prosperous age

"This evidence is sufficient to prove that Monk Deqing seized the temple grounds and should be punished."

In the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, Zeng Shengwu addressed the others.

"Well then, let's report it first, since Monk Deqing hasn't been apprehended yet."

He is, after all, someone from the palace; if he were sentenced directly, it would be difficult to explain to them.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review hesitated before speaking.

They had concerns about whether the invoices were valid, so they simply had the local authorities send the evidence to Beijing.

Now it seems the evidence is conclusive, and it's time to bring the person to justice.

However, if tickets are actually issued, and the palace later needs to protect someone, everyone will lose face.

At this time, perhaps the only person in the Ming court who truly saw the Wanli Emperor's dissatisfaction with the Empress Dowager was Wei Guangde.

After all, she really disciplined the little emperor quite a bit, and he couldn't do anything about it, so he could only behave like a good boy.

However, based on Wei Guangde's understanding, Emperor Wanli was definitely dissatisfied.

Therefore, even after learning about the relationship between Master Hanshan and the Empress Dowager, he still had the Embroidered Uniform Guard frame him, confident that Emperor Wanli would punish the monk severely.

Of course, his target from the beginning was not the conflict between monks and Taoists, but Zhang Jing.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Wei Guangde had already presented the memorial from the Ministry of Rites. After reading it, Emperor Wanli's expression clearly darkened.

Below, Wei Guangde briefly recounted the events of yesterday, particularly his discussion with Shen Shixing in the duty room and the final outcome.

"Grand Secretary Shen also believed that the restrictions on the imperial clan should be appropriately relaxed, but he was worried that the princes would strongly oppose it."

Therefore, the opening up of the four industries and the encouragement of the imperial examination should be done gradually.

His Majesty wished to hold a separate examination hall yesterday, but Grand Secretary Shen opposed it, believing that the candidates should compete in the same arena and be listed on the same list.

Of course, in order to avoid competing with the general public for spots, a certain number of spots can be allocated separately.

Wei Guangde explained the purpose of not holding separate examination halls, but also guaranteed that as long as any member of the imperial family was willing to take the exam, the court would ensure a certain percentage of them would be admitted. Only then did Emperor Wanli's expression soften slightly.

"However, matters concerning the imperial examinations and the imperial clan have always been the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites, but Minister Chen has strong opinions on this, which may hinder its implementation."

Wei Guangde unconsciously lowered his voice, but still made sure that Emperor Wanli on the throne could hear him clearly.

“Master Wei, when you summon Minister Chen today, tell him that this is my will.”

There are many issues concerning the imperial clan, which must be handled with caution.

If members of the imperial clan could pass the imperial examinations through their own efforts and become officials in the court, thus escaping their imperial clan status, it would be a good thing for both the court and the imperial clan.

"I will absolutely not allow anyone to oppose this."

By indirectly granting official titles and ranks, allowing some capable individuals to enter officialdom and leave the imperial clan, this would certainly be beneficial to the issue of imperial emoluments.

Moreover, even if these people lost their imperial clan status after entering officialdom, they were still members of the imperial clan.

They will never forget this.

With them serving as officials in local areas, Emperor Wanli did not feel threatened at all; on the contrary, they were an asset.

It can make imperial power more stable.

Moreover, for these people to become officials, unless they pass the imperial examination, their starting point and ending point will not be very high.

In the lower ranks of officialdom, where power is limited, one can rest easy.

Emperor Wanli was not angry, but instead rebuked Chen Jingbang on the spot, which surprised Wei Guangde slightly.

But upon hearing his instructions, one knew that this was the last chance Emperor Wanli was giving him.

If Chen Jingbang is summoned again today and still maintains the same attitude, things might not look good later.

Wei Guangde had no prejudice against Chen Jingbang; he was a very prudent person.

In previous official duties, Wei Guangde and he cooperated quite well.

However, the people in the Ministry of Rites and most of the people in the Hanlin Academy had one flaw: they were rather rigid and stubborn in their work.

