My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 135 The Nameless Sage
Li Chunfang has been in a good mood lately.

With nothing major happening in the court and Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Zhao Zhenji in charge of the cabinet's daily affairs, Li Chunfang could confidently adopt a policy of "laissez-faire governance."

Li Chunfang's daily task was to maintain a balance within the cabinet, stepping in to make a decision when the three members disagreed, thus ensuring the smooth operation of government affairs.

Wuwei (non-action) does not mean doing nothing, but rather that one must act in order to achieve non-action.

In Li Chunfang's view, Huang-Lao is not bad, but apart from the shrewd people who founded the Western Han Dynasty, few later generations have been able to properly understand and appreciate Huang-Lao.

There's no way around it; the Huang school still places too much emphasis on qualifications.

For example, Li Chunfang's governing philosophy can be summarized in eight characters: "Following reason will ensure longevity."

Huang Lao was definitely not someone who stuck to old ways, but rather someone who could proactively adapt to social development and change policies accordingly.

The emperor that Li Chunfang admired most was someone like the late Emperor Jiajing.

The saying goes, "A ruler must be thorough. If a ruler is not thorough, his ministers will rebel. A family is unstable, and there is no communication between the inside and outside. How can one know what to do? If opening and closing are not done well, there will be no cause for repercussions. Only a ruler can be thorough."

Simply put, a ruler must understand all the principles of the world. If a ruler is ignorant of human relationships and principles, then his ministers will rebel.

It is abnormal for the world to be completely silent. Without communication, both internally and externally, how can one know the evolution of major events in the world? Improper use of openness or closure will prevent the discovery of the roots of good governance. It is evident that a ruler must be generally knowledgeable about the principles of things.

Of course, in Li Chunfang's view, the current emperor is still somewhat inferior to the previous emperor. After all, Emperor Shizong was very good at using people, while the current emperor still has to rely on the cabinet to govern.

Let's just use the cabinet if we want. Li Chunfang also believes that as long as "the emperor does nothing and the ministers do something," the Ming Dynasty will not have any problems.

When Li Chunfang entered the cabinet, she first saw the newspaper on her desk. Liu Jun had thoughtfully placed the "Journey to the West" edition on top.

Li Chunfang glanced at Liu Jun, who was tidying up the charcoal stove, and was even more satisfied with this Gentleman Yin.

After sitting down, Liu Jun handed over steaming hot tea. Li Chunfang looked at the fourth page of this issue and found that in addition to Journey to the West, there was also a lifelike monkey printed on the newspaper.

"This is?"

Liu Jun said:

"I heard from the newspaper office that with the end of the year approaching, the newspapers should also have some festive content. Su Hanlin had the printing workshop's craftsmen carve woodblock prints."

"I heard that this issue of the newspaper is hard to get. Some people say that the Monkey King can bring good fortune and ward off evil, so they cut out the print and pasted it on their doors."

Li Chunfang looked again and saw that the monkey in the newspaper was so lifelike. Although it was just a few strokes, it was clear that it was the work of a master calligrapher and painter.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed written by Xu Wei.

Li Chunfang knew Xu Wei's talent; the monkey he drew was exactly as he had imagined, and Su Ze, for the sake of celebration, had gone to the trouble of printing it in red.

"This monkey, Su Zilin really has some ingenuity."

A smile flashed across Li Chunfang's face, but Liu Jun caught it. He lowered his head and said:
"Grand Secretary, the Secretariat has ordered several extra newspapers, which were delivered to your home today."

Li Chunfang shook her head and said:

"Let everyone take it home; it'll bring good luck."

Liu Jun immediately said, "Then I, on behalf of the scribes of the Secretariat, thank the Grand Secretary for his kindness."

Just as the atmosphere in the cabinet was harmonious, Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, finally arrived at the cabinet with Su Ze's memorial.

The Commissioner of the Court of State Ceremonies is responsible for the memorials submitted by ministers who have been detained.

Li Yiyuan suppressed Su Ze's memorial for a day, and this morning he personally came to the cabinet with the memorial in his arms.

Li Yiyuan could already imagine the bloodshed that would ensue once this memorial was submitted.

Yesterday, he recalled the staff of the Office of Transmission who were on leave, just waiting to submit the memorial today and then face the storm of criticism from the censors.

Upon entering the cabinet, Li Yiyuan met Li Chunfang.

Upon seeing that it was Li Chunfang, Li Yiyuan was overjoyed.

He came to the cabinet early to brief the cabinet members.

Li Chunfang was the person he most wanted to see.

Sages are nameless, and Li Chunfang may seem to have no presence in the cabinet, but Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, knows that Li Chunfang plays a crucial role in stabilizing the cabinet.

As if he had seen a savior, Li Yiyuan handed over the memorial and said to Li Chunfang:
"Prime Minister Li, please take a look at this memorial."

Li Chunfang looked at Li Yiyuan. It was unusual for the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review to personally deliver a memorial. After receiving the memorial and seeing the name of the person who submitted it, Li Chunfang smiled bitterly.

