I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1009 The Monetary Problem: It Cannot Be Viewed Simply in Respect of Money Itself
"Grand Minister, there is a situation I need to inform you of," Zhu Yijun said with a solemn expression. "The Ming Dynasty's paper money has been severely over-issued, so we need to take five years to stop all issuance of paper money, recall these paper money, and then issue new paper money."

"Your Majesty stores 1.2 million taels of gold annually and issues only 6 million strings of paper money each year. To date, you have only issued 24 million strings of paper money. With 6 million taels of gold, how can you not issue 30 million taels of paper money?"

"I don't think the paper money has been overissued." Zhang Xueyan's behavior at this moment was even more outspoken than that of a righteous minister. He contradicted the emperor for every word he said.

Zhu Yijun explained in detail: "It was the Nanyang Tongxing Baochao issued in Nanyang. For convenience, all Nanyang Baochao redeemed in Songjiang Prefecture were also uniformly exchanged for silver coins. Then the Baochao Bureau and Baoyuan Bureau went to the Songjiang Prefecture Treasury to exchange for enough red copper and copper coins."

During the Wanli era, the Ming Dynasty issued a total of three types of paper money.

The Japanese banknotes were of the lowest quality and could not be redeemed; they could only circulate within Japan. Next were the Southeast Asian banknotes, which could be redeemed, but only for copper or copper coins.
Finally, there was the gold-in-paper currency issued in the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign, which could be directly redeemed for silver.

There were many reasons for the issuance of the first two types of paper money. For example, the Nanyang Tongxing Baochao (Southern Ocean Circulating Paper Money) was issued because Luzon, Palembang, and the Yuanxu Islands lacked currency, and the twelve copper towns of Luzon lacked the capacity to mint coins. The Ming Dynasty needed a large amount of currency to supplement it, so the court eventually issued the Nanyang Tongxing Baochao.

After the issuance of gold-denominated paper money began in the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign, the Nanyang Tongxing paper money quickly enjoyed the same treatment as the gold-denominated paper money, and could be directly exchanged for silver at the Baoyuan Bureau and Baochao Bureau of the five major Maritime Trade Offices.

This equal treatment was for convenience, to facilitate coordination within the government's departments and bureaus. It was also a necessity; otherwise, the Nanyang Tongxing Baochao (Southeast Asian currency) would lose its meaning and become worthless, ultimately leading to the good driving out the bad and leaving Nanyang without any money.

"The Nanyang Tongxing Baochao (Southeast Asian currency) was issued annually for six million strings of cash over nine years, resulting in an actual over-issuance of fifty-four million strings of cash. Grand Minister, the essence of paper money is debt. If I do not recall these fifty-four million strings of over-issued Baochao, the credibility of the Baochao will collapse immediately in the event of a bank run." Zhu Yijun explained why the issuance of Baochao had to be stopped.

"In that case, does the Grand Minister have any further questions?" Zhu Yijun asked the Grand Minister for his opinion, seeing that Zhang Xueyan had fully understood his thoughts.

Zhang Xueyan looked around and said with great emotion, "His Majesty's decree is to recall all the paper money, and then combine the gold paper money and the Nanyang paper money into the Great Ming Circulating Paper Money, which can effectively protect the credibility of the Great Ming Paper Money."

"However, Your Majesty, since Your Majesty severely punished the Wuqing Marquis's family for profiting from paper money, the credibility of paper money has become very strong."

When faced with the ideas of those in power, you should first agree with them, and then state your own opinions.

The Grand Minister understood the Emperor's meaning: the aim was to maintain the credibility of the paper money, but the credibility of the paper money would not collapse at present.

Zhang Xueyan did not believe that the credibility of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes could be ruined. Since Empress Dowager Li's biological father, brother, and younger brother were severely punished, no one would doubt the credibility of the Treasure Notes anymore. This was the fundamental reason why Songjiang Prefecture dared to directly exchange the Nanyang Treasure Notes as well.

