I'm really not doing business

Chapter 989 Liaoning, then the world is at peace.

The Ming Dynasty's supervisory system, with its Censors of the Censorate, had a very distinct top-down management structure.

Within the capital, it was a minor official, a seventh-rank censor, who impeached powerful ministers. A typical example was Tan Lun coughing at the Altar of the Sun, which led to a group of censors attacking him. However, Lu Shusheng, the Minister of Rites at the time, also coughed, but no one impeached him.

This clearly demonstrates that, prior to the Wanli Reforms, the Censors of the Censorate had long been used as weapons in the power struggles between ministers during the long-term court infighting, and that behind these minor officials stood powerful ministers.

In the decisive battle between Zhang's faction and Jin's faction, Wang Xiyuan, the current governor of Yingtian, as well as Cao Daye, Liu Fenyong, and others, were all Zhang Juzheng's weapons.

What appears to be minor officials and clerks are actually power struggles among the ministers, so it is still a matter of superiors controlling subordinates.

Outside the capital, the governors held the titles of Vice Censor-in-Chief, Vice Minister of the Six Ministries, and Minister in the provinces, serving two ranks higher than the officials in the capital. Since the establishment of the governor system during the Yongle era, and after more than 170 years of development by the Wanli era, the governors had become de facto leaders of their respective regions, overseeing the provincial treasurers, judicial commissioners, and commanders.

The local inspectors had no jurisdiction over the Three Departments; their main responsibility was to supervise officials in prefectures, counties, and other similar locations.

Provincial-level officials and above who are directly governed and supervised by the imperial court are officials directly managed by the imperial court, while those supervised by local censors are local provincial-level officials.

The gap here is huge, like a chasm. Only by crossing this chasm and being directly managed by the imperial court can one be considered a true official appointed by the imperial court.

Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng were at their wits' end, and the problem they faced was precisely this issue of superiors controlling subordinates.

The capital city was a very special place, home to so many high-ranking officials and nobles that the Shuntian Prefecture was constrained in its actions, and the government offices were filled with the servants and slaves of these officials and nobles.

Zhang Juzheng said he couldn't solve it. Zhu Yijun wanted the Beijing garrison to take direct control, but this was rejected by General Qi Jiguang. This was too dangerous; such a violent fluctuation in the political center would cause a terrifying political storm to sweep across the entire Ming Dynasty.

Qi Jiguang had a flash of inspiration and proposed to solve this problem by having the craftsmen from the four official factories in the capital serve as yamen runners and clerks in the six departments.

Qi Jiguang thought about it more and more and more likely it was true. He suddenly stood up, and after thinking for a long time, he said, "Your Majesty, the craftsmen living in the official workshops are definitely not poor laborers."

In terms of class division, the Ming Dynasty often classified artisans as above the poor laborers. However, according to the new division of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, living artisans should be classified as farmers, that is, the class that owns the means of production, because many living artisans now have shares and are one of the owners of government-run factories.

The four major state-owned factories in the capital—Xishan Coal Bureau, Yongsheng Woolen Mill, Yongding Woolen Mill, and Yongping Machinery Factory—had over 10 artisans working there. These artisans formed a vast collective centered around the state-owned factories.

Qi Jiguang said with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, although the scholars of the Ming Dynasty are very resistant to the theory of class and believe that the theory of contradiction is sufficient for governing the country, when faced with complex problems, we still have to use the theory of class. To replace one class, we have to replace it with another class."

“If we approach this from the perspective of class theory, I have discovered that the six departments and yamen runners of the Shuntian Prefecture government are actually thugs and servants trained by the gentry class.”

"The one who will replace the gentry class in the capital is not the elite soldiers of the Beijing Garrison, but the craftsmen."

After Qi Jiguang finished speaking, things immediately became clear.

The Beijing Garrison was completely tied to the imperial power. The imperial power became increasingly powerful because of the growth of the Beijing Garrison, but at the same time, the Beijing Garrison posed a fatal threat to the imperial power. It was a contradictory entity that was both opposing and unified, so the Beijing Garrison could not exercise military control over the capital.

But artisans can. Individual artisans may be weak, but their collective, the official factories, possess immense power. The force they unleash is so great that even the emperor has to take notice. Almost everything the court needs can be produced from these official factories, even grain.

The yield-increasing effects of water, fertilizer, and refined salt are obvious to all.

