I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1041: Committing sins and then blaming the victims

Zhang Juzheng went from being a leading figure in the Wanli Reforms to becoming an obstacle to them.

No one is infallible. Zhang Juzheng's new policies also had some flaws. He couldn't make changes because denying his past was tantamount to denying his present and future.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng was in great pain. On the one hand, he needed to live to ensure the continued implementation of the Wanli Reforms; on the other hand, he needed to die so that the court could review and correct any shortcomings in the past policies.

Shen Shixing's appropriate reduction of the performance evaluation system was essentially a way to fill in the gaps. However, as a disciple of Zhang Juzheng, there was really only so much he could do. If he did too much, it would be seen as infighting among his fellow disciples, an opportunity to stir up even greater turmoil.

Now that Hou Yuzhao is willing to step forward and fill in the gaps in the new policies, this is of course a great thing for the Ming Dynasty, and even more so for Zhang Juzheng, as it will free him from this painful state.

Since the implementation of the performance evaluation system, the Ming Dynasty has been concentrating power at the top. The busy emperor, the brightly lit cabinet, and the sleepless Six Ministries have all held power tightly. This naturally facilitates the thorough implementation of the Ming emperor's will. However, if a string is stretched too tight for too long, it will eventually break.

Hou Yuzhao proposed that the three provincial government offices establish local government factories as a trial of decentralization to see the results. If it didn't go well, since it was only a local trial, the change wouldn't affect the overall situation.

A balance of tightening and loosening, of tension and relaxation, should be the rhythm of the new policy.

Zhu Yijun approved Hou Yuzhao's memorial, granting his request and ordering him to take charge of the construction of official factories in the three provincial departments.

"Third Lady's memorial." Zhu Yijun finished reading Third Lady's memorial and asked with a puzzled look, "I don't understand."

Feng Bao frowned and asked, "What doubts does Your Majesty have? Isn't Suiyuan quite peaceful?"

"This year, the wool production has increased by 5% compared to last year. In addition, the demarcation of 340 pastures has been completed this year. Li Rusong quelled the bandits, and the Suiyuan region helped replenish warhorses, water and food. The elite troops and the grassland warriors worked together to drive the three Outer Khalkha tribes back to the northern desert in one fell swoop."

"Isn't everything fine?"

Li Rusong led the cavalry battalion to the grasslands, and the cavalry battalion of three thousand men quickly expanded to nine thousand men. The remaining six thousand were local guards from Suiyuan. The Ming Han army and the grassland people together drove the horse breeders of the northern desert back to the bitter cold land of the northern desert.

"That's good. I was just wondering why there hasn't been a single substantial or large-scale rebellion in Suiyuan since the ninth year of the Wanli reign. This is a newly conquered territory of the Ming Dynasty. How could it have been so smoothly brought under the rule of the Ming?" Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao and said, "Feng Bao, don't you find it strange?"

"It was Pan Jixun, the Governor-General of Suiyuan, who mobilized the Imperial Guard to quell the rebellion, but in order not to arouse the court's suspicion, he chose to whitewash the situation?"

Feng Bao scratched his head upon hearing this, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, when you mobilize troops, the slightest movement will reveal the true extent of the shortage of provisions, soldiers, horses, water, and food. So many garrisons in Suiyuan are not Governor Pan's private army."

"If you say that Marquis Ningyuan is capable of doing it, I believe you. Governor Pan is good at water management, but not good at leading troops into battle."

"Why did Suiyuan fall under the rule of the emperor so smoothly? I believe it was only natural and logical." Feng Bao took out the memorandum, flipped through it for a long time, and finally found the date June of the eleventh year of Wanli's reign. He then presented the memorandum to His Majesty.

"In June of the eleventh year, Governor Pan posted a notice entitled 'Annotated List of Selected Personnel in Shaanxi, Gansu and Suiyuan Guards,' which listed the names of 1,360 guards and 13,000 households of naturalized Hu people in Shaanxi, Gansu and Suiyuan."

"From the Hongwu to the Chenghua period, nearly a million non-Han people were converted to the Ming Dynasty and multiplied in the garrisons for generations."

"For example, the deputy commander of the Right Garrison of Baoding Central Guard, whose original name was Sabuhuer, was from Yibei. He surrendered in the ninth year of Yongle and was given the name Ping Zhiliang. The lineage has been passed down for six generations."

