Chapter 2 An Emperor's Resolve

The next day at court, Emperor Wanli made a series of pronouncements, requiring all his ministers to grasp the spirit of the meeting. He stated plainly that to face the coming calamities, his Great Ming had no... no eternally unchanging laws!

"I have decided to reinstate all of Zhang Juzheng's reforms! From now on, everyone must prioritize the implementation of the Single Whip Law. No one is allowed to deliberately ignore it, let alone openly resist these measures!"

Emperor Wanli's speech astonished the assembled ministers.

Was he reversing Zhang Juzheng's condemnation? Had he taken leave of his senses?

However, Emperor Wanli, having experienced several life-or-death crises, had matured significantly. Upon learning that the Jiajing Emperor had been using him as a tool, the last string in his heart snapped. At that moment, he suddenly felt that Zhang Juzheng wasn't so "bad" after all.

Therefore, to save the Ming, it was necessary to seek opportunities for change. Zhang Juzheng's reform proposals were readily available and could be directly re-enacted, preventing a situation where reform was needed but no action could be taken.

Emperor Wanli deeply understood that in the face of the impending great crisis, Zhang Juzheng's past issues with him were insignificant. Was he to stubbornly abandon life-saving techniques, or sacrifice temporary face to gain the eternal reputation of a sage ruler? Was there really any need to consider?

Furthermore, there was an important measure. After a long night of conversation with Old Zhang, Emperor Wanli conceived a decision that went against the ancestors!

Curtail the power of the princes!

Of course, this wasn't about reducing their fiefdoms, but about cutting the salaries of the imperial clansmen! As for how much to cut, Emperor Wanli waved his hand dismissively. Now was a time of life and death. Why ask how much to cut? Of course, it was to cut everything!

The Great Ming Industrial Stock Unlimited Company was now formally bringing the layoff proposal to the table!

"I am about to be killed; do I still care about those princes? When I am dead, none of them will have a good life! If things continue like this, I think the Great Ming will be finished sooner or later!"

"Save this money and invest it in useful places... What? You ask me where to invest it? I will tell you immediately!"

"Except for Fengyang, all other imperial clansmen will have the restrictions of the ancestral laws removed, allowing them to engage in the four occupations of the people. All other provisions of rice, flour, money, and grain will be completely cut off!"

"Also, I have heard that the disaster of land cannot be ignored. The rich own fields that stretch for miles, enjoying the benefits of annexation, without contributing a single grain to the public; the poor have no land to stand on, yet their tax burden remains the same! Is this true?"

In the past, Emperor Wanli didn't manage affairs, but now that he had started, many things that had been suppressed were surfacing.

If the big landlords were overthrown, it would inevitably cause a strong backlash from them. Since ancient times, the landlord class had always been a powerful force, especially in resisting imperial power, where they showed remarkable unity.

However, Emperor Wanli now had a great backer, the invincible kind, understand?

No matter what demons and monsters this group of rural landlords found to oppose the court, it would be useless. With a great helper, there was naturally nothing to fear, plus the newbie subordinate Hu Long, whose Yuanshen (Primordial Spirit) strength was not to be underestimated, and with the Jingzhen Sword in hand, he could make a few gestures at anyone!

As for cultivation, although Old Zhang said that Emperor Wanli's aptitude was extremely poor, and he could only cultivate into a martial arts master, unable to reach the realm of immortals, it was still good to become a martial arts master. Emperor Wanli had finally obtained some cultivation techniques. With the help of Old Zhang, a master of ascension, he entered the Xinghuo (Conducting Fire) realm in one night.

Upon entering Xinghuo, all illnesses vanished. The fire energy in the body was stimulated, driving the metal energy to travel throughout the body. Suddenly, his back didn't ache, his legs didn't hurt, and he could run around the Forbidden City five times without stopping. Emperor Wanli felt great.

"Everyone, do not speak carelessly outside. I am watching you!"

The officials only felt a chill run down their spines, knowing in their hearts that the Great Ming was about to change.

Now that Shun Tian had experienced two major disturbances in a row, Emperor Wanli had evolved from his original "homebody" state into a "tyrant" who cut through the mess with a sharp knife. If the civil official group dared to speak up for the big landlords now, they would definitely be beaten into Tianlao (Imperial Prison) by Emperor Wanli's old fists.

