I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

June 24th, early morning.

Zhang Juzheng submitted a memorial acknowledging his lax management of his subordinates, requesting the court to punish him, and voluntarily handed over his steward You Qi to the Ministry of Justice.

In the afternoon, the young Wanli Emperor replied: "The Grand Secretary was unaware of You Qi's private actions. The Grand Secretary was actually implicated. I hereby order the Ministry of Justice to investigate the facts and restore justice to the Grand Secretary."

The young Wanli Emperor said this.

This means that no matter what crimes You Qi commits by taking advantage of Zhang Juzheng's influence, Zhang Juzheng will not be implicated.

at the same time.

Despite the rumors circulating in the court and among the public that Shen Nian had been secretly investigating You Qi, she did not offer any explanation.

Investigating one's mentor privately may not be against the law, but it is immoral.

Many people, seeing that Shen Nian did not explain, assumed that Shen Nian was in the wrong and that he did this in order to seize power ahead of schedule.

at the same time.

Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian deliberately distanced themselves from each other in their daily lives. For example, when Shen Nian greeted Zhang Juzheng, he deliberately ignored her; when Shen Nian saw Zhang Juzheng from afar, she would avoid him.

These details were all captured by Wanli's informants and also noticed by some officials.

Little Wanli was very excited.

He knew that this incident alone could not make Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian enemies, but once a rift formed between them, it would be difficult to repair their relationship, and they would inevitably drift further apart over time.

Only Yin Zhengmao knew about the play that Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian were performing together.

Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue both felt that Shen Nian might have some dissatisfaction with Zhang Juzheng, so they investigated him privately.

After this incident, Shen Nian also had a new perspective on the young Wanli Emperor.

As Wanli was about to turn eighteen, he became noticeably more cunning.

In his eyes, he would not be able to rule without Shen Nian's assistance in the future, but he would never allow Shen Nian to become too powerful and overshadow his imperial glory.

Three days later.

You Qi was sentenced to exile for multiple crimes, including abusing his power for personal gain, accepting bribes, and insulting good officials, while Zhang Juzheng was not punished at all.

The matter was thus concluded, and none of the officials in the court raised any objections.

……

It was the fourth day of the seventh lunar month, around noon.

The two empress dowagers issued an imperial edict stating: "His Majesty has been married for many years, and there is a shortage of personnel in the inner palace. Therefore, a virtuous woman shall be selected to serve as the heir to the throne."

Although Empress Wang was already pregnant, the more imperial offspring the better. In addition, it had been three years since the last imperial concubine selection, and there were only four concubines in the palace. Furthermore, the young Wanli Emperor had not taken a liking to any of the palace maids in the Forbidden City. Therefore, the two empress dowagers hoped to replenish the harem.

Upon seeing the imperial edict, the young Wanli Emperor ordered a clerk to convey it to the Grand Secretariat and also issued an oral decree: instructing the Grand Secretariat and the Ministry of Rites to draft a new selection of imperial concubines, to be discussed at the court assembly the day after tomorrow.

Upon receiving this imperial edict, Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but frown slightly.

The selection of imperial concubines followed a set procedure.

The traditional process has always been: the Ministry of Rites is in charge of setting up the procedures, local officials select candidates by imperial decree, the censors supervise the selection, then the eunuchs conduct a second selection, and finally the Empress Dowagers and the Emperor make the final selection.

The "new draft selection strategy" mentioned by the young Wanli Emperor clearly indicated that he did not want to use this process anymore.

Zhang Juzheng inquired with the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, who subtly indicated that His Majesty believed that the selection of concubines in the sixth year of the Wanli reign had caused unrest among the people and did not meet his expectations.

The fact that the eunuch delivering the imperial edict could say such a thing clearly indicates that it was at the behest of the young Wanli Emperor.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Juzheng summoned the other four cabinet ministers, plus Xu Xuemo, the Minister of Rites, to the meeting hall on the second floor of the cabinet.

