I'm really not doing business

Chapter 969 The Purple North Star, the Green Heavenly Spear General Star

Every time His Majesty the Emperor makes a decision, it signifies the inviolability of the supreme will.

Clearly, at the very beginning of the Dinghai Education System, the Ming emperor did not allow these powerful and influential figures to interfere with it.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Sir, powerful and influential people, local gentry and elders have already gained the upper hand."

"The Ming Dynasty had a total of 28 million households. The powerful and influential families numbered no more than 8,900, the local gentry and gentry numbered more than 80,000, the average families numbered no more than 800,000, the wealthy farmers (each with 100 mu of land) who could still make a living numbered more than 1.6 million, and the self-sufficient farmers (each with 50 mu of land) numbered a mere 2 million."

"Only less than 15% of families can afford to go to school. The remaining 85% either have land but have to be tenant farmers, either like migrating geese leaving the pass in spring and returning in late autumn, or like wheat harvesters earning a meager living during the harvest season, or they become wandering households in big cities, where they have no food to eat when they stop working."

"Sir, those who eat meat have already gained the upper hand in studying, and now they want me to open the door to their studies. I cannot do so. Therefore, I can only follow Minister Gao's advice."

Zhu Yijun's meaning was very clear: he didn't open this convenient door in order to eliminate all convenient doors altogether, so as to avoid any trouble.

Some say that about 20% of the population owns 80% of the total means of production, while the remaining 20% ​​is divided among the 80% of the means of production.

All of those listed by Zhu Yijun are property owners in terms of class distinction.

The Ming Dynasty, which was nearing its end and already two hundred years old, was plagued by a rampant trend of annexation. Before the Wanli Reforms, the proportion of people was less than 10% who owned more than 90% of the means of production. It was no exaggeration to say that the world was suffering from annexation.

If 15% of the people in the Ming Dynasty could afford to study, it was already a great victory for the Wanli Reforms, because about 5% of the propertied class were created by the emperor.

The majority of them were artisans, who were assigned to a class that had some means of production that allowed them to be self-sufficient.

Knowledge and experience, which are the foundation of skill, were considered personal assets in the Ming Dynasty, and skilled craftsmen were regarded as property owners.

Even after leaving the government factories, they still maintained a certain social status in the neighborhoods, and their experience could still provide them with enough wealth to make a living.

According to the views of the deceased Wan Shihe, Wang Chonggu, and others, when they viewed the state of the nation, they did not look at any specific individual, but rather considered the issue from the perspective of the household as the most basic social unit.

While the ownership of land in the empire was not easily determined, the number of scholars served as a reference for estimating the extent of land annexation in the Ming Dynasty. This was one of the achievements of Wang Guoguang's "Du Shu Pang Tong" (a method for assessing land ownership) proposed in the first year of the Wanli reign.

Wang Guoguang, Wang Chonggu, Wan Shihe, and others believed that society would be stable only when property owners accounted for more than 30% of the total number of households, and that the country would be peaceful and prosperous only when property owners accounted for more than 50%.

As for the fact that property owners account for more than 70% of the total households, that would be an unprecedented and unimaginable golden age for Tianqu.

The idea that everyone in the world can afford to read and go to school is simply the ravings of a madman.

Zhu Yijun hoped that Zhang Juzheng would support his decision. Although no one dared to oppose his decision, Zhu Yijun still hoped that someone would support it, at least that the Imperial Tutor and Grand Secretary would understand why he made such a decision.

The world is plagued by the problem of land annexation. All the work done during the Wanli Reforms over the years revolved around this statement.

“Your Majesty, I think what the Junior Minister of Rites said is quite right. However, I feel that what the Junior Minister of Rites said was not very clear and was somewhat ambiguous.” Zhang Juzheng held one hand in front of him and the other behind his back. After looking around at the court officials, he continued, “I would like to make it clearer.”

