Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 178 My Fate is in My Own Hands, Not Yours [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"..."

Yan Maoqing had no idea how he received this imperial edict.

He certainly didn't kowtow or accept the imperial decree to express his gratitude, but Eunuch Chen just led the people away, and the imperial decree ended up in his hands in a daze.

Amidst the intoxicating buzzing sound, he vaguely heard congratulations from some of the officials under the Court of Imperial Sacrifices:

"Congratulations, Minister Yan, on making even greater progress!"

"Under Minister Yan's leadership, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has made rapid progress and will play a pivotal role in the court in the future!"

"This is the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Is that clear enough?"

"Congratulations, Uncle! Congratulations, Uncle!"

Most of the officials were beaming with excitement, cheering and jumping for joy.

Every simple and stubborn person has firm ideals and aspirations, and simple and stubborn officials all have firm political ideals and aspirations.

To realize their political ideals and ambitions, they cannot do without the support of power.

Now that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has suddenly acquired such enormous, even unlimited, power, it has naturally given them an opportunity to realize their political ideals and ambitions—an opportunity that may only come once in their lifetime, or even just once in a lifetime…

"Congratulations?"

Yan Maoqing gradually regained his senses, and the buzzing in his ears subsided slightly. He looked at the group of excited officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices as if they were lambs.

Yan Maoqing couldn't understand what they were so happy about at that moment.

Turning a funeral into a celebration?!
This is basically sending them to their deaths, isn't it?

Of all those who have wielded similar power in history, how many met a good end, and how many were utterly disgraced?

Most of them came from the Hanlin Academy, and some even achieved the top three scores in the imperial examinations.

The classics they had read and the principles they understood were definitely more extensive than those of Yan Maoqing.

They must be aware of the dangerous situation they will face while seizing this opportunity... It's a double-edged sword!

After all, the bloody examples are clearly written in the history books.

Leaving aside more distant examples, Liu Jin, the former Grand Eunuch who was executed by slow slicing thirty years ago, is a prime example.

According to historical records.

During Liu Jin's reign, he favored his hometown, reopened the Western Depot, and accepted bribes.

He abused the rice-penalty system to purge dissidents, persecute loyal officials, control freedom of speech, and openly solicit bribes. He was known as "Emperor Liu," "Standing Emperor," and "Standing Emperor," and was utterly wicked.

However, historical records also state that...

Liu Jin was promoted to Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial in the third year of the Zhengde reign, which coincided with the period when Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, was implementing his new policies. He was executed by slow slicing in the fifth year of the Zhengde reign.

That is to say, he only truly held power for a little over two years.

In the span of two years, he accomplished many reforms that could be described as "transformations":

Adjust the official system, eliminate redundant positions, and curb the practice of hereditary privilege.

Punish idle and derelict officials, severely punish and abuse postal officials, and adjust the imperial examination system;
Investigate officials' money and grain, strictly prohibit salt merchants from hoarding, survey border towns and military farms, and abolish annual allowances;

To address the insufficient combat strength of the capital's military garrisons, a competition for hereditary titles of meritorious officials was added, and troop redeployment and the dismissal of redundant and idle border generals were actively implemented.

Therefore, later historians have had great controversy in their evaluation of Liu Jin.

Some argue that while Liu Jin was certainly not a good person, the most important reason for his death was that he was made a scapegoat to alleviate social conflicts when Emperor Zhengde's vigorous implementation of new policies led to uncontrollable social contradictions.

At that time, Zhu Zhifan, the Prince of Anhua, rebelled under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials".

Meanwhile, popular uprisings across the country intensified, especially in Sichuan, Beizhili, and Jiangxi. In fact, the popular uprising in Jiangxi was not quelled until the thirteenth year of the Zhengde reign.

If Zhu Houzhao does not give the world an "explanation" in a timely manner.

If it weren't for the fact that Emperor Zhu Houzhao, who received the temple name "Ming Wuzong," possessed sufficient martial virtue and was truly capable of personally leading an expedition against the Tatars, he would have been a prime candidate for the throne.

I fear that the Ming Dynasty might perish in his hands, and he might become a ruler who brings about the downfall of his country.

Besides.

Later historians have provided further evidence, suggesting that after the Ming Dynasty, civil officials were the ones in charge of government affairs.

Let alone powerful eunuchs like Liu Jin, even emperors who were ambitious and went against the interests of the civil officials would generally not receive a positive evaluation in history.

For example, Zhu Houzhao was criticized as a foolish ruler who indulged in sensual pleasures, especially in his obsession with male concubines. The most criticized aspect of his reign was the establishment of the Leopard Chamber.

However, many scholars, both Chinese and foreign, believe that...

