bye bye.

I enjoyed playing the Follower of Hai Rui, but he was a tough roll to play. He seemed to at his core go against the very Confucian he claimed to want to uphold. He was supposed to be loud and riotous, quite unlike the calm and benign ideal Confucian. It was rather difficult for me to play that kind of hypocrisy. It was also difficult to know how to act while being my character. It was not until after the memorials had been criticized and I had bowed to the Emperor that I found out I had the choice not to do so. It was not until three sessions later that I learned I did not have to play according to ‘decorum’.
There is no excuse for me not fulfilling the role I was given. I should have been more assertive in conversations and I should have known more about the Chinese systems if only so I could find fault in them and blame their faults on the Emperor. Not knowing I could speak out of turn and refuse to follow orders does not excuse me from not speaking aggressively when I was called upon. Even if I fulfilled my victory objectives, I do not think I won. I would not have even stood up on my last day alive if it had not been for our guest and the persuasion she gave me.
I like to think that I did gain a better understanding of Chinese history and philosophy in this game. I think all of us have “raise up the strait and set them over the crooked” burned into our memories for the rest of our lives. I know I have a better grasp of the Analects than I do of Socrates’ teachings. I also like the Analects better than I like Socrates’ teachings because according to my understanding, the Analects teach that men do not have to be “small” men and that they can learn from their mistakes and from each other in order to become true gentlemen; whereas Socrates teaches that men are static and the only reform they can make is by devoting themselves to one trade and becoming great at that trade alone. Confucius’ words seem more optimistic to me.
I enjoyed the China game. I cannot say I enjoyed it more, for I know my performance was less than it should have been and as a pivotal character I should have been able to change the slow, monotonous quality of the game. I think I probably felt more relief than one should have upon my character’s death, and I cannot explain why. It was interesting to say the least. It was nice not having to try and calculate point totals, but that made it somewhat harder to know where people stood. But the game was all the more challenging and more mysterious for it. It is a shame the game is over.

John Nelson
Confucian Purist
April 23, 2007

I really enjoyed the ancient China game this semester. In fact, I think I enjoyed it more than the ancient Greece game. The thing I think that made it most enjoyable for me is that no one had an upper-hand before the class began, because very few of the Grand Secretaries had immense knowledge of the Analects or ancient China in general. We were all learning about the detailed world of ancient China in the Ming Dynasty at the same time, and it was enlightening to learn from my fellow students as well as the historical documents.
My primary objective in my packet is to PERSUADE the Emperor to name Changluo as his successor and heir. After a few of the sessions of the Grand Secretariat had taken place, however, I saw that this was going to be pretty difficult. It was not until Julianna resigned and the Emperor insisted that she stay, that I realized that persuading the Emperor was going to be impossible. My backup objective is to embarrass the Emperor in order to show him the Way, which will cause him to open his eyes and name Changluo as his successor and heir. My second memorial attempts to do just that, but it fell on deaf ears because the First Grand Secretary and the Emperor were in cahoots.
The last three sessions of the Grand Secretariat were very enjoyable. I absolutely loved it when I stood and argued about the eunuchs because it was very invigorating. Those last three sessions made ancient China come alive for me, because I sincerely felt that my involvement in the sessions was integral for the Emperor to make the right decisions. I did a lot of research and had a good understanding of past policies. I feel that I did a much better job in this game than in the ancient Greece game.
My biggest regret about the game is that the purists, especially myself, waited too long to break decorum and rebel. I felt like I still had to persuade the Emperor, even though I came to realize how impossible that was. I wish that I could have started arguing with Julianna way before I did. Julianna did a great job of keeping the Grand Secretariat on a short leash, but I feel that if the purists really understood that we had to ruffle the feathers of the Emperor and First Grand Secretary then the game would have been very different. The ending of the game was a huge surprise for me, because I did a lot of research and I figured we would not conclude the game until the last day of classes. Having the Civil War uproot our bureaucracy is an interesting way for the game to end to say the least! All in all, it was a very pleasant experience and I learned a great deal about ancient China, much more so than if I were in a typical lecture course.

Since the culmination of the China Game, I have continuously asked myself which game I enjoyed more. Both were challenging and fun; however, the two are extraordinarily unique. Due to having specific goals, the China Game offered more structure and, in turn, was immensely more enjoyable. Nevertheless, I can understand how the majority were probably much less enthusiastic than me. My character was the only one who was a Legalist wanting Civil Service Examination reform. The China Game encouraged me to put more effort due to challenges integrally different than the Athens Game and caused a surreal atmosphere.

During the Athens Game, I was quite lost. Being a Legalist in the China Game allowed me to establish clear goals. For instance, regardless of the costs, I needed to support the First Grand Secretary. If she asked me to find some analects pertaining to a topic, then my goal was to not only find said analects but interpret them appropriately as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the inability of the Purists to match the preparation I had. Although my goals were not met due to the collapse of the Ming Dynasty and the Emperor along with all in the Forbidden City, Julianna, Marie, and I devised plans to lead the game in our favor. For example, regarding the secret society, I suggested sending a mole into the Purist “faction” to determine who was a member of the society. We decided on using Melissa because she was in a position where she would do anything for the Emperor but possessed a Purist mentality. This plan was never carried out.

In regards to the memorials, I feel vastly more accomplished than in the Athens Game. Due to my support of the Emperor and First Grand Secretary, my words were taken very seriously, and if we all had not died, would have been implemented. Specifically, my second memorial was heavily researched, thus lengthy. Regarding my character’s desire to reform the examination system, I succeeded. The one regret that I have is the unused research and solution I produced for the last session. Expanding David’s idea to eliminate tax corruption, I established an outline that could easily be turned into another memorial. Including timing, member qualification, approximate population numbers, and Confucian quotes, my notes were more than a page of a detailed, practical solution.

While aiding Marie with her Yellow River presentation, I remember glancing at a Purist’s notes; next to my name, the words “suck-up” were emphasized. Slightly hurt, I removed myself from the game mentality and thought, “yes, I am being a suck-up. I’m supposed to be.” From that instant, I realized many were taking the game very personally. By no means were the majority of the memorials unprepared. Julianna, and the rest of the Legalists, needed to shake the Purists and keep them off-balanced. We did so by sticking to pragmatic topics. Julianna beautifully quieted the Purists down whenever they spoke of the Succession issue or Wanli as a poor ruler. Every time the game commenced, I could feel either boredom or a hidden beast waiting to lash out. All of the Legalists were extraordinarily engaged in each session. The time during the China Game truly transported me into a completely separate state of mind.

The China Game required many outside of class research hours and was equally thrilling to the Athens Game even with the lulls. I prepared more for this game than I have for any other class. Regardless of the hard work and hard feelings, I have had the most fun learning history than ever before. If given the opportunity to play again, I would.

Upon completion of the game and overthrow of the emperor and the corrupt First Grand Secretary, I had an immense feeling of relief and satisfaction. It seemed like the past weeks of frustration were finally worth it. As a purist, the First Grand Secretary made it difficult for me to have my views heard. I personally should have studied the Analects more. I also would have done well to determine my allies more quickly.
My strategy was to not criticize the emperor very harshly or openly. I attempted to keep my faction a mystery, especially when discussing the game with my roommate who was a legalist. However, I believe that I was not successful. The First Grand Secretary would often ignore me when I attempted to speak which leads me to believe that “he” was well aware of my Purist status. This was very frustrating. In order to follow my role, I should obey decorum and ritual or otherwise be a hypocrite. Some of my fellow faction members resorted to breaking decorum which was hypocritical but I feel that they had no choice. Eventually, we uniformly took a stand which I believe was less of a break in decorum and was justified due to the corruption we were against, also known as the First Grand Secretary.
Often in class, an argument would arise which I could support or counter with an Analect of which I had knowledge but not the location. I could not find it in the book. By the time I located the analect, we were far from the topic. Fearing criticism of the First Grand Secretary, I chose not to reintroduce the topic. I also felt that we were accomplishing little as a council and I did not want to further the lack of accomplishment by reintroducing a pointless argument devised by the First Grand Secretary in order to take up time and prevent the Purists from discussing succession. I personally feel that I should have known the Analects better but I do not feel that my knowledge was poor, merely my memorization of the analect numbers was lacking.
Due to the ambiguous quality of some members of the secretariat, I had trouble determining my allies. Some where very clear. Emily's harsh denunciation of the emperor in her very first memorial made it clear that she was a fellow Purist. However, I struggled over whether or not Secretaries Katie and Erin were allies. I only figure this out about a week before the last session. Had I known who my allies were, I would have been able to meet with more of them and formulated stronger arguments to achieve our goals as Purists.
Overall I'm satisfied with my performance. However, there is always room for improvement, as I have outlined in my preceding remarks. While these were certainly not the only areas in which I could have improved, these were the main three. As a whole, I found the China game to be a challenge but one that was not impossible or negative. The game was an excellent learning experience and at times very fun (the introduction of Dr. Felson). I found this class to be a very unique method of teaching but also very effective. I would recommend this class to other students, especially those needing skills in public speaking. Throughout this course I have noticed a significant improvement in both my public speaking and my extemporaneous speaking. I would definitely like to take another “Reacting” course. Though, perhaps next time, I won't be in ancient China and will be able to pronounce all the names correctly.

