I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 181 Heartless Winter Clothes! Qi Jiguang Returns to Beijing to Report and File a Complaint
November 17th.

Yin Zhengmao returned to the cabinet and regained his right to participate in state affairs. Wang Guoguang, the newly reinstated Minister of Personnel, also officially took office at the Ministry of Personnel.

With the help of the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the officials in charge of drafting the bills have made significant progress.

Although it still couldn't match the efficiency of Zhang Juzheng's administration, the young Wanli Emperor was very satisfied.

Near noon.

The sky was overcast, with leaden clouds hanging low.

Before long, a heavy snowfall swept across the entire capital.

Snowflakes fell like goose feathers, growing denser and denser, and in an instant, rooftops, streets, trees, and other structures were all covered in a blanket of white.

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

Emperor Wanli was reviewing memorials, with Feng Bao standing on his left and Shen Nian, as the recorder of the emperor's daily activities, standing on his right.

Several junior eunuchs were busy adding red charcoal baskets, reserved for the imperial court and cabinet, to the braziers in the hall.

As the outside grew colder, the interior of the palace remained warm and cozy.

After a while.

The young Wanli Emperor looked out of the palace and said, "What a heavy snowfall! Come with me to the palace gate and take a look!"

Immediately.

Feng Bao took a snow-white mink coat from the side and dressed the young Wanli in it. He also placed a small bronze hand warmer in the shape of a melon in the young Wanli's hand.

Subsequently.

A junior eunuch also provided Feng Bao and Shen Nian with two hand warmers.

The three of them walked towards the entrance of the palace.

Squeak! Squeak!

The palace doors opened, and many snowflakes flew into the hall, instantly bringing in a bone-chilling cold.

The young Wanli Emperor stood at the palace gate, gazing at the vast white snowscape before him, his face beaming with joy.

Feng Bao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, a timely snowfall promises a bumper harvest. This heavy snowfall signifies another good omen for next year!"

The young Wanli nodded slightly, handed the hand warmer to Feng Bao, and then reached out to catch the falling snowflakes.

If he weren't the emperor.

They've already run wildly in the snow, having snowball fights and building snowmen.

After admiring the snow scene for a while, Emperor Wanli said, "This winter is cold, and there will probably be more people freezing to death or suffering from frostbite outside the city. Order Shuntian Prefecture to immediately set up soup kitchens and cook hot porridge outside the city to provide shelter from the wind and snow for those homeless poor beggars!"

"Your Majesty is merciful, this old servant will make arrangements immediately!" Feng Bao bowed and said.

Emperor Wanli then looked at Shen Nian and said, "Minister Shen, I have ordered General Qi Jiguang of Jizhou to return to the capital to report on his duties. He should be here in the next couple of days. When I host the banquet, you will also be invited to participate."

"Your subject obeys!" Shen Nian said, bowing.

When Zhang Juzheng returned home to mourn his father's death and was buried, the young Wanli Emperor was most worried about the situation on the northern border.

Most of the military commanders currently stationed in the Nine Garrisons were promoted by Zhang Juzheng.

They didn't know if Zhang Juzheng would be reinstated, or if they themselves would be suddenly replaced, or even be demoted on trumped-up charges.

If there are concerns, border defense is prone to problems.

Therefore, the young Wanli Emperor chose to send Qi Jiguang back to the capital to report on his duties.

Jizhou was the most important of the nine border garrisons, and Qi Jiguang was the most powerful military officer among them.

Once the other generals of the Nine Garrisons saw the treatment Qi Jiguang received in the capital, they felt at ease.

……

The snow fell for a full day and night before gradually stopping.

On the main streets inside and outside the imperial city, soldiers from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five Cities Garrison were busy clearing the snow.

Some savvy peddlers drove mules pulling flatbed carts, selling charcoal, coal, and hand warmers on the streets.

Outside the city, the Shuntian Prefecture officials set up several soup kitchens and allowed some homeless poor beggars to rest temporarily in temples and government offices.

……

November 19th, early morning.

Snowflakes began to fall again, fluttering down in a flurry.

The rain wasn't heavy, but it made the already cold capital even colder.

at this time.

General Qi Jiguang of Jizhou arrived in the capital with his personal guards.

present.

Qi Jiguang's rank was that of a General of the Cavalry, a second-rank official.

The actual appointment was: Imperial Envoy to guard the local areas of Jizhou, Yongping, and Shanhaiguan, holding the seal of General Zhenshuo, and concurrently in charge of military training.

Although he held the honorary title of Right Vice-General of the First Rank.

However, the Ming Dynasty used civil officials to control the military, and their power was even subject to the control of the third-rank governor and the second-rank governor-general.

