I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 180 A Model Official! Grand Secretary Yin's Highlight Moment
November 11th, near noon.

Northeast of Daming Gate, the Ministry of Revenue's office, inner hall.

Yin Zhengmao was very excited after receiving the secret order from Emperor Wanli to arrest the illegal minting gang in Shuntian Prefecture.

This is a great opportunity to return to the cabinet.

Having fought against Japanese pirates, eradicated bandits, and beheaded people along the Grand Canal, doing this kind of thing was a piece of cake for him.

Immediately.

He then summoned several trusted confidants from the Ministry of Revenue to begin investigating the minting and trading locations of those illegal coin-minting gangs.

As long as the investigation is discreet enough.

He believed he could completely wipe out all those money dealers.

Yin Zhengmao took this matter very seriously.

He wanted to set an example so that in the future, troublesome cases of collusion between officials and businessmen in various prefectures and cities could be resolved through "investigation and arrest in other locations".

Also.

Emperor Wanli instructed someone to specifically remind Yin Zhengmao that it was Shen Nian who recommended him for this task.

If this were Yin Zhengmao during the Longqing era, he would have already brought a carriage full of lavish gifts to the Shen residence.

Yin Zhengmao was very grateful to Shen Nian.

Without Shen Nian, he might already be retired at home.

Also.

He also knew that the young Wanli Emperor's reminder was quite meaningful.

Emperor Wanli had always wanted to promote Shen Nian so that he could take on more political responsibilities.

Early next year.

Shen Nian would then be very likely to be promoted to the rank of Fifth Grade Attendant Scholar or Attendant Lecturer.

Once promoted to this position, any subsequent job changes would depend entirely on the appointments made by the young Wanli Emperor.

Shen Nian's next step will definitely be to concurrently serve as a vice minister in one of the six ministries.

He rose to the rank of a third-grade official.

Emperor Wanli hoped that Shen Nian would serve as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and that Yin Zhengmao would need to submit a memorial to the throne to discuss this matter.

Yin Zhengmao, having received this favor, will surely help Shen Nian in the future.

……

November 13th, afternoon.

Yin Zhengmao's confidants uncovered the hideout of a counterfeit money ring operating in Shuntian Prefecture.

There are five in total.

One of them was even in the Wanshan Temple in Beijuxianfang, within the capital city.

Wanshan Temple was very close to Dongzhimen, so if there was any disturbance, this group of people would flee the city.

They dared to set up their hideout in the capital.

One reason is that copper coins circulate more frequently as the year draws to a close, making it more convenient to sell stolen goods directly within the city.

On the other hand, they felt they had taken care of everything and that the imperial court had no chance of catching them.

After discussing with his trusted confidants from the Ministry of Revenue and three centurions from the Beijing Garrison, Yin Zhengmao decided to destroy the five hideouts at dawn the next day.

The reason for choosing the fifth watch of the night is...

This is because these "money thieves" basically minted coins at night, and the early morning hours were when they were most tired and relaxed.

Yin Zhengmao prepared to personally lead a team to the hideout located at Wanshan Temple.

……

child time.

The backyard of the Ministry of Revenue was brightly lit, and the sound of "hohohoho" could be heard from time to time.

Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue in charge of the four outposts outside the city, knew that Yin Zhengmao was in the backyard, so he immediately walked over quickly.

then.

He then saw Yin Zhengmao sitting in the courtyard, sharpening a long knife with a handle five inches long and a blade three feet long.

"Minister Yin...Minister Yin, you...you can command from a distance. You're not planning to personally rush in and apprehend the thieves, are you? You...you...you're already sixty-five years old!"

Yin Zhengmao patted his chest.

"So what if I'm sixty-five? I can still take on three young people with no fighting experience!" Yin Zhengmao said confidently.

"Once this matter is successfully completed, I will make sure that all the officials in the court know that I, Yin Zhengmao, am worthy of returning to the cabinet!"

Li Youzi couldn't help but smile helplessly, and said, "Minister, you're really going all out!"

