The old Daoist’s nature was always to make light of heavy matters. The more momentous the event, the more nonchalant he appeared. Though his heart was a churning sea, no trace of it showed on his face. He cleared his throat and chuckled,
“Good, good… I, a Daoist at the end of my days, have heard such grand pronouncements. Whether sensible or not, they are certainly brilliant and profound… Li San, what do you say?”
Li San, who generally disliked such vague pronouncements, had found himself caught up in the reverie just now. While he might call it nonsense, it had a structure and a plan. Yet, it sounded too fantastical to be feasible…
But having been like brothers with the old Daoist for forty years, he immediately sensed the unspoken meaning and chuckled,
“Heh heh, I’m just a humble servant, how could I understand such things? However, young Master Zhu is full of ambition. It would be a pity if he merely submitted a memorial… Alas, the common people suffer so. Young Master Zhu, so young, a peerless national scholar, and so admiring of the Taizu, why doesn’t he wish to save them? I was thinking, Master Dao, why don’t we shamelessly ask the Divine Immortal Lan to recommend him? What do you think?”
The old Daoist immediately chimed in, “Yes, yes, he must be recommended…”
Zhu Mo, however, smiled faintly and said, “Whether he is recommended or not is secondary. These words must reach the Emperor’s ears, otherwise, I cannot rest easy…”
“Indeed…”
“Mmm…”
The three chatted for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhu Mo finally took his leave.
…
“Your Majesty, are Master Zhu’s words truly reasonable?”
Lü Fang asked, unable to help himself as he tidied up.
“What do you think?”
Jiajing rose and strolled in the small courtyard.
“This servant believes one point is certainly correct, and that is the statement about the two factions… Yan Song must be dealt with, and Xu Jie must also be given a blow. The Taizu acted just like this back then, plucking out all the thorns from the branches before entrusting it to his successors…”
Jiajing nodded silently, then gazed at the sky again and sighed, “That makes sense… So, strike first? And then see?”
He had, in fact, already figured it out. Drawing on forty years of experience, he quickly devised a strategy for how to play this game. It was to strike first, and there was a very opportune moment to do so right now: the embankment breach and flooding of fields.
If he followed the old playbook, he would use Xu Jie to strike Yan Song, and after success, find a pretext to send Xu Jie home, then have Prince Yu appoint Zhang Juzheng.
However, the problem with doing so was—
The reason for the current relative peace was the confrontation between the Yan Song father and son and the Qingliu faction, which kept the Emperor in a detached position. Once one side was removed, the Emperor would immediately be exposed to criticism, facing the same situation he had with Yang Tinghe back then. And Prince Yu did not possess his own methods.
The reason he had hesitated to make a decision was that he still felt it was most stable to weaken the Yan family without killing them off, allowing the two sides to continue fighting while the Emperor maintained balance. But doing so also presented a dilemma: the common people could no longer bear it…
After much thought, he made a final decision in his heart: he would let Mo’er try… If he could truly govern while fighting, that would be the best outcome…
But was that possible? After over a decade in the common folk, though his insights were extraordinary, he lacked experience. Could he truly succeed? While he thought this, a more resilient thought emerged in his mind: perhaps Mo’er could succeed? Didn’t the Taizu achieve half of it? Let’s give it a try, my son and I…
With that thought, he made up his mind and commanded, “Lü Fang, make arrangements for Xu Jie and the others to recommend him…”
“This servant understands.”
…
The next day, Zhu Mo arrived at the Hanlin Academy. Ignoring the gossip of others, he quickly penned a memorial, writing down his thoughts from governing to prosperity, and finally, after some thought, decided to title it—
Memorial on Advocating Heavy Penalties for Governing the World and Ushering in an Era of Prosperity
He recalled reading citations of ancient memorials in online forums and finding them very cool. Now, as a Hanlin Academy Attendant Scholar, personally submitting a memorial felt different. Remembering the old Daoist’s advice to keep it concise, he meticulously chose his words, writing just over a thousand characters.
At the beginning of the memorial, he spoke of “the Way of the former kings, the revolution of Tang and Wu”—
“Memorial on Advocating Heavy Penalties for Governing the World and Ushering in an Era of Prosperity:
Your subject Mo has heard that the Way of the former kings is the Way of revolution. Revolution means to renew what is old and establish what is new. The Hong Fan states that metal follows revolution; the Shu Jing states the mandate is to unify, hence the name, signifying heaven’s mandate for innovation. In ancient times, Jie and Zhou were without virtue, and Tang and Wu revolutionized them, revolutionizing their ruler; at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, officials were rampant, and the avaricious were cruel and poisonous. The Taizu, from humble origins, revolutionized them, yet the ancestral rites were not broken. This means revolutionizing their ministers. Thus, revolution, when it pertains to the ruler, is like abdication; when it pertains to ministers, it is the same as reform, and with the people, it is called a new beginning.
When Hongwu established the dynasty, the Taizu followed Heaven’s mandate and implemented the law of prioritizing the state over the individual. Why? The Taizu rose from humble beginnings and was of one mind with the people. The Yuan Emperor was lenient and permissive, and wicked officials seized power. The officials and clerks were like beasts devouring men; it was appropriate to use heavy penalties to reform rebellious ministers.
Once, the Taizu discussed the Yuan Dynasty’s moral failures with Liu Ji, and both said it was due to excessive leniency. Thus, we know that the Yuan’s loss of virtue lay with its ministers, not its ruler. This is yet another change in a thousand years.
