I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 177 The Drafting Office is Established! Zhang Juzheng is About to Return Home for Mourning.

boom! boom! boom!
In front of the Meridian Gate.

The sounds of the court beatings of Wu Zhongxing and twelve others rose and fell.

Although the Imperial Guards received orders to "be lenient," even the lenient punishment of forty strokes of the cane would be enough to leave them with lacerations.

This is a beating in court.

It slapped these officials and students on the buttocks, and also on their faces.

always.

Officials who were flogged in court exhibited polarized characteristics.

Some officials felt they had suffered a great humiliation.

In addition, their performance evaluation will be severely affected, and they will be depressed for a long time, making it almost impossible for them to stand out in the future.

Another group of officials felt they were one step closer to making their mark on history.

They will become more courageous in the face of setbacks and will be even more outspoken in the future, perhaps even aspiring to become a censor.

A moment later, the execution was completed.

Wu Zhongxing and twelve others were lifted onto a flatbed cart and then taken by the Imperial Guards to a nearby place where they were treated by a physician.

This was an extra act of care from the young Wanli Emperor.

After receiving the medicine, these people had to kneel and kowtow towards the direction of the Wenhua Hall to express their gratitude for the emperor's grace.

This action perfectly reflects a saying that many officials in the Ming Dynasty held dear: "Thunder and rain, all are the emperor's grace."

……

Not long after the court flogging ended, news spread.

Zhang Juzheng's family is packing their bags, preparing to return to their hometown.

This news greatly excited countless officials in the capital who opposed the new policies or were frustrated in their careers.

They never expected that the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng would compromise so easily.

This news was confirmed to be true by many people.

Officials, clerks, and ordinary people in the capital were all speculating about the new Grand Secretary and whether the cabinet would add new ministers.

"The new Grand Secretary will either be Grand Secretary Lü or Grand Secretary Ma. Both are highly experienced and prestigious, making them the most suitable candidates. However, both are over sixty and in poor health, so I'm afraid they won't be in office for long!"

"Grand Secretary Lü resigns no less than three times a month and will never take up the position of Grand Secretary. I guess it will be Grand Secretary Ma. Also, I estimate that the cabinet will be adding a new Grand Secretary. It may be Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel, or it may be the reinstatement of Duke Fengpan (Zhang Siwei) or the former Minister of Revenue, Duke Wang Guoguang!"

Do you think it's possible for Lord Xu (Xu Jie) and Lord Gao (Gao Gong) to return to the capital?

"I think it's unlikely. Xu Gong is old, and his family are large landowners who have annexed land. If he were to preside over the land survey and the Single Whip Law, the people would probably be furious!"

"It's even more impossible for Gao Gong. If he were to enter the cabinet, I'm afraid it would stir up another bloody storm in the court. Neither the Empress Dowager nor His Majesty likes his way of doing things."

……

at this time.

Those observing this matter were unaware of Shen Nian's proposed strategy of "establishing a new drafting office".

……

The next day, everything in the court was as before.

The three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet stayed in the Wenhua Hall from morning until afternoon.

Near dusk.

The Office of Transmission informed all government offices in the capital that the morning court session would be held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony tomorrow, and no one may request leave unless they are bedridden.

It is clear.

There will be a major announcement tomorrow morning.

And this moment.

Zhang Juzheng has already made all the preparations for his return to his hometown. Once everything is done tomorrow, he will leave the capital and return home early the day after tomorrow.

He originally intended to draft a list of candidates for the position of Inspector before leaving for the young Wanli Emperor.

But then he abandoned the plan.

He felt he should relinquish control and let Lü Diaoyang, Ma Ziqiang, and others handle everything.

……

October 9th, early morning.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, civil and military officials gathered.

The young Wanli Emperor sat on his throne, while Empress Dowager Li made a rare appearance behind the curtain.

As usual.

At the start of the regular court session, the officials on duty from the Office of Transmission should read aloud the memorials.

But this time...

The officials on duty at the Office of Transmission did not step forward, nor did they have any documents in their hands.

The young Wanli Emperor looked around and remained silent.

In the blink of an eye.

Ten breaths had passed, and the young Wanli Emperor still hadn't spoken.

