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

Chapter 137 Then let's flip the table! I'm done!
Zhang Siwei's eyes revealed a resolute expression. He stared intently at the Wanli Emperor, as if he wanted to nail him to the dragon throne.

flogging?

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there has never been a precedent of dragging Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet out for caning in court!
If the Wanli Emperor were to actually do something so outrageous, he would be digging his own grave.

Any wise ruler should know how to assess the situation and act accordingly!

As for officials like Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Yunxiu, weren't they victims of this kind of situation?
Emperor Wanli gripped the armrest tightly, his face as red as a pig's head.

"Zhang Ziwei! Why are you being so aggressive! Zhang Ziwei! You—"

He forced himself to glance at the assembled officials.

"What do you all think?"

Looking around at everyone, that familiar feeling returned, but not a single person spoke up for him.

Looking at Zhang Yunxiu again, the kid still seemed clueless.

He was utterly disappointed.

But he still waved his hand and said.

"This matter will be put on hold for now. I am somewhat tired. We will discuss it again after everything has been investigated!"

When faced with a problem that he couldn't solve, he would resort to delaying tactics. Emperor Wanli wasn't good at other methods, but he was an absolute master of delaying and escaping.

"Shiyuan!!! You—"

In the queue, Shen Shixing was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

He knew Zhang Yunxiu had a backup plan, but what did it mean that this kid hadn't said anything?
However, Zhang Yunxiu ignored them and squinted to observe the behavior of Zhang Siwei and the others.

Today he has truly witnessed the calamity posed by the gentry.

It seems that the Ming Dynasty's problems were not only in its superstructure, but also in the deep-seated problems at the bottom, which were the real enemies!

These gentry were deeply rooted in the countryside, nominally governing the common people for the monarch, but in reality, they used the pretext of governance to exploit the people to the fullest extent.

In the end, they even had to use ordinary people as bargaining chips in their negotiations with the emperor.

This kind of calamity is much harder to detect and resolve than so-called land annexation, financial crisis, or border deterioration!
The reason is simple: even though Zhu Yuanzhang established county and prefectural schools in an attempt to educate the people, even after a hundred years, six or seven out of ten people were still illiterate.

In this world of limited information, ordinary people are like a tiny glimmer of light in the starry sky, insignificant in the vast cosmos.

The sounds produced were nothing more than sounds that had been intentionally transformed by the gentry.

Zhang Yunxiu knew perfectly well that Zhang Siwei had no need to falsify the Wanminshu.

Those upright gentry were deeply rooted in the countryside, and their calls to action were met with great enthusiasm. It was only a matter of raising their arms to incite the people to sign petitions.

They don't need to fabricate content at all; they only need to guide public opinion, exaggerating certain aspects into the voice of the people, and that becomes a powerful tool in their court.

Even if Zhang Yunxiu understood all this, how could he produce compelling evidence to expose their pretense in a short period of time?
This is the battlefield where the gentry excel, and it is also their trump card for checking imperial power!

It is foreseeable that if things do not take any turn for the better, even if they can be delayed today, it will not be long before Emperor Wanli, who trusts his father and son, will have to compromise!
Emperor Wanli glanced at Zhang Shiyuan, who was frowning, and seeing that the boy was still silent, he was extremely disappointed.

He said to Feng Bao.

"As Feng Banban departed for the palace, I felt a headache."

Feng Bao had wanted to end this for a long time, so he quickly bowed and said.

"According to the order."

But before he could even announce the end of the court session, another person stepped forward and spoke.

"Wait!"

Feng Bao glared angrily, wanting to see who this audacious person was.

After recognizing the man, he glared at him and said, "Yang Sizhi! As an imperial censor, do you not even know the etiquette before the palace?"

But Yang Sizhi, having gained power, was completely unafraid of Feng Bao. With an unyielding and resolute demeanor, he spoke resolutely to the Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty! This petition from the people has already clearly revealed Zhang Shiyuan's crimes, so why delay any longer?"
Your Majesty may wait, but the common people of the land cannot!

The Wanli Emperor coldly replied, "Whether it's the White Lotus Rebellion or the medical clinic, nothing is settled yet! Order the relevant authorities to investigate, and we'll discuss it later! No need for further discussion!"

"His Majesty!"

Yang Sizhi raised his head and said.

"These new policies and medical clinics have already harmed the people; how can they be delayed any longer?"
Even if an investigation is necessary, this decree should be suspended until the facts are clear before making a decision!

"His Majesty!"

Zhang Siwei also bowed again and said.

"Imperial Censor Yang's words are wise for the country! Now the people's resentment is boiling. Every day the people suffer from the new policies and the difficulties of this clinic, more and more people will suffer this calamity!"
Your Majesty must not remain so stubborn!

Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an edict to temporarily suspend all epidemic prevention and control measures and all new policies and decrees! And order the closure and investigation of that clinic!
It's not too late to restore things after the investigation is complete!

Clearly, once these policies are suspended, the resistance from upright officials like Zhang Siwei and Yang Sizhi will make it extremely difficult to restart them.