Your subject Mo has heard that Yao appointed the four mountains, who were responsible for tasks, not officials. Those who were disdained, Gao Tao devised the Five Punishments to regulate them, marking the beginning of heavy penalties. Therefore, it is said that prioritizing the state over the individual is the norm of law. When Xin Mang usurped the Han, Liu Xiang and his son fabricated the book Zhou Guan, initiating the chaos. They also spoke of the common people, scholars, officials, great officers, hereditary nobles, feudal lords, and the Son of Heaven as ancient systems, unchanging for ten thousand generations, which is greatly mistaken. Later, there were Er Cheng and Zhu Xi, who spoke of the division between pure and turbid, saying that the common people were turbid and therefore in the lower strata, while scholars were pure and therefore in the upper strata, initiating the dire calamities of later generations. The Taizu and Liu Ji, having deeply investigated this principle, governed with heavy penalties, blurring the lines between scholars and the people, so as not to cause future trouble.
Now that the four seas are at peace, the division between scholars and the people has re-emerged. Scholars, merchants, peasants, and artisans are in opposition like water and fire. Your subject re-examines the law of prioritizing the state over the individual. However, although the Way is similar, the circumstances and times are different. Today, with domestic and foreign exchanges and the rise of various industries, scholars, peasants, artisans, and merchants change their positions daily. The law of prioritizing the state over the individual should also be divided. Therefore, your subject requests to re-examine the law for ten thousand generations and the strategy for prosperity, to renew the mandate and begin anew with the people.
Its strategy is:
First, implement the law of prioritizing the state over the individual, in solidarity with the hearts of the people;
Second, promote all industries, with differentiated progress;
Third, rectify names and realities, balance gains and losses, and establish precedents as law for future generations.
With profound worry in my heart and unspeakable indignation, I do not know what I have said. Your subject bows nine times and begs for the death penalty.
Zhu Mo, Attendant Scholar of the Hanlin Academy.”
After finishing,
Zhu Mo wandered out, intending to go to the Feixuan Palace, when he saw Wu Feng suddenly reappear. Wu Feng smiled and said, “Young Master Zhu, the Daoist is not in the Daoist temple. He said you have a letter for the Divine Immortal Lan? Have you written it yet?”
Zhu Mo handed it to him immediately and said, “Old Wu, please deliver this letter to the old Daoist… Alas, moreover, my wish is fulfilled, and I am heading south to Hangzhou to buy a boat and go to Nanyang… I have received much care from you previously, and Zhu Mo thanks you here!”
Saying this, Zhu Mo bowed deeply to Wu Feng.
Wu Feng quickly moved aside, wanting to speak, but suddenly hurried away. Then, he suddenly turned back and said, “Young Master Zhu, please wait two more days… The Daoist cares for you greatly, perhaps he has more to say?”
Zhu Mo could only nod.
At this time, his wish fulfilled, he thought that the system was still too vast and vague. How could such a thing be utilized? Perhaps it could be a good helper in business… Reaching the position of Grand Scholar of Wenhua Hall and above might not be possible.
He spent the day touring the capital and went to the Hanlin Academy to advance half a year’s salary, a total of fifty taels. By evening, he had packed quite a bit of luggage, waiting to see if the old Daoist had anything more to say.
…
The next day,
He decided to go to the Hanlin Academy to bid farewell to Wang Yong and a few others he got along with. As soon as he entered the main gate, he saw Zhang Juzheng smilingly approach him.
“Zi Xuan, good news… Last night, Senior Scholar Xu and Minister Gao discussed at Prince Yu’s residence, saying that your ‘Qing Ci’ was being circulated among the people and caused a sensation. Wherever there was a well, people were chanting it… Yes, Senior Scholar Xu himself said that this is the public sentiment, and our dynasty values talent above all. He proposed to appoint you as a compiler, and Prince Yu immediately agreed.
Zi Xuan, this is a rare opportunity. Since the founding of our dynasty, only a few, like Yang Shiqi of the Yongle era, became compilers as commoners… Oh, and one more thing, you must come. Tomorrow, the Grand Secretariat will re-discuss the disaster relief strategy for Jiangnan, and Senior Scholar Xu has instructed you to attend!”
Zhang Juzheng spoke with genuine joy on his face.
Zi Xuan?
Who was he calling that?
Zhu Mo had almost forgotten. Wasn't that his courtesy name? Zhang Juzheng calling him that meant he considered me one of his own?
If it were in the past, he would have firmly refused, and he had actually prepared to go to Nanyang these past two days. But he suddenly remembered that he had a super AI advisor, and it wasn’t necessarily doomed to failure. Moreover, he had deep feelings for the Great Ming and had always disagreed with the conclusion that “the Great Ming is irredeemable.” At this moment, his heart moved, and he nodded gently. He thought: Shall I try it first? If it doesn’t work, I’ll slip away?
He did not know—
Xu Jie had also thought for several days and finally concluded that Zhu Mo was not unwilling to work but was merely playing hard to get, waiting for a better offer! How many such people had he seen? As long as the bargaining chip was sufficient, what wouldn’t these people do?
Coincidentally,
Yesterday, Prince Yu mentioned that volume of Qing Ci again and praised it repeatedly. He seized the opportunity to bestow a special appointment. Whether Zhu Mo would succeed then would depend on his fortune. If all else failed, he could also stir up the waters, letting Zhu Mo become Gao Hanwen’s deputy, thus providing a counterweight…
The Grand Secretariat’s second assistant and a compiler privately hired by the Crown Prince could be said to be the most promising start in the officialdom of the Great Ming. Who wouldn’t accept this? How could Xu Jie believe that?