Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 114 The Emperor Who Doesn’t Play by the Rules

Originally, Zhu Changluo wanted to reorganize the Imperial Household Department, but no one expected that Emperor Taichang would die so quickly. He died after just one month in office.

In such a short time, Zhu Changluo did not even have time to confer titles on the Imperial Concubine and the Crown Prince, let alone adjust the Silijian. Therefore, after Wang An became the first scribe, the Silijian's personnel were not supplemented or adjusted, and no additional personnel have been added until now.

The Silijian is currently understaffed. Apart from the vacant seal, there is only one eunuch, Wang An, who is in charge of writing, and there are only two eunuchs in charge of the hall. In total, there are only three people in the entire Silijian.

Now Wang An mentioned this matter to Tianqi, just to test Tianqi. If Tianqi agreed to Wang An's request and sent more people to the Silijian to supplement the Silijian, then it would be natural for him to become the first eunuch to hold the seal.

In addition, as a second choice, even if he did not serve as the eunuch holding the seal, he could continue to be his first pen. However, when the Silijian was added, Wang An could also place people there to increase his influence in the inner court and thus consolidate his position.

I have to say that Wang An had a good plan and chose the right timing.

After listening to what Wang An said, Tianqi thought for a moment and asked Wang An, "Isn't the Silijian doing a good job now? You have done your best in your position as the official in charge. With your ability, I think it is not impossible for you to be the seal holder. I am still satisfied with you."

Hearing this, Wang An was immediately delighted. He secretly glanced at Wei Zhongxian who was standing aside, feeling somewhat proud.

Even though Wei Zhongxian is now on the rise, I am still the boss of the Imperial Household Department. As long as the emperor approves of me, I will be as stable as a rock in the palace.

"Your Majesty, how could I have deserved such praise from you? The Imperial Household Department has always been busy with official duties, and I am just an average person. I was rewarded by the late emperor and entered the Imperial Household Department. I really have nothing to repay you for, I just know how to do my job with all my heart. Your Majesty asked me to be the seal holder, and I am really terrified. I feel that even if I am the current pen holder, I am just encouraging and maintaining my position..."

"Haha, you are quite self-aware?" Tianqi said with a smile.

Wang An kowtowed to Tianqi and said, "I will tell you the truth. I dare not deceive the emperor in the slightest."

It must be said that Wang An's response was very standard. As a eunuch, the emperor was his master. How could a servant be complacent and praise his master? Saying a few humble words and then expressing loyalty was a common routine, and Wang An was very skilled in using it.

Just when Wang An thought that his response was appropriate and that Tianqi should encourage him to do his job well and even promote him to the position of eunuch in charge of the seal, Tianqi suddenly spoke.

"In this case, you feel that you are incapable of handling the duties of the Imperial Household Department, and I cannot force you. So, Wei Zhongxian!"

"I'm here!" Wei Zhongxian on the side quickly stood up.

"Wang An said that he felt that he was not qualified for the position of writing, so he changed his position to the position of assistant. How about letting you be the writing assistant from now on? Are you qualified for it?"

"Of course I can do it. I obey your order. Long live the emperor!" Wei Zhongxian knelt down and kowtowed three times to Tianqi without saying a word. After that, Tianqi said, "Get up." Wei Zhongxian stood up with a smile on his face, and then bowed to the dazed Wang An and said, "Eunuch Wang is really a man of high moral character. I admire you very much. I thank you for giving up your position."

“You…you…” Wang An’s face turned red, his chest felt stuffy, and he couldn’t speak for a while.

He was just being polite, but who would have thought that he would lose his position as the chief secretary of the Imperial Household Department just like that? And Tianqi was so careless as to give the position to the illiterate Wei Zhongxian?

Even though Wang An had experienced many ups and downs, he never expected that the little emperor would do something unconventional and settle the matter with just a few words.

Now that the matter is done, Wang An is regretting it so much that his intestines are turning green.

One moment he was the second in command of the Imperial Household Department, but actually the first in command. The next moment, he was a eunuch who held the pen and became a eunuch who served in the imperial court. Although Tianqi still retained his position as the Imperial Household Department, one must know that the power difference between a eunuch who held the pen and a eunuch who served in the imperial court was huge.

