Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 236 Every meeting in this world is one less to be seen.

On the eve of the New Year, Zhu Youjian finally welcomed Sun Chengzong's return. Every time he saw these veteran officials from the Wanli era, Zhu Youjian felt a faint sense of guilt, always feeling like a wicked capitalist, using all sorts of despicable means to exploit these old comrades.

Zhu Youjian patted the snowflakes off Sun Chengzong's fur coat and noticed that the old man looked much older. He couldn't help but sigh: "In this world, every meeting is one less meeting we have!"

He helped the old man onto his horse and personally led it on foot into the palace. Many people witnessed this scene along the way, which made the officials envious. Even Zhu Xieyuan, who had been familiar with the emperor for many years, couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Zhu Youjian led the horse on foot through the Qianqing Gate and returned to the inner court.

The old man in Guyuan couldn't bear to turn on the floor heating, so he could only hug a small stove. His palms were warm, but his feet were cold; if he warmed his feet, his fingers would freeze.

Sun Chengzong followed the emperor into the warm pavilion. Outside, there was several feet of snow, but inside the pavilion, it was as warm as spring, and the flowers in the flowerpots were still in full bloom.

The elderly man's qi and blood were weak, and his body was not easy to warm up. As soon as Zhu Youjian took Sun Chengzong's hand, he could feel its unusual coldness.

He then instructed the maid to bring several basins of warm water to wash the old man and welcome him back from the cold. After soaking in the warm water, the old man's hands finally warmed up, and Zhu Youjian felt relieved after touching them.

The hierarchy of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher was paramount, and Zhu Youjian's respect for teachers was politically correct at this time. It was precisely for this reason that Sun Chengzong readily accepted the emperor's favor without refusing. He wasn't trying to flaunt his status as the emperor's tutor, but rather considering the emperor's reputation.

The old man had always stayed in Shaanxi. You can imagine how bad the emperor's reputation was in Shaanxi. Sometimes, when he heard news about it, Sun Chengzong would even feel anxious.

"Teacher, you should stay in the capital and accompany me this time," Zhu Youjian said.

Sun Chengzong was stunned upon hearing this. He had prepared a whole speech to give to the emperor, but now the emperor wanted to dismiss him from his post?! As the saying goes, "If you are in a position, you should fulfill your duties." If he were not allowed to continue as the governor of the three border regions, he would not know how to bring up many things.

Seeing Sun Chengzong's hesitant expression, Zhu Youjian could only explain, "The Northwest is bitterly cold. Teacher, you are getting old, and I can't bear to let you work so hard anymore."

That's what he said, but actually he transferred Sun Chengzong away to make way for Hong Chengchou, who had made meritorious contributions in suppressing bandits and should be promoted.

The initial concern about the situation in Shaanxi led to the dispatch of the powerful Sun Chengzong to suppress it. In retrospect, this was somewhat of a waste of talent. Moreover, three years have passed, and it's time to reshuffle the cabinet.

“Your Majesty, the situation on the three borders is complex and beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. It would be inappropriate for Your Majesty to rashly transfer me away!” Sun Chengzong said with a helpless expression.

"Then I would like to invite you to join the cabinet and serve as the Grand Secretary. You are concerned about the situation on the northwest border, and you can make arrangements from the capital. It is not necessary for you to go to the front lines in person," Zhu Youjian replied.

Seeing the emperor's repeated explanations, Sun Chengzong knew that the emperor's mind was made up and his departure from the Northwest was a foregone conclusion. So he said no more, but asked, "Does Your Majesty have a good candidate to replace the governor of the three border regions?"

"What does the teacher think of Hong Chengchou?!" Sun Chengzong nodded: "Yan Yan is a man of great talent, perfectly suited for this position!"

Hong Chengchou was not only capable, but more importantly, he was originally from Shaanxi and had a good understanding of the local situation, so this personnel arrangement was not abrupt.

Sun Chengzong gradually realized that the emperor wanted him to abdicate in favor of someone else. Although he could understand it, the old man still felt a little sad and rejected.

"After Hong Chengchou is transferred, I intend to appoint Sun Chuanting as the governor of Shaanxi. As for Yansui, given the current situation, there is no need to rush to appoint a governor," Zhu Youjian said.

Now that his child was older and had his own opinions, Sun Chengzong, having learned from Zhang Juzheng's lesson, knew he shouldn't have interfered with the emperor's appointments. However, he couldn't help but advise, "Does Your Majesty not wish to recover northern Shaanxi? Now that the bandits in northern Shaanxi have suffered heavy losses, it is the perfect time to wipe them out completely in one fell swoop. If we sit idly by, they may grow stronger again!"

Zhu Xieyuan said something similar: with the Ming Dynasty's overwhelming military superiority, recovering northern Shaanxi wouldn't be too difficult, but northern Shaanxi was currently a liability, and Zhu Youjian wasn't keen on taking it over. Recovery was easy, but how would they resettle the million starving people? If they couldn't be resettled, what difference would there be between recovery and non-recovery?

Zhu Youjian couldn't say these things directly to the old man, so he could only speak vaguely and change the subject. Seeing this, Sun Chengzong felt a sense of powerlessness.

The next day, at the court assembly, Zhu Youjian announced that Sun Chengzong would join the cabinet as Grand Secretary; Bi Ziyan would step down from his position as Grand Secretary, be given the title of Censor-in-Chief, and retain the position of Minister of Revenue. Bi Ziyan did not feel too aggrieved by this, as he had not been very happy with his position as Grand Secretary to begin with.

He himself didn't react much, but the group of opportunists and genuine reformers surrounding him were quite upset:

Has the eldest brother fallen out of favor? Should they switch allegiance? Can they still make it if they continue to follow Bi Ziyan? If they switch to Sun Chengzong, will he accept them? Won't switching allegiance make them look down on?
Based on seniority, Sun Chengzong is perfectly qualified to serve as the Grand Secretary; he is even more qualified than Bi Ziyan. However, the political landscape is about to be reshuffled.

No one could figure out the emperor's attitude, or whether Sun Chengzong, the imperial tutor, would be able to shoulder the responsibility of being the head of all officials after becoming the Grand Secretary, or whether he would remain just a figurehead. After all, the emperor's position on the Grand Secretariat was far too vague.

Some people were shocked at this point, realizing that the emperor had come to control the court to such an extent!

Some people are more perceptive. They believe that the emperor did not hesitate to send Sun Chengzong to the northwest because he was advocating the Jurchen threat and was taking a long-term defensive stance against the Jurchens. Now that Sun Chengzong has been welcomed back, does it mean that the court is about to launch a counterattack against the Jurchens?

Some people were wondering how they could get a share of the benefits if Sun Chengzong's "fortress advance tactics" continued; others were struggling with whether to completely sever ties with Liaodong, since the Jurchens seemed to be on their last legs.

Sun Chengzong himself had his doubts, but he no longer felt the same urgency to recover Liaodong as he had back then; people always mature. When he was in charge of Liaodong, he faced the terrifying pressure of Nurhaci's unstoppable advance there, even threatening to march all the way to the capital along the Liaoxi coastal route. The Ming Dynasty had to withstand the continued attacks of the Jurchens; at that time, the Ming Dynasty had no way to avoid war.

(End of this chapter)