I'm really not doing business

Chapter 963 Schemes and calculations ultimately lead to downfall; a meticulously planned scheme ends in ruin.
"With the arrival of the elite troops, the blue sky will be clear." This was a common saying in the streets and alleys of Rongcheng County after the arrival of the elite troops from the Beijing garrison.

Before the arrival of the elite troops, Rongcheng County had reached the point where even the yamen runners were not receiving their salaries.

The yamen runners couldn't get their salaries, so to survive they had to take from the people. Taking from the people meant suffering for them. There were gangs in the city, and the people suffered; there were bandits outside the city, and the people still suffered. Rongcheng County was located near the imperial road, yet the people's lives remained miserable.

When the elite troops arrived, the corrupt yamen runners who bullied and monopolized the market, the fierce and violent gangs, the ruthless mountain bandits who killed without blinking an eye, and the gentry who refused to reduce rents during famine years were all arrested and brought to justice by the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison!
Suddenly, the mountain that had been weighing on the people was gone. It was truly like the clouds parting to reveal the clear blue sky, a bright and sunny day!
Li Rusong was actually very nervous. The last time was at the Qi family compound, where the rebels were blatantly traitors, and it was just a matter of suppressing the rebellion. This time, it was the first time since the establishment of the Anti-Rioting Vanguard Battalion that they had sent out an anti-rioting force.

If the operation does not go smoothly, this riot control vanguard will face widespread opposition, thus rendering one of His Majesty's key domestic measures ineffective.

Li Rusong did not want to fail the emperor's grace, so from departure to execution, he strictly adhered to military discipline, fearing that an unwanted scene might occur.

He became even more nervous after dispersing the crowd and breaching the county government office. He was afraid that all the people of Rongcheng County would gather together. If all 270,000 people of Rongcheng County gathered together, could his 3,000 men disperse them all?

However, after the county government was breached, the people did not have any resistance to military control, especially after gangs, bandits, and gentry were arrested one after another. The people had no resistance to the soldiers at all.

The people feared the soldiers because bandits were like combs and soldiers were like hairpins. What the people feared most was that the soldiers would take advantage of the riots to kick down their doors, steal their property, rape their wives and daughters, and even kill them.

It is said that the elite soldiers of the Beijing Garrison are disciplined and never disturb the people, but rumors are just rumors, and no one has ever seen it with their own eyes.

After removing the barriers at Dashishan and allowing free entry and exit, Li Rusong became even more nervous. He worried that people would gather, that they would cautiously test the waters, and that the soldiers would rob them. They tested each other for three to five days.

Li Rusong saw no crowds gathering, no looting by the people, and military control was no different from usual. Rongcheng County returned to its former bustling state.

Li Rusong breathed a sigh of relief and was no longer worried. Two freshly slaughtered pigs were thrown at the military camp outside the city. Li Rusong found the person who threw the pigs and paid them back.

Wang Xiaoliu, whose real name was Wang Jingfang, was from Henan. He was both a farmer and a soldier. He farmed since he was a child and relied on his strength to become an archer in the patrol office. He made a living by driving away wild animals and collecting rewards. He had killed four large tigers.

It was a den of tigers. It took him four days to kill them all by himself. The Tiger Power Bow was also very effective against tigers. As long as you shot accurately, the tigers were no match for Wang Xiaoliu.

In the ninth year of the Wanli reign, he joined the engineering corps battalion. In September of that year, Wang Xiaoliu was selected to join the Beijing Garrison.

In the thirteenth year of the Wanli reign, he was selected to be the vanguard in battle. In April, he followed the Beijing garrison to Korea to fight against the Japanese pirates. During the nine victories of the eastern expedition, he fought in six battles and participated in twelve attacks on the mountain city.

Pulling the mountain city was the most tiring job Wang Xiaoliu had ever done in his life. The Japanese pirates' turtle shells were really, really hard, and he was exhausted every time.

From a young age, Wang Xiaoliu felt he had inexhaustible strength and an unusually large appetite. He started hunting on his own at the age of nine, but he was never full. His appetite was so large that his small family could not afford to feed him, and he needed meat to feel full.

