Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 17 You...don't disappoint me!
Duke Zhang Weixian of England walked along the Thousand-Step Corridor, accompanied by a young eunuch.

Today was not a day of court, and all the officials had arrived early to sit in their posts, leaving the Thousand-Step Corridor leading directly to the palace completely empty.

The morning mist after the rain had not yet dissipated, casting a gray haze over the majestic palace walls.

The outline of Chengtian Gate in the distance was faintly visible in the mist, like a silent, crouching, indescribable beast.

The sky over the Forbidden City changed color overnight, but no one knew whether it would be sunny or rainy next.

Just half an hour ago, he had arrived at the Rear Army Commander's Office and quickly finished his few official duties.

The colleagues in the mansion were sitting around a table, the boiling tea had just been brewed, and the fragrant aroma of the tea had not yet dissipated.

A young eunuch rushed in like a whirlwind, delivering the imperial edict in a shrill voice: His Majesty summons the Duke of Yingguo to an audience.

In that instant, the entire main hall of the Rear Army Commander's Mansion was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All the nobles' eyes were fixed on him, a mixture of astonishment, envy, curiosity, and a hint of barely concealed fear.

Yesterday's news of Wei Zhongxian's suicide was like an earthquake of magnitude 8, shaking the entire officialdom of the capital.

Before going to the yamen this morning, his good-for-nothing son, Zhang Zhiji, was excitedly spitting in front of him, saying things like "A wise ruler has been reborn, and treacherous officials will be beheaded." He seemed eager to submit a memorial immediately to wipe out all the eunuchs.

But Zhang Weixian only felt waves of heart palpitations.

A whole night has passed, and only Wei Zhongxian has died?
What about those secret police and henchmen who were everywhere in and around the imperial court?

And what about those civil officials who, for the sake of wealth and glory, have already broken their spines and offered them to the emperor?

This new emperor, who is only seventeen years old, did he only swing his sword once?
This doesn't make sense at all.

This young emperor was "something that human nature could not tolerate," and so he drew his sword.

Or... "Having already shown restraint, it's time to act decisively?"

The ability to endure versus the inability to endure—that's the difference between a hero and a coward...

For the sake of the world, he hoped to be the former.

But for his own sake, he preferred the latter.

Amidst her chaotic thoughts, the young eunuch leading the way suddenly stopped, bowed, and stepped aside.

"Lord Duke, His Majesty is currently summoning Commander Tian of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the palace. Please rest in the side hall for a moment."

Tian Ergeng?
Zhang Weixian's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

On the second day after the emperor ascended the throne, instead of meeting with the cabinet ministers and the six ministries and nine ministers, he met with Wei Zhongxian's number one henchman first.
His unease grew stronger, but he remained outwardly calm, instead revealing a gentle smile.

He casually took out a five-tael silver ingot from his sleeve and slipped it into the little eunuch's hand without leaving a trace.

"This old man looks unfamiliar. May I ask his name?"

His movements were fluid and graceful, and his words were kind and amiable; he had demonstrated all the skills of a veteran minister who had served three dynasties.

The young eunuch, who was only sixteen or seventeen years old, shuddered as his palm was touched by the cold silver, as if burned by hot coals.

His face flushed bright red, his eyes darting around, unsure whether to retract his gaze or not, so embarrassed he almost cried.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "I am currently serving in the Qianqing Palace and have received His Majesty's grace. I really dare not accept this silver. Your Highness, please take it back."

Upon hearing this, Ma Wenke breathed a sigh of relief, but still turned his head away, unable to bear looking at the gleaming silver ingot any longer.

Seeing his clear yet guilty expression, Zhang Weixian's last bit of hope vanished.

How could that be? It's only been one night!

The new emperor's methods have actually begun to change the rules of this palace.

Storm is coming!

……

In the Qianqing Palace.

Tian Ergeng, the Left Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, knelt on the cold gold bricks, his forehead pressed against the back of his hand, not daring to even breathe.

He could clearly hear the frantic pounding of his heart, each beat causing the veins on his forehead to throb.

"So, is this your view of the world today?"

On the dragon throne, the young new emperor finally spoke.

His voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger, yet it was like an invisible mountain pressing down on Tian Ergeng's spine, making it creak.

"Yes...yes, this is my...my humble understanding. Please...please Your Majesty to see the truth."

Tian Ergeng tried his best to control his voice, preventing it from trembling with fear.

Sweat had already soaked through his undershirt, clinging tightly to his back, cold and sticky.

Zhu Youjian did not speak, but simply looked at him quietly.

