prosperous age

Reforming the imperial clan system would not be taken seriously by the officials unless a high-ranking official in the court presided over it.

Even though they knew the dangers of the royal family system.

Even though the imperial court had established the system of permanent stipends for members of the imperial clan, the large number of idle members of the imperial clan still posed a significant problem for local governance, not to mention the princely residences.

In many places, the royal palaces have become a major local scourge, a breeding ground for filth and corruption.

However, they knew but dared not do anything.

Because the emperor in the capital also wanted them to do the same.

They will only take action to punish those who cause a huge uproar and become extremely unreasonable.

Although Wei Guangde's words could not eradicate the root cause, they were an attempt to deal with those idle members of the imperial clan who liked to cause trouble.

Unfortunately, the emperor did not agree.

After leaving behind a memorial, Zeng Shengwu and Zhao Jin took their leave without waiting for Chen Jingbang's arrival.

After all, they each have their own government offices and official duties that require their signatures, so they cannot stay in the cabinet for an extended period of time.

This place is ultimately not theirs.

After Chen Jingbang arrived, Wei Guangde relayed Shen Shixing's opinion, hoping to persuade him to change his mind.

However, the result was exactly as he predicted: Chen Jingbang was rejected.

In Chen Jingbang's view, the imperial examination was a serious matter and should not be given a special quota just for members of the imperial family.

“If the imperial family members can reach the required level, the provincial education commissioner will naturally select them; why would the court need to allocate quotas?”
If they fail to achieve their goals, yet still receive official titles; if they are sent to remote areas, wouldn't that be disregarding the well-being of the people?

In the eyes of scholars, talent and character are linked.

The greater one's talent, the better one's character.

Of course, they know that the two are unrelated, but they have to make it public.

Otherwise, who would care about the official robes they wear?

The Jinshi (进士) were a small group of people who stood at the top of the scholarly community.

The meeting ended unhappily once again in the duty room.

Wei Guangde politely asked Chen Jingbang to leave, but Chen Jingbang showed Wei Guangde no respect whatsoever.

Meanwhile, in the capital's officialdom, due to the leak of Chen Jingbang's memorial, all officials knew about the cabinet's plan to reform the imperial clan.

The opening up of four industries and the renewed encouragement of members of the imperial family to take the imperial examinations have been met with rumors that the cabinet was secretly planning to give members of the imperial family special treatment and to allocate special quotas for them.

The Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy reacted most strongly to this.

From the second day onwards, memorials opposing the reform of the feudal system were continuously sent to the cabinet.

Although there were supporters among them, their voices were insignificant compared to those who opposed them.

"My lord, today there are thirteen memorials opposing the reform of the imperial clan, eleven of which oppose opening up the four professions, arguing that it violates ancestral rules."

As for the imperial examination system for members of the imperial family, all thirteen petitions opposed it.

Only two books received support.

Wei Guangde noticed the unusual stack of memorials on his desk, and Lu Bu began to explain them to him.

"Thirteen books, haha, I reckon there will be a few more in the next couple of days, and then that will be the end."

Unless they repeatedly petition and plead their case.

Wei Guangde believes that most officials would remain silent if it didn't concern them, and would never be the first to speak out.

Even a fool could see that the reforms were incomplete, yet the news still got out, indicating that these decisions were likely a censored version, and that the palace supported them.

Those who were castrated were naturally those whom the palace did not approve of, or at least had not yet expressed their opinion on.

If you oppose the cabinet and the emperor, do you still want your official position to rise?
Meanwhile, in the Qianqing Palace, the Wanli Emperor sat on his throne. He was not concerned with the matter of revising the regulations on imperial princes and vassals, but instead stared at the memorial from the Ministry of Justice in front of him.

Zhang Hong stood quietly in front of him; Emperor Wanli had specifically ordered someone to summon him.

"Zhang Hong, does your Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs believe that this monk Deqing should be punished?"

The Wanli Emperor had already seen this memorial last night.

But at the time, he did not express his opinion.

After thinking about it all night, he actually had his own ideas.

However, before speaking, he wanted to see if Zhang Hong had any other intentions.

"Your Majesty, based on the evidence submitted by the three judicial departments, Master Deqing did indeed occupy the land that originally belonged to Taiqing Palace."

However, in my opinion, this is not the most serious matter.

Zhang Hong glanced at the Wanli Emperor and said in a low voice.

"Oh, are there other crimes?"

Emperor Wanli asked in surprise.

"Your Majesty, the laws of the Ming Dynasty strictly prohibit the private construction of temples. Although the money for Master Deqing to build Haiyin Temple was given by the Empress Dowager, His Majesty has not permitted it."

Strictly speaking, Master Deqing also privately founded a temple.

However, the Empress Dowager will likely not be pleased with such a treatment.

