Daming talker

Chapter 776 I'll Just Rub It (Part )

In response to Yang Tianmin's memorial, Emperor Wanli replied: "The eldest son of the emperor will be moved to Ciqing Palace and will be enthroned at a certain time. The ministers are not allowed to disturb him."

It's the same old tune of "I know what's going on, don't bother talking too much", but with fewer excuses like "I'm young and weak and I'm afraid he'll die young".

After all, the eldest son was already 20 years old and looked healthy. If the emperor still said "he was young and weak and I am afraid he would die young", it would be an insult to his intelligence.

The ministers who had been clamoring for the establishment of a crown prince were obviously not satisfied, and they submitted memorials one after another requesting the establishment of a crown prince.

The official Xie Tingzan requested to be enthroned and was exiled to Guizhou as a provincial governor; the attendant Wang Shichang requested to be appointed as a crown prince and was exiled to Guizhou as a prefect. The censor Zhou Pan and others petitioned to rescue him, but their salaries were taken away.

In addition, Ye Xianggao, the Vice Minister of Rites of Nanjing, requested to perform the three rituals for the emperor's eldest son, but the emperor kept it in his pocket and did not send it off.

In recent years, the most famous troll, Wang Dewan, the Imperial Censor of Gongkedu, submitted a memorial accusing Emperor Wanli of being bad to the Empress and questioning whether the Emperor should show more favor to the Empress and give birth to a legitimate son as soon as possible to ensure peace in the country if he wanted to establish another wife.

This memorial, which was intended to guide the life of royal couples, made Emperor Wanli break down his defenses. He wrote an imperial edict cursing Wang Dewan as a beast and sent him to prison.

During February and March, when the ministers who were actively clamoring for the establishment of a crown prince and the emperor were constantly tug-of-war, civil uprisings against the tax inspectors sent by the emperor broke out in many places.

First, tens of thousands of people in Wuchang surrounded the government office where the tax collector Chen Feng was located. The tax collector Chen Feng fled to the Prince of Chu's palace, and the people threw 16 of Chen Feng's minions into the Yangtze River and drowned them.

Later, more than 10,000 porcelain workers in Jingdezhen rioted, destroyed the porcelain factory, burned the tax office, and the tax supervisor Pan Xiang fled. There was also a civil uprising in Tengyue Prefecture, Yunnan, and the tax factory of Tax Supervisor Yang Rong was burned down.

So the ministers submitted memorials one after another, demanding that the tax collectors who levied heavy taxes and harmed the people be convicted, and asking Emperor Wanli to withdraw the tax collectors.

Emperor Wanli refused and issued an edict demanding "the arrest of the real culprit and punishment according to the law." Even the cabinet did not dare to obey and returned the edict.

Just like this, at the beginning of spring, the ministers and the emperor argued back and forth.

Perhaps because of the late spring cold, Lin Tailai, a senior official in the court, fell ill. Although he was still in the capital, he did not participate much in these disputes.

This was probably the first time in his life that Lord Lin, who was as strong as an ox or two tigers, had to use illness as an excuse to stay away from home.

However, at the end of February, Lin Tailai also submitted a memorial, claiming that the preliminary investigation and verification of Japan's Iwami Silver Mine had been completed, and that 800,000 taels of silver could be supplied to the court every year in the future.

This figure shocked the entire court again. The 800,000 taels of silver that came for free were almost as much as the salt tax in Yangzhou!
It is said that the Wanli Emperor, who was usually lazy in governing, reacted very quickly this time. He immediately issued an order to divide the 800,000 taels of Japanese silver into two parts, half each for the inner treasury and the Taicang warehouse.

The emperor's plan to split the silver in half must have been opposed by his ministers. What do you, the emperor, need so much silver for?
The Ministry of Revenue then proposed that 600,000 taels of silver be deposited into the Taicang warehouse, and the remaining 200,000 taels be deposited into the inner treasury.

Emperor Wanli asked again, you ministers are clamoring every day for a crowning and wedding for the eldest prince, don’t these cost money?

Emperor Wanli then drew up a budget list for the crowning ceremony and wedding of his eldest son, with a total value of five million taels of silver, and asked the Ministry of Revenue to prepare it.

