Chapter 62: Asking the Emperor to persuade the Emperor……

The court meeting lasted for five consecutive days, but there was still no consensus on the issues of land consolidation and the trend of land donation. Instead, two distinct factions emerged.

One faction, led by Minister of Justice Hou Tai, and The Censorate left censor in chief Jing Qing, opposed the Single Whip Method and even brought the issue of land occupation to the royal family. They were essentially telling Zhu Yunwen that even the royal family occupied land, what was wrong with the gentry buying land?

They argued that the self-sustaining farmers had nothing to eat or drink, while the gentry used their money to buy land. The land deeds are clear and transparent, and use the land they bought to support their entire family.  The court wanted to restrict land purchase?

On what basis?

As officials, weren’t they all after these few acres of land? If they were restricted, wouldn’t everyone be left hanging?

Moreover, this was an ancestral system. Even when your grandfather was alive he didn’t say anything about it. But now, as soon as you came to power, you caused trouble. What did you mean by that?

The other faction, led by Minister of Revenue Huang Zicheng, and Minister of Personnel Qi Tai, supported the court’s adoption of restrictive measures to limit the malicious occupation of land by the gentry. They aimed to protect the interests of self-sustaining farmers and called for increased efforts in clearing and redistributing land.

Anyone who opposes will have their official land holdings investigated – how many mu of land they have, how they acquired it. If there are any fraudulent or illegal means involved, they should be dismissed from their positions and the land returned to the self-sustaining farmers. If the land was acquired through proper channels, they should still pay agricultural taxes. Why? Because these purchased lands are not your official land holdings!

As for the three old foxes in the Grand Secretariat, they stand at the forefront every day, yawning, not helping or taking care of anything. Once Zhu Yunwen leaves, they rub their drowsy eyes and conscientiously take out their brushes and inkstones to transcribe Hu Jun’s petition “A Plea for the People of Jiangsu and Zhejiang”.

There’s no way around it. Today is already the twenty-first transcription, and they have even memorized it.

Xiejin doesn’t mind; transcribing is just a matter of copying books, his old trade. Besides, he only does it five times a day.

The secretaries of the six ministries look at each other with ease, as they only have to do it ten times, Easy.

But the poor remaining officials, one by one, have to transcribe it twenty times.

There were a few unfortunate souls from the Censorate who made mistakes while transcribing yesterday, accidentally writing a few “homophonic characters”. They were summoned to the Wuying Hall by the Emperor and reprimanded for half an hour. It is said that they were even punished to transcribe the petition “A Plea for the People of Jiangsu and Zhejiang” fifty times.

Fifty times! Who knows if these guys even got any rest last night.

After transcribing it once, Xiejin casually took out four copies of the transcribed petition from his sleeve, to the surprise of Yuxin and Zhang Dan.

Yuxin pointed at Xiejin, almost shouting “You’re cheating,” but couldn’t say it.

Xiejin casually handed the transcribed memorial to the eunuch responsible for collecting and organizing the memorials and left the Fengtian Hall with a hearty laugh.

Zhang Dan smiled and said, “Genius Xie, are truly extraordinary. We are falling behind…”

Yuxin sighed, as Xie Jin had already anticipated that there would be no conclusive outcome in today’s court session, and the Emperor would still order them to transcribe. So Xie Jin had prepared the transcriptions in advance, ready to submit them when the time came.

It seems that among the three secretaries of the Grand Secretariat, Xie Jin understands the Emperor the best.

In the Grand Secretariat, Yuxin, Zhang Dan, and Xie Jin were discussing the issue of land consolidation. At that moment, Ru Chang entered the Grand Secretariat carrying a wooden box and placed it on the table with. He said, “Esteemed secretaries, I, Ru Chang, have come to seek a way of survival for the countless soldiers.”

Xie Jin and the others furrowed their brows, not understanding his intentions.

Yuxin stood up, walked to the wooden box, patted it, and asked, “Official Ru, please explain the situation clearly.”

Ru Chang opened the wooden box, revealing neatly stacked bundles of medical gauze and a bottle of alcohol in one corner, along with a small pair of scissors.

Xie Jin and the others remained silent but took out the medical gauze, examining and smelling it, still unsure of its purpose. Even if it were scraps of fabric, it seemed too small and flimsy. This material was soft and light, unsuitable even for hanging.

