I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 172 The Selection of the Young Wanli Emperor! Please Line Up to Apologize to the Shen Family

In the afternoon, the palace was closed.

Cao Wei, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and concurrently the Commander of the Northern Garrison, hurried towards the Wenhua Hall.

the beginning of the year.

After Shen Nian's father, Shen Yaoshan, and his father-in-law, Gu Dongyi, left the capital, it was Emperor Wanli who ordered Cao Wei to send people to protect their personal safety.

After that, news of their business dealings in the north reached the ears of the young Wanli Emperor.

Emperor Wanli greatly admired their business model of "trading goods to the north, supporting merchants, and benefiting the people," so he secretly instructed Cao Wei to help them.

Cao Wei's subordinates were also honest and helpful, always ready to lend a hand.

In local state capitals.

Even a mere captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, as long as he claims to be acting on Cao Wei's orders, is someone whose spit can create a crater.

With the Embroidered Uniform Guard making arrangements locally, the latter naturally dared not make things difficult for Yaodong Trading Company.

There are no local officials who demand bribes or accept favors, and no local unscrupulous businessmen who engage in xenophobia, fraud, or use underhanded methods.

In addition, Yaodong Trading Company has a very good reputation because it helps more small merchants and ordinary people make money.

Therefore, these eight months can be described as smooth sailing, with business springing up like mushrooms after rain, rising steadily.

Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi had already vaguely sensed that the imperial court was helping them.

But the two pretended to be confused and took advantage of this opportunity to continue to expand and strengthen their business.

As long as they do not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and as long as they can bring benefits to small merchants and ordinary people in the north, they will continue to do so.

……

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

Cao Wei cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the people on the streets are all cursing Shen Shijiang. It seems that I have been too forceful in supporting Yaodong Trading Company. Should I explain myself immediately and clear Shen Shijiang's name?"

Little Wanli shook his head slightly.

"No rush. First, compile a detailed account of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's assistance to Yaodong Trading Company, Yaodong Trading Company's assistance to local merchants, and the implementation of the 'Edict on Relief for the People and Support for Workers.' The more detailed the better. Submit it to me within three days!"

At noon, Emperor Wanli learned from Feng Bao about the incident in which Yaodong Trading Company and Shen Nian were scolded.

"I obey!"

Although Cao Wei did not know what the young Wanli Emperor was planning, the duty of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was: not to understand, but to do.

immediately.

The young Wanli Emperor added, "Order men to protect Shen Shijiang and his family. They must not be harmed in the slightest. Go now!"

"I obey!"

Cao Wei bowed deeply to the young Wanli Emperor, then walked out of the hall.

The young Wanli Emperor looked out at the clear sky outside the palace, a faint smile on his face.

"Taking advantage of this opportunity, I can punish those noisy officials who like to make a mountain out of a molehill and exaggerate things in their reports!"

……

At this moment, inside the cabinet.

Shen Shixing, a Hanlin Academy Reader, relayed the entire conversation between Shen Nian and him to Zhang Juzheng, Lü Diaoyang, and Ma Ziqiang.

Although Shen Nian did not know what Yao Dong Trading Company had done, he was absolutely certain that his father and father-in-law had not abused their power or done anything that violated the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

“My lords, I believe in Shen Shijiang. His father and father-in-law must have been wronged!” Shen Shixing said with absolute certainty.

Ma Ziqiang was surprised that Shen Shixing, who was usually reluctant to be the first to speak out, took the lead in expressing his support for Shen Nian without even asking for their opinions.

"What's your reasoning? Do you know the character of Ziheng's father and father-in-law?" Ma Ziqiang asked.

Shen Shixing straightened his chest and said, "Ziheng is not one to protect his own. He has no reason to believe his father and father-in-law, but I believe him!"

Hear this.

Zhang Juzheng, Lü Diaoyang, and Ma Ziqiang exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh.

Zhang Juzheng glanced at the stack of memorials piled up more than three feet high on his desk and said, "If Ziheng is at fault in this matter, he should be punished according to the law. If he is not at fault, no one can add any more crimes to him!"