This 5 million tael budget almost made the Minister of Revenue Yu Shenxing so angry that he vomited blood on the spot.

When Emperor Wanli got married, he only spent 170,000 taels of silver. What's the meaning of giving a budget of 5 million this time?
If the crowning ceremony and wedding of the eldest son of the emperor cost five million, what about the ceremony of establishing the crown prince? So the emperor was clearly using another way to disgust and make things difficult for the ministers in order to delay the matter.

Anyway, the 800,000 taels per year reported by Lord Lin successfully added fuel to the fire. In addition to the crown prince and tax supervision, it also opened up a new way for the Wanli Emperor and his ministers to confront each other.

Several issues were mixed together and the dispute lasted until April. Then, Deputy Censor-in-Chief Qian Yiben took action and secretly began to connect with middle-level officials.

Qian Yiben, who was famous in the court for repeatedly impeaching Lin Tailai, has now been promoted to the position of Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief and has become a big shot in the Qingliu forces with strong appeal.

On the sixth day of April, more than twenty officials of poetry, science and technology, and palace officials gathered outside the east corner gate of Huangji Gate to request an audience with the emperor on matters of national importance.

The leader is Zhao Nanxing, a veteran member of the Qingliu Party known for his integrity. He is exactly fifty years old this year.

He was a senior Jinshi in the second year of the Wanli reign, twenty-seven years after he passed the imperial examination, and he served as the director of the Ceremonial Department of the Ministry of Rites, a sixth-rank official.

In fact, seventeen years ago, with the support of Shen Li, the leader of the Qingliu forces, Zhao Nanxing had already become the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department, and was considered a star figure in the officialdom.

However, twelve years ago, Zhao Nanxing wrote an article entitled "On the Four Pests in the World" and mentioned the name of Lin Tailai, a wealthy man from Suzhou Township.

Then his official positions became lower and lower, and finally he was stuck in the position of chief official for ten years. After passing the exam, he was just transferred to another department and continued to be the chief official.

Looking at the tightly closed vermilion door of the East Corner Gate, Zhao Nanxing was so angry that he actually banged his head against the door!

Seeing this, the imperial guards on duty here hurriedly stopped Zhao Nanxing.

"In order to restore order, why should I worry about my six-foot body? Why are you stopping me?" Zhao Nanxing shouted at the imperial guards who were holding him down.

The guards on duty had no choice but to report to the palace.

After the news spread, the imperial court was shocked, and many people associated it with the "Zuo Shunmen Incident" in the early Jiajing period.

Zhao Nanxing and others stood at the East Corner Gate until the afternoon, and there was still no sign of leaving.

Emperor Wanli still refused to meet him in person, but instead sent Chen Ju, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot, to solve the problem.

And authorize Eunuch Chen to solve the problem if he cannot solve it.

Eunuch Chen was very conflicted inside, and didn't want to be such a bad guy, but as it was his duty, he had to come out and face the ministers who came to the palace.

"It is useless for you to linger here. It would be like forcing the emperor. You'd better disperse!" Eunuch Chen advised Zhao Nanxing.

Zhao Nanxing bowed his hands towards the north and said righteously: "Since the 14th year of Wanli, there has been no minister who died for his remonstrances. From today on!

If the emperor does not change his mind, we will fast here and wait until we die!"

For fifty-year-old Zhao Nanxing, this may be his last chance. He has to go crazy to survive.

Eunuch Chen sighed helplessly, although because of his education and personality, he understood the ministers better in his heart.

But if persuasion fails, the only option is to arrest these twenty people and send them to prison on the charge of disturbing the palace.

Anyway, these ministers are proud of being beaten in court and imprisoned, so this can be considered as helping them.

Hundreds of imperial guards and Jinyiwei officers surrounded the ministers. Zhao Nanxing, who was in the lead, was not afraid and was even a little excited.

Just then, someone suddenly shouted "Stop!"

Eunuch Chen turned his head and saw several soldiers carrying a door panel and walking quickly towards them from the direction of the Meridian Gate.

Lying on the door panel was a giant with a majestic figure, but his face was sallow and he looked sick. Who else could it be if not the powerful man who brought Fang Hou Lin Tai here?
Zhao Nanxing looked at the biggest enemy in his life, and a shadow fell over his heart.

