So in late October of the 18th year of the Wanli reign, Wanli sent an eunuch to question the cabinet, "There have been many petitions to open mines, why haven't the Ministry of Revenue responded?"
The Prime Minister Shen Shixing and others did not understand what was going on, so they replied with the same old stuff, such as "to open a mine, you must gather a crowd, and to gather a crowd, you must prevent chaos", "I'm afraid that the officials will disturb the local military and civilians", "there are really no big mines to open", etc. In short, they tried to fool people by pointing out all the inconveniences.
However, after Wanli remained silent for a few days, an imperial decree suddenly came out from the palace, saying, "Years of drought have left the national treasury empty, and the huge cost of the large-scale project is difficult to continue. But the emperor is kind and cannot bear to send more common people, so he decided to send mining supervisors and tax collectors to all parts of the country to open mines to extract the benefits of nature, and to collect taxes on the thoroughfares to extract the surplus of merchants."
Because the order was issued by the emperor and the eunuchs were sent out, all the officials in the outer court could only watch the eunuchs act wildly.
Not only did the 30,000 eunuchs desperately bribe their way into power, hoping to get a good job outside the capital to wield power and dominance, but there were also more than 100,000 eunuchs who had castrated themselves but had no way to enter the palace, all of whom emerged from the corners and joined the miners and tax collectors, asking to be their minions so that they could follow them to the places where they could bully others.
Wanli's move indeed kept most officials in the dark, but there is no shortage of smart people in this world, and some people have already seen the big picture and understood what he was going to do.
On the last day of October, Hai Rui, the Prince's Tutor and Minister of Justice, came to Huiji Gate and requested to see Emperor Wanli!
"Who?" After listening to Zhang Cheng's report, Emperor Wanli, who was lying on the bed watching two disheveled palace maids slapping each other, took a while to react.
"It was Hai Rui, the palace master." Zhang Cheng had no choice but to repeat, "He said it was a matter of great importance to the safety of the country, and he must see the emperor today."
"Why, are you going to give me another copy of 'Speaking the Truth about the Most Important Thing in the World'?" Wanli rolled his eyes in annoyance. He now felt that no civil servants could be trusted, not even Hai Rui.
This feeling of being an enemy of the crowd was really terrible. Wanli felt like he was about to suffocate, and the only way to vent his anger was to torture the palace maids. He scolded the two palace maids, "Who told you to stop? Do you all want to enter the lock?!"
This was a little game he invented. Two beautiful palace maids would slap each other in the face. Whoever fainted first would be put into a ditch when she woke up and would be locked up for several days.
The so-called "dun lock" is a wooden box one foot square with four holes on it, which lock the hands and feet. After entering this torture device, the palace maids can only squat like dogs, which is why it is so named. After a long time, they will feel dizzy and extremely painful. Many people died because of it, and those who did not die would be left with lifelong disabilities.
The two palace maids, whose faces were already bruised and swollen, were terrified and slapped each other mercilessly.
After hearing the snapping sound, Wanli felt less anxious. He waved his hand and said to Zhang Cheng, "No, tell him to report what he wants to say."
~~
At the entrance of Huiji Gate, coughing sounds were heard continuously.
That was sent by Hai Rui.
The cold winter in the north is the natural enemy of the elderly. He was old and did not pay attention to keeping warm, so he fell ill when winter came.
Hai Zhongping quickly asked a doctor from Xishan Hospital to treat his father. After a round of injections and medication, his father's condition improved, but the doctor told him that he still needed to stay in bed for some time.
But when Hai Rui learned that Wanli was going to send mining supervisors and tax collectors everywhere, he could no longer lie down. So he forced himself to come to see Wanli despite his illness.
Naturally, the eunuchs did not dare to neglect this living immortal, and hurriedly went inside to report, while asking Haigong Fu to wait in the duty room.
After waiting for a full hour, the eunuch Chen Jufang, who was in charge of the collection office and who had reported to Hai Rui for him, came back with a red nose. While warming himself by the fire, he apologized to Hai Rui, "The emperor is not feeling well, so I will not summon him. Please ask Master Haigong to report anything you have."
"Submit a report? I've submitted five reports this year, but none of them have been heard. He probably didn't even read them!" Hai Rui coughed violently, "You didn't report it. Is this a matter of life and death for the ancestral temple?!"
"Of course I have said it." Chen Ju sighed. Eunuchs are not mean people. For example, he is not mean. He lowered his voice and said, "You'd better not get angry. The emperor will definitely not see anyone."
"Okay, I won't make things difficult for you." Hai Rui nodded, and with the help of Hai Zhongping, he stood up and slowly walked out of the collection office.
~~
Outside the Meridian Gate, the sky was covered with low-hanging clouds and sporadic snowflakes fell on the faces of Hai Rui and his son, like crystal tears falling from the sky.
"Father, shall we go back?" Hai Zhongping looked at his white-haired old father. His back, which had always been straight, was now hunched due to age and illness.
Hai Rui nodded, and with the support of his son, he slowly walked through the long Thousand-Step Corridor.
On the way, he said to Hai Zhongping in a rare gentle tone: "Son, you will be twenty-one after the New Year. Your father-in-law has urged you several times, so pack up and go back to get married."
"The son is worried about his father." Hai Zhongping whispered.
"You don't have to worry about your father." Hai Rui smiled and advised, "After you get married, you must take good care of your aunt and your brothers and sisters, and live a good life with your wife. Don't learn from your father in this regard. I respected and feared your grandmother, and was always cold to your mother. Now that I think about it, it was wrong, but it's a pity that she is no longer with us. So be nice to your aunt Han, she hasn't had an easy life..."