Anyone who knew how to be flexible would have already achieved great success in their official career.

The title of "Chancellor" is definitely not a fabrication.

In the imperial court and in the emperor's heart, the people there truly held a high status.

Sometimes, if you please the emperor, these flaws are no longer a big deal and are even considered virtues.

However, if one goes against the emperor's wishes, then that virtue becomes poison, and can be fatal.

Of course, the Ming emperors generally wouldn't actually punish someone for this, like killing them or imprisoning them.

But being driven out of the court shows he's truly capable.

Many "rigid and pedantic" people are often sent to other places. This is not necessarily because there are no official positions in the imperial court. There are plenty of vacancies for them in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Ministry of Rites.

But these people were simply sent to various provinces to serve as provincial education commissioners or other official positions, which actually meant that the emperor no longer liked them.

The so-called "one minister and two vice ministers" in the Six Ministries of the Ming Dynasty was only required by the regulations. In reality, there could be multiple ministers and it was not uncommon for there to be seven or eight vice ministers.

Although the official titles are the same, the things they manage are very different. The head of the department has the most prestigious position, and that is the real head of a department.

"I will summon Minister Chen upon my return to discuss this matter."

Wei Guangde lowered his head and said.

When Wei Guangde returned to the cabinet from the Qianqing Palace, Zeng Shengwu and others were already waiting in the duty room.

"Minister Zeng, Censor Zhao, do you gentlemen have any important business to attend to?"

Wei Guangde cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile.

Since there were people in the duty room, Wei Guangde didn't send Lu Bu to invite Chen Jingbang, but instead greeted the guests first.

"Has Shan Dai just come from the palace?"

Zeng Shengwu asked.

"Indeed, does Minister Zeng have business to attend to at the palace?"

Wei Guangde had actually guessed the purpose of the visit, but he still pretended not to know and asked.

"Remember the incident with the petition drum a month ago? It has been investigated and clarified now."

Zeng Shengwu and Zhao Jin exchanged a glance before speaking.

"Oh, I'd like to hear more about it."

Wei Guangde said in a humble manner, as if he were seeking advice.

"Master Deqing was ordered to build a Taoist temple in Laoshan, but he became arrogant and even seized the position of Taiqing official."

Based on the evidence currently available, it appears that Geng Yilan's accusations in Laoshan are true and not unfounded.

As Zeng Shengwu spoke, he took out a document and handed it to Wei Guangde.

Wei Guangde took it, but did not open it. Instead, he frowned slightly and said, "In that case, the Ministry of Justice can issue a warrant to arrest the person for interrogation. We can then submit a report after the case is closed."

What brings you all here?

"Master Deqing went to Laoshan to build a temple, which was the palace's idea, and he was also given three thousand taels of silver."

If you wouldn't mind informing me, I'm just afraid..."

Zhao Jin then spoke up.

Zeng Shengwu nodded slightly.

The meaning was clear: the monk Deqing had the Empress Dowager and the Emperor behind him. If he were arrested and sentenced without prior notice, it would be difficult to explain later.

"Hand it over?"

Wei Guangde waved the document in his hand and asked.

"I hope to present this directly to His Majesty. Please give your instructions."

Zeng Shengwu began to speak.

"This matter should not be presented in person; it would be inappropriate."

I will later submit it to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and ask Eunuch Zhang to deliver it to the Qianqing Palace.

Wei Guangde immediately said.

Zeng Shengwu and Zhao Jin exchanged a glance, then asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why is that?"

"What do you expect His Majesty to say? Should he allow you to condone this, or should he judge the case according to the law?"

Wei Guangde did not answer directly, but instead asked a question. Before they could reply, Wei Guangde continued, "It is the Empress Dowager who values ​​Monk Deqing. What can His Majesty tell you to do?"
If you're not careful, you could tarnish His Majesty's reputation for being unfilial.

