Di Ming

Chapter 206 "I am now walking on thin ice."

Because Zhu Yin served as the tutor of the eldest prince, he was given a nominal position in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices: Left Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Zuo Zhongyun was a sixth-rank official in the Imperial Household Department. Normally, it would take several years for an ordinary Hanlin scholar to obtain the concurrent post of Zuo Zhongyun.

However, since Zhu Yin's original official position was a sixth-rank Hanlin Lecturer, which was a very high starting point, he could not be granted a concurrent position below the sixth rank, so he was directly granted the position of Left Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

This was certainly not due to Wanli's favor, but rather because being a lecturer required concurrently serving as an official in the Spring Palace.

The imperial edict clearly stated: "Zhu Yin, a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy and concurrently the Left Vice Minister of the Left Spring Palace, shall serve as the lecturer in the West Wing of the Huangji Gate and oversee the reading and lectures."

The fact that this "admiral" is giving a lecture sounds impressive, given the word "admiral."

But in reality, Zhu Yin was just a teacher; he was essentially supervising himself.

This so-called "studying outside the palace" was somewhat of a joke. Wanli Emperor was clearly using this method to appease and even disgust his officials.

Zhu Yin knew about the news in the palace before the imperial edict was issued. He was not surprised at all that he was appointed as the eldest prince's lecturer, and the only one at that.

He knew very well that Wanli was playing tricks and schemes on his ministers.

The court officials employed a two-pronged approach: punishing the Zheng brothers and emphasizing the prodigy aspect. Emperor Baijin, having no further excuse to delay establishing a crown prince, could only allow his eldest son to begin his studies, thus appeasing the court officials and securing their compromise.

Originally, all princes had the right to study outside the palace, but during the Jiajing reign, only the crown prince or the crown prince-to-be were qualified to study outside the palace.

According to the precedent set since the Jiajing era, if the eldest son of the emperor formally leaves the palace to study, with all the proper etiquette and formalities, even if a crown prince is not appointed, it is still a prelude to the appointment of a crown prince, and the officials can still accept it.

However, Emperor Wanli resorted to deceitful tricks. While he allowed his eldest son to begin his formal education, the process was far from proper. The rituals and formalities were incomplete, making it a far cry from a genuine educational journey.

As emperor, he exploited loopholes and broke the rules.

For a prince to be allowed to study at the Imperial Academy with proper etiquette and in accordance with the proper procedures, even if he was not the crown prince, he should at least be appointed with the titles of Hanlin Academy member, Hanlin Academician, Hanlin Academy Attendant, and Hanlin Scholar.

At least six speakers.

If the crown prince were to begin his studies, he would have even more teachers of higher rank. Each of the Five Classics would have a dedicated lecturer.

Even for ordinary princes who are formally enrolled in school, each person needs two personal tutors.

However, the eldest prince's so-called "studying outside the palace" only resulted in him being the only Hanlin official, five fewer than the other five!
According to the established system, there should be a ceremony for students leaving the palace to study. However, the emperor omitted this part, and the Ministry of Rites did not receive an imperial edict regarding the ceremony.

This obviously means not holding a ceremony.

But that's not all.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the Crown Prince and other princes studied at the Dabentang (Imperial Academy). Soon after, the Crown Prince's academy was separated from the other princes'. The Crown Prince's academy was located in the rear hall or west wing of the Wenhua Hall, while the other princes' academy was located in the right wing of the Huangji Gate.

The two schools were of vastly different levels.

However, this time, the eldest prince was not arranged to study in the Wenhua Hall, but in the right wing room of the Huangji Gate.

This was clearly a message to the court officials that the eldest son and the crown prince were still far from being good enough.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, a man of great stature, behaves in such a despicable manner, which truly chills the hearts of his ministers.

The severe shortage of tutors for the eldest prince was, of course, Wanli's way of preventing the eldest prince from gaining power and consolidating his influence.

