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

Chapter 322 Who else dares to object! Father, are you still going to remain so stubborn?
Zhang Yunxiu's voice reverberated through the rubble, and even the officials closest to him could hear it clearly.

Although they were prepared, many of the court officials present were still quite shocked.

An elderly vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward and reported.

"Your Majesty! The matter of opening the seas must not be initiated lightly. This matter is far-reaching and will have far-reaching consequences. The prohibition of seas is a national policy of the Taiguo Kingdom. If the seas are opened easily, there will inevitably be more foreign invasions along the coast. The court has only been able to suppress the Japanese pirates for a few years. If trouble breaks out again, I am afraid that the losses will outweigh the gains."

Furthermore,

The vice minister's statement is essentially the same as the one made during the Longqing era regarding the debate over opening up the sea.

However, at this moment, the roles of offense and defense have been reversed. The failure of Xu Jie and others has proven that Zhang Yunxiu's path is correct, and all the noise seems meaningless.

Zhang Yunxiu sneered and said, "Minister Liu only knows that the imperial court consumes a lot of grain and fodder to protect the sea frontier, but he doesn't know how much silver can be earned if the sea is opened. Can you even do the math?"

The Vice Minister Liu said tremblingly, "How can the imperial court speak of profit so readily?"

Zhang Yunxiu retorted sarcastically, "If the court doesn't care about profit, where will the money come from to defend the nine border regions? Where will the money come from to pay your salaries? Without money, it's absolutely impossible!"

Under the current circumstances, all the words of this conservative vice minister seemed pale and powerless.

Zhang Yunxiu glanced at the assembled officials and continued speaking.

"The only way to fundamentally solve the problem is to open up the seas and exchange goods with foreign countries, using the surplus resources of our Great Ming Dynasty to exchange for silver with the Japanese and Westerners, and for grain with the countries of Jiaozhi."

The people could go out to sea to trade, or they could use textile machines to produce various goods; they could always find a way to survive!

Liu, the Vice Minister, trembled as he said, "No! Absolutely not!"

Zhang Yunxiu then looked at the assembled court officials and asked them a question.

"If that's not the case, would you all be willing to contribute all your family's land to benefit the people and ensure the eternal peace of our Great Ming Dynasty?"

For a moment, the court fell silent.

Many court officials understood Zhang Yunxiu's meaning: this young man was threatening them. Either they would support opening the sea, or Zhang Yunxiu would extract money from them to support the people.

With the fates of Xu Jie and the two princes still before their eyes, what room did the court officials have to object?

Seeing that everyone was silent, Zhang Yunxiu looked at Xu Guo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, in the queue and asked him a question.

"What does Vice Minister Xu think?"

Xu Guo immediately shivered. His heart was pounding. He wondered if Zhang Yunxiu had discovered his earlier attempt to bet on both sides.

He already had close ties with the Huizhou merchants, and now the Huizhou merchants have been almost completely absorbed by Zhang Yunxiu.

From both a moral and logical standpoint, he had no reason to object.

Xu Guo hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to Emperor Wanli, saying, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, there has been talk of opening up the sea since the Jiajing era, but it was often postponed due to the chaos caused by Japanese pirates. It was not until the late Emperor Longqing opened up the sea that the idea was finally put forward."

Now, Yuegang has been open to the sea for fourteen years, and foreign merchants have been exchanging goods and services with our Great Ming Dynasty at Yuegang, with remarkable results and benefits.

"Now that commerce is flourishing in the Jiangnan region and all kinds of goods are abundant, coinciding with the opportunity for renewal and reform in our Great Ming Dynasty, opening the seas will certainly be more beneficial than harmful."

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and then turned his gaze to the newly appointed Minister of Rites, Yu Youding, and asked, "What does Minister Yu think?"

After Xu Xuemo fell from power, Yu Youding took over the position of Minister of Rites.

Zhang Juzheng had shown great kindness to Yu Youding, but Yu Youding was not a steadfast person.

The Yu family had been officials for generations, and their land holdings in Jiangnan were comparable to those of Xu Jie and others. Naturally, they had some complaints about Zhang Yunxiu's "troublemaking" earlier.

Later, when Xu Jie entered the capital and launched his attack, Yu Youding was also shaken. Today, Zhang Yunxiu's question was meant to get a statement from the other party.

Yu Youding looked nervous. He glanced at Zhang Juzheng in front of him, as if he were asking for help. But Zhang Juzheng closed his eyes again, seemingly letting Zhang Yunxiu do whatever he wanted.

Yu Youding sighed helplessly and said, "What Zhang Zhangwei said is very true. Opening the sea is an inevitable trend and the will of the people. We must not have any other objections."

Several important ministers and vice ministers in the court expressed their support for opening the sea route, so the attitudes of the other ministers were naturally not so important.

The once arrogant and domineering officials who dared to speak out against wrongdoing have long since lost the confidence to cause trouble.

"Okay~ Okay~"

Emperor Wanli, sitting on the dragon throne, appeared to be in high spirits. It had been a long time since he had seen these unruly ministers so obedient.

He waved his hand and said.

