I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 222 I, Lin Shisan, am willing to safeguard the lifting of the sea ban.

The term "署理" in the official taboo names of the Ming Dynasty means acting as an agent.

The Northern Garrison Commander is a position associated with three inauspicious stars.

Since Lu Yi stepped down as the Northern Garrison Commander in the first month of the 45th year of the Jiajing reign, in just two short years, four Northern Garrison Commanders have either been imprisoned, exiled, or beheaded.

The most outrageous one was eating hot pot and listening to music at home when, in a daze, a dagger appeared on his head.

The fall of the Yan faction ended the Yan-Xu factional struggle. The ensuing Gao-Xu factional struggle became even more intense.

The conflict between Yan Song and Xu Jie was merely a power struggle.

The conflict between Gao Gong and Xu Jie represents a struggle between the reformists and conservatives in the court, which touches upon the very foundations of the Ming Dynasty.

The current cabinet has five members.

Grand Secretary Xu Jie, Second Grand Secretary Li Chunfang. Cabinet members Gao Gong, Guo Pu, and Zhang Juzheng.

Of the five, Xu Jie and Guo Pu were conservatives.

Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were reformists.

Li Chunfang, on the other hand, was a nice guy who only cared about the affairs of the Hanlin Academy.

Getting back to the main point. After Feng Bao finished reading the imperial decree to Lin Shisan, Lin Shisan stood there stunned.

Feng Bao laughed and said, "Brother Lin, congratulations on your promotion! Why don't you hurry up and accept the imperial decree to express your gratitude?"

Lin Shisan kowtowed: "Your subject, Lin Shisan, accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude."

Chen Ju smiled and said, "From now on, I will respectfully address you as Commander Lin."

Lin Shisan countered, "I heard that since Commander Yang was stabbed in the head with a dagger, several commanders of the Northern Division have been fighting tooth and nail over the position of Commander."

"Why did the higher-ups appoint me, a lowly officer of a thousand households, as acting garrison commander of the Northern Garrison?"

Indeed, although the Northern Garrison Commander has been a cursed figure for the past two years, he is like a pile of stinking excrement, attracting all the vicious dogs in the Northern Garrison to fight over him.

No one can resist the temptation of power, even though power is a double-edged sword.

Lin Shisan, who was hiding in the elephant training camp and least wanted to work for the Northern Division, ended up in this position of the Three Evils.

Li Gao laughed and said, "Heh. It's all thanks to my sister speaking well of me to the Emperor and recommending you, Master, to be the acting garrison commander of the Northern Garrison."

Lin Shisan was taken aback: It was Consort Li's idea.

Previously, in order to protect himself, Lin Shisan had desperately tried to curry favor with Consort Li through Li Gao. Consort Li then treated him as one of her own.

It was common knowledge in the court and among the public that Consort Li's status in the palace almost surpassed that of Empress Chen. When Emperor Longqing encountered problems, he would first consult Consort Li, not the five Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

Since she had spoken, the position of Northern Garrison Commander naturally belonged to Lin Shisan.

Feng Bao added, "Furthermore, your Commander Zhu has issued a transfer order. Sun Yueping has been transferred to the position of Deputy Commander of the Northern Garrison. You two are in the same boat; wherever the master goes, the disciple will naturally follow."

Sun Yue cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes. My life has long belonged to my master!"

Lin Shisan subconsciously wanted to postpone his appointment: "Eunuch Feng, it's springtime, the elephant mating season. The elephant training center is very busy. Could I go to the Northern Division to take up my post in seven days?"

Feng Bao laughed and said, "Others who get promoted are all eager to take up their posts. You, on the other hand, are taking your time. Alright, seven days it is."

"I'll go and talk to Commander Zhu and Assistant Magistrate Liu."

The current commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is Zhu Xixiao, and the deputy commander is Liu Shouyou. Both of them are old acquaintances of Lin Shisan.

They were aligned with Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng in the imperial court. Therefore, the Embroidered Uniform Guard supported the reformists.

As for Meng Chong, the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently the Director of the Eastern Depot, he was on the side of Xu Jie and Guo Pu. Therefore, the Eastern Depot supported the conservative faction.