"Your Majesty, the Junior Minister of State said that once this gate is opened, all other gates will be opened. Is the Junior Minister of State really afraid that the border regions of Suiyuan, Liaodong, Jilin, and Korea will ask for favors? Not at all. If they want them, we will take them; if they want them, we will give them. These places only have a few students; they won't cause any trouble."

“Giving favors to Suiyuan will cause some people in our hinterland to start complaining. They will raise the banner of ‘better to give to foreign invaders than to their own slaves’ and choose to open the door in a way that is advantageous to themselves. The Dinghai education system will immediately be riddled with holes.”

"Is it really for the sake of the students of Suiyuan, or for the sake of Suiyuan's royal rule? I doubt it. It's just using the so-called righteousness of the Nine Classics of the State as a high-sounding excuse to facilitate their own selfish interests."

"The ministers in the court are all outstanding individuals selected through the imperial examinations, who have faced countless challenges to reach this Wenhua Hall. There's no need for you to pretend you don't understand; I've made my point very clear."

After Zhang Juzheng finished speaking, he glanced at Li Changchun before returning to his seat.

Gao Qiyu dared not speak too clearly, only saying that once this gate is opened, all other gates will be opened, and he recommended filial and incorrupt officials, but he did not speak very clearly. The emperor said that these powerful and wealthy people were greedy and not satisfied even when they were ninety meters from the starting line in a 100-meter race.

Zhang Juzheng, on the other hand, made his point out directly, because if he didn't explain it clearly, some people would pretend not to understand!
Li Changchun was glanced at by Zhang Juzheng but showed no reaction. It wasn't that he wasn't afraid; anyone would be afraid if Zhang Juzheng gave them such a meaningful look.

Li Changchun hadn't noticed this glance at all; he had only just realized what Gao Qiyu was wary of and on guard against.

Li Changchun was an old scholar who had spent his whole life reading the classics. He didn't see the intricacies of the matter and simply thought it was a great blessing from the emperor.

In short, at sixty-seven years old, he wasn't pretending to be confused; he was genuinely a bit muddled, just like Wan Shihe when he first entered the Wenhua Hall.

Wan Shihe, who did not study history, was scolded by the emperor every day; Wan Shihe, who did study history, was remembered by His Majesty.

Ye Xianggao, as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, hesitated for a long time before finally writing only one sentence: "The Emperor presided over a political discussion in the Wenhua Hall and said: 'The world is troubled by land annexation, and we must stop the abuses of schools being separated from private schools.'"

These two sentences accurately summarized the debate in the hall, but cleverly covered up the details, making it seem vague and unclear. It wasn't that Ye Xianggao intentionally concealed anything; it was just a shorthand. He would write down the contents of today's court meeting in a memorial when he got back, and after submitting it to the emperor for review, he would attach it to the daily records.

Before Zhang Juzheng explained it clearly, Ye Xianggao only had a slight guess about Gao Qiyu's words. It wasn't until Zhang Juzheng explained it completely that Ye Xianggao understood what it meant to open one door and open all others.

Ye Xianggao looked at Gao Qiyu, who was giving a passionate speech about the progress of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance. The governor of the East Pacific had not yet arrived, but his envoys had. The heated debate was naturally exciting, but Gao Qiyu was extremely domineering and refused to budge an inch on the bottom line of the Ming Dynasty's demands.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, Gao Qiyu was a dazzling, conspicuous figure who attracted everyone's attention.

The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. Gao Qiyu was not unaware of this principle. Zhang Juzheng had a long title and enough authority. While he was alive, no one could defeat him. Naturally, he could speak the truth and make his point openly.

But Gao Qiyu did the same thing, which seems rather foolish.

Gao Qiyu was certainly not stupid. In a daze, Ye Xianggao understood why Gao Qiyu was doing this, so radically and so conspicuously.

Gao Qiyu's path was one where losing the emperor's favor meant certain death. He used this method to advance and prove his loyalty to the emperor.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty each had their own way of doing things. Zhang Juzheng was capable, and he had solutions for everything, big or small. Wang Chonggu was treacherous, and his treachery made everyone tremble with fear. Ling Yunyi was a killer, and his killers made everyone's hair stand on end. Gao Qiyu was unique, so unique that His Majesty's word could decide life and death.

