Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 429 Powerful Ministers Issue Joint Orders, Doubts Surround the New Policies!
After the two men walked out, the officials also left one after another.

At this moment, Wang Zuo suddenly stopped in his tracks, called out to an official from the Ministry of Justice, and said, "Wait!"

Upon hearing this, the official hurried over.

Wang Zuo turned to look at Zhan Hui, his expression serious, and said, "Cheating in the imperial examinations is a matter of great importance concerning the foundation of the nation, and it is not something to be taken lightly."

"As ministers of state affairs, we are in charge of many government affairs. At this critical moment, we should make a decisive decision."

“I will immediately write a letter, which you and I will both sign, ordering the Ministry of Justice to arrest Fang Xiaoru immediately.”

"At the same time, send men to surround the examination hall, and wait for the Emperor's decree before taking the next step."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Hui was taken aback and said, "I'm afraid this is inappropriate."

"Even if there really was a leak of the imperial examination questions, the decision should be made by His Majesty. How can you and I presume to act first and report later?"

Wang Zuo responded, "Fang Xiaoru was just an ordinary citizen."

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, even an ordinary constable in Yingtian Prefecture has the right to bring him back to the yamen for questioning if he is suspected of violating the law or committing crimes."

"As high-ranking officials in charge of government affairs, are we not allowed to take him down if we suspect him of such a serious crime as participating in cheating in the imperial examinations?"

Wang Zuo paused for a moment, then continued emphatically, "As for surrounding the examination hall, it's just sending people to surround it from the outside. It's not like we're directly rushing in to arrest the examiners and candidates, so it won't affect the imperial examination."

"How to proceed is naturally up to His Majesty's decision."

"But going to the palace to meet the Emperor and then waiting for His Majesty to issue an edict would take too long, and there would inevitably be unforeseen complications along the way."

"As ministers of state, we have the authority to make emergency decisions, and at this moment, we should take responsibility."

Zhan Hui fell silent. After a long while, he sighed and said, "In the end, isn't it just that you don't want to miss this excellent opportunity to strike at the new school?"

"By arresting Fang Xiaoru, surrounding the Examination Hall, and creating such a grand spectacle, even if His Majesty wanted to downplay the matter, it would be impossible."

"But have you ever considered that pressuring His Majesty in this way might completely enrage him?"

Wang Zuo remained unmoved and admitted, "You're right, I'm going to make a big fuss about this."

"His Majesty is willing to support new policies and new learning; anyone with a discerning eye can see that clearly."

"However, as scholars who have read the classics, once we enter the court and become officials, we should speak frankly to the emperor and guide him onto the right path, rather than allowing him to be deceived and misled by treacherous officials, and to commit an irreparable mistake due to a momentary lapse in judgment."

"Only in this way can we live up to the teachings of the sages, the knowledge we have acquired over the years, the salary given by the court, and the earnest expectations of the people."

“If we blindly flatter the ruler without considering right or wrong, and act solely according to the ruler’s likes and dislikes, then what difference is there between us and those treacherous ministers who only know how to fawn and flatter?”

Wang Zuo stared intently at Zhan Hui and said, "Brother Zhan, you are the chief minister of state affairs and the leader of the upright officials. All the officials in the court are watching you, and all the people in the world are watching you. Do you really want to back down?"

Zhan Hui closed his eyes slightly and gently exhaled a breath of stale air: "Brother Wang, we have known each other for many years, and you must know my character very well."

"How could I, Zhan Hui, be the kind of person who is afraid of death and only knows how to flatter and fawn in order to gain wealth and glory?"

"However, the court has always been strict in its rules. According to regulations, official documents from the government affairs office must be signed by three or more ministers in charge of government affairs to be effective."

"A document signed by only one person is only applicable to handling routine matters within their own area of ​​responsibility."

“But it’s no small matter for the Ministry of Justice to send people to surround the Examination Hall. Even if the two of us sign together, it’s against the rules, and the Ministry of Justice probably won’t obey orders.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Zuo threw his head back and burst into laughter: "Brother Zhan, you and I have both been experienced in officialdom for many years and know people well, so why bother with these things?"

"How can a living person die from holding in their pee?"

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

"As an official appointed by the imperial court, we are at a critical juncture where the situation is constantly changing. What's wrong with being flexible?"

