prosperous age

"Does Ru Mo also think this method is inappropriate?"

Wei Guangde asked directly, "Actually, it's not a bad thing to give members of the imperial clan certain degrees of Xiucai or even Juren."

"No and no."

Upon hearing Wei Guangde's words, Shen Shixing hurriedly explained, "I don't think this policy is wrong, but it is wrong to establish a separate examination system for members of the imperial clan."

Shen Shixing ignored Wei Guangde and pondered for a while before saying, "The imperial examination emphasizes fairness. Even if we want to give quotas to members of the imperial family, they must take the exam together with children from the common people."

Only in this way can we convince students from all over the world.

As for His Majesty's concern that they might have difficulty achieving good results, it's actually not that difficult.

Why set up a separate imperial examination for members of the imperial clan? Just set up an imperial examination for members of the imperial clan in the examination hall and select one or two candidates from every ten or twenty applicants to fill the quota. This way, the quota will not be taken up by the original students.

The list will not be a separate one; it will be mixed into the original list. However, it is essential to retain ordinary slots to prevent the infiltration of officialdom by members of the imperial family.

Shen Shixing's intention was actually to maintain the superficial fairness of the imperial examination system and not to set up separate examination halls for members of the imperial family to take the exams.

However, the admission method was actually the same as the current method, depending on the number of applicants from the royal family.

If there are many participants, more places will be allocated. In fact, the allocation of places for children from ordinary families is roughly the same.

The county and prefectural examinations were essentially a means of controlling the number of students participating in the provincial examinations.

Those who excel in the selection process will then be chosen from among the candidates and receive a place in each county.

"Grand Secretary Wei, there should be another condition: once someone obtains an official title, members of the imperial clan must renounce their imperial clan status. The court will prioritize their placement in official positions based on their wishes. What do you think?"

Shen Shixing then added.

He understood perfectly what Emperor Wanli and Wei Guangde meant: they wanted to reduce the number of members of the imperial family by having them enter officialdom through the imperial examination system.

For academic success, a Xiucai (秀才) degree doesn't count; one must be a Juren (举人).

The title of Xiucai (秀才) actually refers to the qualification to participate in the imperial examinations. Passing the county-level examinations grants the qualification to take the imperial examinations and exempts one from corvée labor.

In the eyes of the common people, scholars might be looked up to because they were exempt from corvée labor, but in the eyes of the imperial court, they were nothing.

Because a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations cannot become an official.

Shen Shixing said that priority should be given to the placement of officials, which actually meant that members of the imperial clan should be given the title of Juren (a degree in the imperial examination system) and then assigned to various places as assistant positions such as Tongpan (assistant judge), Tuiguan (adjutant official), and Zhubu (registrar).

"That is one way."

Wei Guangde nodded slightly, indicating his approval of Shen Shixing's suggestion not to prepare separate examinations for members of the imperial clan, but to allow them to take the exams locally.

As for securing the quota, it's actually quite easy; just give a hint.

Anyway, it doesn't affect the normal imperial examinations; it's just using the platform of the provincial education official.

As for whether they can continue to rise in rank after taking office, that's definitely difficult.

By this time in the Ming Dynasty, it was actually very difficult for a candidate who had passed the imperial examination to enter officialdom and be promoted; reaching the fifth rank was already the limit.

People like Hai Rui, who could rise to the second rank, were extremely rare.

"What if they participate in the provincial examination? Will they also be given separate places?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked another question.

Having already achieved the title of Juren, they might not necessarily not want to aim for the Jinshi degree.

If there are still separate quotas available for participating in the imperial examination, it's practically a guaranteed admission to the Jinshi degree.

"Here you go, but it's best if His Majesty appoints the official position."

Shen Shixing immediately said, "After all, this is His Majesty's intention. I suppose he has already figured it out. Things are not like they were at the beginning of the dynasty."

Clearly, Shen Shixing also realized that with the country now at peace, it would be virtually impossible for any member of the imperial clan to emulate the "Jingnan Campaign."

If even the emperor isn't afraid, then what do they have to fear?

"But there is another problem, namely, the various princely mansions may not be willing to allow members of the imperial family to enter officialdom."

Wei Guangde suddenly said.

"As for King Zhou, we'll just give him a little nudge."

Shen Shixing said dismissively.

King Zhou had explicitly opposed the revision of the regulations governing the imperial clan and vassal states; everyone in the court knew this.

His little scheme is actually quite obvious if you think about it carefully.

He continued to control the members of his clan, and naturally did not want them to take the land and money of the imperial court and leave the clan, nor did he want to see any members of the clan participate in the imperial examinations and thus enter officialdom and gain power.

Even a member of the imperial family who passed the imperial examination and served as a prefectural judge or magistrate in a local area wielded more power than princes.

Whether they were princes or dukes, their power was confined to their palaces, and their influence over prefects and governors was limited.

It's a joke. Officials who served in these domains knew very well that one of their duties was to monitor the royal family.

Who would willingly collude with them and join their corrupt practices?