Tian Ergeng's answer fell somewhere between Wei Zhongxian's slickness and Wang Tiqian's pragmatism; it offered some insight, but not much.

But it doesn’t matter.

In his mind, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was nothing more than a knife to be used first.

It doesn't matter whether the knife handle is exceptionally clever; as long as the knife is sharp enough and loyal enough, it's a good knife.

However, once the Embroidered Uniform Guard is reorganized, such mediocre people will probably no longer be suitable to stay.

Who will replace them then...?

Just when Tian Ergeng felt he was about to be crushed by the deathly silence.

He suddenly felt a sharp, knife-like gaze fixed on the back of his neck.

He didn't dare to look up, only glancing quickly out of the corner of his eye.

With just one glance, the blood in his body almost froze instantly.

Damn it, what is that bastard Luo Yangxing doing here!

Isn't he a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Why is he dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard today and standing beside the Emperor's desk?

That position is reserved for the most trusted confidants...

In an instant, everything became clear to Tian Ergeng!
He recalled the aged and dying face of Luo Sigong, the former leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

So... so he had already gotten in touch with the new emperor!
Last night, Cui Yingyuan and I were still plotting how to offer our tribute, but little did we know that they had already paved the way to the Emperor's presence!
A chill, a mixture of fear, jealousy, and despair, shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.

It's over...it's all over...

Just then, a long sigh came from the dragon throne, interrupting his reverie.

"sit down."

Ok?
Tian Ergeng was startled, almost thinking he had misheard.

He looked up blankly, meeting the emperor's unfathomable eyes.

He dared not think too much, quickly expressed his gratitude, and carefully moved to the low stool beside him, only daring to sit on one side of his buttocks, his body still maintaining a tense posture as if he could kneel at any moment. "Do you know why Wei Zhongxian hanged himself?" Zhu Youjian picked up his teacup, gently stirring the floating leaves, as if asking a very ordinary question.

Tian Ergeng's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, he immediately slid to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly.

“Your Majesty! This fiend…this fiend knows his sins are grave, that he has defied Heaven's will, oppressed the people, and committed countless evils; he deserves to die! He…”

"I was the one who made him hang himself."

The emperor's casual remark struck Tian Ergeng like a thunderbolt from the heavens.

All his insults and declarations of loyalty caught in his throat, and he froze, like a weathered stone statue, his thoughts ceased to function.

Zhu Youjian put down his teacup, the lid striking the rim with a crisp "click," a sound that seemed particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.

"His name is known throughout the land. If I do not kill him, it will be difficult to unite the people and establish the laws of the country."

He paused, his gaze falling on Tian Ergeng, who was completely dazed, and his tone turned cold.

"Then what should I do with the 'Five Tigers'? I've heard so much about that name since I was in the Prince Xin's residence."

"Your Majesty, spare your life! Your Majesty, spare your life!"

Tian Ergeng's psychological defenses were completely shattered at this moment. He couldn't care about anything else and just kowtowed frantically. His forehead hit the hard gold bricks with a dull "thud," and soon it became a bloody mess.

"Spare you?" Zhu Youjian's lips curled into a cold smile. "I'm afraid Governor Tian should also clean up his own house."

The kowtowing stopped abruptly.

Tian Ergeng suddenly raised his head and looked at the emperor in disbelief.

His blood-stained face was initially blank, then filled with a wild joy of surviving a catastrophe.

But this ecstasy was quickly suppressed by a deeper fear.

This caused the muscles in his entire face to contort, making his expression extremely bizarre.

Zhu Youjian ignored his expression and simply raised his hand slightly.

Outside the door, a young eunuch immediately understood and walked in with practiced ease, carrying writing implements and a stack of blank forms.

The young eunuch gently placed the item on the ground in front of Tian Ergeng and then quietly withdrew.

Zhu Youjian gestured towards the pile of paper and pens.

"Fill out your list of eunuchs."

Tian Ergeng stretched out his hand, the hand that had tortured countless court officials and issued countless arrest warrants in the imperial prison, but now it trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind, and he could not hold the purple brush several times.

Finally, he grasped the pen.

He thought about the first name for a very long time, so long that sweat dripped onto the rice paper, spreading into a blot of ink.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and wrote down Choi Seong-soo's name.

After writing this name, he felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and as if all his shackles had been removed.

My goodness, it's better to die for a fellow Daoist than for me!
His pen no longer hesitated; familiar names, former allies, brothers, and drinking buddies flowed from his pen without the slightest delay.

In less than half an hour, the list was already filled with dense writing.

