I'm really not doing business

Chapter 998 The old man's tactic, though shameless, is effective.
"I have already given Yang Yinglong of Bozhou a chance. I have ordered him to go to the Guizhou Governor Ye Mengxiong for an inspection. I want him to behave himself and not act recklessly while the Ming Dynasty is waging war against foreign powers," Zhu Yijun said in an unfriendly tone after hearing Zeng Shengwu's report.

Previously, the emperor had already shown his leniency, and for the sake of the overall situation of the southwestern campaign against Dongyu, he first appeased Yang Yinglong.

He wouldn't accept a toast offered politely, but insisted on drinking a penalty shot instead.

However, Yang Yinglong not only disregarded the emperor's wishes, but also refused to go to Guizhou Prefecture for an on-site investigation and rejected the official dispatched by the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, in any case, Yang Yinglong has not yet decided to break off relations and has not killed these officials. There is still room for maneuver in this matter. If Yang Yinglong still refuses to admit his mistakes, then we should annihilate him with swift and decisive action to prevent it from affecting the overall strategy for conquering the southwest."

"His Majesty once said that foreign wars should be delayed, while internal wars should be swift." Grand Minister Shen Li stepped forward and acted as a peacemaker.

Yang Yinglong's rebellious intentions were not a recent development, and the Ming court and local officials in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan were well aware of this.

Decision-making inevitably involves trade-offs. Clearly, in Shen Li's view, continuing to advance step by step against Dongyu was more important than withdrawing the Han troops and giving Yang Yinglong a beating.

Yang Yinglong can be beaten anytime. It's rare to see a fool like Mangye from Toungoo. The Ming Dynasty has finally gained the upper hand, so we should beat Toungoo to death and hopefully give Yunnan a way to access the sea.

Shen Li's intention wasn't to not beat her, but to wait until he was more fully prepared before doing so. If he wasn't going to beat her, fine, but if he was going to beat her, he would kill her in one go.

Foreign wars should be fought slowly, while internal wars should be fought quickly.

After a moment's consideration, Zhu Yijun said, "What the Grand Minister of Rites says makes sense. I am not an unreasonable person. I always do things once or twice, but not three times. I can give him another chance."

"The second time, the conditions will not be so good. I will issue an edict to Bozhou, ordering him to bind himself and go to Chongqing for trial. According to the law, he should be beheaded, but I can issue an edict to pardon him and allow him to remain the chieftain of Bozhou."

Zhu Yijun gave him a second chance. This time, the chance was for Yang Yinglong to tie himself up and go to Chongqing Prefecture to accept the investigation. Pardoning his previous crimes was considered an act of imperial grace.

The conditions are far worse than the first time.

"Your Majesty's benevolence is a great blessing to the nation. However, the chieftains do not understand the will of Heaven and Your Majesty's benevolent intentions. Instead, they will take advantage of the situation and be greedy for more." Zeng Shengwu hurriedly reminded His Majesty that these chieftains do not understand these principles. They do not know how to appreciate the Emperor's grace and only think that the Emperor is cowardly.

Zhu Yijun immediately said, "If they disobey again, kill them."

"Your subject obeys the decree." This was the sentence Zeng Shengwu and the others said. He knew all too well what these chieftains and hereditary rulers in the southwest were thinking. The process was almost exactly the same as when they pacified Jiusi and wiped out the Duzhang barbarians. Even the time was not much different.

If you keep putting on a show of rudeness, the only way to maintain stability for the next twenty or thirty years is to strike hard.

The story of Pingjiusi in the first year of the Wanli reign is now nineteen years old, and the events of that year have been forgotten by these chieftains.

However, this time, the slightly troublesome thing is that the Han soldiers in Sichuan are all fighting in Toungoo, leaving Sichuan vulnerable. To kill Yang Yinglong, we need to plan carefully.

"Your Majesty, I request an imperial decree to repair the Wuhou Temple." Zeng Shengwu pondered for a moment and presented his prepared statement to the emperor.

