The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Carpenter Prince!

The day after the inspection details were finalized. The warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Taichang's complexion seemed to have improved somewhat compared to the days of the Great Discussion. The dark circles under his eyes had faded, his hands were much steadyer as he flipped through the documents, and he even had the leisure to chat with the Crown Prince about everyday matters occasionally.

Zhu Youxiao sat upright to the side, sorting the memorials for him, arranging them into three piles according to their importance and urgency. After Emperor Taichang finished reviewing one, he would casually take one from the first pile, saving himself a lot of mental and visual effort.

The emperor and his son sat quietly in the warm pavilion for half an hour, each silently governing their respective affairs.

Emperor Taichang suddenly put down his imperial brush, as if he had remembered something.

"Fang Congzhe has had a tough time these past few days."

Zhu Youxiao did not stop working on the problem book in his hand.

"Regarding those matters at the Grand Council, Grand Secretary Fang took a lot of responsibility. He did acknowledge and memorize the inspection system, and although he secretly smoothed things over, he didn't overturn the table in court."

Emperor Taichang spoke in a very ordinary tone, just like an ordinary person chatting casually.

Zhu Youxiao hummed in response but did not reply.

Emperor Taichang then continued:

"I intend to have the Ministry of Personnel place the person recommended by Fang Congzhe in a good position. Grand Secretary Fang has several capable subordinates, and it's not right to keep them in this limbo."

Zhu Youxiao's hand, which was turning the pages of the exam paper, paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.

He looked up and glanced at Emperor Taichang.

Emperor Taichang's face was ashen, his expression as calm as if he were saying, "The sky is clear and the air is fresh today."

"What Father Emperor said is absolutely right. Grand Secretary Fang is wise and experienced in governing the country, and his subordinates have worked hard and made great contributions. He certainly deserves to be rewarded handsomely."

Emperor Taichang nodded slightly, picked up his brush, wrote a few words in vermilion ink on a document from the Ministry of Personnel regarding personnel appointments, and then casually tore it aside.

Zhu Youxiao lowered his head and continued reading the memorial.

His face remained expressionless, but his mind was in turmoil.

Emperor Taichang was rewarding Fang Congzhe.

Instead of bestowing inanimate objects like gold and silver, Fang Congzhe received substantial personnel appointments. With his subordinates filling lucrative positions, Fang Congzhe's foundation in the court was further solidified, naturally increasing his respect and loyalty to Emperor Taichang.

Grand Secretary Cong Zhe was forced to memorize the text during the Grand Council meeting, and he must have been furious. If this resentment wasn't channeled, this seven-year Grand Secretary would have plenty of underhanded tricks to sabotage him. Emperor Taichang's move wasn't appeasement, but a blatant bribe.

Use personnel changes to gain loyalty, and use small benefits to jeopardize the overall situation.

Emperor Taichang toiled away in the Eastern Palace for decades, never properly attending court for a single day, nor ever issuing a single imperial edict. Yet, he coldly observed countless memorials and listened to the gossip of eunuchs throughout those decades, painstakingly deciphering the treacherous nature of human hearts for half his life.

This imperial strategy is far more rudimentary than the crown prince's roundabout maneuvering, yet it possesses a sense of propriety that only a powerful figure from a past life could possess.

It doesn't need to be sophisticated, it just needs to be right.

Could the crown prince object? No.

Emperor Taichang's logic was impeccable: Fang Congzhe cooperated during the grand discussion, and therefore deserved a generous reward. If he was rewarded, Fang wouldn't turn on him and overturn the proceedings. If he wasn't rewarded, what if this old fox overturned the table at the next grand discussion?

But once Fang Congzhe was rewarded, his power base became even stronger. If the Crown Prince wanted to implement any decree that Fang Congzhe was unwilling to do in the future, he would face even greater resistance.

Emperor Taichang was by no means a mere puppet of the Crown Prince.

He was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He had his own plans for being emperor.

Sometimes their plans aligned with the Crown Prince's, and sometimes they went against him. When they aligned, everyone understood each other implicitly; when they didn't, the Crown Prince could only swallow his pride and bear it.

Because he was a subject, and even more so, a son.

…………

afternoon.

Zhu Youxiao returned to the Eastern Palace and sat in silence before his desk for a while.

Wang An tiptoed in to report.

