The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 305 Court Meeting
A bright light shone in from the outside.

The autumn wind brought a chill, fluttering the hems of the robes of the courtiers in the hall, swaying back and forth, and occasionally sticking to their legs.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the assembled officials stood solemnly with their heads bowed.

The emperor sat high on his throne, and Li Xianmu's clear voice echoed throughout the hall as he reported the final outcome of the Yellow River dike case.

Li Xianmu had previously reported this to the emperor privately, but now he was recounting it to the court officials, as this matter had stirred up countless storms.

"...the officials involved were punished according to the amount of money embezzled, including being killed or exiled."

Li Xianmu compiled a long list of people to be executed in the autumn, a quarter of whom would have their entire families executed, while most of the rest would have their homes confiscated and be exiled.

The court officials' eyelids twitched as they listened. This was the first time since the Hongwu era that such a heavy killing had occurred over a single case, yet they dared not say anything. Many turned their attention to the three officials: the Minister of Justice, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, and the Left Censor-in-Chief.

But the three men, holding their tablets, kept their eyes down and their ears closed, seemingly oblivious to everything, while inwardly cursing, "What a joke! This matter has finally come to an end, and now we're getting bogged down in these trivial details. Who knows, a few more people might end up on that list."

After recounting the Yellow River dike case in the palace with a blank expression, Li Xianmu looked up at the dark mass of court officials before him.

Civil and military officials were separated into two groups, one on the left and one on the right.

Among the nobles and relatives of the emperor, those of high rank were in front, their official robes embroidered with birds and beasts, exuding an air of great power and prestige.

"Ugh."

The emperor, who was sitting at the head of the table, suddenly let out a long sigh, and the ministers below him immediately felt a chill run down their spines.

Zhu Zhanji looked around at everyone, his brows furrowed with undisguised indignation and desolation. "When my teacher suggested that I establish an Anti-Corruption Bureau, I thought it was making a mountain out of a molehill."

I originally thought that although there was corruption in the court, it was not this serious. The establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau is likely to result in ten people being in charge of one person, creating a problem of redundant officials.

But considering the teacher's hard work and great achievements, and that he never makes mistakes, I grant his request. If things don't go as planned, I can cancel it.

Did not expect ah.

The teacher really does never make a mistake.

In Gansu and along the Yellow River, two major cases occurred in succession, involving countless officials. The public office of the court was turned into a tool for private gain, while the fate of the Ming Dynasty was completely disregarded.

The officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau worked diligently, yet they faced a life-or-death threat. Their evil deeds were simply too numerous to recount. I deeply hate them. If I cannot execute them by slow slicing to appease the world, I will be unworthy to be a sovereign!
How can we explain this to the Anti-Corruption Bureau?

How dare they sit idly by and watch the world go by!

Zhu Zhanji had so much to say, but at this moment he felt rather powerless, and this matter truly disheartened him.

The problems with officialdom that Li Xianmu had mentioned were now laid bare before his eyes, and the Ming Dynasty was truly being eroded.

"Teacher, this matter was initiated by you, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau was also established under your strong leadership. Why don't you tell us about it?"

"The minister obeys the order."

Li Xianmu first solemnly bowed to the emperor, and then faced the assembled officials, remaining silent as he pondered what to say.

Then I thought of my father's seven great wishes before his death, and the ultimate wish that my father left to the Li family.

He slowly began to speak, “His Majesty has instructed me to address the ministers. I have been thinking that whatever one says, there should be a beginning. All the words in one’s heart should have a guiding principle so as not to lose direction.”

After much thought, let me begin with my late father, Li Zhongwen.

I once read Zhang Yanghao's poem and came across the phrase "the states of Zhou, Qi, Qin, Han, and Chu," which made me deeply aware of the impermanence of life and that even the greatest dynasties would eventually perish. Yet, what I heard and heard was Emperor Taizu's words, "for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations."

So I went to ask my late father.

Even if I don't say it, you all know that a thousand years or ten thousand years is impossible.

The expressions of everyone in the hall remained unchanged, including the emperor.

Historically, there were very few monarchs who truly believed that a dynasty could last for thousands of years. Qin Shi Huang genuinely wanted the Qin Dynasty to last for ten thousand generations. However, as dynasties changed more frequently over time, this idea faded. By the Ming Dynasty, everyone knew that it was impossible for a dynasty to last for thousands of years, and it was already good enough to extend the dynasty's lifespan as much as possible.