Everyone approves of the currency issued by His Majesty.

Every move the emperor made was watched by the masses and admired by millions. No one in the imperial family or state was allowed to disrupt the issuance of the paper money. Once this political correctness was established, more and more people accepted the Ming Dynasty paper money.

Paper money is all about credibility from beginning to end. Few people in the Ming Dynasty had actually seen the gold in the Tonghe Palace Treasury, and in fact, not many people really cared how much gold His Majesty had stored up, whether he had any or how much, it didn't affect the issuance of paper money.

There is a deeper meaning behind Zhang Xueyan's words: stopping the issuance of paper money at this time would actually damage the credibility of paper money.

The imperial decrees are like a carriage going down a mountain. Once it starts, there is no stopping. Either the carriage crashes and people die, or it descends smoothly and prepares to climb the next mountain. Stopping halfway is treating national affairs as a joke.

Even the most difficult order to return land to its original state was being implemented steadily, albeit slowly.

Those who start such things will surely have no descendants; once they begin, there is no possibility of stopping halfway.

"Let me think about this some more." Zhu Yijun picked up a pencil from the table and began to doodle.

The credibility of the Gold Treasure Notes was based on the Tonghe Palace Treasury, while the credibility of the Nanyang Circulating Treasure Notes was based on the twelve copper towns of Luzon. Gold and copper together built the credibility of the Treasure Notes. The reason why there was no silver was that the Ming Dynasty was poor in silver and did not have enough silver mines.

In theory, the total amount of the two banknotes was not over-issued, the gold was real gold, the emperor did not tell a huge lie, he really was stockpiling gold, and red copper was continuously arriving in Songjiang Prefecture.

In practice, Nanyang Treasure Notes could be directly exchanged for silver coins and enjoyed the same treatment. Zhang Xueyan argued that this was simply an over-issuance.

"Your Majesty, I believe that what the Grand Minister of Works said makes a lot of sense." Shen Shixing looked left and right, and seeing that no court officials were willing to speak, he stepped forward.

As the leader of the All-Chu Guild Hall, the head of Zhang's faction, and a candidate for Grand Secretary, he had to come forward and express his opinion when Zhang Juzheng was unable to do so directly.

"Oh? Tell me in detail, my dear minister." Zhu Yijun put down his pen, looked at Shen Shixing, and asked him to explain in detail.

During court discussions in the Wenhua Hall, Zhu Yijun never considered his officials to be disobedient or rebellious. Many arguments would break out there, but those responsible for carrying out the tasks below would not fight back.

Issuing orders from multiple sources leads to infighting among frontline staff. If a staff member receives four different instructions for the same task, who should they listen to? The end result is that they listen to none of them and carry out their own instructions, because no one knows whose instructions are correct.

As a ruler, a gentleman, and as someone in a position of authority, the most basic moral principle is to avoid causing trouble for the lower-level staff.

Although the Wenhua Hall Council was a makeshift organization that could only function smoothly due to many delicate balancing acts, it was still much better than before when orders were issued from multiple sources.

"Your Majesty, the issuance of paper money can be over-issued," Shen Shixing stated eloquently, offering his perspective from a different angle. Shen Shixing spoke at length, but ultimately, his main point was this:
So what if it's over-issued?
The emperor and the Ministry of Revenue had both fallen into a vicious cycle, always discussing whether or not to over-issue funds. Shen Shixing stepped forward, arguing that over-issuance was fine.

Shen Shixing believed that the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's paper money was indeed His Majesty's credibility, but even more so, it represented the Ming Dynasty's military strength, land, grain, silver, brass, coal, cotton cloth, roads, and sea power. From this perspective, the issuance of Ming Dynasty paper money was actually far from sufficient.

Shen Shixing took the lead and stood up to express his views. Soon, the other court officials also stated their opinions.

Besides Shen Shixing's suggestion that the anchor should not be limited to credibility, there are three main points.

