I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1002 Protecting the Light of Ten Thousand Homes
"Your Highness, it is not unreasonable for me to stay here, but I cannot convince myself to stay. The Ming army is all Your Majesty's sharp sword. Where Your Majesty's sword points, that is where the Ming army's advance will be. Although I have made some small contributions, I dare not forget my roots." Luo Shangzhi once again clearly rejected Zhu Yiliu's attempt to win him over.

When the Prince of Lu took up his fief, it was essentially the same as the family splitting up. The freedom he gained did not come without a price.

Luo Shangzhi was naturally tempted by the merit of conquering Mexico, which would help the Ming Dynasty secure a century of national prosperity, but his attitude was exceptionally clear.

As long as the Kingdom of Jinshan implements the system of military meritocracy, titles, land, and residences, the Mexican Viceroyalty will inevitably be a primary target. The Mexican Viceroyalty possesses a world-class, massive silver mine, which, given the Ming Dynasty's production capacity, is simply inexhaustible.

Luo Shangzhi had the power to choose. Given his position, if he stayed in Jinshan Kingdom, the relationship between the Ming Emperor and the Prince of Lu, the Ming Dynasty's need for the Jinshan Navy, and other reasons, no one would do anything to Luo Shangzhi. In fact, his name would be remembered in history.

He did not stay in Jinshan City because of loyalty.

Loyalty is not only about being loyal to the emperor, but also about being loyal to one's own heart.

Luo Shangzhi, who was among the soldiers, knew very well that the reappearance of the words "The Mighty Army of the Ming Dynasty" under the sun and moon was a coincidence, entirely due to His Majesty.

Zhang Juzheng was a scholar who passed the imperial examination. No matter how capable he was, his efforts to promote military strength were always superficial. His status and position determined that he could not grant Qi Jiguang a title of nobility, nor could he improve the status of soldiers. As soon as he died, military generals like Qi Jiguang, who had taken refuge in him, would target him, and the Ming Dynasty would return to its original path of promoting both civil and military affairs.

With Zhang Juzheng dead, the military generals who had taken refuge under him would rebel, proving that violence could easily spiral out of control. This would accelerate the formation of a consensus on promoting both civil and military affairs. If they did not rebel, all the achievements of Zhang Juzheng's new policies in strengthening the military would be in vain.

This was a dead end. In the early years of the Wanli reign, generals such as Qi Jiguang, Li Chengliang, Ma Fang, Yu Dayou, Liu Xian, and Liu Ting, along with the two million soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, were in despair. All their struggles were like clinging to life.

If we interpret it according to the theory of contradiction, the military preparedness of the Ming Dynasty had entered an irreversible downward spiral.

For a conflict to be resolved, both sides need to have roughly equal strength. In the process of confrontation and struggle, a new order is born. However, the military strength of the Ming Dynasty has weakened to the point that it is no longer able to compete with the combined power of civil and military affairs. As a result, the conflict between civil and military affairs has fallen into an irreversible downward spiral.

Regardless of the form of resistance, it will only accelerate this downward spiral. Holding military power and supporting bandits will only lead to self-preservation and will not benefit the overall military strength of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty had essentially fallen into the same trap as the Song Dynasty, which emphasized civil affairs over military matters.

At this time, an oddball appeared: Emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty's current state of prosperity is entirely due to Your Majesty's magnanimity. Whether it's Your Majesty's neglect of his duties in martial arts or the sudden bestowal of the title of Earl of Qian'an upon Qi Jiguang, it was all Your Majesty's doing.

By bestowing a title upon Qi Jiguang and appointing him as commander of the Beijing Garrison, His Majesty was gambling everything, betting his own life and the fate of the Ming Dynasty on Qi Jiguang's loyalty and on Qi Jiguang's unwillingness to become like Sima Yi.

Nineteen years have passed since Your Majesty ascended the throne, and time has proven that Your Majesty is an exceptionally steady person, even to the point of being a conservative. That was Your Majesty's only gamble.

