Wanli Emperor Chapter 78 Part 1 (Patreon)

Chapter 78 Part 1: Bitter Medicine to Cure the Sickness

Residence of the Duke of Wei

Xu Bangrui gripped a letter tightly in his hand, his face a mask of astonishment.

"Excellent! He, too, recognizes that the administration is corrupt, and that his Zhu family cannot escape the blame!"

To have encountered an emperor so capable of shouldering responsibility—no wonder he had dared to warn him not to seek death. It was not an injustice, not at all!

Standing behind his father, Xu Weizhi said urgently, "Father, this was sent by express from the Northern Directly-Administered Region. Hai Rui is still some distance from Yingtian Prefecture. I implore you to make a decision quickly!"

With Hai Rui's investigation about to reach their doorstep, his father still had the heart to praise the emperor. It was enough to make one burn with anxiety.

Xu Bangrui ignored his son, his eyes still fixed on the emperor's Edict of Self-Criticism.

He murmured, "'My heart is clear, my resolve unshakable'... Excellent, excellent!"

"My son, in truth, I cannot help but be won over by such heroic spirit."

He found it truly hard to believe that this was a descendant of Emperor Shizong's line.

At this moment, he felt he understood the sentiment described in the journals left in the ancestral shrine—the feeling his ancestor, Xu Da, must have had when following Emperor Taizu.

Unfortunately, his son and heir could not appreciate this feeling.

Xu Weizhi continued to pace anxiously behind him, pressing, "Father, think on these matters later! Hai Rui is about to arrive, and we do not have much time!"

If they could hear news from the Northern Directly-Administered Region, then Huai'an Prefecture was a certainty.

They had essentially known of the Imperial Commissioner's movements as soon as he had crossed Shandong.

Finally, growing impatient with his son's urging, Xu Bangrui could not help but scold him. "I, your father, am not worried. What are you so anxious about!"

"You were outwitted and disgraced before Hai Rui, yet you still have not learned your lesson. All you think about day and night is getting even. It is something I would not even dare to contemplate, yet you think yourself capable!?"

Scolded, Xu Weizhi started to offer a defense but then stopped.

He turned his head away in embarrassment and said in a muffled voice, "I am concerned for the safety of our ducal residence."

Xu Bangrui frowned at his son.

He thought several times of striking him, but then remembered his son's age and restrained himself.

He said coldly, "A decision? What decision would you have me make?"

"Should I follow that fool, the Marquis of Huaining, and privately dispatch troops to intercept and kill an Imperial Commissioner?"

"Or should I learn from those civil officials and stage a scene of manipulating public opinion?"

"Use your head!"

"Even if you were seeking death, you would not be in such a hurry to serve yourself up."

"Was the lesson you learned last time not sufficient!?"

Xu Weizhi, feeling a surge of defiance, retorted, "But we cannot simply sit by and await our doom, can we?"

Xu Bangrui took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said in a low voice, "Await our doom? What crime have I committed?"

"How long has it been since I returned to the Southern Directly-Administered Region? Doom will not fall on my head!"

He had only been back in the south for a short time, yet he had enjoyed the profits for nearly half a year, only to be thrust forward as a scapegoat. Far from committing any crime—he could not even control the various branches of the Duke of Wei's residence as though they were extensions of his own will.

Xu Weizhi was taken aback and could not help but say, "Father, the private mobilization of the Right Tiger Guard was orchestrated by the third and fourth branches of the family..."

Xu Bangrui rose, cutting his son off. "That is right," he said coldly. "You also know it was the third and fourth branches."

He then added with inscrutable meaning, "If those men had any regard for His Majesty and the clan, then it is they who should be sitting by, awaiting their deaths and a natural end."

The words were brutally direct.

Xu Weizhi finally understood his father's meaning, and he understood why his father had remained so composed, not the least bit anxious.

He was already prepared to make a sacrifice!

A chill ran down his spine.

It was as if, for the first time, he realized that his father was his father, but the Duke of Wei was the Duke of Wei.

To so casually speak of sending family members to their deaths nearly made his blood run cold!

These were not distant relatives beyond the five degrees of mourning; this was his own flesh and blood!

Setting aside all else, when his father was not in the Southern Directly-Administered Region, it was these very uncles on whom he, Xu Weizhi, had relied. The kindness and affection he held for them was no less than what he felt for his father!

Was this the ruthlessness of the Duke of Wei? Was this the bloody reality of political struggle!?

Xu Bangrui folded his hands in his sleeves and glanced at his son, who was struggling to accept this. "His Majesty said, 'Xu Bangrui, do not seek death.'"

He turned and patted his son's shoulder, then walked away.

He left behind a single sentence: "You do not want your old father to seek death, do you?"

...

Ministry of Revenue Office

The Minister of Revenue for the Southern Directly-Administered Region, Cao Bangfu, his face grim, tossed the letter in his hand into a brazier.

The Minister of Rites, Qin Minglei, sat to the side in quiet composure.

Two pairs of eyes watched the brazier, their pupils reflecting the dancing flames.

They stared intently, as if to burn the words on the paper into their very minds.

The dimming sky cast their faces in flickering light and shadow.

Neither of them had ever imagined that after serving through the Jiajing and Longqing eras, on the very cusp of retirement, they would encounter such a sovereign.

Such a figure was rare even in the annals of history. Who would have thought they would be the ones to encounter him, against all odds!

A good sovereign indeed. If he was not a good sovereign, who could be?