First, paper money was more liquid than silver and copper coins, making it the best medium of exchange and a general equivalent.

When people received the paper money, their first instinct was to trade it rather than keep it. If they wanted to save, gold and silver were more suitable than paper money. This made paper money the most liquid asset. The economic stagnation caused by its discontinuation was something that the Ming Dynasty could hardly accept.

Secondly, the suspension and recall of paper money would immediately plunge the Ming Dynasty into a cash shortage. In recent years, as the conflict between the Ming Dynasty and Spain at sea has intensified, the inflow of silver has decreased, and paper money has become the most effective tool for replenishing liquidity. A cash shortage would severely undermine the people's confidence in the Wanli Reforms.

People never think about politics from their brains, but from their guts. Once the guts are damaged, even if everyone is united, there will be disagreements.

Third, the issuance of banknotes must be stopped. If it is to be stopped, then all banknotes must be stopped. In other words, the issuance of Nanyang banknotes must also be stopped.

There would be a shortage of currency in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is not the heartland of the Ming Dynasty. In the heartland of the Ming Dynasty, it is not a big deal to tighten one's belt and live a few years in a tight financial situation. After all, the imperial power is at its peak, and a small setback can be easily endured. After all, everyone has gone through such hardships in the past. But what about Southeast Asia?
Once the Ming Dynasty stops issuing paper money, its governor-general's offices in Luzon, Palembang, and the Yuanxu Islands in Southeast Asia will face a crisis of rule.

We cannot view the problem one-sidedly, but must consider the overall impact. This is an issue that Your Majesty must take into account when making decisions.

"What you all say makes sense," Zhu Yijun said with a hint of helplessness after the court officials had expressed their opinions. "But if we continue to over-issue paper money like this, in five years, the paper money will collapse just like Felipe's gold bonds."

"It was because I saw this situation that I made the resolute decision to cut off my own arm to prevent the paper money from ending up like the gold bonds, leaving a complete mess."

Zhu Yijun had already considered the issues raised by the court officials during his second thought, and perhaps even considered them more thoroughly.

With the Ming Dynasty ceasing the issuance of paper money, it became even more reliant on overseas silver imports. This meant the Ming Dynasty had to make concessions to the Governor-General of Mexico and Peru within the Eastern Pacific Trade Alliance to encourage them to send more silver to the Ming Dynasty, thus replenishing the withdrawn liquidity.

Zhu Yijun was no longer a ten-year-old child. The paper money was indeed a matter of great importance, affecting everything. He was willing to make a tough decision, but the ministers did not agree.

In the actual issuance of the Treasure Notes, the leverage of over-issuance was really too great. The Gold Bonds went bankrupt three times at the critical point of over-issuance of seven times, and Felipe ultimately lost all credibility.

The Ming Dynasty had a different system from Spain; it could not afford for its paper money to go bankrupt three times.

Why did Zhu Yijun predict that it would happen within five years? This was based on Wang Guoguang's estimation at the time.

The reason is very simple: the Ming Dynasty's reserves of precious metals were insufficient, or more directly, its silver reserves were insufficient.

If the issuance continues at this rate, the pressure to redeem the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes will increase, eventually leading to a run on the bank and a loss of credibility.

According to Wang Guoguang's argument in "The Anchoring of the Treasure Notes", if the amount of precious metals prepared is less than 20%, the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes will not be able to withstand a run on the currency. Moreover, this precious metal is not gold or copper, but silver, as the Ming Dynasty's currency was based on silver.

The amount of silver flowing into the Ming Dynasty was limited. The Japanese silver mines produced at most 450 million taels of silver a year, the Mexican Viceroyalty promised 200 million taels, the Peruvian Viceroyalty promised 450 million taels, the global trading caravans produced 650 million taels a year, while the Juezhou silver mines produced less than one million taels a year, which could be ignored in the short term.

