The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 318 House Slave
Hu Ying was shocked by Li Xianmu's profound foresight. Twenty years of planning and ten years of accumulation had led to this sudden explosion!
No minister in history has ever done this before. Which minister would dare to say that he would still be in power twenty years from now?
Hu Ying felt both admiration and fear. After the three Yangs each reduced their influence, he had considered expanding his power. He also felt that Yang Shiqi was too timid in the face of Li Xianmu.

After all, although Yang Shiqi's achievements were far less than Li Xianmu's, he was still highly experienced and had been in the cabinet for a long time. But it was only at this point that Hu Ying realized that Yang Shiqi was no ordinary person.

He actually dared to disagree with Li Xianmu on many issues!
“Prime Minister, what about Wang Zhen…” Hu Ying hesitated and said, “He will not let this go easily, and he will not let this matter pass so easily. The two Grand Secretaries Yang will not be willing to go against Wang Zhen. This matter still needs the Empress Dowager’s approval.”

“Wang Zhen?” Li Xianmu sneered, a hint of ferocity rising between his brows. “Just a eunuch, it’s time to let him know his true identity.”

Upon hearing Li Xianmu's words, Hu Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed his head, saying, "I have nothing else to say, I will follow the Prime Minister's lead."

……

Mid-Autumn Festival Imperial Banquet.

From the morning onwards, prominent families in the capital entered the palace one by one, guided by local customs.

This palace banquet was hosted by the Guanglu Temple, which was reorganized to be in charge of royal etiquette.

The emperor was naturally the main character of this palace banquet, but Li Xianmu was equally prominent.

After all, it would be more than a decade before the emperor assumed personal rule, and Li Xianmu was the current regent and prime minister who held the reins of power.

Li Xianmu's power is now no less than Zhang Juzheng's in the early Wanli period, except that Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs are allies, while Li Xianmu and Wang Zhen are political enemies.

Therefore, all the civil and military officials, including princes and dukes, came to pay their respects to him.

Li Xianmu sat in the chief seat, receiving the greetings of the crowd. He was senior and of high rank, and most of them only nodded slightly. Those of higher rank than him had been sent to Nanjing, such as one of his uncles.

Li Xianmu turned his gaze outside the banquet, his eyes scanning the area with the sharpness of an eagle.

He was waiting for something that was bound to happen.

According to the established practice of the Ming Dynasty, no matter how favored a eunuch was, he was not qualified to attend palace banquets.

Because the palace banquet was a gift from the emperor to his close ministers, and eunuchs were merely household slaves, they were not qualified to attend.

But how could Wang Zhen possibly let this go?
Soon, a commotion arose at Donghua Gate, drawing everyone's attention. Who would dare to behave so improperly at a palace banquet in front of officials, the emperor, and the empress dowager?

Someone came to report soon after.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it was the Director of Ceremonial Affairs who entered the palace through the Donghua Gate."

Wang Zhen!

Upon hearing this name, the officials at the banquet immediately perked up.

At the head of the table, the Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor, her brows furrowing slightly. "Emperor, did you summon Wang Zhen?"

Zhu Qizhen lowered his eyes and said, "Grandmother, Mr. Wang was unhappy in the palace, so I had him come."

The Empress Dowager immediately became anxious, glanced at Li Xianmu, and sure enough, Li Xianmu's face immediately darkened.

Before she could speak again.

Li Xianmu had already stood up from his seat and faced the crowd. Almost instantly, everyone's eyes fell on him.

"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet. What is Wang Zhen, a eunuch, doing here?"

Upon hearing Li Xianmu's words, all the civil and military officials in the court fell silent, and most of them did not even dare to respond.

As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer.

Li Xianmu dared to say these words, and they not only did not agree with him, but even wished they had not heard them.

This is not because Wang Zhen could truly rival Li Xianmu in terms of power and prestige, but because Wang Zhen was a treacherous and ruthless person.

Li Xianmu was, in some ways, a "good person".

He wouldn't punish someone for no reason, but Wang Zhen would really do anything to frame someone; he's a treacherous villain.

Good people are always being held at gunpoint, but fortunately, Li Xianmu doesn't care.

Upon hearing Li Xianmu's question, the young emperor Zhu Qizhen, who was sitting at the head of the table, immediately became uneasy.

Li Xianmu certainly knew that the Donghua Gate was opened by Emperor Zhu Qizhen, and that Wang Zhen was summoned by Zhu Qizhen's orders.

Otherwise, even though Wang Zhen wielded great power, he would not have dared to do such a thing without the emperor's approval.

After all, with the Empress Dowager in the palace and Li Xianmu in the cabinet, even a smart man like Wang Zhen wouldn't dare to do it.

“Prime Minister, it was I who summoned Mr. Wang to the palace.”

Zhu Qizhen's voice lacked confidence; he feared Wang Zhen, but he was also quite afraid of Li Xianmu.

