Di Ming

Chapter 405 "What you say is absolutely right, sir. I have no more worries!"

Zhu Yin couldn't help but recall the scene when he first met Hai Rui six years ago.

At the bedside of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate, a child's voice, like a swallow in spring, rang out: "I've come to cure my father's illness. I met a Taoist priest who gave me a rare medicine, and now, there's only one last dose left..."

The old man, with his white hair and beard and deep-set features, lay on his sickbed with a smile like the setting sun in winter: "I have served as an official for decades, all alone. I wonder which of my children will visit me at my bedside. For me, this is perhaps a little comfort in the twilight of the sun."

...

"You child, you have a bright and discerning mind, and a silver tongue."

"...Whether the world knows me, hates me, praises me, or slanders me, I have never cared in the slightest."

“The eminent scholars of Buddhism and Taoism all attained great virtue through ascetic practices. Can it be that only renowned scholars of Confucianism can become sages without ascetic practices?”

"Life and official career are like the path of cultivation; how can one not cultivate oneself? Even among Confucian scholars there are ascetics."

"...Fine clothes and delicacies, gold and silver jewelry, fine wine and beautiful women are all bewitching poisons. Keep them at a distance, and your mind will become clear, your will will become firm, and your spirit will become strong."

"If a gentleman does not have a heart content with poverty, how can he have the sincerity to find joy in the Way?"

“You are the smartest child I have ever seen. You are kind-hearted and have your own path. Everyone has their own nature, so you don’t need to learn from me.”

...

Zhu Yin recalled the scene of seeing Hai Rui off to the north in Nanjing.

"Your son will never forget you, Father. I heard that you have been promoted to the capital, so I have come to see you off."

"Young Tiger, though we are not related by name, we share a bond of affection. I am old, and my journey to the North will likely leave me only with my coffin returning South. Young Tiger, you are a child prodigy; do you have a poem to send off this old man?"

"A young boy named Zhu Yin saw off his father in Jinling in September. Millions of people shed tears of parting, and wept at the ten-mile post station. He endured the hardships of travel through thousands of miles of passes and rivers, and at seventy years old, his official purse was empty. His shadow was reflected in Xuanwu Lake, and the cicadas sang in silence in autumn."

...

Zhu Yin recalled these scenes with deep emotion.

Hai Rui, a man who left an indelible mark on history, has finally passed away. But his spirit will live on forever!

It's a pity that I couldn't see him one last time and send him off on his final journey.

It was this old man, Hai, who made him become Shen Yiguan's apprentice to learn the eight-legged essay. It was also Hai who secretly supported him in Nanjing and helped him gain a foothold after he entered Beijing.

Old Man Hai played a significant role in enabling him to become a leading figure among the Qingliu faction and the tutor of the eldest prince.

Hai Rui made contributions to history and also benefited himself.

At this moment, Zhu Yin was very concerned about what posthumous title Hai Rui would receive.

Seeing that Zhu Yin was a little sad, Ning Qingchen comforted him, "Little Tiger, Old Man Hai has lived six years longer than expected. It's already quite good that he died at the age of eighty. This is not only a peaceful death, but also a great honor. Many people would love to have such a life."

Zhu Yin shook his head. "Qingchen, you don't understand. I'm not sad about Hai Rui's death. I'm sad that there is no Hai Rui in the world. The politics of the late Ming Dynasty are getting more and more corrupt, and it's almost terminally ill."

Ning Qingchen asked, "What do you plan to do with Luo Yan and Fan Yi'an? You're not really going to punish them severely, are you? You're also a former special agent, I don't believe you don't know that special agents need to be very proactive and can't be so rigid."

Zhu Yin sighed, "Luo Yan and Fan Yi'an did nothing wrong. They were in accordance with the duties of special agents, and they did a very good job. From the perspective of special work performance, they should be commended. What really angers me is not that they made things worse and caused a bloodbath, but that their actions at least shortened Old Man Hai's life by a year and a half, so that I was unable to see Old Man Hai Rui one last time, a regret I will carry for the rest of my life."

Ning Qingchen understood. "If it weren't for people like Hai Rui whom you care about so much, you wouldn't blame Luo Yan and Fan Yi'an?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "That's true, and it's also my personal selfishness. Humans aren't plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? To do great things, you inevitably have to use some methods. In our eyes as spies, those aren't conspiracies or tricks, they're just methodologies. But once these methods involve our own relatives and friends, we feel they are despicable and hateful."

