I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1007 The Qing Dynasty official hides in hiding, while Xu Yingliu only uses back channels.

The principles are easy to understand, but putting them into practice is extremely difficult. The Confucian principles of self-cultivation have been taught for two thousand years, but how many Confucian scholars have truly learned how to cultivate themselves? The principles are one thing, but putting them into practice is another.

Similarly, due to the emperor's support, the Zhang faction grew to an unprecedented size, while Zhang Juzheng's own position remained as stable as Mount Tai. There was almost nothing that could shake Zhang Juzheng's position, and he had become a symbol and a landmark of the Wanli Reform.

At this point, regardless of who the party leader was, everyone knew that the party's rise to power was inevitably followed by decline, and that a severe purge of the party was necessary to ensure its survival.

Everyone understands the principle, but putting it into practice is incredibly difficult. It requires the courage of a warrior cutting off his own arm. It sounds simple, but if it were that easy, why didn't Yan Song, Xu Jie, and Gao Gong do it? Even Shen Shixing didn't do it. When Shen Shixing became the party leader, he immediately held a grand banquet for his guests.

Zhang Juzheng chose to investigate everyone, including his close associates such as Shen Shixing and Wang Xiyuan.

Zhu Yijun felt that Zhang Juzheng was being too harsh, but he had already promised Zhang Juzheng to purge the party, so there was no reason for him to go back on his word. Although it caused some turmoil, because of the matter of Fu Zuozhou's 40,000 taels of silver, it was not a priority to supervise the case. The turmoil was generally under control and there was no trend of it expanding further.

In February of the 20th year of the Wanli reign, the most eye-catching event was undoubtedly the announcement of the list of successful candidates outside the Donghua Gate. These four hundred people became the new Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of the Ming Dynasty, and they rose to become the ruling class in the selection of officials.

Another noteworthy event is that the Jieku Institute, through long-term research, has figured out the basic principle of 'blurred vision'.

The chief physicians of the Ming Dynasty's Jiekuan Academy divided the specimens into two groups and conducted a five-year follow-up study. They finally concluded that the blurred vision was a result of sugar poisoning, which ultimately led to lesions in the eye organs. It was not a problem with the eyes, but rather a problem with the diet.

This article about sugar poisoning, published in the Gewu Daily, has sparked extremely widespread controversy.

This was because the chief physician used Emperor Xuanzong's menu during the research process. In the morning, the dishes included candied grapes and candied kumquats. Lunch always included sesame oil cakes, sweet and sour soup, and silk cake soup. Dinner consisted of milk and honey soup with oil and sugar.

This is somewhat presumptuous, and the symptoms of severe diabetes match those of Emperor Xuanzong in his later years.

Blurred vision, drinking twenty pots of tea a day to quench thirst, getting up to urinate twenty times a night, foot sores ulcerating to the bone, and loss of all ten fingers are all symptoms of mid-to-late stage diabetes.

The chief physicians offered no explanation, and the emperor seemed to have no intention of investigating, leading to a surge of criticism against the Jiekuan Academy, which was difficult to resolve.

After all, the emperor should be the one who cares most about this matter. How could he use the ancestors' recipes for research? But the emperor didn't care, so no amount of criticism would help.

The emperor didn't care because it was something he had specifically approved. In an era when sugar was more expensive than medicine, without the emperor's permission, the project on the Jieku Academy would have been stillborn.

Emperor Xuanzong shielded Emperor Renzong from disaster. In fact, Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong ate almost the same things and had very similar symptoms.

Emperor Renzong actually followed the eating habits of his father, Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di). The key point is that Zhu Di spent his whole life on military campaigns, and he ate like this because his energy expenditure was too high. If he didn't eat like this, he wouldn't be able to fight.

Zhu Yijun did this research because he discovered in the twelfth month of the ninth year of the Wanli reign that Qi Jiguang had certain symptoms of diabetes, which was what the Jieku Academy called "sugar poisoning".

