My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 376 Grand Court Assembly on New Year's Day

This time, Su Ze made a big show of visiting Gao Gong before the New Year, which clearly shows that he has chosen sides.

This is an inevitable choice.

This time, Gao Gong did not receive guests in his study, but formally met with Su Ze in the living room of his home.

After Su Ze paid his respects to Gao Gong, he presented him with New Year's gifts. Gao Gong then pulled Su Ze to sit down.

“Master, I am here in advance because I am afraid that your door will be overrun during the New Year.”

Gao Gong smiled and gestured for Su Ze to sit down.

Gao Gong inquired about the work of the Office of Transmission, and after Su Ze explained his plan for establishing postal codes in the two capitals, Gao Gong exclaimed in admiration:

"Zilin really knows how to do things. This way, the letters can be delivered to the recipients smoothly."

Su Ze said again:
"Prime Minister, the best solution would be to give the streets a unified name and assign each street a house number, and then send postal workers to deliver mail to each door every day."

Gao Gong immediately said:

"Wouldn't that mean the post office could have access to all the household registration information in the district?"

As expected of Gao Gong, his political acumen is truly remarkable.

In the original timeline, the postal service was state-run in every country.

Moreover, in many countries, political power is exercised through email.

Bills, ballots, and various government documents are all sent via email.

Many small towns may not have hospitals, but they will definitely have post offices.

The level of development of a country's postal system can be seen as a measure of its modernization.

This is also why Su Ze chose to become an official in the Ministry of Justice.

However, Gao Gong, as the Grand Secretary, only briefly inquired about the affairs of the Office of Transmission. Then Gao Gong said:

"Zilin, what are your views on the current situation?"

The main event of this visit is about to begin, Su Ze said cautiously:
"Prime Minister, the situation in the outer court is currently chaotic and people are uneasy. I only hope that the New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly can bring peace to people's hearts."

Gao Gong sighed and said:

"It's difficult."

Su Ze asked cautiously:
"Master, has it really come to this?"

High arch, low voice:
"At the beginning of this month, His Majesty fainted once in the palace, but was saved by the divine physician Li with acupuncture."

Su Ze's expression also turned serious.

For an emperor, falling into a coma is no simple matter.

A coma signifies incapacitation. How can an emperor who may fall into a coma at any moment ensure that all his judgments are correct? How can he guarantee that all his decisions are made while he is fully conscious?
How can we ensure that this imperial edict truly reflects the emperor's will?

As the political center of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor was subject to these problems, which could lead to serious consequences.

Gao Gong continued:

“Some people in the cabinet are always eager to carry out fiscal reforms, but if they only reform the finances without reforming the bureaucracy, then the temporary relief in finances is nothing more than drinking poison to quench thirst.”

"Zilin, what do you think?"

Su Ze understood that the "some people" Gao Gong was referring to were Zhang Juzheng.

This is Gao Gong explaining his governing principles to himself.

As expected of someone who once served as Minister of Personnel, Gao Gong's perspective on issues is indeed sharp.

Historically, Zhang Juzheng used many wrong people in order to promote fiscal and tax reforms, and his one-size-fits-all reforms also caused many problems.

Zhang Juzheng's only reform related to officialdom was the performance evaluation system, but this law was the first to be abolished after Zhang Juzheng's death.

Therefore, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng actually shared a consensus on tax reform.

The land tax in the Ming Dynasty was too low, but the people bore a heavy burden beyond the tax collection, such as endless corvée labor imposed by the government and various exorbitant taxes.

Both men agreed to implement the Single Whip Law reform and merge corvée labor and miscellaneous taxes. However, their differences lay in the fact that Zhang Juzheng believed the tax system should be reformed first, while Gao Gong believed that the bureaucracy should be reformed first, followed by the tax system.

Gao Gong said:

"Finance is a matter of great importance to the nation. If government orders cannot be issued from one place, how can reforms be implemented?"

Gao Gong's policy platform is clearly more in line with Su Ze's position.

Su Ze said:

“Master, your insight is spot on; that’s what I think too.”

Gao Gong said happily:
"I am very pleased that you think this way, Zilin."

"The biggest problem in the administration of our Great Ming Dynasty today is the lack of clarity in the powers and responsibilities of the cabinet ministers."

"The cabinet is nominally the key to government policies, but it lacks direct management authority over the six ministries and nine departments. Moreover, the powers of the various ministries and departments often overlap, making it difficult for government policies to be effectively implemented."

“Local governments are short of manpower. Zilin, your reform of the Ministry of Personnel is a good idea. I also plan to promote the implementation of commercial taxes in more provinces after the New Year and carry out the reform of the Ministry of Personnel.”

"The best approach is to wait until all these conditions are met before implementing fiscal and tax reforms!"

Su Ze had never had such an in-depth conversation with Gao Gong before, nor had he learned about his policy platform.

He hadn't expected Gao Gong's idea to be so forward-thinking.

The power struggle within the cabinet is a hidden thread in the political struggles of the Wanli era in the original timeline.

