The Ming Dynasty 1626 Enlightenment

Chapter 40 The Establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Ming Dynasty

"Oh!" Zhu Ming glanced at Guo Yunhou. "Minister Guo, what do you mean?"

"Xu Shilang's memorial on locust control is indeed a good thing that benefits the country and the people."

Guo Yunhou straightened up, his face solemn and righteous, and said.

"But I believe that if an agricultural section is to be added to the Tianqi Daily of the Great Ming Dynasty, it should be compiled and edited under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue. Agricultural affairs are ultimately the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue."

His words were reasonable and well-founded, but his meaning was clear: agricultural affairs were the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue, and it was not up to others to interfere.

Zhu Ming remained silent.

He glanced at Guo Yunhou and knew perfectly well that this Minister Guo was not against the promotion of agricultural practices, but rather unwilling to relinquish power.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the nation's money and grain. Agriculture was the face of the Ministry of Revenue. How could we let others take away our face?

"Your Majesty, I also have something to say."

At this time, some members of the Donglin Party also stepped forward.

This man was none other than Liu Zongzhou, the Right Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He was upright and honest, and now in his forties, he had a thin face and piercing eyes.

"Speak!" Zhu Ming glanced at him and replied indifferently.

"The agricultural section concerns educating the people and disseminating agricultural policies; it's not just the Ministry of Revenue's business."

Liu Zongzhou spoke slowly and deliberately, but every word carried weight: "There are many talented people in the court who are familiar with agriculture. Not to mention other places, there are many officials in the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Academy who are knowledgeable about agriculture and sericulture."

"In my opinion, the compilation of agricultural sections, which will be published throughout the country to educate the people, requires the collective discussion and repeated revision by civil officials and the Office of Transmission, so as to prevent the spread of erroneous information."

He spoke in a grand and dignified manner, but Zhu Ming understood perfectly well that the Donglin Party also wanted to get involved.

It wasn't that they cared so much about farming; it was that they didn't want Xu Guangqi to steal the limelight.

Who was Xu Guangqi? Xu Guangqi was close to the Donglin Party, but he was not entirely a member of the Donglin Party.

He was a Catholic, associated with foreign missionaries, and had no real power base in the court. If the emperor were to promote someone like that, it would be an uncontrollable variable.

What is controllable is what works well.

For things that are uncontrollable, we have to use morality and righteousness to hold them hostage.

Zhu Ming's lips curled into a cold smile.

He thought to himself, "You people, what are you arguing about? Is it really about the agricultural sector?"

What they are fighting for is the right to convey their stance to the world.

The Ministry of Revenue wanted power, while the Donglin Party wanted fame.

As for whether ordinary people can understand the methods for controlling locusts or learn how to grow sweet potatoes, who cares?

"Agricultural affairs have always been under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue; this is an ancestral system," Guo Yunhou retorted. "The Ministry of Revenue has officials and clerks familiar with agricultural administration, as well as accumulated data on land taxes and disaster reports over the years. It is most appropriate for the Ministry of Revenue to compile the agricultural information section."

Since Zhu Ming has brought this section out, it's not going to benefit the Donglin Party in any way.

"Agriculture is of national importance, and newspapers are the voice of the nation. Such important matters should not be entrusted to just one person or one office, otherwise there will be bias," Liu Zongzhou said neither humbly nor arrogantly. "Your Majesty, I request that you entrust the Ministry of Justice to take charge of this matter. This is also an ancestral system, allowing scholars to participate, discuss policies collectively, and nip problems in the bud."

"Lord Liu is absolutely right!" Gao Panlong then stepped forward, speaking with righteous indignation, "Ancestral rules cannot be lightly abolished. Moreover, the agricultural section concerns the education of the people, not merely a matter of technology. The polishing of the writing and the exposition of its principles require the participation of learned scholars. Lord Xu excels in the study of things and calculations, but I dare to say that writing may not be Lord Xu's forte."

Several officials behind him echoed, "That's right, newspaper articles are different from agricultural books."

"The compilation should be undertaken by personnel from the Hanlin Academy or the Censorate, who will jointly oversee the process."

"Lord Xu can conduct experiments and write data; the layout of the pages and the writing of the articles should be led by the censors."

