Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 109 You're the only one fit to be Prime Minister! (7300)

The door was gently pushed open, and a strong smell of rotting food wafted out.

For a moment, Zhang Yunxiu thought he had come to the wrong place.

This is the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace! Shouldn't it be filled with the scent of sandalwood? Which eunuch dares to be so negligent?

He looked into the room, which was originally bright, but the doors and windows were tightly closed, almost cutting off all light, except for a ray of sunlight shining on the bookshelves.

Where is the emperor?
Zhang Yunxiu frowned and searched for a while before finally finding the Wanli Emperor under the desk.

At this moment, his hair was disheveled, and he looked like a madman, kneeling under the desk. His robe, which was originally embroidered with dragon patterns, was now filthy.

The Wanli Emperor, sporting two dark circles under his eyes, held a large plate of dried persimmons in his arms, constantly stuffing them into his mouth with both hands.

Even with their cheeks bulging like a hamster's, they showed no sign of stopping.

Zhang Yunxiu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

This is no emperor at all; he looks exactly like a self-destructive, fat otaku from later generations!

Helpless, Zhang Yunxiu could only shout a reminder from afar.

"Your Majesty, I have entered."

The sound stirred up a lot of dust in the sunlight.

Emperor Wanli then stopped what he was doing and looked up at Zhang Yunxiu.

Upon looking up, Zhang Yunxiu noticed that the emperor's face had become extremely pale, as if he had aged more than ten years, and his eyes were even bloodshot.

"Zhang Shiyuan? You come here to me!"

Without warning, the Wanli Emperor's tone suddenly became somewhat fierce, which frightened even the usually bold Zhang Yunxiu, causing him to consider retreating.

Once inside, there was no reason to give up. Zhang Yunxiu gritted his teeth and forced himself to walk over.

He knelt down in front of the desk and then saw the Wanli Emperor hiding inside.

Emperor Wanli, with his bloodshot eyes, surprisingly did not make a scene. Instead, he pushed the bowl of persimmons over and pointed at it, saying...

"Zhang Shiyuan, would you like some dried persimmons?"

Zhang Yunxiu was frowning and thinking of a solution, but upon hearing this, he was stunned.

As if possessed, Zhang Yunxiu reached out and took one from above, then put it to his mouth and took a bite.

These imperial persimmon cakes are indeed extraordinary; they are sweet and fragrant upon tasting, without any numbing sensation.

Just as Zhang Yunxiu was savoring the delicious persimmon cake, the Wanli Emperor in front of him stared intently at him and suddenly burst into tears.

Like a child whose snacks have been taken away.

Zhang Yunxiu panicked and even wanted to put the half-eaten persimmon back in, but he held back in the end and sighed.

"Why does Your Majesty do this?"

While weeping, the Wanli Emperor poured out all his grievances, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

"Zhang Shiyuan! They're all bullying me!"

"Do you know how they pressured me? The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the Minister and Vice Minister of Rites, the heads of the Six Ministries, and the Academicians of the Hanlin Academy—all of them have rebelled!"

"They even threatened me, saying that if I didn't listen to them, they would resign and go home?"

"Why should I issue an edict of self-reproach? What have I done wrong? Why should I be blamed when the whole country is in trouble? Don't those people have any faults of their own? Why do they insist on targeting me?"

"How many people have died in the capital? Yet they still refuse to let me go!"

"What? Do you think I, the emperor, have to listen to them? Do you think the court can't function without them?"

Zhang Yunxiu frowned, inwardly complaining.

You really do seem unable to live without these people.
But he still tried to comfort him, saying, "Your Majesty, why bother getting angry with these people? It's really not worth it."

However, the Wanli Emperor was not listening to any of this. He grabbed Zhang Yunxiu's arm and said...

"Shiyuan! I know you can definitely deal with them. Only you can deal with them. I have made up my mind. From now on, the position of Grand Secretary will not be given to Mr. Zhang, nor to that Zhang Siwei."

"Only you are fit to be the Grand Secretary!"

Zhang Yunxiu was startled and stepped back, saying, "Your Majesty, I am still young! How can I possibly assume the position of Grand Secretary?"

It's not that he's afraid to take on the role of Grand Secretary, but rather that he can't accept this hot potato right now.

Now, Qingliu and Zhang Siwei are eyeing this position covetously, as are all the so-called gentry and powerful figures in the world.

If I were to actually go up there, I don't know what kind of huge uproar I would cause.

Who knows, these people might get desperate and end up drowning themselves. Where would they go to seek justice then?

Charging ahead at the forefront has never been Zhang Yunxiu's style.