Zhu Yin was too inexperienced and too young, and had no power in the court. The eldest prince only had him as his teacher, so he was still alone and powerless.

Choosing Zhu Yin as a teacher was, of course, also a political maneuver by Emperor Wanli.

Emperor Wanli repeatedly refused to make his eldest son the crown prince for two main reasons. First, the eldest son was too young and naive; second, the empress was too young (and might even bear a child).

The second reason is completely untenable. Everyone, both inside and outside the court, knows that the emperor has neglected the empress for many years, never even seeing her. How could the empress possibly have given birth to a prince?

Therefore, the only one who could be used as a delaying tactic was the eldest son, who was young and naive.

However, Zhu Yin achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations at the age of twelve, becoming famous throughout the land. When the court officials compared him to Zhu Yin, using the prodigy as a tool to manipulate public opinion, the excuse that the eldest son was too young and naive became weak and ineffective.

But if Zhu Yin were to become the eldest son's teacher, that would be a different story.

Zhu Yin became the eldest son's tutor, thus establishing a teacher-student relationship between the two. According to etiquette, this reflected the proper order of seniority.

Even if Zhu Yin was only a few years older, he was still a "senior teacher".

In this way, with the order of seniority and the distinction between teachers and students, it is impossible to compare them side by side.

Despite repeated urging from his ministers to establish a crown prince, the emperor was still able to delay, citing his eldest son's young age and lack of understanding. The ministers' reliance on the prodigy tactic had lost its effectiveness.

Because Zhu Yin was the eldest son's teacher. How can you compare a teacher and a student? Zhu Yin was an elder. Isn't it only natural that a teacher is more capable than a student?
By doing this, Zhu Yin's status as a child prodigy was downplayed by the authority of his teacher, making it difficult to disprove the emperor's unreasonable excuses. This also put the emperor at a disadvantage in terms of public opinion.

Zhu Yin figured out the emperor's little scheme and really didn't know what to say.

It wasn't that Wanli was unintelligent. But he was merely clever in a petty way, using all his intelligence on trivial matters like scheming and infighting.

Where can one find the bearing of an emperor?

Historically, Wanli's actions were even more bizarre.

The eldest prince was not allowed to leave the palace to study until he was thirteen years old, after repeated requests from his ministers. However, after less than a year, Emperor Wanli found an excuse to stop his studies and confined him back to Jingyang Palace. It wasn't until six years later, when Zhu Changluo was twenty, that he was released to continue his studies.

As a result, Zhu Changluo almost became illiterate. The eldest prince, who was in his teens, was confined to the small Jingyang Palace and could not even write a few words.

...

On this day, Zhu Yin received an imperial decree at the Hanlin Academy and immediately submitted a memorial to express his gratitude.

Shang Yang said, "A memorial of thanks should, in principle, be a formal memorial. However, I believe that Your Majesty should use a formal petition."

Zhu Yin smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking. Then let's use the question book."

The emperor wanted to downplay the political significance of studying outside the palace, but he insisted on being serious and making sure all his ministers saw his letter of thanks, his intentions subtle and profound.

The advisor Shang Yang immediately drafted a question for Zhu Yin:
"Zhu Yin, a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy and Left Vice Minister of the Left Spring Palace, respectfully submits this memorial in gratitude for the imperial decree appointing him as a lecturer in the Right Wing of the Huangji Gate..."

The main text of the letter of thanks, when translated, roughly means:

"Your Majesty, I am deeply honored by your favor in appointing me as Left Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat to tutor your eldest son. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and moved to tears. Your Majesty's kindness is immeasurable, and I truly do not know how to repay it. I am of limited knowledge and learning, and I am filled with trepidation. Alone, I fear I cannot adequately teach your exceptionally intelligent eldest son. However, since Your Majesty has bestowed this decree of favor, I can only respectfully obey and do my utmost to teach your eldest son. I beg Your Majesty not to blame me for my ignorance and incompetence. I am an incompetent and mediocre person, utterly useless except for my loyalty to Your Majesty. If my dullness were to harm Your Majesty's wisdom, it would be my greatest sin. If that were to happen, even if I were to give my life, how could I possibly repay even a fraction of your kindness? I ponder this endlessly, feeling as if I are walking on thin ice, unable to sleep at night. Only by devoutly burning incense and bowing towards the direction of the palace can I find peace in my heart..."