If His Majesty invited them to dinner another day, and they asked which restaurant he had booked, the answer would be: the Jinyiwei ( Embroidered Uniform Guard) North Garrison Fusi (Department of the Investigation and Detention)!

The three Grand Secretaries came forward at this time. Old Liu and Old Xu had also become staunch imperial loyalists, immediately jumping up and shouting: "Cut! A good cut!"

"His Majesty is wise!"

Unfortunately, there was no Eunuch Party faction in this era. The civil official group could only fight among themselves.

And there were still seven years before Gu Xiancheng, the ancestor of the Donglin Party, would take over the "Donglin Academy" left over from the Song Dynasty.

As for the matter of curtailing the princes' power, the first person Emperor Wanli was going to strike was his own younger brother, the Prince of Lu!

Four thousand hectares of land were enough for him to squander for a lifetime. In the past, Emperor Wanli had indulged his younger brother to an excessive degree, to the point of arrogance. He had even allowed the Prince of Lu to oversee the country and forced the Ministry of Revenue to pay out 300,000 taels of gold.

The budget for the construction of the Prince of Lu's mansion was 677,800 taels of silver. The stone materials used were all mined from the deep mountains and forests of Huguang and Sichuan, transported thousands of miles to Henan, using a large amount of labor, exhausting all extravagance!

Therefore, when the resentful officials heard that Emperor Wanli was going to take action against the Prince of Lu, everyone was shocked and silent. Finally, they all praised His Majesty's wisdom.

This was truly about eliminating one's own relatives for the sake of righteousness!

"The Prince of Lu is your own younger brother..."

"The reason I have already said. In the past, I was ignorant and reckless. Now that I want to make amends, how can I not cut flesh from my own body? The world is changing, in my dynasty! The imperial family is most ruthless! You can call me a tyrant, but I do not want to be the ruler of a fallen nation!"

Emperor Wanli said this, but his thoughts were even more far-reaching.

This time, he had to be ruthless. This was for himself, but even more so for the Great Ming. There were many who wanted the throne. After talking with Old Zhang last night, he suddenly realized that there were far more than just a few people in this world who could be used by Li Shanhe!

Joseon, Japan, Tartary... Even the Jianzhou could produce someone like Nurhaci, a heaven-sent talent who was being cultivated. So, what about the imperial princes within the Great Ming?

Would they be like his own son, bewitched and used by others, or even willing to be their lackeys?

The most important reason why Emperor Wanli was taking this drastic measure was that the changes in Li Shanhe had made him, the Son of Heaven, truly "isolated." Even the imperial brothers had become pawns used by others, and even his own mother was an incarnation of Guanshiyin!

Ji Xiang and Old Zhang, these outsiders, could be trusted more, while the imperial brothers had already become enemies of each other! And it was the kind that had to be dealt with!

Afterwards, Emperor Wanli issued an edict, summoning Zhao Shizhen, Matteo Ricci, and Duosi Ma.

Matteo Ricci brought those Western items, which greatly shocked the ministers. The maps, clocks, and other products made the ministers exclaim their wonder;

Zhao Shizhen and Duosi Ma presented the *Register of Divine Weapons*, the essence of firearms, as well as the manuscripts drawn by Ji Xiang, all of which were presented, greatly shocking the emperor and the grand secretaries.

Although they didn't understand it, they were shocked.

Wanli asked Zhao Shizhen for a certain list. When he received the small piece of paper, after reading the list of names written on it, and the brief annotations after them, Emperor Wanli knew what was going on.

But, having traveled through Fuli for a thousand years in spirit, could he really, like a prophet, specify the work these people would do and their strengths?

This doubt was also strange to Old Zhang, but soon, Matteo Ricci's "testimony" dispelled their concerns.

"Daoist Ji told me that he had seen my *Elements of Geometry* in a distant place, and at that time, my books had only just finished translating the first volume..."

This confession completely dispelled the doubts of Old Zhang and Emperor Wanli.

At the same time, the display of the globe made the expressions of the ministers very serious. Emperor Wanli turned the globe, pointing here and there on it:

"Look at how many kings in this world can be utilized. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of countries in the world!"

"And the finances that I cut will all be invested in researching new technologies. We must take the techniques of the West and enhance our Chinese techniques!"

And Emperor Wanli had an even greater ambition.

To write a novel to be published throughout the world. Wouldn't the collected thoughts and beliefs be incredibly powerful?

The vague outline of this book appeared in Emperor Wanli's mind!