I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1088 Even the censors have their own flexibility

"Young Master Zong, I have a question. Why is His Majesty so cautious about the precious paper money?" Shen Li felt something was amiss.

It took five years just to persuade His Majesty to issue paper money, starting with the Ministry of Revenue's work on the "Anchoring of Paper Money Laws," which analyzed the anchoring materials for paper money as gold, silver, copper, iron, and various goods. It wasn't until the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign that His Majesty finally issued paper money for the first time.

His Majesty was extremely cautious with each issuance of currency.

While the system design required gold reserves as an anchor, in reality, almost all ministers and powerful figures knew that the gold was simply not enough.

The "Commentary on the Anchoring of the Currency Law" was written by Wang Guoguang. He spent a long time writing it, and it was a book of ten thousand words. It was the general outline of the currency law of the Ming Dynasty. Wang Guoguang ranked fourth among the meritorious officials of the Wanli Reform. In addition to his extensive knowledge of currency, he was also responsible for the institutional construction of the currency law.

Its impact is beyond description; if this lengthy treatise can be implemented effectively, it could solve the age-old problem of money shortages.

Wang Guoguang has passed away, but His Majesty is steadfastly advancing according to Wang Guoguang's ten-thousand-word memorial.

The treatise on anchoring currency is very long, but in summary, it is about anchoring assets. In addition to imported gold and silver, the Ming Dynasty also had fifty-four official factories, more than 200,000 hectares of government-owned plantations in Southeast Asia, five maritime trade offices, five governor-general offices, and a gold mine.

These heavy assets can also support the Gold Treasure Note currency system.

But His Majesty's caution was bordering on excessive.

Shen Li's understanding of His Majesty is not as good as Gao Qiyu's.

Or perhaps Gao Qiyu was just too clever. If he weren't clever, he wouldn't have made mistakes. Just like all treacherous officials, they weren't incompetent. Those who cause trouble are often too clever, thinking too much, and thus causing enormous disasters.

Shen Li felt that he was relatively less intelligent. He thought less and was stubborn, so he acted uprightly. He submitted four memorials to the emperor, but the emperor refused to let him retire. The emperor did this to maintain the integrity and uprightness of the court. However, there were some questions that Shen Li could not understand on his own, so he had to ask Gao Qiyu.

After thinking about it seriously for a long time, Gao Qiyu said, "I'll just say it for now, and you can just listen to it for now. It's just one person's opinion."

“I think the reasons are complex. For example, our Ming Dynasty is a great court, and His Majesty is the sovereign and father of the people. The court has a wide range of responsibilities and therefore has many obligations. For example, the Hongwu Treasure Notes were corrupted, and the Wanli Treasure Notes could not be lost. There are many such reasons, but since I was not in the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Revenue handled these contradictions in the construction of the system very well.”

"But I personally believe that the main reason is that the culture, etiquette, order, and morality of our Great Ming Dynasty simply do not accept this kind of speculative mindset."

"Take the destruction of the precious paper money by the Marquis of Wuqing as an example."

After careful consideration, Gao Qiyu continued, "Look, the people of the Wuqing Marquis's Mansion blocked the Baochao Bureau, Baoyuan Bureau, and Huitong Post Station, using this as an opportunity to collect Baochao at low prices and then redeem it at high prices in the imperial court, seeking huge profits."

“The Baoyuan Bureau, the Baochao Bureau, the Huitong Post Station, and the powerful and wealthy merchants who use Baochao are all waiting for His Majesty’s solution. If this matter is put aside for a while, until the price of Baochao drops rapidly and attracts His Majesty’s attention, His Majesty will definitely take action.”

"Everyone is waiting. In fact, people don't have high expectations for His Majesty's punishment. Almost everyone thinks that His Majesty will be lenient."

"As members of the imperial family, as the biological father and brothers of Empress Dowager Li, they are the ruling class at the top of the Ming Dynasty. They just make some money from the paper money to spend. The court and the Ming Dynasty belong to the Zhu family. What's wrong with making some money?"