The Leopard Chamber was actually the political center and military headquarters where Zhu Houzhao governed the country, similar to the Inner Court of the Han Dynasty and the Grand Council of the Qing Dynasty.

Because the new residence of the Leopard House is a maze of secret rooms, and most importantly, it also has a drill ground.

Furthermore, during Zhu Houzhao's reign, more than 200 houses were built, which only cost more than 24 taels of silver.

A pleasure house costing 24 taels of silver is less than the cost of a garden for many princes and ministers. If Zhu Houzhao built such a place for his own enjoyment, he would be far too inconsiderate in his pursuit of pleasure…

Another example is Emperor Jiajing (Zhu Houcong), who personally intervened in the early stages and strongly advocated for new policies.

Furthermore, due to Zhang Juzheng's reforms and his personal rule, he was recorded in historical books as neglecting state affairs for decades. In reality, the three great campaigns of the Wanli Emperor were all carried out under the auspices of Emperor Shenzong.

Even Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian were recorded as tyrants and incompetent rulers because they severely punished corruption and seriously damaged the interests of the civil officials.

Zhu Youjian's reputation was restored in later generations because the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains under the banner of avenging Zhu Youjian. In order to win over Han subjects, they altered the evaluation of him by some civil officials to maintain the legitimacy of the invasion.

Moreover, this situation was not unique to the Ming Dynasty.

Even in the Qing Dynasty, when Emperor Yongzheng implemented reforms to crack down on the civil service, he was portrayed as a tyrant.

On the contrary, the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors, who were outwardly magnificent but inwardly rotten and turned a blind eye to corruption, were praised by the civil service group, who sang praises of the Kangxi-Qianlong era and hailed them as emperors of all time...

and so.

Yan Maoqing felt that once this imperial edict was issued, the news that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices had been granted the special privileges of the Western Depot would spread.

It was Zhu Houcong who put him and all the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices on the hot seat of adversity.

He even suspected that even if he and the officials of the Imperial Household Department did nothing and simply lay down and did nothing, it would be a different story.

They could soon be branded with infamous names like "Eight Tigers," "Ten Dogs," or "Forty Grandsons," and labeled as treacherous officials who formed cliques, manipulated the government, and committed unforgivable crimes. Their likely fate would be destruction...

"Hehe, hehe, I'm not playing anymore..."

Yan Maoqing suddenly let out a strange laugh and said something that puzzled everyone in the Imperial Household Department.

"What do you mean?"

The officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices abruptly stopped their congratulations, exchanging bewildered glances. As Yan Maoqing had suspected, many of them were indeed aware of the immense danger hidden within this imperial edict.

But there are some simple and stubborn people in this world who dedicate everything to realizing their political ideals and ambitions, one after another, even unto death.

In the eyes of these people, Yan Maoqing was already regarded as a loyal and righteous man just like them.

Even Gao Gong was preoccupied with how to utilize the privileges recently granted to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices by the Emperor to reform the bureaucracy and revitalize the country.

After all, he was a famous political reformer in history, and he also suffered a lot of infamy in historical records.

However, when he came to power in history, he had already spent decades lying low in the officialdom and was more adept at assessing the situation than he is now. Therefore, he did not touch many core interests, which is why he did not suffer the same fate as Zhang Juzheng, who almost had his coffin exhumed and his body mutilated after his death, bringing disaster upon his family. He can be considered one of the few reformers in history who successfully achieved a soft landing...

of course.

Some of them were blinded by greed and had been led astray by this immense power, causing their intelligence to be overshadowed, and all they wanted to do was to firmly grasp this power in their hands.

For example, people like Yan Shifan.

Don't underestimate him just because he's only a minor official of the sixth rank, Zuo Sizhilang.

Now that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has privileges comparable to the Western Depot, his status and power as the Left Director of the Imperial Secretariat have far surpassed those of his father, Yan Song, when he was still the Minister of Rites.

He is no longer worried about the problem of Yan Maoqing forcing him to submit a memorial impeaching powerful figures and making too many enemies.

He was already considering which powerful figures he could blackmail or extort to get back double the amount of the family fortune the Yan family had lost a few days ago...

"I'm tired. Let's destroy it, quickly..."

Yan Maoqing was still muttering to himself in a daze, as if he were wearing a neck brace, and his face showed an expression that was even more unsightly than crying.

He had long known that Zhu Houcong was no good, and he had long wanted to retire and return to his hometown, and he wanted to do so immediately, without wasting a single second.

After all that effort, things have come to this point.

He was truly tired and weary, and he didn't understand what all his painstaking efforts were for.
He even wondered if things would have turned out differently if he hadn't been so impatient and hadn't done anything.