Yin Zhengmao is full of enthusiasm for returning to the cabinet, and if he tries to persuade him again, the latter may get angry.

He immediately stopped trying to persuade him.

Instead, he went to the front yard to remind Yin Zhengmao's entourage to protect Yin Zhengmao.

……

It was nearly dawn, but the sky was still very dark.

Yin Zhengmao, along with clerks from the Ministry of Revenue and soldiers from the Beijing Garrison, totaling more than one hundred people, had arrived at Wanshan Temple.

There is a secluded courtyard in the backyard of Wanshan Temple.

The courtyard contains a vegetable garden and three large tile-roofed houses, and inside the tile-roofed houses is a secret underground room.

The illegal minting operation was located in a secret underground room, where about a dozen people worked.

The abbot of Wanshan Temple could not possibly be unaware of this matter; the two sides must have reached some kind of cooperation agreement.

Once this den is dismantled, the Shuntian Prefecture and the Five Cities Military Command will deal with these people.

Swish!
With a wave of his hand, Yin Zhengmao sent a soldier to quickly scale the wall and open the back door of the temple.

As long as the secluded courtyard in the back is surrounded, none of the money thieves inside will be able to escape.

Soon, Yin Zhengmao led his men into the secluded courtyard.

The soldiers quickly subdued the thieves guarding the three large brick houses. Then, as soon as they opened the entrance to the secret room of one of the large brick houses, they triggered the copper bell at the entrance.

Ding!Ding!Ding!
The copper bell made a crisp sound.

Yin Zhengmao, holding a long sword, shouted, "Don't stay at the entrance!"

As soon as Yin Zhengmao finished speaking, the soldiers moved back.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Suddenly, several arrows flew out from inside, and then two burly men wielding broadswords suddenly emerged from the entrance and began fighting with the soldiers inside.

at the same time.

Thieves kept emerging, their weapons either bows and arrows or broadswords.

Their fighting ability was no match for the soldiers of the Beijing garrison; they were captured almost as soon as they came up.

at this time.

Thieves emerged from another room, and one of them suddenly threw a bag of copper coins at the soldiers before fleeing in a frenzy.

“Block the other tile-roofed house too!” Yin Zhengmao said. Such a secret room is usually not designed with only one entrance, but it is impossible to dig a passage out of this small courtyard and out of the temple, because the amount of work is too huge.

Yin Zhengmao looked around and suddenly turned his gaze to a well against the wall on the west side of the courtyard.

The entrance to a secret room can be designed inside the room.

In the courtyard, this well is also a very likely entrance and exit.

Yin Zhengmao, holding a long knife, was just about to check if the well was dry.

Something sparking suddenly emerged from the well.

"It's gunpowder!" a soldier shouted.

Then at that moment, several soldiers almost simultaneously pounced on Yin Zhengmao.

If Yin Zhengmao were killed in the explosion here, they would be sentenced to death and their families to exile. If they were to save Yin Zhengmao and die in the process, at least their families would receive a decent amount of compensation.

"boom!"

The gunpowder exploded, releasing thick white smoke.

However, its destructive power is very limited, and it is most likely an improvement on the gunpowder used in fireworks and firecrackers.

"Cough cough..."

Everyone coughed from the thick smoke, and then retreated with Yin Zhengmao.

Just then, a man in black suddenly emerged from the well.

Swish!
He held a long hook with a rope in his hand, and with a forceful swing, he threw it onto a tree outside the wall.

He tried to escape by climbing over the wall.

this moment.

While the soldiers in the courtyard were still in a daze, Yin Zhengmao suddenly rushed over with a long sword in hand.

Just as the man in black climbed onto the wall and was about to jump over, Yin Zhengmao suddenly swung his long sword.

boom!
Yin Zhengmao held the long sword in both hands and suddenly leaped up. Although he didn't leap very high, the height was still sufficient.

boom!
He struck the man in black hard on the back with the back of his knife.

The man in black screamed and fell from the wall, crashing to the ground.

If Yin Zhengmao had used a blade, he could have cut him in half at the waist, but he needed to interrogate him, so he didn't kill him.