However, if His Majesty were to favor the Empress Dowager, the outer court would surely accuse him of being unfair.

Is this something we should be doing?

Upon hearing Wei Guangde's words, Zeng Shengwu and Zhao Jin's expressions both changed slightly.

"Just submit it like this. If nothing unexpected happens, His Majesty will surely order the relevant officials to arrest the person and bring them to court for trial, thus completing the verdict."

At that time, if the Empress Dowager had any objections, the punishment could simply be lighter, or the Emperor could issue a pardon.

"Of course, letting His Majesty decide is absolutely unacceptable."

Wei Guangde continued, “Your concerns about the palace’s attitude are valid; you should report it if necessary, but it’s not good to present it in person.”

The group nodded slightly, and then Zhao Jin prepared to take his leave.

The document was sent to the palace. Since he couldn't present it to the emperor in person and wouldn't be able to see him, he planned to return to the Censorate to work.

There were many things to do there; every day, imperial censors would send memorials over, which he would review before sending them to the palace.

Of course, the censors would also report directly, but those were usually very important cases, targeting certain individuals.

However, as the head of the Censorate, he was required to be familiar with the work of his subordinate censors, so most of the impeachment memorials submitted by the censors would be sent to him in advance.

However, Wei Guangde did not keep the people from the Dali Temple, but instead kept Zeng Shengwu and Zhao Jin.

"Lubu, go and invite Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites over immediately. We have important matters to discuss."

After giving his instructions to those outside, Wei Guangde smiled and said to them, "Since you're here, I'd like to tell you something and hear your opinions."

Wei Guangde looked at the two of them and said something.

This matter will require an imperial decree, and the court may react accordingly.

Therefore, if you talk to the Nine Ministers in advance and listen to their opinions, you can gain their support and there will be much less opposition in the court later.

"You should all know that Minister Chen submitted a memorial today."

Wei Guangde and the other two were unaware of Chen Jingbang's memorial to the throne today, but they certainly knew its contents.

"I won't hide it. Although the regulations on the imperial clan were amended a few years ago, the lives of the lower-ranking members of the imperial clan are still very difficult."

Minister Zeng should know about what happened at Prince Qingcheng's residence, right? A member of the imperial family starved to death?

Wei Guangde said in a low voice.

Zhao Jin was unaware of the situation and was taken aback when she heard this. She looked at Zeng Shengwu and saw him nod slightly, so she knew that this was true.

He instantly felt dissatisfied with the Censor of Shanxi Circuit; how could the Censorate be unaware of such a major matter?

"That's why the idea arose to allow members of the imperial family to pursue four different professions and become self-reliant."

At this time, His Majesty, Grand Secretary Shen, and I discussed it and all felt it was feasible.

The main reason why the imperial family was poor was that they relied entirely on the imperial court for support.

However, after the Zonglu Yong'e system was implemented, the Zonglu they received was still insufficient to make a living.

As for the imperial examination, it was originally planned to set up a separate examination hall, but later Grand Secretary Shen proposed that the candidates compete in the same arena as the students, and that no separate examination hall be set up.

However, in order not to take away the places from scholars from the common people, the imperial court allocated a certain number of places specifically to members of the imperial family.

Those members of the imperial clan who obtained official titles were given priority in being placed in official positions, but at the same time, they were removed from the imperial clan and no longer enjoyed imperial stipends or titles.

This is also beneficial for controlling the number of members of the imperial clan, allowing them to receive a larger share of the imperial stipends.

After Wei Guangde finished speaking, he looked at the two of them.

Zeng Shengwu and Zhao Jin both frowned at first, but their expressions remained unchanged.

"Isn't this unfair to other students?"

Zeng Shengwu asked first.

It is obvious that although the examinations were conducted in the same venue, members of the royal family had separate quotas. Although this did not affect others, it was still unfair because their level did not meet the requirements.

"Generally speaking, we are considering giving preferential treatment to scholars who have passed the county-level imperial examinations and those who have passed the provincial-level imperial examinations, so that they can hold low-level official positions in local areas and support themselves."