The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

This is a sign that the emperor is about to become angry.

None of the officials dared to move.

A few breaths later, a sigh suddenly came from the throne.

"Ugh!"

The young Wanli Emperor sighed deeply and slowly stepped down from his throne.

He descended the steps and came to the center of the civil and military officials, saying, "I...I am very sad!"

"My lord is guilty!"

All the officials shouted in unison, and then they all knelt down on the ground with a "whoosh".

This is a conditioned reflex among officials.

Whenever the emperor expressed self-reproach or self-punishment during a court assembly, the officials had to kneel down and shout: "Your subject is guilty!"

The young Wanli Emperor looked around.

"What crime have you committed? You did it for the sake of ancestral laws, for the sake of benevolence and filial piety, for the sake of the rituals and rules that have been passed down for thousands of years!"

"You have simply failed to consider my interests, failed to consider the stability of my Great Ming Dynasty, but what is more important than the laws and regulations of our ancestors, what is more important than your reputation and integrity!"

The young Wanli Emperor's sarcastic remark was even more vulgar than directly insulting them.

"Have you ever considered who will take on his responsibilities after the Grand Secretary returns home to mourn his father? Will the implementation of the performance evaluation system be relaxed as a result? Will the land surveying and the Single Whip Law be halted? Will the lack of the Grand Secretary's guidance on the northern border lead to unrest?"

"You don't consider any of these things. You only know how to oppose the mourning period, only know how to talk about ancestral laws, only know how to use the banner of etiquette and morality to force the Prime Minister to return to his hometown for mourning while a pile of problems have not been solved. If he does not return, he will be a traitor and will be infamous for ten thousand years!!"

……

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!" The civil and military officials kowtowed again and shouted in unison.

The young Wanli Emperor walked slowly towards the main gate of the Huangji Gate.

Walk and talk.

"My distress does not stem from your impeachment of the Grand Secretary or your opposition to the decision to discontinue the mourning period. Rather, it is because you have failed to offer an effective strategy that would ensure the stability of the court and the smooth implementation of the new policies even after the Grand Secretary's departure. Your memorials have not alleviated the Emperor's worries but have instead exacerbated the conflicts!"

"Do the Emperor and I not know the negative consequences of 'dismissing one's mourning leave'? But for the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the new policies, we have no other choice!"

"Now you can all rest assured!"
"The Grand Secretary, unwilling to cause chaos in the court, once again earnestly requests to return to his hometown to observe the mourning period. I also do not wish to punish more officials in court, nor do I wish to argue with you opponents any further. I have granted the Grand Secretary's request to return to his hometown tomorrow to observe the mourning period!"

Hear this.

Some officials immediately lowered their heads, some even wishing they could bury their faces inside their collars.

Then, a bright smile couldn't be suppressed on his face.

If this weren't a court assembly, they might even be laughing out loud.

It was a very worthwhile deal to force Zhang Juzheng to return to his hometown for mourning by accepting a scolding.

After finishing his tirade, the young Wanli Emperor strode back to his throne, sat down, and then softened his tone.

"Everyone get up!"

Immediately, all the civil and military officials stood up, knowing that it was time to get down to business.

The young Wanli Emperor straightened his back and said loudly, "The Grand Secretary has returned to his hometown in mourning, leaving the position of Grand Secretary vacant. I have discussed this with the three Grand Secretaries for a long time, but we still cannot find a replacement. Fortunately, Academician Shen, Chancellor Wang, and Lecturer Shen have jointly drafted a memorial that is very much to my liking. It is a good solution to the problem of 'the Grand Secretary is absent, but the new policies of the court continue as usual'!"

"Next, you will all hear what it means to share the emperor's burdens and what it means to solve problems for the court! The court needs officials who can solve problems, not those who exacerbate conflicts. Right now, Scholar Shen, Chancellor Wang, and Lecturer Shen have clearly done just that!" "Scholar Shen, why don't you recite it?"

Immediately, Shen Shixing strode forward and unfolded the document he was holding in his hand.

The officials all looked surprised.

They initially thought that the young Wanli Emperor was simply venting his anger by scolding them.

Surprisingly, there really was a good solution.

