Di Ming

Chapter 205 His Majesty is Playing Tricks!
Zhu Yin's attack at the banquet was, of course, a well-thought-out counterattack after consulting with Shang Yang and others.

Because the emperor had neglected his duties and abandoned court. Starting from the seventeenth year of the Wanli reign, he rarely attended court and seldom appeared in public.

Opportunities to attend court were rare, and naturally, occasions for all court officials to gather together were also few.

Therefore, it would be difficult for Zhu Yin to launch an attack in public during court assemblies.

If he had followed the conventional method of submitting the memorial to the Ministry of Communications and then to the emperor, the emperor could have easily kept it under Zheng's influence!
In this way, his petition was completely ignored. The court officials were unaware of this, and he himself revealed his intentions.

He would then be in the most dangerous situation. The Zheng family would strike before the court officials could react.

Previously, more than one court official had impeached the Zheng clan for their arrogance and lawlessness. However, the emperor had ignored all of them, and the matter was ultimately dealt with haphazardly.

Therefore, publicly impeaching him and letting as many officials as possible know about it is Zhu Yin's opportunity to retaliate.

Today's banquet is the perfect opportunity.

The banquet was attended by over three hundred newly appointed scholars, many of whom were still full of enthusiasm. There were also over one hundred court officials, including the Grand Secretary, the Minister of Rites, and other high-ranking figures.

It just so happened that the Grand Councilor (Commissioner of State Affairs) was also at the banquet. As it was the Grand Councilor's duty, he had no reason to refuse to accept his memorial.

With several hundred people gathered together, a single act could ignite public opinion and draw attention from both the government and the public.

The Grand Councilor could only accept the petitions in public and send them to the palace according to established procedures.

With the court and the public watching closely, how could the emperor possibly retain or suppress his memorials? Of course, he could only follow the proper procedures.

This move, though seemingly daring and risky, was actually a close call.

This was also a helpless move by Zhu Yin.

From the moment he entered the capital, Zheng Shi resorted to any means to harm this child prodigy. She had previously used the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and now she was plotting to make him a prince consort, thus ruining his future.

Once he became the emperor's son-in-law, he could no longer serve as a civil official or wield real power. His political life was effectively over.

To ruin someone's future is like killing their parents!
More importantly, even if he didn't consider his career, he absolutely couldn't let Ning Caiwei down.

I absolutely must not become a prince consort!
However, in the Ming Dynasty, marriage was permitted even between people of different clans and those with the same surname. He was under sixteen years old and had not yet married, thus meeting the requirements for a son-in-law according to the regulations.

If Emperor Wanli, a capricious emperor, had truly listened to Zheng's pillow talk, he might very well have issued an edict to grant the marriage.

The court officials strongly opposed deposing the eldest son in favor of the younger one because it concerned the foundation of the state. But could they also strongly oppose appointing a child prodigy as a son-in-law? That's not about the foundation of the state.

If an imperial decree were to be issued granting the marriage, Zhu Yin could certainly disobey it and refuse to become the emperor's son-in-law, but his official career would certainly be over.

It's not impossible for them to find a crime to imprison them on.

Even if the emperor really wanted to kill him, no one could save him.

Therefore, before Wanli could be persuaded by Zheng to issue an edict, it was necessary to preemptively counterattack Zheng, act as a pawn to openly oppose Zheng, escalate the matter, and gain the support of the entire civil service group.

Then the matter will turn into a struggle over the very foundation of the nation.

In this situation, if the emperor dared to bestow a marriage upon him as a prince consort, he would have to challenge the entire civil service and face collective opposition from the court officials. The conflict between Lady Zheng and the court officials would then erupt openly.

He will become a thorn in the side of the civil service; to touch him is to target the entire civil service.

Unless Emperor Wanli and Consort Zheng were mentally challenged, they would never have chosen him as their son-in-law again.

The officials present immediately understood this principle.

Even Shen Shixing was a little surprised, not expecting that Zhu Yin, at only twelve years old, would be so shrewd.

No one expected that the child prodigy and top scholar would present a memorial to the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs at the Qionglin Banquet, publicly stating his intention to impeach Zheng.

To do this at such a peaceful and honorable banquet is unprecedented.

A twelve-year-old achieving the highest honors in all three categories is unprecedented, but this feat of a child prodigy becoming the top scholar is also unprecedented.

The newly appointed scholars looked astonished, while the bigwigs had fascinating expressions.

As expected of a prodigy who passed all three levels of the imperial examinations, he's on the right track, truly on the right track!

Shen Shixing remained relatively reserved, while Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, wore a smile.