"Since that's the case, then the matter of opening the seas is settled. From now on, if anyone raises any objections, I will not tolerate it!"

In fact, everyone understood that since Xu Jie was defeated, the matter of opening the sea was no longer in doubt.

But what no one expected was that the opening of the sea would be a matter that had troubled the imperial court for many years and caused endless debate among countless people.

It was surprisingly easy to resolve in such a dramatic way.

The Imperial Guard's prison.

In fact, starting from the Longqing era, the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard gradually weakened.

When Zhu Di established the Eastern Depot, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot were still able to compete with each other. However, as the power of the Eastern Depot continued to grow, and the Western Depot was added above the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot during the Chenghua era, the status of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was downgraded again and again.

Before Zhang Yunxiu, the position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was almost entirely subordinate to the Directors of the Eastern and Western Depots, and everyone had to rely on them for everything.

But after Zhang Yunxiu took office as the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, everything changed completely.

Now, Feng Bao is in charge of both the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot. Since Feng Bao and Zhang Juzheng are natural allies, he will not cause any trouble for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Not to mention that Emperor Wanli trusted Zhang Yunxiu far more than Feng Daban, who wanted to control him.

Due to a combination of factors, Zhang Yunxiu, the de facto controller of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, became one of the most powerful figures in the Ming Dynasty court.

In fact, the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot had already delegated the handling of many incidents and cases entirely to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Thank you both for your kindness."

Wang Heng looked haggard, dressed in a dirty scholar's robe, and respectfully bowed to the two commanders of the Imperial Guard in front of him.

A commander with a smile said, "Young Master Wang, there's no need to be so polite. You are the personal disciple of our Commander of the Guards. With the Commander of the Guards' approval, what is there that you can't enter the Imperial Prison?"

“However,” another officer with a strange expression reminded him, “Please, Young Master Wang, do not have any other thoughts. Your father is doing quite well here; compared to other prisoners, he has already received preferential treatment.”

If Young Master Wang were to commit any improper acts, the Commander of the Guards would likely find it difficult to tolerate it.

Wang Heng pursed his lips tightly and said, "Please rest assured, gentlemen, I understand the rules here."

The two officers looked at him with pity, then left a bunch of keys on the table and went outside to stand guard.

With a loud bang, the iron-clad cell door rattled violently, and darkness instantly descended upon the surroundings.

Holding a kerosene lamp, Wang Heng endured the stench of decay and burning kerosene in the air as he made his way towards the prison indicated by the Imperial Guards.

He didn't take the keys, but instead walked forward with heavy steps.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Wang Heng stopped outside a relatively clean prison. He gently placed the kerosene lamp on the ground and focused his gaze on a figure lying on its side on a pile of straw.

Wang Heng slowly spoke, "Father, I've arrived."

At this moment, Wang Xijue was disheveled, his hair was loose and tied up only with a wooden stick.

Upon hearing this voice, Wang Xijue trembled involuntarily and muttered something under his breath.

"I'm really getting old; I'm even having hallucinations out of thin air."

Suppressing his grief, Wang Heng called out again, "Father, it's me, Wang Heng."

Wang Xijue's body stiffened instantly. He scrambled to his feet, rolled over, and pounced on the prison bars like a hungry tiger. He glared at them and said, "Wang Chenyu! How dare you show your face here! Why did you have to come!"

The sound was almost a roar.

The words Wang Heng had spoken to him at the lecture that day still echoed in his ears. Wang Xijue could not forget how Wang Heng had made his father lose face in front of the world.

Today, Wang Xijue is a prisoner, but his eldest son, Wang Heng, has actually joined the ranks of his enemy, who is the very person who sent Wang Xijue to prison.

At least that's how it seems to Wang Xijue.

"Father!" Wang Heng knelt down abruptly, momentarily speechless.

In an instant, Wang Xijue seemed to understand something, and he said with eyes wide open.

"Wang Heng! I have already severed my father-son relationship with you. Stop pretending here, and stop calling me father."

Wang Heng nearly choked up: "Father, what are you saying? Father is my own flesh and blood, how can the debt of gratitude for giving me life and raising me be severed?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xijue was also moved to tears, but he still steeled himself and said it.

"I disown you as my son! Get out!"

"Father!" Wang Heng roared. "If only you had known this would happen!"

Wang Xijue turned his head away, facing the wall alone, unwilling to look at Wang Heng.

His voice was hoarse: "You should leave."

Wang Heng wiped his eyes, looked at his father's back, and couldn't help but ask a series of questions.

"Why won't Father admit his guilt? Why won't Father bow his head? Are you going to continue down this stubborn path?"

In fact, Zhang Juzheng did give Wang Xijue and Wang Shizhen a chance. On the contrary, no matter how deep the grudges between Zhang Juzheng and these two men were, he gave them a chance to be spared death for the sake of the overall situation.

That is to publicly announce to the world that they acknowledge the crimes of the Jiangnan gentry, and to accuse Xu Jie and his gang of crimes, using their influence in Jiangnan to assist the court in implementing new policies.