Building the Wuhou Temple is a way to unite people's hearts.

The imperial court, thousands of miles away, somewhat underestimated Zhuge Liang's ability to unite people in Sichuan. The renovation of the Zhuge Liang Temple was a very clear signal that war was about to break out.

Zhuge Liang held a high position in Sichuan, and even his incompetent son, Zhuge Zhan, was enshrined in the same shrine.

Zhuge Zhan failed to live up to the expectations of the people of Sichuan by failing to stop Deng Ai from destroying Shu Han, but he died without hesitation, sacrificing himself for his country, and still won the respect of the people of Sichuan.

"Good." Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and then asked, "Should we mobilize the capital garrison?"

"I think it's best not to use them for now. Northern troops are not good at mountain and jungle warfare," Zeng Shengwu replied. The Beijing garrison is mainly composed of northern troops who are skilled in large-scale troop operations. Sending them to the southwest to fight in the mountains and forests would be a waste of their talents. They are not as good as the Han troops in Sichuan.

Even if Sichuan is undefended, Yang Yinglong alone, along with over ten thousand Han soldiers, would be more than enough to crush him.

"Then the Grand Minister of Works shall oversee this matter. Tell me what you need. The most important thing is to win. We can talk about other things after we win." Zhu Yijun was not very familiar with the southwest. The farthest he had ever been was Yiwu in Zhejiang. It was better to listen to Zeng Shengwu.

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty." Zeng Shengwu bowed again and accepted the order.

The first batch of new firearms to equip the Han army in central Sichuan has arrived in Chengdu. With these firearms, Yang Yinglong's proud Hailongwei can be completely razed to the ground.

Zeng Shengwu was the Minister of War. He was well aware of the power of the new firearms of the Ming Dynasty. The new cannons, with copper inside and iron outside, cast and forged in one piece, and machined and drilled, could exert 36 times the power of the old gunpowder with one pound of gunpowder. This was by no means an exaggeration, but the result of long-term and extensive calculations.

The power of firearms can be increased by more than twenty times simply by the amount of gunpowder used.

The Ming Dynasty was entering the era of full firearms, and the tactic of firing squads was being rapidly promoted from the capital garrison and the navy to the border troops.

Times have truly changed.

Zeng Shengwu returned to his post and discovered that His Majesty did not understand the art of managing subordinates.

How can an emperor promise his subjects to speak up for anything they need before they even ask? This is tantamount to taking responsibility upon himself and pushing credit onto his ministers.

Zeng Shengwu felt that this open and frank approach was the proper attitude of a wise and virtuous ruler. With His Majesty's promise, Zeng Shengwu could act with confidence and boldness, and simply repeat what he had done to Du Zhangman back then.

"Your Majesty, I hereby report on the affairs of the maritime transport." Liang Menglong, the Minister of Personnel and a disciple who had always lived in the shadow of Zhang Juzheng, stepped forward to report on the affairs of the maritime transport.

In the ninth year of the Wanli reign, Liang Menglong returned to Beijing and became the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. In the same year, Zhang Juzheng began to fully return power to the emperor. As the Grand Secretary, he began to separate the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. In the twelfth year of the Wanli reign, Liang Menglong was transferred from the Ministry of War to the Ministry of Personnel and became the Minister of Personnel. He was known as the Shadow Minister.

Because Liang Menglong followed his mentor Zhang Juzheng's instructions in almost everything, he only did one thing in the past ten years: the Ming Dynasty's maritime transport.

Liang Menglong spent a full half hour giving a detailed report on the development of the Ming Dynasty's maritime transport system and the changes in its systems. Today, he can say with a clear conscience that the Ming Dynasty's maritime transport system has been a great success, becoming the second major artery connecting the north and south of the Ming Dynasty after the Grand Canal.

"A skilled warrior has no illustrious achievements, and a skilled physician has no glorious name." After listening to Liang Menglong's report, Zhu Yijun and his ministers exclaimed sincerely, "Minister Liang, you are truly a capable minister of the Ming Dynasty."