Only twelve of the twenty-two thousand civil servants in the Middle Kingdom were appointed to positions in the Grand Secretariat, and they arguably held as many, if not more, responsibilities as the Son of Heaven. In the beginning, my role was to convince or persuade the Emperor to shun the legalist and immoral influences of the First Grand Secretary and Lady Zheng. All the players at the onset were told there were no factions in this game; however it became clearer with each session that imperial ferment and corruption had already infected Wanli beyond reparation. There was, as Shen Hsing stated in the 1587: A Year of No Significance, “a cleavage from the top to the bottom.” In spite of this scenario, factions did not appear, even though the role sheets and manual encouraged secret societies. The Emperor, having made a pact with the First Grand Secretary in the game, was invariably tied to the legalist principles of autocracy, practicality, and efficiency. It was this pact that made the primary objective of persuading the Emperor to name Chungluo his successor an implausible one. The secondary objective was to impose with moral force the principles of tradition and Confucianism to a sinecure, or else depose he who had forgotten that his appointment was attained by the Will of Heaven and not by merit. The fact that no secret societies existed in the game signals a success on behalf of the Purists, as the balance was restored to the kingdom without treasonous acts.
The initial interview process served to expose those who were dedicated to the Way, and First Grand Secretary Julianna used a utilitarian strategy (public humiliation and punishment for those who would not show deference to the wishes of the Emperor) to silence the Confucian Purists. At first, my character sought to obey the Confucian principle of showing deference to the Son of Heaven, but that functioned only to empower the objectives of the legalists. The purists were forced to inquire, “How is the Emperor exhibiting the qualities of benevolence?” The execution of two secretaries who spoke against the corruption in the kingdom and bureaucracy indicated that the Mandate of Heaven was lost, along with the necessity for imperial deference and decorum. At this point in the game, it became clear that the First Grand Secretary would seek to control the memorial and discussion sessions. Decorum, along with observance of ritual, had to be bypassed to restore order and balance.
The lull created by technical pursuits regarding floods, piracy, taxation, and famine had hypnotized the Grand Secretariat. The first memorial of my character, which was an attempt to illuminate Wanli’s lack of devotion to the Way, was met with condemnation on behalf of the Emperor. The First Grand Secretary dismissed it as an idealistic interpretation of the Master’s words. With consternation, my character played the “game” of deference to the point of near objective failure. It was after studying closely the Book of Mencius, the Book of Odes, and the Great Learning that my character realized that he did indeed have the power of moral force behind his efforts. My second and final memorial, a poem composed to the statue of Confucius at the steps to the Forbidden City, was written specifically to rouse Purist conviction and encourage more secretaries to proactively speak against Wanli’s immoral and un-Confucian behavior. The last years of his reign is known to scholars as the Dreaming Period, because, riddled with unhealthy habits, Wanli rarely even left his chamber to attend ceremonies or meetings. “The Wind Steps Behind the Statue,” which sought to reinforce the words of the ancients with referentiality, also contained many puns on the Emperor’s political attitude and lifestyle: the “bulky tree,” “artifice dreaming,” “weight of a thousand catties,” “the middle, choking sonorously,” as well as pointing out the legalist tendency to “study the tips of Autumn hair without seeing the cartload of faggots.” The Ming game was, much like the Athens game, seemingly designed to precipitate specific outcomes with clearly-defined victors. Interestingly, both games ended with relative ambiguity. Besides obtaining extensive knowledge from these two historical epistemes, I can happily conclude that my public speaking ability has improved drastically throughout the semester. The assertive performance of my character in the Middle Kingdom proved to be a complimentary endeavor to the cagey act of my character in the Athens game.

The China game was a unique experience. I feel I learned a lot through the eyes of Jinshi from WuChang. My character's family was from a fishing background and grew up on the coast. My character had a lot of promise as a boy and was taught the art of calligraphy by the time h was 5. My character was slightly confusing in one aspect he was a Purist, and in another way he seemed to enjoy supporting the emperor on many occasions as well.
My character seemed confused on the issue of succession and had to make his decision by the second memorial. My character chose to leave the issue of succession open, because he thought it was necessary for the best person to have the job and not someone with the right blood line. Jinshi was able to use his thoughts on succession to persuade the emperor to give him an audience concerning the Jesuits.
The main Jesuit that Jinshi was interested in was a man by the name of Matteo Ricci. Matteo Ricci was a Jesuit who had lived his later life in the southern part of China until he was forced to leave by a new viceroy in the area. Ricci wanted to convert people to Christianity, but he was mostly scribe and wished to study Chinese culture. Ricci's real character wrote the first map of China ever published, learned Chinese and was the official correspondent to the Vatican about all things Chinese. He lived in the Forbidden City until his death. Ricci taught the Chinese court algebra, western philosophy, and tried to explain Christianity in Confucian terms so that he was not seen as such a controversial character. Ricci never had an audience with the emperor, but his presence was felt throughout the empire, and still is today.
As far as my role was concerned I thought I helped the other players, to keep their minds open about succession. I thought if Confucius was able to pick and choose a man based on his merit, then the empire should be able to do so as well. I was not confused about my goals in this game. My character wanted to allow Matteo Ricci to establish an outpost in Peking. And if the game had not ended so abruptly I am sure that he would have been able to achieve this goal. The emperor had already sent an embassy and determined that the intentions of Ricci were not harmful to the Middle Kingdom.
I think overall my character achieved his goals. I only wish I had introduced the Jesuit embassy a little earlier in the game. Then I think that the Middle Kingdom would have been left with the historical information that Ricci had to offer instead of with floods and famine.

My role in this game was a Purist defender of the examination system. I feel I did not adequately exploit the potential of this role. This was in part due to my lack of understanding of the game, and part due to my understanding of the historical period.
The rigid formality reiterated early on in the game gave me a false impression of the protocol. I understood this decorum to mean that speaking out of turn would result in almost certain execution from the game. This was actually not so far from the truth considering Emily’s fate. This fact realized, I did not pursue the issues at hand in the correct fashion. I tried to accommodate when I should have been attacking. Instead of appeasing I should have been conniving. The fact that the iron grip of the Grand Secretary struck fear into my purist heart might have contributed to my weakness. According to the events of the last session the Grand Secretary was on more precarious ground than I thought. My second memorial sharply criticized the Grand Secretary as an immoral influence on the Heavenly Sovereign. She attempted to resign, but the Son of the Most High rejected it. This was more suited to the game than my first memorial. It had been an attempt to accommodate immorality in return for practicality. Knowing what I do now I would have worked to have the Grand Secretary removed far earlier.
The role I had placed me in direct conflict with what I already knew of the period. I had to discourage all commerce which could be taxed to make the empire the most prosperous in the world. The master says that “profit will incur much ill will,” and as a purist the master is my guidance. Further, the purist character was supposed to defend an absolutely terrible institution. By this time the examination system was utterly corrupt. Talking of the master delegates reality from one’s mind, but does not change the facts of reality. The examination system was far to ineffective in either discovering truly practical talent, or from keeping out blatant nepotism. Wealth was the law of Ming China, with it anything could be purchased. Conflicts such as these made me think differently, but did not change reality in my mind. In my first memorial I tried to call to a higher benevolence in which I could accommodate immorality for practicality. I tried to place my family’s holdings and wealth in a salt producing region in order to justify immoral support for salt monopolies. In session I advertised a practical solution to what I thought in reality would work. This does not work with a character who’s beliefs are not very based in reality. I would have gone about that very differently in retrospect. My second memorial I feel was more apt for the game. It openly challenged the immorality of the highest counsel to carefully criticize the heavenly sovereign. My first memorial should have been in this tone. I would have accomplished more in my character’s role with this approach. Also, I did not actively pursue the Donglin conspiracy enough. It could have proved a worthy ally against the all powerful Grand Secretary. These various shortcoming on my part influenced how I played the game.

Review of the Ming China Game

In my role as one of the Confucian purists in the Hanlin Academy of the Grand Secretariat, it's difficult to say just how we preformed in the "China Game". Our greatest obstacle to success could be divided into two things—a strong First Grand Secretary who was secretly allied to the Emperor himself, and our initial decision to respect the rules of etiquette and decorum.

Historically, the sort of bond forged between the First Grand Secretary and the Emperor himself could not have existed—essentially, there was a promise that the First Grand Secretary would not betray the Emperor's interests under any circumstance, and at the same time, that the Emperor himself would not accept the First Grand Secretary's "resignations", no matter how often they came. Our calls for the First Grand Secretary to resign probably would not have made a difference, whether we had made three or thirty—our Emperor placed an unshakable faith in his First Grand Secretary, much to the Secretary's advantage—unless there was direct intervention from the game-masters on the matter.