However, for a military officer, Qi Jiguang at this time already possessed the highest honor for a military officer.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) attached great importance to Qi Jiguang's return to the capital to report on his duties.

He directly arranged for Yin Zhengmao, the Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue, along with a group of officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, to personally welcome them at Chongwen Gate.

Of the three Grand Secretaries in the current cabinet, Yin Zhengmao and Zhang Juzheng have the closest relationship.

The young Wanli Emperor did this to reassure Qi Jiguang that even though Zhang Juzheng was in mourning, the court would still rely on him.

……

Half an hour later, the snow was still falling.

When Qi Jiguang and his party were still about two hundred paces away from Chongwen Gate, Yin Zhengmao quickly went out to greet them.

In terms of interpersonal skills, Yin Zhengmao ranks first in the cabinet.

"General Qi, it's been a long time!" Yin Zhengmao shouted from afar.

The two men did not have much interaction in their official careers, but both had fought against Japanese pirates. Yin Zhengmao knew the hardships of military officers, so he directly addressed Qi Jiguang as "General Qi"!
Qi Jiguang was three years younger than Zhang Juzheng, and he was already fifty years old this year.

He saw Yin Zhengmao standing in the snow, holding up his official robe to greet him, and addressing him respectfully as Commander Qi. He immediately dismounted and walked over quickly.

"Grand Secretary Yin, you flatter me. How could you come to greet me in person?" Qi Jiguang bowed deeply to Yin Zhengmao.

In the Ming Dynasty, military officers were at least three ranks lower than civil officials of the same rank.

Furthermore, the Ming generals who returned to the capital were all quite humble, and none of them dared to be arrogant or complacent. Otherwise, they might not only be unable to return home, but they would also lose their reputation in their later years.

Why should you bow to me, old man?

Yin Zhengmao gave Qi Jiguang a big hug.

For a leader of troops, the most friendly greeting is a big bear hug or a punch to the chest.

The two exchanged pleasantries as they walked toward Chongwen Gate.

Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial also hurriedly bowed to Qi Jiguang and introduced themselves.

This was a war god who had fought on the battlefield for more than 30 years during the Ming Dynasty and had never suffered a defeat.

They can be described as the mainstay of the northern border of the Ming Dynasty.

After a while.

The group arrived at the residence arranged for Qi Jiguang, the Shuntianfu Huitongguan.

Yin Zhengmao led Qi Jiguang into the courtyard and said, "It's been cold lately. His Majesty specially ordered someone last night to inform the Huitong Hall that heating supplies such as kang beds, charcoal braziers, mink fur rugs, and hot water bottles should be prepared this morning."

"Look, the yellow wine His Majesty prepared especially for you is already warming in the charcoal stove!"

"Come, let's have a couple of drinks to warm up. Then I'll have lunch with you. His Majesty will host a banquet at the Wenhua Hall tomorrow, after which he will summon you to report on your duties. After that, you can stay in the capital for a few days before returning."

As Yin Zhengmao spoke, he took out the rice wine.

On the other side, the officials from the Court of State Ceremonial immediately brought out the prepared hot pot and two plates of Liaodong venison.

At this time.

Yin Zhengmao noticed that Qi Jiguang looked melancholy after seeing the hot pot and yellow wine.

"What? You don't like the food? If you don't like it, I'll have it changed immediately. What would you like to eat?" Yin Zhengmao asked.

Qi Jiguang paused for a moment.

"Lord Yin, I have an important matter I would like to discuss with you."

Seeing Qi Jiguang's serious expression, Yin Zhengmao immediately waved his hand to drive all the other officials and clerks out and closed the door.

After the door was closed.

Yin Zhengmao suddenly knelt on one knee, cupped his hands and said, "Grand Secretary Yin, besides reporting on my duties, I also have a complaint to file this time upon my return to the capital!"

"Complain?" Yin Zhengmao was stunned.

On the border, Qi Jiguang was already the highest-ranking military officer, and no other military officer could bully him.

In the past, Wang Chonggu, the governor of Shanxi, might have had the power to make things difficult for him, but now he is retired in Nanjing.

As for Fang Fengshi, the current Minister of War and Governor of Shanxi, he needs Qi Jiguang to maintain stability in Shanxi and dares not bully Qi Jiguang at all.

Yin Zhengmao quickly helped Qi Jiguang up.

"Brother Qi, what exactly have you suffered? Tell me. Even though Grand Secretary Zhang is not here, I can still stand up for you!"

...A quarter of an hour later.

Both Qi Jiguang and Yin Zhengmao had red eyes.

Holding a cloth bundle and a memorial in his hand, Yin Zhengmao said angrily, "Brother Qi, you are a border general. You cannot enter the palace unless summoned by His Majesty. I will file this complaint for you. I will never let our border soldiers suffer such injustice!"

