My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 402 Another Memorial

Hai Rui's words were a very severe accusation.

The Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guangxi should naturally be a key target for the censors of Guangxi Circuit to supervise.

If Hai Rui asked them about the situation in Guangxi and they couldn't answer, then it was dereliction of duty.

If they endorse Cheng Zixue and say that Cheng Zixue has no problems, then if Cheng Zixue is impeached and falls from power in the future, these Guangxi Circuit Censors will certainly be punished for their ineffective supervision.

They were dealing with Hai Rui, the man who was most intolerant of injustice.

Ruan Chaodong reacted faster, asking in return:

"I wonder where Lord Hai got this information from."

Ruan Chaodong seized upon a loophole in Hai Rui's words: Hai Rui had never served as an official in Guangxi, so why would he suddenly impeach the Guangxi Provincial Governor?
Zhao Quan's confession was forwarded by the imperial court to the Censorate for verification.

But how did Hai Rui know about the problems with the Yongjiang Dam project?

Someone must have passed a message to Hai Rui!

Ruan Chaodong vaguely felt that he had found evidence of the existence of the "Su Party," and that Su Ze must have instructed Hai Rui to impeach him!

Ruan Chaodong thought he had grasped the crux of the problem, but Hai Rui said:
"This is a clue that I found in the accounting records."

Hai Rui opened the "Longqing Accounting Records" and listed the expenses in Guangxi, including the engineering expenses for the Yongjiang Dam.

Hai Rui then added:
"I have also found the memorial from Cheng Zixue that he petitioned to build a dam. The original purpose was to prevent flooding of the Yong River. The petition requested the mobilization of 20,000 laborers and that the project would take a year."

"But from then on, Cheng Zixue repaired the dam every year."

Immediately afterwards, Hai Rui took out several copies of memorials.

"These are the memorials from Guangxi requesting exemptions for disaster relief funds and grain. For the past five years, Guangxi has requested exemptions for funds and grain for the Yongjiang River floods every year."

Hai Rui looked at everyone and asked:

"Gentlemen, is the problem with the Yongjiang River project, or with the memorial regarding disaster relief and tax exemption?"

By the time Hai Rui finished speaking, everyone was already drenched in sweat.

There was no other way; Hai Rui had climbed his way up from the grassroots level, and he had seen all the shady dealings of local officials.

When he served as the governor of Yingtian, he also organized the construction of water conservancy projects, and he was well aware of the shady dealings of the officials below him.

In contrast, many censors in the Censorate have always followed the path of the "pure stream" (a term referring to officials who are upright and honest), and have no understanding of the overt and covert rules governing the operation of local governments.

Is this how you can investigate?
Ruan Chaodong was also dumbfounded.

Things have come to this point, and some people are already at their breaking point.

A censor from Guangxi Province said:

“After Cheng Zixue took office, he also received many letters from local officials reporting him.”

Another censor said:
“Last year, when the Yongjiang River breached its banks, a local chieftain’s envoy filed a lawsuit against Cheng Zixue, saying that Cheng Zixue was using the pretext of building a dam on the Yongjiang River to impose taxes on the local chieftains in Guangxi.”

The crowd's words, one after another, have coalesced into irrefutable evidence, seemingly proving that Cheng Zixue is a corrupt official.

But Hai Rui frowned.

He had already written this memorial, but had not yet submitted it.

The reason is simple: Chengzi's methods were far too crude.

Although water conservancy projects are a common means of corruption, local officials generally use the method of "accumulating small amounts to build a large empire".

In other words, they used multiple small projects as a front to embezzle funds.

The advantages of this are obvious: tributaries are less prone to major floods, and the court will not be held accountable if something goes wrong.

Multiple projects are unlikely to attract the attention of the imperial court, but the total amount involved can be substantial.

The Yongjiang River is a major waterway in Guangxi. If Cheng Zixue wanted to embezzle funds, why would he choose this project?

This is where it gets irrational.

Therefore, Hai Rui never submitted his memorial after writing it.

The evidence they now have seems to point to Cheng Zixue being a corrupt official.

However, the evidence now presented by the Censorate seems sufficient to convict Cheng Zixue, Hai Rui said:

"Then please submit your reports after you have completed your investigations."

After the group emerged from Hai Rui's official residence, an imperial censor asked:
"Lord Ruan, shall we return the memorial impeaching Su Zilin?"

Looking at the young censor Li Xing, Ruan Chaodong felt even more exhausted.

The intense pressure he had just experienced in Hai Rui's mansion transformed into anger, and he blurted out:

"Go? What the hell are you talking about! Hurry up and investigate Cheng Zixue!"
-
On May 30th, the imperial court approved Su Ze's memorial.

Meanwhile, the "Handheld Ming Dynasty" app also displayed a settlement report.

The memorial entitled "Request for the Rectification of Officialdom and the Collection of Commercial Taxes in Guangxi" was passed.

The Censorate impeached Cheng Zixue, the Provincial Treasurer of Guangxi, on numerous charges, including abusing manpower for construction projects, soliciting bribes from local chieftains, and forcibly levying taxes and levies on them.

