I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

In the afternoon, the Cabinet was on duty.

When Zhang Juzheng learned that the culprit behind the firearms murder was the fourteen-year-old Prince Lu, he was also quite shocked.

If Prince Lu was merely using his privileges to profit from the western suburbs, Zhang Juzheng would most likely have chosen to suppress the matter, then kill the instigators around Prince Lu, and plead with Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor to reprimand Prince Lu and discipline him severely.

But now it involves firearms.

In order to make a profit, the Prince of Lu used his privileged status to have someone take the lightning musket out, and even had someone else use the lightning musket to kill people.

That would be a grave sin!
Although the Prince of Lu only learned of the firearms killings afterward, it was the Prince of Lu's order that he ordered the eunuch Sun Jiu to demand the firearms from Yu Jin, the commander of the firearms battalion.

It should be understood that if the secrets of firearms were leaked and copied by the northern barbarians, and then war broke out, it could cause tens of thousands of Ming soldiers to be killed or wounded, and the military expenditure would be incalculable.

If not severely punished and made public as a warning to others, such heinous acts are very likely to occur again in the future.

Privileges must never be abused, not even by members of the royal family.

Immediately, Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian rushed to the Wenhua Hall together.

……

A moment later, inside the Wenhua Hall.

Shen Nian reported the whole story of the firearm killing and his conversation with Prince Lu in the afternoon to the young Wanli Emperor.

The young Wanli Emperor was stunned by what he heard.

He never expected that the unruly and irresponsible Prince Lu would secretly engage in such a large-scale business transaction.

“Your Majesty, Prince Lu is your younger brother. We have no right to convict him. What does Your Majesty intend to do?” Shen Nian asked, bowing.

Upon hearing this, the young Wanli Emperor was speechless.

This crime would be a serious offense for an ordinary person, deserving the death penalty, but since the Prince of Lu was his own brother, he naturally had to find a way to exonerate him.

Just as the young Wanli Emperor was pondering how to get Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian to accept the situation, a eunuch outside the door announced: Empress Dowager Li, along with Prince Lu, requests an audience.

Emperor Wanli was overjoyed and immediately ordered his men to invite Empress Dowager Li and Prince Lu in.

Shen Nian and Zhang Juzheng both frowned. It seemed that Prince Lu had confessed to Empress Dowager Li, and Empress Dowager Li was here to plead for Prince Lu.

A moment later, Empress Dowager Li and Prince Lu entered the main hall, and Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian hurriedly bowed.

After the ceremony, Empress Dowager Li waved her hand.

The eunuchs and palace maids immediately withdrew, and the last eunuch to leave closed the palace door.

In the main hall.

Only six people remained: Empress Dowager Li, the young Wanli Emperor, Prince Lu, Shen Nian, Zhang Juzheng, and the eunuch Fang Ping.

Fang Ping quickly moved a large chair for Empress Dowager Li from a corner.

"Mother, please sit down!" Young Wanli stood up and said respectfully.

Empress Dowager Li nodded slightly, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, she walked to Prince Lu, who was standing to the side with his head bowed, and said, "Raise your head!"

The moment Prince Lu looked up, Empress Dowager Li suddenly raised her arm.

Snapped!
He slapped the Prince of Lu across the face, knocking him to the ground.

With tears welling in his eyes, Prince Lu was about to stand up when Empress Dowager Li once again shouted sternly, "Kneel down!"

Immediately, Prince Lu knelt on the ground, sobbing softly.

This scene startled the young Wanli Emperor.

Empress Dowager Li always doted on this youngest son, and she would never even scold him, let alone hit him.

Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian, standing to the side, remained expressionless, only bowing slightly with their hands clasped in greeting.

Empress Dowager Li's actions were clearly meant for them to see.

This slap represents the Zhu family's family rules.

Empress Dowager Li wanted to punish Prince Lu using the Zhu family's family laws, rather than the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

This slap, though seemingly severe, was actually intended to protect Prince Lu.

Empress Dowager Li slowly began to speak: "Prince Lu has confessed everything to me about the matter in the western suburbs. This is also my fault. I shouldn't have repeatedly told him in front of him that his marriage required too much money and that building the palace required too much money, and that the imperial treasury couldn't provide much at the moment. This led him to be misled by his subordinates and take shortcuts! Fortunately, this matter has only just begun and has only been going on for a little over a month, without causing any major disaster!"