After entering the Beijing Garrison, he learned that rice and noodles could fill him up, and so could beef!
In the fourteenth year of the Wanli reign, Wang Jingfang returned to the Ming Dynasty from the Korean battlefield and immediately entered the Military Academy. Because of his large appetite, he earned the nickname "Big Eater" at the academy. In the eighteenth year of the Wanli reign, Wang Jingfang graduated from the Military Academy and became a captain in the cavalry battalion.

The cavalry battalion was elite, and Wang Jingfang was the elite of the elite.

Li Rusong, accompanied by several lieutenant generals, was patrolling the camp when he happened to see Battalion Commander Wang Jingfang.

Wang Jingfang had four centurions under his command, each leading four divisions. Each division had four centurions, and each centurion was responsible for one side chariot. Wang Jingfang had sixteen side chariots under his command, along with 325 Zhengqi soldiers.

The junior officers were always important, serving as the hands, feet, and eyes of the generals. Therefore, Li Rusong and Wang Jingfang were very familiar with each other.

"Xiao Liu," Li Rusong gestured for the officer to continue the patrol, then walked over to Wang Jingfang, who was sharpening her arm shield, and said with a smile.

"Greetings, Vice Commander!" Wang Jingfang quickly bowed in greeting.

Li Rusong found a palm-sized rock and sat down on it, while Wang Jingfang sat on another rock. The two of them sat on the ground and talked about the suppression of the rebellion in Rongcheng.

They talked about many things, such as Wang Xiaoliu feeling that the arm shield was a bit too big and hindered movement, and that the loyalty stick was a bit too light and couldn't hit anyone.

The iron rod, which is 1 foot 6 inches long and weighs 3.4 pounds, is called the Loyalty Rod.

“This stick is already too heavy. If you use even a little force, it will break a person’s bones. It can’t be any heavier. This is riot control, not a battlefield attack. It could be a bit longer. One foot and six inches is a bit short.” Li Rusong thought the stick was too heavy, while Wang Jingfang thought it was too light.

The weight of this stick is ultimately up to His Majesty.

"What does it feel like? How is it different from being on the battlefield?" Li Rusong asked Wang Jingfang curiously about her experience on this mission.

"Um..." Wang Jingfang looked left and right before lowering her head and saying, "Vice Commander, I'm a rough man, so please don't be offended if I say this, but I think the beating was too light."

Li Rusong sighed, Wang Jingfang's feelings were beyond his expectations. The Beijing garrison's military discipline forbade them from harming civilians; this discipline was very strict and rigid.

Xiao Liu was selected to join the camp by Li Rusong. Since joining the camp, Xiao Liu has strictly abided by military discipline. Li Rusong thought that Xiao Liu would feel guilty, but it seems that this is not the case.

"Tell me about it," Li Rusong asked, puzzled.

“Vice Commander, look, when Imperial Censor Xu travels, he is accompanied by imperial guards. Imperial Censor Xu is upright and is also investigating anti-corruption cases. Such a big incident happened at Qingma Bridge, and these people are still trying to stop the Beijing garrison from entering the city. I think these people are not good people.”

"The people hate corrupt officials the most," Wang Jingfang said in a muffled voice. He couldn't reason with them, but he had a sense of right and wrong.

“The people were coerced without their knowledge,” Li Rusong said, shaking his head. “Using the people to bolster one’s own position is an old trick.”

“No, they know.” Wang Jingfang immediately said, “Deputy Commander, Qingma Bridge is always bustling with carriages and horses and is very important to Rongcheng. If the bridge collapses, the people will know immediately. Moreover, everyone in the streets and alleys is talking about it. How could they not know that the corrupt censor Xu fell into the water?”

"Knowing full well what the Beijing garrison was doing, they still blocked the road for those three taels of silver. Public notices and three warning shots couldn't disperse them."

"Don't they know what kind of silver they're carrying? I think they know perfectly well what kind of silver they're carrying!"

“What you say makes sense.” Li Rusong was slightly taken aback. He often accompanied Qi Jiguang to discuss politics in the Wenhua Hall. Over time, he felt deep down that the common people were being manipulated and were innocent.

