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

Chapter 76 The Emperor is Too Incompetent, Veteran Minister Zhu Xieyuan Makes a Guest Appearance as Imperial Tutor

The emperor's gaze made Zhu Xieyuan feel a little prickly, making even the braised lion's head meatballs in his bowl seem less appetizing.

Zhu Xieyuan was a pragmatist. He rose to his position through solid political and military achievements, not through the emperor's favor. True to his nature, he preferred to maintain a distance from the emperor.

However, Zhu Youjian was quite different. He bestowed upon him a mansion and valuables, and even hosted a private banquet for him in the inner court. Such unsolicited hospitality must be suspicious! Zhu Xieyuan instinctively felt some resistance.

He carefully considered his words and said, “Your Majesty, although the southwestern provinces have been temporarily pacified, the remnants of the chieftains have not been eliminated, and the resettlement of displaced people has not been properly handled. If I were to leave my post abruptly, I fear there would be unrest. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to remain in my post for another year or two. Once the military settlements are stable, the post roads are unobstructed, and the chieftains are won over, I will surely go to the capital to serve. If Your Majesty is concerned about the affairs of the central government, I am willing to concurrently serve as the Governor-General and handle the affairs of the Ministry of War, so that we can coordinate between the two regions and live up to Your Majesty’s trust.”

Upon hearing Zhu Xieyuan's answer, Zhu Youjian's brows furrowed. He knew that a mid-level official couldn't compare to a regional governor, let alone the governor-general of five provinces, whose power was boundless. Putting himself in Zhu Youjian's shoes, if he were to choose, he would also choose to be a regional leader rather than a government official in the capital.

"Your talent is adept at leading troops into battle. But to assign you tasks such as resettling refugees, cultivating land, repairing roads and building dikes would be a waste of your abilities. Otherwise, I would appoint you to the cabinet, like Grand Secretary Bi, and allow you to concurrently hold the position of a minister after joining the cabinet. Is that acceptable?" Zhu Youjian said softly.

Zhu Xieyuan was taken aback. He realized that the emperor seemed to have misunderstood him, thinking that he stayed in the provinces because he coveted power, and therefore planned to exchange him for a position in the cabinet. This made him somewhat angry.

He didn't try to outsmart the emperor; everything he said came from the bottom of his heart! He had only been gone a short while during his mourning period when chaos erupted again in the southwest. Those Donglin Party members were ambitious but incompetent; who knew what kind of monsters the court would send to the southwest this time he was gone?

This was his second attempt to pacify the chieftains of the southwest, and he clearly felt that it was much more difficult than the first time. The chieftains' trust in him had greatly decreased, not because they didn't trust him as a person, but because they were afraid that he would be suddenly transferred away again midway, just like last time.

The chieftainship was hereditary and lasted a lifetime, unlike the official positions in the Ming Dynasty. If you had a decent official, you could manage, but if you had a ruthless one who exploited you, life would become unbearable, and you'd inevitably rebel!
The last time they were granted amnesty, it was because they believed Zhu Xieyuan's lies and thought they could live a good life; this time they were granted amnesty because they knew they really couldn't defeat Zhu Xieyuan.

Although he was angry, he couldn't very well take it out on the emperor, could he? Zhu Xieyuan said somewhat dejectedly, "If Your Majesty commands me, how dare I disobey? If Your Majesty insists on summoning me to the capital, I humbly request Your Majesty to select a suitable person to garrison the southwest and take over my post. People like Zhang Heming are all talk and no action, and I hope Your Majesty will not employ them."

It was that headache-inducing, pointless moment again when no one was available. Zhu Youjian simply resigned himself to the situation and said, "Do you have any suitable candidates to recommend to me?"

