The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Soon we arrived at a three-courtyard house with a south-facing gate, blue brick walls, gray tile roofs, and vermilion doors and windows. Inside, we could faintly hear the sounds of turning pages, grinding ink, and writing with a brush.

Occasionally there were whispers of discussion, but they were very faint. Zhu Zaizhen went straight into the main hall. Although he had never met Zhang Juzheng, he thought that such a person, even here, would be easily exposed.

"Where is this?"

Suddenly, a voice that had just begun to change broke the silence in the Shuchang Hall. All the Shujishi who were studying at their desks were startled and looked up, their expressions full of astonishment and confusion.

Behind a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy in fine clothes were several burly guards who were clearly not ordinary servants, as well as three attendants who looked like eunuchs.

After a moment of hesitation, many people turned their attention to Zhang Juzheng. After more than two years of working together, everyone had gotten used to listening to his opinions when things came up. Although he was the youngest, he was the most reliable and convincing in his actions.

Zhang Juzheng stood up and bowed respectfully: "This is the Hanlin Academy's Shuchang Hall. I am Zhang Juzheng, a Shujishi (junior compiler). May I ask which prince you are?"

Your Highness? The words caused a stir throughout the hall. The junior scholars hurriedly rose to their feet, and the tables and chairs moved with a screeching sound. Everyone secretly wondered if it was Prince Yu who had arrived.

"Zhang Juzheng? My name is Zhu Zaizhen."

Ma Dezhao, standing beside him, frowned slightly. His Highness was of such high status that he did not need to introduce himself in front of mere junior scholars. His Highness's actions were too unconventional. Could it be because of this Zhang Juzheng?

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall dared not hesitate, straightened their clothes, and bowed deeply, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Highness Prince Jing!"

"No need for formalities. You may focus on your studies; there's no need to be so formal."

Zhu Zaizhen raised his hand in a casual gesture, walked straight to Zhang Juzheng's desk, and sat down calmly. Even though the other junior scholars had received instructions, how could they dare to sit at their desks as usual?

The guards standing solemnly beside me exuded a menacing aura, their close proximity making me tense and uneasy, unable to concentrate on my studies.

Therefore, most people found an excuse to bow to Prince Jing and then left. As the number of people decreased, Chen Zhao and Gao Zhen exchanged a glance and left only the two best fighters with them as guards, while the rest of the people retreated outside the door.

According to orders from above, they were to monitor Prince Jing, but it was also acceptable to make Prince Jing as comfortable as possible during the monitoring. If they didn't handle this balance well, they would be in trouble if either side investigated.

Zhang Juzheng did not go out, but walked to the opposite side of Zhu Zaizhen and stood with his head bowed. Yin Shidan, Zhu Dashao and other people who had a good relationship with Zhang Juzheng also stayed behind and buried themselves in their work, but they all had their ears perked up.

Zhu Zaizhen casually picked up a densely marked article from his desk and flipped through a couple of pages. The article was mostly complete, with many underlines and the handwriting was slender and strong, showing that real effort had been put into it.

Turning to the end, there is a neat passage in small regular script that reads: "The problems of these five conditions have existed for more than a day. However, I believe that these are merely symptoms of swelling, weakness, and paralysis, and are not serious ailments. If the blood and qi in the body can rise and fall and circulate freely, then these conditions can be cured with one treatment."

If something is blocked and cannot flow, then even acupuncture, moxibustion, and medicine will be useless.

I humbly beseech Your Majesty to understand the origins of fortune and misfortune, to comprehend the aspirations of the people, to open the doors to suggestions and advice, and to draw near to ministers who can assist and support you, so that all officials may have a clear understanding of the situation and be able to communicate their thoughts.

When the relationship between ruler and subject is clear and unambiguous, and these five aspects are then assigned and their responsibilities clearly defined, everyone will strive to utilize their strengths, and accumulated abuses will be eliminated. What need is there for these five aspects to cause trouble?

Its content roughly states that the imperial court currently suffers from five major ailments: "arrogance among the imperial family," "negligence among officials," "stagnation in governance," "lack of border defenses," and "severe financial deficit."

The style is clearly modeled after Jia Yi's "Memorial on State Affairs" from the Western Han Dynasty, and it is a political essay that explores the major policies of the state.

Is it written correctly? Yes, it is!

Is it well-written? Very good!

Is that useful? No, it's useless!

It's remarkable that a young man in his early twenties has such insight, but which of the high-ranking officials in the imperial court doesn't know about these issues?

People are turning a blind eye because it's pointless to speak out.

The current emperor is preoccupied with cultivating Taoism, seeking immortality and alchemy, and has long since lost interest in worldly affairs and court reforms.

In the eyes of the Jiajing Emperor, as long as he achieved immortality and longevity, dealing with these minor problems in the court would be a piece of cake.

Advice from both the government and the public, even the most insightful and valuable suggestions, will ultimately be ignored.

But clearly, the young Zhang Juzheng still harbored illusions, pinning his hopes on a single memorial to the throne to resolve the century-old problems plaguing the Ming Dynasty.

"It looks like you've finished writing it. Would you like me to deliver it to the West Garden for you?"

Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a moment. He was not one to follow the rules. In his eyes, there was no difference between Prince Yu and Prince Jing, and the distinction between the pure and the impure did not affect his actions.

After all, he was a rare person in the Hanlin Academy who was favored by both Xu Jie and Yan Song, and he could move freely between the two without being regarded as a traitor. This was an innate ability of Zhang Juzheng.

But to simply hand over the memorial that embodies his hard work to King Jing to present it to the emperor carries a different meaning.

He was able to befriend Yan Song without much objection from Xu Jie because before Xu Jie took charge of the Hanlin Academy, Yan Song was in charge of it. Strictly speaking, both of them were his mentors.

Moreover, when Yan Song was in office, he had already entered the cabinet and didn't have much energy left for the affairs of the Hanlin Academy, but he only favored Zhang Juzheng and praised him highly. The same was true after Xu Jie arrived.

Respecting teachers and valuing the way is never wrong, and this was not his own choice. But today is different; King Jing has given him the choice.

Zhang Juzheng wavered somewhat. He knew that if he submitted the memorial normally, it probably wouldn't cause any trouble, and the emperor might not even see it.

However, if Prince Jing were to deliver it to the Western Garden, His Majesty would surely take a look. In that case, it might win His Majesty's favor and allow him to leave the Hanlin Academy sooner to do some practical work.

Zhang Juzheng quickly raised his eyes, carefully examined Prince Jing, and then lowered his head and said, "Your Highness need not trouble yourself. This memorial is not yet finished. What Your Highness just read was only the first draft."

"I need to further consider the five drawbacks. After making appropriate revisions, I will submit them to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices as usual."

Zhu Zaizhen nodded, not taking his rejection to heart. Zhang Juzheng was young and considered himself a hero. He was not lacking in the appreciation of the powerful and influential, and he believed he could win favor with everyone.

But he didn't know that Yan Song valued him only as a rare talent, asking him to write memorials and poems praising the emperor, and he would not really promote him, because he was not one of his own.

Xu Jie valued him, but had no power to promote him, because the Ministry of Personnel was currently in the hands of Yan Song.

When he realizes that none of the people he relies on can change his situation, he will remember the olive branch offered today.

.........