My father is Jiajing

Just as Gao Gong was looking at the fallen leaves and thinking about the arrival of autumn, a voice suddenly sounded outside the door.

"Lord, Zhang Butang wants to see you."

Gao Gong's staff clerk was outside Gao Gong's study, reporting in a low voice.

When Gao Gong heard the voice, he withdrew his thoughts.

"Let him in."

Gao Gong gave an order and asked Zhang Juzheng to come.

Zhang Juzheng walked quickly into Gao Gong's study, bowed to him, and said directly: "Lord, I am back."

Gao Gong looked at Zhang Juzheng who had returned exhausted, nodded, motioned him to sit down, and then told the clerk to serve tea.

"You and Gangfeng have caused quite a stir! Nearly half of the officials and wealthy gentry in Jiangnan have been taken over by you two."

Gao Gong sighed and said this with a smile.

It was obvious that Gao Gong was no longer afraid of getting into trouble at this moment.

Because Zhang Juzheng gave him a bigger surprise!

Zhang Juzheng not only captured the Gu family, but also persuaded Xu Fan to surrender.

For Gao Gong, this is simply wonderful!
Zhang Juzheng did not dare to take credit for himself. He humbly bowed slightly to Gao Gong and said, "It is all thanks to your wise command and your support for me and Gangfeng. Otherwise, I and Gangfeng would never have been able to advance the Jiangnan case to the current stage so quickly."

Gao Gong couldn't help but laugh when he heard what Zhang Juzheng said.

In the past, Zhang Juzheng would never speak like this.

It can be seen that after this incident, Zhang Juzheng had matured a lot and learned to hide his edge.

Gao Gong asked, "Xu Fan, what are you going to do?"

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment, and finally his eyes became firm, "Let's do what we have to do."

Gao Gong laughed and said, "If that's the case, then won't you be branded as ungrateful? And who will dare to trust you with their back in the future?"

What Gao Gong said is also realistic. When being an official, besides doing work, one has to think about the issue of retreat.

If you do things to the extreme when you are an official.

When the time comes for you to retire, the only way left may be a dead end.

Zhang Juzheng listened to Gao Gong's words and said modestly, "Your Excellency is teaching me a lesson. I was reckless. Please give me some advice."

Gao Gong looked at Zhang Juzheng's attitude at this moment and felt even better.

He knew that the reason why Zhang Juzheng's attitude changed so quickly was because something major happened in the court!
Just when Zhang Juzheng was arresting all the members of the Gu family involved in the case, the court had already issued an imperial decree, announcing to the world that a ceremony would be held on the Double Ninth Festival on September 9th, the 45th year of the Jiajing reign, to officially enthrone Prince Yu as the Crown Prince in order to consolidate the foundation of the country.

Therefore, when this decree reached Jiangnan, Gao Gong's status also rose accordingly.

Everyone knows that Gao Gong is Prince Yu's most trusted gentleman.

Now that Prince Yu has been named Crown Prince, Gao Gong will naturally undergo a new qualitative change soon. He might even return to the capital and become Prince Yu. Oh no, he should be called Crown Prince now.

Maybe Gao Gong could become the most trusted minister around the prince in one leap, and thus soar to the top and become a cabinet giant second only to the prince!

Therefore, at this time, Zhang Juzheng naturally had to put himself in the right position and regard himself as a subordinate official.

Gao Gong picked up the warm tea cup beside him and took a sip, then said, "Don't worry about Xu Fan's affairs. I will write a memorial to the Crown Prince and His Majesty to explain his situation and problems. With the Crown Prince's kindness, I believe he won't make things too difficult for him. And there's no need to be caught in the middle, which is difficult to do."

Zhang Juzheng bowed to Gao Gong and said, "Your Excellency is right!"

Gao Gong looked at the scenery outside again, and at this moment he was also looking forward to the arrival of autumn.

It seems that the coming autumn is a real season of hope!

Capital.

A wisp of green smoke was rising from the bronze crane incense burner in the Wenhua Hall. The early autumn breeze had begun to blow, causing the rising smoke to sway in the air and move with the breeze.

Zhu Zaigui was sitting in the study in a side hall, holding in his hand a memorial jointly submitted by Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Hai Rui titled "A Detailed Memorial on the Whole Story of the Jiangnan Dong Case."

After reading this thick memorial, Zhu Zaigui couldn't help but let out a breath.

Zhu Zaigui did not expect that Hai Rui and Zhang Juzheng would act so quickly. In such a short period of time, they uprooted the gentry clan forces that had been entrenched in the Jiangnan region for hundreds of years without causing major turmoil.

It is really surprising!
"Prepare the carriage. I want to go to the West Garden to see His Majesty."

Zhu Zaigui put the report away again, held it in his own hand, and ordered Meng Chong to prepare a sedan chair and go to the West Garden.