After reading the letter of thanks, Zhu Yin couldn't help but laugh and said, "That's exactly what I meant. In this dynasty, official documents are used to govern the country. People write this kind of thing all day long, and even officials in the capital are considered to be doing this. Who would have thought that I, the newly appointed top scholar, would be so lazy that I don't even want to write my own letter of thanks?"

Next, two copies of the memorial were made, stamped with Zhu Yin's official seal, one of which was sent to the Office of Transmission and the other to the Six Ministries' stables.

Shang Yang laughed and said, "Although it's a bit of a joke for our lord to become the only lecturer, he can use this opportunity to build his reputation and befriend the eldest prince."

Zhu Yin was silent for a moment, then said, "Brother Zhouming, I feel that the emperor will not allow the eldest prince to study indefinitely. I can only serve as a lecturer for three years at most."

Shangyang said, "Does Your Majesty mean that His Majesty might one day change his mind and stop the eldest prince from studying at the palace?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "Very likely."

Historically, Emperor Wanli quickly regretted his decision and suspended his eldest son's formal education in less than a year. How long can he hold out this time?

Han Shang said, "My lord is the teacher of the eldest prince and oversees the teaching affairs of the right wing. According to the customs of the dynasty, after receiving the letter of thanks, His Majesty should summon my lord to the Wenhua Hall with the eldest prince so that teacher and student can recognize each other, and then he can encourage him and finally reward him."

Zhu Yin shook his head and sneered, "I don't have that kind of luck! Do you think His Majesty would summon me with the eldest prince? That's impossible, let alone any reward."

"I estimate that at most, a eunuch will be dispatched to deliver an oral edict, leading the eldest prince to the classroom. He will simply issue a perfunctory edict, and that will be the end of it."

"Just you wait and see. My position as a lecturer is merely a figurehead for His Majesty to appease his ministers. With this prodigy and top scholar giving lectures every day, it's as if the eldest prince has already begun his studies."

Shang Yang stroked his beard and said, “According to regulations, each lecturer’s lecture notes and course materials must be submitted to the cabinet for review on a regular basis, and then to His Majesty for preview. Although there is only one lecturer now, my lord, these lecture notes and course materials must still be submitted on a regular basis. My lord, if these lecture notes are not well selected, His Majesty may find fault with you. At best, he will issue an imperial edict to reprimand you; at worst, he will be dismissed from his post, which will affect the eldest prince’s studies and make you a scapegoat.”

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "That's what I'm worried about too. I've only just entered officialdom and am not familiar with the rules. Suddenly, I'm being made a lecturer. One wrong move and I could make a mistake. Zhou Ming, what do you think?"

Shang Yang thought for a moment and slowly said, "Back in the time of Emperor Shi, when Emperor Mu (King Jing) left his residence to study, Emperor Shi issued an edict to all the lecturers to stop lecturing Emperor Mu on the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era' and replace it with the 'Book of Rites'."

"Emperor Shizong abolished such an important course as the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era,' and the cabinet ministers were helpless but could not change it. They could only suggest adding lectures on the 'Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government' to make up for the abolition of the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era.' Although Emperor Shizong reluctantly agreed, he still requested that the 'Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government' be placed at the end and only explained as an adjunct."

"My lord is so wise, he should understand what the Emperor Shimiao meant."

Zhu Yin, unaware of this matter, nodded and said, "Emperor Shi was unwilling to let Emperor Mu study the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era' and the 'Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government,' and only allowed lecturers to teach him the Four Books and Five Classics. Perhaps he was afraid that Emperor Mu would become proficient in government affairs and emulate Emperor Taizong of Tang."

