Di Ming

Chapter 407 "Your Majesty, I wish to advise you... to submit to the will of Heaven!"

In recent years, Emperor Wanli has been hiding in the deep palace and rarely summons his ministers, but he has summoned Zhu Yin more than once.

After burning incense and changing his clothes, Zhu Yin entered the palace to pay his respects. He re-entered the Forbidden City and arrived at the heavily guarded Qianqing Palace.

Because he was not a cabinet minister and was an individual, Wanli Emperor was too lazy to sit in the Qianqing Gate and instead invited him directly into the palace for an audience.

Gao Huai, who was standing at the palace gate, was delighted to see Zhu Yin.

"Hehe, Mr. Zhihu, it's only been a few months since we parted ways in Goryeo, and we meet again today. How is the Marquis?"

"I'm fine. How is Eunuch Gao?" Zhu Yin replied with a perfunctory smile.

He and Gao Huai certainly didn't get along. But people who don't get along don't necessarily turn on each other the moment they meet.

Gao Huai looked better than when he was in Korea. He smiled and said with his fingers delicately, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Zhihu. Beijing is much more comfortable than Korea. Last time I left Korea, Mr. Zhihu arranged a ship to see me off. I should thank you for that."

"Oh, Grandpa is listening to opera and will probably have to wait another quarter of an hour. Please wait here, sir."

Zhu Yin was very frustrated. He knew that it couldn't be anything good for the Emperor Bai Jin to summon him. Since the Emperor had summoned him to the palace, he ended up watching a play and listening to music, leaving Zhu Yin to wait outside the palace gates.

He could only bow and say, "Then I will wait here quietly. Please inform His Majesty after he has finished watching the play."

Gao Huai laughed and said, "No problem, no problem. Where's your gift list?"

Zhu Yin cursed inwardly, but luckily he was prepared. He took out a gift list from his sleeve and said, "This is a token of filial piety to His Majesty. Please present it to His Majesty, Eunuch Gao."

The gift list was very straightforward, simply stating three thousand taels of gold. It seemed generous, but in reality, Zhu Yin was too lazy to put in the effort to please the emperor, so he simply gave gold to save trouble.

As an emperor who loved receiving gifts, Wanli was shameless, not much better than Qianlong.

Gao Huai glanced at the gift list and chuckled. This list was certainly less than what he had given to the Emperor. But Zhu Yin was a civil official, not his grandfather's servant; three thousand taels of gold was definitely a considerable sum.

Gao Huai turned and went inside to report to the emperor.

From deep within the Qianqing Palace came the soft, drawn-out lyrics of the Kunqu opera "The Jade Hairpin: Buddhist Romance," but upon closer listening, it turned out to be:

"The curtain rolls up, revealing withered lotus leaves; a breeze stirs the waterside pavilion. I embrace my zither and play in the moonlight. The Peach Blossom Spring is so close, yet that old bald monk keeps the iron gates locked triple..."

Zhu Yin was speechless. "You, the emperor, neglect state affairs in broad daylight and instead hide in the palace listening to such lewd and obscene music—is that appropriate?"

How can an emperor be so leisurely? You're truly a spendthrift! No wonder you created that absurd Later Jin dynasty during your reign. The ancestral land is like a rat eating barley in your hands.

He knew that Emperor Wanli loved watching plays. Historically, he had been advised by court officials for his obsession with plays, but he still went his own way.

What's even more hateful is that while Emperor Wanli himself loved watching plays and listening to music, he forbade the palace servants to sing them in private. He once had more than a dozen people beaten to death and dozens more punished for singing "The Peony Pavilion" in the palace.

Zhu Yin stood on the platform at the palace gate, waiting until the fourth quarter of the afternoon. The sun was setting in the west, and his legs were numb from standing, but the emperor still hadn't summoned him into the palace.

Even the guards under the Qianqing Gate looked at Zhu Yin with a hint of pity. They hadn't expected that Mr. Zhihu, who had wiped out 200,000 Japanese pirates in Goryeo, a feat unprecedented since the founding of the dynasty, would be so neglected by the Emperor.

Zhu Yin stood on the platform, looking up at the Forbidden City, his eyes following a flock of pigeons flying past the palace.

The pigeons, carrying whistles, made a whistling sound and disappeared into the vermilion palace walls.

Zhu Yin could only curse the money-worshipping emperor under his breath as he paced back and forth under the door, looking somewhat bored at the bronze water vat used to extinguish the fire.