"With Grand Secretary Zhang absent, the new policies of the court continue as usual... How is this possible? There is only one Zhang Juzheng in the Ming Dynasty. No one, no matter who comes to power, can fully implement his new policies!"

One official looked puzzled and thought to himself.

Opponents disliked the new policies and Zhang Juzheng, but they had to admit that no official in the Ming Dynasty at the time had the ability to control the court like Zhang Juzheng, including the retired former Grand Secretary Xu Jie and former Grand Secretary Gao Gong.

And this moment.

Shen Yiguan, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, was spinning his brain at lightning speed.

"He wouldn't... he wouldn't directly let His Majesty rule personally, like Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu did, reviewing all the memorials himself, would he? His Majesty at present doesn't have that ability, or... he... he wouldn't want to accompany His Majesty in reviewing memorials to seize power for himself, would he!"

Shen Yiguan always regarded Shen Nian as his biggest rival in his career.

She always wanted to be better than Shen Nian.

The thought of Shen Nian being rewarded and promoted was more painful for him than being demoted or punished.

While Shen Yiguan was pondering, Shen Shixing recited the proposal to establish a new drafting office.

"The position of Grand Secretary Zhang shall be retained. A new temporary drafting office shall be established, with more than ten officials appointed to draft and review the drafts. They shall be given the power to draft drafts and shall conduct the drafting simultaneously with the drafting of drafts by the Grand Secretariat. Afterwards, the drafts shall be submitted to His Majesty for approval."

"The selection of officials for the Drafting of the Imperial Examinations shall be recommended by the Cabinet and personally selected by His Majesty. The selection shall be mainly made from the Hanlin Academy and the Six Ministries, regardless of the rank of the official or the seniority of the official, only based on their ability to participate in and discuss government affairs!"

……

"Starting tomorrow, make two identical copies of every daily memorial. One copy will be submitted to the Cabinet for drafting, and the other to the censor for drafting. After the drafting is completed, the memorials will be submitted to the Imperial Palace for approval. Once Grand Secretary Zhang returns, this temporary office will be abolished immediately!"

……

After Shen Shixing finished reading the plan, all the uninformed civil and military officials were dumbfounded.

They never expected there would be such a move!
Retaining Zhang Juzheng's position as Grand Secretary was not only an honor for him, but also an affirmation of the direction of the new policies and reforms.

There's a saying: "When people leave, the tea grows cold."

But now, Zhang Juzheng has returned to his hometown to observe the mourning period, and the young Wanli Emperor has used a newly established government office to "warm up" Zhang Juzheng's "tea".

Officials had to admit that the new drafting agency was a brilliant idea.

This can be described as a strategy that kills three birds with one stone.

It solved the problem of "the cabinet cannot be without a chief minister for a day," reducing the burden on the cabinet; it strengthened the emperor's power without adding too much burden, but instead provided more options; Zhang Juzheng's position as chief minister was retained, which prevented the new policies from being undermined and allowed them to proceed as usual.

this moment.

Some officials who were hoping for a major cabinet reshuffle and a replacement of the prime minister couldn't help but frown.

They never expected that they wouldn't need to appoint a new chief minister.

in this way.

This means that when Zhang Juzheng returns from his period of mourning, he will be able to sit directly in the position of Grand Secretary, and during his period of mourning, he will still be able to issue orders and remotely command the affairs of the court through letters.

Of course, some officials also looked excited.

Although the officials responsible for drafting proposals do not have the power of cabinet ministers, they can still enjoy the process of drafting proposals. In the past, they were all executors, but now they may become decision-makers (advisors) and have a greater chance of entering the cabinet.

Although it was just a minor post with no salary or rank, officials all wanted to become the Drafting and Reviewing Official.

"My lords, does anyone have any objections to the current strategy?"

The officials who objected looked as if they were constipated, and were completely speechless.

Replacing the Grand Secretary with a new one would be far less effective than a drafting office with multiple "political attendants".

They couldn't find any reason to object, and if they attacked Zhang Juzheng on matters of personal morality, claiming that it was against etiquette for him to retain the position of Grand Secretary, they would only receive a severe scolding from the young Wanli Emperor.

You might even get a fatal beating!

After a while.

Lü Diaoyang strode forward and declared loudly, "Your Majesty, I have no objection!"

