I'm really not doing business

Chapter 961 Whoever causes the most trouble, we will give in to them!

In Zhu Yijun's view, Li Yashi's editorial was very valuable. Some things that he couldn't understand before became clear immediately. Moreover, it was not just about government offices; from the imperial court to clans, as long as the organization had a certain size, his editorial was of reference value.

Identity politics, or rather, the more important an organization's identity, the more incompetent and lazy officials there are, leading to lower administrative efficiency, poorer results, and ultimately, failure in everything. This is why Li Yashi keeps telling the stories of Hai Rui and Xu Chengchu.

If your organization has no one left to do the work, then the final outcome is already predetermined, sooner or later.

For example, Joseon implemented the Law of Imprisonment of Concubines to ensure that the power held by the Yangban disciples would not be divided among their own clans. Moreover, the Joseon king repeatedly tried to implement the Edict of Grace to break the imprisonment of concubines, but he always failed.

North Korea's administrative efficiency was low, and it could not accomplish anything. Despite having a population, strategic depth, and military strength superior to Japan, it was flattened by Japanese pirates in a month. When the Ming Dynasty troops arrived, the process was somewhat tortuous, but they were able to push the Japanese pirates into the sea twice.

Everyone has their own opinion on the concept of organization, but without organization, defeat is inevitable.

For example, Li Kaifang's uncle, Li Kaizao's father, and the head of the Li family, divided half of the family property among Li Kaifang. Li Kaifang was not even a son born out of wedlock, yet he was able to receive half of the family property, and the elders of the family highly approved of this division.

The elders were worried that Li Kaizao would squander the family fortune, so they asked Li Kaifang to keep him in check. Since Li Kaifang was still the eldest brother, Li Kaizao dared not act recklessly, such as getting involved in the opium business and dragging the family into hell.

Li Kaifang really can control Li Kaizao.

The logic here is very clear: when it comes to status, there will inevitably be nepotism; when there is nepotism, there will naturally be factions; when there are factions, there will be struggles; the more one talks about status, the more factional struggles will outweigh actual work, ultimately leading to widespread factionalism. The logic is very clear and simple, and Li Yashi explained it very clearly.

After Wang Chonggu's death, Zhang Juzheng immediately began to set up the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which was actually to weaken the identity of the Zhang Party. Since the Jin Party, the Zhang Party's opponent, had been swept into the dustbin by Wang Chonggu, there was no need for the Zhang Party to exist anymore.

Zhang Juzheng had been in power for too long. His faction and disciples had transformed from dragon slayers into evil dragons, gradually becoming the very thing he had once despised. Zhang Juzheng had no choice but to take action. In his heart, posthumous fame and faction were unimportant; the Wanli Reforms were what mattered.

Whoever became an obstacle to Wanli's reform was his enemy.

The biggest consensus in the court regarding the Anti-Corruption Bureau is that it must be established and that anti-corruption is imperative. Although systemic and legitimate corruption has been completely curbed with the Wanli Reforms, complete curbing is not enough. To continue in the long term, it is necessary to fight corruption, thoroughly curb the scale of corruption, and improve efficiency.

However, there was a great deal of disagreement in the court about whether to ask General Qi Jiguang to step forward.

The courtiers' arguments were all very reasonable.

Anti-corruption is a political matter, not a military one. The fact that the Grand General is in charge of this matter is somewhat inappropriate and even oversteps his authority.
It was also bad for Qi Jiguang himself. As a general, the more deeply he was involved in politics, the more dangerous it became for him. After all, the things that old scoundrel Sima Yi did served as a warning.

It's also bad for the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Its organizational structure is too chaotic. It is subordinate to the Northern Garrison Command, concurrently led by the Chief Censor of the Censorate, and also supervised by the Grand General.

These reasons were all valid, but as Xu Chengchu crossed the Qingma Bridge, the bridge suddenly collapsed, and everything that seemed illogical immediately became reasonable.