Grand Minister Yu strongly opposed Wanli Emperor's decision to depose the eldest son and establish a younger son in his place, and repeatedly urged Wanli Emperor to establish Zhu Changluo as the crown prince so as to establish the foundation of the state as soon as possible.

Emperor Wanli favored Zhu Changxun and was determined to depose the eldest son and install a younger one in his place. He deeply resented Shenxing and even stopped paying the salaries of all officials in the Ministry of Rites.

At this time, Yu Shenxing and others were very satisfied with Zhu Yin.

The prodigy did not disappoint and finally made his move.

After a brief moment of shock, Zheng Guowang quickly understood why Zhu Yin had suddenly launched an attack at the banquet.

Zhu Yin's sinister intentions and unpredictable moves truly make him a demon child!

The Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review solemnly accepted Zhu Yin's memorial and said loudly:

"Forwarding the memorial is the duty of the Office of Transmission, and I dare not neglect my duty."

Seeing that the Grand Councilor had accepted Zhu Yin's memorial and had completely abandoned his previous pretense of "gentlemanly conduct," Zheng Guowang couldn't help but point his finger and shout:
"Zhu Yin! You're spouting nonsense! How dare you! Who instructed you to slander a member of the imperial family!"

If she were any other successful candidate in the imperial examinations, she certainly wouldn't have dared to shout so fiercely. But she was Consort Zheng's "younger brother," the emperor's brother-in-law, so of course she had no scruples.

Zhu Yin turned to look at the distraught Zheng Guowang and said coldly, "Whether I am making false accusations or not, once His Majesty reviews the matter and the relevant officials investigate, a verdict will be reached soon."

"I am indeed very bold. I began studying the classics at the age of three, and I never forget the teachings of the sages. I am upright and my blood is hot-blooded. I have no fear for the sake of the country. How could I not be bold?"

"No one instructed me. If I had to say who instructed me, it would be that I was instructed by the law and my conscience, and I could not stand by and watch the powerful and wealthy disregard the law and corrupt the nation!"

Everyone saw that he was only twelve years old, yet he was righteous and stern, his words sharp as knives, just like an adult.

"You...you..." Zheng Guowang's face turned red. "Zhu Yin! You're outrageous! You're spouting nonsense based on hearsay and rumors!"

“Zheng Guowang!” Yu Shenxing’s face darkened. “You are a newly appointed Jinshi, you should be careful with your words. The country has its own system, and impeachment is a matter of national law. Whether it is baseless or not, it cannot be clarified by shouting here.”

Shen Shixing and others did not express their opinions, but they clearly supported Zhu Yin. Otherwise, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review would not have accepted Zhu Yin's memorial so readily.

If he didn't want to accept it, he could have let Zhu Yin submit it to the Office of Transmission himself.

Seeing the attitude of the bigwigs and the indifferent eyes of the newly appointed scholars, Zheng Guowang knew that she had fallen into isolation.

At the banquet held by the Ministry of Rites, no one dared to risk betraying the civil officials by speaking up for themselves.

She had previously thought the courtiers were like white-necked crows, noisy and each doing their own thing, but now she realized how powerful they could be once they united over a certain matter.

Even Hao Yunlai dared not argue for Zheng Guowang at this moment.

In reality, arguing is pointless. Once the impeachment petition is submitted, the process will definitely begin, and right and wrong will no longer be a matter of words.

At this point, Zhu Yin bowed to the officials and said:
"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, Your Excellency, and fellow scholars! I have received a secret report that the brothers Zheng Guorui and Zheng Guowang have deceived the emperor, colluded with the Mongols, raised Tartar warriors, and smuggled goods across the border for profit. The evidence is irrefutable, and an investigation will prove their innocence!"

"Our dynasty has always reported cases of illegality to the emperor. Although I am not a censor or official in charge of remonstrance, as a member of the Hanlin Academy, I dare not lag behind the censors. If I were to turn a blind eye and pretend not to hear, and try to protect myself, where would our integrity be? I would be ashamed to be a follower of Confucianism and would have no face to be a disciple of the emperor!"

"In my humble opinion, as a relative of the emperor, Lady Zheng has received great favor from the emperor and should abide by the law, repay the emperor's grace, set an example for other noble families, and promote the virtuous name of the Imperial Concubine."

"But the brothers Zheng Guorui and Zheng Guowang have betrayed their benefactors, damaged the noble virtue of the Imperial Concubine, and tarnished the Emperor's reputation. If they are not impeached today, there may be unspeakable things to come in the future!"

The phrase "things too painful to talk about" has a double meaning, leaving much to the imagination and immediately linking the struggle over the foundation of the nation.