"Given our positions and prestige in the court, if we jointly sign an order sternly demanding that the Ministry of Justice obey, they would not dare to openly disobey or refuse to carry it out."

At this moment, the official from the Ministry of Justice who had been standing quietly to the side quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and assured them, "Your Excellencies, rest assured, as long as we have your written instructions, the entire Ministry of Justice will resolutely obey."

This is true of many things in officialdom.

According to regulations, there are indeed countless cumbersome procedures and restrictions, requiring various steps to ensure compliance.

However, once it comes to the actual implementation stage, as long as the key figures at the top give a slight indication or a word, the seemingly strict regulations become meaningless and automatically become invalid.

Even if some officials stick to their principles and refuse to compromise easily, they simply want the higher-ups to sign off on it and take responsibility for this "illegal operation."

At present, two high-ranking ministers have personally issued strict orders. Even though they may deviate from the rules, which official would dare to disobey and offend these two influential figures in the court?
Moreover, their identities were special; one of them held an important position in the Ministry of Personnel, and the power to promote and evaluate officials was in his hands.

The other person was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and he made the decisions on the allocation of funds to various departments.

These two positions alone are enough to command respect from officials in the Ministry of Justice.

Not to mention that they also held the title of Minister of State Affairs, overseeing all government affairs, and their power was immense.

Conversely, if the Ministry of Justice had accepted this slightly flawed order and carried it out, and the court had subsequently approved their actions, then they would not only have been innocent but would have been credited.

If the court deems it inappropriate and it comes to the time of holding those responsible accountable, the first to bear the brunt will be these two ministers who issued the orders.

Although the officials who carried out the specific tasks were also involved, their responsibilities were much lighter compared to others.

Ultimately, even if the order has flaws, it still comes from above.

They were acting under orders, and they were not entirely wrong.

If someone at the top has already made the decisions and taken the initiative to shoulder the responsibility, what can the people below do?

Zhan Hui looked at Wang Zuo again, a struggle flashing in his eyes. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he shook his head helplessly and sighed softly: "Very well, I will sign the decree with you today."

Wang Zuo's face immediately broke into a bright smile, his expression full of joy and appreciation: "Brother Zhan, this is the right way."

"Brother Zhan is a man of great integrity and courage, who does not follow the crowd to cater to the emperor's personal likes and dislikes. Such noble character will surely be praised by the people of the world, and his name will be recorded in history and remembered for eternity."

Zhan Hui said nothing more and immediately wrote a letter. Then, Wang Zuo and Zhan Hui both signed their names on it and handed the letter to the official of the Ministry of Justice.

After taking care of everything, the two of them didn't waste a moment. They hurriedly boarded the carriage, and with the sound of hooves, they sped off towards the palace.

...The inner palace was as tranquil as a deep, still lake.

Old Zhu sat alone on the steps in the courtyard, his posture slightly hunched. He looked up straight at the vast sky, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of clouds, lost in thought.

Not far away, a deck chair and a seat were placed quietly.

The cushions on the recliner were fluffy and soft, and the backrest of the chair was exquisitely carved, but Old Zhu ignored them and insisted on sitting on the cold, hard steps.

Once people enter old age, it's as if they are being pulled by an invisible hand, always unable to resist looking back on the past, longing to touch the passionate years of their youth again.

Back in the day, Old Zhu carried a broken bowl and wandered the world, using the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed, making the four seas his home, and falling soundly asleep wherever he went.

Chair?

At that time, he considered the object to be completely superfluous.

With such a vast world, why should we be bound by where we can sit?

Of course, it's all about doing whatever you want; you can sit wherever you want.

That's why Old Zhu has lost interest in chairs these days.

At this moment, the steps beneath his feet seemed to have become a world he had once wandered in, and a familiar feeling washed over him.

However, Zhu's sitting down posed a challenge to the eunuchs and palace maids serving him.

How could they allow the retired emperor to sit on the ground while they stood high above, looking down on him?
Left with no other choice, the eunuchs and palace maids had to follow suit.

But they didn't have the guts to sit casually like Old Zhu.

This posture was particularly indecent for palace maids.

Therefore, everyone had no choice but to kneel.

A dense crowd of people knelt below the steps, all holding their breath and remaining completely silent.

Old Zhu looked at the sky for a long time, then suddenly broke the silence and said, "Judging by the dates, isn't today the ninth day of the second month?"

