The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 118 Slaying the Nine Ministers

The hall fell silent.

Seeing Chen Ying's strong reaction, Li Xianmu immediately realized that this Left Censor-in-Chief must have relatives involved in the relocation of the capital.

That's why he's so hostile towards me.

Although Hu Ying and Zhao Juren were also from Southern Zhili, they were not like Chen Ying, the cruel official. Yet today they were working together in unison, which suggests that their relatives were also implicated and they were trying to teach Chen Ying a lesson.

The people from Jiangxi were probably not involved in this matter, because Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue, didn't say a word. Yang Shiqi was just trying to get himself into trouble, probably because his inherent autocratic nature was triggered.

Hu Guang, now an isolated official outside Jiangxi, was forced into the proposal to move the capital by himself, so he now wants to get back at Hu Guang.

However, whether it was Jian Yi from Sichuan, Xia Yuanji from Jiangxi, or Zheng Ci and Yang Rong from Fujian, none of them objected to the suggestions of Chen Ying and others.

If the Southern School can truly counterbalance the Northern School and allow the Southerners to shine, they would be happy to see it happen.

Huang Huai was largely promoted by Zhejiang scholars. In the past seven or eight years, the reputation of Zhejiang scholars has been greatly diminished. These matters concerning the Northern and Southern Schools were most likely led by Zhejiang, with the aim of enhancing the reputation of Zhejiang scholars.

As for whether there was any scheming involved, the probability is low.

Li Xianmu quickly sorted out the information in the room and roughly judged the roles and positions of each person.

Then he turned his attention to Chen Ying, and after sorting things out, he concluded that Chen Ying was the one who deserved to be attacked the most.

As the vanguard of Southern Zhili, he was also the most hostile among the Duke Yansheng's mansion this time. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Since he charged ahead, then let him be felled!
Among the group, Huang Huai was quite uneasy. He had sensed something was wrong ever since Chen Ying and the others started targeting Li Xianmu.

The court was clearly discussing the matter of the Duke Yansheng, so how did it suddenly turn into a confrontation between Chen Ying and Li Xianmu?
Huang Huai was also a wise man. He had been deceived before, but now he was gradually realizing what was going on.

Many people had already guessed that Li Xianmu would be involved in the matter of the Duke Yansheng.
Is the matter of the Northern and Southern Schools being deliberately used as bait?
Are there people in Zhejiang taking advantage of me?

wrong!

This is killing two birds with one stone; the Zhejiang scholars who stepped forward were indeed hoping to revitalize Zhejiang's reputation.

However, this involves the North-South conflict, and some people are certain that Li Xianmu will step forward.

Someone is using this incident to target Li Xianmu!
In the past, both Li Qi and Li Xianmu were always able to stand in the right position and then morally judge their enemies, but now the Duke of Yansheng's mansion is in the wrong first!

Therefore, Li Xianmu had inherent deficiencies, and with the Southern School as his support, there was really no reason for him to lose.

Huang Huai's face grew increasingly grim as he thought about it. He hadn't expected that he and the scholars of Zhejiang would be used as pawns this time. He glanced at the officials in the hall. Among the three provinces of Jiangnan, Jiangxi had always been the most powerful, known as the province with the majority of its scholars.

However, Zhejiang used to be slightly better than Southern Zhili, but since the late Hongwu period, Zhejiang has suffered repeated blows, and now the central government is dominated by Southern Zhili and Jiangxi.

Such a momentous event was undertaken without any regard for the people of Southern Zhili and Jiangxi, who completely disregarded him as the leader of the Zhejiang literati.

Or...

Is there someone within Zhejiang colluding with him?

Huang Huai felt an unprecedented ambition to unify the Zhejiang literati, but he gave up in the next instant. That was simply impossible. Even Song Lian and Fang Xiaoru couldn't do it with their Dongming Academy, let alone him.

Countless thoughts flashed through Huang Huai's mind, and he became quite anxious.

If today's events cause harm to Li Xianmu, wouldn't he have broken his promise to Li Zhongwengong?

But now the die is cast, and Li Xianmu has already stepped into the vortex. All we can do is hope that he can extricate himself from this predicament!

Faced with Chen Ying's questioning, Li Xianmu laughed loudly and said, "Imperial Censor Chen is too impatient. I haven't even explained the reason yet. His Majesty is not in a hurry, so why are you?"

Chen Ying was speechless with anger, "You..."

The others, including Chen Ying and Zheng Ci, couldn't help but laugh. Even Emperor Zhu Di slightly raised the corners of his mouth, finding it quite amusing.

Which emperor would truly regard a cruel official like Chen Ying as a favored minister?

It's nothing more than a vicious dog in your hands. Showing it favors only makes people fear it and allows the vicious dog to bite people more recklessly.

If this vicious dog injures too many people, it must be beaten to death!
Anyone could tell that Li Xianmu was mocking Chen Ying, implying that the emperor wasn't worried while the eunuch was.

After mocking Chen Ying, Li Xianmu said no more.

