Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 133 A Slippery Old Fool (Updated in the end, cancelled due to leave of absence)
The autumn sun shone brightly, but the breeze blowing through the palace walls carried a deep chill.

Wang Yongguang adjusted his sleeves and followed behind two eunuchs, walking unhurriedly along the passageway inside the imperial city.

Occasionally, a few weeds could be seen swaying gently in the autumn wind through the cracks in the blue bricks beneath his feet, just like his uneasy mood at this moment.

The three-day period has ended.

He, along with Cheng Jiming, Lu Xiangsheng, and two others, were each summoned to the palace.

Entering the palace is a common occurrence, but today's event is somewhat different from usual.

Wang Yongguang's gaze inadvertently swept over the two young eunuchs walking in front.

In the past, only one eunuch was needed to escort court officials into the palace, but now it has become two.

This made it impossible for him to hand over the silver he had prepared.

It's not that we don't have enough money, it's that we don't dare to.

Moreover, it's estimated that not only he wouldn't dare, but his two fathers-in-law probably wouldn't dare either.

The memorial to the emperor, "Request for Reorganization of the Inner Palace," posted on Chengtian Gate, had its section on supervision omitted because it concerned the inner palace.

But today's observation reveals just how stringent the monitoring is.

The new emperor has many elegant policies, but this one incident alone reveals his true nature.

Although this emperor claims to have the demeanor of Emperor Taizu of Han, often offering gentle words and seats, his true nature is ultimately based on the tactics of Shen Buhai and Han Fei.

After all, he was still a young emperor. He read a few inferior Legalist books and took them as gospel. He was too hasty, too careless, and too eager.

If you rashly approach at this moment, you might not even suffer the same fate as Zhang Taiyue.

Lost in thought, the young eunuch led Wang Yongguang to the gate of the Qianqing Hall.

Wang Yongguang glanced around and saw that the main hall was filled with tables and desks, where a large group of burly soldiers were scratching their heads and writing furiously.

At first glance, there seemed to be dozens, even hundreds, of people, each with a troubled expression and sweat on their foreheads.

This scene, so out of place in the solemn and dignified Qianqing Palace, appears somewhat comical.

What is this new emperor up to now?
Wang Yongguang's doubts deepened, but he dared not ask.

Two eunuchs led Wang Yongguang carefully past the soldiers who were engrossed in writing, and arrived at the entrance of the East Warm Pavilion on the west side of the hall.

Lu Xiang-sheng and Cheng Jiming were already there, and they bowed slightly upon seeing him arrive.

(Attached image: Schematic diagram of the entrance to the East Warm Pavilion)
One of the eunuchs quietly left, and another went inside to report. A moment later, he came out again and said, "Lord Wang, please come in. His Majesty is waiting."

Wang Yongguang took a deep breath, exhaling all the stale air from his chest, and stepped into the warm pavilion.

He knew the test had begun.

……

Although the emperor's throne is set up in the East Warm Pavilion, it is only slightly higher than the throne in the main hall.

Zhu Youjian sat on the throne, with an imperial desk in front of him. The memorials on the desk were neatly categorized and labeled with strips of various colors: blue, red, yellow, green, and white. Gao Shiming and Wang Tiqian stood on either side of him.

"Your subject, Wang Yongguang, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Wang Yongguang kowtowed in greeting, his voice loud and clear, his posture respectful.

"Rise." Zhu Youjian's voice carried the clear, youthful tone of a young man.

He gestured and pointed to the brocade stool in front of the imperial desk, saying gently, "Minister Wang is getting old, please sit down and talk."

Wang Yongguang chuckled inwardly. Here it comes, the so-called style of Emperor Taizu of Han.

He carefully sat down on the brocade stool, raised his head, but was still a head lower than the emperor.

This made him slightly uncomfortable; being offered a seat didn't seem much more comfortable than standing to reply.

Zhu Youjian inquired about Wang Yongguang's arduous journey to Beijing and his health, his words revealing his deep concern.

