Zhang Juzheng's letter read:
"To my esteemed younger brother, Zi Xuan:
I have often heard that matters which align with the Dao and benefit the people are met with auspicious signs, and today I finally believe it. Though the distance between the capital and Hangzhou is vast, men of shared purpose have managed to connect. The day you confiscated the Yan Party's illicit gains, I too received a deposit of two million taels from foreigners. The parallels, as if fulfilling an ancient prophecy, are indeed remarkable.
However, the situation in Jiangnan has only recently stabilized, and I harbor some regrets. Why? Firstly, the Yan Party harbors resentment, and the gentry remain suspicious. Secondly, I am alone and my strength is limited, requiring me to attend to all matters personally.
Recently, rumors have resurfaced, all claiming that Zhu Mo is Qin Mo. Such heretical talk is not to be concerned with, yet the gentry do not approve of you by the standards of the sages. You, my brother, are well-versed in Confucius and Mencius, and are certainly not among the Mohists or Legalists. I have already tasked Shen Shixing and others to refute these claims, and there should be no great obstacles.
Secondly, the matters in Jiangnan hinge on reform. However, the Yan Party is widespread, and there is a shortage of upright officials. I find myself in a crucible, with all affairs burning with urgency. Recently, friends such as Zhao Zhenji, Xu Xuemo, Gui Youguang, Pan Sheng, Zhang Siwei, and Ma Ziqiang have written to me successively, urging me to speak for the common people, and indeed I have taken on this arduous responsibility. The words of my earnest friends are like gold and jade shattering on the ground, enough to make one weep blood. Only then do I know that virtue is not solitary; it is bound to have neighbors."
Comparing the two letters,
Zhu Mo suddenly understood—
After all the prevarication, what they wanted to say was that he, Zhu Mo, was implementing Qin's laws! "Zhu Mo is Qin Mo?" Why put it so delicately? The Mohist School of Professional Services indeed did much for the state of Qin, but it was entirely different from today's situation!
It essentially meant that the gentry were dissatisfied with the reforms, but they were willing to go along with them if it meant eliminating the Yan Party. Zhang Juzheng himself had stated that he would rather die as a jade shard than remain intact as a tile, and would resolutely follow. However, the risks were truly immense, and he was alone and weak, wanting to recommend a few people to work together.
If he did not agree, then when the gentry of the world labeled his actions as the harsh laws of Qin, they would no longer be involved. If he agreed to recommend people, they would actively work to quell the rumors.
Zhang Juzheng's statement after receiving the foreign deposit was a veiled ultimatum, or rather, a direct transaction. If he wanted Zhang to continue, he had to use these people.
This was one layer.
There was another, more subtle layer, which finally made him understand the true intentions of the Qingliu scholars, which was—
Reform was acceptable, but the Way of the Sages and the Royal System could not be abolished. If the Way of the Sages was abolished, they would not participate. To put it more plainly, it meant: an alliance was possible, but ultimately, they were not of the same path; or, more directly, it was like dating but not getting married...
This was, of course, understandable, because what he intended to do was far too risky. If it failed, or went awry, all the gentry in the world would stand against him, and he would likely not even have his bones left. These Qingliu scholars were naturally unwilling to take such a risk.
The difference between them and the Yan Party was clearly stated in Shen Shixing's lengthy essay: the Qingliu came from the righteous path, while the Yan Party were opportunists.
These words sounded grand and proper, but in Zhu Mo's eyes, Shen Shixing's ideas were the most terrifying, the very things he truly wanted to eradicate. His ultimate goal was to make officialdom a common occupation, no longer a ladder of privilege. Shen Shixing's words were completely the opposite; the Qingliu believed themselves to be inherently superior to the common people. They studied and became officials precisely to be different from the populace, and this was the worst possible thing.
However, there were commonalities between the two sides. Upon closer thought, there were two layers.
One layer was, of course, the elimination of the Yan Party. On this point, both sides had completely identical goals. Another layer was justice. The Qingliu still sought to mediate, and would not push the common people to a dead end. Without infringing upon their own interests, they were also willing to consider the interests of the common people.
Beyond these, there were hardly any commonalities between the two sides.