Ning Qingchen hugged her knees. "You're absolutely right. Little Tiger, back then, for the sake of national security, you infiltrated the Ning Group to monitor my sister, and even planned to assassinate her when she betrayed technological secrets. Even if it was for national security, I still found you hateful, simply because my sister was involved. If it were someone else, I would find you very respectable."

"So, what do you plan to do with Luo Yan and Fan Yi'an?"

Zhu Yin thought for a moment, "In order to give Old Man Hai an explanation in the afterlife, and to give an explanation to those scholars who sacrificed their lives, I will temporarily transfer Luo Yan and Fan Yi'an back to the Nanjing headquarters to serve as inspectors, and then send them out again after a year."

The official name of Huya is Lushiliao, and it has grown to a large size. Under the Siliao and Liaoshi, the Zongqin is composed of five major departments: General Affairs, Finance, Intelligence, Supervision, and Action. The field affairs are composed of nine bureaus, collectively known as the Five Departments and Nine Bureaus.

Luo Yan is the director of the Beijing bureau, and Fan Yi'an is the director of the Jinan bureau; both are high-ranking and powerful positions within the Tiger Fang organization. On the surface, they are also managers of the Ningyin Trading Company.

The Inspector General, subordinate to the Nanjing headquarters, was also a Class A official, but did not possess the same real power as the Director of the Inspectorate. They were only equal in rank and received the same treatment. However, the Inspector General had independent oversight authority and was not considered a marginal figure.

Zhu Yin had two considerations in setting up this position: first, to place top-tier secret agents who were qualified to serve as directors or bureau chiefs but whose positions were not yet filled; and second, to check and supervise the heads of various bureaus and departments. It was a win-win situation.

Luo Yan and Fan Yi'an were relieved of their posts as field bureau chiefs and transferred back to the Nanjing headquarters as independent inspectors. Although their rank and treatment were not reduced, their power was greatly diminished.

This is obviously a derogatory term.

However, neither of them was demoted, and they were able to resume their positions as field bureau chiefs a year later. This kind of punishment was essentially a case of raising a flag high but letting it fall lightly.

It's less of a punishment and more of a long vacation for the two of them.

Ning Qingchen laughed and said, "This kind of punishment is just a formality; those who know, know. I think your handling of the situation was excellent."

Zhu Yin said, "I need to prepare paper money and incense to pay my respects to Old Man Hai from afar."

Then, Zhu Yin secretly held a memorial service for Hai Rui in his own office, with only a few trusted confidants. He wasn't concerned about others knowing his relationship with Hai Rui, but rather about others knowing that he had received news of Hai Rui's death so quickly.

Zhu Yin also personally wrote a eulogy, burned it for Hai Rui, and bestowed upon him the posthumous title of "Wenzheng".

...

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which is the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhu Yin ordered a dragon boat race to be held on the Han River. He mixed Ming soldiers and Korean soldiers together to form several dragon boat teams to compete.

They also held a Dragon Boat Festival ceremony in the army to commemorate Qu Yuan.

He wanted to take this opportunity to imprint the Dragon Boat Festival customs of the Central Plains into the hearts of the Koreans.

However, that very evening, Zhu Yin received another intelligence report from Huya. Upon seeing the new report, Zhu Yin's face turned green.

The truth will out. The emperor finally received the intelligence from the Western Regions and, in a fit of rage, decided to demote himself to the position of magistrate of Pengshui County!

His adoptive father, Qi Jiguang, also lost his title.

"Zhu Yijun is truly mean and ungrateful!" Zhu Yin couldn't help but say angrily, "Just because of this one incident with Zhu Shuaixin, all the contributions of me and my adoptive father have been completely erased! I was a top scholar who passed the imperial examinations three times in a row. Even without any military achievements, I should have been promoted to the fifth rank after several years, but instead I became a county magistrate!"

"My adoptive father had such great military achievements, yet not only was he not granted a title, he was forced to retire and return to his hometown!"

"The war had just ended, and the emperor used this excuse to discard those who had served their purpose!"

Xu Wei, who was present, said, "If my lord does not want to go to Pengshui to be the magistrate, he should simply go to Jingzhou. However, if he does so, then all the efforts made by the Ming Dynasty over the years will be in vain."

Zhu Yin stood up, pacing back and forth with a gloomy expression, weighing his options repeatedly in his mind.

“I still hold my title, so I can’t go to sea.” Zhu Yin calmed down. “The emperor is becoming increasingly incompetent and losing the people’s support, which is a good thing for us. Even if I were to become a county magistrate, it wouldn’t be without a chance.”