"These memorials don't need to be drafted; let's request His Majesty to review this matter immediately!"

Both Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang nodded in agreement.

They believed in Shen Nian, believed that Shen Nian's words were true, and believed that Shen Nian's father and father-in-law must have been wronged.

Just then, a clear voice came from outside.

“What Grand Secretary Zhang said makes a lot of sense, and I second that opinion!”

Upon hearing this voice, the three cabinet ministers and Shen Shixing couldn't help but laugh.

He has such a loud voice and dares to speak at the door of the Cabinet Office.

There was no one else but Yin Zhengmao.

"Your humble servant, Yin Zhengmao, pays his respects to the three Grand Secretaries. I did not eavesdrop on purpose; it was only when I reached the door that I heard Grand Secretary Zhang utter the words that were on my mind!"

“Brother Yangshi, this duty room is also your duty room. You’ve come at the right time. Let’s meet the Emperor together!” Zhang Juzheng said, stroking his beard.

Ever since Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian dealt with the North Canal, he has regarded Shen Nian as a close friend despite their age difference.

Seeing the chorus of insults directed at Shen Nian both inside and outside the court, Yin Zhengmao came specifically to support him.

It was Shen Nian's fault, and he didn't argue.

But if it wasn't Shen Nian's fault, he would hold a grudge against anyone who impeached Shen Nian or tried to frame him.

Seeing that the four Grand Secretaries all believed in Shen Nian and were willing to protect him, Shen Shixing couldn't help but feel envious.

Shen Nian is truly unique in the court for achieving such a high level of officialdom.

immediately.

Shen Shixing then followed the four Grand Secretaries toward the Wenhua Hall.

They were not advising the young Wanli Emperor that Shen Nianruo should be punished leniently if she had made a mistake.

Instead, he hoped that the young Wanli Emperor would immediately order a thorough investigation into the matter, clarify the facts, bring the truth to light, and silence those who had groundlessly slandered Shen Nian.

In terms of personal feelings, the young Wanli Emperor might have protected Shen Nian even more than the four Grand Secretaries.

……

After a while.

The four Grand Secretaries and Shen Shixing arrived at the Wenhua Hall.

at the same time.

A large number of memorials that had not been drafted were also moved from the cabinet to the imperial desk in the Wenhua Hall.

"Your Majesty, we humbly request that Your Majesty order an immediate and thorough investigation into the rumors circulating among the people regarding the Yaodong Trading Company. It is widely believed that we are the backers of the Yaodong Trading Company, which is utter nonsense. We hope that after this matter is investigated, those who spread these baseless rumors will be severely punished!" Zhang Juzheng said loudly.

On his throne, the young Wanli Emperor immediately smiled.

“Prime Minister, I know that you are not the backers of Yaodong Trading Company, and I also know that Shen Shijiang has not provided any assistance to Yaodong Trading Company. However, Yaodong Trading Company is not without backers. Without backers, this trading company could not have developed so quickly!”

Hear this.

Zhang Juzheng and the others were taken aback, then looked up at the young Wanli Emperor.

The young Wanli Emperor laughed and said, "The Yaodong Trading Company's backer is me!"

"Do you remember that during this year's Lantern Festival, two merchants from Jiangnan filed a lawsuit against Ma Yi, the then Deputy Commander of the Northern City Garrison, accusing him of extortion and bribery, and claiming that someone was manipulating the royal selection of concubines? Afterwards, Xie Zhen, the Imperial Inspector of the Northern City, pushed the matter to the Shuntian Prefecture. During the Shuntian Prefecture's investigation, the mastermind behind the matter, the eunuch Yu Xiu from the Imperial Household Department, jumped out..."

Zhang Juzheng and the others all nodded.

They knew about this because it was because of these two Jiangnan merchants that a group of officials and eunuchs who manipulated the royal selection process were exposed.

Although they had never met the two merchants, they subconsciously believed that these two Jiangnan merchants were informants for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Those two merchants from Jiangnan are Shen Yaoshan, the father of Shen Shijiang, and Gu Dongyi, the father-in-law. They stayed in prison on the Lantern Festival to help me, and were almost beaten. But after the job was done, they asked for no reward!"

