I'm really not doing business

Chapter 823 Let Ning Yuanhou pay him a penny
As soon as Li Chengliang returned to Beijing, he did two things. The first was to go to Tonghe Palace to meet the emperor, which was his due duty; the second was to go to the big teahouse and beat Zhao Nanxing up.

Zhao Nanxing couldn't see anyone at all, and the regular gatherings couldn't be held anymore. Probably no one would go to listen from now on.

There was an uproar inside and outside the capital. How could Li Chengliang, a crude warrior, beat a famous scholar like Zhao Nanxing? It was simply an insult to society!

After an uproar, people discussed it on the streets, but that was it. There was no further follow-up.

No editor of a miscellaneous newspaper wrote an article criticizing Li Chengliang for his lawlessness; no censor took advantage of the two days before the New Year to submit a memorial to criticize Li Chengliang for beating people. Ningyuan Hou came out of Tonghe Palace and went into the big teahouse to beat people up. It is self-evident who intended to beat people up.

It was obvious that Zhao Nanxing received this beating in vain. Li Chengliang had beaten the lowly Confucian scholar before when he returned to Beijing. After a few times, everyone got used to it.

Zhao Nanxing was unpopular, even the scholar-officials looked down on him. The royal army aided Korea to quell the rebellion, which was upright. However, Zhao Nanxing, who was aggressive and deceived the people, abandoned the country in danger and criticized the royal army for destroying Japan, and even claimed to be a loyal minister when he talked about moving the palace. Even the scholar-officials could not agree with him.

After all, the current Ming Dynasty, no matter from which angle, is still the Celestial Empire. There are not so many lowly Confucian scholars who are used to kneeling and have rooted their knees to it.

The capital was happily preparing for the New Year, and the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty went to Nanhai Zi to visit the families of Duntai Yuanhou and the coastal defense inspector; he went to Beidaying to meet with the clan members of the Ten Kings City; he distributed another sum of New Year's silver at Wuying Tower, but each soldier in the Beijing camp only received one silver dollar, which was enough to buy about 100 kilograms of pork; he went to Xishan Coal Bureau and Yongsheng Woolen Factory to inspect fire prevention matters during the New Year, met with craftsmen, and inquired about the trade union promoted by Wang Jiaping.

Wang Jiaping believed that the trade union should be established on the basis of the entire mechanical workshop and the general literacy of craftsmen.

But there is a paradox here. That is, after the children of craftsmen go to school, most of them are unwilling to let their children work in the workshop. Only a few can stay because the work in the workshop is very tiring and heavy, and not decent enough.

The trade union still has a long way to go, and the road ahead is full of difficulties, but it has made practical progress. At least the distribution of excess profits is announced on the bulletin board, and where the money is specifically spent is also made public, which is another small step forward.

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty met with foreign officials, elders, and common people at Huangji Gate. Nearly a thousand randomly selected people from all walks of life were summoned to meet him at Huangji Gate. In the left and right corridors of Huangji Gate, they wrote down what they were most concerned about.

In the halls of government, the people's concerns are expressed, and in the imperial court, questions are raised about government affairs.

Since the second year of the Wanli reign, when Zhang Juzheng wanted to restore the ancestral laws and allow the emperor to meet with external officials, this system has been implemented very well. As emperor, Zhu Yijun has never been absent for a single day.

Zhu Yijun would review each of the more than one thousand memorials and send them to the cabinet for processing when he went to work on the sixth day of the next year.

Of course, this system inevitably became somewhat formalistic. Most memorials were flattering and eulogistic. Either someone taught them, or they were afraid to express their own opinions. Most of the memorials were meaningless, but as long as there was one that reflected the suffering of the people, it was a victory for the system.

The Ming Dynasty was developing rapidly, and some previously unforeseen problems were plaguing the people. For example, public security problems were caused by free migration. Some habitual criminals were roaming around and committing crimes. Due to the territorial nature of the arrest warrants, the evil criminals committed crimes here and hid secretly there.

Danchi's political consultation can be regarded as a continuation of the Han Dynasty's system of public petitions. At least there was a loophole for the emperor to hear the voices of the people, even if it was only a crack.

It is always so difficult to convey the people's information to the top. Zhu Yijun is very willing to know about the people's food, clothing, housing and transportation. The houses outside Chaoyang Gate do not represent the general situation. The houses outside Chaoyang Gate have become the life that some rural people dream of day and night, even if it is still very difficult.

