone present.

Just then, Yin Shidan looked at Su Ze and asked:
"Why is Zilin silent? Wasn't this discussion your idea?"

Having been singled out by the Grand Secretary, Su Ze had no choice but to stand up and say:

"Grand Secretary, Grand Herald, and fellow colleagues."

"Su also thought that Zhang Xuanlang's suggestion was appropriate."

Yin Shidan frowned, and Su Ze continued:
"However, I would like to say a few more words about the fact that the Fire God was introduced to a certain religion in Shaanxi and Gansu."

Everyone turned to look at Su Ze.

Su Ze said:

"The origins of this religion are ancient, and like Buddhism and Taoism, it has branched into many sects."

The issue of sectarian divisions within religions is complex, and those present, being educated individuals, naturally understood the reasons behind it.

After the founder of the sect passed away, interpreting the scriptures became a matter for the living.

Due to differing understandings and their respective stances, the disciples split into different sects.

Isn't Confucianism the same?

After Wang Yangming's death, didn't his philosophy of mind also branch out into many different schools?
"The doctrines of this religion are complex and there are many factions. I am not capable of tracing its origins and explaining it clearly."

"Today, I, Su, will only talk about the Fire Cult."

"This school of thought emphasizes so-called esoteric practices, and its missionaries are mendicant monks who practice asceticism. This practice was first introduced during the Turkic period."

"After the rise of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, this faction penetrated into the upper echelons, converting many of the upper echelons of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate to Christianity, and its influence spanned the entire Silk Road."

"In this faction, the leader of the order is called the 'President,' and under the President are many priests."

“These priests do not build temples, but regularly and secretly gather believers to practice secret rituals.”

"This sect originally spread on the grasslands, so it did not establish ancestral temples. It could form societies anywhere, so it did not worship at temples."

"Their rituals include burning incense and praying, reciting scriptures, dancing and singing, or whipping and ascetic practices. Their leaders are also promoted as having all sorts of extraordinary abilities."

"Its doctrine is also very simple, similar to Buddhism, using the promise of bliss after death as bait, but it also emphasizes spiritual practice in this world."

"However, the method of cultivation is also very simple. Illiterate people can practice according to the secret rituals, and it spreads rapidly."

"Believers need to make offerings to priests, and priests in turn make offerings to religious leaders. There are also reports of wealthy families in Shaanxi and Gansu giving up their entire fortunes and becoming slaves to the church."

"These priests are called Menhuan in Shaanxi and Gansu."

“Since it is called a Menhuan, there must be families that have been the gatekeepers for generations, and the leaders of the sect for generations.”

After Su Ze finished speaking, everyone's expressions turned extremely ugly.

This sect, which spread to the Northwest, is known as Sufism in a certain religion.

Everything Su Ze said struck a nerve with the political elites of the Ming Dynasty present.

There's nothing I can do; what Su Ze said was just too appealing.

A religion with a tight organizational structure, a family religious status passed down through generations, simple proselytizing methods, and a penchant for gathering together to perform mysterious rituals.

The last group to do this in China was called the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

(End of this chapter)