The water in the bronze vat reflected a handsome young face with exquisite features. The boy in the water's reflection possessed a refined and elegant demeanor, his figure outstanding, and his bright red official robe shone dazzlingly.

The dazzling official robes in the fire extinguisher tank, illuminated by the sun, looked like a flame burning in the water's reflection.

Zhu Yin suddenly recalled that, historically, just a few years later, the Forbidden City was frequently engulfed in fires, causing extensive damage to the palaces. During the Wanli reign, the amount of silver used to repair the palaces after the fires amounted to tens of millions of taels of silver.

It can be said that during Emperor Baijin's nearly fifty-year reign, one-fifth of the silver he amassed was used to repair the palace after the fire.

Throughout history, the Forbidden City in Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties was the palace most frequently and on the largest scale to experience fires. Over five hundred years, there were more than eighty recorded major fires, averaging one every six years. The silver spent on rebuilding the palace after these disasters was enough to construct ten Forbidden Cities!

Why did the Forbidden City experience frequent fires after its construction? According to Feng Shui, Beijing is located in the east, which is associated with the element of wood, and is most averse to thunder and fire. Thunder also belongs to the east, so lightning is prevalent there. This, in turn, led to frequent fires.

These fires do not include the arson attacks committed by the Anglo-French allied forces and the Eight-Nation Alliance after they stormed the Forbidden City.

Moreover, Beijing experienced frequent fires during the Liao Dynasty's Nanjing, Jin Dynasty's Zhongdu, and Yuan Dynasty's Dadu, not just during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Of all the imperial palace fires in Chinese history, those in Beijing's Forbidden City account for the majority. It's quite a strange situation indeed.

But in Zhu Yin's view, it can actually be explained scientifically and can indeed be considered "feng shui".

Due to Beijing's unique geographical environment, the number of thunderstorm days far exceeds the national average, nearly double that of places like Chang'an and Luoyang. These frequent thunderstorms result in a persistently high lightning strike density within the Forbidden City.

Secondly, the high-pressure, arid air currents of the Mongolian Plateau, along with the foehn effect of the Yanshan and Taihang Mountains, result in dry air in the Beijing area. Humidity is much lower than in the Guanzhong Plain, and even lower than in Luoyang and Nanjing.

Thirdly, the Forbidden City covers an area of ​​less than one square kilometer. The small and cramped space leads to a high density of buildings and small interior spaces in the palaces. Once a fire breaks out in one place, it can easily spread to an entire area.

In short, this place is really unsuitable as a capital.

It is said that the emperor guards the country's gates. However, Beijing is separated from Mongolia by mountains and Liaodong by marshes. A trip to Liaodong, which seems very close, is not as convenient by land as it is by Shanxi, nor as convenient by sea as it is by Shandong.

Whether the enemy forces launch a southern expedition, a northern expedition, or an eastern expedition, they can easily reach Beijing. If they invade by sea, they can be at the city gates in three days.

Even the mighty Song Taizong, the war god who used a donkey cart, only took eight days to march from Taiyuan to Nanjing, Liao.

Qin destroyed Yan, Tang destroyed the pseudo-Yan, Later Tang destroyed Liu Shouguang, Jin destroyed Liao, the Mongols destroyed Jin, Ming destroyed Yuan, Shun destroyed Ming, Qing destroyed Shun, and the Anglo-French Allied Forces and the Eight-Nation Alliance conquered Qing. Beijing was taken in one fell swoop. Yan has never been easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Moreover, the three great dynasties that established their capitals in Yan (present-day Beijing) all shared common problems: they relied heavily on the Grand Canal, making it difficult to control the northwest and southwest militarily; they were closed-minded and conservative in thought; there was a serious north-south divide in culture; their economy was unbalanced between east and west; and their administration was extremely corrupt.

Because Beijing is located in a remote corner of the country, it has little influence over other regions. This was a major drawback in the feudal agricultural era, leading to high governance costs, diminishing effectiveness of the imperial court's influence, and inevitably causing difficulties in grassroots governance, serious corruption, waste of resources, and poor mobilization.

If we can revitalize the Ming Dynasty in the future, we must move the capital. We should move it to a place that is roughly the same distance from the southwest, northwest, northeast, and southeast, so that we can take care of all directions.

Just as Zhu Yin was thinking this, Gao Huai finally came out and said with a forced smile, "Grandpa has finished watching the play and summons you to see him."

"Thank you, Eunuch Gao," Zhu Yin said calmly, showing no sign of anger. In his heart, however, he was cursing the Jin Emperor.

