Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 243 Unveiling the Profound and Mysterious, Going with the Flow

If the North-South conflict were merely a futile exercise, the people of Jiangnan wouldn't have been so eager to join in.

These newspapers were merely shut down; there were also more cryptic and esoteric books circulating in the streets.

From the reports of local governors and inspectors, the investigations conducted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and even the rumors circulated by censors, almost everything was said to indicate how the people of the South were filled with righteous indignation and shared a common hatred for the enemy.

The proletarians felt the pain acutely and longed for the end of the corrupt practice of using taxes from the south to the north, so that each province could live its own life regardless of whether it was poor or rich.

The diners in the restaurant were talking loudly, saying how much they paid taxes to support the northerners, and that it would be reasonable for the northerners to call them "father" when they met them in the future.

The scholars in the academy have repeatedly produced astonishing works, and it is better to follow the old wisdom of the former Song Dynasty and abandon the unimportant and desolate areas, so as to avoid exploiting the south to the bone.

The reason why such opinions remained among the common people and lacked any real urgency was that the high-ranking officials in the court did not take them seriously.

But now that it's been moved to the Wenhua Hall, it naturally needs to be carefully weighed.

A gentle breeze blows, and the south immediately begins to stir with undercurrents. It's so subtle; how could it be explained by someone stirring things up?

The emperor's attitude was also very clear.

Today, we will use the case of the seditious book to clarify the dispute between the North and the South!
The ministers were lost in thought, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

At this moment, a voice sounded.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say."

Everyone looked at the sound.

Shen Shixing stepped forward from the crowd, his expression resolute, looking as if he were ready to speak out for justice.

Cai Ruxian and Luo Zun exchanged a glance and secretly gave each other a thumbs up.

The people of the South are truly heroes. Wang Zongyi, who dared to speak out against the emperor, went to the front, and Shen Gancao, who sought to mediate and compromise, immediately followed suit!

Such integrity and demeanor, arguing with reason and not fearing authority, are far beyond what those vulgar northerners like He Luowen and Ni Guangjian, who spread rumors and gossip, could ever match.

Zhu Yijun was quite surprised to see Shen Shixing taking such responsibility today.

He scrutinized Shen Shixing for a while before slowly nodding.

Upon receiving the emperor's approval, Shen Shixing immediately bowed and frankly replied, "The Grand Minister of Rites' advice and Your Majesty's counter-question are nothing more than a matter of whether the North-South conflict is brewing or being hastily provoked."

"I, your humble servant, disagree. The conflict between North and South is merely adding fuel to the fire!"

After he finished speaking, the expressions of the people in the Wenhua Hall varied.

What does Wang Zongyi mean by "urging childbirth"?
The North-South conflict is a fabrication. In reality, everyone was originally on good terms. It's just that some people are dissatisfied with the court and are stirring up trouble by bringing up some minor conflicts. Once the ban is reinstated, things will be fine again.

The emperor clearly disagreed with this statement. With a rhetorical question, he made it clear that the North-South conflict was an inherent dispute that had been brewing within the dynasty and could not be altered by outsiders, and that it had reached a point where it was imperative to deal with it.

As for Shen Ge Lao's so-called "hyperplasia," there is clearly another explanation.

The emperor seemed intrigued: "Hyperplasia? What do you mean by that?"

It must be said that the creation of new words during the Wanli reign became a trend, and even a major cultural marker of the new policies.

Shen Shixing bowed again, his expression solemn and dignified, and said, "Your Majesty, are you aware of the North-South Examination Scandal from back then?"

hiss.

The North-South Ranking Case!

Those four words truly possess a magical power; the cold air emanating from the ice bucket in the corner was almost instantly inhaled by the courtiers in the hall.

Even Zhang Juzheng and Wang Xijue, who avoided the debate and did not want to participate, turned to look at Shen Shixing.

Zhu Yijun's expression did not change much, he simply sat up straight and said, "Of course I know. When we were studying the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty,' my late father mentioned this matter."

"It was the imperial examination of the Dingchou year of Hongwu's reign. All of the fifty-one Jinshi selected, including Song Cong, were from the south, and none were from the north."

"At that time, the whole country was in uproar. The founding emperor was furious about the bias in the selection of officials, which led to a massive case..."

In the formal imperial examinations, not a single person from the North passed the Jinshi degree. How could this be acceptable?
Immediately, unsuccessful candidates began to appeal and file complaints, and soldiers and civilians in the north jointly submitted a memorial, crying and shouting in the streets, blocking the emperor's carriage to plead their cases, and more than a dozen censors in the court vied to submit memorials, humbly requesting the emperor to conduct a thorough investigation.

The world was in uproar, and the regional conflict between the North and South instantly escalated.

