Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 47 The Ignorant Grand Secretary (Please read on Monday!)
How's the progress on the "horse grass for silver" exchange?

Zhang Ruitu stood up, cupped his hands, and replied in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have investigated and confirmed that there was indeed corruption in the payment of silver for horse fodder in Liaodong."

He paused, organizing his thoughts, striving for completeness.

"I consulted the old records of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, and also interviewed people in the capital who traveled between Yongping and Jizhou."

“In the past, when the imperial court ordered the purchase of horse fodder, the price offered was often insufficient. Powerful families could always find ways to circumvent the rules.”

“The powerless people, once they are forced to pay rations, will go bankrupt and often will not be able to pay the full amount of fodder.”

"Therefore, this law will cause widespread resentment among the people; and for the country, it will lead to a shortage of fodder for horses in Liaodong."

At this point, he gave his conclusion:

"Therefore, I believe that instead of ordering the purchase, it would be more appropriate to convert the horse fodder into silver and send it to Liaodong, where the locals can purchase it themselves."

After he finished speaking, he stood with his head bowed, feeling extremely uneasy.

What he said was not wrong in principle.

But he didn't mention the most crucial thing, which was something he couldn't avoid and dared not say.

As expected, Zhu Youjian sighed softly after listening.

“Grand Secretary Zhang, I remember asking about this last time.”

Zhu Youjian's voice rang out softly.

"I am aware of the irregularities in the procurement of horse feed."

"I know that converting silver into cash can eliminate the abuses of bribery."

"What I'm asking is, once the silver reaches Liaodong, how is it turned into horse fodder? Why don't you explain the key details?"

A fine layer of sweat instantly seeped from Zhang Ruitu's forehead.

He stammered for a long time before finally saying, "This... Governor-General Yan Mingtai of Jiliao may have a plan to handle this himself."

"Dispose of it yourself?" A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhu Youjian's lips.

"The method of converting silver into cash was reported by Governor-General Huang Yuntai, but you don't understand it and have to go back to the Governor-General of Jiliao."

"It takes more than five days for official documents from Liaozhen to arrive and depart. If you couldn't clarify this matter in the first place, why did you casually promise that it could be done in three days?"

In fact, Zhu Youjian had already guessed the reason behind it.

The fact that there are favoritism involved in the purchase of horse feed means there is a chain of interests involved. All we need to do is send someone over to cut off those interests.

This person doesn't speak, not because he doesn't want to, but because he's unwilling or afraid to.

Zhu Youjian leaned forward slightly and took a breath.

"In your opinion, Grand Secretary Zhang, if we were given another ten days, would this matter be resolved?"

Zhang Ruitu's lips trembled, but he dared not utter a single word of affirmation.

Zhu Youjian's patience was gradually being worn away.

He stared at Zhang Ruitu and asked, word by word.

"Very well, you cannot handle this matter. Then let me ask you again: looking across the entire court, who do you think can handle it?"

Zhang Ruitu's eyes subconsciously swept around the hall.

Grand Secretary Huang Liji looked down at his nose, then into his heart, as if in deep meditation.

The other cabinet ministers and officials were also indifferent to the matter.

Only Li Guopu seemed eager to try.

But in the end, Zhang Ruitu's gaze returned to the ground in front of him.

Why bother? He's already fifty-seven years old. He rose from a poor boy from Fujian to become a Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty. What more could he possibly want?

With the new emperor determined to implement reforms and the Donglin faction about to be reinstated, the court is poised for a bloody upheaval. Why linger here?

Why not go back to your hometown and dedicate yourself to calligraphy? You might just become a true master and leave your mark on history.

Wouldn't it be better than staying in the eye of the storm?
Having considered this, he no longer hesitated, directly took off his official hat, held it in both hands, and knelt down tremblingly.

"This old minister is muddle-headed and incompetent, and now old and ailing... I humbly beg Your Majesty to grant me permission... to retire to my hometown!"

The assembled officials immediately turned to look at Zhu Youjian, awaiting his next reaction.

According to custom, the emperor should rise from his seat at this time, personally help the old minister up, and comfort him with gentle words.

Then a scene of harmonious coexistence between the emperor and his minister was staged, ultimately leading to Zhang Ruitu being "reluctantly" allowed to continue serving the country.

After repeating this process three times, Zhang Ruitu could retire successfully.

Especially since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been wise and decisive, showing the qualities of a wise ruler, and he will surely not miss this opportunity to bestow favors.

One breath, two breaths...

Zhang Ruitu knelt on the cold gold bricks, and gradually realized that something was wrong.

His heart sank little by little.

After a long while, just when everyone in the hall was almost suffocating, Zhu Youjian suddenly smiled.

"Very well, very well, what a clueless old man."

"With the country in such a state of disarray, it is indeed inappropriate for an incompetent person to occupy a high position."

He glanced at Gao Shiming, who was standing to the side, waved his hand, and spoke in a detached tone as if he were giving a trivial instruction.