It seems that Lin Tailai has never been imprisoned. Could it be that he is here today to grab the achievement of "being imprisoned"?
When they got closer, they saw Lin Tailai lying on the door panel, waving his arms and shouting: "The country has been supporting scholars for another 80 years, and morale cannot be broken again!"

Everyone: "."

Which side are you from? What does "another eighty years" mean? Why does it sound like irony?

Eunuch Chen went to meet him and asked, "Why are you here, my lord?"

Lin Tailai took out a notebook and said, "I am also submitting a petition for enthronement today!" Eunuch Chen was a little confused. Didn't you, Lin Tailai, always stay out of trouble and avoid getting involved in the country's disaster? What's wrong with you today?

If even Lin Tailai wants to cause trouble for Guoben, then things will be tricky.

Then Eunuch Chen called for Lin Tailai to be carried to the corridor next door, and dismissed his attendants, and had a face-to-face conversation with Lin Tailai alone.

"There is no one around now, so please just speak if you have anything to say," Eunuch Chen asked again.

Lin Tailai sighed and said, "The eldest prince is already twenty years old and has reached the age of coming of age. Can the emperor delay any longer?
Since the 14th year of the Wanli reign, the dispute over the national foundation has lasted for 15 years. If the third prince cannot be supported in 15 years, what is the point of dragging it on? "

Eunuch Chen said bluntly: "But what does this have to do with you? Don't you never get involved in these things?"

No one is a fool, and you, Lin Tailai, are not a rookie. What are you trying to do by suddenly coming here to join in the fun?

Lin Tailai pointed at the ministers outside and said bluntly, "If the emperor can no longer delay and has to appoint a crown prince, it would be better to give it to me instead of giving the credit to those who seek fame and reputation."

Eunuch Chen: “.”

It seems to make some sense, but I am speechless.

After a little thought, Eunuch Chen asked again: "You are not lacking in this merit, so what is your purpose in forcing yourself to do this?"

Lin Tailai seemed to answer very honestly: "Establishing a crown prince is a great joyous event. How can I be absent when such a grand event is being celebrated?
So I just want to take credit for the succession, nothing else.”

"Shall we report this to the Emperor?" Eunuch Chen asked tentatively.

Lin Tailai said without any concern: "Just repeat what I said!"

Eunuch Chen felt that he could only be a mouthpiece. "We will take your memorial to the emperor, but we cannot decide how the emperor will think about it."

Lin Tailai said calmly, "Your Majesty, please consider it carefully. If you approve my request, I can allocate 300,000 taels of Japanese silver to the inner treasury, and Suzhou Jinong Warehouse will pay another 100,000 taels to Your Majesty every year."

Chen Ju frowned tightly, feeling that something was very wrong.

The 300,000 taels of silver from Japan and the 100,000 taels contributed by Suzhou Jinong Warehouse totaled 400,000 taels. Add to that the more than 300,000 taels from the copper mine and maritime trade, and the total was more than 700,000 taels of silver.

Previously, the annual cash income of the imperial palace (not including physical goods) was only 1.3 to 1.4 million taels, so more than 700,000 taels was already a considerable proportion.

Moreover, these more than 700,000 taels are not fixed money, but also have the potential for growth.

The issue of money may be a small matter; the more crucial thing is that Lin Tailai’s attitude is very subtle.

First, it was as if he was standing between the emperor and the ministers, acting as a mediator, which was not something an ordinary minister should do.

Second, Lin Tailai seemed to be using silver as a bargaining chip to force the emperor to make concessions. In fact, it cannot be considered as forcing. A more appropriate term is game or transaction.

Under normal circumstances, how could a minister take the initiative to initiate bargaining or transactions with the monarch?
Which normal minister would say to the emperor, "Please give me a favor and I will give you an extra 200,000 silver coins every year." Otherwise, it is uncertain how much silver you can pay as tribute every year.

Although Lin Tailai concealed this game very secretly, after careful consideration, this is what he meant.

What are you talking about taking advantage of the succession? Your real purpose, Lin Tailai, is to take advantage of the imperial power, right?
As for whether Lin Tailai was arrogant, this was not something that a eunuch could determine. So Eunuch Chen did not dare to say anything definite, and only said: "Everything will be decided by the emperor."