When soldiers are on the move, their appetites grow. Once there were no more combat missions and only training missions, Qi Jiguang's body should have become fat, and he should have had a "general's belly".

However, after defeating Altan Khan in the ninth year of the Wanli reign, Qi Jiguang had no more battles to fight and instead served as the Duke of Fengguo in the capital. He actually lost weight, eating, drinking, and excreting more, but his weight was decreasing. This prompted Zhu Yijun to quickly approve this research, which had previously been considered 'quite wasteful'.

From then on, Qi Jiguang was never full. The chief physicians strictly limited his food intake every day. On one occasion, Qi Jiguang even half-jokingly complained to the emperor that he had never had a full meal in his life and was afraid he would starve to death.

Qi Jiguang had no way to deal with these chief physicians, none of whom were afraid of death. He had no choice but to complain to the emperor. The emperor summoned the chief physicians to his presence and gave them a severe scolding, but secretly bestowed upon them extraordinary favors and rewards.

His Majesty and the chief physician were both doing this for Qi Jiguang's own good, and he certainly knew that. He also had the willpower to restrain himself from indulging in his appetite ever since.

Qi Jiguang's statement was not an exaggeration.

He was a hereditary military officer, similar to Li Chengliang. Both of them needed to pay a considerable sum of money to inherit the position. In order to maintain their hereditary military officer status, their families had to keep saving money, with large sums of money used to inherit the official position.

Qi Jiguang did not live a wealthy life from childhood. When he went south to quell the Japanese pirates, he often went hungry. That was how it was during the war, and he didn't know when he would be able to eat a hot meal.

When Qi Jiguang arrived in Jizhou to fight against the northern barbarians, he often led his personal troops to the grasslands to scout out enemy positions. Jizhou and Xifengkou, where he was stationed, were among the most vulnerable passes for the northern barbarians to breach the Great Wall, so he needed to frequently go beyond the Great Wall to scout out enemy positions.

After finally capturing Anda Khan and bringing him back to the capital, the emperor sent a chief physician who instructed the Duke of Fengguo to eat small, frequent meals and strictly control his diet. There was no meat or fish, and even his full meals had to be restricted.

The chief physicians of the Jieku Academy spent five years conducting a long-term follow-up study on the powerful and wealthy people who showed similar symptoms. They developed a diet tailored to different weights and symptoms of diabetes, as well as a special formula to deal with mild diabetes.

This food may not taste good, but it can indeed cure diseases and save lives.

In the words of the chief physician Pang Xian: "General Qi Jiguang's physical condition, strength, endurance, and reaction speed are much better than many thirty-year-old playboys. Qi Jiguang is sixty-four years old this year and can still wield a twelve-foot steel spear. How many young playboys can wield it?"
The 12-foot steel spear is 3.84 meters long and weighs 68 jin. This is a heavy weapon used for martial arts training and on the battlefield. It is called a "one-line spear". It has a wooden handle, is nine feet long, and weighs only three jin. The 68 jin is mainly used for martial arts training. It is a heavy weapon that only fierce generals can wield.

Qi Jiguang could wield a twelve-foot steel spear with ease, while most people would struggle to even hold it steady.

If Qi Jiguang hadn't had great perseverance and hadn't cooperated with the chief physician's dietary therapy and medicinal meals, he probably wouldn't have been able to lift that twelve-foot steel spear by the fifteenth or sixteenth year of the Wanli reign.

The reason this prescription for treating diabetes caused great controversy, besides being related to the causes of death of Emperors Renzong and Xuanzong, is that the sugar poisoning described by the Jieku Academy was very common among the powerful and wealthy families of the Ming Dynasty.

"According to the research of the Jieku Academy, by the time symptoms of diabetes and blurred vision appear, it is already too late to cure the disease. This is because the stomach has taken control of the brain. Symptoms such as diabetes and blurred vision are more severe than those of drug addiction. This is what the Grand Physician Fan Wuqi said." Feng Bao informed His Majesty of the unpublished research of the Jieku Academy.