"He inherited the title of Deputy Commander of a Thousand Households from his family’s unicorn son, Ping Yingqi. In the thirteenth year of the Wanli reign, he participated in the Ming Dynasty’s eastern expedition and was ranked as one of the 138 generals. He won nine victories and made seven merits in the eastern expedition."

"In the sixteenth year of the Wanli reign, General Qi returned in triumph. His Majesty bestowed upon him the family heirloom of the Earthly Fire God General Xing, the First Merit Plaque, and other items. He returned home in glory and returned to his camp in three months."

Zhu Yijun asked in surprise, "Were Ping Yingqi's ancestors Hu people?"

Zhu Yijun certainly knew about the Pingying period. He fought in seven of the nine major battles of the Eastern Expedition. He didn't fight in the remaining two because he was injured while fighting in armor. After recovering, he continued to fight. He was incredibly skilled with a flintlock musket, and it was no exaggeration to say that his skill was known far and wide.

Zhu Yijun had a deep impression of him. He had met him in person and found him to be strong and powerful. He never imagined that his ancestors were actually Hu people, specifically from Yibei, or the northern desert Hu people.

Feng Bao then showed the excerpt from the selection book before speaking: "Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty keeps its word. Since they have submitted and pledged allegiance, there is no reason for them to make things difficult for us. Therefore, the people of Suiyuan will naturally believe that the Ming Dynasty is sincerely trying to resolve the complex and tangled contradictions."

"After three generations, everyone will be a Ming Dynasty citizen and a Han Chinese."

"Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, we have been fighting for two hundred years. The Ming Dynasty was exhausted, and the people of the grasslands were exhausted too. Now, we have such a peaceful life, which is quite good."

If you were to tell Ping Yingqi that he was a barbarian, Ping Yingqi would feel extremely humiliated and would swing his golden mace in a wide arc, smashing the other person's head!
"I see, then it's not surprising at all." Zhu Yijun flipped through the contents of the guard selection register.

In some garrisons, more than half of the residents were originally non-Han people, but now they are all Han Chinese.

Zhu Yijun also saw several familiar names, including Xiao Dingguo, Yang Shangren, and Chai Jingao.

For example, Yang Shangren was the first to scale the walls during the siege of Seoul, becoming the first to enter the city and killing four Japanese pirates.

Chai Jingao sacrificed his life in the Battle of Zhongzhou. When Qi Jiguang returned in triumph, the Crown Prince escorted his coffin to be buried in the Xishan Martyrs' Shrine. His name was on the list and he was honored by the royal family for generations. His son, Chai Qingquan, was only fourteen years old that year and inherited Chai Jingao's hereditary position as a deputy commander.

He has now been selected to join the Beijing Garrison and is studying at the Beijing Military Academy.

Before the Eastern Expedition, Chai Jingao was just a centurion. He died in battle during the expedition and was promoted from centurion to fourth-rank commander. He came from the same background as Qi Jiguang, and the Ming Dynasty did not treat him differently based on his status and origin.

After Qi Jiguang's triumphant return, Feng Bao summarized the origins of all the heroes and meritorious officials. These people were indeed originally from non-Han ethnic groups, but now they were all Han Chinese and had become thoroughly Sinicized.

These thirteen thousand households are all in similar circumstances, multiplying and thriving without interruption.

Although the Ming Dynasty's military garrisons were tough, and even ridiculed by the literati as hereditary military slaves, it was still much better than the precarious existence on the grasslands.

The grassland people had no reason to oppose the rule of the emperor. Even if a few die-hards jumped up and down, they would only be ridiculed and reported to the prefectural and county governments in exchange for a reward.

What barbarians, what foreigners—after three generations, they are all people of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yijun moved his wrists and continued grinding.

"What is this?" Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in front of him. He recognized all the words, but the combination of them made him feel that his understanding had been polluted.

The Ministry of Rites searched for several legal codes from the West to see if there was anything that could be adopted, but these codes left the Ministry of Rites somewhat puzzled, and they ultimately abandoned the plan.

