prosperous age

To avoid any unforeseen complications, Wei Guangde informed the Ministry of Personnel before the news spread, and arranged for Wei Yunzhen and Li Sancai's whereabouts.

After all, there were many hotheads among the censors, who were full of passion for the corrupt practices discussed by their colleagues and wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.

They will not give up until they achieve their goal.

Therefore, sending the person away first can prevent any lingering repercussions.

To be honest, everyone here went through a lot of hardship to pass the imperial examinations and become an official.

Over time, you'll naturally understand the benefits.

But in the officialdom, there are many greenhorns who have just entered the bureaucracy and do not yet understand many of the intricacies, yet they are still wholeheartedly devoted to public service.

Some of these people are genuinely innocent, while others are trying to use this opportunity to gain attention and fame.

Later that evening, Wei Guangde saw the note that Wei Mingliang had sent in his study.

The Ministry of Personnel intends to transfer Wei Yunzhen to the position of judge in Xuzhou, which is equivalent to the deputy prefect, in charge of criminal cases, documents, and household registration.

As for Li Sancai, he was demoted to the position of judge in Dongchang Prefecture, in charge of criminal and prison affairs.

The title "Judge" is not an official title in the underworld, but rather an official title from the feudal period of China.

The position of judge originated in the Sui Dynasty. By the Tang Dynasty, judges were appointed for military governors, observers, and defense commissioners. They served as subordinates to local officials and assisted in governing the country.

Following the Tang system, the Song Dynasty also established judges for various commissioners, including those in charge of militia, pacification, administration, transport, and grain storage.

During the Yuan Dynasty, judges were appointed in each prefecture. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, judges were appointed only in prefectures, and they were also called prefectural judges.

The title of Tuiguan was also an official title in ancient China. It was first established in the Tang Dynasty and abolished in the sixth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign in the Qing Dynasty. It was in charge of criminal and prison affairs.

During the Ming Dynasty, each prefecture had a judge. The judges of Shuntian Prefecture and Yingtian Prefecture were of the sixth rank, while the judges of other prefectures were of the seventh rank. Their job was to handle criminal cases and participate in the evaluation of officials. According to the law, they could not hold other positions.

"Judge, Inquisitor"

After a moment's thought, Wei Guangde immediately said to Zhang Ji, "Send someone to tell Lord Wei that the appointment and dismissal documents should be issued tomorrow, so as not to delay and cause any unforeseen problems."

"Yes, sir."

After Zhang Ji withdrew, he immediately arranged for his servants to deliver a message to Wei Shiliang's residence.

The appointment and removal of officials in the imperial court would not normally be this smooth.

However, this time it wasn't just Wei Guangde who was pulling the strings behind the scenes; Shen Shixing, Yu Youding, and others also intervened to varying degrees.

After all, almost all the cabinet ministers had worked in the Ministry of Personnel, and they had left some people there.

So, by the afternoon of the next day, all the procedures were completed, and the appointment and dismissal documents were stamped with the bright red seal of the Ministry of Personnel.

When the news spread, the imperial court was in shock.

"My lord, I've heard that some young officials in the Censorate and the Censorate are forming a coalition to jointly submit a memorial to defend Wei and Li."

They believed that although Wei Yunzhen's remonstrance was strongly worded, it stemmed from public interest, and Li Sancai's support was also justified. Therefore, they requested that Wei Yunzhen, the censor, and Li Sancai, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, be pardoned or leniently punished.

In the cabinet office, Lu Bu rushed back after hearing the news from outside and whispered a report to Wei Guangde.

"Snapped."

Wei Guangde slammed the memorial he was reading onto the desk, clearly provoked.

I couldn't help but pat my forehead, then leaned back in my chair.

The worst-case scenario has occurred: science and technology officials have rallied together to voice their support.

Once this momentum is built up, what's the next step?
Wei Guangde regretted it; he should have let his eldest son participate in the imperial examination this year.

Actually, we had planned to do this, but a letter came from Jiangxi saying that my father was unwell.

Therefore, Wei Guangde allowed his son to stay in Jiujiang and tutor his second son in preparing for the provincial examination, thus preventing him from participating in this year's metropolitan examination.

In Wei Guangde's view, it doesn't really matter whether you pass the exam one subject earlier or later.

But unexpectedly, this hesitation almost ruined his son's future in officialdom.

If three years later, I am still sitting in the position of Grand Secretary, while my son goes to take the imperial examination.

Even if one were lucky enough to pass the palace examination, one would not be allowed to participate, which meant one could not enter the court as an official.

We must avoid any appearance of impropriety.

It would have been fine if no one had brought it up before.

But now some people have raised questions, and it has caused quite a stir.

"He actually got the better deal."

Wei Guangde said something for no apparent reason.

Lu Bu knew who Wei Guangde was talking about, but he dared not respond and stood respectfully.

"Has the person come to the cabinet today?"

Wei Guangde continued to ask.

"No, Grand Secretary Shen is not on duty at the cabinet today."

This time, Lu Bu answered in a low voice.

Feeling a surge of irritation, Wei Guangde waved his hand and said, "Go down."