Finally, the Taizu Emperor, who was so shocked that he had one foot in his coffin, personally came forward.

Emperor Gao not only killed a large number of examiners, scholars, and top scholars, but also deposed all the scholars from the south in a fit of anger. Finally, he personally presided over the imperial examination and selected 61 northerners, which finally calmed the matter down.

However, this is the official statement, and although the facts are largely accurate, the wording is far too restrained and neutral.

In fact, the controversy surrounding this case is considerable.

Countless personal notes circulated among the people of Shilin.

Commentary on this matter often subtly reveals dissatisfaction with the way the Taizu Emperor handled it, as well as citing classical texts to protest the injustice. Naturally, the case should be characterized as the "Injustice of the Northern and Southern Examinations".

On the one hand, they felt aggrieved by the court's suppression of the southerners—the imperial examinations were all based on merit, so how could they be dismissed after passing the exam?

The fact that no one from the Northern University was admitted is simply because they were not as skilled as others. Perhaps the Northern University students were just inherently inferior. How dare they complain?

Does that mean that if all the successful candidates in a certain imperial examination are over thirty years old, then those scholars in their twenties can use this as an excuse to appeal? That doesn't make sense!

On the other hand, he was even more resentful that the founding emperor had executed him without giving him any instructions.

If you insist on accusing someone of cheating in the examination, where is the evidence?
Isn't it precisely because there is no evidence that they shamelessly pinned a charge of treason on the examiner?

Ultimately, it all comes down to the so-called art of mediation!

Emperor Taizu, a butcher, actually raised his sword to quell the unreasonable commotion of the northerners, slaughtering the examiners and dismissing the candidates!

What else could it be but a miscarriage of justice?!

Even in official histories, this meaning is often subtly expressed while maintaining a straightforward approach.

of course.

According to the oral traditions of the Zhu family, who emphasized the defense between the north and south, the story is quite different.

If there is a gap in academic level between the North and the South, the Zhu family has nothing to say about it—in the Jiaxu imperial examination of the 27th year of Hongwu, more than 100 people were selected, while only more than 20 were from the North. Even the Taizu Emperor admitted that this was not the case.

But three years have passed, and suddenly not a single person from the north can make the list. Isn't that a bit too illogical?
Even at this point, Emperor Taizu still harbored doubts.

Out of consideration for maintaining the balance of power in the court and suppressing public opinion, Emperor Taizu's first reaction was to try to smooth things over.

When Emperor Taizu learned of this, he immediately issued an edict ordering his court officials to review the examination papers with the top three candidates for the imperial examination to check for any cheating, and to add ten more candidates from the north.

The examiners who reviewed the papers were mostly from the south. In addition, the top three scholars (Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua) reviewed the papers again and the northern scholars were added. It can be seen that Emperor Taizu still showed some leniency and hoped that everyone would shake hands and make dumplings.

Unfortunately, it seems that this sentiment was not effectively conveyed.

Despite Emperor Taizu's explicit order to "add ten northerners," the review process lasted a month and a half, ultimately yielding an unexpected conclusion: the candidate was not in accordance with the emperor's wishes!

The examiner in charge of reviewing the papers reported back that there were no problems with the Southern examinees' exam papers!

On the contrary, the exam papers of the northerners were poor in both literature and science, and contained many taboo words. There was really no paper that could be improved!

At that time, an imperial censor submitted a memorial impeaching Liu Sanwu, saying that the chief examiner Liu Sanwu instructed the reviewer Zhang Xin to deliberately select the worst exam papers from the northerners and submit them without making any additions—"Therefore, the inferior papers were submitted, and Sanwu and others were responsible for this."

But after some debate, the examiners and reviewers insisted on the claim that the procedure was followed.

If you're not satisfied, you can have it reviewed again.

As everyone knows, the Taizu Emperor was nearing his death, but he was ultimately not a benevolent ruler who understood the proper procedures.

The old man waved his hand.

Zhang Xin and others, who were in charge of the review, were executed by slow slicing; Chen An, the original top scholar who participated in the review, was executed by dismemberment; Liu Sanwu, the chief examiner, was directly accused of treason, but was spared death due to his old age, and his entire family was exiled.

From the perspective of an emperor who governs all affairs and sets an example for all generations, killing them would be perfectly justifiable.

Evidence? Something that the three judicial authorities don't even need in their judgments, yet they're asking for it in a major political case?
It's just the lament of a loser, utterly ridiculous.

Of course, the emperor and his ministers have been vying for power, both openly and covertly, over the course of several generations, and the accounts remain evenly matched – official histories and unofficial histories are equally prevalent.