A moment later, everyone gathered together.

After Zhang Juzheng finished explaining the selection process, he continued, "The two Empress Dowagers have ordered the selection of virtuous women to serve as heirs to the throne. We, as their subjects, will naturally do our utmost to fulfill this obligation. However, Your Majesty has stated that the last selection process caused unrest among the people and did not meet Your Majesty's expectations. Were there many problems among the people during the last selection process?"

After saying this, Zhang Juzheng looked at Xu Xuemo, the Minister of Rites, and the other four Grand Secretaries also looked at him.

In the imperial concubine selection of the sixth year of the Wanli reign, the cabinet had almost no involvement, while Xu Xuemo, then the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was in charge of drafting the regulations for the selection.

Xu Xuemo paused for a moment, then said, “Every imperial concubine selection has caused unrest among the people. Local officials, in order to complete their quotas, have no choice but to force the selection, wealthy families bribe officials to prevent their daughters from being selected, and poor families, hearing rumors of ‘palace maids being buried alive with the emperor’s concubines’, rush their daughters into marriage, sometimes even having them marry overnight. In addition, most of the palace maids who enter the palace serve for life and die in the palace, which makes the people fear the imperial concubine selection. Last time, the imperial concubine selection led to some places having ‘no more marriages left’…”

Upon hearing Xu Xuemo's account, Zhang Juzheng and the other five cabinet ministers couldn't help but frown.

Most families in the countryside were unwilling to let their daughters enter the palace, because the probability of them becoming concubines was too low. Sending a daughter to the palace was like sending her to prison, so they would not cooperate unless they really couldn't make ends meet.

Their lack of cooperation, coupled with some officials forcibly assigning tasks to complete, led to numerous conflicts.

In the end, the people were full of complaints, and the young Wanli Emperor also felt that he had not chosen the woman he had his eye on.

As for the rumors of "the emperor's sexual cultivation," they all originated from the Jiajing Emperor. No matter how the court explained, most people still did not believe it.

If the selection process were to proceed according to the usual rules, the strange phenomenon of "all eligible daughters being married off" would surely occur again.

"It's difficult to do things without disturbing the people and still satisfy His Majesty!" Yin Zhengmao couldn't help but sigh.

At this time.

Shen Shixing's eyes lit up, and he suddenly said, "What if... what if we selected the nine concubines in the same way as in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign?"

Swish!
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

The selection of the Nine Concubines was of a much higher standard than that of the Imperial Concubine Selection; those selected could be directly granted the title of Concubine.

This move could attract some respectable young women to participate in the selection, while also determining the number of available spots, allowing those who lost the selection to leave the palace and return home to marry freely.

In the ninth year of the Jiajing reign, Emperor Shizong, unable to find a suitable candidate, conceived the idea of ​​issuing an edict to select nine concubines.

This strategy was ultimately implemented very well.

Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and said, "This plan is feasible. With high standards and careful selection, it can not only reduce disturbance to the people, but also select the concubines that Your Majesty desires!"

“No objection!”

“No objection!”

“No objection!”

……

Everyone spoke up in unison, indicating that they seconded the motion.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Shen Shixing and said, "Ru Mo, you and Minister Xu will write this plan together. Divide it into two copies. Before noon tomorrow, give one copy to the two Empress Dowagers and the other copy to His Majesty. This will be read aloud at the daily court assemblies!"

"Understood!" Shen Shixing and Xu Xuemo bowed in unison.

A smile also appeared on Shen Nian's face.

He also thought this was a good idea; selecting nine concubines would be enough to prevent the young Wanli Emperor from having any further thoughts of selecting concubines for three to five years.

……

The following day at noon, at the Wenhua Hall.

When Emperor Wanli saw the talent selection plan jointly submitted by Shen Shixing and Xu Xuemo, he couldn't help but slightly curl his lip.