The amount of silver flowing into the Ming Dynasty was only between 1300 million and 1700 million taels per year. According to Wang Guoguang's original calculations, even in the most optimistic scenario, the Ming Dynasty could only circulate a maximum of 1.45 million guan of paper money before the court would be unable to redeem it. This was already the most optimistic estimate.

Silver shortages were a major problem for the Ming Dynasty, so it's no wonder that the Gold Mountain Society was eyeing the three silver mines of the Mexican Viceroyalty.

Based on the current annual scale of 12 million strings of cash, by the 25th year of the Wanli reign, this dangerous line had just been crossed.

"Stopping the issuance of paper money puts pressure on the imperial court, forcing it to find ways to obtain silver to make up for the shortfall; continuing to issue paper money puts pressure on the people, and if the paper money system collapses, it will be a cataclysmic event for the common people." Zhu Yijun further clarified his stance.

Once the edifice of the imperial banknotes collapses, the savings accumulated by the court and the people over many years will be destroyed, causing a great upheaval. It would truly be a loss of national credibility and a cause for doubt among the people.

This is also why, after Hongwu, no Ming emperor dared to easily try to implement paper money; the cost and consequences were too much for even the emperor to bear.

Politics is all about making choices, about whether the court or the people will bear the consequences. Zhu Yijun pointed out the fundamental contradiction.

"What is your opinion, sir?" Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng, who had been keeping his eyes down and pretending to be confused, without saying a word. The Grand Secretary had not expressed his opinion from beginning to end.

“Your Majesty, I think Your Majesty’s considerations are correct, and I also think that the ministers’ considerations are not wrong either. After listening for a long time, I think they are all right. I am really old and a little confused.” Zhang Juzheng, as if just coming back to his senses, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed his head when he heard His Majesty call him.

Zhang Juzheng was feigning ignorance, not genuinely confused. He said something that seemed vague, but his attitude was actually quite clear. When the emperor needed his support, his evasive words were actually a clear indication of his stance.

He disagreed with halting the issuance of currency and with placing the entire burden of the currency shortage on the imperial court. He was more inclined to agree with Shen Shixing's view that the paper money should not be completely tied to precious metals, but could be anchored to more specific military strength, land, grain, and so on—in other words, the national strength of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Juzheng actually meant that as long as one can buy firewood, rice, oil, salt, meat, vegetables, and even fine woolen fabrics can be used as currency. Before the Wanli Reforms, bribery was done with salt certificates. Even though the salt administration system was corrupted, salt certificates could still be used as money because they could actually be exchanged for salt.

When it comes to currency issues, sometimes we can't just look at the currency itself, but rather at the economy. As long as the Ming Dynasty continues to obtain a steady stream of raw materials and substantial profits from overseas, the Ming Treasure Note will absolutely not collapse.

His Majesty is a bit too concerned about silver.

"Alright, let's issue them as usual this year, but there can be no additional issuance within the next five years." Zhu Yijun understood Zhang Juzheng's meaning and, without putting on airs, finally agreed to the minister's request. He withdrew his order and continued to issue the paper money.

It's just 1200 million strings of cash a year, right? Go for it!
There was no middle ground; it was a matter of either not issuing the decree or continuing as before. Zhu Yijun chose to continue as before because none of the ministers supported him, and even if he forced it, it would be difficult to push forward.

"Your Majesty is wise," the ministers said in unison, bowing again before returning to their posts.

Zhu Yijun had actually thought it through. Even if the gold notes were to go bankrupt like the gold bonds, the loss would be more to his own reputation as emperor than to the court. The reason Zhu Yijun believed this was because his reputation was indeed strong and could withstand the impact of the bankruptcy of the notes.

Moreover, the situation may not necessarily be as bad as that of gold bonds.

After all, the anchor of the Ming Dynasty's paper money was not only gold, but also goods, which was very different from gold bonds. The problem that Zhu Yijun was worried about was not necessarily going to happen.