Shen Shixing was intelligent, but after discovering that both the Wanli Emperor and Wei Guangde had made major changes to the regulations governing the imperial clans, he decisively chose to join them.

In the following time, the two discussed the practical aspects that might conflict with the existing system.

One of the most important aspects is whether the sons of imperial clan members are entitled to the land compensation previously issued by the court for those who have left the imperial clan, as well as the titles of imperial clan members who can participate in the imperial examinations.

The question is whether to allow members of the imperial clan of the lowest rank, such as the Lieutenant of Fengguo, to participate in the imperial examinations, or to extend this to generals, excluding princes.

In particular, when Wei Guangde mentioned the limit on the number of titles to be bestowed upon princes and dukes, although Emperor Wanli had not yet given his approval, the two of them had already begun to discuss it impatiently.

“In the past, the sons of princes were always granted the title of Prince of the County, but there are not many fiefdoms left to be granted in the north, and the granting of fiefdoms is restricted in the south.”

If this continues, it wouldn't be surprising if a city had two or even more princes.

Limiting the number of princes is now a matter of utmost urgency.

At the same time, the Ministry of Rites must reject all cases of adoption after the death of an heir, and will not allow any succession.

Although Shin Si-haeng usually maintained a gentle and refined demeanor, his attitude was quite the opposite when it came to issues concerning the royal family, and he appeared somewhat aggressive.

During the Ming Dynasty, some of the vassal states were abolished for various reasons, but they were occasionally restored through the adoption of collateral branches.

In Shen Shixing's mind, that meant complete abolition.

If a prince or duke's lineage dies out, his collateral branches are not allowed to adopt him, thus maintaining the fiefdom.

This was actually a way to reduce the number of high-ranking noble titles for members of the imperial family, but this could not be written down and could only become an unspoken rule, an unspoken rule implemented by the Ministry of Rites.

Wei Guangde wholeheartedly agreed that as long as the petitions to seal the memorials were rejected repeatedly, it would be sufficient.

When Shen Shixing left the duty room, both of them were actually quite satisfied.

Within the cabinet, Wei Guangde held the most power, but Shen Shixing had the greatest influence.

His words and actions can influence the attitudes of at least two cabinet ministers.

As for the Minister of Rites, the two of them tacitly avoided discussing it.

Clearly, they were all prepared to compete for the nomination after Chen Jingbang left.

Shen Shixing knew that the probability of his recommended candidate being chosen by the emperor was about 50%, while Wei Guangde's chances were probably less than 30%.

Unless Emperor Wanli already had someone else in mind, he would never have chosen the person recommended by Wei Guangde.

Therefore, he is most likely to win this matter.

This wasn't because he had already begun a power struggle with Wei Guangde, but rather based on his analysis.

Several important departments were already under his influence. Emperor Wanli was not Emperor Jiajing, so he naturally would not continue to indulge Wei Guangde and allow him to expand his power.

They were waiting for Chen Jingbang's memorial. Knowing his temperament, he would definitely submit a strongly worded memorial after returning home, and then it could be sent directly to the palace. There was no need for Wei Guangde to go to the Qianqing Palace to try to sabotage him.

However, after the court session ended, Wei Guangde returned to his residence and noticed that the servants' expressions were somewhat off.

"Zhang Ji, what's wrong today? What serious incident happened?"

After entering the mansion, Wei Guangde slowed his pace and asked slowly.

"Master, a letter was sent by family members from Jiujiang this afternoon; it's with Madam."

Zhang Ji simply lowered his head and said softly.

Wei Guangde was taken aback and suddenly turned his head to stare at him.

Then, as if remembering something, he immediately started running quickly towards the backyard. Finally, the thing Wei Guangde feared most came to pass.

In the main hall of the backyard, Wei Guangde silently flipped through the letters written by his eldest brother, announcing that their father was seriously ill and medicine was ineffective.

This isn't a family letter; it's clearly a hypnotic spell.

"Well, this has finally happened."

Wei Guangde said softly, "My father is already seventy, which is considered a long life in ancient times."

In fact, he had already come to this realization more than ten years ago after his mother passed away.

His father was getting old, and when that day came, Wei Guangde would inevitably have to relinquish his status and return to Jiujiang.

"My lord, shall we request an imperial decree to send the imperial physician south to take a look?"

Xu Jianglan whispered from the side.

"The messenger was sent in such a hurry that the situation must be very critical. Let's make preparations."

"Send all the boys back home; we'll arrange for them to go to Jiujiang tomorrow."

Wei Guangde suggested sending a few of his illegitimate sons back first, saying that if they ran fast, they should still make it in time.

"Isn't anyone left in the manor?"

Xu Jianglan sensed something was wrong and immediately asked.

“Leave Chengze and Chengyin behind. They are familiar with the people in the capital, so they can stay and look after the mansion.”

Wei Guangde spoke up.

Those were his third and fourth sons, not born to Xu Jianglan, but since the legitimate son was not in the capital, they could naturally step forward to take charge of the household.

"Go and call them over, I have something to tell them."

Afterwards, Wei Guangde ordered his maid to summon several young men from the mansion to the main hall to assign them tasks.

