Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 27 You will be infamous for eternity!

Shen Shixing stood beside Zhang Juzheng and also read through most of the article "On Reforming the Native Chieftain System and Replacing it with Directly Appointed Officials".

When Shen Shixing saw the fourth item, his eyes lit up, and he excitedly said to Zhang Juzheng.

"Your Excellency, this policy of replacing native chieftains with centrally appointed officials is not bad!"

Zhang Juzheng stared at the newspaper for a long time, his fingers turning white from gripping it so tightly, and a hint of doubt gradually appeared in his eyes. Then he looked back at his young son in the court.

As the officials finished reading the "Proposal on Changing Native Chieftains to Imperial Officials," the court became noisy again.

"How dare Zhang Yunxiu presume to discuss state affairs?"

But such voices are ultimately few and far between.

There were voices opposing Zhang Juzheng in the court, but they were not the mainstream; most officials remained objective.

A veteran official who was about to retire after serving three dynasties stroked his beard and exclaimed in admiration, "Confucianism and its teachings! It truly reflects the thoughts of us scholars!"

Literature is meant to convey moral principles. The Ming Dynasty did have similar methods, such as establishing academies, but these were largely ineffective and did not serve their purpose.

"Minister Wang has keen insight; this is governing the chieftains with Confucian principles! This is the open strategy that we Confucian scholars should pursue!"

However, there are still dissenting voices.

"Was this article written by Zhang Yunxiu? It seems more like it was written by Grand Secretary Zhang Jiangling?"

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, and the Wanli Emperor on the platform, unaware of the newspaper's contents, was extremely anxious.

Seeing his leader's embarrassment, Zhang Yunxiu immediately handed a newspaper to Feng Bao.

"Please trouble Eunuch Feng to hand it over."

Feng Bao looked at the emperor with some hesitation.

"Hurry up, hurry up."

Emperor Wanli kept urging him on, and he almost stepped down from the imperial platform.

Feng Bao then took the newspaper and respectfully handed it to the emperor.

Upon receiving the newspaper, Emperor Wanli immediately began reading it with great eagerness.

He habitually flipped to the back, intending to read some storybooks and jokes first.

Suddenly I realized that this was the morning court session, and there were important matters to attend to!

His face flushed red, and he glanced guiltily at the assembled officials, only to find them all engrossed in their newspapers, which put his mind at ease.

Emperor Wanli was not a good-for-nothing; in fact, under the tutelage of Zhang Juzheng, he was quite capable of handling state affairs.

Later, Luo Yuren's memorial on wine, women, wealth, and anger nailed Emperor Wanli to the pillar of historical shame, but it only criticized his negligence in governing.

Soon, the Wanli Emperor finished reading the entire article "On Reforming the Native Chieftain System and Replacing it with Imperial Administration," and immediately slammed his hand on the table in approval.

"Indeed, this is an excellent solution to the Tusi problem!"

Most importantly, Zhang Yunxiu did not just raise this point, but rather presented a comprehensive eight-point policy, all of which were systematic and operational.

It can be said that it is more detailed than the memorials written by capable ministers in the imperial court, and even more accessible and easy to understand!

Even so, some people still find fault with it.

Censor Yang Sizhi still refused to admit it, but only dared to hide among the officials and make sarcastic remarks.

"This plan is not bad. Regardless of whether it was Zhang Shiyuan's idea or not, he published it in the newspaper, making it visible to ordinary people. If it spreads to the southwestern border, will it still be effective?"

Zhang Yunxiu glanced at the other person and said with a disdainful expression.

“Your insight is not as good as mine, a mere child. The so-called open strategy is simply to be upright and honest.”

So what if the chieftain knows? Would they give up their children's chance to enter officialdom?

"You!" Yang Sizhi's face turned red with anger, but he really couldn't refute it.

Many officials in the imperial court also began to think about it.

