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

Chapter 324 Let Confucianism Go Global! We Need to Align Our Scale with Xishan!

"You may be spared the death penalty, but you will not escape punishment!"

Gu Xiancheng saw the hope in Wang Heng's eyes and couldn't help but remind him.

"The powerful families of Jiangnan have committed too many wrongdoings. Since May, how many people have lost their livelihoods and become homeless? Even if our esteemed teacher intends to let them off the hook, how can the people of the world let this go so easily?"

At this point, Gu Xiancheng realized he had gone too far and explained with an embarrassed expression.

"Brother Chenyu, I didn't mean anything by this."

"It doesn't matter."

Wang Heng sighed and said.

"To be honest, Brother Shushi, I have already made the worst-case scenario plan, so this is nothing."

He poured the other person a cup of coarse tea, his face calm, but his hands were trembling violently.

Gu Xiancheng saw this and took the teapot, saying...

"I'll do it."

After swallowing a mouthful of bitter, coarse tea, Gu Xiancheng shuddered, exhaled a breath of stale air, and continued speaking.

"The case in Jiangnan is of great importance. The other day, the officials in the court were debating it endlessly. His Majesty had issued an edict to execute the ringleader, but who the ringleader was was a problem."

If Xu Zisheng is the ringleader, then letting him take the blame would naturally be a happy ending for everyone.

Wang Heng said with a gloomy expression, "Given the personalities of my father and Mr. Yuanmei, it seems unlikely that this will be achieved."

He knows his father all too well. His father is obsessed with saving face and protecting his reputation. How could you expect him to shift all the blame onto Xu Jie and then admit his own crimes to the world?

The former is worth considering, but the latter is even harder than killing him.

“It was originally at a stalemate,” Gu Xiancheng said excitedly. “But Uncle Shi broke that stalemate.”

"My father?" Wang Heng was utterly shocked. He abruptly stood up and exclaimed, "He's come to his senses?"

Gu Xiancheng pressed him back into the chair and then said with a smile.

"Uncle Shi is willing to confess his crimes. He personally wrote a confession in blood and presented it to His Majesty. Now that he has made amends, he should be able to be treated leniently."

Wang Heng let out a long breath. The image of Zhang Yunxiu's reply and his father Wang Xijue's furious expression in the imperial prison flashed through his mind.

It seems that his mentor understands his father better than he does?

“This isn’t over yet,” Gu Xiancheng reminded him. “Uncle has committed the heinous crime of treason. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, he may be spared the death penalty, but he will not escape punishment. Your father will at least be flogged one hundred times and exiled to the frontier. The men in the family will be exiled, and the women will be sent to the brothels.”

Wang Heng looked dejected. He knew very well that exile was only slightly better than beheading, not to mention that sending all the women in his family to the brothel would be an unbearable disgrace.

Why was he hiding in this small house outside the city? Wasn't he just waiting for the verdict to be handed down so he could hang himself?
Given the current situation, it seems that death is still inevitable, but at least he will leave some descendants for the Wang family.

Wang Heng let out a heavy sigh of relief, feeling somewhat relieved.

Gu Xiancheng reminded him, "But I haven't finished speaking yet."

Wang Heng looked bitter: "This matter is of great importance, Brother Shushi, please don't keep me in suspense."

"That's how it should be according to common sense, but my mentor never acts according to common sense."

Gu Xiancheng's expression was somewhat strange.

"The court had already reached a decision, but my mentor suddenly stepped forward and found a way out for my uncle."

Wang Heng opened his mouth wide, but then he thought about it and realized that it really suited Zhang Yunxiu's personality, so he couldn't help but sigh.

"My esteemed teacher repaid evil with kindness; I am truly ashamed!"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

Gu Xiancheng, however, showed no smile as he offered a reminder.

“My mentor is certainly good, but Brother Chenyu, you should also be prepared.”

"?"

Gu Xiancheng then said helplessly, "My mentor had a brilliant idea and came up with a way to make amends for his mistakes."

"What method?"

"My mentor intended for a group of gentry families from Jiangnan to move their entire families to countries such as Annam and Japan to spread Confucianism."

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Wang Heng was completely stunned, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

He couldn't possibly have imagined that Zhang Yunxiu would come up with such a method.

He said coldly, "Would the officials of the court agree? Would His Majesty agree?"

Going to foreign lands to preach was something unheard of, and it was hard to say whether it was a blessing or a curse.