"Your Majesty, the master is here." Zhang Hong walked in from outside the door and said with his head bowed.

Zhu Yijun put down the red brush in his hand and said, "Please come in."

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. I hope your Majesty is in good health." Zhang Juzheng bowed his head in greeting.

"No need for formalities, please sit down. The country is already on holiday, why are you here suddenly?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Hong to make a cup of good tea, and asked curiously.

Zhang Juzheng looked at the memorials that had been sorted into different categories and felt a little emotional. His Majesty was not idle during the New Year holidays.

The court had closed for the day, and everyone except the officials on duty had rested, but His Majesty was still dealing with piles of memorials. Zhang Juzheng held his hands and said solemnly, "Your Majesty has not rested yet, and I dare not slack off."

"The Book of Shang says: 'The Emperor has no relatives, only virtue can support him. Your Majesty is diligent in government affairs, working at night in the dark frost, and not stopping work in the cold winter. This is a great blessing for the country. However, the country's strength is not achieved overnight, so please let your Majesty take some time off from the paperwork."

Zhang Juzheng was known for his strictness in the court, but seeing that the emperor was unwilling to rest even during the New Year, he still gave him some advice, urging him to pay attention to the combination of work and rest.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "I am young and energetic. Besides, I am free anyway. It's no big deal to just read a few memorials."

Seeing that he could not persuade the emperor, Zhang Juzheng reflected on whether he had been too harsh during the lecture, but it was no use now that things had come to this.

Zhang Juzheng put aside his thoughts and said, "I am here to report to Marquis Yu Zhao. His first of the six strategies for securing the border is to set up rules and regulations to clarify responsibilities. The Beijing Agricultural Reclamation Bureau will be directly under the Ministry of War and will be dispatched by the Ministry of Revenue. A governor-general will be appointed. I recommend Zhang Xueyan as the governor-general."

"First, Zhang Xueyan came to the court from Liaodong as the Minister of Revenue, and he is very familiar with Liaodong affairs; second, he has been in the court for nine years, and his investigations have been flawless; third, Minister Wang is old and weak, and he has communicated with me privately that he plans to retire and enjoy his retirement."

These are two things. Zhang Xueyan is the governor-general and minister in charge of the seal. In addition, there is the matter of Zhang Xueyan entering the cabinet.

"Sir, what you mean is, the cabinet minister, the governor-general of the Liaodong military reclamation project?" Zhu Yijun thought about it for a moment and understood Zhang Juzheng's plan.

According to Hou Yuzhao's plan, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue would have been enough to serve as the governor-general, but Zhang Juzheng had previously felt that the official rank was too low and might not be appropriate. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was not possible, so he brought Xue to Tonghe Palace to meet the emperor and present the document.

Wang Guoguang has grown old, and the empire's accountant can no longer hold on and has to leave the career he has fought for all his life.

Fortunately, when I left, I was still full of hope for the revival of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, Liaodong has 450,000 hectares of wasteland to be reclaimed. According to the Six Strategies for Border Security, a large number of people from Shanxi, Northern Zhili, and Shandong will migrate to Liaodong next year. In less than ten years, Liaodong will probably have to reclaim more than one million hectares of wasteland. Liaodong has fertile land and produces at least one-eighth of the total grain output of the Ming Dynasty in a year, or even more. It is an absolute granary."

"This matter is of great importance and must be taken seriously." Zhang Juzheng explained his reasons. The minister who holds the seal must be a high-ranking official, and a low-ranking one will not do.

There is a general food shortage in the north. If Liaodong can be fully developed, that would be a great relief. The food shortage in the north can be alleviated a lot, especially in the capital. There is no need to get food from arid areas such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Suiyuan, and it can even provide food back to the capital.

Only by alleviating the widespread food shortage in the northwest region and the Wanli Reform of the Ming Dynasty could the foundation be laid and the country go further.

"Sir, you have thought it through carefully. Indeed, the Liaodong matter is of great importance and we really need a cabinet minister to take charge." Zhu Yijun agreed with Zhang Juzheng's reason. The Northeast has more than one million hectares of fertile land and more than one-eighth of the total output of the Ming Dynasty. If it is really developed, the thousands of miles of fertile land in the Northeast can produce one-fifth of the grain, which can greatly alleviate the food shortage problem in the north.