After announcing the imperial decree, Feng Bao, Chen Ju, and Li Gao left the elephant training center.

Lin Shisan sighed to Sun Yue, "Well, you can't hide forever. Our good days are over."

Lin Hu leaned closer: "Father, I don't understand. You got promoted, why do you seem unhappy?"

Lin Shisan said, "You'll understand when you grow up."

Before we knew it, it was almost evening.

Lin Shisan was about to leave when the stable master of the elephant training camp rushed in, panicking: "Master Shisan, something terrible has happened! Your chestnut horse is dead!"

Lin Shisan frowned: "How is that possible? It was lively and energetic when I rode it to the station this morning."

This chestnut horse was a gift from Qi Jiguang, the General of Jizhou, to Lin Shisan.

After the pacification of the Japanese pirates in the southeast, Qi Jiguang lost Hu Zongxian as his patron and also lost the military power of the Qi Family Army.

He was recommended by Xu Jie's students Chen Zan and Wu Shilai to "return to the capital to assist in military and political affairs." To put it bluntly, it meant returning to the capital to sit on the sidelines.

The term "assistant" is somewhat like the later saying, "A staff officer without a chief is as silent as a fart."

After arriving in Beijing, Qi Jiguang made a mistake. Eager to fight for his country, he submitted a memorial entitled "Four Matters Requesting Troops to Defeat the Enemy".

In his memorial, he actually said, "If I (Ji Guang) were given an army of 100,000, I would be able to secure the northern border of Dingshi as solid as a rock."

The ambitious aspirations expressed in his memorial were treated as a joke by the officials of the cabinet and the six ministries.

Xu Jie sarcastically remarked, "Ha, this man thinks he's Chang Yuchun. He's completely ignorant of his own limitations."

Chang Yuchun once told Emperor Taizu, "I wish to lead 100,000 troops to roam the world."

Xu Jie instructed the Ministry of War to give Qi Jiguang the position of deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion. This was a sinecure with no real power.

Qi Jiguang's backside was even colder from sitting on the sidelines.

Fortunately, Tan Lun, who had formed a life-and-death bond with Qi Jiguang on the battlefield against Japanese pirates in the southeast, was promoted to Governor-General of Jiliao.

Tan Lun was a staunch supporter of the Longqing Emperor when he was still a prince. His words carried considerable weight in the court. Tan Lun recommended Qi Jiguang to the Longqing Emperor.

At the beginning of this year, the Longqing Emperor issued an edict appointing Qi Jiguang as "General Manager of Military Affairs in Jizhou, Changping, Baoding, and Liaodong," a position equivalent to the Governor-General of Jiliao among civil officials.

The four garrison commanders were all under Qi Jiguang's command. That's not all; the old Qi family army was also transferred from the southeast to Jizhou and placed under Qi Jiguang's command.

If the imperial edict is carried out, Qi Jiguang will become the most powerful general in the nine border regions.

Before Qi Jiguang could even take up his post, things changed.

Tan Lun was a member of the reformist faction. Qi Jiguang was one of Tan Lun's men.

Qi Jiguang's rise to power was tantamount to the rise of the reformists. Therefore, Xu Jie's faction repeatedly obstructed Qi Jiguang's efforts, ultimately demoting him to the position of General of Jizhou, commanding the troops of Jizhou, Yongping, and Shanhaiguan.

That chestnut horse was a gift from Qi Jiguang to Lin Shisan before he went to Jizhou to take up his post.

Lin Shisan questioned the stable captain: "How did the chestnut horse die?"

The stable captain said tremblingly, "There's an arrow stuck in its neck vein."

Lin Shisan frowned: "What?"

He and Sun Yue rushed to the stables.

The chestnut horse lay on the ground, its blood pooling around it, and it was lifeless.

An arrow was stuck in the neck of the chestnut horse. Lin Shisan stepped forward, pulled out the arrow, and found a sheepskin scroll tied to the end of the arrow.

Lin Shisan opened the parchment scroll and saw the words "Take care of yourself" written on it. Sun Yue roared, "Damn it! Which bastard dared to bully our Thirteenth Master? I won't stand for it! If I find out, I'll skin him alive and tear out his tendons!"