"Selecting nine concubines? The requirements are that they be between fourteen and sixteen years old, with dignified appearance and good manners... After all that selection, they're still choosing some boring women they like, not the women I prefer. These rules are for choosing my subjects, not my wives!"

Emperor Wanli was dissatisfied with this policy because the higher the rank of the selected concubines, the more importance was placed on their demeanor, etiquette, and family traditions.

What he disliked most about the empress and three concubines he had chosen last time was that these four women were too particular about etiquette and manners, and were like wooden figures in bed, making the pleasure of the bedroom feel like a lecture.

The procedures are rigid, the movements are stiff, and even if it hurts, no one dares to utter a sound.

He only needed four concubines like that; he didn't like overly obedient ones.

He wanted to set his own selection criteria.

After thinking for a moment, the young Wanli Emperor said to the eunuch Fang Ping beside him, "Prepare the carriage, I want to go to Cining Palace!"

……

That evening, until the end of the day.

Neither Shen Shixing nor Xu Xuemo received a reply from the young Wanli Emperor.

The lack of a reply indicated that the young Wanli Emperor was dissatisfied with the memorial and likely wanted to hold a public discussion in court. This surprised all the Grand Secretaries, who couldn't think of any better strategy.

……

On the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, at the fourth watch of the night.

At the Imperial Gate, civil and military officials gathered.

The official on duty at the Office of Transmission quickly read aloud the selection strategy for the imperial concubines, jointly written by Shen Shixing and Xu Xuemo. After he finished reading, the young Wanli Emperor coughed and spoke first.

"My lords, this selection of imperial concubines is based on the policy established by Emperor Shizong in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign. It is more standardized and efficient than previous selection policies, but it still has shortcomings."

"I do not wish to disturb the local areas during this selection process, because I know that after the news of the selection spreads, the wealthy will spend money to exempt their daughters from the selection, the poor will even get married overnight, and some local officials will even pretend that some women who do not meet the requirements are eligible in order to complete their quotas... I feel very uncomfortable when I hear these rumors. My selection of concubines is for the sake of the Ming Dynasty. Shouldn't the daughters of ordinary people participate enthusiastically?"

Shen Nian listened to what Xiao Wanli said with a serious expression.

From these words, he realized that the young Wanli Emperor had gained access to intelligence channels unknown to all the officials.

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment, then continued, "I agree with the strategy of selecting nine concubines. However, in order to avoid disturbing the people and to ensure that I can select my favorite consorts, I have decided to appoint a selection official (eunuch) to dispatch eunuchs to the provinces to screen candidates and make direct selections. The provinces only need to cooperate in sending the candidates to the capital. The total number of candidates should not exceed five hundred. Finally, the two Empress Dowagers and I will select the nine concubines together. If there are more outstanding candidates, I can appoint them as talented women or selected ladies-in-waiting. I will not select palace maids to fill the harem. All the remaining unselected candidates will be sent back home and allowed to marry freely. What do you all think?"

Swish!
Upon hearing this, Yin Zhengmao was the first to step forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate. Sending eunuchs to the provinces to select concubines could easily breed corruption. Furthermore, the important matter of Your Majesty selecting nine concubines is almost entirely decided by a group of eunuchs. Isn't that a bit hasty?"

Yin Zhengmao greatly disliked the eunuchs interfering in matters outside the palace.

He had actually been very tactful in his words just now.

What he intended to express was that the eunuchs had the emperor in their hearts but not the people, and ordering them to do this would inevitably arouse public resentment.

Faced with situations where some people were unwilling to let their daughters enter the palace and instead chose to hastily marry them off at night, most local officials would turn a blind eye because they needed local stability and had to consider public opinion.

But if these extreme eunuchs were to do it, in order to complete their tasks and to save face for the royal family, they would dare to abduct women and even beat families who were rushing to marry off their daughters at night to death as a show of force.

Eunuchs were not inherently evil, but due to their position and their dependence on imperial power, they were bound to have irreconcilable conflicts with the people.