This was a blessing for the common people, a dawn for the Great Ming, and... for them, a catastrophe.

Qin Minglei shook his head and sighed in admiration. "On my way here, I pondered it for a long time, but I still cannot fathom how the emperor reached consensus with the court officials."

This was not a storyteller's tale, where the emperor issues a command and everyone obeys.

Forget a matter that would tarnish their reputations—if it cost them even a single copper coin, the emperor would be tossed to the back of their minds.

Cao Bangfu, in low spirits, shook his head. "It was nothing more than coercion and inducement."

"The Kaizhong System and the lifting of the maritime ban—two bones, enough for them to chew on."

"It was merely a matter of gathering a pack to feast on the flesh of the Southern Directly-Administered Region."

Those nobles and high officials would never have willingly cut their own flesh to carry the emperor's sedan chair.

There had to have been compensation.

As he understood it, Zhang Siwei's father was a salt merchant, and he had announced his support for the Kaizhong System from within their ranks.

Ma Ziqiang's father had conveniently died, and the emperor had seized the opportunity to waive his mourning leave.

And those nobles had all sent men south to investigate matters of maritime trade.

And so on and so forth.

In short, while they had returned their illicit gains, they had also reaped benefits.

Only the officials of the Southern Directly-Administered Region had not been granted the qualification to bargain with the emperor.

How could this not be infuriating?

Qin Minglei still could not help but marvel, "Even so, his methods are beyond belief."

To negotiate and compromise with each one in turn... this was not an emperor; this was a man with the talent of a grand councilor!

One should not think it a simple matter to override all objections or persuade officials one by one.

Without the caliber of a grand councilor, such methods were impossible.

This meant that the man on the throne was a monster, possessing both the talent of a grand councilor and the righteous authority of an emperor.

Cao Bangfu frowned. "Let us not speak of this for now. The question is, what do we do now?"

The emperor possessed such resolve, an attitude that showed no fear of escalation.

The Southern Directly-Administered Region could either bow its head or display a resolve no less formidable.

To bow one's head was to be carved up; to show resolve was to gamble with one's life. It was not an easy choice—Xu Jie had just lost such a gamble.

Qin Minglei offered a meaningful reminder, "The residences of the Duke of Wei and the Marquis of Huaining are now closed to all visitors. Not even the Ministry of War could get them to open their gates."

He was reminding Cao Bangfu that since the two military leaders had already backed down, it was best not to think of flexing their own military muscle.

Cao Bangfu also sighed. "If not for that old fool Xu Jie, how could we have fallen into this predicament?"

It should have been a matter where, at most, Xu Jie would fall. With a little bloodletting from Yingtian Prefecture, they could have placated Hai Rui and sent him on his way.

But Xu Jie, in a desperate bid to save his own life, had forced everyone to band together, plunging them all deeper into the mire.

Qin Minglei shook his head. "Minister Cao, it is not 'we.' I have not been in the Southern Directly-Administered Region for long. Although I have taken some, it is not a great crime."

Compared to certain men in the Ministry of War who had mobilized crossbows, or certain men in the Ministry of Revenue who had seized control of tribute grain, he, Qin Minglei, could truly extricate himself at any time.

Cao Bangfu froze.

He said irritably, "Spare me these games. Speak plainly. What is your meaning?"

Qin Minglei nodded, leaned forward, and said earnestly, "To escape, we must first understand what the emperor wants!"

"Did Hai Rui come to take our lives?"

Cao Bangfu immediately understood. "The emperor wants money!"

Qin Minglei nodded. "The Southern Directly-Administered Region is a complex web. The arrival of one Hai Rui is not enough to subdue it."

He paused, then added, "It would be the same even if it were Xu Jie himself!"

Cao Bangfu followed Qin Minglei's train of thought.

He mused, "Since he does not intend to dismantle the official system or administrative divisions of the Southern Directly-Administered Region, then he will not force us into a corner and imprison us."

"Compared to political turmoil, the emperor would likely prefer Hai Rui to unravel the threads and return with the fruits of the salt administration reforms!"

Qin Minglei glanced at the Minister of Revenue, who still chose his words with such caution, and felt a measure of respect.

He took up the thought, adding, "Just by confiscating the assets of the salt merchants, Hai Rui should have enough silver to report back."

"The focus now is that he is investigating the salt production of the Southern Directly-Administered Region to set this year's tax quota."

"Give it to him!"

"Sell the future salt tax revenue to the emperor, and we shall take our past gains and request retirement!"

This was the gecko shedding its tail—a timely sacrifice to cut their losses.

Cao Bangfu was not a man to throw himself into the fire. With this reminder, clarity dawned.

He rose at once. "Not just the salt tax! The grain taxes for both seasons—I can hand them over to Hai Rui as well!"

"Come, let us find Hai Rui!"

Qin Minglei quickly pulled him back, reminding him, "We do not carry enough weight. The Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Xu Shi, went to find Hai Rui and was arrested and sent to the capital on the spot. We should be cautious."

Cao Bangfu halted, slowly nodding. "Your meaning is..."

Qin Minglei nodded. "Let Li Chunfang speak for everyone. His station is high enough. With all of us bound together, it will be easier to negotiate."

Having reached an agreement, the two departed together.

Would you like to read in advance? Join as an Enforcer on Patreon to access content before anyone else.

If you are enjoying the story, please leave a 5 rating on Novel Updates!

[Terminology]

[Index]

[Prev] || [Next]