“This gauze is called medical gauze, and the bottle contains alcohol,” Ru Chang explained earnestly. “When soldiers are injured, they only need to pour alcohol on the wound and use the gauze to stop bleeding. This can prevent the wounds from becoming infected and promote faster healing. It is an essential military necessity. As the Minister of War, I cannot neglect the well-being of two million soldiers. I earnestly request your full support.”

Xie Jin and the others looked at Ru Chang, who was showing his sincerity through his salute, and they became serious as well.

Zhang Dan held a piece of gauze and asked, “Is it really so miraculous?”

Ru Chang took out a document from his pocket and handed it over, saying, “This is a joint statement signed by twenty medical officers from the Capital Garrison, guaranteeing the effectiveness of the medical gauze and alcohol in preventing suppuration and promoting healing. I have personally witnessed and applied them, so there is no possibility of deception.”

Xie Jin wrinkled his brow after smelling the alcohol and asked, “Isn’t this just distilled liquor?”

Ru Chang shook his head and said, “I have inquired at all the taverns in the capital, but none of them can produce such potent distilled liquor.”

“Wait, where did these come from?” Yuxin asked.

Ru Chang’s expression became somewhat uneasy, and he sighed before saying, “They were provided by King of Liao, Zhu Zhi, and King of Min, Zhu Geng. Even this medical gauze was provided by them.”

“The two kings? That’s hardly possible,” Xie Jin expressed his doubt.

He knew well the character and expertise of those two kings. Could they really produce these things?

Xie Jin was highly skeptical.

Ru Chang bowed again and said, “Regardless of who provided them, these items should be included in the military supplies and distributed to the Capital Garrison, border troops, and various garrisons!”

Yuxin, with a somewhat perplexed expression, asked, “Since these items belong to the two kings, why not have them present them? Why bring them to the Grand Secretariat?”

Ru Chang raised his head, wearing a pained expression, and said, “Because these items are only for sale, not for donation.”

“What?” Yuxin, Zhang Dan, and Xie Jin were all astonished.

Only for sale, not for donation?

Doesn’t that make them profit-seeking merchants?

As noble kings of the Ming Dynasty, sons of the founding emperor, and uncles of the emperor himself, engaging in commerce would be a disgraceful act.

After all, the founding emperor left behind the ancestral teachings that all future descendants must not engage in business!

What are these two kings up to?

Ru Chang’s eyes revealed a sense of sorrow. He himself had worn the same expression at first. Who could have imagined that these noble kings would turn into mere traders, devoid of any sense of patriotism or concern for the people and the military.

At first, Ru Chang also wanted to take a tough stance, but the problem was that they couldn’t find another business in the entire capital that could provide alcohol. When he found a household selling distilled liquor, he asked if they could distill it a few more times to make it stronger, and then inquired if three mace of silver would be enough. However, they were promptly driven away.

They visited every cloth shop in the capital, but no one had ever seen medical gauze, let alone replicated it.

The two kings had exclusive supply rights. If the Ministry of War wanted the items, they could only buy them with money.

The unscrupulous two kings actually demanded one tael of silver for a single wooden box.

The thought of his own one tael of silver made Ru Chang’s heart ache.

“Please, have the Grand Secretariat persuade the two kings to present the method of making medical gauze and alcohol for the sake of protecting our soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.” Ru Chang pleaded.

Yuxin and Zhang Dan both turned their gaze to Xie Jin. Xie Jin looked at them gloomily and said, “This matter concerns two million soldiers and the foundation of our nation. It might be best for official Ru to report it to his majesty and let his majesty act as the mediator.”

In the Jinshen Hall, Zhu Yunwen looked at Ru Chang’s memorial and almost burst out laughing.

Well.

Let me convince myself to present the things I’ve painstakingly acquired?

I agree, but the Empress does not agree!

PS:

I need to clarify that during the Ming Dynasty, the position of Minister of the Six Ministries was sometimes not held by a single person. Zhu Yuanzhang, in order to distribute power, appointed multiple officials to the position of Minister of each ministry. Having seven or eight officials or even more was normal.

During the reign of Emperor Jianwen, the number of officials serving as Ministers was between one and four.

At this time, the Minister of Justice was shared between Bao Zhao and Hou Tai.

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