The chief physicians knew that at this point, there was no hope, but they could not tell the patient this cruel truth.

The human instinct to crave food has exceeded the limits of willpower, so early treatment and intervention are advisable.

"Actually, according to Fan Wuqi, when you reach the point of 'three more and one less,' which means eating more, drinking more, excreting more, and losing weight, your condition is bound to deteriorate. But Qi Shuai had great willpower and managed to save himself. This is an exceptional case among exceptional cases," Feng Baoyou added.

The chief physician believed that Qi Jiguang's case was not very valuable for reference. It was not that the chief physicians had done a good job of restricting his appetite, but rather that the Duke of Fengguo had restrained his instinctive appetite, which allowed his body to enter a positive cycle. This kind of willpower is simply not something that ordinary people possess.

"Do you think I will get this disease like General Qi in the future?" Zhu Yijun put down the Gewu Bao and asked Feng Bao.

Feng Bao said with great certainty: "Your Majesty did not overeat. According to the Hongwu ancestral system, there are twelve dishes in the morning and evening and twenty-four dishes at noon. Your Majesty only has two dishes in the morning and evening and four dishes at noon, one bowl of rice and one bowl of soup. In addition, you also have to inspect the troops. I think it is not enough, and I even think it is a little insufficient."

The emperor is thirty years old this year. Given that it was common for emperors of the Ming Dynasty to die suddenly in their thirties, the emperor should start preparing for his funeral.

But Feng Bao believed that His Majesty was by no means a short-lived man. He could tell just by looking at His Majesty's diet. His Majesty was aiming to outlive Zhu Yuanzhang. He was so robust and busy, yet he ate so little. He must be a little hungry, mainly because inspecting the troops was very physically demanding.

Your Majesty is now going against the ancestral rule of frugality.

The study on diabetes mellitus by Jiekuyuan has great medical value and provides a relatively effective treatment plan, but the question is whether people can implement it effectively.

People are more timid than they think. Not to mention the regret chair of the Zhenfu Division, when the yamen runners come to the door, almost everyone is terrified.
Similarly, people's willpower is much weaker than imagined. Once symptoms of polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria, and weight loss appear, it is actually very difficult to control one's diet.

The Jiekuan Academy was a product of Zhu Yijun's neglect of his duties, and these creations are now bringing about many changes to the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, Xu Chengchu encountered some trouble at his doorstep this year during the New Year." Feng Bao retrieved the details from the imperial guards' reports and presented them to His Majesty.

This is a trivial matter.

Xu Chengchu's second son is only ten years old this year, which is the age when he should be running around freely. However, Xu Chengchu closed his doors to guests during the New Year, which prevented his second son from going out to play. While other children were playing with firecrackers and fireworks outside, Xu Chengchu's second son could only hide at home and not see anyone.

On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, Xu Chengchu's second son tried to sneak out to play while his father was away. As soon as he opened the door, a gift-giver came up to him. The gift-giver waited for a long time before the door was opened.

The ten-year-old child had a conflict with the person who gave him the gift. The gift box contained a raw jade stone from Yunnan, which had already been cut open and was weighing almost five pounds. The child didn't want it, but the adult who gave the gift kept trying to stuff it into the doorway.

The child was at a loss and immediately burst into tears. The adult who brought the gift was even more at a loss. In desperation, he took out several gold notes, at least a dozen, saying they were New Year's money.

Xu Chengchu's second son tore the gold notes to shreds, and while the other party was still stunned, he retreated back home and closed the door.

This incident was witnessed by the imperial guards, who recorded it and called it: "The upright official hides in the east and west, while Xu Yingliu only goes through the back door."

Even setting off firecrackers outside the house requires the child to hide, otherwise someone will seize on it and label him a hypocrite, turning Xu Chengchu, this upright and honest official, this clean official, this anti-corruption censor, into a laughing stock.

Being an honest official is that difficult.

