Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 73 A Group of Exquisite Cowards
The power struggle between the imperial court and the civil service was a constant throughout the Ming Dynasty.

The emperor may seem supreme, but in reality he is subject to control at every turn.

From issuance to implementation, an imperial edict had to go through the drafting of the cabinet, the approval of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the rejection of the Six Ministries, and the execution of the Six Departments... Each step was a series of checkpoints woven by the civil service group using "ancestral laws".

The Donglin Party members were the most skilled players in this system.

With Qian Longxi and Li Biao in charge of the cabinet, Qian Qianyi and Cheng Jiming in control of public opinion in the Ministry of Rites, moral exemplars like Liu Zongzhou occupying the high ground in public opinion, and retired veterans like Ye Xianggao commanding widespread support in Jiangnan.

They formed an invisible yet resilient net, and any attempt by the imperial power to break through this net was easily defined as heresy and tyranny.

Zhu Youjian knew that his silent confrontation with the Donglin Party would not end with the conclusion of the court session.

It's like a deep pool of water, seemingly calm on the surface, but with turbulent undercurrents and intricate connections underneath!
Qian Longxi, Qian Qianyi and their ilk will never give up so easily.

Zhu Youjian was very patient. He also knew that to break the old rules, new rules needed to be established, and the new rules needed to be built with victories and engraved with blood!
The problem is, he doesn't have that much time!
The wheels of history will not stop to wait for him to sweep away these flies in the house.

……

As dusk settled, the candlelight in the Qianqing Palace flickered, casting the emperor's young figure onto the bookshelves behind him, making him appear exceptionally lonely.

The silence was broken by hurried yet steady footsteps outside the hall.

Wang Chengen bowed as he entered, followed by a man of imposing stature and stern face. This man was none other than Tian Ergeng, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He didn't follow the normal reporting procedure, but was directly led in by Wang Chengen, which in itself indicates the importance of the matter.

"Your subject, Tian Ergeng, pays his respects to Your Majesty." Tian Ergeng knelt on one knee and presented a black iron cylinder sealed with sealing wax with both hands.

"Rise." Zhu Youjian's gaze shifted from a memorial concerning the Grand Canal to the black iron cylinder.

The tube was sealed with black lacquer, and a ferocious flying fish mark was branded on it, exuding a bloody and chilling aura.

This is a secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, delivered with utmost urgency over a distance of 600 li. The messenger will change horses but not the rider; he must run himself to death to deliver it.

"What's the matter that you're so panicked?" Zhu Youjian's voice was calm.

Tian Ergeng stood up, but his face showed an undisguised joy.

He lowered his voice and reported, "Your Majesty, great news! The Jurchens are in turmoil!"

"Oh?" Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow and gestured for Wang Chengen to take the iron tube.

Wang Chengen carefully used a small silver knife to cut open the seal, took out the sheet of Xuan paper, and presented it to the emperor.

The handwriting on the paper was hurried, clearly written by the messenger in a state of extreme tension.

"...The Manchu Emperor Huang Taiji personally led the elite troops of the Eight Banners on a western expedition against the Chahar. In this battle, Ligdan Khan was caught off guard and was routed in a single engagement, abandoning all his followers, cattle, sheep, and tents, and fleeing westward in panic..."

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept over each word, but his expression remained unchanged.

Seeing this, Tian Ergeng thought that the emperor had not yet understood the great benefits of this matter, so he couldn't help but step forward and excitedly explained: "Your Majesty, although Ligdan Khan is nominally an ally of our Great Ming, he is actually unruly and fickle."

During the Battle of Guangning, he stood by and watched Wang Huazhen's army fail, then turned around and demanded 80,000 taels of silver as a "market reward" from our dynasty.

These jackals deserve to die!
Now that Huang Taiji is focusing all his efforts on the western expedition, he will inevitably be engaged in a series of bitter battles with the Mongol tribes. This grassland is enough to give him a hard time!
The pressure on Liaodong will be greatly reduced, and our Great Ming can sit back and watch the tigers fight, reaping the benefits in the process!

These words were spoken with great passion and represented the pinnacle of strategic understanding that most officials in the Ming court who heard this news could achieve at that moment.

However, Zhu Youjian simply placed the thin sheet of paper gently on his desk.

He slowly closed his eyes, and at that moment, the vast map of the Ming Dynasty's territory in his mind was torn open with a shocking gash.

"Your Majesty?" Wang Chengen's heart tightened when he saw that the emperor remained silent for a long time and his face looked somewhat pale in the candlelight.