"I still remember in the second year of the Wanli reign, when Minister Liang met with the Emperor and spoke of the matter of maritime transport. He said that if one does not attack the skin and muscles, one will affect the blood vessels; if one does not attack the blood vessels, one will affect the stomach and intestines. This is indeed very convenient."

This is Liang Menglong's original quote, and it is also the reason for his tireless pursuit of maritime development. It is a medical principle he used to treat the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty is sick, especially the Grand Canal, a vital artery. After two hundred years of operation, it is already overburdened. At the same time, the canals are crawling with blood-sucking insects. If this one major artery is not healed, the Ming Dynasty will not be far from death.

After nineteen years of developing the maritime transport system, the Grand Canal, this vital artery, was finally opened to traffic.

The trial operation of the sea canal released the transport capacity of the river canal, and the canal economic belt has been formed. The banks are brightly lit day and night, bursting with great economic vitality. Local governments also have the motivation and funds to dredge the river.

The two major arteries connecting the north and south, the river canal and the sea canal, formed a pincer movement, allowing for mutual support when attacked from the left and vice versa, complementing and reinforcing each other, creating a dual circulation that integrated the economies of the north and south of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty's praise is too kind. I have prepared a book, 'A Strict Study of Maritime Transport,' to present to Your Majesty." Liang Menglong thanked His Majesty for the compliment and presented a book to the Emperor.

The rigorous examination of maritime transport includes a wide range of content, such as: general map of the sea route, consultation on sea routes, trial operation of sea routes, sea route survey, sea route shortcuts, sea route ports, sea route distances, sea route schedules, sea route bay anchorages, sea route passage restrictions, sea route access restrictions, coastal defense inspections, and naval patrols. It is a collection of experiences from the long-term practice of maritime transport in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yijun decided that after reading it, he would put it in the display case of the Zhengzi (政字) character in the side hall for permanent preservation.

"Here's a reward." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, signaling Feng Bao to bestow the Ziwei Shaozai Star, which had been prepared beforehand, upon Liang Menglong.

This was a reward that had been prepared long ago. Even Liang Menglong's life story had been engraved on the gold medal. It was palm-sized, weighed one pound, and was made of full-green jadeite. There were also thirty-six full-green cabochons, a family heirloom.

Zhu Yijun didn't know what to reward this shadow minister with. Liang Menglong would rather be a shadow minister and do his job in the grain transport system to the best of his ability. He didn't even want to advance; he just wanted to do his job well.

He and Pan Jixun had many similarities. Pan Jixun could have easily become the Minister of Works in one of the Six Ministries, but he plunged into the sand dunes of Suiyuan and stayed there for ten years, and still has no intention of advancing further.

Liang Menglong and Pan Jixun were not isolated cases. Before them, there was also Shi Maohua, the governor of Shaanxi, who could have returned to Beijing to serve as a government official, but instead chose to stay in the Northwest to finish his work.

These people are all loyal, loyal to their own hearts and spirits.

If there's nothing good to reward, then let's give them enough family heirlooms.

Zhu Yijun was never a monarch who made empty promises or painted a rosy picture for his officials. He was willing to reward his loyal officials with sufficient fame and fortune to the best of his ability.

Looking at the reward in front of him, Liang Menglong was at a loss for words. He had not worked so hard for the sake of this reward; he simply wanted to treat the Ming Dynasty's illness and cure it. After all, a person should leave something behind to prove that they have lived.

But he could not refuse this favor, nor could he refuse it. Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang went to the palace together to decline, but neither of them could refuse.

"Your Majesty, I kowtow in gratitude for your boundless grace." Liang Menglong bowed deeply and accepted the emperor's reward.

"Since you have accepted my favor, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I ask you to share my burden." Zhu Yijun looked at Zeng Shengwu before turning back to say, "The Grand Marshal is getting old and his energy is waning. I would like you to assist him in the military campaign against Yang Yinglong of Bozhou."

