Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 154 Little did I know that my hasty act of drawing my sword would send my benefactor to the afterlife!
The new sleeping quarters are much smaller than the Qianqing Palace.

The room was furnished with tables and chairs as usual, but it was much smaller than the Wuying Hall.

The large table can only accommodate two people, and the chairs have been changed from armchairs to folding chairs.

The nine people in the secretariat only had chairs and no tables.

(Attached image: Ming Dynasty style folding chair; put it away when not in use.)
Above the main hall is a brand-new plaque with four large characters: "Seeking Truth and Being Pragmatic".

However, like the "Serious Hall", it was inscribed by His Majesty himself.

Wu Kongjia, carrying a stack of official documents, went to the wall with practiced ease, grabbed a folding chair, and sat down.

Before long, Huang Lijie, Li Guopu, Yang Jingchen and others arrived one after another and each found their own chair to sit down.

The last three to enter were Gao Shiming, Tian Ergeng, and Wang Tiqian.

In this meeting, they each had a seat to sit in.

As soon as Gao Shiming entered, he cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd and announced, "His Majesty took a little longer to bathe today, so the meeting will be postponed by a quarter of an hour."

After saying that, he found a seat and sat down.

Upon hearing that the emperor would not be arriving for the time being, the somewhat solemn atmosphere in the hall immediately relaxed.

“Grand Secretary,” Li Guopu leaned close to Huang Lijie and lowered his voice, “Now that Shi Pinghu has retired, the cabinet is just the two of us, which is really a stretch. When we meet the Emperor later, we should bring up the matter of recommending cabinet ministers.”

Huang Lijie stroked his beard and nodded slightly: "As you would expect. Now that we also have to review official documents, we are indeed stretched thin."

On the other side, Yang Jingchen approached Gao Shiming: "Eunuch Gao, His Majesty said yesterday that the newly drafted assessment method still has flaws. After the meeting, could you and I discuss it again?"

Cheng Jiming then chatted with Xue Guoguan, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, about the matter of daily lectures.

"Prefect Xue, His Majesty has said that the daily lectures will continue, but will be held every five days. However, His Majesty is not satisfied with the new lesson plans prepared these past few days and has rejected them several times. I wonder if you, Prefect, are free this afternoon to come to the Hanlin Academy and offer some guidance?"

Xue Guoguan pondered for a moment and replied, "There is still a prefectural meeting in Shuntian Prefecture this afternoon. How about... after the court meeting tomorrow? I will bring Wang Zhaodui and Li Shiqi with me then, so we can discuss this together."

"That's excellent, then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Xue."

The hall was filled with a cacophony of voices as officials from various factions seized the brief respite to exchange information about their tasks.

The secretariat officials, on the other hand, had no practical matters to attend to.

He simply took the opportunity to continue reviewing the official documents submitted for political and economic reform.

Wu Kongjia frowned as he saw another article wrapped in gold and silver. Without hesitation, he picked up his brush and drew a sharp "X" on it.

The pent-up frustration in my heart seemed to ease a little with this stroke.

He looked up, rubbed his sore eyes, and unconsciously glanced around.

He saw Tian Ergeng and Wang Tiqian huddled together, talking in hushed tones.

Tian Ergeng nodded from time to time, and shook his head from time to time.

He was too far away and the surroundings were too noisy to hear what was being said.

As if sensing something, Tian Ergeng suddenly raised his head, his gaze meeting Tian's precisely. He smiled slightly, nodded, and then turned his head back to continue his discussion with Wang Tiqian.

In an instant, a strong sense of alienation overwhelmed Wu Kongjia like a tidal wave.

Among the civil officials in this hall were members of the Donglin Party and members of the eunuch faction.

Even though Huang Lijie and Yang Jingchen, who came from the eunuch faction, had relatively clean hands, their subordinates were still considered innocent.

Wang Tiqian and Tian Ergeng, who were the least innocent of the two, were respectively the supervisor of the Eastern Depot and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, both close ministers of the emperor.

The Eastern Depot remained as disliked as ever, but the reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard under Tian Ergeng's leadership was quietly turning around.

In several consecutive issues of the Ming Dynasty Times, reports of the Embroidered Uniform Guard arresting corrupt officials stood out even amidst the numerous articles on the Emperor's Three Questions.