The young Wanli Emperor rolled his eyes and quickly added, "Empress Dowager, I also made mistakes. Because of the opening of the sea and the construction of ships, I ordered a reduction in palace expenditures. Prince Lu did this to help you share my burden, which is why he did such a thing that took profits from the people."

Empress Dowager Li sobbed and looked at the young Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty need not speak for him. His fault is his fault! The eunuch Sun Jiu, acting on the king's orders, instructed the commander of the Ministry of War's firearms battalion to steal firearms. This is his biggest mistake. Although he was unaware that someone had used the wine-carrying civilian as a live target to kill him, he is still responsible for failing to properly discipline his subordinates. Fortunately, he knew the importance of firearms and ordered them to be returned in time, thus preventing an even greater mistake."

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretaries, punish him as he should be. I will not plead for him!"

After speaking, Empress Dowager Li glanced at the young Wanli Emperor, then at Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian, who had their heads bowed, before slowly sitting down.

Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian were speechless for a moment.

Empress Dowager Li has just finished summarizing the crimes of Prince Lu.

Firstly, in order to alleviate the pressure on the inner court, he was misled by his subordinates into engaging in shady business practices to make money. Although what he did was wrong, it was understandable.

Secondly, although the firearms were stolen but returned immediately, no major mistake was made and the people were killed. The Prince of Lu was only guilty of failing to properly discipline his subjects.

If based on these two charges, then confining Prince Lu to his quarters for half a month would suffice.

Empress Dowager Li's words, though seemingly dignified, actually downplayed the seriousness of the matter.

They made no mention of the serious consequences that the Prince of Lu's misuse of the latest firearms could lead to foreign imitation and manufacturing.

The court made no mention of how Prince Lu used his western suburban courtyard to display royal artifacts in violation of regulations, leaking the court's financial secrets and leading to collusion between officials and merchants for exorbitant profits.

They made no mention of how Prince Lu used despicable means (pimping) to gather merchants and create a vulgar and improper atmosphere among the people.

The young Wanli Emperor looked at Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian and said, "Prime Minister and Minister Shen, Prince Lu is young and has been in the inner palace for a long time. He is unaware of the dangers outside. I think Prince Lu's intentions are good. He wants to share the burden of the court and support himself. This should also be influenced by the fact that many members of the imperial family have given up their titles to go into business this year. However, he has not realized the negative impact of this matter."

"I believe that, firstly, the western suburban courtyard should be sealed off, and all the ill-gotten gains obtained by Prince Lu should be confiscated and placed in the inner palace. Furthermore, those who instigated Prince Lu should be severely punished. The mastermind behind the firearms murder case is Sun Jiu's adopted son, Sun Yu, who should be executed. Yu Jin, the commander of the firearms battalion who stole the firearms, should be exiled three thousand li away. As for Prince Lu, he is responsible for failing to properly discipline his subordinates, and I order him to reflect on his mistakes within the year and not to leave the palace. What do you two think?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Lu, who was kneeling on the ground sobbing, couldn't help but nod slightly.

This is an outcome he can accept.

Empress Dowager Li nodded slightly, indicating her satisfaction.

Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian's expressions both turned gloomy.

Just as Shen Nian was about to step forward, Zhang Juzheng was the first to step forward.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I believe this punishment is too lenient!"

"The only precondition for His Highness Prince Lu's punishment of failing to properly discipline his subordinates is that he only learned after the commoner Qi Mancang was killed that the eunuch Sun Jiu, under the guise of His Highness Prince Lu, had instructed the head of the Ministry of War's firearms battalion to steal firearms, even though it was clearly His Highness's doing. I cannot conceal the fact that His Highness instructed him to do this, but if I do not conceal this fact and still convict him in this way, I fear that the three judicial departments and the censors will all submit memorials opposing this punishment!"

The young Wanli Emperor's face darkened.

He had prepared the steps, but Zhang Juzheng simply refused to go down them.

"Then how does the Grand Secretary think the crime should be judged?" the young Wanli asked, his voice drawn out, his tone already showing some dissatisfaction.

