Chapter 5 Chapter 4 The Living Ancestors

Twenty-three years after he was dismissed and returned to the field, Shen Shixing spent his 80th birthday in his native Suzhou, which is calculated according to Chinese custom.Emperor Wanli had not seen his teacher and Mr. Shoufu Shen for many years. He sent a special envoy to Suzhou to congratulate him. He brought with him 50 taels of patterned silver, a piece of embroidered python satin, and 4 pieces of other silk and satin as congratulations.At that time, Shi Shihang's health was not good, but he still struggled to go north to pay respects.He expressed his gratitude in the memorial and said that the imperial decree congratulating the birthday had been enshrined and preserved as a family heirloom, and all the silver satin was returned, because he had no face to accept such a grand gift.As the emperor's mentor and chief assistant, he failed to fulfill his duties.If this is not the case, how come the eldest son of the emperor, who is supposed to inherit the Datong, has not yet studied with the officials of the Imperial Academy?And why are there so many vacancies inside and outside Beijing that no one can fill them up?It is said that Wanli felt lost after reading the memorial, but still had no intention of accepting this implicit advice.

Shi Shihang named his study "Ci Xian Tang".God has given him leisure, so he spends it in sightseeing, writing and reciting poems.But obviously, no matter whether he is standing on the shore of Taihu Lake watching the ruthless waves beating against the eroded cliff, or sitting in the study and describing the misty and rainy late spring in the south of the Yangtze River with elegant rhymes, he has not been able to forget his love for the world.During these 23 years, he left behind a large number of works, which were assembled and engraved by his family after his death, which is called "Kicking Xiantang Collection".The content of the poems in the book covers a wide range of aspects; but whenever there is an opportunity, the memories and emotions of the past are always naturally revealed in the pen.There are many ambiguities, obscurities, and even inconsistencies in his poems, but we should not rashly think that his writings are intentionally deceptive.It can be seen between the lines that he has his own views on the merits and demerits of his life, and he has confidence in this view.Born in the end of the world and being the chief assistant, his difficulties are contemporary, and the situation is special, which cannot be solved organizationally and technically.He has no definite legal provisions to follow, he can only rely on moral habits and human skills to deal with everything.It goes without saying that there are differences between inside and outside.After retiring from his job and living at leisure, the former Chief Assistant showed no remorse for his past.His mind is calm, his conscience has no regrets, because the situation is overwhelming, he can only use a compromise method to solve the problem.He is confident that all the measures he took during his administration came out of sincerity. This major premise makes him feel clear about his conscience. As for the bluntness of success or failure, it is beyond his personal power.

Of course he had heard criticism from others.Some people say that although Zhang Juzheng is self-willed, he has achieved something after all; while the record of the loyal elder Shen Shixing is like a blank sheet of paper.Naturally, Shen Shixing was unmoved by these opinions that obliterated the facts.In his view, the key to taking moral power as the foundation of governance is to prevent bad things from happening, not to solve problems trivially.If his governance record is a blank slate, as critics say, it proves that everything is regulated, that institutions are functioning properly, and that there is nothing left to record.But Shi Shihang himself knew that he failed to achieve this highest goal.At least, he, the emperor's top adviser, failed to find a solution acceptable to everyone to solve the succession problem.He actually resigned for it.Regarding this problem, if some people made mistakes, then his Shen Shixing's mistakes will not be more serious than others, at least not comparable to the mistakes of the second assistant Xu Guo.As the chief assistant, he tried his best to solve this problem quietly behind the scenes, but Xu Guo couldn't understand the difficulties, and announced the details of the conflict between the gangs, so that it got out of hand.

Although Shen Shixing claims to be modest and restrained, it has not reached the state of resignation after all.He has no intention of accepting those criticisms that he considers inaccurate, otherwise, why would he repeatedly write the past facts and his own opinions into his poems, and ask his sons to gather and engrave after him?It is evident that he expects his subsequent readers to reflect a little on the true significance of his administrative measures and to acknowledge that his achievements were more than apparent mediocrity. Re-reading "Ci Xian Tang Ji" today, I am afraid that most readers can admit that Shen Shixing was not completely vegetarian during the eight and a half years in Wenyuan Pavilion.His administrative achievements are often due to subtle personnel arrangements.Such a method is inherently indirect, and he neither adopts a drastic method nor exaggerates it when he executes it. In this way, his achievements are rarely understood and even less admired.One thing is enough to prove it: If he really had nothing but loyalty and peace, then the flooding of the Yellow River that occurred during his administration must have been much more serious than the actual situation.

Since ancient times, governing the Yellow River has been a major problem for our empire.As the river flows through the Loess Plateau, the loose loess flows down the river and deposits on the river bed; the river bed is too high, and once a flood occurs, it is easy to break the river embankment and cause serious floods.Every time a breach occurs, the loss of life and property is immeasurable. But for this problem, the only way for the center is to instruct the prime minister Hedao's censor to properly handle it; among them, the technical problems and the mobilization of manpower and material resources need to be solved on the spot by the imperial envoy within the scope of his duties.According to past experience, large-scale river channel adjustment often involves several provinces, and sometimes filling high and cutting low is tantamount to transforming the terrain.In such a huge plan, there will naturally be many opinions and no consensus.Sometimes the work has not yet started, and the dispute has already started.Therefore, although the center does not directly lead the design and implementation of the project, the position it adopts will inevitably have a decisive impact on the overall situation.If a Prime Minister He Dao's censor is not halfway through implementing his plan, he is suddenly dismissed from office, and his successor adopts completely opposite ideas to do things, millions of lives may be sacrificed under this bureaucratic politics.