"I was deeply moved. After learning that they had gone north to do business, I ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to protect them secretly. Later, when I learned what they had done, I was even more moved!"

"They are not officials, but their contributions to the court, their efforts in implementing the new policies, and their kindness to the people far exceed those of most officials of the fifth rank and above in our dynasty!" Emperor Wanli suddenly raised his voice. Zhang Juzheng and others were greatly shocked upon hearing this.

These words can be considered the highest praise Emperor Wanli gave to the two merchants.

As the young Wanli Emperor spoke...

Feng Bao, who was standing nearby, handed over the records of what the Embroidered Uniform Guard had done to Yaodong Trading Company over the past eight months to Zhang Juzheng and others.

After Zhang Juzheng and the other four read it, they were all dumbfounded.

The purpose of Yaodong Trading Company was not to make a lot of money or to create a wealthy merchant family, but to revitalize trade in the north and reduce the drawbacks of implementing the Single Whip Law in the north.

Well known.

Commerce was prosperous in the south but weak in the north. Many officials said that the Single Whip Law was suitable for the south but not for the north because the circulation of commerce in the north was weak and there were fewer transactions of money.

Revitalizing commerce in northern China was something Zhang Juzheng had always wanted to do.

Unexpectedly, Yaodong Trading Company has already begun to put this into practice, and is doing it very well.

Based solely on this business objective, Yaodong Trading Company is stronger than more than 80% of the trading families in the Ming Dynasty.

Next.

They saw the profit-sharing model proposed by the Yaodong family, which benefited the people.

This means that the owner or manager takes 10% of the total profit, and the rest is distributed equally among the shop's employees, who are treated as friends and family.

They witnessed Yaodong Trading Company's support for countless small business owners.

This means selling goods at low prices, reducing intermediaries, stimulating market supply, and connecting small merchants, farmers, grass markets, and market fairs.

They saw a warmer care than the "Order to Relieve the People and Support the Workers".

This means providing retirement funds for shop assistants, giving low-level workers sufficient paid leave for marriage and family visits, and providing schools and apprenticeships for their children.

……

Shen Shixing was both surprised and delighted after reading it.

He never imagined that Shen Nian's father and father-in-law could do such a great thing.

Following the development model of Yaodong Trading Company, the two men made almost no profit every year, but they were able to revitalize and prosper the entire northern trade.

This is the business philosophy of "being completely selfless and dedicated to benefiting others".

No businessman would do that nowadays.

If this matter hadn't been uncovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had so many details, no one would have believed it.

The expressions on the faces of the four cabinet ministers were a mixture of surprise and admiration.

They dream of having a family like that.

If Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu's families could act in this way, the two might already be the Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary.

Emperor Wanli coughed lightly.

"How could I not support merchants who think of the court and the people like this? If all the merchants of my Ming Dynasty had such awareness, how could the Ming Dynasty not be rich and strong?"

Yin Zhengmao cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, these documents are enough to clear the name of the Shen family. Merchants all over the world should learn from Yaodong Trading Company!"

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment and said, "I do not intend to exonerate Shen Shijiang immediately. I plan to wait another three days."

Ok?
The four Grand Secretaries and Shen Shixing all looked at the young Wanli Emperor with puzzled expressions.

Emperor Wanli said with a serious expression, "In recent years, many officials in our dynasty have been fond of making a mountain out of a molehill, exaggerating trivial matters, and distorting the truth. I intend to use this matter to rectify this situation."

"I do not blame the officials for suspecting that Shen Shijiang is a hypocrite because the owner of Yaodong Trading Company is Shen Shijiang's father and father-in-law. However, some officials deliberately steered the matter toward the four Grand Secretaries, exaggerating the situation and claiming that there is an even greater backer behind them. They even went so far as to say that once Yaodong Trading Company grows bigger, Shen Shijiang will become a veritable junior Grand Secretary of the court!"

