prosperous age

No one expected that such a momentous decision would be made so quickly that the emperor's decree would be issued from the Qianqing Palace within half a day after the Ministry of War submitted its report.

Even before the news had spread to the capital's official circles and begun to circulate among the common people, the emperor had already made his decision.

Emperor Wanli was not lacking in decisiveness and execution. Even though he was worried about the impending war just a few days ago, when the memorials were actually placed in front of him, he found that he could not find any ideas that would change his mind.

It's no surprise that an imperial edict was issued to start a war. To this end, the Court of State Ceremonies, which was in charge of the court assembly, urgently sent a document to all government offices in the capital, announcing that the court assembly would be held the next morning.

Yes, the declaration of war will not be issued casually. After being drafted by the cabinet and approved by the six ministries, it will be read aloud to the public at the morning court tomorrow.

In fact, there are not many secrets in the Ming Dynasty's imperial court.

Many people hesitate, are cautious, and are unable to make a decision for a long time when a planned event comes up, for various reasons.

However, thanks to the careful guidance of Zhang Juzheng and Wei Guangde, Emperor Wanli did not experience such problems.

Because he knew that the emperor's decision was everything.

Wei Guangde had already laid enough groundwork for him. If the war went badly, Wei Guangde would be the one to take the blame, and he would face attacks and accusations from both the court and the public.

As the emperor, he would not have to bear too much responsibility for making decisions because of his youth.

Because he understood this point, Emperor Wanli was able to issue the decree decisively.

More than a decade later, when all the officials opposed his decision to send troops, he remained the same, even more decisive, completely acting on his own initiative, ignoring the advice of his ministers, insisting on sending troops to Korea to fight the Japanese pirates, and even paying for the Ming army's military expenses out of his own pocket.

Outside the Forbidden City, news spread rapidly that the imperial court would dispatch a large army to conquer Japan and keep the war outside its borders.

The most excited were naturally the merchants from the southeast.

It wasn't just out of hatred for the Japanese pirates, but also out of fear.

Now that the imperial court has dispatched troops to the east, it means that they no longer need to worry about Japanese pirates ravaging the southeast again, and the flames of war will no longer ravage their homeland.

"clap clap"

Someone started setting off firecrackers right there on the street. The bright red firecrackers exploded when lit by the fuses, making a crisp sound.

When Wei Guangde and Zhang Siwei returned to the cabinet, Xu Xuemo, the Minister of Rites, was already there, having a heated conversation with Shen Shixing.

Meanwhile, Zeng Shengwu, Yan Qing, and other officials also arrived.

They knew about the previous eastern expedition and had discussed it privately with Wei Guangde. Now that the Ministry of War was about to take action, they naturally had to express their opinions as well.

In the duty room at Shenshi, after a brief silence as Wei Guangde and Zhang Siwei entered, Xu Xuemo, Yan Qing, and others stood up, first bowing to Wei Guangde and Zhang Siwei, and then inquiring about news from the palace.

Although they had heard some rumors after arriving at the cabinet, supposedly originating from the Qianqing Palace, they still needed to ask in person to clarify the matter.

"His Majesty has instructed the cabinet to draft an edict, which will be read aloud at tomorrow's morning court session."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"His Majesty has agreed?"

Xu Xuemo pressed for an answer.

Wei Guangde nodded. "We cannot allow the Japanese pirates to plunder our China any longer. This is His Majesty's will."

The main purpose of this eastern expedition was to force the King of Japan to submit, for the major lords of Japan to properly control their samurai, and to pay reparations for the Japanese invasion.

Since the founding of the dynasty, the imperial court has paid too high a price to quell the Japanese pirate raids; this time, it must reclaim everything.

Wei Guangde knew what Xu Xuemo wanted to say. It was nothing more than what was rumored outside: the emperor and the Grand Secretary had their eyes on the legendary gold and silver mountains of Japan, and the so-called compensation was actually a pretext to force Japan to cede territory and pay reparations.