The river control expert appreciated by Shoufu Shen Shixing was Pan Jixun.The expert advocated the "river tightening theory".The reason why the Yellow River is harmed is that the river is silted up and the river course is blocked.Experts agree on this point, but they have completely different opinions on the solution.Some people suggested widening the river, and they believed that the wider the river, the smoother the water.Pan Jixun believed that the wider the river, the lower the flow rate, and the lower the flow rate, the more opportunities for sedimentation. After several years, the river bed will accumulate higher and higher.He advocated that important areas should be selected to tighten the river course, and at the same time, the nearby clear water rivers should be diverted into the Yellow River by artificial dredging to increase the flow rate of the Yellow River. In this way, it can be "dredged" without frequent dredging. "Build dikes to restrain water and use water to attack sand" is his eight-character motto summed up by summarizing the above-mentioned policies.He also suggested that the river embankment should not be continuous for dozens of miles or hundreds of miles. A gap should be left in advance at the place where the river is turbulent, and the second and third "remote dikes" should be built after the gap, and the first A "water lake" is formed between the embankments of the line.A large amount of river water breaks through the first line at the gap and flows to the remote embankment. The flow velocity has been reduced and stored in these artificial water-containing lakes, so that the damage will not be enlarged.

Pan Jixun used the "willow roller" as a powerful tool in the project of closing the embankment and forcing the river to divert.This kind of willow roller is usually 150 feet long and 20 feet in circumference. On the frame, use big branches and big ropes to tighten around.This large cylinder made of soil and branches can expand when it meets water, so it will not be washed away by the rapids.Each willow roller is hauled by hundreds of migrant workers to the selected location. There are still sampans loaded with large rocks in the local area, which are already ready.The willow roller is in place, and the sampan is scuttled.Following an order, a large number of migrant workers piled the soil they had already placed on their shoulders on the embankment made of broken earth as quickly as possible.Wait until the breach is blocked, and then gradually strengthen the dam.In many areas, granite will be added in the future, and the white line from afar looks quite beautiful.

For such a large-scale project, the central government cannot afford all the costs.The money usually issued can only be used for overall office expenses during the preliminary design.Hereafter, the censor of Prime Minister Hedao was appointed as the local governor, and some of them also had the titles of Shangshu and Minister, so that he could recruit manpower and material resources in many counties.All labor, tools, food, medicine, transportation, communication, etc. must be raised locally.Therefore, in addition to engineering experience, the minister of the prime minister's river engineering must also have a record of impeccable conduct.

Pan Jixun has ruled the river for many years, and he meets the above conditions no matter his experience or reputation.In 1584, he was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. At that time, he was dismissed as a civilian because he offended the Holy Wrath in order to intercede on behalf of Zhang Juzheng's family. In 1587, several embankments of the Yellow River burst. At the beginning, a little-known official was appointed to take some emergency measures. In 1588, when discussing candidates for the position of Prime Minister and Minister of Rivers, Pan Jixun's name was mentioned, but no one dared to make a firm request to the emperor.Just at this time, the emperor himself proposed that this position should be filled by a person who is "senior and talented", so Shen Shixing signaled to recommend Pan Jixun to the matter, and the matter was passed smoothly.Shen Shixing was afraid that someone would discuss it, and it happened that Wanli summoned him to inquire about other government affairs, so he inserted the words "the emperor pays attention to the river, recruits and employs old people, and is proficient in office for a while."Once the record of the conversation was transcribed and released to the office, Pan Jixun's assumption of the post of "Governor of Rivers and Military Affairs" was the emperor's own idea, and those who opposed him could not discuss it casually.Since then, during the years when Shen Shixing was the chief assistant, Pan Jixun has been in charge of river control with outstanding achievements.And not long after Shen Shixing left Wenyuan Pavilion, he was impeached and dismissed again.

During the eight and a half years in Wenyuan Pavilion, no major incidents occurred in the northern frontier defense, which is also the achievement that Shen Shixing is proud of.In fact, the crisis did not disappear at that time, and it was only because of his proper handling that it did not lead to major changes. In 1590, Li Lianfang, a deputy commander-in-chief of the dynasty, was ambushed by the Mongolian army at the junction of Gansu and Qinghai, and died in a fierce battle.Most of the civil officials in Beijing advocated that troops should be launched to crusade.At this time, Emperor Wanli seldom appeared in public. Because of this important event, he made an exception to hold the early court. After the court, he continued to discuss with the scholars how to deal with it.Wanli agreed with most of the courtiers and believed that a tough attitude should be adopted, but Shenshixing held a different view.