Watching Chen Ju hurriedly walking towards the palace, Lin Tailai seemed to be thinking about something. He stopped pretending to be sick and stood up to stretch his legs.

This is a very bad era. The decline of imperial power and the loss of control over all aspects will lead to many problems.

But it was also a good era. The sanctity of imperial power had been largely ruined by the Jiajing and Wanli generations, which provided space for the growth of new power centers.

After reading Lin Tailai's memorial and listening to Chen Ju's report, Emperor Wanli remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Emperor Wanli asked Chen Ju, "Has Lin Tailai become too powerful to be eliminated?"

Eunuch Chen said fairly: "Lin Tailai has made great contributions to the country and has benefited the country and the people for many years. Without Lin Tailai, the money and grain of the court would be difficult to operate, but he does have a tendency to cause imbalance."

After thinking it over for a while with his half-baked "imperial skills", Emperor Wanli felt that there should be checks and balances. Who should be used to check and balance?
However, he was reluctant to give up the huge benefits brought by Lin Tailai, and Lin Tailai, who spent most of his time hanging out outside, did not seem to pose such a great direct threat to the imperial power, and he currently had no ability to overthrow the imperial power.

Finally, Emperor Wanli shook his head and said, "Let's approve Lin Tailai's request for enthronement today, and we can discuss other matters later."

Then he wrote on Lin Tailai's memorial: "Appoint the eldest son as the crown prince, and the third son as the Prince of Fu. Issue an imperial decree to announce it to the world."

Chen Ju accepted the imperial edict with his eyes and nose in his mind. He didn't know how to evaluate his monarch.

Doing big things and doing that, but not seeing small profits? There is the energy of being stubborn and willful in meaningless places, but lacks the decisiveness at all costs at critical moments.

From the perspective of the emperor's profession, this is not very qualified, but it may not be a bad thing?

Unlike Zhang Juzheng, Lin Tailai had very deep roots in Jiangnan and had received almost all kinds of honors.

If they really wanted to do it cruelly, the Ming Dynasty would probably be seriously damaged and destroyed.

Anyway, it is difficult to evaluate the current situation. Eunuch Chen is just a tool. Why think so much about it?

Holding the memorial with the emperor's instructions, Eunuch Chen returned to the corridor outside the East Corner Gate and handed the original memorial to Lin Tailai in an unprocedural manner.

"You can send the imperial edict to the cabinet yourself and let the cabinet draft the imperial edict." Eunuch Chen said a little tiredly.

Lin Tailai held up the memorial with the imperial edict and came to the East Corner Gate. He said to Zhao Nanxing and other ministers who had "died for the remonstrance": "I, Lin Tailai, have brought the future of the Ming Dynasty!"

With a look of surprise and bewilderment, Lin Tailai continued to speak loudly: "The emperor has approved my request for enthronement! He has already appointed the eldest son as the Crown Prince!"

The emperor's edict hit Zhao Nanxing's heart like a heavy hammer, it really was like the sky was falling!

The faith that had sustained everyone for so many years vanished in an instant!

Over the years, no matter how hard it was for us to be suppressed by the Lin Party, we all firmly believed that as long as we could hold on and gain the credit for supporting him, there would always be a time when the clouds would clear and the sun would rise!

As a result, after so many people worked hard for more than ten years, and the Qingliu forces paid an unknown price for it, the final fruits of victory were actually taken away by Lin Tailai!

"You bastard!" Zhao Nanxing burst into tears and rushed forward to punch Lin Tailai.

His life was completely ruined!
As a mature politician, Lin Tailai did not fight back, but nimbly dodged the unarmed attack of the fifty-year-old man.

Then he hurried to the cabinet not far away to convey the latest imperial edict.

In the evening, Hanlin Zhou Yingqiu waited outside the right gate of Chang'an until Lin Tailai left the palace. He asked with great interest, "What is Lord Jiuyuan's intention today? Is it to ask about the weight of the Nine Cauldrons?"

Lin Tailai scolded: "Don't talk nonsense! I was just rubbing!"

(End of this chapter)