After the emperor briefly explained the situation, Shen Shixing's voice arrived as expected: "Your Majesty is learned and has a strong memory, that is indeed the case."

Zhu Yijun remained noncommittal, quietly waiting for what would follow.

"Your Majesty, Grand Minister of State Affairs, is this case a dispute between the North and the South?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zongyi's expression turned rather unpleasant. It was already called the North-South Ranking Case; what else could it be but a North-South conflict?

Shen Shih-hsing immediately brought up this case after Shen himself had just said that the North-South conflict was fabricated. Could it be that he was intentionally taking sides?

Several southerners also frowned at the same time.

Of course, there are also those who tacitly understand each other.

For example, Zhang Juzheng, who joined forces with Gao Gong to tacitly exclude Jiangxi officials after Yan Song, now looks like a statue, calm and collected, probably having a deep understanding of the intricacies of the situation.

Those who understand will understand, but Zhu Yijun, who doesn't, can only smile and ask, "I naturally see this as a conflict between the North and the South. Does Minister Shen think otherwise?"

All eyes turned to Shen Shixing.

Grand Secretary Shen straightened his posture.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Grand Secretary Shen shook his head seriously: "Your Majesty is wise. People used to say that 'the examiner Liu Sanwu was biased towards his hometown.' However, although Liu Sanwu was from the south, he was not from the same place as Chen An, Yin Changlong, and others, nor were they neighbors. They were not even from the same province. Such a statement is really far-fetched."

"Again."

"Is the so-called Southern List truly filled with scholars from all the southern provinces? Sichuan, Huguang, and Nanjing each only produced one Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), how different are they from the northerners?!"

"Jiangxi recruited 18 people, Zhejiang recruited 17 people, and Fujian recruited 9 people, with these three provinces accounting for 90% of the quota!"

Is this the division between North and South?

"The chief examiner, Liu Sanwu, is from Huguang (Hubei and Hunan provinces). How could he abandon his fellow townsmen and become the culprit behind the dominance of candidates from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian?!"

Here, "Jiangzhe" refers to Jiangxi and Zhejiang, which is also the abbreviation for official document standards today.

Shen Shixing paused, then raised his head higher and higher.

Wang Xijue and Xu Guo, who were behind him, exchanged a complicated look.

Everyone present was from Southern Zhili, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of shared experience.

The North-South List Case—I wonder which eccentric came up with such a clever name.

In recent years, the regions of Sichuan, Guangdong and Guangxi, and Hubei and Hunan, especially Southern Zhili, have been divided by region. Despite being the capital, they have not benefited at all and have been subjected to countless insults.

On the other hand, the officials from the three ministries inside the palace looked rather embarrassed.

Ignoring the glances his colleagues were giving him, Shen Shixing met the emperor's gaze and said decisively, "Your Majesty, this is not a conflict between the North and the South, but a conflict between academic cliques!"

The assembled officials in the hall were taken aback.

"Academic clique?" What an easy-to-understand neologism.

However, the underlying meaning...

Cai Ruxian and Luo Zun exchanged glances and shook their heads blankly.

On the contrary, Zhao Zhigao, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, who was standing at the end, seemed to have thought of something. He scratched his neck uneasily and muttered something to himself.

He Luowen and the other northerners frowned and lowered their heads, seemingly deep in thought.

The emperor stroked his chin, seemingly quite puzzled.

Shen Shixing bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, I have gained some insight into the leopard through compiling the 'Collected Statutes of the Great Ming,' and I would like to explain it to you in detail!"

"Liu Sanwu was a great Confucian scholar of his time, and all the major works of the court were written by him. He believed that if a piece of writing could not 'convey the Way' and 'be used in a timely manner,' it would be a useless work."

"The so-called 'Way' was the officially designated school of Neo-Confucianism at that time, namely Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism!"

"At that time, the lineage of Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi split into several schools, with the orthodox lineage falling to the Jinhua School in Zhejiang, followed by the Chongren School in Jiangxi, and even extending to Fujian, the hometown of Zhu Xi..."

At this point, someone couldn't contain themselves any longer.

Zhao Zhigao, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, felt the weather was too hot and was covered in sweat.

Before he could even step out of the ranks, he hurriedly craned his neck and shouted, "Grand Secretary Shen is mistaken! The Guan School of Shaanxi and the Hedong School of Shanxi are also orthodox schools of Neo-Confucianism!"

How can we avoid discussing regional disputes and instead veer into a battle of factions!
Shen Shixing is still a native of Suzhou and Songjiang. Instead of thinking about fighting together against the enemy, he speaks recklessly all day for the sake of a minor official position. Where does that leave Zhejiang?

However, these words were clearly spoken hastily, and Shen Shixing didn't bother to pay them any attention.