However, Wang Yongguang knew that these were just preludes; the real blade would soon be revealed.

As expected, Zhu Youjian finally got to the point and asked directly, "Minister Wang, do you think the world needs reforms now?"

Wang Yongguang thought to himself, "They're here."

He was prepared and replied calmly, "Your Majesty, since the founding of our dynasty, there has never been a time when we have not waged war. However, there has never been a time when the war lasted so long, the expenditure of funds was so great, and the success was so difficult as the war in the east."

He paused, his tone heavy: "The affairs of the world can be seen from a small part, but if we talk about reforming the abuses, it is truly urgent."

Zhu Youjian nodded, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

He continued, “There are many and complex problems in the world, so where do they all originate? Can you enlighten me, Your Excellency?”

Wang Yongguang knew that this was clearly the very issue that had been the subject of much discussion these past few days—what were the problems facing the Ming Dynasty today?

Fortunately, he had a plan for this problem.

It's neither too profound nor too shallow to be indescribable.

Wang Yongguang replied, "In my opinion, the first problem that has led to the downfall of the empire is human affairs."

"Personnel matters are handled in two ways: first, the Ministry of Personnel selects officials, and second, the Censorate manages personnel. If we focus on these two areas and select the virtuous and capable, the ills of the country will naturally be resolved."

Zhu Youjian waited a moment, but Wang Yongguang did not speak again.

Zhu Youjian couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

what?
Is this over?
This statement is logically sound, but it doesn't align with Wang Yongguang's level of expertise.

Zhu Youjian couldn't figure it out for a moment, so he simply followed up by asking, "There are problems with personnel management, such as corruption, factionalism, and incompetence. Which one do you think is the most serious, Wang Qing?"

Wang Yongguang took a deep breath, and hesitated for a moment.

Ultimately, he decided to stick to the decision he had made before being summoned to the capital.

It's better to bet late than to bet wrong.

Wang Yongguang organized his thoughts and quickly produced a beautiful article:
"Your Majesty, these four problems are inherently one and interconnected."

"Incompetent people are prone to forming cliques, those who form cliques are often corrupt, and those who are corrupt will inevitably ruin the government."

"Ultimately, it all comes down to the selection of people. If you employ a virtuous person, all four problems will disappear; if you employ an unworthy person, all four problems will arise."

"Therefore, I believe that the most important thing is not to distinguish the order of these four evils, but to strengthen the foundation and cleanse the source, strictly select officials, and rectify the conduct and laws. The capable should be promoted and the mediocre should be demoted. When the laws and regulations are clear, the evils will be eliminated by themselves."

The question was asked on the spur of the moment, and the answer was hasty, yet the writing was still brilliant.

Unfortunately, no answer was given; instead, the answer was evasive, circling back to the starting point.

Zhu Youjian finally understood, and he looked at Wang Yongguang seriously.

Wang Yongguang stood with his hands hanging down, his eyes lowered, and the temples of his official hat were already streaked with gray. His facial skin was somewhat loose, with a few faint age spots appearing, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were quite obvious.

Zhu Youjian didn't reply, but just looked at him quietly while tapping the table with his fingers.

An unspeakable silence fell over the warm room, broken only by the rhythmic tapping, one tap after another.

Wang Yongguang lowered his head and pursed his lips, but a sense of unease couldn't help but rise in his heart.

Finally, Zhu Youjian stopped pointing and asked, "What you say is very good, Wang Qing. Now I only have one last question."

He paused, leaned forward slightly, and asked, word by word, "When my elder brother was alive, he ordered the destruction of all academies in the land. What is your opinion on this matter, Minister Wang?"

Wang Yongguang felt a chill run down his spine.

In the previous exchange about the problems with personnel, he was unwilling to participate and avoided the main issues. Although the emperor was not angry, the gradually disappearing smile and the suffocating silence were already a silent warning.

He had already sensed the emperor's displeasure.

What this young emperor needs is not a well-reasoned, mature statement, but a clear and unequivocal "attitude".

He wanted to wait a little longer and see things more clearly.