Wei Guangde revealed directly, "As for the participation of members of the imperial clan in the provincial and palace examinations, it will definitely be conducted strictly according to their own abilities."

Those with the qualifications of a Jinshi (进士) can naturally be listed on the imperial examination list; those without, then let them enter officialdom as Juren (举人).

Wei Guangde's implication was quite clear: he would make things easier for members of the imperial clan at the provincial level, allowing them to obtain the title more easily and thus be given official positions, allowing them to leave the imperial clan.

"The previous regulations on imperial clans that stipulated that those who voluntarily relinquish their clan status could receive a one-time compensation of land and housing from the imperial court are still valid."

Furthermore, I previously suggested to His Majesty that the practice of granting fiefdoms be restricted.”

Wei Guangde then quietly recounted his previous report, which requested restrictions on the granting of fiefs to princes and their sons, and the reduction of the rank of their succession to titles, all of which he said at once.

Zeng Shengwu was unsure about these two, but Zhao Jin should be able to stay in the Censorate for some time.

If this policy is implemented, Zhao Jin will have a significant say at the Nine Ministers' Meeting.

"If only one prince is granted the title, and the rest are all granted the title of duke, and their titles are to be inherited at a lower rank, will His Majesty agree to this?"

Zhao Jin listened to Wei Guangde's words and asked with great interest.

"His Majesty only said he was considering it, and has not yet made a decision."

Your Majesty is wise and understands the problems currently facing the imperial clan.

If the hereditary title is downgraded and cannot start with the imperial family, other princes will certainly object.

"We'll see what His Majesty decides then. As court officials, this is all we can do."

Wei Guangde smiled wryly.

"If the title is inherited at a lower rank, is there still a need to arrange for fiefdoms below the rank of Prince?"

Zhao Jin continued.

"Of course not, there is no need to build a prince's mansion in the local area."

In reality, the Ministry of Works can be asked to renovate the Ten Princes' Mansions to house the princes who do not need to be enfeoffed.

Once his rank is reduced to general, he will naturally have to move out of the Tenth Prince's Mansion and find another place to live.

Wei Guangde laughed.

This alone would garner the support of many officials in the imperial court.

Building a royal palace is quite expensive. Whether it's a prince's palace or a duke's palace, it must be located in the city of the fiefdom.

Previously, the only option was to renovate the largest government office in the area. If the regulations were not in place, the surrounding residents' homes would be forcibly requisitioned for construction, which caused great disturbance to the people.

Even with such frugality, the final cost was still an astronomical figure for the local treasury, and the local people had to bear heavy taxes as a result.

Wei Guangde's solution could at least reduce the enormous expenditures of the imperial court in the future, and was a truly good policy to reduce the burden on the people.

"As long as the test doesn't involve leniency, I have no objection."

Zhao Jin was the first to express his opinion.

He worried that members of the imperial clan would become Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and thus rise to high positions in one fell swoop.

When the time comes, will the Censorate impeach these scholars who passed the imperial examinations, or will it turn a blind eye?

Even though they have lost their royal status, they still have royal blood in them.

The censors could impeach lawless members of the imperial family with impunity because they had no power.

If you have the authority, you can try.

If it weren't for someone pushing behind the scenes, who the hell would be willing to impeach a high-ranking official in the imperial court?

As long as one passes the provincial examination with flying colors, it's estimated that most candidates who passed the imperial examinations will not be able to advance to the palace examination.

In that case, even if they had countless connections with the imperial clan, their power would be nothing to the censors.

"Why can't we just remove our household registration directly and get compensation from the imperial court? Why do we have to set up a separate clan examination?"

Zeng Shengwu asked hesitantly.

"This plan was proposed, but His Majesty did not approve it; it was voluntary."

Wei Guangde gave a wry smile.

"Okay, I agree."

Zeng Shengwu finally nodded. (End of Chapter)