Shang Yang laughed and said, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. It is true that two dragons cannot meet. Emperor Shizong is deliberately suppressing his son. He would rather his son be mediocre, considering it a blessing for the royal family."

Shang Yang's words were quite harsh.

This old student, harboring deep resentment towards the court, increasingly lacked respect for the imperial family.

Zhu Yin's eyes flashed, "Then I will only teach the Four Books and Five Classics, give lectures regularly, and repeat the same old things over and over again, and talk about laws and etiquette, and the ancestral precepts of the Ming Dynasty. The cabinet will not find any fault with it, and His Majesty will not find any fault with it."

Shang Yang nodded and smiled: "That's right, that's exactly what I meant. If we just talk about these things, no one can find fault with them; it's perfectly balanced and without any taboos."

Han Shang sighed, "If the eldest prince only learns these things, how can he become a qualified crown prince? If he really ascends the throne in the future, how can he become a wise ruler?"

...

While Zhu Yin submitted his memorial of gratitude, his ministers submitted memorials one after another, advising him to raise the standards, increase the number of teachers, and hold a formal ceremony for Zhu Yin's departure from the palace.

This time, the emperor simply ignored them all.

However, since the eldest prince had already left the palace to study, he had won a small victory. The courtiers had no choice but to accept it reluctantly and let it go for the time being.

The eldest son of the emperor was able to leave the palace to study, while the Zheng brothers were left unscathed.

The emperor and his ministers finally reached a fragile, temporary compromise.

The court officials were at ease entrusting the studies of the eldest prince to Zhu Yin, a child prodigy who had achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, and were not afraid that the prodigy would mislead the students.

...

The ninth day of April.

Zhu Yin, a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, left his office in the lecture hall and sat by the Phoenix Pond under the Yingzhou Pavilion, gazing absentmindedly at the flowers that bloomed in all four seasons and the evergreen grass that grew in eight joints.

He was waiting for news from the palace.

The Hanlin Academy covers an area of ​​over a hundred acres, with beautiful gardens, but it is not crowded, making it a very quiet and prestigious government office.

It was April, spring was in full bloom, and bees and butterflies were fluttering about. In the Changli Temple, Hanlin officials were reciting poems. In the Tugu Temple, junior scholars were burning incense and offering sacrifices.

The ancient and grand library building is filled with the fluttering of swallows in spring.

Zhu Yin, however, seemed not to see it. Looking up, he suddenly saw four large seal script characters on the large green stone screen in front of the Shuchang Hall: Zhaizhuang Zhongzheng.

Ha, so dignified and upright. Now that I'm an official, those four words are practically above the clouds!
It is incredibly difficult to achieve this.

He is now a subject of the money-worshipping emperor and the otaku emperor. Serving such an emperor makes it even more impossible to be "solemn and upright".

He was going to become a lecturer, which would tie him to the emperor's most hated son.

From this day forward, whether he likes it or not, he will be the Crown Prince's teacher.

"I am now walking on thin ice."

Zhu Yin couldn't help but feel a little dazed. Before becoming an official, he thought that being an official was nothing special. But after actually becoming an official, wearing the official robes and holding the tablet, he truly felt the immense pressure from imperial power and politics.

The relaxed and carefree state of mind I had before was completely gone.

But is it okay not to become an official?

Caiwei's business grew larger and larger, and the Zhu family's wealth increased. However, without anyone in the family holding official positions or wielding power, even the family business could not be preserved!
Not to mention changing the fate of the people of the Ming Dynasty and bringing benefits to the region.

Thinking of Wanli's actions and the evaluations of later generations, Zhu Yin suddenly felt ashamed to be his subject.

Most of Zhu Di's descendants were not good people. The emperor did not personally plow the fields, and the empress did not personally raise silkworms; they were all eccentric individuals.

Take the current Wanli Emperor, for example. He was not only a money-worshipping emperor, but also a homebody emperor.