For example, one of the current laws in England is the "Act on the Punishment of Vagrants and Perpetual Beggars," which states that due to the enclosure movement, a large number of farmers lost their land and flooded into the cities, resulting in a very widespread vagrant phenomenon.

This law stipulates that anyone has the right to strip homeless people and long-term beggars naked and whip them in public until they bleed, and to forcibly repatriate them to their place of origin or the place where they last lived for a year.

If their identity, place of origin, and residence cannot be determined, they will be sent to a reformatory or a regular prison to serve a lifetime of hard labor.

The peasants lost their land, a sin committed by the English Parliament and the gentlemen. These vagrants were created by them, and they should be whipped and sent to prison for life of hard labor. This is very British.

Instead of reflecting on the flaws in the system, the underlying problems and causes reflected in the phenomena, and making changes, they want to punish these desperate civilians.

In addition, there was the law of Spain, the British Empire on which the sun never set, the law of divine judgment, which meant that God would decide whether you were guilty.

The divine judgment method is divided into cold water judgment and branding iron judgment.

A cold water trial involves immersing the convict in a water tank. If they sink, they are declared innocent because the water has accepted them. If they float, they are declared guilty.

The branding iron trial involved forcing the condemned to hold a scorching hot iron, which would then burn their palms raw before bandaging them with cloth. Three days later, if the palms ulcerated, the condemned were found guilty; otherwise, they were innocent.

It's not that the Ministry of Rites was belittling the West. The Ministry of Rites tried its best to find one or two bright spots in these Western legal codes, but it couldn't find any.

This may also explain why Gao Qiyu was so confident in promoting ideological colonization. Compared to these barbarians, the Ming Dynasty's thought, culture, and morality were truly the high ground of civilization and the light of world civilization.

"A bunch of rotten fish and shrimp." Zhu Yijun read the imperial edict and said, "I know," indicating that he had read it.

Hou Yuzhao's "Deep Investigation" has been issued, and Songjiang Prefecture reacted the fastest. They are preparing to pilot the "information sheet" and "postal notice" in Songjiang Prefecture to manage powerful figures, local gentry, and wealthy merchants.

But Songjiang Prefecture encountered its first problem: who would represent the people?

If all the representatives are powerful figures, local gentry, wealthy merchants, and bigwigs, then who will represent the interests of the middle-class families, rich peasants, middle peasants, poor peasants, and laborers below these ruling classes?

The situation in Songjiang Prefecture was different from that in Zhejiang. Songjiang Prefecture had a highly concentrated population. The number of registered permanent residents in the prefecture alone exceeded 3.5 million. If you include the migrant workers who returned home for the New Year, the number would exceed 5 million.

With such a dense population, it is not possible to select only those who are in power, just like in Zhejiang. This is because the main contradictions in Zhejiang and Songjiang Prefecture are different. The main contradictions in Zhejiang are the implementation and consolidation of the land return policy and the backlash from local gentry and elders, while the main contradiction in Songjiang Prefecture is the labor-capital contradiction.

If this goes on for too long, the interests of the poor and laborers will be constantly violated, eventually leading to more intense contradictions and conflicts. With the population highly concentrated, even a slight shout can trigger a major riot, which will be even more difficult to deal with.

However, choosing a class below the meat-eaters will lead to another problem: once you rise to the top, your class identity will gradually change, and you will eventually betray your class interests.

Finally, the Songjiang Prefectural Government compromised and completed the first step of institutional construction. Like the Craftsmen's Conference, there were no permanent representatives; instead, special positions and special appointments were made for specific tasks.

When a specific matter arises, the foremen, craftsmen, and laborers who are articulate, quick-witted, and capable among the relevant meat-eaters and poor laborers are summoned to the Gongchen Hall of the government office for discussion.

Not fixing the quota is an extra step taken by Songjiang Prefecture.

Adding more trouble only adds to the burden. If it were a permanent institution, it would also be a burden for the local gentry and wealthy merchants. Even though it had nothing to do with them, they would have to come to the government office and waste their time. Time is money, and it cannot be wasted.

"Songjiang Prefecture's idea is very interesting." Zhu Yijun carefully read the memorials from Songjiang Governor Li Le and Songjiang Prefect Hu Junde, and indeed, they had taken an extra step.

The notices and announcements that Hou Yuzhao created in Zhejiang were specifically designed for the land reclamation project. They were so useful that they were later used for other purposes.

