Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 56 A Thousand Pieces of Gold for a Horse's Bones (Seeking Votes)
To accomplish great things, the two most important things are: having a clear strategic vision and being able to manage personnel effectively.

Even if you don't understand the strategy to an extreme degree, as long as you understand personnel matters, there will naturally be people who understand strategy to help you come up with ideas.

With the strategic direction and personnel in place, as time goes on, achievements and prestige will naturally follow.

Of all the complex matters, human affairs come first. This has always been true, from ancient times to the present.

……

The afternoon sun diffused into the hall, making everyone feel warm and cozy.

Zhu Youjian leaned back on his wide throne, his expression calm, carefully flipping through the candidates' petitions one by one.

This task was undoubtedly tedious, but Zhu Youjian did it with great patience.

For a feudal dynasty with a vast territory and slow communication, every appointment was a gamble on the fate of the nation.

Of course, since the officials chosen now are all under our noses, the consequences might not be so severe.

However, given the precarious situation facing the Ming Dynasty, every bit of advantage it can accumulate is crucial, as this is how it can gradually snowball.

His gaze first fell on the list of candidates for Minister of Justice.

The first name is Su Maoxiang, the current Minister of Granary.

The Ministry of Revenue in Beijing received revenue in two parts: silver in cash and grain from the Grand Canal and the grain transport to and from the capital region.

The so-called Minister of Granaries was in charge of the granaries in the capital and Tongzhou, which were used to store grain and fodder.

Zhu Youjian looked at the densely packed resume on the document. This person had served in the six ministries of the central government and local prefectures, and his qualifications were quite impressive.

Unfortunately, he was too weak-willed. In order to curry favor with Wei Zhongxian, he even built a shrine next to the ancestral mausoleum in Fengyang, which was truly obsequious.

The second one was Chen Jiuchou, who was an even more talented person.

This man was a scholar who passed the imperial examinations, and his official career should have been bleak.

However, thanks to his role in framing members of the Donglin Party, he rose to a high-ranking position in the government.

Wei Zhongxian was bad, but he was genuinely rewarded for his deeds.

The fact that the world could be turned around in just three short years is not solely due to Tianqi's support; Boss Wei's magnanimity also played a part.

The third is Qiao Yunsheng, the former Minister of Justice, who is currently retired at home.

This Mr. Qiao is the champion of longevity among the candidates in this round. He is 74 years old now and is already in his seventies.

Zhu Youjian lightly tapped Qiao Yunsheng's name with his fingertip, a cold smile creeping onto his face.

What a great list of candidates.

Two staunch supporters of the eunuch faction, and one an old man nearing the end of his life.

This list was specially put forward in case the new emperor was afraid that he would settle old scores as soon as he took office.
Are you trying to play this psychological trick of "false choice" on me?
Zhu Youjian casually tossed aside the three drafts from the Ministry of Justice and picked up the register of the Minister of Personnel.

Fang Zhuangli, the current Left Censor-in-Chief, has an unremarkable resume with no outstanding achievements or demerits, so we will skip him.

The only thing worth mentioning is that he is the runner-up in this round of candidates, being 72 years old this year.

Next up... Wang Yongguang.

Zhu Youjian's eyes suddenly lit up.

Good guy!
This resume is simply amazing!

He actually worked in all four ministries: Personnel, Revenue, War, and Works; the Censorate; and the Court of Judicial Review!

What's even more remarkable is that he was the Minister of War during the Battle of Ningyuan.

Judging from their resumes alone, such a person is actually quite competent.

Zhu Youjian's gaze fell on age; 66 years old, the third oldest candidate in this round...

Zhu Youjian hesitated for a moment, then turned his gaze to the last candidate, Yang Jingchen.

Today in court, this very person spoke sharply and pointedly about the Tongzhou horse fodder issue, and also recommended Lu Xiang-sheng at just the right moment.

Putting aside his posthumous accolades for Lu Xiang-sheng, this recommendation can be described as insightful and accurate in appointing people.

Lu Xiang-sheng's resume is indeed a perfect match for the task of converting horse feed into silver.

He opened Yang Jingchen's manuscript with great interest.

He served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a reader in the Hanlin Academy, and a vice minister of the Ministry of Rites. Finally, he was ordered to compile the "Essential Records of Three Reigns".

Zhu Youjian frowned slightly.

Not right.

This resume, from beginning to end, followed the most prestigious and idealistic route of the Hanlin Academy scholar, with almost no involvement in any actual financial or administrative affairs.

How could a scholar who has never set foot in a kitchen possibly know the proper cooking techniques?
In Zhu Youjian's mind, Yang Jingchen's performance in court today flashed by instantly. Every glance and every word seemed so perfect, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.

This guy... clearly did his homework beforehand and came specifically for this opportunity!

This was a targeted and precise act of speculation!

Zhu Youjian was unsure whether he should be disappointed.

He had thought this was a capable minister whose talent had been overlooked by history, but he never expected that he had come prepared with the exam questions memorized in advance.

Finally, there was the list of Ministers of War.

Zhu Youjian's expression unconsciously became serious, and he straightened his back a bit.

To discuss the Ministry of War, one cannot ignore the Later Jin dynasty.

