Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 710 An extraordinary event occurred, all decided unilaterally by the Emperor.

Inside the Southern Study on the west side of the Qianqing Palace, it was much cooler than outside. The chill emanating from the ice chest slightly dispelled the summer heat.

Emperor Taichang, Zhu Changluo, sat behind his desk, a thick manuscript spread out before him—a partial draft of the newly submitted "Veritable Records of Emperor Shenzong." The emperor read with little interest, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the rambling, account-like accounts.

Several eunuchs stood respectfully in various corners of the study, their eyes fixed on their noses, their postures as solemn as statues. Meanwhile, the Grand Eunuch Wang An, the Director of Ceremonial, and the Grand Eunuchs Wei Chao, Liu Ruoyu, and Yang Songquan, as usual, sat behind their respective desks, some deep in thought, others dipping their brushes in ink. The room was silent except for the soft scratching of pens on paper and the faint chirping of cicadas in the distance.

Suddenly, very light footsteps came from outside the door. Shi Fuming stopped at the threshold, his voice low but clear: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Chief Minister Fang requests an audience. He says he has come to present the memorials of the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Wang Yingjiao, and Zhang Sixiu, who has been reinstated as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy."

The emperor raised his head, his gaze shifting from the draft of the verdict. A barely perceptible upward curve appeared at the corner of his lips. "Fang Congzhe personally delivered the memorial?"

"Yes." Shi Fuming smiled slightly. "He came in person, all by himself."

"Then let him in." The emperor closed the manuscript and casually tossed it into a paper basket beside him.

"Yes," Shi Fuming replied respectfully, his footsteps quickly fading into the distance.

The senior eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial remained in their original positions, as if they had not heard any conversation, with only the scratching sound of their pens continuing.

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Before long, Fang Congzhe stepped into the hall, his eyes slightly lowered, and stood a few steps away from the imperial desk. Then, he began to perform the five-bow and three-kowtow ceremony with utmost care: "Your subject Fang Congzhe pays his respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor."

"Rise, Minister Fang," the emperor said with a gentle smile. "Sit down."

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty." Fang Congzhe bowed again and rose. A eunuch standing nearby quickly brought over a brocade stool and placed it next to Fang Congzhe's bottom. After respectfully expressing his gratitude, Fang Congzhe took a half step back and sat down. He bowed slightly and held the two memorials flat on his lap with both hands.

The emperor's gaze lingered for a moment on Fang Congzhe's slightly tired but composed face, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips: "Minister Fang is not in charge of the cabinet at the moment, but has come to me under the scorching sun. I'm afraid it's not just to deliver a memorial, is it? What memorial could possibly require the great minister Fang to come all this way?"

Fang Congzhe's face flushed slightly, a fleeting look of embarrassment quickly turning into a wry smile: "Your Majesty's wisdom shines brightly, seeing far and wide. The Grand Secretariat and the Seven Ministers are working tirelessly on national affairs, their discussions are lively. I am foolish and fear that my words may not fully express my thoughts, and may only cause trouble. Just then, a memorial requesting an audience arrived at the Grand Secretariat, concerning the newly appointed ministers and those pardoned by His Majesty's special decree. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of presenting it to Your Majesty for your review and humbly request Your Majesty's decision."

"Hehe." Zhu Changlu chuckled, but did not delve into it further. He turned his head and called out, "Wang An."

"This servant is here." Wang An immediately put down his pen, walked quickly to the imperial desk, and bowed in a posture of awaiting orders.

"Give that piece of paper," Zhu Changluo pointed to a folded piece of plain paper placed on the edge of the imperial desk, "to Minister Fang."

"Yes." Wang An carefully moved the jade ornament off the paper, picked up the plain note, turned and presented it to Fang Congzhe, saying, "Prime Minister, please."

Fang Congzhe was slightly surprised, wondering what the emperor wanted to show him. He handed over the two memorials and then took the plain paper.

Upon unfolding the paper, the ink was still fresh, the strokes vigorous, clearly the emperor's own handwriting. The entire sheet contained only twelve large characters arranged in three vertical columns: "Supervising Korea, an extraordinary matter, all decisions made solely by me."

These twelve words, though brief, resonated like a thunderclap in Fang Congzhe's heart!
Fang Congzhe's fingers trembled slightly as he held the plain paper. An indescribable surge of emotion and gratitude welled up in his heart, instantly dispelling the awkwardness and exhaustion he had just felt. Fang Congzhe abruptly stood up from the brocade stool, holding the paper, which felt as light as a feather yet as heavy as a thousand pounds, in both hands. He returned to the imperial desk and knelt down heavily. "Your Majesty's grace is boundless! You have shown compassion for your subjects. Your subject... Your subject, on behalf of the Grand Secretariat and the Ministries of Rites and War, kowtows to express our gratitude for Your Majesty's benevolence!" As he spoke, Fang Congzhe's voice even trembled slightly.