Shen Shixing's view is this: 50 years ago, under the call of Alta, the tribes of northern Mongolia organized an alliance, which stretched two thousand miles from east to west.In the winter of 1570-1571, I Da changed his purpose and was willing to restrain the ministries from committing border violations in exchange for subsidies and the right to trade with him.After discussion, the courtiers accepted his proposal, considering that the peaceful situation was beneficial to the dynasty, and named Alta King of Shunyi, and other tribal leaders also gave different titles. I promise to faithfully implement this repaired treaty.After his death, his son Huang Jitai was still able to maintain the status quo, but when his grandson Lilike arrived, he no longer had the ability to restrain the tribes, and the All-Mongolian Alliance existed in name only.The two tribes of Bushitu and Huuoluochi, who were active in Gansu and Qinghai, were especially unrestrained and often harassed southwestward.Once questioned, they claimed to be "robbing the Fan", that is, robbing the Hui and Tibetan tribes in this area, rather than invading the Celestial Dynasty.This practice allowed them to maintain the benefits of rewards and exchanges while maintaining freedom of action. In 1590, a junior officer of the dynasty, known as "Fang Dazui", heard a report from a sergeant that Mongolian cavalry had invaded the border, so he rushed to the place where the accident happened alone.The Mongol was about to answer, but this man was a warrior who would chop without saying a word.When the Mongols were retreating, they drew an arrow and shot the reckless man, causing him to die the next day.So the army was furious and determined to avenge him.Li Lianfang, deputy general of Taomin, chased the enemy and was ambushed and killed.When the report was sent to Beijing, discussions erupted, and most of them advocated stopping the trade and sending troops to fight.Shunyi Wang Like also made preparations for war, crossed the Yellow River, was about to fall into the Tao River, and entered Lingong.The situation is like an arrow on the string, and it will explode at any moment. However, in SHIH's view, the situation is not without possibility of easing.He couldn't believe that Lulik had already made up his mind for an all-out war, because his alliance was not united, and not every tribe was willing to give up the interests of the mutual market and fight against the dynasty.It cannot be said to be wise to resolve to accept general war without the hope of peace being extinguished.Such incidents on the border have indeed exposed the weakness of the dynasty and increased the ambitions of the Mongols.But the remedy lies not in waging war but in consolidating internal strength.If the vacancy of the frontier guards has been replenished, and the warehouses of the border towns are full, and the nomads are well-informed, they will definitely not dare to provoke easily.If the border defense situation remains the same and the dynasty and the Mongols engage in rash warfare, even if they win in some areas, the border defense line that stretches for thousands of miles will eventually be broken by the opponent.In the final analysis, even if the army of this dynasty wins a hundred times, it cannot declare that it has occupied the Great Desert; and if the opponent wins a decisive victory, the dynasty can completely collapse. The handling of the border crisis this time illuminates more clearly the peculiarities of our empire, from which it can be seen that the military establishment is not without reason to be subject to civilian control.Frontier defense requires a comprehensive plan and long-term plans, and the level of mobilization should be neither too low nor too high.Generally speaking, the situation in the whole country is very different, and the center is not allowed to intervene in everything.Because the emperor's leadership is more or less abstract, he should concentrate on motivating his subjects without interfering in everything.But at a critical juncture, the emperor's overall decision on the leadership of peace and war must not be taken lightly.In the scorching summer of 1590, thanks to the support of Emperor Wanli, Shen Shixing finally avoided a war that bet on the fate of the country.This made him further realize the superiority of the tradition of this dynasty: it is really far-sighted for the young prince to be enshrined in the Imperial Academy.In the future, when the crown prince ascended to the throne, the Hanlin bachelor was also promoted. At the beginning, he was the deputy in the cabinet, and then he became the first assistant when the opportunity came. Things were settled easily and satisfactorily. The conversation between Shoufu and Wanli on August 25, 1590 in the Gregorian calendar is the last recorded one.On the surface, the discussion between teachers, students, monarchs and ministers seems to be loose and unfocused, but in fact, Shen Shixing achieved the purpose of presenting it face to face with an extremely humble tone.As a result of the consultation, all the governors and governors remained in their posts, and no one was dismissed or received other punishments because of the border accident. This shows that the emperor's trust in the local officials in the border region has not been shaken; It has been in effect for 20 years and will not be abolished due to local conflicts.Shoufu also pointed out that the defense of all officers and troops should not be relaxed, and that they