However, if they are not punished, once the case is closed and made public, it will cause trouble, and anyone who understands the law will take notice.”

At this point, Zhang Hong suddenly stopped talking and didn't continue.

However, Emperor Wanli noticed something: the Empress Dowager's edict seemed to be more effective than his imperial decree, allowing monks to build temples without his permission.

What does this mean? It means slapping the emperor in the face, implying that he is still just a little kid who can only stay in his mother's arms, and damaging his imperial dignity.

"Your Majesty, it would be best to be cautious."

Seeing the Wanli Emperor's uncertain expression, Zhang Hong immediately added, "If it's really difficult, why not have the Ministry of Justice drop the case and just let the Taoist priest return to Taiqing Palace?"

Zhang Hong's meaning was naturally that the imperial court should drop the case and not handle it, and that the Taoist priest Geng Yilan of Laoshan should voluntarily withdraw the case.

The price was that he had to take back the Taoist temple.

In this way, everyone can save face.

Emperor Wanli was stunned for a moment, then looked deeply at Zhang Hong.

This matter may seem like a dispute between Buddhist monks and Taoist priests over their temples, but in essence, it has quietly escalated to the level of imperial authority.

Zhang Hong advocated for a low-key approach, which seemed to save face for him and his mother, but one should consider why the three judicial departments did not discover this clause during the retrial.

Clearly, they had already tacitly accepted that the Empress Dowager's decree was the same as the Emperor's decree; the Empress Dowager's permission for the monk Deqing to build a hermitage was tantamount to the Emperor's consent.

When did an imperial edict become as effective as a royal decree, or when could the Empress Dowager make decisions for him?
Although the Ming Dynasty ruled the country with filial piety, the rule that the imperial harem must not interfere in politics remained an ironclad law.

Previously, Emperor Wanli was afraid of the Empress Dowager and even worried that his mother would depose him as emperor and install his brother as emperor.

He was young then and didn't understand how serious it was.

Coupled with his leg ailment, he felt inferior to others and was terrified of losing the throne his father had given him.

But after ruling for many years, he has come to realize that who sits in this chair is not something the Empress Dowager can decide.

"Mother."

Emperor Wanli muttered to himself, inadvertently recalling that year when he had played a trick on the eunuch beside him, and his mother said she would depose him as emperor and made him kneel for a whole day.

I remember that because he had unintentionally favored a palace maid, his mother forced him to make her a concubine because he had impregnated the emperor's child.

I still remember.
One after another, past experiences flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern. Each time, he chose to compromise, beg for mercy, and plead for his mother's forgiveness.

He was the emperor, the supreme emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

They were actually controlled by a woman, and the Empress Dowager could do whatever she wanted.

For no apparent reason, a strong sense of resentment welled up again.

Originally, Emperor Wanli intended to send the memorial back today, instructing the Ministry of Justice to handle the case according to the law, bring Monk Deqing back from the prison, and punish him for seizing the Taoist temple.

But now, he needs to think it over carefully.

If the case were closed so hastily, it would severely damage his prestige as emperor. It would only lead all officials to elevate the Empress Dowager's edict to the level of an imperial edict, or even higher.

The Minister of Justice, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review were all important officials of the court, yet none of them realized that Haiyin Temple was a temple built without any imperial decree.

"Let me think about it some more."

Is there anything else on the agenda for the court today?

Emperor Wanli ultimately did not make a decision, or rather, he needed to consider how to end the matter.

However, he still casually asked about matters concerning the imperial court at the end.

"Your Majesty, due to the influence of Minister Chen's memorial, the palace received more than ten memorials today, all of which oppose the amendment of the Imperial Clan Law."

After a moment's thought, Zhang Hong revealed what he knew.

Sooner or later, the person below will find out, after those memorials are moved from the Cabinet to the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Why?

Emperor Wanli was taken aback. Realizing what had happened, he immediately asked about the reason.

To be honest, in his eyes, revising the regulations on tributary states was actually a matter for the imperial family and had nothing to do with the outer court.

However, its implementation requires the involvement of the imperial court, hence the necessity of this method.

Now that the news has just spread, so many people have submitted memorials opposing it, and he is very curious about their reasons.

Because Emperor Wanli had considered it and did not think it would affect them.

Moreover, Master Wei must have considered this, which is why he did it this way.

"It violates ancestral rules."

Zhang Hong simply said something in a low voice and then said no more.

One sentence, "It violates ancestral rules," would suffice; he believed the emperor understood.

"Does this violate ancestral rules?"

When Emperor Wanli heard this reason, he was first taken aback, and then he actually laughed.

"Haha, what have I just heard? That's the reason? Haha!"

There was a cheerful mood in the laughter, but more than anything, there was sadness.

Emperor Wanli didn't know whether he should praise his ministers for their dedication to the country or something else, but this reason seemed all too familiar to him.

