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

Chapter 165 Even if you try to persuade a tyrant, he'll still be a tyrant!

That's the bad habit of cultured people; they always have to quote classics and historical texts when they're trying to make a point.

However, Zhang Yunxiu was least afraid of quoting classical texts!
He paused for a moment before speaking.

The Book of Changes (I Ching) states in the Hexagram of Revolution (革): "The revolutions of Tang and Wu were in accordance with Heaven and responded to the people!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng flew into a rage and slammed his hand on his desk.

"How dare you! How can you utter such treacherous words?"

This statement was extremely damaging, especially to a Confucian scholar like Zhang Juzheng who was well-versed in classical allusions.

The so-called "Tang-Wu Revolution" refers to the events of Tang of Shang overthrowing Jie of Xia and King Wu of Zhou overthrowing Zhou of Shang.

Adding the phrases "in accordance with Heaven" and "in accordance with the people" makes the meaning quite clear.

Overthrowing the rule of a corrupt monarch is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people; it is the inevitable result of the Way of Heaven!
Zhang Yunxiu made these remarks, especially when considering the current actions of the Wanli Emperor.

It's no different from saying, "Don't say the stone man has only one eye; he can stir up the Yellow River and make the world rebel!"

This boy's rebellious intentions are blatantly obvious!

Zhang Juzheng stared wide-eyed and said, "Zhang Shiyuan! What exactly are you doing? Do you want to destroy the Ming Dynasty? And you even made the emperor draw that filthy thing!"

For many years, Zhang Juzheng disciplined the emperor more strictly than he disciplined his own children.

It can be said that they were extremely cautious, fearing that the Wanli Emperor might go astray and become a foolish ruler.

Unexpectedly, in just a few months, years of hard work were all destroyed by Zhang Yunxiu.

Zhang Yunxiu frowned and said, "Father, how could it be that I asked His Majesty to draw it? This was His Majesty's own choice, he enjoyed it immensely, and he was truly happy about it!"

This remark about enjoying himself completely ignited Zhang Juzheng's anger. His long beard trembled as he pointed at Zhang Yunxiu and cursed.

Is this how you should act as a subject?

What a crime!
At that moment, Zhang Juzheng even regretted giving birth to this rebellious son.

Zhang Juzheng was so angry that he trembled all over and his face turned red.

Fearing that his father's hemorrhoids would burst from anger, Zhang Yunxiu sighed and said.

"Father, why are you doing this? I'm not about to rebel right now."

Zhang Juzheng's eyes were bloodshot.

"Is this Xishan Workshop also part of your scheme? And all sorts of methods to win people's hearts!"

Zhang Shiyuan! As long as I live, I will not allow you to succeed!

Under heaven, the only person who could make Zhang Juzheng lose his composure like this was Zhang Yunxiu, his "rebellious son".

Zhang Yunxiu paused, stared at his father for a long time, and suddenly blurted out a sentence.

"Does Father truly believe that His Majesty can become a wise ruler and continue the new policies and reforms?"

Zhang Yunxiu once wondered why Zhang Juzheng, a man who understood the principle of "when a regime dies, its people rest," did not cultivate a successor to maintain the continuity of policies.

It is important to understand that a country's policies have far-reaching consequences, and the most taboo thing is to change policies frequently.

Reforms that lack continuity are more likely to have the opposite effect.

But now, Zhang Yunxiu has come to some realization: his father, Zhang Juzheng, sees the Wanli Emperor as his successor!
In order to make the Wanli Emperor the standard image of a wise ruler in his mind, Zhang Juzheng devoted himself to the task!

It wasn't until the last two years, as the Wanli Emperor grew older, that some distance developed between the two sides.

At this point, Zhang Juzheng became anxious and frantically searched for a successor to whom he could entrust important responsibilities.

But the truth is that neither the eldest son, Zhang Jingxiu, nor the third son, Zhang Maoxiu, were able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of reform.

