Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 58 Your Majesty, This Servant Has No Dreams (Please vote!)

What is your dream?
Gao Shiming was bowing deeply, regretting his rash remark about his final third strategy, when he unexpectedly heard this question.

He was stunned for a moment, even thinking he had misheard.

Having spent many years in the palace, he had heard the emperor ask all sorts of questions, about politics, daily life, personnel matters, and even Taoist scriptures.

But "dream"?
This is the first time.

He maintained his bowed posture, carefully lifting his eyelids slightly, and saw the new emperor's young face, which held a hint of inquiry.

Relieved that he hadn't received the expected fury, Gao Shiming slowly straightened up.

But he still looked puzzled and carefully replied.

"Your Majesty... This servant has been sleeping lightly these past few days and hasn't been dreaming..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He raised his hand and patted his forehead, smiling helplessly, "I misspoke. It's not a dream you have while sleeping, it's an ambition. What is your ambition?"

ambition?

Gao Shiming stood there, hands clasped in front of him, stunned.

These two words seemed to weigh a ton, making it hard for him to breathe.

In those few short moments, he thought of many, many things.

I recalled the earnest teachings of my teachers at the Inner Academy: "Distinguish right from wrong and serve the country and the public good."

Thinking of being demoted to the Divine Palace Supervisor, he was bored and could only pass the time by reading scrolls of Taoist scriptures.

He also thought about how his luck had turned around these past few days, and how he had returned to the Directorate of Ceremonial, surrounded by people with flattering, fawning, and obsequious faces.

Scene after scene flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.

however……

I'm nothing but a eunuch...

Gao Shiming spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness that he himself was unaware of.

"Your Majesty is too kind. This servant is but a eunuch, incomplete in body. Serving Your Majesty is already a great favor. How could I possibly have any ambitions?"

He adopted a very humble posture, full of caution and modesty.

Having spent decades navigating the treacherous waters of the palace, he had long understood that one should not think of what one should not think of, nor say what one should not say. To fulfill the duties of a servant was the foundation for a secure life.

Zhu Youjian, however, disagreed.

He leaned forward slightly from behind the desk, looking intently at Gao Shiming, and said with a smile:
Who says eunuchs can't have ambition?

He picked up the list he had just put down and waved it gently.

"If it weren't for Cai Lun's improvement of papermaking techniques during the Han Dynasty, we would still be using cumbersome bamboo slips to write today."

"Even if we don't go that far back, our Ming Dynasty's eunuch Zheng He made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, displaying the power of our Great Ming Dynasty to the world."

As Zhu Youjian spoke, he pointed to the huge "Great Ming Unification Map" on the screen in the hall.

"If it weren't for him, how would we know that within this geomantic realm, the world is so vast, and what a magnificent sight it is to have all nations paying tribute."

His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed in the empty hall, carrying an inspiring power.

"Even without mentioning these sages of the past."

Zhu Youjian walked back to Gao Shiming and looked at him gently.

"Isn't there a scribe named Liu Ruoyu in your Directorate of Ceremonial?"

"I've heard that he castrated himself because of a strange dream. Surely he had his own ambitions?"

He smiled encouragingly, his tone becoming increasingly friendly.

"Gao Banban, there's no need to be so discouraged. Just say whatever comes to mind."

"Your ambition sounds too grand, so just say whatever comes to mind. After all, you must have something you want to do, right?"

The afternoon sun of autumn shone into the palace and fell on Zhu Youjian's face.

The pale golden light made his smile appear exceptionally bright and warm.

Gao Shiming looked at the young king who was only seventeen years old and was momentarily dazed.

He suddenly remembered that when he was a child, after he had been cleansed, he cried in a small room with a black curtain, and it seemed that it was also around this time of late autumn.

The old eunuch patted his back to comfort him:

"Little bud, don't cry, don't cry..."

"Once you enter the palace, you'll have an endless supply of white flour buns..."

But back then, not a single ray of sunlight could get into the room.

Now, thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Gao Shiming was stunned for a moment, and his eyes even felt a little sore.

Zhu Youjian didn't urge him, but just looked at him quietly, still with that gentle smile on his face.