Luo Shangzhi and the Ming army must repay their loyalty. This is also the consensus of the elite soldiers of the Beijing Garrison and the Ming Navy. This almost fanatical loyalty is to prove to the world that His Majesty is right!
The military can be trusted, and violence is not so easily out of control. It is wrong to promote culture over military force; it is right to promote culture and strengthen military power.

The loyalty of the army is equivalent to the correctness of Your Majesty's policy; the disloyalty of the army proves that Your Majesty's policy is wrong.

Only by reporting to the Emperor could the Ming army maintain its superior social status, establish the Huimin Pharmacy, the Three-Tier School, the Military Academy in the capital, as well as receive full pay and various rewards.

Luo Shangzhi was a powerful general in charge of a region. He understood these things very well. He knew why he had to be loyal and he would not betray his country. Even if the Prince of Lu offered him mountains of gold and silver, Luo Shangzhi would not stay.

His lord is His Majesty, not the Prince of Lu.

His words were very direct, and the Prince of Lu, being a smart man, naturally understood them completely.

"Sigh." Zhu Yiliu sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. Sure enough, you can only cultivate your own people.

To put it bluntly, even if Luo Shangzhi were to stay, Zhu Yiliu wouldn't dare to completely trust him as much as His Majesty trusts Qi Jiguang. A general who can be swayed by fame and fortune, no matter how sharp his blade, is still just a blade, not a confidant.

"Military merits, titles, land, and houses—what does Commander Luo think of them?" Zhu Yiliu's emotions only lasted a few seconds before he recovered. What is not his own can not be kept no matter what. It would be better to ask Luo Shangzhi more about military affairs while he was still around.

“The Kingdom of Jinshan needs a distribution method that is accepted by all the people of Jinshan in the past, present, and future. Only in this way can a consensus be formed and the construction of the kingdom be completed.” After careful consideration, Luo Shangzhi expressed his opinion. He further stated, “Being a nice guy like Uncle Jinshan will not achieve this consensus.”

Quan Tianpei's easygoing and agreeable approach caused some trouble for Jinshan City, but His Highness Prince Lu's decisive and efficient actions made up for it.

Zhu Yiliu really asked the right person; Luo Shangzhi really knows.

War is all about willpower; it's about completely crushing the enemy's will to resist and forcing them to submit to one's own will. That is the true nature of war.

The strength of the enemy's will to resist depends entirely on the degree of consensus; more consensus means greater strength, and less consensus means less strength.

Qi Jiguang's theory of war was an important theoretical cornerstone of the Ming Dynasty's Military Academy.

"Recognized in the past, present, and future?" Zhu Yiliu was taken aback, even feeling a sense of sudden realization. He grasped that fleeting inspiration. After Meng Jinquan took out the Qin Law, Zhu Yiliu instinctively felt that it was correct, but he couldn't explain why.

But after Luo Shangzhi explained it this way, Zhu Yiliu suddenly understood and realized that's how it is.

Luo Shangzhi continued, "The people of Jinshan Kingdom now are all those who arrived in Jinshan City in the past; Zhao Mu is someone who arrived in Jinshan City now; and many more people will come to Jinshan City in the future; how can we integrate them into Jinshan Kingdom and make them Jinshan citizens?"

"They need recognition, recognition from the past, present, and future. Recognition from everyone comes from the system. And the authority of the system does not come from its rationality, but from acceptance. When everyone is united, they are invincible."

The highest consensus is that the system has gained widespread recognition across the past, present, and future.

Just as the Ming Dynasty recognized the Tang Dynasty, it considered itself to be a continuation of the Tang system and the legitimate successor of Chinese tradition.

Qi Jiguang said that if there is such recognition as the gathering of three flowers at the top of the head, then there is no need to attack. Even if there is a military victory, it is difficult to win a political victory.

"If people in the past knew the current situation, would they be able to rest in peace with a smile? Are people in the present willing to endure suffering and continue to strive forward? Will people in the future be grateful for all the efforts of the past and present? These three things are the standards of recognition. If the answer to these three questions is yes, then it is destiny." Zhu Yiliu looked at the sky and said with a sense of loss.