His Majesty the Emperor is truly wise; he even foresaw this.

In fact, Zhu Yijun had no idea that anyone would dare to resist the investigation in the Jingguang Road corruption case. After all, Zhu Yijun had just shown his ruthlessness in the Nanjing tribute selection case, and he really didn't let anyone go.

He felt that no one would dare to offend him at this time, and his request for Qi Jiguang to take action was entirely based on his instinct to be lenient towards the enemy and his political stance of the necessity to fight corruption.

"If anyone ever tells me that everyone in the world is a loyal minister and there are no treacherous ministers, I will first imprison that person, because he must be a treacherous minister," Zhu Yijun said sincerely to Feng Bao after reading the memorial from Qingmaqiao.

Zhu Yijun was extremely bloodthirsty, even more so than Emperor Chengzu. During his southern tour last year, the emperor personally oversaw the execution of 622 families. The case of the traitorous tribute selection still resonates today. However, when the emperor investigated the corruption case along the imperial highways, Xu Chengchu was ordered to leave the capital, but he was dealt with clearly as soon as he reached Rongcheng County in Baoding Prefecture.

"Your Majesty is wise. Whoever says there are no treacherous officials in the world must be the number one treacherous official!" Feng Bao agreed wholeheartedly. He would never miss an opportunity to annoy civil officials.

Xu Chengchu was lucky to survive, not because the enemy showed mercy.

When the bridge collapsed, Xu Chengchu was on the bridge. His carriage overturned and fell into the ditch. Six members of the Imperial Guard also fell into the water. The Imperial Guards were strong and good at swimming, and they were able to get ashore after a few splashes.

Xu Chengchu's carriage overturned off the bridge. It was already difficult to escape, and Xu Chengchu was dressed in official robes and scholar's robes, which made it difficult for him to move. If it weren't for Chen Mo and the other four guards risking their lives to save him, Xu Chengchu would have already died.

With Xu Chengchu dead, will you, the emperor, investigate the case of the imperial envoy or the case of a corruption ring?

Chen Mo learned to swim because all the Imperial Guards were good swimmers. They learned this after joining the Northern Garrison Command. The reason for arranging swimming lessons was to ensure that the Imperial Guards could play a crucial role when accompanying His Majesty on his southern expeditions.

When imperial envoys pass by, they are required to hold up a sign to avoid them. Therefore, it was no accident that only Xu Chengchu and his party would pass through Qingma Bridge at that time.

At this moment, Xu Chengchu changed his clothes. He changed out of his scholar's robe and into plain clothes. The plain clothes were made of hemp and were plain in color, without any printing or dyeing. The sleeves were short and narrow, and there was a leather belt with a hook. He wore a pair of leather shoes that only reached his ankles, and even his socks were showing. This outfit was an insult to Confucianism.

He mounted his horse, dressed in a strange outfit designed for ease of riding. He had learned to ride at the Beidaying military camp. He held the reins, surrounded by imperial guards in flying fish robes. Everyone stared at the completely collapsed Qingma Bridge, their eyes flickering uncertainly.

"Imperial Censor Xu, do you want me to leave a team behind to investigate?" Chen Mo asked with a heavy expression. Xu Chengchu had caught a cold after falling into the water and stayed in Rongcheng County for three days. Today, Xu Chengchu felt that his health had improved and ordered his men to head south.

Chen Mo's intention, of course, was to find out the cause of the collapse of Qingma Bridge and give Xu Chengchu justice.

"No." Xu Chengchu took a deep breath and said, "Duke Wencheng called himself the Five-Step Snake. When talking about officials, he said that officials are best at mixing up the good with the bad, which means they completely muddy the waters."

"Clearly, someone doesn't want me to go to Huguang, even if it's just to slightly hinder my progress. Now that my cold is no longer a big problem, heading south as quickly as possible is the most urgent matter."

Xu Chengchu was naturally furious; this was a matter that could cost him his life, but he couldn't care less about that now.

