Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 213 Medical Miracle
The first action of the Privy Council after it officially appeared in the Ming Dynasty was to announce the plan for the left and right commanders of the Five Military Commanderies to set up offices outside the capital.

For the local governments, they only cared about one thing: the left general of each prefecture would select 3,000 standard soldiers from the Beijing camp and send them to the local areas.

What is the difference between this and the fact that the Yongwei Battalion stayed in Zhenjiang for several months last year?
There are more people and they are permanently in the place.

With the enthronement of three marquises and five earls before them, who can bet whether they came to the place with the eyes looking forward to making meritorious deeds?
There is no doubt that Shen Yiquan's departure from the court, the establishment of the Privy Council, the strict implementation of preferential treatment and inspection of gentry in various places, and Li Zhi's appointment as a scholar of Taichang despite being impeached, all indicated that the "dark ages" in the minds of most gentry had officially arrived.

If you take a step back, you will get angrier the more you think about it, but if you don't take a step back, you may end up with blood all over the floor.

Shen Yikuan did not return to Ningbo until late August. His hometown was in Yin County, where the prefectural government was located.

As the retired Prime Minister, he became the most important elder when he returned to his hometown, so it was natural for him to come and visit.

Shen Yikuan's son Shen Taihong listened to his father's instructions and replied to each of their visiting cards one by one, using the excuse of being tired from the journey. He then arranged a time to send someone to deliver them, and when he came back, he put on a stern face in front of Shen Yikuan.

"…It's just one exam. Now that your father has retired, you can take the exam again next year."

It was because of the disagreement over last year’s examination.

Although Shen Taihong was unhappy, he still sighed when he saw his father's slightly tired expression.

If Wang Xijue’s son Wang Heng could take the exam, why couldn’t Prime Minister Shen Yikuan’s son take the exam?
After so much consideration, he still retired from the position of Prime Minister after only two years.

Shen Taihong didn't know that he was lucky. If Zhu Yijun was still in power, Shen Yiguan would have become the Prime Minister according to the procedures. In order to avoid being caught up in the turmoil caused by his son's success in the imperial examination like Zhang Juzheng, Shen Yiguan directly asked for a small official position for Shen Taihong, blocking Shen Taihong's path to the imperial examination.

Because of this incident, Shen Taihong regarded Shen Yikuan as his enemy from then on, and the relationship between father and son was almost severed.

From then on, many poems were passed down in her life, most of which were full of resentment: What tears shed on the pear clouds and turned into rain marks, half a lifetime of spring affairs is unbearable to talk about. The wandering silk is strangely unrestrained, and it breaks its soul when it encounters a branch of flowers; what is the longest strip of water brushing at the pier, I give it to my husband to hold his slender waist. Now the flowers fall and no one cares, I follow the east wind across the six bridges.

Shen Yi Guan did this because his son was actually quite talented and he was worried that his son would get a good score in the exam, which would cause him endless trouble.

When Wang Heng was admitted to high school, didn’t Wang Xijue cry out for justice in court?
Thinking about the emperor's behavior at that time, Shen Yi Guan also sighed with his son: "Your father has delayed your life for three years. But at that time...ah."

He felt that his situation was different from Wang Xijue's. At that time, the emperor still suspected him of being the mastermind behind "abusing imperial power."

After all, Shen Taihong had never experienced that before. After hearing what his father said, he softened his heart and asked, "Father sent a message to ask me to check the status of my own land and people first. Many families have come to ask about it this year, and I dare not act rashly. But as for my uncle..."

Shen Yi Guan nodded: "Now that I'm back, I'll do these things."

"Really..." Shen Taihong had been studying hard in the local area to prepare for the exam. After hearing his father's words, his face was full of worry. "The governor sent people to disturb us several times, asking if you had told the family what to do. There are many people keeping an eye on our Shen family now. Except for Huzhou and Jiaxing, which are under the supervision of the governor of Yingtian, all the prefectures and counties in Zhejiang are now..."

Shen Yi Guan looked at him and said, "What about you? I'm sure they also told you about the Imperial College. Are you going to take the entrance exam for the Imperial College, or will you take the imperial examination next year?"

Shen Taihong hesitated for a moment and replied, "The governor did try to speak well of Wang the Inspector and Xie the Supervisor, saying that the imperial examination would be fine. My son still wants to take the imperial examination, which is legitimate..."

As the son of the Prime Minister, Shen Taihong was also quite talented, so there was no need for him to study in the Imperial College for three years. If he passed the imperial examination next year, he could directly become an official.

"Then just focus on preparing for the exam." Shen Yi Guan's eyes were deep. "My father didn't reply to them. I'm afraid they are getting anxious. They want to pull you down and borrow my reputation. This matter..."

Shen Yikuan certainly knew that there would be a big change in Zhejiang.

Huzhou and Jiaxing were actually under the jurisdiction of the Yingtian governor, and the three offices of Zhejiang had to deal with two sets of governors at once.

Of course, they are still mainly focused around Zhejiang Fu'an, but I don't know what Niu Yingyuan and Wang Dewan have found out about the two breakthrough points of Huzhou and Jiaxing.

And Xie Tingzan.

"Xuejian Xie is inspecting the gentry in Ningbo?"

"After dealing with the gentlemen in Ningbo for a while, I went to Wenzhou first."

Shen Yi Guan laughed and said, "They are waiting for my father to come back. Well, go and invite your uncle and other elders first."

He was talking about his cousin, the son of Shen Yikuan's uncle Shen Mingchen.

Before Shen Mingchen passed away, he was already known as a commoner poet. The Shen family in Ningbo was quite large.