Today, he finally understands that destiny is not something ethereal or illusory.

Luo Shangzhi smiled. Zhu Yiliu's understanding was still incorrect. There was a limitation to this: the majority. No system can satisfy everyone's interests, and majority approval is already quite difficult.

Luo Shangzhi didn't say it, but Prince Lu is a smart man, and he will naturally understand in time.

"Commander Luo, does the Martial Arts Academy still teach these things?" Zhu Yiliu was slightly confused. What Luo Shangzhi was saying seemed somewhat inconsistent with his identity as a military general. It was much more in-depth than what Meng Jinquan had said. Zhu Yiliu even had the illusion of facing his elder brother, the Emperor.

Luo Shangzhi said matter-of-factly, "Of course the Military Academy will teach these things. The Ming Dynasty is facing a major upheaval, and His Majesty is ordering a large army to take control of the north. This is no joke."

"Not only me, but all the generals and junior officers of the Ming army must understand these things."

The army naturally needs to emphasize ideology and politics, and His Majesty will even give lectures on it personally. Luo Shangzhi graduated with top honors from the fourth class of the Military Academy and received His Majesty's high recognition and praise.

Being Lou Hu, the number one killing star of the Western Heaven White Tiger, is not just about fighting and killing. For a general like Luo Shangzhi who guards a region, he must lead the entire army to win military victories as well as political victories.

“Your Majesty is wise and insightful, and you have known these principles since you were a child. It is only now that I have come to understand them.” Zhu Yiliu was once again shocked by his brother’s understanding of the principles of all things, but he quickly said with some relief, “Fortunately, Your Majesty is my own brother! Hahaha.”

The thought of his elder brother being so powerful filled Zhu Yiliu with fear, but the thought that this was his own brother immediately made him burst into laughter.

Zhu Yiliu recalled that when he was six years old, he deliberately peed all over his elder brother. His brother wasn't angry at all; he just gave him a beating, and not a severe one at that.

"Your Majesty is truly a very good-tempered person." As Zhu Yiliu spoke, he became homesick again, and even revealed a hint of vulnerability and grievance.

He wanted to go back to see his mother, his elder brother, and his children, and tell them stories from across the Pacific Ocean, but with the Pacific Ocean separating them and the affairs of the nation in Jinshan so complex, he couldn't go back in the short term.

"Does His Majesty have a very good temper?" Luo Shangzhi remained noncommittal. Perhaps in the eyes of the Prince of Lu, His Majesty truly did have a very good temper.

The idea of ​​pacifying Mexico and seizing its mines within five years is a beautiful but unrealistic aspiration. It's merely a way to legitimize the system of military merit, titles, land, and housing, creating an enemy around whom a consensus is built.

Making grand promises and telling stories has never been unusual since ancient times. The Qin Dynasty used the narrative of eastward expansion to maintain the implementation of the system of military merit, titles, land, and housing.

Zhu Yiliu wrote his memorial on state affairs in Jinshan, and Luo Shangzhi also wrote his own memorial. When the Ming Dynasty's merchant ships sailed around the Pacific Ocean, the memorials were sent to the Ming Dynasty together.

When the memorial arrived in the Ming Dynasty, it was already the New Year of the 20th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign.

The capital was filled with joy, but His Majesty the Emperor, as usual, did not participate in the lantern festival at Aoshan. He was not so busy that he had to work during the New Year, so he took Zhu Changzhi and Zhu Changchao to Taibai Tower to watch the New Year's opera.

The prosperity of the capital city of the Ming Dynasty was dazzling. There was no curfew during the seventeen days of the New Year. Even after nightfall, crowds continued to surge. Fireworks would suddenly burst into the sky. Under the bright starry sky and fireworks, children released lanterns.

Women wearing veils walked along the street, leaving the rouge shop and entering the clothing store;
The crowds are overwhelming, and the children running around in the streets and alleys always draws scoldings from their parents.
The restaurant was brightly lit, and inside the pavilion, the figure of the pipa player could be seen faintly. Even sitting in the carriage, one could still hear her playing "Su Zhong Qing".

