I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 183 Yin Zhengmao, the Executioner: If the Ming Dynasty Law can't kill me, my blade will!

November 22nd, at the beginning of the Si hour.

The sky was overcast, and the wind was biting cold.

On the eaves of the three study rooms south of Donghua Gate, the snow had not yet melted, and there were still crystal-clear icicles hanging from them.

After finishing his lecture to Prince Lu, Shen Nian hurriedly rushed to the Drafting Office.

At noon today, the young Wanli Emperor will host a banquet for Qi Jiguang at the Wuying Hall.

With the three Grand Secretaries, Shen Shixing, Shen Nian, and two others accompanying them, they will surely discuss the matter of "black-hearted cotton" at that time.

Shen Nian needs to complete today's drafting task ahead of schedule.

Not long after Shen Nian left the South Third Study, Prince Zhu Yiliu of Lu came out of the house with a long bamboo pole in his hand and began to knock the icicles off the eaves.

Since Shen Nian became his lecturer, Prince Lu has become much more well-behaved in class, but his youthful nature meant he still did many naughty things in private.

However, people did not have high expectations for him. In the words of Empress Dowager Li, "Just don't cause trouble in the future."

He was the happiest and freest person in the entire Forbidden City.

……

After a while.

As soon as Shen Nian returned to the drafting department, she heard a loud argument coming from inside.

The two who were arguing first.

It was Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue, the top two scholars in the same year.

"Shen Shixing! You are indecisive and hesitant, and you are completely unqualified to serve as the drafting and reviewing officer!"

"Wang Xijue! You act rashly, disregard the overall situation, and fail to set a good example for the students of the Imperial Academy. You are completely unfit to serve as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy!"

……

The two were arguing when they saw Shen Nian walk in, and they immediately stopped.

"Ziheng, take a look at this memorial. If you were to draft it, how would you draft it?" Shen Shixing handed a memorial to Shen Nian.

Zhao Zhimou, a Hanlin Compiler, and Chen Jingbang, a Hanlin Reader, also came over.

Today is their turn to be on duty at the Ticket Drafting Division.

Seeing the solemn expressions on the faces of all the examiners, Shen Nian opened the memorial and was stunned.

This memorial.

It was a memorial personally written by Qi Jiguang concerning the "black-hearted cotton freezing soldiers to death."

Emperor Wanli ordered someone to send it to the Drafting Office, which would naturally also send it to the Grand Secretariat. Sending it to these two places meant that other government offices in the capital would soon know about this matter.

Shen Nian fell into deep thought.

The fact that the young Wanli Emperor chose to make this memorial public clearly indicates that he had investigated the matter thoroughly and found a solution.

Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue handed the two tickets to Shen Nian.

One document reads: "Proposed: Immediately order the Ministry of Revenue to replenish winter clothing, and order the Imperial Guard to thoroughly investigate the embezzlement and severely punish the masterminds."

Signed by: Shen Shixing; seconded by: Zhao Zhimou.

One document reads: "It is proposed that the Ministry of Revenue be immediately ordered to replenish winter clothing supplies, and the three judicial departments be ordered to thoroughly investigate the embezzlement and severely punish the masterminds."

Signed by: Wang Xijue, seconded by: Chen Jingbang.

The two tickets may seem to differ by only one word, but their meanings are completely different.

The imperial guards' handling of cases was an exercise of imperial power.

The young Wanli Emperor, Empress Dowager Li, and Feng Bao were all able to manipulate events behind the scenes and determine the outcome.

The three judicial departments handled cases in accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

There is also the possibility of behind-the-scenes manipulation, but it is subject to the constraints of the cabinet and the supervision of the court officials.

Shen Shixing tends to be moderate in his actions.

He did not want the matter to escalate, so he suggested that the Imperial Guard investigate to prevent a repeat of the hunger strike by Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor.

Wang Xijue had a strong and unyielding personality.

He believed that Wu Qingbo was incorrigible and that the investigation by the Imperial Guard would be biased, so he wanted the Three Judicial Offices to investigate.

The reason why the drafting department sets the daily rotation of inspectors at five people is that

It was only when one person voted for the draft, and at least two others seconded it, that the draft could be submitted to the Forbidden City.

If fewer than three people agree, the proposed vote is invalid.

This method of majority rule is intended to improve office efficiency.

