My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 434 A Preliminary Discussion on the Form of Government (Part Two)

Su Ze looked at Hai Rui and said:

"Isn't Lord Hai afraid of what people say?"

Hai Rui understood what Su Ze meant.

Rumors circulated that he was a member of the "Su faction," and if he recommended Su Ze to serve as the "Central Secretariat Inspector" at this time, it would be tantamount to confirming his identity as a member of the "Su faction."

However, Hai Rui was not one to care about others' opinions; he said:
"With a pure and bright heart, what is there to fear from what others say?"

Su Ze understood that he couldn't persuade someone like Hai Rui, so he could only bow and take his leave, departing from the Censorate.

After Su Ze left, Hai Rui summoned the censors of the Censorate.

Su Zilin submitted a memorial requesting the re-establishment of the five offices of the Secretariat to assist the cabinet in handling government affairs.

The memorial had just been sent to the palace and had not yet been forwarded to the Six Ministries and the Censorate when Hai Rui informed the censors of the news in advance. This immediately caused an uproar in the Censorate.

Hai Rui looked at the crowd and said:
“This matter concerns the national system, and we, the censors, have the duty to discuss politics. This time, I grant permission to all of you to use your seals in your memorials.”

Upon hearing this, the imperial censors cheered.

Hai Rui's prestige was so great that he had been keeping the censors on duty to combat corruption, which had really frustrated them.

Su Ze actually defied public opinion and submitted a memorial to re-establish the five offices of the Secretariat. The Censorate will surely impeach him!
The censors were all eager to begin, and at this moment, some clever censors, such as Ruan Chaodong, a senior censor from Guangxi Circuit, asked:
"What is the Censor-in-Chief's opinion on this memorial?"

Everyone looked at Hai Rui.

Hai Rui said calmly:
"I recommend Su Zilin to serve as the Chief Censor of the Secretariat."

After these words were spoken, the entire Censorate fell silent.

Ruan Chaodong was also dumbfounded.

If you've already supported Su Ze, why are you asking us to submit a petition?
Hai Rui ignored everyone and went straight back to his official residence.

The imperial censors were also dumbfounded.

Hai Rui didn't actually implement any major reforms in the Censorate.

However, he diligently fulfilled his duties as a censor, investigating many corrupt officials and impeaching many incompetent and mediocre ones.

These achievements seem insignificant, and these things don't even make it into the newspapers.

But these incidents, one by one, accumulated into a huge reputation for Hai Rui.

Hai Rui restored the Censorate to its original function of supervising the imperial court, thus avoiding several court upheavals and ensuring that no officials were dismissed during this period.

Hai Rui never retaliated against censors who held dissenting views, and when discussing official business, he would always leave the doors of his office open and discuss official matters directly.

Ultimately, his impeccable personal morality made him a natural leader within the Censorate system.

Now that he, as the Vice Censor-in-Chief, is openly siding with Su Ze, how are we supposed to impeach him?
-
After Su Ze returned from Hai Rui's place, he finally put the "Memorial Requesting the Re-establishment of the Five Offices of the Secretariat and Chancellery" into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Court" app.

Unfortunately, this matter doesn't seem like a big deal from an administrative standpoint; it's just about setting up a secretariat within the cabinet.

Any change involving the highest authority is a major political event, especially since the five branches of the Secretariat-Chancellery themselves have enormous political symbolic significance.

Wang Anshi's reforms used the five offices of the Secretariat and Chancellery as the core of the organization, serving as the arm of the Council of State Affairs to exercise the power of the prime minister.

Su Ze needed to confirm the cabinet's attitude by submitting a memorial to the emperor, and then confirm the Censorate's attitude through a conversation with Hai Rui before conducting the simulation.

Simply put, Su Ze first tested the waters, and then simulated the situation once the situation was clear and a united force was formed, thus saving prestige points.