Turning to the vermilion tower, near the winding pond, a beautiful woman plays the zither; whose jade-like fingers pluck the icy strings, stirring the evening coolness?

The melody is melodious, like a crane soaring, telling the story of the five notes of the pentatonic scale, making one's soul scatter and fly away, mistaking it for the song of the moon goddess.

The two brothers, Zhu Changzhi and Zhu Changchao, were looking out the car window and talking quietly, while Zhu Yijun was staring out the window in a daze.

Whenever Zhu Yijun felt tired, stepping out of the palace and seeing the world would sweep away all his weariness. The only thing he wanted to do, no matter how you look at it, was to protect the lights of every household.

Today, he wasn't out on official business, nor was he at Taibai Tower to listen to scholars chatting; he simply came out to celebrate the New Year.

The carriage arrived at Taibai Tower, where no one disturbed them. The signboard of the General's Mansion was truly effective, keeping away all those who might bother them, and Zhu Yijun was happy to enjoy the peace and quiet.

The Taibai Tower New Year's Opera has become a must-see for those celebrating the New Year in Beijing in recent years.

Zhu Yijun didn't like listening to opera, so while people downstairs cheered, he couldn't understand what they were saying from his box. He just found it noisy. He had only come out for a stroll on a whim, and once he was out, he found it boring. He simply gave them some silver, thus damaging the reputation of the great general.

Everyone in the capital knows that the General's Mansion has produced a spoiled brat named Young Master Huang, whom even the General himself cannot control.

Zhu Yijun found it boring, and the reason was simple: Wang Qian, the second most dissolute playboy in the capital, had gone to Songjiang Prefecture to take up an official post, leaving Zhu Yijun, the number one playboy, without a straight man to keep him entertained, which made him feel bored.

This boredom made time pass very slowly. He managed to return to the palace with his two children before the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) when everyone was asleep.

"How is the Empress doing?" Zhu Yijun asked about Wang Yaozhuo. She had been feeling fetal movement these past few days. Wang Yaozhuo and Gu Meisheng's due date was in January, and it was still the New Year. The baby in her belly was already getting restless.

"Her Majesty the Empress is well. Physician Wu said that both the Empress and Consort Zhuang have passed away in the last two days," Feng Bao reported with a smile.

"Hmm." Zhu Yijun responded, glanced at the time, saw it was still early and he had nothing else to do, so he said, "Bring me this Veritable Record of Emperor Shizong."

"Your Majesty, it's New Year's Day today." Feng Bao didn't respond, but instead retorted, "It's New Year's Day, so I won't watch anything."

"Alright then." Zhu Yijun didn't insist. He sat on the recliner, staring blankly at the window frame. With state affairs no longer a concern, His Majesty seemed to have absolutely nothing to do.

Feng Bao was very worried about His Majesty's condition. He was anxious but helpless.

His Majesty is transforming from a vibrant and energetic young emperor into a lonely figure completely alienated by imperial power, a transformation that no one can stop.

Going out to see the New Year's opera was also arranged by Feng Bao. He hoped that the excitement would dispel some of the alienation, but it had no effect.

Feng Bao thought for a moment, then took the memorial from Prince Lu and said, "Prince Lu's memorial arrived this afternoon. The cabinet minister on duty, Lu Guangzu, wrote a draft and sent it to the palace."

From the 25th of the twelfth lunar month to the 6th of the first lunar month, the emperor observes a holiday and memorials are not allowed to enter the palace, except for the memorials of the Prince of Lu, which was an imperial edict issued long ago.

Zhu Yijun became interested and read Lu Wang's rambling memorial, which contained a detailed account of what had happened in Jinshan Kingdom in recent days.

The main reason was that Zhu Yiliu had a lot of grievances, but he had no one to talk to, so he could only write them down in his memorials and tell the emperor.

Zhu Yiliu was furious at Han Qingde's overreaching behavior, and even more furious at the lawlessness of the Jinshan gentry, who dared to slander even His Majesty. What's worse, these slanders were all vulgar and shameless.

Beyond these trivial matters, there is homesickness.

