Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 136 The Book of the People

"This is a petition from the people of all the counties under the jurisdiction of Suzhou Prefecture in Southern Zhili. They say that since Zhang Jiangling came to power, although there have been claims that the land survey and the implementation of the Single Whip Tax Law were intended to equalize taxes but were actually tools for officials to amass wealth, after implementation, the powerful and wealthy continued to hide their land, while ordinary people lost their property but retained their taxes. Local officials, in order to meet their tax collection targets, treated the people like cattle and sheep, and countless people sold their children."

This book of ten thousand people was very heavy. Zhang Siwei placed it on his arm and his tone became unusually solemn as he read it.

After reading this passage, he looked around at the assembled officials, and finally his gaze fell on the Wanli Emperor.

"This is a flaw in the proposed new policy!"

Emperor Wanli, seated on his throne, frowned deeply and showed no intention of responding.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Siwei opened another book of the people and began to recite it.

"This is a petition from the people of all counties under the jurisdiction of Baoding Prefecture in Beizhili. They say that since the ninth year of the Wanli reign, various places have first suffered from the problems of the new policies, and then from the plague. Under the rampant plague, the common people are already overwhelmed. However, the local officials who are responsible for treating the plague are not only occupying their positions but also doing nothing. Some even take the opportunity to line their own pockets and force the common people to buy expensive masks."

As he read, Zhang Siwei felt as if he were experiencing the same thing himself, and he almost burst into tears, his words filled with sorrow.

He let out a heavy breath, picked up the book of the people again, spread it out and showed it to the court officials and the emperor, and then began to read aloud.

"This is a petition from the people of Shuntian Prefecture and its surrounding counties. They say that since the implementation of the plague prevention and control plan a month ago, the people of the capital have suffered terribly. The funds allocated by the court for disaster relief have been exploited by Renmin Medical Hall in various ways, to the point that the disaster victims have not received a single grain of rice. They claim that so-called modern medicine is nothing but a heretical practice, and many people in the city have died from the disease caused by it. Many families have been ruined and people have lost their lives. They say that there are treacherous officials in the court who have deceived the emperor and distorted the truth."

These petitions from the people, filled with numerous words, all denounced the "new policies," "epidemic prevention and control," and "modern medicine," with their aim directly at Zhang Yunxiu.

His words were undeniably sorrowful, as if Zhang Yunxiu and Zhang Juzheng were treacherous ministers who turned black into white.

They even compared the Zhang family father and son to Yan Song and his son during the Jiajing era!
After reading the three petitions to the people, Zhang Siwei, with tears streaming down his face, knelt before the steps and spoke earnestly.

"There are more than ten copies of this petition from the people, all submitted by prefectures and counties in both Northern and Southern Zhili. Each one can be verified! The things mentioned are quite shocking. If Your Majesty and the gentlemen do not believe it, you are welcome to go and verify it!"

After saying that, he glanced at Zhang Yunxiu, who was looking down at his nose and mind, and handed the Book of Ten Thousand People to Feng Bao.

"Please present this to His Majesty, Eunuch Feng!"

Feng Bao hesitated for a long time.

"Send it over."

Emperor Wanli frowned, unwilling to believe the contents of the "Book of the People" that Zhang Siwei had recited.

This was completely different from what he had learned from the Wanli Xinbao and Zhang Yunxiu.

But when Emperor Wanli actually got his hands on the "Book of Ten Thousand People," he was truly startled.

He instinctively covered his nose with his hand, but then realized that the action was inappropriate, so he quickly put it down.

There's an extremely strong smell of blood in this!

Emperor Wanli stretched out his plump hand and carefully turned the pages of the Book of the People.

At the end of each document, we found that there were crooked signatures from ordinary people, as well as dense bloody handprints!

The content of the document above was exactly the same as what Zhang Siwei had recited.

He tried hard to find any error or omission in this book of ten thousand people, but he couldn't find the slightest flaw.

In an instant, a gloomy look appeared between the brows of the Wanli Emperor.

He glanced at Zhang Yunxiu, who stood in the queue with an "innocent" look, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Show it to all the officials."

Upon receiving the order, Feng Bao instructed the eunuchs to deliver these petitions to the court officials for their review.

He instructed the eunuchs to distribute the civil officials' ranks, while he himself went to distribute the military officials' ranks.