should be on special alert against Bu Shitu and Huo Luochi.Furthermore, it is suggested to send an important civil servant to the border regions to coordinate all strategic disposals.Now that the conversation in front of the imperial court has been sent to the Meridian Gate for publication, the center's determination has been made and cannot be commented on.Because of this, the main fighters who were gearing up had to restrain themselves a bit. (Appendix 1 for details) Four days later, Zheng Luo, who was originally in charge of the training of the Beijing Army and had the title of Minister of War, was assigned as the manager of the northern towns.At this time, the situation on the borders of Gansu and Qinghai had stabilized, the army of the dynasty did not launch an attack, and the possibility of a large-scale internal crime by Mongolian iron horses did not become a reality. At the beginning of 1591, when Zheng Luo took Bu Shitu to join Huo Luochi, he suddenly attacked his flank and intercepted a large number of cattle, sheep and other supplies. He moved and set fire to the lamasery built by the Mongols and the latest shipment of timber.Many grasslands have also been destroyed by "burning wasteland".Seeing that there was no future for continuing to move southwest, Li Ke led the main force back to the northeast of the Yellow River.Afterwards, the Mongols will continue to engage in small-scale confrontations with the soldiers of this dynasty in various places. However, the plan of merging ministries other than the Great Wall and conquering Huizang to form a large group of nomadic peoples can only be abandoned forever. The ruling record of Shoufu Shishi Bank is quite complicated.Whether his handling of the border issue was all appropriate is not easy to judge, even today.But there is one thing that should always be mentioned. In 1587, that is, the fifteenth year of Wanli, the governor of Liaodong noticed that a Jianzhou chief was gradually expanding his territory and annexing nearby tribes.He realized that raising tigers would bring trouble, so he sent troops to conquer, but the division was not good.He believed that the reason for the failure was that his subordinate Kaiyuan Dao did not follow the order to participate in politics, but insisted on his personal reform and suppression as fu.As soon as the memorial of the governor's participation in the political affairs arrived in Beijing, the participants got the sympathy of the supervisors in Beijing, and they came out to participate in the suppression of the governor.Shen Shixing believed that this was a trivial matter, not worth causing discord among civil officials at home and abroad; so he came forward to mediate as a peacemaker, suggesting that the emperor regard the mutual participation and impeachment of the two parties as canceling each other, and stop making right and wrong investigation.So the chief can do whatever he wants in the future, and he can continue to use the discord between officials inside and outside the dynasty to develop his own great cause. This is a later story, and it is not within the scope of this book.The chief was none other than Nurhachi, according to the records of the day.A few years later, his temple name was Qing Taizu. Many historians have not mentioned the entanglement between Shen Shixing and Li Ke, let alone the relationship between him and the founder of the next dynasty.In the view of historians, the biggest crime of Shen Shixing's life as an official should be the issue of establishing a reserve during the Wanli period. Most civil servants are deeply dissatisfied with shishixing.At the beginning, Emperor Wanli had the idea of ​​abolishing the elders and establishing the younger ones, which was already immoral and unrighteous.Shen Shixing is the chief assistant, so he should fight for it by resigning, or fight with life and death if he has to.He is the first person who can speak in front of the imperial court.If such a resolute attitude is adopted, even if he resigns or even dies because of this, his successor will have to follow his example. In addition, the public opinion of the courtiers is so unanimous, the emperor will be forced to accept public discussion, and the subsequent stalemate will be inevitable. it won't happen. Those who make such comments completely ignore Shen Shixing's character and his approach to life.It was because of his gentle attitude that Shen Shixing won the emperor's trust and established a cordial relationship.Over the years, the chief assistant has skillfully used this relationship to make the emperor's every move close to the expectations of the civil servants.It is not easy for the emperor to use the absolute authority of others without mixing his personal likes and dislikes, which is not easy to get right, and it is actually impossible for Shishi to take rigid measures to supervise. It is groundless to accuse Shen Shihang of deliberately letting the emperor delay the establishment of the reserve.According to official records, when Chang Xun was just born, he had petitioned the emperor to make Chang Luo the crown prince.When the problem just emerged, it was raised in a clear way, and it can be called farsighted. The issue of establishing a crown prince will become a major difficulty in the Wanli dynasty, and Shen Shixing may have had a premonition when he was ordered to confer Zheng as the imperial concubine.He was the head of civil servants at that time, and this grand canonization ceremony naturally required his participation and leadership.He and Dingguo Gong Xu Wenbi accepted the "festival" symbolizing power in front of the imperial court, and marched to