My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 378 A Master Makes a Move
Only after Li Shizhen left did Zhang Juzheng open the note.

The note was naturally written by Feng Bao.

The content didn't contain many taboos; it simply introduced the emperor's meals and health status.

After reading it, Zhang Juzheng immersed the paper strip in the brush washer, and then crushed it with a brush after it was soaked.

It seems the emperor's health has stabilized.

Now that the emperor's health has stabilized, I can take charge of this year's imperial examinations.

Zhang Juzheng is now in a very passive position.

Gao Gong was the Grand Secretary, and his power became immense when the emperor was unable to exercise his imperial authority.

Moreover, Gao Gong was originally deeply trusted by the Longqing Emperor. After the emperor lost his tongue, Gao Gong, as the Grand Secretary, was authorized by the emperor to preside over the affairs of the outer court.

Gao Gong's first move was to appoint himself as the chief official in charge of the imperial examinations.

This coveted position, envied by all officials, meant being away from the center of power for a month.

If the emperor's health deteriorates during this period, then once I leave the examination hall, I will no longer be able to defeat Gao Gong.

However, the benefits of presiding over the imperial examination are also immense.

The Longqing Emperor's health was already very poor.

Zhang Juzheng knew the emperor's physical condition best. Long-term use of elixirs, coupled with indulgence in sensual pleasures, had brought the emperor's body to its lowest point.

If Li Shizhen hadn't decisively administered acupuncture and bloodletting during the New Year's Day grand court assembly, the consequences would have been far more severe than simply losing his speech.

In that case, this imperial examination should be the last one during the Longqing reign.

These successful candidates will become an important political force in the new dynasty.

Zhang Juzheng was determined to accomplish great things, and he would certainly not give up this force, so he took on the role of chief examiner this time.

Gao Gong's actions were naturally a calculated scheme.

The two were essentially making a bet, betting that the Longqing Emperor's health would not undergo drastic changes within the month of the imperial examination.

Once a coup occurs in the palace, Zhang Juzheng in the examination hall will be unable to respond and will lose control.

If there are no changes in the palace during this period, Zhang Juzheng, who is in charge of this imperial examination, will be able to gain enough prestige and become the mentor of this year's successful candidates, thus accumulating a team for his future reforms.

If it were anyone else, they certainly wouldn't make such a bet with Gao Gong for a vague and uncertain future.

But Zhang Juzheng was different!
From the moment he entered officialdom, he had the ambition to reform the tax system.

Reform requires talent, and Zhang Juzheng was well aware of this, so he was determined to win the position of chief examiner this time!
What if there's another Su Zilin among these newly appointed scholars?
Zhang Juzheng was unwilling to repeat the regret of four years ago, and he was determined to include all the talents on this list!

Of course, Zhang Juzheng was not without backup plans.

Feng Bao had already made a secret pact with him. With Feng Bao, the Director of the Imperial Household Department, by the emperor's side, as long as the emperor did not die, he could always retain a strategic advantage.

Moreover, Zhang Juzheng was not simply on the defensive.

He also arranged a "big gift" for Gao Gong.

Now it's his turn to make a move; let's see how Gao Gong responds.
-
The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

The Office of Transmission does not reseal its official seal, because it must ensure the smooth flow of official documents during the Lunar New Year period.

However, during the first month of the lunar calendar, the Office of Transmission usually takes turns working, giving everyone a little break.

However, today is the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, and all government offices in the capital will announce their opening on this day. The Office of Transmission will also hold a symbolic ceremony.

Li Yiyuan, the Director of the Court of State Affairs, symbolically sealed his official seal. After the officials of the Court of State Affairs gathered, Su Ze, the Right Vice Director of the Court of State Affairs, presented the key. Li Yiyuan unsealed the seal and announced that the official seal of the Director of the Court of State Affairs would be put back into use, thus announcing the opening of the Court of State Affairs this year.

After the ceremony, Li Yiyuan hid in his public housing.

The entire year was unsettling for the Office of Transmission.

There was no way around it; given what happened at the New Year's Day grand court assembly, Li Yiyuan, as a high-ranking official of the Tongzhengshi level, naturally learned about the emperor's health condition through some "channels."

And all of this will inevitably spread throughout the officialdom.

Li Yiyuan didn't know where the various messages and rumors, amplified and spread during the Spring Festival, would ultimately erupt.

However, he knew that if a conflict broke out in the officialdom, his office of the Directorate of General Affairs would definitely be in trouble.

During the opening ceremony today, Li Yiyuan kept praying that nothing would happen. He hoped that the Office of Transmission would be peaceful for a few days, at least on the first day after the New Year.

An hour later, Li Yiyuan called over Xu Shuli, the official in charge of records, who was standing next to him.

"Were there many memorials submitted this morning?"

