prosperous age

"Zhang Jing, you know about the Wang palace maid, right?"

When Emperor Wanli spoke, Zhang Jing's smiling face immediately turned serious, and he lowered his head, not daring to utter a sound.

The eldest prince has spoken out. Although he is raised in Cining Palace, the news has already spread throughout the inner court, and even many people in the imperial court know about it.

Just kidding, this is the eldest son of the emperor, how could he not know?

However, as those who know also know, this eldest prince is not favored by the emperor.

Now that the emperor is questioning him, Zhang Jing only regrets coming now; it would have been better if he had come sooner or later.

However, at this moment, when the emperor asked, he dared not remain silent and could only stammer, "Yes, this servant knows."

"The Empress Dowager wants me to grant that palace maid a title, and now the cabinet agrees. What do you think I should do?"

The next moment, the Wanli Emperor suddenly asked.

"I don't know."

Zhang Jing was so frightened by the emperor's words that he almost peed himself.

Is that something a eunuch should say?
If the ancestors found out, they'd probably beat him to death and then drag him out to feed the dogs.

Because of the surgery he had undergone, the eunuch already suffered from frequent and urgent urination, and Zhang Jing already felt that his genitals were very wet.

"Useless trash, you don't even dare to say it."

Emperor Wanli said with dissatisfaction, "No matter what, I want to hear other people's opinions now."

However, he knew that the people around him were either from the Cining Palace or had intricate connections with the outer court, which made him uneasy.

What he wanted was for the emperor to be the only one in his heart, not for the empress dowager and the cabinet.

Zhang Jing entered the palace as a eunuch in the 26th year of the Jiajing reign, and was placed under the eunuch Zhang Hong. He had been in the palace for 30 years and had long since learned to read people's expressions and moods.

He was certainly familiar with the environment inside the palace.

The emperor mentioned the Empress Dowager and the cabinet, which, regardless of the emperor's true intentions, at the very least indicates that he is dissatisfied with both sides.

In an instant, Zhang Jing roughly understood the emperor's thoughts: he wanted to find someone completely trustworthy.

Then think about the people around the emperor. They were either placed by the empress dowager or had close ties with the cabinet. His own godfather was honest, but too honest. So he just accumulated seniority and slowly rose through the ranks.

In fact, Zhang Hong was already one of the luckiest eunuchs in the palace.

Many people never managed to become eunuchs from their entire lives, and when they grew old and could no longer work, they were sent to Zhongguantun to die of old age.

The emperor did speak up for him and offer him advice.

An idea popped into Zhang Jing's mind, but he quickly realized it wouldn't work because he really didn't have much knowledge.

Unlike other eunuchs who came from the Imperial Academy and were close to the emperor and were mostly learned, Zhang Jing was kept by Zhang Hong's side because he was good at reading people, flattering him, and being capable.

It doesn't matter if you're not well-educated, as long as you can grasp the emperor's psychology and speak in accordance with his wishes, you can gain his favor.

This is what Zhang Jing has learned over the years in the palace—not when facing the emperor, but when facing his own superior.

Using this tactic will make you appear as one of our own and give you important responsibilities.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jing suddenly felt a surge of anger and couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty is the Emperor. You can do whatever you want. There's no need to worry about the Empress Dowager and the Cabinet."

"What did you say?"

Emperor Wanli was sulking when he suddenly heard Zhang Jing speak, and for a moment he didn't react.

"This servant says that Your Majesty is the emperor of our Great Ming Dynasty, and you can do whatever you want without having to consider the opinions of the Empress Dowager and the Cabinet."

Zhang Jing mustered his courage and repeated it again.

"But they keep pressuring me, so what am I supposed to do?"

Emperor Wanli didn't want to listen to their nagging from the beginning, but he got annoyed by the repeated nagging and that's when he started to give in.

She thought that it would only be a title of concubine, after all, he had given birth to a son for her. Although she was not happy, it was obvious that the palace and the outer court did not see it that way. They were very happy because the dynasty had an heir.

Hearing this, Zhang Jing fully understood Emperor Wanli's mindset at this moment: he didn't want to listen to them, but he was also afraid that they would continue to nag, so he was caught in a dilemma.

In short, the emperor had already submitted, but he couldn't get over his inner hurdle and was waiting for a way out.

I felt I would lose face if I admitted it outright.

Thinking of the situation in the palace, the Empress was still favored, and the Emperor had recently taken a new favorite concubine. Zhang Jing quickly smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry."

If you're feeling down, just take a stroll through the inner palace to clear your head.

As for the matter of the palace servants, Your Majesty may grant their wish, thus avoiding their constant disturbance to Your Majesty's mood.

Upon hearing the suggestion to visit the inner palace, Emperor Wanli instantly conjured up the image of a beautiful woman named Mengjing in his mind.

Unlike the one in Kunning Palace, who was also someone he liked, Wang Xijie, as the Empress, often had to maintain a dignified demeanor.