After hearing Zhu Zaigui's order, Meng Chong immediately went to prepare.

Soon, a sedan chair carried by four people was ready in front of the Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Zaigui walked skillfully to the sedan chair, sat on it, and then he only needed to raise his finger slightly and the sedan chair moved.

When they arrived at the Wanshou Palace in the Western Garden, Zhu Zaigui looked at Emperor Jiajing who was meditating on a cushion and smiled cordially.

"Son greets father."

Zhu Zai's voice also brought Emperor Jiajing back to his senses from his meditation. He opened his eyes and looked at Zhu Zai, and couldn't help but chuckled, "I am also idle, and meditating is also a pastime."

Emperor Jiajing also explained his meditation to Zhu Zaigui, and seemed to be worried that Zhu Zaigui would think that he had an unrealistic desire to cultivate immortality.

Zhu Zaigui walked up to Emperor Jiajing and helped him get up from the cushion. "As long as father likes it, it's fine. Besides, meditation is also a kind of practice that is beneficial to the body and mind. Imperial Doctor Li also thinks that it will be good for father's recovery." Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "San'er still understands me!"

Zhu Zaigui helped Emperor Jiajing to sit on a soft couch nearby. At this time, Emperor Jiajing asked again, "What's wrong?"

Zhu Zaigui took out the report in his hand and said, "The matter in Jiangnan can be settled now."

When Emperor Jiajing heard this, he couldn't help but be surprised.

"Really?"

Zhu Zaigui handed the report to Emperor Jiajing and said, "Zhang Juzheng and Hai Rui split up into two groups and, with Gao Gong's tacit approval, launched a surprise investigation of several major families in Jiangnan. Not only did they find out all the problems, but they also quickly suppressed all the chaos that might have occurred. It can be said to be a complete victory!"

Emperor Jiajing flipped through the memorial handed to him by Zhu Zaigui. He read it page by page, his expression sometimes solemn, sometimes relaxed, and finally he breathed a sigh of relief.

Emperor Jiajing said: "Gao Gong and his men have done a great job! I like them very much!"

Zhu Zaigui smiled and said, "Yes, Gao Gong and his men probably didn't expect things to go so smoothly. This shows that this group of Jiangnan wealthy families that seem to be deeply rooted and like a behemoth are just strong on the outside but weak on the inside. They can't withstand any storms and have no backbone."

"We can root them out now, so that they won't expand to the point where they can't be controlled in the future, making it difficult for the imperial court to take action, and finally giving the rebels an advantage."

Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "That's right. These people have been at ease for too long. Now that Zhang Juzheng and Hai Rui have put a tight ring around their necks, it's a good thing. What are you going to do next?"

Zhu Zaigui thought for a moment and said, "I will prepare to have Mr. Gao return to Beijing. Zhang Juzheng will be promoted to Nanjing Cabinet Grand Secretary and Governor-General of Southern Zhili, responsible for the establishment of Shanghai Prefecture. Hai Rui's duties will remain unchanged and he will be appointed Left Censor-in-Chief. Yan Maoqing will concurrently serve as Director of the General Administration of Customs and Director of the Shanghai Prefecture Customs, responsible for all matters concerning the Shanghai Prefecture Maritime Customs Office."

Emperor Jiajing nodded and agreed to Zhu Zaigui's arrangement.

Although the affairs in Jiangnan have come to an end, we cannot relax yet. We still need Zhang Juzheng, Hai Rui and others to continue to strengthen the foundation and consolidate the good situation we have just achieved.

Moreover, in this new plan, the original Songjiang Prefecture was split and formed into the new Zhili Shanghai Prefecture.

The reason why the word "Zhili" was added to the name of the newly formed Shanghai Prefecture was to indicate and distinguish it from ordinary prefectures. It was an administrative unit directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, just like the current Shuntian Prefecture and Yingtian Prefecture.

Therefore, after this incident, Shuntian Prefecture, Yingtian Prefecture and the newly established Shanghai Prefecture were all added with the word "Zhili", and the rank of the prefect was also raised to the same level as the provincial governors of the thirteen provinces, all of which were "second rank"!
At the same time, Southern Zhili was divided into three parts, with Zhili Yingtian Prefecture as the center. A new Jiangsu Provincial Administration was established in the east with Suzhou Prefecture as its capital, and Xuzhou Prefecture in Shandong was demolished to form Jiangsu Province.

A new Anhui Provincial Administration was established to the west of Yingtian Prefecture in Zhili, with Luzhou Prefecture as its capital, and it governed the surrounding areas of the prefecture.

In addition, there are new administrative divisions in the capital.

Northern Zhili was split into two parts, one of which was centered on Zhili Shuntian Prefecture, managing the prefectures and counties around the capital and the Tianjin area. The other was the Hebei Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, with its capital in a small place called "Shijiazhuang" and named Changshan Prefecture.