This road is both difficult and easy to travel, depending on Your Majesty.

Your Majesty is wise; Gao Qiyu's path is the road to heaven!

Zhu Yijun said with a complicated expression, "Minister Gao, you can make some concessions. I have read your memorial. Only if the Ming fleet blows up the governor's mansion will these governors agree to your demands."

"The governor visits only once every three years. How dangerous is this journey of tens of thousands of miles by water? Coming once is already a demonstration of sincerity. There is no need to ask him to come only once every three years."

"As for hostages, there's no need for them. Westerners don't value blood ties. What use would it be if you brought them all as hostages?"

"And the tariffs should be equivalent, so that they can't impose tariffs on the Ming Dynasty at all. You have to leave some soup for the Governor-General's Office. If you smash their bowl, how can they be happy?"

"And this, the Chausito silver mine in Mexico only produces 450 million silver dollars a year, but you're asking for 400 million. The rich silver mines in Peru only produce 650 million silver dollars a year, but you're asking for 600 million. You're asking for too much. How is the governor going to explain this to the people back home?"

“I know, I know. The Ming Dynasty trades at fair prices. We don’t take their money for nothing; it’s a fair exchange. But it’s a bit difficult for them to break ties with the local authorities right now.”

Gao Qiyu bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, the reason I refuse to yield is that allowing them to pay tribute is already an act of great imperial grace."

Gao Qiyu had many reasons for refusing to compromise.

First, the Ming Dynasty is a superior nation; whether you come or not is up to you. Second, the Ming Dynasty has a huge advantage in goods, so how could it not take the opportunity to make exorbitant demands? Third, they would ask for the highest price, then haggle on the spot, throw out impossible conditions, and slowly wear down the other party to determine their bottom line.

That's how negotiations work; if you ask for too little, the other party will look down on you.

Zhu Yijun unconsciously rubbed his right thumb against his index finger twice before saying, "Then let Minister Gao take charge of the whole process. Just make sure the negotiations don't fall apart. Once the framework is in place, the Ming Dynasty has a commodity advantage, and these excessive demands will be met little by little."

"Oh, and remember to keep a proper account of all the food, drink and hospitality expenses and withdraw them from the imperial treasury."

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty." Gao Qiyu bowed again before returning to his seat.

During the negotiations, he used every means at his disposal, abandoning all decorum. He employed both carrot and stick tactics, even resorting to bribery, all to ascertain the bottom line of each governor's office.

This money was all in the Ministry of Rites' accounts, and Zhu Yijun naturally wouldn't let the Ministry of Rites suffer this loss, so he would reimburse it all through the Imperial Treasury.

Although the emperor was frugal, he never skimped on necessary expenses.

The court meeting lasted for an hour and a half before finally ending. The emperor left the dragon throne and headed towards Tonghe Palace. Zhang Juzheng and Ling Yunyi walked at the very back, slowing down a few steps until there were only the two of them.

“Prime Minister, the memorial submitted yesterday has been kept in the palace overnight,” Ling Yunyi said with a solemn expression.

Zhang Juzheng stopped, paused for a moment, nodded, and said, "Yes, from now on, we will stay overnight."

“This…” Ling Yunyi’s face immediately turned somewhat dejected. His Majesty was, after all, only human, and finally showed signs of fatigue and lethargy.

The Imperial Academy of Natural History has acquired many iron horses, but even these iron horses require major repairs every year. His Majesty is more diligent than any machine, and after eighteen years of operation, he is finally getting tired of them.

It's normal, but Ling Yunyi is very worried. Is His Majesty finally about to face his own calamity? He's only twenty-eight years old, and he still has a very long way to go. Ling Yunyi can't help but worry that the Wanli Reforms might be abandoned halfway.

