I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 79 Your Majesty, Please Open the Door! Wenhua Palace Daily Lectures and Internal Debates
Wenhua Hall, in the side hall.

Shen Shixing, Xu Guo, Shen Nian and other seven lecturers on duty paced back and forth, all of them very anxious.

A country cannot live without a ruler for a day.

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, there was nothing more serious than the emperor's disappearance.

Some people have begun to imagine various possibilities and ways to deal with them.

Fortunately, the little emperor was found safe and sound.

If his life or death remains uncertain or he encounters an accident for several consecutive days, the Ming Dynasty court will be in chaos, and even a serious war may break out on the border.

Shen Nian was also feeling very nervous at this moment.

He anticipated that little Wanli would have psychological problems, but he didn't expect that such an accident would happen before he found an opportunity to enlighten him.

At this time, the palace was in chaos.

The Jinyiwei, eunuchs, palace maids and others were all mobilized, starting with searching the palaces in the inner court, and leaving no room unsearched, including under the bed and in the cabinets.

Afterwards, Feng Bao began to order people to search the Nei Jinshui River on the west side of the imperial palace, Duixiu Mountain on the northeast side, and various pavilions and pools with water systems.

Feng Bao's face was covered with sweat, his clothes were completely wet, and his throat was hoarse.

But he didn't dare to stop for a moment.

He understood that if the young Wanli met with an accident and Prince Lu ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Li would not fall, Zhang Juzheng would not fall, but he would definitely fall.

He was the most suitable person to take the blame for something like this that happened in the inner court.

……

About an hour later.

The three cabinet ministers, Zhang Juzheng, Lu Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei, walked into the Wenhua Hall from outside.

They all had serious expressions and frowned.

The hearts of the lecturers suddenly rose to their throats, fearing that the thing they least wanted to happen might happen.

Zhang Juzheng walked up to the crowd and said, "We have found your Majesty. He is all right."

The Japanese lecturers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, just as they were wondering why the three elders had such expressions.

Zhang Juzheng continued, "Your Majesty has stated that he wants to abdicate and has refused to see anyone behind closed doors. Everyone, please think about this: how should we resolve this?"

Say it.

Zhang Juzheng sat on a big chair beside him, closed his eyes and stopped talking.

It can be seen that he is very tired.

During the more than one hour that the young Wanli was missing, Zhang Juzheng may have mentally imagined the most reliable solutions for various possible situations.

The Japanese lecturers looked confused and looked at Lu Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei beside them.

"Feng Pan, you tell the story!" Lu Diaoyang said.

Zhang Siwei nodded and said, "Your Majesty was found on the roof of the right side hall of the Qianqing Palace. There were no hostages; Your Majesty had climbed up on his own, bringing a quilt with him. Because the area was recessed, and the quilt was a similar color to the surroundings, it took a long time to find Your Majesty. When we found him, he was still asleep."

"After His Majesty stepped down from the roof, his right foot was injured and his clothes were torn. This is probably caused by climbing the roof and is not serious."

"His Majesty said only one thing to the anxious Empress Dowager and Prime Minister: 'Queen Mother, Prime Minister, I am very tired. I do not want to attend classes or attend court. Please let me sleep peacefully for a day. If not, please replace the emperor for the Ming Dynasty!'"

"Then, His Majesty walked into the bedroom, wrapped in his blanket, bolted the door, and went to sleep. The Empress Dowager called out to him but he didn't respond. The Prime Minister sensed that His Majesty was not in a good mood, so he didn't disturb him. He also advised the Empress Dowager to return to the Cining Palace to rest, and planned to deal with the matter after His Majesty woke up."

……

After listening to this, everyone recalled the recent experiences of little Wanli.

Since the beginning of the year, in addition to his schoolwork, the young Wanli had added many government affairs courses. Recently, he had to study more than 200 memorials from Emperor Shenzong submitted by Zhang Juzheng.

In addition, he was advised by a number of censors that holding a grand wedding was too extravagant.

He was indeed tired.

The daily lecturer Shen Shixing said, "Your Majesty has been very tired recently. What you said must have been out of anger. Perhaps a good night's sleep will help."

Xu Guo on the side frowned slightly.

"Even if you're tired, you can't act so recklessly. If something unexpected happens, the world will be in danger!"

He Luowen said solemnly, "A gentleman should not seek comfort. Your Majesty's actions are putting the country in jeopardy and are contrary to the laws of our ancestors. We must submit a memorial to remonstrate with you and not tolerate any leniency!"

Chen Jingbang nodded and said, "That's right. If we don't persuade Your Majesty to change this bad habit, similar things may happen again in the future."

At this time.

Wang Jiaping strode into the middle of the lecturers.

He glanced at Xu Guo, He Luowen, and Chen Jingbang and said, "Three of you, do you really want to force His Majesty to abdicate?"

"Can't you see that His Majesty doesn't sleep on the roof, but climbs up to sleep because he longs to be alone? When it's almost time to tie up your hair, His Majesty is very happy because he enjoys being alone!"

"Your Majesty said he was exhausted because the burden on his shoulders was too heavy. Furthermore, the preparations for the wedding, which the censors had reported as extravagant, had left him feeling depressed. He had no choice but to say that the Ming Dynasty should have a new emperor."

"Now, you are still using ancestral rituals and laws to suppress His Majesty. Aren't you forcing His Majesty to do even more insane things?"

"I suggest that His Majesty must not be punished in the slightest this time. The best policy is to allow His Majesty to live alone, reduce the amount of classes he takes, and alleviate his mental fatigue."

Shen Nian let out a long breath.

