I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1054 Your Majesty, I have come to deliver a travel invitation.
"I have done two right things in my life: one is to be proficient in various subjects, and the other is to consolidate the taxes of the world into the imperial court." Wang Guoguang leaned back in his chair, he was on his deathbed, and looking back on his life, he realized that he had only accomplished two things in his life.

In Wang Guoguang's view, the unification of measurement methods and the consolidation of taxes across the country were two things: one injected mathematical thinking into Chinese culture, and the other extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by comprehensively improving its fiscal and tax system.

Looking back, he felt that the degree of lateralization was more important.

Since the Song Dynasty, the development of mathematics in China has slowed down, and even the past achievements have been lost. By the Ming Dynasty, there were far fewer people studying mathematics, and studying mathematics had even become a synonym for scheming.

This is not surprising, because for various reasons, many scholars and officials in the Ming Dynasty did not even read history books, but only the Spring and Autumn Annals.

With a sorrowful expression, Zhu Yijun grasped Wang Guoguang's somewhat withered arm and whispered, "The Ming Dynasty will remember Minister Wang."

Wang Guoguang's condition is critical. Six days ago, he could only drink water and could not eat. The chief physician tried everything to get him to eat some liquid food, but since yesterday, he has stopped eating and drinking. Chief physician Pang Xian said that he probably has only a few days left.

Wang Guoguang, a man of integrity, was cautious and meticulous even when alone, never overstepping the bounds of propriety. As the Grand Chancellor of the Ming Dynasty, the initiator of the "Digital Transmission" movement, and a key figure in the Wanli Reforms, Wang Guoguang was about to bid farewell to the Ming Dynasty he loved so dearly.

Wang Guoguang was a traitor, a traitor to the Jin faction. As a member of the Jin faction, he chose Zhang Juzheng during the crucial Chu-Jin battle.

"Since Your Majesty came, I can say that I left with dignity." Wang Guoguang actually wanted to advise His Majesty that deep affection is short-lived. His Majesty is still young and will experience many such things. There is no need to be overly sad. He is dead, but he lives on in people's hearts in another way.

The emperor's presence is a great honor, and the farewell ceremony, which involves lowering the rank of the emperor, is a courtesy that represents His Majesty's recognition of Wang Guoguang's lifelong achievements.

Wang Guoguang was quite lucid. He hadn't eaten for several days, but he didn't feel hungry at all. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry, but that his body was no longer able to detect hunger. He had no strength left in his body.

Wang Guoguang is not afraid of death. Everyone must die; death can be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.

These past few days he has repeatedly asked himself whether he has wasted his life, and the answer is no.

He lived a life worthy of his parents, family, colleagues, the court, His Majesty, and the common people; he did not waste his time.

Whenever he was lucid, he would have his son and the chief physician lift him onto a reclining chair and place him in the courtyard. He wanted to see the flowers, trees, sunshine, and rain again. He had an infinite attachment to the world. He asked his son to read the official gazettes to him every day.

He enjoyed hearing the good news in the official gazette: the Zhong Sheng sweet potatoes had a bumper harvest, the Ning Feng late-maturing sweet potatoes had been successfully cultivated, and the Ming Dynasty had planted many fast-growing poplar trees. Although there was the problem of poplar catkins, it was still more reassuring than having no trees at all.

As the Minister of Finance, he was well aware that after thousands of years of logging, the vegetation of the Ming Dynasty had been depleted.

With the natural environment collapsing, coupled with population explosion and celestial changes, the Ming Dynasty may really have a hard time surviving. However, recently the Ming Dynasty has been paying great attention to afforestation, and fast-growing poplars have helped restore the natural environment and ecology.

"I entrust Your Majesty with the task of consolidating all taxes in the court. Many people are waiting for me to die so that this matter can be restored to the ancestral system," Wang Guoguang said, expressing his concerns that many people were waiting for his death.

Once he's dead, people can start attacking him and his policies. Dead men can't speak, so they're the easiest to bully.

“They dare!” Zhu Yijun gripped Wang Guoguang’s hand tightly, revealing a reassuring smile as he said, “Over the years, I haven’t learned anything else but how to kill and how to destroy someone’s spirit. If they try to distort the truth and insist on making trouble, I will not only kill them, but also nail them to the pillar of historical shame, leaving them infamous for ten thousand years.”