Xu Shuli shook his head and said:
"Da Yintai, all the government offices have just opened today, and there aren't many memorials to report yet."

Li Yiyuan felt a little relieved and said to Xu Shuli:
"Report to me immediately if anything happens!"

After Xu Shuli left, Li Yiyuan muttered "Nothing happened today" a few more times before opening today's newspaper.

Like other government agencies, the four major newspapers also usually cease publication during the Lunar New Year period.

However, this year is different. The competition among the four major newspapers has entered a new phase, and none of them have stopped publishing.

The most ingenious method was that of the Yuefu Xinbao newspaper, which used a special Spring Festival edition.

This special Spring Festival edition is a vernacular writing competition organized by the Yuefu Xinbao newspaper.

The theme is to write in vernacular Chinese, with no restrictions on subject matter, including poetry, novels, and plays, as long as they are written in vernacular Chinese.

This content was all compiled and edited before the Lunar New Year, and the printing factory had prepared it well in advance, so it would be distributed separately during the Lunar New Year period.

Li Yiyuan glanced through a few articles and found that the vernacular writing was indeed very easy to read, and some of them were quite well-written.

Li Yiyuan even saw a short poem written in vernacular Chinese. In fact, it was more like a vernacular play than a poem, but after reading it, Li Yiyuan found the artistic conception to be quite good.

Then I looked at the author: Tang Xianzu?
Lee Il-won then remembered that the author of "The Peony Pavilion" had gone to Korea at the invitation of the King of Joseon.

There were even submissions from North Korea!

Li Yiyuan saw a deep longing for home in it.

Li Yiyuan quickly glanced through the newspapers, but couldn't bear to read the short stories, planning to take them home to read after he finished his business today.

Next up is the *Xin Yuefu Bao* newspaper.

This year, the Xinlefu Daily also launched a special edition during the Spring Festival.

This is a series of reports.

The report was addressed to the canal workers along the Grand Canal.

The report is divided into many sections, each introducing the living conditions of canal workers in different cities along the Grand Canal.

The Xinlefu Daily first pointed out the current situation of declining water transport business along the entire Grand Canal.

The reason is simple: sea freight diverted some of the canal transport business.

The cost of ocean freight is simply too low!
Now, some areas along the southeastern coast are transporting grain to the capital by sea.

The growth of maritime transport will inevitably reduce the business of canal transport. Li Yiyuan read through several reports very carefully, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

The entire Grand Canal was the lifeline of the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty, the North and South, and the grain transport business truly depended on "millions of grain transport workers".

The article in the Xinyuefu Daily also recounted how, due to the reduction in canal transport business, the income of canal workers decreased, leading to incidents where canal workers demanded unpaid wages from the imperial court.

The Grand Canal is lined with prosperous and wealthy cities. If these canal workers were to cause trouble, it would seriously affect the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

However, Li Yiyuan, as an important official of the court, was also well aware of the benefits of maritime transport.

The cost of sea freight is extremely low. More importantly, compared to the canal transport system, which has been in operation for hundreds of years and is rife with corruption and unspoken rules, the losses from sea freight are far lower than those from canal transport.

In addition, Li Yiyuan had some other concerns.

After taking charge of finance, Zhang Juzheng consistently promoted reforms to convert taxes into silver.

If taxes are levied in silver, the canal transport business will decline further. How will these canal workers be resettled then?

Li Yiyuan let out a heavy sigh.

Undeniably, the Ming Dynasty had entered a new era.

Steel production has doubled for two consecutive years, and ironworks are still being built in the Gyeonggi region.

Ironworks, coking coal plants, cement plants, glass factories, and all sorts of other factories whose purpose Li Yiyuan didn't even know were built one after another.

New ships were constantly being launched in Laizhou, Zhigu, and ports along the southeast coast. The huge profits of the Japanese silver companies drove Ming Dynasty merchants to set sail overseas.

The revenue from the maritime trade tax reached a new high, and the commercial tax revenue of the two provinces and one prefecture also grew rapidly.

Even amidst such a thriving and prosperous era, there are industries that are shrinking.

The canal transport industry is shrinking, and canal cities that rose to prominence by relying on canal transport are gradually being surpassed by port cities.

Li Yiyuan realized that these problems had reached a point where they needed to be addressed.

These are millions of canal transport workers in the core area of ​​the Ming Dynasty. If they really cause trouble, it could be even more troublesome than the Beijing Garrison.

After putting down the "New Yuefu Daily," Li Yiyuan rubbed his eyes.

This newspaper was so sensational that Li Yiyuan was just about to glance at the gossip about Jiangnan literati in the "New Gentleman's Daily" to balance things out when Xu Shuli burst in.

Li Yiyuan felt a sense of foreboding.

