My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 65: The Censor's Attack
Shen Yiquan clapped his hands and said:
"Yes, no matter what the outside court says, the cabinet will ultimately take the lead, and the cabinet's opinion is the most important."

Shen Yiguan frowned again and said:

"But this time, the four ministers in the cabinet remained silent and did not express their views."

Su Ze smiled and said:

"If you haven't expressed your opinion, the time is not right."

Shen Yi Guan looked at Su Ze and said:

"The time has not come yet? The military situation at the border is so urgent, and the time has not come yet?"

Su Ze smiled but said nothing.

Seeing that Su Ze was keeping the secret again, Shen Yi Guan said unhappily:
"Brother Zilin, when Altan Khan invaded this time, you were the only one in the Hanlin Academy who didn't submit a memorial. Now everyone outside is talking about it. Why didn't Su Yishu submit a memorial this time?"

"Su Yishu? Is that what everyone outside calls me?"

Shen Yiguan nodded and said:
"Yes, every month he submits a memorial that is earth-shattering. People say Brother Zilin is 'the one who shocks the world with his monthly memorial', and his nickname is Su Yishu."

This time, even the usually serious Luo Wanhua couldn't help laughing.

Su Ze also smiled and said:

"Since it's a monthly review, then this month hasn't even ended yet? I've already reviewed it this month, so I have to wait until next month!"

"You! Hahaha!"

Shen Yikuan also laughed.

After he finished laughing, Shen Yi Guan kindly said:
"Brother Zilin, I know you've been busy with newspaper matters lately, so you haven't had time to submit a memorial. However, border affairs are a matter of national importance. Even if you submit a memorial with a few words of agreement, it's fine. If you're accused of 'neglecting military affairs,' it will become an obstacle to your future cabinet membership."

Su Ze nodded gratefully. What Shen Yiquan said was of course correct.

Seeing that Su Ze was still not paying attention, Shen Yi Guan said:

"A minister may not understand military tactics, but he cannot enter the cabinet without understanding military affairs."

Su Ze looked at Shen Yi Guan, why do you also have a pointed head?
But on second thought, what Shen Yikuan said seemed to be correct.

Cabinet ministers do not need to be able to lead troops to fight, but they must understand military strategy, otherwise how can they handle major national affairs.

The Ming Dynasty was different from the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty had a Privy Council in charge of military affairs, while the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was in charge of both military and political affairs.

Seeing his friend worried about him, Su Ze said gratefully:
"Brother Jianwu, I appreciate your advice. I will submit a memorial next month."

Shen Yiquan thought that there were only a few days left in next month, so he stopped nagging.

Just at this moment, the sound of a clapper came from outside the door, and it was time for tea break.

The government offices all have tea breaks, and a noble department like the History Museum has quite good treatment.

The tea served during tea breaks was all tribute tea bestowed by the emperor, and the National History Museum was located in the Forbidden City, so even the snacks served during tea breaks were made in the imperial kitchen.

Su Ze and the other two walked out of the public housing. During the tea break, the officials would gather in Huating to have tea and snacks. This was also an informal small gathering of the yamen.

The officials who remained in the History Museum were either editors of the Illustrated History of the Emperor or editors of the New Yuefu Newspaper. Su Ze had effectively become the head of one of these departments. Since the Song Dynasty, assignments had always been more important than official positions. In the words of later generations, the title was more important than the position.

The level of official rank determines political treatment, but the specific position one is in charge of determines the amount of power one has.

Su Ze was the editor of "The Illustrated Book of the Emperor" and the chief editor of "The New News of Yuefu". Specifically, he was the person in charge of the daily work of these two project teams.

Su Ze came in for a tea break, and the noise in the entire hall became quieter.

It is already August, and the summer in the capital is still very hot. Su Ze took a sip of hot tea and felt sweat starting on his back.

He looked around and said:
"A few days ago, I went to the Six Departments Corridor. Why was their government office so cold, and why was the History Museum so hot?"

At this time, a minor official came out and said:
"Mr. Editor-in-Chief, according to our ancestral system, the Six Departments Corridor is provided with ice in the summer and charcoal in the winter, so it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer."

I see. No wonder everyone wants to be a censor. The treatment is really good!

The imperial court stored ice in ice cellars every winter and took it out in the summer to cool down.

Granting ice was considered a welfare benefit in the Ming Dynasty, but generally only important officials could enjoy it.

Su Ze thought for a moment and said:
"I will write this letter to the emperor. The History Bureau is also an important government office in the Ming Dynasty. Editing books in the summer is extremely hot. I also ask Your Majesty to give me some ice."

Hearing this, all the officials became happy.

As the head of the department, Su Ze certainly knew that he had to seek benefits for his subordinates within his ability.

Some leaders in later generations always talk about dedication and big principles, but in fact they are extremely harsh to their subordinates. They only know how to flatter their superiors and bully their subordinates, and do not treat their subordinates as human beings at all.

If you meet such a leader, would your subordinates just not cause you any trouble? Would they also want to help you do your job well?
Whether editing a book or publishing a newspaper, both are highly specialized jobs, and the work targets are difficult to quantify. Working well and slacking off can lead to completely different levels of productivity.

Su Ze also doesn't mind improving everyone's office environment.
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But the subsequent development of the situation once again got out of control.

Because the four ministers of the cabinet were reluctant to express their opinions, the censors launched an attack on them.

First, the Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate, Zhan Yangbi, wrote a letter to impeach the cabinet ministers for sitting in their positions doing nothing, watching the border crisis with reluctance to offer any advice, and thus delaying important military tasks.

Zhan Yangbi impeached all the cabinet members at once, using the trick used by the Ming Dynasty censors - putting labels on people.

Sure enough, after Zhan Yangbi led the charge, the censors of the Six Departments Censorate began to attack the cabinet frantically, demanding that they express their stance on the incident of Altan Khan invading the border, instead of "wavering between two sides" and "waiting for an opportunity to guess and cater to the wishes of the superiors."

This sentence is the Ming Dynasty's usual offensive rhetoric against the cabinet ministers.

Your cabinet needs to step up and take charge! If the emperor won't listen, your cabinet should rush forward and force him to agree with the officials!
Otherwise, how can you, as a cabinet minister, assist the monarch?
Zhan Yangbi's memorial implied that the ministers were now divided, the emperor was undecided, and if the cabinet didn't express its opinion, it would be hesitant! It would be like playing the wind and following the emperor's lead, rather than truly acting in the interests of the court.

We must take strong measures against such a cabinet that changes its stance according to the wind!

If you don't want to work, you should step down and let those who are really willing to work take over!

Of course, the censors were just talking. If they really encountered a cabinet minister like Xia Yan or Yan Song who had strict control over the court, they would say, "Our dynasty does not have a prime minister. The cabinet minister is just an assistant minister. Are you trying to be like Hu Weiyong by being so autocratic?"

Su Ze watched the chaos in the court and finally understood why the cabinet of the Wanli Dynasty often fell. The fighting power of this censor was indeed extraordinary!
But just when Su Ze was happily eating melon, a fire started burning on him.

(End of this chapter)