Shen Shixing couldn't help but give Zhu Yin a deep look.

This child truly deserves to be called a prodigy rarely seen throughout history. Not only is he excellent at studying and taking exams, but more importantly... he is adept at navigating the officialdom.

This child is naturally gifted and exceptionally intelligent, far surpassing any other newly appointed scholar.

He suddenly remembered a deceased acquaintance: Zhang Juzheng. For some reason, he vaguely saw Zhang Juzheng's shadow in Zhu Yin.

"Zhu Yin," Shen Shixing finally spoke.

The entire hall fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop. Although Mr. Shen had always been a "good old man," and had been a mediator for many years, his prestige in the court was unparalleled.

Even the highly individualistic Second Grand Secretary Wang Xijue treated this Grand Secretary with utmost respect.

Zhu Yin immediately turned to Shen Shixing and said in a tone of earnest instruction, "This junior respectfully listens to the teachings of the Grand Secretary."

Shen Shixing said, “You are the top scholar, the first among the newly appointed Jinshi. Although you are not afraid of powerful figures to impeach those who break the law, a gentleman should ultimately uphold the principles of kindness, benevolence, and forgiveness. Today is a banquet of honor, a joyous and peaceful occasion, a matter of national etiquette. Such behavior is truly inappropriate. Do you know you are wrong?”

Zhu Yin chuckled inwardly, and said respectfully, "This junior knows his mistake and thanks the Prime Minister for his admonition."

He couldn't help but give Shen Shixing a thumbs up in his heart.

This old gentleman is truly shrewd. He seems to be criticizing himself, but he's actually advocating for himself.

More importantly, he deliberately mentioned the phrase, "You are the top scholar, the first among the newly appointed scholars."

There's a hidden meaning in those words.

This single sentence escalated the impeachment of the top scholar into a collective impeachment representing all the newly appointed scholars.

If this gets out, many people will misunderstand and think that Zhu Yin was impeaching Zheng on behalf of the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), rather than just Zhu Yin's personal opinion.

In this way, they could both use moral blackmail to manipulate the public opinion of the newly appointed scholars and protect Zhu Yin to the greatest extent possible.

Upon hearing the Grand Secretary's words, Yu Shenxing spoke even more bluntly:
"This is a banquet of honor from the Ministry of Rites. What kind of behavior is this? Zhu Yin, you are a newly appointed Hanlin scholar. You are young and ambitious, but such a display of your talent is excessive. You should know that excessive rigidity leads to breakage."

"I know that you are newly appointed disciples of the Emperor, full of passion, courage, and loyalty, but you must not act impulsively..."

He even used the word "you all." He praised the newly appointed scholars, but then lightly slapped them in the face.

Those who didn't know the situation might have thought that the newly appointed officials all wanted to impeach Zheng.

What's even more interesting is that many shrewd and capable newly appointed scholars immediately made their presence known on the spot, apologizing and thanking the Grand Minister of Rites for his admonition.

Zheng Guowang wasn't stupid; he was so angry he was trembling all over.

"Good! Good!" Zheng Guowang stamped his foot, relying on his status as the emperor's brother-in-law, he thought even the Grand Secretary couldn't do anything to him, and shouted:

"I refuse to believe that there is no law in the Ming Dynasty! No one can falsely accuse an innocent person! I'm going back to wait! I'm waiting for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to come and arrest me!"

After saying that, she glared fiercely at Zhu Yin, then stormed off in a huff.

Soon, the Grand Secretary and the others also left. Before leaving, all the officials gave Zhu Yin an encouraging look. The meaning was clear: Well done, that's how it should be done.

Xu Guo and Zhao Nanxing, who appointed him as the top scholar, nodded and smiled at him, showing their approval.

The banquet ended on a sour note!

……

The next day, all the civil and military officials in the capital learned about what had happened at the banquet.

The entire court was suddenly thrown into turmoil. Zhu Yin was as if he had suddenly thrown a huge rock into a seemingly calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

Zhu Yin had just been appointed to an official position when he raised the banner of opposition against the Zheng family.

He had to choose sides between the civil service and the emperor. Given Wanli's unreliability, he decisively sided with the civil service.

His initiative to impeach Zheng was his pledge of allegiance.

In fact, Zhu Yin dared to impeach and report the crime because Beiliao had evidence that the Zheng brothers had raised a large number of Mongolian warriors and smuggled contraband out of the country for huge profits.

The facts are there, and with a thorough investigation, there is no way to deny them.

In less than three days, a flood of memorials arrived at the palace, demanding a thorough investigation into the crimes of the Zheng brothers.