He immediately shouted, "Why is what you say absurd?"

Because whether it's appointing officials from other regions or selecting a magistrate from the Kong family of Quzhou for Qufu, it's all a futile effort!

How absurd it is that such a useless act was spoken so openly and brazenly in front of the Emperor and His Excellency.

Do you gentlemen not know this?

The appearance of Qufu and the majesty of the Duke Yansheng are a natural reflection of the hierarchy and social order.

Just as the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture dared not interfere in the affairs of the princes and dukes in the capital, the officials in the princes' fiefdoms dared not interfere in the affairs of the vassal kings.

The magistrate of Qufu was only a seventh-rank official. When he went to pay his respects to the Duke Yansheng, he could not even enter the gate without permission. He had to wait at the gatehouse first. The messenger was a sixth-rank official, which was higher than the magistrate's rank.

With such a vast difference in status, how could the magistrate of Qufu not depend on the Duke of Yansheng for survival?

This is the true reason for the infighting among Confucian scholars today. Instead of changing this, they are preoccupied with replacing the county magistrate—isn't that utterly absurd?

Chen Ying thought to himself, "Brilliant!" and then said, "Your Majesty, what Hanlin Li said is absolutely right. If we want to change things in Qufu, we must first give the county magistrate authority. We must respect the hierarchy and not act rashly. If we really allow a mere county magistrate to be above the Duke of Yansheng, wouldn't that be the biggest joke in the world?"

The two of them, working in unison, criticized Chen Ying's earlier remarks as utterly meaningless, and brought the topic back to whether or not to change the system of the Duke of Yansheng.

The difficulty for the magistrate of Qufu lies in the fact that it is part of the system of the Duke Yansheng. Li Xianmu saw through this point and thus linked the magistrate of Qufu with the Duke Yansheng.

But the matter had already been decided by the emperor himself, and there was no reason to change it!
Just like the feudal system of the imperial court, they could do whatever they wanted in their fiefdoms, and the court officials could not stop them.

The only way to change this would be to grant officials power that surpasses that of the princes, but that was practically a pipe dream.

Chen Ying, Hu Ying, Hu Guang, and the others all understood, and their faces turned extremely ugly.

"Are we just going to sit idly by and watch the Duke Yansheng fall into ruin?"

"Since Li Hanlin has rejected our suggestions, he might as well offer better ones."

Zhu Di also looked at Li Xianmu and said gently, "Xianmu, do you have any good suggestions?"

Li Xianmu desperately wanted to reply, "What a load of rubbish. Deposing the Duke Yansheng would be the best solution, just like deposing your worthless anthropomorphic brothers, but you can't do that, so what can I do?"
But it's not like I'm deliberately courting death; I'm just saying these things naturally.

"Your Majesty trusts me enough to speak up in court. Now that all the important ministers are here, how can I speak again?"

"Perhaps Your Majesty should ask your trusted ministers again?"

The only good way is to shift the blame, because it's not a solution and could lead to further repercussions later.

"However, I have one more point to refute the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review. His words just now were extremely disrespectful."

Extreme disrespect?
As soon as these three words were uttered, even Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Di sat up straight and looked directly at Li Xianmu. Zhu Di solemnly said, "Xianmu, do you know what you are saying? The weight of the Nine Ministers is greater than Mount Tai. The three words 'great disrespect' are not to be spoken lightly."

Zhao Juren felt as if he were being watched by wild beasts in the mountains. He never expected that Li Xianmu's revenge would come so quickly. Right there in the hall, after he had just made Chen Ying speak recklessly, he immediately came back with his sword to kill him.

Li Xianmu solemnly said, "Just now, Envoy Zhao said that the Kong family of Quzhou is a direct descendant of a major lineage. This is extremely disrespectful!"

Everyone was a little confused. Although the Northern Branch was now the one to inherit the title of Duke Yansheng, the Kong family of Quzhou was indeed the direct lineage, a lineage that was absolutely correct and universally recognized. So what was so disrespectful about that?

A cruel smile flashed across Li Xianmu's lips, and Zhao Juren felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast, his breath catching in his throat.

A deep sense of unease welled up in his heart!

Li Xianmu asked Zhao Juren, word by word, "May I ask, Zhao Tongzheng, which lineage is more prominent, His Majesty or the descendant of Emperor Xiaokang?"

Between the emperor and Zhu Biao's lineage, who is the head of the main branch now?
Li Xianmu spoke in a deep voice, the last syllable even sounding somewhat ethereal, as if it came from the realm of the dead in the heavens, carrying a thick aura of death.

You say those without titles belong to the main lineage, and those who worship Confucius belong to the minor lineage.

Is the one who performs the sacrifices to the founding emperor, Gaozu, from the main lineage or the collateral lineage?
As soon as Li Xianmu uttered his words, everyone knew how serious this political issue was.

The progenitor is the progenitor of the main lineage, while the kings can only worship the progenitor of their own lineage. For example, Liu Bei said that he was a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, but not Liu Bang, because he could only worship Prince Jing of Zhongshan, not Liu Bang.