How could you ask him such a question? Fame and power are not to be entrusted to others; how could the young emperor not even understand this? Zhu Xieyuan was stunned. He was now certain that the emperor wasn't deliberately trying to embarrass him; he genuinely possessed a pure heart. How could Sun Chengzong be such a good imperial tutor? He was utterly incompetent! Zhu Xieyuan remained silent.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhu Youjian explained, "I was once merely a prince, uninvolved in politics. Now, having ascended the throne only recently, I cannot even know all the officials in the court, let alone the capable ministers retiring to the countryside. How could I possibly know them all? You are a veteran minister of four reigns, deeply trusted by the Wanli Emperor and my elder brother, hence my question. Can you tell me whether I can trust you?" Looking at the emperor's sincere expression, Zhu Xieyuan felt utterly defeated. As the saying goes, "A gentleman can be deceived by his principles," if that old bastard Sun Chengzong were still alive, there would be no need to use him.

Although he didn't know why the emperor had sent Sun Chengzong to the northwest, he felt it was still necessary for him to stay and assist the emperor. Otherwise, wouldn't the young emperor, in his current state, be easily manipulated and killed by those cunning and shrewd ministers in the court?!

"Since Your Majesty is not yet familiar with the officials, you may wish to carefully review their resumes to assess their abilities. Generally, capable officials are promoted step by step from local county magistrates, while civil officials from the Hanlin Academy, although talented in literature, often lack practical experience and are not up to the task. As for judging a person's loyalty or treachery, it is difficult to do so quickly, so Your Majesty must not trust people too easily."

In reality, a ruler can disregard loyalty and treachery; the only thing to do is to appoint people to positions of authority based on their abilities. Some people may have a reputation for virtue but flaws, yet they are capable of great use. As long as their minor flaws do not overshadow their strengths and they do not violate any major laws or taboos, they can still be entrusted with important responsibilities. On the other hand, those who consider themselves morally upright and without fault, but whose actions are pedantic and whose empty words mislead the country, should absolutely not be placed in important local positions, lest they cause great harm.

If Your Majesty wishes to know someone's talents in a certain area, you may consult their resume. For example, there are generally two types of people who are knowledgeable in military affairs: one is those who have served as military commissioners for a long time and are well-versed in military matters; the other is like this old minister, whose ancestors were military generals in the garrison and who himself has practical combat achievements.

A person's energy is limited in a lifetime, and talents all come from experience. Even those compilers in the Hanlin Academy, though skilled in literature, would be ill-equipped to manage finances or command armies…

Seeing Zhu Xieyuan talking at length about the art of employing people without specifying who he would use, Zhu Youjian was dumbfounded. He was just habitually pretending to be crazy, so why was he being lectured?! Oh no, he really thought Zhu Xieyuan was a fool.

"The food is getting a bit cold. Let's eat first, then we can discuss these matters in my warm chamber. I happen to have many things I'd like to ask you, sir," Zhu Youjian interrupted Zhu Xieyuan's spellcasting. The way he addressed him as "sir" pleased Zhu Xieyuan so much that his eyes narrowed with delight.

He took a bite of the meatball, shoveled the rice from the bottom of his bowl, put down his chopsticks, and continued, “Your Majesty, my position as Governor-General of Five Provinces was originally established to suppress the She-An rebels. Now, She Chongming and An Bangyan have both been beheaded, and the great threat has been eliminated. Only some minor chieftains remain, causing trouble in Guizhou and Sichuan.”

In my opinion, one or two provincial governors-general are sufficient; however, such a person must be well-versed in military affairs. I recommend Yang Shuzhong, Governor-General of Guizhou; Wang Zunde, Vice Minister of War; and Min Mengde, former Governor of Jiliao. These three have all served in local positions and possess the talent to pacify the people and secure the borders, and are also knowledgeable in military affairs; they are all capable of this position.”

Zhu Xieyuan ultimately decided to play the role of someone who wouldn't shirk responsibility, recommending three suitable candidates to the emperor: one unemployed and two currently in office. Making recommendations meant taking responsibility; if the emperor acted inhumanely and something went wrong, he could be held accountable.

Zhu Youjian thought about it and felt that Yang Shuzhong, the governor of Guizhou, was the most suitable. Sichuan and Guizhou are thousands of miles away from Beijing, and a round trip would take two months. Choosing him would save him the trouble of traveling.

(End of this chapter)