My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 472 System Power
Su Ze included "On the Overall Plan for Coastal and Border Defense and the Promotion of National Defense Education" in the "Portable Ming Dynasty" app.

To Su Ze's surprise, this compromise solution failed to pass!

——[Simulation Start]——

A proposal entitled "On Coordinating the Overall Plan for Coastal and Border Defense and Promoting National Defense Education" was submitted to the Cabinet.

This time, all opinions were gathered and presented to the emperor.

Gao Gong agreed with Wang Chonggu's theory of border defense, opposed strengthening coastal defense, and proposed compiling a separate budget for coastal defense.

Zhang Juzheng agreed with your memorial on elevating the status of coastal defense, sided with the Ministry of Revenue, and opposed investing too much energy and budget in the west.

Zhao Zhenji supported budget reform but opposed placing budgetary power in the Ministry of Revenue. He proposed reforming the Ministry of Revenue's budgetary power and transferring the power to allocate the budget to the Cabinet.

Zhu Dashou supports your part on increasing investment in national defense education, but opposes expanding the number of officers in the Military Academy and the Naval Academy. He believes that too many officers will lead to an overgrowth of the officer corps, and that out-of-control officers may take the initiative to start wars to seek political gain.

Amidst ongoing disputes, the emperor accepted your memorial.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 6800.]

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

Looking at the simulation results, Su Ze thought, "Good heavens, the cabinet is in complete chaos."

A debate between border defense and coastal defense turned into a chaotic struggle between various political factions.

Each faction has its own agenda.

Su Ze sighed. The biggest problem in politics is that you can't "discuss things on a case-by-case basis".

What was clearly a national defense issue was exploited by high-ranking officials, turning it into a jumble of problems.

Gao Gong supported Wang Chonggu mainly because Wang Chonggu was the Minister of War who came from the Nine Border Regions system.

In the Ming Dynasty, all the Vice Ministers of the Ministry of War would have served as Governors-General of the Nine Border Regions. It can be said that all the high-ranking officials in the Ministry of War came from the border system.

Wang Chonggu would definitely not support coastal defense.

Gao Gong supported Wang Chonggu because of factional issues.

Zhang Juzheng's stance was also very simple. He was a proponent of maritime power and had a son in the navy. The Ministry of Revenue, considering economic interests, naturally supported maritime power, and Zhang Juzheng also stood behind the Ministry of Revenue.

Gao Gong's support for Wang Chonggu also stemmed from a political intention to suppress Zhang Juzheng.

Zhao Zhenji's attitude is even more interesting.

Previously, the budgets of various government departments and local governments were all controlled by the Ministry of Revenue.

The reforms aimed at strengthening cabinet power did not include fiscal power.

Zhang Juzheng, the second-ranking Grand Secretary, was able to maintain a firm grip on power over Zhao Zhenji, the third-ranking Grand Secretary, because Zhang Juzheng held the reins of finance and was known among the people as the "Minister of Finance."

Zhang Juzheng also used this power to pressure other cabinet ministers and the nine high-ranking officials, thereby gaining a status that surpassed that of ordinary cabinet ministers.

Zhao Zhenji had long been unhappy about this, and this time, during the dispute over coastal and border defense, Zhao Zhenji submitted a memorial requesting that budgetary power be centralized in the cabinet, instead of remaining in the Ministry of Revenue and being controlled by Zhang Juzheng alone.

Zhu Dashou's reasons are also quite interesting, and his concerns are indeed valid.

The expansion of the military supervisory commission will lead to the emergence of a new class of officers, who will inevitably vie for their own power.

Fighting wars is the best way for the military officer class to expand their power.

Civil officials could tolerate a General Staff Department, but they could not tolerate a military supervisory system similar to the imperial examination system.

Su Ze sighed again.

The Longqing Emperor's health deteriorated further, and without the common ground of imperial power, the unity of the cabinet had vanished.

Gao Gong was not a prime minister like Li Chunfang who could unite people. His governing style was very tough, and he had his own firm political views. As a result, cabinet ministers also began to seize power and form factions to confront Gao Gong.

Forming a party means creating a political group, and the party leader must speak out for the political interests behind it.

Zhao Zhenji and Zhu Dashou also represented their respective political forces, and they naturally had to speak out for their own forces.

This is why political reform is becoming increasingly difficult.

As political reforms progress, the parts that could be agreed upon have already been reformed. The remaining reforms will inevitably affect the interests of the other faction.

The result is that I completely oppose your proposal, and there is absolutely no room for political discussion.

Even a moderate and balanced proposal like Su Ze's would be opposed by all parties because it failed to meet their core demands.

Su Ze felt a pang of nostalgia for Li Chunfang, the master of laissez-faire governance who was perhaps more suited to be the chief minister than his own mentor, Gao Gong.

