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

Chapter 302 The Grand Secretary Who Was Worried Too Much, and the Emperor Who Couldn't Be Helped
Zhu Youjian, known for his sharp tongue, handled the matter rather crudely, while Zhu Xieyuan's approach was much more refined. The troop deployment order he issued was based on the Ming Dynasty's "border troops entering the capital" system, which stipulated that every autumn and winter, when the Mongols marched south to raid for supplies, border troops would be deployed to guard the capital region for a period of six months before returning.

However, the transfer order still aroused suspicion when it passed through the cabinet. The cabinet consisted of six people, three and a half of whom were military strategists. Even for cavalry, marching from Jinzhou to the capital would take at least ten days, right? Adding the time it took to relay the order, half a month had passed.

Normally, such a troop deployment order should have been issued by the end of July, giving the border garrisons two months to prepare and arrive in the capital before October to avoid delays caused by heavy snow blocking roads. But it's already mid-October now; isn't it a bit late to deploy troops now? Unless there's some urgent military situation requiring immediate troop deployment.

“Maohe, what does this mean? You need to explain.” Sun Chengzong asked, pointing to the transfer order on the table.

"What explanation? It's just the normal 'autumn defense entering the defense'!" Zhu Xieyuan said evasively.

Sun Chengzong smirked and pointed at the plum blossoms outside the window, demanding, "Is it autumn now?!"

"The plum blossoms are blooming really fast this year." Zhu Xieyuan was somewhat embarrassed, inwardly cursing the emperor countless times!

"Alright, stop struggling! You think you can fool me and Zhisheng? You're underestimating us! Your transfer order is full of loopholes. Even Yuanzhi could see something was wrong. It's His Majesty's order, isn't it? Tell me, what exactly happened?!" Yuan Keli also rushed over, blocking Zhu Xieyuan's escape route.

"What do you mean I can see something's wrong? Am I some kind of terrible person?!" The young Grand Secretary Li Guoxuan looked resentfully at the old ministers present.

Shi Fenglai felt even more aggrieved: "What are these people chattering about? Why aren't they including me? Are they isolating me?"

At that moment, a strong desire to retire arose in his heart. Back then, after Yan Song was dismissed and returned to his hometown, he was humiliated by the county magistrate, lived as a resident in a cemetery, lacked food and clothing, and eventually starved to death! He felt that rather than letting the emperor take action, he might as well take the initiative himself and still retain some dignity, since the emperor didn't like him anyway.

But he was also very unwilling. He had made his debut as a scholar and then ranked second in the imperial examination. He was once considered a genius, a prodigy. He did not think he was inferior to others.

Even a fool like Sun Chengzong, who spent the first half of his life as a tutor and only passed the imperial examination in his forties, could become the Grand Secretary. Why can't he?!

Reluctant as he was, he still decided to flee. He was sixty-eight years old this year, and it was time to retire and return to his hometown to enjoy his remaining years. The moment he decided to resign, the world seemed to open up before him. He no longer cared about Sun Chengzong and the others, and the commotion they caused was no longer his concern. He took out paper, picked up pen and ink, and began to write a petition to retire.

Li Guozhen caught a glimpse of Shi Fenglai's actions and was slightly startled, but upon reflection, it all made perfect sense. A sense of shared sorrow arose in his heart. However, the thought of resigning only flashed through his mind for a moment before he suppressed it. He was still young, and he felt that he could easily outlive these old fellows.

He might not be able to become the Grand Secretary, since the emperor believed in the old adage "a prime minister rises from the local government, and a great general rises from the ranks." However, he still had a good chance of becoming the Second Grand Secretary! Besides, what respectable person would willingly resign? They were either forced out or simply trying to avoid trouble. The feeling of being forgotten after leaving office is unpleasant, and if their family didn't have someone in the government protecting them, they would be completely exploited.

However, these two were indeed just there to create atmosphere in the cabinet, and no one cared about their thoughts. The dozen or so secretaries in the Grand Secretariat all pretended to be very busy, but in reality, they were all listening intently to the Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary arguing.