Zhu Yijun was a tyrant. He personally executed Xu Jie and even had Xu Jie's corruption recorded in the Kuaihuo Stele Forest and carved on the Western Hill, all to ensure that Xu Jie would be infamous for eternity.

To oppose the new policies is to oppose Emperor Zhu Yijun.

“It’s not necessarily about killing people.” Wang Guoguang was somewhat taken aback, but then he smiled.

In the first month of the third year of the Wanli reign, Wang Guoguang, in response to the dwindling grain reserves on the border, proposed a strategy of paying wages in kind and silver to the capital, which involved converting salt from the salt monopoly into silver.

In March of the same year, censors began to attack Wang Guoguang, but Zhang Juzheng quelled the attack.

At that time, Wang Guoguang wondered why such an attack was being launched against him. Later, after careful consideration, Wang Guoguang realized that the real reason he was being attacked was that the opening of the Central Bank Law, which brought the Nine Border Treasury under the jurisdiction and supervision of the imperial court, was that some people did not want the imperial court to investigate the local accounts.

In April, Wang Guoguang began to formulate policies for the consolidation of the nation's money and grain under the management of the imperial court. By October 26, Wang Guoguang had completed the system design and submitted a memorial to the court requesting its approval.

At that time, Zhang Juzheng was the regent, and he agreed to all the strategies and resolutely implemented them.

The fiscal and tax system designed by Zhu Yuanzhang was arguably the strangest fiscal and tax system among the Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties.

Furthermore, the system was not designed with sustainability and feasibility in mind. It was full of the ruling class's impulsive decisions and wishful thinking. Zhu Yuanzhang thought it was a policy to treat the people well, but it made it impossible for the Ming Dynasty to even collect taxes.

The chaotic fiscal and tax system of the Ming Dynasty resulted in extremely inefficient use of public funds. At the same time, no one knew where the money and grain went, how they were spent, or who handled them. Even the people who spent the money and grain could not explain where the money and grain went, and they could not even keep proper accounts.

In fact, the flaws of this system were already fully exposed during the Hongwu era. The Empty Seal Case was a struggle centered around the fiscal and tax system.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang did not improve the fiscal and taxation system. On the contrary, the brutal political struggles put the improvement of the fiscal and taxation system aside, and struggle became the most important thing at that time.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't do it, and with the established laws of his ancestors in place, the fiscal and tax system of the Ming Dynasty fell into a state of complete impasse.

The key officials of the Wanli Reforms did not blame Zhu Yuanzhang. More than two hundred years after Zhu Yuanzhang's death, his descendants did not correct his mistakes, and the financial crisis of the Ming Dynasty was more due to the unfilial behavior of his descendants.

The most important aspect of the Wanli Reform was correcting mistakes. Wang Guoguang initiated the consolidation of national finances and taxes into the imperial court in the third year of Wanli's reign. This involved implementing the "six books and one account" system and establishing a strict year-end review mechanism. The thirteen departments of the Ministry of Revenue were responsible for different tasks, such as the Guizhou Department being responsible for customs duties and the Shandong Department for salt tax, and so on.

The goal is to ensure that: each party is under the same jurisdiction, each matter is managed by a specific person, six books and one account are kept, each item is clearly defined, the person in charge is held accountable, and those who are responsible for implementation do not shirk their duties. This is a system that can be maintained for a long time.

Strictly speaking, what Wang Guoguang did seriously violated the established laws of the ancestors. It was as if Zhu Yuanzhang's fiscal and tax system was abolished after the third year of the Wanli reign and replaced by his tax law, Wang Guoguang. If the six books and one account were not properly kept, one would be held accountable.

The land survey was one aspect, and the accounting was another. This is why, starting in the sixth year of the Wanli reign, the Ming Dynasty's finances finally achieved a surplus, and the emperor was even able to receive an extra 200,000 taels of silver as pocket money.

If Wang Guoguang were still alive and in the capital, and His Majesty were still treating him with courtesy, the counterattack would not be able to proceed. But if he were dead, everything would be much easier... right?

His Majesty's willingness to descend the steps to see Wang Guoguang off on his final journey is itself a statement. If things go wrong, His Majesty will slap him, and if things get out of hand, His Majesty might actually kill him.

His Majesty only used that charitable tactic against Xu Jie, but its power was evident to all.

Your Majesty has the means, the methods, and the determination to lead the Wanli Reforms. Your Majesty is not the elusive, reclusive, and somewhat weak-willed late emperor.