That night, the backbone of the Shen family spoke.

Although he has retired, he has retired from the position of Prime Minister after all, and he knows the emperor's thoughts and the central secrets, and is most aware of the interests.

After hearing what Shen Yi Guan said, the elders of the Shen family and Shen Yi Guan's cousin all looked grim and were silent for a while.

"Jianwu, even our Shen family is not immune?" His cousin said indignantly. "What do you mean by immune? Haven't you heard about the Shen family in Changzhou and the Wang family in Taicang?" Shen Yiguan said solemnly, "Xuejian Xie went to Wenzhou first because he knew I was on the way. When he comes back, it would be better for him to see that the Shen family has obeyed the order."

"But before..."

"I said before that we should wait and see." Shen Yi Guan sighed, "Now the result is out, isn't it? I've already gone home. Your Majesty has just turned twenty, and the decree is final. I heard that the family of Duke Binyang has taken the initiative to clear out the land and people who donated, and also surrendered and returned the stolen goods. Do I have to bear the responsibility for the unwilling gentry in the world after I beg for my bones?"

Some of their families are unwilling to do this, so they still have to do all this work.

After saying this, Shen Yi Guan looked at Shen Tai Hong with hope in his eyes: "The future will be different from the past. The children of the clan should find a way to be selected as imperial students and find a way to take the imperial examination to become officials. Taxation is related to the financial planning of the court. Your Majesty will not give in on this matter."

At night, he arranged for the clan members to act according to this principle, and the next day he went out with his son.

Dinghai, where Zhejiang Governor Liu Yuanlin was located, is also in Ningbo Prefecture, not far to the northeast of Yin County.

The Shen family replied that Shen Yi Guan was exhausted from the journey and urgently needed to rest, so they made an appointment to meet again at the end of the month.

But Shen Yikuan had just rested for one night at home when he set out again.

"He went to the southwest. The only person who is worth visiting in person upon his return is Duke of Biyang, right?"

When Liu Yuanlin heard what Chen Jingji said, his face darkened.

The Zhao family has already bowed their heads, and Shen Yi has always given them very wrong feedback.

"Governor, according to the decree of His Majesty, all post stations in various places are under the management of the imperial court and incorporated into the Privy Council. This..." Chen Jingji, the deputy post station envoy of the Zhejiang Provincial Criminal and Supervisory Office, really has a vested interest in this. "We..."

"No hurry! September is September!" Liu Yuanlin raised his hand to interrupt him, "Autumn grain will be harvested in November, why rush? The post station will be changed and it will be next year!"

But Shen Yikuan had left behind the important officials currently serving in Zhejiang, and it was four days later when he arrived in Lanxi County, Jinhua Prefecture.

He came to visit Zhao Zhigao.

Zhao Zhigao, who was paralyzed due to illness, ran away the year before last. He seemed to be dying before, but now he is still alive.

Seeing Zhao Zhigao leaning on a cane, Shen Yiguan couldn't help but smile bitterly and bowed to the ground: "Mr. Binyang, how are you? It seems that the mountains and rivers of my hometown are still nourishing. I am very happy to see that Mr. Binyang has recovered from his illness."

Zhao Zhigao looked at him with a strange expression, then chuckled and said, "If it weren't for Jianwu, I would be bedridden."

Only then did Shen Taihong understand why his father came to visit Zhao Zhigao.

"You can discuss academic matters with my nephew." Zhao Zhigao instructed his son and led Shen Yikuan to the study.

He was indeed trembling when he walked, and he was not pretending, so Shen Yikuan supported him.

Seeing the two white-haired old prime ministers enter the study together, Shen Taihong had to go somewhere else with Zhao Zhigao's son.

Inside the study, the two looked at each other in silence, then smiled bitterly together.

Shen Yi Guan certainly understood that Zhao Zhigao was just pretending at that time, but Zhao Zhigao did not hide it from him now, as if he was not afraid of Shen Yi Guan's big mouth.

"It's good to resign." Zhao Zhigao spoke first, "It's a relief to be free from official duties. I'm afraid I've lived too long."

He was right, he did live longer.

Even if I am paralyzed at home, how can I relax? Zhao Zhigao, who died in office last year, is still alive.

The two first reminisced about the past, talking about the late Xu Wenbi, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue, and then talked about the emperor emeritus and the emperor.

"...So, this means that there will really be two emperors in power on New Year's Day this year?" Zhao Zhigao was a little dazed.

Shen Yi Guan nodded, hesitated for a moment and then said, "No matter what happened that night, at the grand court meeting on New Year's Day, the emperor looked pleased and moved."

Zhao Zhigao was in a trance for a while, then shook his head and said, "Jianwu came here, what advice do you have?"

"How dare I." Shen Yi Guan became serious. "Now that His Majesty is worried about the financial situation, he must implement preferential treatment. Except for Huzhou and Jiaxing, other places in Zhejiang are dragging their feet. In the past, Duke Biyang and I were in the court, and the cabinet ministers were all from Zhejiang. Zhejiang people have become increasingly arrogant over the years, and I am afraid that Zhejiang will be in trouble. I came to visit Duke Biyang first, first because I miss him, and secondly, I want to show them. Duke Biyang, you have been threatened a lot since last year."

"...How dare they do this?"

"Although surrendering yourself will exempt you from punishment, since some things involve you and me... the court still has to save some face, that's what they rely on." Shen Yi Guan smiled bitterly, "Duke Biyang, even if you are bedridden, you have been recuperating for two years, so it's reasonable that you can speak. In this matter, only you and I can clean up the mess."

(End of this chapter)