Faced with such a situation, a systematic evaluation became even more rigorous—
[Text Nature: Expression of the stance of the established faction in the Great Ming officialdom towards reform;]
[Established Faction's Strategy: Limited cooperation;]
[Risk Assessment: 55%, projected to rise to 70% in three years; Description: The established faction adopts limited cooperation, but Zhang Juzheng's follow-up is a speculative strategy that will form its own faction within three to five years, implying significant risks;]
[Predicted Split Node: Imprisonment or decisive weakening of the Yan father and son;]
[... ]
Looking again at Zhang Juzheng's list, there was also great hidden meaning—
Firstly, Zhao Zhenji. This man had always been a disciple of Xu Jie. He was currently in mourning for his father and would soon be released. Zhang Juzheng's recommendation of him was likely to curry favor with Xu Jie, because ultimately, it would still be up to Xu Jie to persuade others, wouldn't it?
Then there were Zhang Siwei and Ma Ziqiang.
These two were very special. They both belonged to the "Top Seventeen Richest Families in the Realm" as commented by Yan Shifan, having integrated officialdom and commerce for years, and they also had good reputations. What was Zhang Juzheng's purpose in recommending these two?
After much thought, Zhu Mo speculated that Zhang Juzheng might be testing him, to see if he could tolerate such powerful families?
Additionally, there was Gui Youguang. This man was a great scholar of Jiangnan, content with poverty and cherishing his principles, with disciples spread across four provinces, making him a trump card among the Qingliu scholars. Zhang Juzheng's recommendation of him was naturally to win over public sentiment...
As for Shen Shixing not being on the list, others might not know, but how could Zhu Mo not see through it? Shen Shixing would be the top scholar a few years later. He was likely overconfident in his talent and unwilling to wade into this muddy water. Furthermore, the Jiangnan gentry probably valued him highly and wanted to cultivate him to follow the righteous path. If he couldn't, then Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jie could still promote him later...
Frankly speaking, these choices had been deliberated repeatedly, encompassing various representative figures, and also indirectly proved that Zhang Juzheng was indeed negotiating terms... But precisely because of this, as the system stated, in three to five years, Zhang Juzheng's faction would be formed!
With this inclusiveness, the strength of Zhang Juzheng's faction was bound to surpass that of Xu Jie, directly catching up to Yan Song. And by the time the reforms were successful, the Qingliu would dominate the court... At that time, they would likely turn Prince Yu into a puppet to realize their ideal of the Sage's System...
This trend was naturally very dangerous, but Zhu Mo currently had no solution. He wondered, if one wanted to govern with severe laws to achieve a prosperous dynasty, and lacked his own personnel, what could be done? If he refused, wouldn't the reforms immediately halt? And having already offended Yan Song multiple times, how could the Yan family let him go?
At this moment,
Dark clouds obscured the moon in the courtyard, creating an atmosphere of ominous intrigue.
Zhu Mo looked up at the sky and couldn't help but sigh, deeply feeling how difficult it was to create history!
Facing the entrenched power of officials for two thousand years alone, how difficult was every step of his journey? First, he tricked Yan Song to get to Jiangnan, then he used Yan Song's influence to kill He Maocai to stabilize the situation. Then, he battled Shen Cong and engaged with Hai Rui. Fortunately, his ideas were sound, and he finally achieved some results. Now, at this juncture, Zhang Juzheng and these Qingliu scholars were coming to bargain...
Looking around, there were scarcely a few people in the entire realm whom he could rely on... Apart from Hai Rui, perhaps there was the Old Daoist and Third Master Li, but they were not officials, at most confidants and retainers of the Prince. They could offer some help, but not make a significant difference. The future path could only be taken one step at a time...
Unconsciously,
The clepsydra had reached the latter half of the night,
Zhu Mo finally made up his mind—
He would play a game of chess with Zhang Juzheng and see who would win in three to five years.
Having read countless online novels about the Great Ming, he racked his brain and thought of a possibly feasible method: "mixing pearls with pebbles," by placing chess pieces on Zhang Juzheng's board in advance.
The figures he thought of were Xu Ying, son of Xu Jie, and Yin Zhengmao, a confidant of Gao Gong. He would first make Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng oppose each other, preventing Zhang Juzheng from rapidly gaining power.
Xu Ying, Xu Jie's son, was not very capable, but Xu Jie was the leader of the Qingliu, and Zhang Juzheng could do nothing about him. Yin Zhengmao, Gao Gong's confidant, was a very capable person and should give Zhang Juzheng a lot of trouble. He had been dismissed by Yan Song to Guangxi at this time, and it was opportune to recommend him together.
This approach could be described as a disruptive strategy, allowing them to fight amongst themselves, while he mediated. However, it could only be effective temporarily and might perhaps delay Zhang Juzheng's rise to power...
With his decision made, he trimmed the lamp wick and wrote a memorial: "A Memorial on Formulating Recommendations for the Grand Situation in Jiangnan."