Zhang Juzheng paused for a moment and said, "According to the Great Ming Code, anyone who privately manufactures or steals firearms shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane for each offense. However, His Highness Prince Lu is of noble status and should not be punished. I suggest that His Highness Prince Lu write a letter of self-reproach and publicly admit all his crimes!"

"No!" Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Li stood up abruptly.

The royal family's face is of paramount importance!

If this matter is made public, and if it is believed that it was all at the behest of Prince Lu, then all the licentious acts in the western suburbs courtyard will be linked to Prince Lu.

She learned to pimp at the age of fourteen.

This made it impossible for Empress Dowager Li to explain to her ancestors after her death.

Upon hearing the word "no," Zhang Juzheng bowed slightly to Empress Dowager Li, said nothing more, and merely glanced at the young Wanli Emperor.

Zhang Juzheng's way of dealing with Empress Dowager Li was always to remain silent.

Then the pressure was shifted onto the young Wanli Emperor.

If you choose to argue with Empress Dowager Li, she will start crying after saying no more than three sentences, and she will intermittently say things like "I don't want to listen, I don't want to listen, I don't want to listen."

As a subject, causing the Empress Dowager to weep incessantly is a grave offense.

Therefore, the solution was not to argue with Empress Dowager Li.

The young Wanli Emperor looked troubled. He glanced at Shen Nian, who was bowing his head and remaining silent below. He wanted to ask Shen Nian a question, but then he thought that, given Shen Nian's temperament, he would definitely side with Zhang Juzheng and say: "I second that opinion!"
Asking Shen Nian would only put him in a more passive position.

The young Wanli Emperor thought for a moment and said, "Prime Minister, the New Year is just around the corner, there's no need for this. Prince Lu is only fourteen years old and not yet married. If all the details of this matter are made public, especially those licentious acts, how will Prince Lu face the world?"

Zhang Juzheng thought about it.

“Your Majesty, I know that those licentious acts were not organized by His Highness Prince Lu. We can write in the document of public apology that His Highness Prince Lu was unaware of the details of the entertainment. However, a letter of self-reproach must be written. Just because His Highness Prince Lu instructed his subordinates to steal firearms for private use, he must write a letter of self-reproach!”

"Because this move is already suspected of shaking the foundations of the Ming Dynasty! Once the lightning guns are leaked out and enter the northern border, and are copied by the Mongols, the consequences are unimaginable. It may cause the court to spend an extra million taels of silver on military expenses, and may result in the casualties of tens of thousands of soldiers. It must be made public to serve as a warning to others!"

"This is my bottom line. If the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty do not agree, then this matter can be brought to court for discussion among all officials!"

The words "court discussion" left the young Wanli Emperor speechless.

Once the matter is discussed in the imperial court, it becomes completely public, and officials will criticize Prince Lu even more fiercely.

The civil officials, relying on the laws of their ancestors and their original intention to protect the Ming Dynasty, dared to confront the Prince of Lu. Not only were they innocent, but they could also gain a good reputation.

Suddenly, the hall became quiet.

The young Wanli Emperor bowed his head, Empress Dowager Li and Prince Lu sobbed softly, Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian both bowed their heads, and the eunuch Fang Ping stood in the corner, not daring to make a sound even when breathing.

Just then, the Prince of Lu suddenly raised his head.

“Mother, Imperial Brother, I…I…I refuse to write a letter of self-reproach. If you force me to write one, I…I will not live!” Prince Lu said.

At Prince Lu's age, it's precisely the time when he cares about his reputation.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Li became very nervous and quickly said, "Prince Lu, don't talk nonsense! I didn't agree, so you don't need to write a letter of self-reproach!"

Empress Dowager Li doted on Prince Lu.

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment, then looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Prime Minister, how about this? I will order someone to write this letter of self-reproach on behalf of Prince Lu and include it in the case file, but I will not make it public. What do you think?"

Zhang Juzheng bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, isn't this just for show? Since the Empress Dowager does not agree to Prince Lu writing a letter of self-reproach, let's discuss this case in the court!"

Faced with this matter, Zhang Juzheng did not compromise in the slightest.

If the fourteen-year-old Prince Lu dared to steal a musket, the eighteen-year-old Prince Lu might steal a cannon.