——[Simulation Start]——

The memorial entitled "Request to Re-establish the Five Offices of the Secretariat and Chancellery" was sent to the Grand Secretariat.

The cabinet resigned en masse to put pressure on the emperor.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs immediately delivered it to Emperor Longqing.

Faced with your memorial and the pressure from the cabinet, the Longqing Emperor was furious and ordered the memorial to be sent to the court and the public, requiring all officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital to submit their opinions.

The recommendation of you by Hai Rui, the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, to serve as the Chief Censor of the Secretariat further inflamed the Emperor's anger.

However, after calming down, the emperor realized that if the entire cabinet resigned, there were no suitable candidates in the court to succeed them.

Opinions on your memorial were divided. Many officials in the Six Ministries and Nine Courts opposed it, but many ministers also supported it.

Emperor Longqing issued an edict to retain the Grand Secretariat, but ultimately only agreed to establish a separate Secretariat Office within the Grand Secretariat, from which a group of Secretariat scribes were selected to handle general affairs for the Grand Secretariat.

Your memorial has been shelved.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 3250.]

To fully approve your memorial proposal, you will need to pay 1000 prestige points. Do you wish to pay?

1000 prestige points is indeed a lot, but for such a significant reform, 1000 prestige points is very little.

Only 1000 prestige points are needed, probably because according to the original simulation results, the emperor had already compromised.

The emperor's decision to separately select officials from the Secretariat to establish the Secretariat within the cabinet, creating a separate secretariat, was a way for the cabinet ministers to save face.

This was Emperor Longqing. If it had been Emperor Jiajing, Su Ze would probably have been flogged in court.

Although the Secretariat of the Cabinet is essentially similar to the Fifth Secretariat, it still needs a formal title in politics.

The Secretariat was an existing institution, and most of the Secretariat staff were officials granted positions through hereditary privilege, which led to them being discriminated against by other officials in the Ming Dynasty.

The five offices of the Secretariat-Chancellery were a secretariat completely controlled by the cabinet, which was entirely different in terms of political symbolism.

Su Ze was in such a hurry because the reform of the cabinet system had to be decided before the Longqing Emperor passed away.

If the Longqing Emperor were to pass away and the young emperor were to ascend the throne, then bringing up cabinet reform at that time would be tantamount to bullying the young emperor and his widow, and the cabinet would be completely morally untenable.

Once the Longqing Emperor passed away, it was highly likely that these upper-level structures could not be significantly changed until the young Emperor Xiaozong (Liu Bei) assumed personal rule.

This is also the predicament faced by Zhang Juzheng's reforms in the original timeline.

Unable to change the superstructure, the reform could only be promoted through some temporary decrees. Once Zhang Juzheng died and the decrees were abolished, the reform would cease with his death.

After the emperor's death, to continue pushing forward the reforms, a strong cabinet and a political system suitable for the current situation are needed.

Su Ze chose "yes" without hesitation.

[Ding! Prestige points have been deducted. The host has submitted a memorial in reality. The simulated settlement will take place after the memorial is executed!]

[Remaining Prestige: 2250.]

The next step is to see how the system can change the emperor's mind.
-
Su Ze's memorial and the cabinet's resignation both provoked the emperor's rare outburst of anger.

The Longqing Emperor was kind and benevolent, but his status was that of an emperor.

Moreover, his indecisiveness should not negate his political abilities.

The cabinet appointments during the Longqing reign were all of high caliber.

Xu Jie was appointed as the transitional cabinet. Xu Jie was an important minister of the previous dynasty and a meritorious official who overthrew Yan Ying. He was an important minister who had supported him since the time of the crown prince. It was most appropriate for Xu Jie to be in charge of the transition.

The Li Chunfang cabinet was a stable cabinet, using Li Chunfang's prestige to balance the various factions within the cabinet; that was the most stable period for the Ming Dynasty's cabinet.