On the one hand, going to Annam did save the lives of Wang Xijue and his entourage, and the women were spared from being bullied. In fact, under the current circumstances, leaving the Ming Dynasty would allow them to stay away from trouble.

On the other hand, Annam and Japan were ultimately foreign lands, and the journey was thousands of miles long, which was no different from exile. Not to mention that they were foreign countries, and it was hard to say whether one could save one's life.

"Originally, we refused, and even the Prime Minister thought it was a pipe dream. But my mentor said something that no scholar could refuse."

Gu Xiancheng looked at him with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

"My teacher said that when Emperor Taizu Gao first established his dynasty, he sent envoys to Goryeo and Annam to promulgate the Datong Calendar and the Annotated Four Books. At that time, Goryeo sent an envoy to submit a memorial stating that they were willing to follow the holy teachings and remain vassals forever. This was a merit of Wende."

"My teacher also said that during the Yongle reign, Emperor Chengzu sent the eunuch Sanbao to the Western Ocean, bringing the Four Books and Five Classics to be distributed to various foreign lands. Even today, Siam and Malacca still send their children to study at the Imperial Academy. This is a great achievement in spreading our nation's culture and education far and wide."

"My teacher also said that Annam has been in rebellion for a long time, and its people are uncivilized, with their customs still mixed with witchcraft; although Japan has established trade relations, its scholars are still influenced by barbarian customs."

"If the imperial court rashly launches a military campaign, it will inevitably lead to the loss of manpower and resources, and the suffering of countless people. It would be better to send envoys there to spread education and rectify people's hearts."

These words left Wang Heng wide-eyed, and he couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and stand up.

"Excellent!" Wang Heng even put his sadness aside. "What my mentor said is exactly the lifelong aspiration of us scholars!"

What are the ideals and aspirations of scholars? They are nothing more than Zhang Zai's "Four Sentences of Hengqu"—"To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."

Compared to spending all day in the official residence dealing with political affairs and engaging in intrigue, what could better embody the spirit of "continuing the lost learning of the past sages and creating peace for all generations" than spreading Confucianism?
Zhang Yunxiu's suggestion seemed like a pipe dream, but it directly hit the nail on the head regarding the psychology of scholars.

This can be considered the Ming Dynasty's version of "political correctness".

Wang Heng was excited, but when he came to his senses, he still felt that it was somewhat unreliable. Annam was alright, but Japan was a real foreign country.

This journey sounds good, but it's extremely dangerous.

"The officials in the court are extremely excited." Gu Xiancheng looked strange. "Those who used to criticize our mentor have all changed their tune and started praising him. It seems that the officials in the court all agree."

He couldn't help but offer a reminder.

"Brother Chenyu, there is no need to worry too much. It's not just these two countries. According to our master's plan, Tianfang, Ryukyu, Samarkand, Ryukyu and the Southeast Asian countries are all places that need to be educated."

Uncle Shi can atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service; he should still be able to make a choice.

It's much better than being exiled to the frontier.

Wang Heng sighed and said.

“Brother Shushi, why do you say that? Things have come to this point, and it is already the best possible outcome. I dare not have any other expectations.”

Having committed such a heinous crime, even if the emperor wished to forgive him, it would be difficult to do so.

In an instant, Wang Heng understood why the officials of the court would agree to such an absurd method.

After all, the Jiangnan gentry suffered a crushing defeat this time.

Countless merchants and gentry who were caught up in this scheme and suffered losses sought to settle scores with Wang Xijue and his associates.

Even if the imperial court does not punish them, countless wolves will still be eyeing them covetously.

In comparison, Zhang Juzheng and his son Zhang Yunxiu were actually more reluctant to let them die. Besides, if they could go to a nearby foreign land, such as Ryukyu or Tibet, although they would be poorer, they would at least have a way to survive.

It is already the best choice.

Ministry of Revenue.

"The way of the economy must never be taken lightly."

Zhang Yunxiu stood in the main hall of the government office, holding a pointer in his hand, tapping the words on the blackboard behind him.

“You are all important officials of the Ministry of Revenue. Your mistakes are not just about one or two policies, but are related to the livelihoods of millions of people across the country.”

The economy in Jiangnan is currently in a slump, and our efforts are indispensable to its revitalization.

Here, I would like to reiterate the relevant details of this economic recovery in Jiangnan. Please take note of them.