The young Wanli Emperor looked at Yin Zhengmao.

"Grand Secretary Yin, if I don't send them, who else can I send? I trust the ministers of the Six Ministries and the Grand Secretaries the most, but you are all overwhelmed. Even if they are not up to par, they are still better than those local officials who are forcibly assigned to them!"

The young Wanli Emperor's voice was clear and crisp, and his tone was very forceful.

Yin Zhengmao immediately stepped aside and stopped arguing.

Just as other officials were about to step forward, the young Wanli Emperor loudly proclaimed, "I specifically consulted with the Empress Dowager yesterday, and she had no objections. She also felt that having eunuchs select candidates for me would be more efficient and less disruptive to the people!"

Upon hearing this, the officials who wanted to refute it all stopped in their tracks.

The selection of imperial concubines was originally the responsibility of the Empress Dowager, with officials carrying it out.

Now that Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor have reached an agreement, it would be extremely difficult for officials to overturn it. Any further opposition would be an offense against the imperial heir apparent.

"Prime Minister, what do you think?" The young Wanli Emperor suddenly looked at Zhang Juzheng, who had lowered his head.

Zhang Juzheng lowered his head, not wanting to answer, because he knew that having eunuchs select concubines would inevitably cause great trouble among the people, with harm no less than that of floods and droughts.

But now that the young Wanli Emperor had called his name and Empress Dowager Li had given permission, he really couldn't find a reason to object.

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I think this plan is feasible, but... however, if eunuchs are ordered to select candidates, someone still needs to supervise them. I suggest that local censors be involved to supervise the process!"

Unable to stop the incident, Zhang Juzheng devised a way to "clean up the mess" and prevent the turmoil from escalating.

"The Prime Minister is indeed very thoughtful!" the young Wanli said with a smile.

Immediately, the young Wanli Emperor looked around and asked loudly, "My lords, do you have any objections?"

"Your Majesty, I have no objection!" Immediately, the assembled officials bowed and shouted in unison.

The decisions made by Empress Dowager Li, Emperor Wanli (the young emperor), and Zhang Juzheng were irrefutable without sufficient justification.

A smile appeared on the face of the young Wanli Emperor, and then he looked at Yin Zhengmao, the Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue.

"Yesterday, I had my chief attendant calculate that the selection of the nine concubines will require at least 300,000 taels of silver. I intend to have the Ministry of Revenue cover this expense!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhengmao trembled and strode forward.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, isn't 300,000...300,000 taels a bit too much? In the past, when we selected candidates for the imperial concubines...less than 100,000 taels would have been enough!"

Little Wanli shook his head slightly.

"The last imperial selection mainly focused on Beizhili, Henan, Shandong and other places. This time, I want to expand the area to the entire Ming Dynasty, especially the Jiangnan region. Three hundred thousand taels of silver may not even be enough!"

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid the Ministry of Revenue cannot provide the funds!" Yin Zhengmao said, bowing.

The young Wanli Emperor glared and said, "Grand Secretary Yin, the Ministry of Revenue isn't unable to pay, it's just unwilling to!"

"Emperors, who are ordained by Heaven to rule the four seas, must prioritize the continuation of the lineage and the maintenance of the throne. All wise rulers value their offspring. When there are many sons, the state is secure; when the heir is chosen, the world is at peace. Selecting a heir is a matter of the ancestral temple and the state, and it concerns the well-being of all people... Can't I even spend 300,000 taels of silver?"

Suddenly, the young Wanli Emperor began to speak in a stern tone.

He spent 300,000 taels of silver on the grounds of royal ancestral rules, and the officials couldn't find a reason to refute him for a while.

At this moment, to oppose the emperor in court would be to abuse one's power as a subject to deceive the emperor.

Seeing that Yin Zhengmao still wanted to refute, Shen Shixing immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Yin is used to protecting money. This money should be spent. In the past, the money for the selection of candidates mostly came from local areas, but today it comes from the Ministry of Revenue. It is all the money of the court. Succession is a matter of national importance. It is worth spending as much as it takes, as long as it is not wasted or lent elsewhere."