It's a pity that Li Chunfang saw the situation was not good and retired to his hometown to live out his retirement!

Well, with Chief Minister Lee gone, the only option is to rely on the system to balance the cabinet.

Su Ze decisively chose "yes".

[Ding! Prestige has been deducted. Please submit a memorial in real life. The simulated settlement will be carried out after the memorial is executed!]

[Remaining Prestige: 5800.]
-
Inner court.

The debate over coastal and border defense was of great importance. Emperor Longqing, despite his illness, listened with his eyes closed as the young Emperor Xiao Pangjun read the memorial.

Why was it Little Fatty Jun who read the text? This was because Emperor Longqing wanted to train his political abilities. So after the New Year, whenever the emperor dealt with important political affairs, he would bring Little Fatty Jun to observe the proceedings.

After reading a memorial, Feng Bao quickly offered him warm tea.
"Your Highness, please moisten your throat."

Little Fatty Jun took a small sip, then looked at his father, the emperor, on the dragon throne, and quickly picked up a new memorial to read.

The bond between father and son is strong. Seeing his father, the emperor, still worrying about national affairs despite his illness, Xiao Pangjun also becomes filial.

Because of the prophecy that "two dragons will never meet," the Longqing Emperor was sent out of the palace at a young age and did not experience much familial affection.

Therefore, Emperor Longqing devoted a lot of effort to his son, Xiaopangjun, and the father and son had a harmonious relationship.

The father-son relationships in the Ming Dynasty royal family varied greatly, but there were also a few exemplary father-son pairs.

For example, Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty had a very harmonious relationship. Emperor Renzong even secretly took Emperor Xuanzong out of the Forbidden City to play.

The same applies to the father and son, Longqing and Zhu Yijun. However, in the original timeline, Zhu Yijun was extremely harsh on his eldest son, which shows that the so-called theory of the original family is nonsense.

Upon seeing the words on the memorial, Xiao Pangjun immediately recognized it as his master Su Ze's memorial, and his spirits lifted considerably.

Because it was Su Ze's memorial, Xiao Pangjun read it very carefully. When he came across the key phrases in Su Ze's memorial, such as "simultaneous development of land and sea," "the two wings of a great power's take-off," and "land power is the bone, sea power is the blood; a strong bone makes a nation stand tall, and smooth blood makes a nation strong," he read them with great clarity and force.

After the reading was finished, the Longqing Emperor remained silent for a long time, his eyes still closed.

After a while, the Longqing Emperor opened his eyes and had Feng Bao pick up paper and pen, then wrote a few words. Feng Bao walked to Little Fatty Jun's side and said:
"Your Highness, His Majesty wishes to hear your opinion."

Zhu Yijun's heart skipped a beat. He knew his father was testing him, and he also knew this memorial was the culmination of his master Su Ze's efforts. He had to find a compelling reason to support his master.

Of course, Xiao Pangjun's support for Su Ze is not entirely due to personal feelings.

These days, the Longqing Emperor has been training Xiao Pangjun to look at problems from the emperor's perspective, to analyze the intentions of the petitioners from these memorials, and to clarify the relationships and positions among these petitioning ministers.

This is why handling government affairs requires so much effort.

In contrast, Su Ze's memorial did not have as many hidden interests; instead, it seemed to be for the greater good of the country.

Little Fatty Jun naturally hoped that his father could save some effort and directly approve Master Su's memorial.

However, Xiao Pangjun also knew that if he couldn't give a convincing reason, he would disappoint his father.

As an emperor, one can only be persuaded by reason, not swayed by emotions.

This was the first lesson Emperor Longqing taught his crown prince about the imperial family, and little Jun remembered it well.

Little Fatty Jun's mind raced, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the brand-new illustrated edition of "Journey to the West" on the bookshelf in the corner of the warm pavilion.

Children of this age are naturally unable to resist the allure of "Journey to the West," and Xiao Pangjun has recently become obsessed with this book.

In a flash, a thought struck me like a flash of inspiration!
He took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound calm and insightful: "Father, I believe... Master Su's words are the principle of 'upholding the middle way'!"

The Longqing Emperor nodded, signaling him to continue.

Encouraged, Zhu Yijun's thoughts became clearer, and he tilted his head slightly, as if recalling scenes from the book.

"Your subject has recently been reading 'Journey to the West' and has seen the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Heavenly Venerable, the High God of the Azure Vault, on the Lingxiao Palace."

"That Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, is incredibly powerful. He wreaked havoc in the Dragon Palace, stormed the Underworld, stole peaches of immortality, and pilfered golden pills. He even fought his way up to the Lingxiao Palace, causing chaos and upheaval!"

"But even so, the Jade Emperor can still sit firmly in the Lingxiao Palace."

"After careful consideration, I have come to understand this principle: as an emperor, one must uphold the middle way."