Even if the emperor and the court can refrain from further over-issuing currency, the possibility of the financial crisis that Zhu Yijun was worried about is relatively small. The more successful the Wanli Reform was, the smaller the possibility of it happening.

If we don't want the thunderbolt of the gold and paper money to shatter the Ming Dynasty, then we can only press on with unwavering determination and make the Ming Dynasty great again and continue to be great.

"Your Majesty, Yang Junmin, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, has cracked a case involving evil spirits in Jizhou. It is the Wenxiang Hall of the White Lotus Sect. Several members have been arrested. What is special about this case is that the portrait they are worshipping is... Your Majesty's portrait." Zhang Guoyan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, stepped forward to report this matter.

When Zhang Guoyan spoke, he himself was a little flustered. These believers had such audacity.

Cases involving evil spirits usually don't reach the Emperor directly, but this case was special because the Emperor's portrait was being enshrined, which put the Ministry of Justice on high alert and led them to investigate the cause thoroughly.

The White Lotus Sect's doctrines are: all wealth acquired by the sect should be distributed equally; help each other in times of trouble and die for each other in times of difficulty; one can travel the world without carrying a single penny; equality and mutual assistance.

His Majesty's policy of returning land to the people is essentially an attempt to achieve equality and mutual assistance. Therefore, the emperor's portrait was hung in the Wenxiang Hall for worship. Most of the people in the Wenxiang Hall are farmers from the north, and these farmers offer incense to the emperor, praying that the Ming Dynasty's land return policy can be implemented in the north as soon as possible.

Religion and politics are inseparable. For most of human history, religion and politics have been like two sides of the same coin, each indispensable to the other.

When the emperor truly practiced equality and mutual assistance, then naturally people would offer sacrifices and worship.

Zhu Yijun saw the portrait, which was being held by two eunuchs.

The painting is very lifelike. There are many portraits of holy emperors on the grasslands. Obviously, the portrait enshrined in this Fragrant Hall is a copy of the portrait of the holy emperor of the grasslands, but it has been further artistically processed by incorporating the story of the reincarnation of Zhenwu the Great.

In the portrait, the emperor has a halo above his head, wears a black robe, gold armor and a jade belt, holds a sword and glares angrily, stands on a tortoise and a snake, and has disheveled hair and bare feet, making him look extremely fierce.

"Evil spirits offering their portraits to me are not a get-out-of-jail-free card. They should be eliminated if necessary. Even if they take out my portrait, they cannot be used as a talisman or a shield." Zhu Yijun gave Zhang Guoyan instructions, meaning that if any problems arose during the process of eliminating evil spirits using the portrait, it would not be the fault of the soldiers, archers, or yamen runners.

Zhu Yijun had also heard of this Fragrance Hall. Their reason for worshipping the emperor was not because they genuinely agreed with the emperor's new policies, but rather to create an impenetrable shield that would make it very difficult for the yamen runners who were tasked with eliminating evil spirits.

Zhu Yijun didn't care about this at all; he would suppress them however he pleased.

The White Lotus sect's ideas were all good, but very few of its followers could actually put them into practice. They were not lacking in deception, fraud, and theft. During the reign of Emperor Renzong, they were briefly restored to their orthodox status, but they were quickly reclassified as evil again.

"Your Majesty, I request that the tax bureaus in the north and south, as well as the tax offices in each prefecture and county, conduct tax audits and investigations on all powerful and influential families, local gentry, and other prominent figures." After everyone else had finished speaking, Zhang Juzheng stepped forward and requested permission to mobilize the tax bureaus to conduct tax audits.

It's called tax inspection, but it's actually auditing accounts; it's a way of putting pressure on people and expanding the scope of the crackdown on corruption.

Zhang Juzheng's massive investigation had created an atmosphere of fear and unease among the people, and now it was expanding from his faction to the entire bureaucracy of the Ming Dynasty.