Gao Gong's cabinet was efficient and decisive, but Emperor Longqing trusted Gao Gong so much that he also appointed Zhang Juzheng, who had different political views from Gao Gong, as the second-in-command.

Dissenting opinions are an instinct of emperors.

Therefore, when Gao Gong and the other three cabinet ministers used their resignations to pressure the imperial authority, the Longqing Emperor felt an instinctive threat.

Is there a conspiracy group in the imperial court, with Su Ze as the vanguard and the Grand Secretary as the backup, trying to revive the Central Secretariat?
The ailing Longqing Emperor was inevitably suspicious. If these cabinet ministers hadn't had such close personal relationships with him, and if Gao Gong hadn't been the emperor's most respected teacher, he probably would have agreed to their resignations.

But suspicion is always inevitable.

What's even more terrifying is that her illness is lingering and recurring. If she doesn't make it through, how will her son face the ruthless officials in the outer court?
This is something any emperor would have to consider.

At that moment, Feng Bao announced that Cabinet Minister Yin Shidan was requesting an audience.

The Longqing Emperor originally did not want to see him.

However, his relationship with Yin Shidan was very special.

Yin Shidan was a learned scholar who served as a lecturer for a long time, and the emperor loved listening to his lectures.

Sometimes, when Emperor Longqing couldn't see Yin Shidan, he would ask his attendants why Yin Shidan hadn't come to teach.

Compared to the teacher-student relationship with Gao Gong, the relationship between Emperor Longqing and Yin Shidan was one of both teacher and friend.

These relationships between people are not easily severed.

Emperor Longqing nodded, and Feng Bao still brought Yin Shidan in.

After bowing to the emperor, Yin Shidan said:
"Your Majesty, this old minister has come today to resign."

The Longqing Emperor was somewhat puzzled. "Didn't you submit your resignation long ago?"

Yin Shidan resolutely pulled out his new resignation letter.

"My mind is made up to return to my hometown and retire."

The Longqing Emperor looked somewhat dejected.

Now the emperor understood that Yin Shidan really wanted to resign.

The Longqing Emperor was speechless and could no longer utter any words of pleas to persuade him to stay.

Yin Shidan said:
"Please take a look at my resignation letter, Your Majesty."

When the Longqing Emperor opened the letter of resignation, he understood that it was Yin Shidan's political legacy and his final statement before leaving the court.

But after reading the beginning, the emperor became puzzled again.

This is a memorial concerning education.

That's right. Yin Shidan's position was Minister of Education, so it's normal for him to discuss education in his resignation letter.

This resignation letter still discusses the theories of moral education and intellectual education.

This topic has been discussed by scholars and officials for a long time, and the mainstream conclusion is that intellectual education should be given priority in higher education above the preparatory level.

Yin Shidan's resignation letter emphasizes the importance of moral education in primary and pre-university education.

In particular, Yin Shidan also requested that education on "loyalty to the emperor" be added to this part of the education.

Yin Shidan said sincerely:

"Your Majesty, education is a matter of great importance, a long-term plan."

"The power of the state resides in the monarch, just as the mind resides in the body. When all the body obeys his commands, the world will be at peace."

"Your Majesty's power is a divinely bestowed and indivisible authority. All matters concerning politics, legislation, and rewards and punishments are decided by Your Majesty. The cabinet and relevant officials are merely authorized by Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty is the foundation of the nation; loyalty to the monarch is patriotism."

"In this way, even if Huo Guang were to be resurrected, he could not sway the will of his millions of subjects or supersede imperial power!"

After listening to Yin Shidan's words, the Longqing Emperor understood his meaning.

This approach is nothing new; it's the same method used by Song Dynasty Confucian scholars, who sanctified the emperor and tied him to the state.

Loyalty to the emperor is patriotism, and this is how Song Dynasty Confucian scholars established the emperor's authority.

Therefore, although peasant uprisings were frequent and powerful ministers existed during the Song Dynasty, the emperor's authority remained very strong.