[The Longqing Emperor, mindful that Cheng Zixue had served as an official at the grassroots level for many years, merely dismissed him from his post and ordered him to retire.]

Cheng Zixue's dismissal disheartened officials throughout Guangxi, and the imperial court's subsequent large-scale punishment of Guangxi officials triggered chaos within the Guangxi bureaucracy.

The Han Chinese people of Guangxi were reluctant to see Cheng Zixue leave, so they built a shrine in his honor, further alienating the imperial court from the people of Guangxi.

[National Fortune - 1.]

[Prestige value remains unchanged.]

[Remaining Prestige: 1340]

Su Ze also read Hai Rui's memorial impeaching Cheng Zixue and the Censorate's memorial. Su Ze also marveled at Hai Rui's skill, as he was able to find clues in the "Longqing Accounting Records".

But why does this simulation result not seem to be like that?

Cheng Zixue doesn't seem to be a corrupt official.
Moreover, judging from the simulation results, Cheng Zixue was quite prestigious among the Han Chinese people in Guangxi.
What exactly is going on?

Su Ze was puzzled, and because of this matter, the national fortune was reduced?
Just as Su Ze was wondering, Luo Wanhua entered the newspaper office carrying a newspaper.

"Brother Zilin, come and take a look at these two newspapers."

Su Ze took the newspapers; they were from the "New Gentleman's Daily" and the "New Music Bureau Daily," both of which had published editorials on the suppression of the rebellion of the three chieftains.

Su Ze first opened the "New Gentleman's Daily".

After reading it, Su Ze was also a little stunned. Isn't this the "Han supremacist" on the internet in later generations?

Upon closer reflection, the emergence of Han supremacists seems quite normal.

Confucianism itself is not against territorial expansion, but rather against wasting national resources on developing useless land and against wars that consume resources.

The Ming Dynasty benefited from the several military campaigns during the Longqing era.

Under such circumstances, it is quite normal for Han supremacist ideas to emerge.

Moreover, the Ming army is now indeed the most powerful and advanced army in the world. With sharp weapons in hand, they naturally want to kill the enemy.

Su Ze asked, "How are the sales? What's the public's reaction?"

Luo Wanhua said:
"The sales of the New Gentleman's Daily have increased significantly this time, but there are still more criticisms among intellectuals."

"However, ordinary people in the capital really like the views expressed in the New Gentleman's Gazette. Some have even called for the restoration of the glorious Han and Tang dynasties. I heard that the New Gentleman's Gazette has even reprinted maps of the Han and Tang dynasties, and the sales are quite good."

Goodness, the New Gentleman's newspaper has really figured things out.

Su Ze put down the "New Gentleman's Daily" and looked at the "New Music Bureau Daily".

After reading it, Su Ze's expression turned serious.

This is a very insightful article, written under the pen name "Xin Yin." Su Ze naturally knew that it was written by He Xin Yin, the founder of the "New Yuefu Daily."

The article analyzes the problems of the Tusi system in Southwest China.

The article argues that the preferential treatment given to Tusi (local chieftains) in the early Ming Dynasty was the reason for the persistent instability in the southwest.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the Tusi (chieftains) were required to pay taxes.

However, starting from the mid-Ming Dynasty, the imperial court frequently exempted local chieftains in remote areas from paying tribute taxes in order to provide them with preferential treatment.

As a result, the number of tax-free chieftains increased, while the expenses of local government offices grew larger and larger.

As a result, local officials imposed more and more exorbitant taxes, and the people of Han areas began to flee to the areas controlled by the chieftains!

He Xinyin pointed out in the newspaper that it was this unfair tax system that led to the recurring problems in Southwest China, which were difficult to resolve.

Su Ze then read the following text.

"The people's payment of taxes to the court is like the exchange of contracts."

"When the people pay taxes and grain, their core demand is not merely to make offerings, but to exchange them for the responsibilities that the court and its officials should fulfill: to protect the territory, maintain order, dredge water conservancy projects, provide disaster relief, and even promote education and agriculture, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment. This is the fundamental contract for the survival of the state."

Good heavens, isn't this just social contract theory?
He Xinyin then used this theory to analyze the situation in the southwest.

"However, the root cause of the predicament in the southwest lies in the imbalance and collapse of this 'contract'!"

"The imperial court repeatedly granted preferential treatment and exemptions to the Tusi (local chieftains), who did not pay taxes or tributes, but enjoyed the benefits of their land and their people, just like a country beyond the reach of civilization."

"As the expenses of government offices increased daily and could not be covered, they made even more demanding demands on the Han people under their jurisdiction, with taxes on poll tax, corvée labor, and miscellaneous levies piling up like mountains."

"Such uneven taxation, with light taxes and heavy burdens on one side while harsh taxes on the other, is this not the true meaning of 'a contract'? The people are not foolish; how can they not see through this? Taxes are meant to provide the means of survival and a shield for protection. Now that the shield is broken and the means of survival has become a shackle, how can the people live in peace? How can they trust the court's 'agreement'?"