But the Wanli Emperor was immediately displeased. He put on a stern face and said, "What? Even you, Shiyuan, are unwilling to share my burdens?"

After saying this, Emperor Wanli's mouth twisted as if he was about to cry again.

Zhang Yunxiu felt a chill run down his spine. He had only ever seen emperors lose their temper in TV dramas, never in a real tantrum.
Where did an emperor learn to throw tantrums and act so uncontrollably?

He really doesn't look like a ruler at all!

He knew that the Wanli Emperor was afraid of being "bullied" by the Qingliu faction, so he grabbed onto this lifeline.

But he wasn't stupid, so naturally he wouldn't help the emperor and become the target of the court officials' criticism.

Seeing this, Zhang Yunxiu decided to go all the way, covering his eyes with his sleeve and sobbing as he spoke.

"Your Majesty, it is not that I, Zhang Yunxiu, am unwilling to help Your Majesty, but my father is still seriously ill in bed, and I am not a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, so I am really not able to shoulder this great responsibility!"
Your Majesty is unaware that my father has been bedridden for a month, his health deteriorating daily, and he is nearing the point of losing his speech. He is on the verge of…

Zhang Yunxiu's crying was even more heart-wrenching than that of the Wanli Emperor.

For a moment, Wanli was stunned. He stared blankly at the other person, his huge brain thinking for a moment.

Zhang Shiyuan seems to be in a worse situation than I am?
After all, I was only contradicted by my ministers, but he's about to lose his father!

The emperor couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow at the impending death of his chief minister, Mr. Zhang.

Zhang Juzheng is still alive, and these officials are already so arrogant. If Zhang Juzheng were to pass away, wouldn't they turn the world upside down?

At that time, the emperor himself would truly fear his ministers more than he feared a tiger.

Emperor Wanli wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, finally showing some urgency. He quickly grabbed Zhang Yunxiu and said, "Shiyuan! I know you are always resourceful and intelligent, you must have a solution, right? Think quickly, what is a way to break this? I will make these traitors confess their crimes and be executed!"

Zhang Yunxiu sighed, looking quite conflicted, before finally turning to the emperor and speaking.

"Does Your Majesty know the principle that water is gentle yet ultimately strong?"

"Water is soft yet extremely strong?" Emperor Wanli frowned, somewhat puzzled.

Zhang Yunxiu coughed twice, and his face became serious: "Your Majesty, please allow me to explain slowly. The Tao Te Ching says, 'Nothing in the world is more yielding and weak than water, yet nothing can overcome it in attacking the hard and strong.'"

Those upright officials were all shrewd and capable in officialdom. His Majesty used his power to suppress them, and even the caning could only fulfill their wishes.

Therefore, brute force alone will not suffice.

"Hmm?" The Wanli Emperor frowned. "Are you saying I made a mistake?"

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "It's not that His Majesty has done anything wrong, but that these ministers are too cunning. They don't confront His Majesty head-on, but instead resort to all sorts of schemes and tricks."

"Exactly!" Emperor Wanli slapped his thigh, as if these words had struck a chord with him. He gritted his teeth and said, "These people are always good at using tricks. They always say that the people are indignant and that I should issue an edict of self-reproach. They all look upright and honest, but in reality, they are all traitors and rebels!"

Ironically, despite their behavior, Emperor Wanli couldn't really do anything to them because they claimed to uphold so-called "righteousness."

If the emperor disobeys even slightly, these people will rise up against him and denounce him as a tyrant.

Zhang Yunxiu said meaningfully, "The upright officials act with intrigue and trickery. If we still use straightforwardness, we will naturally suffer losses."

Sensing the hidden meaning in his words, the Wanli Emperor's eyes lit up and he said, "Shiyuan has another brilliant plan?"

Zhang Yunxiu, without giving a clear answer, took out a package from his bosom, unfolded it, and handed two items to the emperor.

Emperor Wanli was taken aback when he saw the two documents: one was a travel permit from Zhang Fu of Wanquan County, Puzhou, Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi Province, and the other was a recent report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The Wanli Emperor had seen the former, but was not very familiar with it; he could see the latter every day.

The report from the Imperial Guards was that, over the past month, the Ministry of Rites had been holding "sacrificial rites and prayers" for the people in the capital, inviting many monks from the Dajue Temple in the suburbs of Beijing to pray for the people during the plague.

The report mentioned that over the past month, White Lotus Religion bandits had been causing trouble throughout the capital, spreading various rumors and causing several disturbances among the already uneasy people of the capital.

Even worse, during religious ceremonies held by the Ministry of Rites, there were instances of people causing trouble because they believed rumors.

This caused the Five Cities Garrison and the Embroidered Uniform Guard a great deal of trouble.