However, from another standpoint, we had also handicapped ourselves—the First Grand Secretary, through strong force of will and our own complacence, had managed to distract us from our chief concerns (the crisis of succession), and instill a need (or even a fear) to maintain decorum in us for some time. If we had pressed harder and earlier, we might have been able to force the hand of fate (even if we couldn't get the Grand Secretary to actually resign). We were able to overcome our initial restraint and make direct challenges to the First Grand Secretary, which seemed to surprise her initially (though it might have been too little, too late). However, it did successfully force the Emperor to order executions to try and maintain the dignity of the First Grand Secretary, which brought about the collapse of the dynasty—hardly the ideal consequence, but it did cruelly validate the warnings of us, the purists.

As a purist, my views remained unchanging—however, given my character's deep respect of the traditions and rituals, I was very reluctant to break with decorum (a mistake on my part, in retrospect—if I had been more loud and boisterous, I could have better pressed my case). As the Grand Secretary from Kaifeng, I was hurt by the destruction of farming properties around Kaifeng—my family was no longer wealthy entering the game, and was probably bankrupt by the time of the new flood. Had the First Grand Secretary came directly at me with a bribe, I probably would have been forced to accept it. I also wish that I had harder press the connection between the declining state of the Empire and the Emperor's refusal to follow traditions—in my typical modern mind-set, it was difficult to connect the flooding of the yellow river with the Emperor's neglect of his first son, but I should have pressed the issue harder.

-Kainien Morel

I thought this passage (ch.4,v.6) from Meng Tzu to the Duke of Ching in the Bk. of Mencius was an appropriate one considering the context of the game:
'"Now, the state of things is different.-- A host marches in attendance on the ruler, and stores of provisions are consumed. The hungry are deprived of their food, and there is no rest for those who are called to toil. Maledictions are uttered by one to another with eyes askance, and the people proceed to the commission of wickedness. Thus the royal ordinances are violated, and the people are oppressed, and the supplies of food and drink flow away like water. The rulers yield themselves to the current, or they urge their way against it; they are wild; they are utterly lost:-- these things proceed to the grief of the inferior princes.

Wanli Emperor-

“Tzu-lu asked about the way to serve a lord. The master said, ‘Make sure that you are not being dishonest with him when you stand up to him.” (XIV.22)

My lord, why have you changed so? There was a time when you were very much distressed by official corruption, concerned about bribery between government officials, took the rituals seriously, wondered why so many officials absented themselves from your morning audience, and showed displeasure when your officials did not drill themselves to perform their part in ceremonies with flawless perfection (Huang 103). In the first decade of your reign nomadic invasions no longer threatened our northern frontier, pirates disappeared from our eastern coasts, and after this long period of peace the treasury had silver bullion to spare (Huang 14)! Why have you changed my lord? Why have you strayed from the benevolent path, choosing instead to consort with women and eunuchs?

I know you would not hear me ask you this. I know you would prefer that I devise a so-called “practical solution” to the problems facing our empire. I know some have told you that the faults of your kingdom lie in the small people, the common folk. They have told you that the people must be punished for erring, that pirates from our lands must be branded or conscripted into the army, and foreign pirates must be beaten and killed. They tell you that we should redouble our military forces in order to fight the raiding barbarians. They tell you that we should work to impose heavier taxes on the landowners in order to fill our treasury for such military excursions. Yet I must beg the question, why? Why must all these things be done when only five years ago, none of these issues were a problem at all? None of these things were a problem when you were a benevolent ruler. None of these things were a problem when you kept the people in line with the rites (II.3).

Now instead, you sit in the courtyards, watching eunuchs toss pieces of silver while your empire slides into the abyss (Huang 103). Now you no longer actually choose who in your bureaucracy may be promoted, demoted, or transferred, you cast lots and allow chance to make that choice (Huang 76). In some matters you even allow eunuchs to wield the vermilion brush for you (Huang 76). You often did not attend your tutoring sessions when you were young, which causes great concern to many in your court, particularly when the palace eunuchs reveal that instead of being ill like you have claimed, you were riding horses and drinking and dallying with the palace ladies (Huang 47). Your mere attendance at the tutoring sessions would show that you are subjecting yourself to cosmic order and moral law, and the fact that you are not attending these sessions indicates that you are directly opposing them (Huang 47). If these habits persist, they could be most detrimental to both your moral character and your empire. You have neglected your duty, my lord.

I cannot claim to know why you have become this way, my lord. But I fear that what the Master said in Analect 18, book nine, applies even to you, “I have yet to meet the man who is as fond of virtue as he is of beautiful women.” It appears to many that your love for your consort, Lady Cheng, has blinded you to the cosmic order and moral law. You wish to make her son, your third-born, heir because you believe it would please her (Huang 75). The entire population knows that fathers must be impartial to their sons, that elder brothers are supposed to command and lead their younger brothers, and that men of rectitude, yes, even you my lord, should never be swayed by women to modify their public obligations because of sentiment (Huang 84), for the Master said, “In one’s household, it is the women and the small men that are difficult to deal with. If you let them get too close, they become insolent. If you keep them at a distance, they complain” (XVII.25). Some have speculated, Myriad Years, that you are being forced against your better judgment by this woman (Huang 85). I only hope this is the case, and if it is, I suggest that you remove her from your presence as quickly as you can so that you can be free to do as you should, and put your son Chang-lo as your heir, start acting like an emperor, and shoulder some responsibility.

Worthy Emperor,

I am here today to discuss the arrival of the Jesuits. It is my concern that we are not being cautious enough about the situation at hand. For the past few years, Matteo Ricci has been petitioning our government for permission to establish a missionary residence in our capital city, Beijing. Before making any rash decisions we need to look at this situation through his point of view and ask ourselves, what are his motives and why does he want to set up this residency in Beijing? What is wrong with the residence he already has on the southern coast at Macao? And what is his ultimate goal?
I would like you to remember that the master said, “Claims that are made immodestly are difficult to live up to” (14.20), and it is our duty as secretaries to make sure we do not make arrogant claims as well. We must be certain that we are approaching this situation in the appropriate manner. Although currently, and for millennia, we have been the center of the universe, with rich resources, benevolent rulings, and enlightenment in the Confucian teachings, we must not be too proud. Foreigners wish to come here and benefit from our blessings, but we must still be strong and wary of who we allow in our city walls. I agree that we should teach foreigners and barbarians the world’s greatest known culture, but we cannot sacrifice upsetting our entire Confucian order that our society and culture has been founded on.
I know that some of you think that we need to be quick with our actions and set an example for the common people. I too agree that we need to send a message to the people, but lets avoid making a huge mistake and take the time to send out the right message. I do not think that allowing Matteo Ricci and the Jesuits into our city sends the right message, and it has too much potential to be disastrous and disrupt harmony. Instead, I propose that we send a group of officials to Macao to investigate the Jesuits. We need to learn their motives and consider what they have been doing in Macao for the past few years. We need to question the Jesuits as well as the Chinese people in Macao to ensure that we have both sides of the spectrum. The only way to make sure we are not sending the wrong message is by allowing them into our city and to make sure that they do not contaminate the common people while on their visit. We will be receiving the same knowledge without letting them into our city.
Some of you may wonder why I feel it necessary to be so cautious of these Jesuits. It is because I looked to the words of the master when he was walking in the company of two men and said, “I am bound to be able to learn from them. The good points of the one I copy; the bad points of the other I correct in myself (7.22)”. I then applied this to what I know about the past. St. Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary who had a vision to spread his foreign religion of the single god. He was successful in Japan and India, but failed in China before his death in 1552. Matteo Ricci is a fellow Jesuit of the same St. Francis Xavier! It would be an intelligent assumption to presume that his goals are the same as his companion; to impose his barbarous religion, Christianity, onto all of China, not to learn the Confucian principals as we would have hoped.
I understand that it is easy to be deceived by the Jesuits. We would hope that we could enlighten them, and they seem like they have potential. Matteo Ricci has been studying our language, but only in preparation to enforce his beliefs onto China so that we will understand. He has also been studying our classics and our society. Why do you think he is taking such an interest in our culture? We must not be naive and look under the surface. He wants us to trust him and be appealing to our ways. Because he knows our society, he knows that to convert our common people, which is the majority of China, he must first convert the imperial court and then work his way down. The master did say, “The common people can be made to follow a path but not to understand it” (8.9). Our common people do not have to understand what he preaches; Matteo Ricci knows that the common people will follow the emperor regardless. I honestly believe that his plan is to convert our vast dynasty and disrupt our harmonious balance. Matteo Ricci has studied the words of our master, “Men of antiquity studied to improve themselves; men today study to impress others” (14.24). He is smart; he knows our ways and what we want to hear because he has studied us and now wants to convert us as if we were barbarians. That is why he preaches in private discussions, because that is what we are accustomed to. He dresses in the dress of the scholars to appeal to our customs and he has already converted many to his devious ways.
I do understand that we could learn a great deal about war, business, and economy from foreigners; however, I do not believe that these missionaries are the foreigners to learn from. Their knowledge is not only a risk with disastrous potential, but it also comes at a very high price that the Ming dynasty cannot afford. The possibility of failure outweighs the danger this risk could bring by a considerable amount. I refuse to give up my Confucian principals for their commercial greed that is sure to disrupt harmony at an irreversible measure. I will leave you with the words of the master, “If I took anyone it would have to be a man who, when faced with a task, was fearful of failure and who, while fond of making plans, was capable of successful execution” (7.11).