"Why is father suddenly talking about this?" Hai Zhongping asked with some uneasiness, because Hai Rui never played the romantic game with him.
"I can't help it. Maybe people tend to be fussy when they get older." Hai Rui smiled and said to his son, "By the way, tomorrow you have to bring six coins of silver to the ministry to settle the firewood payment they paid in advance."
"Yes, father." Hai Zhongping replied.
"Use the remaining money as your fare back home." Hai Rui said and stopped.
Hai Zhongping looked up and saw that the father and son had already left Chengtian Gate and Chang'an Right Gate while they were talking.
There is a small drum tower on the right, which is the famous Dengwen Drum Court.
This is a drum for complaining that can reach the emperor directly. The Ming Dynasty naturally also has one, but you are not allowed to hit it casually.
First of all, the drum was in a courtyard guarded by the Jinyiwei. At the same time, there were censors on duty. All civil lawsuits must be appealed from the bottom up, one level at a time. Only when the province is not involved or there is a major grievance, can the drum be beaten. The censor on duty will immediately take the case to the palace to see the emperor. Anyone who dares to stop it will be sentenced to death. As for minor matters such as family and marriage disputes and land, it is not allowed to beat the drum.
Although the Dengwen Drum System of this dynasty was specifically designed to open up a way for people to appeal for grievances, there were still many people who used it to speak out and make remonstrations, and there were even extremely violent "corpse remonstrations"!
During the Hongwu period, Qing Wensheng pleaded for the people and beat the Dengwen drum to advance, and then he passed away under the drum.
During the Zhengde period, Xu Tianci impeached Liu Jin and reported the case to the emperor at night. He then committed suicide, shocking the world!
During the Tianshun period, after the eternal scum Zhu Qizhen was restored to the throne, he rehabilitated the name of his eunuch father Wang Zhen, erected a statue, and set up a shrine to honor his loyalty; he also built a temple in the capital to worship his Tartar father Yesen, but he wanted to kill Yuan Bin, the only person who stayed with him and protected him in every way after he was captured by the Mongols.
All the officials knew that Yuan Bin was wrongly accused, and they were all upset that Bao Zong was so ungrateful. Unfortunately, "everyone inside and outside the court felt wronged, but no one dared to speak out"!
At this time, Yang Xun, a painter who had never met Yuan Bin before, was indignant and beat the drum to appeal for his injustice, and questioned Bao Zong with his life - but did he still remember Yuan Bin's contribution of "protecting the emperor's body and enduring hardships" that day?
He mercilessly denounced Zhu Qizhen, saying that a king who had the heart to treat his benefactor like this had a heart so terrible that it was enough to make everyone in the world shudder!
Zhu Qizhen was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, and had no choice but to spare Yuan Bin's life...
This is Dengwen Drum Court. When knocking on the door turns a deaf ear, letters go nowhere, and the ruler is extremely obstructed, this is the only last resort to awaken the deaf and dumb!
~~
Seeing his father's eyes looking towards Dengwen Drum Court, Hai Zhongping instantly understood what his father was going to do. His face turned pale and he wanted to pull his father away.
"Let go." Hai Rui, who had been unable to stand steadily before, did not move at all. He said to Hai Zhongping in an unquestionable tone, "Wait for me here."
Hai Zhongping subconsciously let go of his hand and stared blankly at his father, leaning on a cane and staggering as he walked into Dengwen Drum Courtyard.
The Jinyiwei guarding the gate of the courtyard naturally did not dare to stop them and hurried in to report.
Soon, the imperial censor on duty and a general flag officer in brocade uniform came out and paid great respects to Hai Rui. The former asked respectfully, "What can I do for you, Master Gong?"
"Open it." Hai Rui looked at the big iron lock on the Drum Tower door.
"Please forgive me, Master Gong, but our superiors forbid us from beating the drums." The general said with a stiff upper lip.
"The drum set up by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu is not allowed to be struck and is even locked! Who is so bold?" Hai Rui's eyes were like lightning, and the general's face turned pale and his calves cramped. The feeling of being stared at by the door god with the eyes that exorcised demons was really too ecstatic.
"If you have any problems, just tell me directly." The censor said carefully before Hai Rui could lose his temper.
"It's no use telling you. Don't worry, you're facing me, who would blame you?" Hai Rui held up his elm cane and pretended to knock on the door, "Open it, or I'll do it myself!"
"Sigh..." The two looked at each other, and the latter had no choice but to take out the key and open the Dengwen Drum Tower that had been locked for many years to Hai Rui.
Hai Rui climbed up to the second floor with great effort, holding on to the dusty stairs. He used his crutch to roll up the spider web in front of him, and a huge drum appeared in its true form.
He looked around and couldn't find the drumstick, so he simply held the crutches with both hands and hit the drum with all his strength!
Boom, boom—the dull and huge sound of drums made the two men's hearts almost jump out.
The sound of the drum reached the six government offices not far away. The officials put down their work one after another and were stunned for a moment before realizing that it was the drum for reporting official affairs that had sounded.
This is the first time during the Wanli period!
The officials talked a lot and quickly sent people to see who was beating the drum.
The rumbling sound of drums also reached the Forbidden City. Although it could not be heard in the Yikun Palace, the eunuchs naturally reported it to Wanli as soon as possible.
"Your Majesty, someone is beating the drum to report the incident!" A young eunuch ran in breathlessly.
"Who is it? Why didn't you stop him?" Wanli immediately looked embarrassed.
"Because the one beating the drum is the God of Sea Gate..."