Li Xianmu was his elder.
Li Xianmu suddenly turned around and looked directly at the emperor. "What does Your Majesty mean? According to the old rules of the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs are not allowed to participate in palace banquets. Why did you make an exception for Wang Zhen? And if you're going to make an exception, why didn't you discuss it beforehand?"

"Your Excellency, I..."

"Mr. Wang said in the palace that when the Duke of Zhou assisted King Cheng, he was able to participate in various occasions, but he himself was not even qualified to sit in the palace?"

I find Mr. Wang's words to be reasonable. Mr. Wang has served me well and should be granted a seat at the palace banquet.

Seeing the emperor trembling slightly, Empress Dowager Sun also spoke up, "Prime Minister, the emperor meant well..."

Everyone could clearly sense that the Empress Dowager's expression changed immediately after the Emperor spoke these words, and the Grand Secretary Li Xianmu was furious.

"His Majesty!"

"Please be careful what you say!"

"You just used the story of the Duke of Zhou assisting King Cheng."

Who is the Duke of Zhou, and who is King Cheng?

If Your Majesty is King Cheng, then is the Duke of Zhou Wang Zhen?

As soon as Li Xianmu uttered these two sentences, the hall erupted in commotion, with all the generals of the School of Mind extremely dissatisfied.

"Was the Duke of Zhou a eunuch?"

Do you know where the term "eunuch" comes from? It originated from the Duke of Zhou's conquest of the Yan state.

To compare a eunuch like Wang Zhen, who has accomplished nothing, to a sage like the Duke of Zhou is a deep disgrace to me. I beg Your Majesty to retract your words.”

Li Xianmu's words were stern and harsh, and Zhu Qizhen dared not say anything more.

Empress Dowager Sun felt sorry for him, saying, "Prime Minister, the emperor is still young and doesn't understand the historical allusions. There's no need to lecture him like this."

"Even Confucius, the most revered teacher, praised the Duke of Zhou. Compared to Wang Zhen, even a speck of mud on the Duke of Zhou's foot is far superior to Wang Zhen."

"Your Majesty is young; the Empress Dowager should carefully consider her teachings. If that fails, I may take over."

Empress Dowager Sun's face immediately tightened. She was unwilling to let Li Xianmu teach the emperor, otherwise the emperor might favor someone else in the future.

After several exchanges, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat tense. The Grand Tutor was reprimanding the Emperor without any politeness, while the Empress Dowager was lenient and protective of her own. In this atmosphere, no one dared to speak.
“I didn’t come here, yet I didn’t know that Lord Shouzheng would insult me ​​like this.”

A chilling voice rang out, instantly making the already tense atmosphere between the emperor and Li Xian's tomb in the hall even colder.

All the civil and military officials immediately turned their gazes towards the outside of the hall, where they saw a group of eunuchs escorting Wang Zhen into the palace. The emperor suddenly felt as if he had seen a savior; he had been trembling with fear after being reprimanded by Li Xianmu.

Seeing the emperor's appearance, Li Xianmu felt somewhat helpless.

He was well aware that, as a powerful minister, his relationship with the emperor was already strained.

If they don't get along well, they may face great difficulties in the future.

But the circumstances forced him to take this path.

Although the Empress Dowager supported him, her relationship with the Emperor was far less close than that between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Furthermore, Empress Dowager Sun and Li Xianmu were rivals, and it was impossible for her to hand over the Emperor to him.

Li Xianmu was an associate of the Empress Dowager, while Wang Zhen was an associate of Empress Dowager Sun. Naturally, their relationship with the emperor could not be close.

One can only hope that the emperor will grow up well and, after understanding the principles of things, realize the importance of Li Xianmu.

"Wang Zhen, this is not a place for you. Leave immediately, or I will have you arrested right now."

"Your Excellency is truly quite imposing. I was summoned by His Majesty the Emperor. What right do you have to take me down?"
Are you going to defy the imperial decree?

Li Xianmu bowed to the Empress Dowager, his clear voice resounding throughout the hall, "So that you may know that before the late Emperor passed away, because His Majesty is still young, he entrusted the affairs of state to the Empress Dowager and us, the four regents."

His Majesty the Emperor is young and easily misled by treacherous people, and you are precisely that treacherous minister by His Majesty's side.

Wang Zhen said sternly, "Does the Grand Secretary look down on me so much just because I am a palace attendant?"

Does the Grand Secretary consider me a treacherous official simply because I am a eunuch? I never knew the Grand Secretary treated people's origins this way. If I were in the same era as the Grand Secretary, even a eunuch like Zheng He would never have risen to prominence.

The eunuch Sanbao was Zheng He. Now that Wang Zhen has brought up Zheng He's name, he is trying to suppress Li Xianmu's momentum.

Li Xianmu's face was cold, with deep sarcasm, "You say I look down on you because of your birth? How ridiculous."
When His Majesty the Emperor decided to appoint you as the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, I never uttered a single word of objection.

Everyone in the court knows that I encouraged you and even gave you a calligraphy scroll inscribed with the four characters "Loyalty to the Emperor and Service to the Country".