The Secret Service's subsequent investigation revealed that most people who gave gifts to Xu Chengchu were actually trying to build goodwill; they had no ulterior motives. They were simply afraid that if they didn't give him the money, the Anti-Corruption Bureau would turn its blade against some government office, affecting their business.

The person who gave the raw stone was a brokerage agent for a wealthy family in Xitu City, whose main business was jadeite.

This broker-manager received instructions from his employer before the New Year. These wealthy families in Xitu City had no other intention than to prevent customs offices, branch bureaus, and local government offices along the way from using the pretext of strict inspections to obstruct their caravans from passing through.

The higher-ups are investigating closely, which means they want more money. If the court makes any moves, these merchants will be the first to suffer. If they have a relationship with Censor Xu Chengchu during the New Year, they can get less money.

"You still tried to force it on him?" Zhu Yijun asked with some emotion after reading the report. Feng Bao smiled and said, "The reason he could force it on him is because Xu Chengchu's official rank is low. If he were a higher-ranking official, with a gatekeeper, a few guards, and two stone lions guarding his gate, he wouldn't have the connections to force it on him, would he?"

Giving gifts is really not that easy.

Xu Chengchu was in the Anti-Corruption Division, and he saw things very clearly. Wang Zhuan started by accepting favors that he couldn't refuse, then moved on to helping with small, reasonable, and legal matters, and finally to small, unreasonable but legal matters.

If Zhang Juzheng hadn't intervened in time, Wang Zhuan would have continued to decline, turning the situation into a major incident that was neither reasonable nor legal.

"It is truly difficult to align one's knowledge with one's conscience." Zhu Yijun approved the report. The reason why the Imperial Guards waited a month to submit it was mainly to investigate whether those who gave gifts to Xu Chengchu had any problems and who were behind them.

The Imperial Guards targeted Xu Chengchu to improve their own performance evaluations; any problems they encountered would be quotas for various government departments.

Putting knowledge into practice is really, really difficult.

"Several imperial censors went to Songjiang Prefecture and submitted a joint memorial requesting that all local students of Songjiang Prefecture be required to conduct military drills at the naval camp every year." Feng Bao placed the memorial in front of His Majesty as His Majesty began to process the memorials.

Zhu Yijun, holding several memorials, said with some doubt, "Didn't I already make imperial comments? They're going a bit too far. Wang Qian's school rules and regulations are more than enough."

"The censors were somewhat vague in their explanations, which prompted Shen Li, the Minister of Rites, to send an official document to Songjiang Prefecture, inquiring why they were so persistent. Only then did the censors reveal the details," Feng Bao explained.

What exactly did these censors see that made them submit such a series of memorials despite the emperor's wrath and the pressure from the cabinet?

They had angered His Majesty, which is why he sent them to Songjiang Prefecture.

These imperial censors went to a place called Tianma Academy, located in Huating County.

The chaos at Tianma Academy turned these censors into upright and incorruptible officials, and they feared that their children would become like the students of Tianma Academy.

Songjiang Prefecture is changing rapidly, and many new nobles have emerged. These new nobles are generally quite busy and have no family traditions passed down through generations. Some people have set their sights on these new nobles.

The public schools built by the imperial court were for group instruction, and whether one succeeded or not depended entirely on one's own fate. As for good private schools, one could not simply enter them with money. For newly rich people without family education, the entrance examination for some strict academies was as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Tianma Academy was established under these circumstances. Several brokers and compradors conspired to hire some famous scholars at great expense. However, these scholars took the money but did not attend classes at Tianma Academy. Instead, they sent their own incompetent disciples there.

The academy's initial intention to pursue profit was problematic, and the teachers' character was also substandard. Once these students entered the mountains, it was as if they were cut off from the world. In addition, their parents were already busy and had no time to discipline them. Moreover, they spent a lot of money and placed too many, even bizarre, expectations on them.

These factors ultimately led to the students of Tianma Academy having extremely eccentric thinking, acting in a very extreme manner, and possessing extremely bad personalities.