"I am very displeased with these rumors. I want to see what other rumors some officials can come up with. I want them to learn a lesson and think carefully before submitting their memorials: are they speaking the truth for the country or slandering their colleagues?"

"Prime Minister, do you think what I'm doing is appropriate?" The young Wanli Emperor looked at Zhang Juzheng, hoping to gain his approval.

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I think this is a very good move. Since the Hundred Schools of Thought began to discuss politics, some officials have been speaking without thinking, and it is indeed time to rectify this!"

"Then let's do it!" Little Wanli was very excited.

At this moment, all four cabinet ministers couldn't help but feel a certain sensation.

This move by the young Wanli Emperor is very much like Shen Nian's style; he can always find a unique perspective on things.

Zhang Juzheng and others greatly appreciated this intelligence, as long as it was used for the right purposes.

After all, it's not a good thing for an emperor to be too honest and obedient.

Emperor Longqing, for example, appeared honest and simple on the surface, but was secretly eccentric. If it weren't for Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and others supporting the court and creating an atmosphere of Longqing's revival, Emperor Longqing's short imperial career would have been utterly fruitless.

at this time.

A junior eunuch presented Shen Nian's "Self-Defense Memorial".

According to custom, when an official of the Ming Dynasty was impeached by the censors, he or she was required to write a "self-defense memorial" to explain his or her case.

After the explanation.

He might continue to work at the government office, be suspended from his post and stay at home, or be sent to the imperial prison.

Shen Nian has experienced all three of these methods.

After reading Shen Nian's "Self-Defense Memorial", the young Wanli Emperor couldn't help but laugh.

"As expected of Shen Shijiang, he claims to know nothing about the Yaodong Trading Company, but the innocent are innocent. He is certain that his father and father-in-law have not violated the laws of the Ming Dynasty and have no backing in the court, so the court can investigate them thoroughly!"

Zhang Juzheng and the others couldn't help but laugh.

With no reason to prove her innocence and speaking so arrogantly, only Shen Nian could do that.

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment and said, "Let Shen Shijiang go home and rest for three days. After three days, I will clear his name and make those who slandered him line up at his house to apologize!"

Emperor Wanli ordered Shen Nian to return home not because he was worried that Shen Nian couldn't withstand the attacks from the officials, but because he feared that Shen Nian, in a fit of anger, would berate all the officials who attacked him, thus affecting Emperor Wanli's ability to select officials who were fond of slander and distorting the truth.

……

Half an hour later.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) ordered the Imperial Guard to investigate the Yaodong Trading Company and instructed officials not to follow the popular opinion and submit unsubstantiated reports.

Unfortunately, most officials did not stop submitting memorials.

Upon learning that Shen Nian had been suspended from his post and was staying at home, an official immediately submitted a memorial stating that Shen Nian's crimes warranted immediate imprisonment in the imperial prison.

Some officials simply don't care about the truth.

They enjoy the feeling of stepping on people who are much stronger than them, and in doing so, they feel that they are more powerful than Shen Nian.

……

As dusk approached, Shen Nian was about to arrive at Masheng Hutong by horse-drawn carriage.

He discovered that a large group of people were standing at the entrance of the alley.

Because the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five City Garrison had completely protected the Shen residence, they could only stand outside the alley.

When they saw Shen Nian return home, they couldn't help but shout out.

"Shen Nian, the number one hypocrite of the Ming Dynasty!"

"The harm caused by the Yaodong Trading Company far exceeds the harm caused by the Zhang and Wang clans!"

"You are noble in public but despicable in private; you are unworthy to be an emperor's teacher!"

"You hypocrite Shen Nian, today I'll risk my life to give you a good scolding!"

……

Shen Nian opened the car window, glanced calmly at the people, and then headed towards the Shen residence with a group of Imperial Guards clearing the way.

These troublemakers.

There were writers collecting material for local tabloids, frustrated scholars seeking fame and attention, and some uninformed bystanders simply watching the spectacle...

Shen Nian didn't care at all.

These days, no one who holds an official position can escape criticism; he can simply wait for the truth to come out.

(End of this chapter)