As Zhu Ming listened, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

These people were nowhere to be seen during the drought, and remained silent during the locust plague, but now that the agricultural section is about to open, they've all suddenly appeared.

His gaze swept from Guo Yunhou's face to Gao Panlong's face, and then from Gao Panlong to the faces behind him that were a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Ancestral rules, ancestral laws—that's a really good excuse.

But who is Zhu Ming? An exceptionally talented time traveler, the Ming Dynasty's Tianqi Emperor who controlled the entire situation.

"oh."

Just one word.

The air in the hall suddenly turned cold.

"My esteemed ministers," Zhu Ming began slowly, his voice clear and resonant, "are you trying to intimidate me with ancestral rules?"

Guo Yunhou's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed, saying, "Your subject dares not!"

"You dare not?" Zhu Ming chuckled, a short laugh like a knife slicing through stone. "You're not afraid, you've really made something of yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall was astonished.

"Ancestral rules?" Zhu Ming's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Alright, I'll tell you about the ancestral rules."

"Did Emperor Taizu have a prime minister during his reign?"

No one dared to answer.

"Yes," Zhu Ming answered himself. "Back then, there was the Secretariat, with Left and Right Chancellors who commanded all officials and wielded immense power. And then what? The Hu Weiyong case occurred, and Emperor Taizu abolished the Secretariat and eliminated the position of Chancellor. From then on, the Six Ministries were directly responsible to the Emperor. Wasn't this an ancestral system?"

Guo Yunhou's expression changed.

Zhu Ming looked down at the crowd and said, "Tell me—which ancestral rule does this violate?"

Guo Yunhou's forehead was covered in sweat, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.

Zhu Ming turned around and looked at Gao Panlong.

"Minister Gao, you say that ancestral rules should not be lightly abolished. Then let me ask you, Emperor Taizu established the Office of Transmission, which was in charge of issuing and receiving imperial edicts and communicating the people's sentiments. Now I am publishing the 'Great Tianqi Daily,' which widely informs the people about agricultural matters and disaster prevention. Isn't this 'communicating the people's sentiments'? Isn't this the original intention of ancestral rules?"

Gao Panlong was speechless.

Zhu Ming did not stop.

"You say that literary matters require the participation of scholars, and that the Hanlin Academy and the Censorate should oversee them. Fine, I ask you, in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, when Shandong was plagued by locusts, did the Hanlin Academy's memorials drive away the locusts? In the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, when Henan was plagued by drought, did the Censorate's memorials bring rain?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word he said was piercing.

"One of you is in charge of the money, and the other is in charge of what to say. You've failed to manage the money properly, and you've failed to control what to say. Now that I want to get some practical things done, you all jump out to talk to me about ancestral rules?"

"I am not an unreasonable person."

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and slowly put it down.

"I remember that Emperor Taizu once said, 'At the beginning of the establishment of a country, the first priority should be to establish discipline and order.' What is discipline and order? It is rules, laws, and the things that bring order to the world."

"But the founding emperor also said, 'Times change and the world changes, and laws are established according to the times.' Laws are not dead, and rules are not dead. What is dead are those minds that only know how to cling to ancestral rules and do not know how to look up at the sky."

His gaze swept over Guo Yunhou and Gao Panlong, and his tone suddenly changed, becoming crisp and decisive.

"Therefore, I have decided that, from today onwards, a separate Ministry of Agriculture shall be established in addition to the Ministry of Revenue. It shall be responsible for agriculture, land reclamation, water conservancy, disaster prevention, and agricultural technology promotion, and shall not be subject to the control of the Ministry of Revenue, but shall report directly to me."

"Xu Guangqi was appointed Minister of Agriculture, with the additional title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and was given full authority to manage agricultural affairs. The 'Agricultural Affairs' section of the Tianqi Daily was to be edited and published solely by the Ministry of Agriculture, and no one was allowed to interfere."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Xu Guangqi bowed and saluted before the civil and military officials could react.

"Your Majesty..." Gao Panlong, Liu Zongzhou, and the others still tried to make a last-ditch effort.

Zhu Ming waved his hand, silencing them. "Minister Xu, show us your talent!"

"Yes!" Xu Guangqi slowly took out several booklets from his sleeve, on which were written the three large characters "Sweet Potato Classic".