But when it comes to the specifics, were these guys blocking the road in Rongcheng really unaware of the situation?
Wang Xiaoliu came from a humble background, and he believed that these people were definitely unaware of the situation, as it was a serious matter involving the assassination of the imperial envoy!
The imperial envoy's carriage overturned and fell into the river, nearly killing him. The people were in an uproar, saying that even if it was for safety reasons, they shouldn't have participated in blocking the gate. It was too dangerous, chaotic, and swords don't discriminate.

Who would gather at the barbican gate at this hour?

Wang Jingfang continued, "Those arrested this time were all people who followed the henchmen and gang leaders, accomplices and accomplices of evil."

"I understand. His Majesty's reward has arrived. Today we will have beef stew with potatoes. Keep a close watch on the soldiers and absolutely no alcohol is allowed." Li Rusong stood up and spoke of the emperor's favor.

His Majesty sent three thousand catties of beef, which was delivered to Rongcheng County via the imperial road. Each soldier was given one catty, and everyone received a share. With the addition of potato chunks, even if only a little salt was added, it would be extremely delicious when stewed.

"Send it to the deputy commander." Upon hearing that there was beef to eat, Wang Jingfang immediately beamed with joy. Serving as a soldier for His Majesty would indeed ensure a full stomach. And thinking about the ten months' salary he would receive upon returning to the capital, and the six-year-old child at home, he would have enough writing materials and inkstones for several years.

Wang Jingfang didn't really say what he was thinking. On the day of the riot, when he returned to his tent and saw the four silver taels of silver as a reward on his bedside, he couldn't sleep. He had only done so little work, yet His Majesty had given him so many rewards. Wang Jingfang felt that he was a little weak from wielding the staff during the day.

Li Rusong asked several other officers and received similar answers.

From the moment Xu Chengchu's carriage overturned and fell into the water, the conflict was already clashing fiercely. The sparks from the clash between spear and shield even attracted the attention of the Beijing garrison. The dangers involved were so great that even a beggar on the street could describe them clearly. Yet, at this time, they still rushed forward and blocked the gate.

Can these people still be called ordinary citizens?

The Chief of Criminal Investigation was in charge of handling the case, and the case at Qingmaqiao was not complicated.

Magistrate Sun Qifeng ordered his advisor Liu Wenjing to find Hu Shi of Dongniu and put her in charge. Hu Shi then found the bandit Zhao Sandao, and they destroyed the bridge piers overnight.

The most interesting part of this case is that the order given by Magistrate Sun Qifeng was not to kill Xu Chengchu, but to have Qingma Bridge collapse, thus blocking Xu Chengchu for a few days and preventing him from heading south as soon as possible.

When Liu Wenjing, the advisor, was telling Hu Wenlu about it, they drank two catties of horse urine in a brothel in the city.

In a daze, Hu Wenlu, who had blacked out from drinking, only remembered fragments such as "Xu Chengchu deserves to die," "this is a serious matter," and "Qingma Bridge," and then began to arrange for Zhao Sandao to do things.

Zhao Sandao didn't even know who he was targeting, and he carried out the task in a daze.

In short, Magistrate Sun Qifeng was "doubled" – his orders were carried out with double the force.

Hu Wenlu and Zhao Sandao felt that since Sun Qifeng dared to issue such an order, it meant that he had connections in the court and a way out to settle things peacefully later!
Sun Qifeng felt that his order was merely to obstruct, and that these advisors, gentry, and bandits would not dare to assassinate the imperial envoy.

When Magistrate Sun Qifeng found out, he was dumbfounded. When the Beijing garrison arrived, he lost his composure and thought that he should close the city gates and hold out for a few days. He then tried to find his old relatives, friends, teachers, and classmates and put in a good word for them in court to see if he could get through the situation.

Li Rusong came with an imperial decree, and he didn't care about all that nonsense; he went straight into the city.

The gangs in the city and the bandits outside the city were all caught in the crossfire when the city gates caught fire. When the Beijing garrison arrived, they wiped them all out.

Similarly, the arrested individuals, including the Yin, Chen, and Sun families, were all unrelated to the Tsing Ma Bridge collapse case.