Just as he finished speaking, Jiang Zhi, Zhang Xueyan, and others rushed to the cabinet.

After exchanging greetings and sitting down, Wei Guangde reiterated the emperor's will, after which Xu Xuemo and Zhang Xueyan had a minor argument.

In Xu Xuemo's view, it was fine to teach Japan a lesson, but ceding territory and paying reparations seemed to be contrary to the way of the sages and the policies of a benevolent king.

However, he was the only one in the room who insisted on his opinion, while the Ministry of Revenue was quite happy to ask for more.

Although the imperial court has temporarily overcome the difficult period, who would complain about having too much money?

Moreover, from the Zhengde reign to the Jiajing reign, the old warehouses of the Imperial Treasury managed by the Ministry of Revenue were opened one by one, and the silver was never resealed.

It is reasonable to make Japan compensate the Ming Dynasty for the losses it has suffered over the past century.

Wei Guangde, on the other hand, discussed with Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing how to draft the edict of punitive expedition.

They completely ignored the ongoing debate, since it didn't touch on the fundamental issues; it was merely a discussion about the post-war period.

However, after the afternoon court session ended, Wei Guangde returned to his residence. When Zhang Ji greeted him, Wei Guangde immediately said, "Wait for me in the study."

Today, Zhang Siwei was playing tricks again, which made Wei Guangde feel a little unhappy. He also realized that this colleague seemed to be eager to find ways to undermine his prestige.

Imagine what would happen if Emperor Wanli hesitated today?

Officials below the fifth rank in the court were unaware of the plans, but most high-ranking officials of the second and third ranks knew about the plans of the cabinet and the Ministry of War, only to varying degrees.

With the Ministry of War's memorial remaining in the capital, these people naturally had many thoughts, and even began to doubt his influence as the Grand Secretary over the emperor.

This is certainly not good for him to maintain his current position.

When Wei Guangde changed into civilian clothes in the backyard and came to the study, Zhang Ji hurriedly bowed and waited for Wei Guangde's orders.

"Send another batch of opium to Shanxi and tell them to use it all up within a month, leaving none behind."

After that, you are not allowed to use that thing anymore.

Remember, I don't want to leave behind a single piece of opium.

People were gradually withdrawn and sent to Jiangxi.

Wei Guangde didn't want to keep Zhang Siwei in the court anymore; keeping him around would always be a hidden danger, so it was better to let him leave as soon as possible.

Who knows when you might become careless and leave yourself a reason for him to attack you?

Perhaps he knew he couldn't compete with him in the short term, but he never seemed to give up on causing him trouble.

When Li Chunfang retired, it was because he repeatedly yielded to Gao Gong in cabinet meetings, which eventually caused him to lose prestige among the officials and forced him to leave.

Zhang Siwei lacks Gao Gong's sharp edge, but he tries every means to undermine his prestige, which is dangerous.

As for Zhang Jing, Wei Guangde couldn't do anything about him. Zhang Hong was now the Minister of the Interior, and Wei Guangde had to maintain a good relationship with him.

Meanwhile, Emperor Wanli had finished his work for the day and ordered wine and dishes to be prepared. He set up a table in the Imperial Garden and began to drink.

The story of Emperor Wanli's fondness for alcohol is recorded in historical books. Even as a young boy, Emperor Wanli became enamored with wine and often got drunk, causing quite a few incidents.

Previously, with Feng Bao still around, Emperor Wanli was relatively restrained, because once Feng Bao learned of his alcoholism, the news would undoubtedly reach Cining Palace quickly, and he would be met with the Empress Dowager's scolding.

Now that Feng Bao is gone, the sword of Damocles hanging over his head has disappeared, naturally allowing him to act recklessly and do whatever he wants.

Without the Empress Dowager's spies around him, at least even if they were, they wouldn't dare to spread information about the Emperor anymore.