But now it seems that if we don't make any statement, we might not even be able to sit down at the poker table anymore.

What right does someone who doesn't even dare to place a bet have to try and get a share of the profits in future games?
At that point, it won't just be a matter of making the wrong bet, but rather that you won't even have the chance to bet anymore.

Out of the corner of Wang Yongguang's eye, he caught a glimpse of the young but expressionless face on the throne. He could sense the unwavering will beneath that seemingly calm gaze.

That's it.

Wang Yongguang let out a barely audible sigh in his heart.

Since there is no way to retreat, we can only choose the lesser of two evils.

With the new emperor being so hasty, there will definitely be changes to the administration and land system. Judging from the discussions these past two days, the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism might also be affected.

These are all things that would draw widespread condemnation if they were done wrong, while the matter of the academy is relatively minor in comparison.

After all, Wei Zhongxian had already banned him for three years. What could he do if he continued to do it?
Moreover, he genuinely had no liking for the Donglin group of scholars who considered themselves upright critics but engaged in factionalism and suppression of dissent.

Since that's the case, why not go with the flow?
In the blink of an eye, Wang Yongguang had made his decision.

His previously lowered eyelids lifted slightly, and the hesitation in his eyes vanished, replaced by a resolute expression.

He replied, “Your Majesty, the academy is ostensibly for teaching, but in reality it is a place for forming cliques, with teachers and students supporting each other and attacking those who disagree. It is the root of the corruption of the scholarly atmosphere. I believe it should be banned.”

……

Zhu Youjian's smile completely vanished only after Wang Yongguang left the warm pavilion.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Gao Shiming and Wang Tiqian, before suddenly asking, "What do you think?"

Gao Shiming stepped forward with a smile, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this Lord Wang seems to be a bit cunning, and he is quite reserved in his words."

Wang Tiqian was even more direct. His narrow eyes gleamed with a sinister light, and his tone carried a hint of disdain: "Wang Yongguang clearly resists His Majesty's new policies and is unwilling to participate."

Zhu Youjian nodded without saying a word, but picked up Wang Yongguang's manuscript from the imperial desk and read it again.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has been continuously iterating and optimizing its work on rectifying the excessive paperwork of officials.

Initially, only the place of origin, background, official position, overview, and some supplementary information from the Eastern Depot were available.

Ever since Sun Chengzong stayed up all night during the Liaodong incident, Gao Shiming simply volunteered to add everyone's memorials from previous years.

The thin copy was transformed into a "sunken copy".

Zhu Youjian even provided some indexing and organization methods for later libraries, urging the reorganization, marking and archiving of all memorials submitted since the Wanli era.

Once the order was issued, the usually leisurely Ministry of Justice was forced to work overtime for a long time, and only a small part of it has been completed so far.

Wang Yongguang's manuscript, last updated on September 11th, the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1627).

Wang Yongguang was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 20th year of the Wanli reign

He was neither a member of the eunuch faction nor the Donglin Party, and judging from his past actions, he certainly deserves the description of being ruthless and sinister.

In addition, he had served as an official for thirty years, gaining extensive experience in various ministries.

He was originally chosen by Zhu Youjian as the Minister of War, and was also an important driving force for the next round of reforms.

How powerful is he?
Let's not talk about the Battle of Ningyuan.

Take the Wanggongchang explosion as an example; he dared to use it as a direct remonstrance against a celestial event.

The statement, "Since the officials submitted their memorials, and apart from the suspension of punishments and the abolition of taxes, what have been exempted from grace, and who have been shown leniency? All of this is addressed with the three words 'I already know.' To claim ignorance is to wait for a day of repentance; but to know without changing is to never see a day of respite." is particularly forceful.

However, this very strength of his has yielded such a result today!
— Do not take initiative, do not participate, and do not take sides.

Fortunately, Zhu Youjian retained the habits of later generations, appointing officials without regard to recommendations or resumes, and always preferring to make a final decision through interviews.