However, these families were not released without charge. The Chief of Justice, along with two hundred elite guards, conducted a thorough investigation into their past. In just ten days, they uncovered more than a dozen crimes, including land annexation, running gambling dens, buying and selling people, forcing women into prostitution, and cutting off irrigation ditches.

This isn't the Chief Censor labeling these families; none of these gentry families are clean. With the Chief Censor's method of investigation, there are no clean gentry in the world.

To prevent popular unrest, Li Rusong issued another official document ordering the return of land to the people.

With nothing else to do, the elite soldiers of the Beijing garrison were mobilized to go deep into the countryside and demarcate the fields according to the population of each village and township, returning the land to the farmers.

Li Rusong had his own plans. Seeing that the world was about to change, and if the change was even more severe, His Majesty would be forced to impose military control on the northern regions. The elite soldiers of the capital garrison had no experience in returning farmland to their fields. How could they carry out His Majesty's imperial orders?

We gained some experience during this riot control mission.

"Sun Qifeng, why did you order Xu Chengchu to be stopped from going to Wuchang Prefecture? Who gave you the order?" Li Rusong asked about the key to the case: why he wanted to stop Xu Chengchu.

"Song Yinglian's cousin, the Assistant Magistrate of Wuchang Prefecture, wrote to me asking for my help." Sun Qifeng was distraught and had no will to resist, so he just said whatever came to mind.

In the seventh case of the corruption scandal on the Chidao Road, the battalion commander of the engineering corps reported that Song Yinglian was using inferior materials to replace those from Huimin Pharmacy for profit, but the commander was instead exiled.

"He asked you for help, and you just did it?" Li Rusong was so angry he felt dizzy. "He's really bold!"

"I never expected the Beijing Garrison to come!"

Sun Qifeng said with a frustrated expression, "I originally planned to push Zhao Sandao out to take the blame when Censor Xu questioned me, but Censor Xu left without asking any questions. I was also thinking that if the imperial court sent the imperial guards to investigate, I would push Hu Wenlu and Zhao Sandao out to take the blame."

"In the end, it was the Beijing Garrison that came."

Sun Qifeng truly hadn't expected His Majesty to be so unruly. Even if His Majesty had sent the Imperial Guards, Sun Qifeng would have had some leeway. But sending the Capital Garrison completely disrupted all of Sun Qifeng's plans.

Li Rusong silently watched Sun Qifeng. He didn't feel sorry for Sun Qifeng at all. Was Sun Qifeng really a pitiful unlucky guy? Did his doubled number of subordinates and doubled execution lead to this series of accidents?

Li Rusong, the heir of the Marquis of Ningyuan and deputy commander-in-chief of the Beijing garrison, disagreed.

Because he thought of the phenomenon of super-organization that Zhang Juzheng always talked about.

This refers to actions that rely solely on the tacit understanding among officials in various government departments, using collective consensus and actions to resist imperial decrees.

Li Rusong loathed civil officials. He grew up amidst Li Chengliang's sighs and lamentations. At that time, he couldn't understand why his own father, who was so good at fighting, was always being made difficult, while Qi Jiguang, who was even better at fighting than his father, was being made even more difficult.

During the selection process in the first year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, Li Rusong clashed with Tan Lun due to their hostility towards each other.

It wasn't until he accompanied Commander Qi to the Wenhua Hall for the court discussion, and after Zhang Juzheng explained, that he understood that promoting literature while simultaneously strengthening military affairs was also a kind of extra-organizational phenomenon. This phenomenon truly existed; the case of Sun Qifeng was a prime example. His Majesty's dispatch of the Beijing Garrison was by no means an overreaction, but a necessary measure.

If Your Majesty takes a step back, Xu Chengchu will surely die, and assassinations against him will only continue. Only a fierce reaction from Your Majesty can instill fear in others.

If Your Majesty were to back down even slightly, the Anti-Corruption Bureau would be rendered useless, and the crucial task of combating corruption would be impossible to implement. The promises made by local gentry and elders due to the changing times would also be rendered meaningless and not carried out.

With Your Majesty making such a big fuss, no one will dare to have any wicked ideas.