The clerks and runners of the Six Offices, who were craftsmen by trade, could alleviate the Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate's burden from being caught in the middle by his subordinates and resolve some of the problems.

The artisans had just come down from the mountain not long ago, and no one can ignore the power of the artisans from the official factory.

"General Qi's words make perfect sense, make perfect sense!" Zhu Yijun's eyes lit up, he sat up straight and said to Feng Bao, "Quickly go to Wenyuan Pavilion and invite the gentleman here."

Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng to oversee the process. If there are capable people, it is natural to consult them more. Every bit of seriousness in formulating policies will make the policies more smoothly implemented.

Zhang Juzheng arrived soon after, and Feng Bao recounted the entire process of the audience to Zhang Juzheng.

When Zhang Juzheng heard that the emperor wanted to take military control of the capital, he was slightly moved. He knew his disciple well; the phrase "Shuntian Prefecture, 100%" had almost become a thorn in the emperor's side, which was why he seemed somewhat anxious when making the decision.

In fact, given His Majesty's control over the Beijing Garrison, doing so in an emergency is perfectly acceptable.

Zhang Juzheng once imagined a scene where Qi Jiguang rebelled, and the general and the emperor fought each other. That scene was simply unbearable to watch.

Because as long as the emperor stands at the city gate, no elite soldiers will dare to attack His Majesty.

His Majesty is a monarch who never withholds military pay, likes to find reasons to give out rewards, treats his soldiers extremely well, inspects his troops every day, visits the families of soldiers during festivals, and whose crown prince escorted the coffin of a loyal martyr from Tianjin Prefecture back to the capital for burial.

Of course, the elite soldiers of the Beijing garrison who reported to the emperor to save the common people were fully worthy of this honor.

During the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, when might made right, soldiers never received such courtesy and respect. They were merely tools in the struggle for power and profit.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which emperor was willing to allow his crown prince to escort the coffins of ordinary soldiers back to the capital for burial?

Both civil and military struggles are struggles, and their detrimental nature to the vitality of the nation is exactly the same, with no difference. Military struggles may seem more tragic, but civil struggles also come at a heavy price for the country and its people.

His Majesty the Emperor is a living, breathing human being. He was getting a little worked up about the matter of the 100th Prince of Shuntian Prefecture. He wanted military control and wanted to overturn the table, which was an effective measure during the Wanli era.

But what about after Wanli? Would the Ming Dynasty continue to exist? Was it destined to spiral into complete chaos and violence? Or would it, as His Majesty has never revealed in the fourth volume, simply abolish the imperial system altogether?

Before productivity reaches a certain limit, abolishing the imperial system is by no means a good choice. Even after Your Majesty finished writing the fourth volume, you refused to publish it, and Your Majesty also knew that it was not the right time.

Qi Jiguang's disagreement stemmed from considerations of long-term stability. Qi Jiguang himself had a very good relationship with the emperor, serving as the emperor's martial arts teacher and tutor. However, the next commander-in-chief was Li Rusong, whose relationship with the emperor was not as close.

If Qi Jiguang agrees now, the next commander-in-chief, Li Rusong, will likely have no choice but to commit suicide.

When Zhang Juzheng heard the emperor say that he had exhausted all his options, he also felt a sense of powerlessness, as he was actually helpless.

When the word "craftsman" appeared, Zhang Juzheng's eyes lit up, and then grew brighter and brighter. He suddenly stood up, paced anxiously around the imperial study three times, and then hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have lost my composure."

"Your Majesty, it's working! Everything is working!"

"Please sit down, sir." Zhu Yijun gestured for Zhang Juzheng to sit down first, not to rush to express his attitude. Confucius said to think thrice before acting, and it was clear that Zhang Juzheng had only thought about it once, and his ideas were not yet fully mature.

Moreover, Zhang Juzheng appeared somewhat agitated at this time, and making decisions while emotionally charged could easily lead to serious errors.

A ruler should not raise an army out of anger, nor should a general wage war out of resentment.

Emperor Wu of Han's victory over the Xiongnu laid the foundation for the Central Plains dynasty, not through anger, but through long-term planning.

Zhu Yijun was able to preside over the Wanli Reforms not because of his passion or his own efforts, but because of the concerted efforts of the millions of people in the Ming Dynasty. It was through the combined strength of all that they achieved the current situation.