The capital city was in turmoil again that day.

Wei Yunzhen and Li Sancai had already received the newly issued appointment and dismissal documents from the Ministry of Personnel, so they each asked for leave from their respective offices and went home to pack their belongings in preparation for leaving the capital to take up their new posts.

Meanwhile, some young officials in the court also took leave and went to the residences of the two.

That evening, in the study of the Wei residence, Zhang Ji bowed again before Wei Guangde and asked in a low voice, "Master, should we also prepare gifts for Lord Wei and Lord Li when they leave the capital this time?"

Zhang Ji didn't even want to ask this question.

But this rule was precisely the one set by Wei Guangde back then.

If I don't send it, I might get scolded if the master brings it up later.

This also involves, to some extent, Wei Guangde's reputation.

If he doesn't send it, outsiders might spread rumors about Wei Guangde's character flaws.

The impeachment by Wei and Li was actually aimed at the fact that the sons of the ministers had successively passed the imperial examinations.

As a result, they offended several cabinet ministers, and the rules that the Wei family had upheld for more than a decade were broken for this reason.

Because they offended Wei Guangde, who was narrow-minded and intolerant of others.

"Damn it."

Wei Guangde immediately uttered a curse word.

He was in a bad mood all day; his son had ruined his future, and now he had to give gifts to others.

As for why they were sent off to take up their new posts instead of being sent off upon retirement, it's obvious to everyone that as long as Wei Guangde was in power, these two men would never be able to return to the capital.

Being able to retire peacefully in a local area is something to be grateful for.

Young officials might not be able to imagine this, but veteran officials in the capital are certainly not stupid.

In the future, no minister would allow his own sons to enter the capital to participate in the palace examination.

At most, once the provincial examination is over, there will be no further registration for the palace examination.

It's not that Wei Guangde or other cabinet ministers could simply avoid the examination; rather, they would be barred from participating in the palace examination and officially entering officialdom.

They could only participate in the palace examination after their elders retired from official positions and left the court.

Without the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), how can one become an official?
Wei Guangde genuinely knew nothing about this period of history.

Had he known it would turn out this way, he wouldn't have cared about saving face at all, and he would have made sure his second son snatched the title of Juren in this Jiangxi provincial examination.

Even if it means impeachment, we must still make them participate in the palace examination.

That's the status of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). In the Ming Dynasty, the status of a Jinshi was a talisman.

This kind of corruption in the imperial examination system has existed since ancient times.

If Wei Guangde wanted, he could make his sons, even those illegitimate sons, obtain the titles of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar) or even Juren (a higher-level scholar) even if they were illiterate.

To pass the imperial examination, one needs to have some real skills.

However, as long as you can answer all the questions, it's not difficult to obtain the status of a tribute student.

It wasn't a leak of questions; it was just a normal test, and the instructors were able to include them on the list.

This demonstrates the power of the regent: disregarding the fairness of the imperial examination system.

In fact, even if one is not a regent, as long as one has enough influence in the court, one can still achieve this.

Many people in later generations are unaware that less than half of the students admitted to prestigious universities in China, such as Tsinghua and Peking University, are admitted through the national college entrance examination.

In other words, more than half of the students admitted to Tsinghua and Peking Universities did not enter these prestigious universities through the national college entrance examination, but through special channels and special admission methods.

Wei Guangde knew this, which is why he hadn't initially thought there would be any problems, and naturally, he hadn't taken it seriously. Besides, a twenty-year-old entering officialdom was indeed inappropriate in terms of age; he was too young.

If you're not careful, you'll fall into the old fox's trap.

Wei Guangde was able to endure the hardships back then because of luck; he was favored by the emperor and chose the right side.

In the decades that followed, during the Wanli reign, the Ming Dynasty underwent tremendous changes.

Wei Guangde was also uncertain, because much of the original history had already been subtly changed.

For example, Myanmar and Japan, which did not exist in the original history.

The opening of the sea today is unprecedented in history.

In fact, under Zhang Juzheng's conservative ideology, the control of Yuegang was gradually tightened in the early Wanli period.

Maritime trade continued afterward, but it once again became prey for coastal gentry, still conducted through smuggling, returning to the early Jiajing period.

However, at this time, the maritime merchants also knew to conceal their shortcomings and dared not indulge their subordinates any longer.

After all, if the Japanese invasion were to break out again, the consequences would be unbearable for them.

At that time, the rise of the Jianzhou Jurchens in the north further strained the Ming Dynasty.

"Send it over, send over the second-best quality."

Wei Guangde was not a man of great stature, so naturally he would not present the finest ginseng as usual.

However, since I still need to preserve my reputation, I'll choose the worst ones.

Anyway, it's in a box, so no one can see it.

Even if you see it, someone who doesn't know anything about it won't be able to tell the difference between good and bad.

However, Wei Guangde had not yet vented his anger.

Just imagine what Shen Shixing is doing right now. He probably has to pretend to be grieving on the surface, but he's probably secretly overjoyed.

In any case, he was a beneficiary of this incident. Although his reputation was damaged, his son was a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

As for the others, their children might not be so lucky in the future.