The Wanli Reforms were not something that could be completed by their generation alone. It would require His Majesty's supervision to ensure that the reforms did not end with the death of the leaders, and it would take at least two or three generations to truly continue.

Zhang Juzheng said with a smile, "The Vice Grand Secretary is overthinking it. I made the suggestion, but His Majesty didn't approve it. So I argued with His Majesty a bit in Tonghe Palace, and His Majesty couldn't persuade me otherwise, so he had to approve it."

"Huh?" Ling Yunyi was quite surprised and looked at Zhang Juzheng in disbelief. Ling Yunyi had always thought that the rule of not letting memorials be submitted overnight was a rule set by Zhang Juzheng to bully the emperor when he was young.

Upon seeing Ling Yunyi's expression, Zhang Juzheng flicked his sleeves several times, his face changing several times, before loudly proclaiming, "I am a subject! Your Majesty is the sovereign! Do you really think I can impose such strict rules on Your Majesty?"

"It's one thing for His Majesty to be young and inexperienced, but His Majesty has been ruling personally since he was sixteen, which is twelve years. I am not the only one in the court. Wang Chonggu has the support of the Imperial Censorate. If I want to deal with him, I can only proceed step by step."

"Memorials must not be submitted overnight; this is a requirement His Majesty himself has set for himself!"

"Now that the Wanli Reforms have begun to show results, we can't rush things like this. Even though it's only a day later, it's less of a sense of urgency and will make things easier."

Zhang Juzheng was somewhat distraught. Ling Yunyi, the second-in-command, felt that Zhang Juzheng had bullied the emperor when he was still young. Zhang Juzheng wasn't being foolish; the reason he argued with the emperor and did this was actually to prolong His Majesty's reign and delay the day when His Majesty would meet his end.

The memorials to the emperor were not kept overnight; it was really too rushed.

Zhang Juzheng continued, "Not only that, I also asked His Majesty to bring out the set of seals he gave to the Prince of Lu. If there are memorials that he doesn't want to deal with, he can just stamp them. I made a list of official positions in the Wenyuan Pavilion. Every time His Majesty stamps a document, I will record it for that person. If he stamps it nine times, I will have the Anti-Corruption Bureau investigate this villain."

"The Book of Changes has the hexagrams Tai and Pi. Tai means that when superiors and inferiors interact, their wills are the same. Pi means that when superiors and inferiors do not interact, the world is in chaos."

"When the feelings of the superiors reach the feelings of the inferiors, and the feelings of the inferiors reach the feelings of the superiors, the superiors and inferiors are of one body, and the administration of the superiors and inferiors flows like water. When the ruler and his ministers share the same will, there is peace and prosperity."

“When the relationship between superiors and inferiors is blocked, the ruler is unaware of the suffering of the people, and the subjects are unaware of the ruler’s intention to inspire them, there is no communication between superiors and inferiors, and the problem of this blockage is that even if there is a country, it is not a country. This is why it is not the case.”

Ling Yunyi was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), so of course he understood. In fact, this passage from the Book of Changes describes the phenomenon of "after the extreme of adversity comes prosperity." The summer solstice is the hottest, and it gradually cools down; the winter solstice is the coldest, and it gradually gets hotter. It describes a natural phenomenon. Zhang Juzheng extended this to governance, which is an interpretation of the Six Classics by himself.

If the relationship between ruler and subject, and between superior and inferior, cannot be mutually understood and shared, their aspirations will gradually become estranged, which is called "pi". If there are no obstacles, their aspirations can gradually converge, which is called "tai".

Your Majesty's order that memorials not be submitted overnight is a one-sided effort to prevent obstruction between superiors and subordinates; however, such matters cannot be accomplished by the emperor alone, as the emperor's efforts alone cannot achieve the desired result.

Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for so many years, Ling Yunyi found the most disgusting memorials to be not those from treacherous and sycophantic officials. Even those memorials contained substance. What he feared most were empty words, clichés, lengthy and seemingly reasonable but ultimately meaningless platitudes.