After Zhang Juzheng sat down, he pondered for a full quarter of an hour and drank a cup of tea before speaking: "Your Majesty, no scholar who passed the imperial examination thought of becoming a corrupt official when he passed the exam. The thousands of soldiers who crossed the single-plank bridge did so for the sake of governing the country, bringing peace and prosperity to the people."

"But often, when one takes up a post in a local area, one has no choice but to conform and compromise one's principles. Over time, under the influence of power, beauty, and money, one becomes a treacherous and scheming official, full of cunning and scheming."

"This is why members of the Hanlin Academy directly enter the cabinet to participate in confidential matters. Hanlin members who do not go to local areas will not be completely alienated by these things, but Hanlin members who only compile books lack local governance experience and can only imagine many things."

"Now, the artisans of the official factories can become an important force. What General Qi said has opened up the last step of the civil service examination system, namely, the civil service examination system."

Zhang Juzheng spoke for a full quarter of an hour before he finished explaining his ideas. Qi Jiguang listened for a long time, somewhat stunned. He brought up the word "craftsman" entirely to relieve the emperor's worries, with no other intention. But Zhang Juzheng immediately thought of the local areas from the capital, and of the official selection method from the word "craftsman".

He started as a craftsman, passed the civil service exam, and then entered university to study law and obtain an official position, thus gaining access to a complete career path.

This was something Qi Jiguang had never expected.

Indeed, the Minister of Personnel must be skilled in governing officials!

Just like Wan Shihe, the Minister of Rites, who was truly skilled in etiquette, even today, many matters in the Ming Dynasty still require quoting Wan Shihe's words to resolve.

If local areas also had government-run factories, and the artisans in these factories trained enough clerks, and the descendants of these artisans could also serve as yamen runners—not many, just a small fraction—then the officials appointed by the central government to local positions would not need to rely on the clerks and yamen runners trained by the local gentry.

Craftsmen are the most disciplined, and Qi Jiguang's favorite source of soldiers was craftsmen and miners. Craftsmen who did not take the laws and regulations of the government factories seriously were bound to cause production accidents. Behind many laws and regulations are bloody lessons.

The performance evaluation system was one of the cornerstones of the Wanli Reforms. Without governing officials, the reforms could not be accomplished. The official selection system, which began in the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign, would provide a strong impetus for the Ming Dynasty to continue its reforms.

"Before the Dinghai education system is completed, the artisans of the official factories will become clerks, which will become one of the cornerstones of the Ming Dynasty's civil service examination system." After Zhang Juzheng finished explaining his idea, he indicated that the official factories becoming clerks in the six departments of local government offices was not the end of the civil service examination system, but there was still a follow-up. That is, after the Dinghai education system was completed, everyone would have access to education and books to read.

If the Dinghai Education System could be completed, the foundation of the gentry class would be completely shaken. After the Dinghai Education System, the Ming Dynasty would undergo a complete transformation, representing a further downward extension of power. Of course, it would still be a long way from the full participation of all people in politics and governance.

The Dinghai school system did not mean the complete demise of local gentry. These gentry still wielded considerable influence in their regions, but they could no longer hold the power of life and death over the common people below their social class. The incident of Chen Dazhuang's father wearing mourning clothes and attending the funeral of the dog of the Confucius Mansion in Yanzhou would not happen again. "Sir, Commander Qi, there is something important. The Liaodong Agricultural Bureau has reported that this year's grain yield within Fushun Pass has reached half that of Shandong, approaching that of Jiangxi, a land of fish and rice." Zhu Yijun brought up a matter that the Grand Secretary and the General needed to know.

The Ming Dynasty court greatly underestimated the potential of agriculture in Liaodong. Before the Wanli Reforms, there were only about two million Han Chinese in Liaodong, which was not qualified to serve as a provincial administration office. Therefore, Liaodong was only able to serve as a subordinate military command in Shandong.

With the establishment of military farming in Liaodong starting in the second year of the Wanli reign, the migration to the Northeast became a major population movement. From the second year of the Wanli reign to the end of the eighteenth year, more than four million Han Chinese migrated to Liaodong.

This year, the grain output in Fushun Pass officially surpassed that of Jiangxi, making it one of the major grain-producing areas of the Ming Dynasty.