"Even if it cannot last for a thousand years, our Great Ming was born of great righteousness and should shine high in the blue sky and above all other dynasties. Even if the Great Ming truly ceases to exist millions of years later, future generations should still praise the spirit of the Great Ming."

My late father once said that the Tang Dynasty was prosperous and lasted for no more than three hundred years, the Han Dynasty, although divided into two, lasted for four hundred years, the Song Dynasty suffered a great upheaval and lasted for more than three hundred years, and the other dynasties were all short-lived and cannot be relied upon.

If this is done, the Ming Dynasty should last at least five hundred years, surpassing the Han and Tang Dynasties.

The ancestral precepts my late father established for the Li family stipulated that when the Ming Dynasty reaches its five hundredth anniversary, future generations should, during family ancestral rites, inform the spirits of their ancestors that the Ming Dynasty has far surpassed all previous eras!

boom!
Everyone in the hall was shocked. Five hundred years—a goal that sounded incredibly unrealistic—and Li Zhongwen actually listed it as a family precept. Even Emperor Zhu Zhanji probably never imagined that the Ming Dynasty could continue peacefully for five hundred years.

"But if we allow these corrupting insects to erode the Ming Dynasty, let alone five hundred years, the Ming Dynasty will probably be completely devoured in two hundred years."

Li Xianmu said sternly, "The establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the reform of the Ministry of Works by me are all for this purpose. Let me tell you, the Gansu fake disaster relief case has deeply chilled me. In the future, I will establish a new disaster relief system. I will crack down on all aspects that may lead to corruption, starting from the source and from the system."

nobody!
No one can stop this minister from being loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

Today, I, the Grand Secretary, draw a line with my sword and declare to all officials of the land: those who dare to offend the nation, those executed today, will meet the same fate. This oath began with my late father, passed through me, and will be continued by all the descendants of the Li family, generation after generation, never to be forgotten.

Zhu Zhanji looked at Li Xianmu in shock. He had originally wanted Li Xianmu to say something mature and prudent, but he never expected that Li Xianmu would say something that sounded like a challenge.

In an instant, he felt a tingling sensation rush to the top of his head, and his blood boiled.

Among the high-ranking and powerful officials in the court, only Li Xianmu would say such a thing.

Many ministers were dissatisfied with the emperor's trust in Li Xianmu, and even attacked the emperor for giving Li Xianmu too much power, making him almost no different from the prime minister of the previous dynasty.

This violates ancestral customs.

But Zhu Zhanji only found it laughable, lamenting the hateful nature of human jealousy.

Why do those ministers in the court never consider what a sincere and upright man Li Xianmu is? He has deep affection and loyalty to the royal family, always putting the well-being of the people first, and also taking into account the emperor's feelings and needs. He is a capable official of the realm, a prime minister of the world, able to assist the monarch above and harmonize with the ministers below. He is a minister bestowed upon the Ming emperor by Heaven, born to be prime minister.

Although the Ming Dynasty did not have a prime minister system, it was still obligated to serve the ministers bestowed by Heaven.

If the emperor was so surprised, what about the other ministers?

Li Xianmu was truly an anomaly among high-ranking officials.

Throughout history, even the most strong-willed ministers who could reach the level of Li Xianmu would not have willingly offended so many court officials.

There is a reality in this world: nothing lasts forever.

The same is true in politics. There are countless examples of people who are in power today but lose power tomorrow, and most people will not easily make enemies.

Only when the conflict of interests is truly irreconcilable will it escalate to the point of hostility.

But now Li Xianmu has drawn a line directly, which is a rather naive move in politics, like playing house.

But the deeper you think about it, the more you realize that Li Xianmu's move was truly a killer move.

Li Xianmu had already amassed an enormous political force, and through several political movements, he had cultivated a group of capable members of the Neo-Confucian school. A large part of the reason these people followed him was because Li Xianmu and his father, Li Qi, had styles that were quite different from those of traditional scholar-officials, giving these scholars who were unwilling to stagnate in the traditional way a glimmer of hope.

Furthermore, as Li Xianmu's power rose and the Neo-Confucianism flourished, producing many talented individuals, many neutral people joined the movement.

Finally, Li Xianmu dealt heavy blows to the opposing forces through a series of political movements. Under these circumstances, his declaration was not a futile attempt to defeat the enemy, but rather a call for others to choose sides.

In business, this is called a monopoly.

In politics, it is even more serious than monopoly; in some ways, it is the path to becoming a powerful minister!
However, Li Xianmu acted too subtly, and his behavior was too harmless to the imperial power. In fact, to outsiders, he seemed more like an upright and loyal minister.