By only emphasizing that the Kong family of Quzhou is the main branch, doesn't that mean that the Kong family of Qufu is a minor branch?
Is a minor ancestral worship ceremony held in honor of Confucius?

This was fatal for the Duke Yansheng, who valued etiquette and rules above all else, and it was also a fatal flaw for the imperial court!
Zhao Juren was already old, and when Li Xianmu asked him this question, he felt his soul leave his body. He almost immediately knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing, saying, "The Emperor is the head of the clan! The Emperor is the head of the clan!"

The hall froze instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was as if an eternal icy river had enveloped the entire hall. Everyone breathed softly, trying not to make a sound. No one expected Li Xianmu to utter such a sentence.

Chen Ying, who had been quite arrogant just moments before, fell silent like a quail. He often felt like a madman, but now, compared to Li Xianmu, he felt like a normal person.

Zhu Gaochi lowered his head and remained silent.

Zhu Di looked at the silent officials and found it quite amusing. At this moment, he recalled the time when he questioned them before the palace. If it weren't for that political foundation, he would probably be very eager to prove himself now when faced with this problem.

“Raise your head, for I am of the highest lineage, and the Son of Heaven is of the highest lineage.”

The emperor's voice was much better than expected. Everyone raised their heads tremblingly and saw that the emperor was even smiling, not as cold as they had imagined.

"Throughout history, all emperors who ascended the throne by eliminating tyrants, like myself, did so before the Three Dynasties. It seems that you gentlemen have forgotten them."

However, the Commissioner of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was indeed wrong. Since the Southern Branch relinquished its title, the Grand Branch has become part of the Northern Branch. The Southern Branch has rendered meritorious service in guarding the tombs, but it cannot supersede the Northern Branch. To confuse the Grand Branch with the Grand Branch is truly senile.

Upon hearing the words "senile old man" and the emperor's ambiguous smile, Zhao Juren felt dizzy and disoriented. He prostrated himself on the ground, trembling and saying, "This old minister is old and has committed such a grave mistake. Before Your Majesty, I beg to retire."

"That's right."

The hall fell silent again. Everyone knew that the emperor was already giving Zhao Juren considerable face by allowing him to retire with the rank of one of the Nine Ministers, so that he could at least return to his hometown and live as a renowned scholar and elder.

Yet everyone still trembled with fear—a mere Nine Ministers!

They were brought down so easily!

Everyone's gaze involuntarily fell on Li Xianmu, who remained kneeling on the ground with a calm expression.

With skin as white as porcelain, gleaming with a deep luster, he was indeed a handsome young nobleman.

Yet this seemingly harmless young master managed to bring down a high-ranking official with just a few words.

Almost simultaneously, one sentence flashed through everyone's minds: "He's just like his father."

Li Zhongwen was always kind to people, but he could also kill people with just a few words. Yang Jing, Zhan Hui, Li Yuanming and others all died in this way.

Zhu Di stroked his beard, glanced at Chen Ying a few more times, and sighed slightly. If Li Xianmu were willing to be a cruel official, he would definitely do a better job than Chen Ying.

Unfortunately, that's impossible.

He now fully understood what had happened today. After the stories of the Duke of Yansheng's mansion were spread, the Southern Sect of Quzhou became restless.

Then more and more people got involved.

Li Xianmu offended people during the last relocation of the capital, which led to the current situation.

Today, he took care of that old bastard Zhao Juren for Li Xianmu, which means he's on Li Xianmu's side. But he still won't punish Chen Ying, after all, such a useful dog is hard to find.

There are some things that Li Xianmu is unwilling to do.

For example, only someone like Chen Ying would be willing to get rid of the imperial son-in-law, Mei Yin.

Thinking of this, Zhu Di spoke again: "Tell me, what should we do about the matter concerning the Duke of Yansheng and the magistrate of Qufu?"
Yang Rong, you've always been quick-witted, tell me what's going on.

Upon hearing the emperor's question, Chen Ying, Hu Ying, and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Since the emperor no longer inquired about the major and minor branches of the family but only about the Duke Yansheng, then today's matter was considered over.

Hu Guang felt uneasy and restless, as if he had completely offended Li Xianmu today.

Li Xianmu was not surprised by this.

People like Ji Gang and Chen Ying are not so easy to bring down. Only when the black gloves are so dirty that their owners are disgusted by them will they be discarded.

Yang Rong, who had not expressed any opinion throughout the process, said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I believe that the original intention of the Duke Yansheng system was good, but it was not implemented well."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the early Ming Dynasty, while regional factional struggles had not yet emerged, some conflicts had already arisen. In the case of the Confucian disciples' mutual accusations, three ministers from Southern Zhili, whose political stances did not overlap, launched a joint attack on Li Xianmu (the successor to the leader of the Northern people). The catalyst for this was the so-called "first case between the North and South"—the relocation of the capital! —From "The Formation and Regionalism of Political Groups in the Ming Dynasty"

(End of this chapter)