David Dennard
Memorial 2
There is a great danger in our midst. It threatens the very order of our families, our government, and our society. The mandate of heaven is in danger. I refer to the Grand Secretary’s poisoning of our sovereign’s morality. Why does the son of the most high show interest in Lady Zheng and his illegitimate son? Why does he ignore his rightful heir? It is because our worthy sovereign has been taught incorrectly, or worse our Grand Secretary is some manipulating him. How can there be any doubt to the correct action? If the Grand Secretary had done the correct job of tutoring our benevolent Wanli he would surely act according to tradition. Our benevolent leader must be reminded of the teachings of the master since it appears the Grand Secretary is not of the moral quality to do so. Our duty as members of the bureaucracy is to remind the son of the most high of the correct action. The correct action is to recognize the legitimate heir, and to remove the immoral influence.
The master teaches deep reverence for honoring one’s superior. Son to father, wife to husband, younger to older brother, and subject to emperor is the order the master taught. This is how things have been for generations. Without this order society would cease to function. The master says, “As your father and elder brothers are still alive you are hardly in a position to put into practice what you have heard.”(11:22) This line from the master illustrates how a younger brother is corrected in his wish to take over the role of his superiors. As long as the father and older brother live the younger brother must respect their position of superiority. If the Grand Secretary had given correct counsel our benevolent Wanli would have already realized this. The master chastises a young man who, “presumes to take a seat and walk abreast his seniors.”(14:44) He reminds us that those who try and ignore the order of things are only looking for quick advancement. They have no benevolence, or understanding of the way. Our son of the most high must come to understand what the master has taught. The bureaucracy must teach morality since the Grand Secretary is unable, or unwilling to do so.
I fear for the consequences if we do not act. If a third born son could be named heir by the son of the most high then what will occur across the empire? First born sons will be murdered by their younger brothers! Younger brothers will be murdered to ensure the eldest son’s position! The tradition respecting the legitimacy of the first born will deteriorate. Violence will plague the countryside!
This is not all that will happen if something does not change. If the first wife can lose her position in the emperor’s household than anywhere the first wife can be replaced. Who will lead the household, or participate in ancestor worship? Soon concubines will be overseeing the rites of ancestor worship! Wives conniving and scheming will increase to unseen proportions. A second wife will take this example as justification for removing the first wife, or even removing the male head of the household. Family will fall apart. All family order and stability will cease without Wanli’s correct example. It is integral to the mandate of heaven to set the example of the master. Ignoring this will bring ruin for us all. The time for action is now. Send away the false manipulative counsel! Remove the conniving woman who is only interested in power. Lady Zheng only cares for her son. Wanli has a duty to care for his subjects. When the duty is ignored the mandate is gone. Honorable son of the most high you must act to save the empire. I trust our son of the most high is indeed benevolent. The empire will soon see if this is true.

No colored ribbons adorn thee,
O Still erect Statue, when will your edges crumble?
Pillar of profundity, careful deliberation, and virtue,
Behind you, we have followed in two rows of cattle,
And just out of your eternal periphery,
Embroidered men ascend these steps to both ends.

Present me to Goodness and Purify Me,
That I may be in discipline and endure,
Be tranquil and sincere for a sinecure,
Whose root we must protect for spring,
As naturally as your folded hands.

The heart that has the royal sway,
Will bend the kingdom in two plays, first,
A thousand catties weighed
Out of petty cleverness and indulgence,
Ignores the sage and moral deference.

Ren, serenity, or blind luck:
By which of these did your words prevail?
The Way out the door, now locked
In the curve of your honest smile,
Is kept in secret investigation;
By lamplight we study the tip of Autumn hairs.

Drinking the waters of the Will of Heaven,
The Middle, choking sonorously, neglected,
Believe they must carry the Mountain
Over the North Sea, or break a branch,
Or consecrate a bell with blood.

O Master, your stone facade
Was once Heaven’s wooden tongue, bereft
Of pretense in discourse. What waters sipped
That very tongue, to keep you in daylight
And away from artifice dreaming?

Present me to Goodness and Purify Me,
Virtue and filial duty, like the mulberry,
Must be pruned before the same wind
Whose force is felt over the mountain,
Blows silken harmony over the sea in symmetry,
And uproots the bulky tree.

Son of Heaven, the Master tells us that only the mosy virtuous of rulers attain the reverence and respect of the people. As the Master says in Analects Book II, XX"Chi K'ang asked, "How can one inculcate in the common people the virtue of revernce, of doing their best and of enthusiasm?"The Master said, "Rule over them with dignity and they will be reverent; treat hem with kindness and they will do their best; raise the good and instruct those who are backward and they will be imbued with enthusiasm." The virtuous leader is one of constancy, one of revernce, one who is a gentleman, and one who follows the Way. As the master said in Analects Book II, I"The rule of virtue can be compared tot he Pole Star which commands the homage of the multitude of stars without leaving its place." The virtue of the ruler transcends much like the Pole Star and radiates throughout the empire with the will and mandate of heaven. If the ruler is not virtuous and does not stand with constancy, the empire's harmony is disrupted. When the harmony is disrupted, chaos will abound in an effort to regain homeostasis.
Therefore, Son of Heaven, is it not important, as the future of the Middle Kingson dwells in the body of the emperor, that he be the most virtuous that he can possibly be? Clearly, the Master believed that virtue did not come frombirth, but rather from the cultivation and environment of the person. As the Master says in Analects, Book VI, XXVII< "The gentleman widely versed in culture but brought back to essentials by the rites can, I supposed, be relied upon not to turn against what he stood for." The system the Master reated when composing the Analects, took the terms which had largely been used before only among thee aristocracy and applied them to the common man. One example of such a term that the Master used quite frequently is the term of gentleman, which prior to Confucius was used only to represent someone of noble birth. As the Master comments again in Analects, Book VII, and XXV"The Master instructs under four heads:culture, moral conduct, doing one's best, and being trustworthy in what one says." The Master has made it clear that he selects menof virtue and moral character nased not on their birth but on their individual merit.
If the Master can choose the best men based on their merits, should we not as loyal children respect the teachings of our father? Should we not follow the great example which the Master has demonstrated so brilliantly before us? should we not choose for the most important role iin the entire world, the Son of Heaven, the man of greatest virtue, and greatest pupil of the Way? The action of choosing a leader based on merit is not without precedent in our kingdom. The founder of our gracious Ming dynasty was CHu Yuan-chang, who from 1328-1398, became the Son of Heaven through his military sucesses, and his cultivation of knowledge in a Buddhist monastery. Emperor Yao was not satisfied with his choices for an heir. His son Zhu, who he found quarrelsome, he looked within his own administration and his advisors suggested he consider the Minister of Works. The emperor did not find the Minister of Works to be satisfactory either, calling him respectful only in appearance . Next, the council and the ministry suggested a man by the name of Gun. he was assigned a task for the emperor and the work was never completed. Finally, the court suggested a man who was poor called Shun of Yu, he was known for his character. Shun of Yu was the son of a blind man, his father had no principles, and his mother no morals. However, Shun of Yu was a perfect example of fillial piety. The emperor chose to marry his daughter to this man, who became the next Son of heaven.
Son of Heaven, I ask not that as heir we pick someone who is not of royal blood. I ask simply that the best man for the job be chosen. The holder of the Mandate of Heaven must clearly be a man who is schooled in the ways of the Master, a gentleman, a man of benevolence, a man of virtue, and a man who waslk in the path of the Way, Therefore, he might, as a good father, lead his subjects in the examples of constancy and virtue. And down the path to benevolence and Enlightenment. I ask simply that the best man hold the mandate of heaven, and that the best man for the job lead the subjects of the Middle Kingdom. Therefore, the issue of sucession ,must be left open.