Just as Tan Lun chose Zeng Shengwu as his successor, Zeng Shengwu has now found Liang Menglong. This appointment is both an assignment and a test. If he does well, Liang Menglong will go from being the shadow minister to the Grand Marshal of the State.

Having been a seasoned official for many years, Liang Menglong understood His Majesty's arrangements and bowed again, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree."

He fought in Liaodong and fought alongside Qi Jiguang when he was the Governor-General of Jiliao. He was a skilled horseman and met all the requirements for the Minister of War.

Zhu Yijun carefully considered the situation in Bozhou before he could finally relax. Qi Jiguang repeatedly warned the emperor that before resorting to force, he should first consider what to do if he lost.

To avoid defeat, the emperor used new firearms and appointed important officials to oversee the operation. Yang Yinglong should be able to die without regrets, as the emperor deployed new firearms and two important officials to deal with him.

Yang Yinglong should thank the Ming emperor for his attention, because this would allow him to die faster and without pain.

The court deliberations continued. Although this system of joint deliberations was still a makeshift operation under strongman politics, the decision-making efficiency was extremely high. There were very few arguments or disagreements. The ministers were also quick to speak, without beating around the bush or using veiled language, and handled state affairs one by one as quickly as possible.

We have to be quick. The emperor doesn't delay submitting memorials overnight; his efficiency is extraordinary. If court deliberations are slow, it would be a huge joke.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off." The ministers bowed again as they saw the emperor off from the Wenhua Hall. Four eunuchs carried the dragon throne down from the platform, to be seated again after the court meeting the next day.

Ling Yunyi had something to say, so he pulled Zhang Juzheng aside, and the two whispered to each other in front of the Danbi Square under the Wenhua Hall.

"Your Majesty is not good at managing subordinates. Did you teach him during the previous lectures, Grand Secretary?" Ling Yunyi's tone was not questioning. After the incident where Shen Shixing was carried into the Wenhua Hall, Ling Yunyi had truly seen Zhang Juzheng's submissiveness. He was very submissive, and even his disciples were very submissive.

"No," Zhang Juzheng said with some worry. "It's not that I don't want to speak, it's that His Majesty refuses to listen."

Zhang Juzheng now regrets that he should have taught His Majesty some skills in managing people. He can do it now that he is alive, but if he were gone, His Majesty, who is not good at this, would probably suffer a lot.

"Never mind, His Majesty has his reasons. Besides, this isn't something that can be taught. Some losses we have to bear ourselves." Ling Yunyi pondered for a moment and decided not to do anything.

After the New Year, Your Majesty will be thirty. At thirty, one should be established. After all, Your Majesty must walk this path yourself.

“That’s true.” Zhang Juzheng put aside his worries and chatted with Ling Yunyi for a long time about the relocation of people.

The migration of people was for population growth. If there had been no major upheavals, the Ming Dynasty should have experienced a population explosion under the circumstances of the Wanli Reforms. However, due to the changes in the world, population growth could only be slow. By the fiftieth year of Wanli's reign, a population of 2.5 to 3 million was needed to meet His Majesty's expansionist needs. The migration of people to Liaodong and Southeast Asia was all to make room for population growth.

“What you and Vice Minister Ling are worried about is completely unnecessary.” Zhu Yijun returned to the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace, rested for a quarter of an hour, read miscellaneous reports for another quarter of an hour, and then waited for the memorial from Wenyuan Pavilion.

Ling Yunyi has a secret document to submit, which is a private message that does not follow the formal memorial process and is not even required for His Majesty to reply.

Ling Yunyi frankly admitted that he felt the emperor was somewhat inept at managing his subordinates.

"It's just that the current court officials are all loyal and patriotic individuals selected after the Japanese pirate raids and foreign invasions, so there's no need to use them." Zhu Yijun wrote this note in imperial seal, indicating that it wasn't that he was incapable of using them, but rather that they were unnecessary.