"Why don't you pay the yamen runners their salaries?" Li Rusong asked a detailed question. Sun Qifeng relied on these yamen runners to do whatever he wanted, yet they didn't even pay him his salary.

Sun Qifeng ordered the city gates to be closed, and the county magistrate led his constables to surrender.

“Even if we don’t give them a salary, they will find their own way to make a living.” Sun Qifeng exhaled a breath of turbid air, without making up any reasons. It was true that he had embezzled all the money, and the yamen runners would find the money themselves anyway.

Asking favors for favors, withholding regulations, abusing power in lawsuits, and issuing official seals were all ways for county magistrates and prefects to make money; officials in the Ming Dynasty were by no means poor.

Li Rusong concluded the interrogation and submitted a memorial to the court regarding matters concerning Rongcheng.

Zhu Yijun received Li Rusong's memorial and, after comparing it with the memorial of the Chief Justice, the case became very clear.

Zhang Juzheng posted a floating ticket:

All his schemes and calculations ultimately led to his downfall; all his machinations were in vain.

Hidden arrows and open attacks all come to naught; unwavering righteousness breaks the shackles of greed.

"He was too clever for his own good, and ended up losing his life." Zhu Yijun shook his head after reading the memorial. Sun Qifeng's death was not unjust at all, and the other criminals had been transferred to the capital.

The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate have already issued preliminary judgments. The ringleaders will be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public, while the other accomplices will be exiled to Luzon. None of them will be spared.

"The Vice Commander's decision to return the land to its original state is truly the finishing touch," Feng Bao reminded His Majesty. Li Rusong had another merit: returning the land to its original state.

The local gentry and gentry were not afraid of being beheaded by the emperor.

Even if you, the emperor, kill the main branch, there are still collateral branches; even if you kill the collateral branches, there are still the main branch; even if you kill the main branch and the collateral branches, there are still other local gentry and noble families.

Local worthies and gentry are like grass that cannot be burned out by wildfire and will grow back in the spring breeze, one generation after another.

The thing that local gentry and elders feared most was returning the land to its rightful owners. Once the land was returned, Rongcheng County would not have any local gentry and elders for sixty or seventy years, only grain chiefs and village chiefs.

"Moreover, the fact that the deputy commander returned the land to the local gentry and officials has alienated them from each other. If any official tries to defy the king's orders in the future, the local gentry and officials will probably not allow it."

"If this incurs the wrath of the emperor, the official will remain an official afterward, but the local gentry and gentry will lose their foundation." Feng Bao once again praised this ingenious move.

Returning the land to its original state was a stroke of genius, hitting the very key point.

Local officials and gentry had a huge disagreement on defying the imperial decree. If the officials wanted to oppose the court for their own purposes, the accumulated wealth of the gentry over generations would be rendered meaningless.

The local gentry and elders should carefully consider the consequences before carrying out the orders of officials.

The difficulty in acting as an accomplice to a tiger lies in the fact that the tiger and the accomplice are of one mind. Once the land is returned to its original state, both the tiger and the accomplice become wary of each other.

Zhu Yijun held the memorial and shook his head, saying, "Is it possible that Li Rusong didn't think that far ahead? He just wanted to accumulate some experience in returning land to its original state, so that he wouldn't be caught off guard if military control were to be implemented in the future?"

Li Rusong is a very simple person. He has read a lot of books, but he is not a scholar after all. He doesn't think that complicatedly.

If you want to use Li Rusong, you must find a way to control his temper. When he gets angry, he can charge at 40,000 Japanese pirates with only 300 men.

The reason Li Rusong wanted to return the land to the people was actually to prevent them from becoming unruly. The purpose of returning the land was to keep the people busy, give them benefits along the way, and appease their anxiety.

Feng Bao looked around, and seeing that Ye Xianggao wasn't there, he said in a low voice, "It's precisely because he can't think of these things that people feel at ease."

If Li Rusong could think of these things and had such a keen sense of politics, then people would be worried.

A general with outstanding military skills, shrewdness, enthusiasm and ability in politics would be excellent for expanding the border regions, but it would be somewhat dangerous to use him as the commander-in-chief of the capital garrison, especially for the emperor himself.

Li Rusong is capable of serving as the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Garrison, ensuring the garrison has a worthy successor.