"It's nothing." Zhu Youjian opened his eyes, the ripples in them completely gone, leaving only a bottomless, cold pool.

Looking at Tian Ergeng, who was still excitedly focused on himself, he suddenly felt a little sad.

This is the sharpest knife in his hand, yet he can't even see from which direction the enemy will stab him.

"Tian Ergeng".

Zhu Youjian's voice broke the silence in the imperial study.

"Your subject is here!" Tian Ergeng, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, responded immediately. He was currently immersed in the excitement of making a name for himself and felt that the intelligence he presented was exactly the good news that the emperor wanted to hear.

"You think this is a happy occasion?"

Tian Ergeng was taken aback by the emperor's seemingly random question. Wasn't this a joyous occasion?

The Later Jin and the Mongols fought like dogs, both suffering heavy losses, while our Great Ming Dynasty reaped the benefits. Isn't this a classic case that should be written into military books?

Isn't this the usual tactic used by the court to deal with border troubles since the time of Emperor Taizu?

Tian Ergeng forced a smile and replied, "Your Majesty, the fact that barbarians are fighting each other and suffering losses is a cause for celebration for our Great Ming."

"Idiot, an idiot who deserves to be in the Houhu Yellow Register Archives!"

Zhu Youjian's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a slap across Tian Ergeng's face.

The joy on Tian Ergeng's face froze instantly, turning deathly pale, and then from deathly pale to fear and bewilderment.

He knelt down with a thud, "Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant! Please calm your anger, Your Majesty! Please give me your instructions!"

Zhu Youjian raised his eyelids, and there was no anger in his eyes, only a bottomless disappointment. This look terrified Tian Ergeng more than thunderous rage.

Zhu Youjian did not look at Tian Ergeng kneeling on the ground again. For a knife, being sharp and obedient is enough; it doesn't need to have too many thoughts.

He turned to Wang Chengen and instructed him, "Wang Chengen, convey my decree to summon Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo and Zhou Quan, the Director of the Western Depot, to wait at the Wuying Hall immediately."

"This servant... obeys the decree." Wang Chengen's voice trembled slightly as he bowed and took the order, staggering backward.

Just as Wang Chengen was about to leave the Imperial Study, Zhu Youjian added another sentence.

"Summon Wei Zhongxian as well."

Wang Chengen suddenly turned around.

Zhu Youjian offered no explanation.

He simply waved his hand and said, "Go."

Wang Chengen dared not ask any more questions and withdrew.

Only Zhu Youjian and Tian Ergeng, who was kneeling on the ground, remained in the imperial study.

After Zhu Youjian sat back down at his desk, he slowly closed his eyes. The candlelight flickered in the hall, casting his shadow on the wall, which appeared both solitary and immense.

He knew that discussing this matter with Qian Longxi and those so-called upright officials was like casting pearls before swine!

Their eyes have been blinded for too long by the splendor of Jiangnan and the moral writings in the classics. At most, they can only see the taxes of the two capitals and thirteen provinces, but they can never see the changing winds and clouds beyond the Great Wall. Most of their minds are on settling scores, distinguishing between names and realities, and determining ranks!

As for those people in the Ministry of War...

Zhu Youjian felt nothing but cold contempt.

In the present day, any decision made by the Ministry of War that could change the fate of the nation will be embroiled in endless wrangling.

Ultimately, they all unanimously brought up the old tune of "using barbarians to control barbarians," which they had dug up from the dusty archives, as a perfect excuse for their inaction.

But these are not the most fundamental problems.

The most fundamental thing is fear!
It was a fear that had seeped into their very bones, making them unable to even look directly at the North.

Since the Battle of Sarhu, Liaodong has long ceased to be the territory of the Ming Dynasty for them, but has become a bottomless abyss that will devour their careers, wealth, and even lives!
Let these officials in the Ministry of War talk big in the warm and safe capital, each of them a strategic genius, but if you ask them to go beyond the Great Wall and see the real clash of swords, their legs will tremble more than anyone else's.

A group of exquisite cowards, bloated with wealth and luxury, yet devoid of even a shred of courage!
Therefore, what Zhu Youjian needed was never these so-called pillars of society who followed the rules and cherished their reputations.

What he needs is a knife that can instantly understand his intentions and execute them in the most direct, brutal, and even dirty way!

These people may not understand the great principles of sages and saints who govern the world and benefit the people.

But they must, and only need to, understand two things: what the real threat is, and where the sword should be pointed!

(End of this chapter)