He wrote in his notebook: Break the legs of that clever man.

The art of managing subordinates is not a difficult skill to learn; he just didn't understand it, and no one taught him. Once he finished reading the "Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong Su," he would know how to manage his subordinates. Managing subordinates can be considered a family skill.

Emperor Sejong was a master of scheming throughout his life. Even while residing in the Western Garden, he maintained absolute control over the court.

Emperor Shizong Su's "Precious Instructions" consists of twenty-four volumes. The Precious Instructions of Emperor Shizong is the family learning of the Daoist master, also known as the art of the emperor. It records the emperor's dialogues with his ministers, imperial edicts, and other contents. It is an important part of the ancestral laws and includes content on serving one's parents, treating relatives of the empress, advocating frugality, and the governance of the court.

The Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong consist of 566 volumes, recording major and minor events that occurred during the Ming Dynasty.

If you find the historical records too long, you can just read the Bao Xun. If you find the Bao Xun too dry and don't want to learn it, you can read Lin Fucheng's "Travels in Southeast Asia" to learn the art of managing subordinates.

The art of managing subordinates is complex and multifaceted, but the travelogue of Southeast Asia summarizes it in one sentence: break the legs of the clever and quick-witted.

When the Ming Dynasty expanded into Southeast Asia, apart from the governor's residences in places like Coconut City and Manila, the areas were largely unregulated and beyond the governor's control. Amidst the complex struggles, many cruel, ruthless, yet effective rules emerged.

When Lin Fucheng was exiled to Southeast Asia, he observed the plantations for a long time. In the plantations, the plantation owners usually had only one way to deal with clever and intelligent slaves: to break their legs.

The smarter a person is, the more they understand the source of suffering, and the easier it is for them to stir up trouble among the slaves, secretly accumulating their own power, or raising their voices to incite the slaves to escape or riot.

Even if they are afraid of danger and wouldn't do these things, these clever and resourceful people will still try to escape.

Therefore, the plantation owners in Southeast Asia would observe each batch of slaves, and if they encountered a clever person, they would simply break his legs instead of entrusting him with important responsibilities such as managing slaves.

The plantation owners preferred to use those who were cruel, inhumane, thoughtless, and only knew how to exploit their subordinates, and who were physically strong, as slave leaders to manage the slaves.

In this way, coupled with measures such as starvation, the landowners could rest easy.

Lin Fucheng spent three years traveling across mountains and rivers and visiting hundreds of plantations before finally understanding why the plantation owners did what they did.

Even among slaves, there was exploitation. Once a person was physically disabled, no matter how talented they were, they would be bullied. Being bullied meant losing all prestige. Raising an arm to call for action, stirring up trouble, or rising up in rebellion all required immense prestige.

Even with a broken leg, one can still work, such as opening doors, feeding livestock, reeling silk, and spinning.

Lin Fucheng wrote a travelogue about his experiences during his southern tour. Once published, it caused a great stir. Because of this passage, Lin Fucheng was severely criticized. He had clearly seen through the ways of the world.

Interestingly, after reading the travelogue, Grand Minister Shen Li mentioned in a private audience with the emperor that what Lin Fucheng had mentioned was neither false nor new.

Because during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there was a similar rule, namely the punishment of "those who have their feet cut off are made to guard the hunting grounds".

A person whose legs have been cut off, sawed off, or broken is called a "刖者" (yue zhe).

To send; to dispatch

Shouyou refers to the gardens where the emperor kept his livestock.

There is a bronze tripod in the palace, which is from the Western Zhou Dynasty. It is called the Western Zhou Square Tripod with a Slave Who Had His Feet Cut Off Guarding the Gate. There is a slave who has been mutilated guarding the gate of the furnace.

The art of managing subordinates is complex and multifaceted. If one can clearly understand the saying "break the legs of clever and quick-witted people," then one can grasp the art of managing subordinates.