"Based on past experience, the Wuqing Marquis's mansion should first be investigated by the Northern Garrison Command, His Majesty should be furious and order the imprisonment and confiscation of the Wuqing Marquis's mansion. At this time, the Empress Dowager should plead for mercy, and the Emperor should say that the dynasty governs the country with filial piety. He should convene a court meeting by imperial decree, hold eight deliberations and eight discussions. After the discussion, the Wuqing Marquis should pay money to buy peace and hand over all the illegal gains to the imperial treasury in order to seek leniency."

"When the Wuqing Earl's family was released from prison, they shouted 'We're three years old!' and exclaimed 'The Emperor's grace is boundless!'"

The reason why the Earl of Wuqing ended up in such a state was that Empress Dowager Li did not plead for him at all, and the emperor could not even find a reason to pardon him.

Upon hearing this, Shen Li immediately shook his head and said, "In this way, no matter how much gold is collected, no one will recognize the value of the gold notes. They will be completely ruined in less than three to five years."

Gao Qiyu immediately showed a knowing look and said with a smile, "Look, this is not only because His Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler who has handled things fairly, but also because the culture, etiquette, order, morality, and consensus of the Ming Dynasty do not accept the trend of financial speculation."

"The Wuqing Marquis's family dared to do this because they are typical speculators. They are speculating and gambling. They are gambling that His Majesty will forgive them because of their kinship, that Empress Dowager Li will plead for them, and that the Ming Dynasty will accept their pursuit of such great profits. They lost the gamble, but they are unwilling to accept defeat."

"The brokers and compradors at Yanxinglou Trading Company do not recommend the gold and silver market at all, because the gold and silver market is extremely volatile. In addition, with His Majesty as the market maker, the gold and silver market exists only to maintain an orderly gold and silver exchange ratio."

“When we people of the Ming Dynasty go to Yanxing Tower to speculate on silver, gold, and other valuable securities, we don’t have the mentality of accepting the consequences of our gambles. Once we lose, we blame the court, the emperor, and the Ming Dynasty, but we never blame ourselves.”

"It was this consensus of not accepting speculation that led the court to be conservative not only in terms of gold, silver, and currency, but also in any financial policy."

Money shops, insurance companies, currency exchanges, and the Yanxinglou Trading Company all fall under the financial category. The Ming Dynasty's financial policies are extremely conservative.

Shen Li understood what Gao Qiyu meant, and he recalled an old story.

When the Yongding Woolen Mill was first established, Yanxinglou traded in fine cloth currency, which was actually fine woolen fabric. As the biggest tycoon in this currency market, His Majesty directly smashed the currency market when someone tried to speculate on it through crowdfunding.

At that time, the imperial court was dirt poor. It could have easily continued to make huge profits by relying on large sums of money, but His Majesty did not hesitate when he decided to throw them away.

As Gao Qiyu said, the Ming Dynasty, from the emperor down to the common people, did not accept speculation and had no mentality of accepting the consequences of a gamble.

Those Genoese merchants who bought Felipe's gold bonds accepted their loss. After Felipe dissolved Congress and the gold bonds went bankrupt, these Genoese merchants had no choice but to accept that the gold bonds they held were worthless. Felipe simply defaulted on his debt.

But the Ming Dynasty couldn't renege on its promise. In fact, the people of the Ming Dynasty felt that since they had invested money, they had to make a profit and could not accept losing money.

Even slightly aggressive monetary and financial policies can lead to an increase in systemic risk.

"I'm going to Tonghe Palace to meet the Emperor." After clarifying her thoughts, Shen Li went to the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace, stated the Ministry of Rites' decision, and explained that the Ministry of Rites approved Ling Yunyi Wenjing's posthumous title. She also repeated the reasons given by Gao Qiyu.