John Nelson
April 16, 2007

Worthy Emperor Wanli, Son of the Most High: Today it is my aim to influence you to name Changluo your successor and heir. “The Master said, ‘The gentleman can influence those who are above him,’” (4.24). I believe that in this Grand Secretariat and in my private life I humbly consider myself a gentleman. Having achieved this status in my character I now call attention to what Confucius said about gentleman. “The Master said, ‘A gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds,’” (14.29). I would be remiss to not take a stand now and relate to you my counsel on this serious subject. I am willing to take any punishment you decide to levy, just as long as I can say what needs to be said.
“The Master said, ‘So long as the ruler loves ritual, the people will be easy to handle,’” (14.44) Well, Emperor Wanli, the people are not easy to handle. There is corruption in all levels of the bureaucracy and some of our own people have become pirates. Worthy Emperor, you cannot even handle those you have direct contact with, namely the swindling eunuchs whose authority goes unchecked (The Glory and Fall of the Ming Dynasty, Albert Chan 155). All of this corruption must be coming from somewhere. “The Master said, ‘He who will not worry about what is far off will find something worse than worry close at hand,’” (15.11) For so long, you have put the decision to name Changluo your successor off, and now you must make a decision. You are now thinking about elevating Lady Zheng to imperial consort, when the honor should go to Lady Wang, the mother of your first-born. Consider our history before you make a terrible mistake.
The An Shi Rebellion was a terrible time in our past. Over 36 million of our people died during this rebellion. An Lushan, the commander had control over the whole north of China, and decided to attack the city to capitalize on their decadence. He was in league with Yang Guifei, Emperor Xuanzhong’s imperial consort. Her corruption led to the death of so many people (Encyclopedia Brittanica 139). Consider also Lady Li in the Han Dynasty. She secured high-ranking positions for her brothers from the Emperor. The brothers turned out to be criminals and were justly executed (). So you see, Emperor Wanli, the influence of women can easily lead to destruction.
You were the first-born to your father and were rightly named his successor, because it is one of the most standard practices to honor the elder son. So how could you possibly be thinking about turning your back on your first-born son Changluo? It is not too late to amend all of this. Perhaps you can change this dangerous path that the Middle Kingdom. “The Master said, ‘If you have made a mistake, do not be afraid of admitting the fact and amending your ways,’” (9.24). Emperor, I plead with you to first admit that you were mistaken to ever think about elevating Lady Zheng to imperial consort. Next, you need to amend your ways by naming Lady Wang imperial consort and naming Changluo your successor and heir. If anyone is advising you differently, they are either ignorant or corrupt and should be fired. Do with me what you wish, but do the right thing and name Changluo your successor. Thank you.

Worthy Emperor: It has come to my attention that the number of peasants in the empire who have taken up banditry now numbers over 3,000. Due to the poor harvest of last season this number has resulted as well as an increase in membership in the White Lotus Sect. My fellow Grand Secretaries: I realize that you as well as I have most likely not left the Forbidden City for many years. Therefore you may be unaware of this White Lotus sect. Therefore, I will tell you. The White Lotus sect is a band of heretics that formed during the previous Yuan dynasty. They base their beliefs on the Buddhist religion rather than on the wise sayings of the master. Their purpose now is to overthrow the government and dethrone the son of the most high rather than follow the Way and live a life of righteousness and respect for the Master.
Our previous ancestors have been unsuccessful in stopping these barbarians. Though they are fellow citizens, they have turned themselves into the equivalent of the barbaric Jesuits. Their disregard for the way and for our government cannot be tolerated. Whoever, we must not be too harsh with them. The Master said, “The common people can be made to follow a path but not to understand it.” ( Analect 8.9) If we were to imprison the leaders of the White Lotus sect, namely the chief leader Tang Sai'er, the common people would be left without someone to lead them down the wrong path. We then would need to step in as those who are learned in the way and set the example and give them the correct path to follow. As we all know so well, the master said, “Guide them by edicts, keep them in line with punishments and the common people will stay out of trouble but will have no sense of shame. Guide them by virtue, keep them in line with the rites, and they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform themselves.” (Analect 2.3) We must all reflect inward and rethink our behavior. Is our behavior that of one who obeys the sayings of the master? Are we striving on the path along the Way? We would all do well to understand the position we hold and realize that our actions have drastic effects on the empire. “The prevalence of thieves was a source of troubles to Chi K'ang Tzu who asked the advice of Confucius. Confucius answered, 'if you yourself were not a man of desires, no one would steal even if stealing carried a reward.'” (Analect 7.18) The ever-wise Master tells us that the common people are merely a reflection of our own selves. We must first remove our own desires and distractions before we can expect the common people to reform themselves. I ask the members of this counsel to all think on my words and I thank the Son of Heaven for his time and patience.

Most Worthy Emperor,

As your loyal grand secretary, I am obligated to bring to your attention matters of utmost concern. For this reason, I report my distress with your choice of departing from the sacred traditions in neglecting the education of your first son in the teachings of the Master, and promoting your younger son above him. While it is true that the bureaucracy is faced by numerous issues—the flooding of the Yellow River, banditry of pirates from the east, the barbarians to the north and south—they should not distract from the issue of succession. Indeed, does the Master not say, "Guide (the people) by edicts, keep them in line with punishments and the common people will stay out of trouble but will have no sense of shame. Guide them by virtue, keep them in line with the rites, and they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform themselves" (2:3). Like a son to his father, the people look to you, most excellent Emperor, for moral guidance. Is it acceptable for a family's eldest son does not receive the formal training to succeed his father in his duties, whatever their family standing might be? No, instead, we follow the Master's examples, and have the youngest defer to the eldest. The previous Emperor did so, most correctly designating you, his first son as his heir, and it is of utmost importance that our most benevolent ruler do likewise. The Master says, "Observe what a man has in mind to do when his father is living, and then observe what he does when his father is dead. If, for three years, he makes no changes to his father's ways, he can be said to be a good son" (1:11). The sanctity of these traditions cannot be overstated.

I never doubt that it is the intention of you, most worthy Wanli, to rule justly and with supreme benevolence. However, as other issues present themselves to your compassionate judgment, please do not put aside the most important task of the tutelage of your first-born son. The Master warns us that a man must not allow himself to be swayed from the path of righteousness by the distractions of a beautiful woman, and prior dynasties have become frayed and torn over the issue of succession. It is for this reason that the Emperor's harem of palace women exists: to ensure the stability of government and the survival of the throne. I am also alarmed at your decision to ignore the recommendation of the First Grand Secretary that your first son be formally designated your heir, given at the time that your younger son was born[1]. Surely the son of the most high appreciates the most sincere, diligent recommendations of the Grand Secretariat towards this most sacred of issues?

As your humble grand secretary, I would recommend engaging the most able scholars of the Hanlin Academy to begin tutoring your first-born son in the classical texts in order to better prepare him for his proper duties in the future. As the Master said, "To serve high officials when abroad, and my elders when at home, in arranging funerals not to dare to spare myself, and to be able to hold my drink—these are trifles that give me no trouble" (9:16), and when your highness follows the path of wisdom decreed by the master, the other troubles faced by the great kingdom will be less, and more easily dealt with. Unless this recommendation is immediately adopted, son of the most high, your ancestors will cry out from their graves, and the foundation of the state will crumble.

I submit this with unlimited loyalty and devotion to the country,

The Grand Secretary from Kaifeng

Grand Secretaries take note:
Second memorials are due tomorrow and should
both be posted on the blog before class turned in
on paper in class.
GM

2nd Memorial

Marie Carroll

Son of Heaven, The Master said, (IV.25) “Virtue never stands alone. It is bound to have neighbors.” Our neighbors have long looked to the Middle Kingdom and the Son of Heaven to be shown the Way. They know that we are the source of their civilization and they show China and the Son of Heaven the respect that they deserve by offering tributes to them. China has always cared for its surrounding countries, and the Son of the Most High has looked out for their rulers and people by offering military protection when it is needed, confirming new rulers, and listening to their memorials. Son of Heaven you should continue to care for these people and their rulers. Doing this will show them that you are a good ruler and that you care about your people and those that surround you.

In 1405 the Yung-lo Emperor incorporated more countries surrounding the Middle Kingdom into our tribute system. Currently most of the tributes given to the Son of Heaven are brought by those that we trade with over land. Worthy Emperor we should expand this system to those that we trade with over sea as well, they need to show you and China the respect that you deserve. The Yung-lo Emperor also increased trade with other countries over sea. From 1405-1433 he increased maritime expeditions greatly reaching India, Africa, and Mecca. Son of Heaven you should increase the Middle Kingdom's trade with foreign countries. Increasing trade with other countries will increase China's revenue and allow you, Illustrious One to care for their people and show them the Way. However since questions have been raised about whether there is corruption in the navy I would suggest that we first investigate these claims and eliminate the corruption if it is indeed there. The navy's size also needs to be increased, allowing for more ships to make the voyages to foreign countries. Increasing our trade increases our revenue and allows you Son of Heaven to show the world that you care for them.