It was a tremendous waste for the emperor to devote his energy to these memorials, but he had no choice but to read them. Moreover, His Majesty had set a rule that memorials should not be left overnight, which made these memorials even more repulsive.

The set of documents used by Prince Lu when he was in charge of the country can save Your Majesty's energy. In addition, the Nine Chapters Inspection carried out by the Wenyuan Pavilion can thoroughly find out those who like to talk empty words and clichés and waste Your Majesty's energy and remove them from the bureaucracy.

“If we just kill all the Nine Chapters of Inspectors, no one will dare to do it.” Ling Yunyi added his own perspective on the Nine Chapters of Inspector Law, saying that dismissing these people from their posts and kicking them out was too lenient on these vermin!
“Vice Minister Ling is a bit too bloodthirsty.” Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment. Ling Yunyi was bloodthirsty in the provinces, and after entering the court, his bloodthirsty nature has become even more pronounced!

Ling Yunyi's eyes flashed with a cold light as he said in a low voice, "Their intentions in submitting these useless memorials are despicable!"

"These memorials are empty and meaningless, even pedantic. Your Majesty is wise enough to understand every single word. If you try to understand every single sentence, you will be exhausted to death by these memorials, or even die prematurely from exhaustion! Killing them would be too lenient for them!"

"I can't talk to you anymore. If I do, I'll feel like I have to kill them all to vent my anger. I'm leaving now." Zhang Juzheng shook his head repeatedly and took a few quick steps. He couldn't listen to Ling Yunyi anymore.

The more I listen to this guy, the more sense he makes.

If you listen any further, it won't be the Nine Chapters of Inspection Law, but the Nine Chapters of Heavenly Punishment.

No wonder the court officials tried every means to prevent Ling Yunyi from entering the court; his methods were truly too seductive.

"Prime Minister, we were having a good talk, why did you leave like that? Listen to me, Prime Minister!" Ling Yunyi saw Zhang Juzheng leave quickly and hurriedly chased after him, still trying to sell his theory of killing: if you can't solve the problem, solve the person who caused it. This method was extremely persuasive.

"I won't listen, I won't listen." Zhang Juzheng walked even faster.

Zhang Juzheng knew very well that Ling Yunyi's method would not work. If people were killed in droves and blood flowed like rivers, no one would dare to speak the truth. The problem of stagnation would immediately arise, as the land would be filled with corpses. If the relationship between the emperor and his ministers was lost, the country would be in danger of perish.

During the Wanli Reforms, the Ming Dynasty had unimpeded channels for free speech, and people could even criticize Wanli, which led to widespread resentment. Lin Fucheng, who was then serving as a court scholar, was investigating the true situation in Suiyuan.

Murder only stifles free speech.

Ling Yunyi shook his head helplessly and said, "The Grand Secretary is still too cautious."

Zhu Yijun returned to Tonghe Palace and was as diligent as ever, but the feeling of reviewing the memorials was completely different. Usually, he felt a sense of urgency when reviewing memorials, which made him quite anxious. Once a person is anxious, he becomes restless and easily angered.

Anger leads to irritability and confusion; any decision made in a fit of rage will be regretted for life.

But once the rule of not letting memorials linger overnight was abolished, that sense of urgency immediately disappeared without a trace. He no longer needed to rush through the memorials; it was just a day's work, and he could do it whenever he wanted, without that shackle that made him rush.

"I think what you say makes sense, sir. Your Majesty is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The biggest constraint is that memorials should not be left unread overnight. If they are read too many times, I'm afraid you'll end up killing Tang Sanzang with a single blow." Feng Bao smiled broadly; he was in an excellent mood!
In fact, His Majesty himself did not notice that recently he has become somewhat capricious. The eunuchs serving him at times do not even dare to breathe loudly.

A few days ago, a young eunuch who was in charge of sorting and organizing memorials to the emperor started hiccuping for some reason. His Majesty was in a bad mood at the time and only glanced at the young eunuch. The young eunuch immediately stopped hiccuping, which scared him so much that he was almost scared out of his wits.

