Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 6: Demons and Monsters Make Their Appearance
Cui Chengxiu, Minister of War and concurrently Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, resigned to return to his hometown to observe mourning for his parents, causing undercurrents to surge within the Ming Dynasty court.

In order to intimidate the Qi, Chu, and Zhe factions, Wei Zhongxian immediately ordered Xu Dahua to be imprisoned and tortured in the imperial prison, and to openly seize the stolen goods. He also ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest Yang Weiyuan and Ruan Dacheng.

That guy is a real jerk.

They even used their godson as a warning to others.

So, will this move really scare away the Qi, Chu, and Zhe factions?

The next morning, around 7 a.m., as the sun rose, Zhu Jue, who had been out exercising, calmly walked towards the Imperial Study.

This time, it wasn't Wei Zhongxian waiting at the door, but Liu Ruoyu.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, led Liu Ruoyu and Wang Chengen into the imperial study, and then picked up the memorials that had already been placed on the imperial desk to read.

Wei Zhongxian was truly adept at interpersonal relationships. His first two memorials were from the Ministry of Personnel requesting the promotion of Sun Chuanting and Lu Xiang to the position of Right Vice Minister of War, and the cabinet approved both of them.

Without hesitation, he handed the two memorials to Wang Chengen, who was standing to the side, and decisively said, "Approved."

Wang Chengen quickly took the memorial and bent down to hand it to Liu Ruoyu.

Liu Ruoyu was already kneeling and waiting at a small table to the side.

They had already mastered this system yesterday.

Zhu Jue gave the order, Liu Ruoyu approved it in red ink, and Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua took turns affixing their official seals. The memorials were processed incredibly quickly.

The third memorial was also from the Ministry of Personnel, which recommended candidates for Minister of War and Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. In addition to Sun Chuanting and Lu Xiangshan, there were three other candidates for Minister of War, and three more candidates for Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. The official positions of these six people were quite long.

The candidates recommended to succeed as Minister of War all already held the title of Minister of War. They were: Tian Ji, Minister of War, Assistant to the Governor of the Capital Garrison and concurrently Right Vice Minister of War; Yan Mingtai, Governor of Shuntian and Minister of War, concurrently in charge of military affairs in Jizhou and Baoding; and Wang Zhichen, Governor-General of Jiliao and Minister of War, concurrently Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

The candidates for Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate were Li Kuilong, Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate and concurrently in charge of the Personnel Selection Department of the Ministry of Personnel; Ni Wenhuan, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and concurrently Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; and Cao Sicheng, Minister of Revenue and concurrently in charge of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

It is obvious that these were all Wei Zhongxian's confidants; otherwise, they would not have been able to hold so many positions and wield real power.

He wasn't in a hurry to make a decision, because he wasn't familiar with any of these people, and the cabinet's draft stated, "This matter is of great importance; please convene a court meeting."

The cabinet seems to be unable to decide on the candidates, or it seems to disagree with these people being appointed as Minister of War and Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate!

Gu Bingqian dared to go against Wei Zhongxian?
Isn't this guy just a worthless and shameless scoundrel?

After thinking for a moment, he simply had Wang Chengen hand the memorial to Liu Ruoyu, and then asked, "What does Gu Bingqian mean by this?"

Liu Ruoyu carefully examined the memorial, thought for a moment, and then cautiously said, "Your Majesty, this servant believes that this is probably not only the intention of Grand Secretary Gu, but also the intention of Second Grand Secretary Feng."

Feng Quan, the Second Grand Secretary?

This guy rarely appears in Ming Dynasty historical records; he seems to be just an insignificant nobody.

However, this guy was a very important figure in the Qing court.

This fellow served as Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince during the Shunzhi reign, as well as the Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and the chief editor of the History of Ming. After retiring as a Grand Tutor, he also served as a Grand Secretary of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Qing court as an advisor. He held a prominent position in the Qing court for more than twenty years until his death during the Kangxi reign.

It was no easy feat for a civil official to be promoted to the highest rank of Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, or Grand Protector. In the more than 500 years of the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was only one civil official who lived to be ranked among the Three Dukes and held power for such a long time!
That's not right. This guy is Wei Zhongxian's adopted son and the second-in-command of the cabinet. He's a big shot in the Ming court. How could he be an insignificant nobody?
When this guy was editing the History of Ming, he probably glossed over everything related to himself using the Spring and Autumn Annals style of writing!
Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then simply asked, "Who is Feng Quan? Are you familiar with him?"

You don't know Feng Zhenlu?
Liu Ruoyu said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I am not familiar with Lord Feng, but I have heard quite a bit about him."