“If we leave, the case at Qingma Bridge will be impossible to solve.” Chen Mo knew why Xu Chengchu made this decision, but if they left, the case at Qingma Bridge would definitely be classified as an accident.

Xu Chengchu said with a solemn expression, "Back when Chief Censor Hai was serving as governor of Yingtian, he went to Songjiang Prefecture to investigate Xu Jie's corruption and encountered a similar incident. These are all old tricks."

“As long as I don’t die, this case will ultimately just be an accident. Whether we are here or not, leaving a team behind is irrelevant. Unless I die, His Majesty will not be able to lash out, much less issue an edict to quell the rebellion.”

“An accident cannot be a reason to quell a rebellion.”

Xu Chengchu believed that the emperor would not lose his temper or make a mountain out of a molehill.

Chen Mo was a distant marquis in a remote post and also served in the Northern Garrison Command. He didn't really understand the officialdom. There were many intricacies involved. As long as the imperial envoy Xu Chengchu was still alive, it would definitely be an accident, because the most feared thing in the officialdom was instability. The court officials would try to stop him no matter what.

It would be worthwhile to launch a major attack unless Xu Chengchu, the imperial envoy, dies.

To be fair, Xu Chengchu's judgment was correct.

"I don't understand, wouldn't killing you just make things worse?" Chen Mo pulled on the reins to calm the restless horse. Resisting the investigation like this would only provoke a wrath from the emperor, making things even more complicated.
"If the waters are muddy, does Your Majesty intend to kill all the officials along the Beijing-Guangzhou highway? Even if you do, so what? The clerks are still local clans, and the officials will still blend in with the crowd."

"And only by fighting can they get what they want." Xu Chengchu looked at the river.

The fundamental purpose of the collapse of the Tsing Ma Bridge was to thoroughly muddy the waters.

Even if the emperor were to quell a rebellion, he would need time to prepare. The waters were already muddy, allowing them to take advantage of the chaos and turn a seemingly hopeless situation into a chance for survival.

"Commander Chen." Xu Chengchu saw the puzzled look on Chen Mo's face. Clearly, Chen Mo still didn't understand the reason for the collapse of Qingma Bridge.

"Yes," Chen Mo quickly replied.

Xu Chengchu exhaled a heavy breath, a breath filled with resentment, and said coldly:
"The vast majority of the people in the Ming Dynasty are tenant farmers and laborers. They are the hardest working, toiling tirelessly regardless of the weather, and producing the vast majority of goods. They love the Ming Dynasty, just like you and me. You served as a distant marquis on the grasslands for five years."

"Even the imperial court's anti-corruption efforts rely on these poor scholars who have overcome countless difficulties to climb to the top."

"Because of you and me, we have neither a distinguished family background to rely on nor a wealthy family to depend on. We can only establish ourselves through our integrity and achievements, so we can be fearless and act impartially!"

Chen Mo and Xu Chengchu were very similar; both came from humble backgrounds, but they both climbed into the imperial court step by step through the Ming Dynasty's selection mechanism.

Xu Chengchu continued, "However, these poor laborers, who make up the vast majority, often suffer the heaviest punishment when conflicts arise with other classes! They receive no favoritism and suffer the most injustice!"

"On what grounds? Why? Because order is always born from struggle, not morality!"

Chen Mo looked at Xu Chengchu with some surprise. He finally understood what Xu Chengchu was talking about. Xu Chengchu dared to speak, and Chen Mo dared to listen. He was the commander of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and only His Majesty could convict him.

Xu Chengchu's words were from the third volume of Class Theory, the chapter on struggle. Chen Mo had read them many times, but Xu Chengchu's words made Chen Mo suddenly understand!
Why should Commander Qi, who has won every battle, be required to atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service? Because Commander Qi is mild-mannered and never turns the blade inward!
Why are the poor and laborers the most bullied? Because they are the most docile; as long as they have food to eat, they won't resist excessively!

