Di Ming

Chapter 258 "Such sincerity is truly astonishing!"

As the Jingyang Bell rang, the assembled officials filed into the Meridian Gate, each presenting their identification tokens. They then lined up in a dense, dark mass in the square south of the Golden Water Bridge.

Startled by the sound of the bell, a large flock of crows took flight, fluttering and flapping across the Forbidden City like a gust of wind.

The courtiers all looked up, while the crows all looked down.

The sound of bells and the flight of crows is a unique sight in Beijing.

A crow's feather fluttered down and landed right on Zhu Yin.

Zhu Yin held the slightly fishy-smelling bird feather in his hand and couldn't help but smile silently. Auspiciously, it meant the feather of a divine raven, a sign of good fortune. Inauspiciously, it meant bad luck was coming his way.

Then, with a "crack" of the whip, the officials crossed the Golden Water Bridge in turn and arrived at the Dan Chi in front of the Huangji Gate. They lined up on both sides of the imperial road, with civil officials on the left and military officials on the right, forming two groups.

More than a thousand people stood densely packed in the square in front of Fengtian Gate. Among them, the number of military officers significantly exceeded that of civil officials.

Because many military officers were members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, officials granted hereditary privileges by the Governor-General's Office, or officials favored by the imperial relatives. They might not be able to ride horses, shoot arrows, or understand military texts, but that did not affect their status as military officers.

Ironically, these so-called military officers were the majority among the military officers of the Ming Dynasty.

Nobles and imperial sons-in-law also stood in the military ranks, and even before the military ranks.

As a result, Qi Jiguang, a first-rank military officer, could only stand behind a group of imperial sons-in-law.

At the head of the civil officials was the current Grand Secretary, Wang Xijue. Behind him, in order, were Zhao Zhigao, Zhang Wei, Shen Yiguan, and then the Nine Ministers.

Although Zhu Yin was only a Vice Censor-in-Chief, his position was not low, and he was even higher than many other vice ministers.

Because Zhu Yin was still the Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, which was technically a second-rank official. If things went smoothly today, he could be promoted to Vice Minister of War based on his military achievements in the Northwest, with the added title of Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince, officially becoming a high-ranking official in the court.

But if he were to fall from grace, he might lose not only his position as Vice Minister of War, but also his position as Vice Censor-in-Chief.

The outcome will be decided today!
Zhu Yin's gaze was cold and clear, like the frost of this Mid-Autumn Festival morning. The young minister stood calmly among the civil officials, like a crane among chickens.

In addition to the civil and military officials, there was also a group of envoys and officials, not listed below the civil officials. There were envoys from countries such as Korea and Ryukyu, as well as envoys from Jurchen and Mongol countries. Among them was Nurhaci.

Nurhaci, dressed in the official robes of a second-rank military officer, searched the ranks of civil officials. Using the surrounding lamplight, he quickly spotted Zhu Yin.

The little tiger cub stood tall and handsome, like Zhou Yu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, full of vigor and attracting attention. Compared to the little tiger, the surrounding civil officials all looked repulsive and listless.

If the Ming Dynasty had more figures like Little Tiger Brother, it would truly be a celestial empire.

Zhu Yin sensed a gaze, turned around to search, and immediately saw a familiar figure.

Nurhaci!

Zhu Yin immediately feigned delight, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and then casually looked away. Nurhaci also nodded slightly in response.

In this situation, the two of them obviously cannot acknowledge each other or talk.

When Zhu Yin visited Nurhaci, he also saw envoys from the Chahar Mongols and the Yehe Jurchens, and noticed that these envoys looked somewhat disdainful.

Zhu Yin thought about it for a moment and understood.

They must have attended the grand court sessions more than once, and knew that the emperor would not come. Therefore, they held the Ming Dynasty in contempt.

Indeed, what kind of celestial empire is it when the emperor is so lazy in governing that he doesn't attend court for a long time?
In fact, the impact of Wanli Emperor's refusal to attend court was not limited to the domestic situation. It also affected the attitudes of foreign vassal states, non-Han peoples, and local chieftains towards the Ming Dynasty.

Even Westerners looked down on the Ming Dynasty because Wanli Emperor did not attend court for a long time.

At this moment, the censor in charge of maintaining etiquette, holding a book and a brush, looked around, preparing to record any improper behavior.

The ceremonial guards of the Han generals were all set up long ago, and the bell and drum corps had already started playing music, but the emperor's carriage and entourage had not yet arrived.