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall froze again.

At this time, Shen Nian stood up.

He knew that Zhang Juzheng spoke before him to prevent Shen Nian from having too much conflict with the young Wanli Emperor and Empress Dowager Li, which would affect his future career. But in this situation, Shen Nian had no choice but to step forward.

Shen Nian bowed to the young Wanli Emperor and Empress Dowager Li respectively.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I believe that if His Highness Prince Lu is to write a letter of self-reproach, it must be because he has truly realized his mistakes. Otherwise, it would be useless. Since this matter has reached this stalemate, I suggest that His Highness Prince Lu make the decision himself."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Lu raised his head, intending to say: I do not wish to write!
However, Shen Nianchao shook his head slightly.

“Your Highness need not answer now. Tomorrow morning, I would like to take Your Highness to a place, and after we have been there, Your Highness can make a decision. If Your Highness still refuses to write a letter of self-reproach, then this matter shall be handled as Your Majesty just said. I believe that the Prince of Lu’s choice will not bring shame to the royal family!”

"Where to? How long will it take?"

The young Wanli Emperor looked puzzled, wondering what Shen Nian was up to.

"I will go tomorrow morning and return in the afternoon. As for where I will go, please allow me to keep you in suspense. Now that this matter has reached this stalemate, it would be better to leave it to the Prince of Lu to decide." Shen Nian bowed deeply.

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Your subject has no objection!"

He felt that if Shen Nian said this, he would definitely be able to persuade the Prince of Lu to write a letter of self-reproach.

The young Wanli Emperor looked at Empress Dowager Li. At that moment, the two of them had no other choice. If they were unwilling, then this matter would have to be discussed in the imperial court.

That's an even worse option!

"I will listen to Your Majesty," Empress Dowager Li compromised.

The young Wanli Emperor sat up straight and immediately said, "Alright, let's discuss this matter again tomorrow afternoon after Prince Lu returns to the palace. Let's keep it quiet for now!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian bowed simultaneously.

……

A moment later, outside the Wenhua Hall, on a stone-paved road.

Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian walked forward together.

"Ziheng, do you believe that after witnessing that scene, His Highness Prince Lu will realize his mistake and write a letter of repentance?" Zhang Juzheng asked, clearly having already guessed where Shen Nian would take Prince Lu tomorrow.

Shen Nian thought for a moment and said, "Teacher, I have taught His Highness Prince Lu for three years. I know him very well, and I believe he is a kind person!"

……

About fifteen minutes later, the two returned to the Cabinet office.

It was nearly dusk.

Shen Nian did not leave the office and go home, but went straight to the Ministry of War's firearms battalion.

He never imagined that the well-liked commander of the firearms battalion, who was in charge of logistics, would turn out to be the one who stole the electric musket.

Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, had always regarded him as one of his own and asked him to help investigate the traitor. Little did he know that the traitor was actually him.

Although Shen Nian promised not to publicize the case for the time being, it is still not a problem to detain him today and ask him about the situation.

Half an hour later.

Inside the Ministry of War's yamen, the artillery battalion, and the warehouse.

The commander of the firearms battalion was now bound hand and foot and forced to kneel on the ground.

His face was bruised and swollen.

It was Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who was standing nearby, and Zhao Shizhen, the instructor of the firearms battalion, who fought.

Neither of them expected that the person they trusted most would do such a thing.

Yu Jin, around forty years old, was filled with remorse and recounted the entire process of stealing the electric musket. He was an old acquaintance of Sun Jiu, the eunuch serving in the Prince of Lu's mansion.

Sun Jiu claimed that the Prince of Lu wanted to play with the lightning gun and would return it in a day, promising him a thousand taels of silver. Yu Jin dared not offend Sun Jiu, and unable to resist the temptation of the money, he thought it was a simple matter. His job was to check the number of lightning guns every day, and he was sure no one would find out. So he used the spare warehouse key in his hand to steal a lightning gun and more than ten bullets.

After Shen Nian and the others finished interrogating him, they will strengthen the management of the firearms depot and increase the procedures for using firearms. In addition, they will conduct a more thorough investigation of the soldiers in the firearms battalion.