Even if it were Shen Shixing, would he really have the courage to reform?
Therefore, this question almost struck a nerve with Zhang Juzheng.

At this moment, even Zhang Juzheng had to admit that his years of educating the emperor had been a complete failure!

However, he still upheld the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, and resolutely said so.

"Even if our lord has gone astray, we, his subjects, should not aid and abet him. We should instead do our utmost to advise him and set things right!"

"Can Father persuade him? In the past, the current emperor was young and had the support of the Cining Palace and the Directorate of Ceremonial. But now, will Father's words still be effective?"

Everything Zhang Yunxiu said was true, but it was precisely because of this that Zhang Juzheng felt even more uncomfortable.

His voice was stammering; the dignified Grand Secretary was speechless in front of Zhang Yunxiu.

Zhang Yunxiu gave a disdainful smile and said.

"In the past, Emperor Yuan of Liang was a master of calligraphy, painting, and literature; Emperor Houzhu of Chen was a master of poetry and lyrics; and Emperor Huizong of Song was skilled in calligraphy. All of these people were so engrossed in their arts that they neglected state affairs, and some even suffered the tragedy of their country's demise!"
Father, you are well-versed in history, but did no ministers offer you any advice?

Zhang Juzheng even lost his confidence at this moment, and still tried to argue.

"It's simply that the advice wasn't sincere enough, and the ministers didn't understand the king's heart."

During the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin was humble and open-minded, readily accepting advice. Wei Zheng Gong, however, was loyal, upright, and dared to offer frank and honest remonstrances.

"Is Father still deceiving himself?"

Zhang Yunxiu raised his voice.

"It was not Wei Zheng's advice that made him a wise ruler, but rather that Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was a wise ruler in the first place, which is why he was able to accept advice so readily!"

Throughout history, has there ever been a foolish ruler who, upon hearing the advice of his ministers, suddenly realized his mistakes?

These words struck Zhang Juzheng like a thunderclap, causing him to take two steps back.

How could he not understand the reasoning?

As a subject of the Ming Dynasty, he had been taught the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject since childhood, and he had studied the Four Books and Five Classics on loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. Asking him to truly think about the emperor's mistakes and to abandon the principles of loyalty and righteousness was a psychological chasm that was difficult to cross.

Seeing his father almost turn into a statue, Zhang Yunxiu gently pressed him into a chair.

"Father, don't worry. I've adopted a compromise. The emperor is human too, and he has his own ideas. Let him do whatever he wants, as long as it doesn't affect the administration. Wouldn't it be better to hand over the administration to capable people?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"Isn't this exactly what Father did in the past?"

Whether intentional or unintentional, the period when Zhang Juzheng implemented the New Policies and Reforms was, in a sense, a process of weakening imperial power and strengthening the power of the Grand Secretary.

Throughout the history of the Ming Dynasty, many disputes in the imperial court were essentially disputes between imperial power and the rights of court officials.

"Don't speak nonsense! This old man..."

Although Zhang Juzheng said this, he was actually somewhat persuaded.

Rather than letting an emperor cause trouble on the throne, wouldn't it be better to let the emperor focus on his own affairs and entrust the affairs of the court to capable ministers and officials? Wouldn't that be a better way to avoid mistakes?
But such things can't be discussed openly.

Therefore, Zhang Juzheng turned his head and said, "The relationship between ruler and subject is the fundamental principle of Heaven!"

Clearly, Zhang Juzheng had already secretly accepted this view.

He exhaled a breath of stale air and looked at his young son with a complicated expression.

“You have always been exceptionally intelligent, but I still want you to know that throughout history, the justice of Heaven is clear and beyond question!”

Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, but ultimately met a tragic end, losing his head and his life.
Since the beginning of this dynasty, the laws have been strict and the discipline clear. Once someone goes astray, not only will their own life be in danger, but their entire family will also be implicated!

Zhang Juzheng's words were truly heartfelt.