“He spoke very well.” Zhu Yijun said to Shen Li with a smile: “When did Confucianism become a religion? It started when the land system was abolished in the Song Dynasty and the Duke Yansheng was conferred in the second year of the Zhihe era of the Northern Song Dynasty.”

“Once a place has been established on this earth, it is a religion, and no dissenting voices are allowed.”

The practice of bestowing titles upon the descendants of Confucius began in the twelfth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han, when they were merely officials in charge of sacrifices. However, the title of Duke Yansheng was established in the second year of the Zhihe era of the Northern Song Dynasty.

During the Song Dynasty, there was no land system, and the court and scholar-officials jointly governed the country. This necessitated elevating the status of Confucian scholars to an unprecedented level, making the conferment of the title of Duke Yansheng a matter of course.

In fact, the Song Dynasty had the opportunity to establish a land system. Wang Anshi presided over the reform and implemented the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, which rectified the unequal distribution of land taxes and investigated hidden land for tax evasion. This was a reform of land taxation.

If Emperor Shenzong hadn't died young, and if Wang Anshi hadn't lost his biggest supporter, he might have succeeded.

Once the temple on earth was built, the Confucius Mansion in Yanzhou became a de facto temple, and Confucianism eventually became Confucianism as a distinct academic discipline.

"Your Majesty, I am terrified. I have not thought this through." Shen Li has always insisted that Ling Yunyi's posthumous title of Wenjing was unworthy of his position and would eventually lead to the corruption of the posthumous title system. However, after Gao Qiyu's explanation, he finally understood some of the far-reaching impact of overthrowing the Confucius family.

Zhu Yijun revealed a bright and sunny smile. Shen Li's opposition was not disobedience; he was just stubborn. The court lacked nothing except upright and honest officials.

Every upright and honest official should be cherished, and the court's etiquette and laws should be upheld to prevent their collapse.

In fact, Gao Qiyu's explanation was already quite insightful, but not deep enough, because both Gao Qiyu and Shen Li had their own limitations due to their times. They grew up under Confucianism, learned to read and write, and understood principles. Gao Qiyu saw some changes, but he did not see the terrible danger of Confucianism's stagnation.

The idea that there is no profound meaning after the Spring and Autumn Annals, and that there is no need to read any other historical books, is extremely harmful.

Zhu Yijun's foresight stemmed from the fact that, as a later generation, he was able to transcend the limitations imposed by his era.

"Your Majesty, I am not young anymore. Should we arrange for Gao Qiyu to join the cabinet?" Shen Li recommended Gao Qiyu for the cabinet, which was also the purpose of his visit to Tonghe Palace.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "The Western Study has reached its end. I don't mind, but the court officials will."

Besides the court officials who were concerned, the Ming Dynasty's etiquette and order were also very concerned. One had to respect the order, or else one would be punished by it.

“We cannot go any further. I can guarantee that he will not act recklessly.” Shen Li felt that Gao Qiyu was doing a very good job as Minister of Rites, and that he had a very thorough understanding of etiquette and law.

Zhu Yijun sighed and said, "Grand Minister of State Affairs, I also want to vouch for him, but the Grand Minister of State Affairs also knows that this is not a matter of who vouches for him."

“Sometimes, being too smart isn’t good either. Being too smart means thinking too much, while I’m quite foolish and think too little.” Shen Li was somewhat lost. His age was one factor, but Gao Qiyu was very capable, while he, Shen Li, seemed a bit too clueless, making etiquette inconvenient.

Shen Li wanted to step down, but he couldn't. As a member of the Western Study, he was not a cabinet minister, and his position was not legitimate.

"Grand Minister of State Affairs is too kind. I have no ill will towards you, Grand Minister of State Affairs. There is no need to worry about it too much." Zhu Yijun felt that Shen Li was doing a good job as Grand Minister of State Affairs. The court needed a high-ranking and upright official.

Shen Li has a funny nickname, Shen the Bold. This wasn't given to him by Zhu Yijun, but by someone else.