While we are investigating and building up the navy I would like to suggest that we allow others to come to our shores and bring their goods to trade with us. This will also increase our revenue and it is something that can be put into action immediately. When asked about benevolence the Master said (XII.22) “Love your fellow men.” Son of Heaven, you have always done your duty to love your people and care from them like a father loves his children. Increasing trade with foreign countries will show your benevolence, desire to promote harmony, and care for the people through the increased revenue it will create.

Grand Secretaries:
Today the Son of the Most High looks forward to your discussion as you share your counsel on several subjects. The main issue that will be discussed today is government revenue. This is a broad subject. Please be prepared to discuss taxes, import duties, curbing spending, etc. This is an important issue to consider. The Son of the Most High awaits your words.

-First Grand Secretary

Banditry and Peasant Revolts

It has come to my attention as well as to others that the problem of peasant revolts and banditry has gotten quite out of hand. It is an issue that must be dealt with swiftly and efficiently or the ramifications could be disastrous for the order and balance of the empire. The blame cannot be placed solely on the peasants for such revolts because as the Master said to Chi K’ang when he inquired about the prevention of thieves:
“If you yourself were not a man of desires, no one would steal even if stealing carried a reward.” (Book 12, Analect 18)
We know that the common people follow our example and so we must act quickly on their behalf. As well we must instill harmony within the bureaucracy. Our peasants are joining the groups of bandits because they see no other option. There is little being done to prevent or discourage the bandits. They are not being given adequate consequences. The peasants see this and rationalize that they will be able to gain from joining the bandits without incurring any consequences. In order to decrease the banditry we must enforce stricter punishment for those who continue to take part in stealing.
Unfortunately the solution to that problem leads to another. At this time the military fears the bandits more then they fear the consequences of not doing the job. This ill-directed fear has caused the soldiers to stop enforcing the law like they should which in a vicious cycle has added to the increased banditry and peasant revolts. Like I stated before, the bandits and peasants have no consequences to fear because the soldiers are not doing their job. It is imperative that punishment be enforced not only for banditry but for soldiers who fail to enforce punishment on the bandits. The soldiers must also see that executing their duties with excellence will bring them favorable rewards.
The soldiers cannot be expected, however, to enforce their own system of rewards and punishment. That duty falls onto the shoulders of the army and civil officers. The entire bureaucracy must work together in harmony in order for success to be reached. The army and civil officers must instill in their soldiers a noble fear. This fear is needed to inspire the soldiers to eradicate the bandits. The soldiers must see that eradicating the bandits will save and improve their own lives. Without such a noble fear the soldiers have no incentive to fight courageously against the bandits.
The bureaucrats are in need of you, Worthy One, to increase their morale. They must see you to know that you are still in control and that you care about the issues that they are facing. In addition the order, to enforce rewards and punishments, must come from you so that it may trickle down through the hierarchy and begin the process of eradicating the problem.
It is imperative, Son of the Most High, that action be taken, for the order and balance of the empire is at stake. It is right that the people honor you, they must honor you for balance to be maintained. That is why you must act on behalf of the righteous. For in the words of the Master:
“Raise the straight and set them over the crooked and the common people will look up to you. Raise the crooked and set them over the straight and the common people will not look up to you.” (Book 2, Analect 19)

First Memorial:

Son of the Most High, it has become evident that the examination system might not currently be fulfilling the purpose for which it is intended. The Master says, “This much can be known about music. It begins with playing in unison. When it gets into full swing, it is harmonious, clear and unbroken. In this way it reaches the conclusion.” (III, 23). We are all knowledgeable about the past and witnesses to the present, and in comparing the ancients to ourselves, it is obvious that we are not in unison. The Master said, “Be stimulated by the Odes, take your stand on the rites and be perfected by music.” (VIII, 8) How many among us in the Hanlin Academy, as well as those in provincial appointments, can claim to be purely inspired by the wisdom of the ancients and reject the vanity that lures one into a position in society such as ours? “The Master said, ‘How I have gone downhill! It has been such a long time since I dreamt of the Duke of Chou.’” (VII, 5) The current disharmony in the Middle Kingdom identifies that we, as models for society, have deviated from the Way.
To condemn our use of the Classics is too extreme. We must acknowledge that we are subject to the exigencies of time, and in being responsible for the welfare of the people we must trust our instincts and be confident in our understanding of the Classics. I trust that each of us identify and separate our personal motivations from governing and are objective in our interpretations and use of the Classics. Our current practice of periodic reexaminations ensures that officials maintain their devotion to knowledge. However, limiting appointments based on regional divisions does not ensure that the best candidates are being selected. This limits the reviewing officials’ ability to completely and properly fulfill their duties.
If we stray from the Way, then what hope is there of finding worthy scholars in the Middle Kingdom? Our influence on the people cannot be understated. The Mandate of Heaven lies with the people and the emperor. We cannot abandon the Classics, but we should consider the effect that time has on our traditions. We of the Hanlin Academy should consider establishing a modern framework from which the Classics can be interpreted. We should incorporate the lessons that history has taught those who governed before us and update the examinations in terms of this new framework.
There are worthy scholars in the Middle Kingdom, but our means of identifying them has shown signs of being outdated. “The Master said, ‘It is only the most intelligent and the most stupid who are not susceptible to change.’”(XVII, 3) It is our duty to find the middle ground between tradition and change. This applies to revising the examinations and our methods of selecting the best candidates. It is a mockery and profanation of the wisdom of the ancients to allow those with influence to purchase governmental appointments. The Master would not condone filling the coffers at the expense of wisdom. Reestablishing harmony within the Kingdom begins with reevaluating our motivations in governing and in our individual relationships with the Classics, and by establishing harmony among ourselves we will only then be capable of revising the examination process and thereby ensure stability for the future of the Middle Kingdom.

Illustrious one, I would like to reiterate that we have already spent too much time on the subject of reforming the examination system. Nonetheless, I respectfully submit measures to improve the examination system and give closure on the topic. The master expresses my displeasure with our inability to make a decision on an overly discussed topic when “Chi Wen Tzu always thought three times before taking action. When the master was told of this, he commented, ‘twice is quite enough’” (5.20). Although there are those in this council that have their doubts, in my humble opinion, the examination system necessitates reform. However, I feel that any fears for such reformation have little basis. To improve the examination system, we must improve each level of the exam without using excess resources and without facing any new issues with the system. Moreover, the purpose of this memorial is to establish the practical application for the examination system.

Why must the exam be reformed? Son of the Most High, you have not received appropriate, practical advice. Clearly, lack of proper and qualified advising is due to an ineffective examination system. Even the Metropolitan Examination fails to weed out individuals who do not possess the capacity to properly assess issues of your empire and provide viable solutions. The Sui Emperor created the examination system in order to disallow men from holding an official position by virtue of family status (Miyazaki, 112). The Wanli Emperor must disallow men to become high-ranking officials by virtue of philosophical knowledge alone.

Why do we not create an entirely new examination system? In my stupid opinion, it is not the entire examination system that fails you; the system effectively filters through thousands upon thousands for the most intelligent. "The people of Lu were rebuilding the treasury. Min Tzu Chi’en said, ‘why not simply restore it? Why must it be totally rebuilt?’ the Master said, ‘either this man does not speak or he says something to that point’” (11.14). The Master means that the appropriate action is not always to start from nothing. Sometimes it is necessary to build from the existing foundation. Past Emperors have established more radical reformations to the education and examination systems. Over 500 years ago, Emperor Shen-tsung instituted a first-rate national university; at the time, Emperor Shen-tsung’s actions were extremely radical (Miyazaki, 116). Replacing one philosophical question with a practical question is much less radical. I believe, through past discourse, we have come to the conclusion that the necessary and proper route regarding the examination system is to replace one philosophical question with one question testing the comprehension of Confucius for each individual on a practical level.

Each level of the examination system will have a question in proportion to the level. Only during the triennial metropolitan examinations in Beijing would we pose the most pertinent, problematic issues facing this empire. A licentiate does not need to be concerned with the same matters you, Son of the Most High, ask of your counsel. As the master said, “you can tell those who are above average about the best, but not those who are below average” (10.21). The master means that only those most qualified can be told, and be concerned with, those matters most important to you, Worthy Emperor. A licentiate, or even a provincial graduate, does not need to be concerned with barbarians knocking on the border of the other end of your middle country. Therefore, the practical examination question for the two lower examinations would be a generic and historical question. For example, the provincial examination question could be regarding the piracy issue in 1369 to 1372 and would replace the broad critique of certain past or present government policies (Miyazaki, 51). The question would be formatted as follows:
From 1369 to 1372, Hung-wu was faced with Japanese piracy. He sent three missions to Japan using various captured pirates, Chinese monks as envoys, and threatening scripts from himself. Nevertheless, the piracy continued. What should Hung-wu have done after his failed attempts to reason with the lawless Japanese?
A model answer is difficult to determine, for there are many. Thus, it is easier to define those answers that would not be appropriate. Such answers would include complete lack of solution, a solution devoid of benevolence and virtue, or one where the solution exceeds the resources available.

