I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

December 14th.

Just as the Embroidered Uniform Guard, together with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, were raiding Feng Bao's home, someone suddenly turned their attention to Zhang Juzheng.

Yang Sizhi, the censor of Shaanxi Province, submitted a memorial listing fourteen major crimes committed by Zhang Juzheng.

These charges are nothing new.

It's all the same rhetoric used by Liu Tai, Fu Yingzhen, and others from a few years ago.

For example: excessive power of officials, forming cliques for personal gain, nepotism, neglecting one's own family and deceiving the emperor, and wielding power that overshadows the ruler.

In addition, he also impeached some of Zhang Juzheng's close associates and clerks during his time in the cabinet, claiming that these people had taken advantage of Zhang Juzheng's power to commit numerous evils and bully and extort many local officials.

Upon seeing this impeachment memorial, the young Wanli Emperor immediately replied: "The Grand Tutor has served as an advisor for ten years, and now that he has passed away, he will not be pursued further."

He then added a sentence: "Order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest the corrupt officials and send them to the Garrison Command for severe interrogation."

When Shen Nian learned the last sentence of the young Wanli Emperor's reply, she couldn't help but frown, while the other officials became excited upon seeing the last sentence.

The young Wanli Emperor advocated for severe punishment of Zhang Juzheng's close associates and clerks.

That means Zhang Juzheng was not immune to impeachment or offense.

……

December 18th.

Sun Jixian, the censor of Sichuan Circuit, submitted a memorial impeaching Zhang Juzheng. He not only suggested that past events should be brought up, but also that officials who had been dismissed for impeaching Zhang Juzheng should be reinstated, such as Wu Zhongxing, Fu Yingzhen, Zou Yuanbiao, and Liu Tai.

Soon after, several more officials and censors submitted a memorial stating that officials who speak out should not be punished for their words.

These memorials were clearly a test, a probe into the bottom line of the young Wanli Emperor.

Once the young Wanli Emperor agrees with their suggestion, they will launch an even fiercer attack on Zhang Juzheng.

Their target appears to be Zhang Juzheng, but in reality it is the new policies.

The new policies infringed upon the interests of many high-ranking officials and nobles, who hoped that the policies would end with the death of the new administration.

soon.

Emperor Wanli responded to the memorials of the officials who had spoken out against the emperor, stating that all those who had been punished for merely offering advice would be reinstated after investigation.

Although the young Wanli Emperor did not explicitly state that he wanted to reminisce about the past, his words alone made it clear to many officials what he meant.

The young Wanli Emperor, eager to seize power and rid himself of the remaining influence of Zhang Juzheng's forces within the court, intentionally appointed officials who had been persecuted by Zhang Juzheng.

Soon, a large group of censors sprang into action.

An imperial censor impeached Zhang Han, Wang Guoguang, the former Minister of Personnel, and Liang Menglong, the current Vice Minister of War, for bribing Zhang Juzheng.

An imperial censor impeached former Grand Secretary Yin Zhengmao and Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi Chen Rui for bribing Zhang Juzheng with five boxes of gold and silver.

An imperial censor impeached Chen Sheng, the governor of Huguang, for illegally sending troops to protect Zhang Juzheng's hometown in order to curry favor with Zhang Juzheng, which cost hundreds of taels of silver annually. Furthermore, the old city of Jingzhou was rebuilt because of Zhang Juzheng, which was very costly.

Furthermore, an imperial censor submitted a memorial stating that Zhang Juzheng's three sons had all been granted official positions through improper means and should all be dismissed from their posts.

……

Within days, Emperor Wanli's desk was filled with memorials impeaching Zhang Juzheng.

It involves various aspects.

It's hard to tell what's real and what's fake.

Just as the young Wanli Emperor was hesitating and struggling with how to handle the situation, the results of Feng Bao's confiscation of property came out.

The farmland was valued at approximately 19,000 taels of silver, the residences and shops at approximately 69,000 taels of silver, and there were also jade belts, jewelry, calligraphy and paintings by famous people, new and old coins, and antiques, which could be estimated to be worth over 100,000 taels of silver.