But the throne platform under the main corridor of Fengtian Gate was empty, with no sign of the emperor, only a burly general holding an umbrella.

The courtiers were all used to it.

In fact, the large number of people attending the morning court today is also a testament to the spirit of revitalization that emerged during Zhang Juzheng's era.

Before Zhang Juzheng, court officials were extremely lazy. At its peak, more than a thousand people would skip court without a valid reason. It was said that "when the morning bell rang, more than ten thousand crows would take flight, making it a veritable crow court."

Our Great Ming Dynasty has its own unique circumstances; it's not just that the emperor is lazy, but the officials are no less so. In the past hundred years, only Zhang Juzheng's reforms brought about a real improvement.

At this moment, the whip cracked again, and the courtiers danced and bowed together, performing the kowtow ceremony before the empty golden throne.

In the past, when the emperor attended court, he would say "Rise," and then symbolically listen to the ministers' congratulations, which were nothing more than saying things like "the sea is calm and the river is peaceful" and "the world is at peace." After saying a few polite words, he would announce the end of the court session.

But now that there is no emperor, the courtiers are too lazy to say such flattering words anymore.

After the ceremony, everyone stood up and waited for the sound of the whip to signal the end of the court session.

However, at that moment, an official from the censorate stepped forward, holding a memorial in his hand, and loudly proclaimed:

"Your Majesty, Sun Yuhou, a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War, has impeached Qi Jiguang, the Grand Master of the Palace and Junior Guardian, for embezzling military funds, accepting bribes, and keeping an excessive number of personal guards! I request that the Ministry of Justice submit this to the Emperor!"

The assembled officials were all startled upon hearing this and turned to look at Marquis Sun Yu.

Impeaching someone in court on the first day of the month? Isn't that going too far?

The New Year and Full Moon Grand Court Ceremony is a ceremonial court ceremony, not a meeting for discussing state affairs. Just as the court was about to end and people were leaving the palace, you suddenly launched an impeachment in court.

In the Qing Dynasty, impeaching ministers involved two methods: in-person impeachment and formal impeachment. In-person impeachment meant directly impeaching the minister in court. Formal impeachment involved submitting a memorial or petition.

Face-to-face impeachment is less common nowadays. Nowadays, when impeaching a minister, it is usually done by submitting a written impeachment document to avoid a face-to-face confrontation with the person being impeached, which could be too embarrassing.

In the past, it was not uncommon or surprising for emperors to impeach officials in court during their court sessions.

However, when the emperor did not attend court for several years, it was quite remarkable that he would impeach ministers in court during a court assembly.

When Qi Jiguang heard Sun Yuhou impeach him in such a way, especially in front of everyone, his face turned ashen.

Zhu Yin's pupils contracted, and his expression turned extremely cold.

What a surprise!

He had received intelligence that someone, at the behest of the Zheng family and other opposition figures, was impeaching him and would launch an attack during this grand court assembly. He already had plans and countermeasures in place.

But he didn't expect that the first person to jump out was not the expected person, and the one who was impeached was not himself, but his adoptive father Qi Jiguang!
Was Sun Yuhou, the Military Affairs Secretary who suddenly appeared, acting on the orders of the Zheng family, or was he unrelated to the Zheng family group?

This person is not a target of Tiger Fang's intelligence. With so many officials in the court, Tiger Fang wouldn't care about a mere censor.

This person was either acting under orders, trying to guess the emperor's intentions, or genuinely believed his adoptive father was guilty and was fulfilling his duty, which is why he appeared in court to impeach him.

As for why the extreme method of directly confronting the emperor was chosen, it was obviously to take advantage of the grand court assembly to amplify the impact of the matter.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yin felt even more enraged. "Sun Yuhou, you heartless and depraved bastard! My adoptive father has made so many contributions in battle, yet he hasn't been officially rewarded, and you're already saying he's guilty?"
"Marquis Sun Yu!" Cai Ruxian, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War, couldn't help but shout, "This is a grand court assembly, merely a formality for paying homage! Why didn't you submit a memorial beforehand? Instead, you dare to impeach me in court!"

He was the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War, and Sun Yuhou's direct superior. With all the officials watching closely, he naturally had to make a statement.

Holding the impeachment document in his hand, Sun Yuhou said loudly, "Impartial impeachment is permitted during court assemblies! Has the rarity of such impeachment led us to forget our duty to do so? What wrong has my impeachment of illegal acts done?"