This means distancing oneself from Feng Quan.

I know that you have not colluded with others.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly and said, "Tell me everything you've heard."

You really don't know Feng Zhenlu!
Liu Ruoyu thought for a moment before explaining in detail: "Your Majesty, everyone under Duke Wei knows a saying: 'Inner court matters are handled by Tu Wenfu, and outer court matters are handled by Feng Zhenlu.' This means that Duke Wei usually entrusts matters of the inner court to his adopted son Tu Wenfu, and matters of the outer court to his adopted son Lord Feng Quan. Zhenlu is Lord Feng's courtesy name."

Lord Feng was indeed quite capable. He orchestrated the Xiong Tingbi case and the two major Donglin purges that followed. He also presided over the compilation of "The Embroidered Elephant of Liaodong" and "The Collected Statutes of Three Dynasties". He promoted Huang Lijie, Li Guopu, Wang Yongguang, Huo Weihua and others. He had close personal relationships with Zhou Yingqiu, Xue Zhen, Guo Yunhou, Tian Ergeng and others.

However, Lord Feng did not completely control the court. Rumors circulated that Lord Cui Chengxiu and Lord Feng were at odds, and both wanted to eliminate the other.

With Tu Wenfu inside and Feng Zhenlu outside!
Feng Quan indeed altered the History of Ming to an unrecognizable degree.

This guy doesn't get along with Cui Chengxiu?

Weren't they both Wei Zhongxian's godson?
Zhu Jue asked with some curiosity, "What is the reason for the discord between Feng Quan and Cui Chengxiu?"

How do you say this?

Liu Ruoyu thought for a moment, then cautiously said, "Your Majesty, it is rumored that Lord Cui invited Lord Feng to stay at his residence many times, but Lord Feng refused, and the two developed a rift."

What kind of nonsense is this?

Zhu Jue asked with some surprise, "Why did Cui Chengxiu invite Feng Quan to stay at his residence?"

You don't know?

Liu Ruoyu could only bite the bullet and say, “Your Majesty, in the book of Wen Zhenmeng, the top scholar in the second year of the Tianqi reign, it is said that Feng Quan, a member of the Hanlin Academy, was from Zhuozhou. He was young and handsome, and his colleagues in the academy were quite fond of him. The Left Tutor, Miao Changqi, was even more fond of him. Quan’s father, Feng Shengming, was the military commander of Liaoyang. Due to the border troubles, he fled at the first sign of trouble. Quan pleaded with the gentlemen for help, but he was even more treacherous towards Changqi.”

Another rumor is that Zhou Yanru, the top scholar in the imperial examination of the 41st year of the Wanli reign, had a very close personal relationship with Feng Quan, a fellow examinee. It is said that the two even shared a bed and stayed together day and night, and that their children were related by marriage.

Zhou Yanru and Feng Quan had such a close relationship!

It turns out that Cui Chengxiu couldn't get what he wanted, so they became enemies.

No wonder Miao Changqi was only charged with corruption, yet he was subjected to brutal torture in the imperial prison, which was worse than being torn to pieces. It seems that Feng Quan was deliberately retaliating.

As they were talking, a voice suddenly announced their arrival from outside.

"Tian Ji, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, requests an audience."

This is the person recommended by Wei Zhongxian who has come to meet the emperor.

If he were to simply select the Minister of War and the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate from the six recommended candidates, Wei Zhongxian and the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction would have nothing left to bite, and they would have to keep biting him endlessly.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue thought for a moment and then decisively said, "If the cabinet wants to hold a court meeting, then let them hold one today. Ruoyu, hurry up and approve it. Chengen, once you've approved it, immediately send it to the cabinet office. I don't have time to waste with them."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoyu immediately picked up his pen and began to write.

Before long, Tian Ji strode in, cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then looked him over roughly.

This guy has lifeless eyes, sunken eye sockets, and a puffy face. He looks like a mediocre person who can't even control himself.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "You're in charge of the military administration of the Beijing Garrison, right? How many combat-ready soldiers does the Beijing Garrison still have?"

Uh, this.

Tian Ji's eyes darted around for a moment, and he said somewhat flusteredly, "Your Majesty, the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison have been almost completely wiped out since the Tumu Crisis, and they have not been trained for a long time. I'm afraid there are only a few thousand soldiers left who can fight."

Is this how you manage the military administration of the Beijing Garrison?
The Beijing garrison had over 400,000 men during the Yongle reign, but now only a few thousand are still capable of fighting.

