The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 30: Tolerating adultery
Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen actually bribed his way into the military examination!

Wanli really didn't expect this.

He finally found such an obedient little guy to control the Jinyiwei, but problems arose again.

This is done.

He said rather angrily, "Did you really buy it?"

Upon hearing this, Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen panicked and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I really bought it."

You kid, you are really timid.

Wanli shook his head slightly and asked, "How much is one?"

Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen lowered his head in shame like a child who had made a mistake, saying, "One thousand taels each."

so cheap?

Wanli was quite curious and asked, "Why did you bribe for the military examination?"

Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen explained nervously, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This is not my humble opinion. The military examination has been like this since the Jiajing period.

Anyone with some power in the court would buy military examination titles for their family members, and then let them advance to military positions with the titles.

Our Chengguo Mansion is still relatively lucky. Even if they are our relatives, they have to pass the provincial martial arts examination before we will pay them to pass the examination.

Many important officials in the court bought military examinations for the most unsuccessful and dissolute sons of their families, from the county examination, prefectural examination, academy examination to the metropolitan examination.

For example, Wang Zhizhen was a notorious playboy who spent his days eating, drinking and having fun. He had no desire to study or practice martial arts.

He relied on his family's wealth and power to buy his way to the title of military scholar and became the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

There was also Yang Junqing, who was also an uneducated playboy. Several of his brothers passed the imperial examinations and became juren or even jinshi, but he could not even pass the examination to become a scholar, so his family could only buy him a place in the military examination.

The year he took the exam happened to be the year Wang Chonggu presided over the martial arts exam. This shameless guy actually directly gave Yang Junqing the title of martial arts champion!

Is the martial arts examination so bad?

Yang Junqing, the martial arts champion, is actually an uneducated and unskillful playboy!

No wonder the Ming army's combat effectiveness was getting worse and worse. Among the more than two million or nearly three million garrison guards, only the border garrisons could select more than 100,000 elite soldiers, and the rest were just a piece of cake.

This is rotten from the root!
The military examination was held every three years, and each time, more than 300 military scholars were selected. However, only a few of them became outstanding generals.

Jiajing clearly condoned the corruption of Yan Song and his son, which had a huge impact on the Ming Dynasty.

Qi Jiguang is a very obvious example. Such a famous general who had published several military books could not even pass the military examination!

If it were not for Qi Jiguang's perseverance, his campaigns in the south and the north, and his outstanding military achievements, such a famous general would have been buried.

The children of the powerful and influential officials in the court monopolized most of the military scholars' honors, making it impossible for most of the truly capable generals to be promoted through the military examination.

The military examination was originally intended to select outstanding generals, but now it has become a tool to suppress outstanding generals.

Alas, my Ming Dynasty has been riddled with holes by these termites.

Wanli sighed secretly, then asked, "Yuan Gong, did your family buy it too?"

Zhang Yuangong inherited the title only last year. There were no military examinations last year or this year, but only next year. This guy definitely hasn't bought it.

That's why he asked this.

Duke Yingguo Zhang Yuangong could only speak frankly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. If everyone else buys, and we don't, we'll suffer. There's nothing we can do about it."

However, just like the Duke of Cheng's Mansion, we will only use our connections to pay for the military examinations for the children of our family who have passed the provincial examinations on their own merits."

Sure enough, you bought it too.

Wanli pondered for a while, then asked, "Who did you buy them from?"

This one.

Duke Yingguo Zhang Yuangong recalled: "I am not very clear about this during the Jiajing Dynasty. We bought the titles of the second and fifth years of the Longqing reign from Feng Bao, and the second, fifth and eighth years of the Wanli reign from You Qi." Bribery for military examination titles is just like running a business and opening a shop!

wrong!

Many powerful officials in the court have bought it, including Wang Chonggu and Yang Bo. You Qi only revealed the name of Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen. What does this mean?
This is because Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen is the commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Moreover, among his relatives there are nine Jinyiwei captains!
Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen was his confidant who helped him control the Jinyiwei, and this was the fundamental reason why this guy was exposed.

This must have been done by Zhang Siwei. This guy wants to seize control of the Jinyiwei again.

Yan Qing, the young and inexperienced man, was taken advantage of by Zhang Siwei.

What about You Qi?
There have been three military examinations since the Wanli period. This guy must have sold thousands of military titles, but he must have sold five or six hundred.

How could this guy just remember these twelve people from Duke Chengguo’s Mansion?
That is impossible!

You Qi has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice for such a long time, but he has not confessed to any of the people who bribed the military examination. He definitely does not want to offend the powerful people in the court and get himself into trouble.

At this time, You Qi happened to recruit Zhu Yingzhen, the Duke of Cheng, who had already taken control of the Jinyiwei. This was not normal at all.

It is very likely that someone told the Minister of Justice Yan Qing about the bribery of military examination titles in the Chengguo Mansion, and gave Yan Qing the list of names.

Yan Qing tortured You Qi with the list and forced him to confess.

This is a conspiracy. Zhang Siwei wants to kill two birds with one stone.

If he was forced to dismiss Duke Cheng Zhu Yingzhen and lost control of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he would definitely bear a grudge against the Minister of Justice Yan Qing.

If this matter really develops in this direction, given his rebellious temper, it would be strange if Yan Qing is not dealt with.

If he protected his own son, he would have dismissed Duke Cheng Zhu Yingzhen from his post. With Qingliu's bad temper, like a stone in the toilet, it would be strange if he didn't make trouble for him.

If he fell out with the Minister of Justice Yan Qing, he would be breaking up with the upright people in the court, and those young and reckless people in the upright people would probably keep quarreling with him.

Zhang Siwei, this old bastard, is so vicious!

The draft also has the words "Do not tolerate evil". Who is it written for?
I just tolerate evil, so what?

Wanli frowned and pondered for a while, then asked, "Have all nine of your Jinyiwei accompanied you here this time?"

What does this mean?
Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen said nervously, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This is not their fault."

What are you nervous about?

I didn't say to deal with those nine thousand households.

This guy is too honest. Honest people are easily bullied. No wonder this guy was forced to commit suicide by Zhang Siwei in history.

Wanli rolled his eyes and said, "I'm asking you if you've brought all nine thousand households here."

Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen hurriedly shook his head and said, "No, the ten thousand households accompanying the emperor this time are mostly old people promoted by the Lu family. I only have four under my command. There are five more. Four of them are left in the Northern Pacification Office, and one is in the Southern Pacification Office."

What are you afraid of, kid?

Wanli said decisively: "Hurry up and issue an order to send five thousand households from the Lu family to the capital at full speed, and have Lu Yi exchange the five from your family for them."

what?
Switch over?
why?
Upon hearing this, Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen was stunned.

Seeing this, Wanli said with some dismay, "Hurry up, otherwise Zhang Siwei will most likely ask the Empress Dowager for an imperial decree to arrest them. They still control the East Factory."

Oh, so it was switched over for protection.

Upon hearing this, Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen quickly took out a piece of official paper and began to write quickly.

Wanli read the memorial carefully again, and then picked up his pen to reply: Duke Chengguo will offset his faults with his merits, and Youqi's property will be confiscated and he will be exiled.

He is clearly protecting his own people.

(End of this chapter)