"Alright, alright," Zhu Changluo took the two petitions requesting an audience from Wang An, glanced at the covers, and tossed them aside. "Inform Wang Yingjiao to come to the palace tomorrow morning. Also, if you have nothing else to say, you can go back now."

Fang Congzhe quickly composed himself, but did not immediately get up from the ground. "Regarding the matter of that Imperial Birthday delegation, please give your instructions, Your Majesty." In any case, the Imperial Birthday delegation had come to congratulate the Emperor on his birthday, and if the Emperor did not express his opinion, it would be difficult for those below to handle the situation.

“Let the Ministry of Rites send them away,” Zhu Changluo said. “But the personal rewards for the envoys will still be given as usual.”

"Your Majesty's virtue is truly admirable!" Fang Congzhe promptly slapped his horse.

"You can go back."

"Your subject takes his leave." Fang Congzhe bowed again, rose, and turned to leave, holding the plain letter.

After Fang Congzhe left, Zhu Changluo picked up Zhang Sixiu's memorial, which had been placed below. "Wang An."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wang An had just sat down when he immediately stood up again.

"When you first entered the palace, you were assigned to Feng Bao's department, weren't you?" Zhu Changluo asked, opening the memorial.

Wang An's pupils contracted slightly, and he replied with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, when I first entered the palace, I did indeed work under Eunuch Feng. It was only because I gained his favor that I was selected to study in the Inner Study." Upon hearing this topic, Wei Chao, Liu Ruoyu, and Yang Songquan all lowered their heads and pricked up their ears.

"So, Feng Bao is your benefactor after all." Zhang Sixiu's request for an audience was just the usual thank-you platitudes; Zhu Changluo only glanced at it a few times before losing interest in reading it further.

“Your Majesty is wise. Eunuch Feng is indeed my benefactor,” Wang An said.

"What do you think of him?" Zhu Changluo put down the memorial, leaned over, picked up the manuscript of the veritable record, and casually flipped through it.

“Talented, knowledgeable, insightful, with beautiful handwriting and a wonderful musical instrument. However…” Wang paused for a moment. “He’s too greedy.”

"What about Zhang Juzheng?" Zhu Changluo turned to the next page. "It is said that Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao have always had a good relationship. Since you were once under Feng Bao, you should have some impression of Zhang Juzheng, right?"

Wang An paused for a moment before cautiously replying, "Your Majesty, I was just a child back then and never had the chance to speak with the high-ranking and powerful Prime Minister Jiangling in person. I only saw him a few times from afar. If I had to say what impression I had of him, it would be that Prime Minister Jiangling had a very imposing appearance and the demeanor of a great man."

"Hmm." Zhu Changluo nodded slightly, his voice traveling through the pages of the book to Wang An's ears. "Go and make the arrangements. Have Zhang Jingxiu enter the palace this afternoon. I will meet him in the Wenhua Hall."

"Yes! This servant will go right away." Wang An exhaled and strode away from the Southern Study.

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boom!
Pushing open the still heavy door to the Cabinet Office, an even more oppressive heat rushed out. Inside, almost everyone's gaze was drawn to Fang Congzhe's face, as if by an invisible thread.

Ye Xianggao sat in the second-highest position, a lingering gloom and a hint of undisguised resentment weighing on his brow. With Fang Congzhe's departure, all the questions and criticisms directed at the cabinet had come crashing down on him.

Fang Congzhe seemed oblivious to these gazes, walking steadily back to his seat, his robe sleeves stirring a slightly cool breeze. As he sat down, Ye Xianggao's slightly hoarse voice rang out: "Grand Secretary, you're 'back' already? Have you seen the Emperor?" He deliberately drew out the word "back," his tone sarcastic, his gaze intense.

"Of course!" Fang Congzhe sat down, his back straighter than when he left, his face showing an indescribable sense of certainty and pride.

Ye Xianggao was exceptionally intelligent and immediately noticed the difference in Fang Congzhe's demeanor. "What did His Majesty say?"

Fang Congzhe did not answer Ye Xianggao directly. Instead, he carefully took out the folded plain paper from his pocket and slowly unfolded it, saying, "Gentlemen, please take a look." Fang Congzhe's voice was not loud, but it clearly drowned out the remaining whispers in the duty room.

Almost instantly, everyone's gaze shifted from Fang Congzhe's face to the plain paper. The moment they saw the twelve powerful characters, the noise in the duty room vanished. The previous torrent of doubt, resentment, and arguments seemed to have been choked by an invisible giant hand, abruptly silencing them.