Nearly fifty or sixty people from the Thirteenth Department of the Ministry of Revenue were present.

It should be noted that from Minister Zhang Xueyan down to the lowest-ranking officials, almost every single one of them was an official of the seventh rank or above.

If you put them in charge outside, any one of them would be someone that ordinary people would try their best to curry favor with.

The magistrate of Da Ming County could be considered a local emperor. Everyone said, "A prefect can wipe out a family, and a magistrate can ruin a household." This magistrate of Da Ming County was only a seventh-rank official.

These people now resemble schoolchildren, each with a thick notebook in front of them. When Zhang Yunxiu speaks a sentence, they lower their heads and write a paragraph, which is quite astonishing.

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue naturally had grievances, but no one dared to raise the slightest objection, not because of the power of Zhang Xueyan and Zhang Yunxiu.

The main reason is that the person standing on the stage now is the founder of the Ming Dynasty's economics, a monster who controls the economic markets of the north and south and has defeated the Shanxi merchants and the Jiangnan gentry.

When it comes to authority in economics, no one is more authoritative than Zhang Yunxiu.

The only problem is that Zhang Yunxiu is too young. If he had grown a beard or had more wrinkles on his face, and aged another thirty or forty years, people would probably feel more at ease.

"According to the provisions of the 'Great Ming Code on Households and Markets,' strict measures should be taken against behaviors such as market manipulation and monopolistic practices. Market regulation is a means to ensure economic development."

"Strict price controls will be implemented, and minimum prices will be set for certain daily necessities in rural areas based on local conditions, so that producers and operators can obtain some profit and maintain their enthusiasm for production and operation."

"Strengthen the storage capacity of granaries such as the Ever-Normal Granary, Community Granary, and Charity Granary. In addition to grain, adopt the same method of price stabilization for essential goods such as cloth. When market prices rise, release reserve goods to stabilize prices; when market prices fall, purchase goods at a fixed price to increase reserves."

At this point, Zhang Yunxiu's lips curled into a smile. If it weren't for the series of blunders by Xu Jie and the others, he really wouldn't know how to obtain the silver to stabilize prices in Jiangnan.

Given the chaos that has erupted in Jiangnan, it's likely that even tens of millions of taels of silver won't be enough to resolve the situation.

Unfortunately, Xu Jie and his associates committed treason, which gave the court a legitimate reason to confiscate their assets. In addition, the silver they intended to transport overseas was conservatively estimated at 20 million taels of silver. Combined with the profits Xishan made during this turmoil, it was enough to restore stability to the economy of Jiangnan.

Just then, an official from the Ministry of Revenue raised his hand and asked, "Zhang Zhangwei, your methods are nothing but old news. Do you have any new methods?"

The so-called price stabilization had precedents as early as the Warring States and Han Dynasties, and the Ministry of Revenue was naturally familiar with the task; the only problem was that it required a huge amount of silver.

Since Zhang Yunxiu is here in the guise of a "professor," simply offering some traditional methods will certainly not be convincing.

"A new method?"

Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile.

"I have already implemented this method, how come you are all unaware of it?"

Facing the Ministry of Revenue officials who only had a superficial understanding, he casually continued speaking with his hands behind his back.

"The Wanli Xinbao newspaper can regularly publish information on market supply and demand, prices, etc.; the futures market can help the court improve its efficiency in stabilizing prices; and the Xishan Money Shop can provide low-interest loans to the people so that they can resume production and business."

Zhang Yunxiu recounted his previous arrangements as if they were his own treasures.

At this moment, many officials of the Ministry of Revenue suddenly realized that Zhang Yunxiu seemed to have made thorough preparations long before he crushed the gentry of Jiangnan.

In this subtle and gradual process, the Ming Dynasty seemed to have undergone earth-shattering changes. The downfall of the Jiangnan gentry was merely the beginning of all the changes.

Two old men were acting suspiciously outside the window. Shen Shixing had one ear pressed against the window, while Zhang Juzheng had his hands behind his back, looking rather profound.

He subtly tugged at the belt at the back of his waist before speaking slowly.

"I thought this kid had some kind of plan, but it's just the same old stuff."

Shen Shixing smiled slightly: "The Emperor is still not satisfied. With these plans, the troubles in Jiangnan should be alleviated soon. With such a promising talent, the Wanli Emperor's revival is just around the corner!"