In addition to the assets of Feng Bao's adopted sons and confidants, the total amounted to more than 200,000 taels of silver.

This is completely inconsistent with the "million taels of silver" mentioned in the officials' impeachment.

Emperor Wanli (Xiao Wanli) suspected that Feng Bao might have transferred his assets.

He immediately ordered the Imperial Guards to interrogate him again under torture to force him to hand over his remaining wealth. Unfortunately, even after beating Feng Bao half to death, they couldn't extract a single coin.

……

By December 27th, most officials in the capital had already entered a holiday period.

Near noon.

The sky was clear and the sun was warm.

The young Wanli Emperor and Shen Nian walked on a path in front of the Wenhua Hall.

"Minister Shen, I never imagined that my close advisors, the Grand Chancellor and the Grand Chamberlain, would embezzle so much wealth and commit so many illegal acts behind my back. I am utterly disappointed in them!"

"Currently, nearly 200,000 taels of silver have been seized from Feng Bao's household, and memorials impeaching the Grand Secretary are flying everywhere, all with sound reasoning and evidence. I really don't know what to do. Tell me, how should I handle these two matters?"

As soon as the young Wanli spoke, Shen Nian understood that the former was testing his thoughts.

It's impossible that the young Wanli Emperor was unaware of Feng Bao's greed, because part of the money Feng Bao embezzled was used for the imperial treasury, and was used by both empress dowagers and the young Wanli Emperor.

As for Zhang Juzheng's crimes, they are nothing compared to his achievements.

In particular, officials submitted memorials claiming that Zhang Juzheng's three sons had all been granted official positions through improper means.

Others may not know, but Shen Nian clearly knew that this was at the behest of the young Wanli Emperor, a favor bestowed upon Zhang Juzheng. Unexpectedly, after Zhang Juzheng's death, the favor became Zhang Juzheng's sin.

Shen Nian thought for a moment, then bowed slightly to the young Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, some things should be viewed from a long-term perspective. A hundred years from now, if future generations were to comment on eunuchs who were virtuous and meritorious, I believe that Eunuch Feng would certainly be among the top ten."

"Eunuch Feng has rendered meritorious service to His Majesty, and he has also made contributions to the new policies and reforms!"

Emperor Wanli frowned slightly and said, "But... but he actually embezzled nearly 200,000 taels of silver from me. Isn't that a serious crime?"

"It is a serious crime, but not a capital offense! Since the Zhengde era, corruption and bribery among officials have been rampant throughout the country. Almost every official was corrupt, and the eunuchs in the inner court were even more so, all encroaching on the interests of the imperial family. It was not until the third year of the Longqing reign that things improved after the reforms initiated by former Grand Secretary Gao and Grand Tutor Zhang. It is true that Eunuch Feng was corrupt, but he served His Majesty for more than ten years. Even if he did not have any merit, he still worked hard. He also contributed to the new policies. He really should not be killed!"

"Furthermore, if Your Majesty kills Eunuch Feng, the eunuchs serving Your Majesty in the inner court will inevitably feel that Your Majesty is not kind enough. Some of them might do something to avoid being killed!"

The young Wanli Emperor took Shen Nian's last words to heart.

Eunuchs were close attendants.

If their embezzlement is exposed, they fear being killed, and if pushed to the brink, they might become hostile to the emperor.

"Minister Shen's reminder is well-founded," the young Wanli Emperor continued. "Then how should I resolve the matter of the Grand Secretary being impeached?"

Shen Nian thought about it.

"Your Majesty, I believe that even if all the crimes committed by Grand Secretary Zhang are true, we should not bring up the past now."

"If further punishment is pursued, many people will likely be implicated. At that time, the court will be in chaos, the borders will be in danger, and officials will form factions and fight amongst themselves, which will inevitably lead to national turmoil."

"Some people seem to be acting for His Majesty, for the sake of truth and justice, but in reality they just want to sabotage the new policies. If His Majesty wants the new policies to continue, he should order the officials to stop escalating this matter. If he wants the new policies to stall, then let the officials make a big fuss about it!"