Youshunmen surrounded by ritual officials and musicians.The eunuch in charge greeted him at the door.The two of them handed over the "section", the gold seal and the book to the eunuch in a solemn and steady manner, and then the eunuch carried it into the palace and gave it to the noble concubine herself.This set of arrangements was announced to the subjects of the whole country. Since the concubine ceremony was presided over by the highest civil and military officials in the court, the conferred Zheng family was no longer just a boudoir favorite but a full-fledged member of the state organization.What is related is that the status of imperial concubine is second only to the queen and above other concubines, so it cannot be said that her son Chang Xun may inherit the throne in the future, it cannot be said that it is all beyond the courtiers' foresight. But Emperor Wanli firmly denied this relationship.He said that Concubine Ce and Li Chu are two irrelevant things.On the day when Shen Shixing was a registered concubine, he was ordered by Wanli to compose poems to praise his affairs.There is a saying in the poem: "Han halls are all pampered, Qin Tai was immortal early, and now he is Fu by Li, and participates in the chapter "Little Star"." Wanli mentioned his relationship with Concubine Zheng (Appendix 2 for details), but Mr. Shen did not comment.He also understands that the emperor is still a flesh and blood "person" who also has his reason and emotions at war.With regard to the establishment of the crown prince, Shen Shixing advocated patience from beginning to end, waiting for Wanli to change his mind. His emperor and student is not an irrational person. Given time, he himself will find a reasonable solution to this problem, and exerting pressure will not help. The development of the situation in the future proved that Shoufu's estimation was not correct.Time has not been a factor.During his eight-and-a-half-year tenure in Wenyuan Pavilion, he has come into contact with various complicated people and things.His policy of "making big things small and small things small" can't always make up for the shortcomings. On the contrary, sometimes the serious consequences will be far beyond his expectations. Shen Shihang served as the chief assistant in 1583.In the first two years, the case of his predecessor Zhang Juzheng was resolved.As long as this issue is not cleared up, Wanli and his teacher will not know each other's true intentions.It was not until 1585 that this major case was completely closed.For several months thereafter nothing happened.At the beginning of 1586, Chang Xun was born, Zheng was registered as the imperial concubine, and the dispute over the establishment of the crown prince had begun.But just before and after this, Wanli had already discovered that he couldn't do all the things he wanted to do, so his idea of ​​trying his best to improve was fading day by day.What followed was that the words accusing him of neglect in the memorials of the ministers became more and more taboo.There is a memorial saying that if the emperor does not accept his opinion, the subjects of the world will regard him as innocent, and the ancestors will cry bitterly in Jiuquan.The emperor just gave instructions saying that this person should be downgraded and transferred to an outsider regardless of how bad his language is. Another person followed suit and said that the emperor's Zhu Zhu was not very appropriate. The person who made the admonition is a loyal minister. , to show the demeanor of a gentleman who is open-minded and accepting advice.This situation of "separation between the upper and lower sides" had already begun, and it got worse by 1587. Shi Shixing is a sensitive person, he has the ability to read other people's mood.His principle of doing things is based on a deep understanding of the political system of the dynasty.Under this special system, the ruler and the ministers must accommodate and make concessions to each other.If it is not the case, on the one hand, insist on what is right and not relax at all, then you can only force the other party to adopt a negative attitude.Officials can ask for resignation. First, the individual "begs for the bones" and extends to the collective. If he is dismissed, it is regarded as an honor; minister. In 1587, when Shoufu Shen Shihang was only concerned about this possibility, Wanli's court had already moved in this direction. Before the end of the year, the secret police used by the Emperor to keep watch inside and out came under attack.Dongchang was directly under the Supervisor of Rituals, under the jurisdiction of Jinyiwei, whose secret information was indispensable for the emperor to handle government affairs.The content of the information is very extensive, including the prices of important commodities in the market, the people and vehicles entering and leaving the various city gates, the fire situation in Beijing, etc., and an indispensable part of it is obtained from wiretapping from various places. conversation.This kind of intelligence agency has a history of two hundred years in this dynasty, and has already become a link in the political system.In fairness, in the history of this dynasty, Emperor Wanli cannot be regarded as a monarch who used factory guards to restrain his officials too much.But for the officials, the secret service is always an invisible shackle; let alone political persecution, even if "the family is indecent, the palace may be rumored as a joke", it also greatly damages their self-esteem.They have long wanted to sanction the factory guards, but they have not found the right opportunity. The fuse of the subsequent