Damn it, I'm a great hero in the fight against the Japanese pirates in Goryeo. It's one thing for you to suppress and downplay my military achievements, but today you summoned me and deliberately left me hanging for half an hour!

Zhu Yin entered the Qianqing Palace, then suddenly stepped forward with a practiced gait, knelt down, and bowed: "Your subject Zhu Yin pays respects to Your Majesty the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

His expression was solemn and respectful, with a scholarly air mixed with a hint of trepidation before the emperor, making him appear very loyal, pure, and upright.

Emperor Wanli sat on a soft couch, wearing a net hat on his head, a bright yellow cross-collar robe, and holding a white jade opium pipe.

He tapped his pipe on the imperial desk, his long, narrow, slightly upturned eyes looking down at Zhu Yin with a somewhat indifferent expression.

He observed Zhu Yin's expression for a moment, then suddenly yawned and said, "Rise, stand up and answer."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhu Yin stood up and stood with his hands clasped in front of him.

Emperor Wanli nodded, and immediately a eunuch brought over a small stool.

"Give me a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Zhu Yin sat down respectfully and cautiously, Wanli finally said, "I have also seen the memorial reporting your achievements. Zheng Guowang recommended you to lead the troops in Goryeo, and it was the right recommendation. You fought very well in Goryeo, better than I expected, saving the court a lot of money and effort. This battle is one of the few great victories since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and your contribution is indispensable."

Zhu Yin immediately lowered his head and cupped his hands, saying, "How dare I take credit for this? Although the victory was exhilarating, it was truly due to Your Majesty's boundless blessings and the soldiers' inspiring courage and dedication. In the end, it wasn't because I had any great ability, but because the advantage lay with our Great Ming."

Emperor Wanli waved his hand, exhaled a puff of smoke, his face slightly flushed. "While that makes sense, you needn't be modest. I am well aware of your contributions and intended to reward you handsomely, but alas—"

Upon hearing the word "regret," the emperor's tone suddenly turned stern. "It's a pity you were ultimately unlucky! Do you know what Prince Qing's heir, Zhu Shuaixin, did in the Western Regions? He was let go by you and Qi Jiguang with carelessness. Last year, when you quelled the rebellion in the Northwest, you left behind a huge disaster!"

After speaking, he picked up a memorial from the imperial desk and threw it in front of Zhu Yin with a "thud," saying, "Take a look for yourself! How should I punish such a crime?"

Zhu Yin quickly knelt down, his body trembling slightly as he picked up the memorial from the ground. Upon opening it, his face turned pale.

"Your Majesty, this, this..." Zhu Yin said in a panic, his voice trembling.

"You don't believe me?" Wanli sneered. "I don't want to believe it either, but it's an absolutely true report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. There's no way it's false. Zhu Shuaixin has been the emperor in the Western Regions for more than half a year. If I didn't know, he might have already marched all the way to Guanzhong."

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!" Zhu Yin bowed again. "I dare not accept such great merit in the Northwest. I beg Your Majesty to revoke my credit for the Northwest campaign..."

Wanli coldly said, "Of course you are guilty. Just based on Zhu Shuaixin's audacity in the Western Regions, it would not be wrong to convict you of letting a tiger return to the mountain and raising a tiger to cause trouble. Even if the merits and demerits of the Northwest affair cancel each other out, your merits do not outweigh your crimes."

"Yes!" Zhu Yin kowtowed deeply. "Your Majesty, please punish me! I am ashamed to continue to hold the title of Marquis. I beg Your Majesty to strip me of my title of Marquis of Jiangning. Both the thunder and the rain are acts of imperial grace, and I dare not utter a single complaint!"

Wanli squinted, seeing no resentment on Zhu Yin's face, only fear and helplessness, before saying in a low voice:
"Fine, for the sake of your contributions to Goryeo, I will temporarily retain your title. But if we don't address your crimes, it would be unfair to reward or punish you. Do you know that King Goryeo, Yi Yeon, and the Imperial Inspector Qian Shizhen have both impeached you?"

"In Goryeo, you were domineering and arrogant, bullying the King of Goryeo and forcing him to kneel before you. Did you do that? Although you are an imperial envoy of the Ming Dynasty, he is still the ruler of a country. Apart from delivering an imperial decree, how could you force him to kneel?"

Zhu Yin said, "Your Majesty is wise; the King of Goryeo bowed voluntarily, while I did not..."