I once gave you a book that recorded the names of virtuous and capable eunuchs throughout history.

I had high hopes for you.

Li Xianmu shook his head as he spoke, "It's just a pity that you are a person who is not good enough for important tasks."

Leaving aside what you did in the past when you were involved in politics.

Tonight alone, His Majesty the Emperor has broken with precedent set since the time of Emperor Taizu because of you. This action will inevitably lead to questions about His Majesty's conduct. Yet you did not decline but gladly attended the banquet. Is this what a loyal minister should do?

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall changed again. Wang Zhen became somewhat embarrassed and angry. "I never knew when the Grand Secretary had become someone who abides by the laws of our ancestors. Now that the Ming Dynasty has undergone earth-shaking reforms, isn't this all due to your actions, Grand Secretary?"

Now they're bringing up old precedents from the time of the founding emperor—isn't that utterly ridiculous?

Wang Zhen accused Li Xianmu of double standards.

Li Xianmu shook his head, as if the person opposite him was mentally challenged. "There is no law in this world that cannot be changed. It is not impossible for His Majesty the Emperor to make an exception for you, but it is definitely not like today, breaking an old precedent that has been in place for many years without any discussion."

Why did Emperor Taizu establish this precedent?
Because a subject is someone who guards the world for Your Majesty, while you, a eunuch, are merely a household slave. How can a household slave sit in the same hall as the ministers of the court?

"If you want to sit here, you can no longer be a slave. The emperor wants to grant you a new status, but you haven't, so you are not welcome here."

A servant of the emperor!

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent. Some things were true, but they could not be said, for to say them would be an insult.

In the TV series "Da Ming Dynasty 1566", were Hai Rui the only one who knew about the affairs of the Jiajing Emperor?

But he was the only one who broke the silence.

The moment he exposed it, Jiajing could no longer pretend nothing had happened.

In particular, the phrase "all officials are like household slaves" made it impossible for the ministers to sit idly by any longer. They had to either deal with Hai Rui to prove that he was talking nonsense, or deal with Jiajing to make him change his attitude towards his officials.

But now that Li Xianmu has said this, who can they deal with?

Do you dare to deal with Li Xianmu?
Of course I wouldn't dare!

Wang Zhen's face changed drastically, from white to red, from red to purple, and from purple to black.

His finger trembled slightly as he pointed at Li Xianmu.

Only one thought crossed his mind: Has Li Xianmu gone mad? How could he treat him like this!
Although the cabinet wields immense power, it requires the approval of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Without such approval, the cabinet's affairs come to a standstill.

Even the members of the School of Mind never expected that Li Xianmu would utter such humiliating words!

Is this a direct attack on the Directorate of Ceremonial?

This is not a good thing for the current administration, but the prime minister always asks others to do things his way, so they can only stand behind him and cheer him on.

"Motosuke."

The emperor was somewhat frightened when he saw the two men facing off.

Li Xianmu looked at the emperor and said in a gentle voice for the first time since entering the palace, "Your Majesty is young and does not yet know good from evil. You have been misled by the treacherous people around you, which is why you have done what you have done today."

Your humble servant is trusted by Emperor Renzong and appointed as the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, in charge of matters concerning the imperial clan.

In terms of seniority, Your Majesty may address me as your great-uncle. Your Majesty has only met the late Emperor. I am fortunate to have been raised by the Taizu Emperor and protected by the Taizong Emperor. I am afraid that no one in the court understands the thoughts and ideas of the previous emperors of our Great Ming Dynasty better than me.

Today, I will take advantage of my age and seniority to say and do some things in this capacity.

Wang Zhen's face turned green.

Empress Dowager Sun also found it quite a headache.

For the emperor, Li Xianmu's most illustrious status was not that of a regent, but rather that of the emperor's great-uncle; Li Xianmu's seniority was simply too great.

Moreover, Li Xianmu's seniority is not something that can be ignored.

In fact, there is still one of Zhu Yuanzhang's sons-in-law living in the Ming Dynasty. In terms of seniority, he is the real living fossil of the Ming Dynasty, but obviously his significance cannot be compared with that of Li Xianmu.

The most outrageous thing about Li Xianmu is that he was personally raised and educated by the Taizu Emperor for several years, according to almost all official and folk records.

Emperor Taizu placed great hopes on Li Xianmu.

In the history of the Ming Dynasty, another person who held such high expectations was Emperor Jianwen.

Others may speak of Emperor Taizu in various ways, but they are merely using his words as a pretext. However, Li Xianmu's statement about Emperor Taizu's thoughts is indeed true.

This was a weapon exclusively for use against later emperors.

After all, most emperors would use the restoration of their ancestors' legacy as the legal basis for their rule.

But now, this legal principle is actually in Li Xianmu's hands.

Wang Zhenming knew that Li Xianmu wanted to humiliate him, but he dared not speak. Even the Empress Dowager sat up straight!
All the officials in the hall stood in solemn silence.

(End of this chapter)