The metropolitan exam would have a single contemporary problem in lieu of one of the five final essay questions submitted to you, Worthy Emperor, for approval. For this year’s practical examination question, if it were to be instituted, an appropriate question would be as follows:
In recent years state revenue has been falling. Is the government monopoly on salt a legitimate way to raise revenue? What are the advantages and disadvantages of government monopolies? What other methods might be employed to raise government revenue? Propose means by which the government could strengthen its fiscal conditions.
Various commendable answers exist. Another memorial should be written to establish the various appropriate answers. Nevertheless, an inappropriate answer would be one lacking solution or a solution devoid of Confucian virtues (Miyazaki, 67).

Addressing the issue of the lack of resources, I ask, what resources does developing three to four practical examination questions require? Unlike the previously mentioned Emperor Shen-tsung’s addition, reassigning such tasks would be at no cost to you, Worthy Emperor. This council is comprised of thousands of members; surely there are several that would be honored to take the time to write memorials posing a practical examination question and illustrating the model answer. Not to mention, we already use the same resources to develop examination questions for the current system. The only resource required would be using the same secretary that would have written a memorial regarding a philosophical confusion question. We would not be required to send out any additional examination officials. How can one say we do not have the resources? In addition, would it not be appropriate to propose problems facing you, Son of the Most High, as examination questions? We would, in effect, properly gauge the applicant’s mastery of Confucius through comparing the applicant’s answer to the proposed model and our own solutions.

The only obstacle facing such a reformation is grading the examination question. Many acceptable solutions exist; however, many individuals do not possess the capacity to apply Confucian knowledge to practical problems. Therefore, those grading the examinations must have a virtuous, open mind. They must be given several examples of exemplary answers. Nevertheless, they must realize that appropriate answers exist outside of the recommended list. However, regardless of these requirements, do we not already require the utmost anonymity? Also, do we not already require those grading the examinations to be virtuous? The examination system is set up to be nothing but honorable. We can see the trust in the system’s fairness because of our unique grading methods such as examiners only having access to the seat number on an answer paper. Another example is the fact that during the Metropolitan examination, examiners read only copies. No extraordinary method would be instituted. Again, excess resources would not be required (Miyazaki, 119).

In summation, each level of the examination system will have one practical question that can be answered regardless of which province the examination is given. No extra resources will be necessary, because we will simply utilize the current resources. Illustrious one, we must be decisive. We have spoken of this subject so often that if we were carving meat, there would be nothing left to carve. As the Master said, “Before he could put into practice something he had heard, the only thing Tzu-lu feared was that he should be told something further” (5.14). Before we continue any other reiteration, Worthy Emperor, you should decide.

David Dennard
Memorial 1
Son of the most high, I wish to honor myself by aiding in your benevolent rule. We face dire financial problems. The empire continues to grow and expand without the needed growth in revenue. Several different options have been discussed to remedy this problem. I strongly discourage any suggestion of dealing in foreign and domestic commerce on practical and moral grounds. Monopolies on the other hand, though immoral, are a necessary policy for revenue at this time. I will expound on both of these issues in order for the emperor to adequately address the issue. Most importantly, I beg the worthy Wanli to lead by correct moral action. Without the correct leadership the mandate of heaven could be lost. I fear the flooding of the Yellow Rives is not a sign it is too late.
Tax on commerce, both foreign and domestic, should not be pursued. I wish to discuss the practical problems. The commerce of our empire is very developed. It would involve a doubling of the size of the bureaucracy to take account of, and tax the trade accordingly. The scale of such an undertaking would bankrupt the state. Furthermore, what interest do the people have in paying more taxes? The obvious conniving and maneuvering to avoid payment would make this process nearly impossible.
Foreign trade would also prove equally difficult. The building of ships to protect the coast, manning trading posts, and countering piracy would be an expensive undertaking. The danger of coming into conflict with our neighbors over trade is a further danger. Piracy and black market trade would flourish with an increase in crime across the empire. From a very practical outlook any taxation of commerce would be a daunting undertaking.
I fear monopolies to be a necessary evil. Salt monopolies are an institution dating to the 7th century. The salt trade is found across the empire from the coast to lakes far inland. Only Chiangsi, Kwangsi, and Kweichow of the fifteen provinces do not produce salt. The revenue potential due to widespread production is considerable. Furthermore, the history of the trade provides a system in place that requires no radical change. Most important of all, salt monopolies currently account for one third of imperial revenue. I fear this government will cannot afford to lose this revenue. My experience in my home province of Hwainan instilled me with these beliefs. Without the monopoly my home province would suffer greatly. I must reluctantly support monopolies on salt and iron for these reasons. Monopolies connection to corrupt officials and the black market trade bother me a great deal. I must admit that practicality must dictate policy. Still, practicality would not dictate this policy if the correct example was set.[i]
Most worthy Wanli, I beg you to set the example the empire needs. The master says, “if guided by profit one will incur much ill will.”(4:12) If the government sets an example of trying to gain profit from immorally gained commercial wealth the state is in grave danger. A recent example of the lack of correct guidance occurred in 1540. The President of the Board of Works reported the treasury empty. Nearly, seven million silver taels were spent on building projects.[ii] Most being grandiose palaces. What does the man in the countryside think of this? If the rulers are spending excessive wealth he will assume he should pursue wealth also. Why stay in the village when a peasant believes wealth is what is most important. How will the order of society survive? The Literati remind us, “because of wealth…wants multiply and people become reckless in immoral quests of wealth.”[iii] The people will no longer respect the institutions of our society in order to gain wealth. The son of the most high must set the correct example in this issue. Remember what the master said, “To govern is to correct. If you set an example by being correct who would dare remain incorrect.”(12:17) He also warns later, “If a man manages to make himself correct what difficulty will there be for him to take part in government, but if he cannot make himself correct what business does he have in correcting others?”(13:13) I hope my thoughts will aid the son of the most high to the correct decision to ensure the mandate of heaven survives.
[i] The Salt Industry of Ming China
Tao-Chang Chiang
Geographical Review, Vol. 65, No. 1. (Jan., 1975), pp. 93-106.

[ii] Chan, Albert. The Glory and Fall of the Ming Dynasty pp. 266.
[iii] Confucian Guide Book pp.37.

Most Worthy Emperor,

I have been asked to propose a main question for the metropolitan exam for civil service to be held next month.

For this, I have selected a passage from the Master's texts (the Analects, Book 1, 5.),

The Master said, 'In guiding a state of a thousand chariots, approach your duties with reverence and be trustworthy in what you say; avoid excesses in expenditure and love your fellow men; employ the labour of the common people only in the right seasons.'.

I would pose the question to the candidates for civil service, why would one make sure to only employ the common people in the right seasons?

With that, a model answer would be to the effect of this:

With the importance of agriculture in our society, it is known that the proper methods and timing for planting, cultivation, and finally harvesting are absolutely paramount. To be mistaken by just a few days can lead to total disaster. What begins as a minor error in judgment about the most auspicious period to begin planting can, in time, turn into a crisis of starvation. Starvation leads to famine, and uncorrected famine will lead to death, and even the loss of the Mandate of Heaven.

The labour of the common people is not to be squandered. Incorrect, greedy, selfish administrators will pull hard-working farmers off their fields to fulfill their own desires—personal projects glorifying themselves, incorrect public works, or even to fight their own personal battles and wars. Meanwhile, during the important period of farming, land lies untilled and unmanaged. Once again, famine results, as does waste, death, and even the fall of the dynasty. Just like labour, money can be squandered on the incorrect uses, and is wasted before it is actually needed for proper uses.

When administrators know and appreciate the auspicious times for harvest and cultivation, and when farmers are present on those fields, able to work the land, does the greatest potential for food production exist. When everything is done most correctly, the results will be most correct as well, just as when everything is done incorrectly, the incorrect, and even harmful, result appears.

In the early days of the dynasty, men charged with corruption were dealt with harshly. Officials charged with embezzling eight kuan of public funds were regularly executed. Since then, we have become lax in our punishment of corruption (Huang, 154).

Squandering of manpower by magistrates for personal ventures, not in accordance with the central government, has become increasingly problematic. While many administrators are acting with correct intentions in issues of barbarian defense and developing infrastructure, many are not only wasting labour but also food and resources. A few even do it simply to line their own pockets in shady deals. Countering this corruption, Worthy Emperor, should be one of our prime objectives and intentions, and is best handled by only allowing those with correct behavior and morals into the civil service. With the best-taught and most moral men in the bureaucracy, the government can be run smoothly and the Mandate of Heaven maintained.