Lin Shisan said, "You should rest. I just took office as the acting garrison commander of the Northern Garrison, and someone is already trying to intimidate me."

"Ha, the meaning couldn't be clearer. Those people can kill my horse, so they can kill me!"

"Fine! I've been holed up in the elephant training camp, and those people really think I'm a pushover! Sun Yue, let's not wait seven days. I'll go to the Northern Division to take up my post tomorrow!"

Sun Yue said, "Alright! Now that you've taken charge of the Northern Garrison, some people in the court are going to have trouble sleeping!"

As night fell, Lin Shisan returned to his old house in Goujibo Hutong. The new house on Fulu Street, which had been a gift from Yan Shifan and Luo Longwen, had long been abandoned by him.

Biyun is now a thirty-year-old woman, with the charm of a beautiful mature woman, as is Yun'er.

As for Lin Youniu, he is already seventy-two years old. A few years ago, due to impeachment by the censor, he had no choice but to close his ice cellar business. With nothing to do, he aged quickly and is now very old and decrepit.

During the day, Lin Youniu was confused for five out of the six hours. He was only lucid for less than one hour.

Three generations of the family sat down at the dinner table.

Lin Youniu slammed his hand on the table and started to get confused again: "You unfilial son! When are you going to be transferred to the Northern Garrison? You're such a useless piece of trash! I spent two hundred taels of silver to send you to the elephant training camp as a captain, hoping every day that you would get promoted and be transferred to the Northern Garrison."

"And you, instead of making progress, are still feeding elephants at the elephant training center!"

Lin Youniu suffers from severe dementia, and his memory is currently stuck twelve years in the past.

Lin Shisan took a sip of tea and said softly to himself, "Father, this time your wish has been fulfilled. The higher-ups have appointed me as the acting garrison commander of the Northern Garrison."

Lin Youniu's eyes lit up: "What? You've become the Northern Garrison Commander?"

"Hey, good son. They say that a child born to an old age is bound to be a dragon or a phoenix. Ever since you were little, I've told your mother that you're no ordinary child, that you're destined for great things."

"Oh, good! My son has been promoted!"

After saying that, Lin Youniu slapped himself twice across the face.

Biyun asked from the side, "Father, what are you doing?"

Lin Youniu laughed and said, "Hehe, I'm afraid I'll be blinded by phlegm."

Lin Shisan sighed, "Alas, Father, you're getting more and more confused."

Turning to Biyun, he asked, "Didn't we have the famous doctor Song Wei prescribe medicine for our father? He's been taking it for almost a month, but there's been no improvement."

Biyun said, "Mr. Song said that the old man's dementia is incurable. Even if he takes medicine for a year, the chance of being cured is less than 50%."

"You've been transferred to the Northern Garrison Command? Can you resign? I've heard that the previous four Northern Garrison Commanders didn't all end up well."

Biyun has been mingling in Beijing's high society circles for so many years, she's very well-informed.

Lin Shisan said, "Nonsense. How can I disobey the Emperor's decree? Someone in the palace wants me to be a dagger. This is my fate. I can escape for a while, but I can't escape forever."

After finishing his meal, Lin Shisan returned to his bedroom, just as he was about to hand over the grain tax to Biyun.

A commotion could be heard outside the courtyard.

Zhu Xixiao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has arrived! He is accompanied by more than twenty followers and is also escorting four people who are bound hand and foot.

Lin Shisan entered the courtyard and bowed, saying, "Manager, what brings you here?"

After Lu Bing's death, Lu Yi retired to a life of leisure. Zhu Xixiao was respectfully addressed as "Grand Manager," and Liu Shouyou was respectfully addressed as "Second Manager."

With the position of Commander-in-Chief vacant, Lin Shisan, the Northern Garrison Commander, will likely be addressed as "Third Manager" from now on.

Zhu Xixiao pointed to the four people who were tied up: "This afternoon, the imperial decree just promoted you to acting commander of the Northern Division. Tonight, someone sent these four dogs to keep watch on your house."

Zhu Xixiao angrily said, "You four, I don't care whose dogs you are. The Third Master of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not someone you can just keep an eye on."