"Xu Chengchu has arrived in Wuchang Prefecture." Zhu Yijun picked up the second memorial.

Xu Chengchu's cold from falling into the water had not yet healed. After setting off again, he stayed in Kaifeng Prefecture for three days to see a doctor. Before he was fully recovered, he headed south again and arrived in Wuchang Prefecture.

The journey was arduous and extremely tiring. Upon arriving in Wuchang Prefecture, Xu Chengchu fell ill again. The physician in Wuchang Prefecture diagnosed him with pneumonia, which had progressed from a cold.

In this era, pneumonia can be fatal. If Xu Chengchu had rested for a few more days in Rongcheng County, his condition would not have worsened to this extent. However, he did not rest or recuperate, and his symptoms have become very serious.

Zhu Yijun ordered Xu Chengchu to rest and recuperate. With the help of the chief physician and the use of old brine, pneumonia can be cured, and Xu Chengchu's condition has stabilized.

The cousin of the Wuchang Tongzhi asked Sun Qifeng to stop Xu Chengchu, with the aim of buying time for the people of Huguang to destroy evidence. The later Xu Chengchu arrived, the more time they could cover up the crime.

This is why Xu Chengchu traveled day and night, heading south even though he hadn't recovered from a cold.

When the imperial court doesn't investigate, the evidence in everyone's possession is an important means of mutual checks and balances. When the imperial court investigates, these means of mutual checks and balances become death warrants.

If we delay for a while, some major cases can be covered up. Even if the imperial guards have all the connections, they still won't find anything.

The corruption scandal has already broken out, and the local authorities are trying to mitigate the charges; at this point, it's all about speed.

"To sacrifice one's life for righteousness, to achieve benevolence through righteousness." Zhu Yijun's expression was extremely complicated. He knew Xu Chengchu was upright and unyielding, but he did not expect him to be so stubborn as to be willing to give up his life.

According to the report sent to the capital by Chen Mo, Xu Chengchu asked Chen Mo to bring his body to Wuchang Prefecture. Chen Mo repeatedly advised Xu Chengchu to rest and that he would go himself, but Xu Chengchu refused to rest because he was an official appointed by the court.

People can die, but the case must be solved. I can die, and you will all be buried with me. This is Xu Chengchu's determination.

Zhu Yijun was somewhat moved. These ministers were risking their lives to protect not only the Zhu family's empire, but also the order of the world.

"I have reflected on my actions," Zhu Yijun said, shaking his head as he held Xu Chengchu's memorial. "I shouldn't have held a court meeting. I should have immediately dispatched the Beijing garrison upon receiving the report."

Zhu Yijun sent out troops, dispatching the Beijing garrison, but he felt that he had not been decisive enough, that he had been somewhat indecisive.

Zhu Yijun would review the day's decisions every day, summarize them every month, and offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on the first day of each year, recounting the events of the past year to the portraits, which was also a review of the past and a way to identify and fill any gaps.

This time, the emperor felt he hadn't been decisive enough.

"Your Majesty, I think it would be better to discuss this in the Wenhua Hall. No amount of caution is too much when it comes to military matters." Feng Bao didn't think there was anything wrong with His Majesty's decision.

Xu Chengchu was a good man, a true upright official, and a man of integrity like Hai Rui. But things in the world cannot be accomplished by upright officials alone.

Clearly, Hai Rui understood this point well. Otherwise, when Hai Rui was fighting corruption for His Majesty, he would have already turned Wang Chonggu against him and allowed Wang Chonggu to become Duke Wencheng.

Politics is inherently dirty.

There's never been any real power struggle in this world. When things are respectable, you can ride a wild horse with its mane parted, and I can spread my wings like a white crane, pushing each other and using each other's strength against each other. When things are not respectable, you can accuse someone of being a bad person or a traitor, and tear off the mask and arrest them!
The power struggles in the imperial court, in essence, are nothing more than the Hongmen Banquet: inviting guests, beheading, and taking in servants as dogs, only the process is slightly more complicated.

In Feng Bao's view, an emperor can be a villain, a tyrant, or even a bloodthirsty person, but he absolutely cannot be a good person.