The newspapers vividly described the arrest scene, the public's reaction, the corrupt officials' fear, and the righteous indignation of the Imperial Guards, making it as captivating as a popular folk tale.

Each episode of this program almost rivals the popularity of the heart-stirring "Records of Loyalty in Liaohai".

Thinking of "The Loyal Records of Liaohai", Wu Kongjia couldn't help but sigh again.

In the latest newspaper, it was reported that Wang Sancai, after lying low for half a year, finally found an opportunity to assassinate Haning'a, the Niru Ejen of the Later Jin, using a kitchen knife he had secretly hidden.

—The enemy who personally beheaded his father.

Unexpectedly, Haning Anei was wearing a python-patterned satin smuggled from the mainland, and Wang Sancai's blunt knife failed to pierce it.

In the end, they fought desperately to drag him into the cesspool and drown him.

However, the successful assassination only provoked even stronger retaliation.

Unable to catch the murderer, Haning'a's brother simply issued an "eleven-fold extermination order" against all Han Chinese slaves in the entire Niru.

Wang Daniu, who once gave his cornbread to Wang Sancai; Wang Sanjie, who found medicinal herbs for him; Old Man Niu, who gave him his son's old clothes...

Vivid faces, kind people, all died tragically because of this.

But in the end, no one leaked the secret, and Wang Sancai hid in the cellar.

He even memorized the closing poem in the newspaper.

He harbored resentment and lay hidden in the grass for half a year.
The bloody blade will eventually be used to sacrifice the enemy's head.

Little did they know that drawing their swords was for the sake of speed,
He actually sent his benefactor to the underworld.

"I did not kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me."

Wu Kongjia felt as if those words were a red-hot iron needle, piercing his heart.

This feeling is so similar to my own!

To avenge his father, he sought refuge with Wei Zhongxian, accusing his uncle of seizing Huangshan Mountain, stealing and selling timber, and using money to bribe officials in hopes of stopping the encroachment.

I thought it would be a satisfying revenge to appease my parents.

But little did they expect that Wei Zhongxian's appetite could not be satisfied by the mere Wu family.
After a major case, my uncle was beaten to death in prison, which was truly gratifying.

But how tragic it was that her great-aunt, aunt, and cousin all hanged themselves.
As the disease spread, hundreds of families in Tongyi County, Shexian County, were ruined.

Having gone this far, he not only alienated himself from his hometown, but was also regarded as a pig, dog, wolf, or hound by officials.

I have no words to say, I have no words to say...

This new dynasty, these new policies, this bright and clear world, seem to contain a burgeoning hope.

But does he deserve this hope?

He was filled with mixed feelings when he suddenly heard a long announcement.

"Your Majesty ascends to the throne——"

The young eunuch's clear voice rang out, and the hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone rose from their seats and bowed deeply.

Zhu Youjian, dressed in a black casual robe, strode into the hall and went straight to sit down behind the imperial desk at the front.

"Rise, all of you." His voice was calm yet firm.

Everyone stood up.

Wu Kongjia quickly composed himself, picked up a pen and paper, and prepared to listen and take notes.

This meeting was neither a summons nor an audience; His Majesty personally named it the "Laton Meeting."

They had also privately pondered the emperor's intentions.

Ultimately, Huang Lijie's view was the most widely accepted.

The word "pull" is taken from the Book of Changes, which says, "Extend it and expand it, and you will be able to accomplish all the tasks in the world."

The term "通" (tong) is derived from the idea that "when things reach an impasse, they change; when they change, they become accessible; and when they become accessible, they endure."

Unexpectedly, His Majesty, in addition to reading extensively in history books, also had some knowledge of the Book of Changes.

"Alright, my dear ministers," Zhu Youjian did not rush into the discussion. He leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face. "Today, we will not discuss specific matters."

He glanced around at everyone and slowly began to speak.

"We've been discussing the new policy for several days, and we've finally made some progress."

"But this matter is not urgent; a final result cannot be reached before tomorrow's court meeting."

"As we said before, let's set November 1st as the deadline, and give everyone a full month to have a good talk and discuss things thoroughly."

"As for today..."

Zhu Youjian paused, his gaze falling on Xue Guoguan.

"Minister Xue, has the first phase of the new policies in the capital been finalized?"

Xue Guoguan immediately stood up, bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty, all the results have been compiled and submitted to Eunuch Gao for final review."

