Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 70 Deadlines are Productivity (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
A few days ago, there was an autumn rain, and the weather suddenly turned cool.

However, the capital city after the rain was hardly presentable.

The dirt road, crushed countless times by wheels, had long since turned into patches of muddy puddles of varying depths after being soaked by rainwater.

Now, under the early autumn sun, a pungent stench, a mixture of animal dung, rotting vegetable leaves, and mud, rises up and assaults people's nostrils.

Xue Guoguan, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, and Ni Yuanlu, a Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, stood side by side, their brows slightly furrowed.

Their brand-new official robes, now splattered with specks of mud on their trouser legs, actually complemented the surrounding environment quite well.

Neither of them spoke; they simply listened quietly.

Across from them, a figure was gesturing wildly as he spoke, spitting as he spoke.

This person was none other than Sun Zhixie, a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy.

"...You have no idea! In the month or so that you were in Jiangxi to preside over the examinations, the capital, no, the entire Ming Dynasty, has changed!"

Sun Zhixie spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had witnessed it firsthand.

"The day after the new emperor ascended the throne, that traitor Wei died... no, he... hanged himself!"

Two days later, His Majesty, in the hall and in front of all the civil and military officials, burned three lists of corrupt officials, declaring that the past was over and a new path would be opened...

"Later, His Majesty personally bestowed upon Grand Secretary Li Guopu a plaque inscribed with 'My Wei Zheng,' and the procession was grand and imposing, carrying him all the way from the capital to Li's residence!"

Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu were dumbfounded.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing deep shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

After the chief examination in Jiangxi ended, they suddenly learned on their way back that the late emperor had passed away.

The two dared not delay, and rode at full speed, enduring wind and rain, and finally arrived outside the city last night.

As a result, the city gates were closed, forcing us to spend the night outside the city. We only entered the capital together this morning, but there was absolutely no time to find out what was going on in the capital.

Decisive in killing, burning books to establish trust, using both kindness and severity... Is this really something that young emperor, who has lived in the deep palace for a long time and has only just ascended the throne, could do?
Sun Zhixie swallowed hard, lowered his voice, and became even more mysterious.

"The most amazing thing is yet to come!"

"Just a few days ago, His Majesty summoned a minister to the Wuying Hall. Grand Secretary Zhang Ruitu knew nothing about the matter and, fearing difficulties, declined the invitation."

"His Majesty rebuked the Second Grand Secretary Zhang Ruitu in court as a 'three-nothing Grand Secretary,' stripped him of his official rank and all his titles and honors on the spot! Zhang Ruitu was a Grand Secretary! And just like that... he's gone!"

After finishing his sentence, Sun Zhixie let out a long breath, as if he were a storyteller who had reached the most exciting part and was waiting for the audience's applause.

However, Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu fell into a long silence.

For a moment, I felt somewhat dazed.

They felt like they were in a dream.

He only went to Jiangxi to preside over the provincial examination, but it felt like he had entered a completely different world.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty is wise!"

After a long while, Ni Yuanlu finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Such a wise ruler is a blessing for our Ming Dynasty and for our nation!"

He hesitated for a moment, then said:
"It's just about Minister Zhang..."

"Enough, enough. His Majesty has ascended the throne with swift and decisive action. It's normal for Hua Chen not to approve of this kind of writing."

Xue Guoguan nodded slowly and casually agreed, saying, "Indeed, as subjects, we should be spirited and prioritize our duties, but we must not emulate this 'literary prime minister'."

That's what he said, but he wasn't nearly as excited as Ni Yuanlu.

The three chatted for a few more minutes, mostly Sun Zhixie talking while Xue and Ni listened.

Finally, feeling he had heard enough, Xue Guoguan cupped his hands in farewell and turned to leave.

"Yuan Lu, I'm going back to the Sixth Bureau Office now."

"Alright, let's talk again another day."

Xue Guoguan turned and left, the still excited voice of Ni Yuanlu faintly echoing behind him.

"Brother Sun, tell me quickly, did the plaque His Majesty presented to Grand Secretary Li really pass in front of our Hanlin Academy back then?"