"Issue the imperial decree." "Zhang Ruitu is incompetent and utterly irresponsible. Add ten green stripes to the screen. He is hereby stripped of his official rank and reduced to commoner status, stripped of all social standing, and ordered to return to his hometown to live in seclusion."

The decree was swift and decisive, without any hesitation or delay.

Zhang Ruitu suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Being stripped of one's official rank means being dismissed from office. Being stripped of one's family background means losing even the privileges of a successful candidate in the imperial examinations!

With this order, he could be said to have instantly transformed from a Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty back into the insignificant commoner he once was.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.

Before he could even express his gratitude, two burly generals walked up expressionlessly, one on each side, lifted him up from the ground, and half-dragged, half-carried him out of the Wenhua Hall.

Until the moment he was dragged out of the palace gate, Zhang Ruitu's mind was completely blank.

Once the phrase "the Grand Secretary who knows nothing" was uttered, Zhang Changgong would never have a chance to rise again in the annals of history!

……

Inside the hall, there was a deathly silence.

Huang Lijie, Shi Fenglai, and others remained silent, trembling with fear.

Even Li Guopu looked reluctant and hesitated whether to speak.

Zhu Youjian remained silent for a moment, then suddenly tapped the imperial desk lightly with his finger.

The crisp sound made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.

Are you all worried?

Zhu Youjian's voice rang out again, breaking the silence.

"Are you worried that if I purge Zhang Ruitu today, tomorrow it will be your turn, you former 'eunuch faction'?"

These words struck like lightning, cleaving through the deepest fears in everyone's hearts.

Huang Lijie and the others trembled violently. The ten ministers and cabinet ministers in the hall stood up, not daring to sit down, but also not daring to kneel down.

This emperor... he actually made his point out!
"Today, I might as well lay my cards on the table with you."

Zhu Youjian stood up, placed his hand on the table, and leaned forward slightly.

"Given the state of affairs, I only wish to be a ruler who restores the nation, not a ruler who brings about its downfall."

His gaze swept over everyone, his eyes open and sharp.

Therefore—whoever can do the job should be promoted! Whoever cannot do the job should be demoted! It's that simple!

"Factionalism and factional strife are not worth mentioning in my eyes, and you are not allowed to mention them again!"

"I say this to you today, and I will say the same thing to those who claim to have gained access to the Donglin faction in the future! I will say the same thing to the people of the world!"

After saying this, Zhu Youjian ignored everyone's reactions and sat down directly, as if his thunderous actions and heartfelt words had never happened.

He knocked on the table.

"Sit down, everyone, and continue the discussion."

His gaze swept across the crowd again, and he repeated the same question.

"The matter of converting horse feed into silver in Liaodong is something that the Grand Secretary, who knows nothing about it, cannot handle."

"Among you, who can share the burdens of the Ming Dynasty?"
-
I suddenly realized that people might not have any concept of Jizhou or Yongping, and they might not know where the horse grass incident actually happened.

Let me add a picture to illustrate:
The rightmost point is Shanhaiguan, and beyond that is Liaodong.

Then, inside the pass are Yongping, Jizhou, and Miyun.

These three places were generally managed together with Liaodong, and were called the Governor-General of Jiliao.

　This chapter serves as a perfect opportunity to explain my principles for character portrayal:

　　Based on his historical actions, we can infer his character and stance.

　　-
　　Take Zhang Ruitu as an example
　　Fifty-seven this year—advanced age.

　　Calligrapher inscribed the words "cowardly and weak" for Wei Zhongxian's ancestral temple.

　　Historically, he cited illness three times to request retirement—indicating he had long intended to withdraw.

　　After passing the imperial examination, one could hold prestigious and prestigious positions such as Hanlin Academy scholar, compiler of books, and eventually Grand Secretary—though this likely indicated a lack of competence.

　　There is not a single statement made regarding political affairs in the Ming Dynasty Veritable Records—this further strengthens the previous point.

　　In summary, this explains his choice and his fate today.

　　-
　　Generally, I make sure that the characters I design are based on historical facts.

　　Instead of creating a villain simply because the plot demands one.

　　If I find out that Zhang Ruitu is really awesome, I won't write this plot today; there will naturally be another way to write it.

　　In short, the world should be as realistic as possible, and the protagonist's actions will trigger various feedbacks in the real world, which in turn will affect his behavior.

　　So the ultimate goal is fixed, but I can't control what happens along the way, that's just how it is.

　　-
　　However, for some people who demonstrate good integrity, even if they are truly incompetent, my attitude would not be as harsh as it is today.

　　Those who lack integrity or have no heroic deeds will not receive this treatment; they should be removed from the stage.

　　P.S. Remember to help me catch up on my reading on Monday, everyone! Without you guys, I really can't compete with other books in the same genre TT. They get +1000 favorites every day, while I only get +350.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)