Cai Ruxian was speechless. In reality, he wasn't truly opposed to Sun Yuhou; he was merely putting on a show. He didn't care about Sun Yuhou's impeachment of Qi Jiguang!

Good ginseng!
Qi Jiguang was originally a remnant of Zhang Juzheng's faction, and now that he had won a battle in the Northwest, he was bound to become arrogant and smug. Since Shi Heng of the Zhengtong era, no other military general has had the prestige of Qi Jiguang, and it was time to curb his arrogance.

Don't become the second Shi Heng! Military generals with too much prestige can really rebel.

Many people looked at Qi Jiguang with cold eyes. This was true not only for civil officials, but also for many military officials.

Jealousy made them completely disregard the fact that Qi Jiguang was also a military officer, representing the glory of the military.

None of the officials could stop the censor, nor could they stop him from impeaching them in court. They could only look at Marquis Sun Yu.

Wang Xijue, Shen Yiguan and other important officials all looked gloomy.

Sun Yuhou flattered and fawned upon the emperor, trying to guess his thoughts and impeach Qi Jiguang. He was truly blinded by greed!

This is a grand court ceremony, with envoys from foreign vassal states, as well as Mongol and Jurchen envoys, all present. Yet you impeach a renowned general of the dynasty. Aren't you just making yourselves a laughingstock to outsiders? They'd love for the court to kill Qi Jiguang!

Sun truly has no sense of proportion!

Sun Yuhou immediately became the focus of everyone's attention. He couldn't help but feel a little excited. With a stern face and solemn expression, he unfolded the impeachment document and read it aloud to everyone:

"Qi Jiguang was originally a disgraced official. Several years ago, his salary was suspended and he was fined. He has always been extravagant and spends money like water, to the point that he dismissed his servants, pawned his estates, and squandered everything. It is said that his family has long been in debt and is heavily in debt. People jokingly call him the 'Debt-Defaulting General.' Everyone in Dengzhou knows this, and it is by no means an exaggeration."

"However, after Qi Jiguang regained his position as commander of the Jizhou Garrison, he was able to maintain a personal guard of three thousand men, whose salaries far exceeded those of the regular troops, costing him no less than sixty or seventy thousand taels of silver annually! Where did Qi's wealth come from?"

"If he hadn't embezzled military funds and accepted bribes, how could he have kept three thousand retainers! This shows the enormous amount of money he embezzled, which is outrageous!"

"Furthermore, although many generals of the dynasty keep personal guards, the number ranges from a few hundred to one or two thousand. This is within the bounds and there is nothing wrong with it."

"Yet the Qi family kept a staggering three thousand household guards. How is this any different from secretly raising a private army? Before the Gaoping Mausoleum Incident, Sima Yi also secretly raised three thousand assassins. Is this merely a coincidence? Perhaps the Qi family was once a member of the Zhang family's faction, harboring resentment? Such cunning is truly astonishing!"

Sun Yuhou then looked at Qi Jiguang, "Qi Shaobao, the Emperor has reinstated you, a minister who has been punished for your crimes. Instead of repaying the Emperor's favor, you have acted selfishly, embezzled military funds, harbored resentment, and committed treason. I am here today to impeach you in court, not because of any personal grudge between us, but because it is clear to all, and the truth will be revealed!"

After speaking, he stepped forward and ordered the impeachment petition to be delivered to the Commissioner of the Court of State Ceremonies, Tian Hui. "I request that the Grand Councilor present it before the Emperor! Right and wrong, merit and demerit, shall be decided by His Majesty!"

The officials were all astonished upon hearing Sun Yuhou's words.

Sun Yuhou did not explicitly accuse Qi Jiguang of treason; he only said that Qi Jiguang was corrupt and kept too many servants. However, his implication was that Qi Jiguang wanted to rebel and avenge Zhang Juzheng.
This means that three words can lead to imprisonment!
He wanted Qi Jiguang dead.

Did Qi Jiguang really harbor rebellious intentions? Even if he didn't, it's safe to say he embezzled military funds.

But how many of the generals of this dynasty didn't embezzle military pay and exploit their soldiers? How many didn't steal military funds? It's really not a big deal.

Water that is too clear has no fish.

But everything can be taken seriously. If they investigate you, they can convict you!

Qi Jiguang was furious, but his expression remained calm, and he remained silent. He was over sixty years old, a veteran of countless battles; what storms hadn't he weathered?