In their competitive extravagance, these students have gone so far as to compete over whose study companion is more handsome or more capable. They also make no attempt to conceal their bullying of the timid and weak.

Feng Bao concluded: "These students of Tianma Academy are even more miserable than the children whose parents go out to work in the village. At least the children who stay in the village still have elders and elders from the same village and clan to educate and discipline them. These children who go to Tianma Academy have lost all humanity and are only concerned with their own interests."

This was a murder case that sent chills down the spines of the imperial censors. They dealt with all sorts of cases every day and considered themselves well-informed, but what chilled them to the bone was that three children had beaten and killed another child in front of so many people, and not a single student from Tianma Academy dared to speak out, keeping it a secret for nearly a month.

Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "Then sending the naval forces to train them will solve the problem? What, is the naval training method some kind of magic pill?"

“Yes.” Feng Bao picked up a memorial and said, “General Qi’s training methods are truly a panacea.”

The new book of military strategy focuses on how to train soldiers. The training methods of the capital garrison and the navy are all inherited from the same lineage. The training method of the Duke of Fengguo mainly cultivates the ability to cooperate. In individual combat, elite soldiers may not be the strongest, but in group combat, they are invincible because of cooperation and organization.

Reporting to the emperor and saving the common people is the general principle of military training, and the Ming Dynasty also had moral requirements for its soldiers in accordance with this principle.

These moral requirements are: frugality, fairness, justice, humility, prudence, honor, sincerity, and compassion.

These eight moral requirements were copied by Qi Jiguang from the doctrines of the Great Brightness Sect, namely the Eight Virtues of His Majesty. After all, the West is more skilled, experienced, and accurate in dealing with religion.

Upon seeing these eight virtues, Qi Jiguang immediately formulated a series of training and military regulations based on them.

People can be disciplined. The tedious and repetitive training forms habits, and these habits gradually become second nature, leading people to believe that this is how it should be. These eight virtues, after a long period of training, will evolve into two words: loyalty.

It wasn't that the censors were making a fuss; they went to the naval camp and saw it with their own eyes.

“The censors couldn’t find a place to train their morality, so they were drilled for three months in the first year, two months in the second year, and one month in the third year. Even hypocrites would know what is right and what is wrong.” Feng Bao said in a low voice, “In the military camp, if you can’t do it, you’ll really get beaten up.”

For example, frugality. In the camp, if there is even a little waste of food, the day's training cannot be completed, and the person will be so hungry at night that they cannot sleep.

For example, be cautious. In combat training, if you are not cautious enough, you will be beaten by an even more cautious opponent, and you may even implicate your teammates.
For example, honor. The military is the place where collective punishment is most severe. Anyone who does not value their own honor or the collective honor will not only suffer humiliation but also implicate others.

For example, honesty. In the camp, lying has a very high price to pay. Being kicked by the sergeant or the flag officer is the least of your worries. The most terrible thing is being punished by collective punishment.

For example, in team training, if you don't take care of the weak, the whole team will be punished. You have to help them whether you want to or not, or the whole team will be punished and won't get any food.
There are many similar military regulations and rules, especially during the first three months of training, each of which is extremely rigorous. Qi Jiguang used ingenious design, harsh punishments, clear rewards, and tedious repetitive training to achieve his desired goals, truly turning military training into a crucible, where everything is grasped and refined in an instant.

No matter what kind of trash is sent into the army, with long-term training, it will be refined into a qualified soldier.

The censors witnessed the chaos at Tianma Academy and, while still feeling apprehensive, also felt bewildered. They realized that relying solely on Confucian classics was no longer sufficient to combat the impact of materialism on people's morality. Wherever the commodity economy reached, the supremacy of money would sweep away all moral cultivation with an invincible force.

The dozen or so censors all looked towards the military camp; they had to admit that they had no choice but to turn to the soldiers.