"Thank you, Grand Secretary Yin!" Qi Jiguang bowed deeply.

After a while.

Yin Zhengmao, carrying a cloth bundle on his back and with a gloomy expression, left the Tongwen Guan and headed straight for the Forbidden City.

……

It was near noon inside the Wenhua Hall.

The young Wanli Emperor was carefully reviewing the memorials, occasionally discussing the issues reflected in them with Shen Nian.

After Zhang Juzheng left, the young Wanli Emperor became particularly reliant on Shen Nian.

If Shen Nianruo was not on duty as the official in charge of recording the emperor's daily activities, he would be summoned for an audience by the young Wanli Emperor.

Every morning, after the daily lectures or regular court sessions, Shen Nian would either be in the Drafting Office or in the Wenhua Hall.

He was the person who spent the most time with the young Wanli Emperor during the day, besides Feng Bao.

at this time.

A young eunuch strode into the Wenhua Hall.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Yin... Grand Secretary Yin says he has urgent business to attend to and needs to see Your Majesty immediately!"

The young Wanli Emperor looked puzzled.

"Didn't I tell him to stay with General Qi all day? It's not even noon yet, and he hasn't even had lunch. What's wrong with him?"

"Grand Secretary Yin looked extremely angry, holding a memorial in his hand and carrying a bundle on his shoulder. I wonder what it is?"

"Let Grand Secretary Yin in!" said the young Wanli Emperor.

Feng Bao, who was not far away, rolled his eyes and added, "Check what's in Grand Secretary Yin's bag. If there are any prohibited items, don't let him bring them in."

In Feng Bao's eyes, Yin Zhengmao was a violent person.

Not only does he dare to abuse himself, but he also kills without blinking an eye.

He knew that Yin Zhengmao would not dare to harm the young Wanli Emperor, but he was not sure if Yin might cause any other trouble, so he ordered his men to investigate thoroughly.

……

A few moments.

After confirming that Yin Zhengmao's bundle contained two pieces of clothing, the young eunuch invited him into the palace.

"Your humble servant Yin Zhengmao greets Your Majesty!" Yin Zhengmao bowed.

"Grand Secretary Yin, has something happened with General Qi?" The young Wanli Emperor was somewhat uneasy.

Grand Secretary Yin took out a memorial from his robes and said loudly, "Your Majesty, General Qi has an extremely urgent matter to report, but border generals cannot enter the palace without being summoned, so he entrusted me to report to Your Majesty!"

"Send it up!"

The young Wanli Emperor took the memorial and immediately began to read it carefully.

Before long, the young Wanli Emperor's hands trembled, and his face turned gloomy, like the sky outside the palace filled with leaden clouds.

After reading the memorial, the young Wanli Emperor first handed it to Feng Bao, then looked at Yin Zhengmao and asked, "Is there a cotton-padded coat in the bundle?"

"Yes!"

"Bring it up!"

Immediately, Yin Zhengmao opened the bundle and presented the cotton-padded coat to the young Wanli Emperor.

Shen Nian and Wang Jiaping, who was in charge of recording daily life, also looked at the cotton coat.

Tear!

With a gentle tug, the coarse cloth outside the gray cotton coat was torn open, revealing clumps of yellowish-black moldy cotton and withered grass inside.

this moment.

With tears in his eyes, the young Wanli Emperor murmured, "It was my fault, it was my fault!"

soon.

This memorial then reached Wang Jiaping and Shen Nian.

The two men read the memorial at the same time. After reading it, they immediately understood why Qi Jiguang had to submit a memorial as soon as he returned to the capital, why Yin Zhengmao looked so angry, and why the young Wanli had tears in his eyes!
In early October of this year, the imperial court sent 200,000 winter clothes purchased for the soldiers in the northern border region to them.

This matter was handled by Wang Chonggu, the then Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong, Governor-General of Shanxi, and Minister of Justice. The standard set was: one tael of silver for each winter garment, totaling 200,000 garments.

The imperial court allocated 200,000 taels of silver.

A winter coat costing one or two taels of silver is of acceptable quality.

However, the border soldiers were wearing the same kind of inferior winter clothes that are now displayed on the emperor's desk.

These kinds of winter clothes can hardly be called winter clothes.

If you were to get a local appraisal, it would be worth at most two qian of silver, and the shopkeeper would still make a profit.

Before Qi Jiguang went to the capital, the northern border had just experienced a heavy snowfall, and the weather was extremely cold.

This resulted in 19 soldiers wearing such winter clothing freezing to death at the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall within a single day, while the remaining soldiers on guard duty on the battlements all suffered from frostbite.