Seeing that he could no longer conceal the truth, Zhu Xieyuan had no choice but to surrender. He took Sun and Yuan, one in each arm, and led them into a small cell next door. The secretaries craned their necks to look, and seeing the door close, they all showed expressions of disappointment. Li Guozhu stood there awkwardly: "I haven't even gotten on the carriage yet! I'm also a Grand Secretary!"

"Let go, let go! This pulling and tugging is making me afraid people will misunderstand!" Yuan Keli said angrily, shaking off Zhu Xieyuan's grasp in disgust.

Sun Chengzong was rather bored. Perhaps it was because he'd been a tutor for too long, and his usual joking around didn't keep the students in line, so he was usually quite serious. He subtly took two steps away from Zhu Xieyuan, glaring at him with deadpan eyes. Zhu Xieyuan was also getting angry. He was so frustrated; it was clearly the emperor who had caused the trouble, yet it was being blamed on him?!

The old man spread his hands and said in a thick-skinned manner, "The troops were mobilized by the emperor. The military order from the Ministry of War may not have even arrived yet, but that brat Cao Bianjiao is already on his way. You should hurry up and go through the procedures. Maybe you can get the order before the border troops arrive in the capital. Otherwise, it will be even more embarrassing."

"No, you mean this transfer order is a retroactive one?!" Sun Chengzong suddenly felt his head buzzing. He roared angrily, "Zhu Maohe! Your Ministry of War is too unruly!"

"Stop yelling, okay? I've already explained it to you so clearly, don't you understand?!" Zhu Xieyuan said speechlessly.

"Could it be that an imperial edict has been issued to mobilize troops?!" Yuan Keli exclaimed in surprise. They had assumed that the Ministry of War had bypassed the cabinet to urgently mobilize troops and then followed a formality, which was common in urgent military situations and not a major problem. However, judging from Zhu Xieyuan's words, it was not the case at all.

Sun Chengzong was also stunned. After a long while, he said with tears in his eyes, "Why has Your Majesty mobilized troops?!"

"Suppress Buddhism!" Zhu Xieyuan said succinctly.

"Just for this?!"

"Isn't this big enough already?!"

“It is indeed a large army, but there is no need to call back the border troops! His Majesty wants to suppress Buddhism, why didn’t he consult us first? Alas, does His Majesty not trust us?” Sun Chengzong said with some worry.

"This... perhaps His Majesty is worried that the various armies in the interior may be involved with monks and Taoists. His Majesty is impatient and does not want to proceed slowly. Therefore, he wants to use a large army to overwhelm the borders and uproot all the temples and Taoist monasteries in the country, just like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves."

Yuan Keli frowned and said quietly, "Maohe, do you think His Majesty is impatient?!"

"This……"

“Is it possible that you’ve been deceived by His Majesty?!” Yuan Keli stroked his beard and analyzed.

Zhu Xieyuan's expression changed slightly, feeling that he was losing face. He said helplessly, "Perhaps you are right, but His Majesty insists on not saying, what can I do?"

"Can't you try to persuade His Majesty instead of letting him act so recklessly?!" Sun Chengzong was furious.

"What advice am I supposed to give? I only knew about this half an hour earlier than you, and the transfer order was already issued!"

"Let's go! We'll go and see His Majesty!" Sun Chengzong said anxiously.

"Let's not go, you guys go, I'll skip it!" Zhu Xieyuan struggled.

"Zhu Xieyuan, if something really goes wrong, can you take the responsibility?!"

"Sigh, fine!" Zhu Xieyuan also felt a chill run down his spine!
……

"Please return, Your Excellencies. His Majesty has caught a cold and we fear he may pass it on to you!" Wang Chengen said politely.

He was perfectly fine just a moment ago, and now he's suddenly caught a cold. What a joke! Zhu Xieyuan seemed to have lost all his strength. He said helplessly, "Eunuch Wang, please let His Majesty see us!"