It's a good thing to chat about your feelings; it's cheap and convenient, so why not?

Gao Shiming was only lost in thought for a moment before he quickly came to his senses.

He took a deep breath and suppressed his surging emotions.

He had intended to say something like, "I am utterly loyal to Your Majesty and would gladly die for you."

But as the words reached his lips, looking into the new emperor's clear and sincere eyes, he instinctively felt that this was definitely not the answer His Majesty wanted.

After much hesitation, he finally sighed and gave up on those empty words.

“Your Majesty… this servant truly has no ambition left.”

He decided to selectively tell only parts of the truth.

"When I was young, my family was poor. If I had any ambition, perhaps it was just to be able to eat white grains every day."

"Later, I was fortunate enough to enter the palace, and I thought that I would be content if I could enter the inner study hall to learn to read and write."

"Later, I was favored by the late emperor and was able to serve him while he studied. In a daze, I suddenly became the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial."

“Back then, I was also full of vigor and ambition. I also thought that I should follow the example of the sages and make a name for myself so as not to fail the emperor’s grace.”

"But... later, he was driven by Wei Ni and demoted to guard the Divine Palace Supervisor. He went up and down and experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships in the palace."

"At first, I thought I could rise again one day, but as time went by, my ambition was worn away. I just study Taoist classics every day to comfort myself."

Gao Shiming's voice was calm, as if he were telling someone else's story.

“Until now, thanks to His Majesty’s kindness in not abandoning me, pulling me out of the mire and entrusting me with your trust.” “What I want in my heart, besides to do my best to repay His Majesty’s grace, is really… I don’t know what other ambition I can have.”

Zhu Youjian listened attentively without interrupting him.

He finally let out a sigh after Gao Shiming finished speaking.

"You are capable and honest, and you always have great insight into the details. I wonder which teacher in the Imperial Academy was fortunate enough to teach you such a student?"

Gao Shiming had just emerged from his emotional reverie when he heard the question. A slight chill ran through him, and he quickly and respectfully bowed his head, replying:

"Your Majesty, I entered the Inner Study in the 26th year of the Wanli reign. My teachers at that time were Han Kuang, Zhu Guozhen, and Shen from the Hanlin Academy."

Zhu Youjian quickly searched through the original owner's memories in his mind for these three names, and after a moment, he found the answer.

Han Kuang was one of the leaders of the Donglin Party and the Grand Secretary of the Tianqi Emperor's cabinet.

Zhu Guozhen was also a cabinet minister during the Tianqi reign.

Shen was a ruthless figure who challenged the Donglin Party in the early years of the Tianqi reign. He can be considered a senior figure in the eunuch faction.

Good guy!
The bigwigs of the Donglin Party and the eunuch party were actually your instructors in this class?

The teaching staff is simply too strong!

Seeing that Zhu Youjian remained silent, Gao Shiming felt uneasy, wondering what he had said wrong.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Youjian suddenly burst into laughter.

"good very good!"

He patted Gao Shiming on the shoulder.

"Starting from humble beginnings, climbing to the peak, and falling to the bottom, you have now risen again. Gao Banban, your life has been quite a story."

Gao Shiming quickly bowed and said, "This servant dares not."

Zhu Youjian smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so formal.

He turned and walked back to the imperial desk, his tone gradually becoming deep and somber.

"I am very happy that you are willing to be honest with me. So let me tell you about my ambitions."

Gao Shiming felt a chill run down his spine and quickly stood up straight, adopting a serious demeanor as if he were listening attentively.

Zhu Youjian cast his gaze toward the azure autumn sky outside the palace, and his first words were the same old cliché.

"I knew when I ascended the throne that the Ming Dynasty was probably doomed."

Gao Shiming felt a buzzing in his head and instinctively wanted to kneel down.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard those words.

Not long ago, right here in the Qianqing Palace, the new emperor said the exact same thing to Duke Zhang Weixian of England!
only……

Who is the Duke of England? A pillar of the state with an inalienable hereditary title, the foremost among the nobility!
Who am I? A eunuch slave who has just been reinstated from the Imperial Palace!
How could I dare to hear such words? How could I possibly listen to them? I would never want to hear them!