He has been in a good mood lately, and for Shen Shixing, the current arrangement by Wang Xijue and others is a win-win situation.

With sufficient fiscal revenue, the people also had a chance to catch their breath. The millions of acres of fertile land in Jiangnan should be able to help the Ming Dynasty support its existence for another hundred years, right?
Not to mention, the imperial court has basically escaped the financial crisis thanks to the Western Hills, and in Shen Shixing's view, the future is bright.

"But don't be too happy too soon."

Zhang Juzheng's face remained as calm as still water.

"As the 'Strategies of the Warring States' says, 'He who travels a hundred li is only halfway there at ninety.' This is just the beginning. This young man is doing everything in his power to make trade in Jiangnan prosperous and to lift the sea ban to facilitate commerce. Zhang Yunxiu's new policies have already been implemented."

This is a road that our ancestors never set foot on. Whether we can succeed, and how many hardships and dangers we will encounter, remains to be seen.

Shen Shixing smiled and said, "In five or six days it will be New Year's Day. Your family has worked hard all year and deserves a rest. From now on, we can leave things to the young people."

"Leave it to him?"

Zhang Juzheng frowned deeply as he looked at Zhang Yunxiu's nonchalant demeanor in the hall.

At this moment, the kid was slamming his fist on the table, giving his closing remarks—where was the slightest hint of composure and steadiness in his demeanor?

"You damn fool! I, the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, hereby declare that if anyone dares to hoard goods and engage in speculation again, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will come directly to their door for a 'physical extermination'!"
Your Ministry of Revenue needs to align its granularity with that of the Western Hills and understand the underlying logic! You must consistently focus on your specific areas, work diligently to reach a consensus, and ensure the success of the Ming Dynasty's economic development!

Our goal is not only to manage the current economy well, but also to broaden our horizons completely and let the countries of Southeast Asia and the West see the might of our Great Ming!

Our goal is the stars and the sea!

Shen Shixing's smile froze instantly, and he said rather awkwardly.

"Zhang Zhangwei usually likes to use some strange words, which seem incomprehensible, but in fact they are traceable and full of profound meaning."

No problem, no problem~ He's still young~ Hahaha~

Shen Shixing let out a strange, dry laugh.

Zhang Juzheng's expression was uncertain, and he finally sighed and said...

"He just likes to fool around. If he wants to become the chief minister, he'll have to wait at least another ten years."

After saying this, he walked through the snow and headed towards the door.

"ten years?"

The thought that Zhang Yunxiu would only be in his early twenties ten years from now made Shen Shixing feel uneasy.

He quickly followed Zhang Juzheng's footsteps, and the two left a trail of footprints in the snow-covered landscape.

After the two left the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Shixing looked at the bustling scene of people coming and going on the street and couldn't help but sigh.

"The days pass quickly, and the end of the year is just around the corner. This year is much better. The court has silver, and the rewards will be plentiful. I think not only the people of the capital, but also the officials of the capital will be able to have a good year."

“Hmm.” Zhang Juzheng then reminded him, “We must not be careless. The Lantern Festival is just after New Year’s Day. The arrangements for the court still need to be refined. We must not make any mistakes.”

Shen Shixing was somewhat surprised: "Is the Lantern Festival really going to be restarted?"

Zhang Juzheng nodded slightly: "In previous years, I intentionally stopped His Majesty from holding the Lantern Festival because I was afraid that this would be a waste of resources and money and encourage extravagance."

In retrospect, this "extravagant trend" wasn't entirely a bad thing. The court had money, the people had a livelihood, and sharing joy with the people was only natural.

Without Zhang Juzheng needing to say more, Shen Shixing immediately grasped the deeper meaning, and he narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

"I suppose countries like Annam and Tibet will also come to pay tribute?"

"Hmm," Zhang Juzheng said with a deep gaze. "Now that the Ming Dynasty has lifted the sea ban and intends to promote commerce, things will certainly not be the same as before."

Shen Shixing added, "Firstly, it can show the foreign countries the prosperity of our Great Ming, so that they will not have any petty thoughts. Secondly, it can announce to the world that our Great Ming is determined to open up the seas. Thirdly, it can serve as a stepping stone for the spread of Confucianism, making the journey to foreign countries smoother for Wang Xijue and others."

Zhang Juzheng glanced at Shen Shixing but remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

(End of this chapter)