"His Majesty has said he will not see you, so please do not make things difficult for me, gentlemen." Wang Chengen's face also showed a helpless expression. "If His Majesty does not see us, we will not leave today!" Sun Chengzong threatened.

“Very well, I’ll have the imperial chefs prepare a few more meals. His Majesty has ordered that if the Grand Secretaries are unwilling to leave, they must not be allowed to go hungry or cold,” Wang Chengen said with a smile.

Sun Chengzong: ...

Yuan Keli beckoned to Wang Chengen, who hesitated for a moment before coming closer. Yuan Keli whispered in Wang Chengen's ear, "It's fine if His Majesty doesn't want to see us, but he should at least offer an explanation, right? It's never good for the emperor and his ministers to be suspicious of each other."

“This…” In fact, Wang Chengen didn’t know what the emperor was thinking. The emperor kept his mouth shut and didn’t tell anyone. “Well then, Lord Yuan, please wait a moment while I go and ask His Majesty.”

After a while, Wang Chengen returned to Qianqing Gate with quick, short steps and said, "His Majesty said that he has already told Grand Secretary Zhu what needed to be told. These monks and Taoists themselves have no power, but the connections behind them are very complex. Only by cutting the Gordian knot can they be eliminated. His Majesty hopes that the Grand Secretaries will not make a fuss, lest these people become wary. His Majesty assures the Grand Secretaries that he will not launch a major case or implicate others. This matter has little to do with you in the court."

The three old men exchanged bewildered glances, utterly helpless. They felt the emperor was definitely hiding something, but the emperor's actions had been completely unexpected, without any warning whatsoever. They simply couldn't fathom what the emperor was up to. For now, all they could do was wait; the feeling of the situation spiraling out of control was driving them mad.

Half a month later, on the morning of November 1st of the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, a heavy snowfall lasted all night, shrouding the entire capital in a white blanket. Despite daily clearing of the snow from the streets, it still accumulated to a foot deep, while the snow outside the city walls was already above a horse's leg.

The Governor-General of Jizhou and Liaodong, Yang Hao, recently sent a report stating that the snow along the border wall of Jizhou was several feet high, reaching the level of the city! The Mongol tribes suffered severe damage; the accumulated snow collapsed their yurts, burying herders, and livestock could not survive the blizzard, freezing to death in large numbers. A large number of grassland refugees are heading south, hoping to seek refuge in the Ming Dynasty.

Even with all the precautions against frostbite, soldiers guarding the border can still lose ears, noses, and fingers if they're not careful. This old man is playing the victim to get more coal, cotton clothing, and other supplies from the court; this winter is especially tough.

After reading Yang Hao's report, Zhu Youjian became anxious, mainly because Cao Bianjiao and his men were still late, perhaps stuck on the road due to the heavy snow. He regretted mobilizing troops at this time; he had underestimated the power of natural disasters. Now he was truly regretting his overreaction, realizing he had caused his men a terrible disaster!

To make the performance convincing, although he was feigning illness, Zhu Youjian hadn't attended court for half a month to avoid arguing with the old men. However, he was still processing memorials as usual. Although the court officials were somewhat worried, half a month was still within their tolerance.

That day, Zhu Youjian, wrapped in a quilt, sat on his bed reading the memorials reviewed by Consort Xian. He was on a path of irreversible self-destruction. Consort Xian was becoming increasingly adept at handling state affairs, and Zhu Youjian felt that even if he were to die on the spot, with her around, the Ming Dynasty's politics would not come to a standstill. He knew this was wrong, but it felt good. He was not a qualified emperor.

"Your Majesty, Cao Bianjiao requests an audience outside the palace gates!" Wang Chengen rushed in with a joyful expression and said.

"What?!" Zhu Youjian suddenly threw off the covers and jumped up from the bed. "Ouch, it's so cold!"

Zhu Youjian's teeth started chattering, and Wang Chengen hurriedly picked up a mink coat from the shelf next to him and draped it over him.