Why is it that when the craftsmen work hard without complaint, no one is willing to attend the funeral of Wang Chonggu, the head of the craftsmen, who died, let alone receive the malicious posthumous title of Zhongxian?
Because Wang Chonggu is dead, it's okay to bully the dead; because craftsmen are hardworking and rarely express their opinions.

Therefore, order is born from struggle, not morality. This statement perfectly encapsulates Your Majesty's decision-making logic.

General Qi Jiguang is no longer just the Duke of Fengguo; he's even fighting corruption.

The emperor not only tacitly approved of the craftsmen's departure from the mountain, but also sent imperial guards to the organization to prevent violence from spiraling out of control and to ensure that the target could not be found.

His Majesty has stated more than once that he hopes the artisans will unite to fight for their own interests and force the reform of the system. He even personally guided the movement of artisans to leave the mountains.

“Those who wear Confucian robes can cause a lot of trouble, so we should give way to them,” Chen Mo said after a moment of thought.

Xu Chengchu said with a smile, "Then let's see who makes the biggest mess by wearing Confucian robes! Naturally, everyone will give way to us!"

Before he joined the Zhenfu Division, he thought the imperial court was a unified whole. But after he joined the Zhenfu Division and handled many cases, he discovered that the imperial court was not a unified whole at all, but rather fragmented and divided into numerous factions.

Each faction represents the interests of a certain side. If you don't make a big enough fuss, the faction representing your interests won't gain any benefits. Therefore, to kill Xu Chengchu, you need to muddy the waters, create a huge mess, make it impossible to continue building the Beijing-Guangzhou highway, and cause the front lines to run out of supplies. Then, the emperor and the various factions will naturally be willing to give in.

“It’s just like fighting over water in the village. Whoever wins, the villagers will help them. It seems to be the same in the struggles in the imperial court. Whoever wins, the others will help them.” Chen Mo’s expression was a little strange. The struggles in the imperial court were almost no different from the struggles over water in the village.

When Yan Song fell from power, officials in the capital accused each other of being part of the Yan faction; when Xu Jie fell from power, officials in the capital accused each other of being part of the Xu faction; when Gao Gong fell from power, they accused each other of being part of the Jin faction.
"The most important thing is to win?" Xu Chengchu smiled and shook his head. The forms of struggle are varied, but the goal of struggle is the same: to win.

Xu Chengchu looked at Qingma Bridge, urged his horse to turn around, and prepared to set off. He adjusted the saddle and reins and said, "Actually, I've never understood why, although they are all imperial roads, the sections from Suiyuan, Kailong, and Beijing-Guangzhou Imperial Road from Beiya to Zhengzhou were all built smoothly, but why are the sections from Zhengzhou to Hankou and from Wuchang to Guangzhou so difficult?"

"This morning, I finally figured it out."

"Why?" Chen Mo also found it strange. They were all building imperial roads, so why were there so many strange things happening in the latter half of the Beijing-Guangzhou Imperial Road?

Xu Chengchu sighed and said, "Because of land, the imperial road was built, and all the land along the way belonged to the imperial court and was owned by the Ministry of Works' Imperial Road Bureau. The land in Suiyuan was newly developed, and the land along the Kailong Imperial Road was cheap. The land in the first half of the Beijing-Guangzhou Imperial Road was not considered expensive, but the land in the latter half was expensive."

"Uncultivated land goes untended, but once cultivated, people vie for it."

The core conflict is the land dispute, and the ownership of land is the focus of the struggle. When the imperial court does not build roads, these lands may be worthless, but when the imperial court does build roads, they immediately become highly sought-after commodities.

On his way to Huguang, Xu Chengchu had been pondering why the latter half of the Beijing-Guangzhou highway had been so difficult to build. This morning, he had a flash of inspiration and figured out the key to the problem.