Immediately, all the civil and military officials in the hall cupped their hands and shouted, "Your Majesty, we have no objection!"

The young Wanli Emperor nodded in satisfaction; this was the best possible outcome for him.

"Yesterday, the three Grand Secretaries and I selected eighteen candidates suitable for the position of Drafting and Reviewing Officials. After the names are read aloud, if any of you have any objections, you may raise them immediately. If you do not raise them now, you may not discuss them privately after court, nor may you submit any memorials in opposition!"

Emperor Wanli wanted to decide on the selection of officials to be drafted and investigated during the regular court session, so as to avoid further gossip among officials after the court session.

of course.

If an official violates the law or is unsuitable for the position of drafting inspector while serving as one, the young Wanli Emperor will naturally propose a replacement.

soon.

Feng Bao took out a document and began to read aloud the list of officials to be appointed as the drafting inspectors.

this moment.

Many officials were very excited, feeling just like when the results of the imperial examination were announced back then.

"Shen Shixing, Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy and Academician; Wang Xijue, Chancellor of the Imperial Academy; Wang Tang, Chancellor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites; Yang Cheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works; Li Youzi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; Fu Xizhi, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; Zhang Yue, Right Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review; Chen Jingbang, Academician of the Hanlin Academy; Shen Nian, Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy; Zhao Zhimou and Wang Jiaping, Compilers of the Hanlin Academy; Wang Daocheng, Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel..."

These eighteen people.

There were those over fifty years old, and those like Shen Nian who were not yet thirty; there were high-ranking officials of the third rank, and there were censors of the seventh rank.

Among them, the Hanlin Academy had the largest number of members.

after all.

The Hanlin Academy officials were essentially literary attendants and potential prime ministers, giving them a unique advantage in handling official affairs.

"My lords, does anyone have any objections?" the young Wanli Emperor asked loudly, looking around.

at the same time.

The three cabinet ministers, Lü Diaoyang, Ma Ziqiang, and Yin Zhengmao, all stood tall.

These eighteen people were selected by them after working late into the night with great effort. If anyone questions them, the three of them will definitely have a good debate with the other party.

“Your Majesty, I have no objection!” This time, Ma Ziqiang was the first to step forward and say.

As soon as Ma Ziqiang finished speaking, all the officials bowed and shouted, "Your Majesty, we have no objection!"

A smile appeared on the face of the young Wanli Emperor, and then he looked at Feng Bao.

"Dismiss the court!" Feng Bao shouted.

Immediately, the young Wanli Emperor and Empress Dowager Li left first, and then the officials also dispersed in an orderly manner.

……

Near dusk.

Zhang Juzheng removed his mourning clothes, put on his official robes, and went to the Wenhua Hall.

He wanted to say goodbye to the young Wanli Emperor.

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

When the young Wanli Emperor saw that Zhang Juzheng, whom he hadn't seen for only a few days, had already turned gray at the temples, his eyes reddened, and he stepped down from the throne.

"gentlemen!"

Zhang Juzheng was about to kneel down when he was helped up by the young Wanli Emperor.

"Sir, there is no need for you to kneel. Please accept my condolences. Once you have finished handling the funeral arrangements, I... I will soon order you to return to court!"

Hearing this, Zhang Juzheng felt very warm inside.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!" Zhang Juzheng's eyes also welled up with tears.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Juzheng got to the point about his visit to the Wenhua Hall.

"Your Majesty, at present, Grand Secretary Lü is indecisive, Grand Secretary Ma is cautious but lacks decisiveness, and Grand Secretary Yin is too radical but too impulsive. If a major event occurs in court and Your Majesty is unable to make a decision, you should listen to the ideas of Attendant Shen..."

"I will heed your teachings, Your Excellency!" the young Wanli Emperor said earnestly.

A moment later, Zhang Juzheng quickly left the Wenhua Hall.

The young Wanli Emperor was deeply disappointed.

He once disliked Zhang Juzheng's strictness, but the two had been together for many years, spending every day together, and their relationship was extraordinary.

In the past, the two saw each other almost every day.

Now that they are suddenly going to be separated for a long time, the young Wanli Emperor still felt a little reluctant.

(End of this chapter)