"Your Highness, Grand Secretary Fang seems to be in excellent spirits today. He spent the whole morning in the cabinet office working on documents and also received two groups of people."

Which two groups?

"The first group was from the Ministry of War, discussing the dispatch of inspectors to Liaodong. The next group was from the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department, and they stayed there for a good half hour."

The Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department.

Fang Congzhe went to see the people from the Ministry of Personnel today.

Emperor Taichang had just approved the appointment of Fang Congzhe's men to lucrative positions that morning, and by the afternoon, Fang Congzhe's influence had already extended to the Ministry of Personnel.

How did the news spread so quickly?

It wasn't that the news traveled fast. It was that Fang Congzhe didn't need to wait for news at all.

Having honed his skills as Grand Secretary for seven years, he knew better than anyone when Emperor Taichang would bestow rewards and when it was time to express gratitude and accept the throne. He was naturally resentful at being forced to recite a passage during the grand council, but he remained silent and patiently waited for the Emperor's reassurance.

Emperor Taichang thought he was acting out of a superior position and taking the initiative to bestow favors.

Fang Congzhe thought he was being forced to accept favors passively.

Both the emperor and his minister felt that they held the initiative.

Perhaps those two old foxes weren't wrong after all.

Zhu Youxiao thought for a moment, then decided to stop thinking about it.

There's no standard answer to this mess. When the emperor's tactics and the prime minister's power struggles collide, it's impossible to tell who's using whom. Even if you could figure it out, it would be pointless, because the pieces have already been moved.

Fang Congzhe's entrenched connections have deepened even further. This is an undeniable fact.

"Osama."

"This servant is here."

"What did Grand Secretary Fang discuss in secret when he met with the officials from the Ministry of Personnel?"

Wang An looked troubled and hesitated for a moment.

"This old servant is incompetent and failed to ascertain the truth. The Ministry of Personnel is very tight-lipped."

"Forget it, no need to ask. Even a fool could guess. It's just a matter of which important, lucrative positions have become vacant and which of his protégés will be assigned to fill them. Grand Secretary Fang has been in this position for seven years; he could pull off this kind of strategizing with his eyes closed."

Wang An nodded in response.

Zhu Youxiao casually picked up the half-finished wooden horse on the table and turned it over.

The outline of the fourth leg of the wooden horse was beginning to emerge, differing slightly in thickness from the first three, and still needed careful polishing. Only one ear of the younger brother's wooden horse had been carved; the other was still just a lump of wood.

He picked up the carving knife, made a couple of casual strokes, and then put it down listlessly.

"Otomo, have you heard anything from the three factions lately?"

Wang An pondered for a moment.

"The Qi Poetry School is unusually quiet. Since the Great Discussion, the number of memorials submitted by the three parties has decreased significantly."

Quiet.

In the major debate, the Donglin Party gained the upper hand. The investigation system was officially approved, and although the matter of changing the leader was temporarily put on hold, it was also a foregone conclusion. Logically speaking, these vicious dogs of the three parties should have jumped up and barked wildly and launched a frenzied counterattack long ago.

But they suddenly gave up.

There are two kinds of silence in the imperial court. One is complete surrender, and the other is lying low and waiting for an opportunity.

The three parties would never back down. Qi Shijiao would not so easily swallow the humiliation of being held back by the Crown Prince at the investiture ceremony.

That is waiting.

What are you waiting for?

Deng Fang Congzhe.

Fang Congzhe was forced to memorize his text during the grand meeting, a fact that the three factions, those old foxes, all witnessed. Having been led by the nose by the Crown Prince, the three factions naturally wouldn't rush to be the first to act; they were all watching Fang Congzhe's expression. If Fang Congzhe reluctantly accepted it, the three factions would naturally follow suit. If Fang Congzhe couldn't swallow this insult, the three factions would be the sharpest knife in his hand.

Emperor Taichang has just bestowed a generous reward upon Fang Congzhe. Fang Congzhe then turned around and went to the Ministry of Personnel.

Fang Congzhe is making moves to plant his own people.

It's not about rushing to counterattack; it's about reinforcing the defenses.

He lost face in the grand debate, but he could make up for it elsewhere after the court session. Since the inspection system was now openly implemented, and he knew he couldn't stop it, he filled the ranks of the officials in charge with his own protégés and former subordinates. Rules are just dead paper; the officials who enforce them are living people.