Immediately, a group of soldiers tied him up.

Panting heavily, Yin Zhengmao rubbed his aching back and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "It seems like I twisted my waist!"

The clerks from the Ministry of Revenue who witnessed this scene were all quite astonished.

It is truly unbelievable that a 65-year-old man in a high position could make such a move.

About a quarter of an hour later.

All the criminals in the hideout were captured, and the casting furnace, molds, and other equipment in the secret room were all taken out.

The remaining trivial matters will need to be handled by Shuntian Prefecture and the Five Cities Military Command.

at the same time.

The money thieves from the other four dens were also all arrested.

The casting furnace, molds, and other tools used in the crime were all captured. These things cannot be made in a short time. This measure is very useful in curbing the proliferation of counterfeit money.

……

As the sun rose, Yin Zhengmao finished his task, headed home, and then went to check on his twisted old back.

soon.

The news that Yin Zhengmao, acting on a secret decree from the young Wanli Emperor, led clerks from the Ministry of Revenue and soldiers from the Beijing Garrison to bust several counterfeit coin production sites spread throughout various government offices.

Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, quickly drafted a memorial to the court, reporting the details of the incident.

The story of Yin Zhengmao's fatal blow deserves to be written about in great detail.

This move was a slap in the face to the Imperial Guard, the Shuntian Prefecture, and the Five Cities Garrison.

They spent more than three months without capturing a single casting furnace or mold, while Yin Zhengmao wiped out the entire counterfeit coin gang in Shuntian Prefecture in just three days.

After examining his back injury and applying a plaster, Yin Zhengmao did not go home to rest.

Instead, they returned directly to the Ministry of Revenue.

He wrote a memorial to the throne on how to rectify the collusion between officials and merchants.

For example, this method can be used to track down individuals involved in gambling, counterfeiting, forging weapons, or trafficking women in other locations.

……

On November 15th, the regular court assembly was held at the Huangji Gate.

Emperor Wanli ordered officials from the Office of Transmission to first read aloud the story of Yin Zhengmao's pursuit of the money thief, and then recite the memorial submitted by Yin Zhengmao.

"My lords, what does it mean to share the emperor's burdens, what does it mean to solve problems for the court? Grand Secretary Yin is a prime example... At the age of sixty-five, he still has the strength to personally catch thieves with a long sword. What the court lacks is precisely this kind of highly capable official..."

"Today, we should all learn from Grand Secretary Yin. He is a warrior of the court and a hero who resolved this matter!"

"I reiterate that if any government office fails to implement the memorials I have approved in the future and dares not report them, I will severely punish them if the Cabinet and the Drafting Office discover this!"

……

Regular meetings.

It turned into a commendation ceremony for Yin Zhengmao.

Emperor Wanli praised Yin Zhengmao for more than a quarter of an hour before leaving the court.

After the court session ended, the officials were in perfect harmony.

They all returned to their offices to draft memorials "earnestly requesting Yin Zhengmao to return to the cabinet and participate in state affairs again."

Some officials believed that Yin Zhengmao was "performing," but almost no one in the court dared to perform such a performance of rushing forward with a knife to catch thieves.

Yin Zhengmao completely disregarded his life in order to get into the cabinet.

This kind of dedication and achievement is something that more than 90% of the officials in the imperial court could not do.

Even those who disliked Yin Zhengmao dared not fail to write memorials praising him.

I won't write it.

This was clearly going against the emperor's wishes.

Everyone knows that the young Wanli Emperor wants Yin Zhengmao to return to the cabinet, and everyone knows that the current cabinet needs Yin Zhengmao!

The young Wanli Emperor greatly enjoyed the feeling that "I am not a dictator; I listen to the opinions of my ministers, and their opinions are exactly what I think."

This is the sense of accomplishment one can gain from being an emperor.

The mastermind behind this was Shen Nian.

That evening, he was summoned by the three Grand Secretaries and had a banquet in the Grand Secretariat, a gift from the young Wanli Emperor.

Unknowingly.

He has already earned the right to dine with cabinet ministers.

(End of this chapter)