Zhang Juzheng was a pragmatic man; as long as they still had value to the country and the people, their death sentences could be temporarily waived.

Clearly, for Wang Xijue and Wang Shizhen, publicly admitting their sins to the world, pointing out Xu Jie's crimes, and even becoming enemies with the gentry of Jiangnan was almost as difficult as climbing to heaven.

Compared to that, it would be better for Wang Xijue to die in this prison. If the Zhang family father and son were to fall from power one day, they could at least have their case overturned and leave a good name in history.

Wang Xijue's voice gradually turned cold.

"If you are so kind, bring me a white silk ribbon. That would be a way of honoring the friendship between my father and me that we have shared for so many years."

Upon hearing this, Wang Heng felt as if his heart was being torn apart, and he beat his chest and stamped his feet as he spoke.

"Does Father really remain indifferent to all of my Wang family members, numbering over a hundred?"

"It is you who remain unmoved!"

Wang Xijue suddenly turned around and glared at him, saying...

"If you hadn't betrayed my Wang family, if you had been willing to assist me, how could my Wang family have ended up like this?!"

Wang Heng shook his head and said, "Father, you have reversed cause and effect. It is not I, Wang Heng, who caused the Wang family to suffer this fate. It is Father who has acted against the natural order and pushed the Wang family into the abyss. It is also Father's actions that have made me see the principles of modern learning."

Why is Father so stubbornly unenlightened?

Wang Xijue was furious, but he was helpless against his son, so he turned his head away.

"You certainly have a sharp tongue!"

With tears streaming down his face, Wang Heng couldn't help but ask.

"Son has a question. Back then, Father annexed the land of the people in Jiangnan, oppressed the villagers, and even hoarded goods with Xu Zisheng, attempting to make huge profits."

When Father acted, did he not consider benevolence and love for the people at all? Father used to teach me to take the well-being of all people as my responsibility, so why has Father gone against this path today?

Upon hearing this, Wang Xijue, like a competitive rooster, shouted angrily.

"Wang Chenyu! You say I oppress the people? I want to ask you, what about the clothes you wore before, the food you ate before, the tuition fees you used for studying, and the travel expenses you took to come to the capital? Which of these things wasn't done by oppressing the people?"

"Am I the only one who's wrong? Everyone in the world does it this way. If I don't, others will oppress us!"

Wang Heng shook his head and said, "This is not the way of the sages! I, Wang Heng, do not need so many clothes or so much food. My family has thousands of acres of fertile land, which is more than enough to cover all expenses."

Even if it's hard, I don't want to see my father's hands stained with the blood of the people.

“You’re just reciting the classics by rote!” Wang Xijue exclaimed, almost delirious. “I regret having you in this world.”

He uttered hurtful words, one after another. Wang Heng clutched his chest, but did not retaliate against the accusations. He simply replied with a single sentence.

“Father cannot preach benevolent governance and love for the people while oppressing them. There is no such logic in the world.”

"you!!!"

Wang Xijue's words also struck a nerve with him; his face turned a deep shade of purple, and he turned his head away as he spoke.

“I will not argue with you. Tell Zhang Shiyuan to do as he pleases, whether you want to kill or torture him. We are no longer father and son, so let’s not see each other again.”

Wang Heng sighed and bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to Wang Xijue outside the prison, but Wang Xijue refused to accept it and moved away, ignoring him.

Wang Heng then took out his personal food box, took out a bowl of food, and placed it neatly in front of the fence.

"This is Father's favorite water shield soup, which I specially sought out a chef from Jiangnan to make."

“Our family used to have the custom of drinking Tusu wine on New Year’s Day. As New Year’s Day is approaching, we prepare a pot for Father.”

"And these glutinous rice balls, although they are only eaten on the first day of the Lunar New Year, I thought I should bring them for Father to try. If we, father and son, can have another meal of these 'glutinous rice balls,' then we will have no regrets in this life."

As the dishes were laid out, each word felt like a knife, cutting into Wang Xijue's heart.

Tears streamed down his face, yet he still stamped his feet and angrily rebuked.

"Get out! I have no father-son relationship with you anymore!"

Wang Heng placed the last dish into the cell, slowly rose, bowed to Wang Xijue, and said...

"Please have a meal, Father!"

After saying this, he wiped away his tears, picked up the food box, and left the prison.

As Wang Heng's footsteps faded into the distance, tears streamed down Wang Xijue's face.

If he has any regrets, it is absolutely not. For thousands of years, the gentry and powerful have been seizing the land of ordinary people, and this has never changed.

If Wang Xijue doesn't do it, someone else will.

But Wang Heng's words still struck Wang Xijue's heart like a heavy hammer.

With a bang, the iron gates of the imperial prison slammed shut, and the stench of decay once again filled the air.

Wang Xijue could no longer contain his emotions. He stepped forward, took the bowl of water shield soup that he was already tired of eating, and with trembling right hand, used a spoon to put the warm soup into his mouth.

The flavor exploded in my mouth.

"Woooooo~"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Wang Xijue prostrated himself in the prison cell, weeping so bitterly he felt as if he were about to vomit his heart and liver.

(End of this chapter)