prosperous age

Today, Wei Guangde had a lot to talk about with the Wanli Emperor, and when he returned to his duty room, he wrote down several things one by one.

One of his measures after the founding of the court was to restore academies in various regions. Another measure was to add a supplementary list to the current imperial examination and select officials specifically for the southwest region.

In addition, preparations for upgrading Liaodong to a province should begin in the imperial court.

This is no small matter; the addition of the Liaodong Provincial Administration Commission and the Provincial Surveillance Commission would mean a number of new positions.

However, the most troublesome thing is that Liaodong was under military control before, even though Dacheng had prefectures and counties.

But overall, the military has a great deal of power.

However, there's no rush. We can make a detailed division of the matter after Qi Jiguang returns to the capital.

After all, Liaodong has always been a border town.

Furthermore, the future status of the Nurgan region is a matter that requires discussion within the cabinet.

As the time for the end of the yamen was fast approaching, Wei Guangde first wrote a note to Zhang Xueyan of the Ministry of Revenue, instructing him to select capable officials to prepare for the audit, and then had Lu Bu send someone to deliver it to the Ministry of Revenue. Only then did he send someone to invite Shen Shixing and others over.

"Your Excellency, the Grand Secretary."

Before long, Shen Shixing, Yu Youding, and others entered Wei Guangde's duty room, greeted each other, and sat down.

"Now that everyone is here, let's talk about today's memorial. Is there anything you're unsure about? You can bring it up now and we can discuss it together."

Wei Guangde sat in the seat of honor this time, while Shen Shixing, the second assistant minister, could only sit in the seat on the left.

"They are all memorials from various places, and the important ones were submitted before the New Year."

Everyone's attention was first drawn to Wang Jiaping. In fact, he and Xu Guo were the lowest in rank, but because he was younger, Wang Jiaping was ranked last.

He then spoke up and recounted the memorials he had seen that day.

Next were Xu Guo, Yu Youding, and finally Shen Shixing.

"Since there's nothing important, I'll talk about what happened today."

The Ministry of Revenue rejected the request for the transfer of 300,000 taels of silver from the palace yesterday, and today submitted a memorial explaining the situation.

His Majesty took this matter very seriously. At noon, Eunuch Zhang Hong came over in person, and in the afternoon I was also summoned to the Qianqing Palace to discuss it further.
Therefore, after the explanation, His Majesty also realized that this matter was of utmost importance.

However, the lantern festival had already been held, and it was held very well, so it couldn't be taken back.

The money still needs to be spent; otherwise, how will we cover the costs of materials and labor?

As Wei Guangde spoke, he noticed a hint of joy appear on Xu Guo's face, while Shen Shixing and Yu Youding looked slightly surprised, and Wang Jiaping remained silent, keeping his eyes down.

Upon hearing this, Wei Guangde continued, "After discussing it with His Majesty, he agreed that the excess expenditure would be borne by the inner court and the Ministry of Revenue, and also agreed to allow the Ministry of Revenue to audit the accounts of the Aoshan Lantern Festival."

In fact, the key point is to audit the accounts. In the past, the outer court had almost no way to deal with matters involving the inner court.

In reality, the inner and outer courts were clearly separated. The outer court rarely had access to the affairs of the inner court, as they were all treated as the emperor's family matters and handled by the inner court itself.

Even if someone commits a crime, the Imperial Guards will take direct action.

After all, that's what the Eastern Depot did—investigate within the palace.

Now that the affairs have finally been handed over to the outer court, smiles appeared on the faces of several cabinet ministers.

Those little thoughts from before have all been temporarily put aside in the face of this important matter.

"I sent a note to Minister Zhang, asking him to come to the palace with me tomorrow to discuss the verification matters with Eunuch Zhang."

This matter needs to be handled quickly. Although the overspending is quite substantial, as long as they haven't been dishonest, the confiscated silver should be enough to cover the shortfall.

Wei Guangde suddenly laughed. After all, even if those people embezzled more than 100,000 taels of silver, the double fine would be enough to make up for the deficit of 300,000 taels of silver.

There aren't many left.

The key point is that this might be a good start.

If a similar incident occurs again, this can serve as a precedent, leading to an audit and a double fine.

This was still the punishment given that the emperor did not pursue the matter of corruption. If criminal liability had been pursued, the result would likely have been confiscation of property and property registration.

"In addition, His Majesty and I also discussed several important matters that the court will undertake in the spring."

Besides what I told you before, that I plan to ask His Majesty to issue an edict at the beginning of the year to allow local academies to reopen, regarding the issue of governance in the southwest…”

Wei Guangde also selected many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from the Ministry of Personnel to serve as officials in the southwestern prefectures and counties. Most of them chose to resist, and apart from those officials who were demoted and reassigned, they would obediently go to the southwestern region. In fact, most officials were unwilling to go.

This is something that everyone in the court knows, and there's nothing they can do to punish them.