While most of them may not be correct, they are likely to be correct, and with the cabinet's draft proposals in place, providing the young Wanli Emperor with two options is sufficient.

Next.

If Shen Nianruo supports Shen Shixing, he only needs to sign his name in the seconding section of the draft. After he signs, the draft signed by Wang Xijue and seconded by Chen Jingbang will be considered invalid.

If the young Wanli Emperor were to reject this petition...

Wang Xijue and Chen Jingbang were able to submit another memorial, but it still needed one person to second it, meaning at least two people had to second it for the draft to be valid.

At this moment, Shen Nian's opinion is very important.

Shen Nian thought for a moment and spoke first: "This embezzlement case involves the Earl of Wuqing. His Majesty and the Empress Dowager should avoid suspicion, so the Imperial Guard should not investigate."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xijue and Chen Jingbang smiled.

Shen Nian continued, "However, I think this draft could be written in more detail!"

Say it.

Shen Nian took out a brand new draft paper from the table next to her.

Then he picked up a pen and started writing on it.

"It is proposed that: the Ministry of Revenue be immediately ordered to replenish winter clothing, and the three judicial departments be ordered to thoroughly investigate the matter of embezzlement. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the mastermind shall be hanged!"

"what?"

Wang Xijue, Shen Shixing, Chen Jingbang, and Zhao Zhimou were all dumbfounded when they saw the second half of Shen Nian's sentence.

If Emperor Wanli approves this proposal, the reply will be: As proposed.

That would mean that if the Earl of Wuqing was the mastermind behind this, he should be sentenced to death by hanging.

“Hanging? Ziheng, are you crazy? His Majesty will be furious when he sees this draft!” Shen Shixing said.

Chen Jingbang also spoke up, saying, "This draft proposal will likely either be retained or rejected!"

Shen Nian straightened her chest and raised her voice.

"Let him be furious, let him keep the order, let him reject it! I have no grudge against Marquis Wuqing, and this is not directed at him, but if he is the mastermind behind this, he must be sentenced to death!"

Shen Nian was so furious.

Naturally, it was because he knew that the Earl of Wuqing had embezzled a full 150,000 taels of silver.

The Marquis of Wuqing completely regarded the imperial court as his own home, and all the officials and people of the Ming Dynasty were his servants.

Shen Nian looked at the three of them.

"The reason why the new policies can be implemented now is because the northern border of our Great Ming has been peaceful and war-free for years. However, if the court does not severely punish those responsible for this incident, it will dampen the spirits of the 600,000 soldiers in the nine border regions. Once they harbor hatred towards the court, the border will inevitably be in chaos, war will break out, and the new policies will be abandoned. Therefore, the mastermind deserves to die!"

"Last time, the Marquis of Wuqing embezzled ten thousand taels of silver. If he is the mastermind this time, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager will surely protect him. If our attitude is not firm enough, this matter will end without any real consequences, just like last time. This is to disregard the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, he deserves to die!"

"His Majesty is in his prime, and we allow him to make mistakes, but we will never allow him to stumble twice in the same place. If His Majesty continues to go against the will of the people and makes the wrong decision this time, will such special cases become the privilege of all imperial relatives and nobles, and will they become an ancestral law in the future? Last time, Grand Secretary Zhang made a compromise for the sake of the greater good. This time, we will never compromise, also for the sake of the greater good. No one can act lawlessly in the Ming Dynasty, therefore he deserves to die!"

……

“Three men, behind those nineteen soldiers are nineteen families! And now, perhaps another border guard will freeze to death wearing this kind of cheap, worthless cotton. How the court treats them is how they will treat the court in the future!”

"For the sake of peace on the border, for the sake of the new policies and reforms, for the sake of His Majesty not going astray, and for the sake of appeasing the hearts of the 600,000 soldiers on the nine borders, the mastermind must die!"

Shen Nian's eyes reddened as she spoke.

The Ming Dynasty may seem vast at present, but if a mutiny occurs on the border, countless refugees will follow.

The rise and fall of an empire can sometimes be determined by a single choice made in a seemingly insignificant matter.

Say it.

Shen Nian placed the draft ticket on the table.

A draft bill signed only by him is invalid and cannot be submitted to the Forbidden City.

"I second the motion!"

Wang Xijue picked up the pen and signed his name.

At this moment, Chen Jingbang, Shen Shixing, and Zhao Zhimou all hesitated.