More than a hundred years have passed since the Tumu Crisis, and the Beijing Garrison has been established for at least five generations. Now that war has broken out everywhere, why don't you select some able-bodied men for training?

He's indeed mediocre; further discussion is pointless.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away flies.

Upon seeing this, Tian Ji's heart skipped a beat.

That's it, I'm afraid I'm not going to be the Minister of War anymore.

How can this be good?

He was taken aback for a moment, then could only bow and take his leave.

There was nothing he could do; the young emperor was already engrossed in reading the memorials and couldn't be bothered with him anymore.

Zhu Jue had just finished processing a few memorials when another announcement came from outside: "Yan Mingtai, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, requests an audience."

He answered without hesitation, "Should."

Before long, Yan Mingtai strode in, cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Jue nodded slightly and then looked him over roughly.

This guy seems more experienced and composed than Tian Ji.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "You are in charge of military affairs in Jizhou and Baoding, right? How many combat-ready soldiers are there in Jizhou and Baoding now?"

How do you say this?

Yan Mingtai thought for a moment, then explained in detail: "Your Majesty, Jizhou Town originally had ten garrisons with a full strength of 56,000 men, and Baoding had three garrisons with a full strength of over 16,000 men. However, Jizhou Town and Baoding have suffered heavy losses since the Jiajing era, and now less than half of their soldiers are still capable of fighting."

You're only better familiar with your own men than Yoshitaka, but you have absolutely no ability to organize or prepare for war.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue nodded slightly and then waved his hand.

What does this mean?

Why did you only ask one question and then stop?
Yan Mingtai was taken aback for a moment, then quickly bowed and took his leave.

Following that, Li Kuilong, Ni Wenhuan, and Cao Sicheng all came to meet the emperor one after another. Except for Wang Zhichen, who was still in Shanhaiguan and had not yet returned, Zhu Jue had met all the others.

He asked only a casual question before dismissing the three men.

Wei Zhongxian's confidants were all mediocre; they basically had no real skills and were not worth relying on.

That's normal. If someone is truly capable, they wouldn't need to become a godfather or godfather of a eunuch as a stepping stone to advancement.

After the five men had taken turns paying their respects, it was almost noon. Zhu Jue was just about to get up to have his meal when a message suddenly came from outside.

"Grand Secretary Gu Bingqian and Vice Grand Secretary Feng Quan request an audience."

Did both of these guys betray Wei Zhongxian?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue paused for a moment, then announced loudly, "Summon them."

Before long, a hunched old man with white hair and beard and a handsome young man entered together.

Feng Quan is truly handsome, even more handsome than a beauty!
Gu Bingqian is so old, yet he still has the nerve to call Wei Zhongxian his godfather!

No wonder Wei Zhongxian didn't accept this adopted son.

This fellow is truly shameless. When Wei Zhongxian refused to accept him as his adopted son, he sent his own son to become Wei Zhongxian's godfather in order to win Wei Zhongxian's favor!

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then asked expressionlessly, "What is it?"

Didn't you tell us to quickly discuss this matter?

Gu Bingqian respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, we have finished the court discussion as ordered and have come to report back."

The court deliberations are happening so quickly!
You really dare to go against Wei Zhongxian, right?
well.

Zhu Jue, still expressionless, asked, "What was the outcome of the court deliberation?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Bingqian glanced at Feng Quan with a seemingly old and slow-witted expression.

This means that Feng Quan should speak.

However, Feng Quan acted as if he hadn't seen it at all.

Helpless, Gu Bingqian could only respectfully say, "Your Majesty, most of the senior officials in the court feel that it is inappropriate for Tian Ji and Li Kuilong to be appointed as Minister of War and Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."

You really do want to seize control of the Ministry of War and the Censorate.

Zhu Jue feigned curiosity and asked, "Why can't they serve as Minister of War and Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate?"

I can't say those bad things.

Gu Bingqian slowly turned his head to Feng Quan and said, "Lord Feng, why don't you come and report to His Majesty in person? I am old and I am afraid that I will not be able to catch my breath for a while. If I speak and stop, it will be difficult for His Majesty to hear."

You old fool, you insist on saying things that might offend people, don't you?
Feng Quan gritted his teeth inwardly, then carefully said, "Your Majesty, we all believe that Lu Xiangshan, Sun Chuanting, and Tian Ji were all promoted too quickly, and they have no qualifications or achievements, so they are not suitable to serve as Minister of War."