To prevent any scandal from happening again in the future, Zhao Zilong of Changshan will become Zhao Zilong of Shijiazhuang.

Therefore, Zhu Zaigui put a lot of thought into the new administrative division.

Of course, in addition to the splitting of the two Zhili provinces, the Gansu Provincial Administration was also set up in the northwest, and the Hexi Corridor and Hetao area were brought under the jurisdiction of the Gansu Provincial Administration.

In addition, the Tatar Autonomous Region was established in the Tatar Mobei region where Anda was located. It is still nominally managed by the Anda tribe. The central court provides transportation and industrial support to help the Tatar region complete the construction of settlements and the laying of railways.

The Andada tribe was also ecstatic about this. They also felt that they had taken great advantage of the Ming Dynasty. Not only could they receive free material assistance from the Ming Dynasty, but they could also maintain a close relationship with the Ming Dynasty. It was simply a win!

However, as the designer of the new administrative division, Zhu Zaigui would certainly not allow the Tatar Autonomous Region to remain outside the administrative system of the Ming Dynasty. Sooner or later, he would arrange for Han officials to enter the Tatar Autonomous Region to take charge of the corresponding administrative work.

As for the Western Regions, after Altan made great efforts to expand westwards, the imperial court also restored the Hami Guard established during the Hongwu and Yongle periods there, and sent a small number of garrisons there to cultivate land and educate the people to adapt to the environment, laying the foundation for the future return of the Western Regions.

There is also Liaodong. The imperial court has not paid much attention to Liaodong in recent years, but Zhu Zaigui cannot favor one over the other.

Therefore, in this new round of administrative planning, Zhu Zaigui changed Jinzhou into Dalian Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of Shandong Provincial Administration.

The Nurgan Regional Military Commission was re-established north of Dalian Prefecture, responsible for the administrative and military management of the entire Liaodong region.

As for the areas further north, Zhu Zaigui also wanted to take them.

However, constrained by natural conditions and the fact that the north has been getting colder in recent years, apart from the exiles forced by the court to be sent there, no normal Han person would go to such a freezing cold place to live.

Therefore, in order to rebuild the Nurgan Regional Military Commission and supplement the population structure of Liaodong, Zhu Zaigui also ordered that anyone sentenced to exile or confiscation of property, as well as execution after the autumn, would be exiled to Liaodong and be under the jurisdiction of the Nurgan Regional Military Commission.

After arriving here, if you work hard to reclaim the land for more than ten years, you can take the imperial examination again and your past sins can be written off, but you cannot move out. Otherwise, how can the population structure of Liaodong be maintained?

In order to make people in Liaodong more spontaneous, Zhu Zaigui also consciously asked people to buy Liaodong specialties at high prices, such as sable fur, fox fur, wild ginseng, oriental pearls and other luxury items only available in Liaodong.

Driven by these interests, some adventurers would be willing to go to Liaodong alone or with their families to replenish the Liaodong population with enough Han people.

At the same time, Zhu Zaigui also issued an imperial decree to the Tatar Autonomous Region, Nurgan Regional Administration, and the newly established Gansu Provincial Administration, requiring that at least ten scholars with the qualification of Jinshi be selected in each imperial examination.

In this way, it can not only stimulate the local enthusiasm for reading, but also speed up their sinicization process, so that the people in those places can be more closely connected with the Han people in the Central Plains and become people of the same clan and origin as the Ming Dynasty!

It can be said that for the future, for this reform, Zhu Zaigui made more preparations than many emperors of previous dynasties.

Now all these things have been completed in their initial stages during the reign of Emperor Jiajing, and of course, Emperor Jiajing is extremely happy and comfortable.

After all, if these things achieve great success in the future, people in later generations will remember the word "Jiajing" firmly when reading this history!
Emperor Jiajing put down the memorial in his hand, looked at Zhu Zaigui and asked, "Xu Jie, what are you going to do?"

Zhu Zaigui thought for a moment, and then said to Emperor Jiajing: "I plan to summon him first, talk to him face to face, and see his reaction first."

Emperor Jiajing also thought about it, "Okay, you can handle this matter as you wish, but remember not to kill anyone. I still regret killing Xia Yan. If Xu Jie dies now, I don't know to what extent the court will fight in the future, which will be very detrimental to the future governance of the country."

Zhu Zaigui bowed to Emperor Jiajing and said, "Thank you for your teachings, father. I will give Xu Jie a respectable ending and let him go to Qincheng Manor in Changping to accompany Yan Song."

When Emperor Jiajing heard the name Yan Song, he immediately smiled and said, "The Qincheng Manor you built is a really good place. In the future, those retired officials who are worrying about us can be placed here for custody."

Zhu Zaigui laughed, "Father is wise! This is exactly what I was thinking."

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