One reason for the decline of politics during the Wanli era and the late Ming Dynasty was the fierce political struggles among the cabinet and ministers, which led to the dysfunction of the central government.

After Zhang Juzheng, the Ming Dynasty never produced another strong chief minister. The court's policies were hampered by factional struggles and were always wasted in wavering between the two sides.

Due to various special reasons, during the Longqing reign, there was no situation where ministers of the ministries and departments had more power than cabinet ministers, but Gao Gong had already realized this problem.

The root of the problem was that the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was not legitimate and its authority was questionable.

The cabinet was originally just an advisory body to the emperor. It gradually gained the power to discuss politics, but in terms of political status, it was still an advisory body.

It was fine when there was a strong cabinet, but if there was a weak cabinet or an emperor who did not firmly support the cabinet, the central government of the Ming Dynasty could easily fall into the chaos of factional struggles.

Su Ze seemed to understand Gao Gong's reform ideas, and he tentatively asked:

"So, the Prime Minister's idea is to make the cabinet ministers 'true prime ministers'?"

Gao Gong gave Zilin a knowing look, then picked up his teacup and said nothing more.

Good guy!
Who would have thought that Gao Gong was also a hidden "traitor"?

Restoring the prime minister's previous power can be seen as a challenge to imperial authority.

Now that he understood Gao Gong's intentions, Su Ze said:
“Master, your disciple is willing to serve you like a dog or a horse.”

Gao Gong said with a smile on his face:

"Zilin, you don't need to worry about the affairs of the cabinet. Just focus on doing a good job in the Office of Transmission."

Su Ze was somewhat moved. This was because Gao Gong did not want him to get involved in his struggle with Zhang Juzheng, so as not to tarnish Su Ze's reputation.

Gao Gong continued:

"After the New Year, the imperial examinations will be held, and I intend to recommend you as a co-examiner."

"After the New Year, you can focus on the imperial examinations."

The spring imperial examination was the provincial examination. After the New Year, which was the sixth year of the Longqing reign, it was another year for the provincial examination.

The imperial examination was conducted with two chief examiners, and the successful candidates would regard the chief examiners as their mentors.

The chief examiners of the imperial examinations in the Ming Dynasty were generally officials who had passed the imperial examinations and were either Grand Secretaries or officials below the rank of Minister or Vice Censor-in-Chief.

In other words, one must be at least at the level of a vice minister of one of the six ministries to be eligible to serve as the chief examiner.

However, below the chief examiner, there are also co-examiners.

There were usually eight to twenty examiners. During the Longqing reign, examiners were limited to officials who had come from the Hanlin Academy.

According to official practice, only officials who have served as co-examiners can serve as chief examiners in future imperial examinations.

This is actually one of the reasons why Hanlin scholars are so prestigious; both Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, who came from the Hanlin Academy, served as chief examiners for the imperial examinations.

Zhao Zhenji was also a member of the Hanlin Academy, but he was dismissed from office shortly after becoming a co-examiner and was unable to serve as the chief examiner for the spring imperial examinations. Therefore, he was in a weak position among the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

Lei Li was in an even worse situation; he was only a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and not a Hanlin scholar, so he was not qualified to serve as a co-examiner.

It can be said that whether an official can serve as the chief examiner for the imperial examinations determines whether he can have his own disciples and become an independent political faction.

Gao Gong appointed Su Ze as a co-examiner for the imperial examinations after the Spring Festival, in order to build up his qualifications for future chief examiner positions.

After bidding farewell to Gao Gong, Su Ze obediently returned home.

Now that his identity is sensitive, the remaining Grand Secretaries can no longer visit him; at most, they can visit Zhao Zhenji's family during the Lunar New Year.

The twelfth month of the fifth year of the Longqing reign was extremely busy, with most of the middle and high-ranking officials in the capital completing their faction selections within that month.

Meanwhile, the antagonism within the capital city intensified, and Su Ze and his friends felt a chilling coldness.
-
The Forbidden City on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The court session on New Year's Day started very early, and the capital city was extremely cold in the first month of the lunar calendar.

The grand court assembly, which had been suspended for three years, was held again by the emperor to dispel rumors of his poor health. The relevant government offices issued strict orders to all officials in the capital, regardless of rank, to attend the assembly, as well as all provincial officials who came to the capital to report on their duties.

This year's New Year's Day grand court assembly had over a thousand attendees.

For such a grand court assembly, the officials would have several thousand guards and attendants.

Riding horses and carriages was no longer an option; those were privileges reserved for cabinet ministers. For officials like Su Ze, who were of the fourth rank, it was necessary to leave home before dawn to gather at the Forbidden City.

Compared to when he first transmigrated, the advantage is that Su Ze's residence is very close to the Forbidden City, so he can go out a little later.

Zhao Lingxian helped Su Ze straighten his official robes and then stuffed a small hot water bottle into Su Ze's arms. Su Ze bid farewell to his wife in the cold wind and led his entourage toward the Forbidden City.

The grand court assembly on New Year's Day begins at "Meishuang," which is the time when dawn is just breaking.

The officials of the Imperial Observatory had already calculated the exact time of dawn, and all the officials were waiting in front of the Meridian Gate.