Xu Wei said quietly, "My lord, in my opinion, going to Pengshui as magistrate might be a good thing. If we can accomplish just one more thing, my lord can turn the tide in one fell swoop!"

Zhu Yin looked at Xu Wei with a deep gaze and said, "Then tell me, sir. If we think of the same thing, it will definitely be a very feasible idea."

“The eldest son of the Emperor, Prince Xin!” Xu Wei said emphatically, “Your Majesty is Prince Xin’s teacher. Your Majesty himself said that Prince Xin regards Your Majesty as his father and is extremely fond of him.”

"Currently, the emperor is heavily relying on eunuchs and court officials to vie for the throne, and he is indulging the henchmen of the secret police to suppress speech. Every single one of these actions is a reactionary and perverse act. The emperor and Zheng's faction have already gained the upper hand by conferring titles on three princes. Although the eldest prince should be made crown prince according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor is determined to make the third prince, the Prince of Fu, the heir apparent."

"Therefore, this struggle over the succession will be settled within three years at most. With the support of powerful eunuchs like Zhang Jing, the outcome will be, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Prince of Fu will ascend the throne and the Prince of Xin will be enfeoffed!"

Zhu Yin sighed and nodded, saying, "It seems that you and I are thinking the same thing. Poor Changluo."

Xu Wei smiled slightly: "My lord is kind-hearted and naturally cannot bear to see Prince Xin defeated. However, Prince Xin's enfeoffment is my lord's opportunity! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Demoted eight thousand li to Chaozhou in the dead of night!" Xu Wei's old eyes gleamed. "Our lord has gone from a high-ranking position as a third-rank Vice Minister of War and Deputy Censor-in-Chief to a mere magistrate of Pengshui County. To outsiders, this is a sign of our lord's downfall and loss of power. But to the Emperor, he is no longer a threat. As a result, the Emperor and the court will no longer be wary of our lord. This is our second opportunity!"

"What if Prince Xin were to take up his fief in the south?"

Zhu Yin also laughed, "Then I, the Pengshui magistrate who is no longer feared by the court and the emperor and has fallen from power, can take advantage of Beijing's unpreparedness to suddenly support Prince Xin to become emperor, start anew, establish a separate government, and set up a new court to rival the Beijing court!"

"Haha!" Xu Wei laughed loudly, "This is the turning point from adversity to prosperity, from the brink of death to the dawn! This move of using the opponent's strength against them will not only be incredibly effective, but will also save us ten years of preparation! It will allow our lord to seize power in the Ming Dynasty more quickly!"

Zhu Yin nodded: "In that case, you and I really have the same idea. Great minds think alike. This plan should be feasible, but I'm not sure how many people will respond. After all, Wanli has been on the throne for more than 20 years, and his throne is secure."

Xu Wei stroked his beard and said, “My lord, there is no need to worry too much. Please speak for me. The emperor is obsessed with deposing the eldest son and establishing the youngest, neglecting his duties, greedily pursuing wealth, and indulging in pleasure. He has already lost the hearts of the people, both inside and outside the court. Now, he is acting perversely, which will surely disappoint the court and the people even more. When the people are full of resentment, the emperor has lost the support of the people, and the people of the Ming Dynasty yearn for change, how many people will support Prince Xin to establish a separate dynasty? How many people will abandon the darkness and turn their backs on the current emperor to choose Prince Xin?”

“As the eldest son, Prince Xin should rightfully be the crown prince; this is the fundamental principle of the nation. Even if Prince Fu is made crown prince, the people will not be convinced. It is only right for Prince Xin to become emperor; once he ascends the throne, the Ming Dynasty will still be the Ming Dynasty.”

Xu Wei, his expression filled with anticipation, said, “Emperor Xuanzong was a great ruler who created the Tang Dynasty’s golden age and reigned for over forty years, far superior to the current emperor. Yet, as soon as he fled to Shu, Emperor Suzong established a separate court in Lingwu, turning Xuanzong into a retired emperor. In the end, didn’t the people of the world submit to him? What could Xuanzong do? He had no choice but to accept it. Why is that?”

"Because at that time, people were eager for change and had abandoned Emperor Xuanzong, who caused the An Lushan Rebellion. They preferred the Crown Prince to establish himself. The same goes for Prince Xin. Given the current emperor's actions, if Prince Xin were to establish a separate court and then remotely honor the emperor as the Retired Emperor, even if the whole country did not submit, at least they could stand on equal footing."

Zhu Yin's eyes also sparkled. "Then, sir, in your opinion, where would be the best place to enthrone Prince Xin?"