Li Le's concerns are valid. Only those in power can speak up; who will advocate for the interests of the poor and laborers?
Zhejiang has only been implementing this approach for five years, which is still in its infancy for any policy.

Li Le and Hu Junde also had many clever ideas that comprehensively improved the Gongchen Hall system.

For example, whether it's a notice or a post, all meetings should be attended by tax inspectors and imperial guards. But where is the central authority? In case they hold a meeting to plot a rebellion, His Majesty should also know.

The tax inspectors did not offer opinions or participate in decision-making; they only kept records. For example, if the Gongchen Hall wanted to establish an official in charge of etiquette, this conflict of interest would easily escalate into arguments and even physical violence. This was the premises of the imperial court; if a fight broke out, where would its authority and decorum be?
Therefore, with an official in charge of etiquette present, any breaches of etiquette can be corrected on the spot. Currently, these officials are selected from soldiers by the military command.

Arguing is fine, but as long as you don't take off your shoes and throw them at the other person's face, it's not considered impolite.

Gongchen Hall can be considered a form of representative government, but the Ming Dynasty could not simply copy the Western system of representative government.

Because the Ming Dynasty was too large, with too many people, regional development was extremely uneven.

Places like the Netherlands and England, where representative systems are implemented well, are all small in territory, have low levels of differentiation, and are at similar stages of development, making representative systems a natural fit for them.

In Spain's Council of State, nobles from five regions—Castilla, Aragon, the Indies, Italy, and the Netherlands—each campaigned for their respective jurisdictions within the parliament. However, as Spain gradually established its overseas colonies, this representative system began to encounter problems.

The question of whether the overseas governor's residences were Spanish became increasingly serious.

If the people in the Viceroyalty are Spanish, they should be involved in the political process. However, in the major Viceroyalties of Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Brazil, there are no members of the Council of State.

When the Spanish Armada was invincible, everything was fine; but when the Armada was no longer invincible, the overseas governor's office immediately bared its teeth.

Gongchen Hall was an attempt by the Ming Dynasty to establish a representative system.

This attempt was manifested in the imperial court through the presentation of public opinion in the Hall of Imperial Sacrifices and the consultation of officials on the imperial steps, while in local areas it was mainly carried out through the Gongchen Hall at various levels. The Ming Dynasty attempted to use a tiered representative system to transmit public opinion layer by layer.

Whether this tiered representative system can effectively resolve the contradictions between different classes remains to be seen, just like the attempt at the shareholding system in the official factories, which was an attempt at the Wanli Reforms of the Ming Dynasty.

For the Ming Dynasty, the emperor, his ministers, and the people were all accustomed to the emperor representing the people. However, considering the Ming Dynasty's two-hundred-year reign, the emperor could not properly represent the people.

The Wanli Reforms, a transformation of the mindset that the world belongs to all people, coupled with the emperor's personal example, made it unsurprising that similar attempts would occur.

On the 10th day of the seventh month of the 21st year of the Wanli reign, the Songjiang Prefecture held its first public meeting at the Gongchen Hall.

Twenty-seven people, including the leader of the cotton textile merchant guild and the manager of the cloth shop, seven cotton textile craftsmen, twenty-four craftsmen, and seventeen dockworkers, who had received the notice, gathered at the Songjiang Prefectural Government Office at Chenshi (7-9 AM) on the tenth day of the month.

Zhu Yijun did not receive an invitation, but he still arrived at the Songjiang Prefectural Government Office early and sat in the back hall of Gongchen Hall to listen to the public council meeting.

Upon hearing that His Majesty had arrived, Li Le and Hu Junde immediately went to the front of the government office to greet him. However, after waiting for a long time, they found that His Majesty had entered the government office through the back gate, traveling light and without any entourage.

Clearly, His Majesty did not want to interfere excessively with this council meeting because of his presence.

“You all look very nervous.” Zhu Yijun said with a smile and in a very gentle manner, “It is normal for any system to make mistakes and have shortcomings when it is first established.”

"When the performance evaluation system was first implemented, it was full of problems. Either the evaluation was too strict and most people couldn't complete it, or there was too much favoritism and people covered for each other during the evaluation. That's why the rule of making the list anonymous and filling in the final list was established."