“When your ministers make decisions, you must clearly define their responsibilities: reward them for doing things well and punish them for doing things poorly.”

“By adhering to the middle way, there is room for maneuver. It was precisely because the Jade Emperor adhered to the middle way that he was able to pacify the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. If pacification failed, he could also use the Buddha to suppress the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.”

"The current political situation needs memorials like those of Prosecutor Su. The inner court should maintain a middle ground and revise them gradually when problems arise. If it leans to one side, there will be no room for maneuver."

A glint flashed in the emperor's weary eyes. The irritation caused by the fierce arguments in the cabinet seemed to be dispelled by his son's childlike yet insightful metaphor.

For some reason, the Longqing Emperor recalled the time when Li Chunfang served as the Grand Secretary.

Although Li Chunfang frequently took sick leave, many of his governing philosophies were not in line with his own.

However, when Li was in office, although he seemed to do nothing, he always managed to quietly resolve the sharp conflicts between various parties and maintain a delicate balance in the court.

Of course, the stability of Li Chunfang's cabinet also had its historical opportunities. The problems Li Chunfang faced back then are different from those faced by the current cabinet.

However, when the emperor is ill, he will naturally think of the good old days, the days when the cabinet could always reach a consensus and he could rule by doing nothing.

Thinking about it this way, what my son, Xiaopangjun, said makes some sense.

Let's stick to the middle way, set the tone first, and then discuss the details later.

The Ming Dynasty is a large country, not a small one that needs to gamble its fate. It can simply invest a little in every direction.

My son's words make sense, and this set of governance theories is also suitable for the current situation.

As Zhu Yijun said, as long as one adheres to the middle way, the emperor will not make mistakes.

Even if problems arise in the end, it's a problem at the execution level, and the cabinet or relevant government departments should be held accountable.

That's a good idea.

The Longqing Emperor nodded, picked up a vermilion brush, and circled Su Ze's memorial.

Once the painting was finished, it marked the end of the struggle between coastal and border defenses, and Emperor Longqing felt much more relaxed, both physically and mentally.

Once the emperor made his decision, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs immediately began to operate. Following the emperor's instructions, Feng Bao summoned the Imperial Secretary to draft a memorial, which was then affixed with the imperial seal and sent to the relevant government departments such as the Cabinet.
-
The document "On Coordinating Coastal and Border Defense and Promoting National Defense Education" was passed, establishing the Ming Dynasty's national defense strategy of emphasizing both maritime and land defense.

[Strengthening national defense and civic education fosters the emergence of nationalism.]

However, the conflict between land and sea was not completely eliminated; it was only temporarily suppressed. For a century, the army and navy fought over the direction of national defense strategy.

With the northwestern frontier secured, calls for the restoration of the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties became mainstream, and the map of the new nation-state was thus established.

[With the expansion of maritime territory and the introduction of the doctrine of defensive island chains by the navy to ensure the safety of shipping routes, the Ming Dynasty began constructing ports at key nodes, and the theory of sea power began to take shape.]

[National Fortune +2]

[Prestige +500]

[Remaining Prestige: 6300]

So fast? The system really acted swiftly this time, using prestige points to get things done!

However, Su Ze's joy did not last long.

This conflict between the sea and the land was suppressed by my own use of the system's power, but the divisions within the cabinet can no longer be contained.

In particular, the differences between Grand Secretary Gao Gong and Second Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, as well as the struggle between the cabinet and the ministries over financial power, began to emerge.

Su Ze couldn't help but sigh. Those who play politics are high-energy people; their lives are constantly in turmoil, and it's impossible to get them to stop for even a moment.

The conflict between the mainland and the sea is just a pretext; given other reasons, the cabinet will continue to argue.

Su Ze looked at the cabinet with some worry. At this critical moment of the change of imperial power, he wondered what kind of trouble might arise in the future.
-
General Staff Office.

Li Rusong, the chief of the Operations Division, looked at the "Situation Reports" sent by the Khwarazmian army from the inner court and revealed a hint of envy.

After receiving an urgent report from Jiayuguan, the imperial court conscripted the Khmer troops to go to the northwest.

If I were still in the Khrushchev army, I would be almost in Lanzhou by now.
Li Rusong lamented the irony of fate, as he insisted on joining the Khrushchev Army after graduating from the Military Academy.

The Annamese army and the Zhenbei army both went to the battlefield one after another, but the Kerulen army was slow to seize the opportunity to fight.

Later, he submitted a memorial on military strategy to five countries and was transferred to the Imperial Guard, and later entered the General Staff.

Just then, the Krupp army set off!

However, the General Staff Department had just been established and was in dire need of personnel, so he had no chance to go to the front lines.

Li Rusong sighed, pinched his temple, and looked at the report in front of him.

(End of this chapter)