Even if the chieftains find out, so what? The imperial court will release quotas for the Imperial Academy, stipulating that only sons of Imperial Academy graduates can inherit the family business, and giving sons of chieftains who study will the opportunity to enter officialdom.

I'm afraid these people will not only not object, but will flock to it!

Yang Sizhi still tried to argue, "There are still some issues, and we can't guarantee that the chieftains will comply."

Zhang Yunxiu sneered and said, "It seems that Imperial Censor Yang doesn't read history books very well. Was there anything hidden in Emperor Wu of Han's Edict of Grace?"

"This"

Yang Sizhi was speechless.

Emperor Wu of Han's Edict of Grace can be considered the greatest open strategy in history. Since it was an open strategy, why would he be afraid of others finding out?

The officials in the court are not fools; they can naturally distinguish between a good policy and a bad article.

Seeing that the situation had eased somewhat, Xu Xuemo, the Minister of Rites, immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said to the Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, this article on the reform of replacing native chieftains with centrally appointed officials is insightful and reasonable, and is a good solution to the problem of the chieftains. I request that you refer to this article and study it carefully to resolve the problem of the southwestern border."
Your subject proposes that a court meeting be convened immediately to discuss matters concerning the chieftains of the southwest.”

Xu Xuemo, the Minister of Rites, spoke with absolute certainty.

Zhang Yunxiu saw through the other party's thoughts and said with a cold laugh.

"Is Minister Xu avoiding the topic of Wei Maozhong in an attempt to use this as an excuse to exonerate him?"

Xu Xuemo's face stiffened, and he said angrily.

"Zhang Shiyuan, don't push your luck!"

Zhang Yunxiu didn't care about anything else. He cupped his hands to the emperor and then walked towards Wei Yunzhen.

Approaching Wei Yunzhen, Zhang Yunxiu looked down at him; his face, even now, remained as resolute as ever. Zhang Yunxiu smiled and asked.

"Imperial Censor Wei, even at this moment, do you still believe you are right?"

Wei Yunzhen showed no appreciation whatsoever, spitting out, "This is my father's work!"

Zhang Yunxiu curled his lip, looking at the other person as if they were an idiot.

"My father is the Grand Secretary, why would he bother with your tricks? If he wanted to make you suffer, why would he give you the opportunity to bark wildly in the court!"

"So be it!" Wei Yunzhen roared. "Your father was a traitor like Wang Mang, and you are a wicked demon who wreaks havoc on the court! You think you can prove the merits of a newspaper based solely on this article? A wicked heart is a wicked heart, and that will never change from ancient times to the present!"

Zhang Yunxiu was furious.

This Wei Yunzhen is simply incomprehensible.

I tried to reason with him politely, but he actually cursed at me! He even dared to curse my father!
If my father had Wang Mang's ambitions, why would the Zhang family have suffered such a tragic fate in history?
Unable to bear it any longer, Zhang Yunxiu immediately raised his hand and slapped Wei Yunzhen across the face without any mercy.

There was a crisp "pop" sound.

The sound even carried outside the main hall.

The officials were all startled and scattered, as if afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

Wei Yunzhen's face swelled up instantly. He was stunned by the blow. He looked at Zhang Yunxiu in disbelief, unable to believe that the other party would dare to humiliate him like this in the imperial court.

He roared hysterically, "How dare you hit me? You commoner! How dare you assault an official of the imperial court!"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head: "Wei Yunzhen, are you still so stubborn at this moment? And do you still want to make a name for yourself in history?"

Wei Yunzhen was speechless, but she kept talking.

"I, Wei Yunzhen, am not acting for myself, but only for the sake of the Ming Dynasty and its people!"

"What a fine example of fighting for the country and its people!"

Zhang Yunxiu sneered, "Does Imperial Censor Wei still dream of making a name for himself in history? Well, I'll make sure you give up on that idea!"

Zhang Yunxiu pointed to the newspaper in his hand and said.

"At this very moment, the newsboys in the city have already started their work, and the Wanli New Daily will be delivered to every scholar, educated man, and even ordinary citizen in the capital."