Wang Jiaping is a careful person and saw the essence at a glance.

The reason why the young Wanli acted so rebellious was not just because he was tired, but because he was rebelling against the oppression of his body and mind. Hearing this, Shen Yiguan was somewhat dissatisfied.

"Uncle Zhong, what do you mean? Now that His Majesty has done something wrong, why should the Queen Mother compromise with us? A ruler should be stronger than ordinary people. Now that His Majesty has made a serious mistake, is it wrong for us to submit a memorial to persuade him?"

Shen Nian took a step forward immediately.

"Brother Ziwei, do you think it's still useful to submit a memorial of remonstration? His Majesty won't even listen to the words of the Empress Dowager and the elders. You must never again use ancestral rituals and etiquette to suppress His Majesty!"

Chen Jingbang shook his head slightly.

"Ziheng, if there are mistakes, they must be punished. If you don't use the ancestral laws and rituals to check Your Majesty, will Your Majesty's will be followed and acted recklessly? Once Your Majesty gets a taste of this, he will become even more reckless and wanton in the future. When you take power, who can stop him?"

Shen Nian retorted, "Brother Gongwang, His Majesty is indeed wrong, but it is we who caused His Majesty to take such extreme actions!"

"We have been too harsh on His Majesty, too obsessed with making him a ruler like Yao and Shun before he even takes power. We should first let His Majesty be His Majesty, and then he can become the His Majesty we all long for!"

Shen Yi Guan shook his head at Shen Nian.

"Ziheng! Letting Your Majesty live alone is so that He can learn well and avoid bad habits. The Queen Mother and the Prime Minister's intentions are all for Your Majesty's good. Is there anything wrong with this?"

"The intention is good, but I think the method is wrong. Disciplining Your Majesty in this way will only make Your Majesty more rebellious!" Wang Jiaping said directly, without caring at all whether Zhang Juzheng beside him would be angry after hearing it.

"Ridiculous! I think the solution to this problem is very simple. This afternoon, we will kneel together with the three elders in the Qianqing Palace. If His Majesty doesn't come out, we will remain kneeling. In less than half a day, His Majesty will open the door and admit his mistake!"

"This will only add fuel to the fire. It will pit Your Majesty against the ministers and create more irreparable conflicts!" Wang Jiaping said, raising his voice.

……

The six daily lecturers, Xu Guo, He Luowen, Chen Jingbang, Wang Jiaping, Shen Nian and Shen Yikuan, were arguing fiercely.

Shen Nian and Wang Jiaping insisted on reducing the burden on the little emperor and begged him to tie his hair and live alone; the other four insisted on severely punishing the little Wanli for his behavior of violating the ancestral laws.

There was also a daily lecturer named Shen Shixing, who was just a listener and never expressed his opinion.

Although Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Siwei and Lu Diaoyang did not speak, they were all thinking seriously.

It was common for civil servants in the Ming Dynasty to debate, and the elders would often not stop them because they could often get answers to some questions from the debates.

……

After a while, the argument gradually stopped.

Zhang Juzheng stood up and said, "Kneeling and remonstrating with His Majesty in the afternoon will definitely not work. The key is to get His Majesty to open the door and speak his mind. Once we understand His Majesty's thoughts, we can prescribe the right medicine. We can criticize harshly, or we can reduce the burden on him. If it works, we can use it."

Zhang Juzheng hit the point in one sentence.

The key to solving the problem is to let little Wanli open the door and speak his mind.

"I feel that His Majesty already resents me, and it is inappropriate to communicate with His Majesty any further. This afternoon, who can confidently convince His Majesty to open the door and talk to me?"

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Of the seven daily lecturers, except Shen Shixing and Shen Nian, the other five stood up.

Chest held high, full of confidence.

When it comes to self-confidence, the Jinshi of the Ming Dynasty have always been the most worthy.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Shen Shixing first and said, "Rumo, you don't want to go?"

Shen Shixing said helplessly, "Lord, I have no confidence that His Majesty will open the door for me."

Shen Shixing's words are always sincere but useless.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Shen Nian.

He was the most surprised that Shen Nian did not stand up.

The most suitable candidate in his mind is Shen Nian.

"Ziheng, what about you? Are you unsure too?"

Shen Nian replied, "Lord, I believe that the person who can make His Majesty open the door cannot be the Daily Lecturer. His Majesty is currently averse to Daily Lecturers. He will not open the door at all when he hears that we are asking for an audience."

"We should find an elder who doesn't talk about big principles, but can talk about past friendships. He will earn Your Majesty's respect and you will feel guilty if you don't open the door!"

After saying that, Shen Nian looked at Lu Diaoyang.

And this time.

Zhang Siwei subconsciously straightened his chest and thought to himself: Isn't this me?

Then he looked up and found that everyone was looking at Lu Diaoyang beside him.

Lü Diaoyang was over sixty years old and had served in three dynasties. He did not participate in the daily lectures at the time, but was a cabinet minister whom the young Wanli respected but not feared.

It’s just right to be the one who speaks out.

More importantly, unlike Zhang Siwei, he was not labeled by the young Wanli as "following the prime minister to do things."

After careful consideration, the lecturers decided not to fight for it.

Lu Diaoyang is indeed more confident.

They just wanted to try their luck. If they really angered the emperor, he might do something even more incredible.

Zhang Juzheng bowed solemnly to Lü Diaoyang and said, "I'll trouble you this afternoon, Elder Lü!"

"I'll do my best!" Lu Diaoyang said seriously.

This deputy minister seemed to be quiet and always asked for resignation, but he was actually an indispensable helper to Zhang Juzheng.

(End of this chapter)