The three men were steady and reliable, but being steady was also synonymous with being conservative. Shen Nian looked at the three men and said, "Gentlemen, choosing to prevent chaos in the inner court and the outer court right now is not for the sake of the overall situation. The real priority is to appease the hearts of the 600,000 soldiers guarding the border!"

Hear this.

Chen Jingbang picked up a brush and signed his name at the seconding point.

Shen Nian breathed a sigh of relief. With two people seconding the motion, the proposal was considered valid.

To his surprise, Shen Shixing and Zhao Zhimou also signed their names.

Shen Nian's last words successfully persuaded them.

……

In the cabinet duty room.

A copy of Qi Jiguang's memorial lay in the middle of the table.

Lu Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang frowned, their faces showing utter despair.

Yin Zhengmao, on the other hand, was drinking tea in large gulps.

Just now, Yin Zhengmao told the two of them the whole story of the matter and how he had found out that Wu Qingbo had embezzled 150,000 taels of silver.

"Grand Secretary Lü, Grand Secretary Ma, His Majesty knows this matter cannot be concealed, so he wants to see our attitude. We must be firm. This case must be tried by the three judicial departments, and the perpetrators must be severely punished. Wu Qingbo should be sentenced to death!"

“Execution? How could that be? That’s the Empress Dowager’s own father, His Majesty’s closest relative outside the palace!”

"Impossible? I'll start sharpening my knife as soon as I get home tonight. If His Majesty does the same thing as last time and protects Marquis Wuqing, I... I'll kill him with this knife. Although it's a loss to trade one life for another, I, Old Yin, will definitely go down in history!"

Lu Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang both rolled their eyes at Yin Zhengmao.

He could actually do something like that.

If Zhang Juzheng were in power, he could suppress everyone's opinions and take a middle course, but Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang did not have this ability.

They believed that once the officials in charge of the censorate learned of this matter, they would be busy writing memorials to impeach the Earl of Wuqing!

In the eyes of many censors, life and official positions were utterly worthless compared to the allure of being remembered in history.

Furthermore, the chances of losing one's life are not high.

Seeing that Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang were still hesitating, Yin Zhengmao became anxious!

"Gentlemen, if you want to smooth things over and ignore the lives of these soldiers, I advise you to quickly write your resignation petitions, otherwise there will be many people impeaching you!"

Yin Zhengmao mocked the two of them in this way.

On the one hand, the vote was only valid because the opinions of the two men were in agreement with his own; on the other hand, the three men were in agreement at the luncheon, which gave them the power to speak.

Lu Diaoyang paused for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote on the draft: "As proposed: Embezzling the winter clothing expenses for soldiers guarding the border is a heinous crime. It is recommended that the three judicial departments jointly try the case and severely punish the presiding judge!"

Yin Zhengmao nodded in satisfaction, and then he and Ma Ziqiang signed their names on the draft ticket one after the other.

If Yin Zhengmao knew that Shen Nian had forced the on-duty inspector to write "mastermind hanged," he would definitely have written: "mastermind hanged, family members and close relatives exiled."

And this moment.

Officials in various government offices in the capital were also discussing this matter.

Most people felt that the mastermind at this time must be Wu Qingbo, because no one else had the privilege or the courage to do so.

Some were filled with righteous indignation, shouting for severe punishment of Wu Qingbo; others were silently pondering how to relieve the emperor and empress dowager's worries.

Just then, two imperial edicts suddenly came out from the Forbidden City.

The first report came from the young Wanli Emperor, who claimed that the deaths of border guards from the cold caused by substandard cotton was horrifying. He ordered the Ministry of Revenue to expedite the preparation of winter clothing to prevent such tragedies from happening again on the border. He also ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Three Judicial Offices to jointly investigate the matter.

The second statement came from Empress Dowager Li, who said: "If the investigation confirms the truth, then punish them according to the law, without favoritism towards the maternal family." In plain terms, this meant: if the mastermind behind this matter is the Earl of Wuqing, there will be absolutely no favoritism.

at the same time.

Wu Qingbo, along with the officials, eunuchs, and merchants involved in the matter, were all imprisoned in the imperial prison.

These two imperial edicts made Yin Zhengmao very happy, as he felt that the drafting by the Cabinet and the Drafting Office had played a role.

With the involvement of the three judicial authorities, this matter can be handled much more fairly.