How much of a recluse was he? He could stay within the palace gates for years without ever stepping outside. And this palace gate wasn't the Meridian Gate, nor the Chengtian Gate or the Daming Gate, but rather the Qianqing Gate of the inner palace.

This man rarely leaves the Qianqing Gate and never even visits the three main halls.

In the afternoon, the palace sent a young eunuch named Gao Cai to the lecture hall in the west wing of the Hanlin Academy to deliver an oral edict to Zhu Yin.

As expected, the emperor showed no intention of summoning him as was customary.

For such an important matter as leaving the palace to study, a mere eunuch was sent to deliver an oral edict; there was no imperial edict.

Who do you look down on?

Faced with the eunuch conveying the imperial edict, Zhu Yin could only stand below the official and kneel to listen.

Kneeling again! And kneeling before a eunuch!
Wearing a flying fish robe, Gao Cai raised his nose and said, "Zhu Hanlin, my grandfather has decreed that you go to the right wing of the Huangji Gate at the beginning of Mao hour tomorrow to pay your respects to the eldest prince. Does Zhu Hanlin understand?"

Zhu Yin said, "I have heard clearly. Your subject Zhu Yin will obey Your Majesty's decree."

Gao Cai nodded and hummed in agreement.

It means you can get up now.

Zhu Yin then stood up, cupped his hands like a little adult, and said, "You've worked hard, Your Excellency. I am very grateful."

When Ming Dynasty officials were in front of powerful eunuchs, they often referred to themselves as "junsheng" or "shisheng".

This young eunuch named Gao Cai was handsome, but his expression was extremely arrogant.

According to the rules of the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty, it was very impolite to address someone by their official title directly; one should use a more elegant, ancient form of address. Moreover, Zhu Yin's official position was not that of an ordinary Hanlin scholar, but rather a Hanlin Attendant Reader.

According to the conventions of official address, Gao Cai should at least address Zhu Yin as "Grand Master of Literature" or "Grand Historian".

But this arrogant bastard actually addressed Hanlin directly to his face!

This is definitely not because Gao Cai is ignorant of etiquette, but because he did it on purpose.

Zhu Yin had certainly heard of Gao Cai.

Gao Huai caused chaos in Liaodong, and Gao Cai caused chaos in Fujian.

These two eunuchs, both surnamed Gao, were notorious eunuchs in the late Ming Dynasty, and were extremely indignant to the people.

At this time, Gao Cai was only twenty years old and a fourth-rank official, not yet a eunuch. Yet he put on airs in front of Zhu Yin, the child prodigy and top scholar, and didn't give him a smile at all.

Clearly, this person was a confidant of Emperor Wanli and a follower of Consort Zheng. He must have been someone who was at odds with the eldest prince.

Zhu Yin reluctantly gave ten taels of gold, said a few insincere words, and personally saw him off from the Hanlin Academy.

"Zhu Hanlin, you're still young, you have a long life ahead of you," Gao Cai said with a forced smile. "Do everything carefully, your grandfather and empress are watching."

Threat!

Zhu Yin smiled outwardly, but inwardly he grew increasingly disgusted.

Emperor Wanli sent Gao Cai to convey his imperial edict, clearly intending to warn him against joining the chorus of his ministers.

Zhu Yin's smile vanished only after Gao Cai left in a haughty manner.

That bastard, just because he's the emperor's favorite, he dares to be so arrogant in front of me.

Just you wait. My gold isn't something you can easily take.

Zhu Yin utterly despised Gao Cai. His historical atrocities were utterly outrageous, even more vicious and cruel than Gao Huai's.

But the root of this evil lies with his master, Wanli.

Emperor Wanli was not only greedy for money, but also licentious and lecherous.

Emperor Longqing liked to sneak out of the palace, and he contracted a disease in Lian'er Hutong.

Emperor Wanli, being a homebody emperor, was too lazy to even step out of the palace.