Feng Bao is a role model. Feng Bao was lucky enough to be able to go to Nanjing to eke out a living, but they didn't.

Zhang Jing was standing next to Emperor Wanli, constantly pouring him wine and praising his drinking capacity.

Zhang Hong knew the news and stood at a distance for a long time, but ultimately did not go over.

In fact, Zhang Jing should never have appeared by the emperor's side; Zhang Hong had no intention of grooming Zhang Jing.

This kid just got lucky and caught the emperor's eye. Because he wasn't trained and had to rely entirely on himself, Zhang Hong is now finding it somewhat difficult to discipline Zhang Jing.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty had certain requirements for the eunuchs serving the emperor. In particular, those who flattered the emperor or used strange skills and tricks to bewitch him were punished.

Of course, in reality, even a high-ranking eunuch often didn't have many good solutions when encountering such people.

After all, these people are by the emperor's side, and they can't be easily dealt with. If the emperor protects his own, they might end up in a bad situation.

Now Zhang Hong is facing such a problem: although his godson is his own son, he has done something that is not allowed.

Given the current situation, if he were to deal with Zhang Jing, the emperor might protect him.

As for reporting the matter to the Empress Dowager, Zhang Hong was also somewhat worried, as Feng Bao was a cautionary tale.

"Ugh."

With a sigh, Zhang Hong turned and left, returning to the Directorate of Ceremonial to handle official documents.

Although the most important matter today is naturally the drafting of the imperial edict for the eastern expedition by the cabinet, there are also many other reports that need to be carefully reviewed by the Directorate of Ceremonial before being sent to the emperor.

However, not long after Zhang Hong left, Zhang Jing deliberately said, "Your Majesty, this jar of Shaoxing rice wine is a fine wine that has been secretly stored in the palace for twenty years. It is rare even in Jiangnan."

"Hehe, wine is for drinking. Have someone take stock of it tomorrow. If there is any shortage, issue an imperial edict to order the local area to send tribute."

The Wanli Emperor was slightly drunk at this point, having already consumed more than half of the jar of wine. He was still somewhat sober, but the effects of the alcohol would soon take hold.

"As you command, I will personally go and investigate tomorrow."

Zhang Jing quickly added with a smile, "I've heard that the Jiangnan region is wonderful, while the North is bitterly cold. Our capital city is nothing like Nanjing."

Next, Zhang Jing went on to praise Nanjing, and before he knew it, he was talking about Feng Bao, who had been punished to guard the imperial tombs in Nanjing. He even seemed to envy Feng Bao, saying that he had gone to a good place to retire.

At this point, Emperor Wanli was even more intoxicated, and upon hearing this, his brows furrowed.

Feng Bao was a thorn in his side, and it had taken him a long time to get rid of him. Now that he was being mentioned again, it was inevitable that he would feel bad.

Yes, Jiangnan is indeed better. But is it really a punishment to send Feng Bao to Nanjing to guard the imperial tombs, or is it a way for him to retire peacefully?

Thinking of Wei Guangde's secret memorial two days ago, pleading for Feng Bangning's life, the Embroidered Uniform Guard also reported that Feng Bao's younger brother, Feng You, had died in prison.

Well, let's just let him die peacefully for now.

Thinking back to how Feng Bao had always been by her side since she could remember, her heart softened.

"I heard that the officials and Imperial Guards escorting him treated Eunuch Feng with great courtesy; he didn't seem like someone who had been punished."

Meanwhile, Zhang Jing was still talking, seemingly oblivious to everything.

"Jinyiwei"

The Wanli Emperor suddenly uttered a sentence.

"Yes, it is said that the Grand Secretary sent his chief steward Zhang Ji to see him off that day, and also made a special request to the officials from Shuntian Prefecture and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to treat Feng Bao well."