If the eunuch holding the seal is the chief minister and the eunuch holding the pen is the second minister, then the eunuch holding the seal is the actual minister when the eunuch holding the seal is vacant. But the eunuchs in the hall are not even as good as ordinary cabinet ministers, they are just errand boys in the Silijian, or secretaries, and their status and power are completely different.

Wang An never expected that the emperor and Wei Zhongxian would actually do this to him, so he just followed his own words and settled the matter.

Now that the dust has settled, Wang An has no time to regret. As a eunuch, he can't just tell the emperor that he didn't mean that. He was just being modest. How can he say such a thing? Eunuchs are the emperor's servants. Does he want the emperor to admit his mistakes in person? Although Wang An is a high-ranking eunuch, he can't cover up everything in the palace. What's more, his power comes from the emperor. Once he does this, where will Wang An stand in the palace in the future?
In an instant, Wang An seemed to have aged several years, and he had lost the spirit he had just had. Helplessly, Wang An could only kowtow to express his gratitude, and then, with Tianqi's comfort, Wang An left the Qianqing Palace in a daze.

"Your Majesty, we can't let this old fellow Wang An go easily. I will make him know the consequences of offending Your Majesty!" As soon as Wang An left, Wei Zhongxian expressed his loyalty to Tianqi with a ferocious smile.

Tianqi looked at Wei Zhongxian deeply and smiled without comment.

"You should arrange the affairs of the Imperial Household Department carefully, work hard in the future, and don't let me down." "I understand..."

"Okay, I'm going to take a rest. You can go to the Imperial Household Department to do your work now. Come back to me if you have anything else." After saying this, Tianqi ignored Wei Zhongxian and went to the side hall on his own.

After moving to the Qianqing Palace, Tianqi moved all his belongings from his previous residence a few days after he ascended the throne, and then built a place in a side hall of the Qianqing Palace specifically for carpentry work.

Tianqi would stay there for several hours every day. Only when he was studying carpentry could he find some happiness and feel completely relaxed.

Wei Zhongxian suddenly replaced Wang An as the chief secretary of the Imperial Household Department. This event caused a sensation in the palace. At one moment, everyone understood that Wei Zhongxian had become the emperor's most trusted eunuch and had truly made a name for himself.

The changes in the inner court also attracted the attention of officials in the court. However, compared with the cabinet and the ministries, the changes in the Silijian were the emperor's family affairs. Although many civil servants felt sorry that Wei Zhongxian replaced Wang An as the actual head of the Silijian, after all, Wang An had a good relationship with the civil servants. Having Wang An control the Silijian would be of great benefit to the cabinet and the court.

Now, this Wei Zhongxian who came out of nowhere suddenly took the throne and replaced Wang An, which made everyone feel very sorry. But when they learned that Wei Zhongxian could not read a single word and was actually the eunuch holding the pen, the civil officials could not help but laugh at the Tianqi Emperor. After all, the young emperor did not know how to govern the country. Putting an illiterate eunuch in the position of the eunuch holding the pen, could he understand those memorials?
If he couldn't read, why would he hold a pen? Maybe Wei Zhongxian didn't even know how to hold a pen. What kind of threat could such a person pose?
Because of this, the change in the Imperial Household Department did not cause any waves in the court. After a short period of commotion, the matter became a thing of the past. The civil officials simply looked down on Wei Zhongxian, and at the same time, they also felt that the young man Tianqi was free-spirited and not to be feared.

But no one expected what consequences would result from Tianqi putting Wei Zhongxian in this position. Those officials who looked down on Tianqi and Wei Zhongxian did not expect what this eunuch who could not read a single word would bring to them.

Time flies and it is already the end of the year. This unusual 48th year of Wanli is finally about to pass.

It has been three months since Emperor Tianqi ascended the throne. After this month, next year will be the first year of Tianqi.

During the three months after he ascended the throne, Tianqi did not do anything major. Apart from the resignation of Xiong Tingbi and the replacement of the Liaodong governor, there was also a change in the Silijian.