In the ninth year of the Wanli reign, the Fish Scale Register was revised, and the land area of ​​Shuntian Prefecture was 68,720 qing, 13.5 mu, or 687 million mu. The land was divided into upper, middle and lower fields. The yield of one mu of land in Shuntian Prefecture was about 1 shi, 3 dou and 6 hu. The annual grain output of Shuntian Prefecture was 934 million shi.

If we take the grain output of Shuntian Prefecture as a unit, then the grain output of Jiangxi is 38 times that of Shuntian Prefecture, while that of Liaoyang Agricultural Reclamation Bureau is 39 times, that of Huguang is 100 times, that of Henan is 116 times that of Shuntian Prefecture, and that of the undivided Southern Prefecture is 138 times that of Shuntian Prefecture.

The combined size of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Suiyuan is only 70 times that of Shuntian Prefecture. In other words, it would take two Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Suiyuan regions to equal the size of the Southern Prefecture before its division.

In the ranking of grain production in the Ming Dynasty, the Southern Prefecture ranked first, Henan second, Huguang third, and Shandong fourth. Shandong's grain production was nearly 80 times that of Shuntian Prefecture.

"Is half of Shandong's grain production already here in Fushun alone?" Zhang Juzheng was extremely surprised as he took the memorial handed to him by the emperor and read it with Qi Jiguang. The growth rate of grain production in Liaodong was quite alarming.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "Lord Yuan of Duntai went to Heilongjiang and other places, and the geomancer drew up a map of Liaodong. It is estimated that if the ponds and hills in Liaodong are cleared, the grain output will surpass that of the Southern Court."

Feng Bao released a geomantic map of Liaodong. This map is extremely detailed. It was created by Duntai Yuanhou and the geomancers over more than ten years by measuring the land on foot. Mountains, rivers, forests, fields, black soil, etc. are all clearly marked with complete boundaries.

If the Liaoyang, Jilin, and Heilongjiang river basins were fully cultivated, even with only one harvest per year, the grain yield would be enough to surpass that of the Southern Prefecture.

Of course, the time required for complete reclamation is measured in centuries.

"If the celestial changes continue to worsen, then we should continue to relocate people to Liaodong. The great migration during the Hongwu and Yongle reigns can be repeated during the Wanli reign. This will require Commander Qi's Beijing garrison to keep a close watch on the situation and prevent any unrest," Zhu Yijun stated, revealing the main purpose of this court meeting.

The Liaodong governor, Gu Yangqian, only reported the situation inside Fushun Pass. Outside Fushun Pass, there were relatively few Han people, a lot of newly reclaimed land, and unstable yields, all of which distorted the statistical figures. Therefore, Gu Yangqian did not report the situation. Inside Fushun Pass, after more than two hundred years of rule, there were many Han people, a lot of cultivated land, and yields tended to be stable, which allowed for the statistical analysis.

The grain output of Liaoyang alone reached half that of Shandong. In addition, there was Jilin, which was being reclaimed, and Heilongjiang, which was still undeveloped. The population that Liaodong could support far exceeded the imperial court's imagination.

If the celestial changes worsen and Heaven truly intends to destroy the Ming Dynasty, then relocate some of the people from Shaanxi, Gansu, and Suiyuan to Liaoning, and have them live in Liaoyang, Jilin, and other places via the Suiyuan Highway and the Beijing-Jilin Highway.

Not many, but if another two or three million people can be relocated, the population of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Suiyuan will no longer grow due to the limitations of the natural environment, and the possibility of the Ming Dynasty surviving the catastrophe will increase greatly.

"Unfortunately, Wang Situ, who was so concerned about this matter, has lost his ability to recognize people." Zhu Yijun's tone was somewhat sorrowful. Regarding the response to the celestial anomaly, great news had arrived, but Wang Guoguang, the former Grand Minister who was most concerned about this matter, had begun to become confused, which made Zhu Yijun feel deeply saddened.

"Your Majesty, I will visit Minister Wang on your behalf later and tell him this good news," Zhang Juzheng said solemnly as he returned the memorial from the Liaodong Agricultural Reclamation Bureau to His Majesty.

"Okay, thank you for your trouble, sir," Zhu Yijun nodded and said.

Zhu Yijun felt that he was a jinx, because every time he went to visit an important minister, the minister would pass away within a few days. This made Zhu Yijun very uneasy and he dared not visit important ministers anymore.

He knew perfectly well that it wasn't that he had driven the people away, but rather that each time he visited them, most of these officials were nearing the end of their lives.