In the thirty-second year of the Jiajing reign, the Shi Shangzhao Rebellion broke out in Guide Prefecture (present-day Shangqiu), Henan Province.

Shi Shangzhao led the rebels to attack cities and seize territories everywhere. They quickly captured Yucheng. Shi Shangzhao tried his best to control his subordinates and prevent the rebels from looting, but once they entered the city, Shi Shangzhao's control immediately failed.

Before entering Yucheng, the rebel army was indeed a rebel army, but after entering Yucheng, they became thugs.

The rebel army suffered heavy casualties in its attack on Yucheng, with many people's relatives and friends dying in the siege. After entering the city, they naturally sought revenge for their grudges and grievances. Moreover, the process of seeking revenge was often accompanied by the pursuit of wealth.

Soon, driven by the carnage and the corrupting influence of money, the thugs began to force the people of Yucheng to hand over all their valuables at knifepoint.

Revenge, slaughter, greed, and plunder eventually turned into the massacre of the city, leaving Yu City completely plundered.

Shen Li was from Guide Prefecture. At the time, he was observing mourning at home. He transformed into a bandit and after conquering Yucheng, he headed for Guide Prefecture. As a wealthy man from Guide Prefecture and a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), Shen Li naturally went to the prefectural government office to inquire about the situation after hearing the news.

As soon as Shen Li arrived at the government office, he saw the prefect packing his valuables and preparing to flee. Shen Li angrily rebuked him: "Thieves will surely return. If you flee, who will protect the people of the city? The people have fed you with their blood and flesh. If you abandon the city, you will be abandoned by both gods and men!"

The prefect was so humiliated that he couldn't lift his head, but he still ran away, saying, "If you're so good, then you do it."

Shen Li was truly capable. He opened his own granary, recruited three thousand local militia, and used the money and grain to hire artisans in the city to manufacture defensive equipment. He also dispatched couriers to urgently convey a message to the governor of Henan to quell the rebellion. Shen Li also accomplished something significant: he lit lanterns on the city walls and hung them to deter the city's villains who refused to donate grain and supplies to help them through the hardship, and who even secretly contacted Shi Shangzhao.

Soon, the defenses of Guide Prefecture were completely transformed. When Shi Shangzhao attacked, he found mountains of rolling logs and rocks, a formidable array of crossbows and armor. Shi Shangzhao suffered heavy losses and was eventually pacified.

From then on, people in Shen Li's hometown said that Shen Li was bolder than a bearded man, and he got the nickname "Shen the Bold".

Shen Li once wrote a memorial analyzing the reasons for Shi Shangzhao's ultimate failure, based on the process of Shi Shangzhao's uprising.

When Shi Shangzhao first started his uprising, he made an agreement with all the rebel armies that he would not kill or rob, but would distribute grain to relieve disasters, help the poor, equalize land distribution, and equalize wealth. At that time, he was very popular and was welcomed by the people wherever he went. Many prefectures and counties even fell without being attacked, and the people spontaneously opened their city gates.

But after the Battle of Yucheng, Shi Shangzhao changed. He was overwhelmed by successive victories and felt that the Ming Dynasty was nothing special and that the Ming army was easily defeated. He began to exert less and less control over his subordinates.

The massacre of Yucheng marked the turning point in Shi Shangzhao's transformation from a righteous man to a bandit.

Since the massacre of Yucheng, Shi Shangzhao quickly discovered that the army, which had been invincible in the past, could no longer conquer any city. The army had no morale, everyone avoided battle and was no longer as eager to fight as before. Moreover, several internal strifes and infighting broke out. Not to mention conquering cities and seizing territory, it was very difficult to even maintain its own existence.

The people who had previously supported Shi Shangzhao began to avoid him like the plague. Shen Li was able to successfully defend the city because the army and the people were of one mind and worked together to resist the bandits.

The rebel army is the fish, and the people are the water. When the rebels lose the support of the people and the hearts of the people, and when the rioters begin to plunder and slaughter the people, that is when Shi Shangzhao will inevitably fail.