The young Wanli Emperor ignored Shen Shixing and instead looked down and said loudly, "This policy will not disturb the people, will not increase the burden on the local area, and will also help me select my favorite concubines. It costs only 300,000 taels of silver. If all the officials have objections, then I will not hold the selection!"

After saying this, the young Wanli Emperor looked down at the meritorious officials.

Duke Dingguo, Xu Wenbi, immediately understood and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I have no objection!"

After he finished speaking, the officials behind him all began to echo his sentiments.

"Your subject has no objection!"

"Your subject has no objection!"

"Your subject has no objection!"

……

Before long, only the five cabinet ministers and more than twenty officials remained who had not seconded the motion.

“The royal selection and storage is crucial to the stability of the Ming Dynasty for the next hundred years. It costs 300,000 taels of silver, and I have no objection!” Zhang Juzheng stepped forward and said.

Zhang Juzheng's words were also meant to inform the officials who had not yet expressed their opinions.

Officials can argue their case based on reason in matters concerning the realm, but when it comes to the issue of the imperial heir, they must compromise with the emperor.

"Your subject has no objection!"

"Your subject has no objection!"

"Your subject has no objection!"

……

After Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and Shen Nian expressed their opinions, the other officials followed suit, and in the blink of an eye, only Yin Zhengmao, who was standing motionless in front of Shen Nian, remained.

Shen Nian tugged at Yin Zhengmao's official robe from behind.

Yin Zhengmao paused for a moment, then said loudly, "Your subject has no objection!"

A happy smile appeared on the face of the young Wanli Emperor. Since ascending the throne, he had been fighting with his ministers and had rarely won.

Today is his day of complete victory.

He could see that Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and some other officials still did not approve of what he was doing, but they had no choice but to compromise due to ancestral rites and imperial power.

The young Wanli Emperor felt he was one step closer to assuming personal rule.

……

After the morning court session ended, all the officials returned to their respective offices.

After the five Grand Secretaries returned to the Cabinet, Zhang Juzheng looked at Yin Zhengmao, whose face had been gloomy, and said solemnly, "Brother Yangshi, the selection of nine concubines by the eunuchs is a done deal. There is no need to discuss how to refute it anymore. What we need to do is to prevent any accidents from happening and minimize the negative impact of the eunuchs in the local areas. In addition, the 300,000 taels of silver should be allocated as appropriate. His Majesty knows how much silver is stored in the Imperial Treasury. Don't make trouble for yourself!"

"Understood!" Yin Zhengmao nodded.

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment, then looked at Shen Nian and said, "Ziheng, go to the Censorate later and tell Chief Censor Chen to make it clear to the local censors that if any eunuchs disregard the law, they should be reported immediately. Also, tell them to thoroughly investigate the family background and character of the selected girls, so as not to... That's all!"

Although Zhang Juzheng hesitated to speak, Shen Nian could understand that Zhang Juzheng's biggest worry was that the young Wanli Emperor would ultimately choose a woman like Daji or Bao Si who would bring disaster to the country.

“No problem!” Shen Nian replied readily.

……

The next day, it was nearly noon.

Emperor Wanli appointed Zhang Cheng, an inner court eunuch, as the selection eunuch for the imperial concubine selection. He ordered Zhang Cheng to select capable eunuchs, female officials, and members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard from within the palace to form several teams and immediately travel to various regions to select concubines.

Emperor Wanli demanded that the imperial concubines be brought to the capital by March of the following year at the latest, with the total number limited to no more than 500.

The selection criteria for the imperial concubines were ostensibly based on those drafted by Shen Shixing and Xu Xuemo, but in reality, only the eunuchs in charge of the selection knew exactly what Emperor Wanli had instructed Zhang Cheng. (End of Chapter)