Chapter 39 Zhang Juzheng and the Ming Dynasty Non-Stick Pan

Suzhou Prefecture.

The grain supervisory office in the city.

During the Five Dynasties, this place was the Jingu Garden built by Qian Yuanling, the son of Qian Liu, the King of Wuyue.

Later, it became the Lepu of Zhu Changwen, a doctor of the Imperial College in the Song Dynasty, and it was repeatedly rebuilt and destroyed after that.

During the Jiajing period, it was first changed into Xuedao Academy.

It was later changed into the current Grain Inspectorate Office.

This also became the place where Zhang Juzheng temporarily lived and worked during his trip south.

At this time in the south of the Yangtze River, it was raining continuously in spring.

In the office of the Grain Inspectorate, stones are piled up to form mountains, and mountains and water are interdependent.

Inside the Wenquan Pavilion, Zhang Juzheng stood quietly.

Outside the pavilion, there was continuous spring rain. Water droplets gathered from the rocks and dripped into the flowing pool, causing ripples. The mist was surrounded and obscured the human eyes.

However, Zhang Juzheng's eyes were exceptionally bright and clear.

Since the 26th year of Jiajing, when the 23-year-old Zhang Juzheng ranked ninth in the second class of the imperial examination and was initially appointed as a Hanlin Academy scholar, he has been serving as an official in Beijing.

Strictly speaking, this was the first time he left the officialdom of the capital and went to the local area to personally preside over important affairs of the country.

Right now, the issue of converting cotton to mulberry in Suzhou and Songjiang prefectures was a tangled mess for Zhang Juzheng.

There had been no progress for several days, and the mulberry farmers in the two prefectures outside the city were becoming increasingly dissatisfied.

But Zhang Juzheng had no intention of leaving here and returning to the more comfortable capital.

Looking at the reforms throughout the dynasties, there have always been resistance and reversals.

Wang Anshi of the early Song Dynasty introduced new ideas and implemented new laws. Although they were praised and criticized, they were effective.

Zhang Juzheng always set his political goals far above Wang Anshi.

But what makes Zhang Juzheng angry now is.

This was clearly a national policy that was formulated in Beijing not long ago. Why was it that before I even arrived, the cotton farmers in Suzhou and Songjiang prefectures had already planted cotton seeds on hundreds of thousands of acres of land?

You know, it's only early spring now, even Grain Rain and Qingming Festival have not arrived yet.

According to the season, this is not the time to plant cotton seeds!
There are treacherous people in the court!
There are people with evil intentions who are secretly communicating with the two governments!
Zhang Juzheng knew very well that if there had been no news from the capital, the current situation in Suzhou and Songjiang Prefectures would never be what it is now.

But who is it?

Who was it that sent the news to the two prefectures at full speed, and who must have been secretly instructing and urging the cotton farmers in the two prefectures to plant cotton seeds that were not suitable for the season?

"Traitors bring disaster to the country!"

"It must be eliminated!"

The spring rain outside the pavilion was pouring down, and Zhang Juzheng spoke in a cold voice.

He now urgently needs to find out which group of people are secretly opposing the court's national policy of replacing cotton with mulberry in the two prefectures.

In fact, when Zhang Juzheng rushed to Suzhou Prefecture for the first time and discovered the current situation, he thought of the Yan Party.

Only the Yan Party is most likely to do this.

but.

When Zhang Juzheng thought that this matter was proposed by Yan Song, and he was recommended by Yan Shaoting in front of the emperor.

Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.

Could this really have been done by the Yan Party?

But if it wasn't done by the Yan Party, who could have done such a thing?
Zhang Juzheng, who had locked himself up in the Grain Inspectorate Office these days, fell into repetitive contemplation.

Without figuring this out, he would not be able to take action easily to suppress the cotton farmers in Suzhou and Songjiang.

Outside the Grain Inspectorate Office at this time.

In a narrow alley.

Two flags cleared the way, and a sedan chair moved forward in the rain.

When they arrived in front of the government office, they got off the sedan chair and stopped.

An officer holding an umbrella had already arrived in front of the sedan chair.

In the Grain Inspectorate's office, the doorman who had been waiting for a long time also hurried out holding an umbrella.

"My fellow servants, welcome Governor Zhao."

The curtain of the sedan chair was opened, revealing a scarlet round-necked, waisted uniform with a peacock patch on the chest for a second-rank civil servant.

Zhao Zhenji wore a black gauze hat, held his belt with one hand in front of him and put the other hand behind his back. He stepped out of the official sedan chair with a light official step, raised his head and frowned as he looked into the Grain Inspectorate's office.