After Yuan Yingtai succeeded Xiong Tingbi, he completely changed Xiong Tingbi's previous strategy of advancing step by step steadily and cautiously. He began to expand the border defense in Liaodong, recruited rebel generals and soldiers, reorganized the army and stockpiled food and fodder, making the situation extremely lively for a while.

Tianqi didn't know whether Yuan Yingtai's actions were good or bad, but there were many people in the court who supported Yuan Yingtai, so Tianqi couldn't make a decision on this matter. Moreover, Yuan Yingtai was a backbone of the Donglin Party and had a good reputation as an official. In addition, many officials in the court agreed to counterattack the Jiannu and avenge the previous humiliation, so Tianqi could only let it go.

As for the Imperial Household Department, not long after Wei Zhongxian became the Chief Eunuch, Emperor Tianqi gave him the position of Superintendent of the Eastern Depot, which greatly increased Wei Zhongxian's power.

However, Wei Zhongxian had just come to power and Wang An had not been completely eliminated. The court did not have the strength to compete with the civil service group and only barely helped Tianqi control the inner court.

But this was still enough. By using Wei Zhongxian to control the Imperial Household Department and the East Factory, Tianqi now felt much safer. And Tianqi himself knew that some things could not be done immediately, but there had been improvements at the moment. As long as he continued like this, the day when he could control the court through Wei Zhongxian would not be far away.

Although the Imperial Household Department had been controlled, the Imperial Guard was still not in their hands. As for Luo Sigong, not to mention Wei Zhongxian, even Tianqi could not do anything to him for the time being.

Luo Sigong is not Wang An. He is the commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Not only that, Luo Sigong is also the Grand Tutor and Prince Taibao, and the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army Commandery. This official position is of the first rank. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the highest official in the country.

For eunuchs like Wang An, the situation can be solved with the support of Tianqi and a wrong word, but this cannot be done for Luo Sigong. Luo Sigong has been in charge of Jinyiwei for many years and is also a senior official in the court. As long as he does not rebel, it is difficult to do anything to him with his status as a veteran official of three dynasties.

Moreover, after Wang An's incident, Luo Sigong immediately felt something was wrong. Luo Sigong knew exactly what Wang An did before and after Zhu Changluo's death. In fact, Luo Sigong did the same thing as Wang An. In other words, they both bet on both sides and colluded with the civil officials in private.

One was the emperor's servant, and the other was the emperor's knife. They colluded with civil officials in private. No emperor would let this happen. Wang An's fate made Luo Sigong extremely vigilant. He immediately felt Tianqi's intention. In order to protect himself, Luo Sigong personally met Tianqi, confessed his guilt in front of him, and expressed his absolute loyalty to the emperor.

In addition, Luo Sigong took the initiative to befriend Wei Zhongxian, secretly sent Wei Zhongxian a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry, and acted like a concubine.

Because Luo Sigong was so understanding, Wei Zhongxian temporarily let him go, but this was only temporary.

Wei Zhongxian was illiterate, but he was a smart man. He understood what Tianqi wanted him to do and who his real opponent was. Luo Sigong could be put aside for the time being. After all, he was not an ordinary person, and he was in control of the Jinyiwei. It was not a bad thing to temporarily turn enemies into friends and join forces to deal with the outside world. More importantly, this was not only his opinion, but Tianqi also thought so, which gave Luo Sigong a chance to breathe.

"Your Majesty, did you understand my lesson today?" Sun Chengzong, the left minister, asked Tianqi after finishing his lesson.

After Tianqi ascended the throne, Sun Chengzong appointed Zuo Shuzi as the daily lecturer. The position of Zuo Shuzi was supposed to be an official of the crown prince. Since Wanli did not arrange for Tianqi to go to school when he was the eldest grandson of the emperor, and Zhu Changluo died suddenly later, he was unable to formally go to school until Tianqi ascended the throne.

For this reason, Sun Chengzong was recommended by Liu Yirong, the second assistant of the cabinet, to serve as the left minister and give lectures to the emperor. In this sense, Sun Chengzong was the nominal imperial teacher.

(End of this chapter)