Meanwhile, Sun Jiu, Shi Gui, and others have been quietly taken into custody by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

……

The next day, early in the morning, in front of the Zuoye Gate.

Dressed in plain clothes, Shen Nian and Prince Lu boarded a carriage and, escorted by a group of plainclothes Imperial Guards led by Shi Qing, a commander of the Imperial Guards, headed west.

Emperor Wanli specially dispatched Shi Qing to escort them.

Besides ensuring their safety, I also want to know what will happen during this time.

The carriage traveled westward, its destination being Qi Mancang's home in Wanping County.

Shen Nian and Prince Lu were particularly clear about the circumstances of Qi Mancang's death.

That evening, Qi Mancang was moving wine in the courtyard in the western suburbs.

Sun Yu, Sun Jiu's godson and a street thug who was not an eunuch, couldn't resist trying out his flintlock musket on a live target after showing it off to a group of merchants. So he forced Qi Mancang to put a bottle on his head and use him as a target.

Then, without knowing the recoil of the musket, Sun Yu fired several shots in quick succession, killing Qi Mancang instantly, and then ordered his men to throw him into the ditch.

He thought that the body would soon be turned into a pile of bones by wild dogs, but he didn't expect that it would be discovered by passers-by the next day.

In this matter, Qi Mancang was the most innocent, and the imperial court needs to give his family an explanation.

……

About an hour later, Shen Nian brought Prince Lu to Qi Mancang's house.

A very simple and dilapidated farmhouse.

Since the case remains unsolved, Qi Mancang's body is still at the Shuntian Prefecture government office.

At this moment, there were clerks from Shuntian Prefecture on duty in front of Qi Mancang's house to prevent his family from encountering any mishaps or being disturbed.

Because of the melting snow, the dirt road in front of Qi Mancang's house was very muddy.

After Shi Qing gave a few instructions to the guards of the Shuntian Prefecture government office, Prince Lu and Shen Nian entered Qi Mancang's house together.

The dilapidated wooden door, the low rammed earth wall, a chicken coop in one corner of the yard, and a path made of gravel in the middle that leads to the three dilapidated houses in front.

Prince Lu walked into the courtyard and looked ahead.

Then you can see a cheap, empty coffin painted red in the main room in front of you.

And this moment.

Qi Mancang's father, who had a leg ailment, his blind mother, his wife who was crying and whose face was ashen, his two sons, both under ten years old, and his daughter, who was about five years old, all wept around the coffin.

The three children probably didn't have cotton-padded clothes and shared a thin, faded, patched-up, coarse indigo-dyed quilt.

Their cries were very soft.

Upon seeing Shen Nian and Prince Lu, two elegantly dressed men, walk in, he instinctively shrank back, looking terrified.

It must be that officials had already been here and frightened them.

Prince Lu looked at them, feeling somewhat uneasy.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a dilapidated living environment, and the first time he had ever seen such terrified eyes on the people.

Their family members were killed, and the pillar of their family collapsed.

They dared not ask the government for an explanation, dared not inquire about the progress, and could only weep helplessly.

Based on what Prince Lu has seen so far, if no one helps, the remaining members of this family, young and old, are very likely not to survive the winter.

Because of him, it wasn't just one person who died, but most likely an entire family.

Seeing all this, Shen Nian felt extremely distressed.

What he was thinking was whether the main reason for this family's poverty was that Qi Mancang didn't work hard enough.
No.

He has worked hard.

Work until dawn to find a job that pays well.

The poor at the bottom of society cannot withstand any unexpected events. The imperial court has a responsibility to support the poor, rather than becoming an exploiter alongside the rich.

Whether an era is a golden age or not does not depend on how happy the rich are, but on whether the poor can have enough to eat, whether they can be respected, and whether they can live in an environment with sound laws and protection.

at this time.

The five-year-old girl suddenly threw off the covers and ran to Prince Lu.

She tugged at the Prince of Lu's robe and suddenly spoke timidly, "Can you give my father back? He said he would buy me candied hawthorns!"

The Prince of Lu looked at the thin little girl, who was wearing only a patched-up thin garment, and asked him with wide eyes. He was speechless.

After the little girl disappointedly let go of his robe, the Prince of Lu turned and ran out of the courtyard, whereupon he burst into tears.