"Let's go, Commander Chen. I have a favor to ask of you. Even if I die, you must take my body to Wuchang Prefecture. Whether I'm dead or alive, as long as I get there, I will have won the first battle for His Majesty." Xu Chengchu cracked his whip and led the imperial guards south.

The horses galloped, kicking up clouds of dust, leaving the collapsed Qingma Bridge far behind.

In the fight against corruption, one must be prepared to die. People may die, but their bodies must reach Wuchang Prefecture. Once they arrive, the investigation into the corruption case along the Beijing-Guangzhou Expressway can begin.

Before, Chen Mo was the Chief of Criminal Investigation. He might not be good at other things, but when it came to investigating cases, he could find out everything about the criminal's ancestors and concubines for eighteen generations.

At the same time that Xu Chengchu set off, Emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty was presiding over a court meeting in the Wenhua Hall in the capital. The meeting was in an uproar, and the opinions of the court officials were also different.

When news of the collapse of Qingma Bridge reached the capital, the public was outraged. However, when news spread that Xu Chengchu was still alive, the attitudes of the officials changed somewhat.

Overall, the court officials' attitude was to appease the situation. Since no serious consequences had occurred, they believed that excessive investigation would only cause unrest. They argued that factors such as disrepair, droughts, and torrential rains could all contribute to the bridge's collapse, and the discussion tended to characterize it as an accident.

Xu Chengchu's judgment was correct.

"Your Majesty, send Vice Commander Li Rusong with a cavalry battalion to Rongcheng County, and have the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department thoroughly investigate the collapse of Qingma Bridge." Qi Jiguang had been listening for a long time. No one had brought up the matter of sending troops, but he had. This was his attitude as the Governor-General of the Anti-Corruption Department.

Anti-corruption is His Majesty's will, and the Ming Capital Garrison must ensure that this will be carried out without fail.

“General Qi, mobilizing the Imperial Guards at this time will likely unsettle the people. Censor Xu has made it very clear that the most important thing is to thoroughly investigate the corruption case.” Li Changchun, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was somewhat frightened when he heard that Qi Jiguang was going to send troops, and hurriedly came out to persuade him.

"Li Rusong previously led his cavalry to guard the Yan family compound in Qizhou, Baoding Prefecture, and forced other dike owners to dismantle their dike walls through swift and decisive measures," Qi Jiguang reminded Li Changchun. This wasn't the first time the Beijing garrison had sent troops to guard the area, so there was no need to panic.

After Altan Khan invaded Baoding Prefecture, 604 fortified villages were established. Powerful local magnates held military power and their orders were not carried out by the prefecture and county governments, which became an obstacle to the construction of the imperial road. At that time, 230 fortified village owners voluntarily demolished their fortified walls. The imperial court did not send troops to forcibly demolish the fortified walls. These 230 families were traitors and targets of public condemnation.

Qi Jiguang looked at Li Changchun and said, "Young Master, the collapse of Qingma Bridge was not an accident. It was aimed at Xu Chengchu and his group. This is an undeniable fact."

"I believe this time the prerequisite for the Beijing garrison's deployment has been fully met: direct military intervention in areas that may be out of control."

“Commander Qi is right.” Li Changchun sighed. He was a moderate conservative and he tried to make sure everyone was respectable in almost everything. But as Commander Qi said, this matter was either an accident or a deliberate act of disobedience. If these people were not respectable, then the court could not be blamed for being disrespectful.

In fact, Li Changchun's reason for opposing was quite simple: once the Beijing garrison was dispatched, the truth no longer mattered.

If you try to smooth things over, the bridge collapse will be an accident, and the truth won't matter; if you punish them severely, the bridge collapse will be the work of traitors, and the truth won't matter either.

The world is a strange place; the truth never seems to matter, only one's stance does.

Li Changchun suddenly thought of Hou Yuzhao, who was the governor of Zhejiang. This guy judged cases entirely based on his own stance, which seemed to be indiscriminate, but it always worked.