Zhang Juzheng attached great importance to Hou Yuzhao's memorial. He felt that this memorial could be listed alongside the two most important new policies of the 15th year of Wanli. Many new policies were confirmed to be implemented in the 15th year of Wanli, including the Li Ju Law, the Golden Story, the Dinghai School System, the World Mingguan, the Sunset Plan and so on.

The two most important things here are the Li Ju Law and the Ding Hai School System, and the Liaodong Agricultural Reclamation Bureau is as important as the previous two.

The Return of Land Order and the Single Whip Law were long-term goals. Zhang Juzheng felt that if he could see the thorough implementation of the Return of Land Order and the Single Whip Law on the day of his death, he would be able to die in peace.

The Single Whip Policy was still dormant because Zhang Juzheng discovered that with the huge size of the Ming Dynasty, the amount of metal currencies such as copper, silver and gold was too small to support the operation of the Single Whip Policy. Only by telling the story of gold well could the Single Whip Policy have a basis for implementation.

Zhang Juzheng attached great importance to this matter. He would rather brave the heavy snow and take a New Year's holiday to have an in-depth talk with His Majesty to understand His Majesty's true thoughts so as to implement the decree. He needed to know clearly whether His Majesty attached so much importance to Liaodong in order to appease Ningyuan Hou to return to Beijing, or whether he really valued the kingship of Liaodong.

By discussing "Six Strategies for Border Security" with His Majesty, Zhang Juzheng clearly knew that His Majesty really valued the kingship of Liaodong.

"Sir, no matter how many overseas plantations we have, they are still overseas. Liaodong is right at our doorstep. If we really cultivate it, it can leave a legacy for the Ming Dynasty for fifty or even a hundred years. We will invade Korea to destroy Japan. Korea has many mountains and little land, and Japan has nothing except minerals. We will invade Korea to fight for peace in Liaodong." Zhu Yijun raised a very realistic issue.

The place where one could really make a lot of money by invading Korea and defeating Japan was not Korea or Japan, but the fertile land of Liaodong. The current productivity and production relations of the Ming Dynasty already had some spare capacity to cultivate Liaodong.

No matter how little land one has at home, it is not too little; no matter how much land one has overseas, it does not completely belong to the Ming Dynasty. This is why Zhu Yijun attaches so much importance to the development of Han towns and villages. Only when the Han towns and villages become stronger can the Han people in these overseas territories take root.

"Your Majesty, this year's annual revenue has exceeded expectations a little." Zhang Juzheng talked about the second thing he did during his visit to the palace. The year-end accounting was completed, and this year's annual revenue of the court was much higher than expected.

Zhang Juzheng sat up straight, handed the memorial to His Majesty and said, "The land tax is 1700 million silver taels, 50 more than last year, and less than the sixth year of the Wanli reign."

"Commercial taxes, government factories, coal, iron and tobacco monopolies, banknotes and customs duties, etc., in the 2300th year of Wanli, the commercial taxes had reached 60 million silver coins, and the commercial tax ratio exceeded %. Among them, the tobacco monopoly had the largest increase, with profits increasing from silver coins to million silver coins."

The expected annual income was actually only 4100 million silver dollars, but after checking the accounts, it was found that there was only a shortfall of silver dollars to reach million silver dollars.

Maritime trade is expanding, and tariffs have been completely taken back by the imperial court. With the prosperity of maritime trade, the tariffs have increased year by year. This year, the tariffs have increased by less than 400,000 silver coins, but the tobacco monopoly has increased by 1.2 million silver coins.

The 1.2 million silver is the bulk of the amount that exceeded expectations.

In the sixth year of Wanli, the land tax was equivalent to 1800 million taels of silver, which was the highest peak of the land tax during the Wanli period. After that, it has remained between 1600 million and 1700 million taels of silver. Over the years, the court not only did not increase agricultural taxes, but instead continued to reduce and exempt agricultural taxes, especially when encountering disaster years.

According to the strict supervision according to the standards of the sixth year of Wanli, the current land tax is about 20 million silver.

Since the dynasty is rich, it will naturally not push too hard, and there will be no intensification of internal conflicts caused by pushing too hard. In the final analysis, the Ming Dynasty can now exploit the colonies and reduce internal strife.

The growth rate of commercial taxes far exceeded expectations, especially the increase in tobacco revenue.