After carefully reading through these reports, the Wanli Emperor found nothing amiss and frowned deeply.

"This is your solution to break the deadlock, it seems."

"Your Majesty doesn't know something."

Zhang Yunxiu lowered his voice and told the emperor everything about Zhang Fu's travel permit from Puzhou, as well as the information he had gathered from the refugees.

As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel indignant.

"How could it be such a coincidence? The plague broke out in the capital, and the Qingli faction in the court had a dispute with my father, and then refugees appeared in Puzhou."
As far as I know, the plague in Puzhou is not actually that severe; the people of Puzhou have lived in peace and prosperity for many years! Even if there are some poor people, why would so many of them be heading towards the capital in such large groups?

Upon hearing this, the Wanli Emperor's pupils constricted immediately: "Shiyuan, are you saying that someone else is deliberately instigating this?"

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "All of this is merely speculation. I dare not presume to implicate any officials of the court. However, it seems that there is someone in the court who happens to be from Puzhou, and the people of Wanquan County do not seem to be very obedient, as their land has not been seized by the gentry and wealthy households."

"I knew it! This matter is definitely not that simple. How could refugees and plague appear in the capital at the same time?" Emperor Wanli seemed to have figured something out.

You should know that he had even begun to doubt whether he was truly "immoral" to have such a series of coincidences and misfortunes.

The emperor gritted his teeth, grabbed a piece of persimmon, stuffed it into his mouth, and said.

"I suspect there's something fishy about the spread of this plague. The court just received reports of a large head plague outbreak in Datong and other places, and within a few days, patients appeared in the capital."

Zhang Yunxiu waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, we should not make any rash guesses. These are all capital offenses."

"A capital offense?" the Wanli Emperor said indignantly. "These people are capable of slandering the emperor and forcing the emperor to abdicate, so it's not surprising that they would do something like this!"

It's impossible to guess what Zhang Yunxiu was saying, but he casually mentioned it again.

"Furthermore, the report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard seemed unremarkable, but His Majesty did not notice that everything was too coincidental."

Since martial law was declared in the capital, it has been difficult for wandering sorcerers and White Lotus rebels to enter, and things had been peaceful until now. Why then, when the Ministry of Rites held this 'sacrificial ceremony for blessings,' so many rumors have emerged in the capital?

"Ministry of Rites!"

The moment the Wanli Emperor mentioned this word, his eyes blazed with fury, and he said angrily.

"It must be these incompetent scoundrels! They're utterly audacious! Colluding with the White Lotus Cult is tantamount to treason! I will behead them and confiscate their property!"

Zhang Yunxiu was startled. He could tell just how deep Emperor Wanli's resentment was towards those Qingliu factions, and he quickly offered his advice.

"Your Majesty must not act rashly. The investigation is still ongoing, and we must not alert the enemy before we have any leads."

The emperor's dejected expression eased considerably. He dusted himself off and finally smiled.

"Shiyuan is right, this matter must be thoroughly investigated to get to the bottom of it!"

Zhang Yunxiu then said, "I have already entrusted the Duke of Yingguo to begin the investigation. Your Majesty must not let your resolve waver any further. Your Majesty, we must stand firm and not allow those corrupt officials to act recklessly!"

"I'm going to stand up straight!" Emperor Wanli opened his eyes wide and suddenly became alert.

He suddenly got up from the ground, tidied his appearance, and finally regained some of the appearance of an emperor. Then he looked at Zhang Yunxiu with great appreciation and said.

"Shiyuan's words have enlightened me. Among all the officials in the court, none are as loyal as you."

Zhang Yunxiu replied with a smile: "It's not that there isn't. In my humble opinion, Grand Secretary Shen Rumo is also an excellent person."

Having previously tricked Shen Shixing, Zhang Yunxiu naturally wanted to help him out, since they still needed Shen Shixing to lead the charge.

However, Emperor Wanli was somewhat displeased, clearly still harboring resentment over the other party's silence that day. He snorted coldly and said...

"This person is a fame-seeker who is good at smoothing things over and is extremely cowardly. He can't do anything worthwhile."

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, you don't know this. Shen Shixing is not cowardly, but waiting for an opportunity. Last time, Qingliu was so aggressive, so he naturally had to avoid their sharp edge."

"You seem to think highly of him?" Emperor Wanli asked, somewhat puzzled.

Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, just wait and see. At the next court meeting, Grand Secretary Shen will surely impress Your Majesty."

"Next court meeting?"

“Yes,” Zhang Yunxiu said, his eyes shining. “Your Majesty, Qingliu has played his cards; now it’s our turn. It’s time to counterattack!”

(End of this chapter)