This way, the manor lord's authority can be maintained to the greatest extent possible, ensuring the stability of order.

Similar practices were not uncommon among emperors throughout history.

Emperor Gaozong of Song killed Yue Fei. Yue Fei was too good at fighting and too smart, but he didn't have a strong background. Emperor Wanli of Song, Zhu Yijun, purged his mentor Zhang Juzheng and drove out Qi Jiguang, who was guarding the north.

These emperors thought almost exactly like the landowners; they didn't care about national interests or the stability of their own thrones.

Zhu Yijun wasn't disdainful of the art of managing subordinates; it was just that under the performance evaluation system, it wasn't necessary for the time being.

"Have you finished copying the records in the Imperial Archives, the small notebooks?" Zhu Yijun asked, recalling an old story.

In the sixteenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, he issued an edict appointing Shen Shixing as the head of the Hanlin Academy and Liang Menglong as the vice-president, to lead the academy in copying all past records so that the emperor could view them at any time.

After the Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty were completed, all past documents were burned, including the drafts made during the historical compilation process. The original and duplicate copies of the Veritable Records were used as the standard, which was considered a comprehensive assessment and final conclusion of the past.

After the historical record was completed, it was divided into an original and a copy. The original was stored in the Ancient and Modern Collection, and the copy was stored in the Wenyuan Pavilion.

In the thirteenth year of the Jiajing reign, a great fire broke out in the palace. The Daoist priest ordered the construction of the Imperial Archives and had the Hanlin scholars make a copy, which was then stored in the Imperial Archives as a backup.

Zhu Yijun was tempted to see all the previous records, so he ordered them to be copied into smaller volumes again.

Both the original and the copy are large format, making them inconvenient to read. Moreover, each time one reads them, one must bathe and burn incense, and also pay respects to one's ancestors, which is quite troublesome.

The small notebook was for easy access, but this copying also had another main purpose: to facilitate public spying.

It's risky to put all your eggs in the basket of the palace and the cabinet. When the scholars copied the veritable records, they would usually make multiple copies, either to do favors or to ask for money, and then sell them to private collectors.

When the revision of the History of Ming was completed during the Qianlong era, all the original and copies of the Veritable Records of Ming were burned. If it weren't for the corroboration between the official editions and privately made copies, the truth about many things in the Ming Dynasty would have remained unknown.

"It's all been copied. From Hongwu to Longqing, it's a total of 2,345 volumes, bound into 100 sets." Feng Bao reported the entire situation.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "Send me the Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong, one volume each morning and evening."

Ling Yunyi and Zhang Juzheng were worried that the emperor would not know how to manage his subordinates. Zhu Yijun planned to make a show of it by reading through the Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong one by one. He believed that he would naturally master the art of managing his subordinates, which would save the two prime ministers from worrying.

"Your Majesty obeys." Feng Bao bowed his head and accepted the order. His Majesty was already pressed for time, and now there was even less time. Feng Bao was a little anxious and didn't know what to do.

An hour later, Zhang Juzheng and Ling Yunyi received the emperor's vermilion rescript. Upon seeing the somewhat strange rescript, the two immediately understood that His Majesty truly understood, but simply disdained to use it.

"Last month, the governors of Yingtian and Songjiang jointly submitted a memorial requesting His Majesty to move the imperial carriage to the Huangpu River Palace. What are the opinions of the cabinet ministers?" Zhang Juzheng put down his pen and spoke about the matter of the imperial carriage staying there. If His Majesty intends to stay in Songjiang, then preparations for this matter should be made in advance.

In August, the emperor went to freeload a meal, which made his stance clear, and Zhang Juzheng also expressed his concerns.

“I think it’s a good idea.” Ling Yunyi said with a solemn expression, “This matter will have to be done sooner or later, and there is another very important reason why I agree to it. His Majesty is really too tired. Staying in Songjiang will make things easier. It is true that there have been loyal and virtuous people in the Han Dynasty, but time waits for no one. We need to give them time to grow into towering trees.”