"Your Majesty, would you like to make the fire in this earth dragon burn brighter?" Wang Chengen asked.

"No need. In this awful weather, even if you burned down the earth dragon, it wouldn't warm up much. Summon Cao Bianjiao to the palace and have him come to see me at Maoqin Hall."

Maoqin Hall and Dongnuan Pavilion are both under the same roof, belonging to the Qianqing Palace. When Zhu Youjian arrived at Maoqin Hall, Consort Sun looked up from her desk and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Oh, so Your Majesty has finally decided to get out of bed? I wonder which concubine Your Majesty slept with last night, that made Your Majesty linger here. Your Majesty is truly a diligent and benevolent emperor!"

"I slept alone last night! Who told you to steal my blanket while you were sleeping?!" Zhu Youjian said speechlessly.

Their playful banter was just a bit of fun between them. After lightening the mood, Wanwan became serious. She pushed a stack of memorials towards them and said, "Snow disaster, snow disaster everywhere, in the south and the north. The Five Cities Military Command reports that more than a hundred people have frozen to death in the capital alone this month!"

Zhu Youjian's heart sank, and he sighed, saying, "I'll think of a solution to the snow disaster. General Cao is back; I'll see him first."

"Then I shall take my leave!"

"There are no secrets. Even if there were, when would I ever keep them from you? You can stay and listen."

"Ha, Your Majesty, aren't you hiding something from me?!" Wanwan said with an unfriendly expression.

"Things are done in secrecy, I'll tell you the truth in a few days." Zhu Youjian was embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, I don't understand what you mean. Do you think I'm a gossip in your eyes?!"

Zhu Youjian was feeling a bit of a headache, and was thinking about how to argue his case when Wang Chengen called out, "Your Majesty, General Cao has arrived!"

"Let him in quickly!" Zhu Youjian was delighted. He had arrived just in time; there was no need to rush to explain.

"Click, click, click," Cao Bianjiao, still clad in his armor, had his weapons removed. He usually didn't grow a beard, but after not shaving for half a month, he now had a scruffy stubble.

"Your Majesty, I, Cao, have transformed into a dragon! Uh, I pay my respects to the Virtuous Consort!"

"No need for formalities!" Zhu Youjian rushed over and helped Cao Bianjiao, who was kneeling, to his feet. He patted the snowflakes off Cao Bianjiao's shoulder armor and said emotionally, "Bianjiao, you've really worked hard!"

Cao Bianjiao opened his mouth, but despite having a thousand words to say, he could only manage to say, "Your Majesty, the three thousand soldiers have arrived. I have not failed in my mission!"

"Good!" Zhu Youjian gripped his cold hand tightly, then asked with concern and a slightly dry voice, "Was the journey smooth? It was my fault for making you travel through wind and snow."

"Before I came, my uncle had instructed me to take precautions. We lost several dozen horses on the way, but the soldiers are unharmed!" Cao Bianjiao replied.

"Now I'm relieved, I'm relieved!" Zhu Youjian said, still a little shaken.

The two men looked at each other and remained silent for a moment. Cao Bianjiao, somewhat impatient, said, "Your Majesty, may I ask where my uncle's personal guards are now? We know we are guilty of grave sins and only beg Your Majesty to spare their lives. We ask for nothing more! We failed to discipline them properly and are guilty of joint punishment. My uncle is willing to use his title to atone for his crime and appease the public's anger!"

"A title to atone for the crime?!" Zhu Youjian's eyes lit up slightly. He knew that the ministers were very resentful of his previous pressure to spare the lives of these fifteen people. If they could be given a count's title, their acceptance would be much higher.

"Good! I deeply appreciate your love for me! You have been wronged, but don't worry, this title is only temporarily stripped. Once things have calmed down, I will restore it to you! Your uncle's fifteen personal guards are still alive. How about this, let Eunuch Wei take you to see them!"

(End of this chapter)