Consort Zheng, despite her status and position, acted very casually in front of him, giving Emperor Wanli a completely different feeling.

Of course, there were many other beauties in the palace, but because of his status as emperor, they were all very proper and well-behaved, which displeased him.

He had no time to think about the palace servants anymore, and simply walked out.

"Your Majesty."

Zhang Jing spoke up again, but the emperor did not respond.

"Come with me."

Emperor Wanli thought that Zhang Jing was a decent servant, daring to consider his feelings and speaking his mind. He felt that he needed someone like Zhang Jing by his side, so he decided to keep him around to serve him.

When Zhang Jing heard the emperor call him, he was overjoyed and hurriedly followed the emperor out of the Qianqing Palace.

While on official business in the cabinet, Wei Guangde, who had once again regained control of the cabinet, was also busy dealing with other matters and was completely unaware of what was happening in the palace.

At this moment, Liu Shouyou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was in his duty room, reporting intelligence from the grasslands.

"You mean Huang Taiji is complaining in the camp again about how Anda Khan shouldn't have submitted to the court and become the Shunyi King?"

Through continuous infiltration, the secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are now able to come and go around Huang Taiji and San Niangzi, and have learned a lot of confidential information.

"Yes, after Huang Taiji succeeded his father to the throne, he often complained that his father should not have negotiated peace with the Ming Dynasty, as if he intended to provoke trouble again."

Liu Shouyou spoke up.

"Did Third Sister manage to persuade him?"

Wei Guangde pressed for more information.

"Third Lady said, 'The Celestial Empire treats me very well, allowing me to pay tribute and trade annually, so I can enjoy all the benefits without any worries. How can this compare to risking arrows and stones, escaping death ten thousand times, and hoping that I can never know what I will gain.'"

Huang Taiji seemed to have abandoned his provocative thoughts, but the situation on the other side remained uncertain.

Liu Shouyou added.

"Have the grasslands strengthen their surveillance of Huang Taiji's generals, especially the warmongers. If anyone is instigating Huang Taiji, find them and deal with them."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

The Ming Dynasty cabinet was actually somewhat hesitant to act against the grasslands.

It wasn't that he was afraid of losing, but rather that the imperial court had already invested too much in the grasslands, and if all their previous efforts were wasted because of some incident, Wei Guangde would also feel it was a pity. For example, regarding Huang Taiji's provocation, Wei Guangde couldn't order the border troops to take up arms and fight back directly.

If we can't have a real fight, then we can only do things behind the scenes and deal with the warmongers.

Huang Taiji's indecisiveness and lack of resolve are precisely what can be exploited.

With the help of the Third Sister, the trusted generals who had been instigated were killed. No one spoke to him about it, so Huang Taiji probably only thought about it in his heart, but dared not put it into practice.

Liu Shouyou hesitated for a moment, then finally clasped his hands and said, "This subordinate understands. I will go and arrange this matter."

Are there any leaders on the grasslands who still want to plunder southwards?

Of course there are, in fact quite a few, but most people have become accustomed to obtaining the supplies they need through trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Just identify those who are close to Huang Taiji and increase surveillance.

However, killing someone secretly is not easy; it requires careful consideration and planning.

Just then, Lu Bu suddenly came in from outside the door, walked up to Wei Guangde and whispered in his ear, "Master, You Qi is here."

"What is he here for?"

You Qi was the head steward of Zhang Juzheng's household. It was strange that he was not serving Zhang Juzheng at home at this time, but instead came to the cabinet.

"Outside?"

Wei Guangde asked again.

Lu Bu nodded and whispered, "Yes."

"Let him in."

After speaking to Lu Bu, Wei Guangde said to Liu Shouyou, "Let's stop here for today. You can go back now."

"We must not let our guard down on the grasslands. We must provide them with sufficient support, and avoiding war with Huang Taiji is our top priority."

Although he had anticipated this, when the time came, Wei Guangde could only try his best to avoid war.

"Yes, Grand Secretary Wei, I'll head out now."

Liu Shouyou guessed that the cabinet might have other important matters to attend to, so he tactfully took his leave.

Wei Guangde waved his hand, indicating that he could leave, but Liu Shouyou and You Qi inevitably bumped into each other at the door.

When Liu Shouyou saw You Qi, he hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting, but You Qi, who was the chief minister's servant, simply nodded slightly in return.

Wei Guangde was watching the doorway at that moment, taking in everything.

The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was the highest-ranking officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Ming Dynasty, holding the rank of third grade. He was a trusted military officer of the emperor and was directly responsible to the emperor. His duties included guarding the emperor's guards, arresting criminals, managing the imperial prison, and handling military and artisan affairs.

Because he was the military officer who was closest to the emperor among all military officers, it is no exaggeration to call him the number one military officer.

Yet, this very person was regarded as an ant in You Qi's eyes, and it seemed to be commonplace for him. This caused Wei Guangde to develop resentment towards You Qi.