Zhu Yiliu asked Empress Dowager Li, the beauties from all over the world in his Prince Lu's mansion, and his two children. Of course, Prince Lu also told the emperor that he had acquired several beauties from all over the world in Jinshan City, so that his brother-in-law did not need to worry and that he was doing well in Jinshan Kingdom.

"Childish." Zhu Yijun finished reading the memorial and handed it to Feng Bao, saying, "Send the letter from the Prince of Lu to his mother to Cining Palace."

The Prince of Lu also wrote a letter to Empress Dowager Li. Zhu Yijun did not open it, but sent it directly to Cining Palace. Since the Prince of Lu was enfeoffed, Empress Dowager Li had been sullen for six months before she allowed the emperor to continue to visit her on the first and fifteenth of each month.

Zhu Yijun also understood why the Jinchi Governor's Office refused to accept exiled criminals. These exiled criminals were still unruly and caused trouble overseas, making them quite troublesome to deal with.

The Governor-General's Office of Jinchi preferred to hire local ruffians to crack whips rather than these educated gentry families, which shows that these people are disliked wherever they go.

The Ming emperor, finding nothing to do, washed himself and then hastily went to sleep.

Xu Chengchu, a prominent figure in the Ming Dynasty's Anti-Corruption Bureau and an anti-corruption censor, found this extremely annoying. He simply hung a sign at his door that read, "The host is busy and cannot receive guests." He kept the door tightly shut and wouldn't even allow distant relatives and friends in the capital to come and pay their respects during the New Year. No matter who they were, they were all turned away at the door.

When Xu Chengchu was bullied because of a large tumor, none of his relatives and friends cared about him. But when he passed the imperial examination, they suddenly appeared.

Xu Chengchu is now very famous and is hailed as the second Hai Rui. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has burned down three major fires, making corrupt officials tremble with fear. Now the Anti-Corruption Bureau can be described as having immense power, and people flock to it to visit him.

He didn't see a single person, but seeing so many visiting cards, he immediately came to his senses and shut himself away from guests. If he had opened his doors to guests, he could have easily obtained the fame and fortune that others could only dream of. However, after thinking it over, he added all the people on these visiting cards to the anti-corruption list for next year.

Xu Chengchu thought: If these people have nothing wrong with them, why would they come to visit me? They must have something to hide, that's why they're knocking on my door.

"Why did Wang Zhuan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, send a visiting card? Whether it's his official rank or his seating arrangement at the Quan Chu Guild Hall, I should be the one paying his respects, not the other way around. Did he receive some kind of message?" Xu Chengchu held up a visiting card, his eyes turning cold.

Last November, Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng ordered Xu Chengchu to investigate Wang Zhuan, who was also a member of Zhang's faction, and the investigation uncovered a great deal of information.

In stark contrast to Xu Chengchu was Shen Shixing. Zhang Juzheng handed over the Quanchu Guild Hall to Shen Shixing and went to the Marquis of Yicheng's residence for the New Year. This move can be seen as Zhang Juzheng handing over the Zhang Party to Shen Shixing.

Shen Shixing officially became the leader of Zhang's party. This was his first year, so he naturally had to make a big fuss about it. He met with many people, many of whom he didn't recognize. He was so busy that he didn't even have time to eat his New Year's Eve dinner. Some of the faces were familiar, some were unfamiliar, and some he had never even met before.

Shen Shixing had an official title screen made. He was certain that this thing would really be useful. At least when they met in the future, he would know what the other person did, so as to avoid being at a loss for words when they met.

To Shen Shixing's surprise, Xu Chengchu did not pay a visit to him, the new party leader.

On the sixth day of the first month of the twentieth year of the Wanli reign, a memorial was submitted to the court, causing a stir in the court and the public. Gao Qiyu wrote a long article of several thousand words on the grounds that Shen Shixing was "gentle and greedy, appointed his cronies, and corrupted the government". Together with four censors, they submitted a joint memorial, initiating the impeachment of Shen Shixing.