Zhang Juzheng's visit on behalf of the emperor was a sign of the emperor's high regard for him.

"Doesn't that mean Liaodong can support a million soldiers?" Qi Jiguang frowned, looking at the grain yield in the memorial and the extremely vast Liaodong on the geomantic map, his expression becoming increasingly grim.

Grain production, population, and geographical environment are all concrete manifestations of battlefield potential. Clearly, the imperial court severely underestimated the output of Liaodong. In the past, the imperial court regarded the Liaodong problem as nothing more than a minor ailment, not worth worrying about, a small-scale skirmish that was not worth mentioning.

But now it seems that the Liaodong problem is not a minor ailment, but a major threat! Because in a flash, Qi Jiguang saw that this vast land of Liaodong would become the place where the dragon would rise under such a drastic change!
The celestial changes are the result of drastic climate shifts, leading to imbalances in water and drought conditions and resulting in poor harvests. This signifies a significant decrease in grain production in the heartland of the Ming Dynasty. With less food available and a stagnant population, civil unrest is inevitable. This unrest further exacerbates the population decline, ultimately leading to a vicious cycle of declining food supplies and population.

The war potential of the Ming Dynasty's heartland is rapidly decreasing due to the influence of the celestial anomaly, while Liaodong is less affected by the celestial anomaly and has sufficient rainfall to support a larger population. As one side gains at the expense of the other, over time, in less than fifty years, Liaodong will become a place where the dynasty rises under the special circumstances of the celestial anomaly.

This is what Qi Jiguang saw in Liaodong.

"What General Qi said is exactly what I was worried about. Constant dripping wears away a stone. With Shanhaiguan as the fulcrum, the war potential of the Ming heartland and Liaodong is like a seesaw. In addition, some Han men have defected to the barbarians, which may really become a major threat to the Ming. This is why I had to put Gao Huai and his son in the water." Zhu Yijun said, talking about the previous case.

Gao Tan and his adopted son Gao Huai were scalded to death by Feng Bao in an extremely cruel manner, and their bodies were then sent to the Department of Dissection and Dissection, so that their corpses could contribute to the medical field of the Ming Dynasty.

Once the barbarians grow powerful, coupled with natural disasters, the problem will become even more serious.

Liaodong cannot be allowed to descend into chaos. If Liaodong falls into chaos, the Ming Dynasty will fall into chaos, especially since Liaodong's grain production is growing rapidly at a terrifying rate of 10% per year.

“Every year, 200,000 men will be relocated from Shaanxi, Gansu, and Suiyuan to Liaodong.” Qi Jiguang looked at the map and said solemnly, “This is the fundamental solution.”

The more Han people there are, the more land they can cultivate, and the more Yi people they can plant in the fields. The more Yi people are planted, the more stable Liaodong will be, and Liaoning will be peaceful throughout the land.

This was the final answer the general received after hearing about the output of the Liaodong Agricultural Reclamation Bureau: relocate the people.

Zhu Yijun had Feng Bao fetch the land reclamation permit from the Liaodong Provincial Administration Commission and handed it to Qi Jiguang, saying, "My relocation of people is the same as that of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu. I will provide travel expenses, land deeds, and resettlement. Previously, the Liaodong Provincial Administration Commission could not be established, and the promised land could not be delivered, so it was not feasible to relocate people on a large scale. Now it is possible."

A promise must be kept; a word spoken but not fulfilled is no different from a fart.

Although this promise was not fully fulfilled until the establishment of the Provincial Administration Commission in the nineteenth year of the Wanli reign, the people of the Ming Dynasty were like this: as long as the emperor kept his word, they could accept it even if it was a little late, and even shout "Long live the Emperor!"

The people of the Ming Dynasty were not afraid of things like waterlogged areas or towering structures. Hard work and diligence were the fundamental characteristics of the Ming people. These things could be overcome. Moreover, the imperial court provided enough machinery and livestock to help with land reclamation in Liaodong.

The state-run farms under the Agricultural Reclamation Bureau had 500,000 cattle and more than one million donkeys and mules, which greatly facilitated land reclamation.

Liaodong had already met the basic conditions necessary for the Ming Dynasty to relocate its people; in fact, it could be said that the conditions were even better than when the Taizu and Chengzu Emperors relocated people.

