Among those present, Shen Shixing possessed the sharpest mind, and Zhang Juzheng had always considered him a potential candidate for Grand Chancellor. At this moment, Shen Shixing, having calmed down, immediately identified the crux of the problem.
He had long believed that the current issues of the Great Ming stemmed from the Emperor's refusal to hold court. It was precisely because the Emperor did not attend court that the Yan family had monopolized power, cultivated countless partisans over twenty years, persecuted the Qingliu faction relentlessly, and inflicted cruelty and wickedness upon the common people. He always thought that as long as the Emperor was willing to attend court and make a fresh start, all the accumulated malpractices would vanish. At that time, the Emperor would appoint virtuous officials, and the realm would naturally be at peace.
But just now, he felt something was amiss—
Why had Prince Yu's attendance at court not yielded the expected results? By rights, Prince Yu's regency was the Emperor's will, equivalent to the Emperor's authority being amplified. How could he still be challenged? This compelled the use of "audience assemblies," but this was even more severe. With no one watching, the Yan family ran amok.
This, was it not very strange? The anticipated scene of the Emperor holding court, ministers reporting, and all expressing their views did not materialize. The first suspicious aspect was why Grand Secretary Xu remained silent during the court session.
One must know,
Scholars like them had long been familiar with books like "Zhenguan Political Affairs," and were most accustomed to the scenes of the Emperor holding court and ministers deliberating. But what was happening before them was entirely different! Xu Jie's silence was naturally due to his fear of Yan Song, because the subsequent audiences indicated that Xu Jie's worries were correct. Yan Shifan would jump out and viciously attack, and if truly pressed, they would incite censors to impeach. At that time, if Prince Yu did not investigate, they would instigate all officials to surround the palace…
With this thought,
The events of the Zhengde and early Jiajing eras, which he had always heard about, flashed before his eyes, and only then did he understand: the Great Ming was indeed different from its past…
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With this realization,
He finally let out a long sigh and said,
“Esteemed Chancellor, as long as Qingfu is not eliminated, the calamities of Lu will not cease…”
Zhang Juzheng gave a wry smile and nodded, saying,
“Rumor, what do you think next?”
Since Shen Shixing had understood the crux of the problem, the next step was naturally to see the prospects. Prince Yu must either control Yan Song or yield to Yan Song. Otherwise, the court would be paralyzed, and the reforms in Jiangnan could not proceed further. This was because any action could now be used as a tool for conflict by those in the court…
“Esteemed Chancellor, the sage said, ‘The way of civil and military arts involves both tension and relaxation’… It seems we can only stay out of it for now… After the court returns to calm, the reforms can resume…”
As his words fell,
The entire hall was silent. Everyone had realized something; in any case, what was happening before them was truly extremely rare.
Zhang Juzheng paced a few steps and said leisurely,
Koukou Wu Liu San Qi Si Lu Wu
“Rumor is correct, Qingfu is not the only cause of Lu's calamities… But the affairs of the Great Ming are not solely caused by Qingfu alone… Think about it, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian and Emperor Zhengde, Yang Tinghe and the Emperor, were they not also like this? Therefore, what Rumor calls Qingfu is not just one person…
My Great Ming is different from all previous dynasties. Have you paid attention to Zhu Mo's ‘Great Dao Sacrificing Confucius Text’? It contains profound meaning… My Great Ming originally had no Grand Secretariat. The system of ministers drafting proposals, I investigated for over ten years and learned that it began in the Hongzhi reign… Powerful ministers have always existed in every dynasty, but they all had their reasons, many arising from expediency. However, the ministers after Hongzhi are different from the powerful ministers of previous dynasties…”
Saying this,
He no longer wished to continue. After all, he was still a serving minister, Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, and Minister of War. To say more would be to offend people.
But although he did not finish, his meaning was perfectly clear—
The friction between the Emperor and the Grand Secretaries was not a matter of one or two days. Therefore, as soon as Prince Yu assumed regency, he was challenged by the Yan family. It was almost impossible to implement major policies by bypassing the Grand Secretariat. The reason why the Jiangnan reforms could achieve today's success was due to Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng's unconventional approach, implemented under the guise of disaster relief and resistance against Japanese pirates. Through immense difficulty, they had managed to push them to this point.
So, next, with this fundamental problem recurring, and with the pretexts of Japanese pirates and disaster relief no longer available, how could the reforms be pushed forward?
Thinking of this,
Everyone sighed.