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal." Seeing that no one around him spoke, Zhang Juzheng expressed his clear attitude. Zhang Juzheng had been gloomy and frighteningly cold since morning. As soon as Qi Jiguang suggested using force, Zhang Juzheng immediately agreed.

"I second that proposal." Ling Yunyi said without any hesitation, "What's wrong with killing a bunch of rebels! We should take down all the officials and gentry of Rongcheng County on the spot."

"I second that proposal." Grand Minister Zhang Xueyan didn't care. Sending a cavalry battalion from the capital garrison wouldn't cost much. The court had no authority and couldn't collect taxes at all. Sending such a rebellious party was already extremely conservative.

"I second that." Shen Li, who was on whom high hopes were placed, did not come out to stop the Beijing garrison from sending out. He looked at the court officials and said, "This was not an accident. Originally, Imperial Censor Xu and his party were going south by imperial road, but because the imperial road in Rongcheng County was under repair, they had to switch to the official road, which led to the accident."

Shen Li is the Minister of Rites. Rites are very simple. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness are the five constant virtues and the most basic moral principles for being a person. Shen Li cannot lie with his eyes open. This time it was not an accident at all. The road was destroyed first, and then the Qingma Bridge collapsed.

Once the cabinet ministers expressed their unanimous opinion, the courtiers' attitudes became unified.

"What does General Li think?" Zhu Yijun looked at Li Rusong and asked for his opinion. As the deputy general, he was to participate in the court discussion with Qi Jiguang.

"Your subject is acting on imperial orders!" Li Rusong said, bowing his head. The attitude of the Beijing Garrison was always the same. Even if the court's decision was not to send someone out, he would still go if the emperor issued an order.

Six blows in one second is not the limit of loyalty, but simply the fact that a traitor can only have six people standing around him.

His Majesty's attitude towards the military is evident to all. Now, the Beijing Garrison is unwilling to answer because they are afraid of rumors. Who will be willing to strengthen the military in the future?
His annual salary was eighteen taels of silver, plus six taels for living expenses. He had meat at every meal and received a supplement at every meal. In the thirteenth year of the Wanli reign, his wife received an additional four dou of rice per month. If he had a son, he would receive an additional two qian of silver. If he had three children, he would receive an additional two qian of silver. He was allowed to attend the Zhenwu Third-Level School in the Beijing Garrison and was eligible to attend the Zhenwu University. He received special honors after his death, with the Crown Prince escorting his coffin to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth for his burial.

Li Rusong believed that whether or not to send troops from the capital should not be discussed in the Wenhua Hall. These civil officials could do nothing but try to smooth things over, and His Majesty's will was absolute!

When the Ming Dynasty appointed officials to positions of power, the Japanese pirates were rampant. The soldiers were treated as human beings. When the Japanese pirates were quelled, the soldiers were treated as Japanese pirates!
Why did the Luomu Camp in Hangzhou mutiny? Why did the nine camps in Zhejiang respond one after another? Why did the Yingtian Prefecture repeatedly cut the Zhenwu Camp's pay, even stopping the wives' monthly rations, which provoked the Zhenwu Camp mutiny?
Zhu Yijun gestured to Feng Bao to read the imperial edict and handed the troop deployment token to Li Rusong.

After the imperial edict was read, Zhu Yijun gave a special instruction: "After arriving at the local area, first issue a public notice to reassure the people. If the conflict intensifies, have the Marquis of Duntai erect large fences to isolate the streets, keep the people at home, prevent them from going out, prevent them from participating in creating disturbances, and prevent them from listening to the clamor."

"Do not bend the law arbitrarily. Do not take action against people who are hiding at home, but do not show mercy to those who do not listen to advice and insist on going out to the streets to make noise."

“When the cavalry is dispatched, they are given three cents of silver per day. Upon returning to camp, they are given an additional ten months' salary.”