Su Ze looked at the towering Meridian Gate. The Meridian Gate had three gates, one being the imperial road used by the emperor, and the other being the passageways for the generals, captains, and other guards on duty.

When the eunuch on the Meridian Gate called out:

"The auspicious time has come!"

After the golden sunlight appeared in the distant sky, the civil and military officials present went around to the side of the Meridian Gate and entered through the left and right side gates.

There is a tower above the Meridian Gate called the Five Phoenix Tower. The eunuchs guarding the gate then rang the bells and drums to urge the officials to enter the palace.

After entering the Meridian Gate, civil and military officials first had to line up in rows according to their rank south of the Golden Water Bridge.

Su Ze was already a fourth-rank official. He stood at the front of the civil officials' queue, waiting for the eunuch who would crack the whip to arrive.

Two eunuchs, each wielding a long whip, lashed it out, the whips whistling sharply through the air.

The civil officials were led by Grand Secretary Gao Gong, while the military officials were led by Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi, and they crossed the bridge in order.

The procession arrived at the steps of Fengtian Gate. At this time, civil officials were on the left and military officials were on the right. The two groups stood facing each other on both sides of the imperial road, waiting for the emperor to arrive.

The emperor's seat was located in the center of the corridor of the Fengtian Hall, and it was called the Golden Platform.

Experiencing the grand court assembly on New Year's Day once again, Su Ze had to admit that such a large-scale ceremony could indeed create a sense of sacredness, which was also the best way to demonstrate imperial power.

Just as Su Ze was lost in thought, Shao Le remembered that a group of officials from the Court of State Ceremonial were leading the imperial carriage into the sight of the assembled officials.

Su Ze met his friend Shen Yiguan. The Court of State Ceremonial was also responsible for organizing various ceremonies and rituals. Following the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial were the eunuchs who served the emperor. By the time the emperor's golden palace appeared, the sun had already shone into the Forbidden City.

Su Ze got a clear look at the emperor on the golden imperial carriage.

This emperor, who was in the prime of his life, seemed to have become even thinner.

The courtiers noticed that the crimson dragon robe, which symbolized supreme authority, seemed somewhat empty.

The emperor's face was pale with a sickly flush, far from his former radiant appearance.

Those who were intelligent present could see the emperor's weakness. It seemed that Emperor Longqing's plan to demonstrate his control over the empire through this court assembly had failed.

Next, guided by officials from the Court of State Ceremonial and surrounded by eunuchs, the emperor entered the main hall. Su Ze, an official of the fourth rank, also entered the hall under the guidance of a group of guards.

The fifth rank was a watershed moment; officials of the fifth rank and below could only stand outside the main hall.

Officials of the fifth rank or higher are qualified to be seated in this hall.

Su Ze was a fourth-rank official, so he stood in the corner of the main hall.

Several gazes fell upon Su Ze, who knew that this was the censor responsible for maintaining order.

The Palace Censor was responsible for inspecting the etiquette of the officials in the palace, and could impeach any minister who violated the rules on the spot.

Su Ze knew that he had a bad relationship with the censor, so he followed the court etiquette exactly, and the censor did not find any fault with him.

After the Longqing Emperor ascended the throne, bells and chimes rang out in unison, their sound reaching the heavens.

The content of the New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly was prepared in advance. First, Grand Secretary Gao Gong led the cabinet ministers in saying a few auspicious words, and then the cabinet ministers reported that the annual revenue in the fifth year of the Longqing reign was abundant and the four borders were peaceful.

These performances were like reciting from a script, with superficial content and only concerned with maintaining appearances.

This reminded Su Ze of the year-end summaries in his previous life, where the sense of ritual outweighed the actual meaning.

Compared to the content of the memorials themselves, the officials were actually observing the emperor.

Of course, the officials in the hall could not look directly at the emperor; they either glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes or listened to his voice.

Each time a memorial was presented, the emperor would slowly nod, occasionally moving his lips slightly to give a soft "I understand."

His voice was not loud, with a slight, barely perceptible hoarseness.

Feng Baowei, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was sitting right next to the throne, bowed and then loudly conveyed the imperial edict.

After the report was completed, the heads of various ministries and departments took turns stepping forward to say auspicious words such as "May the Ming Dynasty be forever secure."

Finally, the emperor spoke, and the court assembly was about to end. Su Ze saw Emperor Longqing slowly stand up.

Just as he opened his mouth, his body swayed violently, and Feng Bao, who was beside him, quickly supported him.

Such a significant move naturally attracted the attention of the court officials.

Amidst the astonished gazes of his courtiers, Emperor Longqing eventually regained his composure.

However, the sweat on his forehead smudged the red makeup on his cheeks, revealing his pale skin.

His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Feng Bao carefully helped the emperor sit down, and the Longqing Emperor closed his eyes.

Feng Bao then put his ear to his mouth, and then picked up the imperial edict from beside the dragon throne and quickly read it aloud.

The eunuchs escorted the emperor hurriedly towards the inner palace.

After the emperor left, the entire hall erupted in chaos!
(End of this chapter)