“It was exactly what I saw with my own eyes! Brother Ni, now that you have returned, with your past reputation, you will surely be valued by His Majesty… I should…” As the voice behind him faded into the distance, Xue Guoguan silently walked toward the Six Ministries’ Office, lost in thought along the way.

A sage ruler?

maybe.

But for some reason, he always felt that this new emperor's style of doing things was different from any of the wise rulers recorded in history books.

He lacked the gentleness of Emperor Wen of Han, the magnanimity of Emperor Renzong of Song, and the pure domineering nature of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu.

It was a... very strange feeling.

It combines swift and decisive measures with gentle and persuasive approaches.

It involves both the destruction of the system and the reconstruction of the rules.

This seems less like a pure sage ruler and more like a strange monarch who blends benevolent rule with tyrannical tactics.

How could such an emperor have emerged from the Zhu family?
Wasn't he always studying in the palace, going out of the Forbidden City and into the Prince Xin's mansion, for just over a year?

Is someone teaching him behind the scenes?

If so, who is this person?
If not, how deep must this young emperor's cunning be?
Furthermore, after Wei's downfall, where will the winds of change in the court blow in the future?
Will the Donglin faction dominate the court? Or will it continue down the path of the Tianqi era, only with Wang Tiqian or Gao Shiming replacing Wei Zhongxian?
Or perhaps... like Emperor Shizong, another "Yan Song" will emerge?

So who could be Yan Song? Li Guopu? Or Yang Jingchen, who rose to power by stepping on Zhang Ruitu?
One question after another, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, kept popping into Xue Guoguan's mind, leaving him in a state of utter confusion.

"Brother Xue! Brother Xue!"

A call pulled him back from his thoughts.

Xue Guoguan looked up abruptly and saw Guo Xingyan, the supervising secretary of the engineering department, waving his hand in front of him.

"Brother Xue, what are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."

Xue Guoguan then came to his senses and smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "It's nothing. I was thinking about something and got distracted for a moment, so I didn't notice Brother Guo."

He looked around and realized that he had unknowingly walked into the main room of the Sixth Division.

The usually quiet and even somewhat deserted government office was unusually noisy today, with officials gathering in twos and threes, discussing the matter, each with a hint of excitement and tension on their face.

Xue Guoguan listened intently, but could only vaguely hear words like "Beijing Garrison," "corruption," "officialdom," and "criminal justice," but he couldn't make out what they meant.

Guo Xingyan pulled him aside and asked anxiously, "Brother Xue, did you just return from Jiangxi yesterday? I thought you wouldn't make it! Hurry up and submit your essay; Eunuch Gao has already sent someone to urge you twice!"

"Strategy theory?"

Xue Guoguan was completely bewildered. He looked at Guo Xingyan with a blank expression.

"I traveled day and night, but unfortunately the city gates were already closed when I arrived in the capital yesterday. I could only rest outside the city for the night and only entered the capital this morning. I was delayed at the Hanlin Academy... But I don't know what kind of policy essay Brother Guo is talking about?"

"what?"

Guo Xingyan was taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Then you weren't informed?"

He pulled Xue Guoguan aside and said in a tone that was both sympathetic and gloating, "His Majesty issued an edict yesterday, ordering the four Grand Secretaries, the six ministers, the nine ministers, and our six supervising secretaries, a total of more than twenty people, to submit a memorial entitled..."

He paused, seemingly recalling that somewhat tongue-twisting name.

"...Seeking proposals on how to improve the governance of the capital!"

Xue Guoguan pondered the strange title in his mind, and instantly snapped out of his daze.

"When should this policy proposal be submitted?"

"When? Before noon today! His Majesty will hold another audience at the Wuying Hall at Shenshi (3-5 PM) later."

"Brother Xue, as the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, you should also attend. Hurry up and start writing."

Xue Guoguan couldn't help but subconsciously look up at the window.

The sun was hanging obliquely in the sky, and it would soon cross the midline.

Time... is running out.

(End of this chapter)