conflict was unexpected.The city of Beijing was compiled by Daxing and Wanping counties in this dynasty.The county magistrate of Daxing County, who was in office that year, beat the music and dance students enshrined in Taichang Temple because of a trivial matter, and the music and dance students have their inviolable places.Because of this, the magistrate of Daxing County was sent to the Three Law Departments for interrogation.The so-called San Judicial Division, that is, the tribunal composed of the Ministry of Punishment, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the Dali Temple, usually only accepts retrials.The reason for the exception this time is that Taichang Temple filed a major crime of offending the ancestral temple.Although the civil servants feel that this crime is close to making a fuss, if it is interrogated by the agency of the Three Jurisdictions, the matter can be settled as soon as possible. The matter involved Dongchang again.There is a Zhenfu Division under Dongchang, and the Zhenfu Division also has the right to interrogate and even torture all cases that offend the emperor and criminal cases involving officials.When they learned that the Sanfa Division had accepted the case of Daxing County Magistrate, they said that they would no longer dispute the right to interrogate, and only asked to send two Jinyiwei school lieutenants to attend the hearing so that they could report the situation to the emperor. Li Shida, Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice, believed that this case was an internal dispute among civil servants and did not need the intervention of Dongchang Jinyiwei.However, Dongchang proposed to send two school lieutenants to participate in the audition, but he did not sternly refuse, but only excused himself, saying that all the criminals were not complete and had not yet been interrogated.On the day of the interrogation, the two school lieutenants were blocked by the civil servants who maintained order and were not allowed to enter to participate in the hearing. If the situation was reported to the emperor according to the facts, Long Yan was furious.Wanli was not interested in the conflict between Taichang Temple and Daxing County. He was furious because the civil servants refused to listen to the captain, obviously deliberately trying to make things difficult for him, so he could no longer remain silent about it.So he asked the eunuch to issue an imperial decree to question Wenyuan Pavilion, and at the same time claimed that he would hand over the case to the Fusi of Dongchang Town for interrogation.At this time, Shoufu Shen Shixing appeared again as a peacemaker, persuading Li Shida to apologize to the emperor.Li Shida acted in this way, and the emperor was able to save face and win a spiritual victory.It is a pity that this spiritual victory was not maintained for a short period of time. A few months later, the civil servants found out the mistake of Zhang Jing, the eunuch in charge of Dongchang, and attacked him together. The memorial to denounce Zhang Jing accused him of colluding with certain civil officials and accepting bribes.The crimes listed by him seem to be well-founded, but the crime of collusion, bribery and embezzlement can also be added to many high-ranking courtiers, and the person who wrote the memorial seems to have not considered it at all.Zhang Jing felt afterwards that because he talked too much, he incurred so many attacks, and it cannot be regarded as nothing happened.It's just that the fundamental reason lies in the institution itself, whose duties are contrary to the interests of civil servants.In the conflict of the Wanli dynasty, civil servants had the upper hand, which is in sharp contrast to the situation of the factory guards in the Tianqi dynasty who were domineering and the Tiqi soaring to the sky. At first, Emperor Wanli didn't realize the seriousness of the situation, and he thought that a verbal reprimand to Zhang Jing would be enough.Seeing that the impeachment was invalid, the courtiers simply did not do anything, and planned to impeach all the bachelors.In order to create the pressure of public opinion that Zhang Jing will not be eliminated, and the cabinet will not even want to be safe.Due to the turmoil, Wanli had to admit defeat and dismissed Zhang Jing.According to people who were close to the emperor at the time, this incident made the emperor very sad.But when Zhang Jing was about to leave, there was still a lower-level official who didn't know that the emperor had surrendered, and even published another memorial, saying that it was so difficult for Zhang Jing to go, that His Majesty the Emperor must have accepted his bribe.This insolent taunt earned the official sixty shovels, but the young emperor was even more disheartened by it.He was already extremely tired of the early court and the Jingyan, so far he made up his mind that he would never openly meet these dishonest and duplicity officials again.He lives in seclusion in the deep palace, and the only person who can communicate with him and share weal and woe is the noble concubine Zheng. Many years later, Shen Shixing resigned and stayed at home, thinking about the past, he neither blamed the emperor nor himself.In his works, he only mentioned that young people don't know world affairs and act rashly, so that things get out of hand.He recalled that during his eight and a half years as chief assistant, he had an excellent opportunity to help the emperor become the king of Yao and Shun.This is the few months after the case of Zhang Juzheng was implemented in 1585 and before Chang Xun was born in early 1586.However, this opportunity