The emperor, however, once again displayed the wisdom of a Confucian master.

Zhu Yijun chuckled: "I do know a little about this matter. During the Yuan Dynasty, the Northern Geography School declined rapidly."

"For example, the Guan School has been like a rootless duckweed for a hundred years, until the present dynasty, or rather, the current head of the Ministry of Revenue, Xu Fuyuan, inherited the tradition and began to revive it."

"For example, the Hedong School in Shanxi advocated the unity of principle and qi, and was once regarded as heresy by Emperor Lizong."

"For example, the Mianchi School in Henan Province integrates Zhu Xi's philosophy and Taiji theory, and is more like Lu Jiuyuan's philosophy of mind."

"In short, when it comes to the orthodox Neo-Confucianism of that time, the Jiangnan region was naturally the leader."

Zhao Zhigao was speechless for a moment and could only retreat dejectedly.

The current head of the eight great masters of Taoism sits on the throne right now, and the school's stance, personally set by the great master, is truly beyond dispute.

Moreover, this statement is quite detailed and plausible. Although the head of the Ministry of Revenue was not allowed to attend court assemblies, the fact that he specifically named people indicates that it was not just a fabrication.

The officials from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces looked extremely grim, and could only turn their heads and glare fiercely at Shen Shixing to vent their anger.

This scoundrel is selfish and has truly forgotten his roots!
The case of the North and South Lists was originally a miscarriage of justice fabricated by Emperor Taizu. The people of the South should have just cried out for justice together. But this guy actually started to sow discord within the group for the sake of Su Song's insignificant reputation!

Shen Shixing, without even turning his head, replied: "Your Majesty is truly insightful! Precisely because of this, the North-South Examination Case is less a conflict between the North and South and more a conflict between academic cliques!"

"Even the founding emperor, Taizu Gao, began to balance the academic cliques early on, but it didn't erupt until the thirtieth year of Hongwu's reign!"

"This is especially true of the Jinhua School of thought in Zhejiang."

"Song Lian was exiled for interfering in a plot to rebel. His successor, Su Boheng, was sentenced to death for corruption. His other disciples, Hu Han, Zhang Mengjian, Zheng Tao, and Xie Su, were also sentenced to death."

"Even so, Fang Xiaoru of the Jinhua School, who had repeatedly failed the provincial examinations, was still recommended to Emperor Taizu again and again. In the fifteenth year of Hongwu, he was 'returned with courtesy' not enough. In the twenty-fifth year, the Ministry of Revenue recommended him four more times. Without exception, Emperor Taizu sent him back each time!"

Emperor Taizu sent him back several times, so his talent is almost self-evident—especially since he failed the provincial examinations at the very beginning of the dynasty, which was well known to the scholars in the Wenhua Hall.

"In the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu, the Taizu Emperor issued an edict approving that 'all officials of the Ministry of Revenue, as approved in the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu, shall not be employed by people from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, or Songjiang.' This was because the Ministry of Revenue was an independent entity at that time, recruiting people from the same clan and school while excluding outsiders, which led to its impeachment by censors."

Of course, this is a chaotic fate.

On the day of Yichou in the second month of the second year of Jianwen's reign, the new emperor immediately rectified the chaos—people from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and the Suzhou-Songjiang region were still appointed to the Ministry of Revenue.

After Uncle Si appeared, seeing that most of the martyrs from Renwu had died, he did not bring up the old story again.

"In the twenty-seventh year of the Hongwu reign, Liu Sanwu was ordered to revise Mencius and reinterpret the classics."

"In February of the 30th year of Hongwu, the first examination after the reinterpretation of the classics took place, and Liu Sanwu used this opportunity to draft a number of forbidden words."

“The three provinces are fully aware of the forbidden words, while other provinces are largely unaware. The three provinces handle this matter with ease, while countless people in other provinces have violated the prohibition. As a result, even after review and supplementation, the prohibition cannot be reversed.”

"The case of the North and South examinations has been a subject of debate for many years. No one believes that Liu Sanwu committed fraud. I believe he was not wrong. Liu Sanwu was merely adhering to orthodox academic theories and impartially reviewing the examination papers!"

The officials from the three provinces looked as if they had swallowed flies.

They were clearly talking about the case of the demonic book, but after a debate, an old case was inexplicably brought up.

Shen Shixing gave an example, but why did he have to bring up such a public case? He's not acting like a human being!
"Isn't what Grand Secretary Shen said completely fabricated?!"

"Grand Secretary Shen is probably obsessed with forming cliques and pursuing personal gain..."

Everyone was eager to get involved, looking ready to roll up their sleeves and step forward to argue their case.

Wang Xijue, Xu Guo, Yin Zhengmao, and others stepped forward in unison, standing to the left and right of Shen Shixing behind him.

