Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 267: Establishing a province on the grassland and attacking head-on!

In one day.

Wang Chonggu was appointed prime minister, and Qi Jiguang took command.

Four governors-general resigned and twelve provincial governors-general resigned.

In the vast Ming Dynasty, there was no other high-ranking official except Xu Guo, the governor of Yunnan.

The emperor specially took a huge piece of extremely precious and rare chicken-blood jade from the spoils captured by the State of Xu when he suppressed the rebellion in Jinchuan, Yunnan, and ordered skilled craftsmen to make an inkstone and presented it to the people who were bidding farewell to the court.

Many people felt that they could not afford such a treasure, and after returning the holy gift to no avail, they chose to give it away.

The cabinet ministers received the most gifts, especially Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng, who alone received a square precious inkstone.

They were presented respectively by Zhao Zhenji, Governor-General of Southern Zhili, Tan Lun, Governor of Sichuan, Wu Shilai, Governor of Henan, and Zhang Chong, Governor of Jiangxi.

Zhao Zhenji, Wu Shilai, and Zhang Chong were fellow students of Zhang Juzheng, and Tan Lun was Zhang Juzheng's colleague in the former Prince Yu's Palace.

These four people with great ambitions and aspirations are all waiting for the end of things and the promotion of their peers (colleagues) after the final system.

Due to past friendship, Zhang Juzheng had no choice but to accept the gift, and then gave it to a fellow cabinet minister.

The second-in-command Gao Gong was not interested in them, so the four bluestone inkstones were given to Hu Zongxian, Li Chunfang, the newly appointed cabinet minister Wang Chonggu, and even Chen Yiqin, the cabinet minister who was implementing the national policy of "measurement of land and equal distribution of land to the people" outside the capital, got one.

Major changes then occurred in the two capitals and thirteen provinces. In principle, the position of governor-general who resigned would no longer be established. The position of governor who resigned would be replaced by the provincial governors in order. The vacant position of provincial governor would be replaced by the provincial judge, and so on. In the entire Ming Dynasty officialdom, everyone took a step forward.

People from all over the province were filled with joy.

The routine affairs of the provincial government offices were being carried out on a daily basis, and official documents were being handled by someone. The huge machine of the Ming Dynasty seemed to have suddenly accelerated its operation.

Unlike several officialdom earthquakes last year, which only benefited some officials, the collective collapse of governors and provincial governors-general has greatly benefited all local officials of the Ming Dynasty.

Every official hopes that more high-ranking officials will collapse.

The senior officials suddenly felt a huge pressure. The places under their buttocks gradually became hot, their backs gradually felt like they were tingling, and they always felt like there was something choking in their throats.

This feeling is most clearly reflected in the officials of the six ministries and nine departments, local governors, provincial governors, and provincial judges.

As the saying goes, "Those who plant trees will enjoy the shade."

On the contrary, the governors and provincial governors had made a scene in front of the emperor, which was equivalent to cutting down a tree. The six ministries, nine officials, and local governors were exposed to the sun and kept sweating.

As the Eastern and Northern Tartars completely surrendered and the grasslands returned to China, the "home exchange" plan formulated by the cabinet was implemented.

Nearly one million women, young and old, from the grassland entered the Great Wall area and came to live in the Ming Dynasty.

Women and children were temporarily settled in Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, and northern Zhili, living the same life as the people in the Central Plains and receiving education in the Ming Dynasty. The court almost abandoned Confucianism, but the parts about "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, gentleness, courtesy, frugality, modesty, loyalty, filial piety, honesty, shame, and courage" as well as "Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents, and Teachers" were retained, and these contents were the first lessons for children on the grassland.

Favor.

Those elderly grassland elders became the pioneers of all grassland people and went to live in Lingnan.

The imperial court was originally worried about whether these grassland elders could survive the journey of thousands of miles. However, facts have proved that there are no weaklings among those who can survive in the ice and snow, and they will move forward without hesitation to serve their tribesmen.