"Your Majesty's teachings will be obeyed." Li Le and Hu Junde bowed again and went to the front hall to begin this public council meeting.

The bronze bell tolled three times, and the official in charge of etiquette at the gate checked everyone to ensure safety before allowing them to enter the Gongchen Hall.

Gongchen Hall was divided into left and right sides, and each person's name was posted on a chair, and they took their seats in turn.

On the left are the meat-eaters, and on the right are the poor laborers. Their attire is clearly distinct: the left is dressed in fine silks and satins, while the right is dressed in coarse linen and short trousers, both with pudding on their clothes.

Before Li Le and Hu Junde could even speak, the atmosphere became somewhat tense.

The leaders of these merchant guilds and the general managers of these trading companies recognized several of the foremen among them as their workshop workers. The leaders of the merchant guilds and the general managers of the trading companies frowned and were filled with anger. Did these workers even deserve to sit on equal footing with them in the Gongchen Hall?
The poor laborers looked at their own attire, and then at the fat, pot-bellied, and luxurious men in their fine clothes. Instead of feeling inferior, they felt a surge of anger from the bottom of their hearts!
The poor and laborers struggled to make ends meet every day, working desperately, only to end up as the rich silks and satins of the meat-eaters, their flesh and blood!

Upon seeing this scene, Zhu Yijun recalled a line of poetry: "Those adorned in silk robes are not the ones who raise silkworms."

Li Le and Hu Junde glanced at each other and realized they had underestimated the situation! They had only thought that the "information notices" and "posters" would require poor laborers, but judging from the current situation, a fight was likely to break out.

Gongchen Hall was a public hall, and the Songjiang Prefecture government offices had arranged chairs for everyone. Under the watchful eyes of the upright and just officials, class equality was achieved in a short period of time. At this time, the craftsmen were not afraid of these officials.

Hu Junde quickly slammed the gavel in his hand and said, "Today, I have summoned you all here because there is an important matter to discuss. Since His Majesty moved his capital to Songjiang Prefecture and promulgated the Ten Articles on People's Livelihood, one of which is about the Salary Reduction Office. Today, I have summoned you all here because of the Salary Reduction Office."

"It is only right and proper that labor should be rewarded. If you do the work, you should get paid. It is fair and just."

"There are three things to be decided today. First, the cases adjudicated by the Salary and Wage Arbitration Office must be executed according to the rulings without delay or error. Second, cotton mill workers work hard, and even apprentices should be paid. Third, the court has already officially approved the labor contracts for these cotton mill workers."

"Everyone, please share your thoughts."

Hu Junde quickly began the public meeting. He outlined the agenda, which consisted of three issues concerning labor remuneration. Since it was the first time a public meeting had been convened and there was no experience to draw upon, he chose a small topic, specifically the cotton textile industry, to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

It's best to be cautious when trying it for the first time.

"Your Excellency, I have something to say." Ma Yingtai, the head of the Suzhou-Songjiang Cotton Textile Merchants Guild, immediately stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "These appear to be three matters, but they are actually one. Others dare not speak, so I will!"

"The imperial court is inevitably too biased towards these peasants."

"Since its establishment, the Salary Arbitration Office has been welcomed by everyone. However, it is somewhat biased that those who are lazy, shirk their duties, or are absent from work without cause can also receive compensation."

“The governor should think about us merchants. If we continue to listen to so many one-sided opinions, our workshops in Songjiang Prefecture will only be filled with lazybones. Whether they work or not, as long as they stay long enough, they can get paid by going to the salary office after being fired. Why should they work?”

What Chief Executive Ma Yingtai said is also true. Because the assessment period is half a month and the Wage Arbitration Office has few staff, as long as there is a contract that can prove that the worker has worked, the Wage Arbitration Office will make a quick and efficient decision. Generally, it will favor the poor laborers who are producers, rather than the powerful and wealthy.

Among them are the cunning and treacherous individuals that Ma Yingtai mentioned.

"Yes, Mr. Ma is absolutely right. This is simply fostering laziness."

"Who says otherwise? We're all in business. If he did his job properly, would we fire him? Hiring new people and training apprentices takes time, doesn't it? It all costs money. Why would we fire someone for no reason?"