"This tobacco is used as medicine." Zhang Juzheng seemed a little helpless. This was a moral and financial dilemma. Knowing that this was something harmful to people, it was still sold, and it was a government-run business.

Because the tobacco leaves are taken from different parts and at different times, dozens of types of tobacco with different prices are produced, as well as various smoking utensils, such as pipes, tobacco pouches, and other utensils, which also make considerable profits.

It is a bit unscrupulous to make money from this business, but the court does not have a monopoly on it, and there are many people doing this business.

Sixty percent of the cost of tobacco is tax, yet such a heavy tax cannot stop the popularity of tobacco.

"They are all benefactors of the country." Zhu Yijun knew very well why Zhang Juzheng was helpless. His morality made him feel that this was not good, but the financial reality forced him to do so.

Reducing taxes, benefiting the people, and applying both virtue and power, opening up new sources of profit, all seem like ideals, but the reality is harsh. The court has too many places to spend money. Just the Dinghai school system alone requires an unknown amount of silver. The Ming Dynasty is still building highways, so this is the only way.

Zhang Juzheng was not a sentimental person, nor did he advocate high morals. He came to Tonghe Palace not to lobby His Majesty to ban tobacco, but to simply express his gratitude to smokers for their contribution to the country's fiscal revenue. In addition to the unexpected profits from tobacco, there was also the unexpected profits from Javanese quinine.

The price of this thing is still equivalent to that of gold, even though the output has more than doubled, and the price is still rising in many places. These days, malaria is extremely common in the south, and this medicine is a life-saving miracle drug when you have malaria.

Speaking of the cinchona tree, it does not grow very well in its native Peru, but grows vigorously in Java, which is also a strange thing.

The seeds of the cinchona tree were obtained by King Antonio of Portugal in the fifth year of the Wanli reign by exchanging seeds for seeds and using the connections of the Governor’s wife (Chapter 745).

The yield of cinchona plantations in Peru is actually very low, but in Java it is like a fish in water.

"So, the demand is far greater than the supply. It is obvious that the price of quinine will remain high." Zhu Yijun didn't have any good solution. These days, all he could do was to let the Governor's Office plant more trees.

Those who sell smiles can never compare to those who sell medicine, because selling medicine does make money.

Zhang Juzheng advocated discussing with His Majesty the changes in the tax structure of the Ming Dynasty. In Zhang Juzheng's opinion, only when the proportion of commercial taxes is further increased to more than 70%, can it be said that the country's finances and taxation have become truly healthy. If it accounts for more than 90%, then we can discuss further reductions in agricultural taxes.

"The price of rice in Japan has increased fourfold this year compared to last year, and is now eighty cents per pound." After finishing his business, Zhang Juzheng talked about Japan.

The price of rice in Japan soared, and the news was once again heard even in the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

"What is the price of rice in the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Yijun asked about the price of grain in the Ming Dynasty. The prices of rice varied at different times and in different regions, but the overall price of grain in the Ming Dynasty tended to be stable.

Feng Bao took out the memo, turned to the grain price section, handed it to His Majesty and said, "The most expensive is in Songjiang Prefecture, where a pound of rice costs five cents per pound. The South Court is a little lower at three cents, and the North Court is five cents for two pounds."

As your Majesty's internal minister, I must answer your Majesty's questions when he has them.

"Can you buy two kilograms of rice for five cents at the grain market outside Chaoyang Gate now?" Zhu Yijun asked Feng Bao.

Feng Bao said calmly, "When the palace servants were shopping this morning, I specifically asked about it. The grain market at Chaoyang Gate has even reduced prices. They have already stockpiled New Year's goods, but they are not selling well, so they can only reduce prices a little."

Feng Bao did not dare to deceive the emperor about the grain issue, grain production, and grain prices, because His Majesty really understood and was very concerned about grain prices.

Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "The rice in Japan is thirty to forty times that of the Ming Dynasty. Are there no merchants who ignore the ban and take risks to ship grain to Japan?"

"Of course there are." Zhang Juzheng said with certainty: "Money can move people's hearts. If these sea merchants were really so law-abiding, they would not be sea merchants. But after the grain arrives in Japan, it will not be sold at a high price."

"Your Majesty, Japan is located by the sea. Under the warm current of the Pacific Ocean, Japan's climate and rainfall are quite good. Food production is not a problem. This is not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster. Someone wants to make food prices so expensive."