If Wang Zhuan, Zhang's top henchman, cannot escape the major investigation, then all other members of Zhang's faction will inevitably have to go through the process. If even Zhang's faction members will be subject to rigorous investigation, let alone the officials who are not part of Zhang's faction.

Not just any small rural landlord can be called a local gentry or respected figure.

To be considered a local gentry or noble, one must be of a certain size and meet three conditions: first, own property in the county town; second, have a student in the family who has passed the imperial examinations or a family member who works in the county government, meaning they must have connections in the county school or government offices; and third, have more than thirty servants, slaves, and family members.

Zhang Juzheng requested to conduct tax inspections, which involved checking accounts and taxes. Any unclear or unexplained transactions involving money or silver that had not been paid had to be clarified. Taxes evaded by officials had to be paid in full, otherwise a tax collection notice from the tax bureau would be a death sentence.

While the tax bureau may not be able to combat corruption, it can force the collusion between officials and businessmen to go bankrupt.

"Sir, I don't think it needs to be so harsh." Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and still offered a word of advice. Zhang Juzheng was becoming more and more stubborn. Zhu Yijun never thought that one day he would persuade Zhang Juzheng to be more lenient.

"Your Majesty, there's no turning back once the arrow is released." Zhang Juzheng knew that he had indeed been a bit ruthless this time, but as a prime minister who wasn't exactly clean, if he was going to fight corruption and crack down on greed, he had to see it through to the end.

"What does Commander Qi think?" Zhu Yijun asked Qi Jiguang.

The highest-ranking official in the Anti-Corruption Bureau was Qi Jiguang. Lu Guangzu invited the general to oversee the Anti-Corruption Bureau, so of course Qi Jiguang's opinion had to be sought. The general's anti-corruption efforts were unprecedented.

But without the help of a great general, Lu Guangzu simply didn't have the guts to establish the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Before it was even established, he was about to die by suicide, shot eighteen times in the back.

In the Ming Dynasty, fighting corruption required risking one's life. Look at what Xu Chengchu was forced into; he couldn't even move around when paying New Year's visits, for fear of giving others cause for criticism.

Qi Jiguang did not refuse; on the contrary, he did a great job. Moreover, some of the watchtower commanders, scouts, and coastal patrol officers who were very good at collecting intelligence joined the Anti-Corruption Division to fight corruption.

Qi Jiguang could certainly keep things under control. When others want to accuse you of being a rebel, you'd better actually have the ability to rebel. That way, no one will accuse you of rebelling; instead, they'll be afraid of forcing you into a rebellion.

After Qi Jiguang was granted the title of Duke of Fengguo in the ninth year of the Wanli reign, no one dared to speak ill of him.

"Your Majesty, the Tax Inspection Bureau has been established for seventeen years. I believe it is time to thoroughly examine all its members. After all, the Tax Inspection Bureau is involved in the finances and taxes of the Ming Dynasty. In the past, the Tax Inspection Bureau was under the jurisdiction of the North and South Garrison Commands, and no one could inspect it. Now, the Anti-Corruption Bureau is also under the jurisdiction of the North and South Garrison Commands, and they can supervise each other." Qi Jiguang stepped forward and raised a question that the ministers had deliberately ignored for a long time.

Who will supervise the tax authorities?
This is an issue that everyone has been deliberately avoiding since the emergence of the tax inspectors in the second year of the Wanli reign and the formal establishment of the tax inspection institute in the fifth year of the Wanli reign.

Even without the judiciary, assassinations, detentions, or vigilante justice, the Tax Audit Bureau remains a secret service agency and an integral part of secret police politics.

Wang Guoguang once discussed the issue of funding for various levels of the tax bureau with the emperor, and the emperor gave Wang Guoguang a shocking answer.

The tax inspectors not only bought and sold various secrets and protected illegal activities, but also extorted money from wealthy merchants, powerful figures, and influential people. As long as they found a handle, they could open up a gold mine.