Yan Mingtai was as timid as a mouse. When Xiong Tingbi, the Liaodong military commissioner, sent him to inspect Shenyang, he dared not take up the post, wept bitterly, and returned home, claiming to be ill. Such a timid person was not suitable to serve as Minister of War.

Wang Zhichen's governorship of Jiliao was unsuccessful, and he also had many conflicts with Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Liaodong. He was more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything, and he was not suitable to serve as the Minister of War.

Li Kuilong was impeached and dismissed for corruption and abuse of power when he served as a principal clerk in the Ministry of Personnel; Ni Wenhuan was also impeached and dismissed for accepting bribes and protecting corrupt officials while inspecting the southern part of the city as an imperial censor; Cao Sicheng was also involved in selling official positions when he served as a director in the Personnel Selection Department. All three of them were corrupt officials and were unsuitable to serve as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

Who were the people Wei Zhongxian employed?
No, what merits or abilities does Tian Ji possess that allow him to be compared to Lu Xiang-sheng and Sun Chuanting?

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then asked, "Was Tian Ji promoted too quickly?"

You have no idea how quickly Wei Zhongxian and Cui Chengxiu promoted him!
Feng Quan explained in detail: "Your Majesty, Tian Ji cheated in the palace examination in the thirty-eighth year of the Wanli reign and was punished by being suspended from taking three subjects. He was only able to take the palace examination again in the second year of the Tianqi reign and was appointed as the magistrate of Yuncheng County. In the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, he was promoted to the position of principal of the Ministry of War. In the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, he was promoted to the position of vice minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, he was appointed as the minister of the Ministry of War. He was promoted eight ranks in just two years without any merit. This is unprecedented in history!"

Wei Zhongxian, you're truly speechless. How can you promote your cronies like this?
Zhu Jue asked noncommittally, "Then who do you think is qualified to serve as Minister of War, and who is qualified to serve as Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate?"

Feng Quan looked directly at Gu Bingqian.

This means it's your turn.

Helpless, Gu Bingqian could only bite the bullet and say, "Your Majesty, we believe that Min Hongxue, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Nanjing Censorate, has served as an official for nearly thirty years and has made outstanding contributions. He is qualified to serve as the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."

Min Hongxue?
Isn't this guy and Min Mengde cousins?
Are you a member of the Qi-Chu-Zhe Party?

Zhu Jue remained noncommittal.

Seeing this, Feng Quan simply said, "Your Majesty, we believe that Huo Weihua, the former Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who once managed the affairs of the Ministry of War and made great contributions to the victories at Ningyuan and Ningjin, is qualified to serve as Minister of War."

Howard?
It was this person who offered the Spiritual Dew, which caused Tianqi's sudden death!

This is a pledge of loyalty, so you want to promote him, right?
Could it be that you are the mastermind behind the murder of Apocalypse?
Zhu Jue pretended to think for a moment, then solemnly said, "Well, I will discuss this matter with Duke Wei before making a decision."

You still need to discuss this with Wei Zhongxian!
Gu Bingqian and Feng Quan were both taken aback upon hearing this.

Zhu Jue raised his hand and waved, signaling the two to step back.

Helpless, Gu Bingqian and Feng Quan could only bow and take their leave.

Zhu Jue watched their figures disappear before asking, "Ruoyu, of the three—Li Kuilong, Ni Wenhuan, and Cao Sicheng—who is the most wicked?"

What does this mean?
Liu Ruoyu cautiously said, "Your Majesty, among these three, Li Kuilong is the most wicked. It is said that the calamity of the Qingliu faction was caused by him."

Clear stream?

This guy has a deep-seated hatred for Donglin, doesn't he?

That's him then.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then said authoritatively, "Draft an imperial edict to promote Tian Ji to Minister of War and Li Kuilong to Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."

He said that he was discussing things with Wei Zhongxian, but that was just to fool Gu Bingqian and Feng Quan.

He could make the decision on such matters on his own; there was no point in discussing it with Wei Zhongxian. He just wanted the two of them to mistakenly believe that Wei Zhongxian was still in power.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoyu immediately picked up his pen and began to write.

Before long, Wang Chengen presented the two written imperial edicts.

Zhu Jue examined them carefully, then ordered Wang Chengen to affix his seal before solemnly saying, "Ruoyu, after you finish your lunch, send these two imperial edicts to Wei Zhongxian and have him take them to the cabinet to find someone to draft them. Also, repeat what Gu Bingqian and Feng Quan said to him."

He wanted to select two people most disliked by the Donglin Party and the Qi-Chu-Zhe Party to serve as Minister of War and Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, so that these demons and monsters could fight each other to the death!
(End of this chapter)