The natural law of survival of the fittest is fully demonstrated at this moment.

All grassland people will move out of the grassland and move to Lingnan and the Ryukyu Islands in the next five years.

Since it was a change of residence, there was a give and take. The imperial court organized and mobilized one million people in the four provinces of mountains and rivers to live on the grassland. When they got there, they were divided into fields, land, cattle and sheep. All their food, clothing, housing and transportation in the first two years were borne by the imperial court.

In the next ten years, the imperial court will organize and mobilize millions of people to migrate to the grassland every year. They will still be given fields, land, cattle and sheep, but the benefits of food, clothing, housing and transportation will only belong to the first batch of pioneers who enter the grassland.

The imperial court has ordered the Ryukyu Kingdom's King Shang Yuan to organize and mobilize the Ryukyu people to migrate to the grasslands, and the migration is expected to be completed within five years.

During the migration of the grassland people and the Ryukyu people, the Jianzhou Jurchens became the biggest obstacle. The grassland people could have gone east to the sea and sailed south, and the Ryukyu people could have landed north and taken a car west. Although this would require passing through the vassal state of the Goryeo Dynasty, with the military support of the Ming Dynasty, the Goryeo Dynasty had no "reason to refuse."

But they could not get around the territory of the Jianzhou Jurchens, so the imperial edict and the cabinet letter were both sent to Liaodong Town, ordering Li Chengliang, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town, to deal with the Jianzhou Jurchens as soon as possible and open up the migration route from east to west, south to north.

The imperial court's idea was to transform the grassland into pastureland, which would provide both war horses for the Ming Dynasty's army and meat for the Ming Dynasty's people. Naturally, the grassland would become a place under the Ming Dynasty's actual control.

In other words, the Ming Dynasty wanted to set up provinces and counties on the grassland and provide the most direct management. A new province that was almost like a blank sheet of paper immediately attracted countless people with "sensitive sense of smell" to scramble for it.

Several quarrels broke out in the cabinet. Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng and Deputy Prime Minister Gao Gong were arguing over the candidates for the new provincial governor, provincial governor, and provincial judge. They both wanted to put their own marks on "that piece of paper" and draw their own masterpieces.

For this reason, Zhang Juzheng even marked the ashes of his brother Zhang Juyi that were returned by the military. He did not have the ashes sent back to his hometown in Jingzhou, Huguang, but buried them in the cemetery set up by the court together with all the Ming Dynasty martyrs who died in the Northern Expedition.

The grassland was named Bac Nguyen Province.

Zhang Juzheng took the lead in transferring his old friend Wang Shizhen, the Minister of Justice, to be the first governor of Beiyuan Province.

Gao Gong was not to be outdone, and transferred his old friend Wu Sanle, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, to be the first Censor of Beiyuan Province.

Being transferred from a Beijing official to a provincial post may seem like a demotion, but the vast expanse of grassland offers far more opportunities for achievement than the muddy waters of the imperial court.

Wang Shizhen and Wu Sanle immediately accepted the order, packed their bags and prepared to go to Bac Nguyen Province to take up their posts.

However, the struggle between Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong continued over the issue of the first governor of Beiyuan Province, that is, the first frontier governor of Beiyuan Province.

You deny my people, I deny your people, and we don't recognize each other. The cabinet, the six ministries, and the various government offices in the capital are all very excited to watch.

……

Datong Town, Shanxi Province.

This was the second stop after the land survey and land distribution to the people in Northern Zhili. It had rained a little in the previous few days, and the fields were muddy and difficult to walk on, but this could not stop the people's enthusiasm for dividing the land.

Cabinet elder Chen Yiqun walked around the countryside, inspecting and supervising the Jinyiwei people who were measuring the land and the Dongchang people who were distributing land to the people.