The memorial submitted by Censor-in-Chief Hai Rui was particularly stern: "Your Majesty protects the Zheng family today, showing them favoritism while harming them. In the future, the Zheng family may suffer unforeseen disasters. Is this not Your Majesty's original intention of showing affection to relatives?"

"Your Majesty does not possess the same ambition as Duke Zhuang in defeating Duan, but you have the same shortcomings as Duke Zhuang in defeating Duan!"

"Emperor Wen was virtuous, yet he could not escape the calamity of the Bo family. Why was that?"

"Your Majesty's indulgence of the Zheng family may excuse personal feelings, but can it also exempt one from the law?"

The emperor was actually aware of the Zheng brothers' crimes. However, he doted on Consort Zheng and pretended to be oblivious; why would he be willing to conduct a thorough investigation?

The emperor was furious, but Zhu Yin was in the right and his brother-in-law was in the wrong, so he had no reason to punish Zhu Yin.

Taking the opportunity, Tian Yi advised the emperor that Zhu Yin was being used by the court officials. He argued that the prodigy and top scholar were auspicious omens for the country and were favored by public opinion. He warned that punishing Zhu Yin would inevitably draw criticism from the court and the public, damage the emperor's reputation, and cause the court and the public to turn their anger on the imperial concubine.

The emperor was certainly not foolish enough to punish Zhu Yin; he could only bury his head in the sand and ignore the matter.

Moreover, even the emperor can no longer afford to make Zhu Yin his son-in-law and discredit this rare prodigy among the court officials.

Zhu Yin stepped forward to impeach Zheng, arguing that if he were to appoint her as the emperor's son-in-law, the court officials would certainly oppose it. The Ministry of Rites, which was in charge of royal wedding ceremonies, would be the first to object.

The courtiers would also take the opportunity to press the issue, using the chance of attacking the Zheng family to force the eldest son to be made crown prince.

Upon receiving the news, Consort Zheng rushed from Yikun Palace to Qianqing Palace in a huff. Instead of foolishly demanding severe punishment for Zhu Yin, she pressed the Emperor for instructions on how to deal with Consort Zheng.

Although she disliked Zhu Yin, she knew that his impeachment was not a frame-up, but based on facts. Zhu Yin was too popular, and the officials were currently protecting him. Punishing Zhu Yin would mean going against the officials, which would only encourage them to conduct a more thorough investigation of the Zheng family.

Faced with his beloved concubine's relentless questioning, the emperor could only assure her that Lady Zheng was unharmed. However, this time, he might not be able to prevent his eldest son from leaving the palace to study.

Consort Zheng was filled with resentment upon hearing that she could not stop the eldest prince from leaving home to study, but she was helpless.

Although it was customary for the crown prince and the crown prince to study outside the palace, and other princes were generally not allowed to do so, there was no hard and fast rule, and it was not the same as establishing a crown prince.

As expected, the court officials used Zheng's crimes as an excuse to demand that the eldest prince leave the palace to study.

Many people submitted memorials arguing that the eldest prince should begin his studies at the latest by the age of eight, and that there were already twelve-year-old champions in the country, so why was the eldest prince still unable to study?

Are Your Majesty's sons inferior to those from humble backgrounds?

Anyone with eyes to see could see that the court officials were using the momentum of punishing the Zheng family to play the prodigy card and force the emperor to agree to let the eldest son study.

This is a political deal.

We can let Zheng Shi off the hook and stop pursuing her crimes, but you must allow the eldest prince to leave the palace and begin his studies.

If you don't agree, we will pursue the Zheng family's crimes.

No one said anything directly; they just wanted to see who would back down first.

By early April, more and more people were impeaching Zheng, and the emperor finally had no choice but to leave the palace.

Shen Shixing secretly reported to the emperor, saying that if the matter was delayed, there might be public outcry and petitions to the emperor, and the Zheng brothers might not be able to protect themselves. He asked the emperor to quickly consider the opinions of the people.

After much deliberation, the emperor accepted Tian Yizhi's advice.

On the eighth day of the fourth month, the emperor finally issued an edict ordering his eldest son, Zhu Changluo, to leave the palace and begin his studies.

To the astonishment of the court officials, the only teacher instructing the eldest prince was none other than Zhu Yin.

Besides that, there wasn't even a Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent.

Moreover, the study hall was not in the Wenhua Hall where the crown prince and the crown prince-to-be studied, but in the right wing room of the Huangji Gate where ordinary princes studied!

"Zhu Yin, a Hanlin Academy lecturer, was appointed as the lecturer of the right wing of the Huangji Gate, to teach the eldest prince his studies."

His Majesty is playing tricks!
(End of this chapter)