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

Chapter 146 The Invisible Enemy! Should we establish the Xishan Workshop?
Emperor Wanli was taken aback.

In the past, whenever Zhang Yunxiu came up with an idea, the emperor would be full of anticipation.

However, this time is different.

The Wanli Emperor seemed to be keeping quiet about something. He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed forcefully before speaking.

"Ahem~ Shiyuan~ You don't need to come up with any ideas for this matter."

Even though he was afraid that Zhang Yunxiu might not understand, he tried his best to use a tactful tone.

"This matter should not be publicized. Shiyuan, as the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you must also be careful and absolutely not give anything away!"

You can't announce it yet! You're practically making it obvious!

Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but laugh, internally ranting and raving.

It seems that the Wanli Emperor was trying to emulate his grandfather, the Jiajing Emperor, by employing political maneuvering tactics to control the court. He appeared to have learned them, but not quite mastered them.

"Your Majesty has misunderstood."

Zhang Yunxiu took a deep breath and patiently explained.

The Wanli Emperor frowned deeply: "A misunderstanding?"

"I believe there is a better way to deal with this Siwei!"

Zhang Yunxiu narrowed his eyes, a sly glint in them.

"Instead of letting Grand Secretary Zhang retire and return to his hometown, it would be better to keep him in the capital."

"Stay in the capital?" Emperor Wanli was somewhat surprised, thinking that the other party was going to let Zhang Siwei go, and couldn't help but ask.

"This person has repeatedly framed you, yet you don't hate him at all?"

In his view, keeping these officials in the capital was a favor to them.

However, Zhang Yunxiu had other plans, he said with a smile.

"Why should I hate him? It's just that I think that Grand Secretary Zhang is exceptionally talented and a Jinshi graduate. It would be a pity to let him return to his hometown. It would be better to let him stay in the capital so that he can continue to contribute to our Great Ming Dynasty!"

In the eyes of the ancients, pushing someone out of the capital was tantamount to pushing them out of the center of power, which was worse than death for someone like Zhang Siwei.

However, in Zhang Yunxiu's view, Zhang Siwei not only could not leave the capital, but also had to stay under his nose.

Compared to enemies lurking in the shadows, enemies standing on the surface are obviously much easier to deal with.

Is the opponent still someone I've defeated?
Then we absolutely cannot let him leave the capital!

The opponent of a vegetable should be carefully nurtured, and in the future, it can even be allowed to achieve some small "victories" in order to cast a long line and catch the big fish in the end!

"Glowing light and generating heat?"

Emperor Wanli subconsciously felt that Zhang Yunxiu was up to no good.

His eyes darted around, and after considering a possibility, he was immediately startled.

The emperor thought he was already "ruthless," but he didn't expect his opponent to be even more ruthless!
"No, no!"
Emperor Wanli waved his hand repeatedly and said...

"Zhang Ziwei must not die for now. He must be spared. He must not be sent to your morgue to have his heart and liver ripped out!"

He thought he was being too radical, but it turned out he was being too conservative.

Seeing that the emperor had misunderstood him, Zhang Yunxiu said with some displeasure.

"Your Majesty! What kind of person do you take me, Zhang Yunxiu, for? I am not a cruel official, how could I possibly rip out someone's heart and liver?"

Emperor Wanli blinked and said in a low voice.

"Shiyuan, you don't need to hide it from me. I won't blame you. I've heard about your so-called morgue. They arrest enemies and subject them to the cruel torture of having their hearts and livers ripped out!"

I also agree that those who are extremely wicked and evil should be punished severely.

Although you are the Assistant Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and have the authority to investigate and interrogate cases, you should not be too ostentatious.

"If this gets out of hand, even I won't be able to protect you."

What is this all about?
Zhang Yunxiu's face turned ashen: "Your Majesty, I have told you countless times that dissection is not torture. The cadavers who perform dissections in the clinic all have given their consent before death. Everyone in the clinic has the utmost respect for the cadavers. How can it be torture?"

"I understand, I understand."

Emperor Wanli clearly didn't listen; in fact, a longing glint appeared in his eyes, as if he wanted to personally take the field.

But in the end, he just waved his hand and said...

"However, Zhang Ziwei is definitely not someone you can send to be tortured. I wish I could grind him to dust, but this is not the time."

Helpless, Zhang Yunxiu could only explain part of his plan, saying, "Does Your Majesty think I am such a short-sighted person?"

Zhang Ziwei is certainly hateful, but eliminating him won't solve anything. Only by finding the invisible enemies behind him can we eradicate the problem completely!

His target was never Zhang Ziwei. Killing Zhang Ziwei was a momentary impulse, but it did not solve the fundamental problem.

In the future, the White Lotus Rebellion will continue to ravage every corner of the Ming Dynasty, and the people of the Ming Dynasty will continue to suffer and live in misery.

Zhang Yunxiu's ambition was never for one person, but for the group of interest groups standing behind Zhang Siwei!
Getting rid of them is not something that can be done overnight, but using Zhang Siwei is definitely a good option!

In this matter, the emperor and he shared common interests.

"An invisible enemy?"

Emperor Wanli frowned; he seemed to understand something, yet he also seemed not to understand something.

