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

Chapter 18 Political Turmoil Re-emerges
Wenyuan Pavilion.

On the table lay a map of Guangxi, its vermilion markings layered and faded, clearly indicating that it had been used before.

Zhang Siwei, the second-in-command of the cabinet, couldn't help but say: "Since the Longqing era, the court has become increasingly lax in its control over the southwestern border. The Toungoo court, which was originally under the jurisdiction of the Burma Pacification Commission, has now repeatedly violated our territory."

In the sixth year of the Longqing reign, Yue Feng, the Pacification Commissioner of Longchuan, colluded with Burma and declared himself the Tusi (chieftain) of Longchuan, which was a treasonous act.

The rebellion of the Tusi (chieftains) has existed since the Yongle era, and now it has become even more deeply entrenched and difficult to quell, which is truly worrying!

Shen Shixing, however, felt it was not a big deal. He said, "The rebellion of the eight chieftains of Guangxi is not a big deal. We can draft a proposal and send it to the palace so that the local governor and commander-in-chief can lead the troops to quell the rebellion."

He looked at Zhang Juzheng, who remained silent, and said that although the draft proposal was sent to the palace, the actual decision-maker was still the chief minister.

After all, the emperor had not sent back the draft proposal for many years.

But Zhang Juzheng seemed somewhat absent-minded today. Shen Shixing could see that the wrinkles on the Grand Secretary's brows were deeper, and he looked much more haggard.

After a long silence, Zhang Juzheng finally spoke.

"This is not a long-term solution. The rebellion of the eight villages in Guangxi is not worth mentioning, but it is a glimpse into the whole picture. The fact that a mere eight villages could rise up shows the decline of the southwestern border region."

I think this matter requires careful consideration. We should discuss it in detail at the upcoming court meeting and come up with a plan to completely resolve this problem!

With Zhang Juzheng's intervention, the rebellion of the Tusi (chieftains) in Guangxi was put on hold. In fact, Tusi rebellions were common during the Ming Dynasty.

In the early stages, things were manageable, but by the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the court was already overwhelmed with dealing with enemies in the north, let alone focusing on the problems in the southwest.

It's simply like playing whack-a-mole, one by one you press down.

After briefly handling political affairs, the three Grand Secretaries waited for the eunuch to summon them for a court meeting.

Zhang Siwei noticed the worry in Zhang Juzheng's eyes and couldn't help but say something.

"Is the Grand Secretary worried about his youngest son, Zhang Yunxiu?"

Zhang Juzheng sighed, realizing his thoughts had been seen through.

"Zhang Yunxiu has been acting recklessly, creating a newspaper and being overly ostentatious. The officials in the court will probably not let this go."

He used to think that the young emperor was difficult to educate, so he thought he should be stricter. Now he feels that his youngest son is even more difficult to educate.

Zhang Siwei sighed: "I heard the other day that your young master had turned over a new leaf, but I didn't expect him to cause all this trouble again."

The Prime Minister should take better care of his health; if it becomes unbearable, he could ask for a few days' leave.

This body is the most important thing.

Zhang Juzheng's expression was complicated: "The new government policy of 'Single Whip Law' and the southwestern border are causing the national treasury to be depleted. As for how long His Majesty can hold on, these are all old problems."

Zhang Siwei remained silent.

Shen Shixing, who was standing to the side, hesitated to speak, but ultimately did not offer any advice.

It seems pointless to say it out loud.

Outsiders thought that he was a powerful figure in the court, so why would he worry about being attacked by one or two censors?

Shen Shixing, having spent time with Zhang Juzheng day and night, saw things more clearly than others.

In his view, Zhang Juzheng was only tough on the new policies.

Before the new policies, Shen Shixing regarded Zhang Juzheng as nothing less than a "god of officialdom," who moved among the court officials and outlasted several shrewd and capable chief ministers, able to both protect himself and get things done.

But these things are not enough to implement new policies.

Throughout history, how can new policies be implemented without drastic measures?
In fact, in Shen Shixing's view, the Empress is a human being who cherishes his reputation, desires fame, and has worries and emotions.

A recent example is the fifth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign.

Just as the "mourning period" incident broke out, many people impeached Zhang Juzheng for being greedy for power and demanded that he be allowed to return home to observe three years of mourning.

At that time, the young emperor and Empress Dowager Li tried their best to retain Zhang Juzheng, and even issued an edict to have all the officials who impeached Zhang Juzheng dragged outside the palace and flogged.

In an attempt to protect these officials, Hanlin Academician Wang Xijue led a group to Zhang Juzheng's residence, demanding that Zhang speak on their behalf.

Zhang Juzheng stated that the flogging was the will of the emperor and empress dowager, and he could not change it.

But Wang Xijue persisted in pressuring him. In desperation, Zhang Juzheng actually drew a knife from a guard's hand, grabbed Wang Xijue's hand and placed it on his own neck, then knelt before him and said...

“Brother Yuanyu thinks I, Zhang Juzheng, am a treacherous minister, then take this head.”