Shen Nian bowed deeply, practically implying that the young Wanli Emperor was about to throw the court into chaos in his quest for absolute power.

“That makes sense! That makes sense!” Little Wanli nodded earnestly.

The vehement impeachment by the censors was not something the young Wanli Emperor had anticipated.

Zhang Juzheng served in the cabinet for more than ten years, and the officials he promoted were spread all over the country. If they were all replaced, the court would be in complete chaos.

……

It was the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, around noon.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) issued an edict ordering Feng Bao, a disgraced eunuch, to go to Nanjing to guard the imperial tombs, and he was required to leave before dusk.

at the same time.

The young Wanli Emperor shelved all the memorials impeaching Zhang Juzheng submitted in recent days and sent a message to the Censorate and the Six Ministries: "When the Grand Secretary was alive, the censors remained silent, but now they are attacking him relentlessly, which is detrimental to the national image. After the New Year, prioritize political affairs and do not dwell on past events, lest you implicate others." This statement indicates that the young Wanli Emperor was disgusted by the opportunistic behavior of the censors.

Immediately, the officials fell silent.

……

Afternoon, in front of the imperial prison gate.

Wearing a tattered gray cotton robe, Feng Bao walked out of the prison. His hair was dry and messy, and he was slightly hunched over, as if he had been transported to another world.

He never expected to have another chance to come out.

At this moment, Fang Ping, a eunuch from the Directorate of Palace Attendants, appeared before Feng Bao.

Feng Bao immediately knelt on the ground. At this moment, Fang Ping naturally represented the young Wanli Emperor.

Fang Ping announced loudly, "By imperial decree, His Majesty, the disgraced eunuch Feng Bao is ordered to leave the capital before dusk today to go to Nanjing to guard the imperial tombs. There must be no delay!"

"The disgraced eunuch Feng Bao obeys the imperial decree!" Feng Bao's face was full of tears.

Immediately, Fang Ping helped Feng Bao up and said, "Lord Feng, let's prepare to leave the capital!"

Feng Bao looked at Fang Ping.

"Fang Ping, did the Empress Dowager plead on my behalf? Can I go to the foot of the imperial city wall to pay my respects before leaving?"

Fang Ping shook his head.

"It was Grand Secretary Shen who pleaded for you, and he even prepared a carriage and some travel expenses for you outside the city!" Fang Ping said, then quickly took out a money bag containing silver ingots from his pocket and stuffed it into Feng Bao's arms.

At this moment, Feng Bao was powerless and helpless. The more money he had, the less he would be bullied.

"Fang Ping thanks you for your guidance, Feng Gong. May you have a safe journey!" Fang Ping bowed to Feng Bao.

He was not Feng Bao's adopted son, nor was he close to Feng Bao, but since entering the palace, Feng Bao had not targeted him, nor had he instigated any of the eunuchs to target him, for which he was very grateful.

Feng Bao burst into tears.

He never expected that Empress Dowager Li would not plead for him, and he never expected that it would be Shen Nian who would help him.

"Sigh! I'm content to die with some dignity!" Feng Bao murmured.

A moment later, Feng Bao boarded Fang Ping's carriage and left the city.

Emperor Wanli still had some affection for Feng Bao, knowing that given Feng Bao's physical condition, he wouldn't be able to leave the city on foot.

After leaving the city, Aji, the steward of the Shen family, waited for Feng Bao outside the city.

Shen Nianming instructed Aji to prepare a carriage, coachman, clothes, travel expenses, and several books for Feng Bao.

Feng Bao was deeply moved and immediately knelt down before Aji.

"Thank you, Grand Secretary Shen! Thank you, Grand Secretary Shen!" Feng Bao said, sobbing. Without Shen Nian's preparations, he would most likely have died on the way to Nanjing.

Aji helped Feng Bao up and said, "Eunuch Feng, my master has instructed me to tell you something."

"My Grand Secretary said: At the end of last year, when Grand Secretary Yin was drunk, he said: 'Eunuch Feng is not a bad person. Although he is greedy for money, he can get things done and supports the new policies!'"