Gao Qiyu's memorial caused a huge uproar. The impeachment came very suddenly. At the height of Shen Shixing's success, Gao Qiyu gave him a blow, telling him not to be arrogant because of his success.

This left Shen Shixing somewhat at a loss, and he didn't even know how to write his petition.

Gao Qiyu was certainly not making a false accusation. From the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the Quan Chu Guild Hall was bustling with activity, with people coming and going. The phrase "gentle and lustful" perfectly describes the large number of people who came to pay their respects. Shen Shixing not only did not avoid suspicion, but also insisted on seeing each of them one by one.

What an insatiable thirst for power! How dare he be so arrogant and domineering right under His Majesty's nose, forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices!

On the morning of the eighth day of the first lunar month, the court held a meeting. Zhu Yijun held Gao Qiyu's memorial, which he had been suppressing for two days because Zhang Juzheng had not yet expressed his opinion.

"What do you think, sir?" Seeing that Zhang Juzheng wouldn't speak, Zhu Yijun had no choice but to ask himself. This memorial had been held up for two days and should be dealt with.

Zhang Juzheng stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I am spending the New Year at the Marquis of Yicheng's residence."

"I know that you are at the Marquis of Yicheng's residence, which is on the same street as the General's residence. I went to your residence on the afternoon of the first day of the month," Zhu Yijun replied, seeing that Zhang Juzheng was speaking in riddles.

"The Marquis of Yicheng's residence is twelve li away from the Quan Chu Guild Hall. I am unaware of the situation at the Quan Chu Guild Hall." Zhang Juzheng made it even clearer that he would not help Shen Shixing in this matter, nor would he even get involved.

Some storms you have to weather on your own.

"Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to admonish Shen Shixing to repent in seclusion, and to never do such a thing again in the future," Gao Qiyu stepped forward and bowed his head, saying. Of course, he did not intend to condemn Shen Shixing outright. Shen Shixing had made great contributions and could not be impeached and brought down for such a trivial matter.

"Your subject is guilty." Shen Shixing was somewhat taken aback. Seeing this situation, he quickly stepped forward, bowed his head, and begged for forgiveness.

"Minister Shen, you have indeed gone too far. It's easy for people to criticize you. You must never do this again in the future." Zhu Yijun didn't even punish him by deducting his salary, but only gave him a verbal admonition. It's good to be successful, but don't be too arrogant.

Even though Zhang Juzheng is still alive, and the Grand Secretary clearly stated that he would not interfere, the censors dared not attack him en masse. But if Zhang Juzheng were gone, Shen Shixing would be impeached for this one matter alone.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Shen Shixing bowed again and returned to his post with Gao Qiyu.

After the procession had finished, only Zhang Juzheng remained. He took a deep breath and solemnly said, "Your Majesty, last winter there were three heavy snowfalls. Auspicious snow promises a bumper harvest and a fresh start. At the beginning of the new year, I beseech Your Majesty to wield the sword and punish the lawless."

"During my twenty years in power, the Zhang faction has become deeply entrenched and incredibly powerful. Censors are speechless and dare not impeach any member of the Zhang faction. I request that the upright and incorruptible censor Xu Chengchu thoroughly investigate the corrupt officials of the Zhang faction this year to serve as a warning to others."

The first new policy of the 20th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign was to investigate and eliminate corrupt officials and their associates.

Zhu Yijun understood perfectly that this was a setup.

Gao Qiyu's impeachment of Shen Shixing was the cause, and Shen Shixing's confession was the result. Turning the knife inward was Zhang Juzheng's fundamental purpose in handing over the Quan Chu Guild Hall to Shen Shixing.

Over the years, the emperor has supported Zhang Juzheng, and Zhang Juzheng's protégés and former officials are all over the court and the country. It is no exaggeration to say that Zhang's faction covers half the country. So, are all of Zhang's faction loyal, good and virtuous officials, and are there no treacherous, wicked and wicked officials?

of course not.

However, due to Zhang Juzheng, the Ming Dynasty's error correction mechanism and supervisory system were unable to effectively correct and supervise Zhang's faction. Therefore, the new faction leader, Shen Shixing, was so arrogant and domineering that he aroused the emperor's suspicion, making it natural to conduct an internal investigation of Zhang's faction.