“I know that the people behind you are of higher status than me. Therefore, I dare not kill you.”

"Although Governor Lu has passed away, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not someone you can just ride roughshod over! Come on, take him outside the courtyard and cut off one finger from each of them. Release him after cutting off his finger."

Before long, the groans of four people could be heard from outside the courtyard.

Zhu Xixiao said, "Brother Lin, shall we go inside and talk?"

Lin Shisan and Zhu Xixiao entered the main room.

Zhu Xixiao cut to the chase: "Those four dogs are all from the Eastern Depot. They were sent by Eunuch Meng."

Lin Shisan wasn't surprised at all: "Oh, it's him."

Zhu Xixiao said, "Someone asked me to pass on a few words to you. Several years ago, he helped you in Nanjing, and now it's time for you to fulfill your promise."

Lin Shisan tentatively asked, "Nanjing? Who helped me? Please remind me, Manager, who was it?"

Zhu Xixiao replied, "Master Shao."

Back then, Master Shao helped Lin Shisan uncover the Japanese pirates' intelligence network in Nanjing. The condition was that if Lin Shisan had the opportunity in the future, he would help his patron, Gao Gong.

It seems that Zhu Xixiao is here tonight on behalf of Gao Gong to win over Lin Shisan. However, since the important person's name cannot be mentioned directly, he only briefly referred to Master Shao.

Lin Shisan remained silent and did not express his opinion.

Zhu Xixiao said, "You should know perfectly well who is loyal and who is treacherous, who is honest and who is greedy in the court."

"You should have a sense of who to help."

"His Majesty has ascended the throne and is determined to reform the bureaucracy and implement new policies. However, some people are obstructing His Majesty. We, the Imperial Guards, should remove these obstacles for His Majesty."

"Liu Shouyou and I are of one mind. You need to show us whether you're of one mind or not."

"Whether you're a person or an official, you can't always be cunning. Sometimes you have to choose a side."

Lin Shisan thought for a moment, but instead of answering directly, he made a boastful statement: "Your subordinate stands on the side of the common people."

Zhu Xixiao didn't dislike the ambiguous answer: "Hmm. Lin Shisan, remember your words! Whoever does something to save the common people in the court, you must help them."

"Whoever eats the flesh and blood of the common people in the imperial court, you shall be their enemy!"

Lin Shisan cupped his hands in greeting: "Don't worry, Manager. Although I am of humble rank, I know what righteousness is."

Zhu Xixiao said, "Last year, His Majesty defied public opinion and held peace talks with the Tatars, giving them so much gold, silver and cloth. Do you know why? You are all sensible people, don't pretend to be confused."

Lin Shisan replied, "I dare to guess that His Majesty intends to implement reforms within the Ming Dynasty. He needs a stable external environment, which is why he made peace with Anda Khan."

Zhu Xixiao nodded: "A smart man! Let me give you a hint. The first step in reform is to lift the maritime ban and open up new sources of revenue for the Ming Dynasty!"

"The task that the Embroidered Uniform Guard needs to do recently is to safeguard the lifting of the maritime ban!"

Lin Shisan was taken aback: "Lift the sea ban?"

From the mid-Jiajing reign onwards, Emperor Shizong wanted to lift the maritime ban. However, he was obstructed by civil officials, and the plan was never realized until his death.

Does the current emperor have such courage to lift the sea ban?
It should be understood that Grand Secretary Xu Jie and the powerful interest group behind him will do everything in their power to prevent the opening of the sea!
This will be a momentous political upheaval.

Lin Shisan stopped pretending to be confused and stopped trying to be clever. He said solemnly, "Don't worry, Manager. I, Lin Shisan, am willing to give my life for lifting the sea ban!"

"How many loyal and righteous men died on the battlefields of fighting against the Japanese pirates in the southeast? Fighting and pacifying the Japanese pirates were merely means; the ultimate goal was to eliminate the Japanese pirate threat, secure the sea routes, and lift the maritime ban!"

"For the sake of those martyrs who sacrificed their lives, I am willing to safeguard the lifting of the sea ban!"

(End of this chapter)