At this moment, Fan Yingqi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and the Director of the Granaries, suddenly stepped forward: "Gentlemen, these are all things from the founding of the dynasty, so it's best not to take them personally. Let's get back to the present."

Everyone looked back in shock.

Fan Yingqi appeared to be an "outstanding and independent Zhejiang native who doesn't feel offended."

Then everyone remembered that because of the land survey dispute, this guy and the Dong family had their ancestral graves dug up by the villagers. Now he probably only has resentment towards his hometown!

A traitor has emerged from among the people of Zhejiang!
"cough."

A soft cough interrupted the argument, which had not yet taken off.

Zhu Yijun stopped rubbing his chin and placed his hand back on his knee.

Ignoring the discontent of the officials from the three provinces, he leaned forward and stared intently at Shen Shixing: "So, what you mean is that although the North-South conflict exists, it is a secondary contradiction, merely a facade used to cover up the main contradiction. If I were to get entangled in the North-South conflict, I would be putting the cart before the horse?"

Upon hearing the emperor's concise summary, Shen Shixing breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded emphatically, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case!"

"The North-South conflict has reignited, but at its core it's still a dispute over taxes and corvée labor!"

"The people of several provinces in the south of the Yangtze River were wealthy. Some people with ulterior motives plotted to resist the land survey. They used their place of origin to expand the scope of the survey, obscured the truth, and used newspapers to urge the issue. In a muddled way, they dragged half of the country into the conflict, which ultimately created the appearance of a North-South struggle."

"These are my heartfelt words, and I humbly request Your Majesty to consider them carefully!"

The dispute over taxes and corvée labor!

At this point, Shen Shixing's meaning was finally revealed!

The assembled officials stared at Grand Secretary Shen's retreating figure, their expressions varied.

Wang Zongyi hesitated for a moment, then silently returned to his shift.

The group of northerners frowned and pondered, realizing that the tax resistance in their hometowns had come and gone quickly and was not serious, so they were all relieved.

Wang Xijue, Xu Guo, and other officials from Fengyang and Suzhou-Songjiang showed some reluctance, but ultimately nodded in agreement.

Only a few people turned pale and were unable to control themselves.

In the first round of discussion and deliberation, Shen Shixing's conciliatory approach ultimately prevailed—Shen's actions were suspected of betraying his fellow townsmen, but no one could argue against it.

The emperor brought up the case of the "seditious books," using those outrageous statements in the newspapers to incite discontent among a group of northern court officials.

While the local gang, led by Shen Shixing, attempted to appease the situation, the intention of the group of northerners to trace the origins and carry out a large-scale massacre was almost entirely revealed.

Wang Zongyi was an honest man. Although he did not consider himself a member of the local community, he still stepped forward to try to limit the emperor's investigation to a few newspapers.

To this end, the Grand Minister of Rites even went so far as to invoke the emperor's erroneous political decision to lift the ban on newspapers, forcing the emperor to take this step back.

Unfortunately, the emperor easily deflected this move—the emperor's intention was not wrong, but Li Chunfang's execution was too ambitious.

Thus, Shen Shixing only had to take another step back.

The North-South conflict is merely a secondary contradiction derived from the primary contradiction.

The North-South Examination Case was essentially a struggle between academic cliques, while the Southern Seditious Book Case at this moment is essentially a tax dispute caused by the land survey.

Thus, the practice of using the North-South conflict to intensify criminal justice is over.

Instead, limited and precise strikes were launched against certain gentry and wealthy households who were dissatisfied with the land survey.

Judging from the reactions of Wang Xijue, Yin Zhengmao, Wang Zongyi, and other southerners, they clearly accepted Shen Ge Lao's decision to step down.

As for who falls within this category, that's an open question.

Grand Secretary Wang Xijue stepped forward: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Shen's words are reasonable."

"Such heretical books will naturally not escape the law, and punishing them according to the law is only the proper course of action."

"However, as the saying goes, an army must have a just cause. If they use seditious books to incite conflict between the North and South and carry out large-scale criminal trials, and then double the punishments when the imperial edict reaches the local areas, I'm afraid that the common people and scholars who complain will also be implicated. This would just be what the villains want!"

"We might as well follow Elder Shen's suggestion and interrogate only a few newspapers to find out the powerful figures behind them who are interfering in major policies."

The innocent people who were instigated were undoubtedly innocent, the small landowners who complained were understandable, and the scholars who wrote the seditious book were barely forgivable.

We must strike hard against the powerful right-wing figures behind the scenes who are obstructing the Qing Dynasty's land survey!

Of course, whether that's the truth or not is not important.