Shen Li's previous memorial, which was about Shi Shangzhao, was actually also about the Ming Dynasty, because when the Ming Dynasty first set out, it was also a righteous army. The support or opposition of the people has always been so specific and direct.

Shen Li may not be able to guess His Majesty's thoughts, but when it comes to etiquette, Shen Li is very professional.

Ling Yunyi's posthumous title was Wenjing. In fact, many officials in the court were waiting for the outcome of the dispute between the emperor and the Ministry of Rites. After the emperor won a great victory, the censors and officials began to speak out.

Ling Yunyi, a murderous star, stirred up heresy in the Confucius family and actually received the posthumous title of Wenjing!

The censors are preparing to launch a verbal attack on Ling Yunyi and the Ministry of Rites. You, Shen Li, dare to call yourself a staunch and upright official?!

However, the censors soon discovered that there was a lack of sufficient evidence to support the specific murders committed by Ling Yunyi. To be precise, these censors searched through almost all the old files but could not find a single clear record of Ling Yunyi committing murders.

The censors searched through the archives of the Six Ministries, the Censorate, and the Six Departments, but they couldn't find a single record of Ling Yunyi killing anyone. They only found records of him killing enemies. Killing enemies is not considered a sin, and killing Japanese pirates is not considered killing people, but killing beasts.

If the censors want to attack Ling Yunyi, they need solid evidence, otherwise they will fall into the predicament of "false accusation and punishment." However, there is no record of it in the archives. So much time has passed since that incident. Without written records, how can they argue with His Majesty?
Zhu Yijun had been waiting for this wave of attacks from the censors and officials. He even had his chief advisor prepare the court flogging, as he was determined to show off his power this time!
But the emperor waited and waited, and by the time Ling Yunyi was buried in Jinshan Cemetery and listed as a meritorious official of the Reform Movement, he had not received a single memorial, let alone a memorial to the throne.

"That's strange. Are the censors of our Ming Dynasty really that honest?" Zhu Yijun felt that something was wrong. He had dealt with the censors for so many years. How could these censors so easily let go of such a great opportunity?
Zhang Hong shook his head and said, "If they were honest, pigs would fly. They're probably holding back, planning something big. Feng Daban asked a couple of days ago, saying that if His Majesty needs it, he can bring his troops and wipe out all these disloyal guys in one fell swoop."

Feng Bao was now considering exchanging his cards. He had already withdrawn, and now he was just waiting for the ultimate curtain call. The evaluation of eunuchs and their posthumous reputation depended first on their loyalty. Disloyalty was considered treachery, while loyalty was considered virtue. Feng Bao wanted to leave himself with a lasting reputation for loyalty.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "That's strange. Summon Xu Chengchu and Fan Yuanshan. I need to ask them what these officials are plotting."

Xu Chengchu and Fan Yuanshan were in the Anti-Corruption Bureau. They soon arrived at Tonghe Palace and met with the Emperor. After hearing the Emperor's doubts, the two were somewhat amused and exasperated. Xu Chengchu explained the reason: it wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they couldn't. If they were falsely accused and punished, no one could withstand it.

"Gone?" Zhu Yijun said in great surprise, "That shouldn't be the case, let me look for it."

Zhu Yijun stood up, walked to the bookshelves in the imperial study, found several of Ling Yunyi's memorials based on his memory, and after carefully reading them, said, "Isn't this very clear?"

There are six books in total, all of which contain memorials submitted by Ling Yunyi himself, in which he personally confessed that he killed 123 heads of households in Guangzhou alone, all on charges of colluding with Japanese pirates. The number of people killed in Shandong, Henan, and Korea was no less.

“Uh, they’re different.” Fan Yuanshan looked at one of them and said with a face full of doubt, “These memorials are also among the documents sent to the Six Ministries, the Censorate, and the Six Departments. The contents are all the same except for the fact that they don’t record any killings.”

There were also memorials to the throne, but the content of the memorials was completely different.