Even worse, some engaged in illegal activities such as operating private markets and smuggling. Luzon even saw two major cases of tax collectors and coastal patrols jointly trafficking opium. (Chapter 547)
The Tax Bureau had a notorious reputation, and Zhu Yijun was not unaware of the problem. The reason why the emperor and his ministers ignored it was because previously, the wealthy and powerful in the Ming Dynasty generally did not pay taxes, so it was necessary to establish the Tax Bureau to forcefully collect taxes.

Even with the mutual checks and balances of the tax inspectors, the garrison eunuchs, and the civil officials in charge, the tax inspection offices, lacking oversight, inevitably saw instances of collusion and corruption. These did occur, but not frequently, because His Majesty the Emperor could tolerate restrained greed but not betrayal.

The tax bureau is an unjust system, and only a wise and virtuous ruler can supervise it. Like the secret memorial system, it is a trick, and a wicked one at that.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau, which was also under the jurisdiction of the Northern and Southern Garrison Commands, was established and could supervise the Tax Bureau. Of course, the main task of the Anti-Corruption Bureau was to crack down on corruption and curb the overall scale of corruption in the Ming Dynasty.

"Then let the Tax Bureau conduct a comprehensive tax audit." Upon hearing Qi Jiguang's words, Emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty approved of Qi Jiguang's suggestion and once again gave full support to Zhang Juzheng's actions.

The Tax Bureau conducted a comprehensive tax audit of all local worthies and gentry of the Ming Dynasty, and also carried out an internal investigation to purge internal corruption, so that the Tax Bureau could be maintained in the long term, instead of being regarded as a typical example of the court's embezzlement and destruction amidst condemnation.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng bowed again and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

Zeng Shengwu stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, Liu Ting, the General of Sichuan and Marquis of Jiang’an, has sent messengers Guo Cheng, Wang Zhihan and others to Hailongtun in Bozhou to meet Yang Yinglong and advise him to go to Chongqing to participate in the joint investigation, so as not to make a mistake.”

"When Yang Yinglong heard that Jiang Anbo had returned to Sichuan, he was terrified. In addition, Jiang Anbo guaranteed that as long as Yang Yinglong went to Chongqing for an inspection, all previous matters would be disregarded and his life would be safe. Yang Yinglong finally agreed and went to Chongqing for an inspection."

"Unexpectedly, Yang Yinglong's eldest son, Yang Chaodong, was dissatisfied with Yang Yinglong's compromise and led his troops to pursue and kill the envoys Guo Cheng, Wang Zhihan, and others to Loushan Pass. Guo Cheng led his troops in a fierce counterattack and managed to defeat the barbarians, killing 127 enemies at Loushan Pass."

Liu Ting returned to Chengdu, Sichuan, to rest and recuperate in the Ming Dynasty, and also to intimidate Yang Yinglong. He sent an envoy and made a guarantee, which Yang Yinglong readily agreed to. However, on Guo Cheng's return journey, Yang Yinglong's son suddenly came after him to kill him.

Even though it was a surprise attack and even though he was outnumbered, Guo Cheng still won. Firearms are practically invincible when you have the advantage of terrain.

"Whether this pursuit was a genuine falling out between Yang Yinglong and his son, or a staged act to buy time, is no longer important. I have given him two chances."

"An imperial edict was issued to Liu Ting, the Earl of Jiang'an, granting him the seal of General Who Conquers the South, to take command of the campaign to pacify Bozhou. The four regions of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guizhou shall obey General Liu's orders and advance in eight directions to suppress Bozhou."

"Liang Menglong, listen to my command! Take the Imperial Sword and depart immediately for Chengdu to oversee military affairs in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guizhou provinces and preside over the pacification of Bozhou." Zhu Yijun gave this clear order after hearing the report.

Liang Menglong stepped forward, accepted the imperial edict, seal, and imperial sword, and bowed again, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree."

(End of this chapter)