Good people will end up like Hai Rui and Xu Chengchu, constrained in their actions and even facing great danger to their lives.

“Your Majesty, no one dares to lay a hand on Imperial Censor Xu now. In fact, they are hoping that Imperial Censor Xu will recover quickly and not die, because if Imperial Censor Xu really dies, Your Majesty’s wrath will surely come.” Feng Bao carefully considered his words and then said something that was not easy to understand.

Xu Chengchu dared to sacrifice his life for righteousness because he clearly knew that he could achieve righteousness by sacrificing his life; this was certain.

His Majesty will absolutely not sit idly by and will certainly use his death to thoroughly carry out the anti-corruption campaign. The fairness and justice that Xu Chengchu seeks can be realized through the Emperor.

But who can Your Majesty rely on or hope to achieve the other shore you seek?
Your Majesty can only rely on yourself.

“Your Majesty, Felipe is old and senile, and has done many foolish things. Your Majesty said: ‘Decisions made in anger will lead to lifelong regret, and no one is an exception.’” Feng Baoyou added his opinion.

As the Inner Minister, I personally believe that a wise and virtuous ruler should not make decisions in the heat of anger. That would be treating state affairs as a joke and would make one easily manipulated by ministers.

Thinking thrice before acting is not a sign of cowardice or weakness, nor is it indecisiveness; the most important thing is to act after careful consideration.

His Majesty decided to send troops after careful consideration; that is the key.

The decision to send troops was not made in a moment of anger, but after careful consideration of the pros and cons. Compared to sending troops in a fit of rage, sending troops after deliberation in the Wenhua Hall was more deterrent.

The emperor's furious decision to send troops was a result of his anger and recklessness. However, after a court discussion in the Wenhua Hall, the officials also supported sending troops, representing the dual will of the emperor and the court. This was the greatest deterrent to the bureaucrats.

The power of the emperor and the power of the ministers have been fighting on this land for thousands of years. The emperor is not able to do whatever he wants. This kind of military action decided by the court means that the emperor and his ministers have reached a consensus on fighting corruption.

"You mean, collective decision-making is the best way to deal with the difficulty of overcoming the final obstacle?" Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and asked with a smile.

After thinking it over, Feng Bao shook his head and said, "It's hard to say."

Felipe has a Council of State, which is an important legacy left to him by his father. Felipe has dissolved the Council of State three times. The first two times were a show for the Gold Bonds, and the most recent time was Felipe's autocratic decision.

Collective decision-making cannot overcome the difficulties of governing the country. An emperor's authority will continuously strengthen during the course of his reign, and the more enlightened and virtuous the ruler, the greater his authority.

In the eighteenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, His Majesty's "decision has been made," and no one dared to oppose him anymore.

The difficult task of overcoming the final obstacle can only be solved by His Majesty himself; no one else can truly help.

Zhu Yijun did not dwell on the matter. Holding a memorial, he said, "The Ministry of Revenue requests the restoration of the ancestral laws."

Zhang Xueyan, as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, requested permission to reinstate the laws established during the Hongwu reign, and to construct official granaries, garrison granaries, ever-normal granaries, and charitable granaries to store grain and provide relief from famine.

In April of the twenty-sixth year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict: "I once donated funds from the imperial treasury to allow the elders and common people throughout the land to purchase and store grain, precisely to prepare for famine and to relieve the starving people. Whenever there is a famine, the granaries should be opened first to lend to the people, and then the matter should be reported to the emperor. This is hereby decreed as an order."

During the Hongwu era, Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly used the imperial treasury to establish four granaries to provide disaster relief. In the event of a famine, local officials were allowed to first distribute grain from the granaries to provide relief before reporting to the imperial court.

The practice of distributing relief funds from granaries first and then reporting to the imperial court fostered corruption to some extent, and many government granaries were emptied by the famine. However, if a real disaster occurred, whoever caused the displacement of people and famine would lose their head.

In order to avoid losing their heads, the four warehouses were gradually and thoroughly corrupted after Yongle, just like the Sino-French coffers.

Now that the world has changed, let's gather up the ancestral methods and put them into practice directly.

(End of this chapter)