The memorials submitted by the court officials were copied by the Grand Secretariat and sent to the Six Ministries, the Six Departments, and the Censorate. Obviously, there were some subtle differences between the archives of the court and the archives of the emperor's inner palace. Ling Yunyi's murder had disappeared.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun picked up the pen on the table, made a few strokes, and then looked at it in the sunlight. He was sure he couldn't make out what was written in the blacked-out parts, but he was still a little uneasy. He glanced at Zhang Hong, who immediately understood. After the court officials left, Zhang Hong went to the Six Ministries to copy the memorial.

These old memorials, which record the crimes of murder, can be turned to ashes.

After this matter was settled, Ling Yunyi's murderous deeds would only remain as folk tales.

Xu Chengchu and Fan Yuanshan were not stupid. They immediately understood that someone had used euphemisms when copying Ling Yunyi's memorial, deleting parts of the content. This act was incredibly audacious.

However, this was not considered an overstepping of authority, because His Majesty knew the truth and the details.

"Now it's just blatant lying. The censors are good at it, and so am I!" Zhu Yijun put down his pen and breathed a sigh of relief. He had already prepared to use his imperial power to endorse Ling Yunyi's reputation. He was originally going to argue with the censors about whether each case was appropriate or not.

There's no need to argue anymore.

Since Xu Chengchu and Fan Yuanshan had entered the palace, they couldn't just talk about this one thing. They gave a detailed report on the major corruption cases investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau last year, which were divided into seven major cases and seventeen minor cases. Each case was published in the official gazette. The Anti-Corruption Bureau was a government office that could easily become a tool for factional struggles among court officials if it was not handled carefully. Therefore, the Anti-Corruption Bureau was subordinate to the Northern Garrison Command and was directly responsible to the emperor.

"At the beginning of last year, the General ordered the Anti-Corruption Division to investigate corruption in the military. Thanks to the General's support, everything went smoothly. Of the seven major cases, the second, sixth, and seventh were all related to corruption in the military." Xu Chengchu emphasized the General's contribution.

The highest-ranking official in the Anti-Corruption Bureau was Qi Jiguang, the Grand General of the Five Military Commands. This appointment was originally intended to use Qi Jiguang's prestige to deter unscrupulous individuals. However, while Qi Jiguang actively promoted the investigation of corruption in the military and government, he did not interfere with the specific operation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Of the seven major cases, three involved military matters. After the Anti-Corruption Division confirmed the evidence, the cases were transferred to the Beijing Garrison Command for investigation and trial.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau only had the power to investigate cases; it could not file charges or conduct trials. Even so, it was the most powerful government agency in the Ming Dynasty, second only to the Six Ministries.

Fan Yuanshan added, "Without the support of the General, even the tax bureau would have difficulty fighting corruption. The sixth and seventh cases were both cases of corruption within the tax bureau."

The Tax Inspection Office was subordinate to the Northern Garrison Command, possessed its own armed forces, and was a military administration office.

To put it bluntly, the Tax Bureau is notorious for its evil deeds. The emperor knows it, the court knows it, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau knows it, but no one has suggested abolishing the bureau. They can only choose the lesser of two evils; otherwise, the court really wouldn't be able to collect taxes.

The relationship between the emperor and his ministers has always been mutually beneficial. It was only through His Majesty's Tax Bureau and Wang Guoguang's consolidation of all taxes in the court that the Ming Dynasty's fiscal and tax system gradually became clear, transparent, and healthy.

The Ming Dynasty was able to effectively manage powerful figures, local gentry, and influential families starting with taxation; otherwise, these local bullies would have been local tyrants.

Anti-corruption efforts by the Tax Audit Institute are indeed very important, but have been difficult to implement in the past.

Zhu Yijun listened to Xu Chengchu's report, expressed high praise and commendation for their work, and rewarded them. He instructed them to continue the anti-corruption campaign, emphasizing the need for sustained high-pressure anti-corruption efforts, otherwise the government and officials would inevitably deteriorate, and Zhang Juzheng's enthusiasm would be wasted.

