Chapter 565: You actually got it?
This Lin Youcai, an experiencer in the Audit Department of the Ministry of Revenue, was dismissed from his post and sent back to his hometown because of a few words he said to him. Then he was so angry that he committed suicide by taking poison?
When did Ming Dynasty officials become so fragile?

How can you talk properly when you hang yourself or take poison at every turn?
Zhang Juzheng felt like a thousand divine beasts were running through his heart.

Pan Yinglong said at the side: “Prime Minister Zhang, this matter is not simple.”

Zhang Juzheng calmed himself down and said, “Fengwu, please sit down. Let’s sit down and talk. Someone, bring the tea.”

After the servant served tea and left, Zhang Juzheng asked, “Fengwu, you said this matter is not simple, how is it not simple?”

“Prime Minister Zhang, Lin Youcai lives in Rizhongfang, Xicheng. He was originally a clerk in the Ministry of Revenue. He is good at calculating and is well-known throughout the Ministry.

During the Longqing period, the official system was reformed and clerks passed the examination and were added to the list of the Ministry of Personnel and became formal officials.

He was admitted in the first supplementary examination with outstanding results. He skipped the two levels of not entering the official ranks and was directly awarded the ninth rank. In the following three years, he performed excellently in government affairs and was promoted to the eighth rank of experience.

Pan Yinglong knew Lin Youcai’s background very well.

Zhang Juzheng couldn’t help but narrow his eyes slightly when he heard this.

Awesome! He is indeed a young talent valued by the Southeast faction and a leading figure who is being trained with emphasis.

The fact that he could receive the news first showed that he had a very strong control over Shuntian Prefecture. He would be the first to get the news of anything that happened in the five cities of the capital.

Secondly, when he received the news, he knew it was Lin Youcai, and immediately asked someone to investigate his background. This shows that this person is very smart, and according to the emperor, he has a very high political sensitivity.

The fact that he was able to investigate the background so quickly shows that he had full control over the grassroots organizations of the five cities in the capital, including the police patrol bureaus and neighborhood justice offices.

How long has he been the Shaoyin of Shuntian Prefecture?
Not only did he manage the five cities of the capital in an orderly manner, he also initiated a major renovation project for the South City, which won the emperor’s praise. As the prime minister of the cabinet, he was also amazed at his “urban management” ability.

During this period, he also organized the Dragon Boat Festival and Wanshou Festival Nanyuan Amusement Party, which was suddenly assigned to him, perfectly, and the officials, common people, soldiers and civilians praised it highly.

This is not called a capable minister. Is someone like Wang Shizhen a capable minister?

Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and said, “Fengwu, please continue.”

“Thank you, Zhang Xiang.

According to Lin Youcai’s neighbors, Lin Youcai was demoted and sent home the day before yesterday. He hid at home in a dejected mood, packed his luggage, asked his servants to hire a carriage, and booked a boat ticket to Tongzhou five days later, preparing to return home.

Someone came to visit him at night, and the next morning he was told not to pack and to return the boat ticket. In the afternoon, he was told to pack again and book another boat ticket.

At dusk, someone came to visit Lin Youcai again, and the neighbors faintly heard the sound of quarreling. As a result, this morning, the neighbors heard Lin Youcai’s wife crying in the house, saying that Lin Youcai had committed suicide by taking poison.

Zhang Juzheng heard something.

“Feng Wu said that someone visited Lin Youcai, and then he hesitated. Someone visited him again last night, but he died early in the morning?”

“Zhang Xiang, yes.”

“It seems someone is plotting against him. But he may know the ins and outs of it, so he hesitated for a moment. Then those people got anxious.”

“I don’t know how Lin Youcai died yet, and we need to investigate. Prime Minister Zhang, for some people, a dead Lin Youcai is more useful than a living Lin Youcai.”

“Haha, someone wants to replicate the old case from the first year of Longqing.”

“Yes, at the end of the first year of Longqing, Wei Yunlai, a sixth-rank assistant teacher at the Imperial College, hanged himself because the Ministry of Revenue paid him too much in salary discounts. This incident made the then Minister of Revenue Gao Gong extremely anxious.”

Zhang Juzheng said calmly: “These people have not made any progress in the past three years.”

He is not in a hurry at all now.

If Pan Yinglong, the Shao Yin of Shuntian Prefecture, could investigate to this extent, he could find out everything if he investigated in depth.

“What Prime Minister Zhang said is true. I also heard that the Jinyiwei Zhenfu Division has taken over Lin Youcai’s case.”

“Thank you Fengwu for telling me.”

Pan Yinglong smiled. His goal had been achieved, so he didn’t stay any longer. He bowed and said goodbye.

Lin Youcai’s case still caused some ripples in Zhang Juzheng’s mood.