This brings us to the complex and intertwined situation. After all, if someone has given up their official position, what can you do?
Moreover, many powerful and influential people in the capital were actually secretly lending money at exorbitant interest rates, just like Wei Guangde.

Wei Guangde openly disbursed money to the public within the limits allowed by the imperial court, while these powerful figures mostly disbursed money beyond those limits.

After all, no one ever complains about having too much money.

Moreover, even before the year of the grand competition, they would prepare even more silver to distribute.

Of course, these newly added private funds were only for the use of those tribute students.

The palace examination did not eliminate candidates; as long as one passed the metropolitan examination, becoming an official of the imperial court was a certainty.

For these people, borrowing and exchanging money is incredibly easy.

Although Zhang Juzheng and Wei Guangde's reforms had deprived local governments of the right to impose exorbitant taxes and levies, this was not the only way for local governments to raise money.

There are many ways.

However, when it comes to taking on lawsuits, unless it's a trivial matter between ordinary people, as long as it involves local gentry, they must win the case for the sake of face.

Local gentry and wealthy families would try their best to curry favor with local officials in order to avoid trouble.

Although lending money to successful candidates in the imperial examinations doesn't bring in money as quickly as it did in earlier years, it's still a sure-fire way to make money.

Everyone knows these kinds of things happen, but they're all private transactions and very difficult to verify.

Moreover, the connections behind the scenes are often extremely wide-ranging.

Often, as long as it doesn't cause a huge uproar, people habitually choose to turn a blind eye.

Because of the complex relationships involved, these scholars who borrowed money naturally hoped to be assigned to good places so that they could recover their principal and interest more easily.

Of course, Wei Guangde wasn't talking about lending money, but rather about how few of the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were willing to serve as officials in the southwest, so he proposed setting up a supplementary list.

Those who passed the supplementary examination were allowed to participate in the palace examination and enter officialdom as the lowest-ranking candidates in the third class, with their positions selected in the southwest.

"What if they participate in the palace examination but then refuse to go?"

Yu Youding said with concern.

"Remove his Jinshi status and ban him from taking the provincial examination three times."

Wei Guangde spoke calmly.

The punishment will certainly not be severe, but it will definitely not be lenient either.

The status of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) is earned through examination, and therefore cannot be revoked.

However, he would definitely lose his Jinshi status. He either had to give it up or participate in the palace examination, which would only allow him to serve as an official in the southwest, which was the only option.

However, the most severe punishment was actually the ban on the eligibility for the provincial examinations three times, which wasted nine years.

Nine years is enough time to complete all the exams in one go.

It should be noted that, according to the system, the longest term for an official is nine years.

After completing nine years of examinations, they would inevitably be transferred to another place to serve as officials, and most of them would be promoted to some extent.

This delay is not just about time, but also about rank.

In other words, Wei Guangde's holding of the supplementary list for the metropolitan examination was actually giving those who passed the exam a chance to choose to become candidates for the imperial examination and take up official positions.

"Second-ranked candidate in the provincial examination."

This was the first time Wei Guangde had mentioned this news, so several cabinet ministers began to discuss whether it was appropriate to use this method to supplement officials in the southwest.

Generally speaking, it is known that in the southwest, there are few officials who have passed the imperial examinations; most are officials who have passed the provincial examinations, and there are even some who have passed the county-level examinations.

Those who can fight their way through the imperial examinations are far more reliable than those who only passed the provincial or county-level examinations. "This matter is of great importance. I think it would be best to convene the officials of the Ministry of Rites tomorrow to discuss it."

We should go back and carefully consider the pros and cons. This method ultimately increases the quota for Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and the Ministry of Personnel should also participate.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty did not lack officials overall.

After all, three hundred people enter officialdom every three years.

However, for various reasons, some local official positions remain unfilled.

It must also be emphasized that officials and clerks are different.

"I think this method is still feasible."

Shen Shixing offered his suggestion.

Clearly, he did support the suggestion, but he felt it was a big deal and that, if not summoning the Nine Ministers, at least the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel should be involved in the discussion.

This reform will have the greatest impact on these two government departments.

The Ministry of Rites was alright; since they were in charge of the imperial examinations, they certainly had a say.

The Ministry of Personnel, well, the number of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) is increasing, but how much more is appropriate is something that needs to be discussed, depending on the shortage of officials in the southwest.

Generally speaking, even if a candidate makes the supplementary list, they may not be willing to participate in the final examination; there is also the possibility of them dropping out.

Although nothing was finalized, the news spread throughout the capital's official circles that very night.

This was also a common practice in the Ming Dynasty. Everyone believed that one's actions should be "open and aboveboard," with nothing to hide. Therefore, the court, from top to bottom, generally tacitly approved the spread of such news.

And when the officialdom found out, the literati naturally found out as well.

Most scholars wholeheartedly supported the disguised increase in the number of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

After all, the list of 300 successful candidates remains unchanged, but a supplementary list is added. Those on the supplementary list can register at the Ministry of Rites to participate in the palace examination, and then the Ministry of Personnel will directly arrange for them to go to the southwest.