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Li Rusong bowed again, accepted the imperial edict to mobilize troops, turned and left the Wenhua Hall to go to the North Camp to mobilize troops.

"War is a matter of vital importance to the state, a matter of life and death, a road to survival or destruction. But if I do not send the capital garrison today, Xu Chengchu's journey south to carry out the king's orders will certainly not be successful. Anti-corruption is a major event for the dynasty and is imperative." Zhu Yijun reiterated his views to the court officials.

As an emperor, one must be extremely cautious about military affairs and avoid resorting to force unless absolutely necessary, but this time, it is unavoidable to mobilize troops.

Because if there is no reaction here, and the collapse of Tsing Ma Bridge is indeed classified as an accident, not only will Xu Chengchu be in great danger, but this anti-corruption campaign will also come to an end.

Countless eyes were watching, waiting to see the emperor's reaction.

Shen Shixing stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, why was it in Rongcheng County? I originally thought it would be in Huguang, since the case is in Huguang, but Xu Chengchu was attacked in Rongcheng County."

"Clearly, the corruption scandal along the Beijing-Guangzhou Expressway was not limited to Hubei and Hunan, but also extended to Henan and Beizhili. They were all in the same boat, sharing both prosperity and ruin."

If Xu Chengchu had encountered these troubles in Wuchang Prefecture, he could have said that the imperial court's legal system was too tight, which led to the resistance. But the fact that something happened in Rongcheng County seems very strange.

Shen Shixing believes that these twelve cases are just a thin layer of paper; once it's really broken through, there's more to the story.

“Your Majesty, I believe that troop deployment to Rongcheng is justified! Your Majesty, it is clear that some people do not want the court to truly fight corruption on the imperial highways.” Wang Jiaping stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Your Majesty, I still remember the story of Duke Wencheng. If the court backs down this time, I am afraid that no matter how much silver the court throws at it in the future, it will not be able to build the imperial highways.”

Wang Chonggu served as the governor of Xuanfu and Datong. He took more than two million taels of silver from the imperial court, but the Great Wall was built without any repairs.

Wang Jiaping's meaning was simple: would the imperial court continue to repair the imperial roads in the future? If they would, troops would be mobilized; if not, there would be no need to mobilize troops.

If this is not dealt with strictly, the cost of building the imperial highway will only increase. It would be bad enough if it were expensive, but the worst thing would be if it couldn't even be built.

"There's no need to bring up the past of Duke Wencheng," Zhu Yijun said to his court officials. "Now that troops have been mobilized, we must act swiftly and decisively."

Think things through before you act, and once you decide to do it, don't waver. Be consistent and persistent. This is the principle of doing things that Zhu Yijun realized in practice after being emperor for eighteen years. Hesitation and indecisiveness will lead to nothing being accomplished.

Don't romanticize the path you didn't choose in the first place. Every path has its thorns and storms, and those beautiful things are just fantasies you haven't experienced.

"Your Majesty, we obey your decree." Zhang Juzheng led his ministers in unison. Inside the Hall of Culture, they could argue all they wanted, but once they stepped outside, a decision was a decision.

"There is good news. The envoys from the Ming Dynasty who went to the Eastern Pacific have brought back good news. The governors of Mexico, Peru, and Chile have agreed to come to the Ming Dynasty next spring to discuss the matter of the Trans-Pacific Commercial Alliance." Zhu Yijun and his ministers returned to their seats before announcing this good news.

These governors of the Eastern Pacific accepted the invitation from the Ming Dynasty and came here. Naturally, they would have to take some risks, but the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance was well worth the risk.

Ling Yunyi looked around and said calmly, "It's just a matter of whether you die sooner or later, and who you die at the hands of."

Upon hearing this, the Wenhua Hall fell silent. Ling Yunyi's words revealed a fact: since the Ming Dynasty had chosen to open up the seas and expand its territory, it had a fundamental conflict and contradiction with these governor-general's offices.

(End of this chapter)