"I intend to grant Wang Situ's eldest son the position of Minister of the Imperial Seal, and his second son the position of student of the Imperial Academy, to be granted official positions upon completion of their studies," Zhu Yijun said, referring to the arrangements for Wang Guoguang's passing.

Wang Guoguang weakly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, my two sons are both useless, so there's no need for them. Their virtue is not commensurate with their positions, and they will only bring disaster and calamity. One is a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), and the other is a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level examination). That's good enough."

Wang Guoguang's eldest son only passed the provincial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination). He failed the Jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) three times and didn't even get into the Imperial University of Peking. As for his second son, he only had the title of Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level examination), and even that was obtained through donation, not through examination.

If the emperor gives too much, they won't be able to hold onto their talents and virtues. It's better not to give them anything and let them live a peaceful life.

“We have to give it to them,” Zhu Yijun said, patting Wang Guoguang’s hand. “Otherwise, those ambitious people in our Ming Dynasty will have to deal with them.”

Wang Guoguang thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then I will listen to Your Majesty."

There's nothing he can do if he doesn't listen. He's about to die, and once he's dead, he's dead. If His Majesty wants to give it to him, he can't jump out of his coffin to object. He might as well agree.

"Your Majesty, I... have one last unfinished matter." Wang Guoguang struggled to sit up but failed. He stared intently at His Majesty and said forcefully, "Your Majesty, open the seas."

The essence of the Wanli Reforms was to use the five Maritime Trade Offices as a fulcrum to plunder overseas wealth and alleviate domestic conflicts caused by the reforms.

There is only one chance. If you succeed, you succeed; if you fail, the Ming Dynasty will perish.

Moreover, the West has begun to set sail globally, and what they are fighting for is not only wealth, but also the right to survive. The Ming Dynasty may perish, but China cannot perish.

The book on the ancient Inca kingdom written by Wan Wengong and Wan Shihe aroused the anxiety of the Ming Dynasty scholars about the decline of Chinese civilization. It turned out that a civilization that had been passed down for thousands of years could be wiped out completely in just three generations.

"The sea has been open for more than 20 years, and a large number of rentiers have been cultivated in the coastal areas. Even if I were to say that the sea is to be banned now, no one would agree. Just the tariff revenue alone is something that I am willing to give up, but the court is not willing to give up either." Zhu Yijun reassured Wang Guoguang.

The opening of the sea was initiated by Emperor Zhu Yijun, but the prohibition of the sea was something he could no longer do. The vested interests of the Ming Dynasty, who profited from the opening of the sea, would not allow the emperor to issue such a foolish order.

“Indeed.” Wang Guoguang smiled, his eyes filled with satisfaction and boundless longing for the world. He said softly, “The Ming Dynasty is so good now. I wish I could see it a little longer.”

After Wang Guoguang finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes, and after a few breaths, his hand slipped from His Majesty's hand.

Zhu Yijun held on tightly, but he was only a king in the mortal realm, unable to hold onto a life that had passed away.

After a long while, the chief physician Pang Xian stepped forward, tried it, and then whispered, "Your Majesty, Minister Wang has already left."

"I know, I know, I'll stay a little longer." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, signaling Pang Xian to leave. Zhu Yijun knew the moment Wang Guoguang left, and he accepted the outcome, but he just wanted to stay a little longer.

Looking at Wang Guoguang's body, Zhu Yijun suddenly realized that he had been worrying too much.

The doctrines of freedom and the alienation of money were coming on strong, and Zhu Yijun was very worried about it. But looking at Wang Guoguang, a senior minister who had passed away, he knew that he was worrying too much.

You can destroy my body, you can even take over my home, but you cannot subdue my will, make my soul submit, or make my faith bow down.

Deep in the Chinese people lies an innate sense of integrity and courage that is difficult to express in words. Under the influence of this integrity and courage, every Chinese person hopes that their death will be an ultimate ending, rather than a bleak and ordinary life.

Even more so, the Chinese people's standard for judging people is not based on success or failure, but on integrity and courage.

What truly sustained the Ming Dynasty and the backbone of China was never the Confucian discipline of individuals, or the Confucian order of family, state, and world, but rather integrity and courage.

Lu Xiufu manipulated power and formed cliques to suppress dissent. By all accounts, he could not be considered a loyal minister in the traditional sense. Some even compared him to Qin Hui and Jia Sidao. However, his suicide at Yai Shan made him a loyal minister who will be remembered for all time.

From the moment he jumped into the sea, his mistake was methodological, not value-based.