"Sigh~"

The moment the petition to all the people was issued, a collective gasp filled the court assembly. The six ministers who were the first to see the petition all wore solemn expressions.

"Zhang Tongzhi, please take a closer look."

Finally, the message reached Zhang Yunxiu, and Feng Bao's eyes showed some urgency.

Clearly, the sudden appearance of the petition from ten thousand people had put Feng Bao somewhat in a panic, and he hoped to get a solution from Zhang Yunxiu!
After all, if the Zhang family falls, the fate of the family will be intertwined, and Feng Bao will surely be spared.

Zhang Yunxiu took the letter from the people and examined it carefully.

However, the edges of the paper were yellowed and wrinkled, and there were some stains. Ordinary court officials would not dare to submit such a memorial, but for the people's petition, it seemed all the more real.

Most importantly, those densely packed, crooked, and varied bloody handprints showed absolutely no signs of being faked.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yunxiu remained calm and handed the stack of petitions to the people back to Feng Bao intact.

"It seems to be the will of the people. I can't see anything special about it. Eunuch Feng, you might as well circulate it to everyone first."

Feng Bao grew anxious: "Zhang Tongzhi, investigate further! Don't miss a single clue!"

“There are no flaws.” Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said. “If a thorough investigation is needed, we can take him to the medical institute after court, but it will be pointless.”

In this day and age, it's so difficult to test blood type, especially with these handprints. At most, you can tell if the blood on them is human.

"you!"

Feng Bao's temples were bulging with veins; he was extremely anxious.

The release of this petition from ten thousand people can be described as a heavy blow from the "anti-Zhang faction".

Even if you speak eloquently, what can you use to deal with the overwhelming public opinion represented by the "Letter of Ten Thousand People"?
When scholars become officials, who doesn't recite Zhang Zai's four lines from "Hengqu"?

"To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."

Now, these bloodstains covering the paper have become a testament to the survival and livelihood of the people!

Even if someone knows that the mastermind behind it all is a local gentry, who would dare to openly expose this secret?
While the court officials professed to "put the people first," they had long tacitly accepted that the gentry should be the role models for all. When this blood-written petition, imbued with the will of the people, was presented before the emperor, all defenses seemed pale and powerless. Who could possibly go against the "will of the people"?
As expected, the officials of the third rank and above, followed by more civil and military officials at the court, all fell silent after seeing the petition to the people.

Everyone understood that the moment Zhang Siwei released his petition to the people, the political winds in the court instantly shifted back to the "anti-Zhang faction" led by Zhang Siwei.

Zhang Siwei naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. He immediately stepped forward, raised the ivory tablet, and continued to "explain" to the emperor with a respectful demeanor.

"Your Majesty is aware that the Book of Documents, in the chapter 'Pangeng,' says, 'Respect my people, and never let them suffer.' This means that when a ruler governs the world, he should prioritize the people and never allow them to be harmed."

Zhang Siwei was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the thirty-second year of the Jiajing reign (1543), and later entered the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi (probationary official). When it comes to literary talent and quotations from classical texts, he is naturally a master.

The Wanli Emperor said with a gloomy expression, "I have certainly read the Book of Documents, so there is no need for Mr. Ziwei to remind me."

The emperor's hint was quite obvious, but Zhang Siwei acted as if he hadn't heard it at all and continued speaking.

"The Book of Documents also says, 'Do not dare to listen to the advice of petty men,' which is a warning to the ruler and his officials not to listen to or believe petty men in court and to conceal the voices of the common people. Does Your Majesty still remember this?"

During the reign of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, the "Two-Tax System" was implemented, which is quite similar to the current new policies. However, local officials created various pretexts to impose excessive taxes, causing unbearable burdens on the people. In the Zhenyuan era, the people submitted a petition to the emperor, who, upon receiving it, immediately focused on investigating and addressing the abuses, earning him the respect and admiration of the people.
And then there was the Qingli Reforms during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, which were a great success.

The Wanli Emperor was extremely irritable. Since Zhang Juzheng, what he hated most was the didactic style of this group of reformers.

He said angrily.

"Zhang Ziwei! What exactly are you trying to say?!"

"His Majesty!"

Zhang Siwei stepped forward, his face resolute, his aura even surpassing that of the emperor.

He spoke passionately.