Do you really think the Ming Dynasty was like the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period?
By the time history reached the Ming Dynasty, the conditions for officials to "usurp power" had essentially disappeared.

Zhang Yunxiu said frankly, "Father, please rest assured. I was just mentioning it to you. If the Ming Dynasty is well-governed and the people live in peace and prosperity, then what reason is there for a change of dynasty?"

Zhang Juzheng sighed and said, "Your behavior is now erratic. If you don't restrain yourself, it will eventually lead to disaster."

He tried to persuade Zhang Yunxiu with all his heart, but Zhang Yunxiu didn't listen at all.

With a sigh, Zhang Juzheng simply changed the subject to the matter of Xishan.

"Did Xu Guo come to me crying, saying that you cheated him out of his money? Is your Xishan workshop facing some difficulties?"

That brat dares to tattle!

Zhang Yunxiu secretly made a grudge in his heart, and then said with a smile.

"It is somewhat difficult, but it is all within my control."

He thought his father would order him to return the money, but Zhang Juzheng didn't mention it at all. Instead, he reminded him.

"When acting, one should not hesitate or look back, but rather distinguish between what is important and what is urgent. In extraordinary circumstances, one should take extraordinary measures."

The livelihood of the people must be the top priority!
If trouble arises, the imperial court will step in to mediate.

Zhang Juzheng was as clear-headed as a mirror. Even if his youngest son had a thousand faults and acted eccentrically, he could not find any fault with the way the Xishan workshop took in refugees.

He even strongly supported using the blood and flesh of wealthy merchants to nourish desperate people.

From Zhang Juzheng's perspective, it is not difficult to see that this was an important way to solve the current crisis of land annexation and refugees in the Ming Dynasty.

Although he didn't understand the specifics, he instinctively chose to support it and resolutely moved in the right direction.

"Sure?"

Surprise flashed in Zhang Yunxiu's eyes.

Zhang Juzheng said with his hands behind his back, "If your Xishan workshop can be completed, it can guarantee the livelihood of tens of thousands of displaced people. This is a great service to the court!"

"However," he paused, then added, "the matter of erotic paintings must absolutely not be promoted anymore. If anyone discovers the truth in the future, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Zhang Yunxiu spread his hands and said, "Father, His Majesty insisted on painting it, so there was nothing I could do!"

Zhang Juzheng, unable to bear it any longer, said: "Then it must not be spread in the Western Hills! If this method is truly intended to pacify the people, it must not be used by the emperor himself!"

Zhang Yunxiu was helpless.

So, should I find another artist in the future?

late at night.

Zhang Siwei suddenly opened his eyes while sleeping on a large communal bed in the Xishan staff dormitory.

The workers' snoring all around was deafening, and Zhang Siwei could even feel the bed board vibrating.

A look of pain crossed his face. He let out a heavy sigh and cursed Zhang Yunxiu under his breath.

He then tiptoed off the bed and casually took out a book from under his pillow.

Pretending to get up in the middle of the night, he went to the dormitory's public outhouse and, by the moonlight, carefully opened the book "Records of Mines in the Western Frontier of the Capital Region".

He didn't know how much he had read, but as if he had come across something extremely important, his eyes widened and he almost pressed them against the book.

He suddenly let out a maniacal laugh.

"I know!"

"The Xishan Coal Mine is absolutely doomed to fail!"

"Hahahaha! I am right! Zhang Shiyuan is wrong!"

　Note 1: The commentary on the hexagram "Revolution" in the Book of Changes states: "Revolution signifies the mutual restraint of water and fire, and the two women living together whose wills do not align. This is called Revolution. 'On the day of Ji, there will be trust,' meaning that revolution leads to trust. Civilization brings joy, and great prosperity comes from righteousness. When revolution is appropriate, regrets will disappear. Heaven and earth revolutionize, and the four seasons are formed. The revolutions of Tang and Wu were in accordance with Heaven and responded to the people. The time of revolution is indeed great."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)