Li Chunfang slowly finished reading the memorial, then he sighed deeply:
“This monkey is determined to make trouble even during the New Year.”

Li Yiyuan stared longingly at Li Chunfang.

"Bring me the peeling paper."

Li Chunfang called out to Liu Jun, then stood up and said:
"Wait, I will personally deliver this memorial to the palace."

"Huh? Your Excellency, isn't this against the rules?"

Li Yiyuan, as the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, looked at Li Chunfang in surprise. Even the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet had to go through the Court of Judicial Review to request an audience with the Emperor.

Moreover, there is a set procedure for playing a duet, so what is Li Chunfang doing?
Li Chunfang looked at Li Yiyuan and said:
"Therefore, please have Li Yintai come with me to the palace."

Li Yiyuan's brain has gone blank. How is this related to me?
Li Yiyuan regretted it even more. He didn't know what Li Chunfang was going to do, but he knew that once the censors found out that he had gotten involved in this matter, they would definitely keep an eye on him and criticize him in writing.

It’s over!

Li Yiyuan regretted it again. Why hadn't he resigned after the Dengwen Drum incident? Even if he had been transferred to Nanjing to retire, it would have been better.

But since Li Chunfang had said so, Li Yiyuan could only nod in agreement.

They walked in silence, with Li Yiyuan following behind Li Chunfang. The palace eunuchs were puzzled as to why the Grand Secretary and the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review were entering the palace together, but soon the Emperor summoned the two to the Imperial Study.

Countless possible outcomes flashed through Li Yiyuan's mind, and now that things had come to this point, he understood.

His only way out was if the emperor firmly supported Su Ze and suppressed the opposition from the Six Ministries and the Censorate, then the Office of Transmission could have a peaceful New Year.

Was this why Chief Minister Li entered the palace? To persuade the emperor to support Su Ze?

Li Yiyuan glanced furtively at Li Chunfang ahead. Now, all he could do was pray that Li Chunfang could persuade the emperor to stand firmly on Su Ze's side.
-
Royal study room.

The Longqing Emperor was in a good mood.

At the end of the year, the Ministry of Revenue reported that the weather had been favorable this year, and the collection of summer and autumn grains had proceeded smoothly.

Throughout the second year of the Longqing reign, no major incidents occurred, and small-scale rebellions were quickly quelled.

After the Japanese pirate raids were quelled, the Mongols did not launch a large-scale southward invasion. Since Tan Lun took office in Jiliao, he used both suppression and appeasement to quickly stabilize the situation.

The national treasury has reversed its previous deficits and even has a surplus.

The second year of the Longqing reign was probably the year with the best national financial situation in the last decade.

The Longqing Emperor hinted, both openly and subtly, that he wanted to hold a Lantern Festival. However, within the cabinet, Gao Gong feigned ignorance, Zhang Juzheng opposed it, and Zhao Zhenji did not support it either.

The Longqing Emperor was recently thinking about how to persuade Grand Secretary Li Chunfang to support his plan to hold the Lantern Festival.

Upon hearing that Li Chunfang and Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, were requesting an audience, the Longqing Emperor immediately ordered the two to be summoned to the Imperial Study.

Upon seeing Li Chunfang, the emperor beamed with joy:

"Master Li hasn't been to the palace in a long time."

Li Chunfang was also an imperial lecturer, and the way the emperor addressed him as "Master Li" can be seen as the emperor taking the initiative to get closer to Li Chunfang.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has come today to discuss Su Zilin's memorial."

Li Chunfang wasn't buying into the emperor's act. He picked up the memorial and respectfully addressed the emperor.

Li Fang, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, received Li Chunfang's memorial and presented it to the Longqing Emperor.

The Grand Secretary entered the palace to discuss serious matters, which the Emperor found boring, so he could only read the memorials.

"Request to Investigate and Verify the Success of Memorials and Entries"?
As emperor, the Longqing Emperor was competent. He finished reading Su Ze's memorial and frowned.

Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, looked even uglier. If the emperor's stance was ambiguous, the officials who dared to speak out would be even more motivated, and the memorials would pile up in the Court of Judicial Review.

After the emperor finished reading the memorial, he rubbed his temples and looked at Li Chunfang. He now understood why Li Chunfang, the Grand Secretary, had come to the palace in person—it was because of Su Ze's memorial.

"Prime Minister Li, what do you think?"

Since it was official business, the Longqing Emperor addressed Li Chunfang by his official title.

Li Chunfang bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that Hanlin Su's memorial is feasible."

Emperor Longqing looked at Li Chunfang in surprise. As the Grand Secretary, he rarely expressed his opinions, but every time he did, his opinions were decisive in the cabinet.

It was fortunate that Li Chunfang was in the cabinet; otherwise, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng would have immediately started fighting each other.

Historically, this has been the case as well. After Li Chunfang resigned, the struggle between Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng immediately became public. It was only because the Longqing Emperor died young that this led to another cabinet war.

Rubbing his temples, the emperor was also thoroughly fed up with the Six Ministries and the Censorate.