"Don't rush." ​​Zhu Youjian raised his hand to stop him from bowing. "Let me finish speaking."

His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

"Civil officials form cliques, only know how to exploit the people, and regard the national treasury as their private property."

"Military generals are afraid of death, they drink the blood of their soldiers and embezzle public funds, and border defenses are as lax as a sieve."

“The princes and nobles of the imperial family seize fertile land throughout the land, yet they themselves are raised like pigs, draining the lifeblood of the dynasty.”

Zhu Youjian took a deep breath and continued:
"Looking around, the Later Jin to the north are eyeing us covetously. During the Dingmao War, they invaded Korea, while the Ming Dynasty was powerless to stop them."

“The drought in Guanzhong is becoming increasingly apparent. The people have no food for the next season, and the soldiers have no pay for three months. All it takes is a spark to cause the earth to collapse and mountains to crumble.”

"My friend, tell me, doesn't this scene resemble the end of dynasties throughout history?"

Gao Shiming was terrified, but he had to pretend to be attentive and concerned about the country and its people.

"Learning from history, the world today is in grave danger, and we do not know whether it will be destroyed first by the barbarians beyond the Great Wall or rotten to death among the common people who rise up in rebellion."

"If no changes are made, even if the Ming Dynasty doesn't perish in my lifetime, it will likely only perish in the next."

Zhu Youjian slowly turned around, his gaze falling back on Gao Shiming.

His gaze was deep and sharp, as if it could see right through people's hearts.

"So, if we're talking about ambition, then my ambition, from beginning to end, has only been one."

He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, each word ringing with conviction.

"That is—to turn the tide and save the collapsing edifice!"

At this point, Zhu Youjian suddenly reached out and tightly grasped Gao Shiming's arms. Their eyes met, and their gazes were filled with an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity.

"Gao Banban, you can't even see your own ambitions clearly."

"Then why not make my aspirations your aspirations!"

"What do you think?!"

　In ancient times, the word "dream" was often used to refer to "daydreams" or "dreams in one's sleep."

　　For example, in Sima Xiangru's "Changmen Fu": "Suddenly I fell asleep and dreamt, as if you were by my side."

　　-
　　The exact date of Gao Shiming's entry into the palace and his birth are unknown; the information provided in the book is only a rough estimate, so please do not mention it.

　　His tomb was excavated in later generations; it was quite small and not luxurious. I've included it in the bonus chapter.

　　The tomb is inscribed with "Master of Yihua Yuanzong Cave", and the stone couplet reads: "Benevolence towards the people and love for all things safeguards the nation's destiny; with sincere devotion to ethics, he perpetuates the sacred tradition."

　　This "Yi Hua Yuan Zong" is the Taoist book on health preservation that he wrote.

　　-
　　Liu Ruoyu, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, whose original name was Shi Tai, changed his name to Biguang Temple during the reign of Emperor Guangwu.

　　I quote extensively from his "Zhuozhong Zhi".

　　His father was Liu Yingqi, who rose to the rank of deputy commander of the Liaoyang garrison. He had a conflict with Li Chengliang and was persecuted by Li Chengliang. He eventually returned to his hometown and died of illness.

　　He claimed to be: "I am a foolish and corrupt official, born in the second month of the Jia Shen year of the Wanli reign. In the seventh month of the Wu Xu year, I disobeyed the teachings of my father and elder brother, had a strange dream, and castrated myself."

　　Who knows the real reason he castrated himself? Could it be to help his father who was far away in Liaodong? We don't know.

　　-
　　On the 25th day of the first month of the 26th year of the Wanli reign (1617), an order was issued to Han Kuang, the compiler of the *Veritable Records of Emperor Shenzong of Ming*, to review the work of Zhu Guozhen, and to instruct Shen, the editor of the Imperial Household Department's Directorate of Ceremonial.

　　By the way, Wei Zhongxian also studied in this class, but he was a transfer student.

　　-
　　Finally, both of today's chapters are 3K each, totaling 6K, which is 2K more than usual, haha.

　　Now that the new book season is over, I can finally write more freely.

　　Friends! Please help me catch up on the reading next Monday! I don't want to lose again T_T
　　
　
(End of this chapter)