After Chen Hong's death, there were only two people left in the Silijian, the eunuch who held the seal of the Silijian and was the ancestor of the inner court, Lü Fang, and the eunuch Huang Jin, the chief eunuch of the Silijian and the commander-in-chief of the East Factory. These two people had to serve the emperor, so the people and affairs of the East Factory were temporarily managed by Qi Dazhu, one of the Thirteen Guards of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. At this time, he was shouting at the top of his voice about drawing lots to divide the land. Looking at the heartfelt smiles of the people, Chen Yiqun also smiled from the bottom of his heart.

"Sir, there is a letter from the court concerning an important matter. Lord Zhu is waiting for you at the post station." Post station.

Zhu Qi, one of the Thirteen Guardians of the Imperial Uniform Guard, showed Chen Yiqin the gifts that the Prime Minister had asked the Imperial Uniform Guard to bring: a jade ruyi with carved patterns and inlaid beads, an old mountain ginseng wrapped in red silk and mulberry paper, several bottles of aged Laojiao wine and a bluestone inkstone.

Chen Yiqin picked up the bluestone inkstone and examined it carefully: it was dotted with spots and strands of red silk, like a landscape painting done in red ink.

The most amazing thing is that a white jade vein has naturally formed next to the inkstone, which looks exactly like the four characters “山高月小” written in Yan Zhenqing’s style.

The jade veins go straight through the back of the inkstone. Although the handwriting is blurred, it is still clear if you look carefully.

Chen Yiqin looked at it for a long time, then sighed, "What a rare treasure, it's wasted."

Zhu Qi was shocked. This was something that the emperor made for those high officials who resigned from their posts. Even the palace didn't keep it, and the prime minister didn't even want to use it. He got it from his fellow students (colleagues) and gave it to the cabinet ministers. He didn't expect Chen Ge Lao to say such a thing, and he couldn't help asking, "Why?"

"The precious and rare chicken blood jade, plus the fact that it is naturally generated, is a rare treasure. However, if it is wasted, it is wasted."

"Please enlighten me, sir. How could it be ruined?" Zhu Qi asked humbly.

Chen Yiqin sighed again, "It is true that the inkstone made of gemstones looks very exquisite, but little do people know that such a hard stone cannot produce ink. It can only be used as a toy. Isn't it a pity?"

Seeing Zhu Qi staring at him doubtfully, Chen Yiqin smiled faintly, poured some water into the bluestone inkstone and ground ink. Sure enough, the surface was too slippery to hold ink, and the black water beads that were ground out rolled around like oil and could not get on the inkstone.

Zhu Qi was convinced and said, "What a pity, what a pity!"

"What a pity!"

Chen Yiqin nodded and said, "The creation of all things is the work of nature, not human power. Xunzi's "Encouragement to Study" said, 'The one who borrows the carriage and horse is not fast, but it can take you a thousand miles; the one who borrows the boat and oar is not able to swim, but it can cross the river. The gentleman is not born different, but is good at borrowing things.' The reason why smart people are better than foolish people is that they can act according to human nature and physical laws.

If you use people who are not qualified for the job and act against human nature and logic, you will inevitably end up making a fool of yourself.

Rosewood and boxwood can be used to carve Buddhas, but if they are used to make sedan chair poles, they will be ruined.

If this piece of jade falls into the hands of a skilled craftsman, it can be decorated with a yellow dragon and carved with coiled dragons, and placed on the emperor’s hall…”

Having said this, Chen Yiqin paused, but Zhu Qi understood what the elder meant.

This bluestone inkstone is not referring to the gemstone, but to the governors and provincial governors who have resigned from their posts.

These people all have real skills, just like this chicken blood jade, which is a top-quality material.

The emperor's original intention was to decorate these people with yellow dragons and carve them into coiled dragons and place them above the Mingtang.

But these people have polished themselves into this smooth bluestone inkstone that cannot hold ink, and have turned themselves into "playthings".

However, the thing that was most abundant in the emperor's treasury was playthings. People like Zhao Zhenji, Tan Lun, Wu Shilai, and Yuan Hongyu were just abandoned.