A similar experience was that of Emperor Chongzhen. Chongzhen was truly not a wise ruler; he had too many flaws. But from the moment he hanged himself at Coal Hill, the only assessment of him was that he had the will to kill the traitors but lacked the power to reverse the situation, perhaps with a slight addition of "somewhat incompetent." A person cannot only love their country when they win. Martyrdom, courage, and integrity all prove that even in defeat, this person still deeply loves this land and all the people on it.

Courage and integrity represent a great love, a love that doesn't require personal gain.

I may not be able to realize my ideals, but ideals can be realized through me; that is integrity and courage.

This is the essence of China. Whether it's talk of freedom, the alienation of money, or anything else, nothing can shake the two fundamental principles of integrity and courage. As a result, the Ming Dynasty will still exist.

Without a doubt, Wang Guoguang possessed this kind of integrity and courage. He knew that what he did would bring many hidden dangers to himself and his descendants when the counterattack was launched, but he still followed Zhang Juzheng.

“When someone needs to step forward, someone must actually step forward.” Zhu Yijun released Wang Guoguang’s hand, signaling Wang Guoguang’s son to collect the remains and end his life of fighting.

Zhu Yijun will continue the battle.

In summary, Wang Guoguang's new policies consisted of five general principles: adopting practical policies, separating complex and simple systems, holding officials accountable, caring for low-ranking officials, and abolishing additional taxes. The way to achieve this was to consolidate all taxes in the country into the imperial court, establish six registers and one account, and conduct an annual audit.

These new policies inevitably harmed the interests of some people. As long as the person is alive, their influence remains; but once the person dies, the counterattack begins immediately.

The Ministry of Rites requested that the posthumous title be Wen Ding, meaning "to govern the world with wisdom and virtue, to be kind and benevolent to the people, to bring peace and stability to the people, and to act with integrity and without error."

To act with integrity and purity, without distractions or deviations, without betraying one's own spirituality and cognition, and to be loyal to the monarch, the dynasty, the world, the people, and above all, oneself, is to act with unwavering integrity.

The posthumous title bestowed by the Ministry of Rites fully considered Wang Guoguang's character of being cautious and self-disciplined throughout his life, and never overstepping his bounds or speaking recklessly, even in private.

However, the censors and officials of the censorate believed that this posthumous title was very inappropriate. Their reasoning was that although Wang Guoguang had some achievements in his life, he was by no means without fault. Giving him the posthumous title of Wending was too high, and he should have been given the title of Gongyi instead.

Respectfully serving the emperor is called "respectful". Wang Guoguang, as the Minister of Finance, amassed wealth and brought it all to the court. Moreover, the amount of silver given to the emperor increased from one million taels of silver to two million four hundred thousand taels of silver. This is what is meant by respectfully serving the emperor.

The phrase "to be able to refrain from contention is virtuous" refers to Wang Guoguang, who, as a member of the Jin Party, rebelled against the Jin Party and aligned himself with Zhang Juzheng's power, acting as a scapegoat and a henchman of Zhang Juzheng.

It appears to be a compliment, but every single word is an insult.

"So everyone who made even the slightest contribution during the Wanli Reforms had to go through this ordeal? Wang Chonggu was indeed a treacherous official, and he himself admitted it. I accept his counterattack as well. But what did Wang Guoguang do to provoke them?"

"I've figured it out. Anyone who works for me will be subjected to their verbal attacks and written criticisms!" Zhu Yijun slammed his hand on the memorial on the table. A total of twelve censors and thirty-four officials had joined forces to stir up public opinion.

"Zhao Mengyou!" Zhu Yijun shouted. He was a man who never engaged in internal strife. If someone made him unhappy, he would make them unhappy in return. This way, he, the emperor, would be happy.

"Your subject is here!" Zhao Mengyou, who was waiting respectfully in the imperial study, immediately shouted upon hearing the emperor's order.

Zhu Yijun said solemnly, "These forty-six censors and officials, not one of them will be spared. Take them all to the Northern Garrison Command and prepare to have them flogged at the Imperial Palace Gate! After they are flogged, send their entire families to Liaodong and Jilin to reclaim wasteland. Tell Ye Xianggao, the prefect of Jilin, and Li Rumei, the general of Jilin, that they must not be given any preferential treatment!"