Zhang Juzheng was a ruthless person from the very beginning; his ruthlessness towards himself was the true mark of ruthlessness.

Wang Chonggu was well aware of the drawbacks of his excessive reliance on personal relationships, but he couldn't change it. He could only place his hopes on future generations and on His Majesty.

Zhang Juzheng knew the root causes of the problems that had plagued his country during his twenty years in power, and he took decisive action.

"I am fully aware of your considerations, sir, but this matter is of great importance. Please allow me some time to think it over." Zhu Yijun did not immediately agree.

Zhang Juzheng was willing to turn the blade inward and target his own faction, but Zhu Yijun was not, because Zhang Juzheng was not just putting on a show, but once the blade was actually used, it would easily implicate Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Yijun's meaning was also very clear: he would sort things out slowly after Zhang Juzheng passed away.

The emperor looked at his ministers and continued, “Sir, you have taught me that mutual suspicion between superiors and inferiors is like the mutual destruction of water and fire. A ruler must be aware of this and understand it.”

The relationship between ruler and subject must never deteriorate to the point of mutual suspicion and irreconcilable conflict. At that point, even the greatest abilities cannot prevent the collapse of the dynasty.

Zhang Juzheng bowed again and said, “Your Majesty, a ruler must also be aware of this: if a ruler greatly promotes his ministers, it means that his private family prospers while the public family is ruined. If a ruler does not pay attention to this, the country will be in danger. The Tian family’s usurpation of Qi is a lesson from the past.”

This passage comes from Han Feizi and means that a ruler must be wary of his ministers becoming too powerful.

If a monarch fails to investigate and allows his ministers to grow in power, the expansion of their power will lead to the interests of private individuals, namely powerful minister groups, taking precedence over the public good and eroding the monarch's authority and the overall interests of the nation.

The emperor threw a boomerang, and Zhang Juzheng played a dodge, telling the emperor that it was time to act, or it would be too late.

Clearly, something happened that gave Zhang Juzheng this sense of urgency, prompting him to nip the trouble in the bud rather than wait until the conflict erupted before taking action.

"The difficulty in governing the world lies not in enacting laws, but in ensuring their enforcement. If the rule of law fails, it will be violated from above. I hereby impeach Wang Zhuan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, for corruption and perverting the course of justice." Zhang Juzheng presented a memorial to the Emperor.

Wang Zhuan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, looked ashen-faced as he stared at Zhang Juzheng in disbelief. Every court official knew that he was Zhang Juzheng’s number one henchman!

Zhang Juzheng turned his blade inward, and the first blow was aimed at his fellow townsman, his direct disciple, and his lackey!
Zhu Yijun also glanced at Wang Zhuan in shock before opening the memorial.

Zhang Juzheng sighed and said, "Wang Zhuan, I have urged you to pull back from the brink several times, but you have remained stubbornly unrepentant."

Wang Zhuan looked conflicted and said loudly, "Sir, the forty-fifth year of the Jiajing reign..."

"Shut up!" Zhu Yijun roared, interrupting Wang Zhuan, and sternly rebuked, "Are you crazy?"

Wang Zhuan then realized he had spoken out of turn, and knelt down trembling, not daring to utter another word.

The courtiers were all startled by His Majesty's outburst. Inside the Wenhua Hall, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

In the 45th year of the Jiajing reign, Zhang Juzheng asked Wang Zhuan to present Grand Secretary Xu Jie and Second Grand Secretary Li Chunfang with a bushel of pearls from the South China Sea, as well as a certain amount of gold and silver. Only then was Zhang Juzheng recommended by Li Chunfang and promoted from a Reader-in-Waiting to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and concurrently a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy.

Zhu Yijun already knew about this. If Wang Zhuan had said it, he would have been doomed. The emperor interrupted him to save him.

This is why Zhu Yijun refused earlier: internal purges were possible, but they would definitely harm Zhang Juzheng.

(End of this chapter)