Taking advantage of this major campaign, it would be most pragmatic to eliminate the powerful and influential, and remove the obstacles to the land survey.

Unfortunately.

This doesn't seem to have scratched the emperor's itch.

After hearing this, the emperor pondered for a long time on his throne, but still remained silent.

As the emperor murmured intermittently, the hearts of the courtiers in the hall tightened.

Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with undisguised fear. Could it be that because of these newspaper rumors, the emperor had truly developed a prejudice against the Southerners?
The atmosphere inside the Wenhua Hall grew increasingly tense.

I do not know how long it has been.

Zhu Yijun finally spoke, beaming with praise: "Secondary contradictions are always rooted in primary contradictions. Your idea is correct, and your reasoning is sound. Shen Qing has clearly grasped the theory of contradiction in Neo-Confucianism."

Civil officials have never lacked the ability to debate classics; it just depends on what they regard as the classics.

If the official school were to adopt the Cheng-Zhu school, then the Golden Palace would be a place to rigidly adhere to the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues; if the official school were to adopt the Lu-Wang school, then the Wenhua Hall would be a place for self-realization; and once the doctrines of the Eight Great Masters were established, then the discourse on morality and reason would become an essential foundation for high-ranking officials.

Shen Shixing is in his prime, and he is an outstanding student of classical texts.

The North-South Examination Case was essentially a struggle between academic cliques and scholars.

Whether it's the clues found in historical records or the hasty speculations made to deal with the current situation, they are all more profound than regional disputes.

Tenants in the south remained propertyless, while powerful local lords in the north still wielded immense influence.

This is the big difference between horizontal and vertical.

Lead and stretch.

The debate over which capital should be established in the north or south, and the tacit suppression of Jiangxi people by the cabinet after Yan Song, were all struggles for political resources.

The suspension of the Sino-French trade during the Xiaomiao era, the opening of the sea route during the Longqing era, the salt administration during the Wanli era, and even the land survey at this time, were all essentially disputes over the distribution of taxes.

All these issues, in essence, do not stem from regional differences; they are merely manifestations of geopolitical conflicts.

After Shen Shixing's analysis to this extent, Zhu Yijun couldn't help but offer his high praise.

However, there were some ominous signs.

Although the emperor gave his approval, the expressions of the courtiers were not very pleasant.

Because it begins with such a statement, a turning point will inevitably follow.

as predicted.

"but……"

Zhu Yijun seemed to be deep in thought, and then spoke again: "Nowadays, the study of Neo-Confucianism is changing rapidly, and Shen Qing is still somewhat behind."

"Last summer, Yuan Hongyu wrote a new article pointing out Li Zhi's mistakes, one of which was..."

"When conditions are sufficient, the principal contradiction and the secondary contradiction can transform into each other."

"While the North-South conflict is rooted in the distribution of interests, in the process of development and change, there are probably signs that the North has taken the lead."

The emperor's relentless pursuit is truly frightening!

Cai Ruxian, Zhao Zhigao, and their group all turned pale.

Even Wang Guoguang from Shanxi, who was not involved, couldn't help but offer his advice: "Your Majesty's argument may lead to the division of the country!"

Many things have a completely different meaning when spoken by the emperor.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun turned to look at Wang Guoguang.

He gently shook his head and softened his tone, saying, "Shen Qing's reasoning can explain the causes of the North-South conflict, but it is really not enough to serve as a basis for governance."

Zhu Yijun paused for a moment: "Shen Qing said that the North-South Examination Case was not a conflict between the North and South, but a conflict between academic cliques. I can't find any fault with that."

"To put it bluntly, Liu Ji, Ye Chen, Zhang Yi, and the four gentlemen of Zhejiang East led by Song Lian were recognized as forming cliques based on their regions. They once rivaled Li Shanchang, Xu Da, Tang He, and others from Huaixi. With these literary figures leading the way, it's not surprising that the North-South Examination Case came to light."

"But what about what happened after that?"

"In the first year of the Hongxi reign, two separate examinations were set up, one for the north and one for the south, to select scholars from different regions. The southern examinations accounted for 60% of the total score, while the northern examinations accounted for 40%."

"After the Xuande period, the three volumes of Southern, Northern and Central were revised; at the beginning of the Jingtai period, they were all abolished, but were soon restored."

"In the twenty-second year of the Chenghua reign, the Grand Secretary Wan An and the Minister of Rites Zhou Hongmo were both from Sichuan. Out of consideration for their hometown, they reduced the number of candidates from the Southern and Northern sections by two and moved them to the Central section, which was under the jurisdiction of Sichuan."

"In the second year of the Hongzhi reign, the old system was restored."