Zhang Jing hurriedly added, "I heard that the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard goes to the Grand Secretariat more often than he comes to the Qianqing Palace."

My godfather was constantly busy processing memorials at the Directorate of Ceremonial, which also served as a form of discipline over the Eastern Depot.

"The Eastern Depot, the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Emperor Wanli tilted his head and thought for a moment, recalling that he seemed to have given an order for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to act under Wei Guangde's command.

However, he still kept in mind that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a weapon in the emperor's hand.

Yes, the Embroidered Uniform Guard represented the emperor in external affairs, while the Eastern Depot represented the emperor in supervising the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He picked up the wine glass on the table, drank it down in one gulp, and slammed the glass down on the table.

It wasn't that Emperor Wanli did this intentionally, but rather that he was confused and somewhat unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

"Your Majesty, let me fill your cup. Would you like a couple more snacks to go with your drink?"

Zhang Jing continued speaking with a fawning expression.

"Doesn't Zhang Hong have time to deal with the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

The Wanli Emperor looked at the refilled wine cup and suddenly asked a question.

“My godfather has been busy at the Directorate of Ceremonial these days. I heard there are quite a few memorials to the emperor. He’s only been to the Eastern Depot once.”

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Zhang Jing betrayed his godfather in front of the emperor.

However, there were no eunuchs serving them at this time; they were all standing far away, so no one should have heard their conversation.

"Zhang Jing, then I order you to go to the Eastern Depot and take control of it, as well as the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

A look of surprise appeared on Zhang Jing's face. If the inner court wanted to extend its reach outside, the Eastern Depot was certainly the best way.

Well, although he managed to get rid of Feng Bao and his rank improved, he was still just serving the emperor and didn't gain any real power.

Taking advantage of the opportunity today, he said that Zhang Hong was too busy to manage the Eastern Depot, but in fact he wanted to ask the emperor for a favor so that he could take on a part-time job.

Now everything is fine, the goal has been achieved.

"Someone is coming."

Emperor Wanli raised his voice and shouted.

"Your Majesty, this servant is here."

The eunuch Wang An hurriedly came over from a distance and bowed before the emperor to receive his orders.

"Go tell Zhang Hong that from now on, Zhang Jing will be in charge of the Eastern Depot's affairs, and he should focus on the affairs of the Directorate of Ceremonial."

"The imperial decree for the eastern expedition will be issued tomorrow, and he'll inevitably have to deal with the court a lot from now on; he'll be quite busy."

After Emperor Wanli finished speaking, he picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. Then he said to Zhang Jing, "Tomorrow, go to the Eastern Depot and also go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard to tell Liu Shouyou to release Feng Bangning and make him get out of the capital and never come back."

In the end, that slight moment of sympathy led Emperor Wanli to decide to spare the Feng family's life and banish them from the capital.

Whether Feng Bangning went to Nanjing to find Feng Bao or someone else was none of his business; it was also a way of giving Master Wei face.

Actually, he hated Feng Bao, but didn't hate the others much.

The handling of some matters actually depends mainly on the Prime Minister's skills.

For example, when Zhang Juzheng's family suffered misfortune, the Grand Secretary was already Shen Shixing, but he did not offer any assistance when he was purging Zhang's family, which may have been partly due to his grudge against Zhang Juzheng.

If the Zhang family hadn't suffered such tragic fates of starvation and exile, which aroused public outrage, this matter might never have been resolved.

Outside Busan Port, a small boat, propelled by two crew members rowing vigorously, gradually sailed away from the dock and headed towards the distant deep sea.

"Hurry, the Ming patrol boats have just left. If we can't get out now, we'll miss our chance."

On the bow of the ship, an elderly man with a moon-shaped head spoke in a soft but stern voice.

The rowers rowed harder, and the small boat accelerated, soon leaving the harbor and heading towards Tsushima Island.

Since the Ming navy arrived a month ago, they have blockaded Busan Port. (End of Chapter)