is so short-lived, if he ignores it for a while, it will be gone and never get again. The Wanli Emperor at that time was really refreshed and worked hard; he also went all out for the request made by Mr. Shen, which is extremely rare.In our formalized government, appearance is substance.Since the emperor can enthusiastically participate in various ceremonies, it fully expresses his sincerity, which is enough to encourage his ministers to be diligent and thrifty.As long as Shen Shixing closes his eyes, the scene of the emperor walking on foot praying for rain will immediately appear in his memory.This incident happened in 1585, at the age of Yiyou, that is, within a short period of time when the "Wanli Rule" might become a reality on that day. Praying for rain this time was different from usual.During the ceremony, Wanli expressed his sincerity of caring for the people to the world for the first and last time. Since the beginning of winter in 1584, there has been a lack of rain and snow in Beijing.The drought became worse between the spring and summer of the following year, the river bottomed out, and there was no water to suck in the well.The emperor was extremely anxious about this, and after ordering various local officials to pray for rain to no avail, he decided to pray to heaven himself.Some of the prayer ceremonies used were drawn up by the Lidu with reference to the established practices in the archives, but the specific details were made by the emperor. own idea. Three days before the ceremony, the emperor had already fasted.The day before, he silently confessed to his ancestors in Fengxian Hall in the palace, and then he confronted the Empress Dowager Cisheng.The letter to heaven was written and signed with Zhu Yijun's name, and sent to Shenku in the southern suburbs one day first. At dawn on May 16 in the Gregorian calendar, the emperor drove to Huangji Gate, and his guards and entourage lined up in a rectangular team.At this time, the official of ceremonies reported that all the officials had finished forming a team at Daming Gate, and the emperor started to set off on foot. Residents of Beijing have never seen such a solemn and simple ceremony.All personnel, including the emperor, civil and military officials, and eunuchs, all wore blue cloth gowns, with black cloth borders around the neck and the lower edge, and the usual gold, silver, and jade belts were all replaced by ox horn belts.Flags and bands are also waived.On the left side of the street are 2,000 civil servants, and on the right are 2,000 military officials. They are all lined up in a single row and symmetrically lined up. They walk with the emperor to the Temple of Heaven. These lucky residents got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see what it is like today.The team of praying for rain passed through the street, and of course all traffic had to be suspended.However, the "removal of the road" measures taken by the emperor when he usually travels, that is, the regulations requiring all shops to close and pedestrians to stay away, were exempted this time.This is also the mighty kindness of the emperor, allowing the little people to have a chance to see the beauty of the sky.The Wanli emperor that the residents saw was a well-looking young man with a round face and short beard, and a slightly fat body.He walked steadily with such a pious attitude that everyone who saw him was moved. For Emperor Wanli, the long-distance walk of ten miles was certainly not an easy task, because it was the first time in his life that he had made such a trek, and the weather at that time was getting hotter and hotter. The round mound of the Temple of Heaven is located in the south of Beijing. It was built in 1530 by Emperor Jiajing, the grandfather of today's emperor.Emperor Wanli knelt down and prayed on the bottom stone steps of the concentric circle. After offering incense, he kowtowed to heaven four times.Civil and military officials lined up outside the south wall. When the emperor knelt down to worship, the praise officials passed on the praise at Zhaoheng Gate, and all the officials also knelt and worshiped like a rite. After the salute, the emperor summoned the great scholars, six ministers and other senior officials to deliver lectures in the tent set up outside Zuolingxing Gate.Wanli claimed that the severe drought in the weather was due to his own lack of virtue, but it was also the result of corrupt officials who exploited the common people and tried to harmonize the sky.Now it is time to change course, repel the bad guys, and quote the good guys.Shen Shixing made an impromptu speech on behalf of all the officials, claiming that the ministers had no status for their duties, which caused a drought.The emperor prayed on behalf of all the subjects, and of course he would give Ge Tianxin.If there are still officials who cannot respect the sincerity of the emperor, the ministers must strictly warn them.Wanli immediately instructed to make this gist public to the world. The imperial edict of May 16, 1585 embodies this instruction.Jiuwen warns officials who have corrupted the law and tortured the people must repent and repent, and must no longer express the orders of the central government as written documents.At the same time, Wanli also ordered the Ministry of Households to exempt taxation for one year in areas with severe disasters. The ceremony was over, and they were about to drive back to the palace. The eunuchs let the imperial sedan chair be carried to Wanli, but he resolutely refused to sit, and walked back to the palace with all the officials.This team has a large number of people, and it takes time to start and stop. It is already the hottest time in the afternoon when they arrive at Daming Gate.