Even now, people believe that Li Xianmu's prestige came from his character and ability, and that his power came from the emperor's trust, rather than from his organization of the Li Party and the existence of a top-down network of relationships.

With a single order from him, the entire Anti-Corruption Bureau could be put into full operation, and a major case could be brought to light. All of this was concealed beneath his persona of integrity and righteousness.

The grand court assembly concluded amidst Li Xianmu's stern pronouncements. As the assembled officials left the hall with bewildered expressions, they all turned their gazes toward Grand Secretary Li Xianmu.

The next moment, many young officials approached him. Li Xianmu changed his stern expression from the hall and put on a warm smile, which made people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

"The Grand Secretary has always attached great importance to the training of young officials, saying that he should cultivate talents for the country and never suppress his subordinates from being promoted just for the sake of his own power."

Otherwise, if there is no successor, the country will be in danger.

This is probably why the philosophy of mind produces so many geniuses today. It is said that sages of the past were all skilled at educating their children, such as the Supreme Sage Confucius.

These words naturally reached the ears of those who were paying attention. Some smiled, while others frowned and left.

The plan to kill Li Xianmu failed to work. It failed to sow discord between the emperor and Li Xianmu and force Li Xianmu to step down. Instead, it boosted Li Xianmu's reputation and became his stepping stone. The more the emperor thought about it, the more upset he became. Naturally, he did not want to see Li Xianmu in such a smug state.

……

The two major corruption cases handled by the Anti-Corruption Bureau have had a far-reaching impact, with the number of people involved and the amount of money involved being shocking.

Most importantly, the investigation and prosecution of these two major cases proved that corruption was no longer an isolated incident, but rather a deep-seated erosion within the fabric of the Ming Dynasty. It involved not only clerks and lower-ranking officials, but also high-ranking officials at the level of provincial governor.

Note that this is corruption, not bribery!
Corruption and bribery are two different crimes. In modern terms, bribery requires both "taking advantage of one's position" and "seeking benefits for others" to be met. Embezzlement, on the other hand, emphasizes the illegal possession of public property and usually involves acts such as misappropriation or theft, without the need to seek benefits for others.

It's so common for officials to accept bribes that it's impossible to investigate.

Moreover, my country has been a society based on personal relationships since ancient times, and it is often difficult to distinguish right from wrong under the guise of social interactions.

Even Li Xianmu has no intention of venturing into this difficult and dangerous area for the time being.

His main focus now is on the embezzlement of public funds belonging to the imperial court, and this is precisely what has shocked the world.

Embezzlement of disaster relief funds and funds for the construction of the Yellow River dike are common occurrences in history, and they mostly appear in the scripts of the late dynasties.

Disaster victims, unable to receive relief, rose up in rebellion; the Yellow River, unable to be repaired, breached its banks, destroying a crumbling dynasty.

Leaving aside distant examples, what was the direct trigger for the demise of the Yuan Dynasty, which preceded the Ming Dynasty?

It was just a problem with the funds for repairing the Yellow River that led to "a stone man with one eye stirring up rebellion across the land," and ultimately, the dynasty perished in the vast ocean of peasant uprisings.

A lesson from the past, a teacher of the future.

Regardless of what other dynasties did, the Ming Dynasty, which had only been established for a few decades, should never forget this painful lesson.

The spirits of the fallen Yuan emperors may still be in Beijing, watching over the Ming emperors and their ministers!
Li Xianmu once again gained considerable prestige in these two major cases.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there has never been anyone with such outstanding prestige as him; at this moment, he is practically surrounded by a halo.

Many scholars recognized him as the one capable of solving the problems exposed by the Ming Dynasty.

Many people have even compared him to the famous prime ministers of previous dynasties, saying that his abilities were like those of Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Yao Xiangyu, and Song Zhiwen of the Tang Dynasty, while his character was comparable to that of Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty.

Taking advantage of the Yellow River dike case, Li Xianmu once again cleaned up the several official-merchant groups that had been established earlier, and severely punished their habit of being subservient to the government.

He certainly didn't want these groups of officials and businessmen to become new government offices, as that would contradict his initial expectations.

Unknowingly.

Time has passed, autumn has gone and winter has come, followed by warm spring and hot summer.

As the cicadas faded into autumn and frost and snow fell, tender buds sprouted on the willow trees, which then blossomed into full bloom.

Year by year.

(End of this chapter)