Liu Shouyou left the room, while Wei Guangde, with a smile on his face, said to You Qi, "Steward You, may I ask what brings you to the Cabinet?"

Wei Guangde didn't bother asking how You Qi got in; with Zhang Juzheng's nameplate, there shouldn't be anywhere that could stop him except the inner palace.

In front of Wei Guangde, You Qi became much more restrained, which was because Wei Guangde had not realized before that these people around him were so arrogant in public.

“Grand Secretary Wei, my master has a memorial that I have asked you to deliver in person to you.”

After bowing respectfully, You Qi replied, and at the same time handed a memorial to Lu Bu with both hands.

Lu Bu hurriedly accepted it with both hands. You Qi wasn't giving it to him; he was only doing so because of Wei Ge Lao's influence.

He took it without lingering and immediately handed it over to Wei Guangde.

"How is your health, Uncle? You've been recuperating for half a month now. I wonder if there's been any improvement?"

Wei Guangde took the memorial and casually inquired about Zhang Juzheng's health.

"The master is much better now and should be able to return to the cabinet soon to carry out his duties."

He was also mindful of the numerous and complex affairs of the court, and had been troubled by the assistance of Grand Secretary Wei and the other two Grand Secretaries during this period.

At this moment, You Qi was completely different from his arrogant and domineering self outside, and answered Wei Guangde very respectfully.

"It's all part of our duties. Go back and tell your elder brother that taking good care of your health is the most important thing. We will handle things in the court. If there are any major issues, we will inform him and discuss them together."

As Wei Guangde spoke, he opened Zhang Juzheng's memorial and glanced at it. He was somewhat surprised, but he did not show it on his face.

The memorial was short but long, detailing his thoughts on the idea of ​​"equal emphasis on agriculture and commerce."

In fact, Zhang Juzheng shared similar views with traditional scholars, placing more emphasis on agricultural production, as it was the cornerstone of the court's stability.

However, the core idea in this memorial changed the previous attitude. It opposed the traditional concept of "emphasizing agriculture and neglecting commerce" and believed that agriculture and commerce should be given equal importance. It proposed the idea of ​​"reducing taxes and levies to benefit agriculture and commerce; reducing customs and market fees to benefit commerce and agriculture".

Therefore, he also opposed arbitrarily increasing commercial taxes and infringing on the interests of merchants, saying that the court's finances were becoming increasingly abundant, so there was no need to increase taxes.

"hiss"

Over the years, Wei Guangde's main contribution was increasing several sources of revenue for the imperial court, such as the exchange of silver for official documents through brokerage firms and customs duties, all of which brought real money into the Ministry of Revenue and the inner court.

There's no problem with emphasizing both agriculture and commerce, but opposing the increase of commercial taxes is somewhat contrary to Wei Guangde's ideas.

To put it bluntly, Wei Guangde has been pondering the issue of mining taxes recently.

There are not many officially operating mines in the Ming Dynasty, while the number of mines in Myanmar is increasing. Although this can meet some of the domestic demand, it is still far from enough.

Myanmar's mineral resources are mostly used to meet the needs of the south, while the north is not convenient due to transportation issues. Therefore, mining in the north, especially coal and iron mines, has been on Wei Guangde's recent radar.

The primary concern in mining is ensuring the government's tax revenue, and only then can the needs of social production be met.

With taxes, it would be easier to offset the opposition from the imperial court, or at least provide a reason to retaliate and increase fiscal revenue.

Wei Guangde didn't quite understand what Zhang Juzheng was trying to express—whether he supported the vigorous development of commerce or wanted to stop while he was ahead and gradually limit the existing scale of commerce.

Considering that Zhang Juzheng had submitted a memorial in February requesting the exemption of arrears accumulated by various provinces from the second year of the Longqing reign to the seventh year of the Wanli reign, it seems that this was also a gesture of goodwill towards the local areas.

However, he couldn't think too much at this moment, as You Qi was still standing below.

After reading it, Wei Guangde looked up at You Qi and said, "I understand. I will arrange for the document to be sent to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs in a little while."

"Then thank you very much, Elder Wei. I will take my leave now, as my master is waiting for my reply."

You Qi hurriedly bowed again and said.

"Go back and tell my uncle that we will handle things properly in the cabinet, so he doesn't need to worry. He should take good care of himself and come back to do his job as soon as possible."

"Lubu, see Steward You out."

After Wei Guangde had Lu Bu send the person away, he opened the memorial and read it carefully.

It's not Zhang Juzheng's handwriting; it looks like the style of Zhang Sixiu, the second son of Zhang Juzheng.

"He can't even hold a pen steadily anymore?"

An idea popped into Wei Guangde's mind. Looking at the last mark on the memorial, it was Zhang Juzheng's seal, not his signature.

"Hey"

Wei Guangde could only sigh deeply; it seemed the great tree that had sheltered him from the wind and rain was about to fall. (End of Chapter)