"Therefore, the common people had no choice but to use their feet as a measure and their bodies as a means of control. Their 'tickets' did not need to be submitted to the government, and their 'choices' did not need to be presented in official documents. Seeing that the Tusi's fiefdoms were free from the harsh demands of the court, they saw that even with the Tusi system, they could find a chance to breathe. They left their homes and fled to the Tusi's lands to avoid the heavy taxes."

Good heavens! After reading it, Su Ze put down the newspaper, rubbed his temples, and seemed to understand what was going on with Cheng Zixue.

Su Ze thought for a moment, then took out another blank memorial.

This is actually something that Su Ze has always wanted to do.

The Ming Dynasty's handling of high-ranking local officials was far too arbitrary.

Of course, this was also a characteristic of the imperial era.

However, although the Ming Dynasty had already established a very standardized system for appointing officials, it still lagged behind in terms of dismissal and punishment.

The most typical example is when an official is impeached.

If the official is close to the emperor, the emperor will reject the impeachment memorial and may even punish the official who impeached him.

However, some unfortunate officials, if they happen to be in the emperor's anger, will be punished by the emperor immediately upon being impeached.

Some officials are frequently impeached and have no choice but to resign and return to their hometowns.

Therefore, the content of Su Ze's memorial was to regulate the procedures following the impeachment of high-ranking local officials.

Su Ze listed several problems with the current supervisory system of the Ming Dynasty:

First, "the investigation did not follow usual procedures, and the hasty approach made it difficult to clarify the facts of the crime."

Impeachments of officials appointed outside the province are often rushed, making it difficult to thoroughly investigate the facts. Many of these impeachments are attacks on the official's personal character rather than assessments of their abilities and performance.

The second point is that "high-ranking officials have no way to defend themselves, and the people's will contradicts the emperor's decisions."

Su Ze also cited the example of Hu Zongxian. When Hu Zongxian was executed, the people of Zhejiang came to plead for him, but the Jiajing Emperor still dealt with Hu Zongxian. To this day, there is still a shrine in Zhejiang dedicated to Hu Zongxian.

Hu Zongxian died without ever having the opportunity to defend himself, which severely damaged the prestige of the imperial court.

Therefore, Su Ze proposed that high-ranking local officials should be allowed to submit petitions to defend themselves.
The third point is that "punishment without upholding the law leaves a legacy of harm and abuse in the local area."

Su Ze wrote in his memorial that the Ming Dynasty often dealt with many high-ranking officials in a vague and unclear manner.

Some were ordered to resign, while others were severely punished by the imperial court. These outcomes caused great chaos in the local officialdom.

When a high-ranking local official changes, local people often speculate wildly, causing chaos in the officialdom.

Some officials, who were simply resigning from their posts normally, were falsely accused of being punished by the imperial court, which further tarnished their prestige.

Therefore, Su Ze suggested establishing a comprehensive oversight system for officials appointed from outside the capital:

"The procedure for impeaching high-ranking officials is as follows: If an official of the third rank or above is impeached, the Censorate must send a document to the official, requiring him to submit a written defense within ten days and attach the defense to the case file."

"A three-party verification system shall be established: in addition to the censor's testimony, the Ministry of Revenue shall consult the accounting records, the provincial judicial commissioner shall assist in verifying the evidence, and the verdict shall be finalized only when all three agencies have complete documentation."

"The conclusion of the decision must be clearly stated: whether dismissed or retained, the charges or injustices must be clearly stated in an imperial edict, and 'vague retirement' is prohibited to maintain local stability."

After writing all this, Su Ze then stuffed this "Memorial on Eliminating the Abuses of Supervision and Inspection to Secure the Foundation of the Nation" into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Court" device.

——[Simulation Start]——

The memorial entitled "To Eliminate the Abuses of Supervision and Inspection in order to Safeguard the Foundation of the Nation" was sent to the Cabinet.

Since the matter concerned the reform of the Censorate system, the cabinet dared not draft a proposal and sent it directly to the palace.

The Longqing Emperor sent a letter to the Censorate, seeking their opinions on reform.

The memorial supported by Vice Censor-in-Chief Hai Rui was met with strong opposition from officials of the Censorate.

The Censorate could no longer tolerate your repeated deprivation of its powers, and the opposition was so strong that even Hai Rui could not control it.

Finally, the Longqing Emperor kept your memorial.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 1400.]

[To approve your memorial, you need to pay 500 prestige points. Do you wish to pay?]

Su Ze was also aware that his memorial would greatly increase the workload of the Censorate and also increase the risks to the Censorate.

However, standardizing the supervisory system is a necessary task; otherwise, the fate of a high-ranking official would depend on a few memorials from censors, which would pose a huge hidden danger to the national administrative system.

On June 3, Su Ze's memorial was sent to the cabinet, and then the emperor issued the memorial to the Censorate, which as expected provoked a strong backlash from the Censorate.

"That Su Ze is going too far!"

"This undermines the authority of the Censorate! This threatens the very foundation of the nation!"

"Submit a memorial! Impeach him!"

(End of this chapter)