Zhu Qi asked again: "Master, could it be that this inkstone has no benefits at all?"

"What are you talking about?"

Chen Yiqin shook his head and said with a smile: "It's just not very practical. If it is carved by a master craftsman, it can still be placed in the hall. At worst, it can be used to hit people."

His Majesty's ambition goes far beyond this.

In other words, the ambitions of an emperor who can be called the greatest emperor of all time are unimaginable.

The Qin Emperor unified the world, Emperor Wu of Han climbed the Great Wall and swept across the grasslands, and Emperor Khan of Tang made all nations bow down to him.

The founder of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Gao, drove out the Tartar invaders and restored China, which was undoubtedly a great feat, but that was established before he opened his eyes to the world.

Since Emperor Chengzu Wen, the reputation of the Ming Dynasty has spread throughout the world. However, starting from Emperor Renzong, the previous emperors paid more attention to domestic affairs. There were Japanese pirates on the coast and strong invaders in the northern border, and the national strength declined again and again.

Now, the South China Sea has been pacified, the northern border has been secured, the Ming Dynasty's national strength has been rising again and again, and there is no emperor who does not pursue military exploits.

Although Chen Yiqin was not in the capital and did not witness the scenes of "releasing military power with a cup of wine" and "removing borders with a cup of wine", he could still guess a thing or two.

The emperor probably had the sincerity to give up the frontier with a cup of wine, but he was generally not satisfied with giving up the military power with a cup of wine.

Because His Majesty has higher pursuits in martial arts and more prospects for the world.

However, Chen Yiqin admired Wang Chonggu very much. Throughout history from ancient times to the present, there are very few people who can be content with wealth and honor. No matter whether they are foolish or wise, they have no self-knowledge. Even if they are not competent for the job, they will try their best to hold the position. Even if they are sick, they will still reluctantly serve as officials and are unwilling to give up their power.

Wang Chonggu has a broad vision, profound insights, and is both wise and courageous.

The emperor fulfilled Wang Chonggu's virtues and allowed him to enter the cabinet and become a prime minister, making him a role model in both the military and political circles.

Your Majesty is kind and Wang Chonggu is wise.

On the other hand, those governors and governors-general who resigned from their posts were extremely stupid. If the emperor lets them return to their hometowns, they can still be reinstated if they can come to their senses.

If he fails to wake up, there may be a chance for him to be revived, but the place of his revival will most likely be the barbarian land conquered by the Ming army, and it will be difficult for him to even return to his hometown after his death.

Chen Yiqin had some knowledge of the Book of Changes. When he heard that the date chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory for the dragon's ascent was the ninth day of the fourth lunar month, and that the celebration banquets for the Yongshou and Wanshou palaces would be on the twenty-ninth day of the fourth lunar month, which was two "nines" in a row and the highest number of numbers, he knew that something big was bound to happen in the court.

The zither and the harp are out of tune, but people always want to change the strings. This is like plucking the strings randomly, and the problem will never stop!
The Book of Changes says, 'The upper nine is a hidden dragon, do not use it.' To put it simply, when it reaches ten, it must return to one, the moon will become dark when it is full, and the water will overflow when it is full.

But today is the tenth day of May!
Chen Yiqin was thinking about it when he suddenly thought of the date. His eyebrows twitched uncontrollably. He looked at Zhu Qi and had a bad feeling in his heart.

From the end of Yan Song's cabinet to the rise of Zhang Juzheng's cabinet, the fighting among cabinet ministers was too excessive, and their fate was doomed to fail!

If you want to defeat the enemy, you must attack head-on.

Now, what are the reasons for the fight between the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister?
Zhu Qi spoke up and said, "These are minor matters. Elder, the emperor has issued a secret decree. Please select a virtuous man to be the first governor of Beiyuan Province and present him to the court!"

Chen Yiqin, "..."

(End of this chapter)