Xu Shuli quickly said:
"Da Yintai! Something terrible has happened! The Censorate has submitted a memorial impeaching the Cabinet!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yiyuan's head buzzed.

"What's the reason!?"

Xu Shuli took out a memorial, which was a joint memorial signed by thirteen senior censors of the Censorate.

This was the prelude to the collective impeachment by the Censorate. Thirteen senior censors jointly submitted a memorial, followed by a sea of ​​memorials from ordinary censors. This represented the entire Censorate uniting, with their spearhead aimed directly at Grand Secretary Gao Gong.

The charge against Gao Gong in this joint impeachment by the Censorate was "isolation from the outside world and obstruction of the emperor's hearing."

This is no small charge. The last Grand Secretary to be convicted of this crime was Yan Song, the Grand Secretary during the reign of the late Emperor.

The first person attacked in the memorial was Gao Gong:

"Your Majesty has been unwell since the grand court assembly on New Year's Day, and has not held court for several months. Officials both inside and outside the palace are extremely worried, but news from the palace is cut off, and all officials are at a loss."

"His Majesty's good health is the foundation of our nation. Yet, Grand Secretary Gao Gong not only fails to disclose the true state of His Majesty's health, but also strictly forbids the spread of this information."

"We, your humble servants, risk our lives to plead:"
First, we request that Gao Gong, in the name of a cabinet minister, immediately inform the Nine Ministers and the Censorate of His Majesty's condition, so as to reassure the court and the public.

The second request was to open the gates of the Qianqing Palace, allowing high-ranking officials of the third rank and above to meet the emperor and inquire about his health, and to restore the system of communication between the emperor and his officials.

The Emperor thrice requested that the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Imperial Medical Academy publish their medical records and pulse diagnosis records daily to prevent any private exchange of knowledge.

After reading the memorial, Li Yiyuan felt as if the sky had fallen!
This memorial directly attacks the Grand Secretary; is this setting the stage for a political storm after the New Year?
"Isolating China from the outside world" is a very serious charge; it's practically tantamount to calling Gao Gong a "traitorous official."

Moreover, this was only the first wave of attacks. This memorial bore the seals of thirteen senior censors and the Censorate. This memorial was the drumbeat of the advance on the battlefield, and what followed was the relentless attack of the entire Censorate!
"Da Yintai, what should we do?"

Xu Shuli panicked now.

Once the great court struggle begins, the Office of Transmission will be overwhelmed with memorials.

Moreover, such a major court dispute would inevitably cause severe turmoil in the court, and the Office of Transmission, as an important government office, would also inevitably be affected.

Thinking of this, Li Yiyuan stood up and said:

"Go, quickly go and invite Su Tongyi over!"

Xu Shuli then realized what was happening and invited Su Ze to Li Yiyuan's office.

Li Yiyuan handed the memorial to Su Ze, and after Su Ze finished reading it, he said with a smile:

"Zilin, what do you think?"

Su Ze looked at the memorial; he hadn't expected the Censorate's attack to come so quickly.

He immediately realized that the attack was organized and manipulated by someone, and that this person was definitely not of low rank.

Because the health condition of the Longqing Emperor could not be made public at present, and there were only a few officials who knew about his health condition.

Even the emperor himself would never explain his speechlessness to his court officials.

This memorial can be described as extremely ruthless.

If the emperor is healthy, then he only needs to hold one more grand court assembly, and the attacks on the cabinet will vanish.

But now that the emperor's health has truly deteriorated and he can no longer hold such a grand court assembly, he will not respond to this memorial.

Then the blame was firmly placed on the head of Grand Secretary Gao Gong!
Su Ze could only sigh that the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty were truly gifted in political struggles. Now, Gao Gong, as the Grand Secretary, could only bear the brunt of the Censorate's firepower.

As for who the instigator was, Su Ze already had a judgment in his mind.

Now we can only react to whatever comes our way.

Su Ze thought for a moment and said:
"Da Yintai, this memorial must be sent to the palace immediately."

Li Yiyuan nodded repeatedly. If the Office of Transmission withheld the memorials, it would likely become the primary target of the censors and be branded as a lackey of the cabinet.

Su Ze said:

"Grand Secretary, I am preparing to submit a memorial to impeach the Grand Censor!"

Xu Shuli was dumbfounded!
The Grand Censor was the head of the Censorate, and Wang Ting was the Left Censor-in-Chief.

This Left Censor-in-Chief had a weak presence in the court. He was always portrayed as a timid and agreeable good guy, and he couldn't control the censors of the Censorate at all.

This Grand Censor repeatedly offered to resign, but the emperor always persuaded him to stay, making him nothing more than a figurehead in the Censorate.

But after hearing Su Ze's words, Li Yiyuan said:

"Brilliant! Zilin, that's a brilliant plan! Go and write the memorial to the throne!"

(End of this chapter)