These people are so evil that they keep coming in wave after wave, just like flies in a cesspool, constantly swarming towards you.

Although it is not lethal, it makes you feel sick.

No, I must get rid of these flies, otherwise they will buzz all day long and make people annoyed, and will also disturb people’s hearts during the new policy reform period.

Human heart?

Zhang Juzheng couldn’t help but recall what he had said to the emperor, who was then the prince of Yu, during a casual chat at the Xi’anmen Academy.

The emperor said that these people were best at making up stories.

But looking through the stories they have written from ancient times to the present, the ones about lying on the ice to catch carp, burying children to serve mother, and other stories about filial sons, are all bullshit.

Which child would not feel scared after reading such a story about a filial son?
I was afraid that when I was still young, my father wanted to be a filial son and buried me.

He was afraid that when he grew up, his mother would get sick, and then the world would force him to be a filial son and lie on the ice to catch carp. But the carp would swim freely under the ice, and he would become a hard lump on the ice.

The emperor said that before his death, Guan Zhong warned Duke Huan of Qi to distance himself from Yi Ya, Shu Diao, and Prince Qi Fang of Wei.

Duke Huan of Qi was puzzled, thinking that Yi Ya cooked his own children to satisfy his own appetite; Shu Diao castrated himself in order to serve him closely; Qi Fang served him for fifteen years and was unwilling to go back to mourn his father when he died.

They are all first-class loyal ministers.

Guan Zhong said that these three people violated the principles of heaven and human ethics, and their desires were too great. They didn’t even love their own fathers, sons, and their own bodies, so how could they love the king?
No, they love power.

There is nothing wrong with writing stories to promote truth, goodness and beauty.

However, it is inappropriate to write stories that are anti-human in pursuit of so-called loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness.

Without even the most basic human nature, what’s the point of talking about truth, goodness, beauty, loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness?
It can be seen that what these scholars like most is to indulge in the ideal world they have compiled. It is okay to have ideals, but you cannot be divorced from reality and you must know how to realize them.

They are out of touch with reality and floating in their own ideals, not to mention how to achieve them.

They had to start with what they were best at. As long as everyone was a moral young man, the ideal harmonious society would be realized.

How simple.

But how is this possible in reality!

Zhang Juzheng thought about Zhu Yijun’s words, remembered Lin Youcai’s case, and thought about all the things that those outstanding scholars had done before, and his heart moved.

Are the books we read wrong?

Is it fundamentally wrong?

At this moment, Zhang Juzheng felt like there were thousands of troops fighting against each other. The two sides were in a melee and it was difficult to tell who would win.

forget about it!
Zhang Juzheng didn’t want to think about it any further. He tried to get his mind away from the chaos of war and return to the problem at hand.

How to stop flies from coming out in waves and surrounding you over and over again.

You can’t stop them from fighting. When you kill one wave after another, another wave comes. Do we have to fill up that cesspool to put an end to the trouble forever?

Cess pit?

Zhang Juzheng’s heart moved and he understood!
I finally understood why the emperor hated imperial examinations so much.

I think in the eyes of the emperor, the imperial examination, no, it should be the imperial examination that only tests Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, is a cesspool, a huge cesspool with no bottom.

In the emperor’s eyes, there was nothing wrong with Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, and the imperial examinations were also good. However, when the two were mixed together, it was a complete mess, a monster was created, and it became a big cesspool.

Then they can only produce groups of green-headed flies. Occasionally, a few that are truly useful can be produced, but they are rare and it is a blessing from God.

Zhang Juzheng could not help but remain silent. Is it really a cesspool if the imperial examination only tests Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism?
However, those who were most vehemently opposed to the New Deal reforms and used all means to discredit the New Deal and hinder the reforms were all those who came from imperial examination backgrounds, especially those Confucian scholars who were the best at Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, or those poets who were known for their literary talent.

Do we really have to fill up this pit of manure to get rid of the annoying flies?

When Zhang Juzheng was lost in thought, Pan Sheng came to visit him.

“Prime Minister Zhang, Lin Youcai committed suicide by taking poison.”

Pan Sheng said hurriedly as soon as they met.

“Shui Lian, I already know about this matter.”

“Got it? Who told you?”

“Pan Yinglong, Shao Yin of Shuntian Prefecture.”

“Oh, this capable official. Prime Minister Zhang, this matter is not simple. I heard that there is a group of Hanhua elites behind this.”

“It really is them. Shui Lian, don’t worry, the Jinyiwei Zhenfu Division has taken over. Let’s wait for the truth to come out.”

“Okay.” Pan Sheng responded, and after a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Taiyue, speaking of Pan Yinglong, I remember the five hundred branch workers being dismissed officials, and you are still a little anxious.”