队伍刚刚解散，兵部的一个主事就迫不及待地从袖子里抽出一把折扇使劲地挥动。负责纠察的御史发现这一情状，认为其时虽然已经散队，但此人如此不能忍耐，仍然属于失仪。为此这位主事被罚俸半年。 申时行侍奉皇帝到皇极门，然后叩头退下。临行时他向万历致以慰问，万历则答称“先生劳苦”。这时候首辅固然既饥且渴，极度疲惫，但是相比之下皇帝的任务要更为劳累，他还要到奉先殿去向列祖列宗汇报，汇报完毕还要参见慈圣太后。 申时行不能算是一个迷信的人，从各种记录上都看不出他相信通过占卜祈祷的方式就可以和宇宙的神秘的力量有所来往。他在一次给万历的奏章上说，“臣等不习占书，不知事验”，足以清楚地说明了他的态度。同时，也不能认为万历是一个过度迷信的人。在选择皇帝陵寝的过程中，廷臣曾因风水问题，展开了激烈的争辩，最后万历表示“当日秦始皇在骊山筑陵，何尝不讲究风水”？从这一达观的态度来看，他对风水的信仰，也只能在若有若无之间。 但是迷信与非迷信，其间的分野也可能极为模糊。例如，当一个人强迫自己对一件事情、一种前途建立信念，则其与宗教式的皈依就相去极微。因为凡是一个人处于困境，他就不愿放弃任何足以取得成功的可能性，即使这种可能性极为渺茫，没有根据，他也要把它作为自己精神上的寄托。在这1585年亢旱的初夏，朝廷上下的情形就和此种情况极为接近。当时一天过去又是一天而仍然是骄阳酷日，人们的焦虑也就达到了最大限度。因为每一个人都知道，皇帝的宫廷不能永远建立在一个土地干得发裂的京城里。皇帝亲自出动，以最虔诚的态度和最庄严的仪式向上天求雨，不论是出于迷信，或者其动机是维系人心，最低限度表示了事情并未绝望。希望就产生于这种人为的奋斗之中。他的挣扎，他的自我责备，以及他对臣僚所作的爱民的训示，都可以安慰困窘中的人心，有如一服清凉剂。他的政府一向认为精神的力量超过实际，因此他这次求雨即是做皇帝克尽厥职的最高表现。 最后，一场甘霖有如千军万马，突然降临到人间。最初是雨中带雹，旋即转为骤雨，稍停以后又是一阵骤雨，雨势一直延续到第二天。这场雨发生在阳历6月12日，距离皇帝徒步天坛求雨已将近一月，但是任何人也不敢妄议这不是圣心感动上苍的结果。皇帝自己也当仁不让，兴高采烈地命令百官感谢上苍的恩典。首席大学士也为他感到高兴，因为在这时候，万历皇帝可以在精神上引以为自慰和自满的机会已经不是很多了。 申时行理解万历的感情，同情他的处境，但是他和其他文臣一样，仍认定皇帝的职分应当在宫殿之内，除了行礼如仪之外，他不应当置身于其他事情之中，以生轻妄的观感。比如说万历想亲自操练兵马，申时行就会和其他文官合作，竭力阻止。朱翊钧是否有军事天才？这一问题没有历史家能够解答，我们所知道的，则是他即使有任何创造的能力，也因为他身着龙袍，贵为天子，而无法施展表现。而在阻止他发挥个性的群臣中，首席大学士申时行的力量虽不显著，却极为重要。 文官们阻止万历亲自操练兵马，他们自认有历史上的先例，因为本朝除了开基创业的祖宗以外，御驾亲征的事例极少。最近一百年内仅仅有一个正德皇帝做过这样的事情，而正德的行动，又被公认为离开了传统的轨道。为人君者，就应该安居垂裳，所以不仅练兵要遭到反对，就是外出旅行也应该在限制之列。今上的祖父嘉靖皇帝一生，仅在1539年一度回到湖广承天府巡视过他的出生之地，此后的27年中就没有离开北京一步。父皇隆庆在位5年余，仅仅到京郊谒陵一次，而且为时只有4日。而万历在1583年春天到1585年夏天却已谒陵4次，这毫无疑问是过于频繁了。 尤其使群臣为之不安的是，谒陵这个庄严的典礼竟成了皇帝督视内操的借口。谒陵的随从武装是御林军。这支军队当年经过张居正的同意而在1581年建立，驻在京城东北角，受御马监太监的节制。近年来，这支部队的兵员倍增，训练加紧，每天黎明以前，马队在街上的铁蹄声每每把居民的好梦惊醒。1584年夏天，一个溽暑蒸人的日子，皇帝亲自在皇城内观看御林军的射箭比赛，比赛延续到傍晚才宣告结束。好几个宦官因为受不了酷日的煎炙而晕倒，而皇帝却依旧神清体健。文官们对皇帝过人的精力毫不欣慰，反而接二连三地送上奏本，指责内操的不当。劝说无效，他们就对申时行施加压力，希望首辅运用他的影响使这种操练停止。 从法制上讲，廷臣所提出的诤谏是否具有成宪的根据则很难概说。本朝从没有宣布过皇帝不能亲率禁军。永乐皇帝所用过的长矛一直供奉在午门楼上，就是皇帝带兵的实证。正德皇帝的行动虽然大干物议，然而他始终没有向舆论低头。而且以前皇帝的御林军都属于宦官管辖，就此一点，今上的措施也就无法直接批判。因此，文官们只能举出一些道德上的理由，例如兵凶战危，皇上舞剑弄枪有损承平气象等等，其所用辞语显然不能中肯。 然而文官们的意见又岂能完全忽视？他们是本朝政府的支柱。全部文臣既以伦理哲学作为基础推行了现今的统治方式，当然讨厌皇帝亲率禁军，造成文武均衡甚至武高于文的局面。只因为他们又个个都是忠臣，不便站在对等的地位去和皇帝谈判，更不能借势要挟。然则这些不便不能之处却没有使他们放弃初衷，即作诤谏时，他们胸中有数，意志坚决，目的不达，决不甘休。 老成练达的申时行善于洞察事情的阴和阳。他知道，道德不过是借口，问题的症结是廷臣的安全感。真相既明，他就采取最有效的方式来解决问题。他不事张扬，悄悄地和宦官们谈判。他后来写下的文章，阐述了此中奥妙。申阁老此时质问御马监的诸宦官：几千个官兵带着武器在皇帝身旁，谁能保证他们中间没有人参与做坏事的阴谋？万一有变，其他警卫人员救护不及，谁负得起这样重大的责任？诸位身为将领，又岂能置身事外？首辅还可能在此时提出江彬的先例，用本朝的历史，引证凡是和文官集团公开作对的人，没有一个能得到善终。即使是皇帝最亲信的人，迟早也会被大众清算。这一番危言耸听的游说取得了预期的效果，用申时行自己的话来说，就是“诸珰竦然”。 带兵的宦官既已为申时行的言辞所震慑，他们不再愿意参与内操，转而劝说皇帝放弃亲率禁军。这种釜底抽薪的办法，为效极显；而且皇帝不是一个没有理智的人，他知道如果坚执己意，他和臣下的冲突势必与他叔祖正德一朝的情况相类似。他既不愿意走此极端，迟早就得让步，所以从这时起他就对禁军逐渐不加过问。1585年之后，御马监勇士相次为人遗忘，禁军这一组织也就逐渐于无形中瓦解。 申时行以办理外交的方式来主持内政，御林军事件的顺利结束，更证明了这种方式确实卓有成效。他欣赏自己“从中调剂，就事匡维”这一处世和执政的原则，对待皇帝的办法则是“显谏者不若潜移为妙”。因为这种办法既对皇帝的权威无损，而臣下的目的又可以达到，这比之于臣下在奏章上奚落昏庸的皇帝，而皇帝用荆条痛打犯上的群臣总要高明得多。申时行所始料未及的，就是万历皇帝比他申先生又更高一手，他看透了这种斗争的真情实相，知道自己生气都属无效，莫若用“无为”的办法，对付所有的纠缠，因之他的消极也越来越彻底了。 自从1585年以后，万历除了仅仅于1588年对自己的定陵再度视察过一次以外，30多年，他没有走出过紫禁城一步，创造了自古至今的最高纪录。 皇帝离开京城不到百十里竟然会成为一个严重问题，也是当日国家组织的特别现象。万历于1583年至1585年之间的四次谒陵，其真正的目的是在寻觅及视察他自己的葬身之地。然则既要经过祖墓的附近，谒祭即不可免。既为谒陵，种种仪式自然应当周到齐备。因之每次出发以前，礼部必须斟酌成例，拟订各种详情细节，有的陵墓由皇帝亲自祭谒，有的则由驸马等人代为行礼。御驾每次出动，京城立刻戒严，每一座城门都由一位高级文臣和武将共同把守。皇弟潞王当时尚未成年，他的任务是把铺盖搬到德胜门的城楼上居住，密切监视御驾必经之路。这支谒陵队伍声势十分浩荡显赫，其中有陪同皇帝的两位皇太后和皇后皇妃，加上随从的宦官宫女、文官武将、大汉将军、御马监勇士、京军等等，人数多达几千。到了郊外，皇帝及其家属住在佛寺里，对其他随从人员则临时搭盖帐篷以供休息住宿，这一切要先期准备周详，不能少有差错。 在这几十里的道途上，一些地方官、耆老以及学校的教官被引导在御前行礼。皇帝对他们慰勉有加，并宣布他所经过的地区免税一年，以酬答当地居民对他这一行所作的供奉。 这样的队伍和排场，两年半之内要组织四次，廷臣就感到是过于频繁了。于是，使皇帝扫兴的事情就纷至沓来。北方边镇驰报蒙古部落颇有蠢动的征象，叩请御驾谨慎小心；礼部的官员据此坚请皇帝缩短出行的时日。有一次，皇帝的侍卫旁边发生逸马狂奔的非常事件，又有一次有若干文官误入禁地，这些都由御史据实奏报御前，以期引起应有的警惕。经过这些周折，本来应该是很愉快的小事游憩已全无乐趣之可言。1589年万历曾经表示还想出巡一次，监察官听到以后立刻上书诤谏。他们说，皇上已经感到自己火气过旺，必须放弃早朝以事休养，那么就更不应该出城游玩而使火气增加。皇帝读完这些奏章，从此就没有再提出巡一事。 万历所巡视的为自己预筑的陵墓动士于1584年的夏季。这项巨大的工程微妙地体现了把皇帝不当作一个有血有肉的人，而把他当作一种机构的看法。万历皇帝缺乏坚强的意志和决心，但并不缺乏清醒和机灵的头脑，然而他竟欣然接受了这种精神上的活埋。 陵墓内的葬室筑有停放梓宫的石床。石床上留出来的位置共有三个，除了皇帝和皇后以外，还有一个位置留给下一代皇帝的生母。万历目睹之余，不禁感慨系之。他所心爱的女人即使不能在生前成为皇后，在死后也应当陪伴在他的身旁。否则，他和世界上唯一能够心心相印的女人在皇城的寺院里双双祈祷又所为何来呢？朱翊钧在生之日有妃嫔数十，宫女无数，可是与皇贵妃郑氏始终形影不离。可见生死同心，是他们的宿愿。这样美好的宿愿又是否能成为现实呢？当日皇帝想到这些，这大峪山的工程，就又和立储一事相始终而不可分割了。 皇帝在世之日预筑陵寝，在本朝有洪武、永乐、嘉靖三朝的成例可援。其不同之处，在于定陵竟然预筑于万历皇帝的青年时代。据申时行后来说，这一建议始创于1583年张四维做首辅的时候，当时皇帝还不足20岁。但这建议一经提出，他立即欣然同意，并亲自参与地址的选择和工程的设计。他当然不是认为自己去死不远，而是踌躇满志地感到他已经不折不扣地取得了列祖列宗的地位，足以让千秋万岁之后的人们崇敬。同时，他虽然年未二十，但是已为人父，而且御字已经10年，具有足够的资格承当这一光荣。 这次预筑陵寝的工程和别项工程不同，差不多完全没有廷臣劝谏。惟一的争执在于风水问题，已如上文所述。最后由于皇帝宸衷独断，才平息了这场纠纷。争论者没有想到，平日他们以道德的名义解决技术问题，现在却要用技术的名义去解决道德问题，只是皇帝以秦始皇和骊山为例，不肯过于讲究，以致坚持风水的人，不能继续用这个名目作党争的根据。 筑陵是本朝大事，有司职责所系，于是组成了一个类似于委员会的机构，成员有尚书三人、司礼监太监和高级军官数人，总其成的是定国公徐文壁和首辅申时行。军官之所以参加这个机构，是由于大量的土木工程需要兵士的体力。徐文壁是开国勋臣徐达之后，各种重要的礼仪都少不了由他领衔，而全部的擘划经营无疑还要由申时行一力承担。到1587年，申时行已亲赴大峪山督工多次，其尽瘁王事的忠忱，当然会被年轻的皇帝所体会并因此增加对于申先生的信任。 定陵的建筑经过详见于当日工部的记录报告之中，其建筑结构则因1956年的发掘而为400年后的人们所了解。整个看来，玄宫的宗教色彩浓厚。其石制椅案缀饰以帝后的标志如龙凤，其下缘则为莲瓣，乃是佛家传统。其懵懂于下世超生的观念，实际上是一种希望，一种幻想。内中埋藏的金银和瓷质的面盆固然予人以现实化的感觉；可是木雕的人俑马匹却又只有玩具一样大小，显示着筑陵的人将“长生不死”的观感，认作一种心理状态，只能于半信半疑间得之。 今天，有思想的观光者，走进这座地下宫殿的玄宫，感触最深的大约不会是这建筑的壮丽豪奢，而是那一个躺在石床中间、面部虽然腐烂而头发却仍然保存完好的骷髅。它如果还有知觉，一定不能瞑目，因为他心爱的女人，这唯一把他当成一个“人”的女人，并没有能长眠在他的身旁。同时，走近这悲剧性的骸骨，也不能不令人为这整个帝国扼腕。由于成宪的不可更改，一个年轻皇帝没有能把自己创造能力在政治生活中充分使用，他的个性也无从发挥，反而被半信半疑地引导进这乌有之乡，充当了活着的祖宗。张居正不让他习字，申时行不让他练兵，那么他贵为天子并且在年轻时取得了祖宗的身份，对事实又有什么补益？富有诗意的哲学家说，生命不过是一种想象，这种想象可以突破人世间的任何阻隔。这里的地下玄宫，加上潮湿霉烂的丝织品和胶结的油灯所给人的感觉，却是无法冲破的凝固和窒息。他朱翊钧生前有九五之尊，死后被称为神宗显皇帝，而几百年之后他带给人们最强烈的印象，仍然是命运的残酷。 至于首辅申时行，他在监督定陵工程的时候究竟产生过多少感想，又产生过多少感慨，在留传到今天的官方文件上自然是查不到的。我们所能看到的是申时行在参与了破土典礼以后给皇帝的祝辞：“永绥列圣之神灵，预卜万年之兆域。”我们还能看到的是他在1586年举行正殿上梁典礼以后给皇帝的祝辞：“爰诹升栋之辰，适应小春之候。先期则风和日暖，临时则月朗星辉。臣工抃舞以扬休，民庶欢呼而趋事。”这些辞藻上的对偶和华丽表现了想象中的至美至善，但是皇帝和他的老师彼此也都明白，对这样的文字不能过于认真。因为其时陵墓工程已延续多年，其耗用的财力已使国库受到影响，而征用的军民人力，也应当使“欢呼而趋事”者感到了难以解脱的痛苦。1587年即万历十五年国史上记有这么一条：“赐寿宫工人汤药及老弱饥号难以回乡者路费。”这条通令不可能未经皇帝和总揽工程的首席大学士过目，但是所谓赏赐是否确实发下，发下的数字又是否足敷使用，则无从证实了。