"What a fine way of saying he'd kneel down!" Wanli roared. "Easy for you to say! He is the ruler of Goryeo. If you hadn't oppressed him, why would he kneel before you? Is he deliberately slandering you? You act arbitrarily, never consulting the King of Goryeo on important military matters, causing the Goryeo court to be angry but dare not speak out. Is that also slandering you?"

"Yes, yes!" Zhu Yin could only admit that he couldn't wake the person who was pretending to be asleep. "It is my fault, Your Majesty. Please punish me."

Emperor Wanli snorted coldly, "If it were only the King of Goryeo who impeached you, I might not believe it. But even Qian Shizhen impeached you! He said you were domineering and willful, that you tortured and killed thousands of prisoners of war, disemboweling them, extracting their brains to test new drugs, using all sorts of heinous methods that left the prisoners living in constant fear! Is this an injustice to you for such a heinous act against the will of Heaven? You are a court official, an imperial envoy of the Ming Dynasty, your words and actions represent the court. Benevolence and righteousness are of utmost importance, but where is benevolence in your actions? If this gets out, what will become of the Celestial Empire's reputation? Prisoners of war are human beings too! You tortured and killed thousands of prisoners of war, dare you say you are innocent?"

In reality, killing prisoners of war is a crime, but its severity can vary, depending on how seriously the emperor takes it. If he doesn't, nothing happens. But if he does, then it's a different story.

Emperor Wanli didn't care about the lives of the prisoners at all; what he cared about was an excuse to suppress Zhu Yin.

Zhu Yin's face turned ashen. "Your Majesty, I dare not defend myself. I only beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

Wanli Emperor felt he had given you a good talking-to, and then said leisurely, "Originally, some people petitioned to strip you of your title and official position, and to never employ you again. But considering your youthful impulsiveness and your many merits, I have decided to retain your title."

Zhu Yin, his acting skills seemingly on full display, bowed deeply with sweat beading on his forehead and said, "Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation and thank you for your great kindness!"

Emperor Wanli was fairly satisfied with Zhu Yin's attitude and said, "You can't stay in the capital anymore. The court has approved your punishment, so you will go to Pengshui County in Chongqing and temporarily serve as a county magistrate."

He observed Zhu Yin's reaction as he spoke. If Zhu Yin showed any resentment, he planned not to even give him the position of county magistrate, but to dismiss him from office and remove him from all his posts.

However, Zhu Yin looked relieved and said with gratitude, "I am willing to serve as the magistrate of Pengshui County, to govern the county for Your Majesty, and to serve the country diligently in remote areas."

Wanli nodded. "Alright, after you go back, submit a letter of apology and then go to the southwest. Zhu Yin, you are a rare talent, but unfortunately you are still too young and need to be tempered and trained. Even the most beautiful jade cannot become a useful object without being carved."

"I cherish you. I hope you learn from this lesson, guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and do not give up on yourself. After you have spent a few years in the prefectures and counties, I will transfer you back to the capital. Three days later, you will leave the capital and head south. Do not stay in the capital for too long. Otherwise, someone will surely impeach you again."

"Your Majesty, I obey!" Zhu Yin said without any resentment. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to atone for my sins."

Seeing how obedient Zhu Yin was, Wanli abandoned his idea of ​​dismissing Zhu Yin from his post and stripping him of his title.

Since Zhu Yin is sensible and still possesses a sense of loyalty, filial piety, and reverence, let's give him a glimmer of hope.

However, Wanli himself knew that Zhu Yin had no hope of returning to a high position in the court.

Years later, even if Zhu Yin returns to court, he will still keep him on the sidelines. This kind of prodigy who has achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations is renowned throughout the land at a young age and his achievements are so great that they threaten the emperor's position. He must be kept in check, otherwise he will become a powerful minister in the future.

Expelling Zhu Yin from the court was tantamount to breaking Changluo's banner, and it was also more conducive to establishing Changxun as the crown prince.

Zhu Yin suddenly teared up and said, “Your Majesty, I am going to the southwest and I do not know when I will be able to return to the capital. I may not even be able to return alive. I only wish that Your Majesty will take care of your health and live a long and healthy life. However, before I leave, I would like to see Prince Xin. I would like to advise Prince Xin to accept the will of Heaven.”

Emperor Wanli initially intended to refuse, but upon hearing Zhu Yin's advice to Prince Xin to "follow the will of Heaven," he decided to grant Zhu Yin's request.

Let him meet Chang Luo, just as a form of compensation.

"Alright." Wanli nodded indifferently. "You will go see him today. I will only give you half an hour."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

(End of this chapter)