He wasn't in a hurry to defend himself; he wanted to see who else would step forward and challenge the Three-Word Prison!
Zhu Yin took a deep breath and lowered his eyes. Then, he glanced casually at Jiang Dongzhi, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Qi Cai, the Censor, behind him, his gaze full of meaning.

Jiang Dongzhi and Qi Cai both knew that Zhu Yinru had a real eye on them.

Jiang Dongzhi was a fourth-rank official, serving as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. However, he had long been secretly recruited by Zhu Yin and became one of the highest-ranking members of Zhu Yin's faction.

Censor Qi Cai was also a key figure in Zhu's faction.

Although Zhu's faction was very secretive and not yet powerful, it became the most cohesive secret faction in the court due to the combined effects of Zhu Yin's intelligence, gold and silver, and personal connections.

Jiang Dongzhi and Qi Cai quickly realized that Sun Yuhou was currying favor with the emperor! Because the emperor disliked Qi Jiguang.

The emperor believed that Qi Jiguang was a henchman of Zhang Juzheng and had once intended to use force to support Zhang Juzheng's rebellion, so he should be executed.

Later, because there was no conclusive evidence, some people in the court advised that Qi Jiguang had made great contributions and was the Great Wall of the country, so the emperor did not kill him.

The reinstatement of Qi Jiguang a few years ago was due to the circumstances, not because the emperor believed that Qi Jiguang had been wronged.

Otherwise, why wouldn't they be granted a title this time?
However, Qi Jiguang already had great military achievements, and this time he made great contributions in the Northwest, but he still could not be granted a title. If word got out, the emperor would be criticized by the people.

If, at this very moment, someone were to impeach Qi Jiguang for his crimes, the emperor would have a convenient excuse to punish and suppress him, and thus a reason not to bestow a title upon him.

If the emperor needs this kind of person, then this kind of person will naturally step forward on their own.

Isn't this the evil of currying favor with the ruler? Sun Yuhou is just that kind of person.

But Sun Yuhou was by no means the only one who was "clever".

Sure enough, as soon as Sun Yuhou finished speaking, Huang Yuntai, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, stepped forward and said, "Your subject, Huang Yuntai, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, seconds this proposal!"

He also had an impeachment petition in his hand: "Qi Jiguang is arrogant and complacent because of his merits! When he passed through Tongzhou, he opened the warehouse and took grain without the approval of the local officials! He is so domineering that the local officials dare not speak out against him!"

"When Qi Jiguang was serving in Jizhou, he unjustly killed the guerrilla general Wang Tai and falsely accused Wang Tai of embezzling military pay, but there was no evidence to support this! Furthermore, when Qi Jiguang campaigned against the Mongols and Jurchens, he captured strong and capable men, but instead of presenting them to the court, he kept them in the army as his personal guards. What was he trying to do? Was he raising bandits to enhance his own power?"

"Just now, Marquis Sun Yu accused the Qi family of embezzling military funds and keeping an excessive number of servants. I think this case is settled! If they didn't embezzle military funds, how could the Qi family keep three thousand servants? The Qi family has long been in debt. Where did they get the money and food?"

After Huang Yuntai finished speaking, he looked at Tian Hui, the Commissioner of the Court of State Ceremonies, and said, "Grand Councilor, what I have said is absolutely true. I humbly request that you accept my petition and present it to Your Majesty for your wise judgment!"

The officials exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions incredibly complex. Yet, for a moment, no one stepped forward to speak up for Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang's identity was very sensitive. He was a veteran general and famous general who enjoyed great prestige in the army, as well as a confidant of Zhang Juzheng, making him a thorn in the emperor's side.

Even though the senior officials knew that Qi Jiguang was wronged, they were still weighing the matter in their hearts.

In the censor's line, Zheng Guowang suddenly turned to look at Hao Yunlai and gave him a meaningful look.

Hao Yunlai, being quick-witted, immediately understood.

The cabinet minister, Shen Yiguan, frowned and was about to signal his cronies to speak when Tian Hui, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, suddenly said:
"Lord Qi, do you intend to defend yourself in court? If you do not, I will present two impeachment petitions directly."

Just as Qi Jiguang was about to speak, the Censor Hao Yunlai stepped forward and said:

"This is outrageous! Sun Yuhou, Huang Yuntai, you are making baseless accusations and slandering our general. What are your true intentions?"

P.S.: Did you all expect that Qi Jiguang would be the first target? Why did Zheng Guowang and Hao Yunlai speak up for Qi Jiguang? I'm not feeling well today, so I'll stop here. Depressed, feeling withdrawn.

(End of this chapter)