While reading the storybooks and consulting with officials, do you think they'll also glance at the front-page headline, "On Reforming the Native Chieftain System and Replacing it with Directly Appointed Officials"?

Wei Yunzhen scoffed, "So what?"

Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile, "Doesn't Imperial Censor Wei understand? Whether you are willing to admit it or not, this 'Proposal on Changing the Tusi System' will become a reference for governing the Tusi system in the future."

He doesn't need flowery language or meticulous detail; as long as there's one thing, he'll be the first to offer a solution.

This article will surely make you famous throughout the world! It will even go down in history.

"This is utter nonsense!" Wei Yunzhen thought of something, but still retorted, "It certainly can't spread throughout the world!"

Zhang Yunxiu sighed, seemingly too lazy to explain to him, and simply said leisurely.

"The Wanli Xinbao has already sold over 30,000 copies a few days ago, and will continue to be sold throughout the entire Ming Dynasty. Even if Censor Wei doesn't believe my article, shouldn't he believe in my ability to run a newspaper? If I were to report your slander of the Emperor today..."

"You scoundrel!" Wei Yunzhen seemed to have been struck at his weak spot, and he went completely mad. "You shameless!!!"

He immediately thought of a possibility: how would Zhang Yunxiu, who controlled the newspaper, promote his reputation?

The impact of this article will inevitably spread the news of today's court proceedings.

Will people still consider Wei Yunzhen to be an upright and honest minister?
Whether the article is impressive or well-written is no longer important.

The important thing is that Zhang Yunxiu completely destroyed Wei Yunzhen's most cherished thing, her reputation, which she valued even more than her life!
If Zhang Yunxiu had merely made slanderous accusations, no one would have believed him. But he did produce this essay, "On Reforming the Native Chieftain System and Replacing it with Directly Appointed Officials."

While "On Reforming the Native Chieftain System" is not considered an exceptionally outstanding article or strategy, it was the first work to meticulously propose the concept of governing native chieftains with Confucian principles.

It is enough to be recorded in history, and he will be recorded along with it, albeit in a negative way.

But Zhang Yunxiu continued speaking.

“You keep saying that vernacular novels are a waste of time and that newspapers are for merchants, but let me ask you this.”

Not only to Wei Yunzhen, Zhang Yunxiu surveyed the assembled officials in this scene and spoke in a voice that shook the very rooftops.

“I, Zhang Yunxiu, read these stories and newspapers all day long, and I am still able to write this article. You, who eat the emperor's food and are well-versed in the books of sages, are you not even as good as a foolish child like me?”
What books do you gentlemen read? What understanding do you have of state affairs?

Zhang Yunxiu spat into the void and said.

"They are nothing but fame-seekers and empty-handed charlatans! They will be remembered with infamy for eternity!"

boom!
The entire hall was instantly astonished.

The courtiers were all stunned and had no idea what was happening.

It was like a thunderclap.

After Zhang Yunxiu said "a person who seeks fame and fortune but holds a position without doing any work," Wei Yunzhen's psychological defenses finally crumbled.

"you you."

His lips moved constantly, his pine-like back bent down, and he looked at Zhang Yunxiu with resentment, as if he wanted to tear his flesh off.

But in the end, after a roar, Wei Yunzhen could no longer hold on. Overwhelmed by anger, he collapsed from the hands of the Han general like a limp rag doll and fainted in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

At this moment, the Wanli Emperor, who was sitting on the throne, was almost stunned. He suddenly stood up.

Looking at Wei Yunzhen, who had fainted, and the court officials who looked like they had swallowed flies.

Most importantly, why is Prime Minister Zhang's face so red? Has he been unwell lately?
Even if he hated Wei Yunzhen, or was happy, Emperor Wanli still had to show the dignity that an emperor should have. He coughed twice and said.

"Um, Feng Banban, summon the imperial physician. We cannot let this person die so easily."

(End of this chapter)