Although the changes at the Wei residence were minor, they were still noticed by observant people in the capital.

Shen Shixing had already received the definite news and was somewhat surprised.

Well, he didn't have that problem. His parents had both passed away long ago, so he avoided the trouble of attending their funerals and observing mourning periods.

This is no small matter, especially for high-ranking officials in the imperial court. After three years of mourning, they may find it difficult to settle their own affairs.

As the Grand Secretary, Wei Guangde was bound to return to Jiangxi this time; he could not, and dared not, follow Zhang Juzheng's example.

Of course, when he returns to Beijing three years later, he will inevitably enter the cabinet directly, but he will not be able to become the chief minister again.

According to the rules, he has to wait in line.

I wasn't delighted.

Although he longed for that position, once Wei Guangde left the capital and he took on the burden of the Ming Dynasty, there would be many troubles to come.

Especially since Wei Guangde had already set up operations, managing the Southeast Asian markets was relatively easy, as the navy was under his control.

The Wanli Emperor has already supported the business of dealing with Western goods, but so far they have not come up with a good solution.

As for the Eastern Continent, although this matter will not become a major event in the short term, in theory, a returning fleet should arrive next year.

This is another critical juncture involving negotiations with the Spanish.

If things go wrong, it could lead to war.

Shen Shixing has already honed his skills in politics, but when it comes to military matters, he is still somewhat uncertain.

Fortunately, there's Wang Xijue; he should be able to offer him some advice.

In the current cabinet, the only one who understands military affairs is Wang Xijue.

Shen Shixing began to quietly prepare to take over the cabinet, while Wei Guangde entered the cabinet the next day as if nothing had happened.

There needs to be a resolution to Zhang Jing's matter.

Otherwise, if it drags on, all the work done so far might be in vain.

So that morning, Wei Guangde summoned Liu Shouyou to learn about the situation.

"The prisoner is being interrogated, but the Eastern Depot keeps insisting on bringing him in."

Liu Shouyou answered in a low voice.

"The most troublesome thing now is Monk Hanshan. We need to arrest him to get anything out of him, but the palace hasn't given us a reply yet."

Liu Shouyou could only report the facts.

Master Hanshan was a favorite of the Empress Dowager, and dealing with him was a bit of a challenge for Emperor Wanli.

"Help them improve the evidence in that case with the Ministry of Justice and close the case as soon as possible."

Then the Ministry of Justice was instructed to submit a memorial to the emperor, and the person was arrested.

Wei Guangde shook his head and then said.

Liu Shouyou sometimes had too many concerns, and he wasn't bold enough to deal with the favorites in the palace.

I reckon that during this period, I'll first fabricate charges against those monks, and then take action after I have solid evidence against them.

Unexpectedly, even the emperor found it troublesome and dared not easily issue an imperial edict.

"This matter must be completed within two days. It cannot be delayed any longer, or things may change."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"Yes, Grand Secretary Wei, I will arrange it immediately."

The Ministry of Justice has received some of the evidence it is waiting for, but some new evidence is still needed.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has some of these things, and if they don't have enough, they can make some more.

They are all real, but they weren't kept on file separately before.

Therefore, within a day, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could provide the missing evidence to the Ministry of Justice, enabling them to convict the suspect.

However, the Embroidered Uniform Guard also wanted this credit, which is why they delayed providing it.

Now that Wei Guangde is eager to close the case, he naturally cannot delay and must wait for the lower-level officials to send the materials to the capital.

"No one from the Eastern Depot went to Laoshan, right?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked a question before he left.

"No one left the capital; they probably thought it was just an incident caused by a dispute over a temple."

Liu Shouyou answered in a low voice.

"We must not be careless."

Wei Guangde simply said something and then waved his hand.

As soon as Liu Shouyou left, Lu Bu strode in with a memorial in his hand and bowed to Wei Guangde, saying, "Master, a memorial from the Ministry of Rites."

Wei Guangde showed no surprise, but simply reached out and took the memorial, glanced at it, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"You may leave now. I understand. Has the Ministry of Justice submitted any memorials?"

"No, I haven't seen any memorials from the Ministry of Justice sent in today."

Lu Bu immediately said.

Wei Guangde casually waved for Lu Bu to leave before slowly opening the memorial and reading through its contents.

After thinking for a moment, he did not have it sent to the Directorate of Ceremonial, but instead put the memorial directly into his sleeve.

He stood up, straightened the wrinkles in his official robes, and then slowly walked out of the duty room, heading towards the Qianqing Palace.

This trip was not only to deliver Chen Jingbang's memorial, but also to present his and Shen Shixing's previously agreed-upon opinions on revising the Imperial Clan Law.

The report should be submitted to the Wanli Emperor. If the emperor truly wishes to make changes, he will have to select a candidate for Minister of Rites.

After all, it's difficult to push forward a plan if the Minister doesn't obey.

In the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, facing the documents on the desk, Zeng Shengwu spoke: "This evidence is sufficient to prove that Monk Deqing seized the temple, and he should be punished accordingly." (End of Chapter)