Ling Yunyi's words were very straightforward, and all the cabinet ministers present understood them perfectly.

The donkey in the mill is just some of the nonsense Prince Lu spouted, which His Majesty laughs off. He even occasionally uses it to joke about himself while grinding grain, but it reveals the price His Majesty paid for the Wanli Reforms.

In strongman politics and authoritarian politics, the most important thing is to endure.

If all those conservatives who cling to outdated ideas are outlived, the reformers will win.

But those pedantic scholars who cling to outdated ideas and refuse to change things will have to endure it all to win. They will wait until His Majesty's energy wanes, until His Majesty becomes weary of politics, until His Majesty loses enthusiasm for the country, until His Majesty's political life is over, and then they can launch a counterattack.

No one can be wise forever; even Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song were not immune to this.

Therefore, it is very important to ensure that the emperor has a balance between work and rest, and having him stay in Songjiang Prefecture to handle official business is an action to prolong His Majesty's political life.

Although the tactic of outlasting the old men was shameless, it was effective. It wore down all the old men, leaving the court full of people who had grown up during the Wanli Reforms.

Even if we were to turn back the clock of history, it wouldn't last long, because everyone would believe that this is how it should be.

After hearing Ling Yunyi's reasons, Zhang Juzheng gritted his teeth and said, "I am against the emperor staying in the capital after the completion of the imperial road, because the situation in Shuntian Prefecture is truly beyond our control."

Zhang Juzheng felt a bit resentful.

A brilliant means to keep the Wanli Reforms going and prolong the life of the core political system was blocked by the fact that only one percent of the people in Shuntian Prefecture were willing to enlist. This made Zhang Juzheng grit his teeth in hatred.

Everything was ready except for the final push, but the appalling situation in Shuntian Prefecture made it impossible for the matter to proceed.

Upon hearing that Shuntian Prefecture was worth 100, Ling Yunyi's expression changed several times, even showing anger. But this was reality. He frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "If the imperial road is completed and I am still alive, I can stay and guard the capital; if I am already dead, then let Gao Qiyu stay and guard the capital."

"I can't solve this problem; I can only solve the people. Similarly, Gao Qiyu is a powerful minister; if used properly, he can be a sharp and effective weapon."

“After Gao Qiyu, Wang Qian could be used. Duke Wencheng paved the way for his son. Wang Qian cheated on the imperial examination, so he only had the path of becoming a minister.”

"What do you all think?" Zhang Juzheng looked at the other three cabinet ministers and asked for their opinions.

"I agree with what the Grand Secretary and the Vice Grand Secretary have said, but I still have to say, how many rebels does the Ming Dynasty have? There is no need to be overly lenient in our assessment of the enemy. His Majesty is wise and virtuous, like the sun at its zenith. How dare any demons and monsters act recklessly?" Shen Li expressed his opinion. He did not think that Ling Yunyi needed to go on a killing spree to solve the problem, because during the last southern tour, the nine-year-old Crown Prince oversaw the country and there were no troubles.

With the capital garrison at our side, who would dare to act recklessly? The Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary have somewhat underestimated the bonds between their families.

"One hundred and one percent of Shuntian Prefecture." Zhang Juzheng repeated his reasoning.

“What the Prime Minister says makes sense.” Upon hearing this, Shen Li finally sighed.

This number of 110 is really too eye-catching. No matter what decision is made, people will inevitably think of this. Suiyuan has also completed the registration and enlistment. There are as many as 140 volunteers in Suiyuan. Suiyuan is a newly opened place!

The 100% figure from Shuntian Prefecture is simply unacceptable.

“I agree. Songjiang Prefecture is a place where gold and silver converge, and Your Majesty must go there.” Zhang Xueyan, as the Grand Minister of Works, chose to agree.

"I agree." Lu Guangzu breathed a sigh of relief. He had joined the cabinet specifically for the anti-corruption campaign, so the pressure was immense, and his stance was always the same.

(End of this chapter)