The little girl's mother quickly pulled her back, hugged her tightly, and comforted her, "Daddy will come back! Daddy will come back!"

Shen Nian couldn't help but tear up.

He looked behind the coffin, where there was a rough wooden square table with a rough earthenware water jug ​​and a small half-full sack of grain on it. It must have been sent by the Shuntian Prefecture government. If the grain hadn't been sent, the family would have starved to death.

Shen Nian looked at Shi Qing.

Shi Qing immediately understood and said, "I will have someone do it right away!"

Immediately, a plainclothes Imperial Guard quickly left.

He was going to buy cotton clothes, quilts, charcoal, and more food for the family.

The unexpected death of the breadwinner of the family is tragic enough; we must not let them suffer from hunger and cold in their grief, or even do something drastic.

Outside the hospital.

Prince Lu squatted on the ground and cried. At first, he wailed loudly, but after crying for a quarter of an hour, he slowly began to sob.

"I...I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to! I really didn't mean to!" the Prince of Lu said, crying.

At that moment, he truly realized he was wrong!
Thanks to Shen Nian's three years of preaching, Prince Lu was still kind at heart.

He was just too naive, unaware of the hardships of life, and unaware of the great harm his actions could cause to others.

Then, Prince Lu wiped away his tears and stood up.

"Sir, I will take care of this family from now on. I will make sure Qi Mancang's parents are well-fed and clothed, I will ensure his sons go to school, and I will ensure his daughter marries into a good family!"

"Furthermore, I... I am willing to write a letter of self-reproach. I want to write down everything I saw today. You are right. Even a speck of dust from the imperial court is a mountain on the shoulders of ordinary people. Good citizens should not be bullied!"

Shen Nian nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness, to err is human, to forgive divine. A letter of self-reproach will not only not ruin the royal family's reputation, but will also encourage Your Highness to become a wise and virtuous king!"

"Yes, yes, I should do something for the common people within my power. They are still living in dire straits. I used to think they were suffering, but I never imagined they were suffering this much!"

Immediately, Prince Lu looked into the courtyard and said, "I should buy them some food to warm them up and fill their stomachs before leaving!"

“Chief Commander Shi has already ordered his men to do it!” Shen Nian said.

About half an hour later.

An Imperial Guard drove a horse-drawn cart loaded with quilts, cotton-padded clothes, pork, vegetables, charcoal, and other goods to the front of the residence, and then began to unload the goods quickly.

Shi Qing walked over and said, "Your Highness, Grand Secretary, I have already instructed the magistrate of Wanping County to help this family get through this cold winter!"

"No need for them. I will handle their affairs. I will build them a new house and let them live a good life!" Prince Lu said earnestly.

Shi Qing bowed slightly and withdrew.

……

A moment later, Prince Lu and Shen Nian boarded the carriage for their return journey.

Prince Lu leaned against the window, still weeping from time to time. Today's scene would be etched in his memory for the rest of his life.

……

More than an hour later, Prince Lu returned to the palace.

He skipped lunch and went straight to the Wenhua Hall, where he chatted with Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor for more than an hour.

After he came out, he returned to his residence and began writing a letter of self-reproach.

……

That evening, a group of people involved in operating the West Suburbs Courtyard were all arrested by the Imperial Guards.

At Shen Nian's instruction, all those involved in the case were transferred to Shuntian Prefecture.

Shen Nian solved the case and resolved the main issues, so naturally, he couldn't be left to handle the subsequent case files and paperwork.

Otherwise, the officials of Shuntian Prefecture would easily develop a dependency mentality and become useless.

at the same time.

Officials from various government offices gradually learned that Prince Lu was also involved in the firearms killings in the western suburbs courtyard.

……

It was the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, around noon.

Prince Lu handed a self-criticism letter written in his own hand to the young Wanli Emperor, and requested to be confined to his residence for a month and have his salary reduced by half a year.

Afterwards, the young Wanli Emperor chose to publicly display the Prince of Lu's letter of self-reproach. Although the content of the letter was embellished at the instruction of Empress Dowager Li, it was still considered to be true.

The key point is that Prince Lu's attitude in admitting his mistake was very sincere.