Xu Wei held up four fingers: "The best place would be Nanjing. As long as he ascends the throne in Nanjing, at least the Jiangnan region, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong and other places will support the new dynasty of Prince Xin. Even the entire south of the Yangtze River will change its flag and submit to the Nanjing court."

Zhu Yin nodded, "That's right, I think Nanjing is also the best choice."

Xu Wei said, "Nanjing is the former capital of the Ming Dynasty and is still the secondary capital. The entire court is readily available, and the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizu is also in Nanjing. It has a legitimate reason to do so. It would be best if Prince Xin could become emperor in Nanjing. However, there may not be such an opportunity!"

"Because Southern Zhili is impossible to be the fiefdom of Prince Xin. Given the Emperor's dislike of Prince Xin, he would rather send him to a remote place. I guess it would most likely be the Northwest, Southwest, or Huguang, far away from the Central Plains and Jiangnan. Moreover, after Prince Xin submits, he will definitely be closely monitored by the Imperial Guard and local officials. In addition, it is far from Nanjing, making it difficult for him to establish himself in Nanjing. It is not impossible, but the risk of failure will be greatly increased."

"The second place is Xi'an. Xi'an was once the capital chosen by Emperor Taizu and almost became the capital of the Ming Dynasty. It is also an ancient capital of the Han and Tang Dynasties and has the same righteousness. Moreover, the Guanzhong Plain is a strategically important place with natural defenses and is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It has been a land of kings and hegemons since ancient times. If we support Prince Xin to establish a separate court in Xi'an, we can at least gain the loyalty of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Huguang and other places, and even subdue the various towns of the northwestern border."

"The third place is Chengdu, where you can gain the allegiance of several provinces, including Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hubei."

"The fourth place is Guangzhou. It can win the loyalty of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian and other places."

“These four places are all large cities with abundant wealth, large population, and important locations. Any one of them could establish a separate court and rival Beijing.”

"Therefore, since our lord cannot change the outcome of being exiled, we might as well try to arrange for Prince Xin to be enfeoffed in a place that is conducive to our plan. Prince Xin's fiefdom must be close enough to one of these four places, preferably within five hundred li, and reachable in a few days."

Zhu Yin pondered Xu Wei's words and compared them with his original plan.

His initial plan was to use the Tiger Tooth organization and Zong Qin to slowly infiltrate the Twenty-Four Offices of Eunuchs and the Imperial Guard system in Beijing, secretly control the defense of the Forbidden City and the Imperial City, and when the time was right, launch a palace coup, support Chang Luo, depose Wanli, mobilize the Jinghai Army to be stationed in Beijing, and then use the emperor to command the princes and control the government.

This process will likely take eight to ten years.

Moreover, there is a prerequisite: one must be in the capital, at least holding a high-ranking position among the Nine Ministers, and possessing a certain degree of influence in the central government.

Without sufficient power and influence in the government, it would be difficult to carry out a coup d'état in Beijing.

Now, his hopes of being promoted to one of the Nine Ministers have been dashed, and he has been demoted to a county magistrate in the southwest. He no longer holds any power in the court and is far from the central government. How can he possibly push forward his previous plans?
Still dead.

In comparison, establishing a separate regime in another region under the auspices of Prince Xin, thus creating a rival power to the Beijing court, would be the best option. At least initially, it would be possible to seize several provinces without bloodshed!
The downside is that a civil war is inevitable, and in the end, it will be a matter of who annexes whom.

Compared to raising an army directly, attacking one place at a time, and relying entirely on force, this method is much more time-saving and labor-saving, has a higher probability of success, and can also save a lot of civilian lives.

Zhu Yin finally said, "Since we all think this way, let's do it this way. After returning to the capital, I'll curry favor with the emperor and obediently serve as a county magistrate. In three or four years at most, I'll teach him a lesson."

Xu Wei laughed and said, "Although my lord has been demoted to the position of county magistrate, he is already famous throughout the land, has made outstanding contributions, and is highly respected. This demotion will actually win him the sympathy of the people and make the emperor even more unpopular. When my lord supports Prince Xin, the people will understand better. So this demotion is actually a good thing."

"Besides, our lord has been building up his power and influence over the years. He is powerful, wealthy, and has a solid backing. He still holds the title of Marquis of Jiangning. Even if he is demoted, he is not someone that ordinary people can bully. The business of the trading company will definitely be preserved."

"In that case, what is there for my lord to worry about?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin's gloom vanished, and he laughed heartily, "What you say is absolutely right, sir! I have no more worries! Then I'll happily and joyfully be a county magistrate!"

(End of this chapter)