Even a powerful figure like Wang Anshi could only be dismissed from his post without the emperor's support.

Even the powerful prime ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty were all subordinate to the emperor; there was never a super-powerful prime minister like those of the Han and Tang Dynasties.

Yin Shidan devoted his life to the study of mind.

The philosophy of mind is far less pure in its approach to the issue of "loyalty" than that of the Song Dynasty Confucian scholars.

This can be seen from the two schools' arguments on "loyalty and filial piety".

Song Dynasty Confucian scholars sanctified the monarch, making loyalty to the monarch a part of the natural order, something that should be obeyed naturally. Therefore, filial piety was ranked lower than loyalty. When loyalty and filial piety were difficult to reconcile, choosing "loyalty" became inevitable.

Yangming's philosophy of mind holds that "heavenly principles" and "human desires" are not opposed. "There is no principle outside the mind" and "the mind is principle." Heavenly principles reside in the human heart, and as long as people understand their own hearts, they can perceive heavenly principles.

When it comes to the issue of loyalty and filial piety, Yangming's philosophy of mind starts from the human heart, that is, the human heart is "filial piety", and then leads to "loyalty" through the extension of innate knowledge.

This does not mean that Yangming's philosophy of mind does not emphasize "loyalty," but rather that he believed "loyalty" is the next level after "filial piety" has been developed.

This means that for a virtuous person, "loyalty" is superior to "filial piety," but for ordinary people who do not have this awareness, Yangming's philosophy is much more tolerant, believing that filial piety is innate and should not be criticized.

This subtle difference is also the reason why the Jiajing Emperor repeatedly suppressed the School of Mind.

Yin Shidan's resignation letter, academically speaking, was a step backward for Yangming's philosophy of mind, returning to the Song Dynasty Confucian approach.

The political legacy of a great Confucian scholar of the Neo-Confucian school was surprisingly a memorial on education discussing the ideas of Song Dynasty Confucianism.

This means that Yin Shidan abandoned his academic beliefs for the sake of imperial power.

For a scholar, this is the greatest act of loyalty to the emperor.

This deeply moved the Longqing Emperor!
The key point is that Yin Shidan's plan was indeed good.

Yin Shidan then said:

"The supreme imperial power can transcend all things, and the holy emperor can rule by doing nothing."

Upon hearing this, the Longqing Emperor understood Yin Shidan's entire plan, and he wrote a letter in his hand:
"What you said is absolutely true."

Yin Shidan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the Longqing Emperor had agreed to his plan.

Yin Shidan was a supporter of the emperor, but he was also a civil official.

Emperor Longqing was certainly worthy of respect, but who could guarantee what his successor would be like?

In his memorial, Yin Shidan wrote about the advantages of the Song Confucian system, but the emperor wanted to remove this system from the daily affairs of the central government.

The emperor was deified, so he was not suitable to get involved in specific political affairs; he had to be an arbitrator who stood above the court.

The Song Dynasty is a typical example. The imperial power in the Song Dynasty was actually very strong, but if the emperor wanted to implement certain policies, he needed to promote a prime minister who was inclined to a certain policy and then entrust the civil officials in the outer court to do the specific work.

The monarchical system of the Ming Dynasty had a very high ceiling but a very low floor.

When a monarch like Zhu Yuanzhang, who was highly capable in both politics and military affairs, is encountered, the efficiency of the imperial court is very high.

However, if a country encounters an incompetent monarch who makes reckless decisions, it can easily decline.

Yin Shidan's system allows the country to function normally even if the emperor is incompetent, but if the emperor wants to achieve something, he must be extremely skilled in political maneuvering.

But this also fits the current situation very well.

The emperor was worried about whether his young crown prince could properly inherit the empire.

Having thought of this, the emperor no longer hesitated, picked up Yin Shidan's memorial, and wrote "Approved" in red ink.

(End of this chapter)