But he was, after all, the emperor, and instinctively felt that Zhang Yunxiu's plan was the right choice.

This "plan" may be even more radical than Zhang Juzheng's new policies.

Emperor Wanli unconsciously stroked the volume of the Yongle Encyclopedia at his side, having already weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Having sat on the throne for many years, even if he was mediocre, he understood that the Ming Dynasty, after more than two hundred years of trials and tribulations, was already in a state of turmoil and deeply entrenched problems.

As long as it maintains his rule, a monarch will do anything to his father or son, let alone anyone else!
For a moment, even the Wanli Emperor felt a sense of shared hatred and spoke with great emotion.

"Shiyuan, I am ultimately confined to a small corner of the world."

He stood up abruptly, somewhat agitated. "Your grand vision for saving the nation is no less impressive than that of Di Renjie! Everyone in the court claims to be loyal and devoted, but not a single one shares your sincerity!"

Zhang Yunxiu was speechless.

Don't get involved, you dog emperor! I'm thinking of the millions of people in the Ming Dynasty, and I'm thinking of ensuring that my descendants won't be bullied by foreign tribes. What does it have to do with you?
However, he still smiled and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"I will do my utmost to share the burdens of the country."

“However,” the Wanli Emperor said hesitantly, “this matter cannot be accomplished overnight. What exactly does Shiyuan intend to do?”

"It's not difficult."

Zhang Yunxiu thought for a moment and then explained.

“It is only right to start with Zhang Ziwei. Your Majesty only needs to keep him in the capital and hand him over to me to deal with.”

A worried expression appeared on his face.

"I have heard that recently, the number of refugees in the western suburbs has gradually increased to twenty or thirty thousand. The court cannot support them indefinitely."

I think we should send them all to the Western Hills to make a living, and also eliminate this hidden danger for the capital.

At that time, Grand Secretary Zhang will also be of use!

"Refugees from the western suburbs?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wanli was clearly also somewhat troubled.

This matter is indeed thorny. When the plague broke out earlier, the court had no choice but to reorganize all the able-bodied young people among the refugees into the form of an army.

This is clearly not a long-term solution; some of the trained displaced men and women can be selected to serve in the capital's military garrison.

However, the Beijing garrison could not accept 20,000 to 30,000 men at once, as this would be a heavy burden on the imperial court's military pay.

However, if these able-bodied men are left idle in the western suburbs, trouble is bound to arise in the long run.

It's like having a time bomb buried near the capital; if it were to accidentally detonate, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Correct."

Zhang Yunxiu nodded and said.

"Your subject has already drafted a plan with Father. For the refugees in the western suburbs, some will be sent to the capital garrison, some will be sent back to their hometowns, and some will be moved to the Western Hills to be sent to the Western Hills workshops."

"Xishan Workshop!"

Emperor Wanli's eyes lit up.

"Is this the idea you mentioned to me before, to mine coal in the Western Hills and set up workshops to produce glass?"

“It’s not just about glass,” Zhang Yunxiu explained with a smile. “Your Majesty will soon understand that establishing this workshop will undoubtedly be of great benefit!”
However, establishing workshops and regulating the displaced people required a group of important managers.

"Your Majesty, I am short of manpower, and I requested Zhang Ziwei from you precisely because I wanted to make the best use of him. With the abilities of a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, handling the administration of tens of thousands of people should be a piece of cake."

"This is a great plan!"

Emperor Wanli slammed his hand on the table, but then raised a question.

"If we were to have Zhang Ziwei work as a clerk with you, he would probably be too proud and arrogant to agree."

After many years of interaction between the emperor and his minister, Emperor Wanli had a good understanding of Zhang Siwei's character.

"Absolutely."

Zhang Yunxiu said with absolute certainty.

"Even if it means becoming my clerk, Zhang Ziwei would be willing to stay in the capital!"

Emperor Wanli understood his character, while Zhang Yunxiu understood human nature.

He explained confidently.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Ziwei is indeed arrogant, but he is like a gambler who has lost everything at the card table, even losing the right to play cards again."

At this moment, keeping him in the capital would undoubtedly give him a chance to get back to the poker table.

"May I ask why Zhang Ziwei would disagree?"

Zhang Siwei, a man who schemes and plots so hard to gain power, you want him to go back to his hometown?
This is more painful than killing him!

It was precisely because Zhang Yunxiu had clearly calculated this point that he dared to propose this method.

"This"

Emperor Wanli was stunned.

Clearly, Zhang Yunxiu's analogy is much easier to understand than that of the pedantic scholars in the Hanlin Academy who constantly quote classical texts!

Motherfucker!
Emperor Wanli stared at Zhang Yunxiu's round head and suddenly felt an urge to pluck it off and press it onto his own head.

But this is ultimately just a fantasy.

"Speak of it."

Zhang Yunxiu said somewhat embarrassedly.

"I have one more request."

Emperor Wanli sat upright and said with great pride, "Tell me your needs, Shiyuan. As long as it is within my power, I will certainly grant your request!"

Zhang Yunxiu blushed, lowered his voice, and stammered.

"It's nothing serious. I just wanted to ask if Your Majesty still has the erotic paintings you drew earlier."

"Your subject is of great use"

"???"

Emperor Wanli was stunned.

(End of this chapter)