Otherwise, if such a slippery old fox were really put up there, we'd probably have to put up a good fight with him.

I just don't know what prompted this seasoned veteran to make such a decision...

Are you worried that I can't withstand the storms? Or am I too old to keep up?

Or is it even more sophisticated to discern the direction of his new policies from these early signs and thus choose to protect oneself wisely?

None of that matters anymore. If you don't take sides completely, you're just sitting on the fence, and sitting on the fence means you're a potential opposition party.

The new policies don't need someone like you.

After weighing the options in his mind for a moment, Zhu Youjian had already made up his mind.

He began, "Gao Shiming, two things."

Gao Shiming stepped forward, cupped his hands, and accepted the order.

Zhu Youjian said:

"One."

"Wen Tiren, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing, was summoned to the capital. I intend to use him for other purposes."

"In this way, the position of Minister of Rites in Nanjing will be vacant. Let the cabinet ministers and nine high-ranking officials recommend a few candidates."

He paused, then added, "Let's send out another secret report on this matter, and have Yang Jingchen exert his influence to push Wang Yongguang into the candidate pool."

Gao Shiming nodded in agreement.

Since Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, he has issued many imperial edicts appointing officials, including Sun Chengzong, Xue Guoguan, and Zhang Zibing.

But this does not mean that all his appointments must be made through imperial decree.

In the current political system, issuing imperial edicts, in a sense, diminishes the emperor's prestige.

Therefore, he would only make the most certain and important appointments through imperial decree.

On the one hand, there is a desire for speed, and on the other hand, there is a need to bind oneself to these individuals in order to share in their achievements and make up for the loss of prestige in the central government.

In order to gradually amplify the authority of imperial decrees in the process of appointing and dismissing officials, it is essential to maintain the accuracy of personnel appointments as much as possible.

Wang Yongguang?
He is not worthy of the imperial decree.

The academies in the southern region were banned and destroyed during the Tianqi era. Now that the political pressure from secret agents has eased, they will surely be revived.

Let Wang Yongguang, who dislikes Donglin, go into this wolf's den and suppress it.

Even a scoundrel has his uses; in this Ming Dynasty, no one can escape his exploitation!
This is true of Wang Yongguang, and even more so of other potential troublemakers.

Zhu Youjian picked up a thick notebook of questions from the table, patted it on his left hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally made up his mind.

I never expected that instead of Li Banghua, I would be greeted by you all.

Very well, I will give you this opportunity and see just how talented and courageous you are!

Zhu Youjian continued, "..."

"Second."

"Distribute secret memorial boxes to Huo Weihua, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Yang Suoxiu, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, and instruct them to submit all future updates and revisions to this memorial through secret memorials, instead of going through the Office of Transmission."

Zhu Youjian then turned to Wang Tiqian, handed him the document, and said, "All personnel and intelligence from the Eastern Depot should be assigned to coordinate with these two and have them properly revise this document."

"I will give them another half month to make sure they do a thorough and in-depth job, but without alarming anyone."

Wang Tiqian took it, and the title on the test book came into view.

—Memorial Requesting the Reorganization of the Beijing Garrison

Wang Tiqian's eyes lit up, and he breathed a sigh of relief, his anxiety of three days finally easing.

Finally, a new job has arrived! And it looks like it's going to be a big and good one!
Putting aside everything else, just thoroughly sifting through the assets and dealings of nobles and military officers would probably be a huge achievement.

Wang Tiqian bowed and accepted the order, saying, "This servant will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly, like a spring rain falling silently at night, without causing the slightest ripple."

Zhu Youjian nodded, reviewed the situation again to make sure nothing was missed, and then said, "Alright, call Cheng Jiming in."

Why Wang Yongguang, Cheng Jiming, and Lu Xiangsheng?
It's simply a matter of respecting seniority.

If he really wanted to see Lu Xiangshan first, Zhu Youjian would certainly want to do so, but that would be tantamount to humiliating the other two senior officials.

It doesn't matter; good wine tastes even better when it's warmed up.

(End of this chapter)