I submit this with unlimited loyalty and devotion to the country,

The Grand Secretary from Kaifeng

Son of the Most High: you ask me what constitutes a good and effective ruler? The answer is simple: a ruler who is virtuous, trustworthy, and strong. One who commits to the five constant relationships and benevolence will be moral and effective. Confucius speaks of the efficacy of a ruler when “Duke Ai asked, ‘What must I do before the common people will look up to me?’ Confucius answered, ‘Raise the straight and set them over the crooked and the common people will look up to you. Raise the crooked and set them over the straight and the common people will not look up to you’” (Book II.19). What Confucius means is that a ruler must provide the means to correct any wrongs, thus creating a deep-rooted trust. If a ruler were to ignore natural and human wrongs, or even promote them, his subjects would ignore his rule in turn. Trust between a ruler and his subjects is the first of three essentials that produce a strong ruler. A ruler can lose adequate troops to protect his subjects, but still be strong. Adequate food can also be removed from a ruler’s subjects; however, with trust in the ruler to provide necessities regardless of a flux in provisions, the ruler will remain strong. You, Illustrious One, have provided for your people and have met the first requirements.

Confucius further characterizes a virtuous, strong ruler when “Chi K’ang Tzu asked, ‘How can one inculcate in the common people the virtue of reverence, of doing their best and of enthusiasm?’ The Master said, ‘Rule over them with dignity and they will be reverent; treat them with kindness and they will do their best; raise the good and instruct those who are backward and they will be imbued with enthusiasm’” (Book II.20). In his answer, Confucius means that subjects can be virtuous only by virtuous example. “Raise[ing] the good” entails the ruler providing in a similar capacity to “raise[ing] the straight.” If the ruler cultivates himself, leading a life of virtue and decorum, then the subjects will have trust and be loyal. Rather than reaching for material gain, the ruler must adhere to benevolent actions and reach for what is right.

Kindness, which is integral to humanity and benevolence, indicates a good ruler. However, Confucius is not promoting a lax policy. In “treat[ing] them [his subjects] with kindness,” Confucius means that those who follow in their benevolent ruler’s example should be rewarded. Those who violate policy should receive punishment appropriate for their disobedience. A ruler who rewards and punishes appropriately will be effective. Looking at the First Grand Secretary’s example during your early years as emperor, Zhang Juzheng imposed a strict policy. Regardless of the reasons for his resignation, his advice to you, Worthy Emperor, proved effective. However, because he did not possess the Mandate, he was incapable of fully understanding the balance necessary to gain the thread of trust connecting the ruler to his subjects; therefore, he was not favorable as you are. Our current First Grand Secretary has shown a better grasp for the balance in effective praise, punishment, and policy. Appropriately praising and punishing your subjects is simply the yin and yang of being a good, effective ruler.

Illustrious One, I am honored to be charged with defining the constitution of a good, effective ruler. You exemplify qualities such as benevolence, trustworthiness, and virtuosity. Your subjects are loyal due to your benevolence. Not only do you have these qualities, you venerate your ancestors and practice in the honored state functions. Since fully overseeing the rule of your Middle Kingdom, floods and earthquakes have not been as severe as the past; the borders have been more solid. We always will have problems; they are simply part of the balance. Again, the problems we are facing are not as severe as they have been in the past. Thus far, you are a good, effective ruler.

Flooding of the Yellow River and What We Should Do

I have received and carefully considered my assignment of the flooding of the Yellow River. After speaking with those who understand the river and why it floods I have come to believe that the cause of flooding is the river itself. The river carries an excessive amount of silt, which over the course of time can build up the riverbed in certain places and cause the river to overflow affecting many of the people of China. Worthy Emperor, you love your people like a father loves his children. Your love is shown through protecting them from floods. However I fear that some of my colleagues in the academy do not share your love for the people. The Master said, (III. 26) “What can I find worthy of not in a man who is lacking in tolerance when in high position, in reverence when performing the rites and in sorrow when in mourning?” The Master meant that we should not be caught up in the literal symbols of Confucianism, but instead we should promote the wellbeing of the people. There are many lives and vast areas of farmland that are at risk for flooding, therefore our decisions and actions must be made quickly to stop this from happening. We need to send officials trained in engineering out to solve this problem quickly.

The Master said,(XII.14) “Over daily routine do not show weariness, and when there is action to be taken, give of your best.” We here in the capital do not have the time to give our best to the river control, therefore a commissioner should be appointed. The first task to improve control of the Yellow River should be for Your Majesty, Son of the Most High, to select a commissioner to oversee the project. He must have impeccable character and be able to command high regard of the provincial and capital officials. He must also have technical and organizational abilities which should be reinforced by moral strength. The commissioner must have these qualities because decisions must be made in the field, the commissioner should be empowered to mobilize materials and labor to carry out these decisions. The river can flood quickly before decisions could be made by the capital. The best decisions can only be made from the field, where the commissioner can personally see the conditions of the river and the surrounding people and make the best decision before the river is allowed to flood.

The next step in controlling the river is to decide upon a course of action. In the past our ancestors have used to different strategies to control the river. One being to confine the river in a marrow channel by high levees, the other which was used by the Great Yu, founder of the Xia dynasty, is to confine the river in a wider flood plain between lower levees. I would ask Your Majesty to consider both options and to use them together to control the river. The commissioner would be able to best see where each strategy could be used to the best advantage. While the first option will cost more, the second will require more land to be devoted to flood control. Either option will cost something however is it not your duty, Worthy Emperor, to protect and love your subjects like a father loves his son. As the Master points out in XII. 7 with out trust the common people will have nothing to stand on. The people of China are trusting you, Illustrious One, to control the river and protect their lives and land. We must act together without criticizing the emperor to quickly control the river and protect the people of China.

To explain the cause of the Yellow river flooding and to offer my suggestions as to how to control the river, I have drawn up this document. I ask for the Son of the Most High, Your Imperial Majesty's instruction.

John Nelson
March 29, 2007

Worthy Emperor Wanli, Son of the Most High: It is my humble task to everyday
try to achieve moral force in my character, for Confucius says moral force never dwells in solitude, it will always bring neighbors (Analects 4.25). I have instilled in myself this virtue so that, hopefully, my words will not pass my lips in vain, but instead call others to action to achieve the same end. Maybe together the entire Grand Secretariat can lead with moral force. For Master says, govern them by moral force, keep order among them by ritual and they will keep their self-respect and come to you of their own accord (Analects 2.3).
Today I am to discuss how to raise revenue in the Middle Country. Specifically I will address the legitimacy of our monopoly on salt. Master says, those whose measures are dictated by mere expediency will arouse continuous discontent (Analects 4.12). I believe our economy has for far too long been based on earning money quickly. We established the monopoly on salt in the T’ang Dynasty in order to quickly raise funds, banking on the popularity of salt in trade. We have stopped creating our economic institutions based on what is beneficial to us in the long run. Instead, our government is now competing for profit with our people. The result has been that our primary occupation (agriculture) is crippled, while the secondary occupation (trade) thrives. The people, as Confucius predicted, are discontent. They lack discipline and self-respect, and crave for our ruling with moral force, as was previously stated. I call that we repeal the salt monopoly so as to pursue advancement in agriculture.
But has not the salt monopoly paid for our defenses against the barbarians? What will happen to our military funds? These questions will lose relevance if there is no conflict. For Master says, the ruler must attract [people of far off lands] by enhancing the prestige of his culture; and when they have been duly attracted, he contents them. And where there is contentment there will be no upheavals (Analects 16.1). Without these upheavals, we would be able to save so much of the money being hastily poured into our border defenses in the past. We are asking the wrong questions. We should be asking how to attract these foreigners. These foreigners are a vital asset to the Middle Country, for they become infiltrated into our military. We should look to attract these people instead of exploit our own.
Now what of monopolies? Monopolies should not be allowed to exist any longer here. We are cornering all the goods and raising the prices. Our officials are taking advantage of our own people. These corrupt officials control the supply of goods and keep the demand high in order to reap the maximum profit. Our ancestors understood how to effectively govern the people. Confucius says, if you raise up the straight and set them on top of the crooked, the commoners will support you. But if you raise the crooked and set them on top of the straight, the commoners will not support you (Analects 2.19). Our officials must be illustrations of moral integrity, so that the people will follow their lead.
With all that said, we need to prioritize agriculture to be our chief occupation for profit. For centuries our land has been self-sufficient. We have been able to flourish on our own fruits and catch fish from our own seas. This should continue. Our ancestors were wary of trade with foreigners and we should be as well. Commerce with other countries is tricky, and it will only lead to a sanction of greed. Therefore, a tax on commerce, whether foreign or domestic, is not in our best interest. Also, taxes on landholdings have become exploitative to the point of madness. It has essentially become the economic basis of the bureaucracy as an institution (Huang 145). We need to consider lessening the burden on these landholders, so as to keep their loyalty.
In short I would just like to reiterate that our agriculture needs to be our primary occupation, just as it was in antiquity. Also, we need to attract foreigners with the glamour of our culture, namely literature, music, and dance. My purpose here was to show the Son of the Most High my reflections for raising revenue, which I now ask for his consideration. Thank you.