Upon hearing this, Feng Bao immediately smiled, and then felt relieved.

He never expected his opponent, Yin Zhengmao, to speak of him in this way. Perhaps if the two meet again, they can become friends.

……

Before we knew it, it was the first day of the first month of the eleventh year of the Wanli reign.

The grand court assembly on this day was very lively.

Because it was the first year of Wanli Emperor's personal rule and he was blessed with his eldest son, the scale of the ceremonial procession and decorations was much more grand than in the previous two years.

At the court meeting.

The young Wanli Emperor sat on his throne and spoke for more than an hour.

His speech was drafted by Shen Shixing, Yu Youding, and Shen Yiguan; Shen Nian hadn't even seen the draft beforehand.

The current young Wanli Emperor is already very eloquent and knows how to win people's hearts.

……

After the court assembly, there was a midday imperial banquet.

After the young Wanli Emperor left his seat, the officials toasted each other, creating a particularly joyful atmosphere.

The atmosphere was much more cheerful than in the previous two years.

Shen Shixing, Yu Youding, Shen Yiguan and other favored officials were surrounded by a large group of officials, all of whom were saying flattering things.

People surrounded Shen Nian, but Shen Nian was too lazy to socialize.

He suddenly felt lonely in this grand occasion, a loneliness he had never felt before.

After Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Wang Guoguang and others left, the enthusiasm of the entire court seemed to dissipate all at once.

The new policy suddenly seemed less urgent and less important.

This made Shen Nian feel very uncomfortable, and it always reminded her of Zhang Juzheng, who was stern and had a long beard that reached his waist.

Just then, Wang Xijue told Shen Nian.

The New Year's Day meeting of cabinet ministers, where they would usually return to the second floor of their office after the imperial banquet to chat about their plans for the new year, has been cancelled.

The reason given was that Shen Shixing was too busy to attend to it.

Shen Nian immediately said that she was feeling unwell and got up to go home.

Next, he planned to sleep for a few days to recharge his energy.

Then he seriously considered how to plan the new policies for the Ming Dynasty in the new year, and he wanted to do everything he could to put the entire court on the right track.

……

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, at night, in a small courtyard.

Shen Nian sat and drank with Hai Rui, who was 69 years old.

After getting a little tipsy.

Shen Nian informed Hai Rui of the recent series of frantic impeachment attempts by the censors.

Hai Rui stroked his beard and shook his head, saying, "These people are not true officials who speak out; they are merely remonstrating for their own career advancement and to undermine the new policies. They are utterly shameless!"

"Then how should I deal with them? If they continue like this after the New Year, this matter will never end!" Shen Nian said.

Because of the indulgence of the young Wanli Emperor and the incompetence of Shen Shixing, this group of censors had the potential to ruin Zhang Juzheng's reputation and cause all the officials recommended by Zhang Juzheng to be dismissed.

Hai Rui thought for a moment and said, "All the threads are tied to Your Majesty alone."

“I understand!” Shen Nian nodded.

Ultimately, the officials relied on the young Wanli Emperor. Only by persuading him could the court function normally next year.

However, the young Wanli Emperor's goal was not to abolish the new policies, but simply to completely eliminate Zhang Juzheng's influence in the court, expand imperial power, and strengthen his own rule.

Hai Rui looked at Shen Nian.

"Ziheng, the court this year is completely different from last year. You have a fiery temper, and some people may deliberately provoke you into making mistakes. You must restrain yourself. Right now, nothing is more important than the new policies. If you leave the cabinet, the new policies will inevitably be difficult to sustain. Remember! Remember!"

"Don't worry, Elder Hai. After so many years of hard work, the new policy has only just begun to show some results. I will never allow anyone to ruin the new policy, and I will never make a mistake!" Shen Nian said with great certainty.

To date, no official has dared to cause trouble for Shen Nian.

If any official tries to oust Shen Nian from the cabinet, Shen Nian will make sure everyone knows the consequences of framing him. (End of Chapter)