In the Ming Dynasty, any changes that were not beneficial to the civil service group became their reason for opposition.

As long as they stick to this reason, the emperor often has no way to deal with them.

“Ancestral rules, yes, this violates ancestral rules.”

The Wanli Emperor gradually stopped smiling and said softly.

He then waved his hand, signaling Zhang Hong to leave.

As the people walked out of the palace gate, and the eunuchs and maids outside were about to come in to serve him, he waved them away again.

The main hall was empty, except for him sitting on the dragon throne.

"Ancestral rules, systems, ha, aren't they meant to be broken?"

Unconsciously, Emperor Wanli recalled what Wei Guangde had said.

"Systems are for restraining the weak; the strong establish systems and then make everyone obey them."

What did I say back then?

Emperor Wanli recalled that it was in the Wenhua Hall, after the course had ended, and he and his students were chatting.

The lesson at that time was about the imperial family, that is, the emperor's relatives.

Who were they talking about at the time?

King Yue, that's right, it's King Yue.

By calculation, he was his great-uncle, the elder brother of the Jiajing Emperor.

By then, the Great Rites Controversy had reached a tacit understanding. The Jiajing Emperor had a fierce argument with his ministers in order to posthumously confer the title of emperor upon his father, Zhu Youyuan, but ultimately won a great victory.

Zhu Youyuan was posthumously honored as Emperor Zhitian Shoudao Hongde Yuanren Kuanmu Chunsheng Gongjian Jing Wenxian, with the temple name Ruizong.

But what is truly more noteworthy is that the Jiajing Emperor posthumously conferred the title of Prince Yue upon his elder brother, whom he had never met and who died five days after his birth, and gave him the posthumous name Huai.

This action clearly violated the rule set by Zhu Yuanzhang that "if the deceased is not properly mourned, no posthumous title shall be conferred."

In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang established court traditions and the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty based on the ancient "Book of Rites and Mourning Garments," namely, "those who die young do not wear mourning clothes and are not posthumously honored."

This regulation clearly states that if a prince dies between the ages of eight and eleven, it is called "a prince who dies young," and his relatives are not required to wear mourning clothes for him, nor are they required to posthumously grant him a title.

As the founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang strictly adhered to this rule. For princes who died young, such as Prince Nan, who was born in the 26th year of Hongwu, despite his noble status, he died young and was not granted any title during his lifetime, nor was he posthumously honored.

But even though the Jiajing Emperor granted the title, he turned a deaf ear to what the officials said in the end.

Systems are created by the strong.

Master Wei said at the time that if the emperor were in power, this decree would not be issued.

The Jiajing Emperor at that time was clearly a strongman; he had already subdued the civil service group.

So, he changed that rule.

So when the Longqing Emperor came to power, he naturally posthumously conferred the title of Crown Prince Xianhuai on his two sons who died young, and the title of Prince Jing on the other.

This time, no one raised the issue of ancestral customs to object anymore.

Because the ancestral rules have been changed.

This incident also made Emperor Wanli vaguely realize something.

Now, he finally understands.

The so-called ancestral rules are actually things that previous emperors did not do.

But once the emperor does it, it becomes a new ancestral rule.

"The so-called ancestral rules that cannot be violated are actually a challenge to imperial power."

The Wanli Emperor murmured softly.

Upon seeing the memorial before him, he immediately thought of the Empress Dowager's decree.

If nothing is done this time, does it mean that the authority of the imperial edict will surpass that of the imperial decree, and thus become an ancestral rule?

Unconsciously, Emperor Wanli's eyes widened.

He cannot tolerate such a thing happening.

"Heh, you forcibly seized the Taoist temple. At worst, you'll just have to pay some money and return it to Taiqing Palace. That's too easy for you."

At this time, Emperor Wanli's dissatisfaction with that woman grew even stronger, and he was determined to use this incident to severely dampen her arrogance.

As for the fate of the monk Deqing, Emperor Wanli would not consider it.

It's just that I went to the wrong door and found the wrong backer.

However, once someone is convicted of building a temple without authorization, the punishment is obviously not so easy; at the very least, exile is inevitable.

In this way, the news spread, and the outside world naturally knew how to choose between the imperial edict and the decree.

"I am the emperor, the ruler of all under heaven."

Wei Guangde was completely unaware of this.

He was actually unaware of the rift between the Wanli Emperor and the palace, after all, the Wanli Emperor had always been extremely submissive over the years.

Although he might occasionally lose his temper, the emperor always had to back down in the end.

However, this matter ultimately has little to do with Wei Guangde.

This incident, ironically, fostered a deeper understanding of "ancestral rules" among the Wanli Emperor.

From now on, it will be impossible for anyone to use ancestral rules to control him. (End of Chapter)