"Ming merchants cannot open grain shops in Japan and sell grain to Japanese compradors."

"These compradors bought cheaply from Ming merchants and then sold at high prices. They used the huge profits to buy Ming luxury goods, such as silks, satins, tea, porcelain, inkstones and seals."

If food prices are high, farmers may not necessarily benefit; if food prices are low, farmers will suffer huge losses.

Expensive grain will starve farmers, and cheap grain will hurt farmers. This has been the wisdom of our ancestors for thousands of years. When grain is expensive, the farmers will be the first to starve to death.

Merchants from the Ming Dynasty found that they could not make much profit by transporting grain, and coupled with the strict prohibitions of the country, they were naturally unwilling to do this kind of business.

"The main purpose of this price increase is to make the Japanese civilians bear the cost of defeat." Zhang Juzheng said with certainty: "The Ming Dynasty has done this before."

"During the Gengxu Rebellion, Altan Khan invaded and the price of grain in the capital rose three times a day. At its highest point, a pound of grain cost 200 wen, but there was still no demand. The price of grain in Baoding rose to 130 wen."

"When the war was fierce in Taizhou, the price of rice in Zhejiang Province rose to four cents per catty, and in Taizhou, it rose to forty cents."

Zhang Juzheng not only criticized Japan, but also criticized the Ming Dynasty. When the Ming Dynasty was invaded by the northern barbarians and threatened by the Japanese in the southeast, the price of grain fluctuated greatly and the people suffered terribly.

The price of rice is the barometer of war. Civilians in the rear are restricted by limited information channels and cannot understand the full picture of the war on the front lines. They cannot understand the battle reports on the front lines, but the price of goods is something that happens around them.

The war situation can be reflected in the price of rice. The cost of defeat is always borne by civilians. This is true throughout history, both in China and abroad.

"Wait a minute, sir, wait a minute. You said that Taizhou Prefecture was in a state of emergency and the price of grain in Zhejiang rose to four cents a pound. What about when there was no Japanese invasion?" Zhu Yijun frowned and asked for details.

Zhang Juzheng explained: "Three coins and two catties, General Qi defended Taizhou, the Japanese pirates retreated, and the price returned to three coins and two catties."

"In other words, the current rice price in Songjiang Prefecture is more expensive than the rice price in Zhejiang during the war!" Zhu Yijun grasped the key point. The prices in Songjiang Prefecture were too terrible. A pound of rice cost five cents.

When Zhejiang was under the threat of war, the price of rice was not as high as it is now in Songjiang Prefecture.

People who don’t know would think that Songjiang Prefecture was attacked by Japanese pirates!
"The price of four cents per pound in Zhejiang has remained the same for several months. The price in Songjiang Prefecture has remained the same for more than two years. I'm afraid it will increase further this year." Zhang Juzheng carefully reminded His Majesty that the prices in Songjiang Prefecture were very stable and high!

"The grain price in Songjiang Prefecture must be lowered. At the very least, it cannot rise any further. If it continues to rise, people will starve to death." Zhu Yijun gave clear instructions. Songjiang Prefecture was the freest place in the Ming Dynasty and the bridgehead of the Wanli Reform. The invisible hand had a stronger influence on the market than the visible hand.

However, food cannot be speculated and the price cannot be raised. If it goes up, the people will starve to death. Just like the coal in the capital and Liaodong. Other things can be speculated to skyrocketing, but coal cannot. The result of soaring coal prices is that people will freeze to death.

Japan is Japan. Even if the price of grain in Japan rises to one tael of silver for one pound, Zhu Yijun is too lazy to care. It would be best if they all starved to death to avoid reducing the population.

However, Zhu Yijun had to take charge of Songjiang Prefecture, and the imperial court had to intervene proactively to allocate food rations and keep prices on a steady upward trend, to ensure that the economy had sufficient vitality while the people would not starve to death.

Zhu Yijun did not intend to take care of other things. Excessive interference of administrative power would be detrimental to the stability and orderly development of the market.

The invisible and visible hands are like yin and yang. If everything is left to the invisible hand, the court will shirk its responsibilities. If it relies entirely on the visible hand, deformity, bloat, and rigidity will follow, and it will not last long.

The imperial court should play a leading role in governing the economy and guiding the market.