One must know,
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Zhang Juzheng had conceived the idea of reform since he was thirty. At that time, he retired to his home, pondering deeply, and decided to go with the flow. Upon returning to the capital, he submitted a student's letter to Yan Song, thus establishing a foothold in the court. Later, following the same approach, he maneuvered between Xu Jie and Yan Song, thus reaching his current position.
The reason for his success was the word "practical." Whether it was Yan Song or Xu Jie, despite their conflicts, they were all about getting things done and achieving results. Therefore, Zhang Juzheng proactively acted as the firefighter. Whatever could be done, he did it, and in terms of the overall principle, he was the weakest, as long as he could maintain the stability of people's livelihoods.
But at this moment,
He deeply felt that even this strategy had no room to maneuver. The Yan family was determined to champion the banner of "Sage's Governance" and then extend their influence into all areas of the reforms of the past two years, transforming them into the kind of "changes" they desired. On this matter, they would not retreat half a step, even if Prince Yu knelt down and begged them, they would not compromise in the slightest! On this point, no one understood it better than he did.
And Prince Yu would also have extraordinary changes.
One must know, he, Zhang Juzheng, was after all the tutor of the Crown Prince and often participated in important state affairs at the Prince's mansion. His insight into character was particularly innate. He had long observed that Prince Yu, though outwardly weak, possessed a stubbornness in his bones. When it truly erupted, he could be extraordinarily rash, completely disregarding the consequences.
He remembered discussing this with Zhu Mo once, and they both agreed—
Prince Yu had a rebellious streak in his bones.
Zhu Mo believed it was a backlash from being suppressed by the Emperor for a long time, while he, Zhang Juzheng, believed it was the blood and courage carried in his bones. The Zhu family, their bloodline was indeed extraordinary; it was extremely difficult to make them yield.
Therefore,
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Zhang Juzheng was very worried at this moment, precisely worried that Prince Yu might take some extraordinary action. At that time, even if the Emperor came out to preside over the overall situation, the reforms would likely be difficult to salvage…
Thinking of this,
He sighed and said,
“Everyone, the court is about to face a storm! Although we are in Jiangnan, we are truly in the eye of the storm. Liang Menglong’s letter states that Yan Song intends to recommend Zhang Yu, and Grand Secretary Xu and others wish to recommend Zhao Mengjing. Both will have powerful backing, so how can we proceed with our matters?
Therefore, I have decided that we must yield! Starting today, everyone must go down and re-examine what they have done. If there are any issues, they must all be rectified. If they cannot be rectified, then bring them to me for discussion. In short, we must not leave any loopholes!”
With that,
He waved his sleeve, stood with his hands behind his back, and said resolutely,
“Three years, only three years, we can afford to wait! After three years, we will make a comeback. As the saying goes, ‘There are many talented youths in Jiangdong,’ and a comeback is never certain! Rumor, you will be taking the imperial examination next year, so don’t come to the Ci Ren Temple. Hand over all the matters you are in charge of to Zi Wei…
Everyone, a true man can bend and stretch. Do not be discouraged. Know that the path to reforming and saving the people has never been smooth. The primary task is to protect yourselves!”
The crowd, initially dejected, was now stirred by these words and their passion reignited. Regardless of age, they all stood up with a flourish and said in unison,
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“We understand!”
Zhang Juzheng nodded, and the crowd dispersed. Shen Shixing was about to leave when Zhang Juzheng stopped him. They went to the side hall, and Zhang Juzheng said,
“Rumor, when you return to Suzhou, you must make it clear to the gentry that the reforms are not over, merely temporarily shelved. We will wait and see…”
Shen Shixing, a member of Suzhou's gentry for generations, had considerable influence locally and understood that the gentry of Southern Jiangsu were different from elsewhere. Most of them were Qingliu scholars who eagerly awaited reforms and held Zhang Juzheng in high regard. Although there was a setback this time, it should not affect the overall situation. He immediately said,
“Esteemed Chancellor, I understand.”
Mm,
Zhang Juzheng suddenly said with emotion,
“Rumor, do you know the reason for the Emperor’s withdrawal behind the scenes this time?”
Shen Shixing bowed and said,
“Please enlighten me, Esteemed Chancellor.”
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Zhang Juzheng nodded, stroked his beard, and said,
“In my opinion, Zhu Mo discussed many things with Mu Chaobi and also asked us to send people to Yunnan and Guizhou to oversee the clearing of land grants. Shortly thereafter, the Emperor issued a decree to retire. Do you understand the deeper meaning of this?”
Shen Shixing pondered for a moment and said,
“Esteemed Chancellor, you mean to say that the meritorious officials and the feudal lords have already taken a clear stance?”