Yoshigaki quickly replied, "Your Majesty, today is the ninth day of the second month."

Old Zhu frowned slightly, then suddenly asked, "You're saying that these days, those people have really stopped opposing the new schools and policies?"

With a smile on his face, Yoshigaki said, "Your Majesty, this servant truly knows nothing about this matter."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu glared at him fiercely and said, "You don't know? What else do you not know?"

"Ever since we moved into this inner palace, every single intelligence report submitted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Inspector General has been read to us by you?"

"Are you still pretending to be confused in front of us? Don't try to play these tricks on me!"

Faced with Lao Zhu's reprimand, Ji Yuan just smiled and remained silent, offering no further explanation.

Old Zhu didn't dwell on the topic any further. He turned his head and looked up at the sky again, muttering to himself, "What a strange thing! Those people just gave in so easily? Not a single landlord or gentry in the country, or any official in the court, stood up to oppose the new policies and new learning?"

"Why do I feel like there's something strange about this?"

"Back then, all we did was move Mencius's memorial tablet out of the Confucian Temple, and those scholars acted as if they had lost their parents, as if their ancestral graves had been dug up, and they made a huge fuss."

"But now that Tong'er wants to promote the new school and new policies, they are surprisingly quiet and indifferent. This is really illogical!"

Old Zhu's face was contorted with wrinkles, filled with doubt and confusion.

“Your Majesty, this matter is probably different from back then,” Yoshigaki said in a low voice, mustering his courage, seeing that Old Zhu was so confused.

Old Zhu immediately looked at him and pressed, "What's the difference? Explain in detail."

Yoshigaki cleared his throat and began to analyze methodically: "His Majesty's implementation of the new policies and new learning was not rash; much groundwork had been laid beforehand."

"In particular, the establishment of the scientific lineage caused a great stir in the world and had a far-reaching impact."

"Now the entire Ming Dynasty has been completely renewed. The people have no worries about food and clothing, and the Ming army is invincible and unstoppable."

"Under such favorable circumstances, Your Majesty's implementation of new learning and new policies makes it difficult for those people to find a suitable excuse, even if they have any objections in their hearts."

"Furthermore, His Majesty has been building momentum for a long time, and the people of the world are full of expectations for the new learning and new policies."

"At this time, if anyone dares to jump out and oppose, it would undoubtedly be going against the overwhelming trend. I doubt they would have the guts."

After listening, Old Zhu shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. Don't underestimate the eloquence and writing skills of those scholars."

"It would be an easy task for them to find some excuses to oppose it."

He then changed the subject and nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his expression: "However, Tong'er's methods of creating momentum are truly ingenious."

"With the *Daming Daily* around, guiding public opinion becomes much easier and more helpful. Who knows, this matter might actually work out for him..."

As they were talking, Old Zhu seemed to suddenly remember something, his expression changed drastically, he turned his head sharply, his gaze like a sharp blade shooting at Ji Yuan, his eyes wide with anger, and he loudly questioned, "Aren't you just hoping that the new policies and new schools will be implemented smoothly so that we can lose our bet with you and make us bark like dogs? Isn't that right?"

Startled by the sudden, stern question, Yoshigaki trembled and nearly collapsed to the ground. He hurriedly kowtowed, desperately protesting, "Your Majesty, I have no intention of such treason!"

Old Zhu snorted coldly, persisting, and then asked another question: "So you're hoping that the new policies and new schools won't be implemented smoothly?"

Upon hearing this, Yoshigaki felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

If we follow Zhu's words, it would be a "curse" that His Majesty's new policies and new learning would be hindered.

But if one were to refute it, it would be tantamount to admitting that one hoped the retired emperor would lose and that one wanted to embarrass Zhu Yuanzhang... This was truly a dilemma, a difficult situation.

However, Yoshigaki had served Old Zhu for many years and had long since developed the ability to be shrewd and handle all kinds of situations with ease.

After a brief moment of panic, he quickly composed himself and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the bet you made with me was nothing more than a joke, and I have never taken it to heart. My only wish is for Your Majesty to be in good health and for peace to prevail throughout the land..."

Before he could finish speaking, Old Zhu was already furious. He stood up abruptly, clenched his fists, and roared, "What do you mean by this? Are you saying that I'm not keeping my word and treating the bet like a joke? I am the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and my words are law. How could I possibly be joking about a bet I made with you?"

……

(End of this chapter)