"Imperial Censor Xu, who do you think did this?" Fan Yuanshan asked hesitantly.

Xu Chengchu hesitated for a moment and said, "I know, but I won't say."

“Mr. Zhang? As the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, he can obviously do it,” Fan Yuanshan said, suggesting a possibility.

“No, sir never plays these tricks.” Xu Chengchu shook his head and said, “Sir may know about it, but he didn’t do it.”

"Oh?" Fan Yuanshan thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure out who did it.

Who would dare to copy and send memorials from court officials? They would dare to go to such lengths. The imperial archives would regularly compare documents with the imperial treasury to prevent forgery. An audit would be conducted at the end of each year and every three years.

Only someone with extraordinary connections could accomplish this; it could only be Zhang Juzheng or Feng Bao.

The emperor and Fan Yuanshan had the same idea. He sent someone to find Feng Bao, but Feng Bao was not in the palace. He had gone to the front gate tower to listen to storytelling. Feng Bao even planned to sing a story for His Majesty during the New Year next year, showing that he had quite the leisure and refined taste.

After returning to the palace, Feng Bao quickly had an audience with the Emperor. When asked by the Emperor, he hesitated before saying, "Actually, it was Ye Xiang who was in charge."

"When I first discovered that he had deliberately omitted something from the copy, I asked him about it. He said that his mother had to flee because of the Japanese pirates, and he was born in a dry latrine. Vice Minister Ling killed the Japanese pirates, so he was his benefactor."

Feng Bao confessed honestly that he hadn't given Ye Xianggao this favor, and since things didn't go smoothly at the end of the year, he exposed him.

Ye Xianggao's enmity with Japan began before he was even born. Most of the murders Ling Yunyi committed in Guangzhou were to punish powerful Ming officials who colluded with Japan. Since they were already colluding with Japan, they were no longer considered Ming citizens and therefore did not need to be remembered.

"It's alright, he wasn't the only one who did it, I did it too." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, choosing not to punish him.

He actually did it too. The number of Japanese pirates reported by the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office every year was crossed out by the emperor every year. Not recording it was the same as not recording it. It was a typical case of not acknowledging the facts. Even if there was evidence, the Ming Dynasty did not need to acknowledge it.

Zhu Yijun never believed in the wisdom of later generations, nor did he want to leave such a sin for them. He asked how the number of Japanese people had decreased from nine million to about six million, or even less in the future, and blamed it all on him, the emperor. He claimed that he was the one who killed them, and that the others were just following orders.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness." Feng Bao bowed again. He knew His Majesty well and knew that His Majesty would not be furious. Ye Xianggao was repaying his kindness, and Feng Bao went along with it. In fact, it was mainly Feng Bao who agreed, otherwise Ye Xianggao could not have done it alone.

To put it bluntly, isn't this the job of eunuchs? They had to take the initiative to do things that the emperor couldn't easily tell them, and bear the infamy.

Once Zhu Yijun learned of this, the censors quickly learned the full story as well. Ye Xianggao and Feng Bao were immediately put on the list of those to be impeached. Since Feng Bao had already retired, they could not impeach him, so they could only impeach Ye Xianggao.

But Ye Xianggao couldn't be impeached either. Ye Xianggao was the prefect of Jilin, but in reality, he was the governor of Jilin. If Ye Xianggao was impeached, who would go to Jilin to do this job? Jilin Prefecture was a harsh and cold place.

“Admonitions are a form of flexibility for censors.” Zhu Yijun looked at the memorials submitted by the censors and officials. For most of them, the punishment he gave was just two words: admonition.

The punishment of only reprimanding is no different from shouting at Ye Xianggao, "You want to rise to the top quickly."
"Let's just deduct a month's salary. You even managed to miss some parts while copying the book." Zhu Yijun gave a higher punishment, deducting a month's salary.

(End of this chapter)