"I see." Zhu Yijun finally understood why the censors were submitting memorials in such succession. If they had any other means, they would not have sought help from the military men they used to look down on.

"But isn't three years and three terms, totaling six months of military training, a bit too intense?" Zhu Yijun noticed the problem and spoke up for the students.

The censors were somewhat radical. They went three times a year for a total of six months. Zhu Yijun could endure it because he went every day. But could these scholars, who couldn't even beat a chicken, withstand such torment?
The censor's three-in-three-out technique is based on the principle of repeated memorization, somewhat similar to dog training...

"If you can't handle it, you can't handle it." Feng Bao's words were somewhat meaningful. Those who can't handle it are weak and cowardly, and will naturally be eliminated by the cruel world.

"Alright. Let's do as the censors say and take a look in Songjiang Prefecture." Zhu Yijun approved the memorial. The Dinghai school system was a fundamental national policy, and its implementation could not be distorted.

Shen Shixing, together with the five prefectures of Jiangnan, submitted a memorial regarding the return of land to the five prefectures, which could be completed within approximately three years.

The Ming Dynasty's policy of returning land to the people was progressing steadily and with difficulty.

The purpose of returning farmland to the people was to completely dismantle the small-scale peasant economy of the Ming Dynasty. This process was painful but also rewarding. Wang Xiyuan, the governor of Yingtian, was in charge of this task. He made a special trip to Hangzhou Prefecture, found Hou Yuzhao, and inquired in detail about the issue of returning farmland to the people. He stayed in Hangzhou Prefecture for three months to gain an in-depth understanding of the solutions to the problems of returning farmland to the people and the follow-up issues.

"I never imagined that returning farmland to the people would be so difficult." Zhu Yijun looked at the ten-thousand-word memorial, which described many problems encountered in returning farmland to the people. If one was not careful, all efforts would be in vain.

The most troublesome issue was that farmers and tenants united to oppose the government's return of land to farmers. Moreover, it was not a problem of one place, nor was it caused by local gentry and elders. If it were the gentry who were causing the disturbance, it would be simpler to just kill them.

There are many workshops in Jiangnan, which means more opportunities. Some people became craftsmen in the city and were unwilling to return to their hometowns to farm.

Once the imperial court returns the land to farmers, it's tantamount to binding farmers and tenants to the land. With the increase in workshops, they can become artisans, which is better than their descendants being farmers for generations.

Farming is not a pleasant thing. Farmers are just ignorant. They are not stupid at all. Nowadays, the agricultural surplus from farming is supplied to artisans for consumption. Farmers are not willing to be just producers, but consumers and meat eaters.

They did not want to become exploited producers in the division of labor during the Wanli Reforms.

Admittedly, in the eyes of the imperial court, artisans were also exploited producers, but for farmers, the lives of artisans who moved to the city were still better.

A rickshaw puller at Chaoyangmen could only earn a hundred coins a day, and his food and lodging weren't very good, but he could still save some money. This was already a life that farmers longed for.

The contradictions surrounding the return of land to the people were far more complex than Zhu Yijun had imagined. The land survey during the Wanli era took a full nine years to complete, but it was unclear when the return of land to the people during the Wanli era would be universally accomplished.

"Your Majesty, the matter of returning land to the people can only be done gradually. If the foundation is not solid enough, it will harm the people, not protect them." As the Grand Chancellor, Feng Bao reminded His Majesty that this matter really cannot be rushed.

If the world is collapsing, the fate is sealed, and destiny is lost, then confiscate and redistribute land in a sweeping, decisive manner. But if it is reform and innovation, then land can only be returned little by little, rather than redistributed.

Returning farmland to its original state in areas lacking an economic foundation will only cause the collapse of the small-scale peasant economy and social order that were originally self-sufficient. Due to reasons such as transportation and productivity, a commodity economy cannot be formed, and people will only be displaced.

Difficult? Yes, it should be difficult.

It's not difficult; throughout history, so many reforms aimed at self-preservation have failed.

(End of this chapter)