"What about the disbandment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Tian Ergeng and another official stood up: "The latest results have also been filed and submitted to Eunuch Gao."

"What about the layoffs in the palace?"

"What about the palace surveillance department?"

……

Zhu Youjian asked questions one after another, and the officials whose names were called stood up one by one to respond.

He asked about practical matters that had been initiated since his ascension to the throne.

Some of these have just begun, some are halfway through, and some have already been completed.

These were all matters he had selected since ascending the throne that could be addressed immediately and would have minimal impact on vested interests.

Now that the new policies are about to take effect, it's time to showcase these "small achievements" to the court officials, flex their muscles, and make grand promises.

—If you want to eat meat, you have to come early; if you come late, you can only eat at the children's table.

Finally, his gaze fell on Gao Shiming.

Gao Shiming understood immediately, stepped forward, and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, it has been confirmed that a total of 1,649 civil and military officials, nobles, and relatives of the emperor are currently in the capital and will participate in the court assembly."

"In addition, all eighty screens and the necessary materials have been prepared. The eunuchs guiding the way in each place have all been drawn from the Inner Study Hall. They have been rehearsing for many days and there is no chance of anything going wrong."

Zhu Youjian nodded in satisfaction.

He stood up, paced back and forth, and looked at the crowd again.

"Among you all, some have been with me since the day I ascended the throne; others joined my team halfway through." "You have all worked so hard for so long, and what you have done may seem to be limited to the inner palace and the capital. But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

His tone softened.

"Today, the arrow is on the bowstring, and there is no need to release it. There is no need to wait another day to discuss the new policies."

"I'm thinking of having a private talk with you all to see what your expectations or opinions are. Only by gathering our collective wisdom can we move forward."

"After we finish talking, everyone should go home. You don't need to work this afternoon. Take a good rest and tomorrow, cheer up and do your best."

The group looked at each other, momentarily stunned by their busy schedules.

In the end, Huang Lijie was the first to react, and he took the lead in kowtowing to the ground.

"Your Majesty, we thank you for your kindness!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, turned around and walked into the warm pavilion in the back hall.

Gao Shiming immediately stepped forward and gestured for Huang Liji to enter.

"Minister, please go first."

……

Wu Kongjia sat silently in place, watching his colleagues being called into the warm pavilion one by one.

It started with Huang Lijie, Cheng Jiming, Yang Jingchen...

Then came my colleagues in the secretariat.

The time each person spent inside varied, ranging from the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to less than half an hour.

When they came out, everyone's expressions were different.

Some looked excited, as if they had been injected with boundless fighting spirit; some looked calm, as if they had just had an ordinary conversation; and some had their brows furrowed, lost in deep thought.

He, as one of the original five members of the secretariat, was ranked last.

Waiting became a silent torment.

At first, he was in the mood to flip through a few pages of official documents, but gradually, he became more and more anxious and couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

Finally, the last member of the secretariat, Qi Xinxiao, came out of the warm pavilion.

His expression was impassioned, and he seemed to be glowing. Upon seeing Wu Kongjia, he strode over, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:
"Brother Yuanhui, it's your turn. His Majesty has summoned you in."

Wu Kongjia took a deep breath, suppressed the myriad thoughts in his mind, straightened his clothes, stepped towards the tightly closed door, and pushed it open to enter.

Inside the warm pavilion, Zhu Youjian was hunched over his desk, quickly jotting something down on a piece of paper.

Upon seeing him enter, the emperor merely raised his hand, gesturing, "Sit down, let me finish writing this down first."

Wu Kongjia sat down on the chair at the lower end as instructed, his heart filled with unease.

It seemed like only a moment, yet also like a long time, before Zhu Youjian finally put down his pen.

He raised his head and looked at Wu Kongjia.

Wu Kongjia felt even more uneasy.

He could almost hear the beating of his own heart.

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment, then finally sighed and asked, "Minister Wu, have you ever regretted it?"

Wu Kongjia's mind went blank. He subconsciously got up from his seat and suddenly knelt down, his forehead hitting the cold gold bricks hard.

When he looked up again, his face was ashen, his lips trembled, and he managed to squeeze out only three words:

"I...are guilty."

Zhu Youjian couldn't help but sigh again.

Once he started speaking, he went on and on:

"Minister Wu, at least you're willing to be honest with me."