Shen Yongmao and Zhang Jiazheng

Wei Guangde thought for a moment, then instructed Zhang Ji: "Have the Shanxi side speed things up and get him on his way."

Shen Shixing was the second-in-command, and his relationship with Wei Guangde was also quite delicate, so it was naturally inappropriate for him to make any moves.

However, the one who was recuperating at home, although the mourning period was over, was no longer physically able to return to Beijing to resume his post.

Wei Guangde didn't plan to wait. He thought that once he heard the news from the capital, he would probably be secretly happy. Wei Guangde felt a surge of frustration in his chest.

In the past, he would struggle internally when he wanted to do this.

But this wasn't the first time, and my heart remained calm and undisturbed.

Another reason is to vent one's anger. With a clear mind, one will naturally be less hesitant.

"Yes, sir."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ji felt a slight chill.

He had done the same thing before, and the guilt he felt was long gone.

Perhaps this is the nature of those in officialdom: to be ruthless and black-hearted towards political enemies.

"So, should we take the people on this list?"

On the desk in front of Wei Guangde, there was another list.

That was the list of officials from the Science and Technology Bureau who had signed the petition. Although the memorial had not yet been submitted, Zhang Ji had already recorded all the signatures on it.

"Stay here, we'll talk about it another time."

Wei Guangde said in a low voice, "You can go now. I need some peace and quiet too."

Wei Guangde is now filled with deep regret; it was just a momentary lapse in judgment, yet the impact has been enormous.

After Zhang Ji left, Wei Guangde picked up the list, got up, walked to the bookshelf, and put it in a box.

His action destined these young officials to have a less than smooth career path in the future.

He will definitely look at this list before making any future appointments or removals by the Ministry of Personnel, as well as the list of candidates for the capital inspection.

"Master Wei, I heard that the shares of Daming Bank have accumulated to more than ten million taels of silver."

In the Qianqing Palace of the Forbidden City, Wei Guangde once again paid homage to the Wanli Emperor.

At this time, half a month had passed since the Daming Money Shop began recruiting shareholders.

All the companies in Beijing that intend to invest have already signed share subscription agreements.

The subsequent new investments mostly came from the south.

"Thanks to His Majesty's good fortune, the fundraising in the capital is progressing more smoothly than expected."

As of yesterday, to my knowledge, more than 11 million taels of silver have been raised.

In addition, Your Majesty subscribed for three million taels, and I also subscribed for one million taels.

In other words, approximately 15 million taels of silver were raised in the capital alone.

Wei Guangde said respectfully.

This IPO does not accept small investments; all investments must start at tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Of course, they are allowed to pool their resources and become shareholders; that is, several companies can pool together 10,000 taels of silver to participate in the investment.

Don't think that 10,000 taels of silver is not much. For nobles, although they may seem to have a large family and property, their expenses are actually quite high.

The annual land rent and chamber of commerce dividends were substantial, but the people were accustomed to extravagance and debauchery. In particular, many nobles competed to spend lavishly for the sake of face, leaving little silver behind after each year's expenditures.

Many families of meritorious officials are only superficially glamorous.

Those officials who had failed in their duties in the court, in particular, faced even greater hardship without income.

In other words, they are just clinging to a pile of ancestral property and maintaining a facade of prosperity.

Of course, this kind of life is the envy of many outsiders.

Therefore, some noble families would pool their money to invest.

"Master Wei needs to decide how to proceed as soon as possible."

"I have already instructed Zhang Hong to deliver my silver to the money exchange tomorrow."

The Wanli Emperor spoke.

Wei Guangde came here this time also to urge for the money.

Although the share subscription agreement was signed half a month ago, the money from the palace has been delayed in being delivered.

As for Wei Guangde, the money had been prepared long ago, but he was also waiting.

"Your Majesty, all the arrangements have been made."

Now, in several important cities, shopkeepers have been arranged to open shops.

Once the shares are in place as agreed, the branches in all prefectures and cities across the country will open simultaneously according to the time calculated by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

The news has spread, and the response from the private chambers of commerce has been very positive.

Wei Guangde laughed.

Not all of the money from the money shops was transported to the capital. In addition to Beijing, Nanjing, Songjiang Prefecture, and Guangzhou Prefecture were the preferred locations for opening branches.

These places also accept equity investment.

Generally speaking, northern stock funds were concentrated in the capital, while important southern treasuries were located in Nanjing and Guangzhou respectively.

"Can the money exchange start operating within three months?"

Emperor Wanli, unable to wait to make money, immediately asked the question.

"Preparations should be complete in two months, but the key is to see the auspicious day and time calculated by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau."

Wei Guangde said.

"Okay, the sooner the better."

The Wanli Emperor smiled and said, then changed the subject and asked, "I heard from Zhang Hong that Master Wei is also planning to have the Ministry of Revenue set up a trading house for stock trading?"

"Your Majesty, it's not a Ministry of Revenue that's established; the Ministry of Revenue only oversees it. The Chamber of Commerce will still be established through shareholding."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

After waiting for half a month without Wei Guangde mentioning the stock exchange, Emperor Wanli finally couldn't help but ask. (End of Chapter)