"These cunning fellows not only fail to work properly in the factory, but they also cause trouble everywhere, stealing chickens and other petty things!"

……

Ma Yingtai's words resonated with many, and the wealthy businessmen on the left echoed his sentiments, stating their own reasons.

"That's utter nonsense!" A craftsman stood up, his face flushed, pointing at Ma Yingtai, trembling as if he were furious and unable to speak.

Zhu Yijun squinted at Ma Yingtai through the screen. This guy was definitely prepared. He had already communicated with the wealthy merchants who had received the notices together beforehand about what to say and do today, and how to advance and retreat together, share honor and disgrace.

This is the advantage of wealthy merchants. They know the agenda in advance because the imperial court has decided to hold a public council meeting in Gongchen Hall. There must be some rumors in the government offices. Anyone with even a little bit of influence in the government offices can guess most of the details, even if they don't know the specific content.

The advantage of information asymmetry is so obvious that even though there are many artisans, they are suppressed.

Ma Yingtai is engaging in sophistry. He is generalizing from a few isolated cases to generalize about the entire group of poor laborers, and then accuses the whole group of being immoral. If the poor laborers are wrong, then whatever the rich merchants do is right.

These wealthy merchants not only exploited the value created by the artisans, but also deprived them of their kindness, acting as the benevolent figures themselves, while slandering and blaming the laborers.

By this point in the public council, Zhu Yijun already knew that it was doomed to fail.

It wasn't that Hu Junde was bad at presiding, but rather that the rhythm of the meeting had been completely swayed. The discussion of three matters had turned into criticism and accusations of favoritism towards the court. At this point, no matter how capable Hu Junde was, he couldn't turn things around.

Zhu Yijun looked with amusement at the powerful and arrogant man in the front hall, who seemed to have the final say.

It was almost the Ghost Festival, and the weather had cooled down. By the time the event ended, Hu Junde was still covered in sweat because the emperor was sitting in the back hall.

This defeat not only represents the failure of this public debate, but also means that he has been labeled as incompetent in His Majesty's eyes.

"Your Majesty's favor is undeserved." Hu Junde dismissed the crowd and went to the back hall to apologize, because the final result was: seeing the public outcry and the gentry's unresolved discussion, many requested to withdraw and submit a written proposal.

The agreement required the signatures of local gentry, merchants, and powerful figures, clearly indicating a complex web of personal relationships. Eventually, the merchants simply wrote down their own thoughts on the agreement and said no more.

Zhu Yijun, still smiling, said very gently, "They came prepared and were very well prepared. Perhaps their scribes gave them advice and even guessed what you were going to say and what the craftsmen were going to say. They rehearsed their tone, actions, mannerisms, and expressions countless times."

"this is not your fault."

Zhu Yijun did not think this was Hu Junde's problem. He believed that if the first attempt succeeded directly, then it would be a blessing from heaven for the Ming Dynasty.

He has been emperor for twenty-one years. In the Ming Dynasty's new policies, nothing has ever gone smoothly or been successful without any setbacks. All policies have been constantly revised and improved in practice.

Hou Yuzhao's public council was rather simple. It was called a public council, but it was more like a meeting held by the county magistrate in Shanyin County, where the magistrate spoke and the local gentry listened.

The wealthy merchants of Songjiang Prefecture controlled far more social resources than the gentry of Shanyin County, so they naturally had more ways to deal with the imperial court's inquiries.

This does not mean that only decisions announced by local gentry or decrees of the imperial court have practical significance.

The Ming Dynasty always maintained an official-centric system. The public council merely provided a channel for opinions, and there were no more mandatory regulations regarding whether or not to adopt them, because unlike the artisan assembly, the public council did not have a voting mechanism.

Hu Junde lost so much face in front of these wealthy merchants, but because Hu Junde was magnanimous and didn't hold a grudge, the advisor would take care of everything that needed to be done for him.

Moreover, the entire government office would tacitly approve and cooperate, because this involved the authority of the Songjiang Prefecture government office, which was in turn the overall interests of all the officials in the Songjiang Prefecture government office.

If these actions are too drastic and people see them, thinking that Magistrate Hu is too stingy, then Hu Junde will stop issuing notices and announcements to them next time, which will be enough to make them suffer.

(End of this chapter)