A standard, high-quality winter coat that cost one or two taels of silver has been transformed into a cheap winter coat that isn't even worth two qian of silver.

It's utterly unbelievable that 160,000 of the 200,000 taels were embezzled.

It is obvious that the person in charge embezzled the funds.

Wang Chonggu had already retired after receiving the imperial funds, so it was impossible for him to embezzle the money.

The person in charge of purchasing this batch of winter clothes was none other than the current first imperial relative, Marquis of Wuqing, Li Wei.

Currently, he is the prime suspect for embezzlement.

Shen Nian and Wang Jiaping had grim expressions. Based on their understanding of Wu Qingbo, they were pretty sure that he had embezzled the money.

Normally, he would find excuses to accept bribes, and everyone would turn a blind eye.

But today, he even dares to embezzle the winter clothing allowance for the border soldiers. If he is not severely punished, it will chill the hearts of the soldiers on the nine borders.

Yin Zhengmao knelt down, cupped his hands, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, these clothes are no different from naked clothes on the soldiers guarding the Great Wall. I beg Your Majesty to immediately order the three judicial departments to investigate this matter thoroughly. Whoever embezzled this money should be executed!"

The young Wanli Emperor looked sullen.

Unexpectedly, this grandfather, who "already has enough money to spend but still treats money like his life," is suspected of committing such a huge disaster!
Seeing the conflicted look on the young Wanli Emperor's face, Feng Bao quickly said, "Your Majesty, it is still uncertain whether this matter was indeed done by the Earl of Wuqing. This old servant suggests that it is not advisable to make this matter public at this time, so as not to cause unrest in the court and among the people. We should send people to investigate secretly, and then hold a public discussion after we have found some clues!"

Hear this.

Yin Zhengmao, Shen Nian, and Wang Jiaping all frowned.

Feng Bao's actions were clearly intended to buy time so that he could secretly find a scapegoat for Wu Qingbo and exonerate him.

Shen Nian couldn't hold back any longer.

He looked at Feng Bao.

“Eunuch Feng, even now you still want to keep this a secret! I’m afraid that by now, half of the 600,000 soldiers on the nine borders already know about the soldiers freezing to death with the black-hearted cotton. Who can keep their mouths shut?”

"If this matter is not handled properly, it will discourage the soldiers on the border. Aren't you afraid of a mutiny?"

Feng Bao was surprised that Shen Nian dared to talk back to him like that, and immediately stopped talking with a dark face.

He knew he had ulterior motives for saying this, but it was entirely for the sake of Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor.

Shen Nian continued, "Your Majesty, the most important thing right now is to first send winter clothes to the border to warm the soldiers, and then thoroughly investigate this matter to warm their hearts that are growing colder and colder!"

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment and looked at Yin Zhengmao.

"Grand Secretary Yin, immediately dispatch winter clothing to the border. Two hundred thousand winter clothes, more is better than less. If the money is insufficient, it can be drawn from the imperial treasury."

"Your subject obeys!" Yin Zhengmao bowed deeply.

immediately.

Emperor Wanli then said, "Let's first order Cao Wei, the garrison commander of the Northern Garrison, to investigate this matter! Before there is factual evidence, we cannot arrest the Earl of Wuqing and take him to the imperial prison for questioning."

"Furthermore, this matter should not be publicized for now. The Empress Dowager and I will personally question Wu Qingbo. If he is indeed the mastermind behind this, I...I...will certainly punish him severely!"

When the young Wanli Emperor said the words "severe punishment without leniency," he clearly lacked confidence.

Yin Zhengmao was about to object with his hands clasped.

The young Wanli Emperor then said, "Let me take a break first. I will hold a banquet for General Qi in three days. During these three days, none of you are allowed to spread this matter, including General Qi!"

Yin Zhengmao, Shen Nian, and Wang Jiaping immediately fell silent.

They knew that secrets couldn't be kept forever, and even if the young Wanli Emperor wanted to conceal it, the news would reach the capital from the border within a few days.

……

After a while.

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian walked out of Wenhua Hall.

Yin Zhengmao said angrily, "Ziheng, if it is found that the Marquis of Wuqing is the mastermind, and His Majesty and the Empress Dowager still want to protect him, then I will go home, sharpen my knife, and secretly kill him!"

Shen Nian snorted coldly.

"If he is the mastermind, he will surely die this time. If Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager still intend to show favoritism, I will remonstrate with them to the death, or even with my own corpse!"

At this moment, both Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian were furious.

If Marquis Wuqing, Li Wei, were to appear before them, they would surely throw the old fellow into the icy Imperial River not far ahead, so he could experience what it meant to freeze to death.

(End of this chapter)