Moreover, with the support of the gentry, whether it's a plague or a new policy, it would be a piece of cake to stir up trouble among the people.
At this moment, they had already driven Emperor Wanli to a dead end, so naturally they would not let go of this excellent opportunity.

As for all the officials in the court?

The letter to the people just now was meant to shut them up!

The Wanli Emperor gritted his teeth, his face a mixture of emotions, and mechanically turned his head to look at the ministers in the square. The sun shone brightly, its warm rays illuminating the officials' robes, yet the ranks remained deathly silent.

Suddenly, an imperial censor stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said...

"Your Majesty, I implore you to heed Imperial Censor Yang's advice on governing the country!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to heed Imperial Censor Yang's advice on governing the country!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to heed Imperial Censor Yang's advice on governing the country!"

More than a dozen ministers stepped forward one after another to present their memorials to the Wanli Emperor.

Among these people were not only those who opposed Zhang Juzheng, but also some ministers who originally supported Zhang Juzheng. Seeing that Zhang's party was declining, they also stepped forward "for fear of harming the innocent."

Emperor Wanli's face was as cold as frost. He opened his mouth with difficulty and looked at the ministers of the Six Ministries, asking them a question.

"Wang Ruguan, you are the Minister of Personnel, what is your opinion?"

Wang Guoguang, the official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, was also nearly seventy years old. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke. He sighed heavily and couldn't find a single word to support Zhang Yunxiu.

"I believe that the clinic should be closed for the time being. This new policy is of great importance and requires careful consideration."

For Wang Guoguang, it was better to sacrifice some pawns to save the king than to let them all be condemned.

It's easy for a clinic to close and reopen, but it's not so easy to stop a new policy.

If the new policies are retained, and Zhang Juzheng can recover, there is still a glimmer of hope. However, if Zhang Juzheng cannot return...
Wang Guoguang had reached the age to retire and no longer wanted to be involved in the court's disputes.

The Wanli Emperor then asked, "Yang Boqian, you are now the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. What is your opinion on this?"

Yang Wei was stunned for a moment, and cold sweat poured down his forehead as he answered.

"Your subject agrees with Minister Wang's words!"

Even though Yang Wei was very fond of this clinic, with Wan Minshu in front of him, he could no longer speak up for the clinic.

"Yan Gongzhi, what is your opinion on being the Minister of Justice?"

"Your Majesty! I believe that Imperial Censor Yang's words are pertinent and should be implemented."

Emperor Wanli asked countless people in succession, and not a single minister raised any objection.

Given the prevailing circumstances, the answer was already decided the moment the officials saw the petition from the people.

Even those who supported merely closing the clinics were in the minority; most court officials supported suspending all matters first and then conducting a reinvestigation before making further plans.

"Your Majesty! I think there is no need to ask any further."

Zhang Siwei's smug smile flashed by, then he revealed a compassionate expression.

"This matter should not be delayed. I fear that if it drags on, things may change. If the people in both the North and South Zhili regions riot, it will give treacherous officials an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, and the country may descend into chaos!"

It is unclear whether Zhang Siwei's words were a reminder to the Wanli Emperor or a threat to him.

But Emperor Wanli still held a glimmer of hope. He looked at Zhang Yunxiu one last time and asked in a deep voice.

"Zhang Shiyuan, what do you have to say? A pause or a compromise?"

Zhang Yunxiu was stunned for a moment. He looked at the court officials who had spoken, and then at the civil and military officials who were like weather vanes.

Only Shen Shixing had completely devoted his life and fortune to Zhang's faction, and was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Duke Zhu Yingzhen was also in the court, but his words remained ambiguous.

Duke Zhang Rong of England looked down at his nose and remained silent, his thoughts unknown.

Zhang Yunxiu sneered. After seeing through the true colors of these people, he immediately made a decision, stepped forward, bowed to the emperor, and said...

"Your Majesty, I believe that both a pause and a compromise are too lenient."

Zhang Yunxiu raised his head, looking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I have nothing to refute in my letter to the people. The evidence therein should be verified by the officials of the Ministry of Justice or the Eastern Depot."

But since all the officials in the court believe that clinics are places that harm the people, then it's quite simple.

He turned and looked around at all the ministers, speaking in a very light tone.

"Whenever trouble arises, the officials in the court either think the clinic is good or they have doubts about it."

"In that case, Zhang Yunxiu will not open this damn clinic!"

“From today onwards, let’s close Renmin Medical Clinic completely, return the imperial physicians to the Imperial Medical Academy, and let the doctors in the capital return to the medicine of the past. Wouldn’t that fulfill the wishes of all the officials in the court?”

As he spoke, two lines of tears streamed down Zhang Yunxiu's face.

He spoke with deep sorrow before the steps of the palace.

"Your Majesty! I am utterly exhausted and have no desire to run this lousy clinic anymore. I might as well just shut it down completely!"

These past few days, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to this cause, only to find it all has come to nothing!

He had the temperament of a child, and there was even a hint of him throwing a tantrum in front of the emperor.

"Oh dear! This can't go on! I'm so miserable! It would be better to shut it all down! Then I can be free of all worries!"

(End of this chapter)