Although it was a remote and impoverished area in the southwest, it was still a way to enter officialdom.

If you do a good job as an official, you'll have a chance to be transferred after nine years.

This was also an opportunity for most people from poor families to enter officialdom.

Yes, the sons of the gentry had the confidence to refuse to serve as officials in remote areas.

However, for students from ordinary families, being able to make the list and achieve great success is an opportunity they should not miss.

Wei Guangde has always attached great importance to public opinion.

Regardless of the saying "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it," at Wei Guangde's level, besides emphasizing balance, he was more concerned about his reputation.

Having a good reputation makes governing easier.

Take Zhang Juzheng's case, for example. It was a case that should have caused a huge uproar, but when it was announced that Hai Rui would be sent to investigate, no one discussed it anymore, and everyone just waited for the results.

That's the power of fame.

If cabinet members generally agree, it basically means that most officials will not object; it all depends on the reaction of the Shihlin faction.

Don't think that increasing the number of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) means that scholars should support it.

In reality, the key point is how the literati view the Jinshi status obtained by the supplementary list of successful candidates.

If the Shihlin (a local academic community) holds a negative view, such as considering it "inappropriate," it could very likely cause successful candidates to give up the opportunity altogether.

The imperial court issued a supplementary list, but all those who made the final list gave up, which was a blow to the court's reputation and would also affect him personally.

"How did those guild halls spread the word?"

In the study of the Wei family mansion, Wei Guangde was reading tonight, also waiting for Zhang Ji to bring back news he had gathered.

"The various guild halls are all discussing it, but no great Confucian scholars have spoken out on it, so they are all very restrained."

However, it's clear that most students from impoverished backgrounds held a supportive attitude, with only a few dismissing it, saying that those who passed the supplementary examination were unworthy of being called Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

Zhang Ji quietly reported the situation to Wei Guangde, while occasionally stealing glances at the master's expression.

“Those gentry sons are naturally looked down upon. In the past, these people would not obey the orders of the Ministry of Personnel and would find all sorts of excuses to get by.”

I still value students from underprivileged backgrounds more. Do they receive more support?

Wei Guangde asked in a low voice.

"Few voiced their support, but even fewer voiced their opposition."

Zhang Ji said.

"Hehe, it's rare to learn to be patient so early."

Wei Guangde laughed.

The imperial court ultimately did not make a decision, and few people would express their stance at this time, which was a normal behavior of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

"Has word gotten out that the Ministry of Revenue is going to investigate the inner court's accounts?"

Wei Guangde asked again.

"It was mainly passed around among officials, and everyone applauded and praised the official, saying that he was upright and incorruptible."

Zhang Ji immediately said.

"Hehe, I wonder what Zhang Jing is doing right now?"
Go check on Zhang Jing's situation.

Wei Guangde was very satisfied with the praise from the officials. This was exactly the effect he wanted.

However, he was more curious about what Zhang Jing was doing at the moment.

"Crash."

The sound of porcelain shattering echoed continuously from the main room, accompanied by sharp shouts and curses.

This is Zhang Jing's residence. At this moment, he is smashing everything in sight, regardless of whether these things are valuable or not.

In the afternoon, Zhang Jing received news from his son that Wei Guangde had persuaded Emperor Wanli to investigate the accounts of the Aoshan Lantern Festival in the Qianqing Palace.

Zhang Jing immediately went to the emperor, but the result was, of course, nothing to say.

Zhang Jing dared not admit that he had amassed over 100,000 taels of silver from this lantern festival, but his subordinates had also taken a considerable amount.

If he really told the Emperor, who knows if the Emperor would be furious and execute him immediately.

However, after his appearance, Emperor Wanli seemed to realize something.

He told him about the double penalty.

If the case is confirmed, even if the Emperor shows mercy, he will still have to pay out 300,000 taels of silver.

Does Zhang Jing have that much silver? Of course he does.

Officials make money to improve their living standards; the money comes quickly and goes quickly.

Eunuchs hoarded their money; what kind of ambition could they possibly have?
The luxurious enjoyment they usually indulged in was actually just something they took from the palace; things from outside were naturally offered to them by others, so they didn't actually spend much money.

Despite the short time Zhang Jing rose to prominence, he had already amassed no less than 400,000 taels of silver in his private treasury.

Some of these were tributes received from the palace, amounting to over 100,000 taels.

After becoming the eunuch, he received even more tributes from outside the palace.

Officials and wealthy people who wanted to curry favor with him sent him a lot of money, which he accepted without question.

Many of these people don't expect anything in return for giving gifts; they wait for the right opportunity.

For example, officials can't just wait until the fire is burning before they start seeking help; they have to get things ready well in advance.

The wealthy merchants were in the same boat. Zhang Jing was still thinking about where to get boat licenses, and forgot about the hole in the Aoshan Lantern Festival.

Only then did he realize how much he felt sorry for the person.

He wasn't afraid of the emperor, but he was worried about spending money. (End of Chapter)