Pan Sheng was talking about how Zhang Juzheng used nearly 500 officials who had failed the performance evaluation system and had been dismissed from their posts, and under the guise of supporting them, he wanted to send factories and industries in Luanzhou and Taiyuan to interfere with the new forces in the southeast.

As a result, a sudden fire broke out at the Tongzhou Post Station, causing a stampede and dozens of deaths and injuries.

Zhang Juzheng said with a sigh: “Shui Lian, whether you are the chief minister or the prime minister, once you take this position, the first thing you have to do is to share power with the emperor.

Regardless of whether it was obtained through coaxing, deceiving, begging, or gifting, the prime minister must do this. And in the end, the cause of discord and disunity between the monarch and his subjects may also be this.”

“You knew and you did it.”

“Others may not do it, but as the Prime Minister, you have to do it. Sometimes, even if you don’t want to do it, the people below, the six ministries and the local governments will push you to do it.”

Pan Sheng said angrily, “You are the emperor’s teacher. You know the emperor’s methods best. How dare you act like this?”

Zhang Juzheng replied: “Why did the emperor choose me as the prime minister? One of the most important reasons is that the emperor and I have been entangled in the Xi’an Gate Academy for several years and we know each other well.

I know what to do and will not cross the emperor’s bottom line. The emperor also trusts me and knows that I will not cross the bottom line. “

Pan Sheng understood, “You sent 500 demoted officials to stir up trouble. Does the emperor know about this?”

Zhang Juzheng smiled gently.

What do you say?
“Who set the fire at Tongzhou Post Station?”

“It must be that bastard Yang Jinshui.”

“Him?” Pan Sheng’s eyes lit up.

“Yang Jinshui’s understanding of the emperor’s thoughts is far better than that of this old man and Feng Bao.

He found someone to bribe four people from the underworld, and set a perfect fire at the Tongzhou Post Station, burning the way for me to get involved in industry and commerce. The emperor can rest assured, they can rest assured, and I can give up. “

“Taiyue, dozens of people were killed or injured.”

“The dead and injured were all officials who failed the test and had to go for learning and reform. Then the case was closed as officials who were corrupt, abused their power for personal gain and were being retaliated by their victims. Everyone was happy.”

Pan Sheng was a little confused. “Your Majesty, rest assured? What does your Majesty mean?”

“The Emperor told me not to worry, but to sort out the affairs of the six ministries first, and to get the finances, taxes, budgets, and final accounts in order, as well as the Single Whip Law and the unified taxation system for officials and gentry.

When it came to economic development that involved making money, he directly guided Yang Jinshui and his group.

Once the above matters are completed, the Emperor may allow me to take over the industrial and commercial affairs depending on the situation.”

Pan Sheng’s face was filled with sudden enlightenment.

It turned out to be the case.

However, when he thought of Lin Youcai’s case, he became worried again.

“In the case of Lin Youcai, those people will start making a fuss again. If the disturbance arises again, there will not be a moment of peace in the capital.”

Zhang Juzheng shook his head: “Compared with Jiangnan, the disturbances in the capital are nothing but a stagnant pool of water. Over there are raging waves.”

Pan Sheng was stunned. “What happened in Jiangnan? Lord Hai cleared out the scum in both the Buddhist and Taoist circles. This is a matter of great joy to the people. Most officials and citizens agree and support it. How could there be a disturbance?”

Zhang Juzheng said quietly, “My mentor sent his grandson to my house and wrote a personal letter, expressing his intention to entrust his son to me.”

“What, entrusting an orphan to someone else?” Pan Sheng was shocked.

In the alley behind the Western goods store in Nanjing City, Ren Boan looked around and knocked on the back door.

The door opened, he slipped in, and the door closed quickly.

“Mr. Ren, please come this way. Our third shopkeeper has been waiting for you.”

Ren Boan forced a smile and followed the waiter to the left wing.

As soon as Su Feng saw Ren Boan, he asked, “Brother Ren, did you find out whether the two books are on him or hidden somewhere else?”

Ren Boan said nothing.

Su Feng looked at his expression and comforted him, “It’s okay. Shao Jian is an old fox. It’s not that easy to find out. If it doesn’t work this time, we will think of another way.

If it doesn’t work, just force it. There is nothing you can’t ask under Sanmu. “

Ren Boan sighed, took out two booklets from his arms and placed them on the table.

“Su Dushi, Ren has fulfilled his mission. Here are the two books you requested.”

Su Feng was stunned and speechless for a long time. He lowered his head and stared at the two booklets for more than ten seconds, then reached out and picked them up.

When Su Feng saw the words on the cover of the booklet, his eyes almost popped out.

“You actually got your hands on ‘Annals of Officials’ and ‘A Brief History of Thousands of Families’?”

(End of this chapter)