The young eunuch later found Feng Bao, kowtowed many times, and even gave his last words, fearing that he would be thrown into a well the next day.

Feng Bao comforted him, and the young eunuch finally came to his senses. After a few days, seeing that everything was alright, he was finally at ease.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. The emperor's unpredictable temper caused Feng Bao great concern, but he was completely unaware of the root of the problem and unable to resolve it.

When Zhang Juzheng arrived at Tonghe Palace, he had a big argument with the emperor. Using the metaphor of a tight headband, he not only freed the emperor from his predicament but also freed Feng Bao and the eunuchs. The atmosphere in Tonghe Palace immediately transformed into the serious yet lively, solemn yet relaxed atmosphere of previous years.

"Well done, Feng Bao! You've colluded with both insiders and outsiders, and now you're on the master's side too, aren't you?" Zhu Yijun said with a light laugh.

Feng Bao knew that His Majesty was joking and said, "Sir, you are doing this for His Majesty's own good. I am Your Majesty's servant. If Your Majesty is well, everything will go smoothly."

Zhang Juzheng stormed into Tonghe Palace and argued with the emperor. Ye Xianggao almost ran to the toilet because of the argument. But what Zhang Juzheng said made a lot of sense. Excessive heart fire leads to stagnation of liver qi, which will inevitably cause spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness. Over time, insomnia and irritability will inevitably follow. It would be strange if the person got better.

"I'm afraid this Nine Chapters of the Inspection Law will affect innocent people," Zhu Yijun said with some concern.

The invisible shackles disappeared, and the Nine Chapters of Inspection and Selection seemed beautiful, but it harmed the innocent, suppressing or expelling some capable and virtuous officials from the court, which was not the emperor's original intention.

"Your Majesty, these nine chapters for investigation are actually twenty-seven chapters. The Wenyuan Pavilion stamped them, the Directorate of Ceremonial stamped them, and Your Majesty stamped them without giving any imperial comments. It takes nine rounds of this process to select the best ones."

“The ministers of Wenyuan Pavilion are the heads of civil officials, and the eunuchs have their own agendas. Your Majesty is the ruler, and with such a selection process, if this memorial has even a little bit of use, it won’t be completely useless.”

The Nine Chapters of Thunderous Fury is not a mechanism that can be triggered easily. It takes the Wenyuan Pavilion to build it, the Directorate of Ceremonial to build it, and even the Emperor to see it and decide it's useless before it counts as one chapter.

In Feng Bao's view, killing a minister who could collect such nine chapters would be an act of His Majesty's leniency.

Feng Bao took out Zhang Juzheng's memorial and placed it on the table, saying, "Moreover, this Nine Chapters Law is not just nine chapters, but also six, three, and one chapter."

"The first chapter is the reprimand from the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel to refrain from speaking useless words; the third chapter is the Ministry of Personnel's self-examination; the sixth chapter is the investigation by the Censors of the Censorate; only when it reaches the ninth chapter does it go to the Anti-Corruption Bureau."

"This is a complete error correction system, which the gentleman figured out over three years."

That day, Zhang Juzheng was so busy arguing that he didn't explain the details of the Nine Chapters on Law clearly. So he hurriedly wrote a memorial and asked His Majesty to approve it.

"I see." Zhu Yijun carefully read Zhang Juzheng's memorial and then read it again before he realized how terrible the "Nine Chapters on Personal Rule" was. It was a complete set of error correction methods to prevent long and useless memorials from wasting the emperor's energy.

In fact, triggering even one chapter is already quite terrifying. The reprimand from the Ministry of Personnel's Minister of Justice must be taken seriously by everyone.

If a rebel doesn't reach the Nine Chapters, and if he had that kind of will, he wouldn't be a rebel, but would become a capable minister like Gao Qiyu.

"Having a capable minister is better than anything else." Zhu Yijun wrote a nearly hundred words of heartfelt thanks to Zhang Juzheng for his assistance in his memorial.