"In the third year of Zhengde's reign, Liu Jin, a eunuch from Shaanxi, ordered the selection of 150 people each from the north and south. Liu Jin was executed, and his previous position was soon restored."

"Shen Qing, the struggle for promotion in the examination system has lasted for a century, and it continues to this day. Could it also be a struggle between academic cliques?"

Faced with the emperor's detailed and detailed list, Shen Shixing was speechless.

The examination scandal was ultimately classified as a North-South ranking scandal, making it difficult to avoid escalating into a regional conflict.

The emperor, perhaps deeply moved, sighed: "Too many people have harbored hatred for a century, not for profit, but simply to save face."

The principal contradiction and the secondary contradiction are mutually transformable.

Spending all day chanting in the Wenhua Hall, "Ah, the North-South conflict is essentially a class contradiction; don't put the cart before the horse," will not solve the problem at all.

It is quite common for geopolitical conflicts to escalate into major political conflicts due to historical feuds.

In this situation, the tried-and-true benefit analysis immediately becomes ineffective.

Zhu Yijun glanced at the newspaper beside him and almost mistook the name for the "Mother-Killing News" at first glance. Of course, the name didn't matter, it was just like any other newspaper.

It is perfectly legitimate and reasonable for the Southern Daily to publish a newspaper titled "I, a Northerner," but if He Luowen were to tell jokes about Southerners or create some Southern-style games, that would be a heinous act.

Despite Wang Zongyi's nice words, he genuinely ignored the former, yet he was the first to step forward and advise He Luowen against the North-South divide when He Luowen retorted.

Interests lead to conflicts, conflicts breed hatred, hatred separates identities, and identities unite forces.

No matter how much one looks down on a certain type of conflict, once both sides identify themselves as friend or foe and begin to pool their strength, it becomes a conflict that cannot be ignored in this time and place.

After pooling their strength, conflict became inevitable, and things had escalated to the point where people were openly clamoring for the Southern Dynasty over the Northern Dynasty in the newspapers.

Each time someone tried to mediate in the Wenhua Hall, it only allowed the conflict to escalate further.

Zhu Yijun's gaze swept over the assembled officials in the hall. He slowly closed his eyes and leaned back on his throne: "There are too many people fighting for their pride."

"Wang Ao, the Minister of Personnel during the Chenghua era, served seven dynasties and assisted six emperors. He was known for his indifference to desires and his lofty and aloof character."

Even the Emperor Yingzong respectfully addressed him as "Old Wang," which shows his prestige.

“Even such a person, since taking charge of the Ministry of Personnel, has intentionally or unintentionally ‘disliked southerners and attracted more northerners.’”

"What kind of struggle for interests is this all about? Isn't it just about saving face?"

When Yao Kui took over the Ministry of Personnel, he immediately and openly declared that he "always rebelled against Wang Ao" and blatantly "favored the people of the south".

"So angry that court officials secretly carved poems of hatred on the balustrade outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, such as 'Cut off Yao Kui's head and offer it as a sacrifice at Wang Ao's tomb,' wasn't it all for the sake of venting their anger?"

"Jiao Fang went even further, not hesitating to collude with the eunuch Liu Jin in order to vent his anger."

“He would often say that ‘people from Jiangxi should not be misused in the future.’ Not only was he pleased every time a southerner was dismissed, but even when discussing ancient people, he would always criticize the south and praise the north. He even openly declared that he would personally kill Peng Hua, a Grand Secretary from Jiangxi, outside the Thousand Steps Corridor.”

"Even just now, you gentlemen were openly arguing in court about the division between North and South. Wasn't that because you were harboring resentment?"

Zhu Yijun didn't want to go into too much detail.

The division between East and West since the Three Dynasties, and the transition to the competitive landscape between North and South, are too far-reaching in their vision. The southward shift of the economic center since the Yongjia migration is not something that can be explained overnight.

In particular, geographical location determines resource endowment, which in turn rises to real-world contradictions, even in areas that modern learning has not yet addressed.

Instead of explaining to court officials that the struggle for interests is rooted in geography, it's better to put it simply.

Using a variety of examples, it is shown that regional disputes are a common and widespread trend of thought—even if they are secondary contradictions, they have now developed into major contradictions that cannot be ignored.

In summary.

This case involving the seditious book must escalate to the point of a North-South conflict; no amount of mediation will work! That's what the Emperor said!

The officials from the south, seeing the emperor's unwavering stance, all fell silent.

Shen Shixing felt a tightness in his chest.

He turned to look at Wang Xijue, who looked back at him with a serious expression, equally at a loss for what to do.

Shen Shixing silently turned his head and focused his gaze on Zhang Juzheng.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister was unusually silent today. Even at this point, he remained like a statue, standing at the head of the left wing without uttering a word.