Zhu Youxiao stared intently at the wooden horse in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.

Fang Congzhe, that old devil, is like a centipede; he can't be killed or driven away. No matter how hard he's pushed into the water, he always manages to pop his head out from another crack in the door.

That's right.

An invincible prime minister is only useful on the chessboard. If he were to be knocked out, the new one might not be any easier to deal with.

At least Fang Congzhe's bottom line in dealing with people is "playing it safe" rather than recklessly "flipping the table." People who know how to play it safe are traceable and can be controlled; but if it were a hothead who flips the table at the slightest disagreement, that would be an uncontrollable powder keg.

Keep him alive. Keep a close eye on him. Cut him slowly, step by step, like cutting flesh with a dull knife.

…………

into the night.

Cabinet Office.

Fang Congzhe slowly and methodically gathered the official documents he had brought back during the day and locked them in the cabinet.

In the vast duty room, he was now all alone. Liu Yiju and Han Kuang had left early, leaving the duty room empty, with only a lonely crescent moon hanging obliquely on a corner of the eaves outside the window.

He took out the plain paper that he had folded up the night before from his sleeve, slowly unfolded it, and examined it again.

There were only a few names, a few ink lines, and a few red circles on the paper.

I couldn't figure it out last night, and it's still a complete mess today.

But today, a new variable has indeed emerged.

The Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department secretly relayed the message that the Emperor had personally approved a list of candidates for appointment, securing two of his subordinates two excellent and lucrative positions.

Fang Congzhe folded the plain paper again and gently placed it on the table.

We're so short of them.

The Emperor is trying to appease him.

During the grand debate, he was forced to recite his lessons under the scorching heat of the fire, a scene witnessed by the Emperor on his throne. The Emperor's subsequent actions were a form of redress. This was the Emperor's art of controlling his subordinates. A man who had been the Crown Prince his entire life might not have possessed particularly brilliant or extraordinary methods, but he at least understood the simple principle of "a slap followed by a sweet treat."

Fang Congzhe picked up the teacup on the table. This time, the tea was still warm.

He took a small sip, then put it down again.

The Emperor was reassuring him, but at the same time he was subtly hinting at something: Fang Congzhe, you still have great use to me.

Being useful means you won't be easily discarded as a pawn. Not being abandoned means you can continue to wield power and influence in the court.

Fang Congzhe's gaze fell on the folded sheet of plain paper on the table.

The names are still the same. The ink lines are still the same. The very center of the array is still empty.

But it's fine to leave it empty.

He didn't necessarily need to expose the mastermind behind it all. He only needed to hold onto one thing: no matter who was manipulating things behind the scenes, he, Fang Congzhe, had to remain firmly seated on the chessboard.

Only those who are actively involved have the right to act.

Fang Congzhe carefully tucked the plain paper into his sleeve pocket and blew out the flickering candle.

…………

Late at night, in a side hall of the East Palace.

Zhu Youxiao sat alone under the dim lamp, intently whittling the ears of the wooden horse.

No matter how I cut the second ear of this little wooden horse, it just doesn't look right. The left side is noticeably thinner than the right, as if a dog gnawed off a piece of it.

He stopped carving, stared intently at the carving for a moment, and then simply shaved off another layer from the thinner ear, making both ears round bald heads.

It's ugly, but at least it's symmetrical.

Wang An cautiously poked half his head in from outside the palace gate.

"Your Highness, it's late, you should rest."

"Um."

Zhu Youxiao casually placed the wooden horse on the corner of the table and flicked his sleeve to extinguish the palace lanterns.

In the deep darkness of the night, only half a patch of frosty moonlight shone through the window paper.

Fang Congzhe was naturally completely unaware of the ink lines on that plain paper.

But he knew perfectly well that Fang Congzhe, that old fox, was definitely thinking things through.

An opponent you can't figure out or understand is a thousand times more troublesome than one whose cards you can see through. If Fang Congzhe had figured it out, he would have struck swiftly. Since you can't figure it out, then there's only one option: "wait."

Fang Congzhe, who patiently waited, was the best prime minister. Waiting meant remaining still. And without action, no trouble could arise.

But a shrewd person like Fang Congzhe would certainly not wait in vain forever.

Sooner or later, another ink line will be added to that blank paper.

And that line will eventually lead to a deadly name.

When that time comes, the second major game of chess in the imperial court will truly begin.