However, Shen Nian was not so optimistic. Feng Bao was best at making a lot of noise but accomplishing little.

Anything can happen before Wu Qingbo is convicted.

Shen Nian doubted whether the young Wanli Emperor would dare to uphold justice and eliminate his own relatives, but was certain that Empress Dowager Li would not do so.

Furthermore, the five candidates' proposals have been accepted by the young Wanli Emperor, which is enough to show that the Earl of Wuqing is completely different from ordinary people in the young Wanli Emperor's mind.

……

Near noon.

The three Grand Secretaries, Qi Jiguang, Shen Shixing, and Shen Nian arrived at the Wuying Hall.

This can be considered a private banquet.

There were not many officials involved, and not many song and dance ceremonies.

After everyone had drunk three cups of wine.

The young Wanli Emperor, in coordination with the three Grand Secretaries, began praising Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang's memorial on border administration had already been submitted to the Ministry of War, and the details were discussed with the cabinet and the Ministry of War.

The young Wanli Emperor and the three Grand Secretaries were only responsible for comforting Qi Jiguang, making him feel the weight of the imperial favor and that only by devoting himself to the utmost could he repay it.

Qi Jiguang had seen this kind of situation many times before.

He was well aware of the position held by military commanders in the eyes of the emperor and many civil officials.

When it's useful, we cherish it; when it's useless, we wouldn't even want to step on it.

After exchanging pleasantries for about half an hour, the young Wanli Emperor finally brought up the matter of the substandard cotton.

"General Qi, please rest assured. I will thoroughly investigate the case of the embezzlement of winter clothing by the border guards and bring the mastermind to justice. I will show no leniency and will punish the mastermind severely. Of course, I also hope that you all will consider the negative impact of this matter and stand with me to resolve it, so as not to cause public resentment to boil over and chaos to break out on the border!"

The latter half of the young Wanli Emperor's words clearly carried a deeper meaning.

After saying this, Xiao Wanli picked up his wine cup, and Shen Nian and the others quickly followed suit.

Next, we'll see what the results of the joint investigation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Three Judicial Offices are.

……

After the banquet.

Shen Nian told Yin Zhengmao about her concerns that this might be Feng Bao's grandiose but ultimately ineffective scheme.

He appears to be impartial, but in reality, he prioritizes the public good over his own interests.

If the officials can't find fault with it, they can lightly punish Wu Qingbo, or drag the matter out until the New Year, when everyone's emotions have calmed down before dealing with it.

After hearing this, Yin Zhengmao was still unsure how the young Wanli Emperor would handle the matter, but he already had a plan in mind.

afternoon.

He then visited the Three Judicial Offices and the Northern Garrison Command, first warning the officials that anyone who showed favoritism in this matter would be severely punished.

Then, he made a special trip to see Wu Qingbo.

He told Wu Qingbo that he was sharpening his knife, and if the Ming Dynasty law could not kill the mastermind, he would kill him with the knife.

The name of this beheaded Grand Secretary is known to almost everyone.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qingbo fainted from fright.

Cao Wei, the garrison commander of the Northern Garrison, immediately summoned the imperial physician and then asked Yin Zhengmao to leave.

otherwise.

Yin Zhengmao might say a few more words and the case will be resolved.

Emperor Wanli and Empress Dowager Li were furious when they learned that Yin Zhengmao had angered the Earl of Wuqing to the point of fainting.

Few cabinet ministers of the Ming Dynasty were so rude and unreliable.

However, Yin Zhengmao only mentioned the mastermind and did not name Wu Qingbo, so the young Wanli Emperor could not punish him.

Urged by Empress Dowager Li, the young Wanli Emperor had no choice but to forbid anyone from visiting the Earl of Wuqing.

this moment.

Emperor Wanli suddenly realized that Feng Bao's next plan might not succeed.

Because Shen Nian advocated for the mastermind to be hanged.

Emperor Wanli knew very well that after Zhang Juzheng left the court, Shen Nian was the only one capable of bringing together all the civil and military officials.

Shen Nian's opinions were in line with his, and the young Wanli Emperor was able to handle court affairs with twice the results with half the effort. However, if Shen Nian disagreed with him, he felt that he had suddenly lost his support in the court.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor was also very conflicted, but he could only obey his mother's orders and put filial piety first.

(End of this chapter)