"Let them cultivate the land for five years first. If I still remember them, then I will allow them to submit a petition detailing their crimes!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Zhao Mengyou's eyes lit up, and his voice was very loud. The Imperial Guards received the highest salary in the Ming Dynasty, had the Emperor's complete trust, had their own school, and the Imperial Guards' headquarters were even located next to Tonghe Palace.

After all these years, the Imperial Guards should do something to prove their loyalty!

Now the opportunity has finally arrived; His Majesty has never punished people for their words before.

The imperial guards immediately took action, not only arresting the officials but also going to the official residences in Da Xiaoyongfang and sending their families to the Northern Garrison. His Majesty said the whole family, so no one should be missing or missing; the whole family should be together.

The Imperial Guards' operation was so fast that the court officials didn't have time to react before everyone was captured and taken to the Northern Garrison Command.

As a cabinet minister, Lu Guangzu requested an audience to plead for these officials, but he was not granted permission. In a great hurry, Lu Guangzu went to Shen Shixing, who said he was powerless to help.

Before Wang Guoguang passed away, Shen Shixing had told these censors that Wang Guoguang was a minister of the state and they should not speak recklessly.

At the very least, one must have something to say, rather than opposing for the sake of opposing, which His Majesty finds most objectionable.

Lu Guangzu had no choice but to go to the gate of the Marquis of Yicheng's residence and ask Zhang Juzheng to intervene and persuade His Majesty to retract his wrath.

However, Lu Guangzu was told that Zhang Juzheng, the Grand Tutor and Imperial Preceptor, was not in the capital. He had gone to Tianjin a few days earlier to gather material for his novel. Mr. Zhang had gone to see the large ships and learn about life at sea from the sailors.

Zhang Juzheng was genuinely not in the capital; this was not an excuse.

Lu Guangzu hurriedly wrote a letter, wishing he could sprout wings and rush to Tianjin to invite Zhang Juzheng back to the capital. At this crucial juncture, Zhang Juzheng was nowhere to be found! How could he not be here!
The next morning, Lu Guangzu received a reply containing only one sentence: "I am old and frail and have already retired from officialdom. I have neither the strength nor the will to do so."

If Zhang Juzheng hadn't retired, he would still have had the standing and ability to stop the emperor; he did quite a bit of that over the years.

But now he's retired!
With nothing to worry about, he is now the Marquis of Yicheng, a hereditary official, and no longer has the standing to select officials, let alone the ability to stop His Majesty.

When Zhang Juzheng learned of the news, he thought it was good for His Majesty to make a fuss. After all, he was a young man, and he wouldn't be a young man if he wasn't impetuous. Besides, this wasn't the first time.

The last time Shen Shixing entered the cabinet, his vote was rigged, so His Majesty directly abolished the court deliberation system.

Now, more than a year later, His Majesty's anger has finally subsided. Taking advantage of his retirement, Ling Yunyi persuaded His Majesty to change the meeting to once a month, but the timing of the meeting depends entirely on His Majesty's wishes.

Having already done it once, they still dared to challenge His Majesty's authority a second time. In Zhang Juzheng's view, the court officials somewhat felt that His Majesty had become easier to bully without him, Zhang Juzheng.

Therefore, Zhang Juzheng's answer was that he was neither able nor willing to return; he would remain in Tianjin and continue to watch over his large ships.

Zhang Juzheng was very happy in Tianjin Prefecture because the grain transport boxes he invented for the purpose of transporting grain were called Taiyue boxes. They were boxes invented by Zhang Taiyue. Moreover, grain transport boxes of various sizes and types used to hold all kinds of goods were called Taiyue boxes.

Zhang Juzheng casually asked some sailors, and they all respected him greatly, feeling that they were being given a chance by Zhang Taiyue.

He initially tinkered with this grain container mainly to ensure the smooth implementation of maritime grain transport and to solve the problem of easily capsizing grain transported by sea. He never expected it would have such a profound impact, because the invention of this grain container brought a booming opportunity to maritime transport.

There is nothing more joyful than seeing one's own decrees benefit the people. Zhang Juzheng was reluctant to return to the capital. He would wait until His Majesty had calmed down before going back to see Wang Guoguang off.

Zhu Yijun was actually waiting for Zhang Juzheng's reaction. No matter what, he had to give face to the Grand Tutor and Imperial Tutor.

"Your Majesty, the gentleman has replied." Li Yougong handed a letter sealed with wax to His Majesty, Zhu Yijun, who then opened the letter after inspecting it.

It was even shorter, just three words: Well done.