"Your Majesty! How is the implementation of this new policy? How is the prevention and control of the plague? Is this 'modern medicine' poisoning the people? Isn't it clear from this book for all people?"

Your Majesty has been well-versed in the classics and history since childhood and has been influenced by the teachings of the sages. Since ascending the throne at a young age, whenever you offer sacrifices to Heaven and your ancestors, you always say that you should govern the country with benevolence, broaden the channels for advice and suggestions, and vow to create a peaceful and prosperous era and live up to the great trust placed in you by your ancestors.

But why has Your Majesty lost the will to do such a thing?
It wasn't just the petitions from the people; countless memorials were also submitted by students and successful candidates from various regions. These memorials were either forwarded by local officials or submitted on their behalf by school officials!
As far as I know, the number of similar documents received by the Office of Transmission alone is countless.

Your Majesty, I dare to ask, why do you so strictly prohibit free speech?

"Zhang Ziwei!"

The Wanli Emperor roared in anger, never expecting that the conversation would turn back to him.

His mood was already complicated, and after hearing Zhang Siwei's words, he almost exploded. He suddenly stood up from his throne, pointed at the other party, and was about to start cursing.

But as soon as he stood up, the words got stuck in his throat again.

Because he saw the book of the people of Shuntian Prefecture left on the emperor's desk, with handprints on it still glaringly red.

Since ancient times, rulers have said, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it." Even if a ruler claims to love his people, he may actually abuse them.

At least on the surface, they still have to shout the slogan "people-oriented".

However, now that this petition of ten thousand people is before him, how could he not have doubts?
Are the things Zhang Yunxiu told me before, the things presented in the Wanli Xinbao, and even the data made up of statistical reports really true?

Emperor Wanli did not want to have any doubts.

But this book of the people must not be faked either!

So what exactly is real?
The Wanli Emperor stood on the steps, unable to utter a single word.

Fortunately, Shen Shixing eased his embarrassment.

His forehead veins bulged as he looked at Zhang Siwei and questioned him.

"Isn't Grand Secretary Zhang afraid of being ridiculed? How could a commoner like me have such writing skills to write so incisively about the chaos of the White Lotus Sect and the prevention and control of epidemics?"
If even the capital of Guizhou possessed such literary talent and eloquence, our Great Ming Dynasty would already be a land of great order and peace! Why would we need to waste our days arguing like this?

But Zhang Siwei, full of confidence, retorted with a smile.

"Lord Shen is so ignorant. Most common people are illiterate and cannot write. Since ancient times, this book of ten thousand people has always been written by scholars and students who can read and write, and then read it to the people."

"The fact that ordinary people can sign their names and affix their fingerprints naturally indicates their agreement with the content of this article. What's wrong with that?"

Shen Shixing was so angry that his beard trembled: "Even so, you cannot prove that this is the will of the people! If the person who wrote this is deliberately guiding the people, and the common people blindly follow in ignorance, how can such public opinion be considered valid?"

Zhang Siwei replied with a cold laugh.

"If the petitions of the people are not enough to prove anything, then Grand Secretary Shen, tell me, what can prove the will of the people? Do you expect the court to send thousands of people and hundreds of teams to knock on doors and ask questions?"

"This is a generalization based on limited information! It's utterly absurd!"

"If you say there are problems with the Book of the People, then provide concrete evidence! Empty words are meaningless!"

Zhang Siwei glanced at Zhang Yunxiu with a meaningful look, and his tone suddenly became sharp.

"If Grand Secretary Shen cannot produce concrete evidence and merely dismisses the people's voice based on conjecture, that would be true sophistry!"

Shen Shixing gasped for breath, and after a few words, he was rendered speechless by the ridicule.

In court debates, he, who was always calm and collected, was ultimately no match for Zhang Siwei, a cunning old fox in the political arena.

The court officials saw this and understood that the winds of change had completely shifted, and the truth had suddenly changed.

Zhang Siwei pressed his advantage, suddenly prostrating himself on the ground and kneeling before the emperor.

"Your Majesty! Whether Zhang Tongzhi colluded with the White Lotus Rebels is still unknown and requires investigation. However, this new policy, the plague plan, and modern medicine are all blatant crimes that are disrupting the court! If they are not abolished in time, they may lead to the downfall of the country!"

Your Majesty must not remain so stubborn!

(End of this chapter)