"Minister Yan, what is this?"

Junior Chamberlain Kong Jian and Chen Yingda came over and asked on behalf of everyone's doubts.

They recalled what Yan Maoqing had recently said and done.

Then look at the couplet hanging there now: "The sound of wind, rain, and reading enters the ear; family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs are all of concern."

I always felt that Yan Maoqing, like them, was full of ambition.

Therefore, upon hearing this imperial edict, one should be filled with excitement and ready to make great strides, and should not react in this way under any circumstances.

Yan Maoqing snapped out of his daze, looked around at everyone, and said in an unquestionable tone:

"From this day forward, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices shall be divided into two: the Lecture Hall and the Hall of Affairs."

"Kong Jian, Chen Yingda, Shen Kun, Gao Gong, Li Chengzhi, and twelve others were assigned to the Lecture Hall to be in charge of the Crown Prince's early education."

"Lu Maocai, Yan Shifan, and eleven others were assigned to the Hall of Affairs, specifically to oversee criminal cases."

"From this day forward, the two halls shall be clearly separated, and no one shall transgress them!"

Upon hearing this decision, officials such as Kong Jian, Chen Yingda, Gao Gong, and Shen Kun, who had been assigned to the lecture hall, immediately showed expressions of doubt, and some were even very dissatisfied, standing up to object on the spot.

"Minister Yan..."

"This matter is settled. No objections will be accepted. Anyone who disagrees may submit their resignation and immediately return to the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Personnel to await their arrangements!"

Yan Maoqing interrupted him forcefully, waved his hand, and walked towards Donghua Gate without looking back.

The officials assigned to the lecture hall were all loyal and righteous men whom Yan Maoqing was able to determine after observing and testing them over this period of time.

The officials assigned to the Hall of Affairs were all seasoned veterans and hypocrites; few of them were good people.

Faced with this sudden situation.

Yan Maoqing was caught off guard and didn't have a good countermeasure for the time being.

The best course of action now is to distance oneself from these officials whom one believes should be spared, so as not to involve them in the impending massive crisis.

The rest should be decided after he calms down.

Apart from matters concerning the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Yan Maoqing felt it was also very necessary to deal with family matters as soon as possible to avoid involving Bailu.

Only after doing these things well can he act freely.

Whether it was defying Zhu Houcong's imperial decree, being forced to become an enemy of the Ming Dynasty, or going against Zhu Houcong, only then would they have enough confidence.

"Zhu Houcong, my fate is in my own hands, not yours. Even if you are the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, don't think you can easily control my destiny!"

The subtle malice conveyed in this imperial edict stirred a deep-seated hostility in Yan Maoqing towards Zhu Houcong.

That's just the kind of person he is.

Once cornered and facing a life-threatening situation, something deep within him seemed to be switched on instantly. He felt both fear and a hidden excitement, and his desire for revenge quickly reached its peak.

Previously, there were Xia Yan, Tao Zhongwen, Yan Song and his son, as well as Huang Jin, who was just putting on a show not long ago.

The same applies now when facing Zhu Houcong.

As a modern person from later times, he did not have a deep-rooted blind loyalty; he had only acted based on his assessment of the situation and intimidated by Zhu Houcong's tyranny.

He was able to accept Zhu Houcong treating him like Yan Song because Yan Song at least had a way out in the end.

But now Zhu Houcong is clearly going to treat him like Liu Jin...

If you don't give him a way out, then nothing will ever be alright!

"Zhu Houcong, have you forgotten that such enormous power can also be used for other things, such as..."

As Yan Maoqing approached the Donghua Gate, a bold, albeit immature, idea suddenly formed in his mind.
"Slay the dragon?"

He knew that in this relatively stable post-feudal era, where the idea of ​​a hereditary monarchy was deeply ingrained, the situation was quite different.

It's unlikely that anyone will ever become like Wang Mang again, and it's also unlikely that anyone will ever don the yellow robe like Zhao Kuangyi.

Even if Zhu Houcong were killed, it would only be killing a person who was called the emperor. Not only would it not change anything, but it would also cause chaos in the country and make him and all those involved die without a burial place...

However, it is not impossible that they might emulate Huo Guang and do what Yi Yin and Huo Guang did.

In any case, didn't Zhu Houcong have the idea of ​​retiring to the palace last year and ordering the crown prince Zhu Zai to oversee the country? He even beat Yang Zui, the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, to death for risking his life to remonstrate.
If he could stay behind the scenes and use other people to bring about such a situation.

Is it possible to take advantage of the power transition to quickly retire and return to one's hometown?
Anyway, he doesn't want this privilege, but there are plenty of people in the world who would do anything for it, even die for it...

(End of this chapter)