"The Duke of Qian's mansion sent a lot of jade. Is the all-purple jadeite Polaris Star finished yet? If it is, send it to you, sir." Zhu Yijun pondered the reward and took out a large item from the imperial treasury.

A giant, fully purple, oval-shaped piece of the Polaris Star, weighing 3.24 jin (approximately 1.6 kg). The purple color is as clear as glass, with very few impurities.

This large, flawless, purple jadeite is so large that it takes two hands to lift it. It is polished to an extremely clear and translucent finish. When placed under a lime torch, it is absolutely stunning. In addition to the main piece, there are also 108 smaller jadeite beads, all from the same piece of jadeite.

If Zhang Juzheng's descendants are unfilial in the future, each generation can take a small cut from his head, which would be enough to make him rich and powerful for life.

(Full purple North Star, Tian Shu)

"Your Majesty, isn't this the family heirloom meant for Grand Secretary Zhang?" Feng Bao asked in a low voice. The family heirloom meant that this Polaris Star was originally made for Zhang Juzheng, but it was to be bestowed upon the Zhang family as a reward after Zhang Juzheng's death.

This is a card, which the emperor is now taking out and bestowing directly upon it.

"You've reminded me. Send the Northern Spear with the star of the general to Commander Qi as well, and bestow upon him the 136 stars of the Eastern Expedition as well." Zhu Yijun wrote another imperial edict, bestowing another treasure of the same specifications upon Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang naturally had one as well. With Zhang as his civil advisor and Qi as his military advisor, the Qi family heirloom was also made. It was called the Northern Spear General Star, and it was the same size as the other one. It was carved from full green jadeite and had 108 small jadeite beads.

In addition, the 136 generals recorded in the Eastern Expedition Heroes Record also received similar rewards.

"Why are you reluctant to part with it?" Zhu Yijun asked with a smile after writing the imperial edict of reward.

"I am a little reluctant to part with it," Feng Bao said truthfully after thinking for a moment.

If the imperial treasury suddenly faces financial difficulties, these treasures can be exchanged for silver. His Majesty bestowed them directly as rewards. If these items were sold, they could easily bring in over ten million taels of silver. With proper management, it could even bring in tens of millions of taels.

"Stingy." Zhu Yijun stamped the imperial edict and sent Feng Bao to bestow the reward. No matter how reluctant Feng Bao was, he had to go once he had the imperial edict.

Feng Bao made a grand display, placing all the treasures on the carriage and parading it through the city. He even made a special detour around the capital to show everyone the scale of His Majesty's bestowal of gifts. The convoy alone was more than six miles long.

Such ostentation was intended to demonstrate the emperor's boundless grace. After much deliberation, Feng Bao finally went to the Quan Chu Guild Hall and the General's Mansion to distribute the rewards.

"Father, how much silver is this thing worth? His Majesty is giving such a generous reward, are we not going to live a normal life?" Qi Changguo said somewhat blankly, "Or has His Majesty made up his mind to kill all the powerful and influential people, local gentry and gentry in the country?"

Is His Majesty about to rebel?!

"Nonsense!" Qi Jiguang kicked Qi Changguo.

Qi Changguo is Qi Jiguang's most accomplished third son. He is 27 years old this year and serves as the commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He is armed with a python-embroidered jade spring knife and looks very much like Qi Jiguang when he was young. He is quite burly.

Qi Changguo wasn't lacking in respect; he was simply utterly shocked. Jadeite is quite expensive, sold by the liter. The Heavenly Spear Star in front of him weighed over three pounds of gemstone and had a pure gold base weighing over one pound.

The base is engraved with Qi Jiguang's many battles, each battle recorded in detail. Qi Changguo subconsciously felt that the emperor was finally about to raise the flag of rebellion!
The day has finally come!
Qi Jiguang shook his head and said, "Take the things with you and go to Tonghe Palace. We can't accept such a generous reward. His Majesty is short of money, and the country is short of money too."

(End of this chapter)