Although this nightmare that has been entrenched in Liaodong is still blocked outside Shanhaiguan, Zhu Youjian knows clearly that history has given him little time.

Once the Later Jin dynasty annexed the various Mongol tribes in southern Mongolia, the sword hanging over the Ming dynasty's head could fall at any moment.

Historically, the Chongzhen Emperor traveled the route towards Zunhua in the second year of his reign, but this does not necessarily mean that he will travel the same route again this time.

The Jizhou Garrison, stretching over two thousand li from Bohai Thousand-Household Office to Shanhaiguan, had hundreds of passes of varying sizes. The fact that it was fortified everywhere was tantamount to leaving it undefended. The only way to break this deadlock was to transform the entire Jizhou Garrison into a second, or even stronger, military force than Liaodong.

Use a powerful field mobile army to deal with the Later Jin's iron cavalry.

It's a pity that this era didn't have Qi Jiguang.

There was also not enough money or food.

The Liaodong military tax of 5.2 million taels a year is almost draining the Ming Dynasty dry. How can we support another Jizhou garrison?
Zhu Youjian smiled inwardly. Since he had come, perhaps he could afford to support him.

But he planned to first pass the problem on to the incoming Minister of War and see what the Ming Dynasty people's proposal was.

He opened the first copy of the book, written by the pessimist Wang Zaijin.

I still patiently read through his entire resume, but after searching around, the only highlight was his time fighting Japanese pirates in Fujian during the Wanli era.

However, that was 27 years ago.

Forget it, even Emperor Tianqi didn't think much of this person and demoted him to Nanjing.

Is this some kind of scrap metal recycling station?
The second one is Howard.

He was even worse than Wang Zaijin, with little to show for his life.

The third one is Yan Mingtai... the current Governor-General of Jiliao?

Zhu Youjian carefully reviewed the resume.

Oh it's you!

Winner of the competition to build seven shrines in Wei Zhongxian's lifetime!
What a piece of national rotten wood!

I wouldn't even know you if you didn't present your name. Now you can forget about being the Governor-General of Jiliao.

Zhu Youjian slowly closed his eyes, his knuckles tapping silently on the imperial desk.

Lists and names were constantly being arranged, combined, and deduced in his mind.

After a long while, he finally opened his eyes, his gaze resolute.

"Gao Shiming."

Upon hearing the voice, Gao Shiming, who had been standing by, immediately bowed and stepped forward, saying, "This servant is here."

"Preach my will."

"Qiao Yunsheng was appointed Minister of Justice."

Do the two eunuch factions want to take control of the Ministry of Justice?
Impossible.

He will find other reasons to thoroughly siphon money from the eunuch faction again in the future.

How could I possibly hand over the hilt of this knife to the other party?

Qiao Yunsheng may be old, but at least he has a clean record and an upright character.

Let him come up here and fix things up first. Even if he dies in office, it's better than those two oddballs.

"Yang Jingchen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

Upon hearing this, Gao Shiming's heart skipped a beat.

Zhu Youjian, however, had a slight smile on his lips.

Wei Zhongxian easily promoted a mere scholar to the rank of a third-grade vice minister, which is why scholars across the land regard flattery and shrine-building as shortcuts to advancement.

This is the power of greed in human nature.

He has set Li Guopu as a role model, but the reward is only "fame".

Are there people who don't want fame but only status?

They're probably as numerous as carp crossing a river, aren't they?
Yang Jingchen is now working with this precious horse bone!

"As for the candidates for Minister of War, I am not satisfied with any of them. I hereby order the outer court to conduct a new round of selection. Furthermore, these three individuals are not permitted to be included in the list again."

Zhu Youjian paused, as if pondering something, before adding after a moment:
"Wang Yongguang, the former Minister of War, is hereby reinstated and ordered to come to the capital for an audience."

Having accomplished all this, Prosecutor Zhu Youjian breathed a long sigh of relief.

His gaze returned to the imperial desk, looking at the remaining three documents, and his anticipation rose again.

The real SSRs! They're all in here!

　As mentioned earlier, the Ming Dynasty had a large number of tax collection departments, including the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

　　Actually... the Ministry of Revenue was divided into the Beijing Ministry of Revenue and the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue, and the same was true for other ministries.

　　I couldn't find the annual revenue of the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue, but at least 120 million shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain were transported there.

　　So, are you surprised or not? The Ming Dynasty system is incredibly powerful, haha.

　　-
　　Historically, the Minister of Justice was Su Maoxiang. After studying the official careers of various people in history, I feel that he was probably promoted by the eunuch faction.

　　In fact, he also did a great deal of work to cover up his accomplices in the case of the eunuch faction's rebellion.

　　-
　　I didn't write the plot because I was afraid it would drag on.

　　The Ministry of Personnel would oversee the process, calling upon the Nine Ministers, Censors, and Imperial Censors to select candidates, typically ranging from 2 to n people.

　　Then the emperor can use either the first one or the last one.

　　If you are not satisfied, you can send it back for a second vote, and you can even punish those who participated in the court hearing.

　　They could even issue an imperial edict directly, designating someone to ascend the throne.

　　There are precedents for these.

　　However, the imperial edict format is not commonly used, as it is considered too insulting to the outer court.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)