When his plea for help went unanswered, Shen Shixing instinctively turned around and saw only the eager anticipation of Cai Ruxian and the others.

Shen Shixing felt increasingly helpless.

In utter desperation, he had no choice but to raise his tablet and bow again: "Your Majesty! It is easy to defeat the bandits in the mountains, but difficult to defeat the bandits in one's heart."

"The case of the 'seditious book' can be easily investigated, but the anger of the people on both the north and south that Your Majesty spoke of will be difficult to erase in a short time."

"Your Majesty clearly shows you!"

Wang Zongyi suggested stopping at the newspaper office, but the emperor resolutely rejected the suggestion.

He and Wang Xijue made some concessions, and the emperor used the powerful right-hand man to sacrifice to the flag, but the emperor was still not satisfied.

So what should be done? What exactly does the emperor want to achieve with the case of the seditious book?
Is it going to affect Southern Zhili? But the groundwork was already laid on the silk table of the six counties, there's no need for such a fuss.

So, the quota for Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from the North and South is to be changed?

Or should we restore the ancestral system of Hongwu, which prohibits the Ministry of Revenue from accepting people from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Songjiang?

Or is it to formalize the tacit understanding in the cabinet not to promote people from Jiangxi?
It's not like we have to follow Zhu Yuanzhang's example and lead the officials of the northern border to trample on the south before we'll be satisfied.
Think of this.

Shen Shixing subconsciously looked up at the emperor, trying to glean some information from his expression.

But the emperor looked on with amusement and nodded calmly: "It is easy to defeat the bandits in the mountains, but difficult to defeat the bandits in one's heart... Shen Qing's words are invaluable!"

"Since I ascended the throne, although I have lived in seclusion in the north, I have treated the people of the south equally. Even so, I am now the ruler of the Northern Dynasty as recorded in the demonic book."

"Furthermore, whether it is pursuing illegal newspapers or arresting powerful figures behind the scenes, I'm afraid it will not only fail to quell the anger over the North-South conflict, but will also become evidence of my crimes as the ruler of the Northern Dynasty in harming the people of the Southern Border, adding fuel to the fire."

"With my two sons in such a state of conflict, what can this immoral old man like me do?"

Shen Shixing stared blankly at the emperor's expression, a bad premonition suddenly rising in his heart.

What does it mean to live in a cramped place in the north...?

He suddenly looked up at Zhang Juzheng, Zhu Xixiao and others who had just been reinstated that day!

Why did the emperor, contrary to his usual behavior, suddenly issue an urgent summons for Zhang Juzheng to return to the capital?

Why did you start working day and night, even scheduling all the major and minor affairs of the inner and outer courts until next year?
Why do we keep fixating on the North-South divide?

Shen Li, who was originally scheduled to inspect the fields south of the Yangtze River, was redirected to Henan. Zhu Xixiao, the Duke of Cheng, who had been silent for six years, returned to the imperial court. Hai Rui was summoned back to the capital. Yin Shidan, who was entangled with the peasant uprising in Shandong, was not even given a warning.

A series of political matters flashed through my mind.

Shen Shixing's thoughts were chaotic and churning.

Unbeknownst to him, he had somehow connected all the illogical clues from the past few days!

A flash of inspiration!
He was suddenly startled! He looked up in astonishment at the throne, wondering if the emperor intended to...

Shen Shixing's pale lips seemed to tremble or move slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

Unfortunately, before Shen Shixing could stop the emperor from speaking, the granary governor Fan Yingqi had already spoken first.

"The case of the seditious book has stirred up resentment in both the north and south, shaking the very foundation of the nation. We must be extremely cautious! Now that things have come to this, I dare to..."

Fan Yingqi stepped forward, prostrated himself on the ground, and loudly proclaimed, "I dare to request Your Majesty to make a southern tour to quell the disputes and stop the fighting!"

Inside the Wenhua Hall, a sudden silence fell.

No one had time to react; their minds were completely blank.

What's south?
What patrol?

What Southern Tour?!

Only Zhu Yijun slowly stood up from his throne and let out a long sigh: "Alas, so be it. I have been guarding the north for twenty years and have never set foot in the south."

The words and phrases were rehearsed as if they were spoken, and they went straight to the point!

As the emperor spoke, he turned from behind his desk and strode toward the side hall.

Zhu Yijun, with his back to the assembled officials, waved his hand and said, "In August, once the imperial heir is born, I will take a trip to Jiangnan!"

Without giving anyone a chance to react, the emperor disappeared from the Wenhua Hall after uttering those words.

"That's settled then. Court is adjourned."

Only faint echoes lingered in the ears of the bewildered and speechless courtiers.

(End of this chapter)