"Sir, you've stopped acting altogether." Zhu Yijun looked at the three powerful characters. The characters reflected the man himself. Although Zhang Juzheng only wrote three characters, he wrote them very casually. It seemed that he really didn't want to deal with the messy affairs of the court.

Previously, Zhang Juzheng had to stand on the side of the officials selecting officials and stop the emperor out of his duty as a subject. Now that he only held a hereditary official position, his relationship with His Majesty was only that of teacher and student. So Zhang Juzheng was too lazy to continue playing the role of a stubborn conservative.

Well done! This shows Zhang Juzheng's genuine attitude. His own disciples were on their own turf, with the Beijing garrison nearby. How could they be bullied by his own subjects?
Wang Guoguang and Wang Chonggu were completely different. Wang Guoguang lived an upright life and never did anything immoral. Moreover, although his policies were aimed at accumulating wealth and promoting profit, none of them were harsh on the people.

It was indeed inconvenient for the emperor to personally intervene in Wang Chonggu's posthumous reputation, which is why he sent the craftsmen down the mountain. Now that it's Wang Guoguang's turn, it's only natural for His Majesty to protect him in any way he sees fit.

"Commander, take them to Huangji Gate, fight them, and then send them to Liaodong." Zhu Yijun looked at Zhao Mengyou and gave a clear order.

The power struggle between the monarch and the minister has always been like this: if you take a step back, the other side will take three steps forward. Many times, if you really want to retreat, you have to take three steps forward and two steps back, rather than retreating directly.

Zhu Yijun had no intention of backing down on this matter, so he took three steps forward directly. He wanted to see if these officials could reach the point where "the dynasty has nurtured scholars for 226 years, and today is the day to uphold integrity and die for righteousness."

In the third year of the Jiajing reign, Yang Shen gathered 229 men to force the emperor to abdicate at Zuoshun Gate, shouting the famous line, "To die for righteousness and integrity." Today, Zhu Yijun wants to see if the conflict will escalate to that point.

Zhu Yijun was very disappointed. He had gone so far as to hang up and beat the censors, and there was even suspicion that he was punishing them for their words.

As a result, not a single lowly Confucian scholar spoke up for these censors and officials.

Only Wang Jiaping, the Minister of Justice, arrived.

"I am quite surprised that Minister Wang has arrived." Zhu Yijun sat in the square in front of the Huangji Gate, looking at Wang Jiaping kneeling before him and the forty-six censors waiting to be punished, and asked with some doubt, "Could it be that Minister Wang did all of this?"

Wang Jiaping had reason and motive to do these things. He was a loyal follower of the Jin Party. Even if Wang Guoguang had not rebelled against the Jin Party, the Jin Party would not have disappeared. It is still an important force in the Ming Dynasty court.

Wang Jiaping had the motive to organize officials to criticize Wang Guoguang and deny his posthumous reputation; as a cabinet minister, he also had the ability to do so.

"I never expected it to be you." Zhu Yijun sighed. Wang Jiaping was a Grand Secretary. How could he not understand that even without Wang Guoguang's rebellion against the Jin Party, the Jin Party would have inevitably perished?

"It was not me! It was not me!" Wang Jiaping trembled in fright. He had been kneeling on the ground with his head bowed and ears lowered, but he suddenly sat up and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty, please be wise! If I had colluded with the censors and officials to maliciously frame Minister Wang, how would I have dared to come before Your Majesty in the Hall of Supreme Harmony?"

"Then what are you doing here?" Zhu Yijun asked, frowning.

"Your Majesty, I have come to deliver the imperial invitation!" Wang Jiaping said, sweating profusely. "Your Majesty, I am the Minister of Justice, in charge of laws and criminal matters. Our Great Ming Dynasty also has laws, and they are the laws of the land."

Without a driver's pass, which is an official document from the Ministry of Justice, only an imperial edict is called a "yellow paper case." If there is no imperial edict at all, it is called a "white paper case." Whether it is a white paper case or a yellow paper case, it will give people grounds for criticism. For example, Zhao Mengyou, who was specifically in charge of this case, may be impeached.

Admittedly, the ministers could do nothing about the emperor, but they could do something about his henchmen and lackeys.

Wang Jiaping came to deliver the official document, which would prevent the case from being handled as a yellow paper case or a white paper case, and would also give the Ming Dynasty's laws some dignity.

Moreover, Wang Jiaping discovered that there were other suspicious aspects to this case.

(End of this chapter)