Zhu Youjian took the list, which was still warm but chillingly cold, glanced at it briefly, and then put it together with two other lists that had been prepared in advance.

He waved his hand again.

"Let Wang Tiqian in."

Soon, the newly appointed Director of the Eastern Depot, Wang Tiqian, walked in quickly with his head down and knelt on the ground.

"Please sit down."

Zhu Youjian pondered for a long time, and the atmosphere in the entire hall became extremely oppressive.

Suddenly, he spoke up: "Gao Shiming, draft the decree."

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows in the hall; it was none other than Gao Shiming, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zhu Youjian's fingers began to tap rhythmically on the imperial desk as he slowly uttered the plan he had been pondering for many days.

"deliver an imperial order."

"Firstly, all titles of nobility such as duke, marquis, and earl conferred upon the Wei and Ke factions shall be stripped. All those under their patronage who have been granted privileges in the Embroidered Uniform Guard or promoted to official positions shall be dismissed from their posts and their family property confiscated."

"Secondly, among the eunuchs, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital, those with notorious reputations, who are corrupt and lawless and have aroused great public resentment, the three of you shall jointly compile a list, and they shall all be dismissed from their posts and have their homes confiscated."

"Once the list is finalized, it will be divided into two categories according to the severity of the crimes. Those in the first category who are extremely vicious and have committed numerous blood crimes will all be demoted to Qiongzhou in Hainan. Those in the second category whose crimes are slightly less serious and who can still be reformed will all be dismissed from their posts and reduced to commoners."

He paused for a moment, as if he had remembered something, and a strange smile appeared on his lips.

"By the way, leave 100 hectares of barren land in the suburbs of Beijing for Wei Zhongxian's family. Throw all those who have been dismissed from their posts there and let them farm for themselves."

"This is something I personally promised Governor Wei yesterday, so I must keep my word."

After saying this, he looked straight at Wang Tiqian and Tian Ergeng below the steps with a sharp gaze.

"I know that corruption is rampant throughout the land, and the secret police are particularly corrupt and rotten to the core."

"For this raid, you two must each send trusted men to work in shifts and supervise each other."

“Whenever a house is raided, someone from that house must be present at the same time. All the gold, silver, money, land deeds and land deeds obtained must be registered and recorded without any errors or omissions. They must be sealed and sent to the imperial treasury.”

At this point, he let out a long sigh, his voice becoming distant and ethereal.

"This is the first time I have ever ordered you to do something, so you... must not disappoint me."

These words were spoken lightly and in a low voice, sounding like gentle advice, with virtually no hint of punishment.

Wang Tiqian and Tian Ergeng both got goosebumps all over their bodies. Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately kowtowed loudly in response, their voices hoarse but firm.

"Your Majesty, I obey! I will certainly not fail your trust!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, and Gao Shiming immediately understood. He led Wang and Tian to a side hall to discuss the list of eunuchs and secret police.

Silence returned to the main hall.

Zhu Youjian rubbed his face vigorously, then took a bronze mirror and made several expressions before addressing the people outside the hall:
"Let the Duke of England in."

　[Historical Materials in this Chapter]

　　1. "On the 16th day of the fifth month of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign of Emperor Xizong of Ming, Zhang Weixian, the Duke of Yingguo and head of the Rear Army Commandery, rejected a memorial from Wu, the mother of Tan Maoxun, the Earl of Xinning, accusing him of usurping the throne." - "Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty". Therefore, Zhang Weixian was in charge of the Rear Army Commandery at this time.

　　2. Although the Five Military Commissions existed in name only by the end of the Ming Dynasty, they still retained some minor powers. For example, they could have some say in the selection of military officers. Many of the military examination candidates came from local garrisons, so they could also have influence. There were also various forms of succession, such as father-to-son succession. However, by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the garrisons had declined and been replaced by recruited soldiers. With the military power weakened, the Five Military Commissions lost much of their influence.

　　3. The Rear Military Governor's Office happened to be in charge of the local garrisons around Beizhili.

　　4. Outside Chengtian Gate was the Thousand-Step Corridor. To the west were the military offices, such as the Governor's Office and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, while to the east were the civil offices, such as the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate were actually located on Xingbu Street in the west of the capital. Li Zicheng burned this place down before fleeing Beijing. (I've included the picture in the bonus chapter.)

　　5. It was only during the Qing Dynasty that the Five Military Commissions and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were abolished, and the Six Ministries were all placed at Chengtian Gate.

　　6. The Thousand Steps Corridor is a fascinating place, full of interesting glimpses of everyday life, which I will describe later. The more you read about its history, the more interesting it becomes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)