"Have Lord Zhang been waiting in there for a long time?" Zhao Zhenji asked.

The yamen gatekeeper said attentively, "To answer the governor, Mr. Zhang has been watching the rain alone in Wenquan Pavilion for a long time."

Been here, alone, for a long time.

Zhao Zhenji couldn't help but frown as he caught a few key words in the doorman's words.

He is now the Governor of Southern Zhili and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Now, Zhang Juzheng, representing the court, was exercising the authority of an imperial envoy and going south to Suzhou and Songjiang to supervise the work. The local cotton farmers were showing signs of resistance, so he, the governor of Southern Zhili, had to rush over on horseback to respond.

Knowing what Zhang Juzheng was doing today, Zhao Zhenji did not stop. He hurriedly snatched the umbrella from the person next to him, held the umbrella himself and asked Wen Quanting to rush over.

The predecessor of the Grain Inspectorate Office was rebuilt from Huanxiu Villa, and its area was far smaller than other private gardens in Suzhou City, only three acres.

Zhao Zhenji felt a little nervous as he walked through the halls and alleys. Soon he could see the Wenquan Pavilion among the rockery and trees.

"Are all the people in Nanzhili dead?"

"Or is it that the entire Nanzhili region is rotten?"

At this moment, Zhao Zhenji heard an angry scolding coming from the fountain pavilion.

His heart skipped a beat, and each step he took became louder.

When he arrived outside the pavilion, he still hadn't put away his umbrella.

Zhao Zhenji bowed and nodded, and shouted: "I am Zhao Zhenji, your humble servant, please come to see Lord Zhang."

Zhao Zhenji did not move and stood outside the Wenquan Pavilion with an umbrella.

In the pavilion.

Zhang Juzheng seemed to have heard someone coming in the sound of rain. He walked over quickly, and when he saw Zhao Zhenji, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"The timely rain has finally arrived!"

Zhang Juzheng completely ignored the rain outside the pavilion, walked out of the pavilion, and grabbed Zhao Zhenji: "Brother Meng Jing, come in quickly to avoid the rain."

Zhao Zhenji felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

"Mr. Zhang's words are sincere and loving."

He carefully tilted the umbrella behind him, and the servant following him immediately took the umbrella.

After entering the pavilion, Zhao Zhenji immediately brushed Zhang Juzheng's arm and said, "Mr. Zhang, you are caught in the rain. Don't be careful. Don't dare to catch a cold."

Zhang Juzheng still had a smile on his face, but he looked at Zhao Zhenji deeply.

This governor of Southern Zhili is really not sticky at all.

Speaking of the Ming Dynasty, who is the best at Tai Chi?

That was the Southern Zhili Governor Zhao Zhenji in front of him!
Zhang Juzheng smiled and pulled Zhao Zhenji to the stone table in the pavilion: "I have just brewed the tea, but it will take some time before the rain this year. Brother Meng Jing, please bear with me."

Zhang Juzheng was very warm and polite.

But the more he did this, the heavier Zhao Zhenji felt in his heart.

"Lord Zhang has been on the emperor's orders this time. As an imperial envoy, he has been stationed in Suzhou for many days. I have been busy with official duties and have not come to see you. I hope Lord Zhang will be tolerant."

Zhang Juzheng smiled faintly and poured a cup of tea for Zhao Zhenji: "Brother Meng Jing is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and the Governor of Southern Zhili. He has a heavy responsibility and is responsible for the taxation and finance of half of the country. He should be very busy with official duties."

Seeing that Zhang Juzheng was still talking warmly but not mentioning the key points, Zhao Zhenji didn't even have the mood to drink the tea in front of him.

Zhao Zhenji looked panicked and said, "We are all working for the court and helping His Majesty. This time, Elder Zhang went south for national policy. The southeastern border still depends on Elder Zhang."

This means that they are prepared not to interfere in the current mess in Suzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture.

But Zhang Juzheng would never give Zhao Zhenji such an opportunity.

He looked up at Zhao Zhenji and pushed the still steaming teacup closer to Zhao Zhenji.

"Brother Meng Jing said it well!"

Zhao Zhenji looked up at Lord Zhang in surprise.

Just say what you want to say?

Zhang Juzheng said with a smile: "We are all working for the court, helping His Majesty. This time I went to the south and southeast to handle national policy matters. With Brother Meng Jing's words, I am completely relieved!"

Zhao Zhenji was completely dumbfounded.

Although it has the title of non-stick pan.

But I’m afraid that Zhang Juzheng is not a dog-skin plaster!

……

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(End of this chapter)