Qi Jiguang noticed that the imperial edict had the signature and seal of the grain chief, indicating that the Liaodong Provincial Administration had a well-established administration system with grain chiefs reaching into the countryside, which was a prerequisite for registering the people and households.

Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang talked with the emperor for a long time before leaving the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace. Qi Jiguang was going to write "Memorial on the Relocation of People from Liaodong during the Wanli Era," and Zhang Juzheng was going to write "Memorial on the Appointment of Craftsmen and Officials." The memorials of the Grand General and the Grand Secretary were memorials that would influence the basic structure of the Ming Dynasty.

Before returning to the Wenyuan Pavilion, Zhang Juzheng went to Wang Guoguang's home. After talking with the chief physician, Zhang Juzheng met Wang Guoguang, who was lying on a recliner sunbathing.

Wang Guoguang was curled up on the recliner, his figure somewhat thin, covered with a thin blanket. He stared blankly at the thick hackberry tree in the courtyard, which was like an umbrella. He had forgotten when the hackberry tree was planted.

He remembered planting the "Golden List Tree" after he passed the imperial examination in the 23rd year of the Jiajing reign, but his memory had become hazy, as if it had always been there.

However, as he grew older, Wang Guoguang's memory became increasingly confused, and he disliked this feeling.

“Shu’an, I am Bai Gui.” Zhang Juzheng walked over, sat down in front of Wang Guoguang, and said in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Wang Guoguang turned around, carefully examined Zhang Juzheng, and said, "Bai Gui, you're back? I told you, don't submit any memorials, don't submit any memorials. See if you've offended the Emperor? It's been three years, where have you been?"

"How come you are so old?"

Wang Guoguang was somewhat surprised when he saw Zhang Juzheng's appearance clearly. How could the handsome and spirited man have turned into someone with graying temples?

Zhang Juzheng still had a smile on his face. The chief physician said that Wang Guoguang had forgotten many things, and his memory was stuck around the time of the thirty-sixth year of Jiajing's reign. Zhang Juzheng met Wang Guoguang in the thirty-first year of Jiajing's reign. That year, Wang Guoguang returned to the capital to serve as the head of the Ministry of War's Carriage and Driver Department.

By calculation, their friendship has lasted forty years.

"It is now the nineteenth year of the Wanli reign, forty years have passed, of course I am old." Zhang Juzheng began to ramble on about all the things that had happened over the years, Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, the emperor's transformation from a Daoist priest to a monarch, and so on. Zhang Juzheng just said whatever came to mind.

"Oh, I see. You see, I always forget things. I'm getting old, I'm useless, useless." As Zhang Juzheng spoke, Wang Guoguang remembered some things and forgot others.

"The heavens are changing! The heavens are changing!" Wang Guoguang suddenly sat up, his face filled with anxiety, and said, "What is the change in the heavens?"

Although he was confused, the words "heavenly change" kept appearing in his mind, making him extremely anxious. He clearly remembered what a heavenly change was, what kind of test the Ming Dynasty was undergoing, and even clearly remembered the various policies the Ming Dynasty had taken to deal with the heavenly change.

“I’ve come today to tell you about the celestial changes. At least another five million people can be relocated from Liaodong, which should be enough to cope with the celestial changes.” Zhang Juzheng told Wang Guoguang about the amount of land in Liaodong, the grain yield, and so on.

"The area within the pass of Fushun in Liaodong actually has half the grain of Shandong. And the entire Liaodong region, including Jilin and Heilongjiang, once cultivated, is equivalent to a Southern Prefecture. Excellent, excellent, very excellent! Heaven bless the Ming Dynasty, heaven bless the Ming Dynasty!" Upon hearing this, Wang Guoguang's spirits immediately lifted. He sat up and chatted with Zhang Juzheng for a full half hour.

"You are a high-ranking official, busy with countless affairs of state. I won't keep you any longer. I'm an old man with nothing to see here. Go and get back to work." Wang Guoguang wanted to chat a little longer, but he knew Zhang Juzheng was very busy and didn't want to take up any more of Zhang Juzheng's time.

Several chief physicians were quite surprised and repeatedly marveled at the miracle of life, because after Zhang Juzheng left, Wang Guoguang actually became less confused, more spirited, and even started reading newspapers.

A person lives for their spirit, and the predicament of the changing times has obviously become less difficult, which has given Wang Guoguang even more confidence.

(End of this chapter)