Wang Xijue was so frightened that he fled in panic.

This move may have been a "strategy," but if Zhang Juzheng truly held absolute power, he would certainly not have bothered to kneel before Wang Xijue, a mere Hanlin scholar.

It was after the incident of seizing the opportunity to mourn that Zhang Juzheng, the Prefect, became even more anxious, resorting to nepotism to implement his new policies. Just as Shen Shixing was lost in thought and wanted to advise Zhang Juzheng to retire gracefully, footsteps sounded outside.

A young eunuch spoke respectfully from outside.

"Your Excellencies, the court meeting is about to begin."

Huangji Palace.

Originally named Fengtian Hall, it was renamed Huangji Hall after a great fire in the thirty-sixth year of the Jiajing reign.

The court meeting was held as scheduled today.

However, once the ministers of the six ministries and the cabinet members had all taken their places, the court discussion immediately became tense.

"Rebellions are frequently occurring in the southwest. I request that the Tusi (local chieftains) be abolished and replaced with appointed officials. This is a good strategy to eradicate the troubles on the southwestern border."

"Minister Wang speaks so lightly. The policy of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials has been in effect since the Yongle era. The Sinan and Sizhou Pacification Commissions were abolished and replaced with eight appointed prefectures, including Sizhou, Sinan, and Zhenyuan. It has been implemented for a hundred years now. Has it completely solved the problem of native chieftains?"

"Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different intentions; we should simply send troops to wipe them out."

Minister of Revenue Zhang Xueyan immediately expressed his dissatisfaction: "Gentlemen, please do not speak of military affairs. How can the affairs of the small southwestern chieftains compare to those of the northwest?"

The imperial court has been facing deficits for years, with military expenditures in the northwest being the largest expense. If this triggers widespread rebellions by the chieftains in the southwest, I dare ask you gentlemen, who will provide the funds and provisions to quell the rebellions?

Zhang Xueyan's face was as worried as a bitter gourd. Being the Minister of Revenue in the Ming Dynasty was a tough job! All he could think about was how to save money and how to argue with the adults who didn't know the value of oil and rice.

Minister of Rites Xu Xuemo also had something to say: "Now that the new policies are being implemented throughout the country, it is normal for some problems to arise. I believe that capable officials should be dispatched to local areas to oversee and handle the affairs of the Tusi (local chieftains) in the southwest."

The officials were arguing fiercely, but the cabinet elders remained silent.

Seeing that the court was about to turn into a marketplace, Feng Bao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, immediately reminded them in a high-pitched voice.

"quiet!"

The court suddenly became quiet.

Everyone turned their attention to the Wanli Emperor, who was in the most advantageous position.

The young emperor looked serious, but his expression was somewhat blank, as if he were lost in thought.

Feng Bao hurriedly stepped forward to remind him, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Wanli then came to his senses and shuddered.

"Ah, the matter of the rebellion of the chieftains in the southwest... it's truly a thorny issue. What you all say is correct. I would like to ask the Grand Secretary to elaborate."

The Wanli Emperor spoke almost without thinking, clearly having said the same thing countless times.

Zhang Juzheng stood on the left side of the imperial steps, squinting at the young emperor, seemingly somewhat disappointed.

In the end, he stepped forward, bowed, and spoke.

"Your Majesty," I replied, "I believe that hastily implementing the policy of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials will not solve the problem; on the contrary, it will only lead to greater rebellions by the chieftains. The policy of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials is a long-term solution that cannot be resolved overnight. The trouble caused by the chieftains in the southwest requires a concrete plan."

In reality, Zhang Juzheng was also playing coy. The problem of the Tusi (local chieftains) in the southwest had not been resolved for hundreds of years, so how could it be resolved all at once?

Moreover, the urgent task now is to implement the "Single Whip" law, and the southwestern border issues can obviously be postponed.

In summary, the strategy was to stall for time, send local officials to suppress them, and then devise a long-term plan to eradicate the Tusi (local chieftains) in the southwest.

Whether the Wanli Emperor listened or not, he subconsciously answered.

"Then we shall do as the Prime Minister says."

With matters concerning state affairs concluded, attention clearly returned to Zhang Juzheng.

Wei Yunzhen, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward first and said: "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present, impeaching Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng for failing to properly educate his son, Zhang Yunxiu, which led to Zhang Yunxiu's reckless behavior."

I have recently heard that Zhang Yunxiu has been forcibly coercing merchants to co-found newspapers with him, thereby amassing a fortune.

The content of this newspaper contains many outrageous and vulgar language, which is truly misleading and disruptive to the government and public morals.

We urge Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly and punish the offender to uphold justice!

"You also want to impeach the Grand Secretary?"

Emperor Wanli narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable, whether it was anger or something else.

　Note 1: Gu Yingtai's "Ming Jishi Benwei" contains artistic embellishments.
　　Note 2: Zhang Tingyu, History of Ming: After Juzheng seized the opportunity to dispose of his personal feelings, he became even more tyrannical. His promotions and demotions were mostly based on his likes and dislikes.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)