Zhang Juzheng talked about taxes, and then about grain prices, mainly talking about the negotiation with Japan on mining rights. Gao Qiyu will leave Ming Dynasty to visit Japan after the new year. How much more Gao Qiyu will get requires drawing a line as a reference. The worse the situation in Japan, the more Ming Dynasty can get.

"Your Majesty, Marquis Ningyuan beat Zhao Nanxing." After Zhang Juzheng finished talking about the main business, he talked about Li Chengliang.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "Just beat him. I asked Ningyuan Hou to beat him. He can't even think of trying to trick me into beating him! What's wrong? What did Zhao Nanxing do again?"

Many scholars deliberately made some outrageous remarks. It was not that they really did not know the real situation, but they deliberately deceived the court to punish them, or deceived the court's power and punishment.

As long as they are restricted by the court, they will immediately act like victims and shout "I was right, I hit the court's sore spot" and take pride in it. This will gather some people who don't know the truth and join in the commotion, causing chaos and unrest.

Zhu Yijun would not beat people with a stick in court. If he did, he would beat them to death, except for Li Kaifang, who was a rare talent.

As a warrior, it was just right for Li Chengliang to do this kind of thing.

"He went to the Shuntian government office to report the case." Zhang Juzheng said helplessly, "This Ningyuan Marquis is a military hero. He wanted to go through the Eight Expeditions, but the Shuntian government office refused to allow it. They told Zhao Nanxing to report the case to the Northern Pacification Office. This matter is not their responsibility."

The relatives, civil officials and military generals who were to leave were all handled by the Northern Pacification Office, so it was useless for Zhao Nanxing to go to the Shuntian Prefecture government office to report the case and appeal for justice.

"How about this, let Ningyuan Hou compensate him one penny for the medicine." Zhu Yijun rolled his eyes and came up with a good idea.

Humiliation, huge humiliation.

Using a penny to humiliate Zhao Nanxing, Zhao Nanxing originally wanted justice and didn't care about the money. If scholars care too much about the smell of money, they will be ridiculed for their moral decline.

In the traditional Confucian value system, the moral requirement for scholars is to value righteousness over profit. The amount of one penny was humiliating Zhao Nanxing twice.

A vein on Zhang Juzheng's forehead twitched. He didn't remember teaching this kind of embarrassing way of speaking when he was giving lectures. This was not taught by him, but by Feng Bao.

Of course it is, eunuchs always have their own way of playing tricks on people!
"If he can't bear the humiliation, he can hang himself. I admire him as a man and give him an official funeral!" Zhu Yijun said confidently: "He is willing to sacrifice his life to bring down the emperor! If he has the courage, he can hang himself and learn from the Zhejiang Governor Zhu Wan, who committed suicide to show his determination. I admire his lofty ambitions and I will admit his mistakes to him."

"Does he dare?"

Nobility is the epitaph of the noble, and despicability is the passport of the despicable.

Despicable people always rely on their own despicableness to gain advantages everywhere, and even occupy the high point of public opinion to point fingers at others. Noble people, however, because of their own nobility, can only write nobility on their own tombstones.

Zhu Yijun cared very much about Zhu Wan's affairs. If he was seeking glory and getting humiliated like this, who in the world would be willing to risk his life for him as an emperor?
"He doesn't dare. If he had the courage, he wouldn't be a lowly Confucian scholar." Zhang Juzheng said very confidently. If he dared, he wouldn't have fallen to this point.

The Ming Dynasty also had critics. Lin Fucheng even angered the emperor and was exiled to Southeast Asia to study the plantation economy. As a critic, Li Zhi's criticisms were meaningful, and the Ming emperor even excerpted a few of his articles and published them in the imperial newspaper to let the officials of the country learn from them.
But Zhao Nanxing is not like that. He doesn't dare to analyze the problem too clearly or too clearly, because it will offend people he dare not offend and people who give him money.

He didn't even dare to act too recklessly, knowing that it was the emperor who ordered Li Chengliang, the black glove, to do it, but Zhao Nanxing didn't dare to lie in wait at the Huangji Gate, because he knew he would surely die if he went there.

Zhang Juzheng's judgment was correct. Zhao Nanxing didn't even dare to report the case to the Northern Pacification Office because he knew it would only bring greater humiliation.

Zhao Nanxing chose to swallow his anger and wait until after the New Year to return to Jiangnan to continue teaching.

(End of this chapter)