Gao Cai even frequently slept in the imperial bed with Emperor Wanli and his concubines. Later, he was sent by Emperor Baijin to Fujian to amass wealth, where he committed numerous crimes and acted with utter depravity, inciting a popular uprising. However, Emperor Wanli always protected him.

In the end, they were all safe and sound!
...

The next day, Zhu Yin changed into a brand-new small-sized court robe, put on his ivory token, entered Chengtian Gate, passed the Altar of Earth and Grain and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and entered the palace through the left side gate of the Meridian Gate.

After the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department examined the identification document, they led Zhu Yin to the Huangji Gate.

Huangji Gate was originally Fengtian Gate, but it was renamed Huangji Gate by an arrogant old Taoist priest.

As the main gate of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Gate of Supreme Harmony is the most magnificent gate in the Forbidden City.

But in the end, it's just a gate, not a palace.

After arriving at Huangji Gate, continue west to reach the right wing where Ming Dynasty princes studied.

It was exactly the beginning of the Mao hour (5-7 AM).

At the entrance to the right wing, there were only two young eunuchs standing there, looking flustered, without any ceremonial entourage.

But it was clear that the eldest prince had already arrived. As a student, he should have arrived first.

The area under the eaves outside the gate, where the imperial carriage should have been parked, was completely empty.

Not to mention the Crown Prince's golden carriage, even the elephant carriage that a prince should have was not available.

Has the eldest prince not arrived yet?
"Greetings, Mr. Zhu. May you enjoy your health and happiness."

When the two thin, pale-faced young men saw Zhu Yin appear, they immediately recognized him as the famous child prodigy and top scholar, and knelt down before him.

Although Zhu Yin was only twelve years old, he was dressed in a well-tailored small-sized court robe, which made him look quite dignified.

"Has Your Highness arrived?" Zhu Yin asked, frowning.

“Reporting to you, sir,” a young servant replied, “Young Hai has arrived and is sitting in his seat in the room, awaiting your arrival.”

Zhu Yin then confirmed that the eldest prince had indeed arrived.

In ancient books, "Youhai" originally meant "Crown Prince." However, in the current dynasty, the title "Youhai" was far less prestigious; it was simply the title for an ordinary prince, while the Crown Prince was addressed as "Young Master."

This shows the prince's status in the palace. Even the servants around him dared not address him as "Your Highness."

"Where is Your Highness's elephant carriage?" Zhu Yin continued to ask. "Why haven't I seen it?"

The two young men looked at each other, and one of them, the bolder one, said in a trembling voice:

"In response to your question, sir, Youhai has no elephant chariot."

Another small fire-wielder weakly chimed in, "Sir, Youhai walked here."

"You came on foot?" Zhu Yin's expression hardened, his small face turning somewhat cold.

"You may rise," Zhu Yin said gently. "Lead me to the right wing to pay my respects to His Highness."

"Yes, sir!" The two little fire-bringers got up together. "This way, please, sir."

Zhu Yin followed the two young eunuchs into the right wing room in utter loneliness, without any ceremony or music.

The right wing room had not been used by princes for decades and was almost abandoned.

In the middle of the classroom, a boy sat stiffly.

This is the eldest son of the emperor, Zhu Changluo.

Several cold-faced eunuchs and female officials stood beside Zhu Changluo. They were very indifferent to Zhu Changluo, and their expressions carried a hint of surveillance.

Their expressions softened slightly when they saw Zhu Yin enter.

When Zhu Changluo saw Zhu Yin appear, his little face immediately lit up with excitement, and he couldn't help but want to stand up.

His face was sallow and pale, and his hair was dry, making him look somewhat malnourished.

The clothes she was wearing were a bit small and looked a little tight.

It looks like a frightened fawn.

According to the rules, he was not allowed to stand up to greet them. As a prince, he could only sit there and wait for his teacher to pay his respects first.

"Your Highness, please be seated!" Zhu Yin quickly said. "This is a matter of state etiquette. Your Highness is the sovereign, so please take a seat here and allow me to pay my respects!"

(End of this chapter)