Wu Mingdao:
"That's not entirely true… While I haven't read much, I've heard of Wang Anshi's reforms; that was truly disastrous! Young Master Zhu isn't that sort of person! I believe the Great Ming had already reached this point… Others may not know, but having investigated cases in Jiangnan for so long, how could we not?
We told Seventh Master that the Yan family officials in Jiangnan were plotting rebellion, and Seventh Master absolutely refused to believe us, even telling us not to spread rumors, saying His Majesty knew best. Young Master Zhu, the flooding and destruction of fields is a minor matter. Before you arrived, many things in Jiangnan were truly barbaric… I think the Great Ming must change; it cannot remain the same!"
Hmm,
Wu Liang also nodded emphatically.
Zhu Mo immediately said:
"His Majesty naturally knows best! But as you all know, there are some fundamental issues with the Great Ming dynasty… The Grand Secretariat acts on behalf of Heaven, and it's inconvenient for His Majesty to intervene directly, as you've seen. Prince Yu established the Grand Secretariat and Privy Council, but did it improve things? Not at all! Is Chen Yiqin a good person? Yes, but what good does it do?
Therefore, His Majesty's grand strategy requires our support from below for him to act. Last year in Xuanda, and later in Zhoushan, you saw that as long as our actions below are correct, His Majesty can easily resolve matters. If our actions below are poor, His Majesty is helpless from above…"
He paused here.
Wu Liang asked curiously:
"Young Master Zhu, I'm simply baffled. Why can't His Majesty arrest the Yan family with a single imperial decree? Is it that difficult? It's just a piece of paper, isn't it?"
Heh heh,
Wu Ming and Zhu Mo couldn't help but smile wryly—
This idea was surprisingly common. Everyone believed His Majesty controlled everything in the world; with just a word from him, Yan Song or Xu Jie would immediately be imprisoned…
But the reality was far more complex than such simple minds could imagine. To say nothing of other factors, if a decree were issued, Yan Song and Yan Shifan would become martyrs, and officials and gentry across the land would riot. The imperial clan, the vassal kings, and even the Crown Prince would step forward to oppose it. More seriously, some in the border regions might raise an army, such as Mu Chaobi or Yang Bo. In the Imperial Guards, would people like Li Tingzhu stand idly by? Then, the situation in surrounding regions would rapidly deteriorate, and individuals like Anda, Zheng Jian, Yin Yuanheng, Mang Yinglong, and the Wokou pirates would seize the opportunity to attack. This would be followed by widespread calls for a change of emperor throughout the court and the country. Then, eunuchs like Chen Hong, Du Tai, and Li Bin would target Lü Fang and Huang Jin, while those in the Embroidered Uniform Guard like Lu Liu, Xu Jiu, and Yu Er would target Zhu Qi and Wu Feng…
With even the slightest misstep, the situation would immediately become uncontrollable. They would then escort the Crown Prince to the throne, Jiajing would become an emperor emeritus, and within months he would starve to death…
It wasn't that it was impossible, but the risks were too great, and the situation could not be managed. It would be akin to abandoning one's trump card and relying on weaknesses; how could one not lose? His Majesty's greatest trump card was his status. Only by using this authority to control the key nodes, to pressure with momentum, to counter evil with righteousness, and to proceed slowly, could success be achieved. But how could these principles be explained to an impatient person?
Wu Liang's emotions were even more intense.
The three of them went through the case files. By dawn, Zhu Mo left in a hurry.
…
Several days after Zhang Juzheng's departure,
At the Ancestral Shrine of Poets.
Zhang Yu and Zhao Zhenji summoned officials from across the province. Tan Lun, as the Governor-General of Zhejiang and Zhili, was nominally in charge only of military affairs and was therefore not included in the summons. Qi Jiguang was already the Minister of War in Nanjing, so he was also irrelevant to administrative matters. Furthermore, Zhang Yu feared their absolute loyalty to the Crown Prince, thus he dared not allow them to attend the meeting.
Jiangnan Governor Zhang Han and Judicial Commissioner Liu Yingjie were recommended by Zhu Mo, so they naturally would not attend. Zhang Han had fallen ill several days after Zhang Juzheng's departure, while Liu Yingjie, also serving as head of the Zhoushan Office and the Agricultural Colony Garrison, cited urgent maritime defense needs and went to Zhenhai Guard to avoid the meeting.
In addition, the Crown Prince, in his supervisory decree, had newly appointed a Jiangnan Provincial Administration Commissioner named Wan Cai. Wan Cai had previously served as the Judicial Vice Commissioner in Guangxi and was recommended by Yuan Yingxu, Yan Song's son-in-law. He had recently arrived in Hangzhou. With this connection, it was clear he would be a key figure working diligently.
Among Zhang Yu and Zhao Zhenji, Zhang Yu unhesitatingly took the main seat. Zhao Zhenji, following Xu Jie's instructions, merely followed suit, rarely making decisions himself. As long as the matter was not too extreme, he deferred to Zhang Yu. However, if anything occurred that would affect the reputation of the "Pure Faction," he was to immediately distance himself.
The situation in Jiangnan at this time was both bizarre and laughable. However, Zhang Yu, having served in the Censorate and the Supreme Court of Judicature and Revision, had long desired to become a high-ranking provincial official. He was naturally full of ambition and satisfaction at this moment.