After reading Lu Wang's letter of self-reproach, Shen Nian was deeply moved.

Some time ago, the young Wanli Emperor admitted his mistake regarding the selection of concubines by eunuchs, and the Prince of Lu also admitted his mistake regarding the same matter.

He didn't know if he was gradually becoming a powerful minister himself, or if the young Wanli Emperor and the Prince of Lu had become much more enlightened after he had educated them, and that he could change their minds on many things after advising them.

Shen Nian has been very tired these past few days.

Next, he prepared to enjoy his vacation to the fullest.

at the same time.

While under house arrest, Prince Lu ordered people to handle Qi Mancang's funeral and to prepare New Year's goods for the family. After the New Year, when it gets warmer, Prince Lu will pay for the construction of a new house for them.

The Prince of Lu attached great importance to this.

The officials under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture and Wanping County will definitely work harder to ensure that no one dares to bully this family.

……

On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, Shen Nian slept until the sun was high in the sky. Then, with nothing to do in the cabinet, he began to accompany his family to go shopping and buy New Year's goods.

I feel much more relaxed.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, around noon, Shen Nian arrived at the cabinet, where Zhang Juzheng, Shen Shixing, and Wang Xijue also arrived.

Only Yin Zhengmao was in the Ministry of Revenue.

The fact that the five Grand Secretaries are all present at the yamen today indicates that the Ministry of Revenue will be compiling important data.

That is: the annual silver revenue of the Taicang Silver Treasury.

The silver from the Taicang Treasury was a major source of revenue for the Ming Dynasty.

An increase in the annual silver revenue of the Imperial Treasury signifies that the Ming Dynasty is on the path to prosperity, while a decrease signifies decline, requiring officials to continue their efforts in the new year.

From the end of the Jiajing reign to the fifth year of the Longqing reign, the amount of silver in the Taicang treasury remained at around two million taels of silver per year.

Then, starting from the fifth year of the Longqing reign, it began to increase, exceeding the three million taels of silver mark; from the first year of the Wanli reign to the eighth year of the Wanli reign, it remained at around three and a half million taels of silver.

This year is a very special year for the Ming Dynasty.

Although the order to open the seas and introduce silver resources consumed a large amount of silver, it also greatly increased the court's commercial tax revenue.

Currently, Taicang Silver Storage has limited capacity, but due to cost-saving measures, its storage volume will gradually increase.

In addition, the grain stored in the capital's warehouses is enough to feed the officers and soldiers of the Beijing Garrison for six years.

As long as there is no war, the imperial court will become increasingly wealthy.

Just as Shen Nian was waiting, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue, these two sworn enemies, came into Shen Nian's room.

"Ziheng, how about we make a bet? We'll bet on the amount of silver revenue that will come from the Taicang treasury this year. Whoever is closest to the actual amount wins, and the loser treats us to dinner. How about it?" Wang Xijue said with a smile.

Shen Nian puffed out her chest and said, "I'll go first!"

"I have never served as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!" Shen Nian said confidently, "Four million taels!"

“Ziheng, you really dare to guess so high! I guess it’s three million eight hundred thousand taels!” Shen Shixing said.

Wang Xijue thought for a moment and said, "I'll guess a high one too, four million two hundred thousand taels!"

"Oh! If we can reach four million two hundred thousand taels, I'd be happy to treat you both to dinner!" Shen Nian said with a smile.

……

After the three finished guessing, they were chatting when Wang Jia, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, strode over.

Wang Xijue quickly asked, "Has the annual silver revenue figure for the Taicang treasury been released this year?"

Wang Jia smiled helplessly.

"Reporting to the three Grand Secretaries, the annual revenue amount of the Taicang Treasury has been determined, but Eunuch Feng is stationed at the Ministry of Revenue. After learning the amount, he ordered the Ministry of Revenue to keep it a secret. His Majesty plans to announce it personally at the New Year's Day court assembly!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian and the other two were not discouraged at all; on the contrary, they became excited.

The young Wanli Emperor wanted to keep it a secret and announce it at the New Year's Day court assembly. There was only one possibility: the amount would be quite high, so high as to be surprising, so high as to boost the morale of all civil and military officials.

This is a joyous occasion. (End of Chapter)