A deathly silence enveloped the duty room, save for the increasingly noisy chirping of cicadas outside the window, seemingly mocking the earlier commotion. The air was as heavy as solidified lead.

However, the apparent calm did not equate to inner relief. After the brief shock, those high-ranking officials who had been kept in the dark and only learned of this earth-shattering secret today felt a complex mix of emotions that were difficult to describe—awe of imperial authority, as well as a sense of loss and resentment at being excluded from the core decision-making circle.

"Your Majesty is wise and decisive, and your actions are undoubtedly for the benefit of the nation and its people. However..." Minister of Works Wang Zuo was initially indifferent. In his heart, he would never argue with the Emperor, the Cabinet, or the Ministries of Rites and War on matters that had already been decided. However, Fang Congzhe's smug expression displeased him. "...These subsequent matters involve many parties. If we had communicated more beforehand, our Ministry of Works could have made preparations earlier, avoiding this current situation of haste and inefficiency."

“What Minister Wang says is true,” echoed Wang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of Revenue, with a snort. His voice was still sharp, but his expression was much better than before. Wang Yingjiao's arrival made him feel as if a towering figure had suddenly appeared beside him, a "short man."
"My Ministry of Revenue has been living beyond its means for quite some time now. Liaodong, the Beijing Garrison, and the Nine Border Garrisons—which of them isn't desperately in need of funds? Besides, at the grand court assembly at the beginning of the year, the Cabinet diverted every penny of the Ministry of Revenue's income. Now, with this sudden hole in the coffers, where am I supposed to find the money to fill it?"

"The Ministry of Revenue need not worry too much about the money." Fang Congzhe's tone became much lighter as he was relieved of his burden. "When Shen Yourong and the others went south to Shandong, they took 1.5 million from the Imperial Treasury."

"One and a half million?" Wang Ji raised an eyebrow, his expression softening considerably. "Just for military pay, that should be enough for two or three years."

Minister of Personnel Zhou Jiamo coughed lightly. "Your Majesty is wise. The matter of funds and provisions has been temporarily resolved, but as I just said, the matter of secretly supervising Korea—" Zhou Jiamo paused, then changed his words, "No, it's more like the matter of secretly supervising Korea without the court's knowledge. Once this becomes known, public opinion will be in uproar. The junior officials in the outer court, especially the censors of the Six Ministries and Thirteen Circuits, are young and impetuous, unfamiliar with military and state affairs, and only recognize the rules and regulations. I'm afraid they will find it difficult to understand Your Majesty's predicament and the court's difficulties. Impeachments and attacks will be inevitable. We need to make preparations as soon as possible on how to quell this uproar and stabilize public sentiment."

“Exactly! Who exactly suggested this secret operation to the Emperor?” Shen chimed in, his eyes darting between the faces of the several people in the know, but mostly lingering on Xu Guangqi. “When the public outcry comes, someone mustn’t blame the Emperor!”

Zhou Jiamo frowned in surprise, not expecting Shen to use this as an excuse to make a fuss. However, he was still affected by Shen. Zhou Jiamo subconsciously looked at Xu Guangqi, whose brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. However, Xu Guangqi did not directly clarify. He didn't even shake his head, but silently glanced at Luo Sigong.

Luo Sigong, of course, would never say anything voluntarily. He would rather shield the emperor from the storm than push him into his own hands. Moreover, in Luo Sigong's view, the raging public opinion that these civil officials were worried about was nothing at all. No matter how fierce the commotion outside, the emperor could simply turn a blind eye. How many memorials had been rejected by the emperor over the years?
Just as Luo Sigong was lost in thought, Zhang Wenda, the Left Censor-in-Chief, also cast a glance at him: "To quell public opinion, the key lies in legitimacy. Although the supervision of Korea is an extraordinary matter, extraordinary matters also require extraordinary evidence to convince the public. The evidence of Yi Hun's treason must be solidified as soon as possible! Commander Luo, when will that Yi Minhuan you just mentioned arrive in the capital? Can his testimony withstand scrutiny?"

"Don't worry, sir," Luo Sigong said with a smile, coming back to his senses. "If this witness wasn't reliable, why would my Embroidered Uniform Guard have brought him to the capital?"

“Alright. Since Commander Luo has said so, I won’t say anything more.” Zhang Wenda sighed softly and turned to look at Fang Congzhe: “Prime Minister, I will do my best to mediate with the Censorate, but I can’t guarantee how effective it will be.”

"I'm relieved to hear you say that!" Fang Congzhe nodded deeply, a look of relief on his face. "God bless us, and His Majesty is wise. As long as you all work diligently and with one heart, our Great Ming Dynasty will surely be revived!"

(End of this chapter)