The Longqing Emperor recalled last year's Lantern Festival, which was also opposed by these same officials, forcing the cabinet to refrain from holding it due to pressure.

Throughout the second year of the Longqing reign, the emperor punished officials who dared to speak out on behalf of the emperor on several occasions, but these people continued to cause trouble.

The emperor was indeed moved by Su Ze's statement in his memorial that "when the constitution is upheld, honest opinions will flourish, and when official slander ceases, practical matters will be carried out."

But being moved isn't enough.

When it comes to reforming the censorate system, without strong support from the cabinet, forcibly implementing reforms will only cause more trouble.

Even a politically astute ruler like the Jiajing Emperor sometimes found himself helpless when faced with censors.

The emperor naturally supported Su Ze's reform plan for the Six Ministries and the Censorate, which involved the Six Ministries supervising the Censorate and the Censorate supervising local areas, using performance to constrain officials who spoke out, and reversing the trend of empty talk.

However, Li Chunfang's opinion alone was not enough to change Emperor Longqing's mind. With the end of the year approaching, it was better to avoid trouble.

The Longqing Emperor then asked, "Is this your opinion alone, or the consensus of the Grand Secretariat?"

Li Chunfang said:
"The Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review just delivered Su Ze's memorial to the Cabinet this morning. This is my personal opinion, but it can also be the consensus of the Cabinet."

Emperor Longqing understood Li Chunfang's meaning: the cabinet as a whole supported the plan to reform the Six Ministries and the Censorate.

That's true. Both Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng wanted to bring about change.

Although Zhao Zhenji was politically conservative, as a cabinet minister, he would likely support reforms to the censorate.

The emperor was even more tempted, but he still sighed and said:
"But what about the Six Ministries and the Censorate?"

Li Chunfang, however, confidently stated:
"If Your Majesty is willing to support Su Zilin's memorial, I will naturally have a way."

The Longqing Emperor looked at Li Chunfang with suspicion, but seeing that Li Chunfang seemed unwilling to speak, he could only say:

"If it can reduce the controversy surrounding the Six Ministries and the Censorate, then we can try implementing it according to Su Ze's memorial."

Having received the emperor's promise, Li Chunfang then said to Li Yiyuan behind him:
"Commissioner Li, could this memorial remain in the palace for a while, and not be sent to the Six Ministries?"

"this."

Li Yiyuan hesitated, as delaying the memorial was a violation of work discipline.

However, seeing the gazes of the emperor and the Grand Secretary, Li Yiyuan, a mere Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, could only bow and acknowledge with "Yes."
-
The twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month.

The history museum was already locked up, and early this morning, Shen Yiguan rushed into Su Ze's house.

"Brother Zilin! The Six Ministries and the Censorate are at war!"

Su Ze looked at Shen Yiguan with a puzzled expression.

On the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Su Ze's memorial was submitted to the Office of Transmission, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, and the Ming Dynasty court did not respond at all.

Could they have been detained by the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review?

Knowing Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, Su Ze knew he didn't have the guts. Su Ze almost couldn't help but rush to the Court of Judicial Review and ask Li Yiyuan if the Commissioner had lost his memorial.

Su Ze had been anxious all day, but today he felt relieved.

Since the prestige points have already been deducted, the system will definitely be able to complete the objective.

Instead of being impeached by the censors, Su Ze witnessed the Six Ministries and the Censorate clashing. He asked, "What exactly happened?"

Shen Yiguan said breathlessly:

"Brother Zilin! Several censors from the Six Ministries have submitted a memorial impeaching the Censorate, and now the Censorate is also targeting the Six Ministries for impeachment!"

"what?"

Shen Yiguan said, "It's all because of the matter of Hanlin Sun. The Censorate has been abusing its power by using petitions, and the officials in the capital have been putting up with it for a long time. This time, Hanlin Sun committed suicide by burning charcoal, and the Six Ministries impeached the Censorate. Finally, they have done something worthwhile!"

Su Ze, however, sensed something unusual and asked, "What grounds did the Six Ministries use to impeach the Censorate?"

Shen Yiguan said, "The reason given by the Six Ministries this time is quite novel. The ancestral rules they brought up say that Emperor Taizu established the Censorate to supervise local officials in the two capitals and thirteen circuits. Now, the Censorate is taking advantage of the capital inspection to extend its supervisory power to the officials in the capital."

"The Censorate is naturally unwilling to let this go, and is keeping an eye on the impeachments by the Six Ministries' censors. I heard that the memorials have already piled up all over the Office of Transmission!"

Then Shen Yiguan asked:
"Is it because of this matter that the Ministry of Justice missed Brother Zilin's memorial?"

Su Ze shook his head. He had personally delivered the memorial to the Ministry of Justice that very day, and there must have been some changes that he was unaware of.

However, Su Ze found this incident rather strange. Although the Six Ministries and the Censorate had their disagreements, they usually worked together. Now, however, they were fighting over the supervisory power of officials in the capital.

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the situation took a new turn.

(End of this chapter)