"But if you make a mistake, you make a mistake. This applies to the country, the emperor, and of course, to the subjects."

"Qiao Yunsheng, the Minister of Justice, has arrived in the capital."

"The first decree I gave him was to redress the wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice that had occurred over the years."

"And the Huangshan case in Huizhou is the biggest one of them."

"In my eyes, the harm this major case has done to the world is probably comparable to that of Yang Lian's case."

"The case of Yang Lian reflects the integrity of the scholars, while the Huangshan case reflects the will of the people..."

Wu Kongjia's body trembled violently.

"Heaven's justice is just, and though its influence is great, nothing escapes its grasp." Zhu Youjian's voice seemed to carry a hint of regret. "Your position as a Hanlin scholar is no longer secure. Cherish your last days in the Secretariat."

"Go down, or you'll be demoted to a minor post as a clerk."

"If you can do well, perhaps we, as ruler and subject, will meet again."

"otherwise……"

Zhu Youjian sighed again.

He truly hadn't expected that there was such a story behind this clever and capable minister.

He waved his hand and said no more.

……

Wu Kongjia did not know how he left the palace.

He only remembered feeling like a puppet whose soul had been ripped out, walking through the palace gates like a zombie and down the long palace path.

The hustle and bustle of the capital city seemed both far away and very close to him.

All I could hear were the cries of vendors, the laughter of children, and the rumble of passing carriages.

But these sounds were like they were through a thick layer of cotton, indistinct and unclear.

The emperor's last few words kept echoing in his mind.

"Heaven's way is to reward good and punish evil, and though it is sparse, it does not miss anything."

"Your position as a Hanlin scholar is no longer valid."

"Go down and become a registrar."

"Perhaps we, ruler and subject, will meet again someday."

One is judgment, another is punishment, and yet another is... hope?
hope?

Wu Kongjia forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Does a guilty man, a cruel official and henchman about to be scorned by the scholars of the world, still deserve the word "hope"?
Before he knew it, he had arrived at his doorstep.

The two characters "Wu Mansion" on the gate plaque of the mansion gleamed in the midday sun.

He didn't return to his bedroom or go to his study, but instead, as if possessed, he walked step by step toward the ancestral hall in the backyard.

Inside the mourning hall, the memorial tablets of the parents stood quietly.

Cold and solemn.
As Wu Kongjia looked at the memorial tablet, his nerves, which had been taut the whole time, finally snapped at this moment.

He could no longer hold on, his knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

He didn't immediately burst into tears; he just knelt there, his shoulders trembling violently.

Like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair, suppressing the sobs in its throat.

After a long while, he finally raised his head, his eyes already blurred with tears.

"Father...Mother..."

He spoke hoarsely, his voice broken and fragmented.

"baby……"

"baby……"

Wu Kongjia had a thousand words stuck in his throat, yet he had nothing to say...

He originally wanted to avenge his father, but his family feud was ultimately only directed at his uncle.

However, it ultimately implicated hundreds of families in the village, and even led to the suicides of his great-aunt, aunt, and cousin.

The osmanthus cakes sent by his great-aunt, and the timid expression on his cousin's face after she was turned away when he came to visit—all these images flashed before his eyes.

He had hoped to bring honor to his ancestors, but instead ended up disgraced and about to be demoted and exiled.

Regret, fear, grievance... a myriad of emotions overwhelmed him like a tide.

But amidst this endless suffering, a strange sense of relief arose from the deepest part of my heart.

Like a traveler carrying a heavy burden, finally unloading his baggage.

Finally... this day has come.

In the past, he always tried to defend himself, blaming everything on Wei Zhongxian's greed and the injustice of the world.

But the emperor's words shattered all his pretense.

“If you make a mistake, you make a mistake. This applies to the country, the emperor, and of course, to the subjects.”

He, Wu Kongjia, is just like Wang Sancai in those storybooks.

Little did he know that his hasty act of drawing his sword would send his benefactor to the afterlife!
"what--"

A roar, suppressed to the extreme, finally erupted from his chest.

He lay on the ground, wailing like a lost child.

"What can I do...what can